Living under a false identity in witness protection saw Des throwing away his life and his steady girlfriend, Sadie. With all connection to the past severed, Des has no idea what Sadie is now up to. When the drug cartel is no longer a problem and Des and his family are free again, he discovers that Sadie has a child. His child. 

The second in the Bower Brothers series, I was really looking forward to Des' story. I loved this one more than book one purely because I loved the aspect of a child in the mix. This was a super sweet, emotional book that gave me all the feels. Highly recommend reading this series in order so it's easier to understand more about the setting, situation and background characters. I'm already pumped for Lennon's story next - don't make us wait too long Kelly!

Love love and loved this book! Can't wait to read more from this author!
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I love these Bower boys and I totally love the concept of second chances at life after being hidden away by the witness protection program. Like the question of; do you keep living the new life you were given by the government or do you reclaim your old one? Then if you do take back your old life, how do you even begin to explain where you've been and how you left? This is the second book in this series and can be read as a standalone, but I think it was enjoyable knowing the background and Bower family from the first.

For Desmond Bower, he had a bright future ahead of him and the girl of his dreams on his arms. The night his life was turned upside down was originally the night he was going to ask Sadie to marry him, but he decided to wait...unfortunately he never got another chance or even got a chance to explain why he and his family disappeared. Desmond was gone for ten years and it isn't until they are released from the program that he discovers that he has a son and once again Desmond's life is turned upside down, but for entirely different reasons. This time he won't leave her side, or at least his son's and if there is a chance with his first love, he won't wait to tell Sadie how he feels.

Desmond took a dive off the deep end when his life imploded. He made a lot of mistakes when he basically thought it was over, but I adored reading his personal growth from the Bower blacksheep to the sweet family man he was under all the badly done tattoos. He always put his son first, and I can't tell you how many times I teared up during their father-son conversations, and Sadie was a very close second. He was a giant marshmallow under his tough looking exterior and I loved that duality about him. 

This book is told entirely from Desmond's POV which is fun getting completely into all of his thoughts and while I suppose it could be frustrating not knowing what exactly Sadie is thinking, I think Kelly did a great job through Sadie's actions and emotions to let us know what Sadie was thinking. 

I'm looking forward to the next brother as he takes back his life and what obstacles he will face stepping back into the life he left. This series is so good.

ARC Review of 10 Signs You Need to Grovel by Kelly Siskind
* * * * *
A second chance romance of an undying love with challenges and surprises and family.

Des had to leave behind the girl that he loved after his father's choices for laundering money for bad men had him running into WITSEC. He was now a man named Daneil. He looked like trash. Felt like trash. He was sick of making origami next to his only friend who just loved to tease him.
He could never forget Sadie.
Years later, not once being able to speak to her - minus an awkward silent phone call - Des gets told that he is a father. His son Max has not had him in his life, and Des plans to rectify that.
Reuniting with Sadie, a woman who his heart still years - and he hopes feels the same for him - he is now faced with being a father...but it isn't going to be so simple.
Des decides to help out in a program and bond with his son as Daniel. A man who is not Max's father. A man who is undeniably hitting on Max's mother.
This is more than just winning the girl back now...it is winning his son's heart and being the father he hopes to be.

An absolutely wholesome read! I liked having the POV coming from just Des, as most are told from the woman's perspective but it completely focuses on Des's jounrey into being back in his family's life, facing Sadie and hoping to be with her forever, and being with Max. He takes on Max's diversity, his artistic talents, his secret and accepting who his son is...and it is wonderful.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was itching to get my hands on Desmond’s book after all the glimpses of him we get in book 1. Boy did this deliver! I love the set up for this series of a group of brothers finding their own lives again after growing up in witness protection. Ten Signs is a really lovely second chance romance that brought lots of steam and heart.

Desmond was ready to propose to Sadie on the night his life changed and his family was thrust into the witness protection program. He spent every day of those eleven years missing her and beating himself up until the day he learns she’s back in their hometown with her son, Max. His son. So Desmond cooks up a plan to get back into Sadie’s life and get to know his son while also discovering who he is now that his identity is all his own.

I love that this series is single POV from the male perspective. It’s so different but also these Bower brothers are complete simps for their love interests and it’s fun seeing it just from their perspective. Desmond and Sadie have so much history and their reunion is wonderful - Siskind captures all the angst of their past and the concerns about how a reunion could impact their son. The wilderness hikes brought a lot of heart and humor that balanced what could otherwise be a heavy story at times. I didn’t love the conflict and thought it was a bit too dragged out but overall would give this 4.5 stars and can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Content warnings: Desmond’s father was involved in drug trafficking; there’s a subplot related to Max questioning his sexuality

Thanks to the author for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own!

This is the second book in the Bower Boys series. Although, they’re both stand-alones, I enjoyed this book more for having already read the first book. I just loved the members of this family who were suddenly yanked into the Witness Protection Program after their lives were threatened by a cartel retaliating against their criminal father. Desmond had been the golden boy destined for uber career success. He was also madly in love with local girl Sadie who he was devastated to leave behind without a word of explanation. His life took a nosedive when he entered Witness Protection. When the cartel is eliminated, Des is finally free to return to the small town of Windfall., but not as the successful attorney he was expected to become. Instead, he returns as a scruffy, tattooed bartender determined to make things right with Sadie. He’s shocked to discover Sadie’s given birth to Max, his 10 year old son. The author does a great job writing about how Max, Desmond, and Sadie get to their HEA. I hope there’s a book 3 in this series!!

Simply put, 10 Signs You Need To Grovel is the story of Desmond Bower.

Eleven years ago he, his brothers, and his mother were faced with an earth-shattering revelation, (view spoiler) they were forced to flee their home and loved ones. (view spoiler)

“Anxiety has become my persistent sidekick.”


The over a decade in which they had been away from home was tough, though seemingly it took the most negative toll on Des. When the book begins we meet his only friend: his much older, sassy French neighbor, Mirielle. Like many of the other characters introduced in the book she is a reflection of a facet of Des and his journey. She is the physical representation of his new life being placed in the cross-hairs of his old life. This is comically shown via her trying to guess his real name, knowing that 'Daniel,'the name he had given her was not.

When, his brothers come with some shocking news, relating to his former high school-sweetheart and love of his life, Sadie 'Sprite' Jones. Having found where Des's younger brother, E, had been living with his girlfriend (view spoiler)Sadie has shown up with a 10-year-old boy at hand, that looked shockingly like Des, named Max. This news rocks the world of the hurt bartender and leads him back home, and into a too-tight yellow shirt.

With the added detail from Sadie, that Max had been acting more distant and quiet, potentially due to several changes in his short life, Des suggests a way to get to know him before telling him that he is his father, with the hope of softening the blow. During the conversation, we are introduced to Chloe, a pre-teen who has managed to memorize an insane amount of statistics. She too, like Des is hurt from a action done by her father, (view spoiler)she acts as Des's conscience for much of a book, as he tries to become a better man for Sadie and Max.

“I love you...All of you, Max. No holds barred.”


In an effort to bond with Max and break through the wall of silence and distance his son had put up, he asks about his two passions: art and reading. Des found that it was easier to get answers as to what was going with Max by starting a two person book club with him, a concept not new to Des as he had previously done that to try to repair his relationship with his mother. The first book brings some unexpected answers, (view spoiler) and without a second thought Des accepts it and ensures that emphasizes that he loved Max no matter what.

As Max and Des's relationship grows closer his relationship with Sadie also evolves, back into a romantic one. Though it is not smooth sailing the love that the two have for each other is palpable through the pages.

In the end, this is a story of Desmond Bower accepting his past, present, and future.

Rating
Character(s): 5
Plot: 5
Writing: 5

This book reminded me why I read romance. Everything about it is the perfect ingredient to a fantastic book. I’ve loved all the books in the series so far and I can’t wait for more!😍

This novel has everything to please readers. Our favorite tropes, such as: second chance romance, small town, single mother, the hero discovering that he is a father, the hero who plays the bad boy but who has a soft heart, etc. But Kelly Siskind doesn't just chain tropes, she enriches them in her own way and incorporates them into an original story.
If you've read the first book, you know part of Des's story, with the difficult years in WITSEC that robbed him of his life, his love and his future. From the moment everything was torn from him, he distanced himself from his family and especially from who he really was. Today, he's covered in tattoos, but under his neglected appearance as a criminal bad boy, the real Des isn't that far off.
I loved his relationship with his neighbor, a very funny and very frank old lady. The fact that she is French like me adds an extra charm lol. I loved all the activities he tries thanks to her.
When he returns to his hometown and sees Sadie again, I admired his strength. He finds himself face to face with the future that was promised to him, with the love of his life that he has lost. Not just Sadie, but their son. A son he didn't know existed. He therefore discovers that to all that has been stolen from him, are added several years of his son's life. Several years of parental joy and worries. Moments of happiness. I challenge you not to feel empathy for him.
Although we are sad for Des, the author does not stop at a meeting and a happy ending. Des immediately takes his new role seriously, but he doesn't know how to behave. Determined not to make a mistake. Like a good father. His solution to get closer to this child is just sublime. He takes the time to get to know him, to let him open up to him, to take an interest in everything that interests him, to defend him while making him stronger.
Max is an intelligent and sensitive boy, almost too mature for his young age. Here again, the author does not offer us a caricatural secondary character, but a very important character in the story and the life of the couple, a boy with a real personality, who has his own problems. I would like to tell you about my admiration for Kelly Siskind as far as Max is concerned, but for that I would have to drop spoilers. I will just tell you that she did a superb job, relevant, intelligent, with the right words, not excessively but with sensitivity and sometimes humor. Des first makes a few mistakes that many people commit without knowing it, without wanting to. Certain ideas, certain words, are too anchored in our spirit, in our world. I loved this aspect of the story.
His mother, Sadie, is an exceptional mother. Not infallible, but loving. Again, I found her relationship with Max very realistic. She adores him, she would do anything for him, she raised him wonderfully well, and yet, some things escape her. Max is lucky to have such loving and intelligent parents. The world would be so much better if it was populated only by people like them.
Sadie didn't grow up in a family that was worthy of her, in a family that made her happy. Des was her great love, her light, her future. When he disappeared, she too lost a lot. Even more when she became a single mother. The life she has led in recent years proves how strong and courageous she is. Although she had to put her dreams aside, she succeeded in almost every way. She rebuilt herself and offered the best to her son. I really appreciated that she let Des take on his role as a father, that she recognizes very quickly that he suffered from their separation for which he was not guilty. I loved seeing them get to know each other again, with ups and downs, doubts and humor, and intense "physical" tension.
Even if the feelings have never faded, even if the attraction has not diminished, they take the time to create good foundations for their couple and their future. They don't take the risk of hurting their son. But between them, love is inevitable, fate wants them together. Their love is epic, touching, perfect.
In addition to being a magnificent love story, this novel is a family story, with the brilliant brothers of Des, a story of friendship with an old neighbor but also a cunning and funny young girl whose relationship with Des will make you laugh.
Kelly Siskind, being an artist in her heart and in her soul, adds many touches of art and offers Max a magnificent talent.
She also shows us that dreams evolve with time, experience, encounters. That nothing is written in stone, we can take our lives in new directions.
She makes us believe in optimism, in the justice of fate, in benevolence, in tolerance, in love in all its aspects.
In short, 10 Signs You Need To Grovel is an exceptional novel and it would be a shame to deprive you of such a good time.

A very interesting premise and I think I will carry on with the series. However, this had a very strong Hallmark element in the sense that whenever a a conflict is being dealt with, it's very much a case of, "Awww shucks, that's okay!" And everything is hunky dory. And I'm referring to the major plot points in this story.

The relationship between the two main characters felt unreal in the sense that no real depth was given to the conversations between these two. I mean what these two went through, especially the hero, was quite traumatic yet the emotions surrounding picking the pieces up again was never fully explored. It was a bit surface level.

I do love the story though, live the characters and the kids made this book for me.

This is the second in the Bower Boys series; you don't have to read the first, but it helps greatly for context and it's also a damn good you'll-laugh-and-you'll-cry story. Just like this one, which is emotional and redemptive in different ways. Des was the most high-flying of the five brothers, which meant that when the family were yanked unexpectedly into WITSEC, he had the furthest to fall. And fall he did, becoming the physical and mental mess that we meet at the start of this book. The discovery that his ex has returned to his home town with the son he never knew he had is what starts him on the path to recovery - and that recovery plays out beautifully. It's not easy. He screws up, and as the reader I wanted to shout at him a few times for his misguided stubbornness. While the story is told entirely from Des's point of view, the other characters around him are detailed, realistic, understandable - particularly Sadie, Max and Olivia. It all adds up to a tale that I'll remember long after finishing it, and I can't wait to see what the rest of the brothers have in store for them.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC; all opinions are my own.

This author is new to me and I was happy to grab an ARC, and dig in. This is actually a 3.5 star read for me.

On the surface, it is like any other second chance romance. But - the reason for their separation is beyond either of their control, and what transpires in those 10 years just makes the situation worse.

I found some of this story stretching. The reconnection of Des and Sadie seemed rushed. My favorite thing about this book was all of the other characters... E, Olivia, and Lennon.

I found the pacing and chemistry not what I would have liked. Some parts of this story were good for me, and some not. Overall, I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but it was a so-so read for me.

My free ARC was provided by Montlake and Netgalley, and I voluntarily leave my review.

4/5
Thank u Net Galley for the arc
Really good plot and characters was slow at some points but overall an amazing book.
Was super exited when i realized i could read it before the release date because the plot reminded of one of my favorite romance movies (Forever my girl)

This story has so much heartbreak and love. You feel all of the pain this family has been through and you can see the havoc it created. Now that Desmond is out of WITSEC he can now pick up the pieces of his life. What he didn’t expect was his brothers springing something on him that will change his life forever. I absolutely loved this book!

Sadie and Des were high school sweethearts, but were torn apart when his family were put in to Witness Protection. When his family are finally able to come out of hiding he looks for Sadie and it turns out Sadie has been looking for him as well. Des did not handle their separation very well and lost his way for a while. When Sadie and his new found son come back in to his life he is determined to be a better man for them. I liked how hard he tried to be there for them both. Sadie had a difficult time as a single mom, but she was lucky enough to have her grandmother’s help. When she learns the truth about what happened with Des she is keen for him to meet his son., but she also wants to make sure they do things properly. I did enjoy their hiking trips and them all getting to know each other, but I must admit this was a little slow for me and I did jump ahead from 50% to the last couple of chapters.

I am loving this series about the Bower brothers coming out of WITSEC and getting their lives back. When Desmond had to leave Sadies 11 years ago, he never expected that she was pregnant. Now, he is faced with the fact that he has a son and that it is a real possibility that Sadie still hasn't forgotten him either.
When he was apart from her, his world, he fell apart too. He let himself spiral downwards, into the pits of despair and he has been clawing his way back out, bit by bit. Now that he has a son, he knows that he needs to change, right now.
Sadie isn't so sure that she will like or relate to the man that Desmond has become, but she knows that she needs to let him know that he has a son and let them have a relationship. Max is a boy struggling to find his way in life, and Desmond feels a connection instantly, which takes him aback. How can you love someone so much that you just met?
Sadie and Desmond need to navigate old feelings, old dreams and new setbacks as they fight to find what their happy ever after looks like. I never doubted for one second that they would end up anything other than together. Love like that transcends.
Thank you to Montlake, Netgalley and Kelly Siskind for an early copy.

Des and Sadie’s teen relationship never really got a start because Des’ father turned informant and his family were all bundled up an out into WITSEC. Fast forward 10 years and Des is now out of WITSEC and feeling able to confront some of the demons from his past. He finds out he has a 10yo son with Sadie He takes a job as a camp counsellor not knowing his child is attending and what follows is Des, Sadie and Max exploring their new relationships.

It’s an emotional book with Des and Sadie acknowledging they had both struggled to move on from their early relationship, and find the spark they shared, with someone else. The question remained would it be enlightened to take them forward into the future. Des’ newfound relationship with Max is warm, and tentative with inquiring questions, and getting to know one another. Des and Sadie’s is intended to be a gentle reintroduction but goes full throttle when they spend time together alone. There’s alot of detail in this one, and I’m assuming some relates to previous and next in the series books.

This one is well worth picking up for all the feels.

I loved this book, loved loved loved every single page. I was so invested I barely realized it is coming to an end, I just kept reading in one sitting. Loved the characters, the plot is interesting, not your typical romance novel plot, it was an absolute joy to read.

Des is high on top of the 'best book boyfriend' list, the amount of support and love he shows is completely swoon-worthy.

Rating: 4⭐️

*i liked this book very much, the plot was good, loved the characters and their development
*i loved how des took the dad responsibility the moment he found out. And i loved des and olives relationship.
*olivias and des relationship is wholesome
* i didnt see any groveling tbh ( not that he did anything wrong ), but the title and the plot didnt match for me, i thought the whole book was about second chance and type of groveling but it wasn’t.
*its in the mmcs pov only which is unique but i did want to see what was in sadies mind.

* no cheating
* No ow drama
* Little om drama( he though she was seeing some one but they were just coworkers/ friends, which made him a little jealous)
* There is separation ( 10 years, they were with other people while separated)
* HEA
* Epilogue

Kelly Siskind packed some of my extremely favorite things in 10 Signs You Need to Grovel. Second chance, surprise pregnancy, small town, band of awesome brothers, broken bad boy on way to reform, sweet but sassy heroine..I can go on and on. And she executed all of them perfectly. This story is just way too swoony and emotional to handle.

Desmond Bower had to go in WITSEC with his family after his father was caught laundering money for a cartel and they were under death threat. He lost his love of life Sadie Jones and went down a self destructive spiral. Now that cartel has been eliminated and they are free. And he finds out that he has a son, Max. Now what will he do? He has doubt that a badly tattoed, recovering alcoholic working as a bartender can be a good father. Sadie has her doubts too. Their feelings are standing in the way...

OK I admit I love every Bower brother and all of them don't even have a story yet. This story is from Des' pov and that's an impressive feat. Often authors mess up writing male pov but Kelly Siskind nailed it. Des was the school heartthrob with his cocky swagger and over confidence and killer charms. He was on way to become a lawyer from prestigious school. But that WITSEC issue destroyed his life..rather he self sabotaged. Now he is stuck in the vicious cycle of self loathing, self doubts and old mistakes. But he was trying hard. To be a good father while he knew nothing of fatherhood. Being understanding and loving and caring in his own ways. Both for Max and Sadie. He is adorable while fumbling around his feelings and new dynamics with Sadie. But his family and Sadie made him realize that he can start fresh. To let go of the hang ups. Sadie is a beautiful person. She did have a lot of resentment and anger when she couldn't connect with Des. But when she came to know about the real reason, she readily forgave him. She was apprehensive about rekindling their relationship as she is afraid how it will affect Max if things go wrong. But Des was pretty awesome and relentless. And they never lost that soulmate connection. Their chemistry was still there. It was just about navigating the road! I laughed and swooned and cried throughout the story.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily