ARC Review: Challenged by You by Steph Nuss

Challenged By You is the fifth book in the Love in the City series by Steph Nuss. I have really enjoyed each book in the series, and I couldn't wait to finally get Paige's story. This book was such an emotional read, and I could not put it down! I have to say that the last book in the series is my favorite, but Challenged By You might just be my new favorite. 

Paige and Drake had the perfect relationship, until everything changed in an instant. When Drake headed to college, he left Paige behind at their high school for another year never knowing that he was leaving behind more than just the girl he loved. Years have passed without them speaking, but when they are suddenly forced back together they both realize that the past has a way of holding onto you. Drake is determined to get Paige back, but Paige is holding a secret that could change everything when revealed. 

I loved these characters, and I felt emotionally invested in them right away. Paige is known in the past books for being a bit uptight and straight-laced. But in her past she was quite different, and I really enjoyed getting to know that side of her. So much had happened, and it wasn't hard to see how she had turned into the woman that she was. The one thing that had never changed though were the feelings between Drake and Paige. Drake had thought he was doing the right thing by letting Paige go, but years later he knew it was a mistake and the biggest regret of his life. Luckily for them both, the chemistry and connection was just as strong as it had always been and they were able to move forward after everything had happened. 

 Overall, I really enjoyed this book, just as I have with every other book in the series. Steph Nuss is a fantastic writer and I really love her stories. This series is filled with sweet and sexy times, love, friendship and tons of emotion. It is one of my favorite series, and I think fans of both the contemporary and new adult genres will love them. If you haven't read these yet, you are definitely missing out and I highly recommend giving them a go.

**ARC Provided by Southern Belle Promotions**

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ARC Review: Cherished by You by Steph Nuss

I absolutely love the Love in the City series from Steph Nuss! Each book is a great read on it's own, but the entire group of characters here are great and I love seeing them all as the series continues. Each book can be a standalone and are definitely enjoyable, but I would recommend reading them all in order if possible for the full experience. Cherished by You is the fourth book in the series and centers around Tessa and Justin. I have to admit I have been waiting for their story and I really think that theirs might be my favorite so far! There is something special about these two, and I just knew I was going to love their book from seeing them previously. 

Tessa Wilder has been in love with her friend Justin James since she has known him, but she hasn't been able to tell him how she feels. Each time she tries to subtly flirt with him, he doesn't seem to get it and she fears that if she tells him he will reject her. So she has stayed quiet so as not to ruin their friendship. But when her brother decides he wants to move out on his own, she offers to let him keep the apartment while she looks for something else. Not wanting Tessa to live in a bad area, Justin offers to let Tessa move into his spare room. The more time they spend together, the more they begin to grow closer and soon they are finally exploring the connection between them. But just as they are starting to build a relationship, one unexpected moment threatens everything.

I loved Tessa and Justin so much. Tessa was strong and smart, and I loved how she took care of her brother. She did what she had to do for him, and I really admired her. She was a great role model for him, and she was just so easy to like. Justin was a bit different than most heroes you read about, and honestly I loved him for that! He had some quirks, being a bit of an introvert and on the OCD side. But he was also a really great guy, and he and Tessa were perfect for one another. These two just fit together, and I really loved how they brought out different sides of each other. There is nothing sexier than a guy who is a bit nerdy, but is able to dirty talk with the best of them in bed, and Justin was beyond fantastic at it. The chemistry between these two was smoking hot, and I loved that he was such an unexpected surprise for both Tessa and the reader. 

Overall, this was a great addition to the series and one that I really enjoyed. It is hard to pick a favorite here, but I really think that Cherished by You is it! I couldn't put it down and I loved Tessa and Justin. The only thing that kept this one from being a five star read for me was that I wish that Justin and Tessa had talked about their feelings a bit sooner. If it hadn't been for their friends, i'm not sure they would have ever started to see what they needed to do where the other was concerned. I wanted Tessa to tell Justin she had liked him for so long, and I wanted Justin to just make a move. These two were great though, and I am already looking forward to Paige's story next. I really liked how this one set it up for her, and I can't wait to see what is really going on with her. Steph Nuss is a great writer, and I highly recommend this series.

**ARC Provided by Southern Belle Promotions**

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ARC Review: Pleasured By You by Steph Nuss

Pleasured By You is the third book in the Love in the City Series by Steph Nuss. Each book in this series is standalone, but the characters are interconnected. I would recommend reading these in order because I have really enjoyed every book in the series and you do get to know the characters better that way, but it is not necessary to understand or enjoy each book. Though I have really enjoyed each book in the series, I think that Pleasured By You was my favorite so far. This book was really good and I liked the characters a lot.

Pastry chef Baylor Jennings doesn't do relationships, and when it comes to guys she has a set of rules that she lives by. Fletcher Haney has no problem getting women into his bed, and he also lives by a set of rules. But when they meet on New Year's Eve and spend a passionate night together, they both can't stop thinking about one another. Now months later they haven't spoken since that night, but they are brought together when they both show up at the same wedding. When Baylor moves to NYC and interviews for her dream job at a popular bakery, she quickly finds out that Fletcher is the owner. Fletcher doesn't usually sleep with women that he employs, but he finds himself breaking his own rules for the chance to be with Baylor again. When Fletcher proposes the idea of a sex only friendship between the two of them, Baylor ends up agreeing. But the more they see each other the more they begin to fall for one another and soon things aren't as casual as they had planned on. Can Baylor and Fletcher ditch their rules and find happiness together, or will Baylor continue to avoid relationships at all costs? 

 I really loved Fletcher. He was so sweet and kind, and so super sexy. I loved his friendships and the fact that he was a Big Brother to a kid that had needed someone. He loved spending time with Rook, and they were pretty funny together. You could tell that they both really cared about each other, and I thought it was so great that Baylor was a member of the program as well. They connected on so many levels, and that was just one of them. Baylor was independent and sassy, and I was really glad that she was so comfortable with herself and her desires. But I didn't really like how she continued to think that she couldn't have a future with someone. She didn't have a reason for it at all, and I think that was what bothered me the most. She hadn't been hurt, so her reluctance to have anything with Fletcher despite her growing feelings for him just didn't make sense to me. These two were so hot together, and their chemistry was amazing. I just wish that Baylor had seen how great they were together sooner and hadn't let her insecurities hold her back so much.

Overall, this was still a really great story and was my favorite of the series. Baylor and Fletcher were great together and I really liked seeing them get closer. I loved that Baylor was into roller derby and was such a strong female. She was a great role model for Vail, and I liked that she never talked down to her and was always there for whatever Vail needed. Seeing Baylor and Fletcher with Vail and Rook were some of my favorite parts of this book, and I loved them all together. It was great to see them having such a good time together, and I think that Vail and Rook added so much to this story. If you are looking for an all around great romance series, I think that this is one that you shouldn't miss. Steph Nuss draws you right in every time, and you can't help but love the characters from her stories. I already can't wait for the next book in this series, and I look forward to reading more from Steph Nuss in the future.

**ARC Provided by Book Empire Promotions**

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Review: Fantasized by You by Steph Nuss

Fantasized by You is the second book in the Love in the City series by Steph Nuss. This book can easily be read as a standalone with interconnected characters. I was really excited when I found out that this was Maverick and Harper's story. I really liked Maverick after reading the first book, and I loved his friendship with Elly. It was great to see a different side of him in this book though, and I really enjoyed his and Harper's story.

Maverick Jones is a personal trainer and successful gym owner, but he is opening up a clinic within his gym to help those with eating disorders. When his best friend Elly brings up the idea of having mentors within the clinic, he reluctantly agrees to meet with someone that she says wants to help out. When Maverick meets Harper though, they quickly get off on the wrong foot. While Harper is beautiful and Maverick is attracted to her, she is also a fashion designer. Maverick has a problem with the fashion industry and the expectations that they place on women. But he soon realizes that Harper is more than just her job and that he wants her in his life and in his bed.

Maverick was impossible not to fall in love with. I really loved his character in the first book, and I loved his friendship with Elly. But in this story we get to know him better and see what makes him who he is. He was smart and successful, and I loved how open and honest he was. He was a fun guy that wasn't afraid to apologize when he needed to or say what he was feeling, and I really admired that. I loved Harper from the start. She was smart and beautiful, and had been through a lot. I loved that she wanted to use her past and pain to help others in similar situations to hers. She was a good person, and I thought that she was perfect for Mav. They were so cute together, and I loved how real and believable they were together. They had a ton of chemistry, but they were also just one of those cute couples that you can't help but be envious of.

Overall, this was a great addition to the series. I really love all these characters and I loved seeing Elly and Carter again. But Maverick and Harper were so much fun to read about and I really lost myself in their story. I couldn't stop turning the pages, and I enjoyed every bit of their book. These two were super cute, and I can't wait to get more in this series. I love how light and easy these books are to read. Steph Nuss has done a great job of creating these likable characters that are all so different, but fit together perfectly. Their group has such great chemistry as a whole, but I really love watching them all pair off as well. What really makes this series so great though is that these books are all so real. There isn't a ton of angst and drama, and the characters are open and honest. It is really refreshing and makes these books so great to read. I highly recommend this series to contemporary fans, and I think that this series is one that everyone can find something to relate to. But if you are a romance fan, I think that you will enjoy this series regardless of what genre you normally read. I can't wait to get more of all these characters and from Steph Nuss in the future.

**Review Copy Provided by Author**

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Review: Wanted by You by Steph Nuss

Wanted by You is the first book in the Love in the City series by Steph Nuss. Each book in this series is about a different couple and they can be read as standalones with interconnected characters. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I loved the characters. I can't wait to get more in this series and see the rest of the characters get their HEAs.

Carter and Ellyson met in college in New York and though they both had feelings for one another nothing ever happened between them. They were best friends until Carter had to return home to Texas to help out his family. Though they tried to keep in touch, the years and distance got in their way. But when Carter returns to their college as a professor after years away, he wonders if there is a chance to reconnect with Elly after all their time apart. When they run into each other by chance, Elly and Carter both realize that they don't want to waste any time and decide to see where things go between them. Can they turn their friendship into something more, or will the time and distance away have changed them too much?

I really loved Carter. He was sweet and loyal, always putting others ahead of himself. He returned home to help his family even though he didn't want to and they treated him horribly. He was open and honest, and I found him really refreshing as a hero. He wasn't a manwhore, and he didn't have commitment issues. He was able to tell Elly exactly what he wanted and where he saw their relationship going. I loved him so much and he was just a great guy. Elly was really easy to like as well. She was smart and funny, and she wasn't whiny. She did have a few issues and insecurities though because of losing her mom at a young age. She let the fear of going through the same thing affect her life more than she should have, but I could understand where her worries came from. But Elly and Carter were perfect together, and I loved that Carter was always there to remind Elly of the connection they shared and that he would be there beside her through everything. They made each other better, and I thought that they had so much chemistry together.

Overall, this was a great book. I really enjoyed Carter and Elly's story, and I loved seeing such a real and believable couple. These two didn't have a lot of drama and it was really nice to just focus on these two characters that clearly belonged together without having a ton of stuff happen to them. I thought that their story was sweet and they were really cute with one another. I loved the secondary characters as much Carter and Elly, and I really enjoyed the camaraderie between them. I can't wait to see more of them as the series continues, and I will definitely be reading more from Steph Nuss in the future. I will say that the ending of this book felt a bit abrupt to me and I wish we had been given a bit more since it seemed to just stop. But I am hoping that we will get more of these two as the series continues. I think that this is a great book for readers looking for a light and easy read with a happy ending and not a lot of drama. This book was just one of those feel good stories that you can lose yourself in, and it was just what I was looking for.

**Review Copy Provided by Author**

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