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bookdrgn's review against another edition
5.0
I was so stoked to get an ARC of this from the author. I mean, really, book boyfriends are the bomb and do make regular guys we encounter seem lacking. But isn’t that part of the reason we love romance novels?
I love Lacey Donovan. The book reviews by Lacey give readers insight into Lacey’s sharp mind and witty personality. She has a love affair with matching lingerie sets, books, and dogs. She doesn’t lack for quirks. Scarred by a young heartbreak, she finds her solace in the men between the pages of books. She’s understandably wrapped her broken heart around her like a protective cage and only gives it to fictional characters. She doesn’t get close to people, even the friends she’s made in Mossy Point, and is always prepared to run again. I wonder if some closure from her ex would help. The end of their relationship came via a third party who admittedly didn’t like Lacey. Maybe it would help her to hear it from the horse's mouth so to speak, even all these years later.
I can’t believe her father is making her pay him back for the money he chose to spend on her education. I really wish she’d stood up to him and told him to shove it, even more if we’d got the read that scene.
Lacey’s penchant for authentic, honest living is admirable except when she judges others for their use of pen names or not wanting to keep things private. It’s contradictory to her run away from life when it gets too serious nature. It’s one flaw in her character that both adds to her overall realism and frustrated me into wanting to shake her and tell her to stop judging others for choices she wouldn’t make for herself because she doesn’t walk in their shoes.
This book made me laugh out loud and feel for these characters
I love Beckett’s limericks and Beckett as a character. He is a mystery for sure, but it adds to the fun of his character. He’s determined when he wants something, and he wants Lacey. He’s physically attractive, knows his grammar, and wears glasses. He is why book boyfriends are the best. He’s not afraid to turn a syrupy phrase or pet name to show Lacey how he feels at the same time being stoic and confident with the rest of the world. The revelations about his careers made his character make more sense, especially on an emotional level.
His response when Lacey was drugged at the vineyard is one that would send many a knee quivering. Except for Lacey. Her reaction to the entire incident baffled me. Anger at Beckett for defending her and acceptance of Xan’s denial confused and irritated me.
I wish the issue had been explored more and the culprit found, even if it was Xan. I feel like Lacey should have been angrier about that than some of the things she got irate about. Maybe it’ll come around again in a future book and Lacey’s friend Mia will take them to court.
The secondary characters are all wonderful. I especially enjoyed Beckett’s niece Summer, and after reading a snippet from Beckett’s pov I hope she finds some peace. Pressly is not as predominant, but I am hoping she gets a book with Thatcher soon. Gabi, Kennedy, Mia, and Sloane; the other members of the Blue Ridge Book Club added wisdom and support to Lacey, but Thatcher ultimately came through calling out on her emotions and giving her the push she needed. I would absolutely read books about each of these characters though.
Love, Lacey Donovan was a fun book to read and Jill has quickly become one of my must-read authors.
I love Lacey Donovan. The book reviews by Lacey give readers insight into Lacey’s sharp mind and witty personality. She has a love affair with matching lingerie sets, books, and dogs. She doesn’t lack for quirks. Scarred by a young heartbreak, she finds her solace in the men between the pages of books. She’s understandably wrapped her broken heart around her like a protective cage and only gives it to fictional characters. She doesn’t get close to people, even the friends she’s made in Mossy Point, and is always prepared to run again. I wonder if some closure from her ex would help. The end of their relationship came via a third party who admittedly didn’t like Lacey. Maybe it would help her to hear it from the horse's mouth so to speak, even all these years later.
I can’t believe her father is making her pay him back for the money he chose to spend on her education. I really wish she’d stood up to him and told him to shove it, even more if we’d got the read that scene.
Lacey’s penchant for authentic, honest living is admirable except when she judges others for their use of pen names or not wanting to keep things private. It’s contradictory to her run away from life when it gets too serious nature. It’s one flaw in her character that both adds to her overall realism and frustrated me into wanting to shake her and tell her to stop judging others for choices she wouldn’t make for herself because she doesn’t walk in their shoes.
This book made me laugh out loud and feel for these characters
I love Beckett’s limericks and Beckett as a character. He is a mystery for sure, but it adds to the fun of his character. He’s determined when he wants something, and he wants Lacey. He’s physically attractive, knows his grammar, and wears glasses. He is why book boyfriends are the best. He’s not afraid to turn a syrupy phrase or pet name to show Lacey how he feels at the same time being stoic and confident with the rest of the world. The revelations about his careers made his character make more sense, especially on an emotional level.
His response when Lacey was drugged at the vineyard is one that would send many a knee quivering. Except for Lacey. Her reaction to the entire incident baffled me. Anger at Beckett for defending her and acceptance of Xan’s denial confused and irritated me.
I wish the issue had been explored more and the culprit found, even if it was Xan. I feel like Lacey should have been angrier about that than some of the things she got irate about. Maybe it’ll come around again in a future book and Lacey’s friend Mia will take them to court.
The secondary characters are all wonderful. I especially enjoyed Beckett’s niece Summer, and after reading a snippet from Beckett’s pov I hope she finds some peace. Pressly is not as predominant, but I am hoping she gets a book with Thatcher soon. Gabi, Kennedy, Mia, and Sloane; the other members of the Blue Ridge Book Club added wisdom and support to Lacey, but Thatcher ultimately came through calling out on her emotions and giving her the push she needed. I would absolutely read books about each of these characters though.
Love, Lacey Donovan was a fun book to read and Jill has quickly become one of my must-read authors.
lisaluvsliterature's review against another edition
3.0
The book started out really pretty good for me. I liked the story a lot, but had some issues with some of the writing or way things were written. Like during the steamy moments, there was a lot of non-sex words, I don’t even know how to explain it. Just things that didn’t seem to fit in and keep me in the moment. Like thinking about stuff that had nothing to do with what was actually going on. I actually fast forwarded through a couple of those scenes because of that. And if you know me, I don’t fast forward through those parts. Then, her thoughts and problems with pen names was rude and wrong for any good romance reader to have. There are reasons why people use pen names, and it has nothing to do with the complaints she had. I liked her reviews a lot for awhile, but then towards the end, she reviewed what sounded very similar to some of my favorite authors – Christina Lauren and/or Jana Aston, and gave very bad reviews to them. So that made me dislike that character even more. And I think her issue was ridiculous in the end. So I was loving the book till the end really. I gave it 3 stars, but that was kind of nice really for how many problems I had with it in the end.
hm08's review against another edition
1.0
The heroine's selfish and drove me nuts from start to finish. I've never read a less self-aware and naive main character. She turned me off so much I'll probably never read something from this author again.
totallycarly's review against another edition
4.0
Cute, fun, and easy read. A great palette cleanser.
thebookfling's review against another edition
4.0
This was my first time reading a book by Jill Brashear, and I absolutely love her writing style. The storyline was interesting and captured my attention within the first chapter. I was a bit disappointed with how predictable the ending got. I will be on the look out for future books though!
bellarhysreads's review against another edition
3.0
This book left me confused in many ways…
I’m not quite sure how to structure my review, so, I’m just going to list the pros and cons and let you decide if it’s something you’re into….
Cons
It started off well, went down hill in the 2nd half of book.
I don’t understand why Beckett liked Lacey; they barely knew each. The romance moved too fast, not really insta love, but, still a bit too fast; One minute they’re meeting and going on one date, next thing, he apparently loves her?
Lacey’s whole jealously didn’t make sense. And her judgement about Beckett (& other authors) using pen names was wrong and not her place to judge.
I did not understand her whole reaction to the incident where she got spiked at the bar. It made no sense why she was defending Xan, whom she had only just met, so much. But, was mad at Beckett for actually caring and not trusting Xan’s explanation (as they shouldn’t, they don’t know him well). Also, we never actually got a conclusion to that plot; we still don’t know what really happened that night at the bar. So, that was disappointing.
I was also disappointed that her whole ordeal with her dad (and having to pay him back for her education) was also not explored further. I would have loved it if she had actually stood up for her self against him.
That all brings me to my main issue with this book. Lacey was unlikeable and had messed up priorities. Things she should have cared about, she didn’t. Instead, focusing on the wrong things…sigh.
Pros
I actually liked the bookish references.
Beckett was actually a sweetheart. I loved him (he deserved better than Lacey…smh).
The side characters were fun and I loved the banter they had.
A previous review stated the book was packed with sweetness. I actually liked that aspect of the book, it’s refreshing to read a book that is, at its core, a really sweet romance.
Conclusion
With all those cons, it might sound like I didn’t like the book. But, I actually did. Overall, even though the heroine was mostly unbearable, the book was pretty fun to read/listen to. It was also well written.
I’m not quite sure how to structure my review, so, I’m just going to list the pros and cons and let you decide if it’s something you’re into….
Cons
It started off well, went down hill in the 2nd half of book.
I don’t understand why Beckett liked Lacey; they barely knew each. The romance moved too fast, not really insta love, but, still a bit too fast; One minute they’re meeting and going on one date, next thing, he apparently loves her?
Lacey’s whole jealously didn’t make sense. And her judgement about Beckett (& other authors) using pen names was wrong and not her place to judge.
I did not understand her whole reaction to the incident where she got spiked at the bar. It made no sense why she was defending Xan, whom she had only just met, so much. But, was mad at Beckett for actually caring and not trusting Xan’s explanation (as they shouldn’t, they don’t know him well). Also, we never actually got a conclusion to that plot; we still don’t know what really happened that night at the bar. So, that was disappointing.
I was also disappointed that her whole ordeal with her dad (and having to pay him back for her education) was also not explored further. I would have loved it if she had actually stood up for her self against him.
That all brings me to my main issue with this book. Lacey was unlikeable and had messed up priorities. Things she should have cared about, she didn’t. Instead, focusing on the wrong things…sigh.
Pros
I actually liked the bookish references.
Beckett was actually a sweetheart. I loved him (he deserved better than Lacey…smh).
The side characters were fun and I loved the banter they had.
A previous review stated the book was packed with sweetness. I actually liked that aspect of the book, it’s refreshing to read a book that is, at its core, a really sweet romance.
Conclusion
With all those cons, it might sound like I didn’t like the book. But, I actually did. Overall, even though the heroine was mostly unbearable, the book was pretty fun to read/listen to. It was also well written.
libertyreads789's review against another edition
3.0
Actual Rating: 3.25 stars.
Well, that was a surprise. I wasn’t intending to read a whole extra novel today but that happened. This was such a fast and quick and easy read that once I started it was hard to stop. This was the second book in the 10 book anthology of rom-com novels I purchased several months back. I will say that I liked this one so much more than the first one in the anthology.
Lacey Donovan is not the kind of girl to put down roots. Her heart was broken 7 years ago and she refuses to ever feel that way again. But Mossy Oak, North Carolina and its residents have a way of worming their way into your heart. And when Beckett sets his sights on Lacey he knows that he has to make her his. Can a romantic guy find a way past this hard hearted girl’s walls?
I was surprised to find this so much more palatable than On the Rox (the first book in this anthology) was. And I think that’s part of the reason I enjoyed it, but I think most of it stems from the setting and the characters. While I wish we had more of the side characters, the love interest in this novel is so swoon worthy. Beckett is a serious guy who runs his family’s company but when he’s not in a boardroom he has a heart of gold. He helps take care of his niece and he reads romance novels. He is still a big beefy piece of love interest, but he is such a softy. The main character can’t help but fall into his orbit. They bond over a love of romance novels. Also, this tiny town is so cute and it has so many wonderful people who live there. I know real small towns aren’t like that, but we can suspend our disbelief a little bit.
I think the main problems I had with the novel were predictability, glossing over a seriously heavy topic, and the unnecessariness of the last conflict. There were certain beats that this author hit throughout the novel that I would predict three or four chapters ahead of time. Not that it makes the book bad, but it never came out and surprised me. There was a scene where a girl ends up getting roofied at a bar. Nothing ends up happening to her because she’s with her friends and they take care of her. But being a girl I cannot imagine getting over it as quickly as this girl does. Even if she wasn’t the one that someone was trying to roofie and it was all a mix up. This is probably one of the bigger things to drag down the novel for me. Also, that final girl fight over Beckett was so unnecessary. I felt like it was added just to up the page count or add a moment of doubt before a solid resolution. It took away from the story in my opinion. Overall these things really make this book slide into the “Good, Not Great” range for me.
Well, that was a surprise. I wasn’t intending to read a whole extra novel today but that happened. This was such a fast and quick and easy read that once I started it was hard to stop. This was the second book in the 10 book anthology of rom-com novels I purchased several months back. I will say that I liked this one so much more than the first one in the anthology.
Lacey Donovan is not the kind of girl to put down roots. Her heart was broken 7 years ago and she refuses to ever feel that way again. But Mossy Oak, North Carolina and its residents have a way of worming their way into your heart. And when Beckett sets his sights on Lacey he knows that he has to make her his. Can a romantic guy find a way past this hard hearted girl’s walls?
I was surprised to find this so much more palatable than On the Rox (the first book in this anthology) was. And I think that’s part of the reason I enjoyed it, but I think most of it stems from the setting and the characters. While I wish we had more of the side characters, the love interest in this novel is so swoon worthy. Beckett is a serious guy who runs his family’s company but when he’s not in a boardroom he has a heart of gold. He helps take care of his niece and he reads romance novels. He is still a big beefy piece of love interest, but he is such a softy. The main character can’t help but fall into his orbit. They bond over a love of romance novels. Also, this tiny town is so cute and it has so many wonderful people who live there. I know real small towns aren’t like that, but we can suspend our disbelief a little bit.
I think the main problems I had with the novel were predictability, glossing over a seriously heavy topic, and the unnecessariness of the last conflict. There were certain beats that this author hit throughout the novel that I would predict three or four chapters ahead of time. Not that it makes the book bad, but it never came out and surprised me. There was a scene where a girl ends up getting roofied at a bar. Nothing ends up happening to her because she’s with her friends and they take care of her. But being a girl I cannot imagine getting over it as quickly as this girl does. Even if she wasn’t the one that someone was trying to roofie and it was all a mix up. This is probably one of the bigger things to drag down the novel for me. Also, that final girl fight over Beckett was so unnecessary. I felt like it was added just to up the page count or add a moment of doubt before a solid resolution. It took away from the story in my opinion. Overall these things really make this book slide into the “Good, Not Great” range for me.
bookedinsideout's review
I didn’t really love the style, and a few things bothered me a bit.
- One of the books she reviews is about an actor who needs a fake girlfriend because people are starting to wonder if he’s gay (what’s the problem with that? Perhaps homomisic ideas about who can play what roles, but that’s not even vaguely stated) and she “could use a leg up in her career without having to spread them.”
- It’s referring to a bar and not a person, but the term “uppity” is used, and while I did a bit of research and it seems not to be offensive, it’s just another one of those things to me that just raises a red flag because of its history.
- Lacey’s asked if she’s married and then if she has a serious boyfriend, and her answer to both of those are a simple “no,” but when she’s subsequently asked if she has a serious girlfriend, it’s “You think I’m a lesbian because I have a nose ring?”
I didn’t love Lacey (for example, she tells a guy that she isn’t interested in him and wants to be friends but then asks him to kiss her because she’s “obsessing over someone and [she] needs to get him off [her] mind.”) and her romance with Beckett went too quickly from nerves and attraction to “we’re together now”, but there was one thing I did like (which also doesn’t put the hero in a good light):
“I don’t do friends. I’m too busy.”
My blood stopped rushing, my heart immediately calming. I’d listened to the right body part. I’d made the right decision.
“Good thing I said no.” I turned on my heel to leave. “If you don’t have time for friends, you don’t have time to date me.”
Content Warnings
CW (up to 47% mark): Mention by a prosecutor of a rapist “walking out on a technicality”, suspected drugging with the date rape drug (Lacey’s friends realize something’s wrong before anything happens and at the point I got to, it’s suspected that some friends at a bachelor party meant to drug their friend’s drink for “fun” but Lacey drank it instead)
missylynne's review against another edition
5.0
Interesting story. Held my attention. Adored Beckett. I want to know more about the minor characters, especially Thatcher.
The only thing that would have made this story better would have been dual point of view. I would have loved to see things from Beckett's pov.
The only thing that would have made this story better would have been dual point of view. I would have loved to see things from Beckett's pov.
bookcaseandcoffee's review against another edition
4.0
Fun and witty rom-com for the book lover.
Lacey is free spirit looking for her place in the world. After leaving home at 18 she has wondered from place to place, never staying long enough to put down any roots. The only constants in her life at her books and her love of dogs. Lacey finds all her best boyfriends in books. Her book boyfriends never disappoint. Working in a bookstore, volunteering at the dog shelter and her dog walking business Lacey seems to be making a home in the Mountains of North Carolina. She is even making friends outside of her books! Things in her life seem to be going well and she is even thinking about putting down roots and staying for more than a year.
That is until she meets Beckett. Suddenly, she has this smart sexy man who reads and has a big secret pursing her. Trying his hardest to prove to her that romance is real outside of books and that they are worth a try.
I loved the way Beckett refuses to give up and keeps trying to break down Lacey's walls. There is such chemistry between Beckett and Lacey that you will love. You won't want to put this one down as you are pulled into the world of Beckett and Lacey. This book is full of feels and insta-love and it totally worth the read.
Lacey is free spirit looking for her place in the world. After leaving home at 18 she has wondered from place to place, never staying long enough to put down any roots. The only constants in her life at her books and her love of dogs. Lacey finds all her best boyfriends in books. Her book boyfriends never disappoint. Working in a bookstore, volunteering at the dog shelter and her dog walking business Lacey seems to be making a home in the Mountains of North Carolina. She is even making friends outside of her books! Things in her life seem to be going well and she is even thinking about putting down roots and staying for more than a year.
That is until she meets Beckett. Suddenly, she has this smart sexy man who reads and has a big secret pursing her. Trying his hardest to prove to her that romance is real outside of books and that they are worth a try.
I loved the way Beckett refuses to give up and keeps trying to break down Lacey's walls. There is such chemistry between Beckett and Lacey that you will love. You won't want to put this one down as you are pulled into the world of Beckett and Lacey. This book is full of feels and insta-love and it totally worth the read.