Nate Pearson is ridiculously handsome and wears the hell out of a suit and tie, but I’ve seen the parade of beautiful women leaving his apartment across the hall – a different one every time – and I want no part of it. When it comes to romance, I’m looking for something real, something that will last: the happily ever after.As a divorce attorney, he loves to tell me there’s no such thing.As a … thing.
As a wedding planner, I choose to disagree.
We disagree on almost everything, in fact. Everything except James Bond. The only time we really get along is when we’re watching 007 flicks together, and I’ll admit – he has rescued me from a disaster or five. So when one of the baton twirlers from his parade leaves a baby girl at his door with a note that says “I’ll come back for her” and he begs me for help, I can’t turn him down.
But it’s a mistake.
Because watching him with his daughter, I start to see another side of Nate, a side that has my breath coming faster, my body craving his, my heart longing for him to change his mind about love and tell me there’s a chance for us.
I don’t want to be just another girl leaving his apartment in the morning.
I want to be the one he asks to stay.
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This was such a fun take on the man-with-baby trope, and I enjoyed every minute of it. While the trope may be familiar, Melanie Harlow made it fresh and funny, and both characters were relatable and real. Highly recommended!
Friends to lovers
Hot single Dad
Adorable baby
Sexy banter
Check, check and check. The list could go on and on. Melanie Harlow brings us a beautifully crafted romantic tale of two friends who don’t see eye to eye on relationships and marriage….until maybe they do?!?!
Nate is your quintessential bachelor. Single, no relationships, women of his choosing, great job, attractive and makes no excuses for his choices. He’s happy with his life and has no intentions of changing his ways because in his eyes happily ever after does not exist. Nate’s world is turned upside down when an unexpected package arrives at his front door. Now it’s his turn to be rescued by his neighbor across the hall, Emme. He begs for her help with his baby daughter and Emme can’t turn down the swoonworthy friend that shows a side of himself she’s never seen before.
Emme is a wedding planner that has stars in her eyes and dreams of finding her happily ever after. The last place she’s looking for love is with her playboy neighbor, Nate. Even though Nate has rescued her a time or two, they’ve been nothing but good friends over the years. She values their friendship, but when Paisley enters their lives something changes and the dynamic of their relationship takes a turn neither of them expected.
The journey between Nate and Emme is captivating as we see them struggle with seeing each other as more than “just friends.” The anticipation and build-up of their budding romance is hot and sexy, while endearing and heartfelt. Their chemistry is undeniable, yet they are both vulnerable in many ways. I truly enjoyed watching them let their guard down and trust again. Not to mention their fun, witty banter will have you grinning from ear to ear.
There was true emotion, heart and depth in their journey and Melanie displays that beautifully in this friends to lover’s tale. She once again gives us a story that fills your heart with love and puts a smile on your face!
Melanie Harlow has managed to take three of my favorite tropes and put them in one novel. I am a sucker for ‘Friends-To-Lovers’, Single Father, and Secret Baby romances! I love the fragility that comes with each trope but blended together the vulnerability is that much stronger.
Only You is the emotional story of Nate and Emme.
These two made for a great dynamic duo
Nate is a playboy who isn’t about the family life. He’s happy with his Neanderthal ways and refuses to bend for anything or anybody. That is until a baby shows up randomly on his doorstep with a note saying he’s the father. Now Nate is about to see there is more to life than what he’s been living.
Emme has always been the type of girl who goes into a relationship with the bigger picture in mind. She’s quick to give her heart away and is a complete hopeless romantic. Her hearts in for the biggest obstacle of its life. She can resist her friend Nate’s swoony style but when you put a baby in the mix all bets are off.
I found this novel had the perfect mixture of angst, hilarity, and steamy scenes. I loved seeing Nate grow into the role of father. I really enjoyed the fact that fatherhood didn’t come easy for Nate, he had to put in the work not only when it comes to his relationship with his daughter but also with his newly growing relationship with Emme.
I recommend this novel to all who are looking for a sweet romance that can get a little dirty at times!
If it’s Melanie Harlow for sure it is success … I have no doubt of that, I have not read a book of hers that I did not like and with Only You was no different. Bringing an annoyingly confused dude and a beautifully sweet girl, she tells a great love story, watered by sleepless nights, fluffy baby and melting glacier wrapped around the guy’s heart.
Nate and Emme have almost nothing in common, they are hallway neighbors and Emme for being well cluttered ends up getting into confusions that Nate makes a point of saving with his armour and steel heart. They have a lot of fun together but they do not let the attraction they feel for each other take care of them because they know they have very different life goals. Until the day that one of Nate’s girls leaves a baby at his door. Nate soon gets pissed off, not knowing how he will continue with his busy lawyer life and his sexual adventures and this time it is Emme who comes to his rescue and the connection between them that was already strong increases exponentially along with the love for Paisley.
As nothing is so simple, the demons that were kept in a box deep in Nate’s heart come back to disrupt the couple.
The book is super quick to read, Melanie makes people cheer for Emme with every complication of Nate behavior and thanks to God the end is more than sighing.
I loved the choice of the cover, it was perfect for the book. I just did not give all stars because really Nate annoyed me much of the book, but that part was offset by Emme and her sisters who brought dynamism and humor to the plot.
I loved the choice of the title and how it fit the story, of course I remembered the song Only You by The Platters and put it to listen several times during the reading.
4/5 stars
If ever there was a single dad book to read, this one is it. I completely melted over Nate and every reaction that he had when his 2 month old infant daughter is dropped unexpectedly at his door step. I mean, there were a rainbow of emotions with him settling down and embracing fatherhood. I enjoyed every bit of Nate and Emme’s relationship, starting with their friendship and progressing into more. It was sexy, honest and full of emotion. It’s always fascinating to see the backstory of the characters and where they’ve come from and Nate’s was profound. There was a push and pull between what Nate wants and what he thinks he can provide and it left me turning the pages.
A sticky molasses of romance and sweetness!!! In Melanie Harlow’s latest novel, Only You, she has readers smiling big!!! Yes, this book was just downright cute, simple, sweet, and utterly adorable. The idea of two neighbors who are just friends discovering that feelings runs deep is a story line that I can’t resist. Toss in a baby into the mix, then you got a book that had me grinning like a fool. So all there is left to say go fall in love with these characters as a divorce attorney and a wedding planner discovers that sometimes the one you are looking for might be right in front of you. And for Nate, his only one is Emme, the next door neighbor.
Oh, hold my feels for a minute. This book is just the sweetest, most fun, friends-to-lovers ever!
One kiss just to see what it was like.
I love a good friends-to-lovers romance and I got just what I wanted out of Only You by Melanie Harlow.
One kiss to satisfy the craving.
Nate is the sexy man next door. He’s the white knight when Emme needs one. He’s the ultimate playboy, content to never settle.
“Hell yes, you should go.”
Emme is the girl next door. She’s the hot mess that’s in constant need of saving from the craziest of things. She’s the relationship girl.
“But I want you to stay.”
But what would happen if that playboy’s game was interrupted by something so unexpected that he became the one who needed saving?
“Tell me what to do.”
What would happen if Emme and Nate shared a kiss so explosive they could have never prepared themselves for what would happen next?
“Come here.”
Fireworks. Sparks. Desire. Lust. Feelings.
One kiss. And then we would stop.
Trust. Friendship. Heartache. Lies.
Needless to say, that’s not how it went down.
Author Melanie Harlow knows how to make us swoon… Hard!
Nate & Emme are amazing characters she created. Their story of opposites attracting is an entertaining one.
Even though they seem like there is no way these two can come together to agree on anything, the major surprise that comes to Nate is the key to bringing these two together.
I enjoyed the development of Nate and Emme learning to see past their old selves & come together in their time of need.
Love has no boundaries and Nate will swoon your socks off!
Go One click and Get ready to Only be in love with Nate as your new book boyfriend.
4.5popped!
I love a good friends to lovers story!
“ and I held nothing back, I gave her everything, everything, everything I had, felt it flowing from me into her, my body, my heart, my soul, my trust”
Nate is a guy with a revolving door of woman who suddenly has the breaks put on when one of his conquests leaves a delivery at his door. Across the hall is a “calamity”. His life seems to be spinning out of control, but Emme may just be the best disaster in Nate’s life.
“Only you.”
Only You by Melanie Harlow was a sweet friends to lovers romance. It can also be classed as a single dad romance.
The main characters Nate and Emme were friends and neighbors for years. However its when circumstances changed that we see them move from friends to lovers. They had a great banter and were supportive of each other. I liked these two characters even though they both frustrated me at times.
Told in dual POV, we are able to follow these characters thoughts and feelings. The secondary characters were also a great addition to the story.
This was a comfort read with fun characters, laugh out loud moments, love, romance and steamy scenes. With little angst and a HEA ending this was an enjoyable romance.
Emme lives across the hall from Nate. She is a wedding planner and ironically he’s a divorce attorney. He’s pretty much a player and she’s looking for her happily ever after. Both of them know that they aren’t suited.
He’s pretty much her rescuer from everything Emme. The fixes she gets herself in are hilarious.
When these two want down time they spend it together with take out and James Bond movies. They have real conversations and have gotten to be pretty good friends.
Nate’s world is turned upside down when a baby is left at his doorstep. Now Emme’s rescuing him. I can’t say enough good things about Nate and the way he stepped up and took care of his sweet girl.
The more time Nate and Emme spend together the more other feelings and attractions build. All Nate wants is for Emme to be happy and have everything she deserves. He just doesn’t think he deserves her or can be the type of man she needs. He is such so awesome and so, so wrong. Emme just wants to be loved, to be someone’s everything.
What I absolutely love about the way Melanie writes is that it pulls me into the story. I was right there helping out with Paisley and giving ‘Gibbs slaps’ to the back of Nate’s head when he was pushing Emme away. The way the story evolved was really good. I can’t say enough good things about this story. I laughed, I was sad for both Emme and Nate and I was elated with the outcome.
3.5*
“This baby was a harbinger of evil. I could feel it.”
To say Only You started out with a bang is putting it mildly. Emme and Nate had me laughing out loud, right from the get go. They are total opposites: Emme is a romantic- a believer in the happily ever after, while Nate is your pretty typical womanizer who doesn’t believe in settling down. But they have such a comfortable, easy friendship, which I love. And Nate is always there for Emme, coming to her rescue and saving her from herself, more often than not.
But then it’s Emme’s turn to rescue Nate, when Paisley is left at his door. Completely clueless and utterly lost, Nate knows nothing about caring for a baby- one who, until that very moment, he didn’t even know existed. As he scrambled to learn how to care for a baby, Emme was there for him every step of the way. Watching him flounder was really endearing and made for some very funny scenes. Is it wrong to say I enjoyed his struggles? Because I really did!
As Nate and Emme spent more and more time together, their relationship started to evolve, and that made me so happy! I thought they were perfect together, Emme thought they were perfect together, and Nate led us all on, thinking he thought they were perfect together, too. Until he let his stupid, over thinking man-brain get the best of him! That’s when it got really frustrating for me. Ugh. Why do all these men feel like they can’t be what the woman needs, even when he’s exactly what she wants??? I get that he had a lot thrown at him all at once, and maybe the two of them should have held off on getting involved when they did, but pull your head out of your butt and man up, darn it.
I wish Emme had made Nate grovel more than he did- I felt she was too quick to accept his excuses and apologies, for the hurt he put her through. But I’m glad it didn’t take him too terribly long to come to his senses, even if they shouldn’t have been apart to begin with! They really were perfect together, if you put aside his momentary lapse of smarts. All in all, I was pleased with the way things all worked out in the end, because Emme got her real- she got her happily ever after.
When I think Melanie Harlow, I think automatic one-click. She is one of my go to authors because I equate her with the romantic comedy movies that I love to watch over and over again. Her characters are always well written with a lot of witty banter between the couple and friends or siblings and I will experience every emotion within the story.
Nate and Emme’s story is no different. Like so many Harlow books, I was chuckling in the first chapter and then swept into Nate and Emme’s story. This story gave me all of the feels and it was such a great friends to lovers story. I also loved that we got to reconnect with some of my favorite characters from earlier Harlow books. It’s always nice to reconnect and catch up on characters that you loved.
If Passionflix is looking for some great romantic comedies, they need to take notice of Ms. Harlow’s work! Loved Nate and Emme’s story and I can’t wait for the next book in this world.
Oh, how I loved this book! There was something absolutely special and amazing about Nate, Emme and Paisley. There was something absolutely lovely about their story.
Emme wanted love. She wanted to find the one she was passionate about, what she wasn’t expecting was for it to be Nate.
Nate didn’t want to fall in love or be a dad. Well… life happened and he got both. One of which he isn’t willing to admit yet.
Watching Nate, Emme and Paisley was so cute. Emme totally had it all together and was there willing to help a clueless Nate when it was needed. Nate on the other hand was a wreck. But together they were absolutely perfect.
There were times I wanted to hit Nate for being stupid, but hey, he’s a man. Watching their story grow and develop was fun and enjoyable. I can’t wait more!
4.5 Swoony Stars!
Sexy Single Dad? Yes Please! Witty Banter? Oh Yeah! Super hot and steamy passion? Definitely! Melanie Harlow’s new Friends-to-Lovers romance will capture your heart and never let go!
Emme had a way of picking the wrong men, but that didn’t stop her from believing in love and soul mates. She is funny, fiesty, and slightly prone to disaster. She gets herself into some hilarious situations only to be rescued by Nate, her sexy neighbor. Nate doesn’t believe in love, and finds it hard to trust. But he likes that Emme needs him, even if she doesn’t want to. The tables get turned when he finds out he is a father when his baby girl is left on his doorstep for him to take care of. Now he needs to depend on Emme for help. His initial reaction to his daughter is priceless! Nate and Emme make a great team and are scorching hot together. Nate is so swoony as he navigates being a new father and learning to love. There were so many comical moments but several emotional moments as well. I loved everything about this story from the charming characters to the hilarious and steamy story. I am also a huge fan of the grand gesture and this had a very sweet and romantic one! It was perfect!
Oh Melanie! How do you do it to write exactly what I want to read? What I need?
This story is funny, sexy, sweet, swooning, heartbreaking funny again… this is what I call a perfect BALANCE of a Happy read!
Nate and Emme are both great characters, perfect for each other, not just helping them in good times but in hard times, teaching the other what they need to really know themselves, sometimes in a hard way, but some good lessons come in a hard way and we need to embrace then to be stronger.
I won’t say much about the story because you can read it in the blurb and the rest you need to find it out while reading, I just will say I love the story, love the characters and love how it makes me feel the story real.
Nate is a playboy, with an irresistible smile, so confident of himself and seeing him in shock, it’s a sigh, but as a single dad is another.
“Oh God. I could smell him, and the combination of man and baby smell does things to the body of a woman my age.”
Emme is the kind of woman who kinda have her life planned and her dreams marked and she knows that Nate is not the man who will help her make all those dreams come true. But Nate is changing in all the aspect but this is something that makes him afraid and insecure, so when he reaches his limits he will do everything to “protect” the ones he cares for.
“My plan to forget her and embrace my old life wasn’t working. I missed her. I needed her. I ached for her.”
Reading about a man like Nate discovering a new version of himself, one he never imagined and didn’t want was really swoony and heartbreaking, but all it takes is to have a strong woman to help you see what you are capable of doing, not all the ways to learn things are pretty but Nate needs to prove he can be a better man in all the ways that matter.
Melanie doesn’t disappoint and with every new story she gets better and better! This became one of my favorite stories of this year! Thank you Melanie, the way you wrote the characters and the story was amazing, and I just kept falling and falling for this beautiful story.
Sweet Jesus. A friends-to-lovers story mixed with a secret baby? My ovaries didn’t stand a chance.
Nate Pearson, disgruntled, “I don’t believe in love and a happily ever after,” divorce attorney and Emme Devine, wedding planner and infinite believer in love and a happily ever are two opposites who cannot help but be attracted.
Nate’s saved Emme from herself on numerous occasions—there’s a reason why he calls her Calamity! They have an easy friendship—a friendship that’s stayed clearly in the friendzone for years. Until one night. One kiss. One baby. And then it was more.
And it was awesome. I adored Nate and Emme’s connection. Loved that they were friends first, and that they knew each other well enough to know when and how to stand up for themselves. But also when to stand down and just roll with the punches. Because babies . . . man, babies are a whole different universe. Especially when someone has never been around a baby to have even a slight clue how to take care of one.
And that care of that adorable little baby, is when Nate captured my heart. That he found his way and his ability to finally believe that true love and happiness really does exist. That love is found in small things, small gestures and doesn’t always have to be a grand gesture.
Only You is a fun, smart, sexy, feel-good romance. One that you won’t want to put down until the very last page.
I loved this book. Nate is just too cute with Paisley. I loved that Emme understood that Nate was overwhelmed and scared but I so wanted to smack him when he kept her at arms length. I can’t wait for Maren’s book.
Dear Ovaries,
It was fun while it lasted! But let’s be honest, going out in an epic, Nate Pearson induced explosion is pretty much the best way to go. It’s all good.
Love,
Shelly
I mean, seriously. The single dad trope is almost always a hit with me. But something about the way this was written – the sparky banter, the adorable tender moments, and the way things unfolded slowly but steadily, starting as friends and adding bursts of heat along the way – my ovaries never stood a chance.
I loved these two and this whole adorable story. I sometimes wished for more tender moments and maybe a smidge less heat – but I very likely am in the minority on that (because let’s be real – the heat is done very well, and my sappy romance loving heart can be a bit demanding!). But the romantic gestures that lie within? Top notch. The kind that I am powerless against, and the kind that left me with a giant beaming smile on my face at the end of this lovely story.
In all? A super feel-good, heart-melting, happy-making story. I loved it! ~ 4.5 Stars
Melanie Harlow’s books are like coming home for me. They are both wonderful and total comfort reads as I know I can always rely on her to deliver an exceptional story filled to the brim with wonderful characters, love, laughter and swoony emotions. That is exactly what we received with Only You. This novel was AMAZING!! I loved Nate and Emme. Their banter, friendship and chemistry was so addicting.
On paper Nate Pearson and Emme Devine seem like opposites. Nate, A playboy divorce attorney, cynic and committment phobe puts the brakes on all types of emotional entanglements and is strictly a one-night stand kind of man. Emme, on the other hand is a wedding planner and big believer in the fairytale of love and marriage. She is quick to jump into a relationship and fall in love. But in spite of this, these two have developed a strong friendship and are reliable confidantes to each other. But what happens when Nate has the shock of his life when a former one night stand drops a bomb in the form of a baby on his lap. Will Nate allow his fears about love prevent him from having a forever future with the perfect woman right under his nose?
Gahh I loveee friends to lover stories and add in a baby and I am sold!! I loved Nate in this story so hard! His inner voice was hysterical and so honest. I loved how the author made him seem so genuine and real. I felt his panic so fiercely! Likewise, Emme was fantastic and I enjoyed watching their rollercoaster ride. While there were times I was frustrated with both Emme’s willingness to keep putting herself out there and Nate’s inability to look past the present, Only You was another solid read from this amazing author! I can’t wait for more from her in the future! This was fantastic! Bravo! 4.5 stars! ~Ratula