4.75 it-only-happens-once, gonna-mark-you stars
Yeah. You read those lines right ^^. We get both sweet/swoony and hot/duuurty in this one, and oh… does it get duuuurty 😉.
It’s Veronica’s (29) wedding day when she receives a sext message from her fiancé talking about last night… except she wasn’t with him last night 😑. When she confronts him, she does the only sensible thing a Rockette like her could do- she kicks him in the face 😮💨💅. He deserves it 💁🏻♀️. It also prevents her from being the cookie-cutter wife he wants her to be. She leaves the area and goes to a small town, in her wedding dress, to get a burger. There, she meets many locals, but one specifically sees her as someone that could maybe help her brother Austin.
Austin’s (32) a single father of twins and tends to rely on his sister Mabel to help him with them. The twins’ mother lives in a different state, so he needs his family to help him. The problem is that Mabel wants to go on a dig for her PhD program and needs to leave like ASAP😬. Being the good older brother that he is (he’s been helping his dad raise his siblings since their mother died when he was a teenager), he encourages her to go. But now, he’ll need a nanny for the summer. Luckily for him, Mabel met an amazing prospect down at the city’s burger joint.
When he meets her, he’s concerned about her inexperience, among other things 😬. He never mixes work with pleasure, so if she’s gonna be the twins’ nanny, nothing can happen between them…
Like… nothing 👀
If only people always followed the rules… 👀😅
What I loved/liked: possible spoilers
—the tension 👀. Even though Austin says he CAN’T do anything with Veronica, he sure can’t help thinking about her in very un-nanny ways 😅. And, she does the same 😉. Once they have their first kiss, it becomes even harder to stay away. And they way Austin kisses her 😮💨🔥. The “are you a good girl scene” had me 🫠. Ufff
—the JP scenes 😈. Not me applauding the way Austin hulks out and loses his 💩 whenever men are around Veronica 💁🏻♀️. The dancing/wall scene was GOLD 😉. MINEMINEMINE 💅
—the 🔥. Oh LAWD. LORDT. My poor kindle didn’t see it coming. Austin, you’re a diiirty boi 👀. For a man that’s all about rules and family, you sure get down when it counts 😜. Jeeezus 🥵. This is medium burn (full smeexx early 50% ish) and it keeps going til the end 😉. Even the extended epilogue is 🔥
—the marking scenes 👀. Yeah. I know. I had to double check the author. Austin wants everyone to know Veronica is his 🔥 and he’ll do it any way possible 💦
—did I mention Austin’s dirty mouth? It definitely needs its own bullet 👀🥵
—how protective Austin is❤️. Gah. This man’s so swoony with his protectiveness, not only with Veronica but with his family as well. He took on the role of pseudo-mom when theirs died and he takes care of Veronica in whatever way he can ❤️
—getting to know each other ❤️. I love all the day-to-day scenes, just them talking or exercising (ahem… yoga anyone? 👀)
—broken nose 💁🏻♀️. Don’t you be throwing his woman’s things out, or you’re gonna meet Austin’s 👊🏻
—found family🫶. I love that Veronica found supportive people in the small town and in Austin’s family ❤️
—taking on the role of single father 🥹. Austin had no qualms about this when he was younger 🫶. Such an admirable quality and one not many men have 🤷🏻♀️
—the twins. The kids were NOT annoying. I actually found myself giggling here and there 🤣
—the (dirty 😜) chore chart. Umm… 🔥
—how selfless Austin is 🥹. He never puts his needs first. Sigh 🥹. He’s just so swooooony 😭
—massages 👀. Oh. This was… this was 🔥I might’ve reread these scenes just because of Austin and how he acts🤣
—Austin’s dad 😭. Ermagod. Protect this man at all cost 😭. Love at first sight with their mom and he’s never dated since. It only happens once 😭❤️. I got soooo emotional ☹️😭 gaaaah 🥹
What I wanted more of:
—um… length? Lol maybe more of a grovel? We have a “grovel”, but it could’ve been drawn out more 🤷🏻♀️😜
—normally, Melanie Harlow does MANY-years into the future epilogues when you go to her website, but we didn’t get that this time 😭. I’m missing it 😭 lol but this is just me trying to find something else to say 🤣
—ohhhh!! I thought of something! Her ex Neil 😑
—I wouldn’t have minded if Veronica had made Austin stew in his regret juices a bit more 💅
Overall, I loved it 🥹
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing/owd
-cheating*: the h is cheated on by her ex. She finds out on her wedding day
-recounting of lost loved ones
-mental health: slight panic attack
-mild OMD- the h gets asked out to dance and the H gets jealous. Her cheating ex causes mild drama when the h goes to pick up her stuff. The H takes care of him 💁🏻♀️ 💅
-biting/praise kink/dirty talk/face f/face sitting/marking/hand necklace
-condoms/H hasn’t had sex in years/h is on birth control
-HEA/epilogue/about a year ish later/extended epilogue through newsletter