Garnet Flats (The Edens)

Any time I open a book by this author, I know I’m in for an emotional ride. The second book in this series, Juniper Hill, is one of my all time favorite rereads. I literally cry every single time I read it. The writing is so incredible I swear I’m feeling what Memphis feels every time. The emotions are so raw, so real, and it’s so beautiful. This book is an emotional ride as well, but this time I feel like the overwhelming emotion is pain and not so much of the beauty as in Juniper Hill. I’m not so sure I’ll be able to bring myself to reread this like I regularly do Memphis and Knox’s story.Talia Eden met Foster while away at college and fell head over heals in love. They were each other’s everything until the day he broke up with her out of the blue and said he loved her best friend and was going to marry her. Seven years go by without so much as a peep before he shows up unannounced in her hometown newly divorced and saying he’s there for a second chance.Obviously there were things that happened that Talia wasn’t aware of. But for seven long years, Foster and Vivi knew the truth and had each other to lean on while they lived in their self proclaimed “prison”. They became best friends and supported each other, raising a daughter and looking like a perfect family. Talia was left alone and broken, knowing only that the man she loved and the friend she was closer to than her own twin betrayed her and destroyed her heart. She leaned on no one. She never opened herself to dating, having another best friend, or even telling her siblings about what happened. She focused on medical school and shut out the rest. I struggled with the idea that she could ever move past that betrayal. As someone who has been in that position, I found it impossible to believe she would have just fallen into his kisses and got naked with him before she even knew the truth. That seems implausible imo. I can promise you that if my ex showed up suddenly after seven years, I would NOT be melting into his unsolicited kiss and pulling my clothes off. If it had built to that after he told her everything, that would have felt more believable. I hated that she was often so weak and the times she did use that back bone and righteously blow up at the two who were so cruel to her, she immediately followed it with “I feel so bad for being mean”. She had zero reason for guilt and it made me mad because her feelings were warranted.I love that Foster was completely committed to winning her back. He was ready for the fight of his life. But I almost quit reading so many times and didn’t really change my opinions until close to the last third of the book. We saw the pain and regret he lived with, and the love he had for Talia. He was not a bad guy despite his horrible mistakes. He knew he needed to grovel. Regardless of thinking his hands were tied back then, they let SEVEN years go by without making amends or apologizing, and really thought they’d walk in and she’d just forgive them. It was like two weeks in and he was lamenting that she hadn’t said I love you back and that she seemed to have walls up she didn’t before. Hello?? You destroyed her. Then abandoned her that way for seven years. Expecting her to just forget that and start over with a clean slate is ludicrous.There was just so much pain in their story. So much unnecessary pain. And Vivi apparently didn’t learn a thing as she pulled a stunt at the end that was basically a repeat to what got them in the whole situation to begin with. I actually respected Foster for holding his anger toward her over it, and was annoyed that Talia had no spine again and was inclined to just pretend it didn’t happen. Obviously they deserve their HEA. He screwed up, but you could see he truly loved her. I’m just not so sure after seven years that any woman would be willing to forget that kind of pain and heartache. Mostly it was a beautifully written, but uncomfortably painful read for me. I prefer my heart to be beautifully broken and put back together like in Juniper Hill, than to be needlessly destroyed and just forgotten about like it felt in this one. Where Knox stepped in and helped Memphis heal by loving her and Drake completely, this felt more like Foster caused Talia’s pain and then walked back in seven years later and said “pretend it didn’t happen” once his side was straightened out. 🤷‍♀️

I should preface this review by saying I am not a fan of second chance romances. I just don’t typically love them so if parts of the review are things that you love, then this is the book for you!This book starts with our sweet Dr. Talia Eden who is getting run over and not respected by people in her town and at her hospital just because they’ve known her her whole life. Poor girl needs a good confidence boost! Does her love interest give her that? I don’t particularly believe so. Foster Madden has had 7 years of living a secret and a lie after breaking Talia’s heart and marrying her college bff. You do find out the reasoning for it later on, but it still didn’t sit right with me. Foster had 7 years to dwell on it and make a plan and then showed up and expected Talia (who was completely left in the dark on the reason) to be on the same page as him right away and just take him back? Yeah, that would be a hard no from me too. And then add on that Foster has a kid with former wife and the wife was still in the picture but him and his wife were just bff’s all on the same page while Talia was just left out to dry? I struggled lol.Is this book still beautifully written? Absolutely! That’s why it still is getting 5 stars from me, I absolutely adore Devney Perry’s writing and how she makes you feel the emotions of her characters. I could feel the pain Talia had just looking at Foster in the beginning and I hated him right along with her! I still think she gave in too early and I could have easily had a whole book of her just shutting him down and then a second of them rebuilding their relationship cause Foster got off too easy in my opinion lol

I have read some not so great reviews about this book. For anyone else reading those same reviews, ignore them. There is no reason to doubt Devney Perry's writing. She is talented!  This book was perfection. A lot of the reviews were shaming on Vivi. Was I a fan of Vivi? No, but I still loved this book. I understood the predicaments that landed them where they were.Garnet Flats didn't have that suspense like Indigo Ridge.  This one, much like Juniper Hill, was more contemporary (not complaining at all!). Devney Perry often does a mixture within her book series. I had read other reviews complain about the epilogue and the lead up to Jasper Vale.  Seriously, ignore those, too.  Talia and Foster,  oh, this couple. They orbit around each other, and when they are near, they become the beat versions of themselves. Their souls recognized one another. It was perfection! It's one of my favorite second, chance romance books ever! (and I loved Clover Chappel!)  I am so excited for Jasper Vale. really next to the Clifton Forge series. I have loved the Eden family. Each book becomes my favorite.  Talia is so sweet natured, and she - if she were a real person - would be someone you would want to be friends with. Foster is kind and protective, yet he gets Tally. He loves her without apology, and like I said, let's her be her. I know I have repeated myself a few times. He is perfect for Tally.

Talia and Foster have a complicated history where they were in love, and then he broke her heart by marrying her best friend. Foster came to Quincy determined to win Talia back now that’s he’s divorced. He’s determined to do what it takes, including moving there without knowing how Talia will react, but he’s in it for the long haul. While I was initially hesitant with the idea of Foster getting a second chance (I mean dumping you for your best friend?! that’s seriously hard to overlook…), we learn the reasons behind the marriage and that he never had feelings for Talia’s best friend. I enjoyed seeing the two of them come back to each other, and that Talia didn’t make it easy on Foster. While it was frustrating that they were torn apart, they got their second chance and they’re happily ever after! I enjoyed going back to Quincy, and I can’t wait for the next book!!!

Talia has been feeling a little unsure of herself lately. She’s a resident at the local hospital, but everyone calls her Talia instead of Dr Eden, patients often ask if one of the other doctors is available, and the head nurse is a raging cowbag to her all the time.So when her ex, Foster, turns up in her small town looking to rekindle their relationship, she.is.fuming. And hurt. And bewildered. Because Foster was the love of her life and he destroyed her heart. She couldn’t possibly 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 even being just civil to him at this point, never mind fall for him again. Right?Oh Foster. I can understand why he did what he did in breaking her heart before…but I just feel like if he had been honest, they could have figured something out. Instead he absolutely destroyed her.And Talia was so sweet but I just wish she’d stood up for herself more with her colleagues! Patients you can’t really do anything about but, peers? They should have known better. Been more respectful. She should’ve turned the tables and started calling all of the other doctors by their first names instead. But maybe I’m just passive-aggressive petty.I love that Foster gave up so much, and changed his life so drastically just to get her back. And that he wasn’t easily scared off from his goal.Does he give lessons in husbanding? Asking for a friend…

Talia Eden loved Foster Madden for one year, two months and eleven days. It was on day 438 that her love died. The day he chose to marry her best friend. The day she vowed never to think of Foster again.When I first read the blurb for Garnet Flats, I had the tiniest doubt that this trope would be for me.The ink on his divorce papers is barely dry, yet he comes armed with apologies and promises. She knows it’s all a ploy. Foster is the king of games and secrets. But he’s got delusions the size of Montana if he thinks she’ll help him train for a world championship fight.After a second, I realised this was a Devney Perry book, and no matter what, I trusted that whatever the narrative, I would love it, and I’m extremely happy to tell you I was right, Garnet Flats is the story you didn’t know you needed but you absolutely do!This isn’t your ordinary second chance romance, this is a once in a lifetime love that never died.Foster has some secrets to reveal and a lot of forgiveness to beg for, but when he manages to break through the hard shell of hurt his actions caused, he and Thalia can finally live their happily ever after.Foster is an absolute dream book boyfriend, he made a stupid choice when he was younger, one he never realised would mean losing the only woman he ever loved, but the pain he went through, the man he was then and now, is everything I love about a romance read.I adored Talia too, she was hurt beyond imagine with Foster’s betrayal, more than she even realises until Foster appears in her hometown and six years of anger burst free. She also paid the price for Foster’s bad choices and she doesn’t let him back in, or forgive easily, even when it would be easier to do so.I can’t tell you enough how good this book is. I absolutely love Devney’s Edens series and they’re just getting better and better, plus with the tease at the end, I can feel that’s going to continue with the rest of the Eden siblings.

I always considered Devney Perry and Willa Nash books an automatic one click that never disappointed. But this book really shocked me with how disappointing the storyline was and how awful all the characters are. Foster and Vivienne are truly awful. And to just move as a happy family to Quincy and expect Talia to forget everything- seriously? If it was just him but he brings a lot of baggage with him. I resented everything about the main characters. And the familiarity between foster and Vivienne from living together for seven years, just No. i hated all the main characters, they were just unlikeable, including Talia who was so weak. I don’t understand all the high reviews. I couldn’t even finish the book and unfortunately it has put me off any more books in the series.

Foster is one persistent man!There was so much pain in Talia's heart over this man and at times I was crying with her.There was a lot for Foster to gain forgiveness for, especially as him and her former best friend Vivienne (who ended up married to Foster) had a lot of secrets that needed to be revealed.I found it hard to forgive Vivienne for her part in the deception. I could see Foster's sincerity and there was some major grovelling.Overall I really enjoyed the book and once I understood everything that happened I felt better about the situation and was glad that there could be a happy ending.

A fantastic return to the idyllic small town of Quincy, Montana where the Eden family have lived and loved for generations and it’s now the turn of Talia Eden to find love. Talia has been in love before when she was a student in Las Vegas but MMA fighter Foster Madden broke her heart when he dumped her to marry her best friend. Now back home working as a doctor the last thing Talia expects is Foster to walk into her hospital and be welcomed with open arms and given a second chance.Reading the blurb I wasn’t too sure about this book to begin with. I mean what kind of hero dumps the heroine and then promptly marries her friend?! That’s sounds more like the actions of the scumbag the hero is supposed to help the heroine forget! But I should’ve trusted in Devney Perry and without giving too much away there is logic behind her madness and it turns out Foster wasn’t the piece of excrement I expected although a small part of me would’ve loved a scene with Knox and Griff going all protective older brother on his ass.I loved this book. An angsty second chance romance with a heroine with major trust issues and zero self-confidence and a hero who is determined to wait forever if he has to, all set against a beautiful background. Throw in strong family dynamics and cute kids and I was one happy reader. I’m now looking forward to Jasper Falls and finding out just what did happen in Vegas that led to Eloise Eden coming home married