When it feels like your life is falling apart, the last thing you want is your childhood frenemy/brother’s best friend around to see your fall. That’s the premise of this women’s fiction/romance crossover, where the foundation of the relationship is the years these two characters have spent feuding. I loved the history between them and how it influenced their present day decisions, and I loved that they knew each other so well. Our heroine is a hot mess who took the expected path in life and is now feeling the weight of debt and poor decision-making. It’s relatable and has an authentic feel, which makes it stand out from the pack. I liked how the hero supported and uplifted the heroine – he’s known her so long that he gets her in a way that no one else would. Add in an accidental towel drop and some fake dating to change the dynamic between them, and it’s no wonder they found themselves becoming closer than either would’ve anticipated.
The story follows Isla, a 20-something who is broke, drowning in student loan debt, working a job she hates, and now without a place to live. Isla’s brother is out of the country for the next month, so she decides to crash at his place until she can get back on her feet again. The only problem? When she arrives, Isla gets an unexpected eyeful of her brother’s best friend, Cade. The two have unwillingly been a part of each other’s lives for as long as they can remember, and seeing each other naked was never part of the plan. But Cade knows something is up with Isla, and he’s not going to let her fall to pieces. When Isla agrees to attend some work events as Cade’s “girlfriend,” it changes their relationship even more. Suddenly, the two are getting to know each other in a way they never have… and that’s sure to cause some problems.
While the romance is central to the story, I’d consider this more of a women’s fiction crossover, simply because Isla’s finances are such a big part of the book. It’s something you don’t read about all that much in modern romance, but is a reality that many readers face. I liked its inclusion, but this romance reader wanted less focus on finances and more on the budding relationship. It felt like every time the romance would gain momentum, it would get stalled by a side plot revolving around Isla’s bleak financial situation. That’s what loses this a star for me – I liked a whole lot of it, but I could’ve done with significantly less focus on Isla’s burdens. We only get Isla’s perspective, so spending more time with Cade would’ve given more depth to the romance and his character. That said, there was a whole lot of good stuff going on, and I liked that this felt fresh and modern in so many ways.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3XFCvgN
Audio Note:
The audio was good! Since the story is told exclusively from Isla’s POV, it’s a single narrator, but she does a great job. I’m not familiar with Kirsten Leigh, but I liked her voice, and she made it easy to distinguish between the characters. Her voice was also right for the tone, and this makes a solid choice as a workday listen, because it’s a slow burn romance and the runtime is short enough to get through in a single day. There is some spice, but it’s certainly not the focus, and most of it comes late in the story. I definitely recommend the format for this one.
Audiobook: https://amzn.to/44h2Yo8
Blurb:
Perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey and Beth O’Leary, in this bright, laugh-out-loud rom-com, the grind of the millennial struggle is a lot more fun when you add falling in love to the mix.
Isla Jane is living the millennial nightmare. She’s got a shiny new MBA and no way to pay for it, thanks to her dead-end entry-level job, and nowhere to live, thanks to her miserable salary. Going home to her parents is not possible, but for once Isla’s brother may be her saving grace. He’s out of town on business for a month, meaning the guest room in his condo is blissfully empty.
Or so Isla thinks, until she runs into Cade Greenley, her brother’s best friend—who’s crashing there while his own condo is undergoing renovations. When a desperate plan to sleep under her desk miraculously turns into a house-sitting job for one of the big bosses at her office, Isla is certain her luck has turned—with no one, Cade included, the wiser. It’s a perfect solution—until Cade catches her sunbathing at a mansion that is definitely not hers, and she admits she’s house-sitting because she can’t afford rent.
The pair strike a deal—Cade will keep Isla’s secret from her overbearing parents if she agrees to pose as his girlfriend at a few upcoming corporate events. The fun and friendly vibe of his office is a surprise compared to hers, but the biggest shock is that each “date” with Cade feels less and less fake. Suddenly she’s looking forward to every minute they spend together while the chemistry between them sizzles. As Isla’s house-sitting scheme begins to unravel, she’ll have to face the fact that her biggest lie of all is the one she’s telling herself: that she’s not falling in love with Cade.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3XFCvgN
About the Author:
Sonia Hartl is an author of YA and adult romance. When she’s not writing, she enjoys board games with her family, attempting to keep her garden alive, or looking up craft projects she’ll never get around to completing on Pinterest. She lives in Michigan with her spouse and two daughters.
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