Nick Walker is still adjusting to his baby sister Hannah being in love and with Stephen McKinney. He is just one of her four very over-protective brothers who have raised her since she was two years old, when they were left with no parents. In fact, he was a father figure to all of them as he took on the responsibility of keeping his family together whilst they were all grieving.

Hannah thinks it is time Nick settled down. He has been in love but it was many years ago. She was his one and despite it being 10 years since he last saw Mia, he has never stopped loving her.

Nick and Mia met in College, not long after his parents had died and he was juggling studying, running a household and caring for his 2 year old sister. Mia becomes an important part of Nick's daily life, helping him care for Hannah and making each day better. They have a natural, easy connection with each other and their friendship slowly blossoms into love.

They both have career dreams, Nick wants to train to be in the FBI and Mia wants to go to medical school. They somehow manage to get through a long distance relationship and come out the other side of their years in education even more in love than ever. However, when tragedy hits the family once again, Mia and Nick's relationship begins to crumble and they part ways.

'She'd been so sure they could survive anything. She'd been wrong.'

Nick is shocked to discover that Mia is now living in his town. Where has she been all these years, who has she been with? Is she married, does she have children? Does she still have feelings for him? What he does know is that nothing has changed in the way he feels about her, she is even more beautiful now and he cannot stop thinking about her.

'He needed her like air; he always had.'

The reason Hannah left all those years ago is still lingering, like a dark cloud above them and until Nick works through all the pain and guilt, he has no chance of rekindling anything with Mia. You have to let go of the past if you want to move forward.

Once again, Claudia Connor has blown me away with another heartfelt story of love and loss. This author has a knack of writing stories filled with rich emotion and I find myself inhaling every word as fast as I can. This is a brilliant second chance love story that I devoured.

**4 stars**
Oh man, this book. There is just something about second chance romances that give me warm fuzzies. Claudia Connor delivered an amazing story about second chance love for Nick and Mia.

After a tragic accident 20 year old Nick was left to finish raising his teenage brothers and his 2 year old sister Hannah. What he wasn't prepared for was meeting Mia, the love of his, around the same time. It just wasn't the right time, but when is it ever? Just when things start to look up something tragic happens and it brings their relationship to an end. Flash forward 24 years later and you get to see what happens when they see each other again.

I think what I loved about Nick and Mia's story was even though they caused each other pain, they couldn't heal fully without the other. Mia's pain was Nick's pain and vice versa, they needed each other to find love again and to heal. Their story can be read as a standalone since it is a spin off of the McKinnley brothers series where you get Hannah's story.

4.5+ stars

Nick Walker stepped into a parental figure long before he anticipated the role after his parents died suddenly. As a 19 year old, acting as guardian to his teenage brothers was challenge enough, but he also had a 2 year old sister to take care of, as well as his college load.

He meets Mia while trying to find balance in his new situation. Her lightness and acceptance of his responsibilities eased his stress in a time when he needed it most. As they became close, they found a balance in their relationship that quickly included co-parenting, raising Hannah together.

But Hannah’s abduction knocks Nick’s entire being off kilter and nothing in his life remains the same, even after she is found. His already protective nature kicks into overdrive and his need to protect Hannah costs his own relationship with Mia.

Ten years later, they are face to face once again. They are both still carrying the hurt from their failed relationship, but Nick is determined to right his wrongs. Mia is terrified of being hurt again, and she quickly realizes he could hurt her even more this time around than the last.

I loved that the characters, at least in part of the story, have the weight of life’s experience coloring their views. Not only do they have their shared history, they also have the separate lessons learned in their years apart. There is a sweetness in the scenes from the past that shows the innocence of their feelings for each other, but also portends the pain they have yet to feel.

This was such a deeply touching story spanning decades. It was endearing, heartbreaking, sweet, and deep. Watching the McKinneys and Walkers from a different perspective made it even more fun to read. The McKinney brothers are back, as well as Hannah and the other Walker brothers. This is a great connector between the two families as well as a foundation for a new series following the Walkers.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Beautifully heartbreaking and heartwarming. This book has it all. Claudia Connor brings her characters to life with such intensity.

I can't remember the last time I've read a book with a box of Kleenex close by knowing I was in for an emotional rollercoaster ride.

Nick and Mia's story is meant to be treasured. It is an emotional journey through all-consuming love, loss, heartbreak and finding their way back to each other.

Some books touch your heart and stay with you long after the story has ended. This was that book for me.

For everyone who is a fan of this series this is a Must read.

Claudia Connor has quickly become my "go-to" author for a escapism fix. Her stories are so wonderful and with feeling. You are taken on an emotional ride from the very first chapter.

Nick is Hannah's oldest brother. She fell in love with Stephen McKinney in the 2nd book of the series. Her story was tragic and to have a light on Nick who spent many, many years filled with guilt because he could not protect his sister. Hannah found a way to heal, but Nick was still stuck in the past with his guilt.

Hannah had sought treatment with a trusted therapist and someone that she considered family, Mia, Nick's one true love. He loved Mia and she loved Nick and that fateful day changed everything. Mia eventually left Nick and Nick let her go. They reconnect at the hospital while visiting Hannah, 10 years later, and realize that their feelings haven't changed, but can they get past the hurt?

That is the essence of the story where true love finds a way regardless of the odds. The story shifts back and forth but it isn't confusing and it adds to the layers of emotions that these two feel for one another. While this book is the 4th in the series, it can be read as a standalone. I hope this author will continue the series and tell Zach, Dallas and Luke's stories.

5 STARS! If I could give it 6 or even 10, I would.

It amazes me how with each book of this series, I find myself growing more and more in love with these characters. Not just the men, but also their entire families.

FBI Agent Nick Walker broke my heart back in Worth the Risk and completely shattered it in this one. While I knew his story would hurt to read, I wasn’t prepared for how attached I would get to him and Mia.

Worth the Wait takes us back years before the first book. Back when Hannah was just a baby, she was being raised by a nineteen-year-old Nick. Fresh into adulthood, with three brothers and a sister to watch out for, Nick is struggling to keep them alive while still making his dreams come true.

With the weight of the world on his shoulders, he finds solace only in a dark-haired beauty named Mia. On her road to becoming a doctor, she’s all about the studying. So it shocks even her when she starts having lunch with the beautiful boy and his adorable little sister a few times a week.

While they’re both crazy busy – he with his family and she with her pre-med classes – they’re also crazy about each other. That gets them through college. That gets them through her medical internship. That gets them through his FBI Academy. Once it’s all done, they’re going to get married. Everything is going to plan for once.

Until Hannah went missing.

And that tore them apart.

This is a book about redemption and forgiveness. It’s been over ten years since they ended everything. Ten years since she walked away and he let her go. Ten years of pain and suffering and they finally want a chance to make things right.

I’ve suffered a lot of family death and illnesses in my life. It sucks, plain and simple, and anyone that hasn’t gone through it is luckier than I can ever say. It generally brings couples together or it rips them apart. When dealing with a child, especially one that isn’t getting better, it usually causes resentment. One of them blames the other. The other can’t handle the guilt.

In the case of Nick and Mia, Hannah’s parents for all intents and purposes, Nick irrationally blamed Mia and she knew it.

I think the way the book handles grief was well done. It’s more than just tears and anger; it’s something that beats down your soul. You feel it in your bones. You want to sleep for a slight reprieve except you’re still plagued by nightmares. Nick can’t handle what happened to Hannah, his daughter more than his sister, and he takes it out on the person closest to him.

At the time he can’t see he’s wrong, blinded by his anger and sadness. However, the years have gone by and his eyes are finally open. He recognizes he’s done things wrong, that he screwed up and blamed Mia when it wasn’t her fault. The way his character evolves from a bitter, angry man into someone that learns the true meaning of forgiveness was beautifully written. He's desperate to get her back and tells her how he wronged her.

"She glanced up as if sensing him and their eyes met across the dark and sparkling space. He thought about what Hannah had asked of him. Was it really that easy? For so many years of his life happiness had been synonymous with Mia. He'd stolen her happiness, too. It was time to give it back."

He redeems himself by recognizing what he's done wrong and trying to make it right. Very well done, but heartbreaking. I sobbed like an idiot.

Also the writing in general made me like this author more. This is a book that goes back and forth between past and present. So many authors just recycle the same dialogue and scenarios when that happens, but hardly anything was from Worth the Risk. These were new scenes, an entirely new story, and that made this transition from McKinney to Walker that much better.

My only issue with the book is Mia's celibacy. That irks me because it’s such a romantic trope, but meh. I’m willing to overlook it merely because she acknowledges that it was stupid of her to care about it that much.

Overall, I loved this and I can’t wait for the next Walker brother to steal my heart.

An ARC of this title was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

Claudia Connor writes characters that stay with you for a long time after you have finished the book. She is far from your typical romance writer and that is only one reason that I, who doesn't read a lot of romance, love her. She fully develops her characters and the scenes of family life just make me smile and laugh and cry. She is truly unique. In "Worth the Wait" we revisit two characters, Nick and Mia, we met in Worth the Risk. We get the full story of their past relationship interspersed with their relationship in the present. This is one very emotional story.

As a nineteen year old, Nick is thrown into the role of head of the family due to his parents fatal accident. His siblings, seventeen year old brother, Luke, fifteen year old twins, Zack and Adam, and two year old sister, Hannah, are just as shocked and adrift in their grief as he is, only Nick isn't allowed to feel it as he is now responsible for the whole family.

Mia is a college student, as is Nick, and it is love at first sight for them both. The struggles Nick has with his siblings is shared with Mia and the two are deeply in love, but have different goals. Mia wants to be a doctor and Nick wants to be FBI. With Hannah growing up, and their differing goals and locations, there is not much time for a young couple in love, but they make it work for ten years. Then tragedy strikes and it tears them apart, emotionally, if not physically at first.

Twelve years later it is Hannah that brings them together again, this time there is a whole lot of life that has happened for them both, but their love for each other never died. Finding their way back to each other is an emotional journey and each must own up to the part they played in the events that tore them apart and take steps to repair their relationship.

Worth the Wait was exactly that. Waiting for Nick Walker's story after meeting him in the McKinney Brother's series was one wait I wasn't looking forward to. Claudia made the story worth every day that we had to patiently wait to find out if Nick was going to get his chance at happiness.

Mia and Nick were together for years when Nick's sister was little. Unfortunately things didn't work out for them then, but who says there are no second chances. Nick and Mia are given a second chance and from the beginning I had my fingers crossed that everything would work out this time. I cried, I cried because I was heartbroken at the struggles they faced (if they would have listened to me it would have much easier on the three of us), but I also cried tears of happiness.

This story was worth every minute of the wait, every minute of reading, and every emotion it ripped from me. Overall a great read, and I can't wait for more from Claudia.

Worth the Wait was an emotional read,I absolutely adored it.

Nick and Mia's love was immense,it was love at first sight,they were each other rock until their regrets were too much to share and they drifted away. But life gave them a second chance and their journey will keep you glued to your book hoping they will finally have their well deserved happily ever after.

"Be happy," she whispered against his ear. "It's time."

This book is heavily interwined with the second in the McKinney's Brothers series.I was so glad to learn more about Hannah's past and to see more of her and Stephen.

I love Claudia Connor writing and I can't wait to read more of her works.

Sometimes a book has the power to overtake your world and as a result, make you realize how precious life truly is. Worth the Wait by Claudia Connor had that affect on me. The first few chapters were their own impassioned and emotional roller coaster, which drew me right into this heartfelt and intense read. I recommend keeping a box of tissues handy, because sobbing during each and every chapter is almost inescapable.

FBI agent Nick Walker and therapist Mia James, fell madly and deeply in love while attending college. At the time, Nick was not only a student, he was raising his three older teenage siblings, and his baby sister Hannah who was only two. Nick's parents perished in an automobile accident when he was nineteen, so he had to become a father figure very quickly, while dealing with his own overwhelming grief. For a long time Mia was Nick's rock, and they became a family, until a horrific incident changed everything. Mia left and Nick made no attempt to get her back. However, they never stopped loving each other.

Now it is years later and Hannah is in the hospital recovering from a panic attack. Mia recently became Hannah's therapist, so she was there as well. When the Walker clan emerges onto the scene, tons of memories flashback for both Mia and Nick. Their love is still palpable, but it is poisoned with anger, sadness and guilt. Forgiving and moving on from the past, is the only way they can have the future together that they dreamed of so many years ago.

Wow, what an powerful and heartrending love story. I finished this book a few hours ago, yet it took me a while to pull myself together and get my emotions back in order. Only a few books have ever caused me to feel contemplative and overwhelmingly raw, which this one did stunningly. Worth the Wait is a well-written, second chance romance that can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

oh my gawd. I finished this about an hour ago and I still can't put my thoughts in order to say much more than GO READ THIS!

Nick and Mia broke my heart and put it back together again. I loved how their story seamlessly flowed from the present to the past. Some authors have trouble transitioning, NOT Claudia Connor. It was perfect. I cried like a big baby several times in here, so have your tissues ready.

Once again, I'm admitting this author has been on my TBR for a while and I've put off. No more. I'll jump on any new releases she puts out and I'll be going back to read about the McKinney family (and I'm super excited I get to read about Hannah and Stephen in a book of their own).

*thanks to Give Me Books Blog for sharing a copy of this with me*

Nick and Mia met and fell in love in college right after Nick’s parents died and he became guardian over his younger brothers and two-year old sister, Hannah. Both Nick and Mia knew their love was the forever kind, and I loved going back and watching them fall for each other; loved seeing Mia become an integral part of Hannah’s life. But tragedy strikes, and the aftermath shatters them. Guilt, anger and blame deals the final blow to their relationship and Mia leaves, no longer able to bear Nick shutting her out.

They haven’t spoken in the ten years since Mia left, but neither has really moved on, so when they run into each other it brings all the hurt and pain back, but also the undeniable, intense love they had. Like Mia, I wondered whether Nick could ever let the past go to have a future with Mia. And I wondered if Mia would ever be able to forgive Nick for pushing her away.

Even though I felt for Nick and everything he went through, my heart went out to Mia more. I hurt so much for her! With their breakup Mia not only lost the love of her life, she lost Hannah who was basically like their daughter, and Nick’s little brothers, too. But Nick felt so guilty, angry, and helpless over what happened he had no room in his heart for anything else. He didn’t feel like he deserved any happiness because of what happened on his watch, and so he let Mia go. I was glad that this time Nick wasn’t going to make the same mistake.

Back when I read Hannah’s story in Worth the Risk, I begged for a Nick and Mia story, because it seemed like it would be an amazing second chance romance, and it was! I’m so happy Ms. Connor granted my wish! Worth the Wait was a very emotional read, I cried several times while reading. I was so invested in Nick and Mia’s story I couldn’t put it down and ended up reading it in one sitting. It was heart-wrenching at times to see what Nick and Mia went through, but that just made their journey back to happiness all the more satisfying. My heart soared and I cried happy tears in the end!

3.5 stars

I haven't read Ms Connor previously, so I am coming in to the McKinney/Walkers late in the game. But this did not affect my reading of Worth The Wait.

I am a sucker for a second chance romance... thought this did seem a little light on the romance at times (but this could just be me)

I love Nick and Mia's story though. I loved that we got lots of their past (but maybe we lost too much of the here and now?) I adored Nick and baby Hannah - I mean, swoon, what girl wouldn't love that guy.

To me the ending made up for what I found lacking in the body of the book - again, the lacking could just be me and it won't bother anyone else.

I am looking forward to getting the other brother's stories.

Oh where do I even start. Yes I am speechless and for a blogger that can be a good thing. 5 stars across the board!!! Worth the Wait started off with me balling my eyes out. I had a broken heart reading into this story from page one. This is my 1st book I read by Claudia Connor. I love reading books from new authors (to me) that grips my heart. Worth the Wait is a story about unconditional love, sacrifices, and second chances. In one way or another, we may have experienced something so good, but the timing was just not right.

My heart cried for Mia and Nick a few times. When you have your soul mate to help you through the good and the bad, then let it all go away, that has to be one heck of train wreck you just put yourself through. The gift Mia gives Nick is peace, love, and when he thought he could not have it, happiness. They formed a family bond with Nick's siblings. Oh I want to go on and on about the book. But that would not be fair to have spoilers. So guess what! YOU need to get your copy. There were sad parts, and happy parts. A time or two I forgot how to breathe. It is that good! I need more. I don't know when, but I will need to back track and read the McKinney Brothers books.

The story of Nick and Mia was beautifully written, but sadly tragic. I imagine this was a more realistic version of how a couple will survive such trauma. I will admit, I prefer more of the fairytale. I understand the beauty of having the one person you don't have to hide from, but Nick took too many chunks out of Mia. I ached for her in this book. So much pain over so many years. It makes you question if it really is better to have loved. Because of that, I had a hard time wanting these two back together. Even after being apart 10 years, Nick tried to take them back. He hadn't moved on. Such guilt he carried for what happened to his sister. In the end, it took all of them to heal.

I think my enjoyment of the book was hindered because the majority of the book focused mostly on the past. If the main focus was on their reunion and healing, I would have personally enjoyed this book more, but I can't deny how beautifully written this story was. Claudia Connor is an amazing writer and I look forward to the next book in the series. Hopefully with a little less angst. ARC provided by NetGalley.

Wonderful story, just like the rest of Claudia's books. I can't wait for the next one. I posted a review on Goodreads.

3 Reliving the Past Stars

So let me start by saying that I love Claudia Connor. I loved, loved, loved her McKinney Brothers series. When I finished Worth the Risk (Hannah and Stephen's book) I was so madly in love with Hannah's overprotective, broody, sexy FBI agent brother Nick and I couldn't wait to get his book. So when I got this book from Netgalley I was so excited I did a happy dance. I just knew I would love Nick and Mia's story! Just knew it. But now after finished it I just feel disappointed and sad. Here is yet another book all my friends loved and I didn't. I waited for and dreamed of this book and it just didn't live up to my hopes.
Before I say what disappointed me about this book, let me start by saying what I did like about it. It was well written. I love Claudia Connor's writing style. I loved all the characters in this book. I loved Nick. I loved Mia. I ate up all the cuteness that was Nick with toddler Hannah. Every time 2 year old Hannah would say " I bite" I melted a little. I even liked some of Mia and Nick's backstory. Just some like the very start. I loved getting more of Hannah, and Stephen, Abby, and Matt, Luke, and Zach. I also loved getting little tidbits of Dallas who was again not in this book other than being talked about but still managed to intrigue me. All that being said as much as I loved Mia and Nick I hated their love story.
I know that sounds stupid when I just said I loved both of the main couple but It's their love story that left me wanting. For one the book goes through tons of flashbacks. I'm okay with flashbacks but there was so many that around 50% of the book is in the past. And it flipped between the past and present so much I got whiplash. Then almost all of their love story was just painful. There was no balance of good times to bad. It was a few minutes of them falling in love then tons and tons of bad. Tons and tons of Nick pushing Mia away. Tons of Nick taking his pain and guilt out on Mia. I could have handled that if when they got back together in the present it would have been good, but instead I got more sad and bad. The first time Mia and Nick come together it was Mia that went to Nick. Which I didn't like. He was the one that pushed her away so I felt he should have been the one to make the first move. Instead (view spoiler) I also had a big problem with the fact that Mia hasn't slept with anyone else in the 10 years her and Nick were apart, but Nick has been sleeping around. Normally that doesn't bother me when the main couple has been apart for years, but again I felt this unfairness to their relationship. I felt like Mia always got the short end of the stick.
Then what follows is Mia and Nick pretty much just ignoring each other for weeks and months at a time. The few times they are together they hurt each other. It was just so sad and damn depressing. I was expecting this great love that ended and then they meet up years later and the great love was still there making for a powerful second chance love story. I don't feel like I got that at all. The only time in the book I felt I got some romance was the epilogue. The epilogue was very sweet. The rest of their love story just made me sad. Even not liking their love story I still felt it was an okay read just not great. The sweetness at the end went a long way to soothing my butthurt. I still love Claudia Connor and I am still looking forward to Zach, Luke, and Dallas's stories.

Claudia Connor. Enough said. The book made me feel like I was at Disney on Mr Toads wild ride. From the emotional mountaintop down to the pit of hell, this is one great story. Since I assume you read the blurb and get the general idea, I'll just throw my feelings for the book out here.

Nick couldn't have been more abrasive initially with his sister in the hospital, seeing Mia and then blaming everyone in the span of about two minutes. But that's Nick, federal agent, raised his siblings, fell in love with Mia in college, endured his sister's kidnapping and torture and let Mia slip away.

Mia was off to med school when she decided to come home to help him with her, after the incident, Nick isn't coping, he pretty much opens the door for Mia and out she walks. And there's a lot Nick doesn't know about Mia and what's happened between then and now. 10 years is a long time, so matter how you cut it. Mia isn't sure she can risk her heart with him again and has so much healing to do from an unbearable loss. She slowly lets Nick in. Nick, I don't know. There were times I looked at him and wanted to shake him and times when he made me melt.

He has to deal with the notion that his sister is in love and engaged, has a job she loves and a man who loves her. I really liked Stephen. Stephen stood his ground with Nick and I liked that. He's good for her. He has to deal with the aftermath of how he demolished his relationship with Mia and her life after that. He's got an overflowing plate.

This book is stunningly beautiful, despite the pain and the history. It's second chances, new love and forgiveness of others and self. It's a huge do over that not many people get and or are given and will take the risk. Thank you Claudia for a deeply moving story.

If you haven't read the series, please do. And yes, you can start here. I highly recommend this book.

**arc from NetGalley and Publisher in exchange for a fair review** Many thanks to the publisher.

Nick Walker had to grow up fast following the death of his parents. He took on raising his three teenaged brothers and his two-year old sister while he was enrolled in college. In the middle of this chaos, he meets and falls in love with Mia James. Theirs is an epic romance...until tragedy strikes some years later and he lets her walk away. It's been ten years and suddenly they find themselves face to face for the first time.

This is not your typical second-chance romance with easy issues to overcome the next time around. You'll fall hard for Nick and then want to strangle him. Mia is sort of a mystery until her story unfolds and then you struggle to not lose it. The story transitions at will from past to present, depending on the aspect of the story being told at the time. It may seem confusing but I had no issues keeping up and it made for more compelling storytelling.

I've wanted Nick and Mia's story since they first showed up in Worth the Risk. I knew it would be intriguing and this story delivered and punched my emotions unmercifully. I highly enjoyed it, though I needed just a smidgen more groveling from Nick:) I'm excited about the books to come in this series as the Walker brothers are queued nicely in this story.