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Bayshore #6
Make Me Smile
I never imagined I’d be a graceful bride.
I stained my wedding dress the second I tried it on. Connor even accidentally saw it in my camera roll. And worst yet? Our parents would rather attend our wedding via Zoom than spend an entire evening rubbing elbows with their arch nemeses.
Three years into our HEA and things just keep getting better, except for this one little nagging area of our life. I want our marriage to form a truce between the Dalys and Cabanas, but with us living so far away from Bayshore, all we’ve been able to accomplish is a resentful stalemate.
But now that Connor and I are back in Bayshore for our extended wedding-and-beyond home-cation, our to-do list includes not just finalizing floral arrangements, but also getting our Moms and Dads to bury the hatchet.
Cocktail parties with ex-best friends? Check. Fishing trips with two frosty fathers? Agonizing check.
Connor and I are determined to forge a new future for our parents, no matter how much we grimace through it.
But on my wedding day, there’s no doubt about it.
This man—and this life we’ve built—will do nothing but make me smile.
Please note: This is the FINAL installment to the Bayshore series, a feel-good novella that follows up with Kinsley and Connor.
I stained my wedding dress the second I tried it on. Connor even accidentally saw it in my camera roll. And worst yet? Our parents would rather attend our wedding via Zoom than spend an entire evening rubbing elbows with their arch nemeses.
Three years into our HEA and things just keep getting better, except for this one little nagging area of our life. I want our marriage to form a truce between the Dalys and Cabanas, but with us living so far away from Bayshore, all we’ve been able to accomplish is a resentful stalemate.
But now that Connor and I are back in Bayshore for our extended wedding-and-beyond home-cation, our to-do list includes not just finalizing floral arrangements, but also getting our Moms and Dads to bury the hatchet.
Cocktail parties with ex-best friends? Check. Fishing trips with two frosty fathers? Agonizing check.
Connor and I are determined to forge a new future for our parents, no matter how much we grimace through it.
But on my wedding day, there’s no doubt about it.
This man—and this life we’ve built—will do nothing but make me smile.
Please note: This is the FINAL installment to the Bayshore series, a feel-good novella that follows up with Kinsley and Connor.
79 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 9, 2021
47 people are currently reading
470 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 29, 2025
Super great series. Just wish there was more.
July 31, 2025
This is kind of an odd way to end a series.
This book steps back to the wedding of Connor and Kinsley, a good while before the previous book. Although this is supposed to be about the wedding, it's really about the "reconciliation" of the two sets of parents.
Spoiler--yes, the parents do reconcile. But I found this to be pretty unsatisfying at best.
Throughout all this series, some very unsavory accusations have flown around about why these 4 became serious enemies for 3 decades, passing down actual hatred to their children.
These accusations involved a surprise pregnancy, a possible drunken $exual encounter, a potential mystery around who was the baby's father, and a purported threat involving money. This is really serious stuff. Yet suddenly, the two women in this scenario are hugging it out when one of the daughters goes into unexpected labor. And the four are portrayed several times in happy, giddy harmony later, as if nothing happened. What?
This reader expected some explanation about the initial fight, what actually happened, and how it got resolved. Not behind closed doors or a weird kind of fade to black. I wanted to know if these four people misunderstood one another somehow, and now that's cleared up. Instead, I'm left to think that these four are pretty crappy people who decided to just move on. This is deeply unsatisfying.
My biggest issue about this series is the resentment and outright dislike that all the Daly boys have towards their father. By all their accounts, this dude was a lousy, cold, unforgiving, and difficult father. Several times throughout the series, the mom makes excuses for him, which no one addresses. This man forced all four of his boys to be ultra competitive WITH EACH OTHER. It wrecked their sibling relationships for most of their lives. It also caused them deep damage that impacted their relationships with all others, specifically in romantic ones. Yet no one ever confronted this monstrous father or called him out. Or the mom, for that matter. This drove me nuts. When I saw this last book was a kind of wrap-up, I figured this would be addressed. Nope.
I'm not really sure why this book was written. It didn't wrap up anything, but instead slapped some shellac over an old injury and called it good. Really unsatisfactory and I wish I hadn't bothered.
This book steps back to the wedding of Connor and Kinsley, a good while before the previous book. Although this is supposed to be about the wedding, it's really about the "reconciliation" of the two sets of parents.
Spoiler--yes, the parents do reconcile. But I found this to be pretty unsatisfying at best.
Throughout all this series, some very unsavory accusations have flown around about why these 4 became serious enemies for 3 decades, passing down actual hatred to their children.
These accusations involved a surprise pregnancy, a possible drunken $exual encounter, a potential mystery around who was the baby's father, and a purported threat involving money. This is really serious stuff. Yet suddenly, the two women in this scenario are hugging it out when one of the daughters goes into unexpected labor. And the four are portrayed several times in happy, giddy harmony later, as if nothing happened. What?
This reader expected some explanation about the initial fight, what actually happened, and how it got resolved. Not behind closed doors or a weird kind of fade to black. I wanted to know if these four people misunderstood one another somehow, and now that's cleared up. Instead, I'm left to think that these four are pretty crappy people who decided to just move on. This is deeply unsatisfying.
My biggest issue about this series is the resentment and outright dislike that all the Daly boys have towards their father. By all their accounts, this dude was a lousy, cold, unforgiving, and difficult father. Several times throughout the series, the mom makes excuses for him, which no one addresses. This man forced all four of his boys to be ultra competitive WITH EACH OTHER. It wrecked their sibling relationships for most of their lives. It also caused them deep damage that impacted their relationships with all others, specifically in romantic ones. Yet no one ever confronted this monstrous father or called him out. Or the mom, for that matter. This drove me nuts. When I saw this last book was a kind of wrap-up, I figured this would be addressed. Nope.
I'm not really sure why this book was written. It didn't wrap up anything, but instead slapped some shellac over an old injury and called it good. Really unsatisfactory and I wish I hadn't bothered.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2021
I adored "Make Me Smile," the sixth and final story of Ember Leigh's Bayshore series. This laugh-out-loud funny, sweet, and heartwarming novella was the perfect finale to a delightful series. I recommend reading the first five books of the series first, or at least Connor Daly and Kinsley Cabana's story in "Make Me Fall," because it provides valuable context for the events of "Make Me Smile." (Besides, the Daly boys are all totally swoon-worthy, and I loved every single one of their stories.)
Kinsley and Connor were more in love than ever when the story began, but as their wedding date approached, Kinsley grew increasingly nervous that something bad would happen to ruin their day because of the longstanding feud between their families. Working with her future sister-in-law Hazel, she came up with a plan to put matters to rest once and for all, but the more they tried to get the Dalys and the Cabanas to come together, the more impossible the task seemed. Kinsley was determined to prevail, however, and Connor was equally determined to do everything in his power to give his Sunny-Kins the beautiful wedding she deserved. I loved seeing the two of them work together to achieve their HEA, despite their parents' shenanigans and assorted pre-wedding disasters that threatened to ruin everything.
Overall, this story really did make me smile, and I highly recommend it for all contemporary romance and romantic comedy fans. I'm going to miss these characters and the quirky little town of Bayshore tremendously! I look forward to seeing what Ember Leigh comes up with next.
*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
Kinsley and Connor were more in love than ever when the story began, but as their wedding date approached, Kinsley grew increasingly nervous that something bad would happen to ruin their day because of the longstanding feud between their families. Working with her future sister-in-law Hazel, she came up with a plan to put matters to rest once and for all, but the more they tried to get the Dalys and the Cabanas to come together, the more impossible the task seemed. Kinsley was determined to prevail, however, and Connor was equally determined to do everything in his power to give his Sunny-Kins the beautiful wedding she deserved. I loved seeing the two of them work together to achieve their HEA, despite their parents' shenanigans and assorted pre-wedding disasters that threatened to ruin everything.
Overall, this story really did make me smile, and I highly recommend it for all contemporary romance and romantic comedy fans. I'm going to miss these characters and the quirky little town of Bayshore tremendously! I look forward to seeing what Ember Leigh comes up with next.
*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
April 24, 2022
4.5/5 Stars
I have been so excited to read this final installment of the Bayshore series! I fell so hard for this series and Connor and Kinsley are one of my favorite couples in the series. I honestly thought that there would be a little bit more drama in the book because of the feuding families. I was expecting the story to go in a totally different direction when it came to the Daly and Cabana family feud. I did feel like the feud between Connor and Kinsley's parents was dissolved rather quickly. That aside, my expectations didn't put a damper on my enjoyment of the book. I really loved Connor and Kinsley's happy ending and I loved seeing the other characters from the series. This was a lovely ending and I can't wait for the next series from this author!
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I have been so excited to read this final installment of the Bayshore series! I fell so hard for this series and Connor and Kinsley are one of my favorite couples in the series. I honestly thought that there would be a little bit more drama in the book because of the feuding families. I was expecting the story to go in a totally different direction when it came to the Daly and Cabana family feud. I did feel like the feud between Connor and Kinsley's parents was dissolved rather quickly. That aside, my expectations didn't put a damper on my enjoyment of the book. I really loved Connor and Kinsley's happy ending and I loved seeing the other characters from the series. This was a lovely ending and I can't wait for the next series from this author!
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February 7, 2021
I loved this book. Even though it was only a Novella I loved going back to Bayshore. Kinsley and Connor are such a fun loving couple. All they wanted was for their parents to come together for them and be apart of their wedding. The elephant in the room had gone on long enough and it was time to put an end to that. Well the best laid plans don't always work out so smoothly. The fishing trip with the guys was one of my favorite parts. I mean come on two dads calling out how many fish they caught like it was a tournament was just hilarious. Throw in Connor being hungover and the brother being pushed in to the water and bam there you have it; the ultimate guys trip. Now onto Annette and Lisa and the hard stand they have taken on keeping this feud alive. Let me tell you just wow.
The wedding ceremony was just beautiful and London going into labor was just the best as we knew that was gonna happen the way everyone kept asking if she was alright. If Daly's having a grandchild could end the feud nobody knew. In the end Connor and Kinsley got what they wanted and their parents have buried the crap and finally moved on.
Ember sure packed alot into this little book. Bring it on girl love your books. Waiting for the next one
I received this book as Author Reviewed Copy ahead of time for an honest review
The wedding ceremony was just beautiful and London going into labor was just the best as we knew that was gonna happen the way everyone kept asking if she was alright. If Daly's having a grandchild could end the feud nobody knew. In the end Connor and Kinsley got what they wanted and their parents have buried the crap and finally moved on.
Ember sure packed alot into this little book. Bring it on girl love your books. Waiting for the next one
I received this book as Author Reviewed Copy ahead of time for an honest review
February 9, 2021
Original review
This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Ember Leigh!
This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Ember Leigh!
Make Me Smile is a novella set in the Bayshore series and is about Kinsley and Connor’s wedding.
Make Me Smile was such a fun novella and I loved reading about all the characters from the Bayshore series again. We first read about Kinsley and Connor in the second book in the Bayshore series, Make Me Fall, and I really loved their story. I’m a sucker for fake relationships and Ember Leigh did such an amazing job! I remember smiling the entire time while reading Kinsley and Connor’s story. They’re a match made in haven!
I really miss the characters from the Bayshore series so when Ember Leigh shared that she was writing this novella, I was so excited. I loved reading about Kinsley and Connor again, and this novella was the perfect ending for the Bayshore series. I really enjoyed this series and I cannot wait to read Ember Leigh’s next book! She’s such an amazing author and I’ve loved all her books so far!
If you’re looking for an amazing Romance series with hot brothers, check out the Bayshore series and fall in love with the Daly brothers!
February 9, 2021
Oh my wow, I loved this sweet and spicy novella so much! I am a huge fan of the Bayshore series by the lovely Ember Leigh and I highly recommend reading the entire thing before devouring Make Me Smile, but you are going to want to read this book! I already loved Connor and Kinsley but following them on this little adventure while revisiting the other couples that make up the Daly family I love so much was just gold! This book really does have all the feels and totally makes you smile! It’s a little bittersweet, the perfect way to wrap up such an amazing series in a nice neat little bow, but Ember nailed the finale and I loved every minute! I blazed through it in one sitting, like I do with everything Ember writes, and I cannot recommend the Bayshore series enough! You will not regret binging on these beautiful brothers, not for one second! Grab the entire thing today, you know you want to!
February 6, 2021
I received this book in exchange for a review:
I give this 100 stars!! Connor and Kinsley have always been my fave of all the Daly brothers books and this one just adds to it... OMG book hangover!!
They are FINALLY getting married amd they are heading home to Bayshore for the weeks festivities leading the the main event...THE WEDDING!
Anything involving the Dalys and the Cabanas is a recipe for disaster thanks to the over 30 year old rift that the mothers will NOT let go... the men's fishing trip had me laughing so hard at the detail Ember goes into, especially the projectile puking lol!
The wedding day is a day that won't be forgotten any time soon by any Bayshore series lovers like me! OMG that was intense! But I had tears of happiness... that is for sure!
Oh, almost forgot...thank you Ember for including the seagulls!! 😆🤣
I give this 100 stars!! Connor and Kinsley have always been my fave of all the Daly brothers books and this one just adds to it... OMG book hangover!!
They are FINALLY getting married amd they are heading home to Bayshore for the weeks festivities leading the the main event...THE WEDDING!
Anything involving the Dalys and the Cabanas is a recipe for disaster thanks to the over 30 year old rift that the mothers will NOT let go... the men's fishing trip had me laughing so hard at the detail Ember goes into, especially the projectile puking lol!
The wedding day is a day that won't be forgotten any time soon by any Bayshore series lovers like me! OMG that was intense! But I had tears of happiness... that is for sure!
Oh, almost forgot...thank you Ember for including the seagulls!! 😆🤣
February 7, 2021
Cute, charming, beautiful and the best way to round off a series.
Kingsley and Connor are back fro their wedding but it wouldn't be Bayshore without some drama, history, love and family.
After being away from Bayshore for a little while, get sucked back into the fabulous town from page one and enjoy being back with Daly brothers once more.
Same whit, same love, same couples but with a unique story...
An easy read to help wile away a few hours, keep you hoping for the best and a story that will remind you what is important. A perfect read for Valentine's Day or any other time you just want pure romance.
Kingsley and Connor are back fro their wedding but it wouldn't be Bayshore without some drama, history, love and family.
After being away from Bayshore for a little while, get sucked back into the fabulous town from page one and enjoy being back with Daly brothers once more.
Same whit, same love, same couples but with a unique story...
An easy read to help wile away a few hours, keep you hoping for the best and a story that will remind you what is important. A perfect read for Valentine's Day or any other time you just want pure romance.
February 9, 2021
Make Me Smile did exactly that, however it was a little sad that this amazing series has come to an end. Kingsley and Connor want to end the feud between their families and finally bring a little peace. This novella packs a punch and gives you more than you could have ever hoped for. This couple have always held a special place in my heart in this series and nothing changes with what they bring to the pages this time. We revisit Bayshore, catch up with friends and family and all in all get swept away in a fantastic finale. This book is captivating right from the start and gives you a little bit of everything including a little drama to finish this series off with one big smile.
March 14, 2023
Make Me Smile is the last of the Bayshore series, which does not make me smile because I've really enjoyed the series. This follows Kinsley and Connor again as they are coming to Bayshore for their wedding. Their families are still enemies and things just get worse with the pre-wedding planned events, especially when the couple's rental has a sewer issue and they can't check in as planned. This is a novella so it's much shorter than the other books in the series, which I think made the author gloss over some of the drama/resolutions. This also wasn't as steamy as the others. I still really enjoyed the book and how much Connor and Kinsley love each other.
February 6, 2021
All I can say is thank goodness that wasn't my wedding!!.
Kinsley and Connor are back in Bayshore for a week to get married. There's no love lost between their parents and the week involves pre-wedding activities with both sets of parents. Old hurts are exposed, activities are disrupted and it gets to the point where Kinsley is no longer looking forward to the wedding.
A quick read but it rounded off the series perfectly. Parts will make you laugh and parts will make you glad it's not your parents! Brilliant story, well written and I'm going to miss the Daly boys.
Kinsley and Connor are back in Bayshore for a week to get married. There's no love lost between their parents and the week involves pre-wedding activities with both sets of parents. Old hurts are exposed, activities are disrupted and it gets to the point where Kinsley is no longer looking forward to the wedding.
A quick read but it rounded off the series perfectly. Parts will make you laugh and parts will make you glad it's not your parents! Brilliant story, well written and I'm going to miss the Daly boys.
February 8, 2021
WOW! I couldn’t imagine going home to marry and both sets of parents ABSOLUTELY DESPISING one another! Makes for an intense drama filled week!
Great families from Bayshore who are really close.
Make Me Smile is another must read by Ember Leigh.
Definitely make you feel better thinking glad I didn’t go through all that!
*I was given a copy and am voluntarily giving my honest review.
Great families from Bayshore who are really close.
Make Me Smile is another must read by Ember Leigh.
Definitely make you feel better thinking glad I didn’t go through all that!
*I was given a copy and am voluntarily giving my honest review.
February 8, 2021
I loved this book. Beautiful, charming, and cute story. Kinsley and Conner is my favorite couple of the Daly brothers. They are back for their wedding and with all the family drama between the two extended family didn't disappoint. Very engaging from the first page to the last page. No cliff hangers.
I received a ARC for my honest opinion.
I received a ARC for my honest opinion.
February 9, 2021
Make me Smile is the final chapter of the Daly boys and Bayshore series! Connor and Kinsley’s wedding is approaching and the Daly/Cabana family drama continues! This was an adorable and sweet end to this great series and it did “Make me Smile” indeed!
February 10, 2021
I love when we get to go back to a see how a couple turns out! Connor and Kinsley are one of my favorites! Coming from two families that don’t like each they managed to fall in love and get engaged! Hopefully they can make it to the altar without too much trouble!!
February 22, 2022
4 stars
Cute way to tie together this whole series.I liked seeing everything come together, past grudges mended, and a love story finally ending in I do.
This series has been very enjoyable and a great palette cleanser. Ill be looking for more from this author in the future.
Cute way to tie together this whole series.I liked seeing everything come together, past grudges mended, and a love story finally ending in I do.
This series has been very enjoyable and a great palette cleanser. Ill be looking for more from this author in the future.
July 30, 2022
Enjoyed reading this novella to end the Bayshore series. The end of the Daly and Cabana family feud felt a little underwhelming for how long the hard feelings lasted , but otherwise I thought this was a wonderful book. It was a nice finish to Connor and Kinsley’s love story.
September 6, 2025
A HEA wrap-up to this series with the Cabana-Daly wedding.
September 20, 2025
we need more of the weddings, we still have Mav & Weston to go, please please please 😁
Finally we find out what the problem is between the parents
A fun read
Finally we find out what the problem is between the parents
A fun read
November 26, 2025
Nice that we have a little book to end the series although I didn’t like that wasn’t a better explanation/ending of the feud between the two families.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews