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A review by danisbooksmut
Going All In by Kate Campfield
4.0
After an epic one-night stand with a man named Maddox, who just might be her dream man, Holly is feeling on top of the world. After a bad experience with her ex, Holly has been avoiding men but feels like Maddox may be the one, so she agrees to go on a date with him. Things are finally looking up for her until she is introduced to her dad's new fiancee and her family, which includes her son, Maddox. Dealt with the realisation that her dream man and new stepbrother are the same person, and triggered by her past, Holly goes on a downward spiral in fighting her growing attraction and feelings for a man she feels she can't have.
Going All In was a really enjoyable read for me. I'm a huge fan of the stepbrother trope, but I feel this one was handled differently than the norm, and the fact everybody else seemed to accept it before Holly did was a big plus point to me.
Maddox came across as having huge golden retriever/cinnamon roll vibes and was perfect for Holly, coming across as kind, caring, patient, and loving. He accepted all the things Holly was doing to try and prove she didn't want to be with him and yet never lost hope, and I loved that about him. He wasn't overly pushy with Holly about his desire to be with her but wasn't completely dismissive either, and I genuinely enjoyed watching him pursue her.
Some of Holly's behaviours were a little bit toxic; they weren't intended to be, and so I could sympathise with her and not hate her, as it was clear she was hurting and hadn't dealt with her past traumas of losing her mom and the hurt her ex had caused her. She's so scared of other people's thoughts and feelings about her that she allows them to overpower her own thoughts and feelings. There is a real eureka moment for her, though, thanks to her best friend JJ and the fact that Maddox never gives up on her, even when she only offers him friendship.
Although some of Holly's thoughts were a little bit repetitive at times, I thought the author did a great job of creating not only an amazing pair of main characters, but the sideline characters were fantastic too, with JJ and Julio both providing some humour to the mix.
Going All In was a great story of laughter, lust, love, and leaving the past behind.
Going All In was a really enjoyable read for me. I'm a huge fan of the stepbrother trope, but I feel this one was handled differently than the norm, and the fact everybody else seemed to accept it before Holly did was a big plus point to me.
Maddox came across as having huge golden retriever/cinnamon roll vibes and was perfect for Holly, coming across as kind, caring, patient, and loving. He accepted all the things Holly was doing to try and prove she didn't want to be with him and yet never lost hope, and I loved that about him. He wasn't overly pushy with Holly about his desire to be with her but wasn't completely dismissive either, and I genuinely enjoyed watching him pursue her.
Some of Holly's behaviours were a little bit toxic; they weren't intended to be, and so I could sympathise with her and not hate her, as it was clear she was hurting and hadn't dealt with her past traumas of losing her mom and the hurt her ex had caused her. She's so scared of other people's thoughts and feelings about her that she allows them to overpower her own thoughts and feelings. There is a real eureka moment for her, though, thanks to her best friend JJ and the fact that Maddox never gives up on her, even when she only offers him friendship.
Although some of Holly's thoughts were a little bit repetitive at times, I thought the author did a great job of creating not only an amazing pair of main characters, but the sideline characters were fantastic too, with JJ and Julio both providing some humour to the mix.
Going All In was a great story of laughter, lust, love, and leaving the past behind.