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Review

4.5 stars!

This is a heartachingly beautiful story of love after loss, the creation of family, one broken hearted woman and one very determined, very perfect man.

Harrison is the best friend of Liam from Forever My Girl, and the drummer in their highly successful band. He looks like a clichéd hardcore rocker, covered in tattoos, always wearing cargo shorts, combat boots, and a beanie, but looks can be very deceiving. He is actually one of the sweetest, gentlest, most big-hearted men I have ever read, and by the end of chapter 1 I was madly swooning over him. He is a single parent after a girl he had a one night stand with presented him with his 3 day old son and ran off never to be heard from again. He has lovingly raised Quinn by himself, and the two boys have a fantastic relationship.

We met Katelyn in Forever My Girl where she was reeling from the sudden death of her husband, Mason, which left her a young widow and single mother to their 5 year old twin girls, Elle and Peyton. Almost a year after his death, Katelyn still loves her deceased husband, and is still grieving him. Her girls are also having trouble adjusting to life without their Dad, but Harrison (along with Liam and Josie) has stepped in to help where he can, and they have a wonderful friendship.

The book is told in dual POV, with each chapter alternating between Harrison and Katelyn, and from the very beginning, we know exactly where this story is going. Harrison is infatuated with Katelyn, but is terrified of telling her how he feels in case she doesn’t feel the same way, and he doesn’t want to risk ruining their friendship. Katelyn feels an attraction to him, but is not only terrified of moving on, but she’s also wary of his rocker reputation, the way he looks, and how different the two of them are.

“Life isn’t supposed to be like this. I’ve waited for the right one to come along, and when she finally does, she’s so torn up after losing her husband that I don’t stand a chance in hell.”

Their journey to be together is absolutely beautiful as Harrison patiently and gently explores things with Katelyn, and she battles with her growing feelings and the guilt of moving on. It’s slow and steady, and while I was frustrated at the start/stop thing that was going on for a while, I thought it was very realistic to their situation. Of course Katelyn was going to struggle, and I thought this was portrayed really well. It all works together to build the sense of anticipation as we wait for their inevitable hook up, and thankfully Harrison is one very committed guy, and his words and actions would have won anybody over!

“I know you’ve lost your husband. I know every day is a battle for you because you miss him. I’m not trying to take his place with you or the twins. I just want to fit into your life.”

But I love that he’s not a pushover as well. He puts himself out there, but he isn’t prepared to let Katelyn push him away either.

“Love?” I question, wanting to know his answer.
“Yeah, love. I can see myself falling in love with you and as much as I’m trying not to, it’s not working.” He says quietly. He sits down next to me and leans back into the couch. “I don’t know what else to say. I shouldn’t have to sell myself to you. You either like me or you don’t . Thing is, you can’t lie. I know you feel something, you just have to let yourself believe I’m good enough to be a part of your life.”

I love, love, love this man! Seriously, he’s almost too perfect! There’s not one moment that I can think of where I was upset with him, or thought he could have handled something differently. He’s so honest about what he’s feeling and what he wants, and while he’s patient, he pushes just enough to help Katelyn. He’s also incredibly respectful of her feelings for Mason. And don’t even get me started on how he is with the kids! His relationship with Quinn is beautiful, and seeing him with Katelyn’s girls turned me to a pile of mush!

“He’s a part of your life and he’s part of the girls’ life. I’ll never ask you not to talk about him when I’m not around. I’ll never ask you to stop loving him. If he was here, I’d hate him.” I shake my head because that’s not true. “No, I probably wouldn’t know you if he was here, and for that I’m both thankful and remorseful because his girls are the best, most beautiful girls that I’ve ever encountered, and I want to do right by not only them, but him too.”

He’s also really hot, and while there’s not a lot of steamy time in the book, what is there had me fanning myself, and wishing I could be in Katelyn’s place for just for a little bit (motorbike sex, anybody???).

Family is a big theme of this series, and I loved getting to see the continuation of Liam and Josie’s story from the first book, as well as the continually growing bond between all of the characters and their kids. The book takes us into their everyday lives, watching them in the little moments, as well as the big emotional times, and they are there for each other through it all.

“Thank you,” she whispers.
It’s in that moment that I know I’ll do whatever I can to make this family smile, because it’s so going to be worth it.

And a quick shout out to Quinn. This kid is amazing! He’s only eight, but he’s mature, and profound, and he deeply cares for the people in his life. I love how he was in his Dad’s corner, and how even though Harrison and Katelyn protected their kids from what was going on between them, Quinn isn’t an idiot, and I love that he wanted wanting to be there for his Dad him and support him with what he could see happening.

“I don’t think she likes my tattoos, and I’m very different from her husband.”
Quinn rolls his eyes. He’s far too smart for his age. “I think your tattoos tell a story, maybe she should learn to read.”

There are other storylines going on in the background, including a conflict which had me shaking my head in anger and disbelief, but I thought it was handled spectacularly, and the resolution was everything I wanted it to be Katelyn was an idiot. I love that Harrison gave her the opportunity to fix it, but was prepared to walk away from her when she continued on her stupid way. And I loved that she was eventually able to acknowledge how wrong she had been, and that she was the one to come groveling back to him and then completely open up and tell him how she was feeling! She completely redeemed herself!. And then the ending is beautifully swoony and left me with my heart pounding and a huge smile on my face.

I loved it – 4.5 stars.