Review: Hold on Tight by Serena Bell

Fighting for his country gave Jake Taylor’s life shape and meaning. Now as an injured war hero he struggles to find purpose, until he runs into the gorgeous woman he dated briefly—and disastrously—before being deployed eight years ago. Turns out Jake doesn’t just need to figure out how to be a civilian . . . he also needs to learn how to be a dad.

Eighteen, pregnant, and totally lost, Mira Shipley couldn’t track down the soldier who fathered her child, so she put college on hold and focused on making a good life for her son. Now she’s determined to be something more than Sam’s mom, her parents’ daughter, or Jake’s girl—as hot as she finds her old flame’s take-charge attitude in and out of bed. Soon Mira and Jake realize that their passion didn’t disappear when Sam was conceived—and that instead of running away, sometimes it’s better to hold on tight.

ebook, 272 pages

Expected publication: June 17th 2014 by Loveswept 

Genre: Romance

Kristine's Thoughts:

I received an advanced readers copy from Random House Publishing Group- Loveswept via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication date is June 17, 2014.

When I picked up this book I think I was expecting another typical contemporary romance where everything is rainbows and unicorns, sweet but totally unrealistic. Instead it was filled with average people, everyday problems, messy and difficult situations. Even the sex in the story was messy and less than perfect. In other words it was honest and believable.

Mira meets Jake when she is eighteen and he is twenty. He is on leave before heading off to war and they spend a short time together. Jake's one set of instructions are not to get distracted yet he can't seem to stay away from her. What starts as an overly romantic night turns sour when things don't go the way they planned (in more ways than one) and Mira asks him for more when he returns. With a less than stellar family life and instructions deterring a relationship, Jake runs even though his heart doesn't want him to.  Skip ahead eight years and fate brings them back together in an unlikely place. Jake is damaged both physically and mentally and Mira has a seven year old son that can't possibly be his.

This story is how the two struggle with everyday situations and bringing Jake into Sam's life. They are dealing with their pasts, insecurities and undeniable chemistry. It is sweet, heart wrenching, painful and beautiful all at the same time. There are no heroes or villains just people trying to make sense of their circumstances, trying to move on from their pasts and figure out how to carry on. I was completely swept away with the characters, story and the writing.

I loved the chemistry between Mira and Jake even with all of their blunders and mistakes. I was in their corner, I wanted them together and I definitely wanted them to get things right in and out of the bedroom. They truly were beautiful together.

This is the first book by Serena Bell that I have read but it certainly will not be the last. I enjoyed every minute of it!

About the Author

Serena Bell writes stories about how sex messes with your head, why smart people do stupid things sometimes, and how love can make it all better.

Serena wrote her first steamy romance before she was old enough to understand what all the words meant and has been perfecting the art of hiding pages and screens from curious eyes ever since—a skill that’s particularly useful now that she’s the mother of two school-aged children.

When she’s not scribbling stories or getting her butt kicked at Scrabble by a seven-year-old, she’s practicing modern dance improv in the kitchen, swimming laps, needlepointing, hiking, or reading on one of her large collection of electronic devices.

Connect with Serena

Website/Twitter/ Facebook/ Goodreads