(Never) Again
Again Series #1
Theresa Paolo
Genre: New Adult

Just when she had finally moved on…

…He moved back.

When college freshman Liz Wagner hears her ex’s voice for the first time since he moved clear across the freaking country, she does what any respectable girl would do: Dive into the girls’ bathroom.

Zach Roberts—the Zach Roberts—is back. And he’s everywhere Liz looks—infiltrating her friend group, buddy-buddy with her brother. It’s enough to ruin college altogether. But what choice does she have but to put on a happy face and pretend he didn’t leave her vulnerable and alone in a pile of emotional wreckage?

Pretending works, until tragedy strikes and the only person available for comfort is the one person she wants to stay away from. When Zach turns out not to be the jerk she convinced herself he was, but the boy she used to love, Liz needs to decide whether to open her heart again to the boy who tore it out.

You can purchase your copy today at the retailers listed below!
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO

(Never) Again is a second chance story of two high school loves that were separated and reunited in college. Liz and Zach never had closure and true healing from their separation, which lead to a sad breakup, leaving our two main characters hurt. Yet as fate would have it, they cross paths during their freshman year of college and all the old hurts, bitterness, and attraction comes rushing to the forefront of their world. They must decide if what they had is what was meant to be or if they are meant to go their separate ways.

This story had a bit of a slow start for me. It is always hard with a new author to find your reading groove and see if it clicks or not. At first the story was a bit shallow. I don’t mean that in a negative way but it didn’t have as much depth of storyline and characters as I wanted. However, as I continued to read, the story picked up momentum and I started to really enjoy what was happening. The characters became more developed and the storyline was deeper and more heartfelt. Then when tragedy strikes and everything falls apart, we see a much more mature cast of characters and a storyline that is easier to connect with and enjoy.

I am a sucker for a second chance love story. The history between Liz and Zach is very sweet. We see their history in flashbacks throughout the book. First love is always adorable and their’s fit the bill. When their love didn’t last, it left two young heartbroken characters that suffered. Years later their paths cross again and it is awkward and strained. Two people who shared so much in the past must learn who they are now and how they have changed.

Liz develops very well in this story. At first she is a heartbroken girl. She is very self centered and wanting to forget life and move on. Yet a girl never forgets her first love and when she realizes it is more than a need for closure, things get a bit complicated. She must decide what she wants and who she wants to spend her time and emotions with. I loved watching her learn about Zach again. She could always see glimpses of who he was before but she was learning who the man was now. He was kind, funny, and a family guy. I loved watching him interact with Mimi.

As these two fell in love again, it was sweet and wonderful. It took a bit of conversation and inner healing for these two to come to a place that would allow them a second chance. They are friends with history and that allowed them to reconnect and find a place that let them grow and develop their second chance naturally. This story, despite it’s beginning, was a sweet story of second chances with your first love that I enjoyed. I appreciated Liz and Zach’s journey and the development of their tale!

I tried to hold my head up and give him a dirty look, but it felt like it weighed nine hundred pounds and I wasn’t strong enough.

Zach’s hand cupped my face, holding it up so I looked into those dark, beautiful eyes of his. Warmth spread across my cheeks, seeping into the rest of my body. He pushed my hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ears. I wanted to be mad, but I didn’t have the energy to care.

“You’re a mess.” His lips turned into the smirk I dreamed about for months after he stopped calling. “What happened to my Lizzie?”

“You left her,” I managed to get out before my eyelids became too heavy and I drifted off to sleep.

(Once) Again
Again Series #2
Theresa Paolo
Genre: New Adult

Josh will have to reconcile his past…

In order to make Kat his future.

After surviving a real-life nightmare, Josh Wagner is sent home from his dream college on crutches. Bedridden and tormented by flashbacks, he’s just seen his world shattered and his baseball scholarship go up in smoke. Josh’s family hires a health aide to help take care of him, but when he opens the door, the last person he expects to see is his biggest regret…

Katherine Singleton is the only girl Josh has ever loved. Now, even though she’s only taking care of him because it’s her job, Josh is determined to win her back. But Kat had to move on after their breakup two years ago, and despite her feelings for Josh, a lot has happened since he left…

When Kat’s past comes back to haunt her, Josh decides it’s his turn to take care of her. But protecting her—and redeeming himself—will put Josh in the line of fire again. Will he survive this time?

You can purchase your copy today at the retailers listed below!
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE  | KOBO

(Once) Again starts right where (Never) Again left off and this story was fabulous. I immediately began to read this book after I finished the first one and it flowed so well. I feel like this book was better than the one before because it builds on the storyline so much. The characters are already well developed and the plot lines carry over, allowing for more emotion and depth in the storyline. You have already experienced the trauma of what happened to Josh and you see what has been happening with him and his family. This was my favorite book in the series by far and so well written!

When this books begins, we see the world through Josh’s POV. In the book before, we see glimpses of a player with a heart of gold. A man who loves his family and loves his life. He was a baseball player and a hard working student. But everything went up in smoke the minute he became a statistic during his college campus’ shooting. This moment changed his entire life direction and altered who he was and where he was going. We see a strong character brought to his knees by a tragic circumstance that he could not control. He is plagued by nightmares and survivor’s guilt, something that could crumble the strongest of men. When he reconnects with his first love, the woman tasked as his home aide, he begins to realize that life is not over and he can still fight for what he wants. Josh is an incredibly written character. His struggle is real and his recovery is heart breaking. The emotion was so heartfelt in this book. We see a tangible struggle and pain that he must overcome to live his life again.

The connection between Josh and Kat is sweet, loving, and tender. When they finally work through their past hurts and grievances, we see a couple that is set to withstand the test of time. They both have dealt with such horrors in their past and find healing in one another. When the past refuses to stay in the past, Josh and Kat need to learn to trust each other and find safe haven the only place they can, in each other. I loved watching these two rekindle their love. It was emotional and perfect, a sweet and lovely second chance romance!

“You scared me,” she whispered, hot against my ear.

“I scared me too. I’m sorry.”

She pulled back, running a hand through my hair. “Don’t be. But maybe it’s time you see someone.

Just to talk. You need to talk.”

Talking scared me more. But her cold hands on my neck, the curves of her body pressed against me, her scent, Kat . . . that didn’t scare me at all.

“The only thing I need is you.”

As selfish as it was to hold on to her, I couldn’t let her go. In that moment I truly believed my words. But my problems were bigger than us. I just didn’t know it yet.

Theresa Paolo lives in the same town she grew up in on Long Island, NY with her long time boyfriend and their fish. Her debut novel (NEVER) AGAIN, a NA romance, released in Fall 2013 with Berkley (Penguin). (ONCE) AGAIN will release this summer. She is also the coauthor of the Amazon bestseller KING SIZED BEDS AND HAPPY TRAILS and BEACH SIDE BEDS AND SANDY PATHS, a YA contemporary series, under her pen name Tessa Marie. She has a hard time accepting the fact she’s thirty, and uses her characters to relive the best and worst years of her life. She put her love of writing on hold while she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Dowling College. When she’s not writing, she’s behind a camera, reading, or can be found on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.