Hold You Now

Carly Phillips

May 2018 · Hot Heroes Series Book 2 · Sold by CP Publishing

About this ebook

A secret baby and a second chance.

From troubled teen to successful contractor, Jake Nichols is used to starting over. From childhood to his recent divorce, he’s a pro at making the best of things.

Phoebe Ward thought she’d never see her first love again. Until a client meeting brings her face to face with the sexy man … who is the father of her child.

After all these years, they finally have the opportunity to finish their story—if they can find their faith in a happy ending.

* This book was formerly called Breathe. No changes from original.

Ratings and reviews

BREATHE is the second instalment in Carly Phillips’ contemporary, adult ROSEWOOD BAY erotic, romance series focusing on the Ward sisters. This is real estate agent Phoebe Ward, and general contractor Jake Nichols’ story line. BREATHE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. Told from dual third person perspectives (Jake and Phoebe) BREATHE is a second chance / secret baby romance that follows the rekindling romance and relationship between real estate agent Phoebe Ward, and general contractor Jake Nichols. Growing up in foster care our leading couple became best friends early on but at sixteen years of age Phoebe’s Aunt Joy found our story line heroine offering a permanent home and a happily ever after but what neither one knew was that Phoebe was pregnant, and the father was currently no where to be found. Fast forward to present day wherein Phoebe will come face to face with her past, and the man with whom she is still in love. Enter general contractor Jake Nichols, divorced father of one, and the man who fathered her beloved son. What ensues is the rebuilding relationship and romance between Jake and Phoebe, as Jake becomes better acquainted with the son he never knew. BREATHE is a sweet story line of second chances; of one woman’s struggle as a single parent, and the shock of discovering the man that she loved lived within miles of her home. The premise is heart warming, engaging and entertaining; the conflict is limited as Jake’s clingy ex-wife comes looking for a second chance; the romance is seductive and passionate; the characters are spirited, strong and determined. Phoebe’s sister Halley and her boyfriend Kane (Fearless #1) return as secondary and supporting characters. BREATHE is an inspiring, encouraging and energetic story of family, love and second chances.

I loved Fearless so much, I really wasn’t sure I could love Breathe just as much, but boy was I wrong! I think the Rosewood Bay series has become my new favorite series from Carly Phillips. Phoebe Ward was only a small part of Fearless and I thought I had her figure out by her actions then. Phoebe is so very different from her sister Halley, yet I found myself loving her character every bit as much as Halley. She has to be pretty strong to have survived foster care and being a teenage mother. Yes her Aunt Joy and Halley have been there to help once they left foster care, but the one person Phoebe always wanted with her was Jake Nichols, her son Jamie’s father. Phoebe and Jake still had an attraction to one another from the moment they saw each other again. OMG I absolutely loved them as a couple. I loved that Jake was ready to start over with Phoebe as soon as they met and was very upfront about what had happened in his life since they last saw one another. I have to say I didn't necessarily agree when Phoebe waited to tell Jake about Jamie, but loved that Jake accepted it and the delay with understanding even though he was angry at the delay. I loved seeing Jake and Jamie meet and connect so quickly and seeing Jake and Phoebe reconnect gave me all the feels. They had the most amazing chemistry and I absolutely loved them as a couple. I have to say I was pretty surprised by Phoebe pulling back the way she did. I could tell she loved Jake every bit as much as he loved her. I have to say Phoebe seemed like such a strong and confident person, so I was really surprised that Phoebe had some of the same abandonment issues as Halley. It made perfect sense after I thought about it, but still came as a surprise to me. I loved it took a confrontation with Jake's ex-wife Lindsey to make Phoebe see what was right in front of her and in her heart. Breathe was such a beautiful and emotional romance. I have loved all of the characters we have met so far in the Rosewood Bay series and can't wait to meet Phoebe's and Halley's little sister Juliette in the next book, Freed. Rating: 5 Stars (A) Review copy provided by publisher

***4 Stars*** After reading the little tease of what was coming up for Phoebe at the end of Fearless I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Breathe, and I have to say this was a great read. It was a quick, fun and smexy read that had a couple of twists in it that I didn’t see coming, but really liked how they were the catalyst for getting Jake and Phoebe to their HEA. Jake is a good man. He may have had a difficult childhood, but he’s learned from it and become more than he probably thought he would be. He has a good heart and when he wants something he doesn’t back down until he gets it. Phoebe’s past isn’t all wine and roses, but she’s gotten through with a positive way of looking at the world and a lot of determination. She loves her family and will do what needs to be done to make sure they thrive. Jake and Phoebe’s second chance at love journey was a fun one, and the Jake found out about his son was definitely not expected. I really liked Jake and Phoebe together. The chemistry was still there, even though they hadn’t seen each other for years, and I liked how they were together once the awkwardness wore off. There was a good bit of drama going on, but it never got into the angsty OTT arena and I actually like how one issue ended up being a much needed kick in the butt towards them getting their HEA. This really was a fun second chance/secret baby romance. I loved the twists and turns and how everything was handled in the end. It was fun to get a little time with Aunt Joy as well as catching up with Halley and Kane. But with that little tease of Freed at the end, I’m definitely looking forward to meeting Juliette! ~ Copy provided via RockStar Lit PR & voluntarily reviewed ~

About the author

Carly Phillips, whose real name is Karen Drogin, was born on July 7, 1965 in New York. She received an undergraduate degree from Brandeis University. She eventually became a lawyer, but never really enjoyed practicing law. After having her first child, she decided she wanted to write a romance novel. Seven years later, she sold her first book, Brazen, to Harlequin Temptation. She is now the best-selling author of numerous romances including Simply Sinful, The Playboy, Summer Lovin', Hot Property, Cross My Heart, and Lucky Break. She also writes the New York Times bestselling Dare to Love series.