REVIEW: Hold on to Hope by A.L. Jackson

Hold on to Hope by A.L. Jackson: Frankie Leigh is bright, fearless, and close to her family. She met her best friend Evan as a young girl and grew to love him with everything she had. Evan was the only thing she truly wanted and needed and she’s lived a half-life since he abruptly left her and their hometown three years ago.

Evan is fiercely protective of his mom and Frankie Leigh. He’s smart, caring, and generous. Growing up deaf and with heart problems, he always felt he was a burden and created stress and worry for those he loved. He loves his family, but he needed to leave.

Frankie Leigh loves working for Evan’s mom and with her best friend. She can’t imagine living and working anywhere else. She is just as shocked as everyone else when Evan returns home as suddenly as he left and with surprising news. The last three years have treated him kindly as he’s grown up, filled out, and looking better than ever.

“You’re wrong, Frankie Leigh. There is no amount of time that could ever erase who you are to me.”
Frankie gulped, her delicate throat tremoring, and she lifted that fierce chin that she’d always worn.
“I have a boyfriend, Evan. I’ve moved on.” She glanced over my shoulder before she returned her gaze to me. “And clearly, you have, too.”

Frankie Leigh and Evan seemed meant to be since they were inseparable as kids and teens. With Evan’s return, Frankie Leigh isn’t surprised that their connection and chemistry is as strong as ever despite the pain it causes. It doesn’t help that Evan has now decided he’s ready for her and them and is determined to win her back despite the obstacles in their way.

“And what if too much damage has been done, Evan? What if life has been so cruel and unfair to us that there are too many wounds for either of us to heal?”
I set my hand on her sweet face, splayed out wide like I could hold all those fears. “The cruelest thing that’s ever happened to me was having to live without you.”

Hold on to Hope is heartbreaking, surprising, and heartwarming. A.L. Jackson doesn’t disappoint with this much anticipated friends-to-lovers, second chance romance for fans waiting for this pairing. Ms. Jackson continued to build on a strong and entertaining cast of characters from the Fight for Me series of standalones. Fans of Melanie Harlow and Katy Evans will enjoy Hold on to Hope.

Book Info:

Publication: Published October 26th 2019 | A.L. Jackson Books Inc. |

A best friends-to-lovers, stand-alone romance from New York Times Bestselling Author, A.L. Jackson . . .

Evan Bryant wasn’t your typical hero.
But he was mine.
Broken by the worlds’ standards, he was still the strongest boy I would ever know.
My best friend. The boy I’d given everything to. My heart, my body, and the promise of forever.
The day I’d needed him most, he walked away.
He left me shattered and questioning the love I’d thought we’d shared.

Three years later, I wasn’t prepared for him to return to Gingham Lakes.
It wouldn’t have mattered if he wasn’t the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.
My fingers still would have ached to caress his skin.
My body still would have begged to get lost in his touch.
And my heart . . . it would have always sung his name.
But time changes things. With it, secrets that could ruin everything.
Can we find a way to love again, or have the fears of our past stolen the hope of our forever . . .