Hating the Best Man

A Still Springs Romance #1

by Jenny Fyfe, Natalie Murray

"Packed with swoon, this story reminded me why I love romcoms."
– romance author Tarah DeWitt

Flynn:
My best friend’s about to get married, and I’m in love with his future wife. Believe me, I’d do anything to change it, but Ruby Quinn has been my dream girl since high school, and my stubborn heart refuses to let go.

It gets worse. I’m pretty sure Ruby hates me, and I don’t blame her. When she wouldn’t give me the time of day back in school, I started teasing her to get her attention. Stuff like making her drop her books everywhere or slipping condoms into her cart while she was shopping with her mom. Yep, I was a real prize. But I was also a lovesick teenager, and I’ve honestly changed now—minus the lovesick part.

When Ruby got together with my best friend Blake, I was so cut up that I took off after graduation to enroll in flight school. It hurt so bad that I didn’t set foot back in town—not even once.

Until now, eight years later. Because Ruby and Blake are finally tying the knot.

And I’m the best man.

Ruby:
In one week, I’m marrying my high school sweetheart. Unfortunately, Blake’s best man happens to be a guy who used to pick on me back in high school. A guy who left our small town of Still Springs right after we graduated and never came back. Like he was too good for this place, and us.

A guy named Flynn Hudson.

After all these years, Flynn has returned, and I’d love to say he’s still the same cocky jerk I remember, but he’s different. Grown up. Showing me sides of him I never dreamed existed. (Okay, maybe I had dreamed them, but only when I’d had one too many glasses of chardonnay.)

It shouldn’t matter to me now. But it does.

Because being around Flynn makes me second-guess every choice I’ve made. Am I getting married because I want to or because that’s what’s expected? Is this all a big mistake?

Is Blake really the best man for me?

------

Author note regarding cheating: While some elements in the story get close, we never cross that line. If you're still concerned, we've included more details via a QR code at the start of the book. Please be advised the link does contain major plot spoilers.

Genres: Romance, Second Chance, Enemies To Lovers, He Falls First, Forced Proximity, Small Town Romance, Fiction

340 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2023

Reviews

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just one question: why hasn’t a man been pining after ME for a decade? Unfair, folks. Deeply unfair.

[Jordan Fischer | julietfoxreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, Hating the Best Man was SO FREAKING GOOD! I needed a palate cleanser after a bunch of heavy reads, and the book was absolutely perfect. Though there are some stressful moments along the way, there is SO MUCH swoon. One of the best "it's always been you" storylines I've read in a LONG time.

Though Ruby and Flynn knew each other in high school, they were NOT friends. Flynn teased her relentlessly - all because he harbored a secret crush that he's too intimidated to act on. When his best friend Blake beats him to asking Ruby to prom, Flynn is devastated. And when Ruby and Blake start seriously dating, he realizes he can no longer watch his dream girl with another man. Flynn leaves for flight school and Ruby doesn't see him for ten years. He only returns for her wedding to Blake as his best man. Though Flynn still has feelings for Ruby, he's thinks he's ready to watch her walk down the aisle and out of his life forever. When circumstances change, however, will Ruby realize that it was Flynn who was there for her all along?

Oh gosh y'all, I'm a sucker for a man in uniform who is constantly saying THE MOST ROMANTIC THINGS EVER. I had the hardest time picking a single quote for my review, everything he says is just GOLD. I get why Ruby missed out on him in high school, but really, there's no comparison between him and her fiancé Blake (who is the LITERAL worst). I liked Ruby too - poor girl goes through the wringer, mostly due to being super easygoing - and I'm glad she got her HEA.

In terms of spice - there is a CRAZY scene in this book that I am DYING to talk about. Apparently, the authors researched the plausibility of said scene extensively... it's pretty nuts but it is SO HOT. PLEASE DM me if you read this book so we can discuss (you'll know what I'm talking about when you get to it).

Anyways, y'all, if you like small town romance, swoony MMCs, and want vibes similar to an early 00's dramedy - you are going to want to read this book. It's incredibly well written, and I couldn't put it down. I cannot wait for more from this contemporary romance dream team!

[KB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blake and Ruby have been together since high school, they’re both content with the small town life working for their respective parents, and the logical next step is to get married. Ruby hates Blake’s best friend and best man. Enter Flynn- he’s a pilot and he’s hot. He also picked on Ruby in high school so she hates him. When Ruby’s life gets turned upside down, she realizes there’s a fine line between love and hate. And maybe Flynn isn’t all that he appears.

I adored this book so much, I didn’t want to finish it. Flynn is the sweetest, hottest, witty pilot and everyone needs to meet him. His declarations were top notch and I found myself getting teary eyed!


What you can expect:

Small town romance
✈️
Banter
Swoony MMC
Angst
🌶️🌶️
Enemies to lovers

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book. Such a fun read. It’s a rom com in a book so if that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll love this read!!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh goodness did this one grab my attention! I read it in less than 24 hours.

We have small town girl Ruby getting married to her high school sweetheart. And everything is peachy until Flynn shows up, all sexy pilot vibes. He's the best man, and he and Ruby have a history that's hard to put behind them. A history of frustration and anger, with a dash of longing and angst. It's going to be a fun party, guys!

When something happens that shakes Ruby's world who will be there to help pick up the pieces? And I don't just mean the literal pieces of glass she smashed all over the ground.

I loved this and cannot wait for more from this writing duo!

I received this as an ARC in exchange for my honest review. And I honestly loved it!

[Valerie | Vanelena.Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

Hating the Best Man is the debut co-authored book by Jenny Fyfe and Natalie Murray. This small – town romance follows Ruby Quinn, the young bride to be, and Flynn Hudson, her fiancé’s best man. Ruby has been with her fiancé for 10 years now after he asked her to prom and have been attached ever since. She loves Blake, but wonders what might have happened with Flynn, her former crush. Blake and Ruby both have ties to their small town, so when Blake proposed a few months back, saying yes was a no-brainer. Flynn, on the other hand, left their small town right after graduation and never looked back. After completing flight school and becoming a successful commercial pilot, he’s been jetsetting all around the world, avoiding coming home, and avoiding Ruby in particular. After being a complete jerk to her in high school, being back home for the wedding has been tough. Because Flynn has a secret - Ruby was the girl he always wanted but could never have. Watching her marry his best friend has been a test of wills and patience. But will a few days together finally push both of them to act on what could’ve been, or will they both learn to let it go and move on?

Please check the TW for this book if you need to. The authors have shared some important information, but it does speak to a significant plot point in the story.

I absolutely loved this story. Flynn and Ruby are both such believable characters, you really get the sense that these are two people whose lives have been intertwined yet separate for so long. The longing on both sides is palpable, and the tension is so good. The story is written so well that until about halfway through, I was really truly wondering how these two were ever going to get together. I wanted them to so badly, but their circumstances were keeping them apart. After a surprise twist halfway through the book we finally get to see this couple collide in the most spectacular fashion. The authors did a wonderful job at stretching out the romantic tension, and also giving us a story of two people who’ve lived very different lives and are learning how to be together after so long apart. There were parts that were so funny and parts that definitely made me swoon, which is exactly what I look for in a romantic comedy. I absolutely adored this debut co-authored book and highly recommend it!

I want to think Jenny Fyfe and Natalie Murray for sharing an eARC of this book with me!

[Megs: Glitter in the Pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me by storm. Once I started I couldn't put it down. I was 1,000,000,000+ times invested in Flynn and Ruby's story.

Jenny and Natalie gifted us with two beautiful and so relatable character leads in this book, along with their POVs and insight to what makes them tick.

Ruby is a girl who sacrificed a lot of herself for everyone else around her. Ruby became a woman and started fighting back for herself and her happiness.

Flynn is a boy who fell in love the moment they met. And was so nervous, he didn't know how to act around her. Who stepped out of the picture, once his best friend started dating her. Flynn became a man years after leaving his small town, trying to give them space. Who wanted to worship her like she deserved.

There were so many laugh out loud moments. There were parts that pulled on my heartstrings. And there were many parts I wanted to kick (#contemporaryrobert) in the shins. The spicy scenes were hot and so well done. The declarations of love speeches had some of the sweetest quotes.

*check the trigger warnings*- there might be some slight (spoiler) but it's not done by the lead characters. It was done very well and considerate. After reading their POVs, you know that the main characters would never put each other in that situation.

-small town
-second chance
-he falls first
-soooo much pining
-spicy
-man in uniform
-hate to love (at least on her side)
-angst and swoon

[R.V. Wilbur · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬.”

“𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.”
“𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭?”

“𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫,” 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐲. “𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.” 𝐓𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦, 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰. 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟*𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫.

𝐈’𝐦 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠.

“𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐞.”

𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞’𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬. 𝐎𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞.

___________________

This book is a MUST READ for anyone who loves small town, second chance, romantic comedies with ALL of the heart!! Seriously it felt like everything we love about our favorite rom-com movies with the emotional depth you know and love from modern romance books, and I binged it in two sittings.

Flynn Hudson left Still Springs 8 years ago and has never looked back…that is until he’s invited to be the best man at his best friend’s wedding. And it just so happens that his reason for leaving is the woman who will be walking down the aisle. All Ruby Quinn knows is Still Springs, running her dad’s store, and her high school sweetheart Blake. And yet, when Flynn Hudson walks back into her life, despite her horrible memories of him, she can’t help but wonder about the man he has become. But as the wedding week unfolds in ways neither Ruby or Flynn could expect, they each begin to question everything they thought they knew about each other and their history together. But are they strong enough to set the world they thought they knew aside in order to move forward together?

(Disclaimer: There is a significant TW associated with this plot that has been disclosed by the authors, so please be sure to check that out if you need to!!)

Ruby was a fantastic lead. Far from being just another “small town girl”, she’s sharp, quick witted, loyal to a fault, and resilient beyond her years. I absolutely loved her interactions with her sister, and the banter between her and Flynn was EVERYTHING!! I loved how real she felt in the questions she asked, the turmoil she went through, and how she reacted to all of it. She wasn’t a girl boss, she was written as a real person who had to face and figure out things as best as she could and it meant so much to see the example of someone going through heck but never giving up.

Take every stereotypical thought you’ve ever had of cocky, womanizing pilots out of your mind because Flynn is the EXACT OPPOSITE!! I’ll admit, as soon as I saw a pilot I was expecting a glow up from a shy small town friend to a confident, arrogant pilot who sweeps the girl off her feet, but this was even better. Flynn is SUCH a softie from his hot pink pilot hat to his hopeless romantic heart, while being just an all around respectful, supportive, moral, just plain good guy. His relationship with his dad was SO special and I loved watching him learn how to stand up for himself and what he wanted in the face of the odds that ended up stacked against him.

The swoon in this romance is to die for, but the SPICE!! I wasn’t ready for it but I absolutely loved it!! Ruby and Flynn are the modern day epitome of soul mates and as long as you can handle the ups and downs it takes to get there, I promise you will absolutely love seeing them get their happily ever after.

Thank you so much to Jenny Fyfe and Natalie Murray for sending me an advanced copy of this book!! I cannot wait to see where we go from here :-)

[Elizabeth Sherrell (Elizabeth’s Pretty Little Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“…while it breaks my heart to know that she will never be mine, the truth is that I will always be hers.”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I finished Hating the Best Man and saying I loved it would be an understatement.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
More like OBSESSED!! A total goner for Ruby and Flynn.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
There’s some bad blood between them from high school, so their story starts out with some highly entertaining banter. Then there’s a deep dive into motives, emotions, revelations — all which elevated the angst level. It left me completely hooked and cheering for them. The dialogue, swoon, steam, and feels were done beautifully!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And there’s nothing better than a pining hero! 😍


⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

[Lyanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

better than expected. that wedding was a messsss

[Sarah (sarah_gets_bookish) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this book, and the opinions in this review are my own. Thanks so much to Jenny and Natalie for the chance to read this book!!

I loved this book! So much so that I read the entire thing in two sittings in just over 24 hours! Jenny and Natalie have writing voices that fit together seamlessly, and they did so well with this debut novel as co-authors!

I loved Ruby and Flynn so much! I'm a huge fan of 'He Falls First' in a romance book, especially if there's a dual POV, and I get to know how he's feeling about the events taking place in the story. Flynn is so sweet, and his pining for Ruby is so gut-wrenching at times. I highlighted so many of his thoughts and comments.

Ruby is the perfect mix of sassy and kind-hearted. I was so torn with her POV because of how she described why she came to dislike Flynn. It put a different perspective on his feelings. I was also frustrated for her because her fiancé Blake was so immature. Her POV chapters are also equally heartbreaking at times, and I was on edge wondering how it would all come together by the end!

There are also loveable and well developed side characters! I'm hoping the next book in this series will be about Ruby's sister and a specific character that was briefly introduced.

The romantic tension and banter in this book! There are so many quotable moments and memorable scenes (you'll know if you read it)! I think about this book often since I finished reading it!

** Be sure to check content warnings related to sensitive topics/themes that occur in this book! **

[Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no doubts about a book cowritten by Jenny and Natalie meeting my expectations... but this exceeded them!
I'm not a huge reader of contemporary romance, but this was one of my favorite reads this year. I was lucky enough to receive an eArc and I absolutely fell in love with the characters from the start. Highly recommend!

[the_frat_nanny_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update re-read
Still sticking with five stars. If you want a golden retriever MMC, but hot. Look no further. Flynn is the man

This was so good. Read this book. You won't regret it. Flynn Hudson is so swoony.

[CL Booked · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg I loved this book ❤️ and I’m adding Flynn to my list of fantastic book boyfriends 🥰

The meet up between the two mains after 10 years was great, funny and awkward. Right away they fall back into their banter and insults which was fun to read. Over the next few days the build up of getting reacquainted again and learning who they are now ( with some secrets shared) reaches a boiling point but there is no cheating between the mains. Unless you count a hug with some serious eye contact before her wedding day.

This book had my emotions all over the place - but in a good way. I was smiling from ear to ear and then other times I wanted to throw my kindle across the room because of a certain character and the angst that followed.

I loved the writing from this duo and finished the book in a couple of days which hasn’t happen to me in a long time. The love confessions at the end were beautiful that got my eyes a little misty 😍 This story is full of swoon with some great open door spice scenes. “This is your captain speaking,” Oh, hell yes!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I’m being harsh on this review but I really struggled with this couple. While I did like Flynn, I felt like his reasons for being hung up on Ruby was non-existent. “His feelings were deep” even though they never talked yet he said things like “She’s the kindest person I know” but he knew like nothing truly about her. Probably one of my biggest problems with this book is the time line. 8 years she was with her boyfriend, 8 years and then nope they are done and Flynn has just waited this entire time… it’s too long. This is such a random review but I felt like it had so much potential and it just fell for me.

[Natalie - FerryGoodBooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning of this book held the promise of star crossed lovers who finally were getting their shot at love. It had the beautiful tension I crave when reading about a guy who falls first and the angst that is a culmination of years of pining. But then I got half way through the book and it quickly went downhill. The characters became immature and their drama overshadowed the love story. The story became so messy and predictable that it was really hard to enjoy the second half of the book

[Frugivore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good, loved the story and the mmc was perfection

[Ebba Halldin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,75 🌟

[Carolin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,75 🌟

[ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute and the drama was enjoyable, but I didn't love it.

[amina · Rating 4 out of 5]

remind me to reread this when i don't have cramps

[Books.cats.and.cleverness · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute!

[Emily Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite reads of 2023!

[Nicollette || fallinlove.withbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book with every fiber of my being. Jenny and Natalie (two of my favorite authors) write so seamlessly, while still adding their own flair to things, that the flow and pacing is perfection.

I went through a rollercoaster of emotions while reading this: I laughed, I teared up, I swooned, I was shocked, I pumped my fist in the air, and literally melted at some of the dialogue, I wanted to chuck my kindle across the room (about a certain character), and squeeze it in a hug. All of the feels happened in just one book!

So many times I just stopped and thought “omg I love them so much I can’t even stand it” and I caught myself just grinning like a crazy person at times.

Flynn says some of the sweetest things— he’s top tier book boyfriend material, and he’s super sexy 😎 I didn’t know I had a thing for pilots until I met Flynn ✈️🥵

Ruby is such a believable FMC and I was rooting for her the entire time! And together they were absolutely perfect. After reading this book I have such a book hangover and miss all the characters so much!

Except Blake… gtfo Blake.

Read this if you love:

- small town romance
- he falls first
- men in uniform
- sweet & spicy
- banter
- pining
- swooniness galore
- HEA

[Talia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really great contemporary romance, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a spicy romance!

I actually read this whole book in one sitting (pausing briefly halfway to gush with other ARC readers!) which hardly ever happens any more for me, but I could not put this book down!!

It is very well written, and flows so well you would never know it's written by two authors! The story blends the two POVs seamlessly, and I loved having Flynn's POV, getting a glimpse of both character's personalities. There were parts of the story I wanted to know more about, but mostly to do with side characters and bits of their history so I am excited to read more books in this series in the future!

He falls first is my all time favourite trope, and I know from Jenny's other books that she writes a boy obsessed so perfectly. This was no exception! The tension and pining was just *chef's kiss* and the story was really interesting! I liked the way smaller details of the characters and their interests were woven into the story, giving them depth of character. I expected the wedding to be the main event of the book somewhere around 70/80% so I was surprised it happened early on, but everything that happens afterwards was brilliant, and the timeline worked out really perfectly for the characters' development and the progress of their friendship to relationship.

[Cheyyleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hm. I think I may have liked it better if she wasn't engaged to his best friend for half the book. I think that just took a little too long to resolve and allow them to be together.

[Rosieee]

dnf @ 60%

[Ashley (alwaysbooksandtea) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'm sure there are things that would hurt more than watching Ruby Quinn get married to someone else. Like simultaneous gun shot wounds. Being buried alive. Having all my fingernails ripped out, one by one."

*A huge thank you to Jenny and Natalie for sending me an ARC! All thoughts and comments are my own.*

I binged this in one sitting. I NEVER do that, but I could not for life of me put this down. It's a dual POV contemporary romance full of laugh out loud moments, a swoon worthy book boyfriend, a sweet and relatable FMC, witty banter, the most delicious pining and tension, and perfect spice!!

Flynn Hudson! Fyfe and Murray both write amazing MMCs, and it's no surprise that I fell head over heels for Flynn. This sweet, wonderful man has the best declarations of love! I tabbed so many of his thoughts and quotes. His scenes with his dad made me so teary-eyed. Ruby prioritizing everyone else but herself and taking on the responsibility for her family felt like looking in the mirror. My college boyfriend had some Blake tendencies, only his tantrums were over losing at bowling and Monopoly...red flags for days! Ruby spoke to me so much, and I felt like I completely understood where she was coming from.

The pacing of the story was perfect. There's fantastic build-up due to the pining and increasing tension making it a delicious slow burn. When those moments finally hit, wooooow!! Absolutely perfect! Thank you to the authors for doing such detailed research...I don't know how I've survived without that plane scene in my life. Scorching hot! I love the set-up and tease for a potential story with Jade and a gorgeous tattooed motorcycle riding older man! Can I have this now, please?!

Fyfe and Murray are a dynamite duo, and I can't wait to see them blow up in contemporary romance!! This is a must read for romance lovers everywhere!!

"You're the reason," Flynn whispers. "The reason I left and never came back. The reason I can't f#cking breathe, my chest is so tight. It's you. It's always been you."

"You know...ever since I left town the first time, I feel like I've been looking everywhere for you. All over the world. But here you are. Where you've always been."

[Ashley | A Pair of Readers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I was already a fan of both Jenny Fyfe (Jenny Hickman) and Natalie Murray, but this made me an even bigger fan of them both. This contemporary romance has to be one of my favorites. I fell for this book and I fell hard. I am still not over it. I read it, then re-read it, just to make sure it was real.

The writing:
It is amazing. Jenny's and Natalie's voices bend so well together. It creates the perfect fusion of humor, wit, and banter. It is everything I look for in a contemporary romance. The pining, the passion. The cockpit scene (yeah, I've got your attention now, don't I?)

The characters:
Ruby and Flynn. Wow. Two truly wonderful characters. Honestly, it is easy to see yourself reflected in Ruby. She thinks she has it all figured out until everything she thought she knew about the people around her goes full throttle (some in the worst ways possible). It is fun to watch her process and truly figure it all out. And then there is Flynn. Flynn made my heart hurt but also made me smile. Natalie and Jenny nailed the pining for his character. He totally and irrevocably falls first -- in high school, where he watches Ruby date his best friend. He leaves trying to forget it all. Only to be called back for their wedding. The two of them together are amazing. The side characters were wonderful (except you contemporary Robert--er, I mean Blake, you suck, you overgrown fratty manchild).


I cannot wait for more from this duo. I've already cleared a shelf for my JN romances and you should too.

[Come_read_with_me_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, Flynn! He is the ultimate book boyfriend!

This book tells the story of Flynn and Ruby and their 'forbidden love'. Flynn has always loved Ruby, ever since school. However, his best friend got there first, asking her to prom and eventually asking her to marry him. Instead of going along with it, Flynn protected his heart the only way he knew how, pushing her away by being mean to her and leaving town to become a pilot. Years later, at Ruby's wedding, Flynn has to return to face her and be the best man for his best friend, aka Ruby's future husband.

This book is beautifully written. It is filled with passion, angst, lust, betrayal, and loyalty. I ate it up!! Ruby is such a fantastic character. Her character development throughout the book is undeniable. She is strong and fierce. Flynn is just gorgeous. He is so sweet and such a gentleman. I think I highlighted most of his dialogue because *swoon*!

This book has a few twists and turns. When I tried to predict the outcome, I was surprised when the authors brought it a different way. I was constantly thinking about this book and trying to figure out what would happen next. It is a real page turner and definitely a book that will stick with me for a very long time!

Overall, I would recommend this book. I would like to thank the authors for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.