What do you think?
Rate this book
His and Hers #1
His Best Friend's Little Sister
She’s my best friend’s little sister with a body made for sin.
I’m a big, burly ex-soldier that shouldn’t even give her a second glance.
She’s a decade younger than me and seductive without trying. I’m struggling through burnout and hiding out from the entire world.
When we both hide out at the same cabin far away from everyone else, a mutual attraction blooms between us.
I know it’s wrong, but it’s impossible to stop touching her once I start. And worse, I don’t want to let her go...
I’m a big, burly ex-soldier that shouldn’t even give her a second glance.
She’s a decade younger than me and seductive without trying. I’m struggling through burnout and hiding out from the entire world.
When we both hide out at the same cabin far away from everyone else, a mutual attraction blooms between us.
I know it’s wrong, but it’s impossible to stop touching her once I start. And worse, I don’t want to let her go...
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 8, 2017
1849 people are currently reading
2155 people want to read
About the author
Vivian Wood
156 books2,817 followersVivian likes to write about troubled, deeply flawed alpha males and the fiery, kick-ass women who bring them to their knees.
Add me on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2qKflud
Add me on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2ob66AI
Add me on BookBub: http://bit.ly/2wzompJ
Join my list: http://vivian-wood.com/get-news
Add me on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2qKflud
Add me on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2ob66AI
Add me on BookBub: http://bit.ly/2wzompJ
Join my list: http://vivian-wood.com/get-news
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews
July 1, 2017
This one surprised the crap out of me. In a good way!!
In the beginning I almost sat the book down and walked away. Thought it was going to be a wham bam thank you ma'am kind of book. You know one that you shake your head at cause you figured it out from the first chapter. Yet, I was wrong. I liked it, I really enjoyed it.
Ellie loved her big brothers best friend for as long as she can remember. Problem was he is 13 years older than her so he never saw her anyway but his best friends little sister until the 22 year old beauty and him get stranded in her brothers cabin for a lengthy stay.
Henry is dealing with past problems caused by the war. PTSD. He needed a getaway to get himself pulled together. Sometime to reflect on everything. The last thing he needed when he pulled up to his best friends cabin was his baby sister there running away from her cheating fiancé. They were thrown together by snow storms bounding them in.
What happens at the cabin stays at the cabin, right????!
I'm glad I took a chance and read this, and I'm really glad I didn't give up. Although some things did make me shake my head, I kept going and I'm happy I did ❤️
In the beginning I almost sat the book down and walked away. Thought it was going to be a wham bam thank you ma'am kind of book. You know one that you shake your head at cause you figured it out from the first chapter. Yet, I was wrong. I liked it, I really enjoyed it.
Ellie loved her big brothers best friend for as long as she can remember. Problem was he is 13 years older than her so he never saw her anyway but his best friends little sister until the 22 year old beauty and him get stranded in her brothers cabin for a lengthy stay.
Henry is dealing with past problems caused by the war. PTSD. He needed a getaway to get himself pulled together. Sometime to reflect on everything. The last thing he needed when he pulled up to his best friends cabin was his baby sister there running away from her cheating fiancé. They were thrown together by snow storms bounding them in.
What happens at the cabin stays at the cabin, right????!
I'm glad I took a chance and read this, and I'm really glad I didn't give up. Although some things did make me shake my head, I kept going and I'm happy I did ❤️
July 14, 2018
3.5 stars from me!
It's a nice, sweet story, "summer read" kind of a book.
Ellie has had her crush on Henry for ever. He is her brother's best friend. And he strong, handsome and older guy. He was in the navy and still suffering from PTSD...
Ellie is pretty and cute and smart and there's no shortage of attention for her from guys. But you know what it's like: if there is one guy you want, then others just don't matter.
So she was always a "kid" in his eyes. A little girl he was happy to look after and to protect, but she was always off limits. She is his best friend's little sis after all...
Basically, the book is all about "Will they?" or "Will they not?"....
And if they will, would that last? Whose heart is gonna be broken?
There author has managed to give a sense of tension and desire quite well. You can nearly feel Ellie's awkwardness and shyness at times, and then you get that electrifying tension in the air when Henry is trying to resist his attraction to Ellie.
The main downfall for me personally was that bit with Ellie's brother being apparently a President. There was no need for that, didn't make any difference to the story and odd episodes with "agents" and "special forces" were rather awkward and ridiculous, to be honest.
Nevertheless, it was quite alright and I enjoyed it. This was my first book by this author and I might pick another book by Vivian Wood.
It's a nice, sweet story, "summer read" kind of a book.
Ellie has had her crush on Henry for ever. He is her brother's best friend. And he strong, handsome and older guy. He was in the navy and still suffering from PTSD...
Ellie is pretty and cute and smart and there's no shortage of attention for her from guys. But you know what it's like: if there is one guy you want, then others just don't matter.
So she was always a "kid" in his eyes. A little girl he was happy to look after and to protect, but she was always off limits. She is his best friend's little sis after all...
Basically, the book is all about "Will they?" or "Will they not?"....
And if they will, would that last? Whose heart is gonna be broken?
There author has managed to give a sense of tension and desire quite well. You can nearly feel Ellie's awkwardness and shyness at times, and then you get that electrifying tension in the air when Henry is trying to resist his attraction to Ellie.
The main downfall for me personally was that bit with Ellie's brother being apparently a President. There was no need for that, didn't make any difference to the story and odd episodes with "agents" and "special forces" were rather awkward and ridiculous, to be honest.
Nevertheless, it was quite alright and I enjoyed it. This was my first book by this author and I might pick another book by Vivian Wood.
August 3, 2020
It's a very sweet romance. I didn't have much expectations in this book. But it surprised the crap out of me in a good way.
The start of the book was a bit slow but then suddenly the romance exploded. I totally loved it.
The start of the book was a bit slow but then suddenly the romance exploded. I totally loved it.
August 25, 2018
This was my first book from Vivian Wood and it was an okay read I guess but I found it difficult to connect to the characters. It took them forever to get together and before that I didn't sense any kind of connection between them so it made the romance feel flat. The writing also sometimes felt very choppy and was hard to read. Honestly the prologue was one the most confusing starts to a book I've read and it felt like we were kind of tossed into the middle of a scene without all of the facts or enough description. And then the ending came and it was so rushed it kind of blindsided me. Especially since the book ends a good bit before the 100% mark so I wasn't expecting it to just be over where it ended.
The overall premise of the book was interesting, especially since it's my favorite trope, but the the telling of the story just wasn't something I could get into very easily. But if you love this trope as much as I do you might end up liking this story more than I did, so give it a try.
June 17, 2021
DNF @ 47%
Believe me when I say I really tried to finish this book, mostly because I like this trope a lot. I just couldn't do it. I pushed myself to continue reading it even though I didn't really want to but I just can't. I didn't feel any connection with the characters whatsoever, the heroine felt a bit immature and I didn't really care how the story continues. I'm not sure if I'll read the rest of the books in the series.
June 15, 2017
They were hot steamy when they finally got together, but everything just seemed to take forever. And parts of it seemed choppy. Sweet little epilogue.
Want to read
December 20, 2024FREE on Amazon today (9/26/2017)!
June 12, 2017
"His Best Friend's Little Sister" is the very first book I have read form Ms Wood and I truly enjoyed the read. Though this is the second book in the series it can be read as a stand alone.
Our hero Henry is a retired Navy Seal working with Veterans until he has a severe PTSD Epsisode and attackes a co-worker , given time off to sort himself out Henry finds himself driving to a remote cabin of his Freind Eli, the very new President of the United States ; afterall he still has a key and some peace and serenity and alone time will do him some good .Little did Henry know the cabin was already occupied. Ellie , Eli's little sister beat a hasty retreat out of DC when after graduation while out celebrating at a bar she walked into a back room to find her fiancé Sean.; occupied with a blonde on all fours, humiliating by itself but made worse by one of the many reporters that shadow her since she is the Presidents Little sister.
You would think freinds since childhood would have no issues staying n a large cabin together however , Ellie has had a crush on Henry ,well forever , but gave up after being shot down by him once when she was in High school and feeling bold enough to show her intrest .
As for Henry he could not reciprocate her feelings, hell she was more than ten years his junior and his best freinds little sisteR.
When Henry reaches the cabin, upon entering he realizes he is not alone, thinking someone has broken in e pulls his gum and proceeds to scare Ellie right out of her towel. Dumbfounded at the appearance of Ellie, he'll in his head she is a teenager, not this gorgeous long legged red head with a great ass, an ass that he can imagine suddenly watching as he plows into her!
These two fight their attraction , but finally succumb while in their private cabin paradise.
Henry however , is experiencing guilt for being with his best freinds sister, along with coping with his PTSD issues, when both are called back to DC by Eli , who does not know about them Everything goes sideways.
Ms . Wood takes you through a plethora of emotions with these two, hot sexy times, sweet touching times and even some sad times giving you a well developed cast of Chracters.
Is the affair over ? Does Henry care for Ellie? Can they open up and tell Eli they have been together ?
I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
Our hero Henry is a retired Navy Seal working with Veterans until he has a severe PTSD Epsisode and attackes a co-worker , given time off to sort himself out Henry finds himself driving to a remote cabin of his Freind Eli, the very new President of the United States ; afterall he still has a key and some peace and serenity and alone time will do him some good .Little did Henry know the cabin was already occupied. Ellie , Eli's little sister beat a hasty retreat out of DC when after graduation while out celebrating at a bar she walked into a back room to find her fiancé Sean.; occupied with a blonde on all fours, humiliating by itself but made worse by one of the many reporters that shadow her since she is the Presidents Little sister.
You would think freinds since childhood would have no issues staying n a large cabin together however , Ellie has had a crush on Henry ,well forever , but gave up after being shot down by him once when she was in High school and feeling bold enough to show her intrest .
As for Henry he could not reciprocate her feelings, hell she was more than ten years his junior and his best freinds little sisteR.
When Henry reaches the cabin, upon entering he realizes he is not alone, thinking someone has broken in e pulls his gum and proceeds to scare Ellie right out of her towel. Dumbfounded at the appearance of Ellie, he'll in his head she is a teenager, not this gorgeous long legged red head with a great ass, an ass that he can imagine suddenly watching as he plows into her!
These two fight their attraction , but finally succumb while in their private cabin paradise.
Henry however , is experiencing guilt for being with his best freinds sister, along with coping with his PTSD issues, when both are called back to DC by Eli , who does not know about them Everything goes sideways.
Ms . Wood takes you through a plethora of emotions with these two, hot sexy times, sweet touching times and even some sad times giving you a well developed cast of Chracters.
Is the affair over ? Does Henry care for Ellie? Can they open up and tell Eli they have been together ?
I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 20, 2017
Received an ARC for my fair review. They had a fairly good age difference, and he was her big brothers best friend, but she always had a crush on him, and he always said she was off limits to him. But things change when they both end up in a cabin that was supposed to be empty. They both try to stay away from each other, Ellie still remembers when he rebuffed her, and Henry can't believe that this woman is his best friends litter sister. It was a little to read about him dealing with PTSD, and how they start finding there will to each other, and they really cant fight the temptation, it really is a good book, it has so much emotion,and so many other things, but I can't share, you have to read it, for yourselves it will definitely not be my last...
December 20, 2022
I'd give this 3.5 stars. A good read, fun a lot of the time, with some steamy scenes, but a lot of the plot points are dropped rather easily considering some are actually majorly crippling conditions that some people struggle with for years if not a life time, which makes the story's believability suffer.
November 13, 2020
I had not great expectations on this story but I appreciated it. Characters were good, their actions/motivations were likable - enjoyable one time read!
July 1, 2017
Find This and Other Reviews At Craves The Angst.
4 Hot Navy SEALS Stars!
The Review:
This was a deliciously sexy, sweet, fun, romantic story and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I finished it in one setting and couldn’t put it down until I got to the HEA I wanted so desperately for Henry and Ellie.
Told in alternating POV’s, Ellie has been in love with her brothers best friend most of her life. But Henry is thirteen years her senior and never saw Ellie as more than his best friend's much younger sister, even after a failed attempt on Ellie’s part to get him to notice her as more.
But years later, Ellie is all grown up and she’s running from a scandal set in motion by her cheating fiance. Hiding away in a cabin in the mountains is just the relaxation she needs ... until Henry shows up looking for his own escape.
Henry, suffering PTSD after his stint in the SEALS, is looking for peace and quiet. Remembering the family cabin he and his best friend Eli, used to retreat to, he goes looking for that peace in a remote place where he hopes he can come to terms with his life. But what he didn’t expect to find was a gorgeous and forbidden temptation waiting for him when he arrived.
These two were SEEEEEXY! Their bedrooms scenes were SCORCHING HOT! Yum! Henry’s reluctance to bed his best friend's younger sister added loads of butterfly inducing sexual tension! And the way Henry was dealing with his PTSD added genuine emotion to the story. I loved how open and honesty Ellie was when facing Henry’s PTSD. She was kind, understanding but also a little hesitant because she realized she really didn’t know Henry. But after they both succumb to what’s brewing between them, their chemistry EXPLODED! And whoooha!! Did I mention it was scorching hot?
The Wrap Up:
I loved the writing. I loved the story. And I loved the family dynamics at play, especially when Eli finds out what’s been happening between his baby sister and his best friend.
Brothers-best-friends-little-sister is one of my favorite tropes and this one was just a joy to read. I read it while I was on my own getaway, in my own little cabin in the woods and it just added to the whole experience. This was a new-to-me author but one I’m definitely reading more of, especially if any of her other stories are as sexy and well put together as this one.
4 Hot Navy SEALS Stars!
The Review:
This was a deliciously sexy, sweet, fun, romantic story and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I finished it in one setting and couldn’t put it down until I got to the HEA I wanted so desperately for Henry and Ellie.
Told in alternating POV’s, Ellie has been in love with her brothers best friend most of her life. But Henry is thirteen years her senior and never saw Ellie as more than his best friend's much younger sister, even after a failed attempt on Ellie’s part to get him to notice her as more.
But years later, Ellie is all grown up and she’s running from a scandal set in motion by her cheating fiance. Hiding away in a cabin in the mountains is just the relaxation she needs ... until Henry shows up looking for his own escape.
Henry, suffering PTSD after his stint in the SEALS, is looking for peace and quiet. Remembering the family cabin he and his best friend Eli, used to retreat to, he goes looking for that peace in a remote place where he hopes he can come to terms with his life. But what he didn’t expect to find was a gorgeous and forbidden temptation waiting for him when he arrived.
These two were SEEEEEXY! Their bedrooms scenes were SCORCHING HOT! Yum! Henry’s reluctance to bed his best friend's younger sister added loads of butterfly inducing sexual tension! And the way Henry was dealing with his PTSD added genuine emotion to the story. I loved how open and honesty Ellie was when facing Henry’s PTSD. She was kind, understanding but also a little hesitant because she realized she really didn’t know Henry. But after they both succumb to what’s brewing between them, their chemistry EXPLODED! And whoooha!! Did I mention it was scorching hot?
The Wrap Up:
I loved the writing. I loved the story. And I loved the family dynamics at play, especially when Eli finds out what’s been happening between his baby sister and his best friend.
Brothers-best-friends-little-sister is one of my favorite tropes and this one was just a joy to read. I read it while I was on my own getaway, in my own little cabin in the woods and it just added to the whole experience. This was a new-to-me author but one I’m definitely reading more of, especially if any of her other stories are as sexy and well put together as this one.
March 17, 2021
ah, *swishes wine glass* the perfect palate cleanser. now i can finally read something good again.
July 5, 2017
Enjoyable
4 stars
This book was punished with sex it was enjoyable and had crying times. This book also made me want to scream and shout but in the end the story was enjoyable and sex filled. The author did a great job with the storyline that she brought me right into it and didn't waiver at all.
I only read this story I didn't read the next one because I was only interested in this read. I know a lot of people love the additional story that Author's provide but for me I just wanted to read this story.
Happy sexy reading
4 stars
This book was punished with sex it was enjoyable and had crying times. This book also made me want to scream and shout but in the end the story was enjoyable and sex filled. The author did a great job with the storyline that she brought me right into it and didn't waiver at all.
I only read this story I didn't read the next one because I was only interested in this read. I know a lot of people love the additional story that Author's provide but for me I just wanted to read this story.
Happy sexy reading
June 11, 2017
This was a very sweet, sexy story. Ellie has been crushing hard on her brothers best friend Henry since she was little but with a 13 year age gap the feelings weren't mutual. Years later and following boyfriend problems Ellie just needs to get away. However she didn't expect to find Henry, a damaged SEAL. And that's when things really start heating up.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this review voluntarily
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this review voluntarily
November 15, 2020
I liked the chemistry between the two of them while in the cabin. but after they left it got annoying. and then what happened at the end was very weird but it was all so fast. it almost seemed like 2 different books. the sex scenes were awesome. but by the end I was very frustrated with the 2 of them. but I stuck with it and try but their hea.
June 10, 2017
His Best Friend's Little Sister is a sweetly sexy and complex romance story. Henry is a tall drink on a hot day Navy Seal with a bit of a broken side to him. Ellie is the little sister of the newly elect President of the United States ( her brother’s story is "His Virgin"). Ellie had a huge crush on Henry when she was growing up but he saw her as a kid so she sadly gave up after the move she made was not reciprocated. 4 years later she's graduated college and just found her boyfriend cheating so she is off to her brother’s cabin but when she gets there she has a surprise guest…Henry.
This is a best friend’s little sister story that is complex and so steamy. We get to see a side of Henry that wasn’t in His Virgin and we see the sensitive side. We also see the sassy n sweet Ellie and how she has been in love with Henry all this time. Their path to love is marred by tragedy and the story goes thru some twists and turns. When I thought things would happen to the MC, it didn’t and it seemed the story wasn't as predictable which was great. The only minor issue I do have is I would have liked an epilogue to see how the characters are doing down the road a year or so. Something to see how they were doing after all they went thru. The story ended on more of a HFN ending and I would have liked a more HEA note. Otherwise, this was a beautifully written story of two characters who really connected emotionally and their forbidden love really is more right than anything else.
My Rating: 4.5 stars *****
"I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
This is a best friend’s little sister story that is complex and so steamy. We get to see a side of Henry that wasn’t in His Virgin and we see the sensitive side. We also see the sassy n sweet Ellie and how she has been in love with Henry all this time. Their path to love is marred by tragedy and the story goes thru some twists and turns. When I thought things would happen to the MC, it didn’t and it seemed the story wasn't as predictable which was great. The only minor issue I do have is I would have liked an epilogue to see how the characters are doing down the road a year or so. Something to see how they were doing after all they went thru. The story ended on more of a HFN ending and I would have liked a more HEA note. Otherwise, this was a beautifully written story of two characters who really connected emotionally and their forbidden love really is more right than anything else.
My Rating: 4.5 stars *****
"I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
June 13, 2017
Vivian Wood did an AMAZING job with this book! The characters are seamlessly written & I could definitely feel the push & pull between each character's emotions. Ellie has just graduated Georgetown thinking she has the tiger by the tale then her world turns inside out when she finds her boyfriend cheating. She takes some much needed time alone, off in her brother The President, Eli's cabin. Just as she's settling in to figure what to do now, in comes Henry. He's had tough times of his own & also decided to take a hiatus to the cabin but he thought he'd be alone. Ellie has always had it bad for Henry, her brother's best friend & seeing him now regardless of their age difference is not any different. Henry soon realizes that Eli's little sister is no longer little but quite the exquisite woman. Will he make a move on the beautiful Forbidden Ellie? Will Ellie finally get her past fantasies realized? Grab a copy of Vivian's book now & settle in for a fantastic read. I voluntarily read this ARC & this is my honest review.
June 13, 2017
At start I thought oh, this is going to be a bit strange for me to read about relationship with big age difference, but then again there is no limit when true love is in question.
I was pleasant surprised and couldn't put the book until i came till the end. Hooked from the start till the end; smiled with sympathy for both of them, waiting with anticipation what and when something will happen, little annoyed on some scenes, in need for shower on others ;) and sad about the loss, but happy about the end. I am not going to write about the details of the book because I don't want to spoil others reading experience, I just want to say that while reading this book it took me back in my childhood when I had a crush of my cousin's best friend (because I don't have a brother)
I was pleasant surprised and couldn't put the book until i came till the end. Hooked from the start till the end; smiled with sympathy for both of them, waiting with anticipation what and when something will happen, little annoyed on some scenes, in need for shower on others ;) and sad about the loss, but happy about the end. I am not going to write about the details of the book because I don't want to spoil others reading experience, I just want to say that while reading this book it took me back in my childhood when I had a crush of my cousin's best friend (because I don't have a brother)
May 12, 2022
3.5/5
Overall this was a super fun read and I don't have much to say. The characters are likeable, the steam was (maybe overly lmao) plentiful, and the plot was perfectly light and fluffy. (Albeit definitely cheesy) I also really appreciate an age gap romance that doesn't make the younger party feel crazy young to differentiate the age gap. Mostly, I inhaled this book, lol
*SPOILER WARNING*
My only real issue was the last 75%. I'm not huge on pregnancy and kids in romance, purely by personal preference, and this one wasn't hinted at, at all, in the blurb. Even then I might have just passed it buttttt it ended up being ectopic where she almost died and I definitely think there should be a warning for that. I'm not triggered by it, but it's a sensitive issue for a lot of people and with no warning of even potential pregnancy it's a bit more surprising.
Overall this was a super fun read and I don't have much to say. The characters are likeable, the steam was (maybe overly lmao) plentiful, and the plot was perfectly light and fluffy. (Albeit definitely cheesy) I also really appreciate an age gap romance that doesn't make the younger party feel crazy young to differentiate the age gap. Mostly, I inhaled this book, lol
*SPOILER WARNING*
My only real issue was the last 75%. I'm not huge on pregnancy and kids in romance, purely by personal preference, and this one wasn't hinted at, at all, in the blurb. Even then I might have just passed it buttttt it ended up being ectopic where she almost died and I definitely think there should be a warning for that. I'm not triggered by it, but it's a sensitive issue for a lot of people and with no warning of even potential pregnancy it's a bit more surprising.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2017
I devoured this book. I could not put it down once I started. This book is hot, steaming and a best friend's younger sister kind of read.
Ellie has always had a crush on Henry. But Henry is loyal to his best friend and there is over a 10 year age difference between them. Both taking time away from their lives for a break.
What happens when they both are stranded at this cabin? Will Ellie make a move for the only guy who has given her that spark by just being near her? Will Henry be able to control the sexual tension radiating between them or will desire take over giving Ellie exactly what and who she wants?
Ellie has always had a crush on Henry. But Henry is loyal to his best friend and there is over a 10 year age difference between them. Both taking time away from their lives for a break.
What happens when they both are stranded at this cabin? Will Ellie make a move for the only guy who has given her that spark by just being near her? Will Henry be able to control the sexual tension radiating between them or will desire take over giving Ellie exactly what and who she wants?
July 23, 2017
Snow bound
Henry and Ellie were electric together. Ellie was running from the pain and embarrassment of catching her boyfriend with another woman while Henry was running from himself. Experiencing episodes of PTSD and needing time to get himself together he headed to his friends cabin for a quiet getaway. Not knowing that his friends little sister was already there, they become snowed in and that's when things really get hot.
Henry and Ellie were electric together. Ellie was running from the pain and embarrassment of catching her boyfriend with another woman while Henry was running from himself. Experiencing episodes of PTSD and needing time to get himself together he headed to his friends cabin for a quiet getaway. Not knowing that his friends little sister was already there, they become snowed in and that's when things really get hot.
February 7, 2024
2.5 stars rounded up
Yeah the hero’s jealousy, “I’ll rip your arms off if you touch her,” angry thing didn’t work for me. The fact that she lost her virginity when he was in a jealous fog didn’t either.
A good chunk of the sex that followed was hot, but I got annoyed that it teased ass play (fingertip, mention of rimjob) but didn’t show any of it.
The whole her brother being president at 35 was also weird. And I didn’t like either his overprotective blowup or the fact that more time was spent on the hero reconciling with the brother than with the heroine.
CW: PTSD from military service; unplanned pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage
Yeah the hero’s jealousy, “I’ll rip your arms off if you touch her,” angry thing didn’t work for me. The fact that she lost her virginity when he was in a jealous fog didn’t either.
A good chunk of the sex that followed was hot, but I got annoyed that it teased ass play (fingertip, mention of rimjob) but didn’t show any of it.
The whole her brother being president at 35 was also weird. And I didn’t like either his overprotective blowup or the fact that more time was spent on the hero reconciling with the brother than with the heroine.
CW: PTSD from military service; unplanned pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage
December 14, 2017
This is a sweet romance with a great storyline. Ellie and Henry are great characters and you really get drawn into their complex love story. Their age difference and Henry being Ellie's big brother's best friend make it difficult for them to connect at first but once they do they are so good together. There is of course the inevitable hurdle for them to overcome before they can truely be together, but true love will alway win out in the end.
June 10, 2017
A great sexy read. It's hard to resist a Navy SEAL, with all that hard muscle and brooding attitude. It's even harder to resist one you've had a crush on your whole life. Age knows no limit when the feelings and love is there. Henry and Ellie are perfect for each other!
October 29, 2020
I received this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I Loved this story and the emotionally charged HEA that comes with loving your best friends' little sister.
A great read. Can’t wait for the next one.
A great read. Can’t wait for the next one.
July 6, 2022
I’d prefer to give it maybe 2.5 stars. There was too much meaningless sexual content, with details I prefer not to read.
It was a sort of sweet story, though there were parts that were beyond implausible. Her brother was the youngest president ever, and according to my calculations, that made him no older than 36. I’m not sure what the rules are when it comes to the age of a person running for president, but no one can be president unless they are at least 35 years old. The Secret Service was referred to as body guards, which is weird. The term body guard seems to better apply to people who are not part of a specific organization, but are more like like men with military backgrounds, who are simply taking jobs that fit their personalities and qualifications.
I was unsure if an ectopic pregnancy would present as it did in the book, or if the treatment so minimally described was accurate, so I did some research. The author’s descriptions did seem to be possible.
It was a sort of sweet story, though there were parts that were beyond implausible. Her brother was the youngest president ever, and according to my calculations, that made him no older than 36. I’m not sure what the rules are when it comes to the age of a person running for president, but no one can be president unless they are at least 35 years old. The Secret Service was referred to as body guards, which is weird. The term body guard seems to better apply to people who are not part of a specific organization, but are more like like men with military backgrounds, who are simply taking jobs that fit their personalities and qualifications.
I was unsure if an ectopic pregnancy would present as it did in the book, or if the treatment so minimally described was accurate, so I did some research. The author’s descriptions did seem to be possible.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2020
Way too many factual errors. As a big OTH fan, I about died when she said OTH made California look appealing.... it was filmed in North Carolina. Also, way too many background details about the characters didn’t add up. It was like halfway through the book she decided to add something new to the character and it contradicted what was previously written. Her depiction of what Henry did in the Navy didn’t really add up either, that he was a cook... then a SEAL?
June 9, 2017
Vivian Wood is a fairly new author to me, but she's not disappointed me yet, and she certainly kept me up reading until dawn to finish this novel, and I give it 4.5 stars.
We first meet Ellie six years in the past, she's 16, at a party, and somewhat drunk. She's been harboring a crush on her older brother Eli's best friend, Henry, for as long as she can remember, even though he's 12 years older than she is, in the Navy, and home on leave. The last time Henry saw her, she was a mere child, but he's certainly attracted to her at this age. The liquor loosens her tongue, and makes her brave enough to dance with him, flirt with him, admit her feelings for him and kiss him, only to be told that she's his best friend's little sister, he remembers when she was born, and she's too young for him and always will be. She then proves it by throwing up all over his shoes.
Fast forward 6 years and it's Ellie's college graduation. She's now a 22-year-old virgin, but plans to give that gift to Sean, her fiance for the past 2 years. She's celebrating at a club, her older brother, Eli, is now the POTUS, and he phones her and she has to step out to the alley to hear him. He tells her that part of her graduation gift from him is her own key to the family's mountain cabin. When she goes back inside she doesn't see Sean, but she gets quite a shock when she does find him--he's in a back room nailing a blonde from behind, and Ellie is devastated, even more so when her humiliation is caught on camera by a reporter. The Secret Service agents who are her constant companions take her home, and she decides to get out of town and head to the cabin immediately.
Also heading to that same cabin in another key holder--Henry. He's now an ex-Navy SEAL, thanks to his PTSD, and after having a PTSD meltdown at his job at a veteran rehabilitation clinic. He's been told to take a paid leave of absence and deal with his issues, and so he heads to the cabin to deal with it alone--he thinks. Imagine his surprise when he lets himself inside only to discover an almost naked redhead wearing nothing but a towel, who drops the towel when she hears the cabin door open and shut. Yes, it's Ellie, and she's not a little girl any more. When the two get snowed in for days, these two characters finally get a chance to really get to know each other--pretty much in every room of the very large vacation cabin, the when they finally do act on their mutual attraction for days on end, it's hot enough to melt every snowflake on the mountain. But Henry feels guilty at betraying his best friend, and still believes he's too old for Ellie, and remember, she's now the President's younger sister.
There's certainly a lot more to the story, and these are well-drawn, likable characters with real emotional depth, and, as they go from being friends to becoming lovers, Ms. Wood does a great job of letting you feel what they're feeling and empathize with their joy, their guilt, their pain and their sorrow, all while keeping this novel an erotic thrill ride--no small accomplishment.
If there was anything about this truly absorbing novel I'd change, it's that I would have loved to have seen Ellie's unfaithful ex-fiance get his comeuppance, either from Eli or Henry, or both of them. The fact that Ellie is the only one to suffer the consequences of Sean's very public humiliation of her left me feeling that there was some unfinished business where Sean was concerned. Otherwise, this was an excellent, well-written, well-plotted novel that I'm happy to recommend, and I plan to be reading a lot more from this author in the future.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this novel and received no compensation for doing so. The opinions expressed are my own.
We first meet Ellie six years in the past, she's 16, at a party, and somewhat drunk. She's been harboring a crush on her older brother Eli's best friend, Henry, for as long as she can remember, even though he's 12 years older than she is, in the Navy, and home on leave. The last time Henry saw her, she was a mere child, but he's certainly attracted to her at this age. The liquor loosens her tongue, and makes her brave enough to dance with him, flirt with him, admit her feelings for him and kiss him, only to be told that she's his best friend's little sister, he remembers when she was born, and she's too young for him and always will be. She then proves it by throwing up all over his shoes.
Fast forward 6 years and it's Ellie's college graduation. She's now a 22-year-old virgin, but plans to give that gift to Sean, her fiance for the past 2 years. She's celebrating at a club, her older brother, Eli, is now the POTUS, and he phones her and she has to step out to the alley to hear him. He tells her that part of her graduation gift from him is her own key to the family's mountain cabin. When she goes back inside she doesn't see Sean, but she gets quite a shock when she does find him--he's in a back room nailing a blonde from behind, and Ellie is devastated, even more so when her humiliation is caught on camera by a reporter. The Secret Service agents who are her constant companions take her home, and she decides to get out of town and head to the cabin immediately.
Also heading to that same cabin in another key holder--Henry. He's now an ex-Navy SEAL, thanks to his PTSD, and after having a PTSD meltdown at his job at a veteran rehabilitation clinic. He's been told to take a paid leave of absence and deal with his issues, and so he heads to the cabin to deal with it alone--he thinks. Imagine his surprise when he lets himself inside only to discover an almost naked redhead wearing nothing but a towel, who drops the towel when she hears the cabin door open and shut. Yes, it's Ellie, and she's not a little girl any more. When the two get snowed in for days, these two characters finally get a chance to really get to know each other--pretty much in every room of the very large vacation cabin, the when they finally do act on their mutual attraction for days on end, it's hot enough to melt every snowflake on the mountain. But Henry feels guilty at betraying his best friend, and still believes he's too old for Ellie, and remember, she's now the President's younger sister.
There's certainly a lot more to the story, and these are well-drawn, likable characters with real emotional depth, and, as they go from being friends to becoming lovers, Ms. Wood does a great job of letting you feel what they're feeling and empathize with their joy, their guilt, their pain and their sorrow, all while keeping this novel an erotic thrill ride--no small accomplishment.
If there was anything about this truly absorbing novel I'd change, it's that I would have loved to have seen Ellie's unfaithful ex-fiance get his comeuppance, either from Eli or Henry, or both of them. The fact that Ellie is the only one to suffer the consequences of Sean's very public humiliation of her left me feeling that there was some unfinished business where Sean was concerned. Otherwise, this was an excellent, well-written, well-plotted novel that I'm happy to recommend, and I plan to be reading a lot more from this author in the future.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this novel and received no compensation for doing so. The opinions expressed are my own.
May 15, 2021
I secretly — okay, maybe not so secretly now — love the best friend/little sister trope.
There is an age gap of, I think, 18 years. However, nothing happened until Ellie was in her 20’s. There was a brief moment when she was 16 but Henry stopped it.
Now that that is out of the way. This was steamy! I wasn’t expecting this level of smut. And with a somewhat slow burn of flirtation. The locked away in a cabin, snowed in, dynamic worked with that, too.
This was a quick read, with a straight forward storyline, but it was fun.
There is an age gap of, I think, 18 years. However, nothing happened until Ellie was in her 20’s. There was a brief moment when she was 16 but Henry stopped it.
Now that that is out of the way. This was steamy! I wasn’t expecting this level of smut. And with a somewhat slow burn of flirtation. The locked away in a cabin, snowed in, dynamic worked with that, too.
This was a quick read, with a straight forward storyline, but it was fun.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews