Four Years Later by Monica Murphy

Now, I have loved this series since I first picked up One Week Girlfriend many moons ago and while it is easy to love the story between Fable and Drew, there has always been a third wheel in the story and in this book we get to see life from his side of the fence – welcome to the world of Owen!

Effectively abandoned by his mother, Owen was brought up and cared for by Fable ( and Drew) but in this we get to see what has happened to him now he is having to stand on his own two feet at college and to be honest – it is not going well.

With failing grades, Owen is facing his worst night mare – being kicked off the football team, desperate to be just like Drew – the huge football star and local boy made good – he is left with little choice when it is decided that in order to get him back on an even keel he has to undertake additional study with a student tutor.

Enter Chelsea, she and Owen and the exact opposite of each other – he is the popular sports star, with absolutely no lack of personality and she is the studious, protégée – always ahead of the rest when it comes to academia but woefully inept on the interpersonal front.

They say opposites attract and boy do they but this pair have a lot more in common than they think they do but will they survive each other long enough to find out?

Life is messing with Owen, his mother is back on the scene and is the root cause of much of his trouble – she is breeding him dry both emotionally and financially. I can understand it that a child wants to please their parent but surely Owen had seen enough of her tricks to know that she was playing him like a fiddle. My heart broke for him in as much as he was desperate to do what he could for her to have her love him – to his detriment but I was angry at him for letting himself be conned by her yet again.

Chelsea hides her family turmoil well but her home life is just a troubled as Owen’s – her father has been jailed for embezzlement and her mother blows hot and cold over how she feels with regards to her Dad – Chelsea doesn’t know where she stands – and we can see for ourselves the effect this leave on her.

Trying hard to do the right thing- Owen goes against everything he knows and shows us that he can do romantic with the best of them – some of that Drew magic must have rubbed off somewhere along the lineJ Owen susses that Chelsea is inexperienced and is determined that he is going to take it easy, the way he encourages her and helps her to find herself along the way was beautiful.

Chelsea brings out the best in Owen – the best that we the readers of the series always knew was in there and it is great to see that the love of a good woman has him changing his ways in such a positive manner.

Readers will be happy to know that Drew and Fable make an appearance in the novel as does their daughter Autumn – and it is great to catch up with this family.

Owen and Chelsea’s story is very emotional, they both have their crosses to bear but they overcome and conquer not only their pasts but the path to their future – I hope this is not the last we have heard from this pair.

Rating 4.5 out of 5