REVIEW: Had To Be You by Robin Kaye

In Had To Be You by Robin Kaye, Slater is back in Red Hook – the last place he wants to be – to help his father Pete with the bar and his Nicki, a young girl Pete has taken in, similar to the way he took Slater and his brothers in when they were young. Slater is former Navy, and a tech. wizard. He has no plans to stay longer than a month, and no plans to form any attachments or relationships. He is moving on, especially after the humiliation of his last relationship. His stay in Red Hook is merely a stop along the way.

Rocki and her band play in the bar that Pete’s Dad owns. She is mysterious and has always hid who she really is, wanting to be accepted for who she is, not what she has. Slater is intrigued and attracted to Rocki. She has many friends in Red Hook, but when he starts digging for information he finds out everyone loves her, but no one really knows her. Rocki is determined to keep her distance from Slater, but when her brother is critically injured, the only person who really knows her, her life line for many years, she is devastated. Slater is the one to take her where she needs to go, he is the one to take care of Rocki.

Even as her secrets come tumbling out and her fear of judgment holds her back, Rocki and Slater can’t help but give in to the attraction, the hot chemistry between them. Both of them are caught off guard by their feelings, but once Rocki and Slater decide they are together for however long they have, they are all in. Soon though secrets and hidden memories from Slater’s past threaten to crumble not only what they are building, but Slater’s own sense of self and security. Self doubt and fear are enough for Slater to want to run off again…before he can hurt anyone he cares for. Slater needs to come to terms with what has happened not only in his past, but what is happening now. Can he? Or will he let it drive him away from the people who love him?

Robin gives us characters that will pull you and not let go of you in Had To Be You. Robin really has a gift for making you feel for her characters and bringing them to life. All of the characters have many layers, they are realistic people you will love and want to be friends with.

I just loved Slater. He doesn’t think very highly of himself, but his first thought is always making sure others are safe, and taking care of them, not himself. What he does, while on the surface might seem selfish, I think has much deeper meaning than even Slater can guess at. He is a tortured man, he can’t settle – and even he doesn’t know why, that’s just how he is. He remembers little of his past before he came to live with Pete. When his memories come slamming back after a traumatic event, Slater is almost as broken as my heart was for him. My heart broke for the man he is now, but especially the small boy he was.

Rocki has her own painful past she is escaping from and though she didn’t evoke in me the feelings I had for Slater in Had To Be You, she was a strong heroine who is just as powerful in the story. She is lonely despite her friends and has a hard time trusting anyone on more than a surface level. When you get past this surface, and see the real Rocki, what she’s been through and how she’s coped, it is easy to like her. Robin did a really good job of keeping me guessing about Rocki! I had no clue what her story would be. Rocki and Slater are a perfect fit for each other, and have strength to give each other, if they can see this through.

There are a lot of supporting characters in Had To Be You (I do recommend reading the other books in this series). It is a busy book filled with emotional highs and lows just like real life, that will have you laughing and crying. Despite the business of Had To Be You, it is very well written and delineated so that it is easy to follow. I loved the complexities of Had To Be You, the mature characters and the realism of the feelings and experiences. They don’t play games, they are honest and straight forward. The chemistry between Rocki and Slater is great but not overwhelming and doesn’t take away from the story line.

Had To Be You is not just a romance, but a story of relationships of all kinds and families. It’s about what makes a family, caring, love, and doing what’s right. If you are looking for a romance that will suck you in and leave you dry, I highly recommend Had To Be You by Robin Kaye!

Book Info:

Published February 4th 2014 by Signet

The last place he expected to find lasting love was back in his hometown…

Slater knew tragedy from a young age, but with the support of his foster family, he turned his life around. Now, back from a stint in the Navy, he’s packed up his motorcycle and returned to Red Hook to help to run the family restaurant—a job that comes with a tantalizing upside. Her name is Rocki.

Flirty, sweet, and outgoing, Rocki brings in crowds as the lead singer of the house band. And although she’s unable to resist the charms of this intense bad boy, she refuses to open her heart to him. Until a family crisis shatters Rocki’s easygoing demeanor, exposing something from her past she’d always hoped would stay hidden.

But Slater knows a thing or two about family secrets—and he sets out to prove to Rocki that their relationship could finally give them both a future worth believing in