Jackson, hockey player and heir to a fortune, has been a MIA father for the first 8 years of his daughter’s life. Lucy, his ex, has been raising her on her own and isn’t exactly hoping they’ll get back together when Jackson announces he’s moving back to town and that he’s given up his slimy philandering, crappy-fathering ways. One reason this worked for me was that the author did a good job of keeping jerk-Jackson in the past and focused heavily on how he’d had a “see the light” moment and wanted to be a better man going forward. The scenes where he tried to start fixing his relationship with Mimi (daughter) were cute and this was a slow-paced, but nice romance to curl up with. If you like a story with lots of flashbacks, you’ll love this one!

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
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I only read cheating books when they are about trying to recover from cheating or trying to reconcile.
I am not saying it's always possible but I don't like reading about a Hero or heroine actively setting out to cheat.

I found this book on the whole ... boring.

The cheating has taken place in the past, we have flashbacks to when the couple met but also lots of events are referred to that made me feel as though I'd missed something, maybe this couple were side characters in a different series....

The Hero.... I honestly don't know what to say.....
He basically only cared about his sport, he had a pregnant girlfriend who had issues about cheating and he develops an issue with drink and cheats.

I think the worse thing is the treatment of his child.
It felt to me that he lived his life the way he wanted, wild days with his team, then when he retired from the sport after he had abdicated his parental responsibility away, not taking any interest in his daughter, even allowing his parents to look after her on his weekends with her, then suddenly decides he has time in his life for her.
I felt regardless of his treatment of his girlfriend and any future with her he had done irrevocable damage to his child.

The issues are discussed and dealt with but it was difficult to be sympathetic.

He also had a STD, which i thought was very brave of the author, to have him deal with the consequences of his choices.

HEA. If you buy it's possible.
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I only read cheating books when they are about trying to recover from cheating or trying to reconcile.
I am not saying it's always possible but I don't like reading about a Hero or heroine actively setting out to cheat.

I found this book on the whole ... boring.

The cheating has taken place in the past, we have flashbacks to when the couple met but also lots of events are referred to that made me feel as though I'd missed something, maybe this couple were side characters in a different series....

The Hero.... I honestly don't know what to say.....
He basically only cared about his sport, he had a pregnant girlfriend who had issues about cheating and he develops an issue with drink and cheats.

I think the worse thing is the treatment of his child.
It felt to me that he lived his life the way he wanted, wild days with his team, then when he retired from the sport after he had abdicated his parental responsibility away, not taking any interest in his daughter, even allowing his parents to look after her on his weekends with her, then suddenly decides he has time in his life for her.
I felt regardless of his treatment of his girlfriend and any future with her he had done irrevocable damage to his child.

The issues are discussed and dealt with but it was difficult to be sympathetic.

He also had a STD, which i thought was very brave of the author, to have him deal with the consequences of his choices.

HEA. If you buy it's possible.

4.5 stars.

I Want You Back by Lorelei James is an endearing second chance at love romance. This newest release is the first installment in the Want You series (which is a spinoff of the Need You series).

Now retired from the NHL , Jaxson "Jax" Lund has moved back home and he is trying to make amends for his past mistakes. Now sober, he is determined to make up for lost time with his eight year old daughter, Mimi. Jax also wants to atone for the mess he made of his relationship with Mimi's mother, Lucy Quade. His drinking and womanizing lead to the end of their romance and years of Jax taking her to court over custody battles and child support payments. He knows he is responsible for the demise of their relationship but Jax is hoping it is not too late to convince Lucy to forgive him and give him a second chance.

Lucy is independent, feisty and speaks her mind. While she is willing to let bygones be bygones, she is hesitant to completely trust Jax. His past actions hurt both her and Mimi but in the present, he has done nothing to cause her to worry he is reverting to past behavior. Lucy is still attracted to Jax but she does not if she can believe the changes in him are permanent. She is disappointed that he has been keeping secrets but will this prevent her from giving Jax a fair chance to prove he has genuinely changed?

Jax made huge mistakes during his hockey career. He made massive errors in judgment that ended his relationship with Lucy and will have lifelong repercussions. Jax has learned from his mistakes and his determination to prove himself is believable and quite touching. Lucy also has some emotional baggage from her childhood that she must make peace with before she can make a decision about her future with Jax. Will Lucy and Jax be able overcome their fraught past?

I Want You Back is a marvelous romance that realistically depicts addiction and the consequences of Jax's decisions. Lucy and Jax are well-rounded characters that are flawed but immensely appealing. Lorelei James's first installment in the Want You series is a beautifully written story of forgiveness and redemption that is heartwarming and uplifting. Readers will be impatiently awaiting the next release in this wonderful series. ( )

I Want You Back
Want You, Book 1

I Picked Up This Book Because: Fan of the author

The Characters:

Jaxson Lund:
Lucy Quaid:
Sometimes demon child Melora Michelle ”Mimi” Lund

The Story:

Super cute second chance story. Jax is a recently retired pro hockey player trying to rebuild his life and bring his family back together. Lucy is Jax’s ex and “baby mama” (her words, not mine) she just wants to live her best life and raise her child but Jax has other ideas. Mimi is a precocious 8 year old interested in trying everything and getting her own way. You can tell from the beginning Jaxson still loves Lucy. He bides his time to talk her into doing what he wants, becoming a whole family, and mostly lets her catch up to him without pushing her. He has overcome a lot and still has a lot to learn but I enjoyed the journey. This was a great start to the series and I can’t wait to see who the next book will be about.

The Random Thoughts:

My baby nephew’s name is Jaxson so that was fun to contend with in my mind. LOL

4 Stars ( )