***4 Stars***
The description was the lure. I mean, I do the reviewer/blogger-ish thing so that peaked my interest and when you add in the whole single parent thing I and my curiosity got the better of me. And I have to say I really enjoyed the book. I was hooked from the first page and found it to be fun and sweet, and though relatively low on angst and drama, it had just enough moments of frustration to keep things interesting until the very end.
I really liked Andi, even when there were times where I wanted to reach into my Kindle and shake a little (or a lot of) sense into her. She was burned, badly, and while it could have totally crippled her, she pulled on her shitkickers and did what needed to be done for her daughter, and I have nothing but admiration for her in that respect. But she does have walls and while I don’t blame her at all, they blind her to quite a few things, including herself.
Reid is hard not to love. I mean the man is laid back and yet underneath that is a stubborn determination that screams alpha AF male. But what got me was his honesty. The sincerity in his words, and more importantly, actions, made it easy to fall for the man and be #TeamReid, at least in most cases.
Andi and Reid’s journey was a sweet and awkward journey, but overall it was a fun one. I won’t deny that there was a good amount of eye rolling going on as Reid charmingly bulldozed his way into Andi’s life (with the help of Gabby and Leona) while Andi waffled between her need to be an island and wanting to go all swoony over Reid, but it also kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next and while I didn’t get a that deep un-abiding connection from them, I did see something that could grow with time.
As for the big elephant hanging out in their relationship. I’m on the fence on how I feel about it. While part of me feels that Andi should have come clean about being the UAB, I also get why she didn’t because trust comes in many forms and she trusted Reid with what was THE most important part of her world. And as for Reid and his reaction. I also don’t blame him at all. He gave everything and to expect the same in return is something I understand, so hence the fence. The other thing is that I wish there had been a bit more grovelling. I don’t mind a relatively simple reconciliation, but I just needed a little more in the end.
This was my first read by the author and I was hooked from the first page. The writing was engaging and I enjoyed the dual first person POV’s. As for the secondary cast of characters, Gabby and Leona were a lot of fun and I loved what they brought to the story. So, if you’re in the mood for a romance more on the sweet side, then this is the one for you!
~ Copy provided via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~
Andonia “Andi” Schwartz is the kind of gal you love to hate. Snarky, skinny, and jaded, Andi’s goodness lies hidden beneath her sharp edges. But it’s there . . . this independent single mom has it going on.
Reid Fellows is a lovable dude. Bespectacled tenure-track statistics professor by day, shirtless blogger by night, he’s a catch on paper and easy on the eyes.
Andi wields her power and unruly commentary from behind her laptop as the anonymous proprietor of The UnAffectionate Blogger. Reid’s blog, Grill and Groom, began on a dare. Now, he regularly shows his abs of steel while grilling.
He may love this gig more than his day job. She needs her page views and advertisers to support her daughter. Until the two meet and spin a web online and IRL . . . in real life.
What happens when two bloggers fall for each other?
A new blog is born.
Release Date: October 1st, 2018
A devout coffee drinker and doughnut eater, Rachel spends way too many hours in local coffee shops, downing the aforementioned goodies while she plots her ideas. Her tales may all come with a side of angst and naughtiness, but end as lusciously as her treats.
As a side note, Blaufeld, also a long-time blogger and an advocate of woman-run anything, is fearless about sharing her opinion. She captured the ears of stay-at-home and working moms on her blog, BacknGrooveMom, chronicling her adventures in parenting tweens and running a business, often at the same time. To her, work/life/family balance is an urban legend, but she does her best.
Rachel has also blogged for The Huffington Post and Modern Mom. Most recently, her insights can be found in USA TODAY, where she shares conversations at “In Bed with a Romance Author” and reading recommendations over at “Happy Ever After.”
Rachel lives around the corner from her childhood home in Pennsylvania with her family and two beagles. Her obsessions include running, coffee, basketball, icing-filled doughnuts, antiheroes, and mighty fine epilogues.
When she isn’t writing, she can be found courtside, tweeting about hoops as her son plays, or walking around the house wearing earplugs while her other son, the drummer, bangs away.
To connect with Rachel, she’s most active in her private reading group, The Electric Readers, where she shares insider information and intimate conversation with her readers:
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