Can’t Let Go is book five in The Original Heartbreakers series by Gena Showalter. I have loved this series from the first book and have even managed to keep up with the new releases. This is one of those books where you just want to highlight every other sentence. Now I have the daunting task of choosing just a couple of those quotes to entice you to read this book.

Ryanne Wade is the owner of the bar, The Hitching Post. She inherited the bar from her former step father and she tries to honor his memory by running the bar as best she can. Ryanne lives life with a smile on her face and an attitude to match. You wouldn’t know it that her growing up wasn’t the best. Her mother paraded one husband or boyfriend after another through her life. Ryanne has promised herself she would never be like her mother which is why she is still a virgin. She may act like she is flirting but in reality, she is just trying to make every customer feel good about themselves.

But then Ryanne met Jude Laurent, the brooding man whose life was filled with pain, most of which was on the inside. Somehow Jude became the biggest focus of her life. She simply couldn’t get him off her mind. And then she realized that Jude was going to be the one, whether he knew it or not.

“Jude was the one, she decided. The man who would break her amorous fast. He was the only guy her body craved. The only male her mind trusted.”

Jude, along with his two best friends, Brock and Daniel, was a former army ranger and still suffered from PTSD. He and his two friends owned LPH Protection, which was a security firm. Jude lost half of his leg while he was deployed but after returning home to heal, he also lost his wife and twin daughters to a drunk driver. Now his life was all about pain. It had been two and a half years since he lost his family. He still grieved every day. So what was it about the bartender, Ryanne, that got on his nerves so much? Why did he let her get under his skin? It was disloyal to the memory of his wife to let his thoughts stray the way they have been, wasn’t it?

Right across from Ryanne’s bar, a mob boss, Martin Dushku, was building a strip joint, and wanted to buy Ryanne’s bar. Every other town that Dushku had businesses in, if people didn’t sell to him, accidents started to happen and people got hurt or were killed. Now he wants Ryanne’s bar. There is no way she is giving in to him. It isn’t long before things start to happen. Jude is right there to amp up security in the bar and to protect her, even if it will put him closer to her and make the temptation worse.

Ryanne continues to break down Jude’s defenses. One night leads to more and then more isn’t even enough. Jude craves Ryanne like he craves his next breath. But what if something were to happen to her, what if he loses her too? Jude fights the overwhelming need to lock Ryanne up to keep her safe, so he won’t have to worry about her safety.

“With you, I don’t feel like a man defeated by his past. I feel like a man with a future.”

The danger from Dushku increases and the pressure on Jude to keep her safe. He is driving Ryanne crazy and he could possibly lose her from being too over protective.

“Every day, in a thousand different ways, you undo me, love. You’re my world. You are the key to my shackles. You set me free.”

This book made me sigh, swoon, smile, and gasp. I loved every single page of it. Jude was so broken and Ryanne only saw the beauty of him. Together they were perfection. As they fought the evil of Dushku, Ryanne fought to help Jude to heal.

I so hope you’ll give this book a try. Or start at the beginning of the series. Every book has been amazing. I can’t wait for the next book, Can’t Get Enough, which will be Brock and Lyndie’s story.

I loved this story of 2 damaged people finding a real connection, and being smart enough not to let it go, even when it hurt. The characters really spoke to me, and I enjoyed the story so much.

Ryanne Wade has sworn off men. It's why she's still a virgin at 25. After a lifetime of witnessing her bombshell mother flit around from husband, to husband, to other women's husbands, always searching for "true love", Ryanne swore she would never be like that. So, she lives in the small town she grew up in, Strawberry Valley, Oklahoma, and owns the local bar in the center of 3 small towns. She's a flirt, and likes keeping her customers happy. She also feeds the homeless guys in the bar's back alley once she closes each night. She is just an all around sweet person, and it surprises her the level of attraction she has for such a snarly man, who clearly doesn't like her, or her bar, at all.

Jude Laurent lost his wife and twin daughters to a car accident caused by a drunk driver 2 1/2 years ago. He lost his leg in the war, before that. He's a broken man, and he embraces his misery. He hates that Ryanne runs a bar, serving patrons who could then drive a car and kill someone. But, she's friends with his best friend's fiancee, so he has to be around her a lot, and he's learning to deal. The biggest issue is his strong attraction to her. He doesn't want to be feeling it, but he can't seem to help himself, and that just pisses him off more. But, then a local gangster moves into town, and threatens Ryanne, and her livelihood, and Jude vows to protect and help her. Steering clear of her romantically shouldn't be hard, right?!

Jude and Ryanne clearly have a strong chemistry, but they are fighting it for different reasons. Then, Ryanne decides she's done fighting, and starts to try to change Jude's mind. Their push and pull was fun, and sexy, and it was definitely realistic for a widower to be so reluctant. I loved their banter (and nicknames!), and I enjoyed watching their story play out. Often it was heartbreaking to see what Jude was going through, and when he did screw up, which was often, he screwed up badly. Ryanne had infinite patience, and I really loved her soft heart, but spine of steel. I also enjoyed their honesty and great communication, even when it hurt.

This was a redemption story of sorts, as well as a second chance at life, and love for the hero. For the heroine, it was her first time finding a man she could love and trust implicitly, and it was beautiful to watch. I really enjoyed this book, and I'm so glad I read it. Now I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series, which will focus on the last 2 singles in this little crew. That one is going to be a doozy, as both characters have HUGE issues and pasts to overcome. I can't wait to see what happens.

Rude Jude should have been his nickname. The guy has some serious, though earned, issues. He married young and had a beautiful family that he joined the military to support. First he lost his leg and then his family. Anybody would be damaged after those horrible events. He works security with his best friends and spends all of his free time policing the local bar for potential drunk drivers.

Ryanne is everything Jude despises. She serves the evil that killed his family. It doesn't matter that she always has a taxi on standby, or that she watches her patrons and cuts them off with a smile. He cannot avoid her when she owns the hangout her friends frequent He doesn't have a choice but to step in when her business and life are threatened. Ryanne has some insecurities of her own and doesn't want what Jude is offering. They will have to work together to save the her bar and build their future.

Holding true to your beliefs is great in concept. BUT. Relationships require give and take. Compromises can be found with proper incentive *wink wink*. Technically this is #5 of the Original Heartbreakers but it reads more like #2 in a trilogy. Next up is Can't Get Enough featuring Brock and Lyndie.

I am a huge fan of the Original Heartbreakers series and so looked forward Jude and Ryanne’s story; the buildup for their story in Can't Hardly Breathe was done so well. This book really delivered on all of the feels on many levels, particularly watching Jude fall in love. The heart, humor, and heat is really alive in this book – it reminded me of some of the funnier Lords of the Underworld books (with the Harpies). Gena’s trademark “sorrynotsorry” does not come out often, but when it does in a book, I love the female character immediately! This series has a strong sense of friendship and community and I cannot wait for Brock and Lyndie’s story. It will be off the charts!

Hands up I'm not the biggest fan of contemporary romance around but I've loved this authors paranormal stories ( particularly her earlier work ) so couldn't resist downloading this. Yes it's part of a series but that didn't prevent me understanding and enjoying this book. Essentially it's a story of two people who have given up on love and yet both feel a powerful attraction to each other.
Ryanne has no place in her life for a man and truthfully has yet to meet one who she can really trust. Feeling let down by her mother she's now running her late step fathers bar but Ryanne dreams of traveling the world and experiencing all it has to offer. Meantime though she's determined to seduce the grumpy widower Jude as he might scowl at her but his disapproval seems to be just skin deep.
Jude has lost so much, his wife, his children and even a limb and yet somehow he keeps going on. What he doesn't want is Ryanne giving him her come hither innuendos . Yet this fiesty female is waking up all kind of feelings in Jude, feelings he is determined to tamp down and ignore. Trouble is knock knock knocking on Ryannes door though and there's no way Jude will look the other way but darn it Ryanne just might have woken up the sleeping tiger!
This is seemingly a relationship full of pitfalls. Ryanne runs a bar selling alcohol and Jude has so much anger as he lost his family due to a drunk driver. His disapproval and grief see him firmly dismissing Ryannes advances but as a reader I couldn't help but smile. Actually I even laughed a few times as Ryanne sure does have a very firm grasp on flirting with danger!
This isn't a quick happy ever after no, it's a relationship that slowly builds as the couple push each other's buttons and their dialogue and banter really made this a fun, engaging read. Expect sexy times but for me it was the unexpected that truly kept me turning the pages. Yes there's an element of suspense, yes there are problems to overcome but most of all it's a romance that made me smile.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I loved reading this book! I mean, I love all Gena Showalter books! I just really enjoyed reading about Ryanne and Jude! They were a fantastic couple with real life issues, and yeah, they were just amazing together!

Wow, we were introduced to both Jude and Ryanne in the previous book, but it didn't quite capture the sparks that flew between them! They were both attracted to the other, but Jude disapproved of her choices in running a bar, and she didn't like his disapproval. It does make sense! But they worked at it!

Ryanne wants to see the world, and she's just about to, and that's just so great! But she also has trouble with her bar, because someone is starting a strip club, and wants to buy her out. And since he's not a nice guy, it causes issues!

I really enjoyed watching them give into their feelings, and also deal with everything that they're facing! It was just an amazing read, and I'm so glad that everything worked out, that was just the best! So great to read!

I just loved reading this book, and I can't wait for the 6th book!

With trust issues a mile long, Ryanne Wade has sworn off men. Then Jude Laurent walks into her bar and all bets are off. The former Army Ranger has suffered unimaginably, first being maimed in battle then losing his wife and daughters to a drunk driver. Making the brooding widower smile is priority one. Resisting him? Impossible.

To Jude, Ryanne is off limits. And yet the beautiful bartender who serves alcohol to potential motorists tempts him like no other. When a rival bar threatens her livelihood, and her life, he can’t turn away. She triggers something in him he thought long buried, and he’s determined to protect her, whatever the cost.

As their already scorching attraction continues to heat, the damaged soldier knows he must let go of his past to hold on to his future...or risk losing the second chance he desperately needs.

Jude Laurent really doesn’t like Ryanne Wade because she runs a bar. His wife and twin daughters were killed in a drunk driving accident and he despises anything to do with alcohol. Sure, she has strict rules about how many drinks someone can have and she always has them sober up first, but he still doesn’t like her. If they don’t sober up first she takes their keys and calls them a cab. Despite his disdain for Ryanne he finds himself wanting her more and more.

Ryanne is hot for Jude but she knows that he’s been so hurt in the past that the chances of them hooking up is slim to none. Of course that doesn’t stop her from teasing him mercilessly and texting him to annoy him. She doesn’t plan on feelings building up for the man but they come so naturally. When Jude finally says that he ready to start a strictly sexual relationship with Ryanne she’s all for it but can she keep her feelings to just the bedroom? Can he?

This was a great book. I honestly couldn’t figure out how Showalter was going to manage to make me believe that Jude was ready for anything. He was so devastated by the deaths of his family and it broke my heart to think of it. She did, however, honestly get me to believe that their romance worked. Despite all the obstacles in their way they did it and I was rooting for them.

There was a guy in the story that wanted to buy Ryanne’s bar and when she wouldn’t sell accidents started happening. Of course she needed Jude’s security business to protect her business. This was a great way to get the pair to work together but the whole issue with the rich bastard businessman seemed just so far fetched. IDK, that part of the story seemed unrealistic and I didn’t really care for it.

Despite that one issue I really liked this book. I liked Ryanne and Jude separately and together and they worked! This was another Original Heartbreaker novel I definitely recommend.

Rating: 4 out of 5

This will post as a guest review on Book Binge.
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I’ll be honest at first I didn’t think I’d like it. The characters just weren’t coming together for me but the more I read, the more into it I got. A little funny, very hot, and have Kleenex near by.
Ryanne owns a bar, full of life, and gorgeous. She is saving money to travel the world and leaves for Rome in a couple of months. She doesn’t trust men until she meets Jude. Jude is a sad man. He lost his leg in the army and his wife and twin girls to a drunk driver. He stays away from women but Ryanne draws him to her. He fights it like crazy at first but finally gives in. Only to repeatedly mess up.
A mob boss moves in next door and starts threatening Ryanne. Jude adds all kinds of security to her bar but the man is persistent and tries every way to destroy her business. The more danger Ryanne is in, the more Jude fears losing her.
Jude has to find a way to fight his fear before he pushes her away for good. But once that man starts fighting for his woman, nothing and no one will stand in his way, not even Rayanne.

Can’t let go by Gena Showalter
3.5 Stars
I love all Gena books, but I think my heart is always going to be with her PNR stories, I liked this one but I didn’t love it.

Jude was an emotional train wreck, he has lost his wife and daughters to a drunk driver, and Ryanne is the lady to heal him.

This story contains heavy PTSD and second chances.

I liked that this had a touch of humour and suspense and it tackles all emotions, the characters are perfect for each other and as always, the writing is so well written.

all Gena Fans will love this book.

I’ve really enjoyed all of Showalter’s books in her The Original Heartbreakers series. She specializes in heroines who have troubled pasts falling for guys who have equally troubled pasts. The two have to fight past their personal histories to find each other and give themselves permission to be happy.

In this book Jude is the hero. We’ve met him in “Can’t Hardly Breathe” and learned that his wife and twin daughters were killed in a car accident while he was recovering from an injury that cost the former Army Ranger his foot. He’s just hanging on now a few years later as he has formed a security business with his two best army buddies. He hangs out at the bar with Ryanne works as a bartender. Since his family was killed by a drunk driver Jude has his own personal resentments to deal with a woman who dispenses alcohol. But since one of his best friends is engaged to her best friend, he hangs with his friends at her bar.

Ryanne is attracted to Jude but she doesn’t need his judgmentalism. She runs the bar because her stepfather left it to her. She had a miserable childhood with her mother sleeping with all sorts of guys but now she’s trying to make a go of her bar. However, an evil guy is building up a stripper bar right near her bar and is threatening to put her out of business. And he doesn’t seem to have any limits on what he’s willing to do. So Jude steps in to protect her.

I really enjoyed reading along as Jude dealt with his PTSD and lonely bitterness while Ryanne was a plucky woman who wasn’t going to put up with either his attitude or a vicious competitor. You’ll be pulling for this couple to find and enjoy their own HEA.

I was given a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is only the second book I’ve read in the series but WOW. I couldn’t put this down. Angst, suspense, romance and love all wrapped up in this beautiful story. It was a really great read. It had everything you look for in a great romance novel. I loved the push and pull and slow build up. The characters had depth and real emotions you could relate to.

This quote is my favorite of the book and it about sums up Jude & Ryanne.

“Let’s face , it love, you were meant to be mine. How else could two people less likely to fall for each other- a man who wished he were dead and a woman full of life-have come together?”

Can you just swoon when he calls her love?

It’s an emotion ride that you’ll gladly take. It’ll pull on the heartstrings, make you swoon and make you hot all in a matter of minutes. You won’t be able to let this story go.

She's off limits....
But all bets are off.
He will have her.
. . . . . . . . .

Gena Showalter knows just how to hit you in the feels. She grips your heart like a vice, shatters it, and slowly picks up the pieces. Can't Let Go is the fifth installment in the Original Heartbreakers series. This is Jude and Ryanne's story.

Jude is a broken man, he once had it all. A perfect life, married and had two beautiful children. Until one night changed everything. He is dead inside, breathing but not living. Until he meets Ryanne.

Ryanne makes it her life's mission to make Jude happy again, but doesn't expect to fall in love with him. She pushes and he pulls, and the end result....... INTENSE, PASSIONATE, CHEMISTRY. The tension between these two were damn near combustible.

Gena Showalter reminds us the readers, that love is a fragile little thing. Built from pain, loss, but most of all hope. It's emotional, extraordinary, and simply unforgettable! Everyone with a heartbeat should read this novel.

*Special thanks to the publisher for providing me a review copy*

Where to even start? Meet Ryanne. A small town entrepreneur with a slice of sass who owns her own bar. Okay, probably a whole loaf of sass. And a closet crazy cat lady. Meet Jude. Ex-military turned entrepreneur with a perpetual case of the Mondays who owns a security business with his two best friends. And by a perpetual case of the Mondays, I mean that he’s a down-right depressing man. A regular Debbie-Downer. But he’s a do-gooder who will always try to do what’s right by his friends and people that they care about. It’s sad that Ryanne and Jude are always at each other’s throats for one reason or another.
I felt like I could somewhat relate to Ryanne when it comes to her mistrust of men. I loved her cocky and free-spirited attitude and how she tried her best to bring out the best in others. Jude kind of annoyed me in the beginning of the book with his constant pessimistic demeanor, but as his smile started to grow throughout the story, I found myself becoming quite fond of him. I absolutely loved how Ryanne and Jude bonded over a pregnant cat and then her kittens after they were born. I’ll admit, after reading that part, I had a dream about a mama cat and her kittens and how I had to save them. That’s what I get for having sugar and staying up reading a good book.
For the sake of honesty, the Advance Copy I received did have some layout issues and a couple typos, but I personally do not hold that against how wonderful the actual story was. I have pre-ordered my Kindle copy of this book and definitely plan on rereading it come October 31, That’s saying something, right?
So, in conclusion, if you love romance novels with a strong female lead, look no further. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Can’t Let Go. As with all of Gena’s books, Can’t Let Go features a kick butt heroine who knocks her alpha male love interest’s ego down a few pegs, while also revealing his redeeming qualities. Call me a sucker for this type of story. Go ahead. I won’t deny it. I guarantee if you’re reading this review, you are too. Happy reading!

Can't Let Go is the fifth installment of Gena Showalter's The Original Heartbreakers Series.  As with the other books in the series, Can't Let Go features a damaged hero and a woman who has exactly what he needs to heal the physical and emotional needs of his past.

Jude Laurent hasn't had an easy life.  Between being neglected as a child, losing his leg in a bomb blast while in the military and losing his wife and twin daughters in a car accident, Jude is just focused on surviving and putting one foot in front of the other day after day.  There is absolutely no way he's going to get involved with Ryanne Wade, even if the sassy bar owner makes him feel more than the never-ending grief that has become his life.

Ryanne Wade has big plans for her future.  She will be living her life on her own terms, traveling the world to see all of the sights that she has been dreaming about for her entire life.  She most certainly follow her mother's footsteps by having a life that revolves around whatever man she is with at the time.  She knows that Jude isn't in the right frame of mind to have a relationship with anyone given his past, but she is determined to help him find some happiness in the few weeks they have together before she leaves for Rome.

***Warning... spoilers ahead***

I expected to love this book.  I have read all the other books in the series and I was looking forward to seeing Jude and Ryanne finally come together. I did like the book, but there were some elements of the writing that kept me from loving it.

Positives:

Jude's turmoil and emotional pain were handled well.  The scenes that showed Jude falling apart completely as the grief overwhelmed him helped the reader see how tortured he still was.
Ryanne was everything I love in a heroine.  She was sarcastic while still being vulnerable and caring.
Negatives:

The scenario for Ryanne getting pregnant felt very over the top.  You have a virgin heroine who is on the pill having sex with a man who recently had a vasectomy and is wearing a condom that breaks, yet she still ends up pregnant.  I understand that it is possible that this could happen, but it is so unlikely that I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
When the references to Showalter's other book series as video games started in the earlier books, I thought it was cute and maybe smart marketing on her side.  After reading references multiple times in this book I'm over it.  I don't want to feel beat over the head with references to your paranormal series when I'm in the middle of your contemporary world.
Sex on a mechanical bull... I don't think I need to say more here.


In the end, I thought Can't Let Go was decent, but not up to the level of other books in the series.  Unfortunately it felt like it was trying to hard to follow a formula and the quality of the storyline seemed to suffer as a result.   I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the next installment doesn't follow the same path because I must read what happens between Brock and Lyndie.

Ryanne and Jude had a lot of issues to work through, but I loved this couple. Well I love everyone in this series... their tension was fighting against their attraction with each other and managing to get through some tough gangs trying to steal Ryanne's bar... looking forward to the next book..

It's time to watch Ryanne and Jude take their tumble into romance. I have to say, a bar owner/bartender making time with a man who lost his family to a drunk driver is not an easy couple to picture together. Jude's carrying around a boatload of pain and he's not looking to give it up any time soon.

Yep, it takes time for Jude to unbend. Time and a few deadly threats against Ryanne. And a lot of soul searching.

Meanwhile, Ryanne is equally as determined to not give up her dreams for a man. Mostly because her mom gave her some serious trust issues. Her mom was...interesting. I think that's all I'm going to say about her.

Ryanne's determined to see her plan to travel the world through and Jude's determined to hold onto his pain for as long as he can. It takes a lot of tension-filled encounters before they're both in the same headspace and ready for more.

I REALLY like these couples. All of the Originals have their issues and watching them work around them is a treat.

Just a preview. Not a way to reflect on the whole book.

In the beginning of Can't Let Go I couldn't see how such polar opposite people, like Ryanne and Jude, would ever end up together. Ryanne is all sunny happiness and she lives in the moment. Jude is still grieving from his past and lives each day with fear. When a dirty businessman threatens Ryanne's bar and her life, she hires Jude's security firm.

Ryanne launches an all-out flirt assault on Jude to get him to lighten up. This is no small task! Day after day she wears down his defenses. He sees himself as "broken." All Ryanne can see are possibilities. Will their on-again/off-again relationship survive several attempts on Ryanne's life? Will Jude ever really let the past go? Gina Showalter never disappoints! Definitely put this book on your TBR list. With its sexy times and plot twists, you'll love Can't Let Go!

WOW! I read this last week on vacation and it was the PERFECT book to get lost in. The Original Heartbreakers series is one of my favorite contemporary romance series and The Hotter You Burn has held the spot as my favorite in the series but Can't Let Go has me questioning that decision.

Ryanne runs the local bar and Jude's family was killed when someone drove drunk after leaving a bar. So you can imagine how hard it is when these two are attracted to each other. Jude is at times mean and difficult but still I couldn't dislike him. Ryanne is hilarious and an indiscriminate flirt. I adored every second she was in.

Add in a rival bar owner willing to go to any length to drive Ryanne out of business and you have a book full of everything I could want. Angst, sex, humor, action, and my absolute favorite cast of characters. This is a must read for me.

~miranda

**I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

Wow. I've read a few of Gena Showalter's books before, and knew I'd probably like this one as well. Ryanne (the main lady of this novel) was an extremely lovable character. Despite being a total babe, she's also a very independent woman, who runs her own business and has some serious flaws, something a lot of new adult novels are missing these days (clumsy is not a flaw. Trust/daddy/mommy issues are flaws).

Jude is also an interesting character. You don't see a lot of honest looks at men who have been ravaged by war. Ryanne's gestures towards him are more real than any I've seen: installing grab bars in her shower for him. IDK about you guys, but that seems more genuine than a lot of romance novels I've read lately. Overall, I'm super excited to see what my friends have to say for this book, which is saying something because that implies that I'll recommend it. I'm definitely a fan, and can't wait for Lyndie's story next.