When I was Yours is a second chance at romance story. It's my first story from Samantha Towle and I pre-ordered when I read the blurb.
The publisher's summary reads:
"“Marry me.” “What?” I stared back at him, unblinking. He moved closer, taking my face in his hands. “I love you, Evie. I look into the future, and the only thing I see clearly is you. Marry me.”
What’s an eighteen-year-old girl who was madly in love with her nineteen-year-old boyfriend say? Of course, I said yes. Twenty-four hours later, I married Adam Gunner at a Vegas chapel to the sounds of “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi. Not the best omen. I get that now. Then, exactly one week later, I left him. I walked out, leaving behind my wedding ring, annulment papers, and my heart, and he never knew why. I haven’t seen him since. Not in ten long years. Now, he’s here, standing before me. Looking at me with nothing but hurt and hatred in his eyes, he wants answers. Answers I can’t give."
Sounds promising, right?
The story is told from a dual point of view, but mainly from Adam's. It also uses the "flashback" method. So we alternate between present day (2015) and the past 2004/2005. The author uses this to do two things: 1) To tell us the story of how Adam and Evie ( the names are a little trite, no?) meet and fall in love. 2) This is how we learn of what caused Evie to suddenly walk out of Adam and not plan to contact him again. Ever.
This frustrated me because I felt that there was a disproportionate amount of time spent in the past. I mean, I am not really interested in reading the lead up to 18 years old getting to 2nd base...sorry. And it also meant that it was VERY late in the book before we found out for sure why Evie left Adam. Although, I will say that the plot twist was predictable and I guessed it as soon as the first real clue was given. Which made the drawn out wait to find out for sure really frustrating.
I didn't like the characters very much. Adam seemed like a reckless, careless douchey guy. Evie just seemed clueless, spineless and yet somehow capable of real cruelty. Adam I could sort of forgive. He had horrible parents (emotionally) and didn't really have anyone to tell him "no". Evie, I just couldn't get with. In fact the only time I agreed whole- heartedly with anything that these two did or said was with what Adam said when he found out why she had left (view spoiler)[ WHY WHY WHY did she not contact him when her sister was well again. Why didn't she find a way to let him know? I wanted to slap her and I really hoped (even though I knew it was in vain) that he would never forgive her! (hide spoiler)]
The story had real potential...but we spent so much time with the couple being awful to each other or 10 years in the past where they were immature young adults that none of that potential really got tapped.
I will say that you should read the positive reviews (there are lots!) and give the book a chance. This is just my opinion and I know that YA/NA is not a genre I've really enjoyed, so please take that as a caveat to my review. I know that was a labor of love for Ms. Towle so I gave the book 3 stars for all of its potential and some moments of excellent dialogue...
