EASY NIGHTS is finally here, which means VAN and BEN are finally here. Check out my review and an excerpt!
Easy Nights (Boudreaux #6), by Kristen Proby
Publish Date: June 27, 2017
Publisher: self-published
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author and Inkslinger PR
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Rating: 5 STARS
(Synopsis) Savannah Boudreaux knows what it is to hurt. To bleed. To be afraid that the man she’s promised to be true to until “death do us part” might in fact separate them far sooner than anyone had ever anticipated. But Van also knows what it is to survive. To move on. To live life to the fullest. With five brothers and sisters and a loving mother as her constant source of strength during the pain and the healing, Van realizes there is little else she needs.
But some things never change…
Benjamin Preston sat on the sidelines of the Boudreaux family for years, in love with a woman he couldn’t have. As the best friend of the Boudreaux brothers since childhood, Ben has seen both tragedies and joys in the family. And as a former MMA fighter and Krav Maga expert, Ben’s used to fighting for what he wants—and winning. His hands were tied when Savannah married her high school sweetheart not long after graduation, but now two years have passed since Ben found Savannah broken in her own home.
Sometimes what you need most has been right in front of you the whole time…
Van’s convinced that happiness isn’t in the cards for her, no matter how right it feels to be in Ben’s strong arms—and his bed. Ben is determined to win her heart and fight for her trust. He’s promised to protect her, to be her friend. But more than anything, he wants to finally make her his, and this is one fight he’s not willing to lose.
My goodness, it seems like I've been waiting forever for Savannah and Ben to get together. They've been dancing around each other for a few years now, but it's just never been the right time for them. But, their time has come - finally.
Savannah is in a good place now after getting help for her husband's horrible torture and some time passing. Her family has been incredible. And, that includes Ben. Ben's always been like family to all the Boudreauxs - except for Van. And now that she's in a better frame of mind, Ben and Van can finally give things a try.
Van and Ben together was even better than I had imagined. Ben was protective and sweet and perfect for her. And Van was independent and sassy and with Ben she was the best version of herself. The journey of Van has been pretty amazing. Kristen Proby didn't rush her healing. It's been two years. As much as it killed all of us to wait until the last book to see Van's HEA play out, it really did have to be this way. If it had come sooner, it would've felt rushed. This way, it really was perfect.
Of course, true love never runs smooth (one of my grandma's favorite sayings), and as perfect as Van and Ben are together, they still have a few more bumps in the road to get over. I'm glad, though. If they were too perfect, or if they went from the friend zone to practically married over night, it would've not been realistic at all. Once they gave each other permission to be together, things did pick up steam pretty quickly, but it definitely wasn't perfect. It was perfect for them, though.
I loved that Van's siblings were cheering them on the whole time. There was none of the "we need to keep this relationship a secret since you're my brothers' BFF and they'd kill you if they found out" business. Van's brothers know Ben. They trust him. So, they know she couldn't do any better than him. Their friendship is awesome.
I'm sad to say goodbye to New Orleans and the Boudreaux family. Their stories and those of the people around them have been fun and sexy and amid the backdrop of the deep south, it's been even more interesting. Easy Nights finished things off pretty perfectly.
“Van.”
I spin at the sound of Ben’s voice, and silently cringe. I look horrible. I’m sweating like an ice cold drink without a coaster, and the clothes I wear here are skin tight, making it easier to move.
“You’re not usually here at this time,” I say and dab a towel on my face. “What’s up?”
“I had a meeting with another instructor,” he says with a smile. “Thought I’d say hi.”
“Hi.” I smile and readjust my ponytail. It’s much smaller now, but I can still pull it back. “How was your day?”
“Busy,” he replies and surprises me by letting his eyes travel up and down my body. “I like the new hair. You look great.”
“I’m a mess.” I chuckle and hook my towel around my shoulders. “You, however, do look great.”
That’s a fucking understatement. He’s in cargo shorts and a black tank top, showing off his tattoos and his muscles.
Good lord, the muscles.
“Can I show you a few things?” he asks, breaking my concentration on his muscles.
“Sure,” I frown as I follow him back into the empty classroom. “Am I doing something wrong?”
“No, I just want to go over some form things.” He leads me to the center of the room and stands behind me, looking into my eyes through the mirror.
Oh God. This is way sexier than it probably should be.
“Assume the stance.”
I follow his directions and work very hard to not react to his strong hands on my sides as he walks me through punches, kicks, and better ways to keep my center of gravity.
“You’re small,” he murmurs and pushes my legs just a little closer together. “I want you to keep your feet just a little closer together. You’ll have better balance.”
I nod. “It feels better.”
He smiles at me. I can’t keep my eyes off of him in the mirror. The way he moves, his facial expressions.
Ben has always been attractive to me, but holy shit, did he get hotter? Or was I just too broken before to see it?
Because holy shit, he’s hot.
“Van?”
“Yeah?”
“I just asked you to do the spin/elbow move.”
“Oh.” I bite my lip and will myself to stop ogling his arms.
“Are you okay?”
“Of course.” I do as he asks and spin, attempting to ram my elbow in his nose, the way I’ve been taught, but he blocks and sends me onto my ass. “Damn it.”
“You’re not spinning quickly enough.”
“I’m as clumsy as they get,” I remind him. “If I spin too fast, I’ll fall on my ass. I’ll be helping my attacker more than anything.”
“It’ll actually feel easier,” he says, helping me to my feet. “You can do this. I’ve seen it.”
“You’re taller than anyone else I’ve ever sparred with.”
“Good,” he says and narrows his eyes. “Chances are, if you ever have to defend yourself, your attacker won’t be shorter than you.”
“True.” I nod thoughtfully.
“But if you’re still not comfortable doing this with me, that’s fine. I can make suggestions for Shelly to work on next week.”
“I’m okay,” I reply, and am surprised to realize that it’s true. It wasn’t long ago that I couldn’t stand for any man to touch me, not even my brothers. But I don’t mind so much now.
In fact, I’m utterly shocked to realize that his touch is turning me on. I don’t remember the last time I had sexual thoughts toward a man. Even Ben. Which was one more thing that made me sad.
But hello, long lost hormones.
Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.
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