I loved this book – that is really the best way for me to put it. Yes, this is a story about a marriage but it is more than that. It is also about life, love, friendship, and how we deal with disappointments. Tracy Garvis Graves has written a story that is moving and tackles some heavy topics in a real way. While I was reading I had the butterflies…you know what I’m talking about here. How when you read a story and everything seems so real and you are invested in what happens with each and every one…those butterflies. The highs and the lows had such an impact that I felt all them all right alongside the characters and I honestly couldn't put this one down.

We follow the three main characters Claire and Chris who are married and Daniel who is Claire’s friend. The big question here is whether men and women can be friends without the idea that the friendship would turn into more and I honestly don’t think there is a yes/no answer here. In this case, there was more to it than that but in the end, this is one of the major things that Claire is struggling with.

Garvis Graves moves the story mostly through Claire’s point of view and does a wonderful job of integrating flashbacks into the present time to show us how things have gotten to where they are today. There was just enough to show us how much Claire and Chris really do love each other but also how those little (and not so little) things started to change their relationship.

I loved reading Claire’s point of view and found her to be a likable character. She truly does love Chris and went into her friendship with Daniel with good intentions. It was clear she was lonely and she really just wanted someone to spend time with her. Daniel did that – he paid attention and made her feel important and not just like an afterthought. She really tried to help Chris through the challenge of losing his job and unfortunately there wasn't really anything she could do to make it better no matter what. The loss of Chris’ job was hard on her too and although he didn't see it, Claire struggled. It was hard for her to see him so angry and at times, defeated. One of the best lines that illustrated this (in my opinion) was:

In all the years we’d been together, I’d never experienced anything quite as heartbreaking as seeing the lights of my golden boy fade.

There were times where I was super frustrated with Chris because I really liked him too. He is hard working, loyal, and loves his family. It is clear he is willing to do whatever he has to in order to keep them afloat but it really hit him hard when he lost his job and wasn't able to find a new one as quickly as he expected. And when he does find something, he has to deal with someone he doesn't really respect but puts up with the issues because he doesn't want to fail. Another part of the problem is that he doesn't talk to Claire anymore – at least about anything of any consequence, and the disconnect just creates a larger and larger gap between the two.

I really don’t believe there is a “bad guy” in this story. Daniel has his own losses and issues he is trying to get past and when he meets Claire he gravitates to her because she reminds him of someone. From there, the friendship develops into more and I had mixed feelings. The evolution of moving from acquaintance, to friend, to more was well done and I loved watching it happen. With that said, I knew this wasn't going to end well and I also felt his pain when the day he knew was coming, came.

As usual, I am sure that my review doesn't even come close to doing this book justice. Because of that I recommend you just go out read this when you can. If you are looking for a real story that brings out all the feels, this is it.

When I finished book three in the Body Works Trilogy I was sad to see the end of a fantastic series by Sierra Kincade so when I heard there was going to be another book and it was going to be focused on Amy and Mike…Of course I was super excited! If you don’t recall, Amy is Anna’s best friend and Mike is Alec’s closest friend and they have shown up in the other books off and on. I was always interested in Amy as a character as it was clear she had a good story. Plus she and Mike have amazing chemistry and I really wanted more of these two together.

Because of the danger they were in with the Maxim Stein trial, Amy and her daughter ended up moving in with Mike…and even though the mess with Stein is over, she hasn’t made much of an effort to move out. Part of it is her attraction to Mike but the other part is Paisley, her daughter. She and Chloe (Mike’s daughter) have gotten really close and Amy doesn’t want to do anything to negatively impact her as Paisley has had a hard enough time as it is.

Amy has tried to keep her distance from men since the mess with her ex-husband but because of everything that has happened with Anna and Alec, she can’t avoid Mike and to be honest, she doesn’t really want to. She and Mike are in a place where they kind of float around each other but don’t get to spend much time alone with one another.

As the story opens, Amy is immediately faced with her past in the form of her ex-husband Danny. He needs money and wants her to “loan” him some. This is just the beginning of some unexpected things happening to Amy. Amy also has some baggage and it tends to get in the way of the feelings she has for Mike. Danny was a selfish husband and said some things to Amy that stick with her to this day. It isn’t easy for her to see the good things about her and that is what makes it difficult for her to understand why Mike would be even remotely interested in her.

Mike obviously has a history too and it has shaped who he is as a father and a man. I have to say, Mike is a swoony guy. Because of his history, he is pretty protective of the people he cares about and that group now includes Amy and Paisley. He really likes Amy and he is willing to go slow with her but he isn’t one to back off from what he wants. Like Amy says “He has an answer for everything.” and he wants Amy to give him a chance so he does everything he can to remove the barriers she tries to put between them.

As I mentioned earlier, some things start happening to Amy that have her wondering what is really going on. First there is money missing from her account, Paisley starts acting a bit off, and on the night of Anna’s bachelorette party, some guys corner her in an alley because they are looking for Danny. I won’t say a lot here but if you know anything about Amy’s ex, you know he is at the center of most of her problems. While these things had the potential to pull Amy and Mike apart, they actually helped them both realize that they need each other and not just because they care about each other’s daughters. I think one of my favorite parts of this book was seeing how the relationship with Mike changed how Amy saw herself. She still had doubts about herself but she also realized she was more than what Danny saw in her. Add to that the fact that Mike finally opened up to her and it was clear to me they both made an impact on each other.

There is so much I loved about this book I can’t talk about everything or this will just be me rambling. If you haven’t read the first 3 books in this series, go get them now and then you can read everything back to back. If you love stories that have romance, hot and swoony men, and enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat, you will enjoy these books. Plus…extra bonus. Even though this book was all about Amy and Mike, we still got to see more of Anna and Alec which made me happy.

I really enjoyed A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin.

Kitty Talbot needs a husband and one that has a fortune. Typically I'd be the first to say wait a second...why is our main character not looking for LOVE! But there's a good reason Kitty is focused on the more practical side of what marriage sometimes was in Regency England and she won me over. I loved how much she was willing to do to keep her sisters together and while it could have come across as very mercenary, I empathized with Kitty and her situation and at that day and age, she didn't have many options. Besides, she is absolutely correct in asking why is it ok for men to marry for wealth and she would be looked down upon for doing the same thing.

Lord Radcliffe sees what Kitty is doing when he crosses paths with her in relation to his younger brother. When he sees what is happening, he is motivated to do whatever he can to "save" his brother from Kitty. What he doesn't count on is him developing feelings for Kitty...granted it takes a little while but they come to realize that there is more between them than the original animosity they originally had for each other.

If you are looking for a Regency Romance that will keep you turning the pages, I definitely recommend picking this one up. It has great characters and an engaging story and I can't wait to read more from Sophie Irwin in the future.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.