{"id":35605,"date":"2018-08-23T08:00:49","date_gmt":"2018-08-23T12:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=35605"},"modified":"2018-08-23T08:16:22","modified_gmt":"2018-08-23T12:16:22","slug":"arc-review-hold-you-close-by-melanie-harlow-and-corinne-michaels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=35605","title":{"rendered":"Blog Tour, Excerpt & ARC Review: Hold You Close by Melanie Harlow and Corinne Michaels"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

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\n

\u201cCorinne Michaels and Melanie Harlow are a match made in heaven. Five-Sweet-Stars for this unforgettable collaboration!<\/em>\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n

–A.L. Jackson, New York Times bestselling author<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hold You Close, an all-new second chance standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author Corinne Michaels and USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow, is available now!<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Amazon US<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Amazon Universal<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 iBooks\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Nook\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Kobo\u00a0<\/a> | \u00a0 Paperback<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Audible<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

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\r\n <\/div><\/div><\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n

Synopsis<\/strong><\/h4>\n

From NYT Bestseller Corinne Michaels &amp; USA Today Bestseller Melanie Harlow, comes a second chance standalone romance.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ian Chase broke my heart at seventeen, and I\u2019ve spent the last eighteen years hating him for it.<\/p>\n

He makes it easy, with his smart mouth and playboy lifestyle\u2014which I unfortunately have to observe since he lives behind me. Every time I see him climbing out of his pool, practically naked and unreasonably sexy, my blood boils.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always loved to loathe him.<\/p>\n

I never planned to need him.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

London Parish is my little sister\u2019s best friend, not that it stopped me from falling for her.<\/p>\n

Our history is complicated. The only thing we have in common is being godparents to my sister\u2019s three adorable kids\u2014until our lives are changed in one tragic moment.<\/p>\n

Now we\u2019re trying to raise the children we love, mourn an unthinkable loss, and fight an undeniable attraction.<\/p>\n

My life is already upside-down, and the last thing I need is for old feelings to resurface.<\/p>\n

Because I\u2019ll never be able to keep her, no matter how hard I try to hold her close.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Review<\/b><\/h4>\n

Such a gorgeous story, I loved it! 4 stars!<\/b><\/p>\n

When I heard that two of my favourite authors were teaming up to co-write, I was beyond excited. Melanie Harlow and Corinne Michaels have individually written some of my all-time favourite books, and together they have created a beautiful story that is heartfelt yet fun, romantic and sizzling with chemistry with a sexy and swoony second-chance love story. Combining some of my favourite tropes (young love, best friend\u2019s brother, second-chance and enemies-to-lovers), I was sucked right into the emotional ride that is this book, and I loved every moment, unable to put it down. Such a great read, I loved it!<\/p>\n

London and Ian met as kids, he was the older brother of her best friend and she pined over him for years before he finally reciprocated, and they confessed their love for each other as teenagers and had one magical night together before it all fell apart. For years they have kept their feelings at bay by ignoring and\/or arguing with each other, turning their feelings for each other into what they call \u2018hatred\u2019. But when Ian\u2019s sister and her husband are tragically killed, they are forced together to come together to care for their three orphaned children, putting them into an emotionally intense situation and making them finally address their past and deal with the feelings that are still very much present between them.<\/p>\n

London represents everything I\u2019ve ever wanted but didn\u2019t deserve.
\nShe\u2019s a pain in the ass, but she\u2019s also brilliant, funny, kind and loving. I loved her once and let her go because she needed to fly. <\/i><\/p>\n

If I couldn\u2019t have her, I had to hate her. It was the only way I could get over her.<\/em>
\nBut as I sit here and watch her leave my house, I know that deep down, I never did.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

London is a great heroine \u2013 smart, sensible and relatable. She is mostly content with her quiet, single life and is devoted to her career, but she loves the children as if they were her own, and despite her difficulties with Ian, she throws herself into the situation to care for and support them. And Ian! OMG, I love him! He is sexy, arrogant, and a complete playboy. Bold and irreverent with a delightfully playful edge, he doesn\u2019t hold anything back, and his antics and outbursts had me laughing out loud more than once. And the animosity between them brings a fantastically fun dynamic.<\/p>\n

The thing about love is that it\u2019s irrational and stupid. I work with statistics and analyse hard data \u2013 I weigh probabilities and risks, and think in truths and facts.
\nTruth \u2013 Ian broke my heart.
\nTruth \u2013 Ian is the man I\u2019ve never gotten over.
\nFact \u2013 Ian is a selfish player who doesn\u2019t give a shit about me.
\nFact \u2013 I want to rip his clothes off and fuck his brains out.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And OMG I love the set up for this story! Of course it\u2019s tragic, but it means that emotions are running high from the very beginning, and Ian and London are immediately all up in each other\u2019s faces as they battle with each other. It\u2019s hot and feisty and full of feeling, and it\u2019s only a matter of time before years\u2019 worth of pent-up emotion comes out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t hate you. I wish I hated you. It would make things easier, it would mean I don\u2019t care.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There is so much emotion between these two. Ian had his reasons for breaking London\u2019s heart, thinking he was doing the right thing, even though she has no idea, but they both know that they\u2019ve never really moved on from each other. There are years of animosity that they need to overcome, and it takes some time for both of them to accept everything that\u2019s happening between them, but every step of it is sizzling with chemistry.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you thinking about when I kissed you?\u201d
\nHer lips part. \u201cNo.\u201d
\nI keep walking toward her, waiting for her to stop me. \u201cNo? You don\u2019t want me to hold you in my arms, press my lips to yours, and remind you how good we fit?\u201d She doesn\u2019t move and now we\u2019re just a breath apart.
\nI could kiss her right now.
\nI could do everything I\u2019ve wanted to.
\nBut I won\u2019t make a fool of myself again.
\n\u201cNo, I don\u2019t.\u201d
\nShe\u2019s lying, but I\u2019ll let her have it.
\n\u201cThe next time I kiss you, London Parish, it\u2019ll be because you beg me to,\u201d I promise her.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The sexual tension is absolutely fantastic! And once they give in to it, it\u2019s not only really freaking hot, but the romance unfolds easily and naturally, and I loved watching it happen for them.<\/p>\n

His hand cups my cheek. \u201cI meant what I said before you left. You might think I\u2019ve charmed you before, but you haven\u2019t seen anything yet. I hope you\u2019re ready.\u201d
\nMy throat goes dry at his promise. \u201cWhat if I\u2019m not?\u201d
\nHe smiles down at me. \u201cThen you better find a way \u2013 and fast.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But when the time comes for life choices to be made, priorities shift and hearts are put on the line as they are forced to figure out what it is they truly want. The drama is high, and the conflict is slightly eye-rolling but it\u2019s resolved quickly and in sensational style, fitting well as part of their journey and I loved watching it all play out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never stopped loving you. Ever. Even when we fought, even when I pretended to hate you, even when I tried to forget you, you\u2019ve always been the one.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Oh swoon!!!!!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s such a gorgeous story, and I loved every stage of London and Ian\u2019s story as they battled hard, and loved even harder. Though I would have liked to have seen a bit more interaction with the kids. Of course they are involved, and they are each well-developed characters, but at times it felt like London and Ian were more interested in what was going on between them then with the welfare of the kids which, given their circumstances, seemed a bit unrealistic. But it ensures some great development in the love story, and the way that the kids played into it was really sweetly done.<\/p>\n

This is a great read. Fun and sexy with lots of heart and a beautiful romance (and an epilogue that is just perfection!), and I was easily swept up in the story. It\u2019s a great beginning to what I hope is a writing duo that we get to see more of (and bonus points for the Jack Valentini and Eli Walsh references!).<\/p>\n

I loved it – 4 stars.<\/p>\n

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Excerpt<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cIan,\u201d my bartender, Toby, calls with his hand out.<\/span>
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s up?\u201d<\/span>
\n\u201cYou have a call.\u201d He pushes the phone toward me.<\/span>
\nNo one calls the club for me other than vendors, and it\u2019s eleven-thirty at night, so whoever it is can wait.<\/span>
\n\u201cI have to deal with something now, send them to my voicemail.\u201d<\/span>
\nHe shakes his head. \u201cShe\u2019s called three times.\u201d The annoyance in his voice is clear, even over the music.<\/span>
\nShe?<\/span>
\nThe only woman that would resort to calling the club is my ex-wife. God only knows what bullshit she wants now. For all I know she broke a nail, it\u2019s my fault,
\nand she thinks I should pay for her new manicure, or a hand replacement. She\u2019s like the gift you\u2019ve tried to return but can\u2019t find the receipt for, so you\u2019re stuck with it. I hate unwanted presents, and I hate Jolene.<\/span>
\n\u201cSend the devil to my voicemail,\u201d I say and walk away.<\/span>
\nI head out to the sidewalk. Drea wasn\u2019t kidding, the line is nuts. \u201cHello, Officer,\u201d I say to the pudgy cop standing next to the bouncer.<\/span>
\n\u201cMr. Chase, we\u2019re getting complaints,\u201d he says, looking down the sidewalk at the line.<\/span>
\n\u201cI can\u2019t help that we\u2019re popular.\u201d I shrug. \u201cI\u2019m at capacity, and can\u2019t kick out the paying customers to take care of the line.\u201d<\/span>
\n\u201cYou\u2019re obstructing the entrances of other businesses because of the way your overflow lines are set up.\u201d<\/span>
\nHow the hell would they like me to handle it? We\u2019re not inside the casino, there\u2019s no way to control the line. I\u2019m not about to turn away people when we hit <\/span>the number ten. This is a business, and part of the free marketing I get is thanks to the line.
\n\u201cAll right, I\u2019ll figure something out.\u201d I grip the back of my neck.<\/span>
\nI feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. If this is Jolene, I swear to God, I might lose my fucking mind.<\/span>
\nThe name flashes across the screen, London Parish. For fuck\u2019s sake. Like I need to deal with my sister\u2019s uptight, irritating best friend right now. London would be incredibly hot if she wasn\u2019t such a raging bitch. I look at my call log and see this is the third time she\u2019s called.<\/span>
\nI walk down the strip a little, and after a few deep breaths, I call her back.<\/span>
\n\u201cIan, you need to come to my house.\u201d<\/span>
\nI smirk. \u201cWell, this is a first. Did you have the stick removed from your ass?\u201d<\/span>
\n\u201cDon\u2019t. Not today, please. Just come here.\u201d I hear her sniff and my protectiveness kicks in. Someone made her cry. We don\u2019t get along at all\u2014partly because we\u2019re polar opposites and partly because of our history\u2014but no one gets to make her cry.<\/span>
\n\u201cAre you hurt?\u201d I ask.<\/span>
\n\u201cNot in the way you think.\u201d Her voice hitches.<\/span>
\nI\u2019ve known London for twenty-five years. I can count on one hand how many times I\u2019ve seen or heard her cry\u2014I was the reason one of those times.<\/span>
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong? Is it an emergency? Because I\u2019m at work and the club\u2014\u201d<\/span>
\n\u201cNow, Ian. You need to come here now.\u201d<\/span>
\nShe also doesn\u2019t play games.<\/span>
\nFuck.
\n<\/span>I look at my watch and blow a deep breath through my nose.
\nIt\u2019ll take me at least thirty minutes to get there. This is seriously a shitty night. \u201cI\u2019ll be there as soon as I can.\u201d<\/span>
\n\u201cJust . . . hurry,\u201d London says and hangs up.<\/span>
\nDread pulls at my stomach, telling me there\u2019s something going on. I don\u2019t know what, but I know I need to get there.<\/span>
\n\u201cGet rid of the line, no more get in,\u201d I tell the bouncer, and then head inside.<\/span>
\nDrea is at the bar, and my anxiety is starting to grow. London needs me there, why? What happened? Did someone break into her house? Mine? Maybe it has to do with an ex, if she even has one, or it could be nothing like that. Regardless, her voice was shaky and I can\u2019t waste time wondering.<\/span>
\n\u201cI have to go,\u201d I tell Drea.<\/span>
\nHer eyes widen. \u201cGo? Go where? It\u2019s a packed house.\u201d<\/span>
\n\u201cI\u2019m aware of that, but something came up. I need you to handle things tonight.\u201d I turn to Toby. \u201cStay until Drea is done closing and I want you to escort her to her car at the end of the night.\u201d<\/span>
\nHe nods.<\/span>
\nI never let her walk out of here alone. Even if I have someone coming home with me, Drea\u2019s not going to be unescorted. Too many men get the wrong impression because she\u2019s nice to them. Over my dead body will she be hurt as a result of working at my club.<\/span>
\nAfter I get in the car, my mind is racing. I drive faster than I should, telling myself that London is just being dramatic.<\/span>
\nAnd then I remember . . . she has my nephew and nieces at her house.<\/span>
\nMy foot pushes down on the pedal of my Jaguar, making the engine howl with each mile. I turn into the development where we both live, pass my house, and head to hers. I still hate that our backyards touch. Every damn day I see her sitting out on her deck, reading her books, looking down at me with her disapproving attitude.
\n<\/span>When I get there, the flashing lights of a police car brighten the road. I don\u2019t think. I don\u2019t know if I even put the car in park before I\u2019m out of the vehicle.<\/span>
\n\u201cLondon!\u201d I yell as I rush through the door. \u201cChristopher? Morgan? Ruby?\u201d I call out for the kids, praying it\u2019s not one of them.<\/span>
\nWhen I get to the living room, I release a heavy sigh\u2014they\u2019re all there, not hurt.<\/span>
\nThen I see the tears streaming down Morgan\u2019s face. London gets to her feet. Her eyes are red, puffy, and black mascara runs down her cheeks. \u201cIan.\u201d She chokes on my name.<\/span>
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong? What happened?\u201d<\/span>
\nThe girls start to cry again, and my nephew pulls them into his arms.<\/span>
\nLondon moves toward me, placing her hand on my chest.
\n\u201cThey\u2019re gone.\u201d<\/span>
\n\u201cWho?\u201d I ask, confused.<\/span>
\n\u201cSabrina and David,\u201d she whispers.<\/span>
\nYeah, they went on a trip. Why the hell are they crying? \u201cThis is what you called me for? They\u2019ll be home in a few days. Why are you crying too?\u201d I ask.<\/span>
\nHer green eyes meet mine and her lips part. \u201cNo.\u201d She shakes her head. \u201cThey won\u2019t.\u201d<\/span>
\nI look over at the kids again, and then to the muted television.
\nMy feet move closer, because I have to be sure the words flashing across the screen say what I think they say. \u201cFlight 1184 crashes off the coast of Hawaii. Three hundred missing and presumed dead.\u201d<\/span>
\nMy sister was going to Hawaii.<\/span>
\nMy sister is gone.<\/span>
\nI sink to my knees in front of the kids, unsure what to say.
\nThey just lost their parents, and my heart is breaking. My sister was my best friend. She was the <\/span>one who pushed me to open Veil and do what I wanted. I\u2019ve always had her support, and now she\u2019s gone.
\nChristopher lifts his head, his brown eyes filled with unshed tears. \u201cThey\u2019ll find them,\u201d he says with conviction.<\/span>
\n\u201cOkay,\u201d I reply. We both know it\u2019s a lie, but it\u2019s one he has to tell himself. I remember being fifteen; there was no telling me I was wrong.<\/span>
\n\u201cDad wouldn\u2019t . . .\u201d he starts, and then stops as his lip quivers.<\/span>
\nMy own tears start to fall, as Morgan grabs my hand. \u201cWhat do we do now?\u201d<\/span>
\nI have no fucking clue. How do I tell these kids how to survive?
\nI\u2019m the last person in the world equipped to give this advice. I look to London. Her hand touches my shoulder and she wipes the tears that fall silently down her cheeks.<\/span>
\n\u201cWe hold each other close,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

About the Authors<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Corinne Michaels<\/strong> is the author of nine romance novels. She\u2019s an emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun loving mom of two beautiful children. Corinne is happily married to the man of her dreams and is a former Navy wife.<\/p>\n

After spending months away from her husband while he was deployed, reading and writing was her escape from the loneliness. She enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak and finding a way to heal them through their struggles. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love.<\/p>\n

To sign up for monthly text alerts: Text CMBOOKS TO 77948 (US only due to carrier restrictions)<\/p>\n

NEWSLETTER<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0WEBSITE<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0FB GROUP<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

FACEBOOK<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0INSTAGRAM<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0TWITTER<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0PINTEREST<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0GOODREADS<\/a>\u00a0| BOOKBUB<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Check out more great reads on our Corinne Michaels Author Spotlight<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"Melanie Harlow<\/strong> likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she\u2019s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like VEEP, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and Homeland. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.<\/p>\n

Melanie is the author of the AFTER WE FALL<\/a> series, the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE<\/a> series, the FRENCHED<\/a> series, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY DUET<\/a>, set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.<\/p>\n

Sign up for Melanie\u2019s NEWSLETTER<\/a>!
\nSign up for monthly text alerts: Text HARLOT to 77948<\/p>\n

FACEBOOK<\/a> | AMAZON<\/a> | BOOKBUB<\/a> | WEBSITE<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

PINTEREST<\/a> | INSTAGRAM<\/a> | TWITTER<\/a> <\/strong><\/h4>\n

Check out more great reads on our Melanie Harlow Author Spotlight<\/a>!<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  \u201cCorinne Michaels and Melanie Harlow are a match made in heaven. Five-Sweet-Stars for this unforgettable collaboration!\u201d –A.L. Jackson, New York Times bestselling author   Hold You Close, an all-new second chance standalone romance by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":34749,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":4,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"Product","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[443,86,25,9,29],"tags":[59,164,308,48,76],"class_list":["post-35605","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-brotherbest-friend","category-enemies-to-lovers","category-friends-to-lovers","category-romance","category-steamy","tag-arc","tag-corinne-michaels","tag-melanie-harlow","tag-review","tag-standalone"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Hold-You-Close.jpg?fit=150%2C225&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-9gh","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35605","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35605"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35605\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/34749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35605"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35605"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35605"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}