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Willow Creek #3
In Your Heart
"I thought I had found love. I thought I had found my forever. I’d never been more wrong in all my life." Sadie Westbrook’s seemingly perfect life comes to a screeching halt when she catches her fiancé in bed with another woman. Suddenly, everything she believed in is tested and there’s only one person she can turn to—the guy who has been by her side ever since their best friend’s fell in love and became inseparable. Ezra Collins—the bassist for the band Willow Creek—has only ever had one weakness, and her name is Sadie. When he receives a frantic call he rushes to her aid, helping to pick up the pieces of her crumbling life—even if that means letting Sadie live with him. The close proximity tests the limits of their friendship and as the lines between friends and lovers blur they’ll have to decide if falling in love with your best friend is worth the risk of losing them. (This is book 3 in the Willow Creek Series. Last To Know and Never Too Late should be read first)
424 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 11, 2015
100 people are currently reading
1385 people want to read
About the author
Micalea Smeltzer
88 books6,728 followersMicalea Smeltzer is an author from Northern Virginia. Her two dogs, Ollie and Remy, are her constant companions. As a kidney transplant recipient she's dedicated to raising awareness around the effects of kidney disease, dialysis, and transplant as well as educating people on living donation. When she's not writing you can catch her with her nose buried in a book.
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August 1, 2015
Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars
In Your Heart is the third book of the Willow Creek series, focusing on bassist Ezra Collins and Sadie Westbrooks. We were introduced to both characters in the first book Last To Know, when Sadie’s best friend Emma was the main character.
I was both eager and hesitant to read this book. Eager, because I love, love, LOVED the first two books in the series, Last To Know and Never Too Late, which focused on Remy and Mathias. Hesitant because I’m one of those people who have a hard time reading books based on the PoV of a character that’s extremely close to a main character in a past/previous book. These type of books often end up finding a way to focus way too much on previous characters, and not enough time on focusing on the two characters it should focus on.
I think, on its own, In Your Heart is a very sweet, funny, and touching story about two best friends falling in love. Sadie’s been through some terrible luck: catching her fiancé cheating on her, getting arrested because of things she said to him, and dealing with inner turmoil of trying to understand what was “wrong” with her—if the guy she thought she was in love with for the past two years couldn’t love her enough to not betray her.
That’s when Ezra Collins comes in, and he’s the sweetest, most supportive, and protective best friend any girl could ask for. He’s there for Sadie, no matter what. And it’s so touching to see how Sadie can turn to his open arms.
There’s chemistry between the two best friends, but neither one of them are willing to risk their friendship to explore the “something more” between the two of them. So that’s when they decide to strike a friends… with benefit relationship with each other.
And, like any book that focuses on that trope, things get messy. (They always do).
Compared to the rest of the series, I can’t tell where the stands with the rest of them.
Last To Know was young adult while Never Too Late was new adult. However, Never Too Late was also a tad bit darker, grittier, and had a different feeling compared to In Your Heart.
Does that mean that this book is bad? No. In Your Heart is a funny, touching, and seriously captivating read. While Last To Know was more of a sweet read about “first loves”, and Never Too Late was about “second chances”, In Your Heart is more about “two best friends who are smitten and in adoration with one another” coming to acceptance with their feelings.
Does that mean that this book is just as good as the first two? I think this is where I’m torn between saying “yes, yes, yes!” and “maybe?”. Smeltzer’s Willow Creek series has been surprisingly well-received by me, to the point where I had high expectations of Ezra’s and Hayes’ book.
The problem has nothing to do with characters or the storyline. The problem, in my opinion, is the fact that Smeltzer had to bring in a bunch of characters from her other series (Trace and Olivia?). I think it distracted readers from the plot, because I found myself sitting there trying to figure out “who’s who” and wondering why all the characters introduced were even important when it’s Sadie’s and Ezra’s books. Once I found out that these characters’ cameo was explained by the fact that they’re related to Hayes (who will be a character of focus in book 4), I was annoyed. It’s not that I don’t think the author should ignore all her characters. It’s that it distracts the reader, confuses the readers, and gives the readers more “pointless” characters to memorize… only to realize that they had no other impact in the storyline.
And it’s not only those characters. I think that Sadie’s and Ezra’s book focused a bit too much on Emma and Maddox. I loved Emma and Maddox. I loved them so much in their books that I was happy to know that the author wouldn’t ignore them in each standalone in this series after their book.
I was happy that they got a brief cameo in book 2, with a little update in their lives. That’s good enough for me. I didn’t like how… involved Emma was in this book. Especially, since it didn’t make sense? Sadie had pointed out that the two of them drifted apart as best friends, and that’s how she ended up best friends with Ezra instead.
And as much as I’d love to get more details and information about Emma & Maddox, this wasn’t the place (or book) for that to happen. It made it look like Sadie’s life revolved around Emma, as if Sadie’s character doesn’t have enough merits to make this book focus solely on her.
I think that this is the first book in the series where the angst between the main couple didn’t happen due to some last-minute contrived bullshit, which was something that happened in the last two books. Since the angst between the two had been a slow-burn from the start, I had been mentally prepared the second it finally came into focus. The angst between the two wasn’t extreme, and more realistic and understandable compared to Mathias and Remy’s or Maddox and Emma’s. In my opinion, that made this book a little less predictable and a lot more enjoyable due to the handling of the angst pacing.
Things I liked about this book:
Things I didn’t like about this book:
I usually tend to rank love interests in standalone series (it’s a weird habit of mine), but I can’t seem to be able to do so with this one. All of the male love-interests have been different and unique from each other (something most authors tend to have problems doing, since they always end up giving certain characters the same narrative voice).
Will I recommend this book?
Yes.
Will I recommend this series?
YES!
Will I read the next book in the series?
Hell yes! We’re introduced to the main character in this book, and we get a better character analysis and glimpse of who Hayes is as a person. He’s been shown off as: a flirt, a good friend, a southern gentleman, and it’s been established that he’s two years older than Ezra, Maddox, and Mathias. [Finally! After reading the first two books and not getting an in-depth details of Hayes, I’m glad that we get a better picture of him in this book].
In Your Heart is the third book of the Willow Creek series, focusing on bassist Ezra Collins and Sadie Westbrooks. We were introduced to both characters in the first book Last To Know, when Sadie’s best friend Emma was the main character.
I was both eager and hesitant to read this book. Eager, because I love, love, LOVED the first two books in the series, Last To Know and Never Too Late, which focused on Remy and Mathias. Hesitant because I’m one of those people who have a hard time reading books based on the PoV of a character that’s extremely close to a main character in a past/previous book. These type of books often end up finding a way to focus way too much on previous characters, and not enough time on focusing on the two characters it should focus on.
I think, on its own, In Your Heart is a very sweet, funny, and touching story about two best friends falling in love. Sadie’s been through some terrible luck: catching her fiancé cheating on her, getting arrested because of things she said to him, and dealing with inner turmoil of trying to understand what was “wrong” with her—if the guy she thought she was in love with for the past two years couldn’t love her enough to not betray her.
That’s when Ezra Collins comes in, and he’s the sweetest, most supportive, and protective best friend any girl could ask for. He’s there for Sadie, no matter what. And it’s so touching to see how Sadie can turn to his open arms.
There’s chemistry between the two best friends, but neither one of them are willing to risk their friendship to explore the “something more” between the two of them. So that’s when they decide to strike a friends… with benefit relationship with each other.
And, like any book that focuses on that trope, things get messy. (They always do).
Compared to the rest of the series, I can’t tell where the stands with the rest of them.
Last To Know was young adult while Never Too Late was new adult. However, Never Too Late was also a tad bit darker, grittier, and had a different feeling compared to In Your Heart.
Does that mean that this book is bad? No. In Your Heart is a funny, touching, and seriously captivating read. While Last To Know was more of a sweet read about “first loves”, and Never Too Late was about “second chances”, In Your Heart is more about “two best friends who are smitten and in adoration with one another” coming to acceptance with their feelings.
Does that mean that this book is just as good as the first two? I think this is where I’m torn between saying “yes, yes, yes!” and “maybe?”. Smeltzer’s Willow Creek series has been surprisingly well-received by me, to the point where I had high expectations of Ezra’s and Hayes’ book.
The problem has nothing to do with characters or the storyline. The problem, in my opinion, is the fact that Smeltzer had to bring in a bunch of characters from her other series (Trace and Olivia?). I think it distracted readers from the plot, because I found myself sitting there trying to figure out “who’s who” and wondering why all the characters introduced were even important when it’s Sadie’s and Ezra’s books. Once I found out that these characters’ cameo was explained by the fact that they’re related to Hayes (who will be a character of focus in book 4), I was annoyed. It’s not that I don’t think the author should ignore all her characters. It’s that it distracts the reader, confuses the readers, and gives the readers more “pointless” characters to memorize… only to realize that they had no other impact in the storyline.
And it’s not only those characters. I think that Sadie’s and Ezra’s book focused a bit too much on Emma and Maddox. I loved Emma and Maddox. I loved them so much in their books that I was happy to know that the author wouldn’t ignore them in each standalone in this series after their book.
I was happy that they got a brief cameo in book 2, with a little update in their lives. That’s good enough for me. I didn’t like how… involved Emma was in this book. Especially, since it didn’t make sense? Sadie had pointed out that the two of them drifted apart as best friends, and that’s how she ended up best friends with Ezra instead.
And as much as I’d love to get more details and information about Emma & Maddox, this wasn’t the place (or book) for that to happen. It made it look like Sadie’s life revolved around Emma, as if Sadie’s character doesn’t have enough merits to make this book focus solely on her.
I think that this is the first book in the series where the angst between the main couple didn’t happen due to some last-minute contrived bullshit, which was something that happened in the last two books. Since the angst between the two had been a slow-burn from the start, I had been mentally prepared the second it finally came into focus. The angst between the two wasn’t extreme, and more realistic and understandable compared to Mathias and Remy’s or Maddox and Emma’s. In my opinion, that made this book a little less predictable and a lot more enjoyable due to the handling of the angst pacing.
Things I liked about this book:
• Ezra and how sweet, supportive, protective, and funny he was.
• No love triangle.
• The gang
• No OTT angst/drama
Things I didn’t like about this book:
• There was too much focus on Emma.
• Lack of communication between the two main characters for the sake of plot angst
• Too many randomly introduced characters (probably from other series). A reference here and a name there should have done the trick—not paragraphs dedicated to characters that have no business in this series whatsoever.
I usually tend to rank love interests in standalone series (it’s a weird habit of mine), but I can’t seem to be able to do so with this one. All of the male love-interests have been different and unique from each other (something most authors tend to have problems doing, since they always end up giving certain characters the same narrative voice).
• Maddox (from Last To Know) is the funny, friendly boy.
• Mathias is the brooding bad boy.
• Ezra is the sweet, loyal, friendly boy. [No wonder him and Maddox are best friends]
Will I recommend this book?
Yes.
Will I recommend this series?
YES!
Will I read the next book in the series?
Hell yes! We’re introduced to the main character in this book, and we get a better character analysis and glimpse of who Hayes is as a person. He’s been shown off as: a flirt, a good friend, a southern gentleman, and it’s been established that he’s two years older than Ezra, Maddox, and Mathias. [Finally! After reading the first two books and not getting an in-depth details of Hayes, I’m glad that we get a better picture of him in this book].
June 12, 2015
Ezra knows how to compliment his woman, "really, because I feel like a winner from where I’m standing! You have a nice a**!” He yelled back." Ezra knows what to do in a dire situation and gets company unexpectedly, "I laughed, biting my lip. “Uh, Ezra…you might want to hide that?” I pointed to his hard-on tenting his shorts. He cursed again and headed for the bathroom. “Are you seriously going to jerk-off?” I hissed under my breath." Sometimes he just goes right in for the kill, "he grinned. “You’ve been prancing around in that tiny excuse for a bikini teasing me all effing day. Do you have any idea how difficult this has been to hide?” He pointed to his ***k." Ezra was the one band member I couldn't wait to get a book for he's funny, good looking and I loved him, a tad bit sad that his story has now been told but I'm sure we'll see him in Hayes's book.
Want to read
April 29, 2015
November 26, 2015
“Life is a series of choices that we make, some of them are good, and some of them are not, but everything always works out in the end.”
In Your Heart follows the story of Ezra and Sadie. I don’t know about you guys, but I have been dying to get my hands on their story. And let me tell you, this was such an amazing story. Dare I say, one of my top reads of the year!
In Your Heart starts out with one heck of a bang. Sadie comes home from work early to surprise her fiancee, only to find him having sex in their bed, with someone else. Her reaction to the situation was priceless. I knew, just from those first few pages, that this was going to be a great read! So, Sadie’s “reaction” to her fiancee cheating lands her temporarily in jail. And who does she call on for help, none other than Ezra. Ezra and Sadie have been best friends for years. That is until Sadie’s fiancee entered the picture and she turned their back on their friendship. Even when Sadie did that, Ezra was still there for her. He would always catch her when she falls…. Ezra’s only weakness in life, has been Sadie. Still that won’t stop him from being there for Sadie when she needs him, even letting her stay with him while she picks up the pieces of her life. There has always been an underlying attraction between Sadie and Ezra. Both too terrified of wrecking their friendship. But, now their new living arrangements will test their limits. Lines will be blurred. What happens when you fall in love with your best friend? Will it be worth the risk in the end?
Sadie, may seem quiet and in her head sometimes, but she’s really stronger than she appears. She loves fiercely and with her whole heart. She has a great personality and I found her very easy connect with. Her only fault: she is so stubborn! Lucky for her, Ezra is the perfect match. Everything between the two of them just flows naturally. Ezra is the friend that anyone would want in their corner. He loves just as fiercely. He is protective over what’s his. You can always count on him. But, he too is stubborn and gets lost in his head. Maybe that’s why the two of them worked out so well, because they were so similar.
I love friends to lovers stories and this one is definitely one of my favorites. I loved that Sadie and Ezra both admitted their attraction to one another, but that they were just too afraid to ruin what they had. They both tried so hard to just be “friends”. You could really understand their struggle with taking things further. However, their attraction was so undeniable, so palpable, so real that you’d have to be blind to not see it. Their connection was just begging to be explored. Living together would prove to be the ultimate test for the two of them. Will they continue to fight what feels so right and what they both want? Or will they jump, take that risk and give into something that could be truly amazing??
I loved everything about In You Heart. From beginning to end, I was hooked. I was captivated by the characters and the story-line. I think I even fell more in the love with the characters from the first two books, if that were possible. I loved the feeling of family and the way that everyone interacted with each other. I just wanted to jump into the pages and be a part of their story. I was quickly reminded as to why this is one of my favorite series’. I honestly loved everything about this story. I laughed. I swooned. There were times I wanted to pull my hair in frustration. Moments where I held my breath waiting to see how things would turn out. I felt the angst and love as if it were my own. And no great story would be complete without a few twists along the way!
In Your Heart is a fantastic addition to the Willow Creek Series and can be read as a stand-alone. However, as with any series that has characters that intertwine like this one, I do recommend reading the first two books first. Not only because they are great reads, but also so you can really get a feel for who Sadie and Ezra are. And to the fans of this series, you will not be disappointed with this installment!
* I was provided an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review*
In Your Heart follows the story of Ezra and Sadie. I don’t know about you guys, but I have been dying to get my hands on their story. And let me tell you, this was such an amazing story. Dare I say, one of my top reads of the year!
In Your Heart starts out with one heck of a bang. Sadie comes home from work early to surprise her fiancee, only to find him having sex in their bed, with someone else. Her reaction to the situation was priceless. I knew, just from those first few pages, that this was going to be a great read! So, Sadie’s “reaction” to her fiancee cheating lands her temporarily in jail. And who does she call on for help, none other than Ezra. Ezra and Sadie have been best friends for years. That is until Sadie’s fiancee entered the picture and she turned their back on their friendship. Even when Sadie did that, Ezra was still there for her. He would always catch her when she falls…. Ezra’s only weakness in life, has been Sadie. Still that won’t stop him from being there for Sadie when she needs him, even letting her stay with him while she picks up the pieces of her life. There has always been an underlying attraction between Sadie and Ezra. Both too terrified of wrecking their friendship. But, now their new living arrangements will test their limits. Lines will be blurred. What happens when you fall in love with your best friend? Will it be worth the risk in the end?
Sadie, may seem quiet and in her head sometimes, but she’s really stronger than she appears. She loves fiercely and with her whole heart. She has a great personality and I found her very easy connect with. Her only fault: she is so stubborn! Lucky for her, Ezra is the perfect match. Everything between the two of them just flows naturally. Ezra is the friend that anyone would want in their corner. He loves just as fiercely. He is protective over what’s his. You can always count on him. But, he too is stubborn and gets lost in his head. Maybe that’s why the two of them worked out so well, because they were so similar.
I love friends to lovers stories and this one is definitely one of my favorites. I loved that Sadie and Ezra both admitted their attraction to one another, but that they were just too afraid to ruin what they had. They both tried so hard to just be “friends”. You could really understand their struggle with taking things further. However, their attraction was so undeniable, so palpable, so real that you’d have to be blind to not see it. Their connection was just begging to be explored. Living together would prove to be the ultimate test for the two of them. Will they continue to fight what feels so right and what they both want? Or will they jump, take that risk and give into something that could be truly amazing??
I loved everything about In You Heart. From beginning to end, I was hooked. I was captivated by the characters and the story-line. I think I even fell more in the love with the characters from the first two books, if that were possible. I loved the feeling of family and the way that everyone interacted with each other. I just wanted to jump into the pages and be a part of their story. I was quickly reminded as to why this is one of my favorite series’. I honestly loved everything about this story. I laughed. I swooned. There were times I wanted to pull my hair in frustration. Moments where I held my breath waiting to see how things would turn out. I felt the angst and love as if it were my own. And no great story would be complete without a few twists along the way!
In Your Heart is a fantastic addition to the Willow Creek Series and can be read as a stand-alone. However, as with any series that has characters that intertwine like this one, I do recommend reading the first two books first. Not only because they are great reads, but also so you can really get a feel for who Sadie and Ezra are. And to the fans of this series, you will not be disappointed with this installment!
* I was provided an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review*
June 16, 2015
4.5 stars by Jen Skewes
In Your Heart is the third book in The Willow Creek series. I love this series. This series is about the band Willow Creek which is made up of twin brothers, Mathias and Maddox, their foster brother Ezra and their close friends Hayes. Each book is about a different member of the band and the women that they fall in love with. In Your Heart is a friends to lovers romance which is one of my favorite stories to read, especially when you have two characters like Ezra and Sadie who are just perfect together.
Ezra and Sadie have been friends for the last 4 or 5 years. Ever since their best friends started dating and fell in love they found themselves hanging out and becoming the best of friends. It has been about six months since they have spoken to each other, which was mainly due to Sadie’s ex-fiance Braden, who is a complete douchebag. But when Sadie’s relationship completely crumbles and she is betrayed in the worst way possible, she turns to Ezra for help. And Ezra is just that guy that will always be there for her and have her back no matter what.
Sadie spent two years of her life with Braden trying to make him happy but in the process she lost herself along the way. She now has no where to go so Ezra being the amazing best friend that he is, offers for her to live with him for as long as she needs too. Sadie has always been attracted to Ezra but he has always been nothing more than her best friend. But now that they are living together things are starting the change. There is a physical connection between them that they both feel. But crossing that line could mean risking their friendship. They both have to decide if that is a risk that they are both willing to take.
I fell in love with these characters. I loved Sadie and my heart broke for her in the very beginning. Her ex was a complete ass who I wanted to throat punch and then when I was done with him I wanted to slap the bitch that he was with. But I loved the way Sadie handled herself and what I loved even more was how Ezra came to her rescue. Sadie and Ezra have been best friends for so long and they missed each other. But Sadie is not the person she was two years ago. She is just a shell of herself and Ezra wants his best friend back. I loved Ezra and how much he cared for her. He is sweet and sexy and just a genuinely good guy. He took care of her in so many ways. I wanted them to cross that line, I wanted them to both admit that they loved each other beyond friendship. I felt the connection between the two of them and just wanted to see them happy, with each other. They were adorable together even when they were just being best friends.
I loved this book. What I love about Micalea’s books is that there isn’t always the unnecessary drama with each story. They have their problems but it is not off the wall crazy drama. It is real life drama. I loved that we still get to see all of the members of Willow Creek in this one. It’s like catching up with old friends and seeing where they are in their life. And seeing where they all are just made me happy. I loved the addition of Arden and cannot wait for her story.
In Your Heart is the third book in The Willow Creek series. I love this series. This series is about the band Willow Creek which is made up of twin brothers, Mathias and Maddox, their foster brother Ezra and their close friends Hayes. Each book is about a different member of the band and the women that they fall in love with. In Your Heart is a friends to lovers romance which is one of my favorite stories to read, especially when you have two characters like Ezra and Sadie who are just perfect together.
Ezra and Sadie have been friends for the last 4 or 5 years. Ever since their best friends started dating and fell in love they found themselves hanging out and becoming the best of friends. It has been about six months since they have spoken to each other, which was mainly due to Sadie’s ex-fiance Braden, who is a complete douchebag. But when Sadie’s relationship completely crumbles and she is betrayed in the worst way possible, she turns to Ezra for help. And Ezra is just that guy that will always be there for her and have her back no matter what.
Sadie spent two years of her life with Braden trying to make him happy but in the process she lost herself along the way. She now has no where to go so Ezra being the amazing best friend that he is, offers for her to live with him for as long as she needs too. Sadie has always been attracted to Ezra but he has always been nothing more than her best friend. But now that they are living together things are starting the change. There is a physical connection between them that they both feel. But crossing that line could mean risking their friendship. They both have to decide if that is a risk that they are both willing to take.
I fell in love with these characters. I loved Sadie and my heart broke for her in the very beginning. Her ex was a complete ass who I wanted to throat punch and then when I was done with him I wanted to slap the bitch that he was with. But I loved the way Sadie handled herself and what I loved even more was how Ezra came to her rescue. Sadie and Ezra have been best friends for so long and they missed each other. But Sadie is not the person she was two years ago. She is just a shell of herself and Ezra wants his best friend back. I loved Ezra and how much he cared for her. He is sweet and sexy and just a genuinely good guy. He took care of her in so many ways. I wanted them to cross that line, I wanted them to both admit that they loved each other beyond friendship. I felt the connection between the two of them and just wanted to see them happy, with each other. They were adorable together even when they were just being best friends.
I loved this book. What I love about Micalea’s books is that there isn’t always the unnecessary drama with each story. They have their problems but it is not off the wall crazy drama. It is real life drama. I loved that we still get to see all of the members of Willow Creek in this one. It’s like catching up with old friends and seeing where they are in their life. And seeing where they all are just made me happy. I loved the addition of Arden and cannot wait for her story.
June 13, 2015
The Willow Creek series has been such a great read so far so I just knew that In Your Heart would be just as great. And Micalea did not disappoint. I love a friends-to-lovers romance and Ezra’s and Sadie’s story was fantastic. Ezra and Sadie are best friends. They became acquainted with each other when their best friends-Maddox and Emma (book 1) fell in love. Since then, the two have become close. Well in the beginning of this story, Sadie finds a not-so-happy situation at home with her fiancé. The first person she thinks to call is Ezra. He becomes her savior. Eventually Sadie moves in with him and that is when life gets interesting. The mutual attraction between Sadie and Ezra grows exponentially since they are in close quarters. Will they act on this attraction or is it too much of a risk?
I loved Ezra and Sadie when they were together. They are complete opposites in personality but they work well together. I really liked how Micalea showcased their friendship to the readers. Their banter and adventures are just great and it shows just how right they are for each other. Of course there are times where I want to yell at either Ezra, Sadie, or both but that shows how Micalea gets you into the story. I did not want to put this book down. Not only is this book about Ezra and Sadie but we also get to see the rest of the band. It was great to see how the two previous couples were doing. It was also nice to get a little more of Hayes. He was a bit of a mystery in the first two books but we get a little more and I must say I’m excited for his story! Maddox is a riot and I just love him. He had me laughing with his actions or words. The Willow Creek boys and their girls are just awesome and I feel like I know them. I love that Micalea incorporates everyone in the band and I hope she continues with this in the last book. They’re the Willow Creek family. But Ezra and Sadie’s love story is the star of this book even if we do get the rest of the band. It is sexy and fun with a little bit of drama. This is my favorite kind of recipe in a book. I can’t wait to read more of my Willow Creek boys!
Great job on this series Micalea! I am loving it!
I loved Ezra and Sadie when they were together. They are complete opposites in personality but they work well together. I really liked how Micalea showcased their friendship to the readers. Their banter and adventures are just great and it shows just how right they are for each other. Of course there are times where I want to yell at either Ezra, Sadie, or both but that shows how Micalea gets you into the story. I did not want to put this book down. Not only is this book about Ezra and Sadie but we also get to see the rest of the band. It was great to see how the two previous couples were doing. It was also nice to get a little more of Hayes. He was a bit of a mystery in the first two books but we get a little more and I must say I’m excited for his story! Maddox is a riot and I just love him. He had me laughing with his actions or words. The Willow Creek boys and their girls are just awesome and I feel like I know them. I love that Micalea incorporates everyone in the band and I hope she continues with this in the last book. They’re the Willow Creek family. But Ezra and Sadie’s love story is the star of this book even if we do get the rest of the band. It is sexy and fun with a little bit of drama. This is my favorite kind of recipe in a book. I can’t wait to read more of my Willow Creek boys!
Great job on this series Micalea! I am loving it!
August 13, 2015
I have a lady boner for Micalea Smeltzer. It's true. I have always loved her work but something happened while I was reading In Your Heart…
You see, I read this book a week prior to writing this review. Once I was done with the book, I was so in love that I declared this book deserved 10 stars. After two days of being in an extreme funk, I decided I needed to read the book again. No author can deliver a book that perfectly. Right?! So, I sat down and read the book again, determined to find some flaw that I missed the first time. What did I find? Nothing. I loved it just as much, if not more, than the first time. I wasn't blinded by love; reading the book the second time proved that.
In Your Heart was quirky, sexy as all hell, sweet, hilarious and beyond beautiful. This book deserves all the wonderful press and more! ~ Kelly, 5 stars
You see, I read this book a week prior to writing this review. Once I was done with the book, I was so in love that I declared this book deserved 10 stars. After two days of being in an extreme funk, I decided I needed to read the book again. No author can deliver a book that perfectly. Right?! So, I sat down and read the book again, determined to find some flaw that I missed the first time. What did I find? Nothing. I loved it just as much, if not more, than the first time. I wasn't blinded by love; reading the book the second time proved that.
In Your Heart was quirky, sexy as all hell, sweet, hilarious and beyond beautiful. This book deserves all the wonderful press and more! ~ Kelly, 5 stars
November 25, 2020
I missed Ezra's point of view in this book... So far I've liked this series and had no problem with the first two books being written just from the feminine POV but I think in this one, Ezra's POV would have added more depth to the story.
June 16, 2015
Boricuan Bookworms- Book Reviews .
This is officially my favorite book in the series! Ezra and Sadie can take all the stars for all I care! This was such a great “best friends to lovers” book!
Sadie and Ezra’s story was absolutely amazing. They’re best friends, but both feel attracted to each other. Of course, they’re afraid to do anything about it because they don’t want to jeopardize what they have, but when Sadie moves in with Ezra for a while, it’s very difficult to keep their feelings under wraps.
I felt like I was watching an episode (or a season) of FRIENDS while reading this book. It was funny, it was romantic, it was swoony, sexy, and most of all it was real. While I enjoyed the other books in this series, I think this is the one that really connected with me the most. Ezra and Sadie’s struggle was so real. The will they/won’t they angst was so delicious. I couldn’t help but keep passing the pages in an effort to know what was going to happen next.
The best thing about this book is the fact that even if it’s part of the New Adult Genre, it isn’t all about the sex. Don’t get me wrong, all the sex scenes and situations were reallyreally really really really steamy and sexy, but when there wasn’t a sex scene, the story flowed just as well.
I’m convinced Ezra is the best friend every girl would want to have. He’s sweet, cute, charming, caring, cute, funny, attentive, cute, easy to talk to, and did I mention cute? I love Ezra. Even if he’s the most quiet guy of the group, he’s still completely amazing. Not to mention that when he actually talks he says hilarious things like,
[…] "I feel like a winner from where I’m standing! You have a nice ass!”
Sadie is referred to as a tornado in the book and I couldn’t have put it better myself. She has all this energy that is sometimes so difficult to contain, not to mention how outspoken and eccentric she can be at times too. For all intents and purposes, she is Ezra’s complete opposite. And I loved that about them! They each learned from each other and formed an amazing bond.
The romance between them was so sweet! They were already best friends, so you’d think it would be no problem for them to move to the next stage, but it was so cute seeing them trying to learn each other’s quirks. The way they still got to know each other even when they already knew a whole lot. Not to mention the amount of sexual tension between them. It was so obvious to everyone in the room except them. I was giggling throughout the whole book because Ezra and Sadie were just so oblivious sometimes.
I loved the atmosphere of this book as well. It not only focused on Ezra and Sadie, but on all the other members of Willow Creek as well. I loved that I got to see them again, and see what they were up to. I even got to like characters that I didn’t like before because I got to know them much better.
There was crazy build up to the climax of the book, and when it finally happened my heart was almost beating out of my chest. I loved the way the story played out and how perfect it was wrapped up.
To be honest I think this was the book I was least looking forward to, and the one I’m saddest over finishing. I wanted to read more!
Now to count the days until Take a Chance comes out… 4.5 stars
An eARC of this book was provided to me in exchange for an honest an unbiased review
My Amazon Review.
This is officially my favorite book in the series! Ezra and Sadie can take all the stars for all I care! This was such a great “best friends to lovers” book!
“Crushing on my best friend really freaking sucked.”
Sadie and Ezra’s story was absolutely amazing. They’re best friends, but both feel attracted to each other. Of course, they’re afraid to do anything about it because they don’t want to jeopardize what they have, but when Sadie moves in with Ezra for a while, it’s very difficult to keep their feelings under wraps.
I felt like I was watching an episode (or a season) of FRIENDS while reading this book. It was funny, it was romantic, it was swoony, sexy, and most of all it was real. While I enjoyed the other books in this series, I think this is the one that really connected with me the most. Ezra and Sadie’s struggle was so real. The will they/won’t they angst was so delicious. I couldn’t help but keep passing the pages in an effort to know what was going to happen next.
The best thing about this book is the fact that even if it’s part of the New Adult Genre, it isn’t all about the sex. Don’t get me wrong, all the sex scenes and situations were really
I’m convinced Ezra is the best friend every girl would want to have. He’s sweet, cute, charming, caring, cute, funny, attentive, cute, easy to talk to, and did I mention cute? I love Ezra. Even if he’s the most quiet guy of the group, he’s still completely amazing. Not to mention that when he actually talks he says hilarious things like,
[…] "I feel like a winner from where I’m standing! You have a nice ass!”
Sadie is referred to as a tornado in the book and I couldn’t have put it better myself. She has all this energy that is sometimes so difficult to contain, not to mention how outspoken and eccentric she can be at times too. For all intents and purposes, she is Ezra’s complete opposite. And I loved that about them! They each learned from each other and formed an amazing bond.
The romance between them was so sweet! They were already best friends, so you’d think it would be no problem for them to move to the next stage, but it was so cute seeing them trying to learn each other’s quirks. The way they still got to know each other even when they already knew a whole lot. Not to mention the amount of sexual tension between them. It was so obvious to everyone in the room except them. I was giggling throughout the whole book because Ezra and Sadie were just so oblivious sometimes.
I loved the atmosphere of this book as well. It not only focused on Ezra and Sadie, but on all the other members of Willow Creek as well. I loved that I got to see them again, and see what they were up to. I even got to like characters that I didn’t like before because I got to know them much better.
There was crazy build up to the climax of the book, and when it finally happened my heart was almost beating out of my chest. I loved the way the story played out and how perfect it was wrapped up.
To be honest I think this was the book I was least looking forward to, and the one I’m saddest over finishing. I wanted to read more!
Now to count the days until Take a Chance comes out… 4.5 stars
An eARC of this book was provided to me in exchange for an honest an unbiased review
My Amazon Review.
January 1, 2016
This 4.5 latte mugs review was first published on Latte Nights Reviews.
Can everyone just agree that this book was just so freaking cute?! Out of the members of the Willow Creek band, I have to admit that Ezra's story was the one I was less looking forward to simply because I barely got to read about him in Last To Know and Never Too Late . Also, Sadie was a character that I didn't fully love in the beginning of the series but now I love, especially when she's drunk—she is so funny!
This is story of best friends that distanced themselves and now have been reunited again. Sadie had stopped speaking to Ezra when her fiance had gotten jealous over their friendship. Weeks before the wedding, Sadie catches her fiance cheating on her and she might have had a minor problem with the law so she calls Ezra to help her out. Their friendship begins to take form once again but Sadie wants more than friendship yet Ezra doesn't want to ruin what they have so Sadie formulates a plan that could end up back firing but she goes ahead and makes a deal with Ezra anyways. The romance in this book is so damn cute! I can't even! Seriously, it reminded me a bit of Maddox and Emma (let's face it, no one can win over their cute romance but this one comes close). Ezra is always there for Sadie to help her out and just be there as a friend to her and I wish I had a guy friend like him in my life. Sadie is a great girl that we get to learn more about in this book, which is definitely fun.
You guys know my one true love is Mathias Wade. I'm sorry but that man is perfect, even with his curse words. I was sad to say goodbye in Never Too Late but get this. All of the members with their girlfriends make lots of appearances in this third installment and I just adored that! The reader gets to experience the members spending time together and how nerdy they really are. We also get to read about Maddox and Emma and Mathias and Remy a lot, since they are involved in Ezra and Sadie's life. For those that are fans of Maddox and Emma, you will be so happy with this book because they are in this a lot and yes, their cuteness and romance is still intact, even Maddox's obsession with Diet Pepsi.
My only complaint about the story is that I wish I had more Ezra time. The reason being that I don't think I know him enough, I don't think he didn't get to talk a lot about himself. I know that there really isn't much to talk about since Sadie has known him for a very long time but still. I wish he would have revealed something drastic or just something from his past that nobody knew to make the story even more interesting and learn more about the guy. But all in all, I enjoyed this story a lot. It was just fun and it didn't revolve around sex, like most NA stories nowadays do (not talking about NTL since that book really deserved all of those sex scenes *fans face*). I really loved this new addition to the Willow Creek series and I cannot wait for Hayes story! If you want to know who his love interest is, then you should definitely read In Your Heart since the girl is introduced here and I immediately shipped them!
If you don't follow Micalea Smeltzer, you definitely should because she is a fantastic author!
Can everyone just agree that this book was just so freaking cute?! Out of the members of the Willow Creek band, I have to admit that Ezra's story was the one I was less looking forward to simply because I barely got to read about him in Last To Know and Never Too Late . Also, Sadie was a character that I didn't fully love in the beginning of the series but now I love, especially when she's drunk—she is so funny!
This is story of best friends that distanced themselves and now have been reunited again. Sadie had stopped speaking to Ezra when her fiance had gotten jealous over their friendship. Weeks before the wedding, Sadie catches her fiance cheating on her and she might have had a minor problem with the law so she calls Ezra to help her out. Their friendship begins to take form once again but Sadie wants more than friendship yet Ezra doesn't want to ruin what they have so Sadie formulates a plan that could end up back firing but she goes ahead and makes a deal with Ezra anyways. The romance in this book is so damn cute! I can't even! Seriously, it reminded me a bit of Maddox and Emma (let's face it, no one can win over their cute romance but this one comes close). Ezra is always there for Sadie to help her out and just be there as a friend to her and I wish I had a guy friend like him in my life. Sadie is a great girl that we get to learn more about in this book, which is definitely fun.
You guys know my one true love is Mathias Wade. I'm sorry but that man is perfect, even with his curse words. I was sad to say goodbye in Never Too Late but get this. All of the members with their girlfriends make lots of appearances in this third installment and I just adored that! The reader gets to experience the members spending time together and how nerdy they really are. We also get to read about Maddox and Emma and Mathias and Remy a lot, since they are involved in Ezra and Sadie's life. For those that are fans of Maddox and Emma, you will be so happy with this book because they are in this a lot and yes, their cuteness and romance is still intact, even Maddox's obsession with Diet Pepsi.
My only complaint about the story is that I wish I had more Ezra time. The reason being that I don't think I know him enough, I don't think he didn't get to talk a lot about himself. I know that there really isn't much to talk about since Sadie has known him for a very long time but still. I wish he would have revealed something drastic or just something from his past that nobody knew to make the story even more interesting and learn more about the guy. But all in all, I enjoyed this story a lot. It was just fun and it didn't revolve around sex, like most NA stories nowadays do (not talking about NTL since that book really deserved all of those sex scenes *fans face*). I really loved this new addition to the Willow Creek series and I cannot wait for Hayes story! If you want to know who his love interest is, then you should definitely read In Your Heart since the girl is introduced here and I immediately shipped them!
If you don't follow Micalea Smeltzer, you definitely should because she is a fantastic author!
August 25, 2015
I absolutely loved In Your Heart…. It was sweet and adorable and so much different than the other two books. In this book they were first best friends and both were scared to take their relationship any further. Even though they had a chemistry that was of the charts. Now like the second book in this series it was also a new adult book. We met these two characters in the first book and I already liked then in those books.
Okay so this book is about Sadie who was engaged to a huge jackass. She found him cheating on her and when she found him like that, she went a little crazy…. Which I totally understand but sadly what she did got her arrested. She called her best friend Ezra to bail her out. Even though she hasn’t talked to him in a very long time… she pushed him out of her life, he still dropped everything and came to help her out. After all he loved her, he just did not know in what way he loved her.
Ezra helped her heal after feeling that her pride got damaged. She and Ezra made a deal with each other to have some kind of friends with benefits relationship but soon she realized that there deal would not work. She started to fall for him and she knows that when they end this friends with benefits deal then she would be very hurt and she might get her heartbroken. She hated that she had to hide their relationship to her friends but they did. Even though they aren’t very good at being secretive. Anyway EZRA needed to figure out his true feeling her at the end because Sadie was not able to keep this thing going, he was breaking her heart every time. She let him know what she thought and they nearly lost each other but luckily they had a great HEA!
Anyway like I said I love this book it was sweet and hot at the same time. Well for a new adult book. I loved Sadie because even though she was cheated on she still stood up for herself and she was strong. I liked that she broke it off with her fiancé because I knew in the second book already that she and Ezra were meant to be. It just took longer for the both of them to realise it. I do know Emma realised it since the beginning and Emma kept fighting for them to get their heads out of there asses and tell her the truth. Thankfully they did.
Anyway as you see this is a short review because I can’t go raving over this book… especially because I’m at work and people won’t take kindly that I review the whole day long instead of work :P I CANT WAIT TO READ THE NEXT BOOK! I really do love this series and would do anything to get more stories out of them. As always it was a real light read, a great book to read when you stressed because it helped me to unwind real quickly. Trust me get your hands on this series because you won’t regret it.
Okay so this book is about Sadie who was engaged to a huge jackass. She found him cheating on her and when she found him like that, she went a little crazy…. Which I totally understand but sadly what she did got her arrested. She called her best friend Ezra to bail her out. Even though she hasn’t talked to him in a very long time… she pushed him out of her life, he still dropped everything and came to help her out. After all he loved her, he just did not know in what way he loved her.
Ezra helped her heal after feeling that her pride got damaged. She and Ezra made a deal with each other to have some kind of friends with benefits relationship but soon she realized that there deal would not work. She started to fall for him and she knows that when they end this friends with benefits deal then she would be very hurt and she might get her heartbroken. She hated that she had to hide their relationship to her friends but they did. Even though they aren’t very good at being secretive. Anyway EZRA needed to figure out his true feeling her at the end because Sadie was not able to keep this thing going, he was breaking her heart every time. She let him know what she thought and they nearly lost each other but luckily they had a great HEA!
Anyway like I said I love this book it was sweet and hot at the same time. Well for a new adult book. I loved Sadie because even though she was cheated on she still stood up for herself and she was strong. I liked that she broke it off with her fiancé because I knew in the second book already that she and Ezra were meant to be. It just took longer for the both of them to realise it. I do know Emma realised it since the beginning and Emma kept fighting for them to get their heads out of there asses and tell her the truth. Thankfully they did.
Anyway as you see this is a short review because I can’t go raving over this book… especially because I’m at work and people won’t take kindly that I review the whole day long instead of work :P I CANT WAIT TO READ THE NEXT BOOK! I really do love this series and would do anything to get more stories out of them. As always it was a real light read, a great book to read when you stressed because it helped me to unwind real quickly. Trust me get your hands on this series because you won’t regret it.
MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG:
June 11, 2015
I Was Provided A ARC By The Author
(Possible Spoilers)
A beautiful, emotional series. Full of so much heart, and many laughs. These characters will stick with you for a very long time.
Sadie Westbrook life just took a dramatic turn. Braden, the man she was suppose to marry, the man everyone she knew hated, betrays her. Hurt and feeling lost, and some what relived that her relationship is over. She calls up her best friend. She knows she can trust him with anything, even if she has pushed him away lately. Being with Braden, has changed her and made her loose sight of what she wanted out of life. Now she's left to pick up the pieces and discover herself again.
Ezra Collins, bass player for Willow Creek, is the more quite one of the band, everyones friend, a brilliant musician, deep, sweet, keeps to himself. He loves the life he has, but feels like he wants more. What's really important to him is making sure his friendship with Sadie last, and that nothing, feelings, words, or actions, ruins that. He'll do anything for that girl, and when she's lost and hurt he takes her in, and tries prove to her that she can do whatever her heart desires. And that almost marrying a complete jerk or pushing friends away, doesn't make her a bad person.
You'll be rooting for Ezra & Sadie from chapter one. Their friendship is so strong and beautiful, the chemistry between them flows off the pages. You just know their love will be epic. And epic it is. I love love love friends to lovers stories, and i think Micalea Smeltzer did an awesome job bringing that to life. It was real and genuine, a slow build up, they questioned and doubted their feelings. They didn't just jump right in. And i loved that. It was very believable.
I also really love getting more of the other characters, Maddox & Emma, Mathias & Remy, and getting to know Hayes more, and meeting Arden. To see what they have been up to and where their going. It was alot of fun to catch a glimpse of Trace, Olivia, Dean & Trent. As well as Avery and Luca. I loved how these two series intertwine.
This was a beautiful story, not only of friends becoming lovers, but of family/friends, and learning to discover yourself every day. Getting up after being hurt or lost, brushing yourself off and living.
Awesome job Micalea, I cant wait to see what you bring us next in this series.
(Possible Spoilers)
A beautiful, emotional series. Full of so much heart, and many laughs. These characters will stick with you for a very long time.
Sadie Westbrook life just took a dramatic turn. Braden, the man she was suppose to marry, the man everyone she knew hated, betrays her. Hurt and feeling lost, and some what relived that her relationship is over. She calls up her best friend. She knows she can trust him with anything, even if she has pushed him away lately. Being with Braden, has changed her and made her loose sight of what she wanted out of life. Now she's left to pick up the pieces and discover herself again.
Ezra Collins, bass player for Willow Creek, is the more quite one of the band, everyones friend, a brilliant musician, deep, sweet, keeps to himself. He loves the life he has, but feels like he wants more. What's really important to him is making sure his friendship with Sadie last, and that nothing, feelings, words, or actions, ruins that. He'll do anything for that girl, and when she's lost and hurt he takes her in, and tries prove to her that she can do whatever her heart desires. And that almost marrying a complete jerk or pushing friends away, doesn't make her a bad person.
You'll be rooting for Ezra & Sadie from chapter one. Their friendship is so strong and beautiful, the chemistry between them flows off the pages. You just know their love will be epic. And epic it is. I love love love friends to lovers stories, and i think Micalea Smeltzer did an awesome job bringing that to life. It was real and genuine, a slow build up, they questioned and doubted their feelings. They didn't just jump right in. And i loved that. It was very believable.
I also really love getting more of the other characters, Maddox & Emma, Mathias & Remy, and getting to know Hayes more, and meeting Arden. To see what they have been up to and where their going. It was alot of fun to catch a glimpse of Trace, Olivia, Dean & Trent. As well as Avery and Luca. I loved how these two series intertwine.
This was a beautiful story, not only of friends becoming lovers, but of family/friends, and learning to discover yourself every day. Getting up after being hurt or lost, brushing yourself off and living.
Awesome job Micalea, I cant wait to see what you bring us next in this series.
June 16, 2015
I received an ARC copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Another amazing 5* book from Micalea Smeltzer.
The Willow Creek series has been one of my favorite series ever, from the very first chapter of the first book I knew I was going to be hooked and addicted and I wasn't wrong. In your heart is a friends to lovers book with a lot of obstacles throughout. I've been rooting for them to be together since i read the other two books as well so when I found out book three was about Sadie and Ezra I think I may have screamed just a little bit, (ok ok i screamed a lot).
Ezra and Sadie first met when their best friends Maddox and Emma started dating in the first book of the series. Ezra is the bassist for the band Willow Creek and Sadie is Emma's friend. If you've read the first two books you'll know Sadie's in a relationship with Braden (who no one likes) and this book starts when Sadie walks in on her fiancé in their bed with another woman just a few weeks before their wedding. Understandably upset she turns to her best friend Ezra even though they haven't seen or spoke to each other in months because Sadie's fiancé was jealous of their friendship and forbid her from seeing him. So Ezra comes to her rescue like a sexy knight in shining armour and offers her a place to say like the amazingly sweet guy he is. From then their friendship starts to form again while Sadie tries to piece her life back together again only to realize she wants more then just friendship but Ezra doesn't want to ruin what they have. In the end Sadie comes up with a plan and a deal that could blow up in both their faces, or it could be the making of them.
I loved this book, the sexual chemistry and the sweetness between these too was just perfect and Ezra stole my heart and I cant wait for Hayes story next, don't worry Hayes there's room in my heart for you too. You also find out who Hayes love interest is in this book and I'm so excited to find out what happens there. This is a must read book to an amazingly addictive series.
Another amazing 5* book from Micalea Smeltzer.
The Willow Creek series has been one of my favorite series ever, from the very first chapter of the first book I knew I was going to be hooked and addicted and I wasn't wrong. In your heart is a friends to lovers book with a lot of obstacles throughout. I've been rooting for them to be together since i read the other two books as well so when I found out book three was about Sadie and Ezra I think I may have screamed just a little bit, (ok ok i screamed a lot).
Ezra and Sadie first met when their best friends Maddox and Emma started dating in the first book of the series. Ezra is the bassist for the band Willow Creek and Sadie is Emma's friend. If you've read the first two books you'll know Sadie's in a relationship with Braden (who no one likes) and this book starts when Sadie walks in on her fiancé in their bed with another woman just a few weeks before their wedding. Understandably upset she turns to her best friend Ezra even though they haven't seen or spoke to each other in months because Sadie's fiancé was jealous of their friendship and forbid her from seeing him. So Ezra comes to her rescue like a sexy knight in shining armour and offers her a place to say like the amazingly sweet guy he is. From then their friendship starts to form again while Sadie tries to piece her life back together again only to realize she wants more then just friendship but Ezra doesn't want to ruin what they have. In the end Sadie comes up with a plan and a deal that could blow up in both their faces, or it could be the making of them.
I loved this book, the sexual chemistry and the sweetness between these too was just perfect and Ezra stole my heart and I cant wait for Hayes story next, don't worry Hayes there's room in my heart for you too. You also find out who Hayes love interest is in this book and I'm so excited to find out what happens there. This is a must read book to an amazingly addictive series.
June 16, 2015
I really do enjoy a great friends to lover’s story and I have to say that with Erza and Sadie,that is exactly what you get a… great story.
We know the two of them, they have been in the books since the very first novel and since then they have become close friends, but nothing more.
When things get out of hand at home for Sadie, she can think of only one person to help, one person she can talk to and that is Ezra. He is her confidante, her shoulder to not only lean on but to cry on too and when she needs a place to stay, his door is open.
But moving in, I have to say I had my doubt that Sadie was making a clever choice but then again, what option did she have?
Ezra may be the bass player for the band but he is the quiet man, the thinker of the crew, a genuinely sweet guy who tries to keep himself to himself. His friendship with Sadie is paramount to him and he is determined to make sure that nothing destroys that but there is just much more between the two of them that they really owed it to each other to give it a try.
Their close proximity on a day to day basis, really was played to absolute perfection, the banter and chatter was both funny and charming, the build up to them becoming a couple was a slow steady accumulation of love and lust.
I couldn’t put the book down, the characters were so engaging that I was totally engrossed in the whole scenario.
They were great friends but they were so different, when they finally took the plunge and tipped their friendship over into the relationship I was whooping!!!
I also loved the fact that we got more of the couples from the earlier books and also the mysterious Hayes. I hope we get more of his story in the next book.
We know the two of them, they have been in the books since the very first novel and since then they have become close friends, but nothing more.
When things get out of hand at home for Sadie, she can think of only one person to help, one person she can talk to and that is Ezra. He is her confidante, her shoulder to not only lean on but to cry on too and when she needs a place to stay, his door is open.
But moving in, I have to say I had my doubt that Sadie was making a clever choice but then again, what option did she have?
Ezra may be the bass player for the band but he is the quiet man, the thinker of the crew, a genuinely sweet guy who tries to keep himself to himself. His friendship with Sadie is paramount to him and he is determined to make sure that nothing destroys that but there is just much more between the two of them that they really owed it to each other to give it a try.
Their close proximity on a day to day basis, really was played to absolute perfection, the banter and chatter was both funny and charming, the build up to them becoming a couple was a slow steady accumulation of love and lust.
I couldn’t put the book down, the characters were so engaging that I was totally engrossed in the whole scenario.
They were great friends but they were so different, when they finally took the plunge and tipped their friendship over into the relationship I was whooping!!!
I also loved the fact that we got more of the couples from the earlier books and also the mysterious Hayes. I hope we get more of his story in the next book.
June 11, 2015
*I was given a copy of this book as a gift from Stephanie's Book Reports in exchange for an honest review.
5 stars for In Your Heart by Micalea Smeltzer!! I have enjoyed reading the previous books in the Willow Creek series, so I was excited to read this one as well.
Sadie Westbrook thinks that she has it all, but boy is she ever wrong. When she catches her fiance having sex with a woman (on her bed no less), she is pissed. After making some threats with a knife, the cops are called which results with Sadie's arrest. While in jail, she thinks of calling her parents, but she just isn't up to a lecture, so she calls her best friend Ezra. Ezra is a member of the widely popular Willow Creek band as well as Sadie's best friend. Ezra insists that Sadie move in with him until she can find her own place. The first couple of days seem to go okay, but they are both drawn to one another and living in close quarters only seems to intensify their feelings. When the line between friendship and love begins to blur, they must decide if starting a relationship is worth putting their friendship at risk.
As I stated earlier, I love all of the Willow Creek boys! I can't wait to read the next book that will focus on Hayes and Arden! Keep them coming Micalea! Congrats on another success!
5 stars for In Your Heart by Micalea Smeltzer!! I have enjoyed reading the previous books in the Willow Creek series, so I was excited to read this one as well.
Sadie Westbrook thinks that she has it all, but boy is she ever wrong. When she catches her fiance having sex with a woman (on her bed no less), she is pissed. After making some threats with a knife, the cops are called which results with Sadie's arrest. While in jail, she thinks of calling her parents, but she just isn't up to a lecture, so she calls her best friend Ezra. Ezra is a member of the widely popular Willow Creek band as well as Sadie's best friend. Ezra insists that Sadie move in with him until she can find her own place. The first couple of days seem to go okay, but they are both drawn to one another and living in close quarters only seems to intensify their feelings. When the line between friendship and love begins to blur, they must decide if starting a relationship is worth putting their friendship at risk.
As I stated earlier, I love all of the Willow Creek boys! I can't wait to read the next book that will focus on Hayes and Arden! Keep them coming Micalea! Congrats on another success!
November 29, 2015
"In Your Heart" was freaking amazing and I absolutely loved it! Ezra and Sadie were truly amazing and I fell in love with them from the very beginning. Micalea Smeltzer did a phenomenal job telling their story, and I completely loved her writing style. She gets better and better with every book she writes and I can't wait to read more of them. I loved Ezra and Sadie's personalities and chemistry together. They made a perfect couple, and I loved how their strong and close friendship turned into more. I couldn't have been more ecstatic with the outcome of their story, and I was so glad that I could go on their journey with them. I also loved, loved, loved getting to see the other couples and characters from previous books in the series. I loved the camaraderie between all of them, especially the members of Willow Creek. They were hilarious and very entertaining, and I loved their close bond and banter with each other. There were many pleasant surprises that happened in this book that made me extremely happy, and many laugh out loud moments as well. I loved reading "Last to Know" and "Never Too Late," but "In Your Heart" has been my favorite installment of the Willow Creek series so far and I cannot wait to read Hayes and Arden's story in "Take a Chance!"
Check out more of my reviews on my blog: https://perksofbeingabibliophile.word...
Check out more of my reviews on my blog: https://perksofbeingabibliophile.word...
June 16, 2015
I must say I have fallen in love with this series. Each one of the guys has their qualities..Maddox is a hopeless romantic, Mathias is overprotective and Ezra is the quiet supportive one. I must say Ezra is my new favorite book boyfriend. He is everything you want. Sadie was in a bad relationship, one that everyone saw and Ezra stepped back despite what he wanted to do. He also ran to her when she needed help. He is always there to support her. Despite hiding their feelings through most of this book, it was a sweet and the build up was perfection. This is definitely my favorite book of the series. As much as I loved this story, I'm counting days the days to read Hayes and Arden's book. I need to finish this series, I have fallen in love with the Willow Creek family!
June 15, 2015
New adult is my guilty pleasure genre. I adore it and this series has been excellent. And a romance between best friends and all the obstacles they can face together and apart oh i adore it. Ezra and Sadie are such amazing characters who are quite complex and lead very different lives, but their best friend status is what ties them so closely and it is lovely to read. That is not to say there is not angst and drama through this story but i love a healthy dose of these when reading a book it just gets me more involved in picking sides with characters and getting even more involved in the story.
May 17, 2016
Interesting! What do you call the guy that bails you out of jail when you lose your mind and try to kill the skank that you discover in your bed with your lying, cheating fiance? Oh that would be Ezra, the world famous guitarist of the band Willow Creek and your long-time best friend. But what happens when you realize you love him but he doesn't love you back?
June 14, 2015
I was lucky enough to get an ARC by the author & goodness I sure am happy about it!!! this book was just incredible!! Ezra & Sadie stole my heart and ran away with it!! it had everything a great book should. passion, lovable characters, humor & hardships.
July 14, 2015
3.75***
October 8, 2016
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August 21, 2017
4 Stars
July 27, 2021
OK, forced with too much Emma
The steamiest thus far in the series.
Sadie and Ezras story really felt like an extension of Emma’s with a hint of Maddox. I likes Emma in her book, but she just took this one over and it felt like any time the author needed filler she added the couple from book one... and in this book it took up almost half the book. Needless to say I’m over Emma and am not sure that I want to read the final book... for a few reasons... this far Haynes hasn’t been too engaging and mainly because... well like my review, I’m afraid Emma will take over with her annoying self.
Sadie and Ezra have a great relationship before and after as lovers. But all in all this friends to lovers story felt forced. And when did Ezra become an artist... not with music. Like what he drew would of taken him years not less than 2 weeks.
If you love Willow Creek take this for a quick read, but it’s missing a lot of the heart and depth that the other books had.
The steamiest thus far in the series.
Sadie and Ezras story really felt like an extension of Emma’s with a hint of Maddox. I likes Emma in her book, but she just took this one over and it felt like any time the author needed filler she added the couple from book one... and in this book it took up almost half the book. Needless to say I’m over Emma and am not sure that I want to read the final book... for a few reasons... this far Haynes hasn’t been too engaging and mainly because... well like my review, I’m afraid Emma will take over with her annoying self.
Sadie and Ezra have a great relationship before and after as lovers. But all in all this friends to lovers story felt forced. And when did Ezra become an artist... not with music. Like what he drew would of taken him years not less than 2 weeks.
If you love Willow Creek take this for a quick read, but it’s missing a lot of the heart and depth that the other books had.
February 11, 2024
3 stars
3 stars
Not a lot happens here. Sadie leaves her cheating fiancé. Moves in with her former best friend, Ezra. Former, because the cheating ex fiancé made her drop her friendship with him.
It’s always been a slow burn with them. Living together leads them to friends with benefits.
She falls more deeply in love with him.
It blows up because he won’t commit (afraid to lose the friendship).
It’s very slow moving. Not much happens.
They both need to be slapped upside the head.
Book 1, Maddox and Emma, remains the best.
3 stars
Not a lot happens here. Sadie leaves her cheating fiancé. Moves in with her former best friend, Ezra. Former, because the cheating ex fiancé made her drop her friendship with him.
It’s always been a slow burn with them. Living together leads them to friends with benefits.
She falls more deeply in love with him.
It blows up because he won’t commit (afraid to lose the friendship).
It’s very slow moving. Not much happens.
They both need to be slapped upside the head.
Book 1, Maddox and Emma, remains the best.
October 23, 2022
I read this book because it is part of a series and I was curious to learn the story of the other members of the band.
It was a good past time, and a good opportunity to catch up with the characters from the previous books.
Ezra's and Sadie's story drags on for a long time, but without any thrills. It got to a point where I just wanted to insert myself in the story and tell them both to get on with it already.
By the end, I just wanted to finish the book and move on to the next one.
It was a good past time, and a good opportunity to catch up with the characters from the previous books.
Ezra's and Sadie's story drags on for a long time, but without any thrills. It got to a point where I just wanted to insert myself in the story and tell them both to get on with it already.
By the end, I just wanted to finish the book and move on to the next one.
Read
February 5, 2026Not a good fit for me. I don’t believe that a lawyer would act like that and also wear the FMC clothes? What happened to the clothes she was wearing when she arrived? Braden acting like it was no big deal when caught and simply saying sorry the next day? Ezra was a great book boyfriend but the plot was thin
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2024
This was my fave of this series so far although I wish it was dual POV so we could get Ezra’s side as well.
Their chemistry was great and I loved reading about them.
I really don’t like Emma’s character so I found I didn’t enjoy the scenes with her in them. She was just in this book too much.
Their chemistry was great and I loved reading about them.
I really don’t like Emma’s character so I found I didn’t enjoy the scenes with her in them. She was just in this book too much.
February 21, 2025
This might now be my favorite read of this series. The relationship that Sadie and Ezra have is absolutely precious and I love how they went from best friends to lovers. Sadie has grown so much since the first book and I’m so glad she found Ezra. Secretly hoping book 4 has them getting married. 🤞🏼
June 26, 2017
BFFs
Another fabulous job done Ezra and Sadie story was fantastic. Just love the Willow Creek Family they are awesome characters.
Another fabulous job done Ezra and Sadie story was fantastic. Just love the Willow Creek Family they are awesome characters.
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