I love whatever genre this author writes in and this book was no exception. Great characters, definitely true to life with the topic of the book and highly entertaining. One I will be sharing with my friends to get their own copy and read so we can talk about it. Highly recommend.

Though I hadn't read the first two books in this series, I never felt out of place, confused, or like I was missing something. Hold on Tight shows readers that Shelley Shepard Gray isn't just an amish or historical fiction writer, she can pretty much write anything! This was a delightful read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love Hold on Tight. I first read Shelley Shepard Gray as an Amish author, but I have loved this series so much. The characters are so well developed and the story is sweet and clean and will have you laughing and crying and cheering. I am never disappointed by this author and can't wait to see whats next. Thanks to netgalley for the arc, the review is my personal opinion.

A heart-warming tear-jerker of a book. Loved this one!!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

If you love sweet romance this book is for you. Great for those who love Hallmark. I really enjoyed this fun quick read.

Hold on Tight is a very well written romance. I enjoyed the plot and the believable characters. I was surprised when I found this author wrote books that were not Amish. I definitely will be reading books books in this series. I received an arc from Netgalley and this is my unbiased review review.

A touching, heartwarming story that takes your breath way. With characters that will have you feeling so many emotions throughout the whole story. Just loved this book and can’t wait to read more by this amazing author. Happy reading!

I enjoy Shelley Shepard Gray's books and this one was not a dissappointment!! You will travel through the forest of loss, guilt, fear, overcoming and finally, a rebirth into LIFE. It is at times a tear jerker, but not especially so, but Kleenex is recommended. You will find yourself contemplating your journey, if you were forced into this walk of loss......maybe it will give you some insight into how you should change before this walk becomes reality. I enjoyed this novel and am sure you will also!

This is a beautiful story about finding love again after loss. It is very well written and holds your attention from the beginning until the end. It is not a sugar coated story, it reads true to life. Thank you Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley for the copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Shelley Shepard Gray wove together many themes and storylines into a fantastic, page-turning novel! Hold on Tight started out with two single parents becoming friends because they had to rely on each other to make ends meet. Then it became about community and overcoming obstacles in life with the help of friends. What a great novel and I am looking forward to the rest of the series!

This heartwarming novel tells the story of a single mother struggling to make ends meet and when her widow neighbor who can occasionally babysits for catches on, he comes up with a plan to help her during the financial woes. Finding love again can be difficult for anyone and author is able to convey that in her words. A cute, romance about two single parents finding love again.

Hold on Tight is another solid addition to Shelley Shepard Gray’s Bridgeport Social Club series.

Jackson Koch first lost his wife to cancer, then was laid off from his job as a coal miner. Needing a fresh start in life, he moves to Bridgeport with his young daughter, and now tends bar at night. It was a tough decision to move away from his family, but joining his friends who previously relocated to the town in Ohio has given him the change he and his daughter need.

When Dani Brown’s husband died several years ago, it left her a single mother, struggling to make ends meet. Her night-time job of babysitting Jackson’s daughter is desperately needed, especially now that her 14 year old son has been invited to join a select baseball team. That she and Jackson are becoming friends is an unexpected benefit.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the road to happily-ever-after doesn’t come with some foul balls. Dani is very prickly about anyone helping her, so Jackson’s efforts to ease the financial burden of club baseball doesn’t go over well - initially with Dani, and then with her son.

The thing I’ve loved about this series is that the characters are real and relatable, and they have simple, uncomplicated stories. This hero and heroine had particularly heartbreaking histories, and it was so heartwarming to see them find a new love without all the angst you might expect from two people with so much baggage. It’s so refreshing to read a story where a relationship develops in a normal, natural way. And when the little conflict they did have occurred, everyone had their moments of emotional reaction, but then quickly dealt with them in a healthy way. No over-the-top drama here!

Are the books in this series amazing, with memorable plots and incredible characters? Not really. But their strength is in the realism and simplicity. They are nice stories. Which may not sound like a compliment, but it is! I’m so OVER insta-love, repeated mentions of a hero's hawt body parts (and what it does to the heroine’s body parts), and alpha males. Real romance is a man who takes his time to kiss a woman, and doesn’t let his hormones drive his actions. Those are the kinds of stories I really enjoy reading. And that is exactly what Shelley Shepard Gray gives us with her Bridgeport Social Club series.

* thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I loved the first two books in this series and this one shows that Gray knows how to keep delivering.  Both Dani and Jackson have experienced hardships in their lives and are just doing the best they can for their kids.  The easy way these two manage to create a kind of friendship and then something more is very appealing.  And realistic.  There are so many ways that this could have gone sideways but Gray manages to keep things real and relatively drama free.

Dani has spent so many years having only herself to rely on that it is hard for her to accept someone else’s offer of help.  She can’t get past the feeling of owing someone and while Jackson is ready to be there for her it takes a bit for her to get to the point of being able to accept it. 

Jackson has been struggling with losing both his wife and his job in a short amount of time.  He had a little problem with depression (understandably) for a while and getting him & his daughter out of their small town was the best for both of them.  It’s just super hard to accept a life where he is now a bartender – a good job just not what he imagined for himself.  But he has good friends and with a little self-examination he’s starting to feel a better about his situation. 

You aren’t going to find a lot of drama moments with this series.  It’s just realistic characters, living their lives and trying to figure things out – pretty much like you and me :)  Instead, go into it with a relaxed mind and an attitude of just enjoying the ride.  You’ll find plenty to appreciate about the well-crafted characters and the normality of their lives.

I have only read two of the three books in the series so far. I have loved the characters! They have all come to life. Jackson has moved to the town with his young daughter for a fresh start. Too many memories were to much. Learning a new profession and taking care of his young daughter can be daunting. However with the help of his pretty neighbor Dani, Jackson finds himself settling in. Dani needed a new start also. Losing her husband left her with dreams she is trying to grasp. Raising her teenage son isn't cheap. Will she be able to afford all the expenses? When Jackson sees Dani struggling, he decides to help. Will she accept it? Follow along in the Bridgeport Social Club. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

I enjoyed returning to Bridgeport and meeting some new people destined to become part of the Bridgeport Social Club. I like how welcoming the core group of people are to newcomers and to those in need. They’re a great example of what a community is and should be. The fact that they gather around a poker table is fun and unique. While I haven’t played poker in years, I love the camaraderie felt around a table playing cards. It’s a place to relax and set aside your cares for a time and often people’s real needs become clear as the conversation swirls. That’s just what happens in this series.
The four main characters of this novel have all dealt with significant loss. When a chance to move on or begin afresh presents itself, they are understandably hesitant. This is a story of second chances, of grieving and hope, and of helping others. It was nice to reconnect with the characters from the other books in the series as well.
Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for providing me with an e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Book 1: Take a Chance
Book 2: All In
Book 3: Hold on Tight

Jackson Koch and Dani Brown have some things in common. For starters, they have both lost their marriage mates in death. Further, they each have a child, he with three-year-old Kate, and her son, Jeremy is fourteen. They live in the same building and Dani watches over Kate while Jackson tends bar at night.

Jackson has had it rough. He lost his wife and his job as a miner in a very close span of time and he is doing his best to be there for Kate, even if being a bartender is far from his dream job. Dani is struggling. She is working at cleaning houses, taking classes, caring for Jeremy and his dream of baseball, and, as mentioned, watching little Kate.

Jackson is the perfect guy who spots a situation that he just feels impelled to rectify. Can he be there for Dani as more than a friend? Especially when it comes to Jeremy? Meanwhile, will Dani be able to accept growing feelings for Jackson without losing her hard-won independence?

Hold on Tight is the third book in the Bridgeport Social Club series. In each story, relationships thrived between deserving couples. One thing I really like about this story, and the trio of books in the series, is the fact that there are children in each story. That is something that always warms my heart. Friendship and community also play huge roles.

I have read each book in the series, and enjoy the continuity of characters, especially with their situations and growth. This is definitely a character-driven story, with a slow burn romance, and it is quite fulfilling. This is especially so because it is quite an emotional read that I would gladly recommend.

Although part of a series, this story can serve well as a standalone novel.

Many thanks to Blackstone Publishing and to NetGalley, as well as Edelweiss, for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was the third book in a series about the Bridgeport Social Club. Widower Jackson and his young daughter Kate moved to Bridgeport to be near friends after floundering following the death of his wife and the loss of his job. He finds a job as a bartender at the Corner Bar, but doesn’t feel that it’s his life work.

Dani and her late husband moved to Bridgeport, one of may stops along the way, as they sought a better life. Unfortunately, Dani has struggled financially as she has tried to raise her son following her husband’s death. Her work as a self-employed house cleaner doesn’t provide the financial security of the future that she desires.

Jackson and Dani become friends after she offers to care for his daughter while he works evening shifts. As time goes on they start to realize that they are feeling more for each other than friendship. Can two people struggling to move on from tragedy find happiness a second time around?

A sweet romance featuring two widowed people and a group of friends, “Hold on Tight”, by Shelley Shepard Gray, is an engaging story about friends turning into lovers while tackling single parenthood and economic difficulties.
You cannot but love the romantic couple, their children and their supportive and good-hearted friends – almost too good to be true. It’s great to have ordinary people (the hero is a bartender and a former miner, the heroine is a cleaner) as main characters.
This is a story about feelings, emotions, affections, and there’s a lot of talk about these issues, even between the male characters.

This heartfelt story is about two widowed, single parents just trying to get by and make the best life for their child. Jackson is trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life after losing his wife and career, but with the help of Dani, at least he doesn't have to worry about someone to watch over his 3 year old daughter. Dani is trying to get back on her feet after the sudden loss of her husband and discovering they weren't as financially stable as she thought. Her 14 year old son adores all things baseball, but she's burning her candle to the ground between babysitting, a cleaning job and taking classes. Can Jackson and Dani figure out a happy medium, especially when they start to develop feelings for one another? I enjoyed this light-hearted story and will be going back to read the first two books in the series!

I would like to thank NetGallery, the publisher and author, Shelley Shepard Gray (a new author to me) for the opportunity to read and give my honest review of “Hold on Tight.”
I found the story to be very heartwarming....a bit slow in parts but, enough going on to keep my interest. The story revolves around two main characters, Dani and Jackson, who have both suffered the loss of their spouses. What follows is a story of hope and finding love again.
If you enjoy a heartfelt contemporary fiction, this book is for you.