From NYT Bestseller Corinne Michaels & USA Today Bestseller Melanie Harlow, comes a second chance standalone romance.
Ian Chase broke my heart at seventeen, and I’ve spent the last eighteen years hating him for it.
He makes it easy, with his smart mouth and playboy lifestyle—which I unfortunately have to observe since he lives behind me. Every time I see him climbing out of his pool, … his pool, practically naked and unreasonably sexy, my blood boils.
I’ve always loved to loathe him.
I never planned to need him.
***
London Parish is my little sister’s best friend, not that it stopped me from falling for her.
Our history is complicated. The only thing we have in common is being godparents to my sister’s three adorable kids—until our lives are changed in one tragic moment.
Now we’re trying to raise the children we love, mourn an unthinkable loss, and fight an undeniable attraction.
My life is already upside-down, and the last thing I need is for old feelings to resurface.
Because I’ll never be able to keep her, no matter how hard I try to hold her close.
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You can never go wrong with Corinne Michaels and Melanie Harlow! Make sure you grab this book right meow! I absolutely adored it!
I adore both of these authors and when I found out they were writing a book together, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. This book did not disappoint and the writing was phenomenal. These two have a way of writing relatable characters that have flaws and that you can’t help but root for. The story of London and Ian is filled with heartbreak and missed opportunities. London is Ian’s sister’s best friend and he’s watched her grow up. They finally seem to be getting together and he makes a selfless move that devastated London. Years later they are still in each other’s orbit when tragedy strikes making them have to depend on each other.
This book was so good that I had to make myself put it down. It had all the things you love from both these writers -romance, comedy, angst. This book was amazing and I hope they will collaborate again!
I loved loved loved this book!!! it was so well written! you feel all of the emotions the characters were feeling! definitely a page turner!
These two were just too many things, lol. The blurb has me thinking that this was going to be a very very emotionally sad book but nope the complete opposite. It did have its sad moments that were heartbreaking but then you watch two people with a past that seems like they can’t be in the same room and are thrown together for a special task. Throw in 3 adorable kids and you’re in for a very good read.
London was Ian’s sister best friend. He broke her heart and she’s never forgiven him. Years and years later she still hates him and he ignores her but he isn’t blind at the fact that she’s just as beautiful as ever and her at the fact that he’s still as hot as he was before. But that doesn’t mean they forgive and forget. Nope not these two. London is no one’s doormat and their back and forth and fights are hot, lol. This is like foreplay for these two stubborn people. He s 12 year old niece adds to this and it’s freaking hilarious.
During their sadness these two find a way to try and be civil with each other which is a huge task for them but they make it work. They turn a page and things seem to be working out. They do a magnificent job with the kids and are actually functioning. Until an incident occurs again and they are back to hating each other. This time there was more at stake to lose. But when Ian opened his eyes and did what he did I loved it. I had tears reading this part. These two were perfect for each other.
As for the kids, they were awesome!! And after reading the epilogue I really hope to read about them in the future because god knows how Ian will react to lots of things, hahahahaha.
“Pinch me. Tell me this isn’t a dream.” – That is what I first thought when I heard that Melanie Harlow was going to co-write with Corinne Michaels. Getting to see them put their distinctive types of magic together and coming out with this magical story is what literary unicorn babies are made of.
I fell in love with London from the first page… she was so idealistic and smitten with Ian, her best friend’s older brother. But then prom happened and he broke her heart for years to come, not realizing the sacrifices they both made that day.
Ian, oh Ian, how you think you know best for everyone and how wrong you are. Sabrina’s older brother and troublemaker extraordinaire for the girls during high school grows up to become successful in his own right, but is missing the connection that most human’s crave – love.
“Truth – Ian broke my heart. Truth – Ian is the man I’ve never gotten over. Fact – Ian is a selfish player who doesn’t give a sh!t about me. Fact – I want to rip his clothes off and f**k his brains out.”
What they never expect to have happen is tragedy bringing them back together across their backyards… yes, they live right next to each other people! (FATE, I tell you, FATE) Watching them grow, come together, and learn how to move on from the senseless loss made me cry more than a few times, because we have all made sacrifices and experienced loss, and also at the beauty of their story.
“His big, stupid, magical…….” UNICORN! This was just magical and 5 stars across the charts!
Melanie Harlow is a first for me and I haven’t read Corinne Michaels in a few years but after reading Hold You Close, that’s all about to change.
Everything about this book is perfection. The frustration, the sadness, the sexiness, the fun times and even the misunderstandings, the love for family…truly everything. I laughed, I cried, I was so angry I wanted to throw the damn Kindle across the room. I felt everything that Ian and London were going through and this story held me captive from begin to end. I didn’t know where one author started and the other finished, every word flowed so seamlessly.
I am a sucker for a good second chance romance but, this wasn’t just good. It was more along the lines of wonderful. Incredible. Stunning. In my opinion, Hold You Close is hands down THE BEST second chance romance I’ve read this year.
Sometimes you need a second chance because you weren’t quite ready for the first, and that’s definitely the case for Ian Chase and London Parish. Ian broke London’s heart 18 years ago, but since his sister is her best friend, they’re stuck in each other’s life, bickering every chance they get and never really able to move on.
“Why is there still this spark between us? How is it possible to hate someone and still want his hands on you?”
Hands that were on their fair share of other women. Having Ian as her backdoor neighbor, London had a front row seat to his partying ways and the parade of women that helped warm his bed. But all they really were were place holders for the one woman he thought he could never have.
“London is the sun, the stars, the light at the end of the tunnel that I’m so desperate to reach, but know I’ll never touch.”
Sometimes in tragedy we find our purpose. Ian and London’s purpose changes when they find themselves having to overcome an unimaginable loss for the sake of Ian’s nieces and nephew. But just as they’re finding their groove and getting comfortable with their new normal, it all just implodes again.
“Loving Ian was never really a choice, though. He’s always been the guy for me. I just wish my heart knew he was the wrong one.”
But, the heart knows what it wants, it just took Ian’s brain a while longer to catch up with his heart. He gets there, eventually (with the help of his hilarious and sassy niece, Morgan), and oh, can Ian Chase make a girl weak in the knees.
“Without you, I’ll be lonely and miserable for the rest of my life, hating myself for pushing you away, when all I really want to do is hold you close.”
*SWOON*
This author collaboration is what this reader’s dreams are made of! Melanie Harlow & Corrine Michaels are masters of their craft in their own rights, but together, they’re just another level of phenomenal. I found myself having to put the book down because the feelings they invoked were too much, too real. The slow burn between these two characters was angsty, but oh, so sweet; you’ll want to savor every single moment.
While most of the time I’m indifferent to author collaborations the anticipation of a Harlow/Michaels book had me giddy. This story did not disappoint. London and Ian’s tumultuous and unreconciled past is a way of life in the beginning. They both know where the other stands (or at least they think they do) and it works for them until tragic circumstances no longer allow them to bury their heads in the sand. Their lives are turned upside down and they are forced into a less than ideal situation with very important people relying on them. The transition of their relationship that they fight tooth and nail occurs organically and seamlessly as they maneuver through their grief and their new routines. I really loved this story and enjoyed their reconnect after so many years. When they allow the love that was never really far beneath the surface to lead the way navigation becomes much easier.
Corinne Michaels et Melanie Harlow sont deux auteurs dont j’apprécie grandement la plume et j’avais donc hâte de découvrir le roman qu’elles avaient co-écrit. Hold You close c’est l’histoire de deux êtres qui s’aiment mais qui se sacrifient par amour.
London Parish est une jeune femme de 35 ans qui ne vit que pour une seule chose , à savoir son travail car dans sa vie personnelle , elle est terriblement seule. Elle a sa meilleure amie depuis des années Sabrina sur qui elle peut compter mais sa vie va bousculer du jour au lendemain quand elle va devoir venir en aide aux trois enfants de Sabrina qui a perdu la vie dans un crash aérien avec son mari David. Elle va donc mettre sa haine de côté car celui qui en a la garde n’est autre que leur oncle Ian qui lui a brisé le coeur il y a de cela 17 ans. London n’a jamais oublié cette nuit dont elle rêvait depuis toujours. C’était magique puis c’est devenu un cauchemar quand elle a compris qu’il s’était moqué d’elle. Dès lors, la haine était un sentiment plus facile à gérer que son amour démesuré pour lui.
London a réussi sa vie professionnelle et elle est sur le point de passer un cap supérieur mais avant toute chose , elle devra aider Ian à organiser sa vie pour s’occuper convenablement de Christopher ( 15 ans) , Morgan ( 12 ans ) et l’adorable Ruby. J’ai adoré ces enfants car ils ont chacun leur personnalité et ils vont nous faire craquer. Seul homme de la famille Christopher se doit d’être un homme et ne pas pleurer la perte de ses parents mais il devra lui aussi faire son deuil. Morgan est une adorable adolescente qui est le portrait craché de sa mère et qui n’a pas sa langue dans sa poche. Elle aura parfois des paroles plus adultes qu’Ian et London. Quand à Ruby, elle m’a émue aux larmes car cette petite a perdu tous ses repères et elle est plus jamais perdue. London va donc tendre la main et elle pourrait découvrir une facette fascinante d’Ian. Peut elle lui faire confiance à nouveau? Pourra t-elle mettre ses sentiments de côté?
Ian Chase est l’archétype du mec qui n’en a rien à faire de personne sauf de sa petite personne. Il n’a pas une haute opinion de lui même alors qu’il a réussi à monter son club sur le strip de Las Vegas. Il pourra compter sur Drea et Toby pour lui venir en aide car ses neveux et nièces vont l’obliger à adapter ses horaires de travail. Il va donc devoir consacrer plus de temps à ces enfants mais surtout il va devoir prendre son courage à deux mains et s’expliquer avec London. Pourquoi ne peut il pas s’empêcher de la blesser et de l’humilier? Cette attitude cacherait elle des sentiments plus profonds? Ce que j’ai adoré chez lui est son évolution qui va nous permettre de le voir sous un jour meilleur. Ian n’a pas mauvais fond mais il a toujours été le champion pour cacher ce qu’il ressentait vraiment. Il a envie d’être digne de la confiance de sa soeur et Sabrina parviendra même à l’aiguiller de l’au-delà. Pourra t-il enfin rendre heureuse London? Ne va t-il pas un nouvelle fois tout anéantir par sacrifice?
Bref, Corinne Michaels et Melanie Harlow nous offre une belle romance avec des personnages attachants et qu’on a envie de voir heureux. La perte, l’amitié et le sacrifice seront au coeur de cette histoire et de cette histoire qui nous fera vivre de belles émotions.
I’ve been waiting for this! I think this is a perfect pairing of authors, and I can’t wait to see how they write together!
Melanie Harlow and Corinne Michaels need to write many more books together! This book is a wonderful read! It has angst, heartbreak, banter, laughter and 2 people who truly do love each other but don’t know how to make it work!
Ian and London have know each other for years- Ian is London’s best friends brother and when the unthinkable happens- they must work together in lose for the sake of 3 kids. The family dynamic and love between all of these characters is wonderful.
I could not put this book down and read it in 1 evening. I cried, I laughed, I felt the joy, the heartbreak and the true love throughout the book!
4.5/5
London Parish and Ian Chase can’t be in the same room together. They fight like cats and dogs. It didn’t matter that London is Ian’s sister best friend. No. They just can’t stand each other. But that was not always the case. Because London had been in love with Ian in the past, and Ian chose to break her heart.
But when a tragedy strike and they were both left with three amazing kids and no idea what to do with them, they had to present a united front and try to be their for them. Their lives just turned upside down, not just because of the new responsibility, but the fact that they need to work together. All of the time. Well, most of it anyway.
She didn’t plan of risking her heart once again. But spending time with Ian and the kids – she just couldn’t help it. Will London give it another chance? Or will she forever hide in her hate?
What do I expect? This book is co-written by authors who are known to give you all those emotions and break your hearts. This one makes no difference. I am completely in love with this book, and every characters in it. Ian might be a jerk, but he did things for a reason. Reason that he thought was for the best. London – I like her determination to do anything, including hating Ian. But when it comes to the kids – they always come first. I can’t blame her for protecting her heart as he did a number on her. Although, I love the fact that she gave him a chance again. The kids – omg. They are just so adorable. I love Chris’ sensitivity, Morgan’s old soul – and Ruby, she’s a sweetheart.
But probably the thing I love most about this book are the letters Sabrina have for both. It was funny, but you can’t probably help but shed a few tears.
This book is a combination of cuteness, steam, romance, feels, and a whole lot of entertaining banter between our main characters.
London had her heart shattered by her childhood crush. Hating Ian all these years has been easier than forgiving him. But now they need each other. Can they put their differences aside?
What a beautifully emotional read. Ian and London’s journey will captivate you from the start. I felt like I was part of their story, walking through everything with them. I felt the love, the heartbreak, and the passion. I absolutely loved every exquisite word! An absolute MUST READ! 6 STARS!
I am a sucker for an epic Second Chance Love Story and Hold You Close is just that. EPIC!
Hold onto your knickers ladies, Ian is about to become your next Book Boyfriend. Sawooooooon! Ok, well it doesn’t really start off like sawoooooon, he is kind of a turdlington at first. And well, he has reasons to be. Which, imo, was perfectly acceptable, because he has crazy wicked charm. Which is why I said hold onto your knickers.
I adore a strong-minded working woman, with balls of steel. And London fills that role to a T! She’s all about the grind. All about making her way to the top. And being the independent woman she is. There isn’t room for a man in her life. Especially a man like Ian Chase.
Man oh man, London and Ian are like cats and dogs. Like vapid cats and dogs, but I ate that stuff up. These two burn hot, and when their heat collides its like a ruthless volcano. All ash and lava. And a side of pent up frustrations. Including the the kind where a good rumble in the sheets, should help to relieve those feelings.
Not that this should come as a surprise, this book sucker punches you right in the feels. It’s full of life and the unexpectedness that comes with it. The way this story was written was brilliant. It keeps the readers on their toes and your heart hurting. I felt a great big ole game of tug-a-war happening, for just about the whole story. I think the best part of this story for me, was seeing something change so abruptly and also seeing great growth in each character. Change is something that is hard to overcome, but this book shows that change is good. Even when things are difficult.
If you’re looking for a heart wrenching, life altering book, Hold You Close is most definitely the real deal. Especially if you’re a HUGE fan of both Corinne Michaels and Melanie Harlow—-you know that they’re both creative geniuses and working alongside one another proves that point even further!!
Where do I start this review? Hold You Close captivates you and floods you with ALL THE FEELS! The story line starts out tragic. The rest of the book is about making decisions that has an impact on simply life. I fell for Ian and London from the get go. I was all over their family and wanted to hug everyone. This story had me all over with tears, laughs, and the “What the…” moments. Melanie Harlow and Corrine Michaels wrote beautifully together. I cannot wait to see what will come up next for the book world with their next book. Hold You Close will stay in your head and keep you in the story days after you finish reading the last word.
I love this story so much! Ian and London were amazing!! Both authors did an amazing job with this story! LOVED!!
3.5*
There is so much to love about Hold You Close- the story, the kids, London, Ian and London when they weren’t at each other’s throats, the second chance romance. I loved the whole premise of this book, which kind of feels weird to say since it all stems from a horrible tragedy. (Not a good idea to read the first few chapters at work, let me tell you!) But I did love the idea of London and Ian having to learn to get along again for the sake of their godchildren. I loved that this was a true second chance romance between two people who, even with all the anger they harbored towards each other, should have been together all along. They had such a tumultuous history this could almost be classified as enemies-to-lovers.
My main sticking point with this book, and the one that had me dropping my rating, was Ian. If you read any of my statuses you’d understand. I don’t usually post status updates as I’m reading, except on the very rare occasion, but I couldn’t help myself with this one. Ian made me sooo angry, even so horribly ragey at one point that I just wanted to throw in the towel. He could be so completely swoony and sweet one minute, but then the next sentence out of his mouth made me want to slap him. It was so frustrating! The back and forth was entertaining at first but then it just got to be too much and I wanted him, no needed him, to talk to London, to finally be honest and own his feelings for her. Ugh.
I really do wish Ian had gotten out of his head sooner, because this could have so easily been one of my top reads of the year. It was heartbreaking, yet sweet and fun. There were some really wonderful emotion-filled scenes that had me tearing up. I loved that the three kids, Chris, Morgan, and Ruby, weren’t just an afterthought, that they were pivotal to the story. I thought London was a great character- strong and determined. And although it might not seem like it, I did like Ian. He was wonderful with his nieces and nephew, and I know he loved London. I loved the ending, I just wish things had gone a little differently earlier in the book.
This book captured my sobbing heart in ways I cannot even describe. It hit home REAL hard. Ian’s pain was my pain. Ian’s new life was my new life. I’ve been there, and so all the tears I shed for Ian and London, I also shed for myself as memories of my own tragedy struck deep.
This is more than just a second chance romance or an enemies to lovers story. Inside the cover, you will learn about the power of love and the debilitating pain that comes from grief and the loss of love. This is a story to make you stop and think, to realize that bad things really do happen to good people, and good people step up to the plate, no matter what the cost.
Every possible emotion dripped from my pores from this book. When you read a story that so closely epitomizes your own experiences, you tend to see things from a different angle. Ian and London show selfless love over and over again with their choices, and as much as the circumstances broke my heart, it also made me smile. The choices they made would change the lives of three little people forever.
These two authors have combined their talents to bring us a heartbreaking but beautiful story. They’ve taken an unbelievable situation and delivered a phenomenal story that made me smile and laugh, cry and groan, shake my head in frustration, and clutch my heart in pain and happiness. Most importantly, these two authors have told a story about love and how it can make everything possible and a little easier to bear.
This story taught me that sometimes, the best things in life are born from tragedy. You can’t have one without the other, and such is the circle of life. It taught me the strength it takes to do the difficult, selfless acts that are necessary for the good of others. It showed me how even the best-laid plans can’t determine your future. Plans and dreams get pushed to the wayside when life throws you a massive curveball. A curveball that is bigger than anything you’ve ever imagined, a task so insurmountable yet one you can’t afford to fail.
First love can be a very powerful thing. It can embed itself deep into your soul, lying in wait until the day comes for you to unleash that power. It may be a frantic, passionate lust or pure loathing for the object in question. Such was the case for London Parish. As much as she hates Ian Chase, her traitorous body won’t let her forget.
Her best friend’s brother held her heart in his hands from the time she was a teenager. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get it back. He stomped it into the ground like a butted-out smoke and turned his back on her and all of her dreams. London Parish was right to banish him to the depths of her soul and lock him away. Or was she? Was there two sides to this story?
London and Ian are a wonderful couple. Their antics are hilarious, their stubbornness is frustrating, and their heels are dug so far into the ground I’m surprised they could move forward at all. Though most of their troubles stem from misunderstandings and a lack of communication, those are the characteristics that endeared me so much to this couple.
If Ian Chase couldn’t have London, then he’d do everything in his power to forget her and die a happy man creating his playboy reputation all the ladies loved. All the ladies except the only one he cared about. Problem is, even if it is just a façade, things are all too real in London’s eyes.
Melanie Harlow is a master of angst and grief and she has once again shown that talent. Hold You Close was one of my favorite stories from her. I’ve not yet read a Corinne Michaels book, but can honestly say that this story was seamless when it came to the authors switching it up. Written in dual POV, I had my suspicions on which author wrote the lines for both Ian and London but by the end, I think I was wrong. I’ll likely never know but I do know that I totally recommend this book to everyone. A little angst along with your romance never hurt anyone.
This was such a great book. Ian and London had such great chemistry even if they didn’t realize it at first.
This story had so many emotions and feels. I was feeling their pain, their happiness and their love for each other. Even when they were trying to fight it.
Corinne and Melanie did great with having the words flow so well.
I highly recommend this book, and that cover !! Arc was provided for an honest review.
Absolutely amazing book written by 2 of my favorite authors. Loved every single part of it. Don’t wait to buy this book. Ian and London have a love/hate relationship from the start. Ian is the playboy party boy that lives behind the crazy cat lady. Then they are forced into a situation that neither ever believed or wanted to be in. Choices are made and lives are forever changed. Absolutely loved the chemistry and the bantering between the two of them. Plus, the kids involved in the book, don’t get me started .