seriously romantic: a love like yours by robin huber

lucy and sam grew up in the worst sort of circumstances. but they had each other, and they believed that together they'd get out, that life would get better. than things could be different. but when sam is arrested for drug possession, lucy sees the promises they made to each other as lies and his betrayal cuts deep. so she leaves him and everything else behind. eventually finding a way forward.

ten years have gone by when a love like yours opens, and sam is now a successful boxer, having won olympic gold after his stint in prison. lucy has followed his career, without ever admitting to anyone her connection to sam. not even to her fiancé. but when she's given the chance to see sam fight in person, she can't stop herself from going. even though she's terrified about facing him again, there's so much unfinished between them. he's the man she can't stop thinking about, even though she has a man at home who has done so much for her, and for her career.

what's unfinished for lucy is a gaping wound in sam. she was the girl he loved beyond reason who lost her faith in him at the worst moment in his life. because one thing this book deals with is the fact that the criminal justice system is stacked against those who are poor and without means to defend themselves. even though sam was innocent, he pled guilty on the advice of his public defender and spent three years in prison. that is so horrifying. and because the adults around him fail him, he loses the one person in his life who means everything.

sam cole is a freaking tragedy. and yet his heart still beats for lucy. who let's be honest here, doesn't do so much to deserve all that devotion. she's the girl he loves, but i wish we could see why she inspires that devotion. because all these people love her and she is mostly super selfish and kind of a jerk. i still enjoyed reading this story a lot, and i'm looking forward to reading the conclusion of the duet (reader alert: this ends on a cliffhanger and a story like ours will publish in june).

**a love like yours will publish on may 21, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/grand central publishing (forever) in exchange for my honest review.