Cover Image: Call Her Mine

Call Her Mine

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Member Reviews

*5 Stars*

ARC kindly received in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book on one sitting, with only a break for dinner in between. I mean, I really shouldn't expect any less when it comes to a Melissa Foster book, because I devour every single one, each and every time I pick one up.

I don't think I even read the synopsis for this one, I just went "Ooooo Melissa Foster, yes please!" - and so as I started reading and the baby got dropped on the scene, I was like oh hell no. I should've known not to doubt Melissa though, because this book was amazing. As evidenced by the fact that I devoured it so fast.

I loved both Ben and Auriela in this one, and best friends to lovers is one of my fave romance tropes, so that played in perfectly for me. I adored Bea, and I loved all the family and friends we got as secondary characters. This is written so that there is no angst, plenty of communication (apart from the very start of the book) and lots of love and laughter going around.

There were a couple of loops that threw me at the end, but they were written well, and made me emotional too. The perfect mix of everything in this story, that made me feel things I didn't expect.

With two strong and fantastic main characters, and a supporting cast just as fabulous, this one is sure to be a hit with readers. I highly recommend it, and can't wait for more from this new series!

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Ben and Aurelia have been harboring feelings for one another for years, but neither one realizes this truth. Their timing has always been off and the surprise baby left on Ben’s doorstep is a testament to this.

I have never been a fan of friends-to-lovers stories and unfortunately, this book failed to sway me. Sure, there are some cute baby moments but the romance between Ben and Aurelia was so painfully sweet I got cavities.

While their bad timing is supposed to be a quirk of their love story, I think in the larger scheme of things, even fate is looking down on them saying “Really guys? That fast?” Ben and Aurelia were annoying even at their best—really ruined the story for me.

The story felt rushed and yet it dragged on...I was aching for it to be over. This was the first book by Melissa Foster I’ve read and I’m underwhelmed.

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Senses collide with heart. Foster takes a dip on the sweet side with a hint of naughty. There's nothing hotter than a father who loves his child. There's nothing cuter than a baby who steals the show. It may not be love at first sight, but Ben is about to get a wake up call. It comes at the hands of a surprise bundle and a life long friend. Aurelia is on the move, just when Ben needs her most. After years of longing, will a baby finally bring these clueless hearts the happy ending they've secretly always craved? Call Her Mine is proof that sweet and simple can be a sexy combination. With humor and heart, heat kind of takes a backseat this time around.

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Another fantastic new series from one of my favorite authors! This is a charming, sweet and heartwarming love story that packs a nice amount of heat too. I love the best friends to lovers trope and tossing in an unexpected baby added even more goodness to this amazing couple’s journey to a HEA. Ben and Aurelia are perfect for each other in every way but for years have kept it strictly friends. Once they decide to take the leap, things become complicated by a tiny baby girl left in his doorstep. They may be more complicated but as they fall more and more in love with each other, they also fall in love with B and realize being a family means everything. I really love the way they support each other and how their family and friends make for a very big support system made up of amazing people. Such a wonderful story!!

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.

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The story of Ben Dalton and Aurelia Stark was one of long time friends. A friendship that Aurelia wanted more of, and one that at this point in her life, was hindering her from moving forward. Especially since it appeared Ben just wanted to keep her in the BFF side .
But when a baby is dropped on Ben’s doorsteps, his life goes into a turmoil. And who does he wants to help him? Aurelia.
I have to confess , that in the beginning, I struggled with the book. Ben just did not do it for me. I found him a tad immature, and a bit irresponsible . And really, why call a baby “it”?
The story was mostly about the baby, and less about the romance, since that part of the story was resolve early on.
Maybe beacuase I am older, but it was not one of my favorite books.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

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What did I just read? Why did I keep reading past the first few chapters? That's what I keep asking myself the entire time I forced my way through this book (because I don't like being a quitter). This was a 'new to me' author who I was at least familiar with already, having downloaded a couple of her books before now (just haven't read them). It's obvious after reading this book that the secondary characters were all part of a previous series and at times, some parts fell flat because I had no clue who they were or what their stories were.

This book can be summarized pretty simply: Boy and girl have been best friends and in love with each other for a long time, but they continue to see other people. They become a couple and instant family when a baby is left at his doorstep. They profess their love as often as possible. And they live happily ever after. The end.

That's pretty much it. At about the 90% mark, there is a really sad part that will probably make you cry. But other than that, I was bored and the only emotion I showed was annoyance at how sickeningly sweet the whole book was. By Chapter 4, I was thinking 'Surely, it can't be this easy and they can't be this in love already?' I mean they had professed their love within the first few chapters and then the book really just became about them learning to be parents. The parenting moments in the beginning were quite funny though, I'll give the book that. But everything else just seemed flat.

I'm not saying that I don't like sweet romances, I really do. But there was nothing that kept me wondering if they would end up together in the end or what hurdles they'd face. There was no gradual friends-to-lovers build-up, it was just an instant 'they should probably just go ahead and marry within the first 3 chapters' romance since it was a foregone conclusion from the beginning. Basically, the sweet stuff that usually comes at the end of a romance book was 90% of this book. Had this been a novella, that would have been just fine. But given it was a full length novel, I expected more than a book of nothing but Hallmark endings.

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Call Her Mine is the first book in the Harmony Pointe series by Melissa Foster. While it is the start of a new series, there are some familiar faces for Foster fans. It is currently scheduled for release on August 13 2019.

Ben Dalton has always been honest, except where his heart is concerned. He’s been in love with his best friend—saucy, smart-mouthed Aurelia Stark—forever. But Ben’s a planner, and timing has never been on his side. When he finally decides to make his move, Aurelia beats him to the punch with a move of her own—to a different town. Aurelia loves her new life in the charming town of Harmony Pointe. She has a great apartment and her very own bookstore, and best of all, the sinfully hot, commitment-phobic friend she’s crushed on for years is no longer just around the corner. Maybe she’ll finally be able to leave her unrequited love behind and move on. But when a baby is left on Ben’s front porch—a baby that is presumably his—Aurelia is there for him. Neither one knows the first thing about babies, but how hard can it be? Ben and Aurelia are catapulted into a world of love, laughter, and tracking down the baby mama, and it might even add up to a very happily ever after, just not one either of them expects.

Call Her Mine is an emotional and engaging romance. While Ben and Aurelia have been dancing around each other for years, neither realizing that the other was attracted to them and wanted more than friendship, it took a big crisis to get them to slow down and really look at each other. I like how once they started talking things out with each other they started making thing work- even though there was more than one occasion I wanted to shake one or the other to get them to share more of what they were thinking. Frankly as a parent, and former daycare worker (in the infant room no less), I found their antics as they figured out how to take care of the baby highly entertaining. I loved that they did have a support system, and like most fiercely independent people, struggled with accepting support even when freely (or enthusiastically) offered- which is something I relate to on many levels. The compassion and love in this book is almost overwhelming- and if I can complain about anything it is that the characters are almost too unrealistically good and I wish there were more people like this in the real world.

Call Her Mine is a must read for fans of Foster. I loved the story and found it to be sweet, fun, and steamy in good proportions.

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4.25⭐

Call Her Mine is the first in Melissa Posters new Harmony Pointe series. Which I think is a spin off from another series as the characters seemed very established and some were even familiar to me. Although I could be mistaken as I honestly don't read a lot of Melissa Foster stories.

However, this story which follows a familiar trope being best friends to lovers, with the added shock baby (although not quite in the way most would imagine) Flowed comfortably, was well paced and pleasing to read. Not to mention sweet, and with charming and engaging characters, I was easily absorbed throughout.

Yet, I must say I didn't really feel the romance and as the story developed it became more about them as a couple learning how to care for a surprise baby than anything else. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing it just wasn't what I was anticipating or hoping for at the outset. But to be fair, Ben and Aurelia certainly grew as a couple and as individuals and they did keep me entertained. So I will be looking for book two when it's released. And I would recommend this story to others.

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What a fun, sexy, sometimes angsty to the point of tears, wildly romantic friends to lovers story!

Ben and Aurelia have been friends forever. They both want more than friendship but neither knows how the other feels. Ben has wanted to make his move but the timing has always been off. Now, Aurelia has moved to another town and is ready to “start over” and it’s driving him insane. When a baby is left at his front door, she steps in to help and he’s using the unlucky timing to his advantage.

Aurelia has a hard time facing the fact that Ben has a baby by another woman, a one night stand who he doesn’t even know her last name. But as she helps him with Baby B, she finds herself falling in love with the baby girl and opening herself up to a possibility of more with Ben.

Even if I had a bit of a problem with Ben using other women to get through not having Aurelia, I loved everything else about him. His reactions to the baby and then his poppa-bear protective instincts were hilarious and sweet. Add in a naked chest and a sweet baby girl on that chest and my ovaries were exploding. I’m not sure I’ve ever read a better single-dad hero than Ben. He was completely swoon worthy and when he and Aurelia finally have their talk, he became that hero that melts hearts everywhere.

Aurelia claimed my heart as well when she accepted that sweet innocent baby and was able to let Ben’s past go. However, she did have some adjustments to make, not realizing she was dealing with the same issues every new mother must go through. Secondary characters were awesome in helping her and Ben both learn to adapt.

This is a relatively low angst read until near the end when things take a very emotional turn. I found myself choking back tears, my heart wrecked. If you enjoy stories with a plethora of friends and family, this one is definitely one to pick up. The epilogue is just a quick look into the future, but satisfying. This would have been a solid five star read had Ben not made past decisions that he made – but that’s totally my own preference and not being aware of it going into the book made it harder to deal with.

Overall, this is a fun, flirty, family and friend filled story with tons of swoony dad/baby girl moments and plenty of laughter and sexy times.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley and Montlake Romance. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Is there anything more awkward than trying to figure out how many random women your best friend - the guy you’re secretly in love with - has slept with recently because a baby showed up on his doorstep? That’s the question at the start of this book, and I’ve got to say that our introduction to Ben left a sour taste in my mouth that lingered until the book finally won me over. An otherwise swoonworthy guy, Ben uses casual sex as a distraction from his feelings for Aurelia, and since she doesn’t know how he feels, she takes that as a sign that he won’t be able to commit if she does open up about her own feelings. They have a somewhat unhealthy friendship, and Aurelia has decided that she’s finally had enough of it when a baby appears with a note claiming to be Ben’s. His reaction to that news sets the tone for the book moving forward as the two team up to try to figure out exactly what’s going on - starting their own instant family in the process.

I’m a fan of Melissa Foster, so when NetGalley offered me an ARC in exchange for an honest review, I was excited to read this book (and that cover is awesome). The writing is great and the characters are complex - it just took a little while for me to like them as people. I liked the depth of emotion between these two, and once the book shifted away from Ben’s past, I liked him a whole lot. He’s sweet, a great father, and his feelings for Aurelia are unwavering. It definitely took a while for the book to grow on me, and had I not committed to reviewing the ARC, I’m not sure that I would’ve continued reading. That being said, I would’ve missed the heartwarming and sexy book that this turns into once it settles into the story.

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What a REMARKABLE read! It’s been so long since I’ve read a Melissa Foster novel, and Call Her Mine has brought back all those warm and fuzzies I get from her characters and their stories.

Aurelia and Ben were such great characters and their friends-to-lovers romance gave me SO many feels. I swooned so many times I lost count. I laughed and even cried.

When a baby shows up on Ben’s doorstep their friendship was put to the test but they didn’t falter. It only strengthened that friendship and brought them together on a level they had only dreamt of before then. To see them navigate their way through learning how to care for a baby, become their own support system and then elevate their bond to a much steamier connection...it was everything.

The love the gained over the previous child they fell so quickly for and the love the professed after years of silently longing. I just fell in love with them SO hard.

What an incredibly beautiful story!!!

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I hadn't read anything of Melissa Foster yet, but Call Her Mine is a wonderful, funny and heartwarming story of friends turning to lovers. Ben and Rels (Aurelia) have been friends forever. But both have been afraid to show the other that their feelings have grown over time. So, when Aurelia is convinced, that Ben just sees her as his BFF, she decides to take a drastic step and move away from her hometown to Harmony Pointe. Ben sees this move as the proof that Aurelia really doesn't want to be with him.
But when a baby is suddenly left at his doorstep, Aurelia is the first one to turn to (and not one of his many sisters). Aurelia sticks by Ben and helps him set up a paternity test, since it is supposedly is his daughter. The story is funny when Ben and Aurelia are struggling with handling the baby. But then help appears from all kind of places and Ben and Aurelia are not sure whether to be thankful for the baby girl in their life or not.
Even more: what if this really is Ben's daughter? What will happen when the baby's mother turns up? Drama, fun and laughter and everything you want in a happy-go-lucky romance! Five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

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Loved this best friends to lovers story! This book really had everything you can ask for in a light, funny and romantic read, set in a small town with absolutely lovable characters. Ben and Aurelia made and are the whole story behind this one.
When Rels as Ben calls her moves to the next town over she shoots down his chance to tell her how he really feels about her. Aurelia is tired of waiting for Ben and gets the signals from him that she'll never be more than a friend. She takes the dive, buys a bookstore and the apartment above it and the store is in the process of a reno. She's setting up business with one of his sisters. Poor Rels doesn't have anyone to unload on because all her besties are his sisters, so it's awkward. Ben shows his jealous side when Rels chats it up with a few male friends and then one of the subcontractors. Chuckle. That was rich. He's so cute when he's upset. It was a great and perfect journey with them and this gem is a great anytime read. Easy, happy and the perfect change of pace! I loved it.

arc from NetGalley and publisher for an honest review

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I loved this best friends to lovers romance! Ben and Aurelia are as close as they can be. Everyone in their life can see they love each other. A out of the blue baby on the doorstep forces them to take a closer look at what their life is like and how much they mean to each other.

I loved the siblings. Loved the town they are in. Really loved when they both had that AHA moment of knowing they were truly in love with their soul mate. Just an all around feel good book!

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Ben has been best friends with Aurelia for a long time. He gets mad at himself on a regular basis for not being honest with ehr about how his feelings have changed. He knows time is running out before he misses his chance.

Aurelia AKA "Rels" has serious feelings for her best friend. She is sick of waiting and wondering and has decided it is time to move on. When Ben hits crisis mode can she walk away?

This new series starts out with familiar characters that we all love. I was eagerly turning each page and had trouble putting this one down. I loved the characters and how loyal they were to one another. The heat was sizzling right from the start. Overall a great story, and a sincerely great read.


***This early copy was given by Netgalley and its publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

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This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased
.

This is part of a series but I read this as a stand alone and it was fine

This author is new to me but I certainly will watch out for more of her books

I really enjoyed this - a very sweet romance. I want to now read the others in the series to see what happens with the other characters

A great summer read

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At first, I wasn’t so sure about this story. Aurelia and Ben were best friends who wanted more from each other but weren’t able to communicate those feelings, until a baby was dropped off on Ben’s porch. But, as the story progressed, I found that I enjoyed both Aurelia and Ben’s journey both as a couple and as new, unprepared parents. The story of Baby Bea and how she came to live with Ben was unexpected and not what a reader would expect. There were a lot of characters in the book and sometimes it was hard to keep up with who they were and how they were related, but it works out in the end.

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I absolutely loved this book! It's the first book in a bit that I've had a hard time putting down, I really could have finished it all in one sitting! This was the first book by Melissa Foster I've read, and I'm definitely going to go read her others and am already looking forward to the ones to come!

It was pretty obvious (to everyone apparently!) that Ben and Aurelia were in love with each other. One of my favorite aspects of this book was that they didn't dance around that fact for too long, and the transition from friends to lovers felt natural, and time wasn't wasted with unnecessary drama. I loved the nicknames (and the transition into B's name), the friendly (turned sexy) banter, and there were a lot of good bits of advice and family dynamics. Also, the secondary characters each had their own voice and were so fun and unique; that's what made me first look to see if the author had other books (and I was of course pleasantly surprised!). This book works fine as a standalone and you don't need to read the other books to appreciate this one, but I am looking forward to reading those and I'm sure they would only enhance this story!

While I can't say I would react/feel in the same way if this same situation happened to me, all of the characters reactions felt genuine (whereas in other novels they can tend to feel forced, or like the individuals are perfect). It's full of, that's not how I would have done it but I still respect your decision, moments. And that ending, I did not see that coming!

The only things that felt slightly off were the billionaire status (that just feels like a bit of a stretch, but didn't make me love Ben any less, especially after the changing table incident!), and I am still trying to wrap my head around the ending; it's not what I imagined and I just don't know what to do with these emotions yet! And again, a few things I would have done differently if it were myself in the story, but I can't hold that against the characters or the author!

And thank you Melissa for that epilogue, one of the funniest and most perfect endings to a book! I'm definitely going to re-read it any time I need a pick-me-up or a good laugh!

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Aurelia Stark and Ben Dalton are best friends , who are in love with each other, but are oblivious of it. Aurelia decides she has had enough of seeing Ben everyday, and falling asleep with each other, but as "friends". She decides to move into the next town over and open up a bookstore and live in the apartment above it. One day while visiting Ben, they both get the surprise of their lives, by finding a baby girl left on Ben's door step! Aurelia gets attached right away, while Ben starts freaking out and wants to drop the baby off at the nearest police station. With no idea of who the baby's mother is, the pair decides to keep the baby and get a paternity test done. Will this finally push these two to admit to their feelings? Or will they just remain friends?

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Ben and Aurelia’s story is a wonderful friends to lovers story, that makes you laugh and makes you cry a little too. My heart was destroyed at the end, but you could tell that these guys hard a heart of gold and were going to do the right thing. I love the secondary characters. Can’t wait for more!

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