e-Audio, 07:12:52
Narrated by: Maria Liatis & Jacob York
Release Date: July 19, 2022
Published by: Hachette Audio
Read from: August 10-12, 2022
Stand-Alone
Source: Library’s Libby
TW: Misogyny, Death of a Parent, Medical Trauma, Medical Content, Car Accident with Death as a Result, Grief
For Readers Interested In: Family Diversity, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Enemies to Lovers, AdultLife’s Too Short meets The Unhoneymooners in this sparkling, steamy, and swoon-worthy novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken, in which two sworn enemies must share house, home—and maybe their hearts—when they become co-parents after a sudden loss.
Colby’s living her best life: as a popular food blogger, she gets to fulfill her dreams of exploring the globe. But her world comes crashing down when a tragic accident leaves her co-guardian of her best friend’s two adorable children. Not only does she need to put down roots—fast—but she’ll be sharing custody with the one man she can’t stand sharing a continent with, let alone a house.
Accountant-extraordinaire Rip values rules and plans. But when he loses his sister and his best friend and becomes an insta-guardian all in one night, Rip sees his organized life imploding. What he really doesn’t need is his sister’s irresponsible, flighty—albeit kind and gorgeous—best friend making it worse.
Rip doesn’t trust Colby to take their new responsibilities seriously, while Colby can’t believe Rip thinks children will thrive under his rigid control. Yet soon Rip and Colby discover they need each other more than they hate each other. Could it be possible that following their hearts is just what their new little family needs?
*MY THOUGHTS*
This is going to be a hard one to review because for a whole first quarter of this book I was hate listening. But because I was listening to it on 2x’s the time where Rip was terrible passed quickly and he ended up getting his.
This book is a great example of why I don’t like enemies to lovers. For the most part, when adults are mean to each other because they love each other makes me so mad lol It just seems so elementary. This could also be because I hate miscommunication. Anywho, with this one, I think it was even worst because of just HOW MEAN Rip was to Colby. Because Lordt I wanted to reach into the audio and snatch him up. This could also be because I am currently going through some of the same thing Colby is. As a new mom I have been working from home and still keeping up with my toddler. Having this man say what I do isn’t hard and that anyone could do it, made me want to scream. Being a mom in general (adding on the work from home while watching said child, especially when you do this ALL DAY EVERYDAY) is tiring, so just acting like it was no big deal and how he acted to Colby because he thought this way made me want to smack him. And Lordt when he finally figured it out, I was still pissed. Because WHY DID IT HAVE TO HAPPEN TO YOU FOR YOU TO FINALLY GET IT. This is what’s wrong with people now. Things shouldn’t have to happen to you before you care, get some empathy. In the end he did apologize, but it wasn’t nearly enough for me. He needed so much more than he got.
Because of this I’m probably not the person to ask about the romance. Because Lordt I was NOT into it. I just didn’t like them two together. I couldn’t stop thinking about how he talked to her. It’s one thing to have a shitty opinion, but it’s another to be an asshat for how he talked to her when he told her his shitty opinion. Better to close your mouth and no one knows you’re a fool vs open it and tell the world and all that. But anyways, sometime through out the story they finally fell in love. And I didn’t see how it happened. *SPOILER*And let’s be real, the way he had to see someone else go for her before he got his shit together? Like man, what kind of weird cave man shit is that? *END SPOILER* Anyway, I just didn’t care for it. But I will say I was happy that he learned his lesson. I was terrified that he would revert back to the asshole he was when they first were trying to get together. He almost did, but he didn’t and I was relieved. It showed that he listened and he was learning.
The rest of the story is what redeemed it for me. I did not want to get rid of the kids. They were the cutest! I loved them. I love kids in romance books. They are always just as dramatic as they are in real life and are just as cute. I was glad that Rip and Colby were nurturing them to and making sure to tell them that their parents were amazing and they loved them, etc. As someone who had to help with my cousin when she needed to hear those words, I thought this was a great point to add to the story. It’s the sole reason why I got teared up in this book.
The Epilogue was weird. Am I the only one who didn’t like the dude he worked with? He was funny but also I felt like that was hella weird that he had to keep doing stuff like that. Going out with Colby and then *SPOILER* getting with ol girl? Like I thought she was a villain?*END SPOILER* Idk I have an issue with the bad people getting happy endings. This is the reason I didn’t like Rip getting one lol
I think the only thing that got me to stay reading this was the writing style. Aside from the shitty take that Rip had, the way the kids acted, the things that Colby found hard (like working while with the kids, grocery shopping while with the kids, etc.) and things like that were completely accurate. I only have one and I feel so blessed that I had a kid when the age of pick-up groceries or delivery groceries is a thing. I think only parents understand. I also thought the pacing was good (besides the quick switch between the two) I never felt like it got stale like I feel like my life is lol All I do is work and watch the kid, so I appreciated that Rachel let them both leave and do things and come to agreements, etc.
I couldn’t wait to write this review because I had FEELINGS. Not all of them were good, but I THINK it came out as a cohesive kind of review? If not, just tell me hush and I’ll go on about my business lol If you’re read this. Let me know if you’ve read this, and let me know what you feel about it too.
Overall, I give this
