Searching For Always by Jennifer Probst Series: Searching For #4
Published by Gallery Books
Publication Date: June 30th 2015
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 384
Source: Publisher
Format: eARC
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Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely mine.
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Jennifer Probst sparks a blissful mind-body connection as her “sexy, satisfying” (Kirkus Reviews) new series continues!
She’s an expert in helping others de-stress, but Arilyn Meadows is running on fumes. Along with her job counseling singles seeking soul mates at the Kinnections agency in Verily, New York, she’s a yoga teacher, animal shelter volunteer, anger management therapist, and helping hand to her beloved grandfather. No time to find Mr. Right—but after discovering her yogi boyfriend in a compromising asana, Arilyn would rather dog-sit for her honeymooning friend Kate than risk her heart on another downward dog.
And when police officer Stone Petty—radiating masculinity and bad-boy attitude—is sent to her for mandatory lessons in cooling off when the job gets too hot, Arilyn vows to ignore his seductive glances and sexy grin. But there’s no halting their sizzling flirtation—a red-hot, high-speed chase that’s breaking all the limits.
When I started reading SEARCHING FOR ALWAYS, I wasn’t sure that I would enjoy it as I had the previous books in the series, but Ms. Probst proves that she’s still got it. She creates magic by throwing together a man who has buried all his pain and anger at the hand life dealt him under a brash, macho exterior and a woman who worked hard to channel all of her pain into a rewarding lifestyle dedicated to doing good. These two people who on the surface are as different as can be, actually fit each other and are very alike on the inside, with a shared a need for the same things – someone to love and cherish them unconditionally, someone they can also love wholeheartedly.
Arilyn and Stone’s first meeting was hostile and nothing has changed since then. Now Stone is forced to attend anger management classes taught by her, getting along will definitely be a trial. As they spend more time together, Arilyn sees that that Stone’s abrasive behavior is a cover and she’s determined to get him to open up. Well, good for her because Stone is having way too much fun pushing her buttons. There’s got to be some emotion under all of that love and light, right?
From the first time Arilyn was introduced in the series, she was my least favorite of the four friends because she came across as a goody-two-shoes with her hippie lifestyle, but as I read further I discovered that beneath that zen exterior was a seething mass of emotions and fears and desires and I gained respect for her strength, especially how she had turned her life around. Arilyn is honest, open and all about maintaining balance in life which includes yoga and all its trapping, keeping her body healthy and eating organic foods, no meat. Stone is the opposite in every way. He’s got his emotions under serious lock down and enjoys his beer, fast food, coffee and cigarettes (at least until he quit) and no matter how much they fight it, then can’t resist the attraction between them, so how can they move from adversaries to lovers and how can a relationship between them work?
I really liked Arilyn after getting to know her and I loved that she was upfront about her feelings for Stone and even when he got scared of what was developing between them, she was courageous enough to step back and give him the space he needed. Stone is this hulking, big guy whose’s also very sweet. Even with their differences, he’s just the person to give her a taste of the raw, uncontrollable passion she’s always secretly wanted but never got.
There are so many enjoyable and funny moments and characters in this book. I especially enjoyed catching up with the couples from the previous books as well as those from her “Marriage” series and I laughed so hard reading about their first dinner date and the veggie lasagna. There were also some very touching moments like Stone bonding with Pinky for the first time. Ms. Probst took things that separately may not be everyone’s cup of tea (yoga, meditation and pets) and combined them into a heartfelt but lighthearted story of opposites attracting and finishes off the series in a spectacular fashion.
SERIES ORDER
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About Jennifer Probst
Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She took a short hiatus to get married, get pregnant, buy a house, get pregnant again, pursue a master’s in English Literature, and rescue two shelter dogs. Now she is writing again.
She makes her home in Upstate New York with the whole crew. Her sons keep her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean.
She is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of sexy and erotic contemporary romance. She was thrilled her book, The Marriage Bargain, was ranked #6 on Amazon's Best Books for 2012. She loves hearing from readers. Visit her website for updates on new releases and her street team
at her website.
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