You’ve just got to love a male lead who is a fireman. It means he’s strong enough to throw the female lead over his shoulder, and quickly run upstairs for some sweet, sweet lovin’.
Ellie loves her hometown, job, and best friend Jake. But Jake is a ladies man that will never settle down. Ellie can’t stand to see him with other women anymore, so she is packing up and leaving Oak Hollow and everything she loves to start over. A night of unexpected passion makes her start to think maybe things can work out between them, until she happens upon a secret Jake has been keeping for more than a year. Will their friendship be forever torn apart? Or will Ellie find A Reason to Stay?
First Impressions
Ah, this is one of my absolute most favorite themes in all of romance novel land: friends who become more. Ellie and Jake have secretly been pining for each other for years, although neither is aware of the other’s feelings. It’s Ellie’s last night in her hometown before leaving for Chicago to move on from what she believes are her unrequited feelings for Jake. Both realize this is their last chance to lay it all out on the table, and my goodness do they decide to take full advantage of this opportunity. They hold absolutely nothing back, and spend a passion-filled evening together doing all sorts of naughty things.
The Morning After
Something I really liked about this novel was that after Ellie and Jake did the deed, they don’t have that awkward “what did we just do” moment. Nope! They just go at it again…and again. They understand that this sexual chemistry isn’t something they want to give up.
There is an introduction of drama at the very end of this novel which I personally thought was a bit ridiculous. Ellie finds a ring in Jake’s desk drawer, and assumes that he was intending to give it to someone else. Girl please! Did all of that delicious sex knock off a few of your brain cells or something?
Narration
I was lucky enough to receive this book in audio format, which was a great way to pass the time during a recent drive from Atlanta to Tuscaloosa. Overall I’d say the narration wasn’t too bad, but it could use some improvement, specifically with the male voice. It just went too deep, which made it sound rather phony. The female voice was much better, but at times their sexual banter back and forth sounded like cheesy phone sex.
*This audiobook was provided by the narrator for an honest review*
Series: Oak Hollow, book 1. I’d probably read the next one.
Should you read it? It was short and predictable, but it’s also sweet and sexy.
Smut Level: Let’s just say Ellie thinks of a rather creative way to wake Jake up the next morning.
Get it on Amazon: Click Here for $0.99 Kindle version. Click Here for $5.95 Audible version by Meghan Kelly. Self-published. 116 Pages or 1 hour and 26 minutes.