Love, Always and Forever is a sweet, sexy in a slow burn kind of way, friends to lovers story. Mikhail (Misha) is a veteran turned firefighter with PTSD who is just existing. He's pushed away his family and works and sleeps. Amy is a sweet woman just now getting out from her family's overprotective bubble. She wants to live her life and be free now that her heart surgery has given her a new lease on life. She's Misha's new neighbor and determined to get some landscaping done on her yard, and it begins with tearing down and replacing the fence that borders both their yards. As the two start working on this together, a strong bond is formed and a friendship emerges.

I like how Amy and Misha start off as friends. Not that they weren't attracted to each other at first sight, because they were, but Misha has lots of demons and they have caused him to close himself off to people, especially beautiful, sweet people who are getting under his skin. He doesn't think he's good or good enough for her, so he friend zones her right off the bat. Of course, that friend zone has its boundaries pushed, and then finally obliterated, but not until almost the last quarter of the book. So if you like slow burn steam, you'll love Love, Always and Forever.

Although this is apparently the last of a series, I haven't read the other 2 featuring Misha's brothers, but it didn't mean I didn't enjoy the story, as it stands alone for the most part. I think I'll go back now, though, and read the first two, because Sergeant Joe, Misha's adopted dad, sounds like an interesting guy, and his advice coming from beyond the grave really got through to Misha just when he needed it most. Sergeant Joe sounds exactly like my kind of dad! And he raised a good, no, a great, man in Misha, and apparently his two other boys. Their mom, Marlene, is such a loving mom, she sounds perfect for the man Joe apparently was. The ending where she's talking to Joe is so sweet that it brought a few tears to my eyes.

BOOK REVIEW
Title: Love, Always and Forever
Series: Sergeant Joe’s Boys #3
Author: Alexis Morgan
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: March 14, 2017
Cliff Hanger: No

3 Stars

*This story is for mature audiences only. Contains explicit scenes and language intended for adults 18+

Synopsis:

Sergeant Joe's Boys are back! Bestselling author Alexis Morgan delivers a tender and inspiring novel about Mikhail, a battle-scarred firefighter, and the sensitive young woman who slips inside the walls around his heart.

As a child, Mikhail Wanjek couldn't save his drug-addled mother; as a young man, he left a promising military career because he couldn't defend the innocent victims of war. When Mikhail's feeling like a failure, not even the love of his adoptive parents and loyal brothers can console him. But after he volunteers to help his beautiful brunette neighbor install a fence around her yard, Mikhail begins to heal. He wants to shield her pure, unabashed lust for life from the darkness-including his own.

Successful heart surgery has allowed Amy Short to finally set out on her own, apart from her loving but overprotective family. Now she's experiencing new thrills with the chiseled fireman next door, from riding on the back of Mikhail's Harley to late nights full of passion. Still, he refuses to open up emotionally, and with Amy's history, she's not willing to wait around for Mikhail to change. What she needs to do is show him that together they can build something that will last forever.

My Thoughts:

This is the first time I have read this author and even though I liked the story, I felt like it was not giving me the fulfillment I needed as a reader. Even though this is part of a series, this book can be read as a standalone.
Mikhail has a painful past and he suffers from PTSD. Since he has returned from his last tour and tried to settle back into civilian life, he has pushed away his adoptive family and isolated himself. He continues to have nightmares and flashbacks which triggers his anger issues. Mikhail doesn’t want to subject a woman to his tortured soul. Until he meets Amy.

Amy is such a sweet soul but has a lust for life. She has led an overprotected life until she had heart surgery that gives her the freedom to live her life. She was born with a heart valve defect and was living in her family’s protective bubble. That was great but when she had the successful surgery her family wouldn’t allow her to fully live her life without hassle. So, she up and moved 1 hour away to start over. When she finally got to meet her grumpy but handsome neighbor, it was lust at first sight for Amy.

Their relationship developed as a friendship and even though there was a spark there, Mikhail put the skids on. He kept gravitating to Amy more and more, seeking that solace that only she could provide. Amy enjoyed her time with Mikhail and wanted more. They both had secrets from their pasts that they needed to share and when things came to light, misunderstandings happened, families got involved and it got messy.

I won’t give any more away as you need to read this story for yourself. I loved the friends to lover’s aspect, however, I felt it dragged on too long, thus causing the story to drag in spots. I was hoping to have a longer period where they figured out their relationship instead of the rushed ending, which was a big disappointment for me. The book had a lot of promise, it was just those things that caused me to enjoy it less.

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

4 stars

I really enjoyed Love, Always and Forever.

The storyline was well written and very engaging, I found myself turning the pages late into the night until I finished.

Both Amy and Mikhail were likable, endearing characters that touched my heart with their story.
I liked how they started off as friends and moved into lovers. These two shared a beautiful connection and I have no doubt they were going to have a wonderful life together.

Love, Always and Forever was a beautiful, heartwarming read and a great addition to the Sergeant Joe's Boys series. Each book can be read as a standalone and I highly recommend them all.

*Purchase Links*
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
B&N - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-...
iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/love...

*Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept via Netgalley for the advance copy.*

This is the third book in the series. This story is a boy meets girl romance but with a twist. this author has a fab way of bringing exceptional characters you just connect with.I can't wait to read more from this author in the future.
Highly Recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

I’ve enjoyed the series about Sergeant Joe’s Boys and this is the next in the sequence. It’s a bit of a change in my opinion. There’s no big alpha man rescuing a woman who needs help from herself. Instead it’s a little more of an intense story about a troubled man who just might be more than anyone can handle. It explores some of the darker sides of our society with children growing up in the worst of conditions who grow up fast and are given a choice to either change the path they are on or continue to destroy themselves. Mikhail Wanjek is one of those men who need to take care of everyone but themselves and when they let someone down, they feel like the world is against them.

He meets his new next door neighbor on the morning after a real rough night at the fire house. She’s trying to be small town friendly by bringing him cookies. She’s trying to be what she feel is normal because she grew up with a severe medical condition that had her whole family protecting her and worrying the she would die at any minute.

They have a push/shove relationship where neither one wants to be open with the other, yet they want to be together. Her secrets and his are always coming in between them. The other boys that Joe raised are always coming to the rescue at the most inopportune times too. At one point they seem to both want the same thing in their relationship but life always intervenes.

The author took a little different approach here and gave us a thought provoking and insightful story about the challenges in today’s world and the impact it has on relationships. If you haven’t read the other books in the series, it’s okay but I think you are going to want to just to know the back story. A definite read in my book!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was expected or received in exchange for the review

This was a heartwarming and tender story about two neighbors that are instantly attracted to one another, but each of them have flaws. Two beautiful flawed characters that come from very different backgrounds, but who are very much alike.
These characters are well developed, lovable and real, their journey and issues tugged at my heart strings and made me cry. Afraid to hurt the other because of their flaws, they try to hold back their feelings and the truth. But will they be able to truly fall in love, if they don't know everything?
An amazing storyline with ups and downs, that will help them grow stronger, as well as closer, helping to heal those flaws with the power of friendship, passion and love.
This is the first story that I have read by Alexis Morgan and it was deeply emotional, heartbreaking and Poignant. It really brought home the importance of living every moment with no regrets, loving passionately and taking the time to truly enjoy life with the ones you love.
I voluntarily requested an ARC through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I really loved it! This was funny and sweet with two characters who had a lot to overcome. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author.

Wonderfully sweet story with fun characters and humor as well as growth. Both Amy and Mikhail are going through a transition in their lives. Mikhail is trying to get use to civilian life after serving in the marines, both mentally and establishing his own space. Amy has spent most of her life in the protective shelter of her family as she when through serious medical limitations but now after her life mending operation she wants to live, really live. As Amy experiences her firsts Mikhail is fighting attraction yet wanting keep it arms length away. I enjoyed this story very much, I just wished her medical problem had been more explained early in the story, I found myself trying to figure it out being a little bit of a distraction from the story that when it is exposed I found myself reading faster.

4 out of 5 stars

Mikhail and Amy are neighbors who are both coming out of troubled childhoods though for very different reasons and adapting to a new life on their own. Mikhail is recently out of the military and Amy left her entire family behind to start a new life 100 miles away.

This is the 3rd book in this series of standalones, but I never felt like I was missing anything having not read the other books -- though I am intrigued and wish I had more room on my TBR to add the others so I could read Tino & Jack’s stories!

The novel moved a little slow in places and I felt like it was never going to take off, but I still enjoyed it. I think that if I had read the rest of the series and had more investment in the brothers, I might have felt a little differently about that, though.


*** I voluntarily read an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

This is the third book in the Sergeant Joe's boys. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed both previous books and although each book is a standalone, for me, half the fun is seeing what everyone is doing in subsequent books. Mikhail is the youngest of the three adopted boys by Joe and his wife. Joe has passed away but each man is trying to live up to his expectations. Mikhail has come back from the war with some PTSD, buys his own house close to the family, and meets the young woman next door, Amy. Seems she also has some secrets! This is a friends to lovers book where each party has to figure out how to deal with their issues. before being able to fully commit to a relationship. Enjoyable read and although there were only 3 brothers, another secondary character may get his own book soon. Fingers crossed! Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read and review this for an honest review. I truly enjoyed it.

Two people struggling to lead a "normal" life. Mikhail, recently back from military service, battles those unsettling memories and other guilt. Amy has issues of her own. These neighbors become friends and share an attraction for one another. Self doubt and guilt may prevent any happiness they'd find together.
An enjoyable, feel good contemporary romance. Loved it! This last book of the series was full of emotional turmoil and healing. I adored Mikhail, as I did his brothers. Amy was a delight, holding her own throughout! I would love to read Jay's story.
Voluntarily read an ARC, thru Netgalley and publisher, for an honest review.

Mikhail is home from the Marines and working as a firefighter and his new neighbor Amy is too good to be true. What starts as a chance meeting with brownies at the door as a greeting because Amy wants to tear down the connecting fence brings these two together. A lasting and loving friendship develops into a strong and thoroughly endearing love. It was a pleasure to watch both of these wounded souls heal and come together. It was also a lot of fun to catch up with the rest of the gang from the previous books in the series.

This book could be read as a standalone. I highly recommend this one! I do have to say Mikhail may be my favorite of Sergeant Joe's boys.

**Received an ARC copy for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

Well, it seems that the youngest of sergeant Joe's boys, Mikhail's, story is here. I know that Joe has three sons and this happens to be the third book in the series, however, I'm hoping that Tino's friend Jay will also have his own happily ever after.

Like his two older brothers, Mikhail Wanick was also adopted by Joe and Marlene. His birth mother died of a drug overdose and he has no idea who his birth father is. Even though he has spent his whole childhood trying to be the adult with his late mother, he still blames himself for her death. That is why he doesn't want a serious relationship believing that he is unworthy and also scared to death of losing someone else in his life. Still haunted by his childhood and his time in the marines, the hot fireman, likes to keep his relationships fast and easy.

Amy Short has also had a difficult childhood. But due to a very different reason than Mikhail's. She was born with a heart defect and has always been handled with the utmost care by her parents and her four older brothers. When a miracle new surgery gives her the oppurtunity to possibly live a normal life, she takes her chances and decides to move away from her stifling family and start her own life. She gets more than what she bargained for upon meeting her next door neighbor when she goes to him to inform him of her plans to renew the fences of her back garden. They may agree time and time again that they shouldn't be more than just friends, however, they are both finding it increasingly difficult to stay commited to their mutual decision.

Sweet and sensual as always. A great series that shows us once again that family isn't necessarily the one that we are born into, but the one that we are raised in and are connected to with love. Hope that this won't be the end of this beautiful series!

As a whole I really enjoy most of what I read. I'm lucky that way, or maybe it's just that I only read what I like. Either way I'm lucky, right? I point that out because I can honestly say that I've really enjoyed reading Alexis Morgan's paranormal's and yes I like her contemporaries too, just not as much.

Believe me when I say this, if you haven't yet read her paranormal's, do so. They are so good. Anyway, back to the reason we are here. A review of Love, Always & Forever. This is the third book in the Sergeant Joe's Boys.

Like I pointed out Morgan's paranormal's are my favorite but this series is a very, very close second. From the first book, Always: For You Jack I've been hooked. The whole idea of the series appealed to me. I like the idea that all three boys are adopted and how much they love and respect their adopted parents. I'm glad that the author didn't make each story of Joe's boys journeys, into the same thing.

You'll find each story has a common thread but can stand on it's own. Yes, because of that common thread you will find each of the boys willing to help those in need but you'll also see their struggles. It's a beautiful blend.

In this last story it's Mikhail's turn. He had such a fun time watching each of his brothers fall under the spell of love. Now it's his turn and those same brothers are having the time of their lives. I did too. It was so much fun reading this story. I think that Morgan picked the perfect person for Mikhail. He needs someone tough, but also someone that needs him to be there for them when they do need that helping hand.

Once a hero, always a hero.

Amy is that perfect mix. She's strong, much stronger then those around her give her credit for being. She always knows just how to make Mikhail feel good about himself. I really loved these two together and in fact they are my favorite couple of the series and that's saying something since I really like this series.

In Love, Always & Forever you meet Amy's family which includes some single brothers. Can we all say new series? We will have to wait and see.

For those who's already read the first two books not to worry old favorites from those books are in this one, plus besides her brothers we also meet Panda & Sarge. You'll love them! I can't say enough about this great series. Read it!

This is the third book in the Sergeant Joe's Boys series but this can be read as a stand alone book.

Love, Always and Forever is a story of two people trying to find a new way in life for two very different reasons. This was a touching and sweet read with minimal angst. I just loved that Mikhael and Amy have bounds of sexual chemistry but opt to start their journey as friends and build a really solid foundation for their relationship. This was a solid contemporary romance and I enjoyed it.I

3.5 stars

I was provided a copy of this book from the Publisher via NetGalley; there was no inducement or obligation. (

Wow, what a great story. Mikhail is an ex Marine, now Firefighter, who ends up with a new neighbor, Amy, that is full of humor, some heartache, great chemistry with brothers and some great new found love that leaves your heart rooting for a couple who has had pain in their pasts. I loved how these two got together, first scene was pretty funny. Adored Sarge and Panda, my heart melted when that whole situation went down, and those of us with brothers totally get the beating up and looking out for each other thing. There were some heart wrenching parts for Misha, but it's awesome when you have a great family like Misha did to be there for support. Marlene, well what can you say, everyone wants a mom like her, especially when her and Joe took three adoptive teenagers in, just heartwarming. This is my first book from this author, and it makes me want to go back to read the first two in the series, really good!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.

This is the 3rd book in the series and can be read as a standalone. Mikhail lost his mother to drugs when he was a child, but he was adopted by Joe and Marlene who also adopted 2 other troubled boys all close to the same age. They raised all 3 boys to become well rounded men, that is, until the war gave each of them different nightmares. Mikhail has recently returned home from war to become a fireman.

Amy has been sick all her life, but thanks to a new surgical procedure she has been granted a new life! To keep her over protective family from suffocating her, she buys a house 100 miles away and moves out on her own for the 1st time ... right next door to Mikhail. Wanting to replace the fence in her yard, she approaches her new neighbour to see if he minds that she tears down the old fence between their yards. Mikhail just got to sleep one morning after working a night shift and wakes to someone pounding on his door ... needless to say he's not a happy camper. But he regrets his outburst after he calms down and takes a good look at the beautiful woman in front of him. Then their story begins!

This is a sweet and sexy story that will make you laugh and shed a few tears. A great read!

I received an ARC copy from Random House - Loveswept through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

This is book three in the Sergeant Joe's Boys series.

I didn't read the previous two books in this series, so I was reading about these characters from a fresh perspective. Both Mikhail and Amy are dealing with scars from their past. Can these new neighbors take their friendship to another level with all their baggage?

I enjoyed the story. It was nice to see the friendship develop. I loved how the family and dogs were incorporated into the story. It was a lesson in living each day to its fullest.

What a fantastic book! Mikhail & Amy are next door neighbors. From the moment they met, it was apparent there were sparks. Amy wasn't ready for a relationship & just wanted to be friends while Mikhail was willing to take whatever he could get. Amy & Mikhail take us on a journey as they both try to recover from their past & find a way to each other.

Ms. Morgan developed two flawed characters that seem like opposites. When you really start to dig into them, you find they are more alike than you think. The characters are all well developed. The interactions between Mikhail & his adopted brothers and Amy & her brothers are funny, sad, explosive & similar in tone & sentiment. I wish the book had gone more in depth about PTSD, survivors guilt & seeking treatment but it did show a fairly realistic look at life with it. This was an enjoyable HEA.

Love, Always and Forever by Alexis Morgan is a gem of a story. I had been looking forward to Mikhail return home. I have loved this entire series thinking after the first two brothers stories the next could not be better. I was wrong Mikhail Wanjek’s story may just be my very favorite even more so than responsible Jack’s story or helpful Tino’s story. Love, Always and Forever is the perfect title for this story, fitting it completely.

I fell for both Mikhail and Amy, loving it each and every time that they failed at being “just friends”. They were two survivors who could love and lean on each other if they would just give in to their feelings instead of fighting them. Reading how they work through all of this, seeing Mikhail’s family, especially mother Marlene, make appearances made this a delightful read. I can recommend all of the books in the Sergeant Joe’s Boys Series but especially Love, Always and Forever. I do think they could be read in any order but I am glad that I read them in the order of the men returning home.