Ask Me Why

Oh. My. Gosh. So many freaking feels right now.

I’ve read a couple books from this author and when I seen this beauty I just knew I’d have to get reading it and gah, I was so damn right. This book delivered so much more than I ever expected it to do. It packed a powerful punch of emotions.

Brance and Braelyn are both suffering in their own ways. One suffering from the aftermath or loosing someone they loved, someone who was their lives and the other suffering from the two people who he thought wouldn’t leave. It’s stopped them from putting their hearts out there over fear of the past repeating itself.

Both of them are opposites and watching them spend time together and interact has been so much fun.

Harloe Rae did an absolutely amazing job bringing these characters to life and their story. It was so much more than I expected and I absolutely loved every second of it. All the emotions and everything else was brilliant. I’m in absolute awe of how much I loved this.

Ask Me Why is a second chance romance full of so many feels you won’t know what hit you.

** spoiler alert ** Where to begin? Enemies to lovers? Emotionally Stunted to Openly Loving Couple?

Braelyn is a hot mess, he lost her boyfriend 3 years ago in a car accident. He died in front of her and she survived it physically, but mentally and emotionally she was left with scars that don’t want to heal. She is still having nightmares and still having panic attacks when the littlest trigger sets are in a downward spiral. Her only joy comes from her best friend Sadie and her shop Thicket. Thicket is where she sells anything and everything that makes her smile, her own personal safe haven to lost in.

Brance is a lawyer, single dad, and woman hater, well woman have one use that is sex and nothing else in his book. He is working long hours trying to make partner in his firm. His only joy in life is raising his son Ollie who is 5 going on 20. No matter how bad of a day he has Ollie can put a smile on his face and warm his heart. Women in his past showed him they are selfish, uncaring and manipulative b*tches, so relationships, feelings, and all that is so far from his mind.

Ollie is the matchmaker in this love story, he knows what he wants and in the end he gets it all. Without the help of Ollie, Brance and Braelyn would never have crossed paths, and never would have been forced to see each other repeatedly. These meeting sparked some serious banter and chemistry between them that neither could deny or fight. This turned into late night hookups between the two most unlikely people. They seemed to melt away each other’s pain and heartache left behind in other people’s wake. Sometimes you just have to ask they question why?

Another amazing book by Harloe Rae! It has is all, the brooding alpha with the hidden teddy bear inside, strong and sassy heroine, adorable kiddo and supportive best friends! I did not want this book to end!

I was generously provided this book by Candi Kane PR and Harloe Rae for an honest review.

This is my first book by Harloe Rae. I really enjoyed it and will definitely be reading more by her. It is a Single Dad & Second Chance troupe. It is filled with angst, past tragedies & plenty of emotions.

The story is about Braelyn, Brance & Ollie, Brance’s son (who steals the scenes he’s in) Braelyn & Brance both have issues from their past that definitely affect them now. Braelyn is sweet, sassy & beautiful but is struggling with a tragedy from her past. Brance is sexy, smart & very abrasive from being hurt in a past relationship. I really enjoyed Braelyn she is very likeable, sweet, happy and a breath of fresh air to Brance who is arrogant, emotionally closed off and extremely surly. She is exactly what he needs. I loved little Ollie and his spunky attitude & his relationship with Braelyn. I did have a hard time connecting with Brance’s character for most of the book, but he did eventually turn it around to win me over. I will say I loved how great of a Dad he is and his love for his son.

It is a well written book that doesn’t leave you hanging. Don’t miss out on this enjoyable read.

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This book made me all kinds of mushy! I felt like I could follow the emotions right along with Braelyn and Brance. From feeling the dislike all the way to the heartbreak and all the way to the happily ever after. I did not feel like a mere spectator in the event, I felt it right along with the characters. And that Ollie….oh that little boy was a doll!

Ask Me Why was my first Harloe Rae book. It was sweet, sexy and totally worth reading. I thoroughly enjoyed the chemistry between Braelyn and Brance. Ollie was absolutely adorable and easily captivated my heart.

Our Hero/A-hole in this story, Brance, was really (uncalled for) mean toward our heroine, Braelyn when he first meets her in her store. Our young precocious hero, Ollie, Brance’s 5 year old son, was the complete opposite of his father. In ranking order, I loved the relationship between father and son, then Brae and Ollie, then finally…and eventually the pairing of Brance and Braelyn. The love and attention Brance gave his son showed me that he was capable of a true, unselfish relationship, but I didn’t care for the way he spoke to everyone else, especially Brae. I loved her spunk and courage to stand up against Brance’s verbal attacks.
I had trouble with several character inconsistencies. First, Ollie is one sophisticated and articulate little 5 year old, and maybe some of that stems from his father being an attorney. But then, little Ollie is somehow really attuned to the adults’ feelings, expressions and interactions, which is hard to believe. If it was just his father, that would be again, understandable, but since he hasn’t really interacted with Brance’s other relationships, and he hasn’t started school yet, I’m not sure where he’s drawing his “nothing gets by this child” expertise from. Brance’s behavior toward Brae is also at times, inconsistent with his thoughts, which the reader is privy to since the story is told from a dual point of view. Without revealing spoilers, during the climactic conflict, Brance’s behavior and subsequent discussion with Brae was truly cold-hearted even though their relationship had truly warmed by that point. There are still a lot of great feels and romantic moments between Brance and Braelyn that balance out the inconsistencies.

Let me start my review by saying I will try my very best not to post important spoilers. I was so excited to have received an advanced reader copy of Ask Me Why by author Harloe Rae and couldn’t wait to read and review this book.

Upon completion of this book however, I was left shaking my head back in forth in complete and utter disgust and then I was left scratching my head in bewilderment. Go ahead, Ask Me Why!!!!

Honestly, with all the head shaking and scratching go on, I began to get very dizzy and sick to my stomach. I do suppose that could be because of all the sweets that were consumed 24/7….

Unfortunately, to my utter dismay, with the exception of one adorable little boy named Ollie on a taffy sugar high running around every day like a kid in a candy store. Oh wait, he WAS a kid who ran around a candy store every single day eating taffy until the cows came home or at least until the next taffy delivery at his favorite candy store Thicket run by the sugary sweet owner, Braelyn Miller, there was absolutely nothing sweet about this book. Even worse, the forked tongue Hero needed someone to “pour a little sugar on him!!!! He was horrible. As I said, the book HAD potential but left a foul taste in my mouth like rotting teeth!!!!

At the risk of sounding like I’m completely obsessed about the over indulgence of sugar or in this case, taffy, may I add that it is completely ridiculous to believe that any parent would allow their toddler to run around and eat taffy every single day unless the parents sought outpatient therapy because they would be pushed to their limits just trying to reign in the toddler. Really, I wish I was privy to the dental visits Ollie was sure to have to fill all his cavities. His dentist must have been high fiving the hygienist at the money he making off of that little boy. Unfortunately, this poses no concern to his father, Brance Stone. He’s a successful attorney with a HUMONGOUS chip on his shoulder and walks around abusing everyone in his path, except for his son who he loves with every part of his being, especially one candy store owner named Braelyn.

Without going into a ton of detail and spoilers, Brance is a single father raising Ollie, the adorable little boy I mentioned above. Ollie has taken a liking to candy store owner Braeyln and is determined to make her is new Mommy. This fast becomes an obsession for Ollie and he is relentless in his pursuit of motherly happiness which I don’t mind mentioning is a bit bizarre!

Anyway, Brance is harboring hate towards most women and doesn’t hide the fact he thinks they are all selfish “biatches”. Why? Well, that’s a spoiler so I can’t tell you.

Braelyn is a loving woman who has baggage and is dealing with the aftermath of a devastating nature (sorry no spoilers) and so she’s not been in a relationship in years. She suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder of the serious kind and can be triggered easily and suffers debilitating panic attacks. Her dream was to open a candy store and to do whatever it takes to make her dreams come true. This woman has a heart of pure gold. Maybe even too pure. She and Ollie take to each other immediately and he visits her store daily. Hence my rant above………………

Now, I love a man who is rough around the edges but this man, Brance Stone, whom I’ve nicknamed “Brasshole” is one of the meanest hero wannabes I’ve come across in a very long time. He’s no hero. He may be hot but he is a mean and insensitive twerp and has taken it upon him self to breath his fire, spewing hateful things to Braeyln on first sight, not to mention for most of the book. For ABSOLUTELY NO REASON. The vile things he was saying to her hurt even me.

As time goes on, Brasshole and Braelyn start to warm up to each other and grow close. But things begin to go south because Brasshole has no filter attached to his mouth and his true colors rear their ugly head again. I swear to all the heavens, I wished Braeyln would have drop kick him in his junk on more than one occasion. He lashes out at her for no reason. His mouth is nothing but trouble and I found myself always waiting for the other shoe to drop because I did not trust him. Not only that but I felt absolutely NO real connection between the H and h. Even their flirty banter felt forced.

This book is so unrealistic to me. Too over the top. I just felt nothing for these two. I can’t even call them a couple. As much as I loved the heroine, at times, she seems desperate, weak and pathetic and too much of a pushover all because the Hero was hot, in my opinion. To me, it was as though she has no pride…. She’s better than him. She deserved better than him. She comes across desperate because it’s been years since she was with anyone and I had trouble buying into this romance because there simply is NONE. It’s nothing but a booty call for both of them. There are NO feelings involved except for anger on the part of the Hero. There are bits of something but I’m not sure what and found myself pretty frustrated with this book as a whole. The things he says and does to Braelyn and are inexcusable. I.N.E.X.C.U.S.A.B.L.E not to mention unforgivable.

I will end by saying Ask Me Why had its entertaining moments, which led to some great book chats and laughs with the best buddy reader ever and to whom I dedicate this review to. There are some endearing moments with Ollie but those were few and far between. Honestly, to me, this was an innocent romance so to speak between Braelyn and Ollie and the relationship they had built with each other. That was believable to me and is the reason I rated it 2.5 stars. Otherwise I would have rated it 1 star. To me, there simply was no real romance between Brance and Braelyn. Brance was a bully. Nothing more, nothing less.

Brance is a horrible rude jerk except when he is with his son Oliver. He thinks all women are out for something and he is protecting himself and his son. Braelyn has been hurt losing a loved one so tragically and working each day to live life. Her shop gives her so much joy and when Oliver zooms thru her shop into her heart it is so sweet. It is hard to get thru the very rough edges of Brance but this second chance romance for these two makes it all worth while. Love Oliver he stole the show.

Great book with lots of angst and emotions. Loved the characters and their story. I enjoyed Brance (the a$$hole) as his heart starts to grow just like the Grinch as he falls for Braelyn. Awesome reading.