It's In His Arms is the fourth book in the Red River Valley series, and the first I have read by this author. I absolutely loved this book! I will definitely be reading more from this author, in fact, I may just have to go back to the beginning and read the entire series.

I'm always a fan of an alpha male, and Mitchel Lawson is certainly one of those. A decorated war veteran, Mitch has come back to Red River to make amends with his past. He has a reputation for being a bad boy, and the town doesn't forget.
Lorenda Lawson, mother of two boys, widow to Cam Lawson - Mitch's twin brother, has her life all planned out. She has worked hard to keep Cam's memory alive, and even though their marriage was not a happy one, she has held up the pretenses that it was - for the sake of her boys.

This is a story about forgiveness, hidden truths, deceit, and above all else, love. Both Mitch and Lorenda take risks to protect each other. Their bond runs deep, even if they can't admit it to themselves.

The small town mentality plays a large part in this story too. People are quick to judge Mitch on his past, and even though he has served his country, they find it hard to see past the things he got up to in his younger days. In saying that though, we also get to see how the town can band together to help one another when it's needed.

I look forward to reading more in this series, and seeing where everything all started. Thoroughly enjoyed this book!

I had not read the other books in this series but I thoroughly enjoyed this one and did not feel like I was missing anything. The characters are charming, and while the story was predictable at times I did enjoy reading it. I would rate it 3 stars, only because I didn't find myself getting lost in it and unable to put it down.

I have given it 4 stars.

I didn't think anything could rival Miranda and Talmadge's story but this definitely rivaled it. Mitchell and Lorenda's slow burn romance was bittersweet. It's In His Arms was a roller coaster of feelings and Shelly Alexander's writing style once again had me hooked from the very beginning and routing for the couple from the start. They were just so perfect, together they were on fire.

I think the author has managed to captured the smaller details absolutely perfectly and I found this story to be a thoroughly enjoyable romantic read. It was sweet and charming with just enough of a dangerous edge to keep you turning the pages to see how the story pans out.

It is book four in a series but it can be read as a standalone. The cover of this book is a little unassuming but the saying "never judge a book by it's cover" has never been more fitting. If you like a decent slow burn romance with a happy ever after, this is definitely for you.

Since this was the 4th book in the series - I had a hard time catching up per say. It was kind of cheesy in parts. Too much about growing up as a kid that I felt was just filler , nothing substantial.

This was a sweet yet passionate book in the Red River Valley Series (you CAN read as standalone, but I recommend reading the previous book as you do see previous characters. I really liked Lorena as a character, as she suffered a devastating loss and was trying to rebuild her life for her family. Mitchell was also a very likable character, as he was both strong and protective of his sister in law and his nephews. I also really enjoyed the suspense element to this book as well - it kept things interesting!

This book is about lost love, making amends and protecting family. Lorenda Lawson aka Sparky, was left widowed when her hubby Cam refused to leave the military life for good. She raised her two sons without the father but had family to help.

In comes bad boy Mitchell Lawson. Cam's twin brother and Sparky's brother in law. Lorenda gets attacked just as Mitchell comes to town. He is destined to protect her and his Nephews. Things seem to escalated quickly. Sparky and the kids were in danger and the town blamed the once bad boy of the town. Now as a decorated veteran with multi medals Mitchell comes back to make amends with his sick father upon his mom's request.

This is a nice read. Love the lead characters. Total alpha male and sparky female. The love story is nice. I enjoy a good war veteran book with a HEA.

I loved this book. You have a widow who is dealing with raising her son alone and return of the identical twin of her deceased husband. This story is about the choices we make and the lasting effects it has on everyone around us. The interactions among the characters were interesting. You see the need for the kids to have a father in their lives and desire for a companion who understands and shares your dreams. I would read more from this author and series.

I was offered this book from Netgalley.com and voluntered to write an honest review

I am becoming a Shelly Alexander fan and this is my second book by her in this series and I have enjoyed the Red River valley setting with its diverse characters and the sense of community she delivers to this small town. Even if it does seems a little dysfunctional at times.
This was a sweet second chances love story with humor and some frustration at times. Mitchell certainly didn't deserve the treatment he received at times by the townsfolk upon returning home but that in itself made this novel more creditable as people are quick to form opinions in real-life and make judgements accordingly as well. Lorenda's passion to start a music program in Red River seemed to blind her to some home town realities but when a string of fires broke out and Mitchell was implicated, she came to his defense and found herself risking her heart as well as her reputation.
I was so eager to finish this to get to the bottom of things and was also rooting for a HEA for both of them.
Now I am looking forward to the other two books in this series that I haven't read yet.

Small town living brings with it a dynamics that's often times antiquated and small minded. Those limiting views drive the story and brought some frustrations with them. The author did a remarkable job of bringing out the small mindedness of the town that Mitchell grew up in and couldn't escape from, no matter what he'd done since leaving town. His saving grace was Lorenda, their story is heartwarming and endearing and really brought home for me what they endured to get to their HEA.

Ms Alexander's writing was wonderful in the depth of her characters and the complexity of the obstacles they encountered...especially within the father/son dynamics. I'm glad I read this story, it left with a light hearted feeling after everything Mitchell and Lorenda went through.

This book was provided by the Publisher and Netgalley, I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

It's In His Arms is the 4th book in Red River Valley but can be read as a stand alone book (I did and I enjoyed it a lot).

This book centers around Lorenda Lawson who is the widow of the town's golden boy. She married her husband at a young age and was almost immediately pregnant. Unfortunately, Cameron her husband changed a lot while he was away in the military and except for a few brief visits (one that resulted in the birth of her second son) he didn't come home much. Lorenda never let anyone in the town know just how distant her husband was and that he didn't want to come home to her and the boys and then he died.

Fast forward years later and Mitchell Lawson, Cameron's twin brother has returned home. Mitch was the black sheep who was always in trouble as a teen. He's a decorated Navy Seal who is trying to change his image in the town and repair his relationship with his father. When Lorenda is mugged on his first day back he thinks there may be more to the situation and so moves into the garage apartment to keep her and her two sons safe. It becomes evident early on that Mitchell and Lorenda don't see each other the same way they used to and there is a lot of chemistry and desire between the two of them. However, someone else doesn't want Mitchell back and is willing to go to great lengths to get him out of town.

I really liked both Mitchell and Lorenda although some of Lorenda's actions towards the end of the book were a bit frustrating. Her refusal to consider Mitchell's intuition of who could be causing all the problems didn't make a lot of sense to me and seemed to be an obvious way to add drama to the story when I think I would have preferred the fact that he was her brother in law and her dead husband's twin the issue that made her hesitate. I haven't read any previous Red River Valley books so I didn't particularly care for the town. The fact that most of the town that held a grudge against a teen when he has obviously grown up and changed was off-putting to me. I did love that Lorenda never doubted Mitchell's innocence and stood by him and I could understand her reluctance to get involved with him when considering her experience with his brother who didn't want to be tied to her and the boys and the small town they live in. Mitchell was an amazing hero and I loved everything about him. The fact that he loved his twin so much that he was willing to take all the blame, that he understood that he had been a troublemaker and needed to convince people he'd changed and his obvious feelings for Lorenda and her boys. He was protective, caring, sweet and I loved how he was with both Lorenda and her sons.

The villain was obvious but I think it was intentionally written that way. There were a lot of things going against Lorenda and Mitchell and I really enjoyed watching them overcome those odds and fighting for what they wanted. It was a sweet love story with some heartbreaking family angst, great friendships and overall a tale of forgiveness, redemption and hope. I will definitely go back and read the three prior books.

This was an excellent read. It was full of strife but Mitchell and Lorenda over come it all.

Lorenda is a military widow. Mitchell is Lorinda's husband's twin brother. He was the town bad boy and is only back in town at his mother's request.

I recommend reading this book it has the gauntlet of emotions and is well worth the read.

Wow! I absolutely adored this book.
Romance, a bad guy and a mystery. Most of the things that I enjoy in a book. From the start to the end I loved this book and will now be following Shelly Alexander as one of my new favourite authors.

I had trouble getting this book to fully load, it struggled to turn pages and crashed the app I was using. The book archived before I could download again. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Wow! This was fantastic! A widowed mother of two and the twin brother of her dead ex - sound interesting? This book hooked me in from the first page. There was a bit of mystery and a sweet romance - I loved this book! This is the first book I have read by this author but I can't wait to read more! Highly recommend!

There are not very many romance novels that make me laugh out loud. Giggle? Sure, but not laugh out loud, making the kids look at me, like I am weird, kind-a-laughing. It's In His Arms managed to do just that.
Now don't get me wrong, this novel has many romantic, and steamy hot scenes as well. Not only that, it has very likable, and interesting main characters, who were easy to root for. There is a lot of tension, and without spoiling the book for you, not just the romantic kind, but also a creepy, almost thriller kind, as the female lead faces more than just a potential heartbreak, but also real danger.
There were times, where I wanted to shout at Lorenda to listen a little more to her male lead, Mitchell, because what seemed to be obvious to him (and me as the reader), she seemed to be oblivious of. Naivete seems to be a trait many romance novel female leads tend to share, and even if it was not as bad wit her, as it is with some of the other books, I have read before, I would have liked her to be a bit more suspicious, especially considering that she had kids to protect as well.

Still, I found this novel overall very entertaining, and charming, as well as fast-paced.

***4.5 Hearts.

It's In His Arms is the fourth book in the Red River. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone. The only other book in the series I have read was It's In His Smile and that is where I was first introduced to Lorenda Lawson. Mother. War Widow. One of the Mommy Mafia women. This is her story and it's complicated, and sexy one...

Lorenda and her two boys have been on their own for the last six years. In reality, it's been longer than that since her husband wasn't home much since he enlisted after graduation. He was only home long enough to get her pregnant twice. He was a SEAL killed in action six years ago and was a hometown hero. Even though Cameron's twin brother, Mitchell was just as honorable as a SEAL over the last fourteen years the town didn't see it that way. He will also be that punk that brought trouble to their small town and now that he was back to mend fences, the town wants him gone. Except for Lorenda and her boys. His nephews. His family. It's been six years since he left town the second time. He would easily do it again if it wasn't for Lorenda, her boys and their safety. Something happened the day he came back and he has a feeling it wasn't over. Someone was after his sister in law and he wasn't leaving until she was safe. And what he didn't expect was that he wanted it to be in his arms.

Mitchell and Lorenda didn't know what was happening between them. They grew up together. Were always friends. She was married to his twin. She shouldn't feel this way but she can't help it. He makes her nervous, flushed, and wanted. The way he looks at her is not in a sisterly way. It's primal. It's sexy as hell. She has never felt this way before. Not even with Cameron. And she can see that Mitchell is struggling the same way. They both don't want the attachment to ruin what they always had in the past. Friendship. She also doesn't want her boys to get attached because Mitchell is not the type to settle down in one place. She also isn't sure if she could deal with another Alpha Lawson. She has been doing fine over the last six years taking care of herself and the boys. She is a realtor and starting a free music program. It's her dream and with everyone in town believing rumors floating around Mitchell, her dream could be crushed by association. Is getting involved with him worth it or will he just leave once he got bored?

I loved this story! It's that forbidden type of romance. Small town feeling. Suspense. And sexy times. Mitchell is a protective badass, it's sweet really. He is at a fork in the road. To stay or go back to life he has lived for the past fourteen years. He doesn't know which would be better for Lorenda and his nephews. Trouble seems to follow him and he doesn't want that to affect them in the long run. And Lorenda...she is amazing! She is a kick-ass single mom that has a passion for music. She wants to share that passion and show others that they have it in them too. But it looks like someone is in the way of her happiness. Will they figure it out before it's too late?

Overall...its fun, sexy, and had its twists and turns. I thought characters were well-developed and so lovable. I mean, even the phone had me cracking up.

Quotes:

“Did you mean sex?” Minx purred from her phone. “Because I’m not that kind of girl.”

“I don’t know how to be anything but an alpha ass.” He stopped a breath away from her. “Especially when it comes to your safety.”

“I’ve had to keep the lingerie to myself,” she said in a sex-kitten voice. “Until now, the only men who have seen it are Ben and Jerry.”

Lorenda Lawson is Red River Valley's darling. Good girl, married the town's golden boy who went to war and came back in a box and she has struggled to raise his sons and build a good life form them all by herself, much to the admiration of everyone.

Mitch Lawson. Teenage hell-raiser and delinquent, who the town was glad to see the back of when he left to join the military. After staying away for so many years, he's back to repair his damaged relationship with his father and make amends to the town, as well as get to know his brother's family. But not everyone is pleased that he's back and someone is determined to drive him back out by sabotaging his efforts even before he begins.

Lorenda has had it with being left behind emotionally and physically and her growing feelings for her late husband's twin need to be nipped in the bud because he won't stay, too and she can't let her boys get attached to someone who will abandon them when the urge to wander hits him. Mitch always liked Lorenda but he stepped back when his brother staked a claim. How can he convince her to open her heart up to him when he's torn between leaving to avoid the hostility from the town and staying to keep Lorenda and the boys safe from the trouble that his return has brought them?

Right from the beginning of this book, the author found my hot button issues with small towns and then pushed them. Hard! And what could these issues be, you ask? Well, labels and close-mindedness. Good, bad, troublesome, trash, I could go on and on. Labels that define young people even after they grow beyond that stage and oftentimes, labels that are hard to get past because most people can't be bothered to expand their thinking.

Lorenda's late husband, Cameron was the good twin and he worked that label hard but a lot of the revelations show a young man who was obsessed with what people thought about him and dedicated himself to living up to those impressions, even at a cost to his twin. Mitch was branded as troublesome, which he no doubt was, but everything that went wrong became his fault and the town made no effort to see that there was more to the story because it was easier to blame him. For Lorenda, being the town sweetheart meant she was blindsided by the backlash when she stuck up for him.

In spite of my rant above, IT'S IN HIS ARMS was a very enjoyable, sweet story with romance, humor and a bit of mystery and their supportive friends were the second best part of the story for me, after Lorenda, Mitch and the boys. It's pretty obvious my sympathies lay with Mitch all the way and I liked that as the secrets came out, the town stepped up to make things right with Mitch.

This is the fourth book in the series and it would interesting to catch up on the previous books.

Mitchell returns to Red River after his stint in the military and hopes to reconnect with his family who he's distanced himself from since his rebellious teenage years. The problem is, is that his father wants nothing to do with him and blames him for the death of his other son Cam, who was also in the military, was killed in action and who happens to be Mitchell's twin.

Lorenda has tried to make a nice life for herself since the death of her husband and father of her children Cam was killed in action. Lorenda and Cam didn't have the best of marriages nor was he the best father to her two children, but regardless he was missed.

A series of unfortunate events lead Lorenda and Mitchell to grow close and along the way their feelings escalate and become more, but the people of Red River do not forgive Mitchell for the trouble he caused in his younger years and blame him for Cam's death even though he wasn't involved.

This was a good story. I liked that the two were able to find comfort in one another, but it was weird in that Mitchell was a twin and kind of came in and took over his brother's life. Overall, this was a good read and had a mystery behind it as well.