Wednesday, March 12, 2014

BOOK REVIEW: FOUR YEARS LATER by Monica Murphy


 Title: FOUR YEARS LATER
Author: Monica Murphy (Website | Twitter)
Publisher: Bantam 
Publication Date: March 4, 2014

SYNOPSIS

Owen's story


New Adult bestselling author Monica Murphy winds up her sensational series with this sexy story of two college kids with nothing in common but a bunch of baggage and a burning attraction.

Over. That about sums up everything in my life. Suspended from my college football team and forced to cut back my hours at The District bar because of my crappy grades, I can’t keep turning to my sister, Fable, and her pro-football playing husband, Drew, to bail me out. I just can’t seem to find my own way. Weed and sex are irresistible temptations—and it’s messed up that I secretly hand over money to our junkie mom. A tutor is the last thing I want right now—until I get a look at her.

Chelsea is not my type at all. She’s smart and totally shy. I’m pretty sure she’s even a virgin. But when she gives me the once over with those piercing blue eyes, I’m really over. But in a different way. I won’t deny her ass is killer, but it’s her brain and the way she seems to crave love—like no one’s ever given her any—that make me want her more than any girl I’ve ever met. But what would someone as seemingly together as her ever see in a screwed up guy like me?



Immediate thought after reading this book. Is there going to be like an itsy bitsy novella that takes place a couple months or like a year after the epilogue of Four Years Later? Because yeah, I would still love that especially with that bomb Fable dropped on us towards the end of this book, also the cuddly baby AUTUMN, the oh-so-hot Drew and of course cutie Owen and Chelsea. 

My thoughts. Oh wow. Who would forget about Owen Maguire’s character? Nuh uh, definitely not me! But if you cannot remember his character from the Drew+Fable books, let me refresh you then. Owen is Fable’s little brother whom we’ve previously met at the age of thirteen from the first book of the series, One Week Girlfriend. He was introduced to us as a really sweet kid and has a good heart but kind of fallen into a group of kids that’s certainly bringing out the troublemaker in him. He was pretty much raised by Fable because of their existing yet feels like non-existent mother. (If you’ve read my review for Second Chance Girlfriend, I’m pretty sure you’ll feel my resentment towards their mother.) BUT I think, his character left a mark on our minds and heart during that particular scene in SCG where he sucker punched Drew freakin’ Callahan: 

“I am.” Drew’s smile is easygoing and full of warmth. “You must be Owen.”

“Yep. And you’re the asshole who broke my sister’s heart.” Without warning, Owen rears back his arm and punches Drew right in the chin.

And sends him sprawling to the ground.

Gasp, yep I totally gasped during that scene. I was like, “Whoa dude that’s Drew you’ve just punched”. But I certainly adored him and his over-protectiveness, loyalty and adoration towards Fable. I really love him for that.

So now FOUR YEARS LATER, we meet Owen again and this time around he’s the main character of the story. When I found out that there’s going to be a story about Owen, I was actually ecstatic about it because you know he’s just one of those characters in the book who has all this time been in the background but is actually in the same or probably in a harder predicament (considering his age and his ways) as to the main character of the previous books, which is Fable. At the same time, I’ve come to love and care for his character and this book just opened such a great opportunity for me or us to get to know more about his life. Though … I can’t even because it feels like Owen grew in front of my very eyes and now he’s all that *fans myself* hot… It feels strange? Totes can’t even. Oh dear lawd. 

Anyways. Now at the age of nineteen, Owen Maguire faces the repercussions of his lack of enthusiasm towards his classes and school works – nearly failing grades in some of his subjects and being temporarily off their school’s football team. In order to salvage his football career and grades, it has been decided that there’s a need for him to have a tutor to help him catch up and keep him in line for the coming weeks. And that’s where Chelsea Simmons enters the scene – the uptight, shy, inexperienced, genius girl who’ll be his personal tutor. 

You think that the story line for this book only involves this shy type kind of girl falling in love for this bad boy and their constant struggle for a happily ever after, well then you’ve thought wrong. These two characters are actually going through their own personal turmoil which involves themselves and their messed up families, so there’s more to this book than just their relationship. Both of them have secrets that they’ve kept hidden because of the fear of getting judged by the other. But these secrets are bound to break out and once it does, will they be able to handle the gravity of it and still accept each other? 

Owen and Chelsea. Four Years Later is written from both Owen’s and Chelsea’s POV, which makes it easier for us identify, know more about them and their feelings through the course of the book. It made me feel a lot for them and the problems that they have to deal with in their own lives. I can say that being Owen and Chelsea is a difficult place to be in. But seeing them together, may it be friends or more than friends, that it somewhat eases both their troubles makes me happy and giddy for them. It’s like they just complete each other despite the flaws both of them have or even their own families. 

I love the fact that they are both calling on the other’s shit, Chelsea on Owen’s drug usage and Owen on Chelsea’s keeping mum about something from him. Once in awhile, it’s good to have a big slap in the face with reality. No matter what you do to hide it and find a way to feel numb for it, we can’t do anything but rather than to face it. I also love that both of them are actually doing something to keep up or be good for the other. Like Owen dismissing his unflattering habits while Chelsea loosening herself up and trying to live in the moment just as Owen had suggested to her in the beginning of the book. Lastly, the sexual tension between them right from the start is off the roof and oh my *fan myself* goodness, Owen and Chelsea does have some sexy times in this book.

Parents. THE parents were the once stressing me out in this book. They are terrible and selfish parents. All they care about is themselves and living in their own delusional worlds. Most of the scenes where it involves them, I just have this urge to shake their shoulders or yell at them. But I’ve come to realize that no matter how many times you’ve tried to talk some sense into a person who’s close minded (sees what they want to see and believe what they want to believe), there’s pretty much nothing you can do to change them. You’ll just end up feeling like you’ve talked to a brick wall all these time. Especially with Chelsea’s mother in this book. 

Fable and Drew + their little bundle of joy, Baby Autumn. Aw yeah, we get a little time catching up with the original couple of the series. Fable is still Fable and her caring self. I love that she constantly checks up on her little brother even if she’s busy taking care of her baby. While, Drew is a big name already in the world of football but he’s still the Drew that Owen looks up to. I love seeing both of them interact with their daughter, it’s just so cute. Especially Drew and how he handles Autumn. And from Owen’s perspective, we can see Drew and Fable still full of love for each other. That never gets old with these two. Though, I’m kind of sad that Colin and Jen didn’t get an appearance in this book.

All in all, Four Years Later is a beautiful and emotional book about acceptance, breaking free from the past and the guilt, learning to live in the moment, discovering one’s self and be brave enough to venture a different path from what we’ve planned. We also witness great relationship stories – friend to a friend, brother to a sister, boyfriend to a girlfriend, husband to a wife, husband and wife to their daughter, uncle to a niece and on the not so great side are their crazy parents. Is this the last book of the series? If yes, then FYL is definitely a great way to end it because *sigh* there’s so much feels that you’ll be feeling while reading this book. FYL ends with a HEA and I think both Owen and Chelsea’s character deserves to have that after what they have gone through in their lives. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
This review is also posted on my Goodreads account
Mark and add this book on your to read list in Goodreads, using this link.

My review for One Week Girlfriend
My review for Second Chance Boyfriend
My review for Three Broken Promises
 

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