“Sometimes, you proved your worth by showing what you were willing to give up.”

And here we are again, ladies and gents. Another SMASHING hit by the stunningly talented Karla Sorenson. I am completely obsessed with the Ward family. I didn’t know what to expect from Lia’s story, but nothing could have prepared me for this. I wish I could rewind and re-read this book over and over again for the first time. Truthfully, I feel that way about all of Karla’s book (especially this Ward series) but this one had something extra special about it. 

In Faked, we learn that Lia has been given an opportunity to travel to Europe and study under one of her biggest literary influences. She is beyond thrilled about this opportunity and when this story begins, she has already landed in London. She’s living there for a few months, writing a research paper on the Bronte sisters, and exploring a bit of the world. The only problem is, she’s never been this far away from her family and she misses them terribly. We learn that Lia might have some attachment/abandonment issues – she struggles with change and with acceptance, and she might even have a difficult time feeling independent. She is a twin, so that’s probably also part of it. Anyway, so she speaks with Claire (her twin sister) on the phone one day and she ends up pushing herself outside of her comfort zone. BAM. One night stand with a super sexy British man. She really went all out. More power to her! So then yes, she gets pregnant. It’s not a spoiler because it’s literally in the blurb of the book, but oops, sorry if you didn’t already know that part. This is a story of growth and maturity. It’s beautiful and remarkable. I cried more times in this book than the other two in this series combined. It was THAT good. 

Jude is different than any of the male characters Karla has written before. Logan is my all time favorite, of course, but Jude has a depth to him that is almost unmatched. (I can’t say that it will stay that way forever because Aiden is coming in hot and I have a reeeeally good feeling about him). Jude is cocky but reserved. He doesn’t open up to anyone…not even Lia. It takes losing the thing that’s most important to him to realize what he wants out of his life. He makes huge strides in his interpersonal relationships and his character arc is magnificent. I think my favorite thing about this novel is that both of our characters are extremely flawed. Their flaws sometimes outweigh the good things about them, but that’s what it makes it so intriguing. Regardless of the things that hold them back, they fit together perfectly. Lia and Jude are perfectly imperfect each in their own way, but they are like the final missing puzzle piece for each other. I cannot express my adoration for this series and these character in a more eloquent way…just, read this book. You will not be disappointed in the least. It is worth every second of your time. I cannot wait until Isabelle’s story in June 2021! Counting down the months! Bravo – 5 stars! 

“I think what makes the great great is something inside them. Even when their body betrays them, it’s still there.”