Finally Mine: A Small Town Love Story

By: Lucy Score

Narrated by: Melissa Moran

Who is he if not a hero?
Aldo Moretta has always been the hero. The strongest, the fastest, the bravest. He fought for his country and built a thriving business in his hometown. With friends and family never more than a few blocks away, there was just one thing he was missing. The right girl.

She’d fallen for the wrong guy. The bad guy. But now that she’s finally free, Aldo isn’t going to miss his second chance. Not until his last deployment goes horribly wrong. He was prepared to give his life, but he wasn’t ready for an injury that takes a piece of him. How can he be her hero now?

Who is she if not a victim?
Gloria Parker walked away from a relationship that almost cost her her life. But the shame clings to her like a shadow. She’s wasted 10 long years on the wrong man. When the right one returns home scarred and broken, she sees a kindred spirit. But as Gloria rebuilds her life, brick by brick, she wonders if she’s cut out for love. Real love.

Will they find a way to heal together or will their wounds keep them from the happiness they both crave?

Publisher’s Note: Finally Mine is the companion novel to Pretend You’re Mine, Harper and Luke’s story. It can be listened to as a standalone.

©2018 That's What She Said Publishing, Inc. (P)2019 That's What She Said Publishing, Inc.

Great Story

Love the reality of those facing their own demons from Abuse and tragedy with scars left behind, and still over coming the damage from those lessons. I enjoyed the narrators voice, the only thing that would have made even better was to have a male narrator to enhance the story.

Can’t Get Enough of this Beautiful Town

I am so glad I stumbled into this tiny town of benevolence! This second book of the series is so beautiful and heartfelt! I just love the story of Aldo and Gloria. I love how Lucy weaves in the story of book 1 from a different perspective. I also was intrigued how she showed through this couple the subtle similarities between a war veteran, and a victim of domestic violence. The way that that these two lovers together, and just are so meant for each other is a wonderful spry to be engrossed in. I especially loved their little kitten, and wondered if the author is secretly spying on me and took a video of our our Toast Ed Marshmallow! Describe the little hell-raiser to a T!

Healing and strength

Lucy Score has got to be one of my new favorite authors. I don’t care that her books are “predictable” or that they follow the same trajectory of the modern romance. She does is flawlessly. She mixes the perfect amount of spice, angst, heartbreak, redemption, healing, passion and swoon. She is brilliant and I can’t wait to read more of her and the third book in this series.

Loved it

Oh I just loved Aldo and Gloria story!! The connection they have is so strong and full of love!! They each had there own scars they had to overcome to be together but they made it!! This book will warm your heart!! It will make you laugh and cry all in a matter of a few chapters!! I would recommend this book to everyone!

A beautiful love story

Lucy Score for the win yet again! She has you falling in love with this town and all its characters. This is a wonderful, well written story!!

Perfect Small Town Romance!

I've decided that Lucy Score is one of my favorite authors. I especially enjoy her heartwarming small-town romance novels. I was thrilled to learn that the second book in the 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 series, 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒆, runs parallel to the first book. This time, the focus is on the romance between Aldo and Gloria, which we caught glimpses of in 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒆. I was excited to witness their emotional journey towards finding true love. What really struck me was the character development of Gloria, who had endured almost a decade of domestic abuse before finding the strength to break free. Seeing how she learned to love and value herself despite her past was inspiring. And Aldo was endearing and oh-so-hot and sexy. He was patient and understanding with Gloria despite the fact he was dealing with his own trauma. The man could make a girl swoon! I absolutely loved 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒆. It's a beautiful story filled with hope, love, and growth that will have you feeling all the emotions. Make sure to grab a copy and prepare to be taken on an unforgettable journey. Don't forget the tissues!⁠

Awesome

This was wonderful and deep and meaningful . This was so so good I couldn’t wait to get back to it.

wonderful

I distinctly remember the first three days after my marriage ended. Everything in the house broke at once and I was a 25 year old single mother to two children. I'd spent the last five years giving every part of my soul to a man who shredded it to pieces.

Why had I stayed through abuse? Why did I allow him to abuse my children? Why wasn't I strong enough to walk away? Why had I given 5 years of my life to a man who manipulated and abused me.

Grief.
Guilt.
Anger.
Relief.

9 months later, I met my "Aldo", and the subsequent whirlwind of emotions had me contemplating ending the relationship far too often. Maybe I was making a mistake. Maybe I was rushing things. Maybe I was falling in love with another man who would end up abusing me too. I spent so much time doubting every interaction and overanalyzing every situation.

Suffice it to say, I found Gloria extremely relatable and the book was a beautiful insight into a relationship after abuse.

Aldo, who has loved Gloria for 10 years, acknowledges that she doesn't need someone to "fix" her, she needs to learn she can stand in her own two feet—that she is strong and worthy. He decides to patiently wait for her as she heals from a decade-long abusive relationship.

His plans change when he comes home from Afghanistan with a debilitating injury—he feels like he is no longer good enough for the woman he has loved since high school.

Finally Mine is a book about vulnerability, love, heartbreak, and healing. Aldo and Gloria are both lovable and relatable.

What's stops this from being a 5 star book is how much of it is copied from Pretend You're Mine. Instead of simply expanding on the time-line with different perspectives, many of the scenes are repeated dialogue from the first Benevolence book.

Overall, I really enjoyed getting to know Aldo and Gloria better.

great book to bicycle too

loved it. I listened to it while bike riding and made huge progress in my daily distance. kept me interested and laughing out loud from time to time.

After finishing Pretend You’re Mine, I needed more!

Perfect companion novel and I love Harper and Luke and Gloria and Aldo. Truly Aldo is a great love interest guy, crushing over here!