I’ve been in love with Wes since I was in braces. Him—not so much. But this is the summer I’m finally going to get him to notice me. And fall madly in love with me so we can live happily ever after, obviously.
Unfortunately, my best friend and partner-in-crime decided to run off for the summer, so I’m stuck with her annoying older brother, Eric, as my wingman.
Did I mention he’s annoying? This would be much easier if I weren’t constantly rolling my eyes at his sarcastic remarks or wishing I could wipe that little smirk off his face.
Want to know the most aggravating part? Now that things are finally starting to go my way with Wes, I can’t stop thinking about Eric and his dumb mouth.
This is can be read and enjoyed as a standalone novel.
MY REVIEW:
New Adult romances generally have a lot of steam, and this one was no exception. Kyla and Eric were heating up the pages!
I wouldn’t necessarily call this book a friends-to-lovers story. It’s clear in the beginning Kyla is annoyed by Eric, and it’s not until her best friend, Eric’s sister, leaves that decides to make Eric her “wingman” while she tries to win her long-time crush, Wes. The banter between Kyla and Eric is reason enough to like this book. They were cute together, and funny. I honestly couldn’t understand what she saw in Wes other than looks. He came across as not having much of a personality.
If you like goofy guys who are sweet, then Eric is your perfect hero. I generally prefer more of an alpha type of hero, but there’s a lot to be said for a sweet guy with a sense of humor. He’s different from your typical romance book boyfriend because he doesn’t pursue Kyla. He comes across as shy and a bit insecure at times. Instead of fighting for her, or tossing her over his shoulder caveman style, he decides to help her win Wes — even though it’s clear it pains him to think of the two of them together. You’ll find yourself rooting for him to get the girl.
Kyla was a force of nature. She has a loud, vibrant personality with a heavy dose of immaturity. There were plenty of times I wanted to yell at her, but about 1/3 of the way through the book, she came across a little less juvenile. In the end, I think it was her fear of not being good enough, not being wanted, that drove her to act the way she did. I particularly enjoyed the scenes of her with her grandfather. It gave her character more depth and made her less superficial.
This would have been a four to five-star read for me, but the first four or so chapters didn’t read as smoothly as the rest. It took me a bit to really get into the story and have that “I need to know what happens” feeling. There were a few scenes that were just too unbelievable. While there are lots of super hot scenes, once she admits she had feelings for Eric, their romance is such a mix of emotions it’s a bit of a rollercoaster right. Just when it seems everything is working out, the book comes to what felt like a rather abrupt ending. I kept trying to turn the page on my e-reader, thinking there would be at least a little more. The end scene seems more focused on Eric’s sister and on Wes’s budding romance with a waitress.
Overall, it was an enjoyable book and I was so glad Eric and Kyla got their happily-ever-after. — 3.5 stars!
*Disclaimer: I received an ARC from NetGalley. The review above is my honest opinion.