This is a good story by Hollins and my first. It’s also book three in the McKenna Series. However, when checking out this one, I did not know that. I haven’t read the first two. From my understanding, it's not the same characters. So you don’t necessarily have to read those to enjoy this one, which is my case. It has some of my favorite tropes, Single Parent, Opposites Attract, and Rom Com. I need to go read this rest, but this one was really good!

I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining.

Ultimately,I was unable to really get into this, even after stopping and coming back to it.

*4.5 stars*
I wish there would be more from the McKennas…
I was so tired but I couldn’t resist starting to read. So what if it was midnight and I had to work early. I got to 10% and I had to force myself to close my kindle. That meant I wouldn’t get back to it until tomorrow night. Oh yes, I was going to be cranky… Megan and James were flirting, and skirting, around love and commitment with a no-emotions-involved relationship. Yeah, let’s see how long that lasts…
Opposites attract? Blue collar meets high society? An emotional minefield disguised as a second chance? Call it what you will, I was hooked from the first page of their seemingly low-key romance. Well, hooked even earlier probably as this series quietly snuck under my radar but quickly became a favourite.
“What if she was a bad judge of character when it came to other guys as well? Maybe not being in a committed relationship was a good thing.”
Megan is just starting over and is struggling to find her footing as an independent woman again. James has spent years devoted to his small family and putting their financial and emotional needs first. They both seem to take a respite from those responsibilities as they indulge in their ‘no commitment’ relationship’. It is hot and carnal and satisfying. Even as emotions start to trickle in…
While I was a bit disappointed in some of the plot twists at the end (which added some tried, yet true, story choices) I loved how James and Megan came to be… With a satisfying epilogue, I still couldn’t help wishing the story was longer, the series had more to come and the McKennas had many more relatives….
~Diane

I really breezed through this. I need to get my hands on the other books for sure. I loved the characters and the story.

Where I Need to Be by Jamie Hollins
Book #3: McKenna Series
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 5/5 stars
My Review:

James Foley has had enough of women! His ex-wife is a drug addict who has only ever brought pain and chaos to his life. What’s more, every time she shows up, she upsets their young son and James has had enough. His life and heart just don’t have the time or energy for the pain and disruptions so it’s simply best to fly solo.

Megan McKenna may no longer have the high-rise apartment, top of the line everything, and social standing, but she has her freedom. For nearly a decade, Megan had every material thing a girl could want, but she didn’t have a true partner. What she did have was a cold, unfeeling, a$$hole of a husband who was far more concerned with appearances than an actual loving and committed marriage. Yeah, Megan absolutely came out on top in the end and though she has far less than she used to, she wouldn’t trade it for the world!

A part of Megan’s new life is a super crappy car that needs an incredible number of repairs to keep it moderately safe and drivable. As she pulls into the repair shop, Megan’s only intention is getting her car fixed. Fresh off her ugly divorce, she has no interest in a relationship, but the hot repair man might be worth considering for a little no-strings dalliance. Trouble is, Megan has never been a no-strings kind of girl. But, James . . . . . Oh, is that man ever lickably fine!

For James, Megan is a wake-up call to all he has been missing as a part of his self-imposed isolation. She’s smart, funny, sexy as hell, and, thanks to her super crappy car has ample reason to keep returning to his world. James definitely wants to have sex with Megan, but every time he thinks about something beyond the physical, he damn-near breaks out into hives. To say James is skittish doesn’t even come close and rather than explain his hesitance toward becoming truly involved to Megan, he often simply behaves badly or inexplicably which only causes more confusion for everyone.

In the times they are together, Megan adores James and his attention. Under the skittish exterior is a good man who wants a long-term committed relationship. Breaking through his crusty exterior takes some serious effort, but the payoff is so worth the work. Once Megan understands James better and the situation he and his son have survived, she’s better able to understand his behavior and work with it. All she has to do now is drum up the courage to tell her family about James and the life they are building together. If she can overcome her own fears and reveal her monumental secret, there may just be a future for the princess and the mechanic 😊

The Bottom Line: I LOVED this book!! It’s the print version of Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl!! What’s not to love?? Megan is an easy character to root for and the more of her story that comes out, the more likeable she really is. James is a bit harder to like (because of his somewhat rude behavior) but his backstory and experiences certainly help explain his surliness. It’s clear from the beginning how perfect Megan and James are for one another and quite funny how each refuses to see the perfection of their union until there is nothing left to do, but accept the obvious. While I generally enjoyed the whole story, the epilogue was my absolute favorite part of the book. I love a good epilogue and this one had a little bit of everything including updates on all three couples from the McKenna series. If the series is over, and I think it is, the epilogue in this book is a pretty perfect ending!

I received an ARC from NetGalley to read and review. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, Jamie Hollins, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review.

Where I Need To Be is the story of James Foley, a man who lost his wife to heroin addiction and is now raising their son while running his auto garage. He swears off women, but when Megan McKenna walks into his life, he can't resist her. What starts as a casual romance soon blossoms into an emotional affair.

Where I Need To Be is a sweet romance for readers who enjoy contemporary reads.

A fantastic romance that has heart, and is sexy and sweet, charming and full of hope and unstoppable, beautiful love. I kind of ADORE this cover. It had me sighing and was kind of dreamy. The characters are very well developed and the plot thickens wonderfully. It is a very stunning romance and I can't wait to read more books from Jamie Hollins!

Jamie Foley is a friendly, dependable guy who has a six year old son from a broken marriage, his wife's dependency on drugs saw to that. He also owns his own auto shop and it's doing well.
Megan McKenna's took a drastic change when she found her husband cheating which led to divorce. Thanks to prenup agreement she was left with nothing but the clothes on her back and a rake of fancy handbags, her job was the next to go because of his connections and she found out who her true friends were, not hers that's for sure...his.
She manages to buy an old beater of a car which starts to make a bad noise so she takes it a mechanic, James, to be looked at.
James is taken a back, he takes in Megan's expensive clothes, jewelry and killer body, she defiantly looks the BMW type, so why is she driving around in this death trap of a car. But he's not to question why just fix the thing the best he can. Even more surprising, Megan turns out to be very friendly, just for the night you understand.....and then she only ends up as his son's new teacher....awkward....and their casual hook-up has suddenly become more than just a memory.

James was the type of guy any woman would love to meet, he was a caring father, reliable and smoking hot. Megan is a woman willing to please and found it hard when the chance of disappointing someone may occur, which caused unforeseen problems.
James and Megan made a great couple and their trip to a HEA was whirlwind of twist and turns. A great story, I loved it!

I absolutely adored this book!!  It's a charming and romantic second chance romance filled with engaging characters.  Everyone should experience James and Megan falling in love in Where I Need To Be.

Megan is starting her life over - everything from her relationship status to her job are new to her.   It's brought it's own unique challenges and achievements but overall, she feels empowered by it all.

Her new job (and car issues) brings her into James' world and it's there that they both really want to stay.  But they have tons of baggage and trust issues to overcome if they want to truly be happy together.  Theirs is an emotional journey but I really enjoyed every moment of it.

Where I Need To Be was such an awesome surprise for me.  I've never read any of Jamie's romances but the blurb for this one caught my eye so I decided to jump in even without having read the first two books in the series.  The end result was a big smile on my face and a desire to purchase her previous books.

If that isn't a recommendation for this story, I'm not sure what is.

I always get teary when a phenomenal series ends. That is what the McKenna series are. I loved Megan's story. We saw glimpses of her with Sean's story and I knew by the end of book two something major was changing in her life. Where I Need To Be is about finding your self again Becoming independent. Learning how much life is worth it being happy. I loved every meaning that Jamie Hollins puts behind her stories.

James and Megan's relationship was a little rocky at first. James finds out you can never judge a person by what they wear, who they are in company of, or who they use to be married to. I love the support system outside Megan's family that she finds. James is your hot blooded (and don't forget sexy) blue collar man. I love how he can get his hands dirty and is all so manly. He oozes pure male perfection. He is an amazing day to a cute little 2nd grader. Okay I guess I let my thoughts runaway there. Seriously, if you have not started the McKenna series what are you waiting for. If you cannot start from the beginning, you can also read this book as a standalone.

Where I Need To Be seeps into your heart and stays wrapped around it. It brings sexy to a fun and exciting level. This book is a must read since I could not put it down! I am sad to see this is the end, but am glad I can always revisit!

Where I Need to Be is a good way to pass the time if you have a couple hours to spend. Megan lost everything - her sleazy, cheating husband, her home, her cars, everything. But what she gains is so much more important when she drops her car off to the only car shop in town she knows. James is living from day to day trying to be the best dad and son he can be. When Megan rolls in he remembers her and thinks her circumstances are still the same, that she's a rich ice princess. When Megan ends up being his son's teacher, though, Megan and James figure a hot little fling just might be something they can indulge in. But they never expected there to be consequences to their fling.

James and Megan are wonderfully realistic. They handle themselves like the rest of us handle ourselves. And I love that they're not in their 20s, they're a little older and more experienced. Much better than callow, immature 20+ ers.

If you like your romances with realistic characters and hot chemistry, Where I Need to Be should be on your TBR list.

When I read the blurb for Where I Need To Be, I knew it was a book I needed to read, but Jamie Hollins is a new author to me, and I was nervous about reading a book that was the third in a series, and I hadn't read any of the others. But this book is book is brilliant! And truly a stand alone, so I had no issues at all.

Where I Need To Be is the story of James Foley and Megan McKenna; both of them had been through painful divorces, in Megan's case, it's to a man who mentally (my opinion) abused her for so long, that she was scared to be a disappointment to anyone. James experienced the loss (in a way) of his wife Holly, to Post Partium depression and then to drugs and alcohol, and even though she was alive, she was lost to his son Cade and himself.

Where I Need To Be is the story of them finding themselves, despite the havoc and pain their ex's have caused. Its a refreshing spin on second time love, and a very heart warming romance, that is well written and thought out.

I give Where I Need To Be 5 stars.

James Foley owns a garage and is also a father of a young son who keeps him busy. His ex is dealing with a heroin addiction which adds to the story. His day changes one day when a beautiful women comes in with a car that needs to be totally redone but he only does what she can afford at the time. Megan McKenna has lost most of everything in an ugly divorce and the day she is in the shop her ex happens to show up and lo and behold the mechanic sends him away. She latter finds out that he owns the garage and that his son is in her class. Now being attracted to each other is there any way to actually act on the attraction. Her roommate says yes since she needs to have a fling since she is divorced. The problem is that she is actually in like with James, and the more time she spends with him and then his family she realizes she is in trouble. James feels the same way and after talking to his father he decides to tell her. The problem is that she still has not told her family that she is divorced or that she is dating as he says a “mechanic” because it is not up to her standards. Now what she thought she had has now left and she must come up with a way to fix it. She wants to be with James and be a family with him. A very good book with good characters. I liked her roommate a tattoo artist. The epilogue is very good. Over all a good book.

Where I Need To Be (McKenna Series Book 3) by Hollins, Jamie
This is Megan McKenna and James Foley’s story.

James Foley bought out his dad’s auto shop when he was around nineteen. He is raising his son with the help of his father. James tried to get his wife help with her drug addiction but would never follow through with the treatments. He ended up divorcing her. Now, James only has time for his son and his shop. Then he keeps crossing paths with school teacher, Megan McKenna and things begin to change. Megan has just gone through a nasty divorce with her cheating husband. James and Megan connect due to understanding of the emotional pain of divorce plus they are extremely attracted to one another. Neither one want a relationship but will friends with benefits be enough for them?

Wow!! This was an amazing read! I could not put it down. The story was entertaining, emotional, heartwarming, and the chemistry between Megan and James was off the charts. The author did a great job of where the reader could feel the emotions of James and Megan. This is a must read!

FYI, contains mature content. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

I fell in love with this story. It was sweet, emotional and sexy. Great read!

Book three in the McKenna Series and it’s another hit!

James and Megan story was amazing from the start; I couldn’t put the book down.

Not only we get a glimpse of how life is going for the other McKenna brothers and their significant others, we also finally get to know about Megan’s life.

Her story has a bitter beginning; her ex-husband did a number on her, not only he betrayed her trust he also blamed her for everything; and that sort of thing leaves a mark.

She is starting over, and we can see she is strong and almost ready to move on, but her fears to disappoint her family are holding her back and hiding her secret could ruin her second chance for happiness.

Theirs was not love at first sight for sure, they were from different worlds and let first impressions and misconceptions cloud their opinions of each other. It’s not until later on, when they really give each other a chance to see their personalities, that they realise they might be perfect for each other.

And I’m not even talking about the crazy sexual chemistry they’ve got going on.

James is scared, he has been burned before and he has stopped taking chances a long time ago. The thing is, by doing just that he has stayed stuck in this unhappy place where he is only surviving day after day but not really living.

They both get a second chance at love which shows us that sometimes the most amazing things happen when you least expect.

James wants nothing more than to raise his son and run his auto repair shop. He isn't interested in love after his ex-wife had unrecognized postpartum depression that led to a heroin addiction. He tried to help her but after many failed attempts he took their son and left when he came to the realization that she would always pick the drug.
 
Megan thought she had it all. She was living a life of luxury until she found her husband of 7 years cheating on her. She leaves him and ends up with no job, no home, and no car. Falling back on her teaching degree, she ends up with a roommate and a car that is basically a piece of junk.
 
Megan ends up at James auto shop and he instantly thinks she was like every other privileged customer since she is a former customer of his. She proves him wrong though and the two of them are able to learn from their past mistakes to have a good relationship.
 
This is the first book by Jamie Hollins that I have read and I really enjoyed it. Both Megan and James had experienced the pain of a marriage ending and instead of it making them bitter, they used the experience to learn how a relationship is supposed to work. They both were a little hesitant of course but I enjoyed watching their relationship blossom.

I loved the hard bodied, sexy hot single dad mechanic, James and the slightly scarred, ex-pampered princess Megan. She lost it all. She had to start over. She only had one option. She just wasn't expecting to find that option leading to James. Together the to had a chemistry that was good and bad. Raw and smooth. To get the perfect mix they both had to be honest and open with themselves. Cade was the glue that helped them along the way.

I loved the depth of the read. The intensity. The chemistry. The conflict. There was much there including the secondary character and the previous main characters from the previous books in the series. This one with James and Megan felt more raw, real, solid. There was more emotions.