Simmer Kindle Edition

What an amazingly heartfelt and delicious slow burn romance! Simmer could not have been a more appropriate title! I will admit though, that I could not wait for the boil over! ;) The heroine, Sara, was introduced in the book Rewrite, and some previous characters do appear, but Simmer can be read as a standalone.

I didn't think my opinion of Sara would change much after meeting her in Rewrite, but I was happily proven wrong. It was so insightful to be inside her head and to finally understand the motivations behind many of her actions. I absolutely loved seeing Drew slowly chip away at her walls and then finally take the whole damn building down! Stephanie Rose knows how to write a hero! Swoon! Swoon! Swoon! Drew was everything you hope a book boyfriend will be and could not have been more incredible. He was supportive, considerate, sexy, patient, loving, and just the right amount of alpha. The build up between Drew and Sara was so perfect thanks to their amazing chemistry.

I loved that the story was as much a romance as it was about Sara's healing and moving on from her past. Her fears and insecurities were so relatable, and though I may not have agreed with some of her decisions, I understood how she was feeling. The epilogue couldn't have been any sweeter and I may have squealed when Lucas and Joey made a little cameo. ;) Truly a wonderful book that shows that it really is never too late to listen to your heart and change your story.

When I was introduced to Sara in Rewrite I wasn’t her biggest fan so I was prepared not to be won over when I started Simmer. Lo and behold I was converted in a matter of no time. Sara, her strength, character and her unconditional love for her daughter Victoria was something I couldn’t help falling in love with. Her doubts and wanting to do right by Victoria and her daughter’s father Josh was relatable and I could easily imagine her struggles cause Stephanie Rose captured and depicted them so beautifully. My heart broke for Sara and the love she never received from her parents because of a choice she made. Never having experienced love besides her daughter is something that affects her profoundly so when this amazing guy, Drew enters her world he shows her a life she never could’ve imagined and that it’s now possible and in her reach.

Drew is pretty dreamy let me tell you. He’s seven years younger so that’s something that makes Sara think twice but Drew expects nothing but friendship and their connection is incredible. I enjoyed them getting to know one another and how they both struggled to stay in the friend zone. He’s such a fantastic guy who just wants to shower Sara with love cause she deserves it. He handles everything with ease and his blooming friendship with Sara’ daughter Victoria was totally swoon worthy. As dreamy as he can be he also possesses a protective and alpha side which was hot as hell.

I enjoyed every aspect of Simmer. Sara and Drew’s friendship evolving into love and Sara’s friendship with her daughter’s father Josh and his wife Brianna. Don’t get me started on that epilogue which has a surprise appearance from a couple characters from the author’s previous books. Simmer has everything that I love in a romance and once again Stephanie Rose delivers.

5 BadAssDirtyFireAndIceStars

Sara is adjusting to some huge changes. As a single mother, it's been only her and Victoria, until Victoria's father and his fiancée entered their lives. Now she has a chance to finish her culinary degree, but that means leaving her nine-year-old daughter with Victoria's father for the next year. Add to that the fact that in the past nine years she's been the antithesis of social, working three, sometimes four jobs just to keep a roof over their head and the lights on. So the college environment is way outside her comfort zone. She lucks out with a great roommate, so that certainly eases the way. And then there’s Drew, a younger grad student who's intrigued by the challenge of getting through Sara's hard outer shell.

Between the time I read my first book by this author and reading the advance copy of this book, I’ve read probably a couple hundred other books. Although all of the details of “Rewrite" didn’t stick with me, the name, Stephanie Rose, certainly did and now I remember why. This author has such a beautiful way of telling a story so full of heart and deep emotion that it seeps into every part of me, mesmerizing me and holding me spellbound from the first word to the last. Sara and Drew’s story is one of patience, acceptance, self-discovery and personal growth, and it’s as captivating as it is inspiring.

Sara is such a beautiful, intelligent, strong woman whose parents taught her she didn’t deserve love. My heart ached for the unloved girl who was never good enough, but still poured every part of herself into her daughter, beginning when her parents kicked her out when she became pregnant. Then my heart proceeded to break when Drew, with his patient, cautious acceptance and unconditional love, showed Sara in a thousand ways that she was worthy and loveable. She didn’t make it easy at first, with her prickly, standoffish approach and mile-high walls, but it was so amazing to watch her metamorphosis, to see her open her heart and receive love from Drew and others in her life and to come to understand that home is people rather than places.

This book is everything a great romance should be. Sweet, steamy, humorous, touching, uplifting and inspiring, and showcases that transcendent, soul-deep connection between two people we all hope to find. It's a phenomenal story that will fill your heart, sear your soul, and stay with you long after the last page. You'll want to grab the tissue box, but absolutely don’t miss out on this spectacular read!

*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.