SWOON. I love me a good grovel in romance.

My first experience with Kelly Siskind was New Orleans Rush. I loved that she wrote fun and likeable characters combined with serious steam. When I saw that 10 Signs You Need to Grovel was a "read now" on NetGalley, you know i grabbed it immediately....and inhaled it.

Des and Sadie are high school sweethearts. Des' father is a piece and ends up causing his family to be placed in Witness Protection, meaning for ELEVEN years, Des and Sadie are separated. Sadie has no idea what happened and why Des walked out of her life. Fast forward eleven years. Des is out of witness protection and discovers that Sadie has a 10 year old son...HIS son. Des is also still completely infatuated with Sadie.

After eleven years, is it possible for Des to get back into Sadie's life? Will he be the father his son deserves? What follows is a well paced and heartfelt romance. If you love second chance romances and a good grovel, this novel is for you. It's a bit of a slow burn as well, as about 60% of the book is Des and Sadie just getting comfortable with each other again. When they collide, they collide and the back half of the book is full of open door steam and lots of groveling as Des shows that he is meant to be permanent in Sadie and his son's life.

I'm a Siskend Stan now and will read up anything she writes. Her novels are so enjoyable and so well plotted and paced.

10 Signs You Need by K. Siskind, published by Montlake, is the second book in the Bower Boys Series. The previous book tells Delilah and E's story. Every book can be read as a stand-alone, but there are cross-overs and I recommend to read the books in order.
Desmond and Sadie were the golden couple when in the blink of an eye their whole world was put upside down. Now, more rthan 10 years later they have the chance to re-unite. Put a surprise oopsie in the mix - btw I'm a huge fan of this kind of story, an outdoorsy hero who's about to come out of his shell and voila, you have a wonderful story, a great 5 star read.

I am such a HUGE fan of second chance romance books and this book definitely delivered! I had so much fun reading 10 Signs You Need To Grovel and it had all the ingredients it needed to be a success. I will definitely read more books by this author.

This book will want to rip your heart out, so angsty and emotionally good.

Tropes:
- Broken MMC
- Tattooed MMC
- Grumpy vs sunshine
- Second chance romance
- Single mom
- Returning home MMC
- Hidden identity

Positive thoughts:
- I loved how Siskind makes us feel for Dez, he hurts and suffers all along and we feel that too. We feel his anxiety, his fear, his self-destruction and it will break you.
- His love for Sadie was just... wow! so much depth and warmth in his heart, potential book-boyfriend right here.
- I appreciated the funny moments in the book, they were really needed with such intense emotions. Siskind did this blend really well and I love her for that.
- Let's not forget Olivia, this girl was awesome. A secondary character that will blow your mind and capture your heart. She was brilliant

Negative:
- I would have loved to have had Sadie's POV. So much must have gone through her head and I would loved have known
- I did think the story was a bit too easy. Everything went smoothly with Dez and Max, and Dez and Sadie. No hiccups happened (some might love this though!)
- Although I loved the chemistry, I thought it happened too fast. It felt a bit unrealistic, too quick to happen.

Overall:
- It was a very intense and emotional romance, that will get you crying (and laughing a bit). It's heart-wrenching so prepare yourself.
- It was a fast paced read, definitely a page turner.
- By the way the tattoo on the guy on the cover... is in the story and it's phenomenal! So amazing was that tattoo!

TW: Anxiety

Ratings:
Romance: 3/5
Chemistry: 5/5
1st kiss: +-47% in
Spice: 2,5/5
Humour: 2/5
Cry factor: 3/5
Drama: 3/5
Suspense: 0/5

It is really impossible not to enjoy this amazingly thrilling and captivating story. Sit comfortably, prepare your snacks and get sucked into this second chance. I am suffering from the lack of sleep because I just had to read it at once.

I loved this to pieces!

I was expecting so much from Desmond’s book, after the first book how could I not, and it delivered so much more.

I loved seeing Desmond flourish from this numb and cold state he’d been in for the past ten years. I loved seeing him with Sadie again and I absolutely adore seeing him as a father. He was made for the role!

There were so many more thing I truly loved from this book but I’ll talk about them closer to release date.

The cover made me expect a kind-of-trashy-but-good-time book, but I was so very pleasantly surprised by how beautiful this book was. Pretty much all of the characters are very likeable and the whole story is kind and good for the heart. I liked seeing characters with such strong feelings in such a deep way instead of being superficial about how much they care about each other.

Modern romance set as Des choses to leave the life of witness protection. He leaves a basic life to go home to where his first love is - and his 11 year old son he didn’t know about. A little bit predictable on the sons experiences and how Des chooses to help however a cute relationship is worked on as father and son grow closer. A near miss at the end seemed unnecessary but a solid read.

3.5/5 stars

I typically have a love/hate relationship with the second chance trope. And more often than not, it tends to be hate mainly because the reason behind the separation is, to put it simply, fucking dumb like cheating or something equally horrendous. However, that was not the case here at all. The characters were forced apart due to circumstances outside their control which was quite tragic for the amount of time they lost being a family. In addition to the premise behind the second chance trope being done really well, there were a number of other things I really enjoyed. I loved how Des navigated his new role as a father and the growth he experienced as a character throughout the book. I also liked his brothers and the strong relationships between them all. It was really obvious how much they cared for each other. In fact, I adored E so much that I will defintely be going back and reading the first book in the series! I also really loved Lennon, he was such a well-written character and kinda reminded me of Cletus from Beard Science by Penny Reid (which is one of my favorite books ever) so I will be very impatiently waiting for his book! I fear he might just be my favorite out of the Bower Boys. And I cannot wait to learn and see more of the other brothers as they made few appearances and remain a bit of a mystery. And last but not least, OLIVIA!!! God, I loved this little girl so much. She was definitely one of the highlights of the book. I absolutely loved how much shit she give Des and did not let that man rest for a minute, always kept him on his toes with her honesty.

For the things I did not enjoy as much: mainly the pacing of the relationship between Sadie and Des. I thought their relationship progressed a bit too quickly for my liking and could have benefited from some more development and angst. I also would have loved to see some past chapters, particularly from their younger years as well as during their separation. I wanted to see more of Des' pining and despair over his lost love as a lot of the times it felt like this was lacking and was more tell than show.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book especially for lovers of second chance. Even if you aren't a second chance girly like me, I still think it is worth the read.

This story is a great second chance romance, I was really excited for Desmond’s story. The dynamic between Sadie, Max, and himself was so sweet. I loved watching him grow into a dad. Max was well written, age appropriate and not annoying. I can’t wait for the rest of the series!

This series has quickly become one of my absolute favourites!! Kelly siskind writes amazing steam, tension and multi layered characters.

Another slow burn romance that kept me entertained.
I enjoyed this story a bit more than the first one. I can’t exactly say why but o liked the characters and their interactions way more in here. There was a veil of secrecy and just a fuzzy feeling about it all. It’s slow and I usually avoid these type of stories but some are worth the price because that’s how you get to understand what makes the characters who they are and where they come from.
Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

4-4.5 stars. Desmond Bowers' story is one I've been anxiously waiting to get ahold of since meeting him in the last book. Before WITSEC, Desmond was studying at Duke Law school and very in love with his girlfriend, Sadie, whom he intended to propose to. That all went down the drain in witness protection where he wasn't able to make contact with Sadie and now 11 years have passed. Des didn't finish law school and has made a series of bad choices due to pure anger, frustration and helplessness, hitting rock bottom. E has dropped the bomb on Des that he's a father and needs to come back to Windfall to do right by his son, Max.

I loved the process of watching Des pull himself out of the gutter and man up to his responsibilities, knowing he missed out on a decade of fatherhood and that Sadie was pulling double duty by herself. All of his insecurities were pushed to the forefront and Des had to face them one by one. He wanted to prove that he could be a parent, but also a friend and life partner and provide stability. That also means he has to decide if he still wants the life he carved out for himself before or to start a new path. Since nothing has come to him conventionally so far, he has to search within himself.

Des comes off gruff and guarded, but he's got a big heart and feels as deep as his brother E does. I enjoyed watching him get to know Max, those interactions were what every parent lives for. There's also a smart mouthed and sassy preteen girl named Olivia who gives Des a run for his money and she's hilarious (I kept picturing her as Erica from Stranger Things). As for his relationship with Sadie, much like E, he had to go at her pace and let her call the shots, but also be there for her in every way that counts. It's easy to see why Des fell in love with Sadie the first time and how quickly it happened again. This book was a combination of heartfelt, funny, sweet and entertaining. The dynamic between Des and his brothers is hilarious and I'm looking forward to reading about Lennon next.

3.5/5

I'm quite enjoying the concept for this series and I was eager to get to Desmond's story. It's absolutely heartbreaking to see how their life was completely flipped upside down and now that they're able to carry on with their lives without worry, it's the transition that makes it tough for everyone.

With a second chance and learning, you've been a dad, there's a lot to tackle with this one. I can't say I was on board with all of Desmond's decisions, but he came from a good place and overall, there were just going to be some trial and error for him.

Really enjoyed this one and seeing more of the Bower brothers! Definitely looking forward to the next one.

Kelly Siskind books are my jam and really like them. This was a good book and liked the style of it. I will read more of her stories

What happens when the world as you know it changes in the blink of an eye, and you’re forced to leave the love of your life? Kelly Siskind’s ’10 Signs You Need to Grovel’ explores a unique kind of second chance love story that’s crafted around a pretty huge exterior conflict: the witness protection program.

Desmond Bower had all of his ducks in a row. He was in his first year of law school, ready to propose to the love of his life, Sadie Jones, when the rug was pulled out from under him. After 10 years in the witness protection program, Desmond and his family are finally in the clear. He’s been through a lot, and thinks that Sadie’s moved on. Then he discovers that Sadie was pregnant when he left. That he has a son. Can the scars of the past 10 years be healed enough for a second chance at a family? Or has too much changed?

In my opinion, a successful second chance romance must have a compelling reason why the two protagonists are separated in the first place. In this book, the author deftly creates an external conflict so large, it acted as the perfect vehicle for this separation.

Oft times, second chance romances are super internal, and while this novel has some of those elements, especially once Desmond and Sadie begin to interact again, that main external driver is super interesting and unique.

Of all the relationships in the story, I thought the one between Desmond and Max was beautifully crafted. Siskind does a wonderful job of capturing the uncertainties of parenthood in a way that doesn’t detract from the romantic plot. In all, I thought it was a great addition to this series.

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Right off the bat I have to say I love that we had the males point of view throughout the story! There were times I would’ve loved to get Sadie’s perspective but I have never really read to many books with just male pov and it was such an insight!!

The story really maps out Des and Sadie’s reconnection but also gives us beautiful glimpses into how they started. You also get a lot from the brothers and see how as a family they are healing together!

Stop I loved this!! My emotions were all over the place. This was even better than the first. Highly recommend!

This is the first book I read by Kelly Siskind, and the reason I picked it up was that it contained two of my favorite tropes: second-chance and single parent. I thought this book was okay but I just didn't love the single POV told by Desmond (Des), the main male character. It just made it difficult for me to connect to Sadie, the main female character. I think I would've enjoyed this book so much more if it was dual POV. I did think Des' and his son Max's interaction was amazing. It is obvious that Des is a great guy who has been dealt a very bad hand.

I also loved Des' plan to get to know his son better by leading an outdoor program. There was a twelve-year-old girl named Olivia who joined the hiking program, and I really loved her character. She annoyed and always had the upper hand with Des which was a very nice addition to the story. I didn't love the romance part of the story, mainly because I didn't know what was on Sadie's mind. I also didn't think the title matched the story but overall I thought this was a light and fun contemporary romance. Also, the interaction between Des and his family was great!

Kelly Siskind has certainly outdone herself with the Bower Boys Series! I’ve enjoyed every single book she’s written (and I’ve read them all) but I have to honestly say this series is by far her very best yet.

If you’ve read my review of the first book in this series, you know how much I adore E and his love of Delilah and you know I was anxiously waiting to get to know Desmond. She gave us just a little tease of him in the first book, but he’s another Bower boy who is more than meets the eye. My goodness, these poor guys have gone through hell and back in the WITSEC program and it’s heartbreaking and heart wrenching. But that said, this all leads me to the reason why I enjoy these books so much – that good always overcomes bad; that your actions have consequences and if your actions are truthful and genuine, you just might get a second chance. Desmond, Max and Sadie’s interactions were fun and honest, especially when Desmond is trying to get to know a son he didn’t even know he had. I’m finding a common denominator among the Bower Boys – they all have a soft and chewy center and I love it!! And all the characters are authentic and so relatable.

When I don’t want a book to end because I don’t want to say goodbye to the characters, I know I’ve read a winner and this is most definitely a winner. These books are the epitome of second-chance romances. Again, I wish I could give it 10+stars. I’m grateful to have been given the opportunity to read an early copy of this book for my honest opinion.