When Dax and Kyra meet, it is because Kyra's daughter Ruby was drawn to Dax and his dog. She kept going over to his cottage even though her mother admonished her not to bother Mr. Shepard. Through Ruby's persistence over wanting to play with Otto, Dax and Kyra learn to lean on one another and Dax also learns that it is not good to be a solidarity loner. Ms. London did a great job in weaving a story that was memorable. I rate this a 5 stars because it had me on my toes, and I didn't stop until the story was over. I can't wait for the next one!

Julia London is one of those reliable writers who always delivers a fresh and compelling story with great characterisation and plenty of plot twists. Suddenly Engaged, the third story in her Lake Haven series, is one such story.
Dax Bishop is a solitary guy who's shut himself off from the world after a painful divorce. He is emotionally wounded, having been left by his wife for another woman, a woman who used to be his partner at work. To make matters worse, his wife is pregnant with his son. Dax is not the most trusting of souls as a result, and he certainly doesn't want to get tangled up with another woman, especially one with a child.
Kyra Kokinos isn't looking for a relationship. She's got her hands full juggling her work and study while doing her best to raise her six year-old daughter Ruby. She appreciates the finer aspects of Dax's physique, which inspire plenty of lust-filled thoughts, though Dax is so grumpy she does her best to squash those feelings.
Kyra's daughter Ruby is integral to this beautiful story. She's full of curiosity and takes an instant liking to Dax and his dog Otto. Of course her regular appearances on Dax's side of the fence between their two houses are the last thing Dax wants. Trouble is Ruby is persistent and despite his best intentions Dax finds himself warming to her.
The plot is very much driven by the developing relationship between Kyra and Dax, and while their story is one that could happen to anyone, it is still gripping.
I think one of the things I most liked about this story is the normality of the lead characters. No billionaires or secret princesses here! The problems they face are the sort that you or I could face, creating empathy for their plight and the hope that they'll be able to resolve their differences. This is a romance so of course they do, but what a journey they have to get there. Thoroughly recommended!

Suddenly Engaged is an engaging story and I liked every bit of it except the title. I'm just not sure where the suddenly comes in to play. So pay no attention to the title, put on your beach hat, and enjoy the story of Kyra, Dax, and six years old Ruby Coconuts.

Kyra is the hard working single mother of precocious Ruby. Dax is the grumpy neighbor whose wife left him for his partner, and Ruby is the red headed, pigtailed, bundle of cuteness.

The story is well crafted and the characters are nice to get to know. The plot has a few unexpected turns that keep the reader interested and, if you are like me, wanting to read more from the author.

Thoroughly enjoyable book.

I’d like to thank Netgalley and Montlake Romance for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.


I’m not sure what to really say about this book. It was o.k. but I did not love it. I’m not even sure what to say was wrong with it. I’m a fan of the single mom finds love stories, but I just couldn’t connect to Kyra. Dax teetered on the edge for me as well. He hates noise and people and then poof all of a sudden it’s what he’s craved in his life. I guess I just didn’t buy it.

I also felt like there was just too much going on. With the parent drama, to medical, to poverty, babysitter issues and to the “suddenly engaged” – which I thought was a little misleading. I think the best things about this book were Ruby (Kyra’s daughter) and Otto (Dax’s dog). They were super cute and very stubborn. Those two were a match made in heaven.

After having sounded like I disliked the book, it was actually easy to read and had some cute moments. It is the third book in the series but is read as a standalone.

Kyra Kokinos is a single mother trying to make ends meet. Kyra waits tables by day, works on a real estate license by night and spends as much time as possible with Ruby her very precocious six -year old daughter. It’s a chore trying to keep Ruby from pestering their grumpy next door neighbor Dax Bishop. Dax is a gruff solitary man who keeps to himself after having been burnt by a nasty divorce. He might give you water if you were dying of thirst, but come to Kyra’s aid with a marriage proposal when Ruby needed life saving surgery? Wow, this was something Kyra never saw coming!

*** I loved this story and Ruby aka little “coconuts” absolutely stole my heart away. Dax was such a gruff curmudgeon right from the start, but loved when he christened Ruby with the coconuts moniker. After learning more of Dax’s story I couldn’t help wanting to see him find his own happiness and if it included Kyra and little ‘coconuts’ so much the better!

Actually, I couldn’t help comparing Kyra’s struggles with my own as so many women struggle to work, raise a child and go back to school to improve their lot in life. A simple enough theme and very current by todays standards. Nope, I even understood the fast food dinners one would settle for because life was so busy trying to stay above water and still provide for your child.

The characters were all admirably fleshed out and the secondary characters were most creative adding to building the story into a wholesome and totally enjoyable read. Bottom line is that I absolutely loved SUDDENLY ENGAGED and the reality of the story!

Marilyn Rondeau

Having read book one in the series plus being a Julia London fan, I had high hopes for this book. I did love the adorable Ruby and equally enchanting and funny Otto the dog. But the main characters kind of bugged me. Kyra was yet another example of a recent spate of overly independent heroines who just rub me the wrong way. While I know she's doing the best she can for her daughter with little help and money, her refusal to force her one night stand to pay his fair share of child support (until it's an emergency) bugged me to no end! Maybe she could have afforded a better sitter than the battle as she had watching her child!
Dax was hard to like, too, since he made Oscar the Grouch look like a Care Bear in the beginning. But he grew on me when he started to hang out with Ruby more. But Kyra just didn't redeem herself in my eyes. She completely shut Dax out when she and Ruby really needed him most, as he needed them, too. And while one could argue that she was concentrating on her child, I think that's a weak and not altogether true account.
So, my 3-3.5 stars are for Ruby Coconuts, Otto and the gentler Dax. So Kyra, I just wasn't feeling you :(

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC...all opinions are my own

Suddenly Engaged (A Lake Haven Novel Book 3) by Julia London is my favorite of the series... What a great story I laughed out loud and cried tears ...I felt the story... Dax swore never to fall again... Kyra after one wild destination wedding ....her whole life changed... Ruby ...who wouldn't love her and then there is Otto. If this story doesn't make you believe in happy endings nothing will. I am looking forward to her next offering.

The boring stuff: This book is technically the third in this series but it completely stands alone. And although it is based in Lake Haven, you absolutely do not have to read the others to enjoy this one. This book has three f-bombs (which are used for emphasis – it isn't used as a mindless filler) and some on-screen sex. Even if you don't enjoy those two things, this book is way more than sex and cursing. If the idea of an 'engagement of convenience' bothers you, don't let that scare you off because the bulk of their relationship isn't like that, despite what synopsis would have you think.

After being underwhelmed by the second book in this series I was leery of this one but this book was not only fabulous, it was my favorite Julia London book to date. I loved the relationship that bloomed between Dax and Ruby so much that I couldn't put this book down once I started reading it – I was all in from the start. He had me at “coconut”. Of course, Dax and Kyra's relationship was also really sweet. I have to admit that Kyra's actions toward the end of the book made me use some not-so-nice words out loud at my Kindle, but I also was able to mostly understand what she did, and I found myself rooting for them to figure things out. Thankfully, Dax was an amazing book hero and was way more understanding and accepting than I honestly expected him to be.

If you enjoy a story about a grumpy guy who very grudgingly bonds with an adorable little girl (and her mother) that will make you laugh a lot and also get choked up, or a love story between two people who deserve their happy ending, I highly recommend this book.

I requested and was very generously granted an ARC of this book from the publisher via the NetGalley. I was under absolutely no obligation to write this review, I did so because I very much enjoyed this book.

Great book. I love Julia London's books because they are so touching. Another great read.

I have to confess that when I started reading the first few pages of the story, I did not care much for Kyra Kokinos and that I almost gave up on the book since the first 20% was slow. But, I also have to confess that I am so very glad I didn’t not give up because I ended up really liking the story.
Kyra is a single Mom with a precocious 6 year old named Ruby. She is struggling as a waitress and lives paycheck to paycheck. She moves to East Beach to the cottage next to Dax Bishop. He is a divorced man who left his previous life and is now a furniture craftsman .
The story is full of funny moments, like the 1st picnic Dax hosts, and also heartbreaking moments. The relationship between Dax and Kyra ,an unlikely twosome, is complex, and unique. When life throws Kyra a curveball , she is unsure of what to do and ends up hurting people she loves and cares for, but also has to do what’s best for her situation.
You will fall in love with Dax and Ruby as well as the dog Otto, while Kyra will grow on you.
All in all, a good story reminding us that people who are judgmental can be hurtful, and that even when life is messy, it’s worth living and finding love .
I was gifted this copy by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Definitely has ups and downs, but such an interesting story. A mom, a little girl, and a neighbor develop a relationship. An unexpected health crisis adds some tension. 4 stars for what works, because there is a little that doesn't work. For the most part, though, a good summer read.

such a good romance with a very interesting storyline.

Sweet and complicated story about a single Mom and her damaged but very hot neighbor. I especially enjoyed the interaction between Ruby and Dax. Kyra is trying her best to be a good Mother but its well written how difficult that really is. Hard choices must be made and Kyra does her best but sometimes your best just isn't enough. Dax knows this from his own failed marriage. They are not eager to fall for each other but it happens anyway. Wonderfully written, enjoyed it.

A sweet story. Poor Dax just wants to be left alone to get over his heartache. When he gets new neighbors, including 6 year old Ruby, his life gets turned upside down. Made me laugh at times, feel sorrow at times, and joy at others. What more could you ask for in a book? Highly recommend this sweet story, and it is a perfect summer read.

an ok read

This is my first time reading this author and I really loved this story. It was very different than I expected but it still was a very engaging and enjoyable story. It features a cutie named Ruby who bring together her mom Kyra and her grumpy next door neighbor Dax.

While the description says that the two form an engagement for Ruby so she can get medical care. Its maybe 20% of the end of the book for most of the book Ruby is super healthy. The ony reason she ever sees a dr is that Dax was a paramedic and spots a condition she has but no one else sees it. Yes they get slightly engaged but its never followed thru so if you want a romance with a fake fiancee well that is not this story.

This story is more about Krya, a single mother of a daughter, Ruby. She has moved to the area because she is a waitress and she heard the rentals are cheap but the tips are high and she wants to provide a great life for her daughter. She is a struggling single mom with no help from anyone.

She hires the worlds cheapest babysitter but also the worlds worst as well. Which is how Dax and Ruby meet when she sneaks out. Dax realy needs her. He is in alot of pain as he just got divorced, his wife is having his baby but also married to his ex partner, a woman. Think Jerry Springer and thats his life. Which is also why he is a very grumpy neighbor.

The three form a suport system and that is really what this is about. Its about forming a family in very unconventual ways. Dax has to form a relationship with his ex and his ex partner and their child and Kyra forms a relationship with Dax, Ruby and Ruby's dad and his wife.

This was a really great story. It was not always easy or funny but it was very real and I really enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley for a preview of this book by Julia London who as usual does not disappoint. This is a gentle tale describing the blossoming relationship between the main characters, threaded together with the character of a very personable small and unwell girl. Recommend this book for its heartwarming and at times humorous content.

I did enjoy this book but I liked book 2 better. It's still a good book. I have been a fan of Julia London's for years. The story is about a single mother named Kyra Kokinos who waits tables, her nights working on her real estate and her daughter is named Ruby. Dax is her next door neighbor who had f a painful divorce. I did enjoy the book.

Although I enjoyed this book, I would say the title and the synopsis are a little misleading. Yes Dax offers marriage but it's not until nearly three quarters of the way through the book and they are already a couple by then.

I really liked Dax. He's funny! I liked the beginning and how he is irritated by Ruby's visits but attracted to her Mum, Kyra Kokinos. It made me laugh how Dax refers to Kokinos as 'coconuts'! I liked Ruby, she's cute. I liked how the romance develops between Dax and Kyra.

This is the first read for me by this author and I liked her writing style and she writes well from the male POV. Although this is book 3 in a series about separate couples, I wondered if Dax had been mentioned before in the other books as when we learn about his ex wife, it seemed to come across as if we should know his story? I was a bit confused by how he came to father his son, it wasn't explained in full. However, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.

This is a cute romantic read with a cute kid and a great hero. I felt like this was Dax's story rather than Kyra's. I liked Kyra OK but Dax and Ruby are the standouts. I will read more of this authors books now I've discovered her.