Hold On To Me by Elisabeth Naughton – a Review

Hold On To Me
Against All Odds – Book #2
by Elisabeth Naughton
Release Date: February 18, 2014Links to order Hold On To Me: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
He thinks he’s finally found the one.
Mitch Mathews never believed in love—at least not the happily ever after kind. Then he met Simone Conners. Just one night with the sexy lawyer made him reevaluate his priorities and look toward a future he never planned. The only hang up is making her see it too.

She’s almost ready for a second chance.
What started out as a casual hookup with a rugged geologist has turned into something a whole lot more. Simone’s on the verge of handing over her heart, but fear over what Mitch will say and do when he learns who she used to be holds her back.

The past could destroy their future…
Just when Simone is about to take a chance on forever with Mitch, the mistakes of her past catch up with her. Suddenly it’s not just her safety on the line anymore, it’s his too. Forced into hiding, Mitch demands answers, and Simone realizes the only way to protect everything she holds dear is to delve into a past she’s spent fourteen years trying to forget. As they search for the truth, they discover secrets, lies and a rekindled passion that burns hotter than before. But they also uncover a conspiracy that threatens the very fabric of society. One that could cost them more than just their future…it could cost them their lives.

Review:

Hold on To Me by Elisabeth Naughton is the second book in her Against All Odds series.  I read the first book in this series, Wait for Me, which was my favorite romance suspense of 2012.  I was happy when I found out that Elisabeth was going to write a sequel, and it was going to be Mitch’s story.  I could not wait for Hold on to Me. 

The story starts with Simone, who we knew from the first book, as she was Katie’s best friend, and the woman that Mitch was falling in love with.  Simone has a hidden past, one she tells no one, and which she and her daughter Shannon have been running away from.  Simone finally thinks the past is behind her, and we watch her happily head home from a trip to meet Mitch.  But along the way, she gets a disturbing phone call that floods the past to the forefront, and a terrified Simone rushes to pick up Shannon and run again.  She runs into Mitch, who is all prepared to ask Simone to be his wife.  Because she fears for her life and Shannon’s, as well as trying avoid putting Mitch in danger; Simone tells him it was a mistake, and leaves him heartbroken, as she takes Shannon and leaves. 

This was the very start of the book.  An angry and crushed Mitch, also leaves to get away from it all, vowing to never trust a woman again.   But danger follows both of them, until the only way for them to survive is for them to work with Mitch’s family, including Katie, Ryan, and Tate.  The secrets that Simone must reveal, will help them try to find a possible resolution.  Ryan takes control, and Mitch is sent away with Simone into hiding. 

Their hot chemistry together brings them back into each other’s arms, but both their stubbornness and the ensuing danger constantly seems to bring them apart again. Mitch and Simone’s romance was very steamy, and you can tell how much they love each other.  Which was another reason why I wanted to take turns smacking them both at different times.  In Simone’s case, she loved Mitch, and it was this belief that she saving his life.  Mitch, after being hurt by Simone, took awhile to see reason; but I did feel bad when every time he would bring her back into his arms, something would happen to scare Simone again.  Mitch had his own secrets, which if he had told Simone, it would have helped them all. 

Elisabeth does a fabulous job creating such wonderful characters, as I was very happy to see Katie, Ryan, Julia, & Tate again.  All of them together was great. 

Hold on to Me was a great story, filled with non-stop action, excitement, danger and suspense. As I have said, it was a great romance, though I found myself being annoyed with Mitch & Simone a few times.  Nevertheless, a great story and one I wholly recommend.  If you have not read Wait for Me, I suggest you read that awesome book first, in order to know more about all the characters and Mitch and Simone. However, you can read Hold to Me without much trouble, even if you have not read the first book.

Review by Barb