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birdloveranne's review against another edition
5.0
This was an awesome story. Loved the narrators, too.
jigsawgirl's review against another edition
5.0
As always, Rosalind James pulls you into the storyline from the first pages. This book has to do with domestic abuse.
The way it is written, you are able to understand not only Kayla's physical pain, but Kayla and Eli's emotional distress. You get a good sense of Luke's hesitation. His difficulty with moving slowly and cautiously, while taking Kayla and ELi's fears into consideration. All the while there is the underlying tension and suspense of her abusive ex, Alan, being on the hunt for her.
Luke and Kayla's romance was slow, sweet, and sensual. The way he took care of Kayla and Eli was heart warming. This was truly a good book that was difficult to put down. I would highly recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.
The way it is written, you are able to understand not only Kayla's physical pain, but Kayla and Eli's emotional distress. You get a good sense of Luke's hesitation. His difficulty with moving slowly and cautiously, while taking Kayla and ELi's fears into consideration. All the while there is the underlying tension and suspense of her abusive ex, Alan, being on the hunt for her.
Luke and Kayla's romance was slow, sweet, and sensual. The way he took care of Kayla and Eli was heart warming. This was truly a good book that was difficult to put down. I would highly recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.
kate_and_books's review against another edition
3.0
Before I start my review on this book there are a couple of things I need to emphasize, the topic of the book which is about domestic violence/abuse is to be taken seriously.
I can’t imagine what it is like for either males/females to go through that kind of experience. I’m not ridiculing the topic of the book but I will try and explain why I wasn’t too keen on this book.
From start to finish this book was very melancholy. It was touching and sweet but it also down right depressed me. I don’t do depressed. Even the ending wasn’t the happy ending and I emphasize the word happy I just didn’t feel it off the main character Kayla.
But I’m going to back track a bit here.
Ah so I finished the book. I thought that I might mention that I didn’t do too well on the first one because I found the heroine to be exasperating and couldn’t connect with her.
Kayla Chambers is on the run from her, I’m going to call him ex-boyfriend, although they didn’t officially break up but he is an abusive so it doesn’t count. She phones a women’s hotline and gets the help that she needs. Kayla and her son Eli, who I frigging adored flee to Paradise, Idaho. She spent one summer with her Mum there and her new husband and never felt the same again.
She moves down the road from Luke Jackson that one summer they played together although Kayla remembers him it takes him a while to remember her.
Luke was the best, he is a fixer (he needs to fix everyone’s problems) although in my opinion he tried too hard. He was really understanding to Kayla and Eli.
We see snippets of what the ex does to get his hands on Kayla and to what lengths he goes to and that he is sick in the head. Ms. James wrote an amazing plot and I have to say that I was more interested in the plot than in the MC being together but that is just me. I liked Luke more than I liked Kayla and to be honest I can’t pinpoint it. It isn’t because she suffered abuse or had a hard life. I think it might be that I didn’t real see her participating in life and I didn’t feel it either.
I would have liked to have seen the murder of the police detective being solved. To me it was a loose end.
It had all the elements a good, structured and exciting book needs it’s just not for me.
Book received by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I can’t imagine what it is like for either males/females to go through that kind of experience. I’m not ridiculing the topic of the book but I will try and explain why I wasn’t too keen on this book.
From start to finish this book was very melancholy. It was touching and sweet but it also down right depressed me. I don’t do depressed. Even the ending wasn’t the happy ending and I emphasize the word happy I just didn’t feel it off the main character Kayla.
But I’m going to back track a bit here.
Ah so I finished the book. I thought that I might mention that I didn’t do too well on the first one because I found the heroine to be exasperating and couldn’t connect with her.
Kayla Chambers is on the run from her, I’m going to call him ex-boyfriend, although they didn’t officially break up but he is an abusive so it doesn’t count. She phones a women’s hotline and gets the help that she needs. Kayla and her son Eli, who I frigging adored flee to Paradise, Idaho. She spent one summer with her Mum there and her new husband and never felt the same again.
She moves down the road from Luke Jackson that one summer they played together although Kayla remembers him it takes him a while to remember her.
Luke was the best, he is a fixer (he needs to fix everyone’s problems) although in my opinion he tried too hard. He was really understanding to Kayla and Eli.
We see snippets of what the ex does to get his hands on Kayla and to what lengths he goes to and that he is sick in the head. Ms. James wrote an amazing plot and I have to say that I was more interested in the plot than in the MC being together but that is just me. I liked Luke more than I liked Kayla and to be honest I can’t pinpoint it. It isn’t because she suffered abuse or had a hard life. I think it might be that I didn’t real see her participating in life and I didn’t feel it either.
I would have liked to have seen the murder of the police detective being solved. To me it was a loose end.
It had all the elements a good, structured and exciting book needs it’s just not for me.
Book received by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
miaev's review against another edition
4.0
Fair warning that this book deals with the issue of domestic violence but in a very tasteful and well done manner.
At the start of the book, Kayla is involved with some one whose definition of love needs some work. She manages to escape along with her son and is hiding out in Paradise when she meets Luke. Some one from her very distant past.
Kayla is trying to survive, heal and keep a very low profile. But Luke is some one from her past who soon figures out that Kayla and her son need help and protection.
This is a romantic suspense novel and you will find yourself not wanting to put this down since you want to find out how it ends. So block out a nice chunk of time to read this. Make yourself a cup of tea or pour yourself your favorite adult beverage and grab a box of tissues before sitting down to read this.
I received an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.
At the start of the book, Kayla is involved with some one whose definition of love needs some work. She manages to escape along with her son and is hiding out in Paradise when she meets Luke. Some one from her very distant past.
Kayla is trying to survive, heal and keep a very low profile. But Luke is some one from her past who soon figures out that Kayla and her son need help and protection.
This is a romantic suspense novel and you will find yourself not wanting to put this down since you want to find out how it ends. So block out a nice chunk of time to read this. Make yourself a cup of tea or pour yourself your favorite adult beverage and grab a box of tissues before sitting down to read this.
I received an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.
mandy_pandy's review against another edition
5.0
4.5
Wow! This was a highly emotional story! Kayla is in an abusive relationship and escapes with her son. She gets help from a group of anonymous women and relocates to Paradise, Idaho. Her new neighbor is Luke Jackson, the high school principal and one of the towns most eligible bachelors. Luke isn't the type of guy who wants to be tied down but when he meets Kayla, he knows there's something different about her and she catches her attention.
There were so many things I really liked about this book. The banter between Luke, his friends and family and with Kayla was fantastic. I loved how Luke was with Kayla's son. Luke was really a fantastic hero for so many reasons. I loved Kayla. She was incredibly strong. The details of her life before escaping were really sad. Alan was an abusive ass and it was crazy to read chapters in his point of view while he was looking for Kayla. It made me so nervous and I was really worried about what was going to happen when/if he found her. Even though the subject matter of this book was hard to deal with and a bit depressing, I think it has a really great message about abuse and how with strength you can overcome anything. The epilogue was fantastic. I loved this author's writing - it sucked me in from the first page and I couldn't put this book down. I can't wait to read more in this series and more by this author!
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
Wow! This was a highly emotional story! Kayla is in an abusive relationship and escapes with her son. She gets help from a group of anonymous women and relocates to Paradise, Idaho. Her new neighbor is Luke Jackson, the high school principal and one of the towns most eligible bachelors. Luke isn't the type of guy who wants to be tied down but when he meets Kayla, he knows there's something different about her and she catches her attention.
There were so many things I really liked about this book. The banter between Luke, his friends and family and with Kayla was fantastic. I loved how Luke was with Kayla's son. Luke was really a fantastic hero for so many reasons. I loved Kayla. She was incredibly strong. The details of her life before escaping were really sad. Alan was an abusive ass and it was crazy to read chapters in his point of view while he was looking for Kayla. It made me so nervous and I was really worried about what was going to happen when/if he found her. Even though the subject matter of this book was hard to deal with and a bit depressing, I think it has a really great message about abuse and how with strength you can overcome anything. The epilogue was fantastic. I loved this author's writing - it sucked me in from the first page and I couldn't put this book down. I can't wait to read more in this series and more by this author!
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
shai3d's review against another edition
4.0
Kayla had fond memories of Paradise Idaho from a summer that she had spent there as a child. When she needed a safe place to hide for herself and her son, Paradise immediately came to mind. It’s a good place where she won’t have to worry about being abused for not living up to someone’s unreasonable standards. It’s a safe place where her son can ride bikes and make friends without having to worry about not being big enough to protect his mother. And if Kayla happens to run into her childhood hero, so much the better.
I was really impressed by HOLD ME CLOSE and how the author Ms. James is willing to delve into subjects such as abuse. As a woman that has experienced abuse, I was really impressed by how spot on Kayla’s reactions are to certain triggers. And her insistence that she has to survive on her own before she begins to trust again brings back memories. Either Ms. James did a lot of research into the subject or she is an abuse survivor herself.
Luke is just the man to bring Kayla back out of her shell by being patient and so careful about her triggers. And it wasn’t just about Kayla. Luke came to care deeply for her son and accepted that they were a package deal but only when Kayla was ready. His courtship was so sweet that at times I found myself sighing in delight.
I do recommend HOLD ME CLOSE to any of my readers who enjoy a good love story, one that will have you believing in ‘happy ever afters’. There are a couple sex scenes that were fairly vivid that really add to the plot and show how much Kayla has grown back her confidence. Still they might not be appropriate for a younger audience.
*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my ow
I was really impressed by HOLD ME CLOSE and how the author Ms. James is willing to delve into subjects such as abuse. As a woman that has experienced abuse, I was really impressed by how spot on Kayla’s reactions are to certain triggers. And her insistence that she has to survive on her own before she begins to trust again brings back memories. Either Ms. James did a lot of research into the subject or she is an abuse survivor herself.
Luke is just the man to bring Kayla back out of her shell by being patient and so careful about her triggers. And it wasn’t just about Kayla. Luke came to care deeply for her son and accepted that they were a package deal but only when Kayla was ready. His courtship was so sweet that at times I found myself sighing in delight.
I do recommend HOLD ME CLOSE to any of my readers who enjoy a good love story, one that will have you believing in ‘happy ever afters’. There are a couple sex scenes that were fairly vivid that really add to the plot and show how much Kayla has grown back her confidence. Still they might not be appropriate for a younger audience.
*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my ow
sarahkdnp's review against another edition
4.0
I really loved getting to know all of the characters in this book and the reminder that family is so important. There were many parts of the book that I found myself tearing up as I was reading it. I love books that have a strong heroine lead character. Kayla had these moments and I enjoyed watching her grow throughout the book. Apparently this is the second book in the Paradise, Idaho series, but it can definitely be read as a standalone. Recommended.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
jamieco's review against another edition
3.0
Ok so I've been reading this one for a long time and dragging it out. I've FINALLY forced myself to finish it. There was nothing really wrong with the book, i really enjoyed it in the beginning, but as I got towards the end, I was SO bored. All in all, it was good, but I probably wouldn't reread
goliathfrog's review against another edition
4.0
Bonus points for being one of my top tropes and for being done well. The relationship development and timeline was fairly realistic. I get annoyed when the ‘on the run’ heroine is immediately in an instalove situation with a new guy because it doesn’t translate to real life. In this case, the timeline takes place over months and there is a natural progression that makes sense with the trauma the heroine has experienced. I also thought the inclusion of Eli was fair and reasonable. It can be challenging for authors to work in adolescent children in the romance genre, I’ve found they’re usually secondary or disappear in the plot, but Eli was a presence throughout and develops an independent relationship with H that isn’t cringey.
I was a little disappointed with the ending being so similar to book one in the series. I like karma as much as the next gal, but it felt way too easy after a very slow and detailed build up.
I was a little disappointed with the ending being so similar to book one in the series. I like karma as much as the next gal, but it felt way too easy after a very slow and detailed build up.
kluv's review against another edition
5.0
This is a fabulous work of art. I work with abuse victims on a daily basis. Rosalind has managed to portray the fear and fight of a survivor of abuse. I loved every minute of this book.
Kayla shows the struggle to escape an abusive partner. She also shows the struggle to trust again. I think Rosalind did a great job with showing that inner emotion for Kayla. And Luke displayed all the desired reactions of a supportive friend and eventual lover. All that would be enough for a great book. But then there is Eli.
Eli, Kayla's nine year old son, stole my heart. His love for his mother, pride in his deceased father, joy with friends, and hesitance with Luke all seemed very real to me. Just wow! That sent this book to the top of my list of books ever read.
In true Rosalind form, there is passion and longing. But it's done in a respectable way. The family portrait and its variations is wonderful. After reading Carry Me Home and this book, I want to be a member of the Jackson family. You will too. This is the book for you.
Kayla shows the struggle to escape an abusive partner. She also shows the struggle to trust again. I think Rosalind did a great job with showing that inner emotion for Kayla. And Luke displayed all the desired reactions of a supportive friend and eventual lover. All that would be enough for a great book. But then there is Eli.
Eli, Kayla's nine year old son, stole my heart. His love for his mother, pride in his deceased father, joy with friends, and hesitance with Luke all seemed very real to me. Just wow! That sent this book to the top of my list of books ever read.
In true Rosalind form, there is passion and longing. But it's done in a respectable way. The family portrait and its variations is wonderful. After reading Carry Me Home and this book, I want to be a member of the Jackson family. You will too. This is the book for you.