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Review

“We’re lovers who became friends who became …everything.”

4 stars

The fifth book in the Alabama Summer series, and it’s CJ’s turn! And in a fabulous development, he’s hooking up with Reed’s sister, Riley, who was introduced in the last book. This is a gorgeously fun and sexy romance, and I loved watching these two fall for each other so hard.

CJ and Riley hook up at Reed and Beth’s wedding. Riley is fresh off an angry break up, and she’s out to enjoy being single again. It’s a weekend that rocks both of their worlds, and they both know that they can’t walk away from the connection that they share. But when Riley goes home, it turns out she’s not actually broken up, she has a boyfriend there waiting for her who wants to try and make things work. Torn and not sure what to do, Riley asks CJ to forget about their weekend together and just be friends, so that she can figure out what’s going on with her relationship. It’s not a situation CJ is happy with, but he reluctantly agrees.

Do I want to be friends with Riley? Fuck no. Am I going to take what she gives me right now? Yeah. I’ll fucking take it.

At this point of the story, I wasn’t sure how I was feeling about it. I was not happy with the decisions Riley made, and was so scared that this would be a drawn-out angstfest. But fear not! It’s not too much longer before Riley is actually officially single, and when CJ gets injured while protecting her, she agrees to be his live-in nurse (she needs a place to stay anyway). And this is where the fun begins.

“Do you want me, babe? The way I’m wanting to give you me?”

I love these two together. They are fun and playful, with great banter and text conversations, and the sizzling attraction just makes it all so much better. They have fantastic chemistry, and they genuinely enjoy each other and the time they spend together, and it’s only a matter of time before the sexual tension becomes too much, and they cannot keep their hands off each other.

Friends? Fuck that. This is so much better.

CJ and Riley are so hot together, and I loved watching them fall so hopelessly and effortlessly in love. CJ is pure perfection as the hopelessly besotted alpha. Let’s be honest, he makes this book! He even calls her “Darlin’”… dreamy sigh. But as beautiful as the romance is, Riley is still figuring it all out, creating some unnecessary and frustrating angst (ugh). CJ is incredible through it all, and eventually true love conquers all, and I loved seeing these two find their happy ending.