REVIEW: Until You Loved Me by Brenda Novak

In Until You Loved Me (Silver Springs #3) by Brenda Novak, Scientist Ellie Fisher is probably the least likely woman on earth to have a one-night stand. But after her engagement ended a few months ago when she found her fiance in bed with his (male!) best friend, she figures she deserves a bit of fun. And boy does Ellie have a great time with Hudson, a gorgeous guy she meets at a local club. Their one night together, though, has far reaching repercussions when she realizes she’s pregnant a few weeks later. Tracking Hudson down to tell him is the first step. Realizing how drastically their lives are about to change and that he’s very much in the public eye, being a famous football player, Ellie has a lot of decisions to make. With Hudson pushing her to move to Silver Springs, California, so he can be part of the experience, she leaves Miami and hopes she isn’t making a big mistake. Because as much as she might not yet fully trust Hudson, Ellie is still very much drawn to him and knows she could easily fall for him.

‘Despite everything he’d achieved, he hadn’t outdistanced his early tragedy, his abandonment. She wanted to give the boy inside him the love he needed, but she couldn’t do that without loving the man, too. And then how would she protect her own heart?’

Hudson King has tried to keep his nose clean and be the kind of athlete the kids at New Horizon can look up to ever since football became his life. With very modest beginnings, he learned by being moved from one foster home to another that he could rely only on himself and that trust has to be earned. Sadly, that goes for the women in his life as well. Being famous means the ladies want Hudson for his money and to share some of the spotlight. But Ellie, a cute, super smart woman he meets at a Miami bar, doesn’t even know he is a football star and they share a terrific night together. He should have known their amazing time was too good to be true when she shows up to tell him she’s carrying his child. Not sure whether she trapped him as a ploy for money or if she’s telling the truth that it was unintended, Hudson knows that if he’s going to be a dad, he’s going to find a way to be a part of his child’s life one way or another. Deciding to bring Ellie to Silver Springs was for that exact purpose. But soon their lives become entangled every bit as much as their emotions until Hudson is sure he’s in way over his head.

“I love you, Hudson–even though you warned me not to.”
She spoke fast and hung up. He got the impression she was afraid of how he might respond, so she didn’t hear him mutter, “Thank God you didn’t listen.”

A passionate one night stand and a surprise pregnancy threw our main characters for a loop in Until You Loved Me. Their emotions ran high–and the communication was severely lacking–but somehow through it all a genuine bond formed between them in this third installment of Brenda Novak’s Silver Springs series.

‘He’d lived his whole life feeling rejected by the very people who’d created him. He would not allow a child of his ever to feel the same.’

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Brenda Novak isn’t afraid to make her characters work hard for their HEA. And I think it’s because of this fact that her books are relatable and always have such a real, raw aspect to them. In this case, Hudson and Ellie both had their issues to overcome at the same time as dealing with an unexpected pregnancy. I really enjoyed their connection at the beginning. It was sweet, at times fun, and a case of opposites attract, with him being a famous football player and her being a studious scientist. It was once they were in constant contact that things got awkward and I didn’t sense that chemistry again until the latter half of the book. But Ellie and Hudson proved to be alike in a few of the ways that count (in my opinion) though. They were loners who felt like they were on the outskirts of society, they had similar values, and they wanted to make things as easy as possible on their future child.

That’s not to say that there weren’t issues because there certainly were. Ellie was still reeling from learning her longtime boyfriend was gay and their wedding being canceled so she was not so trusting–as one might expect. And Hudson overcame a LOT in his childhood, having been in and out of foster homes until he was sent to New Horizons in Silver Springs. He also had problems with trust in addition to his abandonment issues so it was a steep hill for him and Ellie to climb. Although I liked both characters, I honestly had a few moments where Hudson was acting *too* alpha male as he was pushing Ellie around emotionally, giving ultimatums. He eventually did lighten up thankfully and was there for her as the pregnancy progressed. Hudson’s past was also a big part of the plot and after a few twists and turns, we found out who his parents were and why he was abandoned as a newborn. It was heartbreaking but at least he (and we) got some much needed closure.

You can always count on Brenda Novak for an emotionally charged, heartfelt story. Between the realistic characters and the engaging storyline, Until You Loved Me was just what this fan was hoping for.
 

Book Info:

Publication: Expected publication: July 25th 2017 | MIRA | Silver Springs #3

New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak returns to Silver Springs

Sometimes starting over means finding everything you’ve been missing…

After catching her fiancé cheating—with another man—usually straitlaced, workaholic scientist Ellie Fisher liberates her wild side just long enough to indulge in a passionate one-night stand with a tall, dark stranger she meets at a trendy Miami bar. Embarrassed by her recklessness, she ducks out the following morning without learning the guy’s full name, something that shouldn’t have been a problem…until a pregnancy test turns positive.

Being a professional football player, Hudson King has always been cautious around women. But this one had been different—so disinterested in his celebrity, so convincingly into him. When Ellie tracks him down, claiming she’s carrying his baby, he’s stunned. And more than a little betrayed.

But after growing up as an orphan, he’ll do anything to stay involved in his child’s life, so he urges Ellie to move to Silver Springs, where they can co-parent. Hudson has a lot of love to give, certainly enough for his child, and when their initial spark reignites, perhaps for Ellie, too…