Isn't It Romantic

Three Little Words
Jenny Holiday
Series: Bridesmaids Behaving Badly, #3
Age/Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Forever Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Gia Gallo is officially in bridesmaid hell. Stranded in New York with her best friend's wedding dress, Gia has six days to make it to Florida in time for the ceremony. And oh-so-charming best man Bennett Buchanan has taken the last available rental car. Looks like she's in for one long road trip with the sexiest - and most irritating - Southern gentleman she's ever met...

Bennett's pretty sure that if there was ever a woman to break his "no flings" rule, Gia would be it. Sure, she's stubborn. She's also funny, smart, and the attraction between them is getting hotter with every state line they cross. While Bennett doesn't do casual, Gia doesn't do "relationships." But if they break the rules, this unlikely pair might discover that their impromptu road trip could turn out to be the best ride of their lives.

It is always with great hesitation, that I finish a series. Not only am I sad to say that final farewell to characters I have grown to love, but I also worry that the ending won't satisfy me. Rest assured, Holiday gave this group of fabulous women a fantastic send-off!

I love when authors save the character, who seems the least likely to settle down, for the final book. This character's story is usually very emotional, and I would say Gia's fits the bill.

She had her one-and-done, two-and-through rules, which had been working just fine for her, but as her friends started settling down and modeling was losing its allure, she began wanting something more for herself. Little did she know that "something" would come in the form of a handsome southern chef.

Gia and Bennett were a fantastic coupling. First of all, I loved each of them separately.

Gia was really complex and complicated. Her philosophy on love was born out of past failures with men and her family, as well as her need to protect her heart. She was turning 30 and found herself at a crossroads in her life - too old to model, but that's all she knew. I was so happy fate brought Bennett into her life, because I loved how she was able to find a passion and a talent she didn't even realize she had with his help.

And, Bennett! A reformed bad boy, who had hit bottom and had to start over from scratch. He worked  his way up to having a successful restaurant in NYC, but aspired to take care of people. *swoon* I actually adored everything about his restaurant and his plans for it. I also loved the way he and Gia bonded over ideas for his restaurant. These were the times we saw Gia come to life, and I knew I wanted them to make Bennett's dream come to fruition together.

A great hero plus a great heroine gave me a couple I could not help but ship. As expected, there was chemistry galore between the two. He was hot. She was hot. They were hot together. But, it wasn't all just steam and heat, it was the way they took the time to get to know and understand each other. They encouraged one another and saw things in each other that other people didn't. They just belonged together.

The destination of Bennett and Gia's road trip may have been the wedding, but that physical journey resulted in quite a personal journey for both. Along the way, via the games they played and the truths they shared, Gia and Bennett found some closure on their pasts, as well as, a clearer view of their futures. It was very gratifying to see all these things happen for them, and I was really, really pleased with the outcome for both of these characters.

Other things I loved in this book:

• Roadtrip! 🚗
• Food, glorious food. 🍕🍳🥧
• A wedding 👰🏻
• An epic female friendship 💖
• A bromantic intervention 👨‍❤️‍👨
• A grand gesture 😲
• A stupendous jump-ahead epilogue 😃

It's always sad to say goodbye to a great series, but I am so glad I had the opportunity to meet this wonderful "family", and see all of them find their HEA.

Playing for Keeps
Jill Shalvis
Series: Hearbreaker Bay, #7
Age/Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Avon
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

If you’re planning on falling in love…

When it comes to the confident, charismatic Caleb Parker, Sadie Lane feels the spark—the kind that comes from rubbing each other the wrong way. She’s a tattoo artist, he’s a straight-laced mogul. But after they accidentally co-rescue an abandoned dog from a storm, Sadie sees a vulnerable side to the seemingly invincible hottie.

you’d better be sure…

Caleb doesn’t do emotions. Growing up the underdog, he’s learned the hard way to build up an impenetrable wall. Perfect for business. Disastrous for relationships. He’s never worried about it before—not until he finally gets behind Sadie’s armor and begins to fall.

… someone is there to catch you.

Both guarded and vulnerable, Sadie and Caleb are complete opposites. Or are they? Shocked at their undeniable connection, can they ever admit to wanting more? That all depends on what they’re each willing to risk.

I will openly admit to you right now, that I love Jill Shalvis' books. She always has the right balance of humor, steam, and warmth, with just enough heartbreak and drama to keep it interesting. The other thing I love about her companion series are the wonderful groups of found-family she creates, and that was definitely one of the draws for me when it came to the Heartbreaker Bay books.

This go around we have not ONE, but TWO heavily armored characters. Both Sadie and Caleb kept themselves emotionally detached. Though they sought this form of protection for different reasons, the results were the same - no successful romantic relationships. That was until a three legged dog changed their plans.

As I have grown to expect, Shalvis gave us a fun and adorable doggie meet-cute. Caleb and Sadie had actually known each other for a year or so, but they never really interacted until they decided to "co-parent" a stray dog, Lollipop. I won't lie, Lollipop endeared herself to me, and I loved what she brought out in Caleb and Sadie. She helped us see that softer side of Sadie, while clearly revealing that carefree and loving side of Caleb. It was so wonderful to see all three of them on-page together, and I loved the way Shalvis utilized an awesome dog to ignite this romance.

In case you couldn't already tell, Sadie and Caleb were sort of complicated. Sadie had a lot of pain in her past, which still overshadowed her present, and this made her weary of Caleb and his advances. Caleb had been taken advantage of in the past, and this made his sisters, who he lovingly referred to as "the coven", overprotective of him. Ghosts of their pasts and family drama of their present cause a few bumps in the road, but it was working through those things, that clearly showed these two belonged together.

Sadie was cool, fun, salty, and sassy, but I think it was Caleb, who made me love this story. Though he may have been sort of closed off to most of the world, he loved his inner circle fiercely. He was able to open his heart a lot quicker, than Sadie was, and he was also more vocal and demonstrative. Sadie was not an easy woman for him to love, and I really liked seeing him fight a little for her.

"You're not an easy woman, Sadie."
"I am a handful," she agreed, her pulse kicking into gear. "But that's why you have two hands."

One thing I got a little excited about was the mention, over and over again, of Caleb's cousin Kel. Kel is a character from the Animal Magnetism books, which I adored, and the way he kept coming up was making me think that we might get some crossover action (?). If that's where Shalvis' muse is leading her, I am wholly onboard.

Overall

I definitely got what I have come to expect from Shalvis: a great romance, that was heartwarming, funny, a little emotional, and a little hot. It was stacked with a hero and heroine, who were both interesting and complex, and who I grew to care about. And, don't forget the adorable dog.

**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

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