The Girl Most Likely

Class of 85

by Jana Richards

Cara McLeod, the girl most likely to have the perfect marriage, is now divorced and, in her own words, "fat, frumpy, and over forty." The thought of facing former classmates--and the ex-husband who dumped her--at her high school reunion terrifies her. Cajoled into attending by her kids and her best friend, Cara enlists help at the gym to lose weight and look great for the reunion. Personal Trainer Finn Cooper is more than willing to help--but does he have to be so to-die-for gorgeous?

Finn thinks Cara is perfect just the way she is. She's everything he wants in a woman, except for one thing--she can't get past the fact that he's eight years younger. To Finn, age and weight are just numbers. But can he convince Cara the numbers she worries about add up to only one thing for him--love?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 2, 2011

About the author

Jana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to paranormal suspense and romantic comedy. She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side. She believes there's nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.

When not writing up a storm or dealing with dust bunnies, Jana can be found pursuing hobbies like golf (which she does very badly) and reading (which she does much better).

Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren.
Contact her at:
http://www.janarichards.com
http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsA...
https://www.janarichards.com/blog
https://www.instagram.com/janarichard...

Reviews

[Danielle's · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this as an audiobook. I this is my first romance. I usually listen to Cozy mysteries or mythology.

Cara has never moved on from her divorce. She’s has two beautiful daughters but feels her life isn’t going on a direction. Lucky for her one man is about to change everything.

Her class reunion is coming up and she wants to look good. Finn is a guy who she meets at work and he ends up helping her. He’s younger, fitters and easy on the eye. Cara doesn’t see the things he sees in her. Finn is about to help her make everything fall into place.

ARC. My review is my own and honest.

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

When life throws you curveballs, the last thing you want to do is attend your high school reunion. But sometimes we don't realize how much strength we have, until we're forced into an uncomfortable circumstance. I liked the premise of The Girl Most Likely and Jana Richards portrays angst and conflict well in this romance. While I found it a tad difficult to relate to the characters, I did enjoy the story.

My Rating: 3 stars

[Romancing the Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed By~EmmaRae
Review Copy Provided By~Publisher

This one seemed a bit too short. Put together as it is it's a great novella, but I wish there had been more between the lines. The 'romance' doesn't seem to be supported enough. So many things were well written, that it made the center of the book seem a bit empty or lacking. Or it just moved faster than I thought fitting. This would have been excellent with 50 more pages or so and a few more scenes developing the relationship between Cara and Finn.

That said, I did like the book. Finn is adorably insecure for himself but he is so completely focused on Cara as he sees her it's seductive. Parts of Cara's character with her thoughts and realizations stumbled a bit, but she was still engaging. Finn and the story made up for not liking Cara as much. It's a nice story of coming into your own, realizing your life doesn't end at 40 and you still can make something of yourself. I've never read Jana Richards before, but I'm going to check out some of her other books

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you do when it's almost time for your high school reunion? Cara is faced with this now, a little overweight and sure to see her ex-husband with his new flame. She decides it's time to get into shape. When attending class, she is attracted to her trainer, Finn. Several years younger and eye candy for all, there is no way something can happen between them, after all, why would he be interested in her? Finn is a man of substance. When he meets Cara, he doesn't see the insecure woman that she is, but he sees her! When things start to fall apart, what will Finn do? Run like the wind and find his harem at the gym? What will happen when Cara goes to the reunion? I loved this book. It's my first by Jana Richards and I think it hits close to home. We all have insecurities, and this one plays on things everyone can relate to. She is a real character, and I could feel her indecision and frustration. Finn is amazing. I love his ability to see through the facade people put up, and in his line of work, I would think he has to have that eye. It's a great love story, one I truly enjoyed.

Narration by Leigh Linley was great. It's the first time I have heard her, and I thought she captured the essence of the characters perfectly. She tapped into Cara like she knows exactly her feelings, added great children voices and pulls off Finn with ease. This is a fun, and easy listen and I will look for more of both of Jana and Leigh's work.

[Jocelyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Jana Richards's book. This is a sweet story, between a younger man and an older woman. The characters have flaws, and they seem real. Cara is a beautiful, and strong. She is divorced, with two beautiful daughters. Unfortunately, her ex is a selfish man, and her mom is a toxic person. Difficult to keep a good self esteem in these conditions. Finn is a handsome character, loving and supportive. I like their chemistry. This story is beautifully written. I love the scene when she meets her former classmates, and her ex-husband, at the high school reunion. I love the ending. Leigh Linley did a great job with the narration. She has a beautiful voice, easy to understand, and the characters were easy to distinguish. I enjoyed my listening. I was given a free review copy of the audiobook — at my request — and have voluntarily left this review.

[Lynne Spreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cara's shallow, selfish husband is divorcing her so he can revisit his youth with lots of arm candy. She has found a job as a low-level gopher for a local TV station. After being humiliated on air during an interview with a fitness trainer (he applies calipers to her roll of belly fat), she accepts his offer for a free workout. He falls in love with her instantly, and her two teens adore him. As they draw closer, with her working out and getting healthier under his guidance, the only question is whether or not Cara will allow herself to trust again. This was a pleasant, straightforward romance.

[Kim Ligon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. Cara uses on camera embarrassment to take stock of herself with a goal of transformations by a 25th reunion. Finn works diligently at her side and the results are life changing for them both. What a marvelous story!

[Sydney Winward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! It shows that there can still be love and happiness after a divorce. There can still be confidence and self-love if you're a little overweight. Cara's character development is one of the best parts about this book, and it shows us that we can all do hard things!

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

Cara McLeod isn’t having a great year so far, heck make that decade. Not only has her husband left her for a younger woman, she can’t see her toes anymore and her mother won’t leave her in peace about anything for even a day. Then, to put the icing on the cake she has a dead end job and two teenage daughters who aren’t her biggest fans. To say that Cara is having a bad decade is putting it lightly, but will a chance meeting with Finn Cooper finally make Cara see that she is worth more than her dress size? Or will the years of trying to be the perfect person for everyone be too hard of a hurdle to overcome.

Finn Cooper hasn’t always been the person that is today; the personal trainer on a mission to save anyone wanting to take his help is something new for him. After meeting Cara at her job, he is compelled to know more about her. She just seems so lost and he knows just the thing to make her see what a great person she is. When her high school reunion comes up, will that be the finally push that she needs to take the leap of faith Finn is asking of her? Or will finally hitting her limit with both her mother and ex-husband be the jet fuel that takes her back to the person she used to be? The only question left will there be room in the new Cara for Finn?

This was a great story with good morals attached to it. Not only did Jana Richards make the reader feel for her characters but she made the transformation that both Cara and Finn have something so realistic that anyone can see the great changes they both came to.

Not once did the story feel forced or feel as though Ms. Richards was trying to make a point in her work, but the characters really felt like they were the ones telling the story and it made the book that much easier to get into. Jana Richards is a new to me author and if this is the norm for her I will definitely be on the lookout for more works by her, and The Girl Most Likely would make a great addition to anyone’s keeper shelf.

[Sara ✨ Next Book Review Blog ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

******** AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ********

The Girl Most Likely is probably one of the most relatable audiobooks I have ever listened too! I'm 37 years old and might be weighing more than I did when I graduated high school. The things that bothered Cara don't bother me as much as they did her. I feel like we all change after 20 years. We've had kids, if we can. We've packed on more pounds or at least we don't like where our weight is sitting. The boobs no longer sit as high as they did 25 years ago.

I think seeing the ex with a younger woman would be was would get me. I would want to stick it to him. You know, look at what you're missing buddy. Yeah' his 25 year old girl friend might have breasts 3 inches higher than mine but older women have a different confidence. They have a bit more understanding of life and dare I say we know what's happening between the sheets! So obviously Finn knows what's up!!

Anyways, sorry I got a bit hung up on Cara and her inner battle to be comfortable in her skin and with who she is. I loved Finn and I'm so happy the author made him a real man and not just some body builder man of gym perfection. He's had his own struggles and really seems to respect Cara for wanting to fix what shes unhappy with. What starts as a friendship builds into more but they still have that deep rooted friendship that helps them talk through their personal fears and struggles.

The narration was done by Leigh Linley. I felt she did fine with Cara but Finn wasn't the best. There was also a slight echo sound to the sound. It was a bit distracting. Really though, seeing this narrators name on another audiobook wouldn't turn me off from the story. I enjoyed it for the most part.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Jana Richards. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

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[Amy Keeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story starts out great. It's rare to read a romance with an overweight heroine, especially one as well developed as Cara (and I mean that in the character sense). Finn is an amazing hero. I really fell in love with him, even though he's a bit more beta than I expected from a personal trainer.

The humor, by the way, is fantastic. It's never overdone and was applied at just the right moments. Also, Jana Richards really captures what it's like to feel overweight (at any size) as well as Cara's insecurity over the effects time has had on her body. As a rapidly-approaching-forty, mother of seven, I completely sympathized.

(Note: Wild Rose Press has changed the rating of this book to Spicy. Review has been edited to reflect that.)

The sex scene was well done, tasteful, and had emotional depth. However, the plot twist introduced during the scene felt contrived. The hero turns out to be a virgin. To try to explain this, she not only adds to his history but gives him a sexual "dysfunction" (which isn't that big a deal even in real life) with no foreshadowing or set-up. I felt this "dysfunction" only existed to explain his virginity since it only appears during that scene and is never brought up again. That said, it was still much better written than some of the scenes I've stumbled across in the past year or two.

The writing itself in the middle tends to be a bit choppy. I'm not sure if it's because of the editing or the writing but there were scenes that didn't make sense, as if important information had been skipped. Thankfully, there's only a couple of moments of confusion. The rest flows really well.

The ending is sweet without being sappy. Not only does everything come to a satisfying conclusion, I felt inspired to really live my own life more fully than I have.

Overall, this was a very good read. I highly recommend it for those who love "spicy" reading, who also want an inspiring story with emotional depth.

[The Project · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Class of '85 story! Jana Richards' series of classmates meeting up for their twenty-fifth high school reunion is a real treat; perfect reading on a rainy day or, for me, on the train ride to and from work. Cara's story sucks the reader in right away, as if you're dropping in on a world that's been in existence for years - including author Kirby Stevens [wink].

The only part I found slightly disappointing was the way Cara finally stood up to her mother. I guess I must be a romantic in more ways than one, as I was hoping there'd be a way to amicably resolve even that relationship. Nothing to complain about with Cara and Finn, however. It's heartwarming to meet two characters who are made for each other, and exciting to watch them tiptoe around until they finally figure out the truth for themselves. There're also a few surprises in store for each of them, and for the reader, but I won't give away any more spoilers!

--Deniz, The One Hundred Romances Project

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life lessons can be hard but . . .

Overall 3 out of 5 stars
Performance 3 out of 5 stars
Story 3 out of 5 stars

There are times when we much grow and build or grown to move on. I think it was a little harder than Cara thought to move on with life after divorce. She tried going back to school. She tried being an intern. She tried being single and happy. She still was working on her self-esteem. She had baggage to lose and a life to reclaim. She had life lessons to learn even when they are hard and not exactly what one wants to hear or learn.

Finn was the guess that turned in to something more. The something more that Cara was not expected or fully aware of how much she needed in her life. Life lessons can be hard but sometimes they come when you are not expecting them.

Narration was fine. It was the audio quality that I had an issue with. There was an echo or tunnel sound to it. I just guess it left me feeling like I did not get the entire experience.

[Silver James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Girl Most Likely is a charming addition to the Class of '85 Reunion series. Cara McLeod was voted the Girl Most Likely in high school. She's facing her 25th Reunion divorced, underemployed, and feeling like a dumpy doormat. When fitness trainer Finn Cooper appears as a guest on the noon talk show at the station where Cara works, she decides her life is due some changes. The one she thing didn't expect was attention from the handsome, and younger, Finn. Jana Richards brings memorable characters to life and presents a story that offers laughter, tears, and cheers as Cara finally decides who she wants to be now that she's grown up.

[Jill Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Jana Richards writes with great wit and a sharp eye for detail, making her characters and story feel absolutely real. I found myself empathizing with both hero and heroine, alternately chuckling along with them and cringing--because that's how life is sometimes, and Jana doesn't gloss over the embarrassing moments. Who among us hasn't faced the prospect of attending a reunion, and panicking because there's just a month (or two weeks, or ten days) left in which to transform yourself into a thinner, younger, more successful version of you? The beauty of fiction--and this romance in particular--is that the heroine succeeds, and in the process realizes what really matters in life. [Hint: it's not age, looks, or money.]

[Margo Hoornstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Girl Most Likely is a must read for anyone who wants to read about real characters involved in a feel good, second chances, come with me and we will succeed, love is worth the sacrifice romance.

Cara and Finn are two such characters who, along with Cara's two charming and realistically crafted daughters, realize a much deserved happily every after.

In her book for the Class of '85 series of The Wild Rose Press, Ms. Richards delivers a well written, enjoyable and, above all, believable and entertaining story. With an ending that will have you smiling through your tears.

One for the keeper shelf.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jana Richards has written a winner with The Girl Most Likely. I had the pleasure of listening to the audio version of this book. Leigh Linley's performance made the book even more fun and delightful. I could not help but giggle throughout this short story. Cara is one character that I could relate to and I believe so many other readers would too.
I am giving The Girl Most Likely a well deserved five plus stars. I loved it and highly recommend it.
I received the audio version of this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

[Deedra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book.I liked it a lot! Cara was the girl most likely to do a lot in high school.Now she has two daugters and is divorced.Her mom is a toxic monster,always telling Cara how ashamed she is of her.Caras 25th reunion is coming up,her ex is going.Can a hot gym instructor get her in shape? Leigh Linley was a great narrator. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.'

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A perfect book to start the New Year’s with, gives you a little inspiration along the way."

Full review on Single Titles
http://singletitles.com/?p=6598

[Amber Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good. I loved the characters and the story was great. The narrator was awesome. I would read more by this author.