If You Were Mine Paperback – February 25, 2017

"The loss of him cut deeper than it should have, because when he left, he took more than just himself. He took away hope. He took away possibility. He took away a piece of me that still believed in the fairy tale. There were only so many pieces of those left.""This was me--the real, behind-the-curtains me. I bruised easily, felt things deeply, and cried when I was sad. I had no desire to hide that. If he wanted to let me in, he had to take all of me. And give me all of him.""I wanted more. I wanted to stay, I wanted to trust, I wanted to love. I wanted to build something strong enough to last."There are books that you love and books that you LOVE!!! Well, I LOVED this book. This book is smart, incredibly well written and grabs your heart from page one.When we first met up with Theo and Claire, I really had no clue where their story was going to go. They had a rather unconventional start and their story took my emotions for one hell of a ride. You see, Claire is a good girl. She is sweet. She is patient. She is kind. She sees the absolute good and potential in everything and everyone. Her only problem: Mr Right is taking way too long to be found. Who knew that a fake date to a colleague's wedding would turn out to be so much more?? Theo is a drifter. He never stays in one place and loves the freedom of the open road. He likes his life the way that it is. And when a fake date with Claire comes up, he expects to be like everything else in his life: fun, no strings, no commitment, not even any sex. However, Claire is unlike any woman he has ever encountered. She makes him want things he's never wanted. She makes him want to be a better man. She makes him want to break all of his rules....They say life works in mysterious ways and for Theo and Claire, well, they are about to go on one unforgettable a journey. A journey that will involve trust and risks, faith and love. A journey that will require you to take a leap and a chance on something more.....I absolutely, absolutely, 100 % loved If You Were Mine. This story pulled me right from the beginning and took my heart and emotions on one crazy ride. I fell in love with both Theo and Claire right away. They were both so real and easy to connect with. I adored Claire and her upbeat personality. I loved that she looked for the positive in everyone. I loved that she wasn't perfect and had a lot of flaws and insecurities. And Theo....It feels weird to say that I loved how broken his character was, but I did love it. I loved how it wasn't easy for him to take a chance on love or a relationship. I loved seeing his internal struggle and seeing his character grow as the story went on. I loved how he cared for Claire and how he honestly wanted to try. I loved that he screwed up and made mistakes and owned up to them. He frustrated me so, so many times, but in the end, he won me over and had me rooting for him to find his happily ever after.If You Were Mine is an incredible love story and an incredible second chance romance. This story is going to capture your heart and give you all the feels. There will be moments where you will be frustrated and angry. There will be moments where your heart will be so full and you won't be able to stop swooning. There will be moments where your heart will ache right along with Claire's. But, I promise you. I promise you, the journey is so worth it. Fans of second chance romances, I definitely recommend getting your hands on this book.

Claire is tired of sitting at the singles table at weddings. So what's a girl to do when she is invited to another wedding? She lies through her teeth and tells her friend that she has a boyfriend who will be her plus one. In her despair a tipsy Claire browses the internet for a date to hire. She books a guy and expects more Ryan Reynolds than Keanu Reeves but dark and tall is what she gets. This guy, Theo, is as cocky as they come and has his nose in her business.Theo reads people well. The moment Claire walks into the bar where they arranged their first meeting he is captivated. He is not a relationship kind of guy yet he can't forget the sassy, kind and sweet Claire who is everything he wants but can't have. He keeps his private life under wraps but Claire sneaks past his walls and after a passionate night that is supposed to be a one-time-only thing he keeps coming back for more.Claire is an immensely endearing and compassionate heroine who wants nothing more than love in her life. She isn't flashy though, she thinks she is plain and lacks a bit self confidence. Theo is the person who bolsters her. She is drawn to his devil may care attitude and senses the pain in Theo. She has a strong will and knows what she wants but she doesn't take risks. Claire plays by Theo's rules but that doesn't mean she is a doormat. Quite the opposite. There is a feisty side to her that has the hero's ears ringing.Theo comes with a truck load of emotional baggage. While he sounds younger than he is when we meet him, more flippant and without a care in the world the more we get to spend time with these two we learn of all the struggles and his painful childhood. Theo deeply regrets that he can't be what Claire wants but - while he is thoroughly conflicted about it - he is selfish enough to take what she offers. Theo's hardest decision will be whether he keeps running or takes a leap, opens up and lets Claire in.I loved Theo. And Claire. And OMG did I say that I LOVED THEO? He is the ultimate broken soul and damn he made me feel. I was mad at him, I swooned and I wanted to hug him and comfort him. He is HOT. No scratch that, he is SCORCHING. Jesus, the guy has a mouth on him. Their chemistry is explosive. I broke a little bit of a sweat in the sexually charges chapters.Theo is also a nurturer and loves taking care of people and it was heartwarming how he looked after his brother's family.If there is anything that bothered me it would be that Claire gave in too quickly in the end. Theo had hurt her badly so I expected some grovelling and a little bit more resistance from our girl.I adored this story. Melanie Harlow writes amazing characters who are likable and real. She makes you feel and laugh. This story definitely makes for an engaging read and I gobbled it with gusto. If you love a broken hero and an endearing heroine in an epic love story, look no further. If You Were Mine ticks off all those boxes and will have you swoon at the end.