Review: Those Three Little Words by Meghan Quinn

THOSE THREE LITTLE WORDS

by Meghan Quinn
Series: The Vancouver Agitators #2
Publication date: April 5,2022
Format: Audio
Source: Purchased
4 Stars

I knocked up my best friend's sister.

Figured I would get straight to the point because how it happened is a mere snippet of the story I have to tell. The real meat and potatoes is what happened after.

Let's start with how she decided to inform me and Pacey the news . . . together. Imagine that nightmare. I was going into what I thought was a hockey marketing meeting and then BAM! I'm going to be a dad and my best friend/teammate is attempting to imprint my face with his fist.

It wasn't pretty.

Threats were tossed around, friendships were revoked, and then I was marched up to her apartment, suitcases in hand, and forced to live with her so I could take care of her every need. Given how much I've pined for the girl, you would think that wouldn't be a hardship. Wrong.

This is my one shot to win my teammate back. Pacey is the only family I've got, so hooking up with his sister isn't a mistake I can make twice . . . despite the fact that she's pregnant with my child.

But with every mood swing, every pair of pants that doesn't fit right, and every late night run to find the perfect donut, I'm finding it harder and harder not to fall for my best friend's little sister.
 


GOODREADS | AMAZON | AUDIBLE



As the social media coordinator for the Vancouver Agitators, Penny is used to interacting with all the players, which includes her brother Pacey. But one player in particular always leaves her awkward and tongue-tied: uber-hot ladies’ man, Eli Hornsby. When she runs into Eli at a bar on his birthday, the last things she expects is an unforgettable one-night stand. And what she expects even less is a positive pregnancy test. Breaking the news to both her brother and Eli at the same time proved to be explosive, especially when Pacey demanded that Eli move in with Penny in order to be there for her and support her every step of the way. As they navigate a new kind of relationship, determined to be friends and co-parent together, they both try to hide their real feelings.
 
I loved being back in this world, surrounded by the Agitators players. What a great group of guys! Eli was the highlight of the story for me. Despite his hit it and quit it reputation, there was a lot going on underneath the surface. Eli’s back story and his lack of any family connection hurt my heart. Because of that, he considered his teammates his family and he treasured those relationships. When Penny’s pregnancy damaged his close friendship with Pacey, Eli was crushed and determined to make things right, both with Penny and Pacey. Eli was sweet and charming, and he completely uprooted his life to be there for Penny. Even when he got it wrong, his heart was in the right place. It was impossible not to fall a little in love with Eli.
 
Now on to Penny. *sigh* I cringe saying this, but she almost ruined this for me. As I’ve mentioned before, Quinn’s brand of humor can be hit or miss for me. Sometimes it’s just right and sometimes it’s just… Too Much. And Penny was Too Much. Her quirky babbling went from funny to overly silly to downright annoying. In stressful situations her first instinct was always to cover things up and come up with elaborate stories and utterly ridiculous lies. And maybe it was meant to be quirky and funny, but I just felt like I was stuck in a bad slapstick movie. I get that she was dealing with a life-altering situation, but she often came across as immature and petty, and while pregnancy hormones might make you emotional, I don’t think they make you an absolute lunatic 24/7. The way she would lash out at Eli to cover her real feelings was so immature and hurtful and didn’t do anything to endear her to me.

Had Penny been more mature and less over the top ridiculous, I would have loved this one just as much as the first in the series (Kiss and Don’t Tell). So many of the elements I loved from that one were here: a swoony hero, the amazing friendship between the teammates, their banter and humor. But Penny’s dramatics and antics left me cold. I’m giving this one 4 stars solely for Eli. ⭐⭐⭐


Have you read this book?

16 comments

  1. Glad Eli was a win! Sounds like I'd probably struggle with Penny myself. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Penny does sound like a bit too much. I'm not down with ridiculous lies. Glad to hear Eli was a great character, though, enough to enjoy the story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rachel - Yeah, it got old when her default always seemed to be making up ludicrous stories and basically acting ridiculous. Thank goodness Eli acted like an actual adult. lol

      Delete
  3. Eli sounds wonderful. I think Penny would drive me nuts too though. I've only read one book by Quinn and it was The Wedding Game (recently too!) which I did enjoy.

    Lauren @ www.shootingstarsmag.net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lauren - The Wedding Game is still on my TBR. I'm hoping I can get to it soon!

      Delete
  4. I love a guy with layers and a backstory. Sounds like a fun book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wendy - Same here. It helps so much to make a well-rounded (and believable) character.

      Delete
  5. I really like the set up of this. It's a shame the heroine sort of worked your nerves, but still not a bad overall experience, it seems.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sam - Not a bad experience at all. There was still a lot to love: Eli, the other teammates, the banter, the set-up for the next book. Plenty of good stuff. :)

      Delete
  6. Oof, Penny sounds like a piece of work! Eli sounds wonderful, though!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Angela - Yeah, not a fan of Penny but Eli was so great!

      Delete
  7. I am glad that you liked this one, but I feel you on mature characters. I really need to relate with them on that level of maturity and if they act immature then it can be a struggle and I need my heroines to not drive me bonkers haha But I do like the premise of this one.

    Thanks for your honest thoughts on this one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Renee - Yep, you get it. :) It's frustrating for me when a character is an adult but their actions and reactions are that of an immature kid. It just doesn't fit and it's also annoying. I will say, other than Penny acting like a lunatic (lol) this one was very good! :)

      Delete
  8. That's a shame about Penny being annoying. Aside from her, it sounds like a really good story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suzanne - Yep, other than Penny's antics, I loved the story. :)

      Delete