Yours All AlongLoving on the Edge #7.5
By:
Roni Loren
Release Date:
June 16, 2015
Publisher:
InterMix
Add to
Goodreads
Source:
eARC from publisher for a honest review
GR's Summary:
The new Loving on the Edge romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Nothing Between Us turns on the heat between two men who wonder how much they’re willing to risk in the name of love.
Four years after an accident tore their friendship apart, Hunter and Devon are living separate lives. Hunter is now the all-America hero—a congressman’s son and a pro pitcher in Houston preparing to marry his beauty-queen girlfriend. Devon is in Dallas running a new restaurant.
But when Hunter unexpectedly shows up in Devon’s bar, Devon can’t turn him away. Damn it if the man isn’t still gorgeous. But engaged? Hell no. All he’s doing for Devon is bringing back memories of their college-roommate days, and the night their relationship went too far. Turns out Hunter has never forgotten it either.
Now Devon can’t help but be drawn in all over again by the only guy who’s ever gotten close enough to break his heart. Maybe one more night together would be enough for both of them to finally move on. Or maybe one night will change everything…
My Thoughts:
Roni Loren sure knows how to write sexy! She builds up that sweet anticipation between her characters, gives us a strong emotional connection, and gives her readers exactly what they want!
Yours All Along is a novella about Hunter and Devon. It begins in the present time, flashes to the past, and ends in the present. Currently, Hunter is a successful star baseball pitcher for the Astros, and engaged to a former beauty queen. Between his star status, and the fact that his father is a congressman, has lead every aspect of Hunter's life to be in the public eye. It's three months until Hunter's upcoming nuptials, and he feels stressed and trapped. His fiancee, Macy, sends him away on a vacation to Dallas, so that he can get rested up.
While in Dallas, Hunter goes to visit his former best friend, Devon. They haven't seen each other in four years. Devon is currently running a successful restaurant and is not in a relationship. The story than flashes back to four years in the past, and we learn what ended such an important friendship. Needless to say, I was riveted! As I learned about Hunter and Devon's past, I felt for both of these characters; Hunter, who was very confused, didn't know what he wanted, and was scared to break away from his family, as well as Devon, who was strong in his identity, and in love with his best friend.
Hunter and Devon had a very special friendship. I was pulling for a HEA for both of them, and genuinely loved both of these characters. Yours All Along, was a fast-paced story, about finding yourself, the strong bonds of friendship, true love, courage, and triumph.
I highly recommend it! Call on Me is the next story in the Loving on the Edge series, and will focus on Devon's younger sister, Oakley. We briefly met her in this novella, and I am excited to get to know her better. I am also hoping to get more Hunter and Devon in her story, because I'm not ready to let these two characters go yet!
My Rating:
I give, Yours All Along, by Roni Loren, 4.5 Self-Discovery, Special Bond, Sensual, "One of a Kind Love" Filled Stars! Ms. Loren never disappoints!
Book Excerpt:
Hunter smirked, and they trudged toward the frat house, the wind seeming to get harder and colder as they walked. Where the hell did California get off having this kind of weather anyway?
But the chill only got marginally better when they slipped inside the front door of the house. Hunter’s breath came out in a white puff. “What the fuck?”
Ames, one of the brothers who’d run ahead of him, stepped out of the kitchen, coffee mug in hand. “Looks like we weren’t the only ones pranking tonight. Heat’s been cut off and some jerkoff threw all of our blankets and bedding into the pool.”
“What?” Dev asked, looking up the staircase.
“Maintenance can’t get out here until the morning. I’m heading over to my girlfriend’s apartment. You might want to find a place to crash, too, or plan on sleeping in your coats tonight.” He patted Dev on his way to the door. “Nice work tonight, gentlemen.”
Devon watched Ames go and then both he and Hunter vaulted up the stairs to their room. When they pushed open the door, they both cursed simultaneously.
“Motherfuck.”
“Son of a bitch.”
Devon’s bed had been completely stripped down to the mattress, and a bag of ice from the local gas station had been opened up and spread across it. A note pinned to the headboard read, Sigmas wet the bed.
Hunter’s bed was stripped as well, but apparently they’d run out of ice because instead of the full ice bath, all of Hunter’s underwear were strewn across the bed, and baby powder had been dumped all over them. His note read, Sigmas shit their pants. Hunter stalked over and swept the laundry from his bed, sending a powdery cloud wafting through the room. “Bastards.”
Devon coughed. “At least your bed is mostly dry. And smells baby fresh.”
Hunter looked over at the mess on Devon’s side of the room. “No shit. No way you can sleep on that. Let’s get all of that off of yours so it can dry out. I’ve got extra blankets and pillows in the closet. You can share my bed tonight.”
Devon lifted a brow. “You’re not even going to buy me dinner first? What kind of boy do you think I am?”
Hunter grabbed an ice cube and chucked it at him. “Shut it, Easton. You’re lucky I’m not making you sleep on the petri couch.”
Ugh, no way. Devon shuddered at the thought of putting any exposed skin on the main couch downstairs. Two decades of parties, hookups, and God knows what else on that fabric. “Screw that. I think the floor in the bathroom is cleaner than that couch. But seriously, you sure you’re okay with sharing a bed? I mean, if you’re weirded out by that or you’re worried about what the other guys will say, I’m not going to be offended. I can find somewhere to crash.”
“With one of your on-again, off-again boyfriends?”
“
No, I don’t have boyfriends. Too much work. I have acquaintances who I occasionally do dirty things with.”
Hunter sniffed. “No need to go whore yourself out for a bed to sleep in. I’m fine. Just don’t steal my covers, ’cause it’s fucking frigid in here.”
Hunter walked over to the closet and dumped out a laundry bin, lined it with a garbage bag, and then brought it over to Devon’s bed to start moving the ice into it. They worked in silence for a while, just the clink of the ice hitting the plastic container filling the room, but the quiet was anything but calm for Devon. He was going to share a bed with Hunter. They’d roomed together for almost a year. Things were comfortable. Good. Devon admired without crossing any lines. But it was going to be fucking torture sharing that small bed with the warm, hard body of the university’s favorite athlete.
About Roni Loren:
Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. After earning a master’s degree in social work from LSU, she worked in a mental hospital, counseled birthmothers as an adoption coordinator, and did management recruiting in her PJs. But she always returned to writing. Though she’ll forever be a New Orleans girl at heart, she now lives in Dallas with her husband and son. If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her reading, watching reality television, or indulging in her unhealthy addiction to rockstars concerts. She is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of The Loving on the Edge series.
Sounds like an emotional one. Glad you didn't to let these characters go. Those are the best books.
ReplyDeleteYours All Along sounds really good, Lindy! I love emotional reads, and if there's some sexytimes and good characters as well, I'm pretty much sold from the start.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Wednesday :)
Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews
Oh wow Lindy, that is high praise for a novella. The chemistry and emotions along with the heat make this sound like a read I would enjoy. Does this work as standalone?
ReplyDeleteI loved this novella, but my one sticking point was it ended way to abruptly and the next story doesn't get much into these two's lives as they are side characters. I wanted more! Great review.
ReplyDeleteAh, hey, I love it to read a review on a book I also got to read. I loved these guys, too. Wasn't the fiancee' easy to dislike? Oh, I definitely want more of them in the next book.
ReplyDelete