What do you think?
Rate this book
Love and Family #3
Happy for You
Mort wants his de facto family back. . . .
He knows he doesn’t deserve them. Not yet, anyway. Not without making up for leaving them in their time of need.
But it’s not easy to make amends. Mort must show how much he wants the Rochester family back in his life. When his best friend’s younger brother, Felix, has his license suspended, Mort jumps at the chance to play chauffeur and to win back the family he desperately wants to call his own.
Repairing his broken relationships—with all five Rochester siblings—becomes Mort’s personal mission. Especially with Felix. Felix, who used to follow him everywhere. Felix, who idolized him. Felix, whom Mort has not stopped thinking about . . .
Felix is just trying to keep it together. . . .
With a perma-smile as his armor, he’s determined to make his family happy. Determined to be a positive role model to his three younger sisters, while their mum struggles with depression after her kidney transplant.
Unfortunately, no amount of smiling can save his license when he gets pulled over for the umpteenth time, and he still needs to get his sisters to school, soccer, and dance classes.
The solution to his problem emerges in the return of their prodigal neighbor, Mort. Mort, who left their lives without a word. Mort, who was in love with Felix’s older brother.
Mort, who is the last guy Felix wants charging back into their lives. . . .
Mort and Felix. Two guys bound by a rocky past—
—a past they must come to terms with to find true happiness in the here and now.
~ - ~ - ~
Set in New Zealand, Happy For You (Love & Family #3) is an MM gay romance featuring two guys pitted together in a blue 1988 station wagon — and there’s no doubt about it, Mort is going to drive Felix crazy.
Can be read as a standalone.
Tropes: brother’s best friend, second chances, family drama, friends-to-lovers, slow burn, found family
Genre: New Adult, light-hearted contemporary gay romance
Trigger warnings: Depression and generalized anxiety (of a side character)
He knows he doesn’t deserve them. Not yet, anyway. Not without making up for leaving them in their time of need.
But it’s not easy to make amends. Mort must show how much he wants the Rochester family back in his life. When his best friend’s younger brother, Felix, has his license suspended, Mort jumps at the chance to play chauffeur and to win back the family he desperately wants to call his own.
Repairing his broken relationships—with all five Rochester siblings—becomes Mort’s personal mission. Especially with Felix. Felix, who used to follow him everywhere. Felix, who idolized him. Felix, whom Mort has not stopped thinking about . . .
Felix is just trying to keep it together. . . .
With a perma-smile as his armor, he’s determined to make his family happy. Determined to be a positive role model to his three younger sisters, while their mum struggles with depression after her kidney transplant.
Unfortunately, no amount of smiling can save his license when he gets pulled over for the umpteenth time, and he still needs to get his sisters to school, soccer, and dance classes.
The solution to his problem emerges in the return of their prodigal neighbor, Mort. Mort, who left their lives without a word. Mort, who was in love with Felix’s older brother.
Mort, who is the last guy Felix wants charging back into their lives. . . .
Mort and Felix. Two guys bound by a rocky past—
—a past they must come to terms with to find true happiness in the here and now.
~ - ~ - ~
Set in New Zealand, Happy For You (Love & Family #3) is an MM gay romance featuring two guys pitted together in a blue 1988 station wagon — and there’s no doubt about it, Mort is going to drive Felix crazy.
Can be read as a standalone.
Tropes: brother’s best friend, second chances, family drama, friends-to-lovers, slow burn, found family
Genre: New Adult, light-hearted contemporary gay romance
Trigger warnings: Depression and generalized anxiety (of a side character)
282 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2019
About the author
Anyta Sunday
105 books2,764 followersSpecialising in slow-burn romances where emotions reign, intimacy lingers, and chemistry sizzles—stories that leave you holding your breath and cheering for love, with just a splash of spice to sweeten the journey.
Check out my website:
Contact: http://www.anytasunday.com/?page_id=386
Für deutsche Leser:
http://www.anytasunday.de/
In italiano:
http://www.anytasunday.it/
Check out my website:
Contact: http://www.anytasunday.com/?page_id=386
Für deutsche Leser:
http://www.anytasunday.de/
In italiano:
http://www.anytasunday.it/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 344 reviews
September 9, 2019
Third book in the series but can be read on it's own.
Classic Anyta Sunday slow burn romance with the emphasis on family and second chances.
Felix just wants to make people happy from his siblings to his mother for whom he made one of the most amazing sacrifices ever.He's been in love with his brother's best friend for years and couldn't understand why Mort left them all a year ago.But now Mort's back and thankfully he finds out very early on the reason Mort left.It's very obvious there's a strong pull between them but Felix is understandably cautious.
Mort is determined to try and win back his family.Not just with Felix but with the three girls,Felix's mother,and with Roch his best friend.I really felt for Mort,I hated the way he was 'cast out' by Delores( Felix and Roch's mother ) and she never redeemed herself for me.His calm determination to put things right,so to speak,was one of the highlights of the book for me.I just adored him.
I loved his relationship with the three girls,especially the twins who are too precious for words.Him and Felix re connect slowly and it was super sweet.For me this one wasn't as up beat with the snarky banter as some of the Authors previous books but very enjoyable nevertheless...
Mort’s smile holds the world as he takes my hand and we dance.
Recommended read.
Review copy.
August 27, 2019
This story was classic Anyta Sunday, with the slow burn turned up to about 15, tossing out a full spectrum of emotions.
There were a few different reasons for the drama in this book.
First, Mort returned to town after a year, leaving at nearly the very moment that the Rochester family could've used his support the most; however, while trying to gain forgiveness for his absence, the one person who knew that Mort held zero blame for his sudden departure remained quiet. Très frustrating, guys.
Second, Felix had been in love with Mort since they were kids, while Mort had been head over heels for Felix's older brother, Roch. But Roch was getting married to "a lovely young woman", so when Mort and Felix's flirtatious interactions were bumped up a notch, of course Felix fought with feelings of being the "consolation prize" brother. The second choice.
On our way home, he doesn’t ask why I disappeared or why I’m acting skittish.
I don’t tell him it’s unbearable being in love with him.
But over time, as they began opening up more to one another, Felix became cautiously optimistic, and others began to notice.
“Now I understand why you are the way you are around Mort.”
“The way I am around Mort?”
“Like he cut out your heart and holds it ransom, and you want it back.”
“No, Tiff, that’s not right.”
“It’s not?”
“I don’t want mine back. I want his.”
This book wasn't completely Romance Central on quite the same level as Anyta's beloved "Rock", but I did find myself really enjoying the times when Mort and Felix let their true feelings see the light of day.
“How can you tell they like you if they aren’t crazy stalkers?”Gah, folks, just... GAH!!! Am I right?
Mort chuckles and side-eyes me. “Extended eye contact. It’s a look. You learn to recognize it.”
“Show me.”
“I am.”
“I can’t tell. You look at me like that all the time.”
“This is true.” He returns his focus on the road.
The story also wasn't jam packed with snark and banter (or tons of steam), but Mort and Felix definitely kept me constantly engaged and laughing with their often-ridiculous antics.
“So once you’ve navigated through these dozen sheep, we’ll -- ”
“Dozen? There are fifty, at least. And when we retell this story, there’ll be a hundred.”
“Excuse me. Once we navigate through forty million sheep, we’ll -- ”
“Better. We’ll head to the best place on Earth.” Felix sucks on his lips. I smirk at him. “Not my bed, Felix.”
“Holy crap. Stop reading my depraved mind.”
One aspect of the story that I particularly liked was how, even though there was plenty of internal monologue, it was balanced extremely well with *actual* dialogue, which is by far my preference. Stories with MC's that live primarily in their own heads, rarely speaking their mind, well, those books make me pretty bonkers, and real damn fast.
Although this wasn't the most angst-ridden or steamiest book, it felt a bit nostalgic for me, especially during the Pax Polo cameo scenes (from Anyta's "Shrewd Angel" story). Pax was such a fun character, so getting to visit with him again was great.
The story kept me anxiously awaiting what would happen next from start to finish, smiling for most of the ride, so I'd rate this one at around 4 stars and recommend it.
-----------------------------------------------
My ARC copy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
See All My Latest Reads (Review Quick-Links)
-----------------------------------------------
September 16, 2019
I am crushed that I didn't like Happy for You, especially since I'm gaga for the other two books in this series, but I struggled with it all the way through.
I'm a huge Anyta Sunday fan, and I've even beta-read books for her in the past. However, that doesn't mean that I've had a smooth road with her writing. I've 1 and 2-starred books from her, and what they all have in common in a sense of missing fundamental pieces of the story.
The best way to describe my feelings about this book is that I felt like I jumped into a story 5 chapters in.
I was... confused. I felt like people knew (or didn't know??) that Felix and Mort had chemistry and maybe a thing going, but then, in the next scene, it seemed like no one knew. Part of the book felt like Felix hid his feelings all along from Mort, but then it seemed like an open secret. Did people know they both were gay? Did they think that neither of them were gay?
I didn't get where Mort went or why. It seemed like neither of them ever worked, they just hung out at an arcade/dance studio? The dance studio details were also strange. Did they all dance together? Is that how they all knew one another or was it from school and then they just liked dancing?
My head hurts.
Anyta Sunday does stories and slow burn so well, but this felt like the burn was already burnt. These guys already had all of these emotions (I think???) for years, so it felt like insta-love and simultaneously like an established couple story. One minute they've barely interacted, and the next they are talking kids? I had whiplash.
I don't know. I felt like I was was missing something major, like I was thrown into the middle of a bigger plot line. The story seemed to work for some people, but I wasn't one of them.
P.S.- Still love you, Anyta!
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
goodreads|instagram|twitter|blog
I'm a huge Anyta Sunday fan, and I've even beta-read books for her in the past. However, that doesn't mean that I've had a smooth road with her writing. I've 1 and 2-starred books from her, and what they all have in common in a sense of missing fundamental pieces of the story.
The best way to describe my feelings about this book is that I felt like I jumped into a story 5 chapters in.
I was... confused. I felt like people knew (or didn't know??) that Felix and Mort had chemistry and maybe a thing going, but then, in the next scene, it seemed like no one knew. Part of the book felt like Felix hid his feelings all along from Mort, but then it seemed like an open secret. Did people know they both were gay? Did they think that neither of them were gay?
I didn't get where Mort went or why. It seemed like neither of them ever worked, they just hung out at an arcade/dance studio? The dance studio details were also strange. Did they all dance together? Is that how they all knew one another or was it from school and then they just liked dancing?
My head hurts.
Anyta Sunday does stories and slow burn so well, but this felt like the burn was already burnt. These guys already had all of these emotions (I think???) for years, so it felt like insta-love and simultaneously like an established couple story. One minute they've barely interacted, and the next they are talking kids? I had whiplash.
I don't know. I felt like I was was missing something major, like I was thrown into the middle of a bigger plot line. The story seemed to work for some people, but I wasn't one of them.
P.S.- Still love you, Anyta!
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
goodreads|instagram|twitter|blog
October 8, 2019
The second book in this serious, Made for You, has a place on my Top Reads of 2019 shelf. As you can imagine, I was très excited to read Felix and Mort's story. But sadly, Happy for You didn't make me happy.
I felt like I was thrown into the middle of a story. The narrative was slightly jumpy, and too many characters were introduced at once.
When we discover WHY Mort left, I was immediately angry at Felix and Roch's mother, who, in my opinion, never redeemed herself. Furthermore, I didn't think her behavior felt believable, and it was ridiculous for Mort to grovel his way back into the family fold when he did nothing wrong in the first place.
The way Roch acted around Mort, running hot and cold, was strange. And the 10-year-old twins bugged me. They were just too present.
Felix is an absolutely adorable character, and I understood his worry that he'd always play second fiddle to his brother in Mort's heart.
The burn was glacially slow, with just one steamy scene toward the end. Anyta Sunday's books are typically not very sexy, which is usually not an issue for me, but in this instance, I didn't quite feel the zing between the men and needed more to convince me.
The ending is sweet, of course, and I'm glad the men got their HEA. I just felt like something was missing.
Closer to 2.5 stars, rounded up for Felix and some cute banter.
I felt like I was thrown into the middle of a story. The narrative was slightly jumpy, and too many characters were introduced at once.
When we discover WHY Mort left, I was immediately angry at Felix and Roch's mother, who, in my opinion, never redeemed herself. Furthermore, I didn't think her behavior felt believable, and it was ridiculous for Mort to grovel his way back into the family fold when he did nothing wrong in the first place.
The way Roch acted around Mort, running hot and cold, was strange. And the 10-year-old twins bugged me. They were just too present.
Felix is an absolutely adorable character, and I understood his worry that he'd always play second fiddle to his brother in Mort's heart.
The burn was glacially slow, with just one steamy scene toward the end. Anyta Sunday's books are typically not very sexy, which is usually not an issue for me, but in this instance, I didn't quite feel the zing between the men and needed more to convince me.
The ending is sweet, of course, and I'm glad the men got their HEA. I just felt like something was missing.
Closer to 2.5 stars, rounded up for Felix and some cute banter.
Did Not Finish
September 14, 2019dnf @ 45%
In theory, this book has a lot of things I love, but the way it was written isn't working for me. I feel like I'm missing some vital information about the characters and their relations, which in return makes me feel completely disconnected from the story and the characters. Not to mention that too often they act weird.
Too bad, because I loved the previous book and was really looking forward to reading this one. I'll just pretend this never happened and wait for the next book.
In theory, this book has a lot of things I love, but the way it was written isn't working for me. I feel like I'm missing some vital information about the characters and their relations, which in return makes me feel completely disconnected from the story and the characters. Not to mention that too often they act weird.
Too bad, because I loved the previous book and was really looking forward to reading this one. I'll just pretend this never happened and wait for the next book.
August 26, 2019
I love the way Anyta Sunday can take a slow burn romance and have the reader absolutely wrapped in the narrative as two people who everyone can see clearly are perfect for each other stumble their way into happiness.
This one gives us Mort's story, last seen in the festive anthology entry Shrewd Angel where he was a secondary character helping out rock star Pax Polo and it's a delicious mix of banter and witty dialogue coupled with intense yearning and lots of pining.
It's a classic brother's best friend/best friend's younger brother romance, but there's also a depth to the story which comes as the plot unfolds and more is found out about why Mort wasn't with the family during their most difficult time.
There's angsting because Felix still thinks Mort's in love with his older brother (the said best friend Roch - and yes that might be meant to be pronounced rock ala the book's instructions but sorry, I called him Roach all the way through in my head 😉 )
But ultimately there's the gorgeous fall into love which Anyta is just so, so good at.
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review
This one gives us Mort's story, last seen in the festive anthology entry Shrewd Angel where he was a secondary character helping out rock star Pax Polo and it's a delicious mix of banter and witty dialogue coupled with intense yearning and lots of pining.
It's a classic brother's best friend/best friend's younger brother romance, but there's also a depth to the story which comes as the plot unfolds and more is found out about why Mort wasn't with the family during their most difficult time.
There's angsting because Felix still thinks Mort's in love with his older brother (the said best friend Roch - and yes that might be meant to be pronounced rock ala the book's instructions but sorry, I called him Roach all the way through in my head 😉 )
But ultimately there's the gorgeous fall into love which Anyta is just so, so good at.
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review
September 13, 2019
I love me a good old unrequited love story and this one had it in spades, Mort having been in love with Roch (Felix's older brother) whilst Felix had loved Mort for years.
Happy for You is a sweet, slow burn romance steeped in family, friendship and forgiveness though really I don't think Mort needed forgiving. Guess I'm not a fan of a certain female then who I think got off way too lightly! The relationship that Felix had with his sisters was so sweet, though at times I wanted Felix to put himself first instead of being all things to everyone, which is where Mort fitted in so beautifully.
Arc provided by Netgalley for review.
Happy for You is a sweet, slow burn romance steeped in family, friendship and forgiveness though really I don't think Mort needed forgiving. Guess I'm not a fan of a certain female then who I think got off way too lightly! The relationship that Felix had with his sisters was so sweet, though at times I wanted Felix to put himself first instead of being all things to everyone, which is where Mort fitted in so beautifully.
Arc provided by Netgalley for review.
September 16, 2019
I really loved book 2 Made for You in this series. For some reason though ‘Happy for You’ didn’t strike the same chord.
And I think the reason is that imo quite a lot of the interactions between various people in this book often felt strange or a little bit off.
I think my main niggle here are the issues surrounding Mort leaving the Rochester family.
a.) The person who is behind this simply doesn’t provide me with any valid reason why it happened. I simply didn’t understand it – despite the circumstances.
b.) Only Felix finds out why Mort left, but the rest of the family who hold a pretty strong grudge against Mort because of it, are never told the truth. Why not? It is totally unfair on Mort.
c.) We have no idea why Mort came back. Again, his reasoning (I’m going to fight for this family now) felt odd. The big talk with the person responsible for his ‘exile’ was not as big as I hoped and didn’t resolve half of it.
So, for me, it felt that Mort was grovelling his way into this family for something that wasn’t his fault. Which felt very wrong! And it was never properly cleared up.
My second biggest niggle has to do with Felix’s crush on Mort.
Which has basically existed forever, and it still goes on pretty blatantly. And of course Mort knows about it, has known since before he left.
I think the author is trying to show us here how Mort slowly convinces Felix that he is the one he loves now (and not his brother Roch who he used to crush on in the old days), and that Felix is not second best to him.
And yes, there is some good UST and the guys pine nicely, but I got the impression that these two were all over the place, and their flirting was somewhat displaced at times. And their reasoning for not being with each other didn't seem 'real' or sensible enough.
On top, Roch’s revelation in the last third of the book seemed a bit forced and just added to get a bit of drama towards the end.
I also had serious reservations about Dolores, her weird homophobia which maybe wasn’t homophobia after all (???) and the fact that there are too many kids in this. (Sorry kids! I love you more in life than in books!)
Finally, on a complete side note, it did strike me funny that Mort who is a teacher and actually works in a school never mentions any marking of homework, lesson preparation or after school meetings which might have kept him from ferrying the Rochester kids about. Wish that was real!
Final verdict: not my favourite Anyta Sunday, but I still enjoyed all of Felix’s firsts!
And I think the reason is that imo quite a lot of the interactions between various people in this book often felt strange or a little bit off.
I think my main niggle here are the issues surrounding Mort leaving the Rochester family.
a.) The person who is behind this simply doesn’t provide me with any valid reason why it happened. I simply didn’t understand it – despite the circumstances.
b.) Only Felix finds out why Mort left, but the rest of the family who hold a pretty strong grudge against Mort because of it, are never told the truth. Why not? It is totally unfair on Mort.
c.) We have no idea why Mort came back. Again, his reasoning (I’m going to fight for this family now) felt odd. The big talk with the person responsible for his ‘exile’ was not as big as I hoped and didn’t resolve half of it.
So, for me, it felt that Mort was grovelling his way into this family for something that wasn’t his fault. Which felt very wrong! And it was never properly cleared up.
My second biggest niggle has to do with Felix’s crush on Mort.
Which has basically existed forever, and it still goes on pretty blatantly. And of course Mort knows about it, has known since before he left.
I think the author is trying to show us here how Mort slowly convinces Felix that he is the one he loves now (and not his brother Roch who he used to crush on in the old days), and that Felix is not second best to him.
And yes, there is some good UST and the guys pine nicely, but I got the impression that these two were all over the place, and their flirting was somewhat displaced at times. And their reasoning for not being with each other didn't seem 'real' or sensible enough.
On top, Roch’s revelation in the last third of the book seemed a bit forced and just added to get a bit of drama towards the end.
I also had serious reservations about Dolores, her weird homophobia which maybe wasn’t homophobia after all (???) and the fact that there are too many kids in this. (Sorry kids! I love you more in life than in books!)
Finally, on a complete side note, it did strike me funny that Mort who is a teacher and actually works in a school never mentions any marking of homework, lesson preparation or after school meetings which might have kept him from ferrying the Rochester kids about. Wish that was real!
Final verdict: not my favourite Anyta Sunday, but I still enjoyed all of Felix’s firsts!
September 15, 2019
TW: homophobia, mentions of major surgery, and descriptive sex scenes
So… y’all know how much I love a good Anyta Sunday romance - I’m normally shouting about them from the rooftops but, I’ll be honest, this one really didn’t do anything for me.
I spent most of the day and a half of intermittent reading that it took to finish this book confused and thinking that I was missing huge and really important parts of the story. Reading it genuinely made me feel like I was the third friend in a trio who wasn’t in on any of the inside jokes. On more than one occasion I found myself flipping back pages or re-reading entire scenes because I felt like the context and backstory were missing. I walked away from Happy For You with more questions than the story answered.
Don’t get me wrong, in classic Anyta Sunday style, the pining and the angst was as amazing and heart-wrenching as I’ve come to love and expect from her, but the rest of the story? It was kinda flat. It all just moved too fast, it was too disjointed, and none of the characters really made any sense when they interacted with each other. Some of the relationships were just plain weird.
My main issues with the story were:
- I definitely didn’t get the impression that Mort and Roch were over each other. In fact, it kinda seemed like Roch was trying to tell Mort that he still had feelings and still wanted to be intimate when they were in the garden and then again while the were camping. Felix was 100% the consolation relationship.
- Why were they all so mad Mort left anyway???? God forbid the man take a job somewhere else and not see them all for a bit. He’s not their father, you can’t expect him to raise those children and not make anything of his life.
- The tooth rottingly sweet insta-romance. Sure, we’re told from the start that Felix and Mort have like hella feelings for each other and they both secretly pining and whatever, but I wasn’t expecting things to move so quickly. Like, they’re friends, nay acquaintances, again for literally two days and they’re practically confessing their undying love for each other?
- I still don’t understand why Mort even left in the first place? Felix’s mother practically raised him and then suddenly became a raging homophobe and kicked him out of the family????? And then she just got over her homophobia because Felix had a quick conversation with her????? What the fuck??
The ones in the family who actually knew why Mort had left didn’t tell anyone else so really they just let him grovel for no reason.
- With some of the dialogue you needed to re-read the whole interaction to work out who said what because it’s very, very unclear.
- They hadn’t even snogged yet and they were saying they want to have kids with each other?????
- The weird moment where Felix asks Mort to untie his bowtie in the most sexual way possible, in the middle of the family living room while his sister was still there. Symbolic my arse. You know which one I’m talking about.
- The utterly bizarre moment when Felix tries to undress Mort THE SECOND he steps through the gate for the first time in a year. Checking to make sure he’s real? Sure Jan.
And I don’t want to offend anyone, but this book seriously needs some editing. I hope this isn’t the final copy that they intend to sell because there are so many missing words, grammatical errors, mismatched sentences, and so many paragraphs that need context adding to them so that they make sense. Unfortunately though since release day in only a few days away I’d say this is the final copy.
I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would which was a real shame, but I feel like it’s been quite hit and miss with the Love & Family series right from book one. That won’t stop me from reading a fourth one though.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review
So… y’all know how much I love a good Anyta Sunday romance - I’m normally shouting about them from the rooftops but, I’ll be honest, this one really didn’t do anything for me.
I spent most of the day and a half of intermittent reading that it took to finish this book confused and thinking that I was missing huge and really important parts of the story. Reading it genuinely made me feel like I was the third friend in a trio who wasn’t in on any of the inside jokes. On more than one occasion I found myself flipping back pages or re-reading entire scenes because I felt like the context and backstory were missing. I walked away from Happy For You with more questions than the story answered.
Don’t get me wrong, in classic Anyta Sunday style, the pining and the angst was as amazing and heart-wrenching as I’ve come to love and expect from her, but the rest of the story? It was kinda flat. It all just moved too fast, it was too disjointed, and none of the characters really made any sense when they interacted with each other. Some of the relationships were just plain weird.
My main issues with the story were:
- I definitely didn’t get the impression that Mort and Roch were over each other. In fact, it kinda seemed like Roch was trying to tell Mort that he still had feelings and still wanted to be intimate when they were in the garden and then again while the were camping. Felix was 100% the consolation relationship.
- Why were they all so mad Mort left anyway???? God forbid the man take a job somewhere else and not see them all for a bit. He’s not their father, you can’t expect him to raise those children and not make anything of his life.
- The tooth rottingly sweet insta-romance. Sure, we’re told from the start that Felix and Mort have like hella feelings for each other and they both secretly pining and whatever, but I wasn’t expecting things to move so quickly. Like, they’re friends, nay acquaintances, again for literally two days and they’re practically confessing their undying love for each other?
- I still don’t understand why Mort even left in the first place? Felix’s mother practically raised him and then suddenly became a raging homophobe and kicked him out of the family????? And then she just got over her homophobia because Felix had a quick conversation with her????? What the fuck??
The ones in the family who actually knew why Mort had left didn’t tell anyone else so really they just let him grovel for no reason.
- With some of the dialogue you needed to re-read the whole interaction to work out who said what because it’s very, very unclear.
- They hadn’t even snogged yet and they were saying they want to have kids with each other?????
- The weird moment where Felix asks Mort to untie his bowtie in the most sexual way possible, in the middle of the family living room while his sister was still there. Symbolic my arse. You know which one I’m talking about.
- The utterly bizarre moment when Felix tries to undress Mort THE SECOND he steps through the gate for the first time in a year. Checking to make sure he’s real? Sure Jan.
And I don’t want to offend anyone, but this book seriously needs some editing. I hope this isn’t the final copy that they intend to sell because there are so many missing words, grammatical errors, mismatched sentences, and so many paragraphs that need context adding to them so that they make sense. Unfortunately though since release day in only a few days away I’d say this is the final copy.
I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would which was a real shame, but I feel like it’s been quite hit and miss with the Love & Family series right from book one. That won’t stop me from reading a fourth one though.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Did Not Finish
September 13, 2019DNF at 28%
This is one confusing book.
I know Anyta Sunday can write great books, and I loved the previous book in this series. But here I felt like I was being dumped in the middle of a story and that didn't get better the more I read.
The way these people interacted with each other was just weird. It was like I was at a party where everyone knew each other, shared a history together, and I didn't know anyone and wasn't included.
This is one confusing book.
I know Anyta Sunday can write great books, and I loved the previous book in this series. But here I felt like I was being dumped in the middle of a story and that didn't get better the more I read.
The way these people interacted with each other was just weird. It was like I was at a party where everyone knew each other, shared a history together, and I didn't know anyone and wasn't included.
September 4, 2019
I really liked this! It was a typical Anyta Sunday book but at the same time it kinda…wasn’t, if that makes any sense.
I liked the always present, but never overwhelming, angst that stemmed from Mort’s leaving his chosen family during the hardest time with seemingly no explanation a year ago.
What made it different than most of her work is that the characters are much less oblivious here. On the contrary, Felix is very open about his feelings, it’s common knowledge that he’s been crushing very hard on Mort, and they ‘re even joking with each other about Felix trying to get over him. I loved these scenes.
Another thing I found interesting is that there wasn’t a big mystery regarding Mort’s leaving in the first place. Everything is revealed from the word go, the characters just have to work on their relationships to make amends.
The "best friend’s little brother” trope is done to perfection here. I loved that while Mort was trying to find his way back to a family he (supposedly) let down, and re-establish his relationship with his best friend, he always put Felix first, even when Felix couldn’t see it.
Lots of feels, tons of UST, very strong sense of family, banter and a little (but enough) steam are some of the things that made this a winner for me.
There were a couple things that baffled me a little bit, though. I found the very important subplot with the mom underdeveloped. Ιt’s not that her reasons were unrealistic, it’s just that the whole thing was easily brushed aside once Mort came back, and none of her kids (except Felix) called her on it. It should have been a huge thing given their history.
I also think that the book would have benefited from a couple more chapters. There was so much history among all these characters. I would have been able to connect more with them and the story itself had there been a “a year ago” chapter or even some flashbacks. Some times I felt I was thrown in the middle of a story.
These are really minor quibbles, though, considering how much I enjoyed the book and how invested I was in the story. Overall, I believe this was a great addition to the series.
Recommended!
I liked the always present, but never overwhelming, angst that stemmed from Mort’s leaving his chosen family during the hardest time with seemingly no explanation a year ago.
What made it different than most of her work is that the characters are much less oblivious here. On the contrary, Felix is very open about his feelings, it’s common knowledge that he’s been crushing very hard on Mort, and they ‘re even joking with each other about Felix trying to get over him. I loved these scenes.
Another thing I found interesting is that there wasn’t a big mystery regarding Mort’s leaving in the first place. Everything is revealed from the word go, the characters just have to work on their relationships to make amends.
The "best friend’s little brother” trope is done to perfection here. I loved that while Mort was trying to find his way back to a family he (supposedly) let down, and re-establish his relationship with his best friend, he always put Felix first, even when Felix couldn’t see it.
Lots of feels, tons of UST, very strong sense of family, banter and a little (but enough) steam are some of the things that made this a winner for me.
There were a couple things that baffled me a little bit, though. I found the very important subplot with the mom underdeveloped. Ιt’s not that her reasons were unrealistic, it’s just that the whole thing was easily brushed aside once Mort came back, and none of her kids (except Felix) called her on it. It should have been a huge thing given their history.
I also think that the book would have benefited from a couple more chapters. There was so much history among all these characters. I would have been able to connect more with them and the story itself had there been a “a year ago” chapter or even some flashbacks. Some times I felt I was thrown in the middle of a story.
These are really minor quibbles, though, considering how much I enjoyed the book and how invested I was in the story. Overall, I believe this was a great addition to the series.
Recommended!
September 5, 2019
I so enjoyed Happy For You by Anyta Sunday. There were several aspects of the storytelling that just worked for me, and will also work for all Anyta fans. I won't rehash the premise as the blurb is ↑
Highlights:
-Dual POVs. And in this story, we needed to get both perspectives.
-Thank you to the author for not dragging out the reveal of the "big mystery" that caused Mort to leave their lives suddenly. It drives me nuts when authors do this. We find out early on, and it sets up the story perfectly.
-UST. The slow burn is classic Anyta Sunday, and it was nice that we didn't have to wait forever for Felix's and Mort's feelings towards each other to be revealed. You'll see.
-Felix (and his whole family minus mom) were utterly adorable, and Mort's love for them was heartwarming.
-I love "best friend's little brother," trope, and it was exquisitely executed.
-Mort and Felix's conversations just made me smile. I think I was smiling almost the whole time.
My only "meh" was Felix's mom. I just never warmed up to her.
All in all, Happy For You was a great addition to the Love and Family series.
4 Stars.
Highlights:
-Dual POVs. And in this story, we needed to get both perspectives.
-Thank you to the author for not dragging out the reveal of the "big mystery" that caused Mort to leave their lives suddenly. It drives me nuts when authors do this. We find out early on, and it sets up the story perfectly.
-UST. The slow burn is classic Anyta Sunday, and it was nice that we didn't have to wait forever for Felix's and Mort's feelings towards each other to be revealed. You'll see.
-Felix (and his whole family minus mom) were utterly adorable, and Mort's love for them was heartwarming.
-I love "best friend's little brother," trope, and it was exquisitely executed.
-Mort and Felix's conversations just made me smile. I think I was smiling almost the whole time.
My only "meh" was Felix's mom. I just never warmed up to her.
All in all, Happy For You was a great addition to the Love and Family series.
4 Stars.
translated
June 12, 2020*sighs*
Ok, let's go. I'm not reviewing much these days, I know, and probably I won't do any justice to this one, but I needed to talk a bit about Felix and Mort‘s story, at least a few words.
Even if my favorite in this series is still book two (Made for You), this one meant a lot to me. A lot. And I don't know why, not really...
Could it be because the depth it breaths, maybe?
Could it be because of the characters? Yes, I think there's something in them, in the whole atmosphere that makes things different, harder. More serious? But not serious at the same time? Yup. I'm having zero sense. But I guess the magic in it resides in the sad plot turned light because the characters do that with their funny and lovely banter.
Could it be because it is funny and cute, and super sexy but it´s also deep in a level I can't explain? Well, that's practically the same reason as the previous one so... forget it.
Could it be because we know from the very beginning where our MCs stay? Because it´s about working things out and it´s done perfectly maintaining us there, wanting the HEA, wanting Felix to be happy, wanting him to realize how to function by his own and with Mort.
Could it be because Mort is one of the sexiest man evah?
Could it be because I didn't like the mom and I don't know if I liked Roch all that much but they made the story... better somehow? fuller, complete?
See? I don't know the whys but I know I did loved it and that this third installment incarnates the title of Love & Family perfectly; it fits, it is a reflection of the whole series, the meaning of it, the family, the love, the choosing what you want, the fight...
*sighs*
*Beta copy*
Ok, let's go. I'm not reviewing much these days, I know, and probably I won't do any justice to this one, but I needed to talk a bit about Felix and Mort‘s story, at least a few words.
Even if my favorite in this series is still book two (Made for You), this one meant a lot to me. A lot. And I don't know why, not really...
Could it be because the depth it breaths, maybe?
Could it be because of the characters? Yes, I think there's something in them, in the whole atmosphere that makes things different, harder. More serious? But not serious at the same time? Yup. I'm having zero sense. But I guess the magic in it resides in the sad plot turned light because the characters do that with their funny and lovely banter.
Could it be because it is funny and cute, and super sexy but it´s also deep in a level I can't explain? Well, that's practically the same reason as the previous one so... forget it.
Could it be because we know from the very beginning where our MCs stay? Because it´s about working things out and it´s done perfectly maintaining us there, wanting the HEA, wanting Felix to be happy, wanting him to realize how to function by his own and with Mort.
Could it be because Mort is one of the sexiest man evah?
Could it be because I didn't like the mom and I don't know if I liked Roch all that much but they made the story... better somehow? fuller, complete?
See? I don't know the whys but I know I did loved it and that this third installment incarnates the title of Love & Family perfectly; it fits, it is a reflection of the whole series, the meaning of it, the family, the love, the choosing what you want, the fight...
*sighs*
*Beta copy*
October 3, 2019
Slow burn! I love this theme and Anyta Sunday is one of the authors that manages to do it right!
This time we have a kind of forbidden romance. Mort is Felix's older brother's (Roch) best friend and on top of that Mort and Roch maybe kind of have a history that goes beyond friendship - it doesn't reach relationship though - and Mort used to have feelings for him. Complicated and awkward? Just a little bit....
Growing up Mort was an honorary member of the Rochester family, always spending as much time as possible with them and finding with them the home he longed for and that his father couldn't give him. Felix took to Mort easily and formed an attachment to him that later on became a crush. However, he was resigned to his role as the kid who always followed Mort around and got to see him mooning over Roch.
I liked the sense of family in this story, it's hard to miss it with five siblings being so present in the plot and a sixth one trying to make amends. We got to see Mort fighting to win back his place in the Rochester family and rebuilding his connection with each member separately. It's obvious that he cares about all of them very much and that at one point he had very strong connections with all of them.
Felix struggles with his feeling for Mort when it seems like they are returned because he's affraid of being a consolation prize and winning second best in Mort's heart since he couldn't have Roch, who is getting married to a woman. It was heartbreaking to see Felix feeling let down and resigned as he witnesses Mort and Roch re-buildning their friendship. That's the main source of anxiety in Felix and Mort's potential future.
The story was in line to what we're used to from this author, so it's no surprise that I liked it. Recommended for fans of this author and those who love slow burn romances.
*An ARC of this book was kindly provided to me in exchange for an honest review. *
This time we have a kind of forbidden romance. Mort is Felix's older brother's (Roch) best friend and on top of that Mort and Roch maybe kind of have a history that goes beyond friendship - it doesn't reach relationship though - and Mort used to have feelings for him. Complicated and awkward? Just a little bit....
Growing up Mort was an honorary member of the Rochester family, always spending as much time as possible with them and finding with them the home he longed for and that his father couldn't give him. Felix took to Mort easily and formed an attachment to him that later on became a crush. However, he was resigned to his role as the kid who always followed Mort around and got to see him mooning over Roch.
I liked the sense of family in this story, it's hard to miss it with five siblings being so present in the plot and a sixth one trying to make amends. We got to see Mort fighting to win back his place in the Rochester family and rebuilding his connection with each member separately. It's obvious that he cares about all of them very much and that at one point he had very strong connections with all of them.
Felix struggles with his feeling for Mort when it seems like they are returned because he's affraid of being a consolation prize and winning second best in Mort's heart since he couldn't have Roch, who is getting married to a woman. It was heartbreaking to see Felix feeling let down and resigned as he witnesses Mort and Roch re-buildning their friendship. That's the main source of anxiety in Felix and Mort's potential future.
The story was in line to what we're used to from this author, so it's no surprise that I liked it. Recommended for fans of this author and those who love slow burn romances.
*An ARC of this book was kindly provided to me in exchange for an honest review. *
December 15, 2024
4.5
Epic slow burn yet again. I love the way Anyta Sunday packs so much tension and longing into every book. Plus Jace and Coop's cameo had me smiling like a loon.
I wasn't sure I liked Mort when he appeared in the previous book, but I found myself absolutely loving his character once we got to know him better. Felix was adorable and my heart ached with empathy for him.
My only reason for not rating this 5 stars is the ending of the main story. I just felt like Felix's mum needed to do more before they forgave her, and Roch came around so quickly that it didn't feel believable. If there had been a bit more angst with the resolution with those two characters then this would have definitely been a 5 star read for me.
Epic slow burn yet again. I love the way Anyta Sunday packs so much tension and longing into every book. Plus Jace and Coop's cameo had me smiling like a loon.
I wasn't sure I liked Mort when he appeared in the previous book, but I found myself absolutely loving his character once we got to know him better. Felix was adorable and my heart ached with empathy for him.
My only reason for not rating this 5 stars is the ending of the main story. I just felt like Felix's mum needed to do more before they forgave her, and Roch came around so quickly that it didn't feel believable. If there had been a bit more angst with the resolution with those two characters then this would have definitely been a 5 star read for me.
October 7, 2019
Another 5* from Anyta Sunday. Reading one of Anyta's books is like curling up on your favourite chair in front of an open fire with a hot chocolate, the perfect slow burn comfort read.
July 6, 2020
2.75 underwhelming- Stars 🙄 Now that I'm done with the series, I think the 2nd one (Made For You) is my favorite and this one my least fav😢
Mort has been the neighbor and an almost family member of the Rochesters all his life. He was Roch's (the eldest) best friend and considered Dolores (Roch's mother) as his own mom in many ways. Having grown up with an uncaring father in a lonely villa, he felt that he had found a surrogate family with the Rochesters. He even harbored unrequited feelings for Roche when they were younger. But all of sudden, he left town for a year when the family, especially Felix (the second brother) needed him the most. Now that he has returned, can the family forgive him?
Felix knew that he was gay when he started crushing on his brother's best friend (Mort) However, even though Mort is back now and helping their family in every possible way, he feels scared of his growing attachment towards Mort. They flirt and joke around, but Felix is not sure that he wants to be Mort's second choice. Can they find their way towards each other? How will their family, especially Roch react when they find out?
For me the story started out like it was all over the place, there were too many characters thrown in immediately and Mort and Felix's personalities never got fully formed. Dolores and Roch were self-centered and selfish through-out the book.. and their about-face at the end seemed fake. This whole plot was like an ensemble story.. and I still don't understand why Mort and Felix fell in love with each other. There was no stand-out moment and I never truly believed in their love. 😬 (I'm getting the Laurie & Amy vibe (Little Women).. just more unpleasant) Honestly in real life, Felix will wonder if Mort chose him or settled for him, every time he will see Mort and Roch hanging out and having fun. Mort will also sometimes wonder about the what-ifs Felix will feel jealous and insecure and Mort guilty, which will cause them to fight and in time they will either grow apart, or one of them will cheat. That's my epilogue for them..🙄 😱
Anyway, I will take a break from this author. Will only read something by her if it comes highly recommended. This book was underwhelming at best.. 🤔 Not really recommended.. sorry! 🤷♀️
Mort has been the neighbor and an almost family member of the Rochesters all his life. He was Roch's (the eldest) best friend and considered Dolores (Roch's mother) as his own mom in many ways. Having grown up with an uncaring father in a lonely villa, he felt that he had found a surrogate family with the Rochesters. He even harbored unrequited feelings for Roche when they were younger. But all of sudden, he left town for a year when the family, especially Felix (the second brother) needed him the most. Now that he has returned, can the family forgive him?
Felix knew that he was gay when he started crushing on his brother's best friend (Mort) However, even though Mort is back now and helping their family in every possible way, he feels scared of his growing attachment towards Mort. They flirt and joke around, but Felix is not sure that he wants to be Mort's second choice. Can they find their way towards each other? How will their family, especially Roch react when they find out?
For me the story started out like it was all over the place, there were too many characters thrown in immediately and Mort and Felix's personalities never got fully formed. Dolores and Roch were self-centered and selfish through-out the book.. and their about-face at the end seemed fake. This whole plot was like an ensemble story.. and I still don't understand why Mort and Felix fell in love with each other. There was no stand-out moment and I never truly believed in their love. 😬 (I'm getting the Laurie & Amy vibe (Little Women).. just more unpleasant) Honestly in real life, Felix will wonder if Mort chose him or settled for him, every time he will see Mort and Roch hanging out and having fun. Mort will also sometimes wonder about the what-ifs Felix will feel jealous and insecure and Mort guilty, which will cause them to fight and in time they will either grow apart, or one of them will cheat. That's my epilogue for them..🙄 😱
Anyway, I will take a break from this author. Will only read something by her if it comes highly recommended. This book was underwhelming at best.. 🤔 Not really recommended.. sorry! 🤷♀️
September 1, 2019
5 stars.
I love Anyta Sunday and I loved this book. I wish I read it slower. My first 5 stars in months and I couldn't be happier.
Full review soon!
I love Anyta Sunday and I loved this book. I wish I read it slower. My first 5 stars in months and I couldn't be happier.
Full review soon!
September 13, 2019
1.5 stars
This was definitely disappointing. I liked the idea of the slow burn and the angst of Felix being in love with his brothers best friend, Mort. Mort who pined after Felix’s brother Roch. The story is a lot more than just about Felix and Mort, the entire Rochester family is included in the story and I really enjoyed Felix’s little sisters April & May. I did not like Dolores, Felix’s mother who is battling depression after going through a kidney transplant. Mort was treated very unfairly by her and I felt as though she was just a one dimensional character who didn’t deserve all she had.
Felix is a very caring and giving man and I could see why Mort cared for him but I wasn’t totally sold on true love. I felt like Mort couldn’t have Roch so he fell for Felix because he was adored and idolized by him. Roch also seemed to have feelings for Mort and that entire situation left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
Overall this is my least favorite book by Anyta Sunday.
**ARC provided through NetGalley
This was definitely disappointing. I liked the idea of the slow burn and the angst of Felix being in love with his brothers best friend, Mort. Mort who pined after Felix’s brother Roch. The story is a lot more than just about Felix and Mort, the entire Rochester family is included in the story and I really enjoyed Felix’s little sisters April & May. I did not like Dolores, Felix’s mother who is battling depression after going through a kidney transplant. Mort was treated very unfairly by her and I felt as though she was just a one dimensional character who didn’t deserve all she had.
Felix is a very caring and giving man and I could see why Mort cared for him but I wasn’t totally sold on true love. I felt like Mort couldn’t have Roch so he fell for Felix because he was adored and idolized by him. Roch also seemed to have feelings for Mort and that entire situation left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
Overall this is my least favorite book by Anyta Sunday.
**ARC provided through NetGalley
August 27, 2019
I did enjoy this one (it's Anyta Sunday, so some level of enjoyment for me is almost guaranteed!), but not as much as I'd hoped. I felt like something didn't quite fit. The plot surrounds Mort's leaving and now trying to earn forgiveness for his absence. When we find out the reason, it isn't revealed to everyone, so he spends the book trying to atone for something that wasn't his fault while the supporting characters that knew the reason let him flounder. It was frustrating.
I loved Mort and Felix (who had great chemistry) and all of the siblings, but I often had trouble remembering whose POV we were in.
I'm not sure that I will remember much about this one in the future, so I'm giving it three stars.
*ARC received in exchange for an honest review
I loved Mort and Felix (who had great chemistry) and all of the siblings, but I often had trouble remembering whose POV we were in.
I'm not sure that I will remember much about this one in the future, so I'm giving it three stars.
*ARC received in exchange for an honest review
March 22, 2020
3.5 stars
This was a lovely story about a younger brother who has always loved his older brother's friend. They've been estranged for awhile but when Mort comes back Felix realizes his feelings have never gone away. They start spending time together and slowly falling for each other again.
I liked this one but didn't love it the way I usually do this author's work. I really disliked Felix's mother and the whole plotline around that made me angry. I hated how they treated Mort and I had a hard time getting past that.
Overall though an enjoyable, slow burn story.
**ARC provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
This was a lovely story about a younger brother who has always loved his older brother's friend. They've been estranged for awhile but when Mort comes back Felix realizes his feelings have never gone away. They start spending time together and slowly falling for each other again.
I liked this one but didn't love it the way I usually do this author's work. I really disliked Felix's mother and the whole plotline around that made me angry. I hated how they treated Mort and I had a hard time getting past that.
Overall though an enjoyable, slow burn story.
**ARC provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
September 18, 2019
4.25 stars from me. Yes, I can understand why some readers felt that they were coming into this story half-cocked. It did seem as though there was a load of back-story that we, as readers, had been left out of BUT I ploughed on regardless, and was rewarded with another lovely slow-burn romance from the Queen of Slow-Burn stories herself. 😁
I adored Felix, was quite taken with Mort [but not his name though 😕], thought Roch [which I would've actually pronounced as Roch, soft ch, not hard...surname Rochester] was a selfish elder brother who didn't seem to care too much about his responsibilities to his family when he had his fiancee/impending wedding to worry about, and the twins/Tiffany were great family members. As far as the 'Roch being bisexual, and thinking he was the only one Mort wanted' storyline was concerned, well I'm glad they let him down gently...it could've been so much worse. I think I could also lump the mum into the selfish category...fancy trying to make the excuse that you couldn't accept that someone was gay because you could possibly be dying and it went against what you believed in, so God had saved you because you believed 🤬🤬🤬. So...Mrs Dolores Rochester, no I didn't like you, and you can thank your lucky stars that the only family member whose kidney was compatible with yours was your gay son. The fact that you weren't sure/weren't aware of that truth is irrelevant to me. You LOVE your son/daughter, no matter what [serial killers excepted of course].
Thanks for another great read Anyta 😘😘.
I adored Felix, was quite taken with Mort [but not his name though 😕], thought Roch [which I would've actually pronounced as Roch, soft ch, not hard...surname Rochester] was a selfish elder brother who didn't seem to care too much about his responsibilities to his family when he had his fiancee/impending wedding to worry about, and the twins/Tiffany were great family members. As far as the 'Roch being bisexual, and thinking he was the only one Mort wanted' storyline was concerned, well I'm glad they let him down gently...it could've been so much worse. I think I could also lump the mum into the selfish category...fancy trying to make the excuse that you couldn't accept that someone was gay because you could possibly be dying and it went against what you believed in, so God had saved you because you believed 🤬🤬🤬. So...Mrs Dolores Rochester, no I didn't like you, and you can thank your lucky stars that the only family member whose kidney was compatible with yours was your gay son. The fact that you weren't sure/weren't aware of that truth is irrelevant to me. You LOVE your son/daughter, no matter what [serial killers excepted of course].
Thanks for another great read Anyta 😘😘.
August 30, 2019
4.5 Stars
Another winner from Anyta. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything by her I didn’t like so I’m not surprised at all.
I was totally charmed by Felix’s oblivious babbling and Mort’s shameless flirting. The secondary characters, of which there were plenty, were all developed enough to add to the story instead of distracting.
It was slow burn, but not so slow that you want to pull your hair out lol. I think it helps that their attraction is pretty much acknowledged the whole book instead of them living in denial-ville. I actually appreciated seeing Felix finally realize what’s going on and (jealous)Mort trying his damndest win him over. It was overall a super fluffy pick-me-up read.
“The way I am around Mort?”
“Like he cut out your heart and holds it ransom, and you want it back.”
I sink my hand through my hair. “No, Tiff, that’s not right.”
“It’s not?”
I drop my hand and face her. My voice rumbles. “I don’t want mine back. I want his.”
*swoon*
Review Copy provided in exchange for a fair and honest review*
Another winner from Anyta. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything by her I didn’t like so I’m not surprised at all.
I was totally charmed by Felix’s oblivious babbling and Mort’s shameless flirting. The secondary characters, of which there were plenty, were all developed enough to add to the story instead of distracting.
It was slow burn, but not so slow that you want to pull your hair out lol. I think it helps that their attraction is pretty much acknowledged the whole book instead of them living in denial-ville. I actually appreciated seeing Felix finally realize what’s going on and (jealous)Mort trying his damndest win him over. It was overall a super fluffy pick-me-up read.
“The way I am around Mort?”
“Like he cut out your heart and holds it ransom, and you want it back.”
I sink my hand through my hair. “No, Tiff, that’s not right.”
“It’s not?”
I drop my hand and face her. My voice rumbles. “I don’t want mine back. I want his.”
*swoon*
Review Copy provided in exchange for a fair and honest review*
November 9, 2023
4.5
3 out 3 books. Winner!
sigh Anyta's penchant for nerdy characters will be the death of me. Physics, eh? 🤭 Thank goodness it's not as tearjerking as the two other books because I've had enough of it! (Just kidding. Deep inside, I love it.)
This book was cute and sweet but the first half of it was hard to read. Not quite painful but it's the most awkward and uncomfortable situation I've read in a while. I love it when MCs make their partners grovel when they make mistakes. But this? This was a different kind of groveling. Mort was desperate to get his family back and genuinely wanted to get back into their graces. The cold shoulders he got, the blames, the angry and disappointing remarks made me cringe for him. All so awkward! But it was admirable, too, for him to brave all the backlash. And I LOVED him for it. His persistence helped Felix' Mum to also change and fix her relationship with her kids. ❤️
I personally believe in that quote. That it doesn't matter if you're family, you have to continuously work for your relationships. Loving a family might be a given sometimes but it doesn't grow magically. It takes effort too! Anyway, Felix was such an open book and didn't have an ounce of subtlety in his veins so this was a fun and entertaining read.
Plenty of UST although I didn't like how complicated and confusing their relationship was prior to the confessions. The lines kept blurring and it made me dizzy. They're touching intimately and the next thing, they're distancing and avoiding each other again. It made me want to strangle someone, preferably Mort and Felix. 😂
The best part of the book will be spoilers so...
swoon ❤️❤️❤️
So many nuggets of wisdom on this book and although it was uncomfortable to read at first, I enjoyed this a lot. Mort's commitment to getting Felix back and Felix' years of unrequited love was chef's kiss.
NOW, if I can just find that book with Pax Polo, I'd be very happy for the rest of the day. 🤣
3 out 3 books. Winner!
sigh Anyta's penchant for nerdy characters will be the death of me. Physics, eh? 🤭 Thank goodness it's not as tearjerking as the two other books because I've had enough of it! (Just kidding. Deep inside, I love it.)
This book was cute and sweet but the first half of it was hard to read. Not quite painful but it's the most awkward and uncomfortable situation I've read in a while. I love it when MCs make their partners grovel when they make mistakes. But this? This was a different kind of groveling. Mort was desperate to get his family back and genuinely wanted to get back into their graces. The cold shoulders he got, the blames, the angry and disappointing remarks made me cringe for him. All so awkward! But it was admirable, too, for him to brave all the backlash. And I LOVED him for it. His persistence helped Felix' Mum to also change and fix her relationship with her kids. ❤️
“No. You don’t have a right to anything. You have to work for your relationships like everyone else.”
I personally believe in that quote. That it doesn't matter if you're family, you have to continuously work for your relationships. Loving a family might be a given sometimes but it doesn't grow magically. It takes effort too! Anyway, Felix was such an open book and didn't have an ounce of subtlety in his veins so this was a fun and entertaining read.
Laughter rocks out of me. Felix glances at us, revealing a flurry of emotions I don’t need a science kit to dissect: jealousy, frustration, and gut-yanking sadness quickly masked with forced aloofness.
He’s trying to get over you.
I don’t want him to.
Plenty of UST although I didn't like how complicated and confusing their relationship was prior to the confessions. The lines kept blurring and it made me dizzy. They're touching intimately and the next thing, they're distancing and avoiding each other again. It made me want to strangle someone, preferably Mort and Felix. 😂
The best part of the book will be spoilers so...
“I spent most of it at the arcade.”
“Dance Dance Revolution?”
He resettles his cap “Yeah.”
“You’re obsessed.”
“Kinda.”
“Mort danced under my name. He danced until he beat both your old scores. He danced for me . . .”
swoon ❤️❤️❤️
So many nuggets of wisdom on this book and although it was uncomfortable to read at first, I enjoyed this a lot. Mort's commitment to getting Felix back and Felix' years of unrequited love was chef's kiss.
“You know that Christmas when you told me true love would feel like sunshine?”
“Yes,” I croak against his neck, heart hammering.
“And you know how I always call you sunshine?”
My “yes” is a rasp.
He pulls back and looks into my eyes.
I melt.
NOW, if I can just find that book with Pax Polo, I'd be very happy for the rest of the day. 🤣
August 28, 2019
2.5 stars
I'm... kinda confused about this one.
Content warnings include: sex on-page, mentions of organ transplant.
Was is cute? Yeah, sure. I liked the big family and how the siblings clearly cared deeply for each other and Mort.
But for pretty much the entire book I wasn't sure what was going on. Even now that I finished it I'm unsure about why exactly Mort left, what the issue with the mother was, how the dancing fit in with everything, who had to ask who for forgiveness and what even happened in the past.
I was never bored and I found it comforting to read, but to say I was wholly engaged in the story would be an exaggeration. The only real solid plot was the romance between Mort and Felix, and even that was far from straighforward since they are both aware of each other's feelings from pretty much the very beginning and then dance around it (no pun intended.) Except they are mostly pretty blunt and honest with each other, there are no big misunderstandings. A few jumps to conclusions happen, but they are usually forgotten pretty quickly.
I had a passable time with the book and enjoyed reading it, but overall I'm left quite baffled by its finer workings.
It can be read as standalone, though there are frequent hints to Made for You and Shrewd Angel.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
I'm... kinda confused about this one.
Content warnings include: sex on-page, mentions of organ transplant.
Was is cute? Yeah, sure. I liked the big family and how the siblings clearly cared deeply for each other and Mort.
But for pretty much the entire book I wasn't sure what was going on. Even now that I finished it I'm unsure about why exactly Mort left, what the issue with the mother was, how the dancing fit in with everything, who had to ask who for forgiveness and what even happened in the past.
I was never bored and I found it comforting to read, but to say I was wholly engaged in the story would be an exaggeration. The only real solid plot was the romance between Mort and Felix, and even that was far from straighforward since they are both aware of each other's feelings from pretty much the very beginning and then dance around it (no pun intended.) Except they are mostly pretty blunt and honest with each other, there are no big misunderstandings. A few jumps to conclusions happen, but they are usually forgotten pretty quickly.
I had a passable time with the book and enjoyed reading it, but overall I'm left quite baffled by its finer workings.
It can be read as standalone, though there are frequent hints to Made for You and Shrewd Angel.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
May 31, 2021
2,5 stars
Okay, so don't get me wrong, this was very cute and I liked it.
However, I found myself struggling to connect with the characters and relationship in this one. I think maybe it had something to do with the fact that Mort and Felix already had an established friendship - they also both already had feelings for each other - so we didn't really get to see the relationship bloom in the same way. And there were no flashbacks and very little information about what their dynamic were before Mort left. I basically felt it lacked a lot of background info on the characters and the relationship.
Now I get that it's a fine line when it comes to not focusing too much on the back story and distract from the main story, but in this case I really, really feel like it would have benefited.
So they both love each other. WHY though? I wanted to know the beautiful mushiness of why and how they fell in love with each other.
Overall though, it was a cute story with sweet, likable characters. And I loved the rest of the Rochester family as well!
Okay, so don't get me wrong, this was very cute and I liked it.
However, I found myself struggling to connect with the characters and relationship in this one. I think maybe it had something to do with the fact that Mort and Felix already had an established friendship - they also both already had feelings for each other - so we didn't really get to see the relationship bloom in the same way. And there were no flashbacks and very little information about what their dynamic were before Mort left. I basically felt it lacked a lot of background info on the characters and the relationship.
Now I get that it's a fine line when it comes to not focusing too much on the back story and distract from the main story, but in this case I really, really feel like it would have benefited.
So they both love each other. WHY though? I wanted to know the beautiful mushiness of why and how they fell in love with each other.
Overall though, it was a cute story with sweet, likable characters. And I loved the rest of the Rochester family as well!
September 9, 2019
Felix and Mort
Indescribable to express what this read did to me. There aren’t enough words to describe this awesomeness. It reached every corner of my emotions.
My heart, it shattered, it jumped, it accelerated, it broke and melted.
I will keep my review short, because of the awesomeness I can’t express!
It’s all about friendship, family, forgiveness, unanswered love, withheld love. This all wrapped in golden silk aka Anyta Sunday writing style, and you got an indelible story, imprinted to the heart!
“I don’t tell him it’s unbearable being in love with him.”
Every line, every gesture points to a deep connection, but also to desperation. It hurts and it warms my heart.
Felix is clear about his feelings, unlike Mort.
But resolving a lot of issues from the past they slowly, (Sunday slowly) connect. And it fits like nothing ever fits before! It’s perfect.
“You might want to memorize this nose. Might not look the same after we tell him.”
All those beautiful lines between Felix and Mort. All those beautiful thoughts they had
All the expressions, all those thick emotions, it was everything!!
Highly recommended!
Indescribable to express what this read did to me. There aren’t enough words to describe this awesomeness. It reached every corner of my emotions.
My heart, it shattered, it jumped, it accelerated, it broke and melted.
I will keep my review short, because of the awesomeness I can’t express!
It’s all about friendship, family, forgiveness, unanswered love, withheld love. This all wrapped in golden silk aka Anyta Sunday writing style, and you got an indelible story, imprinted to the heart!
“I don’t tell him it’s unbearable being in love with him.”
Every line, every gesture points to a deep connection, but also to desperation. It hurts and it warms my heart.
Felix is clear about his feelings, unlike Mort.
But resolving a lot of issues from the past they slowly, (Sunday slowly) connect. And it fits like nothing ever fits before! It’s perfect.
“You might want to memorize this nose. Might not look the same after we tell him.”
All those beautiful lines between Felix and Mort. All those beautiful thoughts they had
All the expressions, all those thick emotions, it was everything!!
Highly recommended!
September 20, 2019
This is a a solid 3 stars for me. Like many other reviewers, I had some problems with this story. Firstly, it felt like I was dropped in the middle of a story that I couldn't figure out all the way. Then, there's the dialogue. It was stilted. I couldn't understand why certain things were being said. It was weird.
As for the MCs, I really thought Felix was the runner up of Mort's "I want to be a part of this family so bad that I will even marry the brother of the guy who I am really in love with" show. But at around 70%, I think it became more clear that Mort did love Felix and he was over the brother. Roch expressing how he felt towards Mort seemed kind of strange seeing as he was getting married though.
It really was a bit of a mess, but I didn't hate it. I just didn't enjoy it as much as other Anyta Sunday books.
As for the MCs, I really thought Felix was the runner up of Mort's "I want to be a part of this family so bad that I will even marry the brother of the guy who I am really in love with" show. But at around 70%, I think it became more clear that Mort did love Felix and he was over the brother. Roch expressing how he felt towards Mort seemed kind of strange seeing as he was getting married though.
It really was a bit of a mess, but I didn't hate it. I just didn't enjoy it as much as other Anyta Sunday books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2019
Happy Release Day Anyta!!!!!
Guys this book grabs you in all the right places.
She has a certain way of drawing out all that UST that I crave in most of my books.
Def a re-read.
Wonderful!!!!
So Anyta and so what I needed to get me back into my reading groove.
See what I did there???
Proper review to come.
Mare~Slitsread
Guys this book grabs you in all the right places.
She has a certain way of drawing out all that UST that I crave in most of my books.
Def a re-read.
Wonderful!!!!
So Anyta and so what I needed to get me back into my reading groove.
See what I did there???
Proper review to come.
Mare~Slitsread
January 29, 2022
Pues muy bonito como todo lo de esta autora, pero me ha llegado bastante menos. He tenido la impresión al principio de perderme algo, y es que cuenta la historia como si supiéramos lo que pasó, acaba encajando todo, pero no me ha gustado la forma
Respecto de los protagonistas adorables como siempre, pero no me han encantado.
Me quedo con Ben y Jack del libro anterior, sus diálogos eran mucho más y su amor maravilloso 👏
Ahora a esperar la siguiente serie de Anyta que creo traducen este año
Respecto de los protagonistas adorables como siempre, pero no me han encantado.
Me quedo con Ben y Jack del libro anterior, sus diálogos eran mucho más y su amor maravilloso 👏
Ahora a esperar la siguiente serie de Anyta que creo traducen este año
Displaying 1 - 30 of 344 reviews