Book Review and Giveaway for Bentley by Melanie Moreland

BENTLEY

by MELANIE MORELAND

Three young men meet in university and form a lifelong friendship.

Their pasts dictate the men they are, but their present shapes their future.

What happens when these men meet the one person they are destined to be with? Can they fight their feelings and walk away? Or will they each succumb and learn the sweet agony of love?

Bentley

The leader of the group. He is uptight, formal, and cold. Rigid and set in his ways, always following the same path. Until the day, he stumbles upon her.
Emmy.
She brings with her spontaneity and light. The world she lives in is so different from his, yet he cannot control the draw to her. Nor can he explain the way she makes him feel.
Happy.
Protective.
Loved.

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REVIEW: 3.5-4 STARS

"I need you, Emmy. I need you to anchor me. Bring me back to you. To us." 

I AM REALLY EXCITED! This was a GREAT introduction for me, both in a new author and a new series to follow. I had a very dear friend, Karen from My Own Bookshelves, recommend this author to me and I am grateful to her for introducing me to Melanie's writing. Her writing, for me, was very easy to follow. I really liked the way she kept me turning the pages and how she kept me actually quite interested in a romantic suspense book. Those aren't my favorite kinds of reads because that always means there is some heavy buildup and some crazy drama to deal with, and I usually end up rolling my eyes at it. This time, I did not! I didn't. The nice thing was, I really wanted to see how Bentley and Emmy connected and what their draw was, and throughout the entire book, I kept turning the pages with interest. 

After reading Bentley, I feel like I have a VESTED INTEREST in the entire series -- insert cheesy grin. HAHA! Bentley, gosh...he made me smile. He was a stiff-lipped businessman that had an order he liked to keep in his life. He needed to maintain that for his own sanity, I'm sure, but when Emmy tripped him up, he had to catch himself; literally. I loved watching him meander through these unchartered waters with his heart on his sleeve, all the while trying to keep his sanity in check. Bentley, he was a softy, but a grumpy one, and he pulled me right in. His vulnerable side showed very early on, and I loved seeing him break out of his comfort zone and pursue Emmy. She didn’t fight him off or anything, but they were verrrry level headed characters and they just worked for me. They brought out the best in each other and that made me smile on many occasions. A few awkward moments between them, maybe it was just me, but still really easy to follow and enjoy. I am so glad I tried Melanie's words out because I now have another author to follow! Between the cover and the synopsis, I am all in on this series -- eagerly anticipating more.

Knowing that the one that holds your heart is also the one that holds the balm to your pain, the one you can seek honest solace in and know they're true to their word. Emmy and Bentley loved deep and I love feeling deep love. This book was idyllic. It was a little perfect. But again, it made for an easy read. The conflict was grrrrr-able, but it showcased Bentley's emotional side and the ability to lose his shit. We saw honest emotion from him when he was held to the fire. I liked seeing his grit there. 

If I'm being honest: I really dislike romantic suspense. I know! I know. Crazy, I know, but a lot of the times, the drama just doesn’t equal out to the amount of crap the characters go through and I usually end up rolling my eyes and nitpicking every action being taken in the story. It’s a personal thing, and I realize this. But. When I am able to find an author that makes me keep turning the pages, keep seeking more of the journey the characters are on, I feel that's a good enough reason for me to see the story through to the end and watch how it unfolds. That is what I loved about Melanie's writing. I wanted to keep going and I had no desire to skim or give up. 

My honest feelings: There were a few things that made me waver in some spots. This one had a different rhythm and cadence for me, as well as some choppy parts to wade through. Some actions felt a little forced, but not something I couldn't easily push through. I am pretty sure it was more my getting used to a new flow and voice from a new author in a genre I don't normally read, but I definitely felt some emotion coming form the characters -- which is what I look forward to in a new read. I giggled, and I may have sported a girl-crush on Emmy in the beginning, but I smiled hard at Bentley's rough handling of his own feelings. With a new voice and a new style to latch onto,  this series and author is one I will definitely be following for more. Comfortably, I DO know that I will BE FIRST IN LINE FOR MORE. Yes, I said it. I exclaimed it with all caps. Like I said, a few forced narratives and actions, but overall, I’m a new fan. I *really* enjoyed this book and look forward to Aiden and Maddox, which are next in the series, respectively. Make sure to add the SERIES to your GOODREADS shelf. 

"We sat, melded together, taking silent comfort from our embrace." 

~BEE

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~MEET MELANIE MORELAND~

New York Times/USA Today bestselling author Melanie Moreland, lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her beloved husband of twenty-seven-plus years and their rescue cat, Amber. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them. 

While seriously addicted to coffee, and highly challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties, and also enjoys travelling, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip. 

Melanie loves stories, especially paired with a good wine, and enjoys skydiving (free falling over a fleck of dust) extreme snowboarding (falling down stairs) and piloting her own helicopter (tripping over her own feet.) She's learned happily ever-afters, even bumpy ones, are all in how you tell the story.

~CONNECT WITH MELANIE~

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