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Review

4.5 stars!

The fourth and final book of the Ward Sisters series, this is a forbidden-ish age-gap romance between a single dad and widower who is an ex-MMA fighter, and the girl who has crushed on him since she was a teenager – and he’s her boss. It’s sweet and emotional, with a beautiful, slow-burning romance, and I absolutely loved this story.

Isabel is the middle sister of the Ward siblings, and at 25 years old, her life is all about managing her gym. So she’s not happy when she learns that her boss has sold to a new owner, and she’s absolutely mortified when the new owner turns out to be Aiden Hennessy – MMA fighting champion and the object of all of her teenage desires (we’re talking posters on wall, day dreams, and actual love letters). She’s all grown up now, but she still feels a mad attraction for her new boss, which makes things really awkward at work.

Aiden is after a fresh start. He is 35 years old and his wife died two years previously after an illness, leaving him and his young daughter devastated. They’ve moved to a new town, a new house, and a new job in their efforts to move on.

Things are initially a bit tense between Aiden and Isabel, but they slowly develop a working relationship. Their individual histories makes things a bit uncomfortable, as does their very inconvenient attraction to each other. It’s something Aiden never imagined he’d feel again, and he fights against it, and Isabel may be brave and bold, but she’s innocent in so many ways, and has no idea how to deal with the situation. But despite the awkward, they develop a connection and even a friendship as they get to know each other. The chemistry is awesome, and there’s lots of will they/won’t they moments that create fantastic sexual tension.

“You two have been circling each other since the day he started. It’s like watching the two most flirt-avoidant people in the universe trying to figure out how to speak to each other.”

I loved the dynamic between these two, and I really enjoyed their push and pull. While that kind of storyline can become annoying, here it made sense. Isobel may be tough and fierce, but she has a beautiful vulnerability about her. And I really felt for Aiden, trying to do the right thing and battling to come to terms with all that he was feeling.

“When it comes to you, Isabel, there is no competition, and I don’t know how to make peace with that.”

Resolution eventually comes, and it’s beautiful, swoony, passionate and everything that I wanted for these two. It’s absolutely worth the wait, and I loved watching them get their happy ending.

My smile was as easy as breathing, which was sort of how it felt to fall in love with him.

Along the way, Isabel’s family and Aiden’s daughter are a big part of the story. I loved seeing Isabel’s siblings there for her, and Aiden’s seven-year-old daredevil daughter, Anya, is so freaking cute. There’s a wonderful sense of family in this series, and as an added treat, we get to see a family wedding, and it’s so beautiful!

“My sister could not care less about which firsts you experience together. What she wants is forever.”

This is such a sweet story. It’s fun and lighthearted, but still brings the chemistry and emotion, and the romance is absolutely gorgeous.

I love this series. I have loved reading about this incredibly close family, and watching each of the Ward sisters meet their incredible men. I’m sad to see it come to an end, so I’m going back to read about big brother Logan in the The Marriage Effect just to get a little bit more.

Such a great read – 4.5 stars.

 

The Ward Sisters