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Just Ten Seconds
Just Ten Seconds
That’s all it took for my life to change forever.
I left my posh life in Manhattan and escaped to the Hudson Valley in hopes of a fresh start. It wasn’t until I happened upon a bereavement group when I finally found a place I felt understood. I told them my husband was dead when, really, I was the one who had died inside. It was also where I saw the smoldering gaze of Dean Delgado, the single father whom I’d helped just days before.
Just Ten Seconds
That’s all he wishes he had with his late wife.
Despite Dean’s widowed status, he has a robust thirst for life. He’s a protector and a giver. A man who fixes things with his hands, is devoted to his child, and wants to spend his days with me. I try to avoid him, knowing a woman with my past has no business being in this man’s life. With every run-in, he makes me laugh. With every touch, he ignites me. And with every second, he makes me feel like myself again.
Just Ten Seconds
That’s all it took for me to fall in love with Dean Delgado.
I'm in too deep and my secrets are about to be exposed. I only hope he can forgive me for the lies I never meant to tell.
That’s all it took for my life to change forever.
I left my posh life in Manhattan and escaped to the Hudson Valley in hopes of a fresh start. It wasn’t until I happened upon a bereavement group when I finally found a place I felt understood. I told them my husband was dead when, really, I was the one who had died inside. It was also where I saw the smoldering gaze of Dean Delgado, the single father whom I’d helped just days before.
Just Ten Seconds
That’s all he wishes he had with his late wife.
Despite Dean’s widowed status, he has a robust thirst for life. He’s a protector and a giver. A man who fixes things with his hands, is devoted to his child, and wants to spend his days with me. I try to avoid him, knowing a woman with my past has no business being in this man’s life. With every run-in, he makes me laugh. With every touch, he ignites me. And with every second, he makes me feel like myself again.
Just Ten Seconds
That’s all it took for me to fall in love with Dean Delgado.
I'm in too deep and my secrets are about to be exposed. I only hope he can forgive me for the lies I never meant to tell.
337 pages, Paperback
First published October 19, 2019
921 people are currently reading
2,856 people want to read
About the author
Jeannine Colette
45 books1,539 followersWhen I was little, my mom was part of the Double Day book club. She had piles and piles of books lying around the house; most of them with Fabio-esque men and a scantily clad woman set in a different century. I made up stories in my head just from looking at the covers.
When I as 9, I wrote stories using my best friend as a muse. They were romances...but for the 9-year-old. She was the only one who read them.
When I was 14, another friend gave me a Marian Keyes novel. I fell in-love with her wit, and humor with a dark side. This was my first experience with realistic fiction.
When I was 19, Nicholas Sparks forever changed my views on relationships. I learned what true love could be beautiful and difficult at the same time. I wanted it.
When I was 22, Jeannette Wells made me feel more emotion from an autobiographical novel than I thought possible. I wanted to be her.
When I was 30, Jamie McGuire and Colleen Hoover introduced me to the world of self-publishing. For the first time I thought: I could give this a try someday.
When I was 32, my someday came.
----------------------------------------
Jeannine Colette is the author of the Abandon Collection – a series of stand-alone novels featuring dynamic heroines who have to abandon their reality in order to discover themselves . . . and love along the way. Each book features a new couple, exciting new city and a rose of a different color.
A graduate of Wagner College and the New York Film Academy, Jeannine went on to become a Segment Producer for television shows on CBS and NBC. She left the television industry to focus on her children and pursue a full-time writing career. She lives in New York with her husband, the three tiny people she adores more than life itself, and a rescue pup named Wrigley.
Want to hear about new releases and get exciting emails from me??? Sign up for my monthly newsletter!
www.jeanninecolette.com/newsletter
Jeannine and her family are active supporters of The March of Dimes and Strivright The Auditory-Oral School of New York.
When I as 9, I wrote stories using my best friend as a muse. They were romances...but for the 9-year-old. She was the only one who read them.
When I was 14, another friend gave me a Marian Keyes novel. I fell in-love with her wit, and humor with a dark side. This was my first experience with realistic fiction.
When I was 19, Nicholas Sparks forever changed my views on relationships. I learned what true love could be beautiful and difficult at the same time. I wanted it.
When I was 22, Jeannette Wells made me feel more emotion from an autobiographical novel than I thought possible. I wanted to be her.
When I was 30, Jamie McGuire and Colleen Hoover introduced me to the world of self-publishing. For the first time I thought: I could give this a try someday.
When I was 32, my someday came.
----------------------------------------
Jeannine Colette is the author of the Abandon Collection – a series of stand-alone novels featuring dynamic heroines who have to abandon their reality in order to discover themselves . . . and love along the way. Each book features a new couple, exciting new city and a rose of a different color.
A graduate of Wagner College and the New York Film Academy, Jeannine went on to become a Segment Producer for television shows on CBS and NBC. She left the television industry to focus on her children and pursue a full-time writing career. She lives in New York with her husband, the three tiny people she adores more than life itself, and a rescue pup named Wrigley.
Want to hear about new releases and get exciting emails from me??? Sign up for my monthly newsletter!
www.jeanninecolette.com/newsletter
Jeannine and her family are active supporters of The March of Dimes and Strivright The Auditory-Oral School of New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 285 reviews
October 21, 2019
“I will never forget the first time I laid eyes on him. Just ten seconds. That’s all it took for me to fall in love with Dean Delgado. Now, I have to spend the rest of my life showing him that those seconds mean forever.”
I wholeheartedly love this book. The more I read it, the more I love it. Jeannine has poured everything and then some into this book and it has paid off ten fold. She's an amazing writer, there's zero doubt about that. She has a way of telling a story that completely makes you feel like you're part of it and that's what great storytelling is all about.
I love this story and the idea of this story. I love second chances and the ability for people to stand up and move on after something tragic. In this story, both characters are carrying a lot of grief and baggage, but they still have it in them to move on and find love again. I also love how not everything is always what it seems and Jeannine has done a superb job of building suspense and then revealing bits and pieces of these characters, and their story little by little. I just love it.
I loved Dean, I loved Mara, I loved Dean and Mara! Mara is simply my girl. I just have a soft spot for her and what she endured and just her journey. She was awesome. And Dean, well, what can I say about him? If there was one beautiful, amazing, perfect hero, that would be Dean Delgado. I'm in love with that man, and will claim him for myself, cause ya know, I just can! Swoon is an understatement when it comes to Dean, just wait until you meet him. I also loved all the side characters, especially Amanda and Jackie, she is the true definition of what a best friend should be. Love her!
Jeannine has created a wonderful story that will keep you engaged, and guessing from beginning to end. Combined with great multi-dimensional characters, both main and secondary that just make this story one to remember. And the epilogue is just perfection! I guarantee you will remember this book after you're done. I absolutely recommend, this is one book you don't want to miss <3
Our kiss lasts seconds.
Our kiss lasts for years.
Our kiss is the only thing I can hold on to right now because despite all the pain of the past, I want nothing more than to live in this moment right now.
I wholeheartedly love this book. The more I read it, the more I love it. Jeannine has poured everything and then some into this book and it has paid off ten fold. She's an amazing writer, there's zero doubt about that. She has a way of telling a story that completely makes you feel like you're part of it and that's what great storytelling is all about.
I love this story and the idea of this story. I love second chances and the ability for people to stand up and move on after something tragic. In this story, both characters are carrying a lot of grief and baggage, but they still have it in them to move on and find love again. I also love how not everything is always what it seems and Jeannine has done a superb job of building suspense and then revealing bits and pieces of these characters, and their story little by little. I just love it.
I loved Dean, I loved Mara, I loved Dean and Mara! Mara is simply my girl. I just have a soft spot for her and what she endured and just her journey. She was awesome. And Dean, well, what can I say about him? If there was one beautiful, amazing, perfect hero, that would be Dean Delgado. I'm in love with that man, and will claim him for myself, cause ya know, I just can! Swoon is an understatement when it comes to Dean, just wait until you meet him. I also loved all the side characters, especially Amanda and Jackie, she is the true definition of what a best friend should be. Love her!
Jeannine has created a wonderful story that will keep you engaged, and guessing from beginning to end. Combined with great multi-dimensional characters, both main and secondary that just make this story one to remember. And the epilogue is just perfection! I guarantee you will remember this book after you're done. I absolutely recommend, this is one book you don't want to miss <3
Our kiss lasts seconds.
Our kiss lasts for years.
Our kiss is the only thing I can hold on to right now because despite all the pain of the past, I want nothing more than to live in this moment right now.
October 18, 2019
5 "Life-changing" Stars!
"Ten Seconds.
That was all I needed for my life to change forever."
I'm pretty sure it took me just ten seconds to get sucked into this storyline. Then, before I knew it, I was head over heels in love with this book. Jeannine Colette's words flowed across the pages in such a way that I was immersed in the story and 100% invested in the characters. Anyone who reads my reviews knows that is an impressive benchmark. I connected with both Mara and Dean quite easily from the beginning. As I learned more about each of their respective histories, I soaked up the knowledge and found myself even more attached to them.
Mara and Dean have both experienced tragic, life-altering events which they are grieving. Mara seems to be unable to move forward from her loss as if she is frozen in time. Those closest to her recognize that she hasn't fully dealt with her loss and is all but letting it paralyze her. Dean had no choice but to move forward in his life because he had a young daughter that he was responsible for, Amanda. She was his reason for living and he wanted to give her everything he could.
For those of you who may already think you know what this book is about, don't be so sure. It isn't just your typical romance involving a widow and/or widower. It has so much more blended into the plot and it's a bold and rich story. That said, it does have a pretty amazing leading man. Dean is totally swoony in that he is the epitome of a "good man." He is faithful to those he loves, protective, dedicated, hardworking, loving, committed and so much more. He was exactly what Mara needed, if she'd just let him be there for her.
I absolutely loved everything about this book, even if it did make me cry. Ms. Colette broke me apart with her words, but then kindly wove me back together. Mara and Dean experienced a great deal of anxiety and pain in their journey to find a second chance at love. However, as difficult as their experience may have been, it led to a beautiful and fulfilling result.
"And while the years pass quickly, it's the seconds I live for. Because, in the seconds, the most beautiful things can happen. You just have to be in the moment to experience them."
And as a sidenote, I think Ms. Colette definitely won my heart with this most unlikely quote:
"No one's ever made a good decision on Patron. Now, Tito's...that clear goodness can point you in the right direction in life."
**Thank you for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.**
(Please note that I included quotes because I simply could not help myself. I loved these words so much that I had to share them. However, since I read an ARC, it's possible that they could change in the final copy.)
"Ten Seconds.
That was all I needed for my life to change forever."
I'm pretty sure it took me just ten seconds to get sucked into this storyline. Then, before I knew it, I was head over heels in love with this book. Jeannine Colette's words flowed across the pages in such a way that I was immersed in the story and 100% invested in the characters. Anyone who reads my reviews knows that is an impressive benchmark. I connected with both Mara and Dean quite easily from the beginning. As I learned more about each of their respective histories, I soaked up the knowledge and found myself even more attached to them.
Mara and Dean have both experienced tragic, life-altering events which they are grieving. Mara seems to be unable to move forward from her loss as if she is frozen in time. Those closest to her recognize that she hasn't fully dealt with her loss and is all but letting it paralyze her. Dean had no choice but to move forward in his life because he had a young daughter that he was responsible for, Amanda. She was his reason for living and he wanted to give her everything he could.
For those of you who may already think you know what this book is about, don't be so sure. It isn't just your typical romance involving a widow and/or widower. It has so much more blended into the plot and it's a bold and rich story. That said, it does have a pretty amazing leading man. Dean is totally swoony in that he is the epitome of a "good man." He is faithful to those he loves, protective, dedicated, hardworking, loving, committed and so much more. He was exactly what Mara needed, if she'd just let him be there for her.
I absolutely loved everything about this book, even if it did make me cry. Ms. Colette broke me apart with her words, but then kindly wove me back together. Mara and Dean experienced a great deal of anxiety and pain in their journey to find a second chance at love. However, as difficult as their experience may have been, it led to a beautiful and fulfilling result.
"And while the years pass quickly, it's the seconds I live for. Because, in the seconds, the most beautiful things can happen. You just have to be in the moment to experience them."
And as a sidenote, I think Ms. Colette definitely won my heart with this most unlikely quote:
"No one's ever made a good decision on Patron. Now, Tito's...that clear goodness can point you in the right direction in life."
**Thank you for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.**
(Please note that I included quotes because I simply could not help myself. I loved these words so much that I had to share them. However, since I read an ARC, it's possible that they could change in the final copy.)
January 20, 2022
Just Ten Seconds
That’s all it took for my life to change forever.
I left my posh life in Manhattan and escaped to the Hudson Valley in hopes of a fresh start. It wasn’t until I happened upon a bereavement group when I finally found a place I felt understood. I told them my husband was dead when, really, I was the one who had died inside. It was also where I saw the smoldering gaze of Dean Delgado, the single father whom I’d helped just days before.
Just Ten Seconds
That’s all he wishes he had with his late wife.
Despite Dean’s widowed status, he has a robust thirst for life. He’s a protector and a giver. A man who fixes things with his hands, is devoted to his child, and wants to spend his days with me. I try to avoid him, knowing a woman with my past has no business being in this man’s life. With every run-in, he makes me laugh. With every touch, he ignites me. And with every second, he makes me feel like myself again.
Just Ten Seconds
That’s all it took for me to fall in love with Dean Delgado.
I'm in too deep and my secrets are about to be exposed. I only hope he can forgive me for the lies I never meant to tell.
October 31, 2019
3.5 stars
Read
November 9, 2019DNF 80% No rating
The plot twist is pissing me off, I don't even want to continue.
The plot twist is pissing me off, I don't even want to continue.
February 28, 2021
3,5 stars
I don't feel like rounding it up to 4 because the book was definitely not a "4" for me, so 3 it is!
*********************************************
I read "Sexton Brothers" series from this writer before and although I liked most parts in those books, I hated that too many story fillers were used and the family drama overshadowed the romance in them..
The blurb of this book “Just Ten Seconds” was very interesting for me so I wanted to try another book from her but now that I have finished reading it, I see that it’s her style. She creates some very good romance and then kills it with too many story fillers. Pages and pages of mundane stuff. Pages and pages of daily activities. And if you throw away all the fillers, the romance will take maybe less than half of the book. Such a pity! She wastes all her potentially epic love stories with fillers!
And this book was my last try from her as now, I am sure that her style is not for me.
*********************************************
The book begins with an awesome Prologue. Here is a part from it:
I stared down the barrel of a gun. I held a dying man in my arms. Yet, as the sirens blared and the tape lined the room, I realized the nightmare has only just begun. Like a game of dominoes, the first chip has fallen, and now, all I could do was stand back and watch them topple.
I was a pawn in the game of life. I just didn’t know I was playing.
Despite the pain of loss, the world keeps revolving. Your worst day is another’s boring Tuesday.
So, you do what your mother has always told you to do. You get up. You go to work. You live. Well … you pretend to live. Until one day, a man walks in and alters the course of your life but this time for the better.
I was so pulled into the book after a mesmerizing prologue like that. But then the book presses the brake pedal so hard that it starts to go at cruising speed. F*cking cruising speed!
Everything happens so very slowly… so so slowly.
And as if the very slow speed isn’t enough, the romance is constantly interrupted by mundane tasks, daily activities and many ordinary things.
Hero’s kid’s drama lessons and rehearsals
Heroine’s conversations with her best friend
Heroine’s conversations with her landlady
Heroine’s conversations with her customers in the coffee shop
Shopping for Halloween
Halloween activities with other people
Heroine’s best friend’s birthday party preparations
Heroine’s best friend’s birthday party
etc.
You get the picture right? Too many story fillers!!
Such a shame. The book could have been epic if it had focused more on the romance.
The writing is so good in some parts that although I got bored with most of it, I still couldn’t drop it because of that reason.
I look down at the white saucer under my mug. There’s a chip in it, a small, dark vein that runs through the plate. That’s how I feel sometimes. Useful, but if someone mishandles me, I’ll crack more and eventually shatter.
***
He laughs, and I feel it down to my toes. A man’s laughter shouldn’t travel that far. It could be dangerous to a woman’s heart.
A writer who can write the above lines clearly has the talent, right?
So my question is:
Why does she waste it by filling her book with equally “awesome” and “boring-as-hell” stuff???!!!
Isn’t it a pity that she kills her own work?
So basically, this could have been a five-star read for me if only those extremely boring and unnecessary parts didn’t exist. If it focused more on the relationship of the hero and the heroine, I would have loved the book more. If it focused more on how they let go of their grief and how they moved on with each other, it would definitely be an epic book for me.
Well, such a shame, such a pity, indeed! Now, I can only give it something between 3 and 3,5 stars but not even 4.
*********************************************
There is nothing else to criticize about this book as far as I am concerned. You can still give it a chance. Maybe you will be more tolerant than me.
*********************************************
Safety:
- No OW/OM drama, no cheating
- Dead ex
P.S. If you are too picky about the dead ex, you should read the information below, uncovering the spoiler tag.
*********************************************
Writing:
- It is told in 1st person point of view (heroine’s).
- The plot twist surprised me; it was a good one!
*********************************************
You can follow my instagram page from here
I don't feel like rounding it up to 4 because the book was definitely not a "4" for me, so 3 it is!
*********************************************
I read "Sexton Brothers" series from this writer before and although I liked most parts in those books, I hated that too many story fillers were used and the family drama overshadowed the romance in them..
The blurb of this book “Just Ten Seconds” was very interesting for me so I wanted to try another book from her but now that I have finished reading it, I see that it’s her style. She creates some very good romance and then kills it with too many story fillers. Pages and pages of mundane stuff. Pages and pages of daily activities. And if you throw away all the fillers, the romance will take maybe less than half of the book. Such a pity! She wastes all her potentially epic love stories with fillers!
And this book was my last try from her as now, I am sure that her style is not for me.
*********************************************
The book begins with an awesome Prologue. Here is a part from it:
I stared down the barrel of a gun. I held a dying man in my arms. Yet, as the sirens blared and the tape lined the room, I realized the nightmare has only just begun. Like a game of dominoes, the first chip has fallen, and now, all I could do was stand back and watch them topple.
I was a pawn in the game of life. I just didn’t know I was playing.
Despite the pain of loss, the world keeps revolving. Your worst day is another’s boring Tuesday.
So, you do what your mother has always told you to do. You get up. You go to work. You live. Well … you pretend to live. Until one day, a man walks in and alters the course of your life but this time for the better.
I was so pulled into the book after a mesmerizing prologue like that. But then the book presses the brake pedal so hard that it starts to go at cruising speed. F*cking cruising speed!
Everything happens so very slowly… so so slowly.
And as if the very slow speed isn’t enough, the romance is constantly interrupted by mundane tasks, daily activities and many ordinary things.
Hero’s kid’s drama lessons and rehearsals
Heroine’s conversations with her best friend
Heroine’s conversations with her landlady
Heroine’s conversations with her customers in the coffee shop
Shopping for Halloween
Halloween activities with other people
Heroine’s best friend’s birthday party preparations
Heroine’s best friend’s birthday party
etc.
You get the picture right? Too many story fillers!!
Such a shame. The book could have been epic if it had focused more on the romance.
The writing is so good in some parts that although I got bored with most of it, I still couldn’t drop it because of that reason.
I look down at the white saucer under my mug. There’s a chip in it, a small, dark vein that runs through the plate. That’s how I feel sometimes. Useful, but if someone mishandles me, I’ll crack more and eventually shatter.
***
He laughs, and I feel it down to my toes. A man’s laughter shouldn’t travel that far. It could be dangerous to a woman’s heart.
A writer who can write the above lines clearly has the talent, right?
So my question is:
Why does she waste it by filling her book with equally “awesome” and “boring-as-hell” stuff???!!!
Isn’t it a pity that she kills her own work?
So basically, this could have been a five-star read for me if only those extremely boring and unnecessary parts didn’t exist. If it focused more on the relationship of the hero and the heroine, I would have loved the book more. If it focused more on how they let go of their grief and how they moved on with each other, it would definitely be an epic book for me.
Well, such a shame, such a pity, indeed! Now, I can only give it something between 3 and 3,5 stars but not even 4.
*********************************************
There is nothing else to criticize about this book as far as I am concerned. You can still give it a chance. Maybe you will be more tolerant than me.
*********************************************
Safety:
- No OW/OM drama, no cheating
- Dead ex
P.S. If you are too picky about the dead ex, you should read the information below, uncovering the spoiler tag.
*********************************************
Writing:
- It is told in 1st person point of view (heroine’s).
- The plot twist surprised me; it was a good one!
*********************************************
You can follow my instagram page from here
October 25, 2019
Unfortunately boring!!!!!
November 2, 2019
"Meet a man you can dance with, and you’ll always be happy.”
Characters:
Mara: 29, waitress
With a Performing Arts degree from Syracuse, Mara had big dreams of becoming an actress. While on that somewhat frustrating quest, she met Benjamin and ended up on a different path. Mara's blissful marriage to Benjamin was shattered and 3 years after that event is where the story starts. Mara is still dealing with many emotions from that fateful day and hasn't been able to fully let go of the past.
“I had a life. A beautiful one that was filled with so much promise … so many promises … and one day, it just ended."
“I told my story. As hard as it was, I relived it on the stand in front of reporters, family, and God. Once I said it, I haven’t spoken about it again.”
With the help of her best friend Jackie, she is working on piecing her life back together and finding joy once again.
"I used to love being the center of attention. I thrived on the stage with the lights glaring on me, so bright that I couldn’t see the faces of the crowd. Now, I’m content with being a fly on the wall, the one patrons don’t always look at, and that’s fine with me.”
"I want to be the girl I once was. The one who laughed and danced, who sang on a stage and gave wild toasts and ran outside in the rain just because. Yes, that was me. Once upon a time."
Dean: 34, residential contractor
Dean is a single father who's wife passed away from breast cancer. He has a precocious 8 year old daughter, Amanda, who keeps him on his toes and has him completely wrapped around her little finger.
“I have a cell phone. He got me one after I hurt my arm. It only allows me to call him, Grandma, my other grandma, and the police.”
Maybe I should be giving you a lesson on how to get my dad to do what you want. I mean, I am an eight-year-old who just got a cell phone. Trust me; I’m a pro.”
Dean is a fantastic father and never hesitates to put his daughter's needs first....even when it might kill him with embarrassment.
"Please don’t bring up cup sizes when talking about my daughter. I am not ready for that. At all. The fact I’m even doing this has me looking at her toddler pictures and wondering when she got big enough for a training bra.”
And, c'mon girls....who doesn't love a man who not only knows how to use Pinterst, but straight up admits it. Lol 👍
"They said they needed someone who could build a set, and I spent the night on Pinterest.”
My Thoughts
The prologue sucked me in and I was on the edge of my seat waiting with bated breath to find out more about those 10 seconds.
”The days are long, years are quick, but it’s the seconds—the seconds—that can be altered. A laugh with friends passes in a flash while a fall to the ground can last a lifetime. For me, it was the shot of a gun. Ten seconds. That was all I needed for my life to change forever.”
However, besides a few spots here and there, the importance of the 10 seconds was not really mentioned. Halfway though the book I started to wonder why the book was titled 10 seconds. I guess I was expecting there to be multiple “life can change drastically in 10 seconds” references for both the H and h. Kind of like that’s what ties them together. The little moments that altered their lives in big ways. Maybe I just read too much into the blurb. Anyway....something about the title and the story didn’t really mesh for me.
Also, after the bang of the prologue and the first meeting between the H/h, the story moved at a snails pace 🐌. Pages and pages of inner dialogue. When the H/h did interact, they had fun conversations and I wanted more.
"I don’t do Broadway,” he says and then quickly adds, “Not that there’s anything wrong with musicals. I just … Amanda. She’s always asking to go. I want to take her but don’t know where to start.”
“Just pick one. You can’t go wrong.”
He sways his head in consideration. “My friend took his wife to see Kinky Boots. Said it was great—”
“Anyone but that one”. 😂😂 (I LOVED Kinky Boots 😉)
"I have a Lean Cuisine waiting, but I suppose I could cheat on it with a bowl of spaghetti.”
"Well, don’t let me be the other man and come between you and your cuisine,” he chides.”
"You should see me in a suit. Man, the women can’t keep their hands off of me.”
"Cocky much?”
"Very,” he jokes”
As they become more involved, the dialogue with other characters picked up more. But, I would say the first 25% (at least) was just a lot of the h’s thoughts. And because she didn’t reveal her story, it was a lot of inner dialogue about things that I didn’t really care about. Having said that, I will say the writing was good and there was definitely a good story there. I just sometimes felt like I had to go through the weeds to find it.
This is a story where both the H/h had prior loves. I’m not the type of reader who has trouble swallowing a story about people who find love after a spouse has died. However, when the first spouse was wonderful and immensely loved, some readers have difficulty accepting that the new love is not just second best. If this describes you, you might have some problems because the H 100% loved his first wife and he still misses her very much. Some readers will view h as 2nd best. I didn’t see it that way, but like I said, I’m a firm believer that someone can find another perfect love when their first love passes away. So if you fall in the camp that is worried about 2nd best, you might not like this story.
Except for the epilogue, the story is told all from h POV, and that’s a format I HATE! I really wanted to know Deans’s thoughts and because I didn’t get anything from him I honestly felt like I didn’t know him that well, and that’s really sad because what I got of him was fantastic. I think having his insight would have been very valuable. Knowing if he was struggling with old vs new love and all the things about being a single parent would have added great depth to the story.
This is a slow burn story. The first kiss is at 41% and the bedroom scene is 61%. With an 8 year old child around, these two don't get busy often. So, it's not very steamy.
The h is keeping a big secret and little clues were dropped along the way. However, the full story wasn’t revealed to the H until around 80%, and that's when the 💩 hit the fan. The way he found out was too predictable, and that type of unoriginality bothers me. 😕 Little clues were given along the way, so by the time the big reveal happened I already guessed it.
Overall, I'm giving this 3 stars (I'm a bit on the unpopular side of the coin as most people absolutely loved this book).
Pros:
- I really loved Dean. He was a great guy, with a lot of integrity and a beautiful heart. “This is just like Dean to not only listen to what he’s told, but to also hear what is being shouted in silence.” 😍 The scenes with his daughter usually either brought a chuckle or had my heart melting all over the floor.
- The daughter Amanda was adorable. She definitely added the "cute" factor. "I took Amanda with me to the bank to secure a loan for the property. I had a bag of coloring books and stickers to keep her occupied. As the bank manager is explaining the interest payments, she walks over to him, puts a sticker of an egg on his forehead, and yells, ‘You’re an egghead!” 😂
- The writing was good and didn't suffer from any annoying editing errors
- There were some emotional elements that had my heart involved. Love after loss is a favorite of mine. I like these types of stories because they are all about hope and possibilities after tragedy
Cons:
- Mara was ok. I could empathize with her, but her approach left me just a tad irritated.
- Too much filler/inner dialogue
- Only one POV
- Truth reveal to H was predictable
The epilogue (FINALLY from Dean's POV) was a nice way to end the story.
“It might not come in the most conventional of ways, but a family is a family. And this one just happens to be perfect.”
Quotes:
“He just barged in here with his kid, and damn, my ovaries exploded. Did yours too? Of course they did. You’re human”
“I see a blue pickup truck. It’s shiny and far too bright for the dreary lot. Makes my tiny gray car look how I feel. Dismal.
When you start to compare yourself to a car, you know you have issues.”
“I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull’s ass, but I’d rather take a butcher’s word for it.”
“Mara, I know you think your dreams are dead, but I have a feeling you’re on the right path to a new future.”
"Wherever you are, whatever pain you’re clinging to, know that anger at lies lasts forever. Anger at the truth lasts a moment.”
“And this is why you should always talk to your elders. They might not roll with the punches the way you do, and their patience is most certainly shortened, but they always have the ability to put things into perspective.”
Characters:
Mara: 29, waitress
With a Performing Arts degree from Syracuse, Mara had big dreams of becoming an actress. While on that somewhat frustrating quest, she met Benjamin and ended up on a different path. Mara's blissful marriage to Benjamin was shattered and 3 years after that event is where the story starts. Mara is still dealing with many emotions from that fateful day and hasn't been able to fully let go of the past.
“I had a life. A beautiful one that was filled with so much promise … so many promises … and one day, it just ended."
“I told my story. As hard as it was, I relived it on the stand in front of reporters, family, and God. Once I said it, I haven’t spoken about it again.”
With the help of her best friend Jackie, she is working on piecing her life back together and finding joy once again.
"I used to love being the center of attention. I thrived on the stage with the lights glaring on me, so bright that I couldn’t see the faces of the crowd. Now, I’m content with being a fly on the wall, the one patrons don’t always look at, and that’s fine with me.”
"I want to be the girl I once was. The one who laughed and danced, who sang on a stage and gave wild toasts and ran outside in the rain just because. Yes, that was me. Once upon a time."
Dean: 34, residential contractor
Dean is a single father who's wife passed away from breast cancer. He has a precocious 8 year old daughter, Amanda, who keeps him on his toes and has him completely wrapped around her little finger.
“I have a cell phone. He got me one after I hurt my arm. It only allows me to call him, Grandma, my other grandma, and the police.”
Maybe I should be giving you a lesson on how to get my dad to do what you want. I mean, I am an eight-year-old who just got a cell phone. Trust me; I’m a pro.”
Dean is a fantastic father and never hesitates to put his daughter's needs first....even when it might kill him with embarrassment.
"Please don’t bring up cup sizes when talking about my daughter. I am not ready for that. At all. The fact I’m even doing this has me looking at her toddler pictures and wondering when she got big enough for a training bra.”
And, c'mon girls....who doesn't love a man who not only knows how to use Pinterst, but straight up admits it. Lol 👍
"They said they needed someone who could build a set, and I spent the night on Pinterest.”
My Thoughts
The prologue sucked me in and I was on the edge of my seat waiting with bated breath to find out more about those 10 seconds.
”The days are long, years are quick, but it’s the seconds—the seconds—that can be altered. A laugh with friends passes in a flash while a fall to the ground can last a lifetime. For me, it was the shot of a gun. Ten seconds. That was all I needed for my life to change forever.”
However, besides a few spots here and there, the importance of the 10 seconds was not really mentioned. Halfway though the book I started to wonder why the book was titled 10 seconds. I guess I was expecting there to be multiple “life can change drastically in 10 seconds” references for both the H and h. Kind of like that’s what ties them together. The little moments that altered their lives in big ways. Maybe I just read too much into the blurb. Anyway....something about the title and the story didn’t really mesh for me.
Also, after the bang of the prologue and the first meeting between the H/h, the story moved at a snails pace 🐌. Pages and pages of inner dialogue. When the H/h did interact, they had fun conversations and I wanted more.
"I don’t do Broadway,” he says and then quickly adds, “Not that there’s anything wrong with musicals. I just … Amanda. She’s always asking to go. I want to take her but don’t know where to start.”
“Just pick one. You can’t go wrong.”
He sways his head in consideration. “My friend took his wife to see Kinky Boots. Said it was great—”
“Anyone but that one”. 😂😂 (I LOVED Kinky Boots 😉)
"I have a Lean Cuisine waiting, but I suppose I could cheat on it with a bowl of spaghetti.”
"Well, don’t let me be the other man and come between you and your cuisine,” he chides.”
"You should see me in a suit. Man, the women can’t keep their hands off of me.”
"Cocky much?”
"Very,” he jokes”
As they become more involved, the dialogue with other characters picked up more. But, I would say the first 25% (at least) was just a lot of the h’s thoughts. And because she didn’t reveal her story, it was a lot of inner dialogue about things that I didn’t really care about. Having said that, I will say the writing was good and there was definitely a good story there. I just sometimes felt like I had to go through the weeds to find it.
This is a story where both the H/h had prior loves. I’m not the type of reader who has trouble swallowing a story about people who find love after a spouse has died. However, when the first spouse was wonderful and immensely loved, some readers have difficulty accepting that the new love is not just second best. If this describes you, you might have some problems because the H 100% loved his first wife and he still misses her very much. Some readers will view h as 2nd best. I didn’t see it that way, but like I said, I’m a firm believer that someone can find another perfect love when their first love passes away. So if you fall in the camp that is worried about 2nd best, you might not like this story.
Except for the epilogue, the story is told all from h POV, and that’s a format I HATE! I really wanted to know Deans’s thoughts and because I didn’t get anything from him I honestly felt like I didn’t know him that well, and that’s really sad because what I got of him was fantastic. I think having his insight would have been very valuable. Knowing if he was struggling with old vs new love and all the things about being a single parent would have added great depth to the story.
This is a slow burn story. The first kiss is at 41% and the bedroom scene is 61%. With an 8 year old child around, these two don't get busy often. So, it's not very steamy.
The h is keeping a big secret and little clues were dropped along the way. However, the full story wasn’t revealed to the H until around 80%, and that's when the 💩 hit the fan. The way he found out was too predictable, and that type of unoriginality bothers me. 😕 Little clues were given along the way, so by the time the big reveal happened I already guessed it.
Overall, I'm giving this 3 stars (I'm a bit on the unpopular side of the coin as most people absolutely loved this book).
Pros:
- I really loved Dean. He was a great guy, with a lot of integrity and a beautiful heart. “This is just like Dean to not only listen to what he’s told, but to also hear what is being shouted in silence.” 😍 The scenes with his daughter usually either brought a chuckle or had my heart melting all over the floor.
- The daughter Amanda was adorable. She definitely added the "cute" factor. "I took Amanda with me to the bank to secure a loan for the property. I had a bag of coloring books and stickers to keep her occupied. As the bank manager is explaining the interest payments, she walks over to him, puts a sticker of an egg on his forehead, and yells, ‘You’re an egghead!” 😂
- The writing was good and didn't suffer from any annoying editing errors
- There were some emotional elements that had my heart involved. Love after loss is a favorite of mine. I like these types of stories because they are all about hope and possibilities after tragedy
Cons:
- Mara was ok. I could empathize with her, but her approach left me just a tad irritated.
- Too much filler/inner dialogue
- Only one POV
- Truth reveal to H was predictable
The epilogue (FINALLY from Dean's POV) was a nice way to end the story.
“It might not come in the most conventional of ways, but a family is a family. And this one just happens to be perfect.”
Quotes:
“He just barged in here with his kid, and damn, my ovaries exploded. Did yours too? Of course they did. You’re human”
“I see a blue pickup truck. It’s shiny and far too bright for the dreary lot. Makes my tiny gray car look how I feel. Dismal.
When you start to compare yourself to a car, you know you have issues.”
“I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull’s ass, but I’d rather take a butcher’s word for it.”
“Mara, I know you think your dreams are dead, but I have a feeling you’re on the right path to a new future.”
"Wherever you are, whatever pain you’re clinging to, know that anger at lies lasts forever. Anger at the truth lasts a moment.”
“And this is why you should always talk to your elders. They might not roll with the punches the way you do, and their patience is most certainly shortened, but they always have the ability to put things into perspective.”
October 27, 2019
4.5 beautiful stars
‘Time stops when you’re in love. There is no hourglass spilling the seconds. The looks are long; heartbeats are quick. A touch is a lifetime. …’
The synopsis for Just Ten Seconds drew us in immediately and matched our reading mood perfectly. As Jeannine Colette is an author we’ve been wanting to revisit, this story sounded like the perfect place to do just that.
Just Ten Seconds was a slow burn meticulous story which uncovered some unexpected twists along the way. A story of love, healing, friendship, redemption, grief and hope. It’s also a story about believing in yourself and confronting your flaws and opening your heart to second chances.
Dean Dalgado and Mara Williams meet under chaotic circumstances when Dean barges into the café owned by Mara’s best friend Jackie and her husband Nick. It’s where Mara has been working since her life fell apart three years earlier. Single dad Dean is distraught that his daughter has been injured and it is Mara offers to assist and console the doting father.
‘My breath hitches. This is just like Dean to not only listen to what he’s told but to also hear what is being shouted in the silence.’
Fate soon steps in when Mara attends a grief counselling group and runs into Dean again. Both Dean and Mara have suffered losses which have brought them to seek comfort in the group. For Mara, reliving her past and opening up to her grief isn’t something she’s ready to explore.
‘I want to be the girl I once was. The one who laughed and danced, who sang on a stage and gave wild toasts and ran outside in the rain just because.’
Dean is mourning the loss of his wife and trying to move forward with his life for the sake of his little girl. Dean and Mara start a friendship and soon realise they are physically and emotionally attracted to one another, but opening their hearts, trusting and loving again isn’t going to come easily.
‘Just ten seconds. That’s all it took for me to fall in love with Dean Delgado. Now I have to spend the rest of my life, showing him that those seconds mean forever.’
Jeannine Colette slowly and beautifully brought this complex story to life and delivered some twists that really took us by surprise. The delicate balance between the present and the past life-altering moments provided an intriguing story that kept us riveted.
The friendship, loyalty and connection between Mara and her best friend Jackie was something we related to – Jackie really was the Louise to Mara’s Thelma, and we loved the camaraderie between the two. Every girl needs a Jackie. Someone who listens and loves free of judgement.
Just Ten Seconds highlights how our lives can change in a matter of seconds, how what we know isn’t always as it seems. We embraced this story of second chances, whilst experiencing the emotion of two lost souls with a desire to love and be loved. Delivered with a realistic narrative, we were swept up in every moment of this heady romance.
‘He laughs, and I feel it down to my toes. A man’s laughter shouldn’t travel that far. It could be dangerous to a woman’s heart.’
The epilogue was wonderful with the bonus epilogue taking the story to another level, we were thrilled the author chose to include this in her book – it really made a difference.
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November 29, 2019
4.5 ⭐'s
What an enjoyable, sweet romance with just a little angst and heartache thrown in for good measure. Oh, and I can't forget the little twist...that was intriguing.
Dean and Mara meet when Dean's daughter, Amanda, hurts herself. Mara jumps right in taking care of business.
And as much as Mara doesn't want a relationship...or Dean either for that matter, life keeps throwing them together. Their chemistry is blissfully intense and you can't help but root for them.
However, Mara has a past and very slowly we learn what happened and that becomes their ultimate downfall.
I do need to stop a minute and praise all that is Dean. He is amazing...hot, sweet, loving, protective...and did I say hot? When he speaks in Portuguese, I get goose bumps...he's that yummy.
I also need to mention his daughter, Amanda. She is just adorable and quite the character. She definitely brought a lot to the story.
The ending is bumpy...but the only reason I didn't give it five stars was that I wanted more angst (of course). It had potential but I enjoyed it all the same. You don't want to missDean this story!
What an enjoyable, sweet romance with just a little angst and heartache thrown in for good measure. Oh, and I can't forget the little twist...that was intriguing.
Dean and Mara meet when Dean's daughter, Amanda, hurts herself. Mara jumps right in taking care of business.
And as much as Mara doesn't want a relationship...or Dean either for that matter, life keeps throwing them together. Their chemistry is blissfully intense and you can't help but root for them.
However, Mara has a past and very slowly we learn what happened and that becomes their ultimate downfall.
I do need to stop a minute and praise all that is Dean. He is amazing...hot, sweet, loving, protective...and did I say hot? When he speaks in Portuguese, I get goose bumps...he's that yummy.
I also need to mention his daughter, Amanda. She is just adorable and quite the character. She definitely brought a lot to the story.
The ending is bumpy...but the only reason I didn't give it five stars was that I wanted more angst (of course). It had potential but I enjoyed it all the same. You don't want to miss
October 25, 2019
Just Ten Seconds by Jeannine Colette
5 stars!!!
I have read this author since the very beginning, and there are two books really left their mark, and I thought that feeling could never be replicated; that was until I read Just Ten Seconds. Jeannine Colette has written my new favourite from her, something that I thought was impossible. This was a one-sitting read, something I haven't done in a long, long, long time as the book funk continues. But, from the very first word to the very last, this book had me captivated, all-consumed and totally immersed in one of the best love stories I have ever had the pleasure of reading. This was one of the books where once you get to the end you just sit there in awe, jaw to the floor as you think to yourself "damn, that was a brilliant book."
This author has a way of pulling me in with her emotional and visceral story-telling, where the reader experiences every single word as if it were happening to them. That is some talent, and Jeannine Colette really brought her 'A' game with this one. I felt EVERYTHING. I had tears, I had many laughs, but most of all I lived their story, I felt their heartbreak, I felt their grief, I felt their connection, I felt their conflicted emotions, I just FELT. Gah, the feels that this book evoked from me were plentiful, I ran the gamut of emotions. Jeannine Colette starts this book strapping you into that roller-coaster cart and presses start. The highs are high, the lows are low, and everything in between is a loop the loop.
Mara and Dean's story is one I will never, ever forget. This was more than a second chance at love story. This was a life story. I loved the suspense interwoven between the lines, carefully crafted, and expertly delivered so that the reader is knocked on their arse when they least expect it. I adored the angst¬—my angst-loving soul was well rewarded—and yet there was no angst for angst sake, everything had been carefully plotted and crafted, and the flow was effortless.
The secondary characters all had their part to play, no-one was superfluous to the plot, the main characters were well-fleshed out, and the character connection was on point. The chemistry just oozed off the pages, and the sexy times will have you fanning yourself. The dialogue was fabulous, the banter, the friendships, reality, love, and life, just read like a life script, something, in part, I am sure we could all relate to. Your heart will be captured by a little girl that brought these two together in the first place and will continue to melt as you get to know her, her spirited character was just infectious, and I absolutely adored every scene she was a part of.
I just loved everything about this book, I wouldn’t have changed anything, and when you want to start a book over again as soon as you’ve finished reading it, you know you have found yourself a gem. I loved the epilogue, I loved the bonus epilogue, I just couldn’t get enough of them. This is definitely a book I’ll be re-reading time and time again. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
5 stars!!!
“I had a life. A beautiful one that was filled with so much promise … so many promises … and one day, it just ended.”
I have read this author since the very beginning, and there are two books really left their mark, and I thought that feeling could never be replicated; that was until I read Just Ten Seconds. Jeannine Colette has written my new favourite from her, something that I thought was impossible. This was a one-sitting read, something I haven't done in a long, long, long time as the book funk continues. But, from the very first word to the very last, this book had me captivated, all-consumed and totally immersed in one of the best love stories I have ever had the pleasure of reading. This was one of the books where once you get to the end you just sit there in awe, jaw to the floor as you think to yourself "damn, that was a brilliant book."
“I look down at the white saucer under my mug. There’s a chip in it, a small, dark vein that runs through the plate. That’s how I feel sometimes. Useful, but if someone mishandles me, I’ll crack more and eventually shatter.”
This author has a way of pulling me in with her emotional and visceral story-telling, where the reader experiences every single word as if it were happening to them. That is some talent, and Jeannine Colette really brought her 'A' game with this one. I felt EVERYTHING. I had tears, I had many laughs, but most of all I lived their story, I felt their heartbreak, I felt their grief, I felt their connection, I felt their conflicted emotions, I just FELT. Gah, the feels that this book evoked from me were plentiful, I ran the gamut of emotions. Jeannine Colette starts this book strapping you into that roller-coaster cart and presses start. The highs are high, the lows are low, and everything in between is a loop the loop.
Mara and Dean's story is one I will never, ever forget. This was more than a second chance at love story. This was a life story. I loved the suspense interwoven between the lines, carefully crafted, and expertly delivered so that the reader is knocked on their arse when they least expect it. I adored the angst¬—my angst-loving soul was well rewarded—and yet there was no angst for angst sake, everything had been carefully plotted and crafted, and the flow was effortless.
“Just ten seconds. That’s all it took for me to fall in love with Dean Delgado. Now, I have to spend the rest of my life, showing him that those seconds mean forever.”
The secondary characters all had their part to play, no-one was superfluous to the plot, the main characters were well-fleshed out, and the character connection was on point. The chemistry just oozed off the pages, and the sexy times will have you fanning yourself. The dialogue was fabulous, the banter, the friendships, reality, love, and life, just read like a life script, something, in part, I am sure we could all relate to. Your heart will be captured by a little girl that brought these two together in the first place and will continue to melt as you get to know her, her spirited character was just infectious, and I absolutely adored every scene she was a part of.
“And while the years pass quickly, it’s the seconds I live for. Because, in the seconds, the most beautiful things can happen.”
I just loved everything about this book, I wouldn’t have changed anything, and when you want to start a book over again as soon as you’ve finished reading it, you know you have found yourself a gem. I loved the epilogue, I loved the bonus epilogue, I just couldn’t get enough of them. This is definitely a book I’ll be re-reading time and time again. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
November 5, 2019
WOW! Just Wow! I am probably late to the Jeannine Colette fan club, but she just obliterated my heart with this book. This is one that I won’t forget. Every single feeling I could have possibly felt, I felt. Oh the feels...
I really hope this book gets a lot of recognition because it SO deserves it. It was BEAUTIFUL and now I have a new author to stalk and more books of hers to read.
I really hope this book gets a lot of recognition because it SO deserves it. It was BEAUTIFUL and now I have a new author to stalk and more books of hers to read.
October 17, 2019
4.5 stars, that I'm easily rounding up to 5 because of not one, but two, moments where I felt the need to put my Kindle down, wipe my tears, take a breath, and just take it all in. Anyone who knows me knows I love my angst. But I don't like it just for drama's sake. It has to gut punch me, squeeze my heart, make me want to raise my fists to the skies and scream at the irony and unfairness of it all. It was such a lovely surprise when this hit my Kindle. I had forgotten I had even requested an ARC, nor did I even realize I had been granted one. So, I did what any respectable book addict does, I quickly finished the book I was reading, dove in, and read to distraction! I gobbled up the pages. I swooned and completely fell in love with our hero, Dean, who is kind, chivalrous, protective, funny, sentimental, and an amazing father. I chewed my fingernails as I realized there was something more to this story that I was missing. Then I cried because my heart hurt. Not just that I felt what was going on, but rather my heart truly hurt. And the only reason I would consider taking off .5 stars is simply because I wanted more of seeing Dean and Mara's relationship take off and grow. To watch them bond. I just wanted/needed a smidgeon more of that. This really was a beautiful story with romance, surprise revelations, heartache - and you'll just have to read it yourself to see if you get the HEA that you are seeking for Dean and Mara. I guarantee you will be happy you took their journey with them.
November 16, 2019
***4.5 STARS***
A beautiful book of healing that shows us how time should be treasured. How hours, minutes and seconds can alter our lives. How forgiveness and hope can push us to move on. This is my first book by Jeannine Colette and I found the story, her words, her characters to be absolutely beautiful. The two main characters were broken individuals trying to move forward with their lives after suffering impossible tragedies. The supporting characters played pivotal roles in this story...with words of wisdom, unwavering loyalty, lots of humor, and so much love. This story wrapped around my heart. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it was deeply moving and emotional...it was fantastic.
A beautiful book of healing that shows us how time should be treasured. How hours, minutes and seconds can alter our lives. How forgiveness and hope can push us to move on. This is my first book by Jeannine Colette and I found the story, her words, her characters to be absolutely beautiful. The two main characters were broken individuals trying to move forward with their lives after suffering impossible tragedies. The supporting characters played pivotal roles in this story...with words of wisdom, unwavering loyalty, lots of humor, and so much love. This story wrapped around my heart. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it was deeply moving and emotional...it was fantastic.
November 8, 2019
4 Stars ⭐️
October 23, 2019
2.5 stars.
Well it did not wowed me. I just didn’t like how the heroine deliberately lied to the hero and everyone in the bereavement group. Heck she had me fooled too.
If she was so much scared of losing hero and his daughter she should have told him the truth. I absolutely loved his daughter.
Safety:
heroine has been celibate for 3 years, hero went on a blind date after meeting the heroine. I know some safety readers will have a problem with this, I didn’t. I don’t know why. He was already trying to pursue the heroine.
Well it did not wowed me. I just didn’t like how the heroine deliberately lied to the hero and everyone in the bereavement group. Heck she had me fooled too.
If she was so much scared of losing hero and his daughter she should have told him the truth. I absolutely loved his daughter.
Safety:
heroine has been celibate for 3 years, hero went on a blind date after meeting the heroine. I know some safety readers will have a problem with this, I didn’t. I don’t know why. He was already trying to pursue the heroine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2020
A man’s laughter shouldn’t travel that far. It could be dangerous to a woman’s heart.
Jeannine Colette never fails to deliver a gripping story that tugs at your heartstrings. Just Ten Seconds completely caught me by surprise. I absolutely loved Dean and my heart broke for Mara. The single dad trope is my favorite and Colette nails it. Highly recommend, just have the tissues ready!
Jeannine Colette never fails to deliver a gripping story that tugs at your heartstrings. Just Ten Seconds completely caught me by surprise. I absolutely loved Dean and my heart broke for Mara. The single dad trope is my favorite and Colette nails it. Highly recommend, just have the tissues ready!
October 21, 2019
This is the first book from this author that I have read and I am glad that I did. This book was so good. It was a story of heartbreak and how you can overcome it with the right person by your side. Mara and Dean were such a great couple. It was wonderful watching them find the love that they both been missing since their losses. All it takes is just 10 seconds and your life can change for the better or worse and in their case, it changed for the better. This book was so great. You will feel every emotion that they are feeling by the time you are finished reading this book.
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 14, 2024
4 stars ⭐️
Such a cute book
Such a cute book
October 28, 2019
4.5 beautiful stars
‘Time stops when you’re in love. There is no hourglass spilling the seconds. The looks are long; heartbeats are quick. A touch is a lifetime. …’
The synopsis for Just Ten Seconds drew us in immediately and matched our reading mood perfectly. As Jeannine Colette is an author we’ve been wanting to revisit, this story sounded like the perfect place to do just that.
Just Ten Seconds was a slow burn meticulous story which uncovered some unexpected twists along the way. A story of love, healing, friendship, redemption, grief and hope. It’s also a story about believing in yourself and confronting your flaws and opening your heart to second chances.
Dean Dalgado and Mara Williams meet under chaotic circumstances when Dean barges into the café owned by Mara’s best friend Jackie and her husband Nick. It’s where Mara has been working since her life fell apart three years earlier. Single dad Dean is distraught that his daughter has been injured and it is Mara offers to assist and console the doting father.
‘My breath hitches. This is just like Dean to not only listen to what he’s told but to also hear what is being shouted in the silence.’
Fate soon steps in when Mara attends a grief counselling group and runs into Dean again. Both Dean and Mara have suffered losses which have brought them to seek comfort in the group. For Mara, reliving her past and opening up to her grief isn’t something she’s ready to explore.
‘I want to be the girl I once was. The one who laughed and danced, who sang on a stage and gave wild toasts and ran outside in the rain just because.’
Dean is mourning the loss of his wife and trying to move forward with his life for the sake of his little girl. Dean and Mara start a friendship and soon realise they are physically and emotionally attracted to one another, but opening their hearts, trusting and loving again isn’t going to come easily.
‘Just ten seconds. That’s all it took for me to fall in love with Dean Delgado. Now I have to spend the rest of my life, showing him that those seconds mean forever.’
Jeannine Colette slowly and beautifully brought this complex story to life and delivered some twists that really took us by surprise. The delicate balance between the present and the past life-altering moments provided an intriguing story that kept us riveted.
The friendship, loyalty and connection between Mara and her best friend Jackie was something we related to – Jackie really was the Louise to Mara’s Thelma, and we loved the camaraderie between the two. Every girl needs a Jackie. Someone who listens and loves free of judgement.
Just Ten Seconds highlights how our lives can change in a matter of seconds, how what we know isn’t always as it seems. We embraced this story of second chances, whilst experiencing the emotion of two lost souls with a desire to love and be loved. Delivered with a realistic narrative, we were swept up in every moment of this heady romance.
‘He laughs, and I feel it down to my toes. A man’s laughter shouldn’t travel that far. It could be dangerous to a woman’s heart.’
The epilogue was wonderful with the bonus epilogue taking the story to another level, we were thrilled the author chose to include this in her book – it really made a difference.
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October 29, 2019
Just Ten Seconds is a beautiful story about two people finding love again after loss. There was so much to like about this book.
The characters for starters. There were strong leading and supporting characters. I found myself really liking Dean and Mara, but also Dean's daughter Amanda, Mara's best friend Jackie, and so many others. One of the things I've come to appreciate and feel can really help a story is having secondary characters that are memorable too.
Then there was the great plot and over all story flow. Some moments and twists were unexpected for me, but it all added to my engagement and interest in the story.
I got the kind of ending I crave and was happy with the book overall. This is yet another Jeannine Colette story I would certainly recommend.
October 20, 2019
Just ten seconds!
That’s how long before you get hooked on this story!
Pain, Loss, Friendship, Desire, and Love!
It’s all in there, and so much more!
Mara and Dean’s story is one you will Love!
A second chance romance with a twist!
Having to Love again after loss is not easy, but Jeannine Colette has made the impossible-possible!
This is now my Favorite Jeannine Colette story!
Epilogue and Bonus included!
Five Love filled stars!
That’s how long before you get hooked on this story!
Pain, Loss, Friendship, Desire, and Love!
It’s all in there, and so much more!
Mara and Dean’s story is one you will Love!
A second chance romance with a twist!
Having to Love again after loss is not easy, but Jeannine Colette has made the impossible-possible!
This is now my Favorite Jeannine Colette story!
Epilogue and Bonus included!
Five Love filled stars!
October 18, 2023
I can't believe randomly selecting a book from the thousands hundreds populating my kindle paid off so well, especially while overlooking the blurb and not being familiar with the author's work. I don't even remember getting this book in the first place but surely something must have appealed and triggered my one-click at the time! And I'm so glad for it!
Now, I definitely know what must have triggered me then : widowed single dad gloriousness.
But more than this—although there's a lot to say about DEAN DELGADO— this story is filled with heart (the family dynamics are everything) and emotions and self-discoveries and longing and want.
It's a very sweet story with a bitter kick back. Both characters are going through a good amount of grief and while dealt in depth on both sides it never brings the story down. The author managed to keep this a light and comforting read. At least that's how I felt while reading about Mara and Dean.
I could feel myself smiling with both of them and I most undeniably could understand Mara's attraction for everything that is Dean Delgado.
There's a tiny bit of angst brought by a conventional third act breakup but nothing that lasts long enough to hurt. Although the romance was on the slow burn side—which I enjoy the most— their connection was quite instant. There's more than enough want, need and steam peppering this second chance romance.
I'm looking forward to my next Jeannine Colette fix, I didn't want to say goodbye to Mara and Dean.
Now, I definitely know what must have triggered me then : widowed single dad gloriousness.
But more than this—although there's a lot to say about DEAN DELGADO— this story is filled with heart (the family dynamics are everything) and emotions and self-discoveries and longing and want.
It's a very sweet story with a bitter kick back. Both characters are going through a good amount of grief and while dealt in depth on both sides it never brings the story down. The author managed to keep this a light and comforting read. At least that's how I felt while reading about Mara and Dean.
I could feel myself smiling with both of them and I most undeniably could understand Mara's attraction for everything that is Dean Delgado.
There's a tiny bit of angst brought by a conventional third act breakup but nothing that lasts long enough to hurt. Although the romance was on the slow burn side—which I enjoy the most— their connection was quite instant. There's more than enough want, need and steam peppering this second chance romance.
I'm looking forward to my next Jeannine Colette fix, I didn't want to say goodbye to Mara and Dean.
July 13, 2020
This beautiful story of a second chance for Mara and Dean has all the feels. If you have lost someone very close to you, then be sure to have the tissues out because you will need them. Jeannine is spot on with the feelings and emotions that we experience after such a profound loss. My husband died several years ago, and I will say this is one of the most truthful books I have ever read dealing with this life-altering event.
Dean and Mara's connection was very tangible and believable. I loved both of them, and adored Amanda! She was so sweet and precious and had such a part in bringing them together.
The twists in this story, man, I never saw them coming! I was shocked and blown away! I was rooting for Dean and Mara to get their HEA nevertheless! Just keep the faith and you will be as thrilled with the ending as I was! The bonus epilogue was perfection!
This Five Star Book is one you need to snatch up right away and settle down in a hideaway place because you won't want to be disturbed!
Dean and Mara's connection was very tangible and believable. I loved both of them, and adored Amanda! She was so sweet and precious and had such a part in bringing them together.
The twists in this story, man, I never saw them coming! I was shocked and blown away! I was rooting for Dean and Mara to get their HEA nevertheless! Just keep the faith and you will be as thrilled with the ending as I was! The bonus epilogue was perfection!
This Five Star Book is one you need to snatch up right away and settle down in a hideaway place because you won't want to be disturbed!
October 22, 2019
In Just Ten Seconds and one gunshot Mara’s world was sent spinning. Her entire reality changed and she was forced to start anew. But Mara was living like a turtle hiding herself under a shell, just going through the motions.
Until Dean arrives at the diner where she is working. Dean is still learning to navigate life as a single dad after the death of his wife. It takes Just Ten Seconds for Mara to drop her defenses and come to the aid of this family in need.
“... the only way you’ll be able to move forward into your spring is to conquer your winter. No sunshine or rain will help or hurt you unless you fix your roots. Get down to your problem and the thing that keeps you from growing.”
This story is at times very real and very raw. I found myself getting really emotionally involved. Add in an extremely adorable and precocious Amanda and I was all in, completely invested in hoping for these characters to find a path to their HEA. But the twists had me gasping and gnawing at my fingernails!!
Awesome story!
-5 Stars!-
Until Dean arrives at the diner where she is working. Dean is still learning to navigate life as a single dad after the death of his wife. It takes Just Ten Seconds for Mara to drop her defenses and come to the aid of this family in need.
“... the only way you’ll be able to move forward into your spring is to conquer your winter. No sunshine or rain will help or hurt you unless you fix your roots. Get down to your problem and the thing that keeps you from growing.”
This story is at times very real and very raw. I found myself getting really emotionally involved. Add in an extremely adorable and precocious Amanda and I was all in, completely invested in hoping for these characters to find a path to their HEA. But the twists had me gasping and gnawing at my fingernails!!
Awesome story!
-5 Stars!-
October 2, 2020
For me, it was the shot of a gun. Ten seconds. That was all I needed for my life to change forever.
Wow... ten seconds indeed... it was the time it took for me to fall in love with the story and the characters. I loved it!
I saw a teaser of this book on Facebook and just had to get it. Bonus for being available on Kindle Unlimited.
This is a second chance a love story and it is definitely breathtaking. I really felt for the characters. They both lost people and were just trying to survive on day at a time.
Mara had a different kind of loss... her story was complicated, dark and she tried to keep it hidden as long as possible. Until she met this guy, Dean, who was a protector at heart and destroyed each of the walls around her heart. After that, she had to decide to fight for that feeling and finally open up about her past.
It was a beautiful story, I really loved it. It was my first by this author and I'll definitely check her other books.
Wow... ten seconds indeed... it was the time it took for me to fall in love with the story and the characters. I loved it!
I saw a teaser of this book on Facebook and just had to get it. Bonus for being available on Kindle Unlimited.
This is a second chance a love story and it is definitely breathtaking. I really felt for the characters. They both lost people and were just trying to survive on day at a time.
Mara had a different kind of loss... her story was complicated, dark and she tried to keep it hidden as long as possible. Until she met this guy, Dean, who was a protector at heart and destroyed each of the walls around her heart. After that, she had to decide to fight for that feeling and finally open up about her past.
It was a beautiful story, I really loved it. It was my first by this author and I'll definitely check her other books.
October 22, 2019
5* Second Chance Love Stars
Jeannine Colette is a new author to me, and I am so happy that I got the opportunity to read, “Just Ten Seconds”. It is a beautifully written second chance at love for both Mara and Dean.
Their story is an emotional journey of learning to love and heal after losing loved ones in different ways and accepting the paths they chose to cope with these losses.
Dean was an amazing kind man and father. I admired Mara as she was a hard worker who did not give up after losing her posh life in Manhattan.
The secondary characters in the book were very likeable and real and you will connect with them instantly. Mara and Dean were lucky to be surrounded by them.
This was a fantastic read which was full of feels from heartache to forgiveness and undeniable love.
The cover of the book was beautiful and so inviting. I was so happy to be able to read the added Bonus Epilogue that was available for download as I was not quite ready to leave Dean and Mara yet.
Many thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.
Jeannine Colette is a new author to me, and I am so happy that I got the opportunity to read, “Just Ten Seconds”. It is a beautifully written second chance at love for both Mara and Dean.
Their story is an emotional journey of learning to love and heal after losing loved ones in different ways and accepting the paths they chose to cope with these losses.
Dean was an amazing kind man and father. I admired Mara as she was a hard worker who did not give up after losing her posh life in Manhattan.
The secondary characters in the book were very likeable and real and you will connect with them instantly. Mara and Dean were lucky to be surrounded by them.
This was a fantastic read which was full of feels from heartache to forgiveness and undeniable love.
The cover of the book was beautiful and so inviting. I was so happy to be able to read the added Bonus Epilogue that was available for download as I was not quite ready to leave Dean and Mara yet.
Many thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.
October 24, 2019
Nice story of two broken-hearted people finding a second chance. A single dad and his 8-year old daughter meet a waitress in the local diner when a bicycle accident causes a broken arm. There's some real angst that peeks its ugly head out throughout the story. I found the story lacking the depth quality that it demanded. And it left me with a feeling that the story wrapped up a little too quickly without much real togetherness offered for readers to take part in. It was an ok read for me -- the writing was solid, the characters both lead and secondary were likable as well, but I just felt overall that the book didn't hit its potential.
October 21, 2019
I'm lost for words...this book has broken me into million pieces only to put me back together again.
Everything about it was flawless. From the way they suffered to the way they made peace with their past in order to have a future together.
This book is definitely going into my favorite books of 2019 if not on my favorite of all time list!!!
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***
Everything about it was flawless. From the way they suffered to the way they made peace with their past in order to have a future together.
This book is definitely going into my favorite books of 2019 if not on my favorite of all time list!!!
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***
October 21, 2019
4.5 Stars!!!
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