Everything about this, from the cover to the epilogue, was perfect! I am a fan of Claudia Connor, but this may be my favorite. The connection to her McKinney series was great because you could revisit her wonderful characters if you have read their stories. I truly think I felt just about every emotion in this book. The characters are so well-developed, the reader takes on their joy and their pain. There were humorous moments, heart-wrenching moments, and swoon-worthy romantic moments.

I was concerned that the flashbacks to Nick and Mia's relationship would distract from the present storyline, but it worked well to compare the events and thoughts of the present with what they had experienced more than a decade before.

I cannot find a flaw in this book. It was one that gripped the reader and didn't want to let go until it all worked out. I loved that the author didn't lose sight of those other important relationships and gave the brothers some closure as well. This book delivers a bit of everything and leaves you awaiting Claudia Connor's next book!

I'm a huge fan of this author and the entire McKinney Brothers series so when Nick, technically a McKinney Brother-in-law, was getting his own book I was thrilled. I loved his over-protective big brother role in Worth the Risk and with Hannah's history you knew Nick's story was going to be just heartbreaking. And yeah....it totally was.


Nick and Mia's story starts out incredibly sweet and romantic. Nick is adorable raising his siblings after the loss of their parents and Mia fits in seamlessly. They make it work despite a lot of obstacles and they seam destined to have a life together. But things don't always work out the way you plan and that's where the heartbreak comes in. The angst in this book is palpable. Both characters are clearly not over their first love, but they have completely given up hope. I was just pulling for them to figure it out the entire way.


Nick was sweet, but stubborn and trying desperately to hold it all together, but I love a damaged hero so he was perfect. Mia was strong and determined, and watching her struggle with the tragedies thrown her way was gut-wrenching. It's always interesting to read a story where nobody is right and nobody is wrong, everything is just circumstances and timing. Somehow that makes the heartbreak more believable.

I can't wait for the next Walker Brother book.

Worth the Wait by Claudia Connor

This is the first book I've read by Connor and I simply devoured it. I was utterly consumed by the characters, their story, and their past that the time just flew past as I was immersed in their world.

This is the story of FBI agent, Nick and his former love, Mia. Nick and his siblings lost their parents when they were senselessly killed when Nick was not yet 20 years old. As the oldest child, he assumed parental responsibility and took charge of his brothers who, in their teens resented it more than anything, and most importantly, his two year old sister. Around this time, Nick meets Mia and they eventually fall in love, oh so beautifully. However, just in case what they'd gone through wasn't enough, tragedy further strikes the family and this time tears such a perfect relationship apart.

I loved these characters even when I wanted to shake them, Nick, specifically. There was so much anger and bitterness that he broke my heart. He was essentially a single father to his sister, Hannah and so every hardship, every challenge she experienced became his. He was an amazing father and brother to her and I adored their relationship and when Hannah called him Nicky, I absolutely melted.
Mia was an incredible character: she has strength and compassion and love in abundance. She fit seamlessly within the family and brought a different dynamic to their lives.

This is second chance romance done perfectly. It's the story of Nicky and Mia finding their way back to each other, learning to let go of the past, and loving each other wholly. I adored it completely. You can read this as a standalone as I did, or read it following the authors McKinney Brothers series. I have every intention of going back and reading that series very soon.

*arc received from NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.

Back in 2015, I read Claudia Connor’s Worth the Risk and while I really liked the main couple in the book, it was two side characters whose story I really wanted to hear. Mia and Nick had a rocky past, that much was evident. Well, it took some time but Claudia Connor finally has released Nick and Mia’s story in Worth the Wait.

When Nick discovers that his sister, Hannah, has begun seeing his ex, Mia, as her therapist, he is shocked. He hasn’t seen Mia in ten years. Not since Mia walked out on him after some cruel words. Nick doesn’t know how to feel. What he had with Mia was out of this world but so much happened between when they met in college and when they started their careers. Nick became increasingly closed-off and unable to communicate with Mia. And Mia, she felt lost and like Nick blamed her for the kidnapping of his sister, Hannah. Their once promising relationship ended with a brutal bang.

Now in the present, Mia is very conflicted about her feelings about seeing Nick again. Add to that the fact that she hasn’t processed the loss of her adopted daughter, and Mia is a big ball of emotions. Nick never thought he’d have the chance to be with Mia again. He can’t get her out of his mind and he wonders if there is a possibility for them to try again. But can either of them ever put their complicated past behind them?

I want to start by saying that I think it is important to read Worth the Risk before this book. So much of what Nick feels and deals with in Worth the Wait begins in Worth the Risk. The two stories are very entwined, especially within say the first quarter of the book. It’s not like you won’t understand what is going on but I feel like your understanding of Nick and Mia will be richer if you have read Hannah’s book.

The book starts off by going back and forth from the past to the present. Claudia Connor makes this work pretty well. I never felt confused but part of me wished all the past information had just been contained in something like a “Part 1” of the book. But that’s a personal reader preference. I do truly believe Connor did a good job entwining these elements.

This is a heavy story. I cried during a lot of it. Mia and Nick both have really personal emotional burdens facing them. It was a tough read for me because I felt so strongly for these characters. I felt their pain and loss very acutely. Claudia Connor brings her A-game when it comes to the emotional bond between Mia and Nick. It is strong, despite the pain and the loss these two have shared together.

While the book ends on a happy note, it is kind of bittersweet too. Part of me kept hoping that Mia would get her adopted child back which I know is unrealistic but man, this woman has been through a lot of tough things. I just wanted a win for her.

I liked this book but it’s not a book I can see myself re-reading easily. Too much pain. If you’re in the mood for a satisfying cry though I can wholeheartedly recommend Worth the Wait. I’m still very excited for what future books Claudia Connor has up her sleeve. I’m hoping to see more of the Walker brothers. Claudia Connor did a great job of bringing the Walker family to life and I really enjoyed the complicated relationships between Nick and his three brothers. And the relationship between Nick and Hannah is top-notch.

This books is available on January 10, 2017. I think if you’ve enjoyed other Claudia Connor stories in the past, Worth the Wait will be a satisfying story for you.

http://gisspotreviews.com/index.php/2017/01/11/release-blitz-giveaway-review-worth-wait-mckinneywalker-1-claudia-connor/

As a longtime fan of Claudia Connor's books, I knew I was in for both a treat and heartbreak with Nick and Mia's story. While this book can be read without reading any of the previous McKinney books, I feel like you may get want to tackle Hannah and Stephen's story, Worth the Risk, first to fully understand the events that helped separate Nick and Mia.
That said, this story of second chances and lost loves is beautiful, sad, hopeful and touching. Nick and Mia were college sweethearts, together for years until tragic and traumatic events surrounding Nick's sister Hannah tore them apart. Years later, they are reunited, quite accidentally, through Hannah. Much of their story takes place in the past, but as others have mentioned, speeds up once they connect again in the present. I, frankly, don't feel as though the present was rushed at all...if anything, I was more frustrated with their early courtship. It all makes sense once you read it and I won't give anything away here!
For those who are visiting the McKinney and Walker families again, you'll catch up with most, if not all of your favorites while also getting a glimpse of whose story is next in line. One of my favorite things about series books is visiting old friends and Connors never disappoints. Enjoy the journey through Nick and Mia's love story!

In Worth the Wait Claudia Connor gives us Nick Walker’s story and fleshes out the story of raising his sister Hannah, whose story is told in Worth the Risk. Connor does an excellent job of bringing what could have been a one-dimensional character to life and in telling the story of Nick and Mia’s relationship through the years, she’s made him human. Nick’s character is so tightly wound and buttoned up to control and contain his emotions that, in the hands of a less adept writer, the characterization and then the story could have fallen apart but Connor makes it all work. When I finished the book, I felt that I finally understood Nick and what drove him all along. For me, however, the most interesting character was Mia – another of Connor’s strong willed and stouthearted female leads. Her strength is the backbone of their story and their relationship; I think she’s terrific.
Worth the Wait is the first in Connor’s Walker Brothers series and I look forward to the other three but I do hope we’ll get to visit with the McKinneys from time to time along the way too.

OMG!! So many flippin emotions! This book was a definite tear jerker for me, right from the start the story pulled me in and now, days after reading it, I still haven’t fully recovered. This is an angsty, emotional, second chance romance with a heap load of bumps in the road, heartache that if your anything like me will have you tense and anxious until the very end, and of course two people finally getting their happily ever after.

Worth the Wait isn’t for everyone. If you’ve followed the series, you definitely want to check this one out for glimpses of Hannah, Stephen, Matt, Abby, Luke and Zach, little snippets of them were sprinkled throughout the story and I loved every minute of it/them!

Worth the Wait is Hannah’s older brother, Nick’s story. Nick has had to grow up pretty fast, at the age of 19 his parents died unexpectedly and he steps up and gets custody of his three younger brothers and 2 year old baby sister. When life went from parties and dating to babies and diapers, meeting Mia was like being struck by lightning. Mia was sweet, understanding, and beautiful. She was there to reassure him, comfort him, love him. They thought they had the world at their fingertips and the rest of their lives to be happy, together, in love.

When Nick and Mia are thrust into a dark reality of blood, misery, and anger, their love is tested and neither expected the fallout. I mentioned this was an emotional read, and even writing this review is hard. I both loved and hated this story. As a romance reader, I want the happy ending, I want the H to get the h and I want love to always triumph in the end. And Worth the Wait gives us that, but not before putting the reader and the MCs through the ringer. This story really pulled at the heartstrings and stuck with me. It was memorable, it was touching, and even though Nick was frustrating and sometimes I really wanted to hate him, in the end I couldn’t help but root for him and Mia. As for Mia, I loved her. LOVED. She was a strong, caring woman and it broke my heart every time a bit more of her past was revealed. She was so full of love, just like Nick said, that I just wanted her to get her HEA. She deserved it, Mia was wounded, over and over but she still manages to stay loving. She wasn’t a doormat h, she wasn’t a push over, she was real.

I gave this one 3 stars for the number of emotions it made me feel, for Mia and for the babies (yup babies!) epilogue.

This was my first book by Claudia Connor and I'm so glad I decided to try it out. Worth the Wait is a spinoff of the McKinney Brothers series. But if like me, you hadn't read any of them, you'll be able to jump right in here just fine. This book is about Nick Walker, he was introduced in Worth the Risk, as the heroine Hannah's brother. In fact, I loved Hannah so much in this story, that I immediately bought her book and read it right afterwards. I really loved this author's skill in bringing a wide range of emotion and angst. Even though this wasn't an enthusiastic five stars, I can tell you with all certainty that I will be reading the others in the series.

This was a second chance story about two people who met at the most inconvenient time for love. Nick had just lost his parents at the age of nineteen. He was stressed, grieving, and now the parental figure for his three siblings. The youngest Hannah only two at the time and not able to make sense of the tragic loss of her mother and father. He was in way over his head trying to deal with this on top of his studies at college. Mia was just starting her ambitious studies in her goal to be a doctor and she didn't intend for anything to get in her way of succeeding. They were two people who seemed to be on separate paths from the start, but that didn't stop them from growing to care about one another and yearning for more.

As time goes by, the two of them realize they've found something rare and special in one another. And no matter what the odds, they're willing to take their shot at love. They hold strong through school and forced distance for years afterwards. But the fork in the road occurred with Hannah's abduction and torture as a teen. From this point on, nothing will ever be the same. Naturally, there is an incredible amount of emotional trauma from her horror-filled time in captivity and Nick in unequipped for handling it. He's the protector of the family, the one who is supposed to shield them from harm, and he feels as if he failed in the worst way imaginable. As much as I loved Nick up until this point, this is where my frustrations started to grow.

As the catalyst for their separation, it's understandable and it drew my empathy for both. I was hurting with them and hoping for a reconciliation that would ease their suffering. However, ten long years pass, and neither is any happier in their personal life. Mia especially has known loss and heartache that consumes her, and she has no one that she can lean on. When she takes on Hannah's case as her therapist, eventually it brings her face to face with the one man who got away that she can't forget.

Between Nick's stubborn pride, and his massive guilt that he wouldn't face and conquer, I felt as if these two were running around in circles in regards to working out their issues. After a point, things started to lean more towards depressing rather than any other emotion as we see them flounder time and again trying to reconnect. I would have liked to have seen them spend more time together working towards forgiving one another rather than such an excessive amount of time in flashbacks of how they came to be separated. But...even though I didn't fully love this one, I enjoyed the close family dynamic and the lovely way with words this author has. I'm really looking forward to catching up on her backlist in the near future.

Worth The Wait is a brand new stand alone novel from Claudia Connor and I was provided with a copy of this book from the Publisher via NetGalley; there was no inducement or obligation.

This is an extremely emotional second chances romance. I have to say, Claudia did an amazing job in getting across the angst and emotion in this story. It's immensely heartfelt and heartbreaking and for a fair amount of this book, my heart was in my mouth and I shed more than one tear. However, I wish there had been a little more shade and light relief as more than once I needed to step away from this book to take a break from the intensity.

Worth The Wait is a slow building book that really hooked me in overall I really enjoyed it.

I often take forever to write reviews. I always want to have a well-written review. Give you enough information to make a judgement on if you want it or not. Sometimes reviews are very completed for me because I have so much to say and I'm not sure how to say it. Worth the Wait is going to be one of those reviews.

I both loved...and at times was driven crazy with this book. I know, confusing. I did warn you that I was going to have trouble writing this. I really enjoyed Worth the Wait. More than once it tugged at my heartstrings. In fact, at times this book broke me heart. I loved the characters so much and I'm so glad that the author continued these characters.

This is a very complicated story. It moves between the past and present and not always seamlessly. Most of the time I kept up with the switch, every once in a while I was lost until I figured out what was going on. I didn't mind the story being part past, part present, what I did mind was the way it was done. I think the story should have started in the past and moved to the present.

Other then that, I really did enjoy this story. It is so emotional and touching. You want to shake them both and yell at them to open their eyes. I get why they have done what they've done. It's easy being outside the window looking in.

Of all the hero's I've read Nick might have been one of the best. He's such a great, stand up guy. When his family most needed him he was there for them all. For most of it Mia was there too. It was like they both raised a family when they were so young. They never had a normal dating period. It's not easy growing up so early.

See, I told you this one was going to be slightly confusing. All I can tell you is that it's well worth the read and I can't wait for the next one. I might have confused you with my review but believe when I say that Worth the Wait is really a very good story.

5 Stars! There are a lot of 2nd chance romance books out there, but this one is one of the best. This one shows why readers love 2nd chance romance. First, the thing in the past that leads to their split actually makes sense. It's realistic in the face of the tragedy the family faced. It's not some stupid misunderstanding. The later things the heroine went through truly brought out emotions in me while reading this book, and didn't feel like ploys to create unnecessary drama. Overall, I just thought the writing was excellent, the story was good and the couple was one you want to see have their happy ending. And, of course, it was good to catch up a bit with the other characters from the McKinney books.

Whew...if you are looking for a book that will take you through a full range of emotions that then this would be the one to read! I actually felt emotionally drained after I finished reading this one. The story is really well written and packed full of intense emotions and situations. I really loved Mia and Nick together. Their chemistry was terrific and their support of one another was really played out well. Watching Nick struggle to parent all of his siblings was endearing and your heart just broke for him as he tried to adapt to his new situation. The constant back and forth between the present and past started to wear on me after a while and would probably be my main issue with this book. There was just A LOT of that and it really started to mess up the momentum of the book and made it feel like the story was really dragging along for a while. I appreciate the build up and seeing how Mia and Nick's relationship originally started but you know as some point that something happens to break them up to get them to where they are in the present time and I just felt like it took a REALLY long time to get to that. I would say that the majority of this story is told in the past and not really enough in the present. I really loved the Hannah's story with Stephen from the McKinney series was happening in the background of this one. I love when authors do that so you can kind of see more of that story happening in the background from what you didn't see in their individual book. Overall, this was a well written and certainly emotional story that I enjoyed and can't wait to see what this author has next for us.

A lot of bad things have happened to Nick Walker. He lost his parents, raised his brothers and sister, experienced a tragic event that tested him in a way no one should ever be tested. Even after it all, he's still a good guy. He's had a lot to deal with and sometimes, he takes the role of big brother very seriously.

In Worth the Wait, he gets a huge blast from the past when he runs into his old girlfriend, Mia. It's been a long time since he's seen her, but he hasn't forgotten the woman that stood by him through all that -- and the woman he pushed away.

The story is told with some flashbacks of Mia and Nick's time together when they were younger and what is happening in their lives now. It's hard to talk about what happens here without spoiling it, but this second chance romance doesn't always go smoothly for Nick or Mia. The spark between them still remains though, and it takes letting go of the past and a whole lot of honesty on both of their parts for them to move forward.

Worth the Wait is a tender, emotional second chance love story that drew me right in and kept me reading until I reached the final page. As with the McKinney Brothers series, Nick Walker is a self-sacrificing good guy who is super protective of the ones he loves. He's human too, so he's also made some mistakes.

I liked Mia. She's supportive and strong, smart and sensitive. She's part of the family, whether Nick likes it or not. IT was great to get more of Hannah in this book as well. She's one of my favorite characters from the McKinney brother series, and I loved how Worth the Wait worked with the previous series. Even though this book can be read as a standalone, once I finished I had to go back and re-read the first three, just to revisit these characters.

Fans of the McKinney brothers series will love this spin-off and new readers will get hooked on Claudia Connor's deeply emotional stories. If you love children in your romances, this series is definitely for you.

The good news is that there are more Walker brothers! I can't wait for more.

This is my honest review. An ARC was provided.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆
I loved many aspects of this story and liked others, but in the end, it didn't feel like it truly came together for me.

The flashbacks to the past traumas brought wonderful insight to Nick and Mia's story, but over half of the book was revisiting the past, which to me, interrupted the flow of the story. If the flashbacks had been written as perhaps a part 1 and 2, then with the current storyline, I think I would have liked the story more.

The pace of the current storyline advances quickly and the copy that I read didn't have any breaks or spacing to indicate that weeks or months elapsed since the previous paragraph.

I would like to read the next book in the series.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
5 stars of amazing but heartbreaking story

This is not an easy story – in fact, this is a really tough second chance romance. The circumstances build up in such a tense way, taking us from when they first meet many, many years ago, to now, and then tracking back again and seeing what happened to cause the rift. Really agonising and beyond sad as it is all unfolds. I don't normally like stories which don't give us the story in a chronological order, but certainly this made it much more intense here. It takes a while to realise just how long they were together first time around – this is not a meet at school and split up for college timeline – this is much, much longer, and fundamentally much more painful.

Having said that, Hannah brings an unexpected lightness to the story and thanks to her, Nick and Mia do get their second chance.

I definitely want to read future books in the series, as this was well written and really made me think about how I would behave in that situation.

When being in love is not enough…

This book slayed me. There are tough-fought romances and then there is this one. I didn’t really go in with expectations other than love for the earlier McKinney series and eagerness for this crossover spin-off series, the McKinney-Walkers.

Worth the Wait, timeline-wise, is actually running parallel to the events of Worth the Risk (McKinney book two). The characters are all in both books, but the author wrote them in such a way that this one has a standalone plot and a reader could start with this spin-off series if they wanted. Personally, I was glad to read the other series first so appearances by the McKinneys and the many references to Hannah and Stephen’s romance in this one, make more sense.

So this story begins with Nick’s baby sister making it clear to him that she has found a special someone and is ready to date. Nick is terrified of this because Hannah has gone through so much and he has discovered that Stephen has a rather checkered past. Hannah begs him to back off and treat her like an adult and to give Stephen a chance.

Hannah’s new situation send Nick spiraling into thoughts of the past when he was a college-age guy. Nick’s parents died leaving him the guardianship of his seventeen year old brooding brother, his fourteen year old twin brothers, and his three year old sister, Hannah. He moves heaven and earth to keep them all together even while trying to finish his degree so he can get into the FBI. The whole family is broken and hanging on by a thread, but then he encounters fellow student, Mia. He falls in love with a beautiful girl who is not put off by his ready-made family and crazy life.

Mia has a plan that will involve eight years of school and then her career as a surgeon. It did not include time for love particularly with a guy who has a lot on his plate raising a baby sister and looking out for his teenage brothers while grieving the loss of their parents. But with promises from Nick that her education would come before marriage, they are doing alright until the unthinkable happens.

Now in the present, Mia is back in the area and is now a grief therapist. Hannah Walker is her client and it is only a matter of time before Hannah’s oldest brother Nick learns that Mia is her therapist. After all this time, Mia knows she is as vulnerable as ever, but she will not let Nick break her heart a second time since she is still in pain from the first. Only, Nick claims he’s in a new place and ready to try again.

Alright, this one was told in present time and flashbacks. Its a strongly emotional story, but it is also difficult to track because of the breaks back and forth. I’m not one for drama, but in this instance, it’s not drama so much as how much a human being can handle of what life can throw at a person.

Nick was pushed past his limits when the pressure of caring for four younger siblings and losing his folks is compounded by having to wait eight years to get married and then have his baby sister kidnapped and tortured. It broke something in him.

Mia was there all along with Nick while he raised the others and held strong to finish out her classes and internships only to have that happy moment of marriage and family never come. She ended up walking away when all hope was gone and then later her own life is tested when her adopted baby is taken back by the birth mom.

I’m not going to lie. It all got to be too much. It wasn’t too angsty, but it was just one heartbreaking line of sorrows for this pair. I really needed to see some happy times to balance it.

Am I sorry I read this story? Not a chance! I wouldn’t have passed it up. But that said, this is no fluffy feel good story and the reader has to be prepared for that.

This romance pair really needed to catch a break. Their chance came ten long years after they thought it would. As I said in the opening, love was there all along, but it wasn’t enough when things got to be too much. They were both too young to handle what hit them with the strength of an F-5 tornado. It decimated and scattered the pieces.

The writing was amazing and the author told this particular story well. I could have wished that once it dipped into the past that it stayed there until it caught up to the present, but then again, this way wasn’t a fail either. There was set up for the other three Walker brothers to get their stories. They were equally affected by their family’s past so I have a feeling that I will be getting some more deeply emotional stories out of this new series.

So, in summary, just wow. Amazing and heartwrenching feels, but a fantastic second chance romance nonetheless. I would recommend this series and the older series it spun from to those who love to see big family element, strong connections, and slow developing romance in unique and tough situations.

I have read all the McKinney brothers books by Claudia Connor and this is the beginning of a spin off series. It is a standalone so if you haven't read the other books, you will still enjoy this story. It is a true second chance romance, and although many of these kind of books start to sound formulaic, this book had enough of a different twist that made it thoroughly enjoyable. The two characters, Mia and Nick had lots of issues to work on. I'm not sure the author realized it, but she made her characters to be in their 40's and for that I was grateful too because they actually had lived a life! They knew enough so that when they finally got together, I felt like it was a more mature relationship. As always, thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read this book for an honest review. Looking forward to the next one in this series.

arc provided for an honest review - thank you

This is the first book I have read by this author and after reading the blurb it seemed right up my street but unfortunately this one didn't work for me.

I found Worth the Wait to be quite a difficult read... the storyline was good but there were just so many difficult times and sad situations that I found it quite depressing.

Whilst I love a bit of angst in my reading, I found this to beyond that and I genuinely felt sad whilst reading it which I could have dealt with if it wasn't for such large parts of the book. Now, I will mention that I'm not the kind of girl that reads the sad / tragic / ugly cry books, I generally do everything I can to stay away from them so this really isn't my usual kind of read and had I been aware of how deep this book was going to go with the characters' pain and difficulties, I possibly would have steered away from it.

To summarise, Worth the Wait is a well written, beautiful second chance romance and the epilogue is very sweet. I'm sure it will be a huge favourite with many people but its just not my cup of tea.

4.5 emotional, second-chance, meant-to-be stars

I loved this book! A beautiful second chance romance with drama, heartache and a gorgeous love story between two soul mates separated for years who finally find each other again. It’s heartfelt and emotional, and beautifully written, and I was captivated from start to finish.

This book is a spin-off from the McKinney Brothers series. Nick was introduced in book #2, Worth the Risk, and is Hannah’s eldest brother. The drama surrounding Hannah’s past is a huge part of Nick’s story, and I loved that we got to experience his perspective on everything that happened. But rest assured that there is a lot of detail given in this book, and it can easily be read as a standalone.

Nick Walker was 19 when his parents died, leaving him as the ‘head’ of his family. With three teenage younger brothers and a two year old Hannah, his life was suddenly full of responsibility, but he took it all on board and stepped in when his family needed him. And I’ve gotta say – I LOVED the scenes showing Nick with his baby sister. It absolutely melted my heart the way he loved and cared for her, and it shows how, even at a young age, Nick became the strong, responsible, caring and protective man that he is.

And then along comes Mia, a medical student who is sweet and driven, and who has a huge heart. She and Nick immediately hit it off and easily and naturally fall into a relationship. Love follows soon after and they become one of those couples who just ‘fit’. It’s obvious that they belong together, and despite the obstacles in their way, they make it work and for over ten years they build a happy life together with Nick’s family.


“I loved you yesterday, I’ll love you tomorrow. Every day.”


I love that we got to see Nick and Mia’s past. The full story of their relationship is revealed in flashback throughout the book, showing their connection and the deep, deep love they have for each other. But there’s also that feeling of pending trepidation as each moment from the past builds up to the heartbreaking events that led to their split.

In the present it’s been over ten years since Nick and Mia have seen each other, and when they unexpectedly run into each other again it’s clear that there is still chemistry between them and that neither of them have been able to move on from what they lost. And wow, their reunion is wonderfully written. From that first glance I could feel everything that they were feeling, and I got that sizzling, heart-pounding anticipation just waiting for them to reconnect.


“I have no defenses against you,” she whispered sadly.” I never did.”
He spun on her so forcefully, she stepped back. “And you think I do? You think you aren’t burned in my brain? In my heart. You’re there. You’ve always been there.”


They don’t hide their reactions to each other, or the feelings that so clearly exist between them, and I love that they followed their hearts and so easily fell into each other all over again.


“I never stopped loving you.” He framed her face in his big, warm hands. “Not for a second. I might have buried it so deep, you couldn’t feel it, but it was still there. Always. I lost you, lost us. Now it feels like I have a chance again. Like we have a chance.”


But Nick is still struggling with his guilt over his past, and Mia has been through her own trauma and heartbreak in their time apart. They both have issues they need to deal with before they can move on to the life they always wanted together, and their journey to do that is emotional and full of feels (and yes, tears). My heart ached for all they had been through and the impact it had on the both of them, but there is never a point where things get stupid. You know how it’s all going to end, and I love that even though there is drama, there’s not a lot of angst, and it’s just a matter of holding on for the ride and waiting for everything to fall into place.

It’s a beautifully written story, with well-developed characters that I loved from the moment I met them. The emotion is real and raw, the romance is passionate, swoony and intense, and even though it broke my heart at times, I was captivated by Nick and Mia’s journeys.

Even though this can be read as a standalone, I did enjoy the tie in to the McKinney series. I loved getting to catch up with the characters from the previous books, and I’m excited about the possibility of reading about the rest of the Walker brothers – they are a complex and intriguing group, with lots of potential for great reads, and I’m looking forward to whatever is to come.

I loved it - 4.5 stars.