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Claire Contreras
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Then There Was You: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance (Second Chances Duet Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Claire Contreras (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,591 ratings
New York Times Bestselling Author Claire Contreras is back with a new contemporary second chance romance . . .

Love and the right timing were two things I didn't believe in.

Love is about walking to the edge of the cliff and taking the leap together.
Timing was never on our side.
My first mistake was hooking up with my best friend.
My second came years later, when we met again, and I fell for her.
My third was letting her go, because I had to. Because a love like this wasn't built to withstand the winds coming in our direction.

Love and timing.
I didn't believe in either.

Then there was you . . .

This is book 1. Book 2, My Way Back to You is available now and in KU.
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  1. Book 1 of 2
    Second Chances Duet
  2. Print length
    268 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    February 28, 2018
  6. File size
    4.4 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"I'm crazy, wildly, completely IN LOVE with this book!" - Angie, Angie's Dreamy Reads"Utterly addictive. This slow-burning second chance romance was unputdownable. One-click worthy!" - Kindle Crack Book Reviews
"This one goes on the re-read shelf. 5 sparkly, click-me stars." - Adrianna Locke, USA Today Bestselling Author

"The dynamic between Rowan and Tessa is brutally angsty! I CANNOT wait for My Way Back To You!" --Tijan, NYT Bestselling Author
"Delicious tension, OMG the angst, and an ending that will have you begging for more! Then There Was You delivers all the feels!" - Melanie Harlow, USA Today Bestselling Author "THEN THERE WAS YOU WAS OVER THE MOON AMAZING!!!! I cannot believe I was considering waiting to read it until summer! Best purchase of 2018!" - Amazon reviewer

About the Author

Claire doesn’t like to talk about herself. Because of this, she asked a friend of hers to write her bio. This is what she got:

Claire is caring, smart, witty, and funny as heck. Despite being a New York Times Best Selling Author of a popular contemporary romance series, Claire doesn’t read many romance novels. However, when she sits down to write, those are the ones that pour from her fingers. Much to her displeasure, we like to say she’s a romantic at heart.

She is a breast cancer survivor who lives in Miami with her good looking husband, two adorable boys, three bulldogs, and two stray cats that she refuses to admit are hers (even though they live on her porch and she continues to feed them). When she’s not writing, she’s always lost in a book (the more suspenseful, the better).

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07B4NVDVJ
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 28, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.4 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 268 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0999584415
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 2 ‏ : ‎ Second Chances Duet
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 1,591 ratings

About the author

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Claire Contreras

Claire Contreras

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Claire Contreras is many things — a New York Times Bestselling author, breast cancer survivor, mother, and wife.

Thanks to her boredom and rebellious nature, she has an affinity to genre-jump, so in her backlist, you can find anything from contemporary romance, to sports romance, to romantic suspense, to books she can only describe as, “Weird, but romantic?”

Despite the genre-jumping, all of her stories are multicultural and feature strong heroines (Claire has never met a weak woman --- they just don’t exist), found families (because she doesn’t know where she’d be without hers), and heroes who fall first, harder, are kind of obsessed with the heroine and always trying to impress her (because that’s the hero she married 17 years ago).

Claire was born in the Dominican Republic, raised in Miami, and lives in North Carolina, where she spends her days marveling at the beautiful sky and forcing her family to marvel along with her.

Since starting her publishing journey in 2013, she has written over 25 romance novels, which have been translated into over 20 languages.

Claire gave up social media a couple of years ago, but according to her horoscope, she can’t reach her full potential if she’s always hiding, so she’s trying to get back out there this year. Maybe.

You can text 'BOOK' to 21000 to get an alert each time she has a new book release!

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
1,591 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this romance novel emotionally engaging, with one review noting how love and angst are balanced throughout the story. The book keeps readers hooked from beginning to end, with well-developed characters and great pacing. Customers appreciate the writing style, with one describing it as evocative.

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Emotional contentReadabilityPacingCharacter developmentWriting quality
38 customers mention "Emotional content"33 positive5 negative

Customers enjoy the emotional content of the book, describing it as a sweet story about love and life, with one customer noting that love and angst come in equal measures.

"...I definitely devoured this emotional ride and gladly sat at the edge of my seat welcoming every gut twisting emotion knowing it was going to hurt...." Read more

"Contemporary romance Childhood friends to lovers to enemies to lovers Rich families Best friend’s brother-ish Boy obsessed..." Read more

"...And with Then There Was You, she gave us a beautiful story, but also gave us great protagonists; Tessa and Rowan...." Read more

"...I do not bleed.” Claire Contreras delivers an angsty, emotional read that will have you screaming for the next book by the end…although..." Read more

30 customers mention "Readability"30 positive0 negative

Customers find the book beautiful and driven, keeping them engaged throughout.

"...I am definitely reading the next book in this duet. Hands down an amazing read." Read more

"...This book was intense, especially towards the end and with Claire Contreras’s evocative writing the torrent of tears soon followed...." Read more

"...hurt so good and the craziness of all the feels I went through worth every minute. Don't wait until part 2 is out to read this one...." Read more

"...It was just... WHOA. It was so good and so brutal and so angsty. I need the second book RIGHT FREAKING NOW...." Read more

14 customers mention "Pacing"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book engaging, with several mentioning they were hooked from beginning to end. One customer describes it as exhilarating and intense, while another notes how it gave them all the feelings.

"...I should also add, Rowan’s brother, Sam, and Tessa also have a wonderful dynamic that is added to their story...." Read more

"...I fell in love with the possibilities and my heart soared with hope...." Read more

"...This book had me hooked from beginning to end...." Read more

"...going back and forth between the past and the present it was totally riveting and angsty. Now the writing ...." Read more

11 customers mention "Character development"11 positive0 negative

Customers love the main characters in the book.

"...The character connection was on point, thus enabling this reader to go on one hell of an emotional roller coaster and be completely wrung out by the..." Read more

"...I fell in love with these two imperfect characters. I fell in love with the possibilities and my heart soared with hope...." Read more

"...Then There Was You is no exception, the characters, the angst, the intensity, the feels, they’re all there in full force...." Read more

"...Together they were a beautiful mess. I love the main characters so much, but what I really loved, was that the secondary characters left..." Read more

10 customers mention "Writing quality"10 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting its great pacing and evocative style, with one customer highlighting how the words bring the characters to life.

"...intense, especially towards the end and with Claire Contreras’s evocative writing the torrent of tears soon followed...." Read more

"...The words inside make the people real and you'll feel every moment as they walk through it with them; because Claire is such a master at painting a..." Read more

"...This book had me hooked from beginning to end. The writing is so flawless and the story is told so effortless that you have no choice but to be..." Read more

"...The writing and pacing are great, and I am waiting with bated breathe for the next book. Rowan and Tessa have crawled in my head and won’t let go...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Celeste Daniel
    5.0 out of 5 stars ANGST!!!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Loving the angst! Tess & Ro have stolen my heart. I am fighting for them, so much I was crying!
    Helpful
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  • *erin*
    4.0 out of 5 stars wow, I did not see that ending coming
    Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Contemporary romance
    Childhood friends to lovers to enemies to lovers
    Rich families
    Best friend’s brother-ish
    Boy obsessed
    Unrequited love
    Pining
    Angsty
    Emotionally stunted MMC
    Playboy MMC
    Intimacy outside the main couple (off page)
    Flashbacks
    OW drama
    Heart break
    Cliffhanger (sort of)
    First in a duet
    Multiple POV
    Spice: 3/5

    FMC: Tessa Monte
    MMC: Rowan Hawthorne

    Did I enjoy the book? Yes
    Would I read the book again? Yes
    Will I continue the duet? After that ending, I must
    Will I read from this author again? Yes

    I was kind of wishy washy for a lot of the book. I didn’t understand where the story was headed but then I was creeping closer and closer to the ending and I getting my heart ripped out and the last page was getting closer and closer and it wasn’t getting better, it was getting worse. I just could not fathom Rowan’s life choices. Tessa was shattered. I appreciate that she picked up her pieces and went to love her life and move on. There better be so much groveling and angst and suffering for Rowan in the next book. I need him to regret every decision he made. I need Tessa to be doing amazing and Rowan to be a mess. I need to see them get a HEA when it’s all said and done.
    Huge pet peeve of mine is intimacy outside of the main couple. Once they meet, whether they are together or not, I need them not get spicy with anyone outside of the main couple.
    I did not expect that ending at all. The drama was elite and I can’t wait to see what happens in book 2.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Vanessa Martinez
    5.0 out of 5 stars Speechless
    Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Omg!! This book had me on the edge of my feels seat for nearly the whole book. I couldn’t stop reading it. Tessa and Rowan are best friends that turned to best friends with benefits. But they end things when they go to different colleges. Now life has brought the, back into each others lives. And even though they both know that what they are doing is only temporary, they do it anyway. Tessa has a choice between 2 amazing apprenticeships. Rowan is about to take over the family business but needs to enter a marriage contract to gain full control of the company. The ride they take you on is one you will not want to get off of and the cliffhanger at theme is equivalent to the freefall of all freefalls. I definitely devoured this emotional ride and gladly sat at the edge of my seat welcoming every gut twisting emotion knowing it was going to hurt. And hurt it did. I am definitely reading the next book in this duet. Hands down an amazing read.
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  • Kindle Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Average to Good Read
    Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    3.5

    Trope: second chance, working together, best friends

    Slow burn level: 70%

    Heroine is briefly back home trying to sell the family home. She has a couple apprenticeships lined up and is waiting to make her next plan for life.

    Hero is the son who will be taking over the family business. He has been primed for this. He has always been a casual guy and has accepted his place in the family company

    Cliff hanger and I am eager to be done with this review so I can read the next book

    Trigger Warnings: none
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  • L. Rutledge
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another beautiful story from Claire ❤️❤️
    Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Man oh man, I am sucker for a good ole fashioned second chance romance. They’re my favorite books to read and Claire is one of the best at telling this kind of story. And with Then There Was You, she gave us a beautiful story, but also gave us great protagonists; Tessa and Rowan.

    Tessa and Rowan’s relationship is unique. They have history. They have a great friendship. But most importantly, they have a special bond. I’m not talking sexually, I’m talking special. These two get one another on a certain level, that the secondary characters aren’t able to compete with. But I should also add, Rowan’s brother, Sam, and Tessa also have a wonderful dynamic that is added to their story. Nothing is cut and dry about these three.

    I love when a book throws you for a loop; one that constantly keeps you guessing. With Then There Was You, there are some components that had me grasping for straws. Had me scared that the worse was looming. It also had me begging and pleading with every character, that things would end up differently. Tessa and Rowan slowly but surely ripped me to shreds.

    This book took my heart and ran with it. By the time I got to the end, I was sobbing. I was angry. I was hurt. I felt so much passion for Tessa and Rowan but I also felt betrayal. It’s funny how a book like this destroyed me. As previously mentioned, I’m a sucker for second chance romances. I’m a romantic through and through, and a great love story will always suck me in. Tessa and Rowan’s story is nothing short of excellence. It’s laced with desire, true love, excitement, and even the dreaded heartaches. If you’re longing for a pure love story, look no further, Then There Was You is the book you need!!
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • gynniet17
    4.0 out of 5 stars ugh read and be prepared for the angst.
    Reviewed in Australia on July 9, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I’m just going to say this, I took away the one ⭐️ cause honestly Rowan wasn’t cutting it for me. He was so stone cold that I was so frustrated so annoyed at him that I nearly I mean nearly threw my kindle at my wall.

    This book is gave me so much ANGST that I couldn’t put it down and nope no spoilers but I do recommend it.
    Report
  • M
    5.0 out of 5 stars get ready to ugly cry
    Reviewed in Canada on May 31, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Well I mean you know it’s going to be angst ridden from the get go. But for me the sign of a good angst ridden book is just how hard you ugly cry when it happens. And I cried HARD. couldn’t put the book down.
    Report
  • MrsR
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 10, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Great little will they won't they story that really makes you want to keep reading. Can't wait to read the next one.
    Report
  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Chances
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 13, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This story took me a while to get into. When I finally did it ended. The flashbacks were for me were a little off putting because I just wanted the story to continue.
    Report
  • Meagz
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow
    Reviewed in Canada on January 14, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    She gets me every time. Well cliffhanger on this one. I did not realize this until the last page. Warning. Get the tissues.
    Report

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