This had a good concept but lacked at the execution. I wish there was more chemistry. I do think this was a solid debut and I look forward to reading more.

"Grand gestures" delivers an emotionally charged rollercoaster ride that leaves your heart both aching and soaring, which makes this is a very perfect read in my eyes.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Jane and Liam. Jane owns an event planning company with her sister. Liam works for a company as their CFO. They meet when Jane’s company is planning an event for the company that Liam works for. They each have issues but together they work them out and fall in love.

This book delivers on what it promises. It works for the genre. For some reason, I saw the title (and had forgotten the blurb when I was about to pick it up) and assumed it would be a kind of uplit/historical fiction. It is neither of those things. It is the kind of contemporary romance that ends up with an interesting ending for all the multiple characters introduced to us.
In this story, we have a pair of siblings who are trying to get their party-planning services off the ground. They cook in-house, which is a key feature of what they offer clients. Due to last-minute issues, a bigger party than they are used to lands on their doorstep. With this deal, so do two men who have been friends for a long time.
It does not take long for the scene to be set. We know what all the people in the story are hoping for and what they are working towards. The feelings that sprout up and how they deal with it makes it an entertaining read. The sibling dynamic and the friendship dynamic also come under scrutiny before the end of the book.
I like such stories which have a strong foundation in the setup. The process of event management, along with the issues of catering and sourcing of staff, all of it make a good base for the rest of the story to function appropriately.
The people are interesting and hard-working, making it easy to root for them to find their way. I ended up starting this book later in the day than I should have, not expecting that I would want to reach the end before calling it a night.
I would love to read the next book in the series, and I highly recommend this to fans of the genre.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Unfortunately, this book was lacking for me. I found the characters unlikable, as the main character had low self-esteem and the guy was just too much for me to handle. There wasn't much romantic tension which was a letdown that I did not anticipate because I hoped for a good enemies-to-lovers book.

Thank you #NetGalley and Lynne Hancock Pearson for the copy. The above opinions are my own.

I just...have so many troubles with this book...

The leads, Jane and Liam, were both extremely problematic- a hothead and a pushover. He was dominant and jealous - he slut-shamed Jane numerous times and she barely stood up for herself and instead fell for him? Oh honey, no, get some self-esteem!

I also feel that the author was told to add POC - it was like oh the Asian policeman and the xxx that person - it was so blatantly pandering...

Also the side characters, Lord help us why was Liam's boss such a clingy weakling?

Even the end was totally random.

I'd day read it if you don't mind getting a bit riled up about problematic characters!

Oh my… What character development? Where? I’ll admit I was judgmental from the start. Really though. A group of professionals meet and they all immediately choose to be rude and unyielding? Irony being, of course, that the reasoning given is that they’re miffed at each other for being unprofessional? When no one’s done anything yet?

So a rough start leads to a relatively lack luster story. You get pretty much what the blurb says it will be, a pretty basic tropey workplace, enemies-to-lovers romance.

Anyway, I did get through this book and I didn’t mind it. I wouldn’t recommend it though. Personally I found it fairly bland, and thought the characters were (as stated above) somewhat unbelievable and if not unbelievable, then frankly, just unpleasant. Not offensive or hatred inspiring, just a bit like watching cardboard cutouts ‘fall in love’.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy of grand gestures by lynn Pearson. As romances go this is pretty cut and dry. I really struggled in the begin and didn’t enjoy it all that ,inch but holding on it got a little better.

Grand Gestures is about two sisters that are making a go of it in the event planning business. Jane and Beth Beckett cater to the small group, about fifty people is their max. Jane handles the marketing and Beth handles the culinary. They work out of their home and are hopeful to move into larger quarters once their clientele expands. Duncan Properties, a real estate firm, hires them for their CEO's parents' anniversary party. The gathering is a success in more ways than one. The CFO ends up falling in love with Beth and the CEO falls for Jane. The hurdles they conquer together keep the story moving along. A little light on the romance, but overall a solid debut for author Lynn Hancock Pearson.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

I really enjoyed this and it was perfect for a day snuggled up on the couch under a blanket and just reading all day. I really liked the lead characters, Jane and Liam. It was like I was being hugged by this book. I simply adored it.
I just reviewed Grand Gestures by Lynne Hancock Pearson. #GrandGestures #NetGalley
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Just finished Grand Gestures, a book that promises to be perfect for fans of enemies-to-lovers. Sadly, it doesn't deliver on the fantastic. The romantic tension between the main characters is lacking, which is a bummer.

Grand Gestures has a fun premise that will attract fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope. Jane and Liam engage in witty banter and find themselves in funny enough situations that many fans of the genre will love them.

They just weren't my cup of tea, and that's going to happen every now and then. Their characters seemed a bit two-dimensional, and I struggled to care about them and what happened in their story. Romances are a very subjective genre, so I hesitated in how I wrote this review because I think many people will love the book. I simply didn't.

Everyone in this book is so agressive, Jane was stressing me out the whole time. And the antagonism between her and Liam ran along a very thin line, and sometimes crossed it, between being flirty banter and genuine meaness that felt like it would be so hard to take back.

Liam was intense and I don't know know if I was into it. I love a enemies to lovers romance, but it took a long time for me to come around to Liam and I don't know if I think he and Jane are actually good together. The story itself was interesting and it was a unique take on the enemies to lovers trope but I really don't know if it worked for me or not.