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The Family Simon #1
Tucker
When all hope is gone, can love still find a way?
Tucker Simon has given up on love. After a tragedy, it’s just not in the cards for him, and he wishes his family would get off his back. He’s fine—or at least he thought he was--until a family wedding forces him to address a few things, namely his date, Abby Mathews. She's been put in the ‘friend’ category, mostly because she deserves so much more than what he can give. But the more time that he spends with her, Tucker begins to think that maybe there is a chance for love after all...
Abby Mathews has been in love with Tucker Simon since he walked into her family’s bar nearly a year ago. But he’s got baggage and heartache a plenty. His one-night-stands aren't going to lessen that no matter what he thinks. Tucker needs a friend, but Abby wants to give him more, and as they navigate their way through a weekend in Florida, their attraction can’t be ignored. Abby has to make a choice. Does she cherish their friendship and take what she can get? Or does she go after what she really wants, which is Tucker’s heart…
Tucker Simon has given up on love. After a tragedy, it’s just not in the cards for him, and he wishes his family would get off his back. He’s fine—or at least he thought he was--until a family wedding forces him to address a few things, namely his date, Abby Mathews. She's been put in the ‘friend’ category, mostly because she deserves so much more than what he can give. But the more time that he spends with her, Tucker begins to think that maybe there is a chance for love after all...
Abby Mathews has been in love with Tucker Simon since he walked into her family’s bar nearly a year ago. But he’s got baggage and heartache a plenty. His one-night-stands aren't going to lessen that no matter what he thinks. Tucker needs a friend, but Abby wants to give him more, and as they navigate their way through a weekend in Florida, their attraction can’t be ignored. Abby has to make a choice. Does she cherish their friendship and take what she can get? Or does she go after what she really wants, which is Tucker’s heart…
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 5, 2014
1210 people are currently reading
3720 people want to read
About the author
Juliana Stone
70 books1,293 followersJuliana Stone is also known as J.A. Stone.
USA Today bestselling author and 2015 RITA® winner JULIANA STONE fell in love with books in the fifth grade when her teacher introduced her to Tom Sawyer. A tomboy at heart, she splits her time between baseball, books, and music. When she’s not singing with her band, she’s thrilled to be writing young adult as well as adult contemporary romance—books that have garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly & Booklist—from somewhere in the wilds of Canada.
USA Today bestselling author and 2015 RITA® winner JULIANA STONE fell in love with books in the fifth grade when her teacher introduced her to Tom Sawyer. A tomboy at heart, she splits her time between baseball, books, and music. When she’s not singing with her band, she’s thrilled to be writing young adult as well as adult contemporary romance—books that have garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly & Booklist—from somewhere in the wilds of Canada.
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November 22, 2015
FREE on Amazon US today (11/21/2015)
Another one with lots of reviews and high rating. Stand-alone book 1.
BLURB:
When all hope is gone, can love still find a way?
Tucker Simon has given up on love. After a tragedy, it’s just not in the cards for him, and he wishes his family would get off his back. He’s fine—or at least he thought he was–until a family wedding forces him to address a few things, namely his date, Abby Mathews. She’s been put in the ‘friend’ category, mostly because she deserves so much more than what he can give. But the more time that he spends with her, Tucker begins to think that maybe there is a chance for love after all…
Abby Mathews has been in love with Tucker Simon since he walked into her family’s bar nearly a year ago. But he’s got baggage and heartache a plenty. His one-night-stands aren't going to lessen that no matter what he thinks. Tucker needs a friend, but Abby wants to give him more, and as they navigate their way through a weekend in Florida, their attraction can’t be ignored. Abby has to make a choice. Does she cherish their friendship and take what she can get? Or does she go after what she really wants, which is Tucker’s heart…
http://www.amazon.com/Tucker-Family-S...
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December 16, 2016
Now that I've finished the book I understand what was making it unenjoyable..Tucker is very very dumb and Abby has to suffer as a result. I mean, he's not only suffering but he made a trip to a different country for a woman who got pregnant on purpose just to trap him and he's acting like that's the love of his life (EW). There was a great effort to make him sound all "alpha" but he didn't have the guts to do what has to be done and Abby is so weak she keeps glossing over things.
Anyway, rant over.
Anyway, rant over.
December 28, 2018
Great sexual tension between the leads, terrible plot.
Let's apply a core piece of romance-writing advice to this story: Why aren't they together now?
1. At first, Tucker and Abby aren't a thing because they're "friends." Of course, this friendship is presented as incredibly shallow for most of the book; she's a bartender at his favorite drinking spot and they talk. Eventually it's revealed that he's stayed after hours a few times and they played darts. So that's "friends" to him? Because she's literally paid to be nice to you as her job, and to get tips from you. Now, it's revealed pretty quickly that Abby's had a crush on him since day one, but still. None of this strikes me as being actual friends.
2. Tucker's not ready to move on from his missing/dead wife. It's been three years, and yeah, a presumed-dead wife isn't the same thing as an actually dead one, so I get it. That's an entirely reasonable span of time for someone to let go, or to still be torn up--IRL that would depend on the person. I don't have a problem with that. I do, however, have a problem when it's revealed that his wife intentionally got pregnant without his consent, while he believed she was taking her birth control, because she was baby-crazy. Of course she lost the baby before she disappeared--adding a child to this bizarre plot would make the simple closure we get at the end impossible--but apparently Tucker's grief at her disappearance apparently made him forget that betrayal, which is on a deal-breaker level for me personally.
So in spite of all this, Abby agrees to be his last-minute date for a wedding, and everyone in his family there assumes they're together, despite BOTH of them constantly insisting they're not. Terrible family, that won't take anyone's word for it, because of course they know better! Anyone can see the tension and attraction between them, right? So that makes it totally okay to mock them when they swear they're not a couple!
But of course before the wedding weekend is over, they're having sex in the hotel room they were forced to share. Way to prove the fam right.
When they return home, we get to reason #3: Abby's older brother is a completely toxic jerk. This story takes the "protective older brother" trope to an extreme, though in a way, since Tucker is a terrible person, it's almost justified. Mick gives Tucker so much shit for dating/having sex with Abby, and while Tucker might be the kind of man who needs reminding not to be an ass, Abby is an adult who doesn't need her family insulating her from having a life. But hey, it's okay, boys will be boys, right?
So eventually Tucker and Abby sort themselves out into a reasonable relationship, the depiction of which is totally unsatisfying (the narrative even says "they fell into a comfortable routine," which is just what I want--a romance that goes from sixty to zero in the space of a few weeks and a couple pages /sarcasm.) Then! Tucker's wife is found in Cuba! Maybe!
I honestly expected that not to happen. Like, a missing person is gone for three years, then magically shows back up at the most inconvenient time for the plot? She didn't have to. Tucker was moving on without that spur, and she could have just stayed missing. Or even been found dead, for real closure. But no, he has to fly down there to see if it's really her--and it's not, and the woman it really is gives the authorities evidence of where her plane crashed--and discover the story himself, jeopardizing his new, boring relationship with Abby. And then when he's back and super sure his wife is really gone, he can finally say "I love you."
I did like the banter between Abby and Tucker, and the sex scenes weren't terrible. But mostly everything else was. Including the text itself--and I know this had an editor, because they're listed on the copyright page. But throughout the book, there was frequently missing punctuation, as well as a sprinkling of commas "inserte,d" into words instead of after them, which is a mistake so obvious a simple spell-check will catch it. It's minor, compared with the story issues, but nothing screams "unprofessional" like a poorly-edited book.
Let's apply a core piece of romance-writing advice to this story: Why aren't they together now?
1. At first, Tucker and Abby aren't a thing because they're "friends." Of course, this friendship is presented as incredibly shallow for most of the book; she's a bartender at his favorite drinking spot and they talk. Eventually it's revealed that he's stayed after hours a few times and they played darts. So that's "friends" to him? Because she's literally paid to be nice to you as her job, and to get tips from you. Now, it's revealed pretty quickly that Abby's had a crush on him since day one, but still. None of this strikes me as being actual friends.
2. Tucker's not ready to move on from his missing/dead wife. It's been three years, and yeah, a presumed-dead wife isn't the same thing as an actually dead one, so I get it. That's an entirely reasonable span of time for someone to let go, or to still be torn up--IRL that would depend on the person. I don't have a problem with that. I do, however, have a problem when it's revealed that his wife intentionally got pregnant without his consent, while he believed she was taking her birth control, because she was baby-crazy. Of course she lost the baby before she disappeared--adding a child to this bizarre plot would make the simple closure we get at the end impossible--but apparently Tucker's grief at her disappearance apparently made him forget that betrayal, which is on a deal-breaker level for me personally.
So in spite of all this, Abby agrees to be his last-minute date for a wedding, and everyone in his family there assumes they're together, despite BOTH of them constantly insisting they're not. Terrible family, that won't take anyone's word for it, because of course they know better! Anyone can see the tension and attraction between them, right? So that makes it totally okay to mock them when they swear they're not a couple!
But of course before the wedding weekend is over, they're having sex in the hotel room they were forced to share. Way to prove the fam right.
When they return home, we get to reason #3: Abby's older brother is a completely toxic jerk. This story takes the "protective older brother" trope to an extreme, though in a way, since Tucker is a terrible person, it's almost justified. Mick gives Tucker so much shit for dating/having sex with Abby, and while Tucker might be the kind of man who needs reminding not to be an ass, Abby is an adult who doesn't need her family insulating her from having a life. But hey, it's okay, boys will be boys, right?
So eventually Tucker and Abby sort themselves out into a reasonable relationship, the depiction of which is totally unsatisfying (the narrative even says "they fell into a comfortable routine," which is just what I want--a romance that goes from sixty to zero in the space of a few weeks and a couple pages /sarcasm.) Then! Tucker's wife is found in Cuba! Maybe!
I honestly expected that not to happen. Like, a missing person is gone for three years, then magically shows back up at the most inconvenient time for the plot? She didn't have to. Tucker was moving on without that spur, and she could have just stayed missing. Or even been found dead, for real closure. But no, he has to fly down there to see if it's really her--and it's not, and the woman it really is gives the authorities evidence of where her plane crashed--and discover the story himself, jeopardizing his new, boring relationship with Abby. And then when he's back and super sure his wife is really gone, he can finally say "I love you."
I did like the banter between Abby and Tucker, and the sex scenes weren't terrible. But mostly everything else was. Including the text itself--and I know this had an editor, because they're listed on the copyright page. But throughout the book, there was frequently missing punctuation, as well as a sprinkling of commas "inserte,d" into words instead of after them, which is a mistake so obvious a simple spell-check will catch it. It's minor, compared with the story issues, but nothing screams "unprofessional" like a poorly-edited book.
June 26, 2021
Tucker was the first book in the Family Simon series by Juliana Stone. It was also my first book by the author but won’t be my last.
I stumbled upon Tucker and read it in one day. Timing is everything and it was the perfect timing for me for a friends to lovers theme. Tucker Simon was still getting over a tragedy in his life and not handling it very well. But when you have a big, nosy, caring, loud and boisterous family like the Simons, pretenses are important and he needed a date for a family wedding. I enjoyed Tucker. He was all kinds of sexy and very likable.
Abby Mathews was the bartender at The Black Dog, her Family’s Pub. She met Tucker a year ago and they became fast friends, and the perfect wedding date, except that she was secretly in love with him.
It was a quick and fun read with a couple emotional aspects to spice it up. It was written and developed well and kept me intrigued. Stone also introduced the Simon clan well and set the stage for a promising series. Jack, Tucker’s brother, is up next.
I stumbled upon Tucker and read it in one day. Timing is everything and it was the perfect timing for me for a friends to lovers theme. Tucker Simon was still getting over a tragedy in his life and not handling it very well. But when you have a big, nosy, caring, loud and boisterous family like the Simons, pretenses are important and he needed a date for a family wedding. I enjoyed Tucker. He was all kinds of sexy and very likable.
Abby Mathews was the bartender at The Black Dog, her Family’s Pub. She met Tucker a year ago and they became fast friends, and the perfect wedding date, except that she was secretly in love with him.
It was a quick and fun read with a couple emotional aspects to spice it up. It was written and developed well and kept me intrigued. Stone also introduced the Simon clan well and set the stage for a promising series. Jack, Tucker’s brother, is up next.
December 4, 2015
The hero's wife got on a plane and vanished three years ago but he needs a date to a family wedding (I do not get the date for a wedding thing. If it's a long term girl/ boyfriend, okay, but just a date? Weddings are one place where I'd think you would be more comfortable going alone. But that's just MHO.) So he takes the heroine, his best friend, who just happens to be a bartender at his favorite bar. Who already happens to be 3/4 of the way in love with him. And the story wends on its merry way, yes, that predictably. It's a nice read, though it does suffer from some proofreading issues, like commas in th,e middle of words and spelling a golf tee as T. It is a T-shirt, yes, but for golfing, you use a tee. It's an actual word. Also WAY too many plurals with apostrophes. One Doc Marten. Two Docs. No apostrophe. Sigh.
March 3, 2014
Originally posted at
Favorite Quote: “Couldn’t he see what was inside of her? Why couldn’t he see?”
Tucker Simon lost his wife, Marley, when her plane went down over the Atlantic. Unable to locate her body, Tucker has lived in a sense of limbo for three years. He has avoided his family and relationships, choosing instead to involve himself with women who don’t expect more than sex. When he receives an invitation to his cousin’s wedding and his mother offers to find him a plus one for him to take as a date, he goes to his favorite bar and bartender, Abby Mathews, to unload. She offers to go with him, no strings attached, even though she has been in love with him since the first time they met.
The sensual atmosphere of a tropical Florida wedding forces Tucker to reevaluate his current attitude concerning his life, his family, and his feelings for Abby. Though he has kept her firmly in the friends only slot because he knows he can’t give her what she wants or needs, finding out that others find her attractive and are more than ready and willing to warm her bed brings his feelings for her roaring to the surface.
Abby wants more than Tucker in her bed…she wants his heart. But Tucker is shut up emotionally tighter than a drum. If she wants Tucker to open up and give her his all, she has to be prepared that his all may fall short of her needs. And if that happens, then she may lose the best friend she ever had.
Tucker, the first book in the Simon family saga, is a spin off from Ms. Stone’s Barker Triplets trilogy. This mid-weight romance contemporary addresses grief, lost love, and second chances. Heavily character driven, Stone doesn’t whitewash or over dramatize the romance or the issues involved. Death of a spouse and entering a new romance is a serious trope and Stone treats it with the compassion and respect it deserves.
I admit, I was a little tremulous about reading this one. We are instantly warned that Tucker has a lot of emotional baggage that doesn’t bode well for any real romantic connections. Add in a woman with a long time crush and all I could hear was the the squeal of the train wheels trying to break before the wreck. Stone does well in setting up Tucker and Abby’s back story. They are friends and confidants, having had a year to develop their relationship. When Abby agrees to accompany Tucker to a weekend wedding, the dynamics shift, causing an upheaval in their friendship that confuses and distresses both of them.
Stone does a fabulous job of developing Tucker’s character to the readers. A player in his youth, he matured with age and was faithful inhis marriage. Though, he’s still a bad boy. *wink* A contraction of rough sex appeal and suave businessman, his appeal is a force to be reckoned with. We learn he genuinely loved his wife and her leaving him left a huge hole in his heart. Plus, there were extenuating circumstances the day she died that leaves him mired in guilt. He knows it’s time to let go but honestly, how do you really do that? How do you move on without feeling as though you are betraying the one you vowed to love forever? This question and more are foremost in Tucker’s mind and he has a hard time dealing with them. I loved that Stone doesn’t take the easy route and make Tucker’s deceased wife a villain in order to assuage the guilt of Tucker finding a new love.
“The smell of the ocean always reminded him of home, family, and ultimately, Marley.”
Abby Mathews is a delightful heroine whose strong romantic feelings for Tucker don’t make her a doormat for his sometimes less than stellar behavior. She has been there for Tucker for over a year, listening, consoling, and watching his seeming less parade of nameless interludes. She never judges though she does call him on his behavior and forces him to see her as person and not just another body warming his bed. She is honest in how she feels about him and has a strong internal radar concerning him that allows her to know when to push and when to let him be.
“I don’t want to be that girl…friend,” she said quickly-Jesus-dropping her eyes back to the tee in her hand. “You know the whiny annoying friend. But I’m helping you out here, Tucker, so the least you could do is treat me like I matter and not as if I’m some lame-ass afterthought.”
It’s strange, but I also enjoyed the fear Tucker and Abby carried inside them. Tucker fears loving someone else is a betrayal to his deceased wife and their love while Abby fears Tucker will never love her as much as she loves him. It’s a steady undercurrent in the book and heightens the tension between our protagonists.
The sexual aspects of the romance are definitely one place Tucker and Abby have no issues. Their chemistry is off the charts from the start but once they hit the sheets, the flames burn out of control. When Tucker’s green eyed monster begins to make an appearance…watch out.
“…I was jealous because I don’t want another man touching you. I don’t want another man looking at you…”
Plenty of secondary characters round out the storyline, adding depth, continuation, and clues towards future storyline and being us up to date on past character romances. I adored Tucker’s brothers and Betty Jo made me laugh more than once.
“You look hot, “Betty said with a grin. “Like if I bent that way, I’d totally do you.”
Cooper, Tucker’s cousin and playboy extraordinaire, goes from being a mere plot device to a strong player in the storyline and is there for Abby when she needs one the most. I can’t wait to get his story.
The story progresses at a realistic rate, giving Tucker time to adjust to his new feelings for someone other than his wife. It’s not an easy path and though Stone uses some outside influences to help push Tucker in the right direction, we never doubt his feelings for Abby. A twist towards the end helps to give Tucker that final push into accepting his wife’s death and his love for Abby.
Fans of Ms. Stone’s work and bittersweet romances are sure to enjoy Tucker Simon and his story of love, loss, and second chances. I look froward to the next book in the series, title and release date to be announced.
RATING: B+
Favorite Quote: “Couldn’t he see what was inside of her? Why couldn’t he see?”
Tucker Simon lost his wife, Marley, when her plane went down over the Atlantic. Unable to locate her body, Tucker has lived in a sense of limbo for three years. He has avoided his family and relationships, choosing instead to involve himself with women who don’t expect more than sex. When he receives an invitation to his cousin’s wedding and his mother offers to find him a plus one for him to take as a date, he goes to his favorite bar and bartender, Abby Mathews, to unload. She offers to go with him, no strings attached, even though she has been in love with him since the first time they met.
The sensual atmosphere of a tropical Florida wedding forces Tucker to reevaluate his current attitude concerning his life, his family, and his feelings for Abby. Though he has kept her firmly in the friends only slot because he knows he can’t give her what she wants or needs, finding out that others find her attractive and are more than ready and willing to warm her bed brings his feelings for her roaring to the surface.
Abby wants more than Tucker in her bed…she wants his heart. But Tucker is shut up emotionally tighter than a drum. If she wants Tucker to open up and give her his all, she has to be prepared that his all may fall short of her needs. And if that happens, then she may lose the best friend she ever had.
Tucker, the first book in the Simon family saga, is a spin off from Ms. Stone’s Barker Triplets trilogy. This mid-weight romance contemporary addresses grief, lost love, and second chances. Heavily character driven, Stone doesn’t whitewash or over dramatize the romance or the issues involved. Death of a spouse and entering a new romance is a serious trope and Stone treats it with the compassion and respect it deserves.
I admit, I was a little tremulous about reading this one. We are instantly warned that Tucker has a lot of emotional baggage that doesn’t bode well for any real romantic connections. Add in a woman with a long time crush and all I could hear was the the squeal of the train wheels trying to break before the wreck. Stone does well in setting up Tucker and Abby’s back story. They are friends and confidants, having had a year to develop their relationship. When Abby agrees to accompany Tucker to a weekend wedding, the dynamics shift, causing an upheaval in their friendship that confuses and distresses both of them.
Stone does a fabulous job of developing Tucker’s character to the readers. A player in his youth, he matured with age and was faithful inhis marriage. Though, he’s still a bad boy. *wink* A contraction of rough sex appeal and suave businessman, his appeal is a force to be reckoned with. We learn he genuinely loved his wife and her leaving him left a huge hole in his heart. Plus, there were extenuating circumstances the day she died that leaves him mired in guilt. He knows it’s time to let go but honestly, how do you really do that? How do you move on without feeling as though you are betraying the one you vowed to love forever? This question and more are foremost in Tucker’s mind and he has a hard time dealing with them. I loved that Stone doesn’t take the easy route and make Tucker’s deceased wife a villain in order to assuage the guilt of Tucker finding a new love.
“The smell of the ocean always reminded him of home, family, and ultimately, Marley.”
Abby Mathews is a delightful heroine whose strong romantic feelings for Tucker don’t make her a doormat for his sometimes less than stellar behavior. She has been there for Tucker for over a year, listening, consoling, and watching his seeming less parade of nameless interludes. She never judges though she does call him on his behavior and forces him to see her as person and not just another body warming his bed. She is honest in how she feels about him and has a strong internal radar concerning him that allows her to know when to push and when to let him be.
“I don’t want to be that girl…friend,” she said quickly-Jesus-dropping her eyes back to the tee in her hand. “You know the whiny annoying friend. But I’m helping you out here, Tucker, so the least you could do is treat me like I matter and not as if I’m some lame-ass afterthought.”
It’s strange, but I also enjoyed the fear Tucker and Abby carried inside them. Tucker fears loving someone else is a betrayal to his deceased wife and their love while Abby fears Tucker will never love her as much as she loves him. It’s a steady undercurrent in the book and heightens the tension between our protagonists.
The sexual aspects of the romance are definitely one place Tucker and Abby have no issues. Their chemistry is off the charts from the start but once they hit the sheets, the flames burn out of control. When Tucker’s green eyed monster begins to make an appearance…watch out.
“…I was jealous because I don’t want another man touching you. I don’t want another man looking at you…”
Plenty of secondary characters round out the storyline, adding depth, continuation, and clues towards future storyline and being us up to date on past character romances. I adored Tucker’s brothers and Betty Jo made me laugh more than once.
“You look hot, “Betty said with a grin. “Like if I bent that way, I’d totally do you.”
Cooper, Tucker’s cousin and playboy extraordinaire, goes from being a mere plot device to a strong player in the storyline and is there for Abby when she needs one the most. I can’t wait to get his story.
The story progresses at a realistic rate, giving Tucker time to adjust to his new feelings for someone other than his wife. It’s not an easy path and though Stone uses some outside influences to help push Tucker in the right direction, we never doubt his feelings for Abby. A twist towards the end helps to give Tucker that final push into accepting his wife’s death and his love for Abby.
Fans of Ms. Stone’s work and bittersweet romances are sure to enjoy Tucker Simon and his story of love, loss, and second chances. I look froward to the next book in the series, title and release date to be announced.
RATING: B+
September 21, 2014
A really good book- excellent story line, captivating, funny and with a dose of sap.
What it lacked for it to be perfect was the actual sex scenes :) I know, I know I'm just a total smut reader and didn't get my kick enough out of it. Hence the 4.5 stars rating
Tucker is technically still married. His wife got lost in a plane crash four years ago and till this day there haven't been any signs of her surviving it.
So all in one he gets to drown his sorrow and misery in lots of alcohol infused drinks and 'taste of the hour women' keep him above the water.
Yet there's one pretty bartender in the bar he frequents that got inside his head more than he lets on.
Abby is an artistic soul. Her passion is drawing. But her true addition is one hot male taking up place in her head, heart and life. She knows she can't afford to entertain her secret desires with a man that is so out of her league but one fortune opportunity brings her closer to him than she ever believed was possible.
As it goes weddings are places in time when feelings may get involved.
Will the constant green eyed monster that eats Tucker alive push him to act and win over the woman that makes him once again feel alive?
Or will the subsequent complications part their ways?
These questions are ever present and answering them requires getting lost in the story.
I can honestly say that it's worth giving it a try.
What it lacked for it to be perfect was the actual sex scenes :) I know, I know I'm just a total smut reader and didn't get my kick enough out of it. Hence the 4.5 stars rating
Tucker is technically still married. His wife got lost in a plane crash four years ago and till this day there haven't been any signs of her surviving it.
So all in one he gets to drown his sorrow and misery in lots of alcohol infused drinks and 'taste of the hour women' keep him above the water.
Yet there's one pretty bartender in the bar he frequents that got inside his head more than he lets on.
Abby is an artistic soul. Her passion is drawing. But her true addition is one hot male taking up place in her head, heart and life. She knows she can't afford to entertain her secret desires with a man that is so out of her league but one fortune opportunity brings her closer to him than she ever believed was possible.
As it goes weddings are places in time when feelings may get involved.
Will the constant green eyed monster that eats Tucker alive push him to act and win over the woman that makes him once again feel alive?
Or will the subsequent complications part their ways?
These questions are ever present and answering them requires getting lost in the story.
I can honestly say that it's worth giving it a try.
freebie
March 9, 2015FREEBIE - http://amzn.to/1NA6rCC
November 23, 2015
This was a pleasant surprise
I picked this up on bookbub. A pleasant surprise. But most of my favorite people came from a freebie on Amazon. And I fell in love with Tucker and his family. Abby is a strong woman. And she makes me want to be a better person just because she is. I'm totally invested in this series and Ms Stone is now on my autobuy list. I can't wait for Cooper's story. A solid 5 stars.
I picked this up on bookbub. A pleasant surprise. But most of my favorite people came from a freebie on Amazon. And I fell in love with Tucker and his family. Abby is a strong woman. And she makes me want to be a better person just because she is. I'm totally invested in this series and Ms Stone is now on my autobuy list. I can't wait for Cooper's story. A solid 5 stars.
October 15, 2016
Although I enjoyed this book at the beginning, I got really annoyed with the plot about 3/4 of the way through. Not because the "twist" annoyed me, which it did, but because it was so predictable. I ended up walking away and only finished it now, over a month later, to clear it out of my kindle. Not a bad book overall but way too ridiculous to do more than kill time with.
Read
February 11, 2014Just my personal opinion. I tried, but this read just couldn't keep my attention. Character development wasn't happening for me. And in all honesty I just couldn't get into it. I don't like dnf, I always try to finished & give my honest opinion on a read...so one to the next
Want to read
May 3, 2024🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/13/2019)! 🎁
April 4, 2019
I really wish I could vote on book covers ...this is a hot dude, i sure hope he gets more work. Have you ever seen a book cover that just sticks with ya ...this dude ...those eyes ... well done. great pick!! score. well done. Beth - E Lizard Breath Speaks ... says it ROCKS!! keeper. for sure. you don't always need a man boob, or man abs to score ... a sexy hot face, eyes, a what the heck r u looking at? look ... that lip ... yep, i am happy. life can continue. lol!! ( ;
Trying to think if I have read something from Juliana before? i know the name? so familiar, need coffee, 2 early in the AM, when I am writing this??! not sure why all the negative reviews, it was a great style of writing and so different, not the normal... cool characters, curious where it would head. Tucker aka a real jerk, Abby who likes/loves him ...can he be won over??! lots of hot and heavy chemistry, 2nd chance romance. great writing style. love the cover. will read more from Juliana soon.
Trying to think if I have read something from Juliana before? i know the name? so familiar, need coffee, 2 early in the AM, when I am writing this??! not sure why all the negative reviews, it was a great style of writing and so different, not the normal... cool characters, curious where it would head. Tucker aka a real jerk, Abby who likes/loves him ...can he be won over??! lots of hot and heavy chemistry, 2nd chance romance. great writing style. love the cover. will read more from Juliana soon.
June 28, 2021
So in a lot of ways, this book should be higher than my three star rating.
BUT I can't get over the fact that I didn't like the hero. I could have gotten behind the hero if the ending had been different and he'd done a ton of grovelling, but that didn't happen.
I get that he had a lot going on, but that doesn't excuse the fact that .
All that said, the writing was nice, and the plot moved quickly, so it was a decent read.
I think I am going to have to at least try the next one in the series featuring the brother Jack, because it's got famous people AND the heroine is a rock star, and I am completely manipulated by romance tropes.
BUT I can't get over the fact that I didn't like the hero. I could have gotten behind the hero if the ending had been different and he'd done a ton of grovelling, but that didn't happen.
I get that he had a lot going on, but that doesn't excuse the fact that .
All that said, the writing was nice, and the plot moved quickly, so it was a decent read.
I think I am going to have to at least try the next one in the series featuring the brother Jack, because it's got famous people AND the heroine is a rock star, and I am completely manipulated by romance tropes.
December 8, 2024
This book might have been an okay book but I didn't finish it at page 18. I read a lot of books so when I start a book that starts out the same way as a million other books I'm just not interested anymore. We have guy who doesn't want a serious relationship and girl who doesn't want to get serious with the guy. But they are both so attracted to each other so we have to listen to their inner monologues as they continually fret over the tired and age old conflict of 'I want you but no, I can’t because I don't want a serious relationship'! I like a love story that flows naturally and has actual real conflicts. An actual relationship that just begins because they each like each other and has other conflicts along the way instead of having to listen to them reminding themselves constantly that they don’t want a serious relationship. I don’t like when the characters put unnecessary limits on themselves. The self inflicted conflict is not creative. It gets old and I've read too many romance books have this plot line so I have no patience for it anymore. It might be an okay read if this doesn’t bother you. If you’re going to use the conflict that the characters aren’t looking for a serious relationship, then just don’t have the characters be super interested in eachother at first. Have their mind set truly be that they are so against wanting a relationship that they don’t even really see the opposite sex in that way besides a passing attraction. That way we don’t have to listen to them constantly berate themselves about being attracted to eachother every minute so it doesn’t get repetitive.
May 13, 2017
4.5 stars
The problem with free e-books is that you want to read all of the book in this series, but they are not free. Book nerd problems.
This book definitely qualified in wanting me to read about the Simon family especially Cooper's book. I want to read that book so bad, but I probably won't read unless by some miracle it becomes free at some point.
Oh well on to this book's review. This featured the love story between Tucker and Abby. What sold me on this story was the fact that it was a friends to lovers trope. If you have ever read my romance reviews, you would know that's my favorite trope of all time. The reason being that there is an established relationship between the characters and there's history there. So already there is something lurking in the background and beneath the surface. It just adds an extra something, something to the story.
In the case of this book, it had an added element of dimension to it. Before Abby and Tucker met, Tucker's wife had tragically died in a plane crash. When he met Abby he was slowly coming out of his depression and live again, which involved him sleeping with a plethora of women he had no emotional entanglements with except with Abby who he developed a friendship with. She became important to him, but refused to cross that line with Abby. He loved their friendship, but there was still this lingering sadness over his wife's death and revealed some of his pain to Abby and only Abby. He trusted her. And she wanted to be there for him no matter what even if that meant hurting herself in the process because she was in love with him. Complications. I loved it.
Now things come to head when Tucker's date for a family wedding bails on him and not wanting his meddling family worry about him he decided to bring Abby instead. Well, really Abby offered to go with him. That was where the fun began and sparks flew.
It was fun to see the back and forth between them as they fought their attraction to one another as well as the fact that she was fighting not to show her feelings towards him. It was so good that cat and mouse game that they played out during the wedding. Plus he tried to convince his family that they were nothing more than friends. It was just entertaining to see sparks coming from all directions.
When the finally give into their attraction, sparks flew and practically turned to fireworks. That first kiss after all that build up and anticipation, I knew they were going to be good together. They just had this awesome chemistry going on. They had that intense connection on all fronts, it was easy to see they were headed for happily ever after. It was genuine and real. It never felt forced. Their relationship just flowed into that natural progression from friends to lovers. So when they did get physical, it felt so right.
I was a little disappointed with their first time scene because it happened so quickly. After all the build up and anticipation going on, I expected a little more to the scene instead of just a quickie against the wall. I can understand that they were about to explode and that they just had to release that tension, but it just happened so fast. I wanted more. I would have been more satisfied if it was shown more of their night together because they went at it all night, but it was summarized. I wanted to see that slow scene where they savored each other.
I enjoyed the rest of the love scenes, but I wish there was more of them. Just to show off their insane chemistry and connection. It didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book with not as many love scenes, it just was my personal preference. The scenes in there were really good and nice. It showed they were in fact friends and cared about one another. They had love between them. I loved that.
Now, the last love scene was freaking awesome and so satisfying. It was culmination of everything they were as a couple. It was sweet and tender yet sexy as hell. It was a beautiful scene that really showed their love for each other. This scene alone was worth it and the lack of love scenes between them. It was so good.
Now as passionate and sexy this story was, it was extremely emotional. I teared up a few times and cried. A lot of that was due to how deeply she loved Tucker and how she got punched in the gut not only by him but by certain circumstances that happen in the book. It was heartbreaking. I just felt so bad for her. It was hard to see all that love she had for him, but her feeling it wasn't enough. That she would never get their happily ever after.
I also hurt for him once a certain thing happened in the book. It physically hurt him over the curveball that he was dealt with. It was hard. It was a struggle. And I could literally see him being torn between Abby and this event, even though his heart was truly with Abby at this point. His love for her was clear even though he hadn't said the words to her yet. He wanted to him, but circumstances wouldn't allow him to do. It was interesting to see his emotional arc through the story because he did truly deal and move on thanks to him falling in love with Abby.
Overall I really enjoyed the story, and I probably read it again. I can read friends to lovers stories over and over and not get bored. I really enjoyed Abby and Tucker as a couple. They felt real and very natural with one another. They just fit. I did like that Tucker had to work on himself before he could fully commit to her. He never wanted to hurt Abby so he tried to make sure that didn't happen. When he finally declared his love her, it was a beautiful and poignant moment. That and their last love scene were probably my favorite part of the story. I just loved them. I loved how they touched me as a couple and just their story in general. My biggest gripe about this book was that it made want to read the rest of the series featuring the secondary characters. Otherwise it was a great story that I really enjoyed.
The problem with free e-books is that you want to read all of the book in this series, but they are not free. Book nerd problems.
This book definitely qualified in wanting me to read about the Simon family especially Cooper's book. I want to read that book so bad, but I probably won't read unless by some miracle it becomes free at some point.
Oh well on to this book's review. This featured the love story between Tucker and Abby. What sold me on this story was the fact that it was a friends to lovers trope. If you have ever read my romance reviews, you would know that's my favorite trope of all time. The reason being that there is an established relationship between the characters and there's history there. So already there is something lurking in the background and beneath the surface. It just adds an extra something, something to the story.
In the case of this book, it had an added element of dimension to it. Before Abby and Tucker met, Tucker's wife had tragically died in a plane crash. When he met Abby he was slowly coming out of his depression and live again, which involved him sleeping with a plethora of women he had no emotional entanglements with except with Abby who he developed a friendship with. She became important to him, but refused to cross that line with Abby. He loved their friendship, but there was still this lingering sadness over his wife's death and revealed some of his pain to Abby and only Abby. He trusted her. And she wanted to be there for him no matter what even if that meant hurting herself in the process because she was in love with him. Complications. I loved it.
Now things come to head when Tucker's date for a family wedding bails on him and not wanting his meddling family worry about him he decided to bring Abby instead. Well, really Abby offered to go with him. That was where the fun began and sparks flew.
It was fun to see the back and forth between them as they fought their attraction to one another as well as the fact that she was fighting not to show her feelings towards him. It was so good that cat and mouse game that they played out during the wedding. Plus he tried to convince his family that they were nothing more than friends. It was just entertaining to see sparks coming from all directions.
When the finally give into their attraction, sparks flew and practically turned to fireworks. That first kiss after all that build up and anticipation, I knew they were going to be good together. They just had this awesome chemistry going on. They had that intense connection on all fronts, it was easy to see they were headed for happily ever after. It was genuine and real. It never felt forced. Their relationship just flowed into that natural progression from friends to lovers. So when they did get physical, it felt so right.
I was a little disappointed with their first time scene because it happened so quickly. After all the build up and anticipation going on, I expected a little more to the scene instead of just a quickie against the wall. I can understand that they were about to explode and that they just had to release that tension, but it just happened so fast. I wanted more. I would have been more satisfied if it was shown more of their night together because they went at it all night, but it was summarized. I wanted to see that slow scene where they savored each other.
I enjoyed the rest of the love scenes, but I wish there was more of them. Just to show off their insane chemistry and connection. It didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book with not as many love scenes, it just was my personal preference. The scenes in there were really good and nice. It showed they were in fact friends and cared about one another. They had love between them. I loved that.
Now, the last love scene was freaking awesome and so satisfying. It was culmination of everything they were as a couple. It was sweet and tender yet sexy as hell. It was a beautiful scene that really showed their love for each other. This scene alone was worth it and the lack of love scenes between them. It was so good.
Now as passionate and sexy this story was, it was extremely emotional. I teared up a few times and cried. A lot of that was due to how deeply she loved Tucker and how she got punched in the gut not only by him but by certain circumstances that happen in the book. It was heartbreaking. I just felt so bad for her. It was hard to see all that love she had for him, but her feeling it wasn't enough. That she would never get their happily ever after.
I also hurt for him once a certain thing happened in the book. It physically hurt him over the curveball that he was dealt with. It was hard. It was a struggle. And I could literally see him being torn between Abby and this event, even though his heart was truly with Abby at this point. His love for her was clear even though he hadn't said the words to her yet. He wanted to him, but circumstances wouldn't allow him to do. It was interesting to see his emotional arc through the story because he did truly deal and move on thanks to him falling in love with Abby.
Overall I really enjoyed the story, and I probably read it again. I can read friends to lovers stories over and over and not get bored. I really enjoyed Abby and Tucker as a couple. They felt real and very natural with one another. They just fit. I did like that Tucker had to work on himself before he could fully commit to her. He never wanted to hurt Abby so he tried to make sure that didn't happen. When he finally declared his love her, it was a beautiful and poignant moment. That and their last love scene were probably my favorite part of the story. I just loved them. I loved how they touched me as a couple and just their story in general. My biggest gripe about this book was that it made want to read the rest of the series featuring the secondary characters. Otherwise it was a great story that I really enjoyed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2016
I've read worse, hence the one star instead of zero (what do you do, if you somehow do finish a book that you really, really disliked?).
Before giving a "free" e-book, please have pity on those readers (I suppose I'm not the only one) who are extremely annoyed with grammar mistakes and typos. If I notice them, so would a few beta readers BEFORE publishing. Or was it free because it was unfinished?
Before giving a "free" e-book, please have pity on those readers (I suppose I'm not the only one) who are extremely annoyed with grammar mistakes and typos. If I notice them, so would a few beta readers BEFORE publishing. Or was it free because it was unfinished?
March 11, 2015
I struggled with this book as Tucker and Abby were nice characters to read but I didn't feel like this story was very strong or very interesting. The fact they were friends before anything started was a nice touch but a lot of the story was spent on the build up to them getting together or Tucker's wife rather than developing their relationship. Just not my cup of tea.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2015
This is a good read with an interesting plot and well developed characters. There are some twists and turns that add interest, as well.
The e-book has three or four editing/proofing problems...knew for knee, a character's name wrong, and the use of "this here" several annoying times.
I will, however, look for the other nooks in this Simon Family series.
The e-book has three or four editing/proofing problems...knew for knee, a character's name wrong, and the use of "this here" several annoying times.
I will, however, look for the other nooks in this Simon Family series.
September 11, 2016
Good story! Can't wait to read Jack's story when it is available!
September 23, 2016
really nothing new...why do I bother!
April 1, 2020
oh, i really loved a friends to lovers situation and it’s abby and tucker’s story. after his wife went missing when the plane went down, tucker has been stuck. he’s not sure about how to move forward in life. pained, he never really thought that he would find someone to devote himself to until one tropical wedding with his friend abby. tucker has lots of grief surrounding him but abby’s going to ease some of it for him.
abby has been in love with tucker. not wanting to lose her best friend, she has never confessed. even though she tried to steel her heart, she couldn’t help but fall for tucker while they were having fun with each other. despite her love for him, abby never let tucker walk all over her. she strongly voices her opinions whenever she thinks that tucker isn’t correct.
abby has been in love with tucker. not wanting to lose her best friend, she has never confessed. even though she tried to steel her heart, she couldn’t help but fall for tucker while they were having fun with each other. despite her love for him, abby never let tucker walk all over her. she strongly voices her opinions whenever she thinks that tucker isn’t correct.
October 20, 2022
Very predictable and felt like so many others I have read.
I didn't like Tucker, he comes over as a macho asshole when he gets jealous at an event and decides to carry Abby out. At the end of the book he arranges her life without asking her, so that made him seem like a domineering asshole. Then there's the time she wakes up and he's having sex with her, so basically he's a rapist. That there had me wanting to give the book one star, it was a close call between one and two.
I didn't like Tucker, he comes over as a macho asshole when he gets jealous at an event and decides to carry Abby out. At the end of the book he arranges her life without asking her, so that made him seem like a domineering asshole. Then there's the time she wakes up and he's having sex with her, so basically he's a rapist. That there had me wanting to give the book one star, it was a close call between one and two.
Want to read
January 30, 2017FREE ON KINDLE:
https://www.amazon.com/Tucker-Family-...
https://www.amazon.com/Tucker-Family-...
November 29, 2017
Oh my goodness I just loved Tucker and Abby story!! I just couldn't put this book down.
April 10, 2019
Okay, there’s your R-rated romance, L-J. (But it was a modern “romance.”)
November 24, 2014
Title: Tucker
Author: Juliana Stone
Series or Standalone: The Family Simon Series book #1 (can be read as a standalone)
Rating: Four Stars ****
Review:
Tucker is a contemporary romance and the first book in the Family Simon series. It follows Tucker Simon as he navigates aspects of his life after the tragic loss of his wife.
I should note a couple of things first before I delve into my thoughts on the story as a whole. First, this was and at the time of review still is a free book on Amazon. Also, this is the first time I’ve picked up a book by this author, so going in, I was blind to her writing style and what to expect (as I tend to stay away from reviews before reading so that my opinion isn’t mixed in with another).
This was a well put together story. Though I’m sure that the bad-boy/barmaid scenario has probably been done a lot in this genre, I have yet to say I’ve come across one in my travels thus far (at least that I can remember), so for me, that aspect was something new for me to experience and experience it I did.
Tucker is not a nice guy. At least that’s what he would have you believe and honestly, with the way he spoke of using women and then discarding them, it should speak to it, but there is far more to Tucker than just the type of person he’s projecting himself to be. He’s lost a lot and the pain, the hurt, the overall agony he’s gone through has turned him jaded and probably not the guy you want your sister or daughter to be dating, much less sleeping with. He’s the guy your daddy warns you about, but as you come to learn the more you read, so much more.
Enter Abby. I genuinely liked her. She didn’t come across the way a lot of heroines do these days. In fact, she had a mind of her own and when Tucker would do or say things that she didn’t agree with, she didn’t hold back. She wasn’t a doormat and she didn’t bend to his every whim, which is exactly the type of person that could tame the beast that was living inside Tucker Simon.
This came across as a well done friends to lover’s romance and I enjoyed watching the evolution, most of all, watching Tucker fight with what his heart was so obviously trying to tell him, while also trying to do right by others in his world while Abby knew the way she was feeling and tried to bottle it because she believed in the end that it’s what Tucker wanted. The struggle to get where they needed to be was engaging and kept me interested throughout.
What stood out to me a lot in this story was the other members of the Simon family. His family cracks me up and knowing now that there is more with them, makes me eager to grab up the next book in the series. They added well placed comedy at all the right times so that when things weren’t easy (and there was a few moments in this where they weren’t), you didn’t drown in the agony of it all. It was a nice counter balance.
The pacing in the story, the way it flowed and moved was great. I didn’t feel lulled to sleep with boredom at any point throughout, though I did feel a lot of what happens near the end could have been condensed a little bit. Though to be quite honest, I think that’s less the author’s fault and mine for wanting a happy ending so darn bad. I may have gotten a little overeager to see Tucker finally come out of that “jerky” shell he wrapped himself so tightly in. lol.
Based on the circumstances around the loss he suffered, there was a sense of foreboding in this for me, like at points I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. It’s one that for some may be too predictable, but that I think the author took care in making sure was resolved by books end and I have to say, I was happy to get a resolution to this particular thing. Whether it was predictable or not, if it had been left as a question, the ending to their story wouldn’t have felt as great as it did.
Overall, I’m glad I found this book because I loved the characters and the concept of finding love again where and when you least expect it and healing after a loss, both separately and apart. It was a great read.
August 8, 2023
I’ve been intrigued with Tucker’s story since he was first introduced in the Barker Triplets trilogy and his friendship with Abby and their plus one trip to a Simon family wedding leads to all kinds of complications and an emotional journey that just about broke my heart. I loved Abby’s infatuation with Tucker and the bravery it took to accept his invitation knowing that he just considers her a friend. Tucker’s one night stands are no longer satisfying and he’s convinced he’ll never love again but nothing could have prepared him for Abby’s charms. I enjoyed their chemistry, her big brother’s overbearing personality, Tucker’s reawakened heart and the heartbreaking devastation they both have to suffer before their hard won happily ever after. The storytelling is captivating, well written and emotionally charged and I couldn’t help falling in love with Tucker and Abby.
November 11, 2018
Since Tucker Simon's wife Marley disappeared somewhere in the Atlantic three years ago, he's been living in a hellish limbo. Too many drinks and too many women aren't nearly enough to pull him out of the pits of his own mind, and he's pushed away any efforts to help him. But when a family wedding looms, he has no choice but to face the family he turned his back on, and when his mother offers to find him a plus one for the wedding, he turns to his favorite bartender in a panic.
Abby Mathews has been in love with Tucker since the day she met him. She's given him drinks to nurse and an ear to bend, and when he needs a date for a wedding, she gives him the answer to his dilemma. But a tropical destination and love in the air give them both much more than they bargained for.
The Verdict: Tucker's only ever thought of Abby as a friend, but it soon becomes clear that's not how others at the wedding see her. They're willing to step in and step up where he's not, and he finds himself jealous and mix-up when it comes to the lovely bartender. But he's an emotional fortress, still reeling from the death of his wife and unwilling to move on without the closure her disappearance denied him.
Tucker is as difficult to read about as he is easy to understand. His marriage to Marley was a happy one, and losing her has overturned his entire world. He's dealing with the kind of guilt that only the grieving know, and any attempt to move on feels like an act of betrayal. So when his feelings for Abby move past the friendship he's comfortable with and step toward something more serious and lasting, his reaction is just as confusing as his heart.
Abby may be in love with Tucker, but she's not delusional, and she knows he's still grieving the woman he planned to spend forever with. But she's not a pushover, either, and when Tucker's a jerk, she doesn't just sit back and take it. She listens and understands and doesn't judge him for his flaws, but she does call him out on things rather than let herself be hurt. Her situation is almost heartbreaking, loving a man who can't simply be won over and instead has to come to terms on his own with more than most people can handle. She's as afraid of never being enough as he is of handing over his wounded heart, and it makes for a bittersweet and ultimately rewarding story.
The pacing is perfect, recognizing the characters' chemistry but allowing them the time to work through everything, miscommunicate and clear things up, and eventually come to terms and move forward. The secondary characters, including some familiar faces from The Barker Triplets series made for some great scenes, and even Cooper, who initially came off as something of a cad, won me over.
Tucker is heavy on the grief and eventual healing, but it's tempered by witty dialog and believable romance, not to mention some rather combustible chemistry. It's second-chance-romance and friends-falling-in-love all rolled into one fantastic read.
February 5, 2018
Rating: 3.5 stars
Simon Tucker's wife has been missing for 3 long years. Marley, his wife has gone missing the day she went on to research on beached whales. Even after 3 years, there hasn't been any trace of her.
Simon gets involved in a 'friends with benefits' relationship with Abby. He knows that she is quite different from the women he usually dates so, he has his mind set on not to hurt her in any way. Though they have known each other from a lot of time and Simon had shared his deepest darkest secrets with her, they hadn't taken a step beyond their friend zone before but now the sexual tension between them is palpable and they can no longer keep their hands or eyes off each other.
Abby is already in Love with Tucker even when she knows that he cannot give his 100% because a part of him still belongs to Marley. Nonetheless, she doesn't mind putting her heart on line even when there is a chance that it can get crushed.
Everything has been going good but a day comes when he gets the news that Marley has been found. Still shocked from the news and confused as hell, he turns up at the hospital to confirm whether it's true or not.
I loved Abby's character better than Simon. Abby was quite relatable and happened to act as someone would when they are going through varied emotions. Simon, on the other hand, I felt could have been crafted better. I get it that he has to appear all tough and kind of a bad boy, but to me he appeared to be someone who couldn't process his thoughts well. Even his dialogues are fractured making it difficult to understand him. His character was unclear to me.
Overall, the narration worked fine for me. But the ending scenes were a bit a rushed. Like, when Simon receives the news that she has been found and the later scenes kind of ended in a jiffy. I would have loved to know what really happened to her or if they ever found her or what really went on there, but, it wasn't disclosed so, I was a bit disappointed.
This one's not exactly a smut neither is it completely an erotic novel that wholly focuses only on sex scenes. It has got plot. It has some fine material between the pages. Not exactly the finest reads but definitely not the worst.
Simon Tucker's wife has been missing for 3 long years. Marley, his wife has gone missing the day she went on to research on beached whales. Even after 3 years, there hasn't been any trace of her.
Simon gets involved in a 'friends with benefits' relationship with Abby. He knows that she is quite different from the women he usually dates so, he has his mind set on not to hurt her in any way. Though they have known each other from a lot of time and Simon had shared his deepest darkest secrets with her, they hadn't taken a step beyond their friend zone before but now the sexual tension between them is palpable and they can no longer keep their hands or eyes off each other.
Abby is already in Love with Tucker even when she knows that he cannot give his 100% because a part of him still belongs to Marley. Nonetheless, she doesn't mind putting her heart on line even when there is a chance that it can get crushed.
Everything has been going good but a day comes when he gets the news that Marley has been found. Still shocked from the news and confused as hell, he turns up at the hospital to confirm whether it's true or not.
I loved Abby's character better than Simon. Abby was quite relatable and happened to act as someone would when they are going through varied emotions. Simon, on the other hand, I felt could have been crafted better. I get it that he has to appear all tough and kind of a bad boy, but to me he appeared to be someone who couldn't process his thoughts well. Even his dialogues are fractured making it difficult to understand him. His character was unclear to me.
Overall, the narration worked fine for me. But the ending scenes were a bit a rushed. Like, when Simon receives the news that she has been found and the later scenes kind of ended in a jiffy. I would have loved to know what really happened to her or if they ever found her or what really went on there, but, it wasn't disclosed so, I was a bit disappointed.
This one's not exactly a smut neither is it completely an erotic novel that wholly focuses only on sex scenes. It has got plot. It has some fine material between the pages. Not exactly the finest reads but definitely not the worst.
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