I just finished reading the Just Human series by Kerry Heavens and because I read the two books back-to-back I decided to write a joint post...
Just Human:
Liv loves Danny. She knows she loves him more than he loves her, so she lets him go without a fight when his parents make him move back to America. She knows she will never love anyone like she loved him, but she has to move on.
Danny loves Liv. He knows he loves her more than she loves him, because she does nothing to get him to stay, so he goes quietly when his parents leave the UK. He knows he will never love anyone like he loved her, but he has to move on.
Twelve years on, they have made a good job of pretending, they may have almost forgotten. But when they get in touch via Facebook, it seems that it is all still there.
They quickly find that they are intensely compatible in ways they hadn’t even begun to explore before they were forced apart.
Can they put aside their fears and give it a go? Or will deep rooted doubts and insecurities tear them apart?
What I say: At it's core Just Human is a story about missed opportunities and misunderstandings. 29-year-old Liv is dealing with her ex's betrayal (she caught him in bed with her former friend) and a list of doomed former relationships. Liv never got over her childhood best friend and love of her life Danny.
A heartbroken Danny moved back to America 12 years ago with his parents and tried to move on from Liv. He's now a successful software developer but has never settled down because nobody could ever replace her.
I really liked Liv, she works hard on her businesses and looks after her friends and family. After Danny left Liv used piercings and tattoos to reinvent herself, even finding a Danny substitute in her gay bestie Max. Similarly Danny is extremely close to his best friend Jen and her hubby Scott.
The story is bittersweet and the wasted years were really sad. Both Danny and Liv suffer from insecurity and doubt. Liv is mistrustful after being cheated on and Danny doesn't think Liv ever loved him as much as he loved her.
The supporting characters were great. Max and Charlie were brilliant. Every girl needs a bestie like Max. And as a girl who grew up with a male best friend I totally understand the close and caring relationships between Liv/Max and Danny/Jen.
There are lots of sexy scenes in the book so keep this one away from the kiddies. I'd suggest having book 2 ready to read as the cliffy was a killer and I'm glad I had Still Human instantly ready to read!
4 Stars in my Sky!
My fav non-spoilery quotes:
- "Maybe...maybe you have met the right girl...but you had to leave her behind."
- "You have been the unfinished business in my life for twelve years, Liv."
- "What would I do without you?" "You'd have cats," he teases. "Many cats!"
- I will admit to having no work/life separation, but I'm not taking responsibility for his wayward genitals and massive ego.
Still Human:
Danny and Liv are back...
Danny loves Liv. He knows he loves her more than she loves him because she ran without a word when she saw their future mapped out before her. He knows he will never love anyone like he loved her and this time he doesn’t think he can move on.
Liv loves Danny. She knows she loves him more than he loves her because he broke her heart in the worst possible way, right when things were falling into place. She knows she will never love anyone like she loves him and this time she doesn’t think she can move on.
They needed a second chance because they just weren’t ready for their first, but when events changed everything between them, they discovered they were just human after all. Now Liv and Danny have to find a way to survive being hurt by each other.
They doubted, they underestimated and they did believe the worst, but only because they were too young the first time and too vulnerable the second time. But now they have changed and if they are not the same, surely things can only turn out differently?
What I say: After the dramatic and heartbreaking end/cliffhanger in Just Human Liv and Danny are both devastated and struggling to move on. Their reconnection was supposed to be their HEA and neither of them can understand what happened.
Liv believes Danny cheated and he thinks she ran out on a proposal. The book opens with them both torn between anger and pain. Self-doubt is a toxic thing for both of them and their inability to verbalise their feelings has cost them years of happiness.
A LOT happens in Still Human so be prepared for some shockers. Although I felt both Liv and Danny's pain I found myself getting frustrated with Liv for the way she treated Danny at times.
The secondary characters were even better in this book, they really made the story and had a huge influence on the events. I'm not sure how I felt and how I would have coped with certain events/decisions (it did border on an episode of Jeremy Kyle at times) but I understand why Danny and Liv made the choices they did. In the end they are both extremely selfless and loving to their friends; I liked their unconventional friendships.
Danny really ups the romance in this one and some scenes are swoontastic whilst others are just HOT! Heavens has done a great job of portraying their desperation and need to be together. The sense of uncertainty was both infuriating and kinda sweet.
I don't want to spoil any of the book for you because it's a great story about first love, fate and friendship.
Danny really ups the romance in this one and some scenes are swoontastic whilst others are just HOT! Heavens has done a great job of portraying their desperation and need to be together. The sense of uncertainty was both infuriating and kinda sweet.
I don't want to spoil any of the book for you because it's a great story about first love, fate and friendship.
4 Stars in my Sky!
My fav non-spoilery quotes:
- “She doesn’t love me. She found out I was going to propose and she ran. Again."
- "How do you have so much self-restraint?" "I just know you're worth the wait."
- "See, this is our problem. Insecurity. All the damned time."
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