Review: In Moonlight and Memories: Volume Three - Julie Ann Walker

FALLING IN LOVE IS LIKE BREATHING. YOU CAN'T HELP IT.

From NYT and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann Walker comes an epic tale of sacrifice, friendship, and the awe-inspiring power of love.

Maggie: Ten years ago, Cash Armstrong stole my heart. Then he promptly joined the army—dragging my best friend with him—and left me crying on the front porch in a red sequined prom dress. Now he's back. They're both back. Cash, the one who still has my heart. And Luc, the one who saved my life.

Cash: How do you know if you’re at the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end? That's what I've been trying to figure out since a traumatic brain injury made me "unfit to serve." I'm back in New Orleans, and picking up the shattered pieces of my past means I must confront where my life's journey began... and where it all might end.

Luc: Long ago, Maggie May was mine. Not mine in the way you might think. She was mine because she was my only friend. Then Cash came along and we became brothers by something stronger than blood. We became brothers by choice. When tragedy struck, I was forced to make a decision that changed all our lives. I thought, after ten years, it was safe to come back home. I was wrong...

The “In Moonlight and Memories” trilogy debuts July 1st!

And always remember, “The greatest of loves can begin in the simplest of ways...”

In Moonlight and Memories Trilogy:
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume One
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume Two
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume Three

Visit Julie Ann Walker's website for more information.

Review:
There is something I had suspected from pretty early on in the first volume that meant I had a rock in the bottom of my stomach from the minute I picked up this book. I went in expecting an emotional read but I honestly had no idea how much it would wreck me, I don't think I've ever read another book that has hit quite so close to home or made me sob so hard as this one. The fact that I'm tearing up again now just thinking about it and that I've been an emotion mess all day since finishing this in the early hours of the morning probably tells you how much it affected me.

That just proves how fantastically well this entire trilogy was written though, how invested I became in lives and friendships of these characters and how much I was rooting for them all to be happy. The last 30% of this book broke me and was gut wrenchingly painful to read but at the same time it was utterly beautiful and does leave you with a sense of hope at the end.

I really can't say much more than that because I don't want to give any spoilers but I will say this is probably the best contemporary romance series the I've ever read. It's definitely one that is going to stick with me for a very, very long time and I can't recommend it highly enough. Thank you Julie Ann Walker for one heck of a ride!

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: In Moonlight and Memories: Volume Two - Julie Ann Walker

SOMETIMES IN LOVE, THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN FACE THE FUTURE IS TO LET GO OF THE PAST.

From NYT and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann Walker comes an epic tale of sacrifice, friendship, and the awe-inspiring power of love.

Maggie: Ten years ago, Cash Armstrong stole my heart. Then he promptly joined the army—dragging my best friend with him—and left me crying on the front porch in a red sequined prom dress. Now he's back. They're both back. Cash, the one who still has my heart. And Luc, the one who saved my life.

Cash: How do you know if you’re at the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end? That's what I've been trying to figure out since a traumatic brain injury made me "unfit to serve." I'm back in New Orleans, and picking up the shattered pieces of my past means I must confront where my life's journey began... and where it all might end.

Luc: Long ago, Maggie May was mine. Not mine in the way you might think. She was mine because she was my only friend. Then Cash came along and we became brothers by something stronger than blood. We became brothers by choice. When tragedy struck, I was forced to make a decision that changed all our lives. I thought, after ten years, it was safe to come back home. I was wrong...

The “In Moonlight and Memories” trilogy debuts July 1st!

And always remember, “The greatest of loves can begin in the simplest of ways...”

In Moonlight and Memories Trilogy:
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume One
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume Two
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume Three

Visit Julie Ann Walker's website for more information.

Review:
The story picks up immediately from where Volume One ended and there is absolutely no point in starting reading here, it really is one story across the entire trilogy and you'll be missing out big time if you don't start at the beginning. I absolutely loved the series though so I would highly recommend giving it a try, especially if you love character driven stories full of love, friendship and fantastic characters.

We continue to see the story from three points of view but this time around Luc and Cash's chapters start with one of the letters teenage Maggie wrote to them after they left. This gives us a real insight into just how lonely she was without them but it also shows her start to put her life back together and turn into the woman we're getting to know in the present day. There is such a fantastic bond of friendship between all three of these characters but for the first time Maggie is starting to question whether her romantic love for Cash is just based on young love and teenage infatuation, especially when she starts to realise that Luc is the one who is always there for her AND the one who makes her heart flutter.

Cash is going downhill fast, he's continuing to drink to block out the pain from his brain injury and he seems determined to push Maggie away but it's obvious he still loves her and the mixed messages he keeps sending aren't helping Maggie to make up her own mind about how she feels. Luc is stuck in the middle, he has been head over heels in love with Maggie since they were teenagers but he genuinely wants both her and Cash to be happy even if that means he remains the third wheel always on the outside of their relationship. My heart absolutely breaks for Luc, he's one of the nicest characters I've ever come across and I think anyone would be lucky to have a friend just like him. Honestly I usually hate love triangles with a passion so I'm surprised by how much I loved this series but it was just so well written that you can't help but root for all three of the main characters.

This instalment gives us a lot of answers about what happened that night after prom in the Bayou and it's heartbreaking when you realise how much Maggie has been needlessly carrying on her shoulders since that night. We also find out more about Cash's father and the policeman that has been harassing the three friends ever since Luc and Cash came back into town. It ends with two absolutely killer cliffhangers that meant I had to dive straight into the third instalment and I ended up staying up all night so I could finish out the series which is probably the best endorsement I can give to say how highly I recommend it.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

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Review: In Moonlight and Memories: Volume One - Julie Ann Walker

MOST LOVE STORIES HAVE ONE BEGINNING AND ONE ENDING. THIS LOVE STORY HAS MANY.

From NYT and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann Walker comes an epic tale of sacrifice, friendship, and the awe-inspiring power of love.

Maggie: Ten years ago, Cash Armstrong stole my heart. Then he promptly joined the army—dragging my best friend with him—and left me crying on the front porch in a red sequined prom dress. Now he's back. They're both back. Cash, the one who still has my heart. And Luc, the one who saved my life.

Cash: How do you know if you’re at the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end? That's what I've been trying to figure out since a traumatic brain injury made me "unfit to serve." I'm back in New Orleans, and picking up the shattered pieces of my past means I must confront where my life's journey began... and where it all might end.

Luc: Long ago, Maggie May was mine. Not mine in the way you might think. She was mine because she was my only friend. Then Cash came along and we became brothers by something stronger than blood. We became brothers by choice. When tragedy struck, I was forced to make a decision that changed all our lives. I thought, after ten years, it was safe to come back home. I was wrong...

The “In Moonlight and Memories” trilogy debuts July 1st!

And always remember, “The greatest of loves can begin in the simplest of ways...”

In Moonlight and Memories Trilogy:
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume One
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume Two
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume Three

Visit Julie Ann Walker's website for more information.

Review:
Maggie and Luc were best friends in high school, two lonely kids who bonded over a shared love of Harry Potter they only really had each other and their friendship meant everything. Luc secretly harboured romantic feelings for Maggie and hoped for more but the minute she met new boy Cash it was love at first sight. That could have been the end of their friendship but Luc wanted Maggie to be happy and he had also become good friends with Cash. The three of them became a trio, Luc was on the outside of them as a couple but as friends they couldn't have been closer.

Ten years ago Cash walked away from everything to join the army leaving a heartbroken Maggie behind. What was even worse is that Luc went with him leaving her totally devastated and alone. They both broke off contact completely and Maggie never knew why. Now Cash and Luc are back and seem determined to pick up their friendship where they left off but neither of them are being upfront about exactly what happened all those years ago to make them leave.

Falling back into their friendship is easy, and if she's honest with herself Maggie knows she never stopped loving Cash but how can she trust him with her heart again if he won't explain his previous actions. Cash has his own demons to deal with, injured in an explosion he's suffering with constant pain and he's self medicating with alcohol to make it through the day. He's returned home with a plan but I'm not convinced he's being honest with either Maggie or Luc about what that plan is. Luc is trying to help get them back together even though he still loves Maggie himself, Maggie is still in love with Cash but finds it easier to trust Luc, basically it's all a little complicated.

It can be very hard to sell me on any kind of love triangle but this isn't quite like any other I've read. There is such a strong friendship between all of them that it doesn't feel like they're competing against each other. Luc is practically a saint in the way he's so willing to see his best friends be happy together even if it breaks his own heart in the process. At this point I'm 100% rooting for Maggie to end up with both of them but I have a sneaking suspicion about what is to come that makes me think I'll need a whole lot of tissues as I read the rest of the series. Either way I can't wait to see what happens with this trio.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

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