Childhood sweethearts who became and stayed friends, even though she moved away.
Elle Hart and Jason Tucker.
For years he had her back, even though she dated others and he married.......until one fateful night, when their attraction raged out of control......and everything changed.
Written with sweetness, humor and steaming hawt sex scenes, this tale is a winner. I can't wait to read her next book. Love all I've read so far.

Elle and Jason were high school sweethearts who broke up when her family moved to Nashville. He lives 2 hours away in Kentucky, they have remained friends, but he would like more. Elle's constant pushing Jason away got old. Both Jason and Elle needed to work on their communication skills and not hide their feelings. It was like two teenagers trying to find their way through a first love, and not two grown adults working their way back to each other. I did like the ending. I love Erin McCarthy and fangirl hard when I read her stories. This one while good, was not her best work ever, which you know some authors have rougher releases, but I am not judging cause I still liked the book regardless.

What would you do if you had a best friend that you viewed as just that, your best friend, but he or she admitted to wanting more? How would you react if you let one night get out of hand and it changed your perspective and life forever? Would you move on or stand up and fight for him/her when you realized that you might be too late because he/she has a girlfriend? How do you let go of your best friend when you finally realize what he/she has known for years: you were meant to be with him/her for the rest of you life and he/she is with someone else?
Love Taker is a book that grips you from the beginning and makes you reevaluate your relationships. Tucker and Elle have been best friends for years. They tried their hand at dating when they were in high school, but when she moved away, they remained friends. Tucker married and divorced, his wife cheated and then tried to blame Elle for being a third party in their marriage. Tucker believed that she was just trying to guilt him into feeling like he was to blame for her cheating. Through it all, Elle still remained his friend. When Elle calls him up late one night, she is crying and not herself because of something her date said. They talk and she insists that she is fine. Tucker doesn't believe her, he has never heard her sound the way she sounded, so he drives three hours to make sure she is okay.
When Elle is woken up in the wee hours of the morning, she is surprised to see her best friend on the other side of the door. She lets him in and realizes that she is lucky to have a friend so concerned that he would drive three hours just to make sure she was okay. While talking, she makes comments about how he is solid and always there for her. They share her bed that night and when they wake up Tucker decides that he has had enough of being the reliable friend. He wants her.
After they do the deed, she starts acting differently and he realizes that things aren't going to change. She sees him as her friend and nothing more. He decides to move on and starts dating a woman who has shown interest in the past. While they aren't speaking, Elle realizes that their one night of passion has led to Tucker and her being linked forever. She also realizes that while she thought she loved Tucker as her friend, she was wrong and she actually loved him. When she shows up at his door to tell him the news, she realizes she is too late. Tucker has moved on and has his girlfriend in his house and in his bed. While she feels defeated, she knows that she waited to long and promises she will be fine. Tucker, on the other hand, realizes the irony of the situation. He has been in love with Elle for years, and when he finally decides to move on and try to be happy with his girlfriend (the night Elle showed up was his first night with his girlfriend), he has to decide if he wants to keep moving forward.
Tucker's girlfriend tells him that she still wants to see where their relationship leads, so he vows that he will be there for Elle and his baby, but he is going to continue dating his girlfriend. The way Elle and Tucker find themselves, both as individuals and as a couple, was so real. While Tucker always loved her, she didn't see him that way and he was tired of always supporting her when she wouldn't do the same. He still wanted her but didn't want to seem weak. She had to prove that he was who she wanted.
When someone in Elle's family passes away and she is forced to go back to her childhood home-a place she never wanted to go again because of her painful past-Tucker is there to support her. Will the tragedy finally force them both to open their eyes and admit their feelings for each other? Will Tucker continue with his girlfriend? Will Elle find her happiness, an if so, will it be with Tucker? What will happen with their baby (will they raise it together as a family or co-parent)?
Pick up Love Taker today to find out the answers and so many more. I received an ARC, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I was so looking forward to this book, but I just couldn't connect with the story. Especially when the hero who hasn't been lusting after his friend forever, gets a girlfriend five minutes after sleeping with the heroine and puts up zero fight for her, just moves on. Nope. Not worth my time to read it. Sorry.

Holy hotness batman! Make sure to have a fan near by when you read this one. I always enjoy a good friends to lovers romp and this one is no exception. Tucker and Elle steam up this story quick. A night (it was really the morning) of passion turns out to be a lot more than they bargained for. Tucker and Elle have been best friends forever and they were high school sweethearts until Elle moves from her small town in Kentucky to Nashville. But over the years she stays close with Tucker and they remain best friends. A bad date brings Tucker to Elle's doorstep in the middle of the night and they end up in bed together causing all hell to break loose.

The journey to them ending up together was frustrating at times but well worth it. It's clear that they both love each other and want to be together but the problem is communicating this to each other. Tucker finally takes what he wants (and it's hot as hell when he does) and Elle stops fighting the inevitable. I love how they end up together and finally get their happily ever after. It was also nice to see Elle get past her selfishness and discover that true love means sacrifice. The only thing that nags me about this book is the extenuating circumstance that brings them together. I wonder if that didn't happen if they would have ended up together but all in all this was a great read. I do love how all the titles in this series make up the chorus to Pat Benatar's song Heartbreaker. I see what you did there, Erin McCarthy!

This is a fun and interesting series. Each edition has a completely different story line with some connected characters but each has its own distinct story without a continuance from the previous novel.

Elle Hart spends her days making country stars look great for performances, interviews, and any public appearance on their schedules. She travels all over and has little time at home or to stay in touch with friends except for one. And she calls him any time she has a disaster in her life, whether it is a guy or a home repair. Tucker usually responds because they have always been friends that never made it past the high school days.

He’s the local sheriff in the little town where he grew up, never wanting to move away because that is where he belonged. Elle couldn’t get away fast enough and never looked back. That little town had treated her whole family poorly and she wasn’t going to suffer that again.

After a really bad date, she calls him and ends up crying, which she never does. He jumped in the car to drive the three hours to see what had caused her such distress. Shocked that he showed up at her apartment, she invites him in and those days of just friends ends up being friends with benefits before the sun rises. That’s all it could ever be though because neither of them were looking for love or to move. That is until Elle realizes that she had no choice but to talk to him when she finds out she is pregnant.

Fun story of how they figure out what to do and how to make it happen without killing each other. He knew that he always wanted her but getting her wasn’t exactly easy! Great read and I’m ready for the next one!

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

I don't know if this will be the last book of the "Nashville Nights" series, but considering that it features the last Hart sibling, I have a feeling that unfortunately it may just be it.

Unlike her brother and sister, Elle, isn't a star. She doesn't have her sister Jolene's voice or country star looks, or her brother Shane's songwriting talent. She has made a name for herself as an accomplished hairdresser and make-up artist. If there is one weakness that she just can't seem to pull herself away from, it is her love of pretty boys. Men who look perfect from the outside, but are just as empty and disappointing inside. There is only one man that she can fully trust (apart from her brother) and that is her childhood friend, Tucker. She knows that no matter what, he will always have her back. When she calls him after another bad date to cry amd complain he shows up four hours later in Nashville, ready to comfort her. But things take an unexpected turn when their friendship finds itself in unchartered waters.

Jason Michael Tucker has always loved Elle. He has always been there for her and can't stand to see her constantly dissapointed in relationships with worthless men. There is nothing he wants more than to make her see him in a different light and when he finds himself at her doorstep in the middle of the night, it just seems that this may be the right time to turn their relationship into something more.

This book is another great addition to what is a wonderfully entertaining series. If you are a fan of romance, than this is a series that you just can't afford to miss!

I had waited anxiously for this book to come out and I haunted Loveswept’s NetGalley page until the ARC came up. I was a huge fan of Dream Maker that I had to read this book. I needed to see if Elle got her happy ending. When she appeared in Shane’s story, Elle had caught my interest and I was curious to see who she was going to end up with.

I was pretty happy with who she ended up with. Tucker was the opposite than her in so many ways and to be honest, with her wild child ways, she needed him. He balanced her out. But until that one night, she kept it solely as friends.

When she does have sex with Tucker, it was off the pages hot and very sweet. Of course, the morning after was kind of awkward and they did stop talking to each other for a month because of that. The only reason that they started talking was because that one night of passion had unexpected consequences. Elle got knocked up…even with using a condom.

What I liked the most about this book was how real Elle and Tucker were, well for the most part. The whole Las Vegas and Tucker quitting his job was a tad too much. Only for certain events to happen a little later in the book and then Elle change her mind.

The humor in this book got me too. Elle had a mouth on her and I loved her one liners. I was literally dying laughing on the couch and BK was just looking at me like I had 3 heads. My favorite line was (and this is not an exact quote) “sweating like a hog eating soup in August.” Oh the images it conjured up for me.

The end of the book was very sweet and the epilogue was perfect. The series was ended beautifully and happily!!! A perfect HEA. Oh and I loved the name Elle and Tucker gave the baby ;).

How many stars will I give Love Taker: 4

Why: This book was great. Had a great storyline, humor and two unforgettable main characters (as well as secondary ones)

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and language

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

I adore Erin McCarthy. I need to state that very clearly because I think she's a really talented author, and I've read many other books by her that I have enjoyed from start to finish. Unfortunately, I was incredibly underwhelmed and frustrated by this book almost from the very start.

***Spoilers*** So many spoilers.

Tucker, in a brilliant quest to show the incredibly self-centered and childish Elle that he's not just a stable, solid dude (because that's the WORST THING EVER for a guy to be), that he can totally be a spontaneous dude, decides to seduce a sleepy and emotionally vulnerable Elle. Surprising absolutely nobody but Elle and Tucker, she winds up pregnant from their one time together. But she doesn't find this out until Tucker has moved on from Elle (because she made a point of talking to him about her next date before she had even had time to shower the smell of him off of her skin and he decided he deserved better) and has a sweet, mentally stable girlfriend who doesn't treat him like crap constantly. It was ironic that Tucker hotly denied Elle was the third wheel in his failed marriage, actually getting indignant about the accusation, but then he let a pregnant Elle sleep on his couch while his kind, loving girlfriend is sleeping blissfully unaware in the next room. I literally could not believe what I was reading there. Seriously? Frankly, Misty deserved far better and I was thrilled for her when she finally sent Tucker packing – she should have done it much sooner.

I never connected with Elle at all – she was childish, totally irrational, and immeasurably selfish, basically everything that I do not want in a female character. By the time she became even kinda-likable, we were at the end of the book and I didn't care whether she got better or not because I was over her. I could probably have dealt with her if Tucker hadn't been pathetic. I liked Tucker to begin with despite his bad decision of having sex with Elle and his delusion that having sex would magically make her actually be good to him instead of just using him as her personal therapist whenever she felt needy. I thought I was going to feel bad for him for most of the book, but yeah, no. I lost all respect for Tucker when he went all “alpha” and “dominant” (the two most over used and annoying words in the entire romance genre) in the bedroom, but then continued to let Elle run absolutely roughshod all over him everywhere else. He was so busy trying to be whatever he thought would please her that he stopped being himself. One of the two most ridiculous lines in the book was: “He was one sexy bas**rd when he showed her what she had wanted all along.” Uh, unless it was outside of the bedroom and he happened to have an opinion, a thought, or plans that weren't to just follow Elle around like a dog, jumping at her every finger snap. Whenever that happened, she lost her cool and ranted about how he was a controlling jerk who didn't respect her or her feelings. Ugh. When Tucker – a small town country boy with a good, solid job - agreed to move to Las Vegas(!) with Elle because she demanded it of him, I was irritated at him for giving in to her. But when she threw a tantrum and said “I'm not sure why we're even having this conversation” when he told her about getting an amazing promotion and not being sure he wanted to give that opportunity up, acting as if he has no right to want good things for himself, he should only want what she decrees is “right” for them? I almost DNF'd the book right there. I hate not finishing books, so I stuck with this one. The funniest line in the book was Elle's unintentionally funny “we decided it together”. Uh, no, that never happened once in this book. Elle made plans, decreed that they were 'for the best' and he acquiesced as usual because he knew she was going to take their child and move 3,000 miles away whether he went or not, so he had no choice but to give up his entire life to follow her. Of course, something big happened at the end to make her see the error of her ways, but by then I honestly didn't care anymore.

The ending was happy enough, and I did enjoy the epilogue, but nothing I read in this book convinced me that these two ever learned how to compromise or that they are going to make it for the long haul.

This one just wasn't my cup of tea. Despite my rant about the characters, this review is not meant to be an indictment of Erin McCarthy's skills as a writer because she is an incredibly talented writer. I will definitely continue to read Ms. McCarthy's books in the future, despite the fact that this one just didn't work for me.

Love Take

I'm pretty sure this book can fall in two categories. Second chance and Friends to lovers.

Written in Dual POV my personal favorite.

Tucker lives in the small town in Kentucky in law enforcement. Elle grew up in Kentucky but moved to Nashville her senior year of High School. Tucker and Elle were a couple until Elle senior year. Her mother finally escaped her abusive husband and father of her three children starts a new life with her children. Let's fast forward ten years and Tucker and Elle have stayed friends all the years being apart. Both have always had feelings for each other but fear of loosing their friendship has them both finding love in all the wrong places. Tucker is the quintessential nice guy. Elle is snarky, independent or that's what she wants you to believe that only sees men that are "pretty boys". After a disastrous date Elle call Tucker upset so he drives four hours to check on her. One thing that's never happened before happens and these two need to decide if the other is worth the fight or to run scared to save their friendship.

Read this sweet romance book to see if these two will get there Happily Ever After.

I did not read the first two book in the series. I do believe you might get some back story but the author did a great job and is easily read as a Standalone.

This was not my favorite of the series, I must admit.

I liked Tucker and Elle, I did. And I believed they were really great friends, and I sort of believed the transition to lovers.

The issue I had with the book is a spoiler, so suffice to say I am not the biggest fan of the friends to lovers trope when they use an outside event to spur the romance. In this case, there was a history, and there was a current friendship...but when I read a romance, I want to believe that there is nothing that would have kept them apart, that they were meant to be. And, in this one, I think I left with the feeling that they would have never happened were it not for that outside event.

This feeling left me struggling with the resolution of the story. And, I think in a lot of ways, it felt like the author did as well, not being totally convinced that the story and the resolution was fully sold.

There was a rather off-putting, at least for me, declaration of love in which they make it clear to the other that they now love one another romantically and not as just friends...and I wanted to scream "show me, not tell me" and I think that sums up how I felt about the book. I was shown the relationship as friends. I was told about the relationship as lovers.

So, for me, I felt that I was left a little lacking in the romance for me to really engage with this book.

Elle Hart has had a tough life. Her father was never faithful to her mother & abused her. When he walked out in them, he moved to the other side of town & in with his girlfriend. Just when she was getting serious about Tucker, her family moved to Nashville, hours away from him. Elle & Tucker stayed friends through all the years, her bad relationships & his failed marriage. Why don't they see they are holding out for each other?

Nashville Nights is a great collection of stand alone books. It's a series in that it's about the same group of people & all set in Nashville. This group of characters are well developed & fun to read about. The plot moves quickly but has twists & turns to keep the reader involved. I loved that in this book, even though Elle is described as gorgeous, she has the same bad relationships that we all have & can identify with. There was one moment that I really disliked Tucker & felt he was insensitive but I don't want to reveal any spoilers. If you enjoy the friends to lovers genre, this is a must read for you!

I was looking forward to read the story of the last sibling in the Nashville Nights series. And I enjoyed this. It's well written- McCarthy after all. I like the setting- the series is good fun.
But. And yes there is always a but. It is probably my least favorite.
Before I elaborate on why. Let me just talk about the story line first.
It's a tad cliche but very entertaining. A lot of drama and smut. I think a bit too much smut for me actually.
The characters were well written. Did I like them? Mhhhh. Not really. And here lie my "issues" with the book
Well. I liked Jason aka Tucker. Elle, not so much.
I found her extremely immature. I mean she behaved like a teenager. I get commitment issues, believe me I do. But her behaviour through half of the book was just childish.
Tucker , though I liked him, really needed to "man-up". I mean for heavens sake! He let her walk all over him every bloody time. Every single time. I didn't like how he dealt with the 'other' women in his life. While I think his ex was a ... (insert nasty expletives), she also had it right. Being the nice guy all the time doesn't really work.
But I also have to say: I did swoon at the end, I was hoping they going to get their act together, I enjoyed the book. In fact I read it in one sitting.
Not my favorite but still a solid romance.

4 1/2 Stars! Tucker and Elle have been best friends since they were little and then started a romance in their teens. But Elle's family moved from their small Kentucky town to the big lights of Nashville when she was 17. It's been 12 years and they are still best friends, but Tucker would like more as he is still in love with her. After one too many bad dates, Elle phones Tucker to complain about her date once again. But this time she begins to cry ... and Elle never cries, so Tucker drives the 4 hours to make sure she's okay. One thing leads to another and they end up in bed together ... and nothing would be the same ever again. Tucker finally realizes that Elle will never be his, so he decides it's time for him to move on and put Elle behind him. The very next day he begins a relationship with Misty, a sweet girl that would never leave him hanging like Elle. 6 weeks later, Elle is on his doorstep with news that will change both their lives forever. Tucker is the preverbal good guy and Elle is the troubled girl who can't commit to a relationship. This is a sweet sensual book with lots of twists and turns to pull at your heartstrings. I highly recommend it!

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

Perfect! After reading Love Taker it's abundantly clear why Erin McCarthy's star has been on the rise since 2002 and hasn't slowed down. This story is perfection. Two hardworking, one-time high school sweethearts and forever friends, Tucker and Elle are definitely meant for each other. While growing up, Elle had the worst sort of father — drunk, abusive and all-around mean. She’s been working all her life to never be a victim again. This conviction means she self-sabotages, always picking guys who won’t stick. However, there's one man who has always owned her heart. Tucker is everything that a best friend should be. He's also smoking hot and madly in love with his best friend. A tear laced phone call from Elle finds Tucker racing to provide comfort and that's when things get interesting.

If you love a friends to lovers, bliss-filled romance, look no further. This one is worth its weight in good.

Wow the third instalment of Nashville Nights is great. I think it's my favourite. I wasn't impressed with Elle in the beginning & was kind of hoping that Tucker would not go back to her but I just couldn't get with the Misty idea, she didn't fit Tucker. Elle was someone who needed taking care of but wanted her independence & the longtime friendship between her & Tucker was something that just was meant to be, because Tucker was meant to take care of her. What we see is the growth of both people & the growth of a new type of relationship between them. We also see a little bit of closure for the family with the end of the torment for them. I think that the best thing to come out of this book was the personal growth of Elle & the attitude change that a life threatening event brought for Tucker. Definitely recommend the book & series to read.

I love this series. This was a fast paced and quick read packed with a lot of emotions. At first I did not like Elle, she was kind of whiny and selfish. But as the book went on I grew to really like her and could see where she was coming from. Tucker was kind of a push over at first but finally went after what he wanted. These two together were really good, I believe they were meant to be. I truly did enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.

I love the Nashville series. Erin has a way of capturing your attention with her stories and keeping you so enthralled that you can't put it down. This was a fast read as well.

An excellent friends to lovers story that I truly enjoyed. Elle and Tucker were so cute together and all along I wanted to see them together. I thought Elle was a bit ditzy and just a little lost but she came through in the end. Tucker was great! He knew who and what he was and made no apologies for it. Both great characters and a great story that has these two working through some serious issues to get to their HEA.

I definitely recommend this one.

LOVE TAKER is the first book that I have read by Erin McCarthy and I plan to look for more of her books. Ella's background has caused her to keep trying to find happiness and always falling back on her first love and best friend Tucker for support. Their story is sweet and has a few bumps....has it's HEA and was a good read.