User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
i don't know whether to laugh or to cry
this was, and i don't throw this around lightly (surprisingly),
really fucking badit's like the author is a time traveler from 2013 and also best friends with EL James. the relentless amount of laughably bad sex scenes made me feel like i was stuck in those feet scented foam cubes at a gymnastics gym. i mean seriously, who thinks that having the hero of a romance grab a woman's c-section scar and call it hot makes him the second coming of Bonetown Christ.
i'm going to go sit in a corner and wonder why so many of my subscribers recommended this to me.
Rating: really liked it
Even better than The Stopover!
I didn’t think I would like this book when I first read the blurb. Despite the fact that I am a single mother, I generally don’t like romance books where the heroine is a single mother. I like the two main characters to be unencumbered. However this book turned out to be both super steamy and utterly hilarious and I loved every minute of it.
The character development was terrific and I ended up loving all of them, including the heroine’s three kids, Fletcher, Harry and Patrick. Or as the Hero Tristan calls them, Fletch, the Wiz and Tricky. The relationship with Tristan and middle child, Harry (The Wiz or Wizard, because of Harry Potter) is especially awesome. Harry is so against Tristan and a bit of a nut, so the way they interact is hilariously funny.
I really enjoyed The Stopover, which was book one in The Miles High series. This book was even better. The relationship between Tristan and Claire was hot and so realistic for how a relationship with a single mother goes. Many of the times they were together in the beginning, the kids stayed with her parents, since she is a widow. Whereas if she were divorced it would have been weekends where the kids were with their father. Tristan isn’t introduced to the kids until a bit later, which is like it should happen in real life.
Tristan is the best book boyfriend I have come across in a while. He is wealthy, powerful, tall, dark, handsome and utterly irresistible. He takes care of Claire and yet can get things so sizzling hot in the bedroom that my kindle is in danger of overheating. I loved Tristan and definitely want him for myself. If only real men were just like him.
The storylines were perfect. There was one about the company Claire runs which her and her husband Wade Anderson started, Claire has been struggling to keep it going so that she can hand it over to her boys when they are old enough. There is the romance storyline between Claire and Tristan, which is extremely romantic and steamy. There is the storyline about Tristan wanting a family of his own, which is poignant and sweet. The storyline about Claire’s kids not wanting an interloper in their lives, which is so funny and charming. Then there is a storyline about his mother wanting something different for her son than a woman with three kids. This book was just so perfect. I loved every minute of it.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
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Rating: really liked it
Tristan Miles Took Me Over! 
Finally! FINALLY! We finally get to Tristan in The Takeover and damn, was he worth the wait! I have needed a good laugh I think this whole damn year and this book delivered in spades, not only on that, but I truly reveled in reading it and enjoyed every single moment.
Claire Anderson is a struggling widow trying to keep her husband's media company afloat. Tristan Miles is the head of Acquisitions for Miles Media - the billionaire takeover king of New York. When he set his sights on acquiring a company he never fails to get it. And the company he's going for is Claire's, started by her late husband. Our very first meeting of these two characters is the outside veneer of Tristan - swoon worthy, gorgeous, pedigreed, a calm, cool, composed businessman sitting down to lunch and giving her an offer to takeover her failing company. Claire can only see that outside veneer of Tristan and is as defensive and angry as hell in their meeting.
Six months later, her assistant sends her off to a business empowerment seminar in champagne region of France to de-stress her and of course, who would happen to show up as the guest speaker? Tristan fucking Miles. What starts off as a week of Claire avoiding Tristan while he pursues her, turns into the beginning of a very hot week long tryst that is supposed to end there because these two are complete opposites on paper.
Claire Anderson is hanging on by a thread whether she knows it or not with 3 sons to boot. She's been married and widowed. Her house is messy and her family secretly broken. Tristan, on the other hand, is streamlined, polished, single and eligible as hell with a mess free life. Yet for all of the perfect women he's seen before, Claire Anderson and her crazy family is what Tristan Miles can't help but want.
And from there, that's where it went from sexy and domineering to downright hysterical and full of warmth. Two of Claire's sons are absolute handfuls. One, her protector, who isn't going to let a man near her and the other one constantly in trouble and able to play some of the most awful tricks on people he doesn't like. Claire's youngest is the sweetheart but even he is loyal to his dead dad. But if you think this deters Tristan, who is looking at a picture of everything he thought he never wanted, you'd be wrong. The comedy that runs through the progression of this book is truly downright hysterical. But equally so, is Claire finally looking behind the veneer of perfection and realising that this man has a heart of gold and is unconventional in every way!
I adored watching his pursuit of Claire, I relished in his navigating their family dynamics and taking on one son at a time. I mean how many men do you know that would take a surly teenager that busted your ankle while stuffing your jocks in your mouth and give him a prime internship job? Tristan is undeterred! His dealing with the middle child bought me close to damn tears when not laughing at the sheer damage the kid's troubled mischief did to Tristan's life. And the youngest boy - such an angel - so easy to fall in love with and Tristan did fast.
There were many bumps along this road. The book dealt not only with hot sex and attraction and glamour. It dealt with the messier parts of life. It delved into the bittersweet and still painful that come with loss. And finally, it dealt with the most unlikely of Heros to decide to pick up the mantle and heal a broken family, one by one.
Tristan fucking Miles - Heart, Mind, Body & Soul - you blew me the fuck away!
A
million ****'s to the moon and back for this one and the perfect man stepping in and showing that family is what you make it!
I couldn't love this book more if I tried and in the year of Covid, I will not forget this picking me up and bringing me laughter and warmth when I have felt none! To the author - you did good! Real good! And congrats because this IS my book for 2020!
(Shoot, forgot to add 'received Arc, Netgalley, opinions all my own - as if I'd ever listen to anybody else...)
Rating: really liked it
5 stars ✩⋆ (not me finally giving a book 5 stars for once)
you're telling me the author who wrote a mmc calling the fmc's coochie "
princess pussy porridge" (yes you read that correctly) and fucked the fmc up the ass (UP THE ASS) the second time they meet with no lube (!!!) and no consent...
... is the same author who wrote a perfect, beautiful fictional specimen that is ・❥・
Tristan Miles ・❥・
i've been
hate reading all of this authors books for the past few weeks because, well, it's kinda fun (do not question my sanity). i mean, has my blood pressure and stress levels been up? yes, however, that’s fun for me (i said don’t question!!). but the fact i actually ended up genuinely loving this book because of Tristan and the kids 🤡🤡🤡
i'm actually in shock. i feel like this is karma for me because i've been hating all of tl swan heroes as they're all annoying, intolerable, hypocritical and misogynistic pigs but tristan...
my favorite flirty
submissive and breedable simp
TRISTAN fucking MILES
*sigh* why can’t the other mmc’s be like him.
anyways, i almost gave this a lower rating because of that drama near the end. it was that shitty. i usually don't like seeing the fmc grovel because i, for one, love when the mmc suffers and they're the ones doing all the groveling but claire (the fmc) NEEDED. TO. GROVEL.
･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･
Miles High Club ･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･．
#1: the stopover ─ jameson x emily ↠
1 star#2: the takeover ─ tristan (♡) x claire ↠
5 stars #3: the casanova ─ elliot x kate ↠
3.25 stars
Rating: really liked it
——— ☆
re-read #2: welcome to clown-ville: population - 1 (phuong) ☆ ———
UPDATE – 29/03/22 Not one second after I hit publish on this review, I went back to the beginning to re-read Tristan’s first meeting with the boys and guess what? 5 hours later I’ve re-read this whole book again and updated this review by maybe one third, before I got distracted again and now I have no motivation to finish the rest lmao i'm sorry why am I such a mess. Third time’s a charm. 🤡
——— ☆
read #1 ☆ ———
28/03/22I've read
The Takeover in March 2021 and now we have March ... 2022, meaning I've been sitting on this half-written construction of a review for one year. 'I'm going to write the review tomorrow' turned into 'I'm going to finish this review someday' ahem. Normally I'd just rate the book and let the review rest in the pit of hell (34 draft reviews are looking very judgmental at me right now), but for once I actually love the formatting for this review. Also Tristan's meet cute with the kids is too good to not share.
☆ BOOK REVIEW ☆ TROPES: single parent, crazy kids, older woman-younger man, enemies-to-fuck buddies-to-friends-to-lovers, billionaire romance
SONG: Unsteady – X Ambassadors
I'm so happy I didn't give up on this author after reading The Stopover, which I found very meh, and seeing not so great reviews for some of T.L. Swan's other books, because I
LOVED The Takeover.
☆ ——— Short Plot Summary: Claire Anderson (h) and
Tristan Miles (H) had a rocky start. Both of them work in the media business under their media family company. When they meet for the first time, Tristan offers to buy Anderson Media off Claire, because their company is struggling and Tristan is known for his takeovers (duh). Claire doesn't react to the offer too kindly, since Anderson Media is her and Wade’s (her dead-husband) baby and she doesn't want to give up Wade's legacy. Six months later they meet again at a seminar, where Tristan holds a lecture and they start a fling, knowing that it can't be more since Claire has 3 children and Tristan, the manwhore that he is, doesn't want to settle down especially not with a whole bunch of kids.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
I ADORE.... ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
➵
TRISTAN MILESHe is so hot... even if he came the first time after 5 pumps, but hey Claire just has a magic pussy who can blame him. Nothing screams 💫 love of your life 💫 more than when the Hero comes after 10 seconds, because he can’t control himself. The best part is when he’s gaslighting her that he couldn’t help himself, cause it’s actually her fault by being too irresistable. My favorite kind of gaslighting King <3
no, but for real Tristan was just .. perfect. He was possessive, HOT, charming, witty, attentive, HOT, petty, smart. He’s the whole package deal. Sir, step on me. Please and thank you.
(to be updated upon re-read #3)➵
FIRST MEETING W/ THE BOYSWhen Tristan meets Claire's boys for the first time I CHOKED. That scene is hands down one of the funniest things I've read in a very long time. I was lying on the floor for a good 10 minutes, because I was crying so hard.
What happens if your oldest son finds men underwear in your suitcase after your work trip and said man comes to visit you at your house? Well let me summarize the events for you:
(1.) Fletcher threatens to kill Tristan with his bare hands
(2.) Tristan takes a step back, steps on a skateboard and tumbles down the stairs
(3.) Fletcher runs towards Tristan and starts whipping him with Tristan's own underwear
(4.) When Fletcher asks Tristan if that's his underwear and Tristan doesn't answer, Fletcher gets so angry that he tries to suffocate Tris by sticking the underpants in his mouth
(5.) Then Tristan and Claire get inside the house for his swollen ankle, Harry (the second oldest) comes and makes crazy eyes at Tris, begins to choke himself and falls to the floor and pretends to be dead.
(6.) As if that’s not enough, Harry goes and gets a teddy bear and some kind of rope to tie it around the teddy bear’s neck and hangs it.
I'm honestly
NOT blaming Tristan one bit that he wanted to get out of that unhinged household as fast possible and started to believe Claire when she told him that they're at two different points of their life and that he wasn't ready for kids. My man just wanted to get the fuck out. LMAOO TRISTAN WAS SHAKEN TO HIS CORE.😭🤚
now here comes the best part: Tristan goes to work the next day and look who is coming for an interview for an internship at his company? FLETCHER FUCKING ANDERSON, Claire’s son who tried to choke him with his underwear lol. When Fletcher applied for the internship at Miles Media he didn’t actually know he would work for THE Tristan Miles lmao. Safe to say they were both not very happy with this encounter. ✨ Fate works in mysterious ways, doesn’t it? ✨
➵
2 DEVILS (FLETCHER & HARRY) & 1 ANGEL (PATRICK) FOR TRISTANI love how Tristan stepped up and filled in the missing father role for each of the boys. Tristan has such a special relationship with each of the kids and they are all so different.
➵
MY PROTECTIVE DARLING FLETCHER(to be updated upon re-read #3)➵
MY WILD CHILD HARRY(to be updated upon re-read #3)➵
MY SWEET LIL BABY PATRICK(to be updated upon re-read #3)➵
DEAD-EX HUSBAND TROPElisten. I know the dead-ex trope is really hated and I usually hate it too, but for different reasons than others. I hate this trope, because every time it appears in a book, the dead husband/wife turns out to be a cheating/abusive/*insert everything negative here* asshole to make the Hero/heroine look better and not like a second choice and I, personally, hate that. Just let these people rest in peace.
So I actually really liked how the dead-ex was handled in this book, cause Wade (the dead husband) seemed like a decent guy, good father and Claire loved him, but is ready to move on after 5 years. The author did a good job making it believable that Tristan is Claire’s love of her life without diminishing her love for her first husband.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
0.5 STAR LESS.... ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
➵
CLAIRE ANDERSONthe only reason why this book is not getting the perfect score is because of the heroine. I like Claire, but I don’t love LOVE her and it’s bc she has some really annoying moments where she got on my nerves, especially at the beginning and towards the end with the ‘conflict’. I remember, when I read The Takeover for the first time, I struggled with the beginning a little bit, bc Claire was so rude towards Tristan. When guys are assholes and annoying it’s not as bad as when women are and I’m sorry cause I know that sounds fucking sexist. Not only is she 38, has 3 kids and is leading a media company, now she’s rude too?? There was literally
nothing that made me relate to Claire as a character.
Claire freaking out at the end about Tristan wanting to buy a new house for them and wanting to adopt the kids was a bit unnecessary, even tho I can see where she was coming from, but since I’m 100% Team Tristan and he didn’t deserve to be hurt like that. Other than the beginning and the conflict thing I liked Claire. She was a good, hard-working mother and had such a cute relationship with all of her boys. Claire was the main reason why I rounded down the first time I read TT, but I wasn’t as annoyed with her on the reread and still loved everything else the same if not more I decided to round up.
➵
LOGIC WHERE???one scene at the end bothered me: when Harry and Patrick appeared at Tristan’s hotel in PARIS. how in hell did two under 14 year old kids managed to fly from NY to Paris ALL ON THEIR OWN? Which airline worker lets children fly across the world on their own? That just didn’t make any sense to me how these two managed that. Apparently Claire birthed two geniuses.
( 🤡 rest to come upon re-read #3 🤡)┍━━━━━━━━»•» «•«━┑
THE MILES HIGH CLUB SERIES #1 The Stopover – 2 stars (Jameson x Emily)
#2 The Takeover – 4.5 stars (Tristan x Claire)#3 The Casanova – 3.5 stars (Elliot x Kate)
#4 The Do-Over – 2.5 stars (Christopher x Hayden)
#5 Miles Ever After – tbr (extended epilogue book for #1-#4)
┕━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━┙
Rating: really liked it
5 stars it’s been awhile since I read a 5 star book I never thought I’d read another T.L Swan book again. And even more unbelievable is that I never thought I would give 5 stars to a book written by her.
(the highest was 2 stars and the best was DNF)This is not me being mean just pointing out that her storytelling and characters weren’t my thing. It’s just my opinion but I find all her heroes to be misogynistic assholes, utterly intolerable, pigs who demean women and talk like frat boys about women when they get together with their friends.
Anddddd it’s not how I should have opened this review
BUT it is the truth and I wanna put it out there in case there are others who don’t usually like her books and might wanna give this one a pass, which would be a shame.
If anyone has read
Sustained by Emma Chase and liked it, then this could be your cup of tea as well. In my opinion this book was way better than Sustained and I gave that one 4.5 stars so there’s that.
The
hero in this book was the absolute best. I absolutely love him. I don’t say that about any heroes - usually I’ll say I liked them
“in spite of…..”. . Not here, not Tristan. I mean it. I would leave all my book boyfriends for Tristan Miles. He was charming, intelligent, funny, respectful, handsome, great in bed, he was also great when he put his jealous, controlling, alpha hat on. The man was perfect.
I’ll be honest though. If this book had a role reversal and the hero was the widower and the heroine was the second choice, I wouldn’t have liked this. I know it’s a bit messed up of me, but again true.
The
heroine was pretty great herself. Very much still grieving - but it wasn’t exactly in your face all the time so it didn’t bother me. I also loved that she was a total bitch and pretty rude to Tristan when they met the first few times. For some reason it didn’t come off as obnoxious or annoying, it was actually pretty great to have her be so unruffled by him even though she did consider him handsome and charming. I think what I’m describing is the opposite of betraying body syndrome and I’m here for it. Towards the end when she did what she did - I honestly hated her selfishness and her personally. She lost me for a while because while yes, she had it hard, it didn’t mean that Tristan deserved less than everything just because of the tragedies in her life. It wasn’t fair to punish him to make herself feel less guilty. She was short sighted and selfish and I wanted to slap her because she expected so freaking much of him - which he gave - but she never wanted to give more than she was comfortable with.
And now
the BEST part of this book - her kids. I don’t say this lightly. The scenes with the kids and Tristan were absolutely amazing. Funny in the laugh out loud type of way and also touching at times. The first “meeting” between Tristan and the kids at about 30%,
I literally had tears from laughing so hard. I’m not exaggerating. I literally pictured the scene in my head and was laughing so hard I was snorting because it was like 2 am and I was trying to keep it down so I don’t wake up my neighbours. I didn’t expect to love this so much but I should have because kids in books and interactions such as the ones they had in this story are literally my favourite thing to read.
I’ll just say one more thing about the kids and Tristan and if you’ve read the book you know why this phrase alone is so freaking funny
”Tick Tock, Motherf**er” 😂 I love how that become a catchphrase of sorts for everytime someone messed with Tristan or the kids.
The love story between Tristan and Claire was also well written and despite Claire’s mistakes towards the end I felt like they had such great chemistry.
Their connection was actually palpable and so well written. They were actually making each other laugh and were so in sync and it really showed on the page. There was a lot more show than tell which is exactly what we need in a love story.
I will probably re-read this. I don’t know if I wanna read another TL Swan again
(I tried the first book in this series and after a certain point I just skimmed it because it was bad - everything about it was bad in the way I’m used to getting from Swan BUT I kinda wanna try Elliot’s book so we’ll see) This book was an amazing surprise and I can actually say this and mean it because I wasn’t expecting much from it.
Rating: really liked it
(Tristen) “I told you to call me Tristan.”
(Claire) “And I told you to go away.”
Claire Anderson (38), is a beautiful, smart and proud woman. She is a widowed mum to 3 adorable kids - Fletcher (17+) is short-tempered, Harry - (13) is the naughtiest child and Patrick (9) the wisest. She has been struggling for years to keep her late husbands company which is her children's inheritence. When an offer comes to buy her company she has smoke coming out of ears almost literally.
Tristen Miles (34), is a handsome, smart and witty man. He is a playboy but has a gentle soul inside with an infectious personality which is so loveable. He is a ruthless and cold businessman, he always gets what he wants whether it's business or women. When he targets another failing company he offers to buy persistently, colour him surprised when the owner is determined to push him away.
"You should probably stop looking at me like that.”
"Like what?”
“Like you want to fucking eat me.”
“That’s very presumptuous, Mr. Miles.”
“Call me Tristan.”
“I’ll call you whatever I like,”
Claire and Tristen have very little similarities. He is uncomplicated and can have thoughtless sex but Claire, she is attracted to him and has lot of complications. When they meet again at a conference they were burning with physical attraction for the other.
“You see . . . I could pretend that I like you and that I want to explore our friendship or some fucking bullshit.” He sips his drink. “Or I could just tell you the truth.”
“Which is?” I breathe.
Our eyes are locked.
“The idea of you hating me while I lick you up is a fucking turn-on,” he whispers.
(Claire) "What’s the rush?”
(Tristen) “The rush is I want you naked, and I can’t get you naked until I’m naked. It’s the naked law.”
T.L. Swan I absolutely love your conversations!
Their sexual banter, preferably Tristen's perspective is what I look forward to. Girls, he is so charming that can have you swooning. Tristen and Claire's one week together extended to the weekend. They decide after this they are going back to their ordinary life.
“Well, where am I going to sleep?” “I can’t drive.”
“Call your limo driver.”
“He’s off tonight.”
“Why not call an Uber?”
“They ran out of cars.”
“I nearly died last night, Claire, between the cement couch, the clock, the cat, and now the fucking crazy nut (Harry) outside."
But Paris isn't over, Tristen pursues Claire and is gobsmacked by what he sees. His introduction with the kids had me laughing my ass off! He was introduced to horror in the best possible way, having being choked with his own underwear, getting his ligament torn and a sweet boy who is all smiles and touchy with him and finally a cat and a dog who have minds of their own; Tristen ran away. He realises Claire has a lot of things going in her life: work, financial problems and three rowdy children. He finds himself wanting to be with them.
“You know, Tris . . .” I pause. “I don’t want to sound insecure, because I’m not. I’m more than happy with who I am. But I do wonder what you see when you look at me.”
He leans his face onto his hand as he watches me. I feel suddenly uncomfortable. Why did I say that?
“You know what I see, Claire.”
I frown.
“I don’t see anything . . . it’s how I feel.”
I take his hand again.
“For the first time in my life . . .” He frowns, as if getting the wording right in his head.
“How do you feel, Tris?” I whisper.
His eyes meet mine. “Like myself.”
I like how the author used the characters complications to dictate the story. I like how Tristen didn't simply jump on the children and just "these are Claire's kids, I love them!", he didn't dislike them, he just couldn't imagine the extend of rowdier they are. But he was willing to try, he didn't only have a woman to win over but also three kids along. There are so many words by Tristen Miles that made my panties wet, I cannot say much it may spoil the book for you. Claire's many inner monologues had me agreeing with her regarding Tristen. I'm so infatuated of Tristen Miles. I like it when she gets suddenly mad because he is nice, she can handle a flirty and fun Tristen not a caring Tristen. Both fall in love and it's so beautiful.
"Tristan isn’t a soul sucker . . . he’s a savior. An angel in a perfect suit, he hides behind his asshole title. He’s a good man who takes no credit."
At the end of the book Claire has a breakdown, it shows her protectiveness for her children and in this part also I'm amazed that the author didn't simply hand over the kids to Tristen just like that.
This is my second favourite hero after Nathan Mercer (from Our Way), let me tell you T.L. Swan creates some epic heroes and best heroines. Two books from this author and I love them. I think this is a beautiful, cozy romance. There is not a bored moment in it. I highly recommend this book.
Rating: really liked it
5 Tick Tock Stars ⭐
Claire Anderson may have despised Tristan Miles on sight but even she'd fall victim to his charm and wicked sense of humour. With Tristan attempting to purchase her floundering media business, it was hating at first sight. Then they find themselves together at a motivational conference in France and it’s on...
“Repulse is a rather strong word, isn’t it?” I say as I join her in staring straight ahead. “I think the word you meant to use is fascinate.”
“Go away, Mr. Miles,” she repeats.
“Do I fascinate you, Claire?”
“Call me Mrs. Anderson,” she whispers. “And you don’t have what it takes to fascinate me.”Tristan Miles is a bachelor extraordinaire. He may be extremely successful but he's an all-round good guy. So, you can imagine his surprise when Claire is completely immune. I mean she's hissing at him at every turn. So why is he so intrigued and turned on?
“Be a good boy, and you might get what you want.”
He smiles darkly. “Or be a bad boy and take it anyway.”Amazing is what I found Claire to be. A young widow with three young boys trying to honour a family legacy. Five years she's been going it alone. If she was planning on moving on, it wouldn't be with the likes of Tristan, would it?
Tristan doesn't do relationships and Claire has no time for flings. Yet the chemistry between them is next level. Impossible but inevitable. Too good to walk away from even if there is no future for them.
His eyes fix on mine. “Playing hard to get, I see?” He jerks his tie hard as he undoes it.
“I am hard to get.” I tap the bed beside me. “But tonight, I’m easy to fuck.”I can't explain how much I laughed reading this book. I mean every mishap/interaction between Tristan and Claire was priceless. Yet nothing compares to Tristan meeting her children. I seriously couldn't contain myself cos it was hysterical. Tristan is completely out of his element. He has no concept of relationships or children and he doesn't even realise he's courting Claire. I dare you not to fall in love with him!
I swear I wore a permanent smirk throughout this. Okay I may have teared up a few times, but it was so worth the plethora of emotions I experienced. The Takeover really hit home. The thought of losing a loved one and trying to move on from the love of your life was very ugly to imagine. For me this is the best book I’ve read by this author. The fact that it’s taken me this long to read it is downright stupid and inexcusable!!
Rating: really liked it
4.5 stars
Tristan Miles is perfection. Utter perfection. From the beginning, I loved how infatuated with Claire he was and how he was adamant that he wanted her. Then, enter her children. When I say that I laughed out loud in this book, I am so serious. I was laughing while I was driving listening to this audiobook because Claire's kids and their interactions with Tristan were hilarious. If you love single parent romances where the kids have amazing personalities, you have to read this. I loved how Claire's kids were older and really put Tristan through the wringer. This romance was just so good. The only reason this is getting 4.5 stars is because of Claire's decision at the end. I didn't really feel that big of a connection between Claire and her dead husband, so her decision near the end that literally only she wanted and NO ONE ELSE was annoying. Really??? You're going to put your dead husband over the literal love of your life????? Ugh. So that annoyed me. But then the kids did something super sweet and I was obsessed again. Seriously, this book is definitely worth all the hype!!
Rating: really liked it
"The way you make me feel is worth anything," I started this series the wrong way and everyone kept telling me Tristan Miles was the best. And I said there was no way he’d be better than Elliot. I’ve never been happier to be wrong.
Tristan fucking Miles is absolute perfection and I need to know how to get myself one just like him. You can keep the money – the man would definitely be enough.
"Damn asshole is a double-edged sword: gorgeous to look at, impossible to tolerate." Tristan knows what he wants and he goes for it, both in business and in his personal life. He’s cocky, arrogant, bossy, self-assured, and so fucking hot I can’t even... I get that for most readers this would be a turn-off, but not for me. And then the layers in this man – he’s the whole package. The same drive that makes him great in business makes him a million times better in bed and everywhere else.
Yep, I’m in love.
"When I’m holding her in my arms like this, intimacy is running between us like a river, and just for a moment . . . She is mine." Relating to Claire was easy, even if I don’t have kids myself. She’s a real woman, with scars, stretch marks, and insecurities that go beyond her body and are already part of who she is. She’s a widow, raising her kids alone, and very much still in the shadow of her ex-husband, their past, and their love for each other.
Until Tristan comes in and rocks her world.
"Don’t be scared of calling me Tristan." I roll my eyes. "Because one day very soon, I predict that you’re going to be moaning it." I love that this is enemies to lovers, and I particularly love that she’s taking none of his shit. Of course, she won’t be able to resist him, but their banter while she’s trying to is so much fun. Again, she’s a real woman, and her inner monologues make perfect sense to me.
"What makes you think that I want to eat you?" I whisper. His eyes drop to my lips. "Because I want to eat you, and it’s manners to reciprocate." He’s relentless in his pursuit of her. Women everywhere would have probably given in way earlier, but she makes him sweat. She’s definitely into him, but it needs to be in her own terms as well, and not only the way he wants it to be. I love that he wants her for who she is, with everything that comes with it, and not just some made-up, tamer version of herself.
And when all the sex finally happens... I’d very much like to switch places with her. Now. Please and thank you.
"So . . . sleeping with only you . . . isn’t a problem for me." His lips touched mine. "However, not sleeping with you is a torture I won’t tolerate." He doesn’t do relationships. She doesn’t want to, and doesn’t have the time to, have a fling. It's obvious for anyone that this is not just sex or a casual thing, except for both of them. It’s adorable to see them fighting against it until they’re both in too deep.
I loved Tristan with Claire’s kids and their pets. There were times when I was laughing so hard I looked like a crazy person. It’s hysterical.
"I feel that when I’m with you, I’m who I’m supposed to be." TL Swan brings some angst with this one – not as much, in my opinion, as in the two other books in the series. It’s also not the same type of angst – it has deeper roots and it’s totally understandable, even if I would like to have shaken Claire a few times. I mean... this man is just there for her in every way he can be.
"Happiness is to be loved by you." The Takeover gave me all the feelings. I laughed and cried hard, I swooned a lot, and I wanted to be a part of it. Tristan and Claire are made for each other, and it may have taken them a bit to get there, but they are who they need to be. For each other. Because of each other. All the way.
Rating: really liked it
*Reread in 2022 for a Patron.*
This book is still top tier for me. Beautiful, funny, sexy and amazing.*
*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I was unprepared for the awesomeness that was this novel! Especially since it was the second in a new series by TL Swan. I had meant to read the first novel in the Miles High series "The Stopover" but it had slipped my mind until I saw the second one available on NetGalley to review. I meant to read the other before this one, but when I opened my kindle yesterday, I thought, "why not?" and started reading.
4 hours later I put it down with tears in my eyes and a smile on my lips…
This book was LIFE to me! It is so full of just beautiful people, great writing, deliciously fun sex, and heart-warming family moments.
Claire Anderson is a 38-year old widow who is just trying to keep her late husband's business aloft. When Tristan Miles comes to make an offer for the business, she takes an instant dislike to him. She spurns his condescending tone (imagined) and laughs at him when he asks her out. He is arrogant and unfeeling and she just hates him.
6 months later she goes to a conference on business and he is a speaker there. When he pursues her again, they have a few night stands, which leads to a long weekend in Paris, which leads to a sad goodbye when Claire has to tell Tristan that they can't be anything more than a weekend fling. You see, Monica has 3 boys, and she doesn't think 34 year-old Tristan wants to take on a ready made family.
When Claire's oldest son, Fletcher gets an internship at Tristan's company, the 2 are thrown together again. And Tristan makes it clear that he is NOT done fighting for her. He begins a campaign to takeover her boy's affections and win all 4 of the Anderson's hearts.
Enough of a summary…
Because a summary does not get across how freaking HILARIOUS this book was! I have read almost all of TL Swan's backlist and I LOVE them, but I have never read one that was so funny. I was expecting an angsty romance about a single mother.. This was not that. This was adorable, and funny, and sweet. From the first night that they have sex, Tristan is FUN! That is one of the main things Claire notices about him and keeps her coming back. The way he brings joy to this family while winning them over is amazing.
He has some crazy run ins and pranks played on him by the Anderson boys. Specifically by Harry (who Tristan call "Wiz" because.. Harry Potter!) and watching them go back and forth is just amazing.
Of course, there is still conflict in this book. And it is hard. Because it is real. Claire loved her husband, and she is afraid of her boys forgetting him and loving Tristan more. This irrational, but grief does not follow logic. I felt how Claire spiraled at times, and I wanted to shake her out of it, but I understand her.
Really, I can't over sell this to you. It is easily one of my favorite books of 2020, and I have read hundreds already by this point. It was so beautiful all in all and I just…. You HAVE to read it.
5/5 stars.
Rating: really liked it
I feel like I'm missing something with this series. I'm not loving it as much as a lot of others seem to.
Rating: really liked it
"I know that no matter what happens between Claire and me . . . I will never come first. Everyone will always come before me."
Sigh I absolutely love Tristan Miles. He was so sweet, kind and the best thing I loved about him, was his vulnerability. He cares so much when he loves someone, and it shatters his heart when he feels they don't reciprocate that love.
Claire is a widow, and a mother of 3 boys. She meets Tristan in business dealings, and their relationship starts out rocky, but develops into deeper feelings the longer they spent time together.
Claire's character was ok for me, I didn't love her. She was pessimistic most of the time, and started fights for no reason. I understand she has fears after losing her husband, but many of the things that happened were immature. So the romance it was good but wasn't the best thing about this story.
The greatest thing about this book and my favorite...was Tristan's relationship with her sons. It was heart warming to see the progression of their bond, and how the boys in the end couldn't live without him. He stood up to be a father of 3 boys who had lost their father at a young age.
Even though he never had kids of his own, he learned to discipline and care for them. And the best of this bond was Harry's approval of him.❤ He was the hardest one to get through, because he had a hard shell surrounding his heart, but Tristan was able to come through to him in the end.
All in all, it was a beautiful story of a man stepping in to raise a family not his own. To watch his struggles in the beginning form into strong love and bond in the end, made this a heart warming story. I didn't like the romance aspect of this book so much unfortunately.
Rating 5 🌟 for Tristan and the boys
2-3 stars for the romance
Rating: really liked it
I’M A VERY HAPPY MAN TODAY.
#TOBELOVEDBYYOU My Thoughts: The following are my thoughts about this book:
General: - Trigger warning-death of a spouse. Doesn’t happen on page, but happened 5 years ago and h is still highly impacted by the event
- Audio: I HATE the female narrator. She ruined the first book (The Stopover) for me because I couldn’t stomach her interpretation of the female character. I decided to start the audio with this book and just see if it was a one-time thing. Nope! I couldn't even tolerate listening to her for 5 minutes. I didn't want her to ruin another book for me, so I read the book instead.
- Setting: New York City, USA (with a small side trip to France)
Characters: -
Tristan Miles (34, head of Acquisitions at Miles Media): Tristan is everything you want your book boyfriend to be. In fact, he’s my newest book boyfriend and I’m not sharing. 😁 He’s handsome, powerful, charismatic, playful smart and caring. His swagger, his confidence. Yummy!! He's a great big whopping package of awesomeness. ❤️🥰
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“He’s got six degrees and speaks five languages,” Nelson continues. “Has an IQ of one hundred and seventy. That’s even higher than a genius; that’s like a mentalist.”-
Claire Anderson (38, runs Anderson Media): Claire is trying to keep her late husband’s company afloat while trying to raise 3 boys (2 teenagers and 1 elementary school age). She is strong and frazzled at the same time.
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”I’m an empty shell. My body functions as it should, but I’m barely breathing. I’m suffocating in a world of responsibilities. The promises I made my husband in the hours after his death have come at a heavy cost.-
Together:- I really enjoyed Claire and Tristan together. They had such a carefree relationship and no added drama with each other as the careers, living arrangement, the kids, the cat and all of life’s little problems added enough stress to their day to day world. They were able to laugh together and be each other’s support when most needed. Until....Claire did something that ticked everyone off. Especially me.
The story: - Overall, there were a ton of humorous moments in the book and I chuckled quite a bit. Tristan brought me much happiness and his evolving relationship with the boys was fun to experience and very heartwarming. Their early encounters were LOL funny.
- In the beginning I liked how much Claire and Tristan bantered back and forth and their humor with each other was spicy and set a great tone for their relationship. They had carefree fun and were enjoyable to spend time with. Definitely some chemistry between them
- Did I mention that I loved Tristan? I did? Hmmmm.....🤔. Let me say it again. M.I.N.E.❤️
My problem was Claire at the end. I closed the book thinking Tristan deserved better (although Tristan with the boys.......perfection!!).
Other: - Is Claire really over her ex? In my opinion, no and for me it damaged my connection between the H & h. I am never one to say that you can’t find love after loss. In fact I’m a huge proponent of books where a widow or widower finds love after they have lost someone. So that’s not my issue here. My issue was Claire’s actions, and I didn’t like the way her actions made me feel about her relationship with Tristan.
- I don’t forgive Claire! And, why didn’t she have to grovel? I would have liked to see a much better discussion about this issue. The “resolution” was pretty much not talking about it and Tristan giving in and brushing it under the rug. I’ve read plenty of books where the H has to grovel for something stupid he did. So, why didn’t this heroine have to grovel for all the horrible things she said to Tristan?? Not good. 😡
- Honestly, I was a little sad at the end of the book. It hurt my heart to see Tristan's selfless act of love. Once again, for a different woman - maybe. But I felt like he walked away from something he loved and I honestly wondered.....what did Claire give up to be with Tristan? Um....nothing. 😕
Overview: -
Do you need to read previous books in series?: No
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POV: dual POV
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Tropes: love after loss, single parent, failing career, enemies to lovers
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H likable? Yes
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h likable? More so in the beginning than the end.
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h virgin? no
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First time they kiss: 12%
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First time they sleep together: 16%
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First time they say I Love You she says it at 68%. He says it at 75%
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steamy? Yes
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OW/OM drama? IMO, yes. Dead husband is constantly referenced and brought into the story.
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H/h cheat? no
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Did I skip pages? No
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Big secrets? kind of. Claire is not forthcoming about what’s going on with her company.
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Did I cry? no
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Did I laugh? yes. Quite a bit, actually
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Cliffhanger? no
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HEA? yes
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Epilogue? yes
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Recommend? yes
Quotes
“I’m going to book you for some laser this afternoon.”
“They’re going to need a machete. I’ve been rocking the full-bush vibe.”
“Yeah, that mess has got to go.”
“I see you’re still as annoying as ever.”
“And I see you’re still taking those bitch pills.”
I don’t like him, and yet . . . all I can think about is getting naked with him. This isn’t who I am; I’m not the kind of woman who thinks with her vagina.
“He’s fun and comfortable, and surprisingly he fits like an old shoe. His sexual prowess is just an added bonus.
“Oh . . . and, Fletch?” "Spank the pony in the shower.”
"What?” "What for?”
"Do you want the whole restaurant to know how happy you are?”
Patrick frowns. “Wait, what? There’s a pony in the shower?”
"It’s a song,” I mutter, distracted. “This is the thing, Fletch. Nobody goes on a date without listening to ‘Spanking the Pony’ before they go. Everybody knows that. It’s the dating rule number one.”
Happiness is to be loved by you.
Rating: really liked it
✔️If you love your books sexy, read this.
✔️ If the single parent trope is your thing, this is the book for you.
✔️ And if you loved Sustained you are going to enjoy this one too!!
It's my first book by TL Swan that I actually finished. I DNFed book #1 a while ago but thanks to a review by a fellow Goodreads reader I gave this book a chance, and boy am I glad I did. Check out Giorgia Reads's review here .
In the end I really loved the banter, and how the couple interacted with each other. The back and forth, light hearted banter and how much fun they had together was what drew me in. The book was sexy, and I loved how much fun they had while doing it.
The kids were hilarious. I'm a big fan of the single parent trope, and naughty kids make for fun times. And it was kinda interesting to see the interactions between hero and her teenagers.
The heroine is a widow and she still struggles with her loss, and this reminded me so much of The Five Stages of Falling in Love, it's not easy to let someone new into one's heart. Especially if kids are involved.
Overall, a delightful and easy read which I devoured in one day!!
Added it to my list of BEST SINGLE PARENT ROMANCES
