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Rocktown Ink #3
Meant For You
At twelve years old, I was torn from my family.
At fourteen I met her: my reason to draw breath.
One look into Everly Williams's big brown eyes and I knew I'd do anything to protect her. And for eight years I did. She was my world. My best friend.
But afraid I'd lose her, I held on too tight. Became a dark cloud blocking her sun. So I did what I needed to, and walked away. I hurt us both.
Now I'm home, and need Everly back in my life. Only everything is different. We're different. My body burns for her when she's near. And after one explosive kiss, I know she feels it too. I'll do whatever it takes to earn her trust again.
Because I don't want what we had before. I want it all...for a lifetime.
At fourteen I met her: my reason to draw breath.
One look into Everly Williams's big brown eyes and I knew I'd do anything to protect her. And for eight years I did. She was my world. My best friend.
But afraid I'd lose her, I held on too tight. Became a dark cloud blocking her sun. So I did what I needed to, and walked away. I hurt us both.
Now I'm home, and need Everly back in my life. Only everything is different. We're different. My body burns for her when she's near. And after one explosive kiss, I know she feels it too. I'll do whatever it takes to earn her trust again.
Because I don't want what we had before. I want it all...for a lifetime.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2019
62 people are currently reading
379 people want to read
About the author
Sherilee Gray
53 books1,276 followersSherilee Gray is a kiwi girl and lives in beautiful New Zealand with her husband and their two children. When she isn't writing sexy contemporary and paranormal romance, searching for her next alpha hero on Pinterest, or fueling her voracious book addiction, she can be found dreaming of far off places with a mug of tea in one hand and a bar of chocolate in the other.
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October 25, 2019
RATING 4.5 STARS
Meant For You is book three in the Rocktown Ink series by Sherilee Gray. These can all be read as stand alones but the characters do recur in each book and the books are much more fulfilling if you have read them in order and formed an attachment to each previous couple. This is a best friends to lovers romance.
Dane is back. In the previous books we have gotten to know Dane as a troubled, young man who is dealing with so many issues related to his childhood. He is Cal’s younger brother and Bull’s cousin. But really, the three of them are as close as brothers. Dane left Rocktown for eighteen months after a fight he was in in the previous book. Cal and Bull agreed that maybe it would be better to get out of town for awhile and away from Everly.
Everly Williams and Dane have known each other since Everly was twelve and Dane was fourteen years old. It was a horrifying time in their lives and they were all each other had. Dane was Everly’s protector, her world, her best friend. But Everly is all grown up now and doesn’t need Dane to fight her battles any more. She only needed him to back off, not to disappear for eighteen months without a word. Now he’s back and he just thinks he is going to walk right back into her life again? He couldn’t be more wrong.
Dane is persistent and finally convinces Everly to listen to him, to give him another chance. He needs her back in his life. But, no matter how much Dane and Everly think they want to return to the relationship they once had, they are different people now. Everly isn’t that scared little girl any more. She’s a woman. And Dane is most definitely all man.
“When Everly was the reward, you’d wait ten lifetimes if you knew she’d be there waiting at the end.”
I loved how these two transitioned from friends to lovers. At first I was afraid that there was going to be game playing and hesitation because they were both afraid of losing what they had if they became lovers and it didn’t work out. But instead, I loved the way that they both just put it all out there. Especially Dane. He figured out that his feelings towards her had changed and he couldn’t hold how he felt in. And let me tell you, the chemistry between these two is scorching!
“She was the other half of my soul. I wasn’t whole without her.”
No matter how strongly they felt for one another, though, Dane still felt so protective of Everly. And even though he had found an outlet for his anger, it still wasn’t enough when he felt as though Everly was threatened.
This really was such a good book. I didn’t think I was going to love Dane as much as I did. He was all alpha, jealous and possessive and such a dirty talker. We also get some amazingly wonderful moments between Bull and Quinn from the previous book. I can’t recommend this series enough.
“It’s just you. It was always you.”
For more about this book and so many more, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
Meant For You is book three in the Rocktown Ink series by Sherilee Gray. These can all be read as stand alones but the characters do recur in each book and the books are much more fulfilling if you have read them in order and formed an attachment to each previous couple. This is a best friends to lovers romance.
Dane is back. In the previous books we have gotten to know Dane as a troubled, young man who is dealing with so many issues related to his childhood. He is Cal’s younger brother and Bull’s cousin. But really, the three of them are as close as brothers. Dane left Rocktown for eighteen months after a fight he was in in the previous book. Cal and Bull agreed that maybe it would be better to get out of town for awhile and away from Everly.
Everly Williams and Dane have known each other since Everly was twelve and Dane was fourteen years old. It was a horrifying time in their lives and they were all each other had. Dane was Everly’s protector, her world, her best friend. But Everly is all grown up now and doesn’t need Dane to fight her battles any more. She only needed him to back off, not to disappear for eighteen months without a word. Now he’s back and he just thinks he is going to walk right back into her life again? He couldn’t be more wrong.
Dane is persistent and finally convinces Everly to listen to him, to give him another chance. He needs her back in his life. But, no matter how much Dane and Everly think they want to return to the relationship they once had, they are different people now. Everly isn’t that scared little girl any more. She’s a woman. And Dane is most definitely all man.
“When Everly was the reward, you’d wait ten lifetimes if you knew she’d be there waiting at the end.”
I loved how these two transitioned from friends to lovers. At first I was afraid that there was going to be game playing and hesitation because they were both afraid of losing what they had if they became lovers and it didn’t work out. But instead, I loved the way that they both just put it all out there. Especially Dane. He figured out that his feelings towards her had changed and he couldn’t hold how he felt in. And let me tell you, the chemistry between these two is scorching!
“She was the other half of my soul. I wasn’t whole without her.”
No matter how strongly they felt for one another, though, Dane still felt so protective of Everly. And even though he had found an outlet for his anger, it still wasn’t enough when he felt as though Everly was threatened.
This really was such a good book. I didn’t think I was going to love Dane as much as I did. He was all alpha, jealous and possessive and such a dirty talker. We also get some amazingly wonderful moments between Bull and Quinn from the previous book. I can’t recommend this series enough.
“It’s just you. It was always you.”
For more about this book and so many more, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
October 23, 2019
I'm not going to lie, I was nervous about this book. We got glimpses of Dane in the first two books and they weren't flattering. He is a major hothead and just reacted in a juvenile way. Thankfully we got some growth in his character from book 2 to this book. He's still pretty quick to trigger with his temper but he handles it better.
For not expecting to like Dane, I actually thought he was the best part of this book. The growth we got to see helped, but it was also the way you see how much he cares for Everly. I do enjoy a possessive and protective alpha, and that's what you get with Dane.
I did have a harder time with Everly. She's nice and sweet but her actions a few times also came off a bit juvenile to me. I also had a really hard time accepting how she handled the conflict towards the end. The good thing about Everly is that you never doubt her feelings for Dane either. These two were crazy about each other, they just needed to grow up a bit more and communicate better.
This was more of a 3.5 stars for me due to some of that immaturity, but I tend to lean more towards older, more mature issues these days. There is no denying that this author knows how to ramp up the steam factor in her books and you get that heat between both Dane and Everly.
For not expecting to like Dane, I actually thought he was the best part of this book. The growth we got to see helped, but it was also the way you see how much he cares for Everly. I do enjoy a possessive and protective alpha, and that's what you get with Dane.
I did have a harder time with Everly. She's nice and sweet but her actions a few times also came off a bit juvenile to me. I also had a really hard time accepting how she handled the conflict towards the end. The good thing about Everly is that you never doubt her feelings for Dane either. These two were crazy about each other, they just needed to grow up a bit more and communicate better.
This was more of a 3.5 stars for me due to some of that immaturity, but I tend to lean more towards older, more mature issues these days. There is no denying that this author knows how to ramp up the steam factor in her books and you get that heat between both Dane and Everly.
October 23, 2019
I’ve been waiting for Dane and Everly’s story since the first book in this series and it was everything I hoped it would be!
Dane protected Everly while living in a foster home together. There are some really dark moments to their story but that protective instinct that was bred in him during those days has carried over into the years following. Add in that everyone he’s cared about has been taken away from him at some point and he’s walking an emotional tightrope.
Everly too has her own insecurities and fears. Dane had promised to never leave her and yet he did. To take a chance on him is to trust that he won’t abandon her again. But now their relationship is so much more than that of teenagers supporting each other through a nightmare, they are now looking at each other as adults and all that that entails.
’Excited Everly was a sight to see, always had been. But now I was looking at her in a way that wasn’t just friendly, and it did things to me.
Seriously hard, painful things.’
I have to say that I absolutely adored Dane. Yes, he’s got issues, but at the very core of him is his driving need to care and protect Everly, even if that means protecting her from himself. While he’s made some poor decisions in the past, he’s trying to be what Everly needs. But when things take a turn he realizes he’s never going to be the man she deserves.
’I wanted to protect her from anything that would hurt her and f--- up anyone who already had. What was I supposed to do when the thing that had hurt her most was me?’
This couple were meant to be together. Full stop. What they have is beautiful, a once in a lifetime love that has carried them through the worse and has the potential to carry them through the future. There is some angst as they each have to face their own weaknesses and figure out how to overcome them. My heart hurt in the beginning when Everly was so very lost from Dane’s absence in her life and then it cracked wide open when Dane later has to face his own demons.
I loved how Everly grew throughout this story. She became the woman she was meant to be and she was able to stand strong when it really mattered. The fact that Dane recognized his overprotectiveness was hindering his relationship with her and was struggling to correct it, endeared him even more to me. Because while I love a protective hero, in this case it was causing problems and I needed him to acknowledge it.
’I knew I was over-the-top possessive. Insanely protective. But trying to rein that … in, controlling it to the best of my ability, did not stop it. It was still there, roaring inside me.’
This was a wonderful read, so full of steam between the hero and heroine that I’m sure I was actually blushing a time or two…while in the isolation of my own home. There are a lot of smexy scenes but I never skimmed because each scene showcased the evolution of this couple’s emotions as they grow closer together. This also has all the characters from the previous books as well as a couple of new ones that I am desperate to get my hands on.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
Dane protected Everly while living in a foster home together. There are some really dark moments to their story but that protective instinct that was bred in him during those days has carried over into the years following. Add in that everyone he’s cared about has been taken away from him at some point and he’s walking an emotional tightrope.
Everly too has her own insecurities and fears. Dane had promised to never leave her and yet he did. To take a chance on him is to trust that he won’t abandon her again. But now their relationship is so much more than that of teenagers supporting each other through a nightmare, they are now looking at each other as adults and all that that entails.
’Excited Everly was a sight to see, always had been. But now I was looking at her in a way that wasn’t just friendly, and it did things to me.
Seriously hard, painful things.’
I have to say that I absolutely adored Dane. Yes, he’s got issues, but at the very core of him is his driving need to care and protect Everly, even if that means protecting her from himself. While he’s made some poor decisions in the past, he’s trying to be what Everly needs. But when things take a turn he realizes he’s never going to be the man she deserves.
’I wanted to protect her from anything that would hurt her and f--- up anyone who already had. What was I supposed to do when the thing that had hurt her most was me?’
This couple were meant to be together. Full stop. What they have is beautiful, a once in a lifetime love that has carried them through the worse and has the potential to carry them through the future. There is some angst as they each have to face their own weaknesses and figure out how to overcome them. My heart hurt in the beginning when Everly was so very lost from Dane’s absence in her life and then it cracked wide open when Dane later has to face his own demons.
I loved how Everly grew throughout this story. She became the woman she was meant to be and she was able to stand strong when it really mattered. The fact that Dane recognized his overprotectiveness was hindering his relationship with her and was struggling to correct it, endeared him even more to me. Because while I love a protective hero, in this case it was causing problems and I needed him to acknowledge it.
’I knew I was over-the-top possessive. Insanely protective. But trying to rein that … in, controlling it to the best of my ability, did not stop it. It was still there, roaring inside me.’
This was a wonderful read, so full of steam between the hero and heroine that I’m sure I was actually blushing a time or two…while in the isolation of my own home. There are a lot of smexy scenes but I never skimmed because each scene showcased the evolution of this couple’s emotions as they grow closer together. This also has all the characters from the previous books as well as a couple of new ones that I am desperate to get my hands on.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
October 24, 2019
I am a huge fan of the Rocktown Ink series and could not wait for Dane and Everly's story! Their connection was evident in the previous books and it was amazing to finally get their book to see it firsthand.
I loved this story! I love how Dane was honest about his feelings about Everly from the getgo and how he knew he had to make her his. Everly likewise had strong feelings for Dane and despite feeling abandoned by him, always knew he was the most special person in her life. I loved the sexual chemistry between them and Dane's alpha ways. This story was emotional, hot and sexy and another Sherilee Gray story to become obsessed with! Bravo! 4.5 stars! ~Ratula
I loved this story! I love how Dane was honest about his feelings about Everly from the getgo and how he knew he had to make her his. Everly likewise had strong feelings for Dane and despite feeling abandoned by him, always knew he was the most special person in her life. I loved the sexual chemistry between them and Dane's alpha ways. This story was emotional, hot and sexy and another Sherilee Gray story to become obsessed with! Bravo! 4.5 stars! ~Ratula
June 18, 2023
2.5 rounded up to 3 stars
But only because of Dane.
Because I'm team Dane all the way.
He was such a sweetheart.
But Evers can go suck a lemon.
My boy deserves better.
The thing about any relationship, whether it's friendship, boyfriend, girlfriend or more, is that it's always about trust and compromise.
You give and you take, fifty-fifty.
Everly clearly didn't know that rule.
She took, alright.
And then took some more.
And more.
And in return she gave jack shit.
Ok, maybe that's not entirely true.
She did give him a lot of stress and anxiety, so there's that.
And then blamed him for every shitty thing that happened in her life.
She never realized that if it hadn't been for her behaviour, her insisting that he should always defend her and be by her side when they were thrown together as kids into that foster family from hell, Dane would've never had to deal with so much anxiety in his adult life in the first place.
But she took no responsibility.
She saw nothing wrong with her actions.
And always blamed him.
For fucking every little thing.
No wonder he ran away for 18 months.
Were I him, I'd cut her off and stay away.
Yeah, but that's just me.
Anyways.
The moment I hated the most was when they finally got together, my boo finally felt happy and...she went on a date with another dude a week later.
Yup.
You heard me.
Why?
Well, because she was manipulated to go back home by her evil aunt, allowed her to talk shit about Dane and to completely disrespect him without even trying to defend him, and then agreed to go on a date that was set up by her nutcake aunt, you know to make that cunt happy.
Why?
Again, because she clearly is a weak and pathetic doormat who must depend on other people in terms of a decision making process as she clearly is incapable of doing so herself.
And thinking is clearly not her strong suit.
Because, come on.
She went on a fucking date behind his back for fuck's sake, and had the audacity to yell at him when he got furious?
And she told him it was all his fault and then refused to talk to him for a few weeks because she "needed time and space"?
Srsly, I wanted to slap that bitch.
Who could do such a nasty thing?
She's a gaslighting manipulator.
And for that reason I didn't enjoy this book as much as I hope I would.
Because that selfish cunt ruined it for me.
She was an immature, self-absorbed, toxic drama queen and she didn't deserve him.
Not even a bit.
Full stop.
But I've loved Dane right from the get-go, from his first appearance in book 1.
Because come on.
A tortured brooding hero with a savior complex?
Hell yeah!
How could I not?
He actually saved this book.
Hence the rating.
I will continue with the series because Riff sounded like my kinda boy.
Not so sure about Lila, but we'll see.
But only because of Dane.
Because I'm team Dane all the way.
He was such a sweetheart.
But Evers can go suck a lemon.
My boy deserves better.
The thing about any relationship, whether it's friendship, boyfriend, girlfriend or more, is that it's always about trust and compromise.
You give and you take, fifty-fifty.
Everly clearly didn't know that rule.
She took, alright.
And then took some more.
And more.
And in return she gave jack shit.
Ok, maybe that's not entirely true.
She did give him a lot of stress and anxiety, so there's that.
And then blamed him for every shitty thing that happened in her life.
She never realized that if it hadn't been for her behaviour, her insisting that he should always defend her and be by her side when they were thrown together as kids into that foster family from hell, Dane would've never had to deal with so much anxiety in his adult life in the first place.
But she took no responsibility.
She saw nothing wrong with her actions.
And always blamed him.
For fucking every little thing.
No wonder he ran away for 18 months.
Were I him, I'd cut her off and stay away.
Yeah, but that's just me.
Anyways.
The moment I hated the most was when they finally got together, my boo finally felt happy and...she went on a date with another dude a week later.
Yup.
You heard me.
Why?
Well, because she was manipulated to go back home by her evil aunt, allowed her to talk shit about Dane and to completely disrespect him without even trying to defend him, and then agreed to go on a date that was set up by her nutcake aunt, you know to make that cunt happy.
Why?
Again, because she clearly is a weak and pathetic doormat who must depend on other people in terms of a decision making process as she clearly is incapable of doing so herself.
And thinking is clearly not her strong suit.
Because, come on.
She went on a fucking date behind his back for fuck's sake, and had the audacity to yell at him when he got furious?
And she told him it was all his fault and then refused to talk to him for a few weeks because she "needed time and space"?
Srsly, I wanted to slap that bitch.
Who could do such a nasty thing?
She's a gaslighting manipulator.
And for that reason I didn't enjoy this book as much as I hope I would.
Because that selfish cunt ruined it for me.
She was an immature, self-absorbed, toxic drama queen and she didn't deserve him.
Not even a bit.
Full stop.
But I've loved Dane right from the get-go, from his first appearance in book 1.
Because come on.
A tortured brooding hero with a savior complex?
Hell yeah!
How could I not?
He actually saved this book.
Hence the rating.
I will continue with the series because Riff sounded like my kinda boy.
Not so sure about Lila, but we'll see.
September 4, 2022
Another great story in the series!
We met Dane in book 1 and he was very intriguing to me. Then we saw more of him in book 2, and I knew I’d needed to read his story. He’s been through so much, had a pretty rough beginning, and I couldn’t wait to get to know him better.
Everly is his best friend. They were both foster children at the same house when they were children. He protected her…always. Even after they were of age and left that awful house, they remained friends, close friends. And he still felt the need to hover and protect. But he once took that protectiveness a bit too far and it drove a big wedge between them.
I loved seeing the troubled, young Dane realize he needed to change, grow, and become a better version of himself in order to be worthy of Everly. He knew it and was strong enough to do it. I loved watching Dane prove himself and their friendship going from friends to lovers to…forever.
And once again, Sherilee gives us the most delicious, protective alpha who has a filthy mouth. And also white hot chemistry between Dane & Everly that couldn’t be denied.
Also, it was so good to see the rest of the gang… Cal & Bull and the girls - Cassy, Quinn & Lila.
I’m looking forward to Lila & Griff’s story!
We met Dane in book 1 and he was very intriguing to me. Then we saw more of him in book 2, and I knew I’d needed to read his story. He’s been through so much, had a pretty rough beginning, and I couldn’t wait to get to know him better.
Everly is his best friend. They were both foster children at the same house when they were children. He protected her…always. Even after they were of age and left that awful house, they remained friends, close friends. And he still felt the need to hover and protect. But he once took that protectiveness a bit too far and it drove a big wedge between them.
I loved seeing the troubled, young Dane realize he needed to change, grow, and become a better version of himself in order to be worthy of Everly. He knew it and was strong enough to do it. I loved watching Dane prove himself and their friendship going from friends to lovers to…forever.
And once again, Sherilee gives us the most delicious, protective alpha who has a filthy mouth. And also white hot chemistry between Dane & Everly that couldn’t be denied.
Also, it was so good to see the rest of the gang… Cal & Bull and the girls - Cassy, Quinn & Lila.
I’m looking forward to Lila & Griff’s story!
November 12, 2020
The Hero was a hypocrite!
He kept saying he is possessive and very much fond of h, and maybe loved her since he was fourteen and she was twelve. They've been together ever since but he leaves her for a year and a half.
Now he says, he loved her and his possessiveness is over the top but he had his handful of girls but gets angry when a boy even looks at her, he beat her first date to death because he got possessive.
He keeps denying his love and you can see he clearly only has lust for her cause everytime you read his pov you'll see him praising her rack, her butt, her tits🙄 and never her personality, it's always on her appearance.
Also, the author didn't specify why he left, why all of a sudden she was in one place and all of sudden she is in another place doing something else, the book is fvcking confusing!
Annoying side characters!
The reason for dnf'ing the book is definitely Hero, he fvcked many girls, made them get off and what not but he even has a problem when h even thinks about another man!
He kept saying he is possessive and very much fond of h, and maybe loved her since he was fourteen and she was twelve. They've been together ever since but he leaves her for a year and a half.
Now he says, he loved her and his possessiveness is over the top but he had his handful of girls but gets angry when a boy even looks at her, he beat her first date to death because he got possessive.
He keeps denying his love and you can see he clearly only has lust for her cause everytime you read his pov you'll see him praising her rack, her butt, her tits🙄 and never her personality, it's always on her appearance.
Also, the author didn't specify why he left, why all of a sudden she was in one place and all of sudden she is in another place doing something else, the book is fvcking confusing!
Annoying side characters!
The reason for dnf'ing the book is definitely Hero, he fvcked many girls, made them get off and what not but he even has a problem when h even thinks about another man!
October 23, 2019
2. 5 stars
Sherilee Gray’s ‘Meant for You’ was a read that I’d assumed would take up the star-crossed lovers sort of trope, given what went down between them in the previous book. But the direction this took—that made this more a friends-to-lovers romance was something that surprised and well, sort of disappointed me, only because it didn’t seem to have the impact of a reunion that could have been more heartrending.
As a result, I’m a little mixed about this book (despite its steamy sexy times).
Still, ‘Meant For You’ is an exercise in grovelling and it’s here that Gray highlights what happened previously (so no prior knowledge is needed) when Dane finally returned to town after forcibly cutting himself off from everyone, including his best friend Everly. With his return however, came the complications of breaking the friendship protocol and an unexpected attraction that sprang up seemingly out of nowhere.
Gray is adamant that both Dane and Everly weren’t supposed to be anything more to each other than best friends up until a certain point in the book—which gave leeway to both characters to be with others during their separation. But this switch from best friends and protector to a romantic interest however, was less than convincing for me, like a switch that flipped suddenly only because Dane’s remorse and his sudden inability to see past Everly’s revealing clothes as he tried to repair their broken friendship.
The protagonists of this series tended to merge together at times and Dane wasn't too different in this respect: the protectiveness, the obsession and the general transformation to caveman when he finally decided that Everly meant the world to him. Yet his impulsiveness, his tendency to fly off the handle at the slightest provocation and his self-absorption didn’t exactly make him that much of a likeable protagonist, while I also thought Everly caved a little too easily to what Dane wanted.
I wish I could have liked this more, but the caveat is that I had certain expectations and hopes after reading the last book in the series in seeing how Dane/Everly’s story would go down…all of which were not quite met. The long and short of it is, Gray simply took a different route to their HEA and it wasn’t quite done in the way I’d hoped.
*ARC courtesy of the author via Wildfire Marketing
Sherilee Gray’s ‘Meant for You’ was a read that I’d assumed would take up the star-crossed lovers sort of trope, given what went down between them in the previous book. But the direction this took—that made this more a friends-to-lovers romance was something that surprised and well, sort of disappointed me, only because it didn’t seem to have the impact of a reunion that could have been more heartrending.
As a result, I’m a little mixed about this book (despite its steamy sexy times).
Still, ‘Meant For You’ is an exercise in grovelling and it’s here that Gray highlights what happened previously (so no prior knowledge is needed) when Dane finally returned to town after forcibly cutting himself off from everyone, including his best friend Everly. With his return however, came the complications of breaking the friendship protocol and an unexpected attraction that sprang up seemingly out of nowhere.
Gray is adamant that both Dane and Everly weren’t supposed to be anything more to each other than best friends up until a certain point in the book—which gave leeway to both characters to be with others during their separation. But this switch from best friends and protector to a romantic interest however, was less than convincing for me, like a switch that flipped suddenly only because Dane’s remorse and his sudden inability to see past Everly’s revealing clothes as he tried to repair their broken friendship.
The protagonists of this series tended to merge together at times and Dane wasn't too different in this respect: the protectiveness, the obsession and the general transformation to caveman when he finally decided that Everly meant the world to him. Yet his impulsiveness, his tendency to fly off the handle at the slightest provocation and his self-absorption didn’t exactly make him that much of a likeable protagonist, while I also thought Everly caved a little too easily to what Dane wanted.
I wish I could have liked this more, but the caveat is that I had certain expectations and hopes after reading the last book in the series in seeing how Dane/Everly’s story would go down…all of which were not quite met. The long and short of it is, Gray simply took a different route to their HEA and it wasn’t quite done in the way I’d hoped.
*ARC courtesy of the author via Wildfire Marketing
October 24, 2019
Meant For You is hot and steamy with a bit of angst. I loved Dane and Everly's story, watching them go from friends to lovers but there was a particular scene that I wasn't all the way sold on that ultimately dimmed my overall enjoyment. However it's still an enjoyable read, one that I recommend. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
Copy provided by author
Copy provided by author
November 1, 2019
4 Stars!
Let me just say that it was the cover and that beautifully broken blurb that initially pulled me in (I'm a huge sucker for a redeeming hero and a second chance!)... but I stayed for allllll the words. And you won't get any spoilers here. 😉
Sherilee Gray is brand spanking new to me (cherry poppin happened with this beauty!) and holy wow did she stun me so many times in this unputdownable, emotional best friends to lovers romance... leaving me breathless, flustered, and all in my feels in soooo. many. moments. Dane *SWOOOOOON* and Everly lit up my kindle from the very first moment they stepped onto the page and y'all, I couldn't get enough of them or their complicated journey.
Meant For You was really, really good.... captivating from the beginning and packed with heat, heart, passion, feels, and enough angst to have you hanging on to every single moment that Dane and Everly shared.
This is the third book in the Rocktown Ink series and while I'm not usually a fan of jumping mid series, I'm so glad I did with this one. I had no real major issues following along and if anything I'm now intrigued to go back to where this series started in book one.
I definitely recommend this book.
Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog.
Let me just say that it was the cover and that beautifully broken blurb that initially pulled me in (I'm a huge sucker for a redeeming hero and a second chance!)... but I stayed for allllll the words. And you won't get any spoilers here. 😉
Sherilee Gray is brand spanking new to me (cherry poppin happened with this beauty!) and holy wow did she stun me so many times in this unputdownable, emotional best friends to lovers romance... leaving me breathless, flustered, and all in my feels in soooo. many. moments. Dane *SWOOOOOON* and Everly lit up my kindle from the very first moment they stepped onto the page and y'all, I couldn't get enough of them or their complicated journey.
Meant For You was really, really good.... captivating from the beginning and packed with heat, heart, passion, feels, and enough angst to have you hanging on to every single moment that Dane and Everly shared.
This is the third book in the Rocktown Ink series and while I'm not usually a fan of jumping mid series, I'm so glad I did with this one. I had no real major issues following along and if anything I'm now intrigued to go back to where this series started in book one.
I definitely recommend this book.
Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog.
October 27, 2019
They’re meant for each other❣️
Dane and Everly finally get a chance to put their pasts behind them and move on together, but not as friends as lovers💕 I loved this story as it is essentially a friends to lovers romance but also edges on a second chance romance too🤩
Dane and Everly have known each other for years and after an incident with Everly on a date, it throws everything into a tail spin and forces Dane and Everly apart for eighteen months. Now he’s back and he’s doing everything in his power to ensure that Everly will see him in a new light and resume their friendship, until he realises she wants help with dating tips and he becomes aware of his feelings for her....which are more than simply being friends.
However, no relationship is without its challenges and Dane and Everly discover this as well😢 I’m hoping Sherilee will do a spin off that involves Riff, Dane’s friend and potentially Lila...as I want to know more about them now😜
Thank you Sherilee for my advanced copy for which I voluntarily leave my honest review ❤️
Dane and Everly finally get a chance to put their pasts behind them and move on together, but not as friends as lovers💕 I loved this story as it is essentially a friends to lovers romance but also edges on a second chance romance too🤩
Dane and Everly have known each other for years and after an incident with Everly on a date, it throws everything into a tail spin and forces Dane and Everly apart for eighteen months. Now he’s back and he’s doing everything in his power to ensure that Everly will see him in a new light and resume their friendship, until he realises she wants help with dating tips and he becomes aware of his feelings for her....which are more than simply being friends.
However, no relationship is without its challenges and Dane and Everly discover this as well😢 I’m hoping Sherilee will do a spin off that involves Riff, Dane’s friend and potentially Lila...as I want to know more about them now😜
Thank you Sherilee for my advanced copy for which I voluntarily leave my honest review ❤️
June 28, 2020
⭐️⭐️
No, what went wrong? The second book in this series was one of the best books I have ever read, and I was so excited about reading this one. I’m sorry to say that I was so disappointed.
I didn’t connect with either characters. I don’t know if it was because of the characters or the writing, but the story felt flat.
I was never given their full history (and I have read all the previous books in this series). All the things that made them who they were as a couple, like when they first met or when they became friends, was just hinted at.
Also, the hero was super childish and rude in the previous books and that made it hard for me to see him as the alpha man the character was made up to be in this one.
I also felt that the heroine was made to be naive and childlike and that’s not exact exactly my favorite choice of heroine qualities.
I really, really loved the previous book so I’m considering this as a “it’s me not you” type of thing. Still sad though that I actually skimmed trough a book by Sherilee Grey.
Funny that the side characters, Riff (Grifter?) and Lila, were the once that I found interesting. Hopefully they will get their own story and it will be better than this one.
Spoiler alert!
Plot:
The girl, Everly, and the guy, Dane, have known each other since they lived in the same foster home as teenagers. The story gives a quick description of how they became everything to each other but Dane started being too protective and territorial over Everly and nearly beat a guy to death (because the guy was about to drug Everly). He leaves her in a way of protecting her from himself. Now he returns home as a new and improved man and wants her back. After almost no major happenings, they end up together. A guy comes a little too close to her, Dane freaks out and almost strangles the guy but Everly stops him. She, being furious, tells him she’s done and that she wants him to leave. He does, reluctantly and heartbroken. She seeks him out a couple of days later, and is confused why he’s so broken. She explains to him she was only mad, and can’t understand why he thought they were done (even though she did say that, but okay). They get back together. The end.
No, what went wrong? The second book in this series was one of the best books I have ever read, and I was so excited about reading this one. I’m sorry to say that I was so disappointed.
I didn’t connect with either characters. I don’t know if it was because of the characters or the writing, but the story felt flat.
I was never given their full history (and I have read all the previous books in this series). All the things that made them who they were as a couple, like when they first met or when they became friends, was just hinted at.
Also, the hero was super childish and rude in the previous books and that made it hard for me to see him as the alpha man the character was made up to be in this one.
I also felt that the heroine was made to be naive and childlike and that’s not exact exactly my favorite choice of heroine qualities.
I really, really loved the previous book so I’m considering this as a “it’s me not you” type of thing. Still sad though that I actually skimmed trough a book by Sherilee Grey.
Funny that the side characters, Riff (Grifter?) and Lila, were the once that I found interesting. Hopefully they will get their own story and it will be better than this one.
Spoiler alert!
Plot:
The girl, Everly, and the guy, Dane, have known each other since they lived in the same foster home as teenagers. The story gives a quick description of how they became everything to each other but Dane started being too protective and territorial over Everly and nearly beat a guy to death (because the guy was about to drug Everly). He leaves her in a way of protecting her from himself. Now he returns home as a new and improved man and wants her back. After almost no major happenings, they end up together. A guy comes a little too close to her, Dane freaks out and almost strangles the guy but Everly stops him. She, being furious, tells him she’s done and that she wants him to leave. He does, reluctantly and heartbroken. She seeks him out a couple of days later, and is confused why he’s so broken. She explains to him she was only mad, and can’t understand why he thought they were done (even though she did say that, but okay). They get back together. The end.
October 30, 2019
Dane and Everly took up residence in my heart the minute I started reading and never went away!
These two people! Man did I want them to succeed more than anything! I was so super stoked at how Sherilee not only wrote these guys but the journey itself as well!
This is the author I fell in love with!!
I don’t know that I would call this story just a friends to lovers trope because for me it was more a soulmate to lovers. They were kismet from the get-go. It just took them a minute to get there *shrug* Honestly, that’s what I felt when I read their journey. Such a rocky path they both had to travel and what a beautiful way to write it! Everything from characterization to world building to the narrative was done with heart and emotion. I couldn’t have asked for a better story!
Note: The Rocktown Ink series can theoretically be read as standalones, but everyone is in everyone’s book in some way so if you don’t want to be spoiled on how’s with who and how … start at the beginning lol
Sidenote: The covers still creep me out LOL but somehow, this one, not so much. I think it’s the whole soulmate thing that makes the placement of Everly not so …. weird? Lol *shrug*
I don’t know that I would call this story just a friends to lovers trope because for me it was more a soulmate to lovers. They were kismet from the get-go. It just took them a minute to get there *shrug* Honestly, that’s what I felt when I read their journey. Such a rocky path they both had to travel and what a beautiful way to write it! Everything from characterization to world building to the narrative was done with heart and emotion. I couldn’t have asked for a better story!
Note: The Rocktown Ink series can theoretically be read as standalones, but everyone is in everyone’s book in some way so if you don’t want to be spoiled on how’s with who and how … start at the beginning lol
Sidenote: The covers still creep me out LOL but somehow, this one, not so much. I think it’s the whole soulmate thing that makes the placement of Everly not so …. weird? Lol *shrug*
October 30, 2019
I have been dying to get my hands on this book from the moment I found out it was the next one in the series! I LOVE these characters and couldn't wait to get Dane and Everly's story!
This book was no disappointment! It is book 3 in the series and can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading them in order because you do get to know each of the other characters better and what lead them to where they are. I feel like this makes each story more enjoyable for sure!
This book is a friends to lovers romance. There is some drama that happens because Dane has broken Everly's trust in the way he handled a situation and she isn't ready to forgive him. The two work to rebuild their friendship and Dane works hard to let Everly know he wants to be more than just friends.
Full of some serious chemistry between the two, some dramatic moments and some serious ones as well this book really is a must read for sure! By Alisa
This book was no disappointment! It is book 3 in the series and can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading them in order because you do get to know each of the other characters better and what lead them to where they are. I feel like this makes each story more enjoyable for sure!
This book is a friends to lovers romance. There is some drama that happens because Dane has broken Everly's trust in the way he handled a situation and she isn't ready to forgive him. The two work to rebuild their friendship and Dane works hard to let Everly know he wants to be more than just friends.
Full of some serious chemistry between the two, some dramatic moments and some serious ones as well this book really is a must read for sure! By Alisa
November 3, 2019
This is a “do not miss book” for all hopeless romantics. I was so invested in Dane and Everly’s relationship. In fact, I’d even dare to say that I’m their biggest cheerleader. It took a while for poor misguided Dane to figure out what a big heart Everly has so there are a few hits and misses. But I have to applaud him for being the first to realise that they were meant to be with each other. This is my favourite book in the series. Thank you, Sherilee Gray, for your wonderful, hopeful love stories.
Advanced Review Copy provided for voluntary review consideration.
Advanced Review Copy provided for voluntary review consideration.
October 27, 2019
Wrapped in heartache is an inspiring tale of redemption. Meant for You does haunting, like only Sherilee Gray can. Dane and Everly take emotions on a grueling journey. Out of darkness rises a light that refuses to be extinguished. It would be so easy to get lost in the broken, but somehow Gray rises above all the bruises and finds a way to engulf hearts in hug that is never-ending and forever changing. From the abyss of despair emerges a thing of beauty that has no trouble uplifting us all.
January 22, 2022
love Sherilee Gray, heroine immature
Love all of Sherilee’s books but Everly is rather immature and places all the blame at Dane’s feet. She goes out on a date with another guy after she and Dane sleep together and start dating and flips when it triggers him. She doesn’t stand up to her Aunt. I’m sorry, but she’s a little girl pretending to be a woman. Not keen that Dane’s own family sided with her and treats him like he will always make the wrong choice. Not supportive, especially Cal. That being said, love the series, overall but this is my least favorite of the 5 books.
Love all of Sherilee’s books but Everly is rather immature and places all the blame at Dane’s feet. She goes out on a date with another guy after she and Dane sleep together and start dating and flips when it triggers him. She doesn’t stand up to her Aunt. I’m sorry, but she’s a little girl pretending to be a woman. Not keen that Dane’s own family sided with her and treats him like he will always make the wrong choice. Not supportive, especially Cal. That being said, love the series, overall but this is my least favorite of the 5 books.
January 22, 2024
3.75 stars. This was okay. Did not evoke any major emotions. It was a cute friends to lovers but I wish we got more time with them as kids in the foster home where the H protected the h. We got only a couple of flashbacks. I also wish the reasons the H left for a year and a half were more flashed out and shown, instead of “I felt like I wasnt good enough for you so I disappeared”.
I did appreciate how alpha and possessive he was though. He was veryyy protective over the h as well. But I wish the author flashed out him teaching the h how to date more. They went on 1 or 2 dates and that was it. It would have been nice for the tension to build up over him teaching her stuff. But alas, no book with this trope ever topped Before Jamaica Lane for me.
Still a good way to pass the time for today, though, and a quick read with decent writing.
I did appreciate how alpha and possessive he was though. He was veryyy protective over the h as well. But I wish the author flashed out him teaching the h how to date more. They went on 1 or 2 dates and that was it. It would have been nice for the tension to build up over him teaching her stuff. But alas, no book with this trope ever topped Before Jamaica Lane for me.
Still a good way to pass the time for today, though, and a quick read with decent writing.
May 19, 2022
Four and a half stars
Dane and Everly met in foster care, where they became fast friends and Dane took Everly under his wing. When they reach adulthood, their becoming more was both inevitable and tricky to navigate.
Sherilee Gray’s story is hard hitting and passionate and hot. Meant for You is a great read and a satisfying addition to this series.
Dane and Everly met in foster care, where they became fast friends and Dane took Everly under his wing. When they reach adulthood, their becoming more was both inevitable and tricky to navigate.
Sherilee Gray’s story is hard hitting and passionate and hot. Meant for You is a great read and a satisfying addition to this series.
September 26, 2024
Intense Friends to lovers
This book was so good it kept me reading. Dane had protected Everly while in foster care and now their friendship was taking a different turn. Both characters had life baggage that was taking a toll on them and their relationship. The story is intense and extra spicy.
This book was so good it kept me reading. Dane had protected Everly while in foster care and now their friendship was taking a different turn. Both characters had life baggage that was taking a toll on them and their relationship. The story is intense and extra spicy.
June 12, 2022
friends to lovers
Dane is Everly’s protector in every way. This love story is how you want to be loved. To have someone who has always been right there to always protect you from all the bad. They were destined to be together and finally found their way.
Dane is Everly’s protector in every way. This love story is how you want to be loved. To have someone who has always been right there to always protect you from all the bad. They were destined to be together and finally found their way.
October 1, 2025
No more girls with dumb list of dumb things they wanna do with their dumb platonic male best friends.
You hear me self?? No more.
And if I gotta read about everly’s magnificent rack busting outta her shirts another time… gah.
You hear me self?? No more.
And if I gotta read about everly’s magnificent rack busting outta her shirts another time… gah.
June 27, 2020
3.5*
October 15, 2023
3.5
easy to follow, not much going on though. wish there was more grovel in the beginning. good for a quick and light read!
easy to follow, not much going on though. wish there was more grovel in the beginning. good for a quick and light read!
Read
July 7, 2024Too long ago to rate it
January 8, 2025
This series will be my roman empire. I love it!!!!
February 13, 2025
⛔️(in notes)
December 21, 2025
Found this one hard to get into as it was really predictable and not much going on in the story. The characters I was excited to read their story but it didn’t hook me like I thought it would.
November 2, 2019
4 stars
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 30, 2019
At twelve years old, I was torn from my family.
At fourteen I met her: my reason to draw breath.
One look into Everly Williams's big brown eyes and I knew I’d do anything to protect her. And for eight years I did. She was my world. My best friend.
But afraid I'd lose her, I held on too tight. Became a dark cloud blocking her sun. So I did what I needed to, and walked away. I hurt us both.
Now I’m home, and need Everly back in my life. Only everything is different. We’re different. My body burns for her when she’s near. And after one explosive kiss, I know she feels it too. I’ll do whatever it takes to earn her trust again.
Because I don’t want what we had before. I want it all...for a lifetime.
A best friend's to lovers romance in the sexy new Rocktown Ink series.
•••••••••••
REVIEW: MEANT FOR YOU is the third instalment in Sherilee Gray’s contemporary, adult ROCKTOWN INK erotic, romance series. This is twenty-four year old, tattoo artist Dane Calero, and twenty-two year old, ranch hand Everly Williams’ story line. MEANT FOR YOU can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Dane and Everly) MEANT FOR YOU follows the friends to lovers relationship between tattoo artist Dane Calero, and ranch hand Everly Williams. At twelve years of age, following the death of her parents, Everly Williams landed in foster care where she would be friended by Dane Calero, a fourteen year old boy would become her guardian and protector until Everly found herself taken in by an aunt she never met, an aunt whose rigid viewpoints continue to affect Everly to present day. Having kept in close contact over the years, Dane suddenly disappeared leaving Everly alone without the boy she once knew. Fast forward to present day wherein Everly has moved to Dane’s hometown in an effort to pick up the pieces of her broken heart, working the ranch owned by Dane’s brother Cal . What ensues is the rebuilding friendship, relationship and romance between Dane and Everly, and the potential fall-out as Dane’s jealousy and anger threaten his new found friendship with the woman he loves.
Everly Williams was destroyed when her best friend disappeared out of her life. Months would pass before Everly was able to move on with her life, but moving on meant giving up on her friendship with Dane Calero. A bit naïve and innocent Everly would struggle with past relationships, relationships that paled compared to her love for our story line hero. Dane had never intended to break Everly’s heart. Their friendship was something Dane had always cherished but Dane’s issues with anger (aka hothead) meant Dane had to walk away from the woman he loved.
The relationship between Dane and Everly is a friends to lovers; a second chance friendship wherein Dane must come to terms with the people in Everly��s life including the male friends and possible lovers she met while Dane was away. Dane Calero is a man who struggles with issues of anger control, and in this he takes protecting Everly over the top when someone from her past pushes Dane over the edge. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
We are reintroduced to Dane’s brother Cal and his wife Cassie (Beg for You #1),Bull and Quinn (Sin for You #2), tattoo artist Trix, Grifter aka Riff, as well as the introduction of Everly’s friend Lila, her aunt Julia, and ex-boyfriends Martin Renshaw and Tanner Rogers.
MEANT FOR YOU is a story of family, friendships, second chances and love. The premise is engaging and captivating; the characters are colorful and energetic; the romance is seductive.
Copy supplied for review
www.thereadingcafe.com
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 30, 2019
At twelve years old, I was torn from my family.
At fourteen I met her: my reason to draw breath.
One look into Everly Williams's big brown eyes and I knew I’d do anything to protect her. And for eight years I did. She was my world. My best friend.
But afraid I'd lose her, I held on too tight. Became a dark cloud blocking her sun. So I did what I needed to, and walked away. I hurt us both.
Now I’m home, and need Everly back in my life. Only everything is different. We’re different. My body burns for her when she’s near. And after one explosive kiss, I know she feels it too. I’ll do whatever it takes to earn her trust again.
Because I don’t want what we had before. I want it all...for a lifetime.
A best friend's to lovers romance in the sexy new Rocktown Ink series.
•••••••••••
REVIEW: MEANT FOR YOU is the third instalment in Sherilee Gray’s contemporary, adult ROCKTOWN INK erotic, romance series. This is twenty-four year old, tattoo artist Dane Calero, and twenty-two year old, ranch hand Everly Williams’ story line. MEANT FOR YOU can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Dane and Everly) MEANT FOR YOU follows the friends to lovers relationship between tattoo artist Dane Calero, and ranch hand Everly Williams. At twelve years of age, following the death of her parents, Everly Williams landed in foster care where she would be friended by Dane Calero, a fourteen year old boy would become her guardian and protector until Everly found herself taken in by an aunt she never met, an aunt whose rigid viewpoints continue to affect Everly to present day. Having kept in close contact over the years, Dane suddenly disappeared leaving Everly alone without the boy she once knew. Fast forward to present day wherein Everly has moved to Dane’s hometown in an effort to pick up the pieces of her broken heart, working the ranch owned by Dane’s brother Cal . What ensues is the rebuilding friendship, relationship and romance between Dane and Everly, and the potential fall-out as Dane’s jealousy and anger threaten his new found friendship with the woman he loves.
Everly Williams was destroyed when her best friend disappeared out of her life. Months would pass before Everly was able to move on with her life, but moving on meant giving up on her friendship with Dane Calero. A bit naïve and innocent Everly would struggle with past relationships, relationships that paled compared to her love for our story line hero. Dane had never intended to break Everly’s heart. Their friendship was something Dane had always cherished but Dane’s issues with anger (aka hothead) meant Dane had to walk away from the woman he loved.
The relationship between Dane and Everly is a friends to lovers; a second chance friendship wherein Dane must come to terms with the people in Everly��s life including the male friends and possible lovers she met while Dane was away. Dane Calero is a man who struggles with issues of anger control, and in this he takes protecting Everly over the top when someone from her past pushes Dane over the edge. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
We are reintroduced to Dane’s brother Cal and his wife Cassie (Beg for You #1),Bull and Quinn (Sin for You #2), tattoo artist Trix, Grifter aka Riff, as well as the introduction of Everly’s friend Lila, her aunt Julia, and ex-boyfriends Martin Renshaw and Tanner Rogers.
MEANT FOR YOU is a story of family, friendships, second chances and love. The premise is engaging and captivating; the characters are colorful and energetic; the romance is seductive.
Copy supplied for review
www.thereadingcafe.com
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