Three best friends are starting over in the cozy town of Haven, Georgia, where revamping the local airport brings dreams of love and family within reach . . . Since moving to Haven to help out her closest friends, Melanie Ramsey has begun to reclaim her strength after a difficult divorce. Through Mel’s Motivational Blog, she’s inspiring other women too. Then a wild, one-night fling with Haven’s … fling with Haven’s gorgeous deputy leaves her shaken, stirred—and pregnant. But Melanie’s not giving up her newfound independence for another powerful man. Not even one as upstanding and intriguing as
Tanner Roark . . .
What matters most to Tanner: defending the weak, seeking justice, and protecting his heart after a tragic loss. Random hookups have been working out just fine until he and Melanie collide. Despite her domineering ex’s best efforts to rattle her, she’s still kind and resilient. Not to mention witty, straight-talking, and sexy as hell. Chemistry is easy. Trust, not so much. But when you find the one who sends your heart soaring, what can you do except buckle up and hold on tight? . . .
Praise for Jules Bennett and The Monroes series
“Another page turner—I couldn’t put it down!”
—Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author
“Lively. . . . A fun cast of supporting characters add zest to this enjoyable romance.”
—Publishers Weekly
more
Hunky pilot hero? Sign me up, please! Don’t miss this book, you guys!
Melanie and Tanner are usually at each other’s throats, they bicker and argue and all that passion led them straight into bed. Fast-forward 2 months and a stick with blue lines, damn. Melanie has no idea what she is going to do, first step would be telling Tanner, if she was not actively avoiding him at the moment. This is going to be interesting.
Tanner is not a relationship guy, he loves women without a doubt but he was never one to get attached. Not until Melanie that is. Her fire, spunk and drive caught his eye from day one and the passion they had debating different subjects, definitely carried over to the bedroom. Now months after their one night together, he can’t get her out of his mind.
Melanie has no idea how to trust Tanner, especially with her psycho ex still bugging her every move. She has given up the ghost of ever being free of him. Tanner doesn’t seem like the type to be ready for the commitment a baby would bring to his life.
Tanner has been down this road before, no one knows that unfortunately. He will do whatever it takes to protect Melanie and their baby. He won’t lose them, he couldn’t survive if he did.
Melanie and Tanner each bring their own brand of obsessions to the relationship table. Melanie learning to trust someone else to have her back, not stab her in it. And Tanner is learning to live again after suffering such a great loss. Their love story grows, as their baby grows.
Be With Me returns to Haven in the very best way, showcasing all the wonderful friendships we’ve developed right along with the characters. I received an advance copy of this 4 ½ star read without expectation for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own.
That was another great story from Jules Bennett. In this one, get Melanie & Tanner’s story. Melanie had been in an abusive relationship, got out of it a few years ago & started a successful blog to help other women. She went to Haven to help some of her closest friends where she meets Tanner. Tanner is a police officer who helps victims of domestic abuse. Both have things they have to work through & neither wanted a relationship but sometimes you have to go with your feelings.
Return to Haven with book two, Be With Me. This is Melanie and Tanner’s story. Tanner is a policeman in the small town of Haven, GA, about an hour outside of Atlanta. Melanie and her two best friends, Livie and Jade, have moved to Haven to renovate the airport that Livie inherited from her father. It was supposed to be a quick trip to update the house and then sell it and the airport. Instead, it turned into a business venture between the three girls and three cousins and best friends, Tanner, Jax, and Cash.
The attraction between Melanie and Tanner was instant, although neither really realized it. It kept building until they had a one-night stand. Now, they’re bound for life. Each of them came with a lot of baggage. They have to find a way to overcome all of that baggage.
This is a feel-good, entertaining, story. The story is good and the characters are wonderful.
The second book in the Return to Haven series by a new Author to me I want to read the first book in this series. This is divorced Melanie Ramsey, and deputy, Tanner Roark’s story of a one night stand that leads to a little surprise. I enjoyed seeing this story come together.
Great read
An enjoyable read about recovering from the past, and taking a chance on love. This is my first book by Jules Bennett and I really enjoyed Melanie and Tanner’s story. I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGallery for an honest review.
I devour this series! Every book in this series has been a guaranteed page-turner for me and the characters are SO lovable. It gives me hope that even I can persevere after a rough history, all while falling in love with the characters through the ups and downs.
Even this is second book in the series I didn’t felt weird reading it simply because it can be read as a standalone too. It is a nice contemporary romance that is sprinkled with a surprise baby… Tanner and Melanie’s story kept me interested and I found myself taking sides and digging for the characters. I am not going into revealing more of the story to avoid spoilers for the other readers. All I can add is that I enjoyed reading it and I will go and read the first one in this instalment and for sure it wont be my last book by this author.
Love triumphs over obstacles!
Be With Me is the second book in Jules Bennett’s Return to Haven Series. And it’s another wonderful book! This book addresses Melanie Ramsey who moves to Haven after divorcing her abusive politician husband! After a one night stand with Tanner Roark, she is surprised to learn she’s pregnant! Tanner has his own issues he’s been dealing with after his fiancé died in childbirth. Both have to overcome their pasts to allow their relationship to progress and become a loving family.
I went through laughs, crying and smiling with satisfaction with this story!
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jules Bennett creates another great story with Be with Me book #2 in the Return to Haven series. This story deals with losses, domestic abuse, heartbreak, starting over, learning to trust and love again along with an unexpected pregnancy. The secondary characters-friends and family-are great in this book. What a wonderful heart-warming book, check it out, I am sure you will not be disappointed.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.
Be With Me by Jules Bennett Book 2 Return to Haven
5 Stars
Absolutely LOVED this story. Great character chemistry. Very entertaining. Heartbreaks, trust, love, friendships and abuse. It made me laugh and cry. Very well written. Very highly recommend.
Takes place in a town called Haven, Georgia. Melanie has a successful blog. Tanner is a deputy. Tanner and Melanie had a one night stand but found out later Melanie is pregnant. Mel was in an abusive marriage. Tanner’s fiance died in child birth. Both have obstacles to overcome.
“But not only did she want a change, she also wanted to inspire others. She wanted other women to know they weren’t alone in their struggles, no matter what they may be.”
Another MUST-READ book by the wonderful Jules Bennett! A slight twist on a HEA, Be With Me is the second book in the wonderful small-town romance series Return to Haven. It follows book 1, Stay With Me, and incorporates Jules’ Monroe series into it as well (which was another fabulous series and one I would HIGHLY recommend!).
Melanie Ramsey is pregnant from a hot, lusty one night stand. She is still adjusting to her new life after a marriage from hell with Neville, an abusive politician, and trying to figure out what she wants from life, while writing her successful blog. This revelation has put a huge kink in her plans…especially considering the father is none other than Officer Tanner Roark, a somewhat secretive man with some heavy clouds from his past, and someone who ticketed Melanie when she first arrived in town, which still doesn’t sit well with her.
I loved the blog quotes at the beginning of every chapter! One of my very favorites is “I love when the coffee kicks in and I realize what an adorable badass I’m going to be today.” LOL. The quotes were a great way to head the chapters and get a feel for Mel.
This love story has all the feels! It made me smile, it made me laugh, and it broke my heart and made me cry! It is written in 2 person POV and it is so well done! There is some hot sex, love, and heartbreak, and the author dives into abusive relationships, drug abuse, and loss. The supporting characters in this series (Cash, Jade, Livie, Jax, and Piper, are such a fun group and I am loving this series so hard and cannot wait for book 3 to come out!!!
4 1/2 STARS!
Strong characters, deep connections and a boat load of good times! With an ever-popular visit back to Haven, Georgia, we get to reconnect with the small airport project that we fell in love with during Jax and Livie’s story in Book 1 and we also get to see a bit of the brother’s we adored in the original Monroes series. Melanie and Tanner have a strong connection, but each have their own past that keeps them weighted down with fear. The baby on the way makes them have to move out of their comfort zone and actually try to reconnect with parts of them that they have hidden away for years now … and the magic of watching them come back to life is super special! Great characters, a very relatable plot and lots of happily ever after feels!
Melanie Ramsey moved to Haven to be close to her friends and simply because it came at a time when she was ready to take charge of her life and a new town was paramount. She never expected to find herself unexpectedly pregnant at this point, and even though it scares her, she can’t regret it for a single minute. Tanner is a complication she’s not sure how to handle right now, but she’s well on her way to making the life she’s always dreamed of, and she won’t be backing down lightly.
Deputy Tanner Roark has a past that led him to live only for the moment and not plan on having that perfect happily ever after that everyone dreams about. He’s just fine being a friend, a son, and a temporary lover … until Melanie comes into his life. He was more moved by their one night together than he ever expected and the fact that she’s been ignoring him since is getting on his nerves … but when she comes bearing the news that they’ve having a baby, he sets out to convince her that they can have a life together … even if it sends him into a panic!
I loved this one! Tanner and Melanie seem so real and interesting, I was hooked right from the start. Both these characters have baggage. Melanie doesn’t feel she can ever really trust again and Tanner is determined to protect his heart. Yet all it takes is one night for these two to be forever bound. It may take a little time and huge leaps of faith by both of them but if these two want it they could find the happiness they have always wanted.
This book is very well written and the story just flows. I definitely recommend it to everyone.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.
This is the second book in the Return to Haven series that centers on Melanie and Tanner. Melanie was in an abusive marriage with a wealthy and powerful man. She walked away from the marriage two years ago and is now a successful blogger. Tanner is a local Haven police officer, who also helps abused women escape their abusers. Melanie and Tanner don’t want to start a relationship, but end up hooking up one night. Of course, this one night stand ends up in a pregnancy. Working together to make a good life for their future child forces Melanie and Tanner face their past traumas and eventually realize that they love each other. What I liked about this book, the accidental pregnancy trope, Tanner as the sensitive Alpha and the pace of the relationship. I had problems with two areas, Melanie’s evil ex and Melanie’s wimpy reaction to so many things. I felt that the ex was a very two dimensional villain. Melanie was supposed to be this strong survivor of abuse and a very smart person, but she did some really dumb things. I just wish she had been stronger and solved her own issues.
This is the second book in this series and I missed the first one but I will be going back to read it for sure after liking this one so much. I really like Melanie and Tanner and the supporting characters from the series as well. I also love the small town romance trope and Haven is perfectly small. Despite their difficult pasts, Tanner & Melanie give into their attraction and hook-up one night. They have serious chemistry. They’ve both had it rough and a relationship was not what they were looking for.
After something more permanent comes out of what was supposed to be just one night, things do get a bit complicated. I love the way this couple supports each other and helps each other in the present for their future by dealing with their pasts. That’s a relationship!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Good book. Melanie came to Haven with her two best friends, Olivia and Jade. She has been putting her life back together after escaping from an abusive marriage. She now has a successful motivational blog where she helps other women and is settling comfortably in Haven. Determined to avoid putting herself in that position ever again, Melanie has pretty much cut men out of her life.
Tanner is a police officer in Haven and very protective of the town and its people. Besides his work as a cop, he is also part of a group that helps rescue abused women. He likes women but avoids relationships having lost his fiancée and baby years earlier.
I loved the development of the relationship between Tanner and Melanie. It didn’t start well, as Tanner gave Melanie a speeding ticket when she first came to town (Stay With Me), something she still hasn’t forgiven him for. In the seven months since then, they have seen each other often and continue to bicker and argue. One night, while out with their friends, all those sparks take a different direction and they have a steamy, intense encounter. Six weeks later, Melanie discovers that she’s pregnant. She knows she needs to tell him, but she’s been so shaken by the feelings he stirred up that she has been avoiding him. Meanwhile, Tanner hasn’t been able to forget that night either, something that has never happened to him before. To say that he is stunned by her news would be putting it mildly, but he immediately makes it clear that he will be involved in the baby’s life.
I loved seeing Melanie and Tanner’s determination to give their baby a good life. Tanner is quick to realize that he wants Melanie in his life permanently, but also smart enough to see that it’s going to take some convincing. I loved his sensitivity to her past, knowing that it’s going to take some time and effort to get her to trust him. Tanner also has to fight his own fears for her and the baby’s safety. It was sweet to see all the little things that Tanner did to show Melanie that he was nothing like her ex. I especially loved the scene where he went to the doctor’s appointment with her. Melanie was a harder nut to crack. She was certainly attracted to him, but trusting him is another matter entirely, especially with her ex making a nuisance of himself. I wanted to shake her a few times for not telling Tanner about Neville’s actions. In spite of the progress she has made in regaining her strength of will, she did a couple of pretty stupid things at the end. I really liked Tanner’s reaction and the steps he took to protect her. I liked their big moment at the end – it was fun, sweet, and romantic.
This is the first book I read by this author, and it certainly will not be the last one.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story.
The plot was engaging and centered around Melanie Ramsey and Tanner Roark. Melanie moved to Haven not only to help her friends but also to start anew , after she divorced her abusive husband.
Tanner is a police officer who is all about protecting the innocent . When they meet, the attraction is instant though at first it was masked as a total dislike. When they give in to a moment of passion, little did they know that their lives would change forever. Both have had losses and been hurt deeply and are still recovering. But Tanner is determined to do what he can to create a family while Melanie does not want to depend on anyone.
Yes, it’s a story about heartbreaks,and lost dreams, but it is more than that. It’s a story about true friendships, family, overcoming obstacles, trust not only in others but also in oneself, and of finding someone who loves you for whom you are . Kudos also to the author for bringing up the subject of domestic abuse, which sadly, is very real.
My only regret is that I have not read book one in the series. That said , I can’t wait to see what else the author has in store for us in book 3.
I was entrusted this copy by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
Rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) This book was a little depressing. Melanie had went thru hell when she was married to a politician, and she was able to get out of that relationship and start over but with emotional scars. Here we are 2 years later and he is still contacting her and he wants her back to further his career. On a night out with friends she succumbs to the chemistry she had with Tanner and gives in having a hot one night and now she is pregnant. Tanner only has one nighters but there is something about Melanie that keeps him intrigued and interested. They both claim they do not want relationships due to their heartbraking pasts but now that they have the baby they are going to try to be friends for her, he still not sure if he wants more he is afraid of giving his heart. Tanner is a really good man, and sweet and so loving. As they get to know each other they fall in love and then the ex causes more trouble, now what? I am assuming that this is the second book, with some of the things that I have read and I think we are also getting Jade and Cash;s book which I do hope we do. All in all it did keep me intrigued.