4⭐
Genre ~ contemporary romance
Series ~ Cold Springs #2
Others in the series ~ The Wrong Bridesmaid #1
Setting ~ Cold Springs (not sure what state we’re in, but I think it’s on the East Coast)
Publication date ~ December 12, 2023
Est page Count ~ 285 (p+ 28 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 10 hours 10 minutes
Narrators ~ CJ Bloom, Ryan West
POV ~ dual 1st
Featuring ~ small town, lawyer, construction worker, fast burn to slow burn, miscommunication, second chance, some steamage, no 3rd act breakup
My review:
The prologue starts us off with a bang (literally) with Jesse & Wren in a friends with benefits situation. and then nada for a bit.
We’ve met the awful Jed already, who is Wren’s uncle and Jesse’s boss and currently going through a divorce because he cheated on wife, Chrissy, with a much younger lady who is now pregnant. Why am I telling you all this, well because this takes up a big part of the book, more so then the actual romance, which I really wish wasn’t the case because I really liked these two. Jesse & Wren, not Jed & Chrissy because they were both a hot mess.
Jesse is a possessive, jealous, yet sweet alpha, and I loved him. He’s a foreman at a construction company and cared so much about his guys. I was mad at him though for acting like he wasn’t worthy of Wren because of his job. Hello, where would we be without blue collar workers? We wouldn’t have a house to live in for one. And all the muscles from all the labor is not necessarily a bad thing either.
Wren is the towns’s lawyer and really showed her smarts and skills to do what’s best for her small town. She’s fierce, strong and independent. I could have went without the other man drama with Chrissy’s lawyer, Oliver, but I suppose the story wouldn’t be complete without it.
Like I said above the divorce is a big part of the book, but when these two were on page the chemistry was burning my kindle. There is the dreaded miscommunication, but that’s dealt with pretty early, so we didn’t wait around too long for them to get their act together, speaking of act…no 3rd act breakup, hallelujah 🙌
Overall, I liked this one much more than the last one, but I just wish there was less messy divorce and more budding romance for this contemporary romance. I, also, like how the main side characters ~ Avery & Winston and Hazel & Wyatt ~ are progressing with their lives.
Series notes:
Not a continuation per say, but all the characters we have already met are heavily involved here, so I’d say more enjoyable to read The Wrong Bridesmaid first. Here’s my review if you’re interested.
Narration notes:
I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference.
*Thanks to the author, Montlake and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Add to your never ending TBR ~ goodreads
I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’ve read it.
Book blurb:
Best of friends with benefits—and more in common than they ever expected—in a funny and sexy romance by Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Lauren Landish.
Wren Ford is the city attorney for Cold Springs—a job she takes seriously. Good thing she has a great form of stress relief: a friends-with-benefits arrangement with the well-muscled and very attentive construction worker Jesse Sullivan. Wren’s heart secretly craves more, but how can she fess up her feelings to a man who doesn’t want to get tied down?
Jesse is head over heels in love with Wren, but he can’t picture a happily ever after. What would an attorney and out-of-his-league goddess want with him? Especially when a flirty, cocky lawyer who screams money and power shows an interest in Wren.
As a scandalous high-profile split escalates from name-calling to corporate takeovers, Wren and Jesse must team up to find a way to protect the people and the town they love. And everyone in Cold Springs is rooting for them to figure out that maybe, against all odds, they’re made for each other.
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I also liked it. Have just been procrastinating somewhat on writing the review.
So glad you did!