The Montgomery Brothers by Samantha Chase-Series Review

THE MONTGOMERY BROTHERS series focuses on the Montgomery’s and their extended family of siblings and cousins. The premise follows patriarch William Montgomery as he sets about as matchmaker to the next generation of sons and daughters, cousins, nieces and nephews.

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WAIT FOR ME/ TRUST IN ME
The Montgomery Brothers 1 & 2
by Samantha Chase
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance
Re-Release: March 17, 2015

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

REVIEW: WAIT FOR ME is the first installment in Samantha Chase’s adult, contemporary The Montgomery Brothers romance series focusing on the Montgomery family. This is former NFL star Lucas Montgomery and executive assistant Emma Taylor’s storyline.

Emma is William Montgomery’s assistant and William sees something between his son Lucas and his long time PA. What ensues is a ruse perpetrated by Lucas’s father to push together his son and Emma Taylor that eventually ends in a happily ever after but getting there is a comedy of errors and a weekend of temper tantrums, fights and immature behavior.

Lucas is a recluse. A career ending football injury finds Lucas hiding away in a cabin in the woods where he only ventures into the real world for the once monthly meetings with his father and brothers. Lucas has pinned his entire existence on his football career and with the loss, Lucas sees himself as a failure.

Emma is a bit of an enigma. We learn very little about her background or family information. She is a woman who loves to bake and when things begin to fall apart, Emma looks for work at a small town bakery.

The relationship between our couple is acrimonious at best. I felt no spark, no sexual tension and definitely no love between Lucas and Emma, and in this the storyline fell completely flat. The up and down emotional roller coaster was almost bi-polar in its’ reveal; the attitudes and temper tantrums were that of young children who didn’t get their way. They continued to fight and argue until the final pages of the story. The $ex scenes are all implied; fade to black wherein our couple wake up the next morning or days later where the reader is to presume that something happened between the leading couple.

The secondary and supporting characters include the interfering parental units of William and Monica Montgomery who seem to have a knack for arguing and displaying emotional outbursts on a regular basis; and Lucas’s brothers, Jason and Mac who are but a blip on the radar at this point in the series. The world building is limited as the storyline focuses on the building relationship between Lucas and Emma. I am not quite sure what it is the Montgomery family do to earn their millions but it would have been nice to see some information and detail revealed.

WAIT FOR ME was a disappointing read. The constant fighting, lying and manipulation was a distraction to the overall enjoyment of the storyline. I felt no connection to any of the characters.

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TRUST IN ME
The Montgomery Brothers 2
by Samantha Chase
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance
Re-release: Marcy 17, 2015

REVIEW: TRUST IN ME is the second installment in Samantha Chase’s adult, contemporary The Montgomery Brothers romance series focusing on the Montgomery family. This is Jason Montgomery and Maggie Barrett’s storyline. TRUST IN ME can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. TRUST IN ME can be found together with book one WAIT FOR ME

Told from third person perspective, TRUST IN ME finds William Montgomery, yet again, playing matchmaker for his two remaining unmarried sons. The storyline follows the building relationship between Jason and Maggie. Ever since his brother’s marriage to personal assistant Emma Taylor (Wait For Me #1), Jason has believed himself the target of every single woman at Montgomery Enterprises. With a three week business trip on the horizon, Jason needs a personal assistant who isn’t about to take things to a personal level-enter Maggie Barrett-a receptionist at his father’s company and a married woman-or maybe not! Maggie’s has a secret-one that finds our couple in a precarious position time and again. William offers up Maggie Barrett as Jason’s new PA, with the hopes of another successful Montgomery mating.

There is very little background information revealed about Jason Montgomery. We know he his loyal, well trusted, works for his father William Montgomery and that a bevy of beautiful and not so beautiful woman at work are trying to get Jason’s attention. Maggie is a woman whose past is mired in betrayal, and her position within Montgomery Enterprises finds Maggie hiding in plain sight.

The relationship between our leading couple is one of immediate attraction but Jason believes Maggie is married and our hero is having a difficult time keeping business and pleasure separate. While away, an opportunity presents itself for a night out on the town, wherein Maggie forgets about her ‘marriage’ and crosses the line of no return. Once again, I did not feel a connection to the couple; the sexual tension between Jason and Maggie was missing and virtually non existent. The limited $ex scenes are all implied and fade to black.

The secondary and supporting cast include Jason’s brothers Mac and Lucas, as well as William Montgomery-the family patriarch. The world building skims the business ventures of Montgomery Enterprise-I am still unsure as to the exact nature of the billion dollar business but they do appear to be very big and powerful.

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STAY WITH ME / MORE OF ME
The Montgomery Brothers 3 & 3.5
by Samantha Chase
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance
Re-release: April 21, 2015

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

REVIEW:  STAY WITH ME is the third installment in Samantha Chase’s adult, contemporary The Montgomery Brothers romance series focusing on the Montgomery family of Charlotte, North Carolina. This is eldest brother Mac Montgomery, and childhood friend Gina Micelli’s storyline. STAY WITH ME can be read as a stand alone but for cohesion and series backstory I would suggest reading in order.

Told from third person perspective STAY WITH ME is a story about friendship, loss and letting go. Family patriarch William Montgomery likes to play matchmaker and in this, he and his best friend Art Micelli hope to see love for their two remaining children.

Gina Micelli has returned to North Carolina to take care of her dying father Art. At fifteen years old, Gina’s parents divorced and Gina was whisked across country and had rarely seen or spoken to her father since. With her return comes guilt and the knowledge that her mother’s controlling ways kept Gina distanced from her father-on purpose. As Art Micelli nears the end of his life, Gina finds herself heartbroken and in pain for a father who has never stopped loving his only daughter.

Mac Montgomery doesn’t do relationships. With his two brothers married and starting families, Mac knows that his well meaning but meddling father has one final goal to see Mac happily married. Thinking Gina’s return was more of a matchmaking set up than a father/daughter reunion, Mac denies his attraction to Gina with the hopes of pushing away the woman with whom he is falling in love.

The relationship between Mac and Gina is a friends to lovers storyline between two people who have not seen one another for years. As Gina struggles with her father’s impending death, Mac struggles with his attraction and desire. As in the previous storylines, the $ex scenes are implied and fade to black. My only wish is that more of the family history between the Micelli’s and Montgomery’s was revealed. It would have been nice to see the earlier years and the developing friendships.

All of the previous storyline characters play a supporting and secondary role. Lucas and Jason’s wives take Gina under their wings with the knowledge that Mac will come to his senses-one of these days.

STAY WITH ME is an emotional storyline especially the scene where Gina says goodbye to her father, and William Montgomery goodbye to a friend. Keep handy a box of tissues-you are probably going to need it.

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MORE OF ME
The Montgomery Brothers 3.5
by Samantha Chase
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance
Re-release: April 21, 2015

REVIEW:  MORE OF ME is the fourth installment and novella in Samantha Chase’s adult, contemporary The Montgomery Brothers romance series. MORE OF ME introduces the Montgomery extended family of cousins and can be found as a bonus story in STAY WITH ME. This is Ryder Montgomery, and wedding planner Casey Peterson’s story. MORE OF ME can be read as a stand alone story without any difficulty.

Told from third person perspective MORE OF ME finds William Montgomery, once again, playing matchmaker but this time it is with his nephew Ryder Montgomery. As Mac and Gina (Stay With Me #3) prepare for their upcoming nuptials, Gina is suddenly called back home on a family emergency. Enter William Montgomery who suggests Ryder check out the wedding venues with Casey Peterson. The twist-Casey is Ryder’s ex girlfriend and they haven’t spoken to one another in a dozen years.

MORE OF ME is a second chance storyline for two people who have never stopped loving one another. Twelve years earlier Ryder left North Carolina for the West Coast where he eventually began work with the Montgomery West Coast offices leaving a heartbroken Casey to pick up the pieces of a destroyed relationship. Fast forward twelve years, where Casey finds herself working with Ryder Montgomery on his cousin’s upcoming wedding-and all of the old feelings and emotions come rushing to the surface.

There is very little angst or anxiety with the reconciliation. Casey and Ryder are now adults who know what it is to love and loss. Ryder has never stopped loving Casey and in this, he continues to apologize for his behavior, years before. The $ex scenes are all implied and fade to black. There is definitely a happily ever after for this couple.

MORE OF ME is a fun and quick read; a romantic story of reconciliation and second chances from the pen of Samantha Chase

copy supplied by Netgalley

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MEANT FOR YOU
The Montgomery Brothers 5
by Samantha Chase
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance
Release Date: April 7, 2015

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK:

She dares to dream…

Summer Montgomery wants to be taken seriously almost as much as she wants her brother’s best friend, Ethan. But with a long resume of seemingly random career choices and a protective brother on watch, those things are nothing more than pipe dreams…

Does he dare to try?

Ethan Reed would like nothing more than to live by his own rules. Not wanting to disappoint his best friend Zach, or any of the Montgomerys, Ethan’s had to push his long-denied feelings for Summer aside. But it only takes one night away from watchful eyes to make impossible dreams come true..

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REVIEW: MEANT FOR YOU is the fifth full length installment in Samantha Chase’s contemporary, adult The Montgomery Brothers romance series focusing on the Montgomery family. This is Summer Montgomery, and Montgomery West Coast vice president Ethan Reed’s storyline. MEANT FOR YOU can be read as a stand alone story; many of the previous storyline characters play secondary and supporting roles therefore for cohesion and back story I recommend reading the series in order.

Told from third person point of view, MEANT FOR YOU finds William Montgomery now matchmaking for his extended family of nieces and nephews and in this there are two developing romances on the horizon. The main focus is Summer Montgomery and Ethan Reed. As Ethan and his best friend (and Summer’s brother) Zach Montgomery prepare for a mountain climbing expedition in Denali, Summer finds herself in the unenviable position of trying to convince both men that the climb is much too dangerous. Zach has never completely recovered from a recent broken leg, but he is determined to push himself against everyone’s wishes. When Ethan backs out of the excursion, Zach goes it alone with his team. Disaster will strike bringing the entire Montgomery family together, and with it the realization that the only female sibling is currently involved with the company vice president and Zach’s best friend.

Summer is an enthusiast character whose choices in life have been frowned upon by her immediate family. She is accorded no respect from her siblings and her father, Robert Montgomery, continues to dismiss Summer as though she was nothing more than an annoyance. Summer knows that she will never be offered a place in the family business, but that doesn’t mean she won’t stop trying to be successful at what it is she wants to do.

The relationship between Ethan and Summer is one of friends to lovers; Summer has been in love with her older brother’s best friend since she was a teen but Ethan has made no advances fearing his friendship and position within the company. Circumstances will bring Ethan and Summer together cementing their relationship but in doing so will build a wall between Ethan and the Montgomery family. The Montgomery men are over protective, alpha males who deem it their right to control every aspect of Summer’s life. The $ex scenes are implied and fade to black. There is no graphic language or imagery.

There is a secondary storyline building between Zach Montgomery and Gabrielle Martine. Gabrielle is Zach’s long suffering assistant and Zach treats Gabrielle more like a slave and less than human. The reader watches as Zach continues to break Gabrielle’s heart one order and command at a time. It is time Gabrielle started looking for another job.

MEANT FOR YOU is my favorite Montgomery Brother’s storyline thus far. Samantha Chase’s writing style has matured as well as her character development; there is none of the over-the-top anger and hostility found in the earlier storylines but there are still some emotional outbursts from well meaning Montgomery siblings. MEANT FOR YOU was an enjoyable read with colorful and engaging characters.

READING ORDER
1. Wait For Me
2. Trust In Me
3. Stay With Me
3.5 More of Me
4. Return To You
5. Meant For You

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviews by Sandy