Right Where We Left Us: A Novel

Jen Devon

Jun 2024 · Sold by St. Martin's Griffin

About this ebook

Perfect for fans of Carly Fortune and Lucy Score, Right Where We Left Us is a searing and unforgettable romance.

Temperance Jean Madigan and Duncan Brady have never gotten it right. After one radiant, secret summer together when they were eighteen, they’ve been on-again off-again ever since. Now, despite red-hot chemistry and TJ’s closeness with Duncan’s family, they’re virtually strangers, only capable of adversarial banter, awkward small talk—and the occasional messy hookup.

When a wedding at the Bradys' vineyard lands TJ there for the summer, their mutual avoidance strategies prove impossible. The last thing TJ wants is to be under those angsty, heated glances Duncan thinks he hides. And for Duncan, having fiery TJ constantly close is the ultimate distraction that he absolutely can’t afford. When forced proximity begins to chip away at their armor, buried tensions resurface, old wounds urge confrontation, and once-in-a-lifetime love demands one last chance to finally get it right.

“Jen Devon knows her way around the human heart.” –Camille Pagán

"Devon breaks hearts and puts them back together again.” – Publishers Weekly

Don’t miss Jen Devon’s smoldering and intense romance Bend Toward the Sun!

Ratings and reviews

Such a joy to read! Duncan and Temperance have been through life side by side, but not ever quite together. FWB, sure, friends of the family as well, friendly at all times, but never going all the way to declaring a relationship. A situationship that has Duncan feeling very frustrated and ready to finally call it, one way or another. This author's amazing writing style sweeps me up every time I open one of her books. The descriptive writing is sublime, the family histories are impressively fleshed out, and there are just so many great lines throughout! Like the first book, it takes place over an extensive time period, letting the reader grow with the characters as they weigh each event and opportunity to see just what can be done to resolve the ever-present tension between them. This sweet exchange really highlights the conflict and inner confusion on Temperance's behalf: “I want to kiss you,” she whispered. “You don’t have to look so mad about it,” he whispered back. There's so much going on in this book, covering all aspects of the Brady family and extended family. Temperance is already tightly woven into the Brady clan, with her sister married to one of Duncan's brothers and her best friend engaged to another. Her struggles for identity and purpose are very relatable. Duncan, too, is ready to branch out beyond his family's expectations, and his friendship with Temperance gives him all the courage he needs. This is top-tier contemporary romance, a book and series that I highly recommend. This author will always be on my top-ten list. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

So much of this story turned into redundancy. To start with, I liked this, then it got long, and then longer. My go to quote: “The pining was excruciating. Truly.” I honestly kept thinking, something will change and not much did. I gave five stars because someone will love this, just not me.

About the author

Jen Devon is a lifelong lover of love stories. She writes vivid, cinematic romances about imperfect people finding their perfect match. A former ecology academic and adjunct professor, she now works in the Internet tech industry and dreams of writing full-time. An avid gardener, photographer, gamer, and unapologetic nerd, she’s also a mom of five (three kids, two rescue mutts) and lives in central Ohio with her engineer husband.