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An Unexpected Find
A chance discovery of a handwritten love scene leads to friendship and undeniable attraction for two people who’ve sworn off love. They might be perfect for each other...but they haven’t actually met.
Will they continue to play it safe or will they risk another heartbreak for a chance at love?
Best-selling author Jax Rowland is writing the first book of his next spy thriller series and it's not going well. If he can't create a deeper connection between his characters, he faces more negative reviews from readers fed up with his one-dimensional Bond-girls.
Dr. Sophie Grimaldi is successful, single and content to remain that way. Disappointed (or worse) by romantic relationships all her life, the only interest she has in men these days are her delicious book boyfriends. When Sophie discovers a set of handwritten notes between the pages of a library book, curiosity quickly turns to exasperation over the author’s cringe-worthy attempt at a steamy sex scene. Automatically, she scribbles her own version, forgetting all about the page when she returns the book. She never imagines the author will find her revision.
Embarrassed to view his work through a mystery critic’s eyes, Jax offers Sophie a job writing the love scenes of his next novel. As sexy emails and flirty texts turn into a friendship teeming with chemistry, Sophie and Jax agree to finally meet in person. But, a series of missed connections and unexpected twists make it clear that fate has other plans for them.
Will they heed the warning signs or choose to write their own destiny?
**Note: An Unexpected Find was originally published with the title Book Review. This revised version (12/2020) can be read as a standalone or the first in the Silver Falls series. Due to mature content, this book is recommended for readers 18+.
Will they continue to play it safe or will they risk another heartbreak for a chance at love?
Best-selling author Jax Rowland is writing the first book of his next spy thriller series and it's not going well. If he can't create a deeper connection between his characters, he faces more negative reviews from readers fed up with his one-dimensional Bond-girls.
Dr. Sophie Grimaldi is successful, single and content to remain that way. Disappointed (or worse) by romantic relationships all her life, the only interest she has in men these days are her delicious book boyfriends. When Sophie discovers a set of handwritten notes between the pages of a library book, curiosity quickly turns to exasperation over the author’s cringe-worthy attempt at a steamy sex scene. Automatically, she scribbles her own version, forgetting all about the page when she returns the book. She never imagines the author will find her revision.
Embarrassed to view his work through a mystery critic’s eyes, Jax offers Sophie a job writing the love scenes of his next novel. As sexy emails and flirty texts turn into a friendship teeming with chemistry, Sophie and Jax agree to finally meet in person. But, a series of missed connections and unexpected twists make it clear that fate has other plans for them.
Will they heed the warning signs or choose to write their own destiny?
**Note: An Unexpected Find was originally published with the title Book Review. This revised version (12/2020) can be read as a standalone or the first in the Silver Falls series. Due to mature content, this book is recommended for readers 18+.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2020
113 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
Hayleigh Sol
16 books26 followersAmazon bestselling author, Hayleigh Sol, believes love conquers all...
Eh, not so much.
In fact, I’ve always been a reluctant lover of romantic-comedies. The overly sappy ones just make my eyes roll; seriously, it’s like a reflex.
So, when I wrote my first book, what else would spill onto the page but a romantic-comedy with a lovably sassy female protagonist who was reluctant to give up her happy single life in exchange for a relationship?
I still write strong (even if they might not know it yet), independent heroines who don’t need a romantic relationship to be complete, and the sexy, sweet book boyfriends they find impossible to resist.
When I’m not writing or reading (my first true love), I’m hanging out with my own irresistible—I definitely tried to resist, let me tell you—book boyfriend turned hubby, who’s a big fan of “sweetie couch time”.
I know, cue the eye roll, right?
Eh, not so much.
In fact, I’ve always been a reluctant lover of romantic-comedies. The overly sappy ones just make my eyes roll; seriously, it’s like a reflex.
So, when I wrote my first book, what else would spill onto the page but a romantic-comedy with a lovably sassy female protagonist who was reluctant to give up her happy single life in exchange for a relationship?
I still write strong (even if they might not know it yet), independent heroines who don’t need a romantic relationship to be complete, and the sexy, sweet book boyfriends they find impossible to resist.
When I’m not writing or reading (my first true love), I’m hanging out with my own irresistible—I definitely tried to resist, let me tell you—book boyfriend turned hubby, who’s a big fan of “sweetie couch time”.
I know, cue the eye roll, right?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
July 24, 2020
And so it begins...
"With a slam of the driver’s side door and a glance at her watch, even though she had just looked at the dashboard clock and seen that she had two minutes to get through those doors before closing time, Sophie quick-stepped through the lightly-misting but persistent rain up the stairs to the library. As usual, she’d stayed late at the office to finish up just one more thing and was now anxious she might miss out on her highly-anticipated plans to read the new release by one of her favorite authors in bed with mounds of fluffy pillows and a trusty mug of vanilla chai tea by her side."
...and I already feel a little overwhelmed. There's a pattern of excessive details crammed into many sentences throughout this book, as if there's a danger of not having enough time to blurt out all the deets. It's a double-edged sword, fortunately, because it's evocative, too. I noticed the rain. I know this character has a penchant for vanilla chai. Yet from the very beginning, Sophie seems to be a walking paradox, making grand mental assertions that men/relationships are unnecessary and undesirable and less than a minute later checking out the arm-hair of a guy in a hoodie who had the audacity to delay her for a minute (though she was the one who launched into the library two minutes before closing time without an apology...).
This narrative has loads of potential. It sort of reminded me of a more modern (and far more erotically-charged, and thus R-rated) You've Got Mail romance. Perhaps because of that, I didn't really feel surprised by any of the "twists", but I was very satisfied with the turn out (and surprising poignancy) of the very last scene. The book's premise is gold: jaded yet highly professionally successful girl writes off all men until she finds an unlikely Mr. Perfect who happens to love books and erotica as much as she does; there's also an adorable head-in-the-clouds mom for Sophie and a trusty best bud for Jax. The initial setting itself is paradise: a library! <3 The book's blurb enticed me, as it promises to delight as a debut in the romantic chick-flick genre. But I felt that the story itself could have seen a good deal more development in terms of world-building, characterization, and dialogue. Notably, I would have preferred to seen fleshed-out scenes in the stead of long internal monologues and backstories to bring the protagonists to life. And Sophie, while relatable in many ways, never came across to me as particularly endearing.
Sol's attempts at dialogue are outshone by her natural knack for transcribing conversations via text and emails. My favorite scenes were having Sophie's disgruntled and hilarious commentary when reading an excerpt of Jax's handwritten erotica (I kept LOLing so hard at the wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am), and Jax's texts with his parents. These instances were exemplary in how the book is humorous and endearing at times. I also enjoyed much of the back-and-forth banter between Jax and Scott (in person), and, later, Jax and Sophie (via email).
Also, this line, potentially plucked from the story of my own life:
" “…so that’s the plan for this weekend. What about you, Sweetie? Are you going to read all weekend again?”
Sophie chuckled. “You know me so well. It’s almost as if you raised me.”
And this gem of a text: "Mom: How are you, homey? Honey. Stupid auto correct. How is your new book?"
"With a slam of the driver’s side door and a glance at her watch, even though she had just looked at the dashboard clock and seen that she had two minutes to get through those doors before closing time, Sophie quick-stepped through the lightly-misting but persistent rain up the stairs to the library. As usual, she’d stayed late at the office to finish up just one more thing and was now anxious she might miss out on her highly-anticipated plans to read the new release by one of her favorite authors in bed with mounds of fluffy pillows and a trusty mug of vanilla chai tea by her side."
...and I already feel a little overwhelmed. There's a pattern of excessive details crammed into many sentences throughout this book, as if there's a danger of not having enough time to blurt out all the deets. It's a double-edged sword, fortunately, because it's evocative, too. I noticed the rain. I know this character has a penchant for vanilla chai. Yet from the very beginning, Sophie seems to be a walking paradox, making grand mental assertions that men/relationships are unnecessary and undesirable and less than a minute later checking out the arm-hair of a guy in a hoodie who had the audacity to delay her for a minute (though she was the one who launched into the library two minutes before closing time without an apology...).
This narrative has loads of potential. It sort of reminded me of a more modern (and far more erotically-charged, and thus R-rated) You've Got Mail romance. Perhaps because of that, I didn't really feel surprised by any of the "twists", but I was very satisfied with the turn out (and surprising poignancy) of the very last scene. The book's premise is gold: jaded yet highly professionally successful girl writes off all men until she finds an unlikely Mr. Perfect who happens to love books and erotica as much as she does; there's also an adorable head-in-the-clouds mom for Sophie and a trusty best bud for Jax. The initial setting itself is paradise: a library! <3 The book's blurb enticed me, as it promises to delight as a debut in the romantic chick-flick genre. But I felt that the story itself could have seen a good deal more development in terms of world-building, characterization, and dialogue. Notably, I would have preferred to seen fleshed-out scenes in the stead of long internal monologues and backstories to bring the protagonists to life. And Sophie, while relatable in many ways, never came across to me as particularly endearing.
Sol's attempts at dialogue are outshone by her natural knack for transcribing conversations via text and emails. My favorite scenes were having Sophie's disgruntled and hilarious commentary when reading an excerpt of Jax's handwritten erotica (I kept LOLing so hard at the wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am), and Jax's texts with his parents. These instances were exemplary in how the book is humorous and endearing at times. I also enjoyed much of the back-and-forth banter between Jax and Scott (in person), and, later, Jax and Sophie (via email).
Also, this line, potentially plucked from the story of my own life:
" “…so that’s the plan for this weekend. What about you, Sweetie? Are you going to read all weekend again?”
Sophie chuckled. “You know me so well. It’s almost as if you raised me.”
And this gem of a text: "Mom: How are you, homey? Honey. Stupid auto correct. How is your new book?"
July 19, 2020
A great easy and fun read!
Tge writing was amazing and always entertaining. This book exceeded my expectations and was surprisingly good. The character development was very good and the plot with all the twists was interesting.
An engaging stoy that I highly recommend!!
Tge writing was amazing and always entertaining. This book exceeded my expectations and was surprisingly good. The character development was very good and the plot with all the twists was interesting.
An engaging stoy that I highly recommend!!
March 29, 2021
What a great book that I truly enjoyed. It captured my attention right at the beginning and kept it. The characters were well developed, likable and amazing. The story line was great and this is the best book I've read in a while. This is the first book that I've read by this author and it definitely won't be my last. I read an arc via Booksirens and voluntarily chose to review it. Sophie and Jax will capture your heart and take it on an emotional roller coaster.
March 23, 2021
Jackson needs to up his game when it comes to writing scenes that connect with women. After absentmindedly forgetting a page of his new book in his latest library return, Sophie “reviews” the page and an unlikely partnership forms.
The characters had me engaged from the first page to the last. Hayleigh has a flow to her writing that is so easy to read and you become engrossed in the story. Sophie and Jackson’s love develops through e-mails, text messages, steamy phone calls and finally a meet cute.
Hayleigh made a unique story with strong characters and sprinkled in delightful twists. I will definitely be checking out more of Hayleigh Sol’s books soon.
I want to thank BookSirens, the author and publisher for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.
The characters had me engaged from the first page to the last. Hayleigh has a flow to her writing that is so easy to read and you become engrossed in the story. Sophie and Jackson’s love develops through e-mails, text messages, steamy phone calls and finally a meet cute.
Hayleigh made a unique story with strong characters and sprinkled in delightful twists. I will definitely be checking out more of Hayleigh Sol’s books soon.
I want to thank BookSirens, the author and publisher for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.
August 16, 2020
★★★.5
3.5 Stars
Sophie is a successful dentist who, on her free time, loves to get cozy and read books. After checking a much-awaited copy at her local library, she finds a yellow notebook paper of a rather steamy scene that she not only rated but gave her constructive criticism. Who would have known this piece of paper would lead her to a steamy encounter of her own?
It took a while for me to feel committed to the book. Instead of the plot moving, I read what Sophie ate and did on a daily basis. When that became the sole focus, this slowed down my anticipation.
I was fairly pleased with the ending and enjoyed the obstacles that Sophie and Jax had in their personal life. It made them careful but also open to reaching out to one another, as much of that also depended on their close friends. Recommended for readers hankering for something short, sweet, and steamy to read!
3.5 Stars
Sophie is a successful dentist who, on her free time, loves to get cozy and read books. After checking a much-awaited copy at her local library, she finds a yellow notebook paper of a rather steamy scene that she not only rated but gave her constructive criticism. Who would have known this piece of paper would lead her to a steamy encounter of her own?
It took a while for me to feel committed to the book. Instead of the plot moving, I read what Sophie ate and did on a daily basis. When that became the sole focus, this slowed down my anticipation.
I was fairly pleased with the ending and enjoyed the obstacles that Sophie and Jax had in their personal life. It made them careful but also open to reaching out to one another, as much of that also depended on their close friends. Recommended for readers hankering for something short, sweet, and steamy to read!
January 11, 2021
I got this book under 'Read it & Reap' Program in exchange for an honest review
I nearly missed reading this book and I'm really glad that I didn't
"Book review" was such a fun book to read, I enjoyed everything: main characters, the humor, the writing style and of course the story itself.
I like reading books about books and related topics, so I was really excited when I saw this book in the schedule of upcoming books for review. I couldn't wait for it to be the day to finally start reading the story. And I was pulled into it right away, the pages flew by quickly.
The story is about two people, Jax is a quite famous author and Sophie is a dentist who loves reading books. Jax accidentally forgets a sex scene description for one if his stories in the book, which is checked out from the library by Sophie without a chance for Jax to retrieve it in time. When Sophie finds the page and reads the scene, she just loses it and writes a scathing review. After that she forgets about it and brings the book back to the library, and Jax is finally able to get it. He is so sure that the scene is excellently written, that it comes as a shock to him when he sees the review, but instead of getting mad, he really likes it. And this is just the beginning.
I liked a lot about the story, but it was especially funny to read about characters' interactions.
The book is fast-paced and so well-written, that I just couldn't put it down.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book 🙂
I nearly missed reading this book and I'm really glad that I didn't
"Book review" was such a fun book to read, I enjoyed everything: main characters, the humor, the writing style and of course the story itself.
I like reading books about books and related topics, so I was really excited when I saw this book in the schedule of upcoming books for review. I couldn't wait for it to be the day to finally start reading the story. And I was pulled into it right away, the pages flew by quickly.
The story is about two people, Jax is a quite famous author and Sophie is a dentist who loves reading books. Jax accidentally forgets a sex scene description for one if his stories in the book, which is checked out from the library by Sophie without a chance for Jax to retrieve it in time. When Sophie finds the page and reads the scene, she just loses it and writes a scathing review. After that she forgets about it and brings the book back to the library, and Jax is finally able to get it. He is so sure that the scene is excellently written, that it comes as a shock to him when he sees the review, but instead of getting mad, he really likes it. And this is just the beginning.
I liked a lot about the story, but it was especially funny to read about characters' interactions.
The book is fast-paced and so well-written, that I just couldn't put it down.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book 🙂
August 8, 2020
The cover of the Book Review first caught my eye. It's absolutely adorable. I couldn't resist. The premise didn't disappoint. I love quirky and am always delighted to find something beyond the overdone tropes of fake relationships, best friend's off-limits brother and billionaire's baby. I mean ... c'mon. How about something realistic and original? Thank you Haleigh Sol for stepping up to the plate.
Sophie is a fully developed female protagonist with a career, goals and an independent life. Yes! She is getting along just fine on her own. She's running her own dentistry practice and training for a marathon. Jackson is also a fully functional adult. He needs some help writing the love scenes in his book and Sophie is the ideal choice. We follow the development of their friendship through text messages, emails and phone calls. There is no insta-love and no ridiculous misunderstandings that could be resolved with a single conversation.
Jackson and Sophie have both been burned in past relationships. They are a bit reluctant to jump right in. However, the chemistry between these two won me over from the start. Even better, The Book Review steers clear of all the tried and true and offers something fresh. I had no idea where the story was headed and was surprised but delighted with the ending. As a debut novel, Hayleigh Sol has set the bar high. I will anxiously look forward to her next book.
Sophie is a fully developed female protagonist with a career, goals and an independent life. Yes! She is getting along just fine on her own. She's running her own dentistry practice and training for a marathon. Jackson is also a fully functional adult. He needs some help writing the love scenes in his book and Sophie is the ideal choice. We follow the development of their friendship through text messages, emails and phone calls. There is no insta-love and no ridiculous misunderstandings that could be resolved with a single conversation.
Jackson and Sophie have both been burned in past relationships. They are a bit reluctant to jump right in. However, the chemistry between these two won me over from the start. Even better, The Book Review steers clear of all the tried and true and offers something fresh. I had no idea where the story was headed and was surprised but delighted with the ending. As a debut novel, Hayleigh Sol has set the bar high. I will anxiously look forward to her next book.
August 10, 2020
Innovative and fresh: How would you feel if you left your written, supposed great, steamy scene unintentionally in a book in the library? The author and main character in this book, Jax, faces that situation. As the title, «Book Review», of the novel from author Hayleigh Sol implies the book is in fact about books and authors.
Jax’s note is found by Sophie (the other main character), who takes the opportunity to review the note and to make improvements to the paper. When Jax returns and finds his note with the remarks, he wants to find the person who worked on his scene.
To talk more about content would be a spoiler. The book consists of a lot of twists and turns and is an easy-going romance with quite a lot of steamy scenes in it. The story and developments are interesting and you could even talk of a page-turner.
The book is never boring and it is a light-hearted read, that won’t tear you down. The language is clever and it is a delight to read the book. I liked it especially for the great setting and idea of the plot. I have never come into such a plot. I believe it is really unique. So my compliments to the author for coming up with this idea.
If you have read enough of the standard romances, you should definitely give “Book Review” a try. I am looking forward to the next book by Hayleigh Sol.
Jax’s note is found by Sophie (the other main character), who takes the opportunity to review the note and to make improvements to the paper. When Jax returns and finds his note with the remarks, he wants to find the person who worked on his scene.
To talk more about content would be a spoiler. The book consists of a lot of twists and turns and is an easy-going romance with quite a lot of steamy scenes in it. The story and developments are interesting and you could even talk of a page-turner.
The book is never boring and it is a light-hearted read, that won’t tear you down. The language is clever and it is a delight to read the book. I liked it especially for the great setting and idea of the plot. I have never come into such a plot. I believe it is really unique. So my compliments to the author for coming up with this idea.
If you have read enough of the standard romances, you should definitely give “Book Review” a try. I am looking forward to the next book by Hayleigh Sol.
November 4, 2020
Where do I even start?
This book was brilliant and captivating from beging to end. I can't stop gushing about it!
The writing was fantastic and I wasn't bored even once!
My expectations were definitely exceeded.
The plot was interesting and the romance was adorable and very well structured. It's a perfect mix between passion, steaminess and heartwarming adorableness! I coudn't predict any of the plot twists which was very refreshing.
And the characters were just amazing (and I have to admit that I found myself swooning for Jackson).
Sophie, the protagonist, is a spectaculat example of feminism and idependance. I loved how open she was with her sex life. She wasn't afraid to admit what she needed/what pleased her and I feel like this is something that women shoudn't feel embaressed to talk about. I'm so pleased that this subject was included in the book.
This was just such a fantastic read. It was everything that I needed and more!
This book was brilliant and captivating from beging to end. I can't stop gushing about it!
The writing was fantastic and I wasn't bored even once!
My expectations were definitely exceeded.
The plot was interesting and the romance was adorable and very well structured. It's a perfect mix between passion, steaminess and heartwarming adorableness! I coudn't predict any of the plot twists which was very refreshing.
And the characters were just amazing (and I have to admit that I found myself swooning for Jackson).
Sophie, the protagonist, is a spectaculat example of feminism and idependance. I loved how open she was with her sex life. She wasn't afraid to admit what she needed/what pleased her and I feel like this is something that women shoudn't feel embaressed to talk about. I'm so pleased that this subject was included in the book.
This was just such a fantastic read. It was everything that I needed and more!
July 14, 2020
Book Review is a wonderful romance novel by Hayleigh Sol.
The main character, Sophie has been stung by several previous poor relationships with men and has given up on the idea of dating. She checks out a book from the library, and discovers some notes in it from an author who is writing a new James Bond type thriller. Out of sheer boredom she edits his notes and adds her ideas to them. She returns the notes to the author who hires her as a ghost writer. The story of “Book Review” goes from there.
The story is very unpredictable and flows smoothly. The reader will find themselves unable to put the book down as the story progresses. Hayleigh’s writing style and whit make the book a great pleasure to read
The main character, Sophie has been stung by several previous poor relationships with men and has given up on the idea of dating. She checks out a book from the library, and discovers some notes in it from an author who is writing a new James Bond type thriller. Out of sheer boredom she edits his notes and adds her ideas to them. She returns the notes to the author who hires her as a ghost writer. The story of “Book Review” goes from there.
The story is very unpredictable and flows smoothly. The reader will find themselves unable to put the book down as the story progresses. Hayleigh’s writing style and whit make the book a great pleasure to read
September 21, 2020
Book Review was a cute, yet steamy fast-paced romance book, which I simply couldn’t put down. Both characters were relatable and I found myself cheering for Jax (and almost yelling at Sophie) on quite a few occasions. I will say that I didn’t expect the book to end when it did, but since I keep thinking about the ending, that’s probably a good thing:)
I did receive a free copy of theirs book from Karma Reviewing Program, but all thoughts expressed are my honest opinion. And I honestly recommend you go grab a copy.
I did receive a free copy of theirs book from Karma Reviewing Program, but all thoughts expressed are my honest opinion. And I honestly recommend you go grab a copy.
June 26, 2020
This was such a fun read. I really liked both main characters and liked them for one another. I did feel frustrated over Sophie's inconsistent behavior and how long it took for the characters to connect. That was balanced by the fantastic sense of sexual positivity throughout the book. There was plenty of steam delivered in creative ways. The ending is perfect. And frustrating, in that, I expected some sort of epilogue that would clue us in to where things headed.
January 27, 2021
An Unexpected Find
“Sweet and steamy “ caught my attention. I read all the reviews of less than 5 stars, for one thing, there were fewer of them! After I bought and read this book, I decided none of the critical reviews were accurate. It has an interesting plot, and indeed, sweet and steamy is delivered. It that’s your kind of book, you should have a happy read.
“Sweet and steamy “ caught my attention. I read all the reviews of less than 5 stars, for one thing, there were fewer of them! After I bought and read this book, I decided none of the critical reviews were accurate. It has an interesting plot, and indeed, sweet and steamy is delivered. It that’s your kind of book, you should have a happy read.
July 25, 2020
Steamy and sweet, a little more predictable than expected but still fun
Sophie picks up her latest read from the library, only to find a piece of notepaper tucked inside that was supposed to be a sexy scene. She wrinkles up her nose, and sure it was written by a man, proceeds to review the writing with her own notes and ideas for how it could have been different. Unintentionally, she leaves the notepaper in the book when returning it to the library, much to the relief of its writer who believed he had penned a fantastic scene. Imagine his shock when he gets it back! He decides he needs to get in touch with the reviewer, and the book progresses from there.
Aside from some extremely long sentences at the very beginning, the first half of this story is a tight well-written narrative that switches between our two protagonists, Sophie and Jax. Made up of their individual lives, emails and then texts between them, and the sexy scenes Sophie writes, the story changes up your interest. Despite them both having relationship problems in the past, things move on between them at a gentle pace, right up to a phone call with an exciting ending.
At about this point, the story meanders with some predictable scenarios as they try and find each other, as unbelievably they have not managed to see photos of each other– even though she has her own dental practice (couldn’t he need a checkup?) and he is a reasonably successful author (she knows him as Jackson, but he lives in her town). Each raises their own reasons for being against getting into a relationship again, but the book keeps them in touch.
I kept my eye on the page numbers as I got closer to the end of the book, would they ever meet?
The first half of this book was a solid 5-stars, but the second 3-stars, so I’ve settled on 4. Anyone looking for an easy summer read with some spice, and a sweet romance at its center will enjoy this one.
Sophie picks up her latest read from the library, only to find a piece of notepaper tucked inside that was supposed to be a sexy scene. She wrinkles up her nose, and sure it was written by a man, proceeds to review the writing with her own notes and ideas for how it could have been different. Unintentionally, she leaves the notepaper in the book when returning it to the library, much to the relief of its writer who believed he had penned a fantastic scene. Imagine his shock when he gets it back! He decides he needs to get in touch with the reviewer, and the book progresses from there.
Aside from some extremely long sentences at the very beginning, the first half of this story is a tight well-written narrative that switches between our two protagonists, Sophie and Jax. Made up of their individual lives, emails and then texts between them, and the sexy scenes Sophie writes, the story changes up your interest. Despite them both having relationship problems in the past, things move on between them at a gentle pace, right up to a phone call with an exciting ending.
At about this point, the story meanders with some predictable scenarios as they try and find each other, as unbelievably they have not managed to see photos of each other– even though she has her own dental practice (couldn’t he need a checkup?) and he is a reasonably successful author (she knows him as Jackson, but he lives in her town). Each raises their own reasons for being against getting into a relationship again, but the book keeps them in touch.
I kept my eye on the page numbers as I got closer to the end of the book, would they ever meet?
The first half of this book was a solid 5-stars, but the second 3-stars, so I’ve settled on 4. Anyone looking for an easy summer read with some spice, and a sweet romance at its center will enjoy this one.
July 23, 2020
Book Review is not what the title suggests, as there is no review inside this book except for a short critique of a sex scene that Sophie doesn't like and adds her own description to it. This is the story of a writer who hires a ghostwriter to assist him in writing passionate sex scenes to incorporate in his spy thriller. Sophie is a successful dentist but jumps at the offer to write for Jackson. The book is overflowing with lengthy sexual exploits, nothing less than eroticism. You may call it a mini encyclopedia of modern love relationships – the urge to stay single, avoid responsibilities and keep the relationship fresh. Such relationships remain shallow and the protagonist is too jaded to get into another one.
The story doesn’t focus on any serious issue; it is just an inconsequential chitchat between the two writers. Despite that it flows well and has been cleverly drawn with unnecessary details from everyday life. If you admire books with explicit sexual content and language, you may like it. The end clearly drops some hints, which were quite predictable. So there is no cliffhanger for me.
The story doesn’t focus on any serious issue; it is just an inconsequential chitchat between the two writers. Despite that it flows well and has been cleverly drawn with unnecessary details from everyday life. If you admire books with explicit sexual content and language, you may like it. The end clearly drops some hints, which were quite predictable. So there is no cliffhanger for me.
April 1, 2021
If you're looking for something cute, fun, and lighthearted look no further. This is a true book lover's book!
Jax is the author of a popular action series but is starting to lose his female audience due to his less than romantic sex scenes reminiscent of the typical Bond girls. His publicist recommends he do some research by reading scenes from some of the popular romance books. He writes what he believes is a decent one night stand, but accidentally leaves it between the pages of one of his "research" books.
Sophie runs her own successful dental practice. Burned by love too many times, she's given up and turned to her book boyfriends for comfort. Settling in for a weekend reading session with her author's newest book, she's intrigued when a sheet of yellow paper falls out of the pages. Horrified and offended by this poor excuse for a sex scene, she rewrites the scene the way she would write it.
When Jax recovers his notes, he is amazed by the change in his scene and decides he must have this anonymous editor to write his scenes for him. What follows are some steamy scenes, flirty texts, and a friendship made to last.
I absolutely loved this book! The concept was really original and I was rooting for the characters to finally get together.
I received a free advanced reader coy of this book through Booksirens. My review of this book is voluntary.
Jax is the author of a popular action series but is starting to lose his female audience due to his less than romantic sex scenes reminiscent of the typical Bond girls. His publicist recommends he do some research by reading scenes from some of the popular romance books. He writes what he believes is a decent one night stand, but accidentally leaves it between the pages of one of his "research" books.
Sophie runs her own successful dental practice. Burned by love too many times, she's given up and turned to her book boyfriends for comfort. Settling in for a weekend reading session with her author's newest book, she's intrigued when a sheet of yellow paper falls out of the pages. Horrified and offended by this poor excuse for a sex scene, she rewrites the scene the way she would write it.
When Jax recovers his notes, he is amazed by the change in his scene and decides he must have this anonymous editor to write his scenes for him. What follows are some steamy scenes, flirty texts, and a friendship made to last.
I absolutely loved this book! The concept was really original and I was rooting for the characters to finally get together.
I received a free advanced reader coy of this book through Booksirens. My review of this book is voluntary.
August 11, 2020
3.5 stars
Book Review is a romantic comedy. Sophie is enjoying her single life after a succession of failed relationships; she also enjoys reading romance and is a regular visitor to her local library. Inside the copy of her latest read is a scribbled handwritten love scene which is so badly written that Sophie adds her own re-write and ends up helping Jackson, who she discovers is the author, write his sizzling sex scenes.
With their only communication taking place via, phone, text or e-mail, the duo have yet to meet; they get on so well but are hesitant about taking their friendship further, and when they do agree to meet up, something always prevents it from happening.
I liked this quick easy read. I’m not usually a fan of the use of text and email as part of a storyline, but it worked well in this case. The will-they-won’t-they tug of war was amusing, but I was left disappointed by the ending.
If you enjoy the ups and downs of romance with a fun, steamy side, then you might enjoy this book.
Book Review is a romantic comedy. Sophie is enjoying her single life after a succession of failed relationships; she also enjoys reading romance and is a regular visitor to her local library. Inside the copy of her latest read is a scribbled handwritten love scene which is so badly written that Sophie adds her own re-write and ends up helping Jackson, who she discovers is the author, write his sizzling sex scenes.
With their only communication taking place via, phone, text or e-mail, the duo have yet to meet; they get on so well but are hesitant about taking their friendship further, and when they do agree to meet up, something always prevents it from happening.
I liked this quick easy read. I’m not usually a fan of the use of text and email as part of a storyline, but it worked well in this case. The will-they-won’t-they tug of war was amusing, but I was left disappointed by the ending.
If you enjoy the ups and downs of romance with a fun, steamy side, then you might enjoy this book.
July 18, 2021
I loved the premise of this book, an author needs to improve the romantic angle of his thrillers to ensure that female readers will remain interested. However, he is lousy at it. Fortunately he leaves a dreadful draft behind in a library book and Sophie rewrites it. Ideal for light-reading.
July 29, 2020
*this review might contain spoilers*
Wow! I gave this book 4 stars and it definetly deserved it. This book was so easy to read and I was constantly wanting to keep reading, even after finishing it I still want to read more.
characters:
SOPHIE - our main character, she's a doctor who's been burned by love constantly. Now while I might disagree with her in some instances I quite liked her character, she was likeable and sassy and I really liked her personality
JAX/JACKSON - I love Jackson, he was fun and sweet and such an amazing character. He was confident in his feelings and wow he would just make the best boyfriend. I think I have another dream book boyfriend now
RACHEL - the best friend everyone wants, she was great. I loved how even if she thought Sophie was making the right choice she still stuck with her. I really liked her and enjoyed the scenes she was in and I would love to have a best friend like her
OTHER CHARACTERS (quick overview):
SCOTT - I didn't have much feelings towards him tbh, he wasn't a bad character just not my favourite
SOPHIE'S MOM - an absolute sweetheart, really liked her and how supportive she was
MIKEY - so cute, really enjoyed him in the scene where he was talking about Mel with Scott and Jackson
relationships:
JACKSON AND SOPHIE - they're relationship was great, I liked how sassy and flirtatious they were and they had such easy conversations. I really wanted them to end up together and I still hope that they do even though we don't fully get to see it
SOPHIE AND RACHEL - I've expressed my love for Rachel already but they just really are the best friends. I love how they do everything together and ah love them
plot:
Just the basic synopsis of this book drew me in. The plot moved so easily and I just was constantly wanting to know what happened next. I was frustrated by Sophie's decision to just be friends with Jackson but I believe that was the intention so I applaud the author for getting me to feel this way. The ending was good, very open ended so I guess it's up to us to decide whether they end up together or not which I like to believe they do
overall:
Really like this book and highly recommend!
Wow! I gave this book 4 stars and it definetly deserved it. This book was so easy to read and I was constantly wanting to keep reading, even after finishing it I still want to read more.
characters:
SOPHIE - our main character, she's a doctor who's been burned by love constantly. Now while I might disagree with her in some instances I quite liked her character, she was likeable and sassy and I really liked her personality
JAX/JACKSON - I love Jackson, he was fun and sweet and such an amazing character. He was confident in his feelings and wow he would just make the best boyfriend. I think I have another dream book boyfriend now
RACHEL - the best friend everyone wants, she was great. I loved how even if she thought Sophie was making the right choice she still stuck with her. I really liked her and enjoyed the scenes she was in and I would love to have a best friend like her
OTHER CHARACTERS (quick overview):
SCOTT - I didn't have much feelings towards him tbh, he wasn't a bad character just not my favourite
SOPHIE'S MOM - an absolute sweetheart, really liked her and how supportive she was
MIKEY - so cute, really enjoyed him in the scene where he was talking about Mel with Scott and Jackson
relationships:
JACKSON AND SOPHIE - they're relationship was great, I liked how sassy and flirtatious they were and they had such easy conversations. I really wanted them to end up together and I still hope that they do even though we don't fully get to see it
SOPHIE AND RACHEL - I've expressed my love for Rachel already but they just really are the best friends. I love how they do everything together and ah love them
plot:
Just the basic synopsis of this book drew me in. The plot moved so easily and I just was constantly wanting to know what happened next. I was frustrated by Sophie's decision to just be friends with Jackson but I believe that was the intention so I applaud the author for getting me to feel this way. The ending was good, very open ended so I guess it's up to us to decide whether they end up together or not which I like to believe they do
overall:
Really like this book and highly recommend!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2020
Characters
Sophie and Jax are fun characters, although sometimes I enjoyed their friends more! They felt like the female and male versions of the same person, but had enough differences for the attraction to feel real. I very much enjoyed how frank Sophie was about what she wanted but of course was guarded about the whole commitment thing. Meanwhile Jax gets a new lease on life. It’s like they were made for each other…because they were!
Plot
And there in lies the rub. The characters felt very real with but times it didn’t feel like the story progressed organically. Instead the author seemed to be spinning a tale of “will it/won’t it” until the very end to fit the story she wanted to tell. It was actually very refreshing in many ways because normally the romance is the focus, instead this focuses on the building of a relationship, where two people aren’t sure if it is right or not in this day and age. By the end I was rooting for them!
Overall
The writing was punchy and enjoyable. The romantic scenes fun and steamy…uniquely steamy. Let’s just say this is a romantic onion – it has layers of writing within it to give that spiciness! I did like the characters, and they were both modern healthy fanatics that made me go an eat ice cream out of pure spite, but the author didn’t make it too overbearing so it just added to their characters and why they were made for each other.
Hardest time I had was how a practicing dentist didn’t have her picture up on anything social media wise. Nothing friends, family, or anyone uploaded to show each other what they look like. I get it was necessary for the story but it was hard to believe. I’ll get off my soap box, but that was very strange for a modern romance.
Rating
4 stars
Was it perfect? Nope. Was it unique? Yep! Did it show that this author had lots and lots of potential? Absolutely. Would I read another book by them? For sure! Does this book need a better title… I’d recommend it…
Where did I get a copy?
Kindle Unlimited
Sophie and Jax are fun characters, although sometimes I enjoyed their friends more! They felt like the female and male versions of the same person, but had enough differences for the attraction to feel real. I very much enjoyed how frank Sophie was about what she wanted but of course was guarded about the whole commitment thing. Meanwhile Jax gets a new lease on life. It’s like they were made for each other…because they were!
Plot
And there in lies the rub. The characters felt very real with but times it didn’t feel like the story progressed organically. Instead the author seemed to be spinning a tale of “will it/won’t it” until the very end to fit the story she wanted to tell. It was actually very refreshing in many ways because normally the romance is the focus, instead this focuses on the building of a relationship, where two people aren’t sure if it is right or not in this day and age. By the end I was rooting for them!
Overall
The writing was punchy and enjoyable. The romantic scenes fun and steamy…uniquely steamy. Let’s just say this is a romantic onion – it has layers of writing within it to give that spiciness! I did like the characters, and they were both modern healthy fanatics that made me go an eat ice cream out of pure spite, but the author didn’t make it too overbearing so it just added to their characters and why they were made for each other.
Hardest time I had was how a practicing dentist didn’t have her picture up on anything social media wise. Nothing friends, family, or anyone uploaded to show each other what they look like. I get it was necessary for the story but it was hard to believe. I’ll get off my soap box, but that was very strange for a modern romance.
Rating
4 stars
Was it perfect? Nope. Was it unique? Yep! Did it show that this author had lots and lots of potential? Absolutely. Would I read another book by them? For sure! Does this book need a better title… I’d recommend it…
Where did I get a copy?
Kindle Unlimited
September 4, 2020
Loved the ending
The main character, Sophie, gave a whole different dimension to my idea of a strong female lead. I loved the plot twist and the very hard decision she made.
Books should teach women to put their needs first. Loved the message and the outcome.
The main character, Sophie, gave a whole different dimension to my idea of a strong female lead. I loved the plot twist and the very hard decision she made.
Books should teach women to put their needs first. Loved the message and the outcome.
November 9, 2020
This was great! I love the original concept of the two main characters (Sophie and Jax) meeting through a critique left behind in a book. Their online relationship builds slowly so that by the end of the book, you will be dying for them to meet and just get it over with!
As the title of the review suggests, I am not an average romance fan. In fact, it's my least favorite genre. A few reasons why I enjoyed this story so much:
1. The man in the story is not some bumbling idiot or cliched masculine stereotype. Jax is a well-rounded, sensitive guy. I think the author did men justice and really nailed it in this aspect. She even summed up male authors who write action novels, "Jax preferred faster-paced writing and editing, creating stories that made up for what they might lack in artistic value with page-turning intrigue and action and a lead character with whom most people could identify." - The author basically summed up her writing style here, and I mean that in a good way.
2. Not to say it doesn't have artistic value, but the writing is easy to follow, or "down to earth," so to speak. Many romance novelists have this need to show off their talent by stuffing their stories with excessive, flowery descriptions that are mostly unnecessary and break the flow of the reader. This story reads so easily, it just flows out of the page. I actually finished it in three days!
3. The love...er, sex scenes. I won't spoil anything here, but if you're looking for steamy, look no further. Yet it is still done with class. Bravo on well-written adult scenes.
The only critique would be that the story does get you a bit frustrated mid-way through. Sometimes the characters can be a little uptight, and they certainly love to overthink things. I had a few eye rolls and "oh come on," moments, but maybe this is a good thing, as it at least elicited emotion. This might be the way people in fast-paced cities think nowadays, maybe I've been out too long!! Well done!
As the title of the review suggests, I am not an average romance fan. In fact, it's my least favorite genre. A few reasons why I enjoyed this story so much:
1. The man in the story is not some bumbling idiot or cliched masculine stereotype. Jax is a well-rounded, sensitive guy. I think the author did men justice and really nailed it in this aspect. She even summed up male authors who write action novels, "Jax preferred faster-paced writing and editing, creating stories that made up for what they might lack in artistic value with page-turning intrigue and action and a lead character with whom most people could identify." - The author basically summed up her writing style here, and I mean that in a good way.
2. Not to say it doesn't have artistic value, but the writing is easy to follow, or "down to earth," so to speak. Many romance novelists have this need to show off their talent by stuffing their stories with excessive, flowery descriptions that are mostly unnecessary and break the flow of the reader. This story reads so easily, it just flows out of the page. I actually finished it in three days!
3. The love...er, sex scenes. I won't spoil anything here, but if you're looking for steamy, look no further. Yet it is still done with class. Bravo on well-written adult scenes.
The only critique would be that the story does get you a bit frustrated mid-way through. Sometimes the characters can be a little uptight, and they certainly love to overthink things. I had a few eye rolls and "oh come on," moments, but maybe this is a good thing, as it at least elicited emotion. This might be the way people in fast-paced cities think nowadays, maybe I've been out too long!! Well done!
October 22, 2020
It was an enjoyable read with a bunch of twists and turns.
The main characters clearly having a connection. But something always happening when they plan to meet. Keeping you on the edge, wondering.
The main characters clearly having a connection. But something always happening when they plan to meet. Keeping you on the edge, wondering.
August 21, 2020
The premise of "Book Review" is that Jax (a well-known writer) has written a sex scene for his new book, but he’s left it in a book at the library. Enter Sophie (a dentist), who checks out the book and finds Jax’s rather pathetic scribbles. She re-writes the scene in graphic detail, then returns the book to the library after several days with her notes in it. Jax is the first one to pick up this particular copy of the novel; he finds the new, improved scene, manages to get her email address from the librarian, and offers Sophie a ghost-writing job.
Of the two main characters, Jax is the more dimensional, as we get glimpses of his real affection for his family. I’d have enjoyed a lot more of that. He, however, is hung up on the past: he almost married a woman who was a gold-digger, and is still dwelling on it six years(!) later.
Sophie’s career as a self-employed dentist is mentioned now and again, while the book revolves around Jax’s best-selling author status. But she, too, spends huge amounts of her time dwelling on past love. Sophie has, I’m afraid, dated the only young men in the universe who would quickly grow bored with her yen for bawdy sexcapades. A study in contradictions, she’s adventurous enough to have phone sex with Jax the first time she talks to him, yet she can’t pull herself together enough to meet him in person.
The novel is liberally sprinkled with character introspection and their conversations with their best friends and their mothers, who all urge them to give a new relationship a chance. Jax eventually becomes willing to give it a try, but Sophie has a never-ending flow of reasons to evade it. And despite having never met, this couple even manages to have a break-up fight.
The writing improves as the story goes along, but there are a lot of flourishes up front and a tendency to dwell on the characters’ feelings rather than actions.
This novel is billed as a “sweet/steamy” romance. I never found the “sweet” romance (I’m pretty sure that phone sex with a stranger doesn’t qualify), and there are passages that seem to go quite a bit farther than “steamy”. However, if you’re looking for a light summer read with fairly graphic sex scenes, you're sure to find this book enjoyable.
Of the two main characters, Jax is the more dimensional, as we get glimpses of his real affection for his family. I’d have enjoyed a lot more of that. He, however, is hung up on the past: he almost married a woman who was a gold-digger, and is still dwelling on it six years(!) later.
Sophie’s career as a self-employed dentist is mentioned now and again, while the book revolves around Jax’s best-selling author status. But she, too, spends huge amounts of her time dwelling on past love. Sophie has, I’m afraid, dated the only young men in the universe who would quickly grow bored with her yen for bawdy sexcapades. A study in contradictions, she’s adventurous enough to have phone sex with Jax the first time she talks to him, yet she can’t pull herself together enough to meet him in person.
The novel is liberally sprinkled with character introspection and their conversations with their best friends and their mothers, who all urge them to give a new relationship a chance. Jax eventually becomes willing to give it a try, but Sophie has a never-ending flow of reasons to evade it. And despite having never met, this couple even manages to have a break-up fight.
The writing improves as the story goes along, but there are a lot of flourishes up front and a tendency to dwell on the characters’ feelings rather than actions.
This novel is billed as a “sweet/steamy” romance. I never found the “sweet” romance (I’m pretty sure that phone sex with a stranger doesn’t qualify), and there are passages that seem to go quite a bit farther than “steamy”. However, if you’re looking for a light summer read with fairly graphic sex scenes, you're sure to find this book enjoyable.
April 4, 2021
At first I thought this book will be only about love, how 2 people find each other in the end. And okay yeah, it’s about love but it’s also about trust and hope and friendship too. I really reaaaaaaly enjoyed this book. Made me laugh, made me cry and mostoy everthying in between.
Sophie is a dentist. She is happily single after countless bad relationships. She loves running and reading (I hate running but love reading). When she borrows a book from her local library she find a notebook page in it. It’s a handwritten account of a sex scene, a horrible one according to Sophie. She is so frustrated with it that she decides to rewrite it and also put in her thoughts about love scenes like this. She takes the book back, with her notes in it.
Jackson is a successful author, he write spy novels. What he is obviousoy incapable of is writing love scenes. When he sees the rewritten scene he was originally so proud of, he feels shame instead. So he decides to ask this mysterie writer to help him write his new book.
They don’t meet but as they exchange emails and texts, their relationship turns from simple working relationship to something more.
After a series of missed meetings what will they do? Will they stop trying?
I was sooooo frustrated with Sophie from time to time. Her connection with Jackson is obvious from the start, they can feel it both but something always comes up. Fate, you could say, I say people. We are all shaped by our past experiences and sometimes it’s really hard to trust people. Even though I was frustrated with Sophie I understood her, her reluctance to trust.
Jackson also isn’t free from his past. He has demons to slay too. But he is kind and loyal and smart and a really good significant other to Sophie’s determined, hard-working, hard-to-trust but nice character.
I loved them both. I rooted for them to finally realize they are so good together and they need each other.
I love a happy ending and Hayleigh Sol delivers.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Sophie is a dentist. She is happily single after countless bad relationships. She loves running and reading (I hate running but love reading). When she borrows a book from her local library she find a notebook page in it. It’s a handwritten account of a sex scene, a horrible one according to Sophie. She is so frustrated with it that she decides to rewrite it and also put in her thoughts about love scenes like this. She takes the book back, with her notes in it.
Jackson is a successful author, he write spy novels. What he is obviousoy incapable of is writing love scenes. When he sees the rewritten scene he was originally so proud of, he feels shame instead. So he decides to ask this mysterie writer to help him write his new book.
They don’t meet but as they exchange emails and texts, their relationship turns from simple working relationship to something more.
After a series of missed meetings what will they do? Will they stop trying?
I was sooooo frustrated with Sophie from time to time. Her connection with Jackson is obvious from the start, they can feel it both but something always comes up. Fate, you could say, I say people. We are all shaped by our past experiences and sometimes it’s really hard to trust people. Even though I was frustrated with Sophie I understood her, her reluctance to trust.
Jackson also isn’t free from his past. He has demons to slay too. But he is kind and loyal and smart and a really good significant other to Sophie’s determined, hard-working, hard-to-trust but nice character.
I loved them both. I rooted for them to finally realize they are so good together and they need each other.
I love a happy ending and Hayleigh Sol delivers.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 21, 2021
This book grabbed me right from the start - Sophie is looking forward to a quiet evening with the latest book from the library. Inside she finds a piece of paper with a horrible love scene that she just knows was written by a man. Impulsively she makes edits, notes and additions to it and then unknown to her, left it in the book when she returned it. The author of those notes Jax is desperate to get his "great love scene" back as he realized he was missing the page and could not recreate it. He waits for the book to be returned hoping it is still there - his big shock is that it has been edited.... and it is really good!
He goes to the effort of tricking the librarian into delivering a note to Sophie in hopes that she will reply to him by email. From here a great friendship begins through emails, texts and phone calls. There is no insta-love. Through their various attempts to connect with each other it was such a great comedy of errors / examples of Murphy's Law. I actually wondered if they would ever meet but was still totally engrossed in the story. Often books frustrate me with the instant wrap up in two pages at the end.
Haleigh Sol kept me fully entertained and up late at night as I truly could not put the book down. It is a great book that had me laughing out loud and exclaiming "oh no!" I am so impressed with how current and real life the book is. A truly refreshing plot line. I already had her next book and went straight into reading it as well. It is not a cliffhanger but I am so pleased that I read both books. Truly worth the time. I will be reading more Haleigh Sol in the future. Thank you.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
He goes to the effort of tricking the librarian into delivering a note to Sophie in hopes that she will reply to him by email. From here a great friendship begins through emails, texts and phone calls. There is no insta-love. Through their various attempts to connect with each other it was such a great comedy of errors / examples of Murphy's Law. I actually wondered if they would ever meet but was still totally engrossed in the story. Often books frustrate me with the instant wrap up in two pages at the end.
Haleigh Sol kept me fully entertained and up late at night as I truly could not put the book down. It is a great book that had me laughing out loud and exclaiming "oh no!" I am so impressed with how current and real life the book is. A truly refreshing plot line. I already had her next book and went straight into reading it as well. It is not a cliffhanger but I am so pleased that I read both books. Truly worth the time. I will be reading more Haleigh Sol in the future. Thank you.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 12, 2021
Sophie finds a questionable scrappy love scene drafted on a loose page in a book she borrows from the library and writes some much-needed corrections. Notes are found by the writer (Jackson, who is a male thriller author) and he finds the notes so useful and enlightening that he seeks her out and a working relationship develops between them, which over time, and a very interesting phone conversation, leads to more. I absolutely loved the way the two leads met - I have not come across a premise like this before and loved it! The two views of the male/female leads playing out alongside each other were effective and offered opportunities for interesting and often amusing comparisons/reflection. It was so nice to read from a guy's POV, and to witness him as a completely usual guy who was interested and responsive to female feedback ;-) It certainly made for some heated and spicy sections!
Sol's style captures their differing viewpoints and personalities well, and although there is a lot of detail, it felt to me that this was reflective of the female lead’s character. The overall tone of the novel was warm and friendly, and this alongside the detail, made it feel very much like curling up cosy with a cuppa and a good book, just as the main character so often wanted to do. I really felt as if I got to know the female lead with all her comments, quips and inner dialogue. Despite others spotting where it was going, I didn't see it at all and found myself smiling broadly at the ending.
I have not read any other books by this author, but will certainly be keeping my eye out for more of her fun, romantic and entertaining reads.
Sol's style captures their differing viewpoints and personalities well, and although there is a lot of detail, it felt to me that this was reflective of the female lead’s character. The overall tone of the novel was warm and friendly, and this alongside the detail, made it feel very much like curling up cosy with a cuppa and a good book, just as the main character so often wanted to do. I really felt as if I got to know the female lead with all her comments, quips and inner dialogue. Despite others spotting where it was going, I didn't see it at all and found myself smiling broadly at the ending.
I have not read any other books by this author, but will certainly be keeping my eye out for more of her fun, romantic and entertaining reads.
April 4, 2021
This is like a modern day epistolary novel, in which the characters meet, get to know each other and explore their attraction without ever laying eyes on each other. Their meetcute without the meet part happens through a slip of paper left in a library book. They exchange some emails and agree to collaborate on a book. Sophie is to help jackson with writing sex scenes that don't scare the female readers away. Their first real time chat takes a while to occur and their first phone conversation is at about 40 % into the book. They plan on meeting accidentally and then on purpose but those plans always fall through. Eventually Sophie loses her nerve and starts to have doubts about meeting at all.
This is both a weakness and a strength. The slow development is part of the allure of this book because it makes it stand apart, and it's charming to read about all the ways they interact and explore their relationship without appearances getting in the way. I also liked the way the extracts from the book that Jackson is writing parallel feelings that Sophie and Jackson are having.
But towards the end the waiting begins to drag the story down and I felt a bit cheated when the actual first meeting took place and it was curtains straight thereafter.
The writing flows well overall, and nicely edited. I don't know what the options on Kindle are but in my personal preference the sections that are emails or book excerpts or texts could be better set apart typographically.
I got a free review copy from Booksirens and I'm leaving a honest voluntary review.
This is both a weakness and a strength. The slow development is part of the allure of this book because it makes it stand apart, and it's charming to read about all the ways they interact and explore their relationship without appearances getting in the way. I also liked the way the extracts from the book that Jackson is writing parallel feelings that Sophie and Jackson are having.
But towards the end the waiting begins to drag the story down and I felt a bit cheated when the actual first meeting took place and it was curtains straight thereafter.
The writing flows well overall, and nicely edited. I don't know what the options on Kindle are but in my personal preference the sections that are emails or book excerpts or texts could be better set apart typographically.
I got a free review copy from Booksirens and I'm leaving a honest voluntary review.
August 2, 2020
This book was endearing and very cute. It had me laughing in places at the sass and banter of the characters in places. It was predictable so none of the twists were a surprise and the story was a little repetitive and felt...stagnant. I think the book needed more characterization. Neither character really grew or changed and every chapter had one or the other drinking vanilla chai tea or training and that was kind of it. Both character were cute and quirky and relatable. The banter was really my favorite part of the book. I also kind of felt that there was no payoff at the end. I understand what the author was doing but I don't feel anything really at the end at least for me. It just kind of felt inevitable and all the stuff in the middle was just there. I do love that Sophie shows that women can be successful without a man and I appreciate that Jax is all for it. Some of the detail kin the book is unneeded and I feel like in other areas more is needed but without it being in monologue form. I think the characterization and story could have been flushed out a little bit if it wasn't all done in monologue form. But overall I enjoyed and smiled and laughed my way through this book and could definitely relate to it in many areas.
October 23, 2020
***Spoiler rant***The cute cover and synopsis are misleading as hell. This is not a sweet and steamy romance. In fact there is no romance at all! Our main character Sophie is so jaded by her past relationships she is dame near bitter. So bitter in fact that the “relationship” if we can even call it that with Jackson never even happens. Sophie got on my nerves so bad but I kept reading hoping it would get better. It doesn’t! Her character experiences absolutely no growth at the end. She even has the nerve to say Jackson wasn’t a good “friend” because he told her he needed space after she decides she can no longer get to know him. How self centered can you be? She decides she doesn’t want to be in a relationship with him (as is her right) because of her past “baggage” knowing that he was falling for her and then gets made when he needs space and time to get over it; claiming he never was a friend if he could do that. So your feelings are the only ones that matter, huh? Sophie was doing to Jackson exactly what she claimed all the other guys did to her and what’s annoying is that we never get so see grow beyond this. Also, the abrupt ending and not even including an epilogue. What was even the point of this book?
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