The Blurb:
Brandon
I am back to claim the one who was always mine- My Gem
Linden
Now I will get to test your true loyalty, Jenny. It’s either me or him.
Brandon
I won’t let her suffer under Linden’s wrath. I will shower her with the happiness she deserves.
Linden
It’s pain that always tied us together. It will be the same pain that will set us free.
Brandon
It was always supposed to be Jennifer and Brandon. Linden ruined my chance.
Linden
She is the only one for me. It’s always been only her.
Brandon
It’s now or never. I won’t ever let her go. She is mine for keeps.
Linden
It’s too late for another chance and yet my life is in her hands.
Jennifer
Linden was slowly changing. He was beginning to trust me again, but Brandon is back and claims to love me. Have I really got a chance with my first love? Or should I keep my hopes high that Linden will give our relation another chance? I am torn between the two again and this time I will finally have to make my choice.
If you haven’t read Love Connection, you’ll want to do that before reading this one.
In Love Connection, I really didn’t like Linden. His love for Jen/Gem seemed based more on the idea of love. Honestly, I didn’t really like Brandon, either. He was selfish and his world revolved around whatever he wanted in the moment, even at the end. The thing about this series is that we are not expected to like the characters going in, and I dug that. We get an opportunity to watch something more real, more flawed. And there is plenty of that to go around!
In Love Reconnection, one thing I was NOT expecting was the level to which Linden has spiraled. He’s spent years treating Jen like shit, but it is clear from his own inner monologue that he loves her and doesn’t want to admit how much he cares because it would make him vulnerable. That being said, I do not condone emotional abuse, which is exactly what he is inflicting upon her. He even goes so far as to tell her he “fucking hates her” and pushes her into a sexual situation with dubious consent just so Brandon can hear it.
Her response? “You do care, in your own twisted way.” WHAT?! We know from Linden’s internal thoughts that he is deriving just as much pleasure from making Brandon miserable as anything else. She later tells Brandon that Linden “has rights over her” and he “can treat her however he wants”. That’s…never a good sign.
Linden is just so angry, and it’s almost comical the way people around him respond to it. At one point, he picks up a phone call from her only to yell “I FUCKING HATE YOU, LEAVE ME ALONE!” and the girl next to him replies: "All I can conclude is that Jennifer Collins is your girlfriend."
Buttttt I still don’t understand Jen’s actions, either. Despite deciding to play out this twisted form of penance with Linden, she asks Linden for permission to be friends with Brandon when he suddenly pops back up. Now, Linden is being a jerk so in that regard I don’t necessarily feel sorry for him. But still. Even in the best of circumstances, this is usually considered a dick move, I think? It’s like watching a reality show and yelling at the people on the screen. I want throw a pillow at the tv when Jen is on screen.
Their “unique form of love” is complex, I’ll give it that. But I don’t agree with the way it has manifested, any more than I do for Brandon. I agree with Jen, he tuck tailed and ran, rather than fight for what he claims to love so much. It’s all so deliciously fucked up. And it culminates in a way that somehow manages to acknowledge that and face it down (a conversation between Brandon and Linden that is TENSE and cathartic). I absolutely love the detail to which Linden’s character was developed in this sequel, but I am still not sure that he is a good person, even as he comes to grips with the fact that he loves Jen so deeply.
I don’t want to spoil the ending, but I definitely did not expect it. This is gritty, flawed, and real. Love can be beautiful and it can be ugly. What an emotional ride!! I was happy to finally get an HEA out of all this!!!
In Love Connection, I really didn’t like Linden. His love for Jen/Gem seemed based more on the idea of love. Honestly, I didn’t really like Brandon, either. He was selfish and his world revolved around whatever he wanted in the moment, even at the end. The thing about this series is that we are not expected to like the characters going in, and I dug that. We get an opportunity to watch something more real, more flawed. And there is plenty of that to go around!
In Love Reconnection, one thing I was NOT expecting was the level to which Linden has spiraled. He’s spent years treating Jen like shit, but it is clear from his own inner monologue that he loves her and doesn’t want to admit how much he cares because it would make him vulnerable. That being said, I do not condone emotional abuse, which is exactly what he is inflicting upon her. He even goes so far as to tell her he “fucking hates her” and pushes her into a sexual situation with dubious consent just so Brandon can hear it.
Her response? “You do care, in your own twisted way.” WHAT?! We know from Linden’s internal thoughts that he is deriving just as much pleasure from making Brandon miserable as anything else. She later tells Brandon that Linden “has rights over her” and he “can treat her however he wants”. That’s…never a good sign.
Linden is just so angry, and it’s almost comical the way people around him respond to it. At one point, he picks up a phone call from her only to yell “I FUCKING HATE YOU, LEAVE ME ALONE!” and the girl next to him replies: "All I can conclude is that Jennifer Collins is your girlfriend."
Buttttt I still don’t understand Jen’s actions, either. Despite deciding to play out this twisted form of penance with Linden, she asks Linden for permission to be friends with Brandon when he suddenly pops back up. Now, Linden is being a jerk so in that regard I don’t necessarily feel sorry for him. But still. Even in the best of circumstances, this is usually considered a dick move, I think? It’s like watching a reality show and yelling at the people on the screen. I want throw a pillow at the tv when Jen is on screen.
Their “unique form of love” is complex, I’ll give it that. But I don’t agree with the way it has manifested, any more than I do for Brandon. I agree with Jen, he tuck tailed and ran, rather than fight for what he claims to love so much. It’s all so deliciously fucked up. And it culminates in a way that somehow manages to acknowledge that and face it down (a conversation between Brandon and Linden that is TENSE and cathartic). I absolutely love the detail to which Linden’s character was developed in this sequel, but I am still not sure that he is a good person, even as he comes to grips with the fact that he loves Jen so deeply.
I don’t want to spoil the ending, but I definitely did not expect it. This is gritty, flawed, and real. Love can be beautiful and it can be ugly. What an emotional ride!! I was happy to finally get an HEA out of all this!!!
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