Sophie Jackson’s latest novella Fate and Forever brings us back to Wes Carter and Kat Lane as they settle into married life. Read our 5 star review!
Fate and Forever by Sophie Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sophie Jackson’s A Pound of Flesh series is easily one of the best I’ve read in the last year. Since the first book came out in 2015, Sophie has published an additional novel (An Ounce of Hope), with another one around the corner next month (A Measure of Love on June 7)! While I love (LOVVVVVE) delving deeper into this world and becoming more acquainted with other characters like Max/Grace and Riley and Tate Moore, I have to admit that Carter and Kat are still my faves. So I’m extremely grateful that Sophie uses novellas to give us more insight into Kat/Carter’s life together.
While Love and Always explores Carter and Kat’s engagement (and dealing with potential pushback from family and friends), in Sophie’s latest novella Fate and Forever, the duo are firmly in married life. The vows have been said, the honeymoon has been taken, and all seems to be well. Kids seem like the logical next step, right? However, conflict arises when a pregnancy scare brings up all of Carter’s insecurities about his childhood and ability to be a family man.
Since An Ounce of Hope ends with Carter and Kat’s wedding, I’m so glad that Fate and Forever picks up in the immediate aftermath and we get to tag along on their sexy honeymoon in Europe. Kat and Carter are so happy and so in love! After all the drama with their relationship along with dealing with friends/family, these two deserve the happiness. But no relationship is perfect, and getting to see Kat and Carter negotiate the prospect of parenthood is angsty, but necessary.
Carter:
What the fuck did he know about being a father? His own was a pathetic asshole he hadn’t seen for fifteen years—an asshole who claimed he’d done the best he could for a boy who only ever wanted to be loved; an asshole who hadn’t protected or nurture him in any way. Wasn’t that just an awesome role model to base himself on?
…he was barely responsible for himself, let alone a child. And what kind of lessons could he teach a kid, anyway? How to hot-wire a car; how to deal coke, or educate him on the New York judicial and penal code?
YIKES! But parenthood is a really big fear for him… and by now we know that when Carter is afraid, he lashes out. Unfortunately, Kat bears the brunt of his ire.
But fear not, these two soulmates always find their way back to each other… and in this case, it includes a very interesting Halloween prank (and possibly one of my FAVE PoF scenes ever)!
In Fate and Forever, Sophie also gives us a peek into Max and Grace’s life and love. At the same time, she starts to set up the next full-length novel by bringing in the Moore family, including Riley, Tate, and Seb. In fact, it’s Riley who ends up talking sense into Carter:
“Did you ever stop for one moment while throwing your tantrum, to think about what she feels, what she wants? I love you, brother, but you’re wrong treating her like that. She’s your wife, man. Your wife. All that ‘in sickness and in health’ stuff—this isn’t some first-date nonsense.”
Riley took a breath and glanced toward his bedroom, his thoughts once again drifting to the box nestled at the back of his chest of drawers, remember the girl he’d once wanted to make his wife.
“You have no idea how lucky you are, Carter. No idea at all.”
And in A Measure of Love, we’ll pick up with Riley’s story of love lost and, hopefully, love found again.
Sophie Jackson’s A Pound of Flesh series is so MUSTREAD. With the summer right around the corner, you’ll want to add all of these novels/novellas to your TBR list! As for me, I’m counting down the seconds until I can have A Measure of Love in my eyes!
As always, thank you Soph for sharing your passion and talent. BRAVA!
Many thanks to the author and publisher for an advanced review copy.