Romance book reviews. Reviews of books that make my heart race, have a beautiful love story, and a happy ending.

Romance book reviews. Reviews of books that make my heart race, have a beautiful love story, and a happy ending.

Aestas Book Database
LATEST NEW RELEASES, RECOMMENDATIONS, & PRE-ORDERS — WEEK OF May 9, 2017

LATEST NEW RELEASES, RECOMMENDATIONS, & PRE-ORDERS — WEEK OF May 9, 2017

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WHAT I JUST FINISHED READING: The Clover Chapel by Devney Perry (Read my Review) 
SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! OMG!!!! OMG!!!! I just finished reading this AMAZING upcoming second chance romance!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!! This author’s first standalone novel (The Coppersmith Farmhouse, my review) was one of my TOP FAVORITES of this year and this was another WINNER!!!!! The hero and heroine, two complete strangers, met in Vegas nine years ago and after a whirlwind night of intense attraction, they got married. However, in the morning, he’d vanished. She didn’t know why, and leaving had broken his heart but she never saw him again for a whole decade until she moved to a small town, walked into a party, and came face to face with him. Realizing how rare and precious second chances are, he then made it his mission to win back her heart… Seriously you guys, this book was PURE SWOONY ALPHA ROMANCE PERFECTION!!! I loved EVERY word and it’ll be releasing soon so I HIGHLY RECOMMEND pre-ordering a copy so you don’t miss it!! Seriously. This book was everything!

WEEKLY NEW RELEASES RECAP


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LATEST NEW RELEASES, RECOMMENDATIONS, & PRE-ORDERS — WEEK OF May 1, 2017

LATEST NEW RELEASES, RECOMMENDATIONS, & PRE-ORDERS — WEEK OF May 1, 2017

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TOP RECOMMENDATION: Mister Romance by Leisa Rayven (Read my Review) 
HOLY FREAKING SQUEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! This book was AMAZING!! It was the absolute perfect balance between sexy steamy ROMANCE, laugh-out-loud HUMOR, strong FEELS, and intense ANGST!!!! I seriously adore this author’s writing and I have soooooo many quotes highlighted through the book!!! The story was ADDICTIVE, intriguing and totally unputdownable!! The hero was mysterious, elusive, and heart-stoppingly swoooooony, while the heroine was strong, sassy, and very real. I loved them together and I LOVED this book! I read it in one non-stop sitting and it’s easily my new top favorite recommendation for everyone who loves reading romance!!!! It can standalone and is now live and read to read (can you tell I’m excited??) so be sure to grab a copy!! Happy reading! 😀

 
UPCOMING RECOMMENDATION: Until It Fades by KA Tucker (Read my Review) 
*SWOOOOOON* Awwww!!! I just finished reading an early copy of this book and I loved it! It’s a romance about a young single mother with a past she’s desperate to keep hidden who rescues a mysterious man from a bad car wreck on the side of a country road one foggy night. What she doesn’t know is that he’s a mega famous hockey star and even though she’s desperate to keep her identity hidden, he’s just as relentless to find out who the woman who saved his life is and when they finally meet, neither of them can ignore their attraction…. This book is full of LOVE, FAMILY, and SWOON!!! It’s a slow-burning romance that just genuinely made me happy to read about it! And seeing how sweet this big Alpha hero was with her daughter was utterly HEART-MELTING!!! It’s a standalone so be sure to pre-order a copy!

 
HOT MOVIE NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT:

 
BOOK ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • Say You Won’t Let Me Go : A Return to Me/Masters and Mercenaries Novella by Corinne Michaels was just announced! This is a novella (that can be read as a standalone) where the hero is Cooper Townsend seen in Say I’m Yours by Corinne Michaels (my review)! — “I was doing it. I was on my way, until Cooper Townsend landed backstage at my show. This gorgeous, rugged, man of few words was one cowboy I couldn’t afford to let distract me. But with his slow smile and rough hands, I just couldn’t keep away. Now, there are outside forces conspiring against us. Maybe we should’ve known better? Maybe not. All I know is that I want to hold on, but I know the right thing to do is to let go…”
  • His To Protect by Carly Phillips was just announced!
  • Justify Me by J. Kenner was just announced!
  • Her Guardian Angel by Larissa Ione was just announced!
  • Close Cover by Lexi Blake was just announced!
  • Rescuing Sadie by Susan Stoker was just announced!

  • The Clover Chapel by Devney Perry was just announced!! SQUEEEEE!!! This is the next standalone following The Coppersmith Farmhouse (my review) which is quite seriously one of my TOP 5 FAVORITES of 2017!!! — “He hasn’t seen his girl in nine years, but that doesn’t mean he’s forgotten a thing about the woman he loves. After just one blissful night as man and wife, he gave her up, sacrificing his own happiness to keep her safe — far away from him. But the moment she walks back into his lonely life is the moment he decides never to let her go again. He won’t waste his second chance. All he has to do is win back her heart, keep her safe from the shadows in his past, and prove to her that taking a wager on him is a sure bet…”

  • Damaged Like Us by Krista & Becca Ritchie was just announced!! This is the first book in a spin-off series following the children from the couples in the amazing Addicted series! — “Don’t date your bodyguard. It was the one rule he had to break. Maximoff Hale is a force of nature. A ship unwilling to be steered. Headstrong, resilient, and wholly responsible — the twenty-two-year-old alpha billionaire can handle his unconventional life. By noon, lunch can turn into a mob of screaming fans. By two, his face is all over the internet. Born into one of the most famous families in the country, his celebrity status began at birth. He is certified American royalty. When he’s assigned a new 24/7 bodyguard, he comes face-to-face with the worst case scenario: being attached to the tattooed, MMA-trained, Yale graduate who’s known for “going rogue” in the security team…”

  • Shacking Up and Hooking Up by Helena Hunting were recently announced! This is a new series of standalone romantic comedies that sound SO FUN!! The hero of the first standalone is a rich hotel magnate who accidentally gets the heroine sick right before a big interview and offers her a permanent job until she can get back on her feet! — “Filled with hilariously awkward encounters and enough sexual tension to heat a New York City block, this book is sure to keep you laughing and swooning all night long.”

  • Acquisition by Chelle Bliss and it’s sequel Merger, which together make up the Takeover Duet were just announced! They’re about two rival CEOs who fall in love! — “The one thing not going according to plan… Lauren’s love life. But a hot hook-up with a stranger from the hotel bar could change everything… Neither of them will back down. Both are used to winning. But surrendering can be so delicious.Let the games begin…”

WEEKLY NEW RELEASES RECAP


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GIVEAWAY: CAN YOU GUESS WHICH BOOK I HAVEN’T READ??

GIVEAWAY: CAN YOU GUESS WHICH BOOK I HAVEN’T READ??

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*** THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW OVER. WINNER ANNOUNCED IN THE COMMENTS ***

Ok so I saw that whole “10 bands I’ve seen, which is a lie” thing going around Facebook and I thought I’d put a fun book-ish twist on it and turn it into a giveaway!!! This is a purely “for fun” thing if you feel like giving it a shot! 😀

Here are 10 Books I’ve Read and 1 Book I Haven’t. Guess which book I haven’t read and comment below with your answer for a chance to win a $5.00 Amazon Gift Card! Click the titles to find out more about the book!

  1. Pocketful of Sand by M. Leighton
  2. Mister Romance by Leisa Rayven
  3. Willing Captive by Belle Aurora
  4. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
  5. Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover
  6. Three Wishes by Kristen Ashley
  7. Kane’s Hell by Elizabeth Finn
  8. The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
  9. Black Lies by Alessandra Torre
  10. Driven by K. Bromberg
  11. The Coppersmith Farmhouse by Devney Perry


COMMENT BELOW with the title of the book you think I have NOT read!

Hint: Just be cause it doesn’t have a review, doesn’t mean I haven’t read it.

(Note: I’ll randomly select a winner from the correct answers to win. Open internationally. Must be over 18 to enter. Giveaway ends in 48 hours. Good luck!)

Book Review — Mister Romance by Leisa Rayven

Book Review — Mister Romance by Leisa Rayven

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Max Riley is the man of your dreams.
Or at least he will be, for a price…

HOLY FREAKING SQUEEEEEEEEE!!!

I fell in love with this book from the moment I started reading it and I couldn’t put it down until I reached the very last page!! It was the absolute perfect balance between sexy, steamy romance, laugh-out-loud humor, deep emotions, and deliciously intense angst!! True to Leisa Rayven’s signature style, this book was well-written, addictive, intriguing, and utterly UNPUTDOWNABLE!! This is definitely a top recommendation for every romance reader!

As his alter-ego Mister Romance, Max is a drop-dead gorgeous escort who makes romantic fantasies come to life. No sex, just swoon-worthy dates to die for, and the cream of New York’s socialites can’t get enough. Whether they want a dominating billionaire, bad boy with a heart of gold, hot geek, sexy biker, or best friend who loves them from afar, Max can make it all happen, but he’s careful to keep his real identity a secret.

Enter investigative journalist Eden Tate. Having caught wind of the urban legend of Mister Romance from a lovestruck client, Eden is determined to publish a scathing expose on Max and his ability to swindle lonely society women out of their fortunes.

Desperate to protect his anonymity and his clients, Max challenges Eden to give him three dates. If she doesn’t fall in love with him, she can run her story with his blessing. If she succumbs to his charms, the story dies.

Cynical Eden has no doubt she can resist his fake romance personas, but when the real Max admits he’s falling for her, she has to decide if the professional liar is telling the truth, or if the passionate man with the mysterious past is just one more character designed to con her out of her career-making story…

Max was the absolute, ultimate book boyfriend!! He was beyond dreamy and swoon-worthy with just enough of a tortured side to pull your heart strings! Trust me when I say that he will make you fall head over heels in love with him! I especially loved all the mystery surrounding his character. Nobody knew anything about the real ‘man behind the fantasy curtain’ and I was incredibly curious to find out more about him! He was a man of secrets who was equally elusive and heart-stoppingly charming! And the more I learned about him, the more I loved his character.

“So what you’re telling me,” I say, as I pour two cups of fresh Joe, “is that this mythical man-beast [is] some kind of… what? Superhero gigolo?”
“He’s an escort,” Asha clarifies.
“Isn’t that just a fancy label for man-whore?”
“No. He doesn’t have sex with his clients.”
I pass her a tip of coffee. “You just told me he did.”
“No,” she says… “I said he makes their romantic fantasies come to life.”
“And that doesn’t include sex.”
“No.”

And Eden was such a strong, sassy heroine! She felt very real and was the ultimate skeptic and romance cynic. She had guts and no fear about going toe-to-toe with anyone. I loved the way she unapologetically went after what she wanted. But she was also a firm non-believer in the concept of love or happily ever afters. Based on her years of dating, she was convinced that the fairytale passion and devotion being sold by movies and books was pure myth.

“You’re telling me that women hire a man to make their romantic fantasies come to life? Come on. There’s no way that’s a thing.”

So when she finally tracked Max down, and he made his proposal to allow him three dates to make her fall in love with him, she had no really concern about taking him up on it because she genuinely believed that there wasn’t even a snowball’s chance in hell that she would ever actually fall in love with him (or anyone else for that matter).

“Miss Tate, if you don’t stop and listen for five seconds, I’m going to kiss the hell out of you in front of your gran then drop to one knee and propose. If you think she’s obsessed with marrying you off now, imagine what she’d be like after that.”
He’s so close it takes me a second to get used to the heat of his proximity. “You wouldn’t.”
“Keep talking and find out.”

To be honest, when the story first began, I shared a bit of her skepticism as well. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a firm believer in love. But I’m a little less sold on the idea of simulating it. But the more Max revealed about his services, the more I understood where he (and his clients) were coming from. I was fascinated by it. I mean, professional escort or no, it takes unholy levels of confidence to stake your career on the fact that someone will fall in love with you in three dates.

“And you went on your whole anti-love, fuck-relationships rant, and he still said he’s going to win you over? Was he drunk?”
“He actually said he’s going to make me fall in love with him.”

As their first date approached, her skepticism held strong. But the more she began to uncover about him, the more she began to understand the appeal and the deeper her intrigue grew about the real man behind the fantasy.

Surely he hasn’t learned all of this just for his business. It seems too natural. In fact, if someone told me that Caleb is his real personality and Max is the fake one, I’d believe them. His acting is impeccable.

And as she spent more and more time with him, she discovered so many different sides to his personality through the characters her showed her that it became hard — especially for such an untrusting person such as herself — to be certain who the real Max was. Each personality seemed so believable that if she’d been told that they were he real him, she’d have believed it. So even if she did fall for him, who exactly was she falling in love with?

“Do you want me to kiss you, Miss Tate?”
God, yes.
And God, no.
There’s no easy answer to this question. Kissing him would be wonderful and terrible. It would be like claiming a lion as a pet and counting down the days until it mauled me.
“It’s not a hard question,” he says. “Either you want me to or you don’t.”
“Is this your way of seducing me into dropping my story?”
His nose brushes mine, and I shiver as I grip the front of his shirt.
“That’s one explanation. A cynical one, of course, but I’ve come to expect that from you. Maybe I want to kiss you. Find out how your lips taste.”

GAH. I really can’t express enough how much I loved this book! It was exactly the kind of romance novel I crave reading! It had so many delightfully witty and hilarious scenes, oodles of sexiness and heat as Max and Eden’s connection and relationship deepened, but I especially loved that there was a deeper side to this story too that actually gave a really beautiful and honest perspective on the true meaning of romance (not love or sex, but actually romance itself). It really makes you think about the differences between those different elements. Not to mention that Max’s real backstory was quite sobering and heart-breaking giving the story the perfect emotional balance.

“It’s ironic,” he says as we sway to the music. “So many women hold me up as the paragon of a perfect man, and they couldn’t be more wrong. If only they knew the truth.”
… “What truth are you talking about?”
He pulls me closer. “Can we just dance? I’d like a little more time before you look at me like I’m a piece of shit.”

As their relationship progressed, things got HOT HOT HOT!!! I have to admit I’ve always found that there’s something about sexual restraint that can be a thousand times sexier than actual sex and with Max’s strict rule of no sex with clients, and with the fact during the beginning of their interactions, she was being treated as his clients in order to allow him the three dates to fall in love with him, the sexual tension between them was INTENSE!

“Uh… what’s happening?”
“I’m taking off my shirt.”
“Why?”
“Because we’ve apparently reached the portion of the evening where we get semi-naked to torture the other person.”
He pulls off his shirt and throws in onto the stool with his jacket, and I’ll admit it, I gape… I’ve seen glimpses of his naked torso before now, but never the whole thing. And here he is, standing there wearing only his slim-cut dinner pants and a pissed-off expression, and I can’t remember a single reason why I haven’t licked him yet.

MY HEART WAS RACING as the story hurtled towards the finish line. There are some angsty challenges they faced together as a natural side effect of their professions and watching them work through these things kept me glued to the page. I couldn’t put it down, didn’t want to stop reading, and eagerly devoured every single word.

“Have you ever felt true joy, Eden?”
I have to think about it for a few seconds. I’ve spent so long dulling my pain, joy kind of got lost in the mix. “I don’t think so. Or at least if I have, I don’t remember.”
“Me, neither. I’ve found a lot of ways to simulate it over the years, but that’s like renting a fancy car for the day and pretending you’re a millionaire. It’s self-delusion… But standing here, holding you… this feels like the real deal.”

Actually, you know what? This book would make a fantastic movie! It had all the right elements and just continued to throw you in all these unique scenarios. I would love to see it come to life on screen! *prays to movie gods*

Leisa Rayven is one of those authors whose books I always automatically want to read simply because she wrote them. I love her writing style, I love the uniqueness of her story ideas, and I love the way her books always make my heart race. She truly delivers the ultimate romance reading experience. A romance reader’s dream come true!

If you’re looking for a SEXY, ANGSTY, ADDICTIVE ROMANCE with a swoony hero, a strong heroine, and absolutely wonderful writing, then this is a must-read! Trust me, Max Riley is a book boyfriend you want to meet!

Rating: 4.5+ STARS!! Contemporary Adult Romance. Can standalone.

LATEST NEW RELEASES, RECOMMENDATIONS, & PRE-ORDERS — WEEK OF April 24, 2017

LATEST NEW RELEASES, RECOMMENDATIONS, & PRE-ORDERS — WEEK OF April 24, 2017

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LATEST REVIEW: Lost Rider by Harper Sloan (Read my Review) 
IT’S LIVE!!! This is an ALPHA COWBOY ROMANCE with a second chance love story set in a small town!! The hero left town ten years ago to escape a bad childhood and pursue his dreams. After becoming rodeo star, he’s faced with one too many injuries and his career comes crashing down. And he returns to his hometown and also faces the one woman he always regretted leaving behind… For those of you who love seeing tortured jerk heroes redeem themselves, you’ll probably love this guy! This is a sexy read with a lot of healing, heat, and a heart-warming romance!! It can standalone and it was just released so be sure to grab a copy!! — “All I have to offer you is my word, which isn’t something I give without thought, but I’m giving that to you now. I’ve never broken my word once in my life, darlin’. We’re both findin’ our way here, but we will do that together and without holding back.”

 
LATEST BOOKWORM NEWS:

  • Royally Endowed by Emma Chase‘s cover is revealed! This is a standalone in the Royally series! — “He grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, in a family on the wrong side of the law. But these days, he covers his tattoos and scars with a respectable suit… Any woman would be proud to call him hers. But there’s only one woman he wants. For years he’s watched over her, protected her, held her hair back when she was sick, taught her how to throw a punch, and spot a liar. He dreams of her. Would lay down his life for her. But beautiful Ellie Hammond’s off-limits. Everybody knows the bodyguard rules: Never lose focus, never let them out of your sight, and never, ever fall in love…” (Did you know Royally Screwed has a MOVIE DEAL?? 😀 )

  • Easy Nights by Kristen Proby was just announced! This is the latest standalone in the Boudreaux series! — He sat on the sidelines of her family for years, in love with a woman he couldn’t have. As the best friend of her brothers since childhood, he has seen both tragedies and joys in the family. And as a former MMA fighter, he’s used to fighting for what he wants—and winning. His hands were tied when she married her college sweetheart not long after graduation, but now two years have passed since he found her broken in her own home. She’s convinced that happiness isn’t in the cards for her, no matter how right it feels to be in his strong arms—and his bed. He is determined to win her heart and fight for her trust. He’s promised to protect her, to be her friend. But more than anything, he wants to finally make her his, and this is one fight he’s not willing to lose…

  • Tycoon by Katy Evans was just announced! This is a standalone! — “He wasn’t always this rich. This hot. This difficult. He was a guy who protected me. Wanted me. Maybe even loved me. That man is gone. In his place is the most powerful real estate tycoon in the city. He’s a cold, ruthless, aggressive businessman. The only one who can save me and my startup from ruin. It takes every ounce of courage to put my pride aside and ask for his help. I didn’t expect him to offer it easily. And he doesn’t. Instead, he vets me harder than he’s vetted anyone… I yearn for the boy I once knew, whose touch once craved me. Putting it all on the line will be worth it, I tell myself. Until I realize—too late—that some risks are not worth taking.”

  • Before I Ever Met You by Karina Halle was the most recent addition to this new release list so I’m putting it at the top for a bit! It’s a standalone! — “I first met him when I was just a teenager. He was handsome [and] had just joined my father as his business partner. He was full of smooth charm, but back then he was barely a blip on my radar… Fast forward ten years: I’m 25 years old and a single mom trying to make things right for her seven-year old son… I’ve started by working for my father’s company [and] I already know I could have a promising career there. That is until I see him for the first time in a decade…”

  • Dr. OB by Max Monroe was released this week. It’s a romantic comedy and the first standalone in a series of standalones. If you’ve already read and loved that, then you’ll be happy to know that the next 2 standalones in the series Dr. ER and Dr. NEURO are now pre-orderable!

WEEKLY NEW RELEASES RECAP


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Book Review — Lost Rider by Harper Sloan

Book Review — Lost Rider by Harper Sloan

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“All I have to offer you is my word, which isn’t something I give without thought, but I’m giving that to you now. I’ve never broken my word once in my life, darlin’. We’re both findin’ our way here, but we will do that together and without holding back.”

Alpha cowboy romance fans, this is a book you’ll want to check out!

The story was about Maverick and Leighton who’d grown up together in the same town. Ten years ago, he’d left everything behind to pursue his dream. He was born to ride and over the years had become the biggest name in professional bull riding. However, unfortunately such accomplishment came with a heavy price and when he suffered one too many injuries, the doctor told him that even one more major fall would likely end his life and he was forced to cut his career short and face the past that he’d been running away from for so many years.

Everything I’ve worked for, gone.
Everything I had ever dreamed of, vanished.
I had every single thing I ever wanted in the palm of my hand. Riding was all I ever needed, and now that it’s gone, the only thing I have left to show for my broken dreams is a fat bank account, buckles thrown carelessly in the backseat, a duffle bag of clothing, and one fucked-up body.

See when he’d left his hometown, he hadn’t only left behind his abusive childhood, he also left the only woman he’d ever truly cared about. As they became teens together, she’d crushed hard on him but in a desperate and stupid attempt to cut things off with her before she hurt him, he’d wounded her heart first. They’d left on painful terms and the guilt over his actions had eaten away at him ever since but even still he couldn’t bring himself to return to his hometown because facing her again also meant facing his father and that was one thing he absolutely could not do.

I used my words to cause enough damage to ensure that I would never have the one thing that would keep me in this town and away from my dreams.
Her.
Only now I know that those dreams means nothing without her to share them with. I gave up one thing to chase the other, and right now I’m just praying I’m not too late to fix the mistakes of my past.

But when his father died and his career was cut short, he was called back to his home. Returning opened a lot of fresh wounds but it also brought him back to the only woman he’d ever cared so deeply for. And now it was up to him to make amends, open up, and show her the truth of his past and how much she meant to him.

Now… I’m not gonna lie — in the beginning of this book, Maverick is an absolute Asshole (with a capital A). I don’t know why but I kind of assumed he’d just be an all-round swoony guy but seriously the things he said and did just made me livid!! And I kind of wished that she’d have called him on his shit a little more strongly. Luckily, she did stand up to him a fair bit as the story went on but still — I was a little annoyed with them in the first half of the book even though I was really enjoying my read.

… cursing my boobs when I notice his eyes drop to where I’m sure they’re spilling out the top of my dress.
“My eyes are up here, cowboy,” I snap and drop my arms to point to my face. “Have a little respect.”
“Well, darlin’, if you didn’t want someone to look, maybe you should cover ourself. You put it out there, I’m gonna look.”
“You’re an asshole,” I fume.

But I’ll say thing — even though it took him a long damn time to come to his senses, open up, and apologize, I have to admit that when he did finally work up to it, his grovel was pretty epic. We’re talking like several pages long here. And after that, he kind of did a 180 and spun into the more of the swoony character I’d expected him to be at the start, so it was hard not to forgive him. Especially when he said things like this….

“Are you asking me to go steady, Maverick?” I laugh, swallowing down the emotion climbing up my throat at his words, trying to lighten the mood, but the seriousness in his expression makes me trail off until I’m just left staring into his eyes.
“I’m askin’ you to give me a chance to make you mine. I’m prayin’ you’ll give me that so I can prove to you that I deserve to, how did you put it? Go steady.”

He may have been an asshole at times and she may have been a bit of a pushover but people aren’t perfect and the one thing that became undeniably clear as the story went on was that they were it for each other. Over the years, despite the pain, separation, and hurt, neither one of them had ever considered sharing their lives with anyone else. (Side note: I really loved that there were no other romantic entanglements or evil ex’s). So it was just a matter of working through a decade’s worth of unresolved baggage to get the happily ever after they both deserved.

“I can’t fix the past. I can’t erase it, no matter how hard I wish I could. Hell, I can’t even promise that I’ll ever be able to forget it. The only thing i can do is make sure that each day I live is worth somethin’, from this day forward. I could spend the rest of my life stuck livin’ for nothin’, or I could work my ass off to make sure that I make up for my past mistakes, so I can make sure they become mistakes I learn from and finally find a way to live for everythin’.”

So when he finally pulled his head out of his ass and decided to make amends, show how sorry he was, earn back her trust, and win her heart, there was nothing stopping him from going all the way. And from this point on, I was definitely feeling the feels. I wish he hadn’t spent quite so much time in asshole-mode though in the beginning because some of the stuff he’d said was pretty hard for me to forget or forgive, but I did believe that he was genuine about wanting to try again so as a reader, I was willing to give him a second chance to prove himself.

And prove himself he certainly did. With flying colors. He turned into a right proper swoon-machine. It was hard not to fall for him after this point despite his transgressions because you could really feel his sincerity. I have to give the man the man credit for turning his attitude and life around. I believe anyone can change and when he decided to become better for her, he accomplished that all the way and turned into the kind of swoony Alpha I love to read.

“Let’s get something straight right now, sweetheart… If you want to spend the day with me, all you gotta do is tell me. If I’m busy, I’ll do what I can to change that. If I can’t, I’ll do my best to free myself up as early as I can. All I have to offer you is my word, which isn’t something I give without thought, but I’m giving that to you now. I’ve never broken my word once in my life, darlin’. We’re both findin’ our way here, but we will do that together and without holding back.”

See?? How swoooony is that?! And it wasn’t only swoony. This was also pretty steamy read! Once they reconnected, the heat certainly turned up so anyone looking for a sexier read should be pleased!

Maverick’s sister was also a wonderful supporting character in this book as she was also Leighton’s childhood best friend. She seemed to have a really level head on her shoulders and dished out some great advice (see below) so I’m really looking forward to her book which is the next standalone in this series!

‘Can you honestly tell me that since he’s been home, you don’t feel like that piece of you that’s been hollow since he left isn’t starting to feel like it’s mending a little? You’ve dated, sure, but you’ve never let that piece find a way to heal. My brother comes back home and not even twelve hours pass before you two are pulled back together… You both use your pain as a shield to keep people out, and that’s because you’re fighting against the one person that has the power to heal every second of that pain. Stop fighting.”

This is the first standalone in a series of standalones. Each book will be about a different couple. It was told in alternating POVs and in first person perspective in the present day with only the occasional flashback.

All in all, I enjoyed this book! I’ve been a fan of Harper Sloan’s writing for several years but hadn’t read one of her books recently so it was really fun to read this one. If you’re a fan of stubborn but sexy cowboy heroes, small town romance, and sexy second chance love stories, then you should definitely check this out!

Rating: 4 stars! Contemporary Adult Romance. Can standalone.

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Series of standalones.


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