Hold On To Me

This is a nice story. I did enjoy it and there is nice character growth. I really liked Sully and how he worked and figured things out. He was my favorite and is kind. The two MC work hard to stay apart then work hard to stay together.
I did listen to this on audio. Mackenzie Cartwright and JF Harding are the narrators. They both did a great job portraying the characters and were easy on the ears.

This is the second book in Karen Grey’s Carolina Classics series. While each book focuses on a different couple, there’s definitely some story lines that will weave throughout the whole series. While I loved and think the prequel, I’ll Stand By You, is a good intro – minimally this would best be enjoyed after reading/listening to book 1, You Get What You Give.

Oh my heart! Sully and Helen were PERFECT. I connect really well with Grey’s writing and characters which is why I continue to devour her books – but this is my absolute favorite of all her books. First there are so many tropes & themes that I love: office romance, age gap, competent women and men who appreciate them for it, small town romance, found family and lots of laughs.

Sully is recovering from a disastrous boating accident and dealing with all that comes with it: physically, financially, and emotionally. Helen is a movie executive who has no patience for assistants or time for love. When Helen’s in need of help during a shoot in North Carolina, Dani suggest Sully. While he’s usually the muscle on set, he knows how the business works.

Immediately I connected with Sully. I just got off crutches after a surgery earlier this month and I could relate with how frustrating it is to not be able to do so. many. things. I love the way Grey brought all of those little details into the story. Helen was also fantastic. The perfect mix of strong, driven, smart, a fierce friend, and yet still vulnerable.

These two are fireworks. At first just clashing (in a fun way) in the office and then sparks fly in the bedroom. But it isn’t all just lust. It was easy to tell that these two belonged together and that their HEA was a certainty… once they managed a few bumps in the road. While Helen is 10 years older at 38, the age gap didn’t actually cause a lot of issues. Overall, Grey provided just enough angst in a few areas to make things interesting without dragging it out.

I like that the rest of the Carolina Classics gang is integral to the story, but doesn’t take the light away from Helen and Sully. We get updates on Violet & Nate, Ford, Whitney, and it looks like Dani’s book is up next. She’s been such an intriguing character – I can’t wait.

My OCD made me finish it but nope….