Save the Date

Better Date than Never #4

by Susan Hatler

(Better Date than Never series, Book #4)

Kristen knows men hide things. Case in point, her last boyfriend turned out to be married. Just like anyone else, Kristen is devastated. However, since Kristen evaluates people for a living, her ex’s duplicity has her searching for a new career as well as swearing off men.

Touring history museums with her sexy friend Ethan doesn’t count, because he has a girlfriend, and has only shown friendly interest in Kristen. He even helps with her career counseling tasks. Although Kristen has a secret crush on Ethan, spending time with him is safe. Until she discovers he’s actually single. Gasp. And now he’s flirting with her, too.

Suddenly, Ethan is way too dangerous. Not to mention tempting. Sure, he seems like sixty shades of perfect, but how’s a girl with bad judgment supposed to detect what skeletons he has in his closet?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Novella, Fiction, Amazon

148 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2013

About the author

SUSAN HATLER is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author, who writes humorous and emotional contemporary romance and young adult novels. Many of Susan’s books have been translated into German, Spanish, French, and Italian. A natural optimist, she believes life is amazing, people are fascinating, and imagination is endless. She loves spending time with her characters and hopes you do, too.

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Reviews

[Susan Hatler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing a book is an epic test of perseverance, and trying not to freak out (often). Now that I’ve finished Kristen’s story, of course, I want to cry. She was an amazing character to spend time with, so strong on the outside, fragile on the inside, and she had the biggest heart. Thank goodness I can visit Kristen again throughout the series.

I'm currently working on Melanie's story, A Twist of Date (Better Date than Never series, Book #5), coming August 1, 2013.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kristen's a Marriage and Family Counsellor but after finding out her boyfriend of eight months Jake has a wife, she's taking a sabbatical and referring her clients to someone else. She's reconsidering her career and she's not quite ready to move forward into another relationship. Ethan, her history pal, whom she shares a 'save the date' relationship with, is tempting her but can she really trust him?

Having made several appearances in the other Better Date than Never stories, I was intrigued with Kristen's story in Save the Date. She was always the trustworthy and reliable character the girls looked to when they needed relationship advice. It was interesting to see the tables turned and Kristen deal with her own relationship problems! I enjoyed the subplots including Ethan's secret, Rach and Noah's relationship dilemma and Kristen's career search on Career Crush. Everything just fit together so effortlessly! The epilogue brought a gigantic smile to my face.

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5) Kristen has been cheated on and she's not handling it well. As a marriage and family therapist, she doesn't see how she can possible help others when she was so blind herself. Doesn't that make her human? For me, it's a lot easier to "fix" things with other people than it is with myself. The events that lead Kristen to discover the perfect, new profession for her are very entertaining...and romantic.

Ethan has been a good friend for awhile now and even though there's some attraction there, he's safe. Or so she thinks. I really love the way Ethan is kind and gentle with such a broken woman. He truly seems to care for Kristen as a person.

I love seeing such fun characters and watching them figure life out. I would like to think I'd be friends with them.

Content: kissing (one instance of French kissing--not graphic); Clean!

[Wysteria · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 star rating

I really liked this book! I think sometime when books talk about hard subjects like rocky marriages it can just be hard to read but I really loved how Susan wrote this book so you understand but you also learn to have hope. I think that is the most important lesson.

I also just love that she is a relationship counselor and throughout the book people ask her for advice. I feel like this book should have a workbook with it! LOL

Definitely recommend!!

Content: kisses, someone does have a picture of someone giving the finger, brief talk of someone getting drunk, and references of spam being filled with companies asking if she'd like to enlarge and appendage she doesn't have and things like that.

I received a review copy and am leaving an honest review.

[Jeannie Zelos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Save the Date. Susan Hatler.

ARC supplied by Netgalley.

I wanted a fun romance so this was next on my reading list. Its a light read, and pretty clear from the outset what's going to happen, but the journey is humorous and interesting and kept me entranced for a couple of hours.
Kristen, caught out her cheating boyfriend who turned out to be married. Happens doesn't it – but she's a relationship counsellor so it knocks her confidence in her job that she missed the signs of his deception, and she stops taking clients. She gets a temp job as a receptionist with her long time friends. I wanted to shake her when one of them, who's clearly deeply in love, gets a bit nervous as Kirsten says anyone , even those who seem on the surface to be loving, could be deceivers. Her friend then goes to extraordinary lengths to catch her boyfriend out, checking his phone and letters, and even cracking his PC password to see what he'd done on there, even though its clear to everyone else he loves her deeply. Kirstens' doubts could lead to them breaking up if he catches her, and her friend is definitely unhappy and all for nothing. Her other friend says she needs to back off and say everything is fine, but she's so soured by her failure to detect her boyfriends deception that she won't, and it causes some tense moments. I feel for Kirsten, but she's taking things to extremes and upsetting others, and its horrible to see just how this could happen. She’s still regarded as an expert in relationships even though she doubts herself.
Ethan, he's just a lovely man, they get on so well and Kirsten has actually had a crush on him for ages, but she was with her boyfriend and he was in a relationship, so she felt it was fine to go out with him to places they were interested in but their partners weren't. Then she breaks up with her boyfriend and finds out actually Ethan is single....and she gets cold feet. What if she doesn't know him well, what if he is deceiving her too? He wants to date but she is scared, so they go out as if on a date but its an “as friends” date. Can he wear down her fears though and rebuild her confidence, and can she pick up her career, as temping in a relationship job is far below her skill level and not what she trained all those years for.
Its a sweet feel good HEA romance. Nothing deep or dark, just something to while away a couple of hours and make you feel that lives can be rebuild, love can win through and I finished it with a feeling of satisfaction and a smile on my face. Its 91 pages for £1.35 on kindle so reasonable VFM. Its not one for re reading for me but it was a gentle, fun, enjoyable read.
Stars: four.

[Aimee (Getting Your Read On) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, our family was at a family reunion over the 4th of July and we were camping. It was fun and exhausting. When I finally got home and unpacked I decided to hop on the computer while I waited for my turn in the shower. I had dreams of getting clean and then curling up in my bed with a book until I zonked from exhaustion. Then, best surprise EVER when I check my email I found Susan's book waiting for me. SQUEE!

Unfortunately, I had to wait until the next day to delve into Save the Date because I guess I was more exhausted then I realized. By the time I made it to bed, there was nothing left and I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. :)

Save the Date tells Kristen's story. She has been in the background of other books and Kristin is known for her counselor type good advice. Her girlfriends depend on her level headed advice to get them through their bumps on the relationship road. But then Kristen finds out her boyfriend is actually married and the devastation the follows makes her doubt her abilities to be a counselor. How can she advise other people when she can't even get it right herself?

Kristin really does a nosedive. She goes completely commando with her job and her friendships and things get a little out of whack.

I loved getting to know Ethan better. We meet him in another book on a date that didn't quite work out. This was a much hotter version of Ethan. Sizzle. He really takes care of Kristen and is so gentle with her feelings. I loved that.

Reading one of these novellas by Susan is almost like instant gratification. Because I can read through them in about an hour, I feel that instant gratification of a romantic story with that happily ever after ending I crave. When I'm in the mood for a quick romance with tension and sizzle, Susan's books are perfect. Loved the book, love the series.

I'm always so excited when Susan finishes a new book. It's like Christmas. With chocolate and a pretty red bow. :)

Thanks Susan, for letting me read and review your book. You make me happy.

Content: There is sizzle and tension and kissing but no sex.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better Date Than Never by Susan Hatler is a 2013 Hatco Inc. publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
There are three short contemporary romances in this box set , which is approximately 148 pages in length. The first story is Ellen's. Ellen has a career working in customer service at a computer software firm. She has an anal personality and a mother that has not had the best of luck with men. Watching her mother go through heartbreaking times, Ellen thinks the best relationships are with those we are the most compatable with. When her good friend Rachel has trouble with her dog Chester, Ellen takes him to dog training class and meets the guy her heart says is "the one", but her brain says they are not compatable.
Story number two is Gina's. Gina has FINALLY gotten the message that her long time boyfriend just isn't going to ever talk about the future or marriage. So, Gina is being pushed in Ethan's direction by Ellen who is preparing for her wedding. However, Chris is the one that makes her heart skip. Will she have the nerve to go for it ?
The third story is Rachel's. After a bad break up, Rachel is not feeling the whole HEA thing like her two friends. When she is set up on blind date with Noah, she firmly puts her foot down and refuses to consider it, until Ellen bites back and over rides Rachel's objections. Could Noah be the one Rachel has been looking for?

All three of these short stories have a theme. First of all, never settle for the most comfortable relationships. Secondly, put your preconceived notions on a shelf and third, be willing to take a chance, even if you get turned down, you never know how things might work out. I enjoyed the first two stories, but Rachel's story was not meaty enough. I wanted see Rachel's HEA examined in a little more detail, but overall all this is a great collection of light contemporary romance stories. There is a low steam level so this book could appeal to all romance readers. Overall I give this one an A. (4 stars)

[Claire Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Hatler
Save the Date
Better Date Than Never #4

I love this series, and this book was no exception. Kristen has always been the one that the girls turned to in a crisis and would provide sound advice, but that all changed after she found out her boyfriend was actually married. Second guessing every decision she was making when it came to relationships and men, she decided to give up on her job as a relationship counsellor and find a new dream job, though soon realises it isn’t that easy. Enter her perfect match, Ethan, they enjoy each other’s company, make each other laugh and have common interests but can Kristen overcome her fears of being hurt again and take a chance?

Ellen, Gina and Rachel are all in the background, reminding us why we love this group of friends, and although Kristen is trying to get away from giving advice, she keeps finder herself doing it (although not all the advice is great in retrospect). Well written, the story flows smoothly and I soon found myself turning page after page getting those warm fuzzy feelings I always attribute to this author that make me want to curl up with chocolate and/or ice cream and either a good book or my fave rom com.

Super sweet contemporary romance, each book in the series can be read as a standalone, but you’ll soon fall in love with each character separately for different reasons so I highly recommend them all.

[Sofia Lazaridou · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a long time I started to have the urge to throw the heroines head to the wall and hit the wall repeatly with it with the hope that she will see clearly for once and stop doing silly things. Jake really did a thing to Kristen, because the marriage and relationship counselor starting destroying a relationship and sabotaging her future with Ethan.

To be honest Ethan and Kristen were a thing for me from the second book Truth or Date so I was surprised to see this book on netgalley. It's the same as the other three books in the way of writing and character development. For the end let's just say that I am happy that she got her old self back and everything was alright.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5...since it's valentine's day, I thought I'd grab the rest of the Better Date than Never series. I think I've said it in previous reviews, but I love all of Hatler's heroes. And Ethan could be my favorite so far. This was a quick, fun read. All of this series has been fun and flirty. Perfect for a quick afternoon pick-me-up :) Looking forward to the next two books.

[Bones · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5

Me agrada bastante el protagonista masculino pero me da igual lo que pase con la protagonista femenina.. (densa e histerica). Entiendo porque era de esa manera.. pero siertas cosas son llevadas al extremo.

Quisiera puntuarlo un poco mas alto, porque Ethan fue lo mejor del libro. Quien mas hubiera soportado esas cosas?

[mirada · Rating 2 out of 5]

2'5 estrellas.
Ha terminado mejor de lo que parecía pero la protagonista femenina me puso de los nervios, de ahí que no le haya dado tres estrellas.

[Cath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book four of the Better Date than Never series and the main character is Kristen M, who has recently found out that her boyfriend of quite some months, was actually married and had been devastated to realise how she had been duped so badly. Considering her career was in marriage and family counselling, after doing a degree in psychology, she should have been much better at reading her ex Jake. She had chosen her career after surviving the war zone of her own parent’s marriage. Now she has completely lost her confidence in her job and has taken a sabbatical from her business and has only a few weeks left on her office renewal. She is now searching for a new career and so is using an online service to help her figure out what she would be good at doing. She has sworn off men romantically and a sexy male friend Ethan, who has similar tastes to her and they enjoy going out to tour history museums together. She believes he already has a girlfriend and finds him safe to be about. That is until she finds out he is really single and he starts flirting with her a bit and she is feeling attracted to him back!

She doesn’t trust her own decision making when it comes to relationships and even lays the distrust on thick, when a good friend begins to worry about her own boyfriend and asks for her advice. This sets her off on a campaign to find out what her boyfriend Noah is up to and going through all his belongings and even breaking his passwords to examine his phone and computer. Kristen doesn’t feel like she needs to apologise for making one of her best friend Rachel into an untrusting monster of a girlfriend, but their other friend disagrees and tries to get Kristen to back off with this attitude. It almost breaks up Rachel and Noah, when he had been trying to meet an ex-girlfriend to simply arrange a nice getaway for him and Rachel. Kristen still can’t trust anyone else, not even Ethan. He has his own secret he wants to share with her, but she is reluctant to find out what it is. She doesn’t believe in her own abilities to help others anymore, especially when her own judgement of others, is so far off kilter. A temp receptionist job leads her to the chance of a new career, but whether it is one that really suits her, she isn’t really sure. Her online career counselling course finally gives her some results, which make for a funny outcome. A good bit of flirting and some really hard relationships issues. Trust is paramount, but when it is broken it can be hard to trust again. A light read with some romantic twists and turns, as relationships are tested. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Fleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how Kristen finally got her own book after having her in the peripheral of previous books, unfortunately she really irked me with her woe is the world attitude. I get that she has always been so put together and confident in her job, but I felt she went just a bit too extreme the other way, but you know what everyone is allowed to be hysterical every now and then I just wished I could jump into the book and shake her lol. Fortunately for her Ethan knows her and has the patients of a saint and sticks it out hoping she will finally get the not so subtle hints he drops but patients only lasts so long. This is a bit of a refreshing read as you don't always like Kirsten but she and her friends do provide some great laughs, awkward moments as well as a sweet story and advice on what not to tell you friends if they aren't sure about their partner!! 😄

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kristen is devastated when her "perfect" boyfriend turns out to be married to someone else. Now she's wondering how she could have misjudged him so badly. She's a marriage counselor. Shouldn't she have seen the signs?

Her gorgeous friend Ethan is the perfect guy to help her pick up the pieces. But can she trust him? Can she trust any man?

Lost in self-doubt, she refers her clients to another counselor and takes a temp job as a receptionist while she figures out what to do with her life. Can she ever get back the confidence she lost?

The author does a nice job with this book, showing how adversity in Kristen's romantic life spills over into her career and friendships. It's hard seeing a bubbly person like Kristen fall into such a funk. Fortunately, she's got friends—including Ethan—to help her through it. This sweet romantic comedy / chick lit is an entertaining and heartwarming read.

Thanks, Booksprout, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Kayla Pocernich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book#4 in the Better Date than Never series. This is Kristen and Ethan story. Kristen is a family and marriage counselor and she knows that men like to hide certain things from women. Kristen is devastated as anyone would be, but since she evaluates people for a living, she starts searching for a new career. Ethan is a lawyer and friends with Kristen and they agree that they will always be there for each other if needed. Kristen isn't really sure what to think when she overhears a conversation that Ethan is having. This was a sweet and quick read and I loved reading Ethan and Kristen's story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author thru Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my review. I always enjoy the books that Susan writes. This story was well written with characters whos friendship turned into more than they were planning. Kristen feels like a personal and professional failure thanks to her ex. Ethan is a friend who is in his own relationship, she thinks. Love can find you even when you least plan it, want it or imagine it. I was happy that Kristen could turn her downward spiral around thanks to Ethan.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kimberly Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kristen has it all or so she thought. She has a career that she loves and a good boyfriend until she found out he was married. This makes her doubt her career as she is a marriage counselor. I love how Ethan helped her get her confidence back just by standing by her and being friends even after they kissed. I love how they would find out about special events and text each other to save the date. I love how Susan Hatler writes books dealing with real life problems and shows how our confidence can go from high to low depending on what is going on in life.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cathylynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kristen has a bad track record with dating and men. After the last boyfriend she wants to change her profession. Ethan and her spend time together as friends since he has a girlfriend he is a safe choice. Then he does not have a girlfriend and what is Kristen to do? She likes him and it seems he likes her. There is great dialogue between the two and it is warm and witty. This is a great book, and part of a series. This is a good story and written well.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Judy Gittleson Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kristen, a marriage counselor, is devastated when she learns her boyfriend is married. Turning to her best friend Ethan, as he has a girlfriend and is safe, they save dates to attend events. Learning he is not dating and starts flirting with her, she gets confused about her path in life. Luckily Ethan is a great friend and never lets her down as he supports her and listens to her.
The characters are very believable and sincere. The storyline is real is that we all have moments of mistrusting ourselves in what we see in others. Ethan is adorable and so sure of himself that he has no problem with being there for a friend who is going through a hard time. Their romance has a great base to it. Loved the ending. Can not wait to read more by this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kristen is a marriage and relationship counsellor who just found out that her boyfriend is not only cheating on her but married. This throws her into a personal crisis which focuses on her ability to do her job. Ethan is the guy she spends time as a friend. We have previously met both Ethan and Kristen in previous books but it can be read as a stand-alone. It’s a fun short feel good story that you can read in one sitting.

Thank you for to the Author, Publisher and Booksprout for the opportunity to read, review and give my unbiased opinion of a complimentary digital ARC.

[Lisa A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better Date than Never...
Kristen, a family therapist, stops practicing because she doesn’t trust her professional instincts after unknowingly dating a married man. Her indecision and lack of commitment cause those around her to doubt their own relationships. I received a free copy of this book. This review was posted voluntarily

[Sharon S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kristen is a psychologist who did marriage and family counseling but was fooled by her boyfriend so has lost her confidence. Ethan is a friend that enjoys history as much as Kristen does but he has a girlfriend. Can Kristen regain her confidence and maybe find a true relationship?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elvira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a great time with this storyline it is well written and flow smoothly. The characters are well developed and kept me entertained.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this humorous story of love closer than you think. It was filled with memorable scenes, great dialogue and a believable relationship built on friendship which turns into everlasting love. Enjoyable

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Save the Date is a sweet romantic story about a marriage counselor who has lost confidence in her abilities to counsel couples. Kristen story is witty and entertaining as Ethan romance with Kristen with dates that are not dates. I truly enjoyed the interplay of the Kristen friends and how they supported her while she is trying to figure out what to do with her career and love life.
Susan Hatler writes Kristen and Ethan’s story that is humorous and entertaining. I highly recommend reading it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Janet Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun Rom-Com in Northern California
This novella-length romantic comedy is by our favorite Rom-Com author, Susan Hatler. In this story, we look at those who let self-doubt turn into paranoia with any potential date. All of the characters in this story are completely believable and may remind you of people you know. I think we all go through periods of self-doubt after the end of a long relationship. This story is probably relatable to all of us, or at least someone we know. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

With very good humor and an impeccable plot, Susan Hatler tells a story that is very relatable to every woman who was betrayed at one time in life. There is low self-esteem, self-doubt, bad counseling, bad action taking, and a relentless search for what is right, helping others, and finding love and romance. Although a work of fiction, it does leave the reader with food for thought regarding relationships and decisions taken in life. Very entertaining and easy to read!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story, told in the first person point of view, which I always love, was another win from this author. Kristen thought she was happy, until...well until her last boyfriend turned out to be married and she saw him on a stroll with his wife.
Another great addition to the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Arceli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is another amazing novel from the author. I loved the characters and the romance. It was super sweet and awesome. I loved the kissing scenes and the banter. There was sizzling chemistry.