Fraternizing with the Ex

Suitor Science #2

by Holly Kerr

Brilliant mathematician Biba is intense, driven, and speaks her mind. Substitute teacher/world traveler David makes Matthew McConaughey look uptight.
Only The Suitor can bring them together

Biba:
I have a life plan: Established career + suitable partner who ticks my boxes (let Maman help with this) = simple and secure married life. Love can’t be a variable in this equation. Watching Bexley on The Suitor, with all the drama and competition and crying over does-he-love-me-or-does-he-not proves love is a game that I refuse to play. I’ve got the numbers to show happily ever after doesn’t last.

Until I start questioning everything.
Because of David.

David:
Watching my ex-girlfriend compete for The Suitor might have been a lot more painful if I didn’t get to watch Biba watch the show. Everything about her fascinates me—the way her brain works, the hidden vulnerability, and especially the pink lipstick. I know I don’t fit into some complicated plan she has for a happy life but for the first time in her life, Biba is wrong.

Love should be a part of the equation and I’m going to prove it to her.

Can complete opposites Biba and David figure out the formula to happily ever after?

Fraternizing with the Ex is the third book in the Suitor Science Series, a charmingly sweet, dual POV, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy that tries to solve the perfect equation for love.

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Contemporary

277 pages, ebook

Published June 21, 2022

About the author

Holly Kerr wants everyone to have a happily ever after, full of fun banter and friends to talk about it with.

She’s a lover of water, wine, and dirty martinis, prefers beach to mountain, Star Wars over Star Trek, and really wishes she liked chocolate.

She writes fast-paced, sweet romantic comedy with the door shut, action chick lit about sassy Canadian super spies, and women’s fiction about families and small towns.

Find out more when you sign up for her newsletter, and get a taste with Cupcake Connections, a short story featuring some of her favorite characters. www.hollykerr.ca

Reviews

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was not at all the story I thought I was going to get for Biba. It was so much better, even if it still makes my heart pinch knowing where she starts this book from. David is nothing like what she thinks she wants, but he might be everything she really needs. And for David, Biba’s a challenge unlike any he’s faced before. Something that proves irresistible to him. They’re opposites in so many ways, yet they also have a lot in common. I had so much fun watching them discover what could be, while their supporting cast kept me in stitches with their antics. The hint of what’s to come has me itching to get a hold of the next book as soon as possible.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Booksprout.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was interesting to learn more about Biba and her strange believe that you don't need love for a happy marriage. Watching her maman hurt when her papa left, leaves her with a big wall around her heart until she gets to meet David, Bexley's ex and best friend to her and her twin brother Boen.

After not having dated for more than a decade, she now has two guys in line, Guy and David. Will an arranged marriage win over something that could become love?

Thanks for this fantastic advance reader's copy. It was fun to read and I bet Fee's story will be quite funny next up. Honest review.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biba and David's Story . . .

Biba is a brilliant mathematician so caught up in numbers and statistics that she keeps life and love firmly locked out of her space. Being hurt once was all it took to shut down those feelings. She has her own formula for a satisfactory relationship, but love has absolutely no part in it. The mathematics prove love can’t last.

David is a polar opposite personality to Biba. Being hurt happens, but you just try again until the right one comes along. Risks don’t frighten him. So seeing Biba uptight and giving off distance vibes acts like more of a challenge to him than a deterrent. He wants her relationship formula to include love and she becomes his project. He makes her laugh and pulls her a bit into living and enjoying life. Can she take a chance on him? Can she fall in love with him? Or is she so afraid to feel that she will choose to leave the walls around her heart intact?

[Marie Bourgery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biba acted like a robot with all her numbers and statistics for everything and a closed off heart. But she’s been hurt before and is afraid to take a chance and risk getting her heart broken again. David is the exact opposites as a carefree world traveling teacher who has opened his heart to love several times. He’s not afraid to take a risks and even though Biba has all these keep away signs up he sees her as a bit of a challenge, someone he wants to know better. He certainly makes her laugh and gets her out of her comfort zone. But she was determined to let her mother choose a secure successful husband for her. Will she give up what’s safe and boring to take a chance on him? I loved her nephew Dash, who was also David’s student. It was nice to catch up with the characters from previous books.

[Nati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biba and David can’t be more different. She is focused, intense and doesn’t believe in love, he is laid back, always smiling and ready to love. Can they find a common ground before Biba agrees to an arrange marriage? A sweet love story about second chances, falling in love and trusting your partner.

[K Huskić · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This is my favourite of the series (so far). I loved David and Biba's story. Two completely different people with differing views on love and relationships, but together they just made sense.

I liked The Suitor parts too and seeing how that unfolded after the show, from the previous book.

This story was sweet and funny, I definitely laughed out loud at some parts. A great series, a lot of fun.

[Manisha Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book three in the Suitor Science Series . This book an opposite attract sweet romance with lovable characters and a good ending.

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

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biba and David are an interesting match. She doesn't believe in love but the more she is with David the more she feels something she didn't expect for him. David knows that Biba is his one, the one he wants forever. I enjoyed the romance, the friendships and the happy everafters.

[Gumiho Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when you mix logical with free minded; an interesting romance.

Fraternizing with the Ex by Holly Kerr is the third in the Suitor Science Series and was a humorous interaction of opposites. Biba was the super calculated woman who had her entire life planned out and was ready for the next phase, marriage. The only problem was, she was single. Enter’s David, a super chill and relaxed vagabond and teacher who also happens to be her friend’s ex-boyfriend. Can they get past his past relationship and their totally opposing minds and find love?

I love the fact that the female lead was highly intelligent with a twinge of lack of social cues. She knew what she wanted and went for it, even if it might not have been the right idea or method. She was very logical and left the emotions aside. Well, to be more precise, she was the one who calculated emotions and put them into stats to gauge possibilities of real love and happiness. She was a mathematician, of course. I also liked that she was multicultural and her whole family was just a big mix of cultures due to them being born in different places.

David being the complete opposite was a perfect balance to the literal and straight forward Biba. He added a great dynamic and chaos to her life. Made her begin to question and shift herself, seeing she’s more than what she previously thought. It had lots of humor all throughout the story and I loved the interconnection of the reality show. That was a fun take on the overall story.

There were a few themes that came up, like arranged marriages, opposites attracting, dating friends’ ex-lovers, being friends with an ex, and many more. I liked that these types of questions and situations were brought up. They fit so well. Above all else, this was my first book in the series and I did not feel confused one bit. It’s a great standalone novel and it felt like the previous books might have been her friends’ relationship stories, so I’ll definitely dive into those!

The only thing that felt a little off was the attraction. In the beginning, it felt a little forced rather than playing out naturally. Aside from that, this was an awesome story!

This is totally for you if you love a good opposites attract, sweet contemporary romance. Or maybe you are into romantic comedies with scholastic leads and some reality tv in the mix. Either way, you won’t be disappointed.

Previous books in the series:
Hating the Chemistry Teacher (Book 1)
Falling for the Suitor (Book 2)

*This was an honest review for a complimentary copy of Fraternizing with the Ex from Holly Kerr via Hidden Gems

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fraternizing with the Ex is the third book in the Suitor Science series. I feel like they just keep getting better.

This book features Biba, a gorgeous and brilliant woman who has planned out exactly what she wants, and goes for it. What she wants though isn't love. There's no place for that in her well-defined life. She just needs a financially secure and suitable partner to play the role of husband and father. That is until she meets David. David lives life for the moment; he doesn't make plans. He is a substitute teacher who has travelled extensively, moving frequently from place to place. Biba isn't really his type, but there's something about her that catches his eye.

I found Biba to be such an interesting character. At times I could not relate to her at all as she appeared to be so cold and unfeeling, but then at others I completely understood her. It was a lot of fun to read her story, see her grow, and cheer her on.

The author's humour seems to be coming out more with each book. A couple of things that made me giggle:

"A moment later, a picture of an enormous cat with a menacing expression appears on my phone.

David: Jester. He wants to meet you.
Me: He looks like he wants to eat me."

&

"Yeah moles. I don't like them. They want to be platypuses, but there're not nearly cute enough. Plus they live underground."

I definitely recommend this book for fans of lighthearted romance books with HEAs.

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

[Helen Causer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only negative thing I can say about this book is that there were far too many characters mentioned in the first chapter, with no background given. I was very confused, and considered not reading it all. However, on reflection, I realised that I had, just a couple of hours earlier, finished another book, and my mind was still immersed in that.
Also, I read this as a stand-alone without realising it was Book 3 in a series. This didn’t affect my enjoyment though.

So I started again the next day, and I am so glad I did, as this was a beautiful story, well written, with characters that I adored.
It’s a love story, but Biba doesn’t believe in love. David has had his heart broken in the past, but is very drawn to Biba.
Can David bring down Biba’s barriers? That is the question you will have the answer to when you read the book, and you won’t be sorry you did.
I loved it, and found it very hard to put down, and I’m looking forward to the next book from this author.

I received Advance Review Copy of this book and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

[Kylie Cantwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Half-Indian, half-Canadian Bibi is a brilliant mathematician, but her social skills and emotional awareness are inhibited. Past trauma (and perhaps being on the autism spectrum) have left her with difficulty navigating love and being vulnerable with others.

David, ex-boyfriend of one of Bibi's friends, develops a tendre for her. His thinking about Bibi is beautifully explored as he carefully approaches Bibi to break down those walls she's build around herself.

Bibi wants to get married - if only to meet the timetable she's imposed on herself. An arranged marriage should do the trick, because Bibi doesn't see that there's any role for love in her life. Until she meets David, and starts to wonder.

Told from both David and Bibi's perspectives, this sensitive tale explores control and vulnerability, while a group of young people hang out with their neighbour, the 90-something Mrs Gretchen.

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

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun read in this series. It was so fun how this story carried through the narrative of the previous book and the activity of The Suitor. It really made the story so interesting. I love how the books in this series involve all the characters so much in each other’s books and how the stories all integrate so much. So, obviously, I suggest you read the series in order, and I especially think this one is best enjoyed with the background of reading book 2 first. David was a fun, positive, laidback character, while Biba was pretty much his opposite and was looking for an unemotional arranged marriage. I enjoyed watching them figure out their attraction, affection, and relationship. I liked that David was the one who fell first and pushed Biba emotionally. It was a bumpy road for them for sure. This is one of the books in this series that I think best fits the “sweet” that is in the descriptions of the books. I really liked this story and the main characters. A good read.

[Megan (sporadic hiatus due to law school) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this one was very cute and I enjoyed it more than the first (second?) one. It has been a while since I read Bexley's story, which is why I was a little confused with the cast and timeline (set after the events of the first book, but before the ending of the show comes out, so people do not know what went down between Bexley and Grayson). I'm not sure if book 1 explained where this one picks up, which is why I was more than a little confused Bexley's friends had no idea what happened on The Suitor.

As for Biba and David's story, it was well done and I enjoyed everything - even the grand gesture this time, so that's a win.

thank you HiddenGems for the free ARC

[Christina Bowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the beginning, I sort of had mixed feelings about the book, and David and Biba as a couple in general. However I quickly warned up to them, and liked them as a couple quite a bit by the time I reached the middle of the book. By the end, I loved them as a couple and thought they balanced each other out perfectly. I had fun following their story, not only as they fell in love, but also as I fell in with the characters as well. I was happy with their HEA, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. I was gifted a copy.

[Laura Carter-Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

David meets Biba while they are watching The Suitor and waiting to find out who ended up with Grayson. She closed off to love and has her own views and opinions that she is firm on. David is taken with her as soon as they meet and does all he can to get to know her.

Soon, the connection between them begins to deepen before a misunderstanding pushes them apart. Will Biba be able to find the courage to take a chance on David? Or will she lock her heart away like Fort Knox and walk away from a potential future with the man of her dreams?

[Janet Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional, Clean Romantic Comedy
This book is part of a series that is best enjoyed when read in order. This is a clean romantic comedy, but there is so much more. It is a very good study about the different ways people react to being deeply and emotionally hurt. But, it is a very fun book to read. This series is based around a group of friends and each book is about a different romance. This series is a spin-off from another of the author's series and is a lovely 'what happens next?' type series. This author is one of my favorites and you will enjoy her work, too.

[FD · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read several books in this series, but in no particular order. That's why I already knew Biba and David as a couple, before I knew their story. Two nice likeable characters, especially Biba I found very endearing, and in this story I was able to read how they became a couple.
An entertaining story, written in a smooth writing style, characters you can sympathize with, A series with standalone interconnected stories.

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

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fraternizing with the Ex is a Sweet, heartwarming, opposites attract romance. Biba believes in logic, not love. She is planning a sensible arrangement with a man selected by her mother when she meets David, a laid back, globe trotting teacher. It was fun to watch Biba trying to follow her equation as David tries to make her believe love and magic should also be part of that equation. This is a charming story you will not want to put down.

[Jan Tomalis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute story! Biba and David are so very different in personality with Biba being very intelligent but not ready for love. She is thinking about an arranged marriage. David is fun, flirty, always smiling and ready for love. He has pretty much decided Biba is the one for him. Now, he just has to convince Biba! I really enjoyed this story!
I received an advance copy of this book from the author, however, I voluntarily wrote an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bilba reminds me of myself being hurt makes you revert into yourself and only allowing things that give you comfort to be apart of you world but then she meets David. David is nothing like Bilba ever thought she would like but what I was always told was opposites attract and David and Bilba could not be more opposite but for some unknown reasons they found each other and they are enjoying each other.

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

[D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, these two were great. I was so interested in what Biba's life, thinking, and plan for her life was. She was very interesting. And then seeing how Holly pulled the two opposites together. I really liked this story of Biba and David. I am looking forward to more from Holly. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tiffany W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly I wasn’t excited to start this book because of Biba just comes off as an uptight know it all.. so I have to say that this is my least favorite of the suitor science series. it's still a cute story though! i loved reading david —he's sweet, fun, and romantic.as per biba, i had a hard time relating to her. She really didn’t seem like a good friend and was very judging.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an entertaining and fun, romantic comedy book that holds your attention from beginning to end. The storyline is intriguing as the elements and fold. The characters are well written with depth to their personalities and a strong connection to each other. I enjoyed this book.

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

[Lynn Hyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Protecting One's Heart

Biba has past hurts and bitterness that have built a wall around her heart. David's heart was hurt as Bexley's ex, and now, as her friend, he watches her relationship with Grayson. There is so much going on in this story with both friend and family dynamics. It's hard to see the hurts, but so satisfying to see things work out in the end.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars on this one... David was a super interesting character and I'd love to hear more from him. I found Biba a bit hard to enjoy but liked seeing her loosen up and find herself. Overall, another great Holly Kerr novel!

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

So fun that it's Ms Grumpy/Mr Sunshine. That's a new one to me. I loved it! Cute characters. Kooky mishaps and misunderstandings..

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

[Kristeane Benavides · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

I really like this series and am addicted to the characters because they are fabulous. Biba finally works through her insecurities about love, and we get a satisfying ending that leads us to the next couple. Can’t wait!

[Sandrina Rodrigues · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good story and I really enjoyed reading it
I really enjoyed the connection from the other characters and books.
I really liked the story.

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

[Hanna Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holly Kerr knows how to write a great romantic comedy! This one was a really fun read with great chemistry and romantic moments.

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