What If (If Only, #2) by A.J. Pine
New Adult
E book, 342 pages
December 8, 2014
Entangled: Embrace
Reviewed by Tori
Favorite Quote: “I see you, and I’m amazed and scared…”
Maggie Kendall survived a condition that should have killed her, however it left her fundamentally changed. The Maggie you see now is not the Maggie from before. She must be ever vigilant, using various means to keep herself from making what could be a fatal mistake. The last thing she needs is an attractive distraction.
Last year while abroad, Griffin Reed ]gave his heart away to someone who loved another. Determined to not to make that mistake again, he has come home, decided to straighten up, and follow the predetermined path his father has arranged for him. It may not be what he wants but sometimes what we want and what we need are two different things.
But what if what you want and what you need are the same thing? What if life gives you a second chance to be happy?
Will you take it? Or will you let it pass you by and forever ask yourself…What If?
What If is the second story in A.J. Pine’s If Only series. Those who read If Only will be pleased to see Griffin Reed is finally getting his chance at happiness. I’ll admit I wasn’t a fan of If Only. I didn’t like the heroine at all ( I never felt she displayed the emotional maturity she should have at her age or her circumstances) and really wanted someone to tie her up and drop her off a cliff. However, I enjoyed the story to an extent and really liked Griffin so I decided to give it another go. I’m glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed this story better. The writing is solid and well plotted but there was evident maturity. Engaging dialogue and a dynamic cast gave this one the friendship and romantic emotional connections and potent chemistry I felt was missing from book one.
Our heroine, Maggie Kendall, seems okay but she isn’t. A part-time student, she suffered a brain aneurysm and now has short-term memory loss. She uses sticky note, photos, and medication to try to normalize her life as much as possible. She is embarrassed by her ‘crutches’ and guilty for the strain she feels it places on her friends. She struggles with day to day maneuvers; things we all take for granted. She thinks her life has no room for romance…but she never met anyone like Griffin Reed.
“In one day this stranger hasn’t once seen me as lacking. And despite all the signs that point to him being every bit of trouble he believes he is, that’s not who I see. I see someone lost, like me.”
Griffin Reed is a bit of a player. He readily admits to drinking too much and frequenting bars to find someone to share the night with. Only one night. He has no urge to commit to anyone, feeling that his life is screwed up enough without dragging someone else into it. Considered a disappointment to his family, he perpetuates the cycle by doing everything he can to live up to their lack of expectations. Meeting Maggie throws him for a tailspin. She is everything he was never looking for or hoping to find.
“Tomorrow I’ll force myself to forget her like I do all the others. It’s what I’m good at. But for the next few hours, I’m a fucking goner.”
Pine slowly builds the romance between Maggie and Griffin, infusing the story with humor, sex, and some emotional introspection. She uses their personalities and personal lives to show us that even with their different backgrounds, they are more similar than they think. Though the romance is a main aspect of the storyline, Pine intertwines it with external plotlines, using them to further elevate the romance and guide our protagonists into revealing their secrets to one another.
Maggie and Griffin’s story is engaging and but thankfully lacking in the heavy dramatics and theatrics beyond the normal age appropriate reactions. New Adult romance often walks a fine line between normal actions and over the top reactions. Pine maintains the age dynamics without succumbing to the need for ridiculous and over the top escapades. All misunderstandings are resolved in a receptive manner and their communication was pretty straight forward though I felt Griffin was more forthcoming than Maggie. What I really enjoyed was watching them fall in love. Pine gives us Maggie’s and Griffin’s internal thoughts, dictating it in a way that allows us to really feel like we are experience the relationship with them every step of the way.
A winning cast of friends and family add depth, humor, and a sense of continuation to the story. Milo and Paige are delightful as they provide strong much need friendship and stability for Maggie. Though Griffin’s father is not in his corner, the rest of his family is, especially his sisters and his niece. They provide advice, laughter, and plenty of arms to hug him whenever he needs it and when he doesn’t.
The ending is solid if not a little rushed with Maggie being forced to come clean with herself and Griffin if she wants him in her life. There is even a small epilogue that assures us Maggie and Griffin will be just fine. I enjoyed What If though I did find it odd that we really don’t see the moment when Griffin learns what Maggie’s secret is though his reaction to it is heart melting.
Overall an enjoyable bittersweet romance that uses an unusual set of circumstances to bring two damaged souls together and gives them a second chance happiness and love.
Rating: B
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