I have been reading more romance books every month. I know this isn’t the normal reviews I post, so I wanted to do a series of mini-reviews when I have enough books. Today I’m bringing you two mini reviews of Love Her or Lose Her and The Worst Best Man!
Love Her or Lose Her
Rosie and Dominic Vega are the perfect couple: high school sweethearts, best friends, madly in love. Well, they used to be anyway. Now Rosie’s lucky to get a caveman grunt from the ex-soldier every time she walks in the door. Dom is faithful and a great provider, but the man she fell in love with ten years ago is nowhere to be found. When her girlfriends encourage Rosie to demand more out of life and pursue her dream of opening a restaurant, she decides to demand more out of love, too. Three words: marriage boot camp.
Never in a million years did Rosie believe her stoic, too-manly-to-emote husband would actually agree to relationship rehab with a weed-smoking hippy. Dom talking about feelings? Sitting on pillows? Communing with nature? Learning love languages? Nope. But to her surprise, he’s all in, and it forces her to admit her own role in their cracked foundation. As they complete one ridiculous—yet surprisingly helpful—assignment after another, their remodeled relationship gets stronger than ever. Except just as they’re getting back on track, Rosie discovers Dom has a secret… and it could demolish everything.
Review:
Love Her or Lose Her was my first Tessa Bailey book. I haven’t read the first one, Fix Her Up but you can definitely enjoy Love Her or Lose Her without it! The premise of a marriage boot camp idea definitely caught me eye. Being in a relationship myself, I was fascinated by the prospect of things needing fixing. There’s undeniable chemistry between Rosie and Dom which makes Love Her or Lose Her an entertaining read. It’s a book about re-discovering our partner. The ways we express and desire love back – cue love languages – and the habits we kind of just fall into.
While I really liked Rosie and Dom’s perspective, it’s dual POV, I actually liked them more when they were on their own. Their relationship goes back to high school and before Dom’s deployment. Since there was such a long history and months of silence before this breaking point, I had a difficult time sometimes reconciling the memories versus the challenges now. Individually I enjoyed the way Rosie has to figure out who she is and to find some more of her own dreams. At the same time, Dom has to figure out how to open up, to see their relationship as something to be nurtured and fostered.
That being said, it was a book I read in two evenings. I was so absorbed and definitely recommend if you are as intrigued as I was. Find Love Her or Lose Her on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound & The Book Depository.
The Worst Best Man
A wedding planner left at the altar. Yeah, the irony isn’t lost on Carolina Santos, either. But despite that embarrassing blip from her past, Lina’s managed to make other people’s dreams come true as a top-tier wedding coordinator in DC. After impressing an influential guest, she’s offered an opportunity that could change her life. There’s just one hitch… she has to collaborate with the best (make that worst) man from her own failed nuptials.
Tired of living in his older brother’s shadow, marketing expert Max Hartley is determined to make his mark with a coveted hotel client looking to expand its brand. Then he learns he’ll be working with his brother’s whip-smart, stunning—absolutely off-limits—ex-fiancée. And she loathes him.
If they can survive the next few weeks and nail their presentation without killing each other, they’ll both come out ahead. Except Max has been public enemy number one ever since he encouraged his brother to jilt the bride, and Lina’s ready to dish out a little payback of her own.
But even the best laid plans can go awry, and soon Lina and Max discover animosity may not be the only emotion creating sparks between them. Still, this star-crossed couple can never be more than temporary playmates because Lina isn’t interested in falling in love and Max refuses to play runner-up to his brother ever again…
Review
The Worst Best Man has some of my favorite tropes ever. I am a fan of enemies to lovers and fake dating. Even more so, I loved the Max and Lina separate and together. Lina is a savvy businesswoman who was taught to conceal her emotions because they’ve not only made her weak, but lead to pain in the past. All while Max feels like he’s constantly living in his brother’s shadow and just wanting to be seen for who he is. Separate I love their individual character journeys as they navigate through their feelings of fear and vulnerability.
Together they’re electric. There is not only witty banter, but they get on each other’s nerves in the best way. I loved their interactions not only because they seem so genuine, but because they’re hilarious. I also loved how Sosa talks about Lina being Afro-Latinx, not only making her family come alive, but also the struggles she has in expressing her emotions that Max just can’t understand. The Worst Best Man totally consumed me and I had to keep from skipping to the end I was so invested!
Find The Worst Best Man on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound & The Book Depository.