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melissadelongcox's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 - Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Let me say this right off the bat: if you're tired of the woman knows what she wants but man doesn't believe that she wants it or can handle it, you won't like the beginning of this book. That said, it didn't take long to get into this. I'm actually a little sad that I didn't realize it was part of a series - I'll definitely need to go back and read the others for more context. Short, fast read.
frantically's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
We've already seen in the previous books that Alex is certainly the most reserved Grayson brother, so it was great to finally read his own book and figure out the man behind the quietness...
I'm always here for a good yearning story and as I said in my review for the previous book, I usually hate miscommunication but Phillips manages to write it in a way that is so real and human, I can honestly enjoy it.
Ella and Alex definitely deserved their happy end and I loved reading about them :)
I'm always here for a good yearning story and as I said in my review for the previous book, I usually hate miscommunication but Phillips manages to write it in a way that is so real and human, I can honestly enjoy it.
Ella and Alex definitely deserved their happy end and I loved reading about them :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Murder, and Animal death
Minor: Confinement
buttonsandbooks's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Let me start by saying I didn't read the other two books in this series. I hadn't heard of them, but I saw this was an audio deal on Chirp and thought it sounds interesting so I purchased it. I figured it would be a fun, sexy ride. I was wrong.
Ella and Alex have grown up as pseudo brother and sister since she was maybe 12 and he was 16. She had a crush on him that's lasted these sixteen or so years and now they work together. Ella wants to be more with Alex but he's always kept her at arms length, until she quits and he finally decides to take her to his club. His sex club. Because he's into BDSM. She knows nothing about it but she's willing to try because of the aforementioned long term crush. They start regularly hooking up, but only in Excalibur. Ella tries subtly pushing for more, but it's completely outside his comfort zone and while he may be able to push her outside of hers, that's not really reciprocated. Can these two make more together?
Meh. Was it the narration that damned this one for me? Maybe, but I doubt it. Alex seemed to lack personality for me and poor Ella was just a doormat for quite a while. I didn't get the depth of her feelings, but maybe that's because I didn't read the other two books. Either way, this just didn't work for me.
⭐⭐
Ella and Alex have grown up as pseudo brother and sister since she was maybe 12 and he was 16. She had a crush on him that's lasted these sixteen or so years and now they work together. Ella wants to be more with Alex but he's always kept her at arms length, until she quits and he finally decides to take her to his club. His sex club. Because he's into BDSM. She knows nothing about it but she's willing to try because of the aforementioned long term crush. They start regularly hooking up, but only in Excalibur. Ella tries subtly pushing for more, but it's completely outside his comfort zone and while he may be able to push her outside of hers, that's not really reciprocated. Can these two make more together?
Meh. Was it the narration that damned this one for me? Maybe, but I doubt it. Alex seemed to lack personality for me and poor Ella was just a doormat for quite a while. I didn't get the depth of her feelings, but maybe that's because I didn't read the other two books. Either way, this just didn't work for me.
⭐⭐
beckymmoe's review against another edition
4.0
I haven't read the others in the series--yet--but Hold Me Until Forever worked just fine as a standalone. You see enough of the younger two brothers, Jackson and Cooper, to whet your interest in their stories but don't feel at all lost if you haven't had a chance to read them.
Hold Me Until Forever is both a friends-to-lovers and an unrequited love (or so poor Ella thinks for 8 long years) story. Alex has tried to resist her charms since forever for so many reasons, but the main one is he believes he's far too damaged to ever have a forever kind of relationship, especially with someone as special as she is.
When both of her childhood friends have managed to find love in the past year and she's no closer to making their brother Alex see her in "that" way, Ella knows it's time for a change. She gives her two week notice--she'd been a part of the Grayson brothers' business from the beginning, keeping them all organized and making herself indispensable--taking a job that will mean a cut in pay but that is closer to what she really wants to do with her life, working in an animal sanctuary. The change has the desired effect--sort of--when Alex starts to take her to his exclusive club, Excalibur. Though the scenes they have there are amazing, she's confused about what they mean for them as a couple, because Alex doesn't seem to want to have anything extra with her outside the club's walls. She's not sure she can do friends even with awesome benefits with him, because her heart has always wanted so much more.
To an extent Alex and Ella's relationship woes could have been resolved with an in-depth conversation or two, but it's not outside the realm of believability that it takes them so long to actually sit down and listen to each other. I really liked the way Ms. Phillips brings them back together--so adorable, and just perfect for these two. Reading Hold Me Until Forever has definitely raised my interest in the rest of the series.
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Hold Me Until Forever is both a friends-to-lovers and an unrequited love (or so poor Ella thinks for 8 long years) story. Alex has tried to resist her charms since forever for so many reasons, but the main one is he believes he's far too damaged to ever have a forever kind of relationship, especially with someone as special as she is.
When both of her childhood friends have managed to find love in the past year and she's no closer to making their brother Alex see her in "that" way, Ella knows it's time for a change. She gives her two week notice--she'd been a part of the Grayson brothers' business from the beginning, keeping them all organized and making herself indispensable--taking a job that will mean a cut in pay but that is closer to what she really wants to do with her life, working in an animal sanctuary. The change has the desired effect--sort of--when Alex starts to take her to his exclusive club, Excalibur. Though the scenes they have there are amazing, she's confused about what they mean for them as a couple, because Alex doesn't seem to want to have anything extra with her outside the club's walls. She's not sure she can do friends even with awesome benefits with him, because her heart has always wanted so much more.
To an extent Alex and Ella's relationship woes could have been resolved with an in-depth conversation or two, but it's not outside the realm of believability that it takes them so long to actually sit down and listen to each other. I really liked the way Ms. Phillips brings them back together--so adorable, and just perfect for these two. Reading Hold Me Until Forever has definitely raised my interest in the rest of the series.
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
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