REVIEW: FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME by MARINA ADAIR

Feels Like the First Time

Destiny Bay #2

By: Marina Adair

Releasing April 25th, 2017

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In Feels Like the First Time (Destiny Bay #2) by Marina Adair, Bradley Hawk is the only man Ali could ever imagine herself with, and yet, he's the one man she can never have because he's her sister's ex-husband. But when Bridget arrives in town with news that she's engaged, Ali decides to tell her sister that she and Hawk are involved, totally taking Hawk by surprise. But what begins as a fake relationship becomes so much more. Can Hawk convince Ali that she's the one he wants, or will she let her fears ruin her chance at happiness?

The last story I read, which had a heroine falling for her sister's ex-husband was a fantastic read, and it's a storyline Ms. Adair has penned superbly also. Right from the start, this book was entertaining, fast-paced and one I could not put down, because Ms. Adair has a way with words that immediately had me -- as a reader -- invested in the characters. The way this story started had me smiling at the hero's dilemma. What is Ali doing that he has a problem with? Will he be able to talk her around? Why does she give him a hard time about his stick?

Both the main characters are compelling and I loved every moment they interacted. There were some really good light-hearted moments where Ali certainly knows how to push Hawk's buttons, but the story was also intense due to the main characters back stories and this story encompassing the forbidden relationship trope. Ali's mom isn't the best parent, and indeed, I found her a little self-absorbed, so I could understand why Ali was afraid to be in a relationship. How could she trust that Hawk would stick around if they decided to give a relationship between them a try?

 

Ali was resilient, hard-working, and I liked the close relationship she had with her father. He's the only family member she's ever been able to rely on, and I liked the way she nagged him, because she didn't want anything to happen to him. It was a tad amusing, because her dad knew just what to say to her when needing to defend himself and also knew that her concern for his well-being was out of love. But what I liked most of all about the heroine was how she stood up for herself against her sister and mother when she needed to. No way was she going to allow them to spoil her moment to shine.

 

While the hero, he has a lot of tough decisions to make when it comes to Ali and her family, and I liked the decisions he did make. Ali's dad is like a father to him, and he would do anything for the man, even if it meant having to spend time in Bridget's presence, which wasn't easy for him. Yet, in my opinion, his divorce was the best thing to happen to him, as it finally made him realize that Ali is the right woman for him and always would be. Also, I liked how he was there for Ali when she needed him, especially when it came to her sister and mother. They were times where Ali found it hard to deal with them, because both only thought of themselves.

 

Overall, Ms. Adair penned a delightful read in this second book of her Destiny Bay series where the romance between Hawk and Ali did justice to their intense chemistry. The way this story ended had me cheering for this couple's happy ever after, as these two were so right for each other that there was no way they weren't meant to be together. Ali needed to find the perfect way to win Hawk back and she definitely does that. Moreover, I liked how things were made right between Ali and her family to bring them closer together, because there's nothing more important than love and family. I would recommend Feels Like the First Time by Marina Adair, if you enjoy the forbidden relationship trope, the friends to lovers trope or the fake relationship trope.

 

OVERALL RATING:

 

 

 

BLURB:

What's wrong with a little white lie?

There are a lot of things Ali Marshal doesn't do: pink anything, a day without chocolate, and Hawk, her sister's ex-husband. Sure, he's a sexy former NHL star who can make her pulse pound with just a wink. But he belonged to Bridget first. And no matter how long she's had a crush on him, how great he's always been to her dad, or that her sister is engaged to someone else now and Ali needs a date to their engagement party, she can't give in to temptation. Can she?

It's been years since his disastrous marriage crashed and burned, and Bradley Hawk has finally moved on. So when Bridget blows back into town with her new fiancé, throwing the engagement party of the year, he could care less . . . until Ali tells one little lie that lands him smack dab in a fake relationship. After one promise to be Ali's date and two of the hottest kisses he's ever had, Hawk can't deny how much he wants her. But what happens when this fauxmance starts to feel very, very real?

 

BUY LINK:  Amazon