***3 ‘It pains me’ Stars***
Ever since finding the Oxford series I’ve been an LL fan and get all kinds of squee happy when I hear that she’s about to release a new book. I love her characters, flaws and all, and can’t wait to dive in and experience the journey they will take to get to their HEA’s and I felt the same as I dove into Love Story. So it pains me, actually wince worthy PAINS me, to say that this one just didn’t do it for me. The smexy was all kinds of LL amazing, and can say that I did like it, but I just didn’t love it.
They say first impressions last forever, and for the most part that is true, though after getting to know a person they can change, but that first initial feeling will always be there beneath the surface and that is unfortunately what happened with Reece. I felt for the guy, I did. He was dealt a shit hand in life and it shaped him into the man he is and there is a part of me that understood him and saw the good man underneath the armour. But unfortunately the man I met after only 10% in was an absolute asshat with what was going through his head and actions and though he did things that were sweet and finally pulled his head out of his ass, I can only say that I liked him.
Then there is Lucy, who I really did like. She’s known what she’s wanted to do with her life from a young age. She wasn’t born with a silver spoon in her mouth, takes nothing for granted and has worked her ass off to make her dream become reality. I loved her drive and how much she appreciated what she had. This isn’t to say that she was an angel, there were moments where I wanted to give a good Gibbs style smack upside the head, but I still liked her.
When it comes to a friends to young lovers to enemies to lovers trope you know going in there will be quite a bit of angsty drama and that much of the reason for the enemies part will be due to hurt pride and lack of communication. It is also inevitable that the MC’s are going to be going for each other’s throats and all that pent up tension will turn into all kinds of smexy goodness, and it all happens here. Through flashbacks we get experience how Reece and Lucy become friends and young lovers and it is sweet and its heart wrenching to experience as they are constantly sniping at each other in the present day. And then we find out what turned them to enemies and I have to say I lay a mass majority of it on Reece and the rest on them simply being teenagers. As for the enemies to lovers part of the journey, the constant bickering was just too immature for me, it gave me a headache instead of amusing me and, again, a lot of it rested on Reece’s shoulders. How he saw Lucy and her accomplishments, especially since he was so close with her family and knew her, just pissed me off. Had he not known her as well as he did I would have felt differently, but I just saw him as a whiny little bitch who needed to get over himself. Reece does pull his head out of his ass and they do finally open up to each other about all the crap that happened in their past, though it takes a long damn time, and in the end I can say that they do belong together.
I wanted to love this book as much as I’ve loved the other books I’ve read by LL, but I can only say I liked it, which I’m sure some will be scratching their heads about after reading the review and seeing my rating, but there are two main reasons for the 3 stars. 1) I kept turning the pages despite the ache to my head and my eyes from all the rolling they were doing. 2) I have to give props to Ms. Layne for bringing out that much emotion, though not necessarily positive, over a character and making it so intense that I needed to see that character evolve and he did. Although this book did necessarily work for me, I think that if you’re an LL fan and/or love uber angsty drama you should give it a go and make up your own mind.
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley ~
Over the course of one wild road trip, feuding childhood sweethearts get a second chance at love in this charming rom-com—a standalone novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Blurred Lines and Good Girl.
When Lucy Hawkins receives a job offer in San Francisco, she can’t wait to spread her wings and leave her small Virginia hometown behind. Her close-knit family supports her as best they can, by handing over the keys to a station wagon that’s seen better days. The catch? The cross-country trip comes with a traveling companion: her older brother’s best friend, aka the guy who took Lucy’s virginity hours before breaking her heart.
After spending the past four years and every last dime caring for his sick father, Reece Sullivan will do just about anything to break free of the painful memories—even if it means a two-week road trip with the one girl who’s ever made it past his carefully guarded exterior. But after long days of bickering in the car turn into steamy nights in secluded motel rooms, Reece learns that, when it comes to Lucy, their story is far from over. And this time, they just might have a shot at a happy ending.
Book Summary
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published By: Random House/Loveswept
Release Date: February 14th, 2017
Series: Love Unexpected
ASIN B01GYQ057Q
Lauren lives in New York City with her husband (who was her high school sweetheart--cute, right?!) and plus-sized Pomeranian.
Five years ago, she ditched her corporate career in Seattle to pursue a full-time writing career in Manhattan.
She writes smart romantic comedies with just enough sexy-times to make your mother blush, and in her ideal world, every stiletto-wearing, Kate Spade wielding woman would carry a Kindle stocked with Lauren Layne books.
When not bringing The Sexy, she likes to blog about her Instagram addiction, and why mean girls are the worst.
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