Your Captivating Love by Layla Hagen
The Bennett Family #2
Narrated by: Carly Robins and Nelson Hobbs
Release Date: August 30, 2016
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy from Tantor Media
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Challenges: #AudioChallenge, #ShelfLove, #TakeControlTBR
Goodreads
Synopsis
Logan Bennett knows his priorities. He's loyal to his family and his company. He has no time for love, and no desire for it - not after a disastrous engagement left him brokenhearted. But when Nadine enters his life, she turns everything upside down. She's sexy, funny, and utterly captivating. She's also more stubborn than anyone he's met...including himself. Nadine Hawthorne is finally pursuing her dream: opening her own clothing shop. After working so hard to get here, she needs to concentrate on her new business, and can't afford distractions - not even if they come in the form of Logan Bennett. He's handsome, charming, and doesn't take no for an answer. Their attraction is sizzling, their connection undeniable. Slowly, Logan wins her over. What starts out as a fling soon spirals into much more than they are prepared for. When a mistake threatens to tear them apart, will they have the strength to hold on to each other?
Your Captivating Love was, well, captivating. Already being familiar with the characters and their world enabled me to fall right into Logan and Nadine's story. Witnessing their fall was delightful.
Logan's an intelligent man - he's CFO of Bennett Enterprises after all. He's also determined, loyal, and a bit of a workaholic. He's been unlucky in love - his fiance breaking things off because he focused more on business than her. So he steers clear of romantic entanglements, not wanting to be hurt again.
Nadine, Ava's best friend, has recently relocated to San Francisco hoping to make her dream of owning a high-end dress shop - featuring original designs by her - a reality. She's creative, smart, and tenacious. She's also vivacious. But she's been hurt as well - and her confidence was shattered causing her to put her dreams on hold...until now. She also had a difficult childhood which left its mark. But when Logan and Nadine meet, their chemistry immediately sparked and all their determination to not get involved kinda went out the window.
I so much enjoyed watching as Logan and Nadine built a strong foundation for their relationship - seeing Logan support Nadine in achieving her dream and seeing Nadine learn to trust that Logan wasn't going to run. It was sweet how they each got under the other's skin, chipping away at those walls they'd built - and even sweeter when they fell.
Spending time with the Bennett clan was also fun. Getting to know them even better - how their dynamics work...well, it's easy to see why they're all so close and I'm eager to spend even more time with them.
I do want to say that the narration made my pleasure at listening more intense. Robins and Hobbs more deftly conveyed the emotions wrought in this story as well as kept the pacing smooth. They easily managed voicing the large cast, too. Even though I didn't dislike the narration in book 1, I was amazed at the difference in the level of my enjoyment with the narration here.
Last First Kiss by Lia Riley
Brightwater #1
Narrated by: Carly Robins
Release Date: January 26, 2016 by Tantor Audio
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy from Tantor Audio in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Challenges: #2016NewRelease
Goodreads
Synopsis
Pinterest perfect. Or so Annie Carson's life appears on her popular blog. Reality is...messier. Especially when it lands her back in one-cow town Brightwater, California, and back in the path of the gorgeous six-foot-four reason she left. Sawyer Kane may fill out those Wranglers, but she won't be distracted from her task. Annie just needs the summer to spruce up and sell her family's farm so she and her young son can start a new life in the big city. Simple, easy, perfect. Sawyer has always regretted letting the first girl he loved slip away. He won't make the same mistake twice, but can he convince beautiful, wary Annie to trust her heart again when she's been given every reason not to? And as a single kiss turns to so much more, can Annie give up her idea of perfect for a forever that's blissfully real? Contains mature themes.
Last First Kiss was my introduction to both Lia Riley and Carly Robins and it certainly won't be my last. I delighted in this sweet romance delivered with a small town setting and a family feud backdrop. I'm wondering what else is in store for the Kane's and Carson's.
Annie Carson has finally come home. Ten years ago, she suffered a humiliation she didn't know if she'd recover from at the hands of someone she trusted. Now a divorced mother and mommy blogger, her choices have been take away so she's come home to prepare Five Diamonds, her family farm, for sale.
Sawyer Kane never left Brightwater. The town is in his blood and he's now the sheriff. When he hears Annie's back, he jumps at the chance to mend the rift caused by her perceived role in her humiliation and too see if what they had all those years ago survived.
Annie's part of the story is a journey, really. She's trying to figure out what she wants out of life - who she is outside of being Atticus' mom. I appreciated that she was a blogger that she worried over content and comments. Musings of a Mighty Mama, her blog's name, played an important role in her life but that role was evolving and I could relate.
Sawyer knew who he was and what he wanted in life. It was the 'who' eh wanted to share it with that was the question. He'd never forgotten Annie and intended to take full advantage of the second chance he'd been given.
I quite enjoyed the family feud element and Sawyer's grandma was a hoot! I also loved Atticus' role in shaping his and his mom's future. The introduction of other secondary cast members has me eager to continue so I can see what's in store for them as well as getting to know them better.
I can't put my finger on why exactly but there was something that made the romance between Annie and Sawyer feel a bit rushed. I've thought about it a lot but even though it shouldn't hav felt that way since they had history and obviously still had the spark - it still felt fast. Overall though, Last First Kiss was a sweet second chance love story. And Carly Robins' was great! Her character voices were unique - she nailed 5 year old Atticus and Grandma Kane - and was just a pleasure to listen to. I will certainly continue this series in audio.
Your Captivating Love by Layla Hagen
