CADENI spent six years away, part of an elite unit, fighting for my life every day and trying to take my mind off the girl I’d always loved. But, when an accident sends me home, I realise it might be time to shed some secrets and tell her I love her, I’ve always loved her.I just have to hope I haven’t waited too long. And that her three big brothers, the only family I have left, aren’t the thing … family I have left, aren’t the thing that finally manage to kill me.
I need to make her my girl.
LUCY
I spent five years with my boyfriend, trying to get over him, telling myself he was just a teenage crush, I wasn’t in love with him. But, the boy who left comes back a man. There’s no denying that teenage crush has grown with me and I have to admit I’ve always loved him.
I don’t know if he’ll ever see me as anything more than a little sister. Not with another in his heart. But, I’m willing to do whatever it takes.
I’ve always been his girl.
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Great read
Will they or won’t they…tell each other the truth.
Caden is Lucy’s older brother’s best friend. He feels like everyone would think he was a creeper having a crush on her ever since she was a teenager. She thought he saw her only as a little sister that followed them around like a puppy dog. Neither would speak of their feelings.
Caden is back from being away for five years in the military. They both think this is now the time to tell the other but they are both chickens. They can’t get it out. Instead they just begin a friends with benefits situation, both acting like they’re totally casual.
The back and forth in each chapter went on a little too long. It was basically the same emotions for each. Almost cut and paste. It became too repetitive and sometimes immature.
Overall, I thought the story was cute. I liked both Caden and Lucy even though I wanted to shake some sense into them. It was fun and had just the right amount of steam.
(I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hidden Gems.)
This was an ok read. I didn’t care for Lucy. Caden deserved better than her. If he had ended up with someone else, I would have enjoyed the book more.
Desperately needs editing, proofing etc – in sloppy shape. I don’t understand how a book with this many issues get a 5 star rating? Did they read this book? I don’t know,if this was a mistake or padding, but there were far too many repetitive paragraphs- chapters?? It completely took from the read – I was so fed up I did t want to finish. This had to be a first,draft? Maybe the author grabbed the wrong chapter as some parts were missing and unfinished. Too often there were wrong word choices, words left out, bad Grammer, spelling issues and even wrong names!? Desperately needs to be read and properly edited. I voluntarily received an arc copy of this book from HiddenGems
Clueless!
Caden and Lucy are delightful characters that in spite of everything are completely clueless when it comes to realizing what the other has felt for years. When you top this off with three overprotective brothers things are complicated even further. At times it made me wonder how these two ever had a chance to develop any kind of feelings for each other other than fraternal. After he was injured in battle, he has returned to his hometown to recover only to discover that his feelings for Lucy have only grown stronger. Have her feelings for him also deepened? What will her brothers do? What will she do about her current “boyfriend”? How can these two “dense” and relatively innocent characters ever get together? You’ll truly enjoy reading how they finally just “follow their hearts”.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
This book has all the drama and angst of a forbidden love affair and then some. I loved Lucy and Caden but I’m with Oscar, they’re the most frustratingly oblivious people on the face of the planet. I quickly lost count of the number of times I wanted to take one or the other (or both) of them and shake some sense into them. They’ve loved one another for as long as they’ve known one another, but neither of them can see how the other feels. There’s an almost slapstick kind of humor about how these two keep missing each others’ signals. It’s as funny as it is frustrating, and you can’t help but pray desperately for them to finally get it right. I’m intrigued by the whole Sykes family and I look forward to reading more about them.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Hidden Gems Books.
Internal (infernal!) drama, great characters all around
Caden (Loving The Sykes Book 1) by Elizabeth Stevens is a good romance read with plenty of internal strife, emotional drama and a seeming inability to communicate.
Lucy and Cade and like two ships passing in the night. They interact, connect and create something really special, but ultimately fail to communicate. When they do communicate, it’s in circles, vague and could mean many different things! The plot of this book is a clear demonstration of what happens when people fail to communicate, let fear rule, as well as be ignore the honesty within themselves and the most important person. Lucy and Cade seem to be purposely oblivious to each other and what they are truly saying to one another.
Overall, a frustratingly and yet totally sweet and sexy romance read with a great HEA for these awesome characters.
I read an ARC of this book from Hidden Gems and voluntarily share my review.
** spoiler alert ** They have known each other their whole lives, but will they have the guts to speak up?
This was the first book by this author I have read and I have to say, I was no disappointed at all. I loved how these two had a solid friendship before lust and romance even came into play. I didn’t blame either for being scared and thinking that it could damage their friendship, but loved how in the end Caden made the leap before it was too late. Good read and cannot wait for Carter’s book!
Most of the novels that I have read by this author fall into the mature YA/NA romance category, but Elizabeth Stevens knocks it out of the park with Caden, a sexy adult contemporary romance. Big brother’s best friend is one of my favorite tropes so I was chomping a the bit to get my hands on this book.
Caden is my favorite type of hero – strong, hot, pierced, and tattooed, but also with a tender and protective side to him. Swoon! His has been a part of Lucy’s life for years as he is best friends with her older brothers. Yes, brothers as in plural! For a long while, what Lucy feels for him is beyond friends. I would say the first half of the novel is more of a slow burn romance before their relationship really picks up.
What you have with Caden is a contemporary romance that flows well with an engaging storyline and likable characters. There is the perfect amount of drama without it being over the top and a few steamy scenes. As with this author’s other works, the secondary characters are just as entertaining as the main ones. Lucy’s best friend often had me in stitches and I loved her brothers as well – especially Oscar. I am looking forward to the rest of Sykes brothers the getting their own books.