The Forever Factor is a tender second chance romance that also manages to tell to two separate love stories from the same couple.

Bethany and Reid were secret high school sweethearts who are torn apart by the societal pressures of high school and discovery of self.

I wasn’t prepared for the length and depth of the high school flashbacks but it helped create a richer storyline for our would be lovers. I sometimes felt like the two halves of the story did make a complete journey, but felt myself longing for more scenes from their present lives.

This truly was a beautiful story about acceptance and adolescence.

Thank you to Bold Strokes and NetGalley for this digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

At first I thought this was a YA story.....And it is.......But then it turned into so much more. It's a story about 2 kids falling in love but not really mature enough to handle it. But what happens when they mature and bump into each othe 11 years later.
In true Melissa Brayden style, she weaves an emotional roller coaster with some surprising twists that I didn't see coming. The 2 main characters are made for each other. The supporting characters are mostly either very sweet or very evil. Even though it is a bit predictable it is a thoroughly enjoyable read.

High school sweethearts part ways, it’s bitter and there are tears but they both move on and have adult lives.
The a chance meeting brings th together and all the memories come crashing back, along with their chemistry.

Anyone who dated gay in high school will probably feel at least some pets of this story and if your bae wasn’t out of the closet, a lot of it will hit close to home.
I like that the story reiterated that when you’re in
High school you are still just a dumb kid and mistakes are made and what’s important is what you do with yourself and knowledge as Ann adult; when you’re the same but also a different person. That it’s okay to let yourself and others grow. That it’s necessary.

I really enjoyed this second chance romance that featured former high school first loves, Bethany and Reid. They met during their last year in high school when Bethany transferred to a high school in Los Angeles due to her dad's work. Reid was intrigued with the new girl and Bethany was intrigued with the head cheerleader. We learn in the book how they fall in love and ultimately what breaks them apart. Bethany and Reid literally bump in each other's grocery carts while shopping in LA about ten years later and this initiates the second chance opportunity.

I really felt the strong connection between Bethany and Reid, especially in their younger years. That chemistry built a strong foundation between the two lead characters. There were a couple of things that surprised me, especially in the latter stages of the book. But I won't reveal those things here though. Some positives other than the strong character chemistry included Bethany's dad, how he supported her as a single dad, and his sense of humor; the connection between Bethany and her co-workers; and the history provided for the characters. 4.25 stars

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cute, but a little too easy. Bethany and Reid meet up after a difficult break-up 9 years earlier and just fall back together without so much as a hiccup along the way? As much as I love a good romance novel, this one didn't even have any tension, and I had a difficult time understanding their connection - they were just suddenly in love. While I generally enjoy Melissa Brayden's books, this one isn't my favorite.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Generally I am not a fan of second chance romances, but I really enjoyed this one. I've enjoyed books by Melissa Brayden before, and tbh, I didn't clock it was a second chance romance when I started reading. I'm glad I carried on.

The characters felt so authentic in both flashbacks and current times. I though the pacing of the book in terms of how it told the past story and the current story worked well. I liked both characters and their supporting cast. I had one small beef, which I will put behind a spoiler. <spoiler> As a parent of a 10yo Mason didn't really act age appropriate, even for being a thoughtful quiet guy. And in one scene he's in the front seat, which was almost a throwaway line but really threw me out of the story in disbelief. </spoiler>

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! Brayden gives backstory, description and laughs in a perfectly judged prologue that has so much packed in to it that I was shocked when I turned the page and it was only chapter 1. A very strong and expansive foundation! The chapter is in the past and again loads of information is given and I feel a bit not caught up. However, as the mains, as youngsters, get to know each other it settles and I am back into the swing. The writer does great dialogue and scene setting.
Just over half way a plot bomb is dropped and it's not the one that has been mildly hinted at and I'm shocked. In a good way but totally surprised and that doesn't often happen in romance novels. Aaaaand then it pops back to the past and although the mains are getting together and it is cute and lovely and fuzzy I know trauma is round the corner and I soooo don't want it, but like driving past a car crash I can't help looking and going towards it. THIS is what writers should do!
The first love scene was well written but I couldn't fully immerse my self in it because this is a second chance romance and you only need a second chance if you blow the first one and I don't want this couple to hurt!
I cannot believe how the author keeps surprising me and wrong footing me with the plot.
The action moves to present day and some plot hints come into the light. Then they make love and I'm again not fully immersed cos more plot bits are still to be illuminated. ( It's me! And I'm already planning a reread where my head will be quiet because it has all the answers!)
I found the love scenes well written but slightly in the way of the plot. I had been left a bit high and dry (inappropriate phrasing, I know!) with some plot developments. A bit like adverts on commercial tv interrupting the good bits, although those scenes are good! It is all neatly tied up in the end.
4.5 stars, so close to 5, but if I have to think about it, it’s not 5. I did love this book. Brayden does banter brilliantly and her books always have depth.

Wow, Melissa Brayden…just…wow! The Forever Factor is a second-chance contemporary romance that will take you on a beautiful journey through the past and present.

Melissa Brayden crafted this tale in such a fantastic way with details from the past shaping the present, witty dialogue, dynamic supporting characters, wine, and coffee. This book has so many layers (I’ll be totally cliche here) like an onion and each new layer is quite the revelation. At the center, we have teenage Bethany and Reid navigating senior year’s trials and tribulations and as the layers are revealed, readers learn that the choices they made and circumstances beyond their control shaped them into the women they’d become. Chapters from the past are interspersed with the present in a magical way, leaving the reader breathless with wanting to know exactly what happened between them. Brayden expertly uses little nuggets of foreshadowing and figurative language to create a dynamic plot and her nods to many of the characters from her other books do not go unnoticed. The vivid descriptions of tumbling clearly show Bethany’s enviable talent.

This is one of the best second-chance romances I’ve ever read because it’s so beautifully written with two main characters who I’d love to be friends with. Their love, chemistry, and connection are so apparent and the most real I’ve come across in a long time. Their story is one that will stick with me for a long time to come.

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this. I wasn't sure about how the timeline was being presented at first, but it made a lot of sense as the book continued. I do wish that they had more actual conversations though. It felt like they were just in love again without actually speaking.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of a second chance love between Reid and Bethany. Reid and Bethany dated incognito in the senior year of high school after cheerleader Reid convinced new girl and gymnastics tumbler Bethany to join the squad. At that point, Bethany would do anything to be near Reid, who also offered to give Bethany rides home. Reid also had to deal with being in a relationship with the star football player and recognizing she had feelings for women. This story is set in present day, about 10 years later. Bethany has opened a family doctor business with her two best friends. Reid stumbles into her at the grocery store after 10 years of not talking. The novel also shares about their young adult years in flashback format. Bethany and Reid keep seeing each other to see if they can work things out.
I appreciated this book for the explored first love heartbreak and how perceptions are dramatic in HS but those perceptions can be carried through life. I read it quite fast as it kept my attention, and I wanted to know more of their past stories. Overall, I enjoyed it! My first of Brayden's books so I have nothing to compare it to.

I’m a huge Melissa Brayden fan and in this story she combines a coming of age story and a second chance romance. The story alternates between then, which is senior year of high school and now. I actually went back and added up the percentage of time spent on each story and it is fairly equal. I personally was drawn more to the YA than timeframe and could have sworn more time was spent there. Bethany moves with her dad to southern California in time for her senior year of HS. She meets Reid on her first day of school. Reid is co-captain of the cheer squad, student officer and is girlfriend of the hot football player. They are the power couple envied by all. Beth ends up on the cheer team because of her great tumbling skills giving the two time together. Reid realizes she isn’t as straight as she thought and they become each others intense first loves. Reid is confident but reeling from the new discovery and the fact that parents separate. Her senior year isn’t going how she planned.

Flashing forward to now Reid meets Beth in the grocery store and asks if they can meet and talk. It is frustrating because you want to shake them and force conversations when they want to stay present in the moment. You know there are big issues to come and you have to wait for author to peel back the layers to get the break-up and other secrets.

Brayden is the queen of writing banter. There is friend banter, family banter and even co-worker speak. Her banter shows familiarity and connection between friends and family. I love to slow down my reading and enjoy her word play. Although at times I want them to cut the shortcuts and say fully what they mean.

And kudos for the Easter eggs hidden in the pages. I love Beth and Reid seeing Autumn and her coffee shop from the Seven Shores series. And Beth's dad works doing lighting for the tv show in that same series. Also Skyler’s name is mentioned. She is a MC in Exclusive that was released earlier in 2022. I love knowing that her books and characters overlap and exist in each others worlds. It’s a bonus gift to Brayden’s readers but has no impact on the story itself. (There could be others but those are the few I caught.)

Overall I really enjoyed the story. There are other books by the author I’ve enjoyed more but she made me care about the characters and buy into them being soul mates. I’ve never understood the drama and pull of high school romances and yet I’m am someone who married a person from my graduating class. We were never together in high school but we re-met in our late 20s.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dr. Bethany Cahill has a history with Reid Thatcher and not all of it is pleasant. They fell in love during their senior year of high school but have not spoken since their falling out at graduation when Reid shows up for an appointment at Bethany's family practice. They both still have feelings for each other but their history may be too much for them to overcome.
I enjoyed this story a lot as I do most written by Melissa Brayden. The characters were bright and engaging and I really liked their high school love story. About half the book was set in their high school days and I enjoyed both the before and the now but splitting the book made each part shorter than I would have liked. I also felt like there were a few timeline issues with the portions set in the past and their usage of social media platforms that didn't exist in 2009 when they would have started their senior year. I loved Bethany's dad though, he was very supportive of her and I liked his portrayal as a single father. Would have loved a few more scenes with Alice and Reid's Mom, they were great too. Mason was adorable and I liked his interactions with Bethany. It was another great book by Melissa Brayden whose work I have never been disappointed when reading. I absolutely recommend picking this one up!

I really love this book. I’m not a huge fan of jumping timelines but in this case I wanted to find out what had happened in the past and was actually looking forward to the jump! In some ways I loved the last more than the present. I loved both MC (unusually!) and was willing it all to work out. I do love reading Melissa Brayden books - it always makes me want a relationship like there is in the story

The Forever Factor starts off with Bethany leaving her clinic to go grocery shopping and running into the woman who got away when they were kids. This second chance romance hops between the adult characters and the teenage versions.

Things I liked:
- I liked the banter between the two main characters. It was flirty and witty most of the time and sometimes feels a little forced, which works as both the teen and adult versions were nervous around each other.
- Bethany's dad was hands-down my fave character, but I love Reid's mom too.
- The twist with Bethany made so much sense and was really relatable.
- I love the support network the two women built and how that affects them.

Things I didn't care for:
- That much spice for the high school chapters made me a little uncomfortable, even though at least one of them was 18.

This was a solid Sapphic romance to read, and thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

The Forever Factor had my emotions jumping around from the moment I started reading.
Bethany and Reid fell in love fast and hard when they were teenagers, but social expectations and self doubt meant they ended just as quickly.
Years later a chance encounter reignites the chemistry that never went away and they decided to see what possibilities lie ahead for them.
Melissa Braydon takes the reader between then and now, which I didn't think I would enjoy, but I quickly realised it was the perfect way to tell Beth and Reid’s story. Without it, the angst may have become too overwhelming. Reading the happy ending in a making, while cutting back to why they didn’t work as kids kept the story flowing nicely but the emotions from tumbling too far onto uncomfortable territory.
There is a distinct separation in the characters from the past and present, and their individual personal growth is ultimately what makes this story resonate.

This might be one of my favorite reads of the year and I devoured it in one day. The Forever Factor is a second chance romance told in flashbacks and present day between two women, Bethany and Reid.

Bethany and Reid meet in their senior year of high school and after Reid convinces Bethany to join the cheerleading team, the two become friends quickly. Bethany already knows she’s gay and has a crush on Reid right away. I mean, it is a gay girls rite of passage to crush on her straight best friend. Reid on the other hand, doesn’t realize she’s not as straight as she thought, but knows there is something special about Bethany and they were meant to be in each other’s lives. As they spend more time together, their friendship turns into something more. Flashforward some 12 years later and fate has them meeting again; running their carts into each other at the grocery store. While Bethany is reluctant to give Reid the time of day, Reid refuses to let her slip away for the second time.

I really adored this book. From the dreamy flashback scenes that detailed how the two fell in love, to the angst when they’re adults trying to navigate being in each other’s lives again, while holding on to some anger from the past, I was hooked from the first line. Bethany and Reid have amazing chemistry and off the charts banter. My heart broke for them when they were younger and couldn’t make their relationship work. I understood where both were coming from which made me root even harder for their reunion as adults. And not to spoil anything too much, but I loved the relationship between Bethany and Reid’s son, and the scenes between the three of them were adorable.

If you’re looking for a sweet romance with a well deserved happy ending, then I highly recommend this book!

I will post my review on Amazon, my blog, and other platforms closer to publication date.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books, Inc. through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. This was once again an easily recognizable Brayden book although there was one element slightly different, a large part of this book is actually a YA book. This is a second chance romance that shows their first romance in high school as flashbacks. I’m generally not a fan of flashbacks, but here I found myself looking forward to reading the flashbacks.

The YA part has everything I look for in a YA book, two teens discovering themselves, being flawed and insecure and a whole lot angsty. One is the popular girl and the other is the new girl who’s not really an outsider but also does not entirely belong. They are cute together and I liked how naturally their romance develops, and of course there is also plenty of meanness going on like only teenagers seem capable of doing.

How much I liked the YA story is probably also the reason why this was not a five-star book for me. I kept wishing for this to be a YA/NA story without the “now”. I could not very well connect to the story in the now. A lot is left mysterious due to things that happened in the past which are told in the backstory, but strangely enough I found the now story rather predictable and it felt as if their romance in the now skipped some steps. Because of this the now story lacked depth for me.

Something that surprised me in the writing style is that the book starts with the typical banter Brayden is known for, including all the witty quips of which I’m not necessarily the biggest fan, but in the flashbacks, there is still some banter but it is toned down and to me it is a more believable style, I really liked that. As you see, I’m advocating for Brayden to write a full YA/NA book in the future.

An interesting mix of YA and adult romance with plenty of angst, it had some bumps for me, but I enjoyed most of it and I think many will too.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Her boldest book yet, The Forever Factor has shattered the usual romance tropes to offer an intense read that I may never recover from. So many romantic themes rely on that light and fluffy feel good story worthy of Lifetime movie specials. This book will grab your feelings, toss them into a blender, and murderously press frappé. Bethany and Reid have a shot at a second chance, but mistakes and regret are formative barriers they must both work through, as well as forgiveness of themselves and each other. Their time together, then and now, is lovingly and painstakingly honored to truer to life experiences. How that intensity and deepness is translated into words you can feel on a visceral level, in your throat, in your gut, and in your heart …. It’s such a rare delight to get it right. The way it should be if it were real. Without a doubt, this is her best book yet. Thank you to the author, BSB publishers, and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn’t for me. I didn’t feel a connection to the characters. It felt like I was watching them through a foggy window.
I enjoyed the premise though.
I re dived a copy from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Melissa Brayden writes two types of books, the typical straightforward romance, we all know the formula for that one, and an alternating timelines romance, where the author gives where the story has a now and then components. This book was one of the latter, and in my opinion, it was a very good one.

I personally love the alternating now and then timeline structure, I think it gives the author the opportunity to give us a more powerful story, as was the case in this one. We follow Dr. Bethanny Cahill who one day runs into Reid Thatcher at the grocery store who broke her heart 12 years ago in high school, the then portion of the narrative takes us through their senior year in high school when they met, fell in love, and eventually had a falling out.

The Forever Factor has all the usual ingredients for which Melissa Brayden is known for, great dialog, three dimensional characters that feel real and a powerful romance. I highly recommend it.