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Former model Kelly Hurley has finally put the ashes of the past behind her. After a passionate but turbulent marriage to rock star Vaughan Hurley that ended in heartbreak and divorce, Kelly rebuilt her life in Portland, where she settled so their two young daughters could be close to their father. Just not so close Kelly couldn’t truly make her own way without interference from the man who shattered her heart. Now Kelly’s finally ready to move on, and she’s planning to marry another man.

But not if Vaughan has anything to say about it.

Vaughan knows he was a fool all those years ago. A young, selfish—and prideful—fool. Even as he buried himself in the fast, decadent rock star lifestyle, he could never drown out the memory of Kelly’s beauty and love. Or the sweet, searing heat whenever they touched. For years, he’s had to deal with the pain of seeing her only because of their daughters, but it was never enough. Now Vaughan must prove that he’s the only man Kelly needs, before he loses her for good. And there’s only one way to do it….

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 26, 2015

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About the author

Lauren Dane

99 books4,984 followers
Lauren Dane has been writing stories since she was able to use a pencil, and before that she used to tell them to people. Of course, she still talks nonstop, and through wonderful fate and good fortune, she’s now able to share what she writes with others. It’s a wonderful life!

The basics: Lauren is a mom, a partner, a best friend and a daughter. Living in the rainy but beautiful Pacific Northwest, she spends her late evenings writing like a fiend when she finally wrestles all of her kids to bed.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 284 reviews
Profile Image for Kelli C .
1,053 reviews357 followers
March 26, 2015
I start by saying that I am 100% a Lauren Dane fan. I like her writing style and her intimacy is usually on fire hot. When I requested this book for review, I admit to being pretty fired up as my fave type of male character, a rock star was the center of the tale!

That being said, I have to admit that while this book was ok, yes, nothing wrong with it at all...that is just it. It was OK.

This is a second chance love story for Vaughn Hurley and his model ex-wife Kelly. They seemed like the perfect couple. Hot young rock star knocking down success with his brothers/bandmates and a beautiful blond bombshell model making her own way. Fast life styles equaled a fast marriage and BAM, instant family. Neither was prepared for the white picket fence but Vaughn's departure from the relationship was brutal. He continued on with his self regrets and made his way in the business. Kelly picked herself up and raised 2 girls and made her own success on her own.

Now, Eight years apart...animosity brewing...lust and deep love still present...it is time for Kelly to try and move on. It also just so happens to be time for Vaughn to come home and make amends for his past sins. While their breakup was harsh with betrayal and cowardice, and misconceptions abound, there still seems to be a flicker of something in Vaughn and Kelly as it takes just one incident with one of their children and Kelly has opened her home and life back to Vaughn. Say What???

Yep. There is little to no drama. No big angsty cry fests or storming out sessions. Back to YOu is just that. I story of a man and a woman who literally come back together. Two people who still love each other, who still respect each other, who still have amazing intimacy and chemistry basically play house until they become a true family.

I wanted more. Vaughn is supposed to be a big bad rock star, but he finds comfort in packing lunches and walking his girls to school. While it seems sweet and necessary to win back his ex's trust, I felt he lost some of that "bad boy appeal." He honestly was like a kicked puppy! Kelly on the other hand, was obviously a young pushover and now she spends her days lusting after her ex and showing off her new "tough/I got a backbone" skills by letting her emotions rip anytime she wants. It honestly was kinda anti-climatic.

Overall, this book was written well. It had two characters who obviously loved one another and would do anything to have their family together. The story was easy to read with no real drama. It had a feel-good tone to it and decent steam. For me, I just felt like I could have been reading any married couple's love story. Good people who got married young, hit a rough patch, grew up, realized what they wanted, slowly opened up and reconnected. All good and all normal!
Profile Image for Vintage.
2,648 reviews616 followers
October 26, 2020
Boring. The kiss of death and far worse tag than any rant, whatever.

Second chance story where the hero realizes he wants his wife, and kids and domesticity after eight years. The H is a rocker and felt pinned in by his marriage and kids and maneuvered a situation where his wife catches him with a fan whose hand is down her pants. Did Lauren Dane decide to cop out and not make it full-blown infidelity to give the H an out?

Anyway, it is now, and the h, an ex-model with a mother from hell, is engaged to a sober sort. She's raising her two girls pretty much single-handedly as the H simply comes in as Big Fun Dad and goes to his mother's with the girls. His mother who hates the heroine and treats her like dirt because she dared to divorce one of her precious babies. The H never told his parents why the heroine left him.

Do I care? No. Lackluster story of a mother that does it all, takes care of the children, gets heat from her mother and the MIL from hell, and welcomes the H back. She does make him work for it, but it was just too dreary and ....
Profile Image for Auntee.
1,347 reviews1,445 followers
March 22, 2015
Finally we get the youngest rocker Hurley (Vaughan's) story, and it's a good one. Vaughan and his ex wife Kelly have been divorced for 8 years, and she's now ready to move on with another man. But not if Vaughan can help it! It may have taken eight years, but Vaughan can no longer deny that his feelings for his ex are still there, and that he made a horrible mistake in letting their marriage fall apart. But can he win her back and show her that he's finally matured and ready to do what it takes to make his family his priority?

Vaughan...
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Kelly...
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I loved this story. This is a well written romance about the collapse of a marriage, and the possibility of second chances. It really explores what it takes to make a marriage work, and finally lets the reader know just what happened to a couple who never should have broken up. (I was a bit shocked). And there's plenty of heat.:)

More to come closer to the release date, but if you've read the first two books in the series, you'll want to see if Vaughan can get his HEA.

This would have been a five star read if it had included an epilogue. Unless there's another book coming, Ms. Dane has left us hanging.:(
4 stars

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC
Profile Image for Nareh.
231 reviews
November 15, 2015
I have to say this story was a disappointment for me. I was hesitant to start it after reading they were divorced eight years ago and anyone who knows me knows I'm not the biggest fan of second chance romances, mainly because the heroes are forgiven too easily without any real apology for their past behavior.

This story just reinforces my fear of this lack of true apology. Vaughn never truly apologized for his behavior. He simply tried to excuse his behavior by saying he was young and stupid and didn't know what he had until he lost it. Hold on here just a second. So you're saying that every stupid mistake I've ever made I can just say I was young and alls well that ends well? Good to know. We then can add in the fact that he is a that irrevocably broke their marriage. This lack of "owning his own shit," as the heroine put it, was frustrating and irritating.

Then we have the heroine, Kelly. She knows what a lying, cheating scumbag her ex is and yet she still gives in so easily it is laughable. She has two young children depending on her to make the right decisions, and she thinks it is more than acceptable to send the incredibly mixed messages of allowing their father to stay in their guest room, then compounds this mistake by sleeping with him the second he shows any interest in her. Of course, she does put up a token "rules" wall that is about as effective as getting a bill passed in Congress with no supporters. I'm sorry but how is this the act of an intelligent woman who is placing her children's well-being above her own self-interest? I couldn't believe the unbelievable turn this story took.

There were moments where I thought Kelly would stand up for herself and her children but then she reverted back to a doormat and those efforts were entirely ruined. This is what I get for giving this type of romance a second chance. This was not a story for me but read it for yourself and decide.
Profile Image for Dali.
2,001 reviews579 followers
June 25, 2018
A story about redemption and second chances. About two people who were meant to be together but met and fell in love before they were ready.

Kelly Hurley is a successful entrepreneur, former model, wonderful mother and ex-wife to one very famous rancher-rock star Vaughn Hurley who shattered her heart. It’s been eight years since their divorce and she’s ready to move on and marry a solid, reliable man. But is he the right man for her?

He knew it was selfish and self-serving, but he still callously pushed Kelly out of his life and tried, unsuccessfully, to bury their deep, searing connection under his rocker lifestyle. But it’s a lie not even he can believe. Because even though they had a whirlwind romance very young, their love was true.

Kelly gave up her career and built her life close enough for Vaughn to be able to see his daughters, and her through them. He knows he’s lost something precious and each time he sees her, Vaughn is acutely aware of it. Can he prove that he’s worthy and the man Kelly truly wants and needs before he definitely loses his entire family to another man?
“Once upon a time I loved Kelly. I loved her the first time I saw her. I loved her even when I fucked up so badly I broke the thing some other man is about to snatch up. She made these little creatures with me… I never stopped loving her. But I was stupid and selfish and too blind to see and appreciate what I had in front of me the whole time.” ~ Broken Open (The Hurley Boys #2)

I unquestionable enjoy Lauren Dane’s writing. She creates appealing characters with great chemistry around stories with a great enjoyable pace, wrapped up in wonderful settings and accentuated by equally charming supporting characters. Back to You is no exception.

I really liked Kelly and wanted her to find happiness. She’s only ever been able to count on one person, herself. And through the years that’s made her strong and assertive. She’s also smart and her beauty is both inside and out. She’s put her daughters’ wellbeing first and has always encouraged a strong relationship between them their father and his family even though the Hurley’s have been nothing but unwelcoming towards her.

I liked the grown up version of Vaughn, but not enough to fall for him. I loved that he’s a very loving and devoted father, but I found it very difficult to overlook the fact that it took him close to a decade and being just shy of losing his children and ex-wife, who he undeniably loved, to another man to take action and get them back.

Worse still, I felt he had to be pushed to own up to his mistakes. He’d been self-centered and completely careless with his marriage. And then let his family’s misconceptions completely ostracize the mother of his children. I felt he didn’t atone enough for so coldly discarding his family and that Kelly forgave him too easily.

Even so, it was very gratifying watching him grow up and mature, own his mistakes, claim back his family and woo and romance Kelly. He certainly had an eye opening experience once he started being a full time dad and gained a new appreciation for all fantastic job Kelly has done raising his daughters. It was good to see how old wounds finally faded and these two people that fell in love out of time ultimately found their place together.

Although I do love Ms. Dane’s writing and I think that having little preamble and no big ending or epilogue is her style, I find it a bit disconcerting. Jumping right into the story is OK, because it’s easy to catch up. But in this last book of the series having no epilogue felt like the brother’s stories were left unfinished. Perhaps I’m spoiled and use to Disney like happy endings where the couple fast forwards in time and we get to see a fabulous wedding and increase in rug rats. So this may be just my pet peeve.

Back to You is the third book in the Hurly Boys series by Lauren Dane. It’s a lovely second chance, contemporary romance set in Hood River, Oregon. Told from both points of view and can be read as a standalone which has a happy ending.

Actual rating 3.5 stars

* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via NetGalley. The excerpts are from that copy. *

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Profile Image for Lu Bielefeld .
4,301 reviews581 followers
September 1, 2018
UPDATE: 2018 (QUOTES AND MINUS 1 STAR)

Hero is immature, spoiled, cheater, liar, coward, and irresponsible. They are divorced for 8 years and she plans to marry another guy, then suddenly he wants the family back.
He cheated on her with a groupie and made sure she witnessed everything and even let the family think the worst about her. He did not dare say that it was all his fault, he was a coward. The family treated her very poorly.
I like our heroine, she's a hard-working woman and a great mother.
She is beautiful inside and out.

==>Quotes<==

His divorce had been the epitome of being sorry you got what you wished for.


Did you eat? You just got off stage. I remember what you were like.” She colored, though she tried not to. After a show he’d be starving. For food and for sex.


“I’ll hang out here awhile longer and then head home. You should go and get rest. You have a tour-ending show tonight.”
He stopped her with a hand at her shoulder. “This is a million times more important.”
It was, of course, but it was nice to hear him say it. Even if she didn’t believe him all the way. He’d chosen music over his family more than once.


Though it stung to see how warm Sharon Hurley was with everyone else’s women. Not once had the woman showed even a sliver of that toward her.


“If I recall correctly, we had a version of this non-conversation conversation complete with a non-apology apology years ago. You didn’t have the balls to say what you did out loud then, either. Still getting pissy that someone other than your mother was calling you on it. Lucky for you, she’s still your number one girl and she’s just inside. Save your bullshit for her.”


“Mean? Fuck you, Vaughan. That woman called me a whore. Because her precious son fucked his marriage up and then never had the decency to tell her the whole truth. She’s in my house, after eating at my table. For that matter, you’re in my house, too, and I haven’t set either one of you on fire yet. I’m not mean. But I’m not a doormat. Not anymore. You may not have changed, but I have.”


It had been Vaughan who hadn’t wanted to be married, not Kelly. She’d served him the papers first, but he’d been the one to toss a divorce at her to make her leave a subject alone.


He’d told himself being single was better anyway. That his life was too fucking fabulously full of women to bang for him to go tying himself down forever.


You can be comfortable and alone, or banging chicks you barely know and don’t care about. Or you can do some hard, painful work and have a family with the woman you love.


“He is hot as shit. No denying it. One of the most superior male specimens I’ve ever seen. And yet, he’s a thirtysomething man-boy who lives with his mom. Don’t forget that.”


“And yet, it didn’t stop you from letting a stranger give you a hand job after a show when you had me.”


“You. Had. Me. I was there, Vaughan. Pregnant, exhausted but there because you asked me to be. And I wasn’t enough. Do you have any idea what that feels like? Madeline wasn’t enough. Kensey wasn’t enough. None of us was enough and I could see in your eyes that you wanted me to know it.”


The spiral of his behavior spun in wider and more erratic circles, more and more destructive until the moment his wife had walked around the corner and caught some random groupie with her hand down the front of his pants and her mouth on his neck.
And then he’d asked Kelly to join them. He’d never forget the look on her face.


“I know it was wrong. But I didn’t cheat on you.”
“Before that moment, you mean? Because if you think you can sit there and tell me another woman’s hand on your dick isn’t cheating you better wear a cup every day for the rest of your miserable, lying life. If I recall, you punched someone once for telling me I looked pretty. That’s some double standard you have. How’d that work out for you? You’re going to sit there and say with a straight face that it’s cool to get jerked by a rando you tossed aside after you blew all over her hand?”


“You think I want that? Some sort of man-child I have to monitor and parent? I have two kids already. I don’t want to be your conscience. I wanted you to use your own.”


“I know she’s been less than pleasant at times. I thought it was getting better. She’s...”
Kelly held up a hand. She didn’t want to hear any excuses. “I don’t care what she is, or isn’t. Back when we broke up I was different. I’m not that woman. I will not tolerate any of that bullshit from her again.”


Kelly rolled her eyes. “Your mother is not stupid. Or naive. Not even when her precious sons are concerned. She knows you and your tricks. She didn’t want to confront it. And I get that, too. But I’m not ready for that. Not yet.” Maybe not ever.


“Mom took one look, got how pretty Kelly was and then wrote her off. You can’t pretend that wasn’t part of it.”


They need to be adults someday. Adults who can stand by their words and deeds.”
Like he hadn’t. She didn’t say it aloud, but he heard it anyway. And she’d been right.


“I don’t regret our daughters.”
“I don’t think you do. How could you? They’re perfect and ours. But you weren’t ready to be a husband and a full-time father. And I was one of those women who had another baby to save the marriage that then broke up because nothing adds stress like a newborn and a toddler in a home.”



I was spineless before. And you were selfish. Now neither of us are those things.


“I’m not her mother-in-law anymore. Unless you’ve done something stupid without telling anyone. Have you?”


This is about the shitty attitude your mother has had since the moment she met me. She thinks I’m a gold-digging whore and she thinks that because you never told her the truth.


She had no right to do or say any of that.”
“No, she didn’t. And it was your job to tell her that. But you didn’t. So you both failed.”


“I broke us. I cheated and betrayed you and then I let my family think the worst of you because I was too weak to bear the weight of what I’d done. I’m sorry, Kelly.”


“Shame is an entirely appropriate emotion in this case. I’m disappointed to hear the details. Disappointed in you and your lack of honor. Disappointed you allowed your mother and I to have a very bad opinion of Kelly so all these years there’s been tension. No, you weren’t a good man and I want to kick your behind for what you did to her and to your children.”
Profile Image for Debbie "Buried in Her TBR Pile".
1,902 reviews279 followers
June 11, 2017
This one is ok - the h takes him back too soon (IMHO) - however, she did get in a few home truths. The H does admit he was not ready for kids and marriage, especially as his career was beginning to take off. h was more established in her modelling career than H as a rock star. Both had issues. H/h divorced and separated for 8 years. h made all the concessions - when H wants a second chance - it is a given as h is still attracted to H even though she is engaged to marry another guy. 2.5 rounded stars.
Profile Image for Lisa.
1,033 reviews58 followers
May 27, 2015
3.5 emotional stars.

Lauren Dane has always been my go-to/one-click author. Anything she puts out I'm all over it. I adored this series and getting to see each of the Hurley brothers get their HEA. I have been waiting to get Vaughan and Kelly's story. It was obvious from the hints in prior books that their story would be an emotional journey. Boy was it!

While I enjoyed this book I was also exhausted by being in Kelly's head so much. Her hesitation to let Vaughan back into her heart was totally warranted but seemed to go on and on for a tad too long.

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Vaughan really did a number on her and once I found out the extent of his actions I really wanted to kick him in the junk - more than once!

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I admit I mumbled quite a bit of profanity directed at him too. He only redeemed himself because of how much shame he felt for his behavior.

The one person who really disappointed me was Vaughan's mother, Sharon. Wow she was a piece of work with the way she treated Kelly. She definitely wasn't the same person we were introduced to in prior books. While I understand Vaughan had a huge part in why she behaved the way she did, it was still really disappointing. Mainly because she too was a mother and she saw plenty of times over the years what a good mother Kelly was so to pass so much judgment really pissed me off.

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POSITIVES:
I can never get enough of the Hurley brothers when they are all together. They act like 10 year old boys with all the smacking each other, wrestling and the hilarious banter never gets old. After reading each book Ezra still makes me giddy. So Delish!

DOWNSIDE:
The pace of this book is very slow and drawn-out in places and I found myself skimming from time to time.

WRAP-UP:
Having said all of that, while not my favorite story in this series I still enjoyed it and was happy to see Kelly and Vaughan get their HEA. It was much deserved. I'm sorry to see the series end (because I'm greedy) but loved every minute of the journey with the Hurley brothers.

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_____________________________________________________________
I want this RIGHT NOW!

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Profile Image for Sarah (is clearing her shelves).
1,104 reviews168 followers
December 26, 2018
26/12 - I admit this is partially my own fault. I didn't read the blurb, just picked the book up for the author's name. Unfortunately, it seems I confused the name Lauren Dane with any number of other Laurens (Lauren Blakely, Christina Lauren et al) who write romance I've enjoyed in the past as I've never read anything else by her and only had one of her books on my to read shelf (a book I will be seriously reconsidering after attempting this).

In 54 pages (was actually 49 pages due to ridiculous formatting by the publisher) I had seven pages marked for discussion (one of them I didn't bother doing a status update for as it was only a page after the previous one and I felt like I'd already expended enough effort) - that's too many negative comments for an entire book, let alone in just 49 pages.

The whole premise of the book didn't work for me. I just can't find the romance in the 'let's break up my ex-partner's new relationship because I've come to my senses many years too late' trope. That's all about selfishness and all I can ever think about is how unfair it is to the third party who, through no fault of their own is about to get dumped because the previous person has changed their mind. Then there was editing errors and writing that honestly didn't make any sense and I knew within a few pages that I wasn't going to be able to finish it. I decided to read till I got past page 50, I succeeded in that goal so score one for both stamina and knowing when to quit to avoid unnecessary pain.
Profile Image for Geri Reads.
1,232 reviews2,129 followers
May 12, 2015
I enjoyed Lauren Dane's Brown Siblings series, so when I saw this on NG, along with the blurb, I immediately clicked request. I had high hopes but it wasn't meant to be.

The blurb made this sound like a real angsty, second-chance love story. Well, I was half right. It is indeed a second-chance love story but I found it lacking. I was looking for more emotion. I dunno. I just found myself skimming a lot. And I couldn't connect with Kelly at all and Vaughn was just meh. I loved Maddie and Kinsey, and Stacey but overall, this book just didn't do it for me.


ARC provided by Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for BookAddict  ✒ La Crimson Femme.
6,859 reviews1,411 followers
March 30, 2015
This is a beautiful romance and definitely another winner from talented Ms. Dane. Returning back to the Hurley boys, it's Vaughan's turn to find his woman. What if this woman is one he treated poorly and kicked to the curb? What if he broke her heart so badly that there is no way to win her back? What if this woman is ready to move on with another man? Kelly Hurley is finally ready to start fresh and marry a man who can be there for her. Ross is a man who may be a bit staid, but he is there when she needs help. There may not be the chemistry as with her ex-husband and father of her two daughters, but Ross treats her with respect.

This is an emotionally difficult story to read. Because the two characters, Vaughan and Kelly are both ones a reader will love. Vaughan is not a bad man. He's a boy who finally grows up and grows a pair of balls. For too long, as the youngest child, he lived outrageously spoiled and expected others to pick up the pieces. He regrets his callousness and tries to charm his way back into Kelly's life. He expects it to be difficult but not impossible. Oh this silly boy. When Vaughan learns just how badly he's messed up and damaged a loving woman, it may be too late to recover and repair. Kelly is one of the strongest female characters Ms. Dane has written. The adversity she wrongly faced with the Hurley clan is beyond comprehension. The fact that she can still be civil and ensure her kids are not negatively impacted is amazing. I love Kelly. I feel her pain and her confusion with Vaughan.


Ms. Dane is a master at creating loveable characters. The turmoil she creates pulls the reader in and hopes for a happily ever after. It is amazing how she turned this around and brings Vaughan and Kelly together. The loving way these characters are treated as well as how the family members respond is fantastic. This story is about growth. Watching Vaughan own his mistakes and become a better man is a pleasure to witness. Seeing him learn just how hard it's been for Kelly to raise two daughters by herself amidst a hostile environment gives a reader a feeling of vindication. It also gives Vaughan a new appreciation for her. Kelly's growth in this story also occurs as she learns to stand up for herself better. It's good to see past hurts slowly fade and be repaired. Everything about this journey as two lovers find their balance together is breathtaking and moving. I'd be lying if some of the hurts Kelly suffered at Vaughan's careless hands didn't bring tears to my eyes. And yet, Ms. Dane does an incredible job of not making a reader hate Vaughan. This is a very special book of love and how in the end, the work and heartbreak is worth it all. This book is highly recommended to romance lovers who love a second change for a happily ever after.

*provided by NetGalley
Profile Image for Cc.
1,143 reviews133 followers
February 24, 2023
I re read this book this week and upped my star rating. When I first read it was at the beginning of my cheating hero obsession and judged many things very harshly. My main issue with this book is the lack of depth in the writing. I never and I mean never felt any angst. Just some crap about how everyone is gown up now and he'll be better. It's a 5 star read for the idea of the book. He really did, cheat, for a real reason that did not reflect well on him. He let her take the blame with his family, he her raise their kids on her own. But we are told all this, not shown and it makes a huge impact on the "feels" of this book. I just wish I'd felt her pain, wish I'd seen his growth, wish he'd felt some guilt (actually shown us guilt and growth. Having read this 5 or 6 years ago and in the meantime read others in this trope, this one isn't half bad. I won't tell you to buy, bc at $7.99, it's not worth it to me, but if you can borrow or whatever is free, then it's not a bad way to kill a few hours.

1 ⭐

Spoilers..........

"I broke us. I cheated and betrayed you and then I let my family think the worst of you because I was too weak to bear the weight of what I’d done. I’m sorry, Kelly.”

That's the extent of his groveling. For cheating, letting his family (especially his mother) treat her like poop for EIGHT years and essentially making her give up her career to raise their girls.

"Damn it, boy. You know how much I hate being wrong.”

" Don’t thank me yet. Just a reminder that I’m going to have to apologize. You know I hate that part.” She glared at him."

And this is what his mother says after eight years of treating her like shit because he was too much of a coward to tell her how badly he treated his wife and children, so she blamed daughter in law. Real sweethearts, this family.

Also, the writing felt really flat to me. I could never really feel the angst this story was supposed to make me feel. Such a disappointment because this is a trope I like when done well. Oh well, onward and upward. :-)
Profile Image for Christine Danielle .
227 reviews127 followers
May 24, 2015
FOR MORE REVIEWS AND GIVEAWAYS, DO CHECK OUT MY BLOG:
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Back to You (The Hurley Boys, #3) by Lauren Dane

PLOT: 4
CHARACTERS: 4
COVER: 4

OVERALL RATING: 4

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WHAT I LOVED:

THE PLOT

Although romance is definitely the main theme of this book, I absolutely adore how it also focuses on the dynamic between Vaughan and his family. It shows how strong there bond is that despite some misconceptions they still love each other.

THE CHARACTERS
I love how Vaughan and Kelly has grown from how they were eight years ago. Kelly is more open to expressing how she feels and Vaughan is a more responsible father. I also love how it focuses on second chances because in the real world if you break up with someone you wouldn't always end up with an extremely hot billionaire who will marry you right?

THE COVER
I just HAD to mention how amazing the cover is and I love how it relates to the book.

Overall this book is surely something I would recommend.

Received digital edition from publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Profile Image for Tmstprc.
1,213 reviews142 followers
April 15, 2021
Reread 4/14/2021

Still 3 stars, but honestly, it took 8 years for him to get his head out of his a$$ and own how he ruined their marriage on purpose, because he wasn’t ready to be married? Putz! And he lets his family, particularly his mother treat her like crap.

5 star heroine, though she probably takes him back too easily, she’s a good mother, protecting their relationship with his family, though they didn’t deserve it. 2 star hero, his second star is because he’s finally manning up. Justice would have had her finding a better man to raise his daughters.
Profile Image for Cocktails and Books.
4,119 reviews324 followers
April 10, 2015
Karen's Thoughts

BACK TO YOU is an intoxicating, story about a second chance at love. Kelly has been divorced from Vaughan, a famous rock and roll star for eight years and they have two young daughters together.  She has just accepted a marriage proposal from Ross, a solid and steady guy who is the opposite of Vaughan.  Although Kelly still loves Vaughan, she knows things will never work out between them and with Ross she can have a stable life, which is something she never had with Vaughan.  When Vaughan discovers Kelly is engaged, he is slapped in the face with reality and realizes this is his last chance to win her back.  An emergency arises and Vaughan and Kelly have to rush their daughter to the hospital.  They are forced to spend time together and Vaughan takes advantage of this opportunity to get close to Kelly.

I like the man Vaughan is now, although I probably wouldn’t have liked him eight years ago.  He has finally matured and realizes what is important to him.  He knows Kelly is the only woman he has ever loved and he wants her back in his life.  He also loves his daughters and is a caring and protective dad. Vaughan has to work hard to win Kelly’s trust and show her he has matured and is ready to take on the responsibility of a family full time. I love how devoted Vaughan is to Kelly and his daughters.  He will do whatever it takes to get his family back.

Kelly is smart, beautiful and works hard to be a successful role model for her daughters. She is also a wonderful mother and her daughters always come first.  She doesn’t trust Vaughan because he broke her heart and she is afraid to let him in again and I can’t really blame her.

I loved everything about this delightful story and Lauren Dane is one of my favorite authors.  This story flowed well and the characters are realistic and have depth. Vaughan and Kelly have a passionate relationship and plenty of chemistry whenever they are together.  They are easy to like and I was rooting for them to work through all their issues and get back together.  There are also fun and interesting secondary characters in this story which add another element to the story.  Vaughan comes from a large close knit family and he loves them all, even though there are times they drive him crazy. Perfect! 
This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books.

Profile Image for Christa.
2,218 reviews590 followers
May 11, 2015
How I loved this book! I have been looking forward to the story of Vaughn and Kelly, and was so glad to finally read it! I was a little worried that the things Vaughn had done in the past would keep me from really liking him as a main character, but I'm so glad to be able to say I was wrong. He had definitely made some huge mistakes and showed terrible judgement in the past, but as was pointed out in the book several times, he was acting like an immature boy and not the man he later became. I was glad that he stepped up and took complete responsibility for all the wrong things he had done. I loved getting to know more about Kelly and to see her as a loving mother and competent business woman. The story of Vaughn regaining her trust was a great one!

Kelly and Vaughn have been divorced for eight years, and she has felt very bitter that he didn't want to be married to her. She has moved on and is now engaged to another man. Vaughn has known for years what he gave up as an immature young man, and while he has regretted it, he truly becomes terrified that he has lost if forever upon Kelly's engagement. When daughter Maddie has to have emergency surgery to remove her appendix, Vaughn takes the opportunity to let Kelly know he wants to be there for his ex-wife and daughters, and do all he can to help during the recovery. Although she doesn't trust him to be there for her, Kelly welcomes Vaughn's presence and his help with their daughters. Soon, her engagement is over and she has to decide whether she is willing to take a tremendous risk on Vaughn again.

The Hurley Boys is a great series! I completely loved all three books, and enjoyed every second spent reading them! I am absolutely certain that I'll be reading these books again! Back to You was wonderful, with characters I could really relate to, an interesting storyline, and the intriguing backdrop of the life of a family of rock stars. I highly recommend this one to lovers of contemporary romance!
2,046 reviews24 followers
July 18, 2016
massive disappointment this story. DNF @ 49%

too much missing and characters that just didnt connect. Very slow and a long storyline that really took too long to "get there". A number of times I had to backtrack to re-read something that didnt make sense how the sentence was worded. At times I felt that this wasn't the usual from Lauren Dane. I felt she was missing.

for someone who was meant to be a major rock star Vaughn came across more like a kicked puppy. I expected more from him. Stonger - after 8 years of not being together. His ex wife - well lets just leave it at that. I dont want to start a rant.
Profile Image for Aղցela W..
4,274 reviews309 followers
May 8, 2016
This is one series that for me every book was five stars. Vaughan Hurley is one part of the rock band, Sweet Hollow Ranch along with his brothers. Eight years ago he walked away from his family now his ex wife Kelly told him she was getting married and he wants her back. Kelly Hurley was a top model when she met Vaughan Hurley and quickly ended up pregnant and then married to him. Both of them were young and Kelly being a new mother had to grow up fast Vaughan never wanted to he never realized what he had until it was almost gone. For eight years Kelly has raised his children by herself with him being a part time dad. Vaughan let his family think that Kelly was a gold digger that left him for nothing especially his mother Sharon he never told them that Kelly caught him with another woman or that he really never wanted a family. I also felt sorry for the way her mother raised her and how she is still treating her I would have cut her off. I also liked her friend Stacy she was a straight shooter. This was a really good book that I stayed up all night long listening to. After their daughter has emergency surgery Vaughan moves in with Kelly and the kids more importantly he wanted to be there with them. Kelly's boyfriend Ross was a real piece of work he felt threated by Vaughan he wanted her to cut all ties with him and even wanted to adopt her kids cutting Vaughan out of there lives, but Kelly was not having that and gives back his ring. Vaughan and Kelly both realized that both of them have changed a lot and although they still had a lot of sexual chemistry. I loved how Vaughan finally told his family the truth about Kelly and although she never kept the girls from seeing his family in fact she moved across the country to be close to them his family didn't treat her right. I loved that they got their happy ending. This was a really good series and I think that this is the last book. This whole series was very well written with no errors spelling or grammar. If you like reading about hot rocker than I recommend that you read this series.

Profile Image for MrsJoseph *grouchy*.
1,010 reviews83 followers
March 5, 2019
http://bookslifewine.com/r-back-to-you/

3.5 Stars

I've finally come to the end of the road with the Hurley Boys and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. I have given quite a bit of thought to finding some of her other contemporary romances, however (I really want to read Lush (Delicious #3) Damien + Mary's story). I've really enjoyed my time with the Hurleys. For the most part.

I really, really wish that Back to You was book two in the series and not the final. Back to You doesn't have anywhere near the emotional punch that The Best Kind of Trouble and Broken Open had for me.

Vaughan, the hero, was the biggest jackass of a husband that I can imagine in a series like this. He married and impregnated Kelly, the heroine, well before he took her to meet his parents. Vaughan's mother, Sharon, was a total bitch to her although she's like a mother to the rest of the women in the series. Vaughan then cheated on Kelly - causing the divorce - and Vaughan allowed his family to believe that the divorce was her fault. Causing even more awkwardness between Kelly and the Hurleys.

Then he waits 8 years + Kelly getting engaged to another man to decide he wants to step up and pull his head out of his ass.

WTF.



Read the rest here: http://bookslifewine.com/r-back-to-you/
Profile Image for Ana.
210 reviews38 followers
April 23, 2015
I liked this book much more than I expected to. I was not really interested in this story before because Vaughn the hero threw away his marriage (cheating around Kelly with a groupie) as a young man and now 8 years later wants it back. Getting to know him in the other books I just wanted him to leave Kelly alone and let her move on with her life.

However Dane did something really interesting with this book. It was not a let's fall in love again book. It was a book about parenting. The sacrifices, the mistakes and the blessings of it. All the conflicts in the end come down to that. It was as much about the three mothers, Kelly, Rebecca & Sharon as it was about Vaughn and Kelly.

There are really fascinating portrayals of how family relationships work or don't, Great stuff about apologies, forgiveness and integrity.

I liked that they end up dissect their old relationship, killing it dead dead and establish a new one. And how much more it was about Vaughn learning to be a father and a husband than him winning over Kelly, although that is the end result.


Full review later.
8 reviews
January 1, 2016
i didn´t like it, it was like this.... HE: hey i´m already grown up i can be a father and a husband again.... SHE: after forever oh he is ready i don´t care that he cheat on me and that i rise almost alone to our children, he is ready and i can´t forgot him (after 8 years) let´s forgot all of that and be family.
This book is like very unrealistic because nobody is like this, i mean she forgive him for more than 8 years in like 2 weeks dah! (roll my eyes) is pretty stupid, i dind´t care for the characters and skip a lot of parts because like i said is UNREALISTIC LADY, i don´t know if i read this author again......
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Elena.
1,505 reviews
March 16, 2017
3.5*
Much better than book #1... I had no desire to read book #2 because both characters seemed annoying from book#1 ... I decided to give this one - the 3rd in the series - a try, because it is about second chances and finding love the second time around. It was cute! And the "second chance" thing worked,,, While i really hated what the hero did and what the reason for the divorce initially was, i think he has come a long way and manned up in the 8 years they've been apart.
Solid romantic read ... As for erotica - meh - not really steamy - it was very vanilla and non-descriptive sex.
Profile Image for The BookChick .
1,454 reviews427 followers
March 21, 2015
I have to say that I'm a Lauren Dane fan but my opinion of this story is not biased because of that. Although Back to You was a slower read than the other books in the Hurley Boys series, that does not make it any less potent.

In The Best Kind of Trouble and Broken Open we see glimpses of the subtle tension that exists between Vaughan Hurley and his ex-wife, Kelly. The ex-wife that everyone in his family treats poorly because they view her as a gold-digger who got preggers by their successful son, married him, and then divorced him for a big non-prenup payoff. Yet, what they didn't know, and Vaughan failed to correct, was that HE was the cause for their break-up. I really have to give it to Dane for crafting a story that wasn't all flowers and unicorns. Sure, the sexy factor was as high as a Dane book always is, but the story contained an even greater wealth of emotion. There was a lot going on in this story and I won't ruin it for you by recounting it detail for detail. However, there were family dynamics and personal dynamics happening in the story that kept the slower story pacing interesting.

Vaughan's road to redemption with Kelly and his daughters was slow and sweet. Reading this story broke my heart and put it back together again. The day-to-day moments he shared with his daughters and treasured as "best moments" was simply adorable. He celebrated things like walking them to the bus and getting them out of bed. By letting him back into her life, even if temporary at first, Kelly allowed Vaughan to be the type of exemplary father that his father was. Although Kelly was willing to accept Vaughan into her life for her daughter's sake, she was weary of him, and for good reason. Vaughan broke her trust and had to work doubly hard at getting it back -- not just because of how poorly he treated her during their marriage but how he dealt with her and their children the eight years after it dissolved.

But you will most definitely root for Vaughan and Kelly, who you will fall in love with in this story. From the glimpses we see of her in the other preceding books we can't get a good bead on her character. She is beautiful but comes across as aloof. However, we definitely see who Kelly is and the fiery persona that lies beneath her cool exterior. We also see the strong woman who emerged during their eight year break. I appreciated the fact that Dane crafted a sassy BFF and support system for Kelly. Stacey was strong enough to give her the download on situations, and kick her in the butt when she needed it. The banter between the two was hilarious, especially their nickname for Sharon Hurley -- "Shurley". And I gotta say, momma Hurley will make you want to scratch her eyes out for the better portion of this book. The way she treated Kelly made me sick...BUT...it wasn't entirely her fault since Vaughan let his family operate off of bad data about Kelly. But rest assured, Sharon totally redeems herself by the end of the story and you will absolutely love her again.

As usual, the book is rife with appearances from the other sexy Hurley men. I like how Dane crafted the stories so that they all appear on the same time continuum so that all seem to be occurring at or around the same time. I'm sorry to see the series end with Vaughan's story but I'm looking forward to reading her upcoming new Ink and Chrome series.
Profile Image for Mandy.
1,056 reviews94 followers
June 9, 2015
I've been sitting on this review for a while, trying to figure out how to write it. Not because I didn't enjoy the book, on the contrary, I did.

I would think that this would be a bit of a difficult book for some people to connect with because of the subject matter, divorce and reconciliation.  I have found that the reconciliation part can be very hard for people on the outside to understand.  I'll admit that I've had some personal experience where all of this is concerned and therein lies the difficulty for me to write this review.

This was a risky book for Ms. Dane to write.  How many readers would be sympathetic to Vaughan? Let me be clear though, Vaughan isn't a bad guy, he was just immature and had his priorities screwed up a bit.  In my experience, most are not that forgiving even when someone admits that they are wrong. The crux of this for Kelly and for anyone really is TRUST.  How do you rebuild what was broken and so very delicate to begin with?

It's a huge risk to take when you decide to trust someone again after they have broken your trust.  I salute Kelly and her ability to open back up to Vaughan and give him an opportunity to prove that he will make his family his first priority.  Vaughan really makes a commitment to be there for his family every day, going as far as moving into Kelly's house (sleeping in the guest room) so he can be involved with his daughters on a daily basis.  Not only is he proving he is worthy of Kelly and her love but also his love and commitment as a parent.

The bow chicka wow wow part of Kelly and Vaughan is pretty HOT.  They always had good chemistry and I guess there is something to say for having that kind of chemistry with each other after so many years. Kelly and Vaughan still got it goin' on and it seems to better than ever between them.  A lot can happen to a person in 8 years.  Kelly raises her girls, educates herself, starts her own business and gets engaged.  Vaughan grows up and finally wakes the EFF up when Kelly gets engaged.  Sometimes that's what it takes to wake a guy up and better late than never! :)

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This review was originally posted on Straight Shootin' Book Reviews

Profile Image for Jess.
3,344 reviews5 followers
June 19, 2015
THIS WAS GREAT.

I was really curious about how she'd reunite a divorced couple--worried, frankly--but man, that just worked for me. I liked the kids. I liked that it was a process. I liked that they worked both on their family and their relationship. I liked how goddamn adult they were when facing their pasts. I just really liked this so, so much.
Profile Image for Yarm.
50 reviews10 followers
March 3, 2019
The H only came back when he was done screwing g around and found out h was getting remarried. I felt that the h forgave to quickly. Even though she half heartedly made him work for it, she knew she was going to take him back as soon as he told her that's what he wanted. On top of that it was kind of boring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Maria Itliong.
189 reviews30 followers
July 20, 2015
I love Lauren Dane's books. I've read her other works and I love it. I love how she writes the story and make sure it's connected with some of her other books. Well written and great characters build-up and a great story. I can't wait for her next book to come out.
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