ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a second chance story by Brayden, featuring Bethany and Reid, who were together iARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a second chance story by Brayden, featuring Bethany and Reid, who were together in high school and broke up for ‘reasons� and then reunite 11 years later. Upon seeing each other again, Reid is all for trying to start over and Bethany is less interested, due to the ‘reasons�.
A lot of this story is told via flashbacks, one of my least favourite methods of storytelling. I prefer second chance stories where the reason for the breakup is known from the start and the book is about how the couple reconnects. It also meant that a large part of the book was YA, which is also not a favourite.
The back story for these two could have been handled in the first few chapters through a mature discussion between the two, not at the last possible minute. We did not need to spend endless chapters reading about cheerleading and Reid’s parents issues, that time would have been better spent on having the two reconnect as Reid’s situation has changed quite a bit but that reveal doesn’t come til the halfway mark, and it’s a big one.
Both MCs are fairly likeable, and I did believe they were each the others ‘one�, but I found the second stab at a relationship to be fairly superficial, with not a lot of substance to their reconnection. There are quite a few supporting characters, Bethany has two BFFs in the present, Reid has her family, and there’s a bunch of others characters from when they were younger, some of whom carry over into the present storyline, but none of whom are fully fleshed out.
The rest of the reveals about why they broke up and the ramifications of it don’t happen til around the 90% mark, making the ending much too rushed. Less time in the past would have allowed for a more realistic unfolding of their new relationship but as it was, I didn’t buy the neat resolutions, even with the time jump in the epilogue.
If you enjoy second chance stories with YA/present, then I recommend Brayden’s other second chance story Strawberry Summer, which has a similar premise but better execution. 3 stars....more
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I read Greene’s The Wedding Setup last year and found it ok, but I didn’t enjoy this one. ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I read Greene’s The Wedding Setup last year and found it ok, but I didn’t enjoy this one. The premise was interesting, but the story didn’t live up to it.
The MCs are Nicole and Quinn who grew up in the same small town and were interested in each other in high school but just as they were getting together something happens that causes an argument and Nicole then leaves town and becomes a famous photographer. Quinn is also a photographer and both she and Nicole are hired to shoot an advertising campaign (though I couldn’t work out why they were both needed).
Nicole is back in town for about six weeks as a result and working together of-course forces them back in contact and they become closer. I liked Nicole, but could not warm to Quinn, especially since the ‘issue� that forced them apart was just her being ridiculous and unfairly blaming Nicole for her issues. The same issue the crops up again in the book, making Quinn even less likeable. The only thing I liked about that part of the book was that everyone, including Quinn’s BFF and other friends, calls her out for this. She then has to make a grand gesture that leads to the HEA but I couldn’t buy into it, Nicole deserved better and the epilogue was too neat for me, especially in regards to Quinn. I also could have lived without the parents side story. 2.5 stars. ...more
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a compilation of short stories featuring very different couples.
EF1 by Kris BryaARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a compilation of short stories featuring very different couples.
EF1 by Kris Bryant features Alyssa, a photographer on her way to photograph a wedding and Katy a cop that pulls her over for speeding during a tornado. They take shelter together and then spend time together during the aftermath, helping people recover. The story is obviously short, but there was still enough time to lay the groundwork and I really liked both characters, and the way their relationship was depicted. I also really enjoyed the setting and how it made it easy for them to open up to each other. I wish this one had been a full length book.
Trapped Tycoon by Amanda Radley features Clara and Francesca who get trapped in a elevator together. Clara has just been fired by Francesca for stealing an expensive pen, so being trapped together is awkward at best. Clara has also been crushing on Francesca since she was a child (age-gap romance) and is disappointed to discover her idol has feet of clay. I found this one ok but couldn’t really get into it. Clara’s feelings for Francesca seemed obsessive and a bit stalkery. I’m usually a sucker for age gaps, but I think this was too short to be able to overcome the set up.
Wings Over Boston by Emily Smith features Tess and Ryland who had a one month relationship 3 years prior that ended because Ry, though older, wasn’t ready to settle down. They meet up again when Tess is asked to fill in as pilot for the MedFlight organisation Ry is an EMT for. The two are immediately re-smitten with each other, and thanks to a few different tropes are given the means to hook up again. This was an ok read, both characters are likeable and I bought that they’d each missed the other.
This is an easy read with enjoyable stories, fans of these authors should enjoy this, and anyone who hasn’t read anything by these authors would find this a good way to sample them. 4 stars.
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was another new author for me this month, and I found this ok, but ultimately, too rARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was another new author for me this month, and I found this ok, but ultimately, too repetitive.
This features MCs Kirby and Quinn, who both served in the military, Kirby in the Army and Quinn in the Navy. The two were in a relationship for two years 9 years prior to the book starting and then literally bump into each other at a pride event.
Kirby is far less thrilled about this than Quinn is and the reason why is revealed in flashbacks. Quinn broke Kirby’s heart (and her own) by breaking up with Kirby under the pressure of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Kirby is still hurt by this and is less and less thrilled each time she runs into Quinn, which happens a lot due to a convenience I also found hard to swallow. Anyway, they end up spending a fair bit of time together and Kirby eventually thaws. This section takes up approx 50% of the book and is filled with repetition involving Quinn apologising and Kirby pushing her away, backed up by flashbacks about what happens. Honestly, I found the flashbacks added nothing to the story, we already knew what happened and spelling this out didn’t add anything for me.
They then embark on another relationship, but the wheels of this one also fall off due to Quinn not being out to her homophobic parents. Kirby won’t stand for this, and we have the requisite break up, followed by a dramatic event that then allows them to reconcile. This is pretty much follows the BSB formula to a T.
Despite Quinn being portrayed as the one who did Kirby wrong, I preferred her character. She owned her mistake and wanted to make amends, but Kirby was annoying stubborn and also judgemental about Quinn’s situation with her parents. By the end I didn’t care if they got together, and thought it would be healthier for them both if they didn’t.
This is a debut book, and those are hardly ever perfect, and I found some of the writing a bit too formal in places and had some issues with the pacing. Overall, it’s an ok debut, and I’d read more from this author. 3 stars....more
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is an ok second chance romance, but it’s not the best I’ve read.
This features MC AlARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is an ok second chance romance, but it’s not the best I’ve read.
This features MC Ali, who has just been broken up with by her latest ex and is encouraged by her BFF Charley to send a questionnaire to all of her exes to see if she can find out what went wrong. The other MC is Madison, Ali’s high school sweetheart, who Ali thinks broke her heart.
Madison is none to pleased to get Ali’s questionnaire, because she believes Ali broke HER heart, so when Ali doesn’t hear back from Madison and shows up in the small town they both grew up in, Madison is even less thrilled. The two talk and realise their breakup came from a miscommunication, but Madison is still ticked off, and this requires a contrived circumstance to then keep them in proximity long enough to sort things out. Unfortunately, we are not done with the miscommunication, and have to slog through them sorting themselves out again.
There’s a few supporting characters, mostly Ali’s BFF Charley (the highlight of the book) and Madison’s sister Jenny, with some other scenes featuring Madison’s other family or coworkers. Both MCs are likeable, and I mostly believed they’d always pined for each other, but honestly just didn’t warm to their reunion enough to care about them getting back together. Fans of the second chance trope will likely enjoy this, it’s an ok read. 3 stars. ...more
ARC received via Bella Books in exchange for an honest review.
Noyes is always a go to for me, so much so that I requested this without even reading thARC received via Bella Books in exchange for an honest review.
Noyes is always a go to for me, so much so that I requested this without even reading the blurb. Once I got it I realised it was a second chance story, which are hit and miss for me depending on how they pan out, and this also involved a crime element.
The MCs are Avery, an Air Marshall, and her ex Elise, who is a rising Hollywood actress. They were together for 5 years before Elise unceremoniously dumped Avery to further her career and they are reunited on a flight.
As is usual for a Noyes book, this is told in first person, from Avery's POV. This was a limitation here, because Elise was actually the one who drove all of the drama, and we never get her perspective, her story is told only through what Avery reveals about her, but this book would have been far more interesting if we could have been privy to what Elise was also feeling, as Noyes did in Ask Me Again.
Both characters are fairly interesting, and I believed they loved each other and should be together, which was actually also a limitation, because I just didn't buy that Elise would have just broken up with Avery after 5 great years with little to no explanation and then stayed away. There aren't many supporting characters in this that get much to do, the character with the next biggest role is Avery's co-worker Nicole, who added some levity in her scenes. There's also an adorable dog, Bennett, who was the highlight for me. The crime aspect left me a bit cold, mostly because I found the first part of it on the plane pretty unbelievable, and the end section involving that character was the same, how someone who was being stalked and her cop girlfriend wouldn't take more precautions to keep a stalker out was beyond me.
I did like that both characters communicated well with the other and that they talked through their issues once back in each other's realm. The way Noyes worked another of her stories into this one was also quite clever. I also believed that the MCs made a good couple and wanted to see them resolve their issues and get back together, so I enjoyed that aspect, but there were too many other issues for me with this one to add it to my list of Noyes 'must reads'. 3 stars...more
ARC received via Ylva in exchange for an honest review.
Second chance romances can be a bit of a mixed bag, but I enjoyed this one. Here, we have ChloeARC received via Ylva in exchange for an honest review.
Second chance romances can be a bit of a mixed bag, but I enjoyed this one. Here, we have Chloe, who is returning to her small UK village to renovate her childhood home following the death of her father. The other MC is Amy, who returned to the village some years back to help with the family farm. Chloe and Amy were BFFs as kids/teens but haven’t seen each other since Chloe left the town due to Amy’s handling of rumours about them being gay as teens. Since their properties border each other, they run into each other pretty quickly, which brings up all the “feels�. Chloe was heartbroken by Amy’s treatment of her, so wants nothing to do with Amy and Amy is ashamed of how she treated Chloe.
One thing that I appreciated was how quickly this was resolved. Amy apologised up front for what she did and Chloe didn’t take too long to forgive her. I also liked the chemistry between the MCs, I believed they loved each other then, and could see how those feelings carried over into the present. I also thought their relationship unfolded realistically and appreciate the lack of contrived drama towards the end. I also liked how Chloe came to appreciate her small town and the people in it and discover that she was accepted there for who she was (as was Amy).
Amy’s brother was a bit of a jerk, and I didn’t really like him, even after his part in their break up was resolved. The rest of the supporting characters are really good though, particularly Chloe’s BFF Naomi (who I hope gets her own book) and Naomi’s family, Amy’s family were also lovely (with the exception of the brother) and I loved her nephews.
Both characters are interesting separately and together and their relationship is sweet enough that I was rooting for their HEA. If you like second chance romances, then this should hit the spot. 3.75 stars....more
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I hadn’t read this author before, and found this to be ok, but not great.
This features AARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I hadn’t read this author before, and found this to be ok, but not great.
This features Andi, who is in Alaska for her BFFs wedding, and Riley, who is the photographer at the wedding. The two knew each other from childhood to just prior to college when they were split apart by Andi’s parents. This drove Andi to make a bad decision, which in turn results in a loveless marriage and two kids (who she adores).
Both MCs are shown to have constantly pined for the other, so when they reunite and realise both are now free they immediately hook up. I found this part a bit hard to swallow, they do eventually talk about everything that split them up but I’d have preferred this clearing of the air to occur first. They then decide to spend the rest of the trip together. Andi then returns home to her (delightful) daughters and Riley to her nomadic existence and they keep in touch and do various meet ups where Riley meets the girls and they continue their romance.
The issue I had is that there’s not much substance. While the MCs spend a lot of time together, most of it is references to the past and/or sex. Apart from the girls, the other characters are barely fleshed out, Andi’s ex Scott, while often mentioned, appears only off-screen, so it’s hard to get a handle on what this relationship was or wasn’t, as we only see it from how Andi describes it to Riley and through actions recounted to us. Same with his wife Cathy, who seems lovely, but is never in an actual scene.
I also found the insta-love a bit much, I get that they knew each other before, but they know nothing about each other now, and I’d have preferred a bit more of them getting to know each other before jumping into a family unit. Riley’s pining for Andi through photos was also a little creepy.
I did enjoy the interactions between Riley and the girls and how quickly they bonded and I also appreciated that the dramatic moment had nothing to do the the MCs breaking up and that communication was strong in this book. Overall, it’s an ok read and I’d read this author again. 3.5 stars....more
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is sort of a second chance love story, in that the characters were childhood friendsARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is sort of a second chance love story, in that the characters were childhood friends, sort of verging on understanding their feelings for each other, before a tragedy separated them.
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I like Rey’s books, but this wasn’t my favourite of hers. It’s ok, but not her best.
ThisARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I like Rey’s books, but this wasn’t my favourite of hers. It’s ok, but not her best.
This features the second chance trope, with MCs Kate and Sutton as high school sweethearts who break up after Sutton leaves for college, there more to it but it’s a spoiler I guess, so hidden under the tag (view spoiler)[ Kate sleeps with someone else while she’s away and falls pregnant (hide spoiler)].
Sutton returns home 10 years later to look after her father while he has surgery and of course runs into Kate. Kate has remained in town and is raising her 9 year old daughter, Harper, alone. She has a lovely supportive family, including her trans brother Bryce. Sutton and Kate were ok characters (Sutton as the better of the two), but Harper and Bryce were my favourites.
So, Sutton comes home, but both MCs have mixed feelings about each other because of ‘reasons�. It’s a small town though, so they run into each other a lot and get friendly again pretty quickly, which then leads to a friends with benefits sort of thing. They do have good chemistry, and for the most part I enjoyed their interactions, but the scenes between Harper and Sutton were the real gold.
So the two of them have reunited, things are going ok, and then we have to hit the requisite drama portion around the 80% mark, which didn’t feel organic, in all honesty I didn’t buy either part, the whole thing felt contrived and overblown. It is fairly quickly resolved, which was the only plus.
The big downside to this book is the issue that broke them up to start with. It gets harped on all the way through the book, and yet isn’t really explained, which is just weird. Both families warn the MCs about rekindling their relationship, although for the life of me I couldn’t work out why Kate’s family were mad at Sutton, she cops a lot of blame for their break up but from where I was sitting, all the blame was on Kate. (view spoiler)[ did they seriously think she’d come home, find out her girlfriend had cheated on her and was pregnant and be all like ‘that’s cool, let’s get married�? Seriously? They all acted like Kate’s cheating on Sutton was no problem and Sutton was the unreasonable one. I mean, how did Kate have the high moral ground because Sutton had the good sense to leave and not come back? They also don’t mention what happened to Harper’s father, which I also found weird (hide spoiler)]
Anyway, that aside, the MCs are both fairly interesting and I bought that they still cared for each other. They both have good family’s and nice interactions with them and I loved Harper and Bryce as side characters. Like I said, not Rey’s best book, but an ok read. 3 stars. ...more
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t think I’ve read a Noyes book I haven’t liked, and that streak continues here. ThiARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t think I’ve read a Noyes book I haven’t liked, and that streak continues here. This is set in the lead up to and during the 2016 Olympics and features Caitlyn, an equestrian training for the Olympics and Addie, a vet working with the equestrian team. They knew each other as teenagers at Pony Club, but have differing perceptions of what happened back then.
There’s been a few books lately around the theme of meeting up with someone who used to bully you and then falling for them, this was different in that in the others I’ve read the bully was clear cut and (eventually) acknowledged by both MCs. This took a different tack, because while Caitlyn believes Addie bullied her, Addie doesn’t remember it the same way. I also expected this to be one of those things where the reveal comes later in the book, but this is addressed early and head on, which I appreciated.
I really enjoyed both MCs and that Noyes let us hear both voices, usually we only get one POV. I liked that we could see how each of them saw their interactions and their past. I also appreciated the lack of the flashbacks usually used in second chance books, as flashbacks aren’t my favourite way of telling a story. The secondary characters were also good, and I have a special shout out here to Dew, I love animal characters and he was a sweetie.
I’m not that into equestrian stuff, I watch a bit of it during the Olympics, but that’s about as far as my knowledge goes. I found the topic here interesting, but I did start skimming over some of it and the vet scenes throughout the book, as they sometimes felt too detailed.
The romance between the MCs was organic, and I felt that they addressed the past enough to be able to move on from it and then the relationship was well-grounded.. I also give Noyes bonus points for there being no ridiculous break up and that the MCs actually discussed their issues like grown ups. I never really had any doubts about how it would end, but I enjoyed the HEA for these two. 4 stars...more
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a fairly sweet romance from Bryant that falls somewhere between a novella and a nARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a fairly sweet romance from Bryant that falls somewhere between a novella and a novel. It features Natalie, a Sheriff in her small home town, and Sarah, who is returning to said small town with her six year old daughter. Natalie and Sarah shared a kiss in high school, and haven’t talked since. Both remember the kiss though (and think about it a lot since seeing each other again).
To be honest, not much happens in this book, these two reunite, have a lot of ‘meet cutes� and then get together, in between that is a subplot about a lost dog, that even though I love dogs, I thought took up too much of the story given it’s length. The side characters aren’t terribly fleshed out, but are very supportive and there’s some cute moments with Sarah’s daughter Harper, who also features in the dramatic portion of the book.
Thankfully there’s no miscommunication or contrived breakup, and the MCs are very sweet together. I did think the ending from the dog’s POV was weird though. 3.5 stars. ...more
ARC received via NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger warning, this book focuses on domestic violence and the aftARC received via NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger warning, this book focuses on domestic violence and the aftermath.
Domestic violence is a hard topic, but when handled well in a story, it can uplift and inspire while also educating. Unfortunately the handling of the topic here is so over the top it borders on ridiculous for the most part, so didn’t do the topic justice at all, in my opinion.
So, here we have MC Desi, a battered wife who lives with her abusive husband and her sister Rachel. The other MC is Harriet (Harry) an orthopaedic surgeon who is also Desi’s ex-girlfriend. Desi and Harry met in the 3rd grade and loved each other fiercely. Desi lived with her abusive father and her little sister. Both Rachel and Desi spend tons of time with Harry and her family growing up, but somehow never manage to meet Mona, Harry’s housekeeper, who has been with the family since a Harry was a child. I also couldn’t work out why Clyde even let Desi and Rachel spend so much time with Harry growing up if he was so controlling, it just didn’t make sense.
Anyway, they had a love for the ages, but just as Harry was going away to college Desi stopped talking to her (for reasons) and Harry left and didn’t look back. They are then reunited when Desi’s abusive husband puts her in the hospital. Harry happens to be on call and is Desi’s doctor. Upon hearing about the threats to Desi, Harry offers to take her and Rachel in and so the two then spend time together and reconnect. Desi explains why she left and she and Harry are able to move on. The main issue I had with this storyline was that Harry was too... everything, she could carry Desi around (in a mobile cast) for long periods without any issues and she’s sweet and accepting and protective (and of-course, handily trained in martial arts). She also comes with the requisite understanding group of friends who are able to provide Desi and Rachel with everything they need. This group includes ‘Buster� who is the son of Harry’s ex, and who calls Harry ‘Uncle Harry� even though Harry doesn’t not go by male pronouns or descriptors in any other aspect of her life. There’s also no real explanation as to why Rachel lived with Desi and Byron or why Byron, abusive ass that he is, would have ‘allowed� it.
My main issue with the book was the ‘bad guys�. We have Byron, the seemingly crazy husband, who wants Desi back for no reason that I could fathom, since he literally thinks at one point that he just wants to kill her to be free of her, since she wants a divorce, seems like there’d be easier ways to accomplish that. His father (Big Byron ...more
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book features three short stories about reunited lovers. The first story ‘My Forever ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book features three short stories about reunited lovers. The first story ‘My Forever Girl� by Jenny Frame was easily my favourite. The MCs are Bray and Faith, who have been divorced for four years after some traumatic circumstances lead to the breakdown of their marriage. They are both tricked into going on a cruise with mutual friends, and are able to reconnect while away. I liked how they discussed their issues, and even thought Bray had a lot to make up for, I liked that Faith acknowledged her part in what went on. I was glad to see these two manage a HEA after all. 4 stars
The second story ‘Double Jeopardy� by Carmen Taite was the weakest in my opinion. The MCs here are Katie, who is marrying a woman she doesn’t love to save her company, and Emma, the woman Katie left at the alter 8 years before. The premise of this was interesting but too much time was spent on the past issues and the legal tangles so the MCs didn’t really reconnect on anything more than a superficial level, which made the ending fall flat. It was also hampered by only being told from Katie’s POV. 3 stars
The third story, ‘On the Rocks� by Ali Vali features Preston (Max) who works in the family whiskey business and Hayley who is trying to pitch an advertising campaign for Preston’s company, they were together in college, without ever divulging that they come from rich/famous families, and so both don’t know the truth about the other. Hayley also just walked away without explanation back then, and the explanation is weak when it is given. I found the constant switching between ‘Preston� and ‘Max� annoying but did like that the story was fleshed out through the use of some flashbacks. The two MCs also spend time together and hash out some issues, so this was stronger than the second story. 3.25 stars
Fans of any of these authors will likely enjoy their respective stories. Overall I’d give this 3.5, but I’m rounding down. ...more
It’s very much an instant attraction, and while that (and the insta-love that followed) would usually annoy me, it’s less of a problem here due to their shared past and that I believed they each were ‘the one that got away� for the other. The setting is the issue, because (as Lexi points out over and over) cruise ships have strict policies about crew hooking up with guests, and the cruise was a week long! Seriously, how hard is it for two grown ass women to hold out for a week. They don’t though, and this leads to plenty of sexy times, which should please those who like a lot of hot sex in their stories.
So, while I enjoyed the start of the book and their reconnection (and Lexi’s friends). I was annoyed by the sex on the ship shenanigans and the resulting repercussions. I was, however, thankful that this did not dissolve into a protracted break up as I was expecting it to. Still, I would have preferred that they had just met on the ship and used Lexi’s upcoming vacation as the point of actual reconnection. The book also lacked any depth to them getting back together, outside of apologising for what went wrong and flirting/having sex, they didn’t really talk about anything of actual value and that made the new relationship seem sort of shallow. There’s also the fact that Charlotte is still nursing a broken heart and it’s not addressed nearly enough.
I liked both characters, and enjoyed their banter. I also liked the circle of friends (I was disappointed not to see Barb at the end), and that time had passed before the end of the book, but would have preferred a bit more time on that part of the relationship. It’s probably 3.5 stars, rounded down....more
ARC received from YLVA in return for an honest review.
This is a pretty impressive doubt novel. I didn’t pick this up when it first came out because sARC received from YLVA in return for an honest review.
This is a pretty impressive doubt novel. I didn’t pick this up when it first came out because second chance romances aren’t my favourite genre, but this had such good reviews I wanted to give it a try.
Now, the way the story is written, Bridget is made out to be the bad guy in the relationship, at least early on, but she was much more likeable (to me anyway) than the emotionally repressed Alex. And once we eventually got to the ‘why� of the breakup, also the more sympathetic of the two.
I’m not a fan of flashbacks because generally what’s contained in them could be revealed in a few conversations (which is still true here) but they didn’t bother me as much here, although I did chafe a bit at how slowly everything was revealed.
There are plenty of supporting characters, though none of them are terribly well fleshed out, mostly they’re just there to give support to whichever lead requires it at the time. This story is about Alex and Bridget though, and I enjoyed watching them navigate their way back to each other, though I did want to smack Alex for being so closed off!
This is a nice sweet romance, though readers should not that it also features no sex scenes to speak of, so if you’re after sexy times, you won’t find that here, but I didn’t feel this lacked anything due to that. As I said before, it’s an impressive debut, and I look forward to reading more from this author....more
It’s very much an instant attraction, and while that (and the insta-love that followed) would usually annoy me, it’s less of a problem here due to their shared past and that I believed they each were ‘the one that got away� for the other. The setting is the issue, because (as Lexi points out over and over) cruise ships have strict policies about crew hooking up with guests, and the cruise was a week long! Seriously, how hard is it for two grown ass women to hold out for a week. They don’t though, and this leads to plenty of sexy times, which should please those who like a lot of hot sex in their stories.
So, while I enjoyed the start of the book and their reconnection (and Lexi’s friends). I was annoyed by the sex on the ship shenanigans and the resulting repercussions. I was, however, thankful that this did not dissolve into a protracted break up as I was expecting it to. Still, I would have preferred that they had just met on the ship and used Lexi’s upcoming vacation as the point of actual reconnection. The book also lacked any depth to them getting back together, outside of apologising for what went wrong and flirting/having sex, they didn’t really talk about anything of actual value and that made the new relationship seem sort of shallow. There’s also the fact that Charlotte is still nursing a broken heart and it’s not addressed nearly enough.
I liked both characters, and enjoyed their banter. I also liked the circle of friends (I was disappointed not to see Barb at the end), and that time had passed before the end of the book, but would have preferred a bit more time on that part of the relationship. It’s probably 3.5 stars, rounded down....more
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