Short Take Reviews: Reason to Believe & Husband Material

 


REASON TO BELIEVE
Rebecca Yarros
Legacy #1
Format: Kindle

Preschool teacher Harper didn’t think twice before offering to take in five-year-old Liam and his baby brother until suitable foster care could be arranged. When the foster care options were less than ideal, she and Knox, her brother’s best friend, agreed to fake a relationship to keep the boys from being separated. It was a situation made more awkward because Harper had been in love with Knox since they were kids. Living together and pretending to be a couple in front of others meant lines were blurred and the fake relationship started to feel all too real.

I fell into these characters and their story from the very first chapter. I loved their every interaction and the situation they found themselves in. Harper had been silently in love with Knox for years, all while Knox secretly pined for Harper, the woman who was off-limits as his best friend’s sister. The way they became a team in providing a home and caring for the two boys made my heart melt. When a devastating blow was dealt, Harper and Knox pulled apart from one another in fear and sadness and frustration, and I was crushed. Of course, Yarros made it right in a most satisfying, realistic way. There was unrequited love, brother’s best friend, a forbidden relationship, small town romance, hotshot firefighters, love and redemption… and it all combined for an emotional, unforgettable story. Without a doubt, one of my favorites of the year. 4.5 STARS

Note: I was gifted Reason to Believe by Suzanne @ The Bookish Libra so thank you (again) to Suzanne!



Alexis Hall
London Calling #2
Format: Audio

Boyfriend Material was one of my favorite books of 2020 so I was thrilled to learn we would be getting more of the hapless Luc O’Donnell. Husband Material picks up almost two years later and Luc is thrown into yet another existential crisis when not only his BFF Bridge was getting married (and yes, he is the maid of honor), but also his horrible ex who invites Luc to his wedding. Luc is plagued by his troubled past with his ex while also deciding how to take the next step in his relationship with Oliver.

Husband Material examined what happens after the “happily ever after” and finds that it’s not always smooth sailing because you find The One. Not to mention that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to relationships. While Luc has come a long way since his earlier angst, he’s still something of a hot mess and manages to be his own worse enemy. Even so, I was pulling for he and Oliver all the way and appreciated how Hall chose to portray their somewhat rocky journey. The audio version was sheer perfection and Joe Jameson made me feel as though I was having a long conversation with Luc. The humor was spot on – dry and witty and clever - and all the 90’s movie references (Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral, etc.) made me giddy. While Husband Material didn’t quite have the magic and charm of Boyfriend Material, I still enjoyed my time with Oliver and Luc. 4 STARS



HAVE YOU READ THESE BOOKS?

28 comments

  1. I've seen the Rebecca Yarros book around before - I haven't read this author, but your review has me thinking I should!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Angela - I highly recommend Yarros! Things We Leave Unfinished (by her) was my favorite book of 2021.

      Delete
  2. As much as I love follow up books, they also stress me out a bit. Follow ups to romances always seem to include serious relationship woes, but I do trust them to be worked out and get a second HEA

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sam - To be honest, Husband Material wasn't totally necessary. Things in Boyfriend Material ended in a good place. But I still enjoyed getting more of those characters.

      Delete
  3. I keep seeing so many great things about Rebecca Yarros, I am glad that you ended up loving that one so much. I have read one Alexis Hall, years ago, one of the BDSM ones I believe. I don't get drawn to illustrated books, so not sure if I will pick up Husband Material, but maybe one day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Renee - Ugh, don't get me started on illustrated covers. I loathe the trend so much. But I made an exception for Husband Material because I love the characters so much. :)

      Delete
  4. Yarros' book was so good! It's one of my favorites for the year, too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deanna - I so hope we get more in the Legacy series (and sooner rather than later).

      Delete
  5. Reason to Believe sounds awesome! I totally want to read that one now. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've been wondering what you thought of Husband Material. I still have to read Boyfriend Material, and now I want to get to these books even more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wendy - Boyfriend Material was so, so good! One of my favorites of 2020. I loved getting more of Luc and Oliver. :)

      Delete
  7. Both of these are already on my TBR, so I'm pleased to see you enjoyed both! Reason to Believe sounds super good. I love the premise.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm so glad you enjoyed Reason To Believe, I loved it. I'm adding it to my re-read pile.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yay! So happy that the Yarros book was a great read for you! I didn't write a proper review for Husband Material but I really enjoyed it too. It was more angsty than I was expecting but I liked how realistic those ups and downs felt.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suzanne - Husband Material was angsty and not as light as Boyfriend Material but I agree that it did feel realistic.

      Delete
  10. Both of these sound fantastic. I haven't read Boyfriend Material yet, but I suspect I'll love it when I finally get around to it. :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jenni - I hope you'll love Boyfriend Material if/when you get to it!

      Delete
  11. I'm happy Husband Material worked for you! Luc really needs some therapy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amber - LOL Luc could definitely benefit from some therapy. :)

      Delete
  12. The Rebecca Yarros sounds like my kind of romance! Haven't read anything by her yet. Glad to see you enjoyed Husband Material even though it wasn't quite as good as the first book.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Well I had the exact same feelings for both reads! And James Jameson is just perfect for that book too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sophie - Yes! I adored Jameson's narration and he just made Luc so real for me.

      Delete
  14. A million times yes to all of your thoughts for Reason to Believe. I didn't expect that book to be SO emotional or for all of my reactions. And totally random but just had to say I finished Bowen's Little too Late, loved!, and I'm jumping into Yarros' Little too Close tonight ♥.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jen - Oh goodness, I lost count of how many times I teared up (or out and out cried) throughout Reason to Believe. So emotional! I'm not usually a fan of kids in romance novels, but Liam just captured my heart (and possibly broke it). So excited that you're enjoying the Madigan Mountain series! I'm reading Crew's story now!

      Delete