The new sexy contemporary romance in New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James’s Want You series, set in Minneapolis–St. Paul.Hockey player Gabriella “Gabi” Welk spent her life in pursuit of championships, but she has little to show for it besides dusty trophies and second-place medals. Now her career consists of several part-time jobs to make ends meet. When Gabi gets a chance at her dream … gets a chance at her dream job, she swallows her pride and asks her nemesis—smart, sexy and savvy Nolan Lund—for help.
Since being named future CEO of Lund Industries, Nolan has tried hard to overcome his reputation as a fun-loving playboy and ladies’ man. For the first time ever, he’s more focused on the company than his personal life. He spends his free time at the ice rink his brother owns, cheering on his niece at her hockey games…and watching Gabriella Welk, the superstar athlete and assistant coach who gets under his skin in a way he can’t ignore. He’s shocked when Gabi agrees to trade a favor for a favor.
They have little in common besides their mutual mistrust, but between family crises and sibling rivalries, Nolan and Gabi realize they want to be more than just friends—much more.
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Give me ALL of the Lorelei James!
Gabi is one sassy hockey coach and Nolan Lund annoys her….Somehow these two find a way to be frienemies and they are hiarious…texting lead to some flirting …. Gabi wants to make a career change but when she is accused of lying she falls apart… Nolan is upset with Lund Inc and makes decisions that will affect his life and he holds his head high!
Such a fun story of just another fabulous Lund!
This is the 2nd book in this amazing series and is Nolan and Gabi’s story. Gabi was a star hockey player who works several jobs in order to make ends meet, and she is currently the assistant coach of a hockey team. Nolan is the sexy playboy CEO of Lund Industries and enjoys spending his free time at the ice rink which his bother owns cheering on his niece playing ice hockey. Nolan is Gabi’s nemesis, and I loved how their relationship develops from enemies/ friends / lovers. This is a well written tale which is fun and heartfelt, and with witty banter, and drama, which all lead to a captivating and riveting read. I look forward to reading more from this author whose work I highly recommend for all readers.
Sacrificing for love is what Gabi is used to. Being looked as one of the guys is the other. When you play and coach professional and Club Hockey, people tend to put you in a category that sticks and hurts. Not being seen for the woman you are but the sport you play is a hard stigma to over come.
Smart and a bit of a player, Nolan, despite his genius is not taken seriously in his family. This creates a different kind of wall he has built around his heart and ego.
A enemies to frenemies to lovers is what these two head strong and competitive people give us in this passionately romantic and inspiring read. A great getaway read to help you escape the our new normal. A trip on the ice when Hockey has been away mixed with the romance I crave. PERFECTION!
Want You to Want Me is the long-anticipated 2nd book in the Want You series by Lorelei James and another hit featuring the Lund Family. These stories stand perfectly fine on their own however I love revisiting characters from past stories.
Having already met both Gabi and Nolan in earlier stories I was on pins and needles waiting for the chance to finally read their story. Wowza! Talk about a slow burn. This story certainly did not disappoint. Every time Ms. James releases a new Lund story I keep thinking ooh this is the best yet and she keeps setting the bar higher and higher each time. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next!
Nolan is the last person Gabi expected to become friends with. He’s a fashionable billionaire playboy and she’s just Gabi, hockey player extraordinaire who could care less about fashion, but deeply cares about the kids she coaches, and where her career is heading now that she’s retired professionally. As the two frenemies become more friend than enemy an attraction burns between them. But can these two opposites possibly make a relationship work when she might be leaving for a new job, and he’s very definitely sticking around trying to prove himself at the family’s legacy corporation?
I adored this twist on the billionaire/sports romance. I love that Gabi is the athlete and Nolan is the metro fasionista. And I love that the slow burn turns hot at the right time and burns hot enough to melt the ice in Gabi’s rink. Sports and romance is certainly done right in this frenemies to lovers slow burn romance.
Another winner from Lorelei James. She knows perfectly how to draw you into a family series. “Want You To Want Me” is the newest in the Want You series and focuses on the Lund family.
What I liked best in this book is how James presents a realistic story. Not every family member is treated the same and having someone on the “bottom” freeing themselves and becoming their own person was very heartwarming.
I have never been disappointed in any of Lorelei ames’ books and you will do right by reading what ever she writes. I just counted 44 books by Lorelei James in my Kindle Library and can’t wait to add to that number!
In a sports world, hockey to be more specific, we have Gabi who is shifting out of being a player to something on the other side of that world. Nolan is a business man who is only in that world because of his brother Jax. The two have a bit of a turbulent history, that is not made better when Nolan witnesses Gabi getting dumped… for her sister, and then after Gabi is witness to Nolan making sure it’s known that she is definitely not his type as he prefers a more womanly woman. Somehow even after all that, the two end up being friends of sorts, and Nolan realizes just how wrong he is, Gabi is all woman and more than enough woman for him. But has he lost that chance, is he permanently friend zoned? What happens when Gabi finally gets the job she was hoping for, but has to move for it?
So I picked this up on the heels of a McKay/West binge read, I wasn’t ready to leave a world that Lorelei James had created and this was new so I thought win/win. This could not have been more different. It was almost as if it was done by a different person. I am not gonna lie… some parts were super boring, and then it would pick up and be interesting for a bit. Like a seesaw of sorts. It really hurts to say that this was just an ok read, but this is def not my last read by this author. I give this 3.5 stars.
Nolan Lund-Prince of Lund Industries. Known for his style and for always having a different woman on his arm. Sometimes feels like second string in his own family (the spare heir)
Gabi- Hockey player for the national and Olympic team. Huge sense of responsibility for providing for other people’s happiness., even if it means giving up her dreams. Hard worker not sure what her life looks like outside of being a hockey player.
This is more than just a basic love story of two people coming together. This is also a perfect example about how we need to sometime shed our first impressions of people and discover who they are. This is also a story about how sometimes when we finally allow ourselves to be open to the possibility of love it will not only be amazing but help us find true happiness in all aspects of our lives.
I love the complex characters James’ writes. No two stories are the same. Every Character has something that is holding them back from being their best selves and finding their true happiness. I could relate to Gabi so much. When she was pursuing her dreams to play hockey at the highest level her family made her feel bad for her choices, calling her selfish and not supporting her. As time went on, she slowly started to allow those words to dictate how she went on in her life. She put her dream of making the Olympic team a third time to bed so that her sister had a shot at place on the team. You can just tell from page one the unrest in Gabi’s life. It isn’t until she is forced to rethink her first impressions of Nolan that she realizes she deserves better from life then what she has allowed herself to have.
I never really connected to Nolan in previous books where he made appearances. But right from jump in his own story you realize that he has been playing a supporting character his own life. You get the feeling he is at a crossroads with his job, his family, and relationships. There is also a kindness about him we haven’t seen previous. He is a caretaker. He really prioritizes his family. What makes Nolan sexy isn’t his clothing or amazing body it is heart. He cares deeply for those in his life. If you are lucky enough to be loved by Nolan, you are one of the luckiest people in the world. He would move heaven and Earth to help you find your own happiness sometimes to the detriment of his own.
This was a 4/5 read for me. I really love the Lund Family. I loved this story. I do feel like some of the battles Nolan was fighting in the corporate side of his life kind of just got tossed in there to keep the Lund connection. It kind of comes out of nowhere a few more hints of the problems brewing would have helped the story a ton and made it a more natural flow in the story line.
From the beginning of the series, Gabi and Nolan have been known for their bickering. The playboy billionaire and the hardworking Olympic hockey star rarely see eye-to-eye. Nolan walks into his brother’s rink and catches the tail end of Gabi’s break up with her boyfriend. Despite being frenemines, Nolan takes her out to help her forget her bad night. Only he makes her night worse when he says some insensitive things about her. When Gabi calls Nolan out, they finally turn a corner. The two bond over others’ preconceived notions of them.
Their relationship starts through a series of witty text messages that become a basis for a true friendship. While they appear to be opposites, the two realize that they have a lot in common. Both are at a crossroads in their careers, feel the weight of family obligations, and want to be seen for who they are instead of people’s misconceptions. Additionally, both have loving but troubled sibling relationships. The slow burn of their romance allows you to enjoy their courtship. When these two finally get together, it is explosive.
I loved Gabi and Nolan’s story. Gabi is a strong, independent woman who has had to rely on herself since she was twelve. Nolan is a sexy charmer who realizes that he doesn’t want to settle for what’s given to him. The two encourage each other as well as holding each other accountable. I particularly loved that Gabi and Nolan are so vulnerable with each other while loving and accepting each other as they are.
This book is a great addition to the two series focused on the Lund family. This heartwarming story of an unlikely couple is a must read!
I received a free ARC copy of this book from the author prior to release and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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This is Nolan Lund’s book and it was absolutely wonderful. It stars Gabi Welk and its very much a slow burn, friends to lovers, opposites attracting romance in the world of hockey and Lund Enterprises.
It is part of a series and I suggest you read the whole series as there are lots of side characters and their spouses and you might be lost when the story talks about them or in scenes they are prominent in. That said we don’t know a whole lot about Nolan or Gabi until this book, so it can also easily stand alone.
Gabi works with Nolan’s brother Jax as a coach for some of his hockey teams at his ice skating arena. She is strong, yough woman with a heart of gold but dresses for comfort rather than fashion.
Nolan works at his families company as a CEO to be and he feels extraneous. He is also very much into fashion and looking good. He runs into Gabi one night at his brothers rink and they form a truce and friendship of sorts until he hurts her feelings.
After he apologises they end up wanting to let the other one in and an attraction forms. But can Nolan be into a tomboy who has no fashion sense and can Gabi be into a guy who always dresses for success?
This was an awesome story and I absolutely adored Nolan and Gabi together. They are a fun and exciting couple and I was never bored with them. In fact the only thing I hated was that this book ended.
Loved this! Want You To Want Me pits a fashion plate, beautiful workaholic against a no nonsense hockey player and turns it upside down…. perfectly! Gabi and Nolan succeed in bringing out the best in each other and, in the process, are a part of a fabulous, slow burn romance which completely won me over. I love both of them! Their behaviour and appearance both hide/reveal their warm caring hearts and I found myself laughing at their banter and relishing the breaking down of their self imposed barriers. A fabulous read which goes straight to my favourites list
I love sports romance books, even better when the heroine is the sporty spice. Gabi the star hockey player, and Nolan the Billionaire CEO.
Gabi is just coming off a breakup from her boyfriend, that unfortunately Nolan hears how it all goes down. Throw in a friends to lovers, and I’m addicted. She’s not normally his type, but there was just something about Gabi he couldn’t get enough of. This is a slow burn romance, that will keep you reading to get to the steamy parts…wink, wink. There is quite a build up of these characters, it was fun to see how Nolan starts to see her as more than his enemy/friend, but someone he can truly love.
Now I need to go back and read the first book in the series, I can’t wait for the next book.
I was very intrigued by this book and it did not disappoint! I loved these 2! the hockey side of it was amazing too!
4.5 Amazing stars
For me, the name Lorelei James is synonymous with hot cowboys who know how to treat their women, so Want You To Want Me was a complete surprise… and a good one at that!
The story of Gabi and Nolan is surprisingly sweet and, at times, sad. I loved the way these characters really got to know each other and absolutely had each others’ backs.
Want You To Want Me is a bit of a mixed bag going from enemies to friends and from there to lovers but it’s accomplished seamlessly and you won’t want to put this book down.
Although a standalone, this is obviously part of a wider ‘Lund Family’ saga.
Want You To Want Me can absolutely be judged on its own merits and won’t be found lacking.
***5 ‘Charming & Happy’ Stars***
I absolutely loved Gabi and Nolan’s story. My cheeks are hurting from how much grinning I was doing while watching these two go from frenemies to each other’s everything and I was quite disappointed when I got to then because I didn’t want to say good-bye.
Gabi and Nolan were everything. Gabi is sweet, sassy and at a bit of a crossroads in her life. I loved how passionate she was when it came to hockey and supporting it in every way. Nolan surprised me, in a good way. He doesn’t shy away from the fact that he grew with a silver spoon in his mouth, and he may come off as a bit aloof, but he is so much more. I loved seeing how much he cares about his family ~ all of them ~ and how he had no issue with giving credit where credit was due or admitting when he did something wrong. That, along with a whole bunch of charm, totally did it for me.
Their journey to their HEA was a lot of fun. Their bantering, whether it be face to face or via text, was a lot of fun and I loved how they continued to surprise each other with their actions and show the other who they were beneath the surface. The chemistry between them was HAWT and I just really liked how they communicated and didn’t think that either could read minds. They have a few bumps in their road, but I liked how it all worked out for them in the end.
This was a fun read. It was low on angst, but there was enough drama mixed in to keep things interesting. One of they reasons I’m a fan girl of the author is how she brings the family dynamic to life. All the various interactions and relationships give a lot of depth to the story and really gives the reader a well rounded view of all the characters, which tends to have me wanting more. While I enjoyed hanging out with the Lunds, Dallas is still my fav and I cannot wait to get my hands on her book, but Q kind stole the show and I’m hoping we’ll get to see him again in future books!
~ Copy provided by SBPR & voluntarily reviewed ~
ça faisait longtemps qe je n’avais pas lu une romance avec un gars des bureaux qui donc gagne des milles et des cents. Force est de constater que s’ils sont tous les deux attachants et que j’ai adoré l’histoire de notre héroïne, j’ai trouvé que parfois c’était un peu long. J’étais pourtant curieuse de voir comment les choses allaient se terminer, j’ai adoré l’intrigue autour d’eux et leurs décisions qui sont assez étonnantes. Le final nous apporte toutes les réponses que l’on pouvait en attendre, j’ai aimé le fait qu’ils ne sautent pas de suite dans un lit mais que l’autrice prenne le temps de construire leur histoire. C’est donc entre un peu de lassitude et beaucoup de curiosité que j’ai alterné ! Et j’ai adoré cette fin <3
This is definitely my favorite book of the summer. Loved Gabi, a female hockey player and coach. and love Nolan Lund. This was just the enemies to love story, it is funny and sweet. The text conversations were wonderful. I just want to read it again. Get this it is great.
Want You To Want Me by Lorelei James is book 2 in the Want You series. This stars Nolan Lund, future CEO of the Lund Industries. He’s been the playboy billionaire, the spare waiting in the wings for his brother to take his place in the company. Then his brother rejects his position in LI and Nolan must take it. No one takes him seriously at LI due to his past reputation and he fills he must do double duty to earn respect from his cousins and family.
Gabriela Welk, former Olympic hockey player, is at a crossroads in her life. Her boyfriend just broke with her for her sister. She is looking for a new career path. Her and Nolan have always had a little animosity toward each other over misconceptions of the recent past. After he apologizes for his mistakes, their competitive spirit grabs hold of them. They find themselves having fun and become friends. Always a snappy dresser, Nolan helps Gabi prepare her wardrobe for a once in a lifetime job interview. Friendship quickly escalates to love and relationship.
Nolan and Gabi are the perfect couple. They have a witty banter and I loved their text messages to each other. Nolan is sexy, smart, and charming. Gabi is tough but vulnerable, selfless, and beautiful. Lorelei James never fails to amaze me with her writing. Her stories remain fresh, heartwarming and brilliant. I wanted to continue reading more about Nolan and Gabi even though their story was over. They are one of my top Lorelei couples.
When opposites attract, sparks will fly! At least that’s the case for women’s hockey player, Gabi Welk & sharp-dressed ladies man, Nolan Lund. This book is another hit in the Lund family series. It was so fun to read about how these two went from total dislike of each other to madly in love & as well as the ups & downs of building their careers & their lives together.