katiedermody's reviews
1972 reviews

I wondered if it would, and this book did the indeed usurp the last one to become my fave of this series so far. Grumpy brother, Holden, who is secretly a softie and romantic, inherits the local in with the previous owner's niece Sadie. He had a crush on her the summer she stayed with her aunt when they were teens but was an asshole to her because he couldn't deal and she wasn't staying. She's an interior designer from Toronto and agrees to stay so they can renovate the inn together, as long as he buys out part of her share when they're done. The other part of the deal is that she helps find him a wife. She never wants to get married again because of a recent broken engagement (which is also why she needs money), so they know they can't end up together. But of course, we get to know him as the book goes on, they laugh a lot together, she makes him smile, and they fall for each other. It's spicy, sweet, funny, and there's a little 3rd act breakup but it felt like it needed to happen for them to be truly happy. I really liked Sadie and Holden, individually and together. She can be loud, calls people dude, there's a hilarious cursed alien dildo situation (sent to her by mistake but it keeps coming back to her and everyone in town knows about it), and she has to learn to trust ahain. He's still quiet and grumpy, but also sweet and so caring; he feels very responsible for everyone and everything which causes him to want to control situations, so he has to deal with that. Overall, I think this one is tied with book2 in the hockey series as my faves, and I'm excited to finally learn in the next book why Finn and Olivia can't be in the same town. 

Short, spicy, funny in the way it calls back to an earlier awkward, hilarious situation for them. 

This one has a bonus scene but also the first two chapters from the opposite POV they ended up being. They were still good this way but definitely better the way they ended up in the book. 

This is my second favorite by this author so far after book two in the other series (sending a pattern, as this is also book2). I like the shy, scared bookseller deciding to make a list of things she wants to accomplish before she turns 30 in a couple months and then recruiting (ahem, blackmailing) laid-back cool guy surfer, Wyatt Rhodes, to help her. He's all about the temporary, nothing long term, but the more time he spends with her the more he isn't sure that's true. She comes into her own, is finally the person she's always had the potential to be but hid herself away from and it's great. They're cute together and I mean... him reading her favorite book without telling her and encouraging her to be brave all the time? The usual humor, sweetness, and smut I expect from this author now, though I do think this series might be less spicy so far compare to the hockey one. The town they live in made me think of Tonfino; I've never been there but it's on Vancouver Island, and from what I know, is known for its surfing, has a busy tourist season, etc. so it seems similar vibes. Holden's story is next and I'm curious to learn more about the inner workings of the grumpy brother. 

Cute and spicy, it's his bday and they have a party and then private gift giving time. 

This one was sweet, spicy and fun. Shorter than the ones from the other series, but didn't feel like it needed to be longer for the most part. In Queen's Cove, a small town in the coast of Vancouver Island, Avery has been working at a restaurant and saving to eventually buy it from the owner, but then finds out the owner needs to sell in a couple of months instead of years away. At the same time, Emmett Rhodes, one of the four Rhodes brothers who were raised in the small town (unlike Avery, who moved there five years ago), decided to run for mayor. Neither of them want relationships, and he actually annoys the hell out of her with his friendly, overly-confident ways, but they realize they can help each other out by fake dating, a fake engagement, and fake wedding. He'll look more settled and responsible to constituents and she'll have someone to co-sign her business loan. Of course there's attraction and getting to know each other more, and things change. I liked it, did notice a couple of the same tendencies by this author but not as many (this series also started before the other one), so it was fine. Looking forward to the other brothers' books. 

This one was still enjoyable but I think it's my least fave of the three. I really liked the "best friends to lovers after she ends her long term relationship with their other best friend, moves in to have somewhere to stay, and asks him to be her dating coach so she can be a player like him" storyline. Except that he has liked her for years so that's a little torturous. It takes her a bit to realize she's attracted to him too but they soon start crossing all sort of "just friends, practicing, helping you out" lines. I thought the best friends part was really well done and especially enjoyed her long-running prank on him. But this book felt like it had a lot of recycled aspects from the previous two, specifically phrases people say in certain situations, the exact same pet names, etc. It wasn't enough to make me dislike it but it happened enough times that it annoyed me a little every time I noticed and it took me out of the story. Am I still going to read the next one when it comes out in June and go back and read her older series? Absolutely. 

Their wedding, we get a bit of sweet but majority of the 15 page bonus story is smutty. It was a nice cap to the story and have some big time hints for the next two books! It clearly takes place after the next one for sure, possibly the fourth one that isn't even out yet. 

Smutty little bonus scene. Only 12 pages so not counting it in my reading total, but was good!

Okay I LOVED this one! The first one was really good but this was the one that I knew I wanted to read for sure because it has my favorite tropes: irritated to lovers (aka where he annoys the hell out of her and she thinks he's an ass but then they spend time together and it turns out he's so gone for her) and fake dating! We met Rory in book two, former friend of Jamie's who played for an opposing team but then got traded before this book starts. He's cocky, seemingly a playboy, a jerk, hurt her friend in high school, and annoys her to no end, but when Hazel's ex also gets traded to the team she tells him she and Rory are together. He agrees to the scheme and it was so great watching it unfold as she started to see the real him and help him see the good in himself. Their banter was so great, the spicy scenes were excellent (playful and sexy), and the mutual pining in both POVs was so sweet. They both deal with family issues (his mom left as a kid cuz his dad was also a pro player and obsessive with Rory's game, and Hazel is trying to start an inclusive yoga studio and trying to help her mom stop talking so negatively about her body, etc.), but we also get to see Pippa and Jamie a lot, and get to know the guys on the team a little more, and I'm looking forward to Hayden and Darcy's story next!