I do enjoy a good friends-to-lovers story, and Laramie Briscoe’s latest, Sass, is no exception.Sass and Reed were genuine, down to earth, likeable characters, and I loved the two of them together. Sass had a great sense of fun, which was something Reed was definitely missing in his life. I loved being inside Reed’s head while he looked back at his previous relationship and came to some hard truths. For me, this was my favorite part of this story. Realizing past mistakes, learning and growing from them is a personal favorite theme for me--in books and real life. Sass was fun and sweet, and a little dirty. She had a tendency to jump to conclusions, especially where her relationship with Reed was concerned, but I chalked it up to her age and relative inexperience. One of the advantages to friends-to-lovers is that the characters already know each other. Sass and Reed had a long history as friends, and I really enjoyed watching their relationship evolve.
Reed’s ex-fiancée, Lacey, and his former friend, Taylor, were pretty standard horrible people/villains, and of course, I despised them both, but I wasn't crazy about Sass’ brother, Justin, either. I found his treatment of and behavior towards his sister pretty appalling at times. He had a temper and could be pretty nasty to Sass. While he definitely did have some redeeming qualities, I just didn't like this character.
I thought the end was just a bit rushed. There's an epilogue, but I would have liked to see a little more within the story, itself.
Sass is a standalone, contemporary romance, which I greatly appreciate! Don't get me wrong, I love a good series, but a standalone book is perfect for those busy times when I just have time for one book.