Published by Independently Published on April 25, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
I thought my life was perfect.
I never saw it coming.
Now, here I am in Key Ridge, Colorado. A teeny-tiny ski resort town.
Me? I’m a Florida dweller who has never seen a single flake of snow in her life. Completely out of place would be an understatement.
But hey, a fresh start in a place where nobody knows me is exactly what I need. The perfect plan, right?
Wrong.
Enter local resident Giles Stone—ex-professional snowboarder turned full-time professional jerk. He seems to have some kind of vendetta against me because ever since I arrived, he’s been nothing but rude and unwelcoming.
Avoiding him? Easier said than done. Unfortunately for me, he’s the part owner of the lodge I’m working at. Sure, his brown eyes are hypnotic. So what if his jawline could cut rock? It doesn’t matter. He’s made it crystal clear that he wants nothing to do with me. But Key Ridge is a small town. I can’t seem to get away from him, and even worse…I’m not sure I want to.
Mattie had been in a relationship for years. As her friends got engaged and married, she kept wondering when it would be her turn. The answer? Never! Needing a fresh start, Mattie accepts a position in a small ski town where she is forced to interact with pro snowboarder, Giles. Giles was not very welcoming, but as Mattie makes changes to the lodge and her changes work wonders, Giles slowly warms to her.
This was what I was hoping it would be - fun and cute. Mattie was more or less betrayed by almost everyone she knew. These were her college friends who all shared a lot of history, but apparently, they weren't very loyal. I was glad she took that step to try something new, somewhere new, and took a chance on a new group of people who were warm and welcoming. She didn't only have time to heal, but she also was able to see everything from a new perspective and acknowledge that maybe her life was not as perfect as she thought. Giles had some healing to do as well. He had lost his parents and retired from snowboarding. Life changed fast for him, and he learned a lot about himself.
The friendship that formed between Giles and Mattie was sweet, and I enjoyed watching them go from rivals to friends to more. I will admit that the ending felt a bit rushed, but I wholeheartedly approve of what transpired there.
Published by Berkley on August 31, 2021
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
A woman struggling with burnout learns to embrace the unexpected—and the man she enlists to help her—in this new New York Times bestselling romance by Helen Hoang.
When violinist Anna Sun accidentally achieves career success with a viral YouTube video, she finds herself incapacitated and burned out from her attempts to replicate that moment. And when her longtime boyfriend announces he wants an open relationship before making a final commitment, a hurt and angry Anna decides that if he wants an open relationship, then she does, too. Translation: She’s going to embark on a string of one-night stands. The more unacceptable the men, the better.
That’s where tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep comes in. Their first attempt at a one-night stand fails, as does their second, and their third, because being with Quan is more than sex—he accepts Anna on an unconditional level that she herself has just started to understand. However, when tragedy strikes Anna’s family she takes on a role that she is ill-suited for, until the burden of expectations threatens to destroy her. Anna and Quan have to fight for their chance at love, but to do that, they also have to fight for themselves.
Hoang's books have all been wonderful, and I was excited the Quan got his own book. He shows us why he was such a fan favorite. He was so tender, sweet, gentle, patient, and understanding when it came to Anna. But most of all, he accepted the whole of her.
A big part of Anna's story was being diagnosed as on the spectrum. The therapist helps Anna understand all the accommodations she made for the people in her life and encouraged her to not do things that didn't feel right. I loved that! But those in Anna's life weren't that accepting of Anna without the mask who thought for herself. You know who was? QUAN! They were so good together and their mutual love of nature documentaries was fun.
Overall: A beautiful and emotional story.
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