Earlier this year, I had a sleepless night and ended up reading an entire book before my alarm went off. That book, Breaker, was written by the wonderful Harloe Rae. You can find my review here. Today, we’re going to talk about Harloe Rae’s most recent book, Leave Him Loved.
I first heard about this book when I’d finished Breaker, and began following all of the author’s social media accounts. Leave Him Loved, was published on February 19 of this year. If you follow my Instagram (which, if you aren’t, why not?!), you probably saw some of my stories sharing news about the upcoming release.
SPOILERS AHEAD! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
I purchased the Kindle Edition of this book with my own money.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.
Friends With Benefits
Whenever there is a friends with benefits agreement, it’s usually easy to figure out how things will end. Possibility #1 ends with the two individuals hating each other. Which results in the loss of their previous friendship, or the potential for a future one. Possibility #2 ends with the two characters falling in love and living happily ever after. (I want to point out that saying ‘happily ever after,’ may sound cheesy or juvenile, but isn’t that what we all want in our lives? To be happy and healthy?)
From the start of the book, you know you’re going to get a happy ending. Which, for me, is part of the appeal of books like this. But, I was not expecting Reeve to be the one to call things off. I thought that Audria would come back from Christmas with her family more homesick than before. And she’d remind Reeve that she will only be in Bampton for a short period of time. In my mind, the book would end with a surprise proposal and Audria would decide to stay in Bampton after getting engaged.
To Stay or Not To Stay?
Maybe being female is why I began the book with the idea in my head that Audria would break things off at some point. It would definitely give off ‘girl power,’ and ‘you don’t need a man’ vibes. I am glad that I was wrong. It made Reeve even more likeable.
If Audria left Bampton after her contract was up, it would almost seem too easy. While female independence is important, I do find that the feminist movement sometimes makes women feel bad if they value being married and having a family over a fancy career. Yes, it may be more “old school,” or “traditional,” but that does not make it less valuable. In the book, Audria is able to have her man and still begin a teaching career because she takes a leap of faith.
My Leave Him Loved Final Verdict
Reeve and Audria meet very early on in the story. And initially, their dates are more like friends hanging out. Personally, I absolutely loved this. The fact that their relationship was based on friendship first, made the characters real. They don’t openly become romantically involved until they’ve known each other for several months.
And, the idea of ‘never-ever’ dates works well to bring both the city and the country lifestyles alive. The dates provided a typical bonding opportunity that any date would, but by adding the element of newness forces Audria to put her trust in Reeve. And luckily, he proves worthy of it.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. However, I do think that I like Breaker a little more than Leave Him Loved. Both are great feel-good stories. I just find it easier to relate to Sutton & Grady, and I’m a complete sucker a slow-burn, pining story. If you’re a fan of Harloe Rae, or books like this, I recommend picking up this book.
Read my review of Harloe Rae’s Breaker.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information. This website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
This doesn’t seem like a book that I would normally read, but I do like the sound of it. Will have to check it out, as it must have been good if you read it in a night!
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
Aimsy’s Antics
It’s definitely a nice light, before bedtime type of book! This one I read over the course of a few days, I did read a book by Harloe Rae in one night though. Here’s the link for that review if you’re interested (this is the one I mention liking a little bit more). https://bit.ly/3eV9usY
Thanks for reading!
It is a great book to read before bed- it’s nice and light. This book I read over a few days, I’ll leave the link to the other book by the same author that I read in one night. I do like that one, Breaker, a bit more, but recommend them both!
Thanks for reading!
Ooh! This defs sounds like something I’d pick up. I really glad you enjoyed reading this! Thanks for sharing love xx
Lynn | https://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com
Thanks for reading!