ARC Review: Forever Alabama (Alabama Series) by Susan Sands

Ms. Sands packs big power into a series of small reads with her Alabama Series. Her heroines are spirited, her heroes are relentless and the emotions that spill out are a sight to behold. This time around, a woman finds a soft place to land at the most surprising of times. Will she allow fear of the past to prevent her finding happiness? Forever, Alabama is wise, thoughtful and emotional. Like a fortune cookie or a greeting card, with just a few short words, the author can cause a reader to feel an abundance of emotions. That describes Forever, Alabama and her cast of characters. ( )

Fun-loving, playboy Ben Laroux never goes over the two date limit. He doesn't do commitments and he makes that very clear to every woman he dates. Oblivious of course to the trail of broken hearts he leaves behind him. Sabine O'Connor, a fairly new transplant to Ministry, Alabama is privy to all the intimate details thanks to being the town psychiatrist. That has made her wary especially since Ben insists on flirting with her.

But Sabine has secrets of her own and they're about to all come out in a very big way. The only one she can turn to for help is Ben. Soon she realizes that though Ben may have a reputation as a heartbreaker, he has a heart of gold and honorable intentions. And that what they feel for each other might actually be the real thing.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley for voluntary review consideration.
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Forever, Alabama by Susan Sands
Book #3: Alabama Series
Source: Purchase
My Rating: 4½/5 stars
My Review:

Is it possible to be a colossal ass and not know you’re a colossal ass?? In Ben Laroux’s case, the answer is a resounding yes! Trouble is, he is Ministry, Alabama’s most beloved colossal ass which has allowed him to go through life completely ignorant of his behavior. It’s hard to hide things from the town shrink though 😊

Sabine spends her days trying to help those who are at the end of their rope. She listens, counsels, and keeps the secrets of countless Ministry, Alabama residents. Which is precisely why she knows the kind of man Ben Laroux is without ever having to talk to him. With his ridiculous two date rules, Ben has left many women in Ministry wanting more than he is ever going to be capable of giving. As Sabine has figured out, Ben thinks he’s doing everyone a solid by being up front and honest. He never leads anyone on and simply walks away when the dating limit has been hit. Yeah, Sabine doesn’t need any part of that arrogance in her life. She’s full up on that kind of crap!

Sabine and her mother are only in Ministry until Sabine can secure a divorce from her powerful, egomaniacal husband. For two years, they’ve hidden in Ministry hoping he will eventually come to his senses and grant Sabine the divorce she desperately wants. After all the lies, the cheating, and the relentless pursuit of power, Sabine wants out of the public spotlight and as far away from her husband as is humanly possible. In fact, Sabine is ready to move forward with her life and that can’t happen as long as she’s still tied to her past.

When she refuses to give him even an ounce of consideration, Ben decides to push and poke at Sabine until she agrees to give him a chance. What Sabine finds is a man who is clueless about his behavior, who’s stunningly sexy, and under all the bravado, a genuinely good man who cares for her. Which is just about the time Sabine sabotages it all by telling Ben about her past and her struggle to break free. Though he is justifiably angered, Ben does what all Laroux’s do, he turns to his family for advice. As always, the Laroux’s come to the rescue (HOWARD!!!!) and Ben crafts a plan that will not only secure Sabine’s divorce, but land her despicable husband right where he belongs, in prison! To be sure, the plan is risky and before all is said and done, it becomes downright dangerous!

The Bottom Line: I am still 100% a smitten kitten with Susan Sands’ Alabama series!! Of all the Ministry couples, Ben and Sabine are by far the most formidable. With her keen intelligence and insight into human nature and Ben’s intelligence, determination, and kind nature, there’s not much of anything or anyone who can stand in their way. Well, they can try 😊 Once again, Sands involves the entire Laroux family (and much of Ministry) which makes the read so much better, far more entertaining. Though I can’t say for sure this is the end of the Alabama series, I can say, if it is, Ben and Sabine’s story would be a fitting ending as it couples up all the Laroux kids and completes the family. With that being said, there are still a few characters hanging about (Sabine’s sister for example) who are just begging to have their story told. I’m not being subtle here, Susan Sands, I want more of the Alabama series. ASAP!!! ( )

Original review can be found on my blog at this link: https://yaguitarist.wordpress.com/2017/07/17/forever-alabama-by-susan-sands/

Forever, Alabama is the 3rd novel in the Alabama series but you don’t have to read the 1st and 2nd novels to understand this novel. The novels in this series are companion novels (correct me if I’m wrong), so it is perfectly fine to treat each novel as a stand-alone novel. The only difference in companion novels would be characters in previous novels will appear in the subsequent novels.

Initially, I was looking for a light, fluffy contemporary read. Boy, this read is much heavier than expected. Forever, Alabama addresses pretty sensitive topics and it is my first time coming across a novel which deals with such topics. The author has done a really good job in writing this novel. The writing style and topics addressed in it pulled me in, keeping me hooked to the story.

The novel is pretty slow and mundane during the 1st half of the novel as nothing really significant happens. It is the 2nd half where the plot starts to pick up pace and the story starts to get more interesting. I marathoned the 2nd half of the novel for an entire evening and was totally glued to it.

I love Sabine’s and Ben’s character. Sabine is a very strong protagonist. Strong as in mentally and emotionally strong. I haven’t read many novels which portray a strong female lead so this is something fresh for me. I like how Sabine handles herself and the problems that she faced. I’m glad that she finally escape the “nightmare” she was in. As for Ben, he might be a prick initially. The “perfect” guy that every woman falls for (sorry, but that wouldn’t work on me… >_>). Anyways, I’m glad he finally realize his prince charming behaviour actually has consequences. It has been a joy to follow these two main characters lives and see them grow as a person.

I’m satisfied with the ending of the novel and how everything turns out at the end. The final action packed scene is really good. My favourite part is the final scene where they raced against time to save Sabine from that douchebag.

I feel that I shouldn’t spoil the novel for readers who have yet to read it. Rather, I feel that readers should start reading this novel only after reading the blurb and ONLY the blurb. After all, I thought this novel is going to be a clique romance novel from reading the blurb but it isn’t! Forever, Alabama is different from my initial expectations and I enjoyed reading it.

Finally, I would like to thank LibraryThing and the publisher, The Tule Publishing Group, for providing me with a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review. 🙂 ( )

The third book in the Alabama series by Susan Sands is Forever, Alabama. The books revolve around the Larousse family. The main character in the third installment tells the story of Ben Larousse, a lawyer. His philosophy towards women is simple in his eyes, love and then leave them. He never seems to understand why women are confused that having three dates and sex with a woman is not a relationship. Luckily for these ladies, they have the family therapist, Sabine O'Connor to help them emotional come to terms with the hurt Ben has caused them. When Ben meets Sabine, he quickly puts on the great charm for Sabine but knowing Ben's history blows him off and wants nothing to do with him. Will Ben finally learn how his behavior affects women and realize what love can become with Sabine? Author Susan Sands brilliantly shows through her books the realistic view of the dysfunctionally individual and the clever way she introduces the importance of therapy. ( )