Thanks so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for giving me access to this book. Solid romance. Well written and the writer made you care about her characters. I think our romance readers will enjoy this book.

This was my first time reading a book by Nicole Helm and it's the second in her Mile High Romance series. I was a little worried that I might be missing something starting at book 2, but this was a great "standalone" within the series. However, I can see how people who read the first book would enjoy the scenes featuring the first book's couple.

Although this wasn't a mind-blowing book for me, it was just the kind of vibe I was looking for at the time. I liked the light and fluffy feel of it and I will definitely check out more of Nicole's books when I need a quick, sweet romance fix.

4 stars!

DNF @ 50%

Look, I'm usually a huge fan of the grumpy, reclusive hero who has Repressed Emotions (and/or trauma) and learns to work through their emotions.

But I don't feel like Sam can do that. I didn't get grumpy recluse vibes so much as asshole who cannot control his emotions or reactions. And that's 1) not the same and 2) not what you want in a partner.

Like the fact that when he needs to "work out his anger issues" and she shows up he throws a tantrum, tells her to get in the jeep, and then drives -- by his own words -- A BIT TOO FAST AND WILD down to kayak, something she has *never done* and makes her get on the kayak and just sit there while he beats his anger out onto the water?? That's not healthy and that's not someone I would want to be around, let alone fall in love with.

I was also having some iffy vibes from the heroine being, I believe I was reading the author's vague writing correctly, biracial and how she was treated by others, including her own non-white family? IDK, the author didn't really get deeply into her race or identity which was probably a good thing, coming from a white author, but also left a bad taste in my mouth nonetheless.

Could I have continued this book? Sure, but it would have taken me days to drag through it and I don't see anything that would have happened in the last 50% that would change my views on the book. This one is a pass for me.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

This was an awesome book and I enjoyed every minute of it. I've been on a Nicole Helm kick and have been reading all of her books lately and this just added to my list. This had great main and side characters. The storyline and plot had me up into the middle of the night. It's definitely on my reread list.

.5 stars

This is the first book I have read by Ms Helm and I thought that MESS WITH ME was a solid romance. The pace was a little uneven at times in the beginning. Sam was a grumpy bear in the beginning and he shouldn't have let the death of his sister control his life as much as he let it. When he lets his friends talk him into training their half-sister Hayley for their business, he is totally reluctant and lets her know it. Eventually, he comes to appreciate how Hayley trains with no complaint and she likes to get him to talk, which shocks the hell out of him. I didn't quite understand why Hayley is so reluctant to connect with her brothers, but that is what makes her human. I enjoyed the changes in both characters as they reached out for some happiness. And I would read another in this series.

A review copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 stars
I have really enjoyed Nicole Helm's writing in the past. I really feel she does conflict and broken characters really well and Mess with Me succeeds in doing that. This is the second book in a series and I will confess I didn't read the first and that was perfectly fine. The hero Sam, is a reclusive boor at the start of the book and even for the majority of it, it's just that with the heroine we see his layers and the grief and hate hiding underneath.

The heroine Hayley comes to town to rediscover a part of herself which has always troubled her, her biological father who abandoned her even before she was born and discovers her half-brothers. The hero who is their friend acts as a conduit between them. I liked seeing Hayley challenge herself and learn more not just about outdoors and about herself, in the process starting to mend her relationship with her mother.

The book really nicely sets-up the next book too, all in all a very good contemporary romance.

I really loved and enjoyed this one. really a good story, was hooked for hours. loved the characters as well. cant wait to read more buy the author.

I really love this series this is the second book and they just keep getting better.I just loved Sam and Hayley they were super characters and you cannot help but root for them.A fantastic read and i cannot wait for the next one.

Mess With Me by Nicole Helm is the second book in her Mile High Romance series. It's the first book I've ever read by her and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I stumbled across this book in Buzz Books 2017: Romance which includes excerpts from tons of soon to be released books. The sample from this book hooked me and I couldn't wait to get my hands it.

With this being the second book in the series I was a little worried that I would be missing something, but this was a great "standalone" within the series. I could see how people that read the first book would love the scenes starring the first books couple, and there was enough tension between the next books couple that I would definitely be interested in checking that out too.

This wasn't a perfect book, but it was perfect for me right now. I loved the light and fluffy aspects to it, and it was only when it tried to get a bit "deeper" that I wasn't as impressed with it. This was a one day read, and I'll definitely be checking out more books from Nicole Helm.

This author has written some really cute romances but …and it’s a big but. I don’t like this series. I didn’t like book one, but I decided to give this one a try because I enjoy her voice so much – and I didn’t like this book either. What I don’t like about this book (and series in general) is the overall tone. It’s just not a fun read. I like darker books with more serious issues. But – this book isn’t dark, it just has characters that don’t treat other very nice. They don’t speak respectfully to each other. I don’t see myself being friends with these people in real life. Instead of being angsty or intense, it’s just people I don’t like. Which is a total bummer because this author has written really adorable characters in the past that I still love. It’s just this darn town, I don’t like.

Sam is a reclusive hero, quiet, and angry over drama in his past, and not able to move forward. His two best friends, Will and Brandon, and himself own an adventure company. Will and Brandon stepped into Sam’s life when he was very down, and basically made him start working, and start living – they were there for him and he wants to repay the favor. That comes in the form of our heroine, Hayley.

Hayley discovers that Will and Brandonare her half-brothers, and drops that bombshell on them, before fleeing. She is scared to really meet them, and is conflicted about pursuing a relationship with them, because of disappointing her mother and that side of the family. She likes the town of Gracely, but is also desperate for a job. One lands in her lap when the cranky Sam shows up at her doorstep. He offers her a job at the adventure company, and even to train her in hiking and other adventury things, in exchange for when she is ready, she will sit down with Will and Brandon and get to know them. Her half-brothers don’t want to pressure her into having a relationship with them, but they want a chance – and having her work for them is that chance. Hayley agrees, and off she goes with Sam to learn the ropes of hiking and the company in general.

I wanted to like Sam – he is damaged. He wears flannel, has a wild beard, would rather live alone that face anyone in the world. And honestly, Hayley is vibrant and cute. But their romance never took off for me. They had some fun, surprise, more intense kisses, but I didn’t feel like they fell in love. The declaration of love felt very out of place. There is a lot more emphasis and build-up on Hayley meeting Will and Brandon – and Brandon’s relationship with his fiance Lily, than the romance with Sam and Hayley in this one.

And I as mentioned earlier, I don’t like how they talk to each other:

“Does that mean I can observe you?” she asked hopefully?

Sam all but ground his teeth together. “If you can shut up, you can follow me around all damn day. The minute you say a word that is not expressly sanctioned by me, you’re gone. Got it?”

I know that’s not a shocking, disrespectful thing to say by any means – but it continues like that a lot throughout the book. Not necessarily with Sam and Hayley, but with Will and Brandon. I’m not reading the next book because of my history with the first two and I already don’t like Will and Tori, his heroine who we meet in this book.

But I am looking forward to future books of by author. And if you haven’t tried her, I highly recommend her Farmer’s Market series, Too Friendly to Date, and Rebel Cowboy.

Grade: D

In Mess With Me, the second book in the Mile High series by Nicole Helm, we are reintroduced to Sam Goodall, part owner of Mile High Adventures, and Hayley Winthrop, formerly unknown half-sister to his two partners, Will and Brandon Evans.

Sam is a reclusive silent partner in the operation and lives as a self-imposed hermit in his little cabin in the woods. When the Evans brothers ambush him to ask for a huge favor, Sam finds himself in a no win situation as he feels he owes his very life to these friends who brought him home after the death of his sister.

Hayley has recently introduced herself to the Evans brothers and then made an immediate escape for fear of not being accepted, that they would be as callous as their father had been. Now the brothers want to reach out to Hayley, even offer her a position with Mile High, but they need Sam to act as the go between. Sam feels he has no people skills and is the last person they should ask, but he is also the only one who they could.

In Sam's weeks of training Hayley things change, he changes, and Hayley changes, too. When the wedding of Brandon and Lilly is held in the most beautiful outdoor setting, things change for Hayley and Sam, things that may lead to eventual healing for them both.

This is a very good story in a beautiful setting. I do recommend this book to those who are followers of this genre.

3☆
What I liked:
The writing style
Part of a series: A Mile High Romance
Standalone
HEA

What I didn't like:
I had a hard time getting into the book
The main characters

I look forward to reading more from this author.

3.5 stars

First, I love Sam and I love Hayley. In many ways I love them together and I believe they are meant for each other. Their relationship just made sense, even if everyone else may not have realized that when they threw them together. But somewhere along the way I lost their chemistry. I just wasn’t feeling it the way I wanted to feel it, and even the way I believe I did feel it at the beginning. I can’t explain it and can’t even say if it was because of things going on in my own life that were distracting me or the story or the writing.

The good news is, even without that “feeling” I still really enjoyed this story. Sam had a lot of baggage he needed to unpack and Hayley helped him do that in baby steps. In the beginning, I don’t even think he realized it was happening. Unfortunately, Hayley had a lot of baggage but she was an ace at hiding that fact. Her issues ended up festering and causing problems down the line.

There were things about Lilly in the first book that I wasn’t crazy about. Those problems I had with her crossed over into this story, too. One minute I would think she was going to help the romance along, the next I was getting pissed at her for seeming to keep them apart. And I won’t even get into Will’s actions when it came to the Hayley/Sam pairing. And I like Will! Yet it seemed this couple had to fight against friends and family for no particular reason. (By the way, Hayley’s step-brother is on my list of people I really don’t like!)

All and all this was a good story and a wonderful addition to the series. To be able to see Sam get his HEA and the brothers start a real relationship with their sister is wonderful. Plus, the author did a great job at getting me intrigued about the dynamics between Will and the mysterious Tori. Needless to say, I will be reading the next book in this series.

Mess with Me is a contemporary romance by Nicole Helm, and the second book in A Mile High Romance series.

Mile High Adventures is run by Sam Goodall, along with his two best friends, in Gracely, Colorado, which was once a booming mining town, yet now their hometown is slowly falling apart. Due to a tragedy in his past, Sam primarily keeps to himself, except when he's leading outdoor adventures with the company. However, Sam's best friends convince him to hire and train their half-sister.

Hayley Winthrop, who recently arrived in Gracely to find out about her past, discovered that she has two half-brothers. Even with an non-existent relationship, the brothers want Hayley to work with them. Throughout their outdoor excursions, Sam and Hayley build a friendship with an underlying attraction. As the story unfolds, Hayley and Sam are forced to deal with business drama, family issues and complications, and unexpected surprises.

Even though this book may be read as a standalone, it's ideal to start with Need You Now, which is the first book in series.

Mess with Me is an entertaining story, which is recommended and geared towards those who enjoy reading modern romances.


Note: I received this book from NetGalley, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It seems impossible for this series to give me a decent, grown up heroine. The big theme of these books does seem to be that everyone has issues, but as with the first story (Need You Now) the romance spends most of its time focusing on the hero’s brooding pain, while the heroine ignores her own issues and then runs away and ignores everyone when they attempt to tackle hers. Which I find particularly irritating.

In other words: grow up, Hayley!

Yeah, yeah, I know she has problems with her family and she’s never really fit in and her mother used to pretend she wasn’t her daughter and she’s only just discovered she has two half brothers… but any sympathy I might have had for her was obliterated by her inability to actually face any of these problems, not just head on, but in any meaningful way unless forced into it. She moves to Gracely to find out about her past, lying to her (loving and caring, btw) family the whole time she’s there, she throws her parentage in her new brothers’ faces, then runs away and hides. Her brothers offer her a job, so she goes to work with Sam, who she continues to hide behind until he pretty much forces her to actually talk with her brothers.

Which is so annoying, because I liked her relationship with Sam. They’re pretty cute together and she definitely helps him to open up about his problems and face up to the guilt in his past. But the moment the attention focuses back on her, whelp! Gotta hide again! I know this is how some people deal with problems, but she also whines about how no one understands her and she’s never fit in and is always the outsider, boo hoo, poor me, I’m so alone with my loving family and these brothers that really want to get to know me, oh, and this hot mountain man who wants to talk to me about feelings and stuff, but look how alone I am! Did I mention I'M SO ALONE!

Nope. Grow up and deal.

Thankfully Sam was a lot better. Sure, he’s grumpy and broody and a rugged mountain man, but at least he has the capacity to change and grow, and can eventually see enough outside his misery-bubble to help others. I also liked seeing more of Lily and Brandon as their relationship progressed. It gave a nice sense of closure to the annoying open-endedness of the last book.

We also met Tori. Who I didn’t like one little bit, because once again we have a female character dealing immaturely with her problems. I’m a little curious about how things between her and Will will turn out, but my feelings towards the heroines in this series are so poor that I’m not sure I’ll ever read it.

So in all I found this book more annoying than enjoyable. Sam is great, it was nice to see more of the old characters, but Hayley disappointed me and, again, I was left with a sense of incompleteness when it came to the romance. It will probably be addressed in the final book, but I’m not sure I care enough to want to know.

Well crafted with interesting characters, Nicole Helm's Mess With Me will have you turning the pages, eager to see the story unfold. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

Liked the flawed characters, wasn't overdone. The setting was great and the descriptions not only put the characters there, but the reader too. Recommend to both western and general contemporary romance readers.

I loved this story. We met Sam Goodall in the first book and he seemed so conflicted. On one hand he seems to be hiding from the world in his cabin while also pushing his friend to go for the girl and find happiness. So I just had to have his story. The author didn't disappoint. Sam is definitely conflicted. A tragic accident happened when he was younger and he doesn't believe he's worthy of happiness. He's content to stay hidden away until Hayley Winthrop, his partners half sister no one knew about, comes barging into his life and not letting him hide any longer.

These characters grabbed my attention from the very start and I wanted to get to know both of them. Their secrets and desires are revealed and you can tell immediately each is what the other needs to help them heal. The author wrote a great and I highly recommend this to everyone!

Can you let go off the past for a better future? Sam can't believe that he is helping his partners out, Will & Brandon want a relationship with their half sister, they have missed out so much already. Hayley knows that she needs to do something soon as she needs a job and when Sam offers to show her the ropes at the family resort she jumps at the chance.
She can't understand why Sam is always so angry and he is always telling her to be quiet. She is very interested in Sam as he intrigues her and she needs to learn more about him. Sam doesn't want her to get any ideas he isn't interested in her ever but she has started to wear him down. Sam can't ever forgive himself for his sister's death and the part he believes that he played in it. Can Hayley get through to him and will he ever give them a chance.
Sam knows that if he gives in his relationship with her brothers will be damaged and he is so grateful to them so he knows that he has to make a choice but whatever he chooses seem to be wrong.
Hayley can't believe how Sam has hurt her can she ever forgive him? And is it time for her to meet her brothers and to become part of their lives?
A great story of forgiveness, love and finding happiness when you thought that you didn't deserve it.