Claiming Her Forever by Alexis Winter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m not Mr. Settle-Down-and-Start-a-Family.
Tried it. Failed at it. Don’t want it again.

I like my solitary life in the mountains.
I mind my business and I keep to myself.

I learned the hard way that life ain’t easy or fair.
One minute you think you’ve got it all figured out and the next, you find your wife in your bed with your own best friend.

Then Quinn Prescott shows up to rent the lower level of my cabin.
Sweet, innocent Quinn with her persistent attempts to get to know me and her constant questions.

Those big doe eyes have a story behind them.
She wants more than just a casual hookup and she deserves more.
But I’m not the man who can give it to her, and the quicker she understands that, the better.

I tell myself just one small touch.
One lingering glance into her piercing blue eyes.
One taste of her sweet, pouty lips.

But it’s not just once, it’s an all-consuming desire to claim her, to make her mine.
I can feel myself losing grip on the situation but I don’t care.

Then my ex shows up with a baby, claiming it’s mine and reminding me why I live by the rules that I do.
Only it’s too late, I’ve let Quinn in and now she’s carrying a secret of her own.

No matter how many times I try to lie to myself, this thing between us isn’t just lust—it’s something so much more and it’s something I’m about to lose forever.

Claiming Her Forever

Whiskey, Wounds, and Wanting Her

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💚💜
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: ☺️🤣🙁😘🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration

🦸🏻‍♂️ Hero Spotlight: Sawyer
Sawyer lives tucked away in the rugged Colorado mountains, in a cabin built for a life that never came to be. Years ago, his world shattered when he walked in on his wife Justine in bed with his best friend—who also happened to be the father of her unborn child. They left town together, and Sawyer hasn’t let anyone close since. Now, he’s a gruff, whiskey-sipping loner who runs several small-town businesses: a Jeep tour company, a handmade furniture shop, an Airbnb rental, and a new restaurant venture with friends. But every night, he returns to his cabin and the silence that’s become his armor.

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🦸🏼‍♀️ Heroine Spotlight: Quinn
Quinn is a 27-year-old aspiring novelist who’s spent the last six years caring for her terminally ill mother. With her mother’s passing, Quinn is finally free to chase her own dreams. She heads to the Colorado mountains for a three-month writing retreat, renting the lower level of Sawyer’s cabin. Sweet, curious, and emotionally open, Quinn hasn’t had much romantic experience—but she’s ready to start living for herself.

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🔥 Plot Snapshot
From the moment Quinn arrives, Sawyer is all gruff edges and emotional walls. He avoids small talk, keeps his distance, and clearly wants nothing to do with the beautiful woman living beneath his feet. But Quinn isn’t one to back down from connection. She cooks for him, chats with him, and slowly chips away at his defenses. Their chemistry is undeniable—raw, electric, and impossible to ignore. What begins as tension soon spirals into something far deeper.

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❤️‍🔥 What Worked

• Sawyer’s brooding intensity and constant internal monologue about Quinn? Deliciously dirty and emotionally layered.
• The steam factor is off the charts—scenes that sizzle without sacrificing character depth.
• Both leads come with rich, believable backstories that make their emotional arcs feel earned.
• The supporting cast adds warmth and texture, grounding the romance in a vibrant small-town setting.

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🤨 Room for More

• Sawyer’s emotional whiplash drags on a bit too long. His trauma is real, but the push-pull dynamic starts to feel repetitive.
• When Justine reappears, Sawyer’s reaction is… baffling. It undercuts some of the growth he’s made and feels like a plot hiccup rather than a meaningful obstacle.

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🎧 Narration Vibes
Narrated in dual POV by Javi Wilder and Meg Sylvan, this audiobook delivers on voice chemistry. Meg’s soft, feminine tone brings Quinn’s vulnerability and quiet strength to life—she’s got a Rita-from-Dexter vibe that’s oddly perfect. Javi Wilder’s deep, gravelly voice is pure Sawyer: guarded, rugged, and emotionally raw. His delivery nails the character’s isolation and slow-burning desire. Together, they elevate the story’s emotional stakes and steamy tension.

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📝 Final Thoughts
This audiobook blends emotional healing, sizzling attraction, and small-town charm into a romance that’s equal parts tender and tantalizing. While Sawyer’s emotional pacing could use a trim and the Justine subplot stumbles, the chemistry and narration more than make up for it. If you’re into grumpy mountain men, emotionally resilient heroines, and slow-burns that eventually ignite—this one’s worth the listen.

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