SOUTHERN BOYS SERIES
FORGIVING REED by CA Harms
Series: Southern Boys, book 1
Publisher: Limitless Publishing (10/13/2014)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Kori suffered a great loss, one that left her feeling so desolate and alone, that she believed nothing would ever fill the void…
The only thing that kept her going was the one little piece of joy she still had in her life, her baby boy, Rhett.
She had no choice but to move forward and give her son the best life she could. Which meant moving back home.
Except there was one problem.
Home was where Reed would be…
The man who once held her heart, then shattered it into a million pieces.
Grieving the loss of Rhetts dad, and learning to forgive those who have betrayed her, Kori was battling it all.
But will she ever have the strength to forgive Reed?
FINDING GAVIN by CA Harms
Series: Southern Boys, book 2
Publisher: Limitless Publishing (12/30/2014)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Gavin was a broken hearted cowboy from Savanna…
The one she fell for even though he tried to warn her away.
Maria’s entire life had been one rejection after another, always going after things that were just out of reach.
Gavin was no exception.
She wanted him, so desperately…
But life had a way of making things unattainable, at least for her anyway.
Just when things began to change, once again the darkness glooms, and Maria finds that her happy ending may once again be…
Unreachable.
LOVING COLT by CA Harms
Series: Southern Boys, book 3
Publisher: Limitless Publishing (2/14/2015)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Alexis and Colt never planned on crossing paths.
Alexis and her three year old daughter were running from their past and Colt was looking for his future.
Neither planning on finding salvation in one another.
One night changed it all and they had no hope of ever being the same again.
Finding a way to make it work when it felt like everything was against them was something they would have to work hard to overcome.
Will Colt be strong enough to handle Alexis's past?
Or will it all be too much?
about CA Harms || C.A. Harms is like any other addicted reader. She enjoys happy endings and HEA love stories. She hasn't always been a lover of Romance and had once been addicted to a good Mystery. Just recently she has taken on a new liking and now is a full blown Romance novel addict.
She lives in Illinois and enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. You will always find her with her kindle or paperback in hand as it is her favorite pass time.
Before I delve into each individual book, let me just say...
OH THE EMOTION!
I cried a bunch in each book. So please be prepared, that is your warning.
Forgiving Reed
Rating: ★★★★★
First off? Of the three, this one's cover is by far my favorite. Don't know why... but I just enjoy him it so much ;)
Secondly? I cannot tell you how much I cried reading this book. Yeah, yeah, I'm a crier, but my goodness, the waterworks were just flowing. Nu worries, I chucked too -- like when the beginning of chapter thirty one clearly stated "it's Reed's turn" -- as if these two wetter writing their story firm and Reed decided to jump in finally.
This book was a quick read, and party of what made it a quick read was the passage of time. From beginning to end, we span just over two and a half years. Also, you have to add in the few memories from high school and well, there's a lot of years covered.
I loved the emotion in this book. I loved that Reed took responsibility for his actions and mistakes and was willing to do what he could to just get his friend back.
Before they dated, well before he screwed up the best thing in his life, Reed and Kori had been really good friends. When she comes back home, broken and sad being belief, he just wants to help her. Does he still love her?
Yes.
Has he fallen for her son?
Absolutely.
But he doesn't push his way into her life.
Obviously she had trust issues when it comes to Reed that she tried to overcome, but I wish she learned to trust him more, sooner. Regardless... I thoroughly omitted watching these two fall back in love with another, this time as adults.
Finding Gavin
Rating: ★★★★★
Gavin no longer believes in love, bit who could blame the man? His trust in someone, namely his wife, was severely broken when she had an affair with his boss. So, yeah... the man's a bit jaded.
It's understandable.
Maria and Gavin had done moments in the previous book, and it ended with Gavin going into hiding. Now Maria is hunting him down. His leaving broke something in her -- while she's grown up with men around her, her father left them and she never thought she'd let a man in close.
One thing you learn about Maria in FORGIVING REED is that she's feisty and has a take charge attitude. However, after a night with Gavin and him telling her it could go no where, she's feeling tattered. She's lost a piece of herself.
Gavin, with his every looming trust issues, has a lot to work out when it comes to Maria.
...especially when it appears she's kept a pretty big secret from him. Watching him forgive her and move on and away from the pain his ex dealt him was an emotional journey.
I loved meeting Mikey, and I loved the uncorrected mention of Gavin's wife. For some reason, with this particular man... It made me happy.
Being super close to my brother, I love reading stories where brother and sister siblings are like best friends -- so watching how kind Colt is with his sister made me excited to see him fall in love. He had a huge capacity for love, I could just tell.
Also, it was nice to see Maria and Kori's friendship again, and seeing Kori be the strong friend -- because that's what true friendship is about, picking up the other when they're down.
While I tend to get annoyed when multiple books in a series have similar themes, I have to say that CA Harms does grief and sad very well. There was plenty of 'broken' in this story.
AND! The I-always-want-to-see-my-favorite-couple reader in me was immensely happy with the end bonus scene :D
Loving Colt
Rating: ★★★★★
So by THIS book, I decided that CA Harms also has a thing for single parents, and yes, still grief and loss. Her ability to write emotion leaves me envious, and hopeful that I can do the same when I finally sit down and write.
Anyway... Right away we learn some big characteristics of our leading lady: she's a military widow, a mother, on the run from an abusive ex... Broke, hungry, and beyond all that, is an outstanding mother.
She may doubt that last bit especially -- guilt will do that to you -- but she keeps her daughter's safety and well-being first, and that qualifies.
Just when she's sure that there no such thing as a good man (she can count the ones she knows on less than one hand), Colt (at least at first) barely brushes into her life, paying for a meal for her and her daughter, Maddi.
Alexis learns to trust in her story -- and not just trust Colt, but people as a whole as Colt and Maria's mom takes her under her wing, and Maria and Gavin show her the meaning of small town living.
Then there's Maria, who swore in the last book she'd see to Colt finding himself a good girl and what does she do but send him over -- not knowing, of course, that they'd met already.
Colt's protective instincts kick into overdrive nearly immediately where Maria is concerned... But then again, I didn't expect anything less. You can tell by the way he trays both his mother and only sister that he'd treat a woman right -- and showing that to Maria is second nature to him.
However, with Ann's rush of emotion for Alex to allow her heart to be safe in Colt's hands, I couldn't help but think that if the romance was going to happen quickly in this story (because in the other two, time passed in great chunks of time and Ann's conversation was only a week or so in), that meant there were going to be big BOOMs in the plot.
Colt falls fast, but tries to give her space. When he gives her TOO much space, he realizes he was a fool -- but maybe not too big of one because his space made Maria think. Her fears got in the way, though, and Colt does everything he can to show they are with the fight.
I loved how all of these SOUTHERN BOYS men loved their ladies, and each hooks a special place in my heart, but I don't know.... I didn't think I'd favor Colt's story but he may be my favorite male... By just a hair, but my favorite nonetheless.
I love how he protects Alexis. I love how he loves her with everything he is. But beyond that, I love how he loves the women in his life and how that immediately extended to Alexis and her daughter.
As with the last book, I enjoyed the extra little peek into the other series's characters, too!
So in the end, looking at the series as a whole... Each book deserves their 5. The development, the was, the plot, the emotion... They were all done well.
However, if I were to rate the series as one entity, I may be persuaded to give it a 4, maybe 4.5 for lack of creativity. Each book held the same theme, more or less.
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