This book was just so good and I just lost myself in the story. I will most definitely be reading more books by this wonderful author.

Worth the Wait is a cute, quick, low heat read. The cover fits the content well: it's sweet, and will serve as good palate cleanser in between more challenging, emotional or consuming reads.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a charming read! Delightful beach reading. I really enjoyed the banter between Mandy and Alex.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Relatable and wonderful this story will keep you reading until the end. This story deals with PTSD, work injuries, and death. I loved the romance and sensual touch to the story. I loved the characters and how Mandy helped Alex.

A lovely story, it was sweet and heartwarming!Mandy and Alex are thrown together when Mandy's mother leaves a house to the two of them.The set up was easy to follow and it was enjoyable!While Alex and Mandy are technically former step-siblings, this doesn't feel like the typical step-sibling story. Which was good because I didn't expect to like it this much!

Complementary copy given for honest review and opinion
Fantastic read from start to finish! Traci Douglass did an amazing showing the effects of PTSD.

This is a well written and entertaining story which I thoroughly enjoyed. This book was a short read so it was a quick read.

I loved this story and I couldn’t put it down from the moment I started it. I enjoyed it and I hope to own it one day.

4.5 stars
Worth the Wait is a stand-alone book that started off funny and grabbed my attention until the end of the book. It was a short book and a fast read, but it flowed smoothly. The characters were well developed, and it was easy to connect to Mandy and Alex and fun seeing how their relationship progressed.
Mandy Reynolds mother, Maureen had married Alex’s dad several years prior and Alex and Mandy hadn’t seen each other since the divorce of their parents. When Maureen dies after struggling with cancer, she leaves a house for Mandy and Alex. Mandy didn’t want to settle in Heavenly Falls and wasn’t sure why her mother had left her half of a home. She wanted to move to Hollywood to accomplish her dream of acting in a big movie.
Alex had worked for the IRS until he was shot, turning him into a grumpy man who wanted to live in solitude. He was looking for something to do with his life and restoring the house felt like a great plan while he was still recovering. As they start to repair the house, Alex and Mandy couldn’t continue to deny the attraction they had toward each other.
This was a wonderful book to read and it was very easy to connect with the characters. The author did a great job describing the feelings and anxieties someone with PTSD might have. She was able to address the difficulties and struggles someone with PTSD faced when trying to function in the world.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book via NetGalley.

At first I was a little skeptical about the direction of this book when I found out the main characters were ex-step siblings. However, it turned out to be a pretty good read.
Mandy is an actress looking for "the Role". After her mother passes away, she has to come back to her home town, where she runs into her ex-step brother Alex. Alex suffers from PTSD and is reluctant to let anyone get to close to him.

Mandy and Alex inherit the same house and are forced to live together. They are complete opposites and manage to challenge each other, as well as tearing each others walls down. They end up realizing their unexpected true feelings towards each other.

This was a decent read. I recommend it.
#netgalley, #worththewait

Worth the Wait was a fun romance and look into the effects of PTSD and anxiety in a relationship. The main characters both have to navigate how to handle moving through their grief, lost relationships and career changes. Alex goes through some major adjustments to finally land where he needs to be. I enjoyed their support for one another and the sub plot of renovating a Victorian home.

This story was cute over all, this book was a short read so it was a quick read. I did feel like some times it did drag and I felt like the author did repeat herself through out the story. I liked Mandy and Alex and however I felt like this story was completely predictable. There is sex implied but nothing in detail the language over all was very mild if not any I think maybe one or two words. Over all like I said the story was cute but predictable.

When Mandy's mother passed away, she left Mandy half ownership of a rental house she owned. The other half went to Mandy's ex-step brother Alex, the boy she had a crush on years ago.

There were some sweet, funny, and flirtatious moments between Mandy and Alex. However, I didn't feel the chemistry or connection between them. I think it just moved too quickly for me from just attraction to pretty serious feelings.

This one is around Mandy and Alex whom will give us their story and entertain us also. It is good to once in awhile read some romance that has life and bits of humor. This will unfold giving us the whys and then they are both on the horizon. Having known each other before this adds to it. You also will fall in love with Alex whom has his own issues. The realistic bit helps also making for when you are reading it is like someone next door you are watching, like nosy neighbors. There are trials also but the deeper we get into this the more we disappear into Heavenly Falls

Worth the Wait is a standalone romance that, with the addition of the secondary characters we’ve met, I would enjoy seeing become a series… but that’s me. I like knowing what happens to people I meet in stories later on, and I’d really like to know what happens with some of the people I met.

Take one broke actress who can’t get an acting break, and one recovering, former IRS criminal agent dealing with PTSD – toss in the fact that they are former step-siblings (their respective parents have divorced so it’s not an issue now) who have jointly inherited a house that one wants to sell fast and the other wants to keep as a refuge… and you have an interesting story, almost an enemies to lovers feeling to Mandy and Alex’s romance.

I enjoyed Worth the Wait, it’s full of banter, anger, laughter, and learning to adjust to a new, unexpected life. The story flowed smoothly, the characters believable, even though I do have questions (which is why I’d love to see a series) having those answers wouldn’t have changed my enjoyment of the story. Alex is in such a dark place, completely different from what Mandy remembers, certainly not the teen crush she once had. Watching them go from reluctant roommates, possibly friends, and then the chance at a happy future for them both was an emotional, at times intense, and fun journey.

I’d not hesitate to recommend Worth the Wait to any Romance reader who likes a good story, believable characters, and a feel-good experience.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Mandy who has been persuing her dream of Stardom has come home to handle her mother's affairs. Mandy finds out she had inherited a house and her first thought is how fast can it be put on the market. She soon finds out that she only owns half of the home. The other half of the home belongs to her former half-brother Alex. Alex does not want to sell the home. Mandy and Alex are forced to live in the home while making repairs. Mayhem insues with Mandy's fear of spiders. Alex' recovery from a gun shot wound and PtSd.
Mandy and Alex's story is worth the read.

I’ve read several books by Traci Douglass over the last year. And I’ve really enjoyed them. So when I saw ‘Worth The Wait’ on Netgalley, I requested it immediately and got super excited when I got the ARC in my mail. Traci Douglass has a way of writing ‘very easy to read’ romance stories, and this one definitely sounded like another fun one.

In ‘Worth The Wait’ we meet Mandy Reynolds. Mandy has had it hard the last view months. Losing her mother to cancer, and not being able to get her acting career going the way she’d like. So when her mother leaves her ‘half’ a house in her home town of Heavenly Falls, she is determined to make this in something great. This story starts right when Mandy is visiting her new ‘house’. And although I get why we missed out on Mandy losing her mother etc. It took me a long time to really get into this story.

Mandy only inherits half of the house. The other half is now owned by Alex, Mandy’s ex- step brother who she always had a crush on. Somehow Mandy’s mom left the house to both of them. Something I definitely didn’t get. I mean, Mandy’s mom rarely had any contact with Alex anymore.. So the reason that is given for leaving him the house just felt off to me.

Although I liked Mandy and Alex, and I liked their connection, I just didn’t really feel their chemistry all that much. There’s just so much going on with both Mandy and Alex, that I just couldn’t really seem to focus on their romance. And even in the end of this book, I still had so many unanswered questions.

The setting of the book in Heavenly Falls was something I really liked. I love small town stories. And this town definitely seemed charming.

Overall I enjoyed this book, but didn’t really love it. There was just to much going on that distracted me from Mandy and Alex.

Worth the Wait is a sweet romance about two ex-step siblings realizing their true feelings for each other after they are 'forced' to become roommates when they both inherit the same house. Alex and Mandy are opposites and I loved that it is their differences that make each other intrigued. All around beautiful romance about falling in love when you least expect it.

Mandy is an aspiring actress waiting for her big break. She has just lost her mom and learns that she inherits half of a home. When she heads back home to Heavenly Falls, Illinois she comes face to face with her ex-stepbrother. Alex might look the same on the outside but he is damaged on the inside. After he goes through a tough experience, Alex suffers from PTSD and anxiety. He doesn't want to let anyone in because he doesn't want to deal with any more loss in his life.

As Mandy and Alex start spending more time together, they drop their walls and start seeing hope powerful and healing love can be. Their support of one another is beautiful throughout the whole novel.

I give Worth the Wait 4 stars. It is a fast-paced romance that highlights the importance of being vulnerable and letting people into your life. Alex and Mandy are so lovable even in their tough times and you can't help but root for them in the end.

This is an entertaining romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. It has Mandy and Alex both inheriting half a house each. They are thrown together and forced to work together to renovate the house making it more salable and/or livable. Mandy is a broke actress who wants the money to allow her to move to LA, while Alex is an injured IRS special agent who will never be able to return to his job again after being shot on the job. He views the house as a place to live in solitude and deal with his PTSD in private.

While Alex and Mandy are technically former step-siblings, this doesn't feel like the typical step-sibling story. In fact, they barely know each other and only briefly lived in the same household and that was many years ago. For me, this was a plus and it removed the whole sibling ick thing that some books in this trope have. Instead, this felt more like an enemies to lovers type of book.

I loved the was the characters interacted and thoroughly enjoyed their story. Additionally, the author treated Alex's PTSD with respect and sensitivity.

If you enjoy contemporary romance, you will love this book. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.

Worth the Wait is a FANTASTIC romance with a "stuck together" trope!

Meet Alex Noonan who was injured on the job and not working due to PTSD, anxiety and depression. Alex inherits half a house, LOL. I love that! However, the other half is left to his ex step sister Mandy Reynolds, and it's been over 10 years since he has seen her.

As they attempt to settle the estate, they become unexpected roommates.

Mandy helps not only Alex's anxieties, but also helps tear down his protective walls.

The characters are well complex, complicated and well fleshed out. I applaud the author for tackling tough mental health issues with such respect and understanding.

This author never disappoints.

The romance is one that I really enjoyed!