I was expecting a proposal on my birthday, and I got dumped instead.How could I have been so clueless?Grams knew exactly how to distract me.The gorgeous former Marine next door who’s been helping her with yard work clearly needs a little therapy. Who better to call than her newly single therapist granddaughter?She even fakes dementia to get me to visit, and now that I’m here she’s doing … that I’m here she’s doing everything in her power to throw us together.
Not that I’m complaining. Ryan is the sexiest man I’ve ever met–I mean the full package, from the chiseled jaw to the massive shoulders to the rippling abs. (And yes, his package is full, and he knows exactly how to deliver it.) He makes me want to get out of my head and follow my heart. He makes me want to take chances I never thought I’d take.
He also makes me want to take my clothes off. A lot.
But he’s moody and challenging–one minute he’s an open book, and the next he’s completely closed off. He holds me like he’ll never let go, but insists he wants to be alone.
Some wounds are so deep, only love can heal them.
How can I convince him to let me try?
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If you want a book with all the feels, a sweet love story and a meddling Grams this book is for you. Ryan is a man struggling with his life after leaving the military, Stella is a woman who hasn’t had the best of luck when it comes to love. When Stella’s Grams manipulates her into a visit she starts playing match maker. This story was a lovely book of two people falling in love but struggling to find themselves and maintain that love. Such a good book!
Super cute romance! I loved Stella and Ryan’s story. They definitely had a spark right from the start. Stella is just getting over a weird relationship and Ryan doesn’t believe he deserves love because of the things he did while in the Marines. They are both searching for something but don’t realize what until Stella’s grandma pushes them together over and over again. I have to say her Grams was super funny and was a big part of this book too. Loved!
4.5 stars!!
Oh, how I adored this book. Melanie Harlow wrote a super sweet, heartfelt, emotional romance that made me feel all the warm and fuzzy moments and gave me a few laughs along the way. Only Love had outstanding character chemistry, fiery passion and an outrageous meddling grandmother I couldn’t help but love. I’m chuckling and shaking my head just thinking about her antics.
Ryan and Stella had a wonderful connection. Both with their own hang ups about relationships and love. Still, it could not be denied that what they had was something beautiful. I’ve been waiting for Stella’s story after loving the previous stories featuring her sisters. I was pleased with how it turned out. I loved Stella. She was always the practical, straight laced Devine sister. She took emotion, love and sex out relationships. Staying in a boring relationship because it looked good on paper and was uncomplicated. When her boyfriend dumps her she’s forced to really take in account what she wants out of life. I really liked seeing her break out of her shell and go after her desires. Especially when it comes to Ryan.
Ryan has some emotional scarring stemming from his years as a Marine and adjusting to life outside the military. He was situated to living a life of solitude. Until his nosey, meddling neighbor and her gorgeous granddaughter entered his life. He opens up to Stella but quickly closes himself right up. There is a constant push and pull between these characters. Making me crave more and more.
I really liked this book. Was it my favorite in the One and Only series? No, but it still held it’s own with the others. It gave me the feels and made me smile. I highly recommend picking this book up. It can be read as a standalone.
I haven’t read the first two standalone books in this series, but am now going to go back and read them. This was a sweet, funny, sexy love story! I fell head over heels in love with Ryan, Stella and especially Grams! This is almost a love at first sight story (with a little help from Grams).Ryan and Stella meet and spend a few days together and sparks instantly fly. Ryan is guarded and tries to keep his distance from Stella but she is the perfect person to get him out of his shell. When she does it’s clear these two are meant to be together. This story had me hooked from the beginning!
Stella and Ryan heat up your Heart. ~ Elizabeth @ Carolina Chic’s Read
Ryan doesn’t want the happily ever after and white picket fences. He wants to be left alone to love his life in peace. No Complications and No Love. When Stella and Ryan cross paths they both head into forever, but Ryan fights it deep into his bones, and almost looses the love of a lifetime.
Won’t lie – I couldn’t wait to see what was in store for Stella. The sister who was nothing like the rest. With her own past of rejection and then Buzz leaving her high and dry, Stella was in no place to find another let alone a happily ever after. That is until her Grandma (who’s amazing) gets involved. With a little bit of wise help, some home baked pies, and putting yourself out there, Stella is able to find that maybe she is able to have more than the men of her past led her to believe.
Ryan, with his own troubled past isn’t looking for Stella or anyone else to warm his bed. But Grandma was able to show that the way to a man’s heart is definitely through his stomach.
Enjoyed this book is the series. Wish there was a forth sister.
Loved it! Since I started the One and Only series by Melanie Harlow, I have been wanting to read Stella’s story. Her and Buzz always seemed like an odd fit and I just wanted MORE for her. I wanted her to get some passion in her life! And boy, oh boy, did she ever! This book was funny and hot and oh so sweet. Stella’s always played her life safe and Ryan was anything but safe. But that really didn’t matter when an amazing grandmother decided to mettle around in their love lives! (Grams and her dating advice was the best!!) I loved all the characters in this book and I always love catching up with past characters of Melanie’s. Oh I’m so happy we get more Mack!
Another fantastic book by Melanie Harlow! Stella and Ryan are amazing, complex characters, who feel like real people. Melanie writes wonderful, romantic stories with humor, emotion and isn’t afraid to touch on serious subject matter as well. This book had me laughing and crying… I loved it!
It was also great to catch up with Stella’s sisters from the first two books in the series. And of course, Gram, who steals the show.
I can’t wait to see what cones next by this author!
I absolutely loved this book. It was very well written and very good characters. I fell in love with it and couldn’t stop reading it
Only Love is an emotional love story between Stella, who is skeptical about the value of romance and sexual attraction, and Ryan, who believes himself incapable of loving or being loved after years of service in the military and a failed marriage. Although there is plenty of emotion in this book, it is also very funny, thanks in great part to Stella’s Grams, a hilarious meddling grandmother with mean cooking skills and very strong opinions about love and relationships.
I have enjoyed reading this book by Melanie Harlow. It was a heartfelt romcom that could not put down. A therapist did believe in love forsaken her heart. A marine who was a quiet loner who as well protected his heart. But then there’s a grandmother who is determine to get her granddaughter Stella and Ryan her neighbor together by any means necessary. A must read for sure from beginning to the end.
Out of all three books in Melanie Harlow’s latest series, Only Love is by far my favorite!
I think it really has to do with the subject matter in this particular story. A veteran back home and dealing; or rather electing not to deal with the emotions surrounding his deployment and his adjustment back into society. This is a particular touchy subject for some, and I feel that Melanie approached it with just the right bit of sensitivity. Add the fact that Ryan is hot and you’re set with the ideal book boyfriend.
This series is a set of 3 standalone with interconnecting characters. These can be read alone or as a series – personally I enjoyed all three and would recommend they each be read. I also feel that this books heroine, Stella, is the most independent of the 3 sisters.
A beautifully romantic story – a worthy read.
Can ya’ll believe this is only my first Melanie Harlow ARC?? I was so stoked to receive an email notification, I thrashed on the bed like a toddler yelling YES! YES!
After We Fall was and is my most favorite book of hers—I’ve probably re-read it 4 or 5 times now, lol. She is one of my favorite authors and I have read most of her books!
The blurb of the story is what got me hooked to sign up… and then I hoped and pray to make the cut, and yey! Here I am writing a review for it.
I fell in love with the characters right off the bat… Grandma Ruthie, Stella, Ryan..everybody. The story is definitely insta-love but its not one of those preposterous, eyebrow-lifting ones—you know what I mean? It was fast paced but the love story itself… the words…it wasn’t hasty. It was sensible… I don’t know if I’m explaining this right… lol
I can’t help but compare it to AFTER WE FALL… there were similarities—war veteran; the ranch setting; a prickly, brooding handsome as$hole… and a huge romantic sap.
Aaaand have you seen the cover?? (Sigh….)
All in all I love the story. I devoured it and pulled an all-nighter. I just can’t help it… page after page I just cant seem to let go. We all know how this ends, but I just wished Stella made Ryan work more for it… or probably made him unintentionally jealous. But thats just me… Lol
This book will cheer you up after a long days work or simply just hanging out with yourself… its inspiring, its funny and witty and would make you realize that somethings don’t work out because there is something better waiting for you.
Only Love by Melanie Harlow is the third book in The One and Only Series. This is Stella’s book. Stella has not had much luck in the love department. She doesn’t believe in passion or chemistry or the need of it in a relationship. Until she meets Ryan. Their passion and chemistry is so strong it knocks them both off their feet. But Ryan comes with a lot of baggage. He is tortured by his past in the military and finds it hard to have any kind of relationships. That is until Stella steamrolled into his life. This is a fantastic story of healing, growing and learning to live and love again.
Only Love is book #3 in Melanie’s Only You series. Each book can be read as a standalone. Only Love is about Stella who is a beautiful woman who has a wonderful career as a therapist. A future she thought she had figured out until she was dumped on her birthday. A sneaky grams who would do anything to make her granddaughter happy. Ryan is a marine veteran with a lot of things going on his head. What happens when Grams tries to match make… Well you’ll need to read Only Love to find out.
This book was really good. Somewhat predictable but good. Stella is closed off but i definitely related to her. Ryan is a emotionally wounded warrior who i longed to heal. I loved them Both. Grams was a hoot that’s for sure. The story is predictable but it was a fun read and i enjoyed it for the easiness of it. I love this author and will definitely continue to read more of her books.
I was so thrilled to get Stella’s story! Out of all the sisters, she’s the one I’ve been the most intrigued by. Being a psychologist and hearing about her relationships through her sister’s previous books has been really interesting. I feel like Melanie Harlow has been teasing me with this story for months and months! I’ll just add that it was totally worth it! Stella and Ryan could not have been more opposite and completely perfect for each other. The start of Only Love made my jaw hit the ground!
I have to say that one of my favorite characters in the entire book was Grams. She was this naughty woman with old-fashioned views that was seriously endearing and a perfect Grams! Ryan was a complete jerk but a tortured jerk with a huge hidden heart. You just gotta chip your way through his tough exterior. Stella’s the perfect woman to break through. She doesn’t bruise super easy and she’s made of a tougher exterior herself.
Melanie Harlow’s told a sweet and sexy story. There was so much passion between these two. The writing is flawless and was told perfectly. Harlow pulls you in and keeps you captivated from beginning to end! I just adore the sweetness she added in here. The heat was great but the unexpected sweetness was adorable!
I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… my opinions.
NO SPOILERS!
Only Love was a sweet, sexy, beautiful, and heartfelt standalone contemporary romance, and I absolutely loved it! Melanie Harlow is beyond talented, and proves time and time again why she is a top favorite author. The storyline and characters she created in Only Love were PHENOMENAL, and I loved her flawless writing style and sense of humor. The One and Only series has been one of my favorites from Melanie so far, and I can’t wait to read her new series next year!
The storyline was amazing. Melanie Harlow did a fantastic job weaving a sweet, sexy, heartfelt, and emotional tale between a therapist and former Marine. The plot was so much better than I imagined, and more than I could’ve hoped for, and I absolutely adored it from beginning to end. Ms. Harlow balanced everything beautifully with real and raw emotion, sexy times that burned up my Kindle, and hilarious and endearing secondary characters that stole my heart as much as Ryan and Stella. However, the real star of the show (in my opinion) was Grams, Stella’s meddlesome matchmaking grandmother. She made me smile and laugh so many times, and was a perfect addition to the story. Without her, I truly wouldn’t have loved Only Love as much as I did.
The characters were exceptional. Ryan and Stella, as well as a whole slew of secondary characters, completely stole my heart and I absolutely loved them. I loved Ryan and Stella’s personalities and smoking hot chemistry together, and how most of their relationship progressed throughout. There were definitely trials and tribulations they had to overcome, but everything was truly worth all the angst and heartbreak in the end. I also loved reading the book from both Ryan and Stella’s point of view, and most of their banter and interactions with each other. The secondary characters, as stated above, were just as excellent as Ryan and Stella, and made an amazing addition to the story. Only Love has been one of my FAVORITE Melanie Harlow novels, and I was ecstatic with the conclusion to Ryan and Stella’s story and the entire One and Only series!
Only Love was a fun, heartfelt, sexy, and beautiful standalone contemporary romance from Melanie Harlow, and I would HIGHLY recommend it! Ms. Harlow did an extraordinary job with Only Love and the entire One and Only series, and I’m so excited to devour more from her!
I loved this book – 4.5 stars! I was so happy to finally get to read Stella’s story and I was hooked from the beginning. You see Stella and her relationship with “Buzz” in the other One and Only books. You can tell Buzz is not the right guy from her, so I was glad to see him out of the picture pretty quickly.
As you get to know Stella, you see how confident, level-headed, and caring she is. Then you have Ryan – someone who has been helping her Grams with odd jobs around her house, which on its own earns him some major points. As you learn more about him, you just can’t help but fall for him. When you put Ryan and Stella together it was just magic. They had such chemistry!
But lets be honest – as much as I loved their story, Grams stole the show. I found myself literally laughing out loud reading her parts of the journey. She really helped balance out the parts of the story that were on the heavier side.
This was by far my favorite book in the series!
Melanie Harlow does it again! Fantastic read about learning who you are and allowing people in. I loved Ryan and Stella’s chemistry. Their story is poignant, as their flaws becomes the other’s strength. And Grandma, I absolutely loved her! She’s a HOOT! I highly recommend this book.