Lovers at Heart (Love in Bloom: The Bradens) (Love in Bloom: The Bradens, 1) Paperback – October 23, 2013

AudioBook Review:Stars: Overall 4 Narration 4 Story 4A story that best works after reading the Snow Sisters series, but can stand alone, Lovers at Heart focuses on Treat and Max’s stories, and the aftermath of a destination wedding. Max is the organizing guru with more than a dash of neuroses and ocd, and while helpful with her planning work, is often detrimental to her personal life. She’s clever, driven, outwardly self-confident and wholly in charge of her life. Treat owns several resorts, is always bouncing about and around, and he’s got a serious case of wedding hangover after a memorable, if not his best, moment at the wedding.Together – these two get another chance to make things right DESPITE their both having serious reservations and issues. Treat is very metrosexual – he’s a solidly good guy who I seriously hoped would find some emotional control. His own dedication to his family and to seeing them happy and settled, often to the detriment of his own forward progress and growth wasn’t over the top, until you add in his bone-deep fear of finding that “love” and then losing it. There’s plenty of growth that needs to happen for Treat, and while I like characters that are in touch with their emotions, there was a bit of “not again’ with each new emotional revelation for him.On the other hand, Max is almost closed off from her inner voices, until or unless she encounters someone who reminds her of all the bad moments with her ex. Unwilling to stand for any critical judgments from any man, she just shuts down and pushes people away from her, with an almost angry overtone. We do see that her self-confidence from her work, which she does near perfectly, isn’t always translating over, and that makes her very defensive. Oh – and when she’s angry or feeling pressured by anything BUT work, she’s a horrible listener, and refuses to ask questions or hear explanations. So there was a TON of back and forth with these two. And, I kind of have to give Treat kudos for sticking in there, making it clear that he wanted her and her alone, and that he wouldn’t stop pursuing her. In the abstract, for a story, it’s pretty damn romantic…although I can see how it could dance over the edge to stalker if their connection wasn’t so palpable and obvious to everyone else.Narration is again provided by B, J, Harrison, who again does a lovely job in presenting characters, story and emotional layers without overworking the emotion or getting in the way of the story as it unfolded. But it is less a critique of performance than musing over the ‘rightness’ of this narrator for this book. I would have liked a dual narrator team for this title, while Harrison does a wonderful job in separating and distinctly presenting both male and female voices, I would have appreciated the addition of a female to narrate the women’s parts. There was just a little something not quite fitting with the characters as I envisioned them – and having read and listened to this story (I own the title) there was a piece missing, some youthful edge, that would have added to the performance here.

This is book 4 in the Love in Bloom series however it's really sort of a spin off from that and is actually Book 1 of The Braden's. It's a little confusing however I like it because you still get some of the Snow sisters however now you get more of Blake's cousins the Braden's. A family of six, 5 boys and one girl or should I say 5 men and 1 women? Either way they are all very beautiful, really rich and very successful.In book 3 you met Treat, Blake's oldest cousin, Treat, Treat owns dozens of resorts all around the world and is super rich. He and Max seemed to have had a "connection" when they first met but then something happened and she would avoid him and kept calling him arrogant throughout the rest of the book. You really didn't get the whole story behind what the something was though.This book takes place 6 months later and Treat still can't get Max out of his mind so he decides that he's going to go to his family home for some much needed time off. His family home however is a large ranch in Colorado which isn't very far from where Max lives and works. He just happens to go home the weekend of the Film Festival in which Max plays a huge part in making sure that everything runs smoothly.I've been a fan of Max since the beginning of the series. She's always been a strong person that knew what she needed to do to get things done and to get them done efficiently. You find out in this book that she didn't get to that point without a great deal of hardship and struggle. You of course find out why she always keeps her work life and her private life separate as well as why she never seems to have a boyfriend or go on dates.Treat has his own set of demons that he has yet to concur. He was the oldest of six and only 11 years old when his mother passed away. He was one that all of his younger siblings came running to when they needed something. When he graduated high school and left for college, he never looked back. Sure he would go home when they needed him but he was always looking towards the next big resort and traveling to far off places. He never thought of settling down until he met Max.So far I believe that this was my favorite one in the series. While there was still drama in this book it wasn't over the top as it was the other books. I will also say that I was once again a fan of Kaylie in this book. She and Max have become even closer friends and she was always there dropping whatever she was doing when Max needed her.While this is technically book 4, it can be read as stand-alone book with the way that it is written. Book 5 is already out and is called Destined to Love which show cases Rex, the 2nd oldest Braden man as well a long time family feud between the Braden's and the ranch next door. I can't wait to dive into that one!

Lovers at heart is #4 of the Love in Bloom series and #1 of the Bradens. These books all have links through cousins and marriages. With the clever use of large families there are plenty of storyline potentials. It's a hot romance style offering escapism to a place of hot rugged alpha men and women equally beautiful and in need of loving.Treat Braden is 37 and a successful businessman who owns a string of resorts. Oldest son of Hal Braden, he feels the responsibility of looking out for his brothers and sister, but he's always felt the drive to prove himself as a success. When his mother died when he was just 11, Treat wanted to take on the care of his siblings and be a replacement for their mother.The only person to knock his plans off track has been Max Armstrong. The minute he met her, his heart flip-flopped and he couldn't get her out of his head. When she went off with another man, his jealousy drove his actions, but he couldn't get her out of his head.Treat returned home to the sanctuary of family and his father's ranch, the last person he expected to bump into again was Max and his heart did that flip-flop all over again. Max too was having trouble thinking clearly, Treat had a deep affect on her too. They are drawn together by lust, but both have plenty of issues to work through before they can let their defences down and fully trust in a future together.If you like a quick read, hot romance with a HEA ending and plenty more characters to fill a series, then these books could be for you.

What can I say, I love Melissa Foster.. Showing us the amazing worlds inside her mind, she brings the character's to life and makes us fall in love with them..Max Armstrong is a beautiful, events manager and loves what she does...Keeping men at arms length, after a painful past, works for her..Until she meets Treat Braden at a wedding, he's a sexy, alpha male and after one night together, she can't help but want more.. Then she realises he's no different from the man that broke her heart..But Treat can't stop thinking about her and a chance encounter, six months later, has him vowing to do anything he can to make her his...Max is insecure, but Braden tries his hardest to show her what she means to him, even following her when she gets scared and runs...I love the smoking hot, chemistry between them, the fight they have for each other.. Melissa is by far, my favourite author and I can't wait for more from the Bradens!!The

This is the first book I read of Melissa's as I read them in the wrong order to start with. :)This is definitely the book that made me fall in love with the Love in Bloom series. I could not put it down. I went on holiday for 10 days and I read 7 of Melissa's books in that time.After a rough start you realise Treat and Max are made for each other. Some people may not believe in this but there story was literally love at first sight. They both have certain things in their pasts that make them both so scared to fall in love but once they do, they fall hard.Treat will make you melt. After their first initial encounter he is so protective and loving with Max, enough to make any girl swoon right....You meet the other Braden siblings in this book and I could not to read Destined for Love.This review is on the back of a re-read, that is how much I love Melissa's books . Enjoy as I sure did.

Wow Treat Braden is definitely worth it the wait he is confident, sexy, sweet, sexy, intimidating, sexy oh yes he is.Max is such a strong sweet beautiful woman who puts Treat through the wringer but she has demons that stop her from what she wants and that's Treat Braden, they have had a rocky start which you read in Sister in White but this a a great read you also get introduced to the rest of the Braden family I love Hal Treat's dad can't wait to read more from them all

I only managed to read a 3rd of this book. I felt like I missed a prequel to it and the third if it that I read was very disjointed. I couldn't connect with the characters at all.