Releases March 5, 2013
Pre-order from Amazon
Synopsis:
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?
My Review:
Always On My Mind is the 8th book in The Sullivans, a series by Bella Andre. I have read a few of the others, and really enjoyed them…this book, however is my absolute FAVORITE of all of the Sullivan family books I’ve read.
Lori Sullivan has been dating a total ass for the past two years that her family despises, and were never afraid to tell her just how much they hated him. He was never good enough for her. Now, she finally sees what her family has been harping her about for those two years. After walking in on Victor and her lead dancer getting hot and heavy, she calls it quits, on everything. She leaves Chicago, Victor and her show behind and blindly heads back to California. She knows she can’t go home yet, though. She’s not ready to face her family. She needs time…and a change of scenery. What better chance of her every day norm then deciding to answer an ad she found at a general’s store for a farm hand? Sounds like just the distraction and adventure she needs right now. What Lori wasn’t planning on finding, however, was a kindred spirit with a broken and hurt soul….
Grayson Tyler has been living on his farm for the past year and is doing just fine…if you count being alone with only his animals as “living”. Three years ago, he lost his wife and left his old life behind in New York in exchange for the solitude of this farm. He doesn’t need more than that. But when a saucy spitfire of a woman answers his ad for a farm hand, and refuses to take his immediate “no way” for an answer, he knows this is a recipe for disaster. He recognizes from the minute she steps out of her car, that she is going to make him realize just what kind of dismal existence he’s been leading. The question is, is he ready to face the truth of his miserable, unhappy life?
I literally just finished reading this book and am so sad……so sad that it’s over! This story had me from the very first minute I realized Lori Sullivan, the dancer/choreographer, dressed in glitter and high heels, would be working on a freaking farm. I mean, you just KNOW this is going to be good! Add to the mix a rugged and handsome farmer, and I was hooked!
Lori is one of my favorite Sullivan’s. She has a personality that pirouettes off of the pages with such a love of life that you can’t help but adore her. I was so happy she left that ass, Victor, behind and wanted her to find happiness. Boy, did she finally hit the happiness jackpot at that farm, but not without a whole lot of anguish before finding it.
Grayson broke my freaking heart, and at the same time, pissed me off to no end. He is so emotionally broken and miserable but isn’t ready to admit it. He was such a jerk to Lori in the beginning that I thought there was no way she’d get through to him. I wasn’t even sure he deserved her efforts. Damn, I am so glad Lori is stubborn and kept at him because he is a hero who deserved a rescue. Once he opens up, I fell in love with him. I can’t even tell you how many tissues I went through reading the parts Grayson shows us his emotions and how amazing he really is.
Together, Lori and Grayson are the ultimate example of opposites attracting. Their personalities play so well off of one another. She pushes every one of his buttons and he secretly loves it, even if he gets cranky about it. The ending of this story goes down as one of my favorite book endings ever. It was so blissfully romantic, well written and just so damn perfect I was crying big fat happy tears. The icing on the cake was we got to see all of the Sullivan crew and got to spend a little time with the matriarch, Mary. That was such a special touch and I truly enjoyed it.
Ultimately, this is a delicious, romantic, emotional read that has reminded me just how much I love this genre and how great it is to find authors like Ms. Andre. Thank you, Bella, for Lori and Grayson and for giving us a book I will be enjoying many more times….most likely I’ll have my first re-read after I finish typing this!
Oh, and good news for Sullivan fans….this is NOT the last of the series! *HAPPY DANCE and a YAHOO* Bella is giving us the first of the Seattle Sullivan’s this summer with Rafe Sullivan’s story in The Way You Look Tonight! Rafe is the super sexy private investigator cousin of our original Sullivan family! How exciting is that!? Bella also has some other special things planned so be sure to keep an eye out!
Five Loves
