Isn't It Romantic? - The Friends-to-Lovers Edition

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The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch by Jacqueline Firkins
Published by St. Martin's Griffin on October 31, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

A beautiful story of friendship, and second chances at love.

Imogen Finch has just been through her seventeenth breakup. She saw it coming, so she's not as crushed as she might be, but with all sixteen of her exes leaving her for other partners, she's come to believe a prediction her well-intentioned and possibly clairvoyant mother made over twenty years that Imogen would never come first at anything or to anyone. Is her love life failing due to a magical curse? Insufficient effort? Poor timing or personality mismatches? Everyone has opinions on the matter. Imogen's ready to give up altogether. But when Eliot Swift, her secret high school crush, returns to their small coastal town after a decade of nomadic travels, Imogen has new motivation to try again. Eliot's full of encouragement. He suggests that her curse is not only imagined, it's easily breakable. All they need is one win-- any win--and she can believe in love, and in herself again.

From trivia games to swimming races to corn-shucking contests, the pair sets out to snag Imogen her first first. But when victory proves more elusive than Eliot anticipated, and when his deep-seeded wanderlust compels him to depart for far away places, Imogen fears she's destined to remain in second place forever. Fortunately for them both, sometimes magic lingers in the most unexpected places. And love is far from predictable.

Imogen's mother predicted that she would never take first place, and this prophecy played out in many areas of Imogen's life, especially in her love life. A long line of exes have hammered home the point that Imogen was the consolation prize. Content with living with this curse, Imogen was finally open to attempting to break it when her first love returned to town.

I am dragging my feet reviewing this book, and it's not because I didn't like it. Rather, the book really hit a personal note for me. I still feel like second choice with some of the people in my life, so when I read Imogen's breakup stories, my heart ached for her. It was so important to me that she overcome this "curse" and finally see herself as number one. It was a journey of ups and downs, but I was so pleased with the progress Imogen made over the course of this book.

Her unrequited love returning to town was a fantastic catalyst for Imogen. Considering their past which seemed rife with misunderstandings, he was a cheerleader for her, but the whole time, I kept wondering if he would put her first. Don't get me wrong, I liked Eliot, A LOT, and I appreciated the friendship he and Imogen shared, but he also frustrated me.

It always seems so simple in my head. Why pine when you can be together? But, that's just me over simplifying things. All I know is that I was all in on this second chance, friends-to-lovers romance. Imogen was a fantastic person who deserved the type of love she gave, and I was rooting for her with my whole heart.

Overall: Firkins delivered a warm and wonderful romance filled with humor, friendship, and quirky characters who won my heart.

*ARC PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER

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Sister of the Bride by Lauren Morrill
Published by Yellow House Media on September 12, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

A romcom retake on Father of the Bride about letting go, falling in love, and a whole lot of lasagna For someone who doesn’t do well with change, Pippin Marino sure is dealing with a lot of it. First her twin sister returns from Europe with a fiancé and a plea for Pippin to plan the wedding. Then her mom announces plans to sell the 100 year old family restaurant that Pippin has been running since her father died. But at least there’s one good development in Pippin’s life. After eight years on the west coast, her best friend Toby Sullivan surprises her by moving back to Boston. Having him back is the one bright spot amidst her summer of panic, especially when he offers to help her plan the wedding. But then one kiss changes everything . And Pippin Marino does not do well with change.

Sister of the Bride is a steamy, slow-burn friends-to-lovers romcom with wedding planning, pasta, a Grey's Anatomy-loving Nonna, and a guaranteed HEA.

As a fan of Morrill's young adult books, I was excited to read an adult contemporary romance from her. After reading and LOVING Sister of the Bride, I can attest to the fact that Morrill easily crossed over. I swear, if you could see me when I finished the book, you would notice my ear-to-ear grin and my eyes shiny with happy tears.

First and foremost, this book features my all-time favorite trope, friends-to-lovers. There is nothing that warms my heart more than watching two people who share so much history fall in love. Toby and Pippin had been besties for over twenty years. Though Toby headed west for school, he was always there when Pippin needed him because he was her person. I had a good feeling about Toby and his return to the east coast, and I won't even pretend that I wasn't giddy about how it all played out.

Aside from the perfect and precious romance, there was a big focus on family. After her father passed away, Pippin took on a big role in the family business. She worked day after day, side by side, with her mother and grandmother continuing the family legacy. With her twin, Polly, back on American soil, the four Marino women were reunited, and I was a fan of this family. From the title, I am sure you realized there was a wedding in there somewhere, and this was just another BIG change for Pippin to come to terms with.

I implore you to be patient with her. This was a summer of adjustments for Pippin, and sometimes she didn't handle it well. Through it all she had Toby and her family by her side, and I knew she was going to be just fine.

Overall, I had a fantastic time watching Pippin and Toby FINALLY embrace their romantic love for each other. The romance was one I adored! The story had a great family focus, a wedding, dad jokes, and just the right level of drama for me. It was warm and wonderful and simply delightful. I hope this is the first of many contemporary romances from Morrill.

Do you have a favorite friends-to-lovers book?
Let us know in the comments!