Cadence Anderson has the perfect definition of happily ever after . . .

Until she doesn’t. A freak earthquake shatters her life as surely as her home, taking away everything she holds dear. She wakes in a hospital to find that her beloved husband and infant daughter have been killed, crushed by the earthquake’s wrath. Disoriented, injured, and alone, Cadence refuses to accept the loss. So when a man claiming to be her guardian angel appears and offers her a chance to go back in time to save her family, she doesn’t need to give it a second thought. She accepts.

Thrust back eleven years, she now faces the ordeal of high school all over again. But this time, she’s armed with all the knowledge of her adult life and the determination to do everything better, from preventing the loss of her best friend to avoiding her original, drama-inducing boyfriends. She’s focused solely on Austin, her future husband, and is content to bide her time until she meets him again.

But then James Gordon crosses her path. Cadence wants to remain single, but James has his sights set. He is determined to win her over, and he’s very hard to resist. As Cadence starts to develop unwanted feelings for him, she realizes he threatens to disrupt everything, changing the future and distracting her from her original goal. Now, Cadence must choose: deny the unpredictable and exciting path James offers her, or stay true to the life she had and is trying desperately to resurrect. Second chances are more complicated than they seem.

Deceptive Cadence combines the soaring emotion of a heartfelt romance with the innovative storytelling of magical realism, crafting a uniquely moving, intricate tale about love and loss that asks: what would you do if given the chance to right all your wrongs?

The book is split into two parts. We have Cadence’s part & James’s part.

The beginning of this book broke me fucking heart. It was so sad, you could feel the grief and the loss of husband and child of what Cadence was experiencing.

If you offered the opportunity of a lifetime to go back to the age of fourteen and start all over again to save the two people who you loved most in your life would you? Would you go back and do it all again? With what you know now?

Cadence agrees to this choice and makes changes things, she tries to rectify mistakes with how things went down with her ex boyfriends and her best friend. Through changing those things does it still lead to the path in the future? Was having the knowledge really any help at all? Fixed events can’t be changed as they change the world history revealing these mistakes Cadence will lose her chance at changing her future. 9/11 has to happen, Hurricane Katrina etc. Has to sign a contract. We have the right to make our own choices as humans and we have to carry the consequences.

 We all have that one boy we know we shouldn’t have kissed but did it anyway.

We all have a friend that we lost contact with and we wish that we never didn’t.

Would I want to go back to being grounded?

“Candence Anderson” “Get off me!” “You’re even more beautiful up close.” I glared at him, then glanced around to see the whole class watching. “You’re making a scene.” “I don’t care. I just wanna get your attention.” I shoved him in the chest and glared up at him. “Well you have it, what do you want?” “I want you to date me.” I laughed. “You’re insane” “Come on I’ve been watching you for weeks. You’re a total prude but you’re hot.” I slapped him across the face. “Get away from me”

As his gaze fell back on my face, a hint of pain reflected in his eyes. “So, you’re rejecting me?” “Um, yeah.” “Um yeah or rejecting me or um yeah you wanna date me?” The teacher entered the room with the vice principal behind her. James Gordon! Get off Miss Anderson this instant!” “Not until she answers me. I’m waiting Cadence.” I met his gaze. “No, you’re a bully and a pothead. I wouldn’t touch you with a six foot pole” He pursed his lips and straightened releasing me. “Is that what you think?” “That’s exactly what I think.” He glanced at the vice principal. “Well Cadence you, you’re wrong and I’m going to prove it to you. “ “Go ahead.”

I really like James, actually no I loved him. I can’t say anything about Austin as you don’t really meet him. I’m for the underdog. Sorry Austin but James is my man here. You really have to be careful what you wish.

This book was beautifully written and there was a good foundation to the story. There were times that it flowed well but then there were times were the juvenile and immature behavior came through which is clear because it is young adult it just isn’t for me. I will read the second book.

Sometimes second chances aren’t always what they seem but she has a positive influence on several things. I’m torn with the decision that Cadence made, leaving James.