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Sweet Side #1
Fish out of Water
Get a new job. Check.
Find a new apartment. Check.
Stake out geriatric hit men with my handsome sidekick. Check?
Never rent an apartment over the internet.
I learned that lesson the hard way. Turns out the sweet two bedroom I was thrilled to make mine is actually smack dab in the middle of a retirement community.
Now instead of enjoying Florida’s night life, I’m helping Mrs. Hill find her missing hearing aids and showing Mr. Frazier how to use his television remote for the millionth time.
But it’s fine. They look out for me and I look out for them.
Which is how I end up wedged in a broom closet with Mr. Frazier’s sexy as sin nephew.
Being tangled up with Grant is the most exciting thing that’s happened to me in… ever.
Unfortunately, it’s the most dangerous thing to happen to me in… also ever.
Because I thought Grant was just a grumpy businessman with an addiction to gummy bears, but based on his abilities in hand-to-hand combat, I’m starting to question if there’s more to that story.
And if that more might be the end of my story.
Fish out of Water is the laugh-out-loud romantic-comedy-meets-cozy-mystery featuring an arborist turned accidental detective, a suspiciously skilled investment banker with a chip on his shoulder, and a fish tank’s worth of clues. It brings the hilarity and the heat, with no cliffhangers and a HEA that will leave you swooning.
Find a new apartment. Check.
Stake out geriatric hit men with my handsome sidekick. Check?
Never rent an apartment over the internet.
I learned that lesson the hard way. Turns out the sweet two bedroom I was thrilled to make mine is actually smack dab in the middle of a retirement community.
Now instead of enjoying Florida’s night life, I’m helping Mrs. Hill find her missing hearing aids and showing Mr. Frazier how to use his television remote for the millionth time.
But it’s fine. They look out for me and I look out for them.
Which is how I end up wedged in a broom closet with Mr. Frazier’s sexy as sin nephew.
Being tangled up with Grant is the most exciting thing that’s happened to me in… ever.
Unfortunately, it’s the most dangerous thing to happen to me in… also ever.
Because I thought Grant was just a grumpy businessman with an addiction to gummy bears, but based on his abilities in hand-to-hand combat, I’m starting to question if there’s more to that story.
And if that more might be the end of my story.
Fish out of Water is the laugh-out-loud romantic-comedy-meets-cozy-mystery featuring an arborist turned accidental detective, a suspiciously skilled investment banker with a chip on his shoulder, and a fish tank’s worth of clues. It brings the hilarity and the heat, with no cliffhangers and a HEA that will leave you swooning.
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 30, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
August 2, 2021
Four Funny Rom-Com Stars
Get your naughty sense of humor ready for granny taking dic-pics.
What a fun book. I loved the setting. Adored all the characters. The antics were fun and funny and dirty. A little suspense thrown in. Well done.
FMC cracked me up. She had tons of personality… one of those chicks who beats to her own little different drum and DGAF what anyone thinks about it. She’s the chick you want as your BFF. Her voice is believable and brought constant smiles to my face …
”Yet another thing I’d learned about old people. If you fuck with their dogs they will kill you with whatever’s close.”
“If he liked women who got airbrush tans and always remembered to wax their buttholes then I was definitely not his girl.”
The MMC is initially a little harder to wrap your heart around. He’s a little uptight and standoffish at first, but when he loosens up… he is awesome. Forget roses ~ this guy ends the book proving he knows how to make HIS lady swoon;) Sorry, but I love when characters are authentic enough that we don’t get stuck with the same boring, trite endings, especially when it in no way matches their personality. Anyway, loved how the author got to the HEA.
MMC’s mom and grandmother almost steal the show. Loved them and their unusual roles.
The suspense isn’t bad, but it’s not the center of the book. It’s more like a loose rubber band holding the story together, and that was okay because the relationship dynamics were cute and funny enough not to care.
Safety gang … OW is present at first, but the MMC hasn’t and doesn’t sleep with her or even touch her.
My only reason behind 4 stars is that I don’t think the author did a great job explaining why the MMC was living how he was. It’s explained in the story as a cumulative of several factors, but I still just didn’t get what the big deal was with hiding his personality from the world, especially considering he moved away from his old life. It didn’t click somehow for me.
Get your naughty sense of humor ready for granny taking dic-pics.
What a fun book. I loved the setting. Adored all the characters. The antics were fun and funny and dirty. A little suspense thrown in. Well done.
FMC cracked me up. She had tons of personality… one of those chicks who beats to her own little different drum and DGAF what anyone thinks about it. She’s the chick you want as your BFF. Her voice is believable and brought constant smiles to my face …
”Yet another thing I’d learned about old people. If you fuck with their dogs they will kill you with whatever’s close.”
“If he liked women who got airbrush tans and always remembered to wax their buttholes then I was definitely not his girl.”
The MMC is initially a little harder to wrap your heart around. He’s a little uptight and standoffish at first, but when he loosens up… he is awesome. Forget roses ~ this guy ends the book proving he knows how to make HIS lady swoon;) Sorry, but I love when characters are authentic enough that we don’t get stuck with the same boring, trite endings, especially when it in no way matches their personality. Anyway, loved how the author got to the HEA.
MMC’s mom and grandmother almost steal the show. Loved them and their unusual roles.
The suspense isn’t bad, but it’s not the center of the book. It’s more like a loose rubber band holding the story together, and that was okay because the relationship dynamics were cute and funny enough not to care.
Safety gang … OW is present at first, but the MMC hasn’t and doesn’t sleep with her or even touch her.
My only reason behind 4 stars is that I don’t think the author did a great job explaining why the MMC was living how he was. It’s explained in the story as a cumulative of several factors, but I still just didn’t get what the big deal was with hiding his personality from the world, especially considering he moved away from his old life. It didn’t click somehow for me.
November 6, 2021
What in the geriatric mafia did I just read? This has to be the weirdest MF book I’ve ever read and not in a good way.
What should have been a cute rom-com based on the book’s description and the front cover was anything but. We start at a retirement community and quickly escalate to a turf war over… fish? Fish tails? And the ransom is “several thousands of dollars?!” 300+ pages later and I’m still not clear on what Uncle Vito was doing, why he needed to flee in the middle of the night, and how he thought he was going to make any money doing it.
Our heroine, Julia, is fine I guess. There are enough passive aggressive comments dropped that we know she comes from the mean streets of…North Dakota. Where she had to climb trees to be alone and wear dresses. These insurmountable horrors are her motivation to flee to Florida at the age of 25 to live in a retirement community.
Our hero Grant is just a mess of contradictions. He owns his own business and wears navy, grey or khaki pants all the time. But what he really yearns for is to run his own business and wear navy pants WITH lizards on them. Or with suspenders. No really. He also has a smoke show body and is super rich. How rich you ask? Well he drives a car that intimidates Julia so much so, she doesn’t want to sit in it out of fear of getting it dirty AND he has a house with a basement. The exact make/model of said car - no clue. Never mentioned. And a house with basement? Well when the big reveal is that he uses said basement to house his Star Wars movies, posters and mini figurines that he hand paints… let’s just say it was a bit underwhelming.
And if the will they/won’t they “tension” of these star crossed lovers isn’t enough to hold your interest - don’t worry, there’s more!
We’ve got mobsters from… somewhere. Still not clear on what state they come from or what illegal activity they partake in. And that goes for the good guys too. All we know is that Grant’s family does… something. And that the supper club they go to is a front for… something. Again, by books end we have no clue what makes any of them dangerous. Just that they ARE dangerous. Randomly enough I do know more than I ever wanted to about Grant’s financial consulting business. It’s an odd flex to shy away from giving the reader any details about the thrilling, dangerous, lucrative illegal activity they all partake in and lean heavily into excel spreadsheets and conference calls for company mergers. Probably not the route I would have gone but okay….
We’ve also got wieners, hotdogs and dick picks a plenty. Old man ones, young guy ones. Mobster dick picks. Mobsters stealing and smelling people’s underwear. The number of references to hotdogs, dicks, and wieners is shockingly, inexplicably high. And the casualness with which people talk about dick picks in this book, equally absurd. And don’t even get me started on the grandma/random old dude viagra induced sex scene in the coat closet that naturally culminated with, what else, a dick pick for posterity.
We’ve got a massive python (not a euphemism. It’s an actual snake) that lives in our hero’s living room… just because. It’s mentioned like, twice and then never again. Between the killer/exotic fish and the random snake, I get that this book is a love letter to unconventional pets but come on.
And don’t even get me started on the ending. A shoot out in a warehouse that just happens and no one talks about it again. Cool, cool. Seems legit.
Not a single thing about this book made any damn sense. You will never convince me this entire thing wasn’t some type of prank to see how many things could be crammed into a book and sold to us with a cute front cover. 🤦♀️
What should have been a cute rom-com based on the book’s description and the front cover was anything but. We start at a retirement community and quickly escalate to a turf war over… fish? Fish tails? And the ransom is “several thousands of dollars?!” 300+ pages later and I’m still not clear on what Uncle Vito was doing, why he needed to flee in the middle of the night, and how he thought he was going to make any money doing it.
Our heroine, Julia, is fine I guess. There are enough passive aggressive comments dropped that we know she comes from the mean streets of…North Dakota. Where she had to climb trees to be alone and wear dresses. These insurmountable horrors are her motivation to flee to Florida at the age of 25 to live in a retirement community.
Our hero Grant is just a mess of contradictions. He owns his own business and wears navy, grey or khaki pants all the time. But what he really yearns for is to run his own business and wear navy pants WITH lizards on them. Or with suspenders. No really. He also has a smoke show body and is super rich. How rich you ask? Well he drives a car that intimidates Julia so much so, she doesn’t want to sit in it out of fear of getting it dirty AND he has a house with a basement. The exact make/model of said car - no clue. Never mentioned. And a house with basement? Well when the big reveal is that he uses said basement to house his Star Wars movies, posters and mini figurines that he hand paints… let’s just say it was a bit underwhelming.
And if the will they/won’t they “tension” of these star crossed lovers isn’t enough to hold your interest - don’t worry, there’s more!
We’ve got mobsters from… somewhere. Still not clear on what state they come from or what illegal activity they partake in. And that goes for the good guys too. All we know is that Grant’s family does… something. And that the supper club they go to is a front for… something. Again, by books end we have no clue what makes any of them dangerous. Just that they ARE dangerous. Randomly enough I do know more than I ever wanted to about Grant’s financial consulting business. It’s an odd flex to shy away from giving the reader any details about the thrilling, dangerous, lucrative illegal activity they all partake in and lean heavily into excel spreadsheets and conference calls for company mergers. Probably not the route I would have gone but okay….
We’ve also got wieners, hotdogs and dick picks a plenty. Old man ones, young guy ones. Mobster dick picks. Mobsters stealing and smelling people’s underwear. The number of references to hotdogs, dicks, and wieners is shockingly, inexplicably high. And the casualness with which people talk about dick picks in this book, equally absurd. And don’t even get me started on the grandma/random old dude viagra induced sex scene in the coat closet that naturally culminated with, what else, a dick pick for posterity.
We’ve got a massive python (not a euphemism. It’s an actual snake) that lives in our hero’s living room… just because. It’s mentioned like, twice and then never again. Between the killer/exotic fish and the random snake, I get that this book is a love letter to unconventional pets but come on.
And don’t even get me started on the ending. A shoot out in a warehouse that just happens and no one talks about it again. Cool, cool. Seems legit.
Not a single thing about this book made any damn sense. You will never convince me this entire thing wasn’t some type of prank to see how many things could be crammed into a book and sold to us with a cute front cover. 🤦♀️
August 1, 2021
Just loved this book. Very tongue in cheek humour!
So this is Josie debut book, and oh what a fantastically fun read this was.
Just loved this book. Very tongue in cheek humour which made me titter throughout.
Julia is trying to prove she can be whoever she wants to be and not what’s expected of her, and she’s doing a damn good job of it, minding their own in her little retirement village.
Where as Grant is trying to run from who he is, being what he think people will want him to be. Until they are thrown together then the proverbial S**t hit’s the fan.
Love the camaraderie between Julia and Grant.
Great characters, brilliant storyline, loved the humour!
Watch out for Nonna Sylvia! she is another level funny, proper laugh out loud moments with her every step of the way!
Then we have Elaine, who’s as cool as a cucumber and a kick ass momma.
We have some great side characters in this, who you can see will make for great main characters in future books.
Josie’s given us everything in this. I can’t wait for more. ❤️
So this is Josie debut book, and oh what a fantastically fun read this was.
Just loved this book. Very tongue in cheek humour which made me titter throughout.
Julia is trying to prove she can be whoever she wants to be and not what’s expected of her, and she’s doing a damn good job of it, minding their own in her little retirement village.
Where as Grant is trying to run from who he is, being what he think people will want him to be. Until they are thrown together then the proverbial S**t hit’s the fan.
Love the camaraderie between Julia and Grant.
Great characters, brilliant storyline, loved the humour!
Watch out for Nonna Sylvia! she is another level funny, proper laugh out loud moments with her every step of the way!
Then we have Elaine, who’s as cool as a cucumber and a kick ass momma.
We have some great side characters in this, who you can see will make for great main characters in future books.
Josie’s given us everything in this. I can’t wait for more. ❤️
July 2, 2022
I want to be Sylvia
Okay I started this book on Facebook, then downloaded it on my Kindle and at first I was like it's okay but then my friends, then came Sylvia and Elaine! They rocked this book. They were The hero Mother and Grandmother and they were hysterical. I loved them. The heroine was funny too she named her cow slippers Bessie and Bertha. She loved in an over 60 community and The characters were simply wonderful. The hero was pretty swoony too. I love when a guy goes crazy over a woman and is totally besotted. Now this isn't clean at all. Cusswords, sex, wiener pics, and I don't mean hot dogs and just a lot of outrageous behavior. It's pretty funny too. At least I thought so and there is a little mystery, a carnivorous fish named Penelope and nerdgasms galore! I really enjoyed this. And to think I almost dnf'd it at about 20%. Glad I didnt. It's free in KU too right now and safe! Did I mention that Nonna Sylvia is my new role model!!??!? Lol. Loved her the most!
Okay I started this book on Facebook, then downloaded it on my Kindle and at first I was like it's okay but then my friends, then came Sylvia and Elaine! They rocked this book. They were The hero Mother and Grandmother and they were hysterical. I loved them. The heroine was funny too she named her cow slippers Bessie and Bertha. She loved in an over 60 community and The characters were simply wonderful. The hero was pretty swoony too. I love when a guy goes crazy over a woman and is totally besotted. Now this isn't clean at all. Cusswords, sex, wiener pics, and I don't mean hot dogs and just a lot of outrageous behavior. It's pretty funny too. At least I thought so and there is a little mystery, a carnivorous fish named Penelope and nerdgasms galore! I really enjoyed this. And to think I almost dnf'd it at about 20%. Glad I didnt. It's free in KU too right now and safe! Did I mention that Nonna Sylvia is my new role model!!??!? Lol. Loved her the most!
July 6, 2021
What a fantastic debut novel from Josie Watts. She had me invested from the start with a cast of quirky fun characters who do a great job of knowing their own business, and everyone else’s. Josie creates a lot of depth to her characters’ personalities through banter that’s both witty and insightful. In a departure from so many rom-coms, Julia is the one who knows exactly who she is and is confident in who she wants to be. She is the perfect match for Grant, who needs someone with her unique sense of confidence to help him realize that he can be exactly who he is, and still be happy. But there’s so much more to their story than that, and it’s brilliant! Throw in that element of mystery, interlace it with humor and heat, add in the nosy relatives and neighbors, and there’s enough to keep the plot original and creative, but not so much it's unbelievable. This was truly a fun read that kept me hooked throughout. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
August 19, 2021
A dick for a dick
I want to read a romantic comedy that makes me laugh out loud, with a strong,sassy,confident,smart-mouthed heroine this book delivers all of that.
Example:
Julia explaining to Grant why she have a hundred of duck pics on her phone......."Guys sent them all the time on dating apps"........."when they sent me one I send them one back"......"And I all ways pick one that's bigger than theirs".There was gleam in her eyes. "A dick for a dick".
This is a new author to me. I would definitely recommend this book. Can't wait for the next book.
I want to read a romantic comedy that makes me laugh out loud, with a strong,sassy,confident,smart-mouthed heroine this book delivers all of that.
Example:
Julia explaining to Grant why she have a hundred of duck pics on her phone......."Guys sent them all the time on dating apps"........."when they sent me one I send them one back"......"And I all ways pick one that's bigger than theirs".There was gleam in her eyes. "A dick for a dick".
This is a new author to me. I would definitely recommend this book. Can't wait for the next book.
August 19, 2021
This book was hilarious. I loved the grandma. And Jules was hilarious. Grant was kinda stuck up at first and you find out why but he was so sweet to Jules. I loved all the characters in this book. Only thing could have made it better was if the epilogue was farther out than a few months.
Safe
Dual POV
No ow/om drama
Slight suspense
Mystery
Epilogue eh few months out.
Safe
Dual POV
No ow/om drama
Slight suspense
Mystery
Epilogue eh few months out.
July 5, 2021
What does a steamy romcom with a cozy mystery get you? Fish Out Of Water!
This is a debut release for Josie Watts and she knocked it out of the park. So many laugh out loud moments. Julia has packed her bags and moved across the country and is determined to become who she wants to be – not who others expect her to be. Grant, well he's complicated and hot as hell! The other characters in the book will have you cracking up and begging for more books in this series.
If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would.
This is a debut release for Josie Watts and she knocked it out of the park. So many laugh out loud moments. Julia has packed her bags and moved across the country and is determined to become who she wants to be – not who others expect her to be. Grant, well he's complicated and hot as hell! The other characters in the book will have you cracking up and begging for more books in this series.
If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would.
May 19, 2023
A slightly odd, perhaps quirky, convoluted Netflix-esque rom-com that is pretty fun as long as you don’t think too hard on it.
With some illegal activity that gets brushed over, a spunky female lead and a male lead who is essentially Henry Cavill: buff, handsome and nerdy for computers, games etc.
With some illegal activity that gets brushed over, a spunky female lead and a male lead who is essentially Henry Cavill: buff, handsome and nerdy for computers, games etc.
July 31, 2021
As seen on my blog (Jessie's Reading Corner):
What do you get when you mix comedy with a little mystery and a lot of steam? You get, Fish Out of Water; the debut novel by Josie Watts!
Julia Murray is the youngest resident at Sweet Side Apartments, a retirement community that she accidentally rented a room from when she moved to Florida. Aside from working as an arborist, she spends her days helping the elderly residents find things that have gone missing. When one of the residents asks her to look after his fish and get his mail for him, she thinks nothing of it. Until she ends up in a broom closet with a naked Grant Servantes, the resident's nephew. What follows is a really funny, high heat mystery that involves banana pants, White Claws, and cow slippers.
I really loved Julia and Grant in this book! I loved their snarky and witty conversations. I loved watching them fall for each other. I loved that they couldn't get enough of each other. I loved that Julia showed Grant that people do accept and love you for who you are and that you don't need to change to "fit a mold." The other characters in this book were a hoot (especially Grant's grandmother) and I can't wait to see if we see more of them in future Scandal at Sweet Side books!
All in all a great debut novel by Josie Watts and I can't wait to read more from her!
What do you get when you mix comedy with a little mystery and a lot of steam? You get, Fish Out of Water; the debut novel by Josie Watts!
Julia Murray is the youngest resident at Sweet Side Apartments, a retirement community that she accidentally rented a room from when she moved to Florida. Aside from working as an arborist, she spends her days helping the elderly residents find things that have gone missing. When one of the residents asks her to look after his fish and get his mail for him, she thinks nothing of it. Until she ends up in a broom closet with a naked Grant Servantes, the resident's nephew. What follows is a really funny, high heat mystery that involves banana pants, White Claws, and cow slippers.
I really loved Julia and Grant in this book! I loved their snarky and witty conversations. I loved watching them fall for each other. I loved that they couldn't get enough of each other. I loved that Julia showed Grant that people do accept and love you for who you are and that you don't need to change to "fit a mold." The other characters in this book were a hoot (especially Grant's grandmother) and I can't wait to see if we see more of them in future Scandal at Sweet Side books!
All in all a great debut novel by Josie Watts and I can't wait to read more from her!
August 20, 2021
Si le premier chapitre n'a rien d'accrocheur, je me suis laissée peu à peu happée par cette comédie policière romantique qui devient vraiment prenante à la moitié de l'intrigue, notamment quand "la famille" de notre héros, plutôt atypique, débarque... En fait, j'ai eu l'impression de retomber dans une comédie des années 70, tant l'héroïne m'a fait pensé à Goldie Hawn, un mélange de candeur et d'audace, face à un type sérieux et conventionnel, mais qui se révèle pas si conventionnel que ça. L'intrigue est mignonne, amusante, pleine de peps avec en prime une relation sexy, nos deux héros sont attachants.
Un divertissement tout à fait sympathique ! J'ai bien envie de lire le second tome qui paraîtra bientôt, concernant l'amie rigolote et le collègue sérieux de notre héroïne.... couple prometteur !
Un divertissement tout à fait sympathique ! J'ai bien envie de lire le second tome qui paraîtra bientôt, concernant l'amie rigolote et le collègue sérieux de notre héroïne.... couple prometteur !
December 3, 2021
This book was just not for me and I am not sure why. It took me forever to read. I found myself not wanting to pick it up and rejoiced when it was over. That seems extreme and a little unfair. I was excited to pick up my next read though. I can't believe it took me so long to read. That said..it could have just been me. It probably was. It's got good banter, some drama, sexy times, good community of neighbors, a wonderful spunky grandma. All these really good ingredients for a great recipe but it still didn't come out of the oven five stars for me, which is a bummer. This book was all over the place for me with storylines and quirky details, it felt a bit overwhelming for me at times.
November 13, 2025
Soo Entertaining
I began this one after I read The Ruckup, because I absolutely needed more of Sylvia! [She is Grant 's grandmother]
Along with her backstory (which is fun), who and what Grant 's mother is, and the sizzling chemistry between Grant and Julia kept these pages flipping fast, and I read this in one sitting... so be prepared. The drama created around Vito pulls everyone into a dangerous situation and how everything works out was very entertaining.
This author consistently delivers engaging and addictive reads, and I recommend visiting her catalog for more.
I began this one after I read The Ruckup, because I absolutely needed more of Sylvia! [She is Grant 's grandmother]
Along with her backstory (which is fun), who and what Grant 's mother is, and the sizzling chemistry between Grant and Julia kept these pages flipping fast, and I read this in one sitting... so be prepared. The drama created around Vito pulls everyone into a dangerous situation and how everything works out was very entertaining.
This author consistently delivers engaging and addictive reads, and I recommend visiting her catalog for more.
August 22, 2021
Super cute. Super funny. Soooooo charming.
August 22, 2021
lol this was soooooo corny i love/dislike it 😂😂😂😂😂
i think i've had enough rom coms for the month of August. ✌
i think i've had enough rom coms for the month of August. ✌
June 23, 2022
It was cute. Not sure I was overly excited about either character. I do adore Sylvia though!
July 19, 2021
Well i just have to say i loved this book so much! I had to! See, i too have cow slippers named Bessie and Bertha! This book was amazing! It had me snort laughing one second then hotter than fire the next! It has it all! Plus. GIRL GANG! Strong women are where its at and Julia is POWERFUL! She knows who she is and is not afraid to own it! 💜🌶🌶🍆🍆🍆🌶🍆🌶🌶🌶🌶
August 28, 2021
I have never read a “mystery rom com” but this was super fun and the perfect end-of-summer book.
🐟 A heroine who is unapologetically herself and a hero who learns to be that way.
🐟 A quirky cast of lovable side characters including crazy old people 👵🏼🍹
🐟 A missing uncle, random envelopes of money, possible crime families, and a weird (and dangerous) pet fish 🎣
What’s not to love?! This was a really fun, endearing book with the perfect amount of action, mystery, and steam 🔥🔥🔥
🐟 A heroine who is unapologetically herself and a hero who learns to be that way.
🐟 A quirky cast of lovable side characters including crazy old people 👵🏼🍹
🐟 A missing uncle, random envelopes of money, possible crime families, and a weird (and dangerous) pet fish 🎣
What’s not to love?! This was a really fun, endearing book with the perfect amount of action, mystery, and steam 🔥🔥🔥
December 19, 2021
Hilarious!!! Unpredictable. Flirty. Fun. Loved every page of the book. My house is a wreck, laundry and dishes piled up but that can wait till I finish reading the next book in this series!!!
October 11, 2021
Was it just me or did Grant's POV read like a 40's Film Noir? I was expecting him to call Julia a dame or a broad at any minute.
I wouldn't call it laugh out loud funny, but it is cute with likeable characters.
There were some things that irked me, though. One, the way Grant's nerdiness was treated like it was some terrible character flaw that he wanted to hide. I know of absolutely no adults who care if somebody likes Star Wars, video games, and such. It's a non-issue.
Then, there was Grant's internal monologue towards Julia at the beginning of the book. He had literally just met her but his thoughts sounded as if he had known her longer.
Anyway, I liked it enough that I will probably read the next book.
I wouldn't call it laugh out loud funny, but it is cute with likeable characters.
There were some things that irked me, though. One, the way Grant's nerdiness was treated like it was some terrible character flaw that he wanted to hide. I know of absolutely no adults who care if somebody likes Star Wars, video games, and such. It's a non-issue.
Then, there was Grant's internal monologue towards Julia at the beginning of the book. He had literally just met her but his thoughts sounded as if he had known her longer.
Anyway, I liked it enough that I will probably read the next book.
November 16, 2021
This just didn't work for me.
Honestly, I think I need my romantic comedies and cozy mysteries separated. There was just too much going on to really be able to enjoy the romance and cute banter. Between the screwy uncle, the panty-stealing bad guys, the cow slippers having names, the zany mom and nonna, the trees and the water, and the friend in the hospital (who was secretly crushing on Andrew?). Oy vey!
I did like how Julia was unapologetically her own person. The backstory on Grant was fine.
Ultimately, I skimmed.
Honestly, I think I need my romantic comedies and cozy mysteries separated. There was just too much going on to really be able to enjoy the romance and cute banter. Between the screwy uncle, the panty-stealing bad guys, the cow slippers having names, the zany mom and nonna, the trees and the water, and the friend in the hospital (who was secretly crushing on Andrew?). Oy vey!
I did like how Julia was unapologetically her own person. The backstory on Grant was fine.
Ultimately, I skimmed.
February 9, 2022
Fish out of Water
Dislike profanity. As a reformed Christian I chose not to read stuff that would plant seeds for regression. Been there and don't plan to go back.
Dislike profanity. As a reformed Christian I chose not to read stuff that would plant seeds for regression. Been there and don't plan to go back.
September 25, 2025
2.5 stars. This book wasn’t bad. But it was just okay. It got boring. I had to skim through the last half. The story felt very surface level. Everything felt like it was painted with a broad brush.
It started out good because I didn’t think it was going to follow the standard cliche romance novel outline. The two love interests weren’t falling all over eachother instantly. So I liked that. But as the story went on it got more cliche.
However almost every romance author rushes the romance part. It’s like they’re just so eager to get the love story going that they don’t care how they get there. And it makes the story clunky.
I wish the romance would have just been even a couple chapters later. Just a little bit more of them getting to know each other first. I liked him and I liked her so I liked them together, I just wish they would have waited just a little longer.
Also I’m not a fan of how they first truly got together. They had teased a little bit witha couple of kisses, but he always broke anything off because he was “scared of getting hurt” (an over used cliche I don’t love). But then one night she wears a sexy dress (because of course she does) and with no underwear (so gross) and she gives him a little flash (because of course she does) and he suddenly just can’t help himself and is finally like okay now I’ll be with you no matter what. And it’s just kinda disappointing that the turning point in their relationship was that he was just too turned on by seeing her vagina to do anything else other than get with her. I just think it is so much more romantic to show people falling in love in other ways besides sex and attraction. It just feels lazy.
The author did attempt to show other reasons that the two liked eachother, but I just hate that the main drive was sex.
But overall the story just wasn’t super engaging after awhile. I struggled to want to read and it got a little boring. It wasn’t in the ‘did not finish’ category, so it does have some things going for it. It does have personality and it was funny at times.
I just wish the author wouldn’t use such a heavy hand. Subtlety goes such a long way. Romance novels don’t have to be so obvious with everything. Also, there was so much talk about dicks. It got to be overkill and repetitive. The whole closet scene made me roll my eyes as did so much emphasis put on just how big grants dick was. It becomes corny.
The whole mafia plot felt clunky as well. It was barely a fleshed out story yet it was the main plot? Sort of? It definitely needed refining. I needed more from it. It was resolved easily.
Also grants deep dark secret was so over dramatic. Wow so he likes dungeons and dragonn type stuff. Big deal. I get him being a little self conscious about it because maybe he was teased or whatever, but at his grown age he should be mostly over that. At least to the point where he isn’t acting like it’s this life altering secret haha. He made it seem like he was hiding a dead body in the basement and made it this huge deal that he was showing Julia his nerd collection. Letting her in on his “secret”. It just felt a little overdone.
It started out good because I didn’t think it was going to follow the standard cliche romance novel outline. The two love interests weren’t falling all over eachother instantly. So I liked that. But as the story went on it got more cliche.
However almost every romance author rushes the romance part. It’s like they’re just so eager to get the love story going that they don’t care how they get there. And it makes the story clunky.
I wish the romance would have just been even a couple chapters later. Just a little bit more of them getting to know each other first. I liked him and I liked her so I liked them together, I just wish they would have waited just a little longer.
Also I’m not a fan of how they first truly got together. They had teased a little bit witha couple of kisses, but he always broke anything off because he was “scared of getting hurt” (an over used cliche I don’t love). But then one night she wears a sexy dress (because of course she does) and with no underwear (so gross) and she gives him a little flash (because of course she does) and he suddenly just can’t help himself and is finally like okay now I’ll be with you no matter what. And it’s just kinda disappointing that the turning point in their relationship was that he was just too turned on by seeing her vagina to do anything else other than get with her. I just think it is so much more romantic to show people falling in love in other ways besides sex and attraction. It just feels lazy.
The author did attempt to show other reasons that the two liked eachother, but I just hate that the main drive was sex.
But overall the story just wasn’t super engaging after awhile. I struggled to want to read and it got a little boring. It wasn’t in the ‘did not finish’ category, so it does have some things going for it. It does have personality and it was funny at times.
I just wish the author wouldn’t use such a heavy hand. Subtlety goes such a long way. Romance novels don’t have to be so obvious with everything. Also, there was so much talk about dicks. It got to be overkill and repetitive. The whole closet scene made me roll my eyes as did so much emphasis put on just how big grants dick was. It becomes corny.
The whole mafia plot felt clunky as well. It was barely a fleshed out story yet it was the main plot? Sort of? It definitely needed refining. I needed more from it. It was resolved easily.
Also grants deep dark secret was so over dramatic. Wow so he likes dungeons and dragonn type stuff. Big deal. I get him being a little self conscious about it because maybe he was teased or whatever, but at his grown age he should be mostly over that. At least to the point where he isn’t acting like it’s this life altering secret haha. He made it seem like he was hiding a dead body in the basement and made it this huge deal that he was showing Julia his nerd collection. Letting her in on his “secret”. It just felt a little overdone.
December 5, 2024
This was a fun rom com with a little slap stick borderline-mafia suspense thrown in. Personally, I love me a quirky romance w a bit of a different plot line.
- no third act breakup
- mature characters; good communication
- it’s a bit fairy-tale ish. If you’re looking for a realistic romance this may not be for you
- fun side characters; including Vito’s fish, Penelope, and Grant’s snake.
- insta everything; in that the whole story (pre epilogue) takes place in two weeks. But it also weirdly feels like they take a minute to get to know each other 🤷🏻♀️IDK - but it worked!
- both characters have back stories that are slowly revealed
- no OM/OW drama. No previous “player” BS.
- dual POV; HFN (but I believe in them)
- even in the short time frame; there are cute small moments that make it more than just a sex filled romp
- just the right amount spice
Julia meets Grant when she’s asked by his uncle to feed his fish when he mysteriously goes away. She lives as the only younger person in his retirement community and Grant is his nephew. They keep bumping into each as they try to figure whether to trust each other, how to find him, and how to avoid the other people looking for him.
It becomes apparent quickly that Grant’s mom (Elaine) and grandma Sylvia are women of power in a certain, not so legal, organization. Julia has left her midwestern parents who believed a woman’s life is in the home taking care of the men. Grant has tried to deny his nerdy interests and family when presenting himself to women/others but feels inauthentic. Julia owns her weirdness and nerdiness and accepts Grant for the Lego building, game playing, snake loving guy that he is.
It’s really a story - all weird hilarity and side-kicks aside - about loving yourself and finding someone who will truly love and accept you. In this relatively short story, I believe these two characters have met their person.
It’s truly a feel good, smile of a story.
I took a star off only because I felt like I didn’t fully understand why/how Grant was hiding his true interests/self. It didn’t fully make sense to me.
Favorite moments (spoilers ✋)
- when Grant sees her in any dress 👗
- when she’s hiding in the closet and he joins her naked. I also loved how she kept teasing him about it.
- I loved how she didn’t shy away from looking at him.
- when he calls her “banana pants”
- how he quickly recognizes his feelings for her and cancels his date without remorse
- how she stabs the guy with her heel when they’re in the closet
- when he shows her his basement man-cave and she makes clear how much she likes him, for him. He offers to keep his hair the way she likes it and she says “you could shave off all your hair and it wouldn’t matter. I like YOU”.
- when he gets in the trenches and helps her at work when the pipes burst
- when she talks about trees giving her comfort when she felt alone and he “gets it” and later buys her a willow tree bc it’s one she could climb. ☺️
- no third act breakup
- mature characters; good communication
- it’s a bit fairy-tale ish. If you’re looking for a realistic romance this may not be for you
- fun side characters; including Vito’s fish, Penelope, and Grant’s snake.
- insta everything; in that the whole story (pre epilogue) takes place in two weeks. But it also weirdly feels like they take a minute to get to know each other 🤷🏻♀️IDK - but it worked!
- both characters have back stories that are slowly revealed
- no OM/OW drama. No previous “player” BS.
- dual POV; HFN (but I believe in them)
- even in the short time frame; there are cute small moments that make it more than just a sex filled romp
- just the right amount spice
Julia meets Grant when she’s asked by his uncle to feed his fish when he mysteriously goes away. She lives as the only younger person in his retirement community and Grant is his nephew. They keep bumping into each as they try to figure whether to trust each other, how to find him, and how to avoid the other people looking for him.
It becomes apparent quickly that Grant’s mom (Elaine) and grandma Sylvia are women of power in a certain, not so legal, organization. Julia has left her midwestern parents who believed a woman’s life is in the home taking care of the men. Grant has tried to deny his nerdy interests and family when presenting himself to women/others but feels inauthentic. Julia owns her weirdness and nerdiness and accepts Grant for the Lego building, game playing, snake loving guy that he is.
It’s really a story - all weird hilarity and side-kicks aside - about loving yourself and finding someone who will truly love and accept you. In this relatively short story, I believe these two characters have met their person.
It’s truly a feel good, smile of a story.
I took a star off only because I felt like I didn’t fully understand why/how Grant was hiding his true interests/self. It didn’t fully make sense to me.
Favorite moments (spoilers ✋)
- when Grant sees her in any dress 👗
- when she’s hiding in the closet and he joins her naked. I also loved how she kept teasing him about it.
- I loved how she didn’t shy away from looking at him.
- when he calls her “banana pants”
- how he quickly recognizes his feelings for her and cancels his date without remorse
- how she stabs the guy with her heel when they’re in the closet
- when he shows her his basement man-cave and she makes clear how much she likes him, for him. He offers to keep his hair the way she likes it and she says “you could shave off all your hair and it wouldn’t matter. I like YOU”.
- when he gets in the trenches and helps her at work when the pipes burst
- when she talks about trees giving her comfort when she felt alone and he “gets it” and later buys her a willow tree bc it’s one she could climb. ☺️
March 12, 2023
There are a lot of completely hilarious moments in this book. Awesomely quotable lines. Ridiculous characters that are laugh out loud funny. There is all sorts of nonsense that is quite entertaining.
There is some bittersweet content with Julia's family. Anyone who knows religious groups like that will recognize what she was running from, though the author takes care not to be too specific and call out any particular group.
There is also a whole set of stuff that doesn't really make a lot of sense and isn't funny, so I'm not sure what the purpose is.
Grant apparently had this "big secret" - but it really wasn't a big deal and certainly not enough to explain why he moved away from his family. Uncle Vito has some sort of a gig going on, but it's never totally clear what he's into.
I love this author's books and I might give the next book in the series a try to see if this end part is just an anomaly. But as an avid reader I think it's really important to know who you're writing for, pick your genre and stay in that lane. The folks that read one kind of content don't necessarily crossover with other content. If you're trying to do crossover stuff, you can't let that be a surprise. You need to disclaim the heck out of that.
There is some bittersweet content with Julia's family. Anyone who knows religious groups like that will recognize what she was running from, though the author takes care not to be too specific and call out any particular group.
There is also a whole set of stuff that doesn't really make a lot of sense and isn't funny, so I'm not sure what the purpose is.
Grant apparently had this "big secret" - but it really wasn't a big deal and certainly not enough to explain why he moved away from his family. Uncle Vito has some sort of a gig going on, but it's never totally clear what he's into.
I love this author's books and I might give the next book in the series a try to see if this end part is just an anomaly. But as an avid reader I think it's really important to know who you're writing for, pick your genre and stay in that lane. The folks that read one kind of content don't necessarily crossover with other content. If you're trying to do crossover stuff, you can't let that be a surprise. You need to disclaim the heck out of that.
January 26, 2024
This is the first time I read Josie Watts and now I’m obsessed. This is more than a romantic comedy. It’s action packed with colorful characters and a bit of steam.
I loved Julia from the start and the fact that she lived in a retirement community added so much to her character. Julia is unapologetically her vibrant self. She’s the type of heroine you want as your best friend. She is hilarious and the way she handles uncomfortable situations (ex: D pics) is priceless. I love that she looked after the people in the community and they looked after her. Both sides get into shenanigans and I thoroughly enjoyed how this story unfolded.
Grant’s character isn’t what he seems in the beginning, but he’s red hot from the first introduction. I loved learning about the man behind the gray suits. It was so endearing how he reluctantly cared about the heroine in the beginning, but knew deep down he was developing strong feelings for Banana Pants.
Another theme in the book that always fills my heart is when I read about strong women, who know how to live it up. I loved getting to know Grant’s mother and grandmother. Every character was likable.
This story is fun, engaging, suspenseful and perfect for a feel good read. I’m excited to read the rest in this series.
I loved Julia from the start and the fact that she lived in a retirement community added so much to her character. Julia is unapologetically her vibrant self. She’s the type of heroine you want as your best friend. She is hilarious and the way she handles uncomfortable situations (ex: D pics) is priceless. I love that she looked after the people in the community and they looked after her. Both sides get into shenanigans and I thoroughly enjoyed how this story unfolded.
Grant’s character isn’t what he seems in the beginning, but he’s red hot from the first introduction. I loved learning about the man behind the gray suits. It was so endearing how he reluctantly cared about the heroine in the beginning, but knew deep down he was developing strong feelings for Banana Pants.
Another theme in the book that always fills my heart is when I read about strong women, who know how to live it up. I loved getting to know Grant’s mother and grandmother. Every character was likable.
This story is fun, engaging, suspenseful and perfect for a feel good read. I’m excited to read the rest in this series.
August 7, 2021
This was such an entertaining read from start to finish--the dialogue held the perfect amount of humor. Following along as Julia (whose personality meshed so well with so many characters) had what was probably the craziest week of her life was a total trip for me, as well. The combination of action, mystery, and romance was something I'm not too familiar with but was easily able to sink into because the characters drove the plot so well.
Admittedly, there were times when I thought that the tone shifted a little too fast. That being said, it didn't pull me out of the story and I could imagine the same thing happening in a movie. I was so interested in how Julia and Grant's relationship was going to flourish in the midst of all the chaos surrounding them, and the fact there was no excruciating miscommunication issue??? Now, THAT'S what I wanted to see. Thank you, Josie Watts.
I would recommend this to anyone who is into contemporary romances and needs a bit of a breather from the darker topics and emotions they oftentimes hold. While this still gives you a decent dose of doom and gloom, I'd absolutely label it as "light."
Admittedly, there were times when I thought that the tone shifted a little too fast. That being said, it didn't pull me out of the story and I could imagine the same thing happening in a movie. I was so interested in how Julia and Grant's relationship was going to flourish in the midst of all the chaos surrounding them, and the fact there was no excruciating miscommunication issue??? Now, THAT'S what I wanted to see. Thank you, Josie Watts.
I would recommend this to anyone who is into contemporary romances and needs a bit of a breather from the darker topics and emotions they oftentimes hold. While this still gives you a decent dose of doom and gloom, I'd absolutely label it as "light."
July 30, 2021
When you find out one of your favorite authors is going to be starting a new pen name in a new genre of romance, it gives you pause. However, that pause was unneeded because Josie Watts aka Janice Whiteaker aka Jemma Westbrook gave me everything I wanted in this romantic comedy romance. There are hilarious moments, moments of tenderness, moments of clarity, moments of self-doubt, moments of action, and moments of steam. Julia "Banana Pants"Murray is everything that Grant Servantes didn't know he needed. This book gives you a little bit different direction because Grant is the one who Is unsure or himself. Grant is the one that has a lot of self-doubt. He is a strong character but is a little lost in who he is and who he wants to be. Julia is a woman that takes her "weird" and runs with it. She grew up having to stifle that side of her and once she was able to let it shine she never looked back. Grant's family is an amazing addition to this cast of characters and I am so excited that there will be more to come from this newest endeavor by Ms. Whiteaker.
October 4, 2021
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was funny, mysterious, cute, and a little steamy. Julia moved away from her family who have very different views. Her family believes women should be subservient to men and hold no power. Julia doesn’t agree with this lifestyle. She has found who she is, and loves herself and is unwilling to change for anyone. If people don’t like her, oh well. She’s funny, cute, strong, and a little bit weird(same girl). Grant is pretending to be someone he is not. Boring. But he has a few fun secrets😉.Julia lives in a retirement community where all her neighbors are nosey and geriatric. Her neighbor Mr Frazier skips town, but before he leaves he asks Julia to take care of his cannibal fish and to check his mail. His nephew Grant shows up to check in on him….Grant and Julia team up to solve this mystery surrounding his Uncle’s disappearance .And what a duo they make!! There’s plenty of sexual tension, mystery, and humor to keep you reading. Some of these side characters, including Grant’s spunky grandmother, really make this book 10x better!!
July 28, 2022
This romantic comedy story is fabulous, funny, and very action-packed with a mystery to solve and some intriguing events. Grant and Julia are matches made in heaven, his family is funny and fierce, and I absolutely loved this read. The entire story takes place in Florida. I love the inclusion of the retirement community and small town. This book ends happily, and all the problems are solved; it is a light-hearted read with a bit of steam.
Julia scored an exciting apartment in the middle of a retirement community. Now she gets to deal with the people at all times of the day or night. One of her late-night visitors, Mr. Frazier, seems a little stranger than most and starts the mystery in this book.
She has a penchant for disaster in the most epic ways, and I can just visualize some of this as I am reading. We meet Grant, the great nephew of her neighbor, and things get heated and suspenseful.
The things from Julia's mouth are so witty and fantastic that you can't help but laugh. I love the banter between her and Grant. Can they find his uncle, keep their hands on each other, and stay safe while they figure this out?
Things get hot and dangerous, and some very memorable scenes take place. The actual Grant is impressive when he loses his finely guarded control. I also love how unique and unapologetically weird Juila is; she is refreshing. Grant is screwed when he finally admits Julia is a catch; there is no going back. His grandmother is hilarious. I haven't laughed that hard in a while. They do solve the mystery, and the story ending is sweet.
Julia scored an exciting apartment in the middle of a retirement community. Now she gets to deal with the people at all times of the day or night. One of her late-night visitors, Mr. Frazier, seems a little stranger than most and starts the mystery in this book.
She has a penchant for disaster in the most epic ways, and I can just visualize some of this as I am reading. We meet Grant, the great nephew of her neighbor, and things get heated and suspenseful.
The things from Julia's mouth are so witty and fantastic that you can't help but laugh. I love the banter between her and Grant. Can they find his uncle, keep their hands on each other, and stay safe while they figure this out?
Things get hot and dangerous, and some very memorable scenes take place. The actual Grant is impressive when he loses his finely guarded control. I also love how unique and unapologetically weird Juila is; she is refreshing. Grant is screwed when he finally admits Julia is a catch; there is no going back. His grandmother is hilarious. I haven't laughed that hard in a while. They do solve the mystery, and the story ending is sweet.
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