Holding Out

Serena Bell — 2019

She wants him to be her first. He’s willing to help her out. Only now he can’t stop wanting more. The answer has to be no, of course. No way Griff Ambrose is going to help Becca Drake lose her virginity. Sure, she’s beautiful and hot as hell, but she’s his friend’s little sister. And Griff won’t ever risk being hurt again the way he was the day he came home from war to find his house empty and his wife gone. But he can’t get Becca’s request—or pretty much anything else about her—out of his head. Becca has turned her life around, and she’s proud of how much butt she’s kicking. There’s just one more demon she has to exorcise: her virginity. Griff is the perfect candidate to do the deed: He’s her friend, he knows how to get her going with a glance, and neither of them wants anything serious. Until Becca takes a job at the veterans’ retreat where Griff works. Now she and Griff can’t stay out of each other’s way. Worst of all, it’s getting harder and harder for Becca and Griff to lie to themselves about what they really want... “I loved this book. A friends-to-friends-with-benefits-to-lovers romance that is fun, sweet and heartfelt with fantastic characters and a sexy and emotional love story, I was completely hooked!” —Escapist Book Blog “Wow. This was such a great book! I loved that both Griff & Becca had to work on themselves before they could find their HEA. I also loved that they both saw the best in each other, and had more faith in the other person than themselves. I didn’t want to put the book down!!” —Messy Bun Book Blog “A wonderfully emotional and captivating romance, Holding Out by Serena Bell is truly a lovely read. It’s well-written, absolutely charming, incredibly touching, and so beautiful in many ways.” —Sincerely Karen Jo “This was a great story. I loved the banter. These characters so obviously should be together. The pace was good, the heat was such a good build, and goes great with the series.” —Kitty’s Book Spot “5 Steamy Stars! <3 If you are looking for a great book full of romance and good background stories then I would highly recommend reading this book and any other by the author!” —Jackie’s Book World “I absolutely loved Holding Out! Griff and Becca’s story was just wonderful. It was sexy, funny, and fun.” —Becky on Books and Quilts

Reviews

Candyce Kirk@thebookdutchesses

Dec 9, 2021

So far every book in this series has made me love the characters even more. Holding Out definitely isn't an exception. Once again this book pulled me right in from the start and made me love the characters. The way Serena Bell writes sucks you in and won't let you go! We already met Becca in Can't Hold Back so I was really excited to see she was also getting a story. She's had enough of being a virgin, but just can't seem to find a guy that's suitable. Griff is a part of her sister's friend group and she could see herself with him. He fits everything with being sexy, single, they're friends and she knows he doesn't want anything more. So they agree he'll help her out and it will be a one time thing, but can it stay that way? I loved both characters in this book and the journey they are on. Becca didn't have an easy childhood and adding a learning disability to the list and that didn't really help her be confident. Her sister still treats her like she needs help to make decisions and doesn't see her as the adult she's become. I loved how Becca started seeing herself as a new person and going after what she wanted. Becca can be a feisty one and I loved seeing her discover a new side of herself. Griff is also another character we've gotten a glimpse of in other stories and I liked how he finally got into the story! What I loved the most about Griff's story is that we don't know everything right away. In the previous books, we know a bit of what happened. This time we learn about Griff's story gradually. His body came back whole, but his spirit needs some more guidance. Griff is a special one. After a failed marriage, he isn't sure how to open his heart again. There's something about Becca though. Even though it's just a deal, he's so sweet wanting to make everything special for her. Also, Griff may seem like a macho guy, he's actually really sweet and caring. For him this was also a story of healing. Opening up about what happened and how he's feeling was such an incredible journey to read about. Don't get me started on Becca and Griff together. They're so much fun. The flirting, joking, sexy moments and their very serious conversations. I think they bring out the best in each other and needed each other more than they realized! On top of a great love story, I loved reading about all of the characters we've met along the way. That's my favorite thing about series like this, little glimpses into the lives of the characters we get in previous books. I also think that's a compliment to the author for making me love all of her characters. Holding Out and the other three books in this series will be ones I won't forget about.