This story pulls on the heartstrings while tackling important social issues. It was a really good book about an ex-husband and wife not outwardly saying they are trying to get back where they used to be, but we all know that feelings will always blossom when you are having adult fun with the same person a lot.

This was a great book, I really enjoyed reading it.

I thought that the characters were written very well and I really liked their personalities and characteristics a lot.

It was a really good book about an ex husband and wife not outwardly saying they are trying to get back where they used to be but we all know that feelings will always blossom when you are having adult fun with the same person a lot.

I really enjoy a second chance romance, especially when it’s done well. Stepping Stone is the story of Jenna and Marco. At the beginning, we find that the couple is already separated. Each of our main characters is enduring their own struggles. Marco was definitely a highlight for me. The story was emotional and heartfelt. There was a little steam and a lot of sweetness, and even a little mystery thrown in. Good mental health and LGBTQ representation.

Stepping Stone by Liv Arnold
Subgenre: contemporary romance
Release date: 11 Jul 2022
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Format: ebook and print
Length: 280 pages
RRP: $6.76 (ebook); $30.80 (print)

Jenna Kravitz is struggling to get her life back together after her separation from her husband. A man she still loves and thinks is really hot. However, she needs to keep it together for her two children. Now there is an issue at work, and it is in a program she has written but is unable to find where the program is being altered and by whom.

While out, Jenna has her bag snatched, again. This time she has support as someone helps her and she discovers Claudine is looking for a job. She recommends Claudine to her boss, and she is employed in the company. It is then the issues with the program ramp up, and Claudine is the main suspect. The problem is that Jenna thinks Claudine is sex on a stick and really wants to get to know her in an intimate way. Her best fantasy ever.

The problem for Jenna is that her husband, Marco, stills wants her but can’t be with her. He has been in Afghanistan and suffers from PTSD. (His PTSD has been treated sensitively by Ms Arnold). Marco is a boxer in a similar set up to fight club and he struggles to keep his day job but doesn’t want his girls to know of his struggles. He is astounded when Jenna wants to have sex with no further expectations of getting back together. He is also a little upset when Jenna wants to see others. What he doesn’t know is Jenna is leaving her options open with Claudine. He just assumes it is another man.

There are many things that Marco and Jenna need to work through, and Claudine is a factor for Jenna as she really wants to get intimate with her. But will this happen especially as Claudine could be the hacker?

This is a sexy story and there is most certainly tension, both relationship and sexual, between the three characters. There were occasions where I wasn’t sure who would end up with who, or indeed whether there would be a threesome. I will let the reader find out for themselves what happens at the end.

reviewed by Heather

A review copy of this book was provided by the author.

Stepping Stone is a good steamy romance. I really liked Marco and the interactions between him and Jenna. I couldn't help but root for them. I appreciated that they acted mature in front of their kids

There was actually a lot more happening, plot wise, than I was expecting.

A broken marriage getting a second steamy chance seemed like a great read but the story had too many tropes.
Marco was a likable character whilst I'm on the fence about Jenna.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book received from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Enjoyable steamy read. The book was lovely written, although a little bit fast-paced, the plot kept the reader on pins and needles as no one couldn´t see the outcome.
I loved the interaction between Jenna and Marco and actually, I cheered them up to get back together.
As I said, it was a lovely story with a little bit IT language, and truly enjoyed reading it.

This a second chance romance with a few steamy moments. Jenna is slowly finding herself, her marriage, and her friendships. I definitely needed more heated/emotional moments with Jenna and Marco.

Sorry this book wasn’t for me. I read about a third of it and couldn’t get in to the characters so did not finish.

This book just wasn’t for me. I tried to get into the story, but it felt choppy. I received an advanced copy. All opinions are completely my own!

Loved reading the enthralling and engaging romance story. Jenna is trying to get over her estranged, handsome husband, Marco, her soulmate and first love. Marco still loves Jenna but is trying to get over his PTSD, so that he can be the husband and father he once was. Meanwhile, Jenna needs to find the hacker before she loses her job and fight the attraction she feels for her new co-worker. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read love story.
I just reviewed Stepping Stone by Liv Arnold. #SteppingStone #NetGalley
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This book was not for me. I expected something entirely different. At one point... something happened where I felt extremely triggered, so I couldn't continue reading it. My rating is somewhat unfair as a result of that.

This book unfortunately did not capture my attention, I could see where it was going in the beginning but then it got all mixed up. I would like to read more from this author but my advice would be too pick a storyline and stick to it. On a positive note I did like the characters and thought they were relateable.

*Thank you to NetGalley, The Wild Rose Press Inc, and the author Liz Arnold for this ARC in exchange for my honest review*
4.5 ✨all around, 4 🌶 spice, 4.5 ✨ for conflict

This was my first book by Liz Arnold and it did not disappoint! I was hooked in from the first chapter. I am backwards though because I read this book first so I will be reading book one next, lol. Jenna and Marco are soulmates but his PTSD pushed her away! Now they have to find a way to co-parent but when one lapsed judgment has them back in bed together things get heated. So, Jenna proposed they be ex’s with benefits with no feelings involved. Marco has other plans to figure out how to win back the mother of his children!

I loved this book as it gave me so many different things. This book has heart, work drama, heat (spice), friendship, and more! I love the character development that happens with both Jenna and Marco. I love all the spice we get in this book but I was hoping Jenna would get to explore more than that kiss…

All in all, if you like heat, laughs, love, and conflict you won’t want to miss this book! It’s a great read that comes out on July 11, 2022.

I could see that Jenna still loved her husband and I admired how Liv wrote her story around love for Marco and Jenna’s children. Marco trying to reconcile and Jenna beginning to understand what her husband is dealing with after being in a war torn country. Yet when we are introduced to Claudine, I felt like I had walked out of one book and into another. I ended up skipping over a lot of the portions of the book with Claudine focusing on Marco and Jenna’s story. While I liked there story, I still feel like something was lacking, yet still overall a good story.

3.75 stars
A marriage has ended (thanks, in part, to a serious overreaction by Jenna, the wife, considering her husband's PTSD) but the two are obviously still in lust with each other. While she works to find a hacker that's sabotaging her company, Jenna suddenly discovers her inner bi=sexual woman--a storyline that I have no problem with except that it came a bit out of nowhere, plot-wise. There is a fair bit of well-written humor including a funny scene with a sex toy, and plenty of heat. Marco (the husband) comes across as a super great guy who walked into the wrong building one day and confessed it to his wife, which landed his marriage in trouble. If he did anything actually wrong, that is never made clear and so the giant misunderstanding is something Jenna has to work through.
It's got mystery, romance, and some personal growth for Jenna, along with a set of side characters in her family that are, in a word, nosy and a bit over-the-top but certainly well-meaning.

In short, there is a lot going on this book, too much, at times, but over all I found it an enjoyable read and would recommend it.

Nope... I couldn't finish it...
It was not that bad in the beginning. A couple who broke up a year ago and you got the impression they are on the way of mending things.
But I didn't get the attraction of Jenna towards her colleague. It was not that I'm against it. It's that it just came up out of nowhere. And it didn't make sense. All that while Jenna is trying to find out who is messing with her job.
A lot of things together. Separately they would probably work but like this, to me it was just chaotic.

Every time Jenna Kravitz sees her sex on a stick ex-husband, she still craves him like he's a hotdog with all the fillings. They were soulmates, meant to grow old together.When I started reading I couldn't put it down. Liv Arnold is magnifysent and amazing writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.Can't wait for the next book.

Yikes. Definitely a one star.

If there was anything good about this book, it was the characters and the plot, which were both very interesting.

The execution, however, was horrendous. I felt like a third grader wrote it. There were multiple grammatical errors, and most of the sentences felt incomplete. There were also way too many metaphors and similes.

It was just okay. This type of book is not my typical genre so my review is only based on my reading preference and really shouldn’t matter at all to anyone. Ramp up the steam next time though!

Many thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for the advanced digital copy.