Allison: Here Without You | Tammara Webber | Book Review

I received this book for free from Purchased in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Everyone has secrets.
Some are buried so deep, their existence is forgotten.
But a secret never told can turn into a lie.
And in love, a lie is one thing:
Poison.

Reid's in love with Dori, though she hasn't told her parents that she's fallen hard for the guy they'd forbidden her to see. Now she's leaving for college, and Reid's promise not to push her to go public is wearing thin, especially when she can't - or won't - return those three important words he wants to hear.

Five years ago, Brooke and Reid were a Thing. That relationship is long gone, detonated amid allegations of cheating - but they still share a secret that would stun everyone they know and alter public perception of them both if it ever comes out. And it's about to do just that.

Here Without You is the fourth, final installment in the Between the Lines series, which includes: Between the Lines, Where You Are, and Good For You.

When I first heard that Here Without You, the final book in the Between The Lines series by Tammara Webber, would primarily focus on the characters of Brooke, Reid, and Dori I was admittedly nervous. While Reid had grown on me throughout the series going from a rich, carefree playboy to a young man who was able to admit his flaws and who had been able to find a completely unexpected type of love, I wasn’t so sure the same could be said for Brooke. At the beginning of the series, Brooke was shallow and destructive and unlike Reid she never really seemed to learn from her mistakes even when those mistakes drove away the people that she actually cared about. I wasn’t exactly sure what she could bring to the table as her actions were often unpredictable, and I didn’t want to see her mess up the relationship between Reid and Dori. Luckily for me though, this book was not about her trying to come between the two of them but instead was about so much more than that. It was about Brooke finding herself and finally finding a balance in her life, and to be honest, it was the perfect way to end the series and bring all of these characters together once again.

If you haven’t read the other three books in the series, you may want to stop reading now as Here Without You alludes to a huge secret that was revealed in the first book of the series. This secret connects Brooke and Reid in a way that is unforgettable, and that is why years later Brooke finds herself still thinking about it. She makes a really big decision regarding this secret in an attempt to rectify it and finally find peace with herself about it. Okay, I think I was alluring enough about the secret without giving too much away, right? Phew. I hope so. I really liked the way that the secret was handled and how it was such a focal point throughout the entire story. Like I said, it not only affects Brooke but it also affects Reid and his relationship with Dori. Also, it is this secret that really affects Brooke’s growth as a character. She isn’t an easy character to sympathize with due to many of her actions but I think in this story, you finally get why Brooke acts the way she does. You get a look into her background, how her life was before she became a Hollywood actress, how her life was after she became a Hollywood actress, and how many people she has in her life that actually stand by her. I’ll give you a hint: it’s not very many and in part many of the people who have left are due to Brooke’s own actions but I couldn’t help but feel for her and want her to get her happy ending too.

Speaking of happy endings, things are still rocky for Reid and Dori but, they’re trying to hold onto each other and be happy together. Dori still hasn’t accepted that someone like Reid could love her. She’s also adapting to her first year in college while Reid is off at a movie set clear across the country. It isn’t easy for them doing the whole long distance thing, especially when Dori’s parents are still not very accepting of Reid and their relationship. Oh, and Reid has not told her about the secret that could change both of their worlds forever. So, in Dori’s mind, she is not sure how long this is actually going to last so she is trying to not to take anything for granted while in Reid’s mind, he thinks he has found his forever girl, and will do whatever it takes to prove to that her. These differing viewpoints cause a bit of friction in their relationship, some of which could be easily fixed if they would have just communicated with each other better. Of course, there is nothing wrong with a bit of angst if it is done the right way, and I really did feel that the angst of the two of these characters was handled in a really mature way. It wasn’t overdone to the point where I just wanted them to break up but instead I found myself rooting for them to figure it all out and just be happy together.

Here Without You also brings back two of the other main characters from the previous books in the series, Emma and Graham. I loved seeing them again, and seeing the growth in their relationship, and in each of their individual characters. You could tell that they hadn’t fully forgiven Reid and Brooke for what happened between them but that they were willing to move beyond it if it was in the best interest of everyone. Everything really did come full circle in this final book of the series. It was all wrapped very so nicely without any loose ends. As a reader, I got to see once again what brought these characters together in the first place, and how far they had all come since their initial meeting. Tammara Webber gave each of her characters a strong starting point and finished them with an even stronger conclusion. She gave them each a focus and a drive which I followed whole heartedly and at the end I couldn’t help but applaud of their journeys and smile with contentment. Well done!