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Something New #4
As Good As New
He was the high school hottie. She was the teacher’s pet. But in private, none of that mattered...
At the tender age of six, Penelope Watkins fell for her best friend’s brother, Evan Donovan, future hunk. By the time they were teenagers, they were having heart-to-hearts…and hot and heavy top secret make-out sessions. All that changed when Evan’s father suddenly died. Abruptly, Penelope lost him to grief—and to his true football. But now an injury had ended Evan's NFL career. The notorious bad boy was in a depression no one could penetrate, except maybe the one woman who still knew him best—and still wanted him most…
Penelope is the last person Evan wants to witness the wreck he’s become. So when she shows up at his door he’s less than welcoming—even though the sight of her brings back the same old rush of desire. As a teenager, the emotions overwhelmed him. Now, when he wanted to be overwhelmed, Penelope wasn’t playing. She was telling the golden boy it was time to man up. It may have taken a concussion for Evan to realize it, but that’s exactly what he wants to do—starting with her…
Praise for Jennifer Dawson
“Witty repartee, memorable secondary characters, and powerful attraction skillfully handled will have readers eager for the next in the series.” – Publishers Weekly on Take a Chance on Me
At the tender age of six, Penelope Watkins fell for her best friend’s brother, Evan Donovan, future hunk. By the time they were teenagers, they were having heart-to-hearts…and hot and heavy top secret make-out sessions. All that changed when Evan’s father suddenly died. Abruptly, Penelope lost him to grief—and to his true football. But now an injury had ended Evan's NFL career. The notorious bad boy was in a depression no one could penetrate, except maybe the one woman who still knew him best—and still wanted him most…
Penelope is the last person Evan wants to witness the wreck he’s become. So when she shows up at his door he’s less than welcoming—even though the sight of her brings back the same old rush of desire. As a teenager, the emotions overwhelmed him. Now, when he wanted to be overwhelmed, Penelope wasn’t playing. She was telling the golden boy it was time to man up. It may have taken a concussion for Evan to realize it, but that’s exactly what he wants to do—starting with her…
Praise for Jennifer Dawson
“Witty repartee, memorable secondary characters, and powerful attraction skillfully handled will have readers eager for the next in the series.” – Publishers Weekly on Take a Chance on Me
346 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 29, 2016
38 people are currently reading
895 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Dawson
21 books606 followersJennifer Dawson is the author of the popular Something New series, spicy, small town romance released with Kensington, and pens the dark and edgy contemporary romance series Undone.
Jennifer Dawson grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and graduated from DePaul University with a degree in psychology. She met her husband at the public library while they were studying. To this day she still maintains she was NOT checking him out. Now, over twenty years later, they’re married and living in a suburb right outside of Chicago with two awesome kids and a crazy dog.
Despite going through a light FM, poem writing phase in high school, Jennifer never grew up wanting to be a writer (she had more practical aspirations of being an international super spy). Then one day, suffering from boredom and disgruntled with a book she’d been reading, she decided to put pen to paper. The rest, as they say, is history.
These days Jennifer can be found sitting behind her computer, writing her next novel, chasing after her kids, keeping an ever watchful eye on her ever growing to-do list, and NOT checking out her husband.
Sign up for monthly Newsletter for exclusive insider peeks, new release information and more. https://www.jenniferdawsonauthor.com/...
Jennifer Dawson grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and graduated from DePaul University with a degree in psychology. She met her husband at the public library while they were studying. To this day she still maintains she was NOT checking him out. Now, over twenty years later, they’re married and living in a suburb right outside of Chicago with two awesome kids and a crazy dog.
Despite going through a light FM, poem writing phase in high school, Jennifer never grew up wanting to be a writer (she had more practical aspirations of being an international super spy). Then one day, suffering from boredom and disgruntled with a book she’d been reading, she decided to put pen to paper. The rest, as they say, is history.
These days Jennifer can be found sitting behind her computer, writing her next novel, chasing after her kids, keeping an ever watchful eye on her ever growing to-do list, and NOT checking out her husband.
Sign up for monthly Newsletter for exclusive insider peeks, new release information and more. https://www.jenniferdawsonauthor.com/...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
April 2, 2016
I struggled with this book and not because it was bad. In fact, if not for some major flaws in the H it could have been easily a 4-4.5 star book. The writing is good. Very good. But Evan is a manwhore. Not the kind we tend to forgive because he stops after he meets the h. Nope. I found it hard to reconcile the man who was "trying" to fix things with Penelope with the man that taunted her for years because honestly, that's what he did. It's no wonder she doubted. Yes, the sexy times were really hot but by that time my dislike for the H's actions overshadowed a lot of the enjoyment. Penelope was pretty awesome. Even if she couldn't help but love an @$$hole. Safety gang: There are plenty of OW. The in your face kind. No rape/abuse. No OM, just a friend accompanying Pen to an event. She did date in their time apart. h lost v to the H in their teens. No condom the first time they reunite.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
April 2, 2016
***4 "Young love dies hard" stars***
I adore the "Undone" series by Jennifer Dawson and when I saw this title on NetGalley, I couldn't help but ask for it!!! This one is nothing like the other series, but i liked it equally...
I liked that it wasn't reminding me the other series and i liked that it was more light...
The only thing that i didn't like was that while i was reading it, i was wondering about the previous books and now, I'm dying to learn all of the other Donovan's stories!!!
The only sure thing is that Jennifer Dawson knows how to create beautiful characters and god, she knows how to built the sexual tension between the two main characters...
I mean, i was going wild with all this sexual atmosphere!!!
Penelope was a very organised and workaholic woman. Every aspect of her life was in order, except her own heart...
Since she was six years old, her heart was drumming wild for her best friend's brother, Evan. Twenty five years had passed from that time, and her heart is insisting to tremble near to Evan, even though from outside, she seems very composed whenever she is around him...
Her secret is safe since nobody knows about this crazy infatuation of hers.
After all, she knows very well that she and Evan are miles apart... Except that, she doesn't appreciate his ways of life...
"She'd always made rash decisions where Evan was concerned.
Clearly age hadn't cured her.
Later, much later... she'd contemplate her actions."
Evan Donovan is a football star who is living for his sport, women and partying... He was always the black sheep between the rest of his family and he was keeping add fuel in the fire...
Also he loved to get in the nose of his sister's best friend, Penelope... and to stay away from her as far as possible!
"He had too many regrets in his life. Too many bright promises unfulfilled. He didn't know what was going on between them, but he couldn't afford any more mistakes with her. He at least wanted a chance to make some sorts of amends."
An accident in the field will force Penelope and Evan to come closer...
Evan after his accident and the ending of his career, he is so depressed and he is spending his days with a bottle of alchool to keep him company... His family is so worried about him...
Penelope whom by an unwriten rule, she is a part of the Donovan family can't stand this situation longer and she is deciding to take the matter in her hands...
After all, she knows Evan better than everyone else...
"This was the last time she'd put herself in this situation. After tonight, she'd work on forgetting. She'd forgotten once, she could forget again.
She just needed to make it through this night untouched.
Because, if he touched her, she was finished."
The only thing that she could never imagine was that Evan would take an u-turn and that he will decide to rebuilt the past...
Their secretly past!!! The one that nobody knew except from both of them...
That turn scares her and excites her at the same time, even though that she is refusing to admit it.
Evan was her dream boy after all, but in the past, he had hurt her so damn much...
How can she trust him???
"This is what you need to understand, Pen, what you never did get. All that power I had over you, that's exactly the power you had over me."
Evan, from the other hand, knows his mistakes toward Penelope too well. But he can't deny longer his feelings... Feelings that never got away even though his huge efforts...
Now, he is ready to accept them and to chase before the only person that means something to him.
But how can persuade Penelope that his feelings are real and that he won't bail away from her, for once again???
The battle is too difficult, but he is determined to not give up...
So will he manage to rebuilt the past???
"I'm doing what I should have done all along."
"I don't know what that means."
"It means I'm going to fight for you, and I'm going to win."
Well, i loved very much Evan and Penelope...
Yep, Evan had made mistakes in the past, but he had good reasons for that... No, he didn't copy well the last fifteen years and he made many stupid things, but i loved him in the presence.
From the moment that he accepted that Penelope was the one for him, he was so determined to show her the depth of his heart.
He wanted to prove her that he was worthy of her... And i liked this determination and his patience...
"She looked like the girl he used to know and this strange, mysterious woman she'd become.
Like everything he'd loved about the past, and everything he feared about the future.
She looked like sex and life.
Like something too wild to contain and too addictive to let go."
Why I liked Evan's patience??? Well, Penelope was making it really hard for him...
Yep, she was heartbroken but all this thinking of hers was doing only bad. She just couldn't let go of the past and she was being unfair to Evan. She was very insecure in everything that had to do with him and she wasn't making any efforts and that was pissing me off...
"It was so much easier when he was some wild, out-of-control jock who cared about nothing but partying and football. Who treated her like she didn't exist. That was a man she could hate.
But since his injury he'd changed. Now he was more like the boy from the basement."
Well, those two together were like an electric discharge... Everything around them were catching fire when they were in the same room. And the sex was wild!!!
Yep, organised Penny was like a wild cat in her private moments!!! Bahahahaha....
Finally, i would like to say that i loved all the Donovans and their loved ones... I liked the way they were loving Penelope as was their own blood... But i was a little bit furious with them that they didn't believe in Evan so much!!!
But they were having, all of them, so lovely personalities and they were so tight between them...
Yep, i want like crazy to read their own stories... I'm so curious!!!
***ARC kindly provided via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review***
I adore the "Undone" series by Jennifer Dawson and when I saw this title on NetGalley, I couldn't help but ask for it!!! This one is nothing like the other series, but i liked it equally...
I liked that it wasn't reminding me the other series and i liked that it was more light...
The only thing that i didn't like was that while i was reading it, i was wondering about the previous books and now, I'm dying to learn all of the other Donovan's stories!!!
The only sure thing is that Jennifer Dawson knows how to create beautiful characters and god, she knows how to built the sexual tension between the two main characters...
I mean, i was going wild with all this sexual atmosphere!!!
Penelope was a very organised and workaholic woman. Every aspect of her life was in order, except her own heart...
Since she was six years old, her heart was drumming wild for her best friend's brother, Evan. Twenty five years had passed from that time, and her heart is insisting to tremble near to Evan, even though from outside, she seems very composed whenever she is around him...
Her secret is safe since nobody knows about this crazy infatuation of hers.
After all, she knows very well that she and Evan are miles apart... Except that, she doesn't appreciate his ways of life...
"She'd always made rash decisions where Evan was concerned.
Clearly age hadn't cured her.
Later, much later... she'd contemplate her actions."
Evan Donovan is a football star who is living for his sport, women and partying... He was always the black sheep between the rest of his family and he was keeping add fuel in the fire...
Also he loved to get in the nose of his sister's best friend, Penelope... and to stay away from her as far as possible!
"He had too many regrets in his life. Too many bright promises unfulfilled. He didn't know what was going on between them, but he couldn't afford any more mistakes with her. He at least wanted a chance to make some sorts of amends."
An accident in the field will force Penelope and Evan to come closer...
Evan after his accident and the ending of his career, he is so depressed and he is spending his days with a bottle of alchool to keep him company... His family is so worried about him...
Penelope whom by an unwriten rule, she is a part of the Donovan family can't stand this situation longer and she is deciding to take the matter in her hands...
After all, she knows Evan better than everyone else...
"This was the last time she'd put herself in this situation. After tonight, she'd work on forgetting. She'd forgotten once, she could forget again.
She just needed to make it through this night untouched.
Because, if he touched her, she was finished."
The only thing that she could never imagine was that Evan would take an u-turn and that he will decide to rebuilt the past...
Their secretly past!!! The one that nobody knew except from both of them...
That turn scares her and excites her at the same time, even though that she is refusing to admit it.
Evan was her dream boy after all, but in the past, he had hurt her so damn much...
How can she trust him???
"This is what you need to understand, Pen, what you never did get. All that power I had over you, that's exactly the power you had over me."
Evan, from the other hand, knows his mistakes toward Penelope too well. But he can't deny longer his feelings... Feelings that never got away even though his huge efforts...
Now, he is ready to accept them and to chase before the only person that means something to him.
But how can persuade Penelope that his feelings are real and that he won't bail away from her, for once again???
The battle is too difficult, but he is determined to not give up...
So will he manage to rebuilt the past???
"I'm doing what I should have done all along."
"I don't know what that means."
"It means I'm going to fight for you, and I'm going to win."
Well, i loved very much Evan and Penelope...
Yep, Evan had made mistakes in the past, but he had good reasons for that... No, he didn't copy well the last fifteen years and he made many stupid things, but i loved him in the presence.
From the moment that he accepted that Penelope was the one for him, he was so determined to show her the depth of his heart.
He wanted to prove her that he was worthy of her... And i liked this determination and his patience...
"She looked like the girl he used to know and this strange, mysterious woman she'd become.
Like everything he'd loved about the past, and everything he feared about the future.
She looked like sex and life.
Like something too wild to contain and too addictive to let go."
Why I liked Evan's patience??? Well, Penelope was making it really hard for him...
Yep, she was heartbroken but all this thinking of hers was doing only bad. She just couldn't let go of the past and she was being unfair to Evan. She was very insecure in everything that had to do with him and she wasn't making any efforts and that was pissing me off...
"It was so much easier when he was some wild, out-of-control jock who cared about nothing but partying and football. Who treated her like she didn't exist. That was a man she could hate.
But since his injury he'd changed. Now he was more like the boy from the basement."
Well, those two together were like an electric discharge... Everything around them were catching fire when they were in the same room. And the sex was wild!!!
Yep, organised Penny was like a wild cat in her private moments!!! Bahahahaha....
Finally, i would like to say that i loved all the Donovans and their loved ones... I liked the way they were loving Penelope as was their own blood... But i was a little bit furious with them that they didn't believe in Evan so much!!!
But they were having, all of them, so lovely personalities and they were so tight between them...
Yep, i want like crazy to read their own stories... I'm so curious!!!
***ARC kindly provided via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review***
November 8, 2017
Having really enjoyed all three previous books in this series, it pains this NetGalley reviewer to admit this one felt off the mark. Mainly because I had issues with the hero’s past character/moral compass and the heroine’s judgment. It was hard to feel sympathy for Evan, who was with lots of other girls, starting as a teen, even while supposedly being in love and fooling around with the heroine, Penelope, in the family basement. Yes, you guessed it. She became his dirty little secret. You see, Pen was a close family friend who was more like an adopted family member. She made the mistake of meeting Evan downstairs, after the midnight hour, for late night chats/eventual make-out sessions, all while he was taking full advantage of the groupie cheerleaders who offered themselves up to him due to his high school football status. They both kept quiet about it. Yes, she knew about his other girlfriends. So shame on her, as well.
I also didn’t get how dearly beloved/soon departed, dear old dad pulled Evan aside and lectured him about giving up Pen (when he accidentally saw them together) because his upcoming NFL career was going to lead to even more random girls. Where was a stern talking to about becoming a real man by respecting women/not using them and respecting himself enough not to continue to be a man whore? At least an “I expect better from you, son” speech was in order. You would think this strong knit family would have wanted to instill their family values upon Evan. If nothing else, lecture him about unwanted pregnancies and STDs. No, he seemed to get a pass, because he was destined to live the god-like life of a football player, on and off the field, and all its inevitable entitlements…money and loose women.
Not surprisingly, he dumps Pen after being her first and flaunts/parades other women in front of her for years. Again, Dad, thanks for nothing! We are supposed to buy into his excuse he sincerely thought it was for her own good. When he finally does make a permanent play for Pen, she’s supposed to be consoled by the fact he always thought of her while being intimate with countless supermodels/bimbos. Oh, isn’t that sweet…not! Even going so far as to tell her specifics about one of his multiple person sexcapades (because he needed to get the guilt off his chest). Yeah, that play/decision didn’t work out so well for him, folks.
So we, along with his family and friends, are supposed to feel sorry for him because he can no longer play football due to a concussion. I say it was too bad he wasn’t kicked in the groin instead, my fellow romance book loving friends. Maybe a blow to the family jewels would remind him of the concept of karma. As much as I liked Pen’s feistiness and determination not to be hurt by Evan again, I found myself thinking she could have used a knock to her noggin a time or two to bring her to her senses, as well. Though she would often verbally put him in his place, she was always too quick to forgive him, because, after all, he was so hot and under her skin.
Being the good girl she is, Pen does swallow her pride/pain and tries to rescue Evan from himself, since his family has been unsuccessful. We learn he has always loved her, partly because she wasn’t attracted to him just because of his football skills. But apparently not enough to give up his groupies, huh?
Yes, there was tons of angst…lots of chemistry/very steamy scenes…a hero who is honestly, sincerely, desperately redeeming himself…a family who doesn’t even want them together due to his past pattern of behavior and self-centeredness…which they helped create...a feisty heroine who becomes so insecure in her worry about the same notions she keeps pushing him away…The ending result was a rather exhausting read without any significant dramatic events to push it along.
Here’s to hoping you can forgive and forget better than this reviewer. I’m still holding a grudge, against him and especially dear old dad. I’m glad Pen got her HEA though and the hero is no longer a player. I have a feeling Shane, Evan’s older brother, will make certain it stays that way. Otherwise, he won’t have any qualms about using his fists, not just words, to protect Pen.
Title: As Good as New, Series: Something New (Book 4), Author: Jennifer Dawson, Pages: 320, stand-alone, HEA, feisty but insecure heroine, hero was a player on and off the field.
Book 1 – Take a Chance on Me, 2/4/14, Pages: 352 (Maddie & Mitch)
Book 2 – The Winner Takes All, 12/2/14, Pages: 368 (Shane & Cecilia)
Book 3 – The Name of the Game, 9/29/15, Pages: 352 (Gracie & James)
Book 4 – As Good as New, 3/29/16, Pages: 320, (Penelope & Evan)
(This review is based on ARC generously provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. No compensation was paid to the reviewer nor is there any affiliation between the reviewer and author/publisher.)
I also didn’t get how dearly beloved/soon departed, dear old dad pulled Evan aside and lectured him about giving up Pen (when he accidentally saw them together) because his upcoming NFL career was going to lead to even more random girls. Where was a stern talking to about becoming a real man by respecting women/not using them and respecting himself enough not to continue to be a man whore? At least an “I expect better from you, son” speech was in order. You would think this strong knit family would have wanted to instill their family values upon Evan. If nothing else, lecture him about unwanted pregnancies and STDs. No, he seemed to get a pass, because he was destined to live the god-like life of a football player, on and off the field, and all its inevitable entitlements…money and loose women.
Not surprisingly, he dumps Pen after being her first and flaunts/parades other women in front of her for years. Again, Dad, thanks for nothing! We are supposed to buy into his excuse he sincerely thought it was for her own good. When he finally does make a permanent play for Pen, she’s supposed to be consoled by the fact he always thought of her while being intimate with countless supermodels/bimbos. Oh, isn’t that sweet…not! Even going so far as to tell her specifics about one of his multiple person sexcapades (because he needed to get the guilt off his chest). Yeah, that play/decision didn’t work out so well for him, folks.
So we, along with his family and friends, are supposed to feel sorry for him because he can no longer play football due to a concussion. I say it was too bad he wasn’t kicked in the groin instead, my fellow romance book loving friends. Maybe a blow to the family jewels would remind him of the concept of karma. As much as I liked Pen’s feistiness and determination not to be hurt by Evan again, I found myself thinking she could have used a knock to her noggin a time or two to bring her to her senses, as well. Though she would often verbally put him in his place, she was always too quick to forgive him, because, after all, he was so hot and under her skin.
Being the good girl she is, Pen does swallow her pride/pain and tries to rescue Evan from himself, since his family has been unsuccessful. We learn he has always loved her, partly because she wasn’t attracted to him just because of his football skills. But apparently not enough to give up his groupies, huh?
Yes, there was tons of angst…lots of chemistry/very steamy scenes…a hero who is honestly, sincerely, desperately redeeming himself…a family who doesn’t even want them together due to his past pattern of behavior and self-centeredness…which they helped create...a feisty heroine who becomes so insecure in her worry about the same notions she keeps pushing him away…The ending result was a rather exhausting read without any significant dramatic events to push it along.
Here’s to hoping you can forgive and forget better than this reviewer. I’m still holding a grudge, against him and especially dear old dad. I’m glad Pen got her HEA though and the hero is no longer a player. I have a feeling Shane, Evan’s older brother, will make certain it stays that way. Otherwise, he won’t have any qualms about using his fists, not just words, to protect Pen.
Title: As Good as New, Series: Something New (Book 4), Author: Jennifer Dawson, Pages: 320, stand-alone, HEA, feisty but insecure heroine, hero was a player on and off the field.
Book 1 – Take a Chance on Me, 2/4/14, Pages: 352 (Maddie & Mitch)
Book 2 – The Winner Takes All, 12/2/14, Pages: 368 (Shane & Cecilia)
Book 3 – The Name of the Game, 9/29/15, Pages: 352 (Gracie & James)
Book 4 – As Good as New, 3/29/16, Pages: 320, (Penelope & Evan)
(This review is based on ARC generously provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. No compensation was paid to the reviewer nor is there any affiliation between the reviewer and author/publisher.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2016
E-ARC received thanks to the publisher and Netgalley.
Penelope had been in love with her best friend's brother Evan for years, and for a short stint she thought they had something...until Evan ditched her. *cue gasp in the audience* Fast forward a decade or so, Evan's career was cut short, spiraling him out of control, until Penelope out of the goodness of her heart slapped him back into reality (literally) and dun dun dun...
OH MAN
in my The Name of the Game review I asked myself, how is Jennifer Dawson gonna top the awesomeness that is James and Gracie because YOU GUYS, James and Gracie are SO PERFECT I cannot even imagine how any couple could beat them
but Ms. Dawson managed to outdone herself again because THIS??? is so great ughhhhhh I still couldn't give it a 5 because James and Gracie are still the King and Queen of my OTP list but Evan and Pen are Real Close
but then there's also Shane and Cecilia, whom I also love NOW DO YOU SEE MY PROBLEM
ok the thing I love most about Jen Dawson's books is her characters. I'm very invested in them in their happiness, and I can't help but to root for them. Evan has his dumbass moments (BOY DID HE HAVE THEM) and Penelope has her frustrating ones (HE LOVES YOU!! HE LOVES YOU!!!, I wailed for the umpteenth time),
but either way all relationships takes work and this relationship? TONS. I love how Evan works hard to prove himself to Penelope that he can take care of her, to get her to trust him and in their relationship. I love how Penelope has to work to believe that she actually deserves a whole lot more than she thinks. It just feels real to me.
Overall, I've never been one to be able to eloquently express why I love a book #ITried
but I'm more than excited to see what Jen's gonna offer next.
Penelope had been in love with her best friend's brother Evan for years, and for a short stint she thought they had something...until Evan ditched her. *cue gasp in the audience* Fast forward a decade or so, Evan's career was cut short, spiraling him out of control, until Penelope out of the goodness of her heart slapped him back into reality (literally) and dun dun dun...
OH MAN
in my The Name of the Game review I asked myself, how is Jennifer Dawson gonna top the awesomeness that is James and Gracie because YOU GUYS, James and Gracie are SO PERFECT I cannot even imagine how any couple could beat them
but Ms. Dawson managed to outdone herself again because THIS??? is so great ughhhhhh I still couldn't give it a 5 because James and Gracie are still the King and Queen of my OTP list but Evan and Pen are Real Close
but then there's also Shane and Cecilia, whom I also love NOW DO YOU SEE MY PROBLEM
ok the thing I love most about Jen Dawson's books is her characters. I'm very invested in them in their happiness, and I can't help but to root for them. Evan has his dumbass moments (BOY DID HE HAVE THEM) and Penelope has her frustrating ones (HE LOVES YOU!! HE LOVES YOU!!!, I wailed for the umpteenth time),
but either way all relationships takes work and this relationship? TONS. I love how Evan works hard to prove himself to Penelope that he can take care of her, to get her to trust him and in their relationship. I love how Penelope has to work to believe that she actually deserves a whole lot more than she thinks. It just feels real to me.
Overall, I've never been one to be able to eloquently express why I love a book #ITried
but I'm more than excited to see what Jen's gonna offer next.
no-dnf-zzz-avoid
April 2, 2016No way in hell!!
See: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
See: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
March 20, 2016
4.5 stars
As Good As New was a touching, heartfelt second chance love story, loved it!
When I read the excerpt of As Good As New at the end of The Name of the Game I couldn't wait for Evan & Penelope's book, I had to know how were these two who clearly shared a history and now couldn't stand each other ever going to fall in love?
I can honestly say this book delivered everything it promised. There was passion, angst, humor, family, misunderstandings, forgiveness and a beautiful couple who have loved each other for so long but didn't think they'd ever get their HEA.
For me this book ticked all the boxes, great characters that were complex, likable and at times totally frustrating, but all that added to my reading enjoyment.
In the beginning I wasn't sure I was going to like Evan, he was a jerk and his ego needed to be checked. I loved how Penelope was the one to kick his butt when noone else could get through his stubborn a**.
But as the story unfolded and we got to hear his thoughts my feelings for Evan started to change. I saw this man who clearly was in love but had no idea how to get Penelope to trust him after he'd broken her heart all those years ago. Sigh...
I totally understood Penelope's fears & hesitation. I would have the same insecurities and I totally got her.
It warmed my heart watching them finally open up and communicate honestly. It wasn't easy and at times it felt like they would never be able to forgive the past hurts. It was truly worth it as these two belonged together, they had a great connection and their chemistry was off the charts!
Another plus for me was getting to spend time the previous couples, especially James & Gracie from The Name of the Game (LOVE these two! OMG Gracie cracks me up and James still has a very special place in my heart)
Overall As Good As New was a heartwarming second chance love story that will keep you turning the pages, take you for an emotional ride and then leave you with a heart full of happy feels.
I highly recommend As Good As New and the Something New series, each book can be read as a standalone.
*special note to the author Jennifer Dawson*
Can we PLEASE get Sophie's, Sam's or Charlie's book? I don't want to say goodbye to the wonderful characters you've created.
Thank you Kensington Books ~ Zebra via NetGalley for the advance copy.
As Good As New was a touching, heartfelt second chance love story, loved it!
When I read the excerpt of As Good As New at the end of The Name of the Game I couldn't wait for Evan & Penelope's book, I had to know how were these two who clearly shared a history and now couldn't stand each other ever going to fall in love?
I can honestly say this book delivered everything it promised. There was passion, angst, humor, family, misunderstandings, forgiveness and a beautiful couple who have loved each other for so long but didn't think they'd ever get their HEA.
For me this book ticked all the boxes, great characters that were complex, likable and at times totally frustrating, but all that added to my reading enjoyment.
In the beginning I wasn't sure I was going to like Evan, he was a jerk and his ego needed to be checked. I loved how Penelope was the one to kick his butt when noone else could get through his stubborn a**.
But as the story unfolded and we got to hear his thoughts my feelings for Evan started to change. I saw this man who clearly was in love but had no idea how to get Penelope to trust him after he'd broken her heart all those years ago. Sigh...
I totally understood Penelope's fears & hesitation. I would have the same insecurities and I totally got her.
It warmed my heart watching them finally open up and communicate honestly. It wasn't easy and at times it felt like they would never be able to forgive the past hurts. It was truly worth it as these two belonged together, they had a great connection and their chemistry was off the charts!
Another plus for me was getting to spend time the previous couples, especially James & Gracie from The Name of the Game (LOVE these two! OMG Gracie cracks me up and James still has a very special place in my heart)
Overall As Good As New was a heartwarming second chance love story that will keep you turning the pages, take you for an emotional ride and then leave you with a heart full of happy feels.
I highly recommend As Good As New and the Something New series, each book can be read as a standalone.
*special note to the author Jennifer Dawson*
Can we PLEASE get Sophie's, Sam's or Charlie's book? I don't want to say goodbye to the wonderful characters you've created.
Thank you Kensington Books ~ Zebra via NetGalley for the advance copy.
May 14, 2024
4 stars
If you want a realistic and sexy CR tale, this is the book to go. I never read JD before, but I liked her writing style and how she makes her characters vibrate with life. I am well tempted to check out the other stories in this series.
To be honest, I had to push past my personal preferences to connect to and appreciate the heart of this romance. It was not that the story was not well developped or lacked sense, bien au contraire. I just had a personal hard time to digest that the H, Evan, had 15 years of blithely sowing his wild oats (in the wildest ways possible!) while all along loving in secret the h, Penelope. The book did explain it all beautifully on why he broke her heart years ago, how he still yearned for her nevertheless, on how he jumped into the empty high life to forget, how he thought he was doing the right things to keep them apart, and how he sincerely grovelled hard to prove to her that he was now the man she deserved. And I even forgave him and understood why it all happened. There was just that tiny, mean part of romantic me that resented his manwhoring days and decried all the lost years. Finally, I made it work for me because I acknowledged that it is so easy to be confused and lost when one is young.
But once I overcame that, I was able to fully appreciate the realism of the hot mess between Evan and Penelope. And JD's forte for this story is exactly that: how real relationships are not black and white and smooth, how young love is not easy but often angsty, cruel, influenceable and insecure, how men and women view the same thing through different angles and will agonise over different aspects. So while idealistic me might have wished for a more rose-tinted and chaste version of his yearning for her, I respect the solid psychology painted by JD that explained the life trials Evan and Penelope went through, whether due to immaturity, external factors, pride, fear/insecurity or denial.
And honestly, applying the lenses of realism, if they did not break when they first did, they might not have sustained the pains of growing up and end up with an HEA. The book made me believe that their time to be together was only right when adult them found each other again. And just for that, the book deserves high praise.
P.S. Little thing that this rich story probably did not need, but I really think that it would have added value to the romance if the exact scene where he broke her heart had been retold instead of being alluded to in second hand. It was such a pivotal moment in their relationship, marking the departure between the old them from the new them, that I think it should have been on page. Other past events (the convo with dad, their secret tryst days, their public behaviours at school etc) were not necessary (and rightly received the second hand recounting treatment), but this one scene would have been significant imho.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2016
Coffee Dates with As Good As New:
First date: Evan Donovan suffered an injury that ended his NFL career. This go lucky playboy is taking it hard and his family is concerned. Nothing seems to snap him out of his depression. Penelope Watkins still has feelings for the boy she kissed in the Donovan basement and decides to break her own code and give him a piece of her mind. The chemistry between Penelope and Evan is off the charts. How the two of them have kept their hands of each other is beyond me. Their denial is electrifying the city. Dawson immediately had me rooting for them. They belong together even if he will muck it up and she will deny it.
Second date: Penelope has no one to confide in, and there is no one to meddle or nudge this brewing romance….that is until one of my favorite characters spots the elephant in the room. I laughed watching Penelope squirm. Evan is determined to reconnect and Penelope who practical melts when he touches her insists they return to friends. *shakes head* When these two finally give in to their physical needs and Evan claims her, the screen on my kindle melted. It was all that I wanted and more. The Something New series has a small-town vibe to it, and I loved all the updates on past couples and family. When this clan gets together, you never know what will happen.
Third date: One of the things I love about Dawson is the depth she brings to her characters as she puts them through growing pains. Even though Evan knows what he wants, he fumbles the ball a few times and Penelope was as nervous as a new kitten. The story was low on angst despite Penelope’s fears and while I wanted her to be as strong in her personal life as she is in the boardroom I understood her fears. A weekend get together with all the Donovan’s and their friends had me flipping the pages towards our HEA and I ended this date grinning like a fool.
Copy provided by publisher, This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer
First date: Evan Donovan suffered an injury that ended his NFL career. This go lucky playboy is taking it hard and his family is concerned. Nothing seems to snap him out of his depression. Penelope Watkins still has feelings for the boy she kissed in the Donovan basement and decides to break her own code and give him a piece of her mind. The chemistry between Penelope and Evan is off the charts. How the two of them have kept their hands of each other is beyond me. Their denial is electrifying the city. Dawson immediately had me rooting for them. They belong together even if he will muck it up and she will deny it.
Second date: Penelope has no one to confide in, and there is no one to meddle or nudge this brewing romance….that is until one of my favorite characters spots the elephant in the room. I laughed watching Penelope squirm. Evan is determined to reconnect and Penelope who practical melts when he touches her insists they return to friends. *shakes head* When these two finally give in to their physical needs and Evan claims her, the screen on my kindle melted. It was all that I wanted and more. The Something New series has a small-town vibe to it, and I loved all the updates on past couples and family. When this clan gets together, you never know what will happen.
Third date: One of the things I love about Dawson is the depth she brings to her characters as she puts them through growing pains. Even though Evan knows what he wants, he fumbles the ball a few times and Penelope was as nervous as a new kitten. The story was low on angst despite Penelope’s fears and while I wanted her to be as strong in her personal life as she is in the boardroom I understood her fears. A weekend get together with all the Donovan’s and their friends had me flipping the pages towards our HEA and I ended this date grinning like a fool.
Copy provided by publisher, This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer
can-never-read
April 3, 2016What a disgusting pig for male MC... Don't even want to think about it...
Self note:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Self note:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
March 29, 2016
Excuse the abbreviated review. Just adopted a puppy (my boy EJ!) and as of right now, I have the attention span of a puppy, so I’m going to keep this as succinct as possible.
-Still loving Ms. Dawson’s writing and her ability to take standard romantic tropes and write the ish out of them.
-Evan and Penelope’s chemistry is crazy-hot. There’s a scene where they’re building up to kissing (not even kissing, mind you) and I needed a fan. When it finally gets to sex, it was top notch.
-Evan has his dumb bunny moments but I did love his sincerity. For the record Evan, telling your girl about sexploits in an attempt to show it’s always been about her is NOT a bright bulb move.
-Penelope is hesitant but after what Evan did to her, essentially emotionally gutting her then walking away 15 years ago, I get why. The trust had to build and Ms. Dawson did a fab job of doing that.
Incredibly chemistry and strong characters made this a standout in the series and another enjoyable romance from Ms. Dawson. I continue to be impressed with her writing and I’m looking forward to her next book.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
For more reviews, visit
-Still loving Ms. Dawson’s writing and her ability to take standard romantic tropes and write the ish out of them.
-Evan and Penelope’s chemistry is crazy-hot. There’s a scene where they’re building up to kissing (not even kissing, mind you) and I needed a fan. When it finally gets to sex, it was top notch.
-Evan has his dumb bunny moments but I did love his sincerity. For the record Evan, telling your girl about sexploits in an attempt to show it’s always been about her is NOT a bright bulb move.
-Penelope is hesitant but after what Evan did to her, essentially emotionally gutting her then walking away 15 years ago, I get why. The trust had to build and Ms. Dawson did a fab job of doing that.
Incredibly chemistry and strong characters made this a standout in the series and another enjoyable romance from Ms. Dawson. I continue to be impressed with her writing and I’m looking forward to her next book.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
For more reviews, visit
March 8, 2016
“As Good As New” is not my first book by Jennifer Dawson – but it was my first from the “Something New” series – and I can honestly state that it is indeed readable as a standalone novel.
After reading “Crave” last year it was no question for me that I was going to like this authors writing style (unless she would have changed something significantly) – So it was an easy decision to pick up this book as the plot seemed more than interesting.
And I was not disappointed.
I am honestly not sure if I really “liked” Evan very much in the beginning – he seem superficial at best.
But Penelope was an easy likeable character. I loved her from minute one.
And I wanted to “high five” her when she read Evan the riot act in his apartment to set him straight.
If a book features a second chance love – I would like it to be like this – strong characters that show their ability to grow and change without loosing themselves in the process.
Recommendable read
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November 27, 2018
This was a good book. Penelope and Evan have known each each other since they were little kids. Evan becomes a professional football player. However, his career ends because of an injury. He gets depressed. thankfully Penelope comes and helps him. Of course we have lots of drama but in the end they get it together.
April 11, 2016
I quite liked this one although there were moments of frustrations. Still the chemistry was hot, the pairing was fun and I absolutely loved the meddling family!
----------------------------------------
FULL REVIEW
As a big fan of this series and Jennifer Dawson's writing, I was excited to dive into As Good as New. While for the most part I enjoyed the story, there were a few elements that made this one my least favorite installment in the series.
What makes this series so great for me are the characters. It's definitely where Jennifer Dawson shines at. Penelope, the main character in this book, was one I liked initially. She was headstrong, smart and hardworking - what's not to like? But throughout the book, she really started to bother me with how she treated Evan. I understood why she was so hesitant about him, but even when he had proved over and over again that he was determined to make things work between them, she would push him away and then pull him back in. For me, the constant push and pull got old very fast. Evan, on the other hand, evoked the opposite reaction to me. I was very very wary of him in the beginning and I was sure that I wouldn't like him very much because of his manwhore ways, which I found to be excessive. However, he grew on me with his willingness to forego his old ways and show Penelope that they were right for each other. Having suffered an injury that ended his career, Evan was in a tough position, but I was happy to see him slowly mature throughout the book and find out what he wanted to do with his life.
While I was annoyed by Penelope's constant push and pull, I did enjoy the romance overall because the chemistry was there and it was smoking. I also thought there was nice balance between the emotional side of their relationship and the sexy times, which is always a must for me to enjoy a romance novel. I did roll my eyes though when the big understanding, that I've come to expect from romance novels, came because it was so predictable. My favorite part of As Good as New wasn't the romance, however - it was all the friendships and the sibling relationships. Penelope's girlfriends were all so great. I loved this gang from the start and in this title, I fell even harder for them. Their banter, the teasing and the support they provided each other made my heart so happy. Evan's relationship with his brother, Shane, wasn't the best since they were both really bullheaded, so it took a lot of fixing to repair it and I loved that journey.
In the end, As Good as New was a mixed bag for me. I liked parts and others frustrated me, but no way am I regretting this book because it was entertaining. It might not be my favorite book, but I highly recommend this series overall if you're in the mood for romances, friendships and bromances.
October 20, 2016
Hero: Evan Donovan
Heroine: Penelope Watkins
Trope/Theme: Second Chance Romance
Safety Level: Safe with exceptions. While the book itself doesn't have third party drama, the hero has been with many women throughout their long separation and the heroine knows about those women as well.
Cliffhanger: None
Ending: HEA
I have to say that I struggled with this book. The hero, Evan, was always mentioned but seldom present in the previous book because he was a professional athlete, with superstar-level fame. We all know how this goes. This famous, womanizing jock falls in love with the girl who's been a family friend since forever. But there are twists, of course.
The reason I struggled was that I really wanted to like Evan. I love all the Donovans, Maddie, Shane, and James. I wanted to love him too. But I guess the things he did when he was just a teen was hard to get over. I mean, what kind of guy would parade his real girlfriend in front of everybody while having a secret not-so-innocent relationship with his sister's best friend?
It would have been easy to forgive him if he and Pen had a secret thing and he stayed away from other girls when he and Pen's closeness started. But no, he went on maintaining an actual girlfriend. Worst, he broke up with her after they had sex for the first time. At first he wasn't planning on going all the way with Pen, but when his father died, he needed her because she made things better, or something like that. However, the next morning, he came to a different conclusion that he had to set her free because she deserved to spread her wings and he was going off to pursue other things. Yep. Somebody kill me now.
Pen wasn't any better in my opinion. The way she dealt with things with Evan was completely contradictory to how she was described in the book. Also, the last bit where Sophie was talking to her and said that they both had a crush on Evan back then, but it was Pen whom he chose. Yeah, newsflash, sister, this guy is not a prize.
To be fair, Evan worked hard for his redemption. He was faithful to Pen because she was the only woman he ever loved. I just wish he fought for her sooner, you know. I mean, how can you talk about love when you wait 12 years to fight for the one you want? Anyway, I liked this series, so one book that didn't work out too well for me isn't going to turn me off permanently. I hope the rest of the characters get their story. I am waiting for Sam, Sophie, and even good old Sheriff to have their books.
Heroine: Penelope Watkins
Trope/Theme: Second Chance Romance
Safety Level: Safe with exceptions. While the book itself doesn't have third party drama, the hero has been with many women throughout their long separation and the heroine knows about those women as well.
Cliffhanger: None
Ending: HEA
I have to say that I struggled with this book. The hero, Evan, was always mentioned but seldom present in the previous book because he was a professional athlete, with superstar-level fame. We all know how this goes. This famous, womanizing jock falls in love with the girl who's been a family friend since forever. But there are twists, of course.
The reason I struggled was that I really wanted to like Evan. I love all the Donovans, Maddie, Shane, and James. I wanted to love him too. But I guess the things he did when he was just a teen was hard to get over. I mean, what kind of guy would parade his real girlfriend in front of everybody while having a secret not-so-innocent relationship with his sister's best friend?
It would have been easy to forgive him if he and Pen had a secret thing and he stayed away from other girls when he and Pen's closeness started. But no, he went on maintaining an actual girlfriend. Worst, he broke up with her after they had sex for the first time. At first he wasn't planning on going all the way with Pen, but when his father died, he needed her because she made things better, or something like that. However, the next morning, he came to a different conclusion that he had to set her free because she deserved to spread her wings and he was going off to pursue other things. Yep. Somebody kill me now.
Pen wasn't any better in my opinion. The way she dealt with things with Evan was completely contradictory to how she was described in the book. Also, the last bit where Sophie was talking to her and said that they both had a crush on Evan back then, but it was Pen whom he chose. Yeah, newsflash, sister, this guy is not a prize.
To be fair, Evan worked hard for his redemption. He was faithful to Pen because she was the only woman he ever loved. I just wish he fought for her sooner, you know. I mean, how can you talk about love when you wait 12 years to fight for the one you want? Anyway, I liked this series, so one book that didn't work out too well for me isn't going to turn me off permanently. I hope the rest of the characters get their story. I am waiting for Sam, Sophie, and even good old Sheriff to have their books.
February 23, 2016
I absolutely loved this book by Dawson for for many reason but one being it was a second chance of love story and I truly love those books most of all.
In this story we meet Penelope and Evan. Penelope is the COO for Evans brother but mostly she is a honorary member of their family. She grew up with the Donovan siblings and had a major crush on Evan. Only by the time she reaches high school her and Evan were secretly seeing each other. They became close, talked about many things and she lost her virginity to him but after his father died he pulled away from her and they have been staying away from each other ever since.
Evan dreamed of being in the NFL but in order to do that he had to let Penelope go because he knew that wasn't the life for her. When his career suddenly ends he starts drinking and pushing his family away until Penelope shows up to knock some sense into him. Evan is now trying to get his life back on track and win back the only girl he has ever loved but it's not going to be an easy task.
Evan started out as a real jerk but slowly you could see how much he wanted to not only improve for himself but to be the man Penelope knows he could be. He is smart, determined, funny and definitely has some swoon worthy moments. Penelope was also smart, successful, independent but she didn't trust so easily when it came to Evan which is understandable.
I enjoyed the storyline from the beginning to the very end. Although this started off as a typical second chance romance Dawson made it special with Penelope second guessing herself and pushing Evan away even though she loved him.
One of my favorite parts is when level headed Penelope gets drunk. It was funny yet was so right for her to show some feelings that she kept hidden inside for way too long.
Of course in true Dawson fashion she wrote some really hot sex scenes that had me saying damn Penelope is one lucky girl! Lol And Evan yummy!! This couple just steamed up the pages!
I loved seeing the previous characters from other books and loved when they all interacted. It was like going on a family reunion. I didn't realize how much I missed these characters until I read this book.
Hopefully Dawson won't stop this series now and it will continue to grow.
In this story we meet Penelope and Evan. Penelope is the COO for Evans brother but mostly she is a honorary member of their family. She grew up with the Donovan siblings and had a major crush on Evan. Only by the time she reaches high school her and Evan were secretly seeing each other. They became close, talked about many things and she lost her virginity to him but after his father died he pulled away from her and they have been staying away from each other ever since.
Evan dreamed of being in the NFL but in order to do that he had to let Penelope go because he knew that wasn't the life for her. When his career suddenly ends he starts drinking and pushing his family away until Penelope shows up to knock some sense into him. Evan is now trying to get his life back on track and win back the only girl he has ever loved but it's not going to be an easy task.
Evan started out as a real jerk but slowly you could see how much he wanted to not only improve for himself but to be the man Penelope knows he could be. He is smart, determined, funny and definitely has some swoon worthy moments. Penelope was also smart, successful, independent but she didn't trust so easily when it came to Evan which is understandable.
I enjoyed the storyline from the beginning to the very end. Although this started off as a typical second chance romance Dawson made it special with Penelope second guessing herself and pushing Evan away even though she loved him.
One of my favorite parts is when level headed Penelope gets drunk. It was funny yet was so right for her to show some feelings that she kept hidden inside for way too long.
Of course in true Dawson fashion she wrote some really hot sex scenes that had me saying damn Penelope is one lucky girl! Lol And Evan yummy!! This couple just steamed up the pages!
I loved seeing the previous characters from other books and loved when they all interacted. It was like going on a family reunion. I didn't realize how much I missed these characters until I read this book.
Hopefully Dawson won't stop this series now and it will continue to grow.
March 16, 2016
I thought Jennifer Dawson really nailed the sexy rom-com with her The Name of the Game and then she went and outdid herself with this smoldering tale of two people who've lusted and loved and dreamed of each other for years. This book was steamy with a capital S - Penelope and Evan literally couldn't be in the same room without setting each other off.
I loved, loved, loved Penelope, even when she drove me crazy at the end with her insecurities. She's the kind of strong, modern heroine you always wish for when reading a romance. She loves Evan but isn't a ditzy mess around him. Their tortured history means she may love him but she doesn't excuse or ignore his manwhoring ways. The scene where Penelope informs Evan's groupie wedding date that he doesn't even know her name is pure awesome. Penelope stands up for herself even when her heart is breaking.
Evan was a manwhoring idiot but redeemed himself when he realized he had to fight to be worthy of Penelope. That Evan had to find his way back to his family was fantastic, too. Any scene with his brother James from The Name of the Game was a bonus.
I admit I was kind of meh about the first two books in the series but was bowled over by how much I enjoyed this one as well as James and Grace's story. Looking forward to more from Jennifer Dawson. How about Sam's story??
Note: I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I loved, loved, loved Penelope, even when she drove me crazy at the end with her insecurities. She's the kind of strong, modern heroine you always wish for when reading a romance. She loves Evan but isn't a ditzy mess around him. Their tortured history means she may love him but she doesn't excuse or ignore his manwhoring ways. The scene where Penelope informs Evan's groupie wedding date that he doesn't even know her name is pure awesome. Penelope stands up for herself even when her heart is breaking.
Evan was a manwhoring idiot but redeemed himself when he realized he had to fight to be worthy of Penelope. That Evan had to find his way back to his family was fantastic, too. Any scene with his brother James from The Name of the Game was a bonus.
I admit I was kind of meh about the first two books in the series but was bowled over by how much I enjoyed this one as well as James and Grace's story. Looking forward to more from Jennifer Dawson. How about Sam's story??
Note: I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 15, 2016
Penelope has been in love with Evan her whole life, she's best friends with his sister and spent a lot of time in their home while growing up. Evan was the hottest boy in high school, but Penny knew he'd never look at her. They were friends till it became more, then he broke her heart and left to play pro football. During the next 15 years they were in each other's company numerous times, Evan always had a beautiful woman on his arm. Then Evan has a career ending injury, he's loses himself in drinking and feeling sorry for himself. His family try to get him to pull himself together without success. Penny decides it's time to read him the riot act. It's the first time in all the years that she's been alone with him all those feelings she had buried come back to life and neither of them know how to handle those feelings.
This is a first read for me by this author, plus I've not read any of the previous books in this series, but that didn't affect my enjoyment of this as it was easy to pick up what had gone before. I started out by disliking Evan quite a bit while all my sympathy was with Penny. But by the end Evan had grown on me while Penny became a bit annoying with all her indecisiveness and dithering about. It was easy to assume at the start that now Evan's career in football was over and the supermodels he dated would disappear he was resorting to picking up things with Penny, after all he'd constantly seemed to try and keep her jealous by flaunting all the other women he had in front of her, so yes I wasn't keen on him. But he really proved himself for me. Overall this was well written all the characters were well drawn and the situations throughout were realistic it was easy to connect with the story.
ARC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
This is a first read for me by this author, plus I've not read any of the previous books in this series, but that didn't affect my enjoyment of this as it was easy to pick up what had gone before. I started out by disliking Evan quite a bit while all my sympathy was with Penny. But by the end Evan had grown on me while Penny became a bit annoying with all her indecisiveness and dithering about. It was easy to assume at the start that now Evan's career in football was over and the supermodels he dated would disappear he was resorting to picking up things with Penny, after all he'd constantly seemed to try and keep her jealous by flaunting all the other women he had in front of her, so yes I wasn't keen on him. But he really proved himself for me. Overall this was well written all the characters were well drawn and the situations throughout were realistic it was easy to connect with the story.
ARC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
March 5, 2016
Let me start by saying... I GOT EVAN'S BOOKS!!!!!
I knew, just knew, when I read the excerpt for this in Gracie and James's book, The Name of the Game, that Evan and Penelope would be fantastic. I was not wrong!!
Penelope has been in love with Evan since she was six. What she didn't know is that he fell in love with her as well. He broke this off with her rather cruelly and has paraded a long line of questionable women in front of her ever since. When a football injury kills his career, Pen is the one who shakes some sense into him and he realizes he has to make things right, not just with his career, but with her because he's tired of living without her.
Naturally, Penelope has some problems believing him. But, as Evan points out, if she was acting like they had nothing going on all those years, why couldn't it have been an act for him too. I get where she's coming from. She was 16 and he broke her heart and then acted like she didn't matter to him for 15 years. However, he did all the right things to prove his feelings and she still wasn't budging. And while I get where she was coming from, I think she took too long to trust him.
As always, Jennifer Dawson's writing was phenomenal! The scene at Shane and Cecilia's when Pen got drunk and lied about wanting to be with Logan was hilarious! My girls had to tell me to shush because I was cackling so loudly! Jennifer Dawson has a loyal fan in me :)
*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley and I am beyond stinking glad!!!*
I knew, just knew, when I read the excerpt for this in Gracie and James's book, The Name of the Game, that Evan and Penelope would be fantastic. I was not wrong!!
Penelope has been in love with Evan since she was six. What she didn't know is that he fell in love with her as well. He broke this off with her rather cruelly and has paraded a long line of questionable women in front of her ever since. When a football injury kills his career, Pen is the one who shakes some sense into him and he realizes he has to make things right, not just with his career, but with her because he's tired of living without her.
Naturally, Penelope has some problems believing him. But, as Evan points out, if she was acting like they had nothing going on all those years, why couldn't it have been an act for him too. I get where she's coming from. She was 16 and he broke her heart and then acted like she didn't matter to him for 15 years. However, he did all the right things to prove his feelings and she still wasn't budging. And while I get where she was coming from, I think she took too long to trust him.
As always, Jennifer Dawson's writing was phenomenal! The scene at Shane and Cecilia's when Pen got drunk and lied about wanting to be with Logan was hilarious! My girls had to tell me to shush because I was cackling so loudly! Jennifer Dawson has a loyal fan in me :)
*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley and I am beyond stinking glad!!!*
March 12, 2016
Review also found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...
**I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication date is March 29th, 2016**
I was a little concerned before starting this story. I have read other stories with the same theme, football player has a career ending injury and is conflicted over his next phase in life. In the other stories the man was whiny and annoying, this was not the case with this story. What a relief.
The focus on this story is really the relationship between Penelope and Evan. The reader is exposed to the shared past between the two and how that has molded their present day relationship. Let me tell you it is full of angst and sexual chemistry.
The chemistry literally drips off of the page. For those who do not enjoy reading about the scenes between the sheets this will not be the story for you. It is clear from the get go that the physical aspect of the relationship is not the issue between these two. It is the emotional aspect.
I have to admit that I wanted to slap Penelope towards the end. Her self preservation walls were perhaps too high and this impacted her likeability as it was clear what Evan's intentions were. Then again as the reader I got to see both sides to the story.
Overall this was a sexy read about two people with a history and the struggle with overcoming the past. A pleasant read for me.
**I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication date is March 29th, 2016**
I was a little concerned before starting this story. I have read other stories with the same theme, football player has a career ending injury and is conflicted over his next phase in life. In the other stories the man was whiny and annoying, this was not the case with this story. What a relief.
The focus on this story is really the relationship between Penelope and Evan. The reader is exposed to the shared past between the two and how that has molded their present day relationship. Let me tell you it is full of angst and sexual chemistry.
The chemistry literally drips off of the page. For those who do not enjoy reading about the scenes between the sheets this will not be the story for you. It is clear from the get go that the physical aspect of the relationship is not the issue between these two. It is the emotional aspect.
I have to admit that I wanted to slap Penelope towards the end. Her self preservation walls were perhaps too high and this impacted her likeability as it was clear what Evan's intentions were. Then again as the reader I got to see both sides to the story.
Overall this was a sexy read about two people with a history and the struggle with overcoming the past. A pleasant read for me.
February 24, 2016
I'm in love with Jennifer Dawson's books they hit me hard and leave me weak every damn time. This book is the latest in her Something New series left me breathless and a little more than swoony.
Penelope and Evan were such a pair and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them better and learning about the past they shared. As usual, the dose of romance was more than enough for my love-craving heart, and the emotions swelled for these two characters by the end.
I adore the chemistry between the characters in this series and the camaraderie between the friends in the books; there's something so heartwarming about the gang, and I'm very sad to see that there aren't any books plannedso far in this series.
Thank you Kensington Books and Netgalley for the review copy.
Full review to come closer to release date.
Penelope and Evan were such a pair and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them better and learning about the past they shared. As usual, the dose of romance was more than enough for my love-craving heart, and the emotions swelled for these two characters by the end.
I adore the chemistry between the characters in this series and the camaraderie between the friends in the books; there's something so heartwarming about the gang, and I'm very sad to see that there aren't any books planned
Thank you Kensington Books and Netgalley for the review copy.
Full review to come closer to release date.
July 24, 2016
I clearly have no self-control when it comes to these books as I ignored the two other books I started just to begin this one, but man, I did I enjoy reading about Sophie and Evan! I think Gracie and James are still my favorite (and I'm still waiting for a Sam book /cries), so I definitely loved their roles as family and confidantes to Sophie and Evan in this book. The couple's relationship, I think, is much more complex in this one than Jennifer Dawson's previous books, and it was great seeing how the story and romance developed. However, my favorite thing about this series will forever be the family/group dynamics.
February 19, 2024
DNF 60%
Just meh…like a thousand other books. The H fucks up, years of fucking OW, then doesn’t have to work to get h back. I’m just tired of these bitches, all wet panties and no self respect.
Just meh…like a thousand other books. The H fucks up, years of fucking OW, then doesn’t have to work to get h back. I’m just tired of these bitches, all wet panties and no self respect.
December 31, 2018
I actually enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I hated Evan in the beginning, but he actually redeemed himself for me, and there was no doubt how he felt about the heroine. Penelope was pretty feisty and I liked her and Evan together.
July 27, 2022
I enjoyed this fourth novel in Dawson’s series. It had a different spin than the others. Again, lots of sex.
March 30, 2016
*I received an eARC of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Actual Rating 4.5 Stars
I first encountered Jennifer Dawson in The Name of the Game a romantic comedy that definitely took my breath away - James and Gracie were not only awesome, but they definitely took my breath away - and the little sneak peak at the end of the book was enough to get me excited for this one!
Evan is a class-A jerk, like really. There is no two words about it - especially at the start of the book. He is a man used to being at the center of attention, so when a serious injury puts him out of commission, it just destroys him. He goes into hibernation and absolutely looses it - for he believes that he is nothing without football in his life.
But it is Penelope who gets him to face reality - a woman who has been in his life since childhood, but a woman he has ignored (and who has ignored him right back) almost all of his adult life. And that is the last thing he ever wanted.
Penelope is a clear headed, logical woman who has kept her distance from Evan all these years, but the fact that he and his family are hurting, made her do the thing she had promised herself never to do, be in the same room as Evan, alone.
This is a second chance romance, so I had gone in with an expectation of quite a doozy of mistakes and a lot of angst - and boy was I provided with it!
Evan, at first glance comes off as a jerk with absolutely no redeeming qualities, really - so it became a little hard to like him, but that doesn't mean that I didn't sympathize with him (can you imagine my problem, there!). But it didn't take long for Evan to actually understand and learn from his mistakes, and that made him endearing to me. I loved how, when he made the decision to go after Penelope,
Penelope is a logical, calm and definitely together woman, who has been in love with Evan for a really long time, since childhood. But his crass and thoughtless attitude towards her, pretty much cured her of any temptation of being with him.
Can I just say, how much pain I was in, when I realized how beautiful their love was and how easily they let go of it?? Yes, they were young, yes they were scared, but damn if the people around them didn't give them too much credit! There were times I literally wanted to kill Shane (he was the douchiest of them all!) but James, my lovely James, definitely bought them both back on track - there is a reason why he is still my favorite, you know? :P
There is a lot of drama in the book, and not all of it, between Evan and Penelope, which is exactly where the focus should have been, but it isn't that much of irritant - I loved going back t the characters in this series and honestly, so will you - they are as amazing as they were the first time and I am really sad that they won't have any more books, but I will definitely visit them again, for they are worth re-reads! <3
For more reviews visit For The Love of Fictional Worlds :)
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Actual Rating 4.5 Stars
I first encountered Jennifer Dawson in The Name of the Game a romantic comedy that definitely took my breath away - James and Gracie were not only awesome, but they definitely took my breath away - and the little sneak peak at the end of the book was enough to get me excited for this one!
Evan is a class-A jerk, like really. There is no two words about it - especially at the start of the book. He is a man used to being at the center of attention, so when a serious injury puts him out of commission, it just destroys him. He goes into hibernation and absolutely looses it - for he believes that he is nothing without football in his life.
But it is Penelope who gets him to face reality - a woman who has been in his life since childhood, but a woman he has ignored (and who has ignored him right back) almost all of his adult life. And that is the last thing he ever wanted.
Penelope is a clear headed, logical woman who has kept her distance from Evan all these years, but the fact that he and his family are hurting, made her do the thing she had promised herself never to do, be in the same room as Evan, alone.
This is a second chance romance, so I had gone in with an expectation of quite a doozy of mistakes and a lot of angst - and boy was I provided with it!
Evan, at first glance comes off as a jerk with absolutely no redeeming qualities, really - so it became a little hard to like him, but that doesn't mean that I didn't sympathize with him (can you imagine my problem, there!). But it didn't take long for Evan to actually understand and learn from his mistakes, and that made him endearing to me. I loved how, when he made the decision to go after Penelope,
Penelope is a logical, calm and definitely together woman, who has been in love with Evan for a really long time, since childhood. But his crass and thoughtless attitude towards her, pretty much cured her of any temptation of being with him.
Can I just say, how much pain I was in, when I realized how beautiful their love was and how easily they let go of it?? Yes, they were young, yes they were scared, but damn if the people around them didn't give them too much credit! There were times I literally wanted to kill Shane (he was the douchiest of them all!) but James, my lovely James, definitely bought them both back on track - there is a reason why he is still my favorite, you know? :P
There is a lot of drama in the book, and not all of it, between Evan and Penelope, which is exactly where the focus should have been, but it isn't that much of irritant - I loved going back t the characters in this series and honestly, so will you - they are as amazing as they were the first time and I am really sad that they won't have any more books, but I will definitely visit them again, for they are worth re-reads! <3
For more reviews visit For The Love of Fictional Worlds :)
Do come join us at For The Fictional Worlds Facebook Page
March 9, 2016
Penelope has been in love with Evan her whole life, she's best friends with his sister and spent a lot of time in their home while growing up. Evan was the hottest boy in high school, but Penny knew he'd never look at her. They were friends till it became more, then he broke her heart and left to play pro football. During the next 15 years they were in each other's company numerous times, Evan always had a beautiful woman on his arm. Then Evan has a career ending injury, he's loses himself in drinking and feeling sorry for himself. His family try to get him to pull himself together without success. Penny decides it's time to read him the riot act. It's the first time in all the years that she's been alone with him all those feelings she had buried come back to life and neither of them know how to handle those feelings.
This is a first read for me by this author, plus I've not read any of the previous books in this series, but that didn't affect my enjoyment of this as it was easy to pick up what had gone before. I started out by disliking Evan quite a bit while all my sympathy was with Penny. But by the end Evan had grown on me while Penny became a bit annoying with all her indecisiveness and dithering about. It was easy to assume at the start that now Evan's career in football was over and the supermodels he dated would disappear he was resorting to picking up things with Penny, after all he'd constantly seemed to try and keep her jealous by flaunting all the other women he had in front of her, so yes I wasn't keen on him. But he really proved himself for me. Overall this was well written all the characters were well drawn and the situations throughout were realistic it was easy to connect with the story.
ARC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
This is a first read for me by this author, plus I've not read any of the previous books in this series, but that didn't affect my enjoyment of this as it was easy to pick up what had gone before. I started out by disliking Evan quite a bit while all my sympathy was with Penny. But by the end Evan had grown on me while Penny became a bit annoying with all her indecisiveness and dithering about. It was easy to assume at the start that now Evan's career in football was over and the supermodels he dated would disappear he was resorting to picking up things with Penny, after all he'd constantly seemed to try and keep her jealous by flaunting all the other women he had in front of her, so yes I wasn't keen on him. But he really proved himself for me. Overall this was well written all the characters were well drawn and the situations throughout were realistic it was easy to connect with the story.
ARC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
March 10, 2016
First read for me by this author. I liked her writing style. I haven't read the previous three books in the series but the characters from those appear in this book and they're all great characters and have made me want to read their stories as well.
I liked Penelope and Evan. Evan had hurt Penelope when they were teenagers but years later they had learnt to ignore each other more or less when they saw each other around their group of friends/family. When Evan's football career is over, he's finding it hard to come to terms with and none of his family members can get through to him so Penelope pays him a visit and tells him to sort himself out. However, just been in each others company again has the sexual tension flowing and old wounds are re-opened but it's obvious Evan wants to make amends.
Evan realises he hurt Penelope in the past but he has never stopped thinking about her and now he wants a chance to date her for real and have a relationship with her. They have great chemistry together and it's obvious they are both in love with each other but there are a few obstacles along the way because their past relationship has always been kept secret from Evan's family yet Penny is close to all Evan's siblings. Penelope was a strong character from the start but towards the end, she became a bit annoying and I felt this part was dragged out a bit to pad out the story a bit more. It didn't really fit in with the Penny we read about for the majority of the book but I could see where her inscurities came from.
An enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more from this author.
ARC provided by Netgalley.
I liked Penelope and Evan. Evan had hurt Penelope when they were teenagers but years later they had learnt to ignore each other more or less when they saw each other around their group of friends/family. When Evan's football career is over, he's finding it hard to come to terms with and none of his family members can get through to him so Penelope pays him a visit and tells him to sort himself out. However, just been in each others company again has the sexual tension flowing and old wounds are re-opened but it's obvious Evan wants to make amends.
Evan realises he hurt Penelope in the past but he has never stopped thinking about her and now he wants a chance to date her for real and have a relationship with her. They have great chemistry together and it's obvious they are both in love with each other but there are a few obstacles along the way because their past relationship has always been kept secret from Evan's family yet Penny is close to all Evan's siblings. Penelope was a strong character from the start but towards the end, she became a bit annoying and I felt this part was dragged out a bit to pad out the story a bit more. It didn't really fit in with the Penny we read about for the majority of the book but I could see where her inscurities came from.
An enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more from this author.
ARC provided by Netgalley.
April 4, 2016
Let me start by saying... I GOT EVAN'S BOOKS!!!!!
I knew, just knew, when I read the excerpt for this in Gracie and James's book, The Name of the Game, that Evan and Penelope would be fantastic. I was not wrong!!
Penelope has been in love with Evan since she was six. What she didn't know is that he fell in love with her as well. He broke this off with her rather cruelly and has paraded a long line of questionable women in front of her ever since. When a football injury kills his career, Pen is the one who shakes some sense into him and he realizes he has to make things right, not just with his career, but with her because he's tired of living without her.
Naturally, Penelope has some problems believing him. But, as Evan points out, if she was acting like they had nothing going on all those years, why couldn't it have been an act for him too. I get where she's coming from. She was 16 and he broke her heart and then acted like she didn't matter to him for 15 years. However, he did all the right things to prove his feelings and she still wasn't budging. And while I get where she was coming from, I think she took too long to trust him.
As always, Jennifer Dawson's writing was phenomenal! The scene at Shane and Cecilia's when Pen got drunk and lied about wanting to be with Logan was hilarious! My girls had to tell me to shush because I was cackling so loudly! Jennifer Dawson has a loyal fan in me :)
*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley and I am beyond stinking glad!!!*
I knew, just knew, when I read the excerpt for this in Gracie and James's book, The Name of the Game, that Evan and Penelope would be fantastic. I was not wrong!!
Penelope has been in love with Evan since she was six. What she didn't know is that he fell in love with her as well. He broke this off with her rather cruelly and has paraded a long line of questionable women in front of her ever since. When a football injury kills his career, Pen is the one who shakes some sense into him and he realizes he has to make things right, not just with his career, but with her because he's tired of living without her.
Naturally, Penelope has some problems believing him. But, as Evan points out, if she was acting like they had nothing going on all those years, why couldn't it have been an act for him too. I get where she's coming from. She was 16 and he broke her heart and then acted like she didn't matter to him for 15 years. However, he did all the right things to prove his feelings and she still wasn't budging. And while I get where she was coming from, I think she took too long to trust him.
As always, Jennifer Dawson's writing was phenomenal! The scene at Shane and Cecilia's when Pen got drunk and lied about wanting to be with Logan was hilarious! My girls had to tell me to shush because I was cackling so loudly! Jennifer Dawson has a loyal fan in me :)
*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley and I am beyond stinking glad!!!*
March 29, 2016
This was a great read, fun, lovely, sweet and more.
We start with Penelope and Evan. They’ve known each other for years, and even had a short ‘thing’ back in HS... which no one knew about.
Now, for years they have been avoiding each other, but because of a recent development in Evan’s life, Penelope had to step up, and that’s when things got weird, lol.
Suffice to say that the tension between these two was off the charts, I didn’t know how they kept their clothes on half the time. However, there was also a different kind of tension between them, one that was born the night they split.
The story continued like this, going from one tense moment to the other. I wanted to slap the hell out of Evan half the time, and the other time, I wanted to hug him. This guy had serious issues with self-worth, which his family did not help. I also wanted kind of slap them too.
I also loved Penelope, she was a great character. Awesome friend, daughter and coworker, a great catch, who also struggled with self-worth at times. Yet, she still found the time to help the guy who hurt her.
The story is full of sexual tension, banter, funny and sweet moments. I loved these two and, after I started liking Evan, I was really rooting for them.
Totally recommendable story and looking forward for more of this series and author.
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange of my honest opinion*
We start with Penelope and Evan. They’ve known each other for years, and even had a short ‘thing’ back in HS... which no one knew about.
Now, for years they have been avoiding each other, but because of a recent development in Evan’s life, Penelope had to step up, and that’s when things got weird, lol.
Suffice to say that the tension between these two was off the charts, I didn’t know how they kept their clothes on half the time. However, there was also a different kind of tension between them, one that was born the night they split.
The story continued like this, going from one tense moment to the other. I wanted to slap the hell out of Evan half the time, and the other time, I wanted to hug him. This guy had serious issues with self-worth, which his family did not help. I also wanted kind of slap them too.
I also loved Penelope, she was a great character. Awesome friend, daughter and coworker, a great catch, who also struggled with self-worth at times. Yet, she still found the time to help the guy who hurt her.
The story is full of sexual tension, banter, funny and sweet moments. I loved these two and, after I started liking Evan, I was really rooting for them.
Totally recommendable story and looking forward for more of this series and author.
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange of my honest opinion*
March 23, 2016
Another great read in Jennifer Dawson's Something New series. So glad we finally have Evan and Penelope's story. While you can easily read this one standalone, if you've read the other books in the series you know these two can't seem to stand being in the same room with each other. You just knew that there had to be a lot more to their story to inspire that kind of passion and what a wonderful story it is. Childhood friends, teenage confidants and loves but that all changed when Evan's father unexpectedly dies and grief and emotion overtakes him. He turns to his love of football to get him through. While he's been very successful his career has come to a sudden and unexpected end with an injury. Now he feels lost again and the only one who can save him seems to be Penelope.
Definitely a book I recommend to everyone!
Definitely a book I recommend to everyone!
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