BOOK REVIEW: Ever Over After (The Over #2) by J.A. DeRouen

Title: Ever Over After

Author: J.A. DeRouen

Series: The Over Duet #2

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Marlo … wild-eyed, untamed, and every single thing I’ve ever wanted from this life. I wasn’t ready for her back then. I was a stupid boy with adult feelings and no idea what to do with them. I squandered away every chance she gave me.

Yes, love like ours either burns white hot or crumbles under the pressure.

And now I’m back to sift through the rubble.

Questions and excuses are two things I have in spades. What I need now are answers. 

Answers and Low.

Always Low.

My name is Ever Montgomery, and this is my story of love resurrected.

*ARC given in exchange for an honest review* 

After meeting Marlo and Ever in Low Over High, I never got over the high. And that poignant pull continued with Ever Over After. This book brilliantly stirs the emotions and just goes straight through the heart. 

With one glance, I morph into that broken girl he threw away. I guess part of her will always live in me.

Marlo craved change. She needed a new place and some new people to deter her from the painful memories of her past. But then one part of her past never actually left and he has no plans of leaving. I loved the contradicting mix of resilience and vulnerability in Marlo’s character. She was not portrayed as a damsel-in-distress but a woman of strength who fought battles every day. She was fun and kind and sophisticated. But she also carries a streak of issues that added up to the weight of the story. 

I’m a better man when I’m loving you.

Ever needed a fix. A fix of his life, a fix of his family, and a fix of himself. He knew he was too broken to deserve and protect Marlo so he opted to leave. Only to find out that the fix he needed was the person he left. Ever was a refreshing break from perfect heroes. He was broken and yet equally swoony. I loved every crack of brokenness this man had. Because even with his bad life and bad decisions, he had the sincerest, loveliest intentions. He loved hard and fierce and I loved him back the same way. 

“Time passes, memories fade, but feelings are forever.”

This duet really pulled strong for me. Two characters fighting their own demons, trying to deserve each other. In Ever Over After, the emotional pull and attraction escalated beautifully. The pent-up heat and sexual tension that built up on the first book was poignantly fulfilled on this second one. The way JA DeRouen captures emotion is utterly addicting. I loved the words and the way it was fluidly written. The plot was not forced and scenes were timed perfectly. The story wasn’t all tears and brokenness. It has fun and cute streaks of smiles and laughter from adorable side characters. Whether it’s the pain or the fulfillment or the rage, this book just makes you feel, feel, and feel.