Member Reviews

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

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For Your Love, Book 2 of Kate McBrien’s Hidden Hearts series, is a beautiful story about second chances. The story follows Colleen and Finn, childhood friends who realize in their teen years their mutual interest in the other.

While I enjoyed the story, I did not know this was a series. I have not had a chance to read Book 1 so I can only hope I did not miss anything that might give/take away stars from my review.

Overall, a wonderful story.

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I Read this one on a Day. It was such a fun Read and i am not used to romance novels that treat if serious matters like child abuse trauma with grace like the author did. Magnificent book.

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This was a nice enough story, but I just constantly felt like I was missing something, like there was some information I’d missed, I also didn’t feel the chemistry in this much, it’s a light and enjoyable read, but for me I like characters to click more, so not a memorable read to me.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

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Finn and Colleen is a childhood love story.
They reunite years later and the spark they once had is still there. However Colleen is hiding a secret ... how will Finn react?
I liked this book and thought it had a good flow. However, I did think there could have been more depth to the storyline.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

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I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️ CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE. The setting is great. The romance is very steamy. The family relationships within this book is good. I highly recommend this author's writing style because if you are in a public place you will be blushing throughout reading this book, all of her books. Kate Mcbrien has done it again everyone. This ebook is in stores now for $2.99 (USD).

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For Your Love is the story of childhood friends/crushes Colleen and Finn who get a second chance ten years later. Finn has always been best friends with Colleen's brother Sean, and their family has been intertwined in various other ways over the years. Right before Colleen starts college, she and Finn have a romantic moment that ends in an argument. Fast forward to the present time when Colleen moves in with Sean in Finn's apartment building, and they end up falling for one another again.

Here's what I liked about the story... I liked the bond between Colleen's family and Finn's family. Ryan had a few moments here and there, but with the exception of Finn's Dad, I enjoyed the tight-knit group. I was crazy about Finn and even during his stubbornness towards the end, I loved his character. Revisiting Justin and Lucy from the Indigo series was an added bonus that I also appreciated.

What I didn't like, which ultimately caused this to be a 3 star read for me was Colleen the POV of the story. Colleen was just in my opinion, an unpleasant character. She was quick-tempered and quick to dismiss things that didn't immediately benefit her. Her mood swings and pouting completely baffled me for someone her age. Don't get me wrong, I am in no way including the issues having to do with childhood sexual abuse because I think that was handled beautifully, but just in life in general. She would pout over having to be around a dog than out because it wasn't theirs to keep. She would whine about needing a job but then pout about potential jobs or prospects. The worst part was her immature attitude about Finn's previous sexual partners. Neither of them had sworn themselves to a life of celibacy before getting together so I found her anger and issues with it unnecessary to the plot and repetitive. My other issue was the 3rd person POV which I always struggle with. Sometimes it works, but more often than not, I find that it complicates the flow of the narrative and makes it difficult to connect with the characters.

For Your Love has received wonderful reviews overall and I did enjoy the plot and romance of it all. Finn is amazing and alone he makes this a book worth checking out. It's just with Colleen and the POV, it didn't quite work for me.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

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Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first book by this author, so I wasn' ttoo sure of what to expect.
The characters were well-developed and easy to like / relate to.
The writing style was easy to read and follow.
But overall, the book wasn't my favorite. There were a few chapters where it felt like some information was missing.

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I enjoyed this book a lot. The characters are both likable, and the chemistry between them is evident. I appreciate the way the author handles sensitive topics. She makes it clear that Colleen has done work and is continuing to do work to heal. However, I feel like there are gaps in the story. I wish there was more of the before part, explaining why Colleen held onto the heartbreak for so long and why neither of them reached out to each other in ten years despite Finn being her brother’s best friend. Holistically, the book is fun with the amount of chemistry and steam; I just wish there was more!

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The starting point in Colleen and Finn's story is a misunderstanding. The attraction is obviously there, but Flinn interprets Colleen's doubts as a negative. And he leaves without saying goodbye.
They meet again ten years after that. And Colleen hasn't forgiven him yet.
But the truth is that before that very first night ten years ago, both their lives were full of significant events.
They will have to confront all of them if they really want to move on.
I liked this story. The character are good, specially Flinn.

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What a beautiful story!

This book had me from the first couple of chapters. I loved the story, the characters, the plot, the second-chance love, and the writing! Colleen met Finn when they were teenagers, but circumstances caused them to be apart for a decade, so they moved on with their lives. Until, one day, something causes them to meet again and for those old feelings to resurface. This is such a powerful love story and it was written beautifully.

Can we talk about those steamy scenes? Because they were steamy with a capital S, and I was loving every second of it. It wasn't only a love making scene, rather it showed the chemistry between the characters, the passion and the want that was building for 10 years and I loved everything about it. It added another dimension to the story and it had the perfect amount of scenes too for the reader to completely understand the character's feelings as well.

The most important aspect of this story is also the most commendable. The main character went through a traumatic experience when she was younger, surviving sexual abuse, and it was addressed in this book. It portrayed how one feels and what can trigger horrible memories from the past and how having loved ones around you can help in ways that are beyond words.

I'm beyond excited for the rest of this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the earc in return for an honest review.

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This was my first experience reading this author's work and I was hopeful that I would enjoy the book as much as I liked the blurb for it, but unfortunately it fell short for me. I'm not sure if it's because I hadn't read the first book which probably would have given me the opportunity to get to know everyone. I just couldn't "feel" the connection between Colleen and Finn. I would definitely recommend it even though it wasn't one of my favorites. It might have fallen short for me because I was having a book hangover from my previous read. I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC for NetGalley.

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I loved this book! They are soooo good together!
Colleen Murphy is the girl with three brothers. The one with big dreams and a dark secret.
Finn O'Connor is her brother's best friend. And the rich playboy who broke her heart.
When Finn appears at a family event a decade later, it all rushes back, and Colleen must fight to resist the pull to the wealthy bad boy she'd been reading about in the tabloids all those years.
Finn tells her he's changed—but can Colleen trust him not to break her heart again? And will Finn unlock Colleen's secret? The one that's kept her from ever letting anyone too close, including him?
This is a beautiful and emotional story. The relationship between them is deep and honest. Both had secrets and eventually they came to light, but the way he treasures her when he knows her painful story almost broke my heart. There are a lot of steamy scenes and great side characters. And a cute dog!!! What’s not to like?
She is his queen. A survivor, a fighter. And every queen deserves a king like Finn.

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Overall, I gave this book four stars because of the way the author, who is new to me, portrayed both Colleen herself and the abuse she suffered. Otherwise, it’s closer to a three, which is still good, but was missing some key elements for me. While I liked Finn, I wasn’t in love with him. I knew he loved Colleen but I didn’t feel this great passion between them.
I would have liked to have seen a bit more fleshing out of the Murphy brothers, which I’m sure will be coming in their own books, but the secondary characters could have brought more to the story than they did. Also, not a big fan of Colleen’s mom. As a mother of daughters myself, I think their relationship would have been more open if the mom shared her struggles with her own issues earlier.
I want to continue with the series, even after missing book one. I’m intrigued by Ryan, so I’m hoping we hear his story. The writing was good, I just needed a bit more characterization.

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3 1/2 Stars

Finn and Colleen have known each other since they were kids. Finn would visit every summer with his mother until the summer they shared their first kiss and then he broke her heart. Ten years later when Colleen's father dies, Finn and his mother come back for the funeral. Colleen thought that she was over him, but the moment their eyes meet all those teenage feelings came rushing back. Finn has always loved Colleen and no woman could ever compare, but he's afraid she'll never forgive him, even though it's not his fault he didn't come back.

Although Finn and Colleen are likeable characters ... I just couldn't get into them. I know that they knew each other as kids, but people can change a lot in ten years and they just seemed to pick up where they had barely started as teenagers. I did think that the past sexual abuse issue was written very well ... especially how it all came rushing back to her years later at seeing her abuser.

I received an early copy courtesy of Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

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Colleen Murphy fell in love with Finn O'Connor during the Summer she turned 18. She had known him all of her life, but suddenly something clicked. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be, and Finn left without a word and broke Colleen's hurt.

It has been ten years since that fateful evening. So much has changed. There has been death, heartbreak and scandal. At Colleen's father's funeral, their eyes meet across the church and all of her feelings come back, including intense anger for the way he left her. A month after her Father dies, Colleen moves to New York to take a job at an art gallery and moves in with her Brother, who lives in the same building as Finn.

'For your Love' is not your typical love story. There is a strong backstory of sexual abuse, which is handled beautifully in the book. Finn has his own backstory in a "Bernie Madoff" spinoff with his Father stealing a lot of money from many, including Colleen's Father. There is also some gun violence which may be a trigger for a reader. Finn is a brilliant partner for Colleen, overall his end goal is making her feel safe and happy. Something that no one has done for her in the past. There are also many steamy scenes.

Overall, I would give this book four stars. I enjoyed it very much, but felt it could improve with some character development on Finn's part. As a reader, I could not sense how he made the leap from an insensitive playboy to who he was in this book.

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I loved this story and the characters, I read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down, it was simply amazing!

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I received this book for free for a review through NetGalley.

Trigger Warning! This book contains childhood sexual assault.

First off, I absolutely LOVE long lost romances. It is the literal definition of a slow burn.

Colleen and Finn’s characters are amazing. They have a mature romance. There’s no whining or declarations of love after two days. They are together for a little bit after their 10 year separation before they exchange those fated words.

The sexy time was well written. No weird wording or grossness. Considering she is a victim of childhood sexual assault, the scenes were as hard to read as I was expecting.

The plot-line was great. It moved on but not too fast. I read this in about 4 hours in one sitting.

I rate this 4 out 5 stars
4 out of 5 stars for creativity
3 out of 5 stars for romance
3 out of 5 stars for creativity

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I'm afraid that this one was only a so-so read for me. It didn't help that I really didn't take to either of the main characters in the prologue. When it came to the main story there seemed to more angst and upset than was in any way warranted for what had happened in the past. Again, I was struggling to warm to the characters or to become invested in their love story.
I did think that the way that the abuse that Colleen had experienced as a child was handled well and worked well in the context of the story, it was just the rest that fell flat. Ultimately the romance plaid out well, there was just something missing that lifted this book into something more, which was a shame.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Thank you NetGalley and author Kate McBrien for giving me a free E-book arc of this book in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and feelings are my own.
4 stars
Trigger warnings: Sexual child abuse talked about in the past
This book is a second chance romance between two childhood friends! Colleen Murphy is the little sister of Finn O’Connor's best friends. As they grew up together, their friendship grew into the begins of romantic feeling when one day in the park Finn and Colleen kiss and Finn asked Colleen to move to New York with him. When things are shaken up in Finn's family life, he leaves for New York, leaving behind a broken hearted Colleen. Ten years later, Colleen and Finn are once again reunited, but neither is the same person they were as children. Can the people they have become, be the one that completes the other?
This book was a great book. I really love a child hood/best friend sibling romance. The premise of the story is what drew me to want to read this book. Finn was a very caring person toward Colleen and her family. While time and circumstances kept them apart, he never really forgot about Colleen nor his feelings for her. Colleen was a very strong individual. I appreciated how much Colleen was willing to seek help and communicate with Finn even though it made for some uncomfortable moments. The chemistry between Finn and Colleen was well developed. He was very respectful and caring towards Colleen needs. Colleen's family, while only played a minor role throughout the story, was close knit. The author did a great job allowing the reader to understand to full extent of Colleen's past abuse without making it overly shocking or unrealistic. The author handled the sensitive topics of sexual abuse and the impact very well. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the ending was very satisfying! I would recommend this book to those who love a best friend's siblings romance!

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