
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Reviewed by: Michelle
Copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review

L.O.V.E. One word that consist of four letters. Easy to spell but hard to define. In E.L. Todd’s Forever and Always Collection, Ms. Todd delivers a story that explores the different facets and gamuts of love. A friendship kind of love. A blurred love. A sexual love. A love of need. Complicated love. And a forever of kind of love. But with these different facets of love, Ms. Todd throw readers under a whirlwind of emotions from frustration, anger, understanding, and forgiveness. In the end of this tumultuous journey, one question remains. Is there such a thing called a forever and always kind of love?
Scarlet and Sean have been best friends for so many years. They are each other’s backbone and loved each other fiercely. So what happens when one night changes everything? Lines of friendship begins to get blurred? Can they ever go back the same if Scarlet feels strongly for Sean and he hasn’t yet realize his feelings for her? Can their friendship and hearts be saved?
“We weren’t fucking. We were making love, and I realized I had loved him the entire length of our friendship. He was the one I wanted and no one else. I knew in that moment that Sean felt the same way. He loved me. Now I understood why I couldn’t date anyone else, and why I never gave anyone else a chance. It was because I wanted Sean. I always feared he wouldn’t feel the same way, that I was his friend and nothing more. But now that I knew I was wrong, I was so happy he was mine. We belonged together. I only wished we hadn’t taken so long to figure it out.”
And so begins one hell of an angsty emotional driven journey of two best friends rediscovering and finding themselves. For Scarlet, leaving NYC, her job and Sean behind was what was needed in order for her to listen to her heart. In Seattle, she was able to reconnect with her brother and make new friends with her brother’s best friend. Choices were made in regards how she would dealt with her broken heart. Were these choices the best one? Yes and No. But, in the end it was Scarlet’s choice in the matter.
The distance apart from Scarlet allowed Sean to see that she was the one that he let slipped away. She was the girl who loved him fiercely and all it took was time apart to awaken him to get his act together and go get the woman he loves. But what happens when he reconnects with Scarlet and she has a whole new life in Seattle? And what happens when Sean’s ex makes a surprise appearance? Can Sean and Scarlet get their shot at happily ever after or are they just destined to be friends only?
“His lips felt right against mine and I knew I was meant for him—we were perfect together.”
In this collection, E.L. Todd showcases an imperfect love story with two imperfect individuals. Yes, both characters needed a slap to the head for their stupidity and rash decisions. But what makes their story stand out, it is raw. There is no sugar-coating anything about Sean and Scarlet. They are human. They make mistakes. But in the end, it is their love that saves them. Their love for one another withstands all the complicated bullshit that tries to tear them apart. They are not perfect but their love for one another is perfect for them. And so E.L. Todd highlights that important aspect of love. Love is messy. Love is complicated. But if you fight for your love and answer to what your heart desires, then you will find the answer to forever and always.
This three book collection was definitely driven by lots of angst. And I mean angst up the wazoo. This book was filled with so many ups and downs that you were beginning to wonder how much more can Scarlet and Sean take in order to get their happily ever after. I did enjoy the book but I felt their story could have been condensed without the unnecessary drama and surprise appearance of characters. My only complaint was that cliffhanger ending. Other than that, if you like best friends romance with lots of angst and I mean a plethora of it then this book is for you.

E.L. Todd
View all my reviews