Here with Me (The Archer Brothers, #1) by Heidi McLaughlin Series: The Archer Brothers #1
Published by Self-Published on October 6th 2014
Pages: 224
Amazon
Ryley Clarke has grown up with the military in her blood, with both parents serving their country. Ryley knows the risks of being married to the military. But when the unthinkable happens, and her future husband is killed in action, Ryley can barely survive... until Evan's twin brother, Nate, helps her pick up the pieces.
After serving on a special mission with the military for six years, Evan Archer returns home to find the unthinkable - the love of his life, Ryley Clarke - engaged to his brother, Nate. With Nate on deployment, Evan needs to figure out what happened in his absence, and more importantly, how to win Ryley back from the man he once considered his best friend, but now thinks of as his rival.
I tend to avoid love triangles; however, this one has a twist. Evan, a Navy SEAL, leaves his pregnant fiancé, Ryley, when deployed on a special mission. When he’s “killed” in the line of duty, Evan’s twin brother, Nate, is there to help Ryley pick up the pieces. Six years later, Evan returns home to find that Ryley and Nate are engaged and his son calls his brother, “Dad.” The premise sounds intriguing. The problem with this story is in its execution.
There isn’t any chemistry between Evan and Ryley, although they’ve been in love since high school. It doesn’t help matters that the two aren’t even in the same room together until nearly halfway through the book. Before that, each character is telling someone else the story of how they met. It creates a feeling of detachment. If you’re looking for romantic gestures or swoon worthy moments you won’t find any here. Expecting a little heat? Look elsewhere.
The characters are in their thirties and yet the dialog sounds very immature. The narrative is extremely repetitive. It feels like a long, drawn out story where very little actually happens.
The third person in this love triangle, Nate, is spoken of often but doesn’t appear until the final chapter. The story concludes in the next book; however, I’m not curious enough find out how it ends.
About Heidi McLaughlin
Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer, and The Archers.
Originally, from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband, two daughters, and their three dogs.
In 2012, Heidi turned her passion for reading into a full-fledged literary career, writing over twenty novels, including the acclaimed Forever My Girl.
When writing isn’t occupying her time, you can find her sitting courtside at either of her daughters’ basketball games.
Heidi’s first novel, Forever My Girl, has been adapted into a motion picture with LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, and opened in theaters on January 19, 2018.
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