I really enjoyed this one. Jenson who was introduced before in the series gets his own story. He's all alpha and this is just a testosterone filled ride.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

This was a decent story and I somewhat enjoyed both the hero and the heroine, Jensen and Rowan. Plus I do enjoy a good single mom romance. However, nothing really stood out making it a great book.

REVIEWED BY SUNNY

The Need You series never lets me down. What I have loved about this series, in addition to the amazing Lund family and all they stand for, is the all-in love, the humor, and the way Lorelei James turns the “seemingly” wrong person into the perfect person.

Jensen proved to be so much more than a professional football player. I loved seeing so many different sides to his character. I loved how Rowan found a way into his heart even though she broke every one of his rules. Oh, and his love for her son, Calder? Priceless!

I so loved this romance novel. It was the perfect amounts of sexy, compassion, humor, and grit.

I didn't have time to read this book before release so I will not be leaving a review. If I choose to read this book at some point I will grab a finished copy from my public library and post a review to my Goodreads account.

THE DELIGHT
To my shame, I read this book two years ago, loved it and forgot to write the review 🙁 A football player and a single mom. When you have rules on dating or hooking up, these two don’t mix. Delighted to watch a player grow and a prim and proper cheerleader single mom, let lose a little.

REVIEW
Jenson Lund has had some hard times as a tight-end for the Minnesota Vikings, but his family stuck by him, and now he is on his way to recovery after missing a season. With an unknown evaluation done, he’s headed home to his apartment and the one friend across the hall he can just chill with and play video games. When a kid head butts his crouch, he takes some time to recover and heads over to the apartment across the hall to find a new surprise…his friend has gone adventuring and sublet his apartment to his sister.

Rowan has been there and done a football player. While her son is the center of her life, she is determined to never get involved with an athlete again. She has worked hard to make cheerleader a respectable career. As a Vikings Cheerleader and Coach of the U of M cheerleader squad, she keeps her athletic body through hard work, and doesn’t need a playboy to come and mess it up, and he doesn’t even recognize her. But Jenson isn’t the empty headed playboy he seems.

The two become “friends”, but as they grow to know each other, the sexual tension rises. Jenson had 3 rules:1) No single mothers 2) No cheerleaders 3) No medical personnel. Rowan breaks all three rules! Rowan also has her own rules, but mostly her life has revolved around her son, can she make a priority for a man with that responsibility?

The two also have a problem that football players and cheerleaders cannot fraternize, so even friendship is hard to pass by. Rowan has had a hard time of it, but motherhood isn’t something she shies away from, but when you are getting it on hot and heavy, you son gets sick, you have two choices. Be a shitty mom or be a shitty girlfriend, but Jensen doesn’t allow her to feel that way. He just wants to be a higher priority than everything else in her life. He calls her on her stereotype and bullshit. She learns not to judge every book by its cover. This isn’t to say the romance was easy. It’s not easy to change nor accept that you need to change. Hard truths make for thoughtful monologues.

This is sweet, sexy and uplifting story of putting your past behind you and learning to love, share and grow. These two stole my heart and I have read the book twice. I just loved it that much!

When I Need You begins with Jensen Lund’s chance encounter with a little boy running a little wild in the hallway of his apartment building. Unknown to Jensen, his best buddy, who lives across the hall, has sub-leased his apartment to his sister, Rowan. A couple of things come to mind: why didn’t Jensen know about said sister AND why didn’t he know about said sister being hot. Although their initial meeting was a bit awkward, it doesn’t take long for Jensen and Rowan to develop a friendship. And, friendship is all either of them have time for. Jensen has been rehabbing for the last year, hoping and praying that he will get medical clearance to return to his team, and has made this is sole focus. Rowan, being a single mother to her son, Calder, as well as a full time job (and a part time job as well!) has a full plate too.

What follows is a beautifully written story of friendship, acceptance and a truly believable love story. Jensen is a character with depth, who not only loves his family, but has a big heart that’s ready to settle down, even though he didn’t quite know that until his chance encounter with Rowan. Now, about Rowan. I LOVED everything about her. She is not a whiny, oh poor me, single mother. She is not so stand-offish that she comes across as a man hater. She DOES, however, put her son, and (SURPRISE!), herself before anything else. Yes, her son is her main focus, and she does lose her way a bit when it comes to letting her hair down, but when she finally figures out that it’s okay, she hits her stride. When these two finally trust in their feelings for each other, you feel that anything is possible. I also loved that their romance was slow to build. Yes, they were attracted to each other, but it took a bit for their true romance to build.

The secondary characters are well written and definitely leave you wanting more. The Lund family this series is written around is a triple threat: loving, forgiving and funny at times. Yes, they’re mega-wealthy, but if there is such a thing as being grounded billionaires, it would be the Lunds. I have loved everything I’ve ready by Lorelei James, and this series is no exception. If you’re a romance fan, you’ll love this series too. It pulls you in at the very beginning and leaves you wanting more. Well done, Lorelei James! Very, very well done!

Every time I read a book by Lorelei James I wonder, “How does she do it, time and time again?” How does she create such wonderful character driven stories that I can’t put down? Always fresh and different. I will never stop reading her.

The fourth book in the Need You Series is fantastic! I love this series and have enjoyed every book immensely. All are well-written, feature lovely, realistic characters, and make my kindle melt. When I Need You is no exception!

I’m a sucker for a friends-to-lovers story. I love watching a friendship grow and turn into a love that is solid and true. Jensen and Rowan did just that. Both Jensen and Rowan have “rules” on who they won’t date. Thankfully, rules are meant to be broken, because when these two get together sparks fly!

I loved watching their journey. I felt as though I was a part of it. Their dynamic was more than two people falling in love. Rowan’s son, Calder, plays an amazing role (as he should) and I can’t help but to have fallen in love with all of them.

We get to see more of the Lund clan. I hope for more stories. This family and these books are a breath of fresh air. They represent a goodness and honesty that seems to be lacking in people these days. I always take away something important when I read any Lorelei book. I appreciate her ability to make me escape into fiction and also think deeply about myself. I love that.

When I Need You is a realistic friends-to-lovers story that will keep you entertained from start to finish. I’ll always recommend starting with Book 1 in a series (I’m OCD like that). When I Need You can be read as a standalone. Go get your copy today! You won’t be disappointed.

I loved this single parent romance! There is nothing sexier than a man who is good with kids! I loved the way feelings developed between the main characters and Jensen's interactions Calder. I really loved this book and can't wait to check out more by this author.

Do you see that pile of utterly satisfied good over there in the corner, shuddering with happiness? Yep. That would be me. Because this book? ALL. OF. THE. SWOONS.

If slow burn, friends to lovers romance is your jam, this book is your catnip.

I had no idea what to expect when I started When I Need You. I’ve devoured Lorelei’s entire backlist and I’ve loved her dirty talking cowboys, but this series is completely different. I was a little nervous because this was the first book in the series that I’ve read. Don’t you judge me here! It’s a thing I do, mkay? There’s a reason to my madness….sometimes. I can happily report that I had no issues picking right up with the characters and the entire Lund crew. The author does a phenomenal job making sure new readers are able to dive right in without any confusion. Now as for the book?

*happy shudder*

Where do I start?! Jensen Lund is a pro football player. Coming off a recent injury that almost cost him his career, he’s come to realize that meaningless hookups are no longer what he wants. A hot tumble in bed is great, but gets lonely in the long run. Unfortunately the first woman to catch his attention and hold it for the long haul is also someone that breaks every single one of his three dating rules.

"Rowan Michaels broke every single one of my dating rules. Every. Single. One. So it was a good thing we’d come to an agreement. Just friends. Nothing more."

Rowan Michaels is a single mom, a cheerleader for The Vikings, and completely over professional athletes. If there’s anything her son’s deadbeat father taught her, it’s they’re not reliable. But when she learns that the sinfully sexy Jensen is her next door neighbor, temptations proves to be hard. And when Jensen is determined to prove her insecurities and judgements wrong. That doesn’t mean he’s also not determined to prove that their friendship deserves a chance to be something more.

"I’m very good at two things that begin with the letter F, Ro. The first is football. The second … doesn’t have a damn thing to do with being friends.”

Can I just tell you how much I loved Jensen? I don’t even have the words here, people. The man is just perfect. The unlikely friendship that Rowan and Jensen form is brimming with sexual tension and I thought that it may kill me with the slow burn. Yet it was so delicious watching these two fight the obvious attraction; Rowan more than Jensen.

"Admit we’re more than friends, Rowan.”
“We’re more than friends, Jensen.”
“Tell me you missed me, sweetheart.”
“I missed you, sweetheart.”

Between the rest of the Lund family, Rowan’s adorable son, and the swoony romance, I had a goofy smile on my face the entire time reading this book. I fell harder and harder for Jensen with every page. I’m telling you, guys, it just doesn’t get more perfect than this man and his patience of a saint when it came to Rowan and her (justifiable) fears and insecurities.

She needed more time. I could give her that. For her, I’d learned patience. Because I knew she was worth the wait.
Throw in an archaic no fraternization rule between cheerleaders and football players, and it’s more than just friendship on the line for Rowan. But man oh man, was it ever satisfying watching her fall harder and harder for Jensen.

When I Need You was exactly what I needed. It was light-hearted, romantic, and deliciously fun. It was full of swoon and steam and had a smile on my face from beginning to finish. I was about to break into a cheer just to get these two together quicker. There was no crazy drama, no filler; every page had purpose. It was romantic perfection. I’m not sure how I haven’t read this series before, but I’m certainly rectifying that mistake immediately. If you’re looking for a sweet, easy read full of romance and a hero that’s simply to die for, look no further!

Rowan and Jensen's story was by far the best book in James's series. I highly recommend their story. It was original and made me want to keep on reading far past lights out.

I am beyond in love with the Need You series! Lorelei James is doing a fantastic job with the Lund clan of the Twin Cities. Jensen is the youngest and pro-footballer for the Vikings who is recovering from a injury and working his way back to the team. He meets his new neighbor Rowan who violates everyone of his rule. As they become friends it leads to deeper feelings and love. Forces keep trying to tear them apart, they cling to each other.

I love this series, and its newest installment is not a let down. This book is fun and sweet with enough sexy moments to keep the chemistry between the characters lit. One of my favorite things about this series is the Lund family. Each character and their interactions with both the larger family and individual members is authentic. Lorelei James understands the importance of familial relationships and how they affect individual growth and how they can be pivotal to character development. James use of multi-character first person POV was one of the best I've read lately. The shifts between Jensen and Rowan were very organic and easy to follow. They were not choppy, jerky, or ill placed as some first person POV shifts can be. I recommend this book and the whole Lund family series!

I love this series. Like, seriously love it. Since I read the first one, I’ve been stalking Lorelei James’ website and social media waiting for information about the next one, and the next one, and the next one.

We’ve met Jensen Lund several times in previous books in the series, and he’s always caught my eye. He’s a professional football player, which isn’t really my favorite romance sport, but something about Jensen himself has always held my attention. He was injured at the end of the previous book, All You Need, and when this one opens, he’s working on his recovery and getting back onto the field. His injury has brought a lot of his life into sharp focus, and he’s not thrilled with what he sees. As a result, he’s isolated himself to an extent, not doing much beyond working out and falling into bed exhausted (and alone) at the end of each night. Meeting Rowan blows his carefully constructed world apart.

Jensen has 3 rules of dating. No single moms. No cheerleaders. No medical professionals. He actually has surprisingly well-thought out and valid reasons for this rules; it’s not just “single moms have responsibilities and I want to be free to bang in the kitchen”. Rowan Michaels breaks every one of these rules. She’s a single mom to a 6-year-old who cheerleads for Jensen’s football team, and used to be a nurse. She also has exactly one rule for dating – no athletes. Which Jensen obviously breaks.

So even though neither of them wants to want the other, the sparks are immediate and plentiful. And, to be fair, neither of them uses their rules as reasons to not be together, but they do make note of them. Guys – this is exactly what I like in my romance. This relationship is a slow burn. These two try so hard to remain just friends, but from the minute Rowan slams her door in Jensen’s face, there’s no way they’re not getting together. The tension rising between them is delicious. I wanted them together almost as badly as they both wanted it, but I also really liked watching it happen in slow motion.

And, as much as I dearly love friends to lovers, I really don’t love when one or both of the pair is written as though the concept of romance or sex with the other has never crossed their minds and they couldn’t possibly imagine what it is about the relationship that causes all of their friends and family to think they’re a couple. Come on. “What? Just because we’re each other’s BFF, and we have gossipy lunch every Thursday, and a standing Saturday night dinner that we would never cancel, and we’re each other’s plus one to every social event, you think we’re a couple or attracted to each other? What complete pish-posh.” There aren’t enough eye rolls for that nonsense.

Jensen and Rowan acknowledged the overwhelming attraction, but also acknowledged that there were extenuating circumstances that made it more difficult for them to be together, not the least of which were Rowan’s six-year-old son, and a ridiculous rule against fraternization between the players and the cheerleaders. And both of them were savvy enough to recognize that if that particular broken rule became public, Rowan would be the one to suffer the consequences, not the currently-reigning shining star of the football team.

Once again, Lorelei James has created an amazing book with characters, both main and side, who are well-developed, beautifully written, and make me genuinely cheer for them. Every one of the 4 couples in this series is my favorite until the next one, and I don’t see that trend stopping. You could easily read this as a standalone, but I really recommend you start this series at the beginning. You won’t regret it. And then, you can check below for Lorelei James’ social media links and join me in stalking her posts and website for the next one.

This series just gets better and better! Jensen and Rowan were awesome. This was such an entertaining, sweet, sexy read! I loved it!

Right from the beginning I was smiling because heck of a way to meet a kid and kick of the book. I loved Jensen and Rowan's connection, her stubbornness, and really getting to know Jensen since he was so much more than he seemed. I liked him but he really grew on me and by the end I was loving him and totally swooning. Rowan and Jensen’s relationship is fun and flirty and I loved the build and the playfulness between the two. And the puns! The sports puns were the best. I enjoyed them coming together and Rowan's fight since she was so scared to move forward. Jensen was so patient and caring. I adored his persistence.

I loved the updates with the other Lund couples and some side stories that seem to be happening over the course of the series. I'd really love to see those couples get their own books, fingers crossed! I am just excited with all that is happening with the family. I love Mama Lund. She's so protective of her kids but she's quirky and tough as well and I love her moments of wisdom, for some reason they always make me choke up.

The writing was awesome. Great details and development. Love the progression and build. This was so entertaining with a nice mix of heat. It pretty light in the drama department which I was thankful for. I just loved the sweetness and the romance and the reality of life with a kid in the mix and how that came into play in their relationship.

This is one of those stories that falls into the prefect beach read category for me. It's charming and light but filled with humor, love, and sexiness and it just entertained the heck out of me with great characters and a solid story. Loved it!

Sexy football player and single mother professional cheerleader? Yes, please! This had all the markings for a story I was bound to love and Ms. James delivered on it.

There are two things that stand out about this series. First is the Lund family unity and dynamics. I love their mom and how she makes mistakes when speaking English that are so cute and endearing. I love how most of the siblings or cousins are all up in people’s business (although in real life I would throat punch someone). There’s just a very sweet and loving vibe to all their interactions and it brings you into their fold. While you’re reading, you’re family. That just makes me smile. And second is the fact that you can get any type of story you are craving for with this series. Hot construction worker? Check. Billionaire business owner that needs to let loose? Check. Athletes? Check, check. There’s such variety in this series that is always a nice change of pace and I enjoy that a lot.

All that being said, WHEN I NEED YOU is definitely my favorite in the series. I really connected with both Jensen and Rowan. He’s not the typical asshole jock and he’s struggling with where his life will go to after his career comes to an end. And she’s not the stereotype of a cheerleader by any means but still she’s had to fight people’s pre-conceived ideas. I especially loved Rowan because she’s such a tough cookie. Left pregnant and alone by her ex boyfriend, she’s dedicated her life to her child but ALSO to pursuing her dreams and being the best in her field. Being a great coach, pro cheerleader AND a mom. She’s basically superwoman. She doesn’t shy away from hard work and doesn’t need anyone. It was nice to see her slowly let Jensen in and help her. Her struggles felt realistic and I liked that the pacing of their romance reflected that. And I absolutely loved how they both broke each others rules completely because they were exactly what they swore they would never fall for.

As you can expect with this series, this is more of a slow burn type of romance but it will still leave you swooning and wanting a Jensen Lund of your own. The chemistry between these two kept me turning the pages and falling in love.

Now my interest is certainly peaked about a couple of other members of the Lund family and I can’t wait to see more from them in the near future.

I'm a huge fan of this series and I'm always up for more from the Lund family. I knew Jensen's book was going to be a doozy and boy was it ever! Rowan was a perfect foil for him and they balanced each other out so well. Seeing Jensen mature from his past experiences we a pleasure to read.

This series is getting better and better with each book!

When I Need You follows the story of Jensen "The Rocketman" Lund, tight-end for the Minnesota Vikings. In the last, Jensen suffered a potentially career ending injury...(view spoiler) He also moved into the Axl's former apartment where he meets the heroine. She breaks all of his rules and yet he's drawn to her.

Rowan Michaels is a single mom who just wants to do right by her son and that means staying away from Jensen who has the power to destroy not only her heart but also her career as a cheerleader/coach.

Just like the previous books in this series, When I Need You is full of wicked humor and fun family interactions of the Lund family. This is one of the stronger aspects in the book which is fortunate since we get to see more Lunds in this book. I was especially intrigued by Jaxon and Lucy. Their drama has been playing out since the last book and we see more of it here. I'm definitely looking forward to reading their story soon.

I also enjoyed how the heroine was written. She had a lot of flaws and owns it. She's the perfect foil for Jensen. Throw in a precocious kid to the mix and you have a winning combination.

You can't go wrong choosing a Lorelei James book. This series is a little gentler than some, but nonetheless well written and engaging. She writes with passion and humor, and I really appreciate her ability to make dialogue come alive. The characters, both primary and secondary, are complex and layered, the story passionate and well balanced, and the settings superbly detailed. The sports elements are well researched and feel accurate.
When I Need You is a love in the workplace story with the workplace being a stadium, it made for lots of fun and flirty situations. I look forward to the rest of the series.