Sometimes, the journey is the love story.
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Love Is Never Lost by Katy Regnery is available now!
https://geni.us/LoveIsNeverLost
From New York Times bestseller Katy Regnery comes a new twist on the beloved American legend, “Rip Van Winkle.”
Sometimes, the journey is the love story.
On the night of his high school graduation, Ripley Van Winkle—local quarterback, prom king and all-around big man on campus—swan dives off the top of the Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse. . . and lands on jagged pile of rocks. Suffering massive brain trauma, Rip isn’t expected to live, but he somehow manages to beat the odds: most of his physical injuries heal, though he remains in a deep coma for the next twenty years.
When Rip awakens two decades later, he will need to relearn his body’s most basic functions, in addition to catching up on twenty years’ worth of history, progress and change.
Something called the “internet” has the answer to every question you could ever dream of asking, and people are reliant on mobile telephones smaller than a Walkman. His high school girlfriend is married with children, and he has an eighteen-year-old sister who was born while he was “sleeping.”
As Rip struggles to find his place in this strange, new world, one presence in his life will become both a beacon and guide: his childhood friend, Katrina Van Tassel. But Trina has a challenging adult life of her own, and there’s no guarantee she has space in her life (or her heart) for her one-time high school crush . . . Rip Van Winkle.
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Love is Never Lost is part of the ~a modern fairytale~ collection: contemporary, standalone romances inspired by beloved fairy tales.
The Vixen and the Vet (Beauty & the Beast)
Never Let You Go (Hansel & Gretel)
Ginger’s Heart (Little Red Riding Hood)
Dark Sexy Knight (Camelot)
Don’t Speak (The Little Mermaid)
Shear Heaven (Rapunzel)
At First Sight (Aladdin)
Love is Never Lost (Rip Van Winkle)
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars
Love Is Never Lost is a brilliant reimagining of the Rip Van Winkle fairytale! I’ve read a few of Katy Regnery’s Modern Fairytale stories now, and she never ceases to amaze me with her retelling of classic tales!
The story is told in two parts — before Rip’s accident and after. Part 1 is set in 1985, when Rip and Katrina are seniors in high school. They were once family friends, but as their families grew apart after the death of Trina’s mom, so did the kids. Now they are about to graduate high school, and Rip is the popular jock while Trina is the bookish nerd. But in the weeks leading up to graduation, Rip and Trina rekindle their friendship… and as Rip’s relationship with his girlfriend Becky begins to fall apart, he begins to develop feelings for his childhood friend.
Part 2 is set after Rip’s accident — he wakes up after being in a coma for 20 years. I loved this part of the book. I loved how KR wrote (with creative license) the struggles he felt in adapting to how different the world is around him. Internet, cell phones, having a sister born while he was sleeping… and Katrina is still there by his side to help him through it all.
It’s not all roses and unicorns for Trina and Rip to get together. There are real issues for them to work through regarding her ex-husband, and Rip’s recovery. There is a great scene in particular where they clash while trying to discuss their feelings — Rip feels like he’s being treated constantly as a patient, not as a man, and Trina’s lack of social skills prevents her from understanding what Rip is trying to get across to her.
Rip and Trina’s journey is a wonderful slow burn. Another great story in the Modern Fairytale series!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
About the Author:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Regnery has a heart for smart romance featuring strong women and decent men. Almost exclusively self-published, Katy claims authorship of almost 50 titles, including three RITA® finalists. Translated into French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Turkish, Katy has sold over two million books worldwide.
Author Links:
Website/Newsletter Signup: http://katyregnery.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7211470.Katy_Regnery
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2dqySsy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatyRegnery
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatyRegnery
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/katharineregner/
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