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Was she too much…or his perfect match? Over-the-top Molly Cyrs hardly seems a match for bookish Callan Avery. But when Molly suggests they pose as a couple to assuage Stonefield’s anxiety about its new male librarian, his pretend paramour is all Callan can think about. Callan’s looking for a family, though, and kids aren’t in Molly’s story. Unless he can convince Molly that she’s not “too much”…and that to him, she’s just enough!
Publication Year: 2022
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Molly has been a fun character throughout this series. I had hoped she’d get her own HEA because she always seems to be helping other people no matter what is needed. She works at her family’s funeral home, she works the bar and/or waits tables at her friend’s pub, she has filled in at her friend’s store, she’s an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, a ball of energy to pull her friends out of their doldrums. Even when Molly is being chastised by her parents or referred to as “too much” and “a lot”, she tries to see the positive side of things and pastes her smile on.
Callan is the new guy in town, replacing the town librarian who has held the job for generations. He quickly learns that many of the library patrons have an old-fashioned view of who a librarian should be. A single man is not on that list and could cause some trouble if the residents aren’t happy, no matter how good of a job he does. Enter Molly with her upbeat attitude and crazy ideas.
I’m a huge fan of the subgenre of fake relationships. It doesn’t seem to get old for me. Callan and Molly already had a flirtation going, so I knew they’d make a very believable couple, although they would seem to be opposites in many ways. The chemistry is there for all to see so the ruse works. Of course, as is the case with this trope, it works too well. Soon the lines are blurred and neither person knows if they are reading too much into the situation.
Other than the connection between Molly and Callan, my favorite thing about this story is how Callan adjusts how he interacts with Molly once he knows about her having ADHD. She is so used to her parents telling her to try harder that she is shocked that Callan not only has no problem with her needed accommodations, but he often suggests the accommodations before she has to ask. After all, he is a librarian and knows how to do his research.
Between Molly, the Suttons, and their significant others, Callan has found the family he never had. With Callan, Molly has found unconditional acceptance. This is a lovely story all around.
You can find more of my reviews at All In Good Time.
This a a perfectly lovely small town/fake relationship romance. A buttoned up librarian who wants a family more than anything agrees to fake date the mermaid sweater wearing ball of sunshine who works (and lives) at the local funeral home. Oh, and they're next door neighbors. And she doesn't want kids because she has ADHD and her parents never understood her (and still don't).
It's perfectly lovely. It does it's job, and tugged on my heart strings several times, and will be a four or five star read for many. It's a three star read for me as I'm not that interested in kids/no kids as conflict and it didn't do anything spectacular to elevate it.
A nice, cozy, low steam romance that will be enjoyed by many.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.