Love Always by Sonya Loveday and Candace Knoebel is a wonderful story about how love, how "first love", inspires a young man to find his independence. On the very first page we meet Phillip Warrington, an eighteen year old soon heading off to college and who thinks of his mom as “Mother” (with a capital M) and his father as,yep, "Father". I think that alone gives the reader a sense of Phillip. He’s a young man raised in a privileged lifestyle, one that isolates him and one that hasn’t given him the tools to stake any claim for freedom, which he desperately wants.. When Phillip meets Maggie it’s obvious that she is his guide forward, that she will help him reach that goal. Maggie, a local girl in the setting where we first meet these Phillip, a Hampton’s resort. Maggie is fearless and undeniably fun - traits that don’t seem to be in Phillips DNA at all. Maggie represents the 98%, looking at a future doing what she loves but clearly never on the track to find a place in the Warrington family’s world.

Now, at first the story moved a bit slow for me. I was a bit worried that the age of the characters and the fact that Phillip was just not inspiring me, would mean the story would drag but that was simply not the case. Phillip did eventually grow on me, but he is so kowtowed by his family, by social expectations, it was a bit of a tough sell. Who was inspiring was Maggie and her pull and desire to get to know Phillip. She had me sticking in there and trying to see what she saw. She’s a really strong character and she lifts up a good part of the story just being who she is, wise beyond her years. Maggie is astute and she shares her observations, her hopes, in a kind and seasoned voice.

The writing and the story delivery really grabbed my attention. First, we get the story through both their eye’s, which I always love. Secondly, things switch up, and then we get the story through letters. I adore this style. Its something in the re-telling of events and what the characters choose to share. Finally, the dialogue is really well-done. The characters are young and the authors capture their youth. With Phillip, his conversations with his family, the dialogue completely captures their relationships to each other. The dialogue also shows us how the characters evolve; the Phillip at the beginning was NOT the Phillip at the end. Maggie’s genuine nature continued to shine through. There are a myriad of secondary characters, some to hate and some to love - best friends, new friends and social vixens. All adding to the storyline and building out our 2 main characters.

Love Always is a delightful read and has an ending that I never saw coming. I’ve read a Sonya Loveday novel but this is my first book by Candace Knoebel. These authors have found a strong voice in their writing partnership.

4.5 stars and recommendation.

This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews I received this book for free for a Blog Tour in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Oh wow where do I begin?

Thank you to Candace and Sonya for letting me be part of this tour. I've previously read Sonya's book The Summer I Fell and ADORED it. I have End Note and If Ever I Fall on my TBR pile and reading this has just made me want to bump them right to the top.

This book follows Maggie and Phillip on the epic journey of love. Maggie is a red headed girl who lives life to the fullest. She spends her days doing whatever makes her happy and never turns down an opportunity. Phillip on the other hand spends his days following whatever schedule his mum has planned for him. His life is about pleasing others before himself. That is until he meets Maggie.

Maggie shows Phillip the life he could be leading. Shows him everything he's been missing out on and once he starts he doesn't want to stop.

This book is extremely well written and will have you laughing, crying and sitting on the edge of your seat frantically turning the pages to see what happens next. Each chapter is written from either Maggie or Phillip's perspective. I enjoyed this because it allowed you to get into both of their heads. I especially loved the chapters of their letters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope to see a lot more from these two talented writers.

Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick

Love Always, is the first book that I have ever read from either Sonya Loveday or Candace Knoebel. I really had no idea what I was in for, but with the cover and blurb for this book I absolutely had to read it. I will admit that when I first started it though, I was honestly a little worried. It started off slow, and it wasn't holding my interest. For some reason this one was hard for me to get into, but I am glad that I stuck with it. Once things started to pick up a little, I thought that this was a really cute story and I enjoyed it a lot.

Phillip and Maggie both have their lives planned, and think that they know where they are headed. They come from completely different backgrounds, with him being from money while she isn't. Phillip is tired of having his every move planned for him, so when he meets Maggie in the Hamptons he enjoys the time he gets to sneak with her. Maggie knows that Phillip needs some fun in his life and to let loose, and she is surprised to find that she had him pegged all wrong. They begin to grow close and the more time they spend together, the deeper their connection grows. But just as they are starting to realize what is between them, life pulls them apart and their summer is over. Will their connection be enough to endure the time apart and the ways that their different lives pull them?

I really worried about liking these characters at first. Honestly I thought that they were a little weird and I wasn't digging them at all. Phillip first came off a bit creepy with his constantly talking about pleasing his mother and everything he did to try and be perfect for her. Maggie came off as completely odd with her less than conventional intro and first encounter with Phillip. I thought that they were naive and immature, and I didn't think that I was going to be able to continue. But then they started to get to know one another, and they both completely changed for me. Phillip came to life with the help of Maggie. The more time they spent together, the more I loved the side of him she brought out. She was bright and cheerful, and so full of life and fun. It was good to see her bring that to Phillip and get him to let loose some. These two connected right away, and I really liked that while at first glance they seemed to be so different, they were actually more alike than you would expect. They related so well to one another, and I enjoyed seeing their connection grow.

As this story continued, I really got pulled into everything that was happening and I didn't want to stop reading. Though it might have started off slow for me, I really liked these two and enjoyed seeing them both grow and change over the course of this story. They both matured and grew up, and I was really glad that I saw their journey take place. I thought that this book was really adorable and sweet, and I really liked their letters. This one really had everything I look for in a good love story, and I thought that these two were perfect for one another. If you are looking for a sweet coming of age story with some romance and angst, I would definitely recommend this story. Phillip and Maggie had their ups and downs and went through so much, but I can honestly say that I am so glad that I took a chance on two new to me authors here. I will definitely be looking for more from these two, and I hope that they decide to team up again in the future.

**ARC Provided by Enticing Journey Book Promotions**

I really loved this beautiful story of Phillip and Maggie. It touched my heart.
This was my 1st time reading a book by both authors and I really think they did an awesome job writing this story. The characters were well put together, they were believable, strong, and this book reminded me of what it was like to be 18 again and learning what it’s like to start to become your own person.
Phillip: I just felt sympathy, love and wanted to hold him close while reading this book. He learns that he can’t always go by what others tell him and that he needs to be his own person. His love for caring for others before himself and also being a bit of rebel is what made me fall in love with him. He is one I will remember.
Maggie: She brings out what Phillip is lacking which is learning to look outside of the box. Everything does not have to be one way. It can be whichever way you want it to. Maggie is a very loveable, funny, free loving person that compliments to Phillips straight lace view of life.
If you want a book that will make you smile, laugh & just remember what is like to be in love, then pick up this book!

This reminded me of a modern day Romeo and Juliet kind of story. Rich boy wants the poor, wild girl but can't have her due to his parents wishes.

I loved that Maggie didn't change anything about herself or her ways to please Philip. From the beginning she encouraged him to do what he wanted with his life and to stop being controlled by his over bearing mother. I was expecting Philip to reign in Maggie and try to put her into the cookie cutter rich girl image once he realized he was in love with her, to please his mother of course. But I loved that it was the opposite. Maggie stayed true to herself and really had Philip reach down and discover himself.

Sofia bothered the crap out of me. She was almost predictable in her actions and I knew she wasn't going to let Philip go without a fight. What I wasn't expecting was her secret as to why she was acting the way she did, but I'm glad Philip finally came to his senses.

The ending of the novel was a bit predictable, but I'm not sure if that bothered me or made me love Philip and Maggie more. Of course there had to be a boating accident, you don't spend all that time reading about a girl on a boat without something bad happening. But it was romantic that Philip came to her rescue.

Of course I loved the happy ending of the novel and really fell in love with the characters (the new Philip when he was around Maggie, not the before whiny controlled Philip).

This book was just what I was expecting, a beautifully written, nice and sweet love story.

Philip has his life completely planned out for him by his parents, more specifically his mother. When vacationing in the Hamptons his parents have him on a schedule but that schedule does not include meeting Maggie.

Maggie Fairchild is nothing like Philip has ever seen. She is carefree and lives life to the fullest of her ability. But she is not "one of us" according to Philip's parents and they don't want them near each other.

But their hearts have other plans although Maggie hasn't come across anyone like Philip's mom or Sophia Kennedy, the one she intends for Philip to be with. Will Maggie be able to wait for Philip or will his mom and Sophia win this battle as Philip has never stood up for himself before.

I really enjoyed this story as it was super fresh and light. Their was such an innocence around Philip and Maggie and I felt their love was somewhat old-fashioned which was super appealing. They took the time to discover what makes each other happy and really got to know each other.

I loved the character of Ed, Philip's roommate in college, as he truly had Philip's best interests in mind and showed him how easy it is to be fooled. He was a great contrast to Philip without being overbearing. I also loved Sean, Maggie's dad, who worked so hard to provide Maggie with everything he could. He loved her so much and supported all her dreams and freedom.

Have you noticed how technology has taken away the romance of receiving a letter in the mail from someone you love? How now a days it is so much easier to send a text or email than sit down and write pages and pages straight from the heart? I think that is one of the main reasons why Love Always, rang so deeply in my heart. I remember how my heart would race when I would receive a letter from my hubby. When we were just dating we lived in different states, and we would write each other at least once a week. I saw him and myself in the characters of Phillip and Maggie.

Maggie is a free spirit who works at a ritzy resort and Phillip is the rich mama's boy, who no longer wishes to be a mama's boy. Upon meeting Maggie, Phillip discovers what the real world is like. Is that what he wants to be out in the real world with all the problems that comes with it? Or does he want to marry someone that would help his wealth and status?

Sonya Loveday & Candace Knoebel bring two characters to life that everyone can empathize with. The reader can see themselves going through some aspect of their story. Maggie and Phillip grow throughout the story. That is what makes Love Always, a book that you can lose yourself in.

Do Maggie and Phillip end up together?? I can't tell you that. All I can tell you is that this book is sea of emotions, both good and bad. You will enjoy the voyage that Love Always, will take you on. So curl up and sail away with Love Always,.

Review originally found on Novels all Night

As soon as I found out that Sonya Loveday and Candace Knoebel were writing a book together I pretty much did a happy dance. I've read books by both these authors and love them! Sometimes I hype a book up so much that it just leads me to be dissapointed. Luckily I was anything but dissapointed after reading Love Always,. Love Always, isn't just a contemporary romance...it's an epic romance. One that I can see myself reading over and over because it's beautiful and makes you feel all the right emotions. You get the story from both Phillip and Maggie's perspective and you get it in such a unique way that just works to make the story better.

Phillip is a rich guy spending his last summer before college in the Hamptons with his parents. His days and life are mapped out for him and he's just trudging along through his life without any passion...until he meets Maggie that is. Maggie is a refreshing contrast to his character. She lives her life knowing dreams are possible and sets out to do things that make her happy. This may seem like a combination that has been done before...summer romance between two people you wouldn't think would be attracted to each other... but it works. It works because the characters are complex and you care for them more and more the longer you read.

I love that this romance doesn't end at the conclusion of the summer like so many other summer romance novels do. You know the type, it's summer..they meet, they fall in love, happily ever after. Love Always, does take you through their summer together but it also shows you how their relationship changes and grows after summer ends. They each go to follow their own dreams and paths in life but vow to stay in each others lives..through letters. The letters that Phillip and Maggie write each other are sweet and endearing and honestly, just made me love these two even more. It's not all sunshine and roses for these two though. He's rich and she's not, his family and money control his life and she lets her dreams drive her, and the end of summer leaves them miles and miles apart so there's bound to be some ups and downs. The story wouldn't be as beautiful and wonderful as it is if everything was all up, up, up.

I could rave about this book forever, I just loved it that much. There aren't many romance novels that I would read more than once but like I said this one will be read again and again. The only thing I can compare it to are those movies that just tug on your heartstrings that you just can't help but watch over and over again...Dirty Dancing and Say Anything come to mind. If you're a fan of love and romance than I would say you need to pick up this book!

**I received a copy of this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review**