Restraint

One Word #2

by Danielle Sarah

Stella

Dominic Clarke. My childhood crush, my best friend’s brother—and completely uninterested in me. Until he comes home this summer.

When longing glances turn into midnight rendezvous, I’m not sure what to think. All I know is that I’m not a kid anymore, and there’s no way I’m letting this quarterback play games with my heart.

Some things are easier said than done, and Dominic is relentless when going after what—and who—he wants. As I start a new phase of my life and discover more of who I am, he’s with me every step of the way.

But what do I do when everything I wished for seems too good to be true?

Dominic

Stella Wilson. The girl across the street, my little sister’s best friend—and one hundred percent off limits. At least that’s what I’ve always thought. But when I come back to Stars Valley for the summer, she’s all my mind can focus on.

I know I shouldn’t want her, but the thought of Stella with someone else is enough to send me into a tailspin.

As I determine what my own future will look like, I realise there’s only one person I want by my side. And I’ll do whatever it takes to prove to her that we’re worth the risk.

Restraint is a virtue, but what will happen when mine snaps?

319 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 14, 2024

Reviews

[Brittni W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

3.5 ⭐️ 3 🌶️

I’m a sucker for a forbidden romance like best friend’s brother so I was really excited to pick this one up. It is a very light, low stakes read with a golden retriever MMC. For me, I would have liked to see more tension as any issues that arose were resolved rather quickly. Overall it’s a good book, but didn’t necessarily have me invested.

[Sophia Meza · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I’ve accepted that I’ll never be the skinniest girl in the room. And that I don’t need to be. It’s okay to take up space. Plus, thick thighs save lives.”

What to expect:
Forced proximity
Best friend’s brother
College romance
Banter
Dual POV
Sexual tension
No third act breakup

Please check content warnings before reading!

Okay, Ms. Sarah did it for me again 👏🏽

One thing about me? I am a sucker for a best friend’s brother romance. The angst, sexual tension, will they won’t they has me foaming at the mouth 🫣 I was so excited to get my greedy hands on this book as soon as I saw the trope list come out.

Stella is the perfect FMC! She’s sassy, hilarious and puts up with no BS. I enjoyed getting to learn about her childhood and what made her into the strong woman she is today. Her dirty talk and wittiness is legit goals 😂 I truly believe you read about characters in times of your life that you need them most. Reading about Stella’s journey of self-love, and family really touched me. She got the help she needed from professionals and had open communication with her loved ones to let them know how she needed support best!

My boy Dom is my newest edition to book boyfriends 💯 at first I wanted to bonk this dingus in the head
but luckily our girl Stella put him in his place. I love a man that’s down bad for his girl and Dom was DOWN FOR THE COUNT. He was so sweet and caring truly listening to what Stella needed from him. I loved the support he showed to her as she worked through some heavy news and life changes.

Now the spice? Let’s just say it was spicin’ 🥵 these two had me unwell!!

I recommend this story to my besties who love best friend’s brother romances with sexual tension and obsessed MMC. You truly won’t regret it.

Thank you, Danielle Sarah, for the opportunity to read this arc; all opinions are my own.

[Melina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Restraint
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

“𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒐𝒌𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒖𝒑 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆.”

You Get:
🕊️ Best Friends brother
🕊️ Forced Proximity
🕊️ College Romance
🕊️ Dual POV
🕊️ “It’s always been you”

@daniellesarahwrites has yet again wrote this cute, fun, new college romance! I absolutely adore these two characters so much! When they had small cameos in Revival, I just knew that this couple was going to put me in that giddy, lovey feels. You guys NEED to read this interconnected series. It won’t disappoint!

Stella is sassy and tells it like it is. She deals with real issues and all are very relatable. As someone who deals with body image, I felt my heart crumple when she thought he only liked her since she lost a little weight. 😭😭 tears in my eyes! I love the confidence that Dom is able to instill in Stella, to let her bloom into herself.
Dom is straight up boyfriend material all around! Like where are the guys that are like him?!? 😮‍💨 He’s patient and understanding with Stella, as well as dominate and protective.

Thank you @daniellesarahwrites for letting me experience Stella and Doms story. I can’t wait to read what you have coming next! I already know it’ll be an immediate success.

[Orinta Nydere · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet best friend's brother romance full of longing, banter, teasing, reassurance and all consuming love.

What to expect:
💙 Best Friends brother
🕊️ Forced Proximity
💙 Football player MMC 🏈
🕊️ College Romance
💙 Spice 😏
🕊️ Dual POV
💙 Banter
🕊️ Tension 😮‍💨
💙 No Third Act Break-up
🕊️ They call each other by their last names
💙 He’s extremely thoughtful
🕊️ Hand necklaces 🫶🏾
💙 “It’s always been you”

I really enjoyed the romance between Dom and Stella. I like how Stell treated most things like water off a duck's back and didn’t allow life to get too serious. She had gone through some things in her early childhood that shaped her into the young woman she was turning into.

I loved how their relationship blossomed once Dom realised it had always been her.

Stella being his younger sister’s best friend and the fact that they pretty much grew up together, held Dom back from admitting his true feelings for Stella until she began attending the same college he’s in.

Once it was just the two of them, well things got spicy pretty quickly 😏😏

“I should make you kneel down and suck on my 🍆, but good girls always come first.” 😍

Although they kept their relationship a secret from their families, it wasn’t long before the cat got out of the bag. I must admit, I didn’t agree with them keeping this from Desiree for as long as they did but I could also understand wanting to keep their relationship in their little bubble a bit longer.

I enjoyed how the story moved along at a good pace to keep it flowing.

This was my first Danielle Sarah book and I really enjoyed it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

[Alax Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ I received this ARC by Danielle Sarah for my honest opinion. I liked this book. Best friend’s brother. Forbidden romance. College love. The spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️ It took me a minute to get into because the first couple chapters seemed so scatter brained. I feel like it skipped forward in time without you even realizing it right away. But as I got more into the book that seemed to level out. Dominic, the MMC, is the perfect golden retriever boyfriend, but also the “touch her and I’ll kill you” boyfriend. Who finally realizes it was always Stella. And Stella, I really did love her. But the end of the book gets real wrapped up in her finding her biological mother and that whole process frustrated me a lot. Overall, a good read. It is available May 14th! Now I need to go and read Revival, Des and Eli’s story.

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

im genuinely so in love w/ Dom & Stella. the way they work, the communication once they actually start 😂 the way the both just love each other.

this book brought me to silent happy tears which I was not expecting at all. like have you ever read a book where the characters love & understanding for each other just makes you cry ? yea that is what Restraint did for me.

i 100% recommend this book, i cannot get enough of Stella & Dom & honestly i want more 😭🥰🥰

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With all these micro tropes who wouldn't want to read this!
💙 Best friends brother
💙Football player
💙College Romance
💙Secret Relationship
💙No 3rd Act Breakup
💙Dual POV
💙Spicy
💙Found Family

Favorite quote
" I've accepted that I'll never be the skinniest girl in the room. And that I don't need to be. It's okay to take up space..."

Dom and Stella's journey is filled with fun, sarcasm, understanding and communication. They are so adorable

[Rishi32 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book - Restraint 💙
Author - Danielle Sarah 🤍

My Ratings - ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Tropes ❤️‍🔥
📌 Best friends brother's 😉
📌 College Romance 📚
📌 Dual POV 🤍💙
📌 Forced proximity ❤️‍🔥
📌 Spicy 🔥
📌 Football player MMC ⚽
📌 Sassy FMC 😏

My Review -
First of all I want to thank @daniellesarahwrites for letting me ARC read this book . This book was so so good 💖 . From the moment I read the dedication of this book , I know that this book is gonna be good as hell , and it was 💕. I was hooked on to this book from Chapter 1 ❤️‍🔥 . The character development was so good and God Stella was so beautiful, she was sassy , hilarious and I loved how much she fell for Dom aka Dominic the day when he stood up for her and helped her when they were small . And not to mention Dom was so so sexy 😏 and even though Stella fell for Dom first but gosh he just fell harder . He is hot , he is handsome , sexy and even badass . Their relationship has always been forbidden Dom was her best friends brother's but that didn't stop Stella in any way in falling for him more 💖 and even Des knew about Stella's never ending crush on her Brother😂 . I loved how there was a gradual development in their story , the story line was so good. And not to mention the spice scenes they were just chefs kiss ❤️‍🔥😉 . I WAS LITERALLY SWEATING WHILE READING IT 🤭. This book also has dual pov so you will get to read the story from both of their perspective and turns out Stella's mouth was not only good at flirting but also at other things too 😏 (iykyk) . And Dom was down bad for her like literally he was OBSESSED with our girl Stella . But I loved how Dom was so supportive and caring towards Stella and was there for her in certain phases of her life , when she needed him .
Overall this book was so good , this book will literally get you out of your reading slump . And not to mention all the credit goes to @daniellesarahwrites for writing such a great and spicy Book 📚.
I would literally recommend this book to every girl out there who has a crush on their Best friend's Brother 😏

[CharlotteAtena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was my first Danielle Sarah read, and it will not be my last, that's for sure.

I think this story came at the right time, and I loved it for what it was. Dom is absolutely the perfect boyfriend, and that type of guy we should all have in our lives.

This is kind of like a forced proximity kinda situation, college romance with a brothers best friend mix.

The banter between the characters was good. The dual pov was on point ( sometimes authors tend to switch pov's too late ). Danielle knew when to change from one perspective to another to keep me entertained and in the moment. I knew what both of them thought about at all times, and this is something that I love and want to see when I read a dual POV.

The story was real, and it hit a few sensitive subjects as well. I loved how they talked about therapy in this book and the importance of it... how important mental health is.

The relationship between the characters developed beautifully, up until one point when I lost it. I know this is something very personal, I might actually be in the minority here, so don't think too much about this before starting this book. As I was saying, the relationship developed beautifully. The spice was spicying, but it was also not too much to overwhelm the story. The balance was there.

Overall, I loved how it all went down, but it is not a 5✨️ for me. Up until one moment, it was, but then something happened ( again, this is subjective and only my opinion ), and it lost like .5✨️. There were actually two moments that did not sit well with me.

I do recommend this book. It is beautiful, fun, entertaining, the characters are amazing, and the banter is excellent. 4.5✨️ I can't wait to read the next book. 🧡

[A.R. Franklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Restraint" proves to be a delightful surprise for readers seeking both heat and heart in their romantic reads. The author crafts a narrative that is easy to digest and engaging, making it a perfect pick for those looking for a quick escape. From the first page, the characters spring to life with vivid personalities and realistic interactions that anchor the story's romantic developments and dramatic turns.

The charm of "Restraint" lies not only in its spicy romantic escapades but also in its robust storytelling. The main plot is expertly woven with intriguing subplots that add depth and complexity to the narrative. These additional layers ensure that even though the romance's outcome might feel predictable, the journey there is anything but. Each subplot unfolds with precision, that holds the reader's attention firmly to the page.

One of the standout aspects of this book is the author's ability to maintain a perfect balance between the romance and the story's other elements. The result is a satisfying blend that offers more than just the thrill of the chase or the climax of romantic tension; it provides a well-rounded narrative that addresses themes of personal growth, challenge, and the impact of past experiences on present choices.

I recommend "Restraint" for anyone who loves their romance novels to come with a side of substance. Whether you're drawn in by the allure of passionate encounters or the promise of a gripping plot, this book delivers on all fronts, ensuring every reader comes away satisfied.

[Tory · Rating 5 out of 5]

“As long as you’re in my life, I’m the luckiest guy around.”

“Oh, you got it bad.” YES HE DOES 👏🏻

Danielle Sarah has done it again: crafted a real and relatable FMC that I want to be BFFs with, a forbidden romance that makes my heart melt, and a beautiful story about figuring out who you are, who you want to be, and who ends up standing by your side. In short: I loved it.

Stella and her best friend’s older brother, Dominic, have known each other since childhood. He’s always been there for her, always been the one to stick up for her—and she’s been crushing ever since. When they end up going to the same college, their friendship blossoms into a relationship. I loved seeing the shift, especially when Dom realizes “it’s always been her.” Outside of their love story, their growth as individual characters was so real and raw, and I loved how they had each other to lean on.

Also, this book has the BEST nostalgic vibes. I could feel the freedom of graduation, the adrenaline from the football games, the summer heat pressing down on my skin—it was like reliving all the best moments from that stage of life.

More on the vibes:

• Football player MMC
• College setting
• No third act breakup
• Friends to lovers
• Forced proximity
• Banter + tension
• Super cute dates
• BFF’s brother
• Relatable FMC
• Forbidden love

Thank you to the author for an ARC!

[Tabitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. (some spoilers)

I enjoyed Restraint by Danielle Sarah. It is a college-aged, brother's best friend romance with lots of spice and romance. I did read Revival (book 1) first and I'm glad I did. It's not 100% necessary but it did help with the progression of the story.

The two main characters were a fun balance. Stella is a sassy, curvaceous FMC and I love her. Dom is the cinnamon-roll MMC who is just absolutely loveable and sweet and would do anything, ANYTHING for his woman. It was refreshing to read a book that didn't have a third-act breakup, where the two are committed to one another from the start.

The book does deal with some mental health issues, but I like that they were addressed in such a healthy way and that the characters were committed to finding ways to heal and grow, both individually and as a couple.

The spice was SPICY. And I loved it. I will definitely read more from Danielle Sarah. I liked the first book as well (Revival) but might have liked this one just a little bit more (but ONLY because of the third act breakup. Those stress me out! LOL)

[val · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Review - 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

If you want a romance about a girl hooking up with her best friend’s brother, you’ll get one until maybe 50% of the book. The story then turns into a 0 stakes meet-my-adoptive-mother plot.

The FMC Stella lives a very charmed, easygoing existence. Her obnoxious stubbornness is “endearing”, and any transgressions on her part are immediately forgiven. Absolutely everyone in her life is super nice to her and gladly enables her shitty behavior. At no point does she truly reflect on her actions or have any sort of character growth.

Honestly, same for the MMC, Dominic. His personality is Stella and Football. After he gets together with Stella, his growth is effectively neutered and he turns into the perfect NPC boyfriend with a dash of “touch her and I’ll kill you”. Everyone is also super understanding and nice to him, including his football coach. I guess except Stella, who’s awful to him. At least he’ll commit a felony to get you out of a test?

The aforementioned bff Desiree barely appears and has almost no impact in the story - at no point was I concerned about her “finding out”. The spice is decent with some mild kink.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I’ve accepted that I’ll never be the skinniest girl in the room. And that I don’t need to be. It’s okay to take up space. Plus, thick thighs save lives.”

This story was amazing!

Stella is quite the sassy, bratty and funny young woman that takes no crap from anyone. She’s had a huge crush on her best friend’s brother since they were little. When Dom starts showing more interest in her, he ends up giving her whiplash with his constant yes then no’s.

Dom doesn’t know what to do with the growing feelings he seems to have with Stella. She should be off limits, but he can’t help the attraction or feelings he is starting to have for her. He thought the by saying “we can’t” that his feelings would lesson but they only got worse. When he finally gets his head out of his ass, he may have missed his chance with Stella.

I just loved the banter between Stella and Dom. It was filled with jokes, barbs, sarcasm and Stella’s brattiness. She knows just how to put Dom in his place. Dom is so sweet and caring towards Stella, which I loved. He truly listens to her and her feelings.

This was a cute, adorable and emotional love story that had me utterly captivated and devouring every sinfully sweet and spicy moment of it. The writing was amazing, the characters were phenomenal, and the storyline was heartwarming in the end.

“The only thing I can think of is how Dominic is my hero. And the butterflies take flight.”

[precilliareads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up

What to expect:
- Sisters best friend/best friends brother
- College romance
- No third act break up
- The MMC is down bad and we love it

I was intrigued by Stella and Dominic in Revival so them getting their own book had me so excited and it did not disappoint!

I loved the way their relationship developed and its dual POV so we know what’s going on in both of their heads which I feel like was really needed to tell this story. The banter and flirting was so on point and the spice? Spicin duh!

The relationship develops rather quickly but it makes sense and it’s not a one and done situation, these two go through it and there’s change and growth that is so fitting.

I’d say this book is low stakes but there’s a touch of angst and it does touch on some sensitive subjects but does it in a really balanced way that I appreciated. This also has an off-campus sort of vibe so if you liked that series then I’d say pick this up!

Thank you Danielle Sarah for the ARC!

[Mazie Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. While I loved the general plot line of this story, I had a lot of trouble connecting with Dom and Stella because the beginning seemed very all over the place and rushed, and for the most part, the characters didn’t seem to experience any growth throughout the story, aside from Stella’s last minute endeavor to go to therapy to help process her grief over the news of her biological father’s death. For a good portion of the book I felt like the author was trying to fit in every cliche, popular scene that she could - a pottery date, Stella surprising Dom by wearing his jersey, Des finding out before they could tell her, etc. All this being said, I really appreciated the supportive family dynamics in both of the main households in the story, and loved how Stella’s parents were so willing to help her reach out to her biological parents with no questions asked. I also loved Maria as a character in general and as a pseudo-mother figure for Stella at her college campus.

[Jodi ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The only thing I can think of is how Dominic is my hero. And the butterflies take flight.”

The moment I had opened Revival, my attention automatically went to Stella and Dom and I have been waiting DESPERATELY for their story.

I am a sucker for the best friend’s brother trope, and Stella was a character that I knew I was going to fall in love with. Getting to finally dive into their story did not disappoint either. Stella was everything I wanted, and I was able to relate to her in ways that I was not expecting.

Dom is also a wonderful character, and the way that he cares for Stella makes my heart so happy.

I loved that each character had their own story outside of the romance. I feel like this is such an important aspect of a New Adult / College romance, and Danielle does such a good job at this. I was rooting for both of them and their growth as individuals.

[Book Junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review

This is the story of Stella and Dominic. Stella is Dominic’s little sisters best friend and he has always seen her as such until he returns home from college and starts to see her in a different light. From that point on he is pretty much focussed on Stella. I enjoyed the story and I am a total sucker for a best friends brother trope but I struggled a little with Dominic’s sudden interest in Stella. It’s mentioned that he has always been protective but he had always put it down to sisterly protection when perhaps it was more but I would have liked to had seen some more flashbacks to build on that.

Dominic’s sister doesn’t really cause problems for the couple and the second half of the book or at least the last 3rd very much focussed on Stella’s personal issues with her being adopted.

I enjoyed this story and I’ll definitely read more by this author!

[Toni Amey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book 🥹 You meet Stella and Dom, he is her best friends brother. Stella grew up the big girl and being picked on and Dom started developing feelings for her. I was soooo proud of Stella for not just letting Dom in right away. He worked hard for her and showed her it wasn’t only because she lost weight and looked better now. I absolutely love books like this , they always hold a special place in my heart since I battled with weight my whole life. They were perfect for each other and supported one another in such a way that made me super jealous of them. This story was amazing and such a sweet love story, and let’s not forget about Dom’s dirty talk going on in this book 🥵🥵 Highly recommend reading !!

[bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is a best friend’s brother romance & i was immediately hooked for so many reasons. stella and dom have, obviously, known each other their whole lives. it’s the way that all my stars go to DOM’S POV. you can tell he has it BAD for stella. like literally can see it from the prologue to ending. i love the words from the mmc in how they describe their crush and adoration for the fmc. dom puts stella on a pedestal & it was just so fire. their tension and banter is so sarcastically flirtatious; i liked it a lot!

i also liked how there’s no third act breakup bc, duh, who likes those anyways? the overall pacing of their story was good and didn’t feel rushed. this is my first book read by danielle sarah & now i must read the first book of this series (literally sitting in my ku library as we speak !!)

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book I'm usually a dark romance kind of gal but this book had me crying and laughing and going through all the emotions with the characters. There are some parts where I feel bad for Stella and others where I feel bad for Dom but it all works out in the end and has left me wanting more an amazing book.. this is a must read even if you are more of a dark romance person. The book has them getting together fairly quickly and it's bliss I just hate that they hid it from Des for so long and hurt her. And I did get a bit mad at Stella when She asked Dom for a break because she was going through some stuff and all he wanted was to be there for her. Such a great book.

[Nouha Jullienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an anticipated read! I loved Danielle's debut, Revival, and couldn't wait to read her next story. This couple, Stella and Dom, caught my eye the first time they appeared in the first book. Who doesn't love a good best friend's brother/sister's best friend trope! On top of that, they were childhood best friends in a college setting! It was such a sweet story from beginning to end and the spice was spicing! Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a smutty contemporary romance! I loved it!!!

[Debbie Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love a good best friend’s brother romance story and this one was no exception!! It starts out in typical fashion, with Stella having a crush on Dominic for years, and him seemingly not returning her feelings. She ends up attending the same university as him and when he finally realizes how he feels, I love that she makes him work for it! They turned a wonderful friendship into an amazing relationship with plenty of heat! Excellent characters and I can’t wait to read more by Danielle Sarah!

[Jaime Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the romance between Dom and Stella. This is kind of like a forced proximity situation, college romance, with a brother's best friend. I loved how there was a gradual development in their story , the story line was so good. The writing style made for an easy read. It grabbed my attention from the very beginning and I did not want to put it down! It's addictive, unputdownable, filled with all of the tropes I love and has well developed and loveable characters! I definitely recommend!!

[Chineen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was provided an ARC by the author!
I loved the best friend's older brother trope, loved the banter and i always love a college romance! The dual point of veiw was okay, however sometimes i felt like it didnt flow or there was too much overlapping. It was quite entertaining, but once the two got together I found myself getting a little bored following them. I love Dom. Over all its an entertaining read🤎

[Tiffani Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is incredible. I love the romance between Stella and Dom. I am a sucker for best friend's brother's romance, but this had even more of a twist to it. The focus on healing, trauma, and grief was greatly appreciated. I thought it was incredible how the FMC knew that in order to be her best in the relationship, she needed to be her best and focus on her mental health. Sometimes, that is all it takes.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars ⭐️

This best friend’s brother romance was absolutely charming. Dom's transformation into a devoted boyfriend for Stella was heartwarming to witness. Their relationship faced challenges, but their strong communication skills ensured they overcame them swiftly. Overall, it was a delightful and easy read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made my Wattpad heart happy. It's one of those reads that's just so cute and familiar you can't help but smile as you read the book.

I read the synopsis and new instantly I was going to fall in love with Dominic and Stella's story and "forbidden romance". It's safe to say that I did. I totally recommend this book if your looking for a cute read to add to your TBR list.

[Aline Lyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way that Stella and Dominic had me on chokehold 😮‍💨.

These two had so much chemistry… but not just that, they had a beautiful friendship to start off, and that slow burn totally paid off 😉.

Danielle Sarah did an incredible job with Restraint. I loved how she combine so many important topics into this romance and it just worked… as someone who has struggled with body image and then watch my own daughter struggle with an eating disorder- this one hit home a little. I loved watching Stella build herself up, accepting and loving herself.

“I stopped viewing exercise as a punishment, something I would be forced to endure so that I could look like someone on a magazine cover, and instead started working out as a celebration of everything I’m capable of.

I’ve accepted that I’ll never be the skinniest girl in the room, and that I don’t need to be. It’s okay to take up space.

Plus, thick thighs save lives.”

I started loving Stella even more after this 🫶🏽.

And don’t even get me started on that spice 👀 … Danielle can make the whole room steamy 🥵. I don’t think I had so many emotions, highlights and water breaks in a book 😅.

Bottom line my romance girlies- do yourself a favor and go read Restraint, just thank me later! 😘

[K Webz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a little trouble getting into this book, the storyline was good but the beginning and the end seemed a little choppy. I liked the characters of Dom and Stella, they just maybe needed polished up a little more.