**ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED WITH THE HOT FOR THE HOLIDAYS ANTHOLOGY**
After seven years of marriage, Lucas and Samantha are still crazy, head over heels in love. But happily ever after is now overrun by a teenager in a hurry to grow up, and a toddler demanding everyone’s full attention.
With their children pulling them in every direction this holiday season, life is hectic and time alone together is at a premium. Lucas and Samantha’s only Christmas wish this year is to prove they're still Always Us.
Stephanie Rose is a badass New Yorker, a wife, a mother, and lover of all things chocolate. Most days you'll find her trying to avoid standing on discarded LEGO or deciding which book to read next. Her debut novel, Always You, released in 2015 and since then she's written several more—some of which will never see completion—and has ideas for hundreds to come.
I thought I had read all of Stephanie Rose's books, but then I saw that I hadn't yet enjoyed this little gem! Oh, I have missed alpha Lucas! This is a wonderfully sweet and steamy holiday novella set several years after Always You. It was the perfect peek into the future of how things are going for the Hunter family and I loved every minute! If you haven't read the Second Chances series yet, what are you waiting for?!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Samantha (Sam) and Lucas are now married and in the middle of their busy lives, they barely have time for each other. We get to see life after the marriage and the HEA. We realize that even after the HEA there are challenges and obstacles Sam and Lucas must overcome as husband and wife, including the upbringing of their children, work, and making time for each other. But despite it all, their love remains the center of the relationship.
“To my wife, my time with you is my favorite part of every day.”
The way Lucas loves his wife, Sam is simply breathtaking. If you are a fan of their first book, Always You, this novella will simply fill the space in your heart that missed these two. And if this is your first time reading about them, this novella will force you to go back and read just how it all began. Their marriage is a testament to love and all it encompasses.
“After all these years, you own my my heart, my thoughts, my everything. I love you.”
Once again, the author shows her amazing talent where she packs so much life, love, and laughter into a novella about her amazing characters. I typically don’t read many novellas, but I had to make an exception and I am so glad I did. I am a huge fan of the author and I will pretty much read whatever she writes. It was the perfect amount of heat while still adding to the storyline. I laughed, I loved, I lived. The writing demonstrates her ability to write such a small story but still make a huge impact. I highly recommend to those who are looking for a short, sweet, and sexy read!
Always Us was a perfect, short, sexy read that I was super excited about. Not only do we get to see Samantha and Lucas again, but also Bella and Joey.
"'I like snuggling with Mommy, too.' He winked and made me giggle. Both my boys turned me into mush with very little effort."
Life isn't perfect, but the two are trying to keep their happily ever after alive. It was so relatable, something that a lot of us married people struggle with on a daily basis.
"How do you choose between being a good mother and a good wife? As hard as I tried at both, I always felt as though I was failing miserably."
Thank you so much for giving me a glimpse into the lives of one of my favorite couples! And for giving me hope! Life isn't always perfect, but love always wins! ~Tiffany, 4.5 stars
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Gotta say that Lucas is still the Panty Melting Alpha who captured my heart in this series! His love for Samantha (Sam) has intensified yet due to family, life and curve balls thrown their way, Sam might be second guessing if they are still okay.
So, one way to make sure Sam knows how Lucas feels about her is to take her away on a trip—just the two of them—and forget everything else. Sam, being a mom, feels guilty not only because she hasn't spent much time with Lucas, but because she wants to get away with him—yet doesn't want to leave the kids.
This is a beautiful short story and look into Lucas and Sam's family life that surprisingly many parents have gone through. Now, just because it's short doesn't mean it's boring!! There is plenty of sexual tension, and when it reaches its boiling point, it goes off like fireworks! ~ Kara, 4.5 Sexy stars
Alpha daddy Lucas is a sight to behold…damn, I love that man! Always Us gives a glimpse into the married and family life of Samantha and Lucas Hunter. If you haven’t read Always You yet, where we first meet this awesome couple, I highly recommend you grab it now!
I so loved getting to revisit Sam and Lucas, seeing little Joey and teenage Bella! But Christmastime in the Hunter household isn't all mistletoe and holly. With 2 children, full-time jobs, and the stress of the holidays, Sam and Lucas haven't be able to spend any real quality time together and it's starting to to wear on both of them. But the love they share is too strong for these little hiccups to have any real lasting effect on them.
This was the perfect little novella! I love seeing how my favorite couples are doing in the future, and it's so awesome when they are still so much in love, and their love just seems to get stronger every day!
I received an ARC of Always Us for an honest review... I love Lucas and Sam really.. they give me hope that even if there's a lot of bumps on the road you can overcome them.. We get to see them 7 years into their marriage and with 2 kids.. facing the reality of changes, teenage kid, toddler and just regular life in general... but what this book will make you feel will be worth it!! They're one of my favorite couples because their love is so pure and deep that it will make you crave just one like theirs! I seriously can't wait for more books out of this author!!
This was a perfect Christmas story. If you've loved Sam and Lucas from Always You you're going to enjoy this sweet novella as well.
It was beautiful to meet those amazing characters again and to see how their lives are going on as a family of four. Bella and Joey are too cute and I adored their interactions with their parents. The passion between Sam and Lucas is still burning bright despite all the stress with their jobs, two kids and holiday season. They are still happy and very much in love with each other. That made me swoon!
Always Us is a holiday short story involving Lucas and Sam (The couple in book 1 Always You). I absolutely loved this little story. It's always great reconnecting with a favorite couple years down the road to see how they weather things in the future.
Lucas and Sam, like I said are the Hero and heroine from Book 1 of Stephanie Rose's Second Chance Series. I fell in love with these two in that book and my heart grew even more for them after reading this story. What I loved about this story was that Stephanie wrote about this couple 7 years after the end of their story. It was like an extended epilogue revolved around the Christmas Holiday.
In this book Lucas and Sam's daughter is now a 14 year old teenager and they have a 3 year old son, who is attached to mommy's hip. What was great about this was that Stephanie showed real things that happen in a real life married couples life. What happens when you 14 year old daughter gets asked out on a date and your 3 year old son won't leave mommy alone long enough for some quality parent time?? Find out how Lucas and Sam handle things, read this really sweet holiday story.
So if you're looking for a holiday short story to pass a couple hours with, pick up Always Us and enjoy getting to know Lucas and Sam. If you have already read Always You, then I would suggest you pick this up and reconnect with Lucas and Sam :)
What a great read this is! I loved Always You and Finding Me and when I saw there was a novella for those in between years I had to have it! Lucas and Sam have been married for years and now have their own son who is 3 and little Bella is now 14. There just aren't enough hours in the day for a lot of time that is just for Lucas and Sam the couple. No, it's mostly their work, and kids and errands and house work and dishes and bath time...and the list goes on and on. Pretty much anytime that they are about to get it on, their son's radar pops up and makes sure to ruin the moment.
On top of that, Bella wants to go to the school dance. With a boy. That's like waving the red flag right in front of Lucas' face. And the boy she wants to go with is a jock. Lucas thinks he just may be a jerk. (Considering Christopher is the boy and we know how he played Bella dirty in Finding Me, it's a shame Lucas didn't scare him off in this one!)
Always Us is funny and sexy and hits the reality of marriage on so many levels. Couples struggle to just get done all the things they have to each and every day while trying to make time for themselves as a couple. It's nice to know the struggle is real, but a bit funny too!
I LOVED this book so much!! This book takes place 10 years after Lucas and Sam reconnected and became a family with her daughter Bella and their now 3-year old son Joey.
We get a glimpse into the life they've built around the days leading up to Christmas Day. On the surface it seems perfect. But as sometimes happens when life gets in the way, there are things that get in the way that cause Sam to question if their love is as strong as it used to be adding into this is the fact their sex life isn't what it used to be all thanks to Joey and then there's Bella and her growing up and wanting to go to her first dance with, gasp, a boy!!! Lucas is not happy about this!
Getting this little snippet of their lives reminded me yet again how much I LOVE this series, and I devoured each and every word of this story. Lucas truly is swoonworthy and how his love for Sam will never lessen. These two are so perfect together and I for one am so happy to have had the opportunity to read this sweet and romantic novella.
I love novellas of my favorite characters. It just makes my heart sing even more. I truly love these characters and all of the books in this series, and reading short stories like this gives you insight on each character even more.
The story of Lucas and Sam starts with Always You, which is the story of the beginning of their love and the second chance they get. It is so instrumental to understanding their love story, but also you got to know them from the beginning. This story just continues in their life years later, and how they've grown as a couple and a family.
If you haven't had the chance to read Always you, I implore you to do so. Although you could read this novella and still love it without the history of their beginning, but Always You will grip you and make you understand how they began as Lucas and Sam.
I loved this story. So sweet and captures your heart. I received an ARC to give an honest review. Truly does warrant 5 stars.
In Always Us, it was so nice to catch up with Lucas and Sam. This story is filled with melt your heart moments and it was so nice to see what happens after the happily ever after. You could just feel the love that this family has for each other. I also loved seeing Lucas as a (hot) daddy. We get to see Bella as a teenager and adorable little Joey. And his relationship with Bella is just as sweet as ever. Also, have no fear, Alpha Lucas definitely makes an appearance. *swoon* As if I didn't already think he was hot enough. This story is so amazing and makes me want to cuddle up and re-read Always You.
This was just fabulous. I came across this by accident and I'm so damn glad I did. I've read Always You a while ago and enjoyed it. This was just icing on the cake. I fell in love with Lucas all over again. Even Samantha! They were such a beautiful family and what they went through is something anyone can relate to. I especially loved Lucas and his protective ways towards his two girls. Swoon alert! Also Lucas and Samantha's chemistry was beautiful and insanely hot. Even thought it was a short story it packed a punch. Simply stunning.
I was honored and blessed to be able to read Always Us, Stephanie Rose's contribution to Hot for the Holidays. I was reminded again of how sweet and hot Lucas Hunter from Always You is, and fell in love with the story of what comes after happily ever after. I loved seeing Bella as a teenager, Joey as a preschooler and having an intimate glimpse into Sam and Lucas' marriage!
Just a perfect read for those of us who like to catch up on characters from previous books. This is a short novella about Lucas, Samantha, Bella, and Joey. Their little family just warms my heart. Love to read about characters in an extended happily ever after. Dual point of view.
Always Us was a perfect, short, sexy read that I was super excited about. Not only do we get to see Samantha and Lucas again, but also Bella and Joey.
"'I like snuggling with Mommy, too.' He winked and made me giggle. Both my boys turned me into mush with very little effort."
Life isn't perfect, but the two are trying to keep their happily ever after alive. It was so relatable, something that a lot of us married people struggle with on a daily basis.
"How do you choose between being a good mother and a good wife? As hard as I tried at both, I always felt as though I was failing miserably."
Thank you so much for giving me a glimpse into the lives of one of my favorite couples! And for giving me hope! Life isn't always perfect, but love always wins! (4.5 stars)
I was very excited and honored to receive an ARC, of Always Us by Stephanie Rose I love Lucas and Sam, they are one of my Favorites couples. This book is so full of Love it will definitely melt your heart. Two people just trying to get some alone time with no interruptions seems pretty hard sometimes. Lucas is so sweet, and I love how he adores Bella their relationship is so sweet, he would do anything for her, and she really looks up to him, they are so close, he is such an amazing Dad. Getting to see Bella all grown up and as teenager well that just warmed my heart. Little Joey was sweet, he made me laugh. Thanks for giving us a little more of Sam and Lucas, I missed them. Great Hot short story you will love it.
I love love Stephanie Rose's characters and books! They contain strong women and good, alpha men!!
Always Us catches us up with Sanantha and Lucas, a few years after they married. They now have a 3 year old and a teenager and struggle with the ups and downs of a marriage. The love they have for each other is amazing! And Lucas with Bella- every child who comes from a single parent home should be able to experience the love that Lucas has for his daughter!!
It's always a good part of the day of week when I get a little bit more Lucas, Sam, and Bella in my life. This little treat tells of Christmas time with my favorite people and little Joey too! It's short and sweet with a hint of special time for Lucas and Sam. It makes me want more Lucas and Sam! And plus it's christmas time! What better time of year to connect with my favorite couple!! It makes me want more! You'll enjoy this short story as much as I did and you'll find yourself wanting to go back and visit Sam and Lucas all over again!
Ok wow just wow, where do I begin so in this book. We get to see a glimpse of Lucas and Sam seven years into their marriage. Bella is a teenage dealing with first dates and other teenage stuff, Joey is a smaller Lucas swoon. I love that even with two kids and your every day things that life throws at you. Lucas and Sam was still able to maintain there love for each other. It gives me hope for my own love life thank you so much Stephanie for giving us all that little tid bit into Happily ever after. I received an Arc of Always us for an honest review
This was a first for me by Stephanie but not the last. I would recommend reading Always You first. In Always US we get to see how Lucas and Samantha are doing after 7 years of marriage, cause getting there wasn't easy, but marriage isn't either but we get the good and the bad. This was a great quick read, you see how the family has grown as a unit and how Lucas is handling a teenage girl and boys. I truly loved it.Copy received in exchange for an honest and Unbiased review
The story of Lucas and Samantha touched my heart when I read Always You. When I discovered Always Us, I was excited to get a copy of this short Christmas novella. I loved watching them deal with reality as a couple and find a balance between life and love while having a family. The dialogue and interactions Lucas has in Chapter 4 literally had me giggling out loud. I enjoyed watching him be "Alpha Daddy."
I absolutely loved this book. Stephanie is by far one of my favorite authors. Lucas and Sam held a very special part in my heart. This is a few years into their marriage with 2 kids. Their love for each other has grown stronger every day.
I am patiently waiting for the next book from her. She's one amazing author.
Our favorite couple Lucas and Sam from Always You are still hot as ever in this little novella. They've been married for 7 years and are more in love than ever. They prove once again how hot they are for eachother and when they finally have the time? wow! Alpha Lucas is hot :) This was a quick read and I loved every minute of it :)
Thank you Stephanie for this hot steamy novella. It was wonderful and I loved every minute of it. But what I'm mostly thankful for is getting more of Lucas. God that man is so yummy. Received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I love this couple so much! Lucas is one of the hottest dad's ever! I devoured this book so fast as it was like visiting family you haven't seen in a while. This was such a good novella and I hope to see more of Lucas and Samantha in the future.
Just a perfect read for those of us who like to catch up on characters from previous books. This is a short novella about Lucas, Samantha, Bella, and Joey. Their little family just warms my heart. Love to read about characters in an extended happily ever after. Dual point of view.