Guestreview by Jen
TITLE: This Will Hurt II
AUTHOR: Cara Dee
PUBLISHER: Cara Dee
LENGTH: 306 Pages
RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2023
BLURB:
Part II of II • Angst • Awakening • Friends to Lovers • Found Family • Slow Burn
Buckle up. Hearts broken and wings clipped, Roe and Jake have mountains to climb, walls to tear down, and countless private moments to bring them even closer in this final part of their journey.
I’d gotten what I’d asked for, right? The ground beneath me had finally settled. I had the wife. I had the kid—my beautiful baby boy. Work was great. I was traveling the globe with my best friend, and together we were Roe Finlay and Jake Denver. Inseparable.
That was the f— That was the problem. We were inseparable. Even though he would never be the man I’d once wished he could be, I couldn’t freaking cope going a day without seeing him. When we were together, all was well in the world. I could breathe easier.
Then I found his damn journal from…therapy. That was right. My best friend, who defined “man of few words,” was in therapy. The ground started shaking again. I got desperate. I swam in denial. I…almost lost him on the job when he saved my life.
REVIEW:
The story continues with Roe and Jake becoming more and more successful as their business basically booms. The best friends’ camaraderie and chemistry captivates their audience in everything they do.
Outside of that though, their lives are in somewhat of a downward spiral. Jake realized he had feelings for Roe and had to come to grips with that, as well as the fact that Roe had committed himself to his wife and family. Meanwhile, Roe, having gotten a glimpse at Jake’s journal, had no idea that Jake felt that way or was having trouble coping with it enough to see a therapist. He genuinely felt he let his friend down not being there when he needed him most while at the same time, felt stuck in his own bed.
Much of this book is showing the guys each learning about themselves, what they want and what’s important and dealing with the fallout of
their respective decisions while trying to come up with a way to make it all work in the end. It takes a good part of this story before they each realize they are on the same page (and actually were for a long time). When they do and decisions are made, they try to do the right thing – Roe with getting out of his marriage while keeping his children a priority (while also dealing with his wife’s major postpartum depression, among other issues) and Jake figuring out his sexuality and feelings and how to find the courage to confront his parents about
things. While they both had to maneuver many hurdles, their friendship never wavered and they came out strong in the end.
One thing here is that we really get to see two opposites as far as the ex-wives go. Jake, as we learned early, has a wonderful friend in his who is a major part of his life still and they continue to support one another and put their kids first. Roe, on the other hand, had the opposite right from the start. He did the honorable thing by marrying her, but the chances of it being successful with them happy were slim to none, even setting aside the later issues, as mentioned above, IMO.
The guys do get their HEA and you will end this feeling quite satisfied.
There is mention of a further story involving the next 10 years of their lives posted on Ms. Dee’s website. I wasn’t completely blown away by this story, and as with the first book, I found myself skimming a bit as I went. But, there are enough interesting details to keep you vested and the characters are really quite charming. Another solid product from Ms. Dee to add to the list.
RATING: 
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