Jacob by V.H. Nicolson - Book Review - Blog Tour

Series: The Boys of Castleview Cove #2 (Standalone)

Publication Date: 23rd April 2025 (first published in 2022)

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/jacobbook

Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228710278-jacob

Genre: Contemporary Romance

3.5 Stars

One Liner: A fast and steamy read

Book Blurb:

Resisting temptation will test me to my limits

I've been in love with Skye since we were kids. But she's off-limits, not just because I’m her boss, but she's my best friend's ex. And, together, we made a pact as teenagers. And unbreakable bro code. Never touch each other’s ex. Ever.

But I’m forced to spend hour after hour, day after day, with her beauty. In meetings, conference calls, emails, and business trips. Every. Single. Week. It’s hideously torturous, and I shouldn’t want her the way I do. But then I think she might feel the same way…

Jacob is my boss. He’s broad, toned, dripping in ink, and it turns out the man I’m falling for has been under my nose this entire time, and yet I can’t have him. It’s too complicated, and he won’t betray his best friend and my ex.

So we resist. Although it’s amazing how much naughtiness you can get up to without touching. But then it becomes clear this is more than just lust. This might be real. How can we ever make this work? I wanted a fairy tale, but right now I'd settle for a chance to at least kiss my prince.

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My Thoughts:

The story comes in Skye and Jacob’s first-person POVs.

Though this is the second in the series, it works as a standalone. Lincoln from book one has a side role here, and so does Owen from book three. I haven’t read the first and haven’t decided about the third. Still, I had no issues following this book.

This is a rerelease by a publisher (I think the first edition was self-published) with a brand-new cover, which I really like. I prefer covers where the guy has some clothes on and exudes confidence. No idea if the contents inside have been updated or changed.

The POVs switched are clearly marked, which is useful since both are in the first person. The voices were distinct enough, so it was easy to follow. Moreover, the POV switch is not for alternative chapters, but changes based on the plot development and setting. That’s a good way to go.

The narration is pretty fast. TBH, the plot is rather thin, so it’s nice that the story moves along without stretching beyond its limit. Since bro code from childhood sounds a bit silly, the author addressed it by making the characters say the same. It has been used for character development as well.

However, there’s a subplot that didn’t exactly sit with the rest. I can see how it became a trigger for a vital development. There’s some talk of trauma and stuff. However, it pays on the safer side despite the fear, so the whole thing ends up more as a plot device.

There is a lot of steam, like from the second page (be warned that this scene can be uncomfortable given the relationship dynamics, though I think it was handled as well as it could have been). The short author’s note at the beginning makes this clear. I’d say it goes 4.5 (on the scale of 5, so yeah, steamy hot). Some dirty talk, too.

A bit of drama and a happy-ever-after followed by an epilogue or two. I like extended epilogues, so I enjoyed them.

The book's sustenance is the MMC’s love for the FMC. It’s so intense, deep, and overwhelming that it manages to strengthen the weak areas to some extent and makes the book a worthy read. There’s a thin line between love and obsession, but the author writes it well.

To summarize, Jacob is a quick read with some drama and loads of spice if you want brain candy. Don’t think too much about it. Enjoy it for what it is.

Thank you, Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

#NetGalley

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About the Author – V. H. Nicolson

VH Nicolson is an author of contemporary romance. Since writing her first novel over lockdown, she is now completely smitten with writing love stories with happily ever afters. VH Nicolson was born and raised along the breathtaking coastline of North East Fife, Scotland. For more than two decades, she’s worked throughout the UK and abroad within the creative marketing and design industry, as a branding strategist and stylist, editor of a magazine, and sub-editor of a newspaper. Married to her soul mate, they have one son. She has a weakness for buying too many quirky sparkly jumpers, eating Belgium buns, and walking the endless beaches that surround her beautiful Scottish hometown, where she’s now moved back to.

Follow the Author:

Facebook: @authorvhnicolson

Instagram: @vhnicolsonauthor

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/VHNicolsonNews

Bookbub Profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/vh-nicolson

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This has been a stop on the #Jacob blog tour by Rachel's Random Resources (@rararesources). Thanks for stopping by!