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tfpeel's review against another edition
5.0
Bellissimo commovente e con due protagonisti meravigliosi
pattyfgd's review against another edition
5.0
I am a huge Melanie Harlow fan and when I heard she was teaming up with Corinne Michaels for this book, I was excited, but even more so when the narrators chosen were Andi Arndt and Tor Thom! This is a beautiful, heart wrenching, frustrating, passionate, happy second chance romance. Ian and London finally got together for London's senior prom, declaring their love for each other, only to have it torn to shreds the next day. After years of anger and animosity, the two are brought back together under the worst of circumstances. Ian's sister, London's best friend dies unexpectedly and her three children are now in the care of Ian. He desperately needs help, and who better qualified than London. The kids know her well, and it will help with the transition. Michaels and Harlow masterfully piece together this romance with these two, each having their own issues to work through. With grief, and the responsibility of 3 children, this couple takes all their anger and frustration on each other, with a combustible chemistry underlying every dig. I love the true to life relationship these two have. Ian is so much the macho, alpha, he will take care of everything, he knows what is best until he doesn't. London is vulnerable and insecure in herself when it comes to men, but with the children she is spot on. Their push-pull relationship is so easily relatable, and their banter perfect. The combination is memorizing, keeping me focused for 7 hours of this book, wondering how things will progress and if it will work out. I do think there are a couple of breakout characters as well, the three children are amazing, but my favorite is Ian's sister Sabrina. She is a no hold barred woman, telling things as she sees them and is accurate with every sentence. I loved her! This author team melds their novel together seamlessly and I am hoping to see more from this combination.
Add to this incredible book, two incredible narrators. The team of Tor Thom and Andi Arndt brought magic to this story. A better Ian could not have been chose, Tor Thom gives Ian just enough confidence to make him that strong alpha, yet that hint of insecurity and vulnerability when it comes to the kids. I loved his inflections and ability to give off the emotions that Ian was feeling. Andi Arndt is always amazing, but I really loved her portrayal of London. She had London's animosity towards Ian down to pat, yet you could still feel the love she had for him. Together this team made me sad, happy, angry and full of love, a wonderfully satisfying listen.
Add to this incredible book, two incredible narrators. The team of Tor Thom and Andi Arndt brought magic to this story. A better Ian could not have been chose, Tor Thom gives Ian just enough confidence to make him that strong alpha, yet that hint of insecurity and vulnerability when it comes to the kids. I loved his inflections and ability to give off the emotions that Ian was feeling. Andi Arndt is always amazing, but I really loved her portrayal of London. She had London's animosity towards Ian down to pat, yet you could still feel the love she had for him. Together this team made me sad, happy, angry and full of love, a wonderfully satisfying listen.
beckyrendon's review against another edition
5.0
You can't hold me close enough!
This book is everything a romance reader needs. Everything!
"Unrequited" crush on your bestie's older brother...check!
A heartbreaking event that changes her crush...check!
A lasting hatred because the crush gas not gone away...check!
A traumatic incident pushing them together...check!
Happily after ever...check. (also known as Happily Ever After)
What you can also expect is waterworks...100% made me cry. I cried the stupid ugly tears even knowing 110% what was going to happen- I cried. I would be ashamed if I had any pride...no I wouldn't. I'm a hopeless romantic and I own it. Hold You Close is just the kind of romance that is like an adrenaline boost to a sappy romantics "romance drive". Its the solar energy needed to refill your hopeless romantic energy panel. It's the stuff fantasies are made of, little girls dream of, and Disney makes animated movies about.
This book is everything a romance reader needs. Everything!
"Unrequited" crush on your bestie's older brother...check!
A heartbreaking event that changes her crush...check!
A lasting hatred because the crush gas not gone away...check!
A traumatic incident pushing them together...check!
Happily after ever...check. (also known as Happily Ever After)
What you can also expect is waterworks...100% made me cry. I cried the stupid ugly tears even knowing 110% what was going to happen- I cried. I would be ashamed if I had any pride...no I wouldn't. I'm a hopeless romantic and I own it. Hold You Close is just the kind of romance that is like an adrenaline boost to a sappy romantics "romance drive". Its the solar energy needed to refill your hopeless romantic energy panel. It's the stuff fantasies are made of, little girls dream of, and Disney makes animated movies about.
caseroo7's review against another edition
3.0
Ian was really frustrating to me. I liked him with London, but I couldn't fully get over some of the things he did. This one was just okay for me.
mycatismybookmark's review against another edition
3.0
“Loving Ian was never really a choice, though. He’s always been the guy for me. I just wish my heart knew he was the wrong one.”
I haven’t yet read Corrine Michaels but I adore Melanie Harlow’s writing, and these two seem to make a good writing duo.
Hold You Close has all the swoony elements that fans of second-chance romance would love: emotion, angst, and drama. London and Ian’s story delivers it all, along with some laughter to balance out the Disney level trauma Harlow and Michaels dealt these characters.
While I liked the elements overall, London and Ian harbored almost twenty years of loathing, bitterness, and misunderstanding toward each other, and jumping into a physical relationship got in the way of the rebuilding, redemption, and emotional healing that these two needed to go through, making their actions come off as rather immature.
Great banter, good storyline, but overall too much angst before the HEA for my taste. I liked it, but I didn’t love it.
I haven’t yet read Corrine Michaels but I adore Melanie Harlow’s writing, and these two seem to make a good writing duo.
Hold You Close has all the swoony elements that fans of second-chance romance would love: emotion, angst, and drama. London and Ian’s story delivers it all, along with some laughter to balance out the Disney level trauma Harlow and Michaels dealt these characters.
While I liked the elements overall, London and Ian harbored almost twenty years of loathing, bitterness, and misunderstanding toward each other, and jumping into a physical relationship got in the way of the rebuilding, redemption, and emotional healing that these two needed to go through, making their actions come off as rather immature.
Great banter, good storyline, but overall too much angst before the HEA for my taste. I liked it, but I didn’t love it.
ashcash04's review against another edition
2.0
DRAMATIC. That is the word I would use to describe this book. I will admit part of it is because I didn't know what I was getting into. This book had so much potential with the synopsis, but it is basically smut and that was highly disappointing. Childish anger seems to be a common theme (of books I've read not realizing they would be smut). Books like this are so hot and cold, I'm assuming operating under the guise of passion, but it falls flat for me. I read these and think, is this all flair to try to put on a show for the reader, or do people actually talk like this? The fights and relationship were so incredibly immature and annoying. It was like instalove but bipolar to where they immediately hated each other and then loved each other and back and forth.
I've read a few books by Corinne Michael's, the Arrowwood brothers definitely being her best. Her writing is very hit or miss with me. This book, though cowritten, was a miss.
I've read a few books by Corinne Michael's, the Arrowwood brothers definitely being her best. Her writing is very hit or miss with me. This book, though cowritten, was a miss.
bookishblasian's review against another edition
3.0
Great story line, but I'm kind of disappointed? Maybe my standards have increased because I haven't read an OMG THIS IS SO GOOD book in a while. I was super excited to see something from Corinne Michaels because We Own Tonight and One Last Time are probably two of my favorite books of this year. This one just didn't do it for me.
If I'm being completely honest, I almost didn't make it past the first chapter. I HATE not finishing books so I pressed on, thinking that it would get better. When he said that he loved her too and she offered to give up Northwestern for him I seriously thought WOW. This is going to be one of those books. I felt slightly better when he showed up with that other girl because it meant that the story wouldn't play out exactly like I had imagined. This was strike 1.
Also, can I just say how pissed I am that they buried empty caskets and then never once in the story thought to find the bodies or mention the accident ever again? I would've even gotten closure if they saw on the news that the authorities were going to stop searching. ANYTHING but leaving it at empty caskets.
Does anyone feel like they didn't see a relationship develop at all with Ian and London? If that first chapter was supposed to convince me of their love, it didn't. Not at all. It would've been more believable if they kept doing flashbacks. Say, London has a crush on her bff's brother. Then, he comes back from college and takes her to prom. Then her and Sabrina go to visit him in college and they share a secret kiss. Then they spend the next few years texting and talking. Then they have sex and it's magical. THEN maybe at his grad party London sees him with another girl. I feel like their relationship never developed to the point where he would have feelings for her. Wanting to kiss her at some parties not enough to convince me that he loved her. Nope. Not good enough. The whole story bothered me because I never believed their relationship. I didn't feel it. As adults, London kept saying how bad they were together (mind you they were never actually together except for the one night that we know of). Yet, she continues to give in time and time again. While we are on the subject, their sex was really subpar. I love a good sex scene, but I kept skipping through theirs. "You're so hard." "You make me so hard." "My cock is rock hard." Also, can we retire THANK FUCK? I'm tired of seeing it and it was honestly not even cool in Fifty Shades. No one says this. NO ONE. Yet all these new adult authors use it. Ugh.
Can we also talk about how he treated London? I would've written him off the moment the said "Nothing, just that I thought I already had that. But seems the women I fuck aren't able to hold up their end of the bargain. Or maybe it's just the one I fucked last night." I would've been done after that honestly. He kept hurting her feelings over and over and then just solved things by having sex. How does that make sense? This bugs me in books so much.
Speaking of what bugs me, I love that London told him to stop mansplaining to her. He did it back then and then tried to do it again. I don't even see how he was so in love that he had to break her heart to take the scholarship. I don't see how this broke his heart too because I never felt their relationship. I also don't see how young Morgan could say "Why should you get to make it for her?" talking about London's choice to take the job or not. How is this kid smarter than he is?
Despite how much I hated their entire relationship, I loved the story line of this book. I think it would make a great Hallmark movie. It could've been executed much better, but it wasn't half bad. I'll have to say that naming their baby Sabrina was one of the best parts (although that's what made me wonder if they ever found survivors/bodies).
If I'm being completely honest, I almost didn't make it past the first chapter. I HATE not finishing books so I pressed on, thinking that it would get better. When he said that he loved her too and she offered to give up Northwestern for him I seriously thought WOW. This is going to be one of those books. I felt slightly better when he showed up with that other girl because it meant that the story wouldn't play out exactly like I had imagined. This was strike 1.
Also, can I just say how pissed I am that they buried empty caskets and then never once in the story thought to find the bodies or mention the accident ever again? I would've even gotten closure if they saw on the news that the authorities were going to stop searching. ANYTHING but leaving it at empty caskets.
Does anyone feel like they didn't see a relationship develop at all with Ian and London? If that first chapter was supposed to convince me of their love, it didn't. Not at all. It would've been more believable if they kept doing flashbacks. Say, London has a crush on her bff's brother. Then, he comes back from college and takes her to prom. Then her and Sabrina go to visit him in college and they share a secret kiss. Then they spend the next few years texting and talking. Then they have sex and it's magical. THEN maybe at his grad party London sees him with another girl. I feel like their relationship never developed to the point where he would have feelings for her. Wanting to kiss her at some parties not enough to convince me that he loved her. Nope. Not good enough. The whole story bothered me because I never believed their relationship. I didn't feel it. As adults, London kept saying how bad they were together (mind you they were never actually together except for the one night that we know of). Yet, she continues to give in time and time again. While we are on the subject, their sex was really subpar. I love a good sex scene, but I kept skipping through theirs. "You're so hard." "You make me so hard." "My cock is rock hard." Also, can we retire THANK FUCK? I'm tired of seeing it and it was honestly not even cool in Fifty Shades. No one says this. NO ONE. Yet all these new adult authors use it. Ugh.
Can we also talk about how he treated London? I would've written him off the moment the said "Nothing, just that I thought I already had that. But seems the women I fuck aren't able to hold up their end of the bargain. Or maybe it's just the one I fucked last night." I would've been done after that honestly. He kept hurting her feelings over and over and then just solved things by having sex. How does that make sense? This bugs me in books so much.
Speaking of what bugs me, I love that London told him to stop mansplaining to her. He did it back then and then tried to do it again. I don't even see how he was so in love that he had to break her heart to take the scholarship. I don't see how this broke his heart too because I never felt their relationship. I also don't see how young Morgan could say "Why should you get to make it for her?" talking about London's choice to take the job or not. How is this kid smarter than he is?
Despite how much I hated their entire relationship, I loved the story line of this book. I think it would make a great Hallmark movie. It could've been executed much better, but it wasn't half bad. I'll have to say that naming their baby Sabrina was one of the best parts (although that's what made me wonder if they ever found survivors/bodies).
scvallese1's review against another edition
5.0
I have had Hold You Close on my TBR for months now. I'm not sure why I hadn't gotten around to reading it before now because I could kick myself. I have had a tough time these last few months finding new 5 star reads, and Hold You Close finally broke that dry spell for me!
London and Sabrina were best friends growing up, and London has always had a crush on Sabrina's older brother, Ian. Toward the end of high school, Ian and London confess their feelings for each other, but the next day, Ian breaks London's heart. Fast forward 17 years, they're now neighbors, and in a tough situation now that Sabrina has passed away and left her children behind. Ian and London are forced to reconcile their differences and put the children first.
I had love/hate feelings about Ian for most of the book. While I loved that he wanted what was best for everyone involved, his behavior drove me crazy (it drove London crazy, too). London became so career focused, but wanted to give her all to those kids.
Corinne Michaels and Melanie Harlow did a superb job of developing this plot and characters. It kept me both entertained and feeling throughout. I can't wait to read more from this duo!
London and Sabrina were best friends growing up, and London has always had a crush on Sabrina's older brother, Ian. Toward the end of high school, Ian and London confess their feelings for each other, but the next day, Ian breaks London's heart. Fast forward 17 years, they're now neighbors, and in a tough situation now that Sabrina has passed away and left her children behind. Ian and London are forced to reconcile their differences and put the children first.
I had love/hate feelings about Ian for most of the book. While I loved that he wanted what was best for everyone involved, his behavior drove me crazy (it drove London crazy, too). London became so career focused, but wanted to give her all to those kids.
Corinne Michaels and Melanie Harlow did a superb job of developing this plot and characters. It kept me both entertained and feeling throughout. I can't wait to read more from this duo!