So cute! This hero is more grumbly than grump, falling hard and fast for his girl – and her adorable son. I jumped right into the series and had no trouble keeping up, but the family-oriented farm setting added a special something to the story. It’s light and exceedingly low angst, with an easygoing, feel good vibe. Both characters fall quickly, and it was great to see them start to heal after troublesome relationships left their hearts bruised. I did think that the relationship developed in the blink of an eye; there seemed to be a lot of talk of the hero becoming an instant father to the heroine’s son, and they were definitely getting ahead of themselves at times. But I liked a whole lot about this cute, mild romance, and it flew by.
The story follows Lila, a single mom who has been raising her son alone since her husband passed away. While people tend to feel very sympathetic about Lila’s loss, she’s the only one who knows that her marriage was already unraveling when it came to a sudden end. When Lila becomes the virtual assistant for a man running an apple farm, her new boss gives off grumpy vibes. But when they meet in person, Lila realizes that there’s more to Perry than meets the eye. He’s still reeling from the end of his own marriage, and hasn’t quite gotten back to his old self. Spending time together starts to make both Lila and Perry feel like themselves again, as does the attraction that sparks between them. However, getting close to Lila means accepting that she’s part of a package deal, and Perry isn’t sure that he’s ready for that kind of complication.
Lighthearted and laidback, this is a slow burn/closed door romance that feels very sweet and easy. Both characters are exceedingly likable, and watching them find themselves again was really great to see. Perry isn’t all that much of a grump either – it was clear from the start that there was a nice guy lurking beneath the surface, and it was only a matter of time before he’d make an appearance. There are some definite instalove vibes and the relationship progresses quickly, which is the main thing that held me back from enjoying this more. There’s a lot of stress surrounding the fact that Lila is a single mom, and Perry feels pressure to fill the role of Dad almost from the start. Not sure that you should really be trying to be a father figure after one or two interactions with a child, but I understand that those feelings would come up sooner rather than later. Beyond that, this was a solid 4-star read for me the whole way through, and I can see myself continuing with the series.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3CT6Pf9
Blurb:
Perry Hawthorne is my boss. Only my boss. And I do NOT have a crush.
When one of THE Hawthorne brothers—known by their chiseled jawlines and their family-run farm and event center—hires me to be his virtual assistant, I do everything I can to keep him firmly in the work zone.
His grumpy demeanor helps.
His smoking hot profile picture does not.
But even if I do have a crush (a very tiny one), I can’t catch real feelings for a million different reasons.
Besides the whole business part of our relationship, I’m a single mom. I have to think about what’s best for my son, Jack. And my grumpy, divorced, humorless boss isn’t exactly giving me “ready to be a stepdad” vibes.
When Perry upgrades me from virtual to in-person assistant, I wonder if I’ve gotten him all wrong. He’s actually pretty great with Jack. And with me? Let’s just say the chemistry crackling between us might vaporize all my reasons for keeping my distance.
Trouble is, after his messy divorce, I’m not sure Perry’s ready to bet on a new relationship. But it isn’t just my heart that’s on the line. It’s Jack’s, too. And after everything we went through before my husband died, I’m not sure that’s a gamble I’m ready to take, no matter how desperate Jack is for a daddy.
How to Kiss Your Best Friend is a sweet romantic comedy with all the sizzling kisses you want in a closed-door romance but no explicit scenes.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3CT6Pf9
About the Author:
Jenny Proctor was born in the mountains of Western North Carolina, a place she still considers one of the loveliest on earth. She and her husband currently reside in the Charleston, SC area and stay busy keeping up with six children and a growing assortment of pets. She loves to hike with her family and spend time outdoors, but she also adores lounging around her home, reading great books or watching great movies and, when she’s lucky, eating delicious food she doesn’t have to prepare herself. Jenny’s romantic comedy LOVE AT FIRST NOTE was a 2016 Whitney Award Winner in the Contemporary Romance category. To learn more about Jenny, visit her webpage at www.jennyproctor.com.
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