Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick 
 For the Love of a Lush is the second book in the Lush series by Selena Laurence. This one can be read as a standalone, but does take place following the events of the first book with interconnected characters. I hadn't read the first book at the time I read this one, and I had no problems figuring everything out quickly though. I think it would have enhanced my experience with this book having seen all the events before and knowing the characters and their history better, but it wasn't a necessity. I will say that after reading this one though, I will definitely be going back to read it and I also can't wait for more in this series! Serena Laurence is a new to me author, but I really enjoyed this book and her writing style. 
 Six months have gone by since Walsh lost everything. He was a drummer for a successful rock band, he was engaged to the love of his life, and he didn't want for anything. But he is also an alcoholic, and while in rehab he suffered a horrible betrayal. Now after the breakup of his band and getting out of rehab, he is living and working at the Double A ranch and focusing on staying sober and completing his steps. When his ex-fiance shows up looking to rekindle their relationship, Walsh sets out to make things right between them so that they can move on. But he has no interest in getting back together, even if he still loves her. Tammy however is a fighter and refuses to give up so easily on them. She made a horrible mistake and is determined to prove to Walsh that she is different and that they are meant to be together. As Tammy and Walsh get to know the people they are now, they both realize that although the feelings are still there between them it won't be easy to overcome everything that has happened. Will they be willing to do what it takes to have a future together though? 
 I really liked Walsh. I felt so bad for him. He had been through so much, and my heart absolutely broke for him at many points in this story. Yes he made mistakes, and a lot of things happened because of his problem with alcohol. But that doesn't excuse the betrayal that occurred by the two people who should have loved him the most. Walsh really made such a transformation even from the start of this book to the end, and he really was committed to staying sober and changing his life. He had hit such a low point, and was really forgiving and understanding despite what he had been through. I liked that he took responsibility for his actions, and didn't try to make excuses or put blame anywhere that it shouldn't be. Tammy was harder for me to like though. She had made such terrible mistake, and I just couldn't understand why she would do what she did. It didn't make sense to me even with everything that she was dealing with. I was glad that she was completely honest though, and she owned up to everything. She never once denied anything, and I had a lot of respect for that. I will say that she did win me over slowly though, and I really started to root for her and Walsh to figure things out. Their story was such a great one because they had so much history, and such a strong connection. You could see that after everything, they were still meant to be together and were made for each other. They had such a great emotional bond as well as fabulous chemistry. 
 Overall, I thought that this book was really good. I liked the characters, and I am interested in seeing more of them all. I look forward to continuing this series as well as going back and getting Joss and Mel's story. I did think that things were a bit easy when it came to Walsh forgiving Joss though, and he seemed to be much less forgiving with Tammy. Things seemed to be smoothed over faster than I would have thought possible when it came to them. I did think that it was great that they were able to get over things though, and that they could start to be friends again in the future. But I would have expected it to have taken a much longer time that what happened in this book. This book was full of hope and love, and determination. There were parts that were so heartbreaking you needed a serious amount of tissues though, and these characters struggled so much. It was so nice to see them overcome the obstacles placed before them, and I am so glad that things worked out the way they did. I would definitely recommend this book to contemporary fans, and I look forward to reading more from Selena Laurence in the future. 
 **ARC Provided by Author**