Why does Aaron Adler’s ex-wife keep calling him? Their marriage is over, but Sharon seems to think she can win him back.
Aaron has everything he’s ever wanted. His work as a highly paid author and speaker is very rewarding, and he’s perfectly satisfied with the short-term sexual liaisons he’s become used to. But now his publisher wants Aaron to write about successful relationships in his next book. How can he do that when he’s never had one? Everything begins to change when Jane Barloc enters his life. Have they met before? The immediate connection he feels is stronger than anything he’s ever before experienced.
When Jane Barloc’s counseling client Connor needs a ride to his parents’ house, she’s happy to help him out. But, when Connor drags her into the house, Jane is shocked to see the man who’s been haunting her dreams for years. She had no idea Connor Adler was related to the famous author.
Can the woman who’s always seen herself as a “Plain Jane” win the heart of the handsome and über wealthy man she could never seem to forget? Will Aaron choose Jane over his super sexy ex-wife?
If you enjoy this book, you'll also like these other books by Anita Louise Bad Case of Lovin' You ~ Brooke & Zack and A House is Not a Home ~ Michael & Analese Intended for mature audiences 18 years of age and older.
Anita’s husband comes from a large and loving family of nine children, and they were the inspiration for the Adler Family Series. She’s always been an avid reader of love stories, and her passion for romance found another outlet when she discovered how much fun it was to write about her own smart and sexy heroes and heroines.
She is also an ardent and devoted student of personal development. Weaving the life changing principles that guided her to the love of her life and to a happy marriage is an important aspect of all of her books.
This is a sweet romance that I think fans of the genre would enjoy. It paves the way for future books in the series. The only thing that took me out of the story a bit is that it seems to be formatted a little strangely, almost as if this is an ARC copy that has been watermarked in a way to tell who pirated it where. I'm not sure if this was intentional or just something I'm not used to seeing.
The story itself is very sweet. Two hurt people coming together and finding love. There's some added drama in there that I won't spoil, you'll just have to read it to find out. If you're a fan of sweet romances, then this should be right up your alley. There's also a sneak peek into the next book to keep you interested in the series
Aaron is a part of a very big family. He is a successful writer and speaker. He and his siblings are very close. They are celebrating the long and happy marriage of their parents when Jane walks into the house together with the youngest of the family, Connor. Aaron feels a connection right away. He can't stop watching her but is also thinking about the fact she came in with his brother. When Jane is ready to leave he walks her to the door and watches her drive away.
Jane is dumbfounded when she finds out that Connor is related to Aaron. She has watched him as a speaker and has read every book he has ever written. Jane always had a secret crush on Aaron. He is the most beautiful man she has ever laid eyes on. She thought that they had a connection once but is disappointed when he doesn't recognize her. She can't wait to drive back home but the road isn't easy to drive on. Jane gets into an accident and wakes up in the hospital with Aaron by her side. Aaron found her and when he finds out she has no family or friends nearby he takes Jane home with him to take care of her.
Aaron has been married before but his failed marriage has left some scars. His ex-wife was not right for him, but he tried to make it work. Aaron has no intention of falling in love again but he can't ignore the way Jane makes him feel. Will she be able to take down his walls?
In Just The Way You Are Anita Louise writes about a song by Billy Joel. When I looked up the lyrics there is one part that especially stands out because of its connection to the story:
"I wouldn't leave you in times of trouble We never could have come this far I took the good times; I'll take the bad times I'll take you just the way you are".
This book showed me that if true love finds you it will complete you once again. Love will take you Just The Way You Are.
If you've ever read a book by Bella Andre and you loved her stories then you should really read Anita Louise's novels as well. I am sure that just like me you will have a lot of trouble putting her books down.
Three chapters into the book I was ready to toss it. There was so much repetition between characters, thoughts, paragraphs. Then the author found her voice for a few chapters before it fell apart again.
The storyline is great. The story needs work. You have great potential, and with the right editing team, will be an awesome writer.
Aaron the middle child in a very large family, burned from his past marriage is falling for Jane. Jane a woman who believes she is a Plain Jane and cant see what Aaron sees in her. Does this love ever get a chance of blooming?
Just the Way You Are is what I would call a true romance. While there are some very well written sex scenes, the relationship between the man characters is about more than sex. The story follows Aaron Adler, an author who does speaking engagements, and Jane Barloc, a social worker who has always of thought of herself as "Plain Jane" as discover their affection for each other.
The story pulled me in from the very beginning and the storyline kept my interest the entire book through. It is a refreshingly believable relationship for the most part. The continuation of the series was well thought out as secondary characters were introduced who will likely have their own stories. Even though this seemed fairly obvious within the book, the author felt the need to add a prologue which focused solely on the second book rather than a better ending for the first. It is an HEA, but it felt incomplete.
The book is not edited well. In multiple places, there is no distinct understanding of time or location. They start an activity in one location but end it in another without any plausible reason or explanation for the move. They don't even specify to the reader that they had moved. This happens multiple times and it always brings me out of the story as I'm trying to figure out how they magically relocated. I am a visual reader so I see the images that are described, not the words on the page so when the action doesn't make physical sense it breaks the flow of reading. Things that are assumed to happen in a few hours, we find out chapters later happened over the course of a few weeks. Again, continuity is an issue.
Another issue is that some secondary storylines are not developed or finished out. By the end of the story, I found myself wondering if the character will make another appearance in a future book since the arc isn't over. I am torn by hoping they will so that the storyline can be wrapped and hoping they won't because it wouldn't make any sense for them to be in another book that doesn't have the same two main characters. As it is there are secondary storyline cliffhangers even though the main story is not a cliffhanger ending.
The ending of the book feels rushed. Like there was a deadline that had to be met. The characters suddenly start talking as if they were in an after-school special from the 80's. There is alot of the characters saying that things are happening rather than having actual actions to show who the character is. It's weird because the rest of the book does not have this same issue.
This book as a good base structure and a unique way to approach the genre of romance. However, this is obviously a first published work and as such has issues.
The author asked me for an objective review of this book, which is part of The Adlers series, each segment of which focuses on one of the Adler kids (there are 9!) and the woman or man each sibling falls in love with. In this title, it’s Aaron, the middle child, a psychologist, and the social worker who has a crush on him. When events conspire that they meet, she ends up in the hospital and he remains with her, then takes her back to his house when she can’t be left alone.
While the story is aimed at an audience demanding lots of explicit sex, in some ways, I felt that a focus on the romance could have sustained itself without those specific scenes. The presence of Aaron’s ex-wife in the story seemed, somehow, contrived in that she appears and then disappears without really preventing Aaron and Jane from getting together. The too-liberal use of names during long period of dialogue suggested that tighter editing was needed, though I was able to ignore this most of the time.
Finally, what forced me to give this title only three stars was the gratuitous “epilogue” that seems to function only as an introduction to a future book focused on another Adler sib and their love interest. I was expecting to learn more about Aaron and Jane’s future rather than an obvious ploy designed to make me want to read another in the series. However, if you’re looking for explicit sex in a romance that takes place within a very short set of days, feel free to read this story.
Wow that was one amazing book. And it is so expertly well-written. This is my first book by Anita Lewis but it certainly will not be the last. I absolutely love this story and hope you pick it up and love it as well.
This story is about Aaron and Jane. This is how they meant instantly fell in love. This is basically a love at first sight stories at least for James unfortunately hearing has been hurt before and he he's not sure he can even love anymore. I love how they a meat and how it is the little brother who actually ends up introducing them. When they leave the party we think that is the end. But then tragedy strikes and it is nearing who ends up Saving Jane from a car crash. And that is where their story begins. When he decides he is going to take care of her and at the end hopefully he will fall in love with her as much as she has with him. Or will it all in there when she goes home. I'm not going to tell you have to read to find out how it all ends.
Now before I ruin this for you I will leave off here. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. If you do like this book, please consider leaving a review. The Authors really like it when you do; they value your opinions too
“Just The Way You Are” is a perfect story for fans of the contemporary romance genre, who appreciate strong, realistic characters. What I appreciated the most about this particular story was not only the romantic line but the psychological aspects of it. The novel dwells on such issues as marriage and what makes one unhappy; the involuntary parental influence and patterns they set for their children; sometimes damaging effects of growing up in a foster home and how it further affects a person’s life; walls that one builds around their heart to protect it from another heartbreak after the first marriage fell apart, and many more. Another big plus for me personally was how balanced and mature both Aaron and Jane were, where Jane was definitely far from a helpless heroine who needed saving (even though it was an accident that brought them together), but a strong yet gentle partner - exactly the one that Aaron has been looking for. Overall, it was a great read, and I would definitely recommend it to all fans of the genre. Five stars.
Glad This Was Free The basic story line is very good. It would have been an excellent story if the author had filled it out a little instead of just wrapping it in smut and calling it a romance. I generally can just skip over the offensive parts of a book. In this book, I was skipping almost entire chapters, 10 pages at a time. This may be for you, but it is not my idea of an entertaining book. The characters are superficial and unfinished. Emotionally, they are all just caricatures and not realistic at all. Even the emotion that should have surrounded a major health event was muted in favor of who knows what. The epilogue is an introduction to the next book – to the point of re-telling an entire scene from earlier in this book with more detail that should have been included in the first telling. Note to author; fresh mown hay is green and therefore not a good way to describe blonde hair (UFI).
Instant attractions. Guarded hearts. Will they come together? I adored this fun, sweet, and at times steamy romance. Aaron is a man who guards his heart, and after meeting his ex-wife in the story, I can see why!
Jane, the woman who instantly captures his attention is nothing like his ex though, and he feels himself learning how to love again, if he will let himself that is. Jane is a sweet heroine, and a perfect match Aaron.
Though there was an instant attraction, I enjoyed that they still had obstacles to overcome. There were moments of absolute happiness, and hardships mingled together to make this a gripping read. I found it an easy read that I blew through in an afternoon, exactly what I needed.
While there wasn’t much going on with secondary characters I see there are several more parts where those will be explored and that is exciting. The epilogue hinted at who goes next and I’m all in for that story.
This story was charming and adorable. Aaron is a successful writer and public speaker. He comes from a large family and his life seems to be on track except for love. That changes when Aaron meets Jane at a family party. Jane comes to the party with his brother but that doesn't stop Aaron from being attracted. Jane recognizes Aaron and she seems to be quite the fan girl. She loves his books and already has a crush on him. Things change when she is involved in a car wreck and Aaron agrees to take care of her. Such a good guy! This obligation quickly turns into romance and Aaron is determined to make Jane his own. This was a sweet story. I loved the instant connection and the little dance they did around each other before falling in love. This was a fun read and I cannot wait to see where this series is headed.
A wholesome romance. Romance is not my regular read but on a recommendation, I am trying to widen my reading horizons. It is a love story (Aaron and Jane), which sticks to the tried and tested plot formula that will appeal to fans of romance. By in large, the main characters are believable although the support cast feel underdeveloped. The story, although predictable, moved along well enough to keep me interested but the narrative between the main characters is often clunky because they keep using each other's name in dialogue. I didn't need reminding who was who when it is obvious. The sex scenes are appropriate for the story and well written, and the end is never in doubt. Overall, a good read that delivers a wholesome romance.
I absolutely enjoy this ‘love at first sight’ story. I fell in love with Jane and Aaron right from the start as well. Both characters are mature, intelligent, and beautiful. Both have also gone through a failed relationship. I’m happy to see them find each other. Their love is tender, sweet and sizzling. I’m also in love with the Adler’s family as well; there are so many interesting characters and stories among them! I’ve read the story of Connor so he feels like an old friend. The writer is truly a master of characterization, as each person in the family is unforgettable. The story has a nice pace to it. Love develops quickly but the lovers take time to reflect and to get know one another. Overall the story is peaceful, with just enough conflict, and nothing dramatic.
Aaron and Jane was the first installment in The Adler series and I thought Ms. Louise did a wonderful job of introducing us to his rather large family. The story flowed and the insta-love between the two main characters was endearing and OH so steamy. The characters were well developed and I loved the fact that Jane suffered from the same insecurities that all of us face on a day to day basis.
I'm a true believer in love conquering all and Just The Way You Are was a perfect example. I highly recommend this book to anyone over 18 who loves a great romantic series and wants to get lost in the Adler family on a snowy afternoon.
Steamy and sweet, Just The Way You Are is a textbook easy-read romance perfect for the beach. I normally read grittier novels, so I put my sunhat on and read it from a different POV. The lovers, Aaron and Jane, are beautiful and both have (very different) doubts about plunging into a relationship, which gives the novel its touch of tension. The sex is well done if you like explicit scenes (4.5 stars) but the exposition is somewhat repetitive and sermonizes a bit (3.5 stars). A novel for those who like sweet romance and hot, but loving, sex supported by a simple, easy-to-follow plot. (I purchased this book on amazon.ca).
Just The Way You Are by Anita Louise, is a wonderful story about romance. It was well written and quickly pulled me into the story. There was some time lapse issues and editing issues at times, but for me, was not a big deal. Just took me a moment to get back into the story. The sex scenes were tasteful and well written. The romance was realistic and telling, and the characters, well written and developed. If you love romance novels, you will be sure to enjoy this one! I will definitely be reading more by this author!
This is a lovely romance between Aaron - a man with a past that has made him build walls, and Jane a lady with low self-esteem. This is beautifully written and has a slow pace that is deliberate, allowing you time to know the two main characters inside and out. I read it in one sitting showing both the compelling story telling skills of the writer and the fact that it is easy to read. Recommend. The only thing I didn't like was in between chapter advertising, totally unnecessary as the story sells itself. I will certainly be buying the next book :)
If you are looking for a good, sweet, and sometimes steamy, contemporary romance... you'll enjoy this book. The author did a good job of having Jane and Aaron reveal themselves to each other at just the right pace that kept me wanting more. The give and take, cat and mouse game made it that much sweeter when they finally made it happen.
For me some parts moved a little slower than I would have preferred which is why this received a 4☆ not a 5, but overall, as far as romances go... pick this one up. It's worth it.
Aaron, a successful and handsome author, is coming from a loving family, and though he has seen it by example, he has not experienced it: love. On top of that, he's had a disappointing marriage. Trust doesn't come easy for him. It's a mere coincidence that brings Aaron and Jane, a social worker, together. Or is it? Instant attraction. Instant love. It was a sweet romance story that makes you want to believe in love. Enjoyed it till the end.
This could have been a good story, I read the blurb about it and thought it would be good but I was disappointed. The dialogue doesn't flow, they say each others name in nearly every sentence they say to each other, which is annoying. Also, when Jane is speaking to a member of Aaron's family she is overly nice which just comes off as false. I also found Jane a bit childish. Not a keeper and I probably won't read more from this series.
Steamy, sweet romance! This book is truly captivating, and I loved every minute of it as I raced through the pages.
I loved how Aaron and Jane were both relatable, strong, and fully fleshed out characters. The writer did an excellent job keeping me on edge, making me want to find out what happened to them next.
Beautiful story and wonderful characters and setting. If you want a great contemporary romance, look no further. This is it!
This was such a sweet story, and while it's erotica with some very hot scenes blended into the story, it feels really ... wholesome. I don't know if it's the big happy family or the fact that Aaron is just such a decent guy, but somewhere interwoven in the lust is just a good, old-fashioned love story full of family values, relationship speed bumps and ultimately the kind Happy Ever After that makes you sigh and wish for the same.
Good book with a great family dynamic. Decent storyline with a few twists to keep it interesting. I wasn't big on the main characters using each other's names so much when talking, as I don't see this done much in real life. Otherwise, it was a good story with instant attraction and feelings developing quickly. A solid 3 stars
Warning: Mature content including descriptive love scenes.
This is a classic romance. A hot guy meets a girl who believes she is too plain-Jane for him with lots of vividly described lusting before romance takes a hold. Oh and her name just happens to be Jane! The sex scenes, while not overbearing, were explicit. All in all, an enjoyable read.
This by far was the best romance I have read in a long time. You blend together the spicy naughtiness of the couple with a classical love connection and you have an amazing story. Their thoughts were provocative and the cat and mouse was so climatic that when they finally got together that I burst. Great read!!!
Just the Way You Are is a true love story. From the very beginning I was invested in Jane and Aaron's story. It's a wonderful tale of love at first sight. I love that Jane taught Aaron that he could love and trust again. And I love that Aaron helped Jane with her self esteem. The author gives a perfect HEA ending. I look forward to reading more in the series.
If you are looking for a great read with lots of sweet heat. This one is a great series start. Full of romance and heat for a cold winter's day. Or any day really.
This is the first time I have read anything by this author. Just The Way You Are is the first book in The Adlers by Anita Louise.
Aaron Adler, middle child in nine siblings is a psychologist, an author and speaker in the field of personal development. Currently writing his next book on relationships, but he has never had a successful relationship. His marriage to Sharon Demasi ended in divorce so how can he write about it.
Jane Barloc, social worker, is taking one of her patients to his parent’s house since his car is in the shop. When she enters the home of Conner Adler’s parents, she did not realize his brother is her favorite author.
Aaron cannot stop looking at the beautiful woman that came into his parent’s home with his baby brother, Conner, feeling that he has met her before. Jane feels Aaron’s eyes on her and he has starred in many of her dreams since she went to one of his lectures at the college.
When an accident happens on Jane’s way home from the Adler’s party, Aaron calls for help and continues to help her during her recovery at his home.
Aaron’s wall is coming down around his heart one brick at a time with each moment that is spent with Jane. She is everything he wants in a women but can he find it in his heart to actually come out and tell her he is in love with her.
Jane has told Aaron she loves him but when she believes he want time to himself, she leaves……will Jane and Aaron get their HEA.
The second installment to this series is Brooke’s story which I am looking forward to reading and adding The Adlers series to my reading list.
Aaron Adler has always kept his guard up when it comes to woman. Especially after being put through the ringer by his ex-wife. However upon meeting Jane Barloc, he seems enchanted by her. They spent time together. As they get to know one another they fall in love.
Their story was beautiful and lovely. I am so glad I was given the chance to read and review this. I have a feeling the Adler' s family is going to be an addiction for me.
If you love heart warming stories... I highly recommend this.
What a wonderful being of a series of a family and the addition of more members. Aaron drives up to his parents house to celebrate their 40th Anniversary. His baby brother Conner is late and is brought by his counselor Jane. Aaron see her across the room and its instant attraction. Jane see Aaron and knows who he is immediately. A car accident brings them together.