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Mr. Second Best
I'm in love with my best friend’s widow.
The only person I’ve cared more for is gone.
There’s no doubt he knew, and never let on.
It was just the kind of man Jake was.
I’ve worn my guilt like a second skin since we were teens, worshipping her from afar.
Yet time has done me no favors.
Under the surface, resentment grows.
A rage no one else sees.
Because I’m trapped. I can’t move on, but I can’t have her.
But now she’s asked me to do the unthinkable…
grant her the comfort she needs.
I’m helpless to say no to Melanie.
I’d give her anything.
Even if doing this will ultimately destroy me when it’s over.
The only person I’ve cared more for is gone.
There’s no doubt he knew, and never let on.
It was just the kind of man Jake was.
I’ve worn my guilt like a second skin since we were teens, worshipping her from afar.
Yet time has done me no favors.
Under the surface, resentment grows.
A rage no one else sees.
Because I’m trapped. I can’t move on, but I can’t have her.
But now she’s asked me to do the unthinkable…
grant her the comfort she needs.
I’m helpless to say no to Melanie.
I’d give her anything.
Even if doing this will ultimately destroy me when it’s over.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2022
827 people are currently reading
3472 people want to read
About the author
L.M. Fox
29 books819 followersBorn and raised in Virginia, LM Fox currently lives in a suburb of Richmond with her husband, three kids, and a chocolate lab.
Her pastimes are traveling to new and favorite places, trying new foods, a swoony book with either a good cup of tea or coffee, margaritas on special occasions, and watching her kids participate in a variety of sports.
She has spent the majority of her adult life working in emergency medicine and her books are written in this setting. Her main characters are typically in the medical field, EMS, fire, and/or law enforcement. She enjoys writing angsty, contemporary romance starring headstrong, independent heroines you can’t help but love and the hot alpha men who fall hard for them.
Born and raised in Virginia, LM Fox currently lives in a suburb of Richmond with her husband, three kids, and a chocolate lab.
Her pastimes are traveling to new and favorite places, trying new foods, a swoony book with either a good cup of tea or coffee, margaritas on special occasions, and watching her kids participate in a variety of sports.
She has spent the majority of her adult life working in emergency medicine and her books are written in this setting. Her main characters are typically in the medical field, EMS, fire, and/or law enforcement. She enjoys writing angsty, contemporary romance starring headstrong, independent heroines you can’t help but love and the hot alpha men who fall hard for them.
Born and raised in Virginia, LM Fox currently lives in a suburb of Richmond with her husband, three kids, and a chocolate lab.
Her pastimes are traveling to new and favorite places, trying new foods, a swoony book with either a good cup of tea or coffee, margaritas on special occasions, and watching her kids participate in a variety of sports.
She has spent the majority of her adult life working in emergency medicine and her books are written in this setting. Her main characters are typically in the medical field, EMS, fire, and/or law enforcement. She enjoys writing angsty, contemporary romance starring headstrong, independent heroines you can’t help but love and the hot alpha men who fall hard for them.
Her pastimes are traveling to new and favorite places, trying new foods, a swoony book with either a good cup of tea or coffee, margaritas on special occasions, and watching her kids participate in a variety of sports.
She has spent the majority of her adult life working in emergency medicine and her books are written in this setting. Her main characters are typically in the medical field, EMS, fire, and/or law enforcement. She enjoys writing angsty, contemporary romance starring headstrong, independent heroines you can’t help but love and the hot alpha men who fall hard for them.
Born and raised in Virginia, LM Fox currently lives in a suburb of Richmond with her husband, three kids, and a chocolate lab.
Her pastimes are traveling to new and favorite places, trying new foods, a swoony book with either a good cup of tea or coffee, margaritas on special occasions, and watching her kids participate in a variety of sports.
She has spent the majority of her adult life working in emergency medicine and her books are written in this setting. Her main characters are typically in the medical field, EMS, fire, and/or law enforcement. She enjoys writing angsty, contemporary romance starring headstrong, independent heroines you can’t help but love and the hot alpha men who fall hard for them.
Born and raised in Virginia, LM Fox currently lives in a suburb of Richmond with her husband, three kids, and a chocolate lab.
Her pastimes are traveling to new and favorite places, trying new foods, a swoony book with either a good cup of tea or coffee, margaritas on special occasions, and watching her kids participate in a variety of sports.
She has spent the majority of her adult life working in emergency medicine and her books are written in this setting. Her main characters are typically in the medical field, EMS, fire, and/or law enforcement. She enjoys writing angsty, contemporary romance starring headstrong, independent heroines you can’t help but love and the hot alpha men who fall hard for them.
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January 8, 2023dnf- detailed scenes with ow is an ick to me even if the mcs aren’t together yet lol. also skipped around towards the end & the story still wasn’t any better. genuinely confused how this is highly rated 😅
December 26, 2022
I really enjoyed this book but why on earth did the author think Huggie was a good name for our love interest?
December 14, 2022
Was too painful for me
Story: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Trope: unrequited loved
Angst: 😱😱😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥
I was really looking forward to this book, but it ended up just not being for me. LM Fox is a beautiful storyteller, but I just found it so painful, for far too much of the story. Our hero suffered through 20 years of unrequited love, having to find comfort in sex workers that look like her... and we even get an on page description :( And then, we he's inches away to getting what he's always desired, an over the top reaction by the heroine to a secret rips it all down. A beautiful, happy tears ending, but that journey was just way too hard. I'll definitely be reading LM Fox again, but I think I'm off the unrequited love trope, permanently.
⛔️ My bookshelves can sometimes be spoilers
Story: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Trope: unrequited loved
Angst: 😱😱😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥
I was really looking forward to this book, but it ended up just not being for me. LM Fox is a beautiful storyteller, but I just found it so painful, for far too much of the story. Our hero suffered through 20 years of unrequited love, having to find comfort in sex workers that look like her... and we even get an on page description :( And then, we he's inches away to getting what he's always desired, an over the top reaction by the heroine to a secret rips it all down. A beautiful, happy tears ending, but that journey was just way too hard. I'll definitely be reading LM Fox again, but I think I'm off the unrequited love trope, permanently.
⛔️ My bookshelves can sometimes be spoilers
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
dnr-not-safe
June 6, 2024Self note:
This hero is a creepy ass manwhore who fucks lots of OW who looks like the heroine in a brothel.. 🤢😪😵💫 And he has apparently many sex scenes with OW on page before meeting the heroine which is just disgusting😤 Well anyways I’m going to avoid this author from now on because she seems like a big fan on the manwhore x OW trope🤡
This hero is a creepy ass manwhore who fucks lots of OW who looks like the heroine in a brothel.. 🤢😪😵💫 And he has apparently many sex scenes with OW on page before meeting the heroine which is just disgusting😤 Well anyways I’m going to avoid this author from now on because she seems like a big fan on the manwhore x OW trope🤡
November 16, 2022
I have been waiting for this story since I discovered The Deprivation Trilogy and it did not disappoint!
LM Fox weaves a beautiful tale of loss and regret and the pain from knowing how things appear on the outside may not be as they seem. The therapy scenes in particular were well done and added to the depth of the story.
It can be hard to capture children and adolescents on the page in a relatable way, but LM Fox managed it well, with heartwarming banter and lines that could rip your heart out.
Yes, there were tears aplenty, but it was so worth it!
ARC received for honest opinion with much thanks!
LM Fox weaves a beautiful tale of loss and regret and the pain from knowing how things appear on the outside may not be as they seem. The therapy scenes in particular were well done and added to the depth of the story.
It can be hard to capture children and adolescents on the page in a relatable way, but LM Fox managed it well, with heartwarming banter and lines that could rip your heart out.
Yes, there were tears aplenty, but it was so worth it!
ARC received for honest opinion with much thanks!
September 23, 2024
Wow! Another emotional read from LM Fox! I don't believe I've read a book about a window finding love after loss so this was very new to me. The amount of times I cried reading this was something else. I really liked how this was written. I felt the pacing was perfect.
I felt for Mellie and Huggie after they both someone they deeply cared for. Biggie has to struggle with the guilt that he has been in love with his best friend's wife for almost 20 years. While they navigate this new life together they both start developing feelings. I felt like everything was thrown at this couple and they came out stronger in the end. I felt that Mellie's depression and grief were relatable and how she came out stronger.
Thank you @hambright_pr and @lmfoxromance for the gifted copy.-Ash
I felt for Mellie and Huggie after they both someone they deeply cared for. Biggie has to struggle with the guilt that he has been in love with his best friend's wife for almost 20 years. While they navigate this new life together they both start developing feelings. I felt like everything was thrown at this couple and they came out stronger in the end. I felt that Mellie's depression and grief were relatable and how she came out stronger.
Thank you @hambright_pr and @lmfoxromance for the gifted copy.-Ash
October 18, 2025
Mr. Second Best was about 30-something-year-old Melanie Harris, a nurse practitioner, and 36-year-old George "Huggie" Hughes, a firefighter.
Melanie and Jake, an emergency room doctor, had been together for 20 years, but their marriage had started to become quite stagnant. Intimacy was rare, but Jake had been spending more and more time at work and less time with her and their two kids. When he missed career day at school with their son, Mel had enough. Later that night, they were out with friends who had recently married, and she told him if he couldn't make her and the kids a priority, then he shouldn't come home, and then she left without him. She was woken up in the middle of the night by knocking on the door. Thinking her husband had gotten drunk before returning home, she opened the door, only to see his best friend standing there. When she asked why he was there, he told her that Jake was gone. Thinking he'd taken her earlier statement as a way to end their marriage, she asked if Jake had decided to move in with him. But his BFF told her he had died in a car accident.
The prologue was two years before the story of Melanie and Huggie began, as was Chapter 1. Chapter 2 was 18 months "earlier" (later actually, but that's not how the author titled it), and Chapter 3 was "a year earlier") meaning 6 months after losing Jake. Mel needed to return to full-time work now that Jake was no longer with them, so she interviewed for the position of APP (Advanced Practice Provider).
I have to say I wasn't really all that impressed by the way the story was written. The flow of the book was choppy because a chapter would start with the POV of one character, then part of the way through, it would switch to the POV of the other main character. The story's timeline was also wanky and distracting. Sadly, I almost DNF'd at the opening of Chapter 5 when the MMC was at a sex club and in a spicy scene with another woman attempting to get his rocks off. Sorry, but if he had truly been in love with the FMC for 20-plus years, and now he had a chance with her, he wouldn't be with another woman just 2 years later. To make matters worse? He was thinking of the FMC while screwing the other woman to "push him over the edge" because just being with someone else wasn't working. He HAD to think of the FMC to climax. Except when he looked her in the eyes, he lost his momentum and couldn't finish. That's a bit of an ICK move, author! Oh, and let's not forget, he told the other woman his name was Nathan (the name of one of his friends)...not Huggie or George. However, there was a similar scene in Chapter 7, but with a different girl. Ugh!
Unfortunately, the book was so freaking boring. By the time I reached Chapter 9, I was almost falling asleep in my coffee (a bit of over-dramatizing, but you get the picture, right?), to the point that I seriously thought of DNF'ing again...and there were a total of 36 chapters, plus a prologue and an epilogue, so it tended to drag on forever...and STILL nothing was going on between the two main characters, other than friendship on her part and un-requited love on the MMC's part.
The book was full of angst, drama, and the emotional rollercoaster had plenty of twists and turns. The conflict and push/pull elements were over the top and, to some extent, excessive at times. Too often, I put the book down and walked away because it just didn't hold my interest. The errors and overload of information were more than enough to cause even the most critical reader to shake their head and nearly quit before reaching the end. Too often, the book reached a point where it could have ended gracefully, but the author had different ideas and added another unnecessary plot twist.
Both main characters, while being fully developed and mature, didn't really grow much by the end of the story. The HEA felt contrived and forced because, in all honesty, I don't know if these two would survive in the real world. The chemistry wasn't quite right, and it felt as if the author was working hard to fit together two puzzle pieces that didn't match up, but failed miserably.
I only gave this a two-star rating because it didn't earn anything higher, which was sad. After all, the book had the potential to be so much better. However, it was a lost opportunity.
Melanie and Jake, an emergency room doctor, had been together for 20 years, but their marriage had started to become quite stagnant. Intimacy was rare, but Jake had been spending more and more time at work and less time with her and their two kids. When he missed career day at school with their son, Mel had enough. Later that night, they were out with friends who had recently married, and she told him if he couldn't make her and the kids a priority, then he shouldn't come home, and then she left without him. She was woken up in the middle of the night by knocking on the door. Thinking her husband had gotten drunk before returning home, she opened the door, only to see his best friend standing there. When she asked why he was there, he told her that Jake was gone. Thinking he'd taken her earlier statement as a way to end their marriage, she asked if Jake had decided to move in with him. But his BFF told her he had died in a car accident.
The prologue was two years before the story of Melanie and Huggie began, as was Chapter 1. Chapter 2 was 18 months "earlier" (later actually, but that's not how the author titled it), and Chapter 3 was "a year earlier") meaning 6 months after losing Jake. Mel needed to return to full-time work now that Jake was no longer with them, so she interviewed for the position of APP (Advanced Practice Provider).
I have to say I wasn't really all that impressed by the way the story was written. The flow of the book was choppy because a chapter would start with the POV of one character, then part of the way through, it would switch to the POV of the other main character. The story's timeline was also wanky and distracting. Sadly, I almost DNF'd at the opening of Chapter 5 when the MMC was at a sex club and in a spicy scene with another woman attempting to get his rocks off. Sorry, but if he had truly been in love with the FMC for 20-plus years, and now he had a chance with her, he wouldn't be with another woman just 2 years later. To make matters worse? He was thinking of the FMC while screwing the other woman to "push him over the edge" because just being with someone else wasn't working. He HAD to think of the FMC to climax. Except when he looked her in the eyes, he lost his momentum and couldn't finish. That's a bit of an ICK move, author! Oh, and let's not forget, he told the other woman his name was Nathan (the name of one of his friends)...not Huggie or George. However, there was a similar scene in Chapter 7, but with a different girl. Ugh!
Unfortunately, the book was so freaking boring. By the time I reached Chapter 9, I was almost falling asleep in my coffee (a bit of over-dramatizing, but you get the picture, right?), to the point that I seriously thought of DNF'ing again...and there were a total of 36 chapters, plus a prologue and an epilogue, so it tended to drag on forever...and STILL nothing was going on between the two main characters, other than friendship on her part and un-requited love on the MMC's part.
The book was full of angst, drama, and the emotional rollercoaster had plenty of twists and turns. The conflict and push/pull elements were over the top and, to some extent, excessive at times. Too often, I put the book down and walked away because it just didn't hold my interest. The errors and overload of information were more than enough to cause even the most critical reader to shake their head and nearly quit before reaching the end. Too often, the book reached a point where it could have ended gracefully, but the author had different ideas and added another unnecessary plot twist.
Both main characters, while being fully developed and mature, didn't really grow much by the end of the story. The HEA felt contrived and forced because, in all honesty, I don't know if these two would survive in the real world. The chemistry wasn't quite right, and it felt as if the author was working hard to fit together two puzzle pieces that didn't match up, but failed miserably.
I only gave this a two-star rating because it didn't earn anything higher, which was sad. After all, the book had the potential to be so much better. However, it was a lost opportunity.
December 7, 2022
I struggled with this one, although it was well written.
I think it was too emotional for me. Too many secrets, too much grief and our main hero suffering for 20 years... 20 years how can somebody suffer like that, because he was suffering and he was torturing himself being so close with the love of his life building a loving family with his best friend.
Understandbly he wanted to be close to them but still he was torturing himself.
He was finding solace in a sex club and we get to suffer with him. I mean I did at least.
I also understand Mel and her grief but the way she handled the news about her late husband's past was beyond me. The writer does a great job making them both, or especially Mel realize through therapy what is the source of her reaction.
It left me a sobering mess but at least they got their ❤️💜💜 HEA
I think it was too emotional for me. Too many secrets, too much grief and our main hero suffering for 20 years... 20 years how can somebody suffer like that, because he was suffering and he was torturing himself being so close with the love of his life building a loving family with his best friend.
Understandbly he wanted to be close to them but still he was torturing himself.
He was finding solace in a sex club and we get to suffer with him. I mean I did at least.
I also understand Mel and her grief but the way she handled the news about her late husband's past was beyond me. The writer does a great job making them both, or especially Mel realize through therapy what is the source of her reaction.
It left me a sobering mess but at least they got their ❤️💜💜 HEA
January 14, 2023
I tried but just couldn’t. I made it to 6%. The writing was weird. Main characters were talking in the morning about movie night and then, in almost same paragraph, it was movie night. There should have been a skipped line to show that time had passed. This happened more than once in 1st 6% and I had to go back and reread. Then, at 6%, I find out male main character is named Huggie. No, just no. A sexy, male lead has the nickname Huggie? It’s a diaper! But I’m premenstrual so maybe I’m just having a day. 🤷♀️ Maybe I’ll try again next week.
October 13, 2024
I really wanted to love Mr. Second Best —the premise had so much potential! But the execution left me feeling a bit underwhelmed.
First off, the nickname of MMC! Huggie? it reminded me of diapers. Beyond the nickname, I would like to complain about an absence of a close-knit familiar and hot passion between the main characters. And Ruby? She really got on my nerves.
🌟 What didn’t work for me:
* The characters felt odd and disconnected. Mel was completely oblivious to everything, and Huggie’s behavior at the sex club was questionable at best.
* The chemistry between the characters felt underdeveloped, making it hard to root for their relationship.
* The attempt to make the plot edgier with cringe-worthy details, like his fixation on “spunk” (yep, that happened), just didn’t land for me.
While I appreciated the themes of healing and the single-parent aspect, this book wasn’t for me. I wish it had been more polished and refined to match its potential.
First off, the nickname of MMC! Huggie? it reminded me of diapers. Beyond the nickname, I would like to complain about an absence of a close-knit familiar and hot passion between the main characters. And Ruby? She really got on my nerves.
🌟 What didn’t work for me:
* The characters felt odd and disconnected. Mel was completely oblivious to everything, and Huggie’s behavior at the sex club was questionable at best.
* The chemistry between the characters felt underdeveloped, making it hard to root for their relationship.
* The attempt to make the plot edgier with cringe-worthy details, like his fixation on “spunk” (yep, that happened), just didn’t land for me.
While I appreciated the themes of healing and the single-parent aspect, this book wasn’t for me. I wish it had been more polished and refined to match its potential.
June 14, 2023
3.5 stars
This was such a fun read! Not only did we get a dirty talking firefighter who stepped up to the plate to help raise kids that weren’t his (hello, was this written specifically for me?!?!?), but we got a badass female lead, a firefighter found family, and the sweetest kids imaginable!
I’m a big lover of romances involving pining since young adulthood/childhood, exquisite dirty talk, and fictional men who make me doubt I will ever find someone who lives up to them. This book did not disappoint on any of these factors! Check it out!
This was such a fun read! Not only did we get a dirty talking firefighter who stepped up to the plate to help raise kids that weren’t his (hello, was this written specifically for me?!?!?), but we got a badass female lead, a firefighter found family, and the sweetest kids imaginable!
I’m a big lover of romances involving pining since young adulthood/childhood, exquisite dirty talk, and fictional men who make me doubt I will ever find someone who lives up to them. This book did not disappoint on any of these factors! Check it out!
January 11, 2024
Not for me. He’s having creepy sex with prostitutes that look like her. There are sex scenes with these women that are not sexy. The way he treats these women is gross. I don’t enjoy sex scenes with other people in my romances. I definitely don’t want celibate virgins but leave out the dirty details.
September 22, 2024
My second book from this author and once again, I was hooked from the start. There is real emotion that tugs at your heart in her stories. I love the slow burn, tension, and learning to love after loss that this one has. Huggie is the perfect MMC who has been in love with Melanie, the FMC for 20 years. I love the way the author is able to write a good plot with spice. I like a good story line and want that to go along with the steamy stuff. Job well done.
August 19, 2023
First of all I want to say that Huggie is one of the most amazing book boyfriends I've read about. And the fact that I imagined him looking like Jai Courtney only added to his awesomeness. He deserves a medal for carrying that torch for twenty years, but most of all he deserves the world for being the best friend someone could ever dream of having. He's there simply because he loves Melanie and the kids and he never expects something in return for everything he does. The time he spends with them is a reward in itself. And I don't agree with the title of Mr Second Best, because, in my opinion, it doesn't get better than Huggie.
Melanie is a single mother, struggling to get back on her feet after the loss of her husband hit her so hard, she succumbed to depression. Luckily for her and her two kids, Seth and Ruby, she has the best friends in Huggie and Kat, who are there to keep up the fort, take care of her kids and make sure that she holds on. It was so hard and emotional to witness her struggle. But, thankfully, she managed to pull through, with the help of her friends.
The most emotional scene for me was at Nate and Adam's wedding. I shed a few tears. Happy tears. And I loved the HEA ending.
The reason why this book wasn't a 5🌟 read for me is because although unrequited love is one of my favorite tropes, in this book it's mixed with one of my least favorite tropes, which is friends with benefits. I don't mind friends to lovers, which was what I expected this to be, but when it comes to friends with benefits, I, personally, hate the complications that this trope brings, wether it's misscomunication or angst. And this book had quite a big amount of both.
TW: some people might be bothered by the fact that the MMC is shown having sex with other women, but that happens before anything romantic happens between Huggie and Melanie.
Melanie is a single mother, struggling to get back on her feet after the loss of her husband hit her so hard, she succumbed to depression. Luckily for her and her two kids, Seth and Ruby, she has the best friends in Huggie and Kat, who are there to keep up the fort, take care of her kids and make sure that she holds on. It was so hard and emotional to witness her struggle. But, thankfully, she managed to pull through, with the help of her friends.
The most emotional scene for me was at Nate and Adam's wedding. I shed a few tears. Happy tears. And I loved the HEA ending.
The reason why this book wasn't a 5🌟 read for me is because although unrequited love is one of my favorite tropes, in this book it's mixed with one of my least favorite tropes, which is friends with benefits. I don't mind friends to lovers, which was what I expected this to be, but when it comes to friends with benefits, I, personally, hate the complications that this trope brings, wether it's misscomunication or angst. And this book had quite a big amount of both.
TW: some people might be bothered by the fact that the MMC is shown having sex with other women, but that happens before anything romantic happens between Huggie and Melanie.
June 8, 2024
emotional and sweet
Right from the start I couldn’t help but love George aka Huggie. This is a man who as a teen fell for a girl who only had eyes for his best friend. She never knew,no one ever knew.
He stood back watching Melanie and his best friend Jake grow a life together. Getting married and having kids. He stood back cause he loved his best friend and could never betray him. 20 years of standing on the sidelines. Then one night he had to break the worst news anyone ever had to give, telling the Mellie Jake had d!ed in a car accident.
The emotional feeling I had for Huggie was so moving. He wanted to move on and find a life with someone, he just couldn’t. Melanie’s grief was real and heartbreaking. Two years of learning to live again for not just her children but for herself. She leaned on the one person who was always there for her and her kids.
The build up of her starting the notice Huggie was perfectly done. It started with little things. Finding joy in her time she spent with him and her kids. Realizing she felt different around him. All the while she thought he was a bachelor for life. It was pretty clear from the start these two were meant to be. The timing wasn’t right all those years ago. And watching him finally take the leap into knowing now was the time was beautiful. Oh and he was a firefighter too 😉
Right from the start I couldn’t help but love George aka Huggie. This is a man who as a teen fell for a girl who only had eyes for his best friend. She never knew,no one ever knew.
He stood back watching Melanie and his best friend Jake grow a life together. Getting married and having kids. He stood back cause he loved his best friend and could never betray him. 20 years of standing on the sidelines. Then one night he had to break the worst news anyone ever had to give, telling the Mellie Jake had d!ed in a car accident.
The emotional feeling I had for Huggie was so moving. He wanted to move on and find a life with someone, he just couldn’t. Melanie’s grief was real and heartbreaking. Two years of learning to live again for not just her children but for herself. She leaned on the one person who was always there for her and her kids.
The build up of her starting the notice Huggie was perfectly done. It started with little things. Finding joy in her time she spent with him and her kids. Realizing she felt different around him. All the while she thought he was a bachelor for life. It was pretty clear from the start these two were meant to be. The timing wasn’t right all those years ago. And watching him finally take the leap into knowing now was the time was beautiful. Oh and he was a firefighter too 😉
September 27, 2024
i really wanted to love this book, it sounded so good! but there’s a few things i just couldn’t get over. first one was the nicknames! like huggie? it reminds me of diapers 😅 i also had a hard time with mellie, mainly because i’m a “mel” and i hated being called mellie lol. i didn’t really connect with the characters, and i didn’t feel the connection between the mmc’s. i also found ruby very annoying 😬
i feel like this book could have gone through another round of editing. there were a few instances were there was unfinished paragraphs and characters saying something but no words in the quotations. it really bothered me.
i really like the storyline of this book, but i feel like it could have been executed a little better imo.
thank you to the author & hambright pr for the arc.
what to expect:
- friends to lovers
- forbidden love/best friend’s widow
- second chance romance
- firefighter
- single mom
- surprise pregnancy
i feel like this book could have gone through another round of editing. there were a few instances were there was unfinished paragraphs and characters saying something but no words in the quotations. it really bothered me.
i really like the storyline of this book, but i feel like it could have been executed a little better imo.
thank you to the author & hambright pr for the arc.
what to expect:
- friends to lovers
- forbidden love/best friend’s widow
- second chance romance
- firefighter
- single mom
- surprise pregnancy
December 31, 2024
Oh man Huggie! He was everything. What a great attentive well rounded guy. Not lacking flaws of course but man his ability to hop in and just be there at a drop of a hat is commendable.
Mel goes through hell. Her destiny seems so bleak until she realizes it's ok to move on and do something for HER. Her navigation through depression after loss is heartbreaking but hopeful.
The kids are absolute gems. Going through their own tragedy at multiple angles. The sweet souls are so resilient.
They all collectively deserve a cohesive and loving home. With a messy kitchen from time to time - IYKYK 🤣. I loved watching their story together unfold.
LM Fox got me again with the emotions. I love the depth she goes to make you connect to these characters. I certainly did! Grab this one now and fall in love with Huggie along with me. ❤️
Thank you @lmfoxromance & @hambright_pr
for a free e-copy of this book! 🫶🏻
Mel goes through hell. Her destiny seems so bleak until she realizes it's ok to move on and do something for HER. Her navigation through depression after loss is heartbreaking but hopeful.
The kids are absolute gems. Going through their own tragedy at multiple angles. The sweet souls are so resilient.
They all collectively deserve a cohesive and loving home. With a messy kitchen from time to time - IYKYK 🤣. I loved watching their story together unfold.
LM Fox got me again with the emotions. I love the depth she goes to make you connect to these characters. I certainly did! Grab this one now and fall in love with Huggie along with me. ❤️
Thank you @lmfoxromance & @hambright_pr
for a free e-copy of this book! 🫶🏻
December 22, 2022
This book 🥵😍😭 I didn't want to put it down! The dual POV was perfection. I loved the back story and the character development. The build up had me anxious (like kiss her already!) but kept going page after page just waiting to see how it would unfold. It was sad, happy, funny, spicy, and sweet. It was everything! The only thing I disliked was the MMC was called "Huggie". I could not picture this sexy firefighter and then read the name "Huggie".
*I read this book as an ARC. The above is my honest opinion.*
*I read this book as an ARC. The above is my honest opinion.*
February 24, 2023
DNF how is this book so highly rated??? The writing is awful, typos everywhere and the storyline is genuinely painful. I skipped through the book a little and god damn it only gets worse. If this was a 2013 Wattpad book I would understand but damn they talk so juvenile.
April 8, 2024
DNF at 17%
How does this have such a high rating?? Such poor grammar and sentence structure.
Huggie visiting a brothel for years? Not my type of MMC 🤷🏻♀️
This was my second attempt and I just couldn’t make myself continue any further.
How does this have such a high rating?? Such poor grammar and sentence structure.
Huggie visiting a brothel for years? Not my type of MMC 🤷🏻♀️
This was my second attempt and I just couldn’t make myself continue any further.
September 20, 2024
(3.8 Stars)
After losing her husband Melanie tries her best to care for her children. With the help of his best friend Huggie and others some days don’t feel so lonely. Huggie had been in love with Melanie for a while but knows he should just stay her friend as that’s what she needs, but maybe Melanie needs a little more than just his friendship. Her late husband had a few secrets he was keeping from her but she didn’t know what was happening until much later. Can she move on and try to find happiness again? This is a sweet yet emotional second chance romance between the fireman who always had feelings for his best friend’s wife. Huggie is great with her children and these two deserve their HEA even if some secrets kept may create doubts. Told in first person and dual POV.
After losing her husband Melanie tries her best to care for her children. With the help of his best friend Huggie and others some days don’t feel so lonely. Huggie had been in love with Melanie for a while but knows he should just stay her friend as that’s what she needs, but maybe Melanie needs a little more than just his friendship. Her late husband had a few secrets he was keeping from her but she didn’t know what was happening until much later. Can she move on and try to find happiness again? This is a sweet yet emotional second chance romance between the fireman who always had feelings for his best friend’s wife. Huggie is great with her children and these two deserve their HEA even if some secrets kept may create doubts. Told in first person and dual POV.
February 1, 2024
Right from the start, I couldn’t help but love George, aka Huggie. This is a man who, as a teen fell for a girl who only had eyes for his best friend...
I didn’t want Melanie and Huggies' story to end. It’s true love that spans a lifetime.
Huggie is more than just the loyal best friend. He's one hot swoony alpha and definitely an old romantic. ❤
I would highly recommend this book it's beautifully sad but as a beautifully perfect ending. TOTAL PERFECTION!!!!
Well done, LM Fox. I absolutely loved this read.
I didn’t want Melanie and Huggies' story to end. It’s true love that spans a lifetime.
Huggie is more than just the loyal best friend. He's one hot swoony alpha and definitely an old romantic. ❤
I would highly recommend this book it's beautifully sad but as a beautifully perfect ending. TOTAL PERFECTION!!!!
Well done, LM Fox. I absolutely loved this read.
December 20, 2022
While emotionally hard hitting I absolutely loved this book. L.M. tells a beautiful story filled with grief, loss, unrequited love and trauma. I loved the storyline, how well grief, death and depression were handled. This book will tug at your heart and soul but leave you feeling absolutely fulfilled. Be prepared to cry, scream and be angry at times but trust me this is a book you will not put down. I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review from the author through Brey&Katie book tours.
June 8, 2023
Where to begin
It sounded good in theory...too long, too much, some parts too dramatic...I skimmed a good bit I couldn't continue straight through. The writing was good and maybe it was just me but no where as good as I had hoped .
It sounded good in theory...too long, too much, some parts too dramatic...I skimmed a good bit I couldn't continue straight through. The writing was good and maybe it was just me but no where as good as I had hoped .
March 25, 2024
This book was fantastic!!! He fell first but his best friend asked her out first and got the girl. He loves her from afar for 20 years until tragedy strikes and things change. This book was so great!!!!
November 13, 2025
No. Absolutely not. I can’t believe I didn’t DNF this one, but I think I just kept hoping that it would get better and it never did. Literally why am I reading a book about a man who pines after his best friend’s wife for 20 years and still have to hear him call literally every single woman he interacts with “beautiful” or “hot” or “sexy”?!?!?! Literally nothing about this romance was convincing and I’m half convinced this is one of the absolute worst “romances” I have ever read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2022
Everybody needs a Huggie. Wow! Loved every second. This is book was beautifully written and I did not want it to end. Thank you LM Fox for sharing Huggie and Mel's story.
November 21, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I cried so many times. I can neither confirm nor deny that I may have gone through an entire box of tissues while reading it. I still cry when I look at the title.
Melanie and Huggie’s story is truly a beautiful one. She lost her husband, Huggie’s best friend. Huggie loved her from afar for over 20 years. To his own emotional detriment, he was there for her when she needed him the most, in about a million different ways. I hate giving away the plot, so I won’t say anymore. I will simply say that this is a beautiful, well-written story. I consider it a must-read. It’s emotional, steamy, and thought-provoking.
You don’t need to have read the Deprivation Trilogy to enjoy this book, though why wouldn’t you?
Melanie and Huggie’s story is truly a beautiful one. She lost her husband, Huggie’s best friend. Huggie loved her from afar for over 20 years. To his own emotional detriment, he was there for her when she needed him the most, in about a million different ways. I hate giving away the plot, so I won’t say anymore. I will simply say that this is a beautiful, well-written story. I consider it a must-read. It’s emotional, steamy, and thought-provoking.
You don’t need to have read the Deprivation Trilogy to enjoy this book, though why wouldn’t you?
December 2, 2022
First Place goes to Mr. Second Best
This book had me ALL up in my feelings. It may have been the location,as each and every one of my hometown,and local haunts are mentioned,making the story all the more real and familiar to me.
The main characters experienced a second chance at their love story,while simultaneously exploring one another for the first time.
The themes of yearning,regret, and love mixed with a healthy dose of disappointment only served to endear the characters to me even more.
George "Huggie" Hughes has been in love with his best friend's wife,(whom he met first) for nearly 20 years. He's watched as they married,had children and made a life together. Always serving them as their best friend and sounding board, while resigning himself to a life of loneliness. Pining for the woman he can't forget,while never betraying the trust or loyalty of his best friend.
Tragedy strikes, and now the only person who can bring Melanie out of the trenches of grief and depression,is the man who has watched and adored her from afar. If only his guilt would allow him to let her see he's been waiting to be hers for decades.
Y'all. The angst! The amount of feeling this man has for her is UNBELIEVABLE,and so very sexy. These two had fantastic chemistry...and you know they made me wait for "it".
Reading this story drove home the fact that no one is immune to the challenges of daily life with a spouse and children. It changes couples,and the love they have evolves over time. When we promise forever in our marriage vows, one doesn't think forever could be cut short. Picking up the pieces and finding an identity outside of the person who helped shape you is scary,and the author tackles this subject beautifully.
The depiction of relationships was so relatable and honest. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.
This book had me ALL up in my feelings. It may have been the location,as each and every one of my hometown,and local haunts are mentioned,making the story all the more real and familiar to me.
The main characters experienced a second chance at their love story,while simultaneously exploring one another for the first time.
The themes of yearning,regret, and love mixed with a healthy dose of disappointment only served to endear the characters to me even more.
George "Huggie" Hughes has been in love with his best friend's wife,(whom he met first) for nearly 20 years. He's watched as they married,had children and made a life together. Always serving them as their best friend and sounding board, while resigning himself to a life of loneliness. Pining for the woman he can't forget,while never betraying the trust or loyalty of his best friend.
Tragedy strikes, and now the only person who can bring Melanie out of the trenches of grief and depression,is the man who has watched and adored her from afar. If only his guilt would allow him to let her see he's been waiting to be hers for decades.
Y'all. The angst! The amount of feeling this man has for her is UNBELIEVABLE,and so very sexy. These two had fantastic chemistry...and you know they made me wait for "it".
Reading this story drove home the fact that no one is immune to the challenges of daily life with a spouse and children. It changes couples,and the love they have evolves over time. When we promise forever in our marriage vows, one doesn't think forever could be cut short. Picking up the pieces and finding an identity outside of the person who helped shape you is scary,and the author tackles this subject beautifully.
The depiction of relationships was so relatable and honest. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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