4.5 stars

This story has the emotional and connections I am used to getting from Maisey Yates. Mallory and Colt have a similar but different story to Griffin and Iris from The Heartbreaker of Echo Pass, and I really loved that book. This story starts out fast and kept me engaged throughout.

Both Mallory and Colt have a lot they’ve held onto over the years. Partly because they find some things too painful to talk about, partly because they truly feel as though their loved ones would view them differently or think of them as “less than” if they were honest. Especially Mallory. She’s grown up in the shadow of her brother Griffin. Not from anything he’s done, he’s a great guy. In fact, he’s always been her hero. But she never felt she could live up to his reputation…at school, with her parents, in work. Of course, since Mallory keeps this all to herself, her parents and brother cannot reassure her and convince her that she is a wonderful human and enough for all of them no matter what. It doesn’t help that Mallory has been stuck in a relationship for half of her life with a man (child?) who keeps her self-esteem down in order to keep her around.

Colt spotted Mallory across the room many months ago and hasn’t been able to forget her. The feeling is mutual and now Mallory is back in town, single, and ready to rebuild her life how she wants. Mallory and Colt connect right away and then fate has some fun. A one-night stand turns into a family connection they didn’t know they had turns into he’s her landlord. I guess if you haven’t read the other books in this series that can be considered a spoiler, but otherwise it’s not. These two cannot get away from each other. Part of them is fine with the forced proximity, they have such great chemistry and are drawn to each other. But neither wants a relationship or any other sort of entrapment.

There are so many lovely moments in this story. Mallory and Colt are able to talk to one another in ways they cannot with anyone else. And whenever one reveals a truth they’ve kept hidden from family, the other always has their back. When a baby is added into the mix they are drawn together even more and are forced to face the demons from their past in order to be the best and work together for the little life they are now responsible for. This leads to so many sweet moments, as well as stressful moments that bring out the best of them both in the long run.

I love the chemistry and connection, I loved the storyline, I loved the strength the characters found within themselves and with each other. There were a few points things got bogged down with too many words, repeating their thoughts to an extent that I found unnecessary. That messed with the flow just a bit. All in all, it was an amazing read.

**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

You can read an excerpt from this book (and it's a great one!) over on my blog, All In Good Time.

Merged review:

4.5 stars

This story has the emotional and connections I am used to getting from Maisey Yates. Mallory and Colt have a similar but different story to Griffin and Iris from The Heartbreaker of Echo Pass, and I really loved that book. This story starts out fast and kept me engaged throughout.

Both Mallory and Colt have a lot they’ve held onto over the years. Partly because they find some things too painful to talk about, partly because they truly feel as though their loved ones would view them differently or think of them as “less than” if they were honest. Especially Mallory. She’s grown up in the shadow of her brother Griffin. Not from anything he’s done, he’s a great guy. In fact, he’s always been her hero. But she never felt she could live up to his reputation…at school, with her parents, in work. Of course, since Mallory keeps this all to herself, her parents and brother cannot reassure her and convince her that she is a wonderful human and enough for all of them no matter what. It doesn’t help that Mallory has been stuck in a relationship for half of her life with a man (child?) who keeps her self-esteem down in order to keep her around.

Colt spotted Mallory across the room many months ago and hasn’t been able to forget her. The feeling is mutual and now Mallory is back in town, single, and ready to rebuild her life how she wants. Mallory and Colt connect right away and then fate has some fun. A one-night stand turns into a family connection they didn’t know they had turns into he’s her landlord. I guess if you haven’t read the other books in this series that can be considered a spoiler, but otherwise it’s not. These two cannot get away from each other. Part of them is fine with the forced proximity, they have such great chemistry and are drawn to each other. But neither wants a relationship or any other sort of entrapment.

There are so many lovely moments in this story. Mallory and Colt are able to talk to one another in ways they cannot with anyone else. And whenever one reveals a truth they’ve kept hidden from family, the other always has their back. When a baby is added into the mix they are drawn together even more and are forced to face the demons from their past in order to be the best and work together for the little life they are now responsible for. This leads to so many sweet moments, as well as stressful moments that bring out the best of them both in the long run.

I love the chemistry and connection, I loved the storyline, I loved the strength the characters found within themselves and with each other. There were a few points things got bogged down with too many words, repeating their thoughts to an extent that I found unnecessary. That messed with the flow just a bit. All in all, it was an amazing read.

**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

You can read an excerpt from this book (and it's a great one!) over on my blog, All In Good Time.