Stories and Swag!: Blog Tour: Let Love Shine by Melissa Collins

What comes after “they lived happily ever after?

Maddy and Reid have seen their fair share of trials and tribulations, of love and loss. Facing down the biggest challenges of their young lives, they managed to survive and endure. With the future stretching out before them, they must learn to navigate new and unfamiliar paths.

Being new parents, starting new jobs, and continuing college is enough to overwhelm any couple. New challenges come up daily, as do small victories. Watch Maddy and Reid grow stronger together in this “one year later” tale of the everyday stuff that happens in real life.

With a solid foundation of love under their inexperienced feet – and with the help of their family and friends – Maddy and Reid learn how to let love shine, lighting the way for a beautiful future to come.

Jennifer Says....

When I found out we were getting more Reid and Maddy I was so jumping for joy!! The Love Series is one of my favorite series that just makes your fall in love with their characters. When Let Love Heal was released, I loved Melanie’s story but to be honest… I missed Reid. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Melanie and Bryan’s story, but Reid is just that “sex on a bad boy stick” that I love! A bad boy turned married man with that oozes sex appeal and worships the ground his wife walks on. What is not to love about that??

With Love Love Shine we get a glimpse into the married life of Reid and Maddy and I loved it. The books starts off when they bring home little Braden home from the hospital. It’s hilarious being a mother of three reading this because you are transported back to those fears of having your first baby. Maddy also struggles with her post baby body and has insecurities and I love that Reid is right there for her every step of the way.

“I want to take my time with you, go slow. There’s no rush I’m going to kiss every inch of your body. Run my tongue along every line and curve. I’m going to bring you to the edge of your control, just to ease you back. Drive you crazy”

And there is the hotness factor!! OMG! Melissa Collins knows how to write some steaminess! I love it! If you have not read the Love Series I highly recommend them and this companion novella is a great additional to the series! 5 HUGE stars from me!

Lesley says...

I was so excited to see another book in the Love Series by Melissa Collins and was very anxious to see what happened next. We have followed Maddy and Reid through their journey of falling in love and starting a family. Let Love Shine is an amazing story of all the little things that happen in life. It was so refreshing to see a writer tell the story of every day happenings like changing diapers and going to work. We watch them navigate life and learn as they go. This story all occurs a year after their marriage. It is a must read if you have read Let Love In and Let Love Stay. 4 star read!

Here we are a year later and we couldn’t be happier to have Braden’s first birthday party tomorrow with our friends and family. Between prepping for the party, me working overtime, and Maddy finishing her last summer course, we’ve barely been able to stay awake past eight every night.

But watching them dance and laugh in front of me makes it all worth it.

I pull them both into my arms and just hold them for a quick second before Braden starts shimmying out of Maddy’s arms. He’s caught sight of his Lightning McQueen race car on the floor and is reaching for it. Handing him his car, Maddy puts him in his bouncy seat. The sight of my wife taking care of our son, talking baby talk and kissing him sweetly should warm my heart. But all I can see is her ass right now. Yep, I want her.

“Get over here.” I pull her back to me once Braden is situated and brush her hair out of her eyes. “You look beautiful, you know that?” I trail sweet, soft kisses behind her ear and down her neck.

“Hmmm,” she mumbles and it makes me smile against her skin.

Moving from her neck across to her mouth, I feel her lean into my lips. This is something else of which I’ll never get tired. Her full, luscious lips pressed against mine; the taste of her sweet mouth still drives me crazy. “Well, hello there.” Pulling away from our kiss, Maddy arches her eyebrows as she presses her hips into my groin. The last motion surprises me more than a little. To say that our sex life has been different in the last year is, well, it’s an understatement to say the least.

“What? I’m not allowed to want my wife.” I grab her ass and push her into my erection a bit more. Our hands roam as the kiss rises in intensity. I fist a handful of her hair and pull her mouth even closer to mine. It’s the hottest kiss we’ve had in a while. Just as her hips start to roll into mine, we’re distracted by a sound, and smell, to which we’ve grown all too accustomed in the last year.

Before I can even move my hands from her body, Maddy’s pinching her nose closed. “Not it!” She calls out and laughs.

“Damn, you’re getting quick!” It’s kind of been our thing to decide who gets to change him. I scowl playfully at her and she just laughs at me.

“Dude, you’re killing my game.” Braden smiles as I hold him out in front of me. “Holy crap! What the hell did you feed this kid today?” Seriously, he’s lethal.

“He ate the same as usual. He’s just a stinky little monster.” She says the last sentence to Braden in that ridiculous baby talk. You can talk sweet about it all you want; it’s still poop.

I’ve always been an avid reader. Majoring in English Literature was a no brainer. Becoming a teacher and instilling my love for reading into my students was also a no brainer. I’ve spent the last ten years teaching and I’ve loved (mostly) every minute of it. When I was home on maternity leave for my third son, I discovered a new genre that sparked my creativity. My passion for writing sprang from my love of reading and once I knew I had a story to tell, I couldn’t wait to get it out there. I only hope that my readers enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoyed writing it.