After everything blew up on Christmas, Liz walked away from me, and I let her. She said she needed space and a chance to pursue her dreams. But we both knew she was running from the mess she made. Now the political campaign she used as an excuse to leave is bringing us back together and I’m proving to her what she really needs—not just the hot nights, greedy hands, and undeniable physical chemistry. What she really needs is something real. What she really needs…is me.

We have already seen Sam and Lizzy already going through some challenges. The prologue of this one starts right after the big revelation at the end of Something Reckless. Then this story shifts forward as they try to pick up the pieces. Oh the drama, separation, miscommunication, hurt, and angst. Neither of them cope very well. Lizzy runs and throws herself into work and isolates herself. Sam has a few issues to deal with but also is spending quality time with a bottle.  And just as these two miserable souls are thinking they should do something about it, they are hit with a new challenge.

Now they are thrust in the middle of a messy situation and in the spotlight. There are underlying political agendas, lies, manipulation, blackmail, and betrayal. But also love, lust, and passion between them that won't die. It is hard to tell who to trust. And they get swept all up in it again just as they are trying to come to terms with what they really want and need to be happy. But this new situation is one that might be the biggest challenge of all.

During this series I never doubted Sam and Lizzy's true feelings and connection. They had really good chemistry and they were definitely compatible in the bedroom, but I also always felt the underlying closeness and deep feelings they had for each other. But their happiness always seemed to be ruined by outside influences. It seemed like every time they were about to get to a happy place , something else would happen to pull them apart. But they also did have some conflicts that were exacerbated due to their own personality traits. Sam had a tendency to overreact, want control, could be stubborn, jealous, and unapologetic. But he also had his own set of insecurities and trust issues.  But some of Sam's issues also came from his need to protect people and he would try to do "the right thing" but sometimes that ended up being the wrong thing for him and Lizzy. She was smart, sassy, and strong, but also insecure and tended to be a runner. And they were both so strong-willed that they hesitated to the be the one to make the first move at fixing situations.

And there were so many different people with their own agendas and motivations that were causing dissension in Sam and Lizzie's lives. It was truly a tangled web. But for all of the people that were against them, they also had a big group of supporters in New Hope as well. All of Lizzie's sisters and their spouses are a tight group that will stand together but will also be very honest in their opinions. Nix, Max, Cally, and Will rounded out their tight knit group of friends. 

These two people definitely went on a roller coaster and ups and downs that covered a period of years. They had separations, miscommunication, hurt feelings, guilt, and situations that just got out of control. But all along I wanted to see them find a way to make it work. It was told in both points of view so we could understand their feelings and fears. There were definitely some twists and surprises throughout the series and this installment was no different. Some things definitely snuck up on me. I enjoyed the changing dynamics of the characters and how some story lines intertwined. There were several antagonists that I really disliked. And there were some others that did some questionable things, but I could tell had some good in them too. This was another engaging, sexy, emotional installment in the New Hope world. I loved touching base with all of the characters that we've come to know and love. Lexi Ryan teased a little bit with Nix and Max and I can't wait to see more of them in Playing with Fire. 

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review. 

“With some people, love becomes your air, like the oxygen that you can’t live without. You need it, and once you find it, you’ll do anything to keep it.”

Sam and Liz left things in a very rough place at the end of Something Reckless and when I started reading Something Real I was gutted watching the results of the fallout from the revelations at the end of Reckless, but there is so much to love about this final piece of Sam and Liz’s story.

Sam finds himself backed into a corner as a media frenzy breaks out relating to Sabrina Guy. In order to protect those close to him, he agrees to play along, but his agreement keeps getting deeper as the tables are continually turned and the hits keep on coming. 

Meanwhile, Liz is working on the Christine Guy’s campaign for President but doesn’t feel nearly as needed as she did when she was writing speeches for Sam’s father. She is lonely, misses home, and hates the way things have changed since she left New Hope. 

But neither Sam nor Liz have forgotten the feelings they felt for each other, even as they wonder how they can move past the whole Riverrat fiasco and revelation. And as events unfold, it appears there are even more things keeping them apart.

I loved all the twists and turns this story took. For not being a suspense novel, there were plenty of cover-ups and surprises tucked throughout the plot. The alternating points of view means that at any given time, readers know more than either individual character making this a page turner from start to finish. 

Though Liz spends much of the book working in Indianapolis, the city is close enough to New Hope that she returns home to visit with her sisters and girlfriends as often as she can, and when she needs them they drop everything to be there for her. Hints are dropped as to the next installment of the New Hope stories, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for that next couple! 

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.