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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Kindle ebook
If you read Harper’s book in the Love Cliches series then you know her brothers & her father, Tank. The first book in this new series is about Pat. Pat has a reputation of being a fun loving, always joking kind of guy. However, inside he’s a tornado of emotions. He has ADHD & has manic episodes.
When Tank (his father) buys the town of Sheet Cake, TX, he tells Pat first. He believes Pat will be an easy sell. And he isn’t, until he realizes his ex-friend, Lindy, still lives there.
So…basically, he decides to convince his brothers that this is a great idea. He also starts a campaign to win Lindy back. She repeatedly tells him no & he tries to wear her down (not my favorite.)
This is how he handled their breakup: he decides it’s better for both of them if he just leaves without saying goodbye because breakups are hard. Then he calls her months later from a bar, drunk, to say he messed up. By then, Lindy’s life is in turmoil so she tells him she’s great & hangs up on him. THEN, he goes to Vegas & marries a model. You decide if he’s worth a second chance—I’m pretty certain he’s not.
But, I liked the side characters & the story moved quickly. There’s no cheating. It’s a decent romance.
4⭐️’s
If you read Harper’s book in the Love Cliches series then you know her brothers & her father, Tank. The first book in this new series is about Pat. Pat has a reputation of being a fun loving, always joking kind of guy. However, inside he’s a tornado of emotions. He has ADHD & has manic episodes.
When Tank (his father) buys the town of Sheet Cake, TX, he tells Pat first. He believes Pat will be an easy sell. And he isn’t, until he realizes his ex-friend, Lindy, still lives there.
So…basically, he decides to convince his brothers that this is a great idea. He also starts a campaign to win Lindy back. She repeatedly tells him no & he tries to wear her down (not my favorite.)
This is how he handled their breakup: he decides it’s better for both of them if he just leaves without saying goodbye because breakups are hard. Then he calls her months later from a bar, drunk, to say he messed up. By then, Lindy’s life is in turmoil so she tells him she’s great & hangs up on him. THEN, he goes to Vegas & marries a model. You decide if he’s worth a second chance—I’m pretty certain he’s not.
But, I liked the side characters & the story moved quickly. There’s no cheating. It’s a decent romance.
4⭐️’s
*4 stars
This book was so much fun!
I was intrigued since Chapter One and that conversation between Pat and his father. Yes, his father bought a town. Yes, Pat starts questioning if his father is ok…
This is a second chance romance (with a dose of marriage of convenience), that has a meddling small town, a very smart 5 years old and a very interesting family dynamic.
Of note: I voluntarily read and reviewed and advanced copy of this book
This book was so much fun!
I was intrigued since Chapter One and that conversation between Pat and his father. Yes, his father bought a town. Yes, Pat starts questioning if his father is ok…
This is a second chance romance (with a dose of marriage of convenience), that has a meddling small town, a very smart 5 years old and a very interesting family dynamic.
Of note: I voluntarily read and reviewed and advanced copy of this book
The sweetest small town romance book!!
I loved reading this book, it was so enjoyable. Plus it had the marriage of convenience trope!! And I love that!
Read this book!!! Lindy and Pat are my parents.
I loved reading this book, it was so enjoyable. Plus it had the marriage of convenience trope!! And I love that!
Read this book!!! Lindy and Pat are my parents.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Clean
Whew!
There was alotta hype surrounding this one which made me nervous. I loved the Love Cliches series by St.Clair but the last two installments in that series were not it for me [I hated them]. But I remember loving Harper's brothers and hoping for a spinoff series ad I soo didn't want to be disappointed - and I wasn't! Yay!
This was St. Clair back in form, writing nuanced, lovable yet flawed characters, trying to make life work the best way they know how. All wrapped up in a cute, sweet and hilarious package! I always wonder why some stories just seem to work better for me even when everything is objectively good and I still don't know the answer. All I know is that St Clair has the ineffable quality of being able to infuse her stories with life. You feel invested, so can lose yourself completely in the story and have a great time doing so, in a way that is so so rare.
So yes I loved this. I loved seeing the dynamics with Harper's brothers a lot better and seeing where each one struggle. Pat for his part is so lovable and so sweet and you just want to give him a hug all the time. He's trying to find his direction in life while feeling like a little bit of a black sheep in a very accomplished family, yet he knows he's loved. Wonderful.
I also really liked Lindy. All of her conflicts with Pat made sense. Yes you wanted them to just get over it and have their HEA but you understood why she felt weary of jumping back in, and why she was so closed off. Everything felt super grounded, but not overwrought or annoying.
I think one of St Clair's biggest strengths is making her world so fleshed out that you invest in everyone, but also not detracting from the main plots. To be fair, this isn't always executed perfectly. For example in the Love Cliches series I remember being desperate to read 'Falling for Your Boss' while reading 'Falling for Your Best Friend's Twin'. But it's a pretty great skill to have because it definitely keeps you coming back for more. I'm desperate for James' book and Collins, and Val and Winnie and maybe even Tank, and definitely Chevy! Plenty of love to go around and I'm here for each and every one please and thank you.
Anyway it's not a review without me talking about accountability. Good books go through the motions and hit all the right narrative beats. But great books add nuance and depth. Both Pat and Lindy have their flaws. But this is a fun read because nothing either of them have done is unforgivable (check). Then their characterizations were consistent. For example, Pat's impulsiveness is a web that weaves all through the story and shows up in so many different ways, as does Lindy's reserved and cautious nature (check check). And they're both held accountable for their actions. When Pat freaks outs, Harper is right there to call him out (lovingly) about how he didn't handle the situation appropriately. But Lindy is called out too by her friends by not really giving enough in a relationship that she wants to keep (PERFECT!!!!!). This is where a majority of contemp romances fall flat is how to handle conflicts reasonable, in a way that doesn't torpedo a character;s likeability and cheapen the resolution.
So yes, this was a smooth, wonderful ride. And I cannot. Can. Not! wait for the next ride.
If I was a stronger person, I would wait until every book was out and then read them straight.
There was alotta hype surrounding this one which made me nervous. I loved the Love Cliches series by St.Clair but the last two installments in that series were not it for me [I hated them]. But I remember loving Harper's brothers and hoping for a spinoff series ad I soo didn't want to be disappointed - and I wasn't! Yay!
This was St. Clair back in form, writing nuanced, lovable yet flawed characters, trying to make life work the best way they know how. All wrapped up in a cute, sweet and hilarious package! I always wonder why some stories just seem to work better for me even when everything is objectively good and I still don't know the answer. All I know is that St Clair has the ineffable quality of being able to infuse her stories with life. You feel invested, so can lose yourself completely in the story and have a great time doing so, in a way that is so so rare.
So yes I loved this. I loved seeing the dynamics with Harper's brothers a lot better and seeing where each one struggle. Pat for his part is so lovable and so sweet and you just want to give him a hug all the time. He's trying to find his direction in life while feeling like a little bit of a black sheep in a very accomplished family, yet he knows he's loved. Wonderful.
I also really liked Lindy. All of her conflicts with Pat made sense. Yes you wanted them to just get over it and have their HEA but you understood why she felt weary of jumping back in, and why she was so closed off. Everything felt super grounded, but not overwrought or annoying.
I think one of St Clair's biggest strengths is making her world so fleshed out that you invest in everyone, but also not detracting from the main plots. To be fair, this isn't always executed perfectly. For example in the Love Cliches series I remember being desperate to read 'Falling for Your Boss' while reading 'Falling for Your Best Friend's Twin'. But it's a pretty great skill to have because it definitely keeps you coming back for more. I'm desperate for James' book and Collins, and Val and Winnie and maybe even Tank, and definitely Chevy! Plenty of love to go around and I'm here for each and every one please and thank you.
Anyway it's not a review without me talking about accountability. Good books go through the motions and hit all the right narrative beats. But great books add nuance and depth. Both Pat and Lindy have their flaws. But this is a fun read because nothing either of them have done is unforgivable (check). Then their characterizations were consistent. For example, Pat's impulsiveness is a web that weaves all through the story and shows up in so many different ways, as does Lindy's reserved and cautious nature (check check). And they're both held accountable for their actions. When Pat freaks outs, Harper is right there to call him out (lovingly) about how he didn't handle the situation appropriately. But Lindy is called out too by her friends by not really giving enough in a relationship that she wants to keep (PERFECT!!!!!). This is where a majority of contemp romances fall flat is how to handle conflicts reasonable, in a way that doesn't torpedo a character;s likeability and cheapen the resolution.
So yes, this was a smooth, wonderful ride. And I cannot. Can. Not! wait for the next ride.
If I was a stronger person, I would wait until every book was out and then read them straight.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
I’m so happy to be back in an Emma St. Clair world! I love her writing style, her characters, and her banter. There were a lot of fun pop culture references in this book which I loved, but the relationship between the main characters was everything! I can’t wait to continue on with this series and see what happens next in Sheet Cake, Texas! Read when you need a rom-com to put a smile on your face.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes