Book Review for COUNT ON ME by Lauren Dane

Welcome back to Petal, Georgia in this spin-off of the Chase Brothers series by Lauren Dane.

A town divided. A family torn apart.

Is one love strong enough to overcome it all?

Caroline Mendoza left home to become a lawyer with one goal in mind: prove her father’s innocence. Now she’s back, and nothing will stop her from uncovering the truth—not the folks of Petal, who have their own ideas about the case, not her siblings and definitely not Royal Watson, who should probably stand trial for being indecently and undeniably hot.

From a rather intense relationship drama to what seems like an impossible to solve legal drama this novel covers a lot of life, living, loving, and growing, trouble, and drama. 
I absolutely adore the Chase brothers series and this spinoff to Petal, Georgia has been a great, entertaining addition to the original one. 
Royal Watson might be the most honorable, loyal, affectionate, amazing book boyfriend ever, I mean, he is all that and so much more. Just truly a one of a kind man that was easy to admire, trust, and fall for. And I can't think of a better match to Royal than the sassy, smart, sweet, caring, reliable, steadfast Caroline Mendoza. These two were like the two halves of the whole, they completed each other, were there for each other, and the name of their story, Count On Me, was perfect for them. I loved their love story. I loved the passion between them, the fun, the difficult things they went through, and the way they dealt with the jealous ex (who drove me nuts, really not a fan of her, but Caroline was the Queen dealing with her). 
I found the legal aspect of the story intriguing, and the suspense and threat were intense. 
So there is a lot I liked, enjoyed, and even adored in the tale, yet there were some aspects that I had a really difficult time to understand, and thus not the five Spoons score for the book. See, in my mind, the people in Petal were petty and just weird to chastise someone for a difference of opinion. And it went so much further than just that, there was violence involved. Now, this might be a cultural thing, but what kind of people do that?! For real?! It all seemed to be based on racist hate, and how deep the venom runs in the society, even within a family. And as such, showing that in the community, the author did a stellar job of it. But as a reader who reads to escape the crazy in the world, this aspect of the tale really got me down.
So first there was the ex who just caused unnecessary drama, and then there were the crazy people that turned on one of their own, and after all the research and drama and disturbance, the ending to the murder case was a bit too easy in my mind. I expected fireworks, and maybe it was my expectations that failed not the story, yet here we are... 
So. This is difficult because while I absolutely loved some aspects of the story, there were others that made me want to quit reading it, yet the desire to find out more kept me going. 
Do I want to read more of the series? Yes. 
Can I recommend the series and this book? Yes.
I just want you to be aware that there might be some issues and events in the story that can cause serious irritation and even sadness on the way to the happily ever after... 
Royal and Caroline, despite all the hate, difficulties, and obstacles you had to go through to find peace and serenity into your life, I loved your love story and cheered you all the way. 
~ Three Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

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​Lauren Dane has been writing stories since she was able to use a pencil, and before that she used to tell them to people. Of course, she still talks nonstop, and through wonderful fate and good fortune, she’s now able to share what she writes with others. It’s a wonderful life!

The basics: Lauren is a mom, a partner, a best friend and a daughter. Living in the rainy but beautiful Pacific Northwest, she spends her late evenings writing like a fiend when she finally wrestles all of her kids to bed.

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