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Silver Springs #3
Until You Loved Me
Sometimes starting over means finding everything you've been missing…
After catching her fiancé cheating—with another man—usually straitlaced, workaholic scientist Ellie Fisher liberates her wild side just long enough to indulge in a passionate one-night stand with a tall, dark stranger she meets at a trendy Miami bar. Embarrassed by her recklessness, she ducks out the following morning without learning the guy's full name, something that shouldn't have been a problem…until a pregnancy test turns positive.
Being a professional football player, Hudson King has always been cautious around women. But this one had been different—so disinterested in his celebrity, so convincingly into him. When Ellie tracks him down, claiming she's carrying his baby, he's stunned. And more than a little betrayed.
But after growing up as an orphan, he'll do anything to stay involved in his child's life, so he urges Ellie to move to Silver Springs, where they can co-parent. Hudson has a lot of love to give, certainly enough for his child, and when their initial spark reignites, perhaps for Ellie, too…
After catching her fiancé cheating—with another man—usually straitlaced, workaholic scientist Ellie Fisher liberates her wild side just long enough to indulge in a passionate one-night stand with a tall, dark stranger she meets at a trendy Miami bar. Embarrassed by her recklessness, she ducks out the following morning without learning the guy's full name, something that shouldn't have been a problem…until a pregnancy test turns positive.
Being a professional football player, Hudson King has always been cautious around women. But this one had been different—so disinterested in his celebrity, so convincingly into him. When Ellie tracks him down, claiming she's carrying his baby, he's stunned. And more than a little betrayed.
But after growing up as an orphan, he'll do anything to stay involved in his child's life, so he urges Ellie to move to Silver Springs, where they can co-parent. Hudson has a lot of love to give, certainly enough for his child, and when their initial spark reignites, perhaps for Ellie, too…
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 25, 2017
898 people are currently reading
3960 people want to read
About the author
Brenda Novak
238 books6,962 followersIt was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novak’s bestselling author career.
“I caught my day-care provider drugging my children with cough syrup and Tylenol to get them to sleep while I was away,” Brenda says. “It was then that I decided that I needed to do something from home.”
However, writing was the last profession she expected to undertake. In fact, Brenda swears she didn’t have a creative bone in her body. In school, math and science were her best subjects, and when it came time to pick a major in college, she chose business.
Abandoning her academic scholarship to Brigham Young University at the age of 20 in order to get married and start a family, Brenda dabbled in commercial real estate, then became a loan officer.
“When I first got the idea to become a novelist, it took me five years to teach myself the craft and finish my first book,” Brenda admits. “I learned how to write by reading what others have written. The best advice for any would-be author: read, read, read….”
Brenda sold her first book, and the rest is history. Now a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, she continues to publish two or three novels a year, in a variety of genres.
Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are the proud parents of five children—three girls and two boys. Now that they are empty-nesters, she spends her free time babysitting her two grandchildren.
When she’s not with her family or writing, Brenda is usually raising money for diabetes research. To date, she's raised almost $2.6 million. Her youngest son, Thad, has diabetes, and Brenda is determined to help him and others like him. She also enjoys traveling, watching sporting events and biking--she rides an amazing 20 miles every day!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-...
“I caught my day-care provider drugging my children with cough syrup and Tylenol to get them to sleep while I was away,” Brenda says. “It was then that I decided that I needed to do something from home.”
However, writing was the last profession she expected to undertake. In fact, Brenda swears she didn’t have a creative bone in her body. In school, math and science were her best subjects, and when it came time to pick a major in college, she chose business.
Abandoning her academic scholarship to Brigham Young University at the age of 20 in order to get married and start a family, Brenda dabbled in commercial real estate, then became a loan officer.
“When I first got the idea to become a novelist, it took me five years to teach myself the craft and finish my first book,” Brenda admits. “I learned how to write by reading what others have written. The best advice for any would-be author: read, read, read….”
Brenda sold her first book, and the rest is history. Now a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, she continues to publish two or three novels a year, in a variety of genres.
Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are the proud parents of five children—three girls and two boys. Now that they are empty-nesters, she spends her free time babysitting her two grandchildren.
When she’s not with her family or writing, Brenda is usually raising money for diabetes research. To date, she's raised almost $2.6 million. Her youngest son, Thad, has diabetes, and Brenda is determined to help him and others like him. She also enjoys traveling, watching sporting events and biking--she rides an amazing 20 miles every day!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 644 reviews
February 17, 2018
Review available at Under the Pages.
July 9, 2017
*****3.5 STARS*****
{Netgalley ARC}
This was me when I finally got to the end!
Just happy to have been able to finish the book.
Brenda Novak is not a new author to me. I’ve read one of her books and really enjoyed it. Her stories have heart but tend to be PG rated when it comes to the steam. If the story is good, then the lack of steam isn’t a deciding factor on whether or not I enjoy the book. But when the story doesn’t wow me, then I’m going to also focus on the lack of the schmexy. I struggled with this book from the beginning. It was very slow to start and the fact that the Hero was a Quarterback for the NFL and was described as every woman’s fantasy, and then the schmexy scenes with him were basically glossed over and not even lukewarm, well this became a problem for me! The dialogue was flowery at times, just not my cuppa. I guess I’m not a fan of the Harlequin-style romances anymore. I will admit that even though I struggled with DNF’ing this book, I stuck with it and at times I started to enjoy the storyline.
Ellie Fisher is a brilliant Ph.D., who is involved in a project at work that will hopefully come up with the cure for Diabetes. Her career is everything to her, but recently her personal life has been in turmoil. Just weeks away from her wedding, she caught her Fiance‘ cheating on her with another MAN! It seems that he was only using her as a cover so that he could stay in the closet. After months of keeping to herself, Ellie’s best friend forces her to come out to one of the hottest clubs in Miami. She ends up catching the eye of L.A. Devils’ hot quarterback, Hudson King. He’s instantly attracted to her and the fact that she had no idea who he was and that she treated him like a regular guy only helped to further spark his attraction to her. They end up sharing one passionate night together in his hotel room and then Ellie sneaks off the following morning without leaving Hudson her number. She figured it was basically a one night stand for him too and that there’s no way someone as good looking as Hudson, would want to pursue anything further with her.
Several months later, Ellie finds out she’s pregnant, and unfortunately she never did get Hudson's last name, nor does she know that he’s a famous NFL quarterback, so she has no way of telling him the news. She just happens to find out his identity by accident when she goes to a co-worker’s Superbowl party and sees him on the TV. Ellie had every intention of raising her baby on her own but she decides that the child deserves to have a father and that Hudson was a really great guy and deserves to know about the baby. So she does some research about Hudson online and then flies off to California to find him. At first, when Hudson finds out she’s been looking for him, he is more than excited since he was upset that she had left his hotel room without leaving her number. He hasn’t been with another woman since that night because no one has piqued his interest like Ellie. His mood quickly changes when he goes to her hotel and she tells him he’s about to become a father.
Hudson was abandoned on someone’s doorstep when he was only days old. He has huge abandonment issues and swore that he would never put a child in the same predicament that he was placed in as an infant. He has always been super careful when it comes to sex and they did use a condom so his reaction to the news is quite the opposite of overjoyed. His temper flares and he accuses Ellie of having planned this all out to trap him. The story started to get interesting at this point and I was anxious to see how it would play out next. I loved that Ellie quickly turned the tables on Hudson by ordering him out of her room and telling him that his involvement is no longer needed or wanted when it comes to their baby.
Once Hudson is forced to leave and he has some time to evaluate the situation, he realizes he has made a huge mistake but Ellie had already flown back to Miami and she doesn’t make things easy on him. Hudson is determined to win Ellie’s forgiveness so he flies out to Miami and ends up being there for her when she needed him the most. Soon he is able to convince her to come with him to his home so that he can be with her for the birth and if everything goes smoothly Ellie could even relocate to California permanently so they could co-parent.
If the author would have stuck with the storyline between Hudson and Ellie, I think I would have enjoyed it more than I actually did. I loved the tension that kept building between them and how fragile both of their hearts were. Neither believed that they could have a relationship with each other due to their own insecurities. However, the author threw in some unnecessary drama about Hudson’s search for his birth parents that I felt took away from the enjoyment for me. It seemed to take up so much of the story towards the last half of the book and then it was wrapped up way too quickly at the end. I could have done without the unnecessary additional drama that didn’t seem to enhance the plot at all for me anyway.
Overall, this wasn’t my favorite by the author but I am glad that I gave it a chance because it did turn out to be a decent read. I think that fans of the author will actually enjoy this one.
UNTIL YOU LOVED ME releases on July 25th.
{Netgalley ARC}
This was me when I finally got to the end!
Just happy to have been able to finish the book.
Brenda Novak is not a new author to me. I’ve read one of her books and really enjoyed it. Her stories have heart but tend to be PG rated when it comes to the steam. If the story is good, then the lack of steam isn’t a deciding factor on whether or not I enjoy the book. But when the story doesn’t wow me, then I’m going to also focus on the lack of the schmexy. I struggled with this book from the beginning. It was very slow to start and the fact that the Hero was a Quarterback for the NFL and was described as every woman’s fantasy, and then the schmexy scenes with him were basically glossed over and not even lukewarm, well this became a problem for me! The dialogue was flowery at times, just not my cuppa. I guess I’m not a fan of the Harlequin-style romances anymore. I will admit that even though I struggled with DNF’ing this book, I stuck with it and at times I started to enjoy the storyline.
Ellie Fisher is a brilliant Ph.D., who is involved in a project at work that will hopefully come up with the cure for Diabetes. Her career is everything to her, but recently her personal life has been in turmoil. Just weeks away from her wedding, she caught her Fiance‘ cheating on her with another MAN! It seems that he was only using her as a cover so that he could stay in the closet. After months of keeping to herself, Ellie’s best friend forces her to come out to one of the hottest clubs in Miami. She ends up catching the eye of L.A. Devils’ hot quarterback, Hudson King. He’s instantly attracted to her and the fact that she had no idea who he was and that she treated him like a regular guy only helped to further spark his attraction to her. They end up sharing one passionate night together in his hotel room and then Ellie sneaks off the following morning without leaving Hudson her number. She figured it was basically a one night stand for him too and that there’s no way someone as good looking as Hudson, would want to pursue anything further with her.
Several months later, Ellie finds out she’s pregnant, and unfortunately she never did get Hudson's last name, nor does she know that he’s a famous NFL quarterback, so she has no way of telling him the news. She just happens to find out his identity by accident when she goes to a co-worker’s Superbowl party and sees him on the TV. Ellie had every intention of raising her baby on her own but she decides that the child deserves to have a father and that Hudson was a really great guy and deserves to know about the baby. So she does some research about Hudson online and then flies off to California to find him. At first, when Hudson finds out she’s been looking for him, he is more than excited since he was upset that she had left his hotel room without leaving her number. He hasn’t been with another woman since that night because no one has piqued his interest like Ellie. His mood quickly changes when he goes to her hotel and she tells him he’s about to become a father.
Hudson was abandoned on someone’s doorstep when he was only days old. He has huge abandonment issues and swore that he would never put a child in the same predicament that he was placed in as an infant. He has always been super careful when it comes to sex and they did use a condom so his reaction to the news is quite the opposite of overjoyed. His temper flares and he accuses Ellie of having planned this all out to trap him. The story started to get interesting at this point and I was anxious to see how it would play out next. I loved that Ellie quickly turned the tables on Hudson by ordering him out of her room and telling him that his involvement is no longer needed or wanted when it comes to their baby.
Once Hudson is forced to leave and he has some time to evaluate the situation, he realizes he has made a huge mistake but Ellie had already flown back to Miami and she doesn’t make things easy on him. Hudson is determined to win Ellie’s forgiveness so he flies out to Miami and ends up being there for her when she needed him the most. Soon he is able to convince her to come with him to his home so that he can be with her for the birth and if everything goes smoothly Ellie could even relocate to California permanently so they could co-parent.
If the author would have stuck with the storyline between Hudson and Ellie, I think I would have enjoyed it more than I actually did. I loved the tension that kept building between them and how fragile both of their hearts were. Neither believed that they could have a relationship with each other due to their own insecurities. However, the author threw in some unnecessary drama about Hudson’s search for his birth parents that I felt took away from the enjoyment for me. It seemed to take up so much of the story towards the last half of the book and then it was wrapped up way too quickly at the end. I could have done without the unnecessary additional drama that didn’t seem to enhance the plot at all for me anyway.
Overall, this wasn’t my favorite by the author but I am glad that I gave it a chance because it did turn out to be a decent read. I think that fans of the author will actually enjoy this one.
UNTIL YOU LOVED ME releases on July 25th.
September 17, 2017
Ellie Fisher is days away from her wedding when she comes home unexpectedly and finds her fiancé in bed...with another man. Needless to say the wedding's off and it doesn't help that they work together. So, when a good friend invites her out to a nightclub for a well-earned evening out, Ellie accepts and ends up with an intriguing man, a few too many vodka shots and right into a one night stand she enjoyed. Of course, in the light of day, Ellie decides to hurry home without knowing much about her partner other than his first name, Hudson. A few weeks later when she discovers she's pregnant, she regrets that she didn't at least find out his last name. Hudson King is actually a famous NFL star who was delighted when he met the sports ignorant Ellie who hadn't a clue who he was.
I loved everything about this story from beginning to end. While it started out a bit predictably, nothing else is after Ellie discovers her pregnancy. From Ellie's challenges with her ex, to her discovery of Hudson's identity and through to his reaction to the news, the journey was one fresh situation after another. Also layered into the story was Hudson's pursuit to find his biological parents to better understand the circumstances of his abandonment. Novak expertly weaves those issues into Hudson's psychology of his impending fatherhood and his relationship with Ellie.
This was expert storytelling that had me experiencing a full range of emotions. Add in Veronica Worthington's wonderful narration and I absolutely loved this story. I literally couldn't stop listening and hated when the story ended. Well done! 4.5 stars
(I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review)
I loved everything about this story from beginning to end. While it started out a bit predictably, nothing else is after Ellie discovers her pregnancy. From Ellie's challenges with her ex, to her discovery of Hudson's identity and through to his reaction to the news, the journey was one fresh situation after another. Also layered into the story was Hudson's pursuit to find his biological parents to better understand the circumstances of his abandonment. Novak expertly weaves those issues into Hudson's psychology of his impending fatherhood and his relationship with Ellie.
This was expert storytelling that had me experiencing a full range of emotions. Add in Veronica Worthington's wonderful narration and I absolutely loved this story. I literally couldn't stop listening and hated when the story ended. Well done! 4.5 stars
(I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review)
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March 14, 2018Brenda Novak and I have to part ways in all fairness to her. Adding her to Sam Crescent and Jordan Silver.
This book was OTT and nauseating.
The Fiancee:
For starters we have the h's fiancee cheating on her with another man. She catches them in HER bed despite the fact that the OM has his own place leading her to believe that they got caught on purpose. If that isn't bad enough, her ex wants HER to smooth it over with his parents who aren't taking his sexual orientation well. When she falls pregnant, they badger her into selling them the baby. Aggressively so! Yuck.
The ONS:
When she falls pregnant by her ONS, the football player, he doesn't take it well. At all. In fact, he loses his temper and verbally abuses her, punches a hole in the wall, and tries to drag her off to get an abortion. Even the fan that shows up to calm him down is appalled at his behavior. This doesn't explain his turnaround where he offers to buy the baby then manipulates her into moving across country or else he'll take her to court to get full custody. Be still my heart, you Romeo.
The other shoe drops... and Gross
This book was OTT and nauseating.
The Fiancee:
For starters we have the h's fiancee cheating on her with another man. She catches them in HER bed despite the fact that the OM has his own place leading her to believe that they got caught on purpose. If that isn't bad enough, her ex wants HER to smooth it over with his parents who aren't taking his sexual orientation well. When she falls pregnant, they badger her into selling them the baby. Aggressively so! Yuck.
The ONS:
When she falls pregnant by her ONS, the football player, he doesn't take it well. At all. In fact, he loses his temper and verbally abuses her, punches a hole in the wall, and tries to drag her off to get an abortion. Even the fan that shows up to calm him down is appalled at his behavior. This doesn't explain his turnaround where he offers to buy the baby then manipulates her into moving across country or else he'll take her to court to get full custody. Be still my heart, you Romeo.
The other shoe drops... and Gross
January 29, 2020
Dentro de lo increíble que parece la historia, me ha parecido maravillosa. Una infidelidad (que está a la orden del día) de índole homosexual, un famoso adinerado y una mujer humillada y despechada de la peor de las maneras.
Me encanta cómo Novak desentierra subtramas que ensalzan la historia principal y que le dan vida a la novela.
El personaje de Hudson me ha maravillado pues, lejos de ser el típico estereotipo masculino, encarna un hombre con sus debilidades y miedos y sabe enfrentarlos por aquello que ama.
Ellie, por su parte, me ha parecido una mujer delicada y fuerte, soñadora y realista, un antagonismo de mil y uno caracteres que forman un conjunto fantástico.
Fantástica la relación que tienen Hudson y Ellie y fantástica también cómo se van desarrollando las distintas situaciones y cómo, poco a poco, todo se va poniendo en su lugar. Mención especial al mejor amigo de Hudson y... tirándome de los pelos por Amy, pues esperaba mucho más de ella.
En conjunto, muy, muy recomendable. ¡Enhorabuena, Brenda!
Me encanta cómo Novak desentierra subtramas que ensalzan la historia principal y que le dan vida a la novela.
El personaje de Hudson me ha maravillado pues, lejos de ser el típico estereotipo masculino, encarna un hombre con sus debilidades y miedos y sabe enfrentarlos por aquello que ama.
Ellie, por su parte, me ha parecido una mujer delicada y fuerte, soñadora y realista, un antagonismo de mil y uno caracteres que forman un conjunto fantástico.
Fantástica la relación que tienen Hudson y Ellie y fantástica también cómo se van desarrollando las distintas situaciones y cómo, poco a poco, todo se va poniendo en su lugar. Mención especial al mejor amigo de Hudson y... tirándome de los pelos por Amy, pues esperaba mucho más de ella.
En conjunto, muy, muy recomendable. ¡Enhorabuena, Brenda!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2017
I was flipping the pages on this book like crazy.
In no particular order, here are some of my thoughts:
• Strong heroine. I adore Ellie. She is intelligent and I love that she gets passionate when she talks about certain topics. I love that she values her job as a scientist. She is very assertive and capable. (EX: When she finds out she’s pregnant from a one-night stand, she’s scared shitless but she pushes forward and is determined to be able to raise the baby by herself if she has to). In addition, I appreciate that she can stand up to someone. She does not JUST give in when someone insists or demands she does something. (EX: When Hudson makes demands about their baby, she asserts her independence and makes her own decisions about what she wants to do with their baby). She is a logical person, and does what she thinks is right. Her mixture of logic and morals is great.
• Hudson. He has his ups and downs. He is generally nice but also moody AF. He makes mistakes but he knows to feel remorseful and to apologize – I appreciate that. The only scene that I was royally pissed at him was the motel scene, where he was really fuckin’ terrible. However, he does feel guilty and apologizes later on, so there’s that. Anyway, this guy has a ton of baggage. Besides that, he has been a pretty nice and morally good guy.
• Friendships. I love the strong friendship theme in this book. Ellie’s best friend, Amy, is immensely supportive and positive. I love seeing her and Ellie’s friendship thrive, especially when Ellie hits her low points during the book. In addition, Hudson’s best friend, Bruiser, has been super caring and helpful as well.
• Ellie’s phone call to her dad. Aw.
• It got rather dark around 70%. I honestly would have preferred to keep on with the focus on Ellie and Hudson’s relationship, rather than this new plot development. For one thing, I just want to see more scenes with them together. For another thing, shit that was incredibly dark. Like “throw-up” kind of dark. I do like that Ellie and Hudson’s relationship develops through this plot twist. She supports him. He learns to trust her.
• Great ending, but would have wanted something a bit more, especially the whirlwind of what happened in the last 30% of the book.
• It would have been interesting for the book to show Ellie interacting with more characters in this book. For example, Hudson���s teammates (even in the off season – for that matter, it would have been nice to see how their relationship would change when Hudson’s season is back on), the townspeople (particularly previous characters we have seen and the people at the boys ranch), Aaron who’s obviously an important person to Hudson, etc. I am curious to see how she would interact with these people who are a big part of Hudson’s life.
• Romance development. Gradual. I shipped it. I would have liked to see more scenes between them. There is a part where there is like a 6-week time skip when they are becoming more comfortable around each other and it is all mentioned vaguely. I think it would have been great for the readers to actually see those scenes – or at least one of them to really get a better idea of their relationship. Anyway, overall the romance is nice and turns out really sweet.
• I felt like we lost a bit of Ellie’s perspective in that 70% mark. She’s still her, but I feel like because of the change of focus in the plotline, we don’t quite get to read her perspective as we did before. We get to truly understand her feelings and her actions in the 1st 70% of the book, but not as much in the last. If that makes sense. Felt a bit more distant because it was focused more on Hudson and the plot that revolves around his problem.
Overall, it is a solid read. I may have teared up in one or two scenes because Ellie’s perspective, especially imagining being in her situation, made me sympathetic. I love her character honestly. Hudson is rather sweet too – definitely not perfect, but good. I am giving this 3 stars. (might have given it a higher score but while the last 30% still had me flipping the page quickly as I was curious how the mystery would be solved, I did not quite like that as much as the flow of the book in the 1st 70%. Good relationship development, but not preferable plot development.)
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level? Other things to note?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scenes?
What age level would be appropriate?
----------
Feeling oddly invested in this series.
So far, so good.
In no particular order, here are some of my thoughts:
• Strong heroine. I adore Ellie. She is intelligent and I love that she gets passionate when she talks about certain topics. I love that she values her job as a scientist. She is very assertive and capable. (EX: When she finds out she’s pregnant from a one-night stand, she’s scared shitless but she pushes forward and is determined to be able to raise the baby by herself if she has to). In addition, I appreciate that she can stand up to someone. She does not JUST give in when someone insists or demands she does something. (EX: When Hudson makes demands about their baby, she asserts her independence and makes her own decisions about what she wants to do with their baby). She is a logical person, and does what she thinks is right. Her mixture of logic and morals is great.
• Hudson. He has his ups and downs. He is generally nice but also moody AF. He makes mistakes but he knows to feel remorseful and to apologize – I appreciate that. The only scene that I was royally pissed at him was the motel scene, where he was really fuckin’ terrible. However, he does feel guilty and apologizes later on, so there’s that. Anyway, this guy has a ton of baggage. Besides that, he has been a pretty nice and morally good guy.
• Friendships. I love the strong friendship theme in this book. Ellie’s best friend, Amy, is immensely supportive and positive. I love seeing her and Ellie’s friendship thrive, especially when Ellie hits her low points during the book. In addition, Hudson’s best friend, Bruiser, has been super caring and helpful as well.
• Ellie’s phone call to her dad. Aw.
• It got rather dark around 70%. I honestly would have preferred to keep on with the focus on Ellie and Hudson’s relationship, rather than this new plot development. For one thing, I just want to see more scenes with them together. For another thing, shit that was incredibly dark. Like “throw-up” kind of dark. I do like that Ellie and Hudson’s relationship develops through this plot twist. She supports him. He learns to trust her.
• Great ending, but would have wanted something a bit more, especially the whirlwind of what happened in the last 30% of the book.
• It would have been interesting for the book to show Ellie interacting with more characters in this book. For example, Hudson���s teammates (even in the off season – for that matter, it would have been nice to see how their relationship would change when Hudson’s season is back on), the townspeople (particularly previous characters we have seen and the people at the boys ranch), Aaron who’s obviously an important person to Hudson, etc. I am curious to see how she would interact with these people who are a big part of Hudson’s life.
• Romance development. Gradual. I shipped it. I would have liked to see more scenes between them. There is a part where there is like a 6-week time skip when they are becoming more comfortable around each other and it is all mentioned vaguely. I think it would have been great for the readers to actually see those scenes – or at least one of them to really get a better idea of their relationship. Anyway, overall the romance is nice and turns out really sweet.
• I felt like we lost a bit of Ellie’s perspective in that 70% mark. She’s still her, but I feel like because of the change of focus in the plotline, we don’t quite get to read her perspective as we did before. We get to truly understand her feelings and her actions in the 1st 70% of the book, but not as much in the last. If that makes sense. Felt a bit more distant because it was focused more on Hudson and the plot that revolves around his problem.
Overall, it is a solid read. I may have teared up in one or two scenes because Ellie’s perspective, especially imagining being in her situation, made me sympathetic. I love her character honestly. Hudson is rather sweet too – definitely not perfect, but good. I am giving this 3 stars. (might have given it a higher score but while the last 30% still had me flipping the page quickly as I was curious how the mystery would be solved, I did not quite like that as much as the flow of the book in the 1st 70%. Good relationship development, but not preferable plot development.)
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level? Other things to note?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scenes?
What age level would be appropriate?
----------
Feeling oddly invested in this series.
So far, so good.
August 30, 2017
Man I really wanted to give this book a higher rating. It had elements that were superb. But it weirdly seemed as if there were actually two books here. We started out reading about a couple dealing with the results of an unexpected pregnancy after a one night stand. There were some really good scenes where he flips out when she tells him she's pregnant. I mean seriously good writing and setting up of a serious conflict with a lot of ground for the hero to make up. I was really interested in that story. But suddenly I blinked and they were totally in love and the story was about his paternity. They were all about solving the mystery of who his parents really were. So I was going with that when suddenly Epilogue! I kid you not, the book ended right in the middle of a scene. Like someone told the author just wrap it up. This was about the worst ending I have ever read. They were doing all this fairly interesting solving of the mystery when the story just stopped and they were suddenly at the hospital having the baby. The heroine just thought "well they had found out the real villain was X who I suspected but who none of the main characters had even thought about before. I just cannot convey to you how lame the ending was.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2017
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
Until You Loved Me is a beautiful romance story between Hudson King, a professional football player who has trust issues, and Ellie Fisher, a scientist who just got out of a long term committed relationship. Right away I really liked both of their personalities, I thought they were a great match for each other. Hudson tries to stay hidden at a bar when he notices Ellie sitting on her own, and he decides to approach her. Ellie has no idea he is a famous NFL player, but feels an attraction and decides to spend some time with him. I loved that she didn't know who he was, and that was also the main reason why Hudson really liked her. She decides to spend the night with him, which is something so out of her normal behavior. However a couple of weeks later the pregnancy test turns positive.
When she finally figures out who Hudson really is, she has some doubts if she wants to notify him in fear of him suing for custody. Hudson is still scarred from what happened to him in the past. I could totally understand why he had trust issues and tried to keep a distance. When they finally meet again, things get very heated and not in a good way. Hudson says some things that are very out of line, and my heart broke for Ellie. When they finally come to a decision about the future of their baby, things start to go the right way. I loved the way their relationship developed. The author did a great job with this book, I also loved the mystery aspect about Hudson's past. It added an extra element to the story which I really enjoyed. I am looking forward to reading the other books in the Silver Springs series.
Until You Loved Me is a beautiful romance story between Hudson King, a professional football player who has trust issues, and Ellie Fisher, a scientist who just got out of a long term committed relationship. Right away I really liked both of their personalities, I thought they were a great match for each other. Hudson tries to stay hidden at a bar when he notices Ellie sitting on her own, and he decides to approach her. Ellie has no idea he is a famous NFL player, but feels an attraction and decides to spend some time with him. I loved that she didn't know who he was, and that was also the main reason why Hudson really liked her. She decides to spend the night with him, which is something so out of her normal behavior. However a couple of weeks later the pregnancy test turns positive.
When she finally figures out who Hudson really is, she has some doubts if she wants to notify him in fear of him suing for custody. Hudson is still scarred from what happened to him in the past. I could totally understand why he had trust issues and tried to keep a distance. When they finally meet again, things get very heated and not in a good way. Hudson says some things that are very out of line, and my heart broke for Ellie. When they finally come to a decision about the future of their baby, things start to go the right way. I loved the way their relationship developed. The author did a great job with this book, I also loved the mystery aspect about Hudson's past. It added an extra element to the story which I really enjoyed. I am looking forward to reading the other books in the Silver Springs series.
January 14, 2025
Until You Loved Me by Brenda Novak is #3 in the Silver Springs series. However it is perfect also as a stand alone as I hadn't read the previous two, yet didn't need to, to fully get involved in this story.
And get involved I did. I read through it speedily, picking it up every spare moment as I became engrossed in the story of Ellie and Hudson King.
Ellie is a delight, she is a very bright clever young woman, somewhat serious, involved in important work as a scientist. However she is just off the end of a broken engagement, I mean you would if you came home and found your significant other in bed with another man. While her heart is somewhat broken, her head is in the right place and when after a one night stand she finds she is pregnant, she isn't easily pushed around.
Hudson King is a big football player, has made millions and every football fan in the country would know and recognise him. (Not Ellie, she has no interest whatsoever in game and wouldn't know a player if she fell over him!) Oh that's right she did fall over him!
Hudson was found under a bush as a child and he has no family, even though he has some great friends and has over the last ten years or so endeared himself to a group of difficult boys whom he delights in mentoring. Hudson has huge trust issues - do people really see him or do they see big, famous and rich? He'd like to know his parentage and has hired a PI to see what he can find. And believe me that's when the "fun" starts. Those causing the "fun" though don't reckon on a very smart Ellie.
I enjoy this kind of romance trope and it worked beautifully in Until You Loved Me. Loved the two main characters, the mystery and suspense and the final outcome.
And get involved I did. I read through it speedily, picking it up every spare moment as I became engrossed in the story of Ellie and Hudson King.
Ellie is a delight, she is a very bright clever young woman, somewhat serious, involved in important work as a scientist. However she is just off the end of a broken engagement, I mean you would if you came home and found your significant other in bed with another man. While her heart is somewhat broken, her head is in the right place and when after a one night stand she finds she is pregnant, she isn't easily pushed around.
Hudson King is a big football player, has made millions and every football fan in the country would know and recognise him. (Not Ellie, she has no interest whatsoever in game and wouldn't know a player if she fell over him!) Oh that's right she did fall over him!
Hudson was found under a bush as a child and he has no family, even though he has some great friends and has over the last ten years or so endeared himself to a group of difficult boys whom he delights in mentoring. Hudson has huge trust issues - do people really see him or do they see big, famous and rich? He'd like to know his parentage and has hired a PI to see what he can find. And believe me that's when the "fun" starts. Those causing the "fun" though don't reckon on a very smart Ellie.
I enjoy this kind of romance trope and it worked beautifully in Until You Loved Me. Loved the two main characters, the mystery and suspense and the final outcome.
October 2, 2019
Superbly written story that keeps the reader
totally engrossed with many unexpected
happenings.
The story is power packed with emotional
issues, family issues, social issues, fear to
love, a tangled web of secrets, deception,
mystery, drama, suspense, sinister plot
and forgiveness, personal growth,
friendship and love.
This book was a representation of real life
and not the live happily ever after books
without problems or compromises.
The author gets the reader involved from
the beginning. You experience what the
characters are feeling.
The main characters, Ellie Fisher, PhD and
Hudson King, star quarterback for the Los
Angeles Devils are creatively and well defined
characters with undeniable chemistry.
You will visit Miami, Florida plus Los Angeles
and Silver Springs area of California.
Hudson was one of Aiyana Turner's boys from
the New Horizons Boys Ranch when he was
younger.
This book makes the reader aware of issues
that might have never crossed their minds.
This is book # 3 in the Silver Springs series.
It can be read as a stand alone.
A highly recommended read!!!!
totally engrossed with many unexpected
happenings.
The story is power packed with emotional
issues, family issues, social issues, fear to
love, a tangled web of secrets, deception,
mystery, drama, suspense, sinister plot
and forgiveness, personal growth,
friendship and love.
This book was a representation of real life
and not the live happily ever after books
without problems or compromises.
The author gets the reader involved from
the beginning. You experience what the
characters are feeling.
The main characters, Ellie Fisher, PhD and
Hudson King, star quarterback for the Los
Angeles Devils are creatively and well defined
characters with undeniable chemistry.
You will visit Miami, Florida plus Los Angeles
and Silver Springs area of California.
Hudson was one of Aiyana Turner's boys from
the New Horizons Boys Ranch when he was
younger.
This book makes the reader aware of issues
that might have never crossed their minds.
This is book # 3 in the Silver Springs series.
It can be read as a stand alone.
A highly recommended read!!!!
March 14, 2018
I don’t believe in no rating. The rating of the book needs to be reflected. I can’t sadly give negative stars.
Check out this review of Until You Loved Me by Brenda Novak
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Check out this review of Until You Loved Me by Brenda Novak
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
August 9, 2017
3"I'm still not sure" stars.
Interestingly enough, though the beginning was kinda slow, I liked it a lot more than the rushed ending. That probably doesn't seem as interesting or even make sense for that matter but bear with me.
Here's the thing, I liked the beginning where nothing happened to the middle where the actual story began and the end where everything wrapped up neat with a bow. Is that better?
Okay so recently I've been in a review funk, which is kinda like a book slump with the obvious difference. What I'm trying to say is I don't know shit to tell you. So, I'll just lay out why I liked what I did and didn't like what I didn't.
I liked the beginning because of the actual interactions between our leads. It wasn't overly dramatic and kinda sorta relatable. If you're fiancé left you for a man (you being a woman, duh!) or you were an abandoned baby. I wasn't either but that's the thing, it was so well written even I empathized.
I liked the leads and the side-characters, the good ones, not Don the douchebag ex.
The middle. Like I said before this is essentially the part where they find out about the pregnancy and decide what happens next. The issue I had here is something I've said before in other books. There was too much "talking" about the other lead and a whole lot less "seeing". You kept hearing about how well they got a long and this and that but there wasn't much where I could have seen it for myself.
Except for that first night when Ellie moved in with Hudson. That was moving and I loved how Ellie handled it. Bonus Points.
The ending. It was rushed. If you're an avid reader like me, I don't have to explain this any further. I swear I grimace whenever I read those three words and heart goes in sympathy to the reviewer. It really is an awful feeling to be so invested only to have it all forced to end. I honestly feel betrayed, every time.
Despite the bad sorta outweighing the good, I had a really good time reading it. It was hard putting it down but even then I only did it in case of emergencies like starving family and death from exhaustion if sleep wasn't achieved. I won't be rereading this but I don't I'll forget this entirely either.
Happy Reading. xx
July 25, 2017
This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Until You Loved Me was a beautiful story, this series just keeps getting better and better! Novak has created two very different characters who had a lot of confidence when it came to their professional lives, and even more insecurities when it came to their personal lives.
I kind of fell in love with Ellie when I first met her in Until You Loved Me, because while her professional life was extremely successful, her personal life was kind of in shambles. Thanks to he best friend, though, she wasn't allowed to stay home to wallow in her misery. Out and about in a new club, she met a very hot stranger, one who was hiding from the world because 'everybody' knew who he was. Everybody but Ellie, that is... Their first meeting was nice at the club, and extremely hot afterwards. Ellie thought she'd never see Hudson again, she didn't even have his last name.
After her fling with Hudson, Ellie was back to working more than anything else, even if that meant seeing her cheating fiancé and his boyfriend every day. Needless to say, Until You Loved Me is about strength. But it's also about overcoming the past and what growing up a certain way can do to people. Because all of a sudden, Ellie realizes that her one-night-stand with Hudson left her pregnant, and she has no idea how to get in touch with him, or what she'd say to him if she does. Her scummy ex also tries his best to convince her to give up her baby for him and his boyfriend to raise - which really made me mad. Not that two men would want to raise a baby, but that he'd try to get to her when she's in a vulnerable position and take advantage of that. He even offered her money - less than it would cost him and the boyfriend to find a surrogate.
At a work function where they entertain themselves with a football game and a barbecue, Ellie suddenly sees Hudson. On the TV. He's the starting quarterback for the LA team, and she is completely blown away. Until You Loved me is filled with heartache, both for Ellie and for Hudson. And when Ellie finally manages to track him down, his first reaction is denial. After that, Ellie leaves to get back home and from there on, they try to figure things out about how to deal with this future that neither of them planned for.
The writing in Until You Loved Me is extremely well done, the story is tender, and deals with difficult themes like abandonment, being in the public eye, and people who just seem to strive to make things difficult for others. Written in third person past tense, the story unfolded at an even pace, and the suspense as well as the romance worked really well for me.
A tremor of excitement rolled from her head to her toes as his big hands moved up her back, pressing her against him as he parted her lips.
She was shaking as she withdrew her phone so she could access the internet. "How reliable are condoms?" she typed into Google and nibbled on her bottom lip while waiting for the links to appear.
Until You Loved Me was a beautiful story, this series just keeps getting better and better! Novak has created two very different characters who had a lot of confidence when it came to their professional lives, and even more insecurities when it came to their personal lives.
I kind of fell in love with Ellie when I first met her in Until You Loved Me, because while her professional life was extremely successful, her personal life was kind of in shambles. Thanks to he best friend, though, she wasn't allowed to stay home to wallow in her misery. Out and about in a new club, she met a very hot stranger, one who was hiding from the world because 'everybody' knew who he was. Everybody but Ellie, that is... Their first meeting was nice at the club, and extremely hot afterwards. Ellie thought she'd never see Hudson again, she didn't even have his last name.
After her fling with Hudson, Ellie was back to working more than anything else, even if that meant seeing her cheating fiancé and his boyfriend every day. Needless to say, Until You Loved Me is about strength. But it's also about overcoming the past and what growing up a certain way can do to people. Because all of a sudden, Ellie realizes that her one-night-stand with Hudson left her pregnant, and she has no idea how to get in touch with him, or what she'd say to him if she does. Her scummy ex also tries his best to convince her to give up her baby for him and his boyfriend to raise - which really made me mad. Not that two men would want to raise a baby, but that he'd try to get to her when she's in a vulnerable position and take advantage of that. He even offered her money - less than it would cost him and the boyfriend to find a surrogate.
At a work function where they entertain themselves with a football game and a barbecue, Ellie suddenly sees Hudson. On the TV. He's the starting quarterback for the LA team, and she is completely blown away. Until You Loved me is filled with heartache, both for Ellie and for Hudson. And when Ellie finally manages to track him down, his first reaction is denial. After that, Ellie leaves to get back home and from there on, they try to figure things out about how to deal with this future that neither of them planned for.
The writing in Until You Loved Me is extremely well done, the story is tender, and deals with difficult themes like abandonment, being in the public eye, and people who just seem to strive to make things difficult for others. Written in third person past tense, the story unfolded at an even pace, and the suspense as well as the romance worked really well for me.
A tremor of excitement rolled from her head to her toes as his big hands moved up her back, pressing her against him as he parted her lips.
She was shaking as she withdrew her phone so she could access the internet. "How reliable are condoms?" she typed into Google and nibbled on her bottom lip while waiting for the links to appear.
July 29, 2017
Until You Loved Me
Brenda Novak
Received from Netgalley
UNTIL YOU LOVED ME is the third book in the Silver Springs series by Brenda Novak. Ellie Fisher catches her fiancé in bed with another man and to say she is devastated is a huge understatement. After sulking, crying, and barely living, her best friend finally convinces Ellie to go out for a night of fun. At the club, she meets Hunter and her life will never be the same. They spend a hot and wild night together and don't even exchange numbers or last names. When Ellie finds out she is pregnant, she has no idea how to contact Hunter and even wonders if she wants to.
While watching football at a coworkers house she is in for quite a shock. There is Hunter on TV. It seems he is a famous quarterback and he forgot to mention it to her. Oh well, he doesn't really know that she is a scientist either. They didn't do too much talking if you know what I mean! Ellie now has a way to get in touch with Hunter and let him know about the baby. It's the right thing to do, or at least Ellie thinks it is until Hunter totally freaks out on her. He accuses her of setting the whole thing up and trying to make him pay her off. That is the last thing Ellie wants or needs but Hunter isn't convinced. Hold on to your seats my reading friends, this is a wild and crazy ride. UNTIL YOU LOVED ME had me flipping the pages like crazy! I had to know what was going to happen to these two.
I read UNTIL YOU LOVED ME in one sitting yesterday. It was just that fun and interesting. Yes, Ellie and Hunter both have trust issues and neither one of them is looking for a relationship. Their story is an engaging one but also heart wrenching. It's exactly why I love this series and can't wait to read more of it. Brenda Novak has now become an auto buy author for me. She really pulls me in from the very first pages and never lets me go. The mystery that comes along with this wonderful story really hooked me and I found myself praying for a good outcome for Hunter. The twists and turns really kept me emotionally invested from beginning to end and I am so excited to continue this series.
Brenda Novak
Received from Netgalley
UNTIL YOU LOVED ME is the third book in the Silver Springs series by Brenda Novak. Ellie Fisher catches her fiancé in bed with another man and to say she is devastated is a huge understatement. After sulking, crying, and barely living, her best friend finally convinces Ellie to go out for a night of fun. At the club, she meets Hunter and her life will never be the same. They spend a hot and wild night together and don't even exchange numbers or last names. When Ellie finds out she is pregnant, she has no idea how to contact Hunter and even wonders if she wants to.
While watching football at a coworkers house she is in for quite a shock. There is Hunter on TV. It seems he is a famous quarterback and he forgot to mention it to her. Oh well, he doesn't really know that she is a scientist either. They didn't do too much talking if you know what I mean! Ellie now has a way to get in touch with Hunter and let him know about the baby. It's the right thing to do, or at least Ellie thinks it is until Hunter totally freaks out on her. He accuses her of setting the whole thing up and trying to make him pay her off. That is the last thing Ellie wants or needs but Hunter isn't convinced. Hold on to your seats my reading friends, this is a wild and crazy ride. UNTIL YOU LOVED ME had me flipping the pages like crazy! I had to know what was going to happen to these two.
I read UNTIL YOU LOVED ME in one sitting yesterday. It was just that fun and interesting. Yes, Ellie and Hunter both have trust issues and neither one of them is looking for a relationship. Their story is an engaging one but also heart wrenching. It's exactly why I love this series and can't wait to read more of it. Brenda Novak has now become an auto buy author for me. She really pulls me in from the very first pages and never lets me go. The mystery that comes along with this wonderful story really hooked me and I found myself praying for a good outcome for Hunter. The twists and turns really kept me emotionally invested from beginning to end and I am so excited to continue this series.
November 17, 2025
Ellie Fisher is having a very difficult year. She finds her fiancé cheating on her with another man in her own home so her friend urges her to live a little. Doing something totally outside her comfort zone, she engages in a one-night stand. Knowing that this dream man isn’t going to stick with a girl like her…a workaholic that lost her fiancé to another man…she does the walk of shame and sneaks out of Hudson’s bed. That’s right her one-night stand was with a man named Hudson and that is all she knows about him. Which is perfect until the pregnancy test comes back positive.
Hudson King is at the top of his game and career as a professional football player. When the enchanting, shy woman in the bar next to him strikes up a conversation, Hudson is shocked to find out that she has no clue who he is. He’s tired of everyone wanting him for his status and not the person and was thrilled to finally get a woman that is attracted to him for himself.
One scientist, one professional football star and one baby on the way provides a cornucopia of delights for the contemporary sports romance fan. I did find it a little slow going between the hook up and the reunite but Novak twists an engaging and heartfelt tale with tons of heart and emotional healing.
I received this ARC copy of Until You Loved Me from Harlequin (US & Canada) - MIRA. This is my honest and voluntary review. Until You Loved Me is set for publication July 25, 2017.
Hudson King is at the top of his game and career as a professional football player. When the enchanting, shy woman in the bar next to him strikes up a conversation, Hudson is shocked to find out that she has no clue who he is. He’s tired of everyone wanting him for his status and not the person and was thrilled to finally get a woman that is attracted to him for himself.
One scientist, one professional football star and one baby on the way provides a cornucopia of delights for the contemporary sports romance fan. I did find it a little slow going between the hook up and the reunite but Novak twists an engaging and heartfelt tale with tons of heart and emotional healing.
I received this ARC copy of Until You Loved Me from Harlequin (US & Canada) - MIRA. This is my honest and voluntary review. Until You Loved Me is set for publication July 25, 2017.
June 5, 2017
I like the heart of this novel very much. A one night stand leads to a pregnancy between a scientist heroine and a football player hero.
The hero has major trust issues and the heroine is just trying to do the right thing,
I like watching them fall in love.
The heroine's ex is really a non subtle bad guy. And I really hate the my ex was gay and cheating on me with a dude horror show. And this one takes it all the way home Sad face.
The mystery around the hero is intersting. I am interested in the other books in this series.
I was given this book for my honest review, So, there you have it.
The hero has major trust issues and the heroine is just trying to do the right thing,
I like watching them fall in love.
The heroine's ex is really a non subtle bad guy. And I really hate the my ex was gay and cheating on me with a dude horror show. And this one takes it all the way home Sad face.
The mystery around the hero is intersting. I am interested in the other books in this series.
I was given this book for my honest review, So, there you have it.
December 9, 2017
Another great contemporary romance author I should've been reading long since. She has a great writing style.
Her books are filled with passion and great chemistry, but they are also filled with real people and real situations. I very much enjoyed this one.
Her books are filled with passion and great chemistry, but they are also filled with real people and real situations. I very much enjoyed this one.
September 7, 2019
Shallow and frantic.
August 27, 2017
DNF @ 55%
As for the writing, it is well written. However, this is a romance book and as romance book, it is a no go.
The blurb is this: A famous football player, Hudson, and Ellie, a nerdy but beautiful scientist, has a one night stand which resulted in a pregnancy. So what happens afterwards? They must come to terms with it.
However, what completely fail this book as a romance is that Hudson and Ellie's passion completely disappear when they confronted each other with the pregnancy.
Now that Ellie has told Hudson that she's pregnant, both decides that it's natural that they can not be romantically involved with each other and that it's better to see other people (meaning they should not be exclusive while having a baby together). Did you read that right? Yes, you read that right. The logic escapes me. Is this romantic? Fuck no.
Then there's the passion between the two characters. It completely dries up. Hudson treats Ellie as a vessel for his child and as an object that should be handed money and do as he says and not bother with his life, professionally and personally. He treats Ellie as a business deal. He doesn't see her as a woman that still has passion and personal needs. Just a person who holds her baby above all else. And Hudson is okay with Ellie having sex with another man while she's big and heavy with his child. Okay...
Then there's Ellie's insistence that both needs to seek other people socially, despite Ellie's dreams of starting a family, the white picket fence and the 1.5 kids. Ellie wants a family (a husband, a child and herself as a wife) but she doesn't believe in having a husband with the father of her child. The fuck?
Not once did both of them even glance at the idea of them being romantically involved. They don't even give it a chance. Both just brush it off as 0% possibility. How does that make sense when it was the passion (and the intellectual rapport) between them both that got them in that situation in the first place. Oh, right...their initial over the chart passion with each other in a one night stand (which both characters said it was the best of their life) that got them into a pregnancy translates that there will no passionate attraction between them anymore...right, that makes a lot of sense...
I don't know how it ends but I'm pretty sure it's some trumped up HEA ending (as with most of these romance novel goes). But it's not the happily ever after that makes a romance book good. It's the progress to reach that point. I have read up to 55% and so far, I can say that this book's path to reach that HEA ending is a train wreck.
I have to admit the begining of the book was very engaging but it devolved into such a mess that it's really no fun to read at all.
Read
July 13, 2017DNF at 12%, this book is a friggin trainwreck
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
June 26, 2017
Until You Love Me is the third novel in Brenda Novak's latest series. Each book within this series can be read independently and out of order. Once more, Brenda Novak has delivered another masterpiece. A story featuring a single woman who holds herself into a tight wad. But that all changes when she finally lets loose for one night. A night of fun that changes her world faster than she ever thought. Ellie is pregnant with a stranger's child. She never got his name. Her goal is to track him down....only that proves to be difficult. Hudson King has not had the perfect life growing up...and now, he learns that he's a father. He won't let his child have the same life as he did. Co-parenting is the only option. Neither Hudson nor Ellie thought that their one night could end up bringing them together in more ways. Sparks fly. Heat is there and so is the blossoming chemistry. I fell in love with the characters. Their situations reflect real life. Messy, complicated, and never easy. Until You Loved Me is a brilliant contemporary tale. Brenda Novak has reeled me into her latest story. Filled with romance, hope, and maybe a happily ever after....overall, I highly recommend this novel to readers everywhere. Once you start like I did, you won't be able to stop until you finished reading it.
I received this copy from Net Galley. This, is my voluntary review.
I received this copy from Net Galley. This, is my voluntary review.
November 9, 2017
Good story about two people with some trust issues. The story opens with Ellie being dragged to a club by her friend Amy. For the last couple months, Ellie has been dealing with the fallout of finding her fiancé in bed with another man by immersing herself even further in her work. She's pretty bored at the club until she notices the good-looking guy sitting alone in the back corner of the club. She's surprised when he approaches her, but he seems nice. A long walk on the beach and some hot kisses in the moonlight lead to an even hotter night in his bed. Embarrassed by her behavior, she sneaks away the next morning without exchanging more than first names.
Hudson is a pro football player in town to play against the local team. He's dragged to the club by his new agent but isn't really in the mood to be there. He hates being the center of attention, so he's hiding out in the corner until he notices Ellie. What amazed him most was that she appeared to have no idea who he was. The novelty of being treated like a normal guy added to the attraction he felt for her. He was surprised to find her gone without a trace the next morning.
I really liked their instant connection that night. Hudson's interest in her and obvious attraction to her goes a long way toward making Ellie feel better after the disaster of her broken engagement. I loved how comfortable she was with him, able to talk about anything without feeling awkward. I ached for Hudson, who was so used to being sought out for his fame and fortune. It was sweet to see him relax and enjoy being an ordinary guy. I could sense that bit of hurt when he woke up to find her gone. That connection remained with them as neither was able to forget their time together.
I loved the fact that Ellie felt it was important to let Hudson know about the baby. She was nervous about being a single parent but ready to raise him on her own since she didn't know how to find him. Her reaction when she found out Hudson's identity was realistic. I loved her determination to do the right thing. Unfortunately, Hudson's trust issues rear their ugly heads and he doesn't react at all well to her news. I ached for Ellie when her expectations were so rudely shattered. I was frustrated by Hudson's cruel words since I thought he was better than that. Fortunately, he redeemed himself pretty quickly once he got over the shock. His actions as he was there when Ellie needed him showed that he was a stand-up guy after all, but he had an uphill battle to prove himself to her.
I liked the development of their relationship. Once the drama of the revelation was over, and Ellie recovered from her illness, their maturity had a chance to show. I liked that they had an honest conversation about the best way to deal with her pregnancy and their relationship. Though the attraction is still there, neither is willing to make any permanent commitment. Ellie doesn't see how her nerdy self could keep the interest of a man who is used to so much more than she is. She knows that she could fall for him and is desperate to protect her heart. Hudson never planned to marry or have kids. He was abandoned as an infant, grew up in a series of foster homes, and feels that he doesn't know how to give the love that a child would need. But he refuses to reject a child the way he felt rejected all his life. Once Ellie and Hudson are living in the same house, they have the opportunity to get to know each other and discover that there is much to like. Though they try to maintain their distance physically, the attraction between them is too strong. But it isn't just lust that finally draws them together, but the need for emotional comfort. I loved Ellie's determination to be there for Hudson as he deals with his whole background issue. Her belief in him and that he was more than his parentage gave Hudson the strength he needed to face those issues. I ached for Hudson and his conflict of wanting to know but being afraid of what he might learn. The growth of his feelings for Ellie made him feel protective of her, which also affected his ideas of what to do. I liked seeing them take that leap of faith, opening up their hearts to the hope of love in spite of their fears of rejection. The epilogue was good. I especially enjoyed Hudson's delivery room feelings.
The story of Hudson's search for his parents was heartbreaking at times. His need to know was understandable, and I ached for the loneliness that was evident in that search. He had so much love to give, and it was buried under those feelings of rejection. I hurt for him as the PI he hired turned up leads that seemed to hurt more than help. I loved Ellie's insistence on helping and wasn't surprised at what she uncovered. I liked the final resolution, but it felt a bit rushed. I would have liked a bit more detail, especially regarding the PI and his actions.
Hudson is a pro football player in town to play against the local team. He's dragged to the club by his new agent but isn't really in the mood to be there. He hates being the center of attention, so he's hiding out in the corner until he notices Ellie. What amazed him most was that she appeared to have no idea who he was. The novelty of being treated like a normal guy added to the attraction he felt for her. He was surprised to find her gone without a trace the next morning.
I really liked their instant connection that night. Hudson's interest in her and obvious attraction to her goes a long way toward making Ellie feel better after the disaster of her broken engagement. I loved how comfortable she was with him, able to talk about anything without feeling awkward. I ached for Hudson, who was so used to being sought out for his fame and fortune. It was sweet to see him relax and enjoy being an ordinary guy. I could sense that bit of hurt when he woke up to find her gone. That connection remained with them as neither was able to forget their time together.
I loved the fact that Ellie felt it was important to let Hudson know about the baby. She was nervous about being a single parent but ready to raise him on her own since she didn't know how to find him. Her reaction when she found out Hudson's identity was realistic. I loved her determination to do the right thing. Unfortunately, Hudson's trust issues rear their ugly heads and he doesn't react at all well to her news. I ached for Ellie when her expectations were so rudely shattered. I was frustrated by Hudson's cruel words since I thought he was better than that. Fortunately, he redeemed himself pretty quickly once he got over the shock. His actions as he was there when Ellie needed him showed that he was a stand-up guy after all, but he had an uphill battle to prove himself to her.
I liked the development of their relationship. Once the drama of the revelation was over, and Ellie recovered from her illness, their maturity had a chance to show. I liked that they had an honest conversation about the best way to deal with her pregnancy and their relationship. Though the attraction is still there, neither is willing to make any permanent commitment. Ellie doesn't see how her nerdy self could keep the interest of a man who is used to so much more than she is. She knows that she could fall for him and is desperate to protect her heart. Hudson never planned to marry or have kids. He was abandoned as an infant, grew up in a series of foster homes, and feels that he doesn't know how to give the love that a child would need. But he refuses to reject a child the way he felt rejected all his life. Once Ellie and Hudson are living in the same house, they have the opportunity to get to know each other and discover that there is much to like. Though they try to maintain their distance physically, the attraction between them is too strong. But it isn't just lust that finally draws them together, but the need for emotional comfort. I loved Ellie's determination to be there for Hudson as he deals with his whole background issue. Her belief in him and that he was more than his parentage gave Hudson the strength he needed to face those issues. I ached for Hudson and his conflict of wanting to know but being afraid of what he might learn. The growth of his feelings for Ellie made him feel protective of her, which also affected his ideas of what to do. I liked seeing them take that leap of faith, opening up their hearts to the hope of love in spite of their fears of rejection. The epilogue was good. I especially enjoyed Hudson's delivery room feelings.
The story of Hudson's search for his parents was heartbreaking at times. His need to know was understandable, and I ached for the loneliness that was evident in that search. He had so much love to give, and it was buried under those feelings of rejection. I hurt for him as the PI he hired turned up leads that seemed to hurt more than help. I loved Ellie's insistence on helping and wasn't surprised at what she uncovered. I liked the final resolution, but it felt a bit rushed. I would have liked a bit more detail, especially regarding the PI and his actions.
August 13, 2017
I am not normally a Brenda Novak fan. I've read a few of her books but she tends to be a strict 3-star read. Easy enough, readable enough but doesn't move me. And honestly I tend to forget the books within a month.
This book is not different. I ended up listening to it because it was s free read with a subscription service I have.
The beginning and set up was nice enough. I actually liked the heroine in the first half Ellie. She is a workaholic scientist so she isn't very up on sports or who the latest sport celebrity is. So when she goes to a club and meets Hudson King a starting quarterback for a major NFL team, she's completely clueless.
Hudson is super protective of himself. He was abandoned under a hedge as a baby so he had abandonment issues that he has carried into adulthood. He also has trust issues. He's rich, famus and women want him for the wrong reasons. He's super careful about his reputation and who he gets involved in. So when he realizes that Ellie has no idea who he is, he is delighted.
A one night stand. An apparently faulty condom. And baby makes three.
Everything leading up to Ellie and Hudson's deal to co-raise the baby really worked for me. But once the book shifted to that part in the back half, it dragged horribly and the story floundered. Ellie went from being a smart woman to doing a few TSTL things. It felt like she underwent a personality transplant.
In the meantime, Hudson has a subplot about finding his birth parents. That subplot also went into WTF territory. And I didn't like how the whole thing was resolved. No good payoff there.
As an audiobook to pass time it worked. Not sure I would have stuck it out after the 50% mark if I had been reading it on paper.
This book is not different. I ended up listening to it because it was s free read with a subscription service I have.
The beginning and set up was nice enough. I actually liked the heroine in the first half Ellie. She is a workaholic scientist so she isn't very up on sports or who the latest sport celebrity is. So when she goes to a club and meets Hudson King a starting quarterback for a major NFL team, she's completely clueless.
Hudson is super protective of himself. He was abandoned under a hedge as a baby so he had abandonment issues that he has carried into adulthood. He also has trust issues. He's rich, famus and women want him for the wrong reasons. He's super careful about his reputation and who he gets involved in. So when he realizes that Ellie has no idea who he is, he is delighted.
A one night stand. An apparently faulty condom. And baby makes three.
Everything leading up to Ellie and Hudson's deal to co-raise the baby really worked for me. But once the book shifted to that part in the back half, it dragged horribly and the story floundered. Ellie went from being a smart woman to doing a few TSTL things. It felt like she underwent a personality transplant.
In the meantime, Hudson has a subplot about finding his birth parents. That subplot also went into WTF territory. And I didn't like how the whole thing was resolved. No good payoff there.
As an audiobook to pass time it worked. Not sure I would have stuck it out after the 50% mark if I had been reading it on paper.
July 25, 2017
Wow! I was emotionally exhausted after reading Ellie and Hudson's journey. I loved that Hudson turned his childhood hardships into something wonderful; giving his time and resources to New Horizons. Ellie's smart wit and strength added so much to the story. The best part, for me, was how seamlessly the author blended Hudson's aloof character with Ellie's enormous heart - allowing me to quickly accept the briskness of their relationship.
These characters were so easy to love - Highly Recommended!
These characters were so easy to love - Highly Recommended!
dnf
July 17, 2017DNF @ 25%
I'm waving the white flag of surrender on this one. I think the writing style just isn't for me. The story didn't sustain my interest, and I really couldn't connect with the characters. Ellie's douchey ex, in particular, seems unrealistically cliché.
**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.**
I'm waving the white flag of surrender on this one. I think the writing style just isn't for me. The story didn't sustain my interest, and I really couldn't connect with the characters. Ellie's douchey ex, in particular, seems unrealistically cliché.
**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.**
April 9, 2019
Si bien es cierto que es un placer leerlo, para mi gusto le falta un poco de emoción entre ellos.
November 24, 2020
Ceritanya menarik, topik yang diangkat cukup berat dan tabu. Setiap masalah diberi solusi dan endingnya sangat jelas 👍😊
January 16, 2018
I'm still loving this series. For me this is the best one yet. A lot of intrigue and suspense in this one. I have one more to read....when I can get a hold of it :)
July 17, 2017
UNTIL YOU LOVED ME: Book 3 in Silver Springs--
Hudson King is a famous quarterback.
The last place he wanted to be at was a bar, but his brother wanted him there. Trying to disguise himself was actually working. He saw a women by herself and was intrigued by her. To his surprise she had no clue who he was. One thing led to another.
Ellie's friend insisted they go out. After what her ex-fiancé did to her..but she was so bored until Hudson came over. She was surprised he was talking to her. He was hot to say the least. But it was truly nice.
After her night with Hudson. And the morning after she left. She got the shock of her life when she saw him on TV at a Super Bowl party with her friends. Then she knew who he really was.
This book had some twists and turns. Emotionally and moving to say the least.
Really liked it a lot.
Received a copy from Netgalley for review.
Hudson King is a famous quarterback.
The last place he wanted to be at was a bar, but his brother wanted him there. Trying to disguise himself was actually working. He saw a women by herself and was intrigued by her. To his surprise she had no clue who he was. One thing led to another.
Ellie's friend insisted they go out. After what her ex-fiancé did to her..but she was so bored until Hudson came over. She was surprised he was talking to her. He was hot to say the least. But it was truly nice.
After her night with Hudson. And the morning after she left. She got the shock of her life when she saw him on TV at a Super Bowl party with her friends. Then she knew who he really was.
This book had some twists and turns. Emotionally and moving to say the least.
Really liked it a lot.
Received a copy from Netgalley for review.
June 29, 2017
Thanks to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Brenda Novak has written another winner in the third of the Silver Springs series. I was caught up in the book right away and had trouble putting it down. It has well developed, likable characters, romance and some mystery as well.
Ellie Fisher, PhD is a scientist who is devoted to her work researching a cure for diabetes at a research facility in Miami. Hudson King is a professional football player for the Los Angeles Devils. He is a very popular and successful quarterback. The two meet at a bar in Miami when he is there for a football game against the Dolphins. The two are so different from each other but enjoy spending time together for the night. Ellie doesn't go to bars and is getting over a broken engagement. Neither Hudson or Ellie would normally spend the night with someone from a bar but it happened. What came of the night was an unexpected pregnancy since birth control was used. Both Ellie and Hudson were very unhappy with the news but after some fireworks, they decided to do what was best for the baby. Ellie moved to California to be near Hudson until the baby was about six months old and then see what happened after that. Hudson was abandoned as a baby and refused to abandon his baby.
I really liked Ellie and Hudson and wanted things to work out for them. Ellie has a heart of gold, always considering the feelings of others. Hudson grew up in foster homes and wound up at the New Horizons Boys Ranch in Silver Springs. With his success after such a sad beginning as a child, he gives back to the school with monetary support as well as on hand support for the boys there at the school. He even built a home there in Silver Springs to be near the school. It was fun to watch the relationship between Ellie and Hudson, who are so opposite in many ways, develop as they got to know each other. There is a side mystery to the story that involves a search for Hudson's parents and this adds some suspense. I know that diabetes research is close to Brenda Novak's heart and I thought that it was cool that she incorporated this into the story. This is a sweet, feel good story.
Brenda Novak has written another winner in the third of the Silver Springs series. I was caught up in the book right away and had trouble putting it down. It has well developed, likable characters, romance and some mystery as well.
Ellie Fisher, PhD is a scientist who is devoted to her work researching a cure for diabetes at a research facility in Miami. Hudson King is a professional football player for the Los Angeles Devils. He is a very popular and successful quarterback. The two meet at a bar in Miami when he is there for a football game against the Dolphins. The two are so different from each other but enjoy spending time together for the night. Ellie doesn't go to bars and is getting over a broken engagement. Neither Hudson or Ellie would normally spend the night with someone from a bar but it happened. What came of the night was an unexpected pregnancy since birth control was used. Both Ellie and Hudson were very unhappy with the news but after some fireworks, they decided to do what was best for the baby. Ellie moved to California to be near Hudson until the baby was about six months old and then see what happened after that. Hudson was abandoned as a baby and refused to abandon his baby.
I really liked Ellie and Hudson and wanted things to work out for them. Ellie has a heart of gold, always considering the feelings of others. Hudson grew up in foster homes and wound up at the New Horizons Boys Ranch in Silver Springs. With his success after such a sad beginning as a child, he gives back to the school with monetary support as well as on hand support for the boys there at the school. He even built a home there in Silver Springs to be near the school. It was fun to watch the relationship between Ellie and Hudson, who are so opposite in many ways, develop as they got to know each other. There is a side mystery to the story that involves a search for Hudson's parents and this adds some suspense. I know that diabetes research is close to Brenda Novak's heart and I thought that it was cool that she incorporated this into the story. This is a sweet, feel good story.
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