When I read the blurb for Where I Need To Be by Jamie Hollins I was so intrigued. A single dad who wants nothing to do with relationships and the woman that comes into his life and turns it inside out, sign me up!

James Foley lost his wife to drugs. His only purpose in his life now is to raise his son and run his business. He has no time for anything or anyone else. I really liked James. He really was a good guy that was hit with hard circumstances and was doing the best he could.

Megan McKenna just went through an ugly divorce where she lost everything. Starting over, she decides to have some fun with the hot mechanic who worked on her car and is the father of one of her students. She vows to keep this completely casual and with no strings. Though Megan found herself completely starting over and her life drastically changed, she was strong and determined. But at other times she was a bit weak and timid, especially when dealing with her family.

But life is never easy and casual somehow turns into more for James and Megan. I loved that both Megan and James were older, a bit wiser and had gone through difficult times. It made them stronger, even as they had fun together. They had lot of chemistry and even hotter sexy times together. I loved how they got to know each other.

I found Where I Want To Be to be a light and fun read. Not too heavy and just enough fun, humor and angst to keep me interested. James was such a great guy and I loved seeing him with his son. Megan grew throughout the story and it was fun watching their relationship grow. I am definitely intrigued enough to read the rest of the series and other work by this new-to-me author.

I have chosen to DNF this title, as I was not able to connect with the heroine. We still ran the promo for the book on the blog, the link is below.

Thanks,
Laura

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆
Megan McKenna thought she had the perfect life, that is, until she walks in on her husband with another woman. Now that the divorce is over, she is putting her life back together, has a job teaching second grade starting the coming school year, and she just got accepted as a roommate. And hopefully the guy at Foley's Garage can fix the car she bought since it has a lot of problems.

James Foley has worked as a mechanic for as long as he can remember. He bought the garage from his dad when he was ready to retire and business is good. When Megan Dempsey shows up with a deadbeat car, he can't believe her rich husband would let her drive anything like that. So he will fix what needs fixing on her car and tell her what can wait and maybe he can learn her story.

As James and Megan get to know each other better and the attraction grows, they try the casual dating but both want more without pushing the other.

Can Megan make James see that she wants him and she is not trying to hide him from her family? Will James be ready for more of a relationship with Megan? Will they tell Cade, James' son, about them dating? Can they make a second time for them both work out?

I have loved this series and I thought The Best Part of Me (book 1) with Ewan and Quinn was my favorite but after reading this one, I think Megan and James is now my top favorite.

So if you are looking for a great series with love, heartbreak, laughter, and family, then this series is for you, so sit back and enjoy!


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is a fantastic conclusion to a great series. In the first two books, Megan was this sister/cousin who moved away, built a perfect life for herself, and did everything right. In this book, Megan is still living away from her family but she finds herself rebuilding her life after a nasty divorce – a divorce she can’t quite bring herself to tell her family about. And no one is more surprised than Megan when the former ice princess finds herself falling for James, a single dad and local mechanic.

This is possibly a more reflective story than the first two. The author has captured the relief, fear, and self-loathing that anyone who has been through a divorce will immediately recognise. Both James and Megan bring baggage to a new relationship, but there is also joy in this story as Megan discovers her inner strength and creates a new and independent life for herself. I loved watching Megan go a little wild as she explored her freedom – Megan on the back of James’ bike, Megan at a rock concert, Megan hosting Thanksgiving for the staff at a tattoo shop – she’s an inspiring female lead and I really loved her.

Both James and Megan are wary of relationships. James’ priority is his son and Megan is focused on building a life for herself. But these two are brilliant together. There are a couple of seriously sexy scenes in this story but it is probably lower heat than the first two. I enjoyed the believable hook-up to happily ever after storyline and I really enjoyed the slow, sweet romance between Megan and James.

Readers need to read Megan’s brother Sean’s story in book two before starting this one. I was only able to understand Megan’s overwhelming fear of disappointing her parents because I’d seen Sean’s interactions with their parents in the first book. Sean’s perception of Megan’s life and Megan’s reality are miles apart and I really enjoyed the way the author explores sibling and parent/child relationships across these two books.

For me, the only thing that let this story down was the sickly sweet series epilogue at the end. These ‘few years later’ scenes are now expected at the end of any m/f romance series but I hated seeing such interesting characters (especially Darcy from the second book) forced into a bland, suburban, and domestic happily ever after.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

James and Megan are both starting over in a way. James had a rough start to his family. Despite having an amazing child, a son, he is still hurting over the fact that his wife turned to drugs and wasn't able to kick the habit.

Megan is a teacher who has never really struggled for anything. However, now that she finds herself on her own, without money, without a husband, and seeing what truly makes her happy, she is a little gun shy when it comes to relationships.

This was just an okay story for me. I liked that the characters weren't super young. I also liked that the characters had baggage and knew how to have adult conversations.

Overall, this was a sweet story and it was a quick read.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the third in the series, and whilst you could read it as a standalone (in my opinion) there are references to the previous couples, particularly towards the end of the book.

In this installment the focus is on Megan McKenna, who we met very briefly before, and who is married to a hot shot in Chicago. However, we very soon learn that is no longer the case, and she has fallen on hard times. She is inevitably struggling with her new normal, in as much as it was unexpected, but she is clearly a well-educated and self-sufficient woman.

James owns his own garage, and has worked on Megan's car before, so he is a little surprised to find her driving a beaten up old car. Until he finds out about the divorce... thanks to her ex-husband coming into the garage at the same time. She is, however, completely out of his league.

Fate has other ideas, and we get to experience a budding relationship, from both sides, as both struggle to deny the attraction, and remain casual. It is at times funny, but mostly rather sad, that two lovely people have been so damaged by spouses in the past that they are so reserved. As in many situations, communication would have saved a lot of heart ache, but that is what romance readers thrive on... and a good dose of hot and steamy passion – which these two are not shy of either!

The epilogue is both satisfying and leads one to think of what comes next too – which is both perfect and infuriating (in a good way!).

A satisfying and chemistry laden romance, with some great side characters such as Abel and Callie, and a brilliantly named guy called Poe!

Review by Elizabeth for Love Romance Book Blog
The author is looking for an honest review.

5 stars

I am always looking for new authors to read and I have to say this one is one of my favorite for the year. I had so much fun reading this book that I didn't put it down till I finished it all. The characters were fun and I connected with them all from the beginning. This book made you happy, frustrated, mad, and at times you wanted to smack them all. That is what I look for in a book and that is what I got here.

Terri is this sister that has been taking care of her brother after he got sick. She has taken jobs that can fit the their schedule to accommodate his care. Being a barista is not the job she wants but she will do anything for her brother even if it is dealing with the most arrogant man she has ever dealt with. Mick has a lot going on in his life so he not worried who he offends including the barista that he really just wants to nail. So when one thing leads to another and a one night stand goes for round after round he thinks nothing of it until his company has to hire her because his client loves her. No more sex because she's an employee. How do you think that's going to work out? Not only does that put a damper on things but so does his dysfunctional family. There is so much a man can take. So what's gonna give?

I loved everything about this book. I couldn't get enough of this book. I only can hope I will see more of these two in the future. His has to be one of my favorites reads of the year.

This is the first book by this author that I've read. This is the third book in this series and I'll definitely be going back to read the first two. I was hooked from the first page with this book. The characters were perfect and the story was fantastic. Very loveable characters, you will be rooting for as you read. I can't wait to read more from this author in the future.
Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed and advance reader copy of this book

James Foley owns, runs and works at an auto shop that he bought from his dad at 19. He married his high school sweetheart and they had a son. Unrecognized post partum depression led her to a heroin addiction. After many attempts by James to rehab her, he took their son and left. Even after the divorce, he continued for several years to help her until he reached his limit when he realized she would always choose the drug over her son. His dad moved in with him to help him raise his son. He’s had a few casual relationships over the years but isn’t willing to have his heart stomped on again. He’s focused on raising his son and expanding his business.

Megan McKenna is recently divorced from her cheating Realty mogul husband of 7 years who left her with nothing but her clothes, shoes and handbags due to the pre nup she signed. She lost her teaching job at the private prep school with the divorce and recently got a public school teaching position. She can’t bear the thought of disappointing her parents, so several months after the divorce has been final, they still don’t know. None of her family does.

When Megan buys a POS car after the divorce, she takes it to the only mechanic she’s ever had any contact with - James. He’s shocked when he sees the wealthy Megan drive up in the POS but doesn’t say anything. When she picks up the car and she signs a different name, he realizes she must be divorced. Then he discovers she’s his son’s new teacher.

James is a really nice guy, loves his kid, went above and beyond for his now ex-wife, is a hard worker and a great boss.

Megan, while I give her kudos for starting over with nothing, I was very disappointed in her not telling her family about her divorce. Having read the previous two books, and seeing what awesome people they are, it was difficult to understand why she was struggling so much to tell them.

While this starts out as a fling, it quickly turns serious. However, they both have pasts to overcome and to decide if a future together is worth working out.

I loved Megan’s roommate Calli!

This is a good read that will have you turning the pages and staying up late to finish it. While you can read this as a standalone, the epilogue wraps up all three books. While the first book remains my favorite, this one is a close second. I recommend reading them all. I will be looking for more from this author.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

☆ARC kindly provided for an honest review☆

This is a sweet love story about how life can kick you when you’re down but it may lead you to finding your ONE.

This book was so heartwarming and so tragic at the same time. The journey James and Megan had to go through to get their happily-ever-after had me on an emotional roller coaster.

James was scared because of the actions of his ex-wife. It was horrible to see not only what James was going through with Holly, but also Cade as he had to grow up without a mother because of her addiction.

Megan was so strong. Her ex was a D of the highest proportions. After all he put her through, even after their divorce he was still awful to her. I was so happy for her when she got the closure she needed.

I loved seeing her blossom under the love that she got from James. The mutual respect and love they had for one another was what had me smiling through most of this book. They were so good for each other.

This book gave me the feels and I highly recommend!

I would like to thank Jamie Hollins and Netgalley for giving me this book for my honest review!
Review By Stephanie
4.5 Stars
I loved the McKenna series by Jamie Hollins so it was very bittersweet to get the final book. I wanted to know how it ended for everyone but I didn't want it to end!
But talking about endings.....wow Jamie really gave me a gift with that epilogue! Around 80% into Where I need to Be I starting praying for a epilogue and man did I get one! It was one of the best final epilogues I have ever read! I was crying because I was so happy! And OMG Jamie brings everyone back from the other books!!!! Which I absolutely adored!
Where I Need to Be was amazing book. It was written so beautifully. I was loving each and every word in this book! Jamie Hollins hooked me with the McKenna family so I felt a strange connection to each of them, so the fact that she neatly ended this series so beautiful! I look forward to reading more from Jamie...and maybe a little McKenna Christmas reunion hahah hint hint PLEAAAASSSEEE!

3.5 stars
Overall I enjoyed this one. I felt like she needed to,stand,up for herself more. She's how old and scared to tell her parents she divorced her cheating scumbag of a busband? So the conflict felt very contrived to me. But it was a fun beach read.

Where I Need to Be is the third, standalone book in Hollins’s McKenna series, and I have loved this sexy and heartfelt series. If you haven’t read the prior two books, you’ll be fine, but you should definitely add them to your to-be-read list.

Megan McKenna is newly divorced from her jerk of a husband, and she was left with nothing after her although ex is very wealthy. She’s struggling financially but doesn't whine or complain about her new situation. She’s resilient and finding herself again and starting a new chapter in her life. She has a new teaching job, a new, less-than-posh apartment with a hilarious roommate, and a really crappy car.

Megan takes her car to James Foley’s garage and finds herself attracted to the hunky mechanic. He’s not to sure about her—assuming she’s still rich and possibly snobby—and he also doesn’t have time for relations, because he devotes all of his free time to his son. He also had his heart broken when his wife spiraled into addiction forcing him to divorce her, leaving him and his son behind.

Both James and Megan are surprised when they see each other again, because James’s son is a student in her class. They slowly and hesitantly acknowledge their attraction and agree to a fling; neither wants a relationship. Both develop unwanted feelings as they get to know each other, and they eventually have to decide if being together in a relationship is worth the risk of opening up their hearts to someone again.

Readers will fall in love with James and Megan. They both have wounded hearts, and it is very endearing to see them take the scary steps to love again. They have great chemistry, hot interludes, and a sweet dynamic, and you cannot help but cheer them on to their happy-ever-after. Where I Need to Be is a sexy and swoon-worthy romance that will leave the reader smiling. Jamie Hollins has delivered another winner.

ARC provided, but this review was voluntarily and honestly written.

This is my first Jamie Hollins book and having read it, I am sorry I haven't discovered her before.
Megan McKenna is struggling in the aftermath of her divorce when she meets James Foley. The journey that follows is a well crafted exploration of how two wounded people can find their second chances at love and happily ever after.

While their relationship isn't smooth, they do have some wonderfully sweet moments. Both Megan and James grow throughout the story and are people that are easy to like and root for.
Reading Megan's story makes me want to go back and read the earlier McKenna books by Ms. Hollins.

She's more than just a pretty face. He's the strong silent type. In an instant Megan and James' world is rocked by betrayal? Are they strong enough to gather up the pieces and rebuild? To the outside world, Megan had the perfect life. In reality, it was anything but. Infidelity, heartache and hopelessness have sent her life into a tailspin. The last thing she needs is to open her heart to more pain. Will she ever be able to trust her emotions again?

James has endured his share of rain. Drugs broke his heart and stole his wife. Will the woman that seems all wrong for him, end up proving to be just right? Where I Need to Be proves that the bleakest moments can teach the most powerful lessons. Jamie Hollins gives courage to keep on fighting when all hope seems lost.

Sweet romance, some angst and an enjoyable read.
The Hero, James Foley is a blue collar worker and an all-round good guy. Dealt with a tough blow in life he has been concentrating on his job and bringing up his son Cade. He caters to the rich and their cars. The wives of their clientele are called ice princesses and one day one of them walks in and needs help.
Meghan Dempsey now Meghan McKenna lost everything. As the perfect daughter and always having the pressure of being the best. Meghan is starting over from scratch. New life, new job, new flat with a roommate and a new car that is a pile of junk. The only car place she knows is Foley Auto Repair.
They never thought that something more could develop and then Meghan becomes Cade’s second grade teacher. It started as something uncomplicated a bit of fun. They got under each other’s skin. James unfortunately pushed Meghan away and once treated her with little respect. Meghan was clear in what she wanted when it came to James. The drama could have been avoided if Meghan would have gotten her act together.
They are complete opposites on the surface but the further they dig the more they see that they have things in common. Looks can be deceiving and never judge a book by its cover.
I find it hard to rate. It is a strong read and for some reason I still didn’t like it. I think it was that their relationship was mainly chemistry based and I wanted to see more depth to it and I feel as if I didn’t get that. The sex scenes are really hot and not the same old same old scenes I have read in the last couple of books.

James is a confident man, and doesn't take it when his woman says no at times, “first, it’s an SUV,” he emphasized. “Second, I’m telling you about it right now. And you can accept it." I liked this book I fell in love with James and his son.

Where I Need to Be is the third book in the McKenna series by Jamie Hollins. It is currently scheduled for release on July 18 2017. While I have read the previous books and enjoyed them greatly, you can read them each as a stand alone and still enjoy the read.

When heroin stole James Foley’s wife and destroyed his marriage, he poured all his energy into raising his young son and running his auto garage. There’s no room in his life for anything else until Megan McKenna walks into his shop. He finds it impossible to resist the sexy school teacher. After an ugly divorce, Megan lost her home, her job, and a big chunk of her self-respect. With her posh lifestyle now a memory, she starts over by indulging in an unexpected fling with a hard-bodied mechanic. What begins as something casual turns into something meaningful. But how can their relationship survive when it’s built on half-truths? James and Megan soon discover that being honest with themselves is just as important as being honest with each other. Only then will their relationship fire on all cylinders.

Where I Need to Be is a great contemporary romance of people initially unwilling to take another chance at love given no choice once their hearts are involved. James is doing the best he can for his son with the help of his father, but suffers with self doubt and guilt about time spent away from his son at work or socially. Megan is just trying to get her life back in gear after her ex-husband cheated and then took all the money and friends in the divorce. She is just happy to still be teaching and that the marriage is over- however still feels like she failed to make it work. When the pair meet- and their marital statuses and attraction are discovered to be mutual a relationship is formed. I like that they talked things through, like their expectations of the relationship, like adults. However, I was a little annoyed with Megan's reluctance to talk to her family, I honestly expected her to talk to her brother at least (mostly because of the previous books) even if she was not ready to deal with the rest of the family. I thought the situations and realism of the story was engaging and had me turning pages well past my bedtime. I liked the characters, and was glade to see the epilogue which offered a nice glimpse into the future for all three books in this series.

Where I Need to Be is another winner from Hollins, and I cannot wait to see what they write next. A special thanks to the author, who helped me out why my NetGalley request was initially denied, helping me get the instant gratification I was craving.

This was the first book I read by Jaime Hollins. As with any series you worry about missing key details from a book before but I was able to quickly learn the dynamics of the McKenna family. Megan's life has drastically changed from the spoiled princess to worrying about her money pit of a car. Taking her garage to Foley's garage changed her life. James Foley takes one look at Megan and knows he is drawn to her. After a disastrous marriage he is hesitant to enter into another relationship due to his busy work schedule and spending time with his son Cade. He enters into a non strings attached relationship with Megan. The only problem with strings is they become tangled and draw you in.

♥♥ 3.5 Fresh-Start Stars ♥♥

This was a fun read, but for some reason, I just didn't click with it that much. It was cute, and I liked the characters, but it was just a little hard for me to connect to the hero/heroine. Overall, the story was still really cute and worth the read if you're in the mood for something light and sweet.

Megan is starting her life over after finding her real estate mogul husband cheating on her, and she's starting over with basically no money to her name. She meets James Foley after buying a clunker car that needs some serious work. And let me tell you, James is a hot mechanic. He's tall, ripped, and a single dad. I'm all for the whole hot single dad, so this was a bonus for me. ;)

James is so much more than just a hot mechanic, though. He's trying to raise his son by himself and run his car shop after his wife became addicted to heroin and destroyed their marriage. Megan is James's son's teacher, and to be honest, this part of the plot made me nervous. I've never been a fan of the teacher-gets-with-parent-of-the-student romance but Ms. Hollins played (wrote?) the part very well. I really liked Megan's character; she's independent, committed, and strong.

She's a second-grade teacher who really hasn't struggled in life at all until her divorce. She's nervous to tell her family about her relationship issues, and this is one of the main things that bothered me in the book. It just seemed like this was something that turned out to be a major issue in the book and it really didn't have to be.

Megan and James were super cute together, though. They're both not in their twenties, which I don't see that much, but I really liked it and you can really see their maturity. Their relationship takes some time to develop into something serious, but the timeline is believable and authentic. Oh, and the sexual tension was great and the sex scenes were smokin' hot.

I love a good love story when 2 people are broken and find love again that makes them whole! That is the story between James and Megan (I also love when people have normal everyday names too!).

James is a single dad, raiding his son. He is divorced from his wife, who has a drug problem. Then there is Megan. She is recently divorced from her cheating loser husband. Neither is looking for love, but they find it.

Both Megan and James rise from their past, to essentially be happy again, with each other!

Great end to a fun series.

James Foley owns his own auto garage and lives with his six year old son and father ever since his ex-wife decided she liked drugs more than her family.

Megan McKenna lost her whole life when she found her husband cheating. Due to a brutal prenup she walked away from her marriage with absolutely nothing other than the clothes on her back and an impressive collection of handbags, her husband's connections lost her her job at a prestigious prep school and he kept all their friends. When the old beater she bought with the last of her cash starts making terrible noises she takes the car to the only mechanic she knows.

James knows Megan's type, all BMWs, dripping gold jewellery and fancy clothes, so he is surprised when the trophy wife walks into his garage with a rusty old maroon Honda Accord on the lot. Then he finds out that Megan is his son's new teacher.

Somehow, two souls that have been hurt by love before find a relationship together but the demons of the past and their own insecurities threaten to derail them before they even start.

James is a great guy, solid, dependable, caring for his son and running his own business. A welcome antidote to Megan's sleazy ex-husband. Megan is the woman who does everything right, by the book. And what has that got her? Nothing. Maybe a no-strings fling with a hot mechanic is just what the doctor ordered. She has always been the perfect daughter and put enormous pressure on herself never to disappoint her parents, telling them she's divorced will devastate them. But as things with James get serious keeping something that big a secret can have big repercussions.

This is most definitely the wrap up of the series. We see the characters planning towards Quinn and Ewan's wedding (from the first book in the series) and catch up with Sean and Darcy.

Loved this sweet romance and the lovable characters.

Ok, totally didn't put this down until completely finished. James and Megan have met before but it was when she was married, now she's driving her beater, used car into his garage to have it repaired. He's shocked when he finds out the car is hers. He's even more surprised to find out that she is Cade's new teacher and school has not been easy for either of them.

James owns Foley's and has since he was nineteen and bought from his dad. He's a single dad.

Megan is recently divorced from her very wealthy husband and has been left almost penniless, even though it was his fault. How did that happen? She's lost her so called friends, her job at the prep school and her home. She has a new job at a public school and a new to her old Honda that has seen better days.

She's living on credit and she has to have her car repaired. When she does she takes it to the only garage she knows and James the mechanic helps her. She had lived her life doing the things she should do, being all but the perfect daughter and look what it's gotten her.

James and Megan are attracted to one another and a ride home turns into more, much more. Pizza, beer, music and lust all ingredients for a hot and sexy encounter for the proper Megan in the not so proper place.

This turns into much more. But will it be just a casual relationship or nothing? That's something they are going to have to work through. But surprises happen and some are good and some are bad.

Watch how this relationship plays out for these two and the sweet relationships they have with their friends and family.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.