Review: Lake + Manning by Jessica Hawkins

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Title: Lake + Manning
Author: Jessica Hawkins
Series: Something In The Way #4
Version Reviewed: ARC, eBook
Website: www.jessicahawkins.com

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

GoodReads Synopsis:

The final book in the Something in the Way series, a love saga.
Manning and I have what happily-ever-after is made of . . .
A home he built us on the unshakeable foundation we fought for.
A life of laughter carved out of heartache and betrayal.
A love story to stand the test of time.
But between a trust that can’t be broken, joy that can’t be bridled, and passion that would scorch the sun, the empty spaces are becoming more and more difficult to ignore . . .
Fears that keep Manning up at night as he slips from our bed.
Our complicated relationship with a man he respects and one I don't know how to forgive.
And a sprawling, beautiful home with one small room I'm afraid I'll never be able to fill.
Manning and I have what happily-ever-after is made of . . .
But I'll beg the heavens for just one thing more.

Review:
Man, oh man. Or should I say man, oh Manning? Hah, see what I did there? ;) Okay, okay but I couldn't resist.

I honestly don't think I have read a series that has hit me this hard in years.  From the very beginning of book one I was addicted, hung on every word, eager to find out what was going to happen next and how things would unfold for Lake and Manning. I was rooting for them from the first moment she saw him sitting on that brick wall. Throughout each book, I followed along the rollercoaster of a relationship that these two have and every single way that they have impacted the lives around them. It's been an emotional, insanely beautiful ride and I can't believe that it has just come to an end.

I wasn't sure how Jessica was going to end the great saga of Birdy and her Bear but I knew that there was no way I would be disappointed in how their story was going to turn out. This ride was too beautiful and too hard fought for it to turn out any way other than perfect.

Lake + Manning was was full of emotional twists and turns that unfortunately come about in real life and, though their relationship is insanely beautiful and meant to be, it's also been full of heartache and pain and this book was no different. Though I can't really relate to Lake in any other way, I found myself relating to her on a deeply personal level in this book as she ended up dealing with some of the same issues that I had in the early parts of my marriage. It was refreshing to have a main character that dealt with some of the same issues that I have dealt with in the past and one that felt so real and like a real woman with real world problems.

The way this book went was phenomenal. I really enjoyed the way that the author broke the story up and made it into different parts. It allowed the reader to truly discover the events of Lake and Manning's life and how they and their relationship changed over the course of many years.

I honestly don't know what else to say about this book other than it was simply beautiful. If you're a fan of starcrossed romance, or just romance in general, I highly suggest you read this series. I don't think you'll regret it.

Lake + Manning was a perfect end to a truly epic love story.

Rating: 5 Stars