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. 

REVIEW: Playing the Maestro by Aubrie Dionne

Title: Playing the Maestro
Author: Aubrie Dionne
Publisher: Entangled Publishing (Bliss)
Publication Date: February 11, 2013
Format: eARC* 190 pages
Rating: 4/5
Get it: Amazon | B&N

Melody Mires has sworn off dating musicians, but when the sexy European conductor Wolf Braun takes over her struggling symphony, her hesitation almost flies out the window with the notes of her flute—until he opens his mouth. Wolf is arrogant, haughty, and seems to have a personal vendetta against Melody. Oh, and he’s her boss. If she wants to keep her job as principal flutist, she’ll have to impress Wolf while simultaneously keeping her undeniable attraction to herself.

Wolf came to America to get as far away from his past as possible, and to recover some of the swagger he had as one of the world’s best maestros. He never imagined being forced to reassess the entire orchestra’s talent—and potentially fire anyone who doesn’t make his cut. Dating the attractive flutist is out of the question, but as their feelings reach a fever pitch, can they risk both their careers for a chance at love?

My Review

Playing the Maestro was a read completely out of my league, but one that I couldn’t help but love in its entirety. It was refreshing, super cute, and one delightful book. Aubrie Dionne does a great job of creating a book centered around a passion for classical music and for weaving in the love story between Melody and Wolf. 



Melody was just half of this amazing duo between her and Wolf that I adored so much. She was a character brimming with passion for music and for her orchestra. She was strong-willed, driven, and completely independent. I loved how she was bold and straight-forward, but she was also extremely caring, family oriented, and good natured. Even in her embarrassing moments, Melody stayed true to herself, never gave up and fought for what she really wanted. She was talented through and through and I loved every single thing about her.

Wolf was amazing character with or without Melody. He had demanding presence from the beginning that was very hard to ignore. Like Melody, he was very serious and dedicated to music and for the well being of the orchestra. Wolf was a great guy, intimidating, confident and almost regal in a way. He was a good person despite his aloof demeanor. He was arrogant from the start, but under his facade was a kind-hearted, vulnerable and sweet man full of dreams. I felt really bad for the trouble and pain he went through, but I was glad to see him come out of it for the best.

Wolf and Melody had this instant connection and attraction to each other, but both were very afraid to act on their feelings due to their current career situations. I really enjoy a story with a wonderful blooming romance and intense chemistry and this is what Playing the Maestro gave me. I love that their romance was drawn out because it allowed me to have a deeper connection with their relationship. Wolf and Melody were too cute together. I love how comfortable they were with each other and the way their easy playful banter never ceased to warm my heart. I couldn’t count how many times those two made me grin from ear to ear. 

I don’t know much about classical music, conducting an orchestra the way Wolf does or playing an instrument the way Melody does, but I do know what it feels like to love music with all of your being. This deep love for music was palpable through Wolf and Melody, even more so through Dionne’s beautiful writing. I love that this book was spilt between the point of views of Wolf and Melody. This gave the book flow with a great easy pacing making it hard not to read just a few chapters at a time. 

Overall, Playing the Maestro was an endearing and heart-soaring read. Lovers of music and romance will adore this book so much!

*Thanks to Entangled for sending a copy for review