seriously romantic: only you by addison fox

the brooklyn brotherhood closes out with only you, and fender and harlow get a chance for their own very happy ending after first meeting in just once and having sparks fly. from the moment they meet again in only you it's clear that everyone in park heights is rooting for them.

but both fender and harlow have a lot of childhood baggage and mistrust to overcome on top of the differences in their backgrounds. and when fender's abusive father comes back into the picture, the trauma of abuse and neglect add some unexpected challenges to their burgeoning connection. that's above and beyond the fact that the woman fender calls mama lou, is the same woman who helped harlow's mom become a bitter and vengeful shell of herself. while louise shouldn't take the full blame, she's also not entirely innocent. and her actions did negatively impact harlow and the way she sees relationships.

for novels that take place in the city, the brooklyn brotherhood series manages to cop a small town romance feel. there are so many meddling neighbors and family members. it's nice to have such a connected set of characters because it's so easy to slip into the world that's being built around them, and maybe it's the born and bred city girl in me, but all these people getting up in other people's business makes me absolutely crazy. why can't a relationship just be about two people and not the whole freaking village?

it's a quibble and totally has to do with my own prickly personality that it gets to me so much, but it's forgivable because the relationship that blossoms between fender and harlow is beautiful and sweet and surprisingly deep. i love how they connect with each other in ways that they both find surprising. and i love how neither of them tries to deny their crazy chemistry and the attraction that keeps them coming back for more. even as they do their very best to push each other away, protecting themselves, protecting each other, the truth is, that only with each other will they find true happiness. and that's why i read romance novels.

**only you published on december 12, 2017. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/st. martin's press (swerve) in exchange for my honest review.