His to Take - Katee Robert (Out of Uniform 3.5)

I once said I hate novellas, but that wasn't necessarily true. I love novellas that connect to a series, whether as a prequel or as follow up to other books in the series. What I actually hate is novellas that don't advertise themselves as such. Lucky for me, and the readers, His to Take is a novella in the Out of Uniform series, it is also the last book with some of the best small town characters. You can absolutely read it as a standalone, but I suggest the entire series, especially if you like a good looking man in (and out) of uniform.

Rating: 4 Stars
Published: December 2015
Many thanks to Entangled for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Erin is home, she's telling everyone she's just in between shows, but it's looking a bit more permanent than that. She's lost, feeling like a failure, and now she's been stood up for a date. Warren doesn't recognize this side of Erin, he's a marine home for the holidays, after noticing she's been sitting alone for thirty minutes he has to tease her. After seeing the lack of light in her eyes, Warren knows he has to do something and starting up their old game of truth or dare sounds just right. It might just be the right time to mention his feelings for her have changed in the past year, especially after a scare in the military.

 I received this novella about a month ago, in that time I forgot the entire synopsis and that ended up working in my favor. I was pleasantly surprised by this book and absolutely enjoyed the banter between the two main characters. Novellas are notoriously quick reads, we all know that, and there is a fine line between giving too much or too little, Katee Robert gave just enough. Mixed in with the main character's banter is history of their past and descriptions of both Erin and Warren, something I find a lot of novellas lack. I felt like I knew my characters features, personalities, and habits, all while reading their present interactions. I think it's an art to progress a story forward without pausing to give those details. I really liked Warren, I mean really liked him. At one point I might have said out loud, "Girl, if you don't want him I will trade you spots." Reading from his POV made me like him even more, because he wasn't just a man in uniform and old lover, he was charismatic, confident, and had a hidden side of emotions that the reader gets to glimpse before our other main character did. Erin, our female MC, is totally jaded and a bit lost, but Warren brings out this side of her that she put away. She rushes into every situation, but that's what makes this book all the more interesting. Her temper was hilarious and I really liked how she had to re-evaluate how she approaches situation in order to get her happiness.

The book takes place over two days, 95% of it in just one night, however it just works. This one is a lot sexy, but also a lot funny. Katee Robert managed to cover so much in those two nights, the character growth is pretty tremendous, and the relationship transition is just right. I especially appreciated that it wasn't random thing between the MCs, these two had so much history and that really made the situation believable. It also is book 3.5 in the Out of Uniform series, so if you've read the others (which you should), it's some final closure for characters and the small town we've come to know. While this book is short, it packs a lot of punch. Plus, if you're looking for your next steamy read, this totally covers that category. The chemistry between Warren and Erin is totally hot. Katee Robert is a great writer and I definitely suggest any of her series.