Readers looking for an epic friends to lovers romance will get all that and more with this final book in the Excess All Areas series. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Let Me Love You by Scarlett Cole, along with my impressions of it, which will have you wanting to add it to your bookshelf!
He's loved her forever. Now she's marrying another man.
ChayaThe wedding plans are underway, and the Save the Date cards are sent. If only the man she was marrying was the man she loved with all her heart.
Being a contemporary woman in a traditional faith requires compromise. Being in love with her best friend, Sad Fridays’ guitarist, Ben King, the man who saved her years ago, is agony.
It’s official. He has ruined her for all other men.
Ben
When Ben receives his Save The Date card, he gets so drunk he falls off stage during their American breakthrough tour.
He’s loved Chaya for what feels like forever.
But her father made it crystal clear. Ben will never be the one for his daughter. Now she’s marrying another man, and Ben is beginning to wonder just when Chaya will realise it’s him she should be saying I do to.
When tragedy reunites them, Chaya is caught between her fiancé and her love. And it’s up to Ben to fight for Chaya or let her go forever.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
The previous four books in this series have led us to this moment, laying the groundwork for this epic friends to lovers romance that will have you frequently reaching for the tissues...out of sadness and joy! This is a tale full of intense emotions, a rollercoaster ride that breaks your heart before putting it back together. It's a tale of friends and family and the profound effects they can have on a person's life. It's also a tale of a love meant to be and a journey that was necessary to make that love all the richer for how hard the fight was to reach HEA.
Ben and Chaya have had an intense bond since he (literally) came to her rescue years ago, an unshakable bond that many around them didn’t understand but thought was romantic...though they always denied it. The more time they spend together though, the more sharing of important life events, has the truth becoming more and more obvious to them...they're in love with their best friend! This isn't an easy admission for either of them needless to say. With her being Jewish her family expects her to marry within their faith and rockstar Ben is definitely not what her father wants for her. For Ben, he just wants her to be happy. And knowing how important her faith and her family is to her has him willing to step away from her...no matter how much it kills him. With Chaya's wedding date to another man racing ever closer, feelings are fighting to get out and the power of love is in for the fight of a lifetime.
Ben King is a truly delicious hero, a truly sweet soul, with a tiny bit of naughty added in to make him pure perfection. He's the heart and soul of the band, someone always there for others, and willing to sacrifice for their happiness. He has the biggest heart and seeing what he's going through by not being able to claim Chaya completely...well, it broke MY heart. Chaya Tobias is hurting too, despite being a bride-to-be. She and Ben have had a profound connection for years, a bond that no one else can understand. That connection has evolved over the years as they went from friends and now to unrequited loves. It's a truth she especially doesn't want to admit to as she desperately wants to make her family proud and marry a good Jewish man. She doesn't want to lose her friend though, and the man who means everything to her, so with her wedding date getting closer she must decide who's happiness is more important...hers or her family's. It's a heart-wrenching debate as Ms. Cole realistically depicts the importance of the Jewish faith and how vital it is in how Chaya defines herself, the guilt she feels over possibly disappointing them. But Ms. Cole has also given Chaya another family...the Sad Fridays family. The members of this band are a close knit family (literally and figuratively) and their presence throughout this story brought comfort and joy to me and a strong support to Ben and Chaya as they navigated their feelings. These secondary characters were a wonderful part of the story, giving me a sense of nostalgia as well as getting an update on where each couple is right now. Seeing them made this an even stronger series-ender. Amongst these secondary characters though, the highlight was definitely Nan, the matriarch and the glue holding all these unforgettable characters together. She's full of words of wisdom and isn't afraid to share them when they're needed most. She's reminiscent of Sophia Petrillo from The Golden Girls...and I loved her all the more because of it!
From start to finish this was a book of pure perfection, a friendship meant to be more, and a battle of the heart over familial expectations. The main couple is immensely likable and you're definitely rooting them on every step of the way in a hard-fought HEA that was four books in the making. The rock star world wasn't shown in the usual hedonistic light here. Music had more of a bonding purpose here, a more poetic feel that brought these characters together as a family. From the very start my heart was wholeheartedly invested in the outcome of this story and it didn't disappoint. It's a beautifully crafted series-ender that I will reread often, whenever I want an entertaining and heartfelt rockstar romance, and I recommend it to all those looking for an epic romance full of heart and soul.
My rating for this is an A+
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
The tattoo across my right hip says it all really. A Life Less Ordinary. Inked by the amazingly talented Luke Wessman at the Wooster Street Social Club (a.k.a. New York Ink). Why is it important? Well, it sums up my view on life. That we should all aspire to live a life that is less boring, less predictable. Be bold, and do something amazing. I’ve made some crazy choices. I’ve been a car maker, a consultant, and even a senior executive at a large retailer running strategy. Born in England, spent time in the U.S. and Japan, before ending up in Canada where I met my own, personal hero – all six and a half feet of him. Both of us are scorpios! Yeah, I know! Should have checked the astrological signs earlier, but somehow it works for us. We have two amazing kids, who I either could never part with or could easily be convinced to sell on e-bay.
I’ve wanted to be a writer for a really long time. Check through my office cupboards or my computer and you’ll find half written stories and character descriptions everywhere. Now I'm getting the chance to follow that dream.
I am represented by Beth Phelan at The Bent Agency, NY.
Connect with Ms. Cole HERE.
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