With Your Permission

Raphael is just LLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWDDDDDDDD!!!!!!! Damn! Damn! Damn!!!! This Man Made Me Lose My Breath!!!<br /><br />Raphael and Bri, met at his brother's and her best friend's wedding. Bri was the Wedding Coordinator and Raphael just came out of being missing from the spotlight. As an award winning Photographer, Raphael has been off the grid for years, nobody knew where he was except for his family. Raphael's fiance died in a car crash by a driver who was going the wrong way. Raphael survived but blamed himself and battled with survivor's guilt.<br /><br />Bri was focused on building her wedding business into the best thing, so she had no time for men who weren't serious and only looking for one thing or pretending that they wanted to be in it for the long run. So when Bri ran into Raphael, she felt his spirit was all over the place and doing what naturally comes to her, she hugged him, really hugged him. It wasn't sexual, it was being that person who can come along to comfort you. Raphael never forgot that and in running into Bri again he wanted to explore it.<br /><br />Raphael and Bri go on a ride that is both incredible and vulnerable, these two souls who didn't know anything about the other will find out that oftentimes love is not always obvious, and sometimes the road to love will catch even the most astute by surprise.<br /><br />I think Raphael and Bri's story is my favorite, although I haven't read De'Andre Valentine's story yet (In Pursuit of You (In The Heart of A Valentine Book 6) which I will soon. Their story is just so beautiful.<br /><br />Well Until My Next Review...Ciao! <br />

2.5? <br />isn't not book it is me

This is book 5 of In The Heart of a Valentine series but can be read as a standalone. I picked this one up and read it in a day! It's absolutely sexy and emotional and I fell in love with the author's fast paced writing style. Raphael Valentine is one of a septuplet! He and his brothers are strong, sexy, successful men and this series follows them and the women they fall in love with.<br /><br />Raphael is a broken hero who lost his fiancee in a car accident and has not been interested in any woman until Bri comes along. I don't know why I love these heroes who have these tragic pasts but I JUST DO! Their vulnerability just makes them so much more sexier. The added bonus of him speaking french in and outside of the bedroom made him even hotter.This book brought the steam with the breaking of head boards to prove it! <br /><br />Bri and Raphael connect on so many levels- emotionally, sexually and even spiritually. There was so much passion as they both went on a journey of healing as individuals and falling in love with each other. I absolutely loved it!

Did Raphael “Edward Cullen” that headboard?!? Whew Chile! ?? Raphael and Bri’s story is definitely one of my top favorites of the Valentine clan. I love it when there is no back and forth chase and they both have no problem admitting what they want in the other person. Raphael was dealing with past trauma and the weight of that guilt associated with the trauma was definitely taking a toll on him. It was such a heartbreaking story. I’m so happy that Bri and Raphael found true love in each other. The story flowed really well and it was enjoyable just like the others. I’m really enjoying all the black love and black excellence on display in these books!

Love after loss. This was a great story. Happy reading!

“Everything happens for a reason. Nothing is coincidental, and every step we take is in the blueprint given to us by the Creator. “– Raphael Valentine<br /><br />Raphael is my favorite Valentine. Sorry, Hunter.<br /><br />We met Raphael in Give Me A Reason, and I was immediately intrigued. There was something almost hypnotizing about him that we briefly saw. I instantly wanted to know more and was excited to see that his story was coming out this month.<br /><br />Raphael is a protective and caring soul with a substantial amount of pain. He lost his fiance four years ago, right before their wedding day, in a car accident. He is still, in a lot of ways, coming to terms with her death and ridding himself of self-imposed guilt. He was devastated after her passing and retreated from the spotlight and cut himself off from the world for a long time. He doesn’t have plans to love again, a part of him doesn’t even think he can. Why does he get to move on and be happy when his fiance doesn’t?<br /><br />Bri St. James enters Raphael’s life at his brother’s wedding and turns his emotions on its head. She’s an empath, deeply in tune with the feelings of others and Raphael is no exception. She sees the pain and fear simmering beneath his hard exterior and she wants to help; first as a friend but then as much more.<br /><br />In the grand scheme of things, these two didn’t necessarily have a hard time getting together. While Raphael was understandably hesitant, he didn’t stay that way for long and he acknowledged his feelings for Bri and did what he needed to do to be able to move on with her. Like the previous books in this series, With Your Permission was definitely instalove.<br /><br />I liked the added tale of Bri’s business woes with her partner and the introduction of a new character on her side of the family that may pop up soo.<br /><br /><br /><br />With Your Permission is a heartwarming story with sizzling chemistry (SIZZLING!!!) about finding love after loss, moving past tragedy and allowing yourself to live.<br /><br />

<strong>Love this series!</strong><br /><br />The Roses are still my favs but I am so loving this series. I think Raphael is my favorite Valentine. The purity of his heart is beautiful. Bri is perfect for him because her heart is just as pure.

I’ve been on a roll with SNN. This is my first series by her so I skipped book 4 because it was really like a 3.5 that included characters from a previous series. I haven’t read that series and I am funny like that. I have to read that series before I can read number 4. Anyway, this one was 5 of course and it picks up with the next Valentine brother- Raphael. <br />Listen and listen good. This is not for the faint of heart when it comes to eroticism. For the kind of author that SNN has been in this series (since I can’t judge her past work), this is the raciest one yet. Have I read more erotic? Yes, but when you get into this series and the type of topics SNN takes on, this one was a bit more intense. I don’t go looking for erotic romance. In fact, I only have a few authors that I read in that genre. I don’t add to it because it’s not my thing. <br />Raphael has a deep story and is dealing with the loss of his fiancé’ but in walks Bre Saint James. She is also dealing with an issue and together they help deliver one another. It’s a pretty intense chemistry. Even though I didn’t feel the “love” until much later in the novel the chemistry they had was blazing. The topic is more substantial than I’ve seen from Norris. She completely writes this differently than the other novels in the series and I like when authors switch it up. <br />I like that there is more substance to this story, however if I’m being completely honest the one drawback I have is with Bre. Her issue to me seems contrived. How Phillip fit into that was sort of creepy on her part to me, and realistically I would think if Bre was that delusional she would need therapy or something. <br />It seems like Allison should’ve made a final appearance in this one and also I missed Camilla and the other ladies as well, but their absence was understandable. <br />I gave this a 5 off the strength of the writer’s growth and her idea to switch up the structure of this one. This is the best one so far. Let’s see what 6 is looking like.

This was my first Stephanie Nicole Norris book. I read it for a book talk we're doing in my reader's group in August, and I'm so very happy that I did. Bri and Raphael are absolutely swoon worthy! Both of them! Incredibly strong, resilient people (which I adore), finding their way to each other. And the scene where they break something... I won't spoil it... but oh holy, smokes! <br /><br />I can't wait to have our book talk.<br /><br />Valentine men, here I come for the rest of you!

<strong>Yessss to Raphael</strong><br /><br />I absolutely loved every word in this book. Bri and Raphael were so cute together, and they overcame so much. Excellent read and I definitely would recommend it.