Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Edgar (E) and his family were forced into witness protection 10 years ago, away from the small town they lived in, and all their friends and loved ones. E has never gotten over Delilah, and after a chance encounter, and other pieces of his old life start to come back to him, he’s determined to win her back. A second chance, small town, hopeful romance.

I feel like I don’t read a lot of romances told exclusively from the male character’s point of view. This one was really enjoyable. I loved E and his brothers, and the banter from all the small town characters. Delilah’s pain and fear is felt so strongly throughout, even without her POV. The only thing that felt somehow unbelievable was the witness protection part of it, but I’m not sure how else you would have split the characters for ten years without a trace.

I am looking forward to reading the second book around these characters, with Desmond and Sadie.

I absolutely loved this premise of this book. Edgar or "E" as most everyone refers to him is a sensitive soul, who pines for his long lost love Delilah while being stuck in WITSEC.

A chance encounter with Delilah at the airport and a break in the case involving his father has E coming back to town to win a chance at redeeming himself and his love to Delilah.

I absolutely loved E and Delilah's banter with each other. I also thought that it was so nice and cute that the town got in together with Delilah on her fake engagement. THe support for Delilah was unusual and then the fact that the town apologized to E for their actions towards him before finding out about WITSEC was so nice.

I can't wait to read about the other Bowers boys books. Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for giving me a copy, all thoughts and views are my own.

This is my first time reading this author. I adore books published by Montlake, so I was pretty sure it would be a good ride! Oh, it so was!! This second chance romance was well written, with hot spice and all the reader feels. I love the plot of this story. I loved that it was told from the H POV. Basically, I loved every second of this romance! I can’t wait for the next one! Huge thanks to Montlake and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

What a good surprise this book was! I think it was the perfect mix of humor and drama, where the dramatic events are mostly there to explain the characters’ various struggles, but the writing is light enough to not make it heavy.

The premise isn’t that happy: Edgar and his brothers had to leave their small town ten years ago, because their father worked with the mafia and death threats forced them to go on witness protection. No contact were allowed. But Edgar left his first and only love, Delilah, and has been pining over her ever since.

The beginning of the book is actually happier, with Edgar and one of his brother finding themselves in the same plane as Delilah, and some kind of reunion that pushes Edgar to come back to their small town.

With the book being written exclusively through the male character’s point of view–which is quite unusual–we have the pleasure to experience his story colored with his wit and sense of humor. Just on this side of weird and nerdy. It was perfect and put a smile on my face the whole time I was reading. Even during the darker moments.

The small town elements were present–secrets never stay secret very long, there’s an inside and an outside of the town, everyone knows everyone… I loved how they side with Delilah and give Edgar shit.

I was more ambivalent with the romance. Ten years, several relationships each, even an engagement for Delilah, and we’re supposed to believe they still love each other. Nope. But they actually spend a long time discovering each other all over again, and that I liked. It was like they were falling in love again, and adult love this time.

A lot of humor, a sexy romance, some drama to make you feel for the characters, I’m convinced!

Quickie

- Series: Bower boys #1 (can be read as a standalone)
- Hashtags: #small town romance #second chance romance
- Triggers: mention of past accident, past alcohol abuse
- Main couple: Delilah Moon & Edgar Bower
- Hotness: 3/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + the witty writing put a smile on my face
- – once again, pining over someone while dating other people… kind of cringey

Second chance romance with secrets, trauma and a happy ending.

Edgar or E throughout the book is in the witness protection thanks to his dad, with his 4 brothers and mom. They all had to leave their little sleepy town and move to Houston and get new names.

E can’t stand that he had to leave his best friend and the love of his life at 16, to hide from the cartel his dad worked for and then ratted out.

Delilah had a great future ahead of her at 16. She had a bff and boyfriend in E, a dream to become a teacher and a cute dog. When one day after an amazing night with E, he and his family suddenly disappear, she’s devastated and loses her future due to circumstances nobody could for-see.

When he sees Delilah 10 years later at an airport and finds out she’s engaged, he’s starting to spiral back into his old ways…but maybe just one quick conversation and maybe, just maybe she’ll forgive him??

This book was full of emotions, secrets and a town that protects their own.

Can’t wait for Desmond’s story!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

My first book by this author, I was unsure in the beginning exactly what I thought of it but by the end I was so in love with the characters. The basis for the plot line is different from anything I can remember reading and I can't wait to read the next book in the series!!

From the beginning, I really liked our hero E. He was a kind, sensitive guy with a big heart, just trying to make amends, trying to explain himself, and I hated how everyone (or mostly everyone) was so shitty to him after his return. Like it was all his fault. Maybe try to remember he was a seventeen year old kid when his whole family disappeared. It's not like he was the head of some evil operation. Look, I completely understand why people were upset and angry after what happened, which is why I don't consider this a big thing that would effect my reading experience, I totally get their feelings, it's just... like I said, he was a kid so maybe don't be a complete dick to him? They all could have saved themselves the later apology tours if they gave him the benefit of the doubt.
At least Delilah believed him quickly. She knew what kind of person he had been and still was, she gave him a chance while still protecting her heart, and I completely understood that too. She had been through so much, I admired her strength and bravery. When they finallyyy got together it felt earned and right. They were so good together. Bickering and joking around, but also knowing each other so well, perfectly showcasing that even all romantic feelings aside, they were still best friends. I loved that.
It was so much fun reading this that when the emotional train hit, it hit hard. I was tearing up, but E and Delilah got their happy ending and they freaking deserved it.
I'm so excited for Desmond's book!

There were so many times I was outright chuckling during this story and then close to tears the other half. This is a wonderfully written, sweet story that is told from Edgar's point of view. The overarching arc in the story is that Edgar's family was put into witness protection because of what his father did (embezzling and then becoming a witness against the mafia family). This happened with absolutely no warning so Edgar and family was forced to leave behind their friends and lovers. The story kind of flips between past and present where we start to really get to see the ramifications of how being placed in WITSEC affected these men.

This story follows Edgar and his soul mate Delilah. They meet again on a plane and Edgar finally has the ability to try to repair the relationship. The most amusing internal dialogue is what really elevates the humor, not to mention the hilarious banter. But the author gives a nod to the devastation that occurred with the loss of time and freedom so there were moments of poignant sadness, moments where tissues were necessary. Be forewarned, while the story does complete the romance of this couple, it sets the stage for the next book and in such a way that I'm chomping at the bit to find out what happens! A great start to the series.

Kelly Siskind never ceases to amaze me!

Holy feels inducing amazingness! With this as the first book, this series is sure to become a new romance favorite!

Small town ✔️
Second chances ✔️
An adorable, tongue-lolling dog ✔️
Gut wrenching emotions ✔️✔️✔️

My favorite thing though — the book being entirely from the male POV! Because of the reason for the couple’s initial separation, this was the only logical option for the POV and honestly I think it should be done more often in romance books! I didn’t feel like I was deprived of anything from it being told from his POV, Siskind is THAT amazing!

If you loved any/all of Siskind’s other books, then immediately add this series to your TBE because you are not going to want to miss this small town magic!

<i>Special thank you to NetGalley, Montlake Romance, and Kelly Siskind for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!</i>

Best second-chance romance I've read in years!

This is the first book I've read by this author, and I'm stunned that I've missed out on such dynamic writing for so long! If her other books are half as good as this one, I've got a lot of back-catalog reading to catch up on.

E (Edgar) and his family were snatched up into Witness Protection right after his Best Day Ever with his high school girlfriend, Delilah. No chance to say goodbye resulted in trauma that is exquisitely explored as E and Delilah try to figure out a future ten years later.

There is so much that I loved about this story. The author used E's use of lists to give us their very sweet backstory as well as the list from the title as he tries overcome all the obstacles they now face. The entire town demonstrated their support of Delilah - especially before the whole truth of E's family was known - in one of the most endearing ways imaginable. Their history was so beautifully detailed that we could instantly follow their insider jokes and next-level teasing banter. The extent of the trauma that Delilah endured was a well-kept secret for most of the book, but when it comes out it's handled so gently, even the separation it caused was completely understandable.

E is the most cinnamony of cinnamon roll heroes, with an abundance of squishy-melty-hearted patience. His dogged determination and unwavering faith was so true it even allowed for him to give Delilah what she needed, even when it meant sacrificing everything he wanted. The entire book is told from his first-person POV yet still gives us a complete picture of Delilah and the other characters.

There's just the right amount of humor and steam to offset the incredibly deep emotional wounds that are openly confronted. Their eventual HEA was one of the most satisfying I've read in a very long time, and I loved how most of the last part of the story quietly set up the foundation for the next book in this not-to-be-missed series. I highly recommend this book for anyone who reads romance.

Also, the author has a prequel novella available on her website titled, "5 Tricks to Seducing Your Enemy" that takes place a couple years before this novel. It follows another couple (with their own HEA) while setting the stage for the romance between E and Delilah. I usually have a take-it-or-leave it opinion of prequels, but this short romance was every bit as good as the book and is well worth reading first.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

I love Kelly Siskind’s books, and every time I think I have found my favorite of hers, she somehow manages to top it with her next book.

In this new series, we have a family with five brothers who were forced into WITSEC ten years ago. Now they’re finally out, but their abrupt exit from their small town has left a lot of damage. Edgar was pulled away from the love of his life, Delilah, when he was 17, and never got to explain to her why. When he comes back to town to explain what happened, he still isn’t able to tell people the details of why they all left. Delilah and the town aren’t exactly receptive towards him, but he’s determined to get her back and comes up with a comprehensive list of ways to do it.

Kelly Siskind has hit it out of the park again! First, let me tell you how much I love that this book in told entirely from Edgar’s point of view. I can’t say that I’ve ever read a romance totally told from the male perspective (and I’ve read a LOT of romances), so this was a rare treat. We get to see flashbacks of what their relationship was like before Edgar left, and it makes their second chance romance so much sweeter. Both have suffered because of what happened in very different ways, and the journey of finding their way back to each other is so extremely satisfying to watch. And of course, because it is Kelly, she seamlessly somehow manages to deliver humor into this tear-jerker as well. I can’t say enough good things about it.

The premise of this book series has me wildly anticipating the rest of the books, and I can’t wait to read about each of the brothers’ experiences and losses from being in WITSEC.

Thanks you so much to Kelly Siskind for gifting me an ARC of this book.

What an amazingly, crazy ride. I don't even know where to start with this one. The roller coaster of emotions we get throughout this whole book is enough to make one dizzy. Such a great story-line and characters makes this book hard to put down. I guarantee you'll need to finish it in one sitting. The "feels and emotions", wow!

"Love isn't something you win. It's something you earn."

E wants to win back the love of his life. But what did he wrong?
Well... it's not that easy but he's on a mission!
There are 50 ways to win her back. 😉

Awwwwwww!
This book is completely E's POV and I absolutely looooved it! 😍
He definitely stole my heart from the beginning and I'd looooove to hug him because he's just sooooooo cuuuute!
OMG!
He's the PERFECT BOOK BOYFRIEND!
Cute, charming, soooo empathic and with a heart of gold?! I know! Perfection!
And this story isn't just a cute love story!
THERE'S SOOOO MUCH MORE!
But don't worry, I won't spoil you. 😉
I just totally fell in love with 50 Ways to Win Back Your Lover and the whole storyline because it's brilliant!
I loved Delilah and E's family and can't wait to get to know his brothers stories too! ❤️
Soooo... if you're in the mood for a cuuuute and emotional and suspenseful second chance love story - this one's for you!

Thanks to Montlake and Kelly Siskind for this ARC via NetGalley.
This is my honest review in my own words.

E sees the love of his life at the airport and ends up sitting behind her on the plane, but he can’t talk to her ass he hasn’t seen her for 10 years after his family is put in Witness Protection. He although he knows he’s not supposed to, he can’t resist talking to her and she doesn’t take it well. When it looks like his family might finally be able to leave Witness Protection he heads straight to his old home town and Delilah. It’s takes a while and E has to suffer through at lot as he can’t tell everyone exactly what happened to start with, but eventually everything comes out and he and Delilah get to spend time together. She tells him she is engaged as a way to keep her distance and she has secrets of her own as well. I loved the family inclusion in the story and the lead up to the next book in the story. I felt for all the characters who went through an unusual and crappy situation. E was a bit of an emotional guy and I must admit I like my main characters a bit more grumpy but his loving ways grew on me. Delilah had a difficult time when E disappeared and it took her a while to sort everything out in her head. This was an enjoyable start to the series and I will definitely look out for more from the Bower Boys.

This was good book and I enjoyed reading it! Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for sending my an ARC of this book!

This is a second chance romance where Edgar better known as E tries to win back his first love Delilah Moon after disappearing for years. And let me tell you second chance romance is one of my favourite tropes! When starting the book you instantly fall in love with Edgar and get invested in his story.

What I didn’t love was that the first half of the book was quite slow and there wasn’t a lot happening which makes it harder to get into the book.

Overall this book is 3.5/5!

When I was perusing Netgalley, it was actually the second book in the series that I came across. I went to see if this one was available and I snatched it up right away. I haven't been in the mood for contemporary romance but was really liking the sound of this one and my mood said, let's give it a go.

50 Ways to Win Back Your Lover started so, so good! I wasn't sure how I was feeling about having this book only from the MMC's POV, but it absolutely worked for me. E's dialogue, in the beginning, was so comical, especially the airport scene. And the dynamics between him and his brothers, I'm so excited to see where their stories will take us.

Despite the high emotions, I didn't feel it as deeply as I expected to definitely when it comes to E and Delilah rebuilding everything they lost. I felt for E as he returns home and had to deal with the fallout from the small town due to his father's scandal. But I was eager for them to reconnect and see where their story would go.

The pacing got a little slow for me in the second half, but I'm sure that's my mood reading settling in. Definitely a couple some unexpected twists, which I can't wait to read more of as we get the rest of this series.

Quite enjoyed my first read by Kelly!

3.75/5

I’M OBSESSED! I knew from the first 10% of reading that I was going to adore this book. I loved that our male main character was the focus of this story and in his POV. He is so relatable and sweet, I hung on to every single word.

Edgar had it all growing up, or so he thought. When his father is outed for laundering money from the cartel, he and his family are thrown into WITSEC. His only concern was leaving the love of his life, Delilah. Ten years later he runs into her and thinks of it as his second chance - except she’s wearing an engagement ring. He knows his best friend though, knows she’s lying and their small town is helping her. After all, they were there when he left her. Will he get his second chance and find out what happened after he vanished?

This book was perfect in my eyes. I loved their entire journey. It’s so sad to think how much someone’s life can change because of someone else’s actions. I’m so sad they lost precious years together but loved how far they come to work on their future, whether it be as friends or more. I cannot wait for Edgar’s brothers stories! Highly recommend!

New author to me Kelly Siskind delivered a really enjoyable read. Loved the characters and storyline, looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

50 Ways to Win Back Your Lover was an emotional roller coaster. I laughed, I cried, I swooned, I raged, I nearly had to douse myself in cold water after the steamy scenes. This book combines two of my favourite tropes: friends-to-lovers and second-chance romance, and it did it beautifully.

E and Delilah were childhood enemies turned friends turned lovers. When E and his entire family suddenly disappeared without a trace, it rocked the whole town of Windfall. Nobody knew what happened to the Bower family, and it looked like no one ever would. The story starts in the present day, ten years after the family’s disappearance; they’ve been in Witness Protection for the last decade because of Mr. Bower’s hidden criminal activities that led to a threat against the whole family.

Going in, I didn’t realize the story would be told solely in E’s POV. I don’t think I’ve ever read an m/f romance told completely from the guy’s POV, but it worked really well for this book, and I can't imagine it being told any other way. I loved E’s voice; everything he felt - the heartache, the anger, the grief, the love, the joy - was so real, and I found it easy to connect with him (and fall in love with him).

As I mentioned, two of my absolute favourite genres are friends-to-lovers and second-chance romance. I love when characters have history, whether it’s as friends or a romantic history. I loved getting glimpses of E and Delilah’s past - we saw their relationship progress from day one until the day he was taken into protective custody. It was clear that even though they were so young, they loved and respected each other. One thing that often annoys me in second-chance romance is when the couple has been apart for years and then they’re reunited and fall immediately back in love and back into old routines as if nothing has changed. It always bugs me because I’m certainly not the same person I was 10 years ago, and most people evolve either because they want to or because circumstances force them to - or both. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case with this book; E initially hoped that’s how things would go because he remembered every moment he and Delilah had together, and he wanted to remind her how great they were together. I appreciated the balance between their history and the things that were still the same, and the things E had to learn about present-day Delilah. It wasn’t easy and he had to work to earn her trust and show her he was sticking around.

Other aspects of this book that deserve recognition: Candy Cane the dog. The family dynamics between the Bower brothers. E’s artwork and all his hard work, passion, and talent. The resurrected friendships, and the assorted amusing townspeople in Windfall.

If you’re looking for an engaging, entertaining, heartfelt romance that will kick you in the feels while also making you swoon and laugh, you need to read 50 Ways to Win Back Your Lover.

4 1/2 Stars for this gut-wrenching story!

I loved E and Delilah and their story broke my heart. I loved how Delilah kept up the fake story of being engaged and working on wedding plans. And even though E knew the truth, he went along with whatever she said. He was so in love with her that he would do anything to have her back in his life. I went through all the emotions in this book ... I laughed, I cried, I was angry and I definitely swooned. Then there's the steamy scenes ... just wow! I really like the whole premise of this series and I can't wait for all the brothers' stories.

E and Delilah were a couple back in high school. But when E's dad turned witness against a cartel, the whole family went into witness protection. E, his parents and his brothers couldn't contact anyone from their old life just in case the cartel was watching them and use it against them ... worse yet, hurt the ones they love. Ten years later, E and Delilah are coincidentally on the same flight ... only she doesn't know it. They go their separate ways, but E can only stand it for so long and he decides to go back to their hometown. He will do anything to win her back, even though everyone in town hates him for hurting Delilah.

I received an early copy courtesy of Montlake through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.