Choosing her may ruin his life.
But he doesn’t want a life without her.
True North, an all new forbidden, workplace contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author JB Salsbury is now available!
Amazon | Amazon Worldwide | Apple | Kobo | Nook
Blurb
The North name is a heavy burden. Two things I learned young—the best way to keep my head on is to keep my head down, and… never fall in love.
But I’m a sucker for a damsel in distress.
Lillian came into my life swinging. Mistaking me for my abusive twin brother, she greets me with a swift kick to the balls and a busted lip. Then she really shakes up my world.
She needs her job, but she needs a break just as much. And nothing silences my demons as efficiently as playing the hero.
To protect her from my jerk twin—her boss—I take her on a business trip and quickly learn that she’s different. Blunt. Honest. Intriguingly strange. I’m transfixed, so when she unknowingly sinks a multimillion-dollar deal, I don’t speak up. Something my family won’t forgive.
Now, I have a choice to make. I can go against my own blood and burn the North legacy to the ground, or play it safe, commit to my self-imposed rules and predestined future. Choosing her would ruin my life as I know it, but I’m starting to wonder if a life without her is worth living.
Review
4.5 stars
This is the third book in the North Brothers series, a sweet and fun chemistry-filled romance with lots of steam and lots of heart. It’s such a gorgeous read and I loved it!
Hudson is the calm, sweet and kind North brother. He is a good guy with a big heart who loves to help others, and though he keeps his head down while navigating the unusual dynamics at his family’s firm, he enjoys his job and he is living his best life.
Lillian is new to New York and is struggling to get on her feet. She has behavioural / neurodevelopmental issues that make things like focussing and socialising a bit tricky for her, but she’s working hard to make a go of things at North Industries – though she has the misfortune of working for Hudson’s evil twin, Hayes. The man is a mean and cruel a-hole, so when Hudson swoops in to save her and whisks her away on a business trip as his assistant/associate, she’s all too happy to go along with it.
It’s sparks from the very beginning with these two. Hudson has this cheeky playfulness to him that puts Lillian at ease, and he finds her quirks and outspokenness endearing and entertaining. From fast friendship to so much more, the sexual tension is intense, and I loved every moment of getting-to-know-you-anticipation.
“First, I would consider myself lucky to kiss you.”
Excitement flares in her eyes.
“But second, I wouldn’t want to stop there. I’d want my mouth on more than your lips. And if I had the honor of having you in my bed, I’d want the world to know about it.”
The romance develops quickly, with both of them falling fast and not afraid to let it show. They do have some understandable concerns, but their mad attraction is undeniable, and I loved watching them come together. It’s a gorgeous romance full of sweet and playful moments and so much hotness, and I just love these two as a couple.
The pull between us, the electricity that stirs in the air when we’re close, am I the only one who feels that? More than lust, more than attraction, what we have is something more.
There is a bit of drama, but it’s short-lived and dealt with functionally. Turns out our sweet Hudson has a bit of an alpha streak, and his fierce protectiveness and open-heart with his girl is beautiful to see.
“I am deeply, madly, drowning in all-consuming love with you.”
I loved Hudson! He’s an absolute sweetheart, and in romanceland where there are so manwhores, bad boys and commitment-phobes, it’s so beautiful to see a good guy who wears his heart on his sleeve for his girl. I also loved catching up with Hudson’s brothers Alexander and Kingston. I loved seeing them happy with their girls, I loved the close relationship between the boys, and I loved how beautifully and unreservedly Lillian was accepted into the fold.
“Maybe he is trying to save you. But he’s also trying desperately to love you. And how do I know? Because it’s what we do. We protect and help and save the women we love. That is something we cannot control.”
There’s one North brother remaining, and after all of that we’ve seen of Hayes so far, and the hint of what’s coming in his book, I am so freaking excited for that one.
I loved this book, and I’m loving this series. The boys (and their girls) are so unique, which gives each book a different feel, but all with so much heart, and beautiful love stories. This is such a great read.
4.5 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The North Brothers
Wild North (#1)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Apple Books | B&N | Kobo
Rebel North (#2)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Apple Books | B&N | Kobo
True North (#3)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Apple Books | B&N | Kobo
Cruel North (#4)
Buy: Amazon | Apple Books | B&N | Kobo
Excerpt
Hudson
We stroll down the street, taking turns with the fried bread and looking at each booth that offers some variation of Native American cuisine. Lillian finds a way to strike up a conversation with everyone. The woman likes to talk. And I’m getting an unexpected level of enjoyment watching her.
“Let’s head to the arts section.” She tugs on my jacket sleeve. “I want to get a souvenir—oh, look! A bouncy house!” She hooks her hand into the crook of my elbow. I startle a little at the contact, even though, so lost in her excitement, she doesn’t seem to notice she’s even touching me.
“We have to jump in the bouncy house!”
“Why? We’re not six years old.”
She drags me closer to the jungle-themed contraption, complete with inflated palm trees, monkeys, and bananas decorating the entrance. “Because it’ll be fun.” She whirls around, her pale blue eyes dancing. “You do remember what fun is, don’t you?”
“My idea of fun isn’t making a fool out of myself in front of a bunch of kids.”
“Why not?” She toes off her shoes. “Kids don’t care if you look like an idiot.”
“You go ahead.”
“You’re missing out,” she calls as she ducks through the strips of green plastic made to look like hanging vines.
Within one minute, she’s laughing with the kids, jumping in a blur of black, with her golden hair flying in every direction. I don’t mean to stare, so I pull out my phone, sure that there’s an email I can attend to, but her laughter keeps my eyes from the screen. I’ve never heard a sound so authentic, free from the constraint of social expectation or acceptance. Have I ever met a person who gets this much joy from something so simple and childish? Lillian balks at a three-Michelin-star meal and finds a contagious kind of joy from a bouncy house.
She’s breathing hard as she has an in-depth discussion with the kids about what she dressed up as for Halloween and who would win in a fight between Sophia the First and someone named Doc McStuffins. A little girl asks her where Lillian’s mom is and if she wants to have a playdate tomorrow.
“See that guy there?” Lillian points me out to her new friends. “He’s afraid of bouncy houses.”
The group of littles reply in multiple forms of shock.
An evil smirk tilts her lips. “I think he might feel brave enough to try if you guys go talk to him.”
“Oh, come on…” I grumble.
Three kids who I wouldn’t guess to be older than five come barreling toward me.
“Don’t be scared!”
“My little sister isn’t even afraid!”
“You can hold my hand.” A small hand slips into mine and holds on. The little girl with bright brown eyes and black hair tilts her head back to look up at me, and something warm seeps into my chest. “Just hold on, okay?”
Only an asshole would say no to that face.
I kick off my shoes and let her drag me to the bouncy house. The kids are still shouting their encouragement while Lillian dissolves into a fit of laughter.
“Don’t be a wussy!” one of the boys calls out while jumping furiously.
I release the little girl’s hand and walk straight into Lillian’s space. Her laughter dies, and
I watch her throat bob with a hard swallow.
“I’m going to pay you back for this,” I say low so the kids don’t hear, which makes my voice rumble.
A spark fires in her eyes. “You’ll have to catch me first.”
Read more on the author’s website
About the Author
JB Salsbury, New York Times Best Selling author of The Fighting Series, lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband and two kids. She spends the majority of her day lost in a world of battling alphas, budding romance, and impossible obstacles as stories claw away at her subconscious, begging to be released to the page.
Her love of good storytelling led her to earn a degree in Media Communications. With her journalistic background, writing has always been at the forefront, and her love of romance prompted her to write her first novel. She has since won a RONE Award.
Connect with JB:
Facebook | Amazon | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Website
Check out more awesome reads on our JB Salsbury Author Spotlight page