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A review by readformehaikuforyou
The Bluff by Emma St. Clair
4.0
"I’m pretty sure you can’t have a relationship without hurting someone. Or being hurt. I think that’s what happens when two imperfect people are in a relationship."
The Bluff by Emma St. Clair is the second in the poker themed Graham brothers series. In this closed door, small town romance, we follow James as he sets up his brewery with help he certainly doesn't want from Winnie.
This is a classic Grumpy and Sunshine trope full of sass and storm clouds. Throughout the story, St. Clair also alludes to anxiety in the MMC and it felt extremely well done and on point. The characters are cute and the poker tie-ins are small but well done. Pat and Lindy thankfully aren't in this one very much although we do get a good dose of Tank again! Unfortunately, the Neighborly app makes a comeback. It was a great addition to the first book but felt irrelevant in this one despite it being Winnie's creation.
All in all, I enjoyed this one a lot more than book one!
It’s hard to choose, but brevity tends to be best, so here’s one thing I adored and one thing I didn’t.
✔️ I truly appreciated the anxiety representation.
It was never fully pointed out, but many of the feelings James described felt true to what I've experienced with anxiety. This book felt like a place I could see myself and gave me some new ways to describe what I go through in crowds and I appreciated that.
✖️ I wasn’t fond of the grand gesture.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good grand gesture and this one wasn't bad at all. I just felt like with the whole situation leading up to it, that Winnie should have been the one grand gesturing instead of James.
Quotes that stuck:
"In Winnie’s presence, I become what they tease me about—only worse. I’m a cartoon version of myself with a tiny storm cloud rumbling over my head. I’m a surly curmudgeon. My life is the lawn, and I’m yelling at Winnie to get off it."
"I’m not sad, but I am something. What I am is a creeping, heavy kind of feeling I’ve never been able to identify by name. It hits me every so often, not always for reasons I can name,"
“I’m sure she could handle you on her own. But that doesn’t mean she should have to. Leave.” If I liked the way James stepped in to physically protect me, I love his verbal defense even more. I have a theory. It’s that every woman has two fantasies—one where she’s rescued by a dashing hero, and one where she doesn’t need a hero at all and rescues herself."
"That’s my general stance on parties: NO."
"Grief has a long memory, and a way of leaping up to surprise you."
The Bluff by Emma St. Clair is the second in the poker themed Graham brothers series. In this closed door, small town romance, we follow James as he sets up his brewery with help he certainly doesn't want from Winnie.
This is a classic Grumpy and Sunshine trope full of sass and storm clouds. Throughout the story, St. Clair also alludes to anxiety in the MMC and it felt extremely well done and on point. The characters are cute and the poker tie-ins are small but well done. Pat and Lindy thankfully aren't in this one very much although we do get a good dose of Tank again! Unfortunately, the Neighborly app makes a comeback. It was a great addition to the first book but felt irrelevant in this one despite it being Winnie's creation.
All in all, I enjoyed this one a lot more than book one!
It’s hard to choose, but brevity tends to be best, so here’s one thing I adored and one thing I didn’t.
✔️ I truly appreciated the anxiety representation.
It was never fully pointed out, but many of the feelings James described felt true to what I've experienced with anxiety. This book felt like a place I could see myself and gave me some new ways to describe what I go through in crowds and I appreciated that.
✖️ I wasn’t fond of the grand gesture.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good grand gesture and this one wasn't bad at all. I just felt like with the whole situation leading up to it, that Winnie should have been the one grand gesturing instead of James.
Quotes that stuck:
"In Winnie’s presence, I become what they tease me about—only worse. I’m a cartoon version of myself with a tiny storm cloud rumbling over my head. I’m a surly curmudgeon. My life is the lawn, and I’m yelling at Winnie to get off it."
"I’m not sad, but I am something. What I am is a creeping, heavy kind of feeling I’ve never been able to identify by name. It hits me every so often, not always for reasons I can name,"
“I’m sure she could handle you on her own. But that doesn’t mean she should have to. Leave.” If I liked the way James stepped in to physically protect me, I love his verbal defense even more. I have a theory. It’s that every woman has two fantasies—one where she’s rescued by a dashing hero, and one where she doesn’t need a hero at all and rescues herself."
"That’s my general stance on parties: NO."
"Grief has a long memory, and a way of leaping up to surprise you."