Careless Whispers

Jackson Falls #3

by Synithia Williams

She’s falling in love with the one man she can’t trust…

Elaina Robidoux knows how people view coldhearted, ambitious, ruthless. But it doesn’t matter. Running the family business is all she’s ever wanted and she’s so close she can almost taste it…until her father fires her and hires her nemesis—arrogant, unflappable Alex Tyson. Elaina may be hurt but she refuses to be defeated, so she throws herself into creating a business of her own. But she never dreamed that to close her first deal, she’d need Alex’s help…

Alex understands the power of a family legacy better than most and the last thing he wanted was to take that from Elaina. Her beauty and fierce strength are undeniable, but there’s a softer side that no one but him seems to see. She’s been taught that emotions are a liability, yet one impulsive kiss starts a chain reaction that neither of them wants to stop. But can love ignite—and survive—when secrets and loyalties collide?

“[An] exceptional tale of forbidden love.” — P ublishers Weekly , s tarred review, on Forbidden Promises

Praise for Synithia Williams's Jackson Falls series

“Williams ( His Pick for Passion ) makes waves with this exceptional tale of forbidden love.” — P ublishers Weekly , s tarred review, on Forbidden Promises

“ A romance for readers looking for equal parts passion and family drama.” — Kirkus Reviews on Forbidden Promises

“Politics, passion, and family drama combine to make a deliciously soapy second-chance, brother’s-best-friend romance. Readers of Alisha Rai’s Forbidden Hearts series or Reese Ryan’s Engaging the Enemy will be tantalized and surprised by the many twists and turns." — Library Journal on Forbidden Promises

Genres: Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Audiobook, Fiction, African American Romance

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 30, 2021

Reviews

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahh!! I have been WAITING for this book, waiting for Elaina and Alex to finally get together and it did not disappoint! Easily going to be one of my favorite romances of the year. And if you too love to see strong, smart, prickly women finding love with men who don't feel the need to dominate them, then do yourself a favor and read Careless Whispers! Also if you want an HEA with a late-30's to 40 couple that doesn't want kids, this might be the book for you.

I will say, it's going to pack more of a punch if you read the rest of the series first. And you should anyway because all three books are fantastic, but this one is hands down my favorite. If you enjoy soapy romance with family drama, this series is the one for you. It follows the Robidoux's, an elite Black family from the American South with lots of secrets and internal drama.

Careless Whispers follows Elaina, the "bitchy" business-woman being groomed to take over the family holdings and Alex, her workplace nemesis. Alex is smart, heads up research and development, and has been used by Elaina's father as a threat to her job if she doesn't toe the line. Nevermind that Alex doesn't want her job in the first place. We get a beautiful, slow burn romance between these two with Elaina slowly taking down her walls and facing her issues without losing herself. And as we've seen throughout the series, her dad continues to be a piece of work with hurtful, controlling, and manipulative behavior.

I don't want to say more, but I absolutely loved this book, drama, prickly heroine and all. That said, I often find that my favorite heroines are prickly and damaged and need to find unconditional love and healing. You get all of that here, with a strong dose of family drama and bad behavior. And after two books of seeing Elaina and Alex interact on the side, this was SO satisfying! I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Ms. Woc Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elaina is a smart and savvy business woman with a reputation for being no nonsense and more than a little brash. The family business, Robidoux Holdings is her life and she's fighting her father, Grant for that CEO position. Alex, who works in Research and Development is her workplace nemesis. They've been struggling to get along in the workplace for months. After a misunderstand over a cancelled meeting and a very public outburst Elaina ends up fired and Alex is chosen as her temporary replacement.

Elaina's ice queen persona isn't all there is to her. Underneath is a very vulnerable woman who has grown up under her parent's thumb. They drilled into her head business before all else and strong-armed her into a loveless marriage. Everyone in the family is so used to Elaina being the cold one they don't even try to see past it anymore. But she's had to be the strong and in charge one while her younger sister India was able to escape and run off and live away from the family. Granted some of her past blowups have played a role in that. Daddy Grant is still trying to pull the strings even after her firing by sabotaging her attempts to establish clients for her new business venture.

When the two meet up again neither can deny the chemistry between them. Exclusive hook ups sounds like a plan and Alex is eager for whatever Elaina offers him. And the more time that Elaina spends with Alex the more her guard comes down.

Alex had a heart attack a few years prior so he's all about taking things slow now. Professionally he has no interest in being CEO and is not taking his new role well. Grant may be grooming him to be his replacement to get back at his daughter but he sees right through the games. Elaina is busy severing her ties to her father by moving off the family estate and establishing her own business alongside her sister-in-law Zoe.

Family plays such a big role in this story not only on Elaina's side but also on Alex's as he and his father consider doing business with her. I liked that both had their family members so heavily involved in their daily life from siblings to parents. There's this really sweet scene in the story where she takes Alex to her private hideaway and she introduces him to her ancestors and asks them to bless their relationship. Alex's family has a less animus relationship than Zoe's so he's able to be her sounding board when it comes to reconciling everything she's learned about relationships.

I loved Elaina! I didn't mind that's she's a bit of a bitch. She owns it and she gets things done. And I don't always need my romance heroines to be super saccharine. Alex was the sweet laid back one. And I liked that he wanted her to feel safe expressing her emotions. I can't wait to see what comes next in the Jackson Falls series. It's now a must read for me.

[Kameel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must say, I kind of enjoyed the story, but I felt the author was sort of hard on Elaina....Elaina had a tough time through out this book....and I'm wondering when someone is REALLY going to tell Grant's A** off? The Robidoux patriarch is just too much and since book 1 he's been getting away with doing and saying whatever he wants and I'm really sick of him! Although, his children finally stuck together and pulled a fast one on him at the end of the book...He still needs to be put in his place! He's too judgmental towards his children and he now engaged to his mistress and she's living in the family home....I still can't get with that....I also feel like India was too hard on Elaina, she married her sister's ex-husband and she was keeping secrets and telling Zoe not to tell Elaina (Her own sister) things....and she never apologized for that....There was too many family things left unresolved for my taste....Although I'm glad Elaina and Alex finally found their HEA.

[Deidra (ShadeTreeReads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 of 5 stars
I'm going to write a full review after my nap.

[Jenica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been mulling over what to say about this book since I finished it yesterday because I really love Synithia Williams' brilliant writing and engaging characters, but I felt like this book was really bogged down by the familial drama that usually contributes to my love of this series.

Elaina is the oldest daughter, she is the one for whom control of the family business has always been the most appealing and something she has strived to be good at, and she is also cold as a sort of protective mechanism. Alex, her love interest, is the head of Research and Development and he is fed up with Elaina's stone-walling of him and his projects. The two of them butt heads frequently, but when Alex sees Elaina in a weak moment, he finds himself softening against her. Meanwhile, Grant, Elaina's father, is trying to undermine her at every turn. India, her sister who is now married to her ex-husband, doesn't actually understand Elaina at all and says some things that feel harsh but true. And then there are Zoe and Byron, her sister-in-law and brother whom she loves dearly. Plus her niece. So we have a large cast of characters even before you add in Alex's family who also play a key role in this book.

The large cast doesn't really bother me because I feel like Williams manages her cast well. What does bother me is that the way that Grant's actions and Alex's secret keeping (even with the best of intentions) play out doesn't leave me entirely convinced of the happy ending. Elaina has a troubling relationship with alcohol and it's very clear that she needs some therapy beyond what she mentions having had in the past. I felt like her family should have sort of stepped in at some point, despite her pointed words, which are so clearly defense mechanisms. All in all, I wound up so frustrated with the familial aspect of this book that my enjoyment of the romance just started to really pale in comparison.

If you are less sensitive to family members being awful then I absolutely believe you will enjoy this book, especially if you've liked the others. And the thing is, I did enjoy this book! Up until the end, I really liked Alex and Elaina together. I liked that Alex seemed to really see and understand Elaina. I loved seeing the softer side of Elaina and her trying to be brave and go for something absolutely terrifying to her. I loved that Alex was supportive and understanding of that and was willing to be patient. But I think Elaina was always the more vulnerable one in the relationship, which made the way the third act conflict was handled just really rub me the wrong way. So, a bit of a mixed bag, but I'm so glad this series isn't over!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and HQN for the review copy!

[WellReadRuby · Rating 5 out of 5]

To say this was the best book in the series is an understatement. Synithia really developed this story to full potential from the development of Elaina and the family and the love between her and Alex. I am so glad she finally got the win. India was still unlikeable to me BUT I'm glad to see she finally came around to be there for her sister who had to give up so much of herself for everyone. I'm content with stopping here but will definitely read the last book in this series soon!

[Laronda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Almost didn't finish

Can't really point to one thing but I didn't care for this book. I continued reading because I wanted to see how things worked out with the family business which is telling since there was a love dilemma as well.

[WycEd Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out our full post for CARELESS WHISPERS on Wicked Reads.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars
M/F Romance

This is Elaina’s story and I was very anxious to read it. She seems so cold in the previous books. She is anything but that. She has had to show a ruthlessness about her in the hopes that she will gain her dad’s approval. Let me just say that there is a special place in hell for parents who are like her father.

Alex is just trying to take it a little easy and work on something he’s passionate about. What he isn’t expecting is to be thrust into the middle of a family feud that he wants absolutely no part of.

Alex is able to see past Elaina’s hard crust. He sees how much she cares and how hard she works. I found it incredibly sad and frustrating that her family members were all so cold towards her. Nobody truly knew what she put up with, went through, and nobody cared to ask. I was so mad at everyone in this story except for Elaina.

I could write a novel just on how her family members made me feel, they were so horrible. But the redeeming person in Elaina’s life – herself! She knew how she had been groomed, knew that she was hard on the outside and accepted it all. She liked herself for who she was and didn’t want to become someone she knew to be fake.

Elaina was so strong throughout the story that she made everyone else pale in comparison in terms of their character.

I really enjoyed Elaina’s story, despite her family. I think you’ll see that she’s so much more than she’s portrayed in previous books.

Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one! The first two books in the series were very enjoyable, but this one really just stepped it up to another level. Something I particularly love about this series is that although it is clearly inspired by soap operas and the storylines are very dramatic, the characters are so well-rounded and realistic that you believe everything that happens.
I have a special place in my heart for Elaina. The hard-shelled, perfectly poised, elegant heir apparent of the tobacco company that made the family their wealth, she's the Scary One of the bunch. We saw her soften in Scandalous Secrets when she reached a helping hand out to Zoe and immediately take Zoe's young daughter under her wing. In this one we get a good look at who she really is and how she got to be this way. It's hard to be anything other than the Scary One when that's all you're told you can be. And this book handles Elaina's prickly nature in a very deft way, neither shielding her from the consequences nor condemning her for being "a difficult woman."
And there's a lovely romance, of course.
A+, can't wait for more!

[Diamontae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Is My Favorite Book Of The Series. Elania Is Such A Complex Character And I Love Her. She Was Such A Fierce Business Woman And Kept Everything In Line But She Did Have A Soft Side. Yea She Was Unreasonable Sometime But She Had A Reason. Her Parents Messed Her Up. I Really Wish The Author Explored Her Expressing Her Feelings To Her Family. A Lot Of Them Hurt Her But Just Because She Was Outspoken She Couldn’t Have Any Feelings. She Deserves Better From Her Family. It Took To The End Of The Book For Her Siblings To Stand Up For Her And That Was Messed Up. She Was Petty For Doing Alex Wrong While They Worked Together. I’m Glad They Got Together Tho. Alex Was Wrong For Lying To Her About The Things He Knew Her Father Was Continuing To Do. But It All Worked Out. Great Read

And Somebody Need To Kick Grant’s Ass I’m Sick Of Him. I Understand You Want Whats Best For Your Family But He Doing It All Wrong. He Just Hurt, Manipulate, And Tear People Down If They Dont Agree With Him. How Could The Whole Family Sit Back And Watch What Grant Was Doing And Say Nothing But Want To Call Elania Out On The Little Things She Did. Alex Was The Only Person Who Stood Up For Elania And Thats Wrong.

[Rellim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Careless Whispers is book 3 in Synithia Williams’ Jackson Falls series. There are storylines that run throughout the series, so I recommend experiencing them all and in order – starting with the novella, The Promise of a Kiss.

I luuuuuurrrrvveeee Williams’ story for Elaina and her nemesis-turned-lover Alex. Elaina is known as an ice queen, but there’s a real woman with feelings underneath. Alex thinks he can break through – but whether or not he can do it without getting cut by the shards is a different story.

This is a long and twisty road for Elaina and in fabulous Robidoux style it happens with secrets, lies, subversion, and opulence. Patriarch Grant Robidoux is particularly heinous and the decades of manipulation and self-serving maneuvering come to light.

I know I keep saying this - but this series is glorious!

Narration:
I continue to adore Adenrele Ojo’s narration. She does a good job with all the characters and their various emotions.

[Bri Little · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soo much angst! Elaina was putting everyone through it! I enjoyed Careless Whispers; it was more serious and plot/conflict-driven than I expected. I think the romance developed well within it, despite some of the scenes being cheesy/cliched. I really liked Alex, he was so sweet and patient and also thoughtful, while Elaina was cold-hearted and downright mean for 80% of the book.
I will try some of Ms. Synithia’s other books!

[Izzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great novel. It's got the soap opera level drama you want and a lot of self discovery/reflection.

Elaina is a perfect prickly/unlikeable heroine. Alex is there to help her unravel the mess she's in and make it better. I just loved it.

[Jen (mrs-machino) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up. I loved that Elaina was a prickly, imperfect heroine, and we got to see a lot of nuance in how the family dynamics impacted her. It was also fun to have a twist at the beginning of the book - you get all settled in for a second chance trope, and then find out you’re in for something new.

[Marina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*

Elaine!! Elaine is my prickly queen!! I loved her character SO MUCH. And that ending was just so so satisfying.

[Cassandra Haywood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elaina Robidoux is the oldest sister of her siblings Byron and India, who has always been the one to make sure everything is run to perfection from the Robidoux company business to family events and problem solving. Elaina always followed the advice her mother would give her growing up and she always fought hard to show her ruthless father Grant Robidoux that she can run the family business he always promised her. She never bothered to try to have a love life because a forced marriage by her father to her father’s mentee bad boy Travis when Elaina got pregnant by him. Now she had reconnected with another past love Robert who she has been secretly meeting for months when he would come to Raleigh trying to get investors for a hair product store he wants to open. She was hoping he was the one she can finally find love with until he asks her to invest in his startup business and when she refuses Robert should his true colors that he really wasn’t into Elaina.
Now Elaina is hurt and angry after she receive a text message while at work from Robert that was meant for another woman. She is furious so she brushes off Alex Tyson a Robidoux Holding Company executive who she has a not so good work relationship with and they have a combative conversation that Elaina’s father Grant overhears and fires Elaina on the spot from the company.
Elaina now has no job, is on the outs with her father, she refuses to go back and live on the family estate, her two siblings and their spouses walk on eggs shells when she is around, she feel love for her with a man is never going to happen with the marriage, children and happiness.
Alex Tyson feels bad because he feels the things he said to Elaina which her father overheard caused her to lose her job. So now he is trying to make things better by helping Elaina to start her own company where his father Thomas hemp farm can be a supplier for her.
I love this storyline of Elaina and all she has been through from a child, plus being the oldest she was made to feel responsible for her siblings and the family business. Always trying to live up to her father’s and mother’s expectations and not fail. She kept a lot of things bottle up inside and always showed a hard shell on the outside. Can Alex break the barriers that Elaina has and show her that she can find love and still be a business owner at the same time? You will have to read this storyline to find out.
This was a page-turner for me and when the book ended it left me wanting to know more.
I highly recommend this book to read and if you have not read the other books in the Jackson Fall series to read those too. The books can be read as stand-alones.
Cassandra H.
I voluntarily received a ARC from Netgalley and this review is of my own honest opinion and thoughts.

[Avid Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Careless Whispers (Jackson Falls #3) by Synithia Williams
4.5 stars
M/F Romance
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.

This is Elaina’s story and I was very anxious to read it. She seems so cold in the previous books. She is anything but that. She has had to show a ruthlessness about her in the hopes that she will gain her dad’s approval. Let me just say that there is a special place in hell for parents who are like her father.

Alex is just trying to take it a little easy and work on something he’s passionate about. What he isn’t expecting is to be thrust into the middle of a family feud that he wants absolutely no part of.

Alex is able to see past Elaina’s hard crust. He sees how much she cares and how hard she works. I found it incredibly sad and frustrating that her family members were all so cold towards her. Nobody truly knew what she put up with, went through and nobody cared to ask. I was so mad at everyone in this story except for Elaina.

I could write a novel just on how her family members made me feel they were so horrible. But, the redeeming person in Elaina’s life - herself! She knew how she had been groomed, knew that she was hard on the outside and accepted it all. She liked herself for who she was and didn’t want to become someone she new to be fake.

Elaina was so strong throughout the story that she made everyone else pale in compassion in terms of their character.

I really enjoyed Elaina’s story, despite her family. I think you’ll see that she’s so much more than she’s portrayed in previous books.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

In general I enjoyed this story, but I did have a few issues with it. This is the first book I have read from this author, and I am curious to read more. My issues? A big one was Elaina's problematic use of alcohol...which no one really brought up during the book until the end. Like she would say she monitors how much she drinks so she doesn't overdo it, but then drinks a bottle and a half of wine when she is upset...like it is an issue. But I guess she gets help with that in the end.

My other big issue is her father, Grant. I hated him so so so much. Even when everyone told him what he is doing is hurting Elaina, that it is not good, that they have issues with is, he still goes ahead because ruining her is "for her own good." I hate that. So so much. Like no. If he were my father I would have cut him out of my life entirely. Just because we are related does now mean you cannot enforce boundaries and cut people who repeatedly hurt you out of your life. Family doesn't mean anything if your family is not kind and loving and caring. I know Elaina had her own issues with being horrible to people when her emotions got to be too much for her, but because we got to see the story from her side you can be more sympathetic. I wish there would have been a better cathartic moment with Grant in the end. He was horrible. And you don't have to put up with that.

So yeah. I enjoyed how great Alex is with Elaina, but these issues kept it from being a great read for me. Still I would try more of the author's work and see how it goes.

[Shae · Rating 5 out of 5]

We've been waiting on Elaina's story for a long while. She has had a tough road when it comes to love. Her ex husband is now married to her younger sister, and all she has these days is her work. So when her father fires her, and hires Alex, her arch nemesis, she doesn't know how to handle life. She doesn't let it get her down though. She uses all of that ambition to work towards her own business. She is a heroine that some may find hard to love, but I love her for it.
The last thing Alex wanted to do was interfere with a family legacy. He knows more about that than most. He finds himself continually drawn to her, and can't help himself. One kiss sends them both on a chain of events that feel like fate. Alex is the perfect counterpart to Elaina, because he sees her soft side, and wants to take care of that, and be the person she relies on.
This book was everything I wanted it to be.

[Lynne Spreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elaina learned from her mother how to be a perfect woman and businessperson. So now, as an adult and the CEO of her family's empire, there is no room for frailty, no room for error. She. Must. Be. Perfect. Thus she is ruthless, ever more after a few failures earlier in life. She calls herself a bitch. She has almost never been hugged. Elaina was raised to be a coldblooded superwoman. She's brilliant and hard working, but her father, who owns a controlling interest in the empire, is even more controlling than she, and now they're fighting worse than ever.

Enter Alex, a high-level subordinate who admires Elaina even as they clash at work. When Elaina's father fires her, and promotes Alex in her place, she should hate Alex, but their chemistry is real, and he's such a good person. He offers her his hand, and although she needs him, she keeps chopping it off, because that's who she is. Elaina did tax my patience, but I couldn't help but root for her and for the HEA they both deserved.

[Vonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has happened to me 2 prior times where I have begun to read a book series from an Author, and then there is a particular minor character in several books and then THEY get their own romance. I recall one working out spectacularly and the other not so much. Or maybe one was stupendous and the other was a little lackluster but I enjoyed myself for both because it was an interesting concept for a book series to do. Especially if ONE of the characters you choose to give a separate book to has been quite the "thorn" in everyone's side for most of the series. Almost the villain-ess...or even The Head B***H who seems to be in charge.

Either way, this is yet another example of what I have been looking for, or waiting for, when it came to having heard about this particular Author and what she could offer as a storyline.

Unfortunately, in Book 1 and 2...man, I wish I could change my mind but they were both such crowded messes, and then the Drama/Angst meter went through the roof. You needed a scorecard to keep track of all the goings-on. I could not bear to imagine that for the 3rd book in the series, that Williams would put on offer something different than what we had seen/read before... and I am so freakin' ecstatic to be wrong.

Look, for two book-length stories that bordered on maddening, on so many levels...Elaina has been the ONE sibling I had a shit-ton of mysterious empathy for because...she is the oldest of the family and has had to sacrifice the most. And this story more than proved what kind of Nightmareish Hell-On-Earth Elaina had actually suffered...without really complaining. And, yeah, being The Bitch everyone expected her to live up to. In the corporate world, no one wants the Girl Next Door.

I know some readers would more than likely find her hateful, spiteful and selfish...but sometimes those are the most wonderful characters to watch have a Redemption Arc...and such deep, thought-provoking character growth...I swear, I am sitting here in awe of just how spectacularly awesome Elaina is, was, and always will be. Yes, despite the nastiness of her own father. Right to her face and yes, sadly behind her back.

Look, no matter how many times one of Grant Robidoux's children deserved his anger or a swift kick in the rear...He has no wiggle-room to move on. Especially with what he had done to his own wife--his grown children's mother as she lay dying and succumbing to Cancer--carrying on w/and then being happy as a clam with his longtime mistress [his wife's BFF] while his terminally ill wife is writhing in pain to eventually pass...

HE HAS NO ROOM TO BE DOLING OUT SHAME AND NAME CALLING...but especially as heavily and as nastily on his oldest child. I cannot even recall if Grant spoke badly about Byron or India...but they both felt to me like Golden Children...whereas Elaina was his Problem Child he HAD to turn into Gold because she was too much like her own mother--and also too much like him.

This was one of those Rivals In Love/ Enemies-to-Lovers [in the workplace] I enjoy, especially when the twists and turns take me down interesting mental health avenues I never even fathomed going down. Also, once Elaina got out of her family's business in the CEO role and began to start her own company...the way her father coldly bad-mouthed her to ruin her REP w/investors, then secretly goes behind her back to abuse Alex's CEO role...knowing full-well that Elaina was attempting to open her new company with Alex's Father's Hemp Farm...the foreshadowing of what would end up happening was heavy-handed, of course... but it happens in such a different way than I thought...and the rest of the book after the big break-up was a lot more...slow-burn and worthy of what the rest of this book had been.

I almost don't want to talk about Alex, The Hero, because...yeah, seems like he may have been an "Elaina-clone" before his heart attack at a young 37yrs old. Now, as he works in a Robidoux's company in research and development...his past life in New York makes him close in line to possibly being CEO--as Grant will often threaten his own daughter with firing her, whenever she doesn't comply.

Alex was a great foil to who Elaina is at the moment she gets axed...and now has to find her own way through life, without the benefit of Daddy or the Family Business. The problem is, without really being self-aware, Elaina has burned bridges too often...and been the Bitch and the hardcore, selfish CEO when even being with her siblings. Everyone wonders where the Hell is her Softer Side.

I didn't want Elaina to lose her edge because she carried herself to my liking through Book 1 & 2...but yeah, when her baby sister, India, blew up at her...suddenly it does kind of become clearer that maybe Elaina should smooth those sharp edges of hers--just a tad. Certainly for those she loves or likes, or is particularly fond of.

This is a story about a not-so-nice Heroine...who loses everything, especially from the minute the book opens. "Oh, Robert...you pretty douche-canoe. No one wants your stupid, wack beauty supply store anyway!" I was concerned for Elaina when we opened with her "new Beau" as she is leaving his bed, then his hotel room. But, yeah, quickly learns, she's literally being 'screwed' for cold-hard cash. Just $75,000 Robert will pay her back for, once his silly beauty outlet store comes into fruition.

Man, it certainly set the stage for Elaina's swan-dive into her whole entire life unraveling in a matter of hours/days. But this was what I meant by her wonderful, powerful Redemption Arc she so richly deserves. Not only has she earned it...she has sacrificed and yearned for something only a changed man like Alex can give her.

This is also...Mature Romance, which was my other tingly feeling. I believe Elaina is pushing 40...and Alex just went past 40. I loved that we didn't suddenly turn Elaina "cougar" and pit her against some hawt, smokin' dude who would never be her equal.

The awesome, hidden treasure in Alex...is that he lived the dangerous, edge-of-a-knife life Elaina kept spiraling in and out of, as her father yanks her chains, to and fro. And it sent Alex into heart failure w/a heart attack. He had to slow things down but also cut out the pointless, useless Drama and Relationshoiip Angst--those silly GAMES lovers like to play, w/benefits. The sad part was...even though Alex thought he was living a fast-paced fulfilling life...when it came to Who Was There After His Surgery...he, really, was alone. He had amassed success, money, and power with NO ONE there to take care of him when he could no longer care for himself.

This book was not solidly perfect, or I would have settled on a 5 and gone with a 4.75-rating, but it has its moments of being the same crowded, messy storyline that has continued to run through this whole series. THIS TIME...for some reason, because of Elaina...and because of Alex, too...it never bothered me as much.

Maybe because of my empathy...and then my freakin sympathy for Elaina began to go through the roof and hit spikes. I have my own Dad issues. Nothing compared to Elaina's. My Dad never made me CEO of our family's company and then fired me to GET ONE UP ON ME, and teach me a "lesson". But there are some small instances of really dirty-handed messy spiteful shaming and name-calling Grant does...that just...well...

...authentic real tears want to fill my eyes to know I understood THAT exact pain. When you imagine that you have your own father's love and acceptance. To think that HE would have your back always...and then to one day..."overhear" or even hear it from his own mouth what he REALY thinks of you...O_O...yeah, Elaina and I quickly became soul-sisters, in tandem because nothing wakes a daughter up more than to know how their own parent genuinely feels about them and their life.

Eh, this suddenly doesn't feel like a review of a book, but that I am honestly sharing how I saw so much of my own mental anguishes with Elaina...even though she is fictional and her life is nothing like mine ever will be...it was refreshing for me to cheer Elaina on...to actually have her back, when her Dad bad-mouthed her right to Alex's face... calling her a "drunk/alcoholic"...and a, well, a Whore...??? yeah, it's not going to be easy to like this man in further books, ever again.

The next book is about a Robidoux cousin, who owns a dress consignment shop. I am hopeful her romance takes the same kind of steps this one did...and gives readers another wonderful, exciting read. I have wanted to like Willaims works, for awhile now...and I can finally say I DO. And this is the book I will direct folks to.

An unlikeable heroine becomes... likable? and unequivocally imperfectly perfect?...

Yes, for me? Always, yes...

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been waiting for Elaina’s book, and it did not disappoint! Alex is her perfect match, and together they are just perfection! Loved it!

[Viper Spaulding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elaina's journey of the heart is not to be missed!

I absolutely adore reading about strong women who are hard to love. Elaina's been groomed from the very beginning to fail at matters of the heart, being raised by a mother who instilled in her a drive to succeed without ever letting emotions get in the way and a father who manipulates her in every way possible, at every opportunity. Seeing her finally come into her own after getting to know her in the earlier two books makes this one unforgettable story that fulfilled all my hopes and dreams for her.

After her sham of a marriage crumbled into dust only to have her ex-husband and younger sister find their HEA together, Elaina is beyond cynical and more than a little jaded. Alex challenges her on every level, but he also demonstrates that he respects her and supports her even when he's standing up to her. He's the perfect balance for her, strong yet patient, determined yet flexible. When he inadvertently gets her fired, he doubles down on his support and makes sure she has the emotional strength to stand up to her father once and for all.

Alex is his own man, restarting his life with a different set of goals, but he's just as driven and focused as before. I loved the way he was with Elaina, and the way he managed Grant. There was just enough drama with him supporting his parents while being caught in the middle between Elaina's new venture and Grant's established business.

The HEA and resolution was simply brilliant, demonstrating the resiliency of the Robidoux family while paving the way for the next generation to succeed in spite of Grant's machinations. This is a standalone romance between Alex and Elaina, but it very nicely wraps up the interpersonal relationships between all three siblings and their partners so those who have read India's and Byron's stories will be more familiar with the family's history. I love everything about this series, and am looking forward to reading more from this author. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex Tyson doesn't know what he did to make Elaina Robidoux despise him. She'd probably have a hard time telling too and would have to explain about her family's history. She's seen as a coldhearted business woman by everyone but our hero doesn't mind her temper. He changed his way of life at 37, after a serious health wake-up call and people would probably tell him it's a bad idea to get in the middle of Elaina's family drama, but after getting her involuntary fired, he accept to help her and can't refuse her offer for a fling. Elaina is determined to show her father she can succeed and certainly never expected to fall for her nemesis. But can she finally let go of her emotional distance when life always showed her she can't trust anyone but herself?

Right from the start, we get to witness how people view Elaina and how she's treated by them even when she lower her guard and it become easy to understand her cold behavior and reputation. This book was a little more angsty than what I like and even if I understand that her siblings doesn't have the same insight than us readers to their sister's thoughts and feelings and experience, I still think they were too harsh on her. But I still enjoyed my reading because I was happy with her love story with Alex. I was surprised by how quick they went from nemesis to lovers, but I totally believed in it. Elaina is a woman who knows what she wants and despite being emotionally hurt by men before she still try to connect with people and for that I find her very courageous. Not that I don't like reading about sweet and the nurturing type heroines but it was refreshing to see a different kind of woman in a romance novel.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the central romance between the two MCs but I did have a few issues that kept this book from being a 5 star read:

1. Elaina, towards the end, mentions that she's going BACK to therapy and Alex remembers that she'd mentioned being in therapy before. But it's not in the book and it just feels so glossed over for something that feels really important to the overall growth of this character. I wish it been more than just one sentence.

2. At the end. when Elaina bands together with her brother and sister to get more shares and push her father out of the company - like why didn't they just do that at the beginning, when she got fired? And her father just goes, that easily after spending the bulk of the book trying to undermine and undercut his own daughter's new business at every turn? I really didn't like the dad and the relationship felt so toxic to me, that I was annoyed at everyone for pushing for them to reconcile. He needed to properly apologize to Elaina and he never really did so.

3. Alex, having had a very stressful job and then having a heart attack at a very young age, decides to move down south for a slower paced life. At the end of the book, it's revealed that he's a college professor and I guess if I were aiming for something low stress and slow paced, academia wouldn't be where I went.

These are minor quibbles in the grand scheme of things - I did like the romance overall and I liked how Elaina understood she needed to make the effort to get Alex back.

[JigsawGirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best book in the Jackson Falls series. I don't know if its the last, but out of the 3, it is the best.

Elaina's character, extremely unpleasant in book 1, less so in book 2, is completely revealed in this book. Elaina in this book is like peeling back the layers of an onion. She was lashing out from anger and insecurity. There was an intensity to Elaina that I did not find in her siblings.

I thought the narrator did a great job in expressing Elaina's fears and pain. Alex proved to be the right partner for her because he was strong enough and secure enough to stand up to the onslaught of Elaina's barbs.

This book is full of family drama. I don't care how many times it is reiterated in the book that Grant has his children's best interest at heart, he is shown to be nothing but A destructive force of nature in their lives.

I really liked when the siblings stood up for one another. The last few moves that Elaina made were epic. By that, I mean from where Elaina started in the first book to this book was a road well traveled successfully.

I was completely engaged in this book from beginning to end. Alex and Elaina get their HEA and the family drama seemed to finally be put to rest. I'm glad, because it was an exhausting journey.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's lots of drama in this tale of ambition, family, and love. Elaina's sister is now with her ex, her father has hired Alex to work in the company she has thought would hue hers, and mow, he's fired her. So she picks herself up and starts her own company, only to discover that Alex, the man she thought of as a rival, is actually a good guy. So good that the two of them slowly (not that slowly) come to one another as equals both in business and in love. If you've read the earlier books you know that these women are tight, no matter what the circumstances, especially in the face of a problem, and they support one another, so while this is a love story, it's also about them. Thnanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. A good read.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elaina Robidoux it not what she seems like. She is perceived as a cold hardhearted, ambitious person who only thinks of herself. She thinks she needs to be like this to work in the business world. When her mother died her father expected her to step and act as hostess at business and family events. He also had promised her she would be head of the company Robidoux Tobacco. Grant Robidoux was very cruel and downright mean to Elaina.

Alex Tyson was the head of R&D at Robidoux Tobacco. He had to interact with Elaina because of his job. Her being prickly did not phase him. When Elaina was let go by her father Grant so he could teach her a lesson, Alex was there to be her friend and help her figure out what made her happy. I loved reading this story.

[ReadnliftwithShar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. This was my first read from this author. I felt the characters were well developed and the plot was really good and detailed. The family drama and the steamy love making was intense. The author did a great job with the climax of the story and did an excellent job with the heroine. The main character was a beast but she was aware of her flaws and owned them. I love that the strength of women was evident. The book was tastefully crafted. I so loved it.

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Liz]

Couldn’t finish the book. Too stressful. Too much emotional pain. Too much drama. Not up for this ride right now.