What Lasts is the prequel to the Cake series and follows parents Scott and Michelle as they meet, marry, have kids and go through life, including good times and bad.
About What Lasts
Scott is a teenager when we meet him at a gas station, of all places. His story begins in the 1980’s, full of heavy metal and big hair, and I mean BIG hair. He got his high school girlfriend pregnant, and is now the father of a toddler, living in a minuscule apartment above the garage of his baby mama’s mother’s garage. He works four jobs to make ends meet, but he is a great father.
Michelle was born and raised in wealth. When she meets Scott, she mistakes him for a gas pump jockey. She is the youngest of two girls. Her older sister, Melanie, is bucking her parents’ expectations and having meaningless affairs. But when Michelle meets Scott, she is taken with him. Over the next two weeks, their relationship will bloom. These two know it is only a summer fling, but will they be able to say goodby when the time comes.
Scott and Michelle weather hard times right from the beginning. Her family disowns her. He wants nothing to do with his family. Scott works four jobs to make ends meet, but it is not working. They have two kids, Keith (Rogue Wave) and Emma (Fiercely Emma). But when she finds out he has been lying to her and putting the family in danger, she has some tough decisions to make. Especially since she is keeping a secret of her own.
Scott finally realizes what needs to be done and he makes a plan. But when he gets a call about Michelle, he rushes to her side. No matter what anyone says, he truly loves her and would do anything for her.
Life gets better. More kiddos come along. But their worst nightmare is about to begin. And it will take years for them to recover, if they ever fully do.
Impressions
This book is technically a prequel to Cake: A Love Story, but I am glad it came after the series was complete and all of the kids got their stories. I think it brings light to some things that were glossed over in the other books and we get Scott and Michelle’s perspective on the things that happened.
You will laugh and you will cry in this story. The good times and the bad happen. No parent should have to go through what Scott and Michelle went through. But then no child, especially Jake, should have to go through what they went through. These kids had to grow up fast. And they have never been the same.
I really despise Michelle’s sister, Melanie. She is supposed to have Michelle’s back, but she goes behind it and snitches her off. On top of that, Melanie is not happy in her life. Instead of being there for her sister when she needs it, she is constantly undermining her and telling her come back to the family. The family who disowned her and have nothing to do with their daughter or grandchildren.
Sadly, Michelle’s parents are no better. They are elitist, entitled muckety mucks. They do not deserve Michelle. The one good thing that came out of everything her father tried to do and did do, is that Michelle stood up to him. She secured a settlement from her father that would see them through some tough times.
You will experience emotions galore in this story. Happiness, love, frustration, stress, guilt, pain (both physical and emotional) and a sense of giving up. Be prepared. Have hankies close by.
Availability
What Lasts is currently available to read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited and for purchase in all formats on Amazon.
Series Listing
- What Lasts (The Cake Series Book 0.5)
- Cake: A Love Story (The Cake Series Book 1)
- The Theory of Second Best (The Cake Series Book 2)
- Fiercely Emma (The Cake Series Book 3)
- Cake: The Newlyweds (The Cake Series Book 4)
- Rogue Wave (The Cake Series Book 5)
- Hunker Down With the McKallisters (The Cake Series Book 5.5)
- Next In Line (The Cake Series Book 6)
- Grace Note (The Cake Series Book 7)
About J Bengtsson
J. (Jill) Bengtsson is the bestselling author of the Cake Series. She writes contemporary novels focused on love, humor, passion, and family. Her heroines are strong, nurturing, and quirky while her heroes are what dreams are made of – gorgeous, committed, and in need of a little saving. A native Californian, Jill’s novels are set under the glittering lights of the West Coast entertainment industry. They are for the dreamer in all of us.
Connect with J.
Website | jbengtssonbooks.com
Goodreads | https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15258209.J_Bengtsson
Amazon | https://www.amazon.com/J-Bengtsson/e/B01GTFTM8K
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Facebook Group | https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebananabinder
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