USA Today Bestselling author Claudia Burgoa presents a heartwarming, sexy romance about second chances and starting over. After a week off the grid, I finally get reception and the first voicemail I hear stuns me.“You’re summoned to Baker’s Creek by the late William Tower Aldridge.”Twelve Years. It’s been twelve years since the last time I heard from the Aldridge family. That one voicemail … Aldridge family.
That one voicemail changes everything—I need the money the late William offers.
In exchange, I have to live eighteen months in Baker’s Creek.
I’ve survived cancer, the jungle, and the plague.
This should be easy compared to all that, right?
Or so I think until…I see him.
Confident, charismatic, bitter, sexy as hell, Doctor Hayes Benjamin Aldrige.
My first love, my first kiss—my late husband’s brother.
He hates me.
He still hasn’t forgiven me for walking out on him, and I can’t blame him. It’s been over ten years, and I still have feelings for him.
But I faked it once and I can fake it twice.
I can survive eighteen months and that’ll be the last time I see the Aldridge brothers.
Isn’t it?
The Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers series is a romantic comedy saga packed with the perfect mix of angst, tears, and laughs. If you like strong heroines & alpha males, steamy romances and witty love stories, this series is for you!
more
5* Sexy Nerd Stars
This is the first book in The Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers Series and is about the very sexy, nerdy Dr Hayes Benjamin Aldrige and Blaire his long-lost love.
When Hayes and Blaire are reunited unexpectedly after 12 years apart without any contact their love for one another is still strong and undeniable. However, both are flawed and struggling to let go of their pasts and learning to open up their hearts to love and trust one another again is not proving to be easy. Added to this Hayes is reunited with his brothers after the sudden death of his estranged father. The only thing the Aldrige brothers have in common (besides them all being as sexy as hell) is that they had the same philandering father, there is no love lost between them.
As per the father’s last wishes they all have to live together in a very quaint little town called Baker’s Creek, under the same roof for 18 months and work together on the businesses or everything will be liquidated, and the town folk will suffer from it. As each one of the brothers is very successful in their chosen careers this is proving to be difficult and they are all so very obnoxious and stubborn towards each other.
This was such a fantastic story of taking chances, learning to open up your heart to family and loved ones, letting go of the past and the sins of the Father and taking a chance with what tomorrow brings.
The secondary characters in the book are very entertaining and real, I had some laugh out loud moments especially when Sophia was present and some angsty moments too.
I think this is some of Claudia’s finest work to date and I am so excited to read the rest of the Series, I only wish they were available right now as I am hungry for more.
Wow! Claudia Burgoa is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. I’ve had several of her books downloaded to my Nook for a while but didn’t actually get around to reading on until a few months ago. Since then I’ve read several and each one becomes my new favorite. Ms. Burgoa can write a story that is engaging, entertaining, and filled with wonderful characters you’d like to meet and hang out with.
Loved You Once is the second chance story of Hayes Aldridge and Blaire Wilson. They were college sweethearts and had their whole future planned. Until suddenly Hayes brought everything to a screeching halt. To say his childhood was messed up in one of the great understatements of all time. He has regretted that hasty decision for the past twelve years. However, he cannot forgive Blaire for marrying his brother, Carter, shortly after they broke up. Neither can anyone else in the family. Well, a few of the younger Aldridge brothers can, but then they bothered to find out the whole story.
There’s a lot going on in this one, but there is nothing unbelievable or over-the-top dramatic. Hayes, Blaire, and all of the Aldridge brothers are brought together through William Aldridge’s last will and testament. If they don’t kill one another first, they just may actually become a true family. This series is definitely one I’ll be reading every book!
“I rub my chest, missing my heart. It’s been gone for years. Twelve years to be exact.”
This was my first book by Claudia Burgoa. I do love billionaire brother books, and there was something about this series… I needed to have it.
This series deals with the lives of the Aldridge brothers. They’re all successful in their fields, from law, to music, to finance, to medicine, to sports and to… confidential… but they are so very different. And theirs is a complicated relationship – they all have the same father, but not the same mother, and there’s a lot of animosity and hurt in their pasts.
“‘This is not A Christmas Carol. Dad isn’t Marley, Blaire isn’t your ghost of the past, and we’re not your ghosts of the present. Life isn’t a story told by Dickens.'”
This is Hayes’ (the second oldest brother) and Blaire’s story.
Twelve years before, they had one of those love stories you only dream of… until Hayes left for college and left Blaire behind. Yes, this was a lifetime ago – he is now a renowned orthopedic surgeon and she has a non-profit foundation and travels the world trying to help other people.
He still thinks about her and what could have been, and so does she. But their lives have changed, and there’s no reason for them to meet again in this great, big world we live in.
Except William Aldridge, Hayes’ father, died, and he brings them together again, along with the other 5 brothers, for the reading of a will that will turn everyone’s life upside down.
“He doesn’t know that I never thought I’d see the stars again like this.”
When they meet again, it’s like time stood still. But it hasn’t. And now they need to get to know each other again, deal with the mistakes from the past, and turn their separate futures into one. It’s tricky, there’s resentment and enough guilt to go around, but they can make it.
At the same time, we get to know all the other brothers a bit, and they’re all messed up in their own individual ways. I can’t wait to read the other books to find out more about what happens to each of them.
“We were forged from the same star. We’ve loved each other since the beginning of everything.”
Hayes and Blaire. I think theirs is a love that was always meant to be, and they needed a second chance at it, and at a life together. It’s sweet to see how they get there, and that epilogue made it all perfect.
One small thing for me is that I wish things had been more difficult. I know, it may not make sense, but this is what I feel. No spoilers – I understand why Hayes left, but I think it should’ve been better explained, and Blaire should have given him a run for his money. He deserved it!
Still… great book! Looking forward to the others!
Once is Only the Beginning
Loved You Once is a beautiful second chance love story. It is filled with flashbacks to first love and of burgeoning, brotherly bonds. Both relationships are shattered and only a tragedy leads them back to one another.
Ms. Burgoa does a wonderful job of building backstory that will help to catapult this series forward, while simultaneously spotlighting the love between Hayes and Blaire. Their relationship was severed, but their hearts never let go. This is a story about learning to forgive, let go of the past, and have faith in love. I was fully invested in Hayes’s redemption and Blaire’s capacity for compassion. The story also had a bit of suspense that had me anxious to see how the Aldridge brothers would fulfill the terms of their father’s will.
I loved every vulnerable, tense, and truthful moment in this story. They resulted in an intense investment in the fate of Baker’s Creek and this complex family. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
5 STARS
I loved all the Aldridge brothers!!! Can you say hot alpha males that are so diverse you can’t help but fall in love with all of them. Hayes and Blaire’s story is a perfect second chance romance. If second chances are your jam then you will definitely enjoy this one. I am eager to read more from The Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers series. Loved You Once by Claudia Burgoa is an EPIC read and will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-ARISTOCRACY!!!
A new, second-chance romance from Claudia Burgoa!
Reading books sometimes shows you some parallels into your own life. Not all aspects but really good books make you think and reflect on your own actions or situations. For me it is the distance between my family and myself. Hayes separated him from the things that could hurt him before they did. He separated before he became what he feared the most and in that lost the one thing that he treasured above all.. Blaire.
Claudia Burgoa, has the ability to draw out those emotions in her books, and this one is no exception. Love and family are the key notes in this book, so be prepared to fall in love with the Aldridge brothers. Hayes Aldridge is the Star in this book but we have also have Henry, Pierce, Vance, Mills, and Carter. All of them amazing with their own issues that will make for a great follow up. Loved You Once, focuses on Hayes and Blaire who are the example of what love and a strong relationship should look like. They show the brothers what love and forgiveness is all about.
A book that is more than just a romance, it is an insight into growing and mending fences building family bonds.
A perfect look into emotions through the a romance that will bring more than a smile to your heart.
Another sad love song finds the heart to be happy. Loved You Once is a tale of battered emotions, bruised egos and finding the courage to fight heartache back from the brink of despair. Hayes and Blair are one regret short of a happy ending. Will they have the courage to turn what if, into forever after romance? Burgoa dares to be vulnerable. Blair and Hayes are perfectly, flawed. Haunted by the past. Fearful of the future and hopeful in the present. Burgoa and her characters are a beautiful kind of mess that speaks to the deepest recesses of a heart and inspires it to take a chance on love.
Broken hearts and mistrust led the way through a father’s desire to mess with his sons yet bring them together. So began the Billionaire Brothers tales. Hayes was the oldest and not happy with the situation, but he became less his father and more of a better man when faced with the will stipulations. Blaire was roped into the situation as well. Their past haunted both of them, but the attraction and love were still there. I loved how Hayes supported Blaire once things came to light.
The narration of Connor Crais and Stella Hunter was wonderfully done. They brought the characters to life, and I enjoyed the story more, I think, than if I had just read it myself.
I received a copy of the audiobook, and this is my unsolicited review.
What a great way to start a series!! I actually found this series on Facebook and decided to give it a chance and I am so glad I did! I have never met a more screwed up family! Hayes and Blaire have a past that is fraught with passion and pain and it just leads them into bigger and better things. The dynamics of this family are a trip, if I had a father like theirs I would probably be screwed up too!
So many emotions!!! This was an excellent read!! I loved this book so much!!! This author is insanely talented and while I wanted to hate some characters she always finds a way to make me not hate them at all.
Nydia is such a force!! Just reading about her days made me exhausted but then to see about her emotional struggles too; let’s just say I cried a lot. She is an inspiration to so many for so many different reasons!! Her own company, spending time with her dad the way she does, the overcoming tragic events that would have left others paralyzed in emotions.
Since I was so in love with Nydia, I was worried I would absolutely hate Manelik and not want to understand everything but that wasn’t the case. As each chapter went on I needed to know. I couldn’t stop until I found out what happened and then I couldn’t stop because I was so emotional over everything.
I grew frustrated at times because of the typical assumptions we all usually make and wanted to stop reading. That lasted for a split second and then I kept reading. Every time I heard about a new product I wanted to go find my own here in Texas. I’m disappointed that I use regular manufactured stuff and don’t just have lavender smell throughout my house!! I loved this book and it was so intoxicating to breathe in the lavender with them!
At first, I found the the background story of these siblings a little out of the reality. Nevertheless, little by little, I needed to get to know them. I think I even prefer the family story more than the romance itself. I relish how this bunch of guys try hard to overcome their personal conflicts to build their sibling relationship.
(Audiobook review) This is the first book in the Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers series and it is the start of something special. I had the opportunity to read this but the narrators elevate this work to another level. Years ago, Hayes and Blaire fell in love but they were young and Hayes left to attend medical school leaving Blaire devastated. As the years passed, Blaire moved on with her life and wound-up marrying Hayes’s brother in an unconventional arrangement. Now a doctor, Hayes is summoned back to his hometown as the bequest of his deceased father where he, along with his brothers, will have to spend the next eighteen months cohabitating to get his inheritance. While he is back home, Hayes is on a mission to make Blaire his again. Will she succumb to his charms? Connor Crais’ voice is smooth like butter and will melt your heart as he brings Hayes to life. Stella Hunter is the perfect compliment as she crafts Blaire with a spunky and endearing tone that keeps one listening. The two together do a wonderful job of articulation and conveying the characters’ emotions. I look forward to listening to the rest of this series!
This is a wonderfully written series that i definitely recommend to read. It is a series of 6 books and should be read in order to fully enjoy and understand. This is a great story line and I say kudos to the author because I have never read a book with a story line like this to it is definitely original. I loved reading it and couldn’t wait for the end but I dreaded the end because I didn’t want the book to stop, then I was happy again knowing there was another book to come. Then once again sad because I had to wait for the next book to come out!! I 100 percent recommend this series!!!
Loved You Once is the first book in the Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers series. The author did a wonderful job of setting the scene for the series without losing my interest in the main couple that this book focuses on.
“We think that we have time, that love is everywhere, that happiness will be waiting just around the corner, that everything will come together once we become adults.”
Hayes and Blaire were young lovers once, but Hayes threw away any chance they had for a happiness when he put his future ahead of everything. Now they are forced together again to save Baker’s Creek.
“We have to discuss the past in order to move forward…”
I loved this first in a series, second chance romance and I can’t wait to read the next book.
-5 Stars-
I read this book a while ago, i loved it then but listening to one of my favourite stories took it to another level. Conner Crais and Stella hunter did an amazing job bringing the characters and their story to life.
Book 1 in The Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers Series and what a great start to what looks like a hit series for Ms Burgoa. Loved You Once is a second chance romance and it a emotional entertaining read that will appeal to all romance lovers.
Hayes and Blaire have a history, they have regrets and they are both haunted by their past but Hayes is willing to learn from the past and move forward but will Blaire ever feel the same…..
If you are looking for an emotional read that has all the feels look no further this book certainly ticks all those boxes. It’s a story with wonderful characters and it’s a journey about self discovery as well as love, it has the perfect mix of love, angst and humour and it’s a book that will captivate you.
I always fall in love with big families in books, specially when they are full of brothers so different from each other. I like to see their union or, in this case, lack of union, but a tragedy can do that to people, draw them apart. Still, their love for each other is only masked as indifference, because, deep down, they miss each other so much that their only coping mechanism is to paint one another as horrible people. No one needs horrible people in their life. It’s easier, but heart wrecking all the same.
And there are always memories, and the simplest things can set them alive for moments. Thats what happens with Hayes and Blaire. The happiness, the stargazing moments, the first date, the first kiss, the long talks, the love. There was true love between them, a true sense of destiny, of soulmates.
Blaire inspired me like she did anyone who knew her. And lucky us for having met her. Her childhood was marked with a disease, an event that disrupted her normal life. Her families life.
However, I want to believe there is a glass half full and half empty. And looking at all the pain, the uncertainty, the isolation, the moments she wanted to have but couldn´t afford to, the desperation she felt, I can see a purpose. A beauty!
If it weren´t for those moments, Blaire would not be a force of nature, an amazing human being that values the present and dedicates her life to caring and loving those who need it the most. I am sure her patients are thankful for her.
She also knows that living healthily is a gift, so she doesn´t need many possessions to be happy. Its a wake up call for us who need more and more every time.
But the most important part of it all is that she fully understands those who are going through some disease and just want peace. Like Haye’s brother, who knew his time had come and wanted to have the happiest last moments on earth. Not to be vomiting, getting weaker with each session of treatment, and losing weight.
It’s difficult for the family, but once they trie to see it in a different perspective, they will come to the same conclusion as Blaire. It is important to just concede all their wishes and be there for them.
So when Hayes understands that, he truly fights for Blaire and to reignite their love. Although along the way, a reconciliation with his other brothers is as needed to make things right.
I really loved this book, and to say it was my first from Claudia Burgoa is to say I was living in a hole this all time. I loved her insight and the fact that she showed me a little bit of the other brothers love story. I was hooked from the beginning and still am. Because I want so much to read Pierce’s story. It´s going to be my next.
An admirable family story of winning back love and trust!
Great story. Steamy and seductive.
This book is really more about family dynamics than romance, but it still held my interest from beginning to end. Anxious to read more in the series!