Growing up in small town Belcrest, Maddy Jennings thought she was destined to be with her childhood love Trent Basso. Their friendship blossomed into love as they weaved in and out of each other’s lives, from school aged to young adulthood. During her complicated path with Trent, another love interest seems to be her constant. The problem is the other love interest is Trent’s older brother. Trent’s brother is bound to keep a promise to him even if it means keeping his distance from Maddy, but it doesn’t stop him from being a friend she can count on.

When Maddy returns to her hometown after two years for her brother’s wedding, she will have to face not only Trent but his brother as well. As the two Basso brothers fight to win her heart, she struggles to forgive her mom and accept her apology, in order to mend their relationship?

She must decide to either forfeit her happiness or tear a family apart.

Gabe’s Perspective

I escape into the dorm hallway, shutting the door behind me. I couldn’t stand to look at her in that tight, chest-hugging tank top and those short, ass-hugging boxers for one more minute. She’s my brother’s girl, she’s my brother’s girl, I tell myself. One of these days it might actually sink in.

Taking my phone out while I wait, I lean against the wall and give a flirtatious smirk to the girls who are checking me out as they walk by. I haven’t stepped foot in this dorm since my sophomore year when I brought Jen Clybourne home. Man…that was a good night. I definitely need more of those, but when you double major in marketing and economics, it doesn’t exactly leave much time for “extra-curricular” activities.

Speaking of which, taking Maddy out was absolutely not part of any plan. I was supposed to check up on her and get the hell out. After finding out from Little Ross last night that Maddy has been holed up in her room, I wanted to drive down to Thrayer University and beat the shit out of my little brother. Since I didn’t have time for that, I figured the least I could do was help repair whatever damage he’s done. I wonder if he will ever get his shit together when it comes to her.

She finally comes out of her room and I have the sudden urge to grab her hand. Fortunately, my brain kicks in and I wait for her to walk in front me, leading me to the stairs and out of the dorm. We make our way to my favorite pizza place, where she orders a slice of spinach and onion and I get my usual pepperoni.

Silence fills the space between us and she plays with her straw, while I pretend to fiddle with my phone. Has she always been this quiet and reserved? I can’t help but wonder if it’s because of my brother, or maybe I’m giving him too much credit and it’s just her personality. All I know is that this feels awkward and I wonder, not for the first time, why did I do this again?

I am relieved when I hear our number being called and I quickly get up to grab our pizza, as she goes off to get napkins and some parmesan cheese. As she walks back to the table with a smile on her face, I can’t help but admire how amazing she looks. Those long tan legs seem to go on for miles, and her toned stomach would be the envy of any girl I know. Her chestnut hair looks silky and smooth and I imagine what it would be like to run my fingers through it while she’s lying naked across my chest. What was my brother thinking, giving her up?

She sits down and thankfully appears more relaxed than she was before. I decide to start talking about myself with in hopes that she’ll feel more comfortable. I tell her how hard it is not playing football this season and about my plans to start my own business, enabling me to get out of Belcrest for good. She tells me about her parents’ divorce and even talks some about her mom. It astonishes me that she is willing to share such personal information with me. Everyone knows about Maddy’s family situation but I don’t mention that.

Her small mannerisms are intriguing me. The way she tucks the one loose strand that keeps falling out of her ponytail behind her ear is adorable. And the way she bites her bottom lip nervously makes me want to reach out and run my fingers across it. I have dated my fair share of girls but none of them have captivated me like Maddy, especially in such a short period of time.

We finish our pizza but I don’t want to take her back to the dorm, so I delay the inevitable by offering to buy her ice cream at a nearby soda fountain-style shop.

“What’s your favorite flavor?” I ask her as we walk into the shop. I’m not sure what comes over me, but suddenly I want to know everything I possibly can about Maddy.

She hesitates and I see her hovering over mint chocolate chip, my little brother’s favorite. I wonder idly if they’ve been joined at the hip for so long that all of their ‘favorites’ are now the same. Thankfully, she surprises me, venturing down the glass freezer to something different. A twinge of excitement hits me when she answers, “Rainbow sherbet.”

“What about you? What’s your favorite?” she asks.

“I like Neopolitan,” I reveal with a smirk, leaning forward and whispering the answer as if it’s a secret that I’m sharing only with her. “I like a little bit of everything all at once…some pure vanilla, sinfully sweet chocolate, and luscious strawberry.” When I pull away, I wink at her, noticing the faint flush of her cheeks.

“Oh,” she says, biting her bottom lip.

It takes all of my control not to lean over and kiss those perfect pink lips. If it wasn’t for my asshole brother, I would have already done that and probably more by now. What sucks worse than wanting to kiss Maddy and knowing I can’t is the surprising thought that suddenly occurs to me. Everything I’ve ever wanted in a girl has been tucked under my brother’s arm this whole time.

This had to be one of the hardest reviews to write ever! Seriously, it is so hard not to ruin this review by giving spoiler after spoiler! The story of Maddy and Trent is such a roller coaster ride of emotions that you don’t know if you want them together or not… then you throw Gabe in the mix and your emotions will be a total mess of confusion! This book was beautifully written and should not spend time sitting on a TBR list! It was a great read and caused a book hangover! I give this book 5+ stars!!

Michelle Lynn has always been a reader, but her passion has become a full-blown addiction since her husband bought her a Kindle for Mother’s Day. She’s pretty sure that he regrets this on a regular basis. Especially when she has it propped up next to the stove while she cooks, which often results in a burnt dinner. Or when he loses sleep because the glow from the screen wakes him up when he rolls over at three in the morning. He does agree, however, that she uses this gift more than any other he has ever gotten her. She joking counters that, because of some of the steamy novels she reads, he also benefits more from this gift than any other he has gotten her.

Michelle moved around the Midwest most of her life, transferring from school to school before settling down in the outskirts of Chicago ten years ago, where she now resides with her husband and two kids. She developed a love of reading at a young age, which helped lay the foundation for her passion to write. With the encouragement of her family, she finally sat down and wrote one of the many stories that have been floating around in her head. When she isn’t reading or writing, she can be found playing with her kids, talking to her mom on the phone, or hanging out with her family and friends. But after chasing around twin preschoolers all day, she always cherishes her relaxation time after putting the kids to bed.