This is a forced proximity and opposites attract book. Fletch is an outdoor adventurer who spends the majority of his year on the road filming his adventures and physical challenges; whilst Rheo, the heroine, is an uber steady translator who is incapable of living in the moment and highly resistant to physical activity.

This book has several strengths. The author is unfailing great at writing fresh characters who behave in a contemporary and mature manner and her characters are often rounded and behave with believable emotional intelligence and this is true of Fletch and Rheo, at least with regard to their romance (Rheo is a little irrational with regards to some of her wider family relationships and in respect of her work though). The attraction is written well and jumps off the page with verve and crackle. The storylines do not create the social and economic power imbalances which are often in these genres. The surrounding cast of characters and setting are fun.

There was a significant downside in this book for me; it did a lot of telling but not much showing. This related to the characters: Rheo was described as funny and clever, but this was just not evident in her actions. It related also to the resolution of the central tension in the book of how to resolve Fletch and Rheo very different attitude to how they wanted to live their lives. This was a massive tension and it just was not resolved satisfactorily. The book ended happily (naturally) with them agreeing to be together despite their differences, but in no way showed how that could be; instead they just kind of agreed they would work on it. This was rushed, unbelievable and prevented me being invested in the story and characters. Much of the story was told through the thought processes of the characters and this was particularly so in the beginning of the book, which felt a little slow and overall made it a little like groundhog day

So, very unusually for this author, this was close to a miss for me (in reality a 2.5 stars if I could) but am sure others will love the interesting characters and hot romance.

NB: Book not open for review on Amazon.co.uk and Goodreads yet. Will diarise to do.

I found myself completely captivated by I Like Second Chances in a Small Town. The dynamic between the outdoorsy man and the city girl was incredibly engaging, with their instant attraction sparking right from the beginning. The way their opposite personalities played off each other kept me eagerly turning the pages, as I was drawn into their world and the tension that brewed between them.

The forced proximity trope added an exciting layer to the story, making their interactions even more intense. The chemistry between the characters was palpable, and while some scenes were quite graphic, it only heightened the depth of their connection. I truly enjoyed every moment of this book and was hooked from start to finish.

This book was pretty good but nothing special. The writing was okay but not great. But the romance was cute!

A fun romp that'll pass the time, with compelling characters, but it ultimately didn't quite speak to me (but I can see it working for many others!).

2⭐
2🌶️

Remember when you were in school and you had to write a report that had to meet a minimum word count, so you over explained and reiterated things just to meet that requirement? That's what reading this felt like.

I was so excited to receive this ARC from NetGalley. I love the concept, I really do- but the execution was lacking. I wanted to be able to say that it was a real page-turner- that I couldn't out it down, but unfortunately, I couldn't stop putting it down. Let's get into it-

✨ Instant Attraction
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ Opposites Attract

We have Rheo, our FMC, who I was SO excited about. She's a translator for the UN. As someone who wanted to be a linguist and has studied several languages, I was so excited to see that represented in a romance novel. Unfortunately, that's where my excitement for the character ends. She's not likeable. She's really pretty terrible. She's got an awful personality, doesn't communicate well and jumps to ridiculous conclusions about people.

Partnered with Fletch- hot adventure guy who can't be tied down because he's got mountains to climb and jungles to explore. He's almost equally unlikeable.

The writing is odd and repetitive. It almost feels robotic. The dialogue is all very unnatural. The spice had me grimacing. It wasn't a long book and it managed to feel both rushed and like it was too drawn out. (Like those essays you'd write in school. Remember? Like writing a book report when you only read the Spark Notes.) It lacked real substance.

I usually enjoy a good Insta-love/attraction as a fun, quick read- but the writing in this had me rolling my eyes and saying "are you actually kidding me right now?" to my Kindle at their first kiss.

I wanted so badly to like this book. I put it down several times and came back to it to give it a chance and to make sure it wasn't just me, but I really had to force myself through it. I'm sorry. Really, loved the idea behind it, but again- the execution just isn't there.

I got distracted by this book.
I literally accomplished nothing today because I was consumed with it.
So, here I am 8 hours later and let me take you on a little journey.
I received this book from NetGalley and the author- thank you, this made my little crazy Monday much more enjoyable. I kept putting it down and telling myself to go do chores, but my Kindle found it's way back into my hand each time. THAT's a sign of a good book, right?..One that makes you forget a rough Monday?

Rheo has also had a rough Monday. In fact, she's a lot of rough Mondays. When we meet her she is running from very tidy little life: her boyfriend, her job at the UN and her home in Brooklyn. Not a metaphysical running, but a literal run to her Grandmother's home in the PNW, which also happens to be pink. This is a quaint little detail that warmed my heart, but back to the journey...

Insert Fletcher, an outdoorsy, rugged character who makes knee jerk decisions. He just might be the exact opposite of Rheo. He's also not too hard on the eyes...
So when Fletch arrives at Grandma's house we get a rather interesting predicament of who exactly is supposed to be there.

The rest is worth the read, and includes some definite spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️ action.

Schedule for release on 12/24/2024, keep your Christmas wishlist open!

Opposites attract, PNW setting, small town, supportive friends, travel/adventure

Rheo had it all, a stable job doing what she loves, her own place in Brooklyn and a steady boyfriend with a steady job. Just how she needed it to be - predictable. Until a few unfortuneate events at work had her spiraling and running off to her Grandma's Pink House in a small town in the PNW, Gilmartin.

A few months into her sabbatical, a hot 35-year old adventurer shows up on the doorstep. He's rented the house and they agree to share the space (and keep Rheo's secret) until she can figure out what to do next.

The chemistry between them is undeniable from the first second the meet, so they fight it but eventually give in. But no strings attached as she's trying to get her job back and his lifestyle is everything she hates.

I wish this was longer! I hope we get a second book with more of a look into Rheo & Fletch!

Rheo is a prestigious UN translator on a mental health sabbatical due to a viral mishap. Staying in her Grandmother’s house without permission Rheo gets a surprise visitor, Fletch. Fletch is everything Rheo avoids. Nomadic, spontaneous, and in her opinion irresponsible. Fletcher is in Gilmartin to have some lowkey adventures, he’s on doctor’s orders to rest. Rheo and Fletch are obviously attracted to one another, but can they make their extremely different lifestyles and worldviews work?

I keep getting bamboozled by these outdoorsy covers. You really can’t judge a book by its cover. I was hoping there would be more hiking, camping, etc but that was not the case. I blame myself. This book had a lot of emotional depth, both characters were severely traumatized and needed therapy. Fletch was a bit harsh which I didn’t like, and Rheo was judgmental. But it was an engaging read with a cute love story.

Outdoorsy man meets city girl
Forced proximity
Instant attraction
Opposites attract

If you like a good opposites attract with heavy emotional scenes and graphic spicy scenes you’ll like this book. Thanks netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the story idea for this, but I needed a more fleshed out story line. It was a good read, it just needed more.

3.5/5

This book isn’t what I was expecting it to be but I liked it. I really liked Rheo’s character I think she made a lot of sense and was extremely well-written. I would've loved to see more scenes with Rheo and her family discussing her childhood because I think that while they love her I feel like even after their discussion they didn't truly understand the effect her childhood had on her. Fletcher on the other hand I think he had the right idea about some things with getting Rheo out of her comfort zone but I think he wanted it too much for him and not what's best for her. I think he could’ve benefited from seeing a professional about his issues about staying in one place or in a confined space for too long. I also don't think he understood how Rheo's childhood affected her. Physically these two were very compatible and as a fling they worked out fantastic but since this is a romance and they need a happily ever after they really could use a lot more communication. I also think that this is one of those books where a third act breakup was a good thing, I think it helped them realize that they loved each other despite their differences and it was something they were willing to work on if the alternative was to not see each other again. This book had extremely real characters with flaws that they acknowledged and tried to work through and I really appreciated that.