Release Blitz & Review: Ripple Effect by J. Bengtsson #NewRelease #GreysPromo



Ripple Effect by J. Bengtsson is now live!

An enemies to lovers tale with an earth-shaking twist!

International pop star RJ Contreras finds himself at a crossroads when his mega famous boy band, AnyDayNow, breaks up. After his solo career fails to take off, RJ retreats to a no-frills apartment where he can hide out from the world and lick his festering wounds. 

But when the girl next door starts slipping 'good neighbor' contracts under his door and complaining about his behavior through strategically placed Post-it-Notes, RJ snaps out of his self-absorbed melancholy to wage war. 

Nothing short of an act of nature could repair the relationship between these two strong-willed enemies. But guess what Fate has in store?


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J. Bengtsson has ensured that I ended 2021 with a bang. My final book of the year is also one of my favorites of the year – filled with fully developed characters, great banter, humor, and heart wrenching moments that brought all the feels (and the tears). As an avid fan of Bengtsson’s Cake series, I had high expectations for Ripple Effect, and it exceeded them all.

Dani Malone has been feuding with Chad, the jerk in the apartment next door, for months. Ever since he moved in five months ago, he seems to have made it his mission to push all her buttons. She tried to be nice, but it’s turned into all-out war with the exchange of snarky Post-It Notes and, when they see each other face to face, barbed insults. But then the unthinkable happens and Dani and Chad and trapped together. All the pettiness is stripped away as they have only each other to turn to. 

Strip me of all the ladders I'd climbed and all the awards I'd won and you were left with that little boy who ate his dinner on a TV tray away from everyone else because there was no room at the four-person table.

RJ Contreras (aka Chad), one-fifth of the mega famous boy band AnyDayNow, has been living under another name and wallowing in self-pity and a bad attitude for months. Ever since the band broke up and his solo album tanked, he has pulled away from his former bandmates, men who are like brothers to him, and is hiding out to lick his wounds. Oh, and also taking perverse pleasure in driving his next door neighbor to her limits. When he and Dani are forced into survival mode, they both shed the petty annoyances and see beyond the surface, sharing an experience that will change both their lives forever.

I understood now that from the moment he'd moved in next door, RJ had changed me. By challenging everything I'd thought I knew about myself, he'd awakened a fighting spirit in me that my domineering mother had shut down somewhere along the way.

Ripple Effect pulled me in from the first page and I couldn’t put it down, reading the entire second half of the book in one day (exceedingly rare for me). Bengtsson managed to have me fully invested in Dani and RJ from the start and, as their situation went from bad to worse, I felt the tension, the anxiety, and the fear right along with them. There were moments that were so heartbreakingly poignant that my heart ached, and I shed more than a few tears.

Dani's loyalty to me at my most vulnerable was as remarkable as it was depressing. She barely knew me, and yet, still she had more allegiance to me than did my own parents - neither of whom would've stayed here by my side so I wouldn't have to face the end alone.

The character arcs for both RJ and Dani were moving, but it was RJ’s evolution that was the most impressive and touched my heart. The issues with his family, his feelings of unworthiness, and his need to prove himself had shaped his life. And seeing him grapple with those issues, end toxic relationships, and take steps to change his life made me want to stand up and cheer.  In addition to RJ and Dani, there was a host of secondary characters that made the story all the richer – RJ’s bandmates, the members of The Lucky Swimmers Club (Dani’s numerous half-siblings), firefighter Parker, EMT Bruce, and more.

I can’t express enough how invested I was in RJ and Dani and how much their journey moved me and engaged me. I adored these characters and how, through great adversity, they came out stronger, better, and together. Add in an epilogue that was so sweet, so heartwarming, and so… perfect, that I’m still smiling about it days later. With themes of family (and found family), forgiveness, courage, and perseverance, Ripple Effect is a story that meant the world to me. All that's left to say is: Experience this one for yourself; you won’t be sorry.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


MEET J. BENGTSSON

J. (Jill) Bengtsson is the bestselling author of the Cake Series. She writes contemporary novels focused on love, humor, passion, and family. Her heroines are strong, nurturing, and quirky while her heroes are what dreams are made of - gorgeous, committed, and in need of a little saving. A native Californian, Jill's novels are set under the glittering lights of the West Coast entertainment industry.
They are for the dreamer in all of us. 

Jill resides in Ventura County, California. She's married to the Swedish boy she met as an exchange student her junior year in college and they have three children, a golden retriever, and two ragdoll cats. 
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20 comments

  1. I had NO IDEA this book was coming out! I am going to have to read it in 2022! I am headed to get it now. It sounds so good.

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    1. Yes, you definitely need this one!! Can't wait to see what you think of it.

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  2. This book really sounds like it has it all!

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  3. I read this one too and it's one of my absolute favorites as well!! Soooo good! I definitely loved RJ as well! From the moment I started reading this one I couldn't stop.
    I'm glad this one was a five star read for you as well.

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  4. This sounds so good! I really need to get busy reading this author. Fantastic review!

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    1. Bengtsson has really become a favorite over the last year or so.

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  5. Yay for ending the year with a fabulous read! I'm not familiar with this author but the book sounds wonderful so thanks for putting it on my radar. :)

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    1. I adore Bengtsson's Cake series and this one was every bit as amazing.

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  6. Nice to hear one of your last reads of the year was such a hit! That cover!

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    1. Pretty yummy cover, right? :) And this inside was just as good!

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  7. I just love it when a book exceeds expectations. This sounds so very good!

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  8. I went and added this one to my KU list! It sounds amazing and that cover is gorgeous! I'm so glad this was another huge win from J. Bengtsson for you!
    Jen @ Star-Crossed Book Blog

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    1. Thanks Jen! I can't recommend the Cake series enough (it's just... amazing) and this one is every bit as good. I hope you enjoy it if/when you get to it.

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