Traveling Woman (Traveling #2)

4 stars! **Contains spoilers if you haven’t read The Traveling Man**

The way things ended in the first book left me feeling agitated for days, and during that time I wanted nothing more than to get my greedy hands on this sequel. But I was also nervous because I wasn’t sure how the author would approach Aimee and Kes’s relationship after that ending, and was even more afraid that I wouldn’t like it. It was a bumpy journey, but overall I’m really happy with the way Aimee and Kes’s story was resolved – some plot events along the way I definitely didn’t agree with, but I respect and admire the author for going all out and delivering a conclusion that fit these characters well. The beginning of this story picks up where book 1 ended, and to my surprise, I didn’t expect that previous cliffy ending to be resolved so quickly. Kes visits Aimee and decides to try living her lifestyle since she spent weeks on the road with him as a carnie before. I liked that there was some character growth in this portion of the story as Kes and Aimee truly communicate and lay out their insecurities and fears. In the first book, I totally felt that this was a couple that belonged together, but got aggravated by the unresolved angst and inner conflict due to a lack of communication, so I was really overjoyed to see them both improve in this aspect.

As the story progressed, I settled into the comfortable pace of the story and that’s when I got caught off guard by a twist the author threw into the book. It startled me, but it was bound to happen sooner or later and most importantly, the author wrote it in a way that further convinced me how strong the bond between Aimee and Kes was, how much they loved each other, and how they could get through pretty much any obstacle together. It was a journey full of redemption, second chances, and healing, and through this experience, they both matured considerably. Now that I’ve finished this book, my recommendation would be to read these 2 books back to back. I think it’s a story that really can’t be judged until read in its entirety, which is probably why I struggled so much with rating the first book on its own. Overall, I would give this duet a 4-4.5 star rating. The two books complemented each other perfectly and fit together like two puzzle pieces. Book 1 was more of a charming, magical story that swept me off my feet and took me to a dreamy world

full of carnival fun and hopeful wishes. Book 2 – while still retaining some of that magical quality – presented a more realistic, relatable story following the romance between a restless wanderer and a homebody at heart, and how a relationship between two people so different could work. And because put together, this duet encompasses pretty much everything, the reading experience was satisfying and rich full of feelings too. All in all, the author has really given readers a unique and fresh romance that’s going to capture hearts. The Traveling Woman is book 2 in the Traveling Duet and must be read after The Traveling Man.

#45stars #REVIEW #contemporary #Circus