This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I really enjoyed this book! I read the other 2 books in this series when they were released and decided that it was finally time to go back and read the first book. I am always looking for something a little different to read and this one definitely met that definition. I honestly cannot remember the last time I read a romance where the heroine is pregnant with 4 kids. This book not only worked, it worked well. I was really hooked by Matt and Abby's story and wanted to listen to it for hours at a time. I am so glad that I decided to pick this one up.

Abby has taken her 4 young children to the beach for a vacation. Her husband recently died so it is just her and the kids. Abby is pregnant with her 5th child so she wants to fit one more trip before it becomes harder with a new baby. Matt is a Navy SEAL who is taking a much needed break at the beach. When Abby's son asks Matt to play ball with him, he can't say no. He finds himself wanting to spend more and more time with Abby and her family.

I loved the characters in this book. I have to say that I don't tend to pick up a lot of books with kids playing a large role. I like kids and even have had a couple myself but I don't always like to read about them. These kids were amazing. They were all really great characters that added something to the story. Matt was such a great guy. I loved how he was with both Abby and the kids. It seemed so natural from the very beginning, like he was meant to be with them. Abby was such a great mom and very independent. I liked watching her learn to trust Matt and let him into her life.

Johanna Parker does a wonderful job with the narration in this book. I have listened to her narration before and knew that I really liked her style. She handled all of the different characters in this book so well. She had realistic voices that she used for each character including the young children. She was able to put a lot of emotion into the reading and her voice was very pleasant to listen to for hours at a time.

The only thing that didn't seem realistic about this story was how well behaved Abby's children were at all times. As a mom, I kind of wanted to see one of these kids have the meltdown you know would happen at some point. Anyone who has taken young children on vacation knows there is going to be tears, screaming, and most bodily fluids will most likely be involved. Of course, the absence of these things may be the reason that I liked these kids as much as I did.

I would recommend this audiobook to others. It was a really fun and romantic story that was really a joy to listen to. I plan to read more of Claudia Connor's work in the future.

Initial Thoughts
I enjoyed this story. Abby is not the average heroine being pregnant with 4 young kids which I really liked. Matt and Abby were great together and I loved what the kids added to the story.

Book source: library via Hoopla

She’s fighting for control. . . . Paige Roberts learned to fend for herself growing up. Now she’s doing everything possible to give her daughter, Casey, the stability she never had. But when the vivacious five-year-old decides she’s done wearing her prosthesis, Paige faces her toughest challenge yet: trusting a handsome, brooding stranger who simply wants to help.

He’s struggling to connect. . . . JT McKinney lost more than his leg in a car accident that stole his dreams of pro football. Eight years later, he's made a new life for himself far away from his old one. His business is developing cutting-edge prosthetics and he’s more than happy to turn his attention to machines instead of people. Still, he can’t shake the feeling that something’s missing.

Will they take a chance on love? . . . When JT gets the chance to help Paige’s daughter, he takes it. He never planned on the two of them tearing down his walls or teaching him to believe in himself again. Paige might not believe in happily ever afters, but JT wants more than anything to be her prince. They’ll both have to let go of the past if they want a future.

 

 

Review

 

This is a sweet romance with an overworked single mom as our heroine. The hero and the heroine's daughter have both lost legs for different reasons and this brings them together though the hero already had a crush on the mom. The hero is a biomedical engineer who patents AI and artificial limbs which is better cool. He is pretty young and suppose to be super smart. I would have loved to see more of that part of him. The heroine is a waitress working two jobs and starting back to school with an almost five year old. The child's issues about going to school are compelling and the romance is a lovely one. However, for me, I would have liked more on the hero in the years after his accident, college and grad school wise, and for the heroine I would have liked her to have more of sexual self (her sexual history didn't seem all that realistic or at least I would have liked that talked about and explored). I am interested in the other books in the series

4 stars

I fell in love with Claudia Connor's books with the very first book in the McKinney Brothers' series. I love each and every visit with the McKinney family and found Worth It All to be a wonderful addition to the series.

 

I absolutely adored both Paige and JT (Jake) from the very beginning. I loved they were both such strong characters. Paige had her life completely turned upside down 5 years ago when she became a single mother and does everything in her power to take care of her daughter Casey and make sure she never wants for anything. Jake lost his planned future when he was in a horrible car wreck and lost his leg. I loved that both he and Casey connected right away since they both had prosthetics.

 

The attraction between Paige and Jake was obvious from the very beginning and I loved they really didn't move too fast. With Paige's past, it wouldn't have made sense to rush, and Jake hadn't risked his heart since his wreck. Their chemistry just got stronger the more time they spent together and when they finally made love for the first time, it was perfect. 

 

I loved that Jake was so focused on helping Casey be more comfortable with her prosthetic. I also loved Jake talked and listened to Casey and showed her she was every bit as important to him as her mother. I think I fell for Jake so fast because of how absolutely adorable he was with Casey. I adored the family Jake, Paige and Casey formed. It was so nice to see Jake spend more time with his family once Paige and Casey came along. 

 

I highly recommend Worth It All to anyone who loves sexy, sweet, family romances. I love getting to visit with other favorite characters in the series with each new installment. I adore Claudia Connor's voice and love how with each new book, she totally pulls me into her world.

 

Review copy provided by publisher

 

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.

I liked this sweet romantic story. The characters in this book were absolutely wonderful and the story made my heart melt. This book is listed as the third book in the McKinney Brothers series but it is really more of a stand alone that is loosely linked to other stories. This is a series that you can easily jump in at any point. I have only read the second and third books and don't feel like I missed anything besides maybe another great story.

This story focuses on JT, Paige, and Casey. JT, or Jake, lost his leg in a car accident. He know works to make prosthetic devices with advanced technologies. He really has completely recovered from his physical injuries and is able to do just about anything except forgive himself. He has had his eye on the cute waitress even before he realizes that her daughter could benefit from his expertise.

Paige is a single mom who works tirelessly to make sure her daughter Casey is given a good life. She makes every decision in her life with Casey in mind and is determined to go to school so that she can get a better job to take care of them. Paige does not believe in fairy tales. Not for a minute. Paige has a really hard time doing anything for herself and really doesn't end up with a lot of free time to do anything for fun. Will she take a chance on Jake?

I loved the characters in this story. Casey really added a lot to the story and I don't often like kids as a main focus in a romantic novel. Casey was just a lot of fun and she was completely honest as kids tend to be. Her connection with Jake was absolutely precious. I could feel the love that Jake and Casey shared as much as the chemistry between Jake and Paige. These three were just meant to be together.

I would say that this romance was more of a sweet story than a sexy one. There were a few sexy times but I was really pulled in by the sweet moments. I would highly recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance. I plan to read much more of Claudia Connor's work in the near future.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.

Initial Thoughts
I really liked this one. Jake, Paige, and Casey were all awesome characters. This was really more of a sweet romance but Jake and Paige did have a lot of chemistry.