I fell in love with CC's writing in "Worth the Fall". I'm always an eager reader for a new CC book. I'm not quite sure why this story didn't meet my high expectations of a CC story. Nick and Mia are two MCs who definitely deserve their HEA. I enjoyed the backstory of Nick and Mia because their highs and lows seemed so true, sweet, ugly, but true. I also felt the switching from present day to the past throughout was necessary but also clunky at times. It seemed there was more backstory background then current day relationship restoration.

Wow! This book sure will give you the feels. I felt every emotion you can name. It tore my heart up, put it back together again, SHREDDED IT and slowly put it back together again. It's an emotional ride for sure!

Nick and Mia were always supposed to be together. They were soul mates, they couldn't imagine not having the other in their lives. Nothing should have been able to come between them, nothing at all.

I loved the flashbacks so I got a chance to see what kind of relationship that they had from the very beginning. I got to watch it grow and flourish. Unfortunately I watched it all fall apart. The sadness, the despair, the horror of events, the guilt, the everything! I also got to see love, soul, gut wrenching love.

I've slowly started to love 2nd chance romances and this book is a good reason why I have. I do wish that it didn't take couples 10 years to realize that they were meant for that special one. 2 years authors, 2 years. It's a nice round number and would still work for the story.

Oh my my my! This story pulls at your emotions from one moment to the next. The reader is engaged in the story right from the start and you learn so much about the characters and keeps you guessing what will happen next. Warm and wonderful, yet all out sexy at the same time. Wonderful!

Damn you, Claudia Connor and your ability to reduce a reader to tears . . . gutted. I am gutted by Worth the Wait. I love a second-chance romance. It’s one of my favorite tropes to read. And holy hell, Worth the Wait is one of the very best I’ve ever read.

Nick Walker and Mia James are both so broken. Neither one has forgiven themselves for their perceived sins of their past. And seeing each other again after ten years is gut wrenching. Both have lost so much but their biggest loss was the ending of their relationship. Now, nothing will stop Nick from trying to win Mia back. But first, they need to face their past and move beyond the hurt.

“You looked like you’d seen a ghost in that hospital room, like you wanted to kill someone, and wanted to fall on your knees at her feet all rolled into one. I’ve actually never seen a guy with such obvious problems.”

Worth the Wait is a book about loss, heartbreak, loneliness, anger, and helplessness. But it’s also about love, hope, and forgiveness. A whole lot of love and forgiveness. ~ Missy, 5 “keep your tissues handy” stars

I have to say that I am a big fan of the McKinney brothers series. So I was really excited when I heard there was going be a spin-off series.

Now I want to say that this book does a lot of back and forth, between past and present. Now I dont mind when a book usually does that, because if the characters have a past I like seeing how they were or what made them split. Now as much as I liked seeing Nick and Mia's relationship in the past. I'm not quite sure the back and forth worked for this book. A big chunck of this book was spent going back in the past and at times seemed to be moving slowly.

Boy both Nick and Mia's characters frustrated me to no end. And my heart broke for Nick probably every other chapter.

I don't want to say I didn't enjoy this book because I did. But as I mentioned above there were times I found the book to move slowly and I skimmed through some parts. But other than that I thought it was a sweet light read.

I'm giving this book 3.5 Stars out of 5. And I'm really interested in reading Luke's story!!!

4.5 stars

When Nick Walker was just 20 years old, his world was shattered with the death of his parents and the unexpected responsibility of raising his 4 siblings including 2 year old Hannah. He suddenly needed a crash course in parenting with no family to provide that knowledge and support, so he fumbled through as best he could while still juggling college classes of his own. He meets Mia in the halls one day as he is struggling to juggle Hannah, his books and her toy with limited success, and the beginning of a beautiful relationship was born.

It seemed like every day was an uphill battle for Nick at times, but every day it got a little bit more routine and Mia was a huge part of that for him. What started out as a great friendship turned into a strong and beautiful love until tragedy struck 12 years later. They thought their love was strong enough to endure any test but Nick’s inability to find a way to move forward after the unthinkable happened was the eventual end to their relationship leaving both of them with shattered hearts.

Now, ten years later, fate has brought Mia back into Nick’s life again and he has no idea how to react. The years have hardened him even more than when they split but Mia has been no stranger to heartbreak herself. Nick’s pride demands that he act like a giant jerk but his heart remembers how good things were and the forever that he thought was in their future. With a lot of fits and starts and more than a few heartbreaking revelations and acknowledgments, Mia and Nick try to decide if there is an opportunity for a second chance at the life they always wanted or if there is just too much water under the bridge.

Worth the Wait was definitely high on the emotional turbulence scale as we alternate between the past and present via both Nick and Mia’s POVs. My heart broke for both of them time and time again with each new step forward and subsequent step back as flashbacks to happier times were interspersed through the story. Having read the McKinney series in its entirety to date, I loved the familiar faces that popped up and the little bit of overlap with Worth the Risk which was Hannah and Stephen’s story, but you can read Worth the Wait completely as a standalone if you have not read the other books previously. Ms. Connor has written an amazingly emotional and complex story, and Worth the Wait is most definitely worth the 1-click!

Everything about this, from the cover to the epilogue, was perfect! I am a fan of Claudia Connor, but this may be my favorite. The connection to her McKinney series was great because you could revisit her wonderful characters if you have read their stories. I truly think I felt just about every emotion in this book. The characters are so well-developed, the reader takes on their joy and their pain. There were humorous moments, heart-wrenching moments, and swoon-worthy romantic moments.

I was concerned that the flashbacks to Nick and Mia's relationship would distract from the present storyline, but it worked well to compare the events and thoughts of the present with what they had experienced more than a decade before.

I cannot find a flaw in this book. It was one that gripped the reader and didn't want to let go until it all worked out. I loved that the author didn't lose sight of those other important relationships and gave the brothers some closure as well. This book delivers a bit of everything and leaves you awaiting Claudia Connor's next book!

I'm a huge fan of this author and the entire McKinney Brothers series so when Nick, technically a McKinney Brother-in-law, was getting his own book I was thrilled. I loved his over-protective big brother role in Worth the Risk and with Hannah's history you knew Nick's story was going to be just heartbreaking. And yeah....it totally was.


Nick and Mia's story starts out incredibly sweet and romantic. Nick is adorable raising his siblings after the loss of their parents and Mia fits in seamlessly. They make it work despite a lot of obstacles and they seam destined to have a life together. But things don't always work out the way you plan and that's where the heartbreak comes in. The angst in this book is palpable. Both characters are clearly not over their first love, but they have completely given up hope. I was just pulling for them to figure it out the entire way.


Nick was sweet, but stubborn and trying desperately to hold it all together, but I love a damaged hero so he was perfect. Mia was strong and determined, and watching her struggle with the tragedies thrown her way was gut-wrenching. It's always interesting to read a story where nobody is right and nobody is wrong, everything is just circumstances and timing. Somehow that makes the heartbreak more believable.

I can't wait for the next Walker Brother book.

Worth the Wait by Claudia Connor

This is the first book I've read by Connor and I simply devoured it. I was utterly consumed by the characters, their story, and their past that the time just flew past as I was immersed in their world.

This is the story of FBI agent, Nick and his former love, Mia. Nick and his siblings lost their parents when they were senselessly killed when Nick was not yet 20 years old. As the oldest child, he assumed parental responsibility and took charge of his brothers who, in their teens resented it more than anything, and most importantly, his two year old sister. Around this time, Nick meets Mia and they eventually fall in love, oh so beautifully. However, just in case what they'd gone through wasn't enough, tragedy further strikes the family and this time tears such a perfect relationship apart.

I loved these characters even when I wanted to shake them, Nick, specifically. There was so much anger and bitterness that he broke my heart. He was essentially a single father to his sister, Hannah and so every hardship, every challenge she experienced became his. He was an amazing father and brother to her and I adored their relationship and when Hannah called him Nicky, I absolutely melted.
Mia was an incredible character: she has strength and compassion and love in abundance. She fit seamlessly within the family and brought a different dynamic to their lives.

This is second chance romance done perfectly. It's the story of Nicky and Mia finding their way back to each other, learning to let go of the past, and loving each other wholly. I adored it completely. You can read this as a standalone as I did, or read it following the authors McKinney Brothers series. I have every intention of going back and reading that series very soon.

*arc received from NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.

Back in 2015, I read Claudia Connor’s Worth the Risk and while I really liked the main couple in the book, it was two side characters whose story I really wanted to hear. Mia and Nick had a rocky past, that much was evident. Well, it took some time but Claudia Connor finally has released Nick and Mia’s story in Worth the Wait.

When Nick discovers that his sister, Hannah, has begun seeing his ex, Mia, as her therapist, he is shocked. He hasn’t seen Mia in ten years. Not since Mia walked out on him after some cruel words. Nick doesn’t know how to feel. What he had with Mia was out of this world but so much happened between when they met in college and when they started their careers. Nick became increasingly closed-off and unable to communicate with Mia. And Mia, she felt lost and like Nick blamed her for the kidnapping of his sister, Hannah. Their once promising relationship ended with a brutal bang.

Now in the present, Mia is very conflicted about her feelings about seeing Nick again. Add to that the fact that she hasn’t processed the loss of her adopted daughter, and Mia is a big ball of emotions. Nick never thought he’d have the chance to be with Mia again. He can’t get her out of his mind and he wonders if there is a possibility for them to try again. But can either of them ever put their complicated past behind them?

I want to start by saying that I think it is important to read Worth the Risk before this book. So much of what Nick feels and deals with in Worth the Wait begins in Worth the Risk. The two stories are very entwined, especially within say the first quarter of the book. It’s not like you won’t understand what is going on but I feel like your understanding of Nick and Mia will be richer if you have read Hannah’s book.

The book starts off by going back and forth from the past to the present. Claudia Connor makes this work pretty well. I never felt confused but part of me wished all the past information had just been contained in something like a “Part 1” of the book. But that’s a personal reader preference. I do truly believe Connor did a good job entwining these elements.

This is a heavy story. I cried during a lot of it. Mia and Nick both have really personal emotional burdens facing them. It was a tough read for me because I felt so strongly for these characters. I felt their pain and loss very acutely. Claudia Connor brings her A-game when it comes to the emotional bond between Mia and Nick. It is strong, despite the pain and the loss these two have shared together.

While the book ends on a happy note, it is kind of bittersweet too. Part of me kept hoping that Mia would get her adopted child back which I know is unrealistic but man, this woman has been through a lot of tough things. I just wanted a win for her.

I liked this book but it’s not a book I can see myself re-reading easily. Too much pain. If you’re in the mood for a satisfying cry though I can wholeheartedly recommend Worth the Wait. I’m still very excited for what future books Claudia Connor has up her sleeve. I’m hoping to see more of the Walker brothers. Claudia Connor did a great job of bringing the Walker family to life and I really enjoyed the complicated relationships between Nick and his three brothers. And the relationship between Nick and Hannah is top-notch.

This books is available on January 10, 2017. I think if you’ve enjoyed other Claudia Connor stories in the past, Worth the Wait will be a satisfying story for you.

http://gisspotreviews.com/index.php/2017/01/11/release-blitz-giveaway-review-worth-wait-mckinneywalker-1-claudia-connor/

As a longtime fan of Claudia Connor's books, I knew I was in for both a treat and heartbreak with Nick and Mia's story. While this book can be read without reading any of the previous McKinney books, I feel like you may get want to tackle Hannah and Stephen's story, Worth the Risk, first to fully understand the events that helped separate Nick and Mia.
That said, this story of second chances and lost loves is beautiful, sad, hopeful and touching. Nick and Mia were college sweethearts, together for years until tragic and traumatic events surrounding Nick's sister Hannah tore them apart. Years later, they are reunited, quite accidentally, through Hannah. Much of their story takes place in the past, but as others have mentioned, speeds up once they connect again in the present. I, frankly, don't feel as though the present was rushed at all...if anything, I was more frustrated with their early courtship. It all makes sense once you read it and I won't give anything away here!
For those who are visiting the McKinney and Walker families again, you'll catch up with most, if not all of your favorites while also getting a glimpse of whose story is next in line. One of my favorite things about series books is visiting old friends and Connors never disappoints. Enjoy the journey through Nick and Mia's love story!

Claudia Connor is new author to me and I must say where have I been because I just loved Worth the Wait. This is a heartbreaking, emotional second chance romance with well written characters and worth reading.

In Worth the Wait Claudia Connor gives us Nick Walker’s story and fleshes out the story of raising his sister Hannah, whose story is told in Worth the Risk. Connor does an excellent job of bringing what could have been a one-dimensional character to life and in telling the story of Nick and Mia’s relationship through the years, she’s made him human. Nick’s character is so tightly wound and buttoned up to control and contain his emotions that, in the hands of a less adept writer, the characterization and then the story could have fallen apart but Connor makes it all work. When I finished the book, I felt that I finally understood Nick and what drove him all along. For me, however, the most interesting character was Mia – another of Connor’s strong willed and stouthearted female leads. Her strength is the backbone of their story and their relationship; I think she’s terrific.
Worth the Wait is the first in Connor’s Walker Brothers series and I look forward to the other three but I do hope we’ll get to visit with the McKinneys from time to time along the way too.

Worth the Wait is the newest book by Claudia Conner. While the book is the first in a new series, it’s closely connected to ‘the McKinney Brothers series’, especially with the second book Worth the Risk. Worth the Wait tells the heartbreaking, second-chance story of Nick and Mia; two people who have loved each other for a long time but fell apart over tragedy.

“I’m sorry for before, too, Mia. More than you’ll ever know.”

Nick is a hard-working police man who’s close with his siblings. After the death of their parents Nick – then a freshman in college – took over the role as ‘father’ and kept the family together. His younger sister Hannah takes a special place in his heart, Nick practically raised her from toddler to adult with the help of the other two brothers. Nick had the love of Mia for a long time, but when Hannah is brutally attacked (her story is told in Worth the Risk), the couple falls apart. When Nick sees Mia after ten years, he can see the pain she’s carrying, and start to think about ‘what if’..

“Those dark, sultry eyes had taken his breath away the first time he’d seen her. The same way they did now. For a second his gut twisted over what had been. What was gone.”

Mia is beaten down by life. When she meets Nick in college, and through the years builds a relationship with him (and the siblings he lives with) she thinks she has it all. The love of a good man and a close relation with his siblings. But when Hannah disappears and survives a horrendous ordeal, slowly things start to change between Mia and Nick. Nick can’t deal with what happened and instead of talking, he shuts Mia out. Out to the point she can’t do anything but walk away, leaving their life behind. Even now, after ten years without Nick it still hurts to think about him. Meeting him again brings back all the feelings, all the what ifs.

“Didn’t he know how much it hurt to see him? To touch him? Didn’t he know how much she had suffered at being without him? She didn’t see any sign of suffering in his eyes, but then again, she couldn’t read him the way she could once.”

Mia and Nick meet each other in college and know they have a special connection, worth to work for. They spend long years apart while building a career and studying, doing the long-distance thing. But it’s worth it; when studies and all are done, they can start their life together. But when Nick and Mia are finally living in the same place, disaster strikes. The love between the couple crumbles away and both go their own way. When Mia and Nick meet again after ten years it doesn’t take long before both have to acknowledge there is still something to fight for. They have a second chance at love, but they must first come to terms with their past and what happened in the ten years they were apart.

Worth the Wait tells the story of Mia and Nick and spans decades. Roughly the book is divided into three parts told non-chronological; when they meet in college, the fallout and when they meet again. I love young Nick and Mia, how they fall in love and how they are with the younger Walker kids. I’ve read Hannah’s story, and to read about Nick’s reaction is painful. I understand he’s hurt and he wants to help his sister heal, but he refuses to see he’s hurting his woman in the process. My heart broke for Mia and what she went through; she had to walk the love of her life and afterwards her heart broke again badly. Both Nick and Mia deserve a second-change, and I was happy they got it.

“I lost myself, and I’m sorry. I heard you, but I didn’t answer. I locked you out, and I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

I love Nick, Mia and their second-chance at love, I give Worth the Wait 4 stars.

OMG!! So many flippin emotions! This book was a definite tear jerker for me, right from the start the story pulled me in and now, days after reading it, I still haven’t fully recovered. This is an angsty, emotional, second chance romance with a heap load of bumps in the road, heartache that if your anything like me will have you tense and anxious until the very end, and of course two people finally getting their happily ever after.

Worth the Wait isn’t for everyone. If you’ve followed the series, you definitely want to check this one out for glimpses of Hannah, Stephen, Matt, Abby, Luke and Zach, little snippets of them were sprinkled throughout the story and I loved every minute of it/them!

Worth the Wait is Hannah’s older brother, Nick’s story. Nick has had to grow up pretty fast, at the age of 19 his parents died unexpectedly and he steps up and gets custody of his three younger brothers and 2 year old baby sister. When life went from parties and dating to babies and diapers, meeting Mia was like being struck by lightning. Mia was sweet, understanding, and beautiful. She was there to reassure him, comfort him, love him. They thought they had the world at their fingertips and the rest of their lives to be happy, together, in love.

When Nick and Mia are thrust into a dark reality of blood, misery, and anger, their love is tested and neither expected the fallout. I mentioned this was an emotional read, and even writing this review is hard. I both loved and hated this story. As a romance reader, I want the happy ending, I want the H to get the h and I want love to always triumph in the end. And Worth the Wait gives us that, but not before putting the reader and the MCs through the ringer. This story really pulled at the heartstrings and stuck with me. It was memorable, it was touching, and even though Nick was frustrating and sometimes I really wanted to hate him, in the end I couldn’t help but root for him and Mia. As for Mia, I loved her. LOVED. She was a strong, caring woman and it broke my heart every time a bit more of her past was revealed. She was so full of love, just like Nick said, that I just wanted her to get her HEA. She deserved it, Mia was wounded, over and over but she still manages to stay loving. She wasn’t a doormat h, she wasn’t a push over, she was real.

I gave this one 3 stars for the number of emotions it made me feel, for Mia and for the babies (yup babies!) epilogue.

This was my first book by Claudia Connor and I'm so glad I decided to try it out. Worth the Wait is a spinoff of the McKinney Brothers series. But if like me, you hadn't read any of them, you'll be able to jump right in here just fine. This book is about Nick Walker, he was introduced in Worth the Risk, as the heroine Hannah's brother. In fact, I loved Hannah so much in this story, that I immediately bought her book and read it right afterwards. I really loved this author's skill in bringing a wide range of emotion and angst. Even though this wasn't an enthusiastic five stars, I can tell you with all certainty that I will be reading the others in the series.

This was a second chance story about two people who met at the most inconvenient time for love. Nick had just lost his parents at the age of nineteen. He was stressed, grieving, and now the parental figure for his three siblings. The youngest Hannah only two at the time and not able to make sense of the tragic loss of her mother and father. He was in way over his head trying to deal with this on top of his studies at college. Mia was just starting her ambitious studies in her goal to be a doctor and she didn't intend for anything to get in her way of succeeding. They were two people who seemed to be on separate paths from the start, but that didn't stop them from growing to care about one another and yearning for more.

As time goes by, the two of them realize they've found something rare and special in one another. And no matter what the odds, they're willing to take their shot at love. They hold strong through school and forced distance for years afterwards. But the fork in the road occurred with Hannah's abduction and torture as a teen. From this point on, nothing will ever be the same. Naturally, there is an incredible amount of emotional trauma from her horror-filled time in captivity and Nick in unequipped for handling it. He's the protector of the family, the one who is supposed to shield them from harm, and he feels as if he failed in the worst way imaginable. As much as I loved Nick up until this point, this is where my frustrations started to grow.

As the catalyst for their separation, it's understandable and it drew my empathy for both. I was hurting with them and hoping for a reconciliation that would ease their suffering. However, ten long years pass, and neither is any happier in their personal life. Mia especially has known loss and heartache that consumes her, and she has no one that she can lean on. When she takes on Hannah's case as her therapist, eventually it brings her face to face with the one man who got away that she can't forget.

Between Nick's stubborn pride, and his massive guilt that he wouldn't face and conquer, I felt as if these two were running around in circles in regards to working out their issues. After a point, things started to lean more towards depressing rather than any other emotion as we see them flounder time and again trying to reconnect. I would have liked to have seen them spend more time together working towards forgiving one another rather than such an excessive amount of time in flashbacks of how they came to be separated. But...even though I didn't fully love this one, I enjoyed the close family dynamic and the lovely way with words this author has. I'm really looking forward to catching up on her backlist in the near future.

Worth The Wait is a brand new stand alone novel from Claudia Connor and I was provided with a copy of this book from the Publisher via NetGalley; there was no inducement or obligation.

This is an extremely emotional second chances romance. I have to say, Claudia did an amazing job in getting across the angst and emotion in this story. It's immensely heartfelt and heartbreaking and for a fair amount of this book, my heart was in my mouth and I shed more than one tear. However, I wish there had been a little more shade and light relief as more than once I needed to step away from this book to take a break from the intensity.

Worth The Wait is a slow building book that really hooked me in overall I really enjoyed it.

I often take forever to write reviews. I always want to have a well-written review. Give you enough information to make a judgement on if you want it or not. Sometimes reviews are very completed for me because I have so much to say and I'm not sure how to say it. Worth the Wait is going to be one of those reviews.

I both loved...and at times was driven crazy with this book. I know, confusing. I did warn you that I was going to have trouble writing this. I really enjoyed Worth the Wait. More than once it tugged at my heartstrings. In fact, at times this book broke me heart. I loved the characters so much and I'm so glad that the author continued these characters.

This is a very complicated story. It moves between the past and present and not always seamlessly. Most of the time I kept up with the switch, every once in a while I was lost until I figured out what was going on. I didn't mind the story being part past, part present, what I did mind was the way it was done. I think the story should have started in the past and moved to the present.

Other then that, I really did enjoy this story. It is so emotional and touching. You want to shake them both and yell at them to open their eyes. I get why they have done what they've done. It's easy being outside the window looking in.

Of all the hero's I've read Nick might have been one of the best. He's such a great, stand up guy. When his family most needed him he was there for them all. For most of it Mia was there too. It was like they both raised a family when they were so young. They never had a normal dating period. It's not easy growing up so early.

See, I told you this one was going to be slightly confusing. All I can tell you is that it's well worth the read and I can't wait for the next one. I might have confused you with my review but believe when I say that Worth the Wait is really a very good story.