Award Winner! Best Sweet Romance eFestival of WordsNewly engaged and deliriously happy, Mattie and Jeremy look forward to a lifetime of marital bliss in their new home in Sedona, Arizona. But their perfect love disintegrates when Mattie discovers evidence of Jeremy’s massive betrayal. With her heart in pieces, Mattie flees to Mercer Island, Washington intent to start over. Everything was going … Island, Washington intent to start over. Everything was going according to plan – until she meets Cade.
Tattooed engineer by day, lead singer in a rock band at night, Cade has experienced his own brand of pain with the loss of his college sweetheart. As their friendship deepens, it ignites a new flame within Mattie, soothing the constant heartache for her former fiancée.
Just when Mattie thinks she may have found another stab at happiness, Jeremy reenters her life, and with him, all the crushing memories. It’s soon clear, though, that the trauma from her past may not be quite what it first seemed.
Will the truth bring closure and a new beginning – or will it mean the end of both relationships forever?
more
5 Stars
Intentional is the first book in the Intentional series by M.K Harkins. This author continues to surprise me with every book. I have read all her books now and I have loved every single one. She has proven that she can write anything and do so incredibly well. This book won me over from the first few pages, I was pulled into the story, engrossed by what I was reading and couldn’t have put the story down- even if I had wanted to. I needed to know what would happen and read the book in one sitting- just to find out how everything ended.
The characters are superb, really well developed and fully realised individuals with their own personalities, quirks and flaws. They are really likeable and endearing- or completely unhinged and detestable as in the case of one particular character- but being able to sway her readers to either love or hate a character, just proves what a supremely talented author Ms. Harkins really is!
There is a lot going on in this story- and more to the story and characters than might first meet the eye. I loved discovering all the details, devouring the story, and just loved everything about it.
Mattie Parker is a 23-year-old graphic designer who has just moved to Sedona with her best friend Sarah, who is a lawyer and had just been hired by one of the top firms in the area. The girls are looking forward to a bright future. When Mattie meets Sarah’s boss, Jeremy, for the first time, sparks fly- but his reputation as a ladies man makes her wary. But, he’s determined to get to know her, and as they spend more time together Mattie genuinely believes his reputation to be nothing more than rumours. They cement their love by getting engaged- planning their future together. Mattie couldn’t be any happier. Then her world is shattered by the worst betrayal imaginable. Broken and alone Mattie can barely function- she has trouble getting through her days, wallowing in her grief and heartbreak. She decides she needs a fresh start, moving to Mercer Island to hopefully begin again. There is no way she will allow herself to ever fall in love again, or to open herself up to any more pain and heartache- she doesn’t think she would survive it. When a sexy, mysterious stranger rescues her after she’s fallen into a river, she can’t help feeling drawn to him. But she isn’t capable of anything more than friendship. But Cade is patient, kind and caring- he’s slowly dismantling her defences with his nerdy engineer by day- and sexy, charismatic rocker by night personas. She has finally found some peace and new-found happiness- when Jeremy crashes back into her life….. bringing chaos and danger with him. What happens you may ask? Well I don’t want to spoil all the riveting details, so I recommend that you read all the exciting developments for yourself- you really won’t be disappointed!!!
This story had me hook line and sinker!!! I was devouring the pages to discover what would happen next!! This has definitely become one of my favourite books of Ms. Harkins! I have already started the next book, as I couldn’t wait to see where the story leads.
Brilliant!!!
Thank you, Ms. Harkins!!
It was so easy to get caught up in this storyline. Many of us have experienced the pain of cheating and dealing with the aftermath. Strong characters and sound judgment prevail.
If I had to pick one word to describe this book, it would be refreshing. I read more thrillers than anything else, but occasionally, I want a love story to cuddle up with. But, ever since Fifty Shades, so much of what’s out there, what popular and most visible, is—well—smut, to put it mildly.
Now, I enjoy a juicy romp as much as the next gal, but, as an adult with a vivid imagination, I really don’t require an author to tell me where or how one character puts some random body part into another character. While love scenes are important and titillating, I seriously don’t understand why readers need them spelled out so graphically all the time. Why not focus on the story and the relationship between those involved?
Well, that’s what you get with Intentional. It’s about the characters, first, foremost, and to the very end. It’s sweet and clean, yet real and deep and emotional, but that’s not to say it doesn’t have its dark side, because it does. The villain feels pulled straight from the headlines, like someone you’d hear about on Dateline, someone with emotional and mental instabilities, who feels slighted by those closest. But the villain is not in-your-face-evil, but rather representative of the spoiled, overly indulged youth we see so much of on reality TV, YouTube, and Vines. The villain wants what the villain wants; damn those who might be hurt.
This is in complete contrast to the main characters who make up the intense love-triangle, Mattie, Jeremy, and Cade. They are all three believable and well-developed. Jeremy and Cade are both gorgeous and swoon-worthy, and while Mattie might seem a bit naive to some, I see her instead as idealistic and wholesome.
She sees the world as she lives it. She’s not expecting the self-serving corruption she’s faced with, so she doesn’t understand it or know how to deal with it, because it’s just not in her genetic makeup. Instead of allowing herself to be drawn into the muck and mire of deception, she flees, and while settling into a new life, she meets someone who helps her heal. But all is not as it seems, and Mattie’s past comes roaring back to haunt her. She’s forced to face the impossible truth of her past and choose between the two men in her life.
The writing is clean and fresh. It’s not overdone or vain in anyway. The author writes to tell the story, period, and is in no way self-indulgent. It’s straight forward and elegant in its simplicity, which I really enjoyed. Intentional is written in first person, which I LOVE!! But it’s also in present tense, which, at first, kind of threw me since I haven’t read many books in present tense. But the writing is so clean, it was effortless to slip into. In fact, when I wasn’t reading Intentional and had to read something else, I was thrown off because it wasn’t present tense. It just feels more immediate somehow, really in the moment. And that was important to this story of first love and unexpected betrayal.
I loved Intentional, and recommend it to all who enjoy a sweet, real-life love story.
5 BIG STARS!!
The main character just seemed really naive to me, she just takes the word of her friend instead of dealing with the situation.
Here’s a story that starts out hot and heavy and ends hot and heavy. The twist in the middle makes this story a complete one click!
Mattie reminds me of another character that likes to see the good in all. Mattie lives on the bright side of life. She is just generally happy, all the time. Which is why the betrayal she discovers, crushes her completely. It crushes me as a reader!
Jeremy is a man in love through most of this story. He is strong and determined. He never thought he was missing anything in his life until he met Mattie. And then the betrayal crushes him as well, only in a different way.
But don’t be too sad for too long! Here comes Cade! He seems to be in love too, but he isn’t looking for love either. He is a rock star. A down to Earth kind of rock star. Cade will do anything to make Mattie forget everything.
This story was easy to follow but hard to read due to the betrayal that really wasn’t expected. Well that’s not exactly true. Mattie and Jeremy met and fall in love rather quickly. The first few chapters were a little too good to be true. I kept reading just knowing something huge was going to happen. And happen it did.
I enjoyed reading this story, it kept me on my toes and had me turning page after page. I highly recommend this story.
It left me hanging with no way to buy next book.
MK Harkins tore me apart with her first book in the Intentional Series, Intentional. I had seriously high hopes for this novel, and not for one second did it disappoint. I knew this was going to be Cade’s story and I am so glad that it lived up to all that I had hoped. MK Harkins writes in a unique way. She doesn’t fail to make things realistic and relatable, which really makes the novels flow beautifully. The alternating POV’s really give insight to all the angles of things as well.
We find that Cade is left hanging and with a broken heart in book one. After a few years we pick up where he is now and what he has done for the past few years. Not really healed as much as you would expect, but heartbreak is brutal, and we all grieve in our own timeframe. Right as we see Cade ready to commit to a new love and start over tragedy blasts him back to square one. In fact he is worse this time around and his whole world begins to shatter around him. I honestly just desperately wanted to hold this man and whisper, it will be ok, and everything will work out. Luckily, Laurel is there to do just that. It takes some time to break through the dark past of Cade, but things do get there. MK puts all our broken pieces back together in this novel and I couldn’t have predicted a more perfect outcome for these two.
What is even greater is the hint that there will be more to come in this series. I am anxious to see who will be the center of the next novel.
Intentional is a novel by MK Harkins, is the first book in a two book series, and is a romantic suspense novel. It is the story of a young woman named Mattie Taylor, who has just moved to Sedona, Arizona with her best friend since childhood, Sarah. They had just moved from Boston where they had lived most of their lives. Mattie’s parents died when she was young and Sarah’s parents stepped in and made her feel like she was their daughter, too. Mattie was a graphic designer and set up her own business called Sedona Graphic Design. Sarah was a lawyer, and had graduated at the top of her class. Sarah worked at a successful law firm called Parker and Schweet Law Firm, and one day she invited Mattie to meet her there for lunch. When she arrived, Mattie noticed a very handsome man who offered to take her to Sarah’s office. The man told her that he hadn’t realized that Sarah had such an attractive friend, and then introduced himself as Jeremy Parker, one of the firm’s partners. Jeremy is instantly attracted to Mattie, and when their hands touched their connection sizzled. After Mattie left the firm, Jeremy asked Sarah questions about Mattie, and if he could have her phone number. Sarah went home and told Mattie about Jeremy’s interest in her, but that she shouldn’t give him her phone number because he was a player. Sarah talked Mattie out of getting to know him, even though Mattie was definitely interested in Jeremy.
The next day Jeremy asked Sarah if Mattie would let him have her phone number, and Sarah said, “No, she’s not interested.” This surprised Jeremy since he had gotten the feeling that Mattie was interested in him. When Jeremy asked Sarah if she gave a reason, Sarah said that Mattie just wasn’t interested in dating right now since she was busy setting up her graphic design business. Sarah then said, “Don’t you already have a girlfriend anyway?” Jeremy was shocked that she said that and told her that he wouldn’t have asked for Mattie’s phone number if he already had a girlfriend. Jeremy asked Sarah why she thought that he had a girlfriend, and she said from office gossip. That’s when Jeremy decided that he wasn’t finished with pursuing Mattie. Via the internet, Jeremy found Mattie’s business and stopped in on his way home one day. Jeremy explained to Mattie that he was not a player, and in fact hadn’t been on a date in three months. Mattie was impressed that Jeremy had sought her out and was very pleased with his explanation, and accepted his invitation to go out on a date with him. What will happen between Mattie and Jeremy, and why does it seem that Sarah is trying to prevent them from dating?
I really enjoyed this book by MK Harkins. The book is told in the different characters, (Mattie’s and Jeremy”s), point of view, which I really liked. I believe this helped me to get to know the characters
better and more honestly. This is a complicated love story, and is not a happily-ever-after story for all of the characters. Luckily this story is continued in the next book in this series. I definitely recommend this book.
Very good read. Didn’t want to put this book down. Was glad they found their happy ending
This book was one of the best I’ve read this year. The story was original, and the psychological portion was an accurate twist.
Page turner
Not much of a plot and less steamy than normal.
I loved this book so much. I actually have read it a couple of times. Great great story.
5 Star
Intentional ( Intentional Series Book 1)By MK Harkins is the first book in the Intentional Series. I’ve read other books by this author and this one takes the cake.I was hooked from the beginning and had a hard time putting it down once I started reading. The only complaint I have is the jumping around from one minute dating to boom there getting married but other than that I loved this book.And I was an emotional mess of they had heartache I felt it.Get ready for a emotional rollercoaster ride with a few twists and turns. I loved the characters of Jeremy and Mattie. They both stole my heart .Mattie is a successful business woman who is strong but shes also had heartache.Jeremy is a successful business man who has the need to be in control and all things in order.But he finds Mattie stealing his heart.These two had an almost instant attraction.What happens when one betrays the other?Can they move past it?Then there’s Cade he doesn’t do long term relationships but then he meets Mattie. What happens with these two?Can she move forward? I loved this Book and highly recommend reading it. I can’t wait to see what this author has for us and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
The writing was simple and the characters could have done with a little more development, for example I was not overly invested in the initial relationships either with the BFF or the Fiance, which would have made it more engaging). And the story was a little predictable. At the beach, or on the plane and need something quick and easy…perfect.
Wish there was !it’s to this book.
Loved it so much I bought the sequel!
loved it. kind of grabs the heart in that not sure who gets the girl..
Intentional is the first MK Harkins book I’ve read. I was not disappointed! I loved how you get everyone’s POV. The characters were interesting and I appreciated the fact that there wasn’t a need to detail every minute of the relationship. I loved the time spacing and how it was handled. I can’t wait to dive in to book 2!! I’m hoping it’s all about Cade!!
Intentional (Intentional Series Book 1)
By M.K. Harkins
Intentional is book one in the Intentional series by M.K. Harkins. Not sure I enjoy the multi point of views, but I have to say apart from that I really did enjoy the book. Mattie had met the love of her life in Jeremy, they were to be married that is until Mattie caught Jeremy and her best friend in bed together. Mattie had a bad start to life when her parents died when she was young. Now that she has caught Jeremy and her best friend in bed she now feels like she has lost everyone who is important to her. Not being able to cope she up and leaves town for somewhere random. When Mattie leaves town she meets Cade, who comes with his own heartbreak. There is no denying Cade wants Mattie, but she has her protective walls up that he would love to take down. However, Jeremy discovers he has been betrayed and will do anything to get Mattie back. The question is who will Mattie pick to be with? Can she forgive Jeremy? Or will Cade manage to break her walls down?