Taken with You

Ahh. First impressions. Sometimes they can be spot on and sometimes they\’re completely off. And sometimes they\’re exactly right, but they\’re still worth fighting for and figuring out how to make things work despite the differences. Hailey and Matt don\’t have the best first meeting. Their first impressions of each other aren\’t necessarily wrong, but they don\’t convey the entire picture either. Hailey\’s looking to settle down and start a family, Matt\’s still nursing a wounded heart. Kinda. The point is they both feel the attraction, but they can\’t see things going anywhere between the two of them. Just to be clear, there are other differences between them, too. He\’s outdoorsy, she\’s…not. He likes sports, she doesn\’t. Basically, there were a lot of little obstacles that made them look all wrong for each other at first glance. So…they do the neighbors with benefits thing. Which works for a while. Until things blow up. Which is kinda sorta what they both expected. Watching them work their way through their hurt is what makes these characters shine. Bottom line, this book made me feel good. I liked both Matt and Hailey. I liked that they loved and fought and loved some more. I just… liked it. -Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

My Review: Yay…a new Kowalski book, even if it doesn\’t feature a Kowalski family member. And that\’s totally okay because this book was so good. I really, really loved it AND we did get to see glimpses of a lot of the Kowalski clan so it was all good. The book starts out with Hailey out in the woods, simply miserable, with her friend. Hailey is NOT an outdoor girl…something that\’s pointed out right from the start. They are supposed to be on a group adventure and because of blisters, quickly get separated from their group and lost. That\’s where Matt comes in. Matt is a game warden, but when he finds the girls, he\’s actually on the last day of his two week vacation. He looks and smells like he\’s been in the woods for two weeks and Hailey is NOT impressed. Neither is Matt with her. He made the mistake of dating a girly girl before and that just won\’t work with his outdoorsy lifestyle. Neither Hailey nor Matt can see things working between them, even with their incredible chemistry. They are both very upfront about their differing needs from a relationship, but as things progress and they become friends, it becomes harder and harder to resist that draw to each other. I liked this book just because it showed how much about relationships…any relationship…is about compromise. You do things with your significant other because it makes them happy and if you truly care about them…you want them to be happy. It was a great \”moral to the story\” kind of book and I love books that have a message like that. And like any of Shannon Stacey\’s books, this one featured tons of great characters, great interactions, and beautiful scenery. I loved the outdoor scenes. I enjoyed Matt\’s dog, Bear, and how he reacted to Hailey. I liked Hailey\’s girly moments and giggled through a lot of them. Shannon Stacey definitely tops my list for contemporary romances that I like to read to escape and enjoy some happy time to myself. This is right at the top of my list for one of my favorites for her. I don\’t think any of them will ever replace Exclusively Youres in my heart, but this one comes darn close. I loved it! I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Taken with You is Hailey and Matt\’s story. They first meet in the woods, when Tori and Hailey take a guided nature hike, and the guide ends up leaving Tori and Hailey in the nature. Matt, who is coming off 2 weeks in the woods and looks like it, guides them back to civilization. Matt and Hailey trade barbs, and she is glad he turns out not to be the serial killer he looks to be. In actuality, Matt is the new game warden. The next time Hailey and Matt meet, he is clean shaven and in his uniform. Hailey takes a minute to put two and two together, and is disappointed the one new man in town happens to be this particular man. Imagine her surprise when he ends up as he neighbor, to boot. Let the craziness commence. What worked for me – Matt – Oh, did I love Matt. Almost as much as Sean ( Yours To Keep (The Kowalskis) ), and believe me, that is saying something. Matt knows who he is, knows what his issues are, and doesn\’t care to try to fix them for any woman. If she can\’t take him the way he is, he doesn\’t need her. The description of his \”girlfriend test\” had me giggling and wrinkling my nose at the same time. His ex did a number on his self-confidence, and unfortunately, he sees way too much of his ex in Hailey. When he finally figures out the similarities are superficial at best, he\’s already kind of burned his bridge with Hailey. He owns his behavior, though, and comes through in a major way. I love a man who can learn from his mistakes. Hailey is a terrific shero. She is confident, and devoted to her friends, her town and her library. She\’s wary of getting involved with Matt, as she thinks they are too different. Love the way Hailey has this depth to her, shown by her taking care of Matt\’s dog (LOVED Bear), and her actions when there is an emergency. Hailey nailed Matt on his jerkfulness with precision and honesty. She didn\’t get hysterical. She was angry, she let him know it, and I was all \”You go, girl!\” Yeah, I really liked Hailey a lot. The writing was, as always, sharp, well thought out, and honest. And, often, laugh out loud funny. I love how Ms. Stacey exposes the vulnerability of her characters in a way that is often a little uncomfortable, but utterly realistic. Emotions are messy, and harsh, and illogical. When her heroes finally understand why they are being tools, the revelation feels natural and earned. The secondary characters played just the right roles, in just the right measure. Perfection. Loved Matt\’s dad. Can\’t wait for Max\’s turn. What didn\’t work as well – Not one thing. Bottom line – Time and money extremely well spent. I loved Taken with You. Highly recommend anything by Shannon Stacey.

Brilliant read

Matt and Hailey\’s story was an interesting one. Sometimes the person you think is not your type can sometimes surprise you to being exactly what you were looking for.

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