A Different Kind of Love: Volume 1: Books 1 – 3

Realistic, romantic and steamy times
I am a fan of Liz Durano’s romances; they are well-written and have true emotional depth. I have read two of the three books in this set and found them really great stories. Here are my thoughts on each:

Falling for Jordan
5 stars
A super story, well-written, romantic, and at times steamy, I really enjoyed the author’s take on a familiar trope. It includes an interesting reversal in the age and career success for the principal characters. Both Addison and Jordan come from close families who all fall for Piper, the glorious result of their one night stand. Addison’s Filipino mother is a breath of pushy, guilting-mother fresh air and provides a bit of comic relief as she schemes to get her daughter married off. All in all, a terrific tale of instant attraction and how to deal with the unexpected and sometimes life changing consequences.

I received a complimentary advance copy of this book from the author; this is my voluntary and honest review.

Breaking the Rules
An out of the ordinary love story haunted by a broken man
4.5 stars
I really appreciate the way that author Liz Durano creates stories that are unique and based around real life issues that are often ignored in the quest for the perfect HEA. In this romance, Durano tackles PTSD’s too often tragic effects on a soldier, his family and friends. Heroine Alma’s dead vet husband forced promises that test his wife’s loyalty and eventually threaten the new life she has started in New Mexico with Tyler, their young child.

Sawyer, a former brother-in-arms who has faced his own PTSD and rehab struggles, is a complex character who’s conflicted. He wants to honor his buddy’s request to watch over Alma but fears that his attraction to Alma is a betrayal of his dead buddy’s trust. He’s a bit of a tragic hero himself and a very appealing partner for a heroine trying her best to be strong and positive for her son.

While this romance is not short on steam, I found the couple’s fight to get past their guilt and shape a drama-free future the more compelling part of the story. Setting most of the action in an off-the-grid self-sustaining community of “earthships” was also an unusual touch. This really did feel like a move to a brave new world for a new start for Alma and her son. The extra hitch of Tyler’s mourning grandparents who can’t stand the thought of losing their last connection to their dead son added a touch of tension and its resolution added to the satisfying conclusion. Although some of the New Mexico characters were developed in a previous novel, this story can easily be read as a standalone.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

Everything She Ever Wanted
I really enjoyed this story. Straight forward romances are not normally my thing, but this was very well written with a heart-melting hero to boot.

I also liked how this wasn’t an alpha male running away from commitment but an imperfect man who was in touch with his feelings. Both the hero and heroine were rounded characters and the book was written from both POV’s, which helps in engaging with them. There were one or two ‘predictable’ plot lines, but plenty of well written and fair paced story to keep my interest.

I was surprised at one point when it was stated that the couple had only known each other 5 (or 7) days as the time spent at Pearl seemed a little longer than this – and indeed could have been written as 2 weeks or so, which might have made the ‘instalove’ a little more believable. I don’t know if I would call the ending ‘abrupt’ but it didn’t have the usual epilogue where we catch up a few years later to find the happy couple married with kids! I don’t find this a problem – the book had an ending and it was a fairly straight forward one.

The book was easy to read – no poor editing or lots of grammar mistakes – with natural dialogue and no unbelievable moments either. This wasn’t a tear-jerker book but it was a good read and worth the money.

Falling For Jordan
Whilst this is a shorter read it is still a very engaging and wonderful story. The story has a small number of characters and scenes, allowing us to focus on Jordan, Addie and their relationship.

The author did a wonderful job of making me feel comfortable and familiar with both main characters. I also felt and believed in their passion for each other. I’m not always the biggest fan of ‘insta-love’ in a story but Addie’s reactions and thoughts made it work for me in this book.

As with all good romances, the path wasn’t all smooth sailing but Jordan managed to show Addie that he would never let her or Piper down. When I describe the story as ‘sweet’ I’m not meaning that it is a clean read but that it is a heart-warming, feel good read, without being cloying or contrived. There is plenty of steam in the book, some good interactions with family (which were so real and human in their content) and some well written in background to the characters.

The pace was good, I read the book almost in one sitting as it held my attention. The story felt full and complete and the plot was not cliched or predictable. This is a well written and very enjoyable story.

Breaking The Rules
It’s not always easy to keep those promises we make

I found Liz Durano through the first book in this series, Everything She Ever Wanted. I adore how her characters are so very human, full of doubts, occasionally selfish and prone to make mistakes. I’ll be honest in that I didn’t remember Sawyer from ESEW, though it is a couple of years since I read the book. However the blurb for this sounded so intriguing that I had to find the time to read it.

Adversity in Afghanistan made Drew and Sawyer best friends. Drew even saved Sawyer’s life when they were caught in a IED explosion. Along with his wife, Alma, he saved it again when Sawyer was struggling to come to terms with his injuries and loss of career. Sadly Drew didn’t allow Sawyer to help him when he needed it, he was too proud and wanted everyone to keep seeing him as the hero. Sawyer made a promise that should anything ever happen to Drew he would look out for Alma, but he wants to be so much more than a friend, after all he saw her first. Can Alma and Sawyer let go of the past and find happiness together, or will the judgement of others prove too much?

The opening scene of this book was very unexpected, and in some ways made it harder to read the story that followed. It almost made it feel as though Alma was cheating with Sawyer, which normally would be a negative BUT this was also an issue for the Hero and it made me empathise with him even more.

This is a story of learning to accept what we can not change, to forgive the mistakes of others as well as ourselves and to acknowledge that we can only do our best with hand we have been dealt. It dealt with some very difficult issues, including PTSD in veterans, in a very sympathetic manner.

I love how real both the characters AND situations feel in this author’s books. Both Alma and Sawyer were relatable, likeable and believable characters. Some of the decisions they made could have been better, but who couldn’t say the same of themself? Whilst this wasn’t an angst or issue free read, it did have quite a gentle and relaxed feel to it. The story line was engaging, as were the characters, the pace was good and held my attention and the writing flowed smoothly, all adding up to one very good read.

You could feel the attraction and chemistry between them. Whilst, in some ways, their relationship progressed fairly rapidly, they had known and been friends with each other for 6 or 7 years, so this didn’t feel to much like a case of insta-love.

There were some really nice little twists and turns along the way. I was really surprised with what and who nearly derailed their relationship. Though again it felt a very believable part of the story. It was lovely to see more of Dax, Harlow and their children though I now need Todd’s story before I can walk away from Taos and it’s inhabitants.

I previously read and reviewed all the books within this boxset and it is my pleasure to submit my voluntary review.

Everything She Ever Wanted is like a tapestry, with shades of light and dark, wit and gravity, sorrow and joy. When I initially read the book description, I didn’t hold out much hope for the quality of the story. However, I was very wrong. It was an emotional book with so much depth and feeling that my heart was twisting and turning for both Harlow and Dax. Divorce is nasty under any circumstances, but the higher the profile of the people involved, the stickier and dirtier the mud that gets slung around. The author brings out the unfortunate truth that despite the age we live in, powerful men are always trusted and believed over women, even one that is as respected as Harlow.

I loved Dax from the very beginning. He is protective towards Harlow, even before getting to know her. Everything went against them as a couple, from Harlow’s education and status, to the huge age gap between them. Again, society smiles at men with trophy wives half their age, but women with younger men are considered cheap – such hypocrisy! Dax’s family and the community he lives in are all very cautious about their budding relationship, and both Harlow and Dax have to make decisions about whether pursuing it further is worth the public censure they will receive.

Falling for Jordan: This heartwarming romance has all the ingredients of a good story. Dr Addison Rowe is been caught up in the whirlpool of being an independent young professional with a mother who lives vicariously through her daughter, creating the kind of pressures that can often be found in families of mixed ethnicity. Jordan has his own pressures to deal with when family put their expectations on him before he is ready to make a decision. He makes his escape by joining a non-profit organisation for a year to give of his time where it is most needed, but not before a one last night before he leaves. When Jordan returns home a year later, he finds that his one-night stand had consequences. The attraction between Addy and Jordan is as dynamic as the night they met, but dealing with the evidence of their lovemaking results in a whole new set of problems, family notwithstanding. Add to that an insanely jealous ex-girlfriend, and you really have a recipe for disaster. I loved the characters in this book and felt for Addy as she had to walk the fine line between respect for her traditional Filipino mother and her right to her own decisions. Although Jordan’s family is more relaxed, their stand on taking responsibility and doing the right thing weigh heavily on Jordan. Through it all, Addy and Jordan have to work out where they plan on going in a relationship that amounts to a one night stand, but with a small human to account for. The author brings out all the angst and soul searching that one can imagine the characters would go through without being maudlin or overly introspective. The book is really well written with humour and insight into family dynamics.

Breaking the Rules: Back in the Taos community, this book brings out all the pain and difficulties experienced by war-weary warriors and the trials their families suffer. This book may in some ways be more extreme than most stories, but there are those who have had to live through similar experiences. In line with the other books in this series, I found that once I started reading, I was unable to put this book down. My heart ached for Alma and the choices she had to make to protect the memory of her husband, but Sawyer’s pain is just as real. When the opportunity presents itself, Sawyer realises that he has the answer for his deceased best friend’s widow, which in fact brings not only healing but a whole new way of life, bringing both of them a new lease of life. The story is emotional and well written and includes interesting facets of living off the grid

All of the books in this boxset have well thought out plots with wonderful and interesting characters.

Everything She Ever Wanted
Love, love, love Liz Durano’s writings. This story even brought tears to my eyes several times. I read it first, and now I’ve listened to it. So worth my time.

Melissa Moran and Joe Hempel were good narrators. Melissa has such a smooth voice. They did an excellent job.
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Falling For Jordan
Oh yes. There is a reason Liz Durano has become one of my favorite authors. This story touched my emotions. I got so involved with the characters. I didn’t want to put it down. I couldn’t wait to see how it was going to play out. Although it’s a standalone, the first book EVERYTHING SHE EVER WANTED was an excellent first book/companion book as well. Worth reading!!
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Breaking The Rules
Liz Durano is a wonderful author. One of my favorites! So glad I found her. This is a well written book with an emotional storyline. I became so involved with the characters, which is why it’s a five star book for me. It was so heartbreaking, but lead to a beautiful HEA. It was great to see some of the other characters in the series again, but it can be read as a standalone. I’d suggest the whole series though.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of Breaking the Rules and am voluntarily leaving a revie.

I was completely hooked on this story from the first page. Sawyer and Alma are so real in their emotions and actions. They are flawed but they are working hard to be the best version of themselves they can be. Great book!!