Only For You by Marquita Valentine
(Book #2: Boys of the South Series)
Source: ARC from author
Rating: 5/5 stars

There aren’t really enough fun and awesome and totally nice words available to properly convey to you how much I loved this book!! Marquita Valentine stepped up to the plate on this one and knocked it right on out of the damn park!! Valentine wastes no time jumping into the story right where she left off at the end of book one, Live For You. Cole and Violet are officially a couple and are completely enjoying what will prove to be the calm before the storm. Violet is a super-star and Cole is a guy who owns a bar and is raising his little sister because his mom is a drug addict. Not exactly who you would expect country music’s darling to be dating. But, Violet doesn’t care – Cole is her man and there is nothing that is going to change that! But sometimes, the universe doesn’t give a crap about your wishes.

For Violet and Cole, their wishes seem to keep being thwarted at every damn turn! First up on the thwarting list is Jaxon Hunter, country music’s Golden Boy and Violet’s craptastic ex. Jaxon is an ass, engaged to the girl he cheated on Violet with and completely focused on getting Violet back in life and his bed. Yep, you read that correctly! Next up on the thwarting list is Jaxon’s dad and Violet’s producer, Everett. In order to avoid spoilers I’m going to go with some people just deserve what they get. Next up on the thwarting list, a multi-city tour for Violet with both Jaxon and Everett. Can it really get any worse? Of course it can but you know I don’t do spoilers 

Valentine certainly doesn’t skimp on the drama in this book but it never gets so out of control as to be unbelievable or ridiculous. And there is, thankfully, no angst. I don’t do angst! While Violet is this sort of larger-than-life character she is also a girl in love who is fighting to keep her man. She is all business this time around and I was really, really glad to strength in Violet come roaring to the surface. I still love and adore Cole but he sure makes it hard to root for him in this read. Cole still has the weight of the world on his shoulders, his responsibilities are outrageous and, his and his family’s past come back to haunt everyone. While I totally understand the reasons behind his actions, it didn’t stop me from wanting to beat the hell out of him. Valentine doesn’t make it easy on her characters and with all the twists and turns and crazy drama, I literally could not put this book down until I finished it!

The Bottom Line: Only For You is even better than Live For You and I loved book one! Not only does Valentine complete Cole and Violet’s in this read she totally sets up the next book in the series. YAY for us!! Jaxon and his dad Everett are vital to understanding Violet’s past and her actions in the present but their story has only just begun. Valentine uses Jaxon and his dad to not only enhance the drama of Cole and Violet’s story but also to really introduce the two and their seriously screwed up lives. Valentine seamlessly weaves all of the characters and all of their various tales together into one excellent read. I know we’re not quite to the end of the year yet and it’s not quite time to start assembling my list of favorite reads for the year, but is looking good for the Boys of the South!!! ( )

I fell in love with Cole and Violet Rae's story in Live For You, which ended really well, leaving you satisfied, yet yearning to know more of their story. Marquita Valentine delivers just that in Only For You, which picks up where Live For You leaves off. Violet Rae Givens is a country music sensation who went into hiding after a tragic event in her life, ends up staying with her grandmother, and that is where she meets Cole Morgan. Cole has had anything but an easy life and wasn't really interested in a relationship, but he couldn't help falling for Rae. He has a past, she has a past, and together they hope to have a future, but they have a hard row to hoe before that happens, especially when the press, Violet Rae's agent Everett, and her ex-boyfriend Jaxon Hunter get involved. Let's just say there is a whole lot more going on behind the scenes than meets the eye, and the deeper it gets... the messier it gets. When it seems that the world is against them, they each must make tough choices and decide for themselves just what they are willing to do for love.

Only For You was really wonderful, yet heart-wrenching. You find out the back story behind some of the characters, which is really interesting, and sometimes really sad. As the story progresses, the way the main characters lives are intertwined becomes more evident, along with quite a bit more truth about the past, current situations, and the characters in general, including threats, manipulation, and even blackmail. I was really rooting for Cole and Rae, despite the circumstances that were against them. I really loved Rae in this book. She had such patience and love for Cole that it blew me away. She goes though some crap to, the really hurtful kind, but she is quite the trooper, very solid. She knows what she wants and is determined to find a way to attain it. I loved Cole to, but he pissed me off for a while in this book and acted like a total jerk. Granted, he had a lot going on, with tremendous responsibility, but still, I would have liked to slap him a time or two. He has an excuse for some of his behavior, but not all of it. He does get his head on straight and manages to redeem himself before it is all said and done, and I know a lot of what he did, he thought he was handling things the best way he could. (All of this did add a lot more excitement and emotion to the story, however). Then there is Jaxon Hunter. He has his moments in the land of jerkdom to, but I really liked this guy. He kind of stole the show for me on more than one occasion. I could not stand Everett, at all. In fact, if a building fell on his head and squished him it would make my day. We also get to see more of the characters we met in book one, which was fun also, and there are some secrets that have been hidden for a long time that are revealed. There is a new character we meet whose name is Bliss, and she will play a big part in the next installment in the series, which I can't wait to read.

I can't forget to mention the romance, which it is hot and steamy. Overall, this is a great second installment in this series, and is really outstanding. I've totally fallen in love with The Boys of the South Series, and I can't wait to see what Marquita Valentine has in store for us in the next installment. If you are a contemporary romance fan, then this is a series I would definitely recommend checking out.

Quotes:
"Instead of crying, I smile wider. Instead of falling to my knees, I dance around on stage while launching into my next set. Instead of living with love, I'm learning to live on my own." ...Violet Rae

"For what it's worth, you're everything to me, Cole Morgan. Everything."....Violet Rae
"That's worth a hell of a log, baby.".....Cole

...I fix my gaze on her sweet face, on the look in her eyes. Love lives there, for me. Only for me.
....Cole Morgan

I shove him before I even know what I'm doing. "Seriously, bro, shut up. Don't think about Bliss, don't talk about Bliss...don't jerk off to images of Bliss' big tits when you're all alone at night. Stay away from her. Hell, don't even talk to her." "She's not worth the trouble you'll get in," I add, so that I don't seem all Edward Cullen possessive. I'm just Jaxon, asshole protector of innocent girls like Bliss. .....Jaxon Hunter ( )