I am a big fan of this author’s “Last First Dates” series, so I was very excited to see the characters return in this series. In this one, we get Sophie (the barista at the Cozy Cottage Café). Sophie and her friends are tired of horrible boyfriends, so they create a system where the group has to vet potential dates before an actual date occurs (it sounds a little complicated, but it really isn’t). As with previous books, there are several likable (and some not so much) secondary characters (Sophie’s family is a good mixture of both). And her potential “dates” are hysterical; the second one had me laughing out loud! Oh, and any book that has a “Friends” reference in it is a winner for me 😉. The HEA is apparent, but the ride to get there is fun. I enjoyed it from beginning to end and look forward to the rest of the series. This book was written based on a complimentary, pre-release digital ARC of the book.
I get really excited when I find an author I like and even more excited when I find a series written by that author. The Vested Interest series by Melanie Moreland fits that bill!
Bentley, Aiden, and Maddox met in college. Each had their own hangups, but they became friends for life, leading to the establishment of their company, BAM (their initials). The way I see it, Bentley is the face, Aiden is the muscle, and Maddox is the brains. That’s not to say that each of them don’t share these traits, but these are their strengths.
This first book in the series focuses on Bentley, the man who established the corporation. He meets Emmy in a coffee shop; she is very different from the few women he has dated in the past. Their romance evolves slowly, but sweetly, as each of them have distractions and some baggage to work through. The pace of the romance allows the reader to really get to know the characters which adds a nice dose of realism to the story.
The “every day life” side of the story also works well, with an unknown business rival throwing roadblocks into real estate deals. I won’t give anything away, but it is a good subplot that lends a bit of action to the romance.
It’s a great book, and I’m especially excited that it is the first in a series, which is currently available in KU. I highly recommend picking it up and getting to know the boys of BAM. My Goodreads review follows.
Holy hotness, Bentley is a seriously book boyfriend to crush on! I love the way this author creates her characters. Bentley is more than the “aloof, rich guy” and Emmy is more than the “quirky girl who isn’t really his type.” They are fully formed people. Their romance is well-plotted, and the reader gets to take every step with them. This is a nice change from some of the usual “they meet, they fall hard and end up in the sack” romances. Not that there is anything wrong with those, it is just nice to have a romance with some depth sometimes. The subplot of a business rival is woven into the story seamlessly. Even though I had my suspicions as to who was responsible, there was enough tension and a few surprises to keep it interesting. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the stories of the rest of the guys from BAM. I received a copy of this book as a prize from the author, and I am reviewing it voluntarily.
No More Bad Dates by Kate O’Keeffe
