Guest Review by Ashlynn Monroe

I don’t read a lot of contemporary romance. It’s usually not my thing, but I’m glad I made an exception for Friends and Lovers by Tara Mills! I adored the heroine, Lauren. Her motivations were clear and she reminded me of one of my best friends. I was so easy to adore her.
 Wes is HOT as heck. The author does a good job of making him sexy, but human. His combination of vulnerability and masculinity was great. This book was wonderful. I don’t do spoilers in my reviews, but these are the reasons I LOVED this book. I grew up in a home filled with domestic violence and the fear and abusers actions and attitude was very realistic. Sylvia Coulter’s fear and struggle is sadly too realistic in this country. Her fight for freedom and the real danger was portrayed well by the author. I love how Wes helps Lauren overcome her own tragedy and sorrow. I could see how Sylvia’s story could help a reader who hasn’t lived through that kind of fear know exactly why the heroine was so afraid of her brother-in-law getting out of prison.
1. The characters are realistic and well fleshed out. These characters could be breathing Ms. Mills does such a good job making them jump off the page and into your heart.
2. The domestic violence was realistic without it hitting the reader over the head.
3. I loved the friendship dynamic between Wes’s pregnant sister and the heroine.
4. Sherry’s pregnancy issues were realistic. (I’ve had two preemies and I didn’t feel that this was done in a generic or “over-the-top” way.
5. The sex was written amazingly well.
6. This has a wonderful HEA ending!
Without spoiling the book or spitting back the plot, I hope I’ve encouraged you to try this book if you’re looking for a hot contemporary romance with some real substance. This is a fun read, but it’s not just fluff! ENJOY!
Ashlynn Monroehttp://beachwalkpress.com/friends-and-lovers/