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shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review
3.0
This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books
I’ve been waiting for Stone & Arilyn’s story since they encountered each other in Genevieve’s book!!! There is nothing like a man in uniform, so I knew I would like Officer Stone Petty and everything he would bring. I love that he is opinionated, all man, but as readers will discover in this book, he also has a sweet side.
Arilyn definitely deserves love—especially after she dumps her cheating boyfriend once and for all. She does everything right-volunteers at the animal shelter, only ingests natural and organic foods, does yoga, etc. Stone is not so perfect and has his vices. For all their differences, they are meant to be but they have a tough time trying to figure that out!
Along the way, readers are introduced to more endearing characters—Poppy is loveable, dogs Robert & Pinky are adorable, and we even kind of… sort of… start to like Mrs. Blackfire! You also have to admire the bond of friendship that the ladies of Kinnecitons share and how they always look out for each other.
I loved this story! If you’ve read any of Probst’s other stories, you will love this one too. If you haven’t read any of the others in the series, you will still love this one—you won’t feel lost at all. Read it!
Reviewer information can be found under the Tags section of the post on our site.
I’ve been waiting for Stone & Arilyn’s story since they encountered each other in Genevieve’s book!!! There is nothing like a man in uniform, so I knew I would like Officer Stone Petty and everything he would bring. I love that he is opinionated, all man, but as readers will discover in this book, he also has a sweet side.
Arilyn definitely deserves love—especially after she dumps her cheating boyfriend once and for all. She does everything right-volunteers at the animal shelter, only ingests natural and organic foods, does yoga, etc. Stone is not so perfect and has his vices. For all their differences, they are meant to be but they have a tough time trying to figure that out!
Along the way, readers are introduced to more endearing characters—Poppy is loveable, dogs Robert & Pinky are adorable, and we even kind of… sort of… start to like Mrs. Blackfire! You also have to admire the bond of friendship that the ladies of Kinnecitons share and how they always look out for each other.
I loved this story! If you’ve read any of Probst’s other stories, you will love this one too. If you haven’t read any of the others in the series, you will still love this one—you won’t feel lost at all. Read it!
Reviewer information can be found under the Tags section of the post on our site.
barkylee15's review
4.0
4.5. Another great story in this series that I really love (I'm not putting past tense because I hope she writes more in this series). The only thing missing in this one was a bit more conflict, but otherwise they were a great couple, loved their sparring.
rlp78's review
5.0
I'd been looking forward to Arylin and Stone's book and this definitely delivered. This author always ties her many books together which is so enjoyable to read. I just wish we got a little more of an epilogue. Hopefully this isn't the last we've seen of these couples :)
chroniclesofabookreader's review
3.0
**3.5 Stars**
I'm going to be honest from the get-go here...Arilyn made me want to punch her. Yes, I actually sided with Stone a lot in this book, and that's something that I never usually do--side with the guy. I could see where she was coming from, truly, but she had a way about her that liked to rub me wrong.
Arilyn lives her life the Zen way. She trusts in her yoga, crystals, and clean-living to carry her through life. And while she gears for calm, Officer Stone Petty really gets under her skin for no other reason than they are complete opposites in every way. And as we've read in prior books, she's been in a not-so-rewarding relationship where she was basically a silent partner. But in life, besides relationships, she's a very strong, straight-forward person. Stone Petty, on the other hand, is a hard-living, tough police officer. He has demons he fights daily, and he's treated his life in much the same way that he is--ravaged. I think with the way his young life shaped him, he sort of decided to live his life hard; sometimes with no consequences or thoughts about it because, why not?. I found him to be very real and strong, but there was a great emotionality (is that a word?) to his character that opened me to him completely.
I'm a huge Jennifer Probst fan as I feel like she's a leader in the romance genre, and her writing is really hard to match. I am all for a strong, female character, but I think Arilyn was strong in the wrong ways at times. She felt righteous and I'm-above-you like in a lot of ways, but I felt like she took that persona on to be able to have some sort of control in her life as her long-term then-boyfriend sort of took it all away from her. I think Stone was good for her, to really help to smooth out those jagged, mean edges, and I enjoyed seeing him chip away at them. Overall, not my most favorite of hers, but still above par compared to a lot of books out there.
**Received an early copy in exchange for an honest review**
I'm going to be honest from the get-go here...Arilyn made me want to punch her. Yes, I actually sided with Stone a lot in this book, and that's something that I never usually do--side with the guy. I could see where she was coming from, truly, but she had a way about her that liked to rub me wrong.
Arilyn lives her life the Zen way. She trusts in her yoga, crystals, and clean-living to carry her through life. And while she gears for calm, Officer Stone Petty really gets under her skin for no other reason than they are complete opposites in every way. And as we've read in prior books, she's been in a not-so-rewarding relationship where she was basically a silent partner. But in life, besides relationships, she's a very strong, straight-forward person. Stone Petty, on the other hand, is a hard-living, tough police officer. He has demons he fights daily, and he's treated his life in much the same way that he is--ravaged. I think with the way his young life shaped him, he sort of decided to live his life hard; sometimes with no consequences or thoughts about it because, why not?. I found him to be very real and strong, but there was a great emotionality (is that a word?) to his character that opened me to him completely.
I'm a huge Jennifer Probst fan as I feel like she's a leader in the romance genre, and her writing is really hard to match. I am all for a strong, female character, but I think Arilyn was strong in the wrong ways at times. She felt righteous and I'm-above-you like in a lot of ways, but I felt like she took that persona on to be able to have some sort of control in her life as her long-term then-boyfriend sort of took it all away from her. I think Stone was good for her, to really help to smooth out those jagged, mean edges, and I enjoyed seeing him chip away at them. Overall, not my most favorite of hers, but still above par compared to a lot of books out there.
**Received an early copy in exchange for an honest review**
syndi3's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Searching for Always is a sweet, fun and opposite attract romance. Miss Probst done a great job injecting the comedy into the story, especially about the dog. I am not a dog lover myself, but hey, I still enjoyed the story.
Arilyn is a heroine that I need time to digest. She is smart and confident but her lifestyle is hard to connect. Stone on the other hand, I can relate. I understand his anger, his do not care attitude and a tough cop. I like him very much. He is the reason I give this book 4 stars.
The story is long one. But I can tell, it is not boring. The banter is fun and sweet.
Overall a very entertaining book.
Arilyn is a heroine that I need time to digest. She is smart and confident but her lifestyle is hard to connect. Stone on the other hand, I can relate. I understand his anger, his do not care attitude and a tough cop. I like him very much. He is the reason I give this book 4 stars.
The story is long one. But I can tell, it is not boring. The banter is fun and sweet.
Overall a very entertaining book.
kara_hildebrand's review
5.0
I have been waiting for Arilyn and Stone's story since they met in Searching for Beautiful. What's better than a tall, sexy, domineering cop? Nothing, that's what! I just knew these two opposite creatures would find themselves together somehow. It's definitely not the typical boy meets girl story though. Stone and Arilyn just don't like each other. There is an underlying attraction, but it's covered up by annoyance, anger and disgust. When Stone is sent to mandatory anger management classes and Arilyn turns out to be his teacher he almost bails. He's not going to be able to put up with her condescending attitude and her yoga mumbo jumbo. And she isn't going to let him get away with talking down to her and disregarding her life choices. He eats fried food and zero veggies, she meditates and doesn't eat meat. Their chemistry is explosive. One minute they want to smack each other and the next Stone wants to throw her over his shoulder and take her home. I loved that their love story wasn't immediate. They really didn't like each other at first. Who would have thought that a little dog would bridge that gap between these two strong willed characters. Once they learn to tolerate each other, they can't seem to keep their hands to themselves. Will Stone's no relationship policy go up in smoke? Can Arilyn stick it out and show Stone what it means to love? I adored this story! Stone is the perfect mix of alpha, sweet, sexy, funny and hot. Arilyn is feisty, sexy, grounded and full of love. I loved the way they pushed each other's buttons; it was so real! Jennifer is such a wonderful writer who has the ability to make you love her characters and want to be their friend!
Like the sun on crack, she blinded him. His heart got a bit mushy and weak, and he was unable to talk.
Besides the odd crackly of electricity between them, she had an odd urge to bend to his will, do what he said, surrender to anything he asked out of her. Nuts. She was certifiably nuts.
He was total male predator, domineering cop, and sexual alpha male wrapped up in one package.
"I always knew your be extraordinary," he murmured. "But still the reality has me weeping."
Like the sun on crack, she blinded him. His heart got a bit mushy and weak, and he was unable to talk.
Besides the odd crackly of electricity between them, she had an odd urge to bend to his will, do what he said, surrender to anything he asked out of her. Nuts. She was certifiably nuts.
He was total male predator, domineering cop, and sexual alpha male wrapped up in one package.
"I always knew your be extraordinary," he murmured. "But still the reality has me weeping."
megansendlessreads's review
5.0
Searching for Always...
I have to say that Jennifer Probst knows how to write a book that makes you laugh. I don't know if it's just me, but I seem to always be in a fit of giggles (gasp! Giggles, I know, what an outcry). The characters are just amazingly funny and I love how she fits them together to get out this misshapen but perfect puzzle.
In this book are a lot of "discover yourself" moments. It seemed to me that within this book were two characters that are hiding from their pasts and taking a little bit of an easier route rather than being right up front. Officer Stone, for example, has this idea of who he thinks he is supposed to be, only to find out it's okay to change and challenge himself and his beliefs. Same goes for Arilyn.
Side Note: I adore the name Arilyn! I just think it sounds so beautiful and airy! Perfect for this character for sure.
One thing I have to say about this series in all is that the writing is very light and happy. Sure the situations might be dark or there might be touchy topics, but, for the most part, this book was very bubbly and optimistic. This can be both a positive and a negative. Looking for a light summer read: here is the series for you. Wanting something to challenge your innermost thoughts on life and how you live it, probably not for you.
This isn't to say the author is a bad writer or she is too optimistic. It's just the personality of her books are very uplifting and fun. This is the book to read when you are recovering from a tragedy story. This book will remind you that there are such things as love and recovery... it breathes optimism.
The characters aren't bad either. For the most part, they are very charming and likable.
Arilyn reminds me of a fairy. She floats around wanting to heal everything in her path. Yet she isn't some ditzy girl, she is actually quite smart and proves it again and again throughout the novel. One of my favorite parts of the novel is when she is knocking heads with Stone. The two of them have it out for each other since the first meet and greet and I loved their passion.
Stone is the guy who acts tougher than he is. This was really prevalent when he was taking care of Pinky. I can't explain how many times my heart ached as I laughed at how loving he was without mentally believing it. He was completely against dogs yet one little puppy whine and he was a goner! So endearing!
Overall this book is completely adorable and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a light-hearted romance with a twist. Or for anyone who loves it when a dog brings two people together! Definitely the best book I've read where the dog solidifies the relationship!
<3 Megan @ bkwrm29.blogsppot.com
I have to say that Jennifer Probst knows how to write a book that makes you laugh. I don't know if it's just me, but I seem to always be in a fit of giggles (gasp! Giggles, I know, what an outcry). The characters are just amazingly funny and I love how she fits them together to get out this misshapen but perfect puzzle.
In this book are a lot of "discover yourself" moments. It seemed to me that within this book were two characters that are hiding from their pasts and taking a little bit of an easier route rather than being right up front. Officer Stone, for example, has this idea of who he thinks he is supposed to be, only to find out it's okay to change and challenge himself and his beliefs. Same goes for Arilyn.
Side Note: I adore the name Arilyn! I just think it sounds so beautiful and airy! Perfect for this character for sure.
One thing I have to say about this series in all is that the writing is very light and happy. Sure the situations might be dark or there might be touchy topics, but, for the most part, this book was very bubbly and optimistic. This can be both a positive and a negative. Looking for a light summer read: here is the series for you. Wanting something to challenge your innermost thoughts on life and how you live it, probably not for you.
This isn't to say the author is a bad writer or she is too optimistic. It's just the personality of her books are very uplifting and fun. This is the book to read when you are recovering from a tragedy story. This book will remind you that there are such things as love and recovery... it breathes optimism.
The characters aren't bad either. For the most part, they are very charming and likable.
Arilyn reminds me of a fairy. She floats around wanting to heal everything in her path. Yet she isn't some ditzy girl, she is actually quite smart and proves it again and again throughout the novel. One of my favorite parts of the novel is when she is knocking heads with Stone. The two of them have it out for each other since the first meet and greet and I loved their passion.
Stone is the guy who acts tougher than he is. This was really prevalent when he was taking care of Pinky. I can't explain how many times my heart ached as I laughed at how loving he was without mentally believing it. He was completely against dogs yet one little puppy whine and he was a goner! So endearing!
Overall this book is completely adorable and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a light-hearted romance with a twist. Or for anyone who loves it when a dog brings two people together! Definitely the best book I've read where the dog solidifies the relationship!
<3 Megan @ bkwrm29.blogsppot.com