What happens when a spit fire meets a PTSD warrior who has lost everything...and I do mean everything, why they fight like cats and dogs to make up for the fact they are attracted to each other!

Ryanne Wade, owner and operator of the Scratching Post. She's fiercely independent and has plans to travel and see the world. Her mother taught her not to trust and that love/marriage are disposable. No man will change her or dictate her life. Only one problem....

His name is Jude Laurent, he's a broken man and he hates bars and the people who own them. Making money serving alcohol to folks who then get in their cars and drive, killing innocents. Yep, he survived combat but losing his wife and twin daughters to a drunk driver broke him. With all this hatred for the industry why can't he keep his thoughts and eyes off of Rayanne?

And these two go through the ringer time and time again...you know those stories of if it can happen it will and some of it is too absurd to be believable...that's this couple. But somehow they make it work. There are stolen moments of romance, of laughter, and plain old silliness....an baby oil wrestling night of all things.

But in the end it comes down to two people falling in love and letting that love heal and guide them. Learning about forgiveness and not letting fear rule you.

Feel good story with a HEA.

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Jude lost his wife and twin daughters to a drunk driver, he's surly hates Ryanne's place and the fact she serves alcohol. Ryanne came back to town to help her stepfather with his cancer. She took over the bar after his death, she's flamboyant, quick with flirty innuendos, and setting her virginal sites on Jude. She's going to introduce fun into his life. I thought the author handled grief and loss extremely well but the obvious but unbelievable story elements were disappointing.
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Can’t Let Go
The Original Heartbreakers, Book 5

I Picked Up This Book Because: I like the author.

The Characters:

Ryanne Wade:
Jude Laurent:
Brock, Lindy, Dorothea and Daniel

The Story:

I enjoyed Jude and Ryanne’s story even though their alternate stubbornness got on my nerves sometimes. Jude’s constant battle to not continue to live and constantly push Ryanne away irked me. Ryanne is a better woman than me. I wouldn’t have given him so many chances. Then again, I don’t want him the way Ryanne does. Her fierceness will keep him in line for years to come.

The Random Thoughts:

I love that the video games Ryanne loves so much are named after other Gena Showalter book series and that the kitties are named after the Lords of the Underworld.

4 Stars ( )

This series is one that I've loved and adored. I’ve been devouring the audio books one after another falling in love with the town, the characters, and the stories. But this one was disappointing. The only reason I finished this book was; because of the narrator Savannah Richards. Her voice is like a lure and she captured me even though I was so perturbed with everything that happened. If I had had the actual book in my hand I would’ve thrown it into the sea.

I feel like I read something totally different then everyone else and so with that, I’m going to be ranting. You have been warned.

We have Ryanne who is an independent strong women. She knows what she wants and yet she lets Jude into her life even after he emotionally hurts her over and over again. One time I can see forgiving, but multiple times no way.

Then we have Jude a former Army Ranger who is suffering from PTSD and the death of his family, wife and twin daughters.

I wanted to like both characters, but I ended up yelling at them and rolling my eyes. Jude comes off as a prick and Ryanne well she is kinda cool, so I didn’t dislike her, but was upset with how she had goals, new her mind, yet she changed them and accepted Jude. She did try to get him to live again, she gave her all into getting him out of his funk, but he gave nothing or as little as possible. It was sad to see this type of relationship.

Their romance wasn’t a romance. It was teenage hormonal lust. My god they sleep together, only because they can’t resit the attraction anymore. Jude doesn’t like her as a person or what she represents. The author tried to label their romance and she mentioned it as friends with benefits, but it wasn’t even that. It’s teenage lust... They didn’t even date. Didn’t do the little get to know you things people do. It was sexual tension and sex. Nothing more. As for the sex well it’s scorching hot and the sexual tension was of the charts, but you can’t have a relationship based on that alone.

I was also so upset with how Jude treated Ryanne. I was upset that she kept letting him back into her life. Why did she give her verginity to this man? Ya, he’s sexy as sin, but he doesn’t respect her as a person. As for their first time and her first time having sex, she goes on and on as to how it was the best sex of her life. Well duh, you haven’t been with anyone else.

Another thing that upset me was when Jude got a vasectomy, it’s a big life altering decision that would affect his future. He did this at the begging of the book all so he could sleep with Ryanne without fear of having kids anymore. He want’s to get her out of his system. He’s afraid and doesn’t battle his fears. He lets them rule his decisions. Well the joke was on him in the end. Their little get-together even though they still used a condom and she’s on the pill; which it should have been imposable, made the imposable.

Last. Marriage. He didn’t ask; because he loves her, not for the company, not because he cares about her in anyway, only because of the baby does he ask. He can’t even talk or say the word baby. Neither one has said I LOVE YOU. Such a frustrating moment. Ahhh….

These two shouldn’t have been together. I rolled my eyes so much. I got frustrated a lot. I just can’t rave about this book, because it had to many button pushing issues for me.

The only thing I liked was the little bit of conflict with the mob boss who causes trouble at Ryanne’s bar.

Unfortunately, Can’t Let Go was not the book for me. If the blurb intrigues you, I urge you to give it a shot. Just because it did not work for me does not mean it won’t for you.

Audio: Savannah Richards continues to amaze me. Even though I disliked this book I adored the audio. Her voice is a lure and enchanting. She brings the characters to life. I highly recommend the audiobooks for The Original Heartbreakers series.

Audio Narration: 4 Stars
Book Rated: 1 Star

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Gena does it again. This series gets better and better.

Jude is damaged - broken, he claims - and Ryanne is determined to put him back together.

And, oh boy, do the sparks fly when she gets to it.

I've yet to read a book by Gena that disappoints me - her characters, wehther writing normal (although I hesitate to use the word normal lol) romance or paranormal romance always have depth and quirks and flaws.

ANother great book, highly recommended. ( )