REVIEW: Always Was by Amabel Daniels

Always Was by Amabel Daniels
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Description: 

It’s supposed to be simple. One week. A road trip. Point A to B. But everyone knows what they say about best-laid plans… 

Running from her family’s expectations, art student Samantha Millson enjoys some independence in San Francisco. When tragedy strikes, Sammy sets off for her childhood home, swallowing her pride and silencing her fears. She is both comforted and stressed that this time, her road trip won’t be solo. 

Adam Fallon refuses to tether himself to anything or anyone. Enlisting in the military straight out of high school, he has defied attachments, be they a job, a home—or one woman. But he commits for a week as co-pilot on a road trip across the country with his best friend’s younger sister. 

Reunited on this drive, they are uncertain in the face of chemistry. Together, they face dark memories of Sammy’s past, and challenge Adam’s antipathy to settling down.

I was gifted this book from the author for an honest review. I’ll admit, when the author offered to gift this to me I had two (internal) reactions….1) OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG YES!!!!!!! - I loved the other book by her so much that I couldn’t wait to read something else by her. And 2) OMG IT’S A ROAD TRIP *internal groan*…I’m not a road trip story fan. I don’t know why, but I just don’t love them. I tend to find them boring and nothing happens and the characters are trapped in a car and just UGH.

So, when I started this, I was a little hesitant. But honestly, I should have trusted the author’s genius because I was immediately pulled into the story and I couldn’t put it down.

I loved getting to know Sam and Adam (and Inky)! I loved their road trip, and how the further they traveled, the more then reconnected and the closer they became. I actually was dreading them reaching their destination because a) things weren’t settled with them and I wanted more time with them and b) because the closer they came to their destination, the closer I was to the end of the book and I didn’t want it to end.

Sam was one tough cookie. She experienced something horrible and she pulled herself up, moved herself away from everything she knew and started over. She created a good life for herself with people/friends that cared about her and friends that became her family. Sam was someone to admire.

Adam…he was just awesome. He showed Sam that she had nothing to be ashamed of and that not all guys were the same. That not all guys were like the guy from her past. I loved how protective he was, how much he wished he could go back and protect her and how patient he was with her and how he just wanted her to be comfortable again, not just with him, but in life. I loved watching Sam come out of her shell, and her camouflage with him on their trip. One of my favorite scenes was where Adam was going through one of the children’s books that Sam had created with her partner and he inquired if she’d ever thought about him when he was in the Army. I literally had a AWWWWWWWWWWE moment and just loved that scene. And the scene where they first kissed…PERFECT.

Honestly, I can’t say enough good things about this book. It was perfection. I wish it hadn’t ended. I can’t wait to read more from the author!

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