Southern Heat is live!

 

 

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Blurb

Willow

After being left for dead, I was given a fresh start by my knight in shining armor.

My protector.

I never had a family before they took me in.

But I don’t know how to stay or trust.

I always had a bag packed and ready just in case I needed to escape again.

Like they say, old habits die hard.

Being in the shadows is lonely, but lonely is safe.

Quinn

I was the quiet one, the one who stood in the back and watched things unfold. The cowboy who only cared
about his horses instead of the glory.

Until I found her fighting for her life. Something inside me shifted, and I couldn’t stop it.

I couldn’t stop protecting her.

I fell in love with her with one look because she was my soul mate.

Even though I knew I couldn’t make her stay.

 

 

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Review

3 stars

This is the sixth book in the Southern series, continuing the stories of the second generation of characters in a dramatic, emotional and swoony romance for Quinn and Willow.

Quinn is the son of Casey and Olivia (from Southern Comfort, #2 in the series), and after meeting him all grown up and protective in the last few books, I was so excited for his story. And after the ending of the last book, I was even more intrigued for the story coming his way.

Willow is ‘the girl in the cabin’, found by the boys when they stormed in during those final events of the last book . She has been held for years by a sadistic madman and she has endured hell, and from the moment Quinn finds her and carries her out of that cabin and straight to the hospital, he refuses to leave her side.

All I wanted to do was push the hair back from her face, just stare into her eyes, and hold her face in my palms. I wanted to take her in my arms and promise her that she would never be hurt again. I wanted to tell her that I would die before I let someone else put their hands on her.

Willow’s world has just been turned upside down. She’s been through so much, and she has nothing and nobody, but Quinn is there for her in a way that no-one else ever has been, and though she understandably struggles to accept him and all that he’s offering, she can’t help but cling to him.

I’ve never had anyone sit by my bed before and worry about me. I’ve never had anyone care that I was hurt. I’ve never had anyone give me even an ounce of what he gave me in the little time he’s known me. I don’t even know him, yet I know that if he’s here, I’ll be safe.

Quinn is such a softie. He is brave and protective, but he’s a nurturer with a big heart, and he cares deeply. He is there for Willow every step of the way, and that includes moving her right into his house after her hospital stay – supporting her, caring for her, and giving her just the right push to find her feet again.

“I won’t let you fall,” he says. “Trust me.”

These two are so sweet together. There’s definitely a connection between them, but it’s a necessary slow burn as Willow begins the process of healing and rebuilding, and Quinn is right there supporting her through it. It’s romantic and seriously swoony, and Quinn is just gorgeous.

 

 

But underneath it all, Willow is ready to run. It’s what she’s had to do in the past, her fears are real, and the walls she has build around herself aren’t ready to come down just yet. It will take all of the patience and love that Quinn and his family have to offer to help her finally start to trust and feel safe once and for all.

“I don’t think you’ve been paying attention, Willow,” and I just look at him. “It’s you,” he whispers. “It’s always been you. It will always be you.”

This book has all the swoon and all of the emotion, but I didn’t feel it as much as I was hoping. I think because the emotions were a bit extreme, there were some parts that didn’t feel realistic, and it just didn’t hit me like other books in this series have. Also, for me, the pacing felt a little off, it was quite slow at the beginning, with over half of the book taking place in the hospital, and then the second part of the book seems to skim a bit, with us getting to see highlights. I would have like to see some more build-up of the romance – more flirting and banter, and more of those heart-pounding moments of anticipation before the flip is switched late in the book and it’s suddenly all on. And then there is drama at the end, which again felt rushed and a bit extreme, and honestly didn’t feel necessary.

But I loved being back in this world, I loved seeing characters from the previous book – Mayson and Chelsea in particular, are great – and the epilogue finishes off Quinn and Willow’s story so sweetly.

3 stars.

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

Southern Series

 

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About the Author

When her nose isn’t buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she’s in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It’s a good thing her characters do what she says, because even her Labrador doesn’t listen to her…

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