Excellent second-chance romance
5 stars

His Lost Love is the first book in a new series of standalones called the Manhattan Billionaires. It stands completely alone, however fans of Ms Ryan will remember that Liam is the formerly estranged brother of Ella, the heroine of The Billionaire’s Cinderella. All three brothers and their partners also make cameos in this story, with Ryker and Ella’s part being biggest as it’s their wedding Liam and Mia are attending in this story.

Liam and Mia broke up over 10 years ago and were each other’s first loves, giving this story a delicious second-chance vibe. There’s also a touch of the enemies-to-lovers trope going on, too, as despite their obvious connection, there is a lot of anger, distrust and borderline hatred between our couple at the start of the book.

Both Mia and Liam are interesting, likeable characters. Mia is a successful woman and while she has confidence and sass, we also learn about her fears and how she doesn’t feel her life is complete. Her push and pull with Liam is understandable and I especially loved how she stood up for herself 100% with him.

Liam is potentially a marmite kind of character - you’ll either love him or hate him. He’s described as a bad boy but when we meet him I feel that he’s definitely settled down into a strong and stable man. He’s definitely arrogant but there are many an occasion where his emotions overcome him. I do enjoy a male character who comes across as strong and somewhat alpha, but conveys emotion well.

The reason for the love/hate is due to something that happened when Liam and Mia were first together/splitting up. Mia and Liam have a massive fight and they break off their engagement. Liam leaves and Mia later finds out that he was with another girl. I HATE cheating but, if I’m honest, I felt this was more of a ‘we were on a break’ situation. Were they really still together? And so was it really cheating? I’m not saying this to absolve Liam of his terrible choices, but rather to explain that it didn’t overly bother me so hopefully it won’t bother you either. Regardless, Liam redeemed himself in my eyes (and in Mia’s) and that’s all that matters!

The story was sweet and I really felt the pair were working through their issues. The love was clear from the first - even when the pair were still at odds/ pretending it was only physical. Great chemistry - sexually and otherwise. When they had their big, blowout talk - it was pretty uncomfortable, sure, but it never got to the level of being too angsty or gut wrenching.

I’ve really enjoyed Ava Ryan’s writing and her storytelling - and this is no exception. I did waver between 4 and 5 stars on this one but it was very readable and before I knew it, I’d come to the end. And I admit that a lack of epilogue at the end might have pushed me more towards 4 stars. I NEED an epilogue, people! Luckily, we got a quick teaser about hopefully the next book in the series featuring Michael, Mia’s twin brother. In that story, I’m expecting a follow-up on how Mia and Liam are doing or I might revolt!

If you’re looking for a believable and romantic second-chance romance story with billionaires, banter and meddling friends and family - then I would recommend this book to you. 5 stars from me. ( )