This was a decent story and I somewhat enjoyed both the hero and the heroine. Jenna and Rob were well-written characters. However, nothing really stood out making it a great book.

I enjoyed this short romance. for a novella I thought it packed in a lot of back story and character, The romance wasn't too rushed. I felt a little disconnected from the characters. I didn't feel anything for them really, but other than that I had fun reading this.

Rob and Jenna were so sticking cute together! I loved seeing how Jenna tried hard to get Rob and how Rob tried hard to deny himself having her. The romance was simply adorable. Totally enjoyed reading this.

Looking for that lunchtime quickie . . .

DON'T HOLD BACK . . . was a sexy hot erotic little get away. Jenna had a plan and that was all it was to it. Rob wanted to have that bit of freedom away for his stringent job demands. Together they were just what the other needed most. This was one wedding neither of them were going to forget. Don't Hold Back was the steamy little lunch break read that took the mid-workday load off and allowed more pleasant thangs to settle in.

Don't Hold Back by Renee Dominick is a best friend's brother type of romance that normally hits the spot. This time around though I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it. The writing at times was all over the place and left me feeling confused as things didn't seem to flow properly IMO. Overall a good way to blow off an hour or two.

Please note that an ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review of which this is both honest and completely voluntary.

Don't Hold Back is the second novella in a series by a new-to-me author, but it's the first book in her To Have and To Hold series that I've read. It's also the second novella in the Scorched imprint that I've read. For the most part, Don't Hold Back works as a standalone, and it falls under the sibling's best friend romance trope, but the Scorched imprint is supposed to be comprised of short, erotic, and slightly kinky reads, but while there is a wee bit of bondage present in one scene, I didn't find it all that erotic, it wasn't kinky enough, it was too short to develop much empathy with the main characters, Rob and Jenna, and overall, for this reader, it gets 2.5 stars.

The story is simple. Jenna's best friend, Chloe, has planned an engagement/pre-wedding weekend getaway at a dude ranch. Jenna has a reputation as a wild child, but the one man she really wants is Chloe's straitlaced brother, Rob, who is now a college professor and up for tenure, and he works at a college that expects tenured professors to be married--archaic much? Almost a decade earlier, Jenna and Rob almost had sex, but it ended in an embarrassing case of premature ejaculation. Rob was humiliated and fled from the room. He's avoided Jenna ever since, but due to the fact that her assigned room at the ranch was overrun by raccoons, the two adversaries, who have had the hots for one another for years, end up sharing Rob's room, but getting Rob to open up, loosen up, and admit his attraction to Jenna, comprises most of this short novel.

There's lots of verbal sparring here, and there's some simmering heat that never really grabbed me because the brevity of this novel simply didn't have the time for it. As for the BDSM aspect, tying a partner's wrists together and blindfolding them does not a BDSM novel make. There's also some odd changing points of view in the narration, which was, at times, confusing. Yes, there is some graphic sex, and, of course, there's an HEA ending, but again, due to the brevity of this novella, there really wasn't enough time to fully develop these characters enough to make this reader really care what happens to them in their on-again, off-again relationship. All in all, although it wasn't a bad read, as soon as I finished reading it, I immediately moved on to the next novel in my Kindle queue, a sure sign to me that this was one easily forgettable read.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

I received an arc from Netgalley. This book went way too fast and I felt we didn’t get an in depth look at the characters.

That being said it was a steaming romantic read and one I could not put down. I would definitely read more by this author.

I picked this up for a quick, spicy read and it didn't disappoint. It's definitely hot, as is all the Entangled Scorched stories. If you're wanting something to sizzle, this, though part of a series, can be read as a standalone.

This is the second book in the series and can be read as stand-alone. Jenna has had a thing for her best-friend’s brother for years. Rob is a professor and his goal is tenure, Jenna’s wild ways don’t really fit into that goal. Will the weekend they share be enough. This is a fast-paced read with plenty of drama. The characters had great chemistry and I liked the story. A good read.

Decent story, even though i wasn't too impressed with Rob's indecisiveness in regards to his feelings for Jenna. I thought the dialogue was good, and I liked how the characters are developed.

Overall I found the plot kind of lacking but the writing was very good. Interesting book idea but was a little slow in parts.

I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book

Jenna and Rob were an interesting pair. They were both interested in each other...she was more open to him while he had a Katy Perry "hot and cold" vibe mixed in with a "touch me don't touch me " vibe.... So I could understands the mixed emotions that Jenna had through out the book.

Renee Dominick did a great job with this book because she created this tale where two people want each other but for whatever reason just can't seem to find the right moment to...make things happen. Overall a pretty good book and definitely my favorite in the To Have and to Hold series

Rob and Jenna are total opposites. He is a professor and she is a wild child. But they have been in each other's lives for years and nothing has happened. But Jenna is tired of nothing happening. She wants Rob and will do anything for it to happen.

But Rob has a morality clause and what Jenna has in mind will blow that out of the water.

Okay, where to start - the plot was okay... the characters were okay..dialogue was great. But something was lacking..dunno what it was but it fell short. I would go ahead and recommend for a quick, light read.

Horses and Weddings Bring these Frenemies to Lovers
I liked it. It wasn't perfect, by any means, with less "change" for the main characters, and more "change of mind," but still...it was cute. Secondary characters were folks that were interesting without pulling focus from the main relationship. A distracting secondary conflict, and weirdly unimportant primary conflict, but lots of tension-building steamy scenes.

Jennas best friend is getting married and she is hoping at the bachelorette party she is going to repeat the past with the brides brother.
Honestly I know I read this book and was looking forward to it however it was not very rememberable. Which is why I gave it two stars. I was hoping for so much more out of this story.


** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Jenna had an opportunity to convince her best friend Chloe hot brother finally hook up. Finish the night Jenna had started eight years ago. Rob has been too uptight, too stubborn, to admit that the sexual tension between them needed to be relieved. Chloe was getting married to Dave and invited her entire bridal to a weekend getaway at a luxury dude ranch. Jenna had introduced Chloe and Dave. Rob was convinced Jenna was a villain from the dark side come to corrupt the Lindgrens, he had even told that Jenna to her face once. As much time as Jenna had spent at the Lindgrens house during H S- she was sixteen the first time Jenna showed up at Chloe’s- and then college breaks Jenna had been subjected to Rob;s scowls hundreds of times. Rob’s lips had been Jenna kryptonite from day one. The odds of Jenna ending up with Rob weren’t good. If someone asked Jenna to describe in one word it would be “Impossible”. Rob hadn’t taken many vacations in four years not on his assistant professor salary. Rob had a secret, he was about to be offered tenure and he had some significant life choices to consider not least of he would be relocating to the southeast. But the unspoken rule was to settle down and marry the right kind of girl. Rob had been dating those right kind of girls for the last four years and they left him uninspired. If only Rob hadn’t been exposed to Jenna who was not the right kind of girl. Jenna looked different but Rob bet underneath she was still the same - fearless when she should be cautious, insouciant when she should be serious and passionate when cool calculation would serve better. Jenna’s mother and brother were trying to draw her into their battle via text but thankfully Rob had distracted her even if she had reacted like a kid. Jenna didn’t talk to her mother for weeks at a time but the day Jenna leaves town her mother sends her an urgent message for Jenna to speak to Stephan her younger brother to do something. Stephan was eighteen and didn’t need Jenna to protect him from their parent anymore. Jenna’s father had been the Ponzi scheming father who had conned millions from investors and then fled the country leaving his family without a penny except for the ridiculous house they had lived in. When they had to sell the house their mom- never the most stable or nurturing parent to begin with- went off the deep end. Jenna had lost it to and went wild enough to earn part of her reputation and she milked as self destructive as it was. Stephan woke her up. He needed someone , anyone, so Jenna stepped in to fill the gap. Now Stephan was mere weeks from graduation and jenna sometimes felt like she was the sole reason he’d made it. Rob had a passion for horses that Jenna never understood,Rob had spent his H S summers working at a horse therapy ranch , helping kids on the autism spectrum and teaching emotionally troubled foster kids to care for the ranches horses and dogs. Jenna had her dream job as a digital video editor at Talos, a tech-centric philanthropic organization. She worked on their endangered species film projects. Rob told Jenna they needed to talk. Jenna could never resist the urge to pet Rob’s fur backwards, if for no other reason than to see the outward signs of emotion he kept ;locked under that shell of his. Rob and Jenna were as different as hot tea and ice cream. Rob- Mr. Perfect and Jenna _ The Wild One. Everything about Jenna was out of Rob’s comfort zone . Rob thought what if he could take a step beyond his borders and what if he immersed himself in the effect Jenna had on him. Then he could decide to take tenure or not then she wouldn’t be handing over him, like an unexplored avenue. Maybe Rob was making Jenna crazy. He looked at Jenna like she was a luscious eclair he wanted to devour. Jenna said to herself one drama-free weekend was all she asked for. Her mother left a message for Jenna at the front desk and had even called Chloe’s parents. When Jenna went back to her cabin her roommate was with someone and the only place Jenna could think to go was Rob’s room . Rob answered the door and then gave her a hard kiss in the hall then they went into Rob’s room. Then finally the last night Jenna and rob spend the night having awesome sex but they lived nine hundred miles apart. Nothing about their respective circumstances had changed. Rob was still staid and steady, loving family, a career in academia and Jenna was an artsy tech-nerd with a problematic parent, a brother who needed her , and a job she loved.
I loved this story. It was a fun,easy, quick read and I loved it. I loved how Rob finally gave into his desire for Jenna after she had given up on him. I loved Rob and Jenna together. I loved how close to Jenna Chloe was and how she always had jenna back even at the ranch. I absolutely loved the ending. I had no problem with my attention and I didn’t want to put this down. I happily couldn’t find anything to criticize in this book. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend.

I received an ARC of this story in return for an honest review.

"Don't Hold Back" is a good read - good tension and credible spark between the hero and heroine.
I liked their backstory of mutual attraction spoiled by their misconceptions of each other.
Steamy love scenes, value adding sub-plots and interesting-without-being-distracting secondary characters - worth your time if you're after a good, quick read.

Don't Hold Back by Renee Dominick is book Two in the To Have and To Hold series. This is the story of Jenna McCaffrey and Rob Lindgren. I have read the previous book, but feel this can be a standalone book if you choose to do so.
Jenna has always had a thing for her best friends brother but he is always seems so stiff. So Jenna thinks she will get her chance to loosen up Rob at the wedding they are attending. But Rob is trying to keep all professional due to work....but Jenna is hard to say no too.
Quick hot read.

this one was not bad, it was rather good, but I had few places where I needed to go back, as POV had changed! WITH NO SPACE or anything!! that was hard to me as I hate it...
Jenna was a good character, but in the end, she had me taken aback as, during time with Rob, she seemed like she forgot about one thing she heard about before it...
Rob was great - he had his moments but was good to his rules, that was slowly breaking