The legal setting was interesting and the book was well written. The romance was especially steamy. However, most of the time scenes that included both leads were written as flashbacks, I would have enjoyed the book more if the two leads had actually spent more time together. Having said that, it was an enjoyable read.

I was looking forward to "Take Me There". I enjoyed Cannon's earlier novel, "Come and Get Me", featuring this book's secondary couple Elliot and Lauren. But I found the main couple, Adrienne and Sloan, to lack chemistry.

Overall, the book was OK. Not great, not horrible. A nice read, but not exactly what I was looking for either. The plot was interesting. But a large portion of this book was told through flashbacks that got repetitive.

There are different point of views in this book, including both the main characters, Sloan and Adrienne.  Besides them, there is Lauren and Elliott, who were the main characters in a book called Come and Get Me.  Note that this is a standalone book.

I thought the author did a good job in showing Adrienne and Sloan's chemistry in the past, however, there weren't too many scenes showing the chemistry they had in the present.

I would've liked to have seen more interaction between Sloan and Adrienne's daughter, Callie.  I feel like it was a missed opportunity by the author to add another dimension to the story.

The pacing was okay as the I felt the ending to be a bit rushed.  Please also note that there are also quite a few flashbacks.

Sloan and Adrienne used to have a passionate relationship. But that was years ago, and their lives have diverged radically. Sloan poured all of her energy into her legal career and a string of meaningless flings; Adrienne went to art school, got married, had a child.

When Adrienne, now widowed, faces Sloan across the conference table, it brings up a lot of buried feelings. She and Sloan have to navigate a complicated business deal while also dealing with their complicated past and intense attraction to each other.

The first thing to say, because it’s one of the first things you notice, is that the book is relatively steamy, with a lot of front-loaded sex scenes. If that’s something you don’t care for, this would be one to miss. Interestingly, the sex isn’t between the main couple, who don’t even touch for quite some time. Instead, the main romance is punctuated with sex scenes between two other women.

It’s a slightly bizarre framing device to be honest. The impression I get is that the author wanted a slow burn romance, but also didn’t want readers to feel that it was taking too long. The other couple are relevant to the plot, but their romantic scenes generally aren’t necessary for the story. It slows down the narrative quite a bit, and I kept on expecting it to tie in. It doesn’t, really. The scenes are simply there to entertain anyone who finds the main story too slow.

Perhaps as a result of the odd story-splicing, Take Me There feels a little under-developed. The main plot does start slow, but then it wraps up quite fast; the opening suggests a long, complex, even angsty, courtship, but the ending is a little too quick and neat.

That’s not to say that Take Me There is bad. It’s well-written with an engrossing concept. The book also gets points for an interesting main couple – the hyper-focused lawyer and guarded single mother are both romance standards, but playing them against each other with the bonus of a messy past relationship is a good choice. It combines lots of fun romance ideas into something quite new.

Take Me There should also be praised for the realism of characters and relationships. Families and bosses and exes all interact believably, showing that they have other concerns than the main plot. Adrienne doesn’t just fall into Sloan’s arms – she agonises over her priorities and over her vows to her dead wife. Complexity in romantic relationships is always a good thing – it adds depth to the stories and it’s a lot easier to care about characters who feel like real people.

In all, Take Me There is a perfectly competent romance. It’s got likable protagonists, a clear central conflict, and a satisfying conclusion. It could be more developed, and have more focus on the main plot rather than additional titillation, but the core of the story and the characterisation make it worth reading.

Though I enjoyed the story, I also felt there could have been more between Sloan and Adrienne in present day as there was of their past history together. I like when characters from previous books make an appearance and you're given a glimpse of their lives now, but I don't think they should take away from the main characters of the current book. In some scenes where Elliot is talking with Sloan, she seems to be judgemental, and the friendship between these two women doesn't come through. Sometimes the story felt rushed, I wanted there to be more between Sloan and Adrienne, more dialog of how they were feeling towards each other and of their separation years earlier, I wanted to read about Sloan and Callie and their warming up period, the ending could have been longer. But as I said, I enjoyed the story, just wish the two main characters had been more involved.

So this the story of Adrienne and Sloan, former lovers, apart for many years and then meet again. While I really did like the characters and storyline, I didn't really enjoy the amount of sex in this story. It felt more like an erotica than a romance. I do love the sex scenes in romances, but I'm not an erotica fan so this story fell flat for me there. I do always enjoy the premise of someone in a relationship in the past, breaking up for many years and then getting back together again later. I also felt that the relationship between Sloan and Adrienne's daughter was underdeveloped. I love Julie Cannon and will always read her stories, but this was just one that I didn't like too much.

I was unable to review this book because of a conflict in my schedule. Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused the publisher or the author of the work. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review for you and  I look forward to reviewing for you in the future.

I would have know more about this book before reading it I wouldn't have pick it, because it's the type of book I usually don't like. But it was a great surprise to read it and actually like it. 

I'll definitely will wait and check more books of this author.

The premise was good. The execution, however, was lacking. This was perhaps due to the multiple storylines Cannon attempted to tackle.

Life doesn't always work out the way you think it will as lawyers Adrienne Phillips and Sloan Merchant find out, when they meet again after not having seen each other for 12 years.  Whilst you can't go back, you can go forward and these two women find themselves negotiating for a future together they didn't think possible.

I enjoyed the dialogue in this book, however the amount of sexy scenes took
away from my enjoyment.  There were so
many of them it did not seem many of them were warranted.  Which is a shame because I did like the characters and the plot.

An honest review thanks to NetGalley.  This was an ok read; I did like reading about Elliot and Lauren again.  The reason why this book didn't get a four or more star rating was the fact that almost all interactions between Sloan and Adrienne were in each other's head.  I do like flashbacks, but I wanted more between Sloan and Adrienne.  This was a fast read, and if you like Julie Cannon's writing style you will like this book.

Take Me There is structured around four protagonist’s. Elliot and Lauren are back from Julie Cannon’s 2007 novel Come Get Me and they are still very much in love. Lauren is trying to get Sloan from Elliot’s office paired off so she can experience the type of love they have, the only problem is Sloan isn’t interested in Lauren’s match-making. That is until Adrienne Phillips walks into her office and back into her life who she once had a college relationship with that was nothing short of fireworks. The spark is definitely still there between them but Adrienne’s life has changed, not only is she a widow but a mother to the sweetest 3 year old daughter.

So firstly, I think any reader should read Come Get Me first because you truly will know the meaning of the love Lauren and Elliot share and the obstacles they conquer to be together. Secondly I think this book should be an opening to another novel about these four characters or maybe a novel involving a new couple with another two couples being in the backdrop. I say this because I felt I didn’t get enough closure at the end from Adrienne and Sloan.

I really enjoyed having more from Elliott and Lauren because I really think their story is one I have treasured from the moment I put down the first book ‘Come Get me’ but with Sloan and Adrienne I just feel their ending was rushed and I would like to see more.

I thought the story about Adrienne's wife dying and being left with the child was really interesting because as a mother and wife it is something that has worried me in the past, that 'what if' feeling. So I think I could see why Adrienne was so dubious and thought she could never love anyone else. At times I wanted to know from the author that Adrienne did have the same or stronger feeling for Sloan instead of second hand ones or lesser than what she had for her wife.

All in all I really enjoyed the plot and it definitely left me thinking. I really hope Julie Cannon adds a third and final book to reinforce the love between Adrienne and Sloan. Looking forward to seeing what comes next.

4 Stars

Up-and-coming lawyer Sloan Merchant never expected to run into her former lover Adrienne Stewart as opposing counsel during a major corporate deal. More than a decade after their college romance ended, Adrienne is now a single mother and widow following her wife Brenna’s death three years ago. Sloan’s boss, Elliott, and her wife Lauren are also featured heavily.

Take Me There was an okay read, but I had difficulties getting invested in the main characters. I had a really hard time with all of the flashbacks that kept cropping up.  I'm all for a good flashback when used sparingly, but it didn't feel like Sloan and Adrienne interacted enough in the present and the frequent time changes gave me a bit of mental whiplash.

Additionally, the point-of-view shifts between the characters (including to Elliott and Lauren) caused some confusion at times. For instance, when I first started reading, I had to stop and check the summary to make sure I was reading the correct book. It's a bit jarring to start a book with a focus on two characters other than the leads.

One thing that I did enjoy was how the topic of Brenna’s death was handled and Adrienne’s difficulties with dating someone else.  Moving on after a spouse’s death is a hard subject to tackle, and I liked how that was portrayed.

As a whole, I liked the plot of the book and the characters on an individual level.  I just wish there had been more focus on Sloan and Adrienne together in the now rather than their joint history as told within flashbacks.

When Adrienne Phillips walks into the law offices of Foster McKenzie, she is fully prepared to face her college fling, Sloan Merchant. Sloan, however, has no idea Adrienne will be on the opposite side of the bargaining table. Old wounds run deep, and widow Adrienne has no desire to move onto a new relationship after the death of her wife, but someone forgot to tell her body that. As Sloan and Adrienne work together, old and new tension comes to the surface and they have trouble keeping things professional.

This book took me a long while to get through. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it, I just kept getting distracted by other things. Cannon builds tension well, and I liked the characters. I realized pretty early on that Elliot and Lauren (Sloan’s boss and her wife) probably had a story of their own, and when I did a bit of digging, I came across Come and Get Me. Though the plot of Take Me There dragged just a touch here and there for me, I’ll definitely be seeking out the earlier work. I like Elliot and Lauren almost as much as I liked Sloan and Adrienne, and I’d like to spend some more time with them.

Though the plot is pretty simple, there’s enough tension to keep it going, and if you’re into the steamy part of the romance genre, look no further. Despite the building tension between Sloan and Adrienne, there are plenty of hot scenes to go around. All in all, a good romance. I’d recommend it.

I just finished reading Take me There and I have mixed feelings about the book.  I’ve not read any books by this author prior to reading this one so I missed out on reading the prequel.  With that said, I don’t think I missed much as this book stands on its own which I was happy about.  The book has some wonderful hot sex scenes as well as quite a bit of drama.  It’s a bit different in that it encompasses so much and does it quite well.  From widowhood to sexuality, parenting, love and marriage, to betrayal, business etc.  I could go on and on so there is definitely something in this book for everyone. I appreciate the fact that the author gives a little bit to each of us so we can all find some aspect of the book we can relate to.
	The book begins with two ex-lovers meeting across the table, one Adrienne (a recent widow with a child) and the other, Sloan (a love em and leave em kind of gal).  As one continues reading another couple is introduced (Elliot and Lauren) who are happily married and Sloan works for Elliot.  I must say that the story delves into a number of different issues but Adrienne as a recent widow is grieving and the author does a fantastic job of weaving this into the plot.  As other readers have stated, both couples are given equal time and equal development.  I was a bit surprised but in the end it made sense and I was happy the author chose to do it.  The sex was hot, the characters believable and the plot well written.  So, all in all I was glad that I read this book.  Was it the best lesbian fiction I’ve ever read, no, but it was definitely up there with some other good books.
	I received a copy of Take Me There through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  My thanks to the publisher, Bold Stroke Books and to Julie Cannon for allowing me the opportunity!

ARC provided by the publisher, Bold Strokes Books, via NetGalley

I really liked this book and wanted to give it 5 Stars - however the ending changed my mind it left me just frustrated with this book. There was this whole well written book with strong characters and well handled grieving experience and then it just ends. Literally the last two pages of the last chapter is when they finally figure out they want to be together and it ends - the epilogue tells in two paragraphs that they get married and live happily ever after. I feel like that was more than rushed and it should have been more with them being together. I liked that there was a lot of scenes with Lauren and Elliot but it kind of took over and if it was a page limit problem it would have been better to concentrate on the main couple. I always find it frustrating in books when the reader knows from the beginning who will end up together but they hardly get together in the end and the reader is left with just a few sentences where the main characters are happy together!!!

For this book I liked how Adrienne’s grieving was handled. I felt it was very realistic and well written. I liked how her dad gave her the advice that she will feel when she is ready to fall in love again. The topics of the book, dealing with grieve and an old love, were very intriguing. 
Even though the ending was disappointing I would still recommend this book.

Okay, yep, so that start to the novel is definitely the single most In Media Res I've ever entered a story. Whew.

After that it goes back to being a fairly typical lesbian romance, and a very enjoyable one on the whole as well.

It's about Adrienne and Sloan. They knew each other in college and were together as well, although Cannon never really delineates whether they were girlfriends or simply lovers or something else. But, then they went different ways after graduation (and not in a great way it seems).

Both Sloan and Adrienne are lawyers representing companies and so they find themselves across the table from one another negotiating a deal while trying to negotiate through their own complicated feelings and their twisty, turney sort of relationship.

Oh, and to complicate stuff even more, Adrienne isn't just by herself, she is also the Mom of Callie, who was definitely my favorite character in the book.

Although they were all written very well. I also wasn't sure at the beginning whether I liked the Elliot/Lauren sorta co-plot, but, it did grow on me by the end.

Overall I really liked the book, it was a fun, enjoyable, and relaxing read. Another cool Julie Cannon tome.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley on behalf of Bold Strokes Books.

I usually really enjoy Cannon's book but this one left me a little empty. It's good, it's just not one of her best.  I found the book a little annoying to be honest. I prefer books where people actually interact with one another. In this book we spend a lot of time in the characters heads. 

There are four main characters Elliot, Sloan, Adrienne and Lauren. Probably got them in the wrong order but I wasn't really thinking. Anyway two sets of couples and Cannon spends her time in their heads and flashbacks. Flashbacks I may add are of sex scenes. If I was thinking that much about sex I'd never get anything done. Maybe that's why we spent so much time in their heads.

I gave this book 2.75 stars which for Cannon from me is unusual.  I just found it somewhat disjointed. It really frustrated me. Also, on a side note. Has Cannon an issue with over weight people? Just asking !!!!


*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2094909388

https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2FI5MH5F4EU99/ref=pe_1572281_66412651_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I enjoyed this book!  It was a very light romance which can be read over a weekend.  Characters from Ms. Cannon’s “Come and Get Me” are back.  However, the focus of this book was the love story between Adrienne Phillips and Sloane Merchant.  Both women are lawyers representing opposing businesses.  Sloane and Adrienne were lovers in college then separated upon graduation.  Twelve years later they meet at the negotiating table.  The sizzling passion is still there and how they handle it is the basis for this story.

In the first half of the book Ms. Cannon uses flashback techniques to provide the readers with the hot and heavy sex exploits between the two during their college romance.

I liked the interaction of Adrienne and Sloane during the present.  The push pull of “I want to” but “I can’t” kept me interested in the story.  As grownups, they now have different responsibilities and needs.  

I gave Take Me There 4 out of 5 stars.
I was given this ARC in return for a fair and honest review.