Being a long time reader of Marina Adair’s books, I have to admit that I was disappointed with this one. I spent almost the first half of the book disliking every character except Emmitt. I wanted Anh to have more of a backbone. I felt like punching both Gray and Levi over their smug superiority. And while I understand teens, having raised two myself, and the anger that comes with grief, Paisley came off more bratty than sympathetic. And while I warmed up to Paisley faster than the men, it colored the rest of the book for me.
I wanted to more fully submerged into a plot that revolves around what it was like for Anh to be both adopted in general, as well as Vietnamese and raised by white parents. I don’t feel that was addressed enough. I did love Anh and Emmitt together, though. Their chemistry is what made me keep reading. He helped make her stronger, but more anger at her ex would have been helpful as well.
Overall, I think there was too much going on in terms of both characters and plots. I believe this is part of a series, and I will definitely be interested in reading the next book. Maybe it’s just a case of putting too much information into book one to help explain the rest of the series. Like I said, I’m a longtime fan and I won’t let one book make me walk away from a talented and beloved author. Everyone has an off day now and then.

The perfect romcom that will have you laughing out loud through the story. A takeoff of two of my favorite movies, Three Men and Baby and 27 Dresses. Annie is a Physician Assistant, who is new to Rome and nursing a broken heart, she is ready for a man free zone when Emmitt, her landlord shows up with physical wounds he is healing and is ready to move back into her house. Soon they can no longer deny the chemistry that they share. On the side story, Emmitt has a teenage daughter that he is raising along with two other men.

This was the perfect read during these tiring times, I laughed out loud so many time and even shed a few tears. Love this quirky little town with a cast a characters that are so much fun. Looking forward to revisiting this town. I highly recommend this book.

This wonderful book is a fantastic start to a fun new series by one of my favorite authors. This story is fun, flirty and sexy! Annie and Emmitt won my heart from the very beginning and they kept me entertained all the way through the book. Their chemistry is intense and as they try to resist each other you just know there is no way they can do it. This story hit all my emotional buttons and had me laughing at some points while crying at others. Definitely a book for the must read list. I highly recommend it.

This book got me from the very beginning. You can’t help but be in Anh’s corner when you realise that her ex fiancé is going ahead with their wedding, just with another bride!!
I was rooting for Anh, and desperately wanted her to catch a break. Experiencing her journey with her new roommate in a new town while struggling to to keep a foot in both her Vietnamese roots and her adopted white family world., was emotional to read.
I enjoyed the book and found the characters to be likeable.

I am on a roll. Well, the books I’ve been reading are a on a roll anyway. I love when this happens. As much as I hate when I’m in a reading slump, it’s just so amazing when I have a reading high. So many good books lately! And this is another 5 star read. And another reminder of how much I love this author.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…Marina Adair is an ace at the meet cute. Seriously, pretty much every book of hers has me giggling when the hero and heroine meet. In this case, I was mortified for Anh Nhi (known by most in her life as Annie) while being intrigued by Emmitt. If you’re a regular romance reader, it’s quite obvious she’s the woman to tame Emmitt’s playboy ways. But I think that even if this wasn’t a romance, where I already had my preconceived ideas of what would happen, I would have felt that instant recognition of souls who are meant to be together. I don’t know how to explain it exactly, but it’s like the inner-selves of Annie and Emmitt were calmed when they met, even if they were quarreling.

Now, I’m not saying there is insta-love here. In fact, Annie tries to fight their obvious chemistry with all that she has. She’s had a pretty crappy go of things lately and has realized she makes it way to easy for guys to use her as a stepping stone to the next (better?) thing. Annie’s a fixer. She seems to help men suss out their weaknesses so they can learn to be and do better, only for them to realize she’s not their one and only, which means some other woman gets to enjoy the fruits of her labor. To be clear, Annie doesn’t do this in any overbearing or obvious way. She’s got such a kind and open heart, she’s a good listener, and she’s wonderful at nudging people in the right direction without them even noticing it’s happening.

Emmitt does not deny his playboy ways, but it’s upsetting to him that nobody seems to think that he’s grown up at all over the last 10 or so years. Not only when it comes to women, but in all aspects of his life. Emmitt is in a unique situation of co-parenting his daughter with two other men. Which is actually one of the things I adore about this story. The tale of how these three men came to be Paisley’s dads is sad and lovely and beautiful. While Emmitt is her biological dad, he hasn’t always been around. Some of that he can control (not taking some of the overseas jobs he’s offered for his photojournalism career would be a start), some he cannot (he didn’t know about Paisley until she was 5). But he’s learned a lot about love and family and what kind of father and friend he wants to be. The problem is, nobody seems to be noticing his attempts to fix things. And some of the things that happen with Emmitt and his friends/co-dads just tear my heart out for him. Levi and Gray are going through their own issues, to be sure. It’s been a tough year on them all. Yet, they are so dismissive of Emmitt that I cannot help but be angry with them both.

Of course, with her flair for helping others, Annie can’t help but be there for Emmitt and Paisley and try to guide their father/daughter journey. There are so many layers to Annie, and to this story. While Annie knows her parents love her more than anything, she has always felt like she doesn’t belong anywhere. She was born in Vietnam and grew up in a white affluent neighborhood. Not only is she trying to find her way and discover herself when it comes to love and men, she’s also trying to find her place in the world as a whole. Her situation is drastically different from Paisley’s, but there is still something there that helps her to understand the teenager. Along the way, Annie starts to learn what it means to speak up for herself and to realize it’s okay to lean on others once in a while.

Annie and Emmitt, as I said earlier, are souls who were meant to find each other. Watching their relationship unfold took my breath away. On top of the honesty of their raw feelings that unfold over time, there are things about their relationship, things they say and think, that reference many of may favorite movies and television shows. Not in an obvious way that would make you not enjoy things if you didn’t know they references. Almost like an inside nudge/wink from the author to other fans of these shows that makes the story a lot of fun.

I cannot stress enough the beauty of this story. I wanted to be Annie’s best friend, Emmitt’s confidant, and Paisley’s cool aunt. I wanted to punch Gray and Levi while also giving them hugs. I’m so happy the author is making this a series. I need to see Gray and Levi, as well as Paisley, find deeper happiness in their lives.

For those of you following along on my Reading Rush progress this weekend and all of my reading sprints, it is of no surprise to you that I read this ENTIRE book this week… outside… during a heat wave.

I was so excited to get this ARC because the premise was too good to pass up. We have Annie whose fiance breaks up with her at the last minute (OVER TEXT) then tries to have his brand new fiancee wear her dress and use the same venue. What the actual heck?! We also have a commitment-aphob who surprises everyone by showing up at his house while it’s rented out on airbnb with all the baggage he brings with him!

I loved the family dynamics with 3 dads. One quote really stuck out to me, “She’s as much my kid as if she were biologically mine. Loving someone more would be virtually impossible.” As a stepmom, I really related to that quote and the minefield of navigating life coparenting with others!

I loved that Annie joined a cooking group called “Pho Shizzle” (just my type of humor) and that she was able to learn more about her biological culture as a result after being raised by jewish parents as an asian woman.

I loved that the book was set in RI, but honestly not a single thing happened that made it feel like RI. I would’ve loved a nod to something unique in the area, but I digress.

I extra loved the post-its notes being left between Annie and Emmitt as well as how they were visually represented throughout the pages.

This book is going to be out in the world TOMORROW. I’d love to hear your thoughts once you pick it up.

Thank you so much to Kensington Publishing for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own!

Wow... I'm still crying a little as I write this. What an unexpected surprise this book was. There were some heartbreaking moments, frustrating moments (that ex-fiance), and sweet moments. While these two characters were attracted to one another, it was ultimately the time they spent together getting to know each other better that had them falling in love.

Annie needed to get away from her old life, ex-fiance broke up with her weeks before the wedding only to turn around and find his person, right after their break-up. Needing a fresh, man-free start she applies for a position in Rome, only it turns out to be Rome, Rhode Island, not Italy. A few weeks into her new life, she unexpectedly finds herself stuck with a roommate, a sexy roommate who owns the cabin she's staying in.

Emmitt is home on medical leave after beginning injured covering a story in China. He wants to get cleared medically as soon as possible but plans to spend as much time as he can with his daughter while he's in town. But he's competing with her stepfather and uncle for Paisley's attention. And now he has to deal with the intriguing woman staying at his cabin.

ARC provided by Kensington Publishing via Netgalley

Adair continues to be one of my favorite authors. Her talent lies in allowing reading to bask in the humorous side of life without losing sight of the heart of it all. Romeantically Challenged puts it's best foot forward with beautifully flawed storytelling. Amid the what ifs, why mes and who am I is a sweetness that proves to be uniquely, endearing with irresistible, unpredictability. Annie and Emmitt force our emotions to think outside of the box and in these trying times that's something we all need.

I was hooked from the first line. "The moment Ahn Nhi Walsh stepped into her wedding dress and shimmied the eighty-year-old silk over her hips, she knew there had been a mistake." What follows has to be one of the most horrifying conversations with an ex-fiance ever. I was literally holding my breath that this book was *not* about the two of them getting back together. Her parents also continued a cordial relationship with her ex which astonished and infuriated me.

Ahn Nhi (usually called Annie) was adopted at birth from Vietnam by her white American family and raised as an American. However, other people make assumptions about her based on her appearance, and she has never felt like she fit in anywhere. She decided to move after the break-up, but accidentally accepted a job in the wrong Rome. It wasn't Italy but she liked her job, and found a cabin to rent while the owner was overseas.

Emmitt, the owner, had been injured while overseas on assignment as a photojournalist, and had come back to his hometown to convalesce and to spend time with his daughter. He didn't know that his brother-in-law had found a renter for his cabin. Emmitt and Annie's meeting was hysterically funny. Let's just say that both of them were surprised.

Emmitt's daughter Paisley had been raised by her mother and stepfather, and had recently lost her mother. It was fun to see these three men - Emmitt, her stepdad, and her uncle - trying to parent 16 year old Paisley who is running rings around them. They are such good guys and so clueless about 16 year old girls. I loved their poker games where they played for stakes like 'cook dinner' and 'empty dishwasher'.

Emmitt and Annie seem to be opposites, but turn out to be looking for much the same things in life. I enjoyed reading this book very much and recommend it to any romance lover who likes a complex emotional story with vivid characters, conflict, character growth and laugh out loud humor. This was my first book by this author but it won't be my last. I am hoping that this is first of a series, as I would like to see some of the other characters get their books.

Thank you, Kensington and Netgalley, for allowing me to read and review an advance reading copy of this book. These are my honest opinions.

3.5 stars. I really struggled with rating this book. For a decently large percent of the book, I felt this extreme sense of deja-vu; I feel like this story has been told so many times before. However, there were also some really beautiful moments that I thought made the story much better.

Anh Nhi (Annie) is a PA who ended up in Rome, Rhode Island working at a hospital after her fiance broke up with her via text and then proceeded to steal her planned wedding to marry someone new. Imagine her surprise when the owner of the cabin she's living in suddenly shows up again, back early from his work trip as a photojournalist. Of course, sparks fly immediately, but also so much frustration.

I loved how much Annie and Emmitt were there for each through some really hard things (Trigger Warning: grief after losing a parent/important figure). I didn't love the casual sexism (Emmitt kept calling Annie "Nurse Annie" has if women in scrubs must only be nurses?) or the predictability of their relationship (I knew the conflict that would happen at the end as soon as it was set up about 20% in to the book). Overall, this is a funny but emotional read.

Another hit right out of the park. WINNER. I loved the characters on the story. Annie and Emmett were the Ying and Yang of the story. I loved that Emmett is a gentleman around women - even though he has a reputation as being a womanizer. He feels like the third wheel with his daughter and has always ran from that feeling - he is committed to her though. Emmitt's daughter has been blessed with three father figures in her life - her step dad has been in her life since she was a toddler, her uncle has always been there, then her bio-dad who comes and goes in her life since she was five years old (the fun dad). Each dad figure wants to be the best dad possible to her. The one person to keep all the male dominance in cheek has been Michelle - Paisley's mom. After Michelle's death all the men are trying too hard to make sure Paisley is okay and not alienate her from them.

Emmitt was injured in China after a build collapses on him - he is forces back home to recuperate. He wakes up in his own house to a woman wearing a wedding dress that is way too big in the bust. Annie just received her grandmother's wedding dress back from the tailor. She had sent the dress to be altered for her own wedding - just to have it returned way to big in the bust - and the wedding called off by her fiancée with a text mere weeks before their wedding.

Emmitt and Annie are each shocked to learn the other is in the home. Annie would like to have the home to herself - to lick her wounds after her fiancée informs her a mere three weeks after they broke up - that he has found his one - he is engaged to a "Dolly Parton" type woman.

I don't want to give the story away - it is a must read for anyone who love her earlier books, or enjoyed reading Jill Shalvis..

This is a super cute and endearing story with elements of Three Men and a Baby and a gender swapped Good Luck Chuck. It will give you all the warm fuzzies if you're a fan of rom-coms and friends to lovers slow burn romances.

* Review to be posted on blog www.elainehowlin.com on release date

I freaking love this book! It started off great and the banter was awesome! My only issue with it is that it wrapped up a little too quick.

Anh and Emmitt played so well together. The chemistry was immediately obvious and yet they fought it. Anh had rented an AirBnB and Emmitt shows up out of nowhere and throws her all off with his dimples and charm. Anh was running from heartbreak though so she didn't want anything to do with this playboy.

Being forced to live together and learn about each other, she learned that he had a teenage daughter and a huge heart that no one ever saw. And Anh was everything he never knew he was looking for. But neither of them were looking for love.

This book really had a great cast of awesome characters.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: July 28, 2020

Off to a much appreciated fast start! By Chapter 3 we are already moving along. I was a bit conflicted through the first half of this book since the early message seems to be that Annie needs to stand up for herself and stop being a pushover. She then allows things to keep happening around her without sticking up for herself. Instead of immediately trying to rectify her living situation, she just lets the situation continue. Instead of creating boundaries, she allows Emmitt to push them. Instead of standing up for herself against her ex, she remains a pushover until someone tells her how to stand up. While I would have liked to see her get to a better place more from within than via someone else’s pushing, somewhere along the way this book sucked me in. By the final third of the novel, I was racing toward the end because I was really rooting for these characters and was craving their happy ending. I would definitely read a sequel of their future adventures!

FYI, There were a few minor continuity and typo issues that you may come across but since this was an advanced copy, I’m sure they will be edited by the publishing date!

After her breakup with her fiancé, Annie thought she is going to be working in a hospital in Rome, Italy, but instead landed in Rome, Rhode Island. During her tenure as a Physician Assistant, she is renting a cabin, where she meets Emmitt.
Emmitt is a photo journalist, and is back in his hometown to recuperate after being injured in a blast in China. What he doesn’t know is his cabin has been rented out to Annie and he has to now live with her.
Annie and Emmitt are both going through their personal struggles, and find an ally with each other. There are a lot of different relationship dynamics going on and I enjoyed each one of them, be it Emmitt and his daughter Paisley, or Emmitt and his daughters co fathers. There is a some drama and the lighthearted moments keep the story flowing. Overall a good read.

I loved this book so much! I requested to read and review based off of a friend's high praise and I am so glad that I did. Forced proximity is one of my favorite tropes (unexpected roommates). I loved the banter between Emmitt and Annie. I loved the humor and the sarcasm and the relationships between the three dads. The family store between the dads and their daughter and then the romance between Annie and Emmitt just gave the story depth and brought more emotional pull to what what happening. I can't recommend this enough!

Ahn (aka Annie) has recently been dumped by her fiancé, but soon discovers he’s found “the one”. The story of her life with her past relationships. She takes a job as a Physician’s Assistant in what she thinks is in Rome, Italy but turns out to be Rome, Rhode Island. She’s hoping she can start a new chapter in her life. Ahn’s also struggling to find her identity and her place in the world. When she meets sexy photojournalist Emmitt Bradley, her life goes in an unexpected direction. She has sworn off men, but Emmitt might be too hard to resist.

When Emmitt returns to Rome to recover from an injury sustained while on assignment for his job, he’s very surprised to find a woman living in his home. Unfortunately, his best friend forgot to mention his Airbnb had been rented out to Ahn while he was gone. Emmitt is also trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter, Paisley who recently lost her mother from a car accident. Paisley is also being raised by her stepdad and uncle and that makes for a very interesting parental dynamic.

While Anh and Emmitt are both going through their own personal struggles, they find support from each other, and the feelings between them start to grow. It’s not an easy journey for either of them, but it’s worth it in end.

I have always loved reading Marina Adair’s books and this story was another wonderful read. Filled with love, hope, fun banter, and heartfelt moments, I really enjoyed Romeantically Challenged!

This book was just okay. The plot was very predictable. I felt the story didn’t focus enough on Annie, the main character. It focused too much on Emmitt, in my opinion.

This first book in this new series is one with a multitude of stories and I have to confess that it wasn’t until I was 1/3 of the book that I started to get into it.
First we had Annie, a physician assistant, who has moved to Rome, RI, for a new beginning after being dumped by her fiancee. On top of that, she’s also dealing with her identity as an adopted Vietnamese who feels she’s an “in-between” meaning , while being raised by supportive and loving Caucasian parents, she is not white, and she has little or no connection to the culture of her country of birth.
Then we have internationally acclaimed photojournalist, and known “player” Emmitt. He’s back in Rome to not only visit his daughter, one that he knew nothing for the first 5 years of her life, but also to recover from injuries that almost cost him his life. In addition to the recovery and desire to reconnect with his teenage daughter whom he sees every few months, he has issues with trust, and still mourns his mother. Add to that the family dynamics or lack thereof with his father, as well as his daughter’s 2 other “Dads” and you have a lot going on in the story.
I wish the author would have had less sub-plots, and focused on the story of Annie’s “in-between” feelings and her journey of self-discovery, as well as Emmitt’s issues with trust and love. These were touching and thought provoking issues.
My first inclination is to give the story a 3 stars rating, but not only have a great deal of respect for this author, but knowing that she put her heart and her feelings into giving the reader Annie’s story, I will give it 4 stars.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley and Kensington Books. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

RomeAntically Challenged: Accepted and Surpassed All My Expectations.

Annie is recovering from a recent heartbreak that is making old feelings of inadequacy creep up. Emmitt is recovering from a work related injury and coming to terms with his changing family. Neither of them considers themselves ready for a relationship but that doesn’t really matter when you’re person shows up.

Serving as a love letter to her daughter, Marina Adair creates a story about a Vietnamese woman who struggles to fit into her two worlds, that of her white parents and that of her culture, but never stops being true to herself and her beliefs. I loved the exploration of Annie’s adoption and search for her place as well as Emmitt’s search for his place in a trio of dads.

RomeAntically Challenged is a fun update of the classic rom-com Three Men and a Baby with lots of heart and emotion that left me craving more, especially a little romance for Dad Two and Bonus Dad!

I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.