I have to say that this is a very bittersweet book to have read but I loved it.  Bitter in the fact that this is the last Kowalski book but sweet in that it shows the reader so many things about how the couples have stuck together and grown as a couple.  I love this series and am sad to see it end but know that Shannon will keep providing us with great stories in the future.

Ben has finally come back home and is ready to settle down with the right woman but he isn't in a hurry to do it, he just knows he wants it.  He's struck by how many people around him have found their partners but I appreciated how he really was honest about it to himself and to Laney.  He is a wonderful man though and intuitive enough to know he needs to let things move organically with Laney.  He is so sweet to her and makes sure that she doesn't feel like he is taking over for her  or that he doesn't feel that she can do things on her own.  I quite enjoyed his character and the fact that he was honest about what he was looking for even as he worked hard to not put pressure on Laney.  I also fully understood why he got so hurt by some of her reactions but he never really took it out on her.  He just said his piece and let the cards fall where they may.

Laney was a character I understood.  I understood how easy it is to let yourself fall away in order to preserve the peace.  I understood how hard it is to make decisions about what to do with your life when you aren't certain who you are any more.  I understood it because it is something that I am struggling with in real life.  I also appreciated the fact that while she didn't want to want Ben... she wanted Ben and was honest with him as to what she was struggling with.  I got why she reacted the way she did in the closing section of the book.  I didn't like it in a way but I got it.  I also loved how being around the craziness that is the Kowalski family helped her see what she wanted and made it possible for her to finally understand what was important.  She really does fit in with the clan and seeing her embrace life was such a nice feeling.

There are moments with Sean and Emma that will be a bit sniffle worthy but they were appreciated as we see a couple come to terms with their relationship and what matters.  I also loved seeing Rosie and Andy but also just in general getting some glimpses of the family we love.  For fans of the series this is such a wonderful close to a great set of stories.

This could have been a novella about the main characters. It seemed really rushed and I didn't get the feeling that the heroine really resolved her issues. Just ok I guess I love him so everything now will fall into place, and it did. Plus there were too many sections that focused on secondary characters.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Kowalski Family! This series is one of my all time favorites! So a reunion was a real pleaser!! I loved catching up with everyone, seeing their crazy escapades and of course the eating!! I was so happy to receive this book!

I marked this book as DNF as I just couldn't connect with it. I won't be leaving a review publicly.

Love the Kowalski's! So glad to dive back into this family! Laney and Ben were wonderful! I love how Rosie gets involved and it's so wonderful to "be" a part of the family again! I couldn't put it down and didn't want it to end! I hope we see more in the future!

I have read all the books in the Kowalski series and of the ten, I still love the first five the most.
Technically, the protagonist in this story is no Kowalski, so this is not so much a Kowalski story as it is that of the neighbor and close friend of the family. However, the Kowalskis are still prominently represented as the setting of the romance takes place in the family owned Northern Star Lodge.
Ben has moved back to Whitford where he grew up to serve as a much needed paramedic. He often goes to the lodge to visit and help around, especially after he meets Laney, the newly hired extra hand. Laney has been through one hell of a divorce from a husband who loved being in control of everything and everyone. She had lost herself and is now in the process of finding who she once was and who she wants to be again. Falling in love wasn’t part of the plan, but then again, it never is.
The plot is something we have all read a lot I’m sure and with books like this, it’s really all about the execution. Stacey’s storytelling is good, however for some reason, I didn’t feel connected to the characters as much as I expected to be. Maybe because I was overwhelmed by the number of characters in the book that I was sometimes confused. But then again that’s WHY it’s called a Kowalski reunion. All the main characters in the previous books are here plus their offsprings…. That’s a lot of names and stories to look back on.
It did thrill me to, in a way, reconnect with those whose stories I fell in love with before, but it also distracted me from the love story of Ben and Laney. And at some points, it felt like I was being hurried through the book, as if Stacey just wanted to get it over and done with. Despite this, I did like the book and would still recommend it especially to those who have missed the crazy family that is the Kowalskis.

It was like stepping into a comfortable pair of jeans. They fit so nice and wondered what had happened to them. Then there they are and its like you were never apart.

I'm normally a fan of Shannon Stacey's books, especially her Kowalski series, but this book was really hard to get through.

I love the Kowalski family. Funny light hearted, it was nice to see the return of the family. This was a good book a little slow int he beginning but by the end of the book, it was the Shannon Stacey that we love!

I loved revisiting the Kowalski family, and enjoyed the story of Laney and Josh. They were both great characters, and the storyline kept me interested. I enjoyed the setting and hope for more visits to the Kowalski Family in the future!

As always, a visit with the Kowalski family is bags of fun. Sweet, funny and heartfelt.

Greatly enjoyed this story. Loved seeing all of the older characters come back.

I have a love affair with the Kowalski series. A whole series, of interconnected stand-alones, about small towns and small town families. I mean, really, what's not to love? Seeing the characters I've fallen for come together for a family reunion would have been treasure enough. Yet finding a way to weave in a sweet, second chance romance into the mix? Perfection.

“I'm still hung up on the fact he offered to go grocery shopping with you. That part's kind of romantic.”

From pink flamingos to pregnancy scare calls while only wearing skivvies, this book has the humor, the swoons, and all the favorite character cameos I could ever hope for. So much to love, and my only disappointment was that it ended, leaving me with a sense of longing for a family that doesn't exist. I think it's time to crack open the first book and start all over again. ~ George, 4 Stars

I have read many of Shannon Stacey's stories and I am never disappointed in them. Great read, you quickly get involved in the story and never want to put it down.

I was super excited to get a Kowalski vacation of doom. The Kowalski family series is one of my favorite ever. I loved getting to spend time with the entire family, and seeing how the family has grown since the last book. I will say if you haven't read the rest of the series, you will be lost with all the family dynamics if you try and start with this story. I highly suggest starting with the first book in the series, Exclusively Yours.

With all the members of the Kowalski clan in one book, there was lots going on and I'll admit it was hard to keep up with the growing family at times, but I loved every minute with them. What It Takes also had a budding romance between Laney and Ben. While I liked both Laney and Ben as individuals, I had trouble with them as a couple for most of the book. Ben and Laney didn't seem to be on the same page to start a relationship. Laney had just ended her marriage and not ready for anything serious, while Ben was at the point in his life that he was ready for a serious relationship. I thought Laney and Ben had great chemistry, but had trouble buying into them as a couple for the majority of the book. I did love that Laney received immediate acceptance into the Kowalski family, which was so nice as her own parents didn't support her decision to divorce her ex-husband. I also loved that Ben's family also accepted Laney so quickly.

I did end up liking Ben and Laney as a couple by the end of the book. I think since there was so much focus on the Kowalski family, their story took a bit of a backseat at times and it took me until about the last 20% of the story to really become invested in their relationship.



Rating: 3.5 Stars (B-)

It was a quick read with a familiar series. It was good and well written.

This story works as a stand-alone, but is meant just as much as a love letter to the fans of the Kowalski books. Going into the book I honestly had mediocre expectations, expecting it to be 50% catching-up with the old characters and 50% focusing on the central characters. I was pleasantly surprised at how Shannon Stacey managed to get the reader caught up in the lives of the rest of the family and still keep the focus on Laney and Ben. The secondary story focusing on a couple from one of the previous books, Sean and Emma, was also done well and added to the overall story and my enjoyment of the book. As I started this review, this book could be read as a stand-alone, although you (like Laney) might start to get confused by who all the other characters in the book are, but the previous books in this series are well worth reading if you have a spare month or two...

I just love the kowalski family an Shannon Stacey for giving us them. Was over the moon when I got this book an it did not disappoint one bit. Liked that we got to catch up with all the characters an got new fantastic romance too in laney an Ben. Was one happy reader I can tell you an if you haven't try this series you are definitely missing out an you won't be disappointed so go ahead try this series. Definitely recommend of course

I've been a fan of Shannon Stacey's Kowalski series and so reading and reviewing this tenth book in the series was a no-brainer for me. There something about the Kowalski clan that just makes me feel good, and What It Takes follows that tradition for me.

The romance in this installment is between Ben, the quad-driving paramedic who is the go-to guy for medical events happening on the quad trails of the Northern Star Lodge. He's a bit seasoned after having spent his younger years working in the city where he was too busy to find himself a wife and start a family. Now that he's back in Whitford where things are a little slower, he's reminded of what is missing in his life. When he runs into Laney who is helping Rosie with the chores ta the Lodge, he's attracted to her, even though he knows she's in a much different place.

Laney is happy working at the lodge and staying in a camper for the summer as she finds her old self after a stifling marriage. I really got where she was coming from. When she finds herself attracted to Ben she's faced with the dilemma of letting her heart go again, or resisting the pull she feels for him because she needs to be able to stand on her own two feet after her divorce.

Neither Laney or Ben can ignore the attraction they feel toward each other, and eventually give into it. Laney tries to keep her emotions under control, not wanting to jump into another relationship so soon, and Ben is very patient with her. But he's not willing to wait forever, and the moment it becomes clear to Laney and Ben they cannot reconcile their different viewpoints is heartbreaking.

What It Takes is really more about the relationships in Whitford than it is about the Kowalski's although the family is front and center when there's a 4th of July family reunion at the Lodge. There's a very sweet story revolving around Emma and Sean that warmed my heart and it was great catching up on both sides of the Kowalski family. I'd forgotten about some of the early books and it was great to be reminded of the characters and just how much this entire series has wormed it's way into my heart.

If you are a fan of the series, this is a "must read". If you haven't read the series, I think What It Takes would standalone as a contemporary romance. Either way, you will get Shannon Stacey's wonderful voice as she tells the tale of another couple in the town of Whitford. It's all about the love of friends and family and I love that about this series.

ARC provided for review.

Each time a new Kowalski book comes out I jump up and do the Riverdance. Okay, not really, but you get the idea. I've never wanted to be part of a fictional family as much as I'd love to be in this family. I'm so sad that we ran out of family until the kids grow up (hint, hint). The family having the annual family vacation of doom at the lodge was fabulous. Seeing them all again as the background noise to Laney and Ben's romance was perfect. I need more!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.