Series: Matchmaker Bay, #3
Traits & Tropes: enemies to lovers
Publication Date: 03.09.21
Genre/Setting: Contemporary; Canada
Heat Level: 4
Rating: 4 stars!
Maya Mehta is determined to keep her struggling small-town theater open. Even when that means staging hated musicals and hiring an insufferable former pop star turned actor. But to be sustainable she really needs to win the Moonflower Bay business grant. Of course, she has competition, and the strongest contender is her frustratingly attractive nemesis, Ben Lawson, owner of the local bar.
Ben loves needling Maya, even as he’s annoyed by his attraction to someone he doesn’t even really like. When the town’s former pop star guest tries to make moves on Maya, Ben’s done with their soccer only truces and gives Maya an unforgettable kiss which promises to change their dynamic. Things are heating up rapidly between these two, but they don’t even like each other so they’ll have to get over their long-upheld feud if they want a future together as something more.
This book was such a surprise to me, and I really enjoyed it. Maya was a rather hard sell and I really thought I’d wind up hating her but, like Ben, I found myself drawn to her. She was immature, oblivious, and unnecessarily mean to Ben, holding a grudge for a truly ludicrous amount of time over something that happened when they were both much younger. Fortunately, Maya herself recognized this ridiculousness and opened her eyes to see how good of a man Ben really was. Poor Ben was a typical clueless, bumbling guy just trying his best, which I found very charming and adorable. When he figured out what he wanted, he went for it and pulled out all the stops to make it happen in one of the best grand romantic gestures I’ve read in some time. I loved Ben as a hero and Maya redeemed herself in the end, though I do wish we’d gotten a bit more of the story in which they were getting along and not at each other’s throats. Otherwise, this story was perfect for a relaxing weekend, had excellent steam, and interesting side characters. I loved the small town setting and found myself wanting to crawl into this book and live there. I’m definitely planning to continue this series and catch up on the two previous books after enjoying this one so much.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3855213742
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1289596810
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