I received an eArc version of Call Her Mine by Melissa Foster via Netgalley. When I discovered that it was accessible through Kindle Unlimited to read and listen, I decided on taking the audio route. Hence, my review is geared towards the audio version.

Ben Dalton and Aurelia Stark first came on my radar when they were introduced in the Sugar Lake series. Since then I have been waiting patiently for their story.

Call Her Mine is a friend to lovers’ story. Ben and Aurelia have been besties for most of their lives. Their feelings for each other went beyond friendship, but fear and misunderstandings prevented them from expressing how they felt about each other. Aurelia entered relationships, which would go nowhere, while Ben went the route of one-night stands. However, their lives got shook up, when one of Ben’s one-night stands left a baby on his front step.

I have to admit I found the story adorable and heart-warming. I loved how Ben stepped up to the plate to take care of the precious bundle of joy without knowing for sure if he was her father. His actions proved that he was capable of redemption.

I lift my hat to Aurelia. Few women would have stuck around after discovering that the man you have been crushing on has a child with another woman. Instead of running, she stood by him through it all. It proved that her feelings were the real deal.

The story had a wonderful blend of humour and romance. The story was drama free, which is usually the case with Melissa’s stories. However, she had me tearing up near to the end. I did not expect that scene, and it almost wrecked me.

Call Her Mine focused heavily on family and friendships, which is typical of Melissa’s work. Reading her books make me wish I had that family connection.

Narration
This was my first time listening to Isabelle Ruther. I thought she did an ok job. I could not get on board with her male voices, but she did an excellent job with those of the females. Her pacing and tone were good, and I loved how she brought out the emotions of the female characters.

Conclusion/Recommendation
Another great series starter from Ms. Foster and I would recommend to fans of contemporary romance.

Call Her Mine was a wonderful friends-to-lovers story, but it was also more than that. Ben and Aurelia have been friends for over a decade. They both have feelings for each other and neither one has been willing to risk their relationship to try for more. Aurelia is resigned to life in the friend zone and just as she is determined to put a little space between her and Ben, they find a baby on his doorstep. Ben is the supposed father and he really needs Aurelia’s help.

This is the catalyst for their new, romantic relationship. They are now navigating so many new facets to their relationship. Their relationship as lovers and now as coparents. In this instance, their solid foundation of friendship allowed for easing some of the tension brought on by these new circumstances. They are searching for answers together and falling in love with each other in a whole new way and learning to love another little person.

Foster made this about more than just romance. It was about friendship, family, commitment, compassion, and forgiveness. It was a nice, quick read.

 

Thank you Netgalley and Montlake Romance for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

Je vous le dis tout de go, Melissa Foster est en train de devenir une de mes écrivaines préférées en VO! 

J'adore les romans que j'ai découverts récemment en service presse et celui-ci, qui est le tome 1 de sa nouvelle série "Harmony Point Book", "Call her mine",  m'a complètement emballée! 


Je l'ai dévorée en quelques heures et je n'avais qu'une envie, une fois finie, lire la série précédente qui concerne les soeurs du héros (que l'on croise dans ce tome, il en reste une célibataire) et je me suis déjà procurée le tome 1. C'est une histoire d'amis/amants, de bébé imprévu, d'amour, de famille, d'amitié et au final, une belle histoire touchante que vous emportera par une fin bouleversante : bref, j'ai a-do-ré ce tome! 

Il est sorti le 13 août en VO et je l'ai reçu en ARC (service presse VO) via Inkslinger Pr (et Net Galley US ) et je les remercie pour leur envoi, une nouvelle fois, et leur confiance.

 c'est simple, il sera trèssss positif tant je l'ai aimé celui-ci : comme beaucoup d'auteures de romances américaines, Melissa Foster a le don de nous écrire une romance touchante et sexy et surtout de nous donner envie de plonger dans ses autres séries : BRA-VO!

Cette fois, nous faisons connaissance (pour moi du moins) de deux meilleurs amis qui se connaissent depuis l'enfance Ben (un business man qui a tout réussi) et Aurelia, une librairie, qui s'apprête à reprendre la librairie de ses grands-parents (qu'elle a un peu transformée) Une fois encore, ils ont passé la soirée ensemble, se sont endormis l'un avec l'autre (ils ont un peu bu) et ils se taquinent mais l'on sent qu'il y a, malgré leur complicité (ils sont meilleurs amis depuis très jeunes, bien que lui soit un peu plus âgé qu'elle) il y a une gêne qui vient du fait que tous deux sont amoureux l'un de l'autre MAIS aucun ne l'ose se l'avouer (et ils en souffrent, font un peu n'importe quoi, parfois, d'où ce qui va se produire,  alors que tous leurs proches sont conscients de leurs sentiments) et Aurelia, Rels pour Ben, qui ne supporte plus cette situation, part au petit matin quand elle découvre sur le pas de la porte du jeune homme un couffin avec un bébé dedans et juste une lettre informant Ben que ce bébé est sa fille (ce qu'il ne croit pas au départ) et qu'elle est désolée mais ne peut pas faire autrement! Le problème, outre ce bébé, est qui est cette "elle"? car la lettre n'est pas signée! Ben va devoir faire amende honorable et revenir sur son passé (en faisant cela, il fait encore plus souffrir la jeune femme) et alors qu'elle se sauve pour rejoindre sa librairie (rassurez-vous, elle l'aide la première journée et la première nuit) le jeune homme finit par aller la retrouver (avec le bébé) et là, il finit par craquer (elle le menace de sortir avec des employés qui travaillent sur le chantier de sa librairie) et lui avoue ses sentiments! partagés évidemment... mais cette romance a-t-elle une chance d'aboutir avec un bébé de mère inconnue au milieu? est-elle vraiment sa fille? qui est la mère et pourquoi l'a-t-elle abandonnée? Ne risque-t-elle pas de changer d'avis et si oui, comment vont-ils réagir? et bien vous le saurez en lisant cet excellent roman! 

Ces deux personnages sont tout ce que j'aime : ils sont amis avant d'être amants si bien que leur relation est basée sur du solide : bien sûr, il y a ce bébé qui arrive au moment où ils s'avouent enfin leurs sentiments et ça tombe mal car ils ont plein de choses à gérer mais ils vont faire face car ensemble, ils sont géniaux. De plus, ils ont des familles et amis qui les soutiennent : la famille surtout de Ben (et on a envie d'être amis avec eux : ils sont drôles et passionnés, surtout Piper, très prometteuse, c'est la seule à être encore célibataire et elle n'a pas peur de dire ou de montrer ce qu'elle veut) ou encore Remi (la soeur de son associé Aiden (celui-ci a élevé sa soeur âgée de 12 ans lors de la perte de leurs parents)  et héroïne du prochain tome) mais je vais lire les histoire de Willow, Bridgette, Talia (les tomes de la série précédente, tant ils m'ont plu avec leurs maris) J'ai aussi aimé la grand-mère d'Aurélia, Flossie, une grand-mère idéale, drôle et sensée, qui l'a élevée (elle a perdu sa mère bébé et ne sait pas qui est son père)... bref, une famille et des amis qui contribuent à la richesse de ce tome.

Ben et Aurélia sont tous deux des gens biens qui s'aiment et une fois leurs sentiments avoués, ils vont encore évoluer, et former très vite une famille avec le bébé mais pas simple d'être un nouveau couple et d'avoir un bébé, sans s'y être préparés mais ils vont tout gérer de main de maître : ils sont passionnés et responsables : bref, j'ai adoré ces deux personnages.

Je vous le dis, outre cette romance sexy, le gros de l'intrigue tourne autour de ce bébé, de savoir qui est la mère et pourquoi elle l'a abandonnée ! attendez-vous à de forts moments...

J'ai hâte de lire la suite et les précédents et je n'ai qu'une chose à dire, si vous lisez en VO, FON-CEZ! roman génial...

This is book one in a spin-off series.
Ben and Aurelia are best friends but want more. The book starts and suddenly all this chemistry is there. I didn’t read the previous series, so I don’t know how they interacted in those books, but then a baby is on his doorstep and the parenting starts. 

It was too cheesy for me, once they start their relationship. Constant I love yous and lots of sex and Baby stuff until the last 15% percent,  its very repetitive.

This book wasn’t for me.

I received this ebook copy from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

Definitely my new top favourite read!! I absolutely loved everything about this book. This may be the ultimate friends to lovers romance! I completely fell in love with these characters and their story! I adored Melissa Foster and her books. They are laugh out loud funny and sweet  and sexy as all heck. Check out Call Her Mine, you don’t want to miss out on this phenomenal story!! The RomCom world has another queen of RomCom and her name is Melissa Foster!! Happy reading!! .

Melissa Foster has written another swoon-worthy sexy read. Ben Dalton might be a playboy who strings his best friend for too long but when it was time to step up and be the man he needs to be that is exactly what Ben did. Aurelia has been in love with Ben forever but when a baby is left at his door, she will help him even if her heart might get broken in the long run. Fair warning you will need some tissues for this book, I was a mess after reading this book. I love how Melissa’s add characters from her other series to give us updates. Looking forward to the next Harmony Pointe book

A really fun light read, lots of humour, slow burn, will they won’t they romance with lots of chemistry. A great book to curl up with and make you smile. Will definitely be looking for more books from Melissa now.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Aurelia and Ben have been best friends for years.  They’ve been secretly desiring each other, without being aware that the other felt the same way.  Whenever Ben was ready to make his move, it seemed that Aurelia (he calls her “Rels” and “Relsy”) just began dating a new man.  So then a frustrated Ben would go out and have a meaningless one night stand.  This cycle continues until Aurelia finally decides to move a little further away, and live close to the bookstore she’s about to open.  All bets are off when Ben finds a basket on his doorstep with a baby girl inside, with a note saying she’s his.

Ben is a self made billionaire, and his first thought is that someone is out to get some money from him.  After all, he’s never taken a chance with his sexual encounters, always having used protection.  Still, if this really IS his child, he just can’t let her go into the system.  He contacts his lawyer, and decides to have an immediate paternity test, while keeping the baby in his custody.  He begs Aurelia to help him because he knows nothing about children.  Their initial horror and cluelessness is really funny as the two novices fumble their way into caring for an infant.

Aurelia has a very soft heart and could never leave Ben when he needs her help desperately.  She helps him with caring for Bea, as they call her, and also helps him try to figure out who the baby’s mother is, as she didn’t identify herself on the note.  Their caring for the child leads them to a greater intimacy than they’ve ever shared before, and finally, they become lovers.

It was touching to watch this couple fall in love with baby Bea, and with each other.  Aurelia showed a great lack of judgment for Ben’s lifestyle, and also showed herself to be caring and giving.  For being a billionaire, Ben was very down to earth, as well as sexy as all get out.  I loved watching their love get stronger and seeing whether that new love could withstand the strains of searching for Bea’s mother, and finding out whether Bea was, indeed, Ben’s baby.

3.5 stars

Read. This. Book.

I am not a crier when it comes to books. I am an emotional reader, but I rarely let it out. This. book. had. me. in. tears. Soooo much emotion and love. That is a sign of a truly great book. Aurelia and Ben are #relationship goals. To go from best friends to co-parenting, to admitting their love for one another is a rollercoaster, but the best that I have read in 2019. The ending threw me for a loop, but I loved every gut-wrenching word. I could babble on and on about this book, but it would just be better to go experience it yourself. This is an EXCELLENT start to the Harmony Pointe series! Thank you, Melissa Foster, for this book, it truly touched my soul.

Call Her Mine is the first book in the Harmony Pointe Series.   Some of the characters are familiar from the Sugar Lake Series but it is not necessary to read any other book before this one.     Call Her Mine is the story of Ben and his best friend Aurelia.    They both date other people but are drawn so much to each other that everyone except them knows that they are meant to be together.  

There were times that I didn’t really love Ben.   He called the baby “it” which drove me crazy.   IT is a baby, a real live being.  Yet, he stepped up, did what he had to do to keep the baby safe and happy.  Very quickly you could see that he loved Baby B.     He didn’t use her to keep Aurelia around, he didn’t push her off on anyone else to take care of.  He changed his life, his routine, and his ways to keep his daughter happy, safe, and loved.     Luckily, Aurelia felt the same way about both Baby B and Ben.  


I look forward to more from Harmony Pointe.   There are so many wonderful secondary characters that I am curious about.      I’d recommend picking up Call Her Mine ASAP and meeting the wonderful characters that reside in Harmony Pointe.

We all have our favorite romance tropes. Friends to Lovers is one of mine and Call Her Mine is an good example of why I never tire of it. Readers are treated to a fun, sexy, and surprisingly emotional journey between two people who have been best friends since childhood and who have always harbored (secret) romantic feelings toward each other but have never acted upon those feelings. For Ben, it's always been bad timing (face it, Ben's timing truly sucks as do his reasons for a series of one-night stands), and they both fear that taking their friendship to the next level by declaring their feelings could potentially ruin what is their most treasured relationship. And then Foster tosses a major monkey wrench into their lives that turns everything upside down, strips them down emotionally and all those feelings come pouring out. What happens next is sexy, flirty, and laugh-out-loud funny, with an unexpected emotional twist that had the tears flowing but an HEA I could believe in. 

Ben and Aurelia are good people I liked and cheered for but their journey isn't without its issues. Ben has spent the past several years dropping his pants at the drop of a hat and his  reasons for all that meaningless sex made me angry. Man's got some growing to do - which he does - but not without a few cringe-worthy moments in the process where I would not have blamed Aurelia one bit for walking. The strength of this relationship is definitely tested. 

Foster guides them forward with all the hiccups, humor, and sigh-worthy moments one would expect when two life-long friends finally reveal, and accept, the romantic feelings the entire flippin' town has known they've carried for one another for years. She's created a strong family - and community - around them that adds texture and richness to the story. I adore Aurelia's grandmother as well as Ben's family and will be searching out the books that tell his sisters' stories. I'm also here for all of the Harmony Pointe stories that follow this one.

Call Her Mine was a fabulous best friends to insta-family and then lovers book between two best friends with the worst timing ever!
Ben Dalton and Aurelia Stark have both been secretly crushing on one another for years.  They are both afraid to make the first move, concerned it would ruin their friendship.  And every time one is ready to say something, the timing seems all wrong.  

Deciding she can’t live feeling stuck as she is, Aurelia moves to a neighboring town to pursue her dream of owning her own book store.  But, fate has other plans when an infant is left on Ben’s porch with a note claiming he is the Daddy.

Knowing she can’t leave Ben on his own to handle this, Aurelia throws herself all in . .. and quickly realizes she is falling for Ben and now baby yet again.  But, how can something so right be wrong?  And, now that the timing has never seen more wrong to Ben, he knows he has to do everything he can to keep both baby and Aurelia in his life for good.  There’s no way he’s letting either go.

Call Her Mine was an adorably sweet and heart-warming romance!  I loved this somewhat awkward couple - so perfect together that everyone sees how in love they really are, yet blinded to how the other feels.  Throw in a baby that neither knows how to care for yet they both desperately want to make happy and your heart will simply swell!

I loved that the transition into both being a couple and into parents was automatic - it made for some funny moments as well as pure sweetness as they fumble their way around caring for a newborn.  I also loved that both struggled with the changes in their lives . . . knowing what they ultimately wanted, but not quite sure how to get there.

Call Her Mine had a fabulous cast of side characters as well as a bit of mystery with who baby’s mom really is and why she was left on Ben’s front porch.  All in all, it was a wonderful feel good story romance that will leave you smiling ear to ear.  5 stars!

Call Her Mine is a  great friends to lovers story with 2 people who have a long history of being best friends and have always secretly loved each other. When Aurelia finds a major surprise on Bens door step the friendship takes on a whole different level. I love the friends to lovers stories and even more when they involve sharing their love with a little one.  Great job Melissa .

It’s been awhile since I have read a Melissa Foster book.  I’ve only read a couple, other than this one.  When I started this book, I didn’t realize that Ben’s sisters all have books.  There were a couple spots where I wish I would have read those first.

This is a good best friends to lovers and baby on door step read.

I did love how both Ben and Aurelia stepped up to take care of baby B.

I wasn’t shocked to learn about her mom.  I knew what the reason was.  It was predictable.

This is a good read and I did really enjoy it.

Ben and Rels.........  their story was really well written and I really enjoyed reading.  However, this has to be a spin off from another series as I felt like there was a lot of backstory about the characters that I was missing out on.  So I would recommend looking to see if there is another series and reading first.  

I’d also like to know Ben and Rels ages.  Because how long did Ben really sleep around while he was waiting for Rels???  

I really like Piper!  When she went all baby crazy.  Totally want to know more about this girl.  And Fletch.....  my interest is piqued!!!! And then Harley???  These two were only briefly in this story but I can’t help but want to know more.  

And then Mother’s Day....  I cried!!!!  Heart broken.  Totally unexpected!  Be ready!!

While reading this book I started thinking that maybe it's not the authors the reason why we get some of the god-awful tropes we do but it's the publisher/industry that's pushing it for some reason. Who even likes them anymore? I have read plenty of Melissa Foster's books and I don't recall ever cringing so much. We got the trope "I was sleeping with other women because I couldn't have you", in which every time Aurelia was going on a date he was doing the horizontal dance with some other woman, the "let's bring up said harem one too many times" and finally the lovely, "heroine has kept her legs closed for a long time, while he slept around" trope. Why? They tainted an otherwise lovely story. Honestly, if I was Aurelia I would have thought of giving him up too.

The sad thing is that the rest of the book was very good. Even the baby mama was a character I liked and I don't think she deserved the ending she got because it was too convenient. The secondary characters were interesting and I will read their stories if they get them. I loved how Ben and Aurelia teamed up in order to provide the baby with everything she needed and how awkward they were at first, even if it seemed a little unrealistic. The story is focused not only on their relationship but also on the baby and it was heartwarming to see Ben becoming a very loving father after his carefree lifestyle. If you skip a part of the book, up to the point they stop bringing up the other women, you will have a winner of a book. This could have become one of the top reads of the year if not for the bad beginning and it's the reason I will go with 4 stars and not lower it more.

Call Her Mine was a fun, sweet-hearted romance that I absolutely loved.  Ben and Aurelia was such a great couple and their chemistry together made me absolutely swoon.  Aurelia was a delightful character that I instantly connected with because she loved bookstores just as much as I do.  Ben was perfect for Aurelia and when they discovered that he was a father, they both came together and gave little baby Bea exactly what she needed.  I just wished that Ben hadn’t waited so long to tell Aurelia about how he truly felt about her but I’m glad that he made up for that during this story.

This is the first book in the Harmony Pointe series and I’m happy to say that I’m all in.  I loved seeing updates on past characters and I’m looking forward to seeing some new characters get their happy endings in future books of this series.  Ms. Foster always writes amazing romances and I loved every moment of Call Her Mine.

This book is a must read! I loved everything about this book! Ben and Rels were meant to be together add in cute little Bea and you have a perfect family. They had their ups and downs but don't all families. This book has so much. Lots of laughter, lots of friendship, and tons of love. I love reading about past couples as well. Love catching up! Melissa Foster always writes with her heart and this book is no different. But I have to say that this is one of my favorites now. If I could give a higher rating then five stars I would!

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1P75PV3VYRZLT/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Fantastic book!  Melissa continues to surprise her readers every time.

This book was just so cute and fluffy but there were also problems - real problems which were life changers and the characters had to deal with them as best as possible and the characters evolved as they attempted to adjust to the changes that were rapidly happening and tried to control their fates as much as they could. 

Ben and Aurelia have been best friends since forever, they do literally everything together and share everything with each other, except one thing - that they are both in love with each other. 
There is so much mutual pining and repressed emotions and it kills me because it was all expressed so wonderfully and I was just waiting for it to finally come out and when it does, it does so at a moment we did not expect and it is all so sudden but also, perfect! 

When Aurelia finds a baby on Ben's doorstep just as she is leaving, whom they dub to be Baby B, since it is presumably Ben's, they do not know what to do. hey are scared and surprised and just, in shock but Aurelia stays by ben's side and helps him figure it all out. 

Aurelia is one of the best characters ever - she is kind and compassionate and loving. She helps Ben take care of the baby even though she has just moved to a new town and had to open a bookshop. She is there for Ben when he needs her and she tries to stay as strong as she can while she gives Ben and the baby all her love.

Ben is also a great character. He has made mistakes and he accepts it and he tries to do the best he can! He tries to do his best by the baby, making a list of things he needs for her and just giving her love, care and comfort even when he does not know for sure if the baby is his. 

It is a tumultuous journey and it is really scary, both for Ben and Aurelia but they find their way through it all, working together and getting closer than ever! 

This book really shows how your best comes out in a stressful situation and how, sometimes, you are unable to cope with ti but if you keep trying, you are successful at the end. 

There are also such fluffy, cute scenes with Ben and Aurelia, and Ben is just the sweetest guy I know! From the things he says to the way he treats Aurelia, he is perfect and I love him a lot. 

I really loved and enjoyed the book, so much that I finished it in just one day.