Whatever this is…Bennett Ross has a list of don’t-wants. No white dress or happily ever after. She doesn’t want soul-crushing love or promises she’s too broken to keep. Most of all, she doesn’t want anyone to ask her to stay.Dane Masters might not have a list, but he does have a house and a steady job, and he knows exactly what he wants—Bennett.When life keeps dragging her back to him, he’s … dragging her back to him, he’s there to give her a reason not to leave again. Each time, she has more trouble walking away, and he falls a little harder when she goes.
Unless Dane can find a way to prove he’s what she’s been searching for, Bennett will always have an excuse to push him away.
And then he’ll risk becoming another broken piece she leaves behind.
A stand alone new adult romance.
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Absolutely adore this book from CG Blaine. I’ve reread it multiple times, and it’s one I keep coming back to. Definitely recommend!
Up all night
Somehow, I’ve managed to fall down a CG Blaine rabbit hole. Started with something, that led me here, and now I’ve been up all night(4:15am) binge reading.
I fell in love with Bennett & Dane in an excerpt in the back of
another book. Angel & Snake, doing their walk of shame, but together was the cutest meeting I could have never thought of.
“We live by three rules. Be happy, be safe, be kind. We love by one. Be true to you.”
How absolutely imperfect this pairing is, a broken Bennett, and Dane trying to find his happy. And when it was good, it was great, and when it was bad, I had to fight not to cry.
I LOVED the side characters, the garage, and the people they stumbled upon in their journey. Everyone had an impact, whether it was big or small, and it was beautiful.
The dichotomy of Bennett & Dane vs Keaton & Liam was an interesting subject to witness as well, because while there were similarities in the 2 relationships, there were far more differences.
I was enthralled, hooked, captivated, riveted and any other similar word you can think of from the beginning.
Recommendation: definitely check this out ASAP. Fall in LOVE.
I wanted to like this book I really did but I couldn’t get into it. I tried setting it aside and coming back to get but even after taking time away from it. I found that I still couldn’t get into it. Bennett and Dane met while trying to sneak out of a house after a horrible one night stands with different people afterward it really didn’t hold my interest at all.
First off, I have to say I like most of the characters in this book; there were some unique, quirky artistic types, a haughtier than average cat, a whole slew of brothers named after cars, and a BFF who left pink sticky notes everywhere. All of these helped This not get completely bogged down in Bennett’s quest for home. I enjoyed This for the most part, but my heart struggled along with Bennett as she kept trying to find what she was looking for.
As I read This, I kept thinking of the old U2 song, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, and the repeated moves Bennett kept making that ended up being more like running that seeking. You understand why Bennett does it, but she’s locked into this “keep moving,” behavior instead of breaking out of it, and it could get frustrating for the reader. In the end, she does find what she’s looking for, and along the way, you get to meet all those mostly interesting people I mentioned in the previous paragraph.
For all the frustration that Bennett gives you, Dane more than makes up for it; he’s friendly, charming, funny, and very romantic. What starts as just physical attraction turns into much more for Dane, and his lovely pursuit of Bennett via visits and texts makes this book a pleasure to read. But Dane trying to sustain the relationship cannot just go on, and there we meet the tension in the book. It’s heartbreaking, but I understand Dane’s perspective, and although I intellectually understand Bennett’s “quest,” I don’t like it. It’s not my quest; it’s Bennett’s and kudos to the author for not making it easy on me.
This is an enjoyable book, and the story ultimately is satisfying. Dane and Bennett finally end up being a great couple to read about, and the cast of characters surrounding them makes the book interesting and a pleasure to read.
Bennett has baggage, lots and lots of baggage. She doesn’t want the white picket fence and a marriage. She does, however, want to take Dane to bed. But it will have to remain just for sex because she doesn’t do the love thing or the happy ever after thing. Dane is determined, though, and what he wants is Bennett. If he’s persistent enough, he just may scale those walls she’s got around her heart.
First I gotta get this off my chest – Bennett was EXHAUSTING to read!!! She was so damaged that it broke my heart. I felt for her, but she got on my last freakin nerve with her running away, her hot and cold bs, and honestly, I thought Dane deserved better. Not that he was innocent or a saint, because definitely not. But, he did not deserve the crap she put him through.
That said, I liked this story even though it exhausted me at times. It is emotionally substantial, it’s got heart, and more than a little sexy.
I enjoyed reading this. The unconventional way Dane and Bennett meet only adds to their appeal. They have amazing chemistry and the way that fate kept putting them together should have told Bennett enough. But she kept fighting it and most of their issues were internal. I did have a hard time with some of their decisions but it didn’t detract from what they were running from.
Even though I enjoyed this book when it came full circle Dane and Bennett took a bit to get used to. I understood Bennett’s committee issues but her indifference at times bothered me. I did love the back and forth banter and the humorous undertones between these two and was happy when they finally got there head out of the sand
Bennett and Dane’s story is a fast paced beautifully written tale which is humorous, emotional, steamy and with witty banter and fantastic secondary characters, which all had me hooked and intrigued throughout this addictive page turner. I cannot wait to read more from this talented author, and I recommend this for all readers.
Truly loved this contemporary love story. Bennett is a runner, destined to be a lone wolf forever, never finding her center; her home. Well, that is until she meets her match in the beanie wearing Dane Masters. I loved watching this romance bloom and watching Bennett try her hardest to fight it. I love watching her overcome her fear and realizing she’s finally found what her heart needed the most. This was a swoonworthy read that kept me entertained from the beginning. I look forward to reading more of this author’s work in the future.
Bennett’s mother who had always been distant up and moved away from her as a teen, leaving her in the care of Bennett’s best friend Keaton’s family. Now, all these years later, Bennett still can’t handle commitment, so she runs when things look like they start to get serious. Dane is hooked on Bennett from the start and he knows that she runs away from commitment, so he lets her fly. Only the long-distance is starting to get to him, and no matter how hard Bennett runs, he will never be ready to let her go.
Bennett drove me insane, a good insane, because her running and pushing away, it was just so hard! I can’t imagine being a guy interested in her, because she’s near impossible to deal with. That being said, I totally get why she does it, with a mother that horrible, it makes complete sense. I hurt for her inability to commit because it was just one of the ways her mother leaving her has manifested. The only thing I did question was why she was keeping so many secrets (her relationship from her best friend, keeping Bentley from Dane). Those are huge secrets to keep and I’m not sure why she did that.
I loved Dane’s persistence, I loved his unwavering love and support for Bennett. I loved the two of them together and the scenes would range from funny to sweet, from swoony to sexy, This has all the feels, including a few parts where I might have needed a few tissues because my heart just broke. Liam and Keaton are fantastic supporting characters, and even the characters that weren’t as present as this duo were wonderful, I would love to see more of Steve, Aria, and Marco. Blaine has done a wonderful job with this book and I absolutely loved it.
his book was brilliant! Such an emotional roller coaster!
Bennett has let her past color her future. Dane has let others’ wishes determine his life. But neither of the expected the other.
What a beautiful, and touching story about love and all it’s unexpected surprises and hardships!
I was very fortunate to have received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
One of my top reads this year.
This by CG Blaine is absolutely perfect.
I was hooked by the dedication. After only a few paragraphs, I was enamored with the main characters. By chapter three, I was falling just as hard for the secondary characters, and by chapter 14 the relationships were blowing me away. I fell in love with this novel almost immediately, and with every page my love only strengthened.
Bennet and Dane, with all their flaws and insecurities and issues, are perfect. Everything about their story is epic. From their unconventional, hilarious, and strangely sexy beginning (the antithesis of a meet-cute, btw), through the bumpy, twisted middle, all the way to the ending. The way CG Blaine cleverly weaves their lives together is pure art, and I was hanging on every word with bated breath. My heart was and still is totally wrapped up in their story, and I they are two characters who will live with me for a long time.
I also appreciate how CG Blaine was able to keep me engaged the entire time without over-the-top dramatic conflicts. I didn’t need explosions or extreme tragedy to make me feel emotion or suspense (and you know how much I LOVE tragedy). Instead, her gorgeous writing perfectly balances humor, romance, and pain. The well-developed characters, back stories, and plot were more than enough to grip my attention for the entirety of the novel. The biggest obstacles these characters need to face are internal, which not only makes it that much more relatable, it made me connect that much stronger with the characters and root harder for them. Each character and relationship is a unique gem, with their own complex quirks, histories, and dynamics. This is one of those novels where you get to know everyone, and as a result you end up loving everyone. If you told me today that there was going to be a sequel to This, and that every secondary character would be getting their own stand-alone, I would preorder those books SO FAST. I love them. I just….love them.
The writing. Don’t even get me started on how much I love the writing. The story flows so smoothly and with such seasoned elegance that it’s hard to believe this is a CG Blaine’s debut novel and not her 20th. Authentic voices. Picturesque imagery. Originality, nuance, patterns, and emotion. Everything about this book is unique and fresh, and I can’t think of a better word to describe it than perfect.
It’s a 6 star read for me. I honestly loved every single page. Every word, every punctuation mark. The characters and writing owned me, and I’m officially a CG Blaine fangirl. I’m so excited to see what comes next from this author.
This is the first C.G. Blaine book I have read and WOW…..it was a great read! I could not put this book down. This novel is about the relationship between Bennett Ross, who is searching for “something” in her life, and Dane Masters, who believes he is that “something”. Their romance is an emotional journey of periodic interconnects during their life paths. This book is dramatic, emotional, and steamy. The banter between the characters is priceless! I plan to read more of C.G. Blaine’ book’s in the near future. I highly recommend this wonderful book!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
4 1/2 Stars
This was a well written but emotionally exhausting story between Dane and Bennett. They both started out as commitment-phobic independent singles enjoying casual and frequent hookups.
I didn’t like their random cheating even after meeting each other.
It took a long long time before Dane realized he wanted more from Bennett, and it took even longer for Bennett to stop acting like a bonehead.
Well written and heartbreaking backstory for both of them. I couldn’t decide which was worse, Bennett’s horribly cruel and selfish mother or Dane’s sleezy womanizing and greedy father.
So much relationship problems with Bennett and her exes who all inherited the cheating gene. The first time she saw the social media posts with Dane’s hands and lips all over another girl while messaging Bennett, I felt sick for her.
Lots and lots of drama and angst in this very long detailed storyline of a couple who deserved their final HEA.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
An emotional journey for two people before they could find their happy. For Bennett it’s not a white dress or promises which will be broken inevitable. For Dane it’s Bennett, but how long before he realises that’s what he needs. Both have their own baggage from previous relationships as well as from what their families bring. There is hurt on both sides from each other and it’s a fight to get where they need to be, but will it be one they are willing to make?
Great characters and even better side characters too.
I laughed, Cried and Swooned!! The Sex scenes were HOT!!! Dane and Bennett’s love story is Amazing!!! I loved Characters and the group of friends that give the characters support in this book!! This Author is Great, and this book was so worth the read!!!
THIS, oh my gosh this book. I loved it! It made me laugh, I teared up and I rejoiced at the ending. Such a well written book, it kept me turning the pages hoping Bennett would resolve her abandonment issues and find her HEA. I fell in love with Dane. Her bestie, Keaton is a hoot. Not only are the main characters well developed, so are the supporting characters.
I think I stumbled across a treasure tonight and it’s called This by C.G. Blaine. I thoroughly enjoyed this deeply moving love story. Blaine manages to infuse humor, romance and tears all into one beautiful tale. Blaine gives her characters layers of vulnerability which breathes life into them on the page. Dane and Bennett’s love story is swoon worthy. I loved the witty banter and the group of friends that give the characters depth. There is a lot of sex in this book, but unlike most contemporary romance it doesn’t feel cheap. Overall a fantastic read. I can’t wait to read more from Blaine. I was given a copy of this book.