Here Without You
Tammara Webber

Genre:
New Adult
Heat Level: Mild/Sensual
Rating:

Everyone has secrets. Some are buried so deep, their existence is forgotten. But a secret never told can turn into a lie. And in love, a lie is one thing: Poison.

Reid's in love with Dori, though she hasn't told her parents that she's fallen hard for the guy they'd forbidden her to see. Now she's leaving for college, and Reid's promise not to push her to go public is wearing thin, especially when she can't - or won't - return those three important words he wants to hear.

Five years ago, Brooke and Reid were a Thing. That relationship is long gone, detonated amid allegations of cheating - but they still share a secret that would stun everyone they know and alter public perception of them both if it ever comes out. And it's about to do just that.

Here Without You is the fourth, final installment in the Between the Lines series, which includes: Between the Lines, Where You Are, and Good For You.

(Mature Young Adult / New Adult)

Review

There are few books I’ve anticipated this year like this one. After reading the entire Between the Line series last year, I’m not sure if I expected another one. I thought Reid and Dorie’s HFN (Happily For Now) was a wonderful ending to the series. But I do have to say, I did wonder about the Reid and Brooke’s child.

Enter Tammara’s blog post about Here Without You, when she tells her fans there’s one more book in the series. I was skeptical. I think I may have even commented on the post something to the effect, I don’t know if it’s possible to reform Brooke in my view.

Fans of Tammara Webber and the Between the Lines series will be happy to know that she does. Brooke is a flawed character—we saw that in Where You Are. But you know what, so was Reid. It was the two of them scheming to break up Graham and Emma (still my favourite couple). And she managed to make Reid not only hot but loveable (grade A hero material) in Good For You.

In Here Without You, we really get to meet the real Brooke with not only the warts but her frailties. We feel for her, especially those of us who are mothers, when she discovers that the son she gave up is in foster care. Even worse, he’s four and doesn’t speak. And he’s the spitting image of his father. Seriously, River’s situation is enough to bring you to tears. Brooke does what any loving mother would do, she goes about trying to get him back. And the things she's willing to sacrifice to make it happen not only reforms her to my satisfaction but makes her a winner in my book.

Now should you think this book is all about Brooke, it’s not. But those events are the precipice of the story. Reid is very much in the picture—it is really his story—and River is his son. He’s still dating Dorie, who is attending university. Their lives are quite separate though. When he gets time off, he comes to see her.

Her parents still don’t approve of the relationship so that hasn’t changed. I do get where they’re coming from. They don’t want to see their daughter hurt and let’s face it before Dorie, Reid’s reputation was not the best. But sometimes I had to grit my teeth at their disapproval and the way they continued to treat him. I mean, seriously people, there aren’t many guys who—even if they could afford it—would fly your daughter home for an ailing animal.

For Reid, the hardest thing is, I think, coming to terms with what happened to his son and trying to figure out what he should do about it. He also needs to tell Dorie. Yikes. Not an easy thing when she’s having so many doubts about them, especially once she believes he’s getting back together with the super-gorgeous Brooke as they are trying to get their child out of foster care.

Thankfully, all’s well that ends well. Tammara does a wonderful job giving her readers an emotional, well-written and heartfelt story. I was ecstatic to catch up a bit with Emma and Graham, who are, of course, still together and stronger than ever (I so love them). The ending is particularly emotional and brought a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes.

This is one of those books you don’t ever want to end. When I turned the last page, I wanted another 300 more and I’m not sure that would still have been enough. My secret wish—okay not so much a secret—is that there’s still another story, perhaps novella, somewhere in Tammara’s oh-so-gifted brain with a wedding or two. ;)  

Reviewed by Beverley