Review of Advance Copy:

This book wasn’t it for me. The only reason I didn’t DNF was to find out the “secret” they kept hinting at for 80% of the book. When it was revealed, I was underwhelmed. Sam felt more like a cartoon villain rubbing his hands together than an actual bad person.

I found myself skimming the smut scenes (which I never do) which didn’t even start until over halfway through the book. I liked the Hot Guy falling for the Curvy Girl but I never felt their connection on the page. Also Gavin calling Dani “girl” when they’re in their 30s didn’t sit right with me.

I was asked to give an honest review and this is my honest review.

Review of Advance Copy:

Full review pending.

Review of advanced copy:

This book surprised me in the best way. When I was absolutely sure it was going to go one way, it didn’t (I’m trying very, very hard not to give spoilers). This is the third book the Appleton Falls books and I haven’t read the first 2 books so I know I was missing some context especially with the side characters. It didn’t hinder my enjoyment though.

On the surface, Theo and Jaxon look like polar opposites - Theo being the introvert bar owner and Jaxon the popular DA. Jaxon needs a fake boyfriend to improve his image. Theo wants to get outside his comfort zone. It started a little slow with the back and forth of Jaxon trying to convince Theo. As they get to know each other they have more in common than either of them realize.

The conflicts, both between Theo and Jaxon and their friends, were resolved relatively quickly. It wasn’t low angst, but maybe mid-angst. The smut scenes were short and not very detailed so this is also a good book for readers who want some spice but not the entire act detailed for multiple pages.

The last 30% of the book is what bumped my rating up to 4 stars. I thought I knew exactly where it was going and I was (happily) wrong. If you know what tropes I don’t like then you can probably guess how it went.

While not confirmed, I’m hoping Blair gets the next book 🤞🏻

I love the Idiots in Love trope but I think these two were extra Idiots. The smut was good, the twist was something I couldn’t have guessed, and there was no Third Act Breakup but it fell flat for me. I know Nick was supposed to be unlikable at the beginning but he grated on my nerves longer than he should have. I also would’ve liked to see his POV more. I felt like it was skewed more toward Indy’s POV. I loved Callum and I hope he gets his own book (with Julian? Yes?). It was a hair better than I expected based on the blurb but not enough to bump it up to 4 stars.

Reread?: No