Always Mine

Honey Mountain #1

by Laura Pavlov

AN AMAZON TOP 50 BESTSELLER...
He fights fires for a living, but the flames building between us may be too big to extinguish.
Niko West is the most beautiful man I've ever laid eyes on. Six feet, four inches of broody, chiseled Greek god in a firefighter suit. He's also been my best friend since kindergarten. He always says the only solid thing in his life is our friendship. He's Honey Mountain's favorite player and I'm what you'd call a relationship girl. But when I find myself single for the first time in more than a decade, I make Niko an offer he can't refuse. Who better to show me what I've been missing? But now that we've crossed that line, I don't know if friendship is enough for me.
**This is book 1 in the Honey Mountain Series. Each one can be read as a complete standalone. A HEA is guaranteed!**
Honey Mountain Always Mine Ever Mine Make You Mine Simply Mine Only Mine

Genres: Romance, Friends To Lovers, Small Town Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Firefighters, Audiobook

314 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2022

About the author

Laura Pavlov is a USA Today and Amazon top 10 Bestselling author. She writes sweet and sexy small town romance that will make you both laugh and cry. Laura is happily married to her college sweetheart, mom to two awesome kids who are currently adulting, one temperamental yorkie and one wild bernedoodle. She's living her own happily ever after in Las Vegas. Be sure to sign up for updates on new releases. Laura loves hearing from readers!

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Website➡️https://www.laurapavlov.com/

Reviews

[Marielli (lellireads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

WELL. I still don't know how to feel about this book, but I do know that I would have DNFed it if I wasn't a stubborn bitch. I haven't connected with any of the MCs, which is something pretty unusual for me. That being said, I need to point out some things that bothered me.

The plot is all over the place. I was halfway through and many things had already happened. Also, I missed the friends-to-lovers angst, it felt like it wasn't the main plot of the story. And the sex scenes were just... lacking. Seriously, I thought I had skipped a page when I read the first one.

I don't know about you, but I'm all for a good character profile. Give their hair and eyes colors, age, height, fucking GPA. It took me 84% into the book to know Vivi's age!!!! I still don't know her hair color.

I'm also all for broody men, but Niko (the MMC) just didn't sit well with me. No, your best friend-slash-girlfriend is not your therapist. Stop treating her as such! Especially after spending half of the book complaining about her trying to "fix him" (which she wasn't).

Niko's sister wasn't the best mom, yeah, but fuck I was pissed with him chastising her all the time. She was a single mom, WHERE WAS HER BABY'S FATHER, HUH? Blame him too for not stepping up for his own daughter.

Also, when Vivi called her out about being a bitch with her brother and she was just "oh, yes, I was wrong" and I was like THAT'S IT?! It was annoyingly shallow. There was no development whatsoever.

But the real question here is: how many fires are supposed to happen in a SMALL TOWN in a couple of months?!

And this is me ranting. Thank you for sticking by.

[Paige · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️ 2.5 stars

This was not for me… it had some cute moments but overall, it was very bland. It was easy to binge and fairly short so I finished it 😞

It’s fluff over substance and I can normally vibe with that when I want a refresher but nothing was grabbing me. I can’t say I was overly invested in any of the characters because it felt surface level. The nicknames were too much for me & it just wasn’t believable that they ever thought they were only friends.

This had so much potential being a firefighter romance but even that aspect seemed to be lacklustre. I need more angst to hold my attention if it’s not going to have a strong plot and unfortunately, they did become more than friends fairly early on.

Luckily this was a buddy read with angelpompom and we had the same experience 🤣🩵

[Heather Mclarry · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ this was an adorable small town romance book. NO THIRD ACT BREAK UP BABY.

[Leticia (jerseygirlsbookshelf) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Life is short. Lick the Bowl."
It really is. And we really should. And sometimes we're wasting time looking for the right person in faraway places when they're really close to home. In fact, maybe they're so close we haven't really seen them before. And that is what it's like with Niko and Vivian. It's a story about how love can help you conquer your fears, whatever they may be.

This was my first Laura Pavlov book. I wanted to read it ever since I saw the cover, and I loved it.

"He’d been the missing piece all along."
I absolutely loved Niko, maybe because I can relate to parts of his story all too well. He is definitely my kind of hero because he's not perfect. Far from it. What he is is the perfect mix of grumpy, sweet, and sexy. He's been through so much in his life, with his family and his abusive dad, and he surely isn't looking for a long-term relationship or even commitment of any kind. Why? Because he feels undeserving, and because he's afraid.

"She was the light that shined through all of the darkness."
Vivian is an awesome heroine. I love that she's there and how she tries to care for everyone. I love that she needs her independence while not wishing to get away from her family and friends. And how open she is about herself. She's not looking for anything either, because opening up to love means opening up to heartache too.

"My hand found Vivi’s beneath the table and I held on like my life depended on it. Because in a way… it did."
Niko and Vivian live in the same small town. They've always been friends, they've always been there for each other, through thick and thin. She was there to comfort him with his dad, he was there when she lost her mom. They were the only constant presence in each other's lives. And then Vivian admits she's been missing out because her previous relationship of six years was not as fulfilling as one would think.
What if he could help her see what she's been missing? She knows she'd be safe with him, right? Being best friends and all?
The issue is: can they walk away after just one taste? Well...

"I already loved Vivi, I had my whole life. Wanting her wasn’t supposed to happen."
Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and this is beautifully and masterfully done. It's all there, from the moments they remember from their past to the steamy hot and very sweet moments that are happening right now. Them, always together, against the odds, facing whatever comes their way. They were clearly made for each other. They just never allowed themselves to go there.
What will it take for them to surrender to what can be?

"It’s always been you. You just weren’t mine yet."
"You’ve always been mine, Vivi. It just took me a bit to claim you."
Niko and Vivi brought tears to my eyes at times. Their connection is soul-deep, and even though the sexy bits are all sorts of hot, it's also so much more than that. It's special. And realizing just how special they are, and how much they have to gain from letting go of their fear and just being together, is heartwarming and gives this book something extra: the feeling of something that is just right.

"I was already home. Home is anywhere I’m with you."
Having someone who knows you inside out, and loves everything you are, is not an easy thing to find. Someone you can call yours, your home, knowing they'll always be there is even harder. Not for these two, though. Past, present, and future, they belong together.

Can't wait for the next book in this series!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was a super cute small town romance! Definitely low angst, so I wanted just a little more angst between them. Instead of any conflict in the actual relationship at the end, the conflict was having to do with people in the hero's past. But I loved the friendships in this book and how protective Vivi's sisters were over her. Niko was also a really great hero. I loved how he took care of his younger sister and her daughter, even if it meant making sacrifices himself. He's someone who loves to take care of and protect people. When Vivi's long-time boyfriend cheats on her, she wants to have a fling and knows Niko would treat her right. I liked how it was actually the heroine pursuing a fling and it was fun watching Niko slowly break down. We did have some drama with her ex and someone else who was interested in the hero, but other than that, not too much drama in the relationship. It was just a super sweet small town and friends to lovers romance. I'm excited to try out more from this author!

[Vaishali • [V.L. Book Reviews]]

Stopped reading at 33%

I’d given her the name Honey Bee when we were kids because we’d learned about them in school. I’d always been amazed at the way the girl would buzz around spreading all her sweetness from one person to the next. Deep inside her lived a queen… but she hadn’t tapped into that shit yet. But I saw it. I saw the fierceness behind her dark gaze when it came to protecting her sisters. Her father. Just not herself yet.'

'I thought about the first time I ever called her by that nickname. The first time I realized Vivian Thomas was my best friend. The first time I crawled through her window craving all her goodness'…

Always Mine is actually my first Laura Pavlov romance (additionally to being first in the Honey Mountain series) and not to say that this wouldn't be an adequately passable read for most romance readers but the friends to lovers dynamic didn't hit with the expected intention. I found that the peripheral elements of the story were more preferable to the immediacy of the central romance. Niko's your quintessentially unattached, unattainable straight-talking grump and his personality profile parallels a truly rough upbringing as he shouldered the strong arm of abuse to protect his family. Familial responsibility disrupted his dream and he's been stuck in that small town since, the consummate sacrificer for his mum, sister and niece. Throughout the years, Vivi's been his confidante and she knows everything he's suffered through at the hands of an abusive father, an enabling mother and negligent guardianship all around. He's completely no-nonsense in every way, is who he is without fault or frills and, just like she would, Vivian is one of the few people in his life he'd do anything for. A hard hero who's softer only for her. He's got a lot of love and time for his best friend, and vice versa. Neither has ever even entertained anything more because the value between them stretches long into the past, and because constants are necessary comforts. Anything beyond friendship has never been on the table, until recently of course.

Vivian is one of a family of sisters, all of whom are scattered all over the place. She's as much of a family girl as she has her own independence; her own beachfront home and bakery business in their small town of Honey Mountain. I did like the way the Thomas sisters relate to each other, just a very honest, down to earth sisterhood. Dylan had a very memorable personality type as the most outspoken, opinionated of the assemblage but they all gelled quite convincingly as a sibling collective. Both she and Niko have completely different relationship styles. Simply for him, he doesn't have them, the free and loose Honey Mountain bachelor everybody knows him to be. Casual sex is his wheelhouse and he makes no excuses for his leanings but that's all that's free and easy about him. Vivian, on the other hand, is a relationship girl but has only ever had one long-term partner. A relationship that only persisted out of complacency as opposed to any real, committed affection for him. Which is just as well, when she found him cheating on her and received a wedding invite addressed to her entire family. The story has a comfortably routine setting and the believability itself isn't a problem, though other things were. While it was nice to see we have a heroine without the common qualms most would have about breaching platonic territory with her long-time bestie, there was something oddly too convenient and quick about her drunken suggestion that he school her in some sexual education that read as a bit insincere, even if she did admit to wanting to enjoy it without overthinking the arrangement. It was very sweetly bonded and genuine though, which I liked. The history of their friendship could also have been better depicted.

Even thought I clearly left this unfinished, from what I gather, I think the bulk of the storyline conflict doesn't come from the romance but the supporting conflict with Vivian's ex and Niko's father as he intervenes with a return into his son's life. I think the romance stays considerably stable. This one was highly anticipated for me but who knows, maybe this just wasn't the right Pavlov pick. A Laura Pavlov romance has been long overdue so I'm glad I had the wherewithal to final pick one up even it it currently idles incomplete.

Content Warning/Listing: Teen pregnancy. Abusive parent in jail. Abusive/alcoholic parent. Mentions a DUI. Childhood abuse/frequent mention of child abuse. Profanity and sex scenes.

[Milo (if lost, return to hot fictional character) · Rating 2 out of 5]

sigh okay lemme explain

this book wasn't bad. The characters were likeable, the setting was nice, the premise was promising.
but why why WHY was the pacing and the plot all over the place?

i got 59% in, and please tell me why they went through the first, second AND third act within the first 30%??? they started to fuck within the first 15%, broke up in the next 15%, and got together at the 45% point? where else do you wanna take me in the last 50%? like yeah there were setups for the side plots for the characters, but why write a romance when it gets overshadowed by other plots yk?

so for now a dnf. i hate dnf'ing :,)

[Em · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was a literal fire every other chapter. They probably should move.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars


After being obsessed with Laura Pavlov’s ‘Cottonwood Cove’ series, I was excited to start her ‘Honey Mountain’ series. Always Mine was a great start to this series. I loved the friends to lovers romance Niko and Vivian finally gave into. Great family dynamic and another small town romance win!

Audio book source: Audible
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Sarah McEwan & James Gloucester
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Romance
Length: 8h 50m

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!

OMG, what a fantastic read! A beautiful friends-to-lovers romance that is fun, sexy and gorgeously swoony, I was completely swept up in this beautiful small-town romance, and I absolutely loved it!

This is the start of a new series for Laura Pavlov, and we are introduced to the Thomas sisters from the small town of Honey Mountain. They were raised by their very proud and loving dad after their mother passed away when they were teenagers, and they are as close as can be. This is the story of second-eldest, Vivian.

Vivian and Niko have been best friends since childhood. They have been there for each other through ups and downs, and are a huge part of each other’s lives. So, when Vivi finds herself single for the first time since high school and realises just what she’s been missing in her one lacklustre relationship that ended badly six months previously, she decides it’s time to experience what epic sex is all about. And who better to turn to than the man she trusts the most? A broody, closed-off-to-everybody-but-her man with proven skills who is known as the town’s player who she knows won’t be interested in anything other than a quick fling – her very own best friend.

This may not be a unique storyline, but the way Pavlov writes it is just awesome. It’s funny and honest, and in a true reflection of Vivian and Niko’s friendship, she has full trust in him, and she lets it all out there.

“So, you really don’t think you could maybe, I don’t know, rock my world? Go downtown and show me what I’m missing? Teach me a thing or two before I get into the next relationship.”
I spewed coffee all over the table in front of me. “Jesus, Honey Bee. Prepare a man before you say it so casually.”

Vivi’s blatant attempts to lure Niko into her bed had me laughing out loud, and though Niko has feelings towards her that are more than just friendly, he’s never allowed himself to go there. Not only because she’s been in a long-term relationship, but she has been his touchstone in life, the one person who has always been there for him, and he refuses to mess with that. And after surviving his devastating childhood, he’s not interested in a relationship or family, or any of the things that he knows Vivi wants.

“I’m not going to have sex with you, Vivian, because you and I see sex differently.”
She cleared her throat. “How so?”
“I fuck. You make love. And you deserve that, but that isn’t me. But I can sure as hell manage to rock your fucking world without sticking my dick in you.

But the more he thinks about it, and the more Vivi encourages him, Niko can’t resist the attraction that has always been there for him. The chemistry is fantastic, and the sexual tension builds brilliantly, and when he finally gives in, they take that final step, and it’s hot and passionate, and the connection that they share changes everything.

“Thank you,” she said, and a tear ran down her cheek which startled me.
I swiped it away with my thumb and searched her gaze. “Are you upset?”
“No,” she said, and her voice trembled. “I’ve just never felt that before during sex.”
“Yeah, it’s powerful shit, right?” I pulled her close, wrapping her up tight in my arms.
What the fuck was I doing? How the hell was I ever going to walk away?

I love these two together so much, and I loved watching their friendship shift so effortlessly into more. They do their best to keep things casual, but it’s so right and so special, they quickly realise that they’re in way deeper than they ever intended to be. They’re completely honest about everything that’s happening between them, but it’s a scary situation for Niko, who never wanted to be feeling anything like what he feels for Vivi, and my heart broke for both of them as they try to figure out what they are to each other, and what they want from the future.

“I love you, Vivi, but not the way you need me to.”

They have some soul searching to do, but the drama is short-lived and well-written, and brings only minor angst that works to builds intensity in the story, so that when they do actually come together, those scenes had me cheering and grinning like a fool.

“It’s always been you. You just weren’t mine yet.”
“You’ve always been mine, Vivi. It just took me a bit to claim you.”

The relationship stuff is resolved earlier than expected in the book, so we get to see lots of time with them together as a couple and figuring out their new life together. Just in time for real drama to hit. Niko’s family is a mess, and there are big developments there which have a huge impact on them, and Vivi’s past also plays its part. But they’re strong together, and I loved watching them face everything and find their happy ending, which again had me grinning like an idiot.

“I’m all yours, baby.”
… “Always mine?”
“Always.”

I love these characters so much! They are funny, playful, caring and honest, and from the very beginning their love for each other is beautiful to see and I loved watching it change and deepen so naturally. Niko is that wonderful mix of broody and sweet-hearted, and his vulnerabilities just made him all the more irresistible. I loved watching him come to understand and accept his feelings for Vivi, and then openly and eagerly dive headfirst into everything he was once afraid of... gah, he's just amazing!

There’s also a wonderful bunch of side characters – Niko’s buddies at the fire station are entertaining, and I adored Vivi’s sisters (filterless Dylan, in particular, is a freaking riot!). I cannot wait to read more about them as the series continues, and with the brief hints that we get during this book, I am so excited for Everly’s second-chance-romance coming up next in Ever Mine.

This is such a great read full of humour, heart, and a beautiful, natural, functional romance that absolutely owned my heart. It’s a fave for 2022!

5 stars!

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Leonie · Rating 2 out of 5]

"We have different views on sex. You make love, I fuck."

mhmm sure you do big boy.
And with that: welcome to my rant review ladies. Beware that there might be small spoilers to the story in this one; to explain why the MMC is a shitty love interest.

This is a two POV book, told by the POV´s of Niko and Vivian.

I kind of liked Vivi even though she seems to be SO naive. Her cheating ex boyfriend wants to talk to her? Yeah of course, no harm in that. She meets somebody she knows is abusive? Oh no problem, let them talk to you real quick. Other than that I liked her little bakery and the vibes the bakery itself had. I really disliked Niko. He´s your typical "I´m a player who can´t feel love". The nice starting quote is from him as well and it´s only one of the cringey comments he makes in this book.

With side characters I kind of liked Dylan because she didn´t take any shit and always stood her ground. I liked the bond Vivian had with her sisters but it was a bit weird to me how she didn´t seem to have any other friends besides them.

The romance in this book was, frankly said, really bad. If you are looking for a slow burn romance with nice friends to lovers vibes and a good pining then keep looking, because this isn´t it.
This has no tension, no build up, no angst and definitely no slow burn. From page one on it´s clear that they are both in love with each other (although Nico´s introduction of loving her is that she has a "tight ass that he can´t stop looking at" and on page 60 they already end up having sex. This made the book get boring so quickly and made the pacing feel incredibly slow after the first sex scene. It felt like we sped through the span of the book in 60 pages only to have a 200 something page epilogue.
Like already mentioned above, Niko is an asshole as well. Sure he supports his sister financially but then to talk about her "whining about her life" and being mean to her about it!? Yeah she is whining and rightfully so. She got pregnant at 15 and now has a child and two jobs. That´s not the normal teen years you have my guy. She´s allowed to whine.
Now you´re thinking: Is he at least a dreamy fictional man to her? Is he the "hates everybody but her" type? Nope. He leaves her alone when things get complicated without any explanation; doesn´t communicate what is going on (even afterwards) and shows up late to dates that always SHE plans. But how do we justify this asshole behaviour? Well the obivous: childhood trauma......
I also could not get behind the scene where he said "Don´t you fucking touch her." to medics that are trying to check her health and safe her!? Like dude. I would be sobbing and begging on my knees for them to safe the person I love.
Also the sex scene was really awkward, like really really awkward. Why do you have sex while you are remembering a persons death you are griefing!?

Overall it did not give and I am glad I´m finished with it.

trigger warnings: alcoholism, child abuse, arson

[Kyrié · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @68%

alright alright. i’m feeling like now is a good time to call it quits. so here’s my rant on this book…

- i am NOT a fan of MMCs with long hair.

- this is what pmo the MOST….. ik they like eachother but HOW TF are they THIS freaky. every single minute “ik what i want for dessert” no bruh go to sleep. the smut scenes were so frequent and they all sounded the exact same.

- the first 30% i was fw with this story, but after reading reviews and reading on, the plot feels so stretched out and unnecessary, leaving me not feeling like finishing this up

- everyone was just kinda annoying and i’m still pissed abt how freaky niko is

[andrea.el · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was okay for what it was….

[Catherine Cowles]

Sweet, swoony, and full of small town charm. Always Mine is the perfect escape with all the friends to lovers feels. I can’t wait for more of the Honey Mountain world!

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

the fmc’s mother is dead. i wish the fmc died instead so this book never existed

[glavreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

color me already obsessed with this series 👌🏼

when vivi gets her cheating ex’s wedding invitation in the mail, she’s not all that heartbroken but she is wondering if something’s wrong with her since their sexy time was never all that frequent or fulfilling for her. when her grumpy best friend niko, who is a one night stand connoisseur, assures her she’s not the issue, she asks him to show her how good it can be before her next relationship. he’s reluctant to ruin their friendship, but eventually gives in.

i loved this one. grumpy/sunshine but niko while being a broody hero was also so caring and sweet. once he committed to her, he was all in and was so romantic and protective. vivi was such a good heroine and i loved that niko always made sure she was taken care of since she took care of everyone else.

sometimes the “i’m no good for you” type hero really feels overdone for me but niko had a tragic past and i loved the suspense his backstory added.

a must read for small town romance lovers

[Grecia Robles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es un Childhood Friends to Lovers
AMAMOS!!

Ultimamente me están siguiendo los libros que son ambientados en small town, no es queja.

Vivi y Nyco son amigos desde pequeños, siempre se apoyan y están el uno para el otro hasta en los momentos más bajos.

Vivi por fin está soltera después de un largo tiempo, su novio le fue infiel aunque a ella no le dolió porque pensaba terminar con él sólo su orgullo fue dañado y el idiota del ex le manda la invitación de boda con el cuerno.

Esto le da el valor a ella de querer seguir delante de vivir cosas nuevas, tener citas pero sobre todo tener relaciones sexual placenteras con ORGAMO INCLUIDO, porque el muy imbécil del éx ni para eso era bueno.

Ella le pide ayuda a Nyco, con la condición de que sea sólo sexo y que al final su amistad esté intacta.
Ustedes ya saben como va a terminar esto.

Fue un libro lindo y me gustó su amistad de niños, su amor de adultos.

Anyway…
Espero más adelante seguir leyendo las historias de las demás hermanas.

[angelpompom · Rating 2 out of 5]

🩵🦋Always mine ~ 2.5 stars🦋🩵
🩵🦋Buddy read with Paige🦋🩵

The first half or so was pretty easy and quick but the last half, especially the last ~150 pages dragged so much. Nothing made sense in the book. The nickname was overkill and this book was way too dang long. It’s goes on and on and on about nothing. It’s so predictable I rather count my imaginary sheep. Everything about this book irritated me. I just wanted it to be over. The spice started so early and it gave nothing. All Niko wanted to do was “hang out with his girl”. Alone. So yeah real green flag there📢😃!!

Pretty cover x sprayed edges x a hot fireman did not hit this time😭✋🏻in fact I didn’t even rlly care Niko existed. I do like rook tho. although feel like if he has a book (I’ll look later *edited* he doesn’t. It’s just all 5 of the sisters) it’s gonna be second chance and I haven’t been vibing with it lately.

As Paige said early this author writing style is basically all fluff and no fill. She’s not for me:(

[Kayla Brunson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first book by Pavlov and I have to admit that the cover is what intrigued me. I’m not a lover of the friends-to-lovers trope but decided to give it a try anyway. I liked this for the most part. However the parts I liked the most weren’t the romance.

Not saying that the romance was terrible, I just found it lacking. It seemed like this chemistry and big love was really told instead of shown. While they seemed to have a bit of chemistry at the beginning, it seemed to disappear after they started sleeping together. I was just supposed to believe in this love between them because they've been friends forever and everyone believed they would be perfect together. I just needed more.

The sisterly bond between Vivian and her sisters, Niko’s love for his niece, and the firehouse guys made this book worth reading. Also, the small town feels. I’m a suck for small towns in romances.

While this didn’t work too much for me, if you enjoy the friends to lovers trope and small towns then you might like this more than I did.

[logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ★

[Amy | Foxy Blogs · Rating 4 out of 5]

ALWAYS MINE
● Vivian & Niko
● owns a bakery / firefighter
● Vivian’s mom died 9 years ago. She stuck around to help take care of her younger sisters
● Her boyfriend cheated on her and now her ex is marrying the girl he cheated on her with.
● her dad is the firechief
● Niko’s parents aren’t great (dad is in prison - recently released)
● Niko is a great uncle to his teenaged sister’s 4-year-old, Mabel
● “Honeybee”
● the ending was intense
● small mountain/lake town
● childhood friends to lovers

The five sisters:
Oldest to youngest
Everly - sports psychologist
Vivian (2 years younger than Everly) - bakery owner
Charlotte (twin & 2 years younger than Vivian) - teaches kindergarten
Dylan (twin & 2 years younger than Vivian) - attending law school
Ashlan (2 years younger than the twins) - college student

Honey Mountain:
#1 Vivian & Niko - Always Mine
#2 Everly & Hawk - Ever Mine
#3 Ashlan & Jace - Make You Mine
#4 Charlotte & Ledger - Simply Mine
#5 Dylan & Wolf - Only Mine

**Each one can be read as a complete standalone. A HEA is guaranteed!**

Audiobook source: Audible
Narrator: Sarah McEwan & James Gloucester
Length: 8H 50M

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️ rtc

[Ayca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arkadaşlıktan aşka evrilen bir hikaye ama o kadar çabuk kabullendiler ki, "Ne oluyor ya?" dememe kalmadan bir baktım, kitap su gibi akıp bitmiş. Öyle çok aman aman bayılmadım ama güzeldi. Diğer kız kardeşleride okurum özellikle Everly nin hikayesini fazlasıyla merak ediyorum.

[ya.vl · Rating 5 out of 5]

10000/5⭐️
Яка ж це прекрасна книга😻
Божечки я не можу описати словами як же вона мені сподобалась😻🔥
Ніко і Віві точно найкраща пара, які ж в них були стосунки 😻 це точно те до чого потрібно прагнути
Стільки любові, підтримки, поваги🔥 і тут троп від друзів до закоханих мені дуже сподобався
Ще дякую авторці за те що було без драми, саме те що мені було потрібно 😁
Хоча я не любителька Лаури Павлов але ця серія мені страшенно подобається
Ще хочу відмітити їхню сім’ю, які ж вони всі дружні, як вони люблять один одного
Я вже біжу читати наступну книгу🙃

[winnie ₊ ⊹ · Rating 2 out of 5]

two stars! ʚïɞ

i am having such a hard time believing this book was published in 2022… with some of the nicknames the sisters called each other, and the main character calling her outfit “…not hoochie” at one point… like are we for real right now?

this was genuinely such a struggle to read lmao. everything about this was so bland. there was no emotion, no warmth, no tension, no chemistry, nothing. it read like a damn manual. “i did this and he said this and she did this and we did this” i really couldn’t do it anymore. i skimmed a good portion of the last 20% but i’m pretty sure i still understood the entirety of it bc nothing major really happened lmao

also, i’ve never read a book with this many first/last name characters. i swear to god every other page there’s a vivian thomas or a niko west or a dylan thomas or a shayla west or some other extremely minor character getting a first and last name for genuinely absolutely no reason at all. it was so damn annoying y’all 😭😭 especially when she repeated like the main characters full names over and over and over again. like we get it!!! okay!!!

this book was also so heavy on the info dumping, i thought. there was a lengthy explanation for literally everything, and it felt like a lot of the topics were heavily repeated as well. and a lot of the conversations were also repetitive. and don’t even get me started on the “spice” scenes… i genuinely skipped over those every time bc it was the same scene over and over again

i really hate talking negatively about books bc they’re so subjective and clearly a lot of people enjoyed this book, but i really could not do it. i don’t see the appeal. i really did try though 🥲 i’m hesitantly planning on continuing with this series, but… we’ll see how that goes lol. maybe the writing gets better with each book? i can only hope.

[Steph ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good. I really liked the writing style and the plot with Viv's ex boyfriend and Niko's dad running in the background. However, I feel like we should have got more time with Viv and Niko as best friends before things moved forward. It's all well and good the characters feeling like "Ahh finally" when the characters get together, but we as the reader should also feel like that. Even just a handful of chapters spending time with them as besties would have made a difference.

It was a sweet romance regardless, I do love the best friends to lovers trope.

[veronica ☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute, small town romance but a bit bland for my taste. If I had to read the words “honey bee” and “neek neek” again, I would have died. Author is repetitive with everyone’s last names (which is excessive). If the characters are introduced, I don’t need to read their last name every 2 sentences.

3 stars from me!

tropes: small town, friends to lovers, suspense, friends with benefits, & grumpy sunshine

[Luce · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute, small town romance featuring the friends-to-lovers trope.

I really enjoyed this book but felt it could have just been a teensy bit longer, as I felt like the characters needed to be fleshed out more.

Will definitely be reading the rest of the series in the future!

[moniqueॱ◌̥*⃝̣ ⋆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5⭐️

Welp… this was sure something. I mean I don’t hate the book or anything like that but it just wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be I think…

First and foremost, it was so fast paced that the last 40% of the book felt really really unnecessary. And the book was already really short on its own. It was literally only 310 pages long and I still feel like it was too long because of how fast they got together. They were literally already sleeping with one another at the 25% mark!!

I thought this would turn into a friends with benefits to lovers situation but that only lasted for like 10 pages and then they’re already together. It was literally insta-love which I absolutely dislike. She was literally just going through a break up and not even 30 pages in, she’s already forgotten pretty much all about and going for mister big d. I get that they’re childhood best friends but the fact that there wasn’t even any pining or tension between them made it sooooo boring.

The two main characters were also pretty boring imo. I just didn’t care about them whatsoever. I didn’t care about her break-up and I didn’t care about his daddy issues.

The writing in general was very wattpady if I’m being honest. It just felt pretty mediocre. There weren’t any amazing lines that the characters said nor any memorable moments worth mentioning. The romance also fell pretty flat. While they did get together pretty early on it still could’ve been saved if they had adorable moments together… but that did also not take place. The moments they shared together were pretty average and nothing special imo. And tbh I was so bored and uninvested that I literally skimmed the last 100 pages of the book because I honestly couldn’t care less..

The things I did like however, were the friendships between the main character and her girls. That was literally what carried this book. They all had more personality than Vivian imo. Same with the friends of Niko. They were all way more fun to read about than him lol.
I also liked the small town dynamics of this book. It was once again really cozy.
Sadly that couldn’t save the plot, main characters or book in general.

(But hey, at least the discreet cover is really really pretty lol)

Overall, it’s pretty disappointing that I have to give yet another book 2 stars. I really wanted to avoid as many 1 or 2 star reads as possible… kinda sad tbh but I know that my next read will be either a 4 or 5 star read I just know it!!

[Elsa Gomes (BookishAurora) · Rating 5 out of 5]

➳ Rate: 5/ 5 stars

Did I finish this in one sitting? Heck yes, I did. Did I want it to end? Hell no! I wanted more of these two. I definitely did not want to say goodbye to them.

I believe Ms. Laura just introduced us to another fantastic world and set of characters I'm about to be obsessed with for the next several months. These sisters were already so fun! I'm dying to get to know them all better.

It's no surprise that I'm obsessed with friends to lovers and these two, my god, I loved their friendship so much! It was fun and they had such a special relationship. I swooned so much over Nix. His damaged heart made it hard for him to see what was right in front of him but it did not stop him from having the best heart. He was an incredible friend, the most amazing brother, and he did not deserve the family he had and the decisions they made. My heart hurt so much over that whole situation. I'm so glad Laura worked that all out in the end. Made my heart so happy. And the way he was with his niece, good lord. Their relationship was so special and beautiful. There is no way you won't swoon over this man.

I adored Vivian too. She was also an incredible sister and person altogether, always there for everyone in any way she could be. These two were the perfect fit with their amazingly big hearts. I adored them as friends and even more as a couple. Their journey from one to the other was fun, steamy, and just beautiful.

I also really appreciated how this was a firefighter romance where we actually got to see the hero on the job and got a lot of moments inside the firehouse with the house dynamics and everything. I really loved that!

Always Mine could not have been a better read for me! I loved this couple with my whole heart and their story was amazing. I'm dying to get more of these two in future books.

➳ARC kindly provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.

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