What I Need (Alabama Summer, #5) by J. Daniels Series: Alabama Summer #5
Published by Self-Published on March 5th 2017
Pages: 306
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From New York Times bestselling author, J. Daniels, comes a sexy new STANDALONE novel.
Riley Tennyson has made a huge mistake.
At least, that’s what she keeps telling herself.
Showing up to her brother’s wedding pissed off and newly single, Riley seeks comfort in solitude and an open bar, until the gorgeous and irresistibly charming CJ Tully makes her a better offer—a wild night with the master of smooth-talking where nothing is off limits.
Riley does what any single woman would do, and a connection is made. One neither one of them can ignore. But when she comes home to the boyfriend she no longer thought she had, Riley buries her secret and begs CJ to do the same.
Forget about each other. It was a mistake. That’s all it was… right?
Desires are hidden. Distance is kept. Until one night CJ makes the ultimate sacrifice, and Riley can no longer avoid the man she can’t stop thinking about.
Not with him sleeping down the hall…
This friends to lovers romance is both sweet and hot, albeit frustrating.
CJ is certain he and Riley are meant to be more than friends. However, the leap from sleeping together throughout one weekend to CJ wanting Riley to be his woman seems too fast—especially since they spend the majority of the weekend having sex instead of really getting to know each other on a deeper level. When they do get around to spending quality time together, they easily click.
Riley is a nurturing person down to her core, but she’s rather immature and not very intuitive. I appreciated CJ showing Riley how a lady should be treated by her boyfriend. It’s sweet, even though he lays it on a bit thick. He’s so nurturing and unbelievably patient, which is admirable. As a reader, though, I found the secretive nature of not just their romance but even their friendship—per Riley’s insistence—to be unnecessary and tiresome after awhile. It was difficult to believe that a strong man such as CJ would be so whipped that he’d agree to the secret for so long.
The overall progression of their relationship is enjoyable, and although this is a standalone, it’s nice to be reunited with other characters from the Alabama Summer series. I think What I Need best suits those who don’t mind insta-love and like a little dirty thrown in with their love stories.
Recommended for fans of:
Friends to lovers romance
Nurturing heroines
Insta-love
About J. Daniels
J. Daniels is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Alabama Summer, Dirty Deeds and Sweet Addiction series.
Best known for her sexy, small-town romances, her debut novel, Sweet Addiction, was first published in 2014 and went on to become an international bestseller. Since then, she has published more than ten novels, including the Dirty Deeds series with Forever Romance.
Daniels grew up in Baltimore and currently lives in Maryland with her husband and two kids. A former full-time Radiologic Technologist, she began writing romance after college and quickly discovered a passion for it. You’ll still catch her in scrubs every now and then, but most of her time is spent writing these days—a career she is eternally grateful for.
Always an avid reader, Daniels enjoys books of all kinds, but favors Romance (of course) and Fantasy. She loves hiking, traveling, going to the mountains for the weekend, and spending time with her family.
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