ARC Review: Make You Mine by Tia Louise

I have enjoyed several books by Tia Louise, and Make You Mine was pretty much all of my favorite tropes rolled into one so I couldn’t wait to read it! Not only is this on the forbidden side being a brother’s best friend romance, but he is a military hero and they come from very different circumstances. I couldn’t put this book down, drawn in from the first page I read well past my bedtime to finish it. 

Drew Harris and Grayson Cole were drawn to each other from the start. As kids, he was there for her when she needed him, though her father never approved of him. Not only was he believed to be not good enough for her, but he was older as well. But even though Gray tried to stay away, things between them were more than they could fight. When Gray left after joining the military, Drew vowed to wait for him. But the Gray that returned home is nothing like the boy that left her behind four years ago. 

I loved these two. I felt their connection right away, and it was so strong. It was real and genuine, the kind that is rare and unbreakable. I loved seeing them form the connection over years and many events that happened. There was no insta-love here and for that I was grateful. These two had always felt a pull towards one another and it was easy to see they were meant for one another. Gray was strong and a good man, and I felt so much for him. He cared so much about those in his life. Drew was sweet and had a great heart, she knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to stick with it. I loved her character and felt like she was easy for the reader to relate to. Not only did these two have an undeniable connection, but the chemistry between them was off the charts hot. These two had absolutely everything going for them, and it was impossible not to root for them. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the characters. I think readers will really enjoy this one. There were a few things here that I wish had been a bit different, but they didn’t stop me from enjoying the story or being able to finish. Tia Louise is a great writer and I will definitely be looking for more from her in the future, especially Make Me Yours which is Drew’s best friend Ruby’s book.

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle |

A Historical Christmas Event with Maggie Robinson

Maggie Robinson is a former teacher, library clerk and mother of four who woke up in the middle of the night, absolutely compelled to create the perfect man and use as many adjectives and adverbs as possible doing so. A transplanted New Yorker, she lives with her not-quite perfect husband in Maine, where the cold winters are ideal for staying inside and writing historical mysteries and romances. A two-time Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice nominee, her books have been translated into French, German, Portuguese, Turkish, Russian, Japanese, Thai, Dutch and Italian.

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ARC Review: Only Love by Melanie Harlow

Only Love is the third book in the One and Only series by Melanie Harlow. I love Melanie’s books and have enjoyed this series, with each book being a standalone story they are able to be read without reading the others. They are all interconnected though, so for full enjoyment you might want to read them in order. I will say that while I enjoyed this one, it was my least favorite of the series. I struggled a bit with this story unlike the previous books. 

Instead of getting a proposal for her birthday like she expected, Stella got dumped. When her Grams finds out, she has the perfect plan for her granddaughter. She fakes dementia and health problems to get her to visit, all with the plan of getting Stella together with her next door neighbor Ryan. Ryan is a Marine that keeps to himself and doesn’t get out much, after all he has been through that is the way he wants it. But Grams is not having it and knows that he would be perfect for her granddaughter. While the attraction between them is there from the start, Ryan’s past has him fighting anything more between them as much as they both want something more. 

Part of my issue here was Ryan. While he was sexy and had some great moments, I found myself growing sick of the hot and cold with him. I understood part of what he was going through and how he felt, but it was so back and forth and it just got really old. I grew tired of it and honestly didn’t see why Stella kept forgiving him so easily. Stella was sweet and I felt for her and all the insecurities she had because of her past. She kind of came off as a bit weak though, with how she could just so quickly and easily move forward with Ryan no matter how he treated her. Things progressed so quickly between them, I could see the chemistry and the physical side but the connection was harder for me to believe. It was pretty much insta-love and I struggled to get behind that. They definitely had steam though, that was very clear from the start. 

Overall, not my favorite of the series, though there were several things that I enjoyed. It was steamy and Grams was a hoot! She was definitely the comic relief that kept me from being truly frustrated here and I was so loving her parts. I have really enjoyed Melanie’s books though, so while this wasn’t the best I’ve read from her it definitely won’t be the last! If you’ve enjoyed this series or think it sounds like one you might like, I recommend giving it a go.

**ARC Provided by Social Butterfly PR**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

A Historical Christmas Event with Lorraine Heath

USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath always dreamed of being a writer. After graduating from the University of Texas, she wrote training manuals and computer code, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she became not only hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She's been writing about them ever since. Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards including RWA's RITA®, two Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards, and a Pioneer of Romance Award.

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A Historical Christmas Event with Willa Blair

Willa Blair is an Award-winning Amazon and Barnes & Noble #1 Bestselling author of Scottish Historical, light Paranormal, and Contemporary romance. She has been featured on and contributes to USA Today’s Happy Ever After romance blog, Savvy Authors, Romance University, and more.

Her books have won numerous honors, including the Marlene, the Merritt, National Readers’ Choice Award Finalist, The Reader’s Crown finalist, Historical Romance finalist and Honorable Mention in InD’Tale Magazine’s prestigious RONE Award, NightOwl Reviews Top Pick, and InD’tale Review’s Crowned Heart.

A life-long student and reader, she has been a stained glass artist and instructor, a foreign language teacher, a computer scientist, an analyst, a manager and an executive. She has visited five continents and can get by in several languages. She loves scouting new settings for books, and thinks being an author is the best job she’s ever had.

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