Review and giveaway: First Position by Prescott Lane

Synopsis

Emory faces life’s challenges at the one place that’s never failed her, the ballet barre. But even the barre can’t steady her when fate brings her face-to-face with her old college flame, Mason, who’s hoping to return to the NFL after a career-threatening injury. Before they can surrender to their sexual desires and find salvation in each other’s arms, they need to come to terms with their past. Mason must confront the demons that have set him on a path of self-destruction, while Emory must decide whether to keep her painful secrets locked away, or expose them and risk losing the love of her life. But nothing can prepare Mason for what Emory has kept hidden, or the possibility that he himself may be to blame for the very secrets she keeps – and why they continue to haunt her.






4 star review by Jen Skewes

Mason and Emory were college sweethearts.  They were in love and had planned their future together.  She was going to be a ballet dancer and he was on his way to the NFL.  Until Mason made a very stupid mistake that completely shattered Emory's heart and caused him to lose the only girl he ever loved.  He went on to play in the NFL and ended up marrying someone else but she was nothing compared to Emory.  She was someone to be by his side while he lived out his dream, she was basically his trophy wife.  Their marriage was one of convenience rather than one of love. He was living the dream, playing in the NFL, but that didn't mean he forgot about Emory.  His heart belonged to her and always would.  It's now 6 years later and he has suffered an injury that could end his career and his marriage.  He has been in talks with a few teams about playing for them next season.  One night while in a bar at Charlotte he bumps into her, Emory Claire, the woman who has held his heart for all these years. 

Emory loved Mason and 6 yrs ago her heart was destroyed when they broke up.  After that she suffered an injury that ended her dancing career.  She never got over Mason, but at the same time she hated him for what he did.  She is now engaged to a wonderful doctor named Eric.  Eric is wonderful, hot and successful, so what could be wrong?  Emory loves Eric, just not in the same way she loved Mason.  She knows marrying him will be the wrong decision and decides to break it off.  After the break up she goes to a bar and that's when she literally bumps right into her past.  Seeing Mason again after all these years brings back so many feelings.  Mason lost Emory once and does not plan on losing her again.  She is here, in his life again and he will do what it takes to keep her there.  Yes he is technically still married but at this point, nothing else matters to Mason.  Emory is a little hesitant in the beginning.  As much as she wants to jump back into Mason's arms, there are some issues that need to be dealt with.  One being his marriage, and the fact that he hurt her all those years ago.  Can she trust him after all he put her through?  Will Mason get his second chance at love with the only woman that he has ever loved?

Mason screwed up when he was with Emory in college, but he has definitley suffered over the last six years and definitley deserves a second chance.  Mason is sweet, caring, romantic, a little possessive at times, but totally loveable.  He loved Emory and will do everything he can to prove it.  He has another chance with her and he is not going to blow it this time.  He will give it all up for her.  Mason was such an amazing hero who I instantly fell in love with.  I loved Emory but there were times when she completely frustrated me.  Mason kept things from her, while in my opinion they were minor issues compared to the secret she was keeping from him.  But when she would get mad at him for keeping things from her, when Emory herself had a big secret, I just wanted to shake her and knock some sense into her.  But overall I did like her and I loved her and Mason together.

I think the author did a fantastic job with this story and the characters.  You fall in love with Mason and Emory.  They have a history together, you can see how much they love each other despite everything that they went through. I loved how Mason fought for her.  I loved his romantic side, especially at one particular moment in the end, which I will not give away.  When Emory finally did reveal her secret it was one of those WOW moments for me.  Not so much because of the secret, which was a big secret,  but because the author did a fantastic job with the scenes that followed.  You felt the pain that the both of them went through.  You felt what it was like to be Emory and relive that experience with her.  And then there was Mason after he found out.  It completely broke my heart.  His feelings and emotions at that moment were so real.  I was crying along with the both of them.  The scenes were so real and heart breaking. 

There was more to this story than just Mason and Emory though, which I loved.  We get to see Mason's brother and his wife and their relationship with Mason and Emory.  I loved Olivia, Masons sister-in-law.  She had no problem speaking her mind and I loved that about her.  And there is Emory's best friend and room mate Wesley who has his own issues with his family and boyfriend, but he was an amazing friend.  I wanted to slap Mason's ex-wife, that's really all I need to say about her.   And then there was his mother who I was not a fan of in the beginning, but she ended up completely surprising me.

Overall I loved First Position.  It is a wonderful story of second chances and forgiveness.  It has everything that I love in a book.  I laughed and cried, both happy and sad tears.  There was definitely drama and some angst.  But I was left smiling in the end.  A wonderful job by Prescott Lane!





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