Naomi's Reading Palace: Hold You Close by Melanie Harlow & Corinne Michaels ~ Review & Teaser (#MelanieHarlow, @AuthorCMichaels)

I really enjoyed reading Hold You Close by this writing duo. It was an amusing and sweet second chance romance, that had had it's challenges!

Title: Hold You Close

Author: Melanie Harlow & Corinne Michaels

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: August 19th 2018

Buy Now - Amazon US | Amazon Aus

From NYT Bestseller Corinne Michaels & USA Today Bestseller Melanie Harlow, comes a second chance standalone romance novel.

Ian Chase broke my heart at seventeen, and I’ve spent the last eighteen years hating him for it.
He makes it easy, with his smart mouth and playboy lifestyle—which I unfortunately have to observe since he lives behind me. Every time I see him climbing out of his pool, practically naked and unreasonably sexy, my blood boils.
I’ve always loved to loathe him.
I never planned to need him.
~ ~ ~
London Parish is my little sister’s best friend, not that it stopped me from falling for her.
Our history is complicated. The only thing we have in common is being godparents to my sister’s three adorable kids—until our lives are changed in one tragic moment.
Now we’re trying to raise the children we love, mourn an unthinkable loss, and fight an undeniable attraction.
My life is already upside-down, and the last thing I need is for old feelings to resurface.
Because I’ll never be able to keep her, no matter how hard I try to hold her close.

Melanie Harlow is an author I go to when I'm looking for a breathtaking read. Harlow has paired up with Corinne Michaels and together they delivered Hold You Close. It was gut wrenching, sweet and exciting, all wrapped up into a memorable read!

I was able to see the history between Ian and London in the opening chapter. I could tell they both had feelings for one another, however Ian didn't want to hold London back. Fast forward into the future, they are brought together through unimaginable circumstances, however they do not get along. They bicker constantly and do not see eye to eye. They try to put their differences aside, and it isn't long before buried feelings resurface.

I did enjoy the chemistry between Ian and London, they had a lot of years to make up for! The loss they had both suffered intensified their feelings and old habits were hard to kick. It was good to see them work together and try to be better people for the kids. The three kids were great too! They pulled together and would pull up their uncle when he needed it, which was amusing!

I really enjoyed Hold You Close and I think this writing duo really complement one another. The characters they created were strong and stubborn at times, but they learned to bend to help one another. I enjoyed the plot, and the hurdles the characters had to work through, and I hoped that Ian would wake up to himself! It really was a good read and I know I'll read more of their work again!

I just loved the kids in this one, and how they would throw their Uncle under the bus! The second tease made me swoon!

“You’re just special, Lon.”
“Yeah, don’t forget it.” I tap his chest.
His eyes meet mine and the carefree joking we had a moment ago vanishes. There’s heat in his gaze and my pulse roars in my ears. “I never forgot, I just couldn’t tell you the truth.”
Every breath I take makes my chest tight. “What’s the truth?”
“That he likes you!” Morgan yells from the living room and we both take a step back.
“You have horrible timing!” Ian points to the twelve-year-old that seems hell-bent on driving her uncle to drink.
“I always knew I liked that kid.”

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Ian does something that completely takes me off guard. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me to his solid chest. My heart begins to race as his one hand glides up my back, securing me to him.
“Ian,” I breathe. “The kids.”
“I don’t give a shit,” he mutters.
“They . . .”
“Shut up, London, and let me kiss you.”
I don’t say a word because before I can even try, his lips press against mine. It’s one of those head-spinning kisses too. Where the world fades away around us, and even surrounded at the airport, all that exists is Ian.
He does this to me, which is the scary part.

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Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. Her stories are about modern couples falling in old-fashioned love, and even though romance is a fantasy, her heroes and heroines are everyday people with real problems who stumble on their way to happily ever after. She lifts her glass to readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.

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Corinne Michaels is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller author. She’s an emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun-loving mom of two beautiful children. Corinne is happily married to the man of her dreams and is a former Navy wife.

After spending months away from her husband while he was deployed, reading and writing was her escape from the loneliness. She enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak and finding a way to heal them through their struggles. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love.

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Instagram / Pinterest