REVIEW: Get It On by J. Kenner

In Get It On (Man of the Month #5) by J. Kenner, Owner of the Austin bar, The Fix on Sixth, Tyree Johnson has his hands full trying to keep things afloat financially. With some help from his friends and coworkers, they are seemingly on the upswing, watching the numbers increase with every new contest and promotion they throw at their loyal patrons. That positivity is something Tyree can damn sure use in his life. As a veteran who saw combat in the Gulf War, losing close friends there, and then later on losing his beloved wife Teiko, he’s done the best he can to make a life for himself and his now sixteen-year-old son Eli. But the moment Eva Anderson walks into his bar–a woman he loved two decades ago before shipping out to war–everything changes. Not only is Tyree possibly being granted a second chance with his first love, but he finds out they have a daughter together. Elena. And he’ll move heaven and earth to have both of them in his life if it’s the last thing he does.

‘He’d loved two women. He’d lost two. But he had his bar. He had his friends. He had his son.
It wasn’t everything, but it was enough.’

After a couple of decades of being a single mom to Elena, Eva will admit she’s afraid of not only seeing Tyree’s response to his daughter, but the thought of having him in her own fairly well-ordered life as well. It’s immediately obvious from the moment she walks through his office door at The Fix that their attraction is definitely still there. And that’s cause for concern for Eva. She has a thriving photography business in San Diego and has no plans of moving to Austin for the long-term. But the more time she spends with Tyree, the more she realizes that this could be their do-over. An opportunity to see where their bond takes them in the future. Eva started off just wanting Elena and Tyree to forge a relationship together as father and daughter. But if she’s willing to put her own self out there, could she possibly have both the family and the stunning romance she’s dreamed of for so long?

“Whether you wanted her or not, she’s yours. You don’t have to love her. You don’t have to want her. But please don’t hurt her.”
Something hard flickered on his face. “Do you really think I would?”
“Twenty years ago, no. Now?” She lifted a shoulder. “The truth is I don’t know you at all.”
“Then get to know me again… Let me convince you that I won’t hurt our daughter.”

A second chance romance so heartrending with all the things that went wrong for this lovely couple, Get It On was an emotional roller coaster that had me misty-eyed from the start. But I wouldn’t have expected anything less from J. Kenner.

She broke the kiss, breathing hard as she leaned back… “I wanted to see if it was like I remembered.”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “And was it?”
“No,” she said honestly. “It was better.”

I have to give J. Kenner credit for how she has positioned each story in this series. The books have all flowed from one into the next pretty seamlessly, and even though they are a little on the shorter side–around two-hundred-fifty pages each–they are packed with emotion. Things happen quickly, so I think some readers may feel like there isn’t as much development of the characters or situations as we’d normally see. But most of the cast has been introduced early on in this series, if not in previous other series from Kenner. Plus, the best part to me has been that each couple in the Man of the Month books has a history together. So it’s not really insta-lust. There’s already a connection there as well as some type of situation hanging over them to work through.

I’ve been waiting to get my hands on Tyree’s story since we met him several books ago. He’s mature (mid-forties) and has been to hell and back, having served in the Gulf War as well as having lost his treasured wife about seven years prior. I *loved* that he was such a great father to his sixteen-year-old son Eli–who was an awesome kid, kind of an old soul, really. And that Tyree was a wonderful friend and mentor to those he worked with at the Fix. It was admittedly difficult watching him go through his grief over his wife and then finding out he had a daughter he never got to see grow up. I won’t give away the specifics as to why Eva didn’t tell him about Elena, but there really was a valid reason that wasn’t Eva’s fault. It was a heartbreaking predicament. But the way Kenner threw them back together worked for me and I loved the fact that Eva and Tyree still cared for each other very deeply.

I liked Eva right away but was a bit wary of her until we found out why she never told Tyree he was a father. Then it put things into perspective with the choices she was forced to make and with the grief that she felt over the years. Eva had a great relationship with her daughter Elena. They were both strong women who tried to do the right thing and who were always there for each other. When they went storming into Tyree’s life in Austin, I was impressed with Elena’s determination to get to know him. It was a bit rocky to start out, as to be expected. But I had a great time seeing Tyree, Eva, Elena, and Eli all interacting. And of course I adored Eva and Tyree getting the chance to see how strong their love for each other truly was after a little over two decades apart. *sigh*

Reunion stories just warm the heart, don’t they? I think Tyree and Eva’s bittersweet reintroduction to each other, as well as the strength of the bond they shared, will easily capture romance fans’ attention and hearts.

Book Info:

Publication: March 13th 2018 | Martini & Olive Books | Man of the Month #5

Skillful hands. A talented tongue.
Meet Mr. May.

Fate’s been messing with veteran Tyree Johnson. It took his buddies in combat and his wife in a fatal car accident. But he’ll be damned if he’ll let Fate take his beloved bar, The Fix on Sixth.

For years, he’s avoided being Fate’s whipping boy through sheer force of will, and now every bit of his focus is centered on saving his business. Until, that is, the first woman who ever touched his heart walks back into his life—along with a daughter he never knew.

After years of loneliness, Tyree’s not prepared for the way Eva’s sensual curves and sharp wit still capture his heart and rekindle his senses. All he knows is that for the first time in forever, he’s found a passion other than his bar. But one final twist arrives when Fate pits the bar he can’t bear to lose against the woman who’s stolen his heart.

He’s a master at red-hot ecstasy.

Who’s Your Man of the Month?

When a group of fiercely determined friends realize their beloved hang-out is in danger of closing, they take matters into their own hands to bring back customers lost to a competing bar. Fighting fire with a heat of their own, they double down with the broad shoulders, six-pack abs, and bare chests of dozens of hot, local guys who they cajole, prod, and coerce into auditioning for a Man of the Month calendar.

But it’s not just the fate of the bar that’s at stake. Because as things heat up, each of the men meets his match in this sexy, flirty, and compelling binge-read romance series of twelve novels releasing every other week from New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner.

“With each novel featuring a favorite romance trope—beauty and the beast, billionaire bad boys, friends to lovers, second chance romance, secret baby, and more—this series hits the heart and soul of romance.” — New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips