I thought this was a cute story. I love the uptight guy and the laid back lady trope and Rob was as uptight as one could get. He was a lawyer but chose to teach law. He had other passions but he put them aside for a more practical career. Jenna was always the wild one and she has had her eye on Rob for years. She got close once but he came back to his stuffy ways before they could move past kissing. Jenna is determined to get more from him on this trip. I liked these two together except Rob was a little too wishy washy for me. I could tell he liked Jenna but was just scared to admit it. I liked Jenna. She was a really cool girl. I wish there was a little more background on her family issues in the beginning because it was a bit confusing at times for me. This book had a good level of steam in it also. I really liked these too together. It was a bit of a short read but it was a good one.

This was my first book by this author and the second in her To have and To hold series. This book can definitely stand alone and I didn't feel confused because O haven't read book one. I'll definitely be reading more from this author and book one. Jenna McCaffrey is a wild child who has listed for her best friends brother for years. And when they go to celebrate her besties engagement at a Ranch for the weekend it's the perfect time to get straight lace Rob to open up. Professor Rob Lindgren is very close to tenure and the mortality clause in his contract is killing him. Ready for the weekend away to finally let lose he's all for spending time with Jenna there attraction can't be ignored any longer. But it can only be one weekend because wild Jenna can never be what he needs. Right?
Sexy and sweet a fabulous quick read.

A weekend to celebrate her best friend's wedding brings Jenna into Rob's inner circle again and eight years of pent up desire is about to implode.

I liked Jenna - yeah she was a bit pushy and blunt when she felt cornered, especially by Rob but he was kind of asking for it with his snooty nose in the air attitude. He really did have a stick up his bum and needed Jenna to loosen him up. This was a funny, explosively hot read and a nice quickie to while away an afternoon.

It does take a minute for Rob to admit that Jenna doesn't annoy him as much as drive him crazy with lust and having him chase her for a change went a long way to redeeming his past behavior. Jenna needed that after all the mixed signals he was throwing her way. Normally I don't like too many flashbacks when characters share a past because it can derail the present story line but I think Rob and Jenna needed a bit more closure since their complicated history was long standing. Eight years is a long time and a weekend seemed too short a time to resolve it all.

Overall it was enjoyable and I love an opposites attract romance and this one had plenty of heat.

It captures all the complicated feelings between a man and a woman. They have spent 8, years acting as adversaries. But in truth, it would seem with each self control is a life mission. What we get left with is a realistic dialogue and spicy bedroom scenes. This is a quick read and a sensual pleasure.

I loved this book!! Rob and Jenna were fiery for sure!! I enjoyed the simple, yet complex story their romance was. They have known each other for years-Jenna is best friends with Rob's sister. There are a few issues to overcome though.....

Chloe, Jenna's best friend and Rob's sister, is getting married. She is having a fun weekend getaway at a horse ranch for the bridal party. That means both Jenna and Rob will be in attendance. They have some troubled history. Whenever they are together it is always adversarial but it also could be so scorching hot, if they just gave in!

Both arrive to the ranch troubled. Jenna having issues with her combustible family, and Rob having issues on whether to accept tenure with his job. Seeing each other, just ramps up all their anxieties!

Jenna is determined to finally have Rob and wipe him from her system. At least she wants to try and right the wrong that happened long ago. Rob is rather repressed and seems to feel forced to act a certain way, opposed to how he wants to be. There is a lot of warring in his head and because of that, he sends Jenna mixed signals! One minute he's all hot and alpha, the next cold and pushing her away! Jenna is determined to kick him to the curb-not wanting to deal with his Jekyll and Hyde personality swings. As the weekend progresses and Rob relaxes, he realizes maybe he is looking at Jenna the wrong way.

This was an interesting scenario! I read Natalie's story, Hold Me Harder, and I was pleased to see some of those characters return in this story, as we are back at the horse farm! Rob loves the horses and is truly inspired by working with them. He seems to be a horse whisperer sort! Jenna, not so much! but she does try! I liked Jenna and her spunkiness! Rob was really tightly wound and it was nice to see his transformation as he relaxed on the ranch. There was a lot he needed to sort through and the ranch work was mindless enough to be able to do that. I also liked the epilogue! Such a nice finish!

reviewed by Deb

This book is a fast read nothing compared to the action that goes on between the two main characters in Professor Rob Lindgren who is up for tenor and Jenna McCaffrey a wild child and his sister’s best friend. They are now spending a weekend together with others at a ranch for his sister’s wedding celebration. Rob is doing everything to stay away from Jenna but there is something about her that drives his internal need for her when she is near. Jenna wanting him as well has finally decided to walk away from pursuing him when he decides he can’t stay away from her. Jenna must decide whether she finally wants the man she has been going after for years or let him walk away. Let’s just say after a night of hot and some surprising times in the bedroom on Rob’s part it is going to make her choice a little bit easier. A good story with some very good hot scenes. Also has good characters for a fast story, overall a very good book.

I'm on the fence with this book - i didn't hate it, but i didn't really jump for joy when i finished reading it. It left me more with the feeling of 'alright then.' And then found myself moving on to the next book right away. Rarely does that happen to me. Usually i need a few hours to get my head screwed on right before i can jump into another book.

Again, as i mentioned, i didn't hate this book, it was really alright. Had everything you'd want in a book - history between the characters, a situation that forces said characters to be together once more and that pivotal moment that makes them realize that they can't live without one another. It was cute. And i think that was my problem. It was just too cute. Especially when you consider the cover and the blurb, you'd think that this book would be smoking hot from one page to the next, but truthfully, it was just cute.

Note that cute is bad. Really, it isn't. only when i think of cute, i think of romantic comedies. Although, i have to say that Jenna is pretty funny. She doesn't hold back and doesn't apologize for her mannerisms. Considering this is my first book by this author, which may have gone in the wrong direction for me, i'd have to get a hold of another of her books to see what else she's capable of delivering :)


*ARC provided by Author in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed by Kathleen, The Small Girl from A small girl, her man and her books

This is a tale of denied attraction. Jenna has been extremely attracted to her best friend Cloe's brother, Rob, she acted on this attraction once, but after a hot make out session she is rejected by him. Years have passed since they have seen each other, they are brought together for a weekend to celebrate Chloe's engagement and upcoming wedding. Once together they soon realize that attraction has not gone away, and they have to work to decide if they will finally give into it.


I received this book as an advanced reader copy from the publisher through net gally, but the review below is my 100% honest opinion.


I can state point blank I loved this book 110%! It is a short book, but the author in so few pages was able to develop so much in those few pages. I felt that the story line had depth and never came off as being cheesy like some romance novels can be. I also loved the characters, I connected with them instantly, especially Jenna. Jenna's sassy remarks had be laughing out loud and she had a vulnerability about her that stemmed from he past. The romance felt so natural since it started slow, each character in their own way fighting it. Much like I stated about the romance, the sex scenes were also very well written and so freaking H.O.T. but never came off as being too cheesy.


I give this book a 5 out of 5, highly recommend. Truly the only complaint I could give is I just wanted more. A longer book could have given way to more build up to their romance, build that suspense of will they actually ever get together or not. I look forward to reading much more from this author.

This is the second book in series but can be read as a standalone, and since I didn't read the first one, I didn't feel like I missed anything. This is a fairly quick book about Jenna who always had a crush on her brothers best friend Rob. They all end up going to a ranch for a retreat for a celebration of her best friends getting engaged. Jenna had not seen Rob in years but she is going to go after him on this weekend and my friends they literally held nothing back.

this sexy novella has bad girl jenna finally getting her bad girl way with straitlaced rob lindgren. rob is uptight for reasons having to do with a career he hates but feels obligated to endure. and jenna has always been his sexual kryptonite. around her he loses the control he's always valued. around her he wants to do the kinkiest, dirtiest things.

and maybe this one weekend will let them get it out of their systems. but maybe his best-laid plans aren't giving him any happiness. and maybe there is something to the unrestrained wickedness that jenna brings out in him. in don't hold back they finally have a chance to sort out their history and a chance for a future that might be different from what they had pictured for themselves.

**don't hold back will publish on may 21, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of entangled publishing (scorched) in exchange for my honest review.

Fun sexy 2nd chance at love story.

Renee Dominick does a great job of packing sizzle and substance in her short novellas. I thought Jenna and Rob were well drawn believable characters. The scenes between them were sizzling hot and the plot moved seamlessly to their HEA. This story reads well as a stand alone story. I thought this was a great addition to the To Have and To Hold series.
I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

3.5 stars

This was a sexy, quick read.

"She was an existential threat to everything he valued most about himself. Reason. Self-control. Vigilance."

Jenna is on a weekend away on a dude ranch for her best friend's bridal party. Her friend's brother, Rob, will be there, and she's determined to have a do-over of their disastrous tryst eight years earlier. She just needs to get him out of her system, once and for all.

"Impossibly hot, impossibly repressed, impossibly untouchable."

Rob is a stern professor type. He's been offered tenure at the college where he works and his pristine reputation is key. Jenna is the opposite of everything he strives for. However, he's never been able to get past what happened between them, and works hard to maintain his equilibrium around her - to the point that they have pretty much a love-hate relationship.

"He definitely should not be aware of her as a woman he would like to worship in every possible way."

Jenna and Rob were a ticking time-bomb waiting to explode. Forced into close proximity, the sexual attraction between them absolutely pulsated, with Jenna pushing Rob to his limits.

Rob is a man at a crossroads in his career and the weekend on the ranch reminds him of his lost dreams, but also wakes him up to what he really wants out of life and what would make him happy. He also sees Jenna in a new light and faces a startling revelation, too.

Jenna contends with family issues and exposes her vulnerability to Rob. I enjoyed that after pursuing and goading him over the years, the tables are turned and she starts to see a different side to him.

This author was new to me. There were particular lines in the story that I thought were well-delivered and enjoyed her overall writing style. I think I would have really preferred a slightly longer novel with the storyline spun out a little bit more, as I felt things yo-yoed pretty quickly between the main characters.

Perfect for a quickie..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This novella is perfect for an hour or two of downtime. I picked this one up because it had a little extra spice promised between the pages.

There’s something about your big brother’s best friend that’s off-limits. We grew up around them and all those teenage hormones flopping around back then made an impression on us.

Fast forward to an adult and those feelings sometimes don’t go away. So when you get a chance at a weekend with the hottie, why not try and go for it?

This book is a part of a series but can definitely be read as a standalone. The characters were both a bit frustrating to me. They both definitely have their issues but they came together over a common denominator and realize they really can have it all.

With plenty of sexual tension and a tiny bit of yummy erotica thrown in the mix, this story is a great escape. Personally I would’ve loved less arguing and more sex, but hey, that’s just me.

Great writing, great flow, and a sexy story make this a great choice.

Going into Don't Hold Back by Renee Dominick we didn't know that this was a part of a series and we didn't know that it was a short story. We will say for it being a short story it had a lot of "punch" to it. It was also sexy and steamy.
BUT, we were confused by the switching of POV"s with little to no transition. This is probably what kept us from connection with the story or the characters.

I didn't care for this one. As mentioned by other reviewers, the formatting with the changing POV needs to be addressed. Beyond that issue, I didn't care for Jenna at all. She was a brat to Rob, an enabler to het mother, not a very good friend and seemed to forget her brother for sex. Because I disliked her I found it difficult to enjoy the story.

I thought Jenna and Rob's story was sexy as heck. It had all the chemistry of two people who have been circling each other for years. I thought this story was sexy and satisfying and a fantastic palette cleanser! Bravo! 3 Stars!

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...

There’s only one man for wild child Jenna McCaffrey,her best friend’s sexy grouch of a brother. For years, she’s wanted to get her hungry hands on the straight-laced professor and break his careful control. She’d come so close once... But now, her friend’s wedding party ranch getaway is the perfect opportunity for a do-over. And poor Rob won’t know what hit him.Professor Rob Lindgren is close to attaining his final dream tenure. Unfortunately, the university’s morality clause is making his life hell. He’s dying to let loose, and a weekend away from home is just what he needs...until he sees Jenna. She’s exactly as he remembers—still brash, still bold, still damn near irresistible. And Rob is tired of fighting.When I started reading I couldn't put it down I read the book in one day.Renee is magnifysent writer.I cannot wait to read more of her books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.

I absolutely loved this book! I loved Rob and Jenna and everything in between. It's a great story, simple plot with two complex characters that are figuring things out, and for Rob it's almost always the hard way.
The book starts out with bride to be Chloe who has planned a getaway weekend to bring her bridal party together. Including several siblings and her best friends. Her closest friend is Jenna. Rob hasn't had a vacation in 4 years, missed the last family function because of his job as a law professor.
His current dilemma which no one is aware of is that he's going to have to decide to take tenure, but that also comes with hooks and expectations from the Chair of his department, along with being tied to living in Utah away from his family.
Rob's heart lies in horses and spend his precollege years working with kids with disabilities, troubled youth, etc on ranches. He's most at home with the barn and a horse. Where he's not most at home is around Jenna. Years ago he labeled Jenna trouble, the two can't be within a mile of each other without some sort of blow out. You have to read the book to catch one of the small reasons why, an incident 8 years ago. Jenna is a tech designer who's very good at what she does. She comes complete with a really useless mother and 18 year old brother who she basically raised. He's 2 weeks away from his high school graduation. Jenna decided she was going to nail Rob on this trip and get it out of her system. Rob is blinking hot. Rob's problem is he's got a massive log up his backside, his default mode is closed done, stick up his can and pushes Jenna's buttons and she pushes back. Jenna thinks they should try and play nice for the next two days for Chloe's sake. His sister after all and her best friend. Everyone knows Rob has totally repressed in so many ways. His default with Jenna is shut her down and borders on snippy anger. He took a little getting used to. Jenna is used to him, but at several points in this story, threw in the towel. He's not worth it. There were times when I agreed.
Trouble brewing at home has Jenna stressed out and having to leave the day after she got there to drive back to Washington to pick up her wayward brother. When Rob wakes up and also intervenes having a friend who owns a ranch pick up her brother, she's relieved. She also tells Rob, that she wants him to stay away from her. She's done trying to figure him out, his channel flipping personality and general demeanor was not what she needed then or probably ever. A real eye opener.
Might have opened Rob's eyes too. I have to say a couple times my stomach dropped and I groaned.

So that said, we get a front row seat to watch this story unfold and see how and if things work for these two. I loved the plot, Rob the grouch and Jenna and the rest of the characters. Great little epilogue and I really hope the author brings us more of these characters in the future. Great writing and fantastic story!
I'd give this more than 5 stars. Yes it was that good.

*advanced reader copy from NetGalley and Entangled for and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Don't Hold Back, is a short, sexy quick book to read. Perfect for a lazy night worth of reading.