In
TELL ME THAT YOU'RE MINE Ryan McCallister and Eva Romero are two people trying
to find a once-in-a-lifetime second chance at love. Fans of Tamarra Webber and
Erin McCarthy will adore this emotional and heartfelt conclusion to Victoria De
La O's RITA-nominated family drama.
Tell Me That You’re Mine
Tell Me #3
By Victoria
De La O
Releasing August
29, 2017
SMP Swerve
New
Adult Contemporary Romance
+ Add to Goodreads
In Tell Me That You're Mine (Tell Me #3) by Victoria De La O, Eva Romero needs a new tenant, yet she's not certain Ryan McCallister is the right person until he offers her a sweet deal. However, with her six-year-old son and a troubled ex-husband, Eva doesn't have time for anything else in her life, certainly not a relationship. But Ryan finds a way into her life until it's impossible for Eva to ignore the chemistry that bounces between them. Will Ryan be able to win Eva's heart, or will her past continue to get in the way of their happiness?
What a charming and extremely enjoyable read Ms. De La O has penned in this final book of her Tell Me series, which entertained me from start to finish due to the main characters and their fascinating back stories that had me hoping they'd be able to overcome the tough obstacles they face to achieve their happy ever after; the intense dialogue that made me wonder whether the heroine would ever be able to let go of her past to have a chance at happiness with Ryan; and the ending that had me wanting to clap the heroine's courage in the decision she made to prove to Ryan that he's one of two of the most important people in her life.
The way this story started had me sympathizing with the hero, as he's coming home to a reunion with his brother and the woman he once loved. Will it be awkward or will Ryan be able to handle things? As for the main characters, both were fantastic and I loved how the hero handles the fact that he stutters and that he didn't allow it to have an effect on his life. I also liked how strong and brave he was in returning and being able to face his brother and the woman he once loved; the woman that is with his brother in a relationship and not with him. Can he handle seeing the pair together? However, what I liked most about the hero was how determined he was to be independent, which is proven by the decisions he makes; and how determined he was to win the heroine over and make her realize that they could have so much more, if she can ever break free from her past. Can she finally see that her ex-husband is no longer her problem? Will the heroine be able to win the hero's brother over?
While the heroine, she's been through so much in the past when it comes to her ex and she needs to know when to let go. I also liked how good of a mother she is and that she would do anything for her son such as allowing the young boy to spend time with his father, even though she could be putting her son in danger when it comes to her troubled ex-husband and all the man is going through. Yet, what I liked most about the heroine is her determination to give the hero a chance once she made the decisions she did that would change her life for the better. Will her son approve of his mom's new relationship? Will her son give the hero a chance?
Overall, Ms. De La O has delivered a worthwhile read in this book where the chemistry between this couple was intense; the romance did justice to this couple's strong chemistry that had me hoping that Ryan would be able to win the heroine over, because both need this second chance at happy ever after; and the ending, especially the epilogue wrapped this story up brilliantly, as Eva has never been happier than she is with Ryan. He's everything to her just as she's everything to him, so it was a good thing she made the right decision when it came to her troubled ex-husband and needing him to take responsibility for himself. I would recommend Tell Me That You're Mine by Victoria De La O, if you enjoy the second chance romance trope or books by authors Kelly Elliott, Ellie Cahill, Jessica Sorenson and Laura Trentham.
Synopsis:
Ryan McCallister is ready to come home and put the heartbreak
of his first love behind him. But when he returns after teaching abroad, the
home he once knew isn’t quite ready for him. The woman Ryan once loved is
living with his brother; his friends have moved on; and his new landlady, Eva
Romero, seems determined not to like him.
But Ryan likes Eva. A lot.
It doesn’t matter that Eva has a six-year-old son and a
troubled ex-husband; when Ryan’s with her, everything makes sense. Eva isn’t
convinced she’s ready to take another chance on love, but Ryan’s determined to
show her he’s worth the risk.
It’s feels like an eternity since I’ve been
home. In reality, it’s only been a year.
My slow walk to the house is surreal. The lawn
is as pristine as ever, each blade of grass shorn the same height by Jude’s
meticulous mowing. The red geraniums I planted years ago are thriving. And the
dent in the porch rail, caused by my foot accidentally connecting with the
wood, is still visible. But I don’t remember the house being this uninspiring
shade of blue, or the crack on the front stoop being this wide. This house,
this city, used to be my whole world. It seemed a lot bigger then.
Discordance skitters over my spine: what should
be familiar is foreign, relief mingles with anxiety. Time snaps and contracts
as I knock on the front door, and suddenly it seems like an hour since I left.
A nanosecond.
The door swings open, and the reason for my hasty
departure is staring at me. She’s as pretty as I remember—maybe more, damn her.
Green eyes that used to flutter when I kissed her, full lips that whispered
confidences in my ear.
Now, her face is frozen in a hostess’ smile. Her
fingers worry the bottom button of her pink cardigan and the threads begin to
loosen. She doesn’t know what to do because she wasn’t expecting me. I guess it
wasn’t nice showing up a day early.
“Ryan. You’re home.”
Home. Does
she mean mine or hers?
I had almost forgotten what Lizzie’s voice
sounded like, but its husky depth brings the memories of the six months we
spent loving each other rushing back.
Well, I had been loving her. She’d been falling
in love with my brother.
I wait for my heart to ache, but there’s only a
small twinge. That’s a surprise. In my mind, this was all so much more dramatic
and intense. Hard stares and pinched lips. A little social awkwardness seems so
mundane by comparison.
And then the door swings open wider and Jude is
there. My pulse stops—doesn’t slow, just ceases to exist for a second. Leave it
to him to bring the fireworks.
Like the house, Jude seems smaller than I
remember. Or maybe that’s because he has gone expressionless, his discomfort
hard-crashing him. His hands dig into his pockets, searching for an anchor, pulling
his shoulders into a hunch. It takes a lot to knock Jude off his game. Glad to
see I can still have that effect on him.
When he opens his mouth, no sound comes out.
It’s unusual for me to have to step up and be the better man when I’m around my
big brother. But today is that day.
Victoria De La O is the award-winning and
RITA®-nominated author of the Tell Me romance trilogy, including Tell
Me How This Ends. A native of California’s Silicon Valley, she spends time
hanging out with her family, arguing about films, and practicing Wonder Woman
spins, She loves talking to readers, so find her at www.victoriadelao.com.
I love this series. Ms. De La O is a brilliant author.
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