Review: Can't Always Get What You Want by Chelsey Krause

Sophie Richards has been looking forward to a much-needed girls’ night out: a Rolling Stones concert, a few drinks, a distraction from her grueling nursing shifts in acute care. But when her best friend bails, Sophie gets stuck with a blind date.

Although Brett Nicholson may be the hottest carpenter alive, and Sophie may technically be single, she isn’t exactly on the market. Six years ago she found The One. He was everything Sophie dreamed a man could be—and then she lost him. In an instant, her whole life changed, and she forgot all about happily ever after.

But as she gets to know Brett, Sophie starts to wonder about the future for the first time. With a broken heart still clouding her mind, jumping into a new relationship feels impossible. When she’s in his arms, walking away feels even harder. Now Sophie faces an impossible choice: living in the past or choosing love in the here and now.

ebook, 312 pages

Expected publication: January 13th 2015 by Loveswept

Terri's Thoughts

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher Loveswept via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is January 13th 2015.

I really enjoyed this read as it was truly about falling in love.  Not only did I get to share the experience of Sophie falling in love once but twice in this story and both times I was swept away.  I watched Sophie fall in love with Aaron through flashback memories and again with Brett in real-time.  I brought me back to the time of butterflies in your stomach and silly daydreams about what could be.

The main theme of this story is learning to let go of the past in order to start living for the future.  Sophie was fortunate to have two amazing men in her life at two different times and they were both perfect.  I mean seriously, most people would like to meet one perfect person while she had two in her lifetime!  In order for Sophie to have a future with Brett she had to let go of her past with Aaron.

I have never been in a situation like Sophie so I do not know what it is like to lose the one you love and how hard it is to let go.  I felt that she was holding on too tight for the amount of time that had passed.  Maybe I am being a bit insensitive but I think it is really ok to love again after six years have passed.  Then again without this dilemma there really wouldn't have been a story.  Needless to say I was in Brett's corner the whole time.

Random things I liked about this story include

• I loved the shout out to Canadian culture and it's fascination with Tim Horton's.  For any non Canadians out there it is really true.  We love our Tim Horton's.  While Starbucks is great, Timmies prices are a portion of Starbucks and it is as much a part of Canadian culture as Hockey is
• Anytime a story takes place in a Canadian city or town I automatically feel like I can identify.  From the warm summers to snowy winters the story always feels a little more like home.
• I loved Samira's parents. I can only hope that many years from now that my husband and I will be picking fights with each other to get each other worked up without actually fighting.  That kind of affection is priceless.

All in all this was a really nice love story.  If you like a little romance in your books than this is a good pick for you.