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A review by jonetta
More Than This by Shannyn Schroeder
4.0
The set up
Quinn Adams thought she needed to shake things up in her life. She's the one always taking the practical path and is in sort of a rut with her career and love life but doesn't know how to alter her course. Ryan O'Leary would love a shot at being the romance in her life but she sees him as being cut from the same mold as her ex...a bartender who can't resist the flavor of the night, even though he's so much more than that.
The issues
Quinn's polar-opposite, outgoing sister Indy and friend Kate help her put together a list of things she must do this summer, all being completely out of her comfort zone. Failure at any of them could have the potential of making her even less confident about herself. Ryan decides to be her "friend" as a means to becoming something more but was so good in the role Quinn was unwilling to do anything that might risk the relationship.
What worked well
Quinn is one of those characters you like right out of the gate. She's attractive and confident in herself to a point but doesn't really get her true appeal. She's not a total pushover but could use some backbone with certain people in her life. Ryan is just all out delectable, with a natural and genuine charm that puts you in his corner pretty quickly. He's not perfect but that plays well, at least for me. I also liked that this wasn't just a story limited to these two. We get pretty meaty insights about the people closest to these two, not so much that it overwhelms Ryan and Quinn's story but enough to leave me wanting to know more and the promise of it in future stories. Indy, Kate, Ryan's best friend Griff, Ryan's brother Colin...just to name a few...are all intriguing on their own and I want more of them. Lastly, the O'Leary brood, with their sibling issues and strong sense of family, provide a really nice backdrop for the series, completing this really attractive package.
What didn't work as well
Quinn's reluctance to see Ryan for the man he was got old near the end of the story. She's not clueless, just stubborn, which made me want to shake her. Thankfully her sister and Kate were there to do that on my behalf. The ending wrapped a bit quickly for me, too. But, it appears this story will continue with the next book so that's some consolation.
The bottom line
I liked this story and enjoyed the people in it. It's not a new situation but the journey was nicely done with some uncommon approaches. There were also multiple points of view throughout and that is always a strong point for me as it helped me connect to each character. I am hooked and already have the next book. I'm going to take my time getting to it, though, until I know when I can expect the third one!
Quinn Adams thought she needed to shake things up in her life. She's the one always taking the practical path and is in sort of a rut with her career and love life but doesn't know how to alter her course. Ryan O'Leary would love a shot at being the romance in her life but she sees him as being cut from the same mold as her ex...a bartender who can't resist the flavor of the night, even though he's so much more than that.
The issues
Quinn's polar-opposite, outgoing sister Indy and friend Kate help her put together a list of things she must do this summer, all being completely out of her comfort zone. Failure at any of them could have the potential of making her even less confident about herself. Ryan decides to be her "friend" as a means to becoming something more but was so good in the role Quinn was unwilling to do anything that might risk the relationship.
What worked well
Quinn is one of those characters you like right out of the gate. She's attractive and confident in herself to a point but doesn't really get her true appeal. She's not a total pushover but could use some backbone with certain people in her life. Ryan is just all out delectable, with a natural and genuine charm that puts you in his corner pretty quickly. He's not perfect but that plays well, at least for me. I also liked that this wasn't just a story limited to these two. We get pretty meaty insights about the people closest to these two, not so much that it overwhelms Ryan and Quinn's story but enough to leave me wanting to know more and the promise of it in future stories. Indy, Kate, Ryan's best friend Griff, Ryan's brother Colin...just to name a few...are all intriguing on their own and I want more of them. Lastly, the O'Leary brood, with their sibling issues and strong sense of family, provide a really nice backdrop for the series, completing this really attractive package.
What didn't work as well
Quinn's reluctance to see Ryan for the man he was got old near the end of the story. She's not clueless, just stubborn, which made me want to shake her. Thankfully her sister and Kate were there to do that on my behalf. The ending wrapped a bit quickly for me, too. But, it appears this story will continue with the next book so that's some consolation.
The bottom line
I liked this story and enjoyed the people in it. It's not a new situation but the journey was nicely done with some uncommon approaches. There were also multiple points of view throughout and that is always a strong point for me as it helped me connect to each character. I am hooked and already have the next book. I'm going to take my time getting to it, though, until I know when I can expect the third one!