A group of adopted boys who became a family under the loving guidance of a strong-willed woman find themselves looking for love and fulfilling lost dreams in this heartwarming story. Stop by to get a tempting taste of Alone With You by Amanda Adams, with its tale of a second chance romance and balancing love and life satisfaction. Keep reading to get my impressions of this scorching tale, then add this second installment in The Walker Brothers series to your bookshelf!
Claire Miller fell in love with Jake in the third grade. One hot night of reckless passion changed things between them forever. Jake rocked her world, but Claire had plans for her life. Knowing she could never be what he needed, she let him go and has missed him every day since.
Jake Walker knew the first time he saw Claire, when he was nine years old, that he wanted to marry her. At seventeen, he let her go. But seven years later, the sight of her hit him like a punch to the gut. Every cell in his body demanded that she was ‘The One'. But can he convince Claire?
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
It's a charming romance that readers get to see evolve when one-time loves, separated by their own foolishness, find their way back to each other when her father's injury calls Claire home. Once there she finds herself drawn once again to the boy who brought joy and protectiveness to her younger years until her dreams had her leaving him behind. Together again the issues that drove them apart still exist but being older, and hopefully wiser, they'll be willing to work together to reach their HEA in a romance that charmed me as well as frustrated me at times.
Jake Walker has felt lost since the girl he swore to marry when they first met as children left him behind to follow her dreams. For years he tried to forget her but no woman could ever measure up. He might not have been a monk all those years, but it was clear that no woman could ever claim his heart. Compounding that loss was the death of his adoptive mother and his role as her sole caretaker that broke his heart a bit more everyday that she lingered in pain. He was close to her as they shared a love of the land, a devotion to the ranch and horses that has him never wanting to leave. Claire's return brings him a bit of happiness, a feeling of rightness in a life that's been at a standstill, that has him putting his heart on the line for just a few weeks with her in his arms. Their time together is sweet and scorching, but what divided them before still exists as he wants a wife on the ranch while she wants a career that takes her all over the world. Jake's truly drool-worthy with a kind heart who knows how to make a woman feel special, gentle yet wild in the bedroom. Just when it looks like history will repeat itself Jake gets some words of wisdom from surprising sources as the Walker brothers prove that family is based on more than blood in a cheer-inducing conclusion.
Claire always felt separate from others until the day she met Jake and his brothers. She found a supportive group of friends and a boy who stood by her side as they undertook adventures throughout the countryside. That friendship slowly morphed into more but her dreams of traveling the world archiving artifacts had her leaving his love for her behind. In the years since she's led a life full of excitement but it's been a lonely one as she rarely sees her parents and no man has ever compared to Jake. Being back home is too much of a temptation to stay away from him though, so for a few weeks she'll indulge in every erotic interlude she can with him. Their time together revives painful truths, about themselves and each other, which are heartbreaking and leave their future in doubt until the very end. Claire's a strong-willed woman who knows what she wants. She's worked hard to get where she's at in her career so it's understandable why she's fighting so hard to live her dream. Her feelings for Jake are clear too but I was left frustrated by her not seeing how committed he's always been to her. She purposely hurt him with her words when she left all those years ago and is willing to play with his emotions knowing she's going to leave again. It's selfish and I'm glad it was pointed out to her.
This was a well-paced story full of emotional conflicts and a heartwarming romance with two strong lead characters. Jake may be a bit old fashioned in what he wants in a wife, but his life is full of losses, and a woman who stays at home would give him the stability he's always craved. When presented with the alternatives of loneliness or compromise Jake proves himself to be a swoon-worthy hero with a Grand Gesture that had me cheering. Claire frustrated me equally with her pigheadedness, and her stringing Jake along, but I still enjoyed her connection to him and the joy she brings him which had me rooting for them every step of the way. Surrounding these two likable characters was an equally entertaining cast of secondary ones. From Claire's parents who are the typical older farm couple to the sweet and supportive memory of Mama Walker whose words loom large over the narrative, these characters helped immerse me in the story. The brotherly banter and unwavering support of the Walker brothers further enhanced this story as each is colorful and sexy in their own way. From playboy doctor Mitchell to recently engaged lawyer Chance to bad boy Derek, they all offer Jake words of wisdom that opens his eyes to the rut he's stuck in emotionally as well as showing him possibilities. They're a charming and drool-worthy bunch who I long to see more of as they take a rocky road towards their own HEAs. Readers looking for a sweet and sentimental romance of second chances will find this a very satisfying read full of steamy encounters and a group of brothers whose exchanges had me smiling!
Jake Walker has felt lost since the girl he swore to marry when they first met as children left him behind to follow her dreams. For years he tried to forget her but no woman could ever measure up. He might not have been a monk all those years, but it was clear that no woman could ever claim his heart. Compounding that loss was the death of his adoptive mother and his role as her sole caretaker that broke his heart a bit more everyday that she lingered in pain. He was close to her as they shared a love of the land, a devotion to the ranch and horses that has him never wanting to leave. Claire's return brings him a bit of happiness, a feeling of rightness in a life that's been at a standstill, that has him putting his heart on the line for just a few weeks with her in his arms. Their time together is sweet and scorching, but what divided them before still exists as he wants a wife on the ranch while she wants a career that takes her all over the world. Jake's truly drool-worthy with a kind heart who knows how to make a woman feel special, gentle yet wild in the bedroom. Just when it looks like history will repeat itself Jake gets some words of wisdom from surprising sources as the Walker brothers prove that family is based on more than blood in a cheer-inducing conclusion.
Claire always felt separate from others until the day she met Jake and his brothers. She found a supportive group of friends and a boy who stood by her side as they undertook adventures throughout the countryside. That friendship slowly morphed into more but her dreams of traveling the world archiving artifacts had her leaving his love for her behind. In the years since she's led a life full of excitement but it's been a lonely one as she rarely sees her parents and no man has ever compared to Jake. Being back home is too much of a temptation to stay away from him though, so for a few weeks she'll indulge in every erotic interlude she can with him. Their time together revives painful truths, about themselves and each other, which are heartbreaking and leave their future in doubt until the very end. Claire's a strong-willed woman who knows what she wants. She's worked hard to get where she's at in her career so it's understandable why she's fighting so hard to live her dream. Her feelings for Jake are clear too but I was left frustrated by her not seeing how committed he's always been to her. She purposely hurt him with her words when she left all those years ago and is willing to play with his emotions knowing she's going to leave again. It's selfish and I'm glad it was pointed out to her.
This was a well-paced story full of emotional conflicts and a heartwarming romance with two strong lead characters. Jake may be a bit old fashioned in what he wants in a wife, but his life is full of losses, and a woman who stays at home would give him the stability he's always craved. When presented with the alternatives of loneliness or compromise Jake proves himself to be a swoon-worthy hero with a Grand Gesture that had me cheering. Claire frustrated me equally with her pigheadedness, and her stringing Jake along, but I still enjoyed her connection to him and the joy she brings him which had me rooting for them every step of the way. Surrounding these two likable characters was an equally entertaining cast of secondary ones. From Claire's parents who are the typical older farm couple to the sweet and supportive memory of Mama Walker whose words loom large over the narrative, these characters helped immerse me in the story. The brotherly banter and unwavering support of the Walker brothers further enhanced this story as each is colorful and sexy in their own way. From playboy doctor Mitchell to recently engaged lawyer Chance to bad boy Derek, they all offer Jake words of wisdom that opens his eyes to the rut he's stuck in emotionally as well as showing him possibilities. They're a charming and drool-worthy bunch who I long to see more of as they take a rocky road towards their own HEAs. Readers looking for a sweet and sentimental romance of second chances will find this a very satisfying read full of steamy encounters and a group of brothers whose exchanges had me smiling!
My rating for this is an A-/B+
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
A GLIMPSE AT THE FIRST BOOK IN THE WALKER BROTHERS SERIES:
CRASH AND BURN
A childhood promise has Chance Walker picking up a guitar once again. He hires sexy Erin Michaelson to bring music back into his life. She's one of the most intriguing women he's ever met.
When he sees her again, she's on stage using another name and seducing an entire audience. A single, sizzling backstage kiss will change both of their lives forever. Chance soon realizes that Erin is not just an itch, she's an obsession that he refuses to live without.
AUTHOR INFO:
Amanda Adams fell in love with books at a very early age. Her earliest memories are of sitting on her mother's lap reading Cinderella and Snow White and Rose Red over, and over, and over again until she had them memorized –- she was too young to know the alphabet.
Amanda started writing stories in big, sloppy handwriting in a wide-rule notebook when she was bored, during class (of course) in the fifth grade. Her favorite stories always include excitement, adventure and a handsome hero guaranteed to sweep her off her feet.
Amanda lives in beautiful Colorado with her husband (her high-school sweetheart who proved the reality of "love at first sight") and three teenagers whom she reminds, repeatedly… "If it's not in my phone, it's not happening," because her mind is oh-so-often far away living a fairy tale. (That's code for – if an alarm doesn't go off, she forgets to pick up her kids from school…)
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