Harlequin Junkie declares, “[Cecy Robson] is on my auto buy list…her heroes might be powerful, handsome and irresistible, but her heroines are, too…”Three weddings. No date. What’s a hot stud to do when all the women on his speed dial are either serving dinner to their families or serving time?Out of all the O’Briens, Seamus is the best-looking, most creative, and, did I mention, best-looking? … and, did I mention, best-looking? Single at almost forty wasn’t a big deal until every sibling in his large and loud Irish family found “the one.” Now, he’s desperate for a wedding date, one he doesn’t have to worry will make out with the limo driver or rob the bride and groom blind.
Allie Mendes is the good daughter, who’s spent her life living in her perfect sister’s shadow. But when her sister steals the man Allie was supposed to marry, that shadow she’s lived in threatens to swallow her whole. Allie wants to believe a bright future awaits. But when she begs God to save her from this disastrous twist of fate, the last person she expects Him to send her is Seamus O’Brien.
Allie needs a stand-in boyfriend to avoid appearing as lonely as she feels. Seamus needs a decent woman without an ankle bracelet or a rap sheet as long as his muscular arms. The two make a deal to pose as each other’s perfect date. But weddings mean romance and a chance at forever neither had planned.
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I didn’t realize when I clicked on this that it was book #5 in a series. I read the description and I thought it would be interesting, and it certainly was. OMG Seamus is one of 7 in a big Irish family. Since I didn’t read the other 4, I totally need to read the others because the O’Brien’s are something else. So many shenanigans between the brothers. I was cracking up at Seamus. I just couldn’t get over some of the things that would come out of his mouth. Now, he has horrible taste in women and he basically has no filter. But if you can look past the big ego and his in your face ways, he is absolutely 100% all heart. Especially when it comes to Allie and his family. Allie is such a sweetheart and a giver. I hated her relationship with her family and I loved how Seamus helped her navigate through all of the b.s. her sister was putting her though and man up. Even though they really don’t get together until basically the end, I found myself really entertained by it all so it didn’t really bother me. I some more O’Brien’s in my life so I’m going to go check out book #1.
This is the first of this series that I’ve read and I have to admit that I didn’t think I was going to like Seamus. He’s brash, cocky, mouthy, and more often than not inappropriate. But he’s also caring and fun and he does everything he can to bring Allie out of her shell. I easily found myself falling under his spell right along with her.
Allie’s family is pretty much awful, especially her sister and she really needed to find a champion in Seamus. It helps, of course, that he’s sexy is all get out. His confidence (and, surprisingly, his lack of filter) helps her find her own mojo and the confidence to stand up for herself.
I liked that, while these two definitely needed to work on sharing their feelings, things were pretty much drama-free. At least between the two of them – Allie’s sister brought more than enough drama for everyone. Even when they finally reach the point that they have to come clean about falling in love, Robson handles it with care. It’s a sweet ending and definitely in line with the couple we’d gotten to know.
**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a review copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not coerced in any way.**
This is book 5 in the O’Brien Family series. This book can be read as a stand-alone, but I think I would’ve enjoyed it much more had I read the other 4. Seamus’ family is introduced through each book in the series and I think I would’ve understood the entire family better if I had read each of their stories.
Our main characters, Seamus and Allie, both have some character flaws that they need to work on. I think by the end, they both come to terms with those flaws. Secondary characters include Seamus and Allie’s families. I loved Seamus’ family and have added their stories to my TBR list. They are an outgoing and lively family. Allie’s family, on the other hand, just grated my nerves. I could tell where her insecurities stem from.
Seamus and Allie’s friendship was interesting and humorous. Their romance was well deserved and the two of them finally found what they each needed in a partner.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Lee’Anne –
This series is just epic and awesome – I’ve loved each of the books a little more than the last! Seamus and Allie are probably my favorite couple so far, they’re just such a perfect balance for one another and their camaraderie had me in stitches.
Seamus is always being bugged by his six siblings and his mother about the fact that he’s not settled down yet, Seamus is just happy being a playboy. Until his family’s comments start to break through his thick exterior and Seamus starts to think that maybe he does need someone in his life, especially with all his siblings settling down. Allie has been dealt a crappy hand in both the relationship department as well as the family department – the only serious boyfriend she’s ever had cheated on her with her sister. Now, her ex and her sister are engaged to be married and Allie is expected to put on a happy face and be involved. Seamus saves Allie from an awkward situation with her family and the two wind up scheming that Seamus will help Allie with her “image” and be her fake boyfriend around her family, if she’ll be his fake girlfriend/date to his siblings’ weddings. The two have to spend a ton of time together, developing an incredible friendship that begins to turn into an epic love story.
I absolutely love Seamus and his family, they’re written so well I just want to be adopted into their family! I also love Allie’s character, she’s fierce, funny, and though it takes some coaxing from Seamus, has backbone that she uses to keep her family from walking all over. I’m really looking forward to more from Cecy Robson!
Ruthie –
5 stars of perfect ending to a series, and beginning of a beautiful relationship!
This is the fifth (and final) book in the series; although I rather hope that Ms. Robson will be kind and someday write a catch up book – ideally one where Mrs. O’Brien gets her own happily ever after too. Brilliant series, which I highly recommend to you.
Seamus is the last man standing alone, and he is about to attend three family weddings and needs a date. Not one of his less than suitable hookups, but someone to be on his arm. The joy of Seamus getting his story, is that we also get to see how the whole family is and celebrate their romances all over again! For Seamus though, it is a complication he could do without.
Allie has lived deep in her sister’s shadow for years, and it hurts, but her nature is to forgive. Now that Valentina is marrying Allie’s ex-boyfriend of ten years standing, it is all getting too difficult.
Yep a chance encounter gets these two to agree to be each other’s dates for the upcoming nuptials. And along the way we get such a fantastic level of banter, and of real friendship developing, it is just a blast. I really loved it all from the very beginning to the super perfect end. The writing is sharp, witty, and makes us believe both their sides of the story all the way down to the core. The emotions, the issues, and the trust – all perfect.
So much goodness packed into these pages, you really just need to go and read a copy… and join with me in hoping that there is a chance of a follow-up novel one day in the not too distant future. Please, pretty please, Ms. Robson.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Save Me (O’Brien Family #5) by Cecy Robson to read and review for Wicked Reads.
I must confess this is my first Cecy Robson book and I can say without a doubt, it will not be my last. I can’t believe I waited this long to pick up one of her books and only to find myself at the end of a series. Oh well, better late than never. I have a lot of catching up to do.
I fell completely and irrevocably in love with Seamus O’Brien. He cracked me up throughout the story. Every time he opens his mouth, I cannot help but laugh. One would not likely classify him as a gentleman due to his lack of filter and his womanizing ways. However, with Allie he was the gentleman he needed to be. Allie is the opposite of the women he dates. She is compassionate, hardworking businesswoman and most importantly she did not have a criminal record. She was a refreshing change.
I loved how he came to her rescue when she needed it most. This unexpected rescue would prove to be life changing not just for Allie but also for Seamus. I enjoyed their interaction from the moment they met. It was funny and heart-warming. Despite them being opposites, they were the perfect match. They brought out the best in each other. Seamus helped Allie realise that she was so much more than her family led her to believe and she helped him to recognise that he was worthy of the love of a good woman.
I loved how Allie stood up to her family after years of being treated like the unworthy daughter and insignificant sister. It was fun watching her discard the plain and meek persona to become a beautiful, sexy and confident woman. Seamus burdened by the pain from his past found the courage to overcome it and in the process opened up his heart to the love of a wonderful woman.
I loved spending time with the O’Brien family. They demonstrated the qualities of a loving family. Allie’s family on the other hand was of the undesirable kind. They hateful, spiteful and selfish. Her sister, Valentina is the worst of the lot. I cannot believe someone as nice as Allie is related to her. Wow, talk about narcissistic.
Save Me is a well-written story, which features a diverse range of characters. Written in alternate POVs it demonstrates that love can be found in the most unlikely of places and at the unexpected of times.
Conclusion/Recommendation
I loved this story and I highly recommend it to fans of funny and heart-warming contemporary romance. I plan to go back and read the other books in the series.
Entertaining, albeit a little frustrating…but it gets there
I come from a big family, so I could totally relate to the pressure and all that comes with having a big family. There is no business that they don’t think they are entitled to.
Seamus will frustrate you – he’s everything that I love as an alpha male! He’s conceited…he’s cocky (can I still use that word 😉 ha!) and Allie is, at first, no match for him. I thought he was going to chew her up and spit her out! But Ms. Robson got them there.
This is a good read of hate to love that I think most will enjoy. If you don’t like an overly confident man then Seamus will make you really not like it. Give it time – it will be worth it.
The final book in one of my all-time favorite series. I LOVE Cecy Robson.
What an amazing story to wrap up the series!! Seamus and Allie are such a fun couple. He’s outspoken, crass, and loving the single life. She’s reserved, proper, and sad about losing the chance at love and happiness. She helps bring out the best in him, he helps her be a little bit bad!
Love this series and hate to see it end!! I highly recommend the series and this book.
I have long been a fan of Cecy Robson, and this book is a perfect example of why! I love this series, and this was a perfect farewell to them!
I was finally happy to get Seamus’s story. I love the fact that he is older, 37. He proves that older men are just as sexy as younger men which is ironic because he needs a date to take to his siblings’ weddings. He has found himself wanting to settle down, but he hasn’t dated or hooked up with the best girls around. Some even have rap sheets. He tells his family he has a “nice” girl he has been seeing, but he didn’t want to tell them right away. He needs to find “his girlfiend” quickly. Fate steps in when he meets Allie Mendes in a bakery.
Allie is a real estate agent, and she is good at it. She doesn’t keep promises she can’t keep to her clients, an overwhelming amount of senior citizens. She feels like she will never measure to her sister who has beauty and brains, and now she is marrying the man who Allie was supposed to marry before they betrayed her years before. She doesn’t necessarily get along with her mother. Seriously, this woman doesn’t think there is anything wrong with this!!!
OMG! I loved their meeting in the bakery. It was hysterical. When Allie tries to tell him who she is, he thinks she is someone he slept with…that was priceless. He also stuck his foot so far in his throat, he may need a surgeon to remove it!!!! However, they enjoy themselves catching up, and when her sister appears with her fiancé, Seamus steps up as her boyfriend after she pleads with him under her breath to “save me.” This is the beginning of a wonderful friendship and an even more special relationship. There is plenty of chemistry, but there is a deep respect for one another as well!
What is wonderful about this book is their friendship despite them having feelings for one another. He helps Allie see her own beauty despite how much her mother and sister have put her down. He also gave her hope which she didn’t have before. She is a woman he can depend on. The title of the book says it all…they were saving each other at a time when they needed someone, not knowing it was going to lead to something extraordinary.
I loved catching up with others in the family, and their small mother steals the scene every time she appears. She might be little, but she can put the fear in God in her SEVEN children.
My only regret is saying good-bye to this most wonderful family! I felt like I became a part of their clan! Thank you, Cecy Robson, for making me feel that way. I have shed tears, I have been overjoyed, and I have fallen in love with the O’Brien’s!!! Thanks for the memories!!!
***READ AND REVIEWED FOR DEVILISHLY DELICIOUS BOOK REVIEWS***
Save Me by Cecy Robson is the fifth book in a series of standalone romances about the loud, Irish O’Brien siblings from Philly. It is an acquaintance-to-friends-to-lovers story that is based on the fake date premise (with a little twist).
I haven’t read any of the other books in the series, and there was no problem jumping into Save Me. It truly can be read as a standalone novel. This book is pure escapism. Both Allie Mendes and Seamus O’Brien are a bit over-the-top in their stereotypical characterization; however, they bring out the best in each other, and I couldn’t help but love them for it. Allie blossoms into a more confident woman and Seamus grows a conscience and learns there is more to love than immediate gratification. I loved the slow burn of their relationship. It was so much more realistic than the standard insta-love stories. It was the first time I truly appreciated the “I don’t want to lose this friend by making a romantic advance” play. The characters’ background and prior relationship made that feel more realistic.
The secondary characters on the O’Brien side have been featured in prior books by the Ms. Robson, however, there is enough sibling banter and Seamus backstory to get an ample feel for this rowdy, boisterous family that is led by their diminutive yet stalwart mother. I don’t think I could take that crowd for more than a 30 minutes at a time, but their love and loyalty got to me. On the other hand, the Mendes family is the worst kind of dysfunctional there is. The self-centered diva sister and pretentious mother who worships her are straight out of a reality-television program (or a Disneyfied fairytale). While her family might have driven her to become a successful business woman, Allie would have been better off to estrange herself from her immediate family.
Ms. Robson’s sweet romance has plenty of sentimentality and humor and very little angst. The story is well paced, making it a quick read. The karmic ending is entertaining. Save Me is a clean, fun, feel-good book.
Favorite Quotes:
There are a few grays on my temples, too, but for some reason the chest hair seems to bother him more… “It’s what the ladies call dignified.” They really don’t. More to the point, they say things like, “Ride me, cowboy” or “faster, my probation officer will be here soon.” The latter only happened once, okay twice, but in my defense, it was with the same broad.
I wanted to get married on the beach with just us. But no. Ma insists I get married in a church or risk God releasing a plague that will have flying monkeys shooting out of my lady bits. No one needs that…
We just don’t want you to be alone, you know? You hear about those spinster women found dead, their faces half-eaten by their twenty cats. We don’t want that to be you. We don’t want to find you dead, alone, surrounded by asshole cats licking their whiskers.
We’re going to need to drop a few bills on new clothes. The hair, I know someone who can fix it… You look like a Mormon and not the good kind. I mean the cult kind. The one with multiple wives and three hundred kids. The kind that make us Irish look infertile. Seriously, Allie. You’re sexy and everything. But if you told me you’re number four of six sister wives, I’d believe you based on what you’re wearing.
I try to tone down my smirk. It doesn’t work. Smirks are like wolves. You have to let them loose to run free.
She thought the guy was a manager at CBS. Turns out he’s a manager at CVS. She’s freaking out, trying to get it annulled, even though they spent the night banging like grizzlies in the woods with cymbals.
My Review:
I haven’t had this much fun in ages. Save Me was outrageously witty and highly amusing. I smirked and barked aloud more than a few times as I read. This is only my second time reading the delightfully clever words of Cecy Robson, but I am now a devoted and rabid fangirl. I adore and admire her to such a massive degree she could hit me up for a kidney if she were in need of a spare. I gleefully inhaled this engaging tale that not only had me howling with mirthful laughter but also found me choking up with sweet tears during a tenderly written and emotionally moving wedding scene. I am greedy to read all the previous books in this series as well as every other book this talented scribe has produced. I gluttonously covet all her clever words.
A funny, lovely story that managed to surpass all my expectations
Somehow I missed this was the last of a series when I picked it up but even without all the background from previous books, I was easily drawn into the story. I quickly came to care for all of Seamus’s siblings and his extended family; the sibling banter was spot on and the family stories were hilarious. That Allie had previous connections to the family was a stroke of genius on the part of the author as it was a great way to bring so many of those characters into this story in a very easy and natural way. A fast read for me, I think I was already about halfway through when I figured out that, with all those previous books I was going to have to go 1-click, my book budget for the month was about to be completely blown, lol.
I loved both Seamus and Allie, loved that they were both successful in their own right, and especially loved that though they were opposites in many ways, they needed each other; were, in fact, perfect for each other. This was a story full of laughter but, like all the best stories, there were moments that brought tears to my eyes as well. The characters were masterfully crafted, including those I loved to hate (did I want to spit gum into Valentina’s hair and give the Star Wars collectibles that Andres undoubtedly has to my rat terrier to use for chew toys? Why yes, yes I did).
The fake boyfriend trope is always one of my favorites and this story managed to surpass all my expectations. A funny, lovely story even for someone completely new to the series, I’m sure it’s going to be even better for readers who were already fans. 5 stars
B2B Kelly
SAVE ME by Cecy Robson is book 5 in the O’Brien Family series. This is the story of Allie Mendes and Seamus O’Brien. I have read the previous book but feel this can be a standalone book.
This was really a sweet romance that was hard to put down for me. Allie is the good girl and is overlooked a lot by her family and has to accept her sister taking her boyfriend. Now they are getting married and Allie has to participate in it. Seamus seems to attract the women that aren’t to stable and now he is the last man standing in his family that hasn’t taken the step in a permanent relationship. It was fun reading how Seamus and Allie came together. Loved it!
This O’Brien family is a loud and loving family and Seamus is the last of them to find someone to love. He tends to find those who are not suitable and he knows it and his family has deemed he has to find someone suitable to bring to all the wedding functions, and there are a lot of them, in the coming months. A chance meeting in the bakery with Allie Mendez who he doesn’t immediately remember, oh he remembers her sister because everyone remembers her sister, but after talking for a few minutes he remembers her as the kind person of his youth who was always there taking care of his siblings and others. When her sister and mother walk into the bakery and she utters, “Save me” he takes that to heart and draws her to him and their charade begins. They are going to be each others boyfriend/girlfriend for the coming months to get through all the family drama but first Seamus is going to transform Allie. “Do you trust me?” he asks her and off they go to find the beautiful, sexy, confident Allie who has been lurking under all that hair and drab clothing. Will all the pretending lead to more? This was so much fun to watch these two find their way and to watch the O’Brien clan in all their loud and brash glory. I am truly sorry to see this series end. It has been a lot of fun!
This one, as can all the others, can be read as a standalone.
Final Score – 4.5 Bittersweet Stars!
I’ve been reading this series from the very beginning and to see it all end, saddens me, but leaves with a profound sense of peace. My love for these characters and this series know no bounds!
First introduced in another series, The O’Brien clan have made me laugh, made me ugly cry, and made me tear up with joy – all in the name of family. Family is what it’s all about and no more so than for the main character in this story – Seamus O’Brien. He’s got older brother, younger brothers and a sister, and he wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world. To see them all happily settled in their personal lives makes he truly wish that he could find the same happiness.
Enter Allie Mendes. Allie is also all about family – avoiding them that is. She loves her family, but in small doses, as they tend to not only bring her down, but make her feel insignificant and constantly berate her in favor of her much loved sister Val. A chance encounter at a a bakery may just be the thing to get her family off her back – and also a chance a HEA.
Allie and Seamus – both struggling with family duty & obligations. They are like caterpillars struggling to become butterflies. Can these two lost souls discover their forever in each other?
Cecy Robson had me from the get go! The emotions of her characters fly off of each page and just absorb you into their turmoil, thoughts, & lives. This was superb writing – the perfect combination of heart, humor, romance and sex appeal.
Save Me is more than a tale of family, it’s about finding your inner strength, standing up for yourself against those that would bring you down, and finding second chances where you least expect.
Oh Seamus! Seamus was a shock at first with his philandering ways but as the story continued, I found Seamus to be a genuine, caring man that would do anything for those that he loves. Allie, oh wow, her family is just miserable to her. She has grown up in the shadow of her sister being belittled which shapes how she sees herself within the world. She struggles to realize she is worthy of love and success. When Allie and Seamus cross paths at a local bakery, they are both in need of an ally to attend family weddings so an alliance is born. The beauty of this story is how they help each other face family pressures. Seamus seems to be the first person to truly see Allie and show her what she is worth, that she doesn’t deserve to be treated the way her family does. I love how he helps her find that inner confidence that she has but wouldn’t use with her family. Allie helps Seamus realize that love won’t diminish his tough guy exterior. Truly a fun, flirty romance that kept me guessing. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.
Seamus O’Brien tends to like women who have no shame, are a little on the loud and on the obnoxious side, and his family is growing tired of them, so with his sisters impending nuptials just around the corner, his sister asks him to do something out of the norm and bring home a nice, well behaved women for a change. Problem is Seamus doesn’t seem to run into those kinds of women too often, then he happens upon Allie in a bakery and begins to realize she might just fit the “part”.
When a gorgeous, brooding, man comes to her rescue Allie can’t help but get a little caught up in it all, it’s not very often that someone can come along and rattle her overbearing mother, and shut-up her posh princess of a sister. They are berating her and also informing her that her ex-boyfriend is now going to be her brother-in-law and that in itself stings more than a little, just once Allie would love to be the center of attention for a good reason…not because of her family wanting to point out her faults in public. Seamus couldn’t have come along at a more perfect time… not only does he save the day but he also brings along of unexpected things with him!!
Save Me is a dramatic, funny, and sexy tale that showcases two opposite attract characters that prove that love can be found in the place you least expect it! These characters couldn’t have been more opposite if they tried, but they found common ground when it came to their pasts, and somewhere along the way it wound up pulling them together. Seamus is a boisterous playboy who goes through women like most go through underpants, while Allie is more reserved and not at all the one night kind of girl, but fate put these two together, and little by little they changed, and eventually grew into the people they always wanted to be, people that were suited perfectly for one another. This was a first time read for me and I have to say I enjoyed what I found, it was a well rounded tale, with bits of everything I look for in a read, and it held my attention throughout. If you like opposite attract stories then I highly recommend you give this one a try, it’s sure to satisfy!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and voluntarily read and reviewed.
Shamelessly sexy. Utterly clueless. Hard to resist. Seamus O’Brien feels like the last man standing in a family that’s dropping like flies. Love is reeking havoc in his family and he seems to keep missing the blow. That is until the girl he never saw, becomes the woman he can’t forget. A chance encounter and a desperate favor have Allie Mendes and Seamus O’Brien rethinking everything they thought they knew about love. Cecy Robson is an emotional writer. She targets the heart with humorous dialogue, tempting romance and a heaping level of sex appeal. Save Me is a saucy tale of lost dreams and second chances that proves happiness is usually where you least expect.
***5 Stars***
I did it again.
Not only did I pick to read a book in series out of order, but it just so happened to be the LAST book in the series, one I’ve wanted to dive into, but never had the time and now that I did, it was the finale.
And before you can think it, Yes, I’m Gibbs smacking myself HARD because I fucking ADORED everything about Save Me.
From Seamus and Allie, to the O’Brien clan as a whole.
I ADORED everything about this book.
I laughed out loud, snorted in amused disbelief and even shed tears because no amount of blinking and willing them to not fall worked.
This book had it all and so much more!
I adored Seamus. The things that come out of this mans mouth had me either blinking in disbelief or cracking up, sometimes both, or swooning because the honesty and sincerity that went along with it was undeniable. He’s simply a good man, who loves his family and the life that he’s living.
Allie, I loved upon meeting her, but there were moments when I wanted so desperately to yell at her to stand up for herself. I understood why she reacted to certain things and people in the way she did, but the frustration was real because the woman I saw was strong, hard working and had such a good heart that I wanted to gut anyone who’d thought it was in their right to bruise and batter it ~ even unintentionally.
I loved and thoroughly enjoyed how Seamus and Allie’s relationship evolved from acquaintances to friends and them more.. It was funny, heartwarming and had a lot of heart. Their bantering had me cracking up and the chemistry between them was a slow burn, but a hot one. What made it all work for me was that they just somehow got each other. They were opposites in a lot of ways, and yet they saw beyond all that and really respected each other for who they were at their very souls.
Even though I did things half ass backwards…well, simply backwards…Save Me can be read as a standalone, but after meeting all of the O’Brien’s and experiencing their special brand of familial love, I will definitely be going back and reading about each of their HEA’s. And though this is my first O’Brien Family read, it isn’t the first of the author’s books I’ve read and as with those, I really enjoyed the writing, pacing and how everything played out with all the characters in the story. There were a couple of twists that I didn’t see coming, but loved the direction it took the story. So, if you’re looking for a well written romance with a cast of crazy, but lovable characters (at least most of them) then this is a definite must read!
~ Copy provided via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~
I can’t believe this is my first encounter with the O’Brien Family by Cecy Robson, If Save Me is anything to go by I’m playing catch up with a brilliant series and I’m prof that this book can be read as a stand-alone.
Three Weddings to attend and a family on your back about you not having a date to take, what’s a hot stud to do … maybe find yourself a fake girlfriend and what better than the girl who taught your siblings Sunday School many moons ago.
This book hooked me from the first chapter and there was no putting this baby down until I had read the last line, it’s a emotional read about a couple getting to know each other while pretending to be a couple, it has some great laugh out loud moments from Seamus and I found myself making expressions I’m sure Allie would be making listening to his stories. I shed some tears at weddings and I know I need to back track and read the rest of the books in this series. If you love romance stories that includes great characters, family loyalty and some seriously hot moments this is a must read…….. looking forward to more from Cecy Robson