*3.5*
I've been wanting to read one of Melissa Foster's books for a while now, so when the opportunity arose to take part in the blog tour Only for You, the second book in the Sugar Lake series, I instantly said yes. As it turns out, I'm so glad I did! Only for You is adorable, heartwarming, and most importantly, super high on the steam scale.
Only for You introduces the alternating perspectives of Bridgette Dalton and Bodhi Booker.
Over the course of Only for You, Bridgette takes on several important roles: supermom, business owner, sister, and daughter. Each role introduced a different side to Bridgette, and I loved seeing them all come together. Bridgette is independent, smart, and savvy. She'll do anything to allow her son to have a nice, happy childhood, even if it means denying herself the possibility of a new boyfriend. I always have such a respect for single moms, and that respect was on high when it came to Bridgette. However, I did wish she'd let loose and allow herself true happiness again, especially when it came to happiness with her hottie neighbor. Thankfully, as the book progressed, Bridgette did let loose and find a new level of happiness; however, she stayed true to who she was and that's what I admired the most.
I always love mysterious, gruff, and good-looking heroes, but when you add in romance book lover to those characteristics, my heart is beating frantically! To put it simply, Bodhi was a gem. On the outside, he gives off a tough-as-nails look, but on the inside, he's the ultimate softie. It was heartwarming to see him take on a fatherly role with Bridgette's son, and I especially loved when they'd team up against her. Plus, as mentioned before, I loved that he was a romance book lover. It was such a cute addition to an already lovable lead.
The plot in this mainly revolved around Bodhi and Bridgette's romance. I thought Melissa Foster did a fantastic job of building up there romance. It wasn't too quick nor too slow, and more importantly, it felt believable. I also liked that it wasn't perfect. Over the course of the book, Bodhi and Bridgette deal with their own personal issues that hold them back from falling in love again. I thought Melissa did a great job of making those issues realistic yet not too overly dramatic.
There were two aspects, however, that held me back from truly loving Only for You. For one, I wish more time had been given to Bodhi's career. It was such an important part of who he was yet little of the plot revolved around it. Even at the end the problems involving it were thrown to the side and fixed almost too easily. Second, sometimes it was hard to keep all the side characters straight. Now this may because I started the series with book 2; however, at first Bridgette's sisters blended together, making it hard sometimes to remember who was who.
In all, Only for You is yet another enjoyable romance read! This may be my first book by Melissa but it certainly won't be my last.
Grade: B