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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
(ARC Review) I loved the premise of this, it has some of my favorite things. The couple was slightly older than we normally see in romance (35 & 36,which is the same age I am), they were neighbors, and the heroine was starting over again after her former life imploded. The hero was large and hairy and growly, which I love. There’s also pansexual representation which is excellent to see.
It’s been described as beauty and the beast like but I didn’t find that to be accurate. It felt more like Luke and Lorelei. Linden is a bit of a loner, but he’s solid and is there for his family. He may overstep a little but it’s all in the interest of helping. He gets exasperated by Jasper’s stubbornness but always sits and takes the verbal sparring. Also he wears flannel and provides coffee.
Jasper reminded me of Lorelei in that she talks talks talks and plows over other people to get what she wants. A whole lot of this book was her snapping at Linden. If there’s one quote that sums her up for me it's this:
“I tried to protest. There was a lot of protest in me. I had things to say and I intended to say them.”
I usually love banter in a book, but this wasn’t that playful back and forth to me, it was one sided. It was fine at first but the book is very long and it started to feel repetitive pretty early on.
She’d do something dangerous, Linden would suggest maybe she not start a fire or whatever, she’d get mad he was trying to tell her what to do, then they’d have sex. Lather, rinse, repeat.
That being said, she did show good character growth, or at least she stopped fighting everything so hard and became a bit nicer by the end. She found what she was looking for and Linden was the calming steady presence she needed.
Overall it was fine, I could see how someone who loves dialogue driven stories would enjoy this a lot. There’s also tons of steam which is always fun! I just found it to be too long and a bit too repetitive for my tastes.
This was my first book by the author. I didn’t realize it was the third book in the series, but I was able to follow it all just fine, even with missing the first two stories.
It’s been described as beauty and the beast like but I didn’t find that to be accurate. It felt more like Luke and Lorelei. Linden is a bit of a loner, but he’s solid and is there for his family. He may overstep a little but it’s all in the interest of helping. He gets exasperated by Jasper’s stubbornness but always sits and takes the verbal sparring. Also he wears flannel and provides coffee.
Jasper reminded me of Lorelei in that she talks talks talks and plows over other people to get what she wants. A whole lot of this book was her snapping at Linden. If there’s one quote that sums her up for me it's this:
“I tried to protest. There was a lot of protest in me. I had things to say and I intended to say them.”
I usually love banter in a book, but this wasn’t that playful back and forth to me, it was one sided. It was fine at first but the book is very long and it started to feel repetitive pretty early on.
She’d do something dangerous, Linden would suggest maybe she not start a fire or whatever, she’d get mad he was trying to tell her what to do, then they’d have sex. Lather, rinse, repeat.
That being said, she did show good character growth, or at least she stopped fighting everything so hard and became a bit nicer by the end. She found what she was looking for and Linden was the calming steady presence she needed.
Overall it was fine, I could see how someone who loves dialogue driven stories would enjoy this a lot. There’s also tons of steam which is always fun! I just found it to be too long and a bit too repetitive for my tastes.
This was my first book by the author. I didn’t realize it was the third book in the series, but I was able to follow it all just fine, even with missing the first two stories.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
I am a fan of messy characters so I liked how this focused on heroine Jasper being in a shitty in between phase. What do you do when you structure your whole life and identity around a job you never even liked? You crash and burn, end up in a shitty cottage that’s falling down around you, and spend some quality naked time with your pushy yet weirdly (to you) supportive caretaker neighbor.
If you liked Far Cry, I feel like this will be similarly up your alley. It alternates high heat sexiness with string emotions and difficult subjects. Jasper had a lot of moments that really resonated with me. Also, both main characters are unabashedly pansexual and that was really nice to see on page.
And shout out to Linden’s hilarious mom. I have always loved her as a character since Magnolia’s book but high grandmazilla had me in stitches.
CWs: grief (loss of a close friend, loss of a parent by suicide), toxic and abusive childhood, intrusive thoughts about body and appearance, behind the scenes political machinations
If you liked Far Cry, I feel like this will be similarly up your alley. It alternates high heat sexiness with string emotions and difficult subjects. Jasper had a lot of moments that really resonated with me. Also, both main characters are unabashedly pansexual and that was really nice to see on page.
And shout out to Linden’s hilarious mom. I have always loved her as a character since Magnolia’s book but high grandmazilla had me in stitches.
CWs: grief (loss of a close friend, loss of a parent by suicide), toxic and abusive childhood, intrusive thoughts about body and appearance, behind the scenes political machinations
I don't even know what to say about this much anticipated romance except [incoherent noises] and AH THIS WAS WHAT I NEEDED. I bought a paperback copy because I loved it and want to keep it on my shelf (so pretty).
What I can mention is that Linden and Jasper are both pansexual, they are perfect for one another, and I loved how steady Linden was as Jasper figured out she deserved her happy.
More words to come later when I re-read!
Re-Read partially with some friends and I still don't even know how to describe how great this romance makes me feel. Damn. Definitely a top 10 favorite of 2021 for me.
What I can mention is that Linden and Jasper are both pansexual, they are perfect for one another, and I loved how steady Linden was as Jasper figured out she deserved her happy.
More words to come later when I re-read!
Re-Read partially with some friends and I still don't even know how to describe how great this romance makes me feel. Damn. Definitely a top 10 favorite of 2021 for me.
DNF at 25%. This book is just really slowly paced. 25% in and almost nothing has happened. I’m just too bored to continue, and i have little motivation to pick up my iPad and read. I just found myself skimming through a lot of it.
I didn’t see that much chemistry between Linden and Jasper, which affects my relationship with this book. I found them very boring, and there were almost no sparks between them.
I’m not sure what I was expecting coming into this book, but it just wasn’t for me.
I didn’t see that much chemistry between Linden and Jasper, which affects my relationship with this book. I found them very boring, and there were almost no sparks between them.
I’m not sure what I was expecting coming into this book, but it just wasn’t for me.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Linden is concerned about who his new neighbor is. Jasper is trying to start fresh but it may be a lot of work. He likes things a certain way. Her life seems complicated. He’s all about telling it like it is and no thought to how the other person might feel. She’s all about doing things her way.
As I was getting to know our main characters, I loved how each had issues about the other. It made it a necessity to keep turning the page. The author was good in creating one situation after another between them. The back and forth was almost nonstop.
Sadly, it just felt more like friends with benefits once they got past all the issues. It’s tagged as a romantic comedy but I’m afraid that I missed the comedy part somehow. When I read about the book, at the beginning, I went in expecting a fairy tale retelling for modern times and somehow I missed that mark as well.
I was not feeling them as a couple but I could see them as really good friends. Jasper seems to have a very complicated life. Linden seems more of a take life as it is but has opinions about certain things. His job was interesting since my uncle was in the forestry business. And maybe that was part of my issue when it came to Linden’s job.
Living in that state my whole life, and having gone to the Cape a time or two, I could see Linden working in the Berkshires – felt that area may have been more suited to his job. I know this is a work of fiction but my mind just wouldn’t connect him to the Cape. When Jasper was in his space, I couldn’t feel a connection that we expect to grow into more. It was like I was reading two separate stories with no thought of one ending. The ending was great but I still didn’t feel that connection two people would have when they get that close. I have read one of the author’s other books and just because I couldn’t connect here doesn’t mean that I’m not going to check out more of her work.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Linden is concerned about who his new neighbor is. Jasper is trying to start fresh but it may be a lot of work. He likes things a certain way. Her life seems complicated. He’s all about telling it like it is and no thought to how the other person might feel. She’s all about doing things her way.
As I was getting to know our main characters, I loved how each had issues about the other. It made it a necessity to keep turning the page. The author was good in creating one situation after another between them. The back and forth was almost nonstop.
Sadly, it just felt more like friends with benefits once they got past all the issues. It’s tagged as a romantic comedy but I’m afraid that I missed the comedy part somehow. When I read about the book, at the beginning, I went in expecting a fairy tale retelling for modern times and somehow I missed that mark as well.
I was not feeling them as a couple but I could see them as really good friends. Jasper seems to have a very complicated life. Linden seems more of a take life as it is but has opinions about certain things. His job was interesting since my uncle was in the forestry business. And maybe that was part of my issue when it came to Linden’s job.
Living in that state my whole life, and having gone to the Cape a time or two, I could see Linden working in the Berkshires – felt that area may have been more suited to his job. I know this is a work of fiction but my mind just wouldn’t connect him to the Cape. When Jasper was in his space, I couldn’t feel a connection that we expect to grow into more. It was like I was reading two separate stories with no thought of one ending. The ending was great but I still didn’t feel that connection two people would have when they get that close. I have read one of the author’s other books and just because I couldn’t connect here doesn’t mean that I’m not going to check out more of her work.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Well, I'm not sure where the heck I've been these many years of romance reading and blogging, but I am here now to tell you that I have found Kate Canterbary, and there is no going back. Sure, of course I've heard of Kate, and even read snippets of her various books, but I just had the chance to read her latest, THE BELLE AND THE BEARD, and I am SO in. Like, all the way in, like, 'have to go and read her entire catalog' in, like, 'she is my people' in. In. And I do not hate it at all.
To be honest, I'm pretty sure that Linden's and Jasper's story is the perfect place for me to have begun my Katefest. These two are fire. Combustible, hotter than hot, full on fire. I started reading their story, and barely came up for air, because they were just that magnetic. And when the Santillian family, the zany, full of life folks that helped make Linden everything he is, jumped in to the mix, well, there was absolutely no going back.
i am an unabashed lover of a good love story, but when there's wit, sass, and all of that FIRE, well, I'm a goner. I can't recommend THE BELLE AND THE BEARD, and, I suspect, any of Kate's other books, highly enough. Grab this one, because who doesn't love a lumberbear and a Southern belle? Do yourself a favor and get this one. All the best feels, I guarantee. ❤️
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
https://fictionmajorette.blogspot.com/2021/05/romance-wrap-up-5121-51521.html
I absolutely adored this book, it is a long slow burn romance with tension for days but pretty low angst. I really enjoyed how Jasper and Linden get to know each other slowly and how they each choose to let down their walls. Jasper wants to do everything for herself and has a real hard time letting anyone get close or see her vulnerabilities. Linden likes to be alone and after getting his heart broken years ago, is wary of letting anyone else get close so he doesn't have to lose them too. I found their characters to be deeply developed and complex and the relationship slowly grows overtime as they grow more comfortable with each other. This is my favorite sort of slow burn where the characters know they are both into each other, but don't want to get together until they have more of their personal stuff figured out. But there's lots of lingering touches, innuendos, and heavy make out sessions to bridge the gap. I really liked how the relationship didn't 'fix' the personal issues they are both working on but they do bring out the best of each other and help be sounding boards for the other person to work things through. Also, I love me a big burly lumberjack with some nerdy tattoos.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide