Three young men meet in university and form a lifelong friendship.Their pasts dictate the men they are, but their present shapes their future.What happens when these men meet the one person they are destined to be with? Can they fight their feelings and walk away? Or will they each succumb and learn the sweet agony of love? BentleyThe leader of the group. He is uptight, formal, and cold. Rigid … is uptight, formal, and cold. Rigid and set in his ways, always following the same path. Until the day, he stumbles upon her.
Emmy.
She brings with her spontaneity and light. The world she lives in is so different from his, yet he cannot control the draw to her. Nor can he explain the way she makes him feel.
Happy.
Protective.
Loved.
more
Now, this is the first book I have read by Melanie Moreland. I received this book as an ARC to give an honest review. And was I supremely happy when I read it??! Yes! She is right up there with my favorite writers! I LOVED Bentley! I mean the book but also the guy, too! And Emmy! And Aiden, and Maddox, and all their friends! Serious, “Rigid” serious, stiff Bentley. And total opposite bohemian Emmy. They say oil and vinegar don’t mix but not do they taste good together! And those two are so so good together they can’t keep their hands off each other. Even with bad guys trying to do all they can to bring Bentley down and even resorting to kidnapping! But families are more than just blood and they stick together through it all. You will be clicking the 2nd book Aiden as soon as you finish this and preordering Maddox to see how this family overcomes all their obstacles. This is a fantastic start to this series! And Melanie has now become an auto click author for me!
I did so enjoy reading this book. I immediately downloaded the next book
in the series “Aiden”.
Good sub stories kept me wanting to read the book in one sitting. Can’t wait to read the next story.
***4 ‘Rigid & Freddy’ Stars**
I have a thing for watching the uptight characters in a story loosen up a little and let their soul breathe a little, so when I read the blurb to Bentley I knew I had to get my hands on a copy one way or another and I thoroughly enjoyed this first in series romance. It was a fun, quick read filled with characters I liked almost instantly and was sweet and smexy, low on angst and had a nice little punch of mystery/suspense that kept me turning the pages to the very end.
I loved Bentley and Emmy. Bentley is all kinds of formal and uptight and it makes him come across as cold, something he is very aware of, but underneath it all is a man who cares deeply and wants the best for those he cares about. Emmy is vivacious, sassy, snarky and a little quirky. I loved how she didn’t back down from much and could give as good as she got. Their opposites attract romance was all kinds of fun to experience. It was sweet and smexy and while low on angst, they still had a few hurdles to conquer, but they did in a very mature and honest way. While things move somewhat fast, it wasn’t so quick that they just fell, they got to know each other and see how the other ticked. Their honesty with each other was refreshing and I loved where they were at in their relationship at the end of the book.
This is my first book by the author and I really enjoyed it. The writing was engaging, pacing was good and I enjoyed the dual first person POV. There was a little mystery/suspense added in to the story that made things interesting but didn’t overshadow Bentley and Emmy’s journey to their HEA, in fact it helped to strengthen and push it along a few times. But as always, I’m all about the secondary characters and this was chock full of people I want to know more about. All of them were well written and I enjoyed how their distinct personalities came out to play throughout the story. I can’t say that I have a favorite of the bunch, but I’m definitely looking forward to getting my hands on Aiden’s book, especially after that little tease at the end of Bentley!
~ Copy provided by InkSlinger PR & voluntarily reviewed ~
I was more than excited to start reading this series of books and this first one was everything I expected and more. I’ve read a few of this author’s books and enjoyed her writing style — good character development with interesting, unique storylines. This first book introduces us to all 3 friends which was a nice surprise! We get to know Bentley, Aiden and Maddox immediately instead of having to wait for each of their books to be released. I really loved the friendship aspect between these very strong men more than anything, especially in light of manipulative relationships often depicted these days. Add in 3 very strong, sexy and capable women and you’ve got yourself an excellent romantic suspense that will keep you turning the pages! Perfect combination of passion, intrigue, loyalty & friendship! I’m off to read Aiden-Vested Interest #2 now!
This was the first book I’ve read by this author, but it won’t be the last. Bentley’s wealthy, kind of uptight. A bit joyless I guess. He has valid reasons for being the way he is though. He’s got two best friends and business partners who have been with him since college. During some business deals he’s working on, he finds out he’s being outplayed at times. There is enough evidence to suspect someone is watching him and messing with him. Then he meets Emmy one morning in a cafe when he literally trips over a bag of hers. From there, things begin to build between them. She’s quirky, refreshing. So different to any woman he’s ever met. She challenges him and he can’t get her out of his head. Watching their relationship develop was enjoyable, but being with Bentley now makes her a potential target for whoever is watching. Can I say, I figured out what was going on and spent some time yelling at my kindle trying to warn the characters, which didn’t help of course. Overall, an enjoyable read. I loved Emmy’s friends and Bentley’s friends and can’t wait to get on to read Aiden’s story now.
I had the audible version of this book, with John Lane and Maxine Mitchell narrating.
Bentley, is quite funny to start. In this book we have a feisty, take no crap young woman and a stiff, formal and uptight businessman who’s biz-savvy beyond his years, yet knows zip-zero-nada about his own heart or his own emotional needs. It’s a little love at first sight, or, love at first “fight” … and post-scone interchange, love at first bite! We watch the sweet metamorphosis of the two do their dance of passion, need, and ultimately, intense protection and a different kind of fight altogether. There are some very good lines in this book, very sassy nicknames for each other and characters you’ll see in the next two books in series, and also, we see the author setting a foundation for lots of later interchanges for characters who seem to play a cameo initially.
Hard not to love this author’s intense prose, whether it be romantic or graphic sex scenes, or walking on the water holding hands, she always manages to put me, as a reader, right there where it’s all happening. Melanie Moreland is wonderfully able to paint a picture to describe settings, scenery, and especially, the landscape of feelings. She’s an artist. Her books are unforgettable.
Read Bentley, and then settle in for the rest of BAM: Aiden, and Maddox … you’ll be happy you did!
This book was written so well. I fell in love with Bentley and the way he and Emmy interact. They are written like a real couple. I love the humor between the couple. The storyline drew me in, and I wanted to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. Loved the supporting characters and looking forward to getting to know Aiden and Maddox in the next two books!
Same formulaic romance. The dialogue was juvenile, character development was weak, and the plot was predictable.
I absolutely loved Bentley and Emmy. And of course we get introduced to Aiden, Maddox, Cami, and Dee also. Cannot wait for their stories either. But back to Bentley, it was such a sweet romance. They were so good together, healing and loving each other in ways that they both needed. I hope to see more glimpses of them in the other stories in the series.
What I love about Melanie Moreland’s writing is that she never creates fake angst! The characters are honest about their feelings and concerns and any drama comes from the surrounding storyline not the internal questionings of the main characters.
Bentley is an alpha businessman, staid and uncompromising. He lives for structure and routine, until now.
Emmy is a whirlwind of light and joy, spontaneous, sassy and smart, she brings out a lighter side in Bentley (and his friends) that keeps him coming back for more.
Bentley and Emmy both have trust issues that make it difficult to throw themselves headlong into a relationship, but drawn to each other they seem unable to walk away from this bond that grows stronger with every meeting. I love how they want the best for each other, always looking out for the other, how little things have larger meanings.
I particularly liked the friendships and watching the burgeoning relationships in this one:
Bentley, Aiden and Maddox all bring different things to the friendship but always have each others back. They all have their own appeal and I personally cannot wait to read more about Aiden.
The girls Emmy, Cami and Dee are like a family, always there for each other with very different personalities but all with spark.
Fast paced and with a thrilling storyline I definitely recommend this one, and I cant wait for the rest of the series.
I love Bentley and Emma’s love story. Emma’s affections towards Bentley are so pure.
I’m so happy to continue reading about them in Aiden the next book in the series.
Ridiculous
It is ok it starts out slow but gets better.
This book had a good story line but to much sex and some foul language which were both unnecessary to the story! Was easy to read just skipped the sex scenes!
Very fun!
I love how Bentley changed throughout this book. The lonely multi-millionaire finds love totally unexpectedly. The twist in the plot was well written and had me in edge reading as fast as I could. I was glad and sad it was over. Looking forward to reading Aidens book next.
BAM!!! That is the only way to accurately describe how I felt after reading this book.
Bentley is uptight, formal, barely ever smiles. Then he trips over Emmy’s bag in a coffee shop and just like that, his life changes. Emmy is the opposite of Bentley: warm, funny, fun. She’s quick with jokes and to call Bent out when he acts like a jerk.
From the second they met, I was pulling for Bent and Emmy. Their chemistry was felt through the whole book. I was surprised about the suspense part of this book but I absolutely loved it. I’m already counting down the days until Aidan is released into the world. I can’t wait to see what’s next in this series!!
Bentley …he is a leader, he does not deviate from his path. Routine is his world it keeps him grounded. A chance meeting in a coffee shop with Emmy and his world and routine become shaken and stirred. This girl …Emmy she is an enigma , he feels drawn to her and need to know more !
Emmy isn’t looking for a friend or relationship so when Bentley storms onto her path she finds his idiosyncrasies fascinating. Her spontaneity and sass rile him and knock him off kilter, but he is finding he needs to know more. Neither one can pull away from this attraction. The rule of opposites certainly applies to this couple but that is what pulls you in !!I absolutely loved these characters and their supporting cast. They are so well written and truly engaging . This is certainly an amazing start to this series of friends !
~~Michele McMullen ~~
I love Bentley and the other men of BAM of course. I wish every relationship could be so light on drama, and every man as certain in their love. I really loved Bentley and Emmy together. I can’t wait for Aiden!