Wild Spirit: Steamy Single Dad Friends to Lovers Romance

Another amazing example of a love built around the Collins family! All of the stories in the Wild(er) Irish series have focused heavily around the strong family bond, and emotional support, of the Collins family, and this story is one of my favorite so far! Leo and Yvonne are absolutely perfect for each other, they just had to figure that out for themselves! Yvonne has a great family, an amazing childhood, and a job she adores. Her life is almost perfect. Except she has feelings for her best friend, that she doesn't think could possible go anywhere. Until things start to creep into unknown territory, and she begins to wonder if he could possibly feel the same thing for her. Leo's life is one day of stress after another. Single father-hood, helping run a family arm, and all of the day to day drama that comes with those things makes him a man on the edge. Until his best friend decides to help him learn to cut loose, and lose the stress. Until he starts to look at her just a bit differently, and he has to decide what that means for them! I loved Yvonne and Leo! They were fun, energetic, and I couldn't help but enjoy their antics. Even tough it seemed like everything was working against them, I just knew they had a magical HEA in store for them. This is a book that was as fun as it was romantic, and it was exactly what I needed! While it was plenty romantic (and extremely HOT!) there were also plenty of laughs, and (as always) the antics of the Collins never disappoint!

Yvonne and Leo were a breath of fresh air! Friends forever, all it took was one little nudge, and the chemistry between them exploded, and they both were onboard with it. Life kept throwing one thing after another at Leo, but that seemed to be the pattern in his life. Both were willing to push against that rising tide of responsibilities and timing that seemed destined to keep them apart. A few set-backs along the way, but patience and persistence paid off. One thing that couldn’t be denied, Leo needed his Vonnie in his life to keep things free and wild!

Wild Spirit is part of Mari Carr's Wilder Irish series, set in the Collins family universe in Baltimore. It's a fantastic friends-to-lovers story, about Yvonne Collins and Leo Watson. Leo is a year older than Yvonne, and became good friends with her cousins Lochlan and Colm when he moves to their high school, and then Yvonne. While Yvonne had a huge crush on Leo then, Pop-Pop's advice helps her focus on their friendship, and the blessing that is to them both. More than a decade later, that friendship has held them in good stead. Leo's life has been a bit of a roller coaster ride, and the responsibilities just keep stacking up. Yvonne can see the toll it's taking on him, and determines that it's her job as a friend to remind him how to relax, the Collins way. Along the way, that long dormant crush reawakens, and it's a real pleasure to see Leo and Yvonne negotiate the changes to their relationship as it takes on new direction and depths. Mari Carr does an incredible job of letting us get to know Yvonne and Leo, and those close to them. We get to see their comfortable and comforting friendship as well as the chemistry that explodes as they take a chance on more. Yvonne's a smart, generous, determined woman and a loving friend. Her steady care for Leo gives him the freedom to enjoy their bond and explore the possibilities of MORE. Leo's no dummy either. He's a loving father, devoted son, and takes each of his responsibilities seriously. When he able to cut loose though? Let's just say that Vonnie's fortunate to be on the receiving end of that deliciously focused attention. Wild Spirit is a sweet romance with plenty of heat. It's the perfect addition to the Wilder Irish series, and a great prompt to re-read this warm, funny, sexy series again!