A brand new small town series from USA Today bestselling author J. H. Croix!
Rhys Cannon is that kind of guy—wealthy, family means everything, loyal, and sinfully handsome. I hate him.
He's my brother's best friend, the teenage crush who never even noticed me, and the guy I will *never* fall for.
I made a huge mistake and believed he'd changed. After he stomped on my heart, I vow never to be so foolish again. Yet, I never expected him to fight for me, for us.
To make matters much more complicated, I'm breaking every rule I set for myself, and Rhys wants more than I ever expected to give. To anyone, much less him.
Rhys and Haven's story kicks off the Fireweed Harbor series. This story is perfect for fans of small town romance, tangled family ties, sassy heroines, second chances, hate to love, surprise pregnancy, slow burn, emotional romance with a dash of angst, plenty of steam and swoon, and a billionaire protective hero who has to give it all to win the heart of the girl whose heart he broke.
USA Today Bestselling Author J. H. Croix lives in a small town in the historical farmlands of Maine with her husband and two spoiled dogs. Croix writes steamy contemporary romance with strong independent women and rugged alpha men who aren't afraid to show some emotion. Her love for quirky small-towns and the characters that inhabit them shines through in her writing. Take a walk on the wild side of romance with her bestselling novels!
This is a mixed bag for me. If you want angst and ex drama then this is probably going to be a good read for you.
Spoilers. The Hero and heroine have been in a relationship for I think it's 5 months or so, they love each other, live next door to each other. He's her brother's best fried.
He is out so she is served paternity papers for the Hero for a child he supposedly had 10 years ago that he hasn't acknowledged. I understand that this may change the future of your relationship, needing to consider if you want to be a step mum if you continue the relationship but she goes next-door to his house, leaves the papers for him and ends the relationship refusing to discuss it. The Hero is rich so it's not unlikely that the woman could be a money grabber but because she's willing to have a paternity test the heroine decides she must be telling the truth.
I almost gave up here.
He, the Hero did have a brief fling with the other woman in college days, does extra research and tests and finds out the lad is his nephew not his son. But he didn't know about the kid for 10 years and is not the sort not to have supported him if it was his son.
The Hero is constantly reassuring the heroine as she isn't as pretty as his usual type and was swindled by her ex but still.
Then the other woman is trying to start something with the Hero. Then the Hero jumps the gun when the heroine unexpectedly becomes pregnant and doesn't tell him immediately.
Drama, drama drama.
Not for me.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine. HEA. Epilogue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I really liked Rhys and Haven’s story. I’m a sucker for small town and second chance romances and this was well done. I loved the tension and loved both characters. I’m excited for a new series!
Make you Mine is my first read from J.H and it will not be my last! I instantly fell for the cute town, gossipy locals and the Cannon family!
Rhys and Haven are absolutely adorable! Then again adorable and Rhys don’t fit because the man is alpha in so many ways! He is confident and isn’t scared to speak his mind. Haven is so opposite of him but she’s also a spitfire in her own right and though she has struggles, she will not take less than she deserves!
These two have some trials to overcome and J.H. Does a great job highlighting the stressors of life and love! I can’t wait to see what is to come because you can bet it’s going to be spicy!!
Welcome back to Fireweed Alaska and the small community draws you in like you are actually there and part of their family. J. H. Croix has the amazing ability in her writing and description to make you invested in the outcome of the happening and HEA of these real to life characters. This story is about Rhys and Haven. Although they've known each other their whole lives, Rhys is four years older and her brother's best friend, but that didn't stop her from crushing on him. Rhys was never serious about relationships, especially in college, but Haven is a different story and one he's willing to go to the end of time with. That's all possible until a blast from the past shows up mistakenly at Havens door instead of Rhys's making way for all her insecurities and self doubt to come barreling foward. So many secrets, feelings and misunderstandings preventing a road to happiness you feel their pain. Add to the mix a secret ten year old child and a mother with her sights set on Rhys, facing Jakes death all over again, the sins of their grandfather, Havens issues of mistrust and two lines on a stick and you have the making of an excellent story. I'm sooooo glad we get closure on his grandfather, but not enough time in my opinion. I love the community of friends and family and their support of each other. His/her POV, no cliffhanger, no cheating, and a hard earned but well deserved HEA. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book and added it to my J. H. Croix favorites collection. Looking forward to Blake and Fiona and whoever wins that bet!!!
Make you mine is the first book in the Fireweed Harbor series and features wealthy businessman Rhys and his best friend’s sister, Haven, who moved back to their hometown to start over a few months prior.
Haven and Rhys are a great couple but definitely had some issues that needed to be worked out. While unraveling all these issues, another one hits them in the form of a child support claim stating Rhys is the father😳
I’m looking forward to the next book in this series and finding out exactly what’s going on with the new chef and Blake🤔
So disappointed. The story started somewhere in the middle of their relationship and was soap opera melodramatic with no real depth or lightness or humour. Toasted from my Ebook Library.
I feel like this story was missing a lot of background info, so it was really difficult to get fully immersed in it when I felt like a lot of the story was missing.
Make You Mineby new to me author by J.H. Croix is the debut book from her newest seriesFireweed Harbor. Told through the viewpoints of dual perspective, this Surprise Pregnancy trope follows the story of Haven Rivers and Rhys Cannon.
Being the first book of the series,Make You Minesurprised me at times with what J.H. Croix delivered within telling Haven and Rhys story. From the early surprises of explosions, courtesy of the twists and turns that came about leading to a bumpy ride. It was no surprise Haven and Rhys had their journey cut out for them. Even more so when it came to testing the boundaries of their relationship, given the drama that ensues, causing an impact on their trust for one another. Particularly from Haven’s side, due to her past that left her with trust issues. Ultimately it’s what made for quite an engaging read, especially with the subplots that came in the form of secondary characters who added to the overall storyline. As well as being set in a small town, which led to gossip mill running amuck, adding onto the drama from the rumours being spread around.
Even with the drama and aftermath of it leading to some complications, the story was a fairly light read. Allowing for the narrative to continuously having you moving along as Haven and Rhys story progressed forwards. It pulled you along effortlessly with not much force or pressure needed to continue reading onwards, mostly because it did end up delivering a storyline expected and worthy of the Contemporary Romance trope.
However with that said, there still ended up being a couple of issues for me. Firstly the story did feel a little rushed with how quickly things seemed to move along. Especially towards the end, it just seemed a little too fast with such an abrupt ending IMO. And secondly there was the case of lack of communication between Haven and Rhys, due to the shortage of dialogue between the two being had. Honestly it would’ve been nice to see more conversation shared with one another, particularly when it came to the building of their relationship, as well as the resolvement of their issues they had and faced.
Despite my issues, J.H. Croix still managed to win me over as a first time reader withMake You Mine. Overall making Haven and Rhys story an enjoyable read and a good start toFireweed Harborseries.
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is book one in The Fireweed Harbor series and it is Haven and Rhys story and what a great start to a new series from one of my favourite authors. Haven ran a online business doing greetings card, wedding invitation etc and making a great success of it only for her boyfriend to siphon off all her money and taking off leaving Haven angry, upset and broke and her needing to start all over again so she decided to go back to her hometown of Fireweed Harbor and move forward with her life but what she wasn’t expecting is to be living next door to Rhys who she used to have a big crush on when they were at school and he is also her brother Deacon’s best friend. Rhys has returned to Fireweed Harbor after consolidating some of the family’s businesses that were elsewhere but what he wasn’t expecting was to be living next door to his best friends sister Haven who was absolutely beautiful and reaction was definitely not what he was expecting. Haven and Rhys start to spend time together and they end up in a relationship only for everything to explode in their faces causing there relationship to fall apart and Haven walking away unable to trust Rhys after everything that she had already been through with her ex but will they be able to solve the problem and make there way back to each other and get the happy ending and future that they both deserve especially as Haven is hiding a big secret from Rhys and doesn’t know how he will react when she eventually comes clean. There are twists and turns along with some ups and downs and complicated situations that will have you turning the pages to see what the outcome will be for them and the characters and storyline completely pulled you in and kept your attention throughout and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series. I definitely recommend you read this book and others by JH Croix who is an amazing author and writer and her books are definitely worth reading.
Finally! J.H. Croix is starting the Fireweed Harbor series featuring the Cannon family and Rhys is first up.
Make You Mine picks up the rest of Rhys and Haven's story- it began in the prequel novella When We Meet. While you can certainly enjoy Rhys and Haven's journey to HEA by jumping right into Make You Mine, I like the easy introduction to their love story and build up to the big bang in their relationship that the novella provides so I definitely suggest taking a moment to read it.
I was really excited going into this story- Rhys being the successful billionaire in a small Alaskan town with a reputation of never really committing to a relationship for long as he navigates his way back to the girl that has become his game changer- his best friends little sister. Haven is sassy and feisty all while marching to the beat of her own drum. She is literally the girl next door and with her heart having been burned before she throws up walls and runs first to protect herself from more heartbreak- because what could her childhood crush that never saw her before possibly see in her now?
I enjoyed so much about this book- the sweetness, emotion and angst was balanced well with the tension and heat that never seemed to dim between Haven and Rhys. I was excited to start getting more of the Cannon family, seeing how the trauma their family endured brought them closer together and Haven being the the strong fierce woman that the was under the flares of insecurity. But I will say that I got a little frustrated with the whole miscommunication aspect of the story. Multiple times through this story a big moment happens, someone has an overreaction and heartbreak happens. Granted the big moments warranted a big reaction but the refusal between Rhys and Haven to explain or hear each other out felt a bit immature for the fact that this is not a new adult romance.
I do love where this story ended up, even if the characters frustrated me several times on their journey. By the time I got to the epilogue and the bonus I was all in with these two and really excited for the little tease of the next Cannon to fall.
And I couldn't start this book fast enough... And who's to blame? JH Croix, of course. Her writing is so freaking awesome and I can't get enough, and guys, I've read so many... Her writing is raw and wild, sweet, intense, and hot as hell. Make You Mine is her latest release and it's the first book from the Fireweed Harbor series. One piece of advice, read the Prequel When We Meet first. This book explores the lives of Rhys and Haven. These two know each other since forever because Rhys is Haven's brother's best friend, therefore, she's off-limits. Haven has had a crush on him since she was a teenager, but he never noticed her. When he gave her a chance, he crushed her heart and after that, she hated him with a vengeance. Oh my lord... I'm in love... Mad, but in love. This book was so so good and I'm mad... Wanna know why? Because it's over... Why, why... Superb plot, well written, super engaging, and hot... Each chapter was even more addictive than the previous and I saw myself reading non-stop. I couldn't... Because things were happening and the need to know more was super high. Love the hate game, and the push and pull as well. Love the drama that surrounded the book as well as the passion and desire... My, oh, my,... These two together... Explosive... Of course, not everything is a bed of roses... Oh no... The secrets, the drama, the danger, they were all there. Loved this book so much and I'm sad that is over, but knowing this author as I do, I know that we will have more from these two in the other books from this series. Right JH? You nailed it once again... Loved it. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
This was a good second-chance read and I must say how much I love when a big family comes together as a support system for anything that anyone is going through. I also loved how the MMC was when it came to handling stuff at the attorney's office etc where he spoke his mind. No stutter, just the cold truth, directly to the face. But I guess he should've handled the "don't ignore, set boundaries" part better. I was expecting him to. I understand where the trust issues came from for the FMC but wanted more of groveling on the MMC to show that he can be trusted (though evidently he didn't do anything untrustworthy, but how he shows it to her and makes her understand would have been better).
The whole Cathy and Matthew storyline I felt ended up abruptly with no further mention or discussion after one point. I also felt that the whole McKenna hiring her part was not discussed thoroughly and was skipping a lot of context and being rushed. Note that the following opinion is from my perspective of just reading this book as a standalone and not having read the novella but I personally felt that given it was a brother's best friend romance but still Deacon barely made any appearance in the story so I am guessing the novella is focussed more on that and this is focussed more on second chances. Also, within this book I found a lot of sentences repetitive almost word to word. The repetition could have been handled better or written differently.
Make You Mine is a great start to the Fireweed Harbor series by JH Croix. Rhys is the head of his family's business empire and not known for having serious relationships. Haven has crushed on Rhys, her brother's best friend, since high school but has many insecurities regarding her appearance and whether she is Rhys' type. How will Haven react when she is served with paternity papers meant for Rhys? Can Rhys get Haven to give him a second chance after he is ruled not the father but his older brother of the child in the paternity suit? How will Haven react when she learns she is pregnant? How will Rhys react when he learns Haven is pregnant and didn't tell him right away? Can Haven and Rhys learn to communicate and listen to each other? Will Haven and Rhys put aside their hurt feelings and declare their love for each other? I enjoyed Make You Mine by JH Croix. Haven and Rhys are a great couple with amazing chemistry with a bad habit of overreacting and not listening to each other. Make You Mine is roller coaster ride of emotions. I would definitely recommend getting Make You Mine by JH Croix. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
I really enjoyed Rhys and Haven’s brother’s best friend romance with a side of surprise paternity suit drama. Rhys is the CEO of a multi-billion family corporation and he grew up in small town Fireweed Harbor, Alaska. Haven is a graphic artist and the little sister of Rhys’ best friend so they grew up together. After a breakup and a jerk of an ex, Haven moves back to town and started a relationship with Rhys (detailed in the series prequel). This book starts with the service of legal papers for back child custody for Blake’s alleged 10 year old son. There is quite a bit of drama between Rhys and Haven over this issue as well as other issues. Lots of c’mere, c’mere, get away, get away and lack of maturity for the age of the MCs. To get to their HEA, they will both need to deal with their pasts because they continue to negatively impact their lives and harm their relationships and learn to trust each other and communicate better. The story was well written and included fairly engaging dialogue, characters with dimension, and an interesting storyline. There were sweet moments, steamy scenes, chuckles, supportive friends, messy families, painful pasts, and love. 3.75 stars. I will keep reading more the series.
I love JH Croix's small town romances. Fireweed Harbor is a new location, and I'm curious to see how the town/community builds. I haven't gotten a feel for the town quite yet, but I'm liking what I've seen so far.
When it comes to the book itself, I was intrigued. Rhys had my curiosity when we met him in a previous book. I loved the fact that he's returned to Fireweed Harbor, and is working on getting settled once again. Falling for his best friend's little sister is just a bonus. That being said, Rhys was quite closed off and I didn't get a good idea of who he is. Then there's Haven. That woman has been through the wringer before returning to town. Now she's here and starting fresh. I loved how she and Rhys reconnected, and watching their relationship build was interesting. At the same time I didn't get a good feel for who she is either. The character connection that I typically experience was missing, and that was a bummer.
While I enjoyed the story, there was a lot of internal dialogue and thoughts. I would have appreciated more dialogue between the characters. This entire family has my curiosity, and they are what will have me returning to this series.
This is the first story for Cannon brothers. The family is wealthy, but they have generations of tragedies. Rhys is the oldest after his older brother Jack died of alcohol poisoning in college. He leads his brothers and sister and holds the family together. Because of the tragedies, he has always hold people in a little distance. After he comes back to his hometown in Alaska, he falls in love with his best friend’s sister Haven. Haven has her own trust issue. Just when Rhys and Haven settle in their relationship, a child support lawsuit against Rhys is raised. The news breaks them up. My heart hurts for them. During the month of separation, they only miss and love each other more. Then Rhys finds out the child is Jack’s. The drama challenges the trust and love between them. It takes a scare to bring them back together again and finally break down that last bit of wall around their hearts for each other. Phys seems like an amazing man. Haven is a lovely young woman who needs to build her confidence. I love the bond between Cannon siblings. They will do anything for each other. This is a wonderful beginning of a new series. J.H. Croix does not disappoint.
Having read Ms.Croix's work many times before i look forward to picking up more of her books! As soon as this new series was announced i wanted to read it. I started reading it and got right into the Fireweed Harbor world! I really liked this story!
Rhys and Haven's journey was quick to capture my attention! These two have been in each other's lives for some time as Rhys is best friends with Haven's brother. Time has passed and they are back in each other's orbit, can Haven take a chance on Rhys?
I really liked how i got into Rhys and Haven's story fast. Haven had been through some things in her life and i enjoyed the realness that brought to her as well as the story. I liked how Rhys was determined when it came to Haven. It isn't quite easy for these two and i didn't quite know how they'd handle certain things. both Haven and Rhys had me feeling many things throughout. I just struggled at certain points to fully get into it.
With Make You Mine, Ms.Croix has created a good read with feels! I am looking forward to Dare To Fall!
*I volunteered to read and review a copy of this book from Wildfire Marketing Solutions / the author*
Haven has had a year...her trust in men is completely shot, & now she is staring down her new neighbor. Rhys has moved back to Fireweed Harbor to take over the family business, but their family is riddled with tragedy & secrets. Sparks fly, but can Haven really have a chance with her crush from high school? Who just happens to be her older brothers best friend? This story had it all! Their chemistry was sizzling hot, but the past comes to try & take it all away. A paternity test could change their lives forever. Make You Mine is yet another amazing story from this author. She pulls you into the world of Fireweed Harbor & introduces you to a cast of characters that could easily be your best friends! This book is sweet, sexy, & steamy with a slight bit of angst that appears in all of JH Croix’s stories! She is an incredible world builder & storyteller. She is a one-click author for me with each of her books! Check them out today, I promise you’ll love them!
‘Make you Mine’ is book 1 in the new Fireweed Harbor Series. I was excited for a new series and wasn’t let down, it was a good read and a great introduction to the new series.
This is Rhys and Haven’s story, it’s a brother’s best friend romance but any drama around that point have already been sorted. Although having dated for 8 months Haven still struggles with trust issues and self doubt, she works two jobs to support herself and rebuild her business. Rhys is a former playboy who never considered a relationship, let alone the word Love, as nothing for him to concern himself with, until Haven returned to town. Now she is all he wants but she doesn’t see it.
On more than one occasion Haven pulls away from Rhys but his love is strong and he’s not giving up. He just needs to get her to understand how much she means to him. The chemistry between the characters is strong and their storyline interesting. I read this book cover to cover in one sitting.
Another great new series based in the small town of Fireweed Harbor,Alaska by J H Croix. A billionaire family, the Cannons, who are down to earth people,and run Fireweed Industries, small town vibe and gossip, entertaining locals and so much more. Haven moves back to Fireweed Harbor, broke, broken, and embarrassed. Her rental is next door to her brothers best friend and her high school crush, Rhys. Twist and turns, insecurities galore, self degrading, indecisions all play a part in this action packed, witty, entertaining book set in this small town. Get to know the Cannon family while holding your breath waiting to find out how Haven and Rhys life turns out. I read this in one session. I couldn't put it down.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I would love to take an Alaskan cruise to go see the small towns JH Croix writes about! If I'd reach Fireweed Harbor, my first stop would be Spill the Beans cafe. I would go straight to the barista and ask if Haven worked that day. I'd stock up on pastries and coffee to go so I could walk down to the harbor. My next stop would be Fireweed Winery to try the honey wild blackberry mead. I would probably flirt with Blake until Rhys showed up then introduce myself as his and Haven's biggest fan. Of course, it would get a little awkward when I'd also hug all his brothers and sister, as well as their mom, because they have all charmed me as well. The entire book had me swooning and I was totally engrossed from beginning to end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Rhys may have been raised in an affluent family but there are also some dark family secrets. When his best friend’s sister returns to town and becomes his neighbor, the sparks fly however their relationship is about to challenged by both their pasts.
Haven has returned home looking for a fresh start both personally and professionally. She has always had feelings for Rhys but didn’t think he would be interested in her so a part of her believes that what they share is too good to be true which causes some turmoil along the way.
This was a wonderful start to a new series that allows us to not only get to know Rhys and Haven but also his family and the other townspeople as well. Everything they went through caused some trouble in the short term but only made their relationship stronger in the long term.
I loved “Make You Mine”! It had all the feels of a small town romance, with added in some other woman drama. One thing I loved about this was how the story jumped right into Rhys and Haven’s relationship. There was slow build up, they were already together. Things are going good for them until unexpected papers get delivered to Haven instead of Rhys. Having been hurt in the past, Haven has a hard time with trusting people. Instead of listening to Rhys she decides they need a break. At that point I was a little frustrated with her. I loved Haven, but I felt she rushed to judgment to quickly, she never even gave Rhys time to explain things. Even when the truth was revealed, it should’ve been all she needed, but she still was hesitant. But everything works out in the end, and leads to a very HEA! This was a great start to the series and I look forward to reading more!
4.5 Stars This is book one in the Fireweed Harbor series and it features Rhys and Haven. They grew up together and he’s her brother’s best friend. After being away from Fireweed Harbor for a while, Haven moved back and had an accidental meet-cute with her brother’s best friend. Their sizzling chemistry took off from there. She had been burned by her ex-boyfriend and that left her with major trust issues. When she’s accidentally served with paternity papers, her trust issues flare to life!
This was a fantastic read, with the perfect amount of spice and conflict! The location and characters were awesome. I love that the entire Cannon family are very grounded. They are part of the Fireweed Harbor community and that makes them all feel more real. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.
Fantastic new series that has ties to this author's other series based in Alaska. This one gives us the Cannon family that is primarily in Fireweed Harbor. We start with Rhys Cannon who finds himself as the oldest sibling now and holds a lot of responsibility for the family. When he lays eyes again on his best friend's little sister, Haven, he sees her in a whole new light.
This book has past secrets, new surprises, great characters, and a new town in Alaska to yearn to visit. I love how this author can take me on a journey in my mind to places I have never seen before and yet I can picture them through her words. I absolutely loved Rhys and Haven's story and am eager for more to come from this new series.
I had already met Ryes Cannon and had him pretty high on my hero list, so I was really waiting to get into his romance. As CEO of his family-owned multibusiness Fireweed Industries and oldest surviving brother of a large family, I had him on a pedestal in spite of the fact that he was introduced as just a regular down to earth guy. So I was looking for a mythological, fairy tale. Instead, I got another one of Croix's small-town, gossip-prone, up-and-down emotional rollercoaster of a read. So satisfying even though Ryes wasn't perfect! He was able to see through his disappointment with his girlfriend and see his own personal shortcomings in meeting her needs! And he rises to the occasion! Any reader will enjoy this book.
Great start to a new series! I loved Rhys & Haven's story so much! You will swoon over Rhys and love Haven! 5 Alaskan stars for this one! Rhys and Haven are enjoying their time together, until Haven opens the door and is served with papers, only problem is they aren't for her but she realizes too late and opens it to see that they are for Rhys. What she finds blows her mind and has her walking away from him. When Rhys finds out what's going on he needs to convince her this isn't true, but Haven won't hear it! Follow their story as they navigate their relationship, with Haven having trust issues this is not an easy thing for her to do! I loved this story so much, and I can't wait for more in this new series!
I love this authors Small town romances and as soon as I heard she had a new series based in Fireweed Harbour, Alaska I knew we were going to get something special and I wasn’t disappointed. This is Rhys and Haven’s second chance at love and their journey was everything I want in a great read and so much more. I was captivated from the first few pages and i fell hard and fast for this town and it’s residents but what made this a very special read was J.H. Croix’s description of this wonderful town and I found myself believing i was actually visiting and catching up with friends. I swooned, I sighed, I smiled and I held my breath as I followed Rhys and Haven’s journey. If Make you Mine us anything to go by this will be another hit series for the very talented J.H. Croix .
This was the first novel in a new small town series, Fireweed Harbor.
Rhys amd Haven have known each other for years due to the fact that Rhys is best friends with Haven's older brother. Now adults, they are in a relationship until Haven receives some shocking news and pushes him away.
There was a lot of family drama on Rhys's end, but I loved how they were all there for each other. It was also nice to see that Rhys did his best to clear up the news and didn't let Haven go on with the misunderstanding.
I do wish there was a bit more to the story though. While I could see Rhys and Haven's connection with each other, I felt like they did not have very good communication. Whenever there was some big news or misunderstanding, Haven immediately jumped to conclusions and ran.
Despite the poor communication issues, I did enjoy this story and will be reading the next in the series.