If You Were Mine
USA Today Bestselling author Melanie Harlow
Released February 28, 2017
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Blurb
Theo MacLeod wasn’t supposed to be the one.
Tall, dark and handsome suits me just fine, but the cocky grin, know-it-all attitude, and mammoth ego? No thanks. I only hired him so I wouldn’t have to sit at the singles table again. It was just pretend.
He wasn’t supposed to kiss me.
My heart wasn’t supposed to pound.
We weren’t supposed to spend the night together—the hottest night of my life.
One night turns into a snowed-in weekend away, and even the blizzard of the century can’t cool the fire between us. I can’t get enough—of his smile, of his body, of the way he makes me feel.
We’re nothing alike. He’s a daredevil, and I’m a nervous Nellie. He’s a drifter, and I want to put down roots. He’s an opportunist with a checkered past, and I’m a Girl Scout volunteer.
But none of it matters when I’m in his arms.
I know he’s made mistakes. I know his wounds are deep, and he doesn’t trust easily. I know he doesn’t believe he could ever be enough to make me happy, but he could.
All he has to do is stay.
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Review
4.5 “I need you” stars
“I don’t deserve you, but if you were mine, I’d spend every last damn day of my life trying.”
Sweet, sexy, and swoony, with a good dose of humor and some angst thrown into the mix, If You Were Mine is another delicious read from Melanie Harlow about love, forgiveness, trust, and healing.
Claire is sweet, fun, and everyone likes her but for some reason she can’t find “the one.” She is a hopeless romantic and wants what her friends have – love.
I believed in soul mates, and I wanted my own.
But where the fuck was he, already?
She refuses to attend her friend’s wedding alone only to be placed at the dreaded singles table. When she is put on the spot by the bride asking about the RSVP, Claire makes up an imaginary boyfriend. She’ll deal with the logistics later, right?
After realizing she can’t fix the situation with a convenient break-up right before the wedding and go to the wedding dateless, she decides to rent one. Enter Theo, the “Hottie for Hire” she finds online. Theo responds to her message and guarantees to be the doting boyfriend she needs to convince everyone she isn’t single. He keeps his clients at an arm’s length and doesn’t reveal his true self which is fine with Claire because it’s all pretend anyway. So, they sign the contract and accept the platonic promise that nothing intimate will happen between them. The night starts off exactly how she hoped but what happens when that promise gets thrown out the window and Theo turns out to be so much more than she expected?
How maddeningly unfair that the first guy I’d felt a spark with in years was only spending time with me because I was paying him.
This story was so much fun! I love pretend boyfriend books and this one is a great addition to the trope. Though it is primarily lighthearted with tons of heart and humor, it still has the angst that makes you feel so much. Both love and heartache filled me, but the laughs and steam rounded out the story nicely. The plot and these characters were wonderfully complex and I loved that the story wasn’t all happy. There was an added depth that made the emotions I felt more real and heartbreaking at times.
Claire was instantly likable. I enjoyed what we knew of her from the previous books as the BFFs to the heroines in Man Candy and After We Fall but she won me over completely in this story. She had a genuine kindness about her and a fun personality. She wanted so much to find that perfect someone for her and I felt her desperate longing. When she loves, she loves big, and I felt the passion she had for Theo and trusted her feelings for him. I loved that she calmed his inner demons and tried to take away the hurt that he held deep inside, and the understanding she had for the things in Theo’s past warmed my heart. When he finally opened up to her I felt the love blooming between them.
Theo won me over the first time he was introduced. There was just something about the way he saw Claire the first moment he laid eyes on her and his perusal of her that instantly put a smile on my face. I knew I would love him from that moment on, and I was right. He was a sexy, confident man who could melt the panties right off your body. He has a filthy mouth that’s sure to turn you on and a huge heart that will make you swoon. The way he took care of the people who were in his life who weren’t his responsibility was amazing. I especially loved how he was with Claire. He pushed her to do things out of her comfort zone and supported her unconditionally. Even though he had inner turmoil to work though, when he does, he put a huge smile on my face and I could feel the truth in his heart.
“…tonight, I kept asking myself why the hell you should give me another chance. And the truth is – I’ve got no fucking idea.”
“But I know that you should. Not because I deserve it. Not because I’m the perfect man. Not because you couldn’t do better – God knows you could.” He paused. “But I’ve never felt magic like I do when we are together. And I have to believe that doesn’t happen very often.”
There is so much more to him than meets the eye. He’s a broken hero who is hurting inside. His vulnerabilities made him human and the pain and guilt he carried inside broke my heart, and I ended up loving him for who he was, faults and all.
Sexy, naughty and a little bit dirty, Theo and Claire are HOT together. I felt the instant attraction and their chemistry was scorching. When they were being themselves, they are so good for one another, passionate and intense. And with a delightful epilogue like the one in this book, I was left swooning some more with a huge grin on my face and loved how everything played out.
I adore Claire’s besties so I am so glad we got more glimpses into their lives in this book. Their support and love for each other always makes me smile. I also loved their honesty that is apparent in all three books. They are such a great group of girls! I loved the little reminders placed in this book about things that went down previously. So fun!
Overall, I really enjoyed If You Were Mine. I was excited to read about Claire and this book did not disappoint. I loved it!
*ARC generously provided by the author and Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review*
About the Author
Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like VEEP, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and Homeland. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.
Melanie is the author of the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, the FRENCHED series, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY duet, set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.
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