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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
thank you to netgalley and putnam for the opportunity to read an advance copy. all thoughts and opinions are my own.
there genuinely isn’t a single thing about this book that i liked, which is incredibly disappointing because i really enjoyed from the jump. the premise of the only game in town is fun, but it’s unsuccessful on just about every front.
jess, our main character, is immediately ‘not like other girls.’ she doesn’t like traditional fashion, bc she’s so quirky and weird! she’s sooooo clumsy! she’s so jess from new girl that even her name is the same! she’s even a redhead like every boring not like other girls MC. carter in the beginning is—fine. bland. much like jess, he’s your archetypal romance LI. he’s a Man so he doesn’t feel Emotions, of course. while i found him insufferable, it wasn’t even close to the same level as jess.
but let’s talk about how, at 5% in, i almost dnf’ed. jess is 26 years old, and her high school bully is still bullying her over some slight from when they were kids (and when you find out the slight the bully is still mad about, it gets even more ridiculous!). these are whole entire adults. it’s a tiny town and these girls never really left, so it is admittedly pretty realistic, but god is it infuriating to read. and, to make it better, carter has to save her from the bully the first time they meet? which, fine, i get it, but let’s really start out early with jess having no agency. jess’s fixation on a high school rivalry continues further into the book, because of course we can’t have her or the bully emotionally age beyond 18.
and let’s continue on the bully for a minute. the bully, nikki. is only a bully bc her dad left and her mom’s an alcoholic and she’s jealous of jess :/ can you please make a mean girl mean without daddy issues, emotional abuse, and envy? or at the very least not reduce her character to just that? and, of course, since jess is just a copy paste of jessica day, she just forgives nikki for bullying her the second she stops doing so without any apologies or even addressing it at all. and the worst part is i actually like nikki! she’s definitely the only character i can tolerate!
as for the romance, it’s lust at first sight, but it’s mutual, so it’s actually kinda fun switching povs and having both their opinions on each other just “they’re hot”. but it turns to insta love quickly, because of course it does. the problem is that they don’t really interact all that often, especially in the first half, and there isn’t much chemistry largely because it jumps right into these big feelings without any development. similarly, the main conflict is ridiculous, overblown, and annoying. it’s also resolved in like, five pages. their first kiss and first time both happen the same night immediately after jess gets a concussion. with the most absurd conflict in between where neither of them acted like an actual human being.
(and i have to share this fun line: “Beneath his perfectly buttoned shirts, Carter had become an insatiable beast who had ravaged her until she was left whimpering with satisfaction.” what the actual hell.)
as a note, too, i’ve seen other reviews point out that this isn’t actually a romance book despite being marketed as such, and i can confirm, it’s definitely contemporary fiction with a romance subplot. definitely misleading.
the main plot centers around the will of the town’s zany benefactor who’s recently passed. jasper’s game is—kinda fucked up too? he poses it as some big generous donation to the town that he’s supposed to have loved, but instead it’s a donation to two people who jump through his hoops well enough. he pairs up everyone who hates each other in some weird arrogant belief that he can fix everyone’s problems from beyond the grave. and getting everyone’s hopes up just to either callously or maliciously schedule the game so that most of the town can’t play is a little cruel to boot. it’s gilmore girls meets the inheritance games which maybe could’ve worked but didn’t.
in the vein of this not, in fact, being a romance book, there are too many povs. including jess’s dad as a pov character was very uncomfortable, and nikki’s pov really pushed it over the line of too many. it went from being a romance novel, as advertised, to some hodge podge ensemble cast.
oh! and then it gets super weird! for a while it’s set up like she might make the dad and the daughters HIGH SCHOOL BULLY love interests. horrific. it’s one sided (technically—they have surprisingly good chemistry and many of their interactions do not come across as platonic on either side) but jesus god what the hell. part of this plot includes jess getting slut shamey, which is predictable but still disappointing. nikki and ross have great chemistry which is extra frustrating.
also there’s inexplicably a subplot where someone tries to commit actual murder, and someone keeps it a secret, because girl code.
and, finally, i have to speak my truth. carter and nikki have better chemistry and would make more sense.
there genuinely isn’t a single thing about this book that i liked, which is incredibly disappointing because i really enjoyed from the jump. the premise of the only game in town is fun, but it’s unsuccessful on just about every front.
jess, our main character, is immediately ‘not like other girls.’ she doesn’t like traditional fashion, bc she’s so quirky and weird! she’s sooooo clumsy! she’s so jess from new girl that even her name is the same! she’s even a redhead like every boring not like other girls MC. carter in the beginning is—fine. bland. much like jess, he’s your archetypal romance LI. he’s a Man so he doesn’t feel Emotions, of course. while i found him insufferable, it wasn’t even close to the same level as jess.
but let’s talk about how, at 5% in, i almost dnf’ed. jess is 26 years old, and her high school bully is still bullying her over some slight from when they were kids (and when you find out the slight the bully is still mad about, it gets even more ridiculous!). these are whole entire adults. it’s a tiny town and these girls never really left, so it is admittedly pretty realistic, but god is it infuriating to read. and, to make it better, carter has to save her from the bully the first time they meet? which, fine, i get it, but let’s really start out early with jess having no agency. jess’s fixation on a high school rivalry continues further into the book, because of course we can’t have her or the bully emotionally age beyond 18.
and let’s continue on the bully for a minute. the bully, nikki. is only a bully bc her dad left and her mom’s an alcoholic and she’s jealous of jess :/ can you please make a mean girl mean without daddy issues, emotional abuse, and envy? or at the very least not reduce her character to just that? and, of course, since jess is just a copy paste of jessica day, she just forgives nikki for bullying her the second she stops doing so without any apologies or even addressing it at all. and the worst part is i actually like nikki! she’s definitely the only character i can tolerate!
as for the romance, it’s lust at first sight, but it’s mutual, so it’s actually kinda fun switching povs and having both their opinions on each other just “they’re hot”. but it turns to insta love quickly, because of course it does. the problem is that they don’t really interact all that often, especially in the first half, and there isn’t much chemistry largely because it jumps right into these big feelings without any development. similarly, the main conflict is ridiculous, overblown, and annoying. it’s also resolved in like, five pages. their first kiss and first time both happen the same night immediately after jess gets a concussion. with the most absurd conflict in between where neither of them acted like an actual human being.
(and i have to share this fun line: “Beneath his perfectly buttoned shirts, Carter had become an insatiable beast who had ravaged her until she was left whimpering with satisfaction.” what the actual hell.)
as a note, too, i’ve seen other reviews point out that this isn’t actually a romance book despite being marketed as such, and i can confirm, it’s definitely contemporary fiction with a romance subplot. definitely misleading.
the main plot centers around the will of the town’s zany benefactor who’s recently passed. jasper’s game is—kinda fucked up too? he poses it as some big generous donation to the town that he’s supposed to have loved, but instead it’s a donation to two people who jump through his hoops well enough. he pairs up everyone who hates each other in some weird arrogant belief that he can fix everyone’s problems from beyond the grave. and getting everyone’s hopes up just to either callously or maliciously schedule the game so that most of the town can’t play is a little cruel to boot. it’s gilmore girls meets the inheritance games which maybe could’ve worked but didn’t.
in the vein of this not, in fact, being a romance book, there are too many povs. including jess’s dad as a pov character was very uncomfortable, and nikki’s pov really pushed it over the line of too many. it went from being a romance novel, as advertised, to some hodge podge ensemble cast.
oh! and then it gets super weird! for a while it’s set up like she might make the dad and the daughters HIGH SCHOOL BULLY love interests. horrific. it’s one sided (technically—they have surprisingly good chemistry and many of their interactions do not come across as platonic on either side) but jesus god what the hell. part of this plot includes jess getting slut shamey, which is predictable but still disappointing. nikki and ross have great chemistry which is extra frustrating.
also there’s inexplicably a subplot where someone tries to commit actual murder, and someone keeps it a secret, because girl code.
and, finally, i have to speak my truth. carter and nikki have better chemistry and would make more sense.
Thanks to Putnam for the copy of this book!
When the town of Redford, Georgia's benefactor passes away, his grandson, Carter, comes into town. Jess, a romance editor who grew up in the small town and forms an instant connection with Carter - and luckily he has to stick around for a little longer than expected. Turns out the benefactor made his inheritance into a game that the whole town is expected to participate in. Everything shuts down for these (pretty absurd) games to take place, and romance starts blooming. This was a fun read, but maybe a little immature. It read almost a little YA to me - the characters seemed like they were more late teens/early 20s than their actual ages in the book. It was fun and escapist, which is definitely Lacie's MO with her romance novels!
Read if you:
- like small-town settings
- want multiple POVs and storylines in a romance
- need an escapist read filled with silliness
When the town of Redford, Georgia's benefactor passes away, his grandson, Carter, comes into town. Jess, a romance editor who grew up in the small town and forms an instant connection with Carter - and luckily he has to stick around for a little longer than expected. Turns out the benefactor made his inheritance into a game that the whole town is expected to participate in. Everything shuts down for these (pretty absurd) games to take place, and romance starts blooming. This was a fun read, but maybe a little immature. It read almost a little YA to me - the characters seemed like they were more late teens/early 20s than their actual ages in the book. It was fun and escapist, which is definitely Lacie's MO with her romance novels!
Read if you:
- like small-town settings
- want multiple POVs and storylines in a romance
- need an escapist read filled with silliness
3.5 Stars, rounded up ⭐️
Thank you NetGalley & Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC!
I loved the small town charm in this book and I enjoyed that the romance was just one element of the bigger story. The premise was unique, a little quirky, and a lot heartwarming.
The cast of characters was dynamic, despite being it being a bit difficult for me to keep track of all of the side characters at the beginning. I liked the multiple POVs and how telling the story that way shed light onto secondary characters motivations and feelings.
While I liked that the romance wasn't the main focus of the plot, I do wish it was flushed out just a little bit more.
Thank you NetGalley & Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC!
I loved the small town charm in this book and I enjoyed that the romance was just one element of the bigger story. The premise was unique, a little quirky, and a lot heartwarming.
The cast of characters was dynamic, despite being it being a bit difficult for me to keep track of all of the side characters at the beginning. I liked the multiple POVs and how telling the story that way shed light onto secondary characters motivations and feelings.
While I liked that the romance wasn't the main focus of the plot, I do wish it was flushed out just a little bit more.
thank you to netgalley and putnam for the opportunity to read an advance copy. all thoughts and opinions are my own.
there genuinely isn’t a single thing about this book that i liked, which is incredibly disappointing because i really enjoyed from the jump. the premise of the only game in town is fun, but it’s unsuccessful on just about every front.
jess, our main character, is immediately ‘not like other girls.’ she doesn’t like traditional fashion, bc she’s so quirky and weird! she’s sooooo clumsy! she’s so jess from new girl that even her name is the same! she’s even a redhead like every boring not like other girls MC. carter in the beginning is—fine. bland. much like jess, he’s your archetypal romance LI. he’s a Man so he doesn’t feel Emotions, of course. while i found him insufferable, it wasn’t even close to the same level as jess.
but let’s talk about how, at 5% in, i almost dnf’ed. jess is 26 years old, and her high school bully is still bullying her over some slight from when they were kids (and when you find out the slight the bully is still mad about, it gets even more ridiculous!). these are whole entire adults. it’s a tiny town and these girls never really left, so it is admittedly pretty realistic, but god is it infuriating to read. and, to make it better, carter has to save her from the bully the first time they meet? which, fine, i get it, but let’s really start out early with jess having no agency. jess’s fixation on a high school rivalry continues further into the book, because of course we can’t have her or the bully emotionally age beyond 18.
and let’s continue on the bully for a minute. the bully, nikki. is only a bully bc her dad left and her mom’s an alcoholic and she’s jealous of jess :/ can you please make a mean girl mean without daddy issues, emotional abuse, and envy? or at the very least not reduce her character to just that? and, of course, since jess is just a copy paste of jessica day, she just forgives nikki for bullying her the second she stops doing so without any apologies or even addressing it at all. and the worst part is i actually like nikki! she’s definitely the only character i can tolerate!
as for the romance, it’s lust at first sight, but it’s mutual, so it’s actually kinda fun switching povs and having both their opinions on each other just “they’re hot”. but it turns to insta love quickly, because of course it does. the problem is that they don’t really interact all that often, especially in the first half, and there isn’t much chemistry largely because it jumps right into these big feelings without any development. similarly, the main conflict is ridiculous, overblown, and annoying. it’s also resolved in like, five pages. their first kiss and first time both happen the same night immediately after jess gets a concussion. with the most absurd conflict in between where neither of them acted like an actual human being.
(and i have to share this fun line: “Beneath his perfectly buttoned shirts, Carter had become an insatiable beast who had ravaged her until she was left whimpering with satisfaction.” what the actual hell.)
as a note, too, i’ve seen other reviews point out that this isn’t actually a romance book despite being marketed as such, and i can confirm, it’s definitely contemporary fiction with a romance subplot. definitely misleading.
the main plot centers around the will of the town’s zany benefactor who’s recently passed. jasper’s game is—kinda fucked up too? he poses it as some big generous donation to the town that he’s supposed to have loved, but instead it’s a donation to two people who jump through his hoops well enough. he pairs up everyone who hates each other in some weird arrogant belief that he can fix everyone’s problems from beyond the grave. and getting everyone’s hopes up just to either callously or maliciously schedule the game so that most of the town can’t play is a little cruel to boot. it’s gilmore girls meets the inheritance games which maybe could’ve worked but didn’t.
in the vein of this not, in fact, being a romance book, there are too many povs. including jess’s dad as a pov character was very uncomfortable, and nikki’s pov really pushed it over the line of too many. it went from being a romance novel, as advertised, to some hodge podge ensemble cast.
oh! and then it gets super weird! for a while it’s set up like she might make the dad and the daughters HIGH SCHOOL BULLY love interests. horrific. it’s one sided (technically—they have surprisingly good chemistry and many of their interactions do not come across as platonic on either side) but jesus god what the hell. part of this plot includes jess getting slut shamey, which is predictable but still disappointing. nikki and ross have great chemistry which is extra frustrating.
also there’s inexplicably a subplot where someone tries to commit actual murder, and someone keeps it a secret, because girl code.
and, finally, i have to speak my truth. carter and nikki have better chemistry and would make more sense.
there genuinely isn’t a single thing about this book that i liked, which is incredibly disappointing because i really enjoyed from the jump. the premise of the only game in town is fun, but it’s unsuccessful on just about every front.
jess, our main character, is immediately ‘not like other girls.’ she doesn’t like traditional fashion, bc she’s so quirky and weird! she’s sooooo clumsy! she’s so jess from new girl that even her name is the same! she’s even a redhead like every boring not like other girls MC. carter in the beginning is—fine. bland. much like jess, he’s your archetypal romance LI. he’s a Man so he doesn’t feel Emotions, of course. while i found him insufferable, it wasn’t even close to the same level as jess.
but let’s talk about how, at 5% in, i almost dnf’ed. jess is 26 years old, and her high school bully is still bullying her over some slight from when they were kids (and when you find out the slight the bully is still mad about, it gets even more ridiculous!). these are whole entire adults. it’s a tiny town and these girls never really left, so it is admittedly pretty realistic, but god is it infuriating to read. and, to make it better, carter has to save her from the bully the first time they meet? which, fine, i get it, but let’s really start out early with jess having no agency. jess’s fixation on a high school rivalry continues further into the book, because of course we can’t have her or the bully emotionally age beyond 18.
and let’s continue on the bully for a minute. the bully, nikki. is only a bully bc her dad left and her mom’s an alcoholic and she’s jealous of jess :/ can you please make a mean girl mean without daddy issues, emotional abuse, and envy? or at the very least not reduce her character to just that? and, of course, since jess is just a copy paste of jessica day, she just forgives nikki for bullying her the second she stops doing so without any apologies or even addressing it at all. and the worst part is i actually like nikki! she’s definitely the only character i can tolerate!
as for the romance, it’s lust at first sight, but it’s mutual, so it’s actually kinda fun switching povs and having both their opinions on each other just “they’re hot”. but it turns to insta love quickly, because of course it does. the problem is that they don’t really interact all that often, especially in the first half, and there isn’t much chemistry largely because it jumps right into these big feelings without any development. similarly, the main conflict is ridiculous, overblown, and annoying. it’s also resolved in like, five pages. their first kiss and first time both happen the same night immediately after jess gets a concussion. with the most absurd conflict in between where neither of them acted like an actual human being.
(and i have to share this fun line: “Beneath his perfectly buttoned shirts, Carter had become an insatiable beast who had ravaged her until she was left whimpering with satisfaction.” what the actual hell.)
as a note, too, i’ve seen other reviews point out that this isn’t actually a romance book despite being marketed as such, and i can confirm, it’s definitely contemporary fiction with a romance subplot. definitely misleading.
the main plot centers around the will of the town’s zany benefactor who’s recently passed. jasper’s game is—kinda fucked up too? he poses it as some big generous donation to the town that he’s supposed to have loved, but instead it’s a donation to two people who jump through his hoops well enough. he pairs up everyone who hates each other in some weird arrogant belief that he can fix everyone’s problems from beyond the grave. and getting everyone’s hopes up just to either callously or maliciously schedule the game so that most of the town can’t play is a little cruel to boot. it’s gilmore girls meets the inheritance games which maybe could’ve worked but didn’t.
in the vein of this not, in fact, being a romance book, there are too many povs. including jess’s dad as a pov character was very uncomfortable, and nikki’s pov really pushed it over the line of too many. it went from being a romance novel, as advertised, to some hodge podge ensemble cast.
oh! and then it gets super weird! for a while it’s set up like she might make the dad and the daughters HIGH SCHOOL BULLY love interests. horrific. it’s one sided (technically—they have surprisingly good chemistry and many of their interactions do not come across as platonic on either side) but jesus god what the hell. part of this plot includes jess getting slut shamey, which is predictable but still disappointing. nikki and ross have great chemistry which is extra frustrating.
also there’s inexplicably a subplot where someone tries to commit actual murder, and someone keeps it a secret, because girl code.
and, finally, i have to speak my truth. carter and nikki have better chemistry and would make more sense.
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Felt like reading an extra long episode of The Gilmore Girls
Felt like reading an extra long episode of The Gilmore Girls
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
When Jasper Wilhelm dies, he includes a fun game in his will, a game that involves the whole town and his nephew Carter, and the winning partners get to take home the prize - Jasper’s fortune. Before his death, Jasper strategically paired the townspeople to include Carter. But when Carter and Jess, a local girl, start to be
come close, they also have to compete against each other and decide what they are willing to risk.
This book had the cutest small town vibes complete with a hilarious and quirky cast of characters. I thought the game was such a unique premise. The way the characters were paired led to a lot of individual character development as well as a sweet story of different people coming together in unexpected ways. The many different characters were a lot to keep track of in the beginning, and I would have liked more from the romance, but overall, I enjoyed this story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the advance copy.
come close, they also have to compete against each other and decide what they are willing to risk.
This book had the cutest small town vibes complete with a hilarious and quirky cast of characters. I thought the game was such a unique premise. The way the characters were paired led to a lot of individual character development as well as a sweet story of different people coming together in unexpected ways. The many different characters were a lot to keep track of in the beginning, and I would have liked more from the romance, but overall, I enjoyed this story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the advance copy.
This book is essentially a hallmark movie. Did I think it was good? No. Did I enjoy the ride? Kind of!
Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for an arc of this book. Below is my honest review.
Jess works from home as a freelance editor in the quaint little town of Redford, Georgia. While at the local bar, The Staple, Jess sits next to someone she has never seen before, Carter. He is going to the funeral of Jasper Wilhelm. Everyone in town loved Jasper. He was the unofficial mayor and he would help anyone with anything.
Of course, the one day Jess left the safety of her home, Nikki and her minions walk in the bar. Nikki is a quintessential bully. Cruel for the sake of cruelty. Cutting remarks about why Jess’s mom left her father all those years ago, her looks & clothes, her job, and more. Carter saves Jess from Nikki after her laptop is “accidentally” drenched in a drink. Turns out, Carter is Jaspers grandson and an overall good person. He might have given up his trust fund, quit the family business, and moved to Atlanta, which led his parents to disown him, but he loved his grandfather dearly.
Jasper anonymously helped people in the town of Redford, and Carter helped him do so. The first person Carter was asked to help…Jess! They paid for her college education. Even though Carter doesn’t live in Redford, he was hoping his grandfather would choose him to continue the legacy of aiding townspeople in need. Instead, Jasper is giving his town one last gift…or a game to be exact. The winner of the game will get the remainder of his fortune — ten million dollars. Jasper dictated teams of two. He paired people who do NOT get along. So, of course Jess and Nikki were paired together. Carter was selected to play and was paired with the bartender of The Staple, Bryce.
Who will win he ten million dollars? Will Jess and Nikki become friends? Will Carter stay in Redford? Will anyone fall in love? Will there be any shenanigans?
I’ve read Lacie Waldon’s other books and enjoyed them. This one I loved. The town and townspeople were everything I’d hoped for in a quirky small town. The scavenger hunt clues were fun. Oh, and the race down the mountain…the choice of vehicle was superb. This book was such a good time. I usually can’t stand bullies, but … between people sticking up for Jess (so she isn’t facing it alone) and some of Nikki’s actions, I didn’t mind so much.
If you need a quick escape, a few laughs, some tears, and an excellent cast of characters…dive right into this book.
TW-death of family member, bullying, illness of family member, alcohol abuse.
Jess works from home as a freelance editor in the quaint little town of Redford, Georgia. While at the local bar, The Staple, Jess sits next to someone she has never seen before, Carter. He is going to the funeral of Jasper Wilhelm. Everyone in town loved Jasper. He was the unofficial mayor and he would help anyone with anything.
Of course, the one day Jess left the safety of her home, Nikki and her minions walk in the bar. Nikki is a quintessential bully. Cruel for the sake of cruelty. Cutting remarks about why Jess’s mom left her father all those years ago, her looks & clothes, her job, and more. Carter saves Jess from Nikki after her laptop is “accidentally” drenched in a drink. Turns out, Carter is Jaspers grandson and an overall good person. He might have given up his trust fund, quit the family business, and moved to Atlanta, which led his parents to disown him, but he loved his grandfather dearly.
Jasper anonymously helped people in the town of Redford, and Carter helped him do so. The first person Carter was asked to help…Jess! They paid for her college education. Even though Carter doesn’t live in Redford, he was hoping his grandfather would choose him to continue the legacy of aiding townspeople in need. Instead, Jasper is giving his town one last gift…or a game to be exact. The winner of the game will get the remainder of his fortune — ten million dollars. Jasper dictated teams of two. He paired people who do NOT get along. So, of course Jess and Nikki were paired together. Carter was selected to play and was paired with the bartender of The Staple, Bryce.
Who will win he ten million dollars? Will Jess and Nikki become friends? Will Carter stay in Redford? Will anyone fall in love? Will there be any shenanigans?
I’ve read Lacie Waldon’s other books and enjoyed them. This one I loved. The town and townspeople were everything I’d hoped for in a quirky small town. The scavenger hunt clues were fun. Oh, and the race down the mountain…the choice of vehicle was superb. This book was such a good time. I usually can’t stand bullies, but … between people sticking up for Jess (so she isn’t facing it alone) and some of Nikki’s actions, I didn’t mind so much.
If you need a quick escape, a few laughs, some tears, and an excellent cast of characters…dive right into this book.
TW-death of family member, bullying, illness of family member, alcohol abuse.