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bananatricky's review against another edition
4.0
Another great book in this series.
So, the backstory - three best friends (male) realise that they have dated a series of extreme (for want of a better word) women and swear a pact to avoid all women. Of course, immediately afterwards they find their one true loves.
Matt Osborn is looking after his five year old nephew Ethan while his sister Abby is away studying medicine, as part of that he has agreed to act as soccer coach to Ethan's school team.
12 years ago Matt proposed to his college sweetheart Annaliese (Anna) Fischer, he was heartbroken when she turned him down in favour of a job in London, England. At the time she told him she never wanted to get married and have children. Imagine his surprise when Ethan's new best friend Toby turns out to be Anna's son.
Anna has returned to her small town from London to look after her father who has had a nasty fall. She has taken six weeks leave from her job in London and brought her son, despite her divorce settlement saying she can't take him out of the country. The last thing she wants is to be confronted by Matt Osborn who has every right to hate her after she left him high and dry.
Despite their best efforts to avoid each other Toby and Ethan's friendship keeps bringing them together. But can they overcome the pain of the past? And should they try to reconnect when Anna is leaving in six weeks?
This was a heartwarming second-chance romance - how could it not be with two cute five year olds and dogs and cantankerous old men?
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
So, the backstory - three best friends (male) realise that they have dated a series of extreme (for want of a better word) women and swear a pact to avoid all women. Of course, immediately afterwards they find their one true loves.
Matt Osborn is looking after his five year old nephew Ethan while his sister Abby is away studying medicine, as part of that he has agreed to act as soccer coach to Ethan's school team.
12 years ago Matt proposed to his college sweetheart Annaliese (Anna) Fischer, he was heartbroken when she turned him down in favour of a job in London, England. At the time she told him she never wanted to get married and have children. Imagine his surprise when Ethan's new best friend Toby turns out to be Anna's son.
Anna has returned to her small town from London to look after her father who has had a nasty fall. She has taken six weeks leave from her job in London and brought her son, despite her divorce settlement saying she can't take him out of the country. The last thing she wants is to be confronted by Matt Osborn who has every right to hate her after she left him high and dry.
Despite their best efforts to avoid each other Toby and Ethan's friendship keeps bringing them together. But can they overcome the pain of the past? And should they try to reconnect when Anna is leaving in six weeks?
This was a heartwarming second-chance romance - how could it not be with two cute five year olds and dogs and cantankerous old men?
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
millysreads's review against another edition
3.0
I won't lie, I was more interested with the family storyline with the boys and Matt and Anna rather than Matt and Anna's love story. Though I suppose their whole characters are orientated by their desire to put the kids first so that could have been done deliberately?? That being said I did enjoy this book and loved the character relationships.
stacyroth's review against another edition
4.0
I won this book as a FirstRead.
When Matt Osborn coaches his 5-year-old nephew's soccer team, the last thing he expects is for one of the kids on his team to be the son of his college girlfriend, Anna. When Matt proposed to Anna shortly before graduation, she turned him down, saying she didn't ever see herself getting married or having kids. After graduation, Anna moved to London to work in international finance. Now, she has come back home to help her father rehabilitate after he fell and broke his leg. Matt and Anna's feelings for each other are as strong as ever; can they put them aside to put the boys first?
This is the third book in a trilogy, but it can be easily read as a standalone. This is a sweet romance, and the children are endearing without being unrealistic. I would have liked to have seen the soccer mom's reaction to Anna getting together with Matt. For all the talk of the moms when he was single, they were just completely ignored after that. My only other complaint was that the resolution with Anna's ex-husband was over the top.
When Matt Osborn coaches his 5-year-old nephew's soccer team, the last thing he expects is for one of the kids on his team to be the son of his college girlfriend, Anna. When Matt proposed to Anna shortly before graduation, she turned him down, saying she didn't ever see herself getting married or having kids. After graduation, Anna moved to London to work in international finance. Now, she has come back home to help her father rehabilitate after he fell and broke his leg. Matt and Anna's feelings for each other are as strong as ever; can they put them aside to put the boys first?
This is the third book in a trilogy, but it can be easily read as a standalone. This is a sweet romance, and the children are endearing without being unrealistic. I would have liked to have seen the soccer mom's reaction to Anna getting together with Matt. For all the talk of the moms when he was single, they were just completely ignored after that. My only other complaint was that the resolution with Anna's ex-husband was over the top.
ellesea's review
4.0
The third book in the Bachelor Brotherhood series, Always You is a standalone and a second chance romance novel.
Matt Osborn gets more attention than he wants as the coach for his nephew's soccer team. Since taking of the role, he's got used to the mothers eyeing him up at practice as they wait and watch their kids run around the pitch. When a new boy turns up for practice, he's shocked when the mother speaks to her son, because it's a voice Matt recognises and it belongs to a woman who broke his heart.
Back home in the US to look after her father, Anna Robins is also juggling life as a single mum, whilst working remotely for a UK finance company. When she takes her five-year-old son to soccer practice she's shocked to find her son's best friend Ethan is the coaches' nephew. He's also the man she walked away from to pursue her career in London.
It took a little while to get into the narrative. I was a little bit distracted in the beginning as I wondered if I'd read this novel before. Once I'd established I hadn't, the protagonists' back-story didn't keep my attention the whole time, especially the chaotic football practice scene. Yet, once I passed that mark, Matt and Anna's journey to a happy ever after begins earnestly.
With lots of feels, I was delightfully surprised by the emotion packed into the pages as the author reveals the depth of the issues that surround the protagonists. It's heartbreaking for the pair, but what really tugs at the heartstrings is the effect on the ones closest to them.
Much emotion and heartbreak are evident as two people who have always had feelings for each other, try and navigate the complexities of their current lives to try to find a way to be together. Love and sacrifice in equal measures, with unconditional love and devotion, Matt Osborn is every woman's dream and he has to convince this woman again, to take a chance on him. Anna, who has done the opposite of what she said she'd do and now living with the consequences, has to live up the reality that she can't have what she wants with the man she's always loved.
The secondary characters and fun, specifically the children. Their behaviour adds not only a fun element but a serious one too, as the little people have the most to gain and lose as the adults look for a compromise for all. The "villain" is played well too and while he's not a likeable chap, his portrayal was well done.
Overall, after a slow start Always You is an enjoyable novel with a heartfelt ending.
4 stars
***arc received courtesy of Forever via NetGalley***
Matt Osborn gets more attention than he wants as the coach for his nephew's soccer team. Since taking of the role, he's got used to the mothers eyeing him up at practice as they wait and watch their kids run around the pitch. When a new boy turns up for practice, he's shocked when the mother speaks to her son, because it's a voice Matt recognises and it belongs to a woman who broke his heart.
Back home in the US to look after her father, Anna Robins is also juggling life as a single mum, whilst working remotely for a UK finance company. When she takes her five-year-old son to soccer practice she's shocked to find her son's best friend Ethan is the coaches' nephew. He's also the man she walked away from to pursue her career in London.
It took a little while to get into the narrative. I was a little bit distracted in the beginning as I wondered if I'd read this novel before. Once I'd established I hadn't, the protagonists' back-story didn't keep my attention the whole time, especially the chaotic football practice scene. Yet, once I passed that mark, Matt and Anna's journey to a happy ever after begins earnestly.
With lots of feels, I was delightfully surprised by the emotion packed into the pages as the author reveals the depth of the issues that surround the protagonists. It's heartbreaking for the pair, but what really tugs at the heartstrings is the effect on the ones closest to them.
Much emotion and heartbreak are evident as two people who have always had feelings for each other, try and navigate the complexities of their current lives to try to find a way to be together. Love and sacrifice in equal measures, with unconditional love and devotion, Matt Osborn is every woman's dream and he has to convince this woman again, to take a chance on him. Anna, who has done the opposite of what she said she'd do and now living with the consequences, has to live up the reality that she can't have what she wants with the man she's always loved.
The secondary characters and fun, specifically the children. Their behaviour adds not only a fun element but a serious one too, as the little people have the most to gain and lose as the adults look for a compromise for all. The "villain" is played well too and while he's not a likeable chap, his portrayal was well done.
Overall, after a slow start Always You is an enjoyable novel with a heartfelt ending.
4 stars
***arc received courtesy of Forever via NetGalley***
stephaniesbookreviews's review
3.0
I received a copy of this title via NetGalley. It does not impact my review.
Always You will be available November 28, 2017.
I read the first book in this series, Only You, not too long ago and really enjoyed it. It was my first Denise Grover Swank book and her writing is a mix of romance, humor, and family and I knew I had to read more from her.
Always You follows the last man standing from the Bachelor Brotherhood, an agreement Matt and his two best friends made to give up on relationships after they all had terrible breakups. His two friends have found love and Matt has resigned himself to being single. He’s always wanted a family and is happy to have his 5 year old nephew, Ethan, living with him while his sister attends medical school out of state. He’s coaching Ethan’s soccer team when he finds out Ethan’s new best friend is the son of his old college girlfriend, Anna. The girlfriend who turned down his marriage proposal twelve years ago because she didn’t want to get married or have kids.
As you can imagine, Ethan and Anna reconcile. It took me a little while to get on board with their romance. I love a good Second Chance Romance story, but I felt like things happened just a little too easily. Matt had spent more than a decade being bitter about how Anna left and he completely thaws after just a couple of interactions. Now, I am all for forgiveness. And I can really appreciate that he realizes Anna wasn’t the only one to blame in their breakup, but it didn’t feel realistic for them to just pick up where they left off like they did. That said, I did eventually get on board and I liked them together. I also really liked the new family unit they made up with Ethan and Anna’s son, Toby. They were all so cute together and Matt was so, so sweet with the boys. I wasn’t sure about having Ethan and Toby be such a big part of the story at the beginning (I’m not a kid person, sorry), but they eventually won me over, as well.
One thing that really bugged me, though, was Anna’s issues with her ex-husband, Phillip. There were a lot of legal issues that needed to be worked out and for most of the book she was just resigned to not doing anything about it. She was a pretty strong, smart, and independent character in so many aspects, but she was such a doormat when it came to Phillip and I just didn’t understand it. She does eventually seek some help (with a fun cameo from one of the author’s previous series), though.
Overall, I enjoyed Always You. Matt is definitely one of the sweetest male leads I have read and I wish he was real. While it did take me a little bit to get into the romance and to like the kids, I did eventually get on board with all of it. There were several humorous parts, including a scene in Chuck E. Cheese that made me laugh out loud. I definitely plan on reading more books from Denise Grover Swank.
Overall Rating (out of 5): 3.5 Stars
Always You will be available November 28, 2017.
I read the first book in this series, Only You, not too long ago and really enjoyed it. It was my first Denise Grover Swank book and her writing is a mix of romance, humor, and family and I knew I had to read more from her.
Always You follows the last man standing from the Bachelor Brotherhood, an agreement Matt and his two best friends made to give up on relationships after they all had terrible breakups. His two friends have found love and Matt has resigned himself to being single. He’s always wanted a family and is happy to have his 5 year old nephew, Ethan, living with him while his sister attends medical school out of state. He’s coaching Ethan’s soccer team when he finds out Ethan’s new best friend is the son of his old college girlfriend, Anna. The girlfriend who turned down his marriage proposal twelve years ago because she didn’t want to get married or have kids.
As you can imagine, Ethan and Anna reconcile. It took me a little while to get on board with their romance. I love a good Second Chance Romance story, but I felt like things happened just a little too easily. Matt had spent more than a decade being bitter about how Anna left and he completely thaws after just a couple of interactions. Now, I am all for forgiveness. And I can really appreciate that he realizes Anna wasn’t the only one to blame in their breakup, but it didn’t feel realistic for them to just pick up where they left off like they did. That said, I did eventually get on board and I liked them together. I also really liked the new family unit they made up with Ethan and Anna’s son, Toby. They were all so cute together and Matt was so, so sweet with the boys. I wasn’t sure about having Ethan and Toby be such a big part of the story at the beginning (I’m not a kid person, sorry), but they eventually won me over, as well.
One thing that really bugged me, though, was Anna’s issues with her ex-husband, Phillip. There were a lot of legal issues that needed to be worked out and for most of the book she was just resigned to not doing anything about it. She was a pretty strong, smart, and independent character in so many aspects, but she was such a doormat when it came to Phillip and I just didn’t understand it. She does eventually seek some help (with a fun cameo from one of the author’s previous series), though.
Overall, I enjoyed Always You. Matt is definitely one of the sweetest male leads I have read and I wish he was real. While it did take me a little bit to get into the romance and to like the kids, I did eventually get on board with all of it. There were several humorous parts, including a scene in Chuck E. Cheese that made me laugh out loud. I definitely plan on reading more books from Denise Grover Swank.
Overall Rating (out of 5): 3.5 Stars
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