“Now there was nothing holding me back. I kissed her deeply, passionately. Kissed her for every time I’d wanted to and couldn’t. For every time I’d stared at her with longing in my heart, wishing we could be where we were now.”It’s never too late. Loving a woman you can’t have isn’t easy. Ben Gaines knows this all too well. He endured the slow torture of watching Shannon Miles live a life with … Shannon Miles live a life with another man—a man who didn’t deserve her—but he doesn’t regret a minute of it. And he has his reasons.
Now, she’s free. No longer shackled to a loveless marriage, bound to someone who was unfaithful and heartless.
But Shannon thinks her time has passed. That she won’t get another chance at love, especially with Ben. The man who’s been there to see it all. Her mistakes. Her hurt. Her heartache.
If only she knew. Ben loves her with everything he is, and he wants nothing more in life than to spend every moment with her. After all, he’s waited a long time for his chance.
It’s time for their happily ever after.
Author’s note: A sexy silver fox who’s waited half his life for the woman he loves. A peek into the past. And the happily ever after you’ve been waiting for. Finally.
The Miles Family is best enjoyed in order.
more
Gaining Miles was the absolute perfect story for Ben & Shannon to get their happily ever after, which was totally inevitable after reading book 1. They both had loved each other from afar over the years, and the time was finally right for them to be together. Everything about this novella was sweet and swoony, and I couldn’t keep the smile off my face, except for when I started crying. Which you will too. I’m definitely sad to see this series ending, but I couldn’t think of a better ending to give the Miles family
I just don’t want it to end.
This is is by far my favorite Claire Kingsley series.
It will be read at least once a year.
This family has buried itself into my heart , and has become my extended family.
My my my, Benjamin Gaines, is a sexy man who would be any woman’s fantasy.
He is charming, a man who has stood by Shannon, through the good times and bad.
He was more of a father to her children, then their own father and had come to love them as his own.
He has loved her, from a far, for so long, but now with her divorce final, he’s not going to wait any longer.
Shannon, is going to be his!
Shannon, the matriarch of the family, has raised her family.
She has three beautiful and upstanding men who have found the love of their lives.
He daughter, Brynn, has married the man who has been apart of their family since he was five.
Shannon, is now a grandmother, running her family’s vineyard, Salishan, with her children.
She feels like, she is very blessed.
Benjamin, is her best friend, he does everything to make sure she is happy and safe.
She also, feels like, with all she’s been thorough, and with her age, that she is past her prime.
Benjamin, sets a course to prove that theory wrong.
He will stop at nothing to get her.
Her children, now his children, are thrilled that he is finally syncing his clock with hers.
This is a beautiful novella that ties together this family now and into the future.
I’m going to love this family forever and look forward to the continuation of their half sister Grace.
The ideal ending to the Miles Family! Shannon and Ben deserved this HEA. These two have been through hell and back with all the drama brought on by Lawrence. Ben’s back story was so touching and knowing that Shannon’s family was able to give him back love and a purpose was perfect. Seeing the Miles boys as their younger selves was precious, especially Cooper. Shannon deserved a fairy tale ending and Ben and her children delivered. Thank you Claire for such a wonderful series!
I knew from the first page that I was going to love Gaining Miles. Having read the previous four books, and getting to know on an intimate level the entire Miles family and the loves of their lives, book 5 in this series ends beautifully. So heartwarming. No stone was left unturned.
Everything came full-circle as the book begins with Benjamin Gaines meeting a two-year old Cooper in the family’s vineyard. If you read the series, and you MUST start at the beginning, you will laugh out loud and know exactly who the baby is before his name is ever spoken.
There wasn’t one paragraph in the entire series that I wasn’t impressed with or would change. Sure there were times that were emotional and filled with angst, and/or you wanted to smack someone on the side of the head, but if that didn’t happen, it wouldn’t feel real. It wouldn’t be a real family. This book, just like the others, were all character driven, emotional, and honest.
This series is about the Miles family who owns Salishan Cellars Winery in beautiful central Washington. Each sibling is featured in their own unique story: Broken Miles (book 1), Forbidden Miles (book 2), Reckless Miles (book 3), and Hidden Miles (book 4). I love the clever book titles and cover art as each one perfectly reflects the characters in each story. And I am not sure if Ben’s last name was mentioned before, but I get it now…Gaining Miles, play on words. Again, very clever Claire!
Gaining Miles features Shannon, the mother of the four children, and Ben who has admired her from afar since they first met 26 years ago when he joined the staff at the winery. Shannon’s unhappy marriage and ultimate divorce is featured in this series so when the reader finally gets to book 5, you are totally invested in their happiness and well-deserved HEA.
Ben is amazing. He is so patient and wise and witty. He understands each of the children and is there for them in no uncertain terms. His support is also unwavering for Shannon and I love how they were friends first and how he respected her marriage and that their love blossomed later.
They always trusted each other and were there for one another with no judgments. It was also wonderful to read how supportive her children were of their union and of their attempts to get them together. These two just weren’t at the right time in their lives to commit to one another until now, and when they do, oh, la, la! It’s magical.
Claire hooks you from the first page and is a masterful storyteller. I read for two straight hours until I finished this book and truly loved every word. I went through every emotion with this series, and loved how Shannon and Ben both interacted with her children, from when they were little through adulthood, and how they handled all of life’s hardships and embraced the good.
In Gaining Miles, Ben is a real smooth, sexy, swoony, gentleman who knows what he wants and pursues Shannon so romantically! I was smiling the entire time and even though in my head I know she is a fictional character, in my heart I was so happy for her! I loved the build-up because the family physically lives so close to each other, plus they work together, so someone is always popping in. Reading how Ben’s efforts were thwarted each time he tried to ask Shannon on a date was really funny! When they finally had their alone time, it was everything I had hoped. Very sweet and passionate.
The two leads in this book are in their 50s and it’s refreshing as most books today feature people in their 20s or 30s. I related to her so well as she struggled with feeling desired and the awkwardness of having only been with one other man before, her husband. I loved how at ease he made her feel and how he built up her confidence.
The epilogue is nothing short of perfect as you get a glimpse into the future as to what all the Miles children are up to, who got married, who has children or more children. It had me sighing and crying and not wanting it to end.
But fans of this series should not fear, because the bonus epilogue features Grace Miles, their half-sister (the Miles dad had an affair), and a bit of a mystery regarding her finance, Asher Bailey. Her finance just so happens to have four brothers whom, as we are told in the Afterword, will be featured in a spin-off series.
So bittersweet!
I anxiously awaited this book. I also absolutely dreaded the release. I knew going in that this was the last in the series, and I wasn’t ready for it to end. I think the way she wrote it in a novella format was a great decision. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect ending. I admit I waited a couple of days to write this review because I was still gathering my thoughts. I have a massive book hangover. I feel like I know the Miles family personally. Like maybe I live in Echo Creek and run into them at the coffee shop. That’s just the brilliance of Claire’s writing. I miss already, but I will revisit them from time to time. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I would definitely recommend this book.
After four books and 26 years worth of angst for Shannon and Ben, they finally got to have the longest whirlwind romance ever…and oh what a romance it was! There were so many swoon-worthy scenes and poignant moments, and I think they could only be pulled off by a man of Ben’s maturity and gravitas. Lucky, lucky Shannon.
I feel like I didn’t realize how much I needed this book until I read it. This novella was full of stunning, exciting, heartwarming, and hilarious moments that anyone who has read a Miles Family book will definitely appreciate. These characters in this family were all so wonderful, that seeing them hit their strides and get a glimpse of them living their individual HEAs was such a treat. But knowing that the woman and the man who had supported this family through every crazy adventure, now found love together, too? It was unbelievably satisfying. The closure that was achieved within this installment was perfection.
Let’s be honest, we’ve been watching this from the sidelines for four books now. And we’ve been waiting to see Ben and Shannon get their turn at happiness and love.
Claire Kingsley most definitely delivers with this story. It won’t be one you forget.
Claire Kingsley killed me with this book! Gaining Miles was absolute perfection. As sad as I am to say goodbye to the Miles family, I am over the moon that we got a fifth book.
C. Kingsley set us up for Gaining Miles from the very first book in the series, when we first meet Ben and Shannon. They were always in the background slowly making their way into my heart. They are the glue that holds the entire family together. Although they were not a couple in the first four books, we get a sense for the immense love that they feel for each other.
Ben had loved Shannon from a distance for years and years. She was married and had children, so he did what any good man would do and stayed away. That didn’t stop him from loving both her and her children.
Shannon had been married to a man that was not only unfaithful, but a less than stellar father. She stayed married to him because she thought it was what she needed to do. When things go south and her husband is involved in illegal matters, she is done. After she is legally divorced, she thinks she is too old to find love again, even though she knows her heart has belonged to a man who was not her husband for a long time.
Ben and Shannon are pure magic! Ben has to work hard to convince her that she is worthy of love, real love. They had loved each other from a distance, and it was time they finally got to live their happily ever after together. This family has wormed its way deep into my heart, I have loved every single book, but this novella takes the cake. It is the absolute best way to end the series! A must read series!
5 fantastic stars!!
I’m so glad Claire gave into our curiosity and gave us Ben and Shannon’s story!! Shannon’s has had a rough few years and Ben has been there through it all, loving her from afar. This conclusion to the Miles Family was the BEST way to end it – even though I’m sad to see them go! This entire series will definitely be a reread for me!!
Once again, Claire did not disappoint. She writes the best HEA. This completes the Miles Family for her, but I am positive more good works on are the way. I love when a silver fox who has been waiting and biding his time, gets his woman. And when a woman who has been through so much, gets her man. Great story! You neeeeed to read it and the series.
This is the perfect ending of a series that stole my heart. It took 26 years to finally gain the love of Shannon but Benjamin was patient enough to wait because deep inside he was sure that she would be his forever. This novella is a combination of an anticipation that will lead to the fulfillment of a dream that has been denied for so long. Indeed the author has demonstrated that perseverance soon or later will bear its fruits. I am such in awe with these two characters firstly because I admire Ben’s patience and his way of dealing with time while Shannon still remains that sweet woman although having a heavy baggage on her shoulder. This book is a message of hope and therefore a way of never giving up even if the peak is difficult to reach. I simply loved it.
Any one who has read this series has been waiting for Ben and Shannon’s book. This was the PERFECT ending for this series. I was able to read this in one sitting and did so with a smile on my face the entire time. Best ending ever!!
Loved this novella to round off the Miles family series.
“Shannon had been the name my heart had whispered for a long time.”
Ben and Shannon have been friends for almost three decades, and Ben has quietly loved her from afar but has helped her every day with her business and her family ever since he came into her life. Now that she’s finally free, he’s stepping up his game to make her his.
“I was a patient man and I was going to coax Shannon Miles right into my arms.”
The author told this story with sensitivity and tenderness. I ADORED Ben’s courtship gifts! I loved seeing how much Shannon’s family supported a relationship between.
Such a beautiful ending to a fabulous series, and a sneaky peek into a new series!
I absolutely adore this series and Gaining Miles was the perfect way to finish it.
Ben and Shannon. We have watched them from the first book. They were clearly good friends when Shannon needed a friend more than anything. Horrible marriage, bitter divorce, almost losing the vineyard, Ben has been there through it all. Caring for her,.loving her but Shannon is convinced she is too old for new love. Ben has this one chance to change her mind…
Fantastic!! Shannon and Ben finally get the chance they deserve for happiness and we get a bonus epilogue that left me crying happy tears. I will miss this family SO much.
* Happy Sighs*
That’s is all I have done since finishing Ben and Shannon’s story!
GAH
Throughout every Miles book, we’ve watched the bond between them grow, and this novella wraps up everything I could have hoped for them and the rest of the Miles family I had become incredibly invested in!
On top of that, we get a glimpse of baby Cooper- that would be enough of a selling point for me!
A sweet, passionate, had me smiling throughout wrap up that I cannot thank the author enough for writing, and has me looking forward to what is coming in the future!
5 Happy Stars!
This was a fantastic end to the Miles Family series. Shannon and Ben are terrific characters. Throughout the series readers have watched their growing attraction to each other but it was never quite right; their clocks weren’t in sync. Claire Kingsley did a wonderful job of creating two characters who have been through a lot in their lives – loss, betrayal, divorce and loneliness. Shannon is a mother of four whose husband cheated on her and betrayed her with respect to the family winery. She believes that her chance and love and romance has passed and she is content with her children and grandchildren. Ben has loved Shannon from afar and now that they are both ready he is not going to let the chance slip away. I loved watching Shannon’s journey of awakening and the realization that she didn’t have to “settle” but could find love again. I also loved Ben. Here is a man who basically raised the Miles children and through his actions showed the Miles boys how to be responsible, respectful, successful and to love. He treated these children as his own. I loved how all of the Miles children celebrated when Ben and Shannon finally stopped dancing around and acknowledged what they felt for each other.
At it’s heart, Gaining Miles is a beautiful love story about second chances and never giving up or giving in. Shannon and Ben may be been bent but they weren’t broken and in they end they found healing and love.
I loved the double epilogue and can’t wait to see what is in store for Grace.
I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by the author.
It isn’t often we are treated to a mature couple. This book is a rare delight. Shannon and Ben are such wonderful characters. The love they have for each other comes alive on the pages. The joy the rest of the family feels for them is a huge part of why this book is so very touching. They both faced great suffering in the past. It fills me with happiness to see them get their hea.
A beautiful end to the Miles Family series. Gaining Miles has everything I love in a well written love story… angst, secrets, hope, trust, so many feels, family, love, a happily ever after, and a great bonus epilogue.
I volunteered to review an advance reader copy of this book.
Awww….. I am so glad that Shannon and Ben got their HEA. Now I am dying to read about what’s going on with Asher and Grace!
I’m in LOVE with the Miles family and there is no better way to conclude their story than with this book! Gaining Miles is pure perfection in my opinion. Claire Kingsley gave us one of the most heartwarming, loving and happily ever afters that I’ve ever read. Shannon and Ben’s story truly tells the tale that you can find your true love no matter what your age and that good things do come to those who wait. Every single family member gets their HAE and while it was a happy occasion, it was also sad to see this series end. Claire Kingsley wrote a family series that will hold a special place in my heart, but truth be told, I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next!