Review: Always On My Mind by Bella Andre

Series: Sullivan's  #8

Genre: Adult Contemporary

Author: Bella Andre

Format: eARC Submitted for review

Release Date: March 5th 2013

Synopsis:

Lori “Naughty” Sullivan finally falls in love in ALWAYS ON MY MIND, the new book in Bella Andre’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling series about the Sullivan family.

After a tragic loss three years ago, Grayson Tyler left his life in New York City behind and started over in the rolling hills of the California coast. He's convinced himself that all he'll ever need again is the blue sky, a thousand acres of pasture, and the crashing waves of the ocean. Until one day, Lori Sullivan barges into his life and promptly blows his emotionless and solitary world to shreds, driving him crazy as only a woman nicknamed “Naughty” can. But will Lori be able to convince him that it's safe to love her...and that forever isn't actually out of reach?

Wow! This is bittersweet for me. I feel like i have become a part of the Sullivan family over the last two years and now with this being the final installment in the original Sullivan series I'm a little sad. Throughout the first six books we have watched Lori Sullivan struggle behind the scenes with a bad romance but have never really found out the entire story until now. It opens up with Lori having just run out on her big dance production in Chicago for reasons that aren't clear right away. Once back in San Fran she decides instead of going home she would just rent a car and get lost somewhere. When the rental clerk advises her on a small town an hour away she ends up on a farm with the sexy hot cowboy Grayson Tyler. She applies to be his farmhand but Grayson doesn't want her there so he does whatever he can to get her to leave. But anyone who has read these books knows Lori Sullivan is more stubborn than a pack mule during rush hour! She sets out to prove him wrong and with every new task he gives her she goes above and beyond, which totally pisses him off! See Grayson has spent the better part of the last three years closed off on his farm wracked with the guilt of his wife's death. All he wants is someone to get the job done and leave him alone but Lori digs in until she gets way under his skin. Lori tries to get Grayson to talk about his grief but at the same time she refuses to disclose her own set of baggage that sent her to his farm and giving up her dancing career. As she goes about her days helping him on the farm they get closer than they expected and develop strong feelings for the other until they both realize they can't stay in the bubble of the farm without eventually facing the real world. 

This was one of the few Sullivan books that I wasn't worried about. Having watched all the other Siblings go through struggles in their relationships and having my emotions wrung out to the max this book didn't really have me freaked out that something would go wrong. You pretty much know these two are gonna make it because they both display a strength that has gotten them through worse times and together they just come off the page as an unstoppable pair. Now don't mistake what I'm saying, there are times when Grayson is gruff, and mean to Lori and it hurts to see him push her away, but Lori shakes it off and digs her heels in and shows him what it means to actually love someone. I loved watching these two work together on the farm and the more time they spent in each others presence the closer they got emotionally and that was a treat. I love the way Bella writes her love stories. She knows just when to give you some heat and pull back enough to get you excited for when the moment finally comes it's explosive. The build up with Always On My mind was so worth the wait. 

I loved this guy the best of the twins' significant others. I love me some Jake McCann. The hottie bartender who stole Sophie's heart. Grayson just does it for me. A big sexy cowboy who rebuilt a 100 year old farm by himself and helps his community with vegetables grown in his garden. There is nothing sexier than a strong man who lives by his own hand and helps others. Grayson was the perfect blend of wounded sparrow and sexy beast. From the moment you meet him you just want to love him and tell him everything is gonna be OK. When he wasn't being an ass he had some really sweet moments that make you fall even harder for him.

Lori Sullivan has always held my attention since I first heard the nicknames for her and Sophie. She always felt like an enigma during the whole series and I knew her book would be the crown jewel of the series. Not just because it was closing it out but because even though she has always come across as tough as nails and take no shit, you know there has to be a softer side to her. We really get to see her Vulnerable side in this book and I couldn't have been happier to see she wasn't bulletproof. I loved watching her in this new environment and she actually thrived at what she did. Not only did she help make the farm better but her character helped Grayson overcome his pain and regret. The most beautiful thing was watching her rediscover a side of herself that had been buried. Finding her confidence again and no longer believing what her slimy ex has always made her feel and think about herself was fantastic!

The book closes out on such a beautiful note and leaves you with a taste of what is to come from the "other" Sullivan clan that we will meet in the Summer of 2013! If these Sullivan's are as entertaining and hot as the originals then we are in for so much goodness we better hold onto our panties!! I absolutely adored this book and even though it's sad to say goodbye, it was such an amazing journey seeing Lori and the rest of the Sullivan's find true happiness. I love the way Bella does romance and I know that if I need a good, sweet, hot fix she is the one to turn to! 

"I know you're not going to stay, but please don't run from me tonight." "Please" he begged again, "Just give me tonight" eARC Loc. 2084

"Fifteen minutes, that was all we needed to get back to my farm. Fifteen god damned minutes. Is that too much to ask? Is that too long for you to stop being so irresistible?" eARC Loc. 2154

"You sitting on me naked, calling me all those names, is better than porn." eARC Loc. 2851

                                                            

About the Author:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Bella Andre has always been a writer. Songs came first, and then non-fiction books, but as soon as she started writing her first romance novel, she knew she'd found her perfect career. Known for "sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance" (Publishers Weekly) about sizzling alpha heroes and the strong women they'll love forever, nearly all of her novels have appeared on Top 10 lists at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple and Kobo. Her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine "Red Hot Reads" twice and have been translated into nine languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post has called her "One of the top digital writers in America" and she has been featured by NPR, USA Today, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. She has given the keynote speech at Book Expo America on her self-publishing success and has sold more than one million books. If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100 year old log cabin in the Adirondacks.

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