What I Love About You

Military Men #2

by Rachel Gibson

BOOKS

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Military Fiction, Fiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2014

About the author

Rachel Gibson is a New York times and USAToday bestselling author of 22 books.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was a really super cute easy read with just about zero angst.. I do however have a problem with the ending! It was wrapped up super quick and THERE WAS NO F'KING EPILOGUE! DAMMIT! I NEEDED AN EPILOGUE. READERS LOVE EPILOGUE'S! DON'T YOU ALWAYS WANT AN EPILOGUE!?? Unless it's a cliffhanger.. then come on... Oh well. Besides THAT.. I did enjoy it.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is third in two separate series. The Truly, Idaho books don't really play a role in this one, for all it takes place in Truly. The other couples don't show up at all and that's probably for the best. The Military Men series, on the other hand, featured Blake's brother and he not only shows up, but plays kind of a pivotal role. So I recommend you read that one before this, if you can.

And I'm half-tempted to tell you to skip this one. I'm trying to come up with things to recommend it and I have to admit I'm coming up blank. Blake is a one-note tough-guy ramped up to eleven. He's an ex Navy SEAL with a chest full of medals. And he's an emotional midget with near-fatal machismo poisoning. We saw that in the previous book in interactions with his twin brother and he hasn't changed beyond having gone through rehab to deal with his alcoholism.

Natalie was marginally better, but not by much. She's more sympathetic, but that wasn't a hard bar to clear. Her relationship with Blake pretty much began and ended with drooling down her front, though, so there wasn't really much story there. Frankly, she's kind of a one-dimensional mommy drone with the optional hot for neighbor add-on. I kind of wanted to like her, but never really did. And her plot-moppet (when did this term become so popular? It's so perfect I'll bet it becomes a cliché now that I've actually used it in a review) daughter fails to be anything more than a heartstring tug with absences convenient to Natalie and Blake getting nekkid in a timely manner.

There aren't even any interesting side characters to attach to. At least Gibson backed off on trying to shove the execrable residents of Truly onto center stage. So that's a relief. So if the town felt like a plastic model with only two locations, at least that's an improvement.

Anyway, this is 2½ stars and I've been debating with myself the entire time I've been writing this whether to round up or down. Since I'm having a really hard time coming up with something I liked, I'm thinking down...

A note about Steamy: There are three explicit sex scenes, which is higher than Gibson usually goes. And they were extra long, too. Still the middle of my steam tolerance, but mostly because I skimmed the last one and cut pages off of my pain.

[Katrina Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not too happy with the past two books I have read by Mrs. Gibson. Although I did laugh out loud a few times, it felt like there was no genuine build up between the two main characters. And the way she kept throwing in pregnancy hints.... I was just waiting to find out the heroine was accidentally knocked up- which would ultimately bring him to his senses about loving her...so on and so on. If I would have found out she was pregnant, I would have stopped reading the book because that M.O. has been used too many times. I liked the main character, Natalie, and thought she was quirky and fun, but I miss the way Rachel Gibson used to write... where the passion and relationship developed and there was more opportunity to get to know the character. They went from being hateful to each other to wanting to jump in bed so quickly- it felt false. Plus, you never heard another word about her weird friend, who was pretty involved in the first part of the book. It was okay.... that is all I would rate it. I want character development like in Lola Carlye Reveals it All or Nothing but trouble.... that was missing in this book. Or at least the development that did happen was not too interesting (especially with the male character).

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rachel Gibson has a real talent to write the type of romance that I love to read. Humor and hilarious situations and hot steamy romance make her books such fun to read. Not a drop of angst in the whole book.

On meeting retired SEAL Blake Junger divorced mother Natalie Cooper promptly declares him "A raging a**hole." She isn't off by much with that description. Blake is a lot of things, a recovering alcoholic, a sufferer of PTSD, and avoider of any sort of a relationship with a woman. He also is a lost soul who really needs the love and acceptance he finds in Natalie and her daughter, Charlotte.

When Blake gets "puppy bombed" his solution is to make 5-year old Charlotte fall in love with the puppy so she and Natalie would take it off his hands. This works, kinda, but it really only draws Blake and Natalie closer, which worked for Blake - he wants there to be nothing between them, especially clothing. Natalie wants more than just sex, she wants a relationship. Blake is not a relationship kind of guy, at least that is what he tells himself.

[Lisa Filipe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Will Never Again Look at a Hoss the same...Bow Tie....Soooooo cute!!

Let me start by saying, WHAT I LOVE ABOUT YOU, has one of the funniest opening scene's I have ever read... Blake and Bow Tie STEAL the show! Chapter One will lighten your heart, have you cracking up, and will keep you turning pages until you are done! Oh...and sexy Blake isn't so bad on the eyes either.

Natalie was a heroine that you can relate to, and one that you, like her best friend Lilah Markham (I know...Tommy's sister...y'all remember Tommy Markham, right?) will want her to get laid by Gi Joe Blake...Some of the descriptions for him are hysterical. Blake Junger is just as hot as his twin brother Beau (from RUN TO YOU) and it will be a fight to the finish for my heart, cause I simply LOVE them both so much.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT YOU has all that you can expect in an RG Romance, HEAT, HUMOR and HEART...the 3 H's we can call the formula! Her bedroom, or "other" room scenes are always perfect...just enough sexual chemistry that we are about tearing our clothes off...well, not me, but the characters...and the humor that rivals a K. Higgins Romance will keep you cracking up and having your family stare at you like "What is she laughing at?", and the heart....OMG...the heart. This one had A LOT of that.

My only drawback is the fact that there was just something missing...Maybe it was the fact that I missed that RG way of having the two fall in love, and getting to "watch"it happen. This was a little quick in that department, so a slight "whomp whomp" BUT, alas, this is a Rachel Gibson romance, and like I said before and I'll say again, I would read anything she wrote even if it was on toilet paper. And she gets MEGA points for mentioning Nick and Delaney Alegrezza....cause I am a HUGE TRULY, MADLY, YOURS fan!

Buy it...Read it...Love it!!

[Michelle [Helen Geek] · Rating 2 out of 5]

08/29/2014

Overall Rating = 2.5 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb / Book Title = 4 / 3 / 3 = 3.5 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 2 Stars
Character / Secondary Character Development = 3 / 2 = 2.5 Stars
“Did I like” Hero / Heroine = 4 / 3 = 3.5 Stars
Story / Background Story Development = 1 / 3 = 2 Stars
“Did I like the Damned Thing” = 2 Stars
Ending = 2 Stars
Worth the Chili = 2.5 Stars -- [$4.99 on Amazon]
Smexy [HEAT] Rating = Mild
384 pages

Very disappointed. Incredibly disappointed. I love this author. What the hell happened here? This story appeared to be "half-baked". What? Well, it started out pretty good. Excellent. The subject matter is VERY near and dear to my heart. A recovering alcoholic. The cravings. Amazing. Then, it just pooped out.

I guess I could go into detail about the pooping out parts, but won't. I'm just so disappointed.

The ending SUCKED dirty athletic socks. That bad. Seriously. It was just over.

I have never been this disappointed in a book by Rachel Gibson. I've liked some better than others, but this one is just incomplete. No other way to describe it. Like she had something else on her mind and couldn't give this the time or attention it deserved.

The topic of alcoholic recovery is an important one. I hated that it was completely brushed off here.

Okay ... rant over. I will say though, if you LOVE this author like I do, save yourself some "pissed-offness" and just avoid this one. Completely.

Hope you have a better time than I did with this one. If this is your first experience with this author, try another one too. Don't end with this one. She is really good -- contrary to what this book represents.

Happy Reading!

[Bona Caballero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blake Junger, antiguo SEAL, vive aislado y se dedica a cosas muy Brockmann: operaciones encubiertas como contratista particular. Ha bebido hasta el agua de los floreros y se ha tirado a mujeres en países y continentes diversos. Ahora está luchando contra sus demonios, exiliado en una remota cabaña en Truly (Idaho), con su poquito de PTSD. Le llega una vecina de lo más tentadora, Natalie Cooper. Lo de Blake y Natalie es pura lujuria, pero de compromiso, de entrada, na de na. Advierto: Es novela con niña y con perro.
Novela escrita en un estilo ligero, suelto, con sus toques de humor, alguno un poco más intensos emocionalmente, sobre todo a cargo de Blake, y por supuesto, lo habitual: la escenas sexis explícitas y muy bien contadas. De verdad, que yo creo que Gibson es de las que mejor saben escribir este tipo de cosas. Entretenida, merece la pena leerla, aunque no te vaya a cambiar la vida.
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: C-

I’m going to hit the highs and lows of what I enjoyed and what didn’t work for me with this latest offering from Rachel Gibson. I find her books to be easy, fun reads that I can zip through in a day and What I Love About You fits that description as well. I enjoyed the heroine Natalie and her drive after having the rug pulled out from under her by her (now) ex-husband. She’s a single mom, running her own business and trying to move past all the lies her husband told her. I found her to be a very likable character and I wanted to see her find some happiness.

Blake Junger is dealing with his addiction to alcohol and so far, he’s winning. The ghosts are always there, tempting him, but he’s determined to beat it all on his own. The addiction he deals with daily but the PTSD flashbacks come at the worst possible times and it’s something that could change the direction of his life, specifically related to his job working private security. He and Natalie might make an unlikely pair, but she brings him to life in more ways than one.

Now, what I didn’t enjoy – the romance between Natalie and Blake felt very predictable. They start with it being sex only, that moves into love, that moves into Blake feeling like he doesn’t deserve Natalie and hurts her ‘for her own good’ type thing. Bring on the angst and the big reunion, declarations of love and HEA at the end. I guess I just ended up enjoying the other storylines outside the romance quite a bit more. Natalie and her struggles with bringing her ex-husband back into her life for her daughter’s sake and Blake dealing with his pain and addiction. The non-romance part of the book was really interesting but the romance itself just didn’t do it for me.

While I enjoyed parts of What I Love About You, I can’t say there was anything that really made this story stand out from all the other romantic contemporary books out there. Fans of Rachel Gibson should enjoy this one, as I did, just not enough for it to be a book I’d recommend.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Struggling alcoholic Blake Junger has moved to Truly, Idaho, to change his ways and keep himself out of bars. But when he meets his next door neighbor Natalie Cooper, his new struggle is to keep is hands off of her. Natalie isn't interested in a relationship. She has a four year old daughter who takes up most of her time. She also has an ex-husband who will be getting out of prison shortly and wants to meet his daughter. Natalie's sexy neighbor is a distraction she doesn't need right now.

I usually like Rachel Gibson's romances. Some of them are on my keeper shelf. This one just didn't work for me. It started out with the hero and heroine getting off to a rocky start at their first meeting. As the story progressed, Natalie's daughter, Charlotte, stole the book. She was definitely the most interesting character. The story seemed to meander in different directions. The ex-husband came back into the picture, but that storyline went nowhere. The hero broke the heroine's heart, then came back to ask forgiveness which she gave much too quickly. She should have made him grovel.

This book was published by HarperCollins with their Avon imprint. I would think a big publishing house like that could afford proofreaders and editors. I found a few misspelled words and a couple places where the wrong word was used. Mistakes like that just throw me out of the story. My rating: 2.5 Stars.

[Debbie "Buried in Her TBR Pile" · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 'wish there was an epilogue' stars

This is a cute, easy read. While the H suffers from PTSD and commitment issues, he is charming and the H/h are attracted to each other. The h is strong - single-mother. Her ex left her for a younger woman after swindling a bunch of money from his clients - yes, he was in prison for a few years. I wish there had been an epilogue.

[L.W. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to say I am getting really turned off by this genre these days. I used to read Rachael Gibson for the witty conversations the funny situations and the story line. The romance came naturally through the chase and it usually made for a great read.

This book was all about sex, or dare I even say it smut. All the leading male character thought about was getting her into bed...what a great guy. I guess the major disappointment was...in the past this author has had multi dimensional characters. They were human, you laughed with them, cried a sniffle or two and enjoyed the ride. I'm not a prude by any means, but this was a little too over the top for me and a major disappointment. I will content myself to reading the old stuff and leaving this new descent into the trashy alone.

[KatLynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A sexy as sin ex-Navy Seal, a divorced, independent heroine, an adorable five year old along with an abandoned pup made this an enjoyable read. Blake Junger is more than delicious, however I needed a little more groveling from him at the end. And while Blake and Natalie's romance is certainly steamy, I wished for a more romantic feel for their relationship.

[Sláinte Wanderlust · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating, 3.5, needed an epilogue so badly, not even a joke.
P.s I am mad at myself for reading out of order by accident but thankfully it didnt matter!

[Pamela(AllHoney) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in the Military Men series and the third book in the Truly, Idaho series by Rachel Gibson. Blake Junger just wants to be left alone. But a young girl wanders over to his property and disrupts his life. And then there is the girl's mom, Natalie Cooper. Natalie is trying to make a life for her and her daughter and doesn't need any distractions. And Blake is a big distraction.

Nice and fun read. I think Natalie's daughter, Charlotte, and the dog, Sparky, really added to the story. Yes, I would recommend this to Contemporary Romance fans!

[Aly is so frigging bored · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*
That's why I enjoy every Rachel Gibson book, the woman just writes them right.

[Keri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think the hero groveled enough for how he handled the kiss off. Also the PTSD wasn't really addressed IMO. Ending was way to short and font way to big. Could have been as good as Beau's book, but just wasn't.

[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰]

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have whiplash from how quickly this wrapped up

[Michael Bohli · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eine dumme Idee, eine Herausforderung: Sich gegenseitig aus der Grabbelkiste ein Buch zu schenken. Und da stehe ich nun, mit diesem Hausfrauenporno, der nebst sinnleerem Titel und zusammenhanglosem Titelmotiv sogar rote Herzen auf dem Schnitt aufweisen kann.

Ich weiss wie despektierlich diese Einleitung klingt. Wenn ein Roman allerdings nach wenigen Seiten mit veralteten Geschlechterrollen, Sexismus, homophoben Kommentaren, verzerrtem Patriotismus und einer Brise Misogynie aufwartet, dann hat das Buch nichts anderes verdient. Egal, wie viele Preise Autorin Rachel Gibson mit ihren Schmonzetten bereits gewinnen durfte.

Doch was schreibe ich selbst, wenn "Nur Küssen ist schöner" solche wundervollen Stellen beinhaltet:

"Er hatte sich von Insekten ernährt und in Gatorade-Flaschen gepisst."
"Ich scheisse grössere Würste als du."
"Hübsch geformte Brüste, sanft gerundete Taille. Ja, wahrscheinlich schielte sie."
"Blumen und Alk? Ist er ein Trinker oder gar schwul?"
"Ohne die Sicherheitsbarriere eines Kleidungsstücks traf sein Testosteron sie wie eine atomare Druckwelle."
"Kein Sixpack, aber auf seinen Bauchmuskeln hätte sie Trampolin springen können."
"Wieder schaukelte er mit seiner Erektion gegen sie."
"Sein Atem streifte ihre Wange, während er gleichmässig in sie hineinstiess und ihre Innenwände stimulierte."

Ich bin dann mal weg.

[ShoSho · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this 3 stars because there was no epilogue! It felt unfinished!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I Love About You
3.5 Stars

All Blake Junger wants is some peace and quiet to recover from his demons after years of service overseas. Unfortunately, Blake's new neighbor, Natalie Cooper, is proving to be a significant distraction with her luscious curves, sweet nature and precocious daughter. In the aftermath of her ex-husband's betrayal, Natalie has her hands full running a business and caring for a young child. She has no interest in a rude, overbearing and grouchy neighbor. Now, if she can only convince her body and heart of what her mind already knows …

A heartwarming, feel-good romance reminiscent of the film Hope Floats with Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick, Jr. Similar to the movie, Natalie is a small town cheerleader whose childhood sweetheart turned obnoxious jerk runs off with a younger woman. With her faith in men and love shaken to the core, Natalie must rebuild her life, and she does so with strength, courage and tenacity.

Suffering from PTSD and struggling with alcoholism, Blake starts out as an arrogant ass who is mean to small children and adorable puppies. Nevertheless, he improves as the story progresses and he comes to realize exactly what he has been missing. Unfortunately, his bonehead move toward the end does not endear him and Natalie is far too forgiving.

In fact, Natalie tolerant nature is one of the problems with the book, especially in relation to the subplot involving the return of her deceitful ex. After the effort put in to detailing his duplicity and betrayal, it is virtually impossible to accept his contrition and redemption. The fact that Natalie is even willing to give him the time of day undermines her strength and resilience.

On a final note, books with children are not usually my cup of tea, but Natalie's daughter, Charlotte, absolutely steals the book alongside her rambunctious puppy. Every word out of her mouth had me smiling or laughing out loud.

All in all, an entertaining read with likable characters and a steamy romance. That said, Gibson has written better books and newbies to her work should not start with this one.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 to 3.5 stars. A light and short read. Not particularly memorable, but quite sweet. Not as good as the Chinook hockey series, though.

[Cheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about the other twin...Blake. He was as hard to warm up to as his twin brother Beau. I did though,lol! Romantic, steamy, and casually funny. The dog, Charlotte, Mabel, all good for a belly laugh :)

[Seyma · Rating 2 out of 5]

320 sayfa boyunca yazmışta yazmışsın ama doğru düzgün bir son yazmamışsın 😒

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I debated whether or not to read this after reading some negative reviews on it. I was a fan of this authors earlier books but in the last few years her stories have disappointed. I decided to give this one a try after reading and enjoying the sample.

Blake amused me! He's a typical bachelor. He's not into kids or marriage. When he meets the 5 year old girl Charlotte from next door he's a little rude to her but I found it funny. When he then meets her mother Natalie, he's attracted to her. Blake is an ex Navy SEAL and a recovering alcoholic. He hasn't been clean that long and alcohol is still a temptation for him but then he starts to be tempted by Natalie.

Natalie's ex husband embezzled money and after years of them trying for a baby when she finally conceived he left and was later caught and put in prison for the embezzlement. He had also told Natalie she was 'boring'. Natalie hasn't dated much in the last five years but she is attracted to Blake but she knows he's a commitment phobe and if she does sleep with him, she knows she will just be a booty call.

Natalie's ex is due out of prison but I felt that part of the storyline was a bit weak. Natalie was a bit too forgiving and the story between the two seemed to be resolved too easily and even left me wondering if Ms Gibson has a novel planned for Michael the ex considering she made him such a reformed character.

It's a very predictable storyline and nothing new from the pen of Ms Gibson but I will say it's a vast improvement on her previous novels. I loved Blake's witty interactions with Charlotte and Natalie. However, I wasn't completely convinced that Natalie and Blake fell in love, the romance part of their story was too rushed to get that feeling. Of course there's the predicted 'fall out' but that was too weak and didn't last long enough and then I felt the ending was rushed and I was really disappointed there was no epilogue. There is a teaser for a new Novella coming out next year but it's not about this couple although there is a brief mention of them but I felt short changed on this story.

Definitely a big improvement and I liked it but will give it 3.5 stars due to the rushed ending which left me with the feeling 'is that it'?

[Jamie Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really a 3.5. Gosh, I wish they'd allow half-stars!!

First, I LOVE Rachel's writing voice. She's an auto-buy for me, and I've read nearly all of her books. Her sentences are so well-constructed, the plot/pacing always tight and swift. And her stories are largely realistic (they don't go off on quirky tangents or silly twists). Her heroes are alphas, ones I usually like. But that is where this story failed for me.

I just couldn't get into Blake's character. At first I was rapt. His background had me, and his addiction was well-written. I got it and gave him a lot of slack in the opening chapters, making excuses for his rude behavior.

But he never really warmed up. Sometimes we saw a glimmer of something, especially when he's with Natalie's daughter, but what was totally missing from this story was any real ROMANCE between Blake and Natalie.

Sexual tension-yes. Lusty comments-yes. Hot sexual contact-yes. But no romance (not even a single real date). It didn't seem credible to me that a woman with Natalie's background would fall "IN LOVE" with a guy purely based on his looks and sexual prowess. Thus, I could never really buy into the love or resolution. And his about-face seemed very abrupt too, although I could see what he found appealing about Natalie and her daughter, because they were likable characters.

Of course, I'm reliving my Jamie Fraser crush again thanks to Starz, and it is almost impossible for any romantic hero to come close to him. So I could be biased...LOL.

[LaFleurBleue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, even though it was finished way too soon, a bit too abruptly and easily. However even imperfect as it was, I enjoyed the read much more than many other comedies from other authors.
I really liked the heroine's character, how she managed to rebuild her life after the debacle of her first marriage. Her slightly deprecating tone and view of her former husband's coming back thinking they might be able to start again seemed true, a bit painful from previous pain and disappointment that never managed to get properly vented at the real culprit! What I liked the most was clearly that her new starting relationship with the neighbour didn't change the way she would have handled that situation. Even before Blake, she had really turned the page on her previous marriage.
Blake's behaviour and way to handle a soon-to-be meaningful relationship was a bit cliche and frankly rather disappointing. That part of the story wasn't really successful or original in my opinion. His struggles with alcohol addiction and a few flashbacks were more interesting.
There were a few really hilarious scenes, including the first encounters between Blake and Charlotte especially after the "puppy-bombing". Take a puppy, a 5 yo and an adult trying to foist the dog to another home, that's easy but it made me laugh out loud. And that wasn't the only instance while reading this book.

[Jaime Fiction Fangirls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel Gibson never disappoints. I fell for Blake pretty much immediately. I'm not sure what it says about me that the way that he talked to Charlotte made me smile. Sure it probably wasn't appropriate most of the time but it still made me happy. Charlotte and Blake's friendship was my favorite thing about this story.
The story was made even more interesting when Natalie's ex-husband makes and appearance and ends of being more of a two-dimensional character who isn't all that bad. By no means did I fall in love with him, but I could see him redeeming himself in the future.
Blake and Natalie were easily likeable and their story was believable. Also Thank God for characters that aren't in their 20's!!
My favorite books are the ones that are simple and fun. I need a break from all the angst and a Rachel Gibson book always does the trick!

*I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

[Martel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel had potential... but everything in it was either rushed or unfinished. The general feeling it left me was that the author either wasn't very involved in her story, or that she was on a tight schedule. The ending was quite disappointing, not that it was bad, after all, it was a romance, but it left so many unanswered questions and ongoing situations that I first thought a sequel was to come.
Nevertheless I liked it : a cute dog and a little girl were involved... ;)

[Thenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blake, a recovering alcoholic former SEAL moves in next to Natalie, a single mother of a five year old girl with whom he ends up sharing a puppy.

The two rub each other the wrong way initially, with Blake having trouble with his addiction and Natalie not appreciating his less than friendly attitude towards her daughter, but neither of them can deny the attraction between them.

A relationship isn't something Blake wants and Natalie is hesitant to bring a man in their lives who might take off and break both their hearts. Blake does exactly that, scared of the feelings he develops for them both, but realizes his mistake and comes back determined to make things work between them.

Enjoyable story with its ups and downs and eventual happy ending. Next in the series comes Run to You.