Always on My Mind by Bella Andre – a Review
Links to order Always on My Mind: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Description:
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?

Review:

Always on My Mind continues Bella Andre’s wonderful The Sullivans series. This one belongs to the last Sullivan, Lori, who has not found her true love.  We have been waiting for Lori’s (Naughty) story for awhile, and Andre does not disappoint. 

The story starts with Lori running away from her job, heartbroken and trying to escape going home to face her family. Lori who is tough, fun loving, beautiful and a professional dancer, decides to do something that was totally different for her.  She ends up at a farm, and meets Grayson Tyler, our hero.  Grayson, has been building up his ranch for three years, having himself run away from the tragic death of his wife.   When Lori asks for a job as a farmhand, he refuses at first. She who was still dressed in her dance outfit, did not look anything like a farmhand, not to mention being a woman.  But when Lori is determined and wants something, no one can stand in her way.  Grayson, who prefers his privacy, allows Lori to tryout, and then is forced to hire her, much to his dismay.

Both begin to notice that each is running away from something, but it is the strong unstoppable Naughty Lori, who becomes way more then Grayson can handle. Neither wants any commitments, but both find themselves totally attracted sexually, which is totally hot. Of course, this is Andre’s trademark, hot hot hot sexy steamy love scenes, and Lori and Grayson are no different.  Whew!

Andre does such a wonderful job showing Lori in a different light.  Watching her do chores, especially with the pigs was hilarious, and I totally loved loved her scenes with Mo (sweetpea), the cat who adopted Grayson three years ago, and is now dying of leukemia.  Lori loved Sweetpea with all her heart, and made the last weeks of the cat’s life one of pure joy.  So well done. 

Watching Grayson and Lori discover themselves, as well as open up to each other was wonderful.  He tried to be gruff, unbending, and she would offset that by being her perky self.   Grayson didn’t know how to handle Lori, and little did he know, his days were numbered.  I got a kick out of the dance Grayson took her to in town, as many treated Lori with distain, until she won them over, teaching the young teenagers the line dance she created for her show.  As always, she won them and Grayson over.

This was such a great romance, especially with Lori being in a different environment, and finding things about herself.  I loved her and Grayson together, and Bella does such a wonderful job with this fantastic romance.  The last ¼ of the book was terrific, and we get to see all the Sullivans together again; in fact twice in one book…. Awesome.

Always on My Mind closes out the first arc of the Sullivan family, and with the success of this series, Bella is now extending it further, bringing in another Sullivan relation (cousins) in the next story.  The wonderful news from Andre, is that Mary, the matriarch of the original Sullivans, will have her story told.  If you have not read this series, what are you waiting for?  This is a fun, sexy, at times erotic romance of wonderful couples and a fantastic family. 

Reviewed by Barb