Book Review: Forever Yours by C.J. Welles

Every so often there comes a book that blows the rest out of the water, a book so unexpectedly good that you wonder how any future books will stand up against it. I didn’t think I’d find another book like this before the end of 2017 but boy was I wrong.

Forever Yours by C.J. Welles focuses on Presley and Taj who have been best friends since Presley was five years old. Inseparable, one day everything changes as love, mistakes and jealousy are thrown into the mix and Presley and Taj wonder if things can ever be the same again.

If I had to describe Forever Yours in one sentence I would say: Nicholas Sparks – but better. It has all the emotion of much-loved favourites like The Notebook, minus the cheesy aspects that some of Sparks books can have. I think Welles achieved this by keeping the story real. There is no sugar coating. Instead, there is something refreshingly normal about the characters. mostly teenagers who are caught up in sex, school and underage drinking. In fact, the story itself runs in a very normal sequence of unrequited love until we reach part two and Welles really ramps things up; leaving me a blubbering mess as a result.

Forever Yours has some of the most beautiful characters I have ever met. I read the author’s beforehand and Welles wrote that it took her a long time to fall in love with Taj. I never really fell in love with him and felt like I couldn’t trust him, right until the end of the book. It was Tommy who really stood out for me. While I was unsure of him from his introduction, he ended up leaving a dent in my heart and is a character I will never forget.

Presley is probably the most complex character in Forever Yours, but not too complex that she becomes difficult to relate to. She is unsure of herself and lacks confidence, on top of being bullied at school. She also gets herself into a situation which is difficult but also rather common in everyday life. However, what I liked most about her was the personal journey she takes. As each chapter passes by, we see Presley become a mature, strong young woman, and I really enjoyed this.

The blurb of Forever Yours really doesn’t do the book justice, but then neither does this review. All I can say is go and grab a copy for yourself and see experience this absolute tear jerker Welles has created.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.