Reviewed by Courtnee Turner Hoyle for Readers' Favorite

The Corey Effect by Casey Dembowski is a second-chance love story that centers around forgiveness. Andrea Scott is conflicted when she receives the news about her father’s death. She dutifully flies one hundred miles from her home to Fairford to attend his funeral, even though he had been abusive to her during her youth. She soon learns that her father stopped drinking and became a better man, but his transformation only leaves her more upset that he didn’t take the time to apologize to her for his misdeeds. Further upending her world, Andrea’s ex-boyfriend, Corey, reenters her life, explaining that he had been her father’s business partner. It's obvious that Corey still has feelings for her, but he has a secret that may drive Andrea away.

In addition to the romance, The Corey Effect battles a plethora of emotions and focuses on love and forgiveness as central themes. The letters were an interesting part of the story, and they gave more depth to the main character’s father. The weight of the abuse Andrea suffered was heavy in the first part of the book, but the romance balanced out the darkness. Casey Dembowski revealed significant pieces of her plot at a medium pace, and I enjoyed the way she unfolded the story in a dual timeline that ran seamlessly through the pages. Dembowski has a clear power with the pen! The Corey Effect is a great book for mature readers who enjoy rekindled romances. It's a second-chance romance readers won't want to put down!