Can’t Resist Him is book four in Molly McLain’s River Bend series and, if you’ve been following the adventures of River Bend… this is the best one yet! Right? Don’t worry if this is your first River Bend experience. Can’t Resist Him can be read as a standalone without feeling as if you’re missing much. However, you’ll definitely want to go back and read the first three. Because Ms. McLain has combined sexy, smart, courageous men and women, with small town living into stories that come alive with emotion, adventure, and suspense.

Can’t Resist Him drops us into the middle of a typical scene for Jenny Riley, owner and sole stylist of River Bend’s only hair salon. Ladies man, Reed Fletcher ( I so want to kick him in the ass!) is ending their on again/off again friends-with-benefits relationship. Great timing. It’s the holiday season and Jenny is about to head to Vegas for their friends Mark and Ally’s sure-to-be romantic New Year’s Eve wedding. Not only is Jenny feeling the bite of loneliness, she’s also feeling quite the loser. Seems as if every one of her friends has a significant other at this point in their lives. Jenny, on the other hand, can’t seem to find that guy meant for her. And she’s beginning to think he doesn’t exist.

Marine Reservist Brody Nelson has just returned from his third tour in Afghanistan. Physically, he’s recovered from his wounds. Emotionally, it’s another story. This last tour resulted in the loss of two of his buddies and Brody is beating himself up over it. To make this whole nasty situation even worse, he’s been grounded by the psych doc. Being a civilian is not in his plans. But then, neither is meeting a gorgeous woman at his friend Mark’s wedding in Las Vegas.

I immediately loved Jenny and Brody. They each admit to being broken; Brody with his PTSD and guilt over the deaths of his buddies. Jenny with her shattered self confidence and lack of self esteem from choosing men based on what she believes she deserves rather than what she truly deserves. Even though the attraction between Jenny and Brody is magnetic, Ms. McLain doesn’t use the insta-love angle. Instead, Jenny and Brody embark on a semi long distance friendship, each wanting to help the other through their issues. But, guess what? This just increases the sexual tension brewing between them. Hehe

Brody sees right through Jenny’s insecurities and pushes her to go after what she wants and not accept less. He knows she is so much more than she believes.

She was the most real person he’d met in a long time. She’d give you the shirt off her back if you needed it. And she’d kick your ass a second later if you deserved it.

Brody isn’t ready to spill his guts to Jenny yet. He’s not sure he ever will be. And he definitely thinks he’s not good enough for her. Yet the connection he feels is undeniably strong. She makes him feel better than he has in a long time.

And even a little bit of Jenny Riley was better than any therapy session could ever be.

Jenny has Brody’s number as well. She’s fully aware the dark dreams and guilt he punishes himself with need to be handled carefully. And she is by no means put off by his struggle with PTSD. He’s such a good and honorable guy! Not the broken man he thinks he is. Jenny is amazed and humbled that Brody understands and respects her issues about men and relationships and isn’t pushing her for more. But her resolve to keep this a friendship is crumbling. God help her, those tats, those muscles, and a rumor about a piercing…she wants him BAD.

Lest you all think this is a dark and brooding book, let me set you straight. Jenny and Brody have FUN. Their texts are cute and silly, their conversations hilarious and sexy. And when these two finally get down to it, the sex is wickedly hot! Jenny and Brody not only come alive on the pages, their conversations are the real stuff. The subject of PTSD is insightful and handled extremely well. And, thank goodness there wasn’t any dragged out angst over Brody’s I’m not good enough for you business because that just wears me out. I so thoroughly enjoyed Can’t Resist Him and highly recommend the River Bend series.
I received a copy of this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.