Review: Loved getting more of Cassie and Ben's story!!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 3, 2014
I have really enjoyed the books in this series, and I really liked Cassie's character. She's very abrasive, but that's what I like about her. She's been hurt, she's hurt others, and she doesn't quite know where to go in her life at the moment. She has things that she needs to overcome and move on from, or to accept and take responsibility. This was a great story of what happened after Turning Pines, and how things turned out where they are with Ben.I of course love that it's a dual POV so we get to hear things from both Cassie's side, and Ben's side.Cassie is her normal foul-mouthed self, but she's also heart broken and confused. This one takes place mostly at a hotel where they are staying for her Turning Pines councilor's funeral. When Ben shows up, she is angry, but also glad to see him. She doesn't want to fall back into things just to have them fall apart again, but she also misses him and knows that she is in love with him. She is still having trouble letting him completely in. Being there at the funeral makes her really think about things in a way she didn't before. Now she just has to wonder if it's too late and if she has enough strength inside to do what she needs to.Ben was a favorite of mine in Dear Cassie. I just love his personality. He was mysterious in that, but in this one he is pretty much an open book. He is also not as much the fun loving Ben. That part of him is still there, but he is hurt, and he uses sarcasm and an attitude to cover it. (Kind of like Cassie herself.) He wants so much to be with Cassie, but also wants her to let him in and not keep hiding important parts of herself anymore. He wants the trust he deserves from her. He is so sweet and I love how he's always wanting to protect her and be there for her, but I really liked that he also wanted to be important too. Not have it always be all Cassie, but about them.The  romance was a slow build up in this. We have already had a romance between these two, but this is like starting over. There is also bad history with it since they are both hurt from what happened between them. They obviously still care about each other a lot, but aren't sure exactly how the other feels, or if they are willing to try to make things work. Or for that matter, if it's fair to want that from the other. Things are tense between them, but they slowly let each other back in. They know that the other is important to them, but will they be able to make it work beyond the weekend?I loved the characters in this, and I really liked getting the continuation of their story. Getting to know Laura and Ben's brother was really fun. We get to know a bit more about Ben's past where we knew almost nothing. I thought that the emotional connection of the characters in this book was a strong point. Cassie bothered me in this one more than she had previously though. I know that F*$% is her favorite word, but it seemed almost overdone in this. Like it was there all the time even when it seemed totally unnecessary. Besides that though, I really loved this, and I thought it was a great addition to these books!! Lisa Burstein continues to be an author that I adore and can't wait to read more of her books.*An advanced copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation.