Hayes & Savannah gave me everything I needed and then more!!
Hayes and Savannah grew up together and were always best friends. Suddenly one day Sav needs to leave town, and Hayes is going through a lot at this point, so their friendship ends like the flip of a switch. When someone very close to Sav passes a decade later, she is back in Magnolia Falls for the funeral. She has a lot going on, but she learns of an inheritance that was left for her, so she needs to stick around for a bit. When Hayes learns she's in town, he immediately goes to see her. There is unresolved tension between them and the decade they stopped talking, but there is also that easiness of seeing an ex-best friend again.
Sav tells herself that Hayes is the bad guy. He forced her hand years ago to block his number and never regain contact, but Hayes is honestly very confused on what went wrong between them. Sav learns that in order to get this inheritance that she very much needs, she has 30 days to get married. The most likely possibility on this happening is with Hayes. They have history and everyone always thought there was more of a friendship there and Hayes would still do anything for Savannah, even after all these years of no contact. So, in comes the arranged/fake marriage!!!!
I really loved Hayes and Sav. You could see how much it hurt and changed Hayes when Sav left town. He became hard and let no one in. Everyone misjudged him for just being a d-bag, but once he reconnected with Sav, he quickly began to let those walls down for her. Sav is so confused, because after years of telling herself that Hayes was the bad guy, she is now learning that maybe she didn't have all the right information all those years ago to cut him out of her life.
I really loved watching Hayes love Savannah. He was such an amazing man, and everyone knew it, but him. Watching Sav and Hayes reconnect was perfect. I loved their trust, and their connection was so easy to root for. You could tell from the very start how much they cared about each other. Having each other back in their lives after a decade wasn't what either of them expected, but being forced to convince everyone of their marriage, they eventually know that they need to face the past and talk about what happened all those years ago that broke them both.
All of the friendships in this series are honestly unmatched. I loved how they all care about each other and help when they can. It is such a special group, and I am going to miss them all. I am so happy that Hayes got his happily ever after because he deserved it. I really enjoyed seeing him get the love he deserved and realizing that he is a wonderful man. Sav was such a strong woman. She went through so much and continued to get it done. I loved her so much. One of my favorite couples ever!!
What a perfect book! I love Dean, Liv, and Clara so much.
This book follows Liv. She hasn't had the greatest time growing up and when she finally saves enough money to escape that life and start somewhere new, she takes it! She jumps into her car with everything she owns and starts driving with no specific destination in mind. Needing a quick stop to refresh and eat, she stops in a town called Sutten Mountain. Immediately Liv loves the small-town vibe. She enters a coffee shop to relax for a bit before getting back on the road, but that soon turns into her being there all day after meeting the owner. When a little girl named Clara comes running in, followed by her single father Dean, they offer to keep an eye on her at the bakery while Dean goes to work.
Clara immediately falls in love with Liv despite never seeing her before. There's an instant comfort and easiness being with her. Dean is a single father after his wife passed away 3 years ago. He is a man focused on one thing - his daughter. He loves his family but enjoys his time alone. He has been going through nannies for Clara for months with none of them lasting. When Dean comes back the opportunity arises for Dean to interview her to be Clara's nanny since Clara seemed to love her right away. So, Liv decides to stick around for a little and see how this interview goes.
The next day, Dean offers her the job and now Liv is living with Dean and Clara as their nanny! Simple enough. Until feelings start to arise, and lines get blurred. But will they both be willing to take this risk?
I really loved Dean and Liv!! I felt like their connection grew so naturally and they were such a great pair. I liked that Liv was so respectful of Dean and Selena (his late wife). Liv never tried to replace her, and she wanted to know who she was that helped create Clara. I felt like the pacing of this book was perfect and while they were in the "will they/won't they" stage, you still wanted to root for them to be happy. Dean deserved everything and I am so happy that he was eventually able to open himself back up to love that he deserved. Liv had a hard life and seeing her find a family who truly loved her was the best! Clara was the star of the show! I loved her.
These relationships that formed between Liv with Dean and Clara were so pure and genuine. I couldn't get enough of them. I also loved seeing our couples from the previous 2 books! It was a beautiful balance of the romance and found family. The friendships that Liv also developed were so worth reading about too.
This one was definitely more of a slow burn, but I still enjoyed it and was intrigued by the storyline. I felt a bit let down by the ending of the book. I understand the route it went, but I did expect more from the rest of the Sager books that I have read. I thought the resolution was going to be a bit more layered than it was, but it was pretty simple.
I liked the writing and the different timelines and the characters we got to follow! Overall, it was easy to read and kept me engaged the whole time. The ending had a lot of potential and the other elements of the mystery was something I wanted more of. Nonetheless, enjoyable and can't wait for the next book from Sager!
Emily and Kieran were perfect, but this book was also so much more!!
Emily has always lived in Martha's Vinyard, but needing change when an opportunity in Ireland presents itself, she cannot hesitate to take it. Out on a limp she had applied to be the assistant to her favorite author, Siobhan, who left her favorite series hanging for 10 years! Emily cannot think of a better idea than to be away from home and also helping conclude the series that helped her grow up.
What Emily did not expect was the broody bookshop owner - Kieran - who instantly seems to not be a fan of Emily. She is working part time at Last Chapter, which is a pretty famous bookstore while in Ireland for a year helping Siobhan finish the final book in the series. She soon finds out that Kier is the son of Siobhan and that they will continuously be in forced proximity. BUT Emily refuses to be like every other woman who falls at his feet due to his attractiveness (and ofc the accent).
I loved what a strong character Emily was. She came to Ireland looking for an escape but seeing her find a family she deserved was so heartwarming. She was so used to be a people pleaser, but when she first meets Kier, she immediately responses differently. She finds herself holding her ground and speaking out when she wouldn't usually.
Kieran is extremely hesitant to not only have Emily in the bookstore, but in Ireland and helping his mother write again. He doesn't think that this will be good for her (for valid reasons) and so he does what he can to push Emily out. He gives her the worst tasks in the shop and constantly defies her. Emily sticks it out either way and both Kier and Em figure out that there is more to the other person, and they seem to have a lot more in common than they would've thought.
I loved Emily so much. Watching her find herself and a new family who truly valued her was amazing. I do think the storyline of her mother fell off a bit, which was odd since that was the main reason of her going to Ireland. It was a strong story in the beginning about her mom and I understand that she was developing boundaries, but I feel like after some time her mother was never even mentioned lol.
Kieran was an amazing hero to root for. While he was broody and standoffish I don't think it was to an unreasonable extent. His feelings were valid and while he tried to resist it, he couldn't help but eventually opening up and falling for Emily like the rest of the town.
I loved seeing all the adventures they went on to get the creative flow going! It made me want to go visit Ireland (it is already on my bucket list lol). All the different personalities throughout the book with the staff and side characters added another fun layer to the story!
Overall it was such a fun time and I enjoyed my time in this wonderful Irish village with amazing characters!
Jake is a character I loved through and through. He needed to be protected, always! I am so happy that no one every gave up on him and he was able to get the support that he needed.
Jake is in middle school and he developed an eating disorder. While he is aware of this, he finds it difficult to ask for help or overcome the voice in his head. This book written in verse follows Jake as he enters a facility to try to help him heal.
This book was so well done. I loved it so much and I felt all the emotions. I really couldn't help but root for Jake, but his hesitancy was so real and valid. I loved that this book explored options and needing to start over and try again. Jake needed to find a way to get better for himself and take up the space he deserved.
Ugh LOVED it. If I could give it a million stars - I would!
TW: anorexia, eating disorder, bullying, body shaming, death, cancer, grief
I really enjoyed Grayson & Drew's story. I feel like these characters were so layered and while there was a lot of deeper conversations being had and real issues that they were going through, I feel like it was well-balanced. I liked how real they were as a couple and how much they worked for each other. Instead of giving up, they continued to support and work through it.
Their stories weren't easy - especially Grayson - but the love that Drew had for him was everything! I loved that she was so supportive of him without being pushy. She allowed him to figure some things out without being too overbearing. She was so sweet and understanding, and while she did want to help people around her, she never forced that help in to anyone.
Grayson was amazing! Through it all, he knew he wanted Grayson but also knew that he had a lot of work to do on himself too. Drew was the best, but I do wish we got a little more time with her because I know she went through a lot with grieving as well.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one and I do want to read the next book where we follow Drew's bestie - Ruby!!
For Vaughn Chicago was never part of his plan. He is just trying to keep his head down and get through this season so that he can get traded and continue his NHL career with his best friend in Oregon. Until Allie.
Months ago, Allie and Vaughn hooked up. No numbers were exchanged so after Allie snuck out on him, he had no way of even trying to contact her. While he is at a bar in Chicago, the last person he expects to see is there - Allie. Not only that... he learns that she is actually his team captain aka his nemesis since forever's little sister. What could go wrong?
Vaughn does everything in his power to stay away, but he just can't and seemingly neither can Allie. They start their secret romance and it kicks off from there.
I actually really enjoyed Vaughn. He was a classic case of misunderstood. I loved his willingness to show Allie how much she really meant to him and prove to her that he can put her first. I love Allie as well! She was such a strong FMC, who could hold her ground even against her older brother.
The effortless connection between Allie and Vaughn was so easy to root for. I loved watching them confide in each other and be open to communicate. Vaughn knew what he wanted, and I really liked that he wasn't afraid to show that. He knew his actions would have consequences, but he wasn't afraid to face them. He really was made to be a villain for no reason, and I am so happy that Allie was able to see through that and give him a chance.
This was a fast paced, forbidden romance that you can't put down. Can't wait to continue the series and see what the other Slayers players are going to get up to.
The growth and trust between Nick and Charlie were perfect. Their open communication and honesty continued to be unmatched. Charlie has grown into himself so much and I'm so excited to see what the final volume has for them both - esp Nick.
Can't lie, I wasn't the biggest fan of the start of this one. I wanted things to get to the point already and I felt like we were just getting the same thing over and over again. Personally, the second half of the book saved it all for me.
This book follows Hanna and Theo.
Hanna was abandoned when she was a baby and hopped around foster homes. One day she gets a letter in the mail saying her grandfather passed and left everything to her. Having nothing in New York, she takes what she can, gets on a bus, and goes to Cherry Hill, South Carolina.
Theo grew up in Cherry Hill. His parents and sister still live there, but he moved to New York to get out of that town. Theo is back in town for a few weeks for a job and that's all he says. He wants to be out of that town as fast as he can be.
Theo and Hanna don't start off not the greatest foot and Hanna instantly does not like Theo, but Theo becomes intrigued with her instantly. Although Theo is a man who does not do commitment, he does go after what he wants and right now, he wants Hanna, so let the chase begin.
Theo and Hanna come to a mutual agreement on what this can and cannot be. Pleasure only, and once feelings show even a little, it stops. They're both on board and it seems to be going fine, until both of them find themselves seeking out the other a bit too much.
I felt like the beginning was a bit of a whirlwind. Theo and Hanna jumped into things really fast without knowing much about each other, so it was hard to root for them when I couldn't see the foundation. I know it was intentional since it was supposed to be a casual thing, but I felt disconnected from the characters. Once Hanna and Theo began to talk to each other more and be more open, then I found something to root for. I really enjoyed watching them get to know each other.
Watching Theo care for Hanna and slowly bring down his walls and soften for her gave me everything I could've ever wanted! Theo was so harsh at first that I didn't know if I would ever grow to like him, but by the end of the book I loved him.
I will mention - some of the nicknames Theo used for Hanna didn't do it for me at all. I also felt like the mystery was very in and out of the plot. Then the ending was giving me whiplash. I understand why the ending was so fast paced, but I do wish we got more sprinkles and foreshadowing of the mystery plotline more. I feel like it would've made it apart of the story instead of a convenient conflict/shock line.
"To be with someone who loves you so deeply, with such force and desire that they would do anything to keep you as theirs and theirs alone." (8)
"Don't be ashamed of desires, they are what makes life worth living" (110)
"What a shame that this world ever made you afraid or ashamed to love yourself. What a shame they don't see what I see" (120)
"Some scars are closed and only outwardly show for a reason, to remind you to be careful and to never open the skin again." (187)
Randy is not a man looking for commitment because he doesn't want to be responsible for hurting anyone - thanks to his father for that fear. He is known to just have a good time, but once feelings start to show he leaves. When he meets Lily, he expects for it to be the same way.
Lily has just broken up with her boyfriend of 7 years - although it was over long before that. She has never been a hook up kind of girl, but why not give it a go and just have fun for a while? She thinks a no-strings situation is just what she needs right now.
Lily and Randy lay down some ground rules and agree that this is a mutual agreement for causal. After some time together, Lily finds some quirks about Randy and Randy is discovering that there might just be something different about Lily.
I enjoyed the balance of Randy and Lily. The banter and the passion between the both of them was so easy to root for. They both had some pasts that they needed to unpack. While Randy didn't normally talk much to those he hooked up with, Lily was so easy to talk to. She never made him feel any type of way and that was new to him. It was so wholesome to see their connection grow, even though they were both pretty much in denial about it the whole time. I liked how they balanced each other out and their development of their relationship.
I will mention - this is the first book that I have read in this series, so ngl the way the girls talk about their rendezvous was a bit odd to me and first and did need some getting used it!