Allie Winters

Delightful, a little angsty and oh so satisfying
5 stars

I’m a huge fan of everything Allie Winters does - from her contemporary romances to, like this book, new adult / college romances. Can’t Fight It is the third in the Lessons Learned series (after Under Pressure and Not Fooling Anyone) and while the couples from the previous books do make brief appearances in this one, each stands alone. So much so that I really now want to go back and read the first two stories again to remind myself of their awesomeness.

And speaking of awesomeness, this book is definitely up there. In fact, I’ve already dubbed it as one of my favourites for this year. There was just something about it that caught and kept my attention and gave me those lovely jumpy feelings in my tummy.

The first of our pair is Tessa and of course I’m going to like her from the first since she’s a little awkward but also sweet, kind and just a nice girl. But she’s got a sad and traumatic history that makes her wary as well as surprisingly tough. I just really liked her and was rooting for her all the way.

Austin is the poster boy for my perfect hero. He’s a big guy and quiet with it. He looks scary and intimidating - especially to Tessa at first - and the fact that he’s a boxer just proves her point. But as she and we get to know him we quickly see he’s an absolute sweetheart. He’s a big ol’ softy and very unsure about himself and his abilities. Gah - loved him so much. When he cries outside the factory - god help me, my feelings.

There’s quite a lot of internal thoughts of our couple in the book as they slowly move towards revealing their feelings for each other. You might think that this would become a bit monotonous but it definitely didn’t - both of their hesitancy about how the other felt just made me positively giddy. This was definitely a couple you were desperate to smoosh together and force them to kiss already, dammit!

There’s enough sex - mostly towards the end but definitely teased throughout the book - to keep me happy and horny. But like I said before, it’s the burgeoning emotions and feelings between the two that really made my stomach hitch. And there’s a tiny bit of angst about whether they’d work it out that kept me obsessed by this book. I even found myself re-reading bits when I’d finished it as I wasn’t ready to let Tessa and Austin go quite yet.

There’s something of a mystery to be solved or more like a bad to be overcome but, unlike other stories I’ve read with that same plot point, this one doesn’t overshadow the romance at any time. And I liked the way everything was tied up in the end.

The whole story is just a testament to the superior quality of Ms Winters’ writing. She transports you into the story, into the minds and hearts of the characters and makes you care so damn much. And I’m here for it because it always makes me feel so happy and satisfied when I’m done. I have a definite book hangover after this one but it’s very definitely 5 stars.… (lisätietoja)

Oh so delicious
5 stars

I have loved near everything that Allie Winters has written but this book carved a special place in my heart - I just adored it. It tells the story of single mum, Kristen, and her temporary lodger, Eli. While it’s the second book in the Crescent Pass series - and Owen and Harper from the first book (A Forest Between Us) do appear, it completely stands alone and has its own HEA.

Kristen is a harried single parent of two rambunctious 6 year olds who needs to make some extra money by renting out a room in her house. But instead of the woman she was expecting to become her roommate, she instead gets sexy, sweet and tempting Eli.

While I may not have much in common with Kristen, I liked her from the first. She always felt like she was on the back foot but man did she hustle for her kids. She had a fair amount of insecurities, frustrations and hang-ups but she never came across as anything other than the sweet, determined, kind and spirited woman she was. I imagine that other mums will totally connect with her about the mum guilt - but even non-parents will love her like I did.

Eli was, well, I don’t really know how to describe him other than to say that if it wasn’t for Kristen, I’d want him for my very own. Growing up, Eli was a certified geek but as an adult, he’s a geek with the body of a god! But there was just something so sweet about him that I just adored. He was kind, caring and also a little bit broken. Seeing his heart swell as he becomes part of this little family was everything. He, like Kristen, had his hang-ups making him vulnerable, too, which was nice to see and made him feel real to me. But the cherry on the top was the kind of take charge, dirty talker he was in the bedroom. Be still my hot but geeky, dirty talking hero loving heart!

While I loved Kristen and Eli separately, together is where they shine. Allie Winters writing made the attraction between our pair both subtle and stark right from the get go. Watching them dance around each other as their friendship, feelings and attraction grew was just so wonderful - my feels were tingling the whole time. And while it takes time to build up to the sex, there’s plenty of shenanigans before the big event and it is hot enough on its own to keep me more than happy. I’m not sure if Allie Winters has always written sex this well or if I just loved Eli and Kristen so much that it resonated with me. Either way - yum!

On paper, I admit that this is a book that has a few tropes I usually steer clear of: single parent, children, widow. But in the end, absolutely none of those things bothered me. In fact, I loved Kirsten, I loved those kids and the widow thing played out exactly the way that I would want it to. What I’m trying to say is that if you, too, have reservations about those things, ignore them and read this book!

I also loved that there was no unnecessary drama. There was a nice layer of angst as we wonder how and if our couple are going to make it work - which played into both of their fears wonderfully. Not that I want my characters to be emotionally tortured but in this case, it really brought forth the feelings between our pair and so in me, too! There was some talk about the short time of the relationship between Eli and Kristen before they fell in love - but in all honesty, if the author hadn’t mentioned the time frame, I wouldn’t have noticed it and I certainly didn’t feel it was a short time frame while I was reading.

I have to say, I think this is my favourite book from Allie Winters and the best book she’s written to date. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, not only to read about the next couple from this adorable small town, but also to catch back up with Kristen and Elie, Jamie and Jenny. If you’re looking for a fun, emotional and heart-warming romance then I will happily recommend this book to you - go grab it now!… (lisätietoja)

Sweet, sexy and delicious
5 stars

I am a big fan of Allie Winters so I was delighted to hear that she was starting a new small-town series set in Crescent Pass in Oregon, focussing on the Taylor siblings. But fear not, each book will be a standalone and, like this one, has its own HEA. First up is baby brother, Owen, and his surprise wife, Harper.

We first meet Harper, a marketing strategist who lives her best life in the city with her friends, when she realises that not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. On paper, she’s not necessarily a heroine that I could identify with, but from the first, I loved her. She was relatable, fun, kind, quirky, self-deprecating and honest - if perhaps a little stubborn and closed-off with regards to Owen and any future they may have. She’s definitely not the ditzy city girl who doesn’t do the country, wearing high heels on a hike type of thing - thank goodness.

Owen is something of a lumberjack, cinnamon roll hero that despite his sweet nature, is still gruff and delicious and all sorts of mountain-man fantasy come to life. I loved that on top of this, he’s a card-carrying introvert but feels an immediate connection with Harper and, for the most part, isn’t afraid to tell her. There’s just something wonderful about him and his deep, unshakable feelings for Harper. The way he wants to worship her. I wonder if Crescent Pass to mail-order husbands?

There is something of a slow-burn between our couple as they get to know each other again. But that slow burn features some tasty pops of heat that prepare us for the big moment. And even then, the big moment only comes after some appetisers that will make your eyes roll back in your head with the sheer deliciousness of the couple. This pair have chemistry, both in a sexual way, as well as on a deeper, more personal level. Utter perfection.

I’m always on the edge of my seat when we get a true ‘opposites’ couple. When there’s something that isn’t an easy compromise that will let them be together. In this story, Harper is a city girl from Chicago while Owen is an introvert from a small town in Oregon. Just that, ratcheted up the tension for me as I worried over whether they’d make it work. I mean, of course they will, but I love an author that can make me feel that pull even when I know what the outcome will be.

Allie Winters has kicked off the Crescent Pass series with a fantastic book that I couldn’t put down. It had everything I love in a romance - a wonderful couple, palpable chemistry and a richly built story in a vivid setting. Add to all of that Ms Winters’ ability to draw me in and make me part of this story and you’ve got, for me, one of my top reads for 2022. Easily 5 stars and I cannot wait for Kristen and Grayson’s stories in the future.… (lisätietoja)

Wow! Just fantastic
5 Stars

I’m a big fan of Allie Winters’ stories but I really think that it’s her new adult novels where she absolutely shines. I adored the first book in this series (Under Pressure) and this second book has somehow managed to eclipse even that one. If you’ve not read the first book - fear not - while Mia and Tyler from that book do make brief cameos in this one, this is all about Ethan and Lexie. It stands alone and comes complete with an HEA.

Lexie is having a tough life. She’s got a whole host of issues and trauma from her past that has shaped the person she has become: standoffish, stoic, serious and pretty much closed off to anyone. How Ms Winters managed to make me like her was beyond me. But like her I did. I understood her completely and rooted for her absolutely. Perhaps it had something to do with my mutual dislike of people - or perhaps it was because I too fell for Ethan throughout the course of the book.

Don’t get me wrong - I love a good angsty, broody hero. But when a hero like Ethan comes along, I realise that I also love the under utilised sweet, smart, jokey and irreverent ones. But this is no nerd in the traditional sense - Ethan is a boxer and has a rock-hard body and a beard to round out his look. He’s got his own problems, too, but he’s an absolute sweetheart. He really likes Lexie and I loved that he was an honest, kind and trustworthy guy. No unnecessary drama for our Ethan.

As a pairing, Ethan is the ideal foil for Lexie and they balance each other out perfectly. They have an immediate connection and while that’s often antagonistic in the beginning - or at least Lexie tries to make it so - their interactions are in turns sweet, funny, deep and meaningful. You could see the progression of their relationship and changing feelings as you read.

And as well as the emotions playing out on the pages, it’s also HOT! It starts off slow but there’s a spark and you just know it’s going to ignite. When it does - I nearly swooned. Ethan propositioning Lexie at the frat party was about the sexiest thing ever.

This is a slight twist on the fake dating trope as Lexie and Ethan are doing it for a psychological study - ultimately for cash. It felt completely believable to me and I enjoyed the way that their faking slowly started to seep into their real lives - almost without either of them realising. It was like we readers had a secret from our couple and I felt smug in the knowledge that they were falling in love but didn’t know it. I do so like it when an author tortures a couple. Okay, in honesty, there are some heavy subjects featured in the book but it wasn’t too angsty and was never overwhelming in terms of difficult emotions.

Like I said, Allie Winters writes an epic new adult novel. I devoured this book and adored every single minute of it. I was looking forward to this book and it met and exceeded every one of my expectations. This is one of my favourite reads of the year so far and without a doubt earns its 5 stars.… (lisätietoja)