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Title: Toe the Line
Author: Penelope Ward
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Trope: Friends-to-Lovers
Release Date: February 27, 2023
BLURB
From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a friends-to-lovers story spanning more than a decadeโฆ
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At first, I thought Iโd hate spending the summer with Archie Remingtonโthe conceited son of my parentsโ friends.
What I knew about Archie: he was gorgeous, pre-law, and had always treated me like I didnโt exist when we were younger.
When our families bought a house together on an island in Maine, he and I were forced to share a bathroom.
The boy I remembered was now a full-grown manโbut with the same attitude.
After a rough start, Archie and I unexpectedly started getting along one day and eventually became friends. We shared secrets and bonded during our morning jogs. I discovered that Archie had a wild spirit and that he struggled to conform to his fatherโs expectations.
Things were cool until I had to go and ruin it, getting drunk one night, and blurting out my fantasyโinvolving him.
I took it back, but it was too late. Archie had heard me loud and clear. After that, we never quite knew how to toe the line.
When that summer came to an abrupt and shocking end, I headed back to college, unsure if anything would ever be the same again.
Across the miles over the years, he and I stayed in touch as friends, but fate and timing always kept us from becoming more.
You know the saying: If two people are meant to be, theyโll find their way back to each other?
Letโs just say Archie came back into my life in a way I wouldโve never expected.
And this time, my heart would really be put to the test.
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Toe the Line by Penelope Ward
Tanya’s rating: 5 of 5 stars
Toe the Line is a standalone and second chance romance. This is Noelle Simone Benedict and Archie Remingtonโs story. Talk about angst. Toe the Line is full of it. I felt the many emotions that were displayed in this book. Itโs a wonder I have any fingernails left!
The story jumps back and forth from the present to the past over a 12-year period. Noelle and Archie met when they were young. When their parents bought a vacation home together.
Over the time period they each had several relationships, but it didnโt seem to be at the same time when only one of them was free.
I loved, loved, loved reading this book! Although it has taken an emotional toll on me. What a wonderful book. Life can be a bit messy, and their relationship certainly was. 5+ STARS for Toe the Line!
Lita’s Book Review: 5 STARS
Toe The Line by Penelope Ward is one of her more emotional stories. Not much laughter from me in this story. Noelle and Archie have been best friends every since one summer in Maine. Their parents shared a summer home together as well as Noelle’s father used to work for Archie’s father. I enjoyed the way the author told this story. The story unfolds with mainly Noelle telling her and Archie’s story by going back and forth between the present and the past. Archie too tells his side of the story the same way, but mainly, we see the story through Noelle’s eyes and emotions. Like I said, it was a truly emotional story that I loved from the beginning to the end. I don’t want to give away the story. All I will say is that this is a friendship that has lasted over time. And sometimes having a true friend is more than seeing if a relationship can be more no matter how deep the feelings might be. Sometimes, it just is not worth the risk. I love anything this author writes. I don’t need to read the synopsis to see if I want to read their book. The storytelling skills are that strong that I don’t care to know what the book is about. This was definitely one of those times, and I don’t regret my decision. Another 5 star read for me. Would have wished for a different ending more to how I felt about them to. Oh well, we can’t always get what we want.
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PURCHASE LINKS
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Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.
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She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.
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With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over twenty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
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AUTHOR LINKS
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OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD
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