This is a sweet novella about misunderstandings and getting a second chance with your high school crush.

Hannah and Becca are fraternal twins who apparently have communication issues. As young girls they meet their neighbor Jase. Becca has a crush, but Hannah “claims” him as her friend and sets almost 20 years of misunderstandings between Becca and Jase in motion.

Even though this is a short book, it’s easy to feel for Becca and Jase as they navigate learning the truth about each other and deciding what to do about their feelings. It was harder to like Hannah - she came across as pretty immature and manipulative.

This is obviously part of a series, there are members of the secondary cast whose stories seem to have been told elsewhere. That doesn’t make this any less enjoyable as it stands on its own.

Childhood neighbors, now grown have returned home. Jace has moved back to herd cattle and Becca is home for Christmas. Her twin sister Hannah, has always been closer to Jace but Becca has always had a hidden crush on him. Jace has always been close to their family, as he grew up in a troubled family.

Loved how their relationship developed. Great characters that were very likeable. Love reading stories from the state that I live in, Kansas!! This was my first book from Nicole McLaughlin and will not be my last.

Excellent read. This was a beautiful story of finding love in a place and with someone you've known all along but now you're looking at differently.

Jace and Becca have known each other their whole lives. After all he is her sister's best friend. So what if Becca has had a crush on Jace for as long as she can remember. She'd never do anything to come between her sister and Jace and she's certain they will eventually end up together. Coming home for Christmas this year has Becca reevaluating her life and relationships and hoping for things she knows she can never have. Or can she?

A recommended read.

National Guardsman Jase Beckford wants to live a quiet life raising cattle and taking care of his mother. His childhood friend and neighbour Hannah is still his best friend, but when he walks into the Walters house one morning and sees her twin sister Becca for the first time in five years, he wonders if he missed out on something special.
Becca Walters has nursed a secret crush on Jase since childhood, but he always preferred Hannah, so she buried her feelings assuming her sister and Jase would one day turn their flirtation into a real relationship. And this Christmas, she is anticipating a proposal of her own, so Jase’s reappearance in her life doesn’t mean anything. However, when Becca’s sister gets engaged to someone who’s not Jase, Becca and Jase find themselves spending more together.
An easy read that was a case of unrequited love & then discovering what’s been in front of you for years. The story was fairly slow paced & I kept hoping something would happen but it just plodded along. Jase & Becca were likeable but I didn’t love them, neither did I particularly relate to them. I could see myself reading this on holiday when I wanted something very light that I could dip into but wouldn’t keep me glued to it
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

My favorite line in this book?
“There was always that one moment, right before you were fully alert, when you went back in time. In that moment, adult responsibility didn’t exist. There were no bills, no worries, and no muffin tops. Just the familiar smell of your mother’s favorite fabric softener on your sheets, the warmth of the bed, and the smell of coffee that you hadn’t made.”

Nicole McLoughlin understands the meaning of home, and the ability to forgive sisters when they have been selfish and ugly; fathers when they have moved on after a mother’s death; and men, when they have been slow to recognize the beauty that is in front of them. This is a heartwarming country love story.

Should've Been You is a sweet, feel good, small town, second chance romance. Fraternal twins Becca and Hannah Walters have known Jase Beckford since he moved to their small town. Jase and Hannah have always been close friends and Becca has had a crush on him since she was ten. Jase left and joined the military right out of high school and life has gone on. But now he is back. Hannah has just gotten engaged and Becca is hoping for a ring from her boyfriend of two years at Christmas. Looks like Jase has been gone too long or has he.

I really didn’t like Hannah. She is a game player and has gone out of her way to hurt those she claims to love most. I liked Jase and loved Becca. I enjoyed watching them overcome the past and finding each other.

Can be read standalone

A well written romance with a well crafted plot and characters. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys relaxing with a good romance

Reading the description of this novella, I was definitely intrigued by the premise. However, I think the author did a disservice to all by not making it a full length novel. There were simply too many components to wrap things up well in a novella so it came across as rushed. Jase, Hannah and Becca have known each other since children. While Jase and Hannah have always been very close, perhaps too close for not having a relationship, Becca has always had a huge crush on Jase. But Becca has never made her feelings known to Jase and never bothered to ask if Jase and Hannah are more than friends.
By rushing through the story, it almost came across as the characters just settling for who was currently available instead of actually building a relationship. Which is a pity because they really could have made for a great story given more time. Great potential and great characters have me wanting to try another by this author.

Should've Been You is about three childhood friends and how the manipulation of a ten year old impacts on the their lives for years to come.

Jase is from an abusive household and joined the army as an escape. Now that he is back, all he wants is a quiet life raising cattles.

Becca is the twin sister to Hannah. They don't have much in common with the exceptions of family and Jase.

Growing up, Jase and Hannah spent most of their time together whilst Becca was on the outside. They are now in their thirties and this remains the case. Becca has given up on her crush on Jase and is moving forward. Out of the blue, one evening Hannah has an announcement which throws both Jase and Becca. This gets them talking to each other, and they discover that they have been living with a misunderstanding that originated from a childhood lie. The reason for their behaviour towards one another is a revelation that neither of them expects. Well, it's all in the past and they can look to the future. There is one problem though, Becca has commitments of her own. There is no denying the sparks between them, but can they change the current situation?

I like the storyline, but the relationship between Jase and Hannah is somewhat convoluted. Her possessiveness and selfishness have caused some damage and she appears to be oblivious as long as she is the centre of attention. She partly redeems herself with her reasons for her insecurities. Becca lives a lie just because that's what one does at that age! She is responsible in her professional life, but acts as teenager in her personal life. Jase is the sensible and down to earth one, out of these three characters. The way everything falls into place at the end is a welcome conclusion.

I was kindly issued with an eARC and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

Sometimes we miss what's been right under our nose as we go through life. Jase has been in love with Hannah Walters for ever. The time has just never been right for them. Now that he's back home from service & raising his own cattle, maybe things will be different. He's living with his mom & leasing Hannah's father's land. So when he walks into Tim Walters' house, the way he has for a million times, & catches a woman in a state of undress, why did his heart start to race? Becca, Hannah's sister, never really liked him so nothing would come of it, right?

Becca couldn't believe it. Home to visit her dad & Jase catches her in her sleeping clothes in the kitchen. She's never been so embarrassed. Even though he's treated her rotten, she's always been in love with him. Why couldn't she move on?

Sweet cute romance with some sibling drama. A misunderstanding from their past comes to light & manages to pave a way to a future. The characters are well developed & realistic. The plot moves quickly. The relationship are tricky & difficult but that creates tension in the story. Good book.

Becca Walters has always played second fiddle to her sister Hannah. She also had a crush on her sister’s best friend and a boy who practically grew up in her home, Jase. When Becca comes home for the holidays, she discovers that her sister is engaged but not to who everyone thought she’d be getting engaged too…Jase.

Jase, not knowing his role in Hannah’s life anymore is has pulled back from being Hannah’s go to guy. With more time on his hands he finds himself spending time and enjoy time with Becca.

There is a sort of love triangle which all comes down to a lack of communication but sometimes things just work out. Should’ve Been You is a story of finding what you were looking for where you least expect it.

A quick, easy and entertaining read, Should’ve Been You is a story of finding what you were looking for where you least expect it. Cute, sweet, easy and entertaining without all the angst, complicated issues or life-threatening circumstances. Straight up romance on a long developing relationship.

I received this ARC copy of Should've Been You from St. Martin's Press. This is my honest and voluntary review. Should've Been You is set for publication Jan. 30, 2018.

My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Nicole McLaughlin
Print Length: 137 pages
Publisher: Swerve
Publication Date: January 30, 2018
Sold by: Macmillan
ASIN: B076B227R9
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shouldve-Been-...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shou...

Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
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***ARC Provided by the Author/Publisher via NetGalley***

I enjoyed this shorter novel. I liked the idea that Jase and Becca had known one another for years but, due to a misunderstanding, had not had much to do with one another...even though Jase was best friends with Hannah, Becca's sister.

I think this was really relate-able, as Jase and Hannah had each other, and in a lot of ways, a close friendship with a member of the opposite sex can substitute for the companionship of a romantic relationship. And, I think this was something both Jase and Hannah were doing. And, moving out of this pattern allows both of them to move on to another partner, and another relationship.

I liked the build up of the story, but I think I wanted a little more depth. I wasn't disappointed enough to not be able to enjoy the story, but I wanted more of their story than I got in this shorter title. I guess, in a way, that is a good thing. When a book leaves you wanting more, you enjoyed it.

I recommend this title.

I know that there are quite a few people that didn’t feel this book because of the triangle between Jase, Becca, and Hannah. But it really felt pretty true to life to me. It’s so easy to understand why Jase and Hannah kept moving along in a kind of limbo, especially when everyone seems to expect them to be a couple at some point. Plus those old habits and feelings are pretty hard to turn off. It does seem like Hannah takes advantage of him but part of that are her issues just as much his. With his abusive background it’s easy to imagine why he would be drawn to someone that he can take care of and protect.

Poor Becca never had a chance while the two of them are dancing around the what-could-be’s of their relationship. Especially once we find out some of the tricks Hannah used to keep him as hers. There’s a lot of hurts and history and hang-ups at play but it is satisfying when they finally get things figured out. Unfortunately the timing is pretty darn bad. Or good depending on how you look at it :) I’m curious to see Hannah’s story because she definitely didn’t play well here, but we also get glimpses of some issues that explain things some. Not that it excuses her actions but it at least shows a reason for the things she does.

There’s a decent amount of drama with all of the misunderstandings and miscommunication, but it helps to deliver an enjoyable secret crush/friends (kinda) to lovers romance. I was so pleased when Jase and Becca finally figure things out and some decades old feelings finally get their chance to shine.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGally for an honest review. Should've Been You by Nicole McLaughlin is a sweet romance with enjoyable characters and good writing. It was just a little too graphic for me. If you don't mind a steamy romance this may be the one for you.

3.5 stars

This story contains both cursing (including f-bombs) and very explicit sex (including one scene with light spanking). If those things bother you, this is definitely not the book for you. This is book three of a series, but you DO NOT have to have read those to read this one. It completely stands alone.

I enjoyed the writing style of this book, the author has a nice way of telling a story, but unfortunately this one just wasn't for me.

***MAJOR SPOILERS to end of paragraph*** I really struggled with the games the characters all played in this book. It annoyed me that both Becca and Jace knew what kind of horrible person Hannah was, but based their decade-long dislike of each other on her words. Rather than talking to each other and comparing stories, they just let the absolute worst human being that they both know manipulate them for a decade. It made no sense at all. I also didn't enjoy the fact that Becca had a boyfriend she was annoyed with for not proposing to her, but she was still in love with Jace who was maybe kind of sort of in love with her twin? I'm not sure 'convoluted' even begins to cover it. And that she happily, willingly kissed Jace while dating Brian was really disappointing. She cheated on Brian emotionally AND physically, but don't worry, he was cheating on her too, so that was supposed to cancel out her terrible behavior. This felt more like a book about a bunch of teenagers than (alleged) adults.

While this wasn't my cup of tea, if you enjoy a book about miscommunication, long-time unrequited love, and a pretty sweet happy ending, you would probably enjoy this story.

Although I have some of the author's other books on my TBR list, this is the first one that I have actual read. I received a free advanced copy from netgalley.com

Jase Beckford, had grown up in the rural town of Pierson, Kansas. The son of an abusive father and enabling mother, he couldn't wait to get away. He joined the army, and when stationed in Germany befriended a German cattle farmer. Helping the farmer out, Jase realized that he liked the cattle business and the land around Pierson would be good for that. Once his final deployment in the Middle East was up, and his father dead, he returned to Pierson, bought himself a seventeen hundred pound bull named Pitch and some cows and heifers, after his long time neighbor and surrogate father, Tim Walters, offered to lease him land. It was Tim, who rescued Jase from his father and the Walters family became more a family to him then his own. Both of their twin daughters, Hannah and Becca, had a crush on Jase, but unbeknown to Becca and Jase, Hannah was jealous of Becca and told some lies that kept Jase and Becca apart for eighteen years, each crushing on the other, but believing the other felt the opposite. Becca also left Pierson as soon as she could, while Hannah had remained, being Jase's pen pal, buddy and back up. Both girls became teachers. Both have boyfriends, who are somewhat jealous of their girlfriend's friendship with Jace. When Becca comes home alone for Christmas, she and Jase finally talk and realize what Hannah had done to them years ago. When Becca's relationship with her boyfriend goes south, will she and Jase have a second chance?

I felt the story was especially strong in character development and very realistic. The author's writing flows in an appealing manner. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

I have some mixed feelings about this book. While the description of "Should've Been You" goes all-in on a long-term crush and love between next door neighbors, it ends up being somewhere between rebounding and crush-turning-more. Jase has lived next door to the Walters family and the twin daughters, Hannah and Becca, for years. Their family became his family after the father rescued him from beatings by his father. Based on a misunderstanding (lie told by Hannah) when he was rescued as a teenager, Becca and Jase have always been a world apart (despite that Becca has had a crush on him for forever). He thought she was stand-offish and rude, and she knew he didn't care for her but not why.

Since then, Hannah and Jase have had a "thing." He is always (for 10+ years) Hannah's back-up until someone else comes along, and she is his number one. Hannah gets engaged to her current boyfriend, and Jase's world is thrown into a tailspin (I don't consider this a spoiler because it's in the synopsis). He should finally be getting over her. Right after the engagement (which he and Becca witness), he kisses Becca for the first time. Does he actually have feelings for Becca or is Hannah's twin sister a good replacement for Hannah? Although the book wants us to think the former, most of the evidence points to the latter. Even the sections from his perspective feel like he's pining for Hannah. I think there is a lot trying to convince us that he has moved on, but it almost seems to point to the fact that he has not (he constantly defends Hannah and thinks of her feelings first, seems to fall into her possessiveness even after the engagement, etc.).

I was hoping for a sweet romance between long-time neighbors and crushes- what I feel like I got was something different with rebounds and sibling rivalries to be had all around. I would have preferred if Jase and Hannah had a teenage romance that ended or something clearly in the past where he was over her well before this book happened. This is not to say that the writing isn't good, because it is! I think if you are in an angsty mood (which sometimes we all are), this book is perfect- there's a wealth of misunderstandings, crushes and broken relationships, etc. However, it wasn't what I expected. I liked Becca, but couldn't really get into Jase/Hannah, and it made it a tough read for me at times.

Overall, I think it's not quite what I expected, although it is well written. Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Should've Been you is the 3rd book in the Man Enough series. It can be read as a stand-alone.
This is Jace's story. It was sweet and a quick read but sadly it was missing something. Unlike the first 2 books, there was no chemistry between Jace and Becca. Basically Becca has been in love with Jace since she was 12 years old and her wildest fantasies with him are finally coming true.

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for supplying me a copy of Nicole McLaughlin's "Should've Been You" in exchange for an hones review.

the latest entry in the man enough series, should've been you, turns the best friends-to-lovers trope on its ear a bit. jase and hannah have been best friends since they were teenagers. they've been there for each other in every important moment, except in spite of all the love, there's never been sex between them. jase realizes that in some ways they are holding each other back, it's easy to avoid looking for something permanent if you have this emotional crutch to fall back on.

hannah's twin sister, becca has always been the one he's been drawn to. even though she's always seemed to treat him with a frostiness he never understood. for becca, the frostiness is a defense mechanism, because the truth is becca has been in love with jase forever and he's always been hannah's.

when they realize that hannah manipulated them as teenagers, they start to explore the real feelings between them. but becca's ex-boyfriend and hannah's neediness interferes with the strides they make in their relationship.

some time apart makes things clear, however. jase is as stuck on becca as she is on him. this was a sweet story about taking chances and crossed wires. i'm hoping we get to see hannah and aiden explore their own chemistry in a future series installment.

**should've been you will publish on january 30, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/st. martin's press (swerve) in exchange for my honest review.

Becca and Jase are both likable characters and I enjoyed their sweet story. This novella was my first introduction to Nicole McLaughlin's writing and I look forward to reading more of her books.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.