What do you think?
Rate this book
Take the Fall #4
Hard to Fall
Wedding bells are ringing—and tempers are flaring—as the Take the Fall series continues in this sweet, sexy novel from the bestselling author of After We Fall ("This beautiful story kept me transfixed until the very end."—Krista Lakes).
As a hardworking, hard-partying firefighter, Hayden Walker values his career and his freedom. But as the eldest son of a U.S. senator, he agreed long ago to follow in his father's footsteps and run for office, and that means settling down and marrying the picture-perfect wife. Hayden just isn't ready for that sort of commitment . . . not with women like beautiful, curvy Saylor Dean—the naughty bridesmaid he recognizes the morning after his buddy's wedding—tempting Hayden to stay single forever.
The unwanted love child of a well-known politician, Saylor has always felt isolated and alone, her only solace the animal shelter she runs in Forrestville. Then she meets Hayden at her best...
As a hardworking, hard-partying firefighter, Hayden Walker values his career and his freedom. But as the eldest son of a U.S. senator, he agreed long ago to follow in his father's footsteps and run for office, and that means settling down and marrying the picture-perfect wife. Hayden just isn't ready for that sort of commitment . . . not with women like beautiful, curvy Saylor Dean—the naughty bridesmaid he recognizes the morning after his buddy's wedding—tempting Hayden to stay single forever.
The unwanted love child of a well-known politician, Saylor has always felt isolated and alone, her only solace the animal shelter she runs in Forrestville. Then she meets Hayden at her best...
219 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 18, 2016
62 people are currently reading
641 people want to read
About the author
Marquita Valentine
75 books1,737 followersMarquita Valentine is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary romance.
When she's not writing sexy heroes who adore their sassy heroines, she enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. Married to her high school sweetheart, Marquita lives in a seriously small town in the south.
You can sign up for her newsletter here: https://goo.gl/3XFh3k
When she's not writing sexy heroes who adore their sassy heroines, she enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. Married to her high school sweetheart, Marquita lives in a seriously small town in the south.
You can sign up for her newsletter here: https://goo.gl/3XFh3k
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews
May 25, 2017
4 Love me some Hayden Stars
Hard to Fall was the 4th book in the Take the Fall series, and can be read as a standalone. I really enjoyed this book. Hayden was sexy, over the top protective, sweet, all alpha and a fireman. God I have a weakness for yummy firemen and Hayden was very yummy! I adored Saylor. She was so quirky, smart, and a total star wars geek. Saylor was funny and made me smile many times throughout the book. I loved Hayden and Saylor together. Every minute they were together. Their relationship was very sweet, high on passion, and lower in drama. Hayden was just so supportive. He just loved, and cherished her. He was all in no doubts or push/ pull. I loved that! I also really enjoyed how supportive Hayden's parents and Saylor's mom was. I swooned all over the ending. I love books that make me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside, and that was this book all the way. This book was a lighthearted, very sweet read and I enjoy every minute!
http://jessicasoverthetopbookobsessio...
Hard to Fall was the 4th book in the Take the Fall series, and can be read as a standalone. I really enjoyed this book. Hayden was sexy, over the top protective, sweet, all alpha and a fireman. God I have a weakness for yummy firemen and Hayden was very yummy! I adored Saylor. She was so quirky, smart, and a total star wars geek. Saylor was funny and made me smile many times throughout the book. I loved Hayden and Saylor together. Every minute they were together. Their relationship was very sweet, high on passion, and lower in drama. Hayden was just so supportive. He just loved, and cherished her. He was all in no doubts or push/ pull. I loved that! I also really enjoyed how supportive Hayden's parents and Saylor's mom was. I swooned all over the ending. I love books that make me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside, and that was this book all the way. This book was a lighthearted, very sweet read and I enjoy every minute!
http://jessicasoverthetopbookobsessio...
September 27, 2016
4 Sweet Stars
“I want to kiss you again.” But he runs his hand through his hair instead. “You make me feel like . . . things can get better for me. Like my very own ray of sunshine.”
Hayden Walker’s life was planned out before he even took his first breath; Follow in the rest of his family’s footsteps and go into politics. Unfortunately for Hayden, the fact that he’s happiest being a firefighter and staying out of the spotlight seems to be of little importance to his father, who’s decided to give Hayden one year to get himself together and formally throw his hat into the political arena.
Saylor Dean’s life has been a lonely one for the most part. Sure, she’s got a mother that loves her and has done her best by Saylor, but always knowing she was unwanted and unacknowledged by her douche of a politician father has created a void that never seems to go away.
When Saylor and Hayden meet and hit it off at their respective BFF’s wedding, Saylor’s sure she’s finally met a man that plans to stick around. So what happens when Hayden wakes up and has no recollection of the awesome night he shared with Saylor?
I don’t want to beg him to stay with me. I shouldn’t have to, but for far too long the people who matter to me, the ones who claim to love me . . . or want to get to know me, leave.
This is the fourth book in the Take the Fall series and it can most definitely be read as a standalone. After finishing it, I have to say Hard to Fall is one of my favorite books of the series. There’s a quirky sweetness to Saylor that I found endearing without being fake or contrived. It’s a super fine line between quirky heroine and flat out annoying and luckily Saylor managed to stay on the right side.
Oh Hayden. I'm not to shy to say I flat out adored him. He could’ve easily been written as an uptight snob and it would’ve been cliché but probably still worked for the story. Instead we get a down to earth, level headed hero that never seems to lose his cool, even when some fairly large and in charge surprises are thrown his way. Though he came off a tad malleable at the beginning, he eventually proved he did indeed have a backbone.
Throughout the story, whether the two were trying to get to know each other or making it work and falling in love, Saylor and Hayden were fabulous together. And hot. All kinds of hot!
Hayden knew deep down Saylor was the girl for him and my man did not disappoint. This series just gets stronger and stronger so my fingers are crossed Marquita Valentine keeps it rolling along.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
“I want to kiss you again.” But he runs his hand through his hair instead. “You make me feel like . . . things can get better for me. Like my very own ray of sunshine.”
Hayden Walker’s life was planned out before he even took his first breath; Follow in the rest of his family’s footsteps and go into politics. Unfortunately for Hayden, the fact that he’s happiest being a firefighter and staying out of the spotlight seems to be of little importance to his father, who’s decided to give Hayden one year to get himself together and formally throw his hat into the political arena.
Saylor Dean’s life has been a lonely one for the most part. Sure, she’s got a mother that loves her and has done her best by Saylor, but always knowing she was unwanted and unacknowledged by her douche of a politician father has created a void that never seems to go away.
When Saylor and Hayden meet and hit it off at their respective BFF’s wedding, Saylor’s sure she’s finally met a man that plans to stick around. So what happens when Hayden wakes up and has no recollection of the awesome night he shared with Saylor?
I don’t want to beg him to stay with me. I shouldn’t have to, but for far too long the people who matter to me, the ones who claim to love me . . . or want to get to know me, leave.
This is the fourth book in the Take the Fall series and it can most definitely be read as a standalone. After finishing it, I have to say Hard to Fall is one of my favorite books of the series. There’s a quirky sweetness to Saylor that I found endearing without being fake or contrived. It’s a super fine line between quirky heroine and flat out annoying and luckily Saylor managed to stay on the right side.
Oh Hayden. I'm not to shy to say I flat out adored him. He could’ve easily been written as an uptight snob and it would’ve been cliché but probably still worked for the story. Instead we get a down to earth, level headed hero that never seems to lose his cool, even when some fairly large and in charge surprises are thrown his way. Though he came off a tad malleable at the beginning, he eventually proved he did indeed have a backbone.
Throughout the story, whether the two were trying to get to know each other or making it work and falling in love, Saylor and Hayden were fabulous together. And hot. All kinds of hot!
Hayden knew deep down Saylor was the girl for him and my man did not disappoint. This series just gets stronger and stronger so my fingers are crossed Marquita Valentine keeps it rolling along.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
October 26, 2016
A charmingly sweet and sexy read.
As the illegitimate daughter of a politician and a famous Hollywood actress who was determined to protect her from her father and the media, Saylor Dean grew up loved by her mother but feeling a bit insulated, unwanted and without a family to call her own. Mostly, her friends are of the furry variety at her animal shelter, but after meeting and having an unbelievable night with Hayden in which he makes her feel cherished at her best friend’s wedding she doesn’t want to let him go, even when he doesn’t remember his drunken proposal and marriage.
At barely eighteen Hayden Walker had promised his senator father he’d follow in his footsteps. After years of serving the public out of the spotlight as a firefighter and proud of the fact that he’s gotten his position as captain on his own merit without his family’s money or name, he isn’t interested in the pursuit of politics much less having to settle down for it. But when the sexy Saylor leaves an impression after his best friend’s wedding can he convince her to help appease his father? Will the secrets she’s keeping from him shatter any hopes of a happy future together?
After reading several of her books, I can count on Marquita Valentine to deliver sweet and sexy stories with quirky heroines and alpha male heroes who adore them. Hard to Fall delivers just that.
I just loved Saylor, she was adorably geeky and such a nice caring and loving person even if a bit naïve and insecure with too many secrets. I really felt for Saylor and her lack of self-worth, she felt invisible and I really wanted her to be with someone who loved every single odd bone in her body. I’m probably in the minority but her love for all things Star Wars, Star Trek and pop culture in general, made her instantly likeable to me and provided me with loads of laugh out loud moments.
Hayden was a harder sell altogether. I wasn’t a fan of him not standing up to his father nor his womanizing and partying ways, but I’ve always appreciated reformed bad boys. He also has good work ethic and level head especially regarding his family’s money and I really liked that even without him remembering his wild night with Saylor, on some level he knew she was special to him and pursued her almost relentlessly which was sexy and fun to watch.
Saylor and Hayden made me laugh and smile and fan myself as they get to know each other. Their relationship and plot in general was unconventional and moved a tad fast, but they both want love and acceptance, they have incredibly hot chemistry and they’re great together being what the other needs while falling in love with each other.
One last non romance or even plot related comment, I really REALLY appreciated that Marquita mentions organic and environmentally sustainable products. I don’t know if it’s because it’s “en vogue” or if it’s a cause true to her heart, but I believe that being conscious about our environment and including it in her work is commendable.
Hard to Hold is book #4 in the Take the Fall series by Marquita Valentine. It is a sweet and sexy contemporary romance. Told from both points of view that has a hearts and flowers epilogue ending.
* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via NetGalley. The excerpts are from that copy. *
More reviews * Stalk us on FaceBook * As well as Twitter * Pinterest Board for Book Teasers
“Wise, you are.”
“In love, I am.”
As the illegitimate daughter of a politician and a famous Hollywood actress who was determined to protect her from her father and the media, Saylor Dean grew up loved by her mother but feeling a bit insulated, unwanted and without a family to call her own. Mostly, her friends are of the furry variety at her animal shelter, but after meeting and having an unbelievable night with Hayden in which he makes her feel cherished at her best friend’s wedding she doesn’t want to let him go, even when he doesn’t remember his drunken proposal and marriage.
At barely eighteen Hayden Walker had promised his senator father he’d follow in his footsteps. After years of serving the public out of the spotlight as a firefighter and proud of the fact that he’s gotten his position as captain on his own merit without his family’s money or name, he isn’t interested in the pursuit of politics much less having to settle down for it. But when the sexy Saylor leaves an impression after his best friend’s wedding can he convince her to help appease his father? Will the secrets she’s keeping from him shatter any hopes of a happy future together?
“I want to kiss you again.” But he runs his hand through his hair instead. “You make me feel like . . . things can get better for me. Like my very own ray of sunshine.”
After reading several of her books, I can count on Marquita Valentine to deliver sweet and sexy stories with quirky heroines and alpha male heroes who adore them. Hard to Fall delivers just that.
I just loved Saylor, she was adorably geeky and such a nice caring and loving person even if a bit naïve and insecure with too many secrets. I really felt for Saylor and her lack of self-worth, she felt invisible and I really wanted her to be with someone who loved every single odd bone in her body. I’m probably in the minority but her love for all things Star Wars, Star Trek and pop culture in general, made her instantly likeable to me and provided me with loads of laugh out loud moments.
“Fire captain, right?”
“Among other things…”
“Are you in the Army, too?”
“No.”
“Marines.”
“No.”
“Star Fleet Academy...”
“Kirk, even the rebooted one, has nothing on me.”
Hayden was a harder sell altogether. I wasn’t a fan of him not standing up to his father nor his womanizing and partying ways, but I’ve always appreciated reformed bad boys. He also has good work ethic and level head especially regarding his family’s money and I really liked that even without him remembering his wild night with Saylor, on some level he knew she was special to him and pursued her almost relentlessly which was sexy and fun to watch.
“You want different, as in weird?”
“I like the beat of your drum...”
“I’m really flattered, but my track record with guys isn’t exactly the best and you’re on in a long line of dudes who couldn’t handle the beat of my drum…”
“Did you ever consider that it was the guys whose track records sucked and that maybe your drum beat doesn’t need to be handled?”
Saylor and Hayden made me laugh and smile and fan myself as they get to know each other. Their relationship and plot in general was unconventional and moved a tad fast, but they both want love and acceptance, they have incredibly hot chemistry and they’re great together being what the other needs while falling in love with each other.
“We can stay just like this, sunshine. All the time. You say the word and I’ll spend the rest of my days as your sex slave.”
One last non romance or even plot related comment, I really REALLY appreciated that Marquita mentions organic and environmentally sustainable products. I don’t know if it’s because it’s “en vogue” or if it’s a cause true to her heart, but I believe that being conscious about our environment and including it in her work is commendable.
Hard to Hold is book #4 in the Take the Fall series by Marquita Valentine. It is a sweet and sexy contemporary romance. Told from both points of view that has a hearts and flowers epilogue ending.
* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via NetGalley. The excerpts are from that copy. *
More reviews * Stalk us on FaceBook * As well as Twitter * Pinterest Board for Book Teasers
August 15, 2016
I liked Saylor and Hayden together but for the life of me, I couldn't understand the nonsense Saylor spewed in the beginning. I consider that I find myself very rarely in that position.
I get being "quirky", but then there's what that chick was. Frankly, I was annoyed by her sometimes. Once she stopped trying so hard, I liked her a lot more. Hayden and she had great chemistry and their love scenes were scorching hot. As an individual, I would've liked for Hayden to stand up for himself more when dealing with his family. The plot was ok. The secondary characters were strong. The writing was done well. I would definitely follow the series as the previous were excellent even if this one wasn't hit out of the ballpark for me. Safety: No OM/Sharing. The hero starts off having sex with OW. Yes, it is explicit. h was a V. No rape or abuse.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
I get being "quirky", but then there's what that chick was. Frankly, I was annoyed by her sometimes. Once she stopped trying so hard, I liked her a lot more. Hayden and she had great chemistry and their love scenes were scorching hot. As an individual, I would've liked for Hayden to stand up for himself more when dealing with his family. The plot was ok. The secondary characters were strong. The writing was done well. I would definitely follow the series as the previous were excellent even if this one wasn't hit out of the ballpark for me. Safety: No OM/Sharing. The hero starts off having sex with OW. Yes, it is explicit. h was a V. No rape or abuse.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
October 14, 2016
This series has gone from strength to strength and Saylor and Hayden's romance is up there with Hunter and Evangeline's as my favourites of the series.
This could quite easily have been overplayed with familial drama, but Marquita Valentine balanced it perfectly with the romance. Hayden is from a wealthy family and his father The Senator expects him to follow in his footsteps and leave his position as Fire Chief for a career in politics: something Hayden doesn't want. Saylor was raised by her mother, a well known actress, and regardless of the fact her mum loves her, she's lonely, feels abandoned because her dad was never interested and devotes herself to running an animal sanctuary. But when their best-friends get married...well it leads to a night she'll never forget and he struggles to remember.
"I have never met a girl like you before."
"Maybe that’s because I’m a woman."
"No maybe about it."
I loved Saylor and Hayden, individually and together. She's fun and quirky to his calm and collected, and they compliment each other so well, and it's this chemistry that leads to some very heated action between them.
The first book in the Take the Fall series really didn't work for me, but I'm so glad I persevered as each of the subsequent books have been a pleasure to read. And, with mention of Hayden's family linked to a past royal scandal, I'll definitely be reading the spin-off series next year.
Copy received courtesy of Loveswept via NetGalley for an honest and unbiased opinion.
This could quite easily have been overplayed with familial drama, but Marquita Valentine balanced it perfectly with the romance. Hayden is from a wealthy family and his father The Senator expects him to follow in his footsteps and leave his position as Fire Chief for a career in politics: something Hayden doesn't want. Saylor was raised by her mother, a well known actress, and regardless of the fact her mum loves her, she's lonely, feels abandoned because her dad was never interested and devotes herself to running an animal sanctuary. But when their best-friends get married...well it leads to a night she'll never forget and he struggles to remember.
"I have never met a girl like you before."
"Maybe that’s because I’m a woman."
"No maybe about it."
I loved Saylor and Hayden, individually and together. She's fun and quirky to his calm and collected, and they compliment each other so well, and it's this chemistry that leads to some very heated action between them.
The first book in the Take the Fall series really didn't work for me, but I'm so glad I persevered as each of the subsequent books have been a pleasure to read. And, with mention of Hayden's family linked to a past royal scandal, I'll definitely be reading the spin-off series next year.
Copy received courtesy of Loveswept via NetGalley for an honest and unbiased opinion.
October 14, 2016
I love this series! Actually I have loved every book I have read by Marquita Valentine. She knows romance and how to tantalize the reader to completely suck you in.
This book is a fun, quirky read that offers characters so different from the rest. They are perfectly matched with Hayden and Saylor. Different, yet they completely belong together. Hayden is the only one that understand the quirkiness of Saylor and he keeps coming back for more.
Hot and sexy with delicious twists, Marquita Valentine brings us this amazing standalone that is so beautiful and delightful to the every end.
Chalk up another one for the books and a steamy one you need to read for a wonderful diversion. So good!
This book is a fun, quirky read that offers characters so different from the rest. They are perfectly matched with Hayden and Saylor. Different, yet they completely belong together. Hayden is the only one that understand the quirkiness of Saylor and he keeps coming back for more.
Hot and sexy with delicious twists, Marquita Valentine brings us this amazing standalone that is so beautiful and delightful to the every end.
Chalk up another one for the books and a steamy one you need to read for a wonderful diversion. So good!
October 19, 2016
Rated it a 3.0 -3.5
Short review on my irritations of this book.
It was okay. Had a hard time with the hero being drunk and not "remembering". Really, all that transpired between him and the heroine and he did't remember ANYTHING!!!
And the heroine, she just came across a little too, I don't know, ditzy!!
I felt the story line to be a jumbled and inconsistent at times. The chemistry between the two was average at best. It was an okay read I guess to pass the time.
Short review on my irritations of this book.
It was okay. Had a hard time with the hero being drunk and not "remembering". Really, all that transpired between him and the heroine and he did't remember ANYTHING!!!
And the heroine, she just came across a little too, I don't know, ditzy!!
I felt the story line to be a jumbled and inconsistent at times. The chemistry between the two was average at best. It was an okay read I guess to pass the time.
October 30, 2016
4 stars
Hard to Fall was a beautiful and heartwarming read.
Hayden and Saylor were such fun, sweet, likable and relatable characters. They made me laugh, they made me swoon and then swoon some more!
They had a strong attraction and their chemistry was off the charts.
I loved them together and was very happy they got their much deserved HEA.
Hard to Fall is a well written romance with lovable and endearing characters that will leave you full of happy feels.
The Take The Fall series has been a wonderful read, each book can be read as a standalone and I highly recommend them all.
Purchase links for Hard to Fall ~
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2212MDW
iBooks: http://apple.co/1V2wAzz
Nook: http://bit.ly/1XwAcrv
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1qqkVO4
Google: http://bit.ly/1SgNQk5
*A big thank you to Random House - Loveswept via NetGalley for the advance copy.*
Hard to Fall was a beautiful and heartwarming read.
Hayden and Saylor were such fun, sweet, likable and relatable characters. They made me laugh, they made me swoon and then swoon some more!
They had a strong attraction and their chemistry was off the charts.
I loved them together and was very happy they got their much deserved HEA.
Hard to Fall is a well written romance with lovable and endearing characters that will leave you full of happy feels.
The Take The Fall series has been a wonderful read, each book can be read as a standalone and I highly recommend them all.
Purchase links for Hard to Fall ~
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2212MDW
iBooks: http://apple.co/1V2wAzz
Nook: http://bit.ly/1XwAcrv
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1qqkVO4
Google: http://bit.ly/1SgNQk5
*A big thank you to Random House - Loveswept via NetGalley for the advance copy.*
October 7, 2019
*Kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
Unpopular opinion coming through!!!!
I did not like this book. Maybe cuz I started the series from this one? I don't know. It just didn't sit ok with me. The story and characters didn't appeal to me. It was nice enough for me to give it a 2 star but not good enough to give more than that. The beginning was super hot and the first chapters I completely loved it but the flame ran out after a few chapters.
I have two more books of Ms. Valentine sitting in my kindle which I'm sure I'll read very soon.
Happy reading peeps!
Edit
Ok I definitely liked it a lot more the second time I read it. i guess mainly cuz I read the previous book before and totally loved it. Reading Hayden's story after having a small background for him and Saylor helped it a lot. Most importantly I loved the Star Wars references that was put in and loved Padme as much as I loved Jake
New Ratings = 4 stars
But one thing I have to admit is the amount of hotness was above charts!! I guess that's why I gave it 2 stars, not cuz of the story :D
Unpopular opinion coming through!!!!
I did not like this book. Maybe cuz I started the series from this one? I don't know. It just didn't sit ok with me. The story and characters didn't appeal to me. It was nice enough for me to give it a 2 star but not good enough to give more than that. The beginning was super hot and the first chapters I completely loved it but the flame ran out after a few chapters.
I have two more books of Ms. Valentine sitting in my kindle which I'm sure I'll read very soon.
Happy reading peeps!
Edit
Ok I definitely liked it a lot more the second time I read it. i guess mainly cuz I read the previous book before and totally loved it. Reading Hayden's story after having a small background for him and Saylor helped it a lot. Most importantly I loved the Star Wars references that was put in and loved Padme as much as I loved Jake
New Ratings = 4 stars
But one thing I have to admit is the amount of hotness was above charts!! I guess that's why I gave it 2 stars, not cuz of the story :D
October 15, 2016
Publication Date: October 18, 2016
Author: Marquita Valentine
Series: Take the Fall
Genre: Contemporary Romance -Adult
"A copy of this ARC has been provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review"
4.5 stars!
This story was so good!
Love this series, the author's voice and characters.
Each story has it's own unique characters from all different backgrounds, and the author masterfully brings them all together to make a perfect ensemble.
The lead female character (Saylor) is one of my all time my favorite characters.
She had integrity, intelligence, loyalty, independence, and was quirky and sassy.
Saylor still managed to remain true to herself despite feeling like she lived in the shadow of her mother.
She was a perfect match for Hayden.
Another great addition to the "TAKE THE FALL" series!
October 18, 2016
A one-sitting read. If I was asked to describe Hard to Fall that's where I'd start. Doesn't matter that I was on a plane—even if I hadn't been, I'm not convinced I'd have been able to set it aside for longer than a few minutes. Sexy and engaging, with a little bit of suspense, it was easy to get sucked into this book and this couple.
Hayden and Saylor were really adorable together, all awkward and sweet banter, heat and happiness. The way Marquita Valentine created their romance was so good—and while it was predictable in some ways, in others, I found myself surprised (and pleased) by the turn of events. Saylor was, at times, a little frustrating to me. Her behavior, choices and quirks made me want to roll my eyes at her, and yet, I still found myself rooting for her.
And absolutely rooting for Hayden. He was an alpha, without being an 'alphahole', and he made all the right moves. I loved his reactions, how he embraced his need for Saylor, his dirty talk, and how he took so much in stride. It was charming and swoony and HOT, and it made it hard not to fall for him.
For this whole book really. I closed it with a smile on my face, pleased that I had the company of these characters and this story on my flight, and looking forward to more from Ms. Valentine in future. ~ Beth, 4 stars
Hayden and Saylor were really adorable together, all awkward and sweet banter, heat and happiness. The way Marquita Valentine created their romance was so good—and while it was predictable in some ways, in others, I found myself surprised (and pleased) by the turn of events. Saylor was, at times, a little frustrating to me. Her behavior, choices and quirks made me want to roll my eyes at her, and yet, I still found myself rooting for her.
And absolutely rooting for Hayden. He was an alpha, without being an 'alphahole', and he made all the right moves. I loved his reactions, how he embraced his need for Saylor, his dirty talk, and how he took so much in stride. It was charming and swoony and HOT, and it made it hard not to fall for him.
For this whole book really. I closed it with a smile on my face, pleased that I had the company of these characters and this story on my flight, and looking forward to more from Ms. Valentine in future. ~ Beth, 4 stars
October 24, 2016
3.5 STARS
In this fourth outing in the Take the Fall companion series, Hayden and Saylor take an unconventional path to happily ever after.
Firefighter Hayden Walker takes pride in his work and loves what he does. Among his friends he's known for his easy-going personality and his womanizing. Privately, he's feeling immense pressure from his father to leave a career he loves and instead enter the world of politics, something he has zero desire to do. With his father issuing an ultimatum, Hayden feels obligated to keep a promise he made to his father years ago.
Saylor is passionate about the animal shelter she owns. With a famous actress for a mother and a politico father she's never met, Saylor is happy to live a quiet life out of the spotlight. Her turn as a bridesmaid leads to a night with sexy groomsman Hayden. But she doesn't know what to do when a very hungover Hayden has no memory of their night together... or their quickie marriage.
Hayden and Saylor are characters that were introduced in After We Fall, the third book in this companion series. I enjoyed both of them as secondary characters and was excited to see them get their own story here.
Hayden was an alpha male without being an alpha jerk. I loved his openness with Saylor and his sense of duty to his father and family, even when it went against what he really wanted. I also loved that even though he made concessions with his father he did so with a sense of fairness and compromise and he was always willing to stand up for Saylor.
As for Saylor, I enjoyed her quirkiness and that she didn't try to hide it or change who she was. She had a good head on her shoulders and while she didn't always make the best decisions, she was trying to do the right thing. Even though I appreciated Saylor's quirkiness, she had a way of technically answering questions without really answering and at times I grew frustrated with her. She was purposely evasive, although technically honest, and it often created unnecessary misunderstandings.
I really enjoyed Hayden and Saylor's relationship and their willingness to see where things went and be open to the possibilities. Hayden, in particular, was so open to his developing feelings for Saylor and I loved the care and concern he had for her. It was easy to become invested in their story and see how they pulled together in tough situations. Despite a lightning fast, and unexplained, conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed Hard to Fall and hope there's more to come in this series.
This review was originally published at GIRL PLUS BOOKS.
Note: This title was provided to me in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
In this fourth outing in the Take the Fall companion series, Hayden and Saylor take an unconventional path to happily ever after.
Firefighter Hayden Walker takes pride in his work and loves what he does. Among his friends he's known for his easy-going personality and his womanizing. Privately, he's feeling immense pressure from his father to leave a career he loves and instead enter the world of politics, something he has zero desire to do. With his father issuing an ultimatum, Hayden feels obligated to keep a promise he made to his father years ago.
Saylor is passionate about the animal shelter she owns. With a famous actress for a mother and a politico father she's never met, Saylor is happy to live a quiet life out of the spotlight. Her turn as a bridesmaid leads to a night with sexy groomsman Hayden. But she doesn't know what to do when a very hungover Hayden has no memory of their night together... or their quickie marriage.
Hayden and Saylor are characters that were introduced in After We Fall, the third book in this companion series. I enjoyed both of them as secondary characters and was excited to see them get their own story here.
Hayden was an alpha male without being an alpha jerk. I loved his openness with Saylor and his sense of duty to his father and family, even when it went against what he really wanted. I also loved that even though he made concessions with his father he did so with a sense of fairness and compromise and he was always willing to stand up for Saylor.
As for Saylor, I enjoyed her quirkiness and that she didn't try to hide it or change who she was. She had a good head on her shoulders and while she didn't always make the best decisions, she was trying to do the right thing. Even though I appreciated Saylor's quirkiness, she had a way of technically answering questions without really answering and at times I grew frustrated with her. She was purposely evasive, although technically honest, and it often created unnecessary misunderstandings.
I really enjoyed Hayden and Saylor's relationship and their willingness to see where things went and be open to the possibilities. Hayden, in particular, was so open to his developing feelings for Saylor and I loved the care and concern he had for her. It was easy to become invested in their story and see how they pulled together in tough situations. Despite a lightning fast, and unexplained, conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed Hard to Fall and hope there's more to come in this series.
This review was originally published at GIRL PLUS BOOKS.
Note: This title was provided to me in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
December 27, 2016
***ARC Provided by the Publisher and NetGalley***
This book didn't work for me, and I was not able to put my finger on it for a little while. And, while I had overall issues with the pacing and the characterization...I really didn't like the hero. When you first meet Hayden, well, he comes across as not quite the romantic hero of your dreams. And, I was never really able to get past this...first impressions and all.
It is hard to be specific without spoilers, but it really comes down to the belief that the hero is not a good romantic lead, well, it is tough to get past that.
There were parts I enjoyed, parts I did not. But the first meeting of the hero lingered through the book for me. I definitely skimmed parts of this book.
I am not able to recommend this book.
***This and other reviews also featured on “I’m A Sweet and Sassy Book Whore” http://www.imasweetandsassybookwhore.com***
This book didn't work for me, and I was not able to put my finger on it for a little while. And, while I had overall issues with the pacing and the characterization...I really didn't like the hero. When you first meet Hayden, well, he comes across as not quite the romantic hero of your dreams. And, I was never really able to get past this...first impressions and all.
It is hard to be specific without spoilers, but it really comes down to the belief that the hero is not a good romantic lead, well, it is tough to get past that.
There were parts I enjoyed, parts I did not. But the first meeting of the hero lingered through the book for me. I definitely skimmed parts of this book.
I am not able to recommend this book.
***This and other reviews also featured on “I’m A Sweet and Sassy Book Whore” http://www.imasweetandsassybookwhore.com***
September 4, 2019
I got an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review :) and to be honest, I am quite disappointed... I think I'm more disappointed than I would have been, because I had such high hopes and expectations about this one... after all, the other two books written by this lovely author I had the pleasure of reading in the past were both easy 5 stars :) this one... well, I ultimately landed on 3 stars... it works as a standalone, so you don't have to read the previous books to follow the story, but if you're not reading this series in order I'd actually recommend you to start with book #3, which I absolutely loved :) but let's go back to the topic of this particular review :)
Before I start telling you what bothered me, let me tell you quickly what this story is about :) our main couple, Saylor and Hayden got to know each other better at the wedding of the couple from the previous book and their friends :) in fact, thay had such a good time, and a little bit too much alcohol ;) that they decided to get married in Tijuana, where the majority of wedding celebrations took place ;) unfortunately Hayden has definitely A LOT too much to drink, because when he wakes up, he remembers nothing... not the night he spent with Saylor nor their wedding... the rest is history... ;) in this case, it's too spoilerific for me to tell you more :) so now let me get into my thoughts and feelings about all of it :) my main problem with this book was Saylor, the heroine... *sighs* I really liked her as a secondary character in the previous stroy, but here...? I just couldn't really connect with her... and the more I read about her, the more she was bothering me... and the most annoying part of this story was how long it took Saylor to tell Hayden the truth about their marriage... *double sigh* I don't like books where couple keep secrets from one another... and I don't mean that when you meet a new person it's natural that you don't trust them to tell every little detail about yourself, but in this case? yeah... sooooo NOT ok to keep a secret like that... I definitely liked Hayden more than Saylor, but still... I don't really know why, but I didn't really connect with either of them if were being totally honest... I felt like their whole relationship was a case of things happening way too fast... I'm sure that many of you will enjoy it, but it just wasn't for me... I don't really want to say too much, because all additional details would include some bigger spoilers, but... their story just wasn't my thing....
Normally I would write a longer review, because it's a full lenght book, but when I don't really like the story, I tend to write shorter ones... I usually prefer to concentrate more on positive things than the flaws, sooo... ;) this particular book definitely did not discouraged me from reading some of her other work, because I quite enjoy her writing style :) it was written in 2 POVs, which means we got chapters from Hayden's point of view as well as Saylor's :) and you know how much I always enjoy that in stories :) the writing style in general is definitely a plus of this book, it's just that in this case it was my personal preferences as a reader with how I feel about certain characters and stories, that prevented me from really enjoying this book :) hopefully you guys will feel differently and will take my opinion into account while at the same time making a totally independent decision to read, or not, this particular book :) after all, we can't love the same stories every time ;)
XOXO
A
Before I start telling you what bothered me, let me tell you quickly what this story is about :) our main couple, Saylor and Hayden got to know each other better at the wedding of the couple from the previous book and their friends :) in fact, thay had such a good time, and a little bit too much alcohol ;) that they decided to get married in Tijuana, where the majority of wedding celebrations took place ;) unfortunately Hayden has definitely A LOT too much to drink, because when he wakes up, he remembers nothing... not the night he spent with Saylor nor their wedding... the rest is history... ;) in this case, it's too spoilerific for me to tell you more :) so now let me get into my thoughts and feelings about all of it :) my main problem with this book was Saylor, the heroine... *sighs* I really liked her as a secondary character in the previous stroy, but here...? I just couldn't really connect with her... and the more I read about her, the more she was bothering me... and the most annoying part of this story was how long it took Saylor to tell Hayden the truth about their marriage... *double sigh* I don't like books where couple keep secrets from one another... and I don't mean that when you meet a new person it's natural that you don't trust them to tell every little detail about yourself, but in this case? yeah... sooooo NOT ok to keep a secret like that... I definitely liked Hayden more than Saylor, but still... I don't really know why, but I didn't really connect with either of them if were being totally honest... I felt like their whole relationship was a case of things happening way too fast... I'm sure that many of you will enjoy it, but it just wasn't for me... I don't really want to say too much, because all additional details would include some bigger spoilers, but... their story just wasn't my thing....
Normally I would write a longer review, because it's a full lenght book, but when I don't really like the story, I tend to write shorter ones... I usually prefer to concentrate more on positive things than the flaws, sooo... ;) this particular book definitely did not discouraged me from reading some of her other work, because I quite enjoy her writing style :) it was written in 2 POVs, which means we got chapters from Hayden's point of view as well as Saylor's :) and you know how much I always enjoy that in stories :) the writing style in general is definitely a plus of this book, it's just that in this case it was my personal preferences as a reader with how I feel about certain characters and stories, that prevented me from really enjoying this book :) hopefully you guys will feel differently and will take my opinion into account while at the same time making a totally independent decision to read, or not, this particular book :) after all, we can't love the same stories every time ;)
XOXO
A
July 24, 2016
There was just too much stuffed into this book. There were so many different plot elements going on and it would have been better if the author had done more to build up a few of the plots instead of just introducing new elements and resolving things too quickly.
The hero, Hayden Walker is a hunky firefighter who loves his job and has risen to be a leader of his crew. However, he’s also the oldest son of a North Carolina U.S. senator who wants Hayden to run for office, something Hayden has no interest in doing. He resents his father’s derision for his job, but can’t seem to make his father understand this. Saylor Dean is the only daughter of a world-famous actress and the unacknowledged child of a selfish politician. She has never bet her father.
Spoiler Alerts:
Add in a drunken, secret marriage, Hayden’s father blackmail that Hayden get married or run for office, Saylor’s meetings with her father and half-sister who just happened to be Hayden’s one-time fiance, a surprise pregnancy, an arson investigation, threats to Hayden’s career, and the need to foil a villain.
All of these plot devices get thrown into the story lickety-split and then get resolved pretty quickly and easily instead of building a more realistic plot. I mean how likely is it that a guy could be so drunk for two days that he has total amnesia about making love with a woman and then marrying her? I just don’t buy that. And the believability declines from there. Since when can a US senator crush the career of a local fireman? Since when does a politician hire an arson investigator to throw the investigation just to get some info on a political rival? And do it all by email on an unsecured private server that is easily hacked? I guess Hillary Clinton’s server woes are now becoming plot devices in romance novels.
The hero and heroine are very likable and I was pulling for them. If only the author had had more faith in her characters to build a plot with a bit more realism in it.
I received a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The hero, Hayden Walker is a hunky firefighter who loves his job and has risen to be a leader of his crew. However, he’s also the oldest son of a North Carolina U.S. senator who wants Hayden to run for office, something Hayden has no interest in doing. He resents his father’s derision for his job, but can’t seem to make his father understand this. Saylor Dean is the only daughter of a world-famous actress and the unacknowledged child of a selfish politician. She has never bet her father.
Spoiler Alerts:
Add in a drunken, secret marriage, Hayden’s father blackmail that Hayden get married or run for office, Saylor’s meetings with her father and half-sister who just happened to be Hayden’s one-time fiance, a surprise pregnancy, an arson investigation, threats to Hayden’s career, and the need to foil a villain.
All of these plot devices get thrown into the story lickety-split and then get resolved pretty quickly and easily instead of building a more realistic plot. I mean how likely is it that a guy could be so drunk for two days that he has total amnesia about making love with a woman and then marrying her? I just don’t buy that. And the believability declines from there. Since when can a US senator crush the career of a local fireman? Since when does a politician hire an arson investigator to throw the investigation just to get some info on a political rival? And do it all by email on an unsecured private server that is easily hacked? I guess Hillary Clinton’s server woes are now becoming plot devices in romance novels.
The hero and heroine are very likable and I was pulling for them. If only the author had had more faith in her characters to build a plot with a bit more realism in it.
I received a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 5, 2016
3.0 "HARD TO FALL" STARS!!!
Hard To Fall is my first Marquita Valentine book. To be honest I have conflicted emotions regarding this book. The blurb is what catches my attention and so is the cover. I am a proud cover hoe so when I saw it and read the blurb I know I have to read it.There is nothing as interesting and sounds so damn sexy like a hot cover plus a story that screams fire fighter and a senator wannabe romance to an animal lover heroine/pet rescuer heroine. However though, I just do not know but I when I read the book I just feel like I don't have a strong connection with it. It feels too much rushed and I can't keep up the speed. It's fast forward. And my emotion is in a topsy turvey.
Don't get me wrong,the plot is good. In fact when I started reading it, I am so curious and so interested with Hayden and his interaction with Saylor from just the fact itself that they have common grounds, POLITICS. This man is just so swoon worthy and the first few pages that talks about him and his conquest with a marriage woman is seriously funny but hot instead of a "NO DAMN WAY" feel. I know deep within that this hero is a hoot!!! Saylor for the life of me kinda irritates me at first because man she talk shit I don't understand and it took me to read back again the past pages so I could understand her or just maybe because I don't connect with her. I hated her push and pull but I like it somehow (slight). But nearing halfway though, I feel better for her. They have an undeniable chemistry and slowly I understand her. And take note, I love how open minded she is to her mother. So yeah, you then will realized that a fire fighter plus a pet rescuer together is EXPLOSIVE!!!
Hard to Fall is sexy and funny and adorable I admit that, that's the reason why I finished it right away and slowly I fell in love with both the hero and the heroine although it took me a while to understand her. Surprises and secrets revealed but these two just took it the easy way and maybe that's the reason why I am very confused or maybe I was looking for an angsty feels. And there's that plenty of issues and I'm lost because I can't keep up anymore. However though, it could be me and not the book because all in all it's a good read. It's hot as hell and that's what I like about it. The sexy times is just off the charts. But then in the end, I could say I am glad I finished the book and I recommend it to someone who would love a fast paced plots like this with several issues but with likable characters. I may have complaints about it being too fast but I know some will really love how it turned out and how it even went that way.
*ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.*
Hard To Fall is my first Marquita Valentine book. To be honest I have conflicted emotions regarding this book. The blurb is what catches my attention and so is the cover. I am a proud cover hoe so when I saw it and read the blurb I know I have to read it.There is nothing as interesting and sounds so damn sexy like a hot cover plus a story that screams fire fighter and a senator wannabe romance to an animal lover heroine/pet rescuer heroine. However though, I just do not know but I when I read the book I just feel like I don't have a strong connection with it. It feels too much rushed and I can't keep up the speed. It's fast forward. And my emotion is in a topsy turvey.
Don't get me wrong,the plot is good. In fact when I started reading it, I am so curious and so interested with Hayden and his interaction with Saylor from just the fact itself that they have common grounds, POLITICS. This man is just so swoon worthy and the first few pages that talks about him and his conquest with a marriage woman is seriously funny but hot instead of a "NO DAMN WAY" feel. I know deep within that this hero is a hoot!!! Saylor for the life of me kinda irritates me at first because man she talk shit I don't understand and it took me to read back again the past pages so I could understand her or just maybe because I don't connect with her. I hated her push and pull but I like it somehow (slight). But nearing halfway though, I feel better for her. They have an undeniable chemistry and slowly I understand her. And take note, I love how open minded she is to her mother. So yeah, you then will realized that a fire fighter plus a pet rescuer together is EXPLOSIVE!!!
Hard to Fall is sexy and funny and adorable I admit that, that's the reason why I finished it right away and slowly I fell in love with both the hero and the heroine although it took me a while to understand her. Surprises and secrets revealed but these two just took it the easy way and maybe that's the reason why I am very confused or maybe I was looking for an angsty feels. And there's that plenty of issues and I'm lost because I can't keep up anymore. However though, it could be me and not the book because all in all it's a good read. It's hot as hell and that's what I like about it. The sexy times is just off the charts. But then in the end, I could say I am glad I finished the book and I recommend it to someone who would love a fast paced plots like this with several issues but with likable characters. I may have complaints about it being too fast but I know some will really love how it turned out and how it even went that way.
*ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.*
December 2, 2016
Hard to Fall is the fourth book in Marquita Valentine’s Take the Fall series which in itself is a spin-off of her Boys of the South series. I haven’t read any of her previous books but this one is well set up as a standalone romance, so I expect the others are, too. Unfortunately, the main male character and I started off on the wrong foot and he had to work hard to regain ‘hero’ status. Combining that with not just one but two long held secrets dragging down the story puts it squarely in the ‘okay, but won’t re-read’ pile for me.
Hayden Walker and Saylor Dean meet as part of the wedding party of characters from the previous book in the series, After We Fall. He’s the firefighter groomsman and she’s the bridesmaid who runs an animal shelter. The sparks fly when they meet and when the border-hopping wedding party spends the night in Tijuana, they spend it together, including a (surprise!) quickie marriage ceremony. The trouble is that Hayden was so drunk the night before that he doesn’t remember the wedding or the sex that followed it. What he does know is that he really enjoyed the time he spent with Saylor (the time he remembers, anyway) and when they meet again he makes it clear that he’d like to spend more time with her. As the son of a Senator, Hayden is expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and his father has already started making noises to the press about just that. Hayden’s quite happy being single and being a firefighter. The last thing he wants is get married just to have it look good on paper for a possible political career. When Saylor tells him the truth, will it push him towards a future he never wanted or one even better than he’d hoped?
While Hayden and Saylor meet at the wedding, readers actually meet Hayden in the first chapter at a party at his parents’ house. It’s full of political bigwigs, and shows the close relationship he has with his mother, a well-loved and powerful society matron and his father, a Senator intent on Hayden’s seeking office. But seeking a distraction, and faced with an old (and forgotten) classmate who is clearly looking for a good time, Hayden proceeds to have sex with her out in the greenhouse. And then finds out she’s married. In all fairness she came onto him and he willingly obliged. He does feel badly about it, having made a point before (as his inner monologue goes) to never sleep with a woman who is involved with someone else. But I can’t help cringing at the knowledge that he’d have sex with a pseudo-stranger without asking her some basic questions. So it’s in this context that he meets our heroine in the next chapter but he’d already got a mark against him in my book. Mark two comes with the whole getting-so-drunk-that-you-get-married-and-don’t-remember-it-the-next-day part of the story. It seems that this guy just can’t keep it in his pants, sober or drunk. He does go some way to improving his reputation with me by not sleeping around after he’s met Saylor, and being quite sweet and thoughtful with her once they are dating. Also he’s a generous and attentive lover. I just wish he hadn’t started out as such a douchebag.
Despite Saylor’s questionable choice to marry Hayden on a whim in Mexico, I did quite like her character. She’s had an unusual upbringing as the daughter of a very popular actress who is known for her varied romantic relationships. She has no relationship with her father – who happens to be a U.S. Senator (not Hayden’s father, but hello plot complication!) – although this man knows who she is and has expressed interest in finally meeting her. Because of always moving around from place to place with her mom on photo shoots and such, Saylor didn’t make a lot of childhood friends, plus the paparazzi were always about. She’s changed her last name and kept a pretty low profile to keep her name out of the papers, and owns and runs an animal shelter. She has only a few close friends, like Eve (the new bride, who is married to Hunter, who is best friends with Hayden). She is addicted to all things Star Wars and Star Trek, has a cat named Padme, and references to the movies show up throughout the story (which I quite like as a fellow science fiction fan). It’s not hard to see why she’s swept off her feet by Hayden.
Keeping secrets as a plot device is not one of my favourite ways to bring conflict into a story but that’s what we get here. First it’s the marriage secret. While readers know they are married from almost the beginning, Saylor takes forever to reveal the truth to Hayden and only gets around to it when there could be political ramifications. The second secret relates to her father being a Senator as well and while I won’t go into details around that as it’s a major part of the second half of the story, it’s another instance where things are held on to for so long that you know there’s going to be a big blowup about it eventually. And let’s just say that things between the two families are… complicated.
Hayden’s career as a firefighter does get some page time but not as much as a typical firefighter romance gets. It’s more of an afterthought, like he could have any job and it would be secondary to the political aspirations his parents have for him. There are several scenes in the second half that create some extra drama and tension, some related to Hayden’s job and some dealing with Hayden and Saylor’s relationship. The sex scenes are plentiful throughout and make up for Hayden forgetting their first time together. They get their happy ending (complete with an epilogue) and despite some rocky bits, there is enough that I liked about Hard to Fall for me to consider reading this author again.
This review also appears at All About Romance: http://allaboutromance.com/book-revie...
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
Hayden Walker and Saylor Dean meet as part of the wedding party of characters from the previous book in the series, After We Fall. He’s the firefighter groomsman and she’s the bridesmaid who runs an animal shelter. The sparks fly when they meet and when the border-hopping wedding party spends the night in Tijuana, they spend it together, including a (surprise!) quickie marriage ceremony. The trouble is that Hayden was so drunk the night before that he doesn’t remember the wedding or the sex that followed it. What he does know is that he really enjoyed the time he spent with Saylor (the time he remembers, anyway) and when they meet again he makes it clear that he’d like to spend more time with her. As the son of a Senator, Hayden is expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and his father has already started making noises to the press about just that. Hayden’s quite happy being single and being a firefighter. The last thing he wants is get married just to have it look good on paper for a possible political career. When Saylor tells him the truth, will it push him towards a future he never wanted or one even better than he’d hoped?
While Hayden and Saylor meet at the wedding, readers actually meet Hayden in the first chapter at a party at his parents’ house. It’s full of political bigwigs, and shows the close relationship he has with his mother, a well-loved and powerful society matron and his father, a Senator intent on Hayden’s seeking office. But seeking a distraction, and faced with an old (and forgotten) classmate who is clearly looking for a good time, Hayden proceeds to have sex with her out in the greenhouse. And then finds out she’s married. In all fairness she came onto him and he willingly obliged. He does feel badly about it, having made a point before (as his inner monologue goes) to never sleep with a woman who is involved with someone else. But I can’t help cringing at the knowledge that he’d have sex with a pseudo-stranger without asking her some basic questions. So it’s in this context that he meets our heroine in the next chapter but he’d already got a mark against him in my book. Mark two comes with the whole getting-so-drunk-that-you-get-married-and-don’t-remember-it-the-next-day part of the story. It seems that this guy just can’t keep it in his pants, sober or drunk. He does go some way to improving his reputation with me by not sleeping around after he’s met Saylor, and being quite sweet and thoughtful with her once they are dating. Also he’s a generous and attentive lover. I just wish he hadn’t started out as such a douchebag.
Despite Saylor’s questionable choice to marry Hayden on a whim in Mexico, I did quite like her character. She’s had an unusual upbringing as the daughter of a very popular actress who is known for her varied romantic relationships. She has no relationship with her father – who happens to be a U.S. Senator (not Hayden’s father, but hello plot complication!) – although this man knows who she is and has expressed interest in finally meeting her. Because of always moving around from place to place with her mom on photo shoots and such, Saylor didn’t make a lot of childhood friends, plus the paparazzi were always about. She’s changed her last name and kept a pretty low profile to keep her name out of the papers, and owns and runs an animal shelter. She has only a few close friends, like Eve (the new bride, who is married to Hunter, who is best friends with Hayden). She is addicted to all things Star Wars and Star Trek, has a cat named Padme, and references to the movies show up throughout the story (which I quite like as a fellow science fiction fan). It’s not hard to see why she’s swept off her feet by Hayden.
Keeping secrets as a plot device is not one of my favourite ways to bring conflict into a story but that’s what we get here. First it’s the marriage secret. While readers know they are married from almost the beginning, Saylor takes forever to reveal the truth to Hayden and only gets around to it when there could be political ramifications. The second secret relates to her father being a Senator as well and while I won’t go into details around that as it’s a major part of the second half of the story, it’s another instance where things are held on to for so long that you know there’s going to be a big blowup about it eventually. And let’s just say that things between the two families are… complicated.
Hayden’s career as a firefighter does get some page time but not as much as a typical firefighter romance gets. It’s more of an afterthought, like he could have any job and it would be secondary to the political aspirations his parents have for him. There are several scenes in the second half that create some extra drama and tension, some related to Hayden’s job and some dealing with Hayden and Saylor’s relationship. The sex scenes are plentiful throughout and make up for Hayden forgetting their first time together. They get their happy ending (complete with an epilogue) and despite some rocky bits, there is enough that I liked about Hard to Fall for me to consider reading this author again.
This review also appears at All About Romance: http://allaboutromance.com/book-revie...
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
October 17, 2016
What if I fall? Oh, but my darling, what if you fly? ~Erin Hansen
I decided to leap blindly into Hard to Fall, the fourth story in the Take the Fall series by Marquita Valentine. Sometimes you just have to take that jump in life and in books. So I jumped, free-falling into Hard to Fall. I had not read any other stories in this series or any of this author’s books. Oh did I fall hard for Hard to Fall, a spellbinding and sexy story of love against the odds that hijacked my heart with a hero who made me swoon.
From the very first page, I sank into this story, submerging myself where I quickly became spellbound. The sweet, small town setting and vibe brought me back to my time living in a little North Carolina town. This Southern gal now living in Europe was transported back into the South where Hard to Fall felt a bit like coming home.
Coming home also meant politics. Growing up in the D.C. suburbs of Virginia, I could not help but live and breathe politics—whether I wanted to or not. I share a dislike of politics just like the hero in this story; his was part of his family where mine was part of my roots.
"It's our family business that comes first... Walkers are career politicians. Have been since the Revolutionary War...and I f**king hate it."
Hayden Walker with his dark blond hair, blue eyes, tall, and muscular body is the definition of hot. Speaking of hot, Hayden is a fire captain, every woman’s fantasy. A hardworking and hard-partying fire captain who doesn’t want to follow in his senator father’s political footsteps though it has been Hayden’s destiny since day one. Hayden feels hopeless and that feeling hits me, where I want to tell him to run for the hills and never cave into the cut-throat career of politics that can eat you alive.
"I know this is my duty. I know it is what's expected of me, but I have a job, a career, but none of it matters to anyone but me."
One distraction from Hayden’s political calling is the wedding of his best friend Hunter in Mexico, a much-needed getaway that comes at the right time for Hayden. A time to let loose and party before the reigns are tightened and the political noose is around his neck. Oh does Hayden party hard, so hard that a la Hangover style, he wakes up the next day in a blur though the beautiful woman he spots the next morning looks oddly familiar.
Saylor Dean, a beautiful brunette with brown eyes and curves in all the right places is the daughter of a famous Hollywood actress and absentee father of a Senator and runs an animal shelter. Her heart is as big as her brown eyes.
"Some might call me a lonely little rich girl with first world problems. I disagree with that descriptor, well, the lonely part anyway."
Saylor may have gone to see her best friend, Evangeline, get married in Mexico but had no idea that she too would become a bride. One tonight together in Mexico was forgettable for Hayden but unforgettable for Saylor.
"Our night together was nothing but a fluke. Worse, it was forgettable. I am forgettable. Easily disregarded."
I wanted to reach though the pages and hug Saylor and life her low self-esteem that had my heart breaking. Hayden can’t help but be attracted to his the best friend of his best friend’s wife; a woman who keeps crossing his path. A woman who he has no clue is his wife. Saylor is unique and Hayden can’t stop pursuing her.
"I like the beat of your drum."
Hayden has never felt anything for a woman before beyond a physical attraction. Saylor is special; she is a spark of light in his darkened world that feels hopeless.
"You make me feel like...things can get better for me. Like my own ray of sunshine."
His father has increased the political pressure, giving Hayden the choice of landing a bride in 45 days to help the Senator’s campaign or run for the second vacant senator position himself. Little does he know he is already married.
"My reprieve from a life of politics is quickly coming to a close."
The chemistry between Saylor and Hayden is like fireworks, sparking with passion and promise.
"He gently grabs my chin, forcing me to acknowledge he's there. With incite tenderness, he kisses me and I tremble."
The past parades through Hayden and Saylor like a tornado, threatening to destroy everything and everyone in its path. Secrets and scandals await their debut. In the dirty world of politics, love may never stand a chance.
"I finally matter to someone...If I tell him the truth, I could lose that...I would lose that. He won't look at me in the same way again."
Politics is often fake but everything about this politically-powered romance felt raw and real. I could not help but feel every word I read in Hard to Fall, a tender and touching romance full of twists and turns that tugged at my heartstrings. The hero in Hard to Fall, Hayden, stole my swoon as he was utter perfection in the lethal mix of sexy alpha with a huge heart. The small town setting in the South brought more sugar to an already sweet romance. The surprise scandals with this tale's twists and turns kept the reader guessing and wanting more.
Hard to Fall was my first book by Marquita Valentine and oh did I fall hard in love! I FELT ALL OF THE SWOON. This story quickly wrapped itself around my heart and never let go.
★★★★ ‘hard not to fall in love’ stars
I decided to leap blindly into Hard to Fall, the fourth story in the Take the Fall series by Marquita Valentine. Sometimes you just have to take that jump in life and in books. So I jumped, free-falling into Hard to Fall. I had not read any other stories in this series or any of this author’s books. Oh did I fall hard for Hard to Fall, a spellbinding and sexy story of love against the odds that hijacked my heart with a hero who made me swoon.
From the very first page, I sank into this story, submerging myself where I quickly became spellbound. The sweet, small town setting and vibe brought me back to my time living in a little North Carolina town. This Southern gal now living in Europe was transported back into the South where Hard to Fall felt a bit like coming home.
Coming home also meant politics. Growing up in the D.C. suburbs of Virginia, I could not help but live and breathe politics—whether I wanted to or not. I share a dislike of politics just like the hero in this story; his was part of his family where mine was part of my roots.
"It's our family business that comes first... Walkers are career politicians. Have been since the Revolutionary War...and I f**king hate it."
Hayden Walker with his dark blond hair, blue eyes, tall, and muscular body is the definition of hot. Speaking of hot, Hayden is a fire captain, every woman’s fantasy. A hardworking and hard-partying fire captain who doesn’t want to follow in his senator father’s political footsteps though it has been Hayden’s destiny since day one. Hayden feels hopeless and that feeling hits me, where I want to tell him to run for the hills and never cave into the cut-throat career of politics that can eat you alive.
"I know this is my duty. I know it is what's expected of me, but I have a job, a career, but none of it matters to anyone but me."
One distraction from Hayden’s political calling is the wedding of his best friend Hunter in Mexico, a much-needed getaway that comes at the right time for Hayden. A time to let loose and party before the reigns are tightened and the political noose is around his neck. Oh does Hayden party hard, so hard that a la Hangover style, he wakes up the next day in a blur though the beautiful woman he spots the next morning looks oddly familiar.
Saylor Dean, a beautiful brunette with brown eyes and curves in all the right places is the daughter of a famous Hollywood actress and absentee father of a Senator and runs an animal shelter. Her heart is as big as her brown eyes.
"Some might call me a lonely little rich girl with first world problems. I disagree with that descriptor, well, the lonely part anyway."
Saylor may have gone to see her best friend, Evangeline, get married in Mexico but had no idea that she too would become a bride. One tonight together in Mexico was forgettable for Hayden but unforgettable for Saylor.
"Our night together was nothing but a fluke. Worse, it was forgettable. I am forgettable. Easily disregarded."
I wanted to reach though the pages and hug Saylor and life her low self-esteem that had my heart breaking. Hayden can’t help but be attracted to his the best friend of his best friend’s wife; a woman who keeps crossing his path. A woman who he has no clue is his wife. Saylor is unique and Hayden can’t stop pursuing her.
"I like the beat of your drum."
Hayden has never felt anything for a woman before beyond a physical attraction. Saylor is special; she is a spark of light in his darkened world that feels hopeless.
"You make me feel like...things can get better for me. Like my own ray of sunshine."
His father has increased the political pressure, giving Hayden the choice of landing a bride in 45 days to help the Senator’s campaign or run for the second vacant senator position himself. Little does he know he is already married.
"My reprieve from a life of politics is quickly coming to a close."
The chemistry between Saylor and Hayden is like fireworks, sparking with passion and promise.
"He gently grabs my chin, forcing me to acknowledge he's there. With incite tenderness, he kisses me and I tremble."
The past parades through Hayden and Saylor like a tornado, threatening to destroy everything and everyone in its path. Secrets and scandals await their debut. In the dirty world of politics, love may never stand a chance.
"I finally matter to someone...If I tell him the truth, I could lose that...I would lose that. He won't look at me in the same way again."
Politics is often fake but everything about this politically-powered romance felt raw and real. I could not help but feel every word I read in Hard to Fall, a tender and touching romance full of twists and turns that tugged at my heartstrings. The hero in Hard to Fall, Hayden, stole my swoon as he was utter perfection in the lethal mix of sexy alpha with a huge heart. The small town setting in the South brought more sugar to an already sweet romance. The surprise scandals with this tale's twists and turns kept the reader guessing and wanting more.
Hard to Fall was my first book by Marquita Valentine and oh did I fall hard in love! I FELT ALL OF THE SWOON. This story quickly wrapped itself around my heart and never let go.
★★★★ ‘hard not to fall in love’ stars
August 1, 2016
Review by Trinette Dungee
Hayden Walker and Saylor Dean have more in common than what they think. They each work very hard to be very normal when they are anything but.
Hayden isn’t your typical firefighter, nope he actually a very wealthy man, from a very wealthy family, politics among other things make them very powerful. While he does indulge in a few activities that only a trust fund baby can, he pretty much lives off of his firefighter salary…much to his father’s dismay. The older Walker would like nothing more than to have his eldest son follow in his footsteps. So much so that he’s given Hayden an ultimatum…either step up and honor the promise he made as a teenager to run for the senate or get married. Hayden is not happy with either but little does he know one night with Saylor Dean, may have made his decision a lot easier than he ever thought. Too bad he doesn’t remember the night.
Saylor Dean runs the local animal shelter, she likes to fly under the radar, be as anonymous as possible. Like Hayden, Saylor has lived a life of privilege too. Her mom is a famous Hollywood actress and her dad, well, he a senator with a wife and two daughters…one older and one younger than Saylor. Yep, Saylor was the product of an affair. Her mom has worked hard to keep her hidden from the public eye and while she’s seen her father on TV numerous times, she’s never officially met him. It’s because of him Saylor stays as far away from politics and political families as possible…until Hayden. Not only is she insanely attracted to him, but one drunken night celebrating the nuptials of their best buds…they got married…too damned bad Hayden doesn’t remember the wedding or her for that matter.
This is book number four in the Take the Fall Series, I’ve read all of them and have enjoyed all of them, but this one…I can’t decide how much I liked it. It was definitely entertaining but there was just something about this storyline that kept me looking something that I can’t quite define. I liked both Hayden and Saylor, I liked them when I was introduced to them in book three of the series and I was anxious to read their story, but I don’t know that this was the story I was looking for. Saylor was quirky, a bit of a geek…okay, a lot of a geek. I’m a huge Star Wars fan, have been for as long as I can remember (Major Han Solo fan here, no Princess Leia for this girl…it’s Han all the way), but Saylor’s constant references to the movies (old and new) drove me a bit batty. Not being a trekkie (never could get on board with the whole Star Trek thing) I didn’t really get a lot of her Star Trek references. I think that was the problem, Saylor was just a bit too quirky for me. Then there was the whole secret marriage thing. It was just a little strange how she kind of dragged out not telling Hayden, it just got a little tired to me. As for Hayden, I admired his humoring Saylor and geekness…after all it was one of the things that endeared her to him. Hayden though, this battle with his father was like “c’mon man, enough already. Just tell the old dude you are not going to do it”. I mean really, it was something he said when he was sixteen years old…who’s going to hold him to that? Other than those little things I like these two. They were funny and even though they struggled with some aspects of their lives, they knew who they were.
So even though this will not go to the top of my favorite Marquita Valentine’s books, it was worth reading.
Hayden Walker and Saylor Dean have more in common than what they think. They each work very hard to be very normal when they are anything but.
Hayden isn’t your typical firefighter, nope he actually a very wealthy man, from a very wealthy family, politics among other things make them very powerful. While he does indulge in a few activities that only a trust fund baby can, he pretty much lives off of his firefighter salary…much to his father’s dismay. The older Walker would like nothing more than to have his eldest son follow in his footsteps. So much so that he’s given Hayden an ultimatum…either step up and honor the promise he made as a teenager to run for the senate or get married. Hayden is not happy with either but little does he know one night with Saylor Dean, may have made his decision a lot easier than he ever thought. Too bad he doesn’t remember the night.
Saylor Dean runs the local animal shelter, she likes to fly under the radar, be as anonymous as possible. Like Hayden, Saylor has lived a life of privilege too. Her mom is a famous Hollywood actress and her dad, well, he a senator with a wife and two daughters…one older and one younger than Saylor. Yep, Saylor was the product of an affair. Her mom has worked hard to keep her hidden from the public eye and while she’s seen her father on TV numerous times, she’s never officially met him. It’s because of him Saylor stays as far away from politics and political families as possible…until Hayden. Not only is she insanely attracted to him, but one drunken night celebrating the nuptials of their best buds…they got married…too damned bad Hayden doesn’t remember the wedding or her for that matter.
This is book number four in the Take the Fall Series, I’ve read all of them and have enjoyed all of them, but this one…I can’t decide how much I liked it. It was definitely entertaining but there was just something about this storyline that kept me looking something that I can’t quite define. I liked both Hayden and Saylor, I liked them when I was introduced to them in book three of the series and I was anxious to read their story, but I don’t know that this was the story I was looking for. Saylor was quirky, a bit of a geek…okay, a lot of a geek. I’m a huge Star Wars fan, have been for as long as I can remember (Major Han Solo fan here, no Princess Leia for this girl…it’s Han all the way), but Saylor’s constant references to the movies (old and new) drove me a bit batty. Not being a trekkie (never could get on board with the whole Star Trek thing) I didn’t really get a lot of her Star Trek references. I think that was the problem, Saylor was just a bit too quirky for me. Then there was the whole secret marriage thing. It was just a little strange how she kind of dragged out not telling Hayden, it just got a little tired to me. As for Hayden, I admired his humoring Saylor and geekness…after all it was one of the things that endeared her to him. Hayden though, this battle with his father was like “c’mon man, enough already. Just tell the old dude you are not going to do it”. I mean really, it was something he said when he was sixteen years old…who’s going to hold him to that? Other than those little things I like these two. They were funny and even though they struggled with some aspects of their lives, they knew who they were.
So even though this will not go to the top of my favorite Marquita Valentine’s books, it was worth reading.
October 18, 2016
"I’m not kissing you because I feel sorry for you. I’m kissing you because I’ll go out of my mind if I don’t”
Another amazing story from author Marquita Valentine.
Told from dual points of view, Hard to Fall follows the story of Saylor and Hayden. Hayden is hard working and loves living a life of freedom. However, as the oldest son in his family, his life comes with certain responsibilities and expectations. Hayden is nowhere near ready for the life that’s been planned out for him and will do anything to avoid it…..Saylor’s life has been anything but easy. All she’s ever wanted is to be loved and feel wanted. Her only source of happiness is the animal shelter that she runs. She had no idea that Hayden was about to change her life forever. Spending an unforgettable night with Hayden will change her life is ways she never expected. The only problem, Hayden doesn’t remember anything about their night together…..
Hard to Fall was a quick and easy read for me. I fell in love with the characters the moment I met them and couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next with them. Overall, I thought this book was a lot of fun. I loved the cute geeky moments. There was plenty of laughter and good times. I adored Saylor and Hayden together. I thought they had excellent chemistry and I just couldn’t get enough of them. I couldn’t help rooting for the two them.
Hard to Fall is a great addition to the Take the Fall Series. It has just the right mix of angst, drama, romance, frustrating and steamy moments.
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*
Another amazing story from author Marquita Valentine.
Told from dual points of view, Hard to Fall follows the story of Saylor and Hayden. Hayden is hard working and loves living a life of freedom. However, as the oldest son in his family, his life comes with certain responsibilities and expectations. Hayden is nowhere near ready for the life that’s been planned out for him and will do anything to avoid it…..Saylor’s life has been anything but easy. All she’s ever wanted is to be loved and feel wanted. Her only source of happiness is the animal shelter that she runs. She had no idea that Hayden was about to change her life forever. Spending an unforgettable night with Hayden will change her life is ways she never expected. The only problem, Hayden doesn’t remember anything about their night together…..
Hard to Fall was a quick and easy read for me. I fell in love with the characters the moment I met them and couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next with them. Overall, I thought this book was a lot of fun. I loved the cute geeky moments. There was plenty of laughter and good times. I adored Saylor and Hayden together. I thought they had excellent chemistry and I just couldn’t get enough of them. I couldn’t help rooting for the two them.
Hard to Fall is a great addition to the Take the Fall Series. It has just the right mix of angst, drama, romance, frustrating and steamy moments.
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*
September 30, 2016
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first book by this author and was worried receiving an ARC of a book in a series would cause me to have missed much of the storyline. Luckily, it was a standalone.
For the first 35-40% of this book, I was so annoyed by our leading lady, Saylor. Internally, she wanted everything Hayden had to offer, but her actions didn't align with those feelings. She was constantly rejecting his advances, acting aloof and indifferent. All of this because he didn't remember anything about their drunken night together and pursued her as if nothing had ever happened. When she finally decided to give him a chance, things got better.
I loved Hayden, though I found it odd that just 2 or 3 pages into the story, he was hooking up with some married woman (unbeknownst to him) even though he wasn't even feeling it. Once he found Saylor though, it was on! He was so sweet and attentive and definitely persistent! I also loved how adamant he was about making sure Saylor knew he wouldn't abandon her like her father had before she was even born.
Overall, I'd have to give the book about a 3.25/5. Scene transitions from one location to another jumped immediately from one paragraph to the next as opposed to a page break or new chapter. That created some difficulty in being able to keep up, but all in all, it was an enjoyable read.
This was my first book by this author and was worried receiving an ARC of a book in a series would cause me to have missed much of the storyline. Luckily, it was a standalone.
For the first 35-40% of this book, I was so annoyed by our leading lady, Saylor. Internally, she wanted everything Hayden had to offer, but her actions didn't align with those feelings. She was constantly rejecting his advances, acting aloof and indifferent. All of this because he didn't remember anything about their drunken night together and pursued her as if nothing had ever happened. When she finally decided to give him a chance, things got better.
I loved Hayden, though I found it odd that just 2 or 3 pages into the story, he was hooking up with some married woman (unbeknownst to him) even though he wasn't even feeling it. Once he found Saylor though, it was on! He was so sweet and attentive and definitely persistent! I also loved how adamant he was about making sure Saylor knew he wouldn't abandon her like her father had before she was even born.
Overall, I'd have to give the book about a 3.25/5. Scene transitions from one location to another jumped immediately from one paragraph to the next as opposed to a page break or new chapter. That created some difficulty in being able to keep up, but all in all, it was an enjoyable read.
July 19, 2016
*ARC courtesy of Netgalley and Random House Publishing*
July 2, 2017
review to come http://lilisbooks.canalblog.com/archi...
September 15, 2019
Thank you to Marquita Valentine, Loveswept, and Penguin Random House for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Very honest.
I’m going to just start by saying that not every romance reader will like every romance novel. Everyone has individual reading tastes. This one was definitely not to mine. In fact, I hated it. None of it made any sense. If I hadn’t felt obligated to see it through so I could give a thorough review, I would have stopped halfway through and moved on to another.
I’m warning you now, if you don’t like spoilers and don’t like swear words, you don’t want to read this review.
I’m going to give a few positives before I completely shit all over it. One, the cover is awesome. Super sexy and looks professional, not like it was pasted together in five minutes on Photoshop. Two… Well, Evangeline seemed nice. Her husband was sort of a dick, but she was kind and considerate.
… Yeah, that’s all I’ve got.
All right. *cracks knuckles*
I seriously considered rating this two stars, but because a few of the issues I have with the book were in some way acknowledged, addressed, or excused by the end, half-assed or otherwise, I’ll give it three for not being as terrible as it could have been. *shudders at the thought*
First, overall impressions. I couldn’t have taken this book seriously even if I had liked the characters, because the writing was…not good. In my opinion, it read like a teenager’s creative writing assignment in comp class. Not sure how to describe it, but the words shallow, flippant, and disjointed come to mind. There was no finesse, no sophistication. Like someone’s free-write notebook had been barfed all over my screen. It was three-quarters dialogue and one quarter exposition or thought process, mostly the latter. Very little scene or setting descriptions; we’re pretty much left to our own devices as far as what places looked like, and because I’ve never been to North Carolina (let alone Charlotte), a firehouse, or a political function, and only once, very briefly, to an animal shelter, I was clueless. Books are supposed to take me to places I can’t go or haven’t been. This book took me nowhere. So onto the characters.
Hayden. Look… In the romance novels I read, I never, ever want to see either the hero or heroine have sex with anyone else. Ever. If the hero was a playboy in the past, fine, but I’m interested in the now, in the relationship he builds with the heroine, and the very last way I want to start a romance is seeing the hero fuck some slut (I speak crude because the scene was crude) because he’s too immature and undisciplined to keep it in his pants. “Oh, boo hoo, I haven’t had sex in three months, how can I possibly resist this strange woman I’ve known for five seconds? Oh, dang, she’s married? Maybe we should have had a quick conversation first. Oh, well.” No wonder his dad had no faith in him! The only reason that scene could possibly be important to the story is as a character witness…and why on earth would you want your hero witnessed as such? It is not endearing.
From that moment on, I hated Hayden, and I may have had a grudge against the book.
Oh, Saylor. Oh, honey. I wanted so much to like you. We seemed to have so much in common… We’re both geeks, both socially awkward, both considered weird by most people. But your decisions went from bad to worse until I wanted to just reach in and smack some sense into you. By your own account, you were only a bit tipsy when a black-out drunk Hayden proposed to you (seriously, how could you not realize he was that drunk?) and you went right along with it, marrying a guy you literally just met a few hours ago, because you have abandonment issues and other insecurities that you should have seen a professional about a long time ago. Sure, there was something about the movie Yes Man and resolving to say yes to something you’d otherwise say no to, but that was just an example of the half-assed excuses I mentioned earlier. (“Hmm.. If I include that they were influenced by that awful movie, that totally makes their getting married reasonable, right?”) Let’s be real here—you loved the idea that a man would be bound to you, and therefore unable to leave you. But then when he woke up and had no idea who you were, you chickened out and avoided telling him the inconsequential fact that he’d married you. Legally. You fricken hypocrite. Then you proceeded to dick around for far too long, avoiding this guy you were oh-so-eager to marry, even when he decided he liked you and wanted to date you. If you’d really regretted marrying him, you should have just been like, “Sup, we kinda did this stupid thing, can we get an annulment?” But no, you wanted him bound to you, so divorcing him never even crossed your mind. Finally, finally, when you stopped wasting my time and both managed to be in the same place for longer than fifteen minutes, you think it’s a good idea to let him screw you, unprotected, and still not tell him you’re married.
*Throws hands in the air and walks out*
It was about at that point that I wanted to be done. But I read on.
Naturally, because Saylor and Hayden had spent so much time not together, when they did have that date, they realized they had deep feelings for each other. I didn’t buy it. Then, at long last, and only because she didn’t have a whole lot of choice, she admits they’re married. But hey, lookie there! That’s okay, because Hayden’s father had ordered him to marry or run for senator. If he did neither, his father would somehow ruin his career as a firefighter. Just…whatever. So they decide, “Eh, we’re not in love, but the great sex is enough to hold a marriage together, right? And we can always get divorced later. Yeah, let’s be legal fuck buddies to make the senator cram it up his crapper.”
And I was supposed to like these people? No wonder the divorce rate is so high!
How deluded was Hayden to think he'd married under his own steam? Um, he was drunk. You know, skewed judgment, impaired memory, and all that. He was vulnerable, and Saylor took advantage of that. So Hayden didn't decide anything. In fact, I don't think he made any of his own decisions throughout the book.
No, wait--he did decide to fuck that slut.
Yeah. Anyway.
Then there’s another secret-that’s-not-really-a-secret-because-it’s-in-the-blurb: Saylor’s biodad is Hayden’s father’s political enemy!
*gasp*
She’d been so worried about Hayden hating her for not telling him that they’d married, and was granted an astounding reprieve because their already being married happened to make Hayden’s life easier—in fact, it gave him everything he could possibly want—I can’t believe, then, that she’d double down on the chance of alienating him by keeping her parentage from him, too. (Just kidding, I can believe it.) She knew he wouldn’t like it, knew her options were 1) let him be mad at her now but give her the benefit of the doubt because their relationship was so messed up, or 2) willingly, knowingly, lie by omission to him for a while, let him be really mad at her later, and pretty much guarantee a divorce. Just fricken tell him already! A supposedly smart, nerdy girl like her would see the practicality in getting it over with…but instead she decides to be a coward and let the tension and drama build. Not that Hayden didn’t deserve her deceit—I mean, his reasons for staying with her were equally self-serving.
*sigh* I will say, however, that Hayden proved he could be mature when he heard her out instead of jumping to conclusions and banishing her from his life.
But they continued to make bad decisions. Among them was Hayden not immediately telling his wife that he was being investigated for arson. That’s kind of a big deal. I think he wanted to “protect” her from worrying, or something dumb and misplaced like that.
And that whole mess with the OBGYN didn’t make any sense. Apparently Saylor’s appointment was two months ago and she missed it, but they couldn’t get a hold of her to reschedule, and then Saylor thinks she has an appointment now? How can someone have the wrong date of an appointment by two months? Don’t most offices confirm appointments the week before to avoid this very issue? Regardless, she knew when she got the last shot of birth control, and it’s a biannual thing, so I assume that means every six months…so shouldn’t she have been able to do the friggin math and realize—anything! I’m so confused. If she’d gone longer than six months since the last shot, shouldn’t she have been worried about having unprotected sex with Hayden? If she’d gone longer than six months since the last shot, shouldn’t she be on the phone with the clinic asking WTF? If you’re sexually active and responsible, birth control isn’t something you procrastinate. On the other hand, if it had been only four months and the office hadn’t been able to get a hold of her about the recall, shouldn’t she still have noticed something was wrong? I don’t know anything about biannual birth control shots, but if the batch of shots she’d gotten hadn’t had the right components to be effective, and therefore wouldn’t have done jack squat for her, wouldn’t she have started having periods? That would have been a huge red flag. No pun intended. (Later, I discussed this with the nurses in my family. They laughed. A six-month depo doesn’t exist. They only know of shots given every three months.)
And what drives me crazy is how unnecessary all that confusion was! I shouldn’t have had to try to make sense of it, because Saylor’s getting pregnant had absolutely nothing to do with the story! It had nothing to do with the plot and nothing to do with character development, because neither she nor Hayden were conflicted about it. Well, she hesitated for a minute, but doing so was out of character for the girl who’d always wanted a family and made a living taking in strays. She hesitated mostly because she wasn’t sure Hayden would like it. But sweetheart, by the time there’s a baby in your belly and you’ve decided to keep it, it doesn’t matter a whole lot what he thinks. If he’s down with it, cool, no prob. If he doesn’t, goodbye dumbass and hello divorce! Regardless, their offspring should have been saved for the epilogue.
As far as the other characters… Hayden and Saylor’s besties, Evangeline and Hunter, were okay, I guess, even though something rubbed me wrong about Hunter. Senator Walker’s motivations were murky and he seemed to change his tune. And Hayden’s mom? If she was strong enough in character to call her husband’s shit during that brunch, she would never have allowed him to browbeat their son into a life he made very clear he didn’t want. The press seemed to get wind of stories when it was convenient. Saylor’s mom and biodad, however… I was confused about what exactly went down with them throughout most of the book, especially the last half. I needed some exposition to provide me with a linear explanation. It was kind of like the OBGYN situation; I had a hard time putting the pieces together and making sense of it. But I’m not even going to get into it…because I am just done with this book. I just can’t. I think I’ve made my feelings clear. The only thing that made sense about this book was failed birth control + lots of unprotected sex = baby. But it was irrelevant, of course.
But I have to say, what bothers me the most is…why did that driver flip Hayden off on their way to the lake? WHY? (Hayden probably cut him off. He’d totally do something like that.)
noapologybookreviews.com
keeneyeediting.com
Very honest.
I’m going to just start by saying that not every romance reader will like every romance novel. Everyone has individual reading tastes. This one was definitely not to mine. In fact, I hated it. None of it made any sense. If I hadn’t felt obligated to see it through so I could give a thorough review, I would have stopped halfway through and moved on to another.
I’m warning you now, if you don’t like spoilers and don’t like swear words, you don’t want to read this review.
I’m going to give a few positives before I completely shit all over it. One, the cover is awesome. Super sexy and looks professional, not like it was pasted together in five minutes on Photoshop. Two… Well, Evangeline seemed nice. Her husband was sort of a dick, but she was kind and considerate.
… Yeah, that’s all I’ve got.
All right. *cracks knuckles*
I seriously considered rating this two stars, but because a few of the issues I have with the book were in some way acknowledged, addressed, or excused by the end, half-assed or otherwise, I’ll give it three for not being as terrible as it could have been. *shudders at the thought*
First, overall impressions. I couldn’t have taken this book seriously even if I had liked the characters, because the writing was…not good. In my opinion, it read like a teenager’s creative writing assignment in comp class. Not sure how to describe it, but the words shallow, flippant, and disjointed come to mind. There was no finesse, no sophistication. Like someone’s free-write notebook had been barfed all over my screen. It was three-quarters dialogue and one quarter exposition or thought process, mostly the latter. Very little scene or setting descriptions; we’re pretty much left to our own devices as far as what places looked like, and because I’ve never been to North Carolina (let alone Charlotte), a firehouse, or a political function, and only once, very briefly, to an animal shelter, I was clueless. Books are supposed to take me to places I can’t go or haven’t been. This book took me nowhere. So onto the characters.
Hayden. Look… In the romance novels I read, I never, ever want to see either the hero or heroine have sex with anyone else. Ever. If the hero was a playboy in the past, fine, but I’m interested in the now, in the relationship he builds with the heroine, and the very last way I want to start a romance is seeing the hero fuck some slut (I speak crude because the scene was crude) because he’s too immature and undisciplined to keep it in his pants. “Oh, boo hoo, I haven’t had sex in three months, how can I possibly resist this strange woman I’ve known for five seconds? Oh, dang, she’s married? Maybe we should have had a quick conversation first. Oh, well.” No wonder his dad had no faith in him! The only reason that scene could possibly be important to the story is as a character witness…and why on earth would you want your hero witnessed as such? It is not endearing.
From that moment on, I hated Hayden, and I may have had a grudge against the book.
Oh, Saylor. Oh, honey. I wanted so much to like you. We seemed to have so much in common… We’re both geeks, both socially awkward, both considered weird by most people. But your decisions went from bad to worse until I wanted to just reach in and smack some sense into you. By your own account, you were only a bit tipsy when a black-out drunk Hayden proposed to you (seriously, how could you not realize he was that drunk?) and you went right along with it, marrying a guy you literally just met a few hours ago, because you have abandonment issues and other insecurities that you should have seen a professional about a long time ago. Sure, there was something about the movie Yes Man and resolving to say yes to something you’d otherwise say no to, but that was just an example of the half-assed excuses I mentioned earlier. (“Hmm.. If I include that they were influenced by that awful movie, that totally makes their getting married reasonable, right?”) Let’s be real here—you loved the idea that a man would be bound to you, and therefore unable to leave you. But then when he woke up and had no idea who you were, you chickened out and avoided telling him the inconsequential fact that he’d married you. Legally. You fricken hypocrite. Then you proceeded to dick around for far too long, avoiding this guy you were oh-so-eager to marry, even when he decided he liked you and wanted to date you. If you’d really regretted marrying him, you should have just been like, “Sup, we kinda did this stupid thing, can we get an annulment?” But no, you wanted him bound to you, so divorcing him never even crossed your mind. Finally, finally, when you stopped wasting my time and both managed to be in the same place for longer than fifteen minutes, you think it’s a good idea to let him screw you, unprotected, and still not tell him you’re married.
*Throws hands in the air and walks out*
It was about at that point that I wanted to be done. But I read on.
Naturally, because Saylor and Hayden had spent so much time not together, when they did have that date, they realized they had deep feelings for each other. I didn’t buy it. Then, at long last, and only because she didn’t have a whole lot of choice, she admits they’re married. But hey, lookie there! That’s okay, because Hayden’s father had ordered him to marry or run for senator. If he did neither, his father would somehow ruin his career as a firefighter. Just…whatever. So they decide, “Eh, we’re not in love, but the great sex is enough to hold a marriage together, right? And we can always get divorced later. Yeah, let’s be legal fuck buddies to make the senator cram it up his crapper.”
And I was supposed to like these people? No wonder the divorce rate is so high!
How deluded was Hayden to think he'd married under his own steam? Um, he was drunk. You know, skewed judgment, impaired memory, and all that. He was vulnerable, and Saylor took advantage of that. So Hayden didn't decide anything. In fact, I don't think he made any of his own decisions throughout the book.
No, wait--he did decide to fuck that slut.
Yeah. Anyway.
Then there’s another secret-that’s-not-really-a-secret-because-it’s-in-the-blurb: Saylor’s biodad is Hayden’s father’s political enemy!
*gasp*
She’d been so worried about Hayden hating her for not telling him that they’d married, and was granted an astounding reprieve because their already being married happened to make Hayden’s life easier—in fact, it gave him everything he could possibly want—I can’t believe, then, that she’d double down on the chance of alienating him by keeping her parentage from him, too. (Just kidding, I can believe it.) She knew he wouldn’t like it, knew her options were 1) let him be mad at her now but give her the benefit of the doubt because their relationship was so messed up, or 2) willingly, knowingly, lie by omission to him for a while, let him be really mad at her later, and pretty much guarantee a divorce. Just fricken tell him already! A supposedly smart, nerdy girl like her would see the practicality in getting it over with…but instead she decides to be a coward and let the tension and drama build. Not that Hayden didn’t deserve her deceit—I mean, his reasons for staying with her were equally self-serving.
*sigh* I will say, however, that Hayden proved he could be mature when he heard her out instead of jumping to conclusions and banishing her from his life.
But they continued to make bad decisions. Among them was Hayden not immediately telling his wife that he was being investigated for arson. That’s kind of a big deal. I think he wanted to “protect” her from worrying, or something dumb and misplaced like that.
And that whole mess with the OBGYN didn’t make any sense. Apparently Saylor’s appointment was two months ago and she missed it, but they couldn’t get a hold of her to reschedule, and then Saylor thinks she has an appointment now? How can someone have the wrong date of an appointment by two months? Don’t most offices confirm appointments the week before to avoid this very issue? Regardless, she knew when she got the last shot of birth control, and it’s a biannual thing, so I assume that means every six months…so shouldn’t she have been able to do the friggin math and realize—anything! I’m so confused. If she’d gone longer than six months since the last shot, shouldn’t she have been worried about having unprotected sex with Hayden? If she’d gone longer than six months since the last shot, shouldn’t she be on the phone with the clinic asking WTF? If you’re sexually active and responsible, birth control isn’t something you procrastinate. On the other hand, if it had been only four months and the office hadn’t been able to get a hold of her about the recall, shouldn’t she still have noticed something was wrong? I don’t know anything about biannual birth control shots, but if the batch of shots she’d gotten hadn’t had the right components to be effective, and therefore wouldn’t have done jack squat for her, wouldn’t she have started having periods? That would have been a huge red flag. No pun intended. (Later, I discussed this with the nurses in my family. They laughed. A six-month depo doesn’t exist. They only know of shots given every three months.)
And what drives me crazy is how unnecessary all that confusion was! I shouldn’t have had to try to make sense of it, because Saylor’s getting pregnant had absolutely nothing to do with the story! It had nothing to do with the plot and nothing to do with character development, because neither she nor Hayden were conflicted about it. Well, she hesitated for a minute, but doing so was out of character for the girl who’d always wanted a family and made a living taking in strays. She hesitated mostly because she wasn’t sure Hayden would like it. But sweetheart, by the time there’s a baby in your belly and you’ve decided to keep it, it doesn’t matter a whole lot what he thinks. If he’s down with it, cool, no prob. If he doesn’t, goodbye dumbass and hello divorce! Regardless, their offspring should have been saved for the epilogue.
As far as the other characters… Hayden and Saylor’s besties, Evangeline and Hunter, were okay, I guess, even though something rubbed me wrong about Hunter. Senator Walker’s motivations were murky and he seemed to change his tune. And Hayden’s mom? If she was strong enough in character to call her husband’s shit during that brunch, she would never have allowed him to browbeat their son into a life he made very clear he didn’t want. The press seemed to get wind of stories when it was convenient. Saylor’s mom and biodad, however… I was confused about what exactly went down with them throughout most of the book, especially the last half. I needed some exposition to provide me with a linear explanation. It was kind of like the OBGYN situation; I had a hard time putting the pieces together and making sense of it. But I’m not even going to get into it…because I am just done with this book. I just can’t. I think I’ve made my feelings clear. The only thing that made sense about this book was failed birth control + lots of unprotected sex = baby. But it was irrelevant, of course.
But I have to say, what bothers me the most is…why did that driver flip Hayden off on their way to the lake? WHY? (Hayden probably cut him off. He’d totally do something like that.)
noapologybookreviews.com
keeneyeediting.com
October 14, 2016
***4 'Because I can’t get you out of my head' Stars***
I spent a good portion of this one shaking my head and chuckling at the crazy that was going on, but regardless I found Hayden and Saylor’s story to a fun, quick, quirky read that despite the crazy going on around the MC’s what was going on between them was sweet and smexy.
After reading the blurb I was all kinds of prepared to hate on Hayden. I mean the guy gets married and was so blitz that he remembers NOTHING, so I figured he’d deserve it for at least a few chapters, but that didn’t happen. I was annoyed and hurt for Saylor, but I couldn’t hate on Hayden because he was really such a good guy. Yes, he was a manwhore for awhile, but he turned his life around and just wants to be a fireman and serve his community. He’s got the whole sexy protective alpha male thing going on, but isn’t domineering in anyway and is persistent without being stalkerish. The guy has such a good heart it’s really difficult to be pissed at him and if I’m truly honest, the majority of the rating is mostly because of him and on how much I loved him.
Saylor. Oh, this girl. I loved her quirkiness in After We Fall, but I really wasn’t prepared for the full force of it and that’s where quite a bit of the head shaking came from. I understood that a lot of her geeking out and verbal vomiting came from nerves and was her form of self preservation, but WOW. Thankfully, she does calm down without getting rid of her quirks as the book progresses and when she did, I really liked her. She’s kind, compassionate and is using what she has to care for animals that no one wants. While she has quite a few insecurities, she is more or less comfortable in her own skin and when push comes to shove she sticks up for herself.
Their relationship is all kinds of crazy with the impromptu marriage that the groom can’t remember, his father breathing down his neck, her father being an asshat and all kinds of other little things that are thrown at them and yet THEY work. Saylor knows she’s quirky and can’t understand what Hayden sees in her, but he SEES her soul, hence why I love him so much. He may not remember getting hitched, but he’s drawn to her, adores everything about her and ensures that she knows it every time they are together. There is some OTT stuff that happens,but it didn’t bother me because of what Hayden and Saylor had going on.
I’ll be the first to admit that I felt like the ball in a pinball machine while reading this one, but I still ended up enjoying it. There is a lot going on and I could have done without some of it, but for the most part everything ended up coming together in one way or another. So, if you don’t mind a little crazy then you’ll find this one to be a fun, sweet, sexy and quick read if you choose to give it a go.
~ Copy received from the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed ~
I spent a good portion of this one shaking my head and chuckling at the crazy that was going on, but regardless I found Hayden and Saylor’s story to a fun, quick, quirky read that despite the crazy going on around the MC’s what was going on between them was sweet and smexy.
After reading the blurb I was all kinds of prepared to hate on Hayden. I mean the guy gets married and was so blitz that he remembers NOTHING, so I figured he’d deserve it for at least a few chapters, but that didn’t happen. I was annoyed and hurt for Saylor, but I couldn’t hate on Hayden because he was really such a good guy. Yes, he was a manwhore for awhile, but he turned his life around and just wants to be a fireman and serve his community. He’s got the whole sexy protective alpha male thing going on, but isn’t domineering in anyway and is persistent without being stalkerish. The guy has such a good heart it’s really difficult to be pissed at him and if I’m truly honest, the majority of the rating is mostly because of him and on how much I loved him.
Saylor. Oh, this girl. I loved her quirkiness in After We Fall, but I really wasn’t prepared for the full force of it and that’s where quite a bit of the head shaking came from. I understood that a lot of her geeking out and verbal vomiting came from nerves and was her form of self preservation, but WOW. Thankfully, she does calm down without getting rid of her quirks as the book progresses and when she did, I really liked her. She’s kind, compassionate and is using what she has to care for animals that no one wants. While she has quite a few insecurities, she is more or less comfortable in her own skin and when push comes to shove she sticks up for herself.
Their relationship is all kinds of crazy with the impromptu marriage that the groom can’t remember, his father breathing down his neck, her father being an asshat and all kinds of other little things that are thrown at them and yet THEY work. Saylor knows she’s quirky and can’t understand what Hayden sees in her, but he SEES her soul, hence why I love him so much. He may not remember getting hitched, but he’s drawn to her, adores everything about her and ensures that she knows it every time they are together. There is some OTT stuff that happens,but it didn’t bother me because of what Hayden and Saylor had going on.
I’ll be the first to admit that I felt like the ball in a pinball machine while reading this one, but I still ended up enjoying it. There is a lot going on and I could have done without some of it, but for the most part everything ended up coming together in one way or another. So, if you don’t mind a little crazy then you’ll find this one to be a fun, sweet, sexy and quick read if you choose to give it a go.
~ Copy received from the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed ~
October 9, 2016
ARC REVIEW: HARD TO FALL (TAKE THE FALL) BY MARQUITA VALENTINE
HARD TO FALL (TAKE THE FALL) BY MARQUITA VALENTINE
Release Date: October 18, 2016
SYNOPSIS
Wedding bells are ringing—and tempers are flaring—as the Take the Fall series continues in this sweet, sexy novel from the bestselling author of After We Fall (“This beautiful story kept me transfixed until the very end.”—Krista Lakes). As a hardworking, hard-partying firefighter, Hayden Walker values his career and his freedom. But as the eldest son of a U.S. senator, he agreed long ago to follow in his father’s footsteps and run for office, and that means settling down and marrying the picture-perfect wife. Hayden just isn’t ready for that sort of commitment . . . not with women like beautiful, curvy Saylor Dean—the naughty bridesmaid he recognizes the morning after his buddy’s wedding—tempting Hayden to stay single forever. The unwanted love child of a well-known politician, Saylor has always felt isolated and alone, her only solace the animal shelter she runs in Forrestville. Then she meets Hayden at her best friend’s wedding. During their impulsive and unforgettable night together, Saylor feels desired like never before—only to wake up and find that Hayden doesn’t remember his drunken proposal, or their hasty marriage, or her. But when the truth comes out, Saylor finds it’s a lot harder to fall out of love than in love.
BUY LINKS
Amazon B & N Google Play Books IBooks Kobo
REVIEW: HARD TO FALL (TAKE THE FALL) BY MARQUITA VALENTINE
Hard to Fall by Marquita ValentineMy rating: 5 of 5 starsMarquita Valentine, made it easy to fall in love with Hayden and Saylor. The hard part was saying goodbye to these extraordinary characters. Hayden is a bad boy masquerading as the dutiful son of a powerful politician. Saylor, has lived as a source of secrecy and shame. An accident of birth has left her insecure, isolated and searching for a place to belong. Can the bad boy with the perfect life be the answer to her prayers? Will the totally wrong woman end up saving Hayden from himself? I received an ARC of Hard to Fall in exchange for an honest review. The badge of a gifted author is the ability to allow the reader to get carried away and become a part of the journey. Ms. Valentine succeeded and created a well written story. A powerhouse of emotion that inspires and entertains. 5++++++.View all my reviews
HARD TO FALL (TAKE THE FALL) BY MARQUITA VALENTINE
Release Date: October 18, 2016
SYNOPSIS
Wedding bells are ringing—and tempers are flaring—as the Take the Fall series continues in this sweet, sexy novel from the bestselling author of After We Fall (“This beautiful story kept me transfixed until the very end.”—Krista Lakes). As a hardworking, hard-partying firefighter, Hayden Walker values his career and his freedom. But as the eldest son of a U.S. senator, he agreed long ago to follow in his father’s footsteps and run for office, and that means settling down and marrying the picture-perfect wife. Hayden just isn’t ready for that sort of commitment . . . not with women like beautiful, curvy Saylor Dean—the naughty bridesmaid he recognizes the morning after his buddy’s wedding—tempting Hayden to stay single forever. The unwanted love child of a well-known politician, Saylor has always felt isolated and alone, her only solace the animal shelter she runs in Forrestville. Then she meets Hayden at her best friend’s wedding. During their impulsive and unforgettable night together, Saylor feels desired like never before—only to wake up and find that Hayden doesn’t remember his drunken proposal, or their hasty marriage, or her. But when the truth comes out, Saylor finds it’s a lot harder to fall out of love than in love.
BUY LINKS
Amazon B & N Google Play Books IBooks Kobo
REVIEW: HARD TO FALL (TAKE THE FALL) BY MARQUITA VALENTINE
Hard to Fall by Marquita ValentineMy rating: 5 of 5 starsMarquita Valentine, made it easy to fall in love with Hayden and Saylor. The hard part was saying goodbye to these extraordinary characters. Hayden is a bad boy masquerading as the dutiful son of a powerful politician. Saylor, has lived as a source of secrecy and shame. An accident of birth has left her insecure, isolated and searching for a place to belong. Can the bad boy with the perfect life be the answer to her prayers? Will the totally wrong woman end up saving Hayden from himself? I received an ARC of Hard to Fall in exchange for an honest review. The badge of a gifted author is the ability to allow the reader to get carried away and become a part of the journey. Ms. Valentine succeeded and created a well written story. A powerhouse of emotion that inspires and entertains. 5++++++.View all my reviews
October 18, 2016
I’d never get tired of this series. This is my fourth from TAKE THE FALL, and it remains awesome. From the characters, the storyline and the twists, it will make you fall in love in a matter of pages.
Hard to Fall tells the story of Hayden and Saylor – both have deep secrets that they have been hiding. Hayden is the eldest son of a US Senator and was destined to follow his father’s footsteps, only that he really doesn’t like it. He loves being a firefighter and wasn’t ready to give it up. Saylor, on the other hand, is a softie when it comes to animals. She owns a pet-rescue and she’s a product of a movie star and a politician. She practically grew up on her own, her mother tried, but her father practically ignored her until he found out that she was seeing Hayden.
They started on the wrong foot. One of them forgot everything that happened after their friend’s wedding, and one was not sure whether it was a good idea to tell the other person of what happened. What happens when the secret gets out of the box? Will is start their HEA? Or will it end something that has a promising beginning?
Somehow, Marquita Valentine kept (some of the) secret(s) – most of which I was dying to know! But the rest came out on their own time. Practically, the book did not run out of surprises and twists.
It was easy to love them both, with all their insecurities, baggage and apprehensions, most especially their secrets! It makes them more real than merely characters in the book. I loved it and finished it in one sitting, and it ended beautifully!
Another must-read from Ms. Valentine!
• Purchase Link: http://amzn.to/2apJAxC
Follow me on: Twitter | Facebook | tsu | Instagram
More of my reviews at http://reviewsofabookmaniac.blogspot.com
Hard to Fall tells the story of Hayden and Saylor – both have deep secrets that they have been hiding. Hayden is the eldest son of a US Senator and was destined to follow his father’s footsteps, only that he really doesn’t like it. He loves being a firefighter and wasn’t ready to give it up. Saylor, on the other hand, is a softie when it comes to animals. She owns a pet-rescue and she’s a product of a movie star and a politician. She practically grew up on her own, her mother tried, but her father practically ignored her until he found out that she was seeing Hayden.
They started on the wrong foot. One of them forgot everything that happened after their friend’s wedding, and one was not sure whether it was a good idea to tell the other person of what happened. What happens when the secret gets out of the box? Will is start their HEA? Or will it end something that has a promising beginning?
Somehow, Marquita Valentine kept (some of the) secret(s) – most of which I was dying to know! But the rest came out on their own time. Practically, the book did not run out of surprises and twists.
It was easy to love them both, with all their insecurities, baggage and apprehensions, most especially their secrets! It makes them more real than merely characters in the book. I loved it and finished it in one sitting, and it ended beautifully!
Another must-read from Ms. Valentine!
• Purchase Link: http://amzn.to/2apJAxC
Follow me on: Twitter | Facebook | tsu | Instagram
More of my reviews at http://reviewsofabookmaniac.blogspot.com
October 15, 2016
*~*~* ARC generously provided by NetGalley in exchange of an honest review *~*~*
This was my first book in this series but i was hooked in from the first chapter. I fell in love with Saylor's nerdiness and quirks. Hayden was absolutely sexy and perfect. Both these people were fated to be together and circumstances in which they do was sweet and swoon worthy.
Saylor is the daughter of an actress and has felt invisible all her life. She is kind, quirky, loves animals and Star Wars. She meets Hayden at their best friends wedding where Hayden manages to forget her the next morning.
Hayden is a fireman who comes from a very influential family with roots deep in politics. But he wants nothing to do with it and loves servicing people by being a fireman. Even though he doesn't remember much of his best friends wedding weekend, he can't get Saylor out of his mind.
Hayden and Saylor together were perfect - passionate, understanding and sweet. They come across lots of drama from their family and jobs, but through it all they stand together. Hayden is really protective of Saylor and that is just what she has been missing all her life.
The supporting characters were also nicely written. I recommend this book to all star wars fans who would love themselves a piece of sexy fireman.
This was my first book in this series but i was hooked in from the first chapter. I fell in love with Saylor's nerdiness and quirks. Hayden was absolutely sexy and perfect. Both these people were fated to be together and circumstances in which they do was sweet and swoon worthy.
Saylor is the daughter of an actress and has felt invisible all her life. She is kind, quirky, loves animals and Star Wars. She meets Hayden at their best friends wedding where Hayden manages to forget her the next morning.
Hayden is a fireman who comes from a very influential family with roots deep in politics. But he wants nothing to do with it and loves servicing people by being a fireman. Even though he doesn't remember much of his best friends wedding weekend, he can't get Saylor out of his mind.
Hayden and Saylor together were perfect - passionate, understanding and sweet. They come across lots of drama from their family and jobs, but through it all they stand together. Hayden is really protective of Saylor and that is just what she has been missing all her life.
The supporting characters were also nicely written. I recommend this book to all star wars fans who would love themselves a piece of sexy fireman.
October 11, 2016
I found this to be an excellent read. Very enjoyable story with great characters and pace. Hayden is happy with his simple life working as a captain for the fire department, unattached, and free. His father doesn't agree. He was always suppose to follow down the family path and enter politics and now he's pressuring Hayden to step up and run for office. Saylor is a free spirited, quirky soul who runs the local animal shelter. These two meet at a friends wedding and have one incredible night. Too bad Hayden doesn't remember any of it. The next morning when it's clear to Saylor that Hayden remembers nothing of what happened the day before she doesn't bother to fill him in. Although there is one little thing that happened that he probably should know about. One little detail like the fact they got married. Hayden doesn't understand why but he knows that he is inexplicably drawn to Saylor and the more time they spend together the more he wants from her. How will Saylor ever tell him the truth now??
A fun easy read with little angst, lots of passion, and a bunch of humor. Definitely a book I would recommend.
A fun easy read with little angst, lots of passion, and a bunch of humor. Definitely a book I would recommend.
July 20, 2016
Ugh, I can't stand sluts like Lyla.
I'm not liking his father.
She's geeky. I like it.
Honey, there's nothing wrong with you. Any man would be lucky to have you.
What the heck is electronic hide-and-seek?
Dude. You're such an idiot. Don't drink so much, vacation or not.
Aww. She really goes the extra mile to connect with people. I want to give her such a big hug.
Cassette tape portraits? Sounds hard.
Her date made her pay for his driving? Oh, hell no!
I love our cops.
It sounds like his dad has let his job change him.
What?! And he still doesn't remember it? He needs to die.
Really? Two years? And her mother went with Saylor? Okay...
What was that? Drive-by Meet Your Daughter?
It's always the quiet ones.
He took that better than expected.
She's totally pregnant.
The arson investigator is an idiot.
Press charges, Saylor!
Ooh, what did her mom say to that jerk?
Aw, I wish he stayed a firefighter full-time. Their kids are adorable!
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not liking his father.
She's geeky. I like it.
Honey, there's nothing wrong with you. Any man would be lucky to have you.
What the heck is electronic hide-and-seek?
Dude. You're such an idiot. Don't drink so much, vacation or not.
Aww. She really goes the extra mile to connect with people. I want to give her such a big hug.
Cassette tape portraits? Sounds hard.
Her date made her pay for his driving? Oh, hell no!
I love our cops.
It sounds like his dad has let his job change him.
What?! And he still doesn't remember it? He needs to die.
Really? Two years? And her mother went with Saylor? Okay...
What was that? Drive-by Meet Your Daughter?
It's always the quiet ones.
He took that better than expected.
She's totally pregnant.
The arson investigator is an idiot.
Press charges, Saylor!
Ooh, what did her mom say to that jerk?
Aw, I wish he stayed a firefighter full-time. Their kids are adorable!
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews