CAN’T FIGHT THE FEELING (Nashville Dreams #2 & #3) by Sandy James-reviews

CAN’T FIGHT THE FEELING
Nashville Dreams #3
by Sandy James
Release Date: May 8, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 8, 2018

In Nashville the men are strong, the women are bold, and love comes to those willing to fight for it.

Russ Green is an expert at keeping people out – physically and emotionally. After a career-ending injury, the former quarterback was lucky to find a place as a bouncer at Words & Music. All he wants to do now is stay out of the limelight – alone. With his background, he’s nobody’s Prince Charming. His life is routine, and he likes it that way. Gym, work, home. No surprises. Until a bar brawl lands him in the emergency room, and in some very capable hands…

Nurse Joslynn Wright found her calling during a childhood bout of leukemia. While the fast-paced ER keeps her adrenaline pumping, it’s nothing compared to being with Russ. Her illness made her cautious, though, and Russ’s closed-off nature certainly doesn’t make things any easier. But she can’t help being intrigued by the contradiction of a burly bouncer who can gently strum a guitar. If she’s learned anything in Nashville, it’s that love may take work, but the rewards can be well worth the effort…

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REVIEW: CAN’T FIGHT THE FEELING is the third instalment in Sandy James’ contemporary, adult NASHVILLE DREAMS romance series focusing on three friends who own and operate Words and Music-a bar in Nashville, Tennessee: Brad Maxwell, Ethan Walker and Russell Green. This is co-owner/ former quarter back Russell “Russ” Green, and ER nurse Joslynn ‘Josie’ Wright’s story line. CAN’T FIGHT THE FEELING can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Josie is best friends with Savannah Wolf (Can’t Walk Away).

Told from dual third person perspectives (Russ and Joslynn) CAN’T FIGHT THE FEELING follows the building relationship between Words and Music co-owner/ former quarterback Russell “Russ” Green, and ER nurse Joslynn ‘Josie’ Wright. Having met months earlier at Savannah and Brad’s wedding Joslyn wasn’t surprised when former quarterback turned bouncer landed in her hospital ER.

Struggling with his personal life, and the fall-out of his father’s rapidly, decreasing health, Russ believes he is in no position to pursue the woman that make his blood sing but pursue he does, only to be shot down on numerous occasions. Joslynn Wright has seen it all, and in the past has suffered her own share of childhood trauma and loss but Russ’ attraction to, and need for Josie, is met with our heroine’s ongoing reluctance to make a commitment, a commitment that pushes the boundaries between friendship and love. Never one to claim ownership or be in a relationship for very long, Josie’s developing friendship and romance with Russ is at odds with her attitude and the emotional fall-out of falling in love. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a fine line between fiercely independent and feminist b*tch, and Joslynn Wright crosses the line on more than one occasion. Unable to let go of the past Joslynn’s need to be self-reliant comes across as a negative component of her character development, and I was less than enthusiastic with my enjoyment of both the character and the story line premise.

We are reintroduced to Ethan’s business partners Russell Green, Brad Maxwell and Savannah Wolf (Can’t Walk Away #1), Ethan Walker and Chelsea Harris (Can’t Let Her Go #2), as well as the introduction of Ethan’s struggling parents Baron and Yvonne Green.

CAN’T FIGHT THE FEELING is a well written, character driven story of family and friendship; struggle and letting go of the past; realization and acceptance. The premise is engaging with some wonderful world building; the characters are colorful, dynamic, frustrating and flawed; the romance is seductive and hot.

Reading Order and Previous reviews
Can’t Walk Away
Can’t Let Her Go (see below)
Can’t Fight The Feeling

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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CAN’T LET HER GO
(Nashville Dreams #2)
by Sandy James
Genre: Adult, contemporary, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 16, 2018

In Nashville the music is louder, the dreams are bigger, and love can bring a cowboy to his knees.

Ethan Walker is Nashville royalty. Born to the King and Queen of Country Music, he’s spent his life trying to escape the spotlight of his parents’ fame, even walking away from his own promising singing career. He’s the kind of cowboy who prefers flannel to flashbulbs, hay fields to hit records, and the solitude of his horse farm to the nightlife along Music Row. The last thing he wants is attention, especially when it comes from country’s latest star…

Chelsea Harris’s meteoric rise up the charts and string of celebrity boyfriends mean that wherever she goes, the paparazzi follow. A duet with Nashville’s favorite son is exactly what her new charity album needs, but when she approaches Ethan, he turns her down flat. To win the camera-shy cowboy over, Chelsea will have to approach him on his terms. Trouble is, the more time she spends on his farm, the more Ethan wants to keep her there

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REVIEW: CAN’T LET HER GO is the second instalment in Sandy James’ contemporary, adult NASHVILLE DREAMS romance series focusing on three friends who own and operate Words and Music-a bar in Nashville, Tennessee: Brad Maxwell, Ethan Walker and Russell Green. This is reluctant, former teen singing sensation Ethan Walker, and country singer Chelsea Harris’s story line. CAN’T LET HER GO can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Chelsea and Ethan) CAN’T LET HER GO follows the building relationship between former child star Ethan Walker, and country music celebrity Chelsea Harris. Ethan Walker is the progeny of country music’s hottest couple but when his father tried to outrun the paparazzi, our hero was left an orphan with a great disdain for everything music and celebrity represents. Enter rising country music star Chelsea Harris-the woman with whom Ethan would fall in love. Chelsea is hoping to release a charity album of duets featuring the children of former music stars, and Ethan Walker is her only hold-out. What ensues are the contemptuous relationship between Chelsea and Ethan, and the fall-out when their friendship and association becomes fodder for the tabloid press.

Ethan Walker is content to work on his ranch, and sit behind the bar serving drinks to his friends and customers but Chelsea Harris’ persistence as it pertains to a duet with our story line hero pushes all of Ethan’s buttons including the buttons that stir up too many memories of his parents and the past. His behaviour and reluctance to help is fuelled by the loss of his parents, and a loss of power over his life as a singing star but I have to questions his lack of maturity on too many occasions. Chelsea is determined to release a charity album in honor of her father, who passed away, an album meant to bring awareness and raise funds for cancer research.

The relationship between Chelsea and Ethan begins acrimoniously as Chelsea persists in her attempts to bring Ethan on board. Ethan is determined to remain out of the music business having had to deal with the fall-out of fame and paparazzi at a very young age. The $ex scenes are intimate but mostly implied.

We are reintroduced to Ethan’s business partners Russell Green, Brad Maxwell and Savannah Wolf (Can’t Walk Away #1), as well as introduction of Chelsea’s agent Addie, her mother Betsy , and Chuck Austin, a man who sets out to destroy the building relationship between Ethan and Chelsea.

The world building focuses on two things close to the author’s heart: horses and cancer research. We are up close and personal as Sandy James takes the reader into the world of raising horses, as well as the struggle with which many families have to deal-losing a loved one to cancer.

CAN’T LET HER GO is a story of friendship and family; of betrayal and loss; of letting go of the past and moving forward with life. The premise is engaging and thought-provoking; the romance is hindered by memories of the past; the characters are colorful and charismatic.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Sandy James lives in a quiet suburb of Indianapolis and is a high school psychology
teacher. She owns a small stable of harness racehorses and enjoys spending time at
Hoosier Park racetrack. She has been an Amazon #1 Bestseller multiple times and has
won numerous awards including two HOLT Medallions.

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