The final book in the Something in the Way series, a love saga. Now a USA Today bestseller.Manning and I have what happily-ever-after is made of . . .A home he built us on the unshakeable foundation we fought for.A life of laughter carved out of heartache and betrayal.A love story to stand the test of time.But between a trust that can’t be broken, joy that can’t be bridled, and passion that would … can’t be broken, joy that can’t be bridled, and passion that would scorch the sun, the empty spaces are becoming more and more difficult to ignore . . .
Fears that keep Manning up at night as he slips from our bed.
Our complicated relationship with a man he respects and one I don’t know how to forgive.
And a sprawling, beautiful home with one small room I’m afraid I’ll never be able to fill.
Manning and I have what happily-ever-after is made of . . .
But I’ll beg the heavens for just one thing more.
more
I am in awe of Jessica’s writing and this story.
All the feels!! EVERY SINGLE ONE!!!
It was a perfect perfect ending to their journey.
I laughed. I cried. My heart is bursting with love.
I honestly want to say so much but don’t want to spoil it for anyone else. You are going to want to read this!!
I can’t wait for the world to read Lake + Manning!!!!
REVIEW: 5 FINAL STARS
“You know I’ll always move the stars for you if need be. Whatever it takes.”
I’m sure I can hear you saying this now….”Oh sure, another 5 STAR review from Bee for another Jessica Hawkins book.” Well, you have to know I’ve never lied about her ability to feed your emotions and turn you inside out!! Right? I’m sure you’ve all taken my advice with the first three books already, so you know I mean business! Right? I thought so! So, with that being said, just go ahead and bypass all my giddiness and grab the book HERE: http://amzn.to/2stCtz2
If you are willing to see what the book made me feel, read ahead…..but remember, if I thought the ending of Move the Stars was left in a perfect spot for us to carry on with our own imaginations as to how life was going for Birdy and Bear, then the ending to this one is drop-down-to-your-knees-and-bow-down worthy. Yep. Worthy.
First and foremost, we got to see a very protective and powerful side of Manning in this book. OMGosh….he was everything for me. Everything. He wanted to possess her with this ferocity because his entire world rested in her being. He mastered the art of seduction. He honed the skills needed to calm an emotional Lake. He owned her heart outright and took care of it amazingly well. I swooned hard every time he spoke to her, calmed her, confirmed her, loved her….anything and everything he did was FOR her and I couldn’t sigh enough. He just made me smile. There was nothing he did that I didn’t trip over. He was everything. Jessica is the purveyor of amazing Book Boyfriends.
“You’ll have to be satisfied knowing it’ll only be you and me – but it’ll always be you and me.”
Lake. My heart hurt for her. To not give anything away, Jessica did a phenomenal job writing her torment. Writing her perceived failure. I wanted to hug her through the pages and hold her while rocking. I couldn’t stop reading her story, but I knew that no matter what, Jessica would do it justice.
The emotions in this book are heavy, ones that you can just feel. They are palpable. They are gritty. They are raw. And they are emotional! I loved this last look into Bear and Birdy’s world that gave us just that little unexpected bit more of them. It was an emotional journey how they battled all the issues plaguing them after finally deciding that they were the ones that belonged together, no matter what. Lake + Manning was beautiful and painful, tragic in some spots, but beautiful nonetheless. Jessica writes emotion with such passionate conviction. I wish I knew how she did this. How does she make me feel every single syllable she writes?
Every single book.
Every single character.
Every single storyline.
Sucks. Me. In.
There is nothing better than a book that can make me feel. One that can pull me in with relatability and reality, consequences and truths. I love that Jessica makes her books so real. There is always an element of truth, something you can grasp onto and actually understand and empathize with. She has been my go-to favorite author since December 2013, and this series is proof as to why. She never fails at making me feel her books. All the emotions. Every time.
“No matter what, the story would only ever be about us.”
~BEE
TOP READ OF 2018
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2stCtz2
The FULL series: http://amzn.to/2Brukho
After the end of Move the Stars, I was happy with the epic love story Jessica Hawkins had delivered. I never imagined that we would get more Lake and Manning, but I wished and hoped that there was still more story to tell. Jessica delivered that and so much more! Lake + Manning was the perfect cherry on top to this beautiful and enduring love story. Please note, this is not a stand alone, and should only be read after enjoying the previous 3 books in the series.
Readers have cheered and cried right alongside Lake and Manning as they’ve fought to get to their happily ever after. Timing never seems to be on their side and though the angst didn’t feel quite as high this time around, the feelings and emotions are just as gripping and consuming. Fans of this series already know that this journey has been filled with ups and downs, so saying this book is emotional shouldn’t come as a surprise to any one. You will laugh, swoon, and fist pump the air at times, but others will have you aching and crying as the events unfold. Every minute of Lake and Manning’s happiness has been so painstakingly earned that readers won’t be able to stop themselves from falling deeper in love with them. Add in a smoking hot Manning, in ultra sexy protective alpha great bear mode and ovaries will be exploding everywhere.
All the characters we love (and those we love to hate) make appearances and it added such a wonderful layer to the story and really brought everything full circle. I think there’s something for everyone this time around and no reader will be left wanting. This truly was the perfect wrap up to Lake and Manning’s story and I can’t recommend this series enough!
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*
***ARC Provided by the Author***
If you are reading this and haven’t read the other books, stop now. This is the 4th in the series and, by definition, there are going to be spoilers of the books before this one…as you can’t review the 4th book without giving away some things that got them here. Heck, the title is a bit of a spoiler. So, if you haven’t read all of them, off you go. Stop reading.
Full disclosure. I was happy with the ending of Move the Stars. I liked where it ended, on the precipice of Manning and Lake finally getting their stars aligned and starting their happily ever after. There was a certain joy to ending at their beginning and I was wondering if this book was going to measure up to the perfection of the others, particularly of the 3rd, Move the Stars, which was my favorite book for all of 2017.
With Jessica Hawkins writing it, I was worried for nothing. She started at the end of perfection and gave us even more of exactly that, perfection.
This book is exactly as the title implies. It is their story. While there are other characters, and a lovely subplot for some characters who also deserved their story told, the bulk of this book is Lake and Manning. After 3 books of angst, of reading scenes about them being apart and DYING for Lake and Manning to be together, there was some sheer joy in spending time with them, in being able to be a part of their future.
In some ways, this is an extended epilogue. Although I hesitate to say that, as that almost sounds like a criticism. It’s not. But it is the “what comes after” and it is the resolution to the angst. Was it nice to see them work it out, and to finally be together? Yes, it was. In fact, more than I was expecting. I knew I was going to enjoy this book, and the minute it appeared on my Kindle I started reading, but how much I loved it actually surprised me. You look to Jessica Hawkins for the tear jerking angst, for the forbidden. This book shows a different side to her as an author, and it shows that she can write a happy couple just as amazingly as she writes one that is struggling to find that happy.
But at least for me, while this book is the ending to the story that was told in the first 3 books, it is almost a standalone. Yes, there are characters and relationships from the first books, but what works so well is this is a beautiful story of people who are in love, and who stay that way. Of a couple who are committed to being a couple, and to figuring out the things that life throws at them, as a couple.
Are there challenges? Yes. Of course there are. But there is also a joy in watching Lake and Manning be exactly that…Lake and Manning. Not Lake and the man married to her sister, or Lake and the man who is too old for her, or Lake and the man her father wants her to avoid…just Lake and Manning.
This book, while it really could be read as a standalone, is, more than anything, an absolute gift to readers who have been there from the beginning of their story. And, it is their story now that there is no longer something getting in the way of their happiness.
I couldn’t recommend it more.
Spectacular!! I miss them soo much already. FLOVED it!
I was in awe and I swooned like crazy. The love between these 2 is bigger than them. Bigger than anything. I’m soo soo happy with their HEA because it was their happy.
This last installment of the Something in the Way series was PERFECTION (maybe not perfect for me cause there’s 1 issue I have to get past) BUT it was perfect for Lake & Manning and this is THEIR story not mine.
No words will do this justice. I loved this book and I LOVED the entire series. It will be unforgetable!!!
This author has made a huge fan out of me. I’ve loved everything she’s written. She has a special way of telling stories. She makes me feel EVERYTHING!
This story made me VERY emotional (every emotion was had).
I love this whole four book series!! I highly recommend it!!! Lake and Manning will be in my thoughts and heart for a very long time. Kudos to Jessica Hawkins! An awesome conclusion to a phenomenal series!!!
This review is a tough one to write. It’s the last in a series, so anything I Might mention, I can’t. Because, NO SPOILERS!!!
I laughed.
I awwed.
I was close to crying.
And it was like a lovely little extra cup of ice cream on top of an already great, lavish meal.
We got to revisit so many cherished characters. So many storylines that just got a little extra bit of whipped cream to round it out. Some sprinkles in the form of new additions, readily taken into the arms of this world. A bow wrapped neatly and tightly, with some help and some second tries around an epic saga.
I can’t really say much, just. Go back. Start at the beginning, and what Lake + Manning overcome Something in the Way, looking into Somebody Else’s Sky, but ending up Mov[ing] the Stars to become once and for all, Lake + Manning. An indivisible force to be reckoned with.
And yes, that run on sentence with the titles was cheesy, deal with it. Read it. You’ll be cheesy, too.
Ms. Hawkins gave us this final book so that we could find out more about Lake and Manning after they got back together. This book is just the perfect ending to the whole series. We get to find out what happened after the happily ever after and it so romantic and realistic. Things and issues were brought up and resolved (good or bad) and we got to read more about Lake and Manning’s life together. I will miss reading about Lake and Manning but I am happy with this conclusion and would love to have more if Ms. Hawkins were to come up with more!
“I love you, Lake Sutter. I don’t know why you trusted me that first day or any day after it. You mesmerized me. There was, and still is, something in the way you are. Your blue eyes brought peace and light to my dark and noisy head.” He drew back and took a moment to collect himself. “I think you saved me, Birdy.” With his last words, my tears finally slid free. I shook my head. “You saved yourself.” “You did. More than once. If my life wasn’t everything it is,” he said, nodding over the crowd toward our house, “it would be nothing.”
*happy tears* #WhatAmISupposed2DoWithMyLifeNow I’ve just finished what must have been the most emotional character journey OF. MY. LIFE! And because of that, I am forever changed. Words cannot fully express my love for this saga and the couple within it. I want EVERYONE to read it! LAKE + MANNING (Something in the Way #4) was EVERYTHING I hoped for and WAY MORE. I didn’t realize just HOW MUCH I NEEDED this ending for their story, until I read it. I know Jessica Hawkins had originally planned to end the series with MOVE THE STARS, but I am over the moon happy that she continued Lake and Manning’s story and gave them (and us fans) this HEA. She couldn’t have done a more extraordinary job with how she completed this saga. It is truly remarkable and utterly unforgettable!
You that book that you’ve been waiting what seems like FOR.EVER. to read…THIS is that book for me! I was BURSTING with emotions while reading LAKE + MANNING. #AllTheFeels I feel as if I’ve grown up with these characters while reading their story. I’ve gone through their obstacles with them, experienced their heartaches, their ups and downs and I’ve also watched their unshakable love continue to grow with each trail thrown their way. Their love for each other has truly lived through the test of time. So to FINALLY get their HEA, it’s both beautiful and bittersweet in equal measures. I am sad to see their story come to an end, but this ending was EXACTLY what I needed for them. Their story will be forever etched onto my heart and I know every time I look to the sky, I will be looking for them… summer triangle. This is truly an EXCEPTIONAL story and couple that I will NEVER forget for the rest of my life.
“Once in a great while, we get the timing right.”
#GreatBearAndHisBirdy
#ThisHasAlwaysBeenTheirStory
#HotSummerDay
#SummerTriangle
#BlueberryPie
#YouCanMoveTheStars
#L+M
#FavoriteForbiddenRomanceSeries
10 Stars!
CHECK OUT MY PINTEREST NOVEL BOARD FOR L+M HERE: http://bit.ly/2EpjY02
(may contain spoilers if you have NOT finished the saga)
How do you review the last book in a series that CONSUMED your heart and soul for a whole year? And this book wasn’t even supposed to see the light of day because it wasn’t planned; book 3 (Move the Stars) was supposed to be it!
Lake & Manning’s story is one for the ages. The ‘Something in the Way’ series will forever live in my heart and I will NEVER forget it.
This book in particular was perfection. It tied up whatever loose ends we as readers of this series thought of and ultimately delivered a true HEA for a couple that went and suffered through SO much in order to even get there.
There’s not much I can say about without spoiling it but just know that THIS series is a must read. MUST READ.
And NEVER forget, this story is about them. ALWAYS about them.
#BearAndBirdy4ever
Ok, so this was a book I was super, super excited about. This is the fourth book in the Something In The Way Series and if you haven’t read the others, stop. Stop now. Go read them and then come back and enjoy this book. I loved it.
I can’t say enough how much I enjoy these characters. There’s something about Lake and Manning that I just didn’t want to leave so I’m glad that Jessica Hawkins gave us this book. There’s just something so very special about these two. That feeling hasn’t left me in four books…and I’m not going to lie, I still want more. Perhaps she can start a blog for these characters; I know I’d follow it.
This is a beautiful glimpse into the future these characters face. It isn’t easy-and I’m not going to lie. I had to stop for a minute more than once and cry because the story hit close to home in more ways than one. But I couldn’t STOP reading. The journey these two have is unique and beautiful. I absolutely loved it.
Jessica Hawkins is a beautiful writer. There’s simply no other way to put it. She just draws you in from the first page and you can’t let go and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This story was so well written, so well paced. I didn’t want it to end-and I’m still hoping it’s not completely done. Did you catch that, Ms. Hawkins? LOL give us more Lake and Manning!
Again, this book is NOT a standalone. Read the others. Then come back and enjoy the pure perfection of Lake+Manning. It’s the perfect story of these two. I loved it and absolutely recommend it.
I need a moment of silence to mourn the loss of these characters. They’ve been in my life for almost a year now and I don’t know how to let them go. I have been on this journey with Lake, Manning and company since the very beginning. The author warned us that it would be a difficult road to travel, but she also said to trust her…. and thank goodness I did because the end result is more than worth it.
I’m not going to go into details about Lake + Manning, just know you should experience it for yourself. I think it should be obvious, but please make sure to read Something in the Way, Somebody Else’s Sky and Move the Stars before reading the final conclusion of Lake + Manning! I have never been more invested in a book series the way I have been with this one. There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by that I don’t think about the characters. They are a part of my soul and I don’t think they’ll ever leave… and I don’t want them to. I’m not ready to say goodbye.
If you have any lingering questions about the series, they are all wrapped up in L+M. I do not have a single complaint- this whole novel was perfection from start to finish. Manning is *EVERYTHING* I have ever wanted, hoped for and dreamed about.
This series will bring out every emotion. I laughed, I cried, I swooned, I got angry… and repeat. Jessica Hawkins is one of the most talented authors I have ever had the pleasure of reading. She is simply one of the best! I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next!!!
This was just the perfect ending to an amazing story!!! It’s another one of those series that I will never get enough of the main characters.
I felt that we had come full circle when we walked in Lake and Manning’s shoes through all of the pain, heartache, forgiveness and, of course, their intense love in the first 3 books of the Something in the Way series. I could have considered the series complete after the last book but I am so glad that Jessica didn’t see it that way and gave us Lake + Manning.
Lake and Manning are in a different place now and have built a solid relationship like no other. But they are faced with new challenges that they must confront. It’s during these challenges that we see the true depth of the love that they have for each other. It warmed my heart to see that they had such an intense and intimate connection that was built because of their past. To know all of the pain and suffering they both went through not being with each other, that once they were together, they were never letting go.
I loved how Jessica incorporated Corbin, Val, Lake’s Mom and Dad and even Tiffany in this book. I was happy to see what direction those relationships went. And for me, I felt the time span helped me see the growth of all the characters.
I found that this series, at times, was not easiest to read but that’s what made it so real to life. For me, it’s these types of books that I fall in love with and become my favorites. This series is definitely on that short list of favorites.
This is a 5 star book for me and I consider the entire series “Off the Charts” and a must read!!!
**Lake + Manning is book 4 of a series and MUST be read in order**
You know those books you read where when you get to the end you’re pissed because it’s over? That’s how Lake+Manning made me feel. I DEVOURED this book. It’s probably my favorite of the series. It’s the one that makes me want to start all over in hopes of experiencing something new this time around. I’m so glad Jessica Hawkins wasn’t done with their story. I’m glad that the voices didn’t stop. It makes me even happier to have gotten the ending that I desire out of all of my favorites stories. It’s the “more” that we speak of when we say we didn’t get enough. It’s what happens after the happily ever after. We suspect it’s all rainbows and sunshine, and maybe it is for some. But all of us who have been following Lake and Manning’s story from the beginning know that that’s never been their story. Nothing has ever been easy except for when they let their guards down. If you’ve been on the edge of your seat throughout this series, don’t relax yet. The best is yet to come in the conclusion to one of my favorite series. If there’s one thing Ms. Hawkins knows how to do it’s that she can write a story that keeps us enthralled. We have to know what happens. And the endings usually make us a bit crazy. We wouldn’t love her writing if it were any other way. It’s the reason I fell in love with her stories to begin with. The drama. The angst. The physical heart and stomach ache that I get from the anticipation of what’s to come next. I love every word. This story just fed my addiction!
5 Summer Triangle Stars!
SPOILER FREE REVIEW
My thoughts are all over the place where Lake + Manning are concerned. How do you even begin to convey what reading their love story means, what feelings it will evoke and how you’ll manage the ups and downs. This is not just a story full of angst, hope, frustration, love, anger, hatred, etc., etc. This is a journey. Jessica takes you on a journey that will captivate your heart and soul in a way you never thought possible.
Nothing about Lake + Manning or their relationship has been an easy road to follow. Their love is all consuming, but sometimes fate likes to step in and test you again and again. Even so, Manning is strong and will do everything in his power to make sure his Birdy is safe, well taken care of and happy. To see Manning in is element, acting all alpha, “great bear” with his girl is soooooooooooooo sexy! Oh em gee this man, this is the Manning I absolutely love and adore. Lake is Lake, I’ve admired her from the start and that feeling has only intensified while following her through this bumpy life. When she loves, she loves with every fiber of her being. She’s honest, she’s real and I can honestly say I’m one of her biggest fans.
I loved this story and the entire series. The characters have captured my heart, it will never be the same. Yes, I’m pretty sure there were multiple times my heart broke in two and I thought I might not survive. But with the love and support of my book girls, I made it through and I feel like I have a new family. Lake + Manning’s love story is a journey worth taking and one you won’t forget.
The conclusion of Lake + Manning’s story is nothing short of perfection. Their love story is beautiful, painful, raw and emotional. Jessica’s writing is once again flawless as she guides us through the ever-changing obstacles they continue to face. Every word pulls you deeper and deeper into their lives. They’ve become family, not just characters in a love story. It won’t be easy to let go, I can’t believe their story has come to an end. I know without a doubt their story and my journey with them will always hold a special place in my heart
#Team Lanning
#BearandBirdy
#Foreverinmyheart
#Blueberrypie
Have you ever read a book about characters that you’re so invested in, that they become like your friends and family? You feel like you know them, but you lost touch with them and you don’t know what has been going on with them lately? Lake + Manning is that relationship for me. Jessica giving us this 4th and final book in the Something in the Way series is a gift I will never take for granted.
You must have read the first 3 books in this series to read this one, and if you’ve made it through the other three. Congratulations! You ran the emotional marathon with the rest of us and we’re here to see what becomes of Lake and Manning after their tumultuous ride to a happy ever after.
This book ties up many, if not all the questions you have from the previous books. And in true Jessica Hawkins fashion, she takes you on a emotional tour of ups and downs for many characters. Not just the beloved title characters.
There will be moments you will laugh, cry, swear, and moments when you need to take a breath and look back on the road that not only Lake and Manning have traveled; but you the reader as well. The expert way in which Jessica weaves beloved and treasured elements from the complete series in to the final book is nothing short of amazing. And something I didn’t know I needed. But feel so complete and resplendent having been giving them by the masterful Ms. Hawkins!
I can’t explain the emotions of reading Lake + Manning, I feel like I finally was able to finally breathe and allow myself to accept all the bumps and bruises we the readers might’ve taken with these books. There was a certain moment towards the end, where I literally felt my wall crumble and experienced a rush of emotions. I can honestly say no other series or writer has given me a moment like this.
Lake + Manning is everything I could’ve wanted and so much more. I will never forget the ride or the conductor (Ms. Jessica Hawkins). Nor will I forget the connections I’ve made through this series.
Whatever I had hoped or expected from this book and these characters, it was all given plus more. While I was content with where Move the Stars ended, there were still some lingering loose ends beyond Manning’s journey in relation to Lake that I had questions about and wanted to know what happened next. While they had their bubble of happiness, what about outside of it? After getting this far into their relationship, it was time to face the past, including other people, and feel free to live out the rest of their lives without judgment or hiding. The anticipation really built with that aspect and it’s clear where everyone stands and how time has also softened some of the sharp corners. I loved seeing Lake and Manning together and watching Manning be everything for Lake. There’s lots of feels in this one that range everywhere. And while I certainly swooned and felt my heart melt several times, towards the end is where I got a bit more emotionally choked up. I think the best way to describe this finale is that it came full circle and the characters all wound up right where they are supposed to be.
If you have followed the saga of Lake and Manning since Something in the Way (and if you have not, I urge you to STOP READING THIS REVIEW right now – RIGHT NOW – because it will contain spoilers for the three books), then you know that our favorite why-aren’t-they-together couple fought several seemingly insuperable obstacles before they were, finally, united.
When I finished Move the Stars, I thought, “Okay. Thank you, Jessica Hawkins, for how you brought these two together.” I didn’t think I needed a fourth book. I didn’t think I needed to read about more conflict between Lake and Manning.
Jessica Hawkins, though, had other ideas. She knew her story was not finished. She knew that there were a few more things that Lake and Manning had to battle before they could truly find their happily-ever-after.
And so now we get to spend more time with them, and what makes this book so fantastic is that we get to spend time with Lake and Manning together. Whereas they fought to be a couple – or fought against it, as the case may be – for three books, here they fight as one. The conflicts that Hawkins throws at them are organic and feel authentic. They do not feel forced or histrionic. When Lake says, “We had ways of molding the universe to meet our demands,” you know that the emphasis here is on the word “we.”
If you learned anything about Lake and Manning over the course of the first three books, it is that they fight for what they want and what they need. They fight for what they deserve. Jessica Hawkins keeps them true to this ethos, never manipulating them into behaving in ways that feel inauthentic.
Lake + Manning, it turns out, equals the perfect ending to a favorite couple’s love story.
I went into this book with conflicting feelings. I felt kind of short changed with the way the previous book ended and I needed some closure after such an emotional, all consuming journey. I was left wanting more from Lake and Mannings life together even though I didn’t particularly like Manning, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to either of them. To say I was nervous going into this book would be an understatement. I adore this series, it’s one of my all time favourites but it’s also one of the few series I’ve read where the main male character hasn’t won me over. At all. So going in to this I wasn’t convinced Jessica Hawkins could change my mind about Manning this late in the game. Boy was I wrong. By the time I’d finished this book I was head over heels for him.
I’m going to assume everyone’s read the previous books (if not, you need these books in your life) and knows the epic journey Jessica Hawkins has taken us all on along with Lake and Manning. This book is the icing on an already spectacular cake. It gave me the insight I probably missed in the other books (due to my own determination to always be team Lake) and opened my eyes to the wonder that is Manning. The star of this series for me has and always will be Lake. Even when she irritated me, there’s just something about her character that’s so genuine that it’s easy to forgive her just about anything.
As sad as I am to finish this series, I can truthfully say I’m ok with saying goodbye to Lake and Manning. I got the closure and answers I felt I needed and this series will always be a particular favourite of mine. I can’t recommend this series enough. It really is an emotional rollercoaster.
What an awesome series. So emotional. The entire series spans 25 years of true love. Love that survived many obstacles, pain, heartache and loss. But they persisted and survived to have a beautiful life together.
Very well done, I think I’ve found a new favorite author.