I commited a book reader crime .. I read the first 3 and then did the audio for book 4 and I was sooo nervous.. and now I am mad I didnt listen to the whole series.
This is another intro to the amazing family D'Angelos as well as a farewell to the family which is why I put this book off.. I didnt want to say goodbye.. I am still not ready to say goodbye.
I liked how open and honest this book was and that it didnt have an "awful thing " to overcome which occurs in most contemporary romance.
ie: boy meets girl.. they resolve an issue together.. and they live happily ever after..
they had this plot but the resolution was understanding, commitment and growth which I loved. I also love how strong each character already was so you fall in love with their love story as well.
It was a bit insta.. and yet.. it was perfect.

In The Whole Time by Catherine Bybee, we get an endearing story of independence, romance, and self-discovery within the close-knit D’Angelos family series. This novel follows Salena Barone, a bold and independent woman trying to escape the traditional expectations of her Italian family by managing the D’Angelos’ restaurant and living life on her own terms. Enter Ryan Rutledge, a tattooed biker and member of a wealthy family, who crosses paths with Salena at a family wedding. Their chemistry is instant, sparking a journey from casual connection to something much deeper.

The book shines with Bybee’s hallmark humor, heartfelt family moments, and the rich development of both Salena and Ryan as they navigate family expectations and personal insecurities. Salena’s journey toward true independence and self-acceptance, especially with the support of the D’Angelos, brings an added layer of warmth and resilience to the story. Ryan’s loyalty and respect for Salena’s choices make him a memorable, swoon-worthy partner, and their dynamic adds depth and lighthearted banter that fans of the series will adore.

As the fourth and final installment in the series, The Whole Time offers a satisfying conclusion for fans, highlighting themes of personal growth, family support, and romance that are sure to leave readers both smiling and sentimental about the D’Angelos family   .

The last book from this series has a friend who has broken away from her overprotective parents and is living above the restaurant where she is working. While she is managing the restaurant with the staff, she is still working on herself and to earn extra money she begins to take pictures of herself but with clothes on. She also begins to date a man she met at her friend's wedding who rides a motorcycle. Each has a surprise for the other and as they get closer and her parents still want her to come back home it all blows up when a waitress who wants her job announces her online account which blows everything up with all of her family. This is a good book and has all of the people from the other books in it as well. A very good story with very good characters.

Not my favorite story by Catherine Bybee, but I did enjoy this story. The relationship with Ryan and Salena work in all aspects. There was tension. There was heartbreak. But above all there was love. Love in all senses of the word. This is inherently a family series, and shows that while Salena may not have been a D'Angelo by blood...she was one of them by choice.

It truly was good story that kept my interest, but there was something missing from it. It may have been my personal issue (I have been slumping hard). So give these characters a try. Catherine Bybee writes a concrete well crafted tome and is an author to give a chance.

Salena and Ryan's story was so good! I loved the instant attraction and friends with benefits situation. It was well written and hooked me immediately.

Another great visit with these characters! Selena is all spunk and man I could not get enough of her story. I love how Ryan got her. This author weaves an unputdownable story. I wish there was more in this series to sink my teeth into. Time to binge her backlist!

I think this whole series is one of her best writings yet? I look for anything that she writes and have all of her pre-orders on my wish list. I have never been disappointed with any of Bybee's writing and this is no exception. Great cast of characters and it gives the feels that put the reader in each situation. I have read and re read her books and always enjoy them more!

This is a good book. The two main characters are Selena and Ryan. There is an instant attraction. They meet at Ryan’s sister wedding. Selena works for an Italian restaurant. Ryan is a real estate investor. They start dating. They each have secrets but eventually tell them to each other. They fall in love.

I didn't realize before starting that this was a part of a series. I have never read any books by this author, but the plot sounded interesting. I definitely could have gotten more out of it, if I'd read the rest of the series, but the book does work as a standalone. Based on the premise of this book, I was expecting to get more women's empowerment messages. The FMC's perspective was more empowering, but I feel like when it came to the dialogue and interactions between characters, the author missed the mark and fell back into cliche gender dynamics. The relationships also felt kind of surface level. In the end, I don't think this book was really for me, but it was a quick fun read.

I received an ARC copy from Netgalley for an honest review. This is the 4th of the d’Angelos series. Salena is just trying to figure out life and see where she belongs. She definitely isn’t in it for the long haul however Ryan seems to want her from the beginning. Can he change her mind? This book can be read as a standalone, you don’t have to read any other book the series.(although I would recommend it as they are great).

In "THE WHOLE TIME," Salena Barone, enamored with the D’Angelo family, works in their restaurant and moves to the top floor to escape her overprotective parents. At a D’Angelo wedding, she meets Ryan, instantly sparking chemistry. Despite claiming they're not seeking commitment, their casual dating evolves into something deeper. Ryan, the black sheep of the Rutledge family, resists joining his family's wine business, mirroring Salena's desire to forge her own path. As their story unfolds, filled with beauty and heartbreak, readers are drawn into the captivating world of the D’Angelo family, eager for more.

The Whole Time is the fourth book in the D'Angelo's series by Catherine Bybee. I'm loving this series full of Italians, family, friends, wine, food and love. We've met both Serena (family friend and Chloe's best friend) and Ryan (Emma's brother) before and I was so excited when I found out they were getting a story. Together! They are both wild, carefree, not interested in following in the footprints of their families and hard workers. When they meet at Emma's wedding, sparks fly and some flirty shenanigans just make the night epic. Ryan knows Serena is skittish, but he's in for the long haul. He's going to wait her out, charm her and make her fall for him. It's not as hard as he thought it was going to be! Serena wants to be on her own. Take care of herself and earn money her way. Being with Ryan jeopardizes that, right? He's rich, she's not. What will people think? Turns out, Ryan is more down to earth and sweeter than she thought. He's also not flaunting his money and he works hard to earn his own. So what's holding her back? Nothing really! When Serena decides she's in, she jumps! I loved these two! They are perfect for each other. While both wild, they are also grounded. They are also adults who communicate. Serena may be less forthcoming, but Ryan knows this and loves it about her. A few secrets won't tear them apart. I loved seeing the family again! Overall, I loved it! I laughed, teared up, cheered and smiled a lot. Ryan is swoonworthly!

This book took a couple of chapters to get in to, when I don’t get hooked straight away I sometimes give up on the book, but really glad I stayed with it, I ended up really enjoying the book.

Can't go wrong with a Catherine Bybee book! Quick reads, page turners and a little suspense with romance thrown in!
Selena is from an Italian family with parents that think she should be married already and she should live with them until she does. WRONG!
Selena moves out to her parents dismay, but it's only to an apartment about the D'Angelo's restaurant where she is employed.
Selena is a free spirit and very in touch with who she is.
Then there is Ryan. Ryan is the son of an owner of a vineyard that Ryan wants nothing to do with. Ryan is also a no strings attached kind of guy. Never going to put a ring on it.
Likes his tattoos and motorcycle and being who he is.
Selena and Ryan meet at the wedding of Ryan's sister to a D'Angelo.
Sparks are interesting between them, but Selena holds a secret that no one would understand if it got out. Family, friends and Ryan wonder what's up.
Selena and Ryan are figuring out their relationship despite always being no commitment people. Will Selena's secret come to light? Will she be able to explain it? Will she fall further from grace with her parents? Lots of questions to be answers and lots of acceptance to be had of self and others.
Fun, interesting, quick read. Recommend

The Whole Time by Catherine Bybee
The D’Angelos #4

Perfect story for me to read today ~ Have loved every book in this series and would love to be an honorary member of this family.

What I liked:
* The return to San Diego and the D’Angelo family and catching up with the various characters from previous books in the series
* Salena Barone: restaurant manager for the D’Angelo’s restaurant, seeks independence from controlling old-fashioned parents, free spirit, responsible, caring, good friend, team player, rather intrigued by Ryan
* Ryan Rutledge: wealthy, real estate owner, into motorcycles, silent partner of Mateo, has no interest in family wine business, the black sheep of his family, protective, open, honest, caring, rather taken with Salena
* Ashlynn: owner of the pole dancing studio, highly skilled, instructor of pole dancing, has a solution for Salena’s money woes
* That I could see Ryan and Salena together – they are perfect for one another
* The family interactions and how different one family was from another
* The close community of Little Italy – want to find it next time I’m in San Diego
* Wondering if there will be a book five in this series and if so, who will be the main characters
* Thinking about pole dancing as a sport-exercise-profession-workout and wondering how difficult it would be to take up
* The epilogue – great way to end the book

What I didn’t like:
* Thinking about the pressure the daughters must have felt growing up in Little Italy
* Wondering why “mean girls-women” feel entitled to do the things they do

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series/by this author? Definitely!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Heartfelt love oh so much love and it's hot! That is what this book is but also sweet at the same time. I enjoyed reading it in the sun with a cup of tea!

I’ve enjoyed the D’Angelo series and I always love reading Catherine Bybee’s books.
Chloe's strong-willed friend Salena has her life to live without a man messing it up, until she meets Ryan.
The storyline is written to clearly show Salena working to gain her independence and to accept her place in Ryan’s life. Salena melds into managing an Italian family restaurant, she finally finds her freedom but her attraction to Ryan means revealing more of herself than she ever imagined.
I love this fast paced read with spark and passion sneaking up on the main characters. I would highly recommend this series and any of the other romantic series written by this author.

Huge thanks to Montlake, NetGalley and the wonderful Catherine Bybee for the opportunity to read this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The D’Angelos are back and now that the three D’Angelos have found their forever person, family friend Salena gets to find love. She is the fun loving friend who never wants to commit, the flirty good-time-girl. Ryan is the perfect cinnamon-roll hero. I loved how he’s such a good guy, but also has grit and is humble. He tried so hard to take care of independent Salena who wanted nothing to do with it. This opposites attract romance is sweet and full of heart. It was so easy to let the story sweep me away.

Salena is the younger daughter fed up with her Italian parents dictating her life and moves out and into the D’Angelo apartment above the family restaurant where she works. When her car dies, she suddenly needs a new source of revenue. She is a bit of a wild child and her side hustle would raise eyebrows. When she meets Ryan at her bestie’s wedding, she can’t resist flirting. Ryan is the youngest brother of the groom. With tattoos and a motorcycle, he’s a little bit of a black sheep. They become friends with benefits, but when feelings start getting involved, will they give in and let things become a little more?

I loved Salena and Ryan. Since they are both independent people who pushed back at their unreasonable familial obligations, they each needed someone who could love them exactly as they are. I loved their easy acceptance of who the other person is. Salena is sassy without being rude and Ryan eats up her teasing. And Mama D’Angelo was a gem helping give these two the nudge they needed to see that they might have a future together after all. This story is filled with family, food, and love and is an amazing light heat romance to fill your day with all the magic of falling in love.

The book The Whole Time was an enjoyable read. I would recommend any book written by Catherine Bybee. Happy Reading!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.

You just can’t go wrong with Catherine Bybee.!

Serena may not be a D’Angelo, but that doesn't stop the family from treating her as one of their own. Hers and Ryan’s story may start as friends with benefits, but it eventually becomes so much more.