Whenever you see Melissa Brayden’s name on a cover you just know it’s a must-read. I really like second chance stories, one of my favourite tropes, but it has to be done a certain way to get the most enjoyment out of it for me. For me, Brayden gets about half of it right.

Reid and Bethany were together, sort of, senior year of high school. Over a decade later a chance encounter in the grocery store has them reconnecting. What I find hard to enjoy is how we get to when these two broke up back in high school. We have flashback chapters and present day chapters. I don’t mind the flashback chapters, and that’s saying something for someone who isn’t a big fan of those, but it takes too long to get to the point. On the other hand, I enjoy those chapters because it’s a coming of age story in which they find themselves and each other, it’s sweet. Much nicer than the present day if I’m being honest. In present day we just have too many unanswered questions as a reader up until very far into the story. But these characters are seemingly all in after their third meet up. It’s a little strange. For Beth especially once you have the full picture it’s hard to understand how easily she gave in. It’s like they didn’t get to know each other in the present day at all.
I do like them together, but I think that comes from the “then” chapters, not the “now”.

I’m finding this one hard to rate because I did enjoy most of it, but it also has some major faults. I’m going with 3.5

The Forever Factor is a bittersweet second chance romance that tugs hard at the heartstrings. Then - popular and beautiful high school cheerleader Reid befriends the new transfer Bethany. They form an unexpected friendship that has Bethany crushing but understanding that her affections would not be returned. However, Reid did, and the pair believed that they share a bond that would never break.

Now - 11 years later, by a wicked twist of fate, Bethany and Reid bumped their shopping carts and the mountain of emotions that Bethany hid and guarded erupted into a sea of memories.

4.5 stars. From the start of the book, if it seemed that Bethany had things going for her, then nothing was further from the truth. As her story unfolded, I hurt for her. It was easy to immerse myself in Melissa’s writing and while more truths were revealed, I thought Bethany deserved everything good. Love could be magical but equally bruising. I love the happily ever after but with the knowledge of what transpired, can’t help but think, what if there was an alternate ending?

I just reviewed The Forever Factor by Melissa Brayden. Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC.

This was an engaging read. However, the constant back-and-forth between the present and the past got a little confusing at times, and what happened in the past wasn't revealed until very late in the book, which made me feel less engaged with the present characters because we had no idea what was stopping them from getting back together until pretty much the end. I really enjoyed the past storyline and was less intrigued by the current one, as much of the story was set in the past and the chemistry between the two leads seemed more obvious. Either way, it was still an engaging read and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️
🤸♾️🏞️👩‍⚕️👩‍🏫

REP: Lesbian FMCs, Single Parent.

Ok, so this then-and-now story about second-chance love pulls straight at your heartstrings.

The love story between Bethany and Reid was heartbreaking, wonderful and loving all at once.

I loved the way the book goes into the past and present. I loved the story of how they met at school, how they fell in love, and at the same time came back into the present and the feelings that went with the past and how the two were living through it now.

As someone who was still figuring herself out during high school, I totally got what Reid went through. I knew it was hard for her to fully come out and shout to the world that she was in love with Beth, but at the same time, I wish it didn't have to end like that. The heartbreak that Beth had had to have felt. Especially when she saw the two together again and everything had happened afterwards.

This story was heartbreaking! But I loved it. It was super cute, and I loved Mason. I hope to have a kid like that one day.

Also, I just have to say it. For someone with the name 'Sunny', she definitely didn't have a sunny personality.

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books, Melissa Brayron and Netgalley for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first read of a Melissa Brayden work. Pleasant reading experience overall. I'll keep an eye out for her future work.

The plot of this novel addresses the old adage of "Is it truly better to have loved and lost", otherwise known as the bread and butter of a second chance romance. In this case, I was more invested in the past events then the present. But that's probably due to my preference for YA storylines. I did get evetually get wrapped up in the rekindled romance between Beth and Reid so this was a good time for me.

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Bethany Cahill has a brief encounter at the supermarket with her first love, Reid Thatcher. From there we get to see glimpses of how they met, how they got together and their eventual break-up.

This book is well written, it captures the characters really good and actually transports you between the "now" and "then", and while I did enjoy the journey, for me, it felt like it was lacking in the development department.

In a way, I have gotten used to having the author bring us such stories that leave me wanting for more chapters, this one felt like it all happened in the short span of a month (or less) which made it a bit rushed for me.

I needed more drama, needed more romance, needed more depth.

All in all a solid read, but not my first choice from Melissa Brayden.

It's been a while since I enjoyed a Melissa Brayden book this much if I'm gonna be totally honest.

The Forever Factor follows two used-to-be lovers from high school reconnecting ten years later, both with their own intricate pasts and two broken hearts that have never fully healed.

Reid and Bethany are both charming in their own right and I immediately loved them together and individually. Loved the background characters, specifically, Mason, Thea, Victoria, and Bethany's dad. Really wished they made more appearances but they kind of just faded into the background.

The plot is cute, the author put her own spin on a cliche which was refreshing from her last couple of books.

I've never been a fan of flashbacks but in this book, I looked forward to them. Probably due to the amazing writing and structure of the book.

Overall, really enjoyed it, wished it was longer, definitely recommend it.

This was a strong Brayden offering, her standalone books never disappoint. I appreciated that there was no third act drama putting a wrench in things, just a very realistic relationship with a past. I enjoyed the past scenes which really fleshed out the present day dynamics. Overall a solid read.

The Forever Factor brings back old wounds for Bethany who was crushed when her then girlfriend left her. This is a then and now story which takes us back to then when Bethany and Reid were young high school girls trying to figure out what they wanted in life.
Now Bethany is a doctor and Reid has just walked back into her life unexpectedly. Bethany is thrown and is trying to keep Reid at arms length but Reid has other ideas. She wants to rekindle what they had or might have had and she's not giving up until they've had a chance. Throw in the fact that Reid now has a son and Bethany is is even more confused.
This was more of a high school crush turned young love with more time spent in the then part of the story.
Overall a quick read with interesting characters.

3.5 stars. This was a very solid read! I loved the story structure and plot! The big fault of this book was the writing style. A lot of telling instead of showing in the beginning, but it definitely got better as the book progressed!

Another amazing book by an incredible author!

Bethany Cahill is a successful doctor who is married to her job and avoids all kind of relationships. One would think eleven years would be enough to heal a broken heart, not for Bethany though, not when the person that broke your heart was your first and who you thought would be your forever. Now, on an ordinary her orderly unexciting life is shook when she bumps her grocery cart with her once fellow cheerleader and the person who broke her heart, Reid Thatcher.

This is one of my favorite kind of romances and Melissa Brayden did not disappoint (as usual). This book was sweet, heartbreaking, and incredibly romantic. There is nothing purer than your first love and Melissa wrote it beautifully. It was great to go through the characters past and see how they fell in love, and how they were, in fact, each other's one and only true love. I love how the story complemented each other going between the past and the present. It was a great book which took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. Should not have expected less from this author.

Can't wait to have this on paperback and read it all over again! Definitely recommend!

I received this via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

The Forever Factor by Melissa Brayden is a sharp, romantic, and deeply amazing, I fell hard for this book.
My first time ever reading this authors work and I happy to say I will be reading more of this author's work in the the future.

I loved watching these two fall in love and grow together. I really liked these two and loved seeing how their journey unfolded. It's a charming book with sweet characters who will warm your heart. Rachel keeps churning out the lady lovin hits!
This is a great love story with ups and downs.
It made reading the story even more special and I felt connected to it and the characters.
There is something about the way Brayden writes that draws me in and makes me feel all sorts of emotions.
It was sweet, adorable, romantic, and funny at times!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Bold Strokes Books,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

As usual with a Brayden book, I absolutely enjoyed reading this. At this point I don’t think she can do wrong. I enjoyed the flashback aspect, it’s probably my favorite thing about second chance romances, you get more of a feel of the characters. I thought this book was well-written and the pacing was good. I loved the characters and I’m hoping to see the side characters with their own full length stories. I don’t think I have much else to add. If you’ve read this author before and enjoyed the read then you’ll like this one too.

I've read many books by the author so I'm not surprised by the well written story, the story is about second chances you as a reader I did not feel the anger or the drama so it was very light read. very focused on these 2 ppl
I don't enjoy flashbacks all that much specially if the story is not that deep I just need to understand the reason and enjoy seeing their navigation for here and now.

Melissa Brayden back to what she does best, wtriting a book that makes you swoon. There’s a then and now approach that starts in the present when Bethany and Reid run into ech other at the grocery store and goes back 12 years when they first met in highschool. The flashbacks continue throughout the entire book. There’s heartbreak and resentment to get over if they want to get their forever factor back on track. I really enjoed reading this one.

I'm glad I decided to read this book, even though I've been a bit disappointed by this author lately. But I must say that this has been a very fulfilling story for me and I’m pleased about that.

The story is told in flashbacks, now and then, to portray the relationship between two women, from their senior year in high school to the present day.

Bethany arrived at the high school where Reid was, right in her senior year, so she was lost and unsure of how to place herself in a group of students who had been together for years. What initially brings the two girls together is an after-school activity, Reid is the captain of the cheerleading squad, and Bethany is applying for the badger job. But Bethany's tumbling prowess eventually lands her on the cheer squad, too. From this moment, Reid, who is the popular girl, followed by all, the girlfriend of the captain of the soccer team, begins to doubt what she seemed to have so clear about her future. Also, some other events in her life cause her to become closer to Bethany than her lifelong group of friends. That was then, and obviously the two of them didn't have a happy ending at the time.

But now they meet again, about 12 years have passed and they are no longer girls, they are adult women. We don't know what happened then when they meet again, because the author mixes the two stories so that step by step we can understand why they are acting the way they do now. Because both have, at the same time, need and resentment.
The then been really sweet and charming, both of them are authentic in their doubts, without evil, although the lack of certainty made them make wrong decisions. But there has been more between then and now that is going to be important in the conclusion.

And finally, the drama here is where it has to be, with meaning, that has been what has made me appreciate this story more.