This was such a lovely story about Mia and Nate. Mia is an overworked divorce attorney and Nate a retiree who has given up on love. Now don't be fooled by the word retiree. Nate is not really old, but simply has given up.

Their stories will make you laugh, cry and swoon. ( )

Tough Love is the exciting new romance read by Melanie A. Smith and I was fortunate to be given an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This was my first time reading a book by Melanie A.Smith but I will not be shy to pick up more from her in the future!!!

Our heroine Mia realises her life is running away with her and that she's nearly 30 and can't think of anything that she's really done with her life. She goes to Hawaii and sees this as a turning point to take life by the horns. she goes home to look after her gran, (who is a star) and that's how she meets Nate. Their love story really tugged on the heartstrings, as they realise they need each other to heal.
this was a loving, easy and comfortable read. I loved it and would always recommend it! I can't wait to read more. ( )

[4.5]
This is absolutely my favorite novel by Melanie (for now, at least). I was hooked from the start until the very end, and I may have teared up throughout the book. It was far more emotional and deep than I had expected, but I loved it.

The characters were real and relatable, and I immediately adored Mia's grandmother; she reminds me a lot of both of my own grandmothers, which at times did make it difficult to read, but even so, I think it made my connection to the character stronger. I loved Mia and Nate as well, both separately and together. I was rooting for them from the second they met, and their back-and-forth attitudes were frustrating - but worth it.

This isn't as steamy as her other novels I've read, which definitely strengthened the story for me. I'm not sure how well it would've stuck with me if there had been more sexual scenes; it felt like the perfect amount.

It was a bit triggering for me at times, considering some of the more emotional scenes with Mia and her grandmother, but that was in no way Melanie's fault. I still really enjoyed this book, and I'll definitely be getting a physical copy so I can reread sometime later!

Disclaimer: I received a gifted copy of this book via the author. This did not influence my opinion in any way. ( )

*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review*

As my low rating suggests, even though I seem to be on the minority here, I did not like [b:Tough Love|56452345|Tough Love|Melanie A. Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609505755l/56452345._SY75_.jpg|88064741]. Here's why.

First of all I was not able to connect to any of the characters (save maybe Dorothy) and I felt as if most of them didn't bring anything worthwhile to the story. Even Mia's best friend seemed a pointless character most of the time: she was brought in at random times and then pouf she disappears to be not mentioned again.

My major issue though is about Mia and Nate relationship: it was rushed and there were too much pointless drama to it. The whole 'Mia sober-drunk' episode for example made no sense at all to me.
And it wasn't the only thing with no sense whatsoever.

Truth is I did not feel any kindship to this couple and toward the end I just skipped through the pages. ( )