He was my first crush, my first kiss, my first everything.But I’m not a lovesick teenager anymore, and I’d never let that cocky troublemaker break my heart again.So when he shows up out of the blue asking me to have dinner with him “for old time’s sake,” I say I will. After all, it’s been twelve years, and I’m stronger and smarter than I was back then. Except…he still does something to me. He’s … something to me. He’s got those eyes that make me weak, those hands that drive me wild, and a body I can’t resist—especially once I see the tattoos. It doesn’t take long for our trip down memory lane to go from sweet to sizzling.
We’re just as good together as we were back then—better, even—and I’m willing to give the only man I’ve ever loved another chance.
But he’s got to tell me the truth.
* * *
All I wanted was to see her again. Tell her I’m sorry. Make her smile.
Okay, that’s a lie. I wanted to do more than that—a lot more. But I know she’s better off without me, and I promised myself I’d behave.
Except I’ve never been much good at keeping promises…or my hands to myself when I’m around her.
I can make her laugh, I can make her cry, I can make her body surrender to mine in ways that neither of us could have imagined back then. I can—and I do—love her more than she’ll ever know.
But I can’t tell her the real reason why I’m here.
And I can’t stay.
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* A review copy was provided by the author for the Blog Tour *
Only Him is the second book in Melanie Harlow’s One and Only Series. This is a second chance romance and one I thoroughly enjoyed. This is an emotional read and I have to be honest and say it had me tearing up at a couple spots in the story. I absolutely love a second chance romance and this one is shaping up to be my favorite so far.
As I said before, Only Him is a second chance romance between two people who were in love in high school and now 12 years later have reconnected. This story was easy to connect with and I loved the characters we follow in this story. It is told in Dual POV and I thought the pace and flow of the story worked well. Even though this book is the second in the series it can be read as a standalone. You don’t have to read Only You first to enjoy this story. Although you will meet Maren in Only You because she is the sister to Emme (heroine in Only You). These books can be read in any order, in my opinion.
We follow Maren and Dallas in this story. Maren is the younger sister of Emme. She is a free spirit and believes in positive energy. So when she is plagued by a nightmare that won’t go away, she turns to her family for help. Dallas is Maren’s high school boyfriend who left her without any word 12 years ago. Now he is faced with a life altering situation and decides that the only regret he has is that he never said goodbye to Maren and never told her why he left. Determined to make things right, Dallas heads to Detroit to find Maren. I loved watching these two characters reconnect. I felt like I was right their with them. Now it isn’t an easy road for these two, and with Dallas hiding a secret, can they ever find their HEA?? Will Maren be able to forgive Dallas?? Read this story to find out.
I truly enjoyed reconnecting with Emme and Nate and getting more snippets into their relationship. I also liked seeing Stella again (the oldest sister). I look forward to her book next and where Melanie will take Stella. I absolutely loved the bond these sisters have. Melanie writes these sisters in a way that you feel a part of their family.
I would 100% recommend this book to all second chance romance lovers out there. This is one that will be on your favorites list once you’re done reading it. Don’t miss out on reading this outstanding romance!!!
Gah Dallas had me on the edge of my seat! He pulled on my heart strings and smashed it! Does he get to redeem himself? That my friends you will have to determine that by reading this fabulous book by Melanie Harlow! He will make your heart skip a beat, start blushing, and have you swooning. Then you have your melt down along with Maren and repeat every word she screams out!!! I have to say, I said so many F’Bombs lol.
Only Him will capture your attention from the get go. As soon as I started on the first page, I was captivated. Long lost loves are my favorite stories when it comes to second chance romance books. You know what I am talking about. I have said it over and over. When you have young love and come back together because the souls could no longer stay apart, well that is a beautiful thing.
Marlen was my hero! She was ready to take on any challenges. I love her free spirit. Her strength had me excited and recharged myself. Dallas, oh my, I was not ready for him! Only Him is a delicious story that you need to get your hands on! If you have read previous books by Melanie, you know you are in for a treat when it comes to all the sexy 😉
This is a second chance love story. It is sweet and fast paced. I would have liked for this book to be more emotional which I feel was needed with the plot. Even though I did feel sorry for Dallas I just couldn’t bring myself to like him all the way. I was back and forth through the whole story. Maren was very likable, forgiving person and had a heart of gold. I liked her so much, that I wanted her to get treated right and Dallas’s back and forth made me upset. However, I did feel their love and passion for one another. I enjoyed getting a little more of Nate and Emme in this story. I also loved the three sisters interactions.
Only Him was a wonderfully written second chance romance. The story of Dallas and Maren was an emotional rollercoaster that is unforgettable. Read it to find out what happens.
I highly recommend this book!!
***4 ‘Second Chance’ Stars***
Ooohhh this one.
The feels.
The extreme yo-yo’ing of emotions were epically real. The good, the bad and the ugly happened and though there were times I wanted to toss the Kindle into the freezer out of frustration with BOTH Maren and Dallas, I couldn’t because I needed to see them both get the HEA they so richly deserved.
I loved Maren. Her outlook on life and her desire to help others were what drew me to her. Her positivity, openness and honesty with herself and those around her were refreshing and made it easy to want to see her get her own HEA.
Dallas. Dallas was easy to love and like. His natural charm and easy nature pulled me in, as did his sweetness and generosity. But his…lone wolf, I am an island, I know what’s best, way of thinking was extremely frustrating, even when I understood why he thought and did what he did.
Their journey was one of those where I was rooting for them while at the same time thinking “No…don’t do…oh God this one is gonna hurt” and lemme tell you there were some gut twisting moments, but there were some heart melting ones that made this one hell of a bumpy ride. But it was a worthwhile one. Maren and Dallas, despite everything they’ve been through, have a flow that proves how well they fit together. The chemistry between them is hot and I loved how clearly they saw each other. The wrench in their journey wasn’t a surprise by any means, but I loved how everything worked out in the end.
This was an emotional ride, but so worth it in the end. There were a couple of things I would have liked more of, but all in all I liked how everything went down and was resovled.I loved hanging out with Emme, Nate & Stella as well getting to meet some new secondary characters that I ended up really liking. But now I’m definitely looking forward to Stella’s book and find out what the deal with her and “Buzz” really is and see her get her own HEA!
~ Copy provided via Social Butterfly PR & voluntarily reviewed ~
Dallas doesn’t need to be told twice for some things, “I unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. “Don’t get too excited. I’m just loosening these up so I can reach all the places I need to. But I do want you to take your shirt off.” He grabbed his fitted navy T-shirt from the back, yanked it off, and tossed it aside.” Dallas isn’t one to look for approval from others, “eff everyone. I don’t care what they think.” I loved this book, I gell in love with Dallas, and Maren was just one caring woman.
I am still at a loss for words. That does not happen often with Melanie’s books… Normally I cannot contain the emotion her books bring forth and how they made me feel. This time I am just shell shocked by how beautifully she put together a story that touched me more than any other she or anyone has written.
This book was very personal to me in that I have loss someone close to me from something very similar to what Dallas went through. There were times I had to stop reading because I couldn’t see through the tears and others that made me laugh in moments of darkness I didn’t think I could.
Maren Devine was the light in the dark of this story. She was what you want out of any character you read – smart, witty, sweet, headstrong, and resistant. Having the high school sweetheart who broke her heart appear one day on her porch after nothing for 12 years is a lot for anyone, but Maren takes it in stride and is able to forgive him and work towards a future with Dallas.
Dallas Shepard made me want to hug and shake him concurrently. He had lived his life thinking that he wasn’t worth the time or the love that others tried to give him thanks to his parents and their… well lack of parenting. Toss in a medical issue and you have someone who thinks that he may need to atone and say goodbye the right way. But just when you think you have a great plan and know what you are doing – the universe throws a curve ball at you.
This book was everything I didn’t know I needed. I cannot recommend it enough.
Bravo, Melanie, bravo!
I loved Dylan’s character in this book (even though I wanted to smack him or yell at him a few times). Melanie really shows you all the sides to him in this book, and any time a writer can pull at your heartstrings and bring the strong emotions to the reader, really pulling you into the story, then you know the writing is good. I was interested in Maren’s story after reading book 1 in the series (you can read this as a standalone though), but I wasn’t sure how I would connect with her given her yoga lifestyle, but I loved her!! She was really great. I think she showed what a lot of women in their 30s today are, which is independent and not necessarily searching for a man to complete them or fulfill them, doing something they love, but still trying to find themselves in some ways, still trying to grow and figure out who exactly they are or want to be, how to be happy in this world.
It was a great 2nd chance story. And even though it had some plot devices I might not normally enjoy, I just thought the whole thing was terrific. I was pulled in from the first minute and rooting for them as a couple and emotionally invested.
“Now, then, always, and only yours.”
He was her first crush, her first kiss, her first everything. He disappeared without saying goodbye and broke her heart. Twelve years later the last thing Maren Devine expects is for Dallas Shepherd to show up on her doorstep.
“I never stopped loving you, Maren. I never even tired.”
Only Him is sweet and flirty. Heartbreaking and hopeful. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll swoon. You’ll want to throw your book one moment and hold it close the next. A beautiful story about a second chance at first love filled with characters both new and old – Madame Psuka! – that you are sure to fall for in Melanie Harlow’s stand-alone series of books.
Years ago Dallas and Maren were drawn together by an automatic deep seated connection, that brought on an instant hot and heavy romance, but their little love affair was extinguished by Dallas’s disappearance. Now these one time inseparable love birds find themselves strangers, whom have both spent the last twelve years moving on from that day and creating a new life, but once again that connection is about to reunite them. Dallas’s knows he has some serious explaining to do, but he isn’t so sure that Maren will give him the chance… maybe he’ll luck out and she’ll take one look at him and forget she was ever mad at him!
Only Him is a sweet and sexy second chance reunion story loaded with the feels to warm your heart, and humor to make you smile! You really can’t go wrong with this one, Ms. Harlow’s quirky characters and well written tale will not only leave you thoroughly satisfied, but will also bring you all the smiles, swoons, tears and giggles you can handle. I really enjoyed this little literary escape, the characters pulled me right into their world and made me feel right at home, I felt so welcomed that I wasn’t ready to say goodbye when I got to the last page. I highly recommend you take a chance on this one, it’s sure to leave you with a happy heart!
I requested an advanced copy of this title and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
4 – 4.5 stars. I love to read second chance romance stories, and Melanie brings us an emotionally charged story that pulls at the heartstrings. Maren and Dallas were high school sweethearts, madly in love and looking forward to the future together until Dallas suddenly disappears one day, never to be heard from again. Now 12 years later, Maren is the successful owner of her own Yoga studio, teaching classes and trying to live life with a healthy mind and body. Only she doesn’t feel complete, and has never found love again. Then one day, Dallas shows up on her doorstep.
I loved the chemistry between Maren and Dallas. Even though it’s been 12 years, it was quickly obvious that these two people still love each other deeply. But Dallas only came to see Maren to finally apologize for leaving without saying goodbye. He doesn’t intend to stay, or rekindle a relationship with her, because he can’t. It’s a moot point, until it isn’t.
Melanie painted a very realistic, raw story of what happens when you leave questions unanswered and feelings unresolved for so many years. Throw in some new life altering circumstances that Dallas tries to keep hidden and it’s a recipe for what could be a beautiful relationship. But will it end up being a bittersweet attempt to rekindle those old flames? You’ll have to read and find out.
I know when I start reading one of Melanie’s books, I’m going to be glued to the pages and my emotions are going to be stretched in every direction. All of that happened with this book. I loved Maren’s character, her calming, almost spiritual personality. And Dallas, the take-no-prisoners, do whatever I want attitude was completely opposite of Maren but these two fit together like puzzle pieces. I loved seeing Emme and Stella again, Maren’s two sisters. Emme’s story is told in Only You, and Stella’s story will come later this year in Only Love.
If you love second chance stories that are packed with a ton of feels, this is the perfect book for you! Maren and Dallas will quickly steal your heart.
Only Him by Melanie Harlow is the second book in the One and Only series and can be read as a stand-a-lone. It tells the story of Marne and Dallas.
We met Marne in Only You – book one, as she is Emme’s sister. Marne is a yoga instructor who owns her own business and Dallas is her high school boyfriend who she has never forgotten, when he left without a word 12 years ago.
Dallas is dealing with some medical issues, but never has gotten over Marne, or the way he left her. He drops by to apologize on his way across country and they reconnect.
They rekindle their relationship and you truly feel for Dallas’ struggle, but in the meantime he hurts Marne, for a second time.
This story is a complicated second chance romance and you route for both Dallas and Marne, but at the same time I just wanted to shake both of them and get them to stop being so stubborn.
When one becomes so invested in the characters, it’s always the true gift of a wonderful storyteller like Melanie Harlow.
We do get our HEA and next comes Stella in book 3. I for one cannot wait!
Only Him by Melanie Harlow a five-star read that will have you dwelling on only one man. This is the second book in the One and Only series but it could be read as a stand-alone, but I would say read Only You first if you haven’t already as you will want to go back and read it, the writing is just that good. This story has a unique mix of steamy scorching scenes and cringe worthy toe curling embarrassing funny situations. This book will have your heart in your throat one minute, the pit of your stomach the next and then lower much lower in the next breath. Without giving spoilers this is a gut wrenching and drama filled read, that will bring tears to your eyes and a love to your heart. This was one of the most moving stories I have read in a long time, it will stay with me for a long time of that I’m sure. Melanie Harlow if you don’t give us a story that buzzes next I may cry!!
Melanie has written a great Second Chance Romance about two people who love each other, but were separated years ago by circumstances beyond their control. Only Him is the second book of the One and Only Series and can be read as a stand alone.
Dallas and Maren were high school sweethearts. They loved each other and made promises. Until the day Dallas breaks his promises by leaving without even a good bye, leaving Maren to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and move on, never knowing what happened.
Twelve years later Maren, the successful owner of a Yoga studio, is having a recurring nightmare that is wreaking havoc on her physically and emotionally. She tries to figure out the reason for it with her sisters, but the nightmares continue. Her sister even suggests that maybe it’s unfinished business with her true love that has this nightmare recurring. Maren disagrees claiming she got over Dallas long ago.
Dallas now a successful tattoo artist in Portland, has had a strained relationship with his brother and parents forever. He was the son that always stood in his older brother’s shadow, the one found lacking by his parents and teachers. Dallas is now faced with a serious medical condition. He decides to visit Maren and apologize for the wrongs he committed twelve years ago and make peace with her. The only problem is the chemistry is still there and so are their feelings for each other. They never stopped loving one another. Can Dallas and Maren overcome the obstacles standing in their way of true happiness, or are they destined to have their hearts broken once again.
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who loves a good Second Chance Romance.
What a beautiful story of regret and forgiveness, love and life. Maren and Dallas, two people who could not move on, even when they tried, or believed they had. Most people remember their first fondly, the possibilities and the times spent doing simple things. when life was just beginning. These two though, remember with regret and disappointment, longing for closure even when they don’t even know they need it. Out of nowhere, that chance just might happen. But will it be enough? One more hour, one more day, when will it be ok to say I will be happy with the time I have? Never, never will ever be enough when you love someone desperately, when just breathing hurts, sleeping is impossible and happiness is a shadow you remember fondly? Tragedy might just be the only thing that might give them the chance to make things different this time. But will they take the chance? This story is heartbreakingly real and will leave you raw, but hopefully satisfied. I cannot wait to read the next one and find out if all three sisters might get their HEA.
I received and Arc of this story and have freely given my review.
I am an absolute sucker for second chance romances featuring childhood sweethearts and Only Him fit the bill perfectly. It will pull on your heartstrings and give you all the feels. Readers may remember meeting Maren in Only You, but this book can be read as a stand alone.
Dallas and Maren have a complicated relationship. They shared an incredible connection that no other man or woman has come close to ever replicating. The sudden and drastic end of their relationship in high school though has left them both without closure and with heavy regret. When they finally reconnect after more than a decade apart, it’s clear that the chemistry they once shared is still alive and well. Who knew clearing your chakra’s could be so hot!? Demons from the past and trust issues continue to plague them, however, and threaten to destroy the second chance they may have found. Will love be enough to overcome their fears this time?
The relationship between the Devine sisters is the best and I have always loved the way that Melanie Harlow writes her female characters and friendships. I loved checking in with Nate and Emme and was so happy with the little tidbits we got about the progression of their relationship. Bee-lieve me when I say that I’m also really excited for Stella’s story next! 😉 I need to say too that this cover might be my very favorite of Melanie’s books. Yum. Yum. YUM!
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*