What do you think?
Rate this book
Whatever It Takes
She’s been dying to hear the words…
Walking away from her husband was the hardest thing Becca Morgan has ever done, even if it was the only way to save her heart from being broken by a loveless marriage. Still, when a terrible accident forces her to stay at her ex Jackson’s house for a few days, emotions she thought she’d buried long ago start coming to the surface—and, to her surprise, seem to be reciprocated…
…he just doesn’t know how to say.
Jackson Kade has never known love like he knew with Becca, but his cold upbringing left him unable to show her how deeply he feels. When Becca winds up under his roof once more, he knows it’s his only opportunity to prove his devotion—and passion. But old habits die hard, and even one mistake could shatter their last chance at love…
Walking away from her husband was the hardest thing Becca Morgan has ever done, even if it was the only way to save her heart from being broken by a loveless marriage. Still, when a terrible accident forces her to stay at her ex Jackson’s house for a few days, emotions she thought she’d buried long ago start coming to the surface—and, to her surprise, seem to be reciprocated…
…he just doesn’t know how to say.
Jackson Kade has never known love like he knew with Becca, but his cold upbringing left him unable to show her how deeply he feels. When Becca winds up under his roof once more, he knows it’s his only opportunity to prove his devotion—and passion. But old habits die hard, and even one mistake could shatter their last chance at love…
Kindle Edition
First published December 2, 2014
1 person is currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
J.M. Stewart
32 books286 followersJM Stewart writes heartfelt contemporary romance. Whether the heat level is sizzling or sweet, her stories are always deeply emotional. Her heroes are strong but sensitive (no alpha jerks here!), and her heroines are more Cinderella than Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Recently transplanted, she now lives in a small town in Texas along with her husband, two sons and two very spoiled dogs. When not writing, she enjoys reading, cooking and playing computer games. As a sensitive soul with a romantic heart, she believes in angels and hopes everyone finds their happily ever after.
Recently transplanted, she now lives in a small town in Texas along with her husband, two sons and two very spoiled dogs. When not writing, she enjoys reading, cooking and playing computer games. As a sensitive soul with a romantic heart, she believes in angels and hopes everyone finds their happily ever after.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 29, 2014
JM Stewart has done it again! She brings the characters in WHATEVER IT TAKES to life right in front of us. This author has a way of making you feel every one of the characters' emotions. That's why I never miss one of her books.
Jackson and Becca have been divorced for nearly a year. Jackson is a true southern gentleman (and Lordy is he sexy!) who loves his family and will do anything to prove he's not the same man Becca walked away from. Becca is independent and self-sufficient and isn't going to let Jackson hurt her all over again. This is their second-chance story. I LOVED it! I think you will too.
Jackson and Becca have been divorced for nearly a year. Jackson is a true southern gentleman (and Lordy is he sexy!) who loves his family and will do anything to prove he's not the same man Becca walked away from. Becca is independent and self-sufficient and isn't going to let Jackson hurt her all over again. This is their second-chance story. I LOVED it! I think you will too.
January 23, 2015
Loved it!! This is a great second chance story. After going through a divorce neither one really wanted, Becca and Jackson are thrown together after tragedy strikes. As they slowly work through the issues that had ended their marriage there are some tense times. This is a really well done story and could have had a lot of the back and forth that drives me nuts but the author didn't do that. You can't help but cheer for these two to find their way back to each other. I highly recommend this one.
January 3, 2015
4.5/5 stars
I was first introduced to Becca and Jackson in Risking It All, the first book in the Morgan Family series. That book follows Becca's brother Kyle, but we do get an idea of the state of Jackson and Becca's relationship. Recently divorced, the two now share custody of their 6 year old daughter, Allie. I am such a sucker for second chance romances and this one really worked for me. It was heartfelt, sweet, sexy, and realistic all at the same time. I loved Becca and Jackson together, even when my heart was breaking for the two of them.
I did have the same issue with this book as I did the last one. I felt the writing was a bit repetitive at times. The same sentiment or idea would be repeated almost verbatim, and I feel that could have been avoided by simply restating in a different manner or by eliminating the duplicity altogether. The storyline in this one was much stronger for me than the first one though. Jackson and Becca are thrown back into each other's lives after tragedy strikes Becca and Allie's house by way of a fire. Jackson is determined to put his family back together and vows to change Becca's mind and have her give him another chance.
My heart ached for Becca, as she still loves her ex-husband, but couldn't take feeling that she was in a loveless marriage with a man who refused to open up to her and let her in. I can't imagine feeling the way she did and constantly questioning the validity of her entire relationship and the foundation upon which it was built. Her anger fuels her and when it is stripped away by the man reminding her of all the things she once felt, she is left extremely vulnerable and fearful of the power he still has over her. Her anger is a shield to protect her, but Jackson is chipping away at it piece by piece the longer she spends with him.
Jackson has grown up never having been shown love and affection from his parents. Instead, he has been shuffled back and forth between maids and nannies, never truly having anyone take him under their wing as their own. His father has instilled in him that sharing emotion is a weakness and so instead of showing Becca how he feels with words, he tries to do so with actions. His workaholic tendencies provide him the means to care for his family and give them everything they could ever want, except they have only ever wanted him. Jackson realizes he should have fought for his marriage and is determined to not let Becca go again. It's going to take work and they will have to learn to trust in one another again if they ever want to make things right again.
Jackson is there for Becca when she needs him and while he has his moments where he freezes up and shuts her out, he is trying to do better. It's going to take patience and accountability on Becca's part, but he's going to show her that he's worth it. And boy does that man know what to do! Watching him woo Becca and make her fall back in love with him will tug at your heartstrings and put you in full on swoon mode!
*Received a copy via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.*
I was first introduced to Becca and Jackson in Risking It All, the first book in the Morgan Family series. That book follows Becca's brother Kyle, but we do get an idea of the state of Jackson and Becca's relationship. Recently divorced, the two now share custody of their 6 year old daughter, Allie. I am such a sucker for second chance romances and this one really worked for me. It was heartfelt, sweet, sexy, and realistic all at the same time. I loved Becca and Jackson together, even when my heart was breaking for the two of them.
I did have the same issue with this book as I did the last one. I felt the writing was a bit repetitive at times. The same sentiment or idea would be repeated almost verbatim, and I feel that could have been avoided by simply restating in a different manner or by eliminating the duplicity altogether. The storyline in this one was much stronger for me than the first one though. Jackson and Becca are thrown back into each other's lives after tragedy strikes Becca and Allie's house by way of a fire. Jackson is determined to put his family back together and vows to change Becca's mind and have her give him another chance.
My heart ached for Becca, as she still loves her ex-husband, but couldn't take feeling that she was in a loveless marriage with a man who refused to open up to her and let her in. I can't imagine feeling the way she did and constantly questioning the validity of her entire relationship and the foundation upon which it was built. Her anger fuels her and when it is stripped away by the man reminding her of all the things she once felt, she is left extremely vulnerable and fearful of the power he still has over her. Her anger is a shield to protect her, but Jackson is chipping away at it piece by piece the longer she spends with him.
Jackson has grown up never having been shown love and affection from his parents. Instead, he has been shuffled back and forth between maids and nannies, never truly having anyone take him under their wing as their own. His father has instilled in him that sharing emotion is a weakness and so instead of showing Becca how he feels with words, he tries to do so with actions. His workaholic tendencies provide him the means to care for his family and give them everything they could ever want, except they have only ever wanted him. Jackson realizes he should have fought for his marriage and is determined to not let Becca go again. It's going to take work and they will have to learn to trust in one another again if they ever want to make things right again.
Jackson is there for Becca when she needs him and while he has his moments where he freezes up and shuts her out, he is trying to do better. It's going to take patience and accountability on Becca's part, but he's going to show her that he's worth it. And boy does that man know what to do! Watching him woo Becca and make her fall back in love with him will tug at your heartstrings and put you in full on swoon mode!
*Received a copy via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.*
December 10, 2014
Whatever It Takes is the second book in J.M. Stewart's Morgan Family Romance series. Readers looking for a great second chance romance with a lot of emotional grit and soul searching will love this one. Stewart is able to capture the feelings of two people who want to be together but don't believe they are quite enough for each other. Jackson and Becca's story is poignant and will definitely pull at the readers heart strings. Is is possible to come back from a divorce that neither partner wanted? Stewart makes readers believe that anything can happen when you do "whatever it takes."
What I liked:
One of the reasons I picked this book to review was the gorgeous cover. I admit, sometimes I'm a cover whore but in this case, the cover and the theme of the story really drew me in. J.M. Stewart gives readers an unusual second chance romance. Both characters have their issues with the past and must get beyond them to find happiness together. Divorce in this case doesn't mean the end for Jackson and Becca, much to the reader's enjoyment. I thought the theme was spot on. Sometimes I think people make rash decisions about marriage and divorce and often times they are based on emotion and not necessarily on truth. Both Becca and Jackson 'assumed' a lot of things about what the other was thinking and feeling and it was nice to see they maybe they were wrong.
Jackson is very sexy hero in this book. I loved his swagger, his demeanor and his confidence. But also loved his vulnerability with Allie and Becca. He seems like a big tough guy, with a sexy southern accent, but underneath he is a man who hasn't known much love in his life and is not very good at expressing it. He mistakenly believed that he had to keep his emotions bottled up and didn't really understand that Becca needed reassurance. That she longed to see how much he loved her and hear him say the words. Coming from experience I know that saying those "three little words" can mean a lot. When you know that the person saying them, actually means it, is priceless.
Becca was by no means a damsel in distress. She was going through some serious issues with the loss of her new rental home and she needed Jackson in more ways than she realized. Readers quickly understand that she still loves Jackson with all of her heart, but she needed to know he loved her back. She was a strong woman, she set out on her own with her daughter, ran her own business and was a force to be reckoning with on the training mat. But she had a hard time letting go of the past and letting Jackson back into her heart and life.
Bottom Line:
Both characters in this book were broken and I loved the way they helped each other knit back together. There was some definite steam and the chemistry between them was searing at times. But the emotional dialogue did bog things down just a little bit. I wanted to see their feelings in action more than I wanted to know what was going through their minds. It wasn't a big issue but just got a little monotonous at times. I loved the whole Morgan family and can't wait to read more about them.
What I liked:
One of the reasons I picked this book to review was the gorgeous cover. I admit, sometimes I'm a cover whore but in this case, the cover and the theme of the story really drew me in. J.M. Stewart gives readers an unusual second chance romance. Both characters have their issues with the past and must get beyond them to find happiness together. Divorce in this case doesn't mean the end for Jackson and Becca, much to the reader's enjoyment. I thought the theme was spot on. Sometimes I think people make rash decisions about marriage and divorce and often times they are based on emotion and not necessarily on truth. Both Becca and Jackson 'assumed' a lot of things about what the other was thinking and feeling and it was nice to see they maybe they were wrong.
Jackson is very sexy hero in this book. I loved his swagger, his demeanor and his confidence. But also loved his vulnerability with Allie and Becca. He seems like a big tough guy, with a sexy southern accent, but underneath he is a man who hasn't known much love in his life and is not very good at expressing it. He mistakenly believed that he had to keep his emotions bottled up and didn't really understand that Becca needed reassurance. That she longed to see how much he loved her and hear him say the words. Coming from experience I know that saying those "three little words" can mean a lot. When you know that the person saying them, actually means it, is priceless.
Becca was by no means a damsel in distress. She was going through some serious issues with the loss of her new rental home and she needed Jackson in more ways than she realized. Readers quickly understand that she still loves Jackson with all of her heart, but she needed to know he loved her back. She was a strong woman, she set out on her own with her daughter, ran her own business and was a force to be reckoning with on the training mat. But she had a hard time letting go of the past and letting Jackson back into her heart and life.
Bottom Line:
Both characters in this book were broken and I loved the way they helped each other knit back together. There was some definite steam and the chemistry between them was searing at times. But the emotional dialogue did bog things down just a little bit. I wanted to see their feelings in action more than I wanted to know what was going through their minds. It wasn't a big issue but just got a little monotonous at times. I loved the whole Morgan family and can't wait to read more about them.
December 2, 2014
3.75 stars
I'll start out by saying that WHATEVER IT TAKES is actually book #2 in the series, but I didn't really notice that. At times I did notice some things were alluded to from the first book, but I never felt like I was missing information as I read Jackson and Becca's story.
After a few years of being married to workaholic, Jackson, Becca decided she could no longer chase after the ghost of love. As a matter of fact, Becca was no longer sure if she hadn't deluded herself into believing that there had ever been love there at all. When the house that she and their daughter have rented burns down, Becca is left with nothing except for an offer from Jackson to move back into the home they once shared.
Jackson was devastated when his wife left him and took their daughter along with the best part of himself with her. With her house and life up in flames, Jackson sees an opportunity to get Becca and Allie back under his roof where they belong. Now it is up to him to prove to Becca that he loves her and that she is the most important thing in his life.
I'm a sucker for 'second chance' stories and I enjoyed this one. I love the depths of emotion that were explored in this story. Jackson is filled with regret and longing to have Becca come back. Becca's mind is fraught with confusion and doubt. What if she had made the wrong decision all those months ago? I enjoyed meeting he rest of the Morgan clan. There are some really fun characters there.
The thing that kept this from being 5 stars for me, was that there was a lot of emotional or monologue type passages. I understand that this is necessary at times for a book like this, but I often felt like I spent more time learning all of the different ways each character felt and could restate their feelings than actually moving the story forward. I missed the forward movement and seeing all of these feelings in action.
I'll start out by saying that WHATEVER IT TAKES is actually book #2 in the series, but I didn't really notice that. At times I did notice some things were alluded to from the first book, but I never felt like I was missing information as I read Jackson and Becca's story.
After a few years of being married to workaholic, Jackson, Becca decided she could no longer chase after the ghost of love. As a matter of fact, Becca was no longer sure if she hadn't deluded herself into believing that there had ever been love there at all. When the house that she and their daughter have rented burns down, Becca is left with nothing except for an offer from Jackson to move back into the home they once shared.
Jackson was devastated when his wife left him and took their daughter along with the best part of himself with her. With her house and life up in flames, Jackson sees an opportunity to get Becca and Allie back under his roof where they belong. Now it is up to him to prove to Becca that he loves her and that she is the most important thing in his life.
I'm a sucker for 'second chance' stories and I enjoyed this one. I love the depths of emotion that were explored in this story. Jackson is filled with regret and longing to have Becca come back. Becca's mind is fraught with confusion and doubt. What if she had made the wrong decision all those months ago? I enjoyed meeting he rest of the Morgan clan. There are some really fun characters there.
The thing that kept this from being 5 stars for me, was that there was a lot of emotional or monologue type passages. I understand that this is necessary at times for a book like this, but I often felt like I spent more time learning all of the different ways each character felt and could restate their feelings than actually moving the story forward. I missed the forward movement and seeing all of these feelings in action.
December 3, 2014
I fell in love with Becca and Jackson. The struggles that they have to over come in the book will tug at your heart..
January 13, 2015
This is a beautifully written second chance love story. I really enjoyed all of the characters in this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet and sensual book.
December 14, 2015
Sweet romance about a divorced couple reconciling. H adores h but has intimacy issues due to his parents and comes off as cutoff and emotionally unavailable. Warm and loving h feels frozen out and eventually leaves H.
Book is about how H overcomes his issues and show h how much he loves her and there is a HEA. Pace was a bit slow, some stuff was repetitive and draggy, but loved the climax - where they both decided to fight for the other plus their 3 year old kid is adorable:))
Safe romance.
3.5 stars.
Book is about how H overcomes his issues and show h how much he loves her and there is a HEA. Pace was a bit slow, some stuff was repetitive and draggy, but loved the climax - where they both decided to fight for the other plus their 3 year old kid is adorable:))
Safe romance.
3.5 stars.
April 21, 2015
I loved the premise of Whatever It Takes, by J.M. Stewart, but this book just wasn’t for me. The opening chapters were annoyingly repetitive and definitely needed more editing, in my opinion. I understood both Jackson and Becca had regrets about the past—that Jackson wanted Becca back, and Becca felt he’d never truly loved her—but what I didn’t need were those facts repeated ad nauseam. I liked seeing Jackson open up and try to let Becca in but that was about all I liked. Becca was incredibly selfish. I kept thinking ‘why the hell didn’t you just talk to him?’ especially considering the couple shared a daughter. And when things finally turned steamy, the writing not only didn’t do it for me, I was incredibly irritated by the word choices. I’ve never read a story with so much aching and trembling. I understood that it was supposed to be an expression of the intensity, but it was so overused, so over the top ridiculous, that it felt like a joke every time I read the words. I take back what I said earlier, I liked the ending as well, because Becca showed some character growth and maturity in a tough situation. I’m sure there are people out there that might find great appeal in this story. I simply wasn’t one of them.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews