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McKenna #1
The Best Part of Me
He’s content to stay in the shadows…
Ewan McKenna’s days and nights are filled with drink orders, beer kegs, and noisy bar customers. Now that he’s put his tumultuous past behind him, he’s more than happy to live a solitary existence running his family’s pub. After years of walking the line between good and bad, Ewan now needs control and order to rest peacefully at night. What he doesn’t need is the fiery, intriguing woman who’s found her way into his thoughts and his bed.
She’s ready to step back into the light…
Spending the summer getting her hands dirty in her aunt’s garden in a tiny town outside Boston is exactly what Quinn Adler needs. She’s ready to shake off the grief of losing the people who meant the most to her and to start feeling again. What she doesn’t expect is to find a man who sets all her senses on fire. When the pieces seem to be nearly in place for a bright future, everything falls apart.
Will Quinn’s love be bright enough to cut through the darkness of Ewan’s past?
Ewan McKenna’s days and nights are filled with drink orders, beer kegs, and noisy bar customers. Now that he’s put his tumultuous past behind him, he’s more than happy to live a solitary existence running his family’s pub. After years of walking the line between good and bad, Ewan now needs control and order to rest peacefully at night. What he doesn’t need is the fiery, intriguing woman who’s found her way into his thoughts and his bed.
She’s ready to step back into the light…
Spending the summer getting her hands dirty in her aunt’s garden in a tiny town outside Boston is exactly what Quinn Adler needs. She’s ready to shake off the grief of losing the people who meant the most to her and to start feeling again. What she doesn’t expect is to find a man who sets all her senses on fire. When the pieces seem to be nearly in place for a bright future, everything falls apart.
Will Quinn’s love be bright enough to cut through the darkness of Ewan’s past?
345 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 20, 2016
9 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Hollins
3 books229 followersJamie Hollins was born and raised in rural Northeast Ohio. After graduate school, she embarked on a perilous career in Human Resources where she met plenty of real life characters. When she’s not writing or chasing after her toddler, she enjoys reading and golfing. Jamie lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, son, and their dog, Winston.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
February 9, 2017
ARC kindly provided by the author Jamie Hollins and Netgalley for an honest review...
In the new adult, romance novel The Best Part of Me by Jamie Hollins, Ewan and Quinn take your breath away with the sweetness and darkness that they hold in their love story. Welcoming Jamie Hollins, a new author to the romance world, is a great pleasure of mine since she has truly outdone it in this book. You can read The Best Part of Me on September 20th, this upcoming fall!
A dark intense beginning, giving me goosebumps from the dark alley scene, is a great way to start a dark novel inquiring the reader as to what the story will lead you to, and wanting to know what happened in the past? That's what Jamie Hollins does in the first chapter of The Best Part of Me. The past history of Ewan and his dark, mysterious story destined him to stumble- and I mean it, they actually do stumble- upon Quinn, the beautiful lady who somehow found her way into the dark alley, walking by herself. Their first interaction is rather...
Unique...
Quinn is a woman who talks the talk, and definitely walks the walk! She is a self-dependent woman who doesn't feel the need for a man in her life, which is something that knocks her out of the park when the presence of Ewan appears in her life. Ewan McKenna is also stubborn, mysterious, and a self-served jerk when he doesn't wake up on the right side of bed. Living in a small town of New England, it is very well-known to him who Quinn is, but what he doesn't know and wants to know is why she is there. He makes assumptions about her perfect attitude, her perfect world, and her perfect preferences, when in reality he doesn't know that Quinn, just like him is suffering mentally over a situation that occurred in her past.
Everyone has skeletons, and those have to come out of the closet some time...
"Up close, he wasn't so scary. He might act like he couldn't care less, but his eyes told a different story. There was an intesity in them that should have scared her, but instead she found herself falling into them. Literally."
This is a story that pairs two broken people, and with the help from each other they learn how to heal themselves. A story where Ewan wants to only protect what his heart so unwillingly wants to protect, but his mind so coldly wants to say to stay away. It was a wonderful, dramatic in the best ways kind of read. Ewan's and Quinn's story has a few clichés here and there, but they are clichés that you don't mind because you honestly want to know more about their story... Together. Their intimate scenes are beyond H-O-T! Seriously, I have never been so gratified over a furious scene where both protagonists are beyond furious about certain situations. Ewan and Quinn changed that for sure. They cannot get their hands off of each other and his possessiveness is a turn on for sure!
Goodreads rating: FOUR STARS!
In the new adult, romance novel The Best Part of Me by Jamie Hollins, Ewan and Quinn take your breath away with the sweetness and darkness that they hold in their love story. Welcoming Jamie Hollins, a new author to the romance world, is a great pleasure of mine since she has truly outdone it in this book. You can read The Best Part of Me on September 20th, this upcoming fall!
A dark intense beginning, giving me goosebumps from the dark alley scene, is a great way to start a dark novel inquiring the reader as to what the story will lead you to, and wanting to know what happened in the past? That's what Jamie Hollins does in the first chapter of The Best Part of Me. The past history of Ewan and his dark, mysterious story destined him to stumble- and I mean it, they actually do stumble- upon Quinn, the beautiful lady who somehow found her way into the dark alley, walking by herself. Their first interaction is rather...
Unique...
Quinn is a woman who talks the talk, and definitely walks the walk! She is a self-dependent woman who doesn't feel the need for a man in her life, which is something that knocks her out of the park when the presence of Ewan appears in her life. Ewan McKenna is also stubborn, mysterious, and a self-served jerk when he doesn't wake up on the right side of bed. Living in a small town of New England, it is very well-known to him who Quinn is, but what he doesn't know and wants to know is why she is there. He makes assumptions about her perfect attitude, her perfect world, and her perfect preferences, when in reality he doesn't know that Quinn, just like him is suffering mentally over a situation that occurred in her past.
Everyone has skeletons, and those have to come out of the closet some time...
"Up close, he wasn't so scary. He might act like he couldn't care less, but his eyes told a different story. There was an intesity in them that should have scared her, but instead she found herself falling into them. Literally."
This is a story that pairs two broken people, and with the help from each other they learn how to heal themselves. A story where Ewan wants to only protect what his heart so unwillingly wants to protect, but his mind so coldly wants to say to stay away. It was a wonderful, dramatic in the best ways kind of read. Ewan's and Quinn's story has a few clichés here and there, but they are clichés that you don't mind because you honestly want to know more about their story... Together. Their intimate scenes are beyond H-O-T! Seriously, I have never been so gratified over a furious scene where both protagonists are beyond furious about certain situations. Ewan and Quinn changed that for sure. They cannot get their hands off of each other and his possessiveness is a turn on for sure!
Goodreads rating: FOUR STARS!
September 3, 2016
I loved this book. It's pretty straight forward romance and it's a very well written one at that.This is book 1 in a new series and already I cannot wait for book two. This is Quinn and Ewan's book.
Quinn, a landscape designer, has moved for the summer to Ballag to visit her aunt and to go on with the business of living after the death of her parents in a bombing. Ewan runs his family's pub in the town. He was nine when his parents sent him to live with his Aunt and Uncle.
One night after receiving a sucker punch by an associate of the Madigan crime family and requests for services, he scares the guy off, on his run out of the alley though, the guy collides with Quinn knocking her down and causing her to hit her head hard.
Ewan checks on her, helps her up and then carries her bags home for her (much to her dismay and his since her aunt isn't a fan of his at all). He also corrects her when she assumes that he is the one who ran into her.
Over the next couple of weeks she tries to thank him and make conversation but he is having none of it. He is quite the antisocial man who like to occasionally street fight. One day, however, he is delivering liquor to her cousin there at the house when he walks around back to the garden to find Quinn trying to set posts into the ground for her aunts garden by herself. He offers to help and after almost killing herself she accepts his help. Then right back to antisocial.
Eventually though they give into one another and have a good go of it and so begins their relationship, or lack thereof. But his past is coming back to haunt him and it's making him concerned. He's just decided to put the brakes on when she tells him she is going to Providence next week to help her new friend, Darcy, finish her final project.
Once she returns she is in party mode and ready to celebrate with her new friends Darcy's birthday and has just burnt the cake and while mixing the new one her aunt reminds her about her mother's birthday and Quinn falls apart.
Will Ewan be there for her? Will she forgive herself for forgetting? Will Ewen share more of his past? You'll have to read to find out. I didn't want to put this one down. It moved at a great speed and had just the right amount of details. I think any romance fan will enjoy it.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Quinn, a landscape designer, has moved for the summer to Ballag to visit her aunt and to go on with the business of living after the death of her parents in a bombing. Ewan runs his family's pub in the town. He was nine when his parents sent him to live with his Aunt and Uncle.
One night after receiving a sucker punch by an associate of the Madigan crime family and requests for services, he scares the guy off, on his run out of the alley though, the guy collides with Quinn knocking her down and causing her to hit her head hard.
Ewan checks on her, helps her up and then carries her bags home for her (much to her dismay and his since her aunt isn't a fan of his at all). He also corrects her when she assumes that he is the one who ran into her.
Over the next couple of weeks she tries to thank him and make conversation but he is having none of it. He is quite the antisocial man who like to occasionally street fight. One day, however, he is delivering liquor to her cousin there at the house when he walks around back to the garden to find Quinn trying to set posts into the ground for her aunts garden by herself. He offers to help and after almost killing herself she accepts his help. Then right back to antisocial.
Eventually though they give into one another and have a good go of it and so begins their relationship, or lack thereof. But his past is coming back to haunt him and it's making him concerned. He's just decided to put the brakes on when she tells him she is going to Providence next week to help her new friend, Darcy, finish her final project.
Once she returns she is in party mode and ready to celebrate with her new friends Darcy's birthday and has just burnt the cake and while mixing the new one her aunt reminds her about her mother's birthday and Quinn falls apart.
Will Ewan be there for her? Will she forgive herself for forgetting? Will Ewen share more of his past? You'll have to read to find out. I didn't want to put this one down. It moved at a great speed and had just the right amount of details. I think any romance fan will enjoy it.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 16, 2016
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book
The Best Part of Me is the first book of the McKenna series and Jamie Hollins definitely made a grand entrance into the romance genre with this one! For a new writer, Hollins' writing was both alluring and engaging, I was greatly moved by the depth of the story.
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Ewan McKenna wanted nothing to do with two things in life: his past and relationships. Ewan thought that by running his uncle's Irish Pub it would be his chance of starting anew. Unlike his cousin Sean, Ewan was quiet and reserved, and that's how he would like to remain to be. Until the day he crossed path with Quinn Adler and she wrecked his peaceful life like a tornado. Quinn Adler moved to Ballagh to escape her memories, helping Aunt Maura with her landscaping seemed like a good place to start. What Quinn did not expect was to be knocked down by a burly man in a dark alley while she was taking the shortcut home one night, only to be rescued by a man her aunt won't approve of, but she soon discovered that she can't live without. With their baggage in tow, can Ewan and Quinn come to terms with their past and find the courage to love? Or would their past be so consuming it tears them apart?
Recently I've been binge reading on second-chance novels and this book was the catalyst. A 5-star rating was a no brainer because Hollins writing was impeccable! I love the romance aspect of the story because Ewan/Quinn's chemistry was off the charts hot, and yet they still took the time to explore each other. Their relationship was exciting and that's what I am looking for in a book.
Another 5-point rating about the book was how Hollins never seemed to leave anyone out. It absolutely annoys me when an author introduced us to a great array of characters only to focus too much on the MCs and neglect the secondary characters. A book is only alive because of the voices in it, and The Best Part of Me was filled with Erin, Darcy, Quinn and Lisbeth's constant chattering - which I think is so much fun! Furthermore, Darcy has quickly become one of my favorite characters, she is such a lively character to begin with! I just can't wait for the second book.
If you are a fan of Travis Maddox, you'd definitely want to check out this new series. I'm pretty sure the McKenna's would be a death to our fragile reader hearts!
Overall rating:
Pace: 5
Romance: 5
Characters: 5
Drama: 4
I also came up with my own teaser art!
Posted by,
Natasha @ Dreamland Teenage Fantasy
The Best Part of Me is the first book of the McKenna series and Jamie Hollins definitely made a grand entrance into the romance genre with this one! For a new writer, Hollins' writing was both alluring and engaging, I was greatly moved by the depth of the story.
[image error]
Ewan McKenna wanted nothing to do with two things in life: his past and relationships. Ewan thought that by running his uncle's Irish Pub it would be his chance of starting anew. Unlike his cousin Sean, Ewan was quiet and reserved, and that's how he would like to remain to be. Until the day he crossed path with Quinn Adler and she wrecked his peaceful life like a tornado. Quinn Adler moved to Ballagh to escape her memories, helping Aunt Maura with her landscaping seemed like a good place to start. What Quinn did not expect was to be knocked down by a burly man in a dark alley while she was taking the shortcut home one night, only to be rescued by a man her aunt won't approve of, but she soon discovered that she can't live without. With their baggage in tow, can Ewan and Quinn come to terms with their past and find the courage to love? Or would their past be so consuming it tears them apart?
Recently I've been binge reading on second-chance novels and this book was the catalyst. A 5-star rating was a no brainer because Hollins writing was impeccable! I love the romance aspect of the story because Ewan/Quinn's chemistry was off the charts hot, and yet they still took the time to explore each other. Their relationship was exciting and that's what I am looking for in a book.
Another 5-point rating about the book was how Hollins never seemed to leave anyone out. It absolutely annoys me when an author introduced us to a great array of characters only to focus too much on the MCs and neglect the secondary characters. A book is only alive because of the voices in it, and The Best Part of Me was filled with Erin, Darcy, Quinn and Lisbeth's constant chattering - which I think is so much fun! Furthermore, Darcy has quickly become one of my favorite characters, she is such a lively character to begin with! I just can't wait for the second book.
If you are a fan of Travis Maddox, you'd definitely want to check out this new series. I'm pretty sure the McKenna's would be a death to our fragile reader hearts!
Overall rating:
Pace: 5
Romance: 5
Characters: 5
Drama: 4
I also came up with my own teaser art!
Posted by,
Natasha @ Dreamland Teenage Fantasy
July 11, 2017
Tragedy
The Best Part Of Me (McKenna Series #1) by Jamie Hollis
• Tragedy
I purchased this story after receiving an ARC of Not in My Wildest Dreams (McKenna Series #2), but finally got around to reading it after reading Where I Need To Be (McKenna Series #3). Although it's the first in the series and and last one I've read I didn't feel as though I screwed up reading the series by reading it last. I absolutely completely enjoyed being to know Quinn and Ewan better in this story. It's an emotional story as is the complete series, but that's typical when you really get into the lives of family members.... Ugh it's hard to not tell too much and give the story away, but just know this series is will worth the time to read. It's full of love and growth between each character. Ewan is quiet and keeps to himself, Quinn is quiet and shy.... Until she's challenged. They both have a traffic past that they need to work through before they can truly live again, but will they be able to get past that together or will they end up going their separate ways because of stubbornness and fear? You'll have to read The Best Part of Me to find out. Due to sexual content and language this novel is recommended for readers 18 and older!
Favorite Passages~
• “You can’t force a square peg into a round hole.”
• Because after all, actions spoke louder than words.
The Best Part Of Me (McKenna Series #1) by Jamie Hollis
• Tragedy
I purchased this story after receiving an ARC of Not in My Wildest Dreams (McKenna Series #2), but finally got around to reading it after reading Where I Need To Be (McKenna Series #3). Although it's the first in the series and and last one I've read I didn't feel as though I screwed up reading the series by reading it last. I absolutely completely enjoyed being to know Quinn and Ewan better in this story. It's an emotional story as is the complete series, but that's typical when you really get into the lives of family members.... Ugh it's hard to not tell too much and give the story away, but just know this series is will worth the time to read. It's full of love and growth between each character. Ewan is quiet and keeps to himself, Quinn is quiet and shy.... Until she's challenged. They both have a traffic past that they need to work through before they can truly live again, but will they be able to get past that together or will they end up going their separate ways because of stubbornness and fear? You'll have to read The Best Part of Me to find out. Due to sexual content and language this novel is recommended for readers 18 and older!
Favorite Passages~
• “You can’t force a square peg into a round hole.”
• Because after all, actions spoke louder than words.
July 11, 2017
The Best Part Of Me (McKenna Series #1) by Jamie Hollins
• Tragedy
I purchased this story after receiving an ARC of Not in My Wildest Dreams (McKenna Series #2), but finally got around to reading it after reading Where I Need To Be (McKenna Series #3). Although it's the first in the series and and last one I've read I didn't feel as though I screwed up reading the series by reading it last. I absolutely completely enjoyed being to know Quinn and Ewan better in this story. It's an emotional story as is the complete series, but that's typical when you really get into the lives of family members.... Ugh it's hard to not tell too much and give the story away, but just know this series is will worth the time to read. It's full of love and growth between each character. Ewan is quiet and keeps to himself, Quinn is quiet and shy.... Until she's challenged. They both have a traffic past that they need to work through before they can truly live again, but will they be able to get past that together or will they end up going their separate ways because of stubbornness and fear? You'll have to read The Best Part of Me to find out. Due to sexual content and language this novel is recommended for readers 18 and older!
Favorite Passages~
• “You can’t force a square peg into a round hole.”
• Because after all, actions spoke louder than words.
• Tragedy
I purchased this story after receiving an ARC of Not in My Wildest Dreams (McKenna Series #2), but finally got around to reading it after reading Where I Need To Be (McKenna Series #3). Although it's the first in the series and and last one I've read I didn't feel as though I screwed up reading the series by reading it last. I absolutely completely enjoyed being to know Quinn and Ewan better in this story. It's an emotional story as is the complete series, but that's typical when you really get into the lives of family members.... Ugh it's hard to not tell too much and give the story away, but just know this series is will worth the time to read. It's full of love and growth between each character. Ewan is quiet and keeps to himself, Quinn is quiet and shy.... Until she's challenged. They both have a traffic past that they need to work through before they can truly live again, but will they be able to get past that together or will they end up going their separate ways because of stubbornness and fear? You'll have to read The Best Part of Me to find out. Due to sexual content and language this novel is recommended for readers 18 and older!
Favorite Passages~
• “You can’t force a square peg into a round hole.”
• Because after all, actions spoke louder than words.
June 26, 2017
LOVED this book!!!
H0ly hotness!!! Ewan is just HOT HOT HOT HOT!!!!
I liked reading how broken Ewan's character was and the heartbreaking story behind it. I'm thankful for his uncle as I think the story would have ended much differently had he not gone to visit Quinn that one afternoon. Quinn's own story was heart breaking in itself but I felt like we were able to watch her work through her guilt and finally move forward with her life. I think we also began seeing Ewan do the same.
Looking forward to reading more in this series!
** ARC received from Netgalley **
H0ly hotness!!! Ewan is just HOT HOT HOT HOT!!!!
I liked reading how broken Ewan's character was and the heartbreaking story behind it. I'm thankful for his uncle as I think the story would have ended much differently had he not gone to visit Quinn that one afternoon. Quinn's own story was heart breaking in itself but I felt like we were able to watch her work through her guilt and finally move forward with her life. I think we also began seeing Ewan do the same.
Looking forward to reading more in this series!
** ARC received from Netgalley **
September 20, 2016
Book given for an honest review on Netgalley.
It's a new author! And I think I'm in love! this story was just amazing!!
http://thesecretworldofbooklovers.blo...
This book has it all, extremely hot tortured soul guy who is a great man underneath it all; beautiful, talented and loving leading lady; and some thrilling mafia action lurking in the edge of the story line just to keep us on our toes.
Oh and don't forget the steamy hot sex scenes!
The main characters are fun to read about, with their constant banter and the connection they had that couldn't been faked, they were just a perfect match.
The story was entertaining and captivating, I didn't want to put the book down, almost fell asleep on my kindle trying to pull an all-nighter, but I finished it and I'm feeling a bit of book hangover.
They made me cry a little, it was inevitable, I was able to really connect with the characters and their deep and dark secrets. So when the moment came for their true feelings to be revealed, the water work was a given.
The main issue in the book is the fact that sometimes the hardships of our pasts give us a feeling of unworthiness that is really hard to overcome, and we encounter a huge difficulty when it's time to put the barriers down. Nobody wants to be hurt, and those who know how intense the sting of the pain is, have a moment of uncertainty when it comes to letting people in.
This is a story of true love, of letting go of the pain and allowing ourselves to feel again, the outcome is so much sweeter than the feeling of emptiness and what ifs.
Simply amazing!
It's a new author! And I think I'm in love! this story was just amazing!!
http://thesecretworldofbooklovers.blo...
This book has it all, extremely hot tortured soul guy who is a great man underneath it all; beautiful, talented and loving leading lady; and some thrilling mafia action lurking in the edge of the story line just to keep us on our toes.
Oh and don't forget the steamy hot sex scenes!
The main characters are fun to read about, with their constant banter and the connection they had that couldn't been faked, they were just a perfect match.
The story was entertaining and captivating, I didn't want to put the book down, almost fell asleep on my kindle trying to pull an all-nighter, but I finished it and I'm feeling a bit of book hangover.
They made me cry a little, it was inevitable, I was able to really connect with the characters and their deep and dark secrets. So when the moment came for their true feelings to be revealed, the water work was a given.
The main issue in the book is the fact that sometimes the hardships of our pasts give us a feeling of unworthiness that is really hard to overcome, and we encounter a huge difficulty when it's time to put the barriers down. Nobody wants to be hurt, and those who know how intense the sting of the pain is, have a moment of uncertainty when it comes to letting people in.
This is a story of true love, of letting go of the pain and allowing ourselves to feel again, the outcome is so much sweeter than the feeling of emptiness and what ifs.
Simply amazing!
August 29, 2016
I had a really hard time with this book. When a book takes place right where I live I have extremely high expectations. I always love reading a book when it takes place in Boston or one of the surrounding towns. Now, if you're not from Boston & you're not familiar with the surrounding towns, the landmarks or even how the towns communities are, then you won't have an issue with what I have issues with. If you're from Boston or one of the towns right outside (especially south of Boston), you may have issues like I did.
Issue 1: the author mentioned that Ewan, the books 'hero' was raised in Ballagh (we'll talk about that town in a bit) since age 9, which is a town right next to Boston. The author mentioned that Ewan talks with an Irish brogue accent. Shouldn't he have a Boston accent if that's where he grew up?
Issue 2: The name of the town. That's what really irked me throughout this whole book. The town Ballagh was a spitting image of another town named Quincy. The author used the proper names of other surrounding towns & landmarks. Why did she change the name of the town this book takes place in? I actually googled the name of the town & it is a real town...in Ireland. Ballagh is a predominantly Irish community & Ewan runs an Irish pub there. The real town Ballagh is copied after is also a predominantly Irish community town with lots of Irish pubs (I've been to a few of them). I just don't understand why the author kept everything else the same but changed the name of the town.
Issue3: I wasn't a huge fan of the characters. I thought they were one dimensional & flat. Ewan used to be an enforcer for some mob family but, he's not alpha at all. There was really nothing to him. Same with Quinn the 'heroine.' I found her to be slightly boring. There wasn't really anything to her. Yeah she had a huge family tragedy but, that was almost glossed over.
This book had so much potential to be wicked awesome. Especially Ewan. He could've been this big, bad, alpha dominant male but sadly, he was just sad. I skimmed a lot of this book & skimmed over the sex. Why? Because it wasn't hot or sexy. Like I said this book was a struggle to get through. The storyline was boring as was the characters.
Issue 1: the author mentioned that Ewan, the books 'hero' was raised in Ballagh (we'll talk about that town in a bit) since age 9, which is a town right next to Boston. The author mentioned that Ewan talks with an Irish brogue accent. Shouldn't he have a Boston accent if that's where he grew up?
Issue 2: The name of the town. That's what really irked me throughout this whole book. The town Ballagh was a spitting image of another town named Quincy. The author used the proper names of other surrounding towns & landmarks. Why did she change the name of the town this book takes place in? I actually googled the name of the town & it is a real town...in Ireland. Ballagh is a predominantly Irish community & Ewan runs an Irish pub there. The real town Ballagh is copied after is also a predominantly Irish community town with lots of Irish pubs (I've been to a few of them). I just don't understand why the author kept everything else the same but changed the name of the town.
Issue3: I wasn't a huge fan of the characters. I thought they were one dimensional & flat. Ewan used to be an enforcer for some mob family but, he's not alpha at all. There was really nothing to him. Same with Quinn the 'heroine.' I found her to be slightly boring. There wasn't really anything to her. Yeah she had a huge family tragedy but, that was almost glossed over.
This book had so much potential to be wicked awesome. Especially Ewan. He could've been this big, bad, alpha dominant male but sadly, he was just sad. I skimmed a lot of this book & skimmed over the sex. Why? Because it wasn't hot or sexy. Like I said this book was a struggle to get through. The storyline was boring as was the characters.
February 5, 2017
I was given a copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
The attraction between Ewan, a brooding bartender and Quinn, a grieving garden designer is hot. I enjoyed learning about Quinn’s profession and both characters have interesting back stories. I’m not sure either Quinn or Ewan fully came to life for me, but their romance is sweet.
There are a couple of steaming hot sex scenes in this story. Both Ewan and Quinn struggle with romantic relationships and both have very complicated histories. There might have been a little too much angst and a little too much brooding for my tastes.
The angst in this story is offset by Ewan and Quinn’s friends and family members. As a grad student, Quinn is almost young enough to pull off the cutesy sorority style friendships but the girl talk did my head in by the end of the book. Ewan’s family is easier to like. I enjoyed his relationship with his cousin and I liked his aunt and uncle. All of the secondary characters help to reduce the intensity of the romance and I appreciated the lighter interludes.
Every now and then I run into books with Irish-American characters and settings that are more Irish than anything I’ve experienced in Ireland. I don’t quite get it and I’m pretty sure it would come across as racist if any other group of Americans was stereotyped so completely. Here, Ewan’s family runs an Irish bar, they’re entangled with the Irish mob, they drink Irish whiskey and they speak with Irish accents. Ewan himself is an easy caricature of a brooding Irishman. To a UK reader, it’s all a little bit odd.
This is a sweet, simple romance. I enjoyed parts of it but it never fully captured my imagination. I’m interested enough to see how this series progresses - Sean and Darcy’s story should be interesting.
The attraction between Ewan, a brooding bartender and Quinn, a grieving garden designer is hot. I enjoyed learning about Quinn’s profession and both characters have interesting back stories. I’m not sure either Quinn or Ewan fully came to life for me, but their romance is sweet.
There are a couple of steaming hot sex scenes in this story. Both Ewan and Quinn struggle with romantic relationships and both have very complicated histories. There might have been a little too much angst and a little too much brooding for my tastes.
The angst in this story is offset by Ewan and Quinn’s friends and family members. As a grad student, Quinn is almost young enough to pull off the cutesy sorority style friendships but the girl talk did my head in by the end of the book. Ewan’s family is easier to like. I enjoyed his relationship with his cousin and I liked his aunt and uncle. All of the secondary characters help to reduce the intensity of the romance and I appreciated the lighter interludes.
Every now and then I run into books with Irish-American characters and settings that are more Irish than anything I’ve experienced in Ireland. I don’t quite get it and I’m pretty sure it would come across as racist if any other group of Americans was stereotyped so completely. Here, Ewan’s family runs an Irish bar, they’re entangled with the Irish mob, they drink Irish whiskey and they speak with Irish accents. Ewan himself is an easy caricature of a brooding Irishman. To a UK reader, it’s all a little bit odd.
This is a sweet, simple romance. I enjoyed parts of it but it never fully captured my imagination. I’m interested enough to see how this series progresses - Sean and Darcy’s story should be interesting.
February 5, 2017
~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~
This is the first in a series - and I loved it and was very happy that I had the second book in the series also lined up on my reading list.
We meet the McKenna family - from Ewan's point of view. He works for his uncle, and considers his cousin, Sean a younger brother. Ewan is a man who has chosen a simple life, running a pub for his uncle. He uses up aggression by fighting, usually with someone taking bets.
Quinn is recovering from the loss of her parents, in the most tragic of circumstances. Unable to take Pittsburgh anymore, so she goes to her aunt's for a while. Keeping herself busy landscaping the gardens, she gets a chance to heal. An unexpected encounter with Ewan in a dark alleyway starts an attraction that affects them far more than either of them expected.
As the dark in Ewan's past rears its ugly head, and Quinn finds herself falling for him, even when she knows it is hopeless, things get very complicated - but also very good! There was a real feeling of community developing, with Darcy and Sean being great side characters and adding some much needed humour when things got difficult. Darcy also turns into a good friend, something that Quinn had forgotten she once had.
A really good mix of romance, intense attraction and steamy action. Throw in family and a dark past and the reader is in for a treat. The story leaves us in the perfect place for book two.
This is the first in a series - and I loved it and was very happy that I had the second book in the series also lined up on my reading list.
We meet the McKenna family - from Ewan's point of view. He works for his uncle, and considers his cousin, Sean a younger brother. Ewan is a man who has chosen a simple life, running a pub for his uncle. He uses up aggression by fighting, usually with someone taking bets.
Quinn is recovering from the loss of her parents, in the most tragic of circumstances. Unable to take Pittsburgh anymore, so she goes to her aunt's for a while. Keeping herself busy landscaping the gardens, she gets a chance to heal. An unexpected encounter with Ewan in a dark alleyway starts an attraction that affects them far more than either of them expected.
As the dark in Ewan's past rears its ugly head, and Quinn finds herself falling for him, even when she knows it is hopeless, things get very complicated - but also very good! There was a real feeling of community developing, with Darcy and Sean being great side characters and adding some much needed humour when things got difficult. Darcy also turns into a good friend, something that Quinn had forgotten she once had.
A really good mix of romance, intense attraction and steamy action. Throw in family and a dark past and the reader is in for a treat. The story leaves us in the perfect place for book two.
October 8, 2016
* I received an ARC copy in return of my honest review*
What a great start to a new series by Jamie Hollins. I always love to start a book series that keeps me intrigued from beginning to end. After tragedy hits Quinn a year earlier with her parents both dying, she decides to go to a small town and stay with her aunt for a few months. She has a passion for landscaping and decides to help her aunt transform her backyard. One night, Quinn is accidently toppled over by a stranger and Ewin witnesses it by the pub he manages. He knows who Quinn's aunt is and knows how much she despises him. But that does not stop him from making sure Quinn gets home safely.
Ewin is broody and stays to himself. He says he is the dark. He deserves nothing good. And that is what Quinn is to him, his light. He tries to stay away. But Quinn is just as attracted to Ewin and has a pull that keeps her going back for more. And the sex is just mind blowing for both. Nothing either has experienced before. Quinn shares her tragic past, in hopes that Ewin will just give her a little more of himself. But he doesn't. He still is being hassled from his past and no matter what he does he can not break free from the chains. Before she leaves, Quinn pours out her heart, even after she has learned all of his past she wants him to want her just as much. Will he really let her go? Or will he finally give himself a life to have someone that will protect his heart and love him will their all? This a great new book to start with a new series. Quinn shows that even though she is quiet and small, she is fiery and has an attitude that shows she does not back down from anything. Perfect read for me on a rainy day! I got a new series that I am addicted too. You will fall for Ewin and give him the love he truly deserves, even if he is stubborn to see it.
What a great start to a new series by Jamie Hollins. I always love to start a book series that keeps me intrigued from beginning to end. After tragedy hits Quinn a year earlier with her parents both dying, she decides to go to a small town and stay with her aunt for a few months. She has a passion for landscaping and decides to help her aunt transform her backyard. One night, Quinn is accidently toppled over by a stranger and Ewin witnesses it by the pub he manages. He knows who Quinn's aunt is and knows how much she despises him. But that does not stop him from making sure Quinn gets home safely.
Ewin is broody and stays to himself. He says he is the dark. He deserves nothing good. And that is what Quinn is to him, his light. He tries to stay away. But Quinn is just as attracted to Ewin and has a pull that keeps her going back for more. And the sex is just mind blowing for both. Nothing either has experienced before. Quinn shares her tragic past, in hopes that Ewin will just give her a little more of himself. But he doesn't. He still is being hassled from his past and no matter what he does he can not break free from the chains. Before she leaves, Quinn pours out her heart, even after she has learned all of his past she wants him to want her just as much. Will he really let her go? Or will he finally give himself a life to have someone that will protect his heart and love him will their all? This a great new book to start with a new series. Quinn shows that even though she is quiet and small, she is fiery and has an attitude that shows she does not back down from anything. Perfect read for me on a rainy day! I got a new series that I am addicted too. You will fall for Ewin and give him the love he truly deserves, even if he is stubborn to see it.
February 5, 2017
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads, so here is my review.
Ewan McKenna is the bad boy in this story and he believes he doesn't deserve anything good in his life. So he runs his uncles pub, takes a lover when the need arises but nothing serious in the relationship department.
Quinn Adler has been through a really bad year. After her parents were killed, she quit school and grieved. After help from a therapist she is now spending the summer with her aunt in a small town south of Boston. Quinn was going to college for landscape design and she loved working in the dirt and with all types of flowers and trees. So while at her aunt's house she is going to redo the backyard, to give her aunt a beautiful oasis right out her back door.
When Quinn meets Ewan, there is a connection that neither wants to acknowledge or wants to pursue. But the pull between them is so strong that they can't stay away from each other.
Can Quinn break through Ewan's barrier and show him he is worth being loved? Will his past destroy a future they might have? Will Quinn go back to school and finish her degree?
I really enjoyed this story, it kept me wanting more until the end. This is a first for me from this author and I can't wait to read the next one with Sean and Darcy. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
Ewan McKenna is the bad boy in this story and he believes he doesn't deserve anything good in his life. So he runs his uncles pub, takes a lover when the need arises but nothing serious in the relationship department.
Quinn Adler has been through a really bad year. After her parents were killed, she quit school and grieved. After help from a therapist she is now spending the summer with her aunt in a small town south of Boston. Quinn was going to college for landscape design and she loved working in the dirt and with all types of flowers and trees. So while at her aunt's house she is going to redo the backyard, to give her aunt a beautiful oasis right out her back door.
When Quinn meets Ewan, there is a connection that neither wants to acknowledge or wants to pursue. But the pull between them is so strong that they can't stay away from each other.
Can Quinn break through Ewan's barrier and show him he is worth being loved? Will his past destroy a future they might have? Will Quinn go back to school and finish her degree?
I really enjoyed this story, it kept me wanting more until the end. This is a first for me from this author and I can't wait to read the next one with Sean and Darcy. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
September 15, 2016
Great book and very well written. Loved all the drama in the book with different elements besides just the love interests. Usually when I start a brand new series there is so much background trying to lay the foundation of the series that the love story of the inaugural book gets lost. Hollins definitely brings the hotness and romance to the forefront with Ewan and Quinn.
Ewan was the broody and sexy with a slight brogue that kept the ladies intrigued. As emotionally standoffish as he could be, Ewan neither had the want or know how to be anything other than the love them and leave them guy. Quinn comes to Ballagh for refuge after suffering a tragedy. Quinn has reserved personality and comes across as slight and weak. However, once she delves into her passion of landscaping, Quinn proves she is one tough and physical woman. Ewan is intrigued by the quiet woman who seems to not be as perfect and coiffed as he thought and realizes Quinn is a strong, athletic and beautiful woman. Finding themselves in a whirlwind of emotions and fall into a hot and steamy "it's just the summer fling" romance. Ewan has a past that he feels makes him not able to have a future, at least one that Quinn deserves and he realizes he needs to cut ties before it gets serious. Did he wait to late? Is Quinn that easy to let go? Is he really unlovable as he thinks?
Highly recommend this new series! Not only sweeps you into the story of Ewan and Quinn but entices you with the promise of Sean and Darcy's story to follow.
Ewan was the broody and sexy with a slight brogue that kept the ladies intrigued. As emotionally standoffish as he could be, Ewan neither had the want or know how to be anything other than the love them and leave them guy. Quinn comes to Ballagh for refuge after suffering a tragedy. Quinn has reserved personality and comes across as slight and weak. However, once she delves into her passion of landscaping, Quinn proves she is one tough and physical woman. Ewan is intrigued by the quiet woman who seems to not be as perfect and coiffed as he thought and realizes Quinn is a strong, athletic and beautiful woman. Finding themselves in a whirlwind of emotions and fall into a hot and steamy "it's just the summer fling" romance. Ewan has a past that he feels makes him not able to have a future, at least one that Quinn deserves and he realizes he needs to cut ties before it gets serious. Did he wait to late? Is Quinn that easy to let go? Is he really unlovable as he thinks?
Highly recommend this new series! Not only sweeps you into the story of Ewan and Quinn but entices you with the promise of Sean and Darcy's story to follow.
October 1, 2016
**I received The Best Part of Me from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review**
The Best Part of Me by Jamie Hollins is a solid 4.6 star book and a start of her new McKenna Series. I loved the book with the story of sibling and parental loss plus the hardship of starting over. But its the beginning of true love between Ewan and Quinn that will make the story a part of everyone's TBR list.
Ewan McKenna runs his uncle's Irish bar in Ballagh, MA just outside of Boston, he's very dedicated to making the bar the one to come too for not only good food, fun, atmosphere and the feeling of family. But he had a secret life involving the Madigan Mob family and he loves to bare knuckle fight to blow off steam. He worries that information may make Quinn decide not to take a chance on him as their attraction steadily grows.
Quinn Adler is still reeling from the death of her parents in a bomb blast, she leaves school and moves to Ballagh to live with her aunt while her soul heals. One night while coming home from shopping, she is hurt outside of Ewan's bar by a fleeing Adam Madigan who he'd just thrown out. Ewan walks her home to make sure she's safe and thus begins the start of their romance.
Throw in a bar fight, Irish mobsters, the loss of Ewan's sibling in Ireland and him being sent to
America to live with his Aunt and Uncle plus an arson fire and you have a wonderful start to a new series by Ms. Hollins.
The Best Part of Me by Jamie Hollins is a solid 4.6 star book and a start of her new McKenna Series. I loved the book with the story of sibling and parental loss plus the hardship of starting over. But its the beginning of true love between Ewan and Quinn that will make the story a part of everyone's TBR list.
Ewan McKenna runs his uncle's Irish bar in Ballagh, MA just outside of Boston, he's very dedicated to making the bar the one to come too for not only good food, fun, atmosphere and the feeling of family. But he had a secret life involving the Madigan Mob family and he loves to bare knuckle fight to blow off steam. He worries that information may make Quinn decide not to take a chance on him as their attraction steadily grows.
Quinn Adler is still reeling from the death of her parents in a bomb blast, she leaves school and moves to Ballagh to live with her aunt while her soul heals. One night while coming home from shopping, she is hurt outside of Ewan's bar by a fleeing Adam Madigan who he'd just thrown out. Ewan walks her home to make sure she's safe and thus begins the start of their romance.
Throw in a bar fight, Irish mobsters, the loss of Ewan's sibling in Ireland and him being sent to
America to live with his Aunt and Uncle plus an arson fire and you have a wonderful start to a new series by Ms. Hollins.
August 27, 2016
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
Ewan is an alpha male, dark, brooding, with lots of baggage. He was sent to America at the age of 9 to live with his Aunt and Uncle. He and his younger cousin, Sean, were raised as brothers, and are very tight. Ewan now runs his Uncle’s Irish Pub. He doesn’t get attached to anyone besides his family and doesn’t do relationships.
Quinn is still mourning her parents more than a year after their deaths. She has come to Ballagh from Boston at the request of her Aunt, to help her get on with her life. Quinn was in school to be a landscape design artist before dropping out when her parents died. She is smart, independent, competitive and hard working.
Ewan meets Quinn when she is literally knocked down by a former business acquaintance of his. They are both attracted but initially deny it. Their chemistry and heat are intense.
This book is well written and flows well. It kept me interested and involved from beginning to end. I would have liked to see if anything evolves with Ewan’s parents. Maybe their story will continue in the next book? Did Quinn’s Aunt Maura and Ewan work out their differences, since such a big deal was made of it? I can’t wait for Sean and Darcy’s story! Lisbeth is an obnoxious, interesting character. I would love to know how Rory, Darcy and Lisbeth became friends.
Ewan is an alpha male, dark, brooding, with lots of baggage. He was sent to America at the age of 9 to live with his Aunt and Uncle. He and his younger cousin, Sean, were raised as brothers, and are very tight. Ewan now runs his Uncle’s Irish Pub. He doesn’t get attached to anyone besides his family and doesn’t do relationships.
Quinn is still mourning her parents more than a year after their deaths. She has come to Ballagh from Boston at the request of her Aunt, to help her get on with her life. Quinn was in school to be a landscape design artist before dropping out when her parents died. She is smart, independent, competitive and hard working.
Ewan meets Quinn when she is literally knocked down by a former business acquaintance of his. They are both attracted but initially deny it. Their chemistry and heat are intense.
This book is well written and flows well. It kept me interested and involved from beginning to end. I would have liked to see if anything evolves with Ewan’s parents. Maybe their story will continue in the next book? Did Quinn’s Aunt Maura and Ewan work out their differences, since such a big deal was made of it? I can’t wait for Sean and Darcy’s story! Lisbeth is an obnoxious, interesting character. I would love to know how Rory, Darcy and Lisbeth became friends.
January 30, 2017
The Best Part of Me (McKenna #1) by Jamie Hollins
4.5 stars
M/F Romance
Triggers: Hints of a violent past, extortion, arson
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
Ewan is kind of a jerk. He's self involved, gruff, very rough around the edges and he doesn't really take in to consideration, anyone's feelings but his own. He had a checked past and he tries, now to keep on the straight and narrow. However, that also means that he is on the radar of his once employer whom he is trying to keep away from.
Quinn is naive, smart, witty and doesn't really take crap from anyone. While their meeting was one of coincidence, she sees past his exterior - she sees beneath the facade that he tries so hard to hide behind. I like that she was taking time for herself. She has a tragic history, as of recent and is simply trying to heal.
When these two get together, they have major chemistry. However, with all love stories, there is angst and miscommunication, fear and love. Quinn and Ewan have to figure out if what they have is worth the fight they know they will have to wage.
I think that these characters come together well - it's not an insta-love relationship and they both work at it. I can't wait to see what book 2 has to offer.
4.5 stars
M/F Romance
Triggers: Hints of a violent past, extortion, arson
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
Ewan is kind of a jerk. He's self involved, gruff, very rough around the edges and he doesn't really take in to consideration, anyone's feelings but his own. He had a checked past and he tries, now to keep on the straight and narrow. However, that also means that he is on the radar of his once employer whom he is trying to keep away from.
Quinn is naive, smart, witty and doesn't really take crap from anyone. While their meeting was one of coincidence, she sees past his exterior - she sees beneath the facade that he tries so hard to hide behind. I like that she was taking time for herself. She has a tragic history, as of recent and is simply trying to heal.
When these two get together, they have major chemistry. However, with all love stories, there is angst and miscommunication, fear and love. Quinn and Ewan have to figure out if what they have is worth the fight they know they will have to wage.
I think that these characters come together well - it's not an insta-love relationship and they both work at it. I can't wait to see what book 2 has to offer.
August 27, 2016
Thanks to net galley.com for the ARC.
This book is totally worth reading if you like the strong alpha male with an equally strong and fierce leading lady! It is so well written and there always seems to be something going on, pick up rugby game, late night fights, college project with new friends, excitement and drama at the bar, family drama this book has it all! The complexity of the characters and the past hurts and scars they carry with them add to the pure reading enjoyment of this book! I loved that she was strong emotionally to say how she felt to him to his face and that she didn't run away and just get on a plane and leave him with another letter. She went to him and told him and called him out for being a coward and that takes some serious guts! I will add this author to my favorites list, well done!
This book is totally worth reading if you like the strong alpha male with an equally strong and fierce leading lady! It is so well written and there always seems to be something going on, pick up rugby game, late night fights, college project with new friends, excitement and drama at the bar, family drama this book has it all! The complexity of the characters and the past hurts and scars they carry with them add to the pure reading enjoyment of this book! I loved that she was strong emotionally to say how she felt to him to his face and that she didn't run away and just get on a plane and leave him with another letter. She went to him and told him and called him out for being a coward and that takes some serious guts! I will add this author to my favorites list, well done!
May 4, 2017
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, so here goes:
I absolutely adored this book and these characters. Ewan is smoldering hot, and the connection between Ewan and Quinn was so palpable that I actually got butterflies while reading some of their interchanges. That speaks volumes about this author's talent for creating realistic characters. The story itself is interesting from beginning to end...a real page-turner. This is my first book by this author, and I'll be anxiously seeking out more. What a find!
I absolutely adored this book and these characters. Ewan is smoldering hot, and the connection between Ewan and Quinn was so palpable that I actually got butterflies while reading some of their interchanges. That speaks volumes about this author's talent for creating realistic characters. The story itself is interesting from beginning to end...a real page-turner. This is my first book by this author, and I'll be anxiously seeking out more. What a find!
September 21, 2016
I really liked this read. Ewan is the perfect alpha with a tortured soul. Quinn is just the woman to bring down his wall. This is a fast paced suspenseful and emotional read. I liked the story as well as the characters. Looking forward to more in the series.
September 5, 2016
Utterly enchanting romance. Loved it!
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 4, 2016
via netgalley
loved this book.
loved this book.
April 14, 2017
The Best Part of Me by Jamie Hollins
Book #1: McKenna Series
Source: Purchase
My Rating: 4½/5 stars
My Review:
Ewan McKenna is a most unusual man. Despite his youth, Ewan is perfectly content with his life, something most don’t achieve until they are far older than he. Ewan runs his family’s bar in Ballagh, a small town outside of Boston, he engages in the occasional bare knuckle scuffle to burn off his aggression, he minds his own damn business, and he has a no-strings-attached woman in his bed any time he desires. Ewan has sown his wild oats, done some very bad things, and learned from his lessons. He has no desire to repeat the mistakes of his past and it is that very thing that keeps him from entangling himself with a woman for more than one night.
Quinn Adler has been living in a fog for the better part of a year following the death of her parents and the need to drop out of her graduate program. Everything Quinn knew and loved was taken from her in a single horrible moment and she’s trying to find her way again. In that spirit, Quinn has packed her bags and moved in with her elderly aunt in Ballagh for the summer. She fully intends to immerse herself in the landscaping of her aunt’s property and try and sort out what she wants for her future. What she doesn’t intend to do is become entangled with a man even if he is the hottest thing she’s ever, ever seen.
From the beginning, Quinn and Ewan have a prickly relationship that involves a whole host of aggravating one another. Neither seems to be able to say the right thing and both try to maintain and air of confidence as a way to mask their respective insecurities and attraction to one another. As the days and weeks go by, Quinn settles into life in Ballagh. She makes new friends, she learns the lay of the land, and she even tempts cranky pants Ewan into something more than a one night stand. Just as Quinn starts to believe she can be happy again and have a life beyond her sadness, Ewan pulls the rug out from under her and unsettles her world once again.
The Bottom Line: From start to finish, this book was all about Ewan!! Even when he’s got his head planted firmly up his ass, he’s still the strongest and most enjoyable of characters. He’s gruff and grumpy, strong and sexy, and stubborn and loyal. In all, he’s just short of perfect. Make no mistake, Quinn is quite likeable too and she becomes more so as the story unfolds. Quinn blossoms as the plot deepens, she finds her way out of the darkness and forges a future for herself and Ewan, you know, once he pulls his head out of his ass. This read is an excellent blend of drama and naughty, past and present without any one aspect overwhelming another. In addition to Quinn and Ewan is a strong cast of secondary/supporting characters who nicely round out the story. Overall, I found The Best Part of Me to be a very good start to a new series.
Book #1: McKenna Series
Source: Purchase
My Rating: 4½/5 stars
My Review:
Ewan McKenna is a most unusual man. Despite his youth, Ewan is perfectly content with his life, something most don’t achieve until they are far older than he. Ewan runs his family’s bar in Ballagh, a small town outside of Boston, he engages in the occasional bare knuckle scuffle to burn off his aggression, he minds his own damn business, and he has a no-strings-attached woman in his bed any time he desires. Ewan has sown his wild oats, done some very bad things, and learned from his lessons. He has no desire to repeat the mistakes of his past and it is that very thing that keeps him from entangling himself with a woman for more than one night.
Quinn Adler has been living in a fog for the better part of a year following the death of her parents and the need to drop out of her graduate program. Everything Quinn knew and loved was taken from her in a single horrible moment and she’s trying to find her way again. In that spirit, Quinn has packed her bags and moved in with her elderly aunt in Ballagh for the summer. She fully intends to immerse herself in the landscaping of her aunt’s property and try and sort out what she wants for her future. What she doesn’t intend to do is become entangled with a man even if he is the hottest thing she’s ever, ever seen.
From the beginning, Quinn and Ewan have a prickly relationship that involves a whole host of aggravating one another. Neither seems to be able to say the right thing and both try to maintain and air of confidence as a way to mask their respective insecurities and attraction to one another. As the days and weeks go by, Quinn settles into life in Ballagh. She makes new friends, she learns the lay of the land, and she even tempts cranky pants Ewan into something more than a one night stand. Just as Quinn starts to believe she can be happy again and have a life beyond her sadness, Ewan pulls the rug out from under her and unsettles her world once again.
The Bottom Line: From start to finish, this book was all about Ewan!! Even when he’s got his head planted firmly up his ass, he’s still the strongest and most enjoyable of characters. He’s gruff and grumpy, strong and sexy, and stubborn and loyal. In all, he’s just short of perfect. Make no mistake, Quinn is quite likeable too and she becomes more so as the story unfolds. Quinn blossoms as the plot deepens, she finds her way out of the darkness and forges a future for herself and Ewan, you know, once he pulls his head out of his ass. This read is an excellent blend of drama and naughty, past and present without any one aspect overwhelming another. In addition to Quinn and Ewan is a strong cast of secondary/supporting characters who nicely round out the story. Overall, I found The Best Part of Me to be a very good start to a new series.
July 11, 2017
Let me first say this is not a typical genre I read, but I decided to give it a try. I absolutely loved the story and I read it in less then 24 hours. I actually just ordered the next two books in the series and I am looking forward to starting those soon.
July 28, 2017
Ewan McKenna runs his family pub in Boston, after a difficult childhood he's stepped away from his past, he's fast with his fists and doesn't want to socialise with anyone. He truly is an island.
Quin Adler has moved to stay with her aunt after a family tragedy. When she runs into Ewan in a dark alley they don't get on. He's surly, rude and generally unpleasant - deliberately. And yet, as they run into each other from time to time there is definitely a spark ...
But can we ever really overcome our past?
I'll be honest, I read this two weeks ago and I can't remember a great deal of detail. I bought the book because I have read the other books in the series and it was bugging me that I hadn't read the earlier book.
Frankly, it felt a little 'off', as though it had been originally written set in Ireland and then someone suggested moving it to Boston - but maybe that's because Boston has a strong Irish community?
Anyway, it was okay but felt a bit lost, I kind of got the impression that it was set in a small Irish village - when it clearly wasn't!
Quin Adler has moved to stay with her aunt after a family tragedy. When she runs into Ewan in a dark alley they don't get on. He's surly, rude and generally unpleasant - deliberately. And yet, as they run into each other from time to time there is definitely a spark ...
But can we ever really overcome our past?
I'll be honest, I read this two weeks ago and I can't remember a great deal of detail. I bought the book because I have read the other books in the series and it was bugging me that I hadn't read the earlier book.
Frankly, it felt a little 'off', as though it had been originally written set in Ireland and then someone suggested moving it to Boston - but maybe that's because Boston has a strong Irish community?
Anyway, it was okay but felt a bit lost, I kind of got the impression that it was set in a small Irish village - when it clearly wasn't!
January 9, 2017
I actually read Not in My Wildest Dreams first, the second book in the McKenna series, but after loving that one I had to go and read this one! Ewan and Quinn definitely have an interesting relationship. Ewan is the hot broody type that is somewhat mysterious to those who don't know him. Quinn is strong even though she's still dealing with the death of her parents. What I like about this book is the way both of them have to overcome a part of their past. Not only do they have great chemistry but the other characters make it fun to read as well. Would recommend for a cute, steamy, and overall great read!
October 14, 2018
Great start to a series
Really enjoyed this very romantic read. Some great scenes, I have bought the next book to read Darcy's story. Recommended
Really enjoyed this very romantic read. Some great scenes, I have bought the next book to read Darcy's story. Recommended
April 24, 2017
****4.5 The Best Part of Me Stars ****
Where do I start I positively loved this story and characters; this book is totally worth reading it just flows so well. Quinn decides to spend some time with her aunt to get away from the lost of her parents. When Quinn meets Ewan is when she toppled over by man in the alley of the pub Ewan manages; Ewan knows who Quinn is and helps her home even if her aunt loathes him; Quin refuse any help from Ewan but he doesn't back down from her and helps her home anyway. The attraction is instant but Ewan and Quinn will not let the walls down so anything can happen. Ewan has skeletons in his closet that he wants to keep locked up and he was sent to America at the age of 9 to live with uncle and aunt after his brother death and hung around the wrong guys when he was lost the most in his life. Quinn becomes the storm in Ewan's life that threatens to destroy everything that he has stayed at arms length from; this is why Ewan antisocial, stubborn,moody and dark so he doesn’t have to open up to anyone.
Will Quinn break down Ewan walls and be more than just fling? Will Ewan let Quinn in and let go of his skeletons to finally be happy? I can’t wait for the next book.
****ARC from NetGalley for review****
Where do I start I positively loved this story and characters; this book is totally worth reading it just flows so well. Quinn decides to spend some time with her aunt to get away from the lost of her parents. When Quinn meets Ewan is when she toppled over by man in the alley of the pub Ewan manages; Ewan knows who Quinn is and helps her home even if her aunt loathes him; Quin refuse any help from Ewan but he doesn't back down from her and helps her home anyway. The attraction is instant but Ewan and Quinn will not let the walls down so anything can happen. Ewan has skeletons in his closet that he wants to keep locked up and he was sent to America at the age of 9 to live with uncle and aunt after his brother death and hung around the wrong guys when he was lost the most in his life. Quinn becomes the storm in Ewan's life that threatens to destroy everything that he has stayed at arms length from; this is why Ewan antisocial, stubborn,moody and dark so he doesn’t have to open up to anyone.
Will Quinn break down Ewan walls and be more than just fling? Will Ewan let Quinn in and let go of his skeletons to finally be happy? I can’t wait for the next book.
****ARC from NetGalley for review****
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October 21, 2016Two troubled souls happen into each other's lives and fight the growing connection between them. Call it the "love" of the Irish, or maybe more so the "lust" .. But when the baggage is unpacked, dirty laundry sorted, and the closet cleared, it's just inevitable that, well, I shan't spoil the fun. Brooding Ewan and spunky Quinn star in this break-out novel by Jamie Hollins and bring a close knit cast of supporting characters along for the plot. Toss in a few bad guys, a game of rugby, and a family dinner with most the fixings and things start to blend like a well landscaped yard. Bravo, Mz Hollins, for bringing this feisty duo into my library.
November 24, 2016
I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for This ARC in return for my honest review.
This was my first time reading this Author, and I think I will keep an eye out for the sequel on the Mckenna's story between Darcy and Sean.
It was a well written and great character built story, it left me wanting more, it's a good chick lit it kept me intrigued and interested to read and not put down till it was done. What I have to say that I liked the most, even though there was some angst with the characters they did it without devastating each other like in other storylines, this I feel was done more maturely. It was worth the read.
This was my first time reading this Author, and I think I will keep an eye out for the sequel on the Mckenna's story between Darcy and Sean.
It was a well written and great character built story, it left me wanting more, it's a good chick lit it kept me intrigued and interested to read and not put down till it was done. What I have to say that I liked the most, even though there was some angst with the characters they did it without devastating each other like in other storylines, this I feel was done more maturely. It was worth the read.
December 7, 2016
I enjoyed this story between Ewan and Quinn. Ewan runs his families pub and just wants to fly under the radar. He has escaped the Madigan family and just wants to get to tomorrow unscathed. Quinn lost her parents in a tragic accident and is now living with her aunt and trying to figure out how to actually live again without her family. Ewan finds Quinn as an innocent bystander in a dispute he was having and just wants to get her home and safe - too bad after this very brief meeting - she will consume his thoughts and dreams.
I was gifted an ecopy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
I was gifted an ecopy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
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