Mine to Take (Southern Wedding, #5)

by Natasha Madison

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I have been following the Southern Wedding series from the beginning and enjoyed every installment. With that experience, I eagerly awaited the chance to read Mine to Take. My level of eagerness was further enhanced upon learning that this installment would combine two of the author’s well-loved worlds. Sadly, things didn’t go as planned. I struggled with this one. At first, I thought it was a case of not being in the right frame of mind. However, after closer evaluation, I concluded that the story just did not cut it. A situation which left me sorely disappointed.

As a fan of second chance romance and the author’s work, I expected a great read. Unfortunately, everything about this book was bland. The plot, the characters and the execution.

First off, I wasn’t a fan of the hero, and my opinion of him diminished further on learning of the manner in which he ended his relationship with the heroine. His actions reeked of the lack of a backbone, which he proved by how he treated the situation with his fiancée.

I expected more from the heroine, knowing how much hurt she endured from the hero’s actions. However, in no time at all, he broke down her defenses, and soon they were all over each other.

There wasn’t much of a romantic development here. A lack of sufficient background information regarding their romance in the past made it difficult to buy into their romance in the present. The author tells how much they loved each other, but one could not envision it.

The story delivered some light moments which involved the families of both the hero and the heroine. As usual, these guys brought levity to the story, although sometimes their interference became a bit too much.

Overall, with better character development and added depth, Mine to Take had the potential to be a great read.