Story of Us

Once again Jody Holford gives us an incredible story that is not only a sweet romance but a story that touches on family dynamics and the impact they have on each of us. Declan and Sophia are such an interesting couple and you can't help but cheer for them every step of the way. Declan is the proverbial bachelor type never having a long term relationship but now he's feeling like something is missing from his life. Sophia left town years ago, leaving the stronghold of her family and working hard to make it on her own terms. Circumstances has her returning to her hometown but she refuses to give in to the demands of her father. Could these two be exactly what the other needs? This is a great read and one I think everyone will enjoy. I definitely recommend it.

Last man standing! Declan James, owner of On Deck, his friends have all found love and Dec is feeling a little left out and lonely. Feels like maybe he's missing something. That something walks through the door in the form of Sophie Strombi who needs a job. Sophia left town 10 years ago, determined not to fall into and under the family business and her over bearing father's thumb. Her brother and Declan are best friends. Sophie put herself through college, got a good job and was in a relationship that crashed and burned, along with her job. Feeling like she needed to head home, that's what she does and seeks out Dec for a job. She also needs a place to live, so Dec offers her that as well. Not ready to face her family yet she's flying under the radar. Declan needs someone to take over the management office, never-ending paperwork and Sophie is the perfect fit and her degree in business and marketing and the easy fit for Dec's business works perfectly. Declan is very supportive of her and doesn't press her to face her family yet. When she finally does, it doesn't end well and she knew it wouldn't; she's never going to work for the restaurant or her father. Just because her sisters and brother do, Sophie has always been the one who needs to spread her wings and not follow suit. Her family is stereotypical Italian in the story, which was a little bothersome to me in the way they were presented. The other factor in the story is that her brother and Declan have been working together on a beer that they want to start marketing and selling. The conflict with Sophie puts a rift between the two guys. Meanwhile we get to see the characters from the previous books, who all like Sophie and she's warmly welcomed. Dec is known as the forever single guy. Sophie has it in her head that Dec is a manwhore and yet the chemistry between the two is flammable. I enjoyed the banter and candor between the two. There's enough tension caused by her family that adds to the story, maybe a little too much, but again that's my feeling. It doesn't take away but neither does it add. There is a wicked twist in the story as well, which I thought Declan handled pretty well. I loved Declan in the previous books, all the characters and storylines were fantastic which sucked me right in to read this one. But for me, this book fell short. Late in the book it seemed that both characters personalites did a complete 180, I felt like a was reading a different book. I loved this series so much and it was great seeing Declan fall hard, but I just needed more. I expected a little more based on the previous books and stellar writing. Jody writes a great story always, this was just a miss for me. 3.5 stars arc from NetGalley and Entangled for an honest review.

I loved the first two books in this series but Declan and Sophia's story is on a whole other level! Dec is so funny and charming. Watching him fall to his knees for Sophia was beautiful to watch. He went from being a bit of a player to being one of the swooniest heros I've read in a long time. Sophia is smart and fiercely independent. It was heartbreaking to watch her family turn away from her for just being herself but her strength was palpable. I was immediately connected to these two and was rooting for them from the very beginning. I love this series so much and I can't wait to see what's up next. *This is my voluntary review of an advanced reader copy*