Wonderful life changing love stories like this are always a pleasure to read. Addressing real issues and overcoming them with the love and support of that one special person in your life always make a book more meaningful. That's the whole relationship between Zeke and Gabe in a nutshell. He is exactly the kind of person she needed in her life for her to overcome the damage done to her psyche in the past.

The Haven Brotherhood may not always stay between the lines but they sure as heck know when to claim ownership of someone and will go to any lengths to protect one of their own. Geez, we need more guys like them in real life.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley for voluntary review consideration

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Another fantastic story - hobbled (but not destroyed) by really poor editing. This book had a _lot_ of homonym errors (spell checker errors?) and they clustered in the sex scenes. An excellent mood breaker - roaring along on a hot scene and suddenly a sentence makes no sense. I'd have to stop, reread, sound it out and figure out what she'd _meant_ to put there... only a couple seconds for each one, but it totally threw me out of the story every time. Also a lot of not-quite-the-right-words - laugher is not the same thing as laughter. And again, despite all that, I loved it; Zeke is great, Gabe is wonderful. Both of them have solid history and motivations derived from it - no action by author fiat here, it's solid characters interacting with each other appropriately. Danny's fun - it will be interesting watching him develop, now. And the mystery is neatly done, and neatly handled - the focus is on the characters, but the mystery is a good catalyst. Love it - next, please! ( )

OMG I have a new favorite series. Contemporary Romance is not my typical read or one I fall for, but WOW have the Haven Boys hooked me.

After finishing book one, [b:Rough & Tumble|32172668|Rough & Tumble (Haven Brotherhood, #1)|Rhenna Morgan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479780710s/32172668.jpg|52809002], I new I was going to continue the series. I went out and bought book two, [b:Wild & Sweet|33176842|Wild & Sweet (The Haven Brotherhood, #2)|Rhenna Morgan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481768052s/33176842.jpg|53870183]. I couldn't resist buying. And, so after finished book two, I bought three, [b:Claim & Protect|34413928|Claim & Protect|Rhenna Morgan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1488643860s/34413928.jpg|55517155]. Do you see what’s happening? Ms. Morgan has acquired a fan and one who will be complete the collection for the Haven Brotherhood series as they come out. Now let’s get to the novel.

Zeke, oh my darling doctor. He is so sweet, understand, and patient with Gabrielle. It was so endearing to see how wonderful he was with Gabe. I loved that he has a plan. How he takes his time, notices when she’s having trouble in certain environments and situations, and then he helps to make it easier for her.

Gabrielle is the adorable in a tomboy/girl next door way. She’s got some issues and one is anxiety. It’s affect her life in a big way. I like how the author incorporated this issue into her character and how it was talked about. Haveing anxiety is tough and many people can relate, so when Zeke shows up and doesn’t give up on her, but helps. It truly is sensational and will melt your heart.

Their romances was so wonderful. Little by little Zeke breaks her down and helps Gabe to blossom and in the process Zeke finds the calm and quiet he’s been searching for.

Besides the romance we have a little action suspense when things in Danny and Gabe’s neighborhood start to happen.

This novel is swoon worthy. It’s emotional, captivating, and heartfelt. I highly recommend picking up this series.

Rated: 5 Stars

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Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over

I don’t usually read novels by the same author so close together because I start to see the style patterns more than the stories, but I enjoyed Rough & Tumble so much I wanted more time in that world. First, a correction: Just because Jace, the male lead in Rough & Tumble, rode a motorcycle, as do others in the Haven Brotherhood, this is not a biker gang as I supposed. It has a lot of the same markers, but is its own creation, or rather that of Jace and Axel. The common link between the brothers is more complicated than simply a love of motorcycles, and involves seeing to the heart of a potential brother to learn whether they are a product of their rough circumstances or capable of growing beyond that beginning if given the necessary support.

You might not have needed the above, but it cuts to the core of why these novels appeal to me so much. It’s about rising above harsh experiences, but the stories are specifically focused on success because of support and emotional nourishment rather than the lone hero. While the “lone wolf” concept has its appeal, I’m definitely more of a pack creature…as are wolves, oddly enough. There’s that and the almost Arthurian tale feel of might doesn’t mean right.

Anyway, Wild & Sweet is another great story with people who feel real, are facing serious challenges, and have a gut-level understanding of what it means to be a family. Like Jace and Viv, Zeke and Gabrielle have not had easy lives. Their pasts trained them to keep apart and avoid risks, and they’ve had little reason to fight that inclination.

Though Zeke has been a member of the brotherhood for years, in many ways, the pursuit of honor and justice–sometimes despite the law–has increased his wariness where outsiders are concerned. Add to that his hair-trigger temper along with an inability to tolerate any form of bullying, whether or not he’s the target, and close relationships outside of the Haven Brotherhood are not in the picture.

Gabrielle, or Gabe as she prefers to be called, is shy to a fault due to a combination of her mother, school bullying, and a social anxiety disorder. She’s a talented mechanic and a mother hen to those she lets into her circle, but the people she’s comfortable around are either family or largely senior citizens. Zeke–sexy, wealthy, and a doctor–could not possibly be interested in a grubby mechanic, or so she believes.

However, that Zeke is a doctor is key to how he helps her learn to manage her social anxiety, and for him, their differences are irrelevant. The first moment he saw Gabe, after she’s injured when foiling a robbery, he knows she grounds him in a way he never expected to find. Sure, it might be love at first sight, but neither of them is willing to recognize that pull easily, and their involvement is nothing but complications, the biggest being how the brotherhood has been assessing her brother Danny for acceptance. Zeke doesn’t want to mess with Danny’s chances, or anger the man he brought in for consideration, but he can’t stay away from Gabe. Then there’s her black and white view of things when the brotherhood doesn’t always toe the line.

There is serious character growth here, and some amazing life lessons, even delivered by minor characters like April (a perfect example of Gabe’s struggle to overcome her anxiety). The sex is explicit and detailed, and this one slipped just over the edge into risque territory, but their encounters are well written and caring in all the right ways.

Yes, the women in the series so far have been damsels in distress, trapped by financial or social troubles, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less capable or strong. It just means they end up in circumstances where a brotherhood of those with a wide range of talents is necessary to pull them clear. The women don’t sit back and let it happen, either. They are active participants in the process, sometimes much to the annoyance of their male counterparts in all of the best ways.

Wild & Sweet also shares the layered stories of the first, but the plots are so different, I had no difficulty reading the two so close together. In this book, there’s Zeke and Gabe’s maturing relationship, Gabe’s struggle with her social anxiety, and the story behind the break-in she interrupted, while Danny’s story, which began in Rough & Tumble as a minor side thread, is a powerful secondary tale intertwined with everything else going on. It also allows for a better understanding of the brotherhood itself, since Zeke provided a non-founder perspective.

If you are into stories that demonstrate the bonds between people–family, friends, and loves–this series is a powerful example while offering sometimes harrowing, but always personal, stories. Rhenna Morgan has won me over without a doubt.

P.S. I received this novel from the publisher in return for an honest review. ( )

skipped the first book and while I could figure out what was happening, it would've been so much better if I had actually read the first book. I'm never disappointed with any books by Ms. Morgan. I'm pretty sure this series will quickly become a favorite of mine. I mean, you can't really go wrong with a group of really hot alpha men. ( )