The writing and story could have used more...

I have been wanting to read something by Claudia Burgoa for quite a while, and finally picked this book - it was narrated by Connor Crais, so I used my last Audible credit. I have many of the “freebie” ebooks by her that I’ve picked up, but I liked the summary of this one, and I really love these narrators.

It was OK (not sure, but I think it’s a bit more 3.5 stars overall)- I’ll definitely have to try a few more of her books to get familiar with her writing style and storylines.

I usually like the second chance trope - but how this one plays out is why I need some more time to sit on it. He literally breaks up with “the love of his life” when he leaves for medical school and gets pissed off and never speaks to her again when she marries his little brother as a marriage of convenience (to be his medical proxy)... and then when the whole family is brought together again when their dad dies, with her standing in for their late brother, he immediately expects after 12 years of radio silence to just pick up where they left off... because it’s what he suddenly decides is how it should, with no thought to her feelings. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Yes, there’s quite a bit of filler in there, and with 6 brothers there’s those relationships too, but on the romance side, it felt a little like hat needed some more reality.

When an author writes something that is either so unrealistic or so a$$-hole ish like this main character was, I just find it very hard to get around or very hard to accept the storyline, especially if the female main character does go along with it... Hello - this guy is treating you like dirt and just expecting you to go along with what he decides is the way it's going to be, after ignoring you completely for 12 years?! NO! That's not how things (should) work, and no one, woman or man (or non-gender identifying), should be treated that way!

(It's not Alpha, it's not endearing, it's not a strong character - it's just off-putting as a reader because he's a major jerk and it shows that she is a pushover or has no backbone. Unattractive on both sides.)

2 people found this helpful

Second Chances

This is the first book of the Aldridge brothers series. Hayes and Blair had first loves. Then he left for med school meaning he was leaving her. Things ended badly between them. Having to be in the same dwelling complicates the plans. They have a chance to make things better if they can get over the anger. I have read the book previously but wanted it brought to life in audio .
Stella and Connor did an amazing job of conveying the emotions of Blair and Hayes.

2 people found this helpful

Promising new series!

Great start to a new series. I am very much forward to the next ones - hopefully theyll be available soon. This story has many new characters to introduce us to, but despite that the writer has somehow managed to make the story fluent and easy to follow to - and also easy to remember everyones names. Overall a good story of forgiveness and second chances and complicates family dynamics.

2 people found this helpful

Love a good new series....

This is the beginning of a new series by Claudia Burgoa and it's the first one of the series. It's the start of another fantastic family series. I loved meeting all the brothers and the ladies.
Hayes is a nerdy hot doctor who loves science. He hopes to gain a second chance at love with his first love Blaire. Blaire is a do gooder (I know there is a different word for it I just can't think of it) is the best as I can describe her. She travels to far off places to care for others.
Blaire, Hayes, and his brothers are put into a situation that seems hard to accomplish at but but maybe they can just pull it off.
To find out what this situation is check out the newest addition to Claudia Burgoa's library of books.

I have read and now listened to this book and loved hearing it brought it to live for me can not wait to hear the rest of the series.

1 person found this helpful

Entertaining

Book one in an exciting new series from Claudia Burgoa and she is off to a solid start. Loved You Once is a second change at love story that was was an emotional roller coaster of a read that held my attention from the first to the last chapter. This is Doctor Hayes Benjamin Aldridge and Blaire Wilson.

Both Hayes and Blaire are haunted by the past, the big question is will they have the courage to take a chance on love and in doing so get the happily ever after they deserve? Connor Crais and Stella Hunter did a good job bringing the story to life for me with their entertaining performances. Their voices were easy to listen to and I found myself listening well into the night.

We all have regrets, it’s how we learn from them and move forward with life and what it deals you that can change the course of a person’s life. Hayes knows he is going to have to work to prove that he has changed and in doing that change his future.

This is a story of self discovery, of facing ones past and moving forward into the future, if you dare to take a leap of faith. The characters were entertaining and the story was well written. Angsty at times and heart warming it made me laugh and made me cry.

There was romance, some humour and the camaraderie and banter between the Aldridge brothers added to my enjoyment.

1 person found this helpful

Great

Loved this story when I read it but enjoyed it more listening. Excited to listen to the next book

this book sets the stage for the series!

This book sets the stage for all the rest of the books in this series!

Hayes and Blaire have loved eachother since college but have been estranged for 12 years.
They get the chance to find out if they're meant to be forever after circumstances bring them together.

This book is also about Hayes bringing all his brothers together to make a new start as the family they never had.

*note.. they share a father, but different mothers so they are all half brothers. Hayes had a brother, Carter who died in college. You'll get glimpses of him throughout this book with flashbacks of Blaire and Hayes.

I loved how Claudia includes all the players in this series and shares bits of their lives in such a way that I makes me want to binge this entire series!

Narration performed by Stella Hunter and Connor Crais. Can't say enough how much I love listening to both of these narrators!

Incredible first book!

This book has all the feels and completely drew me in. I liked it so much I purchased the next three books in the series.loved the narrators, in fact, it was noticing Craig as one of them that sealed my purchase. Not a waste of time at all this one!

The narration enhanced this good story.

Broken hearts and mistrust led the way through a father's desire to mess with his sons yet bring them together. So began the Billionaire Brothers tales. Hayes was the oldest and not happy with the situation, but he became less his father and more of a better man when faced with the will stipulations. Blaire was roped into the situation as well. Their past haunted both of them, but the attraction and love were still there. I loved how Hayes supported Blaire once things came to light.

The narration of Connor Crais and Stella Hunter was wonderfully done. They brought the characters to life, and I enjoyed the story more, I think, than if I had just read it myself.

I received a copy of the audiobook, and this is my unsolicited review.

Great series starter - bring on more Baker's Creek

s
What a great second chance romance, and a solid start to a new series.

Loved You Once is the first book in the Baker's Creek series, set in Baker's Creek, Oregon. It's a slow-burn second-chance romance that includes a lot of family drama, emotion, forgiveness and healing. It has loads of witty banter, rekindling relationships, and a little heartache along the way to a happily-ever-after.

Hayes and Blaire are the stars of this volume, and I have a feeling the rest of the Aldrich brothers are going to keep us on a wild ride in the future. These half-brothers are not close, and did not exactly have the best father figure. Hayes and Blaire college sweethearts, brought back together a dozen years later after the death of Hayes' father.

Once Hayes sees Blaire again, he realizes that he should have never let her go. He's willing to do what he needs to do to earn her trust, get her back, and prove that he's in this for the right reasons.
Blaire is a strong independent woman that has survived a lot in the last 12 years. Hayes was her first love, and her late husband’s brother.

Claudia Burgoa has a truly enjoyable writing style. She not only fully develops her plot, but she also make sure her characters have depth and dimension that so often gets overlooked. It's the quality of her writing, and the investment that she makes in her books and her characters, that keeps me coming back.

The audio, narrated by Stella Hunter and Connor Crais, is just perfect. These are two of my favorite narrators in the industry, and they do a great job with emotional, funny and angsty, and this novel had a bit of all three. It was such a great listen!