Review: Not Without Your Love (The Boys of Jackson Harbor #7)

Chelle
Mar 11, 2022
3 min read

Title: Not Without Your Love
Author: Lexi Ryan
Series: The Boys of Jackson Harbor #7
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: ☆☆☆.5
Trigger Warnings: talk about being an addict and subsequent sobriety, drugs, and shady dealings

What I liked most about Veronica and Colton’s story is that they got the redemption arc they deserved. What I didn’t like was in the process of doing that, there was so much talk about how the Jackson family - with all their hailed amazing abilities and placement in this world - became sort of a punching bag. Colton and Veronica are honorary members of the Jackson family but always on the outside looking in. It makes sense and I do get the reason for some comparisons/downfalls. But goodness, there was so much hating on the Jacksons and so much “I’ll never equate to a Jackson” in this novel, that I wished there wasn’t such a standard to reach for. Ethan Jackson was also used negatively in this book, and wow, I would have liked to see Ethan go off at Veronica when all the bs went down between her and Nic in the beginning, but years on, it was disappointing to see that a character who was placed in and out of this world through all the books was still held with such poor opinion by her brother in law, even if the past story for why Veronica wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea existed. Jacksons’ aside, I really liked Veronica and Colton’s relationship. They know what rock bottom feels like and built their lives back up tooth and nail, and I appreciated their struggles, vulnerabilities and strengths. I really liked the storyline for both characters, and whilst it got a little dramatic for my liking at points (insert Ethan mouthing off here), I am glad that through all they faced, they were able to find something special in each other. Again, there was the repeated boss-employee power dynamics trope used in this and at first, I was a little annoyed. Thankfully it was handled differently than in the other two stories in this series, so I didn’t mind Veronica working for Colton after some time. Their passion was hot and steamy yet fit what was happening between them. I like that sex was the only vice they both felt they could indulge in for some time, but it was also never going to be enough and led to genuine feelings. I also appreciated Colton’s struggles and talk of his sobriety throughout this novel. He’s a formidable character, and boy was I feeling for him whenever he was vulnerable. I’m glad Nic and Veronica also finally had it out with each other, and Veronica was able to escape the rather scary situation involving her son. I’m unsure if this is the end of this world (I can’t see how this could be dragged out any longer, though, with the new introduction of the HBA team, it could be) but I’m glad I took the time to read this series, even if I’m relieved it’s over and that this one didn’t end with a proposal like so many of the others did.

Review: Not Without Your Love (The Boys of Jackson Harbor #7)

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