A heartbreaking series of events and miscommunications eventually lead into a second chance years later. I loved this story - the conniving family working to get the two of them together, their willingness to try again, and the romance!

This series has been a great read and this installment turned out to be the best of three books.

Brant is the ultimate man-child complete with irresponsible recreational habits and playboy ways. The previous books in the series have shown hints of a man that is more than that and his character development in this book is well executed to make him likable, becoming a true hero in the story. A series that usually keeps things like, there are emotional and sometimes almost heartbreaking moments between Brant and Nikki. If you enjoy romantic comedies with heart this book is for you.

Gah! A smart swoony, sexy, funny second chance romance! I’ve loved this crazy Bachelors of Arizona series from the start, and couldn’t wait to read Brant’s story. I loved the back history of Nikki and Brant’s romance; that they lost so much but still had so much love simmering under the surface. I loved Nikki l’s spirit and spunk. And once Brant put down the bottle to finally see what he was missing, I loved him too! And let’s not forget Brant’s scheming family and Nikki’s amazing best friend, Cole. The Bachelor Contract was an excellent conclusion for this awesome series, I hate to see it end.

People Brant like make me not believe in relationships these days. They are also the ones who kill romance for me. He thinks of Nikki in almost everything he does and yet he spends the four years he was away from her manwhoring and drinking. The drinking, I can understand. He and Nikki share a very tragic story. But manwhoring? Why? He even taunts Nikki with the conquests he had over the years. Brant is the worst hero in the series and I didn't like him from the beginning until the end of the book. I felt sorry for poor Nikki. She didn't deserve what happened to her or someone like Brant. She deserved someone like Cole. He proved that he was better than Brant more than once and he was the better man. I wish Nikki had gone on a couple of dates with him to give Brant a taste of his own medicine. This book is one of the few cases where I said that either the heroine or the hero was better off with someone other than the person the author intended them to be with aka the other main character. Cole should have gotten Nikki because he was the one who had her back when she needed help and was worried about her. Instead, he was pushed aside when mister STD came into the picture again. Not cool with me. Brant treated her badly when all those years back and in present time. And guess who came to the rescue.

I wish Cole will get a story. He needs to find his happy ending with someone who will love him. To be honest all the people in the resort were great and I would love a series where they get their happy endings. Or at least where Cole does. His character is my favorite, after Nikki. The "love of her life" is in the last place in case you are wondering.The people at the resort saved the book as well as Brant's family. I liked the heroine so she also gave points to the book. I just don't understand why she tried to have something with Brant after everything. Since Brant's type is the norm these days I will say that most of "romance" readers will enjoy the book so if you want go and read it. I know I won't do it again.

3.5 out of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this, it was such a great read! I was not prepared for the emotional roller coaster I went on but it was so worth the ride.

I've been curious about Brant’s story since book one, The Bachelor Auction, and was excited to get to know him. He was such a hard, closed off guy and the why is heartbreaking but I loved the healing that came from him and Nikki reconnecting. Nikki was great and I really liked her strength and resilience. Brant and Nikki's story is intense, it's full of ups and downs and a lot of push and pull. I was filled with so much anticipation while learning their history because I wanted to know the reason they were so broken. It was so heartbreaking and raw. I really liked how the details were presented between past and present and I felt so much for these two as they came back together. There's a lot of tension and pain between them and breaking down their walls to get them to their HEA had me choking up.

The writing was good. I enjoyed the details, the build, and the timeline in which things were learned. There were times when the flow was off for me and I felt like I was missing something. Sometimes things felt slightly disjointed but I was so invested in their story and caught up with all the emotion I just had to keep turning the page. The second half was a bit slower for me but by the time the end rolled around, it all evened out.

I really enjoyed all of Brant’s family and the humor they brought to the table. Sometimes it could be chaotic and crazy, and a bit over the top but as intense and emotional as it was, I found myself laughing because that lightness was needed. The overall story with this book is what hooked got me. All that pain coming to a head as Brant and Nikki truly start to heal and come together again. It was a really wonderful second chance romance.

I'm still new to Rachel's work, but each book keeps bringing me back for more, I'm loving her writing! She definitely knows how to capture her audience.

From start to finish my emotions were on a rollercoaster ride... angst, humour, heartbreak, characters you grow to love. What more could you want in a second chance romance?

An emotional page turner I recommend checking out!

This is the first book in this series I have read...while I may have enjoyed reading some about Brant and his family before this one, I didn't even know I was missing anything until I went to post this and saw it was Book #3.

But while there were many funny moments this book was also really gritty. A book that shows you that no matter how much you want to forget some people will never leave your heart. Guilt is a huge driving force and it can damage you as well as others. Brant is a prime example of how mean you can get when you can't let go and forgive yourself, but at the same time, not every situation is something you can help which means guilt is futile.

Brant and Nikki were each other's first love and honestly you know from the moment this book starts that neither are over the other...but again guilt and shame and hurt are keeping them enemies and yet, the presence of the other does something to them, both calms and excites them. Their body is drawn to the other even if they don't think it should be.

A second chance story that is so much more then healing. The past is very painful and Brant quickly learns that the past can't stay in the past. And if you want to ever move FORWARD in your life you need to be able to move past what happened before and forgive yourself.

This book is so good at making you feel all the emotions of both characters, both good and bad. And I love watching Brant transition from a jerk to someone that deserved the love of a good woman and his family. His family was a nice addition to the story as was Nikki's best friend Cole. I loved the tension between Cole and Brant and I liked that even getting along they weren't really friendly....it was much more realistic. Cole doing something for Nikki not because he liked Brant.

By the end Nikki and Brant learned so much about themselves as well as each other, that they both could truly grow as people.

I love, love the first two books in this series, but I am sad to say that I could not connect with Brant. He seemed all over the place emotionally, and I could never understand why he abandoned Nikki. I understood his explanation, but I didn't feel like it was reasonable behavior so I lost respect for him. I love everything by Rachel Van Dyken, but this one didn't work for me.

2.5 Stars

This is the lowest rating I have ever given RVD and I pray it's the only time too. Cause, lord knows my heart is breaking not being able to rate this higher.

I have never been so indecisive on writing a review before. And I think part of the reason is because I love RVD and her books. She always intrigues me with her characters and their stories. But with this book, I am beyond torn. Part of me liked this book and another part (big part) was just really annoyed with this book and the story line.

I was really looking forward to Brant's story and I hate to say it, but I was let down, ALOT. He came across as so much more of an asshole than we had seen in the previous books. And Nikki came across as way to wishy washy for me. They both irritated the living hell out of me. I get having mixed feelings because they are ex's but damn, talk about whiplash. Then there was the whole story behind both families being against them being together to begin with for various reasons. Now all of sudden, Brant's whole family is trying to get him to win his true love back. None of it worked for me - none of it made sense to me, nothing added up.

And don't even get me started on the employees at the resort. I get that their actions were to be funny and showing their support of Nikki and hatred towards Brant. But to do that in the open for public eyes to see and to be blatantly rude to their own boss because of personal feelings, that is just wrong. I get that authors are allowed to be creative in their writing, but there has to be some level of common sense to it too. I could see where the funnies of their actions was, but it was a hard sell for me at the times it happened.

There were too many instances in this book that had me shaking me head and getting frustrated with the characters actions. I had an extremely hard time finishing this book because I just didn't care how it ended and often times, found myself skimming it. Why the whole family ended up there was completely stupid and was a far stretch by any means. Everything just felt forced and too over dramatized for me.

Ugh, I hate writing this review because I do love RVD and her book so much. But this book, is definitely not my favorite. It didn't even feel like an RVD book to me. And that sucks. I pray she doesn't get upset for this review, I am just being honest.

So what did I like about this book - Cole. I really liked him and he made this book worthwhile. He kept the book alive for me.

Give the book a try. I am hoping you enjoy it more than I did.

My favorite book in the series! Rachel Van Dyken can do no wrong in my eyes. The Bachelor Contract was absolutely fantastic!

Received a copy from Social Butterfly PR via Netgalley for review*

**He’d been her hero.
And then he’d fallen.
And stayed down.
That was the worst part.
When people fell, they got up—it was simple logic. You fall down, and you fight to stand again, you fight with everything you have to make sure you can find solid ground.
Not Brant Wellington.
He fell down. And he’d been on the ground ever since.

This book was so much more than a Bachelors Contract. It had heat, it had sweet, it had an @sshole turned swoon worthy hero, and it had intense chemistry between the H and h.

Brant had it all. Had everything he ever wanted but one night took that all away from him. Nikki was his soul mate and after having suffered through two tragedies, he lost her. He walked away. He was broken, too broken to stay and fight. Fight for what he wanted, what he always wanted...Nikki.

Now, four years later, he’s back but not by choice. When forced to come face to face with his past he has a decision to make, run or stay at fight like he should have years ago.

The story is told in third person, although I prefer first person, it was still a great read.

The chemistry between the two is explodable. They have a passion that most couples dream about. That all consuming, can’t live without the other, have to touch them whenever they are near, type of passion. And you can really feel it through the pages.

The secondary characters are great too. I really loved Cole, Nikki’s best friend of four years. And Nadine - she is a feisty thing! Eighty nine years old and still has it going on! I loved her.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and can’t really think of anything I dislike, except that maybe some of the years wasted could have been avoided had the H and h actually communicated with each other. But, we wouldn’t have had a very long story then would we? Lol.

I had some problems understanding this book, because it didn’t make a lot of sense. This couple married when they were very young, college age. Brant and Nikki. His grandfather opposed the marriage because they were too young, her parents disowned her when she married him. I didn’t understand why her parents disowned her because they were poor at the moment but he had a trust fund and he stood to inherit a great deal of money.

They married anyway and were very happy for a short time. Then they got pregnant, and received a double whammy. She lost the baby during the second trimester. They were both devastated but didn’t know how to give each other support and were having a bad time, fighting and blaming themselves and each other. Then there was a fire and Nikki lost her sight. Something happened right after that, and Brant ended up abandoning Nikki.

Four years after, Brant is living addicted to booze and whoring in order to endure living. He’s nasty, bitter, angry and the only way he can exist is drunk. He’s a nasty piece of business, and a jerk to everyone.

There’s a bachelors action and Nikki assists and bids on Brant and wins him. He’s furious with her and bails on his promise for one date and sends her a check to reimburse her. She only went because Nadine, his grandfather’s girlfriend forced her under threat of losing her job. This incident didn’t make any sense at all to me in terms of the plot.

Enter his grandfather and his girlfriend and they force Brant to go work at a hotel Nadine just purchased so he can evaluate and make suggestions on improving the service. Brad decides to clean up, get sober, and use this as a chance to start living again. Except that when he arrives there, he finds a very funny situation. The hotel administrator Cole, acts very funny around him, and somewhat hostile. Brant requests a massage to evaluate the hotel spa and the arrangements are weird. Cole tells Brant the masseuse is mute. The masseuse is Nikki. She has been working in the hotel as masseuse since the divorce and her best friend is Cole. He’s the one who picked up the pieces after the devastation Brant caused and she’s now moved on and living somewhat happily. In order to protect Nikki from Brant, Cole tells Nikki that the client is deaf. This way Cole ensures that Brant receives the service but they don’t interact. However, they connect on a cellular level because they are turned on by each other, something that hadn’t happened since they had broken up. Huh?

Eventually they discover each other because Brant got addicted to the massages. Cole and the other hotel employees are very protective of Nikki and place obstacles so Brant can’t get near Nikki Whenever they see each other, Brant behaves like a douche and yet, they do sleep together. Then Brant does his douche act again and leaves her to get to the lobby on her own, with great difficulty because she’s blind (he forgot!).

Really, he was so nasty that I didn’t see any redeeming qualities in him, and yet Nikki is still in love with him and sees his behavior as a man hurting? From his musings we know he’s in a world of hurt and devastation, but he seems to take it out on everyone, including Nikki.

Then Brant’s family arrive, his brothers with their wives, his grandfather and girlfriend Nadine, the owner of the hotel. They rally around Brant, try to help him get the girl, tease him no end and place bets on all the possible outcomes as Brant bumbles through his efforts. By this time, he is changing into a caring man, and we start to see the man who is hurting, who was devastated, who feels he is not worthy of her, who failed her, who feels guilty of her current blind condition, and of her dead baby. All the worries of the world!!

I saw Brant as a douche and Nikki as a doormat. The book is a little over the top dramatic. But the family dynamics were hilarious. I read the book in a semi baffled state because some of the situations were so weird. I think the author was trying to be funny but I didn’t get the joke. Even though parts of the plot baffled me, and Brant frequently annoyed me, the story was riveting. Halfway through the book, when Brant was no longer a douche but a man who wanted to face his demons, purge his guilt and make things right for Nikki, then the story got good and I liked it much more.

This series has been fantastic. If you are a fan of The Bet and the other books in that sequence, then you will love this book. It can be read as a standalone, but why would you do that? Grab the other two first.



Grandma is at it again and the final brother is in for his turn. Despite what he wants, he can't drink himself into oblivion. Memories don't work that way, and neither does Grandma Nadine.

I hurt with this book. I hurt right along with these two. But also, I felt the healing and that was such a treat to read. Typically that is brushed over in novels, but in this one you are on that ride with these two audit was great.

Plus, it is a RVD novel, which means we also get all the steamy times and a TON of laughs. I loved every page and I can't wait for more in this universe!

I love the Bachelors of Arizona series so when I got the chance to read and review The Bachelors Contract I was so excited and I enjoyed this story so much . Brant and Nikki definately had so many rough time and frankly it was not an easy road finding there way back to each other, but just coming along on this journey back to each other led me on such rollercoaster of emotions, so much that I became invested in there romance very quickly . Rachel Van Dyken always writes fantastic romance and this book definately does not dissapoint . I also loved that she had a main character that was legally blind , its not something I see alot in the romance I read and I loved that she incorporated that into this book . The Bachelors Contract is a tale of love , family , forgivness and happily every afters and if your wondering if you should pick up this book the answer is yes ! as soon as you can !.

The third book of the Bachelors of Arizona series, The Bachelor Contract follows Brant Wellington and his ex-wife Nikki. Four years ago loss and a lack of communication pushed these two apart. Brant,angry at life, and Nikki, living through her struggle, have the possibility of a second chance at love or at least closure. This book made me cry too much for my liking, but there were moments of laughter. The author pulls you in and makes you FEEL. Read it.

She did it again! The Bachelors of Arizona Series is becoming one of my favourite! These men can't get any better, hotter or perfect in any way.

Brant was a yerk, he knew it, his family knew it and so did we, since we had a chance to get to know him in the last books. But he had a secret, he had been hurt so bad we can't even imagine how someone could survive something like that.

But so was Nikki, she lost just as much; and Brant wasn't strong enough for her when she needed him the most, he run and never looked back.

Like in any good story, they both had different memories of what happened and with good reason, they didn't have all the facts. So they let hate and hurt keep them apart for this 4 long years.

But now they were together again and there was no escaping the fact that they still had feelings for each other. Nothing was lost between them it was just separated by these thick walls they had built around their hearts as a way to survive the lost they both suffered.

They had the NOW and they were for sure gonna make it count, even if it destroyed them both.

I LOVED this story, not only because its about real people but because its not just hearts and rainbows. These characters have been through hell and still have hope and love for each other, and that's what true love is all about. Surviving the unimaginable and coming out stronger than before together.

Received an ARC at no cost to author on behalf of Social Butterfly. Please take out your tissues because my friends you will need them..This was heartbreaking..We have lost loves, grief, anger. Brant and Anger, self blame, grief, and words that can never be taken back drove them permanently apart. In the four years since, Brant has done his best to numb the loss with alcohol and women. There where times that I hated him, but he finally ended up fixing things. Poor Nikki, she went thru so much but she still loved Brant even though she had tried to move on..We do have some humor, when there were times you didn't think your heart could take anymore..This shows what a good author Rachel is, to have you feel so many emotions..Bravo Rachel.

~~Reviewed by Monique~~

Brant Willington and Nikki once had everything, then they had nothing. It’s been four years since Brant left Nikki, and his family have had enough of Brant whoring and drinking himself into oblivion and Brant’s brothers, their grandfather and the family’s frenemy Nadine Titus decide to do something about it. Nikki, who is legally blind, works in the spa of a resort owned by the redoubtable Nadine and Brant is sent there to overlook things over the course of a week.

THE BACHELOR CONTRACT could have been great, instead, it’s merely okay. First of all, the trigger warnings: Brant and Nikki lost a child, and it is devastating; as it basically constitutes the basis for what went wrong between them, I don’t consider this a spoiler. Then, I don’t think visually-impaired readers will be too happy with Nikki’s portrayal. Masseuses will probably be furious at Nikki’s total lack of professionalism, regardless of the machinations of the Wellingtons and Nadine. And finally, visually-impaired masseuses will most likely be livid.

Rachel Van Dyken can successfully write anything she sets her mind to, but in this case, I was baffled at her choices, as the futile attempts at low-brow humour almost ruined the book. Imagine if you will The Three Stooges directing a romance with a heartbreaking premise; the whole bit at the spa should have been dealt with otherwise, because THE BACHELOR CONTRACT had the potential for an intense, and emotional story, which Ms. Van Dyken can write with the best of them, and instead there was, what I felt, a massive faux pas; the “massage session” would not have been funny in any context (see trigger warnings above).

Apart from the above-mentioned blunders, THE BACHELOR CONTRACT was a great second chance romance. Brant and Nikki truly loved each other, and their road to a happy ever after was convincing, but the broad comedy bits simply didn’t fit in. The dialogue is brilliant, and I loved Cole Masters – a spa manager and Nikki’s best friend – I think he deserves his own story; he was a great guy.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book

Once again Rachel has taken us on a emotional ride through second chance love. Oh how I hated Brant from the very beginning. He was a douche to the ninth degree. But once you found out what happened between him and Nik you heart starts to break for the two of them.

We get more of Grandma Nadine who always provides the comic relief.

Love this book and love this series about the Wellington brothers.

OMG!!!! Another 5-star read from Rachel Van Dyken! Brant Wellington thought he was done with his ex-wife four years ago. However, the past and all those wonderful and painful feelings come rushing back when he finds himself working with her again. He wants her, but he is also angry with her. This isn’t a walk in the park for Nikki either. Four years ago, she thought she had everything until everything was taken from her. She has tried to leave the memories of Brant in the past, but she has never been able to. Now, they both will have to either find closure or happiness again!

I have to say the characters, with the exception of Nikki, are not what they seem. Seriously, I was hoping Nikki would not give Brant the time of day and would instead find happiness with her best friend, Cole. From the very beginning, I was not a fan of Brant’s AT ALL! He was such a JERK, and I felt like he didn’t deserve Nikki. As I read more of the book and got to know Brant better, I saw that underneath all the anger and arrogance was a man who lived daily with pain and tremendous guilt. So, I slowly fell in love with him. However, I was like Cole. I would have hurt him bad if he hurt Nikki again. Nikki was incredible. She lost so much, and she grieved like Brant did. She just did it differently. Both of them were realistic and flawed, and because of that, I could relate to them.

I have long been a fan of Rachel Van Dyken. She writes with her heart, and her emotions, and with a wicked sense of humor. All of those jump off the pages of her books. Her characters are always memorable, just as in this book. I can never recommend her enough to other readers. She weaves magic with every book she writes, whatever the genre may be. She does have a few surprises up her sleeve in this book too! Like me, I think readers will like them.

***Read and Reviewed for Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews***