Isn't It Romantic?

Hopeless Romantic
Maria Adair
Series: When in Rome, #2
Age/Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Kensington
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Set against the breezy backdrop of coastal Rhode Island, bestselling author Marina Adair’s latest novel asks whether two of a small town’s biggest hearts can learn to put themselves first—in the name of love. . .

As caregiver for her autistic brother, Beckett Hayes knows how meaningful a little extra help can be when life happens. Which is why she runs Consider It Done, a personal concierge service in her small town. Her job also gives her the flexibility to follow her passion, being Rome, Rhode Island's unofficial special needs advocate, training emotional support companions in her spare time. There's not much of that, though, and certainly not enough for serious dating. It's always been family first for Beck. But one unquestionably gorgeous, good-natured man is suddenly a temptation that's getting tougher to resist...

Sixteen years ago, Levi Rhodes was ready to sail off into the sunset--literally. But then his father's death and his sister's unexpected pregnancy postponed his sailing scholarship and the adventures he had planned. Running the family marina and bar was the least he could do for his grieving mother. Plus, his niece needed a father-figure. But now that she's in high school and has her bio-dad in her life, Levi's wondering if it's time to get his sea legs under him again...until curvy, caring Beck showed up in his bar, and then in his dreams...

Beckett and Levi both put parts of their lives on hold in order to care for their families. After her mother left, Beckett assumed the role of caregiver to her father and brother, both on the autism spectrum, while Levi served as the support system for his mother and sister following his father's death and sister's unexpected pregnancy. Neither had been interested in a romantic relationship until Beckett walked into Levi's bar with a chicken and the sparks flew. They just needed to figure out how to make room for someone else in their life and finally put themselves first. 

I was charmed by this group of people, when I met them in RomeAntically Challenged, and I fell in love with them all even more this time. As with the last book, the "family" dynamic continued to delight me. I enjoyed the whole Three Men and a Little Lady arrangement and appreciated getting to know Levi better. 

Levi came off as the "cool uncle" in the last book, but here, I learned the extent of the years he dedicated to his family. I also learned about what he lost in those transitions, and my heart ached for him. 

As much as I felt for Levi, I would triple those emotions for Beckett. There was no doubt how much she loved her family, and she knew they loved her back, but she took on her caregiver role at a time when she still needed someone to care for her. Her childhood was cut short as she assumed her new role. She had to pass up making a life for herself, because she felt an obligation to her family. Because of all these things, it was really wonderful that Levi entered her orbit, because he had a lot of insight into her situation and understood her needs more than most, as their situations were sort of similar. 

I hope I am not making this sound like a sob-fest, because it wasn't. The beauty of what Adair did here was that she was able to deliver a story with depth and emotion while keeping it quite light and amusing. As if the comfort chicken wasn't fun enough, the banter between Beckett and Levi was so fun and snappy, as were the dialogs between the three dads. There were also tons of super sweet moments between Beckett and her family, Levi and his family, and Levi and Beckett. 

My only complaint is that I felt the ending was a bit rushed. Though not perfect, I liked the direction the story took, and know I will be catching up with these two in the next book. That is probably why the abrupt ending didn't really spoil much for me. I felt the feels, laughed the laughs, and very much enjoyed being part of this couple's HEA journey. I can't wait to return to Rome! 

Happy Singles Day
Ann Marie Walker
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Single and proud of it! Oh, oops...

As a Certified Professional Organizer, everything in Paige Parker's world is as it should be. Perfect apartment, perfect office, perfect life. And now, the perfect vacation planned to honor Singles Day. After all, what's better than celebrating her pride in being single? Because who needs a man anyway? They have zero taste in quality television, leave the toilet seat up, and sleep with your best friend. No thanks. Her life is fine just the way it is.

As the owner of a now-dormant bed & breakfast, Lucas Croft's life is simple and quiet. It's only him and his five-year-old daughter, which is just the way he likes it. Because who needs a woman anyway? They nag you to clean up your stuff, want the toilet seat put down, and expect the dishes to be done the same day the meal is cooked. No thanks. His life is fine just the way it is.

But when Paige books a room that Lucas' well-intentioned sister listed without his knowledge, their two worlds collide. If they can survive the week together, they just might discover exactly what they've both been missing.

After her relationship imploded, Paige immersed herself in her work-life for years, but with Valentine's Day around the corner, she was looking for an escape. As a way to celebrate Singles Day, she booked a room at B&B on the Outer Banks. The B&B wasn't quite what she expected, but ended up being exactly what she needed. 

I love when a book surprises me! I expected a rom-com, which this was, but I never anticipated it would result in an avalanche of emotions. My heart was tugged, pushed, pulled, and filled with warmth and joy by this story. In my world, any story that can produce both happy and sad tears gets all the stars. 

The beginning of the book was all laughs. The interactions between Paige and her assistant had me slapping my knees. I was terribly amused, and the laughs continued as Paige made her way to the B&B. Let's just say that Paige and Lucas, the owner of the B&B, didn't immediately hit it off. Paige was put off by the condition of the inn and its grumpy owner, while Lucas was frustrated by his surprise guest. After riding out a storm together, the two begin to see each other in a new light, sparks ignited, and that's when the feels started for me. 

These two were both wounded by their past. Both brokenhearted, Paige due to a cheating ex, and Lucas by the loss of his wife. Their resistance to love was never an issue before, but now that they found each other, they needed to come to terms with their past and find the strength to take that second shot at love. I won't go through everything that transpired, but there were so many tender and beautiful moments shared. They really seemed to see each other and understand what the other needed, and my heartstrings were humming. 

A cute kid, a well-meaning sister, and puppies added to the fun I had reading this book. I found myself laughing, crying, and swooning, and that ending!!!! *applause, applause* It was so wonderful and had me feeling all sorts of sappy happy. 

Overall, this was a beautiful story of love, loss, and finding love again. It was packed with fun and feels, and left me wearing a perma-smile. 

**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

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