Series: A Sweet Mess, #2
Traits & Tropes: fake relationship; trauma from past relationships
Publication Date: 08.03.21
Genre/Setting: Contemporary; California, USA
Heat Level: 1
Rating: 4/5
Tara Park has strict rules about dating. She avoids serious relationships like the plague, but she won’t sleep with a man she barely knows either, especially when the man in question is her best friend’s new brother-in-law. But Seth Kim is hard to resist given his good looks and endearing charm.
A casual post-wedding game of Truth or Dare results in a Tara’s agreement to go on four dates with Seth, it seems like a good way for them both to spend the next month before Seth moves to Paris for his new job. The lack of commitment works for them both and the arrangement seems like it will be a simple way for them to find some companionship, but things between them rapidly grow heated. Seth quickly sees that Tara is everything he’s not allowed himself to want or hope for and never thought he’d find. They both have trauma from past relationships that needs to be addressed, and each has to decide if what they could potentially have together is worth risking their hearts again.
This was such a cute and surprisingly emotional story. It was so heavy on the feels that it was hard for me to read or listen to much of it all at once; I had to take time to decompress and process a bit. I listened to the audiobook as well as reading the text and I think that helped to add another layer to the story, making it more realistic and relatable, even though the narrator definitely had to grow on me. The relationship between Seth and Tara was so sweet as they each began to take small risks and confide more and more in each other as they overcome the pain of their past relationships. It was so refreshing to see a modern man exhibiting chivalrous and respectful behavior in planning real romantic dates that would be special for the heroine. I also loved that it was the heroine who chased after the hero and made things right in the end. That reversal from what we typically see in romance was so nice to read and the ultimate declaration of feelings and revelation of past relationship trauma was moving and both heartwarming and heart wrenching. I loved Seth and Tara together, especially once Tara finally admitted her feelings and stopped trying to hide her association with Seth because that part got old fast. Seth’s vulnerability beneath his charm was incredibly endearing and I loved his decisiviness about what he wanted and his willingness to fight to make it happen, even when circumstances weren’t ideal. I’m glad I had the audio version of this as well because it really helped to read and listen simultaneously to really draw out the emotional depth of this story. My only disappointment was that after such an incredibly delicious build-up of sexual tension between this couple, most of the steamy scenes, save one I believe, were fade to black. This was a new to me author and I’m very glad I tried her work and I’ll look forward to more.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book/audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/3300957312
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4137024374
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