Azu is Reading Nothing Between Us by Manda Mazanec
Meera Taylor is ready to start the life she’s always dreamed of. Gone are the days of living out of her car and hiding from her past. With an apartment she can finally call her own and a new career, Meera agrees to give the small town of Morganville a chance at being her forever home.
The only problem? She can’t seem to evade Gabriel Henry, the one man she was told to avoid and yet the same sexy grump who seems hell-bent on stealing her independence — and her heart.
Earning himself a reputation as a womanizer, single dad Gabe has zero interest in settling down. He doesn’t believe in romance or soulmates. He’s well aware of Meera’s less-than-stellar opinion of him, and that’s okay. She isn’t his type anyway. But when Meera’s estranged husband shows up in Morganville, Gabe finds himself coming to her defense and coming lip to lip with what might just be his needle in a haystack.
Review
I was part of this fabulous book’s ARC team and am writing a review because I loved it. A new addition to my comfort reading shelf.
The title line appears one time in the book and then it seems to appear again but it’s different. And I loved it. I also loved a lot of the story details, if not all.
Meera gave me clumsy girl vibes at the start, but she’s just an unlucky woman and with that I can relate. Her past is heavy and hasn’t finished with her yet, and though I haven’t experienced many of her circumstances, it wasn’t an obstacle to relate with her (finally, because it’s a common struggle with female protagonists).
Gabe… sighs. It was love at first encounter. And it was hard not to fall in love again each time he reappeared in the scene. And his POVs?! To die for. He can try to lie to himself (and Meera too, given the case), but, as the cover says, one only can do it for so long.
I love, I love, I love soulmate hints. Just special conditions like this one for second opportunities. I haven’t dived enough, but it’s just so much enjoyable when he’s a single dad (and the daughter is so lovely). When the kid gives their permission and consent because the person the parent wants is just so right, for the kid, for the parent, for both of them, it’s just so… beautiful and fulfilling. When he’s so stubborn to admit it, but has obviously fallen hard, and is showing it so much for everyone but is so blind to notice it themselves. I will always love a bit more communication, but one can only do so much, and we are never perfect as humans. Oh! Of course, the protective man, and not just because he’s such a good boy, but because he just doesn’t want you to touch her. Even when she’s fighting for her independence, she accepts that the feeling he gives her is so empowering.
And there’s so much forgiving and proper healing that I haven’t seen before! You can be a bad person and not deserve it, but they will do everything in their power to make you go on the right path. Not only that, they will try to help everyone they can to not pass through what they lived through. There’s no reason to not help each other. We’re all here trying to do the best we can and we don’t have to do it alone, we can do better and reach farther with help.
This book gives so many pieces… I find courage, peace, support, and healing. It was so empowering and inspiring. So endearing and dreamy. A bit frustrating, because c’mon! But happy. Happy and calm and satisfying. It’s so much more than just a romance. It’s fresh air.
Phrases that I liked so much that I marked them while reading
«“It looks like you hit your head pretty good on the way down,” he says, placing a small ice pack on my forehead. “Though I don’t know how because you never made it to the floor.”
“Oh,” I say as I touch my forehead, heat rising up my neck. “This is from earlier.” I leave out the part where I lost the fight with the utility pole.»
— Chapter Two.«And I have a hard limit when it comes to making a fool out of myself. Once a day is enough.»
— Chapter Two.«Her eyes grow dark as she says those four beautiful words I live for. “Get that fucking bastard.”»
— Chapter Four.«“It’s complicated.”
“Then uncomplicate it.”
I suck in a breath at the demand. Normal people would have taken my comment as a sign to stop asking questions. But Meera is anything but normal.»
— Chapter Six.«I force out the oxygen trapped inside my chest and do what lawyers do best. I deflect.»
— Chapter Six.«Once she’s chucked the carpet into the dumpster, she studies me, as if she’s trying to figure out whether she should let me into her apartment or throw me out with the carpet.»
— Chapter Six.«“Come on. We can talk and walk at the same time.”
“How do you do that?” I ask, propelling my feet forward again.
“Do what?”
“That.”
“Well, if you must know, I place one foot in front of the other, making sure to shift my weight evenly as I go.”»
— Chapter Nine.«“You’re making this more difficult than it needs to be. Just ask me what it is you want to know.”»
— Chapter Nine.«“You left your purse and room key at the reception.”
“Nice try. My purse was on the nightstand, next to the bed.”
“It pains me to have to tell you how much of a gentleman I really am,” he says solemnly.
I scowl again.
“By the time we got back to the bed-and-breakfast, you were out cold. I realized you didn’t have your purse, and since I knew you had an early flight out, I tucked you in and ran back out to get it for you.”»
— Chapter Nine.«My stomach twists. Because I want her to be bummed. I want her to want me to stick around. Hell, I want me to stick around.»
— Chapter Ten.«I know I shouldn’t enter the surgical room, but tell that to the side of my brain that actually gives a fuck.»
— Chapter Twelve.«“Honey, you don’t have to explain a thing. If Sophie wants to draw a picture for you, you’re already a rock star in my book.”»
— Chapter Thirteen.«“I tried to convince her to stay. I offered her a warm meal, and when I walked out of the room to grab plates, she disappeared. Took Sophie with her.”
Evelyn breathes out a long, steady breath. “You have no idea how hard that was. To know that child was about to endure more trauma all because I turned my back.”»
— Chapter Thirteen.«I turn back to get Meera’s bag, but Tom stands in my way. When I move toward him, ready to barrel through him if I have to, he put his hands up. “Okay. Okay.”»
— Chapter Fourteen.«“Thank you,” she says, “for all of that.” She waves at the door and the juice box. “But I could have handled it.”
“I know, but I’m glad I got here when I did. I wouldn’t want to lie to the police. […] We’d have to hide the body, and I’m not good at lying. Never have been.”
Meera throws her head back and guffaws.»
— Chapter Fourteen.«and though her laugh is my new favorite thing, her confusion is adorable.»
— Chapter Fourteen.«“He knew my grandma would smother me with love but worried that I wouldn’t survive without knowing how to hang cabinet doors.”»
— Chapter Fourteen.«but catching Tom there, trying to hurt her, was enough for me to want to camp out on her deck and make sure Mr. Up to No Good didn’t return.»
— Chapter Sixteen.«“Darlene wasn’t my type.”
“She’s gorgeous. I’m surprised she isn’t your type.”
“We’re two very different people.”
“Ah, so she’s nice?”
“Funny,” I growl.»
— Chapter Twenty.«“I want to know.”»
— Chapter Twenty-One.«“How do I fix this for you?”»
— Chapter Twenty-One.«“A raccoon? That thing looks like a man-eating vampire with four legs.”»
— Chapter Twenty-One.«I stomp on my brakes and then look in my rearview window. No one is behind me, thank fucking God. “You what?”»
— Chapter Twenty-Five.«“You won’t be inconveniencing anyone. You’re going to have to learn that it’s okay to lean on others. I think you’ve been on your own for far too long. You’ve forgotten what it’s like to be cared for.”»
— Chapter Twenty-Five.«“I need to hear it, Meera. I need to hear you consent to this.”»
— Chapter Twenty-Six.«“You can lie to yourself all you want, Gabriel, but I know you better than you think. I’ve never seen you look at a girl the way you look at her.”»
— Chapter Twenty-Nine.«“I saw how fast you ran to her at the bar when other men took interest,” she continues. “And the way you pulled out the chair for her at dinner…” She laughs. “You’ve invited plenty of people over in the past, but never, not once, have you looked like you were completely captivated by a woman’s presence.”»
— Chapter Twenty-Nine.«Every time, I assumed she didn’t want to inconvenience me. But I realize now that it was never about that. She wanted to learn how to do things on her own. She didn’t need me to do those things for her. She just needed the support.»
— Chapter Twenty-Nine.«“I’m sorry,” I start. It’s as good a place as any.»
— Chapter Twenty-Nine.«And there it is. The first memory. When she sauntered through the front door to the Tipsy Brew Garage three years ago. That’s the moment I lost the ability to think straight. Ever since that day, I’ve been a fucking mess. Except it’s actually the day I cleaned up my mess. Because three years ago, I feel for a woman I didn’t even know. Because breathing the same air she breathed made me want to be a better man. And her presence in my life again after all this time might mean I finally have the chance I missed out on then.»
— Chapter Twenty-Nine.«My response to Gabe wasn’t a lie. I am okay. I’m in my apartment with my door locked, and I’m breathing.»
— Chapter Thirty.«“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? Stop that shit. Every time you say those words, you’re taking responsibility for something, and you didn’t do anything wrong.”»
— Chapter Thirty-Two.«He places his hands on either side of my face and dips his head, brushing his nose against mine. “I’m going to kiss you right now. Please don’t pull away.”»
— Chapter Thirty-Two.«“Did he hit you?”
This is when Meera grows quiet. I know this kind of silence. I’ve seen it before with my mom.
“Ask her that in a different way,” I say.
Meera and both officers turn to me in unison.
“She doesn’t want to lie to you. She won’t say he hit her if he didn’t actually hit her. But ask her if he hurt her. Look at her wrist. Look at her throat.”»
— Chapter Thirty-Three.«I can’t help but feel a bit of pride when she repeats that last part. Because she took my advice, and that might have been what saved her life.»
— Chapter Thirty-Three.«“You’re staying with me until the cops have Tom behind bars.”
When I huffed at his ridiculous suggestion, he grabbed a bag from the top shelf of my closet and pulled out a drawer, ready to pack the damn thing himself. With a frustrated huff, I pushed him out of my way and tossed clothing and my toiletry bag into the duffel he refused to set down.»
— Chapter Thirty-Four.«“If I get obnoxious, I give you permission to put me in my place.”»
— Chapter Thirty-Four.«“But this morning, when you wouldn’t wake up, when those paramedics stabbed you with that glucose pen and you wouldn’t respond… the fear I’d been running from? It was nothing compared to what I felt then.”»
— Chapter Thirty-Six.«I can’t take it any longer. If he tells me he’s not done one more time, I’m going to lose it.»
— Chapter Thirty-Six.«I’d never been invested enough to fall in love, but maybe that’s because I hadn’t met the right person.»
— Chapter Forty-One.«“I need to say something, but I don’t want you to panic.” I’m already panicking enough for the both of us.»
— Chapter Forty-One.«I can’t believe I’m doing this, but Jack was right. I was scared. I’d fallen for Meera, and I didn’t know what to do with that. But I won’t hide anymore. I’ll face these feelings head-on, and if Meera doesn’t feel the same way, then I’ll deal with that later.»
— Chapter Forty-One.«He waits, holding me hostage with a look of pure adoration.»
— Chapter Epilogue.
