From New York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan comes a sexy new standalone romance about a woman who’d do anything to have a baby and the man who’d do anything to have her… details.
When I drunkenly confess my plans to my friends, they convince me to ask Jake Jackson for help. Jake, the best friend who’s been there for me through thick and thin. Jake, who also happens to be smart, funny, ridiculously good looking, and the winner of all the genetic lotteries.
So when Jake takes me up on my request—with the stipulation that we get the job done the old-fashioned way—I’d be a fool to decline.
The only problem? I don’t know if I can separate sex from all the things I feel for this amazing man. If I can’t keep my heart under lock and key, I risk losing the relationship I need the most.
Jake has his own reasons for granting my baby wish. But when I discover his secrets, it could mean the end of us. I have to choose—run or stay and fight for love.
Fall for the boys of Jackson Harbor in Lexi Ryan’s sexy new contemporary romance series. These books can all be read as standalones, but you’ll enjoy reading them as a series!
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Straight Up Love was an enjoyable read but it didn’t WOW me like the first book in this series did.
I have to say that Jake saved this story for me. I liked Ava in the beginning of the story but as things moved on I found Ava to be slightly annoying and I just wanted to shake her and say wake up!!!
I was totally looking forward to this story after reading The Wrong Kind of Love (Book 1). Ava and Jake’s story was set up in Book 1, but as I read this book I kind of felt like the main purpose of the story got lost. I feel like if you read the blurb for this story, that isn’t really the story we get. I was looking forward to the “asking my friend to father a baby” for me storyline but there was so much other drama going on I felt that the main story got lost in the shuffle.
I will say this that if you are a reader who likes A LOT of angst and drama in your stories then this is a book you should read. There was just a little too much for my liking. This is also a friends to lovers romance, so if you like those type stories this is one you should pick up.
Straight Up Love is the second book in Lexi Ryan’s The Boys go Jackson Harbor Series. It is a standalone novel. Even though this story is first set up in Book 1, I don’t feel you have to read that book first. But being as this series has interconnected characters, I always feel these type series should be read in order. It helps you get the full sense of the characters and their dynamic. This story is told in Dual POV. I found this story to be entertaining and one I would recommend to other readers. I will also say this, that this story will keep you turning the pages, because she adds so much other stuff you will want to see how this all turns out.
In this story we follow Ava and Jake. Ava and Jake have been best friends for most of their lives. So when Ava announces to her friends that she wants to have a baby, it isn’t a shock that her friends suggest she ask Jake for “Help”. Jake is one of the Jackson siblings. He runs the Jackson Brews bar. He is also secretly in love with Ava and has been for many years. When Ava brings up this idea to Jake, he sees it as an opportunity to make Ava see him as more than a friend. Will Jake’s plan work?? Can Ava see Jake as more than a friend?? What happens when secrets are revealed?? Will Jake and Ava finally get their HEA?? Read this book to find out those answers.
I enjoyed seeing all the Jackson siblings in this book as well as all of the girlfriends we met in book 1. They add great support to Jake and Ava but also they add some of the much needed comic relief.
I would recommend this book to all readers who like a friends to lovers romance with a lot of angst and drama to spice up the pages. If you are a fan of Lexi Ryan’s then I think you should read this book. Just because it wasn’t a favorite of mine, doesn’t mean it won’t be your next 5 star read!!!
Omg i loved it so much ! it was even better then i was expecting 🙂
Ahhhhh I am so in love with Jake ,he is such a good guy ,he may not have handle things in the best way when he first told Ava how he felt but i get why he did what he did ,i thought it was great that Ava asks him to help her have a baby and he insists that they do it the hands on approach (if you know what i mean Wink Wink) and she agrees to it ,Jake plans on making Ava fall in love with him while they try for a baby but he doesn’t know that Ava already has deep feeling for him but she has hidden them since she was a teenager ,but the more he tries to seduce her the more he falls for her and he hopes she’s feeling it too 🙂
Loved Ava ,i wish she wouldn’t let her father treat her the way that he does ,she stands up for herself for the most part but there are little things she lets happen and i wish that she was a little more confident ,Jake sees that Ava has insecurity’s and he does whatever he can to show her how great she is ,they have such a great connection and so much chemistry with one another 🙂 they totally set the pages of fire (whew) they make such a great couple and they are tested early on in their relationship but they love each other and are able to move past it 🙂
I loved the twist that happened in this book (omg i didn’t see it coming ) and i can’t wait to see whats gonna come of it 🙂
As always i loved the side characters and i can’t wait to read their books asap 🙂 i have falling in love with Lexi Ryan’s World and i would totally love to live in Jackson Harbor with all those hot Jackson brothers 🙂
This is definitely an angsty friends to lovers trope. At times you could see the frustration and I often felt it for the density of the characters sometimes. Lol. Ava and Jake and been almost best friends for so long they are inseparable. They have weather many storms and now are crossing over into romantic territory. Jake has been in love with Ava for as long as time so this played into frustrations because he watched her marry someone else and then helped to pick up the pieces after the divorce. Coincidentally enough Ava had feelings for Jake as well but had since accepted that she would never be more than friends with Jake because she didn’t think he felt that way. (All the angst and relationship drama could have been avoided had these such extremely close friends just had a heart to heart and told the other their true feelings. Gosh). But alas angsty romance lol. Now she wants a baby and asks Jake for help, but he wants to do it the old fashioned way. She is worried those feelings she had and locked away will come back full force and he is just looking for an in to progress their relationship. This ensues the back and forth and built frustrations of breaking down guarded hearts. I totally wanted to shake them both a time or two but more so on avas part. This it was hard to like her but in the end after all the character growth you learn to love her, just no where near as much as Jake haha. The Jackson Harbor boys really know how to draw a captive audience and make readers swoon for their growing book boyfriend harem haha.
Jake and Ava’s story is a definite must read to further enjoy the series characters all around and a great story on its own.
This book is emotional, and sweet and all the things a good romance book should be. I really enjoyed it!
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
I thought I loved Ethan and Nic’s story but I hadn’t met Eva and Jake yet.
I loved this entire story. The friendship and how they have to fight for more. Eva’s struggle is one many women face but it’s something not overly talked about. I love that Lexi Ryan took the plunge to write about it and the way she did it is amazing. I hurt for Eva. And that twist towards the end is everything!
I need the rest of the series now!
Highly recommend this book!
#audiobookobsession #audiobookobsessionreviewer
I loved Straight Up Love by Lexi Ryan, the second book in The Boys of Jackson Harbor. I have read other books by Lexi Ryan and have thoroughly enjoyed all of them. I absolutely loved the book. I loved the characters and the cold Michigan setting. I could not put it down and I loved every page. Each book in the series keeps getting better and better and I have loved each book. Lexi Ryan has once again provided her readers with amazing characters. I love all the characters in Straight Up Love, they feel like family! Who doesn’t love hot sexy men, strong, passionate females, and big loving families, who always support one another? Lexi Ryan continues to deliver all that and so much more. Once again Lexi Ryan has given her readers another amazing book. Straight Up Love is filled with all the heartbreaking and heartwarming moments and surprise plot twists, that I have come to love and expect in a Lexi Ryan love story, I especially loved the poignant and bittersweet moments that filled this page turner. She has once again proven that she is an incredible storyteller. I really enjoy how the story is told in the first perspective from the main characters. I love getting into the minds of the characters to know what they are really thinking and feeling. Straight Up Love is the story of Ava McKinley, schoolteacher and best friend of Jake Jackson. Jake runs Jackson Brews. Jake has always been in love with Ava, the girl next door, but did not want to lose her friendship if something went wrong with their relationship. For her thirtieth birthday, Ava decides that she wants a baby and that she wants to get pregnant and is willing to raise the child alone as a single parent. She wants to be a Mom. She needs to decide what path to choose: a one-night stand, a sperm bank, or a friend. With her friend’s assistance, she decides that she will somehow get Jake to get her pregnant. Unbeknownst to Ava, Jake heard her plan that she revealed in this office. The more time they spend together, the more secrets they share, and come to grips with their past. I love Ava and Jakes love story and all the plot twists. As someone who suffers from infertility, Lexi Ryan was so right in all the emotions that Ava experienced. It was so perfectly written. I love how all the women in the book are best friends and support each other. I love how Ava and Jake work out all their issues and finally get their happily ever after. My favorite part are the epilogues and how that wrap up all the details of the happily ever after. I loved the book; I am so excited for the other books in this new series. Straight Up Love is a beautifully written second chance at first love story and I loved every moment. Highly recommend this beautifully written story.
Oh, I’m gonna love Jackson Harbor and the Jackson boys. I started with Straight Up Love, the second book in the series, and I didn’t miss a beat learning everyone and the connections between the characters. They are a fun bunch! The Jackson family is one that you’ll wish you were part of. They love as hard as they laugh and there is plenty of both in this one. If you’re looking for a lighthearted read that still has substance then pick this series up. It’s a winner!
Very sweet! The main characters were fine, I liked sooo much that they were not so young and silly, which is common in the type of books. I loved that Jake feel so deeply, he was a really a nice guy who accepts his issues and not so perfect. I did not feel Ava as good as I expected because she has so many issues, but that was the plot of the book. To sum up, the book was sweet, page turning, that kept me entertained until the end. I recommend this book.
****** AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ******
So my headline really says it all… I loved the idea of this story and most of the characters in it. Jake was completely charming and I could not get enough of him. He was the best friend to Ava but he was totally in love with her and wanted her so badly… even enough to give her a baby. My issues were really with a bit too much IMO. I love me an angsty, friends to lovers story! This just seemed a bit heavier in the angst department than was necessary.
Strait Up Love has the same narrators as the first audiobook and they did another fabulous job. Summer Roberts has sweet and soft southern voice. Tyler Donne is also a delightful narrator. They certainly play the southern characters very well!!
#AudiobookObsession
* AUDIOBOOK REVIEW *
I love this series and I soooooo want to hear the other audiobooks…..
There’s some intriguing stories in this world the author created. Ava and Jake’s story is so exiting and they have a long and tangled past. Can they find their way through….
No unnecessary descriptions of surroundings
Lots of good dialogues
Characters is familiar and developed in to realistic personalities that I feel like I know so well. Secondary characters has me curious about their stories, I really hope to hear Molly,s story…
Chemistry is unmistakable between Ava and Jake and the intensity when they finally take the step is sizzling hot.
I love this world the author created.
Narrators:
Clear pronunciation and read with feelings, excellent!
5 stars overall
Fantastic Story & Narration More JacksonLove
Straight up Love
The Boys of Jackson Harbor Book 2
By: Lexi Ryan
Narrated by: Summer Roberts, Tyler Donne
Lexi Ryan pens another awesome “Boys of Jackson Harbor” novel. I am loving this series, the books are well written with interesting storylines that are captivating from start to end. This is Jake and Ava’s story and the time line picks up after the 1st book ended. Jake Jackson and Ava have been best friends forever, both harbor deeper feelings but are afraid to act on them because they do not want to jeopardize their friendship. Jake runs Jackson’s Brews, he loves to cook and create different types of ale. In addition to her teaching job and running the theater club Ava works a few nights at the bar too. She enjoys spending time with Jake. When Ava comes up with a plan to have a baby her friends convince her to ask Jake for his sperm instead of going to the sperm bank. Jake comes up with his own proposition. This is a great friends to lovers romance, it is well plotted with plenty of drama, angst, some twists and a whole lot of emotions leading up to a great romance. Lexi Ryan, thank you for another great story and emotional rollercoaster ride.
I listened to the Audible edition, narrated by the talented Sumer Roberts and Tyler Donne. They are versatile voice artists who continue to bring these character to life, giving each their own voice and personality. You could hear how much heart they put into their work as they capture and project the characters emotions into their performance. They are entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another great listen
Thank you @AudiobookObsession AudiobookObsessionReviewer
Sadly, this book pales in comparison to the first book in the series, ‘The Wrong Kind Of Love ‘. I was really looking forward to thoroughly enjoying this book the way that I did the first but it kinda felt flat. There was a lot of back and forth and the main issue of the novel didn’t really feel like an issue. Where the first book had real, heart rendering and emotionally gripping life issues that created genuine obstacles in regards to their coupling, this book simply felt like two people who couldn’t make up their minds about each other. Like the only really issue was themselves. I agree with a previous review that it kind of felt like it dragged on and maybe it should have been a novella instead.
My other point is that the Ava and Jake that we met in the first book seem very different from the Ava and Jake in this book. I expected Ava to be bold, no nonsense and have a sharp tongue but that wasn’t how she was at all (that is how she was introduced in the first book). As for Jake, he fell short of the previously acquired bad boy, secret nerd persona as well. They were still both great characters, just different and I must say Jake’s character stole the spotlight.
I guess if I hadn’t read the first book I would have like this one more, but it really fell short in comparison. I hate to leave this review because The Wrong Kind Of Love easily became one of my favorite books, but it is the truth.
Overall, it was okay. Could have been better.
This whole series is a must have
This was my first Lexi Ryan book and I loved it so much I ordered the rest in the series. Great story between Ava and Jake and I didn’t want it to end. They belonged together from the beginning!
I’m loving the boys of Jackson harbor and can’t wait to read the rest of the series. While Ethan and Nic’s story felt heavier due to Ethan’s circumstances but Jake and Ava’s story is light and airy. Ava and Jake have been best friends since childhood. They’ve survived Ava’s marriage and subsequent divorce. Throughout it all Jake has been in love with her. Ava, now 30 and single, with no prospects in sight, wants to start a family… with or without a man….and with or without Jake’s help. Ava is one of my favorite characters-she’s strong, funny and uber sarcastic. In a nutshell she’s a girl after my own heart.
Ava McKinley is a divorced English teacher who takes an unexpected decision on her 30th birthday: she will not wait for the ideal man to start a family. She wants a baby. And she wants it now.
Jacob Jackson or Jake, is Ava’s best friend and owner of a brewer in the city where they live. He’s been in love with his best friend for years. And promises to help her fulfill her desire. Since it was the old fashion, most traditional and biblical way, do you understand?
The narrative starts well and with a good plot. And there’s no denying that Lexi Ryan writes well. I say this, because in some part, the story of Jake and Ava seems a little stucked. But you can’t stop reading.
What Jake feels for Ava goes way beyond lust. His feelings are tender and delightful to read, at times almost torturous, by the fact that the plot does not seem to leave the same place. The chemistry between them exists and in the beginning they deny it. As the narrative advances, it becomes more and more latent, especially as we immerse ourselves in the past of the two friends.
The complicity and rivalry between brothers and sisters appears in the book of various forms and in various families in the city of Jackson Harbor. In fact, the good secondary characters are one of the strengths of this book. Those classic and cliches scenes that you would live with your girlfriends, that not so funny younger brother, an inconvenient ex-husband, totally unexpected blind dates.
From the middle to the end the narrative is filled with events and secrets. Some good, some bad. The ending is exactly what you expect, nice to read and no big surprises. The ideal book for lovers of a well-written cliché and ideal for taking any romance lover out of a literary hangover.
I LOVED this book.
Lexi Ryan has been a favorite author of mine for a while, but this book solidified it.
Her well-timed twists are THE BEST!!!
These Jackson boys and Shay are awesome and I can’t wait to devour each one of their stories.
I loved the book about Ethan and Nic too, but this one is even better.
Levi’s and Ellie’s book is next and it sounds like a doozy.
Straight Up Love was a sweet book that I adored and which was absolutely well written. I was laughing and swooning because it started out so great but I thought that the story generally fell a bit flat. The pace was ok though I wish it would have picked up some more as there often wasn’t much happening. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t love some moments in this book but there were also times when it felt a bit dragging and more of a 3 Star read.
There’s nothing more to say about the story than what the blurb already gives us of two best friends who loved each other since they were kids but weren’t aware of the other one’s feelings.
Closer to the end was a little twist that has me looking forward to the coming books because I like the Jackson Family and I’m curious enough to want to know who’s next and how everything will develop.
I’m not a fan of having half of the book’s story included in the blurb because since I knew that Jake would offer to get her pregnant the old fashioned way, I felt that the story took too long to get to this point. So between Ava’s low self-esteem, her worried thoughts and constant questioning Jake’s words, her best friend getting her to love him and the story almost turning in a circle, you might think I didn’t like the book but surprisingly I still liked it. (Not as much as the first book but it was entertaining nonetheless.)
I liked Jake’s character. I did, really. But to be honest, I don’t know why he was so hung up on Ava. Maybe I’m wrong but I seem to remember her as a funny, strong and confident woman from the previous book but she was quite the opposite now. Don’t get me wrong, she was sweet and it’s not like I didn’t like her but her insecurities and lack of self-love were kind of depressing. Why did she even want a baby on her own when she was still trying to impress her father? Her thoughts and feelings were all over the place and it was very hard to read her because I never knew what her new agenda was. Jake loved her all his life and I still don’t know why he waited around for her for so long. There was nothing he wouldn’t have done for her and I missed some self-preservation from him. He obviously wasn’t the alpha kind of man but still a nerdy shy guy.
Overall it was a sweet romance and very nice read, but it wasn’t all-consuming and held not enough story to make me forget my surroundings.
Another amazing read in this series! The friendship, chemistry and connection hooks you. The angst, and secret keeps you turning the page. Devoured this and can’t wait to read Levi’s book!
This series is about to tear me up. In the best way possible, of course. Lexi Ryan has created yet another stellar world built on fantastic characters, emotional plots, unexpected twists, and incredibly sexy passion. Straight Up Love is all that and more. I didn’t think I could be wow-ed more than I was when I read The Wrong Kind of Love (book one in the series), but I was clearly mistaken. Jake and Ava are best friends, both harboring some unrequited love to an extent. They just could never see what was right in front of their faces. Until one night, when Ava make it clear that, at least with her inhibitions thrown to the way side, there could be more between the two of them. And Jake is both dumbfounded, and completely on board. Which then sets forth in motion a wave of reactions that neither of them could have seen coming.
This book is full of the unexpected. Jake and Ava together are perfection, I loved every bit of their sweet, sexy, angsty story. The few unexpecteds that come into play, will also follow into the upcoming books, and I’m so thrilled to see where it all takes these characters. It got messy between Jake and Ava, but their strong-willed selves needed each other too much to give up that easily. But it’s about to get a whole lot messier. Queue the gut-wrenching emotions, and the swoon-worthy relationships, because this series has it all and in abundance. I HIGHLY recommend this fantastic read. It’s one that I found myself setting aside my to-do list for and trying to devour it as fast as possible, and though I was a little bummed when it was over, it just made me that much more excited for what’s to come from this series.
Happy Reading!