ARC Review: Exes With Benefits by Nicole Williams

I honestly have mixed feelings about this book and it has taken me awhile to put my thoughts together. I usually try to write my reviews right after I finish a book, so that everything is fresh in my mind and my feelings are clear. But with this book I really didn't know how I felt so it took awhile to think on it, which is why I ended up rating this book 3 stars. Exes With Benefits by Nicole Williams had some things I really loved, but then there were things that I didn't and that left me feeling as though this one was just okay. 

Maggie Church and Canaan Ford grew up together as friends and eventually it blossomed into more. When a surprise pregnancy right out of high school had them getting married, they both knew they were young and things quickly got bad as they started fighting. But Canaan was also broken from a tragedy that had occurred years before. Needing to escape, he turned to fighting and alcohol to numb himself and it got to the point that Maggie could no longer watch him self-destruct and left him behind. Now five years later a tragedy finally brings her home and she finds herself face to face with Canaan. She is ready to move on for good and wants a divorce, but Canaan isn't ready to let her go and bargains with a month to prove they belong together. But can he show her that he has changed and that they were always meant to be? 

I absolutely loved Canaan. Of all the issues I had here, he wasn't one of them. He was sexy and sweet, and I loved his unwavering love and devotion to Maggie. No matter what happened, he never stopped loving her or wanted anyone else. It was so refreshing to see a hero that knew he had messed up and worked hard to overcome that and better himself, all while staying faithful to someone he wasn't sure would ever come back. I liked Maggie at times, but did have some issues with her. I understood her leaving and felt for all that she had gone through. I really did. But I didn't like that she started moving on, all while still married to him and never having resolved anything. I also struggled with how she acted at times, constantly throwing Canaan's past mistakes in his face. It was so obvious that he had changed, it wasn't just his words but also his actions. So I really hated that she continued to do it throughout the entire story. The chemistry and connection was clear, but I was ready for her to dump the boyfriend and get back to being with Canaan like she was supposed to be. Especially since she had no problem being physical with Canaan, even when she would try and talk herself out of it.

Overall, I just struggled with Maggie and how things went down a lot. I do understand the initial leaving and being strong for herself, but I didn't get how she handled things in the present. It just felt like she was kind of a hypocrite at times saying one thing and doing the opposite. I didn't like that she continued to punish Canaan for their past when it was obvious there was a reason for his actions, even if she didn't know them. I still liked this book and loved Canaan, but was left with mixed feelings mostly on Maggie. I think a lot of readers will enjoy this one, so if you are on the fence I recommend giving it a go. Canaan is amazing and definitely worth the read.

**ARC Provided by Ardent PRose**

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ARC Review: Roommates with Benefits by Nicole Williams

I was immediately drawn to this book between the sexy cover and the blurb. I thought this one had a lot of potential and I was really excited to read it. Unfortunately this one wasn't entirely what I had been expecting. While Roommates with Benefits by Nicole Williams did have moments that I enjoyed, this one fell a bit flat for me. 

Hayden has big dreams of becoming the next it girl in the fashion/modeling world. She leaves her small town behind and heads to NYC. But she never expects her new apartment to be so tiny, or her roommate to be so infuriating. Soren is nothing like she expected, leaving his clothes all over and refusing to pick up after himself. Soren has dreams of making the pros in baseball, and between that, school and his job he just doesn't have the time to make sure that everything is to Hayden's liking. Though they have nothing in common, the quickly realize that there is an attraction between them that neither can deny. 

Part of my problem here was that these characters both had moments of immaturity that really had me questioning their ages. They both did and sad things that were just childish, and I found that really hard to get past. While I understand that we all do things like that at that age, this went above and beyond at times. The communication between Hayden and Soren was absolutely horrible, and there were so many things that could have easily been resolved had they just actually talked to one another. I really have a hard time with that kind of thing when it is used as a plot device for the sake of drama, and that is what it felt like here. While these two had great chemistry and I enjoyed the banter between them, I just felt like the entire story was these two acting childish and refusing to just talk. That kept their relationship from being believable to me in the long run. 

 The other thing I had issues with here was the story and its believability. There were just things that forced me to try and suspend all logic and that wasn't realistic. Here you have a 19 year old girl coming from a small town, moving to an NYC apartment with a roommate that she knows nothing about. Not only does she not have a cent to her name, but she has never seen the apartment or roommate but she and her family just let her run off while hoping for the best. Then she goes pretty much the entire story with no real contact with her family and the skeezy agent helping her with her career is just let off the hook and disappears after he crosses the line. Just too much to be believable for me. It was all just swept under the rug and the conclusion was rushed so that it could be wrapped up with a pretty bow at the end. That just didn't work for me. While I think that this one had the potential to be great, it just fell flat overall and I wanted more for Hayden and Soren.

**ARC Provided by Ardent PRose**

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ARC Review: Mister Wrong by Nicole Williams

I honestly don't really know what to think after reading this book. On the one hand, I couldn't put Mister Wrong down. But on the other, there were several things that just didn't work for me here. I will say that Nicole Williams is a great writer, and regardless of my feelings on this story her talent is undeniable. I think that there are a lot of readers that will enjoy this story, but I think that there are some that like me will have some problems with this one.

I was drawn in with the blurb right away...Cora Matthews grew up with Jacob and Matt Adams. Jacob became Cora's fiance, while Matt was her best friend. When Jacob fails to show up for their wedding, Matt steps in as the groom with Cora not finding out until after the wedding. On their honeymoon, Cora discovers some secrets that the Adams brothers had been keeping from her and must confront her feelings for Matt to figure out which Adams brother is the right one for her. 

I have to say that part of my problem here was the characters and how things went down. While I liked things about them and definitely had opinions on who I thought should end up together, I felt like the communication here was horrible. I found things unbelievable and that made it hard for me to really get behind the story. There was a ton of drama, which if I am honest, I expected. But at times things were just too over the top for me to fully ignore. 

Overall, this one still has me unable to decide what I really think which is the reason for my 3 star rating. As I said the writing is fantastic, but the story itself is what kept me from loving the book. I am a sucker for forbidden romance stories and those that are on the angsty side which is why this one instantly appealed to me. Unfortunately I just wasn't able to fully get behind this one, though I do think that a lot of others will really like it. This one could be just me personally having some issues, so I definitely recommend giving it a shot if it sounds like one you might like.

**ARC Provided by Ardent PRose**

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ARC Review: Touching Down by Nicole Williams

Touching Down is my first Nicole Williams book. I am such a sucker for sports romance stories, and this one sounded like something that I would absolutely love. I have to admit that at times I really struggled here though and ultimately was left with mixed feelings on the story. 

Grant and Ryan loved each other, but just when it looked like their happy ending was in reach, Ryan disappeared. Heartbroken and alone, Grant threw himself into the game and became a name everyone knew. Just as he thinks that he has finally been able to move on, Ryan reappears and changes everything for him once again. 

I really loved Grant! He was amazing and I really felt for him. I did have some problems with Ryan though. I hated some of the decisions that she made, and the worst was the fact that she wasn't honest with him. So much could have been different, and while I understand some of what her reasons were I don't agree with them. I also felt like Grant forgave her too easily, and I really wanted him to make her work for it. They had chemistry and a connection, but I just didn't really feel fully invested in their relationship. Things didn't really start to progress for me until late in the story and at that point it was kind of a too little too late sort of situation for me.

Overall, I think that this book had a ton of potential and just didn't quite live up to it. There was so much promise for where this book could have gone and unfortunately it just didn't get there for me. I do think that this book had some good moments and there were things that I enjoyed. I am glad I read it, I just wish that a few things would have been a bit different and I could have felt more of the romance earlier on for me. There were a few unrealistic things as well, and those kept me from loving this book. I would read more from Nicole Williams though, and I think that this is worth taking the chance on if it sounds like something you might like.

**ARC Provided by Ardent PRose**

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