Friday, March 3, 2017

Wendy's Review of If You Were Mine by Melanie Harlow ~ BLOG TOUR ~

If You Were Mine, an all-new sexy and emotional standalone from USA Today Bestselling author Melanie Harlow is now available!

If You Were Mine

by Melanie Harlow

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Theo MacLeod wasn’t supposed to be the one.

Tall, dark and handsome suits me just fine, but the cocky grin, know-it-all attitude, and mammoth ego? No thanks. I only hired him so I wouldn’t have to sit at the singles table again. It was just pretend.

He wasn’t supposed to kiss me.

My heart wasn’t supposed to pound.

We weren’t supposed to spend the night together—the hottest night of my life.

One night turns into a snowed-in weekend away, and even the blizzard of the century can’t cool the fire between us. I can’t get enough—of his smile, of his body, of the way he makes me feel.

We’re nothing alike. He’s a daredevil, and I’m a nervous Nellie. He’s a drifter, and I want to put down roots. He’s an opportunist with a checkered past, and I’m a Girl Scout volunteer.

But none of it matters when I’m in his arms.

I know he’s made mistakes. I know his wounds are deep, and he doesn’t trust easily. I know he doesn’t believe he could ever be enough to make me happy, but he could.

All he has to do is stay.

Excerpt:

A guy in a black leather jacket set a coffee cup down on the table and sat opposite me. I looked over at him, feeling slightly awkward since I’d have to tell him he couldn’t sit there. He was handsome, with warm brown eyes and short dark hair, but he wasn’t Fred. “I’m sorry, I’m waiting for someone,” I said. “But I can move.” To my surprise, he smiled confidently. “Claire, right? I’m Fred.” I screwed up my face. “You can’t be. Fred has blond hair and blue eyes. I saw his picture.” He laughed, almost condescendingly. “I don’t use my real picture, Claire. People are crazy.” What? This made no sense. “I don’t understand. How can you advertise yourself with someone else’s photo? Don’t women get mad when you show up?” He shrugged, his grin turning a little cocky. “Haven’t had any complaints so far.” Actually, he was more attractive than the photo he’d used online—more rugged and masculine, with his scruffy jaw, big shoulders, and brawny chest. Meeting the real Fred was kind of like ordering the chicken piccata and being brought the Porterhouse, which hadn’t even been on the menu. But that wasn’t the point. (And I’d described someone completely different to Elyse.) “So, what, you use a fake photo to lure potential clients and then you set up the coffee meeting to check them out first?” I asked indignantly. “Wouldn’t you?” He shrugged out of his jacket. “It’s a scary world out there.” I crossed my arms, sitting up tall. “No! That’s a scam. I don’t like scammers.” “No, it isn’t. I don’t take any money from them. I don’t even talk to them, I just leave.” Frowning, I said, “That doesn’t seem right to me. These people are willing to pay you to hang out with them and probably feel bad enough about themselves already, and you just walk out without even giving them a chance?” He shrugged. “Look, if it makes you feel any better, I’ve only walked off a job once, and that was because I thought I recognized the woman. I prefer to keep my personal and professional identities separate. That’s fair, isn’t it?” Professional identity? He was a rent-a-date! I shook my head in disbelief. “Is your name even Fred?” “Does it matter?” “Yes,” I snapped. “How am I supposed to know what to call you?” He grinned as he leaned toward me and lowered his voice. “Call me anything you want. You’re the boss.” Was he flirting with me or making fun of me? I cleared my throat and pressed my knees tighter together. “I’d like to call you by your actual name, please. Bad enough I have to pay someone to play my fake boyfriend. I’d like something to be real, at least.” He held his eyes steady on mine for a moment. I felt like he was sizing me up, trying to decide if he could trust me, so I stared right back without blinking. If anyone at this table was trustworthy, it was me. “Theo,” he said quietly, his eyes dropping to my lips for the merest fraction of a second. “My name is Theo.” There. Was that so hard? I smiled at him before picking up my latte.“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Theo.” “What, you’re just going to believe me? You’re much too trusting, Claire. I bet people take advantage of you.” I set the cup back down on the saucer with an angry clank. “Is your name Theo or not?” “Shhh, it is, it is,” he said, laughing. Then he glanced over his shoulder like he was in the fucking CIA. “But I don’t give that out to just anyone. You should feel special.”

REVIEWED BY WENDY

4 stars

I really enjoyed this story. It was full of sweet, sexy, and funny moments. I was fully invested in the characters and their storyline.

Claire hires Theo to accompany her to a wedding so that she wouldn’t have to go alone. But what they didn’t account for was the intense chemistry that they have. As the story progresses, how will things play out for these two? I loved everything about this book. From the writing to the pacing to the characters and everything in between, this was a fantastic story! Claire and Theo were great characters that readers could relate with. I just felt for them as I learned more and was itching to see how everything would turn out. Theo had his issues but overall he was a sweetheart and Claire was wonderful. I liked how their relationship went-the care and love that was demonstrated between the two had me rooting for them hardcore. Ahh these two were just so adorable together and lovable. I also liked seeing Claire’s friends Jamie and Margot again. They were just the right amount of fun in the book. I was smiling and swooning throughout it all and I was just really loving it. Overall, this was a great read that romance readers will love.

Read Today!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2kyu7kK

Amazon UK: https://goo.gl/bgtL5b

iTunes: https://goo.gl/vBw5E5

Nook: https://goo.gl/e16nAD

Add to Goodreads: https://goo.gl/zqceTQ

About the Author:

Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she's not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like VEEP, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and Homeland. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak. Melanie is the author of the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, the FRENCHED series, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY duet, set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

Connect with Melanie:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelanieHarlow/?fref=ts

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1NPkYKs

Twitter: @MelanieHarlow2

Website: http://www.melanieharlow.com

Sign up for Melanie’s Newsletter: http://www.melanieharlow.com/subscribe/

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About Maegan

Hey there! I'm Maegan and I am also a book whore... Seriously, I'm pretty sure I should be in some sort of rehab for this. Book Whore's Anonymous or something! I have a huge list of book boyfriends and it seems I find a new one every time I read. (Which, unfortunately, isn't very often anymore.) Amie and I have a great time running this blog, hosting tours, generally getting to know the readers, authors, and promoters in the industry. A little about me, hmm... let's see. Well, I was a huge reader. From childhood, I loved the escape of reading. Being the middle of three kids, I was always the quiet one. While my older brother and younger sister fought for attention, I curled up in my room with a book. After high school, I fell out of reading as much. Life just became different, as it does for all of us. Then I went to college in my mid-twenties and who had time to read anything but school texts between classes and two jobs. I was also an assistant Girl Scout leader for my young cousins troop. The leader had been telling me for months that I needed to read Twilight. There was so much hype surrounding those books (The first movie had just come out on DVD at the time) and I refused over and over. Finally, we were at camp one weekend and it was the first time that the girls were officially in charge of everything. From rotating teams in the kitchen to clean up, the girls did it all and we were bored out of our minds. Finally, a van full of us went into the nearest town and raided a Wal Mart for books and cards to play games. The leader talked me into buying Twilight. I started it that afternoon and couldn't put it down. I stayed up til lights out and could barely sleep because I wanted to keep reading. The best part was, the girls were so excited. They were all running up to me all day asking me what part I was at. Their excitement fueled my own. That is what got me excited about reading again. The story was good, I enjoyed it, but the passion for reading was really brought back through the eyes of sixteen twelve-year-olds who loved sharing something they enjoyed with me. Maybe that's why I love sharing what I enjoy now!

About Amie

Hi there , My name is Amie and I am a book whore through and through !! My list of book boyfriends is miles long and I really hate to share any of them but I will !! I am a stay home mom , 2 beautiful daughters and a loving tattooed hubby who drives me crazy !! I am loving this blog thing and of course I am so happy to be meeting all these fabulous authors and bloggers. I was never a big fan of reading , most of what I read was in school , then in my early 20's I started reading books about the bands I listened to and eventually a few friends broke me down and made me read Twilight !! I fell in love and after months of reading and re-reading the series I opened up to other options and now read daily and would probably go crazy if I did not have a list of books to read each week !! Thanks for checking out our blog !!

Meet our REVIEW TEAM !!

WENDY -

Hi I’m Wendy and I’m from NJ. Reading is one of my favorite things to do. I will read anything as long as the blurb grabs my attention and the story is good. I have always been a reader since I got my first library card. I did stop when I was older because of school but was finally able to get back into it a couple of years ago. Now I just can’t stop and I am completely happy to be a book whore smile emoticon I love being a part of this blog-everyone is so nice and I have made really great friends.

AMY -

My name is Amy W., and I am a book addict. I will never forget the day I came home from junior high school to find my mom waiting for me with one of the Harlequin novels from my stash. As she was gearing up for the “you shouldn’t be reading this” lecture, I told her the characters get married in the end. I’m just glad she didn’t find the Bertrice Small book hidden in my closet. I have diverse reading tastes, evident by the wide array of genres on my Kindle. As I made the transition to an e-reader, I found myself worrying that something could happen to it. As a result, I am now the proud owner of four Kindles — all different kinds, but plenty of back-ups!

Fifty Shades of Grey gets high marks on my favorites list — not for character development or dialogue (definitely not!), but because it blazed new ground for those of us who believe provocative fiction is more than just an explicit cover. Sylvia Day, Lexi Blake and Alexx Andria are some of my favorite authors. Speaking of diverse tastes, I also enjoy Christine Feehan, Iris Johansen and J.A. Konrath. Give me something with a well-defined storyline, add some suspense (or spice), and I am a happy reader. Give me a happily ever after, and I am downright giddy.

SHERI -

My name is Sheri from New Orleans and I will reading anything that has a HEA (I don't do well with sad endings), a macho Alpha Male or something with a strong female lead. I go absolutely crazy for any type of book that involves a MC (being a biker's wife its a lifestyle I kinda understand) or anything that deals with emotionally broken characters. I got into the reading game kinda late in life. I couldn't stand to read when I was younger but now I rather read a book than watch tv. I love being a part of this fine group of ladies and only wish we were all in the same city.

JILL -

I started reading at a ridiculously early age and have never really stopped. Growing up, I of course complained about the required reading but secretly loved the happily ever afters as opposed to the tragedies. While everyone else was blowing off the Lit classes in high school I looked forward to them. Then the real world stepped in and reading was not so fun anymore between work/school/family obligations it fell by the wayside. My wonderful "techie" hubby bought me the first generation Sony e-reader for Christmas one year and the rest is pretty much history. I have gone through three Sony e-readers and two kindles since then and read books from every genre under the sun. I am the only girl in a house full of boys that know undoubtedly that all women (including me) should be treated like a princess. It still makes me laugh that my love affair with books started with Frog and Toad not 50 shades.

Cassandra -

My name is Cassandra, and I am a book whore from the San Francisco Bay Area. Over the years, I have enjoyed most genres of fiction, but now I mainly stick to the many subgenres of romance. I’m a sucker for a hot book boyfriend and a happily ever after. I like writing reviews to help readers decide if a book is a good fit for them, and I love supporting the many wonderful authors out there. One of the things I love most about reviewing for We Stole Your Book Boyfriend, is finding brand new authors. There is something undeniably exciting about writing a review on someone’s debut novel, and feeling like I am somehow a small part of their entry into the literary world.