She’s my best friend’s little sister. Completely off-limits. But every man has his breaking point.
Lila James is my best friend’s little sister and I’ve always looked out for her.
She’s five years younger than me, and when she left for college, she was just a kid.
But now she’s home for the summer—and she’s definitely not a kid anymore.
She’s beautiful and smart and everything I didn’t know I needed.
Dark eyes. Long wavy hair. And legs that are meant to be wrapped around me.
I’m the guy who likes to have a good time.
Keep things light.
When her brother asks me to hire her at my restaurant, it’s a no-brainer.
There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her.
Until she asks me for one more favor.
She wants me to be her first.
Take her V-card.
Go where no man has gone before.
Her words, not mine.
And damn if I don’t want to go there more than I’ve ever wanted anything.
She’s only here for the summer, and she says it will be our secret.
It’s temporary.
We’ll go back to being just friends at the end of summer.
She promises that she won’t fall for me.
She knows better.
But Lila isn’t the one I’m worried about.
**This is book 1 in the Cottonwood Cove Series. Each one can be read as a complete standalone. A HEA is guaranteed!**
The Cottonwood Cove series starts with a bang, giving us a spicy brother’s best friend romance between two old friends who haven’t seen one another for a bit. Lila and Travis have had a rough life, losing their mom when they were young, then watching their father drink himself into heartbroken oblivion. Travis has always known Lila is destined for bigger and better things than the small town they call home and until now, Lila agreed. She just graduated and landed a great job in her field so she’s only home for the summer but she can’t wait to visit.
Lila’s surprised to learn she missed this place more than she ever realized, but with each passing day, she second-guesses her decision to accept the demanding job in the city hours away. There’s so much here to love, from being surrounded by friends and family to the odd comfort she finds in this quirky little town, with all its personality. One of the things she loves most is her proximity to Hugh. Sure, her brother’s best friend is off-limits but a girl can imagine, right? Working together was a bit of challenge but things get even more complicated when she has to move into the cottage on his property. The attraction between them boils over eventually and they agree to have a summer fling. No strings attached, no commitment, just fun.
It doesn’t take long for her to realize Hugh is a big part of why she doesn’t want to leave, but Lila knows she can’t stay here for a man. If she changes her plans now, essentially torpedoing her career opportunities from the start, it has to be for the right reasons, not to stick around a guy who refuses to commit. Hugh doesn’t want her to return to the city, but he’d never ask her to stay and he can’t go with her since he’s got to run his restaurants. They tell themselves it doesn’t matter since this is just a fling, but it’s not that simple. I loved these characters and their story, especially the supporting cast. The Reynolds siblings guarantee the best banter and lots of laughs. This story was a lot of fun to read.
