SUNNY: ARC BOOK REVIEW "Hold On To Me" by Elisabeth Naughton

BLURB: 

He thinks he’s finally found the one. 
Mitch Mathews never believed in love—at least not the happily ever after kind. Then he met Simone Conners. Just one night with the sexy lawyer made him reevaluate his priorities and look toward a future he never planned. The only hang up is making her see it too.

She’s almost ready for a second chance. 
What started out as a casual hookup with a rugged geologist has turned into something a whole lot more. Simone’s on the verge of handing over her heart, but fear over what Mitch will say and do when he learns who she used to be holds her back.

The past could destroy their future... 
Just when Simone is about to take a chance on forever with Mitch, the mistakes of her past catch up with her. Suddenly it’s not just her safety on the line anymore, it’s his too. Forced into hiding, Mitch demands answers, and Simone realizes the only way to protect everything she holds dear is to delve into a past she’s spent fourteen years trying to forget. As they search for the truth, they discover secrets, lies and a rekindled passion that burns hotter than before. But they also uncover a conspiracy that threatens the very fabric of society. One that could cost them more than just their future…it could cost them their lives.

REVIEW: 

Hold On To Me is book two in the Against All Odds series.  The first book, Wait for Me,  floored me with how beautiful and emotional it was.  I was highly anticipating this story about Mitch.  

Mitch, the perpetual bachelor, thinks he's found the ONE.  He is ready to commit not only to Simone, but her daughter Shannon.  This player is ready, willing and eager to embrace the whole package becoming a husband and a father.  Unfortunately, there are things in Simone's background that are threatening their lives together.  So much so, in Simone's mind, there is only one way to keep Mitch safe - to run away.  

You have to give Elisabeth Naughton credit.  She really knows how to write a yearning hero.  In her Eternal Guardians book, Enslaved, Zander's longing for Callia broke my heart.  This one rivals that relationship.  There are moments that are so poignant, it hurts to read.

"No matter what had happened, no matter how far they'd strayed from where they'd once been, she still wanted him, still needed him, still craved him with the same soul-deep intensity that he craved her." 

I also really enjoy Mitch and Ryan's (now including Tate) relationship.  There is an easy and playful sense of camaraderie. The way that they dig at one another feels genuine for men who have been almost life-long friends.  I find myself chuckling and looking forward to their interactions.  

I loved the emotion, but I struggled a bit with the story.  Part of the tension that keeps Mitch and Simone apart revolves around a big coincidence in the plot.  From my perspective, it's a little implausible.  

IN A NUTSHELL:  Despite my criticism,  Ms. Naughton created a tightly woven story with just enough intrigue to keep this reader staying up all night.