A Long Time Coming by Meghan Quinn Summary, Characters and Themes
A Long Time Coming by Meghan Quinn is a heartfelt and humorous contemporary romance that explores the complexities of relationships, self-discovery, and personal growth. The story revolves around Lia, a college student engaged to Brian, a man she feels conflicted about, and her evolving friendship with Breaker, a quirky and supportive guy who has been her rock.
As the wedding approaches, Lia faces mounting pressure from her overbearing future mother-in-law and unresolved feelings about her engagement. Meanwhile, Breaker, who has always been there for Lia, begins to question his own feelings for her. This journey takes readers through moments of joy, confusion, heartache, and ultimately, love.
Summary
Lia is a college student who stumbles upon a secret society known as the SSS (Secret Scrabble Society). During her first encounter, she meets Breaker Cane, a quirky, mustached guy who gives her hints about the secret society and its hidden room.
Despite some initial awkwardness, Lia and Breaker bond over their shared nerdy interests, including Scrabble, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings. As the night progresses, Breaker and Lia play a Scrabble game where Lia loses but admires Breaker’s strategic skills.
Their friendship begins to form, and Breaker assures Lia that they will become good friends.
While Lia is adjusting to a new chapter in her life, Breaker is dealing with a lawsuit filed against his family by a former employee, Gemma Shoemacher. She is accusing Breaker and his brothers of creating a hostile work environment and wrongful termination.
Despite being advised by his older brother Huxley to take a vacation to avoid further scrutiny, Breaker is concerned about how this lawsuit will affect the family business’s reputation.
Lia is also struggling with her engagement to Brian. She loves him, but the pressure of wedding planning, particularly from Brian’s overbearing mother, is overwhelming.
Lia is unsure about some of the decisions being made, especially since her parents passed away and she feels a lack of control over the wedding. Lia confides in Breaker about her feelings, and he becomes her confidant, offering support during difficult conversations.
He listens to her concerns about her engagement, and together, they navigate these emotional challenges.
As the days go by, Lia continues to wrestle with her complicated feelings about her upcoming wedding. She opens up more about her discomfort with the engagement ring, the rushed wedding timeline, and Brian’s lack of involvement in the decision-making process.
Breaker reassures her, reminding her that she has the right to voice her desires and wishes for the wedding. He also reassures her that he will always be there to support her.
Breaker also grapples with his feelings about Lia’s engagement. Though they have become close friends, Breaker doesn’t think Brian is the right person for Lia.
He feels that Brian doesn’t fully understand her, particularly in the wake of her parents’ passing. Breaker grows increasingly concerned about the direction Lia’s life is taking, especially as she continues to feel pressured by her future mother-in-law.
To keep the peace, Breaker agrees to a double date with Brian’s friend, Birdy. Although Breaker is initially reluctant, he warms to Birdy during their time together.
She is beautiful and sweet, but the date lacks the connection that Breaker shares with Lia. Throughout the night, Lia and Breaker joke about the potential for a future romance between him and Birdy.
However, despite their playful teasing, Breaker remains focused on his friendship with Lia.
As the wedding planning intensifies, Lia continues to feel overwhelmed by Brian’s lack of input and the constant interference from his mother. Breaker steps in when Lia is being pressured by “The Beave,” Brian’s mom, during a church visit for the wedding preparations.
He reassures Lia and helps her stand up for herself, reminding her that she deserves to have a say in her wedding decisions. Despite Breaker’s support, Lia’s feelings of inadequacy and frustration continue to grow, and she begins to question whether her relationship with Brian is the right choice.
Lia’s bond with Breaker continues to deepen as they spend more time together. Their friendship becomes more intimate, especially when Lia opens up about her feelings for Breaker and the complexities of her engagement.
Breaker, while conflicted about his growing romantic feelings for Lia, remains her steadfast friend. He continues to offer comfort, but the emotional tension between them begins to build.
At a cake-tasting event, tensions reach a breaking point when Brian dismisses Lia’s preferences for the wedding cake, and his mother insists on controlling the details. Breaker steps in and defends Lia, but it’s clear that Brian’s indifference and his mother’s dominance over the wedding planning are creating a rift between the couple.
This event forces Lia to question whether she truly wants to marry Brian or if she’s simply trying to live up to everyone else’s expectations.
In the midst of the wedding chaos, Breaker and Lia take a trip to Disneyland, where they share a magical day filled with laughter, rides, and a growing sense of romantic tension. As their bond deepens, Breaker confesses his feelings for Lia, and they share a vulnerable moment together.
Lia admits to her own insecurities about their relationship, but Breaker reassures her that he wants to be with her, no matter what.
The next day, Lia has a brief meeting with Brian for closure, as she struggles to fully move on from their past. Breaker, feeling insecure about the meeting, is relieved when Lia assures him that she is committed to him and that her relationship with Brian lacked depth.
Breaker expresses his love for Lia, and they reaffirm their connection.
The relationship between Breaker and Lia reaches new heights when Breaker proposes to her in a grand yet intimate way. Surrounded by friends and family, Breaker asks Lia to marry him, and she accepts, overwhelmed with emotion.
Their journey has been full of challenges, but they have grown stronger together. The proposal marks a new beginning, as they are ready to face the future together, rooted in love and trust.
A Long Time Coming concludes with a heartwarming resolution, as Breaker and Lia embrace their future, ready to build a life together filled with love, laughter, and mutual respect.
Characters
Lia
Lia is a college student at a crossroads in her life. She has recently become engaged to Brian, yet finds herself overwhelmed by the intense pressure surrounding the wedding and the controlling influence of Brian’s mother.
Lia feels conflicted about her relationship with Brian, as she grapples with feelings of inadequacy, especially given her loss of both parents. Her emotional turmoil is compounded by the rush of the wedding planning process and her fiancé’s lack of understanding regarding her needs and desires.
Despite her love for Brian, Lia is uncertain about their future together and her ability to assert herself. Throughout the story, Lia’s deepening connection with Breaker—her best friend—becomes a source of comfort, support, and emotional clarity.
Lia’s journey of self-discovery involves navigating her relationships with both Brian and Breaker, as she works through her internal conflict over her engagement and the changes in her life. Ultimately, Lia finds herself questioning her decision to marry Brian and contemplating her feelings for Breaker, whose affection for her is impossible to ignore.
Breaker Cane
Breaker Cane is a quirky, fun-loving guy who stands as the emotional pillar in Lia’s life. With his distinctive mustache and laid-back personality, Breaker is a constant source of support for Lia as she navigates the overwhelming aspects of her engagement to Brian.
Though he is deeply concerned about Lia’s relationship with Brian, Breaker values their friendship above all else and is willing to help Lia with her wedding plans, despite his own discomfort with the rapid pace of the engagement. Breaker’s feelings for Lia grow stronger as the story progresses, and he is faced with the difficult dilemma of being there for her while dealing with his own unspoken emotions.
His sense of loyalty and affection for Lia make him an essential part of her emotional landscape, and his relationship with her evolves from platonic to something much deeper. Breaker is a man of integrity who often sacrifices his own desires to ensure that Lia feels supported, whether it’s comforting her during her struggles with wedding planning or stepping in to challenge Brian’s decisions.
His internal conflict grows as he becomes more aware of his love for Lia, yet his hesitance to act on it stems from his fear of damaging their friendship. By the end of the story, Breaker has grown into a more emotionally open individual, ready to pursue the love he has long felt for Lia.
Brian
Brian is Lia’s fiancé, whose lack of emotional depth and consideration for Lia’s feelings become a central point of tension in the story. Although he loves Lia, his relationship with her is strained due to his overbearing mother, whom Lia refers to as “The Beave.”
Brian is portrayed as somewhat disconnected from Lia’s emotional needs, particularly regarding the death of her parents and the overwhelming wedding plans that have taken over their lives. His dismissive attitude toward Lia’s concerns about the wedding, including his lack of input in crucial decisions, shows his inability to understand the weight of what she is going through.
Brian’s insensitivity and tendency to let his mother control the situation create a growing rift between him and Lia. His failure to listen and adapt to Lia’s emotional needs highlights the growing realization that he may not be the right partner for her.
As Lia’s feelings for Breaker intensify, she begins to question whether Brian can provide her the emotional support she truly needs. While Brian apologizes for some of his actions, his character arc is largely defined by his inability to break free from his mother’s influence and truly connect with Lia on a deeper level.
Huxley
Huxley is Breaker’s older brother, who acts as a guiding figure in Breaker’s life, especially when the pressure of family matters becomes overwhelming. Huxley’s practical advice and older-brother demeanor often offer a sense of stability, especially when Breaker is grappling with the lawsuit against him and his brothers, as well as his concerns about Lia’s engagement.
Huxley is concerned about Breaker’s emotional well-being and encourages him to take time off to avoid the scrutiny of the ongoing investigation. His role in the story provides a balancing effect to Breaker’s more carefree nature, offering a more grounded perspective on the challenges Breaker faces.
Although Huxley’s character isn’t as fleshed out as Breaker’s or Lia’s, his advice plays an important role in helping Breaker deal with his internal conflicts and focus on the future.
“The Beave” (Brian’s Mother)
“The Beave” is Brian’s mother, and her overbearing and controlling nature plays a significant role in the stress and tension of Lia’s wedding planning. The Beave is portrayed as the classic “mother-in-law” figure who insists on controlling every aspect of the wedding, leaving Lia feeling unheard and disrespected.
Her demands and dismissive attitude toward Lia’s feelings make her a key antagonist in the narrative, adding pressure to an already difficult situation. She represents everything that Lia is struggling with: the overwhelming force of someone else’s expectations and the feeling of being controlled.
The Beave’s constant interference in the wedding plans highlights the emotional distance between Lia and Brian, as Brian rarely steps in to challenge his mother’s actions. The Beave’s role is crucial in forcing Lia to confront her own emotions and question whether she is truly making the right decision in her engagement.
Birdy
Birdy is a character introduced as part of a double date with Breaker, meant to ease the tension between him and Lia’s fiancé, Brian. Although she and Breaker have little in common, Birdy is portrayed as sweet and attractive, offering Breaker a brief escape from his emotional entanglement with Lia.
Birdy’s character provides a glimpse into Breaker’s potential future, as he begins to entertain the idea of dating someone else after realizing that Lia might not be the partner he thought she was going to be. While Birdy doesn’t become a central character, her presence serves to push Breaker further into a realization of his own feelings for Lia and the challenges he faces as he contemplates his future.
Despite their differences, she brings a fresh perspective to Breaker’s life and highlights the emotional complexity he experiences throughout the story.
JP
JP is a minor but important character who plays a role in Breaker’s life, especially during his moments of emotional struggle. As one of Breaker’s close friends, JP helps to ground him when he is facing personal challenges, particularly related to his feelings for Lia and his concerns about the engagement.
Though JP doesn’t have a major role in the plot, his support and friendship with Breaker add a layer of camaraderie and comfort in Breaker’s life. JP’s conversations with Breaker often provide insight into the struggles that Breaker faces in maintaining a close friendship with Lia while also harboring romantic feelings for her.
Themes
Friendship and Support
The relationship between Breaker and Lia centers around deep, unwavering friendship, which forms the foundation for the progression of their bond throughout A Long Time Coming. In a time when Lia is grappling with significant emotional turmoil, including the loss of her parents and the stress of wedding planning, Breaker emerges as her constant pillar of support.
Their friendship is grounded in a shared understanding of each other’s vulnerabilities and challenges. Breaker offers Lia a safe space to express her frustrations, especially as she feels overwhelmed by her fiancé Brian’s lack of independence and the pressure from his overbearing mother.
Unlike Brian, who disregards Lia’s needs, Breaker listens attentively, giving her the validation and reassurance she craves. The strength of their friendship is evident in their ability to navigate these emotional minefields together without crossing boundaries prematurely.
As they face their personal struggles, including Breaker’s concerns about his family’s legal battles and Lia’s complex relationship with Brian, their mutual support grows even more significant, transforming their friendship into an emotional lifeline.
Their interactions are an essential exploration of how authentic, platonic relationships can lay the groundwork for more profound connections. Even as they each evolve emotionally, the foundation of their friendship does not crumble under the strain of changing dynamics.
Breaker’s role as Lia’s “man of honor” for the wedding is a symbol of the depth of their connection, where friendship transcends the typical limits and remains steadfast, despite the shifting tides of their personal lives. As their bond continues to strengthen, it serves as a reminder that true friendship involves providing unconditional support, particularly when navigating life’s most challenging moments.
Self-Discovery and Personal Growth
Throughout the novel, both Breaker and Lia embark on journeys of self-discovery that propel them toward understanding their desires, emotions, and ultimately their futures. Lia’s struggle with her engagement to Brian serves as a key moment in her process of self-exploration.
Initially, she feels overwhelmed by her circumstances—engaged to a man she’s unsure about, feeling the loss of her parents, and dealing with the pressures surrounding the wedding plans. Lia’s journey is marked by her attempts to assert herself, which is complicated by her conflict between societal expectations and personal desires.
As she grapples with the reality of her engagement, she begins to recognize that she may not be fully aligned with the life Brian envisions for her. This realization leads to crucial moments of introspection where she questions whether her choices reflect her true self or the expectations others have placed upon her.
Similarly, Breaker’s path of self-discovery is deeply entwined with his evolving feelings for Lia. Initially, his focus is on being the supportive friend, but over time, as he watches Lia navigate her tumultuous engagement and wedding plans, Breaker confronts his growing emotions.
The realization that his feelings for Lia go beyond friendship forces him to evaluate his own desires and what kind of future he wants for himself. Breaker’s insecurities about his place in Lia’s life, and his fears of their friendship changing once she is married, also reveal his growth.
He eventually comes to terms with the possibility of being vulnerable, opening up about his feelings for Lia, which contrasts with his earlier stance of remaining the dependable friend. Their individual journeys toward self-awareness highlight the importance of personal growth in any relationship, whether romantic or platonic, and show how introspection can lead to better understanding of oneself and others.
Love and Romantic Relationships
The evolving relationship between Breaker and Lia takes center stage as they transition from friends to romantic partners in A Long Time Coming. At the heart of their romance is the slow realization of their deep feelings for each other, complicated by the existing tension of Lia’s engagement to Brian.
This love story is not one of instant attraction or typical romance but one built on years of friendship, emotional support, and shared experiences. Breaker’s feelings for Lia grow gradually, and despite his initial hesitation to act on them due to their close friendship, it becomes clear that their connection is more profound than mere friendship.
Lia, on the other hand, finds herself at a crossroads as she navigates the complexities of her relationship with Brian, who is distant, unresponsive to her emotional needs, and is controlled by his mother’s overwhelming influence. The way she begins to question her relationship with Brian reflects the tension between societal expectations and genuine emotional fulfillment.
As Lia’s connection with Breaker deepens, it becomes evident that her bond with him is rooted in understanding, respect, and mutual admiration, which she no longer finds in her engagement to Brian. Breaker, who has been a constant source of comfort and support, emerges as the person who truly understands her, unlike Brian, whose actions only alienate her further.
Their love story is not without its complications, though. Breaker’s fears about the inevitable changes that Lia’s marriage will bring, his insecurities about his feelings for her, and the broader concerns regarding their future all add layers to their romance.
However, as the story unfolds, they both realize that their deep emotional connection is undeniable, and they are ready to build a future together. The development of their romantic relationship is a powerful reminder that love often grows out of mutual respect and emotional intimacy, and that true love is built on a foundation of deep understanding rather than external pressures.
Family Dynamics and Influence
Family plays a pivotal role in shaping the characters’ decisions and emotional landscapes in A Long Time Coming, particularly in the case of Lia and Breaker. Lia’s family, especially the absence of her parents, leaves her with an emotional void that influences her choices and interactions with others.
Her relationship with Brian and the wedding planning process is marked by her struggle to assert her own desires in the face of Brian’s mother, “The Beave,” whose controlling nature casts a shadow over the entire experience. Lia’s hesitations about her upcoming wedding are compounded by The Beave’s overbearing presence, reminding her of the lack of parental support she feels in her life.
On the other hand, Breaker’s relationship with his brothers and his family’s ongoing legal struggles also affects his emotional state and perspective on relationships. His concern for the family business and the implications of the lawsuit serve as a backdrop to his growing feelings for Lia.
The pressure from both his family and his own emotional conflicts with Lia create a sense of tension, as he feels torn between his loyalty to his family and his desire to protect Lia from emotional harm.
The contrasting family dynamics in the story highlight the complex interplay between personal desires and the expectations or influences placed upon individuals by their families. Lia’s journey toward independence and self-assertion is made more challenging by the absence of her parents and the imposition of Brian and his mother’s desires for her life.
Breaker’s challenges with his family’s struggles, particularly with his brothers, underscore the emotional weight that family obligations can place on individual desires and relationships. Ultimately, A Long Time Coming portrays the delicate balance between honoring family ties and navigating one’s own path, especially when those familial influences become overwhelming or controlling.
