This Life and All the Rest

Next Life Duet, Book 2

By: Brit Benson

Narrated by: JF Harding, Lidia Dornet

She thinks our story is over. It’s just beginning.

Lennon Washington has been the star of every dream, every nightmare, since the day I lost her. Since the moment I let my demons win and she slipped through my fingers.

Her memory has haunted me. Changed me. Broken me and remade me. And I’d all but given up on us.

Now tragedy has brought her back into my life. My secrets are at her disposal. Hers are unraveling quickly. And every emotion we’ve tried to deny is returning with a vengeance.

But we’re not kids anymore. We have changed drastically. And with each new ache, I start to wonder...

Is there a place for us in this life, or will we have to try again in the next one?

***

This Life and All the Rest is the conclusion to the Next Life Duet. It has a guaranteed HEA. It is necessary to listen to book one, The Love of My Next Life, before listening to this one.

©2022 Brit Benson Books (P)2023 Brit Benson Books

Brit puts our hearts back together

Book two of the Next Life Duet.. Lennon and Macon's story continues but my gosh they've been through a lot over the years! Brit promised she would make everything better...and I really questioned that and continued to question that throughout the entire book...hello angst old friend!

The absolute trauma and devastation they go through in order to find a way back to each other... and the way that Lidia Dornet and JF Harding convey the emotions throughout this entire story are mind-blowing. I sobbed with Lennon as she revealed her truths, I felt the passion between Lennon and Macon when they couldn't deny the electrical current pulsing between them and I cried happy tears as Macon realized he was worthy of love. And every step of the way Lidia and JF were there to enhance the experience!

I can be honest and say that the panic I felt throughout the first several chapters was real...and then slowly things start to make sense...but of course nothing is simple and I'm convinced Brit likes to take your heart out, stomp on it and then slowly heal it

Life lessons from Brit:
1) Everyone needs a friend like Sam and Casper.
2) Not everything is what it seems (communicate, communicate, communicate).
3) Love can conquer all.

A reminder that this duet is performed in duet narration (see what I did there 🤣). If you are newer to audio you may not realize that a duet series is different than a duet in audiobooks. Duet in the book world is when there are two books in which the story takes place compared to duet narration which involves a story performed by two people and each performer reads the dialogue of their characters across all chapters!

It's you and me. For real. Out loud. Forever.

Been waiting for that HEA in this, the second part of the Next Life Duet, have you? Well, put on your headphones, grab your tissues, and start listening. Macon and Lennon have a lot to go through before that HEA becomes even a speck on the horizon.

The Love of My Next Life set us up, gave us all the history and backstory, made us hopeful and afraid at the same time, and brought us to a turning point. What happened that called Lennon home? What has to change for her to end her self-exile in Paris and her estrangement from her family? Is it even possible?

Once again, narrators J. F. Harding and Lidia Dornet capture Macon and Lennon perfectly, but this time they’ve put a little maturity in their voices; it’s been four (yes, four) years. It’s no longer fevered teenage angst. It’s now adult longing and desire, but heavily overlaid with sorrow and regret and sadness, anger and deep bitterness.

What happened and is it fixable? The spark is still there. Actually, it’s not a spark but a wave of need, a current that flows between them. But Lennon has surrounded herself with a wall of refusal to give in again and Macon is torn between wanting to act on his impulses and fearing these are the addictions that will ruin him once and for all.

This Life and All the Rest is perfectly paced, alternating POVs between Lennon and Macon, and tugging at your heart strings each step of the way. Trent’s heart attack is the reason Lennon goes back to Virginia. This is a different Lennon than the girl banished to England, and she only intends to stay until Trent is well enough and then go back home to Paris. Author Brit Benson, however, carefully creates a collection of circumstances and chance meetings that almost immediately throw Macon and Lennon together again. That tingle of awareness when they come into each other’s presence is still strong, but something is off. Everybody knows what happened four years ago and since then – or do they? We start to realize neither they nor we have the full story. Macon says, “You’re the one who had the temper tantrum, who ran off,” and Lennon replies “I did what I had to do to survive.” Macon says, “I told you, I explained,” but Lennon says “That (little sticky) note?” Are they even talking about the same things?

It takes us – and them – a long time to get the full story. There are mysterious references to the past we don’t quite get. Trent relapses so Lennon must stay longer. Claire is still Claire, maybe even more so. Although now engaged to football-star-from-high-school Eric, she picks up right where she left off in high school, treating Lennon badly and questioning any time she spends with Macon. Casper and Sam are the opposite of Claire and we love them. The desire is constant, but each time hope starts to rise it’s dashed by uncovered secrets and revelations. Even the good things they uncover don’t seem to fit in this puzzle of misunderstanding. It is an absolutely delicious puzzle and you will enjoy (even while wiping away those tears) uncovering each piece of it. The phrases “It’s you and me. For real. Out loud. Forever,” and “You’re a good kid who’s going to be a good man,” and the significance of that pink butterfly clip will keep running through your head. You want this HEA!

I’m not going to add more detail and spoil the journey. Be assured the satisfyingly steamy scenes are all there (woo, can this author write!) and the ending is just what you’ve hoped for. Giddy Lennon, smiling ear-to-ear. Macon . . . well, who doesn’t love Macon? This is Macon with that crushing weight finally off him. Macon joyous, jubilant, exuberant. Macon who can’t keep his eyes, hands or lips off Lennon. Macon still with the sexy smirk but relaxed, fulfilled: “Lennon Capri Washington belongs with me. She knows it. I know it. Everyone else will figure it out soon enough.”

Thanks to Home Cooked Books and the author for providing an audio copy of This Life and All the Rest. Just as with the first book, I thoroughly enjoyed it, cried, laughed, worried and sighed all through it, and could not wait to get to the promised HEA. A final shout out to extraordinary narrators J. D. Harding and Lidia Dornet for taking author Brit Benson’s wonderful work and making it even more wonderful. I am voluntarily leaving this review and all opinions are my own.

Note: there is some excellent bonus material you don’t want to miss available at the author’s website, authorbritbenson.com.

Wow

I needed this book to end well. These two went through so much they did not deserve. So many mistakes were made. Claire was an awful human. Must read the duet just prepare for a lot. Loved it.

Loved this!

Oh my sweet innocent child... if you think Brit Benson put you through the wringer in book 1, I have news for you...

It's been years since the last events in book 1 and Lennon now goes by Capri, lives in Paris and is a budding artist. She hasn't been back home often and she's fairly sure she's somewhat managed to get over Macon. When tragedy brings her back to town, she knows she will have to see him sooner or later. 

Macon has changed his life, turned it around, and he never ever managed to purge Lennon from his blood. When she comes back, he knows he'll have to face her and tell her a few things she never knew. What neither of them knows was that their lives were forever changed by events they had no control over and never knew were happening. Their love was toxic, incendiary... but the truth has a way of washing everything murky or dark. All they need to do is face it. 

OMG, what a ride! I pressed play on this audiobook and never stopped. What a wonderfully crafted second chance romance! Lidia Dornet and J.F. Harding reprise their roles as Lennon and Macon and they take you on a ride of angst and pain, regret and longing and they do a wonderful job!

There's so much love, devotion and hurt in this story and you understand how things were set in motion to keep these two apart. The secondary characters are pivotal in this and I really really need Brit to write Claire's book! Like, seriously!

Phew! What a ride! Love it!

Great story with amazing narration

I’ve read/listened to Brit’s other books and really enjoyed them. This series was a head scratcher for me. As I stated in my review of book one, I generally do not read young adult/new age stories…they are not my go to. But I needed to find out how this story ended. I just wanted them to talk like adults and figure out how to move on. The miscommunication, misunderstandings and overall tone of their story was sad to me. I’m going to say this is great writing because Brit pulls every thought and emotion from the reader while reading/listening to this story. Although this story was not for me I appreciate Brit’s writing and will continue to read her stories. JF Harding and Lidia Dornet continues this story with amazing performances. Their vocals were full of emotion, depth and personality.

This ending was everything!

This Life and All the Rest is book #2 in the Next Life Duet. The story picks up where book #1 left off, with the phone call that takes Lennon home. We get answers to all the questions, the deception, and the heartbreak that we had from the first book. The author once again gives us the emotional rollercoaster and eventually, the HEA we have been craving. Have those tissues handy!

The narration was performed by J.F. Harding and Lidia Dornet (same as book #1) and again, it was just perfection.

Amazing conclusion!

4.5 out of 5 stars!

This was a good second chance for Lennon and Macon. There was so much miscommunication and assumptions that occurred that I didn't think anyone would end up happy at the end. This book wrapped up all the misconceptions, assumptions, and miscommunication among all the characters. Lennon and her father. Lennon and Macon. Lennon and Claire. However, I think the time Lennon and Macon spent apart allowed them to learn and grow from their past mistakes. Some of the heartache that happened could have been prevented, but the build up of angst gave the story more life. Lidia Dornet and JF Harding brought this story to its spectacular conclusion with their gift of storytelling. The characters and their stories came alive.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this review.

Epic Love Story!

With that crazy cliffhanger I couldn't wait to listen to this audio. Even though I have read the book previously I was still excited to continue this story and how it all unfolds. My heart clenched just as much and I am still so in love with this book. I can't say it enough how amazing this audio is. With these narrators you truly become part of the story. I never wanted it to end.

WOW!!! The writing, the narration…what an ending to this outstanding duet!!!

WOW!!!! This book was just phenomenal!! So much was unpacked in this book and I was just captivated from the beginning to see how Lennon & Macon were going to find their way together. It was a rollercoaster with every turn of the page but it was also just an incredibly well told story! This book does take place 4 years after book 1, The Love Of My Next Life, but it includes a few flashbacks that are so necessary to fill in some gaps and were flawlessly incorporated.

This whole story is the epitome of a book that will hurt and put you through the wringer with allll the angst but when you get that HEA it is so freaking satisfying! I don’t want to say much about the plot of this book as this is truly one of those book you should not read any spoilers for and just dive in after book 1! It does answer so many questions with twists and turns along the way that had me mad, happy, crying and every other feeling you can think of! Truly a book that will make you FEEL!!! Also. Macon is one of my absolute favorite MMC’s ever in this book!

Once again J.F. Harding and Lidia Dornet did an outstanding performance of this 2nd book as well!!! Their voices made me feel the content of this book hard! It made the words on the pages even more powerful through the tones and inflections they used to speak them. I continue to love J.F. Harding as Macon as he completely captured every single thing about his character from the broken boy to redemption in this one! Lidia also continues to be such an amazing narrator as you could just hear the passion she brought out in her voice for the complete rollercoaster of emotions that Lennon goes through. Also, her French in this book was just perfection! Overall, this duet was truly a stunning narration and I cannot recommend it enough!

Book 2 did not disappoint.

Again, I was unable to put this down or hit pause on the audio. The angst & devotion (I know…a strange combo) was so intense, it hooked me from the start…of the first book!

Lennon’s feeling of betrayal all those years ago led her to a drastic life change. New major turned to new career, new hair, new continent, new name, & a whole new life. She was determined to move on from Macon & had washed her hands of Claire.

But while Lennon was becoming a new person so that she could move on, Macon was becoming a new person so that he could be the exact perfect man that Lennon needed to be her best self. He was now reliable, trustworthy, & and overall, an outstanding man. But he had no place in Lennon’s new life.

When a tragic event brought Lennon home, Macon found his chance to make amends. Through miscommunication of epic proportions, the wedge forced between Macon & Lennon seemed permanent. And when the truth was revealed, so much hatred & manipulation & utter heartbreak came to light. The toxicity from the first book still shown through in Claire. I swear she absorbed everyone’s toxic qualities.

Macon & Lennon still have an intense chemistry that can’t be snuffed out. There are hurdles to be jumped for her to trust again, & rightfully so. But with the love & devotion that Macon has for her, he’s never been more willing to work for what he wants…and that’s Lennon back in his life.

Audio Review:
JF Harding & Lidia Dornet carried through on their spectacular performance from the first book. I felt every emotion from their narration that the characters felt in the book.