Short Take Reviews: Well Met & The Bromance Book Club

WELL MET
Jen DeLuca
Publication date: September 3, 2019
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Format: Audiobook, 9 hrs 46 min
Source: Overdrive
4.5 STARS
GOODREADS 

Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?

The faire is Simon's family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn't have time for Emily's lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she's in her revealing wench's costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they're portraying?

This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can't seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon, or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.

M Y   T H O U G H T S

I can't remember the last time I smiled so much while listening to a book. Well Met was sweet and adorable and funny and romantic and delivered so much more than I expected.

Emily has come to the small town of Willow Creek to help her sister and while there gets roped into participating in the annual Renaissance Faire. In between chauffeuring her sister, caring for her niece and perfecting her role as a tavern wench, Emily finds herself making new friends. She also clashes - constantly - with Simon, the grumpy, persnickety Faire organizer. But Simon seems to be a completely different person when in character at the Faire. His dashing pirate wildly flirting with her tavern wench persona makes for some swoony, yet confusing, interactions. Does Simon has feelings for her - or is all just an act?

I loved my time in Willow Creek with these characters. Emily was so thoroughly likable and so was Simon, especially once his background was revealed. The cast of secondary characters were every bit as genuine and likable and I found myself wishing I could be part of this friend group. As much as I loved the sweetness and humor, I was surprised by the emotional aspect and actually found myself getting choked up a few times. The cherry on top was that the narration was absolute perfection and made the story come to life for me and I could practically see every scene play out before my eyes.

Well Met was utterly charming and I can't wait for more in this series!

THE BROMANCE BOOK CLUB

Lyssa Kay Adams

Publication date: November 5, 2019

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Format: eARC

Source: Edelweiss

3.5 STARS

GOODREADS

The first rule of this book club:
You don't talk about book club.

Nashville Legends second baseman Gavin Scott's marriage is in major league trouble. He’s recently discovered a humiliating secret: his wife Thea has always faked the Big O. When he loses his cool at the revelation, it’s the final straw on their already strained relationship. Thea asks for a divorce, and Gavin realizes he’s let his pride and fear get the better of him.

Welcome to the Bromance Book Club.

Distraught and desperate, Gavin finds help from an unlikely source: a secret romance book club made up of Nashville's top alpha men. With the help of their current read, a steamy Regency titled Courting the Countess, the guys coach Gavin on saving his marriage. But it'll take a lot more than flowery words and grand gestures for this hapless Romeo to find his inner hero and win back the trust of his wife. 

M Y   T H O U G H T S

The Bromance Book Club was on my TBR for months before its release. I mean, who can resist a synopsis like that? My high hopes only skyrocketed when I started seeing rave reviews from the book community. Unfortunately, Bromance was a bit of a mixed bag for me. There were some real highs and a couple of real lows. 

What I Liked: 
I fell for Gavin from the start. It was obvious this was a man who loved his wife, loved his children, and desperately wanted to keep his family together. Yes, his pride had taken a hit and he'd allowed that to color his decision-making, but I admired his whatever-it-takes attitude as well as his realization that he couldn't be the only one doing the work. In addition to Gavin, his group of teammates/friends were a total riot. They were totally earnest in their endeavors but also loved to dish out some tough love and smack talk when needed. The banter between Gavin and Mack never failed to make me laugh.

What Didn't Work For Me: 
In a word... Thea. I tried hard to be sympathetic to Thea (and at times I was) but for the most part her lack of communication with Gavin was incredibly frustrating. She kept silent about her issues for three years and yet was resentful that he wasn't aware of them. Say what? It took far too long for her to admit to any complicity in their marriage issues. By the time more of her background was revealed, and reasoning for her trust issues, it was too late for me. I had already spent most of the book feeling no connection with her and finding myself fully sympathetic with Gavin. I basically pulled for the relationship to work because it was what Gavin wanted.

Despite my issues with one of the main characters, The Bromance Book Club was still a fun read and I would recommend it to readers who love a second-chance romance.

HAVE YOU READ EITHER OF THESE BOOKS?