Review: The Autumn Review for Fast Forward
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 18, 2014
First impression:I loved Josh and Cassie's story in No Reverse. I was anxious to see if they would get their son back. I was satisfied with the ending of No Reverse, but I needed them to truly have a happy ending.The story:Fast Forward was about Josh and Cassie's struggle to get their son back. The adoption process was difficult on it's own, but Josh and Cassie are both at the beginning of their careers. Learning how to balance all of this stress is difficult on their relationship. They strive to rebuild their relationship, but past insecurities threaten to stand in the way, in addition to the stress of being apart and trying to get their son back.I won't tell you what happens, but I was on the edge of my seat until the very end. They've both matured so much, even from the last book, and it was great to see how they work through their issues as a team when it mattered.The characters:Cassie reminds me of myself at times. She has trouble allowing others to support her. She's always been responsible for herself. I think she used it as a defense mechanism. And as much as she loved Josh, she always felt like her decisions and choices were the best for their relationship. Cassie needed to learn to trust that Josh would always put her first. Also, I appreciated seeing her follow her passion with her music career. I think it was important for her to follow that dream, just as much as it was for her to have her family back together.I've always liked Josh. I don't think he's always handled the challenges in their relationships well, but he always put his love for Cassie first. Josh is the kind of guy that likes to be needed. He knows that Cassie likes to take the lead in their relationship, but it has created a lot of problems for them. Granted, she felt she was making the right choices for Josh, but Josh was fully prepared to make sacrifices for his family. I really loved seeing Josh fight for Cassie and their son, Lucas. I also loved that he finally stood up to Cassie and pleaded with her to have faith in him to make the best choices for them. He's really a good guy.As for supporting characters, I'm looking forward to Lenor's book and I'm hoping that Sam will get a book too. Sam's reappearance in this book is short lived, but it made me miss him. I liked Sam in the first book, a lot.What didn't work for me:Ironically, what bothered me was also what I liked about Cassie. I liked that she followed her dreams, but the mother in me couldn't believe she would go off during the adoption process. I know there wasn't much they could do, but I know I wouldn't be able to stay away from my child.Overall:I was happy with the way Cassie and Josh's story wrapped up. It wasn't necessarily in a pretty bow and it wasn't fast, but I was happy in the end. They are a great couple and I wouldn't mind getting a novella in the future just to get an update. Although, I'm curious to see if they will make an appearance in the rest of the series. If you like stories about second chances, this is a great series to read. I'm certainly enjoying it!Favorite Quotes:~"One day...soon, I'll have more. Neither of you will be in need of anything. I swear to God. I'll make you both safe and happy, and I'll work hard to keep it that way. Always."-Loc 214~"I believe in you, Joshua MacBride. I have faith in you and I rely on you. You're my hero. I should have told you that a long time ago and I'm sorry I didn't."-Loc 3419