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Morgan Kelley has left Boston and is settling in Philadelphia…to a city that harbors her most painful secrets. Will these secrets destroy Morgan’s new beginning or will coming clean give her the second chance she’s longing to have? Find out in Elle Keating’s BACK TO THE START!

Title: Back to the Start

Author: Elle Keating

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Series: Dangerous Love

Release Date: June 19, 2018

Format: Digital eBook

ISBN: TBD

Synopsis:

Jake McGinnis has the life he has dreamed of since childhood: a professional football career with adoring fans, financial security, and the unwavering support of his family. From the outside looking in, he has everything. But nothing could be further from the truth. Because there isn’t a day that goes by that Jake doesn’t think about his first love… and what his world would look like if she was still by his side. When he hears that she is relocating to start a new job less than a mile from him, the pain of their breakup feels fresher than ever. For eight years, he has wondered why their relationship ended and now she’s settling in his city. A city that isn’t big enough for the two of them.

For Morgan Kelley, moving to Philadelphia means living closer to her family and practicing veterinary medicine with two of her closest friends. It’s also her chance to start over and move on from her failed marriage. There’s only one con: the close proximity to Jake McGinnis. Once upon a time being near him was all she wanted, but now he is practically a stranger… and it’s all her fault. Faced with awful memories and the possibility of bumping into him at her favorite coffee shop, Morgan is haunted by the real reason she once broke both of their hearts. Deep down, she knows she won’t be able to embrace this new chapter of her life without finally telling Jake the whole truth.

But how will he react when she shares her secret? Their love story once felt inevitable, unshakable. Is this where it ends for good, or is it the beginning of a second chance?

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My Review:

Welcome to my stop on the release tour for Elle Keating’s Back to the Start! Growing up together as next door neighbors, Morgan was always over at Jake’s house to hand out with Jake’s sister and Morgan’s best friend, Carina. Even though Jake was a few years older than Morgan, she had an enormous crush on Jake, although she didn’t tell anyone, except for Jake. After years of fighting what they felt, they finally decide to be together, but suddenly Morgan ends everything, supposedly so that Jake can focus on college and his future football career, while Morgan focuses on her own studies. Years later, Morgan moves back to Philadephia where they grew up, in order to join her friends’ Veterinary practice as she moves on from her recent divorce. This also puts her around Jake and his family once again while she struggles with her secret about why she really broke up with Jake.

I love second-chance romances, and Back to the Start is certainly no exception! I loved Jake, his entire family, Morgan, her mom- just about everyone in the novel. Despite the tension between Jake and Morgan after she returns to Philadelphia, this novel is full of love, support, friendship, and family. Again, despite the initial tension and questions lingering around them, the chemistry between Jake and Morgan is through the roof! There are romantic moments, sexy moments, and moments of regret, but there are undeniable chemistry and love between Jake and Morgan that is evident very early on.

Elle Keating’s writing was flawless throughout this novel, with everything paced beautifully as their story unfolded. I loved the flashbacks to their childhood that were interlaced with their present lives. The idea that Morgan knew she loved and wanted to marry Jake at 5 years old made this such a romantic and almost whimsical story that made my heart happy and full! Not only was this a second-chance romance, but a love story that seemed to be written in the stars.

Although this is the 4th book in The Dangerous Love series, I have not read the previous novels. Although I’m sure they’re as wonderful as Back to the Start, you do not need to read the earlier novels to enjoy this story!

*Thanks to Barclay Publicity for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

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About Elle:

Elle Keating is the author of romance novels with sexy heroes and fierce females. Her first book, Thrill of the Chase (Dangerous Love, #1), was published by Forever Romance’s digital imprint, Forever Yours, in 2015. Cut to the Chase (Dangerous Love, #2) soon followed. Most recently, Elle self-published Wanting More (Dangerous Love, #3) and a standalone novel, Keeping His Commandments.

An avid reader of gritty, dark romances, her favorite authors include Pepper Winters, Penelope Ward, and Anna Zaires.

When she isn’t torturing her heroes and heroines (don’t worry, there’s always a happily ever after), Elle is a public school administrator and enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 children in New Jersey.

Connect with Elle: Website | Amazon | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram