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Love By Design #1
Love Under Construction
A new romantic comedy by M.C. Cerny, Love Under Construction is book one in the Love By Design series. Come meet a sullen, stubborn hero with a 2x4 stuck up his rear about falling in love, and a heroine who has watched every episode of the Property Brothers ready to flip her dream house. Between every construction nightmare possible, animals that need to move out, and friends determined to interfere, what could possible go right? Step into a small town with a big heart, and laugh your way into love. Each book in the LBD series is a standalone HEA romance.
Hunter Hart knows construction.
He knows relationships hurt after watching his parents self destruct.
Somehow he forgot all the warnings when Taylor Jane Bryant blasted through the crumbling foundation around his heart.
Taylor Jane Bryant knows home design.
Well... she thinks she knows based on marathon sessions of her favorite television show.
Now she's all grown up and ready to nail the last stud, Hunter Hart.
Hunter Hart knows construction.
He knows relationships hurt after watching his parents self destruct.
Somehow he forgot all the warnings when Taylor Jane Bryant blasted through the crumbling foundation around his heart.
Taylor Jane Bryant knows home design.
Well... she thinks she knows based on marathon sessions of her favorite television show.
Now she's all grown up and ready to nail the last stud, Hunter Hart.
Unknown Binding
First published January 21, 2017
1022 people are currently reading
729 people want to read
About the author
M.C. Cerny
67 books1,216 followersM.C. Cerny is a USA Today Bestselling author of fresh sexy books. She experienced her first real ugly cry reading, Where The Red Fern Grows, and never looked back. She lives with a menagerie of human and feline fur-babies in rural NJ. When M.C. is not writing, you’ll find her lurking in Starbucks, running stupid marathons, and eating all the tacos while plotting her next book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
August 7, 2021
This was a mixed bag for me. The story was decent, a classic friends to lovers tale, and I thought the two main characters and secondary characters were well-developed as people, something not all authors manage to do. Overall this is a sweet story with several good things going for it but there were so many things that got in the way of enjoying the story to the point that I dropped it to 2 stars.
Typos! I'm not a stickler for this but there were so many in this book that I lost track. Some were just a comical misuse of words like Hunter and Taylor being "plutonic" friends. Or Hunter "exercising" his demons. They were frequent enough to pull me out of the story. There's also something to be said for feeling like you're in capable hands when you read a book - things like this tend to ruin that and I find myself more aware of other flaws in the story. I guess I feel that if a professional writer can't master the basics, it makes me wonder how well they execute the harder aspects of writing a good story.
Dialogue/interior thoughts of characters at times made no sense at all. As in, I had to re-read things a few times to try to make sense of it. Then there were things that made sense in terms of the actual words but made no sense in what the words were saying. Like Hunter saying he could feel Taylor slide down the wall even though he was in a different location talking to her on the phone. Or Hunter knowing that someone had a stroke, even though the paramedics were still administering first aid and had made no diagnosis. Then there was the use of a "swifter" to get a bird out of the house - I think they meant a swiffer. The author also used the word "husk" as a verb multiple times as in "Taylor husked out of the room" or "Hunter husked over to the fireplace". What is that??
The spanking scene did not work at all for me. Not necessarily b/c there was spanking but the timing and location of it. I would have kicked his ass to the curb for that.
I felt the conflict keeping these 2 apart was manufactured and rather silly. Hunter's father was abusive to his mother. Both of them died in a car accident when he was young and he's been convinced he will be just like his dad if he has a real relationship so instead he just manwhores around. He has convinced himself that he doesn't deserve someone as good as Taylor.
Hunter's background as a Marine is like window dressing. Other than his short hair and an occasional reference to being deployed several times, it's a non-factor so then why make him an ex-Marine? B/c they're "sexy"? He says to another character at one point something like "you know I have issues with authority figures and following directions" and I wondered how that worked out for him for years as a Marine. It felt like the author forget she made him a Marine when she wrote that.
I didn't like how Hunter treated Brittany either. He knows she wants more from him, a commitment, even a ring, but he doesn't want that. He barely even likes her and just keeps her around as his f-buddy. If that was all she wanted too, then cool. But it's not, and he knows it, which makes it a dick move to only call her when he wants to hook up. But I guess that's all OK b/c Brittney is not a very nice person, at least not to Taylor (that's sarcasm there). While I'm not saying her hostility is the right thing, I understand it. If I was with some dude that I wanted a relationship with and he was clearly head over heels for his "best friend", I would have a hard time being chummy with her too.
Typos! I'm not a stickler for this but there were so many in this book that I lost track. Some were just a comical misuse of words like Hunter and Taylor being "plutonic" friends. Or Hunter "exercising" his demons. They were frequent enough to pull me out of the story. There's also something to be said for feeling like you're in capable hands when you read a book - things like this tend to ruin that and I find myself more aware of other flaws in the story. I guess I feel that if a professional writer can't master the basics, it makes me wonder how well they execute the harder aspects of writing a good story.
Dialogue/interior thoughts of characters at times made no sense at all. As in, I had to re-read things a few times to try to make sense of it. Then there were things that made sense in terms of the actual words but made no sense in what the words were saying. Like Hunter saying he could feel Taylor slide down the wall even though he was in a different location talking to her on the phone. Or Hunter knowing that someone had a stroke, even though the paramedics were still administering first aid and had made no diagnosis. Then there was the use of a "swifter" to get a bird out of the house - I think they meant a swiffer. The author also used the word "husk" as a verb multiple times as in "Taylor husked out of the room" or "Hunter husked over to the fireplace". What is that??
The spanking scene did not work at all for me. Not necessarily b/c there was spanking but the timing and location of it. I would have kicked his ass to the curb for that.
I felt the conflict keeping these 2 apart was manufactured and rather silly. Hunter's father was abusive to his mother. Both of them died in a car accident when he was young and he's been convinced he will be just like his dad if he has a real relationship so instead he just manwhores around. He has convinced himself that he doesn't deserve someone as good as Taylor.
Hunter's background as a Marine is like window dressing. Other than his short hair and an occasional reference to being deployed several times, it's a non-factor so then why make him an ex-Marine? B/c they're "sexy"? He says to another character at one point something like "you know I have issues with authority figures and following directions" and I wondered how that worked out for him for years as a Marine. It felt like the author forget she made him a Marine when she wrote that.
I didn't like how Hunter treated Brittany either. He knows she wants more from him, a commitment, even a ring, but he doesn't want that. He barely even likes her and just keeps her around as his f-buddy. If that was all she wanted too, then cool. But it's not, and he knows it, which makes it a dick move to only call her when he wants to hook up. But I guess that's all OK b/c Brittney is not a very nice person, at least not to Taylor (that's sarcasm there). While I'm not saying her hostility is the right thing, I understand it. If I was with some dude that I wanted a relationship with and he was clearly head over heels for his "best friend", I would have a hard time being chummy with her too.
April 12, 2017
I'm not a big fan of books that jump back into the past one chapter and then bounce back to the present the next. But this book worked for what it was. I even had me tearing up in places.
I liked the idea that Taylor Jane and Hunter had been best friends for years. Not only afraid to ruin the friendship by getting together, but also Hunter being afraid that his past would harm Taylor Jane in some way. Though him being aware of it and so afraid of it, should have shown him he would never be the same as his father.
There were moments that completely confused me, that I wasn't sure what the author was talking about. I also felt like the ending was rushed. Hunter had all these reservations about being involved with Taylor Jane. Since the book was told in dual perspectives, we were able to read the machinations of his mind. But at the end, he all of a sudden changes his mind and there's no clear reason as to why. He just does and then things are good again.
I'm waffling about continuing with the series. Kristen and Damien aka "Demon" are hilarious in this book and may be the only reason to continue. I'm going to read something else now, but if I come back to it, then that means it was meant to be.
I liked the idea that Taylor Jane and Hunter had been best friends for years. Not only afraid to ruin the friendship by getting together, but also Hunter being afraid that his past would harm Taylor Jane in some way. Though him being aware of it and so afraid of it, should have shown him he would never be the same as his father.
There were moments that completely confused me, that I wasn't sure what the author was talking about. I also felt like the ending was rushed. Hunter had all these reservations about being involved with Taylor Jane. Since the book was told in dual perspectives, we were able to read the machinations of his mind. But at the end, he all of a sudden changes his mind and there's no clear reason as to why. He just does and then things are good again.
I'm waffling about continuing with the series. Kristen and Damien aka "Demon" are hilarious in this book and may be the only reason to continue. I'm going to read something else now, but if I come back to it, then that means it was meant to be.
June 15, 2019
I have some very mixed feelings about this book. I love the ‘best friends to lovers’ theme and this book does it very well. I love quirky zany characters and that description fits this group of friends and family to a ”T”. I love a small-town setting and I adore a hero in uniform! But this book really needed to have a better editing job done on it. The number of typos, incorrect word choices, and poor fact checking made me want to pull my hair out by the roots. An allergy to shrimp isn’t necessarily an allergy to seafood – it’s an allergy to crustaceans. A stroke doesn’t happen in the heart, it happens in the brain. The dusting gadget isn’t a “swifter”. I’ve never seen a person “husk” to another place. And how exactly does a successful Marine with “authority issues” work? I’m not a fan of Other Woman drama. I realize that Hunter’s parent’s relationship messed him up. So did the way they died. It’s just really difficult for me to believe that he cares for Taylor Jane the way he’s supposed to when he’s prepared to have and flaunt his FWB relationship in front of her. I also felt like their Happy Ever After happened way to quickly. This pair still had a ton of issues to work through before they got there. I’m curious about Kristen and “Demon”, but I don’t know if I’ll read their book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Booksprout.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Booksprout.
February 4, 2017
This was my first book by MC Cerny and I found myself pleasantly hooked. At first I found myself thinking "let me pick this up and read for a quick ten minutes" and then an hour later I found myself still flipping pages because I couldn't put it down. The characters, the whit and banter, the writing itself, all of it had me wrapped up in every single moment. I found myself falling right into the scenes and feeling right there with the characters.
I'm a total sucker for best friends to lovers and this one was full of everything I love in a good book! Taylor Jane has big dreams. She wants to flip houses and design them and do all the things! But she can't pull off her first house without the help of her best friend Hunter. He gets one look at her house and just shakes his head because he already knows his best friend has already gotten herself into a mess that he's going to have to help bail her out of.
“Flip a house, she says… it’ll be easy, she tells me…"
Thus ensures a super fun and sweet story of these two rebuilding this house beyond repair. They each have two other best friends, Kristen and Damien, who complete their entourage. Between all of them, their bickering and some hilarious construction moments it makes for one fun story!
"Taylor Jane was perfect in my eyes. A perfect pain in the ass on some days, but a beautiful disaster I wanted to keep."
The speed and pace of the story was just right. I liked the build up and anticipation that their characters had going. It made you dying for someone to make the first move. Once that first move was made, things got hot, hot, hot!!
The next book in the series will be about their two besties Kristen and Damien who completely hate each other. I can't wait to see where those two fiery personalities take things!
I'm a total sucker for best friends to lovers and this one was full of everything I love in a good book! Taylor Jane has big dreams. She wants to flip houses and design them and do all the things! But she can't pull off her first house without the help of her best friend Hunter. He gets one look at her house and just shakes his head because he already knows his best friend has already gotten herself into a mess that he's going to have to help bail her out of.
“Flip a house, she says… it’ll be easy, she tells me…"
Thus ensures a super fun and sweet story of these two rebuilding this house beyond repair. They each have two other best friends, Kristen and Damien, who complete their entourage. Between all of them, their bickering and some hilarious construction moments it makes for one fun story!
"Taylor Jane was perfect in my eyes. A perfect pain in the ass on some days, but a beautiful disaster I wanted to keep."
The speed and pace of the story was just right. I liked the build up and anticipation that their characters had going. It made you dying for someone to make the first move. Once that first move was made, things got hot, hot, hot!!
The next book in the series will be about their two besties Kristen and Damien who completely hate each other. I can't wait to see where those two fiery personalities take things!
Want to read
November 26, 2019 🎁 FREE on Amazon today (11/26/2019)! 🎁
November 6, 2019
4 Stars!
What could go wrong? For Taylor and Hunter? How about... EVERYTHING.
M.C. Cerny is brand spanking new to me (great way to pop my cherry!!) and y'all I'm loving what I've read in the first book of this hilarious new standalone Love by Design series and bonus I'm a huge HGTV -- Property Brothers lover.
Love Under Construction is Taylor and Hunter's story and if you like a sweeter, lighter, fresher, funny as heck, best friends to lovers romance that'll have you laughing, smiling, swooning, laughing some more, and all in your feels along the way... then their journey is an absolute must read y'all.
I totally recommend this book.
Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog.
What could go wrong? For Taylor and Hunter? How about... EVERYTHING.
M.C. Cerny is brand spanking new to me (great way to pop my cherry!!) and y'all I'm loving what I've read in the first book of this hilarious new standalone Love by Design series and bonus I'm a huge HGTV -- Property Brothers lover.
Love Under Construction is Taylor and Hunter's story and if you like a sweeter, lighter, fresher, funny as heck, best friends to lovers romance that'll have you laughing, smiling, swooning, laughing some more, and all in your feels along the way... then their journey is an absolute must read y'all.
I totally recommend this book.
Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog.
January 7, 2022
A bit of a yikes for me.
I didn't love the character's. Taylor Jane is portrayed as a stupid baby, stomping her foot and having a fit any time she doesn't get her way. I don't know if we were going for the strong independent woman with an attitude... but all that was accomplished is she seems annoying and dumb. There were a few times where she would insist on fixing something herself even though she didn't know what she was doing, and I was expecting her to figure it out after the fuss she had made and show everyone how capable she was. I thought WRONG. She would just make a bigger mess and other people would have to clean up after her. She felt like a woman written by a man honestly, it was that bad.
Second, a lot of the text simply didn't make sense. So many typos and sometimes I would have to reread passages because they were nonsensical. Locations would suddenly change and we would go from an actual conversation to a character's stream of consciousness with no indication whatsoever.
Finally, the spanking scene. OH THE SPANKING SCENE. There was nothing cute or sexy about this it was borderline abusive, completely inappropriate and so cringey. I actually can't believe this happened between the hero and heroine and they still ended up together.
So yeah. I suppose you can read it if you want. I still got through it pretty quickly and enjoyed the through line of the story but some details were so glaringly painful that it was a bit like watching a train wreck and not being able to look away.
I didn't love the character's. Taylor Jane is portrayed as a stupid baby, stomping her foot and having a fit any time she doesn't get her way. I don't know if we were going for the strong independent woman with an attitude... but all that was accomplished is she seems annoying and dumb. There were a few times where she would insist on fixing something herself even though she didn't know what she was doing, and I was expecting her to figure it out after the fuss she had made and show everyone how capable she was. I thought WRONG. She would just make a bigger mess and other people would have to clean up after her. She felt like a woman written by a man honestly, it was that bad.
Second, a lot of the text simply didn't make sense. So many typos and sometimes I would have to reread passages because they were nonsensical. Locations would suddenly change and we would go from an actual conversation to a character's stream of consciousness with no indication whatsoever.
Finally, the spanking scene. OH THE SPANKING SCENE. There was nothing cute or sexy about this it was borderline abusive, completely inappropriate and so cringey. I actually can't believe this happened between the hero and heroine and they still ended up together.
So yeah. I suppose you can read it if you want. I still got through it pretty quickly and enjoyed the through line of the story but some details were so glaringly painful that it was a bit like watching a train wreck and not being able to look away.
August 11, 2021
Actual Rating: 1.75 stars.
Oh boy. Here we go again with another book from a Rom-Com anthology that I purchased at the beginning of the year. Am I starting to regret that purchase? Kind of. It has 10 Rom-Coms that are either first books in a series or standalone Adult Contemporary Romances. This one says it’s about a grumpy contractor who is working with a girl who watches a lot of HGTV and feels like she can tackle anything. But really this is a best friends to lovers trope and, while it is a grump and sunshine trope, it wasn’t even focused on the frustrations of trying to flip a house.
The real downsides to this novel:
1. The main male character is an Alpha Asshole. He’s so controlling and domineering. He supposedly has a past where his father was really controlling and abusive to both his mother and him and, despite the fact that he says he’s trying not to be his father, he’s acting a lot like his father.
2. The writing is just bad. Not that I don’t like where the plot was going or some scenes were uncomfortable. No, there were structural writing problems. Not to mention the lack of editing and the many spelling errors. It read like really bad HGTV Smut Fanfiction. (Is that a thing? I feel like the Property Brothers have totally made this a thing.)
3. The conflict gets resolved so quickly. When our male lead finally realizes that he’s kind of acting like a controlling and abusive asshole, he decides to not be with the main character for her own sake, but almost immediately they end up back together. If this is such a strong fear for him, how can he just let it go immediately?
4. The sex scenes. While some moments in the sex scenes are actually steamy in a good way, there are so many cringe worthy moments. The whole breaking her hymen thing made me roll my eyes so hard I’m pretty sure I sprained something.
The upsides to this novel:
1. The main characters’ best friends were great and good side characters in the story. I would have liked a little bit more from them, but I completely understand that this book is so short (about 250 pages) so it would be hard to make it all fit and make sense.
2. There were some sweet (?) protective moments between the main male character and the main female character. I didn’t like almost anything he did, but when there was actual cause for him to be protective and he filled that role it was sweet.
3. The small town felt like a real small town. A lot of times when authors go to write about small towns it’s obvious that they’ve never actually lived in one. Everything thinks small towns are so quaint and cute when really they’re a cesspool of rumors and town gossip. But the rumor mill sometimes worked in the main character’s favor which was fun.
I don’t know. I think there’s plenty of other Adult Romance (Read: Smut) for you to read if you’re looking for something with a friends to lovers trope or grump and sunshine trope. This one didn’t really do anything groundbreaking and the flaws outweighed the charming moments.
Oh boy. Here we go again with another book from a Rom-Com anthology that I purchased at the beginning of the year. Am I starting to regret that purchase? Kind of. It has 10 Rom-Coms that are either first books in a series or standalone Adult Contemporary Romances. This one says it’s about a grumpy contractor who is working with a girl who watches a lot of HGTV and feels like she can tackle anything. But really this is a best friends to lovers trope and, while it is a grump and sunshine trope, it wasn’t even focused on the frustrations of trying to flip a house.
The real downsides to this novel:
1. The main male character is an Alpha Asshole. He’s so controlling and domineering. He supposedly has a past where his father was really controlling and abusive to both his mother and him and, despite the fact that he says he’s trying not to be his father, he’s acting a lot like his father.
2. The writing is just bad. Not that I don’t like where the plot was going or some scenes were uncomfortable. No, there were structural writing problems. Not to mention the lack of editing and the many spelling errors. It read like really bad HGTV Smut Fanfiction. (Is that a thing? I feel like the Property Brothers have totally made this a thing.)
3. The conflict gets resolved so quickly. When our male lead finally realizes that he’s kind of acting like a controlling and abusive asshole, he decides to not be with the main character for her own sake, but almost immediately they end up back together. If this is such a strong fear for him, how can he just let it go immediately?
4. The sex scenes. While some moments in the sex scenes are actually steamy in a good way, there are so many cringe worthy moments. The whole breaking her hymen thing made me roll my eyes so hard I’m pretty sure I sprained something.
The upsides to this novel:
1. The main characters’ best friends were great and good side characters in the story. I would have liked a little bit more from them, but I completely understand that this book is so short (about 250 pages) so it would be hard to make it all fit and make sense.
2. There were some sweet (?) protective moments between the main male character and the main female character. I didn’t like almost anything he did, but when there was actual cause for him to be protective and he filled that role it was sweet.
3. The small town felt like a real small town. A lot of times when authors go to write about small towns it’s obvious that they’ve never actually lived in one. Everything thinks small towns are so quaint and cute when really they’re a cesspool of rumors and town gossip. But the rumor mill sometimes worked in the main character’s favor which was fun.
I don’t know. I think there’s plenty of other Adult Romance (Read: Smut) for you to read if you’re looking for something with a friends to lovers trope or grump and sunshine trope. This one didn’t really do anything groundbreaking and the flaws outweighed the charming moments.
June 17, 2019
This was a friends to lovers romantic comedy about Hunter and Taylor who have been friends forever. Taylor moves back to town to flip a house and she enlists Hunter to help her. The banter between them was wonderful. The secondary characters were great. This story will keep you entertained the whole time you are reading it. This was my first by this author and I will probably check out the next book in the series. Kristen and Damien’s story is worth the look.
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 27, 2017
**I received this book for an honest review**
The banter in this book, it was wonderful and refreshing. I love it when an author dares to write not only lovey-dovey scenes :) . Multiple times through this book I was snickeringe/laughing my ass of.
I love that Hunter is so protective of Taylor Jane but is still understands what she needs. I also love that Taylor Jane has Hunter but also her other friends. I think the 4 of them make a really solid kind of friendship, where nobody is afraid to say what they mean without beinging a bully.
Looking forward to the next books in this series :) thumbs up from me
The banter in this book, it was wonderful and refreshing. I love it when an author dares to write not only lovey-dovey scenes :) . Multiple times through this book I was snickeringe/laughing my ass of.
I love that Hunter is so protective of Taylor Jane but is still understands what she needs. I also love that Taylor Jane has Hunter but also her other friends. I think the 4 of them make a really solid kind of friendship, where nobody is afraid to say what they mean without beinging a bully.
Looking forward to the next books in this series :) thumbs up from me
December 3, 2019
This book almost broke my heart. I was expecting a Rom Com, and don't get me wrong, it totally is but I was not expecting the emotional depth that was found in it. Two friends that love each other but holding back for different reasons. When I was not laughing my butt off I wanted to shake them to come to their senses! I thought it was a fun and humorous read.
July 8, 2019
I've flipped for Love Under Construction. Hunter and Taylor are a work in progress in more ways than one. Cerny gave me heart tingles and I laughed the whole way through. Taylor is an accident waiting to happen with Hunter grudgingly there to break her fall.
September 23, 2019
Another great read, with lots of chemistry and hotness. This is a well written story and hooked me from the start.This is a quick hot read, with a interesting plot and fantastic characters, great emotion and Loads of steam!
November 7, 2024
DNF. I couldn't get past the first chapter. Just didn't grab my attention.
April 9, 2020
Friends to lovers
It took 10 years for Hunter and Taylor Jane to admit what they felt for each other. Sometimes they and their friends acted like they were still in high school, which had me rolling my eyes a bit. I liked the small town setting and the backdrop of the house flip.
It took 10 years for Hunter and Taylor Jane to admit what they felt for each other. Sometimes they and their friends acted like they were still in high school, which had me rolling my eyes a bit. I liked the small town setting and the backdrop of the house flip.
April 4, 2020
I tried liking this story, I really did.
The premise is actually good: someone watches every show and episode by the Property Brothers and think they can flip a house (note: this is something that the Property Brothers themselves warn against in almost every episode, of which I have seen plenty - GET PROFESSIONALS TO DO THE JOB FOR YOU AND SAVE YOURSELF THE HEADACHE). They enlist the help of their best friend, and it becomes a friends to lovers romance. There's the difference in backgrounds, one coming from a stable family and another from an abusive one. They get together, hit an obstacle, go apart again, the usual stuff. It all seems to be there.
Until it isn't.
First off, the reasons why the H and h stay apart are incredibly flimsy. We keep being told the H has anger management issues, but we're never actually shown this. To be honest, he's more put together than I am, and I have none of the issues stated above. He also can't seem to think with the proper head, because basically whatever h wants, h gets.
And h.
Oh man, h.
I swear, the book tries to explain that 'ditzy blonde' is just a saying, but she was the stereotype. She was told not to do things because she couldn't, practically speaking, did them anyway and things went to hell. She had no clue about structure or reno but only design, and wanted to boss around the contractor, of all people. And when she didn't get her way, she stomped and whined and pouted and behaved like she was five instead of nearly thirty.
I was hoping to see some actual reno going on, since this book is dedicated to the Property Brothers, but honestly, all we saw were a few mishaps, although at the beginning we're told the property as a whole is one big structural challenge, so that's a big let-down. The secondary characters, while fairly developed, also all behave like they're still in school and not responsible adults. How can you consider yourself an adult and act the way these people did??
I also had some issues with the typos in this book because there were a lot of them, ranging from one person starting a thought but never finishing it to another starting a new one and you didn't even realize a new person was speaking, to some wrong words being used, and definitely punctuation errors.
All in all, I was hoping to get a good, reno-inspired romance out of this, and ended up with a big, fat 0.
It's exactly like the Brothers say: if you want renovation done, get professionals to do it, and do it right.
And go watch an episode of one of their shows instead.
The premise is actually good: someone watches every show and episode by the Property Brothers and think they can flip a house (note: this is something that the Property Brothers themselves warn against in almost every episode, of which I have seen plenty - GET PROFESSIONALS TO DO THE JOB FOR YOU AND SAVE YOURSELF THE HEADACHE). They enlist the help of their best friend, and it becomes a friends to lovers romance. There's the difference in backgrounds, one coming from a stable family and another from an abusive one. They get together, hit an obstacle, go apart again, the usual stuff. It all seems to be there.
Until it isn't.
First off, the reasons why the H and h stay apart are incredibly flimsy. We keep being told the H has anger management issues, but we're never actually shown this. To be honest, he's more put together than I am, and I have none of the issues stated above. He also can't seem to think with the proper head, because basically whatever h wants, h gets.
And h.
Oh man, h.
I swear, the book tries to explain that 'ditzy blonde' is just a saying, but she was the stereotype. She was told not to do things because she couldn't, practically speaking, did them anyway and things went to hell. She had no clue about structure or reno but only design, and wanted to boss around the contractor, of all people. And when she didn't get her way, she stomped and whined and pouted and behaved like she was five instead of nearly thirty.
I was hoping to see some actual reno going on, since this book is dedicated to the Property Brothers, but honestly, all we saw were a few mishaps, although at the beginning we're told the property as a whole is one big structural challenge, so that's a big let-down. The secondary characters, while fairly developed, also all behave like they're still in school and not responsible adults. How can you consider yourself an adult and act the way these people did??
I also had some issues with the typos in this book because there were a lot of them, ranging from one person starting a thought but never finishing it to another starting a new one and you didn't even realize a new person was speaking, to some wrong words being used, and definitely punctuation errors.
All in all, I was hoping to get a good, reno-inspired romance out of this, and ended up with a big, fat 0.
It's exactly like the Brothers say: if you want renovation done, get professionals to do it, and do it right.
And go watch an episode of one of their shows instead.
March 2, 2017
This was my first time reading M.C. Cerny, and I went into this story liking the premise considering I am a fan of these types of shows on television. I also love the whole friends-to-lovers trope, so Love Under Construction sounded like it would be right up my alley.
It was cute and sweet and funny, for the most part. But something, and honestly, I can’t put my finger on what exactly it was that was missing for me, but something was. I had difficulty connecting with Taylor Jane and Hunter and trouble feeling the connection between them as more than friends, and as a result it just wasn’t what I hoped it was going to be. There were some sections where I struggled with the urge to skim over what I was reading, and on several occasions, I found myself not enjoying what I was reading enough that I needed to put the book down and walk away. It actually took me several days to even get through the book, and well, that’s just not me at all. I’m the type of person who reads at least one book a day, sometimes more.
It’s not all bad news, though. It was well written and edited, and I did laugh at some of the humor. There were things about this book that I enjoyed, and because of that, I will definitely give this author another try at a later date. Truthfully, I think this is one of those personal preference issues, an “it’s me and not the book” kind of thing or maybe even it was that I was having an off couple of reading days, which happens to all of us as readers sometimes. I think if you’re a fan of a friends-to-lovers storyline, or if the premise of this book (which I really did love the sound of!) interests you, you should give it a try, and hopefully it’ll work better for you than it did for me. But whatever the reason, ultimately there was just a bit more that didn’t work for me personally than there were things that did, and because of that Love Under Construction by M.C. Cerny gets 3.5 smooches from me.
~ Danielle Palumbo
It was cute and sweet and funny, for the most part. But something, and honestly, I can’t put my finger on what exactly it was that was missing for me, but something was. I had difficulty connecting with Taylor Jane and Hunter and trouble feeling the connection between them as more than friends, and as a result it just wasn’t what I hoped it was going to be. There were some sections where I struggled with the urge to skim over what I was reading, and on several occasions, I found myself not enjoying what I was reading enough that I needed to put the book down and walk away. It actually took me several days to even get through the book, and well, that’s just not me at all. I’m the type of person who reads at least one book a day, sometimes more.
It’s not all bad news, though. It was well written and edited, and I did laugh at some of the humor. There were things about this book that I enjoyed, and because of that, I will definitely give this author another try at a later date. Truthfully, I think this is one of those personal preference issues, an “it’s me and not the book” kind of thing or maybe even it was that I was having an off couple of reading days, which happens to all of us as readers sometimes. I think if you’re a fan of a friends-to-lovers storyline, or if the premise of this book (which I really did love the sound of!) interests you, you should give it a try, and hopefully it’ll work better for you than it did for me. But whatever the reason, ultimately there was just a bit more that didn’t work for me personally than there were things that did, and because of that Love Under Construction by M.C. Cerny gets 3.5 smooches from me.
~ Danielle Palumbo
June 22, 2020
Ugh, I wanted to love this and really enjoyed the start, but midway, it stalled and there were some issues that turned me off completely. I love best friends-to-lovers plus offer a home renovation angle and this had my attention. I loved seeing the history of their relationship and the renovation problems kept it light and funny. However, the story fell apart for me midway through. While I think it was intended as humor, it didn't translate and left me feeling like Taylor Jane was desperate and Hunter didn't respect or value her or their history beyond the physical. Overall, not the book for me and I just couldn't finish it.
May 1, 2020
Hunter and Taylor Jane meet at high school. Hunter is a year older than her and he just moved after the death of his parents. He is quiet and except for his cousin Damien, he does not relate much until he meets her and they quickly become friends. They are also neighbors and soon forms part of her gang. When TJ’s mother dies, Hunter decides he will do whatever it takes to protect her. The night of the prom they go together as friends, although both feel more than friendship for each other but do not take the things further. After that night Hunter enlist and they not see each other until years later.
Tu comes home for a project, restoring a house for a tv show and Hunter offers to help her. They argue a lot about the renovations, a lot of accumulated sexual tension. It probably doesn’t help that Hunter has fucked half the town.
Finally Hunter takes the step and they end up sleeping together (TJ is still a virgin, 24 years old bc she was kind of waiting for him). But after a fight where Hunter beats two guys, he decides to break up with her, bc he thinks that his aggressive behavior is going to lead him to make the same mistakes as his father who was an abuser. But after Tj´s father has a stoke, they come back together.
I did not understand many things about the characters:
1. The supposed aggressive character of Hunter, he does has a bad mood sometimes but apart from protesting and the movie incident he is a very focused boy.
2. Hunter and Britt and Hunter´s past in the military. They don’t seem necessary to me in the story.
3. Many details and stories that get you nowhere and then have a HEA too fast
4. Spanking her in the hospital right after her father has the stroke. WTF?
But I have to say that I’d did have very funny moments: the bird and bathroom scenes.
“We had been close at one time. She shared all her secrets, hopes, and dreams with me until I ruined it. The distance between us hurt, and I had no one to blame but myself. Taylor Jane was friend zoned for a number of reasons, starting with my sanity and her physical safety. I couldn’t risk going apeshit on her the way my dad did on my mom. She could read me like a book. I had things of my own I wasn’t prepared to tell Taylor Jane and now this. For the first time, I felt something worse than when I left her.”
“Safe and soul mates. I thought I knew what safe was, but now I had a lot of things to think about watching my soul mate walk out of the bar with another woman gripping his hand tightly, leaving no room for me to squeeze in.”
“She was my oasis. It didn’t matter if I couldn’t have her and quench my decade long thirst. Brittany, on the other hand, was a woman I liked to have sex with when the need arose, and it did quite often, especially when my best friend was back in town flipping a house barely dressed for the job site. Another difference between her and Taylor Jane, one was selfish and self-serving while the other was selflessly giving. Brit had enough to keep me entertained, but nothing I hadn’t enjoyed before. We had an understanding of sorts, though she liked to press the boundaries now and again. She was the type who left shit for me to find, a hairband, a random unworn thong like she was marking her territory. She was my right now girl, not my forever girl. It wasn’t that I was incapable of commitment. My heart was locked down on one girl, and if life had given me a different deck of cards, I might have considered that future possibility. I didn’t treat girls like toys, but Brittany definitely lost her luster after the encounter with Taylor Jane. She was rude and aggressive. I wasn’t sure how much thought I wanted to devote to this.”
“Apparently, my best friend had also bonked, yes, bonked the girl behind the counter at the municipal building. I swear he flapped his Hunter eyelashes and dazzled the damn girl into waving the waiting period so we could speed things along. Do you have any idea how sickening it is watching him lean over the counter and glass partition flirting with a girl who could barely file alphabetically? I almost missed seeing Miss Marbles after that fiasco. He even knew the town inspector, which I should have realized because he was a reliable honest contractor who did a lot of jobs in town. I just didn’t gather the inspector, if you could call her that, had already inspected Hunter’s goods and services a long time ago. I was embarrassed, hurt, and angry for not knowing this and having it surprise me.”
“I thought we might cross that threshold that had been dividing us all these years, but we were even farther away than before. The slow burn of want was stoking a nice little fire in my heart, but it was likely to burn out of control.”
“You’re a temptation I don’t need to give into.”
“I don’t know, but you feel it too?” My mouth spewed words that no longer obeyed staying silent. “I’ve had years of feeling it. I never thought you would give it a chance.”
“Hey, this is me sweetheart. This is us.” Hunter tipped my chin toward his lips kissing me fervently. His lips ravaged mine tasting and teasing. His teeth nipped at my tongue before pulling it into his mouth twirling it with his. I forgot the reasons why we waited so long and the reasons we convinced ourselves this wasn’t right.
“I should take you home. I don’t think I can do this.” I needed space. I needed the pounding in my head to stop. I needed to be far away from her so I didn’t hurt her. “We’ll go back to being the friends we were before. It has to be that way.”“Yes, I do sweetheart.” “Hunter, don’t give up on us. Don’t you dare give up.”“It’s in my blood and I would die before I ever hurt you like that or caused you to fear me. Let’s go home.”
Tu comes home for a project, restoring a house for a tv show and Hunter offers to help her. They argue a lot about the renovations, a lot of accumulated sexual tension. It probably doesn’t help that Hunter has fucked half the town.
Finally Hunter takes the step and they end up sleeping together (TJ is still a virgin, 24 years old bc she was kind of waiting for him). But after a fight where Hunter beats two guys, he decides to break up with her, bc he thinks that his aggressive behavior is going to lead him to make the same mistakes as his father who was an abuser. But after Tj´s father has a stoke, they come back together.
I did not understand many things about the characters:
1. The supposed aggressive character of Hunter, he does has a bad mood sometimes but apart from protesting and the movie incident he is a very focused boy.
2. Hunter and Britt and Hunter´s past in the military. They don’t seem necessary to me in the story.
3. Many details and stories that get you nowhere and then have a HEA too fast
4. Spanking her in the hospital right after her father has the stroke. WTF?
But I have to say that I’d did have very funny moments: the bird and bathroom scenes.
“We had been close at one time. She shared all her secrets, hopes, and dreams with me until I ruined it. The distance between us hurt, and I had no one to blame but myself. Taylor Jane was friend zoned for a number of reasons, starting with my sanity and her physical safety. I couldn’t risk going apeshit on her the way my dad did on my mom. She could read me like a book. I had things of my own I wasn’t prepared to tell Taylor Jane and now this. For the first time, I felt something worse than when I left her.”
“Safe and soul mates. I thought I knew what safe was, but now I had a lot of things to think about watching my soul mate walk out of the bar with another woman gripping his hand tightly, leaving no room for me to squeeze in.”
“She was my oasis. It didn’t matter if I couldn’t have her and quench my decade long thirst. Brittany, on the other hand, was a woman I liked to have sex with when the need arose, and it did quite often, especially when my best friend was back in town flipping a house barely dressed for the job site. Another difference between her and Taylor Jane, one was selfish and self-serving while the other was selflessly giving. Brit had enough to keep me entertained, but nothing I hadn’t enjoyed before. We had an understanding of sorts, though she liked to press the boundaries now and again. She was the type who left shit for me to find, a hairband, a random unworn thong like she was marking her territory. She was my right now girl, not my forever girl. It wasn’t that I was incapable of commitment. My heart was locked down on one girl, and if life had given me a different deck of cards, I might have considered that future possibility. I didn’t treat girls like toys, but Brittany definitely lost her luster after the encounter with Taylor Jane. She was rude and aggressive. I wasn’t sure how much thought I wanted to devote to this.”
“Apparently, my best friend had also bonked, yes, bonked the girl behind the counter at the municipal building. I swear he flapped his Hunter eyelashes and dazzled the damn girl into waving the waiting period so we could speed things along. Do you have any idea how sickening it is watching him lean over the counter and glass partition flirting with a girl who could barely file alphabetically? I almost missed seeing Miss Marbles after that fiasco. He even knew the town inspector, which I should have realized because he was a reliable honest contractor who did a lot of jobs in town. I just didn’t gather the inspector, if you could call her that, had already inspected Hunter’s goods and services a long time ago. I was embarrassed, hurt, and angry for not knowing this and having it surprise me.”
“I thought we might cross that threshold that had been dividing us all these years, but we were even farther away than before. The slow burn of want was stoking a nice little fire in my heart, but it was likely to burn out of control.”
“You’re a temptation I don’t need to give into.”
“I don’t know, but you feel it too?” My mouth spewed words that no longer obeyed staying silent. “I’ve had years of feeling it. I never thought you would give it a chance.”
“Hey, this is me sweetheart. This is us.” Hunter tipped my chin toward his lips kissing me fervently. His lips ravaged mine tasting and teasing. His teeth nipped at my tongue before pulling it into his mouth twirling it with his. I forgot the reasons why we waited so long and the reasons we convinced ourselves this wasn’t right.
“I should take you home. I don’t think I can do this.” I needed space. I needed the pounding in my head to stop. I needed to be far away from her so I didn’t hurt her. “We’ll go back to being the friends we were before. It has to be that way.”“Yes, I do sweetheart.” “Hunter, don’t give up on us. Don’t you dare give up.”“It’s in my blood and I would die before I ever hurt you like that or caused you to fear me. Let’s go home.”
June 10, 2019
Hunter and Taylor have been friends since he moved in with his cousin during high school. He has crushed on her since day one. There were some places where the story jumped a bit. I liked the dual POV, but there was some inner dialogue missing from Hunter; such as why he joined the Marines, him changing his mind with what to do about Taylor, and why he continued to bring Brittney around. The discipline established with the Marines would have given him tools to curb his anger and authority issues. Why is Hunter being a manwhore an important aspect of his personality? I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
February 2, 2017
Love Under Construction by M.C. Cerny is book number one in the Love By Design series. This is Hunter Hart and Taylor Jane Bryant's story.
This was a great funny and steamy friends to lovers romance. Hunter and Taylor's personalities were so different from each other but they were perfect for each other. It was so much fun watching Hunter and Taylor fall in love. Curl up and enjoy a funny romance with lots of sexual tension.
FYI, includes mature content. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
This was a great funny and steamy friends to lovers romance. Hunter and Taylor's personalities were so different from each other but they were perfect for each other. It was so much fun watching Hunter and Taylor fall in love. Curl up and enjoy a funny romance with lots of sexual tension.
FYI, includes mature content. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
January 18, 2017
I really enjoyed this funny, entertaining and serious read. Hunter & Taylor are great, their chemistry and relationship is perfect. Be warned that if you read this one in public you'll get a few weird looks, because you'll not be able to help yourself from giggling and laughing out loud.
I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
January 17, 2017
I really liked this book. It is funny and serious. Loved the main characters. Can't wait to get the next one. I would have liked to see more details at the end (how many children etc) but maybe we will find out more in the next one.
January 18, 2017
Fun and entertaining read. Loved the interactions between Taylor and Hunter, but also enjoyed the secondary characters of this story, Kristen and Damien. The story follows the flipping of the house which I would call a money pit. Lots of little mishaps along the road with a happy ending.
July 31, 2021
This was a mixed bag for me. The story was decent, a classic friends to lovers tale, and I thought the two main characters and secondary characters were well-developed as people, something not all authors manage to do. Overall this is a sweet story with several good things going for it but there were so many things that got in the way of enjoying the story to the point that I dropped it to 2 stars.
Typos! I'm not a stickler for this but there were so many in this book that I lost track. Some were just a comical misuse of words like Hunter and Taylor being "plutonic" friends. Or Hunter "exercising" his demons. They were frequent enough to pull me out of the story. There's also something to be said for feeling like you're in capable hands when you read a book - things like this tend to ruin that and I find myself more aware of other flaws in the story. I guess I feel that if a professional writer can't master the basics, it makes me wonder how well they execute the harder aspects of writing a good story.
Dialogue/interior thoughts of characters at times made no sense at all. As in, I had to re-read things a few times to try to make sense of it. Then there were things that made sense in terms of the actual words but made no sense in what the words were saying. Like Hunter saying he could feel Taylor slide down the wall even though he was in a different location talking to her on the phone. Or Hunter knowing that someone had a stroke, even though the paramedics were still administering first aid and had made no diagnosis. Then there was the use of a "swifter" to get a bird out of the house - I think they meant a swiffer. The author also used the word "husk" as a verb multiple times as in "Taylor husked out of the room" or "Hunter husked over to the fireplace". What is that??
The spanking scene did not work at all for me. Not necessarily b/c there was spanking but the timing and location of it. I would have kicked his ass to the curb for that.
I felt the conflict keeping these 2 apart was manufactured and rather silly. Hunter's father was abusive to his mother. Both of them died in a car accident when he was young and he's been convinced he will be just like his dad if he has a real relationship so instead he just manwhores around. He has convinced himself that he doesn't deserve someone as good as Taylor.
Hunter's background as a Marine is like window dressing. Other than his short hair and an occasional reference to being deployed several times, it's a non-factor so then why make him an ex-Marine? B/c they're "sexy"? He says to another character at one point something like "you know I have issues with authority figures and following directions" and I wondered how that worked out for him for years as a Marine. It felt like the author forget she made him a Marine when she wrote that.
I didn't like how Hunter treated Brittany either. He knows she wants more from him, a commitment, even a ring, but he doesn't want that. He barely even likes her and just keeps her around as his f-buddy. If that was all she wanted too, then cool. But it's not, and he knows it, which makes it a dick move to only call her when he wants to hook up. But I guess that's all OK b/c Brittney is not a very nice person, at least not to Taylor (that's sarcasm there). While I'm not saying her hostility is the right thing, I understand it. If I was with some dude that I wanted a relationship with and he was clearly head over heels for his "best friend", I would have a hard time being chummy with her too.
Typos! I'm not a stickler for this but there were so many in this book that I lost track. Some were just a comical misuse of words like Hunter and Taylor being "plutonic" friends. Or Hunter "exercising" his demons. They were frequent enough to pull me out of the story. There's also something to be said for feeling like you're in capable hands when you read a book - things like this tend to ruin that and I find myself more aware of other flaws in the story. I guess I feel that if a professional writer can't master the basics, it makes me wonder how well they execute the harder aspects of writing a good story.
Dialogue/interior thoughts of characters at times made no sense at all. As in, I had to re-read things a few times to try to make sense of it. Then there were things that made sense in terms of the actual words but made no sense in what the words were saying. Like Hunter saying he could feel Taylor slide down the wall even though he was in a different location talking to her on the phone. Or Hunter knowing that someone had a stroke, even though the paramedics were still administering first aid and had made no diagnosis. Then there was the use of a "swifter" to get a bird out of the house - I think they meant a swiffer. The author also used the word "husk" as a verb multiple times as in "Taylor husked out of the room" or "Hunter husked over to the fireplace". What is that??
The spanking scene did not work at all for me. Not necessarily b/c there was spanking but the timing and location of it. I would have kicked his ass to the curb for that.
I felt the conflict keeping these 2 apart was manufactured and rather silly. Hunter's father was abusive to his mother. Both of them died in a car accident when he was young and he's been convinced he will be just like his dad if he has a real relationship so instead he just manwhores around. He has convinced himself that he doesn't deserve someone as good as Taylor.
Hunter's background as a Marine is like window dressing. Other than his short hair and an occasional reference to being deployed several times, it's a non-factor so then why make him an ex-Marine? B/c they're "sexy"? He says to another character at one point something like "you know I have issues with authority figures and following directions" and I wondered how that worked out for him for years as a Marine. It felt like the author forget she made him a Marine when she wrote that.
I didn't like how Hunter treated Brittany either. He knows she wants more from him, a commitment, even a ring, but he doesn't want that. He barely even likes her and just keeps her around as his f-buddy. If that was all she wanted too, then cool. But it's not, and he knows it, which makes it a dick move to only call her when he wants to hook up. But I guess that's all OK b/c Brittney is not a very nice person, at least not to Taylor (that's sarcasm there). While I'm not saying her hostility is the right thing, I understand it. If I was with some dude that I wanted a relationship with and he was clearly head over heels for his "best friend", I would have a hard time being chummy with her too.
June 23, 2019
Love Under Construction (Love By Design Book 1) By: M.C. CernyTheir "Love's Under Construction," But Will It LAST ForEver... Let Alone Past The For Sale Sign!?!
She's got a Project ALL Ready for Renovation...
ONE, She's sunk ALL Her Hopes, DREAM, & IT seems Even...
Every Single Penny... Including those of Her Father's,
Which She didn't know about Until it was TOO LATE!
Now, She's ON a Mission...
To Flip that House & WIN a Contest... With a bit of H.E.L.P... from Her BFF!
But Suddenly... HELP is Turn'n into a 4-Letter Word,
As Feelings Looonnnggg Buried...
Come Roaring Back~ With a Vengeance & Raise their Head!
Now, IT seems there's "Love Under Construction,"
Along with the Renovation from H€LL...
As these TWO Strong willed combatants duke it OUT over EACH decision to made!
Can "Love Under Construction" Flourish & Grow...
or... Will IT be Gutted & Demolished by the Effects of the Reno!?!
I was granted an ARC of M.C. Cerny's "Love Under Construction (Love By Design Book 1)" via B00|{$P®0UT. I recommend this book to others based upon its own recommendations. All opinions expressed within this review are uniquely my own & freely given!
Until next time... Happy Reading!
June 20, 2019
Wow, this is an awesome story. I loved the characters in this story and the way that the author wrote it in both of their view points. She also gave history of both of them as the story began giving the reader full insight into their thoughts and what made them the people that they were and are. There was only one problem that I had while reading it is that I would sometimes get confused as to who was talking. Or it could have just been me. Other than that there were times I was laughing so hard I had to stop reading because I just couldn’t see the words anymore.
This is a fantastic story of two people that have been best friends since high school. Hunter came to live across the street with his aunt and uncle after his parents were killed in an auto accident that he was involved in himself. Hunter was scared emotionally by the things his father had done and that scaring made him afraid to push himself to do what he felt for years.
Taylor Jane was in love with Hunter since the day he arrived to the school where his cousin Damien was introducing him at lunch time. Though she would never tell him so. They became close and best friends when her mother suddenly past away. Hunter was the only one that knew what she was going through, the only one that she would talk to about what as going on deep inside of her. He didn’t want to lose that. It took her buying a dilapidated old house to flip for them to finally find each other. Then something happens that could destroy what they finally found in each other. Will the be able to heal the hurts of the past and move forward. This is such a great story, it also brings to light some of the things that people who have lived through abusive situations growing up as children deal with as adults. This is one book that is too good to pass up.
This is a fantastic story of two people that have been best friends since high school. Hunter came to live across the street with his aunt and uncle after his parents were killed in an auto accident that he was involved in himself. Hunter was scared emotionally by the things his father had done and that scaring made him afraid to push himself to do what he felt for years.
Taylor Jane was in love with Hunter since the day he arrived to the school where his cousin Damien was introducing him at lunch time. Though she would never tell him so. They became close and best friends when her mother suddenly past away. Hunter was the only one that knew what she was going through, the only one that she would talk to about what as going on deep inside of her. He didn’t want to lose that. It took her buying a dilapidated old house to flip for them to finally find each other. Then something happens that could destroy what they finally found in each other. Will the be able to heal the hurts of the past and move forward. This is such a great story, it also brings to light some of the things that people who have lived through abusive situations growing up as children deal with as adults. This is one book that is too good to pass up.
June 17, 2019
This is the first book I have read by M.C., but I want to read the rest of this series. Hunter and Taylor Jane have been best friends since high school, and they have both wanted more but haven't acted on it. Hunter doesn't believe he is good enough for her because he is afraid he will become like his dad, abusive. She doesn't want to rock the boat and would rather have him in her life as a friend than nothing at all.
When she enlists his help to renovate a dilapidated house for a reality t.v. show, all bets are off. They argue over pretty much every aspect of the renovation, but it isn't malicious. He has a 'friends with benefits' type relationship and she can't stand Taylor Jane. When Taylor Jane gets drunk at a celebratory party, he takes care of her all night.
Once they admit how they feel and finally act on their feelings, everything should be good to go. Unfortunately, one thing sets him off when they are on a date and he pushes her away. She doesn't want to give up on him, but she doesn't know what else to do. When her dad is rushed to the hospital and she finds out that Hunter knew her dad was sick, she pushes him away.
Will she realize that he did it to protect her? Will he realize that he loves her and needs to be honest about why he reacted the way he did? What will happen to the house she renovated? Can friends really become lovers and have it last a lifetime?
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.
When she enlists his help to renovate a dilapidated house for a reality t.v. show, all bets are off. They argue over pretty much every aspect of the renovation, but it isn't malicious. He has a 'friends with benefits' type relationship and she can't stand Taylor Jane. When Taylor Jane gets drunk at a celebratory party, he takes care of her all night.
Once they admit how they feel and finally act on their feelings, everything should be good to go. Unfortunately, one thing sets him off when they are on a date and he pushes her away. She doesn't want to give up on him, but she doesn't know what else to do. When her dad is rushed to the hospital and she finds out that Hunter knew her dad was sick, she pushes him away.
Will she realize that he did it to protect her? Will he realize that he loves her and needs to be honest about why he reacted the way he did? What will happen to the house she renovated? Can friends really become lovers and have it last a lifetime?
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.
June 21, 2019
I really loved this book about Best friends who meet up again after they went their separate ways. Taylor Jane Bryant who went away to college in get her degree in interior design and Hunter Hart who went into the Marines and getting his degree in Engineering than returning home to have a construction company. Taylor Jane gets Hunter to help her flip a house for a contest she enters. He will due anything to protect her from her money pit. Taylor finds out her father has been supporting her education with equity from their family home and is about to lose it. This puts extra pressure on her to be successful. Both Taylor Jane and Hunter have been in love with each other since high school. Hunter feels unworthy of her due to his abusive father, who was killed with his mom in accident. Hunter came to live with his aunt and uncle and his cousin Damien. Damien and Kristen both friends to Taylor have a hate hate relationship that causes a lot of funny situations. Will Taylor Jane and Hunter finally give into the attraction that has been going on for 10 years? Will Hunter heal from his past? Will Taylor Jane find out the secret her dad has been keeping from her? Will she win the contest? This book has funny and also has deep emotional issues. True friendships and the support of their community. This book has HEA and is worth reading
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.
June 14, 2019
I loved, loved, loved this book! This is my first novel of M.C. Cerny’s work and I am a fan. Taylor Jane and Hunter’s story is one a lot of people can relate to. Their tale had a foundation from their youth which carried them through the years. I enjoyed the fact that Taylor Jane took time away from her close friends for university, it allowed her to grow and really figure out what she wanted. I love the way Hunter cared for Taylor Jane and, with some good-natured grumbling, still helped her out with her crazy design ideas. I can’t wait to see if Damian and Kristen get a story - their chemistry is wild.
*I read A LOT of books, about 3-4/week, and I need to acknowledge the care M.C. Cerny has put into her ARC. Lately, I’ve been getting free books through author promos and BookFunnel and they’re permeated with spelling errors and terrible grammar. I wish authors took the time to run their work through editing software, even a free one like Grammarly, to catch the errors. It makes it hard to read their work and enjoy it if I’m re-reading sentences multiple times to make sure I have the intended understanding.
*I read A LOT of books, about 3-4/week, and I need to acknowledge the care M.C. Cerny has put into her ARC. Lately, I’ve been getting free books through author promos and BookFunnel and they’re permeated with spelling errors and terrible grammar. I wish authors took the time to run their work through editing software, even a free one like Grammarly, to catch the errors. It makes it hard to read their work and enjoy it if I’m re-reading sentences multiple times to make sure I have the intended understanding.
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