REVIEW: Love Him or Leave Him by Sara Daniel

Love Him or Leave Him by Sara Daniel
Publisher: Entangled Bliss
Publication Date: July 8, 2013
Source: eARC* via publisher
Rating: 4/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Sometimes dreams are where you least expect them

Connor O’Malley and Becca Sanders were once high school sweethearts, ripped apart by rumors in the small town of Kortville, Illinois. Connor left to join the military, and Becca stayed, waiting for her younger brother to graduate so she could live her dreams of traveling the world. But now that Connor's back as the town sheriff, Becca finds herself struggling to resist the too-handsome man who once broke her heart.

Connor loves Kortville—its quaintness keeps at bay the painful memories of Afghanistan he’s sure make him unworthy of any woman, particularly the beautiful brunette he’s always secretly dreamed of a future with. But when a scandal rocks the town, suddenly Connor and Becca must trust in each other if they want to weather this storm…and come out on the other side of it together.

My Review

Love Him or Leave Him by Sara Daniel was such an easy, cute, and charming read. It had a wonderful cast of characters that were easy to love, a clever plot line, and such a sweet romance that I enjoyed very much.

I thought Becca was a sweet and caring girl. I found her to be really friendly and kind. She really stepped up for her brother even if it meant put her dreams and her whole life on hold. It was hard, but she really instilled her kind and caring demeanor into him. Although her brother didn’t want the life outside of Kortville, I understood why she pushed it on him, why she wanted to give him the options she wasn’t able to grab onto. She never resented her brother, but loved him no matter what. I thought she was a great sister and model parent. She did her best and that’s all anyone could ask for. I loved that Becca was passionate about fitness, wanting to help others live a healthy lifestyle and how she dreamed of traveling and opening up her own fitness company. And I especially loved that she believed in Connor and made him realize that though he had his own issues she would still be there for him to listen or to talk to whether they were together or not. 

Connor was the sexy, loyal and determined police chief of the town who also happened to be Becca’s ex-boyfriend from high school. I totally loved his dedication to the town; how much he cared for the citizens and how much he wanted to protect them. He even took the time to give everyone special attention, no matter how small the request or emergency. Connor was one charming and devoted character that I couldn’t help but fall in love with. I was really proud of him when he took in Becca’s advice and got help for his PTSD. He really learned a lot about himself in this book. He learned to trust Becca, to open up to her and he realized that though he may be damaged goods, that she would always care, love, and support him through his tough times. I adored Connor even more when he stuck my Becca’s side no matter what. 

I really liked what Sara Daniel put into in this novel. The romance between Connor and Becca was a full of rediscovery and trusting one another. The attraction was still there and I loved that they rekindled what could have been. This time, there were ready and more mature. I enjoyed how Daniel brought these two back together through the fun cocoa contest and with the vandalism going on in Kortville. Despite the bad things happening, Daniel made the town of Kortville a homey place with a real tight knit community. The town dynamic was endearing and the way they looked out for each other really melted my heart. What was really great about this book was guessing who the vandal was. I had my predictions and my sights set on certain characters. Even when I knew I was right, it was exciting to see it all unfold. I also liked how this book was about the future, about what you truly wanted, and about accepting that sometimes the thing you thought you wanted wasn't exactly the best thing. I really liked that Love Him or Leave Him focused on achieving your dreams and realizing those dreams could be altered or changed and still bring happiness.

All in all, Love Him or Leave Him is a light and fun read that is so worth reading! 

*Thanks to Debbie via Entangled for sending a copy for review purposes

I was not compensated for my honest opinion.