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Castle Calder #1
A Brit on the Side
I’m living within kissing distance of my best friend's brother for the entire summer, and he’s as sweet and sexy as I remember. Unfortunately, I also remember we had the best sex of my life in short-term parking. And the kitchen counter. Judging by the way he kisses me, he remembers too.
Clearly, the best solution is:
a)Avoid him at all costs.
b) Sneak into his room and bring a little Atlanta heat to the UK.
c) Fall for him. Hard.
I’m not going to choose C. Almost definitely.
A BRIT ON THE SIDE is a sexy romantic comedy. All books in the Castle Calder series can be read as standalones.
Clearly, the best solution is:
a)Avoid him at all costs.
b) Sneak into his room and bring a little Atlanta heat to the UK.
c) Fall for him. Hard.
I’m not going to choose C. Almost definitely.
A BRIT ON THE SIDE is a sexy romantic comedy. All books in the Castle Calder series can be read as standalones.
ebook
First published August 3, 2016
621 people are currently reading
1071 people want to read
About the author
Brenda St. John Brown
26 books494 followersBrenda is a USA Today bestselling author living in the English countryside. Originally from New York, she's lived in the UK long enough to gain dual citizenship, but still doesn’t understand Celsius. However, she has learned the appropriate use of the word “pants”. And how to order a proper bacon bap/barm/buttie. Because, well, bacon.
Brenda writes contemporary romance to make you giggle and swoon. When she’s not writing, she enjoys hiking, running and reading. In theory, she also enjoys cooking, but it’s more that she enjoys eating and, try as she might, she can’t live on Doritos alone.
For more information or to connect with Brenda visit http://brendastjohnbrown.com/
Brenda writes contemporary romance to make you giggle and swoon. When she’s not writing, she enjoys hiking, running and reading. In theory, she also enjoys cooking, but it’s more that she enjoys eating and, try as she might, she can’t live on Doritos alone.
For more information or to connect with Brenda visit http://brendastjohnbrown.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
August 16, 2016
3.5 “Ace” Stars
I was a moon to your star. Wherever you were, I was painfully aware of your orbit. Painfully being the key word.
This is such an easygoing book, and it swept me away. If you are looking for a book to escape into, this is it. It was relaxing to read this book. I just wanted to sit in a corner window with some English Breakfast tea and disappear into this book. This book is “ace.” *giggles
My Jasper:
My Bea:
Jasper, Jasper, Jasper. I loved him! Jasper is…intense. Jasper is Bea’s best friend’s brother. I would have loved to be inside his head to get his point of view. He was little hot and cold, and I loved the contradiction of him. After Bea and Jasper have a sexual tryst one weekend, they don’t keep in touch, so Bea moves on and gets engaged. After the engagement falls through, she decides to move to England to work through the summer and get her head out of her ass. I loved all of the people in this story, such interesting main and supporting characters.
Bea is still finding herself. She is still confused about her feelings for her ex-fiance. She is confused about her feelings for Jasper. She is confused about her weight. And I felt a bit confused during her whole confusion, but maybe that was the point? I actually struggled casting her because it was difficult putting a picture to her character. I kinda wish she was a little more sassy and threw that sass back into Jasper’s face sometimes. Maybe she was meant to be a little awkward. If so, I got that.
If it’s possible to die of awkward, I’m going to keel over right here, in a borrowed flannel shirt with chocolate on my lips.
There is some angst, but not too much. On personal preference, I usually don’t enjoy the angst, so I gravitated more toward the light bickering and flirty side of Jasper of Bea, and there was enough of that to keep my attention zeroed in on these two.
This was my first book by Breanda St. John Brown, and I think she is an excellent story teller with a side of spicy hotness. Her writing reminds me of Samantha Young, but still has her own unique quality to it. If you are a fan of Samantha Young, you will love this book.
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Find me on
I was a moon to your star. Wherever you were, I was painfully aware of your orbit. Painfully being the key word.
This is such an easygoing book, and it swept me away. If you are looking for a book to escape into, this is it. It was relaxing to read this book. I just wanted to sit in a corner window with some English Breakfast tea and disappear into this book. This book is “ace.” *giggles
My Jasper:
My Bea:
Jasper, Jasper, Jasper. I loved him! Jasper is…intense. Jasper is Bea’s best friend’s brother. I would have loved to be inside his head to get his point of view. He was little hot and cold, and I loved the contradiction of him. After Bea and Jasper have a sexual tryst one weekend, they don’t keep in touch, so Bea moves on and gets engaged. After the engagement falls through, she decides to move to England to work through the summer and get her head out of her ass. I loved all of the people in this story, such interesting main and supporting characters.
Bea is still finding herself. She is still confused about her feelings for her ex-fiance. She is confused about her feelings for Jasper. She is confused about her weight. And I felt a bit confused during her whole confusion, but maybe that was the point? I actually struggled casting her because it was difficult putting a picture to her character. I kinda wish she was a little more sassy and threw that sass back into Jasper’s face sometimes. Maybe she was meant to be a little awkward. If so, I got that.
If it’s possible to die of awkward, I’m going to keel over right here, in a borrowed flannel shirt with chocolate on my lips.
There is some angst, but not too much. On personal preference, I usually don’t enjoy the angst, so I gravitated more toward the light bickering and flirty side of Jasper of Bea, and there was enough of that to keep my attention zeroed in on these two.
This was my first book by Breanda St. John Brown, and I think she is an excellent story teller with a side of spicy hotness. Her writing reminds me of Samantha Young, but still has her own unique quality to it. If you are a fan of Samantha Young, you will love this book.
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Find me on
July 18, 2016
I want to go to England and spend the summer working at a castle… and falling for my friend’s brother. I need to know how to make this happen.
I’m a huge fan of Brenda St. John Brown, and A Brit On The Side only solidified that further for me.
Bea Gillespie’s only plan for the summer is to spend time with her best friend Scarlett, not feel guilty about dumping her fiancé and get out and see England. There’s a slight hiccup in her plan when she arrives at the castle she’ll be staying at only to find out that her best friend’s brother is also there for the summer. This wouldn’t necessarily be a problem if she hadn’t had an amazing fling with him when he was in the states. Now things are slightly awkward and uncomfortable because she can’t really deny that she still finds him attractive and wants to maybe spend the summer getting to know him all over again. The only thing in the way is Scarlett… she won’t approve of them spending time together for reasons and Bea can’t really tell her about what happened without causing a rift in their friendship.
You guys… Jasper is adorably awkward and yet endearing in so many ways. Despite some mixed messages between these two, they eventually work out what they want from each other, and I really enjoyed seeing them really get to know each other aside from the physical aspect of a relationship. The big issue is that Bea hasn’t told Scarlett and even though she knows she should, she holds back because that would mean telling her about the first time and admitting that she doesn’t confide in her best friend about things.
Obviously things eventually get revealed and it forces Bea to realize a few things about herself while in a strange city and I liked that she makes these eye-opening discoveries on her own. I also really liked that in addition to the romance there is a lot about friendship in this story. I know that this is a 3 book companion series and I’m so excited because that means more England and more Scarlett and more Claire and hopefully along the way we’ll catch a few glimpses of Bea and Jasper because I’m excited to see what the future holds for them!
If you’re a new adult fan and are looking for a new author to add to your must read list, make sure you add Brenda St. John Brown and A Brit On The Side to your ‘to read’ shelf.
I’m a huge fan of Brenda St. John Brown, and A Brit On The Side only solidified that further for me.
Bea Gillespie’s only plan for the summer is to spend time with her best friend Scarlett, not feel guilty about dumping her fiancé and get out and see England. There’s a slight hiccup in her plan when she arrives at the castle she’ll be staying at only to find out that her best friend’s brother is also there for the summer. This wouldn’t necessarily be a problem if she hadn’t had an amazing fling with him when he was in the states. Now things are slightly awkward and uncomfortable because she can’t really deny that she still finds him attractive and wants to maybe spend the summer getting to know him all over again. The only thing in the way is Scarlett… she won’t approve of them spending time together for reasons and Bea can’t really tell her about what happened without causing a rift in their friendship.
You guys… Jasper is adorably awkward and yet endearing in so many ways. Despite some mixed messages between these two, they eventually work out what they want from each other, and I really enjoyed seeing them really get to know each other aside from the physical aspect of a relationship. The big issue is that Bea hasn’t told Scarlett and even though she knows she should, she holds back because that would mean telling her about the first time and admitting that she doesn’t confide in her best friend about things.
Obviously things eventually get revealed and it forces Bea to realize a few things about herself while in a strange city and I liked that she makes these eye-opening discoveries on her own. I also really liked that in addition to the romance there is a lot about friendship in this story. I know that this is a 3 book companion series and I’m so excited because that means more England and more Scarlett and more Claire and hopefully along the way we’ll catch a few glimpses of Bea and Jasper because I’m excited to see what the future holds for them!
If you’re a new adult fan and are looking for a new author to add to your must read list, make sure you add Brenda St. John Brown and A Brit On The Side to your ‘to read’ shelf.
August 14, 2016
Find this and other reviews at Ramblings of a Daydreamer.
Brenda St John Brown knocked it out of the park with her 2014 New Adult debut, Swimming to Tokyo, and she’s done it again with A Brit on the Side. Being obsessed with all things British, I couldn’t wait for this book, and it didn’t disappoint. Right from the beginning, I wished I could be at Castle Calder with Bea and the gang, working for the summer and falling for a cute Brit.
What I love best about St John Brown’s books is the complex, believable characters. These characters - as well as their dialogue, actions, and situations they’re in - are so real. They’re flawed and realistic, which made me love them even when they did things that pissed me off. Bea was a fantastic character; she was strong to begin with, but over the course of her summer in England, she learned and grew so much. I appreciated the way the author tackled Bea’s body issues - as someone who’s always been overweight and self-conscious about it, I connected to that aspect of Bea’s character. It was fun and rewarding to watch her gain independence and confidence, learn important lessons that were often difficult and painful, and also watch her fall for Jasper.
Speaking of Jasper...Oh, Jasper. *sigh* I loved how he wasn’t perfect. He wasn’t full of smooth, romantic lines or grand gestures. He was just a regular guy, and he made mistakes, did and said some stupid things, and even made me doubt him at times, but ultimately I loved him, partly because of those things. I enjoyed his relationship with Bea and how it wasn’t easy. The will-they-won’t-they pull added nice tension, and there were some hella sexy and steamy moments between him and Bea that I sure enjoyed!
Besides Bea and Jasper, A Brit on the Side was full of wonderful side characters. Everyone had a purpose, which I appreciated. Going back to what I was saying about St John Brown’s ability to write complex characters, she’s also spot on with her portrayal of realistic friendships and relationships. There were ups and downs, bumps in the road, things that made you wonder if everything would turn out okay, and I loved that because it reflected real life. It was easy to immerse myself in the world of Castle Calder and imagine I was friends with these characters. In fact, I got so emotionally invested that I happy-cried like a baby through the last chapter of the book.
Full of layered, realistic characters and situations, plus as many giggles as swoons, A Brit on the Side is the perfect summer escape.
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May 27, 2021💝 FREE on Amazon today (11/24/2017)! 💝
Blurb:
A swoony romantic comedy about getting a second chance with your best shag.
I probably should have declined my bestie’s invitation to spend the summer in England working at her family’s castle-turned-hotel. But, dammit, it was either that or teach summer school math. Two doors down from my ex.
Obvious choice, right?
Except now I’m living within kissing distance of Jasper for the entire summer, and he’s just as sweet and sexy as I remember. Unfortunately, I also remember he gave me the best orgasm of my life in short-term parking. And on the desk chair. Then the kitchen counter. Judging by the way he kisses me, he remembers too.
Clearly, the best solution is:
a)Avoid him at all costs.
b) Sneak into Jasper’s room and bring a little Atlanta heat to the UK.
c) Fall for him. Hard.
I’m not going to choose C. Almost definitely.
Blurb:
A swoony romantic comedy about getting a second chance with your best shag.
I probably should have declined my bestie’s invitation to spend the summer in England working at her family’s castle-turned-hotel. But, dammit, it was either that or teach summer school math. Two doors down from my ex.
Obvious choice, right?
Except now I’m living within kissing distance of Jasper for the entire summer, and he’s just as sweet and sexy as I remember. Unfortunately, I also remember he gave me the best orgasm of my life in short-term parking. And on the desk chair. Then the kitchen counter. Judging by the way he kisses me, he remembers too.
Clearly, the best solution is:
a)Avoid him at all costs.
b) Sneak into Jasper’s room and bring a little Atlanta heat to the UK.
c) Fall for him. Hard.
I’m not going to choose C. Almost definitely.
July 30, 2018
DNF
I tried, but it was incredibly boring. It's bad, if it's no problem to put the book down mid sentence.
I tried, but it was incredibly boring. It's bad, if it's no problem to put the book down mid sentence.
August 14, 2016
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review
This was such a fun and romantic read. Bea has just broken up with her ex-fiancé and she just wants to get away from it for a bit, so she gets to stay the summer in the UK at the castle her best fiend Scarlett her parents own. What she didn't count on was that Scarlett her brother Jasper would be there too. They shared a hot hook-up years ago that Bea never told her best friend about. I really enjoyed this book, it was a great read.
This is mainly a romance book, but there's so much more to it as well. From the setting in the UK castle hotel to the topic of friends, body image issues, standing up for yourself and more. I love the setting in the UK and at the castle, it just added something fun to the story and I have a weak spot for books set at a hotel. Not sure why, but it works for me. I liked seeing Bea deal with this new environment and there are some fun mentions about differences between the US and the UK. I also liked how she worked at the hotel and found her place there.
There was a part at the end of the book were I would've liked a certain topic to be expanded a bit more, it didn't feel rushed, but it feels like we sorta skip over a part and it just felt a bit off. Also I am really curious who the other books in this series will be about, my guess is Claire and Scarlett will each get their book?
Bea is a fun main character. I really liked how she dealt with things. She didn't always make the best decisions and jumped to conclusions or made mistakes sometimes, but she felt real. And she really shows her personality. With her persistence to learning to work in the kitchen, to her relationship with jasper to how she handles the situation in London. I really liked how she handled the London situation (not giving more details because spoilers), she really stood up for herself and I think she handled things well. When I first realized she was counting calories I was afraid I wouldn't like where this was going as I don't like reading about people who are dieting. But in the end I really liked how the author handled the topic. I also liked seeing the little changes in Bea over the course of the book, it felt very realistic. And she never changed instantly, it was all slow going and felt real.
There's also a rich cast of side characters. I think Lou might have been my favorite, she's great in the kitchen and also teaches Bea a lot of things, not all of them cooking related. And Claire is great too, she was a good friend to both Bea and Scarlett. I never fully warmed up to Scarlett however. Not sure why, but I just never fully liked her. But maybe that's because we only see Bea her point of view and never get into Scarlett her head. I also liked how Bea her ex was handled and how Bea didn't hate him, but just knew they weren't right for each other. I thought it was dealt with very maturely and I liked that.
The romance was really well done. It's awkward and real and while you might think they would pick up from where they left of that weekend, they don't. They have some issues to work through and it's actually quite the slow building romance. I just would've liked more, but that can also be because I really liked these two together. I liked how Jasper really cared about Bea and made her feel confident and beautiful. I also liked how Bea and Jasper both have their flaws and at the start have some trouble knowing how to deal with the situation, but I liked how they worked things out. There are also some pretty hot scenes, which were well written. There's very little drama and what drama there was was dealt with realistically.
To summarize: This was a great romance book! From the setting in a hotel to the romance to the side characters and the plot lines it deals with. I felt there was a good balance between the different topics in this book. I also really liked how the author dealt with the topic of Bea her dieting/ body image as it's normally something I don't like reading about. Bea is a great main character and I liked how real she was and how we really see her personality with how she deals with things. I liked seeing her adapt to the new environment and working in the castle. The romance is surprisingly slow building as these two have to work through some things first. I liked seeing them fall for each other, there are some very sweet and some hot scenes. I liked their romance. This book also felt realistically with how changes go slowly and how people reacted and dealt with things, I liked that. Overall this was a great read and I am already looking forward to the other books in this series.
This was such a fun and romantic read. Bea has just broken up with her ex-fiancé and she just wants to get away from it for a bit, so she gets to stay the summer in the UK at the castle her best fiend Scarlett her parents own. What she didn't count on was that Scarlett her brother Jasper would be there too. They shared a hot hook-up years ago that Bea never told her best friend about. I really enjoyed this book, it was a great read.
This is mainly a romance book, but there's so much more to it as well. From the setting in the UK castle hotel to the topic of friends, body image issues, standing up for yourself and more. I love the setting in the UK and at the castle, it just added something fun to the story and I have a weak spot for books set at a hotel. Not sure why, but it works for me. I liked seeing Bea deal with this new environment and there are some fun mentions about differences between the US and the UK. I also liked how she worked at the hotel and found her place there.
There was a part at the end of the book were I would've liked a certain topic to be expanded a bit more, it didn't feel rushed, but it feels like we sorta skip over a part and it just felt a bit off. Also I am really curious who the other books in this series will be about, my guess is Claire and Scarlett will each get their book?
Bea is a fun main character. I really liked how she dealt with things. She didn't always make the best decisions and jumped to conclusions or made mistakes sometimes, but she felt real. And she really shows her personality. With her persistence to learning to work in the kitchen, to her relationship with jasper to how she handles the situation in London. I really liked how she handled the London situation (not giving more details because spoilers), she really stood up for herself and I think she handled things well. When I first realized she was counting calories I was afraid I wouldn't like where this was going as I don't like reading about people who are dieting. But in the end I really liked how the author handled the topic. I also liked seeing the little changes in Bea over the course of the book, it felt very realistic. And she never changed instantly, it was all slow going and felt real.
There's also a rich cast of side characters. I think Lou might have been my favorite, she's great in the kitchen and also teaches Bea a lot of things, not all of them cooking related. And Claire is great too, she was a good friend to both Bea and Scarlett. I never fully warmed up to Scarlett however. Not sure why, but I just never fully liked her. But maybe that's because we only see Bea her point of view and never get into Scarlett her head. I also liked how Bea her ex was handled and how Bea didn't hate him, but just knew they weren't right for each other. I thought it was dealt with very maturely and I liked that.
The romance was really well done. It's awkward and real and while you might think they would pick up from where they left of that weekend, they don't. They have some issues to work through and it's actually quite the slow building romance. I just would've liked more, but that can also be because I really liked these two together. I liked how Jasper really cared about Bea and made her feel confident and beautiful. I also liked how Bea and Jasper both have their flaws and at the start have some trouble knowing how to deal with the situation, but I liked how they worked things out. There are also some pretty hot scenes, which were well written. There's very little drama and what drama there was was dealt with realistically.
To summarize: This was a great romance book! From the setting in a hotel to the romance to the side characters and the plot lines it deals with. I felt there was a good balance between the different topics in this book. I also really liked how the author dealt with the topic of Bea her dieting/ body image as it's normally something I don't like reading about. Bea is a great main character and I liked how real she was and how we really see her personality with how she deals with things. I liked seeing her adapt to the new environment and working in the castle. The romance is surprisingly slow building as these two have to work through some things first. I liked seeing them fall for each other, there are some very sweet and some hot scenes. I liked their romance. This book also felt realistically with how changes go slowly and how people reacted and dealt with things, I liked that. Overall this was a great read and I am already looking forward to the other books in this series.
March 2, 2018
I saw this book on shelves of my friends with 5 star ratings so when I needed a good love story to lift me up, I picked it up.
Dislikes:
- Heroine constantly talks about body image, how she is too fat, count calories. While I do know that girls like that exist, they bore me in real life too.
- The story starts kinda in the middle. A lot of things happened with main couple already. And while heroine retells basic facts, I never can get myself cheering for them the same as I follow them from the first spark.
- Heroine was very young and undecided. One moment she complains about her mother like she is the worst then defends her how she is not bad... I felt like she was young-adult then new-adult or adult literature character. And she should be teaching.
- Nothing funny or cute in the story.
- There was cooking involved and it didn't make me salivate. Fail!
Likes:
+ Brenda St. John Brown knows how to write. While I didn't enjoy this book at all, I can't say it's badly written.
+ English castle and country side setting. Interesting and refreshing. Good to feed a wanderlust bug (if you don't live in a castle lol).
+ Hero and heroine are not the classically beautiful types but the writer convinces us how they are beautiful and attractive in their own way. We can't all have perfect bodies, face, hair etc.
In the end, I am not sure if it was Brenda St. John Brown's style of developing romance and characters or something else. But I don't see myself reading next book in this series soon.
Dislikes:
- Heroine constantly talks about body image, how she is too fat, count calories. While I do know that girls like that exist, they bore me in real life too.
- The story starts kinda in the middle. A lot of things happened with main couple already. And while heroine retells basic facts, I never can get myself cheering for them the same as I follow them from the first spark.
- Heroine was very young and undecided. One moment she complains about her mother like she is the worst then defends her how she is not bad... I felt like she was young-adult then new-adult or adult literature character. And she should be teaching.
- Nothing funny or cute in the story.
- There was cooking involved and it didn't make me salivate. Fail!
Likes:
+ Brenda St. John Brown knows how to write. While I didn't enjoy this book at all, I can't say it's badly written.
+ English castle and country side setting. Interesting and refreshing. Good to feed a wanderlust bug (if you don't live in a castle lol).
+ Hero and heroine are not the classically beautiful types but the writer convinces us how they are beautiful and attractive in their own way. We can't all have perfect bodies, face, hair etc.
In the end, I am not sure if it was Brenda St. John Brown's style of developing romance and characters or something else. But I don't see myself reading next book in this series soon.
July 22, 2016
Brenda St. John Brown is my FAVORITE. I know I'm going to love anything she writes so I'm always super excited when I see she has a new novel coming out. She never disappoints me and this time wasn't any different.
A Brit on the Side is a lighter read than what I’m used to from Brenda, but it's SO incredibly well done. I was totally sucked into Bea's story from the first page. Bea's recently broken off an engagement to Theo. Theo's a great guy, but kind of like vanilla ice cream- delicious, but doesn't make your heart race. So she's taken her roommate, Scarlett up on her offer to come work at her family's castle for the summer. All's well until she finds out Scarlett's brother, Jasper, will also be at the castle for the summer. Bea and Jasper shared a steamy weekend, but nothing ever came of it, and Bea regretfully neglected to mention it to Scarlett. Uh oh... The story takes off from there.
What I think Brenda does so well is realistic relationships. She has this amazing ability to write people that you feel like could actually exist. Her characters have realistic conversations and reactions to the events that transpire in her novels. It's so refreshing. I get so sick of the grand gestures and sappy conversations in a lot of new adult novels. When I open one of Brenda's novels I know I'm going to get sucked into a world I feel like I could really live in. A world populated by people I think I could tolerate and be friends with in real life. ABotS is no different in this respect.
The author did a great job of giving the characters' distinct personalities. Obviously Jasper is super swoony, but some of the minor character's really stood out to me. Scarlett was so well written in the sense that she seemed very difficult and self-centered, but was still likable. I think the early twenties are a tough time for female friendships. Most women are figuring out who they are and what they want during this time in their lives. A lot of the time their relationships with other women become more difficult because everyone is in the middle of being the most selfish they’ll ever be. I think the way Scarlett and Bea were written really walked the line of them being realistically self-centered and also truly caring about each other and the other’s needs and feelings. This relationship was really well done. I also really loved Bea's relationship with her mother. Bea's mother is full of cliches and southern advice that I found so realistic that I wonder if Brenda has a southern mother. I do have a southern mother and Mrs. Gillespie was so spot on. She means well and you can tell she loves Bea, but can sometimes really miss the mark with her advice and what she thinks is best for her daughter. I loved this.
The character building here is just really complex. I loved how every character was super nuanced and authentic. Brenda doesn't use these lazy throw away characters as plot devices like you see in a lot of NA novels. You don't have "the villain" who is just around to stir up trouble and create conflict. The story is well plotted and well paced and moves along because the author has actually put effort into moving the story forward- not because there's a character that exists solely to create a conflict arch for our hero and heroine to work through. Additionally, this story is as much a love story between Bea and Jasper as it is a story of growth for Bea. She's peeled back super slowly over the course of the novel and truly comes into herself. It was really rewarding to read her story and see her not only fall in love with Jasper, but she seems to start to love herself as well.
And finally, I'm going to say what I say at the end of every one of my reviews for this author, the way she resolves conflict just realllllly realllly does it for me. Her characters behave like actual humans to solve their problems and I LOVE it. The main conflict arch isn't resolved because of some crazy deus ex machina or anything else weird, it's resolved as if it takes place on Earth. Thank you for this, Brenda. THANK YOU.
In closing, I highly recommend this. It just screams summer read. It's a perfect beach or vacation book. It isn't heavy on the angst, but is a super cute love story with a lot of depth. If you're looking for something to curl up on a beach chair with or sit on your back porch and read with a Coke in your hand, this is your book. I will 100% be pre-ordering this in paperback as soon as its available.
A Brit on the Side is a lighter read than what I’m used to from Brenda, but it's SO incredibly well done. I was totally sucked into Bea's story from the first page. Bea's recently broken off an engagement to Theo. Theo's a great guy, but kind of like vanilla ice cream- delicious, but doesn't make your heart race. So she's taken her roommate, Scarlett up on her offer to come work at her family's castle for the summer. All's well until she finds out Scarlett's brother, Jasper, will also be at the castle for the summer. Bea and Jasper shared a steamy weekend, but nothing ever came of it, and Bea regretfully neglected to mention it to Scarlett. Uh oh... The story takes off from there.
What I think Brenda does so well is realistic relationships. She has this amazing ability to write people that you feel like could actually exist. Her characters have realistic conversations and reactions to the events that transpire in her novels. It's so refreshing. I get so sick of the grand gestures and sappy conversations in a lot of new adult novels. When I open one of Brenda's novels I know I'm going to get sucked into a world I feel like I could really live in. A world populated by people I think I could tolerate and be friends with in real life. ABotS is no different in this respect.
The author did a great job of giving the characters' distinct personalities. Obviously Jasper is super swoony, but some of the minor character's really stood out to me. Scarlett was so well written in the sense that she seemed very difficult and self-centered, but was still likable. I think the early twenties are a tough time for female friendships. Most women are figuring out who they are and what they want during this time in their lives. A lot of the time their relationships with other women become more difficult because everyone is in the middle of being the most selfish they’ll ever be. I think the way Scarlett and Bea were written really walked the line of them being realistically self-centered and also truly caring about each other and the other’s needs and feelings. This relationship was really well done. I also really loved Bea's relationship with her mother. Bea's mother is full of cliches and southern advice that I found so realistic that I wonder if Brenda has a southern mother. I do have a southern mother and Mrs. Gillespie was so spot on. She means well and you can tell she loves Bea, but can sometimes really miss the mark with her advice and what she thinks is best for her daughter. I loved this.
The character building here is just really complex. I loved how every character was super nuanced and authentic. Brenda doesn't use these lazy throw away characters as plot devices like you see in a lot of NA novels. You don't have "the villain" who is just around to stir up trouble and create conflict. The story is well plotted and well paced and moves along because the author has actually put effort into moving the story forward- not because there's a character that exists solely to create a conflict arch for our hero and heroine to work through. Additionally, this story is as much a love story between Bea and Jasper as it is a story of growth for Bea. She's peeled back super slowly over the course of the novel and truly comes into herself. It was really rewarding to read her story and see her not only fall in love with Jasper, but she seems to start to love herself as well.
And finally, I'm going to say what I say at the end of every one of my reviews for this author, the way she resolves conflict just realllllly realllly does it for me. Her characters behave like actual humans to solve their problems and I LOVE it. The main conflict arch isn't resolved because of some crazy deus ex machina or anything else weird, it's resolved as if it takes place on Earth. Thank you for this, Brenda. THANK YOU.
In closing, I highly recommend this. It just screams summer read. It's a perfect beach or vacation book. It isn't heavy on the angst, but is a super cute love story with a lot of depth. If you're looking for something to curl up on a beach chair with or sit on your back porch and read with a Coke in your hand, this is your book. I will 100% be pre-ordering this in paperback as soon as its available.
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August 15, 2023Bea’s English escape plan:
• Work in a real British castle
• Quality time with bestie
• Figure out what spotted dick really is
• Fall for bestie’s older brother. Hard.
Bea and Jasper's story is coming August 2016! I had so much fun writing this book and I can't wait to share it with you. There are plenty of smiles and swoons -- and a hot moment or three on a not-so-deserted country lane. :)
This is book 1 of 3, so make sure to sign up for my newsletter to keep up to date with all new releases and sales!
• Work in a real British castle
• Quality time with bestie
• Figure out what spotted dick really is
Bea and Jasper's story is coming August 2016! I had so much fun writing this book and I can't wait to share it with you. There are plenty of smiles and swoons -- and a hot moment or three on a not-so-deserted country lane. :)
This is book 1 of 3, so make sure to sign up for my newsletter to keep up to date with all new releases and sales!
February 8, 2018
I enjoyed this book very much! It was kind of slow paced in the beginning, with little signs of affection, you know the cute ones:) The ones that are there but the MCs don't see them at first? And then I always tend to fall!
February 7, 2019
4.5 Stars
Really sweet and sexy, forbidden, best friends brother romance. And a hot Brit too!!
I haven’t read this author before but I enjoyed the writing and I will totally be looking into reading the other books in this series.
Really sweet and sexy, forbidden, best friends brother romance. And a hot Brit too!!
I haven’t read this author before but I enjoyed the writing and I will totally be looking into reading the other books in this series.
September 7, 2016
This was almost a 4 star read but I had some issues that held me back. Overall it was an enjoyable read and I'll be checking out the next in the series.
Quick Rundown: Well, the wedding's off. To quote the Queen Bey, "somethin' aint right" so Chick breaks off her engagement and heads off with her British Roomie to her "home" in England for the summer holiday so she won't have to work with her ex. Home is actually a castle, a bed and breakfast if you will and Chick is anxious to discover that her friend's brother will be in residence as well. It's been 2 years since her and Dude (the brother) had their sex-fest in Atlanta and she's never forgotten. But has he?
Characterization: This was really good. Chick was no Mary Sue though of course, she was way prettier than she thought (so annoying, already) and had very realistic body issues that the author portrayed very accurately. An annoying trait was that she constantly was comparing people (friends, mothers, men) to others in her life. I realize that that is a common trait in one's youth but I stopped obsessively comparing people in middle school because it was quite clear that people are different. Regardless, that trait just got tedious because it overwhelmed her inner monologue for most of the story. I really appreciated the way the author eventually led this character to proper introspection in regards to determining what her issue were but it takes quite a while to get there. Dude was also very interesting and honest in that he was a bit of a dick...but that's just who he was. And even dicks have their own romances, don't they? The relationship between these two MC's felt pretty natural though there is a major communication issue that was just tedious and is so overdone. Secondary characters were pretty well thought out as well. The friends were different and had their own flavor. The mother was a bit of a quandary as the daughter has a love/hate relationship with her but while we felt the "hate", we were only told about the "love" so that was inconsistent and lacking. The Big Bad was disappointing in their response to the MC's relationship but I guess we can't have every character be perfect. And I believe we will be getting that person's book in the series so I'm not sure if I will have much love for them.
Plot: Nothing new here. A bit of a forbidden love, a bit of finding oneself and a bit of friendships between stupid girls. The communication issue was a hugely contrived plot device that really got annoying. My belief was suspended quite often because the Dude couldn't say anything right even though he admitted he wasn't saying it right. Well, fuck! If you know it isn't coming out right then you should be able to rephrase it. And Chick, for god's sake, if he tells you he isn't saying it right, stop reacting and running away before you do understand. Gah, even 3 year olds know when to say, "Why?" and "I don't get it". Okay, enough of that. Sexual Tension was very good and the intimacy between the two MC's was well done. The actual Sexy Times, I don't even remember. They may have been fade to black but the intimacy was there so I wasn't missing it.
Writing: No complaints really except for plot device above. I really appreciated the "voices" of all the British characters. You know how some authors will over compensate with so much British slang? That didn't happen here. I was clearly able to "hear" the accents in the other characters without any excessive use of local terminology. The ending was a bit over the top and unrealistic but at least it wasn't that long. No epilogue but I'm assuming we will get to see these two again in future books.
Overall: Decent read and worth the $2.99 I paid for it. Will be on the lookout for the next in this series.
Quick Rundown: Well, the wedding's off. To quote the Queen Bey, "somethin' aint right" so Chick breaks off her engagement and heads off with her British Roomie to her "home" in England for the summer holiday so she won't have to work with her ex. Home is actually a castle, a bed and breakfast if you will and Chick is anxious to discover that her friend's brother will be in residence as well. It's been 2 years since her and Dude (the brother) had their sex-fest in Atlanta and she's never forgotten. But has he?
Characterization: This was really good. Chick was no Mary Sue though of course, she was way prettier than she thought (so annoying, already) and had very realistic body issues that the author portrayed very accurately. An annoying trait was that she constantly was comparing people (friends, mothers, men) to others in her life. I realize that that is a common trait in one's youth but I stopped obsessively comparing people in middle school because it was quite clear that people are different. Regardless, that trait just got tedious because it overwhelmed her inner monologue for most of the story. I really appreciated the way the author eventually led this character to proper introspection in regards to determining what her issue were but it takes quite a while to get there. Dude was also very interesting and honest in that he was a bit of a dick...but that's just who he was. And even dicks have their own romances, don't they? The relationship between these two MC's felt pretty natural though there is a major communication issue that was just tedious and is so overdone. Secondary characters were pretty well thought out as well. The friends were different and had their own flavor. The mother was a bit of a quandary as the daughter has a love/hate relationship with her but while we felt the "hate", we were only told about the "love" so that was inconsistent and lacking. The Big Bad was disappointing in their response to the MC's relationship but I guess we can't have every character be perfect. And I believe we will be getting that person's book in the series so I'm not sure if I will have much love for them.
Plot: Nothing new here. A bit of a forbidden love, a bit of finding oneself and a bit of friendships between stupid girls. The communication issue was a hugely contrived plot device that really got annoying. My belief was suspended quite often because the Dude couldn't say anything right even though he admitted he wasn't saying it right. Well, fuck! If you know it isn't coming out right then you should be able to rephrase it. And Chick, for god's sake, if he tells you he isn't saying it right, stop reacting and running away before you do understand. Gah, even 3 year olds know when to say, "Why?" and "I don't get it". Okay, enough of that. Sexual Tension was very good and the intimacy between the two MC's was well done. The actual Sexy Times, I don't even remember. They may have been fade to black but the intimacy was there so I wasn't missing it.
Writing: No complaints really except for plot device above. I really appreciated the "voices" of all the British characters. You know how some authors will over compensate with so much British slang? That didn't happen here. I was clearly able to "hear" the accents in the other characters without any excessive use of local terminology. The ending was a bit over the top and unrealistic but at least it wasn't that long. No epilogue but I'm assuming we will get to see these two again in future books.
Overall: Decent read and worth the $2.99 I paid for it. Will be on the lookout for the next in this series.
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March 24, 2018This one didn't grab my attention like I thought it might, given my obsession with anything British.
June 30, 2021
Cute
3.5. Liked the story. Bea and jasper seemed to be orbiting each other throughout the story and you could feel the pull despite the o stacked they seemed to put in front of themselves. Jasper seemed to be exasperated bu himself. He was super smart but seemed to not be able to communicate effectively probably because he wanted her so bad and was nervous. And she seemed to be very short with him sometimes even knowing he was stumbling to be able to get his thoughts out. Yes he was jerky sometimes but he numerous times explained he wasn’t explaining things right and that she essentially flustered him and he was messing it up. But she would snip and jump to conclusions rather quickly. It was a nice story and they certainly had chemistry and heat.
3.5. Liked the story. Bea and jasper seemed to be orbiting each other throughout the story and you could feel the pull despite the o stacked they seemed to put in front of themselves. Jasper seemed to be exasperated bu himself. He was super smart but seemed to not be able to communicate effectively probably because he wanted her so bad and was nervous. And she seemed to be very short with him sometimes even knowing he was stumbling to be able to get his thoughts out. Yes he was jerky sometimes but he numerous times explained he wasn’t explaining things right and that she essentially flustered him and he was messing it up. But she would snip and jump to conclusions rather quickly. It was a nice story and they certainly had chemistry and heat.
April 29, 2022
With a wonderful title pun - something I note St. John Brown excels in - this is a terrific tale of Bea, recently unengaged, and Jasper, her best friend's brother with whom she has previously been intimate. Set in the Lake District, in a castle no less, there is humour and angst a-plenty. Great fun! I enjoyed it. Plus there's a Christmas novella at the end.
January 11, 2020
Light, fun chick lit romance
September 19, 2021
DNF chapter 6. Wow that was boring and I struggled to get to chapter 6.
August 14, 2016
3.5 stars. I was intrigued by the blurb of Bea coming face to face with a former, casual hookup that is the older brother of her best friend. Not to mention that Bea never said a word about it to Scarlett, Jasper's sister, so the situation has awkward written all over it.
I really liked the storyline because it was the perfect setup for Bea to have to face some hard truths while trying to figure out who she was and what she wanted. Bea herself is intelligent, caring and realistic. She knows her strengths and weaknesses, and while she may have been conditioned to see herself in a certain way, she's smart enough to realize that she's her own person who can make solid decisions.
As for Jasper, he's not exactly exuding warm and friendly vibes, but I liked him, too. He's got a brilliant mind and since he can't deal with pretenses, his main go-to behavior tends to be to act like an insensitive jerk. Yet I loved the moments when his true feelings would slip and he did try to be more of a likable guy than someone who pushed people away. He and Scarlett have their own complicated relationship, which makes it more of an obstacle for Bea to confide in Scarlett
about Jasper.
While I liked Bea and Jasper, I needed a bit more elaboration of the chemistry and tension between them. While there's no doubt they had it, there wasn't too much recapping of their weekend fling 2 years ago so it felt like certain gaps were still needing to be filled for something so casual to have such deep meaning for both of them. Cute story overall.
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
I really liked the storyline because it was the perfect setup for Bea to have to face some hard truths while trying to figure out who she was and what she wanted. Bea herself is intelligent, caring and realistic. She knows her strengths and weaknesses, and while she may have been conditioned to see herself in a certain way, she's smart enough to realize that she's her own person who can make solid decisions.
As for Jasper, he's not exactly exuding warm and friendly vibes, but I liked him, too. He's got a brilliant mind and since he can't deal with pretenses, his main go-to behavior tends to be to act like an insensitive jerk. Yet I loved the moments when his true feelings would slip and he did try to be more of a likable guy than someone who pushed people away. He and Scarlett have their own complicated relationship, which makes it more of an obstacle for Bea to confide in Scarlett
about Jasper.
While I liked Bea and Jasper, I needed a bit more elaboration of the chemistry and tension between them. While there's no doubt they had it, there wasn't too much recapping of their weekend fling 2 years ago so it felt like certain gaps were still needing to be filled for something so casual to have such deep meaning for both of them. Cute story overall.
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
August 16, 2016
Bea Gillespie called things off with her boyfriend, who looks perfect on paper. So instead of teaching summer school, two classrooms down from him, she takes the invite to England, her best friend Scarlett extends, to work in her family's castle turned hotel, for the summer. And although, she thought she left all of her problems across the ocean, a bigger one is waiting for her in England. Two years ago, Bea hooked up with Jasper, Scarlett's brother, for the best weekend of her life, but it was only the weekend. Now, Jasper's at Castle Calder for the summer as well. As they spend more time together, real feelings are developing, but Bea hasn't found the courage to tell Scarlett. Will Bea and Jasper's new relationship withstand the storm when their secret comes to light?
My big wish is to travel to England one day, so I'm always excited for stories that take place there with their language. I did enjoy the premise of this story, but I'm sorry to say that I really didn't connect with the main characters. Unfortunately, to me, they lacked passion. But, I do really like Brenda St. John Brown's easy writing style, and her descriptions of places in England rocked. It does look as though this is a series, so I'm hoping Scarlett has a big story in the near future, and I really want to keep reading this series, and the author's other books as well!
My big wish is to travel to England one day, so I'm always excited for stories that take place there with their language. I did enjoy the premise of this story, but I'm sorry to say that I really didn't connect with the main characters. Unfortunately, to me, they lacked passion. But, I do really like Brenda St. John Brown's easy writing style, and her descriptions of places in England rocked. It does look as though this is a series, so I'm hoping Scarlett has a big story in the near future, and I really want to keep reading this series, and the author's other books as well!
August 8, 2018
Language
I quit reading this book halfway through it because of the language. I enjoy a book with an interesting story, but don't enjoy dirty language as can filler. Very disappointed. The foul language in this book didn't even fit. It seemed as if it was stuck in to fill a weak story or appeal to a person with that sort of intelligence.
I quit reading this book halfway through it because of the language. I enjoy a book with an interesting story, but don't enjoy dirty language as can filler. Very disappointed. The foul language in this book didn't even fit. It seemed as if it was stuck in to fill a weak story or appeal to a person with that sort of intelligence.
August 2, 2016
Jasper could be an *** at times, but then there were those times he was thinking of his woman, "Jasper kisses my forehead. “Well, I couldn’t let you go off to London sexually frustrated, could I?” I really loved this book, I'm hoping to see Claire and Scarlett to get their own books.
August 18, 2016
3.t srars...cute and sweet if a little slow at times.
January 11, 2021
“Are you still drinking iced tea or has Scarlett finally converted you?” The last time we had the tea discussion we were in the very small kitchen Scarlett and I shared. I offered Jasper a glass of southern sweet tea, which he refused. In the end, the only thing we did agree on was ice had its uses. Particularly in foreplay.
I really enjoyed this sweet and funny romance by a new to me author Ms St John Brown. A storyline with a message about body image, acceptance and retraining your brain. Wonderful characters who are down to earth, funny and so easy to like. Bea is unsure of herself, is hell bent on calorie counting and keeping up her exercise regime. With a little help she begins to realise that her goals and expectations are unrealistic and unhealthy. Jasper is a brilliant, nerdy scientist, who is romantic at heart, but is oh so sexy.
Calder Castle is run by Bea’s best friend Scarlett’s family. After breaking her engagement off, spending summer break in the UK sounds like perfection. Bea has to get in and help with the day to day running, whether in the kitchens, in the dining room or cleaning the guest rooms. It’s a breath of fresh air, but she is faced once again with Scarlett’s brother, who she spent a torrid weekend with two years ago, but no one knows. There is tension between Jasper and Scarlett and it’s the cause of why Bea can’t tell Scarlett about her and Jasper.
I really enjoyed this sweet and funny romance by a new to me author Ms St John Brown. A storyline with a message about body image, acceptance and retraining your brain. Wonderful characters who are down to earth, funny and so easy to like. Bea is unsure of herself, is hell bent on calorie counting and keeping up her exercise regime. With a little help she begins to realise that her goals and expectations are unrealistic and unhealthy. Jasper is a brilliant, nerdy scientist, who is romantic at heart, but is oh so sexy.
Calder Castle is run by Bea’s best friend Scarlett’s family. After breaking her engagement off, spending summer break in the UK sounds like perfection. Bea has to get in and help with the day to day running, whether in the kitchens, in the dining room or cleaning the guest rooms. It’s a breath of fresh air, but she is faced once again with Scarlett’s brother, who she spent a torrid weekend with two years ago, but no one knows. There is tension between Jasper and Scarlett and it’s the cause of why Bea can’t tell Scarlett about her and Jasper.
October 11, 2021
Five stars!! I've been meaning to read this for a while now, but I've never really gotten to it. New books would pop up here and there, and this seemed to just be stuck in the 'unread' section of my ebook pile. I'm so glad I finally got to it though, this was soo worth the time.
A few things I didn't particularly like was how Jasper would explode (occasionally) and how Scarlett (Bea's best friend, Jasper's sister) gave Bea shit for being with Jasper. I know how it must've felt to find out your best friend was lying to you, especially with what happened with Sam, but I didn't enjoy reading about that side of Scarlett. Ultimately, it wasn't the books fault, so the rating remained as 5 stars. I liked how the words flow smoothly, and the plot is good too.
One thing I was was surprised with (in a good way) was how Jasper wasn't the most muscular man on the block. I liked how even without six abs in sight (like most male protagonists in romances have), Bea still liked him. It was a good shake-up from the regular "he's-the-most-muscular-man-I've ever seen" and/or something along the lines of that.
I read this book as part of the free boxset, Falling in Love: A Steamy Romantic Comedy Collection.
A few things I didn't particularly like was how Jasper would explode (occasionally) and how Scarlett (Bea's best friend, Jasper's sister) gave Bea shit for being with Jasper. I know how it must've felt to find out your best friend was lying to you, especially with what happened with Sam, but I didn't enjoy reading about that side of Scarlett. Ultimately, it wasn't the books fault, so the rating remained as 5 stars. I liked how the words flow smoothly, and the plot is good too.
One thing I was was surprised with (in a good way) was how Jasper wasn't the most muscular man on the block. I liked how even without six abs in sight (like most male protagonists in romances have), Bea still liked him. It was a good shake-up from the regular "he's-the-most-muscular-man-I've ever seen" and/or something along the lines of that.
I read this book as part of the free boxset, Falling in Love: A Steamy Romantic Comedy Collection.
November 7, 2016
**I received a copy of this book in exchange of a honest review**
First of all I really enjoyed the place this story took, like hello LONDON, castles, nature. Oh and the plot line just great. In this book we have Bea, a beautiful young woman with her own emotional struggles, the unconformity with her weight, a girl trying to find her own voice.
There's also Jasper, the typical hot older brother (of Bea's best friend). He's like a super genius, at least in science because in people, he still has a lot to learn about dealing with people or in this case women.
At the begging of the story we get to know why Bea decides to spend her summer working at her best friend family castle in England, there she meets great people, and learns a lot of new things, then we also get to catch a little romance between our two characters but in reality more than that we have a major character development, Bea learns a lot about herself and teach us to embrace our body and soul and be comfortable with it, to feel sexy in our own skin, and that you need to love yourself in order to let someone in your heart.
You should definitely make room for this book in you tbr, it's a super easy going read that you'll fly through it
First of all I really enjoyed the place this story took, like hello LONDON, castles, nature. Oh and the plot line just great. In this book we have Bea, a beautiful young woman with her own emotional struggles, the unconformity with her weight, a girl trying to find her own voice.
There's also Jasper, the typical hot older brother (of Bea's best friend). He's like a super genius, at least in science because in people, he still has a lot to learn about dealing with people or in this case women.
At the begging of the story we get to know why Bea decides to spend her summer working at her best friend family castle in England, there she meets great people, and learns a lot of new things, then we also get to catch a little romance between our two characters but in reality more than that we have a major character development, Bea learns a lot about herself and teach us to embrace our body and soul and be comfortable with it, to feel sexy in our own skin, and that you need to love yourself in order to let someone in your heart.
You should definitely make room for this book in you tbr, it's a super easy going read that you'll fly through it
August 9, 2017
This was a cute and fun story that almost fits into several categories, but doesn't really fit in them at the same time.
Bea is an American school teacher with a recently ended engagement. She decides to spend the summer working for her roommate's family hotel instead - while there she is in close quarters with Jasper (her roommate's brother and Bea's former fling).
There is potential here for a cute second chance romance (since Bea and Jasper did have a steamy weekend previously) and there is potential for a "forbidden fruit" story (since roommate/sister Scarlett is not fond of her brother with her friends) - instead of solely going down one of those paths, the author has given us a story that's a bit a both and I think that makes the story less strong than it could be.
While the romantic storyline isn't as strong as I would like, the story of Bea's self discovery is! The Bea who leaves Calder Castle is much more self aware and stronger than the young woman who arrived and I appreciated the transformation.
All in all, this is a book worth reading. The characters are entertaining and it's fun to see some of the people I met in A Brit Unexpected (book 2) in a slightly different light.
Bea is an American school teacher with a recently ended engagement. She decides to spend the summer working for her roommate's family hotel instead - while there she is in close quarters with Jasper (her roommate's brother and Bea's former fling).
There is potential here for a cute second chance romance (since Bea and Jasper did have a steamy weekend previously) and there is potential for a "forbidden fruit" story (since roommate/sister Scarlett is not fond of her brother with her friends) - instead of solely going down one of those paths, the author has given us a story that's a bit a both and I think that makes the story less strong than it could be.
While the romantic storyline isn't as strong as I would like, the story of Bea's self discovery is! The Bea who leaves Calder Castle is much more self aware and stronger than the young woman who arrived and I appreciated the transformation.
All in all, this is a book worth reading. The characters are entertaining and it's fun to see some of the people I met in A Brit Unexpected (book 2) in a slightly different light.
January 16, 2021
Jasper & Beatrice relationship was a slow build up. 1st avoiding each other because of there past & not wanting to hurt Sharlet. I do have to admit I don't understand why people have to be concerned about siblings & friends. You would think if people really care about one another then they would want them to be happy for their loved ones, friends getting together.
This is a story it has to be built on some forbidden reasoning.
I loved how they were trying to ignore their feelings, Then Jasper being a PITA to not admit he has always had a slow burn for Beatrice after all these years. Then you get to hear his pain over another girl who was his sisters best friend & got into an accident.
While Beatrice didn't want to lose her best friend because she had the hots for Jasper.
But her on insecurities over the break up of her engagement put doubts that this might be real feelings or just lust or a summer fling. But the more they avoided each other, the more they new they loved each other.
Would the guilt of falling in love win over true happiness. Read the story when these two love birds give into their desires. See what happens when being honest and opening up your heart comes full circle with everyone who loves you.
This is a story it has to be built on some forbidden reasoning.
I loved how they were trying to ignore their feelings, Then Jasper being a PITA to not admit he has always had a slow burn for Beatrice after all these years. Then you get to hear his pain over another girl who was his sisters best friend & got into an accident.
While Beatrice didn't want to lose her best friend because she had the hots for Jasper.
But her on insecurities over the break up of her engagement put doubts that this might be real feelings or just lust or a summer fling. But the more they avoided each other, the more they new they loved each other.
Would the guilt of falling in love win over true happiness. Read the story when these two love birds give into their desires. See what happens when being honest and opening up your heart comes full circle with everyone who loves you.
February 1, 2022
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I overall liked this book but the tone felt very new-adult which kept throwing me off remembering that the characters weren't 19 and on summer break from undergrad. Bea is a high school algebra teacher and Jasper is working on his PhD so they are both in their mid 20's which, for me, wouldn't really fit the new adult age or lifestyle bracket. I thought Bea and Jasper had really great chemistry together but felt the conflict between Bea and Scarlett felt really forced. This book is told only from Bea's POV so Jasper does come across as very hot/cold in the beginning third of the story and we don't get an immediate explanation until later. I did appreciate Bea's struggle with her relationship with food and how the other characters around her support her. That being said, it didn't feel as integrated into the story as I would have liked and felt more like an afterthought. I also thought the ending felt very 'happy for now' instead of 'happy ever after' because they have a very we'll figure it out no matter what attitude to their future (which is fine, but again it made it feel very new-adult) I loved the whole cast of characters we see in the book and I'd love to continue in the series.
I overall liked this book but the tone felt very new-adult which kept throwing me off remembering that the characters weren't 19 and on summer break from undergrad. Bea is a high school algebra teacher and Jasper is working on his PhD so they are both in their mid 20's which, for me, wouldn't really fit the new adult age or lifestyle bracket. I thought Bea and Jasper had really great chemistry together but felt the conflict between Bea and Scarlett felt really forced. This book is told only from Bea's POV so Jasper does come across as very hot/cold in the beginning third of the story and we don't get an immediate explanation until later. I did appreciate Bea's struggle with her relationship with food and how the other characters around her support her. That being said, it didn't feel as integrated into the story as I would have liked and felt more like an afterthought. I also thought the ending felt very 'happy for now' instead of 'happy ever after' because they have a very we'll figure it out no matter what attitude to their future (which is fine, but again it made it feel very new-adult) I loved the whole cast of characters we see in the book and I'd love to continue in the series.
April 21, 2020
This is the first of three thoroughly enjoyable contemporary romance novels that feature American and British characters, which adds to the fun -- those wacky Americans, those charming Brits!
This is the first of the three, but they needn't be read in order (though you will need to endure some spoilers if you don't read them in order. No big surprises, though).
The heroines of the three books are long-time friends who work at Calder Castle during the summer months and meet their romantic interests either at the castle or through related circumstances. Each heroine is dramatically different from the others, as are the heroes ... though they are all similar in that each is very sexy and brings the heat!
Further, the challenges in the relationships are believable, the result of different situations: past relationships that still pose issues, current life circumstances, lack of self-confidence, fear of being vulnerable ... all things that most readers can relate to in the realm of real-life relationships.
Add to all this the fun of being in fast-paced London or bucolic Calder Castle ... what a nice escape and what a pleasant respite from the chaos of current life.
This is the first of the three, but they needn't be read in order (though you will need to endure some spoilers if you don't read them in order. No big surprises, though).
The heroines of the three books are long-time friends who work at Calder Castle during the summer months and meet their romantic interests either at the castle or through related circumstances. Each heroine is dramatically different from the others, as are the heroes ... though they are all similar in that each is very sexy and brings the heat!
Further, the challenges in the relationships are believable, the result of different situations: past relationships that still pose issues, current life circumstances, lack of self-confidence, fear of being vulnerable ... all things that most readers can relate to in the realm of real-life relationships.
Add to all this the fun of being in fast-paced London or bucolic Calder Castle ... what a nice escape and what a pleasant respite from the chaos of current life.
March 7, 2023
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆
Bea is spending her summer holiday at her best friend Scarlett’s family hotel in England. She’s a recently qualified maths teacher from Atlanta, and broken up with her fiancé Theo. When she gets to the castle-hotel, Bea is put to work in the kitchen, but there is fun and games outside the kitchen since Scarlett’s brother Jasper is also home for the summer. Bea and Jasper got together one weekend in Atlanta when Scarlett was away, but she’s dead set against her brother being with her friends.
𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
This story involves Bea and Jasper finding their way back to each other, and for Bea, finding acceptance of herself. A lot of the story involves Bea wrestling her feelings for Jasper since she broke off her engagement, and then keeping her feelings secret from her best friend. She also spends time worrying about what she eats, her calorie count and putting on an ounce of weight 🙈 It is meant to tie into self acceptance, but veers into self-absorption territory.
Read on Kindle
My rating 3/5 - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Bea is spending her summer holiday at her best friend Scarlett’s family hotel in England. She’s a recently qualified maths teacher from Atlanta, and broken up with her fiancé Theo. When she gets to the castle-hotel, Bea is put to work in the kitchen, but there is fun and games outside the kitchen since Scarlett’s brother Jasper is also home for the summer. Bea and Jasper got together one weekend in Atlanta when Scarlett was away, but she’s dead set against her brother being with her friends.
𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
This story involves Bea and Jasper finding their way back to each other, and for Bea, finding acceptance of herself. A lot of the story involves Bea wrestling her feelings for Jasper since she broke off her engagement, and then keeping her feelings secret from her best friend. She also spends time worrying about what she eats, her calorie count and putting on an ounce of weight 🙈 It is meant to tie into self acceptance, but veers into self-absorption territory.
Read on Kindle
My rating 3/5 - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
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