ARC Review: Behind Closed Doors by J.L. Berg

Behind Closed Doors is a standalone contemporary novel by J.L. Berg. While you do not need to read any other books to understand this story, fans of Berg's Walls Duet will recognize Roman as well as some interconnected characters. After reading the Walls Duet, I was intrigued by Roman and wanted more of him. While there were things that I liked about this book, this one wasn't exactly what I had been expecting.

Running a business isn't easy, and Roman makes it his top priority to succeed. So if that makes him a jerk, he has no problems with that. But when his assistant goes on leave, his new temp Cara challenges him in ways he never expected. She should have been off-limits, but he soon finds himself unable to stay away from her. 

As I said before, I liked Roman in the Walls Duet and couldn't wait to get to know him better. While I do feel as though we got to see more of him here as it was his story, I still feel as though I don't really know him. It just felt like there wasn't a lot of depth to him, despite the potential for it. He did have a different side to him here than what fans will have previously seen, but ultimately it wasn't enough for me. I also felt like I wasn't really able to relate to Cara either. Not that she was unlikable, because that wasn't the case, but I just couldn't really connect with her and I struggled to see a real bond forming between her and Roman. They had chemistry, but a lot of this story just didn't really go beyond the physical attraction for me. 

I think part of what had me struggling here was that there was quite a bit that we learned about through Cara or Roman describing, rather than actually experiencing it with them. Because of that I felt a bit detached from the story and would have preferred for things to happen in the present by them being shown to us rather than told. It was just hard to feel invested in the story when it felt like the reader wasn't emotionally connected to what was happening. Overall, there were still some really good moments and I did enjoy seeing more of some familiar faces. But if i'm being honest, this wasn't the story I had been hoping for when it came to getting more of Roman.

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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ARC Review: Remembering Everly by J.L. Berg

Remembering Everly is the second book in the Lost & Found series by J.L. Berg. This is the continuation of August and Everly's story and cannot be read without having read Forgetting August first. If you haven't read that book yet, you will need to start there and should beware of possible spoilers in this review. 

After waking up from a two year coma, August is left with little to no memories of his past. As he tries to piece together his memories, the one thing he knows is that Everly is the love of his life. But something happened in their past that has changed Everly from loving him the same way to him being the man that she hates. Not only does Everly want nothing more than to move on, but she has found the man to help her do that in her fiance Ryan. But August is determined to not only win Everly back, but to be the man that she once loved before everything went wrong. However his past has other plans for him, and it could ruin his chances with Everly once and for all.

I had really liked both August and Everly in the first book, and unfortunately I lost a bit of that here. August and Everly still had something between them that nothing could take away from them, but I felt like we really weren't able to connect to them as we could in the first book due to some of their actions here. I didn't like the fact that these two spent so much time apart and that Ryan and Magnolia seemed to be used as plot devices here. It just didn't feel genuine to me, especially where Magnolia was concerned. 

I also had a really tough time getting through this book. It was slow and boring for much of the book and I lost interest early on. I just struggled to get into the story here when I had been so excited after that cliffhanger in Forgetting August. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next, and unfortunately a lot of nothing happened here and what did was predictable. I really felt like we got lost in the bland and mundane details of these two going through the motions and this book just felt like all filler. I would gladly have had one solid book that was a bit longer than to see what happened here. There were some things that were resolved far too easily to be realistic, while other things would drag and take forever with the amount of back and forth. Overall, this one just wasn't for me. I have absolutely loved J.L. Berg's in the past and I know this won't be the last I read from her. Unfortunately this one just fell flat after all the promise from Forgetting August and I was disappointed with Remembering Everly.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Within These Walls by J.L. Berg

I am a huge fan of J.L. Berg's at this point, and I have loved every single book of hers that I have read. I was super excited to see that she had a new standalone book coming out, and was really curious about new characters that weren't in her Ready series. I can honestly say that I loved this book just as much as I loved the Ready series, and this book was just as captivating and well written as everything else I have read by her. I really cannot say enough good things about J.L. Berg and her stories, but if you aren't reading her books then you are seriously missing out. J.L. Berg is an author worthy of auto-buy, and I am already waiting for her next book.

Lailah Buchanan was born with a heart defect and has lived her life within the walls of a hospital. She has brief moments where she has been allowed to return home, but for the most part she is forced to live in hospitals where she can be monitored constantly. Her father left her mother before she was born, and they have only had the two of them to rely on. But she has grown up being close to Dr. Marcus who has been like a father figure to her. When she ends up meeting the new Nurse's Assistant in the Cardiology department, things between them quickly grow to be more than just friends. But Lailah soon discovers that Jude has secrets of his own. Jude has been trying to survive ever since he lost everything three years ago, and spends as much time as he can within the walls of Memorial Hospital. But after meeting Lailah, he finally begins to heal and soon is wanting to really live again. But with so much uncertain about Lailah's health and with Jude's secrets, can they find a way to be together?

I really loved Jude. You could see how torn up he was from his past, and he was struggling with his feelings for Lailah. He never expected to fall for her and didn't think that he was good enough for her. But he was determined to give her everything she had been dreaming of, and he was so sweet with her. I loved his late night pudding deliveries and how he did everything he could to help her cross out items on her Someday List. He was absolutely perfect for her and by helping her, he was able to begin to heal himself. Lailah was strong. She had been through a lot and had been dealt a crappy hand. But she made the most of it and wasn't a whiner. She didn't complain and she wasn't overly negative. I really admired her, and she was such an easy character to like and root for. She had a way of brightening the lives of everyone around her and it was easy to see how Jude was so easily drawn to her. I thought that they had great chemistry and you could see the attraction between them. But they also just fit together, and had such a strong connection.

What made Jude and Lailah's relationship so special though was that they just seemed to fit so well together. They were perfect for one another, and their feelings were so real and believable. You could tell just how much they meant to each other, and they wanted what was best for each other. They really seemed to put the other first, and were will to sacrifice themselves in order to do anything for the other. I love how J.L. Berg is always able to draw such emotions from her readers. Every single one of her books has you laughing and smiling even through the tears. Within These Walls was no different, and I definitely had my moments when I was reaching for the tissues. I loved every bit of this story though, and I really enjoyed reading this book. I highly recommend that you check out any of J.L. Berg's books if you haven't read them, but Within These Walls is one that will stick with me forever. I know I will be reading this one again in the future, and I can't wait to get more from J.L. Berg.

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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ARC Review: Ready For You by J.L. Berg

Ready For You is the third book in the Ready series by J.L. Berg, and I have been dying to get my hands on this one! This series is one of my all time favorites, and I love each book so much. Ready For You is Garrett and Mia's story, and I have been anxious to get to know Garrett better ever since he was introduced as Clare's brother. This series has interconnected characters, but each book can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend starting at the beginning though so that you get to know each other these characters and see everything that they have been through, and because they are all fantastic!

Eight years have gone by since Garrett lost the love of his life. He had been planning on spending his future with Mia, but she disappeared the night of their graduation. Now years later, he is living in a tiny apartment and working a job that he hates. He has no plans to ever be with anyone seriously and knows that Mia was his one chance at love. When Mia suddenly reappears in town, she never expects to run into Garrett. There are so many things that were left unresolved that they both know they need to work on. Garrett begins to help Mia fix up her new house, and they get to know the people that they have become. The connection they once felt is still there, but with so many painful things from their past can they possibly move forward to a future together?

I really loved Garrett. He had always been the quiet and brooding type in the previous books, but you could tell there was so much more to his character. Once things started to be revealed in this book, I felt so bad for everything that he had been through. He was devastated after losing Mia and he was just surviving. It was so great to see him and Mia reconnect and to see him start living again. Their connection was so strong to be able to survive everything that they had been through, and I loved watching them open up to each other again. Mia had made mistakes, but she was forced to deal with so much at such a young age. She was alone and struggled without any help, and I felt bad for her as well as Garrett. I thought that these two were absolutely perfect together though. They were sweet and loving, and they were such a great match for one another. I honestly don't know if I have ever read about a couple that was so natural together. Their relationship was one that just fit, and you knew these two would end up together because there was just no other option. They were emotionally connected, but were also extremely attracted to each other.

Overall, I really loved this book. I always wonder after I finish a book in this series how J.L. Berg will possibly be able to write another that is as good or better than the last, and every single time she does it! These books are fantastic, and are so wonderfully written. I love her writing style, the pacing is always perfect, and the characters are always deep and easy to relate to. She has a way of drawing you in with these unique and different characters, and I love that they aren't the same cookie cutter types that you get so often with contemporaries and new adults. If you haven't read anything by J.L. Berg yet, you are seriously missing out! I highly recommend every book in this series, and this one was just another to add to my favorites list! I will literally read anything by J.L. Berg at this point, and I can't wait to read the next Ready book as well as whatever else she comes up with in the future!

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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