The Designated Valentine

by Drew Taylor

Karoline

There are only two things I loathe in this world: Valentine’s Day and Mason Kane. Valentine’s Day is actually Single’s Recognition Day, and Mason Kane is the genesis of my contemptuous heart. I’ve totally moved on, and my life is great.

Just great.

Should I say it one more time so you’ll believe me?

That is, until both elements of my hatred merge together into a nightmare of epic proportions. One: heading the Valentine’s Day marketing campaign for my boss’ jewelry brand as a way to fulfill my internship class. Two: Mason Kane will be appearing in the commercials.

Ruining my life again.

I can’t mess this up, but how can I pretend everything is fine after how Mason disappeared from my life three years ago?


Mason

I never thought I’d build a vacation home in Mississippi, but one reason is all I need: Karoline Wright, my childhood best friend, lives there, and I realized a little too late that I was in love with her. But all my grandiose plans to reunite with her are tossed out of the window when I’m ushered into her sphere sooner than expected.

Why did I agree to star in a jewelry commercial for Valentine’s Day, and why on God’s green earth is Karoline heading up the campaign?

Now, I have to figure out how to get all this boiling hot water between us under a very big bridge. Stat.

It’s now or never. I have to weasel my way back into her life and prove myself changed against her rightfully earned suspicions and doubts. And maybe—just maybe—the bricks will crumble away from the mile-high wall she’s built over the past three years.

Genres: Romance, Christian, Clean Romance, Christian Romance, Contemporary, Rom Com, Christian Fiction

190 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2024

About the author

Drew Taylor writes modern closed-door chick-lit romance stories from a Biblical worldview. She believes faith-based romance can be full of heart, humor, healing, and hope while showcasing the reality of our fallen human condition. Her redemptive and engaging stories point to the One who embodies true love–Jesus Christ.

Drew lives in the great state of Mississippi where she teaches high school English. When not teaching or writing, she enjoys reading, baking, researching conspiracy theories, and spending quality time with the people who mean the most to her.

Follow Drew:

Instagram: @authordrewtaylor
Facebook: Drew Taylor, Author
TikTok: @drewtaylorwrites
Pinterest: @authordrewtaylor
YouTube: @authordrewtaylor

Reviews

[Millie Shepherd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish there was a way to give this more stars because it deserves a thousand!!!

Drew's books are always a pleasure to read, but this one hit on a little bit of a personal level and I loved every second of it! I'm pretty sure I've never been blessed by a book like I have this one and my only complaint is that it's not a full length novel!

I don't have words for how much I loved this book, so all I can say is that if you love second chance romance with an extremely flirty guy who goes all out to win back the woman he loves, then you're *really* going to enjoy The Designated Valentine!!

Thank you SO much, Drew, for the ARC!!!!

[Laura Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only recently discovered Drew Taylor’s books but she is already quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors. This was an easy 5 star read for me! I was sucked into this story right from the beginning and didn’t want to put it down!

Mason and Karoline have been best friends since childhood, but now that they are older they are each fighting attraction for each other. Karoline is pretty sure she is in love with him and decides to confess to Mason on his birthday, but it didn’t go the way she planned. He left town the next day. Now, not only has Mason disappeared from her life for the past 3 years, he is also a famous country singer. Good thing she has moved on and she knows there are two things she loathes; Valentine’s Day and Mason Kane. Mason on the other hand is back in Mississippi to build a vacation home because he realized that he was in love with Karoline all along.

Wow, wow, wow, this book was just fantastic! I really just felt it all. The regrets, tears, the heartfelt apology, just all the emotions! Yes, it was emotional but it was also a fun read. There was tons of playful banter between Mason and Karoline. Mason was so flirty! The chemistry between them was super swoony too! I loved their nicknames for each other; Vroom and Peppermint. I fell in love with both of these characters right away and was invested in their story from the start. They are real and relatable Christian characters with flaws. I enjoyed that aspect of this book. Mason goes through some amazing growth when he realizes the mistakes he has made and then comes back to pursue Karoline with all his heart. I love how he worked to reestablish their friendship first and to earn her trust again. Karoline forgives him, but she doesn’t trust him right away and Mason, rightfully so, has to work hard for her. The flashbacks told the past story naturally and at the perfect pace as we get to experience how Karoline had her heart crushed by her best friend. This book combines so many of my favorite tropes: friends to lovers, celebrity, second chance, and forced proximity. It's one I won’t be forgetting anytime soon and one you definitely need to pick up. Trust me it will be your next binge read!

Content Awareness - Alcoholism in the past. Handled very well and the author's warning note at the beginning explains exactly what's in the book and why.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Karen Tucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mason and Karoline were best friends growing up. When Mason made it big with his country singing, he left without a word. Of course, this happened the day after Karoline admitted her love for him, which he didn't return.

Fast forward three years. Mason is back in town harboring feelings for Karoline, who now loathes him while still secretly in love with the man.

Will they be able to squash the past and move forward?

This was my first book by Drew Taylor, and I loved it. I’ve coined Chapter 13 - I hate Mason 😂 everyone gets a chance to redeem themselves, though.

Drew’s writing style of dedicating entire chapters to past events to parallel the present is well done. I can’t wait to read more of her work.

P.S. The photo shoot scene will stay with me for a long time!! 💋😉🔥

[Kate Willis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not me refreshing the book listing at midnight to see when this would show up on KU. 👀

This little novella packs a big punch, and though I gobbled up alllll the cuteness, the deep themes were not lost on me, and I highly appreciated them. You could really see the author's heart shine through.

My favorite scenes were the paparazzi run and girl's night. Also, I wish Books and Beans was real. 🥺 And the chemistry! Especially in the flashback scenes near the beginning (we love a good dual-timeline though my heart was falling as we neared finding out what really happened). The nicknames had me 😍😍.

I'm not going to leave a CW but instead recommend this book to adults only and suggest you read the author's note for more insight into the story.

You don't know how badly I need The Designated Twin!

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time reading from this author and I must say it exceeded my expectations in many ways! In fact I don’t think what I was expecting, I just know it delivered everything!
What a wonderful cozy read! I’m head over boots for Mason and the way he pursues Karoline, he’s so intentional and unashamed of his feelings.

The story flows effortlessly, it’s easy to get into it and the characters are very realistically portrayed…
It’s not your common Christian fiction in which characters seem to be all perfect…

This story is about two imperfect people with real feelings, real thoughts, real scenarios, even real kissing sometimes (I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea). Two people who love Christ and recognise His sovereignty and grace in their lives and try their best to listen and obey!

All in all I’m definitely going to read all the other books from Drew, I’m already a fan!

[Jennifer H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!!!! Childhood Friends to enemies and then enemies to lovers. What happens when the man you fell for and broke your heart is back in town and is now a famous country star? Read the book to find out!! You won’t regret it!!

[Tricia Anson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet second-chance, friends-to-more, celebrity romance filled with flashbacks, funny moments, realistic Christian characters, and deep feels.

[IyanuOluwa Olorode · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tell me one thing that's better than an enemies-to-lovers romance or a friends-to-lovers romance.

I'll tell you. It's a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance! And The Designated Valentine is a perfect specimen of a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers book. With all the feels and characters who steal your heart and attention from the very first chapter, The Designated Valentine tells the tale of childhood friends whose friendship ends after a drunken kiss and some rather hurtful words and their journey to reconciliation and love.

This book is just *chef's kiss* good. It's so light-hearted and easy to read. I finished in 8 hours.

I think this might be my favourite Drew Taylor book so far. One thing I loved about this book, and frankly all Drew Taylor books, is her characters' use of witty comments and metaphors that are so relatable and leave you giggling. My favourite has to be the bombastic side eye Karoline tossed Hadley.

Another thing I loved about this book is that though it's not Christian Fiction, the characters' faith shines through, and I have to laud Drew Taylor for doing this expertly well in each of her books. I definitely cannot recommend this book enough.

If you love friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, cute nicknames, country singers, strong FMCs, relentless MMCs, healthy female friendships, forced proximity, second chances and small-town romances, you'll definitely love The Designated Valentine.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time reading this author and can’t wait to read the others. Loved the flashbacks and having both POVs to understand better the feelings of Mason and Karoline.

Loved how the Christian and faith elements are tackled in the story of each character, while, showing also, characters with flaws and struggles.

All these elements are used to show the power of love, forgiveness, second chances and redemption.

Favorite quote: “Love is for everyone. It’s a beautiful gift given to us by the One who is the embodiment of love… Jesus Christ. We can love because He loves us”

[Tee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I've fallen in love with clean sweet romance that has hints of faith in it. This book was such a fast read, so cute and wholesome.
Would definitely recommend!

[Maddie Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute story!! Childhood friends to enemies to lovers. I do think that Mason should have groveled some more, but that’s just my opinion.

- childhood friends to enemies to lovers
- small town

[Koren | the_blue_eyed_bluestocking]

Attention! Karoline Wright has lost her mind. Reward guaranteed if found.

What a sweet story of love and redemption, and not just from the two main characters, but in the life changing power of a relationship with Jesus. In The Designated Valentine, Mason, who is now a super star country music artist, fights to win back his best friend and his first and only love, Karoline, after humiliating her and publicly degrading her three years prior. The walls are up high for Karoline, and she is initially downright hostile. But Mason is steadfast, and through his life changing experience as a Christian, he sets out to prove that Jesus has taught him something really valuable about love.

✔️Intense backstory
✔️Likeable main characters
✔️Supportive Community
✔️Swoon-worthy dialogue

I really loved the author's opening words about how she wanted to portray the characters Christian status and how it would inform their actions throughout the rest of the story.

I will be looking forward to reading more from this new-to-me author.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this story, and it was a great read.

Mason Kane destroyed Karoline 3 years prior with just a few simple word that left her broken and alone. Now she is anti anything romantic as she is working as a creative director for a Valentine’s Day jewelry collaboration ad with her friend/boss Hadley’s (from Designated Friend) boutique for her school internship project When she find out that the star of the commercial is none other than Mason Kane. She must now deal with all the intense emotions towards him the past three years that she has let fester and try to move past it for the sake of her job and school career. It doesn’t go well.

Mason Kane made the biggest mistake of his life three years ago and has now come to Juniper Grove to try and make up for all the pain his actions had caused his best friend. He realizes when they have their first interaction that it will be more difficult than he expected. He has his work cut out for him, but he is not going to go down with out a fight.

This short novella give such a great insight to the pain that’s ongoing from a heartbeat. It doesn’t just fade away until some time. Sometimes it festers, and Drew did a great job showing how it takes time to heal and move on from such heartbreak. This story is short and sweet with a fiery main character that you can’t help but love, and feel for. All the characters behave in a way that are completely believable, and you can picture perfectly in your mind. It’s a great short read.

[Morgan Giesbrecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Drew nails heart, humour, and healing in this newest release!

Oh Mason. Oh Karoline. 🥺 There’s messiness. There’s hurt. There’s healing. There’s forgiveness and second chances. There’s “awwww” moments and “ouch” moments and full on snorts-of-laughter moments.

A hard yet beautiful story of a man’s pursuit of the woman he loves, once he comes to terms with how badly he messed up, along with forgiveness and letting go. 💛


*I received an ARC copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Heather Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first read by Drew Taylor and it was so fun and sweet! Even though it was a novella, it still had substance to it which I loved. Loved that the Christian aspects fit in so well, not in a cringy way :). Can’t wait to read more of Drew’s books!

[Cecily Kraft · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was An Arc for this! I loved it!!!!💜💜💜

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reader’s Notes:

– this is part of a series, but can be read as a stand-alone

– this is told from Karoline & Mason’s points of view (past & present)

– it is mentioned that a few characters don’t drink alcohol as it caused issues in their past

– there are 3 not nice words

Review:

This was a sweet hate to love romance that had me wanting their happily ever after to come already! I loved that we got flashbacks to who Karoline and Mason were with each other before the moment that destroyed their friendship. They were so cute with each other and it kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know how they managed to go from that to their current hate situation. I loved that Mason knew he had to apologize to Karoline for what he’d done and wanted to do it right, even when his timeline got moved up unexpectedly with Karoline needing to work closely with him on the commercial. I loved that Karoline wasn’t afraid to push Mason away and snark at him. Even when they were with mutual friends. She wasn’t afraid to be herself and protect her heart the best way she could at the time. I also really loved the friendships both Karoline and Mason had with their friends. They were supported and made to confront some hard truths in a loving way by these people and I loved it!

Summary:

Karoline has two things that she wants nowhere near her: Valentine’s Day and Mason Kane. Mason ghosted her three years ago after dropping a destructive bomb on their relationship and Karoline hasn’t wanted to see him since. She’d rather be as single as singles can be and avoid all things love-like. But when her internship requires Karoline to face both of these things head on, Karoline has to put her professional face on and push though until this commercial is complete. Mason will just be someone she tolerates for the time being and then he’ll be out of her life once more, right?

Mason knows he decimated his friendship with Karoline the night he hit fame and disappeared from her life. And that it was the biggest mistake of his life. But when he catches a glimpse of her in Juniper Grove, Mason can’t help himself from desiring roots in her new hometown. Even though she’s made it beyond clear that she wants nothing to do with him. Mason hopes to make amends and reconnect with Karoline, but when he agrees to help a friend with their business’s new commercial all his plans have their timelines moved up. Because Karoline will be heading up the commercial he’ll be staring in. Can Mason prove to Karoline that he’s changed before she shuts him back out of her life?

[Hannah Hoover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve seen all the teasers on Drew’s next book The Designated Twin so I wanted to catch up before it releases. The teasers have been soo good so I had high hopes for this one and the first one. And I wasn’t disappointed!

I loved how Mason knew he messed up and wasn’t trying to brush it off but actively showed Karoline how sorry he was and how much he’d changed. It was shown in a healthy way in this book because he was truly sorry and truly loved her. Not because he just wanted her for selfish reasons etc. I loved how she showed how God changed both their lives and how they actively asked him for help and guidance and lived for him. She showed characters living Christian lives and how to use that in everyday situations. I do love a good book focusing on characters coming to Christ or having these big moments in their walks with Christ but seeing Christian people dealing with problems all of us face and using their relationship with God for that. Thats something we all should do regularly.

I appreciated how she showed Karlolines struggle with her hurt and anger towards Mason and it isn’t easily overlooked or forgotten. Yes she asked God to help her and when he truly apologized she asked Him to help her forgive Mason and with His help she began too. But it wasn’t instantaneous and I appreciated that because that’s so real.

Overall it was a beautiful book and I loved how both characters worked through their hurt together and through Gods love came back together stronger and better. I also loved the fact that she placed a disclaimer in the beginning saying that it was an example of properly pursuing a girl when a mistake was made and not pursuing without setting things right or against her wishes. Respect girls or guys when they say no! Thank you Drew!

[Priscila · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Designated Valentine was such a cute novella! From its cover to the last page, I was hooked to the story, and I wouldn't have minded if it was longer. This was my first introduction to this author's writing, so I'm really glad about all the other books she already has out that I can't wait to catch up on.

I loved Karoline and Mason's second chance story. Man, did he do a number on her, but there's real change shown in his actions, and coupled with his pursuit of her, it made for a swoony, romantic read. I loved how the author dealt with everyone's feelings, showing what was going on from both POVs, while at the same time not justifying actions. I loved the theme of redemption and the need for forgiveness, and while this isn't a Christian Fiction book, the fact that the characters come from a Christian background and are trying to live it out made me love this story all the more since it showed the real and honest reactions to some things that we know we are called to do, but that can be so hard to follow through.

Overall, a really nice, sweet read, perfect for Valentine's Day or any other wintry day, since it's mostly set in January. Perfect for fans of Sweet/Clean Romance, with the "famous country singer pursuing a second chance with his childhood next-door neighbor" trope(s). Can't wait for the next one in the series! ~ 4.5 stars

Content (for more detail, check the author's CW at the beginning of the book):
Romance: just kisses. However, a character's struggle with lust is also shown (not while kissing).
Language: a few d**ns throughout the book.
Other: alcohol abuse/struggle in a character's past. Mention of loss of a parent in a character's past.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars.

💕 The vibes:
- friends to enemies to lovers
- Childhood neighbors
- Dual timeline
- Christian themes
- Closed door

💕 My thoughts:
Ok ok. Here I go with my walk of shame. This book was one I was excited to read last year- and then somehow got my wires crossed in the hundreds of books floating out there and thought this book involved instalove. So I avoided it because I don’t mesh with instalove. Yall. I was wrong. This is NOT instalove. I got this one mixed up with another book that released at a similar time. So as soon as I found that out, I knew I had to jump right into it.

💕 The book starts at New Years Eve which was PERFECT vibes since that’s the time of year I read it. I love when that happens.

💕 I really liked the dynamic between Mason and Karoline. I wish this was a full length novel because I would have loved even more of these two.

💕 I wanted to know the characters a little bit more- specifically Mason. To understand the core reason of his alcohol addiction and also just to know what makes him HIM. To know why Karoline fell for him in the first place. That’s the only element that I felt was missing here.

💕 Overall, this was a really cute, quick read. I’m happy that I finally got around to reading it, and it made me excited to pick up the next book in this series.

Note- closed door

[Kim Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Designated Valentine Drew Taylor weaves past and present together to gradually reveal how Karoline and Mason went from long time best friends to enemies to love.

This is a sweet, clean romantic comedy that doesn’t overdo the comedy and only contains kissing, though it does discuss the battle with attraction the main characters have and how they want to be careful because of their faith. Drew includes a warning at the beginning of the book that there is also some mention of alcohol as this book deals with a past addiction. Drinking is not promoted.

Both Karoline and Mason think they’ve matured since they last spoke three years before, but they still have room to grow and as a reader I enjoyed my front row seat to see that growth. It’s a great representation of the battles we often face in relationships of all kinds — some from our misperceptions of who we are because of things people in our lives have said or done, and some because we struggle to forgive thinking the other person doesn’t deserve to be released when forgiveness actually releases us to move on. In this book there is a Christian element, so the forgiveness is more than trite words, but important for healing in their relationship with God.

I highly recommend The Designated Valentine.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karoline Wright and Mason Kane haven't seen each other in three years, when he broke her heart in a dramatic midnight diner meeting. They may have had no contact, but they never forgot about each other. Told in dual timelines, their story unfolds in the present when they reconnect, but also in the past when more is revealed about what really happened between them. There are themes of forgiveness, personal growth that comes with adulthood, pursuit, finding faith, and overcoming bad habits interwoven in their love story. The scene where they finally get together was absolutely beautiful- to see love like that, with Christ at the center, had me about tearing up.

Aside from a rom-com binge a few years back, I'm not a romance reader. Love stories just aren't generally appealing to me.That being said, I adore Drew Taylor's stories! The combination of a Christian worldview and characters that feel authentic with real struggles serves to create wonderful stories. I'm also a huge fan of how all of her books thusfar take place in the same universe, even the different series. While they can all be read as standalones, its nice to see references to past characters randomly pop up in new stories.

Format: Ebook via Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 4 stars
Book 20 of 2024

[funkelbunt.liest · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars rounded to 5

I honestly couldn’t put this book down, I was immediately invested in Karoline’s and Mason’s story and boy was angry at Mason…

This is a novella about forgiveness, about strong friendships, about finding faith and growing as a person. It’s a combination of a best-friends-to-lovers and a second chance romance.

While I loved Karoline and Mason as characters and as a couple, I think Mason should have done a bit more groveling. I am definitely for forgiveness, but Mason was a bit too flirty for my taste after the heartache he caused for Karoline. So a bit more seriousness would have been appreciated, but this is just my personal opinion. I’m generally not the biggest fan of these big flirts, so this is definitely a me-thing.

Drew’s writing is amazing as always and I love how she writes relatable characters that struggle with their faith, but make it a priority in their lives!

* Thank you to the author for letting me read an advanced copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily and the expressed opinions are my own.

[Sophie Toovey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great novella, and I found it warm and funny, whilst not treating lightly the long term impact of hurt and the struggle to forgive. The author writes from a Christian perspective, which I really appreciated, and came through in lots of little ways. I loved that the chemistry between Karoline and Mason was strong, but with boundaries. The world of the story was absorbing with a cast of characters I'd like to hang out with!
My only reservation was that I wanted more detail towards the end of the book. The resolution was a bit too straightforward and I would expect these characters to have more of a rocky journey in their future relationship, rather than a one-dimensional HEA. But that's just my personal preference.
I loved Karoline's relatability and I will be looking out for more from Drew Taylor!

[Allegra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a super sweet second-chance, enemies-to-lovers closed-door romance. I enjoyed the banter between Karoline & Mason. I appreciate the way he took responsibility for causing her pain and pursued her. My favorite lines from the book include, "You can guard yourself now, Karoline, but I won’t let you do that for much longer. Just so you’re aware of my plans, I’m going to bring a wrecking ball to your walls and a key chiseled to fit the chain locks around your heart. I’m not worthy of your love, but Karoline, I’m selfish enough to admit I need it." The line that hit me the hardest as truth was, "Sometimes we need to tell the story to let the pain out. The longer you hold on, the more it will hurt, hun. Healing can begin when you learn to confide in the people who love you." I look forward to reading many more books by this author.

[S.F. Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man! I don’t think I’ve related to one of Drew Taylor’s characters more than Karoline. To the point that I was acting out certain scenes as I was reading them! This novella was fantastic and I loved how not only was it second chance romance but Mason truly had to earn the right to love Karoline again. I thought that the story was beautifully done and I enjoyed seeing a man truly wanting a woman to love him and then pursue her. Karoline held her own in this novel, I loved her growth and the way that she slowly opened up her heart to Mason. This one was super good and by the end of course I wanted the two of them together! For being short this story really impacted me and as I said, I think Karoline is one of my favorite characters from Drew Taylor. I was giddy when I read each little cameo from the author’s other books! I enjoyed this one immensely!

[Leah Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This boooooooooooooook. Mason and Karoline are the PERFECT duo - sassy, flirty, and wonderfully sweet. Toss on your cowboy boots and prepare yourself for the sweetest Valentine's Day romance you'll ever be able to get your hands on.

The Designated Valentine is a sweet, sweet story of forgiveness and surrender, seasoned perfectly with redemption and hope. That's one thing I truly love and adore about Drew and her books - she tackles the hard topics with grace and care. The Designated Valentine is no different! If you're on the hunt for a story with real, raw, and imperfect characters topped with gorgeous redemption and surrender (and flirting that'll have you cackling), look no further than this book here.

10/10, can't recommend enough!

[Myra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Taylor hit a home run with The Designated Valentine! Karoline and Mason and realistic and believable characters with real life issues. Highschool crush to crushed and broken and college fling to flung. Like all broken relationships that endeavor to reconcile there are high and low points where you wonder if there is any way it can happen. This is handled in an awesome and entertaining way that keeps you on the edge of the chair, laughing, crying, and rooting for reconciliation. It shows that people really can grow and mature learning from their mistakes if they take the time to do it. All this is done in a way that draws attention to the loving redeeming grace of God. I loved the honest and true look at the psychology of "Valentine's Day" on different personality types as well.

[Alicia (aliciasalwaysreading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
GENRE
-rom-com novella with Christian themes

CONTENT
-🤬: a couple of mentions of hell, but I wouldn't consider it in a swearing context
-❤️: kisses, some lustful thoughts
-⚠️: heavy alcohol use

This was a cute, quick, second-chance romance. I've read this series alllll out of order (3, 4, 2, and hopefully soon I'll get to 1!), but that did make it fun to see cameos of Lorelei, Lucy, Finley, and Stone.

I enjoyed it, but it's not my favorite of Drew's books.

Favorite Quote:
-"Well, it hurts too much to talk about."
"Sometimes we need to tell the story to let the pain out. The longer you hold on, the more it will hurt, hun. Healing can begin when you learn to confide in the people who love you. Trust me on that."

[Audra Christianson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novella, so it’s book 1.5 in the Designated series. Had the same vibes as book one but a much different story about lifelong friends becoming more. I love when you can read a book with the same trope but it’s a completely different story. The main character has a lot of emotional baggage to overcome, and a lot of forgiveness to give. It’s nice to read about real hurt and how to move beyond it. Great story and I enjoyed getting to know the town and the others that will be in the future books.