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Love #1-2, 3.5
The Love Series Box Set
Madeleine Becker and Reid Connely both come from a world of pain. Despite their best efforts at guarding their hearts, love finds its way into their lives. Ever the bad boy, Reid walks away when things get too difficult. Coming face to face with the horrors of his past only helps to strengthen the bond that he has created with Maddy, and together they learn how to embrace the love they’ve created. Follow Maddy and Reid on their journey where they learn how to let love in so that it can stay and shine forever.
Let Love In:
What would happen if you lost everything? If the people who were supposed to love you unconditionally were no longer there for you, how would your world change?
That’s exactly what happened to Madeleine Becker when her parents died when she was ten years old. Ripped from her home and everything that she has ever loved, she is forced to start all over again. The only way for her to move on is to build walls around her heart and keep everyone at a safe distance. Her logic: she can't get hurt if she doesn't fall in love.
That theory is blown to pieces when she meets Reid Connely during her freshman year at college. He is gorgeous and darkly mysterious. He understands Maddy's pain all too well, but sharing his pain would mean breaking down the walls he put up around his own heart. Conflicted between loving Maddy and hiding his dark past, Reid starts to reevaluate his world. Maddy's inner strength, snarky personality and breath taking beauty help Reid to make peace with his past.
Together they find out what happens when they let love in.
Let Love Stay:
If you’re lucky, you’ll fall in love – truly, madly and deeply in love. But what happens when that honest and pure love isn’t enough to erase your fears? What happens when your past rears its ugly head and threatens your future?
Maddy and Reid had that kind of love – the all-encompassing, Earth shattering, once in a lifetime kind of love. Then life happened. Old wounds that were thought to be long healed and scabbed over are ripped opened and they are forced to face the possibility that, maybe, they are not strong enough to fight their demons and embrace the light.
Together, they found out what love is, but now they will each need to heal on their own before they can ever be together again. They must face their fears and beat down their pasts in order to find their way through this crazy uphill battle called love.
They’ve let love in, but now, they need to find out how to Let Love Stay.
Let Love Shine:
What comes after “they lived happily ever after?”
Maddy and Reid have seen their fair share of trials and tribulations, of love and loss. Facing down the biggest challenges of their young lives, they managed to survive and endure. With the future stretching out before them, they must learn to navigate new and unfamiliar paths.
Being new parents, starting new jobs, and continuing college is enough to overwhelm any couple. New challenges come up daily, as do small victories. Watch Maddy and Reid grow stronger together in this “one year later” tale of the everyday stuff that happens in real life.
With a solid foundation of love under their inexperienced feet – and with the help of their family and friends – Maddy and Reid learn how to let love shine, lighting the way for a beautiful future to come.
Let Love In:
What would happen if you lost everything? If the people who were supposed to love you unconditionally were no longer there for you, how would your world change?
That’s exactly what happened to Madeleine Becker when her parents died when she was ten years old. Ripped from her home and everything that she has ever loved, she is forced to start all over again. The only way for her to move on is to build walls around her heart and keep everyone at a safe distance. Her logic: she can't get hurt if she doesn't fall in love.
That theory is blown to pieces when she meets Reid Connely during her freshman year at college. He is gorgeous and darkly mysterious. He understands Maddy's pain all too well, but sharing his pain would mean breaking down the walls he put up around his own heart. Conflicted between loving Maddy and hiding his dark past, Reid starts to reevaluate his world. Maddy's inner strength, snarky personality and breath taking beauty help Reid to make peace with his past.
Together they find out what happens when they let love in.
Let Love Stay:
If you’re lucky, you’ll fall in love – truly, madly and deeply in love. But what happens when that honest and pure love isn’t enough to erase your fears? What happens when your past rears its ugly head and threatens your future?
Maddy and Reid had that kind of love – the all-encompassing, Earth shattering, once in a lifetime kind of love. Then life happened. Old wounds that were thought to be long healed and scabbed over are ripped opened and they are forced to face the possibility that, maybe, they are not strong enough to fight their demons and embrace the light.
Together, they found out what love is, but now they will each need to heal on their own before they can ever be together again. They must face their fears and beat down their pasts in order to find their way through this crazy uphill battle called love.
They’ve let love in, but now, they need to find out how to Let Love Stay.
Let Love Shine:
What comes after “they lived happily ever after?”
Maddy and Reid have seen their fair share of trials and tribulations, of love and loss. Facing down the biggest challenges of their young lives, they managed to survive and endure. With the future stretching out before them, they must learn to navigate new and unfamiliar paths.
Being new parents, starting new jobs, and continuing college is enough to overwhelm any couple. New challenges come up daily, as do small victories. Watch Maddy and Reid grow stronger together in this “one year later” tale of the everyday stuff that happens in real life.
With a solid foundation of love under their inexperienced feet – and with the help of their family and friends – Maddy and Reid learn how to let love shine, lighting the way for a beautiful future to come.
571 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 8, 2014
44 people are currently reading
333 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Collins
29 books1,302 followersMelissa Collins has always been a book worm. Studying Literature in college ensured that her nose was always stuck in a book. She followed her passion for reading to the most logical career choice: English teacher. Her hope was to share her passion for reading and the escapism of books to her students. Having spent more than a decade in front of a classroom, she can easily say that it’s been a dream.
Her passion for writing didn’t start until more recently. When she was home on maternity leave in early 2012, she read her first romance novel and her head filled with the passion, angst and laughter of the characters who she read about it. It wasn’t long before characters of her own took shape in her mind. Their lives took over Melissa’s brain and The Love Series was born.
Her passion for writing didn’t start until more recently. When she was home on maternity leave in early 2012, she read her first romance novel and her head filled with the passion, angst and laughter of the characters who she read about it. It wasn’t long before characters of her own took shape in her mind. Their lives took over Melissa’s brain and The Love Series was born.
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April 22, 2015
Let Love In
A beautifully messed up pair they make but together they make everything beautiful!
Maddy experienced the loss of a lifetime when she was 10, when she lost her parents, she lost everything. She built a wall around her heart and her life that only one person has ever been able to break through, her best friend, Mel. The two of them are now away at college, but Maddy feels more alone than ever, except that she’s got Mel and two other absolutely amazing suitemates with her.
One night, one party and something changes. That’s when she meets big time player on campus, Reid. But Reid is nothing more than a one night stand on campus. But one dance and one glance and she knows there is so much more to him. He knows it too. But why is he being such a jerk about it?
Reid comes with his own set of baggage and a wall built so tall and so thick that nothing can penetrate it or break it. Until that one look at that party. He knows Maddy is the one that is going to not only scale the wall, but knock the entire thing down.
Can the two of them break the walls that have been built in their lives and around their hearts and can they let love in?
I loved the characters in this book, Maddy, Reid, Momma, Mel… all of them. Maddy and Reid have everything going against them, but the only thing stopping them from shutting each other out is their passion for each other. They can see things in one another that most can’t and it is breathtaking to say the least.
The passion between these two characters goes a long way to healing their pasts and what has happened to them. But is that passion enough to make the relationship last?
I should have prefaced my review of this book by saying I was crying on page five. I wasn’t even 10-percent into it and I had tears running down my face. The end of the book left me gasping for air. This book had everything in it to make it a great book: drama, angst, hot sexy as hell guy, amazing passion and love.
This book kept me wanting more and kept me reading until the very last page hoping beyond hope that the book would end exactly the way I wanted it to.
Let Love Stay
This book is breathtaking and simply beautiful. It is the continuation of the Love Series, following Let Love In. Let Love Stay continues Maddy and Reid’s story of love and strength and most of all acceptance.
Maddy has pushed Reid away and she knows it. But she didn’t expect it to be like this. Alone, pregnant and not sure what to do about the loss of the love of her life, Maddy returns to Momma’s and tries to figure out how she is going to do this and more importantly how to get Reid to forgive her.
What Maddy doesn’t realize is that Reid is just as torn up about running away from her. He loves Maddy with all his heart and she is the strength he needs to get through the biggest obstacle in his life, the one that Maddy pushed him into: Seeing his mother for the first time since he left home all those years ago.
Facing his demons and tackling it without Maddy along side is going to be difficult, but he knows what his heart wants and he wants it too. He wants to be the one that Maddy needs in her life. Maddy is his world and he just cannot seem to break free knowing that he is alone and without her.
Once again, Melissa Collins has tugged at my heart and made me feel for Maddy and Reid and their relationship. Struggling to keep from fast-forwarding to the end, I pushed through this book at a record pace. I needed to know how things would finally end or if that would be the end of this amazing relationship.
Reid once again stole my heart and I wanted so badly to reach through the pages and hug him while he dealt with the issues that have scarred his life for so long. The wall he put up because of his past, learning and acceptance that he must go through was painful to read. My heart ached so badly for him and his circumstances.
Maddy spent the time away from Reid wondering what was going to happen if he didn’t forgive her for the mistakes she made in pushing him away and pushing him to confront his past so they could move on and have a relationship not terrorized by demons from the past. But would Reid forgive her? My heart wanted so badly for them just to be together that it was painful to watch them apart. But more than getting Reid back, Maddy had to figure out how exactly she was going to tackle the rest of her life, especially now that she is pregnant.
The push and pull of their lives apart and together left me gasping for air at times. I was so in awe by these two in the first book that Let Love Stay pushed me even further. Melissa Collins has such an amazing way of reaching deep down and making the character connections and again, I fell in love with all of the characters in this book. This book made my new fictional friends come to life and I just can’t seem to get enough of any of them!
Together they could face the world and get through anything, but apart they struggled to take their next breaths. The transformation of Maddy and Reid in this book was so moving and left my heart in awe.
Let Love Heal
I adored the first two books in the Love series and then she published Let Love Heal. I am always apprehensive reading the following books in any series. I am afraid that they just won’t meet the expectations I hold from the previous book(s). But as so many wonderful authors have shown me this year, the best is yet to come! Let Love Heal left me in complete awe.
Melanie is a perfect daughter, a perfect friend, a perfect student. She has the most amazing mom ever and she strives to live in this perfect world. But Melanie has a not-so-perfect view of herself. Her self-image is shot. She is not a supermodel and she is not a perfect size 6. She knows that no guy could possibly be looking at her; they have to be looking beyond her at the perfect Barbie standing behind her.
But things start to change for Melanie the day she decides that she wants to help contribute financially to her future by answering an ad to work in the computer lab at school. But what she doesn’t expect is that Bryan is the one who posted the ad.
What Bryan didn’t expect is that his perfect woman would be answering the ad within a few minutes of it being posted. Bryan sees Melanie not as an overweight girl that isn’t pretty enough, but as a beautiful woman that he truly appreciates inside and out. Bryan is amazingly hot. So really in Melanie’s eyes, she knows they can only be friends. That reality seems to be confirmed when she meets his ex, a very beautifully perfect woman. But what Melanie doesn’t see is that Bryan does indeed think she is beautiful.
Bryan doesn’t just tell her how amazing she is though; he makes every effort to show her. But when Bryan runs out of ways to show her and realizes that she has to love herself before anyone else can love her, he is given an opportunity to walk away and he takes it.
Now Melanie is left to discover her own worth and value and to see the beauty not only within herself but on the surface too. But once she has found this value, will it be too late for her and Bryan or will they find their future together? Can Melanie learn to love and accept herself?
This was such a beautifully told story about self-worth and value. Melanie was super smart and witty but she just didn’t see how beautiful she really was. This is one of the hardest lessons in life to learn. If you can’t love yourself, can anyone else love you? Melissa Collins takes us on an amazing journey of love and self-discovery and throws in some steam to make this a fabulous book in the Love series! It tackles one of the biggest issues facing people as they grow into adults and learn who they really are and Melissa did it flawlessly! Amazing story. Amazing characters. Amazing love.
Let Love Shine
This is such a great little read. If you have read the books in the Love series by Melissa Collins, you know that Maddy and Reid’s story has had its share of ups and downs. You know they have experienced great love and great loss. Their love has guided them to happily ever after. This novella is what happens beyond the end of their story. It is what happens when the happily ever after has ended and there is nothing left to do but Let Love Shine.
I loved this quick little read. It just took this amazing couples relationship to another level and I just fell more in love with these two characters. Maddy and Reid are new parents and have their work cut out for them. This book is a focus on the little things in day to day life that get to us all and how Maddy and Reid work through them together with the greatest attention to love.
The thing I love about Let love Shine is the ability to show that there is life after the happily ever after. It is heart-warming to read about these two and how their love will get them through everything together. Melissa Collins just makes me smile with this one! It is well written and a great read!
Let Love Be
I love Melissa Collins! Let Love Be is the latest book in the Love Series and I am so in awe once again that a story can be so beautiful and so amazing that I just want more and more. Melissa Collins has taken us on a great journey through these books, and this one is absolutely no exception.
If you have read this series, you have fallen in love with Maddy and Reid and Melanie and Bryan… but did you ever wonder about Momma when it was all said and done? This is a special look into a new chapter of Momma’s life now that Mel and Maddy are all grown up. That is what makes this book so unique, the focus of it is on one of the most beloved characters in this series so far. Mel’s mom, Lucy.
Lucy lost everything when she was very young. Her one true love is gone and she is left alone to raise the child that was conceived in so much love. She knows she will never find a love as true again, soul mates only come along once in a lifetime afterall. But she has more important things to think about than falling in love again, if ever. She has an unborn child that is going to need every bit of her love and courage to carry on in life. Lucy knows that this child is so much more than just a baby, it is the baby that love created and will never be duplicated. And that’s just what Lucy does. She carries on. She loves that little girl with all her heart and she knows that no matter what that child will always know that she is loved and cherished.
Eighteen years later, Lucy finds herself alone again. Her baby is all grown up and living her own life, even her serroget daughter has moved out and is starting a family of her own. Lucy has never thought twice about what it would be like to be in love again, especially now after all this time…
Evan has been forced into a life of retirement after 9/11. It is not something he wanted and he is having a hard time with it all. But he is determined to find happiness out of all of the bad things he has been through. He knows his life is enough. He has seen enough as a fireman and done enough to have regrets, but being alone was never one of them. He wants to have a good life and he knows he can make his life enough…But he certainally wasn’t expecting to find Lucy.
But a chance meeting at a funeral sets this story in motion. The come from two different worlds, but the loss is still there. Evan loved his job more than anything and Lucy loved Jimmy more than anything. But in the end the just found themselves alone. But one small encounter turned into two, then there was some innocent flirting and then… well, I am not going to spoil the story for you, but as much as I love Maddy and Reid and as much as I love Mel and Bryan, there is something to be said about Lucy and Evan.
This is anything but an old people love story. It is actually a beautiful and charming story with lots of love and it’s hot and steamy. It’s tempered with angst and drama but it just so warm and inviting. Melissa Collins just writes the best characters. They are not perfect, they have all had their share of craptastic stuff happen to them but always in the end, they come out as the winners of the stories.
The thing that really got me with this book in the series is that Lucy and Evan are older, more mature and it wasn’t all angst and drama in the sense of the books I typically read, but because it was part of the Love series, it was a must read for me. I loved that it was a more mature perspective on a second chance at love for Lucy and the promise of a great love for Evan. That is not to say it was without steam or angst. There was plenty of both, but they just happened in very different ways that what we expect when we read a romance novel.
Melissa Collins has not only done a fabulous job with this book, but the entire series. This is a must read collection and this book is like the icing on the cake. I love the characters, the places, the story and most of all the love and compassion these characters share. These books are simple reminders of what things in life matter most, and mostly they are not things at all.
Let Love Live
Wow! Just Wow! This book just got to me in so many ways. Melissa Collins has touched my heart through this entire series, but I didn’t think it could get better, then she hit me with this one. This is by far my favorite of the entire series and I was a bit nervous going into this one.
We all knew what happened to Shane, but we never really understood why. This book is a gripping story of what happened before Shane left his family, friends and Dylan. Shane, Reid’s brother, was everything to Dylan growing up. They were the best of friends and did everything together. Dylan was there for Shane and Reid through everything with their father. But there was one thing Dylan couldn’t protect Shane from and that was who he was.
I spent the first half of the book in tears. Such a beautiful love and such a tragic ending. My heart broke for Shane and Dylan. But for Dylan, is there a way to move on beyond the love of your life?
Several years later, Dylan still hasn’t found anyone to fill the void left behind by Shane. He has a great career and amazing friends. But there will always be that space in his heart that cannot be filled. So when he walks into the gym that day, he can’t even prepare himself for what he is looking at. Connor and all of his glory.
Connor is so beyond attracted to Dylan but he knows that Dylan is off limits. He has a family… or it appears that way.
This book was powerful and moving and I was really impressed. There are so many battles being fought internally and externally in this book that I was just captivated. Melissa Collins just does such an amazing job with her words, the subject and she does it with ease and grace.
I am not typically a reader of M/M romances but this one just grabbed a hold and hit my heart with force. It was powerful to say the least. I love this entire series and I can’t get enough of any of the characters, but there was just something so raw and powerful about Dylan and Connor that I just wanted more for both of them.
The characters, the passion and the heartbreak all wrapped together in the pages of this book is incredible and I am so happy that I have had the opportunity to read this book and feel what the characters were feeling and I embraced Let Love Live. I will definitely be re-reading this one! It is heartwarming and touching while dealing with the difficulties that life has given them.
A beautifully messed up pair they make but together they make everything beautiful!
Maddy experienced the loss of a lifetime when she was 10, when she lost her parents, she lost everything. She built a wall around her heart and her life that only one person has ever been able to break through, her best friend, Mel. The two of them are now away at college, but Maddy feels more alone than ever, except that she’s got Mel and two other absolutely amazing suitemates with her.
One night, one party and something changes. That’s when she meets big time player on campus, Reid. But Reid is nothing more than a one night stand on campus. But one dance and one glance and she knows there is so much more to him. He knows it too. But why is he being such a jerk about it?
Reid comes with his own set of baggage and a wall built so tall and so thick that nothing can penetrate it or break it. Until that one look at that party. He knows Maddy is the one that is going to not only scale the wall, but knock the entire thing down.
Can the two of them break the walls that have been built in their lives and around their hearts and can they let love in?
I loved the characters in this book, Maddy, Reid, Momma, Mel… all of them. Maddy and Reid have everything going against them, but the only thing stopping them from shutting each other out is their passion for each other. They can see things in one another that most can’t and it is breathtaking to say the least.
The passion between these two characters goes a long way to healing their pasts and what has happened to them. But is that passion enough to make the relationship last?
I should have prefaced my review of this book by saying I was crying on page five. I wasn’t even 10-percent into it and I had tears running down my face. The end of the book left me gasping for air. This book had everything in it to make it a great book: drama, angst, hot sexy as hell guy, amazing passion and love.
This book kept me wanting more and kept me reading until the very last page hoping beyond hope that the book would end exactly the way I wanted it to.
Let Love Stay
This book is breathtaking and simply beautiful. It is the continuation of the Love Series, following Let Love In. Let Love Stay continues Maddy and Reid’s story of love and strength and most of all acceptance.
Maddy has pushed Reid away and she knows it. But she didn’t expect it to be like this. Alone, pregnant and not sure what to do about the loss of the love of her life, Maddy returns to Momma’s and tries to figure out how she is going to do this and more importantly how to get Reid to forgive her.
What Maddy doesn’t realize is that Reid is just as torn up about running away from her. He loves Maddy with all his heart and she is the strength he needs to get through the biggest obstacle in his life, the one that Maddy pushed him into: Seeing his mother for the first time since he left home all those years ago.
Facing his demons and tackling it without Maddy along side is going to be difficult, but he knows what his heart wants and he wants it too. He wants to be the one that Maddy needs in her life. Maddy is his world and he just cannot seem to break free knowing that he is alone and without her.
Once again, Melissa Collins has tugged at my heart and made me feel for Maddy and Reid and their relationship. Struggling to keep from fast-forwarding to the end, I pushed through this book at a record pace. I needed to know how things would finally end or if that would be the end of this amazing relationship.
Reid once again stole my heart and I wanted so badly to reach through the pages and hug him while he dealt with the issues that have scarred his life for so long. The wall he put up because of his past, learning and acceptance that he must go through was painful to read. My heart ached so badly for him and his circumstances.
Maddy spent the time away from Reid wondering what was going to happen if he didn’t forgive her for the mistakes she made in pushing him away and pushing him to confront his past so they could move on and have a relationship not terrorized by demons from the past. But would Reid forgive her? My heart wanted so badly for them just to be together that it was painful to watch them apart. But more than getting Reid back, Maddy had to figure out how exactly she was going to tackle the rest of her life, especially now that she is pregnant.
The push and pull of their lives apart and together left me gasping for air at times. I was so in awe by these two in the first book that Let Love Stay pushed me even further. Melissa Collins has such an amazing way of reaching deep down and making the character connections and again, I fell in love with all of the characters in this book. This book made my new fictional friends come to life and I just can’t seem to get enough of any of them!
Together they could face the world and get through anything, but apart they struggled to take their next breaths. The transformation of Maddy and Reid in this book was so moving and left my heart in awe.
Let Love Heal
I adored the first two books in the Love series and then she published Let Love Heal. I am always apprehensive reading the following books in any series. I am afraid that they just won’t meet the expectations I hold from the previous book(s). But as so many wonderful authors have shown me this year, the best is yet to come! Let Love Heal left me in complete awe.
Melanie is a perfect daughter, a perfect friend, a perfect student. She has the most amazing mom ever and she strives to live in this perfect world. But Melanie has a not-so-perfect view of herself. Her self-image is shot. She is not a supermodel and she is not a perfect size 6. She knows that no guy could possibly be looking at her; they have to be looking beyond her at the perfect Barbie standing behind her.
But things start to change for Melanie the day she decides that she wants to help contribute financially to her future by answering an ad to work in the computer lab at school. But what she doesn’t expect is that Bryan is the one who posted the ad.
What Bryan didn’t expect is that his perfect woman would be answering the ad within a few minutes of it being posted. Bryan sees Melanie not as an overweight girl that isn’t pretty enough, but as a beautiful woman that he truly appreciates inside and out. Bryan is amazingly hot. So really in Melanie’s eyes, she knows they can only be friends. That reality seems to be confirmed when she meets his ex, a very beautifully perfect woman. But what Melanie doesn’t see is that Bryan does indeed think she is beautiful.
Bryan doesn’t just tell her how amazing she is though; he makes every effort to show her. But when Bryan runs out of ways to show her and realizes that she has to love herself before anyone else can love her, he is given an opportunity to walk away and he takes it.
Now Melanie is left to discover her own worth and value and to see the beauty not only within herself but on the surface too. But once she has found this value, will it be too late for her and Bryan or will they find their future together? Can Melanie learn to love and accept herself?
This was such a beautifully told story about self-worth and value. Melanie was super smart and witty but she just didn’t see how beautiful she really was. This is one of the hardest lessons in life to learn. If you can’t love yourself, can anyone else love you? Melissa Collins takes us on an amazing journey of love and self-discovery and throws in some steam to make this a fabulous book in the Love series! It tackles one of the biggest issues facing people as they grow into adults and learn who they really are and Melissa did it flawlessly! Amazing story. Amazing characters. Amazing love.
Let Love Shine
This is such a great little read. If you have read the books in the Love series by Melissa Collins, you know that Maddy and Reid’s story has had its share of ups and downs. You know they have experienced great love and great loss. Their love has guided them to happily ever after. This novella is what happens beyond the end of their story. It is what happens when the happily ever after has ended and there is nothing left to do but Let Love Shine.
I loved this quick little read. It just took this amazing couples relationship to another level and I just fell more in love with these two characters. Maddy and Reid are new parents and have their work cut out for them. This book is a focus on the little things in day to day life that get to us all and how Maddy and Reid work through them together with the greatest attention to love.
The thing I love about Let love Shine is the ability to show that there is life after the happily ever after. It is heart-warming to read about these two and how their love will get them through everything together. Melissa Collins just makes me smile with this one! It is well written and a great read!
Let Love Be
I love Melissa Collins! Let Love Be is the latest book in the Love Series and I am so in awe once again that a story can be so beautiful and so amazing that I just want more and more. Melissa Collins has taken us on a great journey through these books, and this one is absolutely no exception.
If you have read this series, you have fallen in love with Maddy and Reid and Melanie and Bryan… but did you ever wonder about Momma when it was all said and done? This is a special look into a new chapter of Momma’s life now that Mel and Maddy are all grown up. That is what makes this book so unique, the focus of it is on one of the most beloved characters in this series so far. Mel’s mom, Lucy.
Lucy lost everything when she was very young. Her one true love is gone and she is left alone to raise the child that was conceived in so much love. She knows she will never find a love as true again, soul mates only come along once in a lifetime afterall. But she has more important things to think about than falling in love again, if ever. She has an unborn child that is going to need every bit of her love and courage to carry on in life. Lucy knows that this child is so much more than just a baby, it is the baby that love created and will never be duplicated. And that’s just what Lucy does. She carries on. She loves that little girl with all her heart and she knows that no matter what that child will always know that she is loved and cherished.
Eighteen years later, Lucy finds herself alone again. Her baby is all grown up and living her own life, even her serroget daughter has moved out and is starting a family of her own. Lucy has never thought twice about what it would be like to be in love again, especially now after all this time…
Evan has been forced into a life of retirement after 9/11. It is not something he wanted and he is having a hard time with it all. But he is determined to find happiness out of all of the bad things he has been through. He knows his life is enough. He has seen enough as a fireman and done enough to have regrets, but being alone was never one of them. He wants to have a good life and he knows he can make his life enough…But he certainally wasn’t expecting to find Lucy.
But a chance meeting at a funeral sets this story in motion. The come from two different worlds, but the loss is still there. Evan loved his job more than anything and Lucy loved Jimmy more than anything. But in the end the just found themselves alone. But one small encounter turned into two, then there was some innocent flirting and then… well, I am not going to spoil the story for you, but as much as I love Maddy and Reid and as much as I love Mel and Bryan, there is something to be said about Lucy and Evan.
This is anything but an old people love story. It is actually a beautiful and charming story with lots of love and it’s hot and steamy. It’s tempered with angst and drama but it just so warm and inviting. Melissa Collins just writes the best characters. They are not perfect, they have all had their share of craptastic stuff happen to them but always in the end, they come out as the winners of the stories.
The thing that really got me with this book in the series is that Lucy and Evan are older, more mature and it wasn’t all angst and drama in the sense of the books I typically read, but because it was part of the Love series, it was a must read for me. I loved that it was a more mature perspective on a second chance at love for Lucy and the promise of a great love for Evan. That is not to say it was without steam or angst. There was plenty of both, but they just happened in very different ways that what we expect when we read a romance novel.
Melissa Collins has not only done a fabulous job with this book, but the entire series. This is a must read collection and this book is like the icing on the cake. I love the characters, the places, the story and most of all the love and compassion these characters share. These books are simple reminders of what things in life matter most, and mostly they are not things at all.
Let Love Live
Wow! Just Wow! This book just got to me in so many ways. Melissa Collins has touched my heart through this entire series, but I didn’t think it could get better, then she hit me with this one. This is by far my favorite of the entire series and I was a bit nervous going into this one.
We all knew what happened to Shane, but we never really understood why. This book is a gripping story of what happened before Shane left his family, friends and Dylan. Shane, Reid’s brother, was everything to Dylan growing up. They were the best of friends and did everything together. Dylan was there for Shane and Reid through everything with their father. But there was one thing Dylan couldn’t protect Shane from and that was who he was.
I spent the first half of the book in tears. Such a beautiful love and such a tragic ending. My heart broke for Shane and Dylan. But for Dylan, is there a way to move on beyond the love of your life?
Several years later, Dylan still hasn’t found anyone to fill the void left behind by Shane. He has a great career and amazing friends. But there will always be that space in his heart that cannot be filled. So when he walks into the gym that day, he can’t even prepare himself for what he is looking at. Connor and all of his glory.
Connor is so beyond attracted to Dylan but he knows that Dylan is off limits. He has a family… or it appears that way.
This book was powerful and moving and I was really impressed. There are so many battles being fought internally and externally in this book that I was just captivated. Melissa Collins just does such an amazing job with her words, the subject and she does it with ease and grace.
I am not typically a reader of M/M romances but this one just grabbed a hold and hit my heart with force. It was powerful to say the least. I love this entire series and I can’t get enough of any of the characters, but there was just something so raw and powerful about Dylan and Connor that I just wanted more for both of them.
The characters, the passion and the heartbreak all wrapped together in the pages of this book is incredible and I am so happy that I have had the opportunity to read this book and feel what the characters were feeling and I embraced Let Love Live. I will definitely be re-reading this one! It is heartwarming and touching while dealing with the difficulties that life has given them.
December 8, 2017
The best
This set was just absolutely amazing. This is the first that I've read by this author. This series is amazing. I just love Reid and Maddie. This story brings you laughter, but it also brings you tears. I highly recommend that you read this.
This set was just absolutely amazing. This is the first that I've read by this author. This series is amazing. I just love Reid and Maddie. This story brings you laughter, but it also brings you tears. I highly recommend that you read this.
February 11, 2014
***Arc was provided by author in exchange for an honest review***
The Love Series Box Set contains Maddy and Reid’s complete story. It chronicles the defining moments of their lives: their first interaction at the party, the beginning of their relationship and the ups and downs of those first few months, their time spent apart, struggling to not reach out to each other, Maddy’s pregnancy, their marriage, and finally, their new life together as a family.
In the first book, Let Love In, Maddy is starting her first year at college after experiencing more loss than a young woman should have to at her age. As she transitions to this new life, she makes a few promises to herself in the hopes of wiping the slate clean:
1. Choose Happy
2. Appreciate Beauty
3. Let Love In
Soon, Maddy finds her happiness with Reid, a man who is just as broken as she is. Their relationship is not easy. At first, Reid doesn’t want to give in to his feelings for Maddy because he doesn’t do relationships. But, he finds himself unable to resist her and for once, he wants to be with only one woman.
I loved the pace of Maddy and Reid’s relationship in Let Love In. It is a realistic look into how two people who have never really been in a relationship learn to open up and let themselves be loved by someone else. Their connection is strong but messy. They experience many bumps along the way, and readers are left wondering at the end of the book what happens next.
As the second book, Let Love Stay, begins, Maddy and Reid are reeling from life changing news, and Maddy gives Reid an ultimatum in order for them to move forward. She wants him to deal with his broken past and finally move past it; she feels it is the only way that they can be together. Reid is not ready, so he walks away from Maddy, and she is left trying to figure out what she is going to do next – with or without Reid by her side. As both Maddy and Reid deal with their individual issues, they both feel like the other has given up on their relationship and perhaps, they will never be together again. Soon though, Reid realizes that the one thing he needs to deal with his past and move forward is Maddy, so he seeks her out to get back what they lost when he walked away. From then on, any issue they face, they face together as a united front. Despite the pain and suffering that Reid goes through in LLS due to his past and his mother’s illness, his love for Maddy grows and solidifies. He doesn’t let his mistakes detract him from having a happy future.
Let Love Stay is a testament to what happens when a couple stands strong together, being a shoulder to cry on or a hand to hold. Both Reid and Maddy understand what the other needs, and as they work through all of the difficulties they face, it only strengthens their bond. At the end of the text, Reid and Maddy get their HEA and become the family they have always wanted.
Whenever I finish a series and I reach the end of the last book where the hero and heroine get the HEA….I always wonder what happens next…where does life take them and how are they doing with everything now that they have decided to be together for the long haul. Melissa Collins gives me that insight into Maddy and Reid’s new life together in Let Love Shine, and boy does their love light up their lives. In book 3.5, readers get to see them be husband and wife and mother and father. Their interaction with their little boy, Braden, is super sweet! The bond they have with each other only intensifies with the love they feel for their child. I love that we get to be a part of their lives for just a little bit longer. What I love most about Let Love Shine is we get to see Reid’s work with kids in need. His compassion for those students who need someone to reach out to them and help them truly shows how much Reid has grown through his relationship with Maddy and his acceptance of his past. Maddy graduating from college and the expansion of their family are the little added bonuses that make this novella such a heartwarming read.
The Love Series, to me, proves what can happen when two people love each other enough. It is not always perfect – it’s messy and there is pain. It might feel like it will never get better, but as long as they hold on to their love for each other and willingly open their hearts, in the end, it will all be worth it.
Thank you, Melissa Collins, for a series about how love ultimately wins out in the end despite everything that life can throw at people.
4 poison apples!(The Fairest of All Book Reviews)
The Love Series Box Set contains Maddy and Reid’s complete story. It chronicles the defining moments of their lives: their first interaction at the party, the beginning of their relationship and the ups and downs of those first few months, their time spent apart, struggling to not reach out to each other, Maddy’s pregnancy, their marriage, and finally, their new life together as a family.
In the first book, Let Love In, Maddy is starting her first year at college after experiencing more loss than a young woman should have to at her age. As she transitions to this new life, she makes a few promises to herself in the hopes of wiping the slate clean:
1. Choose Happy
2. Appreciate Beauty
3. Let Love In
Soon, Maddy finds her happiness with Reid, a man who is just as broken as she is. Their relationship is not easy. At first, Reid doesn’t want to give in to his feelings for Maddy because he doesn’t do relationships. But, he finds himself unable to resist her and for once, he wants to be with only one woman.
I loved the pace of Maddy and Reid’s relationship in Let Love In. It is a realistic look into how two people who have never really been in a relationship learn to open up and let themselves be loved by someone else. Their connection is strong but messy. They experience many bumps along the way, and readers are left wondering at the end of the book what happens next.
As the second book, Let Love Stay, begins, Maddy and Reid are reeling from life changing news, and Maddy gives Reid an ultimatum in order for them to move forward. She wants him to deal with his broken past and finally move past it; she feels it is the only way that they can be together. Reid is not ready, so he walks away from Maddy, and she is left trying to figure out what she is going to do next – with or without Reid by her side. As both Maddy and Reid deal with their individual issues, they both feel like the other has given up on their relationship and perhaps, they will never be together again. Soon though, Reid realizes that the one thing he needs to deal with his past and move forward is Maddy, so he seeks her out to get back what they lost when he walked away. From then on, any issue they face, they face together as a united front. Despite the pain and suffering that Reid goes through in LLS due to his past and his mother’s illness, his love for Maddy grows and solidifies. He doesn’t let his mistakes detract him from having a happy future.
Let Love Stay is a testament to what happens when a couple stands strong together, being a shoulder to cry on or a hand to hold. Both Reid and Maddy understand what the other needs, and as they work through all of the difficulties they face, it only strengthens their bond. At the end of the text, Reid and Maddy get their HEA and become the family they have always wanted.
Whenever I finish a series and I reach the end of the last book where the hero and heroine get the HEA….I always wonder what happens next…where does life take them and how are they doing with everything now that they have decided to be together for the long haul. Melissa Collins gives me that insight into Maddy and Reid’s new life together in Let Love Shine, and boy does their love light up their lives. In book 3.5, readers get to see them be husband and wife and mother and father. Their interaction with their little boy, Braden, is super sweet! The bond they have with each other only intensifies with the love they feel for their child. I love that we get to be a part of their lives for just a little bit longer. What I love most about Let Love Shine is we get to see Reid’s work with kids in need. His compassion for those students who need someone to reach out to them and help them truly shows how much Reid has grown through his relationship with Maddy and his acceptance of his past. Maddy graduating from college and the expansion of their family are the little added bonuses that make this novella such a heartwarming read.
The Love Series, to me, proves what can happen when two people love each other enough. It is not always perfect – it’s messy and there is pain. It might feel like it will never get better, but as long as they hold on to their love for each other and willingly open their hearts, in the end, it will all be worth it.
Thank you, Melissa Collins, for a series about how love ultimately wins out in the end despite everything that life can throw at people.
4 poison apples!(The Fairest of All Book Reviews)
February 23, 2014
Let Love In
Let's talk about this book, this beautiful and sexy book by Melissa Collins. First this is the book 1 from The Love Series.
This story was full of emotion, I loved every page of this book, beautifully written and with drama that is not something you think ''Oh just in books'' and that is one thing I really loved about it, how it is related to the real world.
As the name is ''Let Love In'' you will the struggles Maddy and Reid have to be finally together, he is pushing her out and she is hard at some point to. But who is not that hard when you struggle in life? (you will read to find out HA).
"I guess I can choose happy as much as I want, but it doesn't mean much if I'm not chosen back."
You will see how they start to Let Love In, it is going to be hard for them, it wont be a happy to find out what are they so hard on it, but that is life, hard, nothing is easy. Overall I don't want to talk much because you NEED to read this book.
"You bring more happiness into my life than I ever thought I deserved."
And here is Reid, I mean HE IS FREAKING HOT and a bad boy YET with a wonderful big heart.
Let Love Stay
So the second book of The Love Series,. This book was the perfect sequel for me, it never let me down, it never turned down, it was just so great. I have to say Melissa is one of those authors that made me love a series, it just never lost the spark that I found in the first book.
My favorite thing about this book was that it wasn’t the perfect love, Maddy I have to say pissed me off with her attitude but she always did because she cared about him and wanted the best for Reid, she knows what it feels like to have one day a family and the other day they are gone, she just wanted Reid to have a great family picture no the sad and hurtful one he has.
"Love is always complicated. You can't expect to hand your soul to someone else without any bumps along the way.’’
They had A LOT of challenges here, but they those challenges made them grow as a couple. Another important thing, Reid in this book was still as beautiful and perfect as he was in the first book, I really love this character, so you will fall in love with him even more.
I think and I will always thing Melissa is one great author and has such a great potential to write and she has the ability to transport you to another world in no time, her books are the reflection of life with ups and downs, but real ups and downs, the kind of things you will see in real life not only in books. You will for sure get attached to this book and to this couple.
“I’m not foolish enough to think that things will always be easy, that we’ll always be perfect. We’ve still got mountains to climb, college to graduate, jobs to work. But as we bask in the light of the rising sun together, I know that Reid will always be my perfectly imperfect happily ever after.”
Of course 5 stars to this wonderful book!
Let Love Shine
This was the PERFECT BEAUTIFUL goodbye to Maddy and Reid love story, this book is a novella so if you are hopping a little drama, you wont read it, but how would you? if this is our little fairy tale to see what happen after all.
Melissa did not let me down with this book, every single page was beautiful!
You will read how they are doing with the new family life they are embarking with baby Braden!
She gave us a little intro to the love of Momma C (Lucy) and Evan which her next book Let Love Be will be about, their love story!
What I love the most is that after everything, after their loss of their families, they have finally have one, because definitely after the storm comes the rainbow, after so many years of emptiness in this aspect together they fill it with love, hope, happiness.
True thing, its sad to say goodbye, we will read about them I guess in a few book, but it wont be a complete book about them, but this beautiful book was really the perfect way to say goodbye!
I love the way Melissa Collins write a book, she always make you go and live this trip we wish to have every time we pick a book to read!
LOVELOVELOVE the book!
I give it 5+ stars
Let's talk about this book, this beautiful and sexy book by Melissa Collins. First this is the book 1 from The Love Series.
This story was full of emotion, I loved every page of this book, beautifully written and with drama that is not something you think ''Oh just in books'' and that is one thing I really loved about it, how it is related to the real world.
As the name is ''Let Love In'' you will the struggles Maddy and Reid have to be finally together, he is pushing her out and she is hard at some point to. But who is not that hard when you struggle in life? (you will read to find out HA).
"I guess I can choose happy as much as I want, but it doesn't mean much if I'm not chosen back."
You will see how they start to Let Love In, it is going to be hard for them, it wont be a happy to find out what are they so hard on it, but that is life, hard, nothing is easy. Overall I don't want to talk much because you NEED to read this book.
"You bring more happiness into my life than I ever thought I deserved."
And here is Reid, I mean HE IS FREAKING HOT and a bad boy YET with a wonderful big heart.
Let Love Stay
So the second book of The Love Series,. This book was the perfect sequel for me, it never let me down, it never turned down, it was just so great. I have to say Melissa is one of those authors that made me love a series, it just never lost the spark that I found in the first book.
My favorite thing about this book was that it wasn’t the perfect love, Maddy I have to say pissed me off with her attitude but she always did because she cared about him and wanted the best for Reid, she knows what it feels like to have one day a family and the other day they are gone, she just wanted Reid to have a great family picture no the sad and hurtful one he has.
"Love is always complicated. You can't expect to hand your soul to someone else without any bumps along the way.’’
They had A LOT of challenges here, but they those challenges made them grow as a couple. Another important thing, Reid in this book was still as beautiful and perfect as he was in the first book, I really love this character, so you will fall in love with him even more.
I think and I will always thing Melissa is one great author and has such a great potential to write and she has the ability to transport you to another world in no time, her books are the reflection of life with ups and downs, but real ups and downs, the kind of things you will see in real life not only in books. You will for sure get attached to this book and to this couple.
“I’m not foolish enough to think that things will always be easy, that we’ll always be perfect. We’ve still got mountains to climb, college to graduate, jobs to work. But as we bask in the light of the rising sun together, I know that Reid will always be my perfectly imperfect happily ever after.”
Of course 5 stars to this wonderful book!
Let Love Shine
This was the PERFECT BEAUTIFUL goodbye to Maddy and Reid love story, this book is a novella so if you are hopping a little drama, you wont read it, but how would you? if this is our little fairy tale to see what happen after all.
Melissa did not let me down with this book, every single page was beautiful!
You will read how they are doing with the new family life they are embarking with baby Braden!
She gave us a little intro to the love of Momma C (Lucy) and Evan which her next book Let Love Be will be about, their love story!
What I love the most is that after everything, after their loss of their families, they have finally have one, because definitely after the storm comes the rainbow, after so many years of emptiness in this aspect together they fill it with love, hope, happiness.
True thing, its sad to say goodbye, we will read about them I guess in a few book, but it wont be a complete book about them, but this beautiful book was really the perfect way to say goodbye!
I love the way Melissa Collins write a book, she always make you go and live this trip we wish to have every time we pick a book to read!
LOVELOVELOVE the book!
I give it 5+ stars
July 19, 2016
10 STARS OR MORE 5 STARS DOESN'T EXPRESS HOW MUCH I LOVE AND RECOMMEND THIS SERIES...
I LOVE THAT This series is a BOX SET. I know there are a couple others that are not part of this box set but I highly recommend getting them as well as this box set.
Melissa Collins did an excellent job with this book and I so look forward to book two. 5 stars doesn't even touch how I feel about this book! SPOILERS!!
Maddy very young loses her parents. Moves with an Aunt she never met until the loss of her parents. She meets Melanie and they become the best of friends more like sisters. Off to college and they have two roommates Cammie and Lia who they became really close with. With Cammie dating Jack, Maddy met Reid. Well Jack,Reid and Logan are roommates and with a college party the beginning of this fairy tale begins. With Maddy and Reid both having trust issues due to their past things are really interesting when they get together and they start to trust and break down the walls that both have built up from their past. Reid is every women's dream I believe. You can't help but love how Reid shows Maddy that the past is the past and that he is really and truly in love with her. As their romance progress like all relationships there are bumps in the road. Well they go off to Montauk Point NY. Reid didn't know why he was taking her there but he did. This part of the story along with other parts made me cry and hit close to home. I went to Montauk Point back in the early 90's and met my daughter's grandfather. About 6 months later or so he passed away. I went back down there and boy this book hits part of my life.
Melissa this is a great love story. I felt the pain and happines Maddy and Reid had been through as well as the other characters. There was a couple times I wish I could go through the book and pop Reid and a couple others that is how connected I felt to them.
THIS IS THE BEST CLIFFHANGER SINCE WHO SHOT JR!! I hate that it ended the way it did cause I really really want to read more about Reid and Maddy. Well I guess I have to wait until book two just like I had to wait the summer to find out WHO SHOT JR!! WELL DONE 10 stars..............I know book 2 will be just as good...
LET LOVE STAY
I so love Maddy and Reid. I so would love to have Reid as a boyfriend. With Let Love Stay being the 2nd book in the series it was my favorite so far. I love how Melissa picked up right where Let Love In stopped. Through the "TIME APART" of Maddy and Reid to the end of the book I have to say it was a wonderful love story. I love how Reid listened to Maddy and went and saw his mother when he found out she didn't have long to live. He went to make peace with her. Love how Reid stood up to his father when he saw him after his mom's funeral.
I love the friendship Maddy and Melanie have how they are both their for each other. To have a friendship like that have is very important. Mel didn't turn her back on Maddy when she found out she was pregnant nor did Mel's mother.
This book has made me laugh and has made me cry. I do have to say this is my favorite love story. I so can not wait for the next book Let Love Heal to see what Melissa has in store for Maddy,Reid and Melanie.
LET LOVE SHINE
I have received this book in exchange for an honest review. Well once again I have to say Melissa did a great job with this story. I love reading about Reid, Maddy and of course their new arrival. I have to say this Love series has to be my all time favorite series. Cause with each book I fall in love with the series more and more. This is a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED SERIES. If I could rate this series higher than 5 stars I would.
I LOVE THAT This series is a BOX SET. I know there are a couple others that are not part of this box set but I highly recommend getting them as well as this box set.
Melissa Collins did an excellent job with this book and I so look forward to book two. 5 stars doesn't even touch how I feel about this book! SPOILERS!!
Maddy very young loses her parents. Moves with an Aunt she never met until the loss of her parents. She meets Melanie and they become the best of friends more like sisters. Off to college and they have two roommates Cammie and Lia who they became really close with. With Cammie dating Jack, Maddy met Reid. Well Jack,Reid and Logan are roommates and with a college party the beginning of this fairy tale begins. With Maddy and Reid both having trust issues due to their past things are really interesting when they get together and they start to trust and break down the walls that both have built up from their past. Reid is every women's dream I believe. You can't help but love how Reid shows Maddy that the past is the past and that he is really and truly in love with her. As their romance progress like all relationships there are bumps in the road. Well they go off to Montauk Point NY. Reid didn't know why he was taking her there but he did. This part of the story along with other parts made me cry and hit close to home. I went to Montauk Point back in the early 90's and met my daughter's grandfather. About 6 months later or so he passed away. I went back down there and boy this book hits part of my life.
Melissa this is a great love story. I felt the pain and happines Maddy and Reid had been through as well as the other characters. There was a couple times I wish I could go through the book and pop Reid and a couple others that is how connected I felt to them.
THIS IS THE BEST CLIFFHANGER SINCE WHO SHOT JR!! I hate that it ended the way it did cause I really really want to read more about Reid and Maddy. Well I guess I have to wait until book two just like I had to wait the summer to find out WHO SHOT JR!! WELL DONE 10 stars..............I know book 2 will be just as good...
LET LOVE STAY
I so love Maddy and Reid. I so would love to have Reid as a boyfriend. With Let Love Stay being the 2nd book in the series it was my favorite so far. I love how Melissa picked up right where Let Love In stopped. Through the "TIME APART" of Maddy and Reid to the end of the book I have to say it was a wonderful love story. I love how Reid listened to Maddy and went and saw his mother when he found out she didn't have long to live. He went to make peace with her. Love how Reid stood up to his father when he saw him after his mom's funeral.
I love the friendship Maddy and Melanie have how they are both their for each other. To have a friendship like that have is very important. Mel didn't turn her back on Maddy when she found out she was pregnant nor did Mel's mother.
This book has made me laugh and has made me cry. I do have to say this is my favorite love story. I so can not wait for the next book Let Love Heal to see what Melissa has in store for Maddy,Reid and Melanie.
LET LOVE SHINE
I have received this book in exchange for an honest review. Well once again I have to say Melissa did a great job with this story. I love reading about Reid, Maddy and of course their new arrival. I have to say this Love series has to be my all time favorite series. Cause with each book I fall in love with the series more and more. This is a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED SERIES. If I could rate this series higher than 5 stars I would.
October 31, 2014
My Reviews Love Series
Let Love In
This is an amazing story and a tear jerker. Melissa is an amazing writer and this being her first release is even more amazing. Maddy and Reid are made for each other they are defiantly soul mates. There first meeting they have this incredible connection. Maddy wants to explore what she is feeling but Reid fights his feeling by being an ass to Maddy. But when they finally connect OMG it is amazing. This book is a must read and it is a story that you will enjoy reading over and over again. While reading I was highlight happy (a first for me) so many great quote but this one stood out.
Quote: “Happy? Are you kidding? Maddy, you are the reason I breathe. Without you, my life would have no meaning at all, so saying that you ‘make me happy’ is a huge fucking understatement. You bring more happiness into my life than I ever thought I deserved.” ~Reid
Let Love Stay
Melissa has out done herself. The sex scenes are swoon worthy and Hot as hell. I have just fallen in love with this magical couple. Reid says the sweetest things and then with a flip of a switch he turns all hot and sexy. Reid has to over some so much from his past that it rips you heart out. Maddy has a few inner struggles but she is a strong and soooo in love with Reid. They are true soul mates. They complete each other. This is a must read series.
Favorite Quotes
“Let’s just say that my hand and I are getting a little reacquainted, and just thinking about tying you to a bed is not helping my situation.” ~Reid
He owns me – body and soul, I belong to him. ~Maddy
Let Love Heal
I love this story. Melanie has scars that no one sees not even her Mom. When she meets Bryan all her insecurity come alive. Bryan sees the real Melanie and he loves her. When they are apart for the summer Melanie does the one thing that can destroy Bryans love for her. Bryan is a little hottie but he also has his own demons that chase him. Can Love Heal them both?
Let Love Shine
I feel so connected to these characters. It felt like I was catching up with family. Melissa pulls you into the story and makes her characters come alive. I care how and what they are doing. Maddy and Reid are a perfect couple. They are 1st time parent and newly married. When Maddy is going thru her Mommy blues your heart breaks for her. Reid is so supportive and tries to help her feel beautiful again. Oh and he does a damn good job at it….. You cheer them on when the road gets bump and you jump up and down when they over come it. This is a must read series……..
Let Love In
This is an amazing story and a tear jerker. Melissa is an amazing writer and this being her first release is even more amazing. Maddy and Reid are made for each other they are defiantly soul mates. There first meeting they have this incredible connection. Maddy wants to explore what she is feeling but Reid fights his feeling by being an ass to Maddy. But when they finally connect OMG it is amazing. This book is a must read and it is a story that you will enjoy reading over and over again. While reading I was highlight happy (a first for me) so many great quote but this one stood out.
Quote: “Happy? Are you kidding? Maddy, you are the reason I breathe. Without you, my life would have no meaning at all, so saying that you ‘make me happy’ is a huge fucking understatement. You bring more happiness into my life than I ever thought I deserved.” ~Reid
Let Love Stay
Melissa has out done herself. The sex scenes are swoon worthy and Hot as hell. I have just fallen in love with this magical couple. Reid says the sweetest things and then with a flip of a switch he turns all hot and sexy. Reid has to over some so much from his past that it rips you heart out. Maddy has a few inner struggles but she is a strong and soooo in love with Reid. They are true soul mates. They complete each other. This is a must read series.
Favorite Quotes
“Let’s just say that my hand and I are getting a little reacquainted, and just thinking about tying you to a bed is not helping my situation.” ~Reid
He owns me – body and soul, I belong to him. ~Maddy
Let Love Heal
I love this story. Melanie has scars that no one sees not even her Mom. When she meets Bryan all her insecurity come alive. Bryan sees the real Melanie and he loves her. When they are apart for the summer Melanie does the one thing that can destroy Bryans love for her. Bryan is a little hottie but he also has his own demons that chase him. Can Love Heal them both?
Let Love Shine
I feel so connected to these characters. It felt like I was catching up with family. Melissa pulls you into the story and makes her characters come alive. I care how and what they are doing. Maddy and Reid are a perfect couple. They are 1st time parent and newly married. When Maddy is going thru her Mommy blues your heart breaks for her. Reid is so supportive and tries to help her feel beautiful again. Oh and he does a damn good job at it….. You cheer them on when the road gets bump and you jump up and down when they over come it. This is a must read series……..
March 4, 2015
I already reviewed book one (Let Love In), so I'll concentrate here on books two and three (Let Love Stay & Let Love Shine). My only complaint about book one is that it is unresolved.
Book two works through issues facing a young couple both of whom have unresolved childhood trauma. It's a beautiful portrayal of people in love. I enjoyed Reid and Maddy plus all the supporting characters.
There were numerous typos, so I can't believe multiple people proofread it as was claimed in the acknowledgements. The only actual error was writing "any way" as one word: "...this is not standard for him in anyway whatsoever."
Book three is what happens after happily ever after. It's more of an extended epilogue. Lots of "I love you," sex, cute baby moments, and family get-togethers. There's absolutely no tension except for a manufactured external crisis. I would say the entire book is unnecessary.
Following book three are several scenes from another character's point of view. The author couldn't work them in, so she adds them here.
The only other thing that bothered me about this love fest was that in book five (Let Love Live) there are numerous scenes of physical abuse that are not mentioned at all here, as if the author decided to make them up after writing this. Reid even says here to his mother that he had no idea his father and mother did not get along, but in book five he had to have known it.
Book two works through issues facing a young couple both of whom have unresolved childhood trauma. It's a beautiful portrayal of people in love. I enjoyed Reid and Maddy plus all the supporting characters.
There were numerous typos, so I can't believe multiple people proofread it as was claimed in the acknowledgements. The only actual error was writing "any way" as one word: "...this is not standard for him in anyway whatsoever."
Book three is what happens after happily ever after. It's more of an extended epilogue. Lots of "I love you," sex, cute baby moments, and family get-togethers. There's absolutely no tension except for a manufactured external crisis. I would say the entire book is unnecessary.
Following book three are several scenes from another character's point of view. The author couldn't work them in, so she adds them here.
The only other thing that bothered me about this love fest was that in book five (Let Love Live) there are numerous scenes of physical abuse that are not mentioned at all here, as if the author decided to make them up after writing this. Reid even says here to his mother that he had no idea his father and mother did not get along, but in book five he had to have known it.
February 12, 2014
Let Love In- This book was an awesome read. I was captivated by it from the beginning of the first page. this book did not let go from the beginning to the end.
Melissa Collins has created a fabulous story with loveable interesting characters that you want to see succeed and be happy.
I am eagerly awaiting the next book and getting the chance to experience more of the magic of Melissa Collins.
Let Love Stay- This was an amazing and awesome read that I could not get enough of. I could not put it down once I started reading and once I was done I was left needing more.
This book moved along at a great pace from start to finish, has amazing characters and a fantastic story that keeps you interested from beginning to end.
Melissa Collins is a very talented author and I am eagerly awaiting her next book.
Awesome read.
Let Love Shine- Melissa Collins has done it again with this latest installment in her awesome series.
It moved along at an amazing pace from beginning to end, has amazing characters and an equally amazing story that keeps you interested from beginning to end.
Melissa Collins is a very talented author and I am eagerly awaiting her next book.
Awesome series and awesome author.
Melissa Collins has created a fabulous story with loveable interesting characters that you want to see succeed and be happy.
I am eagerly awaiting the next book and getting the chance to experience more of the magic of Melissa Collins.
Let Love Stay- This was an amazing and awesome read that I could not get enough of. I could not put it down once I started reading and once I was done I was left needing more.
This book moved along at a great pace from start to finish, has amazing characters and a fantastic story that keeps you interested from beginning to end.
Melissa Collins is a very talented author and I am eagerly awaiting her next book.
Awesome read.
Let Love Shine- Melissa Collins has done it again with this latest installment in her awesome series.
It moved along at an amazing pace from beginning to end, has amazing characters and an equally amazing story that keeps you interested from beginning to end.
Melissa Collins is a very talented author and I am eagerly awaiting her next book.
Awesome series and awesome author.
September 9, 2015
Define family..To start you got Maddy and Reid's 2 college kids that try there hardest not to fall for each. Maddy who lost her parents young to live with an aunt who wasn't really there for her also passes. Maddy then ends up living with her best friend Mel and her mom Lucy her become her family. Still feeling she doesn't belong now going with her best friend to college. She tries to find her way. Till she meets Reid cocky arrogant and a loner. He's running from a past he wishes to forget till Maddy makes him change his mind and both world change in Let love live and let love stay. Let love heal and let love shine Mel and Bryans story these 2 are adorable from the beginning but they have to face a few obstacles to see if there strong enough to be together. Let love be Lucy's and Evans story emotional rollercoaster between the two I don't who got felt a worse hand. In the end I'm glad happiness wins. Let love live The most heartbreaking and emotional story yet. Dylan and Connors story. But it's Dylan's story that break your heart . Shane his first love, best friend and Reid's brother. Just have to say uglycry and I loved there story. Such a great outstanding boxset
February 11, 2014
This box set will take you on a wonderful journey of love. It's a wonderful story of how two people who find each other, how their relationship grows and develops until they find true happiness. Of course, it's not an easy journey, there's bumps and growing pains along the way. But in the end, they get their HEA. Seeing them and all their friends one year later made this series special. It definitely gave me a sense of closure, that everything was going to be OK for these two.
I absolutely fell in love with Maddy and Reid. They just seemed so real to me. I was able to connect with both of them. When they hurt, I cried. When they were happy, I was smiling. Together, they could take on the world. I just can't say enough about how perfect they were together.
This set is the perfect Valentine's Day series. Their love will inspire you and warm your heart. It will give you hope that there is someone out there for everyone. Just what you need on a cold winter day in February.
I absolutely fell in love with Maddy and Reid. They just seemed so real to me. I was able to connect with both of them. When they hurt, I cried. When they were happy, I was smiling. Together, they could take on the world. I just can't say enough about how perfect they were together.
This set is the perfect Valentine's Day series. Their love will inspire you and warm your heart. It will give you hope that there is someone out there for everyone. Just what you need on a cold winter day in February.
June 4, 2014
3 Stars is my overall rating.
Somewhere towards the end of the first book I feel like I'm going to get a toothache.
OMG! They love each other! It's like mentioned in every paragraph. I get it but it doesn't have to be included in every single thought and conversation.
I guess to me it just became unreal, too much sweetness. By the time I reached halfway to the second book I.was.bored.
On to a more hot alpha read.
Somewhere towards the end of the first book I feel like I'm going to get a toothache.
OMG! They love each other! It's like mentioned in every paragraph. I get it but it doesn't have to be included in every single thought and conversation.
I guess to me it just became unreal, too much sweetness. By the time I reached halfway to the second book I.was.bored.
On to a more hot alpha read.
June 15, 2014
Loved it
I really enjoyed this story. It felt a little more realistic on how relationships work and come to be. Everyone has a past and there are things no one necessarily wants to talk about in their past. I liked that Maddy was a strong female character and even though Reid was kind of an sass in the beginning, he made up for it. I also enjoyed the alternating POV's. The only issue I did notice with this book was some grammar errors.
I really enjoyed this story. It felt a little more realistic on how relationships work and come to be. Everyone has a past and there are things no one necessarily wants to talk about in their past. I liked that Maddy was a strong female character and even though Reid was kind of an sass in the beginning, he made up for it. I also enjoyed the alternating POV's. The only issue I did notice with this book was some grammar errors.
June 17, 2014
Reviewer: Bex
Having this combined collection of stories focused on Maddy and Reid is a perfect way to spend a week snuggled up under the covers.
Amazing characters who journey together as they navigate their way through their pretty bumpy relationship is exciting, beautiful, hot-as-hell and pretty gripping. This collections a whole darn range of emotions, so be prepared to be completely pulled into the story of Maddy and Reid. It's pretty epic!
Having this combined collection of stories focused on Maddy and Reid is a perfect way to spend a week snuggled up under the covers.
Amazing characters who journey together as they navigate their way through their pretty bumpy relationship is exciting, beautiful, hot-as-hell and pretty gripping. This collections a whole darn range of emotions, so be prepared to be completely pulled into the story of Maddy and Reid. It's pretty epic!
May 18, 2014
Loved this fantastic story. It was a real life feeling. With a great story line. It tackles important issues and views on strong subjects in real life. Plus I love the fact of places such as Elmira I live about 25 mins from there so it felt like I new the characters personally great read
Read
May 21, 2014This set is on sale until 5/24 - only 99 pennies
Amazon US--> http://amzn.to/1n92Jpl
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Kobo --> http://bit.ly/1ndxGEs
iBooks --> http://bit.ly/1fmPpoB
Amazon US--> http://amzn.to/1n92Jpl
Amazon UK --> http://amzn.to/1sKD4Ao
B&N --> http://bit.ly/1onc3ni
Kobo --> http://bit.ly/1ndxGEs
iBooks --> http://bit.ly/1fmPpoB
May 29, 2014
It was a train wreck that I could not turn away from. I am still not sure why I read these books. Loved the fist couple of chapters and than OH BOY. I skipped parts, imagined better dialogue and finally got to the end.
June 11, 2014
Great Read!
I had not read anything by Melissa Collins and I really enjoyed the whole series. Great storyline easy to read I didn't find myself skimming any paragraphs so well done Melissa for keeping the story interesting all the way through.
I had not read anything by Melissa Collins and I really enjoyed the whole series. Great storyline easy to read I didn't find myself skimming any paragraphs so well done Melissa for keeping the story interesting all the way through.
June 12, 2014
Just beautiful. I loved the " realness" of the characters challenges in life and love. Life is an ongoing lesson usually messy - not the perfect happily ever after. It takes work to find your own happily ever after!!
June 9, 2014
Cute and hot at the same time.
Cute and hot at the same time.
A little different than I normally read but really enjoyable. The characters are really young and the dialogue shows it. Overall a good love story.
Cute and hot at the same time.
A little different than I normally read but really enjoyable. The characters are really young and the dialogue shows it. Overall a good love story.
June 27, 2015
Loved this series
Loved the Maddy and Reid story. There was so much heartbreak for each of them that they had to heal and open their hearts for each other. I'm glad Reid got to patch things with his mother before she died.
I will continue the series.
Loved the Maddy and Reid story. There was so much heartbreak for each of them that they had to heal and open their hearts for each other. I'm glad Reid got to patch things with his mother before she died.
I will continue the series.
May 30, 2014
Truly enjoyed this series!!!!
May 31, 2014
I enjoyed the series but it dragged in a few areas.
May 27, 2014
Cool series.
May 30, 2014
Just not for me. But good writing.
July 11, 2014
Absolutely loved this set! Hard to put down once you start reading! Well written, easy to follow and very entertaining! A must purchase set!
July 28, 2014
LOVE LOVE LOVED these books!!!!! I want more from them! Like nooooooow!!!! Yep I'm shouting! LOL! If there is one thing I can say is that you have to read these. Its a must END OF ENOUGHT SAID! :)
August 20, 2014
Unexpected
This book wasn't what I expected! It was much better! I am glad to have added it to my collection
This book wasn't what I expected! It was much better! I am glad to have added it to my collection
October 7, 2014
Amazing series
April 13, 2015
Loved it!
March 13, 2015
I really enjoyed this series. It has characters that you feel for and can get behind. Overall it's a sweet N.A. story.
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