Always You by Erin Kaye

It’s 1992 and Sarah is in love with Cahal, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. As they plan to graduate from university, all seems set for their happily ever after… Fast forward to 2012 and something’s gone wrong. Cahal is out of the picture and Sarah is divorced from Ian by whom she’s had two children. What happened? As Cahal walks back into Sarah’s life, can they overcome past decisions and surrounding prejudice and make it work a second time around?

After reading Second Time by Erin Kaye last year I was looking forward to reading more of her books and so when I saw the beautiful cover of Always You I decided to have a day in the sun with what I hoped was going to be a great read.

The book starts off in 1992 in Ireland, Sarah and Cahal are head over heels in love with each other and they are sure they are destined to be together for the rest of their lives. The book then rolls forward 20 years and we see the pair have been separated for all this time and both have been married and had children with different people. Now they are reunited will their old flame be rekindled?

When I read the synopsis of this book it instantly sparked my interest even though it doesn’t give much away, but it felt to me just by reading the synopsis as though it was like a modern day Romeo and Juliet tale with Cahals family being from the wrong side of town!

The romance between Sarah and Cahal is very believable and their relationship is by no means plain sailing. When the books moves ahead to 20 years we begin to see that Sarah’s dad and aunt disapproved of Cahal and would do anything they can to break up the relationship. The whole way through the book I couldn’t work out why her family were so against him.

The book moves along at a gentle pace and begins to uncover some hidden secrets, which are so unexpected that I was in shock and couldn’t wait to turn over the page I find out what happens next. I do love an unpredictable twist in a book.

Erin Kaye has again managed to create a warm and emotional story and she has created some beautiful relationships in this book not just between Sarah and Cahal but also between Sarah and her sister it is lovely to see such a loving relationship between the siblings.

This is a great romantic story that focuses on family loyalty, hidden secrets and a troubled but destined romance. The book has its highs and its lows and some very emotional parts especially the chapter with Sarah and the lovely Evelyn this was a very moving part of the book.  I loved Second Time Around but for me Always You has trumped it!

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Second Time Around by Erin Kaye

Divorcee Jennifer Irwin has it all – a successful interior design business and two loving children. But as her 45th birthday approaches and her children prepare to start their own lives, Jennifer is left feeling lonely in her empty nest. That’s when she meets Ben Crawford – a man 16 years her junior – as their attraction heightens, Jennifer realises what she’s been missing. But mindful that the small-town Ballyfergus residents would never approve, they conduct their affair in secret.


But a secret is never a secret for long… As the affair surfaces, Jennifer encounters opposition from friends and family, especially her daughter Lucy. Enraged by her mother’s relationship, Lucy seeks comfort in the arms of charismatic but troubled, Oren. 


Jennifer knows that Oren is not the man he seems, but can she convince her daughter of that? And with everything going against them, can Jennifer and Ben’s love survive? Or will she risk losing her daughter to be with the man she loves? 

Erin Kaye is an author I had not come across before, I loved the sound of the synopsis as it is a situation I am sure alot of people find themselves in when they have had a previous relationship which has ended and having the uncertainty of how the children will feel about a new relationship looming.

Jennifer who is our lead character is a loveable character and it is clear although her children are now grown up they are still the centre of her world and her emotions shown well in this book where she is torn between following her head or her heart as she really cannot bear the thought of disappointing her children but she has clearly fallen for Ben who although is younger in age comes across as a very mature character but |I think this is because of the characters background story.

This book flowed at a perfect pace and had me hooked from the first chapter the only time I was a little hesitant was when the religious aspect was brought into the storyline as I know we all have our own beliefs but I personally do not to read about religion but I needn’t have worried as this didn’t distract me from the storyline and it also had its own little twist!

The book was slightly predictable but it was great to see the journey the author created to get us to the predictable outcome. I will look for future books by this author as this was a great book and at a fantastic price on Kindle at the moment.

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