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A review by thebritishbibliophile
What I Wouldn't Give by Tess Shepherd
5.0
'This is the reason why I love Tess Shepherd and her work, she tells a damn good story! A thrilling, amusing and word-munchingly good. Once you start, you won't put it down' -The British Bibliophile
Thank you to Tess for sending me an ebook ARC to read and leave an honest review. Sorry it has taken me so long to write a review!
What I Wouldn't Give is book two in Tess' series , Bar Hopping for Singles . As the series name suggests, the novels focus around a set of singletons, crafting a story around them as fate gently gives them a nudge in the right direction thanks to the situation and events that they find themselves in or go through. Book One, which is aptly called 'Bar Hopping For Singles', set the tone for this duology, and the tone struck the right chord!
Book two, What I Wouldn't Give, had a lot to live up to, as per the rousing success and reception of Bar Hopping For Singles. Would it strike the same chord or deserve its own encore? There was only one way to find out. It was time to meet River and Rachel.
Gently immersed back into the city of angles, Los Angeles, River and Rachel--friends and co-workers both--were brought together via the heavens that literally rained down on Rachel's apartment. Luckily for her, River took her in like a bird under his wing. A muscular wing, at that. It was a move that would go one of two ways: it would bring them together, or wedge a divide between them that would be unrepairable. Set on keeping his hands off and his body far away from Rachel under the small confines of their workspace, River finds this task even harder to do in his--slightly--larger apartment. The space seeming much smaller now that Rachel's body occupied it with him. Living with River, it's only a matter of time before the things buried deep come out as Rachel's enthusiastic and infectiously positive personality seeps into River's. Secrets and such that stayed buried deep in their hearts and minds coming out.
Once the line was crossed, would there be any going back. Would they want to go back?
Tess once more brings more into this novel than just the necessity to fill a storyline with something to engage a reader. She brought heart, soul and so much emotion into both River and Rachel, so much so that once again, it didn't feel like I was reading about fictional characters. It felt like I was reading about issues, feelings, emotions and everything in-between that I have experienced myself, have thought about or have known about via someone else in my life. Rather than glossing over these things, Tess works them into her characters. These things simply aren't character traits. I've long admired this about her work, and I'm pleased she's continued it here.
River stood out as a character here in this read for me personally. As much as I love a good alpha male, I have an equal fondness for men who share their thoughts, feelings and aren't afraid to show their emotional or vulnerable sides. Tess has given River such a likeable nature, and I just know that he's going to go down well with readers who want a wholesome romance read--with added 'stuff' here and there. There will, of course, be those who will naturally gravitate and relate to Rachael. We've all been like her at some point in our lives, and to see her evolution from who she was at the beginning to who she was at the end--who she and River both became--, gives hope to those of us in the real world.
Guaranteed a Happily Ever After, What I Wouldn't Give was as much of a joy and pleasure to read as it has been to continue reading, supporting and getting to know its author. She gives you the best of both words, an enticing story with an element of realism. Not something often included in the fiction books we escape to, but something I deeply appreciate.
I'm eagerly looking forward to what Tess is cooking up for us next. I hope you are too!
Five stars.
Thank you to Tess for sending me an ebook ARC to read and leave an honest review. Sorry it has taken me so long to write a review!
What I Wouldn't Give is book two in Tess' series , Bar Hopping for Singles . As the series name suggests, the novels focus around a set of singletons, crafting a story around them as fate gently gives them a nudge in the right direction thanks to the situation and events that they find themselves in or go through. Book One, which is aptly called 'Bar Hopping For Singles', set the tone for this duology, and the tone struck the right chord!
Book two, What I Wouldn't Give, had a lot to live up to, as per the rousing success and reception of Bar Hopping For Singles. Would it strike the same chord or deserve its own encore? There was only one way to find out. It was time to meet River and Rachel.
Gently immersed back into the city of angles, Los Angeles, River and Rachel--friends and co-workers both--were brought together via the heavens that literally rained down on Rachel's apartment. Luckily for her, River took her in like a bird under his wing. A muscular wing, at that. It was a move that would go one of two ways: it would bring them together, or wedge a divide between them that would be unrepairable. Set on keeping his hands off and his body far away from Rachel under the small confines of their workspace, River finds this task even harder to do in his--slightly--larger apartment. The space seeming much smaller now that Rachel's body occupied it with him. Living with River, it's only a matter of time before the things buried deep come out as Rachel's enthusiastic and infectiously positive personality seeps into River's. Secrets and such that stayed buried deep in their hearts and minds coming out.
Once the line was crossed, would there be any going back. Would they want to go back?
Tess once more brings more into this novel than just the necessity to fill a storyline with something to engage a reader. She brought heart, soul and so much emotion into both River and Rachel, so much so that once again, it didn't feel like I was reading about fictional characters. It felt like I was reading about issues, feelings, emotions and everything in-between that I have experienced myself, have thought about or have known about via someone else in my life. Rather than glossing over these things, Tess works them into her characters. These things simply aren't character traits. I've long admired this about her work, and I'm pleased she's continued it here.
River stood out as a character here in this read for me personally. As much as I love a good alpha male, I have an equal fondness for men who share their thoughts, feelings and aren't afraid to show their emotional or vulnerable sides. Tess has given River such a likeable nature, and I just know that he's going to go down well with readers who want a wholesome romance read--with added 'stuff' here and there. There will, of course, be those who will naturally gravitate and relate to Rachael. We've all been like her at some point in our lives, and to see her evolution from who she was at the beginning to who she was at the end--who she and River both became--, gives hope to those of us in the real world.
Guaranteed a Happily Ever After, What I Wouldn't Give was as much of a joy and pleasure to read as it has been to continue reading, supporting and getting to know its author. She gives you the best of both words, an enticing story with an element of realism. Not something often included in the fiction books we escape to, but something I deeply appreciate.
I'm eagerly looking forward to what Tess is cooking up for us next. I hope you are too!
Five stars.