Secretly Inn Love by Amelia Foster

While I was secretly hoping we’d never see an end to this contemporary romance series, Secretly Inn Love provides us with a satisfyingly sweet conclusion to the Inn Love trilogy we’ve all come to love. You just might be inspired to start the whole thing over from the beginning again!

What’s it About? 

A songwriter in a slump and a heartbroken chef cook up a harmonious happily ever after.

Ryann Alden’s not looking for a relationship. She’s focused on making a success of the small town inn she and her sisters inherited. As the business takes off, however, tensions grow and she struggles to be seen as an adult instead of a helpless child by the older two. When she finds herself falling for the attractive guest that appears on their doorstep, the budding romance becomes the driving force to make Ryann demand more for herself and her new love.

Elijah Hansen’s reputation as Nashville’s songwriting superstar is at risk when the cutthroat industry has his creativity abandoning him. The impulse that has him hitting the road for a place where he can rekindle his love for song leads him to Willow Falls Inn and Ryann. A snowstorm strands him, but the emerald-eyed beauty that greets him may just be the muse he’s been missing.

Ryann and Elijah continue their whirlwind romance in a long-distance relationship that must survive the tests of his fame, the revelation of a family secret, and the miles between them.

First Impressions

A noble, red-headed Viking in the midst of an epic journey must seek shelter during a treacherous snowstorm, and soon finds everything he didn’t know he was looking for in the gorgeous inn-owner who provides him a room for the night. No need to adjust your screens ladies and gentlemen. We haven’t fallen through time to the days of Valhalla. Our enchanting romance takes place in the present day, and the Viking moniker is bestowed upon our exceedingly tall and handsome songwriter, Elijah, by the youngest of the Alden sisters during a meet cute that has them falling in smitten at first sight. I’ve enjoyed the heck out of this series, but I must say the author outdid herself with this final read, presenting us with two lead characters who are so adorably sweet you’ll practically have a toothache by the end of it.

Hands down, Elijah and Ryann were my favorite couple of the trilogy, and in addition to his tall stature and gingery mop of locks which earns him his Viking title, Elijah also takes the cake when it comes to the most romantic leading man, a title which Ryann awards him constantly throughout their relationship. These two are clearly beguiled with each other at first meeting, and although their initial time together in the same location is brief, we see things naturally evolve from initial intrigue to texting, lengthy phone calls and video dates for a long-distance relationship interspersed with short trips to see each other. This is one of the few romance novels I’ve encountered where the scenes of our lovebirds apart are just as swoon-worthy as the ones of them together. Elijah’s thoughtfulness to plan the perfect dates for them, even when they are hours apart, will have you tilting your head to the side with a smile and an “awwwww” as we cheer on this couple in their search for a happily ever after. 

Sisterly Love

I lost track of the number of times throughout this read that I was expecting an explosion of drama or tension between Elijah and Ryann. Would their long-distance dating prove to be too difficult to maintain? Perhaps their first in-person meeting after so much time apart would be filled with uncomfortable awkwardness. Could Elijah’s fame get in the way of their happiness? Or maybe Ryann would assume that Elijah only wanted to continue spending time with her because she was inspiring him to write some of his best music. Again, so many times that I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop on the adorable couple I’d come to love. And yet, by some kind of refreshing miracle, this never happens! Elijah and Ryann’s love story is essentially drama free, and I can’t reiterate how invigorating this was! To see two adults act as adults, with an ability to communicate clearly and with no propensity for jumping to conclusions or misunderstandings? I’d swear I thought I’d died and gone to Heaven! It allows us to more fully enjoy the sweet romance playing out on the page when we’re not constantly waiting for something unexpected to be lurking behind every corner. 

That’s not to say this book wasn’t without it’s emotionally charged scenes. However, rather than existing between Elijah and Ryann, it instead occurs between Ryann and her two older sisters. We came to know and love Gavynn, Blake and their respective beaus in the first two books of the series. Their dedication towards revitalizing their aunt and uncle’s beloved inn to it’s former glory was only surpassed by their love and friendship with each other. That familial loyalty took a crushing blow at the conclusion of the second novel though when Ryann overhears how her sisters have been hiding the truth from her about their parent’s disinterest and negligence since their death years before. It’s a betrayal that makes her take a step back to look at her life from a distance, and come to the realization that Gavynn and Blake have always treated her as a child rather than the accomplished young woman she’s become. When Elijah comes on the scene, he’s yet another reason Ryann finds the need to assert herself and declare a bit of independence when it comes to her relationship with her sisters. She’ll re-examine what she wants out of life, and how Elijah might fit into it.  

*A copy of this book was provided for an honest review*

Series: Inn Love, book 3. I know the saying that all good things must come to an end, but I’m not gonna lie I would absolutely love if we could see some kind of holiday novella down the road to take a peek at what the Alden sisters are up to after the conclusion of the series. 

Final Impressions: This is such a sweet read. Elijah and Ryann are so clearly smitten and the fact that they continue to make each other laugh, surprise one another, and seemingly still get butterflies of excitement when in each other’s company will leave a permanent smile etched upon your face from start to finish. Putting the romantic element aside (although…who would ever want to do that?!) this novel is also an interesting exploration of sisterhood, and acknowledging that you can’t always treat a younger sibling like the baby of the family, even if they will always appear that way in your eyes. It’s a rather bumpy road for the Alden sisters to ultimately find mutual respect for each other once again, and once they do they remember how much stronger they are as a team. Albeit one where they all understand the need to break off and do their own thing every once in a while, and most likely with their respective hunks on hand to keep them fully entertained. 

Smut Level: Just because this is a sweet read doesn’t mean it’s lacking in heat! Considering how much time Elijah and Ryann have spent apart during the start of their long distance relationship, it’s no surprise that when the opportunity presents itself for some in-person one-on-one time together, they’re ready to take full advantage of being in the same place…and the same bed for that matter. 

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $4.99 Kindle Price. Sweet Heat Books. 160 Pages. 

Madly Inn Love by Amelia Foster

Some couples like to refer to each other by cute names such as “sweetie” or “honey”. The terms of endearment chosen by the leads of this book include the Greek goddess of the Underworld and “slimy weasel”. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is. 

What’s it About?

Blake Alden’s sister made the proposition to return to Willow Falls at the perfect time, when Blake needed a fresh start. But the path to a new beginning was littered with bumps, the biggest being the County Program Manager who repeatedly stalled granting the business license they needed to reopen. After the third letter requesting yet more information, Blake makes a trip to the courthouse, ready to fight the man bent on driving her insane.

Keeping his name free of any black marks or scandals is at the top of Mason Richmond’s to-do list. Right below climbing the small political ladder he’d envisioned for himself. Even if that means being stricter with his best friend’s girlfriend and her family to avoid any hint of favoritism. However his overzealous caution results in a fiery goddess showing up in his office and turning his carefully ordered world into chaos.

Blake sees Mason’s fledgling campaign for Maine state representative as an ideal chance to not only show him why the inn would benefit his public persona, but also give herself a much needed shot of excitement she missed since being back in the small, sleepy town.

First Impressions

Madly Inn Love is one of those rare and special books where the sequel may have surpassed the fun of the first novel in the series. Where Truly Inn Love set the stage and the scene of this world we’d been given a glimpse into, this second novel lets us dive deep to truly get to know and fall in love with the characters and this small town they call home. The author was getting her feet wet building the foundation in book one, but it felt as though from page one of this sequel she was fully prepared to take us along on this journey of ambition and love between Blake and Mason, and I for one was completely on board to go along for the journey! Twists, turns, bumps and all. We were first introduced to our love birds in the first novel as secondary supporting characters to the main couple, but even then I think we could see their personalities shining through, desperate to take center stage.

While I definitely enjoyed the couple from book one, it felt more like we were observers to their story, watching the events pass along all the while knowing their happily ever after was just around the corner. When it came to Black and Mason though, we quickly become fully invested in their story to the point where it feels as though they are friends we know beyond the page. They may have started off, not quite enemies per se, but definitely rivals who were wary of each other. As they spend more time together throughout the length of Mason’s campaign, we see how their volleys of witty banter, and even flirtatious insults, slowly start to break down the walls they’ve built up to protect themselves from anyone who might try to get too close. As these walls fall down piece by piece, the fun and vulnerable sides to their personalities start to shine through, and they slowly start to recognize a kindred spirit in the other.

 Bitter Pasts and Family Chaos

Blake and Mason start things off on a rather rough foot when our story opens, as Mason is causing continuous delays in issuing a business license to Blake and her sisters for the most seemingly innocuous of technicalities. After storming into his office ready for a fight, she leaves with not only the license they need to reopen their late aunt and uncle’s inn, but an offer to be his campaign manager during his run for state representative. Mason certainly wasn’t expecting this woman to waltz into his office one day, but her determination and ambition for success endeared her to him. Both of these headstrong characters were stuck in a rut in their lives, going along day by day through the motions. However, the more time they spend together the more they awaken in each other the drive for something more. The fact they eventually develop a romantic and physical relationship honestly seemed like the most natural evolution of their connection from foes to quasi colleagues, friends to lovers. Even though they might try to keep things light and casual at the start, the discovery and confrontation of their past familial pains result in their connection growing deeper each and every day. 

In book one we discovered the sad past involving Blake’s parents, who were more invested in living their own lives than taking care of or showing any affection towards their three daughters. One day they were dropped off to live with their aunt and uncle, and when their parents died in a tragic accident, Blake and her older sister came together to care for their youngest sibling. The lack of parental love followed by death took a toll on the Alden sisters, with Blake especially feeling the need to close off her emotions to reflect an aura of strength and dependability that her sisters so desperately needed at the time. Now that they are all grown, Blake is almost trying to find her place and purpose in life seeing as its become increasingly clear that her sisters can take care of themselves. When she discovers that Mason was also “raised” by an unloving mother who only found disappointment with every choice he made in life, she finds yet another thing to admire about this man. He refuses to crumble to the pressures of his powerful mother, and also wants to make a political name for himself without relying on the influence of his family name. His true family stems from the friends who have chosen to be part of his life rather than the family he was simply born into. The difficult pasts these two characters had to overcome made them the strong people they are today, willing to stand up and fight when faced with any kind of adversity. It’s yet another reason these two couldn’t help but fall in love. 

*A copy of this book was provided for an honest review*

Series: Inn Love, book 2. When I saw who the lead characters of this novel were, I couldn’t wait to get started. Knowing that book 3 will focus on the youngest Alden sister, I’m practically giddy with anticipation. 

Final Impressions: One of my very mild, minimal critiques of book one was that it didn’t really have all that much conflict or drama at the end of the day. That theme continues in this second book, where we’re sort of constantly waiting for the second shoe to drop, but it never does. Surprisingly though, I couldn’t have been more thrilled that this was the way the story played out! I fell in love with these characters so deeply, that if anything had threatened the possibility of their happily ever after I think I may have thrown my Kindle at the wall. The fact that Blake and Mason could always remain fairly level-headed when confronted with a challenge in life was admirable, especially when you recognize the strength they drew upon from each other to stand up tall rather than crumble under pressure. This delightful romance had me smiling, giggling, and cheering for our couple literally from page one until the final word of the novel. I was almost upset to see this story end, but I can’t wait to see where book three will take us!

Smut Level: Blake and Mason were positively delicious. They try as long as possible to tamper down the chemistry simmering between them seeing as they develop a kind of professional relationship when Blake becomes his campaign manager. Let’s just say though that their attempts are futile, and it doesn’t take long before they’re getting all hot, sweaty and bothered. 

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $4.99 Kindle Price. Sweet Heat Books. 205 Pages. 

Truly Inn Love by Amelia Foster

She’s been given a second chance at love with the man she left behind all those years ago. Will these two be able to overcome the mistakes of the past to find a future of happiness together?

What’s it About?

Life choices separated them, but fate proves they are truly in love.

Inheriting the Willow Falls Inn from their aunt and uncle was a gift the Alden sisters couldn’t pass up. With each sibling facing upheaval in their personal and professional lives, eldest sister Gavynn sees returning to the place they called home as the fresh start they all need. But the century old Victorian picks their return to show its age with broken pipes and a mess that makes Gavynn question her choices. But the real chaos comes in the form of the handyman dispatched to rescue them.

Cade Donaldson was finding a new kind of normal after his father’s heart attack. The family construction business flourished under Cade’s management while the older Donaldson recuperated and his routine gave him much needed predictability and comfort. That is until the girl who left Cade without so much as a goodbye came crashing back into his life without warning.

The adolescent bond they formed lingers under the surface, but ghosts they each battle threaten the new future hanging just within reach.

First Impressions

This is a delightfully sweet, light-hearted second chance romance that you’ll want to be sure and bring along on your next beach vacation. Gavynn and Cade were high school sweet hearts with a connection that went right to the heart, but that all ended when Gavynn left for college, breaking up with Cade in a hand-written letter that was bare as to the reasons why. When Gavynn and her sisters move back to Willow Falls to fix up and reopen an inn left to them by their late aunt and uncle, it’s not long before their paths cross with contractor Cade. The love of her life. And my goodness does it sound like this man grew up good. Some chin scruff and a tool belt on top of a killer smile, with a distinct tendency to waggle his eyebrows when he’s feeling cheeky. Seriously, gotta consider the whole moving to a small town to open a business in need of repairs…thing.

Realistic Characters

Something I really appreciated about this read is how mature our two main characters could be when it came to approaching the subject of their past. Let’s face it, Gavynn’s actions were pretty unforgivable, and it could have been so easy for Cade to give her the cold shoulder for however long he wanted to over her past mistake. And yet, aside from some initial awkwardness at their unexpected reconnection over a burst water pipe, for the most part these two realize pretty quickly that the feelings they had for each other never fully went away. More importantly, these feelings are still strong enough to be worth exploring after all this time apart. Cade also allows Gavynn to explain her reasons for leaving on her own terms, when she is good and ready to do so. He never demanded an explanation, and I was pleasantly surprised that the author presented us with a reason that was quite easy for us to understand and sympathize with.

The Bliss and Blunders of Family

Family plays a critical role in the progression of events for our characters in this read. After all, it was dedication to and a love of family which brought Gavynn and her sisters back to their aunt and uncle’s inn, as well as the reason they were willing to pour their life savings into such a risky venture. However, family is also what prompted Gavynn to call things off with Cade when she headed off to school years before. She saw the downfall of her own family at the hands of her irresponsible and selfish parents. They married and had children far before they were ready, and were so enamored with each other that they had no qualms about leaving their three daughters behind with relatives so they could go gallivanting off on their own adventures. Gavynn was abandoned, yet also taken in by family, and she feared that she and Cade were at risk of falling into the same trap as her parents. Only by leaving Cade behind could she live and experience life on her own, and at the end of the day she found her way back to him when the time was right.

An intense fear of losing family is also what causes Cade to almost screw things up once again for this young couple. After his father’s heart attack one year ago during which Cade had to perform life-saving CPR on his dad, Cade subsequently moved in with his parents to always be close by should his father take a turn for the worst. The fear of involving himself so closely with Gavynn that he might be absent when his parents need him most has him act rashly towards his relationship with her, merely out of love for his family. Family was an important theme to be sure, as well as fighting hard to correct mistakes which were made with the best of intentions.

*A copy of this book was provided for an honest review*

Series: Inn Love, book 1. I was looking forward to reading this book. I am absolutely giddy with delight at the prospect of reading book two. The fact I don’t have it at the ready on my Kindle is pure torture.

Final Impressions: This is a cute read with very little conflict, as we instead focus on Cade and Gavynn learning how to love each other again. It was refreshing to see them act as mature adults who have the same hopes, fears and propensity to flub up sometimes, just like the rest of us! They were relatable, personable characters, and even though we didn’t have a ton of drama we did still cover some very poignant discussions on the importance and tribulations of family. Cade and Gavynn were an entertaining couple, but the dynamic between the Alden sisters simply stole the show. I can’t wait for them to get books of their own!

Smut Level: Cade might live with his parents, and Gavynn with her sisters, but that doesn’t mean these two can’t find some time alone to rock each other’s worlds.

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $0.99 Kindle Price. Sweet Heat Books. 166 Pages.

Meant to be More by Amelia Foster

From a marriage of necessity to friends-to-lovers, this book checks so many boxes when it comes to my favorite romance novel tropes.

What’s it About?

My best friend has spent the past several years traveling the world with Doctors Without Borders. It’s been her life’s dream and something I’ve always admired about her. But somehow, after twenty years of friendship, our last goodbye brought about the realization of a truth I hadn’t yet recognized. I don’t just respect Jillian, I am in love with her, and it’s time she knows.

But upon her return home, she manages to lay her own shocking news on me before I can even form the words to tell her how I feel. It seems she needs access to the fortune her grandfather left her in his will. But there’s one problem.

The caveat being an antiquated, but ironclad stipulation that she can’t receive the funds unless she gets married and stays that way for eighteen months. Naturally, I’m the only person she can trust with such a delicate arrangement. And I’m also hopelessly in love with her, so I’ll greedily take the chance to fake-marry my best friend. This way, I can prove to her that we are meant to be more than just friends.

First Impressions

Nope, nada, no way!! I refuse to accept the fact that this is the final book in the Meant to Be series. I’m going to choose to live in total denial, and dream that a long-lost brother nobody ever knew existed in this family will come forward to become the focus of a future novel. This is one of those series that you can’t help but fall in love with. I didn’t want it to end, just like I didn’t want this particular book in the series to end either. I found myself caught in a vicious cycle where every time I picked it up it was so hard to put down, yet at the same time I wanted to take my time to savor it for as long as possible.

We are once again presented with the most delightfully lovable characters, and a male lead I want to steal for myself. A common feature throughout every book is the use of flashbacks to tell the story of our characters, and reveal the deep emotional connection they’ve forged over time. The author once again does a fantastic job of balancing our time in both the past and the present, and everything comes together to reveal a beautiful tale of friendship and love in a way that still manages to be unique from every book that came before.

Friends For Life to Man and Wife

This fourth and final book tells the story of Jillian and Dean who have been close friends since they were just kids. Normally the flashbacks in these novels are used to reveal the meet cute of our two characters, as well as ultimately build up to a moment when their relationship falters to near collapse. The story here plays out a bit differently in that while we do see how these two kids formed an unlikely friendship, the flashbacks reveal how both Jillian and Dean have felt something deeper than mere friendship for quite some time, yet they’re constantly pushing those feelings aside so as not to risk their special connection. They’ve stayed close throughout the years, and in our present day scenes Dean finally feels like he’s ready to admit how much he loves his best friend. After a return from her most recent stint abroad with Doctors Without Borders though, Jillian throws Dean for a loop by proposing marriage.

It turns out her father has gambled away a large portion of their family fortune, and in order to access an inheritance from her grandfather Jillian must get married. It might not be the way Dean pictured tying the knot with the love of his life, but he’s decided to take full advantage of this opportunity to show Jillian how perfect married life with him can truly be. These two may have been the most adorable couple of the whole series, simply because their connection as friends was naturally sweet, yet also teasing in the most fabulous way. I was a bit surprised that when they ultimately decided to enter into a physical relationship as “friends with benefits” in their marriage that there wasn’t a single moment of awkwardness between them. They weren’t afraid to tear each other’s clothes off, and I think the reason for it speaks to their mutually secret desire to take things further between them for a long time. The question remains though if either of them will be willing to admit how much they truly love each other, and that their newest desire in life is to make this marriage last beyond the designated timeline needed for Jillian to claim her inheritance.

Two Families

The Carlisle brothers have been the focus of this series since book one. We’ve come to know each and every one of them, and discovered that every son is as delectable and good-hearted as the one who came before. Their family is loving, supportive, and couldn’t be more different than Jillian’s own upbringing. Although both families are wealthy, Dean’s family is seen as “new money”, and therefore unworthy of the respect of Jillian’s mother and father. She grew up amidst the unloving disregard of her selfish parents. One day when she was little, Jillian happened upon one of her neighbors, the youngest son of the Carlisle clan, and from that day on she was enveloped in their warmth. It was because of this other family that she knew what it meant to be loved, and realized that she wanted to do something with her life that meant more than money.

If I had to identify one area of the story that left me feeling somewhat wanting it would be in regards to Jillian’s relationship with her mother. There has been a long-standing tension and lack of emotion between them for as long as Jillian can remember, and she’s essentially devoted her entire life to ensuring she was nothing like her stoically cold and distant mother. And yet, in the end we see that this tension is resolved fairly quickly following an argumentative outburst from Jillian in one scene, and a secret conversation involving Dean and her father in another scene. Now, all of our questions are answered as it relates to why Jillian’s mother was so cold throughout her childhood, but I would have appreciated one more emotional moment where they could talk out some of their previous issues just as mother and daughter.

*A copy of this book was provided for an honest review*

Series: Meant to Be, book 4. Of the entire series, this one probably had the least amount of tension between our characters, which I found to be unbelievably refreshing. There were moments in this series where I would anxiously hold my breath wondering how our lovebirds could ever find their way out of a difficult situation and back into each other’s arms. Throughout this read though, I was always confident that Jillian and Dean were constantly headed towards a happily ever after.

Final Impressions: Get the series, read the series, love the series!

Smut Level: I appreciated that Jillian and Dean didn’t immediately fall into bed with each other. We have to wait through a good half of the book before these two friends decide to take things to the next level, but rest assured that once they do it’ll be everything you were waiting for!

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $3.99 Kindle Price. Limitless Publishing, LLC. 216 Pages.

Meant to be Family by Amelia Foster

Kelsey left Connor behind months ago with no explanation. When their paths cross once again, we have to wonder if they’ll be able to overcome their tumultuous past to discover that they were always meant to be family.

What’s it About? 

My dreams constantly haunt me, whether I’m asleep or awake. Six months ago, my life veered off course when my fiancée disappeared with no explanation. The partying lifestyle I’d adopted to cope, ended in an accident that left my body as broken as my heart. To make matters worse, I’ve managed to run off countless physical therapists in charge of the in-home rehabilitation I need to get me back on my feet. My last chance at staying in my own house is gift-wrapped in wavy, auburn hair and startling gray eyes. The woman that shattered my heart. Kelsey is the only one left to help heal my body. And her unexpected arrival brings with it the opportunity to ask the countless questions I thought I’d carry forever. But her answers only create a new mountain to overcome, one I never imagined. Now, more than ever, I need to prove to Kelsey that despite everything, we are meant to be a family…

First Impressions

What can I say about this series?! The author is simply a master at weaving together the love story of our characters into an amazing tapestry which seamlessly incorporates past with present; pure joy with pain. There are moments that will make you laugh out loud, and then those emotional scenes that tug at your heartstrings with each new sentence. The way the story is pieced together by alternating the points of view of our characters, as well as shifting each chapter from past to present and then back again ensures that you’re immediately pulled into the timeline to a point where it becomes near impossible to put down. I actually finished this book in two full sittings! There’s nothing like promising yourself each chapter will be the last, and then finding out you’re 1.5 hours past your weeknight bedtime and eight chapters beyond when you told yourself you’d stop. I feel like an addiction disclaimer is needed before starting each book!

The Broken Hero

When our story opens on Connor we discover he’s in a dark place. Broken both physically and mentally, we find him still pining over the love of his life who walked out on him six months ago with no explanation. Following Kelsey’s departure he tried desperately to win her back, but in his failure to do so he subsequently lost a part of who he was. After a tragic accident which left him a hero, albeit one temporarily without the use of his legs, he’s now in a constant state of surliness. Physical therapists run away from his house in short order, and before long there’s only one person left who can possibly help him. Kelsey.

A Questionable Quandary

Kelsey is heartbroken to have to interact with Connor again, especially seeing as she was determined that the last time she saw him would in fact be the last time. However, when she sees the pain he’s in, and how much he needs her to get his life back on track, she’s willing to put the past aside to help him walk again. As we see scenes of these two struggling to be civil to each other, interspersed with scenes from their past showing how they first fell in love, we’re mean to question how things went wrong for these two people who were once so right for each other. What could possibly have caused Kelsey to turn her back on the man who was always destined to be her family? Well, as it turns out, I guessed the root cause of her desertion about 5 pages into the book.

I don’t thiiiiink it was necessarily an obvious conclusion, but the only reason I immediately realized the source of her melancholia was because while reading this book I was simultaneously listening to an audiobook with the exact same theme! I don’t want to give things away, but essentially what we’re dealing with here is a situation where Kelsey was convinced that the only way for Connor to live the life they’d always dreamed of was for her to leave. She thought that if she’d initially been upfront with him about why she left, he would have stuck with her out of loyalty, but eventually would have come to resent their relationship. However, I couldn’t help but think that the pain of them being apart would have to be a million times worse than the pain of admitting the truth. Kelsey may have been in an emotionally bad place when she made that decision to leave Connor behind with no notice, but once we see the flashbacks of the evolution of their relationship, we can’t help but feel that he at least deserved some kind of explanation. She left him to question what it was that he did to make her run, when in reality it was nothing on his part. That lingering doubt, mixed with the pain of losing the love of his life, was something he didn’t deserve.

*A copy of this book was provided for an honest review*

Series: Meant to Be, book 3. You can’t help but love each new couple!

Final Impressions: Every addition to this series is just as good as the one that came before. I’m constantly floored at how Ms. Foster is able to weave together so many different components of flashbacks and alternating points of view to create one cohesive, beautiful story that will enthrall you from start to finish. While this read did feel slightly predictable for me, I have to blame it on the coincidence of reading another book at the same time with the exact same issue impacting our heroine. I may not be able to condone Kelsey’s choice to leave Connor behind, but seeing the journey of them finding their way back to each other juxtaposed against how they first came together all those years ago? It’s a moving journey, and I’m all aboard!

Smut Level: Phew, this is one steamy read! Connor might be learning to walk again following his accident, but there are some things that come back to him quickly just like riding a bike.

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $3.99 Kindle Price. Limitless Publishing, LLC. 219 Pages.

Meant to be Kept by Amelia Foster

The story of how one man tries to rectify a mistake to keep the most important woman in his life: his wife.

What’s it About? 

One night. One too many drinks. One mistake. That’s all it took to derail my marriage. Now, all I can do is beg for a second chance. To try and redeem myself in a bid not to lose the love of my life. I’m determined to use every second, every moment I have to show my wife how much she means to me—to rebuild the trust I shattered. But the harder I try, the more I start to realize our marriage had fallen into a routine of complacency and misplaced priorities long before my indiscretion. Isabelle is a strong, passionate, beautiful woman—a wife who has sacrificed so much for me. I just hope it’s not too late for us, and that I’ll be able to convince her that our love is meant to be kept.

First Impressions

I’m not going to sugar coat this one folks, this romance blew me away in the best way possible. It’s a beautiful, smart read which is focused around the concept of fighting for love. One of the main ways this book stopped me in my tracks was that it tackled all of the preconceived notions I thought I’d have, and twisted them on their head. Prime example: our male lead, Tanner. Based on the synopsis and the first few pages, I was determined that I was not going to like this guy. We discover in the opening scene that during a guy’s weekend away with his brother, he gets borderline black-out drunk and starts making out with a woman who isn’t his wife. Gee, alcohol and cheating? What an absolute gem. I thought the author would have a hell of time trying to convince me that this guy was worth giving a second chance to. Lo and behold, simply by the end of the first chapter I found myself rooting for Tanner to succeed in winning back the trust of his wife, Isabelle. That’s no easy feat ladies and gents, and yet it was done so effortlessly that it draws in your attention where you can’t turn away until we get to “The End”.

Totally Upfront

While we don’t necessarily get the very best first impression of Tanner, it barely takes any time at all before we sympathize with the man, and hope against hope that Isabelle will be able to forgive him for a seemingly unforgivable transgression. There are a few key features that the author weaves in to get us to love Tanner. First and foremost, we must look at the transgression itself. Yes, in a drunken stupor he kissed another woman. Downright stupid. And yet, our opening scene presents us with a broken man who is fully aware of the error of his ways, and is filled with nothing but regret. At no point do we see him try to hide this from his wife, or lessen the gravity of his mistake. Instead we see him come home right away to admit to her what he did, and he vows that he’ll do whatever he can to make it up to her. He even sets a deadline, begging that she find the strength within her to forgive him, allow him to prove how much he still wants her and only her by their next anniversary which is just 43 days away.

The second clever move on the part of the author was the use of flashbacks throughout the entirety of the novel. On the one hand these flashbacks help demonstrate that Tanner has always been a romantic, and that Isabelle was always meant to be his one and only. Even though this first chapter starts off with a rather negative portrayal of Tanner getting up close and personal with another woman, by the end we feel like we’ve seen who the true Tanner is through a flashback, and it’s far from a womanizing cheater. He has a soft and romantic side which has revolved around Isabelle since the first moment the two met. I for one was shocked that within this first chapter alone I could so quickly go from an initial determination of wanting to hate this guy, to recognizing by the end of it that he simply made a stupid mistake that he is fully willing to atone for.

Forgiveness

When Isabelle first hears the confession of how Tanner kissed someone else, she is understandably distraught. Even though we’re rooting for Tanner to succeed in all of his various romantic attempts to win back his wife, we can also sympathize with the difficulty she faces in letting him back into her life. At times you almost want to scream at her, “He obviously didn’t mean to do it! He clearly loves you! Just forgive him already!”. But, let’s be honest, that would simply be too easy, not to mention rather unrealistic.

Something that the author captures so brilliantly when it comes to Isabelle contemplating her relationship with Tanner is that it was never a question of love. Isabelle will always love him. He’s been her best friend and partner for 12 years, not to mention the father of her children. It’s not possible for her to fall out of love with him that quickly. No, instead we see that it’s actually a question of trust. If she agrees to let him back into her life, she’ll obviously still love him, but will she ever be able to trust him as fully as she did before that disastrous weekend? If she can’t, then is it really worth bringing him back into her life at all?

An Imperfect Marriage

In addition to utilizing flashbacks to show us the sweet side of Tanner’s character, these flashbacks also serve a few other key purposes. First, they demonstrate that for the past three years or so Tanner and Isabelle’s marriage hasn’t been as idyllic as we the audience, or even Tanner himself, thought it to be. We see through so many flashbacks how Isabelle was always the light of Tanner’s life, and he was devoted and committed to her in every way possible. We just assumed that this kiss with the other woman was the first and only indicator of how Tanner failed in an aspect of his marriage.

However, as the anniversary deadline approaches, and Tanner tries to think up various romantic dates to go on with Isabelle, he simultaneously realizes how his focus on work these last few years has created a certain distance between him and his family. The little things he used to do with them, such as movie nights, weekend breakfasts, etc. had fallen by the wayside. He was still a loving father and husband throughout that time, and his affection for Isabelle never wavered, but he can’t help but acknowledge that he wasn’t putting as much of an effort into his family as he did in the beginning. It’s a realization that I think would speak true to many couples out there. Just because you’ve finally found your one true love doesn’t mean you can stop demonstrating how much you love them.

Where Past Meets Present

Another important purpose of the continual use of flashbacks was that it brought Tanner and Isabelle’s entire relationship full circle. By this point you might be getting tired of my repeated mention of these flashback scenes, but I think I can say with 100% confidence that never before have I seen a more brilliant and polished inclusion of flashbacks to tell a story in my life. And I’ve read a crap ton of books. Each and every chapter within the book is divided into two parts: past and present. The present always details the various ways that Tanner is attempting to win back the trust of his wife, and we then see how those attempts correspond to a certain moment from their past through the flashback scene.

At the start of the novel, the present scene involves Tanner admitting to Isabelle how he kissed another woman, while the scene in the past shows the initial moment when Tanner and Isabelle first met in college. Throughout the rest of the book the flashback moments move in a linear progression throughout Tanner and Isabelle’s relationship from their first meeting to their first date, kiss, sexual encounter, meeting with the parents, living together, marriage, kids, etc. By the last chapter we see in the present that we’re at the final deadline of Tanner and Isabelle’s anniversary, the moment when Isabelle must decide if she’s ready and willing to accept Tanner back into her life. And as for our flashback scene? By the end the flashbacks have taken us right up to the very moment when Tanner went away with his brother for the guy’s weekend where the initial transgression first occurred at the beginning of the book. I mean…WOW! The beauty of how everything came together full circle so seamlessly from start to finish cannot be overstated.

*An advanced reader copy of this book was provided for an honest review*

Series: I want this to be a series soooooo bad. I would 100% read a sequel involving one of Tanner’s brothers.

Final Impressions: Simply put, this is a beautiful book. It’s not every day you come across a second chance romance that involves a husband and wife, but it’s definitely one worth reading. It highlights the power of family, and the importance of still putting forth an effort in your relationship, even after you’ve said “I do”. You can’t get lazy in regards to demonstrating affection to your partner. I’m sure my love for the use of flashbacks throughout this novel is clearly evident at this point, so I won’t go into even more detail about it! Again though…they’re pretty amazing!

Smut Level: Nothing dirty, but we do get a few scenes, both past and present, which demonstrate the physical connection these two have always shared.

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $3.99 Kindle Price. Limitless Publishing, LLC. 228 Pages.