Yours Cruelly

Paper Cuts #2

by Winter Renshaw

The message said, “Remember me?” But the sender was someone I’d rather forget.

Alec Mansfield haunted my memories like a cruel specter. In high school, he was my tormentor and the bane of my existence. When he wasn’t defying authority alongside my older brothers, he was sabotaging my dates and sending me “anonymous” emails signed “yours cruelly.”

Alec was merciless, an emerald-eyed devil spending his daddy’s money and wreaking havoc over our hometown of Sapphire Shores like he owned the place. But mostly, he hated that I didn’t fawn over him like all the other girls did.

It’s been ten years since he left town.

But now he’s back, working as an ER doctor at the local hospital, and in a strange twist of fate, we match on a dating app. I agree to meet up, but only because I want to tell him off for making my life a living hell all those years ago. But four cocktails, one tequila shot, and a shared Uber later, I find myself about to have scorching-hot hate sex with my sworn nemesis.

The next morning, I leave before the sun comes up, slamming the book on that chapter of my life forever.

Except a few weeks later, I discover our story has an epilogue—one that starts with two pink lines on a pregnancy test.

Turns out there are things more life-altering than hooking up with Alec Mansfield … like having his baby.

NOTE: This is a complete standalone that can be read without reading HATE MAIL first, though it's strongly recommended if you want to avoid spoilers.

Genres: Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Doctors, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Second Chance

369 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 7, 2023

Reviews

[Janet Welling · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring and Uninspired.

This book is vanilla. Not the good, flavourful kind from Madagascar, but the plain, generic kind that can be found on discount food store shelves everywhere. Take one predictable, uninspired plot, add in an insipid, unforgiving heroine desperately clinging to the past, annoyingly immature supporting characters, throw them all together and you have this boring, long winded, mundane book from Winter Renshaw.

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had a difficult time connecting with this book. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes to read but there wasn't enough hate in the 'yours cruelly' letters to validate holding on to years later. Also, the idea of the boy bullying the girl because he secretly liked her was too cliche and that was even noted in the book. The plot felt very high school despite the age of the characters which conflicted with the vibe I should have felt with Alec having a successful career in medicine. I didn't like Stassi as Alec's love interest and I think she brought the story down a notch. I know Winter can write better books (case in point, The Match) and I wish I had enjoyed this more. DNF at 20%.

*Special thanks to author Winter Renshaw for sending me this ARC to read and review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Available September 7, 2023. *

[Catherine Victor Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape publishing for an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Yours cruelly is a book about 2 people who had crushes on each other their whole lives yet both despised each other because they each thought the other hated them. They reunite as adults and find themselves in a situation where they cannot avoid each other and are forced to confront their past.
The story was well executed but very typical, nothing out of the ordinary.
A solid audio for passing the time. A little spicy but not too much.
The audio was well done, however I'm not a fan of people doing the dialogue of the opposite sex and in this case it wasn't too great.

[B. C. Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yours Cruelly by Winter Renshaw brings us back to the Paper Cuts world in book 2 of this series, where a rollercoaster of old feelings stir up strong emotions for each of the main characters, but for much different reasons. Stassi was the nerdy little sister of her protective twin brothers while Alec was the rich kid from across the street who preferred the warmth, kindness and homey atmosphere his friend's home offered that was absent in his own. His father made his life  miserable and his mother didn't seem to care at all, but luckily he was accepted in the Hutton household like a part of their own family.

Fast forward years down the road and everything has changed. Stassi had a brilliant start in life but it fizzled out in the worst possible way. Now back in her hometown, feeling like a failure at life and love, waiting tables at the greasy pizza joint near the rundown apartment she shared with a friend, was as low as she wanted to go. The cherry on top of this messed up sundae was the dating app swipe that brought HIM back into her life. Alec was always the tormentor that she loved to hate, but every time he opened his mouth, his words stomped on her infatuation even more, and she never forgot how terrible his taunts made her feel. Maybe some closure and a big fat SEE YA, Alec Mansfield, would sooth her tortured soul, but that's not exactly what happened!

Alec's family left town after graduation when he headed off to MIT, eventually graduating top of his class in medical school. He became a doctor, just like dear old dad would have wanted. A job offer brought him back to Maine and his old hometown again. The highlight of being there years later was the possibilty of running into the crush of his much younger days- that beautiful smart ass, Stassi Hutton. 

The steamy heat between Alec and Stassi imploded right away, leaving them with a huge conundrum in this slow burning 'do they or don't they' sort of enemies to something more romance. The plot kept twisting as their secrets stacked up around them, along with plenty of surprises to keep you on your toes. One big shocker for me was how I ended up feeling about Alec. The faults Stassi found in him didn't feel right to me. In the end, he was just a guy looking for a way to fit in and to find someone to love him. His sweet heart was bigger than Stassi could have imagined and I loved seeing the cracks in her armour when his light finally shined through them.

Alec and Stassi found themselves on a full circle journey- from A to Z, it was filled with humor, sharp wit and eventually love. A time for healing old wounds and letting go of the past- hurts and all, while taking a chance on the future. What a wonderful future it turned out to be. I look forward to a new Winter Renshaw story every time and her array of characters are so much fun to get to know. Yours Cruelly was filled with so many truly enjoyable ones, but I especially adored Stassi's mom and dad- they were the kind of parents every kid dreams of having- playful, loving and understanding. Her brothers were a definitely a handful but nailed their parts as the hardheaded pains in the butt so well. Stassi's bff, Madison, had a special skillset all her own, as Alec and Stassi would absolutely attest to!

The last chapter in this 3 book series, Dear Stranger, is up next. That sounds intriguing, doesn't it?? October doesn't seem like too long of a wait for another exciting Winter Renshaw book. More to love, I'd say. I was given  an early copy of this book to read and this is my freely given review of it.

[Row_C · Rating 4 out of 5]

👍🏼

Sometimes a book can be good and have a great story line and well developed characters but if they leave some issues unresolved it bothers me to no end.

1. I don’t like the fact that Alec reflects back on his younger years with fond memories of stasis’s bothers (aiden and cooper) as his best friends but turns out they didn’t quite feel the same about him and kind of resented him and liked her ex boyfriend better. There was no resolution to how they felt, no apology, no rekindling of a true friendship and that makes me sad for Alec.

2. Did stasis’s ex fiancé live happily ever after with his mistress? What was his explanation for why he did what he did? How did she find out? Did he confess? Was he sorry?

3. How did stasis’s ex boyfriend die? What happened that night? What was he thinking? Did he really love her and just have his own demons? I mean they just put him in the villain category and I needed to know more.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really worried about this one at first because unexpected pregnancy is one of my least favorite tropes. But I shouldn’t have been worried at all. Winter Renshaw worked her magic and crafted this enemies to lovers romance in the best way! I really liked the characters & the aspect of the plot that really showed how things like being bullied as teens really stays with us. Or how broken relationships make us think we have no hope. That maybe we’re the broken ones… but we aren’t. It also showed how people grow & mature over the years. Overall, great solid, emotional, read from WR.

[THE PETITE LIBR☆RY · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 ⭐️⭐️ for this mess :/

I found Stassi so hard to like and practically impossible to sympathize with. Renshaw setting her up as an incredibly intelligent, capable young woman, valedictorian, most likely to succeed, the greatest of all time, while also allowing her to desperately cling to every wrong ever done to her? It’s giving ✨victim mentality.✨ Was she deliberately floundering for no reason other than she felt sorry for herself? Yes, it looks like it. Stassi could have been an incredible female character, but she just came off immature, petty, and pitiful.

The “conflict” was also revealed and resolved so quickly, it was almost irrelevant. After all the build-up and hints, I expected fireworks not sprinkles of dust.

Will I still read the third one? Obviously, yes. I love to suffer.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Winter Renshaw! But this was giving ✨average✨ It was boooooring. It seemed to drag on forever and had a lot of just like everyday life scenes 😂 I don't know maybe I'm just a whore for the drama, but how many descriptions of the fmc coming home from work and eating leftover, cold pizza on the couch do we need? Also, the letters. They weren't THAT cruel 🤔 maybe I'm just desensitized from reading so many enemies to lovers/alpha asshole tropes. But Alec wasn't that mean...🤷‍♀️ He has major communication issues 😂 but, pretty nice tbh. The fmc is a little whiney Eeyore. "Did I tell you he knocked over my sand castle when I was 6?" 🙄 The examples of him "hating" her as kids that she uses to form an adult opinion were laughable at times, sorry! It was a just a bit of a miss for me. Give me a true problematic asshole with an interesting redemption story, come on now! 😅

Not the best, certainly not the worst. Just kinda eh.

[☆☆Hannah☆☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an okay read. Stassi and Alec grew up together. Years later they meet up and things happen. Now she is pregnant. However, in the past he left some mean notes. She has trouble getting over it. Personally, I just never really liked Stassi and found this book to be a little long.

[B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alec & Stassi Finally Get A Chance For Love In This Brothers’ Best Friend Romance! Their Love-Hate Relationship Began As Children, But It Never Crossed The Line. Inwardly, They Harbored Secret Crushes, But On The Outside, They Were Always At Odds. It Isn’t Until They Meet 10 Years Later That They Finally Have The Space & Perspective To Explore The Idea Of Something More. Their Bittersweet Story Is Down-To-Earth & Relatable.


This is book two from the Paper Cuts series. It follows book one, Hate Mail, which is Slade and Campbell's story. This book follows Campbell's childhood best friend, Stassi. The books are slightly interconnected, but they read perfectly as standalones.

The story opens during winter in Sapphire Shores, Maine. Several months have passed since Slade and Campbell were married.

Anastasia "Stassi" Hutton, roughly twenty-five, never much cared about appearances. She embraced her inner nerd in high school, choosing to focus on academics rather than popularity contests. She graduated at the top of her class and had a promising future, but she has had bad luck when it comes to love. Her first love, Jonathan, promised her the world, but tragedy took him from her. She managed to move on in college. Mason was a safe choice and treated her well. They dated throughout college and began an exciting life together in Manhattan. Two weeks before their wedding, though, she learned about his infidelity. All her dreams were dashed.

Humiliated as she realized her naïveté, Stassi returned to her hometown in Sapphire Shores to regroup. Her twin brothers live nearby with their families, as do her parents, but she refuses to accept any help from them. Instead, she shares an apartment with her college roommate and works at a local pizzeria. Almost a year has passed since she returned home, but little progress has been made. Clearly unhappy, Stassi pushes away her family, refusing to talk about her breakup or to show signs that she is ready to move on. She prefers to keep her head in the sand. The idea of dating again is far from enticing; she would rather enjoy the company of a good book. Her brothers wonder if she'll turn out like their crazy aunt.

Dr. Alec Mansfield, roughly twenty-seven, is the center of attention wherever he goes. He turns heads with his good looks, and his charming smile melts hearts. He is smart and naturally good at whatever he sets his mind to, whether sports, academics, or women. Despite the attention, though, he is beginning to realize just how alone he feels. After completing medical school and his residency in North Carolina, he has now accepted a position at the Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine, near his old childhood home.

Ten years have passed since he left Sapphire Shores for MIT, but try as he might, there is still something about Sapphire Shores that calls to him. His own parents moved away years ago, and he lost touch with his childhood best friends, twin brothers Aiden and Cooper, too. Alec was raised in privilege, unlike his best friends, but he always envied the Hutton brothers. They were raised in a loving family - a family that Alec once felt he was a part of. Things got complicated before graduation, though. When Alec left for college, he decided it was time for him to move on, to accept the reality of his situation. He feels bad about losing touch, but at the same time, life happens. Eventually, Alec had his own problems to deal with when his family fell from grace.

As Alec returns to his childhood hometown, he has no expectations. When he seeks companionship on a dating app, he can hardly believe his eyes when he is matched with Stassi, his friends' bratty little sister. She used to drive him crazy. In all fairness, he wasn't always kind to her, either. His feelings for her have always been complicated, but even ten years later, he can't stop obsessing over her. But Stassi doesn't know the man he has become, and she hates the boy he used to be, so Alec has his work cut out for him if he has any hope of convincing her to give him a chance.

Stassi always loved Alec, but she hated him, too. She has been burned too many times to believe a word out of his mouth and means to write him off entirely. But fate might have interceded when it turns out that Alec has just moved into the apartment next door. The couple's past is marked by misunderstandings and youthful mistakes. They have many bumps along the road, but they discover that they have more in common than they’d thought. They eventually find a happy ending.

Alec and Stassi finally get a chance for love in this brothers’ best friend romance. Their love-hate relationship began as children, but it never crossed the line. Inwardly, they harbored secret crushes, but on the outside, they were always at odds. It isn’t until they meet ten years later that they finally have the space and perspective to explore the idea of something more. Alec and Stassi’s story slowly unfolds, and by the end, things aren’t quite what they initially seemed. Both Alec and Stassi are complicated. They hide their true feelings well. They weren’t mature enough to recognize the love they shared in their youth, but with time and hardship, they finally put pride aside. Stassi needs some convincing, but it all works out in the end.

This story is much different than Slade and Campbell's story in book one of the series, which was about an arranged marriage uniting two elite families. Here, the story revolves around the middle-class Hutton family. Alec did come from an elite family, but it was never a family that he embraced, nor a family that embraced him. He went to the Hutton house for that. His dysfunctional family and the unrelenting demands of his father had a big impact on his personality growing up. As a result, the world saw a charmer and a troublemaker, but on the inside, he was just searching for the love and attention he lacked, in any way he could get it. It was after he left Sapphire Shores and was largely on his own that he finally began to mature. Returning to his childhood home, he is then forced to confront who he had once been in his youth and to recognize his mistakes. That is especially true when it comes to finally winning Stassi's heart. He had unintentionally trapped himself in a no-win situation years ago, but he is finally forced to make a choice and accept the consequences.

One of the most shocking moments of the story is when Alec is confronted by his former best friends. I had to stop a moment and take that in. Their perspective explained a few things, but like Alec, I didn't see it coming. I really felt for him. This is all after he has shared that he basically has no family and is alone in the world. I had hoped for a little more insight into how things finally resolved between Alec and the twins because it was such an awful truth that I don't know how their relationship could ever be more than cordial again, which is sad. And there is no indication that Stassi intervened on his behalf in any way, so I am left to imagine Alec never again feeling at home at any Hutton family gatherings.

Alec and Stassi’s happy ending is hard-won and well-deserved. It is bittersweet in light of the truths that are revealed, but they finally find one another when they’ve both had time to learn from their mistakes. Their happy ending is very down-to-earth and relatable. The book is serious in tone. It is nicely written. The timeline is fuzzy and occasionally contradictory, as are a few of the details, but not too bad. The story is told in first person. The POV alternates between Alec and Stassi. I rate this book four stars.

I received an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Erin Book Nerd · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to force myself to finish this book. Stassi was not very likable. Well, she was when she was marching to the beat of her own drum in school and interested in STEM. But, when she was watering her hurts like they were flowers and detailing all of Alec’s many transgressions ad nauseum? Such a victim. And I didn’t really like anyone in this book except for Mr and Mrs Hutton. Glad my first Winter Renshaw book was a 4 star. Had I started with this, I would never have read a second.

[Bhuku · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm doing this review live. Without further ado:

Oh noooooooooo! At 24% in, the MMC just referred to women as "the females." Non-ironically. Send help.

So far I also don't like that the FMC let a breakup kill her ambition and ruin her future (don't give men that much power, come on) or how the MMC cyberbullied her in high school, but the writing itself is fine.

Oof the MMC really defends not taking no for an answer by saying that despite her saying she does not want him, she wants him to leave her alone, etc. etc. he knows she wants him because of ~hope~. In this year 2023 Anno Domini.

ALSO what is it with all these books and violence?? The brothers, with the help of the MMC, beat up tons of guys in the past (off page) for the offense of *drumroll, please* being CONSENSUALLY romantically entangled with the FMC. Mmmkay, take several seats and an assault & battery charge.

Aw but when she's *surprise* pregnant he's not blame-y about it at all, so good for him understanding how biology works and how men are equally responsible for unplanned pregnancies.

This book has:
* enemies to lovers
* body betrayal
* instalust
* small-town
* big city boy comes to the smalltown
* rich boy, poor girl
* brother's best friend
* brothers are weirdly possessive over their sister (as in would beat up any guy she has sex with... ummmmmmm guys is this is a Lannister style family??)
* unplanned pregnancy
* forced proximity (via having a baby together)
* schtupping the neighbor

Overall, I definitely had some *issues* with this one, but the writing was stronger than I've seen from genre comparables, so I would read more by this author. Fans of Ana Huang will eat this up!

Thanks, NetGalley and Winter Renshaw, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick Summary: An enemies to lovers, "I've always loved you" romance

My Review: Yours Cruelly by Winter Renshaw is associated with the Paper Cuts series. It is book two.

About the Book: Love and hate are so closely related when it comes to the one who owns your heart. For Alec Mansfield and Stassi Hutton, this definitely rings true. Truth be told, what they each secretly feel for one another is something more than can ever be said. After a number of past wrongs, missteps, and not so great choices, will they finally get together? Is it even possible?

About the Characters: Without giving too much away, I will simply say that I really liked the Hutton parents. They were a steady presence in the midst of all the crazy.

My Final Say: This was a good story. The intentions of Alec were honorable in a way, even if they came off not to be so when they were younger. He was a good guy underneath the mask. Stassi was lost, but she was surviving in the best way she could under the circumstances. Her history with partners was heartbreaking. This couple made sense, in the end. They both needed to grow, and time as well as life experiences afforded them the chance to do so.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status/Level: 💗
Audiobook: Yes

Thank you to the author, to the publisher (Dreamscape Media), and to NetGalley for providing access to this title in exchange for an honest review. I am appreciative for the opportunity.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

paper cuts

With this being book 2, and the characters hung up SO much on the past … I would have liked more letters. The first book told us so much thru notes!

We even did out that there was anonymous texting but we only get a glimpse. The notes we do see don’t seem so bad (when not in the right context) so it would have been nice to have more of them …

Alec continues with notes to win Stassi back, and they are sweet. I really want them to work but Stassi spent a lot of the book so hung up on her past.

In the end, it all works. The epilogue, was really good.

[Thuy Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these two together, I couldn’t put this book down!!!! Somewhat childhood enemies, brothers best friend/best friends sister, forbidden, neighbors, ALLLL THE CHEMISTRY!!!!🙌🏽🙌🏽. Loved Alec and his efforts to make it up to the girl he’s always been in love with. Sighhhh. 😍😍. I sooooo enjoyed this one!!

[Laqua]

Ay, gente... ¿en qué momento decidimos como sociedad que está bien que un fulano cualquiera te atormente toda tu niñez y adolescencia y está bien porque eso lo hace súperatractivo y la última coca cola del desierto? ¿Y que, siendo varón hetero, la mejor manera de demostrarle a una chica que te gusta es haciéndole la vida imposible y arruinando cada cosa buena que ella puede hacer?
y la duda más grande... ya en pleno siglo 22, ¿por qué seguimos sosteniendo este discurso como "deseable"? 🤔🤔 bueno, preguntas que jamás tendrán respuesta.
Nada, imposible de leer de corrido para mi. O sea, no hay excusa lo suficientemente buena como para justificar los maltratos y las humillaciones. Tampoco es que hay que quedar eternamente atada al pasado; pero chica, querete un poco. El mar está lleno de peces. No hay necesidad de besarle los pies al fulano que te acosó y te torturó incansablemente durante años. No tengo nada en contra de perdonar y dejar ir, pero justamente, DEJALO IR. NO HAY NECESIDAD DE ANDAR SOPLÁNDOLE LA FLAUTA Y ARRASTRÁNDOTE ATRÁS DEL MISMO FULANO.
Y el protagonista... nada, un pelotudo. Con título de médico, pero un pelotudo al fin. 3 flores y un par de libros no compensan años de maldades, y no hay razón en el mundo que avale ser una mala persona. Tampoco lo leí muy arrepentido que digamos, sino más bien en plan: "Ah, actué mal y lo sé, ahora digo que lo siento y ella me tiene que perdonar y listo, familia feliz". Nahh, no es lo mío este tipo de historias.
Claro está que voy a pasar de las otras dos...

[Sandra R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, feel good, enemies to lovers romance. I enjoyed it, but felt some sections dragged a bit. 3.5 stars.

[Graciela Cervantes Aguilar · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Melissa Ledet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

Alec has always loved Stassi even though he never told her. Love how they got together and all the twist and turns that happens for them to find their happy ever after.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alec deserves so much better than Stassi and her horrible brothers. Wow. Also, the “my body my choice” got old real fucking fast. Very disappointing read.

[Jayme · Rating 2 out of 5]

Original Read Date: 09/20/23-09/25/23
Rating: ⭐⭐
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Tropes: brother's best friend, small town, enemies to lovers, surprise pregnancy, doctor.
POV: first person, dual pov

What I liked: It's really hard for me to come up with something I liked about this book which I hate because I was so excited to read it. But even the tropes I typically like didn't work for me here.

What I didn't like: first and foremost, Alec and Stassi just didn't do it for me. Their interactions and chemistry (if you can call it that) felt flat. I didn't have a huge desire to keep reading but I did hoping it would get better. It didn't. I also HATED that it switched pov without any real indicator of who was talking. You had to look out for context clues which makes it hard to stay in the story. Stassi's brothers are supposed to be high school best friends with Alec, but they apparently hate him which was weird and it never really got resolved on page which I didn't love. It all just felt forced. Enemies to lovers is supposed to be a steamy, I hate you but not as much as I want you type of read... And this book isn't that. It's not even really enemies to lovers. It's more, I was your childhood bully because I couldn't tell you I loved you.

[Lauren - SERIESous Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I received an ARC/review copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.**

I'm really mixed on this one. I really adored their connection and the story. I'm a sucker for a good hate to love you second chance story. And I really liked the suspense of trying to figure out what happened in their past.

I think the main reason I'm mixed is because the synopsis made me think the surprise pregnancy and how they navigate it would be the main plot line. However, it isn't introduced until 60-70% in. I think it would have been better if it was a twist rather than something the reader knew right off the hop. So it made the story seem lopsided and a bit rushed at the end.

[Alexandria Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ARC Review✨
Book 2 of the Paper Cuts series and I enjoyed it like the first one!

What a rollercoaster it was.

Stassi accidentally swiped right on Alec, who used to send her horrible letters back in high school.

Now with him being a doctor all those years have passed. Has he really changed? Or will he still be the same guy that broke her heart?

“Roses are red, violets are blue… Forgive me for what I did to you.”
From one meet up hoping to let the past stay in the past. Old feelings of hurt and love are brought up.

I didn’t agree with the way Alec handled how he felt about Sassi all those years ago but watching them work through that was beautiful.

This book covered some great topics about how things can always stay with us no matter how many years pass by.

Can’t wait to check out the 3rd book in the series!

Thank you, Winter Renshaw, for the EARC! As always, my review is my opinion and thoughts.

[Marnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great enemies to lovers reading!

This second book in Author Winter Renshaw’s enemies-to-lovers trope series PAPER CUTS, was every bit as entertaining as the starter book HATE MAIL, although the beginning was a little lighter hearted with its quick and quirky humour.

Even though YOURS CRUELLY is second in the series, they’re only loosely connected and can easily be read as complete stand-a-lones. It’s set in the town of Sapphire Shores where Stassi’s best friend Campbell from HATE MAIL grew up, and it’s been a few months since her and Slade had gotten married. The disclaimer I’ll add here is that reading a single book from Ms Renshaw is never enough, so why not binge on HATE MAIL first and then dive straight into YOURS CRUELLY!!!!

From the moment we meet the gorgeous Doctor Alec Mansfield who admitted his treatment of the young Stassi, I should’ve hated him. He’d been nothing but a bully and I really, really should have hated him, but, Ms Winter did a great job in humanising the reasoning of a then 17-year-old teenage boy. He’d been popular, good looking, the girls wanted him and the boys wanted to be him, yet he’d only wanted to draw the notice of a young Stassi who had been a nerd with a brilliant brain and was very happy in her own skin. She’d actively avoided the popular crowd, too busy going about her own business. She’d actively avoided him and he’d been popular damn-it! She should’ve seen him as he’d seen her. Only now, he admitted he’d not been a smooth talker around her, but tongue-tied!!!

I liked Stassi’s character, and while I thought she was pretty rough on Alec and belaboured the point somewhat, she absolutely had reason to. Did I think it went on for a little too long? Yep and I just wanted her to forgive him already and move on. Hell, even her best friends reckoned the same, but the scars of her teenage years truly ran deep. Add to this her failed relationships and you’ll see why she was so reticent in taking that step with Alec. I loved that he owned his falling for her first, but I truly felt bad for him even as I understood Stassi and this is where Ms Renshaw’s writing came into it’s own.

Dual-POV and the push-pull of those opposing secret-pining-for-each-other-love-feelings that neither openly admitted?? PLUS an accidental pregnancy? Yes freaking please!!!!!

When the often regrettable ill-advised behaviour of teenage years re-visited Alec, I totally believe he got the short end of the stick through-out. He’d started out on the back foot and really didn’t cut a break except with Stassi’s parentals and I ended up loving him so much. Like her mum, all I wanted to do was give him the biggest and tightest hug and tell him I believed in him. I felt Alec’s absolute kick in the guts when Stassi’s older brothers and Alec’s former best friends behaved like spoilt hypocritical children despite being married men with families and I have to admit that the best-friend’s-little-sister-trope wore a little thin here. I lost respect for them from that moment and never recovered it which spoilt the ending for me somewhat.

Don’t mistake my disappointment here with any disenchantment that I felt with the book itself because I absolutely loved it! Ms Renshaw never fails to impress me with her books and one is never enough. She writes with lots of feelings, plenty of sympathy and love for her characters, and loves to keep some information back so that all of her cards are not immediately on the table. All of this makes for must-have almost 5-Star reading! 4.5-Stars ❤️📨✮

#mumsalwaysreading #bookblogger #bookreviewer #marnsreads #marnsj

[Susana Sousa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had always been love!

Yours Cruelly is the second installment in the Paper Cuts series, a brothers' best friend enemies to lovers romance and can be read as standalone.
This is Stassi, part of the very tight group of friends that includes Campbell from Hate Mail, Paper Cuts #1, and Alec Mansfield, a doctor in town's Medical Center and in a High School trio jointly with her twin brothers, back in the day story.

A dating app match with no other than Stassi's High School tormentor and secret crush, the sender of bully messages signed with Yours, Cruelly. Perplexed, but equally curious, oh sooo curious, she grabs the opportunity to give, in the present, as hard as she got in the past. The words, the feelings and frustrations of a woman marked by her teenage years, her losses and present betrayals.
But is Alec the real culprit for her now insecurities and untrusting demeanor?

This tale started really strong.
I loved the internal conflicts of the protagonists and the exchanges between them, for one, what happened in the past and the fear of what might happen in the present, the angry feelings, hurt and deception, caution and volition to resist and weighing the cons, not the pros, against all that simmering attraction that lasts and spreads. For the other, the certainity that he is in the place he wants to be, to care, protect and going for a second chance, THE chance, to have the girl of his teenage eyes and the woman of his heart finally in his life, as his alone.
The chats with the girls gave a drive to the story, comfort and very funny advice, or not.
There is a bump in the road and the unexpected happens....what was meant to be definitively apart, turns out to be a 'relationship' of shared responsabilities and a forever liason, with fears and reluctance for one, an opportunity to work the plan, for the other.

I honestly enjoyed our characters, Alec a bit more than Stassi, and felt they were meant to be, but I was not a fan of Stassi's behavior concerning the 'rules' and her brothers hiprocrisy accusing Alec of not being genuine when they were younger and part of the trio along them.
Of course, if everything that went down in High School was happening know, the lack of communication would unforgivable. But
so many years ago....kids are embarassed, the matter of the over protective brothers and their own distrust toward their best friend, the guilt of a good intention turned bad result.........I just think Stassi was resolute to not give an inch of faith to, at least, let Alec explain as soon as she confronted him.

I had wished, as well, for a more interactive narrative. IMO, they spent too much time inside their heads racionalizong their feelings, doubts, wills and wants -specially Stassi, Alec wanted her so much, the only thought was the plan to claim her and the fear of rejection upon a confession weighing him down foepr years - without discussing it personally. I totally understood the place where Stassi was coming from, but apart from the messages and the pranks, no harm was tone to her, particularly knowing the both sides of him. I thought it took away some of the flow of the narrative.

Nevertheless, I was extremely happy when Stassi imposed herself at the revelation dinner and even more when they finally realized they were in it forever.
Those two last chapters qere the cherry on top, family reconciliation, growing family and all for the long haul!

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of the Paper Cuts series each can be read as a standalone get your boxing gloves out because you are going to want to use them, get your tissues you might need them oh and make sure you are comfortable because once you start you won’t put the book down until the last page has been turned so hang on it is one emotional ride. Stassi is such a sweetheart but was bit nerdy but a very loved little sister by her overprotective twin brothers and breaking away to make her own friends was hard not that she cared much at the time but when they started becoming friends with their neighbor and that is when life started to change for her. Alec sexy as all get out rich kid from across the street with an abusive father, a mother who didn’t care, neighbors who had everything he dreamed of having love, kindness, mother/father who cared, a home that was welcoming and so go to their home as often as he could away from his own home despite all the material things or money he would take family over that any day. Fast Forward years Stassi’s life isn’t or didn’t go as planned so trying to get back on her feet after having gone back home working in a pizza place waiting tables living with a friend and trying something new through a dating app. of course he is the one she is matched with but all she can do is remember all the bulling he did to her growing up with him so close so hesitant to even acknowledge him is an understatement. Alec now a doctor after graduating at the top of his class now working back in his hometown hoping to run into the one girl, he has ever loved but never expecting to have to navigate through the walls she has built up around herself because of how he treated her and made her feel growing up. He never realized he treated her a lot like his father treated him without even trying putting dings in her self-esteem armor so working through that because his goal showing her that man he has become while sorting through their feelings for one another, accepting each other as they are today, shedding the past but will it be enough to them through it all, will she see the man that he has become, will she understand he was a lonely kid who wanted, needed a place to belong, to be loved, to be accepted, will he understand that he hurt her making it up, will she get her life back the way she dreamed it would be, and can they have happiness on this crazy ride?

[Dawnmarie Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book in the Paper Cuts series featuring the dual P.O.V enemies to lovers brother's best friend romance between Alec and Stassi. Alec and Stassi have known each other since they were children and he was best friends with her older twin brothers Aiden and Cooper. They have always had a love-hate relationship with each other even though they both secretly had crushes on each other. Alec didn't like that Stassi didn't fawn all over him like all of the other girls so he tormented her relentlessly sabotaging her dates and sending her anonymous messages signed "Yours Cruelly" he was the bane of her existence. Now it's 10yrs later and after a few tragic events Stassi is working in a local pizza place it's been almost a year since she left Manhattan and returned to her hometown and there's been little to no progress made. Stassi refuses to talk about the breakup and she's so unhappy that she is pushing her family away and she doesn't want to date again she'd rather read a good book. Alec is now a Dr. and he's still the center of attention wherever he goes due to his good looks and charming smile. Now that he's done with med school and his residency in North Carolina he's accepted a job at the Maine Medical Center in Portland near his childhood home. Although he's been gone 10yrs he still yearns for Sapphire Shores even though his parents moved years ago and he lost touch with his best friends twins Aiden and Cooper. When Alec returns to his hometown he's not expecting anything and he is looking for companionship on a dating app. He can't believe when he sees that the app matched him with Stassi the twins bratty sister who drove him crazy. Even though he has to admit that he wasn't always nice to her either but his feelings for her have always been a bit complicated. Even now 10yrs later he still can't stop obsessing over her but Stassi hates the boy Alec was she doesn't know the man that he's become. I don't want to say anymore and ruin it for anyone else with spoilers. You really need to read this dual P.O.V enemies to lovers brother's best friend romance to see what happens. I would recommend reading this book.

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

[Kayla Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Yours Cruelly is the second installment of the Paper Cuts series, but you can totally read Hate Mail and Yours Cruelly separately.

Stassi was tormented by her older brother's friend, Alec. He would always send her cryptic, anonymous messages that always were signed as "yours cruelly." All the tormenting messages went away once he left town over 10 years ago. But now he is back and now a freaking ER doctor! Stassi just has fate laughing at her because she totally matched with him on a dating app. She would rather not go on a date with him since she knows he was behind the yours cruelly messages, but reluctantly she ends up meeting up with him. One thing leads to another and weeks later Stassi finds out she is pregnant. Definitely a curveball she did not see coming and she is not sure if she can even trust Alec to be in her life.

I for one really enjoyed Hate Mail and when I saw Yours Cruelly on NetGalley as an audiobook to request, I hopped on it and was excited to get approved for the ALC.

The Paper Cuts books are very addicting and are super-fast reads. For me, I am instantly hooked within a few pages since I get so invested on what is happening, the characters, and the drama that enshrouds them.

Stassie at times was a little annoying, but I think that really plays apart into Alec's messages she got when she was in high school. Overall, the chemistry between Stassie and Alec was sizzling and sweet. I could not get enough of the two and I think I may like them as a character a smidge more than the couple from Hate Mail.

If you are not a fan of the surprise pregnancy trope or a pregnancy/baby bringing a couple together, then this might not be the book for you. I do feel like everything in this book with the pregnancy and everything that goes down was done well with the characters being mature with their decision making, so if you are on the fence about the surprise pregnancy trope, then that tidbit may help.

Also, to expand on the maturity of the characters with how they take some news and making choices, they definitely were very mature when it came to a miscommunication and that helped not have the miscommunication trope from happening. There was still a tad of miscommunication but is seriously a small blip and feels like it was not really there.

Definitely pick this book up if you are a fan of enemies to lovers and best friend's brother.

I really look forward to getting my hands on book three in the future!

[Linda Whitacre · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Story is full of Angst and High School Antics
I loved Mr. & Mrs. Hutton. The family life they created for their kids was what we all wish we had. Anastasia (Stassi) Hutton is their youngest and only daughter. She was a very sensitive child and in her mid-twenties, she still is. Though Stassi is a brain-e-ack she doesn’t handle life very well. After a bad breakup with her cheating fiancée Morgan, she completely falls apart. Running back home from her great job in New York, Stassi now lives with her best friend in a dump of an apartment and wastes her degree working in a crappy pizza shop. After a year Stassi is still lost and fragile.
Alec Mansfield spent his youth hanging out at the Hutton’s house next door to his house. Alec’s best friends were the Hutton twins, Cooper and Aidan. Alec had an awful family life. His rich arrogant parents neglected him except for his studies. His father forced him to study preparing to become a Doctor. He expected excellence in Alex’s education but ignored Alex otherwise. His mom just ignored him. He loved hanging out at the loving fun Hutton house. He also liked little Stassi. Her brothers teased and tortured her and Alec went right along with it as young boys will do. As they all grew up though Alec noticed Stassi turning into a real beauty and that’s when he started his immature “Yours Cruelly” notes to her. Being a sensitive girl with low self-esteem the notes hurt and humiliated her.
Now an ER Doctor Alec has just moved back home to Maine after ten years away. He is lonely and thinks going home where Alec had his happiest days will comfort him. Alec signs onto a dating app and is matched with Stassi! Wow! Feeling guilty, Alec wants to make up to her but Stassi still really hates him. She figured out he was her note-writer and tormentor. They both have major issues to overcome but in the end, it somehow works. Alec proves himself and is there for Stassi and the baby they created. LOTS OF ANGST, backstabbing, and secrets to mess things up! I received a free advanced copy of this story from Booksprout and this is my opinion. Linda

[PP's Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yours Cruelly by Winter Renshaw has some of my top favorite tropes. Like enemies to lovers. Forced proximity. Second chance. Brother's best friend. Surprise pregnancy. There is so much going on in Alec and Stassi's love story! Alec is hard to resist with his charm and sex appeal and his unexpected sweetness. Stassi has a soft heart that has been repeatedly hurt in love and Alec was the guy who was one of the culprits. But it appears ,all those years ago, Alec was hiding his forbidden crush for the unattainable girl. They are going to have a happily ever after but not before life throws a big surprise in their way!

I am used to emotion heavy books from Winter Renshaw and it was definitely on the lighter side. Stassi swiped right on the dating app without knowing that the guy is her tormentor and her crush from childhood. Alec was equally surprised too. Stassi's family was like his real family when he was young because his rich parents didn't even care about him. Now he is a doctor and his father in prison for fraud and he is living a humble life that he loves and Stassi is back to their small town Licking her wounds after the debacle with her cheating fiance. They have an entertaining banter and easy chemistry from the beginning. Alec is determined to win her heart and forgiveness but Stassi isn't sure she can trust the man who crushed her heart Years ago. Alec has to open up and show all his cards even if it's a lot of vulnerability. I feel that's what convinced Stassi that Alec isn't really the manh03 jock king from high school. I absolutely love to read about an hero chasing and wooing the girl and Stassi made Alec do all the hard work! I feel the surprise pregnancy wasn't really necessary and it felt like it was forcefully put there as something to bring Alec and Stassi closer. Overall it's a good one from Winter renshaw.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily