Just like with Love in a Snow Storm, it's the characters that make this book so great. York does a fabulous job with their motivation, history, and interactions - letting us get to know them as they get to know each other, being there with them as they fall in love and watching them have ups & downs. I love how real her characters and their issues feel.

Zander is absolutely fantastic, with an amazing amount of patience and understanding, but also a fun sense of humor - I absolutely love him from their first meeting. He's always there to support Faith & Eric and he totally keeps his head each time that Faith gets scared, probably from that crazy Minelli family of his as well as his military training. Faith is having a little bit of a tough transition (York does such a great job of making sure we understand why), so she does a lot of dancing around her relationship with Zander. But he's such a sweet-heart in a bad boy's body that she has no hope of resisting :)

I think these everyday romances - where you feel like the people are friends and that their problems could be anyone's problems - are my favorites. They are just so ... well, real. And York is good at delivering on that with great characters that you can relate to, a good deal of humor to have you smiling and just that right amount of heat to make it spicy!

(Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review)

Tom is so sweet and caring – I absolutely love his patience and understanding with Aiden and Teri. He’s got some personal experience, which helps so much with dealing with Aiden’s Asperger’s Syndrome. Poor Teri is a little overwhelmed and convinced that no one is going to take on everything that her life entails … lucky for her, Tom is made of stronger stuff.

I also really love that Ramsay gives us a peek into what goes on in Aiden’s head. It adds so much to the story to be able to understand where he’s coming from and why he reacts the way he does.

A Midnight Clear is a fantastic, feel good holiday read. It’s short, which makes it perfect for a little break from all the Christmas madness :)

(Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review)

When We Fall is steamy and fast. I didn’t even realize how quick a read it actually was until I looked down at one point and was 2/3 of the way thru :)

I really liked Piper and Jase. And I really appreciated that there wasn’t a lot of angst in their relationship. Piper knew from the get go what she wanted and that was Jase. She just had to convince him that he actually is the man that she knows him to be. Jase drags his feet for a bit (and pulled a crap move or two that gave me sympathy pains for Piper) but once he realized they could be together nothing was going to keep them apart. I love how easily they fit together and how much they supported each other.

I’m not sure what I missed from Take the Fall but I get the idea that at least part of their lead up might be there. It wasn’t enough to make me confused but I love them so much that I am a little sad that I missed out on any of their romance.

Two people with not-so-great starts in life find that together they can be so much more, leading to a wonderful, feel-good read.

(Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review)

I have not read anything in this series so I have nothing else to base this story on but what I have been given is great. The characters are fully developed as is the story and I didn’t feel like any of it is incomplete or that it needs previous stories to get the full depth.

I really liked Alyssa and I understand why she ran. New feelings have enough volatility so adding in a misunderstanding can easily throw things into a whirlwind. And while that could be a tired, overused plot I think that here it works. One of the reasons is that there is something very appealing about Reece as he tries to win her back. Maybe it is the added paranormal parts that keep it going, although that could be easily overdone as well, but whatever it is I really enjoyed it.

Although the Were part is important, at the core it is a story of a man who is trying to win back the woman he loves. It’s sweet and hot and fun. And I’m definitely interested in seeing where else this world goes.

(Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review)

After reading Falling Fast I knew I had to read Pax’s story. He was such a fantastic supporting character – full of strength & conviction and was such a supportive friend. You get a little of his history in the first book, but it isn’t a requirement that you have to have read it to enjoy Falling Hard. But it helps because you’ll have already started your crush on Pax and get that ahhh feeling when he finally gets his moment :)

I wasn’t sure where Wainscott was going to go with Gemma’s story. We only got a little bit of it before so I wasn’t sure how it was going to play out but I was thrilled with what she did. The struggle that Gemma goes through, when no one believes her story, is heartbreaking. It’s a horrible thing to have happen but to have every think that she’s lying is just ... unbelievably awful. And to have to come back and face those people is so intimidating but she handles it with her head held high. Even though she’s had some therapy, rape is going to have a lot of long reaching impacts so I admire her grit as she works through it.

Pax proves himself to be the wonderful man that returning readers knew he would be. He uses his head and logics though everything that he sees & knows, so that he starts to acknowledge the truth of what happened all of those years ago. But it is terrible how much he has to pay for it. He’s already being treated poorly by his family for some of his other decisions but he’s man enough to follow what he knows is right and not give in to others. Of course that's one of the reasons we love him so very much.

Falling Hard isn’t an easy story to read, because of some of the bad things that happen to good people, but I think that makes it that much more worth the effort. As Pax & Gemma work their way to the truth, not only about their history but about their feelings today, readers are given a very satisfying and enjoyable read.

(complimentary copy provided for an honest review)

Because Alia is so strong and independent I think it is a little harder to like her. Not that she isn’t likable but it makes her a little intimidating because she isn’t very … soft. She’s used to being the one who is strong that it is hard for her to let go. Nate is still trying to get over the incident that left him injured and out of the military. It’s left him in pain both in body and in heart, but now he’s back in Alia’s sphere for help. Neither expects exactly what that is going to mean for them.

The history between the two takes a bit to get over, but not as much as you would imagine. It’s more of an issue with the people they are now, how they interact & what they expect from others and what they think their futures should be. It’s such a journey for them from where they were to where they think they are going to where they actually should be. It’s a rough trip but definitely worth it.

(This is a follow up to Hold On Tight, but you really can read this one on it’s own. The little bit of influence the first book has here is minute and easily explained. It pretty much revolves around Alia and Nate.)

Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

I loved how spunky Jordan is. She’s hiding a world of hurt behind humorous sarcasm. She’s not mean-spirited but she is quite snarky and unless you look further you might mistake it for just being awful. She’s also a little socially awkward which makes it even worse :) Will is one of those people who has a huge heart. He’s patient and understanding, which Jordan needs in spades, and he’s the only real support she has in town. They are so fun together … once they stop letting their pride get in the way.

My only complaint with the story is how Jordan handles the end. She’d done so much growing through the book that I would have thought she would have done so much better. I mean I understand that she might have fallen into old habits but she let it go too long, I think. And when she comes back she doesn’t do much better, but Will is such an amazing and understanding guy that together they figure it out.

As with Picture This, it is the characters that make this such a hit. While we do get a good cast of supporting characters (and I’m SUPER interested in what Denker has in store for Will’s brothers), it is Jordan and Will that drive this story. The growth and development is so satisfying (with a few hiccups) and I was so excited when they finally got their happy ending.

I’ve loved both of the Marsden books that I’ve read so far and I’m definitely looking forward to see what comes next.

(Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review)

I really shouldn’t be surprised at how much I loved this one - The Strongest Steel was one of my favorite books from last year (and I wasn’t the only one because it was a Best Debut Goodreads Author 2015 Finalist). And once again she knocks it out of the park.

Poor Drea has not had a great decade. She’s had to take on a lot all by herself, starting when she’s just a teenager, while dealing with a mother who has spent years treating her horribly. It’s caused her to be prickly and defensive and isolated, but she’s also very strong to be able to do it all. Unfortunately she needs to learn that sometimes you need someone to lean on. Once Cujo sees beyond her armor, he wants to be that person … and it scares him. His own history has made him swear off relationships, but Drea has him reconsidering.

The relationship that develops between them is wondrous– the ups and downs are just about perfect. Cole makes it very realistic and I totally get them every step of the way. Both of them come into it with baggage, some much more obvious than others, but they manage to figure things out and it is so great to see.

I will say that the suspense portion wasn’t as fantastic as it was in the first book, however the real focus is on Cujo and Drea (much as it should be). Because of how Drea has had to stand on her own for so long, she’s hesitant to let the mystery go. I would have liked her to be a little more cautious with the danger involved, but I kinda can see why she wouldn’t be.

Just like with the first book, the highs and lows between Drea and Cujo make this book an absolutely fabulous ride. I definitely can’t wait to see what Cole has for us in book 3.

(Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review)

I really got caught up in the Kincaids when I read Second Chance Summer and I remember not caring which of the siblings was next because I knew I was going to read their story whoever it was. But I do have to say that I am SO tickled that it is Hud. He is such a rascal that having him meet his match is extra fun.

And this story is fantastic! It is one of those slow burns as we get to know both of them while at the same time they are getting know each other. As to be expected, they have hang-ups (understandable & realistic ones) that they have to work their way through.

Hud is a great hero - smart, caring, and has taken on so much responsibility. Unfortunately that also he's not very good at letting things go and he carries around a lot with him. His dedication to his mother is absolutely amazing but the guilt over the way his brother left is dragging him down. And while he doesn't have time for much more in his life, between his jobs and family, Bailey definitely gets his attention!

I think she is one of my favorite heroines ever and I so wish I could be more like her (of course without going thru what she did to get there). She’s got an amazing love of life, tempered with an interesting, straight-forward wisdom. I think that the HEA moment for her and Hud will go on my list as one of the best I’ve read for a very long time.

On a little of a down side I didn’t feel like the siblings were involved as much as in the previous story. I think because Bailey has got such a compelling story that maybe there isn’t much room. Or maybe it was so much like coming home again, after getting to know them so much before, that it was one of those moments where you slipped right in like you never left. They are just as rowdy & in each other’s business, which I loved so much about them.

If you’ve never read a Shalvis book, this is a FANTASTIC series to start with. All of the quirky Kincaids and their SOs are delightful – full of mischief and love for one another. They play hard, work hard, love hard and live hard. They don’t have things easy but they have each other and I can’t wait to see what Shalvis dreams up for them.

(The next book is about Hud’s twin, Jacob, and since he’s been MIA for years, I’m very interested to find out exactly who he is and what his deal is going to be.)

Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. The second chance romance portion is interesting and the characters are very appealing. It’s a sweet story – how they end up back in the same sphere, working together and having to face their feelings.

However, I think they needed to talk about things a little more. There were a couple of moments where they were "I know you did something because of this reason" and I could only think “really? How do you know that?” There was no learning moment, no working thru it, just a statement. I think that if there had been more communication between them it would have worked, instead it seemed like they just forgave the past while not addressing it. And I think they need to have that understanding of each other and what happened in order to have an on-going HEA. Otherwise, what about the next time they hit a bump?

The ending also kinda falls in that same line. Most people are going to see part of it a mile away (and I’m not sure why the heroes would be even a little surprised about it), but there is a part that seemed to me to come out of nowhere. I liked to have a bit of a twist, but I kinda would have liked a little more of a suggestion of it earlier in the story as well. There is a tiny bit of a hint but not enough to actually work for me. It seems a bit TOO much of a surprise.

But even though it may seem like these are big issues, they really aren’t – they didn’t impact my overall enjoyment of the story. I still got totally involved in Micki and Gabe’s story as they found their way back to each other again. While I wanted there to be more discussion between them, I still found myself rooting for them all the way to that happy ending moment.

(Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review)