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dollycas's review against another edition
5.0
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This is my first experience with this author and I am thrilled to have been offered this book for review. The story is like a breath of fresh air and just what I needed.
It is hard to go back home again. In Lila’s case her life has basically fallen apart. She has lost her job and her husband has left her and all just a few months after her father has passed away. She arrives back in Black Dog Bay to start over and help her mom adjust to living without her dad, which turns out to be a much bigger task that Lila ever imagined. What follows is an incredible story where she not only helps her mom and reconnects with old friend but she also finds that going home was the right thing to do for herself.
The is a light read full of funny moments. I really like Lila. She really is a strong woman who had a jerk for a husband and she moves on after first making a huge final purchase before he cut off the credit cards and bank account. She finds her friends that stayed in Black Dog Bay are moms and busy but they were able to carve some time out to spend together. She also runs into an old boyfriend or two and her mother is on a mission to find her a new man as soon as possible.
Black Dog Bay is quite a place – “the best place in America to bounce back from your breakup.” With places like Better Off Bed-and-Breakfast, the Eat Your Heart Out bakery, and the Whinery bar, Black Dog Bay offers a haven for the suddenly single. So Lila is in the right place.
I particularly enjoyed this book because there is such a variety of women of all ages. Being older I really identified with Lila’s mom and the changes to her life. Younger women will tune into Lila and her friends. All of these characters are very engaging and they are all very diverse.
You do not have to have read Cure for the Common Breakup, the first Black Dog Bay Novel, to enjoy this story. It stands perfectly on its own. I do hope to go back and read the first one and anything else this author pens. She brings a great sense of humor to her work and gives us a happy ending too with several twists that made this an extremely delightful read.
girlygirlbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't like this one as much as I liked the first book in this series. Her mom's back and forth attitude was driving me crazy. I also feel like the super focus on fashion took away from me really getting to know the characters. Still a good read though!
sydwig00's review against another edition
3.0
I feel very neutral about this book. I loved the plot of the antique dress boutique, however, the romance aspect was sort of dry in my opinion. I would've loved a deeper dive into all the relationships in this town, and yet, there was limited investment in each relationship. Overall, I enjoyed reading it, but it's not my favorite.
mcipher's review against another edition
3.0
Re-read (audio) four years later and it was good but not my favorite of the series. I got annoyed with some of the logistical stuff - look, lady, you have a new car. There’s warranties on that stuff. Take it to the dealership!! And stop coddling your mom and talk some sense into her. You can do it nicely without totally avoiding the issues... - but it was overall cute and funny and I loved the clothes.
amym84's review against another edition
3.0
Probably more of a 3.5
I liked the story, it just took a little bit to get going, but once it did it was already a good ways into the book and from that point I feel like things didn't get to develop the way they should have (or the way I would have liked to see them develop).
It was a sweet story, and I loved all the fashion details. The overall message of the book - saying that it's not to late to start over again - is a good one and executed very well.
I liked the story, it just took a little bit to get going, but once it did it was already a good ways into the book and from that point I feel like things didn't get to develop the way they should have (or the way I would have liked to see them develop).
It was a sweet story, and I loved all the fashion details. The overall message of the book - saying that it's not to late to start over again - is a good one and executed very well.
jina's review against another edition
2.0
I was excited to read this book as I enjoyed Kendrick's Nearlyweds but was disappointed. I thought there would be more excitement in use of the title. The story was nice as a woman who finds herself again but felt that it was the standard cliche. There was not anything exciting or "new" to me.
sarahadams's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I had a few issues with it. It's lighthearted and doesn't take much active thought to follow, which is nice if you're looking for an easy read.
When Lila first gets to town, you think she's going to be going after Ben for the majority of the book, and it's refreshing when that doesn't happen. It was nice to see Ben follow his heart back to his ex-girlfriend, even if it wasn't ideal for Lila.
I had a hard time with Lila and Malcolm's relationship. I felt like it went from 0-60 incredibly quickly. Sure, there was mention of him being attractive, but I felt like there weren't feelings there until, all of a sudden, there were. I was also left wondering why Ben was so weird about Lila dating Malcolm; that detail was never cleared up, so we were left hanging.
I loved that Lila pulled herself up by her bootstraps, but it seemed a little far-fetched to me that she would open up not one, but two businesses by herself without any prior business experience. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop after Daphne expressed concern about them being able to run a business without any prior experience, and it never really did, at least in terms of business. Of course there was a major obstacle, but I felt like, realistically, there would have been more problems. I also took issue with Lila's second business. There's no mention of her knowing anything about jewelry or jewelry appraisal previously in the book, so it didn't make sense to me that she would open her own store to buy jewelry.
I did like that the book focused more on Lila's relationship with Daphne, even if I found Daphne to be incredibly annoying and frustrating at times. I also ended up finding Ben's girlfriend to be very annoying. I can't imagine a real person asking for someone's dog the same day they met. Even though Lila wasn't attached to the dog, I felt like it was incredibly rude for Ben and Allison to just ask if they could have the dog. I would have felt better about it if Lila had offered for them to take the dog. I felt like Allison came across as naive and airy.
Overall, I did enjoy the book. It wasn't all I wanted it to be, and it felt like the plot was a little jumpy at times, but it was a quick read and was easy to get through.
I had a hard time with Lila and Malcolm's relationship. I felt like it went from 0-60 incredibly quickly. Sure, there was mention of him being attractive, but I felt like there weren't feelings there until, all of a sudden, there were. I was also left wondering why Ben was so weird about Lila dating Malcolm; that detail was never cleared up, so we were left hanging.
I loved that Lila pulled herself up by her bootstraps, but it seemed a little far-fetched to me that she would open up not one, but two businesses by herself without any prior business experience. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop after Daphne expressed concern about them being able to run a business without any prior experience, and it never really did, at least in terms of business. Of course there was a major obstacle, but I felt like, realistically, there would have been more problems. I also took issue with Lila's second business. There's no mention of her knowing anything about jewelry or jewelry appraisal previously in the book, so it didn't make sense to me that she would open her own store to buy jewelry.
I did like that the book focused more on Lila's relationship with Daphne, even if I found Daphne to be incredibly annoying and frustrating at times. I also ended up finding Ben's girlfriend to be very annoying. I can't imagine a real person asking for someone's dog the same day they met. Even though Lila wasn't attached to the dog, I felt like it was incredibly rude for Ben and Allison to just ask if they could have the dog. I would have felt better about it if Lila had offered for them to take the dog. I felt like Allison came across as naive and airy.
Overall, I did enjoy the book. It wasn't all I wanted it to be, and it felt like the plot was a little jumpy at times, but it was a quick read and was easy to get through.
samwlabb's review
4.0
It seems I keep picking up these contemporary romances, where the heroine seems to lose everything and hit rock bottom, but you know what? It was a lot of fun watching Lila pick herself back up. It's never easy going home, but at least Lila's return had her crossing paths with not just one, but two exes, both of whom seemed to still have a little interest in her. I was very pleased with the direction Kendrick took on that romantic front, and I really enjoyed the vintage clothing storyline. I, like Lila, earned my fashion chops by watching Project Runway, but I can still appreciate good, quality clothing.
Overall: Fun, light, and breezy with a lot of laugh out loud moments for me.
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Overall: Fun, light, and breezy with a lot of laugh out loud moments for me.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
abookishaffair's review
4.0
In "New Uses for Old Boyfriends," Lila's life falls apart and the only place that she can think of to go is Black Dog Bay, her hometown. She finds that even her hometown has changed and the gold status that she once enjoyed is gone. Her mom's financial status is in ruins and she wants Lila to help her keep her home but she may be forced to leave her home behind. This book explores one woman's try at trying to put her life back together when the conditions are anything but easy.
This book takes place in the same super cute town as Kendrick's previous book, "Cure for the Common Break-up," a book that I really enjoyed. I was very excited to go back to Black Dog Bay. Although the story focuses on Lila mostly, we do get to know a great deal about the denizens of Black Dog Bay, which I loved. It is always nice to visit some old familiar characters!
Lila is a great character. She is definitely sort of humbled when she has to come home from a glamorous life that fell apart. Everyone held her in such high regard because of her great marriage and her great career. Lila can't help but to feel like she's coming back to town with her tail between her legs after her so-called perfect life is shattered. I really felt for her. I also liked how for the most part, she really begins to realize that she has to be the vehicle for her own happiness. Some of her ex-boyfriends come out of the woodwork to help her along the way. I really liked how the love matches in the book were dealt with. As with "Cure for the Common Break-up," Kendrick cooks up some leading males that are off the beaten path including a former military man with a penchant for sewing incredible things (a great surprise)!
I did not like this book quite as much as "Cure for the Common Break-up" as I liked the love story in that book a little bit better. However, "New Uses for Old Boyfriends" is still an adorable read with a lot of heart!
This book takes place in the same super cute town as Kendrick's previous book, "Cure for the Common Break-up," a book that I really enjoyed. I was very excited to go back to Black Dog Bay. Although the story focuses on Lila mostly, we do get to know a great deal about the denizens of Black Dog Bay, which I loved. It is always nice to visit some old familiar characters!
Lila is a great character. She is definitely sort of humbled when she has to come home from a glamorous life that fell apart. Everyone held her in such high regard because of her great marriage and her great career. Lila can't help but to feel like she's coming back to town with her tail between her legs after her so-called perfect life is shattered. I really felt for her. I also liked how for the most part, she really begins to realize that she has to be the vehicle for her own happiness. Some of her ex-boyfriends come out of the woodwork to help her along the way. I really liked how the love matches in the book were dealt with. As with "Cure for the Common Break-up," Kendrick cooks up some leading males that are off the beaten path including a former military man with a penchant for sewing incredible things (a great surprise)!
I did not like this book quite as much as "Cure for the Common Break-up" as I liked the love story in that book a little bit better. However, "New Uses for Old Boyfriends" is still an adorable read with a lot of heart!
stephaniesbookreviews's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I had just read something pretty heavy and this light, quick, read was just what I needed. I liked the main character and her new friends, and her romantic interest. Her mother drove me insane for most of the book, but she did grow a lot by the end, so I can appreciate the character arc. This is the first book I've ever read by Kendrick, but I'm definitely going to check out some of her other books.