Giving In by MR Joseph

Raphael Cruz doesn't do it. He just doesn't. Cruz doesn't fall in love. He's a "get in and get out" kind of guy. Ladies love him and fall all over him for his swoon worthy good looks and overwhelming sex appeal. He knows how to talk to them and tells them exactly what they want to hear. When he's done making them scream his name, he shows them straight to the door. The meaning of the word love doesn't exist in his world. But that could all change with a wink of a girl's eye... And one hot-as-hell romp in a bar bathroom.

Harlow Hannum is your typical girl-next-door. She has the brains, the beauty, and the money. What she doesn't have is the luxury of being someone's first choice in the game of love. She always comes in a distant second place, leaving her guarded with her feelings. Lies, betrayal, and secrets of her past follow her wherever she goes, no matter how hard she tries to hide them. That is until she's reunited with the one guy who can ignite the spark in her heart that's been extinguished for so long.

With sunny days, heated nights, and love lingering in the air in the beach town of Sandy Cove anything can happen. Especially when fate steps in for Harlow and Cruz. Will their blossoming friendship turn into unexpected love or will the collision of their opposing worlds be the end of what could have been?

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Review by Brittany

“Turnip, remember when you tried to explain to me what love is like, what being loved is like? I get it now.”

MR Joseph completely gutted me with this book. Right now I’m going to give you a warning. No spoilers here, but if you hate cliffhangers, DO NOT READ THIS UNTIL THE NEXT ONE COMES OUT IN LATE MAY. I read it, I don’t particularly like cliffhangers, but I can handle them. This one I couldn’t. Really. It’s kind of bad.

Putting that aside, this book was amazing. A story about finding love where you’d least expect it. Harlow Hannum is vacationing in Sandy Cove with her friends for the summer. Her next door neighbor just happens to be a guy she had hot bar bathroom sex with the year before, and the cop that pulled her over on her way into Sandy Cove, giving her a fake sobriety test.

Raphael Cruz is a rent-a-cop in Sandy Cove. He is a man-whore, he even said it himself. He doesn’t feel, he doesn’t love, and he doesn’t date. At first he is a total jerk to Harlow, earning himself a lecture from Willow, Harlow’s best friend.

“Willow said she would cut off my dick. I…I mean penis and sell it to a seafood restaurant if I didn’t convince you to stay. I really like my penis, and I’d like to keep it, so please, let’s come to some kind of agreement, learn to get alone with one another, and make it a nice summer.”

And that’s what happens. Harlow and Cruz spend every morning on the dock behind their houses, sipping coffee and talking. These moments helped the two realize that they want to be more than friends.

Harlow, Harlow… Harlow. Harlow is my warmth from the cold, and the food when I’m hungry. She is the light in m dark, the patch to the hole that’s inside my heart. In this crazy life I live, how can one person make me feel all the things I do?

Everything about this man makes me feel like I’m on fire, especially the way he eases into my body like he’s savoring every inch of me.

MR Joseph completely captivated me from just a few sentences at the beginning of the prologue. She took me on a journey through two people’s challenge of finding love, dealing with heartbreak, and something that could completely change their lives forever.

Like I said before, cliffhanger. It sucks. I am in the midst of a book hangover. I finished this yesterday night, proceeded to yell at her over Facebook, and am now trying to cure my hangover by reading other things. Not working. I haven’t read a book this amazing in a LONG time.

I give MR Joseph six stars for this book. I am in love with Cruz. I am in love with MR for making me feel so much emotion. Love, hate, suspense, agony. All of it. I am still in awe of the love story she wrote. It was so amazing, so sweet, and I highly recommend this book to everyone, unless you hate cliffhangers. Then you should wait until the second book comes out, but you should still read this story.

I learned a lot about being in love. What it’s like, how it feels, how it can hurt you. MR Joseph did a fantastic job at transferring that down onto paper. Really, absolutely amazing. I am now in love with MR and cannot wait to see her in Greenville, NC on July 19. :D

“Love is the only thing I think you can’t fake, no matter what. It’s when you look into the eyes of the person meant for you, and you can see into their soul. I’m pretty sure you can’t lie when you truly look into the depths of them. There’s a resemblance there, a home, somewhere you can put your trust into, someone you can tell your deepest, darkest fears to, and no matter their opinion of them, it really has no bearing. They will be beside you. They will watch you succeed, and they will watch you fail, but the love is so strong, they will see past it. See past all the bad and take the good…A good hard look at the good.”

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Goodreads

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Amazon UK

About MR Joseph

I'm a book nerd turned writer who loves the 'Happily Ever After' mixed with a bit of suspense, drama, and the occasional cliffhanger! My love of books has brought me on my writing journey. I began writing my first book in July 2012 and since that time I have created 2 series. The first series 'The Reunion Series' debuted in November 2012 and two books followed. My new series 'The Sandy Cove Series' will release in March 2014. The first book is entitled 'Giving In'. I'm still an avid reader and huge Indie Author supporter!

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