This one was a hard one to finish. Perhaps I was not in the mood to read or perhaps I just am not the right audience for it. I picked it up multiple times during throughout the year thinking that maybe I will finish. But at the end of it all, I DNF and dont think I will be able to pick it up again and read.

I really enjoyed Libby Hubscher’s writing style and would definitely read more in the future. Although I was expecting this book to be a lot lighter, I still liked it. It does talk about infertility miscarriage and infidelity, so readers should definitely be aware of that. I enjoyed the beginning of this more so than the end because I couldn’t connect as much with the main heroine. But overall this was still a good read and again the writing was really good and had me flying through the pages.

After Violet catches her husband cheating, she sets his things on fire in the street. One of the firefighters is extra nice to her, so when she keeps running into him, she decides that there’s no harm in a rebound. For a book about fire though, it was lacking heat. The spark between Dez, the firefighter, and Violet wasn’t there and all of the potentially steamy scenes fade to black. Also there were a lot of filler scenes only to lead to an abrupt end.

I was taken back by the warning at the beginning of the book, but I had committed to reading an ARC, which I received from NetGalley.com. I'm glad I did, and I do not think the warning about the issues the book deals with, infidelity, infertility, anxiety, miscarriage and alcohol abuse was necessary.

Violet's life had become a cliche. A successful advise columnist, she had received good news at work and was excited to share with her husband of 12 years, Sam. But instead she walks into their bedroom and find him in their bed with a neighbor. How she dealt with the betrayal was over the top, but hilarious. And as she spins out of control, she is supported by real friends, learns to ignore those who were fakers and finds a new man that comes into her life when she is at her worst. If only she is braver enough to keep him.

I really like the author's writing style, the characters she created and the story line. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Sadly this book is not for me. I have tried to read it multiple times and I just can't get into it. When I looked at reviews trying to see if I should try again I saw one that mentioned something about how life was better without talking about politics and I just can't get behind that kind of thinking so I now know it is time I call it. Many people loved this one, but it just wasn't not meant to be for me.

This is the first book I have read by Libby Hubscher and it won't be the last, despite not loving this one I did like her writing style. it's obvious a lot of heart and feeling has gone into if You Ask Me and for that alone, I will read more from the author, I just couldn't find myself loving this one. I liked it but didn't love it!

I originally thought that this would be a light and cheery romantic comedy type book, but I was soon proven wrong. For a romance, this is pretty heavy and you know it's going to be that way as the book opens with trigger warnings..

This book deals with a lot of tough subjects, not only with the 'Dear Sweetie' letter which Violet receives for her advice column but there is also the fact that she finds that her husband is a dirty rotten scoundrel and is caught in the act, then wit have mentions of panic attacks and depression so for those thinking this to be a light-hearted romance please be aware, it's a lot more serious than that.

Violet came across the sweet nieve girl next door, I thought that she came across as way too sweet for my liking and it took me a while to fully come around to loving her, but once firefighter Dez comes into her life the whole story lightens slightly. But with

This is an emotional book, a little too heavy for my liking

<i>"At the crux of it, everyone wants the world to see them as they are . The truth isn’t the problem. The problem is that the world doesn’t always make the truth safe for us to share."</i>
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My Rating : 4/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟
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[What I loved :]
•The relationship development between Violet and Dez
•The friendship and the unapologetic way they supported each other through difficult times
•The vulnerability the characters showed and how the author dealt with the backlash of a stupid mistake
•The advice column. Honestly it was such a breath of fresh air while reading a book with heartbreaking emotions.
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<i>“I mean it. They can come for me all they want , but the second they come for you, it’s war.”</i>
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The main characters meet when emotions are running high and things are going in a downward spiral. But I absolutely loved Dex and the way he was just there to support Violet even when she made mistakes and let her emotions dictate her actions. The author did a wonderful job discussing the failure of a marriage along with finding yourself back. Even though the romance plot was accompanied by the 'Self-realization' arc for Violet, I loved the way her character development was done.
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<i>I feel like I can’t get enough air in. So, I bury my head in even tighter, trying to hide in the darkness. Like if I block everything out for long enough, it’ll reset itself.</i>
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Either it be the advice column and how she handled it, or the way she hurt her best friend unconsciously, all the scenes and the characters had their own part and it was such a wholesome ending. Not to mention the chemistry between Violet and Dex. Dex was a sweetheart through and through and I actually liked the meddling neighbours and townhall groups once. (Never mind I wanted more drama from the gang).
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<I>"But some see us more clearly. They see us, and they stay. They see us, and yet they seem to like us more than anyone does. Go figure."</i>
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[What didn't work for me]
•Saying all the above, I still felt the book needed more when it came to dealing with a relationship of years falling apart. We don't get to see Sam regretting his mistakes, which I really wanted and I needed closure for that plot point.
•Even though the author explained a bit about the power of social media, it still felt a bit extreme and I wanted that particular story arc to go a different way.
•I loved the relationship between Violet and Dex don't get me wrong, but for a book that's dealing with a cheating ex and a social media blow up, I felt the romance to be unnecessary and over the top. But I understand why the author did it.
•The pacing wasn't what I was used to. I like fast paced stories and this one took it's time and there were a lot of inner monologues and explanations to things.
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Overall, this is definitely a book that made me laugh, cry, giggle and roll my eyes. Pick it up if you want to get some good humour along with some much needed drama, revenge, friendship, love interest and character growth!!
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Thank you so much PRH International for the gifted e-arc.
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Book 77 : March 2022 / Arc / Kindle
Tags : Adult Contemporary Romance

This was my second Libby Hubscher book and once again I was deeply and emotionally invested in flawed, yet strong characters who go through unimaginable heartbreak and deal with grief - all while working their way straight into my heart. Libby has a gift taking heavy subjects and giving them a light and refreshing take - not diminishing their importance, but making the reader feel hopeful and full of warm fuzzies!

When Violet, an advice columnist finds her husband in bed with another woman - she suddenly finds a new side coming out. A Violet she almost doesn't recognize. She burns things. She lies to her mom. And her "Dear Sweetie" column is starting to feel, well - not, so sweet. Is this new Violet a strong, welcome change - or will it all blow up in her face?

I really loved this one, also because I come from a firefighter family and some of my favorite parts were the interactions with the found family and camaraderie at the fire station. And of course - with her new friend Dez. Cause, I mean, a man in uniform is the ultimate... amirite?!?!

Heartfelt and swoony, I loved Violet's arc and how she navigates the highs and lows of finding herself after losing who she thought was her forever. And whether that's the old Violet, the new one, or something in-between ... it's good fun watching her get there!

This one didn’t fully emotionally wreck me, but was very enjoyable. I would call this Denise Williams light, second round purchase

I ended up DNFing this book at 70%. Not because I disliked it, but because I no longer had any interest in it. I found that I no longer cared about the story or the characters. I was hoping for more from the story, but it left me feeling flat. I think this was supposed to be zany romcom, but it came across as cringey and sad at times. I don't know, it just wasn't for me.

Such a cute contemporary romance. I'm not going to like, I fell for the firefighter faster than our MC did!

I really couldn’t get myself excited by this. I felt like for an advice columnist, she wasn’t that good at writing advice… or taking her own advice.

I found the dialogue cheesy and just too unrelatable for me.

The first thing I have to get off my chest is the fact that this is a “clean romance”. By that, I mean that Violet and Dez kissed, went into the bedroom, the door closed and then it was the next day and Violet was talking to a friend. Huh?? Had I been reading a physical book I would have checked to see if pages stuck together and I missed something. Alas, no, there are no descriptive sex scenes. Sigh.

While this in no way had an impact on how I rated this book, I was sorely disappointed because Dez was absolutely perfect. As the sweet, sexy, kind and understanding firefighter that had an uncanny knack for being in the wrong place at the absolute right time to witness all of Violet’s unfortunate mishaps and literally put out the fires, I wanted as much of him as possible. I deserved more of Dez! Although, what I got was pretty darn spectacular.

Violet took a little bit more time for me to warm up to. I didn’t always like her because I felt like she was self sabotaging. But she was hurting and had things happen to her that she didn’t deserve, and she needed someone to show her how incredible she truly was. She didn’t need someone to prop her up, rather she needed someone that could produce a mirror so she could see herself the way others did. She needed to realize that she was amazing, just how she was.

If You Ask Me had a little bit of a Bridget Jones vibe to me. It was quirky and funny, yet had depth and emotion. I enjoyed this sweet and crazy and surprisingly sensitive story, and grew to love this couple.

LIKES:
📝 breezy, quick, funny writing
📑 + fun advice column excerpts!
🍑 southern vibes
🏡 set in small(ish) town NC
👱🏻‍♀️ Violet is a relatable yet messy perfectionist!
✍️ …with writer energy!
👨🏻‍🚒 Dez is a caring, thoughtful firefigher!
👩‍❤️‍👨 friends to lovers romance
🖤 explores betrayal & loss
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 + family & in-law dynamics
🧠 + mental health
🌱 personal growth themes
☺️ cute & generally lighthearted
🎧 good on audio
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DISCLAIMERS:
⚠️ DM me for TW!
💔 felt more like womens fiction than romance to me
🧐 NC imagery was fun for me as an NC native!! but wondered if it was all necessary (those who don’t love place descriptions may find the specifics too much)
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VERDICT: a cute & funny book set in NC exploring betrayal, loss, mental health, & growth w/ light friends to lovers storyline (more womens fiction than romance to me!) - A nice beach read or lighter book club pick that still has depth to discuss!

This was a great book about love, loss, finding yourself, and finding love again. I really loved the character building, the flirtation, and the journey we are taken on.

If You Ask Me was non traditional in the best way. I think it has all of the set up items for a romantic comedy but it also brings so much more to the table.

Violet Covington seems to have the perfect life. Until her husband is caught with another woman and all of her dreams seem to blow up in her face.
The story then follows Violet as she figures out the what next and shows a remarkable amount of growth with the help of her mom, her friends and Dez- the sexy firefighter.

TW: infidelity and infertility

Overall this was a 3.5 (rounded up for me). I adored the premise and the first half of the book but I think at the end the last resolution and conflict came too quickly and ended too quickly. I looked and saw that I had not too many pages to go and was shocked because I knew there needed to be a conflict and a resolution.

I loved Dez as a supportive love interest, but I at times wondered if the romance was necessary or if this book would play better as an ode to ladies rebounding and resurrecting themselves. I don’t think that Dez was critical to the story and I think his incites may have been just as applicable when shared by another character. I know romance is likely more marketable though as a genre.

I thought the advice column aspect was genius and I loved Dear Sweetie’s advice- it was almost always what I would have suggested.

I would definitely read more by this author and I appreciate the opportunity from Berkeley and NetGalley to check out an advanced copy!

This book took me by surprise. I loved it. The story wasn’t a typical straight forward romance. There were so many layers and good feels in this book. I feel like it’s the norm now to have been cheated on so this book felt so incredibly relatable. Violet is one of the most relatable characters I have read in a while. And Dez well he was just a bonus sexy firefighter. I am definitely going to recommend this book to everyone! It has a lot of good lessons as well as such a great story!!!

What’s the last book that made you cry? Like genuine sobs, real tears streaming down your face… If your answer ISN’T one of Libby Hubscher’s books, I feel like you may be lying. If you haven't read a Hubscher novel, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR. I can’t even begin to tell you how beautiful her books are. She manages to navigate incredibly difficult topics with such care and respect. She brings me to tears with her words and I can't express how much I've loved reading her books.

Violet and Dez both navigate deep grief and loss, and find each other, as they find themselves. I simply adored this book. I loved the character growth, I loved the interaction, I loved everything. That being said, take note that this is NOT a rom-com. This is a powerful, moving, and heavy women’s fiction/romance. Hubscher turned up the heat from the last novel I read, Meet Me in Paradise, but this is still a closed-door romance.

While Hubscher did include a beautiful author’s note at the beginning of this book, please note some of the major content warnings:
CWs: cheating spouse, grief, miscarriage/infertility, stressed parental relationship, toxic mother-in-law, gaslighting

All in all, I will recommend anything Libby Hubscher writes. She truly is one of my new favourite authors.

Fans of women's fiction romance blend novels will love If You Ask Me. Libby Hubscher provides a sweet romance along with a story about a woman standing up for herself and finding her voice. Violet is definitely having a rough time at the beginning of this novel when she finds her husband cheating on her. Readers will feel gutted for Violet and ready to avenge her. Her new interest, hot firefighter Dez, enters at just the right time and provides a new spark for Violet's life.

Hubscher explores tougher themes in this book and gives her character room to grow. I loved seeing Violet feel more comfortable in her own shoes and claim the happiness she deserves.

Very enjoyable read! I've never read this author before but will definitely look for her in the future. I really enjoyed this story. The characters were interesting and definitely not perfect. It made for an easy to read story. Recommended!