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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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
❤️Single dad
❤️Small town fun
❤️Set in South Africa
❤️Slow burn
❤️’It takes a village’ in book form
If you take anything from this review then let it be that you should 100% be listening to the audio book. The narrator is fantastic and made it such an easy read. There was so much more depth and emotion to this than I was initially expecting but I’ll be honest, I did go in with quite low expectations given the reviews.
This wasn’t your typical steamy romance. It moved a little slower, it was pretty angsty and the romance almost took a backseat to each individual’s character arc. A large focus was placed on the friendships, personal growth and overcoming the past that shaped them while the romance was a little like the cherry on the top. Also, special mention for Deliah because I adored her.
The reason I couldn’t rate it any higher was mostly because of the third act and how that all went down because it felt very out of character for both of them and was pretty unnecessary (this is coming from someone who does not normally mind a third act break-up). I thought the final third of this book read very differently to the first two thirds and had a bit of a negative impact on my reading experience unfortunately.
I would recommend it if you like small town, cosy vibes, sweet friendships and a slow burn romance.
Amount of spice:🔥
Explicitness: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Open door and explicit
❤️Small town fun
❤️Set in South Africa
❤️Slow burn
❤️’It takes a village’ in book form
If you take anything from this review then let it be that you should 100% be listening to the audio book. The narrator is fantastic and made it such an easy read. There was so much more depth and emotion to this than I was initially expecting but I’ll be honest, I did go in with quite low expectations given the reviews.
This wasn’t your typical steamy romance. It moved a little slower, it was pretty angsty and the romance almost took a backseat to each individual’s character arc. A large focus was placed on the friendships, personal growth and overcoming the past that shaped them while the romance was a little like the cherry on the top. Also, special mention for Deliah because I adored her.
The reason I couldn’t rate it any higher was mostly because of the third act and how that all went down because it felt very out of character for both of them and was pretty unnecessary (this is coming from someone who does not normally mind a third act break-up). I thought the final third of this book read very differently to the first two thirds and had a bit of a negative impact on my reading experience unfortunately.
I would recommend it if you like small town, cosy vibes, sweet friendships and a slow burn romance.
Amount of spice:🔥
Explicitness: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Open door and explicit
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Shoutout to the audiobook narrator. Without her I would have dnf’ed this during the last 3rd of the book.
I enjoyed the South African small town setting and would have loved to see more it. Delilah & Rowan were both pretty annoying main characters but also endearing somehow, so kudos to the author for that. I felt that a lot of their “issues” could have been dealt with via a 5 minute conversation rather than leaping to conclusions. Because of this, the conversations, or really I should say, their internal dialogues were very repetitive because they refused to just speak to one another.
What truly annoyed me was the 3rd act breakup. Not only was it another moment of terrible communication between them. But, it also demonstrated a very toxic reaction to rejection. The way Rowan’s fear of physical intimacy was handled really left a bad taste in my mouth and made me drop my rating from 3 to 2 stars.
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
Single Dads Club is a story about two people seeking a fresh start. Delilah left Cape Town to escape the public scrutiny when her mother was arrested for financial crimes. The former heiress was left to deal with the aftermath alone. Luckily, her estranged older brother invited her to stay with him and give his small coastal town, Sugarbush Bay, a chance.
Rowan's well-ordered existence was disrupted when a one-night stand led to him being a father, a title he wasn't seeking even under different circumstances. He and McKenna decide that pursuing a romance doesn't feel right, but they are determined to co-parent and do right by their son, Declan. Rowan doesn't have a relationship with his parents, but he and McKenna move to Sugarbush Bay to be near his grandmother, who's only too delighted to offer her support with childcare. After the cold way his parents once raised him, Rowan is terrified of being a dad and desperate to do it right.
Our two protagonists meet when Rowan and Declan become regulars at the coffee shop where Delilah works as a barista. She develops a crush that becomes something more as their neighbors, not least of whom is Rowan's grandmother, meddle to bring them into each other's orbit. She babysits for the new parents, introduces Rowan to her brother and his other single dad friends, and smooths his way with other people around town since the man is not a social creature by nature. Rowan is drawn to Delilah's energy but is cautious about pursuing anything with his young son in the picture. Too bad for all his plans that it's so hard to resist the charming and kind-hearted Delilah.
My only issue with this one is that the writing gets repetitive. The burning need to overexplain the characters' baggage is something I see a lot in romance, and it never fails to wear me down. In this book, it's especially true in the case of Rowan, whose fears about being a parent are simple at the core of it. In a way, there's more to know about how Delilah got here and why she's acting the way she does, even to her own detriment. Sure, her life is happier now that she's living in a small town where everyone adores her, including her once distant brother and niece, but she's also desperate to be perfect and have earned all that affection, atoning for the life she had before-- a life where everything she took for granted, a life that was cold but easy, was built on the back of her mother's crimes. The concept of Rowan's story-- co-parenting with a woman he barely knows and trying to be a worthy dad with little to no blueprint and little to no expectation of success-- is just more interesting in theory than in delivery. I didn't hate it. In fact, with some finessing, it has the makings of a story that could put a person right in their feelings. I just didn't get there.
Despite that hangup, I found so many other things to love. For example, the author captures sweet moments and funny ones, and there were passages that I highlighted in full because I enjoyed a particular turn of phrase or the buildup to a punchline. I also think that though the individual journeys of each character were overdone, the romance had some excellent features. Their mutual awkwardness is cute. We have a desperately people-pleasing extrovert who can't shut up even when her words have run away from her, and we have an anxious introvert who struggles to read other people or carry on a light social conversation. It's a combination made in heaven. It speaks to the author's skill that their banter shifts so gradually into something more objectively charming and less stilted as they grow more comfortable with each other that it feels natural, and you don't even notice that the change is happening. Also, as I would expect from Beharrie, it's H.O.T. We love to see romance leads out of control for each other. I will say that the final act breakup is very angsty, so prepare yourself for that.
There's more to recommend the story beyond the romance. I especially love a story about the power of friends who show up when you need them in whatever form that may be. We see that with the "single dads club" Rowan is inducted into, and we see that with Delilah's best friend, too. And it's true that both our protagonists have messed-up parents, but one has an interfering grandmother who will meddle and misuse the powers of social media, and the other has a big brother who will commit murders or cook dinners on her behalf, so the family factor is there, too. There's also the sweet element of Rowan building a family with Declan and McKenna in whatever form suits them best. The small town vibe is handled masterfully as well. The coziness and the friendly, nosy neighbors create an environment you want to dive right into.
I enjoy Beharrie's work so much, and I'll always pick up a book with her name on the cover. This is an excellent entry in the single-parent romance trope with a great cast and a cute small town to boot. Thanks to Montlake for my copy to read and review!
Rowan's well-ordered existence was disrupted when a one-night stand led to him being a father, a title he wasn't seeking even under different circumstances. He and McKenna decide that pursuing a romance doesn't feel right, but they are determined to co-parent and do right by their son, Declan. Rowan doesn't have a relationship with his parents, but he and McKenna move to Sugarbush Bay to be near his grandmother, who's only too delighted to offer her support with childcare. After the cold way his parents once raised him, Rowan is terrified of being a dad and desperate to do it right.
Our two protagonists meet when Rowan and Declan become regulars at the coffee shop where Delilah works as a barista. She develops a crush that becomes something more as their neighbors, not least of whom is Rowan's grandmother, meddle to bring them into each other's orbit. She babysits for the new parents, introduces Rowan to her brother and his other single dad friends, and smooths his way with other people around town since the man is not a social creature by nature. Rowan is drawn to Delilah's energy but is cautious about pursuing anything with his young son in the picture. Too bad for all his plans that it's so hard to resist the charming and kind-hearted Delilah.
My only issue with this one is that the writing gets repetitive. The burning need to overexplain the characters' baggage is something I see a lot in romance, and it never fails to wear me down. In this book, it's especially true in the case of Rowan, whose fears about being a parent are simple at the core of it. In a way, there's more to know about how Delilah got here and why she's acting the way she does, even to her own detriment. Sure, her life is happier now that she's living in a small town where everyone adores her, including her once distant brother and niece, but she's also desperate to be perfect and have earned all that affection, atoning for the life she had before-- a life where everything she took for granted, a life that was cold but easy, was built on the back of her mother's crimes. The concept of Rowan's story-- co-parenting with a woman he barely knows and trying to be a worthy dad with little to no blueprint and little to no expectation of success-- is just more interesting in theory than in delivery. I didn't hate it. In fact, with some finessing, it has the makings of a story that could put a person right in their feelings. I just didn't get there.
Despite that hangup, I found so many other things to love. For example, the author captures sweet moments and funny ones, and there were passages that I highlighted in full because I enjoyed a particular turn of phrase or the buildup to a punchline. I also think that though the individual journeys of each character were overdone, the romance had some excellent features. Their mutual awkwardness is cute. We have a desperately people-pleasing extrovert who can't shut up even when her words have run away from her, and we have an anxious introvert who struggles to read other people or carry on a light social conversation. It's a combination made in heaven. It speaks to the author's skill that their banter shifts so gradually into something more objectively charming and less stilted as they grow more comfortable with each other that it feels natural, and you don't even notice that the change is happening. Also, as I would expect from Beharrie, it's H.O.T. We love to see romance leads out of control for each other. I will say that the final act breakup is very angsty, so prepare yourself for that.
There's more to recommend the story beyond the romance. I especially love a story about the power of friends who show up when you need them in whatever form that may be. We see that with the "single dads club" Rowan is inducted into, and we see that with Delilah's best friend, too. And it's true that both our protagonists have messed-up parents, but one has an interfering grandmother who will meddle and misuse the powers of social media, and the other has a big brother who will commit murders or cook dinners on her behalf, so the family factor is there, too. There's also the sweet element of Rowan building a family with Declan and McKenna in whatever form suits them best. The small town vibe is handled masterfully as well. The coziness and the friendly, nosy neighbors create an environment you want to dive right into.
I enjoy Beharrie's work so much, and I'll always pick up a book with her name on the cover. This is an excellent entry in the single-parent romance trope with a great cast and a cute small town to boot. Thanks to Montlake for my copy to read and review!
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
It took me three days to get to 130 pages which is slow for me and a romance read.
I am not a fan of the surprise pregnancy trope and while that isn’t quite the story, I didn’t realize this guy has a newborn and it’s close enough that it started me off on the wrong foot with the book.
Both characters keep repeating their thoughts about their terrible parents and they don’t deserve each other but they also haven’t talked about being together in the first place. Could have done with some better editing to get past this on to whatever happens next.
I am not a fan of the surprise pregnancy trope and while that isn’t quite the story, I didn’t realize this guy has a newborn and it’s close enough that it started me off on the wrong foot with the book.
Both characters keep repeating their thoughts about their terrible parents and they don’t deserve each other but they also haven’t talked about being together in the first place. Could have done with some better editing to get past this on to whatever happens next.
long long long
I understand the concept of what the author was trying to do. The idea of how our relationships with our parents can affect every person in our lives. This includes our partners. Rowan and Delilah’s insecurities surely got the best of them. The supporting characters were great! I loved the single dads: Matt, Corey, and Lucas. They really helped Rowan get out of his thoughts. I loved how we were able to see the development in the characters, however, it was drawn out too long. Each chapter seemed as if they were repeating the same thing just in a different way. If the book would have been shorter than it would have been less dragging.
I understand the concept of what the author was trying to do. The idea of how our relationships with our parents can affect every person in our lives. This includes our partners. Rowan and Delilah’s insecurities surely got the best of them. The supporting characters were great! I loved the single dads: Matt, Corey, and Lucas. They really helped Rowan get out of his thoughts. I loved how we were able to see the development in the characters, however, it was drawn out too long. Each chapter seemed as if they were repeating the same thing just in a different way. If the book would have been shorter than it would have been less dragging.
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes