With that super sweet small town fun and shenanigan feel, this was another winner from Lori Foster as we headed back to Clearbrook to see the second Guthrie brother, Hogan, fall in love! And like her previous book, it’s two-for-one with a second love story for our town sheriff, Nathan!

So our ‘main couple’ is Hogan and Violet. I seriously loved their chemistry, especially at the beginning of the story! Such delicious tension as they tried to fight the obvious chemistry between them. The Screwy Louie’s restaurant was the perfect setting to see the sparks fly not only romantically, but how well they fit each other in other aspects of life. It was nice to see a little more of both Hogan’s and Violet’s past, too.

The secondary couple is our “gorgeous ‘man of the law'” Sheriff Nathan Hawley and his new but slightly standoff-ish neighbour Brooklin Sweet. I found them to be a little bit insta-attraction, but still a super cute couple. Their story is laced a little bit of suspense to keep up on our toes!

And it’s not a sweet small-town romance with out the town! I loved playing catch-up with the whole town, including Jason and Honor and especially Hogan’s eighteen year old son, Colt! He gets a little storyline of his own and he’s just so sweet, I was definitely rooting for him the whole way (and hopefully maybe he’ll get his own story!). And the Dear Advice Anonymous column in the local paper definitely brought a lot laughs!

Overall, Worth the Wait was a sweet, fun and delightful read! It’s a book filled with great relationships and interactions, from romantic ones, to friendships, to father and son that you can easily fall in love with. There’s never a dull moment at Screwy Louis’!

Hogan is the master at the grill with an obvious attraction for his boss Violet Shaw. When Violet got sick Hogan was there to help her out and work on making her restaurant better then ever and with the more time spent with each other things start to heat up. Meanwhile Nathan is a ex swat team member now working as a sheriff and he seems to have his eye on his new neighbor Brooklin. Brooklin got a past and doesn't want to drag Nathan into it but he seems to be the stubborn type popping up around the place. Things get even more complicated when it seems like someone keeps trying to enter her house and Nathan is now on a mission to find out who that intruder is.

This book was pretty complex maybe a bit too complex for me. There is the one main story between Hogan and Violet, then there is the side story of Nathan and Brooklin, but then theres that POV Hogans son Colt and what he's going through. As great as each story was I would've preferred Hogan and Violets story separate and have Colts as the short side story since things were somewhat sweet and uncomplicated. Nathan and Brooklins story would've been better appreciated as a stand alone besides this story. I had a hard time keeping up with the stories and mixed them up plenty of times. So if I had to rate this book it would've been a five star book but with too much going on and spending a lot of time in confusing brought it down to a 4 star book for me. This book was pretty great though, I loved each and every character that was introduced and getting to know their life stories and it was pretty great. The story lines were interesting. I loved that there was that bit of mystery and suspense. I wasn't expecting that part. Overall it was a pretty great book I really enjoyed it.

I enjoyed this story between Hogan and Violet even if it seemed like forever before they got together. I liked the relationship between Hogan and his son, Colt. We all would like a son like him. It was nice visiting with Jason, Honor, Lexie, and Sullivan. I liked that there was a bonus story with Nathan and Brooklin. If you want an easy summer read, this will fit the bill. I did receive an advanced copy for an honest review.

2.5 Stars - I was really looking forward to this book. I totally enjoyed the first and I loved the potential the other characters had for their own stories.

What worked for me:

2 for 1 romance - Loved the side romance between Nathan and Brooklin. I actually liked it more than the leads.
In the beginning both couples have witty banter and good chemistry.
Loved Colt and his parts in this book.
Happy to see that some of the chemistry was back near the end of the book.

What didn't work for me:

As soon as the lead couple had sex, the tension and chemistry seemed to get lost and they focused too much on worrying that perhaps their relationship was only just sex.
Both men seemed a bit too overprotective, to the point that it makes the heroine seem like he thinks her an invalid.
From about just over halfway till pretty much the last chapter, it was mostly sex scenes, or what seemed to be scenes put in place just to lead up to sex. Just lost interest and skimmed them.

I see there are a bunch of rave reviews for this book, so perhaps I am alone in my thoughts. For me, it was missing the tenderness and fluttery “romance" feels that I look for. That said, I am glad I finished the book, and honestly, if Colt gets his own story, I would like to read it.

**I received and ARC in exchange for an honest review**

Lori Foster doubles the pleasure with twice the sexy sweetness and a smidge of mystery. Small town reads are my addiction and Brooklin and Nathan with their penchant for unpredictability, stir up trouble, while Hogan and Violet spice up their lives with a bit of wicked temptation. Hot fun meets the danger zone making the tittle a perfect. Lori Foster is worth the wait.

Lori Foster delivers three romances in Worth The Wait making it an extremely entertaining book. While there was definitely more time spent on one couple, the love matches were quite entertaining. Most of all I love the sense of community in this series; the friendships, the nosey neighbors, and they way they help each other through lives trials and tribulations.

Hogan Guthrie’s life was turned upside down when he found out his wife was cheating, she cleaned out his bank accounts including their son’s college fund, and then died in a car accident forcing him and his teenage son to move to Ohio and live with his brother. With a job at a small accounting firm and working part time at Screwy Louie’s on the weekend cooking up his famous ribs, Hogan is working on getting his life back together. He’ll be the first to admit he isn’t proud of his actions over the last few months, but he can’t change the past and all he plans to do is go forward and pursue the woman that intrigues him, but Violet his “boss” at Screwy Louie’s wants nothing to do with him and his player reputation. Violet was such a strong female character and I loved that she was self reliant and self sufficient, and it took an illness to make her slow down and an even stronger man to help her through it all. I loved the chemistry between Hogan and Violet, but what I loved more is the respect he had for her and the fact that Violet began to see Hogan’s true self; smart, funny, and a dedicated father. I also enjoyed the bond Violet began forming with Hogan’s 18 year old son, Colt; they both had great admiration and respect for one another. Hogan’s inability to commit and Violet’s refusal to settle for anything less proves to be a bit of a roadblock, but between the town’s gossip column and watching their friends fall in love it’s hard to ignore what’s going on between them.

Ex-SWAT team member and now Sherriff Nathan Hawley takes his job, so when he sees he has a new next door neighbor he plans to get to know her, but Brooklin Sweet has secrets and she doesn’t think she can trust anyone even if the man pursuing her is the town’s sheriff. I loved the way Brooklin made Nathan work to know her even though she was intrigued by him. Their relationship was sweet, but intense and a lovely bonus in this book.

There’s nothing quite like the rush of new love, so it was fun watching Colt realize that between jobs and school, the right girl was worth making time for and new girl in town, Charish, proves to be just what he wants. I really love we get to revisit the couple a few years down the road when the time is right for them.

Watching these three couples find love was fun and enjoyable, but what I really loved was the crazy camarad

So the Guthrie brothers are back, and Clearwater is quite the place to be.

I have to say that while I enjoyed both these brothers, I knew that with the little we had come to know about the older Gutherie, his story was going to be a bit complicated.

How does one start to fall for a widower whose wife was leaving him broke and running to some other guy? But clearly it is possible because Violet did it in the most beautiful of ways. Hogan really was lost, but at the same time, he was holding it together so well for his son, and I think that is why both Violet and I were willing to give him a chance. I think that Hogan's amazing care for his son was just the best, the relationship between them makes me envious. And the way that Colt looked out for his dad, especially as it related to Violet, was even better.

Nathan and Brooklin's story was a new twist, which I really liked. I thought the secrecy surrounding brooklin was also fun, and at times I looked forward to their less deep and more fun relationship. Nathan was the best, I loved how persistent and determined he was.

All in all I really enjoyed this series (not sure if its done as yet)

Lori Foster has found her way into my heart again with Worth the Wait. This book has more than just one sweet and heartwarming love story. I love how she portrays the single dads in this book and her characters always seem to be able to dig in and make me feel like they are friends before the story is finished.

This is the second book in the Guthrie Brothers series. Hogan Guthrie has moved to a small town with Colt, his 17-year-old son, after the death of his wife. While Hogan’s day job is as an accountant, he spends his weekends grilling ribs at Violet Shaw’s diner and lusting after Violet. It was fun to watch the two of them fighting their mutual attraction and going head to head. Both are strong willed and independent.

The second love story in this book is Sheriff Nathan Hawley and Brooklin Sweet. Nathan is fascinated by his beautiful, enigmatic new neighbor. The more she ignores him, the harder he pursues her. He takes up jogging when he notices she runs every morning, trying to get to know her but Nathan has to work to find out the tiniest details about her. I got a kick out of Brooklin opening up at the diner and telling so much about herself when she would barely tell Nathan her name and seeing how shocked he was to see her opening up.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So I went back and reread Worth the Wait again before posting this review. Below is my original review posted on Goodreads and some other locations but I feel like I needed to edit the review.

I enjoyed the book both times I read it but I still feel like it was lacking something. I have no idea what it just left me feeling like I needed something else before the end. I wanted to get to know more personal stuff about Hogan and Violet, I feel like I know more about Colt than those 2 (who I hope gets his own book hint hint). It is a good read, make sure you order your copy quickly!! On to the original review.

Worth the wait is a follow up book to Don’t Tempt Me, which was first released in July 2016. I happened upon Don’t Tempt Me after completing a book by another author. I loved it and was hungry for a continuation of the Guthrie Brothers story. After waiting for months and months its finally available to read to be transported to Clearbrook once again. Lori Foster, honestly, is one of my favorite authors. She has the ability to put you right in the middle of each and every book she writes. You feel the emotions each character feels, you can hear the sounds, almost smell the smells, and picture each character by her incredible descriptions of people and their surroundings. Worth the Wait is about main characters Hogan Guthrie and Violet Shaw. We met both characters in Don’t Tempt Me and got a muted sense of their attraction to one another. While I loved the characters of Hogan and Colt in Don’t Tempt Me, I don’t know if that transferred over to Worth the Wait where Hogan is concerned. Colt is a dream kid, funny, helpful, loves his family. But I found myself wishing I knew more about Hogan, overall his back-story seemed rushed along.

As with most Lori Foster novels we find ourselves getting involved in secondary characters and stories both separate from or including main characters. Some we hope to see get a book of their own (Barber, Colt) and some well maybe we don’t. Worth the Wait has a possible don’t with a secondary romance between Nathan Hawley and Brooklin Sweet. I enjoyed Nathan’s brief introduction in Don’t Tempt Me but I felt like his story was just randomly inserted in the book as a way to fill the pages. After finishing the book I feel like I know a little more about Nathan but mostly that his story was just a way to fill the pages between Hogan and Violet’s dance around each other. I know Nathan wasn’t a main character for this book and I know he was a friend of Hogan and Jason. I also know his story with Brooklin ties in to the story of Hogan and Violet, I just don’t feel like his time was in this book.

Seemingly I felt like the story between Hogan and Violet dragged on a little long with some interactions taking a long time on mundane things and speeding through things that may have set up a bigger connection between them. I think more time could have been spent on Violet’s family life, her connection with her uncle etc and grow that a little more for her back-story. Both main characters fell a little flat with detail on the who/what/why of their pasts. Don’t get me wrong, they definitely felt right for each other, I just didn’t get swept away by their romance as I normally do with a Lori Foster novel.

Overall I enjoyed Worth the Wait, even the parts that bug me like being able to see someone roll their eyes behind big ridiculous sunglasses, but it probably won’t be one book I go back to read and read over again (i.e. Rowdy, Trace, Zane to name a few). Sadly this book just didn’t grab my uninterrupted full interest, this time. But I know Lori Foster will grab my attention over and over again with each new book she publishes. I received Worth the Wait as an ARC in exchange for an honest review (watch out because blunt is my middle name). Hope this review helps now hurry and buy your own copy of Worth the Wait to prove me wrong, everyone loves to be right!!

I really enjoyed this book. There's romance, humor and sexy times. Hogan and Violet are perfect for each other. Violet is a spunky, sassy independent woman who complements Hogan. The banter and chemistry between them was fantastic. I loved the relationship between Hogan and his son, Colt. Even get a little bit of story from Colt's perspective which was great.

There is a second romantic storyline of Nathan and Brooklin. They are sweet together and she added to the intrigue to the story.

Add Jason (Hogan's brother) and Honor, Sullivan and Lexie (from the previous book) into the mix and you have a yourself the makings of a fun, fantastic story.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader copy of this book.

As I expected, Lori Foster's Worth the Wait lived up to its name....it was well worth the wait!

We get TWO romances in this book with Hogan and Violet as well as Nathan and Brooklin. The build up and progression for each couple was perfect, and I loved the dynamics between each pair. They had just the right amount of push and pull, give and take.

Furthermore, I truly enjoyed the multiple POVs. The different viewpoints flowed smoothly, giving us such a well-rounded story and a thorough understanding of the characters.

Worth the Wait was so great, and I'm hoping Colt's story will be coming SOON!

***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.***

WORTH THE WAIT is a sweet peek at life and love in small town life. I loved this book with the variety of people, the dual romances and the warm, homey feeling. Having read DON'T TEMPT ME I couldn't wait to get back to Clearbrook and see what else the little town had to offer and I was thrilled. The people from the last book return and we get the rush of watching them continue their love life's and seeing the changes that come with acceptance and getting beyond the past for a number of people. It was also cute that Colt is falling for the new girl at school and how a bit of miscommunication almost messes that up for him. But Clearbrook seems to be a town for love.

There is always many elements of realism in author Lori Foster's books and this one is full of everyday crappy times and amazing ones. I found it interesting how Hogan's boss (at his accounting job) Joni Jeffers is portrayed, she kept hitting on him and he was having none of it, a reverse of what we hear most about in our world. To me, it was funny that after she fired him she had to come back and beg him to return or she will lose some accounts. Karma.

If you are looking for a sweet and steamy romance, homey small town warmth, people who accept and protect each other without a second thought then WORTH THE WAIT has got to be your next curl up and read book.

~ Annetta Sweetko for Fresh Fiction

The complete review may be found at http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=63549

I fell in love with Nathan, Hogan and Violet when readers met them in Don’t Tempt Me, the first book in Lori Foster’s Guthrie Brothers series. Needless to say, I couldn’t wait for all of them to find their HEA. 😉

Hogan was just a little bit broken, which made him more than a little bit leery. He not only wanted to protect his heart, but he had Colt to consider. He went a little bit crazy after he lost his wife. To say he played the field would be putting it mildly. He didn’t want to put his son through any more than he already had. He pretty much met his match with Violet though. She wasn’t looking for anything serious either. Like Hogan, she had her priorities and hers was her diner. That didn’t mean that she didn’t notice her attraction to Hogan. It was kind of impossible to ignore for both of them.

Just like Don’t Tempt Me included not just the romance between Jason and Honor, but Sullivan and Lexie, Worth the Wait had Hogan and Violet sharing the pages with Nathan and Brooklin. I liked how their relationships co-exhisted in Worth the Wait, especially how in the end, all four couples became more like family than just friends.

Given the title of the series and the fact that there are only two Guthrie Brothers, I’m guessing that this is the last of the series. I’ve got to admit though, I wouldn’t object to seeing more of them in the future, especially Colt. 😉

First thought is amazing!! You would think fitting two romance novels in one book would be way to complicated, but not for a queen of romance writing like Lori Foster. She has it down to a science, I didn’t feel like I was missing out on either story line. Both story lines had their equal build up, evolution, and ending. I really adored that in both Worth the Wait and Don’t Tempt Me we got two stories in one. Okay I’m getting of track here let me actually talk about the book itself!
We got to meet Violet and Hogan in Don’t Tempt Me, but if you didn’t read it first no worries these can be read as standalone books. Violet owns her own restaurant, that has so amazing ribs… the ribs happen to be cooked by a certain guy. Can you see where this is going? Hogan is an AMAZING cook, he has a secret rib sauce that he won’t share with anyone except maybe his son, Colt. Violet herself is a fantastic character, she is strong, runs her own business, takes no crap from anyone. While she may flirt with Hogan and be really attracted to him she knows better than to mess around with that man, she’s heard the rumours she knows he’s a womanizer. To bad he is so good for business, and such an amazing dad. While in the first book when we met Hogan I was not fond of him, he definitly did a 180 in this book. He really is an amazing dad, I adore Colt in both books. Working 2 jobs just to put his boy through college, after what they had both been through is kind of amazing. I still won’t condone what he did at first but he does see the error in his ways and he is an overall good guy.
Nathan we meet in the previous book but Brooklin is oh so new and mysterious. Of course because she is a puzzle to solve Nathan was instantly attracted to her mystery but on top of that he was falling all over himself to get her to say two words to him. I really enjoyed how their romance had a completely different feel to it. Nathan had a war going on with himself. Whether to push as a cop or as a man who wanted to protect Brooklin as “his” woman. Brooklin while seeming more timid at first, was amazingly more resilient than most. While her backstory was not one that I was expecting, it was definitly enough to be like “Well that’s not fair”. Of course no one in the town believed any of the bad stuff about her because that’s how it is in small towns.
I can’t tell you how many times I have said this about Lori Foster’s writing, but I will say it again I LOVE how she writes strong female characters. It is kind of rare in romance writing that the female characters aren’t in “need” of a man to save them. I love seeing in her books that while the men help. These men don’t baby the women, they basically say yes I know you’ve got this but can I help? That is one main reason I love reading Lori Foster’s books. She creates families in families too! While not everyone in these two books are blood related they might as well be. Everyone has everyone else’s backs!!!
I have one specific question for Lori Foster… Can we please have even just a novella on Colt??? Yes please?? He’s a doll baby and I would to have a novella about him. Thanks!

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

As the second Guthrie brother, Hogan, takes his turn we get a closer look at life in small Clearbrook, Ohio town and while not quite everybody is in every body else's business, it's close. Like the first book, we get two romances for the price of one and they are both great.

Hogan Guthrie is a single dad who is getting his life back on track. He has finally found a good paying job in his field as an accountant and is working as the "barbecue master" at Screwy Louie's. The owner, Violet Shaw, is just about the only woman in Clearbrook that he hadn't hit on during his temporary hiatus from the sensible, solid, hard working man he was before his wife left him devastated and his ego in tatters. But, it all takes a turn when Hogan discovers that Violet had the same lusty feelings for him that he has for her.

Sheriff Nathan Hawley traded his SWAT team credentials for a the slower pace and less crime in Clearbrook. A new neighbor has caught his eye, but she is having nothing to do with the hunky guy. Gorgeous new neighbor, Brooklin Sweet, is a keep to herself kind of woman and that just intrigues Nathan more than anything else possibly could. She has an quite beauty and venerability that Nathan can't walk away from—and helping her come to terms with the secrets from her past can't hurt his chances for something more romantic. 3 1/2-Stars

Greatly entertaining and edgy stories about life in a tight-knit community and love that grows over time, and blooms when you least expect it.

I enjoyed each of the three couples, and their road to happiness, even the young-adult-potential-future-couple that was rather tender and sweet start of something possibly lasting and lifelong. Because Cole was just that smart, advanced, mature 17-year old, that he could be making those kind decisions even at that young age.
My absolutely favorite thing in the book was the relationship between Cole and his dad, Hogan Guthrie. The open, honest, mellow connection between them was an amazing thing to witness. They talk, they tease, they disagree, a little, and they share life, the good, the bad, and the ugly. They respect and trust each other in an admirable way, that had me smiling and sighing through the tale.

But don't get me wrong, the romance stories were very entertaining, as well. I read the book at one sitting, the story mesmerized and pulled me in. The possible danger to the characters kept the story on the edge, with the emotional roll-a-coaster keeping the feelings in a turbulent state. Of course, when two (and a half) love stories are put into one book, you might be left with the feeling that you wanted more insides of both the couples, more in-depth characters, more details of the development of the relationships. I didn't get that at the end of this book, even though I do recognize the fact that it was more of a charming tale than a deeply emotional, angsty story.

Hogan was an outgoing, fun characters, a loyal friend and brother, and a great father. He used to be a hound dog but had redeemed his ways and the reasons for his behavior were well explained, and even understandable. I really liked him, he made it easy with his charm. Violet Shaw was the perfect match for him. I liked how it took time for the relationship to develop, how they had to figure out things before they made it public and before the commitment was made. Violet has worked since a young girl, she had been a loner, carrying a responsibility for the business and for her life. The growing feelings she has towards Hogan causes some turbulence at first, but soon the desire wins all obstacles.

While Hogan and Violet try to figure it all out, Nathan Hawley goes straight to the matter with his new neighbor, Brooklin Sweet. Brooklin has secrets, potentially dangerous secrets. The danger is lurking around and everyone will be surprised how it plays out.

The two romances are intertwined, and the stories overlap with each other in a natural way. The sexy scenes are steaming hot, yet they are well written and take the plot forwards, an essential addition to the tales.

A community where I want to live in, friends I want to call my own, love finding its way through life's ups and downs, making the past acceptable and the future look bright. I enjoyed my time with the Guthries and their friends, I wish I could have stayed for awhile longer... A book filled with charming, engaging characters that you will miss!
~ Four Spoons

Lori Foster's two book series ends with two new couples. Hogan Guthrie is Jason's brother from book one. He was just settling in to a new life with his son staying with his brother in book one. Now he's juggling a accounting job and BBQ master rib griller at a local diner. The diner is owned by Violet Shaw who is a women who can take care of herself and doesn't like to need help or accept it. The attraction is pretty instant for both of them. Hogan has some pretty big emotional barriers to get through to have anything with Violet that isn't superficial and she needs to learn how to let people help now and then. The other couple Nathan Hawley is the town sheriff and used to be on a SWAT team when a something went terribly wrong and he was left injured and a coworker killed. He still senses trouble when he meets Brooklin Sweet. Brooklin is hiding. From what is the million dollar question. You're kept guessing for a good part of the book until Nathan can win her over. I like how the author combined two couples into one cohesive book. They each had their own stories but were intermingled in a way that didn't take away from either couple. Colt steals the show for me. Colt is Hogan's 17 year old son and who would not want a son like him? He's thoughtful and smart and pays attention and is planning for his own future. Great story telling you are made to feel like you are a part of the story and i loved the wrap up at the end. Solid read!

Find out more about Lori Foster and this two book series here www.lorifoster.com

As always, Lori Foster delivered some really amazing heroes in this book. They are strong, masculine, sexy, and honorable, and the kind of hero you completely fall in love with. The sexual attraction between the heroes and their heroines are strong and exciting.

I especially loved the relationship between Hogan and his son, and how close they were despite the hardships they’d had to endure together.

The two heroines in this book aren’t my favorites out of the books I’ve read by Lori Foster—it was harder for me to empathize with them both at times in the story, for various reasons—but they’re both still very strong and capable and admirable. I liked how mysterious Brooklin was and I wanted to know what her backstory was.

The ending was exciting and romantic. Overall, another good book by Lori Foster.