Nothing But This

Broken Pieces #2

by Natasha Anders

A married couple yearns to rediscover lost love in this novel about forgiveness, reconciliation, and emotional growth.

It’s always been complicated between Libby Lawson and Greyson Chapman—and married life isn’t any simpler. But when Libby gets pregnant, she at last sees a bright future ahead. There’s just one Greyson says he’s sterile.

Furious, Greyson abandons the young family. Equally furious and deeply hurt, Libby cuts all ties with him. After all these years, it seems their relationship has finally expired. But love is resilient and endures even when you don’t want it to. Greyson still longs for Libby, and though Libby’s heartbroken by Greyson’s lack of trust, she holds out hope for a complete, happy family.

And so they embark on the journey back to each other, wary of all the obstacles between them. It’s been a long road already—one strewed with fear, doubt, and misunderstandings. Will they keep looking to the past, or will they look to each other and walk hand in hand toward a broad new horizon?

Genres: Second Chance, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Second Chance Romance, Marriage, Adult

391 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 30, 2019

About the author

Since making her publishing debut in 2012, Natasha Anders has drawn praise and attention as a unique voice in romance. Montlake author and 2018 RITA® Finalist, Anders was born in Cape Town, South Africa. She spent nine years as an associate English teacher in Niigata, Japan, where she became a legendary karaoke diva. Anders currently lives in Cape Town.

Reviews

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars

I have been looking forward to this book ever since I read book one in this series and we were introduced to the deliciousness of Libby and Greyson's hot mess of a marriage.

Everyone has tropes they love. Some more than others. And while I must say that I have a ton of tropes/elements I crumble for, here are a few that seriously crank my tractor:

-second chance
-marriage in trouble
-angst

And Natasha Anders brought all of that to this story in spades.

But you know what else you can always count on my homie Anders ALWAYS bringing to the table:

GROVELING. And there is nothing on this earth I love more than groveling. For serious.

And Greyson's was delicious.

Now, this book - as many of Anders books are - is based on a Big Miscommunication plot. I will be the first to admit that I usually HATE this plot device and avoid it like the plague. For some reason, however, I love it in Anders' books and keep coming back for more. In fact, this is my 9th Anders book. Because as I said earlier: Angst. GROVELING.

I also really enjoyed reading more of the backstory on Greyson and Libby's relationship and also the dynamic between Greyson and Harris and Harris and Libby. But what I think I enjoyed more than anything was seeing Greyson move to Riversend and make some bromances.

I could have done with some more flashbacks (which I can't believe I am saying, cause I usually hate flashbacks) of Libby and Greyson's relationship to cement their connection in my mind a little more, but other than that, I really enjoyed this story and - as always - look forward to more from Anders in the future.

[Becky · Rating 1 out of 5]

They know each other since always
Pathetic heroine is 26 and is a virgin
Asshole hero is 30 and is experienced
Celibate during separation
The so called good grovel people are talking about last three months
He practically abandoned her during her pregnancy not even sleeping in the same bedroom for seven months and then for four more months after the baby is born. 11 months being an asshole and a three month grovel. Yep, such a good grovel

Let’s star by making clear I would have never ever forgiven him

“Drop the act, Olivia! I’m infertile, and I don’t know whose fucking kid that is—or maybe I do—but I know for sure that she’s not mine.”
Fucking kid
Who the hell forgives a man who refers to her baby like that I would never thank god my mother showed me all about self respect


I’m starting my review while reading it because I’m pissed.

They know each other all their lives. She had a big crush on him when she was 14 and he was 18 but then he told her to stop acting like a stalker following around and they didn’t speak again. She saw him sometimes when he was back home from college but it stoped once she went to culinary school.

They see each other again after years:

“Olivia.” His dark, deep voice sent a shudder of intense familiarity through her, and her nipples beaded instantly. She had always felt that awareness around Greyson, but he had never seemed to reciprocate.
“Greyson.”
“Let’s go.” He held out his hand to her, and she stared at it for a long moment before taking it with a quirk of her lips. His warm, dry, much-larger hand folded around hers, and he tugged her toward the exit. She was wobbly on the unfamiliar heels but managed to keep up all the way down to his chauffeur-driven luxury car. He paused to say something to the driver, but Libby and Greyson didn’t speak to each other until they were in the back, side by side, concealed from the driver’s eyes—and all other curious gazes—by tinted windows.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, wasting no time as his eyes trailed over her body and face. Leaving her with goose bumps, aching nipples, and an unfamiliar hot, heavy wetness between her thighs. Beautiful? Her throat was dry, and she felt dizzy as she tried to orient herself to this new reality. A reality within which Greyson Chapman thought she was beautiful. She swallowed several times before she felt confident enough to speak.
“You’re not too bad yourself”
They go to his hotel and fuck

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT? Women are not stupid like that authors, we don’t go around getting wet because some teen crush open his month. I’m embarrassed on her behalf

Wait, it gets worse

SHE IS A VIRGIN, I’m fucking tired of that shit. The reason why she is a virgin is not because she is a prude or some shit like that is because she was too busy studying and working and actually doesn’t understand how people manage to have a successful career and healthy relationships. But darling you just fucked him and you don’t really know him, so please tell me why you couldn’t have fucked other men without being in a relationship?! I tell you so, because this authors has some sick need to make heroines being pure for the assholes heroes even though virginity is not a big deal to them. Author give us a break, if it not a big deal you would not have been writing those sexist double standards. He is successful as well but guess what? He is not a virgin even though he doesn’t even have friends, isn’t very good at socializing and it’s very distant from everyone

It’s literally the 2% mark and I’m fuming she is pathetic

“She couldn’t believe she had so meekly done his bidding tonight. Following him out of that party like an eager little puppy. She hadn’t given it a moment’s thought, and she wondered: Had she reconnected with Greyson at the restaurant instead of a party, would her work have taken precedence as it had on so many other occasions? Or would the end result—them in bed together—have been inevitable? She tilted her head to look at him, and yes, she had no doubt at all that she would have been in this exact same position, regardless of where or when they had met again. She would probably have followed him right out of the restaurant at the merest haughty crook of his finger. It was a humiliating realization. She was still such a giddy girl when it came to Greyson. She had stayed in contact with his brother, Harris, of course. They texted and called each other often. He was one of her dearest friends, and she couldn’t imagine not maintaining contact with him. But she had lost track of Greyson. He was literally the last person on earth she’d expected to see tonight. So very far away from his home in Cape Town. And while she would never in a million years have believed they’d wind up in bed together, there had been a sense of inevitability to their union. This man, who had avoided her at all costs and had never so much as looked at her after her sixteenth birthday, was now her lover, and it was incredibly surreal.”

I’m not even gonna talk about how awkward he is talking about marriage after telling her the condom broke because I just mande a vow about finishing without pint point every little think that pissed me off otherwise I don’t think I’m gonna sleep today


Really though what’s the point of writing a virgin heroine if you make it not totally ridiculous but also totally unrealistic, she fucks the guy four times the night she lost her virginity? Stop with that virgin bullshit



She is outgoing and sociable, he doesn’t know how to be close to people and doesn’t appear to be someone with friends. She works hard yet he is also practically a workaholic. Still, the author manages to write her as a virgin while he is experienced. Makes no fucking sense


He is 30 and she is 26 so the age shot doesn’t justify her celibacy. He notice her when she was sixteen but because his parents were her father and mother bosses and she was too young he avoid her at all costs until the night they fucked because her parents had already retired. So, both were attracted for each other and although he suggested married after their very first fuck fest, he said latter it was because they fit together, it was time for him to settle down and they were great in bed. Of course when he finally admitted he loved her he realizes he wanted her forever bla bla bla.


People said this was a grovel fest and you are crazy, this shit is not a grovel fest, is a guilt trip fest.
~10% he realizes his mistake and feels guilt until they are happily together again in the end
BUT WAIT
~ 19% he went after her and the baby four months after the baby is born
~ he takes care of their baby, loves the child, is there to help her with her house, is constantly apologizing for things that don’t really matter BUT HE DOESNT APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT HE DID ACCUSED HER OF DOING AND BEING ABSENT UNTIL 81%
~ he feels guilt, he tries making amends by being a good father and being there for here, his actions shown a good change but imo groveling consists in not only changing your attitude but admitting that you fucked up, saying you are sorry for all you did wrong, owing your mistakes and also changing his actions. He took too long truly admitted to everything, guilt trip is not enough and for fucks sakes took her three months to be with him again, he was an asshole for seven months and totally absent for four.
~ 81% he truly apologizes!!!!!!!! And only after that he recognizes he is in love with her

He is irredeemable I’m gonna talk about the reasons why I don’t believe they love each other and also why there is zero chance a normal woman would forgive him

They haven’t seen each other in years but even before that they were never close nor friends. She used to follow him around until he told her to stop when she was 14 and he 16. They saw each other rarely until she graduate high school then they didn’t see each other at all.
They are at the same party and he takes her to his hotel one day, they fuck and continues to fuck for two months until she accepts being married to him, he suggests it since their first night together because he is crazy really makes no fucking sense. She is clearly stupid and is foolish in love with him and believe he will love her in the future so why not marry him right? If she was my friend I would recommend a doctor she should have had her brain checked.
During these two months before the weeding they basically only fucked, they didn’t have meaningful conversations and don’t get to know each other. They are aware of the other’s existence since forever but they never really got to truly known each other and I don’t think they ever realized the difference.
Anyway they got married they move to their home town and on the first month he was busy working because during the months before the weeding he got a little behind with his job because he was occupied dinning and fucking her. So, because she is a normal person with friends she spends time with his twin brother who also happens to be her best friend and with Tina her best friend (h and H from the first book that I happily didn’t read).
He is anti social and doesn’t have friends so he sees her friendship with his brother and starts being jealous.
He basically felt left behind because they have jokes like any other friend and when he decides to come home from work sooner then usual to be with her after weeks working until late she is usually hanging out with Harries (his brother).
There is a flashback showing him arriving from work and Olivia with Harry and I swear there is nothing wrong, they didn’t notice the flowers but they were talking, laughing and joking but she went to him, kissed him, hugged him and invited him to watch tv with them, he didn’t want to go. Later on the book he talked about it to her and she and harry feel guilt because Greyson doesn’t know how to be around people so like a toddler it was their job to take his hands and make him socialize with her own wife and his own brother whom he knows are friends since their teen years. Ooh poor 30 years old baby need guidance on how to be a decent human being, so sorry for him.
When she was a teenager and he came back home from college she and his brother used to joke about him being iceman and okay this is not cool but holy fucking shit a couple years before that he called her a stalker for harboring a crush and following him around and he acts like an iceman so author this unlike what his brother said this doesn’t help me understand why she act like he did.

Harries to Olivia
“He doesn’t know how to be close to people. I don’t know why. That’s just the way he’s wired. He has a natural reticence that we just don’t get. Tina’s the same way. They exclude people until they feel they can trust them enough to let them in. Grey let you in. And we didn’t recognize that. Or respect it.”
Tina is awful and so is Greyson really, respect it?? Fuck that shit they are grow up. I hate shit

Okay, the second month together as husband and wife and he already believes she is cheating with her brother.
Surprise she is pregnant but since he was 19 he believe he was infertile because he had some decease his twin brother also had during the same time. But his head is stuck up his ass that he doesn’t think about the possibility of his twin having the same problems, nooo of course not the only logical reason is for his virgin wife to be fucking his brother. Forget the fact they were friends forever, they only decided to fuck after their weeding because that makes so much sense.

For seven months, after she told him about the pregnancy he is totally absent, always traveling, didn’t going to any doctor’s appointment, not being there with her the moment the baby was born.
He arrived at the hospital after the baby was born and is cold as fuck, glaring at her and her kid. He tells her the “fucking baby” isn’t his saying he knows she was cheating on him.
She just gave birth, her hormones are crazy and he did that to her. She was vulnerable but he had no consideration so I don’t know why the fuck someone can forgive an asshole like him.
The day after that he already knows the truth about him being the father because his brother shoved it down his throat but he is sooooo guilt suffering sooo much that he spends three weeks drinking. I’m so sorry, I’m really concerned about the asshole well being while his wife is taking care of a new born baby without her the baby’s daddy who accused her of cheating.
Four months after the baby is born and he decided to go after his family, during theses months he was receiving a photo of the baby everyday from Harries and he put a detective to follow her around. I couldn’t care less
She was for four fucking months taking care of her baby as a solo mother while he was busy feeling guilt.
Bla bla bla
They even fuck before he properly apologized a few times but thanks to god she put a stop to it
She asks for divorce but he doesn’t sign and she doesn’t keep pressuring like a normal woman would do
He tells her about the truth about thinking she was cheating with her brother because she didn’t know that small detail and she is angry
Fucking finally he says he is sorry for accusing her of cheating but no “I love you” yet even though she already admitted she was in love with him
She talks to the brother and feels guilt about not dealing with his social skills properly yeah because it is not a romance book if the woman doesn’t find a way to feel guilt even when she is totally innocent
A few days later he tell her his sob story about how he was drinking for three weeks and suffered for three months after that she forgives him for every like a pathetic loser
After they fuck again we get the first “love you” from him fucking finally
Near the end he hurt himself fixing her roof and she feels guilt because poor husband was doing things for her like fixing her house since he arrived and she didn’t show appreciation so she is angry with herself and feel like him hurting himself was her fault because we can’t have a reasonable woman who didn’t feel guilt about being reasonable angry, nooo of course she has to think she was wrong for being mad after all the shit he did to her, honey I wouldn’t give him the time of the day never again
Bla bla bla she need time to think bla bla bla HEA if you can call it that


Her mother praising him for saying I love you to her and making animal sounds to his daughter like uau he is out of this world the first man who moves his child and plays with her what a remarkable thing to do, he plays with a baby! Fuck that shit

She felt in love in love with him but she mentions that even during the sex between them before he fucked up he was restraining himself and always felt it was a little rehearsed. Really, why she decided to marry him? Just because it was good? Jesus Christ woman has some self respect I have know idea why she felt for him

It’s amazing how he can’t function as a normal human being around her and his brother because they are friends and he feel lost because they entered their bubble and he is distant or some shit like that (her own mother makes excuses for him I pointing how close Libby and Harries are, I was livid) but he didn’t feel lost when he fucked other woman before her

“And we don’t do this without a condom.”
He had condoms; he always had condoms. He used to carry them before his marriage and had never removed them from his wallet. They were pretty old by now, but he was sure they were good. They had to be good because he had nothing else. He used to keep the condoms as precaution against disease. Now there was the added risk of pregnancy. He nearly laughed at that thought. Idiot. There had always been the risk of pregnancy. But he had never trusted a partner enough to have condom-free sex before Olivia. He was so fucking lucky he was health conscious, or who knew how many other kids he’d have scattered around the world by now.


HOW STUPID A WOMAN CAN BE

“The things you said about Harris and me . . . I’ve come to understand why you may have felt the way you felt. Our behavior wasn’t fair. You and I were married, and you should have been my best friend, the one I trusted with my innermost thoughts. But it was so easy to fall back into old habits with Harris.”

“I don’t want my dumb suspicions to deprive you of one of your most important friendships, Olivia,” he said. “I don’t want things to be awkward between the two of you. I would hate that. I was unreasonable.”
“And we were unfair.”
He smiled, a gentle tilt of his lips. “Well, now that we’ve established all of that, let’s not make the same stupid mistakes in the future.

He literally restrain himself even during sex but somehow she should have make him her best friend? How the fuck this is her responsibility, for fucks sake, fuck this garbage I’m beyond pissed now. How the fuck is she apologizing for that, they were married after two fucking months of pure sex nothing less, they didn’t fucking knew each other.
She didn’t make any mistake you piece of shit, self absorbed asshole.
Unfair how, holy fuck woman stop being so pathetic it brings me pain reading a woman apologizing for shit she wasn’t supposed to feel guilt about. He is you best friend, you are like brother and sister since forever, hubby couldn’t notice that because his head was to far up his ass honey, it’s his fucking fault.
A nice HEA for me would be something like Lost, was all a bad dream and all that people didn’t even know each other

1 stat and I’m not reading this author again, this book makes me feel bad
Cheating is not the only irredeemable think a man can do do

[Flor ❁ (HIATUS) · Rating 3 out of 5]

the whole book is focused on the drama of two side characters.

the ✨good thing✨ is that i won't have to read their story.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anders sure does have the knack with writing idiot heroes that eff up monumentally and then ... blam! She goes on to torture them with their guilt annnnd commence the grovel. Damn, Anders knows how to make those flawed characters of hers give good grovel. Greyson did that grovel so well I ended up rooting for him and wanting to slap Olivia upside the head for being so stubborn, despite the fact he eviscerated her with his idiotic reaction to a doozy of a string of miscommunications causing the marriage to break down. Oh yeah, he bumbled his way through that grovel and I loved every word! Oh, and there is NO cheating, none whatsoever.

I love me the marriage in trouble trope, throw in a kiddie or two, great side characters and a slow burn to their HEA and I'm in my happy place. However, I felt the story dragged a bit at times and could have done with more of the past and tightening up of the present which knocked a star off my rating.

This is the story I wanted whilst reading Harris and Tina's book and am glad to say I enjoyed it way more.

Arc provided by Netgalley for review.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I don’t know how she managed to do it, but Natasha Anders pulled off the unthinkable. I’m now officially a fan of Greyson Chapman, and let me just say, I started off Nothing But This not quite sure that was even a possibility.

Libby Lawson and Greyson Chapman have always been in each other’s orbit. When little girl Libby wasn’t helping her mother in the Chapman kitchen, she was playing with her bff Tina and the Chapman brothers, Harris and Greyson. While Libby and Harris developed a quick and lasting friendship, Greyson remained aloof and distant from the group. As time moved forward and the group started realizing how great the opposite sex was, Libby developed a not so subtle crush on sixteen year old Greyson, which he promptly snuffed right out by telling her to leave him the hell alone, or something charming to that effect.

A decade plus passes with little to no interaction between the two, but that all changes the first time grown up Greyson spots grown up Libby across the room at a party. He says something ridiculous like “come to me”, she scampers eagerly to him and before you can recover from the whiplash, Greyson Chapman and Libby Lawson are married.



It comes as quite the shock to Libby when she tells Greyson she’s pregnant and he reacts less than enthusiastically. It comes as an even bigger shock when, after seeing his newborn daughter for the first time, Greyson tells Libby there’s no possibility the baby is his and accuses her of having an affair. Libby’s self-preservation finally kicks in and before Greyson has time to realize what a huge mistake he’s made, Libby and her daughter are starting a new life far away from Greyson.

This book could have easily gone either way for me. At this point, I’ve made it clear I’m always up to read a Natasha Anders asshole, as I’ve become fond of calling them. I had high hopes for Greyson and boy, did he deliver. I started off thinking I was going to need a grovel of epic proportions to make right what Greyson had so callously eff’d up. As Greyson begins to wake up and realize what he threw away, and how stupid his logic was for doing so, he knows he must make things right, but has no idea where to start. From the moment Greyson decided to get his family back, he’s all in. He may not have a plan beyond moving to be near Libby and begging for forgiveness, but he gives it his all. Libby does her best to resist him, as she should, but even she can’t deny the effort he’s putting into making things right and the overall softening his baby daughter has on Greyson as a whole. When Libby finally realizes Greyson is willing to shift his entire life around to make her happy, regardless of whether she takes him back, the possibility of reconciling finally felt a little more realistic.

Put simply, my need for a huge, over the top grand gesture was made good by the thousands of ways Greyson tried to make it up to Libby and the sincerity in which he did it.

And he now recognized that even if he hadn’t fucked everything up with his stupidity, if he had continued keeping the most important pieces of himself from her, their marriage probably would have failed anyway. Because he had expected so much more than he had been willing to give.

That’s some serious self-awareness right there, Greyson! Natasha Anders gave me no choice but to fall in love with him, faults and all, when she slowly but surly shows us his awkward, insecure and adorable side. I’m bumping this up a half star for the awesome job Ms. Anders did in humanizing Greyson.

I loved Libby and Greyson, even when they weren’t together. I had my doubts, but Nothing But Us turned out to be a wonderful read with a more than satisfying ending. This book is the second of the series and while it can most definitely be read as a standalone, I think I got more out of it by reading Harris and Tina’s story first.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest, voluntary review

[Jessica Hull · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS was seriously everything a second chance romance should be!! In this second standalone romance of her new series, Natasha Anders serves up an absolutely heartbreaking storyline of characters suffering through the most legitimately gut wrenching deterioration of their marriage. What an exquisitely tortuous reading experience this was, what a beautiful second chance romance unfolded. I eat every Natasha Anders novel hungrily but Nothing But This was especially delicious. 

I have never been so on board with a heroine denying a reconciliation. It's really hard to wrap your head around what Greyson has said and done in this story and I thought Olivia's actions, her decisions in response to his behavior were PERFECTION. All of their push and pull, the slow burning evolution of their second chance, the grovel that was more about actions than words, the sexual tension, the heartache, the absolute despair... it all made for such an emotional storyline that I absolutely loved. I love stories that hurt but that I can buy into, that I find believable and authentic and Natasha Anders nailed it with Nothing But This. 

As much as Greyson deserved to really grovel and needed to repent, I can't even tell you how much I came to love him. He was so broken, so tortured, so determined and I felt every bit of his longing, his devotion, his heart. I enjoyed every bit of the growth of his character, every moment of the rebuilding of what was once destroyed. This story hurt, it was peppered with moments of sweet tenderness, steamy sensuality and breathtaking romance and it felt seamless. It was rife with heart pangs and brutal chest twinges and I loved all so completely. 

[Vintage]

A big case of "It's me not you". Once again I disliked the heroine intensely as well as Tina, the h from the first book all over again.

The hero is a huge, epic jerk when he rejects his own baby and wife thinking his twin brother is the father. Yep, it's the old mumps/sterility trope again. This time my sympathies ultimately lay with the hero as he tries to win the heroine back. He doesn't apologize but decides actions speak louder than words even if he is pretty ineffectual with his actions. He's a rotten cook, scared of stinky diapers, and is relatively incompetent at fixing the heroine's house.

The heroine certainly has good reason to be angry, kick him to the curb, all those things we want to see. Perhaps including the H's POV racked up my sympathy for him as the heroine's spite and bitchiness were beyond annoying. NA does a good job with showing the hero's turnaround as a father and explaining why he found it easy to jump to the horrible conclusion his brother was the father. His interaction with the baby is pretty cute.

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was 🆂🅾 good. 🙌 A real douche of a 𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓸 followed by 🅔🅟🅘🅒 levels of groveling and 𝕤𝕨𝕖𝕖𝕥 𝕓𝕒𝕓𝕪 interactions. 💕 It probably would have been a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 read if not for Ⱡł฿฿Ɏ herself. 😒 I found her extremely ѕelғ cenтered, and judgmental at times. 👎 Her feelings and 𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖎𝖙𝖚𝖉𝖊 towards 🅶🆁🅴🆈🆂🅾🅽 I fully understood, but her inner thoughts 𝓮𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 regarding Tina were ⊕ƒƒ-pu††ïηg and as a result I never loved her character 💯% Still, this was my favorite type of 🅢🅔🅒🅞🅝🅓 🅒🅗🅐🅝🅒🅔 romance and gets two ŜỖĹĮĎ thumbs up from your truly. 👍👍

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[Lady Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Publication Date: July 30, 2019


"5 - Can people change when they realize what they've lost, Stars?"

This book wrecked me.
This book, as in as so many of Natasha Ander's books is one of misunderstanding, confusion, and miscommunication.

This book really stuck with me because I became emotionally involved.
I related to the characters, in
particular, Libby who was raising her daughter by herself and trying to do the absolute best by her all by herself.

I was reading it and crying so hard, that I couldn't see the words on my kindle at the end of the story, that I had to stop and get a coffee so I could finish the book.



Okay, let's start by saying that this book runs parallel with More Than Anything
I think you can read this book as a standalone, BUT you would benefit greatly by reading More Than Anything so you would understand what the bet they refer to in the story and what it did to Harris and Tina, and why their relationship was so volatile, even after 10 years.

I have to admit, I absolutely hated Greyson at the end of More Than Anything
He reminded me so much of Dante Damaso from A Ruthless Proposition.
(I hated him too).

I thought Greyson deserved every which way Libby was treating him.



I felt absolutely no compassion or remorse for how she was treating him because she trusted him once with her heart, and he trampled all over it.



BUT, once again Natasha Anders has an amazing talent of letting her readers see the other protagonists point of view.
How Greyson was ostracized, made fun of, and excluded from social interaction. He just didn't "tick" as other people did.



We are able to see how Greyson felt, what he experienced, how he grew up not making friends and trusting people easily because he was so reserved and quiet.



It certainly doesn't forgive what Greyson thought or how he acted, but it explains "why" he acted the way he did.




Now, he has to fight for his daughter and his wife, and he'll do anything to do right by them.

His journey to forgiveness, reconciliation, and FINALLY admitting love was SO worth the battle and wait.



I highly recommend this book, but I recommend that you read More Than Anything first to totally enjoy and understand the dynamics of the story and the characters involved.


"I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review."

[Carvanz · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love broken marriage romances that include lots of groveling, you’re going to absolutely love this one!

This time around we get all the deep down and dirty details of what exactly happened between this broken couple. There’s no denying that Greyson acted in a manner that could be unforgivable (no cheating). But as the story unfolds, we learn so many things about the man. He’s a loner even among his family and the very essence of who he is has led to insecurities which led to unforgivable actions. Fortunately, he’s able to get his head out of his rear and pursue Libby with plenty of groveling along the way.





Libby has her own lessons to learn, despite the fact that she was the one who paid the price for Greyson’s beliefs and actions. With so many layers to this relationship, there isn’t an insta-fix. “I love you” doesn’t heal everything and “I’m sorry” isn’t even close to being adequate. Actions speak louder than words, and sometimes it’s making yourself completely vulnerable and accepting the inevitable before closure can be found…in the most heartbreaking way.

”But he didn’t quite know how to say sorry for something so completely unforgivable. And God knew if he couldn’t apologize to his brother, he didn’t stand a chance in hell with Olivia, because she deserved more than apologies. She deserved nothing less than to have him standing in front of her barefoot on broken glass, begging for her forgiveness. And ever that wasn’t enough.”





Even while we have some extremely steamy scenes between Greyson and Libby, there is never the feeling that everything is going to work out. Greyson won me over by his constant need to make amends. Along the way, he finds a new Greyson, a more relaxed, carefree and loving man who is willing to do anything to find a way into Libby and Clara’s life. He knows he doesn’t deserve forgiveness, he can’t even forgive himself, and he realizes there are no words in the human language to ask for forgiveness. My heart hurt so badly for him! For a hero who had done the unthinkable, I found myself cheering for him. I didn’t expect that to happen!

”I love you, Clara,” he whispered and kissed her soft cheek, his nose nuzzling the powder-scented silky black curls at her temple. “I love you so much. And I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. Daddy’s so sorry.”





This is a super angsty read laced with some of the sweetest, swooniest moments between father and baby girl. Moving from some lowest of lows to sweetest of highs, I was engrossed in every faucet of this couple’s struggle to come to terms with their past, their present, and what their future would look like.

We met and got to know some of what was happening with Greyson and Libby in book one but there’s more than enough information included here that it’s not necessary to read it beforehand if you haven’t already. Although I highly recommend it because it’s just so good!

This is an amazing married/second chance romance that will capture your heart and squeeze it dry before soothing it with a believable reconciliation and the sweetest of sweet epilogue.

Dual POV
Safe no ow/om drama; separation due to H believing h had cheated on him, becoming pregnant
Triggers secondary character’s baby died a few months after birth – not on page but shared with h

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 - "Always and forever..." Stars!

I knew as soon as Libby and Greyson’s story kicked off as a secondary plot point in the first book of this series; More Than Anything that it was going to be a humdinger when Natasha put them front and centre in their own story.

There marriage had ended with a positive pregnancy test… and she hadn’t even realised.

Nothing But This was all I expected it to be, and once again the author took an irredeemable reaction, and Greyson’s unforgivable accusations, and gave him a rock solid platform from which he had to elevate himself from, in order to work his way back into his marriage, something that at the beginning, I as a reader wasn’t sure would be possible.

He wanted a second chance… he didn’t deserve one.

But as always with one of this author’s alpha-assholes, there is so much more to Greyson Chapman than we initially learned through his interactions with Harris and Tina in the first book, and the reasonings behind his actions towards Libby and her pregnancy and as a result of that, his long, emotional, journey to redemption with her and now their new daughter Clara, as well as his brother Harris.

She hated him now… But it couldn’t possibly be as much as he hated himself.

So much so, he ups sticks, moves to a new town, and pretty much suspends his normal day-to-day life in an attempt to prove to Libby that he can change and is still worthy of her love, and that their marriage still means something to him, as well as trying to prove he can be a good father to their daughter.

His persistence was annoying, but kind of endearing too…

I knew this would an emotional rollercoaster of a read from the start, this is a couple where you initially think that there is no way they can save their relationship, no how, not a chance and rightly so, even I wanted to nut punch Grey at the beginning of Nothing But This. Especially after things that were said, the actions that he took and the amount of time he allowed to pass before he finally decides to pull his head out of his butt and try to make right all of the wrongs he knows has committed.

"I did and said so many things I regret… And I don’t know… I have no idea how to make it right again…"

Starting with his relationship with his brother; Harris, then Libby, as well as creating a relationship with his daughter (quite hilariously at points) give all the facets to this story that made it one of Anders best books to date. She basically took a man out of his suit, put him in jeans, removed the trappings of a life of luxury, and went back to basics with everything, she made him work for each and every step of progression he made with Libby, and a lot of the time it was actions more than words that counted. But when the words came, they were all the more special, because you knew just how hard it was for him to admit to just how wrong he had been.

It had once been so easy to love him…

I loved that we got to spend more time in Riversend too, I hope that the author has more in store for this town now, as the community she has built around her last two series there is one, where I would happily spend more time in the future. Definitely my favourite book of this series, and I look forward to seeing what the author has in store for her readers next!

ARC generously provided by the author via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

I’ve been trying to find the right words. The proper combination of sounds that would make you forgive me, that would make up for what I said and did. But those words don’t exist.”

Ever since Natasha Anders introduced Grey and Libby in More Than Anything, I've been completely enamored and invested in their story. If there's one thing that I love more than a hero that royally screws up with his woman, it's watching him grovel to get back into her good graces again. And this book? It's one long, delicious, and emotional grovel.

Now I love a good alphahole as much as the next girl, but this book didn't focus on that. You get plenty of Grey's generally cold disposition in the first book. Enough of it to know that when the man makes a mistake, it's the biggest mistake of his life. This book focuses on him dealing with the repercussions of that mistake and trying to grovel his way back and somehow make amends. You get flashbacks of what transpired to bring Grey and Libby to the point where they are now. I loved that Libby really grew into herself in this book. She goes from a besotted girl to a woman that's not afraid to make him work for it. She's not willing to forgive and forget, nor should she. I mean, the man thought their child was the result of an affair.

The flow is really organic and the pacing is superb. It highlights every bump along their road and twists and turns your heart right along with them. Their journey is painful and emotional and totally enrapturing.

Nothing But This was a painfully beautiful story of second chances. It was sweet, funny, and utterly gut wrenching in parts. It wasn't an overly angsty read but it was certainly an emotional one. I really loved this book. It was a gripping and charming and hits every single feel.

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

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[Pinky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger Warnings: Alcohol problems, knew FMC when she was a kid 4 year age gap and was attracted to her when she was 16 and he was 20 but never acted on it, parental abandonment (believed baby wasn’t theirs), accusations of cheating but never happened, neglect during pregnancy, drugged drink, intoxicated during sex, death of baby, panic/anxiety attacks

I AM SO HAPPY I READ THIS AAAH. So as you all know, I am obsessed with the book The Unwanted Wife by Natasha Anders because of the grovel. Reading this was such a treat, the MMC, Greyson, fucked up real bad and has to grovel to the FMC, Libby. Some scenes do give me deja-vu moments to The Unwanted Wife, the books are similar since the MMC fucks up and has to grovel. The Unwanted Wife made me feel more things and was more focused on the couple compared to this book. Now, what ruined this for me was that I read the first book, More Than Anything. More Than Anything is the first book in the duet and I highly recommend that YOU DO NOT read it before Nothing But This. These two books basically spoil the other. I already knew how Greyson fucked up, how Greyson grovelled and some of the stuff that happened and it ruined the experience for me. And because I already knew about the previous FMC and MMC, Tina and Harris, their story felt so repetitive. On top of that, some scenes have the EXACT same dialogue since it’s the same timeline but a different POV. If I read this first, I would have found Tina and Harris’s drama a lil annoying since it does take over parts of the story. It’s the same thing in the previous book, Libby and Greyson’s drama takes over there. I don’t know why this duet was written this way. It honestly could have been one book following two couples. Both books spoiled the other since they follow the same timeline and start at the same time. The only thing missing was a coupla conversations and seeing the scenes happen rather than hearing what had happened.


Libby has had a huge crush on Greyson her whole life. Being the daughter of the cook at his house, she has lived in his shadow, secretly following him around. After he called her a stalker, she stopped following him and moved on. Years later, Greyson finds her, one second they’re sleeping together, and the next they’re married. Libby finds out she’s pregnant and ever since then, Greyson has been indifferent. Turns out, Greyson doesn’t believe the kid is his and Libby feels betrayed.


Let’s be real, Greyson fucked up big time. Libby had a backbone and stood up for herself and her baby because she knew they deserved better. She made sure to let him know how he hurt her. The way he grovelled was spoiled for me in the last book but it was still enjoyable since we see Greyson feel guilt, misery and devastation since he realized he might have lost the best thing he could’ve had in his life, a small loving family. There is some betraying body syndrome here and I know that pisses people off since it was in The Unwanted Wife. One of the main issues with this couple is miscommunication so if you hate that you might not like this either. Some people wished for the MMC’s POV in The Unwanted Wife and luckily, in this book you get both POVs so you see the guilt Greyson feels. This book is a bit slow and the characters from Natasha Anders’ other books the Alpha Men trilogy show up here, but I haven’t read it yet. There are times when I wished the focus was just Libby and Greyson but this book was still good and had everything I wanted. I didn’t cry over this as I did with The Unwanted Wife though. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a good grovel, you might enjoy this!


Now for spoilers


When Libby is in the hospital and gives birth to Clara, Greyson wasn’t there when Libby was tryna wait for him. Greyson was a shitty husband when Libby became pregnant, so seeing Greyson act all cold and shit pissed me off. Greyson shows up late and he’s acting like an asshole and Libby is so confused, he ignored his baby and wouldn’t even look at her. When Libby named her baby Clara to see if it’ll get Greyson’s attention since he hates the name, it doesn’t. She tries to get him to talk and he finally does and says the shittiest thing ever. He said he’s sterile and the baby isn’t his. He doesn’t tell Libby that he believes she cheated on him with his brother, but he does tell his brother, Harris, eventually. Poor Libby was done, Tina was so supportive during her pregnancy but Libby decided it would be best to move somewhere else where her kid would be appreciated.


Greyson goes home and drinks himself to oblivion and Harris, his twin, comes to confront him. When Greyson tells him he knows that Libby and Harris cheated and how the kid isn’t his, they have an emotional fight. I loved Harris in the first book and even more in this. Greyson is a stupidass, he believed he was sterile because he had mumps. But get this, the fool didn’t even realize THAT HIS FUCKING TWIN also had mumps AT THE SAME BLOODY TIME. On top of that, the doctor told him it would be DIFFICULT TO CONCEIVE. NOT IMPOSSIBLE. BLOODY DIFFICULT. WHAT THE HELL GREYSON. To make that even worse, HARRIS WAS ALSO TOLD THE SAME FUCKING THING. WHAT THE FUCK GREYSON. So this stupid fool realizes he was wrong the same day he accused Libby of cheating and what does he do? Does he apologize and try to win Libby back right away? Or drink while feeling sorry for himself for 4 months, being away from his kid and wife. You guessed it, the second one. He waited 4 BLOODY MONTHS, to finally go back to Libby. He did hire an investigator to stalk Libby to make sure she’s safe and shit, which is creepy but kinda swoony, sorry.


This man has the bloody A👏U👏D👏A👏C👏I👏T👏Y👏 to show up at Libby’s house and ask her to talk. After all the shit he put her through, he really thought Libby would let him into her house. But Libby was a badass when dealing with him. Greyson felt so guilty he couldn’t even look at Clara. He was so pathetic, it was so cringey, it was nice to see him be put in his place. When he called Harris and asked to stay with him, Harris didn’t hesitate. Harris is so sweet, despite his brother accusing him of cheating with his wife, he still helps him out. He has a history with Tina, with the whole bet and stuff, so all that shit was repetitive. But I loved how we found out Greyson made the person who drugged Harris’s drink shut up about the Tina bet and made him an outcast in the friend group. We find out that Greyson felt things for Libby when she was 16 and immediately left. She used to stalk him but he told her to stop after a while. He felt that there was a power imbalance cuz of his age and cuz his parents were her parents’ bosses so he didn’t think it was right to be with her which I appreciated. Years later, when her parents no longer worked at his place, he decided to pursue her. After they slept together once, he immediately asked her to marry him. They never really had a real, true marriage but Libby loved him, even though Greyson never says he does since he married her for a comfortable life.


Greyson tries to visit Libby again and sees how bad her house is, there are leaks everywhere, the tap won’t work properly. When Greyson asked if it was okay to look at Clara and Libby said fine, I loved how wary and scared he was. He felt so much guilt, it’s crazy how it took him four months to talk to Libby. I liked how Libby gave him shit for everything, she told him how much of an asshole he was and asked him the right questions. Why is he back now? Did he do a paternity test? She made sure he knew he had no right to be there or near their daughter. But she was smart because she knew he would win in court and she couldn’t keep their daughter away from him because of it. She didn’t want shit from him and he wanted to help fix the house and so she made him physically do it. Seeing him make progress each time by using Google and assistance from phone lines was so funny and adorable. I loved how he admitted he got help without lying as well. When he cut his hand by accident while fixing the tap and Libby got worried and they kissed. Their relationship was pure sex when they first got married, they had a perfect two months but everything went downhill. Greyson keeps his emotions intact while he actually feels so many things. So seeing him slowly start to unravel and be emotional was nice.


I loved how Libby named Clara after a nanny Greyson hated and how Greyson said the name suited her cuz it was pretty. Libby was so damn patient, she was dealing with a restaurant that Tina bought. Tina and Libby became partners but because Tina was going through her own shit, she wasn’t a stable business partner. Greyson being terrified to carry Clara at first and panicking every time he was left alone with Clara was adorable. But you slowly see him learn how to be a better father. He reads books, listens carefully and is super attentive. When he plays with Clara and would fall asleep, ugh those moments were sweet and Libby felt so conflicted. She didn’t wanna get hurt again by Greyson. He did everything he could to make sure that she knew he regretted everything. He really thought he could tell Tina that it was none of her business that he was there. Tina put him in his place and told him that he is a shitbag and how he missed all the moments where Libby needed him most during the pregnancy. Greyson suspected Libby of cheating just cuz she met up with Harris and lied about the meeting since she was planning a surprise for him. I liked how he apologized to Harris and Tina and how he won them both over. Tina had a baby and lost it, her baby died and Harris was the father, Libby didn’t know this. Tina has panic attacks and cannot handle being around babies. Seeing Greyson step in to help her take care of Clara was so nice. When Harris showed up and Greyson begged him to help and Clara stopped crying in Harris’s arms, it was so funny.


I liked how Greyson realized that money can’t fix everything and this whole experience was humbling for him. Seeing Libby make friends and go to yoga classes with Clara was adorable. Greyson being friends with Spencer was so cute, the two were teaching kids stuff. When Libby complained about Tina being unreliable, it was realistic. I felt bad for Tina but if I had to deal with all that stuff I would be annoyed too. When Libby and Greyson start to have sex, I knew it was a bad idea. They start to have it for a coupla days and Libby wanted to label it as fucking rather than lovemaking. Greyson was more different, he was more emotional, he even cried openly. When she let him stay the night and he woke up when Clara started crying and took care of it I loved it. They had small cuddling scenes but it usually ended with Libby sending him home. When Tina yelled at him, he was so emotional he sat down. When Libby called him a babysitter rather than a dad, I know where she was coming from but yikes, Greyson even yelled back. Libby wanted to protect herself and Clara so she got divorce papers ready and invited Greyson for dinner. But Greyson thought that they were gonna have a romantic dinner and damn was it cringe to see his reaction to the divorce papers. When he refused to sign it I wasn’t surprised. At this point, I felt really bad for him. He knew that he was gonna move his work to where Libby lived because she made herself a home where they were and he wasn’t gonna force her to move back. He tried not to be too pushy and stepped away when Libby told him to. When Greyson refused to give Clara back the first time he held her and Libby was angry, I couldn’t imagine how scary that must’ve been. Greyson did reassure her immediately though.


Harris finally finds out about Tina’s pregnancy and his lost son. He is so upset, he leaves cuz of it. I felt so bad for Harris, seeing him and Greyson hug and comfort each other hurt my heart. Once Harris is gone, Greyson becomes closer to Tina. He even starts calling her by her nickname which was adorable and they even shared meals together. He made sure to look out for her for Harris which I loved. When Tina told him he had to come clean to Libby and tell Libby that he suspected she cheated with Harris I was like yikes, I knew Libby would be pissed. She chose to meet him at her friend’s restaurant who took care of her when she moved. Her friend was so funny, I laughed so much, Greyson being jealous of him was so funny. When he filmed Clara sitting up and Libby and he exchanged messages it was adorable. But when he revealed the Harris thing to Libby, she was angry. I was surprised he gave her the signed divorce papers. It just showed that he respected her decision on the divorce even though he didn’t want it. Libby is so angry because it showed their marriage wasn’t real from the start since he never trusted her. She leaves and makes sure to tell Greyson she’s done with him. Seeing Greyson lose it and just stay there sitting down was so sad. When Libby’s friend gave him tea, it was so funny seeing him have this funny banter with the guy. I loved how Libby’s friend had to keep asking Greyson if he told Libby any of the things he was feeling. He admits he loves her but he never properly told her. He openly told Clara he loved her but Libby needed to know too.


Tina decides to meet up with Harris and leaves Libby and Greyson. Seeing them work together was interesting but Libby was immature. She wouldn’t share her workers when Greyson needed some. Seeing him deal with it like a pro was so nice, Libby was so annoying here but I like how it was addressed. Greyson changed, he coloured, he made friends, he was louder, he was open to listening to what Libby wanted and he was a good father. Even if he was busy with work, his days were busy doing everything. When Libby told him she didn’t know much about him and he said he liked to colour, it was adorable. When she saw him teaching kids and he came to help her with Clara, ugh I loved it. Seeing all the moms swoon over Greyson while he took care of Clara was so funny since Libby was so jealous. But Greyson only had eyes for Libby. When Tina finally comes home, she and Harris still haven’t resolved shit and Libby is sad because she grew to like Greyson working with her. Greyson wouldn’t push and respected Libby’s boundaries, he babysat Clara and left the second Libby came. Libby bought him a colouring book and pencil crayons, it was damn adorable. He would colour whenever he got the chance, he would even show her his favourite pieces when he was done which was so cute.


Libby gave more thought and realized she excluded Greyson a lot when it came to her friends, especially Harris and regretted it. It wasn’t an excuse for what Greyson did but she realized she could have included him more. Harris knew that Greyson had a problem with alcohol because he destroyed the penthouse and told Libby to ask Greyson. When he admitted what he did, it was so sad, he tore up the whole penthouse except Clara’s room and he never touches alcohol because he never wants to go back to that dark place again. When Greyson asked to go to the bird place and Libby and him lowkey had a date, it was so cute. Clara was kinda asleep, so it was Libby and him on their own. When they came back and had sex, I thought the grovel was over but nah. Greyson says he loves Libby and Libby decides to leave and visit her parents and it pissed me off. We are now at 95% of the book and I love grovel but my god, leaving Greyson like that was just sad. Harris and Tina finally got together in Greyson’s POV and he’s lowkey bitter cuz of his own love life but happy for them. He decides that while Libby is gone, he is gonna fix the house and I just knew he was gonna fall off the roof or some shit. Libby stays there for a bit and Greyson does facetime calls every night and makes sure to tell Libby he loves her too. He also addressed it after he said it later on and mentioned he did love Libby, Greyson was more straightforward. When we find out Greyson got hurt, I wasn’t surprised, but it was so sweet how he didn’t even wanna take off his wedding ring to help the doctor start the procedure. Libby didn’t even hesitate to go back and it was so cute how Greyson didn’t wanna cut off his ring. When Greyson said he fell off the ladder but the roof sounds cooler, I was laughing. He went from a cold, stiff man to a person who makes funny noises and plays with his baby, a guy who makes jokes and smiles often. They both addressed everything, Libby apologized about leaving Greyson out with Harris even though it will never excuse what Greyson did. She told him that they weren’t divorced when he was planning their new wedding and I loved how they were gonna renew their vows. Tina and Harris are engaged and in the epilogue, she’s pregnant and having twins! And Greyson and Libby had another daughter and Clara is 3, which is SO CUTE. I liked how things ended but I definitely wished that the stories didn’t take place in the same timeline and feel so repetitive since so much was already spoiled for me. I also think if you read this RIGHT after The Unwanted Wife, you will find too many similarities. Other than that, I AM SO GLAD I GAVE THIS A SHOT CUZ I LOVED IT!



It’s gonna be hard to find more books with solid grovel but if y’all ever have recs, HMU. That is all, stay safe folks!

[Nikki ღ Navareus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm beyond ecstatic. I've been waiting a long, long time for Natasha Anders to release another angsty read that equaled The Unwanted Wife, and for me this story does exactly that.

My heart went out to both of these characters. Greyson had very little self esteem despite his cool demeanor that he always projected. His belief in his infertility emasculated him even further. When Libby tells Greyson she's pregnant, he is heartbroken and pissed as hell. Greyson emotionally abandons Libby through the entire pregnancy, and the few times he's actually with her, he treats her as vindictive and shitty as possible. It was very angsty to experience. When when Greyson finally realizes his mistake, it's too late. The two are headed toward an inevitable divorce, and that road leads to even more delicious heartbreak and angst.

I enjoyed this story immensely and I thrived on every bit of angst and turmoil both of these lead characters endured. I adored the way this author finally brought these two back together into a solid marriage and gave them their well deserved HEA.

[Malene · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.5 stars**
I’m a sucker for the marriage in trouble trope and especially when one of them screws up and has to win the other person back. In this case it’s Greyson who screws up by accusing his wife of cheating with his brother Harrison since Greyson can’t have children and Libby has given birth to a girl.
Greyson has definitely screwed up and I enjoyed his attempts to win Libby back. He’s a fantastic father and adores his daughter Clara.
Greyson and Libby’s road back to each other and for Libby granting Greyson forgiveness is long and I think Libby is a little hard on him. She doesn’t give him many chances in the beginning of gaining back her trust.
I would have appreciated more flashbacks cause I struggled with their connection. I couldn’t feel the love between them. Even Libby doubts her husband feelings towards her and that goes back to when they meet that night they first slept together. Two months later they’re married.
Them co-parenting and Greyson redeeming himself are my favorite parts. Yes, I struggled with their connection and chemistry but they worked as a couple who wants to do what’s best for their child. Greyson coming out of his shell, finding friends and showing different sides of himself were great too. I would have liked to have seen that in those flashbacks that did appear throughout the story.
Nothing But This had its flaws but I definitely enjoyed it.



*I voluntarily read and reviewed an arc generously provided by Montlake Romance*

[Syndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am bit disappoint with this book. Usually Miss Anders book is an automatic 5 stars from me. I adore her books. in Nothing But This, I am not that enthusiastic as other books.

I think my problem is Grayson. His character is describe as aloof, distant and cold. In control and show no emotion. And I think Miss Anders take it really into the heart. Even though in the book I do get a glimpse of his POV. I can not connect with him. I am not surprise that Grayson is a A class a**hole. Her other heroes are like that, but with Grayson his character development is confusing. I might can tolerate his cruel baseless accusation. But holding his grudges for that long with no appearance reason? I don't know why.

The story itself is very promising especially highlighting major issue with married couple which is trust and forgiveness. The moral message is hit the spot. Its just the hero character not convincing.

4 stars

[Debbie "Buried in Her TBR Pile" · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

The beginning was good - then, the sudden change of the H into an emasculated sadsack was long and tiring. It picked up in the end when he became a better man, father and partner.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will only read this book if the hero has been celibate!

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this story and couldn’t put it down once I started reading! A marriage in crisis, as long as it’s not too angsty, is one of my favorite troupes. Greyson screws up spectacularly, and at first the whole f-up seems to be his fault, but as I read on, I discovered not everything was as simple as it appeared. I loved digging in, learning all the complex layers that made up Greyson and Libby; how their past led up to Greyson’s assumptions, and their parting. It brought out all the feels, and I found myself tearing up while reading several times. Greyson was definitely the supreme idiot in the beginning, but I grew to love him.

This is labeled “book 2” in the Broken Pieces series, but I didn’t read the first book, More Than Anything , which is focused on a separate couple, Greyson’s brother, Harris and Libby’s best friend, Tina. IMO it wasn’t necessary to read it to enjoy Nothing But This . As a side note, Harris and Tina also sort things out in this installment, and I was happy getting bits of their story thrown in here, too. This is the first time I’ve read a story by Natasha Anders, but it won’t be the last!

A copy was kindly provided by Montlake Romance in exchange for an honest review.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 maybe 3,5 Stars..

I think I would have liked this story more, if I didn't already know 80% of the plot from the previous book. This was a huge risk the author took with this duology and I think it backfired...

Anyway, there were some enjoyable elements but for me it wasn't as great as her other stories...

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 Stars

Nothing But This was the ultimate second chance romance! There was no denying how absolutely painful it was for these characters to find their way back to each other. You could just feel the hurt oozing out of these pages.

From the very first few chapters, I was totally invested in Libby and Greyson’s story. I thought it was so unique, the way their marriage started and their history with each other. I remember thinking immediately though, that it was never going to work! No way, no how.

The problems between these two were shocking and that’s when my feelings sort of went the other way. Everything became a bit far fetched and the same fights just kept dragging on and on! I put it down a few times, I have to admit that but in the end? Like I said before, I was just too invested not to finish!

“I’ve been trying to find the right words. The proper combination of sounds that would make you forgive me, that would make up for what I said and did. But those words don’t exist.”

My feelings for Libby and Greyson and the other characters kept me going. Libby, so sweet and innocent in all of this and Greyson, the ultimate alpha male! By the end of it though, he had my heart in a puddle.

Thankfully I was satisfied with the ending and truly happy I stuck with this story until the very end. I loved how much feeling Natasha Anders brought to Nothing But This, so I would defiantly read more from her! If you are a sucker for some gut wrenching second chance romances then I would still recommend picking this one up!

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to review.**

[Maria Kramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vast improvement & more angstey than book 1! The heroine was awesome, nicer and stronger than the sap in book 1. Hero was very idiotic when a simple doctor visit & some tests would answer his questions about the mumps infertility situation.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounding up to 3 stars.

Words can not even begin to express how excited I was to read this book. The synopsis sounded so promising and this author is one that a lot of friends have been raving about. The synopsis for Nothing But This sounded amazing and I just couldn’t wait to dive in.

Nothing But This follows the story of Greyson and Libby. Things between Greyson and Libby have always been complicated. Libby has had a crush on Greyson for as long as she could remember and Greyson never once gave any indication that he felt the same way. It wouldn’t be until years later, when fate reunites Greyson and Libby, that Greyson finally makes his move. Greyson and Libby have a whirlwind romance and before they know it, they find themselves married. The sky’s the limit. That is until Libby ends up getting pregnant. Libby’s happily ever after is anything but. Greyson believes himself to be sterile and his actions and treatment of Libby are inexcusable. Libby is so hurt. The only answer is to leave Greyson….Will Greyson open his eyes and see the mistakes he’s made? Is the damage between Libby and Greyson too much to repair? There’s only one way to find out…..

When I first picked up this book, I was hooked. I couldn’t get enough of Greyson and Libby. I felt like I couldn’t read fast enough. Their story started off so promising. A young couple who fell in love hard and fast and suddenly had the rug pulled out from under them….Yep, I couldn’t get enough. I was angry. I was frustrated. The angst and hopelessness so palpable. I couldn’t wait to see where this story would go.

Unfortunately, things feel apart pretty quickly for me. As much as I loved the angst and frustration. I found myself annoyed with Libby and Greyson. Don’t get me wrong, I totally was team Libby. She was so right in all the decisions she was making and I didn’t mind seeing Greyson grovel. Greyson made some terrible assumptions and his actions were irredeemable. I loved that Libby put him through the paces and didn’t just accept that he pulled his head out of his butt. She made him see how his behavior hurt her and she made him work for it.

However, after a while, the back and forth stopped working for me. It felt repetitive and like the plot was dragging. I wanted to see more from Greyson and Libby. I needed to see some type of a connection other than the baby & good sex. The sexual tension was on point and the angst factor definitely had my heart working overtime. But, I needed more than that. I needed some flashbacks of the good times and moments that would make me root for them. I needed to see these characters connect with their clothes on. Like show me why these two characters should be together because at the end of the day, sex and a baby are not enough. My other issue was the secondary plot line between Harris and Tina. I found that to be really confusing since their story was the first book in this series. I get that their stories were running parallel with one another, but the way it was done, it felt like we never jumped ahead of their story, if that makes sense. Like I understand that some parts of their story were important to this plot, but it made it feel like this was all four of their stories instead of just Libby & Greyson’s.

Overall, I thought this book was an ok read. I think it will be a hit for some and a miss for others. I’m going to round this one up to 3 stars, because I really did enjoy the first half of the book. I think this story had a lot of good potential, but for me just fell flat. This is my first book by this author, and while I didn’t love it, I would be open to checking out other books from her in the future.

*I was provided an ARC copy of this book, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*

[Jultri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is better than book 1, mainly because the heroine in this book is far more likeable and sensible above all. In fact, the multiple mentions of book 1's heroine in this book (best friend of this heroine) made me seethe with fury still, but I have already done my rant on her, so let's keep the focus on on Libby and Greyson.

Libby grew up in the Chapman household, her parents serving as housekeeper and chauffeur for Greyson's family. She became close friend of Greyson's twin brother, while Greyson himself always hovered nearby, but never close enough to join in their lighthearted games and interactions. Nevertheless, Libby was infatuated with this serious and aloof boy from a young age until he callously told her to stop shadowing him.

Fast forward ten years and she is no longer the help's daughter but a beautiful and talented chef. Greyson recognises her instantly at a party, and this time he is the one on the prowl and she is his willing prey. A short courtship is followed by marriage, but the honeymoon period never transpires. Instead, after the initial lustful haze clears somewhat, jealousy and hurt soon infiltrates their still tentative relationship. When Libby announces her pregnancy, instead of mending their marriage it tears them further apart as Greyson withdraws emotionally and physically, culminating in him walking out on her on the night of their daughter's birth. Libby, still exhausted and weak from the labour, has to be confronted with the shocking accusation that she has cuckolded her husband.

As soon as she is safely able to (without her insides prolapsing out), the new mum hightails out of town with her bub, determined to forge an independent life away from the man who rejected them both. It doesn't take Greyson long to come to his senses, especially with his irate twin brother breathing down his neck and giving him some bruising reality checking. It does take him several more months to go chasing after his wife and daughter after taking some extended self-flagellation time-out. By then, Libby is busily building a new life for herself and baby Clara - new town, new restaurant, and most of all, a new toughened heart. And we're in for some wonderfully, unadulterated grovelling of the most humble and patient kind from Greyson - not just token gestures but a complete, 180 turnaround make-over. What was even sweeter for me was the way Clara enraptured him from the first photo, the first contact, the first smile. The other great thing was that the author and all the characters, including Greyson himself, called out Greyson's unjustified behaviour as utterly moronic. He thought he was infertile, but never got himself tested and instead accused Libby of betraying him with his twin, even though she was a virgin when they first slept together only 2 months prior to her conceiving. There was no softening that fact or excusing it. It was the unconditional, sincere grovelling and the determined self-improvement that enabled Libby and the reader to forgive him.

Libby herself was fabulous, fierce lioness protective of her cub and her own heart. No self-pitying moments for her, for she is a mother, and so she picks herself up and dusts herself, and off she goes to do what she must do to survive. Solid writing.

This was an ARC from Net Galley.

[Lu Bielefeld]

DNF 34%

[Cheesecake · Rating 2 out of 5]

.
Libby the self-absorbed bitch and Greyson the fool.
I have not read the first book... and I figure that's a good thing ; )
I so wanted to love this one more. But by the end I wanted Greyson to get Libby to sign the divorce papers.

But I gotta say, it was pretty masterful how NA made Greyson such a complete and utter ass at the start and then managed to redeem him so thoroughly by the end. Actually, he was redeemed for me well before the end. And then my frustration with Libby/Olivia not forgiving him started to sour my enjoyment.
So the sh*t hits the fan pretty much at the start of the book. Just after Olivia gives birth to their daughter Greyson reveals what has been eating at him for 7 months that the baby isn't his because he believes he is infertile. AND he thinks the only person who could be the father is his twin brother. As the story progresses you can see how he came to this crazy conclusion. And maybe it wasn't such a leap in bad logic afterall.
Olivia leaves with their baby and plans to divorce his ass, and get on with her life.

Then there's the other couple ( Harris, his twin brother and Tina, her BFF). I kinda just wanted to run them both over with a dump truck! Puleeeeease. Tina needs therapy ASAP, and Harris needs to pull his head out of his ass. If my sister treated me the way he does Greyson while growing up, I would probably not talk to her anymore. He and Libby used to belittled Greyson for fun.

I mean Libby wasn't even a good friend to Greyson over the years, let alone a good wife... NOT.
How can she say she loved him when it's patently obvious that she barely knew him. And yes, the problem is that Greyson keeps himself to himself, bottling up all his feelings. But she never even tried to break through that shell. It made me wonder why she married him in the first place.

I really didn't find the ending romantic as I wanted Libby to apologize but instead, SHE forgives HIM!
It took her over half a year to forgive him but she had been making him feel small and not included for Years... YEARS people!

*shake my head*

Safety is good there's no OW OM stuff. Even when they were younger there wasn't any.

[Jacqueline J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this on the whole. I wish the hero had had a more substantial reason for the disappearing. There wasn't a whole lot of conflict but an enjoyable read all the same.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 1 out of 5]

RATING: 2 STARS
2019; Montlake Romance

This is a series review for both book one and two of Broken Pieces. As you all know I am super picky about romances, especially contemporary. I think because they are more "realistic" than other romances, they seem, to me, less fantasy. I did like the premise of both books being about redemption, as we know love and relationships rarely go smooth sailing. Unfortunately, both books were a DNF for me. I made it through 30% of the first book, and about 25% of the second one. I could not force myself to finish them. I wanted to as I had agreed to do a book blog tour. I wrote to let them know that these books did not work for me and I was not going to do the blog. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to do a spotlight as I didn't want to recommend them. She was kind and said they appreciated the dialogue, good or bad for the book and would leave it up to me to write a review or blog about it. I spent a week thinking about it and they are correct about dialogue. Also, as a reviewer it has always been important to me do give my honest opinion.

I am. not going to bash the books, as Natasha Anders wrote these books with love and was able to get them published. That is an accomplishment many do not get. I will state that the reason these books did not work for me were the characters. I did not feel invested in them or the story to read any further. I found the men were scooted to the "bad guy" realm but then not given enough rope to come back. I didn't skim the book to see if I was correct, as I wasn't that curious. As I always say, read other reviews and see what works for you.


***I received an eARC from the PUBLISHER via NETGALLEY***

My Novelesque Blog

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

[Grisette · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This book (Libby and Greyson) is technically a standalone but in fact its plot is closely entwined (pun quasi intended 😅) with More Than Anything (Tina and Harris) because the events, along with many crossover ones, are happening for the two couples in parallel over the same timeline. Once again, just like for More Than Anything, I found the writing of NA intelligent, with well layered characterisation and much sound (even if not always my brand of tea) character psychology.

My problem is that on one hand, I admired how NA took infinite care in ensuring that the two stories matched off each other perfectly in terms of key plot moments and timeline (I even found in amazement that the actions in both books actually happened over the same chapter numbering!! 🤩) - and since I recently read the first book, the universe and timeline felt very soothingly familiar. I was excited to gather the missing pieces and add them to the first story and get the very big picture. NA must have written the two stories at the same time and then divided it smartly in two books. That's an admirable writing feat!

But on the other hand, the fact that the first book is still so fresh on my mind made 70% of this book feel repetitive. Sure this book focused on Libby and Greyson's story, and explained some aspects that had been purposely shrouded during Tina and Harris's story. But the new tidbits felt overall too minimal compared to the plot parts that were already covered in More Than Anything and re-treaded over in this book. This added a heaviness that made it difficult for me to immerse myself in Libby and Greyson's romance. It ended feeling like a disservice for me to have read More Than Anything so close before this one.

And while NA did a great job in explaining the flaws and rationale for the behaviours, words, actions (or non-actions!) of Libby and Greyson, I got tired midway with their indecisive and stifling relationship issues. I cheered as Libby stood up firm against Greyson's awkward attempts at grovelling but I was confounded with the amount of book time she devoted to feeling unjustly pissy at poor Tina (when she should have focused on her couple and baby!). I understood the reasons for Greyson's social ineptness (and even sympathised with him) and acknowledged his deep, heartfelt regrets but remained stumped for a long, long time on his four-months' worth of utter apathy before he decided to go get his girls.

Libby and Greyson were well written characters. Flawed but made so real. However, I could not love them. They did not move me like Tina and Harris did. Which feels bizzare. Because based on the barebones of the two plots, I would have thought that the angst potential from the tropes of this book would have outweigh the ones from the first. And this brings me to again question whether I feel this way because I had been spoiled by too much foreknowledge from the first book. Maybe I will enjoy the story better in a future 'standalone' re-read?

On a more positive note, I loved the epilogue that very nicely concluded both stories. It was cute, light hearted and fuzzy... only too short 😅☺😊!