proud_book_nerd 's review for:

Fling by Adriana Locke
5.0

Lets Fling it to Forever

Whenever I pick up a family series from this author I think I can't love them more than the last one. BUT oh these Carmichaels are downright entertaining from the very first page to the last.

Maddox Anthony Carmichael is downright delicious. He's real with self-doubt, confidence, charm, and a deliciously dirty talker. Ashley Thompson is understatedly strong. She's stumbling into a fresh start, embracing independence, and getting back pieces she lost of herself.

Maddox and Ashley have been friends since a fateful gum incident in first grade. They have been through it all together but never explored the physical connection that developed as they got older. When Ashley returns to her hometown and runs into Maddox, that once harmless flirting is almost shouting at the both of them to act on it. When Ashley's besties (Sara & Becca) work magic and have Maddox go on her honeymoon, that line they have been tip-toeing around becomes non-existent. Watching them cross that line, not only physically (cause that was outrageously hot, hello strawberries!), but watching them be vulnerable with each other made my heart ache.

One of my favorite things I get from each book is the realness that each character has. Ashley and Maddox both have weight on their shoulders that essentially push them apart, but it's that struggle and watching them make mistakes and learn from them that made me want to hug them. Be prepared to laugh out loud, fan yourself, and need a couple of hugs along the way. Another book, family and couple to add to my favorites.