(Three BFFs and A Wedding #2) by Pippa Grant
ARC: Release Date- 10/05/2023
#OneNightStand #SmallTown #GrumpyHero #ARC
5 STARS
Sabrina and Grey get their HEA in book two of the
series. It can be read as a standalone,
but honestly you will want to read The Worst wedding date first. It is written in first person from an
alternating dual POV.
Sabrina is kind, feisty, determined, and beloved in
Snaggletooth Creek. After she has a hot one-night
stand in Hawaii, she never expects to see the guy again. Boy, was she wrong about that. Grey has been manipulated by the people in
his life who should have loved and supported him. He is cranky.
He is angry. And he is done
taking it without putting some vengeance back out there. Sabrina is a definite snag in his plans
because he actually likes her.
There are a lot of moving pieces in this book. I loved the characters and how they were both
broken in their own way. I love the way
they bring out a playful and sassy side to each other. I love that they understand each other, even
when they have opposite goals to achieve.
There are interesting characters: Jitter and Zen are up there as my
favorites. Speaking of Zen: they are a character that I felt was handled
well. They were smart, sassy, and
kind. I loved them. I am still getting used to reading characters
who use they/them pronouns in books, but I felt like it was well done
here. Jitter offers lots of comedic
relief. The triplets and the BFFs are
always fun.
Light heat (a few open-door explicit scenes), laughs, and
small-town shenanigans made this a fun and enjoyable read.
ARC: Release Date- 10/05/2023
#SecondChance #SmallTown #Billionaire #ARC
5 STARS
Book one of a new series set on the island of Bald Head,
North Carolina, can be read as a standalone, and ends with a HEA. It is written in first person from an
alternating dual POV.
Second chance romance is not my favorite, but I have read a
few that were well done. This is one of
them. Lu and Riley had a magical young
love summer at 18 before they broke up and were apart 10 years. Fate brings them together again for the
wedding of mutual friends and surprises them both. Lu has just broken up from a years-long
relationship with a man she was planning to marry. She is hurt, angry, and in the perfect position
to reevaluate her life. Riley has had a
productive ten years building multiple businesses and pursuing dreams he
developed with Lu way back when. He is
successful, rich, kind, and super-charming.
“Timing may not be perfect, but second chances don’t
come often. I sure as hell ain’t wasting mine.”
Riley is the kind of book boyfriend every girl wants in real
life. Hot, caring, full of humor and
charm while becoming assertive, dominant, and yet still patient and controlled
in the bedroom. He quickly recognizes that the feelings he had for Lu are still
there and he does everything to woo and win her. I love how supportive he is of the real her
and not the façade that everyone expects her to present to the world. I adore that Lu is comfortable being herself
with him. She doesn’t hesitate to argue
with him, question him, and have feelings reemerge for him and the man he has
become.
“We both hurt too much over the years to survive
anything but certainty this time around.”
Like other books by this author, it is HOT &
STEAMY. There are several open-door,
explicit scenes as Riley and Lu give in to the passion that never left them and
build a new trust together. It doesn’t
take long at all for those physical moments to be about so much more than a physical
release. Food is also an important part
of this author’s books. She never fails
to make me hungry as the characters explore decadent southern food and
drink. What they eat and the setting on
the island are important parts of Riley and Lu’s story. Food represents small-town support,
connections with others through gatherings filled with delicious eats, and
friendships that last a lifetime. It was
an important part of their past and will be an important part of their future
as they pursue a dream Lu had thought was long gone.
““Let me be your next time, “I say hoarsely. Let me be
your forever.”
Southern manners, yummy food, loads of hotness, and a couple
that was always meant to be made this a book that left my heart warm and eager
for more stories in this series. I can’t
wait.
ARC Team
#Sports #MFM #WhyChoose #FakeRelationship #ARC
5 STARS
Book two of the series can be read as a standalone and ends
with a HEA. It is written in first
person from three alternating POVs.
Ivy’s life has taken a big turn. She is newly dumped and jobless. When she
takes a job as the mascot for the Avengers hockey team, she never expects what
her future will become. On a team trip
to Las Vegas, there is a dare, and she ends up married to Hayes. He is the new guy on the team, her neighbor,
and a new friend. Stefan, the team captain, has also been flirting with Ivy. Her wedding night becomes a night to remember
with all three of them participating in a hot, hot night. Ivy, Hayes, and Stefan are perfect for each
other.
I love that each character has insecurities and
vulnerabilities. Hayes is looking for a
permanent team after playing for 4 teams in 4 years. Stefan is looking for a family and a feeling
of home that he misses desperately. Ivy’s
ex and former boss did a number on her self-confidence. Between that and her parental baggage from
childhood, she struggles with trusting others: especially men.
I love what a hard worker Ivy is. She shares a solid work ethic with her
men. She understands and loves hockey. The guys love her sass and fire. They all end up falling into more than lust
very quickly. Lots of spicy times, emotional
connections between the characters, and a look into some of the obstacles a
throuple may face to make it work -this was a solid and very enjoyable
read. I didn’t want to put it down.
#Celebrity #ForcedProximity #Holiday #CinnamonRollHero #ARC #SurprisePregnancy
4 STARS
This is the first book of this series I have read, and it
was easily read as a standalone and ends with a HEA. The bulk of the book is written in first
person, alternating between Winnie and Kallum’s POV. The prologue and the epilogue are written in
third person from Teddy’s POV.
Winnie’s character was very interesting to me. She grew up as a child star raised deep in
the Purity culture. Married at 18 and
always doing what she could to please everyone but herself, she is now 32, recently
divorced, and ready to take control of her own life. Part one of the book was very engaging as
Winnie makes deliberate decisions to counter her upbringing. There are a lot of emotions she must deal
with along the way, especially regarding her estrangement from her parents. Inside, she will always be a child seeking
parental love and harmony. As an adult,
she fully recognizes the boundaries necessary for her own mental and physical
health. It was fascinating. I loved reading as she learns about her body,
her desires, her needs, and feels the many emotions that are new to her with Kallum.
Kallum is a little bit of an overgrown kid. He is the fun, big, teddy bear of a guy who
always looks for the bright side. At
times, he acts without fully considering the consequences. I really felt for his character. He is already half in love with Winnie before
they ever start filming the movie. As he
helps her learn about her body by meeting the needs that were never met before,
there was never a chance that he wouldn’t be all-in for her. I loved him, but he and Winnie do not have an
easy path to their HEA. He must prove to
her that he can be the reliable adult she needs him to be. She must let go of preconceptions of what her
life was going to be and embrace him and their found family to form a new
version of the future of her dreams.
This was super steamy with several explicit scenes. Winnie’s awakening and Kallum’s commitment to
her pleasure was wonderful to read. Part two of the book takes a twist into what
is actually one of my favorite tropes. Unfortunately,
I didn’t feel like I got very much of Winnie and Kallum together on the page in
part two. They are each on their own
journey and are interacting, but readers do not get the details of very many of
those interactions. I would have loved
to see more of them together as they navigate their relationship and prepare
for their future. To me, that is what
makes that particular trope so enjoyable to read. I would have rather seen them truly building
something together before their HEA. The ending felt very quick, even though
the book was long. I felt like that was
because it went from tension through most of part two to “Boom-happy ending.” Overall, this was an enjoyable read that is
only holiday because they are filming a holiday movie. (Most of the book takes place outside the
actual holiday season.) I am still going to consider it my first holiday read of
this season.
TW: Surprise pregnancy, miscarriage scare, parental
estrangement, conflict with religious upbringing
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