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Cottonwood Cove #1
Into the Tide
She’s my best friend’s little sister. Completely off-limits. But every man has his breaking point.
Lila James is my best friend’s little sister and I’ve always looked out for her.
She's five years younger than me, and when she left for college, she was just a kid.
But now she’s home for the summer—and she’s definitely not a kid anymore.
She’s beautiful and smart and everything I didn’t know I needed.
Dark eyes. Long wavy hair. And legs that are meant to be wrapped around me.
I'm the guy who likes to have a good time.
Keep things light.
When her brother asks me to hire her at my restaurant, it's a no-brainer.
There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her.
Until she asks me for one more favor.
She wants me to be her first.
Take her V-card.
Go where no man has gone before.
Her words, not mine.
And damn if I don’t want to go there more than I’ve ever wanted anything.
She's only here for the summer, and she says it will be our secret.
It’s temporary.
We’ll go back to being just friends at the end of summer.
She promises that she won’t fall for me.
She knows better.
But Lila isn’t the one I'm worried about.
Lila James is my best friend’s little sister and I’ve always looked out for her.
She's five years younger than me, and when she left for college, she was just a kid.
But now she’s home for the summer—and she’s definitely not a kid anymore.
She’s beautiful and smart and everything I didn’t know I needed.
Dark eyes. Long wavy hair. And legs that are meant to be wrapped around me.
I'm the guy who likes to have a good time.
Keep things light.
When her brother asks me to hire her at my restaurant, it's a no-brainer.
There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her.
Until she asks me for one more favor.
She wants me to be her first.
Take her V-card.
Go where no man has gone before.
Her words, not mine.
And damn if I don’t want to go there more than I’ve ever wanted anything.
She's only here for the summer, and she says it will be our secret.
It’s temporary.
We’ll go back to being just friends at the end of summer.
She promises that she won’t fall for me.
She knows better.
But Lila isn’t the one I'm worried about.
367 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 16, 2023
About the author
Laura Pavlov
41 books2,938 followersI write sweet and sexy contemporary romance that will make you both laugh and cry. I'm happily married to my college sweetheart, we've got two awesome kids, one temperamental yorkie and one wild bernedoodle. I'm living my own happily ever after in Las Vegas. Be sure to sign up for updates on new releases. I love hearing from readers!
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Website➡️https://www.laurapavlov.com/
Instagram➡️https://bit.ly/2TKf5Zs
Pav-Loves Readers ➡️ https://bit.ly/2OKU6T5
Newsletter ➡️ https://bit.ly/2M3MzRv
Facebook➡️http://bit.ly/3eSvEdp
Goodreads ➡️ https://bit.ly/31sh2Oz
BookBub➡️http://bit.ly/3ii8Vdp
Amazon➡️http://amzn.to/3c1xKZX
Website➡️https://www.laurapavlov.com/
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March 14, 2023💕 INTO THE TIDE COVER + BLURB REVEAL 💕
Into the Tide: https://geni.us/intothetide
𝗦𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱’𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆
𝗼𝗳𝗳-𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁.
Lila James is my best friend’s little sister and I’ve always looked out for her.
She's five years younger than me, and when she left for college, she was just a kid.
But now she’s home for the summer—and she’s definitely not a kid anymore.
She’s beautiful and smart and everything I didn’t know I needed.
Dark eyes. Long wavy hair. And legs that are meant to be wrapped around me.
I'm the guy who likes to have a good time.
Keep things light.
When her brother asks me to hire her at my restaurant, it's a no-brainer.
There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her.
Until she asks me for one more favor.
She wants me to be her first.
𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘝-𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘥.
𝘎𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦.
Her words, not mine.
And damn if I don’t want to go there more than I’ve ever wanted anything.
She's only here for the summer, and she says it will be our secret.
It’s temporary.
We’ll go back to being just friends at the end of summer.
She promises that she won’t fall for me.
She knows better.
But Lila isn’t the one I'm worried about.
Cover Designer @byhangle
Photographer @madisonmaltby_photo
Into the Tide: https://geni.us/intothetide
𝗦𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱’𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆
𝗼𝗳𝗳-𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁.
Lila James is my best friend’s little sister and I’ve always looked out for her.
She's five years younger than me, and when she left for college, she was just a kid.
But now she’s home for the summer—and she’s definitely not a kid anymore.
She’s beautiful and smart and everything I didn’t know I needed.
Dark eyes. Long wavy hair. And legs that are meant to be wrapped around me.
I'm the guy who likes to have a good time.
Keep things light.
When her brother asks me to hire her at my restaurant, it's a no-brainer.
There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her.
Until she asks me for one more favor.
She wants me to be her first.
𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘝-𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘥.
𝘎𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦.
Her words, not mine.
And damn if I don’t want to go there more than I’ve ever wanted anything.
She's only here for the summer, and she says it will be our secret.
It’s temporary.
We’ll go back to being just friends at the end of summer.
She promises that she won’t fall for me.
She knows better.
But Lila isn’t the one I'm worried about.
Cover Designer @byhangle
Photographer @madisonmaltby_photo
March 6, 2023
Someone slap me for waiting so long to read a Laura Pavlov masterpiece! Into the Tide was swoony, sexy, and just downright FUN. I smiled the whole time — when I wasn’t blushing, at least. ;) The creek scene will live rent-free in my head for the rest of my days. And the angsty deliciousness of best friend’s little sister? I ATE IT UP. The writing was fluid and swept me away. The story was addicting and fun. An easy five star read that I won’t forget!
March 20, 2023
”No one knows what they’re doing until they find someone worth doing it with.”
Laura Pavlov just smashed it out of the park with this first book in a brand new series. And with this hero, because I’m in love with Hugh Reynolds. He’s my favorite of her heroes so far, so I’m calling dibs!
”I’d never had a problem controlling myself around women. I wasn’t that guy. This would be a piece of cake.”
Hugh is a hardworking guy, someone who put his own plans on hold indefinitely to be there for his family. A real man with a protective streak and his heart in the right place, who is as growly as he is gentle when it matters. And hot. He is also not looking for a specific lady or a relationship. But both are about to be thrown in his lap.
”This girl turned me on in a way no one ever had, and she could make me laugh without even trying. When I was with Lila, it was easy and honest and real.”
While Lila is a virgin, she’s not one of those clueless ones who only manage to piss me off (I mean, this being the 21st century and all). She's a strong girl with a good head on her shoulders who knows what she wants. Maybe she wasn’t aware of what that was until she returned to Cottonwood Cove, but she is now.
And what, or who, she wants is going to change them both.
“I don’t think you’re desperate, Bear. I think any woman would be lucky to be with you.”
Lila comes back home for a break before she needs to start a new job in Chicago. She might be sort of ready for corporate America, but she’s definitely ready to wind down after all the pressure from college. When she ends up helping Hugh at the restaurant, that’s not surprising. Neither is it surprising when she goes to live with him in his casita, next to his own house. They're friends and all.
“Because you’re afraid of my brother? Or afraid of your feelings? Which one is it, because I know that you want me, and I obviously want you.”
Everything else that happens between them? Hell yes, that was surprising, especially for them. But also right. When she makes a bucket list of things she wants to do while she’s home and includes losing her V-card, something changes.
Maybe "changes" is the wrong word… Maybe something had been simmering between them for a bit.
"I wasn’t nervous with Hugh. He encouraged me to take what I wanted and not to be afraid to use my voice. Or my mouth, apparently."
I loved that, even though she's a virgin, she knows how to tempt him. He may think he shouldn’t, but he's a goner after a certain scene… and I may have a new fantasy I need to act on related to skinny dipping.
Just saying.
I blame Laura for this.
“What is it that I deserve, Bear?” I asked, closing the distance between us.
“Everything. Every. Fucking. Thing.”
They're amazing together. Every single thing about them screams "meant to be," even if her brother is an overbearing ass. I sort of forgave him in the end. Sort of.
His family's group chat is hilarious, and I can't wait for each of his brothers and sisters to meet their match.
"I always found her. Like she was calling to me from wherever she was."
A lot of what they have remains unsaid, though. So much so that it can be seen as something only physical, uneventful, that will pass.
And they both know she has a job waiting for her in the big city and that his life is rooted in their little hometown.
"#13. Tell Hugh Reynolds that I love him. Not a friendship kind of love. That I-can’t-live-without-you, people-write-poetry-about kind of love. The real deal."
The real question is: how can they work? What is he willing to give up for her, and what is she willing to do for him?
And what will it take for them to finally come out and say what everybody already knows they're feeling?
P.S. You need to read the bonus scene too. If you're not in love with Hugh yet, you surely will be then!
"He kissed me like it was the first time. He kissed me like it was the last time. He kissed me like it was forever."
This is the story of an unwavering friendship that becomes more, and a love that is built on strong foundations that you know will last. Their love comes through on every page, and you will want to follow them into whatever tide. It's that good.
Laura Pavlov just smashed it out of the park with this first book in a brand new series. And with this hero, because I’m in love with Hugh Reynolds. He’s my favorite of her heroes so far, so I’m calling dibs!
”I’d never had a problem controlling myself around women. I wasn’t that guy. This would be a piece of cake.”
Hugh is a hardworking guy, someone who put his own plans on hold indefinitely to be there for his family. A real man with a protective streak and his heart in the right place, who is as growly as he is gentle when it matters. And hot. He is also not looking for a specific lady or a relationship. But both are about to be thrown in his lap.
”This girl turned me on in a way no one ever had, and she could make me laugh without even trying. When I was with Lila, it was easy and honest and real.”
While Lila is a virgin, she’s not one of those clueless ones who only manage to piss me off (I mean, this being the 21st century and all). She's a strong girl with a good head on her shoulders who knows what she wants. Maybe she wasn’t aware of what that was until she returned to Cottonwood Cove, but she is now.
And what, or who, she wants is going to change them both.
“I don’t think you’re desperate, Bear. I think any woman would be lucky to be with you.”
Lila comes back home for a break before she needs to start a new job in Chicago. She might be sort of ready for corporate America, but she’s definitely ready to wind down after all the pressure from college. When she ends up helping Hugh at the restaurant, that’s not surprising. Neither is it surprising when she goes to live with him in his casita, next to his own house. They're friends and all.
“Because you’re afraid of my brother? Or afraid of your feelings? Which one is it, because I know that you want me, and I obviously want you.”
Everything else that happens between them? Hell yes, that was surprising, especially for them. But also right. When she makes a bucket list of things she wants to do while she’s home and includes losing her V-card, something changes.
Maybe "changes" is the wrong word… Maybe something had been simmering between them for a bit.
"I wasn’t nervous with Hugh. He encouraged me to take what I wanted and not to be afraid to use my voice. Or my mouth, apparently."
I loved that, even though she's a virgin, she knows how to tempt him. He may think he shouldn’t, but he's a goner after a certain scene… and I may have a new fantasy I need to act on related to skinny dipping.
Just saying.
I blame Laura for this.
“What is it that I deserve, Bear?” I asked, closing the distance between us.
“Everything. Every. Fucking. Thing.”
They're amazing together. Every single thing about them screams "meant to be," even if her brother is an overbearing ass. I sort of forgave him in the end. Sort of.
His family's group chat is hilarious, and I can't wait for each of his brothers and sisters to meet their match.
"I always found her. Like she was calling to me from wherever she was."
A lot of what they have remains unsaid, though. So much so that it can be seen as something only physical, uneventful, that will pass.
And they both know she has a job waiting for her in the big city and that his life is rooted in their little hometown.
"#13. Tell Hugh Reynolds that I love him. Not a friendship kind of love. That I-can’t-live-without-you, people-write-poetry-about kind of love. The real deal."
The real question is: how can they work? What is he willing to give up for her, and what is she willing to do for him?
And what will it take for them to finally come out and say what everybody already knows they're feeling?
P.S. You need to read the bonus scene too. If you're not in love with Hugh yet, you surely will be then!
"He kissed me like it was the first time. He kissed me like it was the last time. He kissed me like it was forever."
This is the story of an unwavering friendship that becomes more, and a love that is built on strong foundations that you know will last. Their love comes through on every page, and you will want to follow them into whatever tide. It's that good.
March 6, 2023
Gosh. I love Laura Pavlovs writing style SO MUCH. She is the freaking queen of dialogue between siblings. This book brought me right back to Honey Mountain and it made me soooo happy. I’m so excited for the rest of this series and for each siblings story (especially Cage 😉)
I loved Hugh and Lila’s story and it reminded me a little of Vivi and Niko.. maybe it’s just the long haired hottie but I still loved that it brought me back to that book!
This was done sooo well.. and I completely devoured it!!
Forced proximity
Overprotective brothers best friend
Her first time
Small town
Spice - 2 🌶️
I loved Hugh and Lila’s story and it reminded me a little of Vivi and Niko.. maybe it’s just the long haired hottie but I still loved that it brought me back to that book!
This was done sooo well.. and I completely devoured it!!
Forced proximity
Overprotective brothers best friend
Her first time
Small town
Spice - 2 🌶️
March 17, 2023
🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧
Hugh and Lila are just perfect!
There's no other way to describe them, and I'm not just talking about them as a couple or a sure thing, but as friends, as business partners and as their own person!
Lila is Hugh's best friend's little sister and the angst that comes with this trope is definitely present here!
I loved that they were close friends before anything else, that he was protective of her since childhood... That he was the one trying to resist the pull between them, but also the one who was falling harder.
He was perfect to her, respecting her desires and dreams, and being a safe heaven for her while she tried to help her dad and reunite her family, and although the virgin girl trope doesn't appeal me that much, the topic was so fluid and funny here, that I didn't really care about it.
Her brother annoyed me a lot, and if he hadn't seen the light at the end, I'm pretty sure he would've got himself a long rant here 😂😂.
Overall this is a great start to a new series, with interesting characters, the right amount of sweetness mixed with funny moments and obviously, a hero with huge BDE and the big appendage to fit the energy! 😂🔥
I seriously can't wait to see his siblings falling in love! Bring them on! ❣️
🎧 About the Audiobook Narration 🎧
Narrated by Connor Crais and Mackenzie Cartwright and it was amazing!
I love his narrations and she was spot on!
Hugh and Lila are just perfect!
There's no other way to describe them, and I'm not just talking about them as a couple or a sure thing, but as friends, as business partners and as their own person!
Lila is Hugh's best friend's little sister and the angst that comes with this trope is definitely present here!
I loved that they were close friends before anything else, that he was protective of her since childhood... That he was the one trying to resist the pull between them, but also the one who was falling harder.
He was perfect to her, respecting her desires and dreams, and being a safe heaven for her while she tried to help her dad and reunite her family, and although the virgin girl trope doesn't appeal me that much, the topic was so fluid and funny here, that I didn't really care about it.
Her brother annoyed me a lot, and if he hadn't seen the light at the end, I'm pretty sure he would've got himself a long rant here 😂😂.
Overall this is a great start to a new series, with interesting characters, the right amount of sweetness mixed with funny moments and obviously, a hero with huge BDE and the big appendage to fit the energy! 😂🔥
I seriously can't wait to see his siblings falling in love! Bring them on! ❣️
🎧 About the Audiobook Narration 🎧
Narrated by Connor Crais and Mackenzie Cartwright and it was amazing!
I love his narrations and she was spot on!
March 16, 2023
4.5 stars - such a good start to this new series!
lila is back in her small town after graduating from college and her brother forbids her from living with their father who struggles with addiction so she ends up living with and working for his best friend, hugh. hugh’s always been protective of lila but his feelings develop under such close proximity even though he knows her brother would kill him but sometimes it’s worth the risk.
this was so good! brother’s best friend but she’s also still carrying her ✨v card✨ so when she asks him for help, he resists before giving in to their chemistry. hugh was so hot and did so much for lila. i loved his whole family and i’m so excited to see their stories play out in the rest of the series.
emotional, sweet, spicy, a little bit of everything.
lila is back in her small town after graduating from college and her brother forbids her from living with their father who struggles with addiction so she ends up living with and working for his best friend, hugh. hugh’s always been protective of lila but his feelings develop under such close proximity even though he knows her brother would kill him but sometimes it’s worth the risk.
this was so good! brother’s best friend but she’s also still carrying her ✨v card✨ so when she asks him for help, he resists before giving in to their chemistry. hugh was so hot and did so much for lila. i loved his whole family and i’m so excited to see their stories play out in the rest of the series.
emotional, sweet, spicy, a little bit of everything.
March 18, 2023
***AUDIOBOOK***
5 STARS
Laura Pavlov kicked off her newest sweet and slightly steamy small town series with Into the Tide, and I absolutely loved these two!
What I loved most is the relationship between Lila and Hugh. Theirs is truly a story of two people who love each other for who they are. Theirs is a love that says I don’t care where we are as long as you’re by my side.
Laura Pavlov also tackled the struggles of having family who are addicts and how that changes families and sibling relationships. I really loved this aspect of the story.
Add to all that, the narrators did an amazing job bringing the story to life!
I definitely cannot wait for more!
5 STARS
Laura Pavlov kicked off her newest sweet and slightly steamy small town series with Into the Tide, and I absolutely loved these two!
What I loved most is the relationship between Lila and Hugh. Theirs is truly a story of two people who love each other for who they are. Theirs is a love that says I don’t care where we are as long as you’re by my side.
Laura Pavlov also tackled the struggles of having family who are addicts and how that changes families and sibling relationships. I really loved this aspect of the story.
Add to all that, the narrators did an amazing job bringing the story to life!
I definitely cannot wait for more!
March 16, 2023
I found my newest obsession and it’s this series. When I say I freaking loved it, I mean I LOVED it. I’m kinda bummed that it’s the first book and I have to wait for the rest of the series but I’m glad I still have stuff from the authors backlist to read while I wait. This made me swoon, made me laugh, made me a little emotional and was also super sexy. Lila and Hugh were magic together, I couldn’t get enough of them and their hot chemistry. I could move to Cottonwood Cove today and be quite happy, it was the coziest and most adorable town and then add in the secondary characters who were all amazing as well and I couldn’t want anything more. Hugh and his siblings seriously cracked me up and I can’t wait to see more from them in future books. I’ll stop rambling cause I could go on and on and just say if you like brothers best friend, forbidden, boss/employee, small town, and close proximity this was SO good.
March 15, 2023
⭒ Rating: 4,5 stars
I’m already in love with this new small town and group of characters! Hugh and Lila were the perfect intro to this series. I loved them as a couple so much, but it was their strong and beautiful friendship that had me really in my feels.
Hugh is introduced in Only Mine as the Thomas girls’ cousin and Dylan’s bff, and it was wonderful to see that connection in this book. We got to attend Dylan and Wolf’s wedding and it was beautiful to see them and the whole Honeymountain gang.
Lila was such a wonderful character. I loved getting to know her and seeing her find her happy again, home and with her people. Her brother got on my nerves a lot with how overprotective he was. He could be a real jerk even if he had good intentions. I’m glad he finally opened his eyes in the end. I loved how Lila never gave up hope for her father’s recovery and how she just put her heart and soul into everything she did. That girl was something else.
Hugh was perfection. He has my heart. He’s so sweet, protective, and sexy af. These two fit so perfectly and watching them grow together was a beautiful journey. Their chemistry was so good, and they had so much fun together.
Into the Tide was such a good book. I loved every minute I spent with these two. I can’t wait to spend more time with them in the remaining books. I’m so excited for the other sibling’s books but I also really want a book for Hugh’s second best friend, he was so fun and interesting. I want to watch him fall in love, too. Let’s hope he gets with one of Hugh's sisters ahah.
⭒ ARC kindly provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.
♥ Tropes: small town, brother’s bff, virgin heroine, roommates
♥ Details:
⭒ Order at: Amazon US
⭒ Follow me on: Instagram ⁕ Tiktok ⁕ Pinterest ⁕ Facebook
I’m already in love with this new small town and group of characters! Hugh and Lila were the perfect intro to this series. I loved them as a couple so much, but it was their strong and beautiful friendship that had me really in my feels.
Hugh is introduced in Only Mine as the Thomas girls’ cousin and Dylan’s bff, and it was wonderful to see that connection in this book. We got to attend Dylan and Wolf’s wedding and it was beautiful to see them and the whole Honeymountain gang.
Lila was such a wonderful character. I loved getting to know her and seeing her find her happy again, home and with her people. Her brother got on my nerves a lot with how overprotective he was. He could be a real jerk even if he had good intentions. I’m glad he finally opened his eyes in the end. I loved how Lila never gave up hope for her father’s recovery and how she just put her heart and soul into everything she did. That girl was something else.
Hugh was perfection. He has my heart. He’s so sweet, protective, and sexy af. These two fit so perfectly and watching them grow together was a beautiful journey. Their chemistry was so good, and they had so much fun together.
Into the Tide was such a good book. I loved every minute I spent with these two. I can’t wait to spend more time with them in the remaining books. I’m so excited for the other sibling’s books but I also really want a book for Hugh’s second best friend, he was so fun and interesting. I want to watch him fall in love, too. Let’s hope he gets with one of Hugh's sisters ahah.
⭒ ARC kindly provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.
♥ Tropes: small town, brother’s bff, virgin heroine, roommates
♥ Details:
⭒ Order at: Amazon US
⭒ Follow me on: Instagram ⁕ Tiktok ⁕ Pinterest ⁕ Facebook
March 17, 2023
Into the Tide was a sexy brother’s best friend romance. I enjoyed the buildup between Hugh and Lila and the forced proximity trope worked really well in the story. I’m not a big fan of the player hero/virgin heroine tropes, but Hugh and Lila won me over. There are some serious topics discussed in the book (please see CW’s), but there were lots of laughs to balance it out. The text messages between the Reynolds siblings were especially hilarious! I fell in love with the entire Reynolds family and I’m excited for Georgia’s story next!
Mackenzie Cartwright’s performance was enjoyable, but Connor Crais really shined. His voice is incredibly sexy and he was just right as Hugh. He truly made the audiobook!
Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 4 stars
Story 3.5 stars
CW: alcohol and prescription drug addiction (secondary character), death of parent (past), grief, childhood neglect and temporary placement in foster care (past), strained parental relationship, financial difficulties, fighting
*I voluntarily listened to an advance review copy of this book*
Mackenzie Cartwright’s performance was enjoyable, but Connor Crais really shined. His voice is incredibly sexy and he was just right as Hugh. He truly made the audiobook!
Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 4 stars
Story 3.5 stars
CW: alcohol and prescription drug addiction (secondary character), death of parent (past), grief, childhood neglect and temporary placement in foster care (past), strained parental relationship, financial difficulties, fighting
*I voluntarily listened to an advance review copy of this book*
March 16, 2023
I have been waiting for this book and was not disappointed at all. The author exceeded all of my expectations, and I will patiently wait for the remainder of the series.
Laura Pavlov can create a small town, and even though we are not too far from Honey Mountain, her last series, we have a whole new feel.
Lila has returned to town to care for her father; Hugh offers her a place to stay. Hugh is her brother’s best friend, and off limits, or is he? The connection is strong, with plenty of steam, lots of feels, and a great story.
Thank you to the Author for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.
Laura Pavlov can create a small town, and even though we are not too far from Honey Mountain, her last series, we have a whole new feel.
Lila has returned to town to care for her father; Hugh offers her a place to stay. Hugh is her brother’s best friend, and off limits, or is he? The connection is strong, with plenty of steam, lots of feels, and a great story.
Thank you to the Author for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.
March 5, 2023
LOVED this one so much. Get ready to transport to the cute, cozy town of Cottonwood Cove. The Honey Mountain series is literally an all time fave comfort series, and it made me so happy to be back right into this world. With Hugh being the cousin of the Thomas girls, and Lila being Hugh’s best friend’s sister, it was everything to expect and MORE. Laura just writes the most adorable, swoon worthy small town romances. I devoured this book!
Forbidden love, forced proximity, brothers best friend and the perfect amount of spice 😍🔥
Thank you Valentine PR for this arc in exchange for my honest review****
Forbidden love, forced proximity, brothers best friend and the perfect amount of spice 😍🔥
Thank you Valentine PR for this arc in exchange for my honest review****
March 8, 2023
ARC REVIEW
You know those books where you want more of the couple and less of the family? Yes? Well I wanted more from Hugh and Lila, more time, more pages, more love. A loving small town story but unfortunately too boring for my taste. I missed the bite, the fireworks.
I liked the story but the spark didn't fly. Unfortunately, I felt a little overwhelmed by Hugh's siblings and unfortunately the story of Lila's father didn't pick me up either.
Some problems were just too loud and too much for me personally.
Nevertheless, Hugh and Lila were a great couple who deserved more couple time. I love the "Best Friends Sibling" trope, but I just missed the feeling here.
3 ⭐️ / 5 ⭐️
_____________________________________
You know those books where you want more of the couple and less of the family? Yes? Well I wanted more from Hugh and Lila, more time, more pages, more love. A loving small town story but unfortunately too boring for my taste. I missed the bite, the fireworks.
I liked the story but the spark didn't fly. Unfortunately, I felt a little overwhelmed by Hugh's siblings and unfortunately the story of Lila's father didn't pick me up either.
Some problems were just too loud and too much for me personally.
Nevertheless, Hugh and Lila were a great couple who deserved more couple time. I love the "Best Friends Sibling" trope, but I just missed the feeling here.
3 ⭐️ / 5 ⭐️
_____________________________________
March 12, 2023
Laura never misses! I was hooked by the first couple of chapters and could not put this book down! Brothers Best Friend is my favorite trope so add in some Forced Proximity & the fact that he was her boss? Ummm yes please 🥵
I absolutely loved the relationship between Hugh & Lila… their chemistry was off the charts 🔥 Then we got to see his possessive, protective, & jealous sides when another man even looked Lila’s way… I just ate their love story up.
I really loved Lila & related to some of the personal/family struggles she dealt with & I loved that Hugh was always there to help her through all of it. I also really loved their nicknames for each other: bear & snow…. Are you kidding? So stinkin cute.
I’m obsessed with the Reynolds’s family. I was laughing through most of this book just based off of the relationship that the Reynolds’s siblings had. I’m praying we get Cage’s story next 😏🙏🏼 We love to see a grumpy single dad!
Overall, I really loved this book. Definitely one of my favorites that the author has written so far.
5/5⭐️
2/5🌶️
I absolutely loved the relationship between Hugh & Lila… their chemistry was off the charts 🔥 Then we got to see his possessive, protective, & jealous sides when another man even looked Lila’s way… I just ate their love story up.
I really loved Lila & related to some of the personal/family struggles she dealt with & I loved that Hugh was always there to help her through all of it. I also really loved their nicknames for each other: bear & snow…. Are you kidding? So stinkin cute.
I’m obsessed with the Reynolds’s family. I was laughing through most of this book just based off of the relationship that the Reynolds’s siblings had. I’m praying we get Cage’s story next 😏🙏🏼 We love to see a grumpy single dad!
Overall, I really loved this book. Definitely one of my favorites that the author has written so far.
5/5⭐️
2/5🌶️
March 17, 2023
small town loveeee
So excited for this series… what a fantastic start. Growly broody possessive men are my fave and Bear checks all those boxes. Lila was too sweet… gave me the best tooth ache. Cannot wait for more from this family.
So excited for this series… what a fantastic start. Growly broody possessive men are my fave and Bear checks all those boxes. Lila was too sweet… gave me the best tooth ache. Cannot wait for more from this family.
March 18, 2023
🎧🎧AUDIO REVIEW🎧🎧
I am all up in my feelings right now and there are NO MORE WORDS!! *cries*
I am all up in my feelings right now and there are NO MORE WORDS!! *cries*
March 16, 2023
This was the perfect start to the Cottonwood Cove series. There was so much to love about Hugh and Lila and their bond that went from platonic and protective in their younger years to something decidedly more.
I love a best friend’s little sister, but it just takes the drama up a notch when the brother has been more like a father. Despite all the reasons why they shouldn’t, the pull between Hugh and Lila was just too much for even the most controlled to resist. And when they stopped resisting, the result was wonderfully SPICY!
I loved how Hugh always put Lila first and made sure he was supporting her dreams, even when it went against what his best friend wanted, and even when he was being sneaky! But even better when he figured out a way for them both to get what they wanted.
Lila’s encouragement and belief in her dad was also a lovely part to the story. Even though he didn’t give her many reasons to believe in him, she still did and sacrificed for him too.
And the Reynold’s family drama added the perfect amount of hilarity to the story. I just loved their text chains, the banter totally made me laugh out loud. I’m still laughing about the ficus tree!! I can’t wait for the next story! Georgia and Maddox? Sounds amazing!
I love a best friend’s little sister, but it just takes the drama up a notch when the brother has been more like a father. Despite all the reasons why they shouldn’t, the pull between Hugh and Lila was just too much for even the most controlled to resist. And when they stopped resisting, the result was wonderfully SPICY!
I loved how Hugh always put Lila first and made sure he was supporting her dreams, even when it went against what his best friend wanted, and even when he was being sneaky! But even better when he figured out a way for them both to get what they wanted.
Lila’s encouragement and belief in her dad was also a lovely part to the story. Even though he didn’t give her many reasons to believe in him, she still did and sacrificed for him too.
And the Reynold’s family drama added the perfect amount of hilarity to the story. I just loved their text chains, the banter totally made me laugh out loud. I’m still laughing about the ficus tree!! I can’t wait for the next story! Georgia and Maddox? Sounds amazing!
March 7, 2023
Into the Tide, the first installment of the Cottonwood Cove series, is a heartwarming, small-town, friends-to-lovers, brother’s best friend, forbidden romance. Laura Pavlov delivers an impactful story about healing, recovery, and the power of forgiveness.
Sweet, sweet Lila James. Such a beautiful name for a girl that is the literary definition of heart of gold. Always watching out for others and even though certain individuals try to make decisions for her, she’s assertive and won’t back down from what she wants. She's going to shatter every expectation you have of her and then some. A very intelligent, collegiate runner home for the summer, she plans on making the best of it. With some assistance from her off-limits, brother’s best friend of course…
Hugh just radiated baseball player vibes and I mean that in the best way possible. The ultimate compliment if you ask me. The backward baseball cap? Especially when he was shirtless and mowing the lawn? That does it for me every time. I mean good Lord does this woman know how to paint a mental picture. He’s protective and broody when it comes to other people even so much as looking at his girl. It also doesn’t hurt that he manages three businesses and is a family man. I mean, he and Gracie stole the show. I’m just saying, for a man that “doesn’t do relationships”, he seems head over heels for a special someone…
"He kissed me like it was the first time. He kissed me like it was the last time. He kissed me like it was forever.
The tension between the two was nothing short of undeniable. I was on the edge of my seat just waiting for them to cross that line. That scene in the cove? I’m gonna be thinking about that for the next 3-5 business years. I do wish there were more variety and length when it came to intimate scenes a little later in the book, but I do understand that the writing wasn’t overly focused on the steam element. I may be a little biased, being as their relationship fit all of my favorite tropes, but everything about the pair just makes sense. What’s not to love? They stole my heart from page one and seeing as I’m already in love with the Reynolds family, I’ve got a sneaky suspicion I’m not getting it back anytime soon.
Speaking of, I very much love Hugh’s family. It appears as though this series is going to be following each member of the Reynolds family, and to say I’m excited for Georgia’s book would be an understatement. To say that about any of their books truly. But especially Cage’s single dad romance. The group text threads were such an amazing touch. More times than not, especially in a series, adding elements like this allows us to get glimpses of our supporting characters' personalities, as well as see how our protagonists act around people that aren’t their love interest. It develops the characters on a different level that otherwise is more difficult to attain. We’ve also got the Reynolds' weekly, Sunday night family dinners. That alone was enough to make me want to pack my bags and move to this town that doesn’t even exist. The dynamic between Lila’s blood family and her chosen family was so perfectly balanced. To see Hugh's family accept her with open arms, no thoughts about her past, explained so much about why Hugh is the way he is without saying anything. I mean, he’s the perfect gentleman and seeing the way he was raised only amplified that. The found family trope gets me every time, and this was no exception.
Into the Tide is a character-driven story and without a doubt, Pavlov nailed it. I mean each and every one of her characters is established and contributes something purposeful to the overall structure of the story. Also, as someone that read Dylan and Wolf’s story from the Honey Mountain series, seeing the Thomas sisters was such a nice surprise.
That being said, I could not stand Lila’s brother, Travis. I didn’t perceive his attitude as him being the overprotective brother that just wanted the best for his sister. I saw it as a man unwilling to step out of his comfort zone to put others before himself. Even knowing how much their father’s rehab program meant to Lila, he refused to do the bare minimum of touring the facility. Yes, their childhood was traumatic. But if anyone should be hurt by the pain their dad inflicted, it should be Lila, yet she’s the one willing to step up and care for those that need her. Even with her openly stating how much happier she was being home, Travis still urged her to go back to the city where she would continue to be overworked and isolated from all of her friends and family. He was overbearing and selfish. You also mean to tell me he wasn’t suspicious at all between Hugh and Lila’s friendly relationship? His character development was all over the place. It wasn’t seamless by any means. *Spoiler* He went from punching Hugh after he told him that he loved Lila, to being totally okay with it? All within the span of five minutes, not even. Make it make sense.
The writing style was slightly too formal for my liking. There were lots of moments of me thinking, no one talks like that. Now, don’t worry, I’ve come with examples. "I shoved my shirt off my shoulders, as the buttons were already undone.” I noticed this with her previous writing as well. She uses the word ‘as’ to explain why a character is doing what they are doing. But in this instance, it just takes up an unnecessary word count. It would be justifiable, yet still uncomfortable, if this structure was used to slow down the pacing of a scene, but more times than not, it adds nothing. Don’t forget the infamous, ”...letting out a long breath that I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding.” Perhaps this one is just a me problem, but I thought we retired this phrase with Wattpad. Maybe we could try noting how the character feels. Tap into that weightless feeling and describe it in any way that isn’t that.
The storyline was a little watered down. It revolved around the will they, won’t they dynamic and once they did, it was keeping it a secret that kept the plot going. But as I mentioned earlier, it is a character-driven story, so I suppose it evens out.
Now despite my critiques, there’s no denying that Laura Pavlov excels when it comes to comfort writing. While I may have my differences with some of her stylistic writing choices, I still find myself wanting to read the entirety of the Cottonwood Cove series, much like my sentiments with her previous Honey Mountain series.
Thank you to Valentine PR and Laura Pavlov for providing me with this ARC. As always, all opinions are my own and are not influenced by early access to this title.
Content Warnings
- Alcoholism + abuse
- Child neglect + abandonment
- Sexual harassment (on-page)
Sweet, sweet Lila James. Such a beautiful name for a girl that is the literary definition of heart of gold. Always watching out for others and even though certain individuals try to make decisions for her, she’s assertive and won’t back down from what she wants. She's going to shatter every expectation you have of her and then some. A very intelligent, collegiate runner home for the summer, she plans on making the best of it. With some assistance from her off-limits, brother’s best friend of course…
Hugh just radiated baseball player vibes and I mean that in the best way possible. The ultimate compliment if you ask me. The backward baseball cap? Especially when he was shirtless and mowing the lawn? That does it for me every time. I mean good Lord does this woman know how to paint a mental picture. He’s protective and broody when it comes to other people even so much as looking at his girl. It also doesn’t hurt that he manages three businesses and is a family man. I mean, he and Gracie stole the show. I’m just saying, for a man that “doesn’t do relationships”, he seems head over heels for a special someone…
"He kissed me like it was the first time. He kissed me like it was the last time. He kissed me like it was forever.
The tension between the two was nothing short of undeniable. I was on the edge of my seat just waiting for them to cross that line. That scene in the cove? I’m gonna be thinking about that for the next 3-5 business years. I do wish there were more variety and length when it came to intimate scenes a little later in the book, but I do understand that the writing wasn’t overly focused on the steam element. I may be a little biased, being as their relationship fit all of my favorite tropes, but everything about the pair just makes sense. What’s not to love? They stole my heart from page one and seeing as I’m already in love with the Reynolds family, I’ve got a sneaky suspicion I’m not getting it back anytime soon.
Speaking of, I very much love Hugh’s family. It appears as though this series is going to be following each member of the Reynolds family, and to say I’m excited for Georgia’s book would be an understatement. To say that about any of their books truly. But especially Cage’s single dad romance. The group text threads were such an amazing touch. More times than not, especially in a series, adding elements like this allows us to get glimpses of our supporting characters' personalities, as well as see how our protagonists act around people that aren’t their love interest. It develops the characters on a different level that otherwise is more difficult to attain. We’ve also got the Reynolds' weekly, Sunday night family dinners. That alone was enough to make me want to pack my bags and move to this town that doesn’t even exist. The dynamic between Lila’s blood family and her chosen family was so perfectly balanced. To see Hugh's family accept her with open arms, no thoughts about her past, explained so much about why Hugh is the way he is without saying anything. I mean, he’s the perfect gentleman and seeing the way he was raised only amplified that. The found family trope gets me every time, and this was no exception.
Into the Tide is a character-driven story and without a doubt, Pavlov nailed it. I mean each and every one of her characters is established and contributes something purposeful to the overall structure of the story. Also, as someone that read Dylan and Wolf’s story from the Honey Mountain series, seeing the Thomas sisters was such a nice surprise.
That being said, I could not stand Lila’s brother, Travis. I didn’t perceive his attitude as him being the overprotective brother that just wanted the best for his sister. I saw it as a man unwilling to step out of his comfort zone to put others before himself. Even knowing how much their father’s rehab program meant to Lila, he refused to do the bare minimum of touring the facility. Yes, their childhood was traumatic. But if anyone should be hurt by the pain their dad inflicted, it should be Lila, yet she’s the one willing to step up and care for those that need her. Even with her openly stating how much happier she was being home, Travis still urged her to go back to the city where she would continue to be overworked and isolated from all of her friends and family. He was overbearing and selfish. You also mean to tell me he wasn’t suspicious at all between Hugh and Lila’s friendly relationship? His character development was all over the place. It wasn’t seamless by any means. *Spoiler* He went from punching Hugh after he told him that he loved Lila, to being totally okay with it? All within the span of five minutes, not even. Make it make sense.
The writing style was slightly too formal for my liking. There were lots of moments of me thinking, no one talks like that. Now, don’t worry, I’ve come with examples. "I shoved my shirt off my shoulders, as the buttons were already undone.” I noticed this with her previous writing as well. She uses the word ‘as’ to explain why a character is doing what they are doing. But in this instance, it just takes up an unnecessary word count. It would be justifiable, yet still uncomfortable, if this structure was used to slow down the pacing of a scene, but more times than not, it adds nothing. Don’t forget the infamous, ”...letting out a long breath that I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding.” Perhaps this one is just a me problem, but I thought we retired this phrase with Wattpad. Maybe we could try noting how the character feels. Tap into that weightless feeling and describe it in any way that isn’t that.
The storyline was a little watered down. It revolved around the will they, won’t they dynamic and once they did, it was keeping it a secret that kept the plot going. But as I mentioned earlier, it is a character-driven story, so I suppose it evens out.
Now despite my critiques, there’s no denying that Laura Pavlov excels when it comes to comfort writing. While I may have my differences with some of her stylistic writing choices, I still find myself wanting to read the entirety of the Cottonwood Cove series, much like my sentiments with her previous Honey Mountain series.
Thank you to Valentine PR and Laura Pavlov for providing me with this ARC. As always, all opinions are my own and are not influenced by early access to this title.
Content Warnings
- Alcoholism + abuse
- Child neglect + abandonment
- Sexual harassment (on-page)
March 9, 2023
5 stars
This is a beautiful brother’s-best-friend/friend-to-lovers romance with fantastic characters, amazing chemistry, and a fun, passionate, gorgeously emotional love story that completely captured my heart. It’s exactly the sweet and heartfelt small-town romance from Laura Pavlov that I love, and I adored this book!
This is the start of a new series for Laura Pavlov, as we meet the absolutely fabulous Reynolds family (cousins to the Thomas sisters from the Honey Mountain series, which provides a nice tie-in – and even some fabulous cameos).
Hugh is the middle of five siblings living in the small town of Cottonwood Cove, he is a local business owner, and a bit of a ladies man, but he’s known for his friendly nature and his huge heart. So when his best friend’s younger sister, Lila, comes to town for the summer, he’s all too happy to see her, and help her out with a job helping him organise his business finances
Lila has just graduated College, and has given up a lifetime of training as an athlete, and she’s looking forward to a summer free to do whatever it is that she wants. Her first goal is to get her troubled father into rehab to help him get his life back. Beyond that, she wants to enjoy her friends and family, and live it up before she gets sucked into the high-intensity corporate job she has lined up. And she’s got a bucket list of firsts to get through – first up, losing her virginity.
Hugh and Lila grew up together, and have always been close, so when she runs into trouble at her accommodation, he moves her into his house. They easily fall back into their friendship, and they are completely comfortable with each other. So when Lila asks her oldest friend to help her with her list, Hugh’s protectiveness means he’ll be right there by her side for it. And when she asks him to be the one to take her v-card, it changes everything.
Hugh is initially horrified. Though there’s no doubting he’d love to go there, Lila’s older brother, Travis, is seriously overprotective (and a bit of a dick about it, to be honest), and there’s no way he could go behind his friend’s back like that. But the more time that he and Lila spend together, the more the line between friends starts to get blurred.
The chemistry is insane, and what makes it all the more exciting is how honest they are with each other. They don’t hold anything back, they talk openly and honestly, and as they move closer and closer to becoming more, the sexual tension is sensational, and the sense of anticipation had me madly flipping pages.
I love these characters so much! Hugh is such a good guy, I love his big heart, and I love how special Lila is to him. You can see that he wants her, that he only wants the best for her, and I loved how he was so protective, yet so on board with helping her spread her wings and full embrace all of the experiences that she wanted. And Lila is so fabulous! She’s a strong woman who is finally living her life on her own terms, and she’s kicking goals – helping her dad, partying with her friends, and bravely confronting Hugh on everything that’s happening between them.
I love that ‘nothing will change’ line in a friends-to-lovers romance, because we all know it’s a load of crap, and watching everything change between Hugh and Lila is fantastic! It’s sexy, passionate, playful and fun, and given the deep connection and pent-up feelings they have for each other, it’s also and gorgeously emotional. I loved how into each other they are from the very beginning, and watching them come together after all of that build up was so freaking good!
They’re keeping it all a secret, just between them, but they’re SO together, no matter how much they tell themselves it’s only for the summer. They’re so good together, and I loved seeing them fall in mad love.
There is some drama, but it works for the story given the secretive nature of the relationship, and the fact that their time together is limited. I was feeling every single moment of it, and loved how every little aspect of the story played out. It was perfect for these characters, and made sense to the story, and added to the intensity and awesomeness of it all.
I freaking loved this book. It’s fun and sweet, sexy and emotional, and the love story is beautiful. There’s really nice themes of family, friendship and figuring out your place, and I was completely hooked from start to finish. And after the fabulous introduction to all of Hugh’s siblings (the sibling text chain is GOLD!), I’m so excited to continue on with this series.
5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is a beautiful brother’s-best-friend/friend-to-lovers romance with fantastic characters, amazing chemistry, and a fun, passionate, gorgeously emotional love story that completely captured my heart. It’s exactly the sweet and heartfelt small-town romance from Laura Pavlov that I love, and I adored this book!
This is the start of a new series for Laura Pavlov, as we meet the absolutely fabulous Reynolds family (cousins to the Thomas sisters from the Honey Mountain series, which provides a nice tie-in – and even some fabulous cameos).
Hugh is the middle of five siblings living in the small town of Cottonwood Cove, he is a local business owner, and a bit of a ladies man, but he’s known for his friendly nature and his huge heart. So when his best friend’s younger sister, Lila, comes to town for the summer, he’s all too happy to see her, and help her out with a job helping him organise his business finances
Lila has just graduated College, and has given up a lifetime of training as an athlete, and she’s looking forward to a summer free to do whatever it is that she wants. Her first goal is to get her troubled father into rehab to help him get his life back. Beyond that, she wants to enjoy her friends and family, and live it up before she gets sucked into the high-intensity corporate job she has lined up. And she’s got a bucket list of firsts to get through – first up, losing her virginity.
Hugh and Lila grew up together, and have always been close, so when she runs into trouble at her accommodation, he moves her into his house. They easily fall back into their friendship, and they are completely comfortable with each other. So when Lila asks her oldest friend to help her with her list, Hugh’s protectiveness means he’ll be right there by her side for it. And when she asks him to be the one to take her v-card, it changes everything.
Hugh is initially horrified. Though there’s no doubting he’d love to go there, Lila’s older brother, Travis, is seriously overprotective (and a bit of a dick about it, to be honest), and there’s no way he could go behind his friend’s back like that. But the more time that he and Lila spend together, the more the line between friends starts to get blurred.
“I like being close to you.”
“I like it, too, Bear. But I’m not afraid of it like you are. So, you’ll have to decide if you want to act on it or not. Otherwise, stop helping me so much because it’s sending me mixed signals.”
The chemistry is insane, and what makes it all the more exciting is how honest they are with each other. They don’t hold anything back, they talk openly and honestly, and as they move closer and closer to becoming more, the sexual tension is sensational, and the sense of anticipation had me madly flipping pages.
“I can’t stop thinking about you. And I’m fucking trying … I’m trying to do the right thing. But it’s killing me.”
I love these characters so much! Hugh is such a good guy, I love his big heart, and I love how special Lila is to him. You can see that he wants her, that he only wants the best for her, and I loved how he was so protective, yet so on board with helping her spread her wings and full embrace all of the experiences that she wanted. And Lila is so fabulous! She’s a strong woman who is finally living her life on her own terms, and she’s kicking goals – helping her dad, partying with her friends, and bravely confronting Hugh on everything that’s happening between them.
“I’m a grown woman. And I want you. We’ve always been good friends, and that won’t change. We’ll just be sharing something special while I’m home, and it’s no one’s business but ours. Nothing will change.”
I love that ‘nothing will change’ line in a friends-to-lovers romance, because we all know it’s a load of crap, and watching everything change between Hugh and Lila is fantastic! It’s sexy, passionate, playful and fun, and given the deep connection and pent-up feelings they have for each other, it’s also and gorgeously emotional. I loved how into each other they are from the very beginning, and watching them come together after all of that build up was so freaking good!
“You’re sure you want to do that with me? Even if I can’t give you what you deserve?”
“What is it that I deserve, Bear?” I asked, closing the distance between us.
“Everything. Every. Fucking. Thing.”
They’re keeping it all a secret, just between them, but they’re SO together, no matter how much they tell themselves it’s only for the summer. They’re so good together, and I loved seeing them fall in mad love.
My heart no longer belonged to me. It was hers. No one else would ever have it.
There is some drama, but it works for the story given the secretive nature of the relationship, and the fact that their time together is limited. I was feeling every single moment of it, and loved how every little aspect of the story played out. It was perfect for these characters, and made sense to the story, and added to the intensity and awesomeness of it all.
I freaking loved this book. It’s fun and sweet, sexy and emotional, and the love story is beautiful. There’s really nice themes of family, friendship and figuring out your place, and I was completely hooked from start to finish. And after the fabulous introduction to all of Hugh’s siblings (the sibling text chain is GOLD!), I’m so excited to continue on with this series.
5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
March 15, 2023
𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐃𝐄
Overall: ★★★ (3/5)
Spice: ♥ (1.5/5)
𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘢 𝘗𝘢𝘷𝘭𝘰𝘷 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘗𝘙 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘪𝘥𝘦!
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬/𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬: Brother's Bestfriend, Virgin FMC, Friends to Lovers, Small Town
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞: Book #1 in the Cottonwood Cove series, can be read as standalone.
𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫: NO
𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: M/F
𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐱 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬: YES
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: NO
𝐃𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐎𝐕 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: YES
𝘔𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴
𝐋𝐈𝐋𝐀 𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒
★★★
Lila just felt a little childish to me, I do have a hard time with the sunshine personalities a lot. The innocence often times is too overplayed for me and that did happen here. Using terms like "𝐯𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐳𝐳𝐥𝐞" is a big NO for me, just use proper terminology. It bothers me so bad when ADULT women cannot say the word vagina. Lila is a super sweet new college grad that comes back into to her home town for the summer to help her dad before she goes to her big city job. I really did enjoy Lila's relationship with her dad and the amount of faith she held in him when it came to recovering. That was really the only time I saw the maturity I wanted to with her, was when it came to interactions with her father. Overall I didn't love Lila but I certainly didn't hate her!
𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐑𝐄𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐒
★★
Hugh was fine. He just didn't do it for me. He was a grown man scared of doing anything with a women he clearly had feelings for. He denied himself and Lila for so long it really was just getting on my nerves. Also using terms like "𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠" felt like he was a frat bro... and I just simply didn't vibe with that. This is a GROWN MAN... once he actually decided to be with Lila and win her back I did enjoy him. The man was willing to make so many sacrifices for her and take whatever came from her brother as well. I did have moments of pride when it came to him making Lila a priority in the last 10% of the book.
I honestly don't love writing this review because I normally love everything that Laura does but this book just wasn't for me. Using the terms "vajazzle" and "magic schlong" were my first and biggest turn offs of the book. This isn't typical terminology for a Laura Pavlov book so don't let that turn you away from her 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 (my favorite of hers). My favorite parts of this book were getting to see Dylan and Wolf from Only Mine which is my favorite Laura book. They are so adorable and getting to see them as a couple now made me SO FUCKING HAPPY. Seriously just the best.
This book for me really just didn't get good until the last 15%, other than that I had a hard time getting through the rest of the book. Like I said it just felt more childish like high school or college level "kids" not fully grown adults with careers. I did enjoy Lila's relationship with her family. I loved watching her care for her dad and support him fully until her healed himself and his relationship with her brother.
𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤! 𝐈𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧.
♥3/10 recommendation from me!♥
Overall: ★★★ (3/5)
Spice: ♥ (1.5/5)
𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘢 𝘗𝘢𝘷𝘭𝘰𝘷 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘗𝘙 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘪𝘥𝘦!
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬/𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬: Brother's Bestfriend, Virgin FMC, Friends to Lovers, Small Town
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞: Book #1 in the Cottonwood Cove series, can be read as standalone.
𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫: NO
𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: M/F
𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐱 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬: YES
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: NO
𝐃𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐎𝐕 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: YES
𝘔𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴
𝐋𝐈𝐋𝐀 𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒
★★★
Lila just felt a little childish to me, I do have a hard time with the sunshine personalities a lot. The innocence often times is too overplayed for me and that did happen here. Using terms like "𝐯𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐳𝐳𝐥𝐞" is a big NO for me, just use proper terminology. It bothers me so bad when ADULT women cannot say the word vagina. Lila is a super sweet new college grad that comes back into to her home town for the summer to help her dad before she goes to her big city job. I really did enjoy Lila's relationship with her dad and the amount of faith she held in him when it came to recovering. That was really the only time I saw the maturity I wanted to with her, was when it came to interactions with her father. Overall I didn't love Lila but I certainly didn't hate her!
"Because I'd follow this girl anywhere she wanted to take me."
𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐑𝐄𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐒
★★
Hugh was fine. He just didn't do it for me. He was a grown man scared of doing anything with a women he clearly had feelings for. He denied himself and Lila for so long it really was just getting on my nerves. Also using terms like "𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠" felt like he was a frat bro... and I just simply didn't vibe with that. This is a GROWN MAN... once he actually decided to be with Lila and win her back I did enjoy him. The man was willing to make so many sacrifices for her and take whatever came from her brother as well. I did have moments of pride when it came to him making Lila a priority in the last 10% of the book.
“Hugh Reynolds was a huge man with a big personality, who women had chased for as long as I could remember-but to me, he'd just been Bear.”
I honestly don't love writing this review because I normally love everything that Laura does but this book just wasn't for me. Using the terms "vajazzle" and "magic schlong" were my first and biggest turn offs of the book. This isn't typical terminology for a Laura Pavlov book so don't let that turn you away from her 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 (my favorite of hers). My favorite parts of this book were getting to see Dylan and Wolf from Only Mine which is my favorite Laura book. They are so adorable and getting to see them as a couple now made me SO FUCKING HAPPY. Seriously just the best.
This book for me really just didn't get good until the last 15%, other than that I had a hard time getting through the rest of the book. Like I said it just felt more childish like high school or college level "kids" not fully grown adults with careers. I did enjoy Lila's relationship with her family. I loved watching her care for her dad and support him fully until her healed himself and his relationship with her brother.
𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤! 𝐈𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧.
♥3/10 recommendation from me!♥
𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠𝙤𝙪𝙩 @𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙢𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙣 𝙏𝙞𝙠𝙏𝙤𝙠 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙖𝙧𝙩!
March 17, 2023
Be still my freaking heart. I am feeling drunk on the warm, cozy, swoony and steamy feelings of Into the Tide by Laura Pavlov. Brother’s best friend. Friends to roommates to lovers. All the tension and angst of forbidden tempting love. I am so in love with every moment of this epic small town romance. Hugh is the perfect book boyfriend and Lila is my new girl crush! Their love story is all kinds of heartfelt and aching. And I am here for it.
Lila James has come to Cottonwood Cove to spend the summer before she joins a big company in a prestigious post. She is on a mission too. She has to try for the last time to make her father sober. Her protective brother doesn’t believe in it and he wants her to keep her eye on the bright future. She is working temporarily in her brother best friend Hugh Reynold's restaurant and after some accident, she has to stay with him too. They have this undercurrent of attraction from the first day. She has a bucket list to tick off. Will Hugh eat the forbidden fruit?
Oh god the chemistry is cackling like a wildfire here! Hugh knows Lila is off limits but when Lila comes home after completing college, he cannot deny the overwhelming attraction he feels towards this grown up gorgeous woman! He always felt protective of her. Now he is simply amazed with her heart! Lila is so freaking amazing. Her childhood was complicated and traumatic but she grew up to be this incredible woman. While her brother is clinging to the bitterness and anger about past, she decided to forgive and help her father to heal. She is witty and sassy and has the biggest heart. She is not sure she wants to go to the city because coming back to her home town reminded her how much she loves her friends and this town. And Hugh is a bigger reason. He is just so delicious!!! He is sexy and c0cky and charming and when time comes, he is possessive and alpha too. Lila knew what she wants and she went for it and Hugh had no way to resist it after a point. Hugh gave her moral support at every step and was there by her side when she needed. And Lila made him feel the need to stop and breathe and think about something other than business.The tension was epic. They have this entertaining witty banter going on with the sizzling hot chemistry in background. And after a point, everything exploded. But every great love story comes with heartbreak. Hugh wanted Lila to spread her wings and do best in life but none of they realise she will do it best in Cottonwood Cove. So comes the sweet heartache! I loved meeting the colorful people of Cottonwood Cove. Specially Reynolds family. They always have each other's back and are a solid support system for each other. I cannot wait to read the stories of other siblings!
I reviewed an early copy voluntarily
Lila James has come to Cottonwood Cove to spend the summer before she joins a big company in a prestigious post. She is on a mission too. She has to try for the last time to make her father sober. Her protective brother doesn’t believe in it and he wants her to keep her eye on the bright future. She is working temporarily in her brother best friend Hugh Reynold's restaurant and after some accident, she has to stay with him too. They have this undercurrent of attraction from the first day. She has a bucket list to tick off. Will Hugh eat the forbidden fruit?
Oh god the chemistry is cackling like a wildfire here! Hugh knows Lila is off limits but when Lila comes home after completing college, he cannot deny the overwhelming attraction he feels towards this grown up gorgeous woman! He always felt protective of her. Now he is simply amazed with her heart! Lila is so freaking amazing. Her childhood was complicated and traumatic but she grew up to be this incredible woman. While her brother is clinging to the bitterness and anger about past, she decided to forgive and help her father to heal. She is witty and sassy and has the biggest heart. She is not sure she wants to go to the city because coming back to her home town reminded her how much she loves her friends and this town. And Hugh is a bigger reason. He is just so delicious!!! He is sexy and c0cky and charming and when time comes, he is possessive and alpha too. Lila knew what she wants and she went for it and Hugh had no way to resist it after a point. Hugh gave her moral support at every step and was there by her side when she needed. And Lila made him feel the need to stop and breathe and think about something other than business.The tension was epic. They have this entertaining witty banter going on with the sizzling hot chemistry in background. And after a point, everything exploded. But every great love story comes with heartbreak. Hugh wanted Lila to spread her wings and do best in life but none of they realise she will do it best in Cottonwood Cove. So comes the sweet heartache! I loved meeting the colorful people of Cottonwood Cove. Specially Reynolds family. They always have each other's back and are a solid support system for each other. I cannot wait to read the stories of other siblings!
I reviewed an early copy voluntarily
March 9, 2023
This was such a fun read!! Lila is back in her hometown to help her father get into a facility for his addiction. Little did she know that she would fall for her brothers best friend Hugh! She moved out of her dad's house after he fell off the wagon again and Hugh offered her a place to stay for the summer before she headed back to Chicago. These two were perfection! Forbidden Romance, friends to lovers plenty of steamy scenes, small town. This just had all the right vibes going for it! Hugh would follow her where ever she decided to go and didn't mind leaving everything behind if he had to. Loved this one!!
March 19, 2023
5 PLUS Stars Fantastic:)
Oh my gosh, my heart is bursting I FLOVED this book and story and don't even get me going on all of the secondary characters. I am going to be so looking forward to this series.
Hugh...omg, this man, this beautiful, sexy man....I am so in LOVE, LOVE!!!!! And Lila, I am equally girl crushing over her as well. Together these two were absolute PERFECTION together!
I loved every single second of this book.......
This book was stunning, it was flawless, it was breathtaking, the storyline itself was so emotional and touching...Ya...I am at a loss for how much I loved it and this couple!!!!!!
Oh my gosh, my heart is bursting I FLOVED this book and story and don't even get me going on all of the secondary characters. I am going to be so looking forward to this series.
Hugh...omg, this man, this beautiful, sexy man....I am so in LOVE, LOVE!!!!! And Lila, I am equally girl crushing over her as well. Together these two were absolute PERFECTION together!
I loved every single second of this book.......
This book was stunning, it was flawless, it was breathtaking, the storyline itself was so emotional and touching...Ya...I am at a loss for how much I loved it and this couple!!!!!!
March 15, 2023
What a great start to a new small town romance series!! I loved Hugh and Lila!
This has one of my all-time favorite tropes...brother's best friend! Other tropes included were small town, forced proximity, forbidden love, and virgin heroine.
I was blown away by Hugh and Lila. Laura's writing is wonderful and I always fall in love with her characters. I am always a sucker for a great brother's best friend romance and this one is phenomenal!
I loved reading this first book in the Cottonwood Cove series and also seeing some of the Honey Mountain world as Hugh is cousins with the Thomas girls!
Hugh is just so swoonworthy and Lila is so sweet! They're perfect together! The creek scene will stick with me forever now! I definitely recommend this book and can't wait until the next book!
A 5 star read for me!
This has one of my all-time favorite tropes...brother's best friend! Other tropes included were small town, forced proximity, forbidden love, and virgin heroine.
I was blown away by Hugh and Lila. Laura's writing is wonderful and I always fall in love with her characters. I am always a sucker for a great brother's best friend romance and this one is phenomenal!
I loved reading this first book in the Cottonwood Cove series and also seeing some of the Honey Mountain world as Hugh is cousins with the Thomas girls!
Hugh is just so swoonworthy and Lila is so sweet! They're perfect together! The creek scene will stick with me forever now! I definitely recommend this book and can't wait until the next book!
A 5 star read for me!
March 18, 2023
DNF at 38%. I’m obviously in the minority here but this one just didn’t work for me.
I loved the Honey Mountain series so I was really excited for this new one but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations. The brothers best friend trope is such a fine line for me. It can be done well or it can be done really badly and this one wasn’t good.
Lila’s brother was an asshole. Controlling, overly protective and just down right disrespectful- talking over and FOR Lila in multiple instances. He completely overruled Lila, blatantly ignoring her feelings and wants. And this was all before the MCs even got together AND before the “brother finds out” reveal. Just a big yikes all around.
The MCs had good chemistry but their dialogue seemed forced and awkward in some cases and it just made it hard to really connect to them.
I loved the Honey Mountain series so I was really excited for this new one but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations. The brothers best friend trope is such a fine line for me. It can be done well or it can be done really badly and this one wasn’t good.
Lila’s brother was an asshole. Controlling, overly protective and just down right disrespectful- talking over and FOR Lila in multiple instances. He completely overruled Lila, blatantly ignoring her feelings and wants. And this was all before the MCs even got together AND before the “brother finds out” reveal. Just a big yikes all around.
The MCs had good chemistry but their dialogue seemed forced and awkward in some cases and it just made it hard to really connect to them.
March 17, 2023
The beginning was good. Hugh was perfect fiend/boyfriend material. Man with a big heart. Lila like any other girl wanted to finally start her life without anyone decision involved.
…..
First 4 chapters were good (as introduction) and I continued till chapter 6. Then skipped to chapter 8 and read to chapter 10. From chapter 10 skipped to chapter 13 and read till chapter 20 ….lastly skimmed through epilogue.
….
I was not fan of writing and got bored quickly.
I feel like Lila’s virginity was kind of the main topic of the book.
…..
First 4 chapters were good (as introduction) and I continued till chapter 6. Then skipped to chapter 8 and read to chapter 10. From chapter 10 skipped to chapter 13 and read till chapter 20 ….lastly skimmed through epilogue.
….
I was not fan of writing and got bored quickly.
I feel like Lila’s virginity was kind of the main topic of the book.
March 18, 2023
I absolutely adored this series starter- the charming characters, the delicious brother's best friend/lose my virginity trope, all the swoony moments, and of course, a lovable family gaggle that has me adoring this town and this whole ensemble. This is a slower burn, but such a sweet and heartfelt story! The chemistry melted my heart- I simply adored every moment.
March 16, 2023
This was my first ever Laura Pavlov book, and since I’ve heard such great things about her, I had high expectations. Perhaps too high, as it didn’t quite live up to them. But! I still really enjoyed this story, and I’m curious now to go back and read her Honey Mountain series to see how it compares.
This book follows Hugh and Lila, who basically grew up together because Hugh is best friends with Lila’s brother, Travis. Ugh, Travis. He was a very stereotypically overprotective and close-minded older brother, but it does make sense given what went down in their childhood. After graduating college, Lila comes back home for the summer in order to help her dad recover from a drug and alcohol addiction, as well as just live a little before going back to the big city and entering the Corporate America. Like I mentioned, Travis is not really supportive or understanding of this, which became annoying by the end.
But I, on the other hand, connected with Lila and her story soooo much. As someone who recently graduated with a masters degree and moved back home from a big city to take some time and figure out my life, I understood what she was experiencing 100%. This book really explores how society, and just life in general, teach you to want to escape your hometown and move on to bigger and better things, but that’s not always what makes you happy. Sometimes there really is no place like home, where your family, friends, culture, and overall familiarity are. (And I would LOVE to have a hometown like Cottonwood Cove, the beachy small town vibes were immaculate!)
As for the romance, I could have used some more. I loved Lila and Hugh’s chemistry and watching their relationship really go from friends to lovers. The angst! Oh my god, Hugh getting all torn up and tortured over his relationship with Lila and how it might affect his friendship with her brother. But, at times it was a little much. I also had issues with the pacing, as I feel like there were some time jumps when I really would have liked to see more development between the two main characters. The spice however, well let’s just say that skinny dipping scene lives rent-free in my mind.
Overall, a pretty good introduction to the series. I will definitely read the next books as they come out, as I love the dynamics between all the Reynolds siblings. Thank you so much to Valentine PR & Literary Management for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
This book follows Hugh and Lila, who basically grew up together because Hugh is best friends with Lila’s brother, Travis. Ugh, Travis. He was a very stereotypically overprotective and close-minded older brother, but it does make sense given what went down in their childhood. After graduating college, Lila comes back home for the summer in order to help her dad recover from a drug and alcohol addiction, as well as just live a little before going back to the big city and entering the Corporate America. Like I mentioned, Travis is not really supportive or understanding of this, which became annoying by the end.
But I, on the other hand, connected with Lila and her story soooo much. As someone who recently graduated with a masters degree and moved back home from a big city to take some time and figure out my life, I understood what she was experiencing 100%. This book really explores how society, and just life in general, teach you to want to escape your hometown and move on to bigger and better things, but that’s not always what makes you happy. Sometimes there really is no place like home, where your family, friends, culture, and overall familiarity are. (And I would LOVE to have a hometown like Cottonwood Cove, the beachy small town vibes were immaculate!)
As for the romance, I could have used some more. I loved Lila and Hugh’s chemistry and watching their relationship really go from friends to lovers. The angst! Oh my god, Hugh getting all torn up and tortured over his relationship with Lila and how it might affect his friendship with her brother. But, at times it was a little much. I also had issues with the pacing, as I feel like there were some time jumps when I really would have liked to see more development between the two main characters. The spice however, well let’s just say that skinny dipping scene lives rent-free in my mind.
Overall, a pretty good introduction to the series. I will definitely read the next books as they come out, as I love the dynamics between all the Reynolds siblings. Thank you so much to Valentine PR & Literary Management for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
March 16, 2023
I fell in love with Laura's writing when I read the Honey Mountain Series and the Thomas sisters. I was so excited when I saw she was writing a new series. Into the Tide is the first book in the new Cottonwood Cove series.
Hugh is the cousin of the Thomas sisters and we met him in Dylan's book. Hugh is a restaurant owner and is stretched pretty thin and needs some help. Hugh hires Lila for the summer to help him out.
Lila is Hugh's best friends' little sister. Lila is home for the summer after graduating from college. She has spent so much time in college trying to achieve her goals, that she kind of forgot to live. She creates a summer bucket list of things she missed out on in college, including losing her virginity. She wants to check the things off of her list before she starts her new job.
Ok I loved this book! I loved Hugh and Lila so much, there was so much longing and angst in this book. They grew up together and had a closeness that made their rapport so easy. I loved that Lila, even though she was a virgin, knew exactly what she wanted and was not afraid to ask Hugh for it (there is a skinny dipping scene that will live rent free in my head). I loved that Hugh was a good guy, but also so protective of her as well as possessive. You could tell they had feelings for each other long before they started spending time together. When they finally gave into each other it was perfect!
Lila's brother was so overbearing that he annoyed me so much, there is a reason why he is the way he is, but he was still so annoying! He did love his sister and want the best for her, he just didn't go about it in the best way. Hugh's family was delightful. If you read Honey Mountain and loved the Thomas sisters, you will love the Reynolds siblings. There are several group chats that had me laughing and I loved the closeness of the siblings and I can't wait for their stories to come.
We also get to see Dylan and Wolf's (from Only Mine) wedding in this book and it was perfection it was like a mini epilogue for that book within this one and I loved it so much!
This was a great start to the series and I am excited to read about the other Reynolds siblings (Cage hint hint). Do yourself a favor and add this one to your TBR!
Thank you to Laura Pavlov for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Hugh is the cousin of the Thomas sisters and we met him in Dylan's book. Hugh is a restaurant owner and is stretched pretty thin and needs some help. Hugh hires Lila for the summer to help him out.
Lila is Hugh's best friends' little sister. Lila is home for the summer after graduating from college. She has spent so much time in college trying to achieve her goals, that she kind of forgot to live. She creates a summer bucket list of things she missed out on in college, including losing her virginity. She wants to check the things off of her list before she starts her new job.
Ok I loved this book! I loved Hugh and Lila so much, there was so much longing and angst in this book. They grew up together and had a closeness that made their rapport so easy. I loved that Lila, even though she was a virgin, knew exactly what she wanted and was not afraid to ask Hugh for it (there is a skinny dipping scene that will live rent free in my head). I loved that Hugh was a good guy, but also so protective of her as well as possessive. You could tell they had feelings for each other long before they started spending time together. When they finally gave into each other it was perfect!
Lila's brother was so overbearing that he annoyed me so much, there is a reason why he is the way he is, but he was still so annoying! He did love his sister and want the best for her, he just didn't go about it in the best way. Hugh's family was delightful. If you read Honey Mountain and loved the Thomas sisters, you will love the Reynolds siblings. There are several group chats that had me laughing and I loved the closeness of the siblings and I can't wait for their stories to come.
We also get to see Dylan and Wolf's (from Only Mine) wedding in this book and it was perfection it was like a mini epilogue for that book within this one and I loved it so much!
This was a great start to the series and I am excited to read about the other Reynolds siblings (Cage hint hint). Do yourself a favor and add this one to your TBR!
Thank you to Laura Pavlov for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
March 16, 2023
**Audio Review**
Into the Tide by Laura Pavlov was a heartfelt and swoony brother's best friend romance that left my heart feeling all deliciously gooey on the inside! This is book 1 in Pavlov's Cottonwood Cove series and had everything I loved and more in a small-town romance. Hugh and Lila's journey to HEA is filled with steamy tension, spicy banter, and a whole lot of love!
Mackenzie Cartwright and Connor Crais narrate the audiobook, and I LOVE it when these two are paired together! Mackenzie's performance of Lila's passionate, dedicated, and determined persona was spot on and had me cheering for her to experience all her firsts with dreamy Hugh. (Yes, Snow!) Connor definitely turned on the charm with his performance of the protective, attentive, big burly sexy Hugh. (Yes, Bear!) The forbidden, fiery HOT chemistry the narrators present between Hugh and Lila is earbud-melting worthy, and had me fanning myself quite a bit!
Overall I LOVED the book! If you are a fan of small-town romance with a loyal loving bar owner, list-making fierce heroine, forced proximity, reconnecting with your father, an overprotective brother, skinny dipping at night, bar altercations, wedding dates, bikini wax mishaps, steamy slow burn first times, therapy sessions, and a HEA that is worth risking your heart then you will love Lila and Hugh's romance! I'm looking forward to more from Laura Pavlov.
Into the Tide by Laura Pavlov was a heartfelt and swoony brother's best friend romance that left my heart feeling all deliciously gooey on the inside! This is book 1 in Pavlov's Cottonwood Cove series and had everything I loved and more in a small-town romance. Hugh and Lila's journey to HEA is filled with steamy tension, spicy banter, and a whole lot of love!
Mackenzie Cartwright and Connor Crais narrate the audiobook, and I LOVE it when these two are paired together! Mackenzie's performance of Lila's passionate, dedicated, and determined persona was spot on and had me cheering for her to experience all her firsts with dreamy Hugh. (Yes, Snow!) Connor definitely turned on the charm with his performance of the protective, attentive, big burly sexy Hugh. (Yes, Bear!) The forbidden, fiery HOT chemistry the narrators present between Hugh and Lila is earbud-melting worthy, and had me fanning myself quite a bit!
Overall I LOVED the book! If you are a fan of small-town romance with a loyal loving bar owner, list-making fierce heroine, forced proximity, reconnecting with your father, an overprotective brother, skinny dipping at night, bar altercations, wedding dates, bikini wax mishaps, steamy slow burn first times, therapy sessions, and a HEA that is worth risking your heart then you will love Lila and Hugh's romance! I'm looking forward to more from Laura Pavlov.
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