ARC Review: Because of Sydney by T.A. Foster

Because of Sydney is a spin-off from T.A. Foster's Kissing Eden Series. Fans of the series will recognize the main character Mason, who is Grey's uncle. While new readers can certainly pick this one up and read it as a standalone, I think it is best read following the Kissing Eden series. There is a lot between Grey and Mason that is just briefly touched on here, and I think it is best to have that knowledge while reading this one so as not to feel as though part of Mason's backstory is missing or glossed over. 

Mason Lachlan is used to knowing what he wants and getting it no matter what. He is set to develop a new resort in one of the biggest land deals Padre has ever seen. But when he meets the young reporter Sydney Paige, he quickly becomes the focus of her story. Mason hates reporters, and he knows that Sydney could end up ruining his deal if she pushes too much. Yet he can't help but be drawn to her despite knowing just how badly things could go if he pursues her. Sydney needs this job, and she will do whatever it takes to get in good with her boss. But when the lines start to blur, she finds herself torn between her job and Mason. Can Mason and Sydney find a way to explore what is between them while also being successful, or will their feelings get in the way and destroy everything that they have each been working for? 

If I am being honest, it was hard for me to get into this book. I had read the Kissing Eden series, so I always expected Mason to end up with Taylor. I felt like the author had started to develop that connection and that while it needed work, it was something that could have turned into such a great relationship. So for me, it was hard for me to like or support Sydney from the start. Not that she wasn't likable, although she did have her moments, but I just felt invested in Taylor and Mason. Because of that, I really feel like I was at a disadvantage to accept these two. Mason's reason for breaking up with Taylor is that he could tell she was looking for more and he didn't want any commitment, yet he immediately gets into a relationship here with Sydney. I felt like he should have been able to own up to his feelings, and the fact that he just apparently didn't want a future with Taylor. That wasn't at all a part of his reasons for dumping her, considering that he said that he liked her and they had a good time together but that he was just looking for casual fun. Mason was more wishy washy here than I had seen him before, and it didn't fit with the same guy from Kissing Eden. While I enjoyed seeing him developing a relationship with Eden and Grey and how they were becoming closer as a family, I didn't like it in regards to Sydney. One minute he is pushing her away and the next he was pulling her closer. It happened on several occasions, and I just didn't care for it. How he could go from wanting a one night stand and basically daring her to follow through on it, to wanting her to spend the night, bringing her breakfast in the morning and inviting her on a trip within a matter of hours was beyond me. And this is all the first day they met! Sydney for the most part was likable, yet she also was pushy and fit the description of the typical annoying reporter. Getting in people's business and not really caring what it takes as long as she gets her story. She got emotionally involved, and then would react to things accordingly. Because of that her communication skills with Mason were lacking and she did some really immature things. I thought Mason was a part of the communication issues as well, but Sydney's actions were worse to me. 

While this is a standalone story, there is a lot to Mason's background when it comes to his family and I felt like that wasn't as well developed here as it could have been. The reader doesn't really find anything out until about 70% of the way through this book, and even then it felt brief and not thoroughly explored. I think that readers that are looking for depth and want to really see more into Mason and why he is the way he is should start with Kissing Eden in order to really get the full picture. I wanted that to be a bit more explored here, especially for those that are just getting to know Mason. While Because of Sydney doesn't end on a cliffhanger, the ending was rushed and abrupt and things were left open for more. I'm not sure if the author has plans to write more for these characters, but it definitely felt like that was her intention. The storyline with Sydney's sister was also left open, so i'm sure something is in the works. Honestly, I am not sure that I will continue reading about these characters as the last few books have just been okay for me. While I loved the beginning of the Kissing Eden series and some of Foster's other books, the last few haven't been my favorites. I might give the new ones a shot just to find out what happens with everyone, but I am not sure that I would have started this series if I would have known how things will play out.

**ARC Provided by Mark My Words Book Publicity**

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N | iTunes |

ARC Review: Second Position by Melody Grace

Second Position is the second installment in the Dirty Dancing Serial by Melody Grace. The Dirty Dancing Serial is actually a revised and expanded version of With Every Heartbeat, that was previously published by Melody Grace. While most of the story is the same, there are additional scenes and POVs that were not in the original version. Second Position is a continuation of Raphael and Annalise's story, and should only be read after First Position.

This installment picks up right where the cliffhanger of First Position left off, with Annalise hurting her ankle and wondering how she will possibly be able to perform at her audition. Annalise gets lucky and her time to prepare is extended, allowing her ankle to heal. But with her career on the line, Annalise realizes that now more than ever she needs to focus on dance and unfortunately that means staying away from Raphael. But Raphael is determined to make things up to Annalise and show her that what is between them is real and worth pursuing. Can Annalise have it all, or was her injury enough to convince her that some risks aren't worth taking?

I felt like this installment really showed things heating up between Annalise and Raphael. We really get to see the chemistry and passion between them as well as their growing connection to one another. They start to really get to know one another, and for the first time really get to spend some time together. Annalise and Raphael are extremely hot together, but what makes them work so well is how much they understand one another. They connect in a way that most people aren't able to because of their love and passion for dancing. They might have different styles, but they are able to understand all the same. It was great seeing them open up to each other more and for them to be able to talk about what they want for themselves in the future. I like how supportive and encouraging they are of each other, and I think we really get to see that in this installment. Second Position does end with another cliffhanger, and you will definitely be left wanting more.

While I like the revamped version giving us more steam and more of Raphael's thoughts and feelings, I had the same issue with this installment as I did with the previous one. Because of the switch from a novel to a serial, the story feels as though it is disjointed. I think some of this is due to the fact that I know the story and had read With Every Heartbeat. I know where things go from here and I see where the story was stopped in the middle of. I am not sure if it would feel so fragmented had I not previously read this though, so there is a chance that this is just because I know the story already. I do think that this is worth reading, and I think that fans of Melody Grace that haven't previously read this will definitely want to check it out. If you have read With Every Heartbeat and enjoyed it, I think that you will enjoy seeing more of Raphael's POV as well as more heat with this serial. But I am honestly not sure if I would buy this having already read With Every Heartbeat. While the extras have been fun and it's been great to see new content, I am not sure that they really add that much more to the story to justify the cost.

**ARC Provided by Mark My Words Book Publicity**

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N |

ARC Review: First Position by Melody Grace

When I first heard that Melody Grace was publishing a new sexy romance serial, I couldn't wait to read it. But then I found out that this story was actually her previously published book, With Every Heartbeat, but she has since revised it and added some new material. While I was excited to see what else she had done with the story because I enjoyed it so much the first time, I will admit that I was a bit worried that this was going to be almost exactly the same thing as before. While I didn't notice a ton that was different, I did like the changes for the most part.

When Annalise heads to Rome to try and get a position as a prima ballerina, she knows that this could be her last chance. Her mother had always pushed her, and she needs to focus on her dancing now more than ever. But when her company is out sight seeing, she ends up meeting a handsome street dancer named Raphael. Raphael invites her to a party, and though she knows she should stay away she finds herself unable to turn him down. But when Annalise is almost discovered, things take a turn for the worst and she can't help but be reminded of everything that is at stake.

Annalise and Raphael are the same great characters that I fell in love with the first time around. But with the revamp, Melody Grace has made them sexier than ever. These two continued to steam up the pages with their off the charts chemistry. Raphael knows how to effortlessly move his body as well as how to get the best out of his partner, and I loved seeing him show Annalise how to unlock the passion inside of herself. These two might have met and started things quickly, but it was clear from the beginning that there was something special between them. Annalise and Raphael are only just beginning, and I was really glad that we got to see more of Raphael's POV this time around. Besides the increased steam in this revamped version, that was the biggest difference that I saw. I will say that for me having already read With Every Heartbeat, the ending of this installment didn't kill me as it might have had I not known what happens next. But with this being a serial now, there is a cliffhanger ending to this one. While I liked the changes so far, I will say that I thought that going from a novel to a serial made this one feel a bit disjointed and I lost some of the flow that I felt from the first time around. I still recommend this story though, and I can't wait to see what other changes Melody Grace has in store in the next two installments.

**ARC Provided by Mark My Words Book Publicity**

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N |

ARC Review: Third Position by Melody Grace

Third Position is the third and final installment in the Dirty Dancing Serial by Melody Grace. This serial was previously published by Melody Grace as the novel, With Every Heartbeat. With the release as a serial, Melody Grace has revamped the story adding new content and making revisions. Having read both the novel and the serial I can tell you that there are a few differences between each. This new serial is a bit steamier than the first, and it does contain more of Raphael's POV. However if you have already read With Every Heartbeat, I think you will notice that not much has changed.

This installment picks up where we left off with Annalise facing her mother upon her surprise arrival. Annalise's mother keeps her under lock and key to ensure that Annalise will be ready for her performance. But Annalise is determined to help Raphael with his audition and to be there for him. Annalise's mother will stop at nothing to have her daughter be the best, and continues to tell Annalise that Raphael will do nothing but betray her. Can Annalise and Raphael have it all, or will all the obstacles in their way tear them apart?

Annalise and Raphael have already been through so much in such a short amount of time. But they really face their toughest battles yet in this installment. Things between them have always been intense and passionate, but in this installment we really are shown just how far they have come and how far they still have to go. They both have made mistakes, but it is clear that they have developed real feelings for one another and find themselves in unfamiliar territory. In Third Position, their relationship is put to the test in ways that they have never had to face before. While their connection and chemistry is strong, they have a lot of outside forces to deal with in this part.

I really felt like this installment had the least amount of new content so far. Not much seemed to be different or changed, and I found myself wondering if I had missed something. I am not really sure that over the course of these three installments that there was that much new content from With Every Heartbeat. We did get to see a sexier side to these characters at times, and we got more of Raphael's POV. But honestly I don't think that as a reader I would buy this one if I had already read With Every Heartbeat. For me, there just wasn't enough new content to justify the price of this serial on top of what was already charged for the first book. I think that readers that have not previously read With Every Heartbeat will find this story just as interesting and captivating as I found it the first time I read it. But I really don't think that it is necessary for readers of With Every Heartbeat to go and spend more money on top of what they already have. I really wish that instead of getting new covers and splitting it into three parts with a few changes, I would have much rather read a retelling of the story from Raphael's POV or maybe even a novella giving us a catch up on where they were in their HEA. I think that while this story will appeal to new readers, for me this one just wasn't necessary. I gave the story four stars as I did with the first book, because even with the new content I still feel like this was almost exactly the same story with very little changes.

**ARC Provided by Mark My Words Book Publicity**

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N |

ARC Review: Hope For Her by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

Hope For Her is the first book in Sydney Aaliyah Michelle's new Hope series. I honestly don't even know where to begin this review. I was originally drawn in by the blurb. I expected this one to be tough at times, and I really think that Sydney Aaliyah Michelle was able to take on some really tough issues with this story. This book will absolutely be hard for some to read, and features some very adult topics that even some adults will struggle with. As much as I wanted to love this story though and appreciate it for the journey that it is, I just had too many things that held me back.

After his latest screw up Joshua Elijah Griffin IV, he arrives at FSU where he joins his best friend Jackson at the fraternity that they both belong to. He ends up seeing a girl one day and misses the opportunity to talk to her, but vows that the next time he will make sure that they meet. When he sees her again, they begin a volatile relationship that has many ups and downs. Carrington Olivia Butler is everything that Joshua's family doesn't approve of, but Josh can't stay away from her. As Carrington and Joshua grow closer, his demons begin to return and things get harder for them than ever before. But Carrington and Joshua aren't ready to give up on their relationship despite all the problems that they encounter. However just because they want things to work out doesn't mean that it will or that things will get any easier.

I honestly struggled with these characters. Joshua makes you want to root for him, but somehow I was just never able to fully connect with him. He had a horrible family that were not only snobs, but also allowed a lot of really awful things to happen right in front of their faces. They simply turned the other cheek and it really drove me crazy. Josh did that so many times with their treatment of Carrington that it really pissed me off. Not only that, but Josh ran extremely hot and cold and never seemed to really support Carrington in the way she needed. He was weak and wouldn't let her in, he never opened up to her and would get really mad at her and make assumptions if anyone in his life let her in on any of the many secrets he kept from her. Carrington was wishy washy, and it really drove me nuts. At first she is interested in both Josh and his friend Jackson, but then when she happens to come across Josh at a party first she decides to go for him. She allowed him to treat her in a way that made me sad for her and women all over. He did something unforgivable, and yet they never even discuss it. They end up having sex and all is forgotten. I just couldn't ever fully get behind their relationship even though I badly wanted them to figure things out and get on the right track. I think that they definitely had their steamy moments, but I was missing that emotional connection to go with it.

I didn't care for the way that Jackson was brought into this story at convenient times and then forgotten at others. It seemed like he only showed up when drama was needed or when he served a purpose, and the rest of the time his absence was noticeable. For someone who was a love interest at first, it seemed odd that he would just disappear for a large portion of the story only to reappear later on. Then when he does reappear, Carrington is suddenly forgetting about Josh and basically mentally cheating on Josh with everything she wishes were happening with Jackson. I wanted her to make a choice one way or another. Another problem I had was that there were a lot of things that Carrington never found out, the biggest being about everything that Joshua did when he would relapse and return to the drugs. It was sad, and I hated how it was a complete non-issue. I kind of wondered why we even got to see that at all if it wasn't going to come out. The whole time you are hoping that Joshua will turn things around, and it was just hard to see him fall further and further as the story progressed. I will admit that my biggest problem with this story though was the way things played out at the end. I honestly can't say what happened without spoiling a huge part of this book, but I really felt sort of betrayed when it was all said and done. I can't really say why I felt that way because of what happens, but as a reader reading a NA romance story I just didn't feel like the ending of this book did these characters justice. By that I mean all of the characters. The other thing that really bothered me as a reader were the inconsistencies in the story. As an ARC reader, you expect for there to be editing issues still to be dealt with and some misspellings or grammar mistakes. But what I am talking about are huge differences such as the constant mixing up of characters names, the fact that a character's name is never introduced then randomly appears in a sentence. Then in the next sentence that random new character already has a shortened version of the name and is turned into a character so familiar that they have a nickname? I think that this story had a ton of potential, but I really think that this book just needed a lot of work. It needed an editor in the worst way and someone to go through and point out where all the inconsistencies were and fix them. They were more than just simple mistakes, and I feel like if those were fixed this really could have been a much better story. There are two more books currently in the works for this series, and at this time there are no blurbs or any information that I could find on them. I think if they are about Carrington, that it might change the way I view the ending of this book. But as things currently stand, I am still really disappointed with how this one ended. I will keep an eye out for news on this series though, and consider giving the next two books a shot because I really do think that if they continue Carrington's story that these will be worth the read.  
**ARC Provided by Mark My Words Book Publicity**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N |

ARC Review: Uninhibited by Melody Grace

Uninhibited is the fourth book in Melody Grace's Beachwood Bay series, but can be read as a standalone. This installment was so good, and honestly it is the best one yet in my opinion. I absolutely loved this story and I loved the characters. Dex was my favorite book boyfriend from the Beachwood Bay series by far, and is definitely one that I will always remember. I highly recommend this one, and can't wait to read the next book in this series.

Alicia has been in love with her best friend from college for years, but has never told him. He met the girl of his dreams though and is getting married to her leaving Alicia with a broken heart. The only person that has been able to get Alicia to forget him is the hot rock start that she spent a night with months ago. While still heartbroken, she decides it is time to move on and takes Dex up on his offer of a week together in which he guarantees to get Hunter off her mind. Alicia never acts impulsively and always lives her life according to plan, but she is surprised how being with Dex not only takes her out of her comfort zone but that she is actually enjoying it. As their week together progresses, Dex and Alicia grow closer and real feelings start to develop between them. But can Alicia fully let Hunter go and embrace a future with Dex?

I really loved Dex. He was so fantastic, and I liked seeing all the different sides to him. He was sweet and thoughtful, sexy and confident. I loved that he didn't take advantage of Alicia and that he took his time with her. He wanted to show her that she was worth more, and I think that it was really sweet that he showed her how great she was. He was struggling with his own issues, but he really was patient with Alicia while supporting and encouraging her the whole time. Alicia was great as well. She had always done the easy and predictable thing, never allowing herself to be spontaneous or adventurous. But with Dex, she was more open and relaxed and really embraced life. I liked seeing her discover that side to herself with the help of Dex. I thought that they were great for each other, and they both helped the other to heal and move forward with their lives. They had amazing chemistry and were extremely hot together. I thought that the emotional connection that they shared though was what made their relationship so memorable and special.

Overall, I really can't recommend this book enough. Dex and Alicia were amazing together, and I loved every word of their story. They belonged together, and I loved watching them fall in love with each other. This book was sweet and sexy, and was exactly what I was looking for. Melody Grace really hit this one out of the park, and in my opinion it was the best book I have read of hers to date. Dex and Alicia's story is one that will stick with me and that I know I will go back and read over and over. I have enjoyed this series and would recommend checking it out if you haven't already, but this book is one that I think is a must read. I look forward to reading the next book in this series and can't wait to get to know Dex's sister better and see her HEA.

**ARC Provided by Mark My Words Book Publicity**

Purchase: | Amazon |

ARC Review: The Man Test by Amanda Aksel

The Man Test by Amanda Aksel had a lot of surprises in store! I never read Amanda Aksel and I was pleasantly surprised by her writing! When the story begins Marin Johns has it all. She is a successful couples counselor, she is about to have a fun weekend getaway with her girlfriends and she is very much in love with her fiancé. Marin is a great heroine. She is kind and a good friend. It’s obvious that she cares about her girlfriends and is excited to celebrate her friend’s bachelorette party in Vegas.

Marin returns home early and wants to surprise her fiancé (her fiancé and her live together) because she misses him and wants to see him. She’s the one that gets a big surprise when she finds him with another woman. (This is not a big spoiler, it happens at the very beginning).

As can be expected, she is heartbroken. She develops a very cynical outlook on love and relationships. Whereas before she use to urge couples to work out their problems in her therapy sessions she finds herself doubting love all together.

I really liked this book and enjoyed Marin. Although this is a romance novel, it could be easily viewed as a woman’s book at the heart and soul is Marin’s journey in finding love, believing in love and learning to believe in herself, after her confidence is shot.

My only issue with the book was Marin. Which obviously seems contradictory. When Marin is heartbroken she decides to give love a second chance. Although she is cynical it doesn’t stop her from thinking that she has found “the one”.

When Marin finally meets James she takes out all her insecurities out on him. This is a natural reaction after having her heartbroken but I thought that some of methods were extreme. I thought this was a great story. It was easily relatable and Marin was very likeable. I especially enjoyed the funny moments that were sometimes unexpected. I really recommend this book if anyone is looking for a chance to see love get a chance.

**ARC provided by Mark My Words Book Publicity**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N |

ARC Review: Stealing Promises by Brina Courtney

Stealing Promises is a novella length New Adult story by Brina Courtney. I really loved the cover of this book, and after reading the blurb knew that I wanted to read it. I love books that get me emotionally invested, and end up showing a hero or heroine who overcomes something. I have mixed feelings about this book after reading it though. There are both things that I really liked, and then some things that I didn't care for. Stealing Promises was not what I had been expecting though.

Victoria thought that her and Levi would always be together. They grew up together, and over time their feelings grew from friendship into something more. Levi had some issues because of his mother, but with Victoria he was able to move on with his life. Victoria was set to graduate soon, and would be attending law school either at Yale or Harvard. Levi had just given her a promise ring and had secured an apartment for them to move into. Then one tragic night, everything changed. Victoria is left broken with no will to live in a future without Levi. She gets some help from a grief counselor who quickly becomes a good friend of hers. Even though she doesn't always agree with Kate's approach, she realizes that every time she ends up in a better place because of Kate's help. Victoria decides to transfer colleges for her last semester and ends up moving in with a friend. Kate helps her get involved with a group on campus for those that have lost someone. Victoria meets Brighton and they begin spending time together. Brighton wants to be with Victoria, but she knows that she is not ready for a relationship yet. Brighton says that he will wait for her, but Victoria wonders if she can ever move on with someone else and truly leave Levi behind. Even though she cares for Brighton and he makes her happy, she isn't sure that she will ever be able to love someone like she loved Levi.

I liked Levi. He was sweet and thoughtful and he really took care of Victoria. Even though he had a tough past and had issues because of his mother, he cared about Victoria so much that he put himself out there for her. Victoria was determined and devoted. I loved just how much she loved Levi and how committed she was to him in any capacity that he would allow. She knew that he had troubles because of his mom and yet she was happy just to be with him even if it wasn't exactly what she had envisioned for herself. After she lost Levi, she was a total wreck. It was awful how she just shut down and gave up. With Kate's help though, she was able to begin to move forward. She was stronger than she knew and I liked seeing her get her life together. One of the things that I really liked the most was that she didn't continue with the same path her life had been on before. She changed course and was able to figure out something that worked better for her and could possibly help others who were going through what she had been through. I liked Brighton and that he was able to start to bring Victoria out of her shell. They were able to help each other and had an understanding that most people don't have because they had both lost someone they were close to. I thought that they had a great balance and connection because of that. I feel like we didn't really get to know most of the characters in this book very well though because the focus was mainly on Victoria's process through her grief. I would have liked to have seen more character development and seen into the characters on a deeper level, especially with Victoria and Brighton.

Overall, I think that Stealing Promises was a good story. I think it had so much promise and had the opportunity to be even greater though. Even though this was about Victoria and her growth, I felt like the rest of the story and character's suffered because there wasn't room for much else. I also thought that because of the length of this story, that the reader was never really able to connect with the characters or become invested in them. My biggest complaint with Stealing Promises though was the ending. Just when the story starts to move forward, it is over. I felt like the ending was really rushed and rather abrupt. It just felt almost unfinished to me and as though it was missing something. I would have liked to have been given a bit more of their story or at least an epilogue or something so that we could have seen a bit more in the future of where things end up. I would have liked to have seen how things played out for Victoria and Brighton. I think that this was a good story about grief and moving forward. It showed how even the most heartbroken and broken can heal with the help of friends and loved ones. But I think that beyond that, this one had so much more promise than it delivered on. This book definitely was emotional though, and I found myself tearing up at several points. If you are looking for a quick and emotional read about growth and self progress, I think that this might be something that you would enjoy.

**ARC provided by Mark My Words Book Publicity**

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N |

ARC Review: Only In Dreams by Wendy Owens

Only In Dreams by Wendy Owens is the second book in her Stubborn Love series. I haven't read the first book Stubborn Love, but these book can be read as standalones and feature linked characters. I didn't really know what to expect from this story as it is the first book I have read by Wendy Owens, but I am really glad that I took a chance on this one. This book was heartbreaking and beautiful and was a roller coaster ride of emotions for me. This one definitely had me pulling out the tissues at times, but I also found myself smiling and feeling hopeful as well.

Paige Parker is a former model that is trying to make the switch to clothing designer. Her first collection is in the works and she is struggling to get it finished while planning a wedding to her fiance Henry. Henry decides that Paige should leave NYC for a few weeks and go to stay with her best friend Emmie in Texas. That way Emmie can help with the wedding planning and hopefully the girl time will help to relieve some of Paige's stress. Paige agrees and heads to Texas, but right after arriving she runs into the one person she never expected to see again, her first love Christian. Christian was not only Paige's first love, but he is also Emmie's Husband Colin's brother. Paige had always thought that Christian and her would be together forever, but when Christian was having trouble coping with a drinking problem, she knew that she couldn't continue trying to help him if he wouldn't accept it. But when they see each other four years later and Christian has turned his life around, Paige begins to realize that she might not be completely over the feelings she once had for him. Christian is determined to win Paige back, but Paige loves Henry and is committed to marrying him. But Paige also realizes that she loves Christian and wants a future with him. Soon Paige has to decide how you make a choice when you love two people, and what happens when things you never expected suddenly come up?

I really liked Christian and Henry. I thought that they were both really great for Paige in different ways, and they were both really great guys. Christian had broken Paige's heart, but he had never done it intentionally and he had never stopped caring about her. It was clear that he was torn up about everything that had happened, and I love how determined he was when it came to her. I really admired that he was able to turn his life around and better himself. He knew that Paige would never give him a chance unless he became the man she had fallen in love with again. I loved that he shared a history with Paige and that they had known each other since they were young. They had an easy connection and their relationship felt very natural. They also had a ton of sexual tension and chemistry between them. I also really liked Henry though. He was sweet and thoughtful and always putting Paige first. He was so supportive of her and went out of his way to take care of her. He would always find a way to make sure that she got whatever she needed and I loved that he really seemed like a genuinely nice guy. I could tell that he was hiding something from Paige for most of the book, and even though I had an idea of what it was, it was still heartbreaking to find out for sure. I wish that he would have been honest with Paige from the start about what was going on. Even though I understand that he was scared and trying to process it himself, I felt like he should have been able to share that with Paige since they were getting married to each other. I also felt like he was purposely trying to push her away at times but then would try to pull her back in. At times I felt like Paige and Henry had great chemistry with each other, but I feel like their connection was not as intense or as strong as the connection that she had with Christian. Henry felt sort of like the nice stable guy that you settle down with because he is safe. Even though I liked him, I just felt like she was destined to be with Christian. I really liked Paige though. I thought that she was a very easy heroine to root for. She was genuine and nice, and I loved that she was down to earth despite being a model. I felt like she really thought that her feelings for Christian were gone and that she was really taken aback when she realized that she still loved him. It was hard for her to come to terms with loving both men at the same time, and I thought that even though there were a few times that things happened with Christian, that she was always trying to keep things between them platonic out of respect for Henry despite what she felt.

Overall, I really liked this book. I read this book without putting it down for long, because I absolutely had to know what would happen. I will admit that although I liked Henry, I was team Christian from the start. I had guessed some of what was revealed in this book, but then there were other things that happened that really shocked me. I understand the choices that Paige made and I believe that they were very true to her character. I didn't always agree with the choices that she made, but I did get why she did. For me, the ending of this book was good and I was happy with the epilogue. I will say that I wish that things had happened a bit differently leading up to that though. I won't spoil the story, but I wish that her decision had been one that she actually made. I feel like the events that happened sort of forced her hand, and they really took away from the choices that she had been making. That was the reason this book wasn't a complete home run for me. I know the situation she was in was a very difficult one, and I admire the choice that she made despite knowing what it would cost her. But I still felt like ultimately she really didn't have a choice. This book was absolutely heartbreaking at times, and then there were other times that it was full of hope and really showed that no matter what happens we can survive it. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of emotional romance stories. There wasn't a lot of sex or steam in this book, but I didn't miss it at all. I really felt that this story was all about connections and love and the choices that we not only make but are made for us. This story shows that even though we can experience heartbreak and pain, that there is always room to grow and heal and even someday love again.

**ARC provided by Mark My Words Book Publicity**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |