In a Nutshell Reviews

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

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You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley
Published by Berkley Books on January 7, 2020
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

Mia Graydon's life looks picket-fence perfect; she has the house, her loving husband, and dreams of starting a family. But she has other dreams too — unexplained, recurring ones starring the same man. Still, she doesn’t think much of them, until a relocation to small-town Pennsylvania brings her face to face with the stranger she has been dreaming about for years. And this man harbors a jaw-dropping secret of his own—he's been dreaming of her too.

Determined to understand, Mia and this not-so-stranger search for answers. But when diving into their pasts begins to unravel her life in the present, Mia emerges with a single question—what if?

Acclaimed author Colleen Oakley delivers a heart-wrenching and unforgettable love story about a woman who must choose between the man she loves and the man fate has chosen for her in a novel that reminds us that the best life is one led by the heart.

I have read a few books where characters dream about someone, and then BAM! There they are in real life. The twist here was that they were dreaming of each other. Strange, right? But just the type of stuff to stir up some drama. Mia's dream-man came at a time when she was struggling with her marriage, and his arrival had her questioning her love for her husband. I know this type of "affair of the heart" works people, but I did think Oakley handled it well. 

I would say that for a majority of the book (90% or so), I was enjoying this story and loving the turns it took. But that last 10%, gutted me. It's not that I can't handle the sad parts, but I felt like it didn't have to go down that way. You know. The bigger impact of this story was made earlier. Setting aside the ending, I found this to be a rather lovely story of love and marriage and the willingness to work for those relationships that matter.

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The Plus One by Mazey Eddings
Published by St. Martin's Griffin on April 4, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

Some facts are indisputable. The sun rises in the east, sets in the west. Gravity exits. Indira doesn’t like Jude. Jude doesn’t like Indira. But what happens when these childhood enemies find the only thing they can rely on is each other?

On paper, Indira has everything together. An amazing job, a boyfriend, and a car. What more could a late twenty-something ask for? But when she walks in on her boyfriend in an amorous embrace with a stranger, that perfect on paper image goes up in flames.

Jude has nothing together. A doctor that’s spent the last three years traveling the world to treat emergencies and humanitarian crises, a quick trip home for his best friend’s wedding has him struggling to readjust.

Thrust into an elaborate (and ridiculously drawn out) wedding event that’s stressing Jude beyond belief and has Indira seeing her ex and his new girlfriend far more frequently than any human should endure, the duo strike a bargain to be each other’s fake dates to this wedding from hell. The only problem is, their forced proximity and fake displays of affection are starting to feel a bit… real, and both are left grappling with the idea that a situation that couldn’t be worse, is made a little better with the other around.

After catching her boyfriend in a compromising position, Indira packs up and seeks refuge with her brother. However, she was none too happy to find her childhood nemesis also staying with her brother, but something she had dreaded turned into something rather wonderful as she realized she may have been misinterpreting moments from their past.  

Another great addition to this series! I adored Indira and Jude together. Their history was so vast, and it's such a gift to have people in your life who understand you in a way others cannot because they were there for many of those events that shaped your life. It was also wonderful to see them heal apart and together as their relationship morphs. 

The wedding activities were a fun touch, but I also really liked when it was just Jude and Indira. They had great chemistry, and every time they talked about their past, I couldn't help but smile. A very sweet ending was the cherry on top. I liked that Eddings gave us that snapshot of where all the Brush with Love couples were in their lives, and it was a very happy ending for all involved.

How was your week?
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