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Sunday, June 7, 2015

4 Star Review: Next to Me (Love Happens #1) by Jodi Watters

The past is hot on her heels...

On the run and out of options, a desperate Ali Ross knows two things for sure... 


Her ugly past will eventually catch up to her. And when it does, she'll need a strong and loyal man to help her face the danger head on or risk losing everything.

Looking for love and having no luck, former Army Ranger Sam Gleeson knows two things for sure...

His beautiful new neighbor is under his skin. And no matter what secrets she's keeping, her seductive sweetness is wreaking havoc on his hardened heart.

Hiding from a violent ex-husband, Ali knows the law can't help her. She also knows someone like Sam can. Fearing her freedom, she hatches a shamelessly impulsive plan that's as old as time. She's willing to do anything to ensure her safety, and that includes doing the sexy soldier next door. But when their searing chemistry unexpectedly bonds them together, Ali's hidden agenda seals an unimaginable fate.





My Review

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 


Ali is hiding...kind of. Recently divorced from her abusive currently incarcerated husband and starting over again, she knows that eventually her ex husband will find her. While looking at one particular house, she finds out that the real estate agents' brother lives next door. And what do you know, this brother happens to be ex-military and now runs a security company. Perfect! Ali concocts a plan that will bring Sam into her life so if her ex returns, Sam will be there to protect her. 

Six weeks after Ali moves into the house, she has a "chance" encounter with Sam. While having his morning run, Sam stops to talk to Ali and the two plan to meet up later that night. Sam goes to Ali's house that night and after some small talk, the two end up sleeping together. And it is HOT. These two have great chemistry and while Ali knows that her plan is working, she can't help but feel that maybe this isn't a good idea. 

But it isn't long before Ali and Sam are in a relationship, even if she doesn't want to admit it. Sam clearly has feelings for Ali and Ali is definitely developing genuine feelings for Sam.   They are spending a lot of time together and despite the fact that there are multiple times when she could have told Sam the truth, she doesn't. I found that to be very frustrating and I knew that the truth would eventually come out and it would probably be bad. All she had to do was tell him the truth and I'm sure Sam would have understood.  

I loved Sam. He is just a good guy, which is probably why I was so frustrated with Ali not telling him the truth. He fell for her so quickly and had no idea that Ali was keeping a HUGE secret from him. I just kept thinking "Oh my god! Just tell him. He will understand!" 

When Ali's fears come to fruition, things get intense. I got frustrated with Sam's reaction, but at the same time I understood it. But luckily Sam realizes the situation is far more dire than he originally thought and makes the right choice. 
“I love you, Ali.” His words, said softly against her ear, brought her out of her musings.
Standing, she took his hand and he rose to his feet. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she buried her nose in his masculine, musky smelling throat. “That’s good since I love you.”
“So prove it,” he said, his teasing words carrying in the breeze. “Scream it to the world.”
Ali smiled, looking up and down the lively beach before leaning into him and whispering hotly into his ear. “I love you, Sam Gleeson.”
Hands resting low on her hips, he chuckled and pulled her close. “You were supposed to yell, Ali-cat. Why did you whisper it to me?”
Her tiptoes dug into the sand as she stretched up to kiss him sweetly, nipping at his bottom lip before running her palm along his handsome, precious face. “Because you are my world.”
Say it with me, "Awwwwwwwww." 

I like that this is a series (I love a good series. Especially when it involves sexy, ex-military, alpha men.) I loved Sam's coworkers and can't wait to read their stories. In the middle of this book Sam and his friend Asher talk about a fellow military man that they want to come work for them. We get a description of him and I IMMEDIATELY sent the author a tweet to see if he was going to show up again and he is getting his own book! Yay!
Jason Reynolds was an active duty Navy SEAL and about the biggest bad ass Sam had ever come across. Hardened to everything, he was worse than Asher when it came to showing emotions and building relationships, and that was saying something. Ash was hardhearted. Jason was plain and simple hardcore. And for some goddamn reason, the ladies loved him. In their younger days, when they all happened to be stateside, they’d hit up a seedy bar for a few games of pool and a few too many tequila shooters. Jason would do his thing, showing little regard for the female attention directed his way. Stalking around the pool table, making bank shot after bank shot, he’d fend off the more aggressive women who dared to approach using only a subtle but unmistakable shake of his head. And some of those women had been damn fine. He drew all kinds, from the leather miniskirt and fishnets type to the buttoned up blouse and low black pumps, repressed kind. More often than not, he left alone at the end of the night, but when he didn’t, it was a sight to see how little work he had to put in, to get a woman to put out. One night in particular had gone down in history, with Sam and Ash watching in awe. Finishing his last beer, Jason had simply tipped the empty bottle toward a brunette sitting at a barstool a good fifty feet away. She’d been watching the table and it hadn’t gone unnoticed, but she wasn’t one of the unlucky who’d approached, only to get the hard brush off from the guy they called Tin Man. Without hesitation, the woman had signed her credit card slip and walked toward the door, waiting patiently while Jason threw down a few bills to cover their tab before walking to the exit, opening the door so the brunette could precede him out and presumable toward a conveniently located hotel. She had accepted his wordless invitation without so much as a how do you do.
YES PLEASE!

Amazon buy link: http://amzn.com/B00OME9OQQ

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