Earning It (

by E.F. Dodd

Regan "Rae" Murphy has zero interest in romance and even less in love. One heartbreak in her life was quite enough, and she has no desire to get wrapped up in the sticky tendrils of love again. She thought she'd left all those messy feelings and entanglements in her past when she moved to Charlotte from Charleston, especially the devastatingly handsome portion of that past, who was wearing nothing but a towel when she walked out on him. His betrayal was the reason she left - and is the reason she keeps her heart safely tucked away. But when her best friend, Kez, asks Rae to be her maid of honor, Rae reluctantly puts aside her own feelings about forever.

Love is in the air on Kez's wedding day, and it smacks Rae right in the face when her ex, Van, appears-and he looks just as good in a tux as he did in a towel. For Kez's sake, Rae agrees to bury the hatchet somewhere other than between Van's shoulder blades. He makes it his mission to get Rae to hear him out-something she refused to do before she left him. The pull to listen is strong as the hope she'd buried deep within her starts to rattle its way free. Maybe everything between them hadn't been one giant, intricate lie. But to get the chance to show Rae what they had was real, Van's going to have to earn it.

Genres: Romance, Second Chance, Chick Lit, Enemies To Lovers, Rom Com

325 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 23, 2022

Reviews

[Travelogged Blogs · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You always had a way with words,” he said as he walked in the direction Ms. Williams pointed. “So did you,” said Regan. “Only your way was to twist them into lies.”

Regan Murphy's bestfriend is getting married and she is obviously the maid of honor. Regan's excitement however is short-lived when she learns that the groom's bestman is none other than her ex who deceived her and broke her heart. But Donovan McLeod is determined to prove that he still loves her and is willing to do anything to get her back. Well the plot was entertaining and I liked the side characters. The first half was really well written and I could feel the connection and chemistry between Rae & Van but towards the end, the book dragged on a lot and I started to lose interest. Rae was a strong main character who could throw some good comebacks and could hold up on her own. Van was very sweet and the way he put efforts to show her that he wanted a second chance was credible. Overall, I enjoyed this book, it is a good read to pass a few hours, so I'll go with a 3.5 star rating for this.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me the ARC

[Veronica ⭐️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogsp...
Earning It by E F Dodd is a light, fun read. A second chance romance told through the dual narrative of Rae and Van.

A chance encounter at her best friend's wedding has Rae reeling when she comes face to face with the man who broke her heart and ruined her life five years ago.

There is bucket loads of angst in this story as Rae gets all that hurt off her chest. Van is ever the gentleman as he works toward redemption and boy does Rae make him work for it. I give him ten points for tenacity!

This was an easy read. I enjoyed the banter between Rae and Van's friends and how they gave each other sound advice without interfering too much in each others' lives.

Even though I am not a fan of overly angst ridden romances I did enjoy this second chance romance. However, we never see how broken Rae was, only read about it in backstory, which made it hard to connect with her.

Earning It, I am sure, will be enjoyed by readers after a light romance read.
*I received my copy from the publisher via Netgalley

[Morgan (whatmorgsreads) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I rarely DNF, but sadly I DNF’d this one. Immediately I felt no connection to the characters, the setting, or the storyline. This story just wasn’t one for me.

[Veronica (Honey Roselea Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

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3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Sugar Beaver Books for inviting me to read Earning It and for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A review will be up on my blog on August 23, 2021 at 10 am CST on Honey Roselea Reads for you guys to check out!

My review on Earning It will be accessible using this link from August 23, 2021 at 10 am CST and onward.

For now, here is a preview to what the review will look like:

❀❀❀❀

After going through ups and downs with what is going on between them, Regan “Rae” and Donavan “Van” must figure out if these feelings are still there And with the wedding of their closeest friends, including being invited on the honeymoon together, they’re closer than ever.

I gave Earning It 3.5 stars, enjoying te overall relationship between Rae and Donavan. I. liked the enemies to lovers aspect and the fact that they… [ continue reading ]

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reagan Murphy is proudly serving as the Maid of Honor at her best friend Kesler's wedding.  Before moving to Charlotte five years ago, Reagan's life was upended from a traumatizing relationship.  Reagan found comfort and stability in her new friend group.  The last thing she was expecting is her ex to show up as the Best Man.  Donavan McLeod blew up Reagan's life, now she has to act like everything is fine between them so they don't ruin Kez's wedding.  Furthermore, Van wants a chance to redeem himself.  Reagan reluctantly gives Van a chance to earn her trust back when they are forced to be together for a week in the Cayman Islands for Kez's honeymoon. 
Earning It is a cute and steamy lovers to enemies back to lovers romance, perfect for a beach read.  I immediately clicked with Reagan's character as a woman scorned.  She is strong, fierce and not about to let romance burn her again.  I don't blame her at all for how she acted when confronted with the person from her past that she believed lied to her and used her.  The first half of the story took place on Kez's wedding day as they prepare for the wedding and Reagan is confronted with Van's presence.  This did feel like it dragged on a little.  I do wish we had some full chapters from Reagan and Van's past together instead of just a few short flashback scenes, I think this would have brought more perspective and made the beginning feel more on pace.  The second part of the story took place in the Caymans.  I could feel the sun's rays and the steam that the group brought.  Van and Rae's antics brought the heat the entire time.  I had no trouble with Rae making Van earn her trust back, but I do wish she had heard him out earlier.   

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

[Tarnparit · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rae refuses to fall in love again, not after she walked out on her last relationship after discovering his betrayal. However, exactly a year later, she runs into him at her best friend's wedding. Now Van is convinced to have a conversation with Rae, to explain his side of the story.

This book was a lot. Half of the book took place in a few hours. Half of it. It was the same thing over and over again. Same conversations, same reactions. What really made me frustrated was that all of this took place during the wedding of the main characters' best friends. The story just seemed so centric about the issue at hand. It just seemed so selfish and I really could not like the characters, after they spent 50% of the book acting selfishly.
The other half was where the groveling hit. And did it hit...This is where Van redeemed himself, Rae...not so much.
The story flowed, even though the timing was all weird. I felt like there should have been more pages of the characters falling in love again. The fast paced second chance romance showed no chemistry between the two characters.
I did not enjoy this book, but I feel like anyone that likes second-chance romance, forced proximity, the instant love feeling would love this book.

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Krissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Sugar Beaver Books for an advanced copy

A second chance romance, with sass, class, and a whole lotta ass

Rae is a PR consultant, attending her best friend's wedding as her maid of honour. At the wedding she discovers the best man happens to be her ex-boyfriend Donavan, who betrayed her trust and left her with a lot of emotional baggage. When they are forced to go on a friends honeymoon with the newlyweds they may be forced to confront their past and maybe build a new future.

This was super fun, it had great humor, and I felt the chemistry. The writing just needed a bit of refinement. The logic and flow of the events needed to connect and flow better

[My_every_day_chilling · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review
Book: Earning it
Author: E.F. Dodd
Rating 4,5 stars

Grovel, grovel, grovel. If you love a hero that grovels, you'll love this one.

Positive thoughts:
I enjoy a book that makes me laugh, and this one got me laughing many many times (Michael Jackson, Celine Dion and Britney Spears, that one made me laugh so much I was crying! Now you’ll just have to read the book to know what I’m talking about!!)
I loved how the hero grovelled, he did literally everything for the heroine. E.F. Dodd makes you fall in love with him in an instant by what he does to get time with the heroine and her forgiveness. She doesn’t forgive him in an instant, which was realistic, but you feel the pain and suffering from both sides.
I loved the ending as well, the epilogue was brilliant.

Negative thoughts:
The heroine was a naughty girl, but I guess that was part of who she is. Did she have to flirt with every one? I also think she gave up to easily on the first night on the island, but that’s just my opinion.

Tropes:
- second change romance
- enemies to lovers
- grovelling
- bickering

Romance 5/5
Spice: 4/5
Humour: 4/5
Foul language: 2/5

[Ellie Bodington · Rating 3 out of 5]

*ARC Review*

When I tell you that the first 42% of the book took place over one day and in one location, I’m not joking.

This book starts at the wedding of the two MC’s best friends, and you do not leave the wedding for a longggg time. Then, the next 50% of the book takes place during the week-long group honeymoon in the Caymans.

I thought we escaped the third act breakup when everything was fine and dandy at 93%, but I was bamboozled, as I so often am IRL.

The premise (second chance romance) was one of my favs, and I liked all the characters, but a lot of the conversations, especially at the wedding, between the two MC’s felt repetitive.

I will say I did find the grand gesture cute and charming, I just wish we’d spent less time at the wedding and more time seeing how they reconciled and re-fell in love.

This lands between 3 and 4 ⭐️, but I ultimately rated it at 3 (goodreads why can we not do partial points!) because the beginning was just so slow.

[katia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and think it would be a great summer read. The writing was well done and the story flowed nicely. There is a lot of witty and clever humour that was well delivered. I will say that I didn't really find myself connecting with the main characters, Rae & Van. I think I would have preferred reading their story from the actual beginning before the relationship breakdown. Overall, it was a nice & easy read! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

[Carmel · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.0

I'm not really sure how I feel about this book - it's a romance for sure, however, it is so incredibly cliche and uninteresting that you can't really root for the main couple or believe the plot. Everything is like whiplash in this book, things happen so quickly that you forget what happened before, and the plot is just whacky. I think the most egregious thing was the tension between the two main leads - Rae and Van; their chemistry was non-existent, and their journey to healing their relationship was written so terribly. Their love story has a lot of emotional weight - there is potential there for a heart-breaking but light road to reconciliation for them - but the way the characters are written, along with the unbelievable plot, you kind of just feel indifferent about their romance.

The characters also seem to act like they're teenagers for some reason - being horny and childish, which is fine I guess BUT they're all written the same so I just didn't see the need to care about any of them. Literally, all the characters ARE THE SAME, there is very little nuance between them - they all give out relationship advice, they all are excitable around their naked significant others, they all talk the same, it was jarring. Sometimes I didn't even keep up with who was talking because they're the same characters.

Also the sex scenes were SHOCKINGLY BAD. Girl, there's no sexual tension between Rae and Van but you expect me to believe that they have mind blowing sex??? And the sex is the most VANILLA SEX I've ever read. Vanilla sex is fine if it's written well with likable characters - this just didn't hit the mark.

Not that it's bad, but why does this feel like it was written for Wattpad?

[Nicole Dunton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Earning It
Author: E.F. Dodd
Release Date: August 23rd, 2022
Page Count: 325
Start Date: August 28th, 2022
Finish Date: August 30th, 2022

Review:
Story: I enjoyed this story far more than I thought I would in all honesty. I also determined that I might watch too many crime shows with law enforcement types as the main characters. Those who understand will know exactly what I'm talking about. I was convinced it was going to be long and drawn out and that I would want to scream. I was completely wrong. Also, I'd love a short story involving Nana. The references made about her are just too cute!!!! She wasn't in the book enough.
Characters: I could imagine if this book had more viewpoints than just Van and Rae. I'd have loved to see more points of view. Especially Kez. She seems like a riot! Also, I'd love to see a book on Jackson and Kez. I really feel like I need to get to know Kez so much more.
Critiques: None
Final Thoughts: I thought I was going to walk into a cliché book that was full of predictability and angst. I was completely wrong and I'm completely okay with that. There is a bit of spice in this book. It really added well to the story. I also loved the open talk about sexual things among the group of friends. That was great!

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Requested on Netgalley in return for an honest review*

If you love a heated romance, this is the one for you! But if you like a bit of depth and are easily annoyed by a woman who takes advantage of a man, you might feel frustrated at times.

This is definitely a spicy read and great for the summer days. Easy to read and the story itself isn't so bad. I would have given it 4 stars if not for the MC, Rae. I really didn't like her.

She was betrayed by her big love, I get that, and I understand he had to show her how much he was sorry, but it really bothered me that she was taking advantage of him and giving him the idea that she forgave him. Like, after all the sex and the sweet effort he put into making her know he's sorry, she still found a way to bust his balls at the most random moment.

Also, the dialogue between the two felt repetitive. I thought Van was portrayed well, but Rae was just in a slap-me mode a lot... I'm never a fan of women or men who play hard to get.

So, because of the MC and her games, I'm giving it 3 stars. But... definitely worth the read if you want something steamy and lovely!

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of second chances. After years of swearing off love after heartbreak, the female main character runs into her ex at a wedding. Forced together, the two characters have a second chance for love. This was a very steamy read, and read like a much shorter book due to the very fast pace. I also love when books have great friend groups helping to support the story and the characters, and this one certainly had that. If you are looking for second chances, beaches, and lots of steam, definitely check this one out! I received a complimentary copy of this book and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Earning it had everything you could want... strong women, a tropical vacation, and a man who is the epitome of "if he wanted to he would." It is a quick read and it leaves you feeling satisfied.

I really enjoyed the characters. Rae was sassy in the best possible ways. She was confident and could wrap anyone around her finger. She knew how to grab attention and wasn't afraid to do so. Van brought out her sensitive side while proving himself years after heartbreak. The other friends were hilarious and supportive, only adding to the warm fuzzy feeling the book gave me. My only grievance with the book is that I wasn't in Grand Cayman with the group.

I totally recommend reading this book if you are in need of a quick, feel good second chance romance.

[Riley K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a fun and light read on one of those trying days, then this book is for you. Regan comes face to face with her ex at her bestie's wedding. I love that Regan is a strong female character. I really enjoyed this story.

[Hayley (hayleyinpages) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Smith Publicity for my physical galley of this book.

Not good but nothing was inherently wrong with it… it’s just not a special story. Kinda boring.

[Booksandchinooks (Laurie)]

This is a romcom that is a fast and light read.
One problem I had with this book was that so many of their character names were abbreviations. V, Rae, Van, Kez! In the beginning you had to learn their real name and their abbreviated name and it was confusing at first. I also thought some of the dialogue between the characters was immature for their age. Overall the book was ok and I enjoyed it but there are better romcoms out there.

[Charelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

— ARC review —

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Regan, better known as Rae, is the maid-of-honor at one of her best friends wedding, Kez. Last minute finding out that the best-man is no one other than her ex-boyfriend Ray Edwards… err.. Donovan McLeod. Rae is experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions. Will Rae find peace and maybe give Van another chance? Or at least let him explain?

There were some situations that really frustrated me especially in the first part of the book. One is how much ‘revenge’ Rae wanted without even listening why Van did the things he did. Just… listen already… If you don’t want to do it for him, at least do it for yourself to find closure.

There were also parts in the book that I really liked. One is the vibe between the three girls Kez, V and Rae. Giving great advice, saying their own opinion but still respecting one another and being there for eachother. My most favorite part was the second half of the book when they were in the Caymans. And of course, the ending. It had me smiling from ear to ear.

And that’s I guess why this book is still worth 4 stars in my opinion.

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Andrea ☾ [is inconsistently consistant] · Rating 2 out of 5]

*This review contains spoilers. Huge thank you to Net Galley for providing this ARC*

2.5 ⭐️

For some reason, I couldn’t get into this book until the last 25% of it, when things started to take off for me. The story follows Rae and Van as they try to rekindle their romantic relationship after five years apart.

Things I liked about this book:

1. The female protagonist seemed badass. I like heroines that do not shy away from making their voices heard and they’re feelings known. If they feel wronged, they have zero qualms into making it obvious just how much they do not like you or trust you. Some might call it petty; I say it’s honestly in its most unapologetic form (It’s probably why I love enemies-to-lovers so much).

2. They never shied away from their affairs with other people. In the beginning, I was afraid when we got the explanation on how Van was someone who’d had physical relationships with other people but was never able to fall in love again, because I thought the author would paint Rae as someone who’d stay celibate or something like that… Nope. They may both still have feelings for each other but understood that their relationship was done, and they both tried to move on to other people in a way that felt right to them.

3. The showcase scene – During the entire book, every female character is extremely sexualized and objectified, constantly talking about wearing next to nothing, ready and willing to flaunt themselves for male attention. Nothing wrong with that, but it was nice to know that this wasn’t just a thing for the women in the book, but that the men also had their time of ‘I enjoy attention, look at me!’.

Things I didn’t like about this book:

1. Not stating clearly that THIS IS A SEQUEL: I picked up this book thinking it was a stand-alone, but it became apparent within the first pages that it very much wasn’t. It immediately made me want to go and find whatever book was written about Kez and Jackson - I’m sure for someone already invested in those two characters would be very happy with this book, but as someone who had no idea it was a follow-up to a different story, I felt somewhat lost in the number of details given to secondary characters, even just in the first chapter. We know virtually nothing about our MC, but we got a full run-down of her best friend’s story, next to her soon to be husband and their family. I mean, it was nice to put us in perspective, but it’s a bit too much information on side characters.

2. Ridiculous (and viral) vows: If you’re on TikTok you’ve probably heard of Caitlin Reilly’s mock wedding vows viral video, but if not, all you have to do is read the vows scene in this book. My notes on the scene read: “OMG! – There’s a ‘Jason, if you had told me, a year and a half ago, today, that the guy taking my order at Outback Steakhouse, would one day be my husband, I WOULD HAVE NEVER BELIEVED YOU.’ LMFAO, I’ve literally had to stop reading, I’m tearing up! I’m going to go find that TikTok.” I had to literally take a break; I was laughing so much, and I don’t think the author intended for this scene to be the funniest in the entire book, but it was to me.

3. Extremely gendered language: I know that this isn’t a big problem to some, but it really does bother me when author’s describe things as feminine or masculine when referring to objects. Gender is a construct, and anything can be feminine or masculine depending on who’s using it. If you are a male-identifying person wearing make-up, or a skirt, or long hair, then those things are masculine. If you’re a female-identifying person doing… honestly anything, fix a car, play sports, do anything you want, and IT’S FEMININE. Period. But this book is so riddled with these little, almost subtle, misogynistic messages, that just made enjoying the story a lot more difficult for me. Things like “random articles of feminine crap” or “despite the explosion of femininity in the room” made it so hard for me to focus - and those two are only the examples in pg. 123.

4. Van’s entitlement & Rae’s manipulation back-downs: Both MCs are somewhat problematic, and although I recognized that Rae was outwardly trying to toy with Van to rile him up and make him pay a little, I wasn’t all that bothered about it, as I get that it’s kind of the whole point of the book. Or I wasn’t bothered until two things happened: First, Van would get upset, and instead of talking to her or trying to put a stop to the situation by speaking up, he just upped and left like a 4-year-old being told they can’t have ice-cream after dinner. He keeps saying that he’s willing to put up with anything, do whatever it takes to make her hear him out, but when the time comes to put up with her jabs, or just sit under the scrutiny and accusations of things THAT HE HAS ACTUALLY DONE, he just disappears. Then, the second thing that bothered me would happen, which is that every time, Rae would immediately feel guilty (or made feel guilty by their friends) and would follow him and try to strike a conversation with him so he could feel appeased and more at ease with his own actions. This happens multiple times in the book, but nothing really changes. If Van doesn’t what to put up with Rae’s games, then he could just stop trying. If she felt guilty about toying with him, she could stop too, but does it happen? Nope. Neither of these characters knew how to stick to their guns and it. was. so. annoying.

5. Ultimately, there is no excuse. I thought that, by the end of the story we would be privy to a more in-depth view of what had happened all those years ago. I thought Van would have a couple of details about the case against her old boss that would put it all into perspective, and justify his actions, manipulations and lies, but it never came. He just admits to his own cowardice and failures, and although that’s more than I expected for a character as emotionally immature as him, it still didn’t grant any new reasons to earn Rae’s forgiveness or trust. Leaving his job was an uncalled and, honestly, predictable move to try to manipulate Rae into taking him back.

Overall, this book was fine. It was an easy read with a couple of laughs and, sometimes, that is all you can ask for in a book.

2.5/5 ⭐️

[Tsholonki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big thank you to Netgalley for this gem, loved it.

I'm not sure I am a fan of the cover, it felt amateur like there are so many things that could've been used, e.g. the infamous white bathing suit maybe with Van in the background, something anything. Also the font, not the style but rather the size may be upping it a size or two.

Now onto the review: I was soaked in. Totally on edge, what a brilliant storyline, rich with details and drama so right up my stream. I was filled with emotions, Rae hurt, Van's sadness and loss. The author did a spectacular job and I loved it. It was a quick read, perfect for holidays I envisioned myself on a beach.

Rae was quite childish but she was acting from a place of being scorned to I let it slide. And Van was wrong, she let him off the hook too easy.

[sari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rae and Van unexpectedly reunite five years after their dramatic breakup at a wedding where they are the maid and man of honor respectively. The wedding is torturous and it literally lasts for half of the book. Van desperately wants a second chance but Rae won't give him the time of day. But then, surprise! The newlyweds arranged a group honeymoon so the torture continues and the plan to earn Rae's love back begins.

This is a textbook on how to make your problem everyone's problem. I enjoyed it though but it was hard not to roll my eyes at how immature these characters are. Take a shot everytime you read they "bonded over X alcoholic drink" or an out of place sexual innuendo is made. I also thought it was funny how the author made a point of describing the wedding as super liberal and non-traditional but throughout the book the couples are very old-fashioned and perfectly stick to gender roles. Still, I'd recommend it as a fast, entertaining read with some spice.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC for an honest review.
⭐️: 4/5
🌶: 2/5

⤏ What to expect:
•Dual POV (3rd person)
• second chance romance
• groveling, groveling, and more groveling
• vanilla spice

⤏ What I didn't like:
I like more complex characters and would have
liked to see who these two were as individuals
and not just their relationship. We got more
information on side characters' families than we
did the MCs.

⤏ Overall thoughts:
This was such a fun, easy read that's perfect for
summer. There was a unique twist to the second
hand romance plot that made it so much more
enjoyable to read and get to the bottom of what
happened. I had a really hard time putting this
down wanting to see what would happen next.

[Lisa Grønsund · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an advanced digital copy of this book, courtesy of the author and publisher, via Netgalley, for review consideration.

RTC

Oooof.... I mean. Okay. Here's the deal: I got approved for the ARC of this book on the 26th of June. One week later I struggled to remember what happened in the story.

[anna (taylor’s version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.85/5 ⭐️

Regan, or Rae, has sworn off love forever. When the ex, Van, wasn’t who she thought he was, she fled and hasn’t looked back. In fact she’s forced herself to keep her eyes on short flings and quick nights with no chance of attachments. She’s made a name for herself in her job, successfully tucked the bad times into a tiny little box, and is going to celebrate with her best friends at her best friend’s wedding. That little tiny box explodes into a million little pieces when Van shows up at the wedding and on the day celebrating love, she finally has to confront what she’s been afraid to look back on all this time, love and a whole lot of broken trust.

The opening was strong and I immediately got a sense of Regan’s wit and humor. She’s not afraid to tell it how it is and always has a comeback ready and waiting for whatever life throws at her. She loves her friends, but might just gag at any romantic love. The reasoning behind that… Van. Van is funny and matches any energy Rae gives, even when that energy is to back off or go away. His POV was fun to see the pining and wanting to do whatever he could to get her back.

I went into this book expecting a mostly wedding based book with maybe some reconnecting in their everyday lives afterwards. This book, however, delivered a split wedding and vacation romance with Van and Rae being forced onto a group honeymoon vacation for the second half of the book. Not expecting this going in, it felt rushed almost and like there were two distinct plot points shoved together to optimize the forced proximity. Eventually it made sense that they were going on a vacation together, but I wish the wedding was for a shorter portion of the book, sort of like an introduction, so that it didn’t feel so separate from one another.

I loved Rae’s character and her feelings throughout were well-explored with seeing the man who broke her heart once upon a time after so many years. In understand feelings are complex and I’ve had back-and-forth ones too, but her’s felt too fluctuating. One minute she would forgive him for a reason and the next she would hate him for that reason without acknowledging the earlier forgiveness.

This was a fun romance read with interesting characters and I loved the undercurrent of friendship throughout, Rae’s trio especially.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

[shan · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC review

In earning it, Rae has zero interest in men after her ex’s betrayal. Her best friend asks her to be a maid of honour at her wedding. She then finds her ex - Van there. In order for Van to get Rae to understand that what they had was real, he will have to earn it.

I was really excited to read this one because it was my first ever arc. When I saw that this was a second-chance, summer romance I couldn’t wait to start reading! However, I really tried to enjoy it but unfortunately, it wasn’t for me.

The first half of this takes place in ONE location within a couples hours. Thus, I lost interest pretty quickly. It felt slow and instead of dragging out the plot, I feel like the author should’ve focused on a backstory for Rae and Van as we know little about them. There were a lot of plot holes and the writing needed more refinement in my opinion. It was too overly descriptive and I was confused as to what events were taking place.

I also found that there were way too many characters that got introduced at once, and sometimes it was never established who they were? We got a lot of moments with the side characters but not a lot for the two main characters. They had potential to be an epic friendship group but unfortunately, they all acted and talked the same way. It was difficult to differentiate between them and the dialogue was repetitive.

Ultimately, I struggled to connect with the characters and there was a lack of chemistry.

I did enjoy Rae and Van’s banter and I found that they gave reverse grumpy sunshine vibes which I was here for! And Van’s grovelling was great but I wish his reasoning was justified. I was expecting a better explanation at the end but he just admitted defeat which was a little disappointing.

Don’t let this review discourage you from reading this. Everyone has different tastes and this one was just not for me.


Thank you smith publishing for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rae Murphy moved to Charlotte 5 years ago from Charleston after the most devastating heartbreak of her life. Since then, she has made a tight group of friends, V and Kez, and is gearing up to help Kez celebrate her wedding. As Maid of Honor however, she comes face to face with her ex, Van, who just so happens to be the Best Man. Van is desperate to explain everything that happened and win Rae over. Rae is determined to play hard to get and struggles with the conflicting tug between her head and her heart.

The premise of this book sounded really good! The female characters are powerful and own their sexuality with no apologies. They are funny, have strong banter, and have each others back. Exactly the kind of friendship group any girl would want! I also really liked they all had personalities, jobs and a reason to exist that didn't center around a man, even though this is a romance that sees them all finding their perfect man.

The first half of the book takes place at the wedding. I found this particularly slow from a plot development point of view but it did allow us to get to know the characters. I think it would have benefited with some stronger/longer flashbacks to Van and Rae's relationship in this section as I struggled to truly grasp how in love they had been and how bad the betrayal was to have such a strong reaction from Rae.

The time spent on the group honeymoon fills the second half of the book. The bride has sneakily ensured Van and Rae have joining rooms setting us up for either the steamiest vacation to happen or the entire hotel to go up in flames from their angst. I lived in the Cayman Islands for two years so it was super fun to see it featured in the book. I guess I wish we could have seen the group do more than have sex, flirt, roast and stay in the hotel. Could have been fun to see them on a boat trip to Stingray Island or going snorkeling/diving.

Overall, a fun quick read!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Earning It, written by E.F. Dodd, follows Rae, a successful PR rep, as she is ambushed by her long time ex, Van, at her best friend’s wedding (and of course she’s the maid of honor and he’s the best man). She walked out on him years ago when she discovered that her whole relationship with Van was a lie, without giving him any chance to explain. When they are reunited again, Rae discovers that parts of her are still attached to him, no matter what she believes him to have done. But as Van begs Rae for a chance to explain, Rae begins to believe that maybe what she thought happened wasn’t the real story, and agrees to give Van a chance, as long as he can prove that he deserves one.
So first of all, a huge reason I enjoyed this book is because second-chance romances and dual POV. Rae and Van had so much chemistry from the get-go of this book, and I enjoyed reading every second of it. Another thing I really loved about this book was the dedication to maintaining Rae’s character, she is definitely stubborn and not willing to give up easily, and I’m glad that she didn’t just give in to Van’s words right at the beginning. And even though we know that Van isn’t the bad guy she thinks he is, I still loved that Rae stayed true to herself. It definitely made the book more interesting and fun to read, and I’m glad that the author maintained that dedication. Finally, I just really loved that there was such a strong aspect of friendship in this book too. It was basically a found family. I just really loved the friendship that they and Rae had, it was so heartwarming to read. Overall, I really did enjoy reading this book. I’d definitely would recommend to anyone looking for a cute second-chance romance!
I received this ARC from NetGalley and reviewed it voluntarily. All opinions are my own

[Brittany Mayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet book! A strong 3.5 stars.

Regan, a PR specialist, had her heartbroken five years ago when her boyfriend, Ray, turned out to be an undercover agent trying to take down her boss. The two had been together for a year, and lived together by the end when she came home to find he had an alternate identity. She ran away from the city she lived in, the job she worked hard at and the man she thought she’d spend the rest of her life with.

Jump to present day. She’s the maid of honor in her best friend’s wedding but who does she run into? And unexpectedly, Ray, whose real name is Donovan — Van for short, is the best man.

Can Van do what it takes to earn Rae’s trust back?

The book takes place half at the wedding and half at the week-long couples’ vacation the bride and groom chose in place of a traditional honeymoon.

I liked the book overall and it was definitely an interesting premise. It has me questioning what I’d do in the same situation and I loved being along for the ride as Rae and Van became reacquainted for better or worse. I didn’t love the pacing — as I mentioned, almost half the book is on one day and the other half is a week’s time — but it was fun and a great summer read. All the characters were funny and for a short book, had a decent amount of feeling to them. My other problem was that this felt like a sequel but I wasn’t able to find another book in this series that would’ve explained some of the missing context.

I’d definitely still recommend this book to friends who want a quick and witty summer read! Thanks NetGalley, Sugar Beaver Books and Smith Publicity for an ARC!

[RomanceGrrl · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title is a lie cuz the hero definitely didn’t earn anything.

I love a good romance grovel. It’s like catnip to me. So, when someone suggested it in thread about books with groveling and I read the description and saw it was also a second-chance romance I one-clicked it. I love a grovel book and second chance romances can often been really excellent grovel books. I was so excited to read this story. Unfortunately, this book did not live up to my expectations. It was a huge letdown.

Rae is built up as this strong, smart and “take no sh*t” heroine and I was there for it. But then she runs into the guy who did her wrong years ago. The guy who she was massively in love with and who broke her heart when she found out he’d been lying to her during their entire relationship. And, at first, she wants nothing to do with him and agrees to be polite but nothing more because they are both participants in their best friends’ wedding and also going away with the newlyweds for a group honeymoon. And I got excited because I was thinking she was really gonna make him work for it and earn her forgiveness. I thought I would get some great angst and get to see the hero really work to earn her forgiveness and trust. But nope! Rae gets drunk and passes out in Van’s (the ex) bed and then they make nice and cozy on the flight to the honeymoon destination. And then she winds up sleeping with him just a day later. The guy barely had to say he was sorry before she caved and was coupling up with him again. Lame!

I expected a lot out of this book so maybe that was the problem - my expectations. Anyway, this was a letdown.