Review: Hold On by Hilary Wynne

Hold On is the second book in the Alexa Reed series by Hilary Wynne. These books are not standalone and absolutely have to be read in order. When I first started this series by Hilary Wynne I had no idea what I was in for since it was her debut, but after reading Stay I really fell in love with the characters and story. So I couldn't wait to get more of Julian and Alexa. Hold On definitely didn't disappoint, and I found myself rooting for these two more than ever. 

Alexa Reed has trust issues after going through some horrible things with her ex boyfriend. When she met Julian Bauer though, she found herself wanting to let him in. Things haven't been easy for these two, but Julian is determined to show Alexa that he wants her and will always stand by her. Though Julian does everything he can to show his commitment to her, Alexa still struggles with her insecurities and her first instinct is to run. Julian has given up his playboy lifestyle and even though Alexa questions why he chose her, she starts to finally see that he isn't going anywhere. But when a new obstacle that they never could have imagined threatens everything, will Alexa stand by Julian's side when he needs her more than ever? Can she hold on or will she continue to let her fears get in the way of forever with Julian? 

I love Julian so much. He is such a great guy. That is not to say he is perfect, because he definitely has his issues. He is protective and caring, and really loving to those he is close to. But he also overreacts at times, and sometimes I felt as though he pushed too hard with Alexa. But he was also so patient with her at times, and he was always loyal to her. He loved her so much, and he was determined to be there for her through anything. Alexa is broken, and has been struggling for so long. She has a lot of insecurities and trust issues, and yet she was always honest about them with Julian and herself. She really started to open up in this book though, and I was glad that she was finally able to be honest with her closest friends and Julian. She really started to accept her past and begin the healing process. I do think that she still reacted horribly in this book at times, and I hated that she always ran. But I also see where she was coming from and I am not sure that I would have behaved differently had I been in her shoes. This poor girl never seems to catch a break, and there were times that I just wanted to give her a hug so badly. The one thing that never changed throughout this book was the love and connection between Julian and Alexa. These two have so much between them, and they were just as hot as ever. 

Overall, this book was really great. It was emotional and I really feel as though I am personally invested in their story. I want these two to have their HEA and to finally catch a break. Every time that it appears things are good, it seems like the other shoe drops. But I really feel as though Julian and Alexa are meant to be together, and I have faith that they can make it through anything as they lean on each other. I will say that the back and forth in this book did get a bit frustrating at times, and that is why I didn't give this one a full five stars. I felt like there were a few things that could have been done differently, and that some of the characters actions were hard to get behind. I was a little bit pissed with Alexa's friends a few times in this book. While they said things that she might have needed to hear, they also didn't seem to really be that compassionate about the situation she was in. They seemed to all have strong opinions about things that they didn't really know about since they weren't in the relationship between Julian and Alexa. I wanted them to be less judgy and more supportive. That being said, I still love these characters and this series and I am really looking forward to the next book. Julian and Alexa are impossible not to fall in love with, and I think I would read just about anything about these two. I recommend reading these books if you are a contemporary romance fan and are looking for a good and emotional story.

**Review Copy Provided by Enticing Journey Book Promotions**

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ARC Review: Promise Me by Hilary Wynne

Promise Me is the third book in the Alexa Reed series by Hilary Wynne. Each book continues the story of Alexa and Julian, and these books need to be read in order. If you have not read the previous two books, you will need to start there and I would suggest not reading this review so that nothing is spoiled about the story so far. I have really enjoyed this series so far, and I love Alexa and Julian's characters so much. I will say that they have both frustrated me at times, but I have never stopped rooting for them. 

Promise Me picks up after the events of Hold On, with the reconciliation of Julian and Alexa. For the first time in this series, the tables are turned with Alexa all in and Julian struggling with their relationship. Though he loves her and wants her, Julian has trouble trusting her this time around after she left him when he needed her most. Alexa is determined to show him that she is done running though, and she knows that she has to rebuild the trust between them. But Alexa is also keeping a secret that she knows will destroy any solid ground that they have found again. When the truth comes out, will it destroy any chance of a future for them? 

I love Julian, and that has been true from the very start. But I will say that he drove me nuts in this book at times. Not that I blame him for having issues after everything that they have been through, but he was definitely different this time around. There were times that I felt like he was punishing Alexa for her mistakes, and he was so quick to judge her. He wasn't the same caring and loving guy that he had been before, and it really broke my heart to see him treat her as he did. I knew he was hurting, but I wish that he would have been able to move forward and see all the positive changes that Alexa had been making. Alexa was stronger than ever in this book, and I loved seeing her finally have faith in their relationship. She was willing to stand up and fight for them, and she also dealt with her insecurities and fears much better. She was far from perfect, but the progress she had made was amazing. I loved seeing her work so hard to stand by Julian, even when he didn't make it easy. I felt like she really showed just how committed she was and the depth of her feelings was clear for anyone to see. These two have always had such an emotional connection, and chemistry has never been a problem for them. But this book was the hardest one yet for me to get through because of how disconnected they were at times. 

Overall, I was glad to see how things turned out in this book and I am glad that I stuck with this one. It was hard to read at times, and it definitely brought out so many emotions for me. I love Julian and Alexa, and I have always believed that these two were meant to be together. They never seem to catch a break though, and the push and pull from each book did get old. I wanted them to start facing problems together rather than apart, and I felt like they still haven't been able to do that. As much as I enjoy some angst and drama, I was ready for it to be outside of the relationship between the two of them. Hilary Wynne has said that a possible fourth book might be in the works and as much as I would love more of these two, I really feel like it has to be different if she goes ahead with it. As fantastic and Julian and Alexa are, these two can't keep doing the back and forth and I think if that is the story next time around it will really kill this series for me. We leave them in a good place at the end of this book, and I would love to get more of them assuming that they can at least deal with things as a team from here on out. I am all for more when it comes to a series as long as the story is right and doesn't feel forced. These are starting to get a forced feeling to me because as great as these two are, the problems always seem to be the same but just with a slightly different cause each time. I think that Hilary Wynne is a great writer, but there is only so many ways to do the same story and after awhile it needs to end. If you have not read this series, I would absolutely recommend it. Julian and Alexa are great together, and I like that they are so real. They are flawed and imperfect, but what makes them so special is how perfect they are for each other.

**ARC Provided by Enticing Journey Book Promotions**

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Review: Stay by Hilary Wynne

Stay is the first book in Hilary Wynne's Alexa Reed series, and I really enjoyed this book. It frustrated me at times and there was a lot of push and pull between the characters, but I really loved it and I can't wait for more. With this being my first book by Hilary Wynne I wasn't sure what to expect, but I really liked Hilary's style and I thought that the characters were so real and believable.

After a horrible relationship in her past, Alexa Reed doesn't go out or date anymore. She has no interest in going out but when her friends talk her into going out for her best friend Luke's birthday she can't say no. She literally runs into the hot and notoriously single Julian the owner of the nightclub where Luke works. There is an instant attraction and connection between them and the two find themselves thinking of each other constantly. As Julian tries to get to know Alexa, things between them are far from easy. They are both used to not being committed to anyone, and they both have secrets in their past. But they both realize that what they are feeling is beyond just physical and make an effort to try and let each other in and move forward together. But they both have insecurities and their relationship must survive more than just themselves. When outside influences continue to threaten their relationship they must learn to trust one another and be honest about everything.

I really liked Julian. At first he comes off as an arrogant player used to getting what he wants. But he was so different with Alexa. He was patient and kind and gave her so many chances to work through her issues and see that he was really interested in a future with her. I loved that he never gave up on her and that he was truly interested in seeing where things would take them. He was always honest with Alexa, and I thought that it made him so much easier to like. Alexa had a lot of issues. She was fun and easy going at times, but she was also really vulnerable because of her past and would freak out and run easily. You could tell that she really wanted to see where things with Julian would go, but she was already really scared and had a hard time letting anyone in and trusting them. I really loved that although she was still struggling with things all the way through that she was also making progress and Julian was helping her to heal and move forward. It was so real and believable because it didn't happen overnight. They had amazing chemistry together and were always hot with one another. But I really enjoyed seeing them begin to develop feelings for one another and start to let each other in. They had a great connection, and I loved seeing different sides of each one that they only shared with each other.

I will admit that when I started this book, I was really expecting to love Luke and be on his team the whole way through. But Julian was impossible not to fall for, and I really loved his character. Both Alexa and Julian had moments that weren't their best and their actions could have been better. But they worked through them and never gave up. I ended up really thinking that Alexa belongs with Julian, and was surprised by Luke. I was really disappointed with his actions and think that he made some seriously bad choices. I understand his motivation and the feelings behind what he did, but I was really frustrated with him because he had waited too long and I felt like Alexa was right in that he just didn't like seeing her with someone else. I had a hard time believing that his feelings for her were beyond friendship and it was more that he was just jealous. I was not ready for this book to be over, and I really need to know what happens next. I will admit that I thought that the push and pull got a bit old after awhile, and I am hoping that it doesn't become a problem throughout this series for me. I know that there are at least two more books planned for this series, and I am really curious to see how that will play out. I am hoping for the best and that it doesn't continue with the hot and cold because I am just not sure that I can take it. I find myself getting irritated if the back and forth goes on for too long, and I think a lot of times that it is just added for extra drama and can really distract from the story. So I will be curious to see how things continue. I will also say that I didn't care for how detailed things were at times, especially when it came to the descriptions of everyone's clothing and the brands they were wearing. It was a bit ridiculous at times, and I didn't need several paragraphs full of those details. I found myself just not caring about that stuff and would feel the need to skim each one after the first few times it happened. I am curious to see where things go though, and will definitely be interested to read more from Hilary Wynne in the future. I would recommend this series if you are looking for a sexy story about characters with painful pasts learning to love again and heal.

**Review Copy provided by Xpresso Book Tours**

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