🔖 REVIEW! 🔖 Holding Out by Serena Bell

Holding Out
by Serena Bell
Release Date: May 21st 2019 by Jelsba Media Group
Series: Returning Home #4
Pages: 267
Genres: Romance, Contemporary

She’s done being a virgin. He’s willing to help her out. Only now he has a problem of his own: He can’t stop wanting more. 

The answer has to be no, of course. No way Griff Ambrose is going to help Becca Drake lose her virginity. Not only is she his friend’s little sister, but Griff doesn’t do commitment—not since the day he came home from war to find his house empty and his wife gone.

But he can’t get Becca’s request—or pretty much anything else about her—out of his head. What can it hurt, anyway? If it’s awkward afterwards, they can just avoid each other. Right?

Becca Drake has turned her life around, and she’s proud of how much butt she’s kicking. The shy girl with the self-esteem problem has been shown the door, and New Becca’s in the driver’s seat. There’s just one more demon she has to exorcise. Virginity is messing up her sex life. Guys who might be okay with giving her a test drive act like they’re being auditioned for marriage when they find out she’s never had intercourse.

Griff is the perfect candidate to do the deed: He’s her friend, he’s sexy as heck, and neither of them wants anything serious.

Then Becca’s job goes belly up and she takes a temporary position at the veterans’ retreat where Griff works. Now she and Griff can’t stay out of each other’s way—and their entanglement keeps getting messier—and sexier. Worst of all, it’s getting harder and harder for Becca and Griff to lie to themselves about what they really want…
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

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My Review:

Having read and loved a previous book by Serena Bell, I couldn’t wait to read her newest book, Holding Out. As the fourth book in the Returning Home series, this book focuses on Griff Ambrose and Becca Drake as they navigate their way through ups and downs in order to be together. Now it is important to state that although this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

At the beginning of the story we get to meet Griff Ambrose, an army veteran who works at R&R, a retreat center that helps veterans by proving all types of care and services that they might need. He has been able to maintain close friendships with those that work with him and that has helped him a lot. Griff has been through so many ups and downs. After his wife left him while he was overseas, Griff has been struggling with PTSD and his inability of wanting to get into another serious relationship has turned him into a bit of a player. But there is one woman who has managed to catch his attention, too bad she is off-limits as she happens to be related to one of his closest friends. He shouldn’t want Becca Drake, but when she comes to him asking for his help he will have to decide if it’s worth losing friendships in order to help her worth it in the end.

Becca Drake’s childhood is one full of tragedy and sadness. She has not only had family problems, but she has also struggled at school as well. It left her wondering if she was ever going to be good at anything. Her self-esteem took a hit when her ex made her wait until they got married in order to have sex, but he moved on and therefore she remained a virgin ever since. She is now twenty-four and she wants to create a new Becca and wants to get rid of her v-card as soon as possible. She wasn’t looking for anyone in particular, but her attraction to Griff made him the perfect candidate if she can one convince to do the deed things would all be better. But she wasn’t expecting to really get to know him in the process and now her heart is about to get hurt again. Griff made it clear that he doesn’t do relationships and she just has to find a way to make him see that they might just be perfect for each other.

I very much enjoyed reading this story, it was well written and thought out. Serena Bell has managed to deliver such a great story with fully developed characters to keep you reading until the very end. It’s evident that both of the characters have their past and obstacles to overcome, but they are able to help each other in the end and we get to see the process from beginning to end. We do get to see characters from the past previous books making appearances which added more to the story. The author touches on PTSD and grief of losing a loved one which I think she did a good job on. The ending is sweet and ties the story nicely. All in all, if you are looking for a great book full of romance and good background stories then I would highly recommend reading this book and any other by the author! :)

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title in exchange for an honest review**

My Rating:

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes contemporary romance with heat, heart, and humor. A former journalist, Serena has always believed that everyone has an amazing story to tell if you listen carefully, and you can often find her scribbling in her tiny garret office, mainlining chocolate and bringing to life the tales in her head.

Serena’s books have earned many honors, including an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance.

When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also of how often she changes her hobbies and how passionately she embraces the new ones. These days, it’s stand-up paddle boarding, board-gaming, meditation, and long walks with good friends.

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