Tessa Bailey
Publication date: June 11, 2019
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Format: Audiobook, 9 hrs 59 min
Source: Overdrive
3.5 STARS
GOODREADS
After an injury ends Travis Ford’s major league baseball career, he returns home to start over. He just wants to hammer out his frustrations at his new construction gig and forget all about his glory days. But he can’t even walk through town without someone recapping his greatest hits. Or making a joke about his… bat. And then there’s Georgie, his buddy’s little sister, who is definitely not a kid anymore.
Georgette Castle has crushed on her older brother’s best friend for years. The grumpy, bear of a man working for her family’s house flipping business is a far cry from the charming sports star she used to know. But a moody scowl doesn’t scare her and Georgie’s determined to show Travis he’s more than a pretty face and a batting average, even if it means putting her feelings aside to be “just friends.”
Travis wants to brood in peace. But the girl he used to tease is now a funny, full-of-life woman who makes him feel whole again. And he wants her. So damn bad. Except Georgie’s off limits and he knows he can’t give her what she deserves. But she’s becoming the air he breathes and Travis can’t stay away, no matter how hard he tries.
M Y T H O U G H T S
I can’t say that I was dying to read Fix Her Up, but I had
been meaning to try something by Tessa Bailey and I’d seen several friends rave
about it, so I decided to give it a go. This kinda/sorta friends-to-more
romance was fun and cute and mostly enjoyable. What really made it work for me
was main character Georgie. Loved her! She was an amazing heroine and the girl
you really want to be friends with. She’s sweet and genuine, plucky and smart,
and quirky without being annoying. She worked hard and was willing to put
herself out there to succeed – both personally and professionally. She was
continually overlooked and underestimated by her family and I loved watching as
she began to stand up for herself and push for the respect she deserved.
Where Fix Her Up fell short for me was Travis – the, ahem, hero. Try as I might, I never
warmed to him. I’ve gotta say, it doesn’t take much to make me fall head over
heels for a good hero. I’ve got a big, squishy, romantic heart and it’s so easy
to make me go all swoony for the love interest. So when I don’t, I feel like
the author really dropped the ball. I
can’t even pinpoint what it was about Travis that turned me off (maybe he was too alpha?) but I was not a fan. I liked
the times he stood up for Georgie and supported her. I liked the ending. But
most of the time I was decidedly underwhelmed. Oh, and the way he talked to Georgie
during the sexytimes often left me cringing. (Side note: I just have to mention
how much I loathed Georgie’s brother. He was a total ass and the ever so slight
way he redeemed himself at the end did not change my mind. Few characters have
ever enraged me like he did.)
I’m not sure Fix Her Up is really representative of
Bailey’s usual style (I feel like he books are usually straight contemporary
romance rather than rom-com) so I’m still interested in trying something else
by her. I just hope that Travis isn’t representative of her usual hero.
Emma Chase
Publication date: March 25, 2014
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Series: Tangled #2
Series: Tangled #2
Format: Audiobook, 7 hrs 2 min
Source: Overdrive
4 STARS
There are two kinds of people in this world: the ones who look first, and the ones who leap. I’ve always been more of a looker. A planner. Cautious. Then I met Drew Evans. He was so persistent. So sure of himself. He made it easy to leap with him.
Did you think Drew and I were going to ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after? So did I. But life is about choices, and Drew already made his. In fact, he tried to decide for the both of us—but you know that’s not my style. So I came back to Greenville, to spend some time alone . . . sort of.
Because old habits die hard, and sometimes you have to go back to where you began before you can move ahead again.
Did you think Drew and I were going to ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after? So did I. But life is about choices, and Drew already made his. In fact, he tried to decide for the both of us—but you know that’s not my style. So I came back to Greenville, to spend some time alone . . . sort of.
Because old habits die hard, and sometimes you have to go back to where you began before you can move ahead again.
M Y T H O U G H T S
I read Tangled several months ago and while it wasn’t my
favorite by Emma Chase, it was still a good time and I loved Drew and Kate together.
So I was looking forward to diving into Twisted for some Drew + Kate goodness.
Only, Drew + Kate weren’t doing so great. And before I knew it things were
falling apart, Drew reacted horribly, and Kate was leaving. Say what?!
If you know me at all, you know that my #1 bookish pet
peeve of all time forever-and-ever-amen is the miscommunication trope. And had
I known that was used here I might have skipped this one entirely. But I have
to give serious kudos to Emma because she performed some kind of bookish magic
and made it work for me. *fist bumps Emma Chase* I mean, seriously, not once
while reading (well, listening) did I roll my eyes or bemoan the tired, old
miscommunication trope. Nope, I was 100% invested and feeling all the angst and
emotion. And I think it’s because the conflict didn’t hinge on the fact that
the main characters weren’t talking. Drew and Kate did talk… it’s just that they were talking about two different
things and didn’t realize it.
I loved getting Kate’s POV (Tangled was told solely from
Drew’s POV). She was a strong woman while still being able to recognize her
weaknesses. The supporting cast was even better here and several played
important roles as Kate licked her wounds and tried to decide how to move
forward. This was a great look at a relationship in flux and characters growing
and learning to be true partners. The epilogue, which shifted to Drew’s POV,
was priceless and made me excited to read all the bonus content available on
Emma’s website.
HAVE YOU READ EITHER OF THESE BOOKS?
WHAT'S YOUR LEAST FAVORITE TROPE?
