Books & Spoons Review for WHISPER OF LOVE by Melanie Shawn

19/5/2018

Stand-alone Whisper Lake romance, complete with HEA—and plenty of heat and heart along the way!

There is a thin line between love and hate. For Allison Walsh, that line was a tightrope hanging a hundred feet in the air, with no safety net to catch her if--or when--she fell.

Ali was barely treading water after losing her big brother, who was her hero and best friend. His sudden death left her to raise her twin nephews when the man that was supposed to share the responsibility with her went MIA after the funeral.

Kade’s MMA training made him a champion, but it never equipped him to fight off the one force beyond his control: his feelings for his best friend’s little sister. He’s sure his demons mean he’s not good enough for her, but he’s going to do everything in his power to conquer them.

When the sexy, tattooed fighter shows up on Ali’s doorstep out of the blue with a bag hanging over his shoulder and a smile that would make a nun blush, he seems different. But after all he’s put her through, Ali’s not in a forgive-and-forget kinda mood.

Will Kade prove that he's the man worthy of Ali’s heart and trust, or will his past sins determine their future?

The second chance love stories are so bittersweet because there usually are hurt feelings at the background, but there is also that amazing hope of love conquering it all, and that is what brings so much joy and jubilee into the stories and to the lives and minds of the readers. I absolutely LOVE it when the hero comes back to town, with his feelings already developed towards the heroine, his intent clear, he is willing to do the hard work to win her heart again, and he is willing to grovel if that is required to be together with the love of his life. And Kade, oh my word, he does it all, he is all that, and so so much more.
It is not often that I am so connected to the characters and to the story that I would be in tears from the very start of the story, but Ali and the boys had me sobbing for them. I was a mess for the first three chapters, wishing I could just step in with a six pack of Half Baked, give Ali a big hug and help her around the house.
Ali is resilient, strong, fun, sarcastic, protective, loving, kind-hearted soul, and I admired her and her spunk so much, even though right at the beginning it was missing a bit because life had given her trouble and sorrow with a pallet full instead of a spoon full.
Kade had had his own troubles in life. He had grown up close to Ali and her brother, they shared the same story of parental alcohol abuse and neglect. His life and career at the MMA had taken a downhill spiral, he had failed with his responsibility, but he was here, he was sober, and he wanted to change his life, and be everything Ali would allow him to be to her and to the boys.
Ali and Kade have chemistry between them that is hotter than words can tell. They get each other, they understand each other, they know each other, and they are just perfect for each other. I loved the honesty, the openness, the palpable emotions streaming between them.
The secondary characters in the new spin-off series, the twins, Jess, Ethan, they all contributed to the story and I can already tell, this is going to be another hit series from the author. It is not a secret that I'm in love with the stories Melanie Shawn writes, the romance always has me smiling, sighing, and swooning. The characters speak straight to my heart, they have me laughing, and in tears, the friendships are dear and deep, there's just so many feelings, and deep emotions involved, along with the hottest love scenes you can pen out, and yes, it is not just sex, it is always loving, and there are feelings involved, and those scenes are intricate part of the plot developing.
What an amazingly emotional and entertaining start to the new series. Ali and Kade won my heart over from the very first scene, and I kept rooting for them to find the way to their HEA all through the tale. There were tears, there were smiles, there were deep, profound emotions, there were mistakes, and loss, and loving, and life, and I loved every moment of the story, wishing I could have lingered a little while longer as I can't wait for the next installment of the series...
An unputdownable, poignant story that I finished in one sitting
~ Five Spoons

NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY bestselling author Melanie Shawn is the writing team of sister duo Melanie and Shawna. Originally from Northern California, they now make their home in So Cal.

Growing up, Melanie constantly had her head in a book and was always working on short stories, manuscripts, plays and poetry. Shawna always loved romance in any form - movie, song or literary. If it was a love story with a happy ending, Shawna was all about it! They have joined forces to create a world where true love and happily ever after always has a sexy twist!

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