What do you think?
Rate this book
Jake #2
My Skylar
From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes an epic standalone,
friends-to-lovers story…with a jaw-dropping twist you won't see coming.
Skylar has been my best friend since childhood, but I secretly pine for her. One thing after another has kept us apart, and I’ve spent the last decade in fear of losing her forever.
Because of me, she left town. For years, I thought I’d never see her again.
But now she’s back…and living with him.
I don’t deserve her after everything I’ve put her through, but I can’t live without her. This is my last chance, because she’s about to make the biggest mistake of her life. I can see it her eyes: she doesn’t love the man she’s set to marry. She still loves me...which is why I have to stop her before it’s too late.
A STANDALONE novel.
Standalone Books in the Jake Series:
Jake Undone (Jake #1)
My Skylar (Jake #2)
Jake Understood (Jake #3)
friends-to-lovers story…with a jaw-dropping twist you won't see coming.
Skylar has been my best friend since childhood, but I secretly pine for her. One thing after another has kept us apart, and I’ve spent the last decade in fear of losing her forever.
Because of me, she left town. For years, I thought I’d never see her again.
But now she’s back…and living with him.
I don’t deserve her after everything I’ve put her through, but I can’t live without her. This is my last chance, because she’s about to make the biggest mistake of her life. I can see it her eyes: she doesn’t love the man she’s set to marry. She still loves me...which is why I have to stop her before it’s too late.
A STANDALONE novel.
Standalone Books in the Jake Series:
Jake Undone (Jake #1)
My Skylar (Jake #2)
Jake Understood (Jake #3)
314 pages, ebook
First published June 1, 2014
About the author
Penelope Ward
90 books24.9k followersPenelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.
She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.
With over 2-million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty novels.
In 2014, Penelope’s fourth book, Stepbrother Dearest, became the #1 bestselling independently published Kindle ebook of the year on Amazon.com and was credited with igniting an entirely new subgenre of romance. Her 2016 smash hit RoomHate debuted at #2 on The New York Times Bestseller list. Penelope is an Audie Award Winner and three-time Goodreads Choice Romance of the Year Nominee. Her books have been featured in Entertainment Weekly and Publisher’s Weekly (Starred Review).
Penelope’s novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
She can often be found chatting live with her readers in her private Facebook group, Penelope’s Peeps.
She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.
With over 2-million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty novels.
In 2014, Penelope’s fourth book, Stepbrother Dearest, became the #1 bestselling independently published Kindle ebook of the year on Amazon.com and was credited with igniting an entirely new subgenre of romance. Her 2016 smash hit RoomHate debuted at #2 on The New York Times Bestseller list. Penelope is an Audie Award Winner and three-time Goodreads Choice Romance of the Year Nominee. Her books have been featured in Entertainment Weekly and Publisher’s Weekly (Starred Review).
Penelope’s novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
She can often be found chatting live with her readers in her private Facebook group, Penelope’s Peeps.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,254 reviews
February 7, 2017
Check out more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com
Once I finished 'Jake Undone', I had to start 'My Skylar' to get Skylar's story. This book can be read as a standalone, but reading 'Jake Undone' will provide a brief introduction to Skylar and a little insight into her background. Similarly, you'll have the backstory for Jake and Nina, Skylar's super-supportive friends, if you've read that book first. However, it is not necessary to read 'Jake Undone' first to understand and/or enjoy 'My Skylar'.
Skylar and Mitch meet when they are young children. Mitch's grandmother lives across the street from Skylar's family. He comes to stay with his grandmother one summer while his parents split up.
The two find that they have a lot in common, despite their separate upbringings. In no time at all, they become best friends. They spend every waking moment with each other, until Mitch has to return to his home.
When Mitch's father shows up unexpectedly early to pick him up, he is surprised. He is only more surprised by the news that his parents are getting divorced. As a young boy, the demise of his parent's marriage has shook his belief in the foundation of marriage. He even questions the permanence of "love".
Skylar does not hear from Mitch for years. As a teenager, she hears his name at a party and immediately the memories come back. She has never forgotten the boy that walked into her life all those years ago, even if he seemed to have forgotten her.
When Mitch returns as a teenager to live with his mother in his grandmother's home, Skylar and him pick up their friendship where they left off. It is almost like he never left. Only, now there is a definite sexual attraction brewing between the two.
This was a story that delivered a ton of angst and teenage melodrama. There were several times that I found myself wanting to shake Mitch and Skylar. So much heartache could've been avoided if they had only been open and honest with each other. It was incredibly frustrating at times, as they danced around each other ignoring the elephant in the room.
Along the way, the story takes a few unbelievable twists. I can't say that I didn't enjoy the story, but I did think that some of the twists were over-the-top. Skylar and Mitch were dramatic enough without having some of the extra twists in my opinion. I kept thinking "What else?". It was like the universe was working to keep these two apart.
This story follows Mitch and Skylar's relationship from childhood into adulthood and there are plenty of angst-filled moments along the way. They are together, then they aren't. They're inseparable, then they're estranged. It was enough to give me whiplash at times.
Despite all of the back and forth, I found myself glued to my headphones while I listened to their story. It was angsty and over-the-top, but I loved it. My heart broke at times, but it worked out perfectly in the end. I recommend this story for anyone that loves a HEA, but isn't afraid to work for it or cry a few tears along the way.
Once I finished 'Jake Undone', I had to start 'My Skylar' to get Skylar's story. This book can be read as a standalone, but reading 'Jake Undone' will provide a brief introduction to Skylar and a little insight into her background. Similarly, you'll have the backstory for Jake and Nina, Skylar's super-supportive friends, if you've read that book first. However, it is not necessary to read 'Jake Undone' first to understand and/or enjoy 'My Skylar'.
Skylar and Mitch meet when they are young children. Mitch's grandmother lives across the street from Skylar's family. He comes to stay with his grandmother one summer while his parents split up.
The two find that they have a lot in common, despite their separate upbringings. In no time at all, they become best friends. They spend every waking moment with each other, until Mitch has to return to his home.
When Mitch's father shows up unexpectedly early to pick him up, he is surprised. He is only more surprised by the news that his parents are getting divorced. As a young boy, the demise of his parent's marriage has shook his belief in the foundation of marriage. He even questions the permanence of "love".
Skylar does not hear from Mitch for years. As a teenager, she hears his name at a party and immediately the memories come back. She has never forgotten the boy that walked into her life all those years ago, even if he seemed to have forgotten her.
When Mitch returns as a teenager to live with his mother in his grandmother's home, Skylar and him pick up their friendship where they left off. It is almost like he never left. Only, now there is a definite sexual attraction brewing between the two.
This was a story that delivered a ton of angst and teenage melodrama. There were several times that I found myself wanting to shake Mitch and Skylar. So much heartache could've been avoided if they had only been open and honest with each other. It was incredibly frustrating at times, as they danced around each other ignoring the elephant in the room.
Along the way, the story takes a few unbelievable twists. I can't say that I didn't enjoy the story, but I did think that some of the twists were over-the-top. Skylar and Mitch were dramatic enough without having some of the extra twists in my opinion. I kept thinking "What else?". It was like the universe was working to keep these two apart.
This story follows Mitch and Skylar's relationship from childhood into adulthood and there are plenty of angst-filled moments along the way. They are together, then they aren't. They're inseparable, then they're estranged. It was enough to give me whiplash at times.
Despite all of the back and forth, I found myself glued to my headphones while I listened to their story. It was angsty and over-the-top, but I loved it. My heart broke at times, but it worked out perfectly in the end. I recommend this story for anyone that loves a HEA, but isn't afraid to work for it or cry a few tears along the way.
June 19, 2014
EDITED TO ADD: Due to the ridiculous personal attacks posted on my review on Amazon.com and the ridiculous amount of 'unhelpful' votes, I have decided I will NEVER read another book by this author again because I am sick to death of FANGIRLS attacking negative reviews. I didn't like the book pure and simple. I did like the authors previous two books so it's not a PERSONAL attack which is how fangirls seem to see it if somebody doesn't love a book as much as them. They AND THE AUTHOR need to realise that not everyone will love it just because they did and the fact the author posted about my Amazon review on her facebook page obviously asking them to all go and neg it just makes me laugh at the immaturity of it. Do all authors assume every single person will love their work? If so, they need to get a reality check. I bet authors hate the fact GR has no dislike button!
======================================================================
I loved the authors first book Gemini, her second book Jake Undone was good but not as great but this one, what a let down. It was awful. It just dragged on and on..and on.
We first met this couple in Jake Undone when Skylar was suffering from cancer. She's like a different personality in this book. The author takes us back 15 years to how they first met as children. There were years in between when they wouldn't see each other but the author wanted us to know they had a deep abiding love. When they are teenagers, Skylar makes a decision that upsets them both especially because she's not entirely honest with Mitch (I hate those storylines when a couple are supposed to be deep in love but lie to each other). Fast forward a bit more in time and Skylar realises her mistake but then an even bigger mistake has been made by Mitch. For me though I just couldn't understand why they couldn't be together especially the second time Skylar gets hurt when she knows it wasn't really Mitch's fault.
The story drags on and on with us hearing how much Skylar got hurt when in my eyes, I couldn't see why she blamed Mitch or he blamed himself. It wasn't his fault. We learn this when a third POV enters the story - a female voice. I found it weird we got this voice but what we were told I found far fetched and too convenient. What I loved about Gemini was the secret of the hero and turning the pages desperate to find it out yet in Jake Undone and this book the author has done a really poor job on that aspect which surprises me considering it was done so well in her debut.
Apart from in the first part of the book around the time they are teenagers and share kisses and a bit of foreplay (no sex) the rest of the story has very little romance and far, far too much angst and toing and froing of emotions. When we meet them at the age they were in the prologue and learn about Mitch's sexual history I was thinking 'yeah right' (totally unrealistic in my opinion). It's only in the last 15% we get more romance and that's the only part of the story I enjoyed. The sex scenes were good apart from what happens everytime Mitch orgasms! I can believe it one time but in the epilogue 4 years later he's still doing it!
A lot of the story was far fetched and things were far too convenient. It even has another autistic child same as the first book. I'm aware the author has an autistic child and I applauded her for raising awareness of it in Gemini but considering all three couples from each book are connected somehow it again seemed a bit 'convenient' that there was another autistic child and it was similar to Gemini how said child responded so well to the heroine. It felt like lazy writing. There was also far too much angst and Mitch didn't do it for me. He was far too wimpy. He also never seemed to put up much of a fight until near the end. Skylar as I say seemed to have had a personality transplant and she annoyed me with her ridiculous decisions.
A lot of it was predictable especially in the epilogue. I just knew that was coming and again, there was another aspect that was entirely too convenient. I'm astounded at all the 5 star reviews. I was a fan of the author myself but I feel to help her as an author I really need to point out that this book was just not good enough and didn't live up to the promise she showed in Gemini. This was a real disappointment.
======================================================================
I loved the authors first book Gemini, her second book Jake Undone was good but not as great but this one, what a let down. It was awful. It just dragged on and on..and on.
We first met this couple in Jake Undone when Skylar was suffering from cancer. She's like a different personality in this book. The author takes us back 15 years to how they first met as children. There were years in between when they wouldn't see each other but the author wanted us to know they had a deep abiding love. When they are teenagers, Skylar makes a decision that upsets them both especially because she's not entirely honest with Mitch (I hate those storylines when a couple are supposed to be deep in love but lie to each other). Fast forward a bit more in time and Skylar realises her mistake but then an even bigger mistake has been made by Mitch. For me though I just couldn't understand why they couldn't be together especially the second time Skylar gets hurt when she knows it wasn't really Mitch's fault.
The story drags on and on with us hearing how much Skylar got hurt when in my eyes, I couldn't see why she blamed Mitch or he blamed himself. It wasn't his fault. We learn this when a third POV enters the story - a female voice. I found it weird we got this voice but what we were told I found far fetched and too convenient. What I loved about Gemini was the secret of the hero and turning the pages desperate to find it out yet in Jake Undone and this book the author has done a really poor job on that aspect which surprises me considering it was done so well in her debut.
Apart from in the first part of the book around the time they are teenagers and share kisses and a bit of foreplay (no sex) the rest of the story has very little romance and far, far too much angst and toing and froing of emotions. When we meet them at the age they were in the prologue and learn about Mitch's sexual history I was thinking 'yeah right' (totally unrealistic in my opinion). It's only in the last 15% we get more romance and that's the only part of the story I enjoyed. The sex scenes were good apart from what happens everytime Mitch orgasms! I can believe it one time but in the epilogue 4 years later he's still doing it!
A lot of the story was far fetched and things were far too convenient. It even has another autistic child same as the first book. I'm aware the author has an autistic child and I applauded her for raising awareness of it in Gemini but considering all three couples from each book are connected somehow it again seemed a bit 'convenient' that there was another autistic child and it was similar to Gemini how said child responded so well to the heroine. It felt like lazy writing. There was also far too much angst and Mitch didn't do it for me. He was far too wimpy. He also never seemed to put up much of a fight until near the end. Skylar as I say seemed to have had a personality transplant and she annoyed me with her ridiculous decisions.
A lot of it was predictable especially in the epilogue. I just knew that was coming and again, there was another aspect that was entirely too convenient. I'm astounded at all the 5 star reviews. I was a fan of the author myself but I feel to help her as an author I really need to point out that this book was just not good enough and didn't live up to the promise she showed in Gemini. This was a real disappointment.
December 22, 2014
2 Frustrating Stars
When a book and its characters make you want to throw your Kindle, that pretty much says it all. I spent a good portion of this book wanting to smack the hero and heroine. By the time they got their acts together, I was so frustrated and annoyed that I really didn't care anymore.
I enjoy this author's work, but this book took over-the-top unnecessary drama and characters that were their own worst enemies to a whole new level. In fact, by 50% I was so frustrated that I almost put the book down for good. I guess my curiosity to see how things would end was what kept me going. Although I felt apathy for this couple by the end, their HEA was sweet and bumped my rating up a bit.
On the plus side, as a mother of a child with high functioning autism, I felt the author did an amazing job with the subject matter. I would give that portion of the book a glowing 5 stars. I also liked Davey, a secondary character; he brought comic relief to a story that overflowed with aggravating angst. In addition, I loved getting more of Jake and Nina, characters from the last book. I just wish the positive outweighed the negative but, for me, it didn't.
When a book and its characters make you want to throw your Kindle, that pretty much says it all. I spent a good portion of this book wanting to smack the hero and heroine. By the time they got their acts together, I was so frustrated and annoyed that I really didn't care anymore.
I enjoy this author's work, but this book took over-the-top unnecessary drama and characters that were their own worst enemies to a whole new level. In fact, by 50% I was so frustrated that I almost put the book down for good. I guess my curiosity to see how things would end was what kept me going. Although I felt apathy for this couple by the end, their HEA was sweet and bumped my rating up a bit.
On the plus side, as a mother of a child with high functioning autism, I felt the author did an amazing job with the subject matter. I would give that portion of the book a glowing 5 stars. I also liked Davey, a secondary character; he brought comic relief to a story that overflowed with aggravating angst. In addition, I loved getting more of Jake and Nina, characters from the last book. I just wish the positive outweighed the negative but, for me, it didn't.
October 25, 2016
SAFETY ALERT!
Warnings Warnings
High angst
OW and OM activity
In addition I didn't like the great amount of filler. There's a lot of like stuck up suit the book could've been shorter if the author had skipped the unnecessary drama.
I read it long ago and I just remembered because I'm erasing books from my Kindle. Read if you don't mind cheating.
Warnings Warnings
High angst
OW and OM activity
In addition I didn't like the great amount of filler. There's a lot of like stuck up suit the book could've been shorter if the author had skipped the unnecessary drama.
I read it long ago and I just remembered because I'm erasing books from my Kindle. Read if you don't mind cheating.
March 30, 2017
First of all, I want to say that I never had such a book hangover like this one. After reading a book that I particularly liked, I think about it a while, but after that I move on. It wasn't the same situation with this one. I can't seem to get over it and pick my next read, because even now my heart hurts and I constantly think about the plot and the characters. Second, why did I put My Skylar on hold for such a long time? I have absolutely no idea... With this one, I complete my list of Penelope's book and can sincerely say that I have read all of them. I am a helpless romantic and in this book I could find so many touching elements that really impressed me.
Skylar and Mitch have been friends since childhood. Mitch came during one Summer vacation to stay with his grandmother. His parents were fighting a lot and the only solution to prevent him from witnessing all of that was to keep him at bay from the tension in the house. He met Skylar and they instantly clicked. He was in need of a friend and Skylar was there for him, with her witty and straightforward attitude. The summer vacation ended and although they promised to keep in touch, 5 years passed since they've saw each other again, this time in high-school.
Even if Skylar was upset because Mitch didn't call her or looked for her, they rekindled their friendship that leaded to so much more. They became friends that secretly lusted for one another and slowly, they fell in love in the most powerful way. Of course the book will be full of drama. I don't want to spoil things, but Skylar will have to face serious obstacles and suffer a great deal, but everything up to a point was with Mitch by her side.
Let me tell you something about our couple. Skylar was something special from the beginning. She was very mature for her age and had such a sarcastic sense of humour. Her parents were divorced, but she kept in contact with both of them during the book. Mitch will be her best friend, her confident and eventually the love of her life. As I mentioned above, her path will be full of challenges, she will have to suffer a lot to gain peace and confidence. But most important, until having Mitch by her side many things will happen. She will make mistakes, she will take decisions that for you might be wrong and unjustified, but those were her choices and I respected them. Her evolution will be very surprising maybe for many of you, but this is what makes her so special to read about.
Mitch was like a superhero for me, even when there were times when I wanted to strangle him. Since being a kid, he loved Skylar. He fell hard in love with her and couldn't forget her even when apart. Most important and the aspect that made me admire him so well was the way he was there for Skylar. He didn't let her go one instant. There were a lot of scenes that made me cry and admire him for his loyalty and loving gestures. You could feel his love and his devotion, thing that was unmistakable and unforgettable. As Skylar, he will make mistakes that will heavily mark their relationship, but as the plot progresses, he will fight for his girl with a desperation that was palpable. I could feel his need and his desire to have her, both heart and body. This type of connection with a hero you don't see every day and I felt to lucky to find it. I related so much to this type of relationship, because I too was sick for a while and my boyfriend stood beside me every step of the heavy journey. So in a way I was glad I could find somebody that acted the same as he did:)
Penelope Ward managed to absorb me into this book with everything she had to offer. The characters were amazing, the challenges they had to face were thought and hard to overcome. As you might be accustomed, the book will be "divided" in Then and Now, which means that Then will have you happy and by the end devastated, and Now will leave you breathless, crying and hoping for the best. My heart beat faster in certain scenes, I cried during some paragraphs and I enjoyed immensely every page from My Skylar.
I know I am talking too much, but I can honestly say it was my favorite book of 2017 :) The pure emotion and intensity of this story says it all and I can believe I waited this long to read it. From the bottom of my heart I recommend this book:) 5 stars!!!
For more reviews please check https://readwithloveblog.wordpress.com
Skylar and Mitch have been friends since childhood. Mitch came during one Summer vacation to stay with his grandmother. His parents were fighting a lot and the only solution to prevent him from witnessing all of that was to keep him at bay from the tension in the house. He met Skylar and they instantly clicked. He was in need of a friend and Skylar was there for him, with her witty and straightforward attitude. The summer vacation ended and although they promised to keep in touch, 5 years passed since they've saw each other again, this time in high-school.
Even if Skylar was upset because Mitch didn't call her or looked for her, they rekindled their friendship that leaded to so much more. They became friends that secretly lusted for one another and slowly, they fell in love in the most powerful way. Of course the book will be full of drama. I don't want to spoil things, but Skylar will have to face serious obstacles and suffer a great deal, but everything up to a point was with Mitch by her side.
Let me tell you something about our couple. Skylar was something special from the beginning. She was very mature for her age and had such a sarcastic sense of humour. Her parents were divorced, but she kept in contact with both of them during the book. Mitch will be her best friend, her confident and eventually the love of her life. As I mentioned above, her path will be full of challenges, she will have to suffer a lot to gain peace and confidence. But most important, until having Mitch by her side many things will happen. She will make mistakes, she will take decisions that for you might be wrong and unjustified, but those were her choices and I respected them. Her evolution will be very surprising maybe for many of you, but this is what makes her so special to read about.
Mitch was like a superhero for me, even when there were times when I wanted to strangle him. Since being a kid, he loved Skylar. He fell hard in love with her and couldn't forget her even when apart. Most important and the aspect that made me admire him so well was the way he was there for Skylar. He didn't let her go one instant. There were a lot of scenes that made me cry and admire him for his loyalty and loving gestures. You could feel his love and his devotion, thing that was unmistakable and unforgettable. As Skylar, he will make mistakes that will heavily mark their relationship, but as the plot progresses, he will fight for his girl with a desperation that was palpable. I could feel his need and his desire to have her, both heart and body. This type of connection with a hero you don't see every day and I felt to lucky to find it. I related so much to this type of relationship, because I too was sick for a while and my boyfriend stood beside me every step of the heavy journey. So in a way I was glad I could find somebody that acted the same as he did:)
Penelope Ward managed to absorb me into this book with everything she had to offer. The characters were amazing, the challenges they had to face were thought and hard to overcome. As you might be accustomed, the book will be "divided" in Then and Now, which means that Then will have you happy and by the end devastated, and Now will leave you breathless, crying and hoping for the best. My heart beat faster in certain scenes, I cried during some paragraphs and I enjoyed immensely every page from My Skylar.
I know I am talking too much, but I can honestly say it was my favorite book of 2017 :) The pure emotion and intensity of this story says it all and I can believe I waited this long to read it. From the bottom of my heart I recommend this book:) 5 stars!!!
For more reviews please check https://readwithloveblog.wordpress.com
Read
June 13, 2014
***** FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED *****
I had a serious LOVE-HATE relationship with this book... so this review is going to be a little different than my usual ones. But before anything, I'm going to show you the blurb of the book (which was all I knew about it going it) and you'll probably be able to understand why I immediately HAD to read this book... seriously, this blurb made my heart squeeze!!
… a friends-to-lovers story of longing, passion, betrayal and redemption…with a twist that will rip your heart out.
Skylar was my best friend, but I secretly pined for her. One thing after another kept us apart, and I’ve spent the last decade in fear of losing her forever.
First, it was the cancer, but she survived only to face the unthinkable at my hands. Because of me, she left town. For years, I thought I’d never see her again.
But now she’s back…and living with him.
I don’t deserve her after everything I’ve put her through, but I can’t live without her. This is my last chance because she’s about to make the biggest mistake of her life. I can see it her eyes: she doesn’t love him. She still loves me…which is why I have to stop her before it’s too late.
So this book starts when they're 10 and 11 years old and spans about 15 years overall. I started out loving it. My heart went right out to these kids and I connected to them and their story very quickly. But, I'm not going to lie, there was a point about half way through the book where I was so furious at the storyline and characters that I was this close to throwing my Kindle at the wall and putting the book down for good... but dammit, I cared for these characters even though I was beyond frustrated with them so I kept reading. Truthfully, by now I was so angry that I didn't even have pity for them any more. They'd each made SO many stupid decisions that I was at a point where I was just like "Well, you fucking deserve to be miserable!!" But... the thing is that in between all of their infuriating decisions, I'd also really, truly fallen in love with them -- both individually and together -- and I couldn't help but want them to find happiness.
You know how they say that you can be hurt strongest by the ones you love the most? Maybe the reason I was SO angry and upset by their decisions was because I cared about them so much? 'Cuz there was no doubt about it, despite the fact that I was ready to just stop reading, I still freaking CARED. Ugh, I wish I didn't but I totally did. The romantic in me couldn't deny that these two were meant for each other, that they loved each other with all their hearts even if they kept making the wrong decisions over and over and over and over and over and fucking over again.... so I was rooting for them. I couldn't help it. I just wanted them to find happiness -- *sniff* -- and they did of course, it just took a helluva lot of pain and more than fifteen years of self-inflicted emotional torment to get there. But love always finds a way, right? There really isn't a strong enough word for how PISSED OFF I was over their past, but as mad as I was, I couldn't stop myself from feeling the joy of their reunion. By the end of their story, I had happy tears in my eyes.
Gah. This really was a rough journey for me. Honestly, it was almost too much. See, I like to read books where it's "them against the world", not "them against each other" .... and in this book, even though they both loved each other with all their hearts, their endlessly repeated wrong choices made their past more of a "them against each other" situation. They were their own worst enemy. This is just a personal thing, but I have a really hard time reading that kind of storyline. I think it's one of the most frustrating things ever when you literally have no one to blame for the pain they're going through but THEM. And honestly, if I look back over the course of their past, I blame both of them equally for all the mistakes. For every one of her mistakes, I can name you one of his so it's not even like I can blame one while loving the other.
See, in my opinion, in order to maintain any semblance of a functional relationship, when one person acts dumb, the other person needs to work doubly hard to gets things back on track . That's the only way to make things work because inevitably people will fuck up in life, no one is perfect. The problem here was that they each made mistake after mistake but neither one of them EVER balanced the other out so they were stuck in this never-ending cycle of fuck-ups and at the half way mark, I was at the point where I'd lost any sense of pity for them because (other than her illness), their hurt was entirely self-inflicted.
So yeah, I was at the midpoint and seriously was about to put the book down for good, not review it, and try my best to forget about it. But like I said.... I just couldn't let go. Fucking hell. As much as I hated their decisions, I did love these guys SO MUCH and every time their lives brought them back together in some way, it was SO clear that they'd never stopped loving each other that my heart would just melt and even though I was furious beyond all reason, I still so desperately wanted them to find happiness.
***** DEEP BREATH ******
I did however love the "present" day part of the book. Ok, not quite true, it took me a while to warm up to it because I was still really angry BUT I did feel for it. Their spark, their intense connection, their chemistry, everything was so strong. THIS was the story I wanted to read. Honestly, I feel like their past was written too extreme --- there were TOO many mistakes, too many fuck ups. I'm still really angry about them.
But I really LOVED that this book showed that time didn't matter for love. When you love someone and you lose them and then you're faced with that that person again, regardless of the hurt, the pain, or the emotional devastation, in the deepest part of your heart, it's like no time has passed. If it's real, true love, those feelings don't fade... even if it's been a lifetime.
I was a mess. I was so pissed at them and yet I was also rooting for them so strongly. I had tears in my eyes when they finally came back together and gahhhhhh I don't even have words. It was pretty powerful and was like the biggest jumble of feelings you can imagine. There's especially this one GORGEOUS line in the epilogue that literally made me burst into (happy) tears the second I read it.
One thing is for sure: this book really hit almost every emotion on the spectrum for me.
So, I have a serious love-hate relationship with this story. But see, I think the most important thing for me to take away from this book is that looking BACK on it, I have to admit that my feelings are all mostly positive even though while I was reading it there were a lot of times when I absolutely hated it. And by that, I genuinely mean that I had about the most extreme negative reaction I've ever had to a book. But the fact that it's the positive feelings from the second half that stayed in my heart the strongest after having finished it is something that I feel speaks very strongly for the book as a whole.
I'm not going to rate this book BUT that's not a bad thing. Here's why. I loved the beginning -- like in a 4.5 star way. I loved how strong their love for each other was -- like in a 5 star way. I'm still really pissed by their past and their choices -- like in a 2 star way. But I loved their present -- like in a 4.5 star way. But an average of those isn't fair. I wouldn't call this a 3 star book. But because of their past, I just can't put a super high rating on it without feeling wrong about it. But.... gah. This book made me feel, it made me care, it put me through every emotion (even though many of those emotions were really not ones I wanted to feel), and I loved the depths of their love for each other. But I just can't label my feelings with a number.
PS -- as a comparison point, I would say this book reminded me a little bit (emotionally speaking, not necessarily in plot) of the Love Me With Lies trilogy and also Present Perfect.
I'm going to be very honest here... I can understand people LOVING this book (and most readers seem to be feeling this way). But, I can also understand people being so frustrated that they give up half way through. However, I do think that if you go all the way through to the end, you'll end in a good place.
Dammit. Ok, I'll just admit -- I'm still really pissed but I did really like it.
Oh, and it's a standalone.
****************************
For more of my reviews, book news and updates:
✦ Main blog: Aestas Book Blog
✦ Facebook Blog Page
June 11, 2014
MY SKYLAR is LIVE and on LIMITED-TIME release sale!!!!!!!
A hot, passionate friends-to-lovers story from the author of Jake Undone…with a twist that will rip your heart out.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1obOG2F
B&N: http://bit.ly/SLO1qi
iTunes: http://bit.ly/SLNOTR
kobo: http://bit.ly/1kNrtAB
A hot, passionate friends-to-lovers story from the author of Jake Undone…with a twist that will rip your heart out.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1obOG2F
B&N: http://bit.ly/SLO1qi
iTunes: http://bit.ly/SLNOTR
kobo: http://bit.ly/1kNrtAB
February 14, 2016
‘To be continued...because true love never ends.’
This is my first read of this author. I stumbled upon this book recently and I was completely drawn to it-for mainly three reasons:
A. The title (cute )
B. The cover (sigh*)
C. The blurb (OMG!!! HOW DID HE SCREW UP?)
It’s mostly because of the blurb I read this ASAP. There is no need for spoiler’s the blurb says it all! So I jumped in to find out what “How did he lose her FOREVER” ???
But nothing could have me prepared for what was ahead!! I’M EMOTIONALLY WRECKED!! When I say emotions it’s not just sad or happy. It’s fucking VOLCANO OF EMOTIONS. Throughout the book I was like-
Mitch met Skylar when he was staying with his grandmother during a summer when they were 11 and 10. They bonded over the common grounds that both their parents are separated. Since then they became each other’s rock. They reunite after five years and now their relationship is stronger than ever, with growing feeling for each other they never cross the friend zone with the fear of repeating their parent’s mistake and losing their friendship until their first KISS. Their love was indestructible, the kind which makes your heart fill with warmth, hope and desire.
“How do you know there's a god?”."Because once, when I was a little boy, I felt hopeless, like my world was ending. I prayed hard one night and asked him to send me a sign that he was listening.”
“What happened?”
“The very next day, I met you for the first time.”
Mitch and Skylar are the characters you immediately fall in love, it goes without saying that I was totally engrossed with their story and connected with them right from the beginning. They made me smile, laugh, pray and hope they have a happily ever after because this whole book screams that they are meant to be together.
“I’m only half of me right now.” “I’d take a half of you over anything else that’s whole in the world.”
But everything went downhill when Skylar returns home after remission and Mitch had to go to college. First it was her insecurity over long distance relationship even when she knows Mitch worships her, will always be loyal to her, next when she founds out That’s when my BLOOD STARTED BOILING. I was so frustrated with her and her decisions, how can she decide for both them? Didn't she know their love is stronger that can withstand any obstacle and Mitch will never stop loving her.
Now this is just the BEGINNING of the HEARTHACHE’S to come!! If I thought their separation caused me unbearable pain the bomb that was dropped on me was the FINAL NAIL IN THE COFFIN!!
I was so fucking angry like crazy angry, that I would have punched the first person who would walk in my room (luckily I was all alone at home phew!) I don’t know whom to hate-Skylar for Mitch for
The reason I gave 4 and not 5 stars is the second half of the book. Where I connected with the story in first half, the second half felt rushed. It takes place in present day when Skylar moves to town with her fiance and Mitch sees her after five years. He knows he is the reason for her leaving town and cause for her despair but he never stopped loving her and apparently so does Skylar. Mitch vowed to make her his to love her more than he hurt her and to finally have his world back. I found this part loud and overemphasized! She says Kevin (her fiance) saved her from misery, protected and supported her, then why was he presented in a way you feel she's trapped in his world that he makes her unhappy just to prove a point that she is not over Mitch? It was rather injustice to Kevin’s character whom she calls her safe haven.
But I love this book so very much, I think I need a therapy to get over it! This is one of the POWERFUL LOVE STORY I have read. 'Loving someone too much causes insufferable pain’ should have been the tag line of this book that’s how it was for Mitch and Skylar-Best friends, confidant, strong lovers, Center of their universe and mostly soulmates but they still saw their relationship falling apart.
Ohk! I should stop talking now before I suffer another heartache.
My favorite quote:
“Love can’t exist without fear. If the thought of losing someone doesn't scare the shit out of you, then it’s not love.”
June 5, 2014
First let me say that I have been struggling with myself about how to write this review. NOT because the book didn’t meeting my expatiations, BUT because I have no idea how I am going to write a review that will do this book justice. I am, however going to try.
I have been anxiously awaiting this book, so when I was given the opportunity to receive an ARC from the author, I jumped at the chance. (I also had a complete fan girl moment when the ARC appeared on my kindle.)
From the moment I began this book, I was consumed by this story. Mitch and Skylar’s journey is the absolute best kind of emotional roller coaster. You will laugh, you will cry, you will scream at the pages and you will completely and totally fall in love with this story. Penelope created a story that was the perfect blend of real life human emotion tied perfectly together by some of the most amazing comedic moments to keep your tears at bay.
The story is told by both Mitch and Skylar points of view, and as I read, it began to feel less and less like reading and more and more as if I was sitting with two friends telling me about their past. I never felt that I was the reader on the outside looking in. Instead, as I journeyed through this book, it felt as if I really KNEW these characters, when Mitch would react to something, I knew and understood how Skylar was feeling and vise versa. You really do fall in love with these characters.
What left the strongest and most lasting impression on me was how beautifully Penelope portrayed the strength and power of love. Both Mitch and Skylar grow as characters as we watch them make their way from childhood to adulthood and to watch them conquer and over come so many obstacles was beautiful.
This is a beautiful story that danced off the pages and surrounded me with understanding that life is never easy, but no battle is ever truly lost if you love someone completely. This will be a book, I will not soon forget, and will most defiantly go on my top reads of 2014 list.
I have been anxiously awaiting this book, so when I was given the opportunity to receive an ARC from the author, I jumped at the chance. (I also had a complete fan girl moment when the ARC appeared on my kindle.)
From the moment I began this book, I was consumed by this story. Mitch and Skylar’s journey is the absolute best kind of emotional roller coaster. You will laugh, you will cry, you will scream at the pages and you will completely and totally fall in love with this story. Penelope created a story that was the perfect blend of real life human emotion tied perfectly together by some of the most amazing comedic moments to keep your tears at bay.
The story is told by both Mitch and Skylar points of view, and as I read, it began to feel less and less like reading and more and more as if I was sitting with two friends telling me about their past. I never felt that I was the reader on the outside looking in. Instead, as I journeyed through this book, it felt as if I really KNEW these characters, when Mitch would react to something, I knew and understood how Skylar was feeling and vise versa. You really do fall in love with these characters.
What left the strongest and most lasting impression on me was how beautifully Penelope portrayed the strength and power of love. Both Mitch and Skylar grow as characters as we watch them make their way from childhood to adulthood and to watch them conquer and over come so many obstacles was beautiful.
This is a beautiful story that danced off the pages and surrounded me with understanding that life is never easy, but no battle is ever truly lost if you love someone completely. This will be a book, I will not soon forget, and will most defiantly go on my top reads of 2014 list.
June 8, 2014
MY RATING: ☆☆☆☆☆ MY SKYLAR (GEMINI #3) by Penelope Ward
☆ Complimentary copy provided by the author "Penelope Ward" in exchange for an honest review ☆
~ THANK YOU ~
5 +++++ WEEPING ORGASM STARS
Such a beautiful, unique, heart wrenching story that captivated me from the very first page and I couldn't put it down, I savored the words that swept me along on a heart felt journey of ever lasting love..
❤️ MY SKYLAR ❤️
My past. My present. My future
I laughed, I screamed, I got angry, I loved and I cried!!
Thank you for making me feel!!
❤️ HOLY TOLEDO ❤️
This book brutally without a lie took me captive and ripped out my heart bit by bit and tore it to pieces, stomped it into the ground where it left me crying my heart out for the wasted years of these two characters, Penelope Ward didn't hold back with her emotional, gut wrenching roller coaster of a wet tissue ride, reading the interaction between Mitch and Skylar you feel that intense friendship, their pain becomes your pain, their loss and their love also becomes yours..
❤️IF THE THOUGHT OF LOSING SOMEONE DOESN'T SCARE THE SHIT OUT OF YOU,THEN IT'S NOT LOVE ❤️
A meeting in a playground at the age of 10 (Skylar) and 11 (Mitch) from playing tiggy he became the best friend Skylar had ever had and then he was gone until a chance meeting five years later at a party where that friendship is picked up right where it was left 5 years ago where it slowly begins to blossom into something so much more..
❤️ TO BE CONTINUED BECAUSE TRUE LOVE NEVER ENDS ❤️
"Are you planning to give me your first kiss?"
"Probably."
"You can't do that."
"Why?"
"Because I'm stealing it."
He growled over my lips. "What are you doing to me? I can't stop kissing you."
❤️ MY FIRST KISS, MY FIRST LOVE, MY ONLY LOVE ❤️
Mitch isn't a man whore bad boy he was just a boy that was scared to feel, to love, to let go, and that's why you like me will fall in love with Mitch and make him your next book boyfriend!! The things he does, says, will melt and break your heart all at once..
❤️ I'D DIE FOR YOU ❤️
"Promise me that you'll always belong to me, Skylar. Promise me I'll be your first and your last."
❤️ MY MITCH ❤️
The boy. The teenager. The man. His eyes were the one constant and the window into the soul of all three. I'd loved them all equally.
☆ Complimentary copy provided by the author "Penelope Ward" in exchange for an honest review ☆
~ THANK YOU ~
5 +++++ WEEPING ORGASM STARS
Such a beautiful, unique, heart wrenching story that captivated me from the very first page and I couldn't put it down, I savored the words that swept me along on a heart felt journey of ever lasting love..
❤️ MY SKYLAR ❤️
My past. My present. My future
I laughed, I screamed, I got angry, I loved and I cried!!
Thank you for making me feel!!
❤️ HOLY TOLEDO ❤️
This book brutally without a lie took me captive and ripped out my heart bit by bit and tore it to pieces, stomped it into the ground where it left me crying my heart out for the wasted years of these two characters, Penelope Ward didn't hold back with her emotional, gut wrenching roller coaster of a wet tissue ride, reading the interaction between Mitch and Skylar you feel that intense friendship, their pain becomes your pain, their loss and their love also becomes yours..
❤️IF THE THOUGHT OF LOSING SOMEONE DOESN'T SCARE THE SHIT OUT OF YOU,THEN IT'S NOT LOVE ❤️
A meeting in a playground at the age of 10 (Skylar) and 11 (Mitch) from playing tiggy he became the best friend Skylar had ever had and then he was gone until a chance meeting five years later at a party where that friendship is picked up right where it was left 5 years ago where it slowly begins to blossom into something so much more..
❤️ TO BE CONTINUED BECAUSE TRUE LOVE NEVER ENDS ❤️
"Are you planning to give me your first kiss?"
"Probably."
"You can't do that."
"Why?"
"Because I'm stealing it."
He growled over my lips. "What are you doing to me? I can't stop kissing you."
❤️ MY FIRST KISS, MY FIRST LOVE, MY ONLY LOVE ❤️
Mitch isn't a man whore bad boy he was just a boy that was scared to feel, to love, to let go, and that's why you like me will fall in love with Mitch and make him your next book boyfriend!! The things he does, says, will melt and break your heart all at once..
❤️ I'D DIE FOR YOU ❤️
"Promise me that you'll always belong to me, Skylar. Promise me I'll be your first and your last."
❤️ MY MITCH ❤️
The boy. The teenager. The man. His eyes were the one constant and the window into the soul of all three. I'd loved them all equally.
June 15, 2014
FULL REVIEW TO COME
4 STARS
Genre: Contemporary Romance
In my experience, love doesn’t last forever, and someone always gets hurt. That wasn’t going to be me , and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be Skylar.
So, when it came to her, I would keep my dick in my pants if it killed me.
Someone should start planning my funeral.
4 STARS
Genre: Contemporary Romance
In my experience, love doesn’t last forever, and someone always gets hurt. That wasn’t going to be me , and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be Skylar.
So, when it came to her, I would keep my dick in my pants if it killed me.
Someone should start planning my funeral.
June 13, 2014
2 ★s
I don't know where I should even begin with this review. I want to go on this huge rant but that wouldn't be very nice so I will just keep it simple.
That blurb! It's awesome, right? Well, that was the only thing. The beginning started off good but by the middle it went downhill. I almost put it down several times but decided to push through. My patience was put to the test when our hero kept crying during sex, but again, I pushed through. I didn't like the storyline, it reminded me of a couple of other books, books that were so much better.
I feel myself wanting to start on my rant so I'm just gonna leave this review with I didn't like it, nothing about this story worked for me.
Don't let my review sway you. It seems as though I'm an oddball because others are loving it.
May 11, 2017
This book reminded me extremely much about Love Me with Lies series by Tarryn Fisher. I didn't like that series, nor was I much a fan of this book. It was too much dragged out, boring, and the past and present thingy - so not my thing. I didn't connect with the characters, specially not Skylar. Hell, I disliked her very much. She ran when things got to hard and she put a whole lot of guilt on Mitch that he didn't deserve. Mitch was adorable though, and I felt like Skylar didn't deserve him at all. So to be honest, I got pissed at this book. At Skylar. At the story. All the damn heartbreak wasn't even necessary if Skylar could've some fucking backbone.
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (New Adult) Contemporary Romance
Series: - Standalone
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Mitch
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Probably not.
Would I recommend this book/series? - No, not really.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 2 *Mitch deserved more* stars.
“If the thought of losing someone doesn’t scare the shit out of you, then it’s not love.”
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (New Adult) Contemporary Romance
Series: - Standalone
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Mitch
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Probably not.
Would I recommend this book/series? - No, not really.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 2 *Mitch deserved more* stars.
March 25, 2022
Hey, future reader. First thing you should know before reading this book, is that I regretted reading it myself.
WARNING:
-Unnecessary angst.
-Stupid... I mean, STUPID heroine. Her name is Skylar.
-The only character you will like will be the "villain," Charisma. She's the only person in the whole book that was a redeeming factor. She went after what she wanted and she most importantly didn't LIE to herself.
-Indecisive heroine who went and lost her virginity to a stranger because she claimed that giving it up was like giving up something that somebody ELSE owns...when we all know no one owns our virginities BUT OURSELVES!
-She lies to the hero because she claims it was the best for him...?
-Heroine didn't have the decency to break up with her boring and sexist fiancé before she slept with the hero. So she decides to cheat on the fiancé even though she spent a whole amount of this book worrying about the hero cheating on HER! So she must how know it feels to be cheated on or to worry about it but she went and did it to someone else.
-not enough sex scenes to redeem this book and the only TWO, maybe three...(I don't remember) sex scenes in there weren't even hot or memorable enough to make this book better.
I regret reading this thing. And it was the first book I've read from this author...I think.
DON'T read it!
If you decide to, don't say I didn't warn you.
You'll want to punch a heroine so hard in the face. No need for that anger in your life.
WARNING:
-Unnecessary angst.
-Stupid... I mean, STUPID heroine. Her name is Skylar.
-The only character you will like will be the "villain," Charisma. She's the only person in the whole book that was a redeeming factor. She went after what she wanted and she most importantly didn't LIE to herself.
-Indecisive heroine who went and lost her virginity to a stranger because she claimed that giving it up was like giving up something that somebody ELSE owns...when we all know no one owns our virginities BUT OURSELVES!
-She lies to the hero because she claims it was the best for him...?
-Heroine didn't have the decency to break up with her boring and sexist fiancé before she slept with the hero. So she decides to cheat on the fiancé even though she spent a whole amount of this book worrying about the hero cheating on HER! So she must how know it feels to be cheated on or to worry about it but she went and did it to someone else.
-not enough sex scenes to redeem this book and the only TWO, maybe three...(I don't remember) sex scenes in there weren't even hot or memorable enough to make this book better.
I regret reading this thing. And it was the first book I've read from this author...I think.
DON'T read it!
If you decide to, don't say I didn't warn you.
You'll want to punch a heroine so hard in the face. No need for that anger in your life.
May 31, 2014
I'll do a full review when the book is released, but I have to say from the first word until the last sentence this book captivated me-I would be laughing at something so funny and then just as quickly something sad and poignant would happen and my eyes would get wet, and the sexual chemistry...phew!!
Waiting for this book, and wanting to know what the hell Mitch did for her to break up with him was killing me... but even I and my vivid imagination could not have foreseen "that" .. Well played Ms. Ward, well played!
Waiting for this book, and wanting to know what the hell Mitch did for her to break up with him was killing me... but even I and my vivid imagination could not have foreseen "that" .. Well played Ms. Ward, well played!
June 3, 2014
First I would like to say that this book is on the top of my list of best read this year.
I felt so many emotions when reading this book. I felt like crying, screaming, laughing and I felt a lot of love for the characters in this book.
My poor Mitch went through hell with Skylar. Childhood loves that turned into teenage love, and then turned into adult love.
They went through a lot to be together. They had to go through so many obstacles, and not all of them were nice.
Mitch knew he had fallen in love with Skylar when they were teenagers, she was fifteen and he was sixteen but he was afraid to express his love for her because of what his parents went through. His parents divorced when he was little and he was scared of what he would do if he ever loved.
Skylar also came from a broken home, her dad divorced her mother and remarried and moved to New York. But she always knew she loved Mitch and she wanted to be with him.
An unforeseen circumstance has led Skylar to move from New Jersey to New York with her dad for some treatments, but Mitch was always there for her and wouldn't have it any other way. Once Skylar returns home after two years, she and Mitch pick up where they left off, except now he's turning nineteen and she's seventeen, they both know they are too young to do "things" so they just have some foreplay and leave the "actual" main course for a more special time.
Skylar knew that she always wanted Mitch to be her first, but unfortunately plans don't always pan out the way we want. Mitch leaves to Boston to attend BU and she stays behind to finish her senior year of high school. She visits him but is insanely jealous and feels like Mitch will eventually leave her or cheat on her. But Mitch reassures her that the only woman for him is her.
Skylar goes for a medical check-up and finds out some pretty devastating news and that makes her run from Mitch. She doesn't want him to stay with her thinking that he will eventually resent her and blame her for not being able to give him what he wants later in life.
Mitch makes a huge mistake and the cause of that mistake, it makes Skylar run and she disappears for five years. When she has finally returned home, she's already engaged and living with her fiance. Mitch has never forgotten her and he could never be with another woman after Skylar because Skylar owned him. Mitch was determined to show Skylar that they were meant to be together and he vowed that they would end up happily together.
Can Mitch convince Skylar to be with him in the end?
I have to say that I truly loved this book, I was in a turmoil reading it because it just made me feel so many different emotions while reading it. I cried for these two lovebirds. I hate that they had to go through so much when they both knew that they belonged together, except Skylar felt like she just couldn't trust Mitch.
I haven't read a book that made me cry like this in a while and I will always hold this story to my heart because it was just beautiful.
Penelope did an awesome job with this story. I am super excited to read what she has next.
I definitely give My Skylar five stars because that's how much I loved it!!
I was provided with a complimentary copy for an honest review.
I felt so many emotions when reading this book. I felt like crying, screaming, laughing and I felt a lot of love for the characters in this book.
My poor Mitch went through hell with Skylar. Childhood loves that turned into teenage love, and then turned into adult love.
They went through a lot to be together. They had to go through so many obstacles, and not all of them were nice.
Mitch knew he had fallen in love with Skylar when they were teenagers, she was fifteen and he was sixteen but he was afraid to express his love for her because of what his parents went through. His parents divorced when he was little and he was scared of what he would do if he ever loved.
Skylar also came from a broken home, her dad divorced her mother and remarried and moved to New York. But she always knew she loved Mitch and she wanted to be with him.
An unforeseen circumstance has led Skylar to move from New Jersey to New York with her dad for some treatments, but Mitch was always there for her and wouldn't have it any other way. Once Skylar returns home after two years, she and Mitch pick up where they left off, except now he's turning nineteen and she's seventeen, they both know they are too young to do "things" so they just have some foreplay and leave the "actual" main course for a more special time.
Skylar knew that she always wanted Mitch to be her first, but unfortunately plans don't always pan out the way we want. Mitch leaves to Boston to attend BU and she stays behind to finish her senior year of high school. She visits him but is insanely jealous and feels like Mitch will eventually leave her or cheat on her. But Mitch reassures her that the only woman for him is her.
Skylar goes for a medical check-up and finds out some pretty devastating news and that makes her run from Mitch. She doesn't want him to stay with her thinking that he will eventually resent her and blame her for not being able to give him what he wants later in life.
Mitch makes a huge mistake and the cause of that mistake, it makes Skylar run and she disappears for five years. When she has finally returned home, she's already engaged and living with her fiance. Mitch has never forgotten her and he could never be with another woman after Skylar because Skylar owned him. Mitch was determined to show Skylar that they were meant to be together and he vowed that they would end up happily together.
Can Mitch convince Skylar to be with him in the end?
I have to say that I truly loved this book, I was in a turmoil reading it because it just made me feel so many different emotions while reading it. I cried for these two lovebirds. I hate that they had to go through so much when they both knew that they belonged together, except Skylar felt like she just couldn't trust Mitch.
I haven't read a book that made me cry like this in a while and I will always hold this story to my heart because it was just beautiful.
Penelope did an awesome job with this story. I am super excited to read what she has next.
I definitely give My Skylar five stars because that's how much I loved it!!
I was provided with a complimentary copy for an honest review.
October 28, 2014
3.5 Heartfelt First Love is Your Forever Love Stars!
Keeping it simple and close to the vest I will say this is an emotional rollercoaster! Mitch and Skylar meet as kids...immediately connect and develop an amazing relationship. They have a life-time of hits as misses that start out very young...each one more painful. High drama and high angst as you read about two people who truly love one another only to have LIFE get in the way...whether parental difficulties, health scares, or distance...no two people have ever struggled to be together.
This is the perfect read to truly understand the concept of "setting something free to see if it comes back, and if is really yours." Mitch is one the best book boyfriends ever! Fabulously patient, sweet, and completely in love. Skylar was pretty awesome at first, however as she matured, she grated on me a bit! I am not a fan of insecurity and I really struggled with her push-pull attitude with Mitch...but hey there's that drama!!!
Overall, I liked the read...I am a sucker for forever kind of love and when it is a man that is all in, doing the work, then hell yes, I like!!!
Keeping it simple and close to the vest I will say this is an emotional rollercoaster! Mitch and Skylar meet as kids...immediately connect and develop an amazing relationship. They have a life-time of hits as misses that start out very young...each one more painful. High drama and high angst as you read about two people who truly love one another only to have LIFE get in the way...whether parental difficulties, health scares, or distance...no two people have ever struggled to be together.
This is the perfect read to truly understand the concept of "setting something free to see if it comes back, and if is really yours." Mitch is one the best book boyfriends ever! Fabulously patient, sweet, and completely in love. Skylar was pretty awesome at first, however as she matured, she grated on me a bit! I am not a fan of insecurity and I really struggled with her push-pull attitude with Mitch...but hey there's that drama!!!
Overall, I liked the read...I am a sucker for forever kind of love and when it is a man that is all in, doing the work, then hell yes, I like!!!
November 11, 2014
This was surprisingly really enjoyable. I started this book about a month ago and after reading a couple of chapters, I wasn't super into it, life happened and I left it. But i picked it up again this morning and I read it straight through. It had a good storyline, serious moments, laugh-out-loud moments, angsty moments, and sexy moments.
My previous encounters with Ms. Ward weren't the greatest (see, Stepbrother Dearest, which I thought was a mediocre book at best) but My Skylar was actually very well done, and I'm definitely going to give some of the other books by this author a try. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book; a nice interruption from writing my History essay ;)
4.75 Stars
My previous encounters with Ms. Ward weren't the greatest (see, Stepbrother Dearest, which I thought was a mediocre book at best) but My Skylar was actually very well done, and I'm definitely going to give some of the other books by this author a try. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book; a nice interruption from writing my History essay ;)
4.75 Stars
June 13, 2014
★★★★ 4 Stars!
"Sometimes, if you're lucky, the biggest hardship can lead to your greatest blessing."
"My past, my present and my future. My Skylar."
Review to come.
Shelved as 'avoid'
July 20, 2023self note
Baby with ow.
Another H is deeply in love with the h but manages to get the ow pregnant because she put holes in the condom. How about the H just uses his hand for once when he has needs?
This happened when the MCs were broken up, the h broke up with him so he would accept a scholarship, and the H slept with the ow trying to move on.
Its funny how most of the reviewers are mad at the h because HE fucked the ow, and HE ended up ruining HIS life, due to HIS poor choices.
Yea, sure, true love. *eye roll*
Avoiding.
Baby with ow.
Another H is deeply in love with the h but manages to get the ow pregnant because she put holes in the condom. How about the H just uses his hand for once when he has needs?
This happened when the MCs were broken up, the h broke up with him so he would accept a scholarship, and the H slept with the ow trying to move on.
Its funny how most of the reviewers are mad at the h because HE fucked the ow, and HE ended up ruining HIS life, due to HIS poor choices.
Yea, sure, true love. *eye roll*
Avoiding.
June 11, 2014
MY Skylar is absolutely, beautifully BREATHTAKING.
I fell in love with this book from the very first page. Penelope has a way with her writing that draws you right into the lives of her characters and leaves you hanging on for dear life.
The emotions that I went through during this book were insanely intense. It was as if I could feel their emotions as if they were my own. After putting the book down each night, I found myself lying down in bed thinking about Mitch and Skylar and all that they have gone through. I will tell you now that there will be parts in this book that will rip your heart right out of your chest and stomp on it; make you feel as if it's hard to breathe.
"Stay here. I'll take you to your appointments. I'll take care of you."
"How can you do that with school?"
"I'll fucking drop out. Nothing is more important than you."
"He can't take you away from me because our story's not finished yet."
"I'd take half of you over anything else that's whole in the world."
There were certain parts in this book that I felt the pain so deeply that thinking about all the lost time between these two made me both angry and sad at the same time. While reading My Skylar you will feel as if you're a part of their lives. You will feel as if you grew up with them and have known them all your life. That's what makes this book such a beautifully, emotional read. I'm telling you now, prepare to fall in love with these two. Mitch and Skylar will never be forgotten for me. I will always hold their journey of love and loss in my heart. I'm sure a lot of you will feel the same way.
This story expands over 15 years of their journey of friendship and love. I have to say that I fell in love with Mitch. Oh what a man. Watching him grow up from that little boy was quite the journey. It was like I got to watch him grow into that loving, caring, beautiful man just as Skylar did. The love he holds in his heart will leave you breathless. No joke. I never thought that anyone could even compare to Jake in Jake Undone but I was wrong. Boy was I wrong. I should've known that Penelope would have me head over heels for another one of her lead Male roles. All I have to ask is, can I have them both? I just can't choose. They are both so sexy that it's painful.
"Oh, it wouldn't be what I want. What I want is for all these people to magically disappear and to take you on this table until you scream my name. So, what I want is irrelevant, isn't it? I was just wondering if you cared."
"I don't want to die not not knowing what it feels like to be inside the only woman I have ever loved."
And Skylar. Let's not forget about Skylar. She was beautiful, strong and selfless. I admired her in so many ways. The perfect h. There were a few times that I just wanted to give her a little push to say and do certain things but then we wouldn't have been taken on such a beautiful journey.
All I have to say is prepare yourself for the most beautiful ride of your life. Penelope has done it again with this beautiful, beautiful story. This is a story that I will definitely be reading again and recommending to everyone. I believe that if you don't read My Skylar that you will be missing out on something great. My emotions are still all over the place after reading this. I truly already miss Mitch and Skylar and am sad for this story to end. Who knows maybe there will be more of these two. I guess only time will tell.
To be continued...
June 6, 2014
Overall rating: 5 stars
Cover: Gorgeous
Character development: great
Supporting characters: good enough to fall in love with
Sexual tension: Enough to skip on much needed sleep
Writing: intricate, with impeccable editing
Angst: Yes
Part of the series: Yes, companion to Jake Undone
Could be read as stand-alone: Yes
HEA: Yes
Must read: Absolutely Yes
I am a huge fan of Penelope Ward. Every time I start reading her new novel, I think, how is she going to write something as good as her previous book? And again, she did it. I fell in love with Skylar and Mitch when I read Jake Undone and was anxious to read their story. The blurb added a huge How? to my anticipation. Skylar and Mitch were so perfect together in Jake Undone, I couldn’t imagine what drew them apart. It was obviously something immense, something unforgivable and heartbreaking. As much as I was prepared for heartache, my reaction turned out to be unpredictable. When I was at about 60% which happened to be at 2am, I just couldn’t do it on my own. So I wrote to Penelope to let her know what her book was doing to me. And being a sweet woman she is, she almost apologised for bringing my heart rate to the point that I needed a break to put myself together.
I think it takes a special talent to write a story that could affect the readers that strongly. Because, come on, it’s a romance, and of course, there should be a HEA. But you can’t help feeling the heroes’ pain, you become them and take a journey that is My Skylar with them.
If you read Jake Undone, you know about Skylar’s fight with cancer. I find Skylar one of the most likeable female characters, her strength and love for life are admirable. And even knowing this part of her story, reliving it with her again ties you up in knots. And Mitch ... I couldn’t imagine how this wonderful guy could do something bad enough to lose a girl who held his heart. And could he redeem himself? Could Skylar forgive him? You have to read the book to find out.
And there was Henry, another guy who stole my heart. I am not a crier, but from the first page I read about him, I cried and wanted to embrace this wonderful person.
So yes, I loved My Skylar and so will you. I think it’s the best Penelope Ward’s book so far (I know, I say this every time but it’s true). Buy it, read it, love it
Cover: Gorgeous
Character development: great
Supporting characters: good enough to fall in love with
Sexual tension: Enough to skip on much needed sleep
Writing: intricate, with impeccable editing
Angst: Yes
Part of the series: Yes, companion to Jake Undone
Could be read as stand-alone: Yes
HEA: Yes
Must read: Absolutely Yes
I am a huge fan of Penelope Ward. Every time I start reading her new novel, I think, how is she going to write something as good as her previous book? And again, she did it. I fell in love with Skylar and Mitch when I read Jake Undone and was anxious to read their story. The blurb added a huge How? to my anticipation. Skylar and Mitch were so perfect together in Jake Undone, I couldn’t imagine what drew them apart. It was obviously something immense, something unforgivable and heartbreaking. As much as I was prepared for heartache, my reaction turned out to be unpredictable. When I was at about 60% which happened to be at 2am, I just couldn’t do it on my own. So I wrote to Penelope to let her know what her book was doing to me. And being a sweet woman she is, she almost apologised for bringing my heart rate to the point that I needed a break to put myself together.
I think it takes a special talent to write a story that could affect the readers that strongly. Because, come on, it’s a romance, and of course, there should be a HEA. But you can’t help feeling the heroes’ pain, you become them and take a journey that is My Skylar with them.
If you read Jake Undone, you know about Skylar’s fight with cancer. I find Skylar one of the most likeable female characters, her strength and love for life are admirable. And even knowing this part of her story, reliving it with her again ties you up in knots. And Mitch ... I couldn’t imagine how this wonderful guy could do something bad enough to lose a girl who held his heart. And could he redeem himself? Could Skylar forgive him? You have to read the book to find out.
And there was Henry, another guy who stole my heart. I am not a crier, but from the first page I read about him, I cried and wanted to embrace this wonderful person.
So yes, I loved My Skylar and so will you. I think it’s the best Penelope Ward’s book so far (I know, I say this every time but it’s true). Buy it, read it, love it
August 11, 2016
5 BRIGHT STARS!!!!
I am seriously in love with this book. I've read Gemini and Jake Undone but My Skylar is hands-down my favorite book by Penelope Ward. The connection, chemistry and banter between Mitch and Skylar are off the charts. They may even be one of my top favorite couples. Their love for each other was so deep that I was rooting so hard for them the entire book. Warning: You will encounter some major angst but it was definitely worth it. There were also several LOL moments too. This was truly an epic read for me. LOVED IT!!
I am seriously in love with this book. I've read Gemini and Jake Undone but My Skylar is hands-down my favorite book by Penelope Ward. The connection, chemistry and banter between Mitch and Skylar are off the charts. They may even be one of my top favorite couples. Their love for each other was so deep that I was rooting so hard for them the entire book. Warning: You will encounter some major angst but it was definitely worth it. There were also several LOL moments too. This was truly an epic read for me. LOVED IT!!
Read
June 15, 2022DNF
I am not giving this book a rating because I don't think I read enough to know what I think of it as a whole. All I know is that I don't want to read about this kind of suffering, I don't want to read about cancer or any kind of prolonged medical situation, I just can't, so I am done with it. I understand that apparently after a while it moves on from that, and so I tried to keep going, but it didn't changed the theme soon enough for me, so I couldn't continue with it. It is a personal preference based on an aspect of the plot that it being treated here, that is all.
I am not giving this book a rating because I don't think I read enough to know what I think of it as a whole. All I know is that I don't want to read about this kind of suffering, I don't want to read about cancer or any kind of prolonged medical situation, I just can't, so I am done with it. I understand that apparently after a while it moves on from that, and so I tried to keep going, but it didn't changed the theme soon enough for me, so I couldn't continue with it. It is a personal preference based on an aspect of the plot that it being treated here, that is all.
February 21, 2016
Not sure why I didn't connect with this one as I had hoped. And seeing that it got rave reviews I gave it my best shot and saw it through to the end. I did enjoy it just didn't love it as I did Penelope's other books.
July 30, 2015
“Love can’t exist without fear. If the thought of losing someone doesn't scare the shit out of you, then it’s not love.”
This story was a roller coaster of feelings! You're up then you're down then flipped on your ass. I found myself literally clutching my chest.
"I don't want to die not knowing what it feels like to be inside the only woman I have ever loved."
I fell in love with Mitch just as I did with Jake. He was a beautiful character and I was kind of getting pissed for him in some places.
This author has a beautiful way with words and story telling I will definitely be reading more and likely all of her stuff.
"He can't take you away from me because our story's not finished yet."
"I'd take half of you over anything else that's whole in the world."
"Oh, it wouldn't be what I want. What I want is for all these people to magically disappear and to take you on this table until you scream my name. So, what I want is irrelevant, isn't it? I was just wondering if you cared."
This story was a roller coaster of feelings! You're up then you're down then flipped on your ass. I found myself literally clutching my chest.
"I don't want to die not knowing what it feels like to be inside the only woman I have ever loved."
I fell in love with Mitch just as I did with Jake. He was a beautiful character and I was kind of getting pissed for him in some places.
This author has a beautiful way with words and story telling I will definitely be reading more and likely all of her stuff.
"He can't take you away from me because our story's not finished yet."
"I'd take half of you over anything else that's whole in the world."
"Oh, it wouldn't be what I want. What I want is for all these people to magically disappear and to take you on this table until you scream my name. So, what I want is irrelevant, isn't it? I was just wondering if you cared."
June 8, 2016
I went back and re-read this
book, after having a discussion
with a friend.
This book was a journey between
Mitch and Skylar. For those who
have read Jake Undone, they are
introduced in that series.
Now, this book is not for everyone
because it takes place from childhood
on....and there is angst galore. At times
I had to step away because I was so
mad at Mitch.
I give this 5 stars because when we
finally get to the "now" Mitch is
an adult. He never got over Skylar
and when I say he fights for her,
he fights for her!! There is never
any doubt about his feelings. There
is never any doubt that he has
always wanted her and her alone.
I like the maturity that they bring
to table, especially after a youth
filled with some not so great decisions.
When this book ended I had nothing
but happy feelings and a big smile
on my face. I definitely think all
the angst was worth it. (and
there was no shortage on angst)
book, after having a discussion
with a friend.
This book was a journey between
Mitch and Skylar. For those who
have read Jake Undone, they are
introduced in that series.
Now, this book is not for everyone
because it takes place from childhood
on....and there is angst galore. At times
I had to step away because I was so
mad at Mitch.
I give this 5 stars because when we
finally get to the "now" Mitch is
an adult. He never got over Skylar
and when I say he fights for her,
he fights for her!! There is never
any doubt about his feelings. There
is never any doubt that he has
always wanted her and her alone.
I like the maturity that they bring
to table, especially after a youth
filled with some not so great decisions.
When this book ended I had nothing
but happy feelings and a big smile
on my face. I definitely think all
the angst was worth it. (and
there was no shortage on angst)
June 18, 2014
Finished this in one night...loved it so much. Reminded me a little bit of my Pulled, and I just love those intense feelings that come when a couple separated is so obviously meant to be together. For sure going to pick up Jake Undone.
January 22, 2018
Amazing. Loved it.
September 22, 2020
I didn't love this one, but I definitely think this is a “Jac” thing, so I'm still giving 3***'s. I’m not feeling it, or in the mood for another young love book, but I pushed through to finish up the series/not series with Gemini, Jake Undone, Jake Understood, and ended up skimming a lot.
The book starts with an unhappy Mitch reflecting that he hasn’t spoken to Skylar in 5 years because he broke her heart.
This is when I started skimming; I just didn't have the patience for teenager drama. Overall, it's a pretty angsty read, but again young angst, which I wasn't in the mood for. This one has some OW drama, which added some layers, and I really liked the letter she sent at the end. And LOVED this...
“With Charisma?” I couldn’t believe she would even think that. My tone was shrill. “Of course, not…after what she did to you…to us? You think I would get involved with that crazy bitch?”
Bottom Line- Not bad, not great, but could be great if you were in the mood for a childhood sweethearts second-chance romance with loads of obstacles in the road.
The book starts with an unhappy Mitch reflecting that he hasn’t spoken to Skylar in 5 years because he broke her heart.
This is when I started skimming; I just didn't have the patience for teenager drama. Overall, it's a pretty angsty read, but again young angst, which I wasn't in the mood for. This one has some OW drama, which added some layers, and I really liked the letter she sent at the end. And LOVED this...
“With Charisma?” I couldn’t believe she would even think that. My tone was shrill. “Of course, not…after what she did to you…to us? You think I would get involved with that crazy bitch?”
Bottom Line- Not bad, not great, but could be great if you were in the mood for a childhood sweethearts second-chance romance with loads of obstacles in the road.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,254 reviews