I so badly wanted to like this book - I really enjoyed both Ali and Hawk as characters & watching them figure out their stuff but I was super confused be a lot of the interactions within this family. The fact that Hawk still thought he loved Bridget was a little icky and I was super confused about how good of friends Ali & Hawk actually are because we aren't given a lot of details about their history (which would have been a nice way to get a feel for their connection). I didn't think that Ali's dad was all that fair to her - I understand that he's compensating for his bad relationship with Bridget but it isn't very supportive of his other daughter. I get that it is hard to separate the couple from their misc baggage but if it had just been about them I think that it would have gotten rave reviews for the couple and Adair's good style. I just think that maybe some of the drama missed the mark for me.

Feels Like the First Time by Marina Adair.......10 FABULOUS STARS!!! I absolutely loved this fabulous story and fantastic characters. This story is full of sassy characters, bantering, fun, chemistry and family drama, which is what we grow to love from Marina Adair. Ali is the perfect heroine beautiful, strong, sassy and caring. Hawk the perfect hero he is a hot former pro hockey player, alpha male, sweet and so caring. These two are so fun together, but there is a problem Hawk is the ex husband of Ali's sister, did he pick the wrong sister. This is one book you will want to read, so make sure you pick this one up. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Okay, I pretty much read Feels Like the First Time in a day. Once I started I couldn't stop. We have a lot going on in this story: 1) Friends to Lovers 2) Best friend trying to help with fake relationship. (I think that's my favorite part of the book) 3) Emotional read (at least to me. I had to ugly cry going on a couple of times). 4) Ex-wife being a problem (it probably doesn't help the ex-wife is sister with the best friend). 5) Best friend had been in love with the hero forever. The list can go on and on.

I love Marina's books because they have a perfect balance of romance and complication. I normally can't handle friends to lovers tropes; seriously, they can either go some many ways. However, I think it was balanced out with the fact that Hawk ex-wife happen to be Ali's sister, which makes the perfect complication. We have Ali who feels like she comes second to her sister. I mean her sister hogs the limelight, and I truly wished that Ali decked her sister at times. A girl to hope. Ali carried this persona that she would stick a steel-toe boot up anyone's derrière. Ali has a soft spot for her family. She would put her own needs on hold in order make the family happy. Very self-sacrificing. Then we have Hawk who gives this vibe that he's not over his ex. So, you could see why Ali would be a little unsure about the circumstances between them. However, Hawk is the best guy you could ever have. Oh man, seriously love that sexy beast of a man. Plus, he's totally fun when he's with Ali.

Seriously, one of the best books I have read so far this year. Yes, I totally cursed Marina for putting me through an emotional ringer in Feels Like the First Time, but would I take back the time spent? HELL NO! I loved every moment, and totally the best use of my time. LOVE IT! It's definitely a reread kind of book.

Copy provided by Forever Romance via NetGalley

Every book I pick up by Marina Adair turns out to be a solid read, and this one was no exception. Feels Like the First Time brings us back to Destiny Bay where we first met Ali Marshal in Luke and Kennedy’s book. This wasn’t your run of the mill friends to lovers story. Marina Adair took that classic plot and added a complicated twist – one that had me wondering right up until the end how it was going to work out.
Ali and Hawk have a history, but not a romantic one. For as long as she can remember, Ali has been in love with Hawk. Unfortunately, Hawk fell in love with her sister Bridget instead. Watching from the sidelines as the former NHL star fell for and married Bridget while keeping her own feelings inside was one of the hardest things Ali has ever done. Taking care of her family, putting other’s needs before her own, is what she’s used to, so for years Ali focused on her career and spent her time taking care of her ailing father.
Hawk was devastated when his marriage to Bridget fell apart. He poured himself 100% into their relationship and he had to work hard to redefine himself after he lost the woman he loved as well as his career due to injury. He only asked for one thing in the divorce: his hometown. He had a plan to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams, but he couldn’t do that with Bridget still in his life. She left, he stayed, and he carved out a new life that he loved….a life that kept him in close contact with his former father-in-law and Ali.
Hawk wasn’t sure when he finally got over Bridget and started looking at Ali as a woman instead of his ex-wife’s sister, but a pretend date and a hotter than hot kiss had things changing in a hurry. Suddenly his future seemed a whole lot brighter and a lot less lonely. What started out as a fake romance turned real overnight and Hawk was determined to show Ali they could be more than just “sexy friends”. Ali was devastated when her mother left – and took Bridget with her - after her parents’ divorce, and secretly crushed when her sister wound up with the man she’d wanted for herself. Even though she’s all grown up and Bridget had been away for a long time, all it took was her sister sweeping back into town for Ali’s doubts and insecurities to rise back up.
I really loved Ali and Hawk. They were both real, honest and vulnerable. I loved the way they each took care of the other in their own way, and I like the way the author took them from friendship to flirtation so easily. This book was heartfelt and sexy. I enjoyed the little cameos by Destiny Bay’s other residents, and I was desperately hoping for a happy ending right alongside Ali.
I give Feels Like the First Time 4 stars

Feels Like The First Time was an incredible read from Marina Adair!!

I absolutely fell in love with this author when I read the first book in the series: Last Kiss of Summer. What I didn't expect, was for me to fall even more in love with Marina's writing style in this book!!
Every single detail had me swooning, as well as oohing and aahhing!

Ali and Bradley had such a phenomenal chemistry!! What started out as something fake and unromantic, turned into the complete opposite! You could tell right from the start that these two characters shared something special!

Go and pick up this novel for yourself today! You will not be sorry that you did!!
5/5 Stars!

I love this book, she weaves a world you can instantly get lost into and I have to say that I am so glad I read her words.

Marina Adair is one of those go to authors that you can rely on to deliver a solid romance that will make you fall in love with the characters and world. Feels Like the First Time was no exception though I was in for a surprise. I despised Bridget so much through most of the book and couldn't wait to see Ali win Hawk but surprisingly by the end I was interested in seeing Bridget have her own story. I would love to see her grow and find her own HEA.

Ali and Hawk were both great characters and I fell head over heels for Hawk. The chemistry between the two is amazing and the side stories were just as great as the main story. Can't wait for the next Destiny Bay installment!

I did enjoy this book but it wasn't the best book i have read . The story is decent .

Feels Like The First Time makes for a feel good romance with a hint of taboo thrown in for good measure. Marina Adair has a knack for writing poignant stories that can easily make a readers eyes water with laughter and/or tears. What began as a matter of prideful insecurity turns into a mouthwatering love affair. Ali and Hawk appeal to sentimental card carrying romantics everywhere. With each and every word, Ms. Adair touches the heart while resurrecting the dreamer in us all.

He could hold her all night and still itch to touch her. Kiss her until the sun went down and she’d still taste like his.

After falling in love with the town of Destiny Bay and its quirky band of characters in Last Kiss of Summer, I was eager to return and find out—once and for all—what was up with Hawk and Ali. It was always going to be a little trying, this relationship between a man and his ex-wife’s sister. A little angsty. A little heartbreaking. What I didn't expect was for it also to be a little sexy, a little funny, and—unfortunately—a little frustrating.

I love, love, loved Hawk and Ali together. They had sparks flying like a blowtorch on metal, and their friendship-to-lovers journey was deeply rewarding. It was swoony and humorous and the good kind of tense. You know what I mean, right? The sexy kind. The romantic, cake-pops-and-glitter kind. I wanted them to give in—and when they did? It was absolutely worth the wait.

But the wait itself was, at times, a little too drawn out. Bridget, Hawk’s ex and Ali’s sister, was very present in this book, and while that worked for the story more often than not, it didn't always work for ME. She was selfish and childish, and for a strong, sassy woman, Ali let her run roughshod for too long. And as for Hawk… while it was clear that Bridget was something different to him than what we saw (and I really appreciated that), some of the doubts and second-guessing lingered longer than I would have liked—or expected.

However, when I try to imagine Feels Like the First Time differently, it's hard. Because there is so much about this story that is right. The inclusion of Marty as a parallel to Hawk, and his need to get over the past. The glimpses of Kennedy and Luke. The old ladies who wanted to handle ex-NHL star, Hawk’s stick. This book was charming, funny and incredibly well-written. Yes, the pacing was a little off, but the story?

The story was wonderful. A little angsty, a little heartbreaking, and a lot of fun. The trip back to Destiny Bay made me fall in love all over again—and I wouldn't change it.

“God, Bradley.”
“I like it when you call me that.”
“Bradley?”
“God.”

~ FOUR Sunshine STARS ~

Feels like the First Time
Ali and Hawk are just sweet together. There is a lot of family drama on Ali's side not to mention that Hawk was once married to Ali's sister. I loved the humor in the story and how the family all pulled together when needed.
This is a sweet love story.
I received a copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

Ali is not always the girly girl everyone, her sister and mother mainly wants her to be, but she loves her chocolate, her dad and loves her friendship with Hawk more then anything. When her sister comes back into town on the night of one of Ali's biggest nights and she hopes that one lie to her will get her going back where she came from. Hawk can only handle one Marshal sister at a time they both have explosive personalities and he goes along with the crazy plan Ali comes up with but hers just not sure what he's thinking. He is ready to put his ex in the past and move on in the future. Will Ali be able to show love and keep those around her happy or will it all finally come crashing down?

The biggest thing that comes to mind about this book is "coming home". I have fallen in love with the town Destiny Bay the small town feel the way everyone has each others back and the gossip. There is a ton of chemistry coming off the pages and a ton of fun through out. There is some strong language and adult scenes through out. The storyline is well written and totally enjoyable. Totally worth the read you can't go wrong.

I enjoyed the journey that Hawk and Ali took to find their happily ever after. I liked the side plots involving Ali's dad, mom and sister. I wonder if Bridget will find her true love in an upcoming novel.

I love a friends to lovers book, add in a small town and I can't wait to read it! But, I'm truly struggling to come to terms with my feelings regarding Feels Like the First Time. On one hand, I loved the relationship that moved from friends to lovers between Ali and Hawk. I loved their true friendship, their love for each other as friends that neither wanted to screw up with admitting that there was really more to their relationship.

But I greatly disliked, no, I hated how Ali's sister, Bridget, and Bridget and Hawk's marriage and divorce "hung around" through the entirety of the story. The constant reminder of Bridget and Hawk's past love and subsequent breakup overshadowed everything, and I just couldn't fully enjoy the story of Ali and Hawk and their growing love that moved past the bounds of friendship.

I loved the first book in the Destiny Bay series, it was smart, fun and a great read, unfortunately, Feels Like the First Time wasn't the same for me.

Every time I pick-up a Marina Adair book I am always blown away with how well she develops her characters, setting, and story. Most authors can do one and maybe two of those well, but Adair finds a way to do all three every time. This book is no exception. Hawk and Ali are very well developed and even the secondary characters like Bridget are well developed and not just one dimensional. I had read the previous book in this series and had forgotten how much I love this town, which I know is all due to Adiar's ability to describe and write about it. I recommend this to anyone looking for a easy summer read with a little substance and a great love story.

She's strong & independent; he's had it all (career & marriage) and lost it. This book is about not seeing what's right in front of you & being afraid to reach for it when you do see it. I really liked the plot & characters, both were well-developed with just enough romance, but not overkill. I can't wait to read more by this author.

First of all, I love Marina Adair. I always get super excited when her books pop up on Netgalley, and I own several of them. I can't say this is my favorite of all of her books, but it definitely has heart. I found myself tearing through the book to find out whether the main character would get her happily ever after. It's a sweet, sexy, read.

I would like to thank Marina Adair, Forever and Netgalley for giving me this book for my honest review.
Review By Stephanie
4.5 Stars
I am a fan of Marina’s Destiny Bay Series so I was excited when I was given Feels Like the First Time. This book is about Ali Marshal and Bradley Hawk, Ali has been in love with Bradley for ever so you could image how heartbroken she was when he married her sister!!! Well the marriage ended and this sexy former NHL star is back on the market. But could Ali finally act on her need for this very hot man she has been in love with forever??!?!
I loved this story! I loved the journey Marina Adair writes for these two! Ali and Bradley’s love story was super fun! I think they are totally my favorite couple!!! I cannot wait to read more from Marina and more of the Destiny Bay Series!

Once again, Ms Adair not only entertains us, but gives us a touching story about family, responsibilities, expectations, and love.
This is the second story of the author’s Destiny Bay series, and rest assure, it’s a stand alone.
This one centers around Hawk , an ex-hockey player, owner of a bar, and ex- brother-in-law, and good friend of Ali. Ali, is a metal sculpture who has always loved Hawk from afar and considers him a good friend. She is an independent gal, but also one that loves her dysfunctional family to the point that at times , they take advantage of her. She gives her all to everyone, but if not for Hawk’s friendship, no one would be taking her feelings into consideration.
The story reminds us that our childhood , does in fact affect how we feel and act as adults. That when a parent is self-centered, and child-like, the child feels he/she needs to be the adult, and that childhood is forgotten.
It’s a story that will touch your heart, and will make you fall in love with Ali and Hawk. I love a quote from the book “…you are the funny parts, the loud parts, the quiet moments….makes me laugh when I do cry…”
Can’t wait for the next book in this series.
I was gifted this copy by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Fantastic second book in this series! It's a friends to lovers story with a bit of a twist. Ali and Hawk have known each other a long time. She had a huge crush on him when she was younger but then he started dating and later married her sister Bridget. Everything was going well until an injury ended not only his NHL career but his marriage as well. He's happily back in Destiny Bay, living next door to Ali and trying to put his past behind him and trying hard not to follow through on his attraction to Ali. A fight he's having a hard time with. Ali grew up to be a sexy, fun woman and her devotion to family warms his heart. Then they get caught up in a fake relationship scheme and everything begins to change!

Definitely a book for the must read list. I highly recommend it.