BLOG TOUR REVIEW: What I Need (Alabama Summer #5)

The 'Bama Boys are back! WHAT I NEED is out now, and trust me when I say you will definitely want to get on board the Tully Train. Check out my review, then check out the book!

What I Need (Alabama Summer #5), by J. Daniels
Publish Date: March 5, 2017
Publisher: Everafter Romance
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author and Inkslinger PR
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) Riley Tennyson has made a huge mistake.

At least, that’s what she keeps telling herself.

Showing up to her brother’s wedding pissed off and newly single, Riley seeks comfort in solitude and an open bar, until the gorgeous and irresistibly charming CJ Tully makes her a better offer―a wild night with the master of smooth-talking where nothing is off limits.

Riley does what any single woman would do, and a connection is made. One neither one of them can ignore. But when she comes home to the boyfriend she no longer thought she had, Riley buries her secret and begs CJ to do the same.

Forget about each other. It was a mistake. That’s all it was… right?

Desires are hidden. Distance is kept. Until one night CJ makes the ultimate sacrifice, and Riley can no longer avoid the man she can’t stop thinking about.

Not with him sleeping down the hall…

I broke so many of my own personal rules when I read What I Need. And, I've never been a more happy rule breaker.

1. Don't EVER read a book if it sounds like there's cheating in it. 

We all have these hard lines we aren't willing to cross when it comes to books. Mine is cheating. I hate it. There is never a good reason for it. So, if I read a book's description and it sounds like there's going to be some cheating going on by one of the MC's, I stay away. 

Now, it does sort of sound that way in the description for What I Need. And J. Daniels is a relatively new author for me, so I don't have much to go on. But, what I've read of hers so far has been fantastic, so I decided to uncharacteristically go out on a limb and give it a go. And I'm SO glad I did.  Riley's boyfriend is a grade-A douche canoe. She dumps him before leaving for the weekend to be in her brother's wedding. While at the wedding, she makes an amazing (read: hot and romantic) connection with her brother's friend CJ. 

However, when she returns home, she finds that things were not as she thought they were when she left. Her boyfriend is still in the house they share. He didn't hear her dump him. He thinks they're still together and is very apologetic and sweet. And Riley feels guilty enough to give it one more go with him and forget about CJ. 

This is all in the book's description, but for those of you who were concerned as I was, allow me to reassure you. You may be irritated with Riley, but it won't be because she cheated on her boyfriend. You can read What I Need with peace of mind that the cheating that is done in this book will not upset you as it does in others. 

2. Avoid books with love triangles unless you're in the mood for angst overload.

Love triangles are one of my least favorite things, next to cheating. It sounds like there might be a love triangle at play in What I Need, but the Tully side of the triangle is so strong, so positive, so sexy and so alpha that it never even registered on my internal love triangle scale. 

CJ Tully is my favorite sort of male character. He's a cop, so his protective game is super strong. He makes this connection with Riley at his BFF's wedding, and from that moment on, nothing phases him. Their 8-year age difference? Not even an issue. The fact that her brother is his best friend? She's worth the pain if Reed hits him. Her friend-zoning him after discovering she's not as un-coupled as she thought? He's a patient man, and it's only a matter of time before she realizes the error of her ways. Him getting injured in the line of duty? The perfect excuse to get Riley in his house to nurse him back to health. A love triangle isn't even on the radar when CJ takes up all available brain space. 

3. Always read a series in order. 

I must confess - What I Need is the first Alabama Summer book I've read. But, after reading Riley and CJ's story, I can promise you it won't be my last. The fact that I haven't ever met any of the other characters or witnessed their ships taking shape didn't diminish my enjoyment of this book in the slightest. In fact, seeing how they all interact and how close they all are only increased my desire to go back now and read books one through four (in order, of course). So, if you are like me and are a 'Bama Boys virgin, don't let that stop you from starting with What I Need. 

We're lovers who became friends who became... everything.

J. Daniels is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Sweet Addiction series, the Alabama Summer series, and the Dirty Deeds series.

She would rather bake than cook, she listens to music entirely too loud, and loves writing stories her children will never read. Her husband and children are her greatest loves, with cupcakes coming in at a close second.

J grew up in Baltimore and resides in Maryland with her family.

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