Member Reviews
Only With You by Nicole McLaughlin is a page turningly beautiful story. I Really loved and enjoyed reading it and devoured it in one sitting.
Highly Recommend it to all readers.
Only With You by Nicole McLaughlin is a good fit for readers looking for a heartwarming story about finding love and self-acceptance, as it explores the journey of two individuals overcoming their fears and insecurities to build a meaningful relationship.
Great romantic read with low drama. Fast paced novel with a great build world. Perfect read for an afternoon. Arc provided by Netgalley
This is one of those romances that my heart reacts to instantly when thinking back on my reading experience, in the best way possible. I loved it incredibly much from beginning till end!
I'm a sucker for (ex)military romances so I was super stoked when getting this e-arc.
McLaughlin was a new to me author, and I'm glad I can say now that I really love her writing and definitely plan on reading more books by her. So the first three books in the Man Enough series are ones I really hope to read as well sometime in the future.
These characters... I fell in love with them and I experienced all the feels while they were experiencing life. Being able to read from both pov's was a cherry to the cake because it adds so much more layers to the characters' developments.
I can't say anything other than that this was just a super addictive romance read that I utterly enjoyed and highly recommend if you like reading books like this.
The story description drew me in but the story could have been better if it had started half way through. It was very hard to get interested in it at the beginning and the story moved really slowly. This story felt disconnected and it felt like there were too many sub plots and characters that did not add any value to the storyline. I wanted to know more about Aiden and his mother, and Hannah and Aiden but it just never got the attention it needed. I voluntarily read and ARC of this book.
I had a very hard time getting into this one for some reason, and didn't particularly care for Hannah. I can chalk this up to just not being my cup of tea, or perhaps just an off time for me to be reading it. I do love basically everything else I have ever read of Nicole's! She has a talent with words and storytelling that (usually) grabs me and keeps me up burning the midnight oil!
Aiden alone is why this book rated three stars. Without him this book would have not been as successful for me. Hannah was as obtuse as you could get while also managing to be unsupportive and insensitive...and she was a teacher with protocols and education required to identify and deal with just about everything Aiden suffered from in his past. There were some sweet moments that spoke to why Aiden liked Hannah as much as he did, but her good points were only seen through his eyes and not truly apparent to me as a reader. I wished for more than I got from this book and while it wasn't bad and other people will truly love this story, it wasn't for me.
It was such a fun and inspiring read! I would recommend it to the fans of romantic comedy and those who are looking for a light-hearted yet inspiring read! Thank you so much for the arc!
I found it very difficult to connect with either character so I really didn't care in the long run if they got together or not. I felt sorry for both of them because of some of the things they'd gone through (broken engagement, sexual abuse, PTSD), but feeling sorry for them doesn't mean I connected with them. It was an OK story, but I found myself thankful that the book was short. Sorry. I wish I had liked it more. It had such promise from the description.
Nicole McLaughlin writes great characters and romantic story lines. She brings in the hero ideal without making it overly thematic. Fun beach read just in time for summer.
This book just didn't connect with me. I couldn't connect with the characters so I felt pulled out of the story at times. I would definitely try this Author again as I liked her style.
I have read several books by Ms McLaugjlin and this one had it all. I had all the feels in this one. I could not put it down. However this book has very heavy content in it. It is not a light read and you will be all over the map with your emotions even after you read the book.
I love Aiden and Hannah! They have known each other for years by Hannah’s best friend Jase. Hannah and Aiden really start their friendship after she breaks of her engagement and her twin sister and Jase start dating. I loved how they established a friendship before rushing into a relationship. I also like how Hannah grew in this story. She put Aiden first and herself last.
This is a very sweet story with a lot of heart. It is wrote in a dual POV.
I received an advanced copy for an honest review.
This romance did not have me swooning. It didn't feel new and excited but rather predictable. I do have a certain level of understanding when it comes to these types of romance books that they will most likely follow a similar pattern but this one lacked that special something that makes me look past formulaic plots.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and I also purchased a copy.
Wow, this story had an original concept (other reviewers have mentioned what but I won't). I adored Aiden King. What woman wouldn't a strong, yet gentle, caring man. He had served in the military and now was in the National Guard, whew HOT!!! Hannah on the other hand, let's just say that she was different. Some said she was selfish, childish, self-centered... I feel that part of it comes from her attempt to lighten up situations at times. Also as a teacher, I felt that she should have recognized some of the signs that Aiden showed to realize the trauma that he had suffered through.
I appreciated having a dual POV format here. Getting into Aiden's thought-process was a must in this story. This story is a wonderful one that I didn't have a problem reading in one sitting. This book may not be for some as there are tellings of certain situations that may be a trigger for some.
I was given an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I LOVED this book. I found myself during the day at work thinking about Aiden and Hannah and being so excited to go home and read some more.
Hannah just broke off her engagement and has also lost her best friend, Jace, to her sister. She's happy for them, but has no one to turn to. Enter Aiden, a guard friend of Jace's. They begin to talk and you can't help but to root for them to get together. However, Aiden has some dark secrets from his past that is keeping him at an arms length from Hannah and she can't figure out why. The story of them coming together and learning about each other, accepting each other is so great :)
This is such a powerful, emotional story. I couldn’t put it down. A man suffering from PTSD and the woman who loves him. Very well done. Brought me to tears several times, hurting so much for the hero. I do think there should be a trigger warning regarding sexual abuse and post-war PTSD. Such a great story, though. The best I’ve read so far this year. I will definitely read more by this author.
There is a good premise to this story. One of the main characters is overly extrovert, whereas the other one is an introvert. The story revolves more around their interactions and their drawbacks as opposed to the main issues.
Aiden has served his country as a sniper and is now a member of a close knit National Guardsman team. Being a sniper has left its mark on him, but that is only part of his problems.
Hannah is at a loss after breaking off her engagement, and her best friend is no longer readily available as her confident. She is currently on a journey of self discovery.
The guardsmen and their better halves usually get together the night before they go on duty. Although Aiden and Hannah have known each other for a while, they have never really had a conversation. Until now! Whilst she does most of the talking about her sale addiction, he listens and out of the blue offers to talk her out of her impulses when they occur.
They become friends and text regularly. When they meet again, Hannah is her usual outgoing self and Aiden is self conscious. He has been harbouring a crush on her and now that she is single, he fancies his chances. The problem is that he doesn't open up easily to anyone and his past has seriously damaged his ability to form a close relationship. Can Hannah help him overcome his aversion to affection?
I like the gradual friendship between Aiden and Hannah, even though the story is a little lengthy in places. It's obvious that Hannah is insecure, but there are only hints about what happened to Aiden in the past. It's difficult to get a feel of his behaviour as there are so many unanswered questions. What really went on in his grandmother's house? Except for the obvious, his mother's intense dislike of the place isn't clear. There is one reference to his uncle's demise. Abuse is a common reference, hence the reason for Aiden's behaviour. I would have liked to have read a little more background information without it being too graphic. Aiden's decision to finally seek help is a welcome reprieve to their usual emotional battle. It's a good concept, but the heart of the sad and sensitive problem isn't quite clear.
I was kindly issued with an eARC and the views expressed are my personal opinion.
You don't need to read the previous book in the series to enjoy this book. That being said, I enjoyed the previous book more....maybe it was the writing style or maybe it was just that I didn't really love Hannah compared to Becca. Hannah came off more selfish and full of contradictions, making it hard for me to connect to her. I did like Aiden and how he was written.
Aiden felt that he was truly damaged. A life that was filled with so much tragedy he never could be something that Hannah would want in her life. Just taking that next step wasn’t something he could endure. Finally ready to take a step into securing his future by finding some answers into his past. Hannah is ready to stay by his side and help him since she no longer views life the same way. Will he finally let someone in and find the peace that has alluded him for far too long?
Only With You by Nicole McLaughlin is the forth book in McLaughlin’s Man Enough series. You absolutely do not have to read these books in order. I’ve only read the third book in this series, Should Have Been You , prior to this one. I felt like I was able to follow along pretty well. On the whole though, I feel like Only With You is an okay read. I do not foresee myself actively pursuing more books by this author.
The fourth book in the series is about Becca’s sister Hannah (from the previous book). In this one, she’s getting over a short, broken engagement. She also is trying to navigate her new different friendship with Jase, now that he is dating her sister. He is no longer her backup boyfriend.
The previous book began to hint at chemistry with Aidan, another of the National Guardsman group who get together for dinner every drill. So, at one of those dinners Hannah and Aidan talk, well she does most of the talking. He’s the strong but silent type, I guess. So they exchange numbers and she texts him. One thing leads to another, as it always does.
So, Aidan is the owner of a bar called Smokey’s in a pretty upscale college sort of town. Hannah is a teacher and lives in Manhattan, Kansas. There’s a little bit of distance between the two. Still, they seem to get along so well because they are opposites. Anyways, their relationship sort of begins to heat up, but Aidan always puts on the brakes. As it turns out, there’s a reason for that. The book does explore the reason and finally there is therapy at the end which is portrayed in a positive light. Overall though I just feel no real spark or attachment to these characters.
Only With You is a very quick read. It is a novella. I did find Hannah to be annoying with her incessant chatter. Also, it felt like Aidan really needed to use his words. Eh, this was kind of a miss with me. Not the best I’ve read by a long shot.