In Marina Adair's second book in her Destiny Bay series, "Feels Like the First Time", we get Hawk and Ali's story which I was very much looking forward to reading.
Ali has always had strong feelings for Hawk and cherished their friendship, but there was a time he was married to her sister Bridget. Now her sister is back in Destiny Bay and newly engaged. Not wanting to show up alone to the engagement party, she tells a lie and announces that Hawk and her have been dating! But after a couple steamy kissing moments between Hawk and Ali, they're both wondering if there can be more between them than just a friendship. There's definitely some obstacles for these two to their HEA and I really felt for Hawk and Ali and what they had to go through both personally and together.
Marina Adair is great at getting you sucked in to the story and caring about her characters. It's why she's always been one of my favorites.

I'm in love with Marina books. This is one of those must read books.

Bradley Hawk thought he had found the kind of love that lasts forever, but his happily ever after came to a screeching halt when his wife decided that their marriage wasn't built to last forever. He suffered an injury on the ice, and his NHL career was suddenly over, and not long after his wife decided that their marriage was over too. So he decided to move home to Destiny Bay, where he could heal in peace, and possibly discover a new path in life... never expecting that new path to lead him to his ex-sister-in-laws door!

Ali Marshal fell hard for Bradley Hawk the first time he walked into her life, they became fast friends, and she always hoped it would lead to love... and it did, but with her sister. Watching her sister have the life with Hawk that she had always dreamed of was excruciating, but then her sister did something totally unexpected and walked away from him. Now he is moved back home to Destiny Bay, and they have fell back into their comfortable friendship, and while she is thankful for his friendship she can't help but want more... no matter how wrong it maybe. When her sister comes breezing back into town with life changing news, Ali's instincts kick in and she comes to Hawk's aid, claiming to be his girlfriend. She knows her sister news has the power to crush him, and she isn't about to let that happen again, even if it means lying to her family. But soon the lies start to become the truth, and Ali finds herself getting a little closer to the dream she has had for so many years...

As soon as I swiped the last page on "Last Kiss Of Summer" I was left aching for more, I just wanted to spend a little more time with the folks from Destiny Bay, and stay wrapped up in their enchanting little world. So, when I had the opportunity to meet Ali and Hawk, I jumped at the chance, mainly because I knew just what I would be getting myself into... some seriously good reading!! Nobody does romance quite like Ms. Adair, she has a knack for creating story lines that have just the right amounts of sass, heartfelt emotion, sexy-fueled banter, and toe curling romance sure to steam up your screen!! Ali and Hawk were quite the pair, they had me laughing one moment, feeling the emotions and near tears the next, and then soon after blushing with their steamy between the sheets action... their story was AMAZING! Highly recommend you meet these two, their little journey to finding their forever love is sure to score a special place in your heart!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.

In most fake relationship stories, I usually find that only one character has really great growth while the other (usually the person roped into the relationship) sits by the sidelines. But that wasn't the case here. While I would say Ali was the main focus on character development, Hawk had fabulous development. Both have to come to grips with the past in order to move forward. I felt like I had nice full characters to read about and I loved that.

While the "fake dating trope" is a common one, this story was very unique. Their circumstances (ex-husband of sister but childhood friends) is fresh and exciting to watch unfold as a reader.

Add to that all the joys of a small town. Nose-y neighbours, dramatic family members and complicated histories all play a positive role in this story. It's a lot of fun and you immediately feel like you've been in Destiny Bay all your life.

This is a great read for romance fans who adore small town settings and enjoy more character based stories. It's light on the sexy times but there is plenty of tension and romance to be had!

There is something about Marina Adair's writing that draws me in. But once I'm there, I'm confused. It feels like I'm missing something, I'm not sure what??? I enjoy her characters and her plots. This particular story had the added oooggg of the heroine hooking up with the heroine's sister's ex-husband. Did you get all that? I typically don't read those types and once I start, I remember why. Now, I can't say I hated this book. The author did a good job of not reminding me that the hero used to do the heroine's sister. That doesn't mean I didn't cringe now and then...

The last story I read, which had a heroine falling for her sister's ex-husband was a fantastic read, and it's a storyline Ms. Adair has penned superbly also. Right from the start, this book was entertaining, fast-paced and one I could not put down, because Ms. Adair has a way with words that immediately had me -- as a reader -- invested in the characters. The way this story started had me smiling at the hero's dilemma. What is Ali doing that he has a problem with? Will he be able to talk her around? Why does she give him a hard time about his stick?




Both the main characters are compelling and I loved every moment they interacted. There were some really good light-hearted moments where Ali certainly knows how to push Hawk's buttons, but the story was also intense due to the main characters back stories and this story encompassing the forbidden relationship trope. Ali's mom isn't the best parent, and indeed, I found her a little self-absorbed, so I could understand why Ali was afraid to be in a relationship. How could she trust that Hawk would stick around if they decided to give a relationship between them a try?



Ali was resilient, hard-working, and I liked the close relationship she had with her father. He's the only family member she's ever been able to rely on, and I liked the way she nagged him, because she didn't want anything to happen to him. It was a tad amusing, because her dad knew just what to say to her when needing to defend himself and also knew that her concern for his well-being was out of love. But what I liked most of all about the heroine was how she stood up for herself against her sister and mother when she needed to. No way was she going to allow them to spoil her moment to shine.



While the hero, he has a lot of tough decisions to make when it comes to Ali and her family, and I liked the decisions he did make. Ali's dad is like a father to him, and he would do anything for the man, even if it meant having to spend time in Bridget's presence, which wasn't easy for him. Yet, in my opinion, his divorce was the best thing to happen to him, as it finally made him realize that Ali is the right woman for him and always would be. Also, I liked how he was there for Ali when she needed him, especially when it came to her sister and mother. They were times where Ali found it hard to deal with them, because both only thought of themselves.



Overall, Ms. Adair penned a delightful read in this second book of her Destiny Bay series where the romance between Hawk and Ali did justice to their intense chemistry. The way this story ended had me cheering for this couple's happy ever after, as these two were so right for each other that there was no way they weren't meant to be together. Ali needed to find the perfect way to win Hawk back and she definitely does that. Moreover, I liked how things were made right between Ali and her family to bring them closer together, because there's nothing more important than love and family. I would recommend Feels Like the First Time by Marina Adair, if you enjoy the forbidden relationship trope, the friends to lovers trope or the fake relationship trope.

I was not sure if I was going to like Feels Like the First Time before I started reading it. I have enjoyed Marina Adair books in the past, but sometimes, books about situations like the one in the story, turn me off. It's a little weird when a guy falls for his ex-wife's sister. Thankfully, this book had some great characters and lots of humor. Destiny Bay is such an interesting place!

Ali was such a clueless character when it came to Hawk. Everyone could see how he felt about her. It amazed me that she couldn't see it. I guess she just couldn't understand how someone could be more interested in her than her sister; but, her sister wasn't all that great. Ali and her dad were so down-to-earth compared to her sister, Bridget, and her mother. Hawk was also quite down-to-earth even though he used to be an NHL star. He and Bridget simply did not match. They were so different, whereas he and Ali were so much more alike with enough differences to keep things interesting. And - they definitely kept things interesting. I think most women would be very thankful to have a Hawk in their life.

This book is hard to review because going in I did not have a big description. I knew I liked the authors writing and I had never read the 1st book in the series. I had been hearing about it and it sounded good. First the positives are I liked the writing. It flows easily and it was a very easy read.

Our main characters are Hawk and Allie and I liked both of them. At first I thought they were enemies but as you keep reading, they are very close friends who have lets say friction. One of those major friction issues is that Hawk was married to Allie's sister, Bridget. Years before, and they were married for 5 years when she dumped him for her next meal ticket. But she never leaves him totally alone and he really loved her and she does own a part of his heart.

Allie, I felt really bad for. Bridget is a class A bitch of the highest order. Allie has a terrible home life except her father and she was once close and good friends with Hawk. In a way Bridget got in a the way of that because she always gets Allie to do her dirty work for her.

I liked to main leads alot. And I liked the writing BUT I abhor, HATE all these sibling romances. So going in I did not know that and when I did I cringed, I hate this plot device and authors seem to be doing these type of storylines a lot. Now in some stories you can over look it because the sister is never around, or she is hated so much or they were never in love. But this is not the case here. It turns my stomache how authors are using siblings exes to create drama in stories. In this case it was much worse in that Hawk truly loved Bridget and he would have done anything to keep her and even years later he still has a thing for her.

So I know I have not gone into the plot because well the plot was on the silly side. Hawk and Allie pretend to be engaged as Bridget plans her wedding and inserts herself into Hawks life yet again. The real plot is Hawk and Allie connecting and falling for each other and them being BIL and SIL's.

Would I recommend this story? No!!! Because I cannot understand how sleeping with your sisters former husband is sexy and hot and not icky and gross and thats why I hated this book. Personally, a cousin would have worked better but to take a sister relationship it just grossed me out.

Swoon worthy read !

When Ali convinces Hawk to enter a faux romance she doesn't expect it to become so real so fast that they don't know where fake ended and real began.
Ali feel in love with Hawk when she was seventeen, and had to watch him marry her sister. Will he choose Ali this time or will she lose him to Bridget again.
This book was a swoon worthy read. I loved the relation between Ali and Hawk and how it developed from friends to kissing friends to finally sexy friends. Ali and Hawk had me rooting for them from the start. I loved the bond Ali shared with her dad. I tried not to like Bridget, but I think she is just lost and would love to read her HEA.
Another feather in cap for Ms. Adair.

When the guy you’ve loved for years just happens to be your sister’s ex-husband, just what the heck do you do when you realize that he might just be attracted to you? For Ali Marshal, when said sister comes back to town and it could possibly mess with said ex-husband’s head….why you pretend to date him so it can appear to said sister that said ex is really over her…unfortunately for Ali, the fake attraction between her and Bradley Hawk is anything but fake.
Some of the darkest days in Bradley Hawk’s life were when his NHL career ended and his wife left him. In the divorce she got it all, the hefty alimony, the house, the cars and their friends. The only thing he wanted was Destiny Bay…as long as she stayed out of their home town and let him live his life he’d be fine. Though he knew he’d have to see her occasionally since her sister and her dad still lived there but as long as she kept the visit to a minimum he’d deal. Of course with everyone in town (including Ali) believing he was still hung up on her, it made moving on a little bit of a challenge. Now Bridget is back, with a new fiancé in tow and all Hawk wants is for Bridget to get married then get lost because he’s realized that the Marshal Sister he’s hung up on is Ali.
Although the situation seems a little weird, I enjoyed Ali and Hawk’s story. I just wish there were a little more background on Hawk. There was some background provided in the previous book in this series but it would have been nicer to get it directly from Hawk. Other than that, this was a pretty good read. It might not be one of my favorite or best reads from Marina but I liked it just the same. As usual the humor is there in the right places and the supporting characters always make for very interesting experiences. A bunch of old ladies wanting to catch a glimpse of Hawk’s stick and posting it on Instagram is nothing short of hilarious!

I always love Ms Adair's work, so the fact that I couldn't finish this story is purely a reflection of me and not her writing. But I made it to 64% (I use a kindle) and the main man was still harbouring significantly serious feelings for his ex-wife. I understand that it's showing progression, and he'll eventually find he's in love with her sister... but that's a little toooooo long to be pining over another woman in a romance novel. It was off-putting and didn't give me any real feelings for Hawke, except pity at his confusion. It made him appear wishy-washy, and no one loves an indecisive man.

Wow. Some major family drama going on in this story. So Bradley, aka Hawk, and Ali are friends. Close friends since high school. She's always had a crush on him but he ended up marrying her sister. I know! Then he and her sister get divorced but Ali and Hawk are still close friends even though she's still secretly in love with him. Then it gets even more complicated when he starts having feelings for her but Ali's family drama could possibly put a stop to their growing relationship. Eek! So that's the gist. I don't want to give anything else away but you’ll have to read the story to get all the details and goings-on in their lives. I loved Hawk. He was hot. Ali was a real sweetheart but she was way too nice for my taste. I guess I'm just not as good a person as she was in the story. There were some emotional moments in the story and some frustrating ones when it came to how nice Ali was to her sister and family, but in the end it all worked out so I enjoyed the story very much.

* I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader copy of this book*

Ali is a strong, caring and confident woman. She makes the art she loves and is starting to get the recognition she deserves for it. She also has a neighbor, who is a friend that she just loves to fight with. He is also her former brother-in-law. But, Ali and Hawk have more in common than the fact he used to be married to her sister.
Hawk thought he had met the love of his life, until she the day she tore that all away from him and filed for divorce. Whenever he thinks he has moved on, she comes roaring back into town and shattering the peace he has established. But this time is different, and when Ali looks to protect him in an uncomfortable situation he starts to see what moving on can really look like.

Once again, Marina Adair has written a fantastic book. I loved Ali and Hawk's personalities and their interactions. With a story line that includes a 'fake relationship' which has of course been done, the author makes it fresh and enjoyable. The only part of this book I didn't enjoy... Ali's mother and her sister... ugh. Just ugh.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

I am a huge fan of Marina Adair so when I saw the ARC for this second book in the Destiny Bay series on Netgalley, I just had to request it and I am very thankful to have been given the opportunity to read it early.
I really enjoyed this not so typical second chance romance. Hawk & Ali certainly have a very interesting past, namely his ex-wife is her sister and they have known each other for many years. He has had a very difficult time getting over Bridget. Having to retire from hockey basically ended the two major things in his life, his career and his marriage. Now living back home in Destiny Bay he is neighbors with Ali and they are friends and he is also still close with her dad. Ali has never been his type though or so he thought. I am very happy Hawk gets a second chance at love with Ali. They have incredible chemistry. Neither of them expected for what happened between them to happen but it is clearly right for them to be together. Of course it is not an easy path to go down given the circumstances in their lives and they definitely face some challenges, but love true love prevails. He says some seriously swoon-worthy things to her that would be impossible for anyone to resist.
I enjoyed this love story very much as it is more than just the love of these two people but of family too.
I look forward to more from Destiny Bay and Marina Adair.
I will post on Amazon & B&N on release day.

Bradley Hawk had everything, a wife he loved and would do anything for and a hockey career. Until he was injured, and his wife walked out. In the divorce he got the only thing truly mattered, his home town and his sister-in-law. Ali has always loved Hawk, even if she had to push her feelings aside as she watched him love her sister, watched them share their lives together. Now that he's back and those feelings that never went away came back in full force, she will need to learn to navigate through her friendship that is about to become a messy fauxmance, because her sister is back and marrying someone else. Will Hawk and Ali finally be able to find their way? Or with Bridget get in the way?

I absolutely adore Marina's books. They are so full of characters that burrow themselves right in to your heart. I have to say, this was the first book by Marina that had me in tears. I went from swooning to crying and back so many times. Feels Like The First Time is without a doubt Marina's best book yet. I fell so hard and fast for these two. I kind of hate Bridget a little, but in the end, I want to see her find her own happiness. If you love books the fill your heart with so much love and happiness, a book that keeps you sucked in until the very end, and a book that will have sighing in happiness by the end, then this is the boom for you. Fall in love with Hawk and Alibi promise it Feels Like The First Time with these too.