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Better Date than Never #7
Driven to Date
(Better Date than Never series, Book #7)
Career-driven attorney, Jill Parnell, has worked long and hard to become a partner at Corbett, Gray, & Shaw. When the coveted position is given to the boss’s nephew, she does what any intelligent employee would do—attends a colleague’s wedding and schmoozes a high-powered partner at another law firm.
Her potential new boss has only one condition for her, that she demonstrate a personal life that will support a thriving career. Pretending to have a boyfriend is outside Jill’s comfort zone, but she invites the best man to act the part and Ryan is all-too eager to play her significant other. Sparks fly between them, but she reminds herself she’s only driven to date to get back on the partner track.
When Jill discovers Ryan is the lawyer who stole her promotion, her charade threatens to implode. But breaking off their pretend relationship could cost her the job of her dreams. And the more she gets to know Ryan, the more she’s tempted to tame the bad boy, and make him her own.
Career-driven attorney, Jill Parnell, has worked long and hard to become a partner at Corbett, Gray, & Shaw. When the coveted position is given to the boss’s nephew, she does what any intelligent employee would do—attends a colleague’s wedding and schmoozes a high-powered partner at another law firm.
Her potential new boss has only one condition for her, that she demonstrate a personal life that will support a thriving career. Pretending to have a boyfriend is outside Jill’s comfort zone, but she invites the best man to act the part and Ryan is all-too eager to play her significant other. Sparks fly between them, but she reminds herself she’s only driven to date to get back on the partner track.
When Jill discovers Ryan is the lawyer who stole her promotion, her charade threatens to implode. But breaking off their pretend relationship could cost her the job of her dreams. And the more she gets to know Ryan, the more she’s tempted to tame the bad boy, and make him her own.
150 pages, ebook
First published February 22, 2014
679 people are currently reading
2050 people want to read
About the author
Susan Hatler
342 books963 followersSUSAN 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 295 reviews
May 30, 2015
*I received this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
These books are so much fun. I'm not generally a romance reader, but I tried these out and I really enjoy them. This is my third book from this series (I've read books one and six) and I'm not sure that it's my favorite, but there were definitely things that I liked best here.
One thing I love about this book (and the series in general, from what I've read), is how clean they are. They are well written, clean fun. You get sweet kisses and happy endings, but the love never goes further than that. I'm not one to read any steamy romance novels, so I really appreciate this because it doesn't turn me away.
Jill and Ryan probably aren't my favorite of the couples I've read in this series, although they are cute, but the thing I do love about them is that there is a bit more development in their relationship. They meet and things take off from there, but it's over several weeks of them working together, not just a week or a handful of meetings. I like that there is a bit more to the whole romance here.
I also really enjoy Jill. She's a workaholic, but I loved seeing her grow. We get to see her step out of her comfort zone (work) and start enjoying just hanging out with friends, volunteering, and just having a good time.
This is a really cute and super fast read. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a light, happy, fun, romantic read.
You can read this and other reviews on my blog: www.courtnesyreads.blogspot.com
These books are so much fun. I'm not generally a romance reader, but I tried these out and I really enjoy them. This is my third book from this series (I've read books one and six) and I'm not sure that it's my favorite, but there were definitely things that I liked best here.
One thing I love about this book (and the series in general, from what I've read), is how clean they are. They are well written, clean fun. You get sweet kisses and happy endings, but the love never goes further than that. I'm not one to read any steamy romance novels, so I really appreciate this because it doesn't turn me away.
Jill and Ryan probably aren't my favorite of the couples I've read in this series, although they are cute, but the thing I do love about them is that there is a bit more development in their relationship. They meet and things take off from there, but it's over several weeks of them working together, not just a week or a handful of meetings. I like that there is a bit more to the whole romance here.
I also really enjoy Jill. She's a workaholic, but I loved seeing her grow. We get to see her step out of her comfort zone (work) and start enjoying just hanging out with friends, volunteering, and just having a good time.
This is a really cute and super fast read. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a light, happy, fun, romantic read.
You can read this and other reviews on my blog: www.courtnesyreads.blogspot.com
April 16, 2017
I've had this book on my Nook forever and finally decided to read it today when nothing else was working for me. It was a workplace romance with a bit of a mix of fake-relationship, insta-love, and enemies-to-lovers. It was short and sweet with likable characters and I'll be reading some of the other books from this series that have also been sitting on my Nook for awhile.
June 5, 2014
One of the misses of the series for me.
Not enough convincing connection between Jill and Ryan, for one. And the storyline feels all over the place. You think Jill really is too self-absorbed to care about others, but then that volunteer stuff is thrown into the mix haphazardly, in a very obvious and ungracious attempt of giving her character a little depth. Fell flat, consequently. Seems it tries to do a little too much for a shortish book and ends up falling apart. Also, one too many extra commas (just when I thought I'd given up pointing these kinds of errors out).
Fun story, though, and something cute enough to pass time with. Still, not Hatler's best effort.
Not enough convincing connection between Jill and Ryan, for one. And the storyline feels all over the place. You think Jill really is too self-absorbed to care about others, but then that volunteer stuff is thrown into the mix haphazardly, in a very obvious and ungracious attempt of giving her character a little depth. Fell flat, consequently. Seems it tries to do a little too much for a shortish book and ends up falling apart. Also, one too many extra commas (just when I thought I'd given up pointing these kinds of errors out).
Fun story, though, and something cute enough to pass time with. Still, not Hatler's best effort.
October 9, 2019
Well written with a satisfying character arc for the MC. A fun beach read about an attorney who gets a wake-up call that she doesn’t at first see in a favorable light.
November 10, 2016
"A natural optimist, she believes life is amazing, people are fascinating, and imagination is endless."
I pulled that from Susan Hatler's author bio. I think it sums up perfectly about her books and the characters in her books. I've really enjoyed the books I've read so far by her. The characters are generally optimistic and good. They are motivated, kind, and have struggles just like everyone. I love the interactions between characters, even though not all interactions end positive, sometimes they have to work out problems and sometimes everyone is happy.
Jill is a very successful lawyer who spends practically all her time focusing on her goals, which ultimately lead to her making partner in the law firm she works for. Unfortunately there is a major upset at work and she is not offered the position that has opened which would lead her into partner in a few years. Jill is very upset by this and realizes that she doesn't really have any friends whom she can call to talk about her feelings and what has happened. She grasps at the fiance of a friend who happens to be a counselor. Kristen asks Jill if she ever takes time for herself or if she is always too busy with work. What does she do for fun? Work, workout, clean, work...you get the picture. Jill needs to reanalyze her priorities and decide if she truly wants to continue on the path she is on or if she is ready to allow for happiness and fun in her routine.
While at the wedding of her friend Ethan and Kristen she sits by a very prominent lawyer whom she admires. This lawyer is very impressed with her as well and says if she can prove that she's committed to life and relaxing as much as she is to work then she would love to have Jill come work for her. Jill, who of course doesn't have a boyfriend or social life, grabs the best man to pretend to be her boyfriend. Sparks fly and the lawyer is convinced but wants to continue to see Jill enjoying time outside of work.
Jill heads back to work on Monday trying to find a balance and figure out how to convince this lady she's perfect for the job. Monday is also the day she gets to meet the lawyer who was given her promotion...you guessed it, the best man from the wedding. Ryan is too gorgeous and too perfect and catches too many female's eyes that Jill doesn't think she can trust him and honestly, she doesn't have time for this in her life-she has work to do.
Will Jill find something in her life worth giving up her lofty goals (or reevaluating them) for? Will she fight for her position and not let Ryan get too close because of his betrayal? Will she ever allow fun to be part of her routine or will she continue to work and clean and workout? Will she realize that she has friends all around her yet was too consumed to recognize it?
Really a fun novel. I really like the way that Susan Hatler writes her characters, with a weakness or shortcoming that can be fixed if the character is willing to allow change and growth to occur. It is not just her MCs that experience this but many characters within each novel, and many times those characters have a whole other book to show that development and growth.
No graphic violence or sex, some heated kisses but nothing beyond.
I downloaded a free copy from Amazon.
Happy Reading!!!
I pulled that from Susan Hatler's author bio. I think it sums up perfectly about her books and the characters in her books. I've really enjoyed the books I've read so far by her. The characters are generally optimistic and good. They are motivated, kind, and have struggles just like everyone. I love the interactions between characters, even though not all interactions end positive, sometimes they have to work out problems and sometimes everyone is happy.
Jill is a very successful lawyer who spends practically all her time focusing on her goals, which ultimately lead to her making partner in the law firm she works for. Unfortunately there is a major upset at work and she is not offered the position that has opened which would lead her into partner in a few years. Jill is very upset by this and realizes that she doesn't really have any friends whom she can call to talk about her feelings and what has happened. She grasps at the fiance of a friend who happens to be a counselor. Kristen asks Jill if she ever takes time for herself or if she is always too busy with work. What does she do for fun? Work, workout, clean, work...you get the picture. Jill needs to reanalyze her priorities and decide if she truly wants to continue on the path she is on or if she is ready to allow for happiness and fun in her routine.
While at the wedding of her friend Ethan and Kristen she sits by a very prominent lawyer whom she admires. This lawyer is very impressed with her as well and says if she can prove that she's committed to life and relaxing as much as she is to work then she would love to have Jill come work for her. Jill, who of course doesn't have a boyfriend or social life, grabs the best man to pretend to be her boyfriend. Sparks fly and the lawyer is convinced but wants to continue to see Jill enjoying time outside of work.
Jill heads back to work on Monday trying to find a balance and figure out how to convince this lady she's perfect for the job. Monday is also the day she gets to meet the lawyer who was given her promotion...you guessed it, the best man from the wedding. Ryan is too gorgeous and too perfect and catches too many female's eyes that Jill doesn't think she can trust him and honestly, she doesn't have time for this in her life-she has work to do.
Will Jill find something in her life worth giving up her lofty goals (or reevaluating them) for? Will she fight for her position and not let Ryan get too close because of his betrayal? Will she ever allow fun to be part of her routine or will she continue to work and clean and workout? Will she realize that she has friends all around her yet was too consumed to recognize it?
Really a fun novel. I really like the way that Susan Hatler writes her characters, with a weakness or shortcoming that can be fixed if the character is willing to allow change and growth to occur. It is not just her MCs that experience this but many characters within each novel, and many times those characters have a whole other book to show that development and growth.
No graphic violence or sex, some heated kisses but nothing beyond.
I downloaded a free copy from Amazon.
Happy Reading!!!
May 17, 2015
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Jill's always had a plan after graduating from high school and her life had always gone according to it. She's certain Corbett, Gray and Shaw would promote her after she'd slaved for the firm for 5 years but instead the role is handed to Jim Shaw's nephew! At Kristen's wedding, she meets a partner of a rival firm, and she is determined to land a role with them instead. However Madison's condition is that her employees should demonstrate a healthy work-life balance, clearly the opposite of what Jill has. The next moment, Jill's pulling Ethan's best man into pretending to be her boyfriend and things get complicated when he steps into her workplace as the Managing Attorney who stole her promotion.
Jill is a workaholic and she works too much for her own good. She is advised to live life outside of work and just have fun. It was nice to see her transformation at the end of the book. Ryan, with his sexy hazel eyes and dirty blond hair was simply a winning male love interest. He made her scowl, her blood boil...and her heart pound! These characters are so just easy to love and I sped through this! I loved the law theme and the Somerset case was a very nice touch. Driven to Date was a great, clean romance that will have you wanting more.
Jill's always had a plan after graduating from high school and her life had always gone according to it. She's certain Corbett, Gray and Shaw would promote her after she'd slaved for the firm for 5 years but instead the role is handed to Jim Shaw's nephew! At Kristen's wedding, she meets a partner of a rival firm, and she is determined to land a role with them instead. However Madison's condition is that her employees should demonstrate a healthy work-life balance, clearly the opposite of what Jill has. The next moment, Jill's pulling Ethan's best man into pretending to be her boyfriend and things get complicated when he steps into her workplace as the Managing Attorney who stole her promotion.
Jill is a workaholic and she works too much for her own good. She is advised to live life outside of work and just have fun. It was nice to see her transformation at the end of the book. Ryan, with his sexy hazel eyes and dirty blond hair was simply a winning male love interest. He made her scowl, her blood boil...and her heart pound! These characters are so just easy to love and I sped through this! I loved the law theme and the Somerset case was a very nice touch. Driven to Date was a great, clean romance that will have you wanting more.
March 1, 2014
It's Christmas today! Or my birthday! Or maybe it's just MY LUCKY DAY! Yeah, it's totally just my lucky day. Susan is the best surprise gift giver. She never says "Hey, I have a book coming out soon, do you want to review it?" She just sends it over and it pops up in my Amazon account and then I smile and giggle and read it the first mintue I can. It's a lovely thing. Honest. It ranks right up there with chocolate.
Driven to Date really is a special edition book. It's a bit longer than the other books in this series which are novella size. This book is just a titch longer making it novel size. It was lovely to spend a little bit more time with Jill.
Jill and Ryan. Ryan and Jill. Holy spark flying chemistry, Batman. Yeah, I like sparks. Especially ones that lead to kisses. This books was fun. Jill really is driven to succeed. She's got smarts and she is determined. And Ryan? Well, he is way more than he seems. Love him. It's that insta attraction that leads to delving deeper and finding love. sigh. Books like this make me happy.
I love this series and I loved reading Jill's story in Driven to Date. It is a fantastic addition to the Better Date than Never series. Content, clean. No swearing and no sex. :)
Driven to Date really is a special edition book. It's a bit longer than the other books in this series which are novella size. This book is just a titch longer making it novel size. It was lovely to spend a little bit more time with Jill.
Jill and Ryan. Ryan and Jill. Holy spark flying chemistry, Batman. Yeah, I like sparks. Especially ones that lead to kisses. This books was fun. Jill really is driven to succeed. She's got smarts and she is determined. And Ryan? Well, he is way more than he seems. Love him. It's that insta attraction that leads to delving deeper and finding love. sigh. Books like this make me happy.
I love this series and I loved reading Jill's story in Driven to Date. It is a fantastic addition to the Better Date than Never series. Content, clean. No swearing and no sex. :)
October 7, 2015
This is Jill's story. There is so much chemistry going on, almost right from the first page. Jill is a lawyer and when she loses out on a promotion, she grabs a guy at her friend's wedding to try and impress a potential employer. Ryan doesn't mind going along with the game. Jill is very committed her to work and has a list to accomplish by a very young age. Ryan is more laid back--he still gets his work done, but balances work with family and fun. They're good for each other, but sometimes being too opposite has it's disadvantages.
I love how the story is told in first person--it felt more intimate that way. Like I said, the romance is sizzling clean and I enjoyed the way the events unfolded, especially the ending. I was definitely smiling throughout this one!
Content: kissing, some mild innuendo; Clean!
*I received a copy for an honest review*
I love how the story is told in first person--it felt more intimate that way. Like I said, the romance is sizzling clean and I enjoyed the way the events unfolded, especially the ending. I was definitely smiling throughout this one!
Content: kissing, some mild innuendo; Clean!
*I received a copy for an honest review*
May 15, 2014
I really liked this contemporary romance, although I would have liked it better if there'd been a bit more passion between Jill and Ryan. Kisses are nice, but I would have expected them to move beyond that at some point. My only other quibble is how quickly the tough, smart and career-minded Jill turned into teenage girl mush at the sight of Ryan's "sexy hazel eyes." Still, it was a fun and engaging read.
May 12, 2014
Fun, clean read!
At 29, Jill's life is perfectly on track - until it suddenly falls apart! She has spent 5 years slaving away at the law firm to be promoted to Managing Attorney, the next step on her way to partner. Just when she thinks the job is hers, the partners inform her they are hiring the nephew of one of the partners for the position instead. But fate gives her a good turn when at a colleague's wedding she runs into Madison McKenzie of McKenzie, Atkins, Haugan & Hall - a high-powered law firm. Madison is pregnant and looking to bring in another attorney to help with the workload, but Madison also believes that "a happy home life creates an atmosphere to thrive in business." Desperate to impress Madison, Jill invents a boyfriend on the spot... when Madison wants to meet the boyfriend, Jill seeks out the best man and asks him for a favor..
Ryan is happy to help out when Jill asks him to be her boyfriend for 10 minutes. He's shocked to find out while they are dancing that she is doing all this because the partners at her firm have hired one of their nephews instead of giving her the well-deserved promotion -- because he is that nephew! Ryan is every bit as intelligent and capable as Jill, but he also has a fulfilling life outside the office. I love how his laid back personality interacts with Jill's driven personality.
It is fun to see Jill's priorities shift as she develops friendships and learns how rewarding a life outside of the office can be...
(Although this is Book 7 in the series, you do not have to read any other books in the series to enjoy this one!)
Content: Clean
At 29, Jill's life is perfectly on track - until it suddenly falls apart! She has spent 5 years slaving away at the law firm to be promoted to Managing Attorney, the next step on her way to partner. Just when she thinks the job is hers, the partners inform her they are hiring the nephew of one of the partners for the position instead. But fate gives her a good turn when at a colleague's wedding she runs into Madison McKenzie of McKenzie, Atkins, Haugan & Hall - a high-powered law firm. Madison is pregnant and looking to bring in another attorney to help with the workload, but Madison also believes that "a happy home life creates an atmosphere to thrive in business." Desperate to impress Madison, Jill invents a boyfriend on the spot... when Madison wants to meet the boyfriend, Jill seeks out the best man and asks him for a favor..
Ryan is happy to help out when Jill asks him to be her boyfriend for 10 minutes. He's shocked to find out while they are dancing that she is doing all this because the partners at her firm have hired one of their nephews instead of giving her the well-deserved promotion -- because he is that nephew! Ryan is every bit as intelligent and capable as Jill, but he also has a fulfilling life outside the office. I love how his laid back personality interacts with Jill's driven personality.
It is fun to see Jill's priorities shift as she develops friendships and learns how rewarding a life outside of the office can be...
(Although this is Book 7 in the series, you do not have to read any other books in the series to enjoy this one!)
Content: Clean
May 14, 2014
I don't remember how many of the books I've read in this series, but I do remember that I enjoyed them, and Driven to Date is no exception.
Jill, in a panic after her expected promotion goes to one of the law partners' nephew, is advised to find a balance in her life. She's told, in short, to have fun. Unfortunately, Jill is the kind of woman who believes work is fun.
Enter Ryan, who makes a nice "pretend boyfriend" when Jill needs one in a pinch. Turns out Ryan is about to become significant in Jill's life on more than one front.
Misunderstandings, bad parental examples, and Jill's inability to believe men can be trusted lead to more misunderstandings and hurt feelings.
I loved Ryan, and Jill grew on me. Even most of the side players were likable and relatable. I'm looking forward to reading more of their stories.
This is a good, clean romance. I'd feel comfortable recommending it to my Christian friends.
Jill, in a panic after her expected promotion goes to one of the law partners' nephew, is advised to find a balance in her life. She's told, in short, to have fun. Unfortunately, Jill is the kind of woman who believes work is fun.
Enter Ryan, who makes a nice "pretend boyfriend" when Jill needs one in a pinch. Turns out Ryan is about to become significant in Jill's life on more than one front.
Misunderstandings, bad parental examples, and Jill's inability to believe men can be trusted lead to more misunderstandings and hurt feelings.
I loved Ryan, and Jill grew on me. Even most of the side players were likable and relatable. I'm looking forward to reading more of their stories.
This is a good, clean romance. I'd feel comfortable recommending it to my Christian friends.
March 29, 2015
Jill Parnell is a career-driven woman. She had a list of goals she had achieved and she's only a step to her final one, make managing position at 29. Promotions are announced and Jill is already receiving congrats from her colleagues and parents. Until her boss announces he's giving the Managing attorney position to none other than Ryan Shaw. Hence, Tension ensues.
I really really enjoyed this. From the beginning when Jill picks Ryan to be her "fake boyfriend" these two stole my heart. And what continues is a really thick layer of tension I've ever read in a novella. Especially when .. I was like:
I loved this, i wish it was longer <33
I really really enjoyed this. From the beginning when Jill picks Ryan to be her "fake boyfriend" these two stole my heart. And what continues is a really thick layer of tension I've ever read in a novella. Especially when .. I was like:
I loved this, i wish it was longer <33
April 19, 2015
This is the first book I have read from this author and I truly enjoyed it. I loved the banter and how sweet Ryan was. They made a great couple even though Jill was a little tough on him. You could tell Ryan was really into her from when they first met. I loved the characters and the story was well written. I can't wait to read this series from the beginning.
June 22, 2023
This was a quick read. Which was nice. The MC was very career oriented. So, it was nice that she branched out in the end. Although, I'm not sure I could have gotten over what had happened between her and her love interest. If I worked hard and he got my job that would piss me off. However, this isn't about me and thankfully the MC is a better person than me.
Want to read
September 19, 2017FREE on Amazon today (9/19/2017)!
April 24, 2020
An adorable, easy-to-read, clean romance that was enjoyable from start to finish. I loved it.
October 10, 2017
Jill Parnell had worked her butt off in Gray, Corbett & Shaw Law firm for five years, and the day she thought she'd be promoted to Managing Attorney turned out to be false alarm. That position she had aspired for was given to one of the partners' relative and that really hurt workaholic Jill.. Concerned friends told her to take it easy and have fun once in a while, but how could she, after her ill-fated career boost?
Ryan Shaw met Jill on a common friend's wedding and they hit it off. Another promising job got Jill all excited that she was willing to hire a ten-minute boyfriend just to impress a possible new colleague. After she realized who Ryan was, she needed a plan to put into action, and she'd do everything to make it happen.
I'd like to call this story, It Started With A Kiss, because that's how I saw Jill and Ryan's partnership started. But after reading the entirety of this lawyer romance, Driven to Date is indeed the deserving title. I loved how Jill had pursued her plans and showed so much drive to achieve her goals, by changing the person she initially was. I liked that she was open to criticisms and listened to pieces of advice even if it tore her heart. Ryan Shaw was the ideal man, despite getting called a player or someone with a short attention span for ladies. He had proven that there was more to him than meets the eye, and he always got me with his buttercup charisma.
Susan Hatler, as always, make the readers swoon and feel in love with her stories and characters. I loved that this one has clean, slowly burning romance that got me giddy like a teen. Jill and Ryan may have driven me crazy with their complicated love affair, but I was more than happy to plead guilty for being crazy in love.
Ryan Shaw met Jill on a common friend's wedding and they hit it off. Another promising job got Jill all excited that she was willing to hire a ten-minute boyfriend just to impress a possible new colleague. After she realized who Ryan was, she needed a plan to put into action, and she'd do everything to make it happen.
I'd like to call this story, It Started With A Kiss, because that's how I saw Jill and Ryan's partnership started. But after reading the entirety of this lawyer romance, Driven to Date is indeed the deserving title. I loved how Jill had pursued her plans and showed so much drive to achieve her goals, by changing the person she initially was. I liked that she was open to criticisms and listened to pieces of advice even if it tore her heart. Ryan Shaw was the ideal man, despite getting called a player or someone with a short attention span for ladies. He had proven that there was more to him than meets the eye, and he always got me with his buttercup charisma.
Susan Hatler, as always, make the readers swoon and feel in love with her stories and characters. I loved that this one has clean, slowly burning romance that got me giddy like a teen. Jill and Ryan may have driven me crazy with their complicated love affair, but I was more than happy to plead guilty for being crazy in love.
August 31, 2019
I was excited to catch up with the friends in this story. Yes, Driven to Date is a standalone however characters in previous books make an appearance and show their friendship throughout the series. Having said that, we met Jill Parnell, in passing, but she gets her story in this book. The book opens with her being up for a huge promotion at work…and goes downhill from there. It’s sort of the story of every professional women’s life – details change but still the same – and no matter how far we come, it still happens. Advice from friends, and other professional women, say she needs to get a life. Have fun that doesn’t involve work. Date. She does meet someone, a guy named Ryan, but something big happens to her – he turns out to be her nemesis, Ryan Shaw. He’s also her “fake” boyfriend but… Well, you’ll have to read it for yourself. It was a fun, funny, sweet story with some laugh out loud/slapstick moments. Jill has so much anger to work thru, not that it isn’t justified, but she needed to do so before she could get everything she ever didn’t know she wanted. Ryan was a great guy but very low key about it. Sometimes, he was SO low key that he missed chances with Jill. All in all, it was a quick read for me and once again, the author delivered a great story about relationships and just, well, people.
May 26, 2020
Jill was married to her job. She spent every waking hour working to be promoted. When she didn’t get a well deserved promotion, she was devastated, angry and about to do something rash. A friend made her think about the balance she had in her life and she realized the scales were heavily tilted toward work.
The relationship with Ryan started off and continued to be very complicated. Ryan wanted to date Jill. Jill didn’t want to want to date Ryan but at times, couldn’t resist.
I liked that Ryan was such a sweet, caring man that clearly would always have Jill’s back when she was so fiercely independent and didn’t want to rely on anyone so she wouldn’t be let down. He kept showing over, and over that he was so much better than she gave him credit for being until she finally let herself fall under his spell.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The relationship with Ryan started off and continued to be very complicated. Ryan wanted to date Jill. Jill didn’t want to want to date Ryan but at times, couldn’t resist.
I liked that Ryan was such a sweet, caring man that clearly would always have Jill’s back when she was so fiercely independent and didn’t want to rely on anyone so she wouldn’t be let down. He kept showing over, and over that he was so much better than she gave him credit for being until she finally let herself fall under his spell.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 17, 2020
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
This story was a fun one. It was inspirational and had a great moral. The characters were amazing. The way Jill reinvents herself is cool. I liked following the way the story went on. The story developed and progressed well. It was devoid of bad language and mature scenes. Ryan is a great guy. I’m happy he and Jill found love together.
The story follows Jill. She’s a workaholic. Her last boyfriend gave her the ultimatum of either making more time for him or breaking up. She chose the latter. She’s waiting for a promotion at work which she believes she has in the bag. Then she learns that her five years have gone to waste because they are giving the promo to the partner’s nephew. Upset, she approaches Kristen who gives her the advice of “get a life.” And she does. She meets a guy at Kristen’s wedding. Then she learns that the guy is the one who stole the promo.
I wrote this voluntary review in exchange for an ARC copy.
This story was a fun one. It was inspirational and had a great moral. The characters were amazing. The way Jill reinvents herself is cool. I liked following the way the story went on. The story developed and progressed well. It was devoid of bad language and mature scenes. Ryan is a great guy. I’m happy he and Jill found love together.
The story follows Jill. She’s a workaholic. Her last boyfriend gave her the ultimatum of either making more time for him or breaking up. She chose the latter. She’s waiting for a promotion at work which she believes she has in the bag. Then she learns that her five years have gone to waste because they are giving the promo to the partner’s nephew. Upset, she approaches Kristen who gives her the advice of “get a life.” And she does. She meets a guy at Kristen’s wedding. Then she learns that the guy is the one who stole the promo.
I wrote this voluntary review in exchange for an ARC copy.
September 16, 2021
Jill is up for a big promotion at the law firm, but it goes to the bosses nephew. Shortly after, she goes to a wedding of a friend and meets a partner of another law firm. Hoping to catch an opportunity with that firm, she finds out the partner likes their lawyers to also have outside lives. She quickly asks the best man to help her by pretending to be her boyfriend and he agrees, but during the course of the night she finds out that Ryan is the same nephew that got the job she wanted. Once they kiss, their future is off and running.
The characters are terrific, with great backstories and determination. The storyline is fun and has plenty of drama, twists, surprises and heat. Loved the banter and deep feelings that arise even though they fight it. He was touted as a playboy but she sees a different side of him. Maybe there is room in their lives for someone else. Great ending.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The characters are terrific, with great backstories and determination. The storyline is fun and has plenty of drama, twists, surprises and heat. Loved the banter and deep feelings that arise even though they fight it. He was touted as a playboy but she sees a different side of him. Maybe there is room in their lives for someone else. Great ending.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 2, 2021
Absolutely delightful. Jill had so much growth in such a short period of time. The cameos of other members of the series were nice touches. The need to ignore rumors was made patently clear. While it stopped short of an actual HEA, the story does give a solid indication that's in the future.
Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Inspirational. Page-turner. Romantic. Unpredictable. Whimsical. Witty. Wonderful characters.
Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Inspirational. Page-turner. Romantic. Unpredictable. Whimsical. Witty. Wonderful characters.
December 24, 2020
I love the premise of the story. Jill gets looked over for a partner position for the boss's nephew. So she goes to a wedding and talks herself up to a partner at another firm. That firm wants her to have an upstanding social life. She askes Ryan the best man to be her pretend boyfriend so she can keep her dream job. Imagine her surprise when she finds out who Ryan really is. Ryan and Jill have chemistry. This is a clean romance and it is witty and warm I really enjoyed the book and the plot. The characters were great. This is worth ready.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 6, 2021
This is part of the Better Date Than Never Series and is a cute read. Jill is devastated when she's overlooked for a big promotion at her law firm. So when she's at her cousin's wedding she cozies up to a competing firm. Their main concern is that she is a workaholic and lacks balance in her private life. So she grabs the cute best man and convinces him to be her fake boyfriend for the night. What happens when he turns out he's the one who got her promotion? What happens when she finds herself attracted to him? The book is told in the first person and has a happy ending. The characters are likable and the book is a quick, entertaining read without a lot of substance. I read a free book via Booksprout and voluntarily chose to review it.
March 28, 2018
I thought this book started off ok and the story was fine. As it went on though it just became tedious. The ending was wrapped up super suddenly, and there was very little actual chemistry. Definitely not going to read anymore in this series.
September 10, 2021
Jill is on the partner track and everything else has to be postponed. Then she’s passed over for a promotion which goes to a partner’s nephew who will now be her supervisor. Jill meets a potential new boss but she thinks Jill needs balance in her life, meaning a boyfriend. Jill asks the best man at the wedding to pretend to be her boyfriend. Sparks fly but…
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 24, 2020
Another masterpiece from this author. The story is told in the first person point of view, which is always a deal breaker for me. Jill was a great character, easy to relate to and I loved her voice. She was in line for a promotion, which she did not get and now she has to cope with that. I read this one in one sitting.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 18, 2021
t is always a pleasure to spend time re-reading a Susan Hatler book and this one is no exception. I just love the interaction of the characters with those from previous stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 21, 2021
This book pulled me in and kept me entranced till the end. The feelings of love, hate, and pain coming out in waves making you want to cry while you read. This was such a beautiful book! I loved the characters wholesomeness!
December 2, 2020
Jill and Ryan’s story...
Jill felt as if her life was spiraling out of control before a friend suggested that she needed to find a balance to her life. After making a conscious effort to inject friends, fun, volunteer work, and dating Jill finally achieves the the happiness and fulfillment a balanced life can bring...
I received a free copy of this book. This review was posted voluntarily
Jill felt as if her life was spiraling out of control before a friend suggested that she needed to find a balance to her life. After making a conscious effort to inject friends, fun, volunteer work, and dating Jill finally achieves the the happiness and fulfillment a balanced life can bring...
I received a free copy of this book. This review was posted voluntarily
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