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Love You #6
Need to Love You
Chloe Cahill’s dreams changed after becoming pregnant in high school. She married her high school sweetheart just after graduation and together, they welcomed a handsome son into the world. Now that Alex was in preschool, she set her eyes on finding the perfect job.
Just when she thought she had it all, one night turned her life upside down once more.
Jackson Cahill did the right thing by marrying his pregnant girlfriend. He had no doubts about that. Lately, however, he felt restless in his marriage, and one late night of drinking changed his life.
Jackson got himself in a real mess. And this time, the dilemma may just be too big of a disarray for him to get out of.
Just when she thought she had it all, one night turned her life upside down once more.
Jackson Cahill did the right thing by marrying his pregnant girlfriend. He had no doubts about that. Lately, however, he felt restless in his marriage, and one late night of drinking changed his life.
Jackson got himself in a real mess. And this time, the dilemma may just be too big of a disarray for him to get out of.
219 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2015
398 people are currently reading
2338 people want to read
About the author
Megan Smith
17 books2,115 followersMegan Smith is a USA TODAY Bestselling author who’s a stay-at-home mom and writes whenever her little heart can. She lives in Southern New Jersey with her husband and three children. When she’s not chasing around her children she loves watching movies, reading, spending time with her family and watching beautiful sunsets.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
November 13, 2015
I tried to like the story but Jackson's sudden restlessness seems it came out of left field. He behaved like a douchebag and treated his family like shit!
My issue with this story was also that the timeline didn't seem to line up with previous books in this series.
Chloe gave up just as much as Jackson in regards to having a baby just after high school but I didn't see her going out, getting shitfaced, and acting like an asshole.
I can't see Jackson as anything but a selfish cry-ass bitch boy and for that I am leaving a two star rating
:(
My issue with this story was also that the timeline didn't seem to line up with previous books in this series.
Chloe gave up just as much as Jackson in regards to having a baby just after high school but I didn't see her going out, getting shitfaced, and acting like an asshole.
I can't see Jackson as anything but a selfish cry-ass bitch boy and for that I am leaving a two star rating
:(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2017
Somewhat anti-climactic and fairly low-angst considering the blurb. This is a marriage-in-trouble book. The H/h married after senior year in high school because of an unplanned pregnancy. After 5 years of marriage, the couple is dealing with what-ifs, reality, lack of communication, unrealistic expectations, growing pains, trying for another baby, etc. 2.5 rounded stars.
March 3, 2017
My favourite by far of the whole series, but something seriously bugs me with these books!
Every single female character gets pregnant accidentally!
With this book I could understand, a husband and wife struggling to conceive. Which in turns puts pressure on their marriage, resulting in time needed apart! So when the finally reconcile they have unprotected sex. Fine I totally believe it, but with every other person in this family being on birth control that stops working.....I mean come on, what are the odds of that?
A few references to OW banging tits and so on, I know men (married or not) do this but if I'm honest I prefer to live believing my hubby is a eunuch when it comes to other women! So I would have loved those edited out but hey that's just me being fussy!
Every single female character gets pregnant accidentally!
With this book I could understand, a husband and wife struggling to conceive. Which in turns puts pressure on their marriage, resulting in time needed apart! So when the finally reconcile they have unprotected sex. Fine I totally believe it, but with every other person in this family being on birth control that stops working.....I mean come on, what are the odds of that?
A few references to OW banging tits and so on, I know men (married or not) do this but if I'm honest I prefer to live believing my hubby is a eunuch when it comes to other women! So I would have loved those edited out but hey that's just me being fussy!
August 7, 2022
3 ⭐⭐⭐ - OK decent reads
=======================
Reread in August 2022 and added quotes.
==> 2015
Very true their story ... The couple matures very fast due to their pregnancy in adolescence and their need soon form a family and face the responsibilities of paternity. The relationship is wearing out and comes at a time of decision ... Is it worth continuing or was the love suffocated?
=======================
Reread in August 2022 and added quotes.
==> 2015
Very true their story ... The couple matures very fast due to their pregnancy in adolescence and their need soon form a family and face the responsibilities of paternity. The relationship is wearing out and comes at a time of decision ... Is it worth continuing or was the love suffocated?
October 19, 2015
Need to Love You is the final book to the Love Series. Over the years, I have wondered many times about Jackson and Chloe since their relationship was established prior to the opening of book one. I always wanted their story, to find out what drew them together and to read along as Megan unfolds their love story. With the release of Jackson and Chloe's story, I was able to finally come full circle with this wonderful family Megan has created. She not only gave me a wonderful story of a love worth fighting for, but she also managed to make me remember why I loved each of these couples in the Love Series. Megan knocked this one out of the park and nailed the ending for this series. I could not be more in awe and in love with Jackson and Chloe's story as I am right now.
Jackson and Chloe's story is much different from the rest of this series. Their story starts out years after they've fallen in love. After years of always needing to take care of and provide for his family, Jackson starts to feel as if it's a burden rather than a blessing that he has been given and begins to tune out to his marriage drifting further away with each passing argument and day. Chloe has always relied on Jackson and his family since being shunned by her parents when she wound up pregnant in high school. Seeing Jackson drift further and further away with each passing day she is beside herself until Jackson tells her his inner most thoughts that she hoped she'd never hear.
I loved how real this story was. Megan did an amazing job at capturing the great, the ugly, and the reality of a marriage. I was ecstatic to get a story that wasn't at the start of their relationship, but at the center when push comes to shove was their love true. Although this story does still involve the wonderful Cahill family giving us yet another chance to catch up with our favorites, it truly does focus on just Jackson and Chloe's relationship, how they handle it together. At the end of the day there was no group intervention or protection from this family, just the need to love from both Jackson and Chloe solidifying how wonderful their love is.
Although I am sad this is the end of such an amazing series, I am so beyond excited and pleased with the ending. Megan did a great job bringing us full circle, pointing out what made us fall in love with each couple, and ending on an unbelievably high note closing out this series while warming your heart along the way.
Jackson and Chloe's story is much different from the rest of this series. Their story starts out years after they've fallen in love. After years of always needing to take care of and provide for his family, Jackson starts to feel as if it's a burden rather than a blessing that he has been given and begins to tune out to his marriage drifting further away with each passing argument and day. Chloe has always relied on Jackson and his family since being shunned by her parents when she wound up pregnant in high school. Seeing Jackson drift further and further away with each passing day she is beside herself until Jackson tells her his inner most thoughts that she hoped she'd never hear.
I loved how real this story was. Megan did an amazing job at capturing the great, the ugly, and the reality of a marriage. I was ecstatic to get a story that wasn't at the start of their relationship, but at the center when push comes to shove was their love true. Although this story does still involve the wonderful Cahill family giving us yet another chance to catch up with our favorites, it truly does focus on just Jackson and Chloe's relationship, how they handle it together. At the end of the day there was no group intervention or protection from this family, just the need to love from both Jackson and Chloe solidifying how wonderful their love is.
Although I am sad this is the end of such an amazing series, I am so beyond excited and pleased with the ending. Megan did a great job bringing us full circle, pointing out what made us fall in love with each couple, and ending on an unbelievably high note closing out this series while warming your heart along the way.
August 10, 2022
Chloe & Jackson were prematurely thrust into adulthood directly after high school, unprepared for the enormity of marriage and an unplanned pregnancy. Five years later, Jackson feels pressured. The tension begins to place a strain on their already shaky existence, leaving Jackson angry and bitter; he’s lost his zest for having a baby. They’ve been trying unsuccessfully for nine months and he’s gotten tired of performing “on demand”…an act lacking all emotion and connection.
Jackson is overwhelmed by the responsibilities of life, marriage and parenthood. Their priority should be focusing on themselves and understanding the steps to bridge their distance not bringing a new baby into a troubled marriage. That’s a recipe for disaster and never solves anything other than further estrangement.
Welcome to adulthood❗️
Pent up feelings of resentment begin festering, creating distance and missteps in the relationship.
“Did you feed Alex lunch while I was gone like I asked?”
“He didn’t tell me he was hungry.”
“Jackson! He’s five! You’re his damn father; it’s your responsibility to feed
him lunch.”
“You could have stayed home, fed him lunch, then went shopping.”
“You’re kidding me, right? I’m with him every single day of the week. I went out with your sister for three hours to go clothes shopping for Alex and food shopping for the week. You couldn’t have handled getting him lunch?”
“You do nothing all day, every day, while I’m at work busting my a*s to make us money. Get off my case, will you?” he snaps.
Pent up feelings of resentment begin festering, creating a wide divide.
They hadn’t been getting along so he went out drinking, not returning home that night. Many, many shots after the bartender cut them off, Ally and himself continued to party. Ally wasn’t ready to go home and be hounded by her sister and her husband for not finding a job. Jackson was about ready to leave and go home but she asked him to dance with her. He settled their tabs and then led her onto the dance floor. At first he stood there, seriously drunk. He tried to say something but his words were slurred and he was unsteady on his feet. She wasn’t nearly as drunk as him. She wrapped her arms around him to keep him upright. HE KEPT STARING AT HER LIPS and she thought he was going to kiss her, but then he stumbled after someone bumped into him.
His remembers…a cloud coming over gunmetal blue eyes as they dance along with the sea of people on the dance floor. Suddenly they stop and a moment later he’s being led down a hall where there are a bunch of people so close in proximity to each other that it’s evident some are joined in more places than at the hip. What was about to happen? Who was the girl?
Soon after, she spots her ex-boyfriend, panicked because she had stolen some money from him right before she broke up with him. She knew she had to make a hasty retreat. She told him what was going on so he would help her and he helped her escape through a window. Her ex and his goons surrounded her so she yelled for Jackson who came running over and saved her because she knew her ex wouldn’t act in front of witnesses.
She’d rung her sister and pled with her to come and pick her up, waiting with her, Jackson offered her a seat in his vehicle. She dropped her phone in his vehicle and couldn’t find it, so she asked him to use his phone so she could ring hers. A little while later her sister Aubrey and her husband Keith arrived. Keith flung his car door open, pulled Jackson from his vehicle and pinned him against it. He almost hit him before she intercepted, screaming and crying telling him to stop. He let go of him and he slid down to the ground. Keith started yelling wanting to know what happened but she remained silent because he’d kick her out of his house and it was the only place she had left to stay.
She leapt out of the vehicle to stop Keith from pummelling him and left her purse behind not realising that she had no way of contacting him to ask for it back. Aubrey sat her husband in their car and calmed him down. They then rang a taxi for him and when it arrived, Keith helped him in and paid for his fare.
He woke up at Cooper’s house not remembering how he got there. After he and Chloe got into yet another fight, he rang the bar to find out if his car was there, when he got into his vehicle, he noticed a purse as he was pulling out.
Ally’s purse was left behind in his vehicle.
Going through it, he rang the number—but no one answered so he left a message. He rang the last number which happened to be her sister.
He certainly doesn’t remember helping her climb out the window, much less running out of the bar or even Keith pulling him out of his vehicle. (If he was that intoxicated, how did they manage to escape through a window and if his words were slurred, how did he scare off her ex)?
Every time Jackson slips away from the house she never knows and when she confronts him in the morning, it declines into discord. The idea of fighting with him makes her wary. Meanwhile he gets completely drunk to the point of unconsciousness.
When they took Alex to school that first day and she mentioned his teacher’s name—“please tell me his teacher is not Ally.”
“No, but she’s her sister.”
Aubrey is their son Alex’s kindergarten teacher and she and her husband Keith were the ones to place Jackson in a taxi and pay his fare to his brother’s home, where he slept off his drunkenness on the sofa.
When he went back to pick up Alex he asked her if she was Ally, that’s when he learnt that they’re sisters. He gave her the purse to return to Ally.
“She’s a heavy drinker. Knowing Ally, she probably bet you that she could out drink you and from the sound of it she won. I got a call sometime around three in the morning, she was crying begging me to come and get her, said she was in trouble.”
“Trouble?”
“When we got there she was in your truck with you. Keith grabbed you out of the truck and slammed you back against the truck about ready to send his fist into your face. Ally started screaming and crying to stop. When Keith demanded that he know what was going on she said it was taken care of already and she just wanted to go home.”
“I see that woman every day, Jackson! How could you not tell me before now?”
“I’ve been trying but you wouldn’t hear any of it.”
“What did you want me to do?”
“I want that whole night to just go away and none of this to ever have happened.”
“I still need answers, Jackson. I need to hear the whole story.”
He recognises that she didn’t deliberately get pregnant right out of high school but that’s basically what he accused her of, holding him back from going to college and experiencing life. Ever heard of abstinence? Yet he used her as his verbal punching bag. The foundation of their marriage is fragile, and she wants another baby, not conceiving causes more friction as it’s become a chore. So the day she picked him up from his brother, Cooper, he was hung over and she was grating on his nerves. So he vented all of his pent up frustration at her.
“What the hell is going on with you, did I do something wrong?”
“You want to know what is wrong? I’ve always felt like I need to love you, need to take care of you, need to take care of everything. I never got to grow up! Never got to go to college, never got to do my own thing or do anything I wanted because I was always thinking and worrying about you.”
He bitterly lashes out wild accusations.
The look on Chloe's face shifts from anger, to shock, to hurt, and then to devastation.“I’m sorry you think I’ve ruined your life, Jackson, but I didn’t get much of a choice in life either”.
Except an unplanned, teenage pregnancy.
This resentment has been escalating for weeks, months, perhaps even years.
Initially, Chloe sought distance from him at his parents following his outburst. The first day of kindergarten he’s there and persuades her to return home with him, inevitably falling into bed.
He withholds telling Chloe about the purse. Until Ally rings his telephone and Chloe answers. She returned his call when he forgot his phone at home and Chloe answered.
“Let me help you out since you seem to be stalling. Ally called about ten minutes ago looking for her purse that she claims is in your truck. I went through your phone; you called her the other night while Alex and I were at your mom’s after our fight.”
“Ally’s purse was in my truck when I went to go and get it from Oceans. I found it, dug through it and found her phone. I called the last number and left a message letting them know I wanted to return it to Ally.”
“How did it get in your truck?”
“I don’t know, honestly.”
“I don’t believe you. I’m going to go pick up our son and go back to your parents’ house until I can figure out what I’m going to do.”
“No, just…stay here. I’ll go to my mom and dad’s.”
“No, this is your house. You stay here; I won’t be at your parents’ long anyway. I’m not going to freeload off your parents. I’ll figure something out.”
Resentment is ugly, being thrust into early parenthood they’d be in for an uphill battle and would have to grow up quickly. They bypassed maturing as a couple. The most hurtful thing that he said was that he always had to love her. And as far as him taking care of her, that was his brilliant idea. She didn’t want to be a stay-at-home mum; He made her dependent on him insisting that she remain at home to care for Alex.
Ally now works at his place of business.
He has a panic attack during therapy as Dr. Russell tries to calm him explaining that Chloe needs to be self-reliant, independent of relying on Jackson. Chloe wants recognition as an equal. They’ve practically grown into adults together. Never having to figure things out on their own and always relying on one another for everything whether it be financially or emotionally.
The advice slowly starts to register that they were each taking care of the other but neglecting themselves, losing their individuality along the way. They needed to do things irrespective of the other breaking the monotony and forming outside relationships.
This is a story of personal growth, self-discovery and an affirmation that high school sweethearts can endure the distance.
No cheating or OW - minor time apart…initially a week, then extended to a month. We’re only responsible for one person’s happiness. Our own. You can’t force another person to feel anything.
This could benefit from a proofreader, and an editing tool.
Jackson is overwhelmed by the responsibilities of life, marriage and parenthood. Their priority should be focusing on themselves and understanding the steps to bridge their distance not bringing a new baby into a troubled marriage. That’s a recipe for disaster and never solves anything other than further estrangement.
Welcome to adulthood❗️
Pent up feelings of resentment begin festering, creating distance and missteps in the relationship.
“Did you feed Alex lunch while I was gone like I asked?”
“He didn’t tell me he was hungry.”
“Jackson! He’s five! You’re his damn father; it’s your responsibility to feed
him lunch.”
“You could have stayed home, fed him lunch, then went shopping.”
“You’re kidding me, right? I’m with him every single day of the week. I went out with your sister for three hours to go clothes shopping for Alex and food shopping for the week. You couldn’t have handled getting him lunch?”
“You do nothing all day, every day, while I’m at work busting my a*s to make us money. Get off my case, will you?” he snaps.
Pent up feelings of resentment begin festering, creating a wide divide.
They hadn’t been getting along so he went out drinking, not returning home that night. Many, many shots after the bartender cut them off, Ally and himself continued to party. Ally wasn’t ready to go home and be hounded by her sister and her husband for not finding a job. Jackson was about ready to leave and go home but she asked him to dance with her. He settled their tabs and then led her onto the dance floor. At first he stood there, seriously drunk. He tried to say something but his words were slurred and he was unsteady on his feet. She wasn’t nearly as drunk as him. She wrapped her arms around him to keep him upright. HE KEPT STARING AT HER LIPS and she thought he was going to kiss her, but then he stumbled after someone bumped into him.
His remembers…a cloud coming over gunmetal blue eyes as they dance along with the sea of people on the dance floor. Suddenly they stop and a moment later he’s being led down a hall where there are a bunch of people so close in proximity to each other that it’s evident some are joined in more places than at the hip. What was about to happen? Who was the girl?
Soon after, she spots her ex-boyfriend, panicked because she had stolen some money from him right before she broke up with him. She knew she had to make a hasty retreat. She told him what was going on so he would help her and he helped her escape through a window. Her ex and his goons surrounded her so she yelled for Jackson who came running over and saved her because she knew her ex wouldn’t act in front of witnesses.
She’d rung her sister and pled with her to come and pick her up, waiting with her, Jackson offered her a seat in his vehicle. She dropped her phone in his vehicle and couldn’t find it, so she asked him to use his phone so she could ring hers. A little while later her sister Aubrey and her husband Keith arrived. Keith flung his car door open, pulled Jackson from his vehicle and pinned him against it. He almost hit him before she intercepted, screaming and crying telling him to stop. He let go of him and he slid down to the ground. Keith started yelling wanting to know what happened but she remained silent because he’d kick her out of his house and it was the only place she had left to stay.
She leapt out of the vehicle to stop Keith from pummelling him and left her purse behind not realising that she had no way of contacting him to ask for it back. Aubrey sat her husband in their car and calmed him down. They then rang a taxi for him and when it arrived, Keith helped him in and paid for his fare.
He woke up at Cooper’s house not remembering how he got there. After he and Chloe got into yet another fight, he rang the bar to find out if his car was there, when he got into his vehicle, he noticed a purse as he was pulling out.
Ally’s purse was left behind in his vehicle.
Going through it, he rang the number—but no one answered so he left a message. He rang the last number which happened to be her sister.
He certainly doesn’t remember helping her climb out the window, much less running out of the bar or even Keith pulling him out of his vehicle. (If he was that intoxicated, how did they manage to escape through a window and if his words were slurred, how did he scare off her ex)?
Every time Jackson slips away from the house she never knows and when she confronts him in the morning, it declines into discord. The idea of fighting with him makes her wary. Meanwhile he gets completely drunk to the point of unconsciousness.
When they took Alex to school that first day and she mentioned his teacher’s name—“please tell me his teacher is not Ally.”
“No, but she’s her sister.”
Aubrey is their son Alex’s kindergarten teacher and she and her husband Keith were the ones to place Jackson in a taxi and pay his fare to his brother’s home, where he slept off his drunkenness on the sofa.
When he went back to pick up Alex he asked her if she was Ally, that’s when he learnt that they’re sisters. He gave her the purse to return to Ally.
“She’s a heavy drinker. Knowing Ally, she probably bet you that she could out drink you and from the sound of it she won. I got a call sometime around three in the morning, she was crying begging me to come and get her, said she was in trouble.”
“Trouble?”
“When we got there she was in your truck with you. Keith grabbed you out of the truck and slammed you back against the truck about ready to send his fist into your face. Ally started screaming and crying to stop. When Keith demanded that he know what was going on she said it was taken care of already and she just wanted to go home.”
“I see that woman every day, Jackson! How could you not tell me before now?”
“I’ve been trying but you wouldn’t hear any of it.”
“What did you want me to do?”
“I want that whole night to just go away and none of this to ever have happened.”
“I still need answers, Jackson. I need to hear the whole story.”
He recognises that she didn’t deliberately get pregnant right out of high school but that’s basically what he accused her of, holding him back from going to college and experiencing life. Ever heard of abstinence? Yet he used her as his verbal punching bag. The foundation of their marriage is fragile, and she wants another baby, not conceiving causes more friction as it’s become a chore. So the day she picked him up from his brother, Cooper, he was hung over and she was grating on his nerves. So he vented all of his pent up frustration at her.
“What the hell is going on with you, did I do something wrong?”
“You want to know what is wrong? I’ve always felt like I need to love you, need to take care of you, need to take care of everything. I never got to grow up! Never got to go to college, never got to do my own thing or do anything I wanted because I was always thinking and worrying about you.”
He bitterly lashes out wild accusations.
The look on Chloe's face shifts from anger, to shock, to hurt, and then to devastation.“I’m sorry you think I’ve ruined your life, Jackson, but I didn’t get much of a choice in life either”.
Except an unplanned, teenage pregnancy.
This resentment has been escalating for weeks, months, perhaps even years.
Initially, Chloe sought distance from him at his parents following his outburst. The first day of kindergarten he’s there and persuades her to return home with him, inevitably falling into bed.
He withholds telling Chloe about the purse. Until Ally rings his telephone and Chloe answers. She returned his call when he forgot his phone at home and Chloe answered.
“Let me help you out since you seem to be stalling. Ally called about ten minutes ago looking for her purse that she claims is in your truck. I went through your phone; you called her the other night while Alex and I were at your mom’s after our fight.”
“Ally’s purse was in my truck when I went to go and get it from Oceans. I found it, dug through it and found her phone. I called the last number and left a message letting them know I wanted to return it to Ally.”
“How did it get in your truck?”
“I don’t know, honestly.”
“I don’t believe you. I’m going to go pick up our son and go back to your parents’ house until I can figure out what I’m going to do.”
“No, just…stay here. I’ll go to my mom and dad’s.”
“No, this is your house. You stay here; I won’t be at your parents’ long anyway. I’m not going to freeload off your parents. I’ll figure something out.”
Resentment is ugly, being thrust into early parenthood they’d be in for an uphill battle and would have to grow up quickly. They bypassed maturing as a couple. The most hurtful thing that he said was that he always had to love her. And as far as him taking care of her, that was his brilliant idea. She didn’t want to be a stay-at-home mum; He made her dependent on him insisting that she remain at home to care for Alex.
Ally now works at his place of business.
He has a panic attack during therapy as Dr. Russell tries to calm him explaining that Chloe needs to be self-reliant, independent of relying on Jackson. Chloe wants recognition as an equal. They’ve practically grown into adults together. Never having to figure things out on their own and always relying on one another for everything whether it be financially or emotionally.
The advice slowly starts to register that they were each taking care of the other but neglecting themselves, losing their individuality along the way. They needed to do things irrespective of the other breaking the monotony and forming outside relationships.
This is a story of personal growth, self-discovery and an affirmation that high school sweethearts can endure the distance.
No cheating or OW - minor time apart…initially a week, then extended to a month. We’re only responsible for one person’s happiness. Our own. You can’t force another person to feel anything.
This could benefit from a proofreader, and an editing tool.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
dnf
October 17, 2025DNF @ 79%
It was angsty for about a minute, then it went flat. The H went from being resentful and insensitive towards the h, to “never-mind I didn’t mean it” practically overnight. I really didn’t understand his glitch. Overall, dull.
It was angsty for about a minute, then it went flat. The H went from being resentful and insensitive towards the h, to “never-mind I didn’t mean it” practically overnight. I really didn’t understand his glitch. Overall, dull.
January 2, 2016
A summary of my review of Trying Not to Love You:
These characters and the way they react to things make everything that happens seem contrived, over-the-top, melodramatic... whatever you want to call it. I understand that there are a lot of readers out there who enjoy that sort of thing, but it's just not my cup of tea. I'll continue the series but my expectations aren't all that high. 2 stars.
A summary of my review for Easy to Love You:
More of the same in this book. Everyone wants to protect Mackenzie from everything, which blows up in their face in the end. I understood her father not telling her that he was an FBI agent when she was a kid, but there was NO REASON for Hunter to keep Mackenzie in the dark about the stuff going on with his father. "I didn't want you to worry about it" doesn't jive with how worried he seemed to get when his father was near Mackenzie and Ryder. I can understand why the author would take it both ways... it makes Hunter look like the alpha male who wants to shield his family from everything, AND the sweet, caring guy who is just so damn concerned for their safety. Well, sorry, but to me it just didn't work. Still too melodramatic for me, but I'm still going to continue the series. At least I know what to expect. 2 stars.
A summary of my review of Hard to Love You:
I won't even bother going into details on this one. More unnecessary drama all for the sake of one of the family members "protecting" the other. Just like all the times this happened before, it REALLY turns out SO well for EVERYONE. Really ready to see some new tricks from the author in the next book because this whole "I'm making bad decisions and withholding information to protect my family" bullshit is getting really played out. 1 star.
My review of Let Me Love You:
Best in the series so far, although Cooper got on my nerves. Yes, what happened to Jaylinn was terrible but get over it already. Jaylinn put up with your shit longer than I would have. 3 stars.
My review of Made to Love You:
Best in the series so far. The drama is far more real in this one, not brought on by illogical decisions made by the characters, which is pretty refreshing after the first 3 books. 4 stars.
Now, Need to Love You:
Again, best in the series so far. The issues that Jackson and Chloe faced were realistic, and they reacted to them and dealt with them in realistic ways. Also, this book actually made me feel something, unlike the first 3 books, and it made me feel more than book 4 and book 5. I was so mad at Jackson for the way he was acting at the beginning of the book, and by the end of the book, I just felt bad for him and Chloe both because they were both just victims of circumstances, basically. I'm glad they were able to work together to fix their relationship, even though things looked pretty bleak at first. 5 stars.
This series started off pretty rough for me. I didn't like the first 3 books at all, but the last 3 made the series worth reading. The Christmas novella was pretty good, too.
These characters and the way they react to things make everything that happens seem contrived, over-the-top, melodramatic... whatever you want to call it. I understand that there are a lot of readers out there who enjoy that sort of thing, but it's just not my cup of tea. I'll continue the series but my expectations aren't all that high. 2 stars.
A summary of my review for Easy to Love You:
More of the same in this book. Everyone wants to protect Mackenzie from everything, which blows up in their face in the end. I understood her father not telling her that he was an FBI agent when she was a kid, but there was NO REASON for Hunter to keep Mackenzie in the dark about the stuff going on with his father. "I didn't want you to worry about it" doesn't jive with how worried he seemed to get when his father was near Mackenzie and Ryder. I can understand why the author would take it both ways... it makes Hunter look like the alpha male who wants to shield his family from everything, AND the sweet, caring guy who is just so damn concerned for their safety. Well, sorry, but to me it just didn't work. Still too melodramatic for me, but I'm still going to continue the series. At least I know what to expect. 2 stars.
A summary of my review of Hard to Love You:
I won't even bother going into details on this one. More unnecessary drama all for the sake of one of the family members "protecting" the other. Just like all the times this happened before, it REALLY turns out SO well for EVERYONE. Really ready to see some new tricks from the author in the next book because this whole "I'm making bad decisions and withholding information to protect my family" bullshit is getting really played out. 1 star.
My review of Let Me Love You:
Best in the series so far, although Cooper got on my nerves. Yes, what happened to Jaylinn was terrible but get over it already. Jaylinn put up with your shit longer than I would have. 3 stars.
My review of Made to Love You:
Best in the series so far. The drama is far more real in this one, not brought on by illogical decisions made by the characters, which is pretty refreshing after the first 3 books. 4 stars.
Now, Need to Love You:
Again, best in the series so far. The issues that Jackson and Chloe faced were realistic, and they reacted to them and dealt with them in realistic ways. Also, this book actually made me feel something, unlike the first 3 books, and it made me feel more than book 4 and book 5. I was so mad at Jackson for the way he was acting at the beginning of the book, and by the end of the book, I just felt bad for him and Chloe both because they were both just victims of circumstances, basically. I'm glad they were able to work together to fix their relationship, even though things looked pretty bleak at first. 5 stars.
This series started off pretty rough for me. I didn't like the first 3 books at all, but the last 3 made the series worth reading. The Christmas novella was pretty good, too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2015
I have enjoyed this series from the beginning, so I am a little sad to see it end. However I can't put into words how much I loved this novella. I always wanted a little more on Jackson and Chloe and Megan did an amazing job telling their story.
We know that they are the oldest of the couple's and had grow up pretty quick when Chloe got pregnant while still in high school. Being the guy the is Jackson marries her and has hell from his parents. I felt bad for her because she didn't get the support she needed but Jackson's parents are amazing. Anyway here it is 5 years later and their son is getting ready for kindergarten. Things are not as they seem as we see them struggling and dealing with issues no one know about. Every married couple goes through a rough patch and wow...Jackson and Chloe was no exception.
what I loved about this story is that while we see the ups and downs they are going through, we see a glimpse of the the whole crew and what's going on with them all while being there for Jackson and Chloe. There were a few times where Jackson made me want to choke him with the nonsense he was doing..
Loved the flashbacks and the journey they both took to get to where they needed to be. Beautiful story with all the feels ;) While I loved this series and their novella, I was hoping for an epilogue. so maybe we can get a little something later. Either way, if you haven't read this series , I highly recommend it
We know that they are the oldest of the couple's and had grow up pretty quick when Chloe got pregnant while still in high school. Being the guy the is Jackson marries her and has hell from his parents. I felt bad for her because she didn't get the support she needed but Jackson's parents are amazing. Anyway here it is 5 years later and their son is getting ready for kindergarten. Things are not as they seem as we see them struggling and dealing with issues no one know about. Every married couple goes through a rough patch and wow...Jackson and Chloe was no exception.
what I loved about this story is that while we see the ups and downs they are going through, we see a glimpse of the the whole crew and what's going on with them all while being there for Jackson and Chloe. There were a few times where Jackson made me want to choke him with the nonsense he was doing..
Loved the flashbacks and the journey they both took to get to where they needed to be. Beautiful story with all the feels ;) While I loved this series and their novella, I was hoping for an epilogue. so maybe we can get a little something later. Either way, if you haven't read this series , I highly recommend it
October 22, 2015
There is no way to mince words with this one. I had signed up for this review without reading the blurb all the way. If I had read in my right mind I probably wouldn't have signed up, but I am so glad that I did anyhow. This story is heartbreakingly beautiful in all of the best ways. I am rating it at 4 stars simply because some of the back and forth, I had some trouble adjusting to. This is what I would call a "second thought" book. Where all choices are reconsidered and the simple question of "what if" is asked over and over.
Having been in this specific situation myself, I found this book incredibly emotional to read. What do you do when you get pregnant young and marry someone to do the right thing?? Finding her independence after years of relying on someone else can be a difficult task. Add that to dealing with what could or couldn't have happened when the person who is supposed to be your life partner "doesn't remember" what happened the night before makes everything exponentially harder.
Knowing that you may or may not have done something to completely shatter the life you have set up, not to mention wondering if "doing what is right" is what was right in the first place carries such a weight, the stress of it all can make someone make choices that come out of no where.
All in all the story was good, but just difficult for me to read personally. I would recommend it to anyone who is ready for a roller coaster read :)
Having been in this specific situation myself, I found this book incredibly emotional to read. What do you do when you get pregnant young and marry someone to do the right thing?? Finding her independence after years of relying on someone else can be a difficult task. Add that to dealing with what could or couldn't have happened when the person who is supposed to be your life partner "doesn't remember" what happened the night before makes everything exponentially harder.
Knowing that you may or may not have done something to completely shatter the life you have set up, not to mention wondering if "doing what is right" is what was right in the first place carries such a weight, the stress of it all can make someone make choices that come out of no where.
All in all the story was good, but just difficult for me to read personally. I would recommend it to anyone who is ready for a roller coaster read :)
October 28, 2015
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Megan Smith's fantastic writing. Once I start one of her books, I'm not getting anything else done until I've finished the last page.
Chloe Cahill marries her high school sweetheart right after graduation, and had a baby shortly after that. Her dreams are put on hold, but she never complained. After her son starts school, she decides to find a job. Jackson Cahill thought he did the right thing by marrying his pregnant girlfriend. He's started to get restless and resentful in his marriage which is causing strife. After a big fight with Chloe, he decides to go to a bar to cool off, and gets drunk which leads to bad decisions on his part. He's landed himself in a big mess, and he has no idea how to fix it. Will Jackson be able to get Chloe to forgive him before their marriage can't be revived?!
Let me start out by saying, Megan Smith does a fantastic job showing the good, the bad, and the ugly aspect of a marriage realistically. The character development is great, with a highly charged, well written, emotional storyline that flows very smoothly. Need to Love You is a beautiful story of forgiveness, and second chances. Megan does a amazing job of taking me on a ride chalk full of emotions, while keeping my attention glued to the pages. She broke my heart to pieces, then mended it by the end. This book is a great ending to a fabulous series, so I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Chloe Cahill marries her high school sweetheart right after graduation, and had a baby shortly after that. Her dreams are put on hold, but she never complained. After her son starts school, she decides to find a job. Jackson Cahill thought he did the right thing by marrying his pregnant girlfriend. He's started to get restless and resentful in his marriage which is causing strife. After a big fight with Chloe, he decides to go to a bar to cool off, and gets drunk which leads to bad decisions on his part. He's landed himself in a big mess, and he has no idea how to fix it. Will Jackson be able to get Chloe to forgive him before their marriage can't be revived?!
Let me start out by saying, Megan Smith does a fantastic job showing the good, the bad, and the ugly aspect of a marriage realistically. The character development is great, with a highly charged, well written, emotional storyline that flows very smoothly. Need to Love You is a beautiful story of forgiveness, and second chances. Megan does a amazing job of taking me on a ride chalk full of emotions, while keeping my attention glued to the pages. She broke my heart to pieces, then mended it by the end. This book is a great ending to a fabulous series, so I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
October 25, 2015
Need to Love You is the final book in the Love Series. It follows the oldest Cahill brother, Jackson. From the first book he’s been with Chloe and has a little son called Alex. This is their book.
Jackson has a lot of resentment and Chloe knows that he is drifting away until one day she finds out his thoughts and it rocks her. It rocks them both and that is the crux of the story.
"I know no one falls in love by choice, it’s by chance. No one stays in love by that chance either. They choose to stay and see what happens with that love they feel. I know this deep down inside. I also know that no one falls out of love by chance but by the choices they make."
This book shows their struggle with Chloe getting pregnant pretty young and never getting the true opportunity to find herself. She has always relied on Jackson to get her through, to provide for them.
She has her own journey to find herself as a mum and also as herself. She is not just a mum, she is also a human being, who wants friends and her own life.
Throughout this story, the theme ‘what if’ is at the core. It shows how much Chloe and Jackson have been through and just how much resentment each of them has. There’s no right or wrong, or assigning blame in their story. It is about communication and rediscovering the very reasons they fell in love with each other.
This story shows their struggles, their real life struggle. It was not a perfect story tied up in a bow, it is real. It is raw and it is their story. There is no perfect relationship and Megan proved that with this book. She gave us a real book, with real emotions and proved that sometimes struggles are necessary to get the end product. To get the love and family bond.
You see the other characters in the love series too, you get to see where they are and how far they’ve all come. I am really going to miss these characters but I am so glad I was able to go on their journey!
I had tears after reading this book, its amazing, and real and raw and I'm seriously sad that the Love Series is over but it ended the way it should.
Jackson has a lot of resentment and Chloe knows that he is drifting away until one day she finds out his thoughts and it rocks her. It rocks them both and that is the crux of the story.
"I know no one falls in love by choice, it’s by chance. No one stays in love by that chance either. They choose to stay and see what happens with that love they feel. I know this deep down inside. I also know that no one falls out of love by chance but by the choices they make."
This book shows their struggle with Chloe getting pregnant pretty young and never getting the true opportunity to find herself. She has always relied on Jackson to get her through, to provide for them.
She has her own journey to find herself as a mum and also as herself. She is not just a mum, she is also a human being, who wants friends and her own life.
Throughout this story, the theme ‘what if’ is at the core. It shows how much Chloe and Jackson have been through and just how much resentment each of them has. There’s no right or wrong, or assigning blame in their story. It is about communication and rediscovering the very reasons they fell in love with each other.
This story shows their struggles, their real life struggle. It was not a perfect story tied up in a bow, it is real. It is raw and it is their story. There is no perfect relationship and Megan proved that with this book. She gave us a real book, with real emotions and proved that sometimes struggles are necessary to get the end product. To get the love and family bond.
You see the other characters in the love series too, you get to see where they are and how far they’ve all come. I am really going to miss these characters but I am so glad I was able to go on their journey!
I had tears after reading this book, its amazing, and real and raw and I'm seriously sad that the Love Series is over but it ended the way it should.
January 13, 2020
This was a great book showing that even if you love each other sometimes you forget that love. I was terrified that Jackson cheated on his wife Chloe. I did like that we didn't know the answer right away and that he decided that at the end of the day it didn't matter, he needed to figure out how to get his wife back. I loved how after Thanksgiving he didn't want to leave his parents house because he wanted to be with his family and even though they were both stubborn, you knew that they both loved each other deeply.
Chloe was very hurt not only by the stuff with the OW but mainly because of the words that he had said in anger. I loved watching them move back towards each other. I also liked the determination that Jackson had, even though he desperately wanted to physically have his wife back as his wife, he also wanted to wait until she was home and in his bed for good. He was tired of living separate, but understood she wasn't ready for them to come home.
I did feel bad for their son Alex as he wanted to be at home with his parents, but wasn't able to because they weren't ready to be together. I do think that if Chloe had gone back earlier they may have run into the same problems that they had prior to her leaving. I am so happy that they went to therapy and worked through things. I also love that Jackson had the break through he needed while in the one-on-one therapy.
Another thing I enjoyed about this book above the others I have read in this series is that Jackson and Chloe didn't go out and try to figure out if they wanted to move on with someone else. Granted yes they were still married, but still they put their thoughts into either their relationship or into making them selves a better person. It really bothers me when people proclaim how in love with the other they are but then they go out and date or sleep with other people. That was a huge frustration with the two other couple that I read about in this series. I still have to read books 1 and 2, which I will soon.
Chloe was very hurt not only by the stuff with the OW but mainly because of the words that he had said in anger. I loved watching them move back towards each other. I also liked the determination that Jackson had, even though he desperately wanted to physically have his wife back as his wife, he also wanted to wait until she was home and in his bed for good. He was tired of living separate, but understood she wasn't ready for them to come home.
I did feel bad for their son Alex as he wanted to be at home with his parents, but wasn't able to because they weren't ready to be together. I do think that if Chloe had gone back earlier they may have run into the same problems that they had prior to her leaving. I am so happy that they went to therapy and worked through things. I also love that Jackson had the break through he needed while in the one-on-one therapy.
Another thing I enjoyed about this book above the others I have read in this series is that Jackson and Chloe didn't go out and try to figure out if they wanted to move on with someone else. Granted yes they were still married, but still they put their thoughts into either their relationship or into making them selves a better person. It really bothers me when people proclaim how in love with the other they are but then they go out and date or sleep with other people. That was a huge frustration with the two other couple that I read about in this series. I still have to read books 1 and 2, which I will soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2015
There are few series that capture the heart of family. The sense of love, unity, happiness, and strength. Megan captured this in each of the Love series books. This final novel is no different. We read about Jackson and Chloe in each of the previous books, and I couldn't wait for this to come out. Jackson and Chloe, married just out of high school, face hardships like many couples do. One thing I liked about Need To Love You is that although they are five years into their marriage, we get to see Jackson and Chloe fall in love all over again. We get small glimpses of their past, but the story focuses on their current struggles. I liked that they were able to work through their issues rather than giving up like most married couples these days. While I'm sad to see this series end, I know there are many more great books to come from Megan and I can't wait.
August 13, 2020
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Chole and Jackson were not only High school Sweethearts .but also each other's First 💞 and only lovers.
They have stated early with an unplanned pregnancy, Jackson s family was very supportive. His parents , brothers and sister were really great...
Now after six years with a beautiful son of five years Alex, they hit a rough patch as Chole was trying to conceive...
They needed a breather , family came as a savior .
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐No cheating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐No spoilers
Just a beautiful book on feeling a d appreciating their Love again
Chole and Jackson were not only High school Sweethearts .but also each other's First 💞 and only lovers.
They have stated early with an unplanned pregnancy, Jackson s family was very supportive. His parents , brothers and sister were really great...
Now after six years with a beautiful son of five years Alex, they hit a rough patch as Chole was trying to conceive...
They needed a breather , family came as a savior .
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐No cheating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐No spoilers
Just a beautiful book on feeling a d appreciating their Love again
November 23, 2015
I have really loved this series (and rated all previous books very high) but this book felt like it was lacking a strong plot. I feel like half the chapters could have been left out and it would have made a good novella instead of adding in unnecessary stuff in order to stretch it out into a full length novel.
October 29, 2015
I so loved the direction that this story took! It was all about fixing what was wrong in their marriage and not giving up. The ending was perfect but would have loved an epilogue a few years out! Loved the entire series!!
November 5, 2015
Megan continues to grow and each story gets better!!!
October 26, 2025
Chloe got pregnant in high school and told her boyfriend Jackson she was keeping the baby, but he didn't have to be involved. He decided to marry her. She became a stay at home mom, and he became a mechanic.
The baby is now a 5 year old little boy named Alex. Jackson has checked out of the marriage and feels trapped. Chloe never wanted to be a stay at home mom and wants to get a job now that Alex is in Kindergarten, so she . . . starts trying to have another baby? It makes no sense. But, anyway, that's where they're at when the story begins.
Jackson's been going out to bars more often lately. One evening, he goes out and he wakes up at his brother's house the next morning with no memory of what happened in between.
He and Chloe get in a fight and he yells at her that he's tired of always having to love her take care of everyone, basically. She can't get over that he said he feels like he has to love her, so she packs a bag and goes to stay at his parents' house (because she doesn't have parents of her own).
He had left his truck at the bar, so after Chloe leaves, he goes pick up his truck. There's a woman's purse in the truck, with a drivers license belonging to Ally Sanders. He doesn't know who Ally is, but he starts having memories of the bar. He was dancing with some woman and . . . he can't remember more. All he can do is use Ally's phone to call one of her contacts about finding her purse.
So after Chloe's been gone a week, it's Alex's first day of school. They bring him to school together and meet his teacher, Ms. Sanders. Jackson and Ms. Sanders don't say anything about the night at the bar. After the school drop off, Jackson begs Chloe to talk. First they go home and fuck. (I'm grossed out reading about sex while the woman is depressed and they're about to divorce, maybe it's just me, but I couldn't even read it.) They talk afterwards, but the talk is not described in detail.
Then Jackson offers to go pick up Alex from school. Obviously, he wants to secretly talk to Ally Sanders about what happened at the bar.
The teacher "Ms. Sanders" ends up being Ally's sister, who says she got a call from Ally that night, and found Ally and Jackson sitting in Jackson's truck. Ms. Sanders' husband put Jackson in a cab, and they took Alley home. She doesn't know what happened before they got there, because Ally won't talk about it. But she warns Jackson he should stay away from Ally, because she's trouble. Jackson starts thinking it's probably best not to know what happened. He gives the purse to Ms. Sanders, thinking whatever happened will stay buried.
But it doesn't stay buried, because he left his phone at the house, and while he's on his way to school, Ally returns Jackson's call about her purse. When Jackson gets home, Chloe asks how Ally's purse got in his truck. He tells the story of how he found it in his truck but doesn't know how it got there. Which was true, until he talked to Ms. Sanders, but he leaves that new information out. Chloe doesn't believe him, so she moves her and Alex back to Jackson's parents, and gets a job as a secretary. (He also ends up telling his sister the same part of the story where he doesn't know how the purse got in his truck. So the sister gives him advice to just force Chloe to talk to him, because the sister doesn't know what a lying shit stain he is.)
So, he goes to work one day and runs into the new receptionist, and it's Ally. He recognizes her once he sees her. She swears she's not stalking him, and fills him in on what happened at the bar. He kind of remembered walking down a hallway with her. She says she saw her abusive ex on the dance floor and walked down the hallway with Jackson to try and find a way out of the bar without being seen by the ex, and they ended up outside the bar, inside his truck. She called her sister to come get her, and that's it. No cheating. And Jackson thinks Ally doesn't seem like trouble at all, her sister must be wrong about her. And I'm thinking, DANGER! DANGER! It's too good to be true!!!
He ends up eventually telling Chloe about everything, or at least the stuff Ally and her sister told him, although we still don't know if Ally was being truthful. Chloe insists on marriage counseling, and he agrees. They have on-page sessions. But Chloe doesn't move back home right away.
They end up pregnant at the end. I guess (as far as we know), he really didn't cheat and Ally really isn't a crazy stalker.
The baby is now a 5 year old little boy named Alex. Jackson has checked out of the marriage and feels trapped. Chloe never wanted to be a stay at home mom and wants to get a job now that Alex is in Kindergarten, so she . . . starts trying to have another baby? It makes no sense. But, anyway, that's where they're at when the story begins.
Jackson's been going out to bars more often lately. One evening, he goes out and he wakes up at his brother's house the next morning with no memory of what happened in between.
He and Chloe get in a fight and he yells at her that he's tired of always having to love her take care of everyone, basically. She can't get over that he said he feels like he has to love her, so she packs a bag and goes to stay at his parents' house (because she doesn't have parents of her own).
He had left his truck at the bar, so after Chloe leaves, he goes pick up his truck. There's a woman's purse in the truck, with a drivers license belonging to Ally Sanders. He doesn't know who Ally is, but he starts having memories of the bar. He was dancing with some woman and . . . he can't remember more. All he can do is use Ally's phone to call one of her contacts about finding her purse.
So after Chloe's been gone a week, it's Alex's first day of school. They bring him to school together and meet his teacher, Ms. Sanders. Jackson and Ms. Sanders don't say anything about the night at the bar. After the school drop off, Jackson begs Chloe to talk. First they go home and fuck. (I'm grossed out reading about sex while the woman is depressed and they're about to divorce, maybe it's just me, but I couldn't even read it.) They talk afterwards, but the talk is not described in detail.
Then Jackson offers to go pick up Alex from school. Obviously, he wants to secretly talk to Ally Sanders about what happened at the bar.
The teacher "Ms. Sanders" ends up being Ally's sister, who says she got a call from Ally that night, and found Ally and Jackson sitting in Jackson's truck. Ms. Sanders' husband put Jackson in a cab, and they took Alley home. She doesn't know what happened before they got there, because Ally won't talk about it. But she warns Jackson he should stay away from Ally, because she's trouble. Jackson starts thinking it's probably best not to know what happened. He gives the purse to Ms. Sanders, thinking whatever happened will stay buried.
But it doesn't stay buried, because he left his phone at the house, and while he's on his way to school, Ally returns Jackson's call about her purse. When Jackson gets home, Chloe asks how Ally's purse got in his truck. He tells the story of how he found it in his truck but doesn't know how it got there. Which was true, until he talked to Ms. Sanders, but he leaves that new information out. Chloe doesn't believe him, so she moves her and Alex back to Jackson's parents, and gets a job as a secretary. (He also ends up telling his sister the same part of the story where he doesn't know how the purse got in his truck. So the sister gives him advice to just force Chloe to talk to him, because the sister doesn't know what a lying shit stain he is.)
So, he goes to work one day and runs into the new receptionist, and it's Ally. He recognizes her once he sees her. She swears she's not stalking him, and fills him in on what happened at the bar. He kind of remembered walking down a hallway with her. She says she saw her abusive ex on the dance floor and walked down the hallway with Jackson to try and find a way out of the bar without being seen by the ex, and they ended up outside the bar, inside his truck. She called her sister to come get her, and that's it. No cheating. And Jackson thinks Ally doesn't seem like trouble at all, her sister must be wrong about her. And I'm thinking, DANGER! DANGER! It's too good to be true!!!
He ends up eventually telling Chloe about everything, or at least the stuff Ally and her sister told him, although we still don't know if Ally was being truthful. Chloe insists on marriage counseling, and he agrees. They have on-page sessions. But Chloe doesn't move back home right away.
They end up pregnant at the end. I guess (as far as we know), he really didn't cheat and Ally really isn't a crazy stalker.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2025
This was Jackson and Chloe’s book, the one I originally picked up the series for, and honestly? It confirmed that this author’s writing style just isn’t for me. The characters feel incredibly juvenile, the conflicts are messy in a way that doesn’t feel intentional, and the overall storytelling is all over the place.
Jackson and Chloe have been together since high school. They were each other’s first and only, she got pregnant, they got married young, and now they’ve been together for around five years. They’re struggling with normal marriage issues — stress, communication breakdown, exhaustion, resentment — which could have made for a really emotional, mature story.
But Jackson completely ruined it for me.
He feels nagged, she feels unsupported, and instead of dealing with anything like an adult, he storms off, gets absolutely hammered, and starts having these vague flashbacks of being with another woman. Multiple scenes show him thinking, “I shouldn’t be doing this,” which immediately sets off massive alarm bells. Then he avoids telling Chloe anything, even when he finds a random woman’s purse in his truck.
He looks through her phone, calls her sister, and tries to piece together what happened — but still doesn’t tell Chloe any of this. Instead, Chloe finds out on her own when the woman calls Jackson’s phone (which he left at home) and says she left her purse in his truck. That’s when Chloe finally confronts him, and honestly, I completely understood her reaction. She was done.
To make things worse, Jackson says genuinely awful things to her — things implying that he resents her because he “gave up his dreams” and never got to go to college or live the life he wanted. It’s incredibly hurtful, and he spends a huge chunk of the book avoiding accountability, sulking, or acting childish. I disliked him so much that even when it’s revealed he didn’t cheat, I still felt like he easily could have.
The twist? The woman in his truck had been hiding from an abusive boyfriend. Nothing happened between her and Jackson. But the whole storyline was so murky, so badly handled, and so drawn out that by the time the truth came out, I was already exhausted with him.
And then she ends up working in Jackson’s garage/office afterwards, which just made everything feel even weirder and more unnecessary.
By the end, Jackson finally takes some accountability, they reconcile, and Chloe ends up pregnant again. The ending is “cute” in the technical sense, but it didn’t change how disconnected I felt from both of them.
To be honest, I didn’t really like any of the characters in this book — or in the series overall. Most of the brothers are dysfunctional, the women are written like doormats, and the drama never feels logical. The plots jump around, the emotional payoffs don’t land, and the writing style simply doesn’t work for me.
This is definitely my last book by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2017
I would rate this book higher but there were way too many inconsistencies for me to ignore. If this book would have started the series, then it wouldn't be so bad. However, since it is the last of the Cahill's, the time line doesn't add up. This book talks about how Chloe got pregnant with Alex while in high and he is now five. In the first book of the series, McKenzie is already out of high school and just turned 19 when Alex is born, putting both Chloe and Jackson around 23 years old. If we go back this book, then McKenzie would still be in high school and definitely not with Hunter. That was the biggest thing that bothered me. If the timeline wasn't so far off, then I would have enjoyed the book more because of the topics discussed that plague real relationships. After being together for years, Chloe and Jackson start to drift apart. Jackson feels like he never had a choice to be with anyone else while Chloe doesn't feel appreciated and that she doesn't bring anything to the marriage. I can understand Chloe wanting to stand her ground with Jackson about the state of their relationship, the person who ends up suffering the most is Alex. There are a couple of times in the book when Chloe thinks about how everything is affecting Alex but then she doesn't do anything to fix things. When it came to therapy, Jackson is the typical male in not wanting to discuss the real problems in the marriage and how to fix things. When he finally gets an epiphany, he realizes what he needs to do regarding his marriage, does he want to stay or does he want to go? I liked the ending of the book but I wish there was a way for the revamp this story since there are so many things wrong with it.
October 8, 2021
3.25 Stars for me!
My rating range of this story... 2 - 4 Stars
If significant, why?
Main Character Ratings...
H = 3/10
h = 5/10
Was cheating involved? Have to read
Any major triggers to be aware of?
Scenes with heat... Yes
What point does it start? Don't remember
How much of the story? 10%
Anything beyond M/F? No
If yes, explained
Heat Rating... 7/10
Clean or Fade to Black - 1 or 2
Normal to Descriptive 3-5
Detailed Descriptive Sex - 6-7
Um, Wow, Beyond Descriptive Sex - 8 or above
Was there so much sex or unrealistic sex that you rolled your eyes and/or skipped forward? Almost
The back story... The MCs were married young and they are not facing the stress well. Neither are willing to talk to each other.
The Romance... It is there but they allow their minds to poison the relationship instead of tending it with their words.
The drama explosion... Happens a bit early so the H can start to redeem himself.
Did it feel real or contrived? A bit contrived
Was it OTT? A bit
Separation involved? Too much!
Was it resolved properly or rushed? Properly
Final Notes... This story kind of killed me with the childish antics of the MCs after the greatness of the previous story.
The H is whining about sex being a chore when trying to have another child yet he refuses to talk to the h about it and lets it fester into a wound.
The h is also petty and selfish until she truly realizes what she is doing.
Both learn and grow abd end up touting the benefits of therapy.
HEA or HFN? HEA
My rating range of this story... 2 - 4 Stars
If significant, why?
Main Character Ratings...
H = 3/10
h = 5/10
Was cheating involved? Have to read
Any major triggers to be aware of?
Scenes with heat... Yes
What point does it start? Don't remember
How much of the story? 10%
Anything beyond M/F? No
If yes, explained
Heat Rating... 7/10
Clean or Fade to Black - 1 or 2
Normal to Descriptive 3-5
Detailed Descriptive Sex - 6-7
Um, Wow, Beyond Descriptive Sex - 8 or above
Was there so much sex or unrealistic sex that you rolled your eyes and/or skipped forward? Almost
The back story... The MCs were married young and they are not facing the stress well. Neither are willing to talk to each other.
The Romance... It is there but they allow their minds to poison the relationship instead of tending it with their words.
The drama explosion... Happens a bit early so the H can start to redeem himself.
Did it feel real or contrived? A bit contrived
Was it OTT? A bit
Separation involved? Too much!
Was it resolved properly or rushed? Properly
Final Notes... This story kind of killed me with the childish antics of the MCs after the greatness of the previous story.
The H is whining about sex being a chore when trying to have another child yet he refuses to talk to the h about it and lets it fester into a wound.
The h is also petty and selfish until she truly realizes what she is doing.
Both learn and grow abd end up touting the benefits of therapy.
HEA or HFN? HEA
October 15, 2025
2.5/5
I had mixed feelings. I dnf’ed the first book in the series and I skipped straight this one as I’d seen it recommended in a group.
I think the writing had improved and flowed better. The only thing I found again is that some of the thoughts and actions were really shallow and made me dislike the MMC. This is a marriage in trouble book and this is how the mmc thinks…
~~~I’ve just royally fucked things up and of course now I decide that maybe I do still care about her~~~
Maybe?? His marriage is on the line and he decides he does actually care about his wife. There were a few unnecessary throw away comments like this.
When Jackson and Chloe ‘reconnected’ he didn’t know for sure whether he had cheated or not and he put Chloe at risk and they had unprotected sex. Then later in the story after he bumps into the OW:
~~~Yeah, she may be able to shed some light on what happened but does it really matter? Chloe can’t even stand to talk to me anymore. ~~~~
Yes buddy…..it does matter whether he cheated or not!!! He was more worried about clearing his name at times than feeling devastated he could’ve actually cheated.
His inner thoughts about women were really awful. Yes I get that the author is trying from the ‘male gaze’, but we need to actually like the mmc for us as a reader to really want their reconciliation.
~~~I was not prepared for the girl standing in front of me with her long blonde hair, striking blue eyes, killer smile, and nice tits.~~~
Insert eye roll.
I had mixed feelings. I dnf’ed the first book in the series and I skipped straight this one as I’d seen it recommended in a group.
I think the writing had improved and flowed better. The only thing I found again is that some of the thoughts and actions were really shallow and made me dislike the MMC. This is a marriage in trouble book and this is how the mmc thinks…
~~~I’ve just royally fucked things up and of course now I decide that maybe I do still care about her~~~
Maybe?? His marriage is on the line and he decides he does actually care about his wife. There were a few unnecessary throw away comments like this.
When Jackson and Chloe ‘reconnected’ he didn’t know for sure whether he had cheated or not and he put Chloe at risk and they had unprotected sex. Then later in the story after he bumps into the OW:
~~~Yeah, she may be able to shed some light on what happened but does it really matter? Chloe can’t even stand to talk to me anymore. ~~~~
Yes buddy…..it does matter whether he cheated or not!!! He was more worried about clearing his name at times than feeling devastated he could’ve actually cheated.
His inner thoughts about women were really awful. Yes I get that the author is trying from the ‘male gaze’, but we need to actually like the mmc for us as a reader to really want their reconciliation.
~~~I was not prepared for the girl standing in front of me with her long blonde hair, striking blue eyes, killer smile, and nice tits.~~~
Insert eye roll.
February 8, 2022
A tearjerker!
This story line was so sweet and devastating at the same time. It was a little different compared to most as this couple was working on their marriage. I felt myself cheering from them from the first page and sympathizing with them through everything they went through. I definitely wish there would’ve been an epilogue because I needed more of the HEA for this couple because they fought so hard to get there.
Jackson. This man had feelings that are pretty common in young couples dealing with what they were going through. I wish we could’ve seen him grovel a little more in working on getting Chloe back though. However, he was still a whole alpha with some dominant control.
Chloe. This girl related to me so much in so many different ways. I sympathized with her, cheered with her, and begged her to give Jackson a chance. I was so proud of the character growth she went through in finding herself.
This story line was so sweet and devastating at the same time. It was a little different compared to most as this couple was working on their marriage. I felt myself cheering from them from the first page and sympathizing with them through everything they went through. I definitely wish there would’ve been an epilogue because I needed more of the HEA for this couple because they fought so hard to get there.
Jackson. This man had feelings that are pretty common in young couples dealing with what they were going through. I wish we could’ve seen him grovel a little more in working on getting Chloe back though. However, he was still a whole alpha with some dominant control.
Chloe. This girl related to me so much in so many different ways. I sympathized with her, cheered with her, and begged her to give Jackson a chance. I was so proud of the character growth she went through in finding herself.
January 9, 2023
An emotionally heartbreaking, intense and intriguing tale of the ups and downs of a marriage. Jackson and Chloe’s marriage is not all sunshine and roses, they have many bumps in the road. Can their marriage survive what has been said, done and what either of them are feeling? When two people love each other so much and their connection is deep they will at least try to make things work especially with a child involved, but can they really do that with so many hurt feelings. I have to say I hated Jackson for so many reasons but most of all it’s my personal experiences that had me loathing him. But in all honesty, Jackson was going through something that he just could not explain. I was happy that Chloe stood her ground and would not let anyone treat her the way he had been treating her. Goodness… this story had me enthralled anticipating what would happen and left me with a smile on my face.
July 18, 2017
I enjoyed this book the most out of the whole series, maybe because the situation seemed realistic.
Chloe and Jackson have been married since high school when Chloe got pregnant. Their son, Alex, is now 5 and starting kindergarten. Both Chloe and Jackson are feeling somewhat distant from each other as they have been trying unsuccessfully to have another baby. Jackson especially is feeling restless and resentful of his life.
Things come to a head one day when Jackson blows off a family dinner to go drinking at a bar. He can't remember much about the night, but he finds a woman's purse in his truck the next day. He tries to hide it from Chloe and figure things out, but we know how well that usually works out.
I felt this was a pretty accurate portrayal of a couple who has been together for a long time and finds themselves starting to go in different directions. The question is will they keep going on different paths or find their way back to each other?
Chloe and Jackson have been married since high school when Chloe got pregnant. Their son, Alex, is now 5 and starting kindergarten. Both Chloe and Jackson are feeling somewhat distant from each other as they have been trying unsuccessfully to have another baby. Jackson especially is feeling restless and resentful of his life.
Things come to a head one day when Jackson blows off a family dinner to go drinking at a bar. He can't remember much about the night, but he finds a woman's purse in his truck the next day. He tries to hide it from Chloe and figure things out, but we know how well that usually works out.
I felt this was a pretty accurate portrayal of a couple who has been together for a long time and finds themselves starting to go in different directions. The question is will they keep going on different paths or find their way back to each other?
January 18, 2019
Format: AUDIOBOOK
Review:
Wow. I started this book and was immediately GLUED. It was so, so, SO angsty right off the bat and THAT is my kind of book.
As the story progressed, the angst kept on going as well and my heart ached for Chloe and Jackson. I was so mad at Jackson at first but then, I started understanding him. Eventually, I found myself rooting for him 100% and even feeling extremely irritated with Chloe, LOL! My emotions were on a roller coaster.
Towards the end, my heart was SWOONING and I could not be happier with how everything worked out.
I am so glad I read this entire series! Such great characters!!
5 Stars to the story
4 Stars to the narrator
Review:
Wow. I started this book and was immediately GLUED. It was so, so, SO angsty right off the bat and THAT is my kind of book.
As the story progressed, the angst kept on going as well and my heart ached for Chloe and Jackson. I was so mad at Jackson at first but then, I started understanding him. Eventually, I found myself rooting for him 100% and even feeling extremely irritated with Chloe, LOL! My emotions were on a roller coaster.
Towards the end, my heart was SWOONING and I could not be happier with how everything worked out.
I am so glad I read this entire series! Such great characters!!
5 Stars to the story
4 Stars to the narrator
September 28, 2018
Amazing
As usual with this series, it grabs your attention from the very beginning. Jackson and Chloe have such a strong and unbreakable relationship throughout the past books. However things are not always as they seem. Once again we get to catch up with the gang and get some backstory on Chloe and Jackson's relationship as well.
As usual with this series, it grabs your attention from the very beginning. Jackson and Chloe have such a strong and unbreakable relationship throughout the past books. However things are not always as they seem. Once again we get to catch up with the gang and get some backstory on Chloe and Jackson's relationship as well.
November 13, 2018
This was my favorite of all of them! This is more about what real life is like and that you have to keep working everyday to keep your marriage fresh and on track. I loved this book! I wish they had more family that they could keep the series going on more. I was also glad for the updates from the rest of the family from the first few books.
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