WANT YOU TO WANT ME (Want You #2) by Lorelei James-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August, 4, 2020

Hockey player Gabriella “Gabi” Welk spent her life in pursuit of championships, but she has little to show for it besides dusty trophies and second-place medals. Now her career consists of several part-time jobs to make ends meet. When Gabi gets a chance at her dream job, she swallows her pride and asks her nemesis–smart, sexy and savvy Nolan Lund–for help.

Since being named future CEO of Lund Industries, Nolan has tried hard to overcome his reputation as a fun-loving playboy and ladies’ man. For the first time ever, he’s more focused on the company than his personal life. He spends his free time at the ice rink his brother owns, cheering on his niece at her hockey games…and watching Gabriella Welk, the superstar athlete and assistant coach who gets under his skin in a way he can’t ignore. He’s shocked when Gabi agrees to trade a favor for a favor.

They have little in common besides their mutual mistrust, but between family crises and sibling rivalries, Nolan and Gabi realize they want to be more than just friends–much more.

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REVIEW: Want You to Want Me begins with Nolan Lund having a meeting with his brother, Brady. Once Nolan figures out that he’s just Brady’s sounding board, he is not happy. He leaves the meeting and heads to his own office, on a different floor than the other “executives”. Nolan is the “CEO in waiting” but is having a hard time with his family not taking him seriously, even though he is putting in the hours and trying to leave his playboy past behind.

Gabi Welk had spent most of her life being an elite athlete playing hockey. Once she retired, the last place she thought she would find herself is holding down several part-time jobs in order to pay the bills. One of those jobs being a coach for one of the youth teams at a facility owned by Nolan’s brother. She also never thought that her boyfriend would be breaking up with her for her sister.

Nolan overhears Gabi being broken up with and feels bad for her. The two of them, Nolan and Gabi, have had a love/hate relationship (mostly hate, it seems) since the first time they met. Gabi is not someone Nolan would normally be attracted to and the same goes for Gabi. Nolan is a fashionista and Gabi……..is not.

On a night out, Gabi and Nolan cross paths, which leaves them both a bit off kilter. They eventually strike up a sort of friendship that is surprisingly easy for each of them. Nolan is in charge of the Lund Cares Community Outreach project this year and persuades Gabi to help, which she is more than happy to do. Gabi then finds herself in need of some help because she has landed an interview that would be a dream job: sports broadcaster. Knowing she needs to impress at the interview, she approaches Nolan for help with her wardrobe.

Gabi has a good feeling about how her interview went and signed an NDA, which isn’t a problem as she and Nolan don’t really discuss much about their work. As time progresses, Nolan finds himself at odds with his family and his role in it, as well as his role at Lund Industries. The one thing the two of them are sure about is that they have developing feelings towards each other. However, as things begin to happen and transition in their professional lives, misunderstandings abound that, unfortunately, affect their personal lives as well.

Want You to Want Me is an amazing addition to the Want You series, which is a spin off of the Need You series. I’ve wanted Nolan’s story for a long time and Gabi is an added bonus. Both characters are desperate in that they just want to be accepted and acknowledged for who they are and what they contribute both personally and professionally. The chemistry between the two if them literally jumps off the page and pulls you in. The vulnerability that you feel from them, however, is the heart of this book. If you’re a fan of the genre, you will never go wrong with one of James’ stories. As with the other books in her series, this one leaves you wanting the next. Well done, Lorelei James!! Very, very, very well done!

Click HERE for Vickie’s review of book one I WANT YOU BACK

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Vickie K