Only With You by Nicole McLaughlin is the fourth in the Man Enough series. I have only read books 3 and 4, they standalone just fine. I am happy that I read the third book though because this book has as main characters Hannah and Aiden. Book 3 focused on Becca and Jase, Becca is Hannah's twin, so there was a lot of backstory in reading book 3 first. This book also took on the sensitive topic of sexual abuse, as well as child abandonment. I do not have experience with either, but in my opinion, both were handled with sensitivity and compassion. I found Only With You to be a sweet romance between a tough guy and a bad girl (both really only on the outside) that I did not want to put down and now that I am finished, I want to read more of their story. I loved the way Hannah and Aiden clicked and found their interactions to be very real.

Very emotional read. Hannah was not my favorite character, and I had a hard time connecting with her at times, but overall it was a good story.

Only With You by Nicole McLaughlin is an interesting tale of loving someone who has been your best friend and losing him to another. The story opens with Hannah Walters bemoaning another failed engagement. She believes her problem is that she has loved her neighbor and best friend but he has chosen her sister instead of her. Hannah wishes them nothing but happiness but at the same time bemoans the fact that no one else seems to come up to Jase and how she felt about him. The reader is then introduced to a group of National Guardsmen one of whom is Aiden who Hannah feels that she can talk to about her relationship problems. Aiden and Hannah strike up an interesting relationship. Hannah who like to talk about everything becomes sort of involved with Aiden who has a deep dark secret that he has revealed to no one. Hannah seeing that Aiden is interested in her but makes no moves on her decides to find out what is troubling Aiden. Aiden really has feelings for Hannah but is unable to make any overture towards. Aiden finally confides in Hannah and she encourages him to get help. Hannah and Aiden's relationship finally comes to a happy conclusion with a very unusual proposal. The story is easy reading and moves along quite nicely.

I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book

I could see very quickly where this book was going and held on tight for the emotional roller coaster. My heart broke for Aiden and I was very happy that Hannah was woman enough to stand by his side.

Overall a very good book. Great job Nicole for not creating a cookie cutter romance but creating something that was daring and thought evoking.

New to me author and I liked this book very much will definitely be reading more from this author this is a 5 star read from me

This is story that has raw emotion in it and pulls at your heartstrings. The story is so well written and the plot is very complex. The characters are complex, very well-developed and strong. The hero and heroine both have their own problems to overcome. Aiden is emotionally scarred. Hannah has had bad relationships. Aiden has been attracted to Hannah for a long time. Hannah is just now noticing him. Can two scarred people come together as one? This emotionally charged story will enthrall you, as it did me. All the characters are interesting and lovable. If you are as affected as I was you will cry. I am definitely going to read more from this author. She is very talented!

Content warning: past child sexual abuse

This contemporary romance never came together for me, primarily because of issues with the heroine. Hannah was selfish and flighty. I could understand why she needed to work on repairing her relationships with friends and family, although I didn’t see why they would be receptive to her overtures. So I certainly didn’t see why Aiden would let her babble to him about her small problems and then give her his phone number, much less why he would want to spend time with her. But you know, to each their own. I was ready to see how this heroine would be redeemed, except she wasn’t.

Aiden and Hannah go on a road trip so he can reconnect with his mom, whom he hasn’t seen since he was a kid. This was one of the more interesting parts of the story and I wish the author had spent more time on Aiden and his mom. There were so many loose threads!

In any case, all that forced proximity has both Aiden and Hannah thinking about sex but Aiden believes he’s damaged and that Hannah deserves better than him. He’s a virgin and when he discloses this to Hannah, she botches the conversation. She’s not keen on him being a virgin (which, hello, not a cool response.) When he explains it’s not for religious reasons, that it’s because he’s screwed up, Hannah thinks a great question to ask is whether he likes women or if he’s bi. BLERG. Hannah expressed any number of inappropriate and offensive things to him related to sex throughout the novel. She made everything about her, with no thought to what Aiden has gone through.

Hannah is a teacher and throughout the novel, there’s an emphasis on child safety at schools, by going into detail on school safety procedures - who can enter building, etc. It was evident to me from the start of the novel that Aiden had been sexually abused as a child.

Hannah, mandated reporter that she is, never makes the connection that he might have been abused until her friend suggests it. She’s like, I shouldn’t make assumptions. And her friend is like, you’re just not educated on sexual abuse victims. But they are teachers and they should be! But also, on a basic level, so many of his responses to Hannah were classic for an adult who was abused as a child.

This was way too short, especially when a main character has a history of abuse and has never received therapy for it. It needed to delve further into why Aiden didn’t get therapy sooner and expand on his relationship with his mom (that subplot was left dangling.) But also Aiden deserved to have a caring and compassionate partner who can come alongside him. I never saw evidence of Hannah filling that role well.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Aiden King has had a crush on Hannah Walters for as long as he's known her, but since she has always been close with Aiden's friend, Jase, he has never done anything about his crush. Now, however, Jase is engaged to someone else and has given his blessing for Aiden to pursue Hannah.

Hannah recently broke up with her fiance and vows to spend some time getting to know herself before dating again. However, she finds herself drawn to Aiden and begins to think he is exactly what she is looking for. Every time they start to get too close, however, Aiden starts holding her at arm's length. Hannah is determined to break his walls down and make him realize he can open up to her.

This was very much an “opposites attract” type story. I would be completely worn out by Hannah's constant chatter, but Aiden likes listening to her. The book started off a little slow but picked up as the story went along. I liked that Hannah and Aiden started as friends. Despite the heavy issues talked about in the book, the tone remained light overall. Overall, I enjoyed the story a lot.

This was a very complicated book. Hannah was best friends with Jase who was now hooked up with her twin Becca. She was happy for them but feeling left out. She had recently broken off an engagement. Aiden was Jase's friend and had been attracted to Hannah for a long time. He had some huge issues in his background that they had to resolve before they could be truly happy together, but Hannah was stubborn and wouldn't give up on him. This had a lot of family dynamics (some good and some bad) that made the book quite interesting. I really liked it and recommend it.

Oh my such a good book. Great characters. You just wanted it to keep going and learn more. Loved Aiden's secret don't see that often in Contemporary books

Actual rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Only With You is the 4th book in the Man Enough series. In this book we have Hannah Walters and Aiden King's story. Hannah was introduced in previous books as Jase's BFF. Aiden always had a secret crush on her but to him she was untouchable. She was Jase's girl. But now that Jase has fallen in love with Hannah's sister, Becca, Hannah's friendship with Jase has changed. Enter Aiden. But Aiden is a damaged soul who doesn't believe anyone can love him.

Hannah was overbearing at times and clingy and I just didn't connect with her. She needs someone to depend on. Someone who will listen to her talk and talk and talk. At first it was Jase and when he moved on she needed to find someone else.

In the other books in the series you felt the camaraderie between the men. That is what I loved about this series. But it was missing in this book. Maybe it's because Aiden is the quiet one but none of the guys seem very close to him. This book has a much more serious tone than the other books too. It did deal with difficult subject matter and it handled it quite well.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of Nicole McLaughlin's "Only With You" in exchange of an honest review.

Going into Only With You, I was a little hesitant because of how much I disliked Hannah in the previous book. We did not click at all because she can come off as a spoiled brat. When I started Only With You, I didn't know if I would continue to not like her or if Hannah would eventually win me over. I gotta say, it didn't take long for me to realize how broken she is. She's not perfect, but she's trying her damnedest to make it up to her sister. I loved Hannah's transformation in this book. By the end of the book I ended up loving her quirkiness. Aiden, on the other hand, won my heart from the moment he appeared in the book. He has a tortured soul and he was finally able to speak about his past, I fell even harder for him. I loved watching his heart heal and eventually fall in love. The two of them were perfect together.

I've only read the 3rd and 4th books in this series, but I'm enjoying it. I love that each book has a bit of redemption and self-discovery in them. In Only With You, I loved Aiden and Hannah's transformation. I'm new to Nicole McLaughlin's books, but I'm enjoying her writing style. And now I'm hoping to carve out some time to pick up the first 2 books in the series.

Loved it, you get little hints as to why he's so skittish and air a issue that isn't as uncommon as you would think. Author handled it great.

This is a voluntary review and I do not get paid for this review.

Nicole Michaels/McLaughlin can do no wrong for me... awesome stories. awesome writing. I love her and I'll always be in her fan club!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Aiden King is a man of few words. Having served as a sniper in the war, he is fighting a lot of demons. He has many secrets that Hannah Walters, the woman who loves him wants to help him deal with. Aiden is not one to share his feelings. He keeps everything inside and, even though he has loved Hannah from afar for a very long time, he feels that he is not worthy of her love. His troubled past haunts him.

Only With You elicits laughter one moment and tears the next. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good contemporary romance novel.

This is Book 4 in the Man Enough series. This is the first book that I have read by this author, but I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series

A witty female lead and an emotional scarred hero, what can go wrong when opposites attract? By opposites, I mean Aiden,a reserved, broken character is drawn to free spirited Hannah with a great sense of humor. It took me awhile to realize that this book was a part of a series and book 4 nonetheless. Characters Hannah and Aiden are polar opposites and, yet , they are perfect for each other. Aiden is a reserved national guardsmen who goes to duty on the weekends. He is a great buddy of Hannah's best friend and all of them get together on the weekend to eat good food and socialize. Aiden has been watching Hannah for quite some time and he finally gets an opportunity to approach Hannah and develop a friendship. Once the friendship flourishes, it makes way for a sweet, intense, humorous love story.



Okay now that we have the less exciting stuff out of the way, let's talk about this book and the woo worthy hero with an embarrassing secret. When this secret was revealed, I laughed out loud. I am not sure if that was the mood that the author was going for, but it happened and it was different. The development of their relationship was great and I absolutely loved Hannah and Aiden together. Aiden was a tough shell to crack and when his shell finally cracked, it was everything. Hannah is a school teacher with a few failed relationships behind her and when she starts to get to know Aiden, it was a slow simmer burn and that is what made this story appealing. Aiden had harbored feelings for Hannah, but he never made them known because of the relationship that she has with his national guard buddy. There is a little conflict with siblings and best friends to add a little drama to the otherwise solid storyline.



Even though I loved this story and its characters, I was so confused at the beginning. It started off slower than I would've liked and Hannah acted immature. Harsh! I know, but it made a major turnaround at about 10%. With that being said, Give this book a chance and you will not regret hanging out with Hannah and Aiden. These characters were such a delight and I want more of them. Let me know how you feel about Aiden's secret. Will it be hilarious as it was to me or will it turn you off. Let me know!😁😁😁



Rating: 5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟



So grab your tea and drink up because this "under the blanket" kind of read.

ONLY WITH YOU: A Man Enough Romance #4 by Nicole McLaughlin can be easily read as a standalone. A bonus to reading each book in the Man Enough Romance series is getting updates on the other characters.
National Guardsman Aiden King has been attracted to Hannah Walters for awhile, but never made a "move" because he knew that she and his buddy Jase Beckford were best friends and always hanging out. Now that Jase is seriously dating Hannah's sister, and has given Aiden the "green light" to act on his feelings for Hannah, the only obstacle is his secret.
Will Aiden take a chance on Hannah?
Will he share his secret?
Is there love in the air?

Thanks to author Nicole McLaughlin, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of ONLY WITH YOU: A Man Enough Romance #4.

I had such a hard time getting into this book. I started it several weeks ago, would read a few pages, and then go to the next book on my list. But then it came time to read Only With You, so I put my head down and forged on.

The thing is, it’s hard to have interest in a book if you know you don’t like one of the main characters. And Hannah, who is the twin sister of the heroine from Should’ve Been You (Man Enough #3), was not a likable character. She came off as shallow, selfish, petty, and immature. In this book she’s whiny, lamenting how she broke up with her fiancé, which she knows is the right thing, but she’s also a little jealous that the guy she’s been best friends with for years is now dating her twin sister - sort of a toddler with a toy type situation (you know, I didn’t really want to play with the toy, but now that you’re playing with it, I want it). These are not appealing character traits for a 30 year old woman. So I trudged through the first several chapters, mostly rolling my eyes at Hannah’s thoughts and conversations.

Then several chapters in we get to know Aiden. And Aiden is just one of those big teddy bear type men you just want to hug and make everything all better for him. You can see the pain and heartache he harbors deep inside, and want to do anything you can to help him.

And as Aiden and Hannah danced around each other, Hannah slowly became more likeable. She grew up, started thinking more about someone else, and became what Aiden needed her to be.

Not that Hannah really knew all his baggage going in. And he has a trainload full. It was heartbreaking. But she was very much the yin to his yang. She was bubbly and talkative to his quiet and withdrawn. He had serious, deep issues to work through, and where everyone else in his life knew something was off, they were willing to leave him be. Hannah was like a dog after a bone getting him to talk, and watching her help him work through his issues was equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. They were an adorable couple, and watching them both grow was endearing and compelling.

This book put my heart through the wringer. I love that the author didn’t end with everything all rainbows and butterflies. She made it clear they were still working together for Aiden to heal, and that it would be a long and continual process that would be hard fought. I love a good happy-ever-after-everything-is-all-better-now ending as much as the next romance reader, but sometimes that isn’t how life goes. But if you’re lucky, you’ll find someone who loves all your ugly and will be by your side to work through it. There’s nothing more beautiful than that.

* thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Swerve for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was a very emotional read. I had a hard time getting as I didn't connect with the characters as well as I did in the first book. I was reading more to see what was going on with Hannahs sister and her fiance. I expected more than what I got from this book.



**I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

The interplay between Adien and Hannah was entertaining. Hannah had just broken her engagement two weeks before her wedding- realizing that she didn't really love him. Hannah ahd Adien each had to fight their attraction for eachother - due to their own insecurities. Hannah believed that she was not worthy of love - Adien that he was not lovable. Adien had been molested by his uncle as a youth teanager and was afraid to commit to a longterm relationship - due to his hangups about sex. Hannah was always the girl that talked too much - her twin sister was the "good girl - the one who was always willing to do what was expected of her". Hannah was the trouble maker, the one to challange authority growing up. Hannah was jealous of her sister's relationship with their mom - because their mother appeared to reign praise on her more then Hannah.

The two wind up having a long distance relationship - they live about 5 hours from eachother. Adein is in the reserves, and travels one a month for duty in the small town where Hannah lives. Adien has always cook meals for his friends during their guard / reserve duty weekends, None of his friends / brother in arms know of his secret. Hannah is the one who challanges Adien to come out of his funk / head and finnaly tell someone eaht happened to him as a child.

The story is not for someone who is not strong of heart - caring about surviors of sexual abuse.