Her Patriotic Prince

Manhattan Holiday Loves #3

by Ayla Asher, Kai Kennicott (Narrator), Wen Ross (Narrator)

Laura Cunningham is gorgeous, witty and tough as nails…and still single in her late thirties. After dating every man in Manhattan, she’s resigned herself to the fact that true love just might not exist for her. Certainly a bummer for the woman who observed her two best friends fall in love with sexy, strong men who are their soulmates.

Adam Gardner is a soldier who’s been committed to the cause his entire life. Nearing forty, he realizes that once his next mission is complete, he wants to settle down and build a home and family.

Laura and Adam meet on a romantic summer evening, knowing their time is limited due to Adam’s impending deployment. Taken by their instant chemistry, they commit to spending one passionate and intimate night together.

Years later, Adam returns to find Laura with a daughter who shares his sky-blue eyes. Determined to be a father to the little girl, and still enamored by the woman he could never forget, he strives to discern the best path forward.

Laura is shocked by the appearance of the man who stole her heart so many years ago…and who still possesses it. Can the star-crossed lovers build a life together or will their secrets and fears keep them from achieving happiness?

Secret baby, only one night and insta-love trope lovers—this one’s for you! Like all of Ayla’s books, this is a sweet, steamy, fast-paced novella with a sexy hero and guaranteed HEA. The conclusion to the trilogy is here!

Genres: Audiobook, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Military Fiction, Novella, Second Chance

5 pages, Audible Audio

First published April 21, 2020

About the author

Ayla Asher is the pen name for a USA Today bestselling author who writes steamy fantasy romance under a different pseudonym. However, she loves a spicy, fast-paced contemporary romance too! Therefore, she's decided to share some of her contemporary stories, hoping to spread a little joy one HEA at a time.

She would love to connect with you on social media, where she enjoys making dorky TikToks, FB/IG posts and fun book trailers!

Facebook: https://bit.ly/3vUlqmU
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3jGhwcq
TikTok: http://bit.ly/3bz1gF7
Email: authoraylaasher@gmail.com
Newsletter: subscribepage.com/aylaasher

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This steamy military romance novella had all of my favorite tropes! Laura and Adam meet at a wedding and know they only have one night to spend together before he’ll be deploying on a top secret mission that will take him overseas for several years. Laura lost a brother years ago serving overseas in Afghanistan, so she instantly connects with Adam and his military service and sacrifice. They share one steamy night together and Adam leaves, then… you guessed it! Laura finds out she’s pregnant (and has no way to contact Adam.)

When the story picks up four years later, Chloe is an adorable toddler, Laura is raising her alone (I love all the strong, independent characters in this series!) and gets a surprise visitor at her door. I loved the tension and heat in this novella, and the steamy chemistry these two had from the very first page! I read this just before the Fourth of July 🎆and loved every page!

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.

[Mahima · Rating 4 out of 5]

**ARC provided by the author in exchange of an honest review**
Another super cute love story by Ayla Asher✨
I love the way both the protagonists love each other despite being miles and years away.
In this story we see a strong woman who comes from a rich family and don't have any family to go to but her friends are more than family she could ever get. The woman who is Lauren is very successful and had a one night stand with a wedding guest at her hotel room. That guy is our hero Adam who is a Navy soldier and is going on a secret mission for around 3 years.

After 3 years they both find each other once again and rekindle their romance. But it's not as easy as it sounds. They had their share of miseries and problems.
But after facing all the problems together there's a HEA ❤️❤️

[QuinnReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Potent Soldier Reporting for Duty

That is one HOT and potent soldier that Laura has gotten herself tangled up with. HO-LY! It's really a cute story with some deliciously steamy bits. I liked how the one-night stand with Adam happened and what led to Chloe. There's some drama - isn't there always? - but I like that the characters were kept true to who they were through it all.

As always, it's nice to get updates on the characters in the prior books in the series. That said, you could read this as a stand-alone book but I liked the series and would recommend you read them all, in order.

Thanks to an author share, I was able to listen to Kai Kennicott and Wen Ross (with a southern accent) deliver this book. I've said it with other Ayla Asher books but I'll say it again, I LOVE that each narrator maintains their role no matter who's POV the chapter or section of the chapter is from. In a dual narrator situation, this really does make a big difference to the experience.

Story: 4 stars
Narration: 4 stars

[Ayla Asher]

🎧Now on Audio!🎧
Duet Narrated by Kai Kennicott & Wen Ross!

Find it on ALL platforms at AylaAsher.com

Or, you can always download review copies of all of Ayla's audiobooks on StoryOrigin if you are are an ARC listener and enjoy leaving reviews.💕

Happy listening!

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how they refer to their group as a friend family, because family isn’t always those you share blood with, and sometimes the closest people to us are those we choose. Kayla and Joy are as effervescent as secondary characters as they are as primary. Carter hasn’t lost any of his personality and Sam is still as sweet as ever.
I was surprised at the time jump between Her Valentine Surprise and this book, but it jumped forward a few times.
Life seems to have moved forward for everyone else and Laura is still searching.
Enter Adam. Accented, tall, stunning, and hot. I enjoyed the instant chemistry Laura and Adam have, I loved how open Laura is about her needs and I really appreciate a couple who have safe sex.
My heart was in my throat when Carter and Kayla were in an accident, even as I could see it was a catalyst for the events preceding it to change the course of Laura’s life.
The frank openness Laura had when she reconnected with Adam was refreshing to read. She didn’t evade her culpability and her contrition was genuine.
I really liked the friendship Laura developed with Carter over the length of the trilogy.
I was a little let down with how smooth the plot went, barely a hiccup with easily resolved conflicts, and it really felt like the final book in the series (unless the author continues with the kids as adults).

This concludes the Manhattan Holiday Loves series nicely. HEA’s are found for all three women and their friend family is complete. It’s completely worth reading these in order from the beginning with His Holiday Pact. Each woman is strong, funny, and vulnerable, their future partners compliment them in all the ways they need them to.
I received a free copy of this from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't stand a pregnancy trope. Can't stand it. The condom breaks. She decides it doesn't matter that and she's not going to take the Plan B pill because she wants a baby. He has to leave because he's getting deployed, but he gives her his phone number in case she's pregnant. She accidentally spills coffee on it. Fast forward, he's finally back from deployment and goes to the cemetery to look for her, and finds her with a child; his child. He's mad. They meet up to talk. She tells him what happened. He forgives her and just wants to be a part of his daughter's life. They decide they are still into each other even though it was a one night stand. He moves in. They have a fight because his brother drew up custody papers, and her mother tried to bribe him to leave. They talk about it and make up and decide to try to have another kid. The book ends with her pregnant. None of this was my cup of tea.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed listening to Her Patriotic Prince by Ayla Asher because it was such a fantastic story about Laura and Adam. They had met and had a one night stand that was so steamy. Adam was going to be gone the next day for several years due to a military assignment. Laura became pregnant and due to some unfortunate circumstances could not contact Adam to let him know. Four years later, he returns and tracks her down. To say that was an uncomfortable conversation was putting it mildly. I loved Laura's personality. She was snarky and sassy and was funny. Adam's personality wanted to do the right thing and his voice was so dreamy and steamy and southern. I loved Laura and Adam and I really hoped that they would stay together. They were each other's soul mates and I was just over the moon for them finding each other. I received an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest opinion. I absolutely loved it and would highly recommend reading or listening to this book. It was so fantastic!!!!

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was excited to receive a free code for the this 3rd and final installment of the series. I've loved getting to know the three friends Kayla, Joy & Laura. The stories are short but packed with great storylines, humour and plenty of steam. This instalment is Laura's HEA. After meeting Adam at a wedding and spending one incredible night together, Laura finds out she's pregnant but with no way of letting Adam know, she believes she will never see him again. Needless to say Ms Asher doesn't let us down and what follows really is a true love story.

I love the narrator duo of Wen Ross and Kai Kennicott, who deliver pitch perfect performances. You can really feel the chemistry through your headphones! I love everything they do!

I loved it!

[Simara · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful series! I loved all three books. This conclusion did not disappoint. This series shows true friendship (a la Sex and the City), super hot love scenes and sweet forever love. This installment is pretty fast paced and has Laura’s story of getting knocked up by a one night stand and then reuniting a few years later. Very cute story. I loved how the author always kept the element of the friendship through all books and how we get to see how her girlfriends are doing. Highly recommended to listen to this series in order.
Narration- excellent as well. Dual POV narration and both did a great job. Doing kid voices is hard and Kai nailed the voice of the child. Both narrator added the final touch to make this book so good!

[Rellim]

DNF - I’m not rating this. I generally don’t like secret/surprise baby tropes. I only started listening to this b/c it was part of a series I enjoyed and had hopes the set up would be different. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

SPOILERS
Laura has one night stand with Adam. Condom breaks. She assures him she’ll get morning after pill. She doesn’t. Chooses to have the baby and then doesn’t look for him to tell him she had a child.

With the circumstances in the book, Asher could have easily made a case for failed birth control & not being able to reach Adam… instead Laura’s actions are unconscionable.

I don’t find this romantic at all.

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was my favorite so far of all the Ayla Asher books I've read. It was steamy and sensual. I'm glad that after three books Laura finally found someone for her. Shes such a wonderfully independent character and its nice to see a strong female character that doesnt rely on a man to be happy and can be happy as a single mother.

Adam was a wonderfully genuinely sweet, lovable character.

Very cute story, closed the doors to the stories perfectly

[Ivy Blacke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this story. From the moment Laura and Adam met there was chemistry. Their one night stand had to be just one night because he was shipping out on a secret mission.

After years of being away he remembers her often and he remembers where she'll be on July 3rd, but when he finds her can he move beyond the secret she kept from him?

This couple was made to be together. Such a beautiful story.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible book! In the final book of this series, we have Laura, the outspoken, headstrong remaining single friend, meeting Adam by chance as they enjoyed separate weddings. As with the two previous books of this series, Ms. Asher brought lust, love and tenderness to this couple's interaction. I laughed, cried and held my breath as I experienced the joy, sadness and frustration of their relationship. If you are looking for a well written story with a happily ever after, this is a great option.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own.

[Biggs_bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh the fireworks! Weddings at the same hotel bring two lonely people together and fire works ensue. Hot ones! Blistering set your souls on fire ones. But one night is all that can be promised because the military waits for no heart. A chain of events set things in motion and hopes are wiped away in an instant. This story is will get you in the feels. After it breaks your heart and stomps on it because life’s not fair it may twist it once or twice for good measure before the sweetness. I enjoyed the dual narration of @kaikennicottandwenross and the story was fast paced and griping in all sense of the word! Love that the friend family feels complete with this military romance!

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (2/19/2021)! 🎁

[Jocelyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Manhattan Holiday Loves Series. Adam and Laura's secret baby story is beautifully written, sweet, sexy, and romantic. Their little girl is so cute! This is my favorite story in the series. Kai Kennicott and Wen Ross did a great job with the narration. I was given a free review copy of the audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Falling_with_the_leaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another favorite for me! I love this series so very much! All the feels for Laura and Adam!

One night changed everything and what a memorable night it was. These two are so freaking hot together, fanning myself just thinking about it. What a tear jerker for me though as they navigated their way to be in each other's lives. My heart was clenching so tightly and wouldn't let up until things went right for them.

So much perfection packed into this steamy novella. And as always, perfect narration with Kai Kennicott and Wen Ross, for these characters. This author always delivers and I crave more stories from her!

[Cath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book three of the Manhattan Holiday Loves series and it is the turn of Laura Cunningham (39) to find her prince. She is the last of three best friends, who had at one time been comfortable being single, to find a man to have a serious relationship with. Kayla was the first, with the former playboy type and actor Carter, to get together, and then it was Joy who married Sam. Now some five years later, Kayla and Carter are getting married and Sam and Joy have kids already. Laura is the singleton at Kayla and Carter’s wedding, out of their group and at one point wanted some quiet and stepped out onto the wide outside balcony, shared with another wedding party in the next hall. She was standing there when she sensed someone come up to her and turning he finds a very attractive man, Adam Gardner, is a soldier who is about to go on one final mission, one that will be three or four years long, after which he wants to retire and find a woman to have a family with. The timing couldn’t have been worse when their chemistry is off the charts! But Laura asks him to meet her on the beach in half an hour or so, to spend the rest of the night together, making their way to her hotel room after their walk. They have a wonderful night, with Adam having to tell her that he can’t even leave her a contact number, as he will be unreachable to the next few years. Neither will ever forget the night they had together, with him eventually leaving his name and number on the hotel pad for him, for urgent use only, and for her to tell him if anything happened from one of their escapades that night.

Laura was disturbed some hours after he left, by Sam coming to her room with some tragic news. All thoughts of what her actions were going to be that morning after, were completely thrown out of her mind. When she finally gets the chance to think about it and do anything, she thinks about her age and decides to let things happen as they may. Years later, she is in the cemetery where her brother was buried, a soldier born on the Fourth of July, who died whilst on mission overseas, with her daughter, when Adam spots her. He remembered her saying she went there every year, on the day before his birthday, to say hello and tell him her news. As he approaches them, he sees the little girl’s eyes and they are his! She is of the right age as well, so must be his. He is angry at Laura for not trying to find him, something her friends had tried to tell her to do, to tell him he was a father. She asks to meet with him later and to speak to him without their daughter overhearing, to tell him why she hadn’t looked for him. She had been afraid he would try and take her daughter away from her. She already had a mother who belittled her choices at every turn and threatened to disown her for her one night stand, which resulted in a child! Laura saw her mother once a month, but that was about all she could handle, as her mother was not a very nice woman to be around! Laura and Adam soon realise that their love for each other has never really faded, but now they have to work out how to co-parent their daughter and Adam has a lot to learn. Thankfully little Chloe is bright and open to getting to know her mother’s new friend and then the adults actually informing her that Adam was her daddy. She took to the news like a trooper and their relationship grows.

Just as it seems Laura and Adam are settling into a proper relationship together, family member’s interference cause a few eruptions to their possible happiness. Matters of trust are important and communication is a necessary skill for any couple to stick together. When others interfere with what should have been a hay time for them, it almost destroys their relationship. This time, it is Laura who needs to allow Adam to explain what happened and to figure out if she can trust him or not. A great second chance at love could be ruined because of the actions of others. Laura must listen to her friends and their partners and make the right decision, which affects Chloe, her and of course Adam, and their planned future together. A lovely HEA ending to this steamy romance, where thoughts of marriage and children were almost given up on, until that chance meeting five years before and now a reunion where explanations of past actions were needed. All three friends have now found their better halves and their HEA endings, so a fitting finish to the series. I loved reading them all! I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

4 ½ stars

[Pipas Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎧🎧🎧🎧
10 million Stars!
I didn't think this series could get better, but lord was I wrong... Definitely my favorite.

Her Patriotic Prince is about Laura, a 39-year-old woman with her own personal stylist business who has resigned herself to never finding the one after, unsuccessfully, trying for so long; and Adam, a 38-year-old dedicated navy soldier about to go on deployment for several years.

The story begins with Laura attending Carter and Kayla's wedding (yes, they got married!! FINALLY). When wandering around the venue she comes across Adam, who's attending his brother's wedding which is happening in the same venue. It's dang near love at first sight. They talk and flirt and decide to meet up once their duties at their respective weddings have finished. And they do.
They talk some more, flirt, get to know each other, and decide to spend the night together. Though Adam wishes he could give her more than one night, he can't seeing as he's about to be deployed on a long-term mission that will likely last several years the very next day, but Laura is ok with that. So they share a passionate night (and passionate it was...) and move to her hotel room. Something crazy happens the day after their night of fun and the plan b pill leaves her mind because of the circumstances.
We see her tell her friends that she's six weeks pregnant when she vomits in front of them at the smell of fish. And then we skip to 4 years later when they find each other again. Though there are problems and things to talk about and fix, the tension and attraction hit right away. And then their love story truly begins, and man oh man, is it a beautiful one...

I really really loved this one, even more than I did the two previous books. Some of the best things were:
The prologue. One word, ADORABLE (it's set a year before the 1st chapter).
Adam and his southern accent. It was so darn sexy.
The nickname Kitten!! It's one of my favorite nicknames in books and godddd, the voice actor's voice said it in such a sexy voice that I was sweating every dang time.
How ballsy and brave Laura was. She knew what she wanted and went after it head-on.
The natural conversation and banter. So so fun, and it made me laugh multiple times.
The CHEMISTRY between them. It was sooooo good and you could feel it throughout the whole story.
The spice. Oh my lord was it hot... And so natural too, the way they would laugh and talk during the devil's tango just showed me how comfortable they were with each other.
The way Adam thought about her in his inner monologue. Gahh it was so sweet the way he thought about how he wanted her and missed her and dreamed of her and explained how divided he felt about her and the situation. I loved every minute of his pov.
The character and relationship development. I absolutely loved seeing how they grew both as their own people and together.
The cameos from the previous couples from books 1 and 2. I loved seeing some more of Kayla and Carter and Joy and Sam's relationship.
The pace. It was the perfect pace for me. I've always preferred a faster-paced book because I easily lose interest and focus and this one was a complete page-turner.
The getting back together. It was perfect by my standards. So so cute and well done.
Basically, I loved absolutely everything about this book.

This audiobook was super fun and spicy, it's in dual 3rd person pov, and, as always, ends on a HEA.
In this book we get only one night, second chance, secret baby, insta-love, push and pull, drama, loads of hot tension, angst, pining, very very hot smexy scenes, (quick) separation, a getting back together, and an epilogue (on the next 4th of July, wink wink).
Also, both the voice actors were perfect for this book and their voices are so stupidly hot, I was blushing throughout the whole book.

In this series, each book is about a different holiday. The first one, His Holiday Pact, is about Christmas. The second one, Her Valentine Surprise, is about Valentine's Day. And this one, Her Patriotic Prince, is about the 4th of July.

Her Patriotic Prince is the 3rd and final installment in the Manhattan Holiday Loves series, which is a 3-book series but they can each be read as standalone. 100% recommend!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Bette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Story & Narration🎧 A Captivating Delight🔥

Her Patriotic Prince
Manhattan Holiday Loves, Book 3
By: Ayla Asher
Narrated by: Kai Kennicott, Wen Ross

This book is awesome and I loved everything about it, from Ayla Asher’s wonderful writing style to the fabulous story and characters she created to the perfectly casted narrators who brought it all to life. This book is the third in the series but can easily be enjoyed on its own though I highly recommend starting with the first, not only because it too is awesome but because the characters are great friends and make appearances in each other’s books. We saw Kayla and Joy have find their loves in the first two books it is Laura Cunningham’s turn but she has not had much luck dating or finding her true love. She does meet someone the night of Kayla and Carter’s wedding there was instant attraction and she was game for a one night stand. Adam Gardener was in town to attend a wedding, he was leaving for another mission and had no plans on meeting someone, he was upfront with her about leaving, she was ok with that and it turned out to be one steamy night, one to be remembered. I loved how everything plays out in this book, the story is beautifully plotted, it flows naturally and contains a lot of heart. I think I said this about each couple but I think these two characters were my favorite, heck how could you not fall in love with a man protecting his country and a woman who is strong, independent and loving. Ayla Asher thank you for this awesome story and series, a heartfelt and enjoyable delight with a side of sweet & spicy🔥

I listened to the Audible edition, Wen Ross and Kai Kennicott are fabulous narrators and voice artists. They continue to do an awesome job portraying the characters, giving each their own voice and truly grasping their persona and playing the role like they own it. Wen Ross’s Adam was amazing, swoon worthy southern charm. Kai Kennicott’s Laura was perfection, a strong independent woman yet she allowed you to hear her vulnerable side. The duet narration enhances the story another level, they capture the chemistry between the characters as well as all their emotions which reflected in their performance. They are entertaining storytellers and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another awesome listen🎧

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

OVERALL: This is my second book by Ayla Asher and narrated by Kai Kennicott and Wen Ross. My first book was the second book in the Manhattan Holiday Loves, Her Valentine Surprise. This is the third in the series, but each can be listened to as standalones. The runtime is a little over 4 hours, which is pretty reasonable to listen to in an afternoon for me. Alright, so I have to say, I was a little hesitant with this book. I love holiday romances, but I generally gravitate towards Christmas and Valentine’s Day. I’m not sure I would classify this as a holiday romance though.

STORYLINE: First, I have to say the two books I’ve listened to now from Asher are just simply fantastic regarding consent and safe sex and honest conversations between the main characters about consequences/possibilities. Alrighty, now on to what I was nervous about with this book. One trope I have difficulties with is the secret baby. Most I’ve listened to/read really seem to center around dishonesty that keeps snowballing throughout the book. So I was pretty guarded going into this book, preparing for the worst. What happened was a genuinely sweet way to cover the trope. Adam even addresses that Laura might be pregnant and says to call him for anything. When that happened, I knew this was not the “average secret baby” story. The drama around the reveal isn't drawn out or overly filled with conflict, which I also appreciated.

CHARACTERS: Laura is a strong, independent woman. Adam is so damn sweet! It’s hard not to love these relatable characters. These characters feel authentic and real, and thus, their love feels authentic and real.

NARRATION: As I found in Her Valentine Surprise, Kai and Wen have a wonderful chemistry together, and the duet narration really added to the book overall. It helps pull the reader into the story better in my opinion. I love Wen’s Southern accent! It’s smooth and buttery and pure sex. Kai’s vulnerability tugged at my heart strings and made me love Laura even more. Her voice as Chloe was adorable as well.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-Written and Narrated Romance

Audiobook Review:
I absolutely adored the characters at the heart of this story, both the couple and their little girl. I loved the extended first scene showing the couple’s one-night stand. Even though they were only together briefly, the author did a fantastic job showing how the experience was profound for both of them, deeper than typical of that shallow type of encounter, coloring their lives for years in the future. I love how, for this military hero and his lady love, the author chose to make the 4th of July their pivotal holiday in this Manhattan Holiday Loves series. The heroine is strong and straightforward, even if she has to be tougher than she should be because of her rather hideous mother. The hero is so sweet with his Southern charm and all that entails. I understood his frustration with the heroine when they saw each other again after four years, though I did think it was a little too prolonged, given the circumstances that made it difficult for contact. The only part of this book I wasn't wild about was the dark moment that has to happen in every romance before things can finally go right. Given what we had seen of their characters, it didn't really seem to stem from them believably. They had done such a great job of communicating, even though it was difficult, that their blowing up at each other seemed out of character. Their little girl is totally adorable, and I love how father and daughter bonded so quickly and completely. The narrators only added to my enjoyment of the story, particularly the male narrator. I've heard him in other books, and he always has a pleasant voice, but I loved how he added a North Carolina twang to his accent, not only when the hero is speaking but also in the narrative parts of the chapter. He was able to convey the hero’s frustration as well as his deep love of the heroine and his little girl equally well. A thoroughly enjoyable contemporary romance.

I received a promo code for this audiobook, but that did not affect my review.

[BooksBooksandmoreBooks69 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio Review......

This one was my favourite of the three stores in this trilogy.
You don’t need to read them all, but if you are, then you’ll not spoil the surprise if you read them in order.
This tugged at my heartstrings so much. Laura has watched her two best friends find love and happiness. But almost at forty she’s given up hope of ever finding her other half!
Adam is a solider still serving his country, he has his own shadows to carry, but after this tour of duty Adam is going to find a girl, settle down and live his life.
But meeting the love of your life the day before you have to leave?! That just sucks! But he has the memories of the one night he shared with her, maybe just maybe he’ll catch up with her one day.....
But Laura has more than memories from that day! It’s something so unexpected but a gift none the less, and Laura wouldn’t change it for the world......
But a chance meeting had Adam and Laura meeting up again. The spark is there, but with secrets between them, how can they move forward?
Love the second time around tropes aren’t usually my thing, but I loved the first two books, and I love this author, so it was a no brainier that I got to finish this series.
The other draw..... was the two narrators.
Wen and Kai again are amazing together, they bounce off each other, the chemistry just sizzles over my headphones.
It’s only just over 4 hours long, but I could have listened to this story for hours. It made me smile, cry and laugh. The chemistry is wild enough to keep you eavesdropping (well that’s how it felt)
So grab this story in audio, you won’t regret it, and if like me you’ll be getting the kindle version to read it over and over again.

🦋

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐s Sweet and steamy love story.

Laura Cunningham and Adam Gardner met when both had slipped away for a few minutes from weddings they were attending. They agreed to meet up later that night.

Both are approaching the age of 40, both would like to have children but neither have met "the one", or have they? They have a one night stand but the condom breaks. Lauren tells him she'll get the morning-after pill.

Adam knew he would be gone for 3-4 years on a mission and that it would be difficult to contact anyone while he's gone. But he does write his name and phone number on a piece of paper. He wants her to contact him if she does become pregnant.The note gets coffee spilled on it and becomes illegible.

An emergency with her friends keeps her from obtaining the pill. By the time she buys it, the pharmacist tells her the chances of it being effective are way down so she decides not to take it.

Four years later Adam is back. He remembered her telling him that she goes to her brother's grave every July 3rd. Her brother, John, was born on July 4th and always wanted to be a soldier despite the family's wealth. He was KIA and is buried in a military cemetery in Brooklyn. Adam shows up at the cemetery and meets not only Laura but his daughter...

The attraction is still there but between her mother, his brother, the fact that he's of modest means and she's very wealthy and some distrust issues all stand in the way of their HEA.

This is both a sweet love story and a steamy hot one. It's filled with the types of friends you'd like to have in your life and a mother you'd never want to meet.

I received an ARC of this book from the author via Booksprout. I am voluntarily leaving this review.

[LeMiliere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adam and Laura met by chance on Independence Day when they were each attending separate weddings at the same venue. He was attending his brother's wedding whilst she was a bridesmaid for her friend. Whilst both taking in some fresh air on the patio they were incredibly attracted to each other and agreed to a one-night stand when both weddings had finished.

Laura was 39 years old and Adam was 38 he was about to be deployed the next day and would be away from the States for the next three to four years. Their night together was spectacular and both wished it could be more but with his deployment that was impossible. He left her his number in case of any surprise consequences but a drink was spilled on the notepad making his number unreadable.

It's Four years before they meet again Adam remembers that Laura told him she visits her brother's grave on July 3rd every year. But when they meet this time Laura is not alone, with her is their three-year-old daughter! The palpable and undeniable chemistry is still there but so is anger/resentment on Adam's part he's missed three years with his child. They have to decide how they're going to co-parent their daughter and work out what they want from each other.

Adam and Laura come from vastly different backgrounds but are both good people, very likeable, relatable and believable. Their journey is far from smooth but through it all they both want what's best for their child and know that they want to be together. Despite opposition from her mother and distrust of the situation from his brother, they do make it to their HEA.

The story is narrated wonderfully well by Kai Kennicott and Wen Ross two very talented artists who bring every person to life and make the listener feel every emotion.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one might have been my favourite yet… it’s hard because fundamentally, they follow a similar theme, but the instalove aspect was very prominent in this one.

The minute that custody papers were mentioned, I knew it would become a plot point, and it really frustrated me to have it occur.

I could understand his anger about missing out on his daughter’s early years, but…. a one-night stand who claims he’s leaving for a few years on a secret mission??? I’m more worried about the fact that she believed it. But, then his brother was an a-hole. Once they sorted their relationship, I believe the polite AND correct thig to do would be to get your nose out of their business.

Frustratingly… another third act break-up - completely unnecessary, and just annoying. A sign of how predicatble this is, I was able to predict early what the cause(s) would be, and in the lead up, I knew it was coming.
I just wish it wasn’t used in every book. It can be effective if used sparingly and as a true growth/plot device. I just don’t think it was needed in this one, seeing as they were already separated for four years, and had plenty of drama at the start.

Then another double standard…. She stayed celibate the entire time. He knew he wanted to find her, knew exactly where he could find her - then made allusions to the fact he had been with others. Instalove wasn’t ‘love’ - was just lust.
Yeah, I can’t expect it, but if you make a big deal about their connection - don’t have them with others.

Onto the narrators - Kai Kennicott and Wen Ross were amazing. The southern accent? Subtle and effective.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Korra II Allison Baskerville · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content-wise, this book leaves me having mixed feelings. I hate empty-headed patriots and patriotism with a passion. And I’ve spent a decent amount of time around people in child custody battles, who use their kids like pawns in a chess match. While I found myself enjoying the couple and their romance, the child custody scenes all had my blood boiling from all of the bad memories associated with that crap.

There were some refreshing aspects to this romance as well. I like how they didn’t need some premise to get to know each other and got right into the fun stuff. I enjoy all types of romance, and sometimes, I can do without the feelings and just enjoy the sex scenes, and this book has that, in sections. There’s a lot of drama in between, but it’s done well and the couple feels like they’re destined for each other. More so than the other four did from the last two books.

Both of the narrators did a fine job. What’s his name (and no, I still don’t know which is which, names aren’t my thing), couldn’t do an accent to save his life. I don’t think he even can, but the pair work off each other well, so I wouldn’t trade them for another narrator because of an accent if given the option. It’s just something to remember in the back of your brain or forget about.

It’s too short to be well-paced, but it still manages to tell an interesting and compelling story with plenty of well-done plot points along the way.

NOTE: This copy was provided to me free of charge as a digital review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval.

[Gal reads books · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book I’ve read by this author and this was a very sweet romance.

The couple was mature (at least she was consistent throughout, the main male character annoyed me toward the end) and resolved their issues with little drama - which I liked. I even liked the surprise / secret baby trope as it was written well.

What I didn’t like however - was that the author wrote the heroine as someone who didn’t date, let alone sleep or even have fun with another male for 4 years since the night she spent with the book hero. Really?! Yes, the heroine was balancing being a mother, managing her business, spending time with close friends but why not a few fun dates, a short relationship or two to spice things up?

And of course, the book hero wasn’t - he managed to squeeze in quick sexual encounters with others during his 4 year mission, despite ‘pining for the heroine’.

Another part I didn’t like was the ending when they had the ‘big misunderstanding’- SHE reached out to him to work things out after two days while he sulked like a child, and I felt he didn’t apologize for the mistakes he made - being distant and accusing her of dating others over the past 4 years. (Really dude, hypocrite much?)

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a heartwarming story! Neither Carter or Kayla has commitment or marriage on their minds due to issues with their parents. They both have successful careers. They're next door neighbors and while Kayla thinks that he is sexy, she feels that her looks could never compete with the sexy women that he brings home. This is where the author shines with her character development. Both characters will go through many changes before they realize that they can be in love. This story is realistic in so many ways. There will be many funny and some sad moments as well as sensual love scenes. This is one of those books that you can't put down and will want to reread. I want to know so much more about the two lead characters. Please give us a follow up story about them.

I prefer longer stories so I usually don't read novellas but I love these narrators. They drew me to this excellent story. Wen gives Carter a sexy yet at times a heartbreaking voice. Kai gives Kayla a strong and sassy voice that also has vulnerable aspects to it. Both narrators excellently portray the emotions and personalities of all of the characters. Wen and Kai are outstanding storytellers and therefore are a pleasure to listen to. I highly recommend this Audible book.

[S Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the final book in the series and it does not disappoint. You get a steamy one night stand, a secret baby, long separation, second chance romance, and a meddling mother. This book features Laura Cunningham and Adam. Laura meets Adam when attending Kyla and Carter’s wedding. Laura and Adam have an instant connection but with Adam being deployed the following morning they agree to one night. Through a series of unfortunate events, Laura is unable to contact Adam and tell him about the surprise he left her with. It all comes out when they meet years later…. Can Laura and Adam navigate their new future, and can he forgive her for hiding a pretty big secret.

This was a satisfying ending to a great series. It’s a book that takes a fairly common troupe “surprise baby” and gives it depth and heart. You have a forced separation between two people who have an instant connection, then you get to see them navigate their attraction and parenthood years later. I have to admit I was curious about what kind of story Laura would get and I was rewarded. It was a great book. Best read in order.

I listened to this in Audio which as in duet narration which I loved!!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.