From USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow comes a heartwarming childhood frenemies-to-lovers, second chance romance!
When we were eleven, Oliver Ford Pemberton dared me to jump off a barn roof. He said you couldn’t break a leg from a 12-foot-jump.He lied.(You can also break a collarbone, which served him right as far as I was concerned.) I wish I could say it was the last dare I ever took … lied.
(You can also break a collarbone, which served him right as far as I was concerned.)
I wish I could say it was the last dare I ever took from him, the last bet I ever made with him, the last time I ever trusted Oliver Ford Pemberton.
But it wasn’t.
Because he had the nerve to grow up gorgeous, charming, and sexy. And as we got older, the dares only got dirtier–and the betting stakes higher–until finally, he left me in pieces. I swore I’d never talk to him again.
But twenty years after I took that flying leap, he’s back in my life, daring me to risk everything for him: my job, my self-worth, and my heart.
How many chances does true love deserve?
“Sizzling chemistry, off the charts sexual tension and all the feels I’ve come to expect with a Melanie Harlow romance!”- Ilsa Madden-Mills, Wall Street Journal bestselling author
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Undeniable is the second book in the Cloverleigh Farms series, featuring the headstrong, rebellious Sawyer sister, Chloe. Chloe and Oliver were childhood frenemies, and their dares and shenanigans often had disastrous consequences. I have to admit, I had a really tough time liking Oliver. He came off as a spoiled, entitled rich boy who only cared about himself, and by the time we meet him as an adult, I didn’t have enough affection for him to buy that he was supposedly a changed man. I felt like Chloe forgave him too easily, given his long history of lying and cheating. That said, I did love the character of Chloe, and I loved that she was still open-hearted, even after having been burned by Oliver multiple times. And even with my issues with the book, I would still recommend it. Melanie Harlow has a way of drawing you into the story, and I’d rather read even an imperfect story from her than most anyone else on the shelves.
Undeniable was a cute story. Oliver and Chloe are both stubborn and strong willed people who can’t resist a dare or each other. They grew up together and from the start they challenged each other. First with childhood dares and then their hearts as the grew older. The story goes back and forth from Oliver’s and Chloe’s point of view and from the present to the past. I really liked the chapters that showed their relationship from different times in their lives. Through it all you could feel the magnetism between them. Love Oliver and Chloe!
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~~ 4 COMBUSTIBLE STARS! ~~
“If you jump, I jump.”
Temperatures rise and fiery romance ignites in UNDENIABLE, the second smoldering installment in Melanie Harlow’s captivating Cloverleigh Farms series!
THE PREMISE:
Two of my absolute favorite tropes—childhood best friends and enemies to lovers– converge in this swoony second chance romance!!! I absolutely love what the always magnificent Ms. Harlow did with this story. Without spoiling too much plot, Chloe Sawyer and Oliver Pemberton were thick as thieves practically from the womb—their moms were besties and delivered their precious bambinos mere days apart. But as these two free-spirited soulmates grew up, embarking on many “daring” adventures side by side, glibly disobeying all the rules, and experiences many “firsts” together, they were always locking horns. There was always a fine line between love and rivalry between these two bickering besties and things went south after Oliver betrayed Chloe’s trust and shattered her heart to smithereens.
Now years later, the sexy scoundrel she LOVES TO LOATHE is back at Cloverleigh Farms with one more dare for her, asking her to join him in a business venture devised by their parents. Which would entail partnering up to open the distillery which would fulfill a lifelong dream for them both. Trusting in Oliver again could be the worst decision of her life. But old habits are hard to break. Can these two arch nemeses take one last chance on each other …or will their love crash and burn once again?
MY MUSINGS:
UNDENIABLE is sweet. Sexy. Witty. Whimsical. Charming. Combustible. And beyond addictive! I love a captivating second chance romance that capitalizes on the rich backstory between a couple and I thought the author did an exceptional job juxtaposing between the present and the past to give us the full scope of these frenemies’ backstory which had a pivotal impact on their future.
I truly invested in Oliver and Chloe from page one! Even when at times I wanted to bang their heads together. LOL. They are two peas in a pod, both headstrong and competitive, reckless and impetuous, and never ever back away from a challenge. But trust has been broken between these two and the jury’s out whether they can ever move on from the past. But one things an absolute guarantee–these MCs have SMOLDERING CHEMISTRY! I really enjoyed the gloriously seductive slow burn between Chloe and Oliver as they try to get their business plan off the ground and reconcile their complicated feelings for one another. The romantic push-pull and magnetic sparks between them are tantalizing, and while they have sure have had their ups and downs over the years and tend to run hot and cold, they share an UNDENIABLE bond that can’t be broken. This couple definitely has that “Xfactor” and when passion finally explodes between them after all that palpable buildup prepare for FIREWORKS!
Gah, I really enjoyed this heroine. Chloe’s feisty and fiercely independent, wildly impulsive and endearingly flawed. And she has a very bad track record with men. Namely Oliver! But she also has a very forgiving, kind heart and fun-loving nature that I find absolutely enchanting. She has a lot to prove, not only to herself but her family. She was born and bred on Cloverleigh Farms and is finally ready to open a distillery, but she doesn’t have the funds to make that happen. Enter Oliver who can provide the financial backing and teach her the ins and outs of the business. He is dangling the proverbial carrot in front of her but keeping her heart safe from the one boy who always got under her skin is easier said than done. There’s just always been something about Oliver that made her see red yet at the same time she can’t deny her overwhelming physical pull toward him or eradicate her pent up feelings for him! But he’s hurt her time and again. Dare she take another leap of faith on him?
As for Oliver, well, tbh he is NOT my favorite MH BBF. Not by a longshot! That said, he is the kind of roguishly sexy alphahole that you can’t quite resist. Even when you can’t stand him and want to throttle him for his douchey behavior! This former “globe-trotting, yacht-cavorting, devil-may-care, rich, egotistical playboy” has a LOT to atone for from the past but despite everything it’s clear that his feelings for “Dimples” are the REAL DEAL. I enjoyed witnessing the evolution of this gorgeous black sheep who has learned from his mistakes. Well mostly! Because while he has definitely grown up from being spoiled-rich, entitled kid to a mature, responsible businessman…he does have his moments of regression! And…YIKES….there’s that secret he’s been keeping from Chloe that’s definitely could permanently chase away the girl of his dreams.
The writing is top notch as always—breezy and engaging, sexy and entertaining, and interlaced with a plethora of swoony, feel good moments too. And Ms. Harlow’s secondary cast really infuses the story with so much warmth and charm too! I especially adore the interaction with Chloe and Oliver’s families! As for the HEA? Sighhhhh! I rarely get through an ending of one of this author’s books without clutching my heart, sighing in delight, and yes, shedding a few tears, and that definitely holds true this time around!
BOTTOM LINE:
UNDENIABLE is another winsome installment in Melanie Harlow’s Cloverleigh Farms series…and I can’t wait for the next book!
Its another sweet read in the Cloverleigh Farms series. We are taken back to two childhood friends: Oliver Ford Pemberton and Chloe Sawyer who always had a love/hate relationship with one another. Throughout the read we are taken back to many flashback of the times they were together from their younger days of yore and each time over the years the connection they had with one another were always present and growing to something look to be something more.
Chloe has a great idea to expand more business with Cloverleigh Farms; however, it seems that the only way to get the process going is to work with Oliver, the boy that she always got into trouble with. The thing is; every time she felt that he was changing for the better he puts her in a position that has her fuming. Will this time around be different?
Always competing and daring one another with their antics will have you LOL and recalling moments from your younger days. This read will take you on a journey of experiences from childhood to adulthood that will have you falling for these two in hopes that regardless of their past they can overcome anything.
This book is my favorite Melanie Harlow book since SSOH!!! The push and pull between Oliver & Chloe will have you consuming this book at a fast pace. I had to force myself to put it down. Not only is there an “Undeniable” chemistry between these two, but a humorous and complex history. If you like enemies to lover’s tropes, with a side dish of laughter this book is a must read!!!
If you frequently read my reviews, you know my strong affinity for second chance romances, and Melanie Harlow’s newest release, Undeniable, provides her readers with one heck of a good one because Oliver Ford Pemberton and Chloe Sawyers’ lives have been intertwined since they were young and despite the multiple years they spent apart, every time they reunited, even if it was under less than stellar terms, they were always drawn to each other, remaining in one another’s minds and hearts despite the sometimes volatile nature of their connection due to their respective competitive natures and Oliver’s inability to follow through with his promises and grab hold of his feelings for Chloe instead of run away from them when he gets in too deep.
It’s clear through the then and now chapters just how messy Oliver and Chloe’s relationship has always been, which is why they’ve never been able to define their feelings for one another or allow themselves to completely move on with someone else. And while the blame does seem to rest predominantly on Oliver’s shoulders, the fact that Chloe always allowed Oliver to pull her back into his life makes her just as culpable for continuing a rather unproductive and perhaps even destructive connection.
I do have to admit that even though I thought that Oliver was charming, adventurous, and gorgeous, his immaturity got to me at times, and while I understand that it takes awhile for some guys to mature and not be scared about the depth of their feelings for someone, time and time again, he always broke his promises and caused Chloe to lose trust in his words and his actions repeatedly. But the ‘Now’ Oliver works diligently to make amends for his past behavior and to prove to Chloe that she can trust him and take a chance on him once more, so that he can prove just how good they could be together doing everything with one another, just as they always promised.
Oliver and Chloe definitely have a hot and cold relationship and they’re about as far as they can be on both sides when it comes to the sexual tension and attraction that surrounds them as well as the way they freeze each other out when they’re mad or jealous. Both are mercurial characters who don’t know how to handle the emotions that they bring out in each other, and while Chloe has always been clear on her feelings for Oliver, being burned one too many times now has her skittish around the older version of him, but while Oliver seems to have his work cut out for him, there’s always hope that they’ll get things right this time around because neither one turns down a dare, and this time they’re playing the biggest game of their lives.
Undeniable is a sweet and steamy second chance romance that illustrates just how unstoppable Oliver and Chloe’s connection is despite everything they’ve been through, and while Oliver has to win back the heart of the only girl he’s truly ever had a deep bond with, readers also learn just how much history these two share and why it was only a matter of time for them to find their way back to each other, even if it did require quite a bit of groveling!
4.5 Poison Apples
I love second chance love stories. This is the second book in the Cloverleigh Farms books. Oliver is a rich boy that doesn’t know what he wants. He and Chloe grew up together and they were always getting into trouble together. Their families are close and so it’s only natural that they would be close too. But is knowing someone your entire life enough? Loved their story!
I loved this book. I loved being able to see Oliver and Chloe when they were younger. They had really good chemistry. They were both extremely stubborn. I love this series!
4.5 Stars
“Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me” is the saying Chloe, the main character in Undeniable (the second book in the Cloverleigh Farms series featuring the Sawyer sisters) should’ve had tattooed on her forehead. This Second Chance romance features another Sawyer sister, and her lifelong nemesis, Oliver. Told in dual POV, and going back and forth, from the past to the present, we get a better understanding of what these two have gone through.
Having grown up together, since their mothers were besties and pregnant together, they later become frenemies due to the painful history between them. He’d hurt her deeply, years ago, so it’s hard for Chloe to believe anything coming out of his mouth. But when Oliver comes up with a business proposition, one that’s hard to resist, Chloe needs to take one last chance on him. I hated Oliver for betraying Chloe, more than once, and at the same time I kept hoping he would realize this was his last chance. He’d had too many already; her poor heart wouldn’t be able to handle another deception. I loved this story and can’t wait to see more from this series!
“Your promises mean nothing to me now. And you don’t love anyone but yourself. You never have.”
Chloe Sawyer is in charge of PR marketing for the family business, Cloverleigh Farm. They run an Inn, farm, winery and wedding venture. Chloe’s dream is to handcraft whiskey, from her own distillery, the only thing she needs is financial backing. Unfortunately, her father can’t help her; while they’re comfortable, they’ve had to work hard for everything, unlike the Pembertons, who inherited their wealth from a large family empire.
“I’ve spent so many nights cursing you for what you did. You made me feel worthless and foolish and angry. You made me hate you.”
When Chloe’s father tells her Oliver offered to invest in her dream, she’s not happy about it. The last person Chloe wanted to see was Oliver; he’d hurt and humiliated, starting in high school and college, and they had gone years without any communication between them. But the straw that broke the camel’s back was an incident seven ago, that had broken her heart. She still hadn’t forgiven him, and she needed to remind herself how much he hurt her.
“Hadn’t I known before all this started that he could not be trusted? His entire life, when had he ever demonstrated that he cared about anyone other than himself?”
Oliver Ford Pemberton grew up in his grandfather’s, father’s, and brother’s shadows, expected to follow their footsteps to Harvard and the family soap business. Instead he graduated from Tufts and after receiving his trust fund, at twenty-five, he spent years in Europe playing around before coming back home, to Michigan, and opening his own distillery five years ago. He’d tried settling down, and had been engaged to a woman his family approved of and later broke up with, but he could never forget Chloe. There’s a lot he regrets, and now he needs to eat crow and convince her to be his partner. His entire livelihood depends on it.
“Oliver has a tricky relationship with the truth, he only embraces it when it suits him.”
Oliver should have told Chloe the truth, there was more to their partnership, and he needed her more than she needed him. But he’d always been deceitful, and Chloe should have been more careful with her fragile heart. Once again she fell for him. And once again, he broke her heart.
“Tell me it’s different this time. Tell me I have nothing to be afraid of.”
From literally the first day of their lives they have been together- well at each other. Competitions and dares, names and first kisses. Chloe and Oliver are beyond stubborn! They play pranks on one another and demand uncomplicated body parts. I love this story and the slow unfold of their relationship past to present. Grandma is my favourite she is 90 and knows EVERYTHING. Collarbones, and legs aren’t the only body parts breaking.
Undeniable is the second book in the Cloverleigh Farm Series. It is the story of Chloe Sawyer and Oliver Pemberton. Knowing each other from the time they were children can make things very interesting. What happens when they continue to meet and clash? You will have to read the book to find out. I will tell you that their chemistry is undeniable.
This is a story you do not want to miss.
This is the second book in the Cloverleigh Farms Series and as a new Melanie Harlow reader I’m kicking myself for not reading her before this.
I was hooked with Chloe and Oliver’s story. Melanie did a brilliant job with their love/hate relationship. They have grown up together, they have grown up knowing how to push each others buttons. When they are reunited after a few years apart you can feel the tension between them as Chloe is really not happy to see Oliver after something he has done. Oliver, well I went back and forth between want to strangle him and loving him.
Oliver and Chloe’s road to that HEA isn’t an easy one but its one that will draw you in and make you feel it all. Its well written and paced and has left me excited to see what else Melanie has written.
I am loving the Cloverleigh Farms series by Melanie Harlow so much. In Undeniable we get the story of Oliver and Chloe and it was sweet and charming. We get to see them both in the past and in the present and how their friendship (of sorts) evolved through the years. And now Chloe needs Oliver’s help and he is the last person she wants to ask.
Oliver was not always very likable, but we get to see him grow throughout the story. Chloe is smart and independent. She works for the family and loves what she does, but also has dreams on her own. They had a history and not a good one. She knows if they work together, she will need to keep her emotions out of it. Easy, right?
Undeniable by Melanie Harlow was an enemies to lovers second chance romance. Their relationship had many ups and downs. They had great chemistry and witty banter. I am excited to see what comes next in the series.
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
So so so good! Every time I read one of her books I find a new book boyfriend. I loved reading about Oliver and Chloe! Beautiful romance. The book was everything I look for in a good read. Funny, sad, and exciting. So fun. Thank you, Melanie!
* A review copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review *
Their love is truly Undeniable!! That was the feeling I had throughout this whole book. Oliver and Chloe were meant for each other!!!
Undeniable is a frenemies to lovers second chance romance. This is the second book in Melanie’s Cloverleigh Series. Each book is a complete standalone and you could read this series in any order you want.
If you love a romance novel that has humor, sex, banter and two characters that are just meant for each other, then you want to read this book!!!
In Undeniable we follow Oliver and Chloe’s story. Their story starts when they are very young. These two characters have known each other since they were born. See their moms are best friends and had Chloe and Oliver only 2 days apart. Chloe and Oliver were similar in the way they liked to go against the rules. I loved watching these two grow into strong and independent adults. It was also fun watching their relationship grow into something more, even when they didn’t see it for themselves. I will say their road to a HEA was not an easy one and there was hurt and tears along the way, but when they finally figured it out….It was AMAZING!!!
I enjoyed seeing some of the rest of the family in this story and getting to know Oliver’s family too. I am truly looking forward to the other books in this series.
If you are looking for a frenemies to lovers story, that will have you smiling, laughing, and blushing, then pick up this newest gem from Melanie Harlow. You won’t be sorry!!!
You know going into a read it’s going to be a good one if some of your other favorite authors lived it and I Was. Not. Disappointed.
Chloe and Oliver are that set of fated lovers that just can’t seem to get it right. They’ve been ‘friends’ since they were kids; unable to deny the chemistry they have and deep understanding of one another, but still not able to fully commit to it either. They have both done hurtful things to the other, but Oliver takes the cake in my book for monumental screw ups.
They come back together for an opportunity to partner up for business and Oliver is genuinely swoony even when I want to strangle him. Chloe is completely relatable and my heart squeezes for her. This couple is on a crash course to love for certain and it’s one heck of a ride!
I am really loving this series. These are truly standalones and can be read independently as the main characters from each book only have a quick interaction with each other. I really loved this history that Oliver and Chloe share. You get snippets of their story from childhood through adolescence/young adult life in flashback chapters that are so fun to read. Their loyalty as well as their bickering and competition makes them so real. I did feel that Oliver, if this were true to life, would never have gotten Chloe to give him the million chances like she does…but I guess that’s what makes reading romance to wonderful.
This story was overall enjoyable for me. There was a lot of tension, and a lot of chemistry between the H and h, and it made for an entertaining storyline. The book flowed nicely and was easy to read. I am also a fan of the love/hate type relationship, and that is done well. Chloe was a great character with a big heart and big goals, I really liked her. Her relationship with Oliver evolved nicely, and the ending showed the maturity of the characters that seemed to be lacking because of their childhood issues.
Another fantastic book by Ms. Harlow.
I wasn’t expecting the angst, but I loved it!! It was just what the story needed and it had some tender moments and sexy times. Owen and Chloe had their past wound up with each other.
They needed time to grow up and become their own selves before committing to each other. I loved this second-chance romance. It tugged at the heartstrings.
I have recently started reading Melanie Harlow and have been loving her stories! I fell in love with her characters in Irresistible (the first book in the series, also a standalone) and haven’t been able to stop reading since! She sure knows how to write sweet, small town romances AND she can write various tropes that become readers favorites! In this one, we have an enemies-to-lovers, second chance romance, with a whole lot of heart. I loved Oliver and Chloe’s story and was rooting for the two to get their HEA from the first page! Their road to love wasn’t an easy one, the two had some trust issues to get through, but it was so worth it in the end!
If you are a fan of Melanie Harlow’s beautiful love stories then this one is a must read for you! This book IS the second in the series but CAN be read as a complete standalone. Each story follows the love story of a different sister from the Sawyer family- most of which take place at Cloverleigh Farms! I absolutely cannot WAIT to see who gets the next story because this series is easily becoming an all time favorite of mine