My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I not going to try and hide it – I absolutely loved this book! My favorite type of story is about finding lost love again and what happens both in the past and how they find each other again, this to me is the definition of romantic. Compass by Jeanne McDonald does this and then some.
Ryan and Alexis have been best friends their entire life – since they were 6 years old Ryan use to sneak to Alexis’s room (to the dismay of their parents) just so they wouldn’t spend any time apart. As they grew up through high school Ryan was known as the nerd while Alexis was the beautiful popular girl but their friendship never faltered. They both though they never admit it develop stronger feelings for each other but never wanted to hurt their friendship. A tragedy hit Alexis and her family which ultimately tears her family apart and she and her mother move to New York before her freshman year in college. While Ryan and Alexis vow to always stay in touch as they grow up and embark on their lives – real life intervenes and they lose touch but they always think about each other and how and what the other is doing.
Flash forward 15 years and Alexis now a doctor is leaving New York and moving to Dallas to take a new Fellowship position in a Dallas hospital. Ryan fulfilled his dream of becoming a pilot. With Alexis’s move her mother makes her create a Facebook page and the first person she reaches out to is Ryan. One thing leads to another and Ryan ends up being the first officer on the flight that takes Alexis from New York to Dallas – and that’s when the story starts.
The story is told in 3rd person with dual POV’s which I just love – Jeanne does a fantastic job drawing you into both Ryan and Alexis’s worlds that you know what they are saying to the outside world and can see their struggle on how to handle their relationship. Alexis has some trust issues with men and Ryan has never really had serious relationships; both of which plays a part on how they handle their growing feelings and why they are hesitant to move to that next level. The dialog between the two main characters is fantastic and you can tell even with the time apart they still know each other. I love the secondary characters and they role the play especially in the third act. The build up to the “moment” and how their whole relationship is built on 25 years of friendship is so well done.
This is a beautiful story that will keep you up all night (it did me) because you just can’t put it down. If you are addicted to lost love romance than this is definitely a story for you.
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