Torn - 3.5 stars
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The second offering in the Kingman brothers series, I was looking forward to learning more about Aiden. Brother 1 was a bit of a jerk, so brother 2 must be the sweeter one and I was happy to find that to be true. But Aiden is nursing a broken heart and is still in love with Delanie .

I was a bit torn in rating this book because of Delanie. While I liked the character well enough as a person, she was not the one doing any of the fighting for the relationship. It was easy for her to walk away without explanation, not once but twice. That annoys me to no end. We see that a lot with female characters playing victim. Ick!

Everyone has relationship or life issues and things to work on but it is how the author chooses to develop the characters and work out the problems that makes a great read. I never got the warm and fuzzy feeling between these two. There was no simmering fire burning in Delanie where as Aiden was all in for her.

Don't get me wrong. When it was good, it was good. The sexy scenes were terrific. Aiden is a sweetheart and does everything he can to win her back. She just does not reciprocate in a like balance.

So overall this book is a like for me. It just did not grab me in the gut to make it a love.

Well Delaney did have a reason to be angry and un-trusting of Aiden, I mean she and her father lost everything to him, but I have to say she truly forgave him easily without him actually trying to get her forgiveness the soup and medicines don't really count. So I understood that she loved him and has always loved him but maybe make him work for it a little longer than a day, but it is what it is. They still had some obstacles to overcome and eventually he choose her over everything. His father still a snake..

I am not a huge fan of groveling, I mean I like a nice grovel, especially if prior douchey deeds demands it, but, after a while, it is overkill and I can’t help but become irritated when the heroine or hero (depends on who the groveler/grovelee sitch), won’t respond favorably to reasonable overtures designed to earn trust. Delanie definitely fed Aiden with a looong handled spoon a little longer than I preferred, but he hung in there and earned her trust. But with any good character motivations, it is slowly revealed that Delanie wasn’t only deeply affected by the fall out with Aiden years prior, but her subsequent relationship where she took more than she gave and refused to allow a little grace and patience into her heart. I could appreciate that the novel wasn’t all about “big-bad- Aiden -is- back with-his -big -cock -and- sorry- for- dicking- Delanie-and-her-family- over- the- first- time.” There was also room for growth for what could have been a very “Delanie-is -the- perpetual- victim” narrative. Both hero and heroine had work to do, did the work and though a little emotionally bruised at the end, they make it together. Such a satisfying romance, if a little heavier than the usual contemporary fun fluff.

Aiden Kingman and Delanie Clark have history, not a happy one. When Aiden and his brother King worked for their not so nice, frankly dirty pool father in his business, the father undercuts Aiden in a business deal that was set to buy Delanie's fathers resort. The two were in a relationship which promptly ended the night she overhears what his father had done and Aiden's response.
Fast forward seven years, one marriage and divorce and her own business later, Delanie is asked by her former mother in law to help a friends daughter who inherited a resort in Georgia. The girls uncle had decided to sell the resort to none other than the Kingman brothers. King the older of the two and Aiden broke away from their father with their mothers blessing. King is now is a serious relationship with Sophie and plans to propose which a tiny underlying thread in this book. Delanie is reluctant to take this on, but doesn't want to let her ex mother in law down and basically decides she could handle it. She really never got over Aiden nor his betrayal. It has in many ways colored her world. Seeing each other again was a shock for both, and Aiden all full of apologies and Del brushing him aside and clearly doesn't trust him or his business. Still has the bitter taste in her mouth and I don't blame her.
The story is woven from there, where Aiden manipulates her in some ways, although the weather in Atlanta worked in his favor and so did Del getting a bad virus with Aiden looking after her. Still finding it difficult to trust him, she ran hot and cold. Again, with good reason. When she decides to give things a chance, things don't go as planned and once again Aiden is left holding his male parts in his hand thanks to his pea brained self centered brother and Del headed for the safety of Seattle.
The end is up to you. Read the book. You decide where you stand on some of these things, being burned once is enough.
I wanted more from them as characters. I liked Delanie, I understood her reluctance and yet her strong business sense in this book. Aiden wasn't strong enough. I would have liked to seen more earlier on in the book instead of letting it come down to the wire. I didn't feel it from these two.
That's just me. Give it a go, you don't have to read King's book to read this one, can certainly be read as a stand alone.

**arc from NetGalley and publisher for an honest review**

Aiden and Delaney fell in love years earlier, but circumstances broke them apart. They meet again, due to business, but Delanienis still angry with Aiden for hurting her. Business and a little manipulation on Aiden’s part brings them together again. Aiden is all in, but it takes Delanienmore time. However, for a while it looks like circumstances might keep them apart again. The main characters were well developed, and it was nice to catch up with King and Sophie from the previous book in the series.

This was a much tighter, more engaging story than the previous book. The relationship was well done, the business focus wasn't a huge part for me, but the romance more than made up for it.

A full review will post to Goodreads. But one note, there are some major editing errors toward the end of the book. Sophie's name is used instead of Delanie's. I assume it'll get corrected, but just in case... :)

Aiden does so many things to show Delanie that she should trust him. She either doesn't see it or chooses not to until she has hard proof that she can trust him again. For this reason I found myself not liking her. But I really liked Aiden and wanted his happiness. So I struggled a little with, Fight For You.