3 1/2 stars

When the three King brothers leave town, three friends make a pact to NEVER date the three any of them again. If there's anything I've ever learned, it's that you should "Never Say Never."

Seven years later, the three King brothers move back successful and insanely wealthy. They are moving their company headquarters to their hometown. Let's see how well the three friends can keep to their pact now. All of the girls have a history with the brothers but it isn't quite clear yet to what extent. Kira and Rich had a falling out in the past but it wasn't what I had expected. He is determined to make amends to her but she is busy trying to be loyal to her friends and keep the distance between them. At some point, he'll wear her down. A girl can only be so strong, right?

I enjoyed the way the relationship unfolded between Rich and Kira. They were both well intentioned and cared about others. Sadly, both of their families were pretty disappointing and uncaring. Rich's parents were definitely the most manipulative and Kira's were easily manipulated. At least Rich's brothers and Kira's friends were all quite entertaining and for the most part pretty supportive, underneath all of their banter. I'm looking forward to the upcoming books with their stories.

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely wanted to love this, but the cover art made me think this was a bit of a darker romance than it was.

Somewhere about 30% of the way in I kept thinking this is pretty fluffy and sweet? And kept searching for the grittier romance that I thought I was going to be getting.

With that said and an ah hah moment, after I finished I realized that I've actually read a lot by this author and am a fan normally. I just didn't know what I was getting in to when I started this book.

Per usual Penelope delivered a quirky fun heroine, and silly supporting characters who were a joy to read about.

I don't think I would read the rest of this series as it didn't truly catch my attention, but definitely worth a read if you are looking for a quick fun escape!

A teenage pact.
Three girls and their evil nemeses dated to come face to face after a seven year hiatus.
The poor townies vs. The billionaire wunderkind.
Who will win and who will go down as the biggest losers?

It's sounds like Cade is typing this. Or it will...
Q:How do you know if there is a dinosaur in your refrigerator?
A: The door won't shut!

Don't pretend you didn't enjoy that. Cade will put you in nutcuffs!

Talk about interesting characters. These six have unique personalities that will keep you wondering.

If you are looking for a crazy, weird romp through the psyche of this crew...I suggest seeking your own mental health provider. If you are looking for a little crazy in your normal, I salute you. Also I suggest wine, Cade is going to need it!

Rich and his two brothers Cade and Nick have returned to their hometown as successful billionaires after their tech business skyrocketed and plan to open a location there. The only problem is that three people in town Kira, Miranda and Iris thought that they had seen the last of them and wanted it to stay that way.

Rich is determined to apologize to Kira for the way he wronged her in high school but she has pact with her two besties that she needs to honor and that means not talking to him. Rich and Kira have always secretly crushed on each other, so he is not about to let her walk away so easily and that is when the fun really begins especially when no one wants them together except themselves.

I really enjoyed the characters in this story. Kira and her two best friends were a hoot when they were together and watching the relationship between Rich and his brothers even though they drive each other crazy they have each other’s backs. Hot chemistry and witty banter leave us wanting the stories of the other characters.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first read by Penelope Bloom and I really enjoyed it! Kira and her friends, Iris and Miranda, make a pact to never date any of the King brothers when they were teenagers. Seven years later, the brothers return to their lives and Kira has a hard time keeping her promise to Iris and Miranda.

Rich has returned to town to build an additional location to the business he and his brothers run. He also knows he has a long overdue apology to give to Kira after what happened in high school. He works his way into co-directing her school play and soon the sparks start flying and promises to best friends are forgotten. The two deal wih family expectations and drama, but come out in the end together and as happy as can be.

Loved this cute and quick read. I can't wait for the next two books in the series about Rich's brothers, Nick and Cade.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book.
I am a huge fan of Penelope Bloom and her objects of attraction series. 'His Package' is definitely my favourite.
This series however, has a totally different vibe, like the characters seem younger than they're meant to be. Maybe it's just me, but they weren't very consistent in their behaviour towards each other. If Rich was that infatuated with her in the past, why didn't he contact her during those seven years? If she was so angry with him, why forgive him so easily? Maybe they needed to interact with each other more before declaring any feelings, I don't know, but it just felt a little forced. Having said that, the world the author has built is fun, as are the characters who will inevitably end up together.

3.5 stars!
Penelope Bloom was a 'new to me' author and she was good!
I did like the book, did i absolutely love it? No but it was good book to read anyway. It was probably just me but i felt like it was missing something. It had the humour from Rich's brothers and Kira's friends and the storyline was good it just felt abit different to what i normally read.
Rich i was actually pretty surprised about. I assumed when i read the blurb he was going to be pompous and abit of a douche but colour me surprised that he wasn't.
Kira she was ok, she seemed slightly childish at times and like she didn't know when to stop talking but i didn't really click with her well.
Overall it was a good book, maybe just not my cup of tea?
Would i read another Penelope Bloom book? Yes. You can't completely judge someone by one book.

❤

This was my first book by this author and I enjoyed reading it. I had fun with it and found myself laughing out loud at points. I did find it a little predictable, but I liked seeing the progression between the characters and I will definitely read more from this author.

Miranda, Iris, and Kira made a pact when they were teens that they would NEVER date any of the King brothers. Well, romance readers know how that pact is going to work out! Kira is the first of the friends to bend= Rich comes back to town and wow, he's not only obnoxious, he's also hot. You know how this is going to go, don't you? Enemies (not really enemies but...) to lovers is a classic trope and it's pretty well done here. Bloom's a good storyteller and she's created some nice (and some not-so-nice) characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A quick entertaining read.

•I voluntarily read and reviewed and advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.•

First, let me start off by saying I hate writing negative reviews; I respect the time and hard work that goes into writing every novel.

Anyone But Rich. The characters and plot are flat and cliche, and the main driving point for the “bad-blood” between Rich and Kira...is never explained. The humor is immature and crude and I found it a little annoying, though there were some moments when I thought the jokes between the girl-friends were a little funny.
There were sayings, or the wording of some things, that didn’t make sense, and I wasn’t sure if it’s grammar or the humor that was lost on me. Also, the brothers are supposed to be these billionaire execs...but they act more middle school boys with raging hormones the entire time. I couldn’t get into this one.

I read this book in a few evenings, because it was that good. The trio of friends was a little overdramatic with the vows.
Rich is a rich guy who regrets only one thing in his life. He never got the chance to change that. But when his brothers insisted that they have to have headquarters in their home town he sees this as an opportunity to make amends with Kira.
Kira is a nice girl who loves her best friends, but when Rich comes back to their home town, she finds out that her feelings toward him didn't go away as she hoped they did.
Story is easyflowing and has skme great punchlines. I liked it very much.

At first, I thought, "oh no, this is going to turn into a "50 Shades / The Royals" deal. However, even though it was similar in some ways, I actually really liked this book. It is a quick read and it had me audibly laughing at some points. Iris and Cade had me laughing more often than not and I felt like Kira was very relatable. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a great beach read.

A pact between friends to never date a king brother. Fast forward 7 years and feelings are still there well at least for Rich anyway. Can he prove to Kira he isn’t out to hurt her?!

Great story there was humor between the brothers . The banter between them was priceless.
The hate to love relationship between rich and Kira was one I couldn’t wait to see develop throughout the book.

What a great read can’t wait for Cade’s story

Back in high school the King Brothers were synonymous with leaving a trail of broken hearts, Kira of course knows that fact first hand. She dated a King brother, Nick, back in high school, and just like those that came before her, she was left broken-hearted and harboring a serious hate for him and his elder brother Rich.. After the implosion of their relationship, she lucked out and her wish to never have to see them again came true, the King brothers packed their bags and left town.

Seven blissful years have passed since they left town... but that's all about to change, their back in town to stay, and Rich has his sights set on her!

Anyone But Rich is a drama-filled page turner that will draw you from the first sentence, and keep you intrigued until the last. It's a story of second chances, friendship, forgiveness and finding true love. I really enjoyed what I discovered here, the story line was strong and plausible, albeit a little predictable, but nonetheless entertaining. The characters came with a real-feel quality, all unique in their own right, and were to find a connection with. Overall I would say it was a solid first read, one that left me just curious enough to come back for more! Highly recommend!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from NetGalley, and I am voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased opinion.

***I received this book from NetGalley***

This book had some sweet and laugh out loud moments. This was the first book that I have read by Bloom and it will not be the last!

3.5/4 stars

I hadn't heard of this author or this book until I received an email from the publisher and this book was included in it! The synopsis was very intriguing and sounded like something I would read, so I decided to do just that! This book did take me a bit longer than I was expecting to read, but I'm happy that I finally got the chance to read it! The plot was intriguing and I found that it developed at a good pace! I have to be honest though and say that I felt like the plot was missing something for me to fall completely in love with it! I had a bit of a hard time connecting with the main characters and there wasn't any action or suspense in the plot to keep me desperate to read on! There was romance though, which allowed for a few seriously hot scenes between the two main characters! The characters were also great and did make this book better! Kira was the main female character, and in this book she was providing for herself and she had a good job! I liked Kira in this book! I felt like she tried her best and had come a long way! I loved the way Kira was with her best friends too! There were quite a few funny scenes between them and they were always there for each other! Richard 'Rich' was the main male character and love interest of Kira! I thought that Rich was going to be a complete ass in this book because he was famous and had lots of money! I thought that he was a bit of an ass at the beginning, but I actually found myself liking him more as this book progressed! It was also easy to see that he had feelings for Kira and he was honest with her and open about how he felt! I loved that this book was written from both Kira and Rich's point of views! I wasn't really sure whether this book was going to be written from dual point of view because the synopsis gives the impression that it's only going to be written from the female character's point of view! I'm really happy that it was written from dual point of view because it helped me connect more with Kira and Rich and it allowed for more things to happen in the plot too! I now can't wait to read the next book in this series! I mean, I felt like this book was missing something for me, but the next book is going to focus on two secondary characters from this book, which has me intrigued! I'll definitely be checking it out once it releases! I'm not sure when the next book releases because there wasn't anything at the end of this book and there isn't anything on Goodreads about the next book! I'm going to assume that it'll release next year, which I can wait for lol! I still have this author's other books to check out as well! The cover for this book is also interesting because it doesn't feature any cover models on it! It still has that rich feel to it, which suits the book! I'm not sure if the cover would appeal to me if I hadn't receive an email with the book in it though, but it does suit the book!

Title: Steamy, hilarious beginning to a new series with it’s own HEA
Dating the wrong King brother had temporarily gotten Kira in trouble with her two best friends: Miranda and Iris. So, they take a vow to have NOTHING to do with them…EVER…NO MATTER WHAT. And then…
The King brothers came from old money that was dwindling b/c each generation used without putting back. Now, the brothers have made themselves billionaires and decided to build a new headquarters in their hometown, where they haven’t been back for quite a while. Oh. My. The pledge is going to get a workout! But maybe not, Rich has come back with Stella on his arm. They are an item. Right?
Kira is just beginning as a high school English teacher, very nervous on her first day and who should show up at her classroom door? Rich! Wow…what a start to a new series. Hilarious, steamy, angsty and steamy, did I already say that?!
LOVED this introduction to Cade, Nick, Miranda and Iris. Can’t wait for their books. So many entertaining moments: Kira meeting “Cade” at the party; verbally sparring with Stella at Rich’s house; the confession in chapter 11; and you won’t forget the Uber driver who wasn’t. And sage sayings, like “A foolish man walks into a trap. A wise man avoids it. But a businessman? He takes advantage of it.” There are many more of each. We have meddling parents, small town gossips and so much more. I have loved everything that Ms. Bloom has written. Read this one and you will see why. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through NetGalley and it comes highly recommended.

This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

This author is new to me but will certainly be looking out for the others in this series - really enjoyed this

Well written, great characters and great humour throughout - seemed a very 'real' romance to me

Looking forward to more from this author

Rating: about a 2.5/5 stars
Listen, I find it really difficult to give most books a bad rating. It's not that hard for me to like a book, but to be honest this book was just so-so, perhaps leaning towards the less enjoyable end of the spectrum for me. On paper, it ticked a lot of boxes for me - old possible flame returning home, possible element of hate to love, etc. But this book just didn't work out for me - bearing in mind that this is just my personal opinion.

This is a story of a young woman, who along with her 3 closest friends in the world, were hurt by the infamous King brothers (infamous in their home town). They make a pact to NEVER fall back into their arms, no matter what. But, when Richard (Rich) King, with 2 brothers in tow, returns back to their small town, things begin to change for Kira (the protagonist).

Characterisation:
I think this was probably where I had the most problems with this book. I like Kira enough (not amazing), but there was a moment at around halfway in the book where <spoiler>Kira just straight up chooses Rich over her best friends. Now, bear in mind that Rich hasn't been back in town all that long, and she just ditches her BEST friends (even if they gave her an ultimatum) for him, despite not only the "pact" but also her supposed "grudge" against him. I really, really was disappointed in that. In a time where friends, in particular girl friends need to be standing together, I found myself shaking my head at that.</spoiler> Towards the end of the book, I just found myself enjoying reading Kira's point of view less and less enjoyable. She was nice. But for me, that was about it.
As for Rich - I just didn't feel that his character was fleshed out enough for me. In fact both of them, whilst there was definitely some depth, I just didn't feel that there was enough.
Although, I do have to say that towards the end of the book, the chemistry between Kira and Rich was nicely written.
Storyline:
Again, the storyline was just okay for me. I can see what the author was trying to accomplish, and they definitely had some big visions and dreams for the direction of the novel, which I appreciate. However, if the pace had slowed down a little more and perhaps some of the (many) complications, omitted, I think the novel's storyline would have worked out better in my eyes.
Overall:
Overall, the novel just wasn't really for me - I didn't find myself getting emotionally invested in Kira and Rich's relationship, which was probably largely due to the fact that I just could not learn to love Kira's character. Again, all of this is just my personal opinion, and this is not to say that no one should read this book - I'm sure there are many out there who loved this book and would love it! It was nice at points, but overall, this wasn't the book for me.

Note: I was very generously provided an ARC of this novel from the author and publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Anyone But Rich is a hilarious and fun read and I'm super exited to see how the rest of the series plays out! I also plan to go back and read more of the authors books who have come highly recommended to me!