Restore Me by J.L. Seegars | A Masterclass in Longing, Loss and Healing

Whewwww. Where do I even begin?

First things first because I’ve seen some discourse floating around Threads about Dominic “the mf’n man” Alexander, and I need y’all to know right now that we stan Nic over here!

Now that we’ve established that…

Usually when I’m reading, my attention goes straight to the plot twists, the drama, the big moments that demand your attention and of course the SPICE. Restore Me felt different. Everything about this story feels deeply intimate because the biggest battles aren’t happening in public but happening quietly inside two people trying to figure out how to keep moving forward after life has broken them completely.

This story explores grief, guilt, longing, and the weight of both the past and the future. It’s also a masterclass in “show, don’t tell.” The moments that stayed with me weren’t necessarily the loud ones. They were the pauses. The hesitation. The things left unsaid. The tiny victories that seem insignificant compared to everything these characters have lost yet somehow shine anyway.

Restore Me is the first book in the New Haven Romance series and follows Sloane Kent, the widow of her best friend Mallory Kent’s twin brother Eric Kent, and Dominic (Nic) Alexander, Eric’s best friend.

Sloane and Nic have been at each other’s throats since college. Because they were both deeply connected to the Kent family, they were always in the same orbit. Every family gathering, every celebration, every milestone, there they were, trading insults and getting under each other’s skin.

But what isn’t obvious at first is that underneath all that hostility lives something much deeper.

Because Sloane was the one that got away, and Nic has been carrying that burden for years.

Imagine watching your best friend build a life with the woman you’ve loved from the moment you met her. Imagine loving someone so completely while convincing yourself that hating her is easier than wanting what you can never have.

The tragedy? Sloane doesn’t even remember that first meeting.

The only evidence she has is a recurring dream she assumes means nothing.

When Nic ends up working on a contracting project at Sloane’s job, their already volatile dynamic gets turned up several notches. He’s constantly in her space, constantly irritating her, and intentionally pushing every button she has. The chemistry between them is impossible to ignore, even when they’re pretending otherwise.

Things begin to shift after a night out with Mallory goes sideways. Sloane had been drinking, and when a man in the club puts his hands on her and tries to drag her away, Nic sees red and comes to her defense. What follows becomes a turning point in a relationship that’s been teetering between resentment and something far more dangerous for years.

The story moves between past and present, slowly revealing how they got here. We see the moment they met, the reason they never reconnected, the complicated relationships that shaped them, Sloane’s struggles with her socialite mother, and the bonds connecting every member of this family.

What unfolds is two people finally confronting the hurts they’ve spent years avoiding.

And y’all…

Watching them fall in love was breathtaking.

The way Nic loves Sloane had me in a chokehold. Every description, every observation, every thought about her feels intentional. He notices everything. The man is fully engaged with all five senses whenever she’s around, and it made every interaction feel charged with emotion.

And when they finally stop fighting what has always existed between them?

Baby! The passion? The chemistry? The tension that’s been building for years?

Top. Tier.

What I appreciated most is that Nic never crossed lines while Eric was alive. He wasn’t secretly pursuing Sloane or waiting in the wings. His hostility toward her was born from the impossible position he found himself in. That conflict made his character feel so much more layered and heartbreaking.

His protectiveness, his loyalty, his love for both Sloane and Eric’s memory all coexist in a way that feels messy, complicated, and incredibly human. Even when her heart knew where it belonged, Sloane couldn’t stop measuring her happiness against the pain she feared it would cause Eric’s mother and sister.

The ending absolutely wrecked me. I cried real tears. It was the absolute most selfless and loving thing I’ve read in a while.

Restore Me is a beautiful reminder that healing isn’t linear. Sometimes it’s ugly. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it asks you to face things you’d rather leave buried.

But it’s also about choosing life after loss.

Choosing love after heartbreak.

Choosing yourself after you’ve spent years surviving.

I loved this book.

And Dominic Alexander? Imma stick beside him!

TW: Grief, death of a spouse, survivor’s guilt, loss of a loved one, emotional trauma, complicated family relationships, alcohol use, unwanted sexual touching/assault, and physical violence.

Rating: That man was carrying a love so heavy it bent the plot.