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Trouble In Loveland
Charlee Jensen's idyllic childhood fell apart when her teenage crush, Ryan Carter, married the wrong woman and her parents divorced, whisking her away from her beloved Loveland, Colorado. Years later, with an MBA in hand and limited job prospects, Charlee finds herself back in her hometown, working for her estranged father and in a complicated romance with the firm’s partner—a newly single Ryan. Charlee soon discovers that dating a man with a child and a jealous ex-wife can cause quite a bit of trouble. Award winning Trouble in Loveland is a witty, heartfelt romance that goes beyond Prince Charming, in a true-to-life love story about learning to forgive and how to love better.
294 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2015
769 people are currently reading
2255 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Peel
64 books1,400 followersJennifer Peel is the mother of three amazing kiddos. Wife to her one and only for the past twenty-two years. Lover of late night talks, beach vacations, the mountains, pink bubble gum ice cream, tours of model homes, and southern living. She can frequently be found with her laptop on, fingers typing away, indulging in chocolate milk, and writing out the stories that are constantly swirling through her head.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 292 reviews
December 30, 2016
A weak 3 stars for this squeaky clean contemporary romance, which I picked up as a freebie last year, read and immediately forgot all about it, until Tandie and I were chatting about it this afternoon in the comments to her review. I had recommended another Jennifer Peel book to her (Rachel Laine, which BTW I think is much better than this one), but she read this one instead. I thought I hadn't read this book, but I happened to click on the Amazon link and surprise! I'd already picked it up as a freebie last year. Not only that, but I'd clearly read it, since the copy on my Kindle was at 100%. I was all, whaaattt? since I didn't remember it at all, so I spent an hour or so tonight rereading it. Bad call. It reminded me how very mediocre this book was, and just why I'd completely forgotten it.
Our heroine Charlee (Yeah. Her dad wanted a son) has had a crush on Ryan since she was a teenager, but the problem is, he's 8 years older. So he (wisely) ignored her, and (not so wisely) married a hot redhead who wasn't really into him. Meanwhile Charlee had moved out of state with her mom when her parents divorced, and had a rough several years while her mom had a downward spiral. Now Charlee's around 25, moving back home to Colorado with her father to join his accounting firm--where Ryan, who is now a single dad of a super cute little boy, also works.
Ryan still kind of views Charlee as too young for him, even though his eyes are telling him otherwise, and he's also trying to keep peace with his high-maintenance ex-wife, who doesn't approve of Charlee. But they become jogging buddies, and she babysits his kids, and they do a little light flirting. Which eventually starts turning into something more, even though Ryan blows hot and cold with Charlee like you wouldn't believe. He treats her poorly, she tells him to get lost, he begs for another chance, she agrees. Lather, rinse, repeat.
My biggest problem with this book is that is felt like I was reading some girl's diary rather than an actual book. Lots of pedestrian details, he did this, she said that, on and on. It could have used some serious tightening up and a round of editing by someone who really knows spelling (there were a few eyebrow-raising misspellings where the wrong homonym was used). Also, Jennifer Peel tends to go a bit too often to the well of virtuous woman who the guy mistreats and then has to plead for her to give him another chance. I know her romances are wish fulfillment reading and all, but still.
I recommend this one only for non-critical clean romance readers.
Our heroine Charlee (Yeah. Her dad wanted a son) has had a crush on Ryan since she was a teenager, but the problem is, he's 8 years older. So he (wisely) ignored her, and (not so wisely) married a hot redhead who wasn't really into him. Meanwhile Charlee had moved out of state with her mom when her parents divorced, and had a rough several years while her mom had a downward spiral. Now Charlee's around 25, moving back home to Colorado with her father to join his accounting firm--where Ryan, who is now a single dad of a super cute little boy, also works.
Ryan still kind of views Charlee as too young for him, even though his eyes are telling him otherwise, and he's also trying to keep peace with his high-maintenance ex-wife, who doesn't approve of Charlee. But they become jogging buddies, and she babysits his kids, and they do a little light flirting. Which eventually starts turning into something more, even though Ryan blows hot and cold with Charlee like you wouldn't believe. He treats her poorly, she tells him to get lost, he begs for another chance, she agrees. Lather, rinse, repeat.
My biggest problem with this book is that is felt like I was reading some girl's diary rather than an actual book. Lots of pedestrian details, he did this, she said that, on and on. It could have used some serious tightening up and a round of editing by someone who really knows spelling (there were a few eyebrow-raising misspellings where the wrong homonym was used). Also, Jennifer Peel tends to go a bit too often to the well of virtuous woman who the guy mistreats and then has to plead for her to give him another chance. I know her romances are wish fulfillment reading and all, but still.
I recommend this one only for non-critical clean romance readers.
July 10, 2022
A decent and fairly realistic romance which translates into mildly depressing.
The h had a crush on the older H forever and was even a stand-in attendant or something at his wedding. Separated for years since her mother left the father over a ONS and took the h with her. Mom proceeds to swirl down the rabbit hole and the h has to pick up the pieces. It's all middle class values with a middle class tepid romance to boot. Not a tattoo in sight and the H is an accountant. Doesn't get sexier than that!
The heroine has moved home to work for her dad as a CPA. H is now divorced and has a cute plot moppet that adores the h. He also has an ex-wife who does not adore the h...at all.
Reading for the romance will leave you cold, but reading it as a cautionary tale in what to watch for when your boyfriend puts you second is the real deal.
I found the heroine's relationship with her needy but blame game and slightly narcissistic mother very believable as well as her relationship with the H who backs his ex every time in the power games over their child.
The h had a crush on the older H forever and was even a stand-in attendant or something at his wedding. Separated for years since her mother left the father over a ONS and took the h with her. Mom proceeds to swirl down the rabbit hole and the h has to pick up the pieces. It's all middle class values with a middle class tepid romance to boot. Not a tattoo in sight and the H is an accountant. Doesn't get sexier than that!
The heroine has moved home to work for her dad as a CPA. H is now divorced and has a cute plot moppet that adores the h. He also has an ex-wife who does not adore the h...at all.
Reading for the romance will leave you cold, but reading it as a cautionary tale in what to watch for when your boyfriend puts you second is the real deal.
I found the heroine's relationship with her needy but blame game and slightly narcissistic mother very believable as well as her relationship with the H who backs his ex every time in the power games over their child.
February 7, 2017
Gawd save us all from clueless men and the women who keep taking them back.
November 14, 2017
I read this back in 2015. Since the sequel More Trouble in Loveland is being released I thought I would do a quick skim through so this story was fresh in my mind before starting the sequel. Nope couldn't do it. I ended up rereading the entire thing. I love Jennifer Peel. Her books hook me and despite having read this before I still stayed up past midnight two nights in a row reading this. Pretty amazing since I guard my sleep and I'm usually sound asleep by 10:30. This book is worth sacrificing sleep for!
Content: a couple mild swear words
Content: a couple mild swear words
May 1, 2020
This may be my favorite Jennifer Peel book to date, I still have a couple more to read. I really enjoyed the plot for this one. Charlee always had a crush on her gorgeous neighbor next door, he only saw her as a little kid. Breaking her heart when he marries another women, she grows up and moves on with life. Charlee finds herself having to move back to her hometown and back to her fathers house. Things have changed in the eight years she’s been gone, except that her hottie neighbor Ryan still lives next door. Only now he is divorced.
I really enjoyed Charlee, I thought she was a fun heroine. She had been through a lot and deserved to find happiness. I had mixed feelings with Ryan. I did like him, but he worried way too much about his ex. She’s your ex, she doesn’t get a say in your life anymore. He does finally take a stand and make better choices. I did enjoy their time together and the tension. It was fun to watch things unfold.
Overall, I thought this was a fun contemporary romance and one I would easily recommend.
Content
Romance: Clean, just kissing
Language: Mild
Violence: None
Religious: None
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I really enjoyed Charlee, I thought she was a fun heroine. She had been through a lot and deserved to find happiness. I had mixed feelings with Ryan. I did like him, but he worried way too much about his ex. She’s your ex, she doesn’t get a say in your life anymore. He does finally take a stand and make better choices. I did enjoy their time together and the tension. It was fun to watch things unfold.
Overall, I thought this was a fun contemporary romance and one I would easily recommend.
Content
Romance: Clean, just kissing
Language: Mild
Violence: None
Religious: None
Similar Books You May Enjoy...
September 15, 2015
This is my second by the author and the second in the genre most people call "clean". I enjoyed it a bit more than the first. Part of that may be that I'm more familiar with what to expect from the author and the genre. But mostly I think it's just a better book (though not without some flaws).
This book lives and dies on the strength of the characters. If you don't like Charlee by the second page, you're probably best off moving on. I was charmed almost immediately, but others may find her a bit lightweight for a romance heroine. What I mean is that her tastes are simple and she knows her mind and she doesn't do a lot of back and forth about her choices. There's also a fundamental kindness and consideration that is bolstered by a core of strength and determination. I found that immensely appealing as she doesn't hesitate to tell Ryan when he screws up or treats her badly.
Unfortunately, she spends a good deal of the novel telling him he's treating her badly. If there's a weakness in the novel it's that Ryan is really the only one who has to change during its course. And he has a long way to go in learning to cherish a relationship of equals. Interestingly, this damage is actually the opposite of what you'd expect on hearing that—his past is full of women who frankly treat him poorly and you can see how deeply Charlee puzzles him with her frank enjoyment of his company and acceptance of who he is (even when he's being a jerk). Though if I heard him talk about their age difference one more time I was going to reach into the novel and give him the clue-wedgie he desperately needed.
Fortunately, Ryan does the growing he needs to do to make the relationship work. Charlee is about nine times more patient and cuts him more slack than he deserves. Also fortunately, and what saves this from being a handbook of what not to do in a relationship, Charlee also stands up for herself very well. It's clear that she has a healthy sense of self and doesn't stand for anyone pushing her around, even if she is in love with him. I sure enjoyed seeing that from her. It could have been nine kinds of bad if she had been even a little bit less assertive.
This book had a lot fewer explicitly Christian themes than the last one. Charlee's relationship with Ryan's son smacked a bit of over-idealization that may or may not be a Christian emphasis. I kind of skimmed over that bit, to be honest as it was the least interesting part of their relationship (I mean, of course she will get along with his son because if she couldn't there wouldn't be a relationship as that's a non-starter, no question). Their no-sex rule was a little out of the blue and only lightly supported, but since this is clearly a "clean"-tagged romance, I suppose that's not really germane.
So in all, a step up and a good indication I'll probably enjoy others in this genre or by this author. I'm certainly willing to give it a shot...
This book lives and dies on the strength of the characters. If you don't like Charlee by the second page, you're probably best off moving on. I was charmed almost immediately, but others may find her a bit lightweight for a romance heroine. What I mean is that her tastes are simple and she knows her mind and she doesn't do a lot of back and forth about her choices. There's also a fundamental kindness and consideration that is bolstered by a core of strength and determination. I found that immensely appealing as she doesn't hesitate to tell Ryan when he screws up or treats her badly.
Unfortunately, she spends a good deal of the novel telling him he's treating her badly. If there's a weakness in the novel it's that Ryan is really the only one who has to change during its course. And he has a long way to go in learning to cherish a relationship of equals. Interestingly, this damage is actually the opposite of what you'd expect on hearing that—his past is full of women who frankly treat him poorly and you can see how deeply Charlee puzzles him with her frank enjoyment of his company and acceptance of who he is (even when he's being a jerk). Though if I heard him talk about their age difference one more time I was going to reach into the novel and give him the clue-wedgie he desperately needed.
Fortunately, Ryan does the growing he needs to do to make the relationship work. Charlee is about nine times more patient and cuts him more slack than he deserves. Also fortunately, and what saves this from being a handbook of what not to do in a relationship, Charlee also stands up for herself very well. It's clear that she has a healthy sense of self and doesn't stand for anyone pushing her around, even if she is in love with him. I sure enjoyed seeing that from her. It could have been nine kinds of bad if she had been even a little bit less assertive.
This book had a lot fewer explicitly Christian themes than the last one. Charlee's relationship with Ryan's son smacked a bit of over-idealization that may or may not be a Christian emphasis. I kind of skimmed over that bit, to be honest as it was the least interesting part of their relationship (I mean, of course she will get along with his son because if she couldn't there wouldn't be a relationship as that's a non-starter, no question). Their no-sex rule was a little out of the blue and only lightly supported, but since this is clearly a "clean"-tagged romance, I suppose that's not really germane.
So in all, a step up and a good indication I'll probably enjoy others in this genre or by this author. I'm certainly willing to give it a shot...
November 19, 2017
Loved it! I have had my eye on this one for a while and when I received the second book as a review book I knew I needed to read this one first. So I dove right in and had a fun ride with these characters. I laughed and yes I'll admit I cried a little too! Who wouldn't (or maybe just I would because I'll admit it, I'm a crier-a bawler sometimes too)!
Definitely one I want to come back and reread again right away. But probably won't happen for a little bit. I'm just about to start More Trouble in Loveland and I can't wait to get back to these characters. I love Jennifer Peel's books and writing style. She always takes a little bit harder aspects of life and writes about them so well. From the emotions and struggles to the happy and sweet resolutions. I've loved every book of hers that I've read!
Content: Clean. It's been a week since I've read it but I believe there were a few mild innuendos scattered throughout.
My own personal copy.
Happy Reading!!!
Definitely one I want to come back and reread again right away. But probably won't happen for a little bit. I'm just about to start More Trouble in Loveland and I can't wait to get back to these characters. I love Jennifer Peel's books and writing style. She always takes a little bit harder aspects of life and writes about them so well. From the emotions and struggles to the happy and sweet resolutions. I've loved every book of hers that I've read!
Content: Clean. It's been a week since I've read it but I believe there were a few mild innuendos scattered throughout.
My own personal copy.
Happy Reading!!!
June 10, 2018
-First person POV where the heroine just comes off as rather whiny with a victim complex.
-So much positive affirmation for the heroine throughout the book. We are constantly told how hot she is. All sorts of guys always want her. All the written prompts in the book that point to the heroine's specialness to everyone around her jut got old.
-Romance is so unconvincing. My entire reaction to the couple together is "well, I guess...."
- Hero is both an asshole and a milquetoast. This is NOT the guy that is the hero in romance novels, he is the guy that the girl leaves to be with the hero.
- Her all consuming love for him and constant forgiveness of his constant disrespect is annoying as fuck.
- A clean romance, but only because the couple are written as if they aren't even sexually attracted to each other. The heroine was a virgin and the hero was written as if he had the sex drive of a paperclip.
Nothing was appealing about this couple or this story.
-So much positive affirmation for the heroine throughout the book. We are constantly told how hot she is. All sorts of guys always want her. All the written prompts in the book that point to the heroine's specialness to everyone around her jut got old.
-Romance is so unconvincing. My entire reaction to the couple together is "well, I guess...."
- Hero is both an asshole and a milquetoast. This is NOT the guy that is the hero in romance novels, he is the guy that the girl leaves to be with the hero.
- Her all consuming love for him and constant forgiveness of his constant disrespect is annoying as fuck.
- A clean romance, but only because the couple are written as if they aren't even sexually attracted to each other. The heroine was a virgin and the hero was written as if he had the sex drive of a paperclip.
Nothing was appealing about this couple or this story.
May 26, 2019
I read a lot of romance book where there is a child or children involved. Ex husband and ex wife who is very tame when the hero/ heroone falls in love with another person. It did cross my mind in real life... its not that easy.
Divorce, children, new love is always a tricky political situation in the family. How to behave, which or whom to choose side on, how to hide ur emotion is always headache.
This book is about that political situation. Its not steamy romance but more realistic of the family situation. Ryan is not that alpha male guy but more realistic working man and single father. There are times i want to strangle him. But at the same time, i feel for him.
Charlie is independent, tough and full of live woman. She is pinning for Ryan almost her whole life. I love this book. I love how authentic it is reflecting to real life about divorce, children, love and embracing it as it is.
It is a beutiful story.
5 stars
Divorce, children, new love is always a tricky political situation in the family. How to behave, which or whom to choose side on, how to hide ur emotion is always headache.
This book is about that political situation. Its not steamy romance but more realistic of the family situation. Ryan is not that alpha male guy but more realistic working man and single father. There are times i want to strangle him. But at the same time, i feel for him.
Charlie is independent, tough and full of live woman. She is pinning for Ryan almost her whole life. I love this book. I love how authentic it is reflecting to real life about divorce, children, love and embracing it as it is.
It is a beutiful story.
5 stars
May 10, 2017
May 2017:
Holy Hannah! Second time reading this book and I have to say... the feels are still SO real! I found myself wanting to throw my kindle AGAIN! And yes... I still wanted to Gibbs slap Ryan! Haha. But oh how I LOVED this book! *dreamy sigh*
May 2015:
I have mixed emotions about this book. I loved it and could not put it down! I read it in less than a day for crying out loud! But then I hated it and wanted to throw my kindle across the room! At one point I'm sure I would've thrown it so hard that my neighbor would've come home to a broken kindle in their house! Lol.
Charlee has had the biggest crush on Ryan ever since she was a teenager and was absolutely devastated when he married Ms. Hoity Toity. On the day of their wedding her life was flipped upside down not only because he was now married but because that was the day that her parents marriage ended as well. Her parents divorced and she is whisked off to Kansas where she spends the next 8 years of her life.
Charlee returns home to Loveland, CO where she will live with her estranged father and work for his CPA firm. She learns that her long time crush, Ryan, is now divorced with the most adorable 3 year old son, Josh, and lives right next door to her father. And not only does he live next door but he is a partner at her father's firm. And let's just say life gets very interesting once she returns home.
Charlee has a lot of spunk and is not afraid to tell it like it is... which I loved!! Any heroine with backbone is an instant favorite of mine! She is definitely strong, knows what she wants and is not afraid to go after it. But she is also vulnerable at times. I mean seriously... how many times can a girl get rejected before it really starts to take its toll?! But she stuck to her guns and did what was best for her... even when it broke her heart into a million pieces. And I just have to say that I loved seeing her rebuild her relationship with her father. It was seriously one of the sweetest things ever! He really is the best father a girl could ever ask for!
Ryan. *sigh* Ryan... Ryan... Ryan. What am I going to do with you?! You were the one that made me want to throw my kindle!! I could have Gibbs slapped you SO many times!! But I really do know where he was coming from. Dating a divorced parent with kids is definitely hard and it can pull you in so many different directions. While some people bashed him for the way he acted, I was actually feeling bad for him. Don't get me wrong... I still wanted to smack him... but he was doing the best that he could in an impossible situation. Dating anyone with kids can be extremely hard and finding the right balance is tough.. especially in the beginning. I was very proud of Ryan in the end when he told Ms. Hoity Toity just what was going to happen! I did a fist pump in the air and said... "It's about dang time!!" And I absolutely loved when he went and made things right with Charlee! I was one happy girl!
Oh!! And I absolutely LOVED Josh!! He is just so stinkin cute!! I think he was one of my most favorite parts of the book! I'm going to steal one of the lines from my dear friend Katie's review... he stole the show!! I loved every single part that he was in!! That little guy was just PERFECT!!
This is the second book I've read by Jennifer Peel and I have to say she is definitely a new favorite of mine!! I LOVE when I find new authors!! I can't wait to read more of her books!! :)
And of course... my review just wouldn't be complete without the casting!! I absolutely LOVE this one... and yes... I am TOTALLY bias!! They are just PERFECT in my opinion!! ;) Hehe.
Holy Hannah! Second time reading this book and I have to say... the feels are still SO real! I found myself wanting to throw my kindle AGAIN! And yes... I still wanted to Gibbs slap Ryan! Haha. But oh how I LOVED this book! *dreamy sigh*
May 2015:
I have mixed emotions about this book. I loved it and could not put it down! I read it in less than a day for crying out loud! But then I hated it and wanted to throw my kindle across the room! At one point I'm sure I would've thrown it so hard that my neighbor would've come home to a broken kindle in their house! Lol.
Charlee has had the biggest crush on Ryan ever since she was a teenager and was absolutely devastated when he married Ms. Hoity Toity. On the day of their wedding her life was flipped upside down not only because he was now married but because that was the day that her parents marriage ended as well. Her parents divorced and she is whisked off to Kansas where she spends the next 8 years of her life.
Charlee returns home to Loveland, CO where she will live with her estranged father and work for his CPA firm. She learns that her long time crush, Ryan, is now divorced with the most adorable 3 year old son, Josh, and lives right next door to her father. And not only does he live next door but he is a partner at her father's firm. And let's just say life gets very interesting once she returns home.
Charlee has a lot of spunk and is not afraid to tell it like it is... which I loved!! Any heroine with backbone is an instant favorite of mine! She is definitely strong, knows what she wants and is not afraid to go after it. But she is also vulnerable at times. I mean seriously... how many times can a girl get rejected before it really starts to take its toll?! But she stuck to her guns and did what was best for her... even when it broke her heart into a million pieces. And I just have to say that I loved seeing her rebuild her relationship with her father. It was seriously one of the sweetest things ever! He really is the best father a girl could ever ask for!
Ryan. *sigh* Ryan... Ryan... Ryan. What am I going to do with you?! You were the one that made me want to throw my kindle!! I could have Gibbs slapped you SO many times!! But I really do know where he was coming from. Dating a divorced parent with kids is definitely hard and it can pull you in so many different directions. While some people bashed him for the way he acted, I was actually feeling bad for him. Don't get me wrong... I still wanted to smack him... but he was doing the best that he could in an impossible situation. Dating anyone with kids can be extremely hard and finding the right balance is tough.. especially in the beginning. I was very proud of Ryan in the end when he told Ms. Hoity Toity just what was going to happen! I did a fist pump in the air and said... "It's about dang time!!" And I absolutely loved when he went and made things right with Charlee! I was one happy girl!
Oh!! And I absolutely LOVED Josh!! He is just so stinkin cute!! I think he was one of my most favorite parts of the book! I'm going to steal one of the lines from my dear friend Katie's review... he stole the show!! I loved every single part that he was in!! That little guy was just PERFECT!!
This is the second book I've read by Jennifer Peel and I have to say she is definitely a new favorite of mine!! I LOVE when I find new authors!! I can't wait to read more of her books!! :)
And of course... my review just wouldn't be complete without the casting!! I absolutely LOVE this one... and yes... I am TOTALLY bias!! They are just PERFECT in my opinion!! ;) Hehe.
May 2, 2015
I have a new favorite author! I am so glad that Jennifer Peel started writing because she writes exactly the kinds of books that I love and Trouble in Loveland is no exception--it's good, clean, romantic fun!
Who hasn't had a teenage crush and gone to great, and embarrassing, lengths to get noticed by said crush? Ms. Peel has a way of taking that emotion and throwing it right into a reader's lap. Charlee developed a crush on her new neighbor, Ryan, when she was a teen and nothing she did could capture his attention. Fast forward years later--she's back home, working for her dad and Ryan is still her neighbor. The only difference is, she has his attention, but can she keep it?
I love Charlee's voice, mainly because she's how I wish I could be. She speaks her mind; she knows what she wants and goes after it; she does what she wants and doesn't care what others think; and she's comfortable in her own skin. Her voice comes through loud and clear through this story. Although she comes across as very strong, she does have her vulnerable moments and I loved those just as much.
Ryan. Who hasn't had a "Ryan" in her life? He's gorgeous, successful, a great father to his preschool-aged son, and very endearing, yet seemingly unobtainable. Life has handed him some hard times and he's not as confident in his decisions as Charlee is. He's a little gun-shy and fickle, but with good reason. Although he did make some poor choices, I still really liked him because he was totally real and human. His son, Josh, stole the show! What a sweet, lovable boy!
I love a good, clean love story that explores conflict, emotion, and deals with real problems in a tender, yet sometimes humorous way, and Ms. Peel has a gift of tying this all together perfectly, yet realistically. I feel like I'm good friends with the characters and her books always leaving me eagerly wondering what she'll come up with next!
Content: clean romance (kissing, making out, talk of being a woman--cup size, etc); mild language (a few words); no violence or religious elements. Clean!
*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*
Who hasn't had a teenage crush and gone to great, and embarrassing, lengths to get noticed by said crush? Ms. Peel has a way of taking that emotion and throwing it right into a reader's lap. Charlee developed a crush on her new neighbor, Ryan, when she was a teen and nothing she did could capture his attention. Fast forward years later--she's back home, working for her dad and Ryan is still her neighbor. The only difference is, she has his attention, but can she keep it?
I love Charlee's voice, mainly because she's how I wish I could be. She speaks her mind; she knows what she wants and goes after it; she does what she wants and doesn't care what others think; and she's comfortable in her own skin. Her voice comes through loud and clear through this story. Although she comes across as very strong, she does have her vulnerable moments and I loved those just as much.
Ryan. Who hasn't had a "Ryan" in her life? He's gorgeous, successful, a great father to his preschool-aged son, and very endearing, yet seemingly unobtainable. Life has handed him some hard times and he's not as confident in his decisions as Charlee is. He's a little gun-shy and fickle, but with good reason. Although he did make some poor choices, I still really liked him because he was totally real and human. His son, Josh, stole the show! What a sweet, lovable boy!
I love a good, clean love story that explores conflict, emotion, and deals with real problems in a tender, yet sometimes humorous way, and Ms. Peel has a gift of tying this all together perfectly, yet realistically. I feel like I'm good friends with the characters and her books always leaving me eagerly wondering what she'll come up with next!
Content: clean romance (kissing, making out, talk of being a woman--cup size, etc); mild language (a few words); no violence or religious elements. Clean!
*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*
September 4, 2025
Reread Sept 2025- I felt much the same. This had potential and some parts were great and could've been AWESOME had Charlee just stuck the landing a little more. (less running more talking), but some parts were slow. (Especially before Victoria showed up.) The reread put me on a mostly unsuccessful hunt for "divorced hero torn between the h and his kid" If this trope interests you, I'll put them in the comments.
***Original Review***
This was better than I expected. (I heard that it was low drama with no sexy time) The blurb sets it up, Charlee grows up next door to Ryan and has a huge crush. Life happens, she leaves and returns years later. She still has a crush, but he has trouble wrapping his head around starting a relationship with her.
I didn’t find the age gap a big deal (8 years), but they grew up next door to each other and he viewed her as a kid. Still, it felt a smidge weird to me that he struggled so much when she was a grown woman and had been gone for 8 years. IMHO, I feel like it would’ve worked better had his hangup been because either he was gun shy to start dating (not the case because he already had) or for fear of messing up the relationship with her dad.
Regardless, the good stuff starts after they start dating and the ex-wife Victoria gets involved and starts being a pain in the ass. And Ryan tries to make everyone happy which many times comes at the expense of Charlee.
Bottom Line- I liked it, and I could’ve loved it had we got to the good parts with the bitchy ex-wife and her nasty friend earlier in the book providing Ryan the opportunity to screw up and generate yummy drama. Unfortunately, it took about 60% for that to get going which made for a less than tantalizing first half, but that’s a Jac thing, so give it a shot especially if you have patience.
Random- I don’t know if the author has children, but it was so inappropriate for all the adults to constantly be arguing and crying openly in front of Josh dumping their adult feelings all over the poor kid. He’s going to need therapy. 🤣
***Original Review***
This was better than I expected. (I heard that it was low drama with no sexy time) The blurb sets it up, Charlee grows up next door to Ryan and has a huge crush. Life happens, she leaves and returns years later. She still has a crush, but he has trouble wrapping his head around starting a relationship with her.
I didn’t find the age gap a big deal (8 years), but they grew up next door to each other and he viewed her as a kid. Still, it felt a smidge weird to me that he struggled so much when she was a grown woman and had been gone for 8 years. IMHO, I feel like it would’ve worked better had his hangup been because either he was gun shy to start dating (not the case because he already had) or for fear of messing up the relationship with her dad.
Regardless, the good stuff starts after they start dating and the ex-wife Victoria gets involved and starts being a pain in the ass. And Ryan tries to make everyone happy which many times comes at the expense of Charlee.
Bottom Line- I liked it, and I could’ve loved it had we got to the good parts with the bitchy ex-wife and her nasty friend earlier in the book providing Ryan the opportunity to screw up and generate yummy drama. Unfortunately, it took about 60% for that to get going which made for a less than tantalizing first half, but that’s a Jac thing, so give it a shot especially if you have patience.
Random- I don’t know if the author has children, but it was so inappropriate for all the adults to constantly be arguing and crying openly in front of Josh dumping their adult feelings all over the poor kid. He’s going to need therapy. 🤣
July 26, 2020
I like the author's writing, but she has a tendency to write weak, waffling beta males who are basically given a free pass for their good looks. This H never deserved the h, and the only reason why it earns 3 stars is because it was a very strong hate read.
December 29, 2016
2.5 stars, rounded up. It was a cute story, but needs some massive editing. More show, less tell. Way less inner monologue. Adjectives besides beautiful. It's hard to love a Mary Sue, contrary to what many authors of clean romance seem to think. I'd like to have seen Charlee have to eat some humble pie instead of ALWAYS being the wronged party. Her dad. Her mom. Ryan Carter. His drunk brother. His ex wife, her BFF, a the jealous lady dating Ryan. Poor Charlee, all these people hurting her feels. Her character would've felt more alive if she didn't always take the higher road. Act out, say mean things, do something you instantly regret! At least a couple of times during the story.
There were quite a few instances of over-explaining. For example, while reciting the alphabet with a 3 year old: ABCDEFGHIJK ELEPHANTOFEE . Charlee explains that the elephant thing means LMNOP. Well, duh! This is one of many occasions where she unnecessarily explains the meaning of words, actions, or body language. Trusting the reader to make the leap of understanding would make the reading more pleasurable.
One last beef. Charlee's dad paid her tuition. He paid for her to get her MBA. But it wasn't really her dream, blame her mom for saying a degree in psychology was impractical. This just doesn't add up, especially since she stood up to her mom enough to move into her own apartment (paid for by Dad) and walk away from Mom's unhealthy lifestyle. Plus, she wasn't a teenager. PLUS, we're still paying off student loans for my husband's MBA...14 years after schooling. A master's program is a serious life decision, not something you casually do with someone else's money because you think it's expected! Sheesh. And she has the nerve to ask her dad why he hasn't bought himself a new car for such a long time? Blah. The alcoholic, sleepin' around mom wasn't enough justification for spoiled brat behavior. Everyone took pity on her for suffering silently through mom's b.s. Hello? She was over 18, was able to move in to a fully paid for apartment, and NEVER had to work a job. Asking family for help would've gotten her mom help sooner. Not my favorite MC.
Good premise, execution needs improvement.
There were quite a few instances of over-explaining. For example, while reciting the alphabet with a 3 year old: ABCDEFGHIJK ELEPHANTOFEE . Charlee explains that the elephant thing means LMNOP. Well, duh! This is one of many occasions where she unnecessarily explains the meaning of words, actions, or body language. Trusting the reader to make the leap of understanding would make the reading more pleasurable.
One last beef. Charlee's dad paid her tuition. He paid for her to get her MBA. But it wasn't really her dream, blame her mom for saying a degree in psychology was impractical. This just doesn't add up, especially since she stood up to her mom enough to move into her own apartment (paid for by Dad) and walk away from Mom's unhealthy lifestyle. Plus, she wasn't a teenager. PLUS, we're still paying off student loans for my husband's MBA...14 years after schooling. A master's program is a serious life decision, not something you casually do with someone else's money because you think it's expected! Sheesh. And she has the nerve to ask her dad why he hasn't bought himself a new car for such a long time? Blah. The alcoholic, sleepin' around mom wasn't enough justification for spoiled brat behavior. Everyone took pity on her for suffering silently through mom's b.s. Hello? She was over 18, was able to move in to a fully paid for apartment, and NEVER had to work a job. Asking family for help would've gotten her mom help sooner. Not my favorite MC.
Good premise, execution needs improvement.
May 5, 2015
I love, love, loved this book! It was fun and flirty and it made me happy. I ended the book with a smile on my face. I feel like I know the characters and I might be a little in love with them all. Jennifer is one of my favorite new authors and I've enjoyed every one of her books. They all have a different feel about them but I think this one was my favorite so far. Yup. I'm calling it. Trouble in Loveland = Favorite.
This book had moments that just made me snicker and giggle. It also had a moment that made me tear up a bit. By far, my favorite thing in this book was the references to Charlee's butterflies. You know, the ones in her stomach whenever Ryan came around? Those butterflies are so funny. I don't know why but I was so highly amused by them but I was. Here are a few example of what I am talking about. The last one if my favorite. :)
He looked up at me with those passionate eyes, and the butterflies said, Ahhh.
"Thanks for the dance last night." The butterflies in my stomach felt like throwing up. "My pleasure."
The butterflies were beyond excited and swearing like sailors.
"What are you doing here?" The butterflies in my stomach said, "Who cares? Yay, our Ryan's here."
The only trouble I had with this book was when it ended. boo. But the ending was good, so yay! Hurry up Jennifer, and write me another book, okay? I'll be right here waiting. . .
This is a clean romance. The main characters have a brief conversation about waiting until marriage to be intimate. There is one instance of mild swearing.
This book had moments that just made me snicker and giggle. It also had a moment that made me tear up a bit. By far, my favorite thing in this book was the references to Charlee's butterflies. You know, the ones in her stomach whenever Ryan came around? Those butterflies are so funny. I don't know why but I was so highly amused by them but I was. Here are a few example of what I am talking about. The last one if my favorite. :)
He looked up at me with those passionate eyes, and the butterflies said, Ahhh.
"Thanks for the dance last night." The butterflies in my stomach felt like throwing up. "My pleasure."
The butterflies were beyond excited and swearing like sailors.
"What are you doing here?" The butterflies in my stomach said, "Who cares? Yay, our Ryan's here."
The only trouble I had with this book was when it ended. boo. But the ending was good, so yay! Hurry up Jennifer, and write me another book, okay? I'll be right here waiting. . .
This is a clean romance. The main characters have a brief conversation about waiting until marriage to be intimate. There is one instance of mild swearing.
May 5, 2015
If you don't like the leading man...it's hard to love the story. The end.
May 7, 2015
I love Jennifer Peel! Okay, I don't know her, but I love her books. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Trouble in Loveland did not disappoint!
Charlee Jensen has a crush on her next door neighbor. The problem, he's eight years older than she is. At the start of the story when Charlee is only 15, this is a huge obstacle, and I was glad that Charlee didn't throw herself at her neighbor, or do anything else equally stupid. Ryan gets married, Charlee's parents split up, and Charlee moves away. Eight years later, Charlee moves in with her dad and comes to work for him. Ryan is now divorced and a partner in her dad's accounting firm.
For me, the age difference was no longer an issue, and I loved seeing Charlee get a chance to see if Ryan was worth all of that time she spent thinking of him as a teenager. The romance was sweet, and the characters realistically flawed. Ryan was sometimes an idiot, especially when it came to his ex-wife, but I loved how Charlee handled things. She was strong. I loved the banter between her and Ryan. I won't give it away, but I loved the ending. It had me laughing out loud, and mentally cheering Charlee and Ryan on.
Jennifer Peel has a gift for capturing relationships. I loved the relationship between Charlee and her dad. I could understand the hurt Charlee experienced when her parents split up, but was glad to see Charlee grow, and forgive him. I find Jennifer's characters very easy to relate to, which helps me love her books.
Content: clean (some kissing, no language or violence)
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
Charlee Jensen has a crush on her next door neighbor. The problem, he's eight years older than she is. At the start of the story when Charlee is only 15, this is a huge obstacle, and I was glad that Charlee didn't throw herself at her neighbor, or do anything else equally stupid. Ryan gets married, Charlee's parents split up, and Charlee moves away. Eight years later, Charlee moves in with her dad and comes to work for him. Ryan is now divorced and a partner in her dad's accounting firm.
For me, the age difference was no longer an issue, and I loved seeing Charlee get a chance to see if Ryan was worth all of that time she spent thinking of him as a teenager. The romance was sweet, and the characters realistically flawed. Ryan was sometimes an idiot, especially when it came to his ex-wife, but I loved how Charlee handled things. She was strong. I loved the banter between her and Ryan. I won't give it away, but I loved the ending. It had me laughing out loud, and mentally cheering Charlee and Ryan on.
Jennifer Peel has a gift for capturing relationships. I loved the relationship between Charlee and her dad. I could understand the hurt Charlee experienced when her parents split up, but was glad to see Charlee grow, and forgive him. I find Jennifer's characters very easy to relate to, which helps me love her books.
Content: clean (some kissing, no language or violence)
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
February 1, 2023
3.5 stars
So chick-lit romances, moreso clean ones, are not really my style these days, but as soon as I started this book, the writing style caught me and totally engrossed me. I have to say that JP's brand of chick-lit is quite enjoyable and addictive: easy to read, flowing language, good paced plot, very funny (not in annoying type of way) heroine, charming leads and feel-good small town atmosphere.
I enjoyed the first part of the story a lot where the heroine, Charlee, was getting on with her life and getting slowly acquainted with her dream man Ryan and his cute son, Josh. I loved Charlee's wit and the way she did not shy with life despite the hard years she had with her mom and the heartbreak over her dad.
In the second half of the book, things got complicated as she embarked into a relationship with a confused but interested Ryan. The angst and issues they had to face were very decent and packed quite a punch. I did shed a few tears for Charlee when she got hurt by Ryan (again and again). While there was no groundbreaking grovel, at least on page, the move Ryan finally dared to make in the college theatre was heartwarming and I could understand that for someone like Charlee, who always found the kindness in Ryan attractive, she would quickly melt and give him a second chance. So on the basis of who they are, I did believe in their chemistry and have hopes for the HEA.
Personally I am not Charlee. It's not that Ryan was an a$$hole H. Bien au contraire, he was totally an all round kind person. Too kind (and sometimes dense and slow). And that was the problem. I could not understand why, if he had suffered so much during his marriage like everyone said he did, he would always treat Victoria as if she was of fragile glass? And so time and again, he would unconsciously give her priority instead of Charlee (notable examples that hurt: acting distant just because Victoria's bff was present at the bar; listening to Victoria's vitriol on Charlee and agreeing to it; going happily to Thanksgiving at Victoria's family without any consideration to Charlee's feelings; considering not inviting Charlee to DC because Victoria wanted to come and be with Josh; consoling Victoria at the firestation without even checking on Charlee first). I mean, I would have thought that after the bar fiasco, he would have grown some cojones and realised that he needed to show Charlee he had her back if their relationship ever had a chance to succeed.
I get he is not a confrontational type of guy, but for goodness' sake, there is a time when one has to man up. And he dared to tell Charlee she got it too easy in her life! When obviously he is a total novice in healthy relationships. At least, Charlee, so young according to him, was mature enough to know that she could not pretend into a relationship she could not invest her heart into. And it's not even like Charlee would not have been understanding if he had discussed and explained matters to her. Co-parenting is not easy and having a child changes how new romantic relationships proceed, but with the way Ryan kept being over-considerate (perpetually) over his ex's wishes over his new girlfriend, it's a miracle that Charlee's heart is so big and forgiving. Every time after he messed up badly, he would just say sorry (sincere I am convinced) and grin at her. I wanted to slap him because he did not realise that he was not really being sincere. Because at the next obstacle, he would unconsciously revert to his 'bad habits' with Victoria. He said he had issues to work on but I did not see much progress except a little bit toward the end. And Charlee, bless her heart, forgave him each time he made the same mistakes. But hey, I am happy if they are and I am sure with time she will help him assert himself.
This book was well written and it would have been perfect, imho, if there had been more show than tell in some parts (e.g. details on how Ryan suffered in his marriage to Victoria; how Ryan grovelled a lot, according to Charlee, after the bar fiasco; how Ryan's friend read him the riot act; scenes with Ryan's cometojesus moments during the separation with Charlee; scenes with Ryan confronting his ex/ friends showing his having Charlee's back). I guess Ryan's pov would have been needed.
I still enjoyed the book because it was well written and the leads were both nice and kind characters. JP's pen is enticing enough for me to want more. I hope she writes more assertive and courageous heroes than Ryan though.
P.S. Thank you Nikki for the recommend. You were right the angst was well done and overall, the story was cute.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2015
I thought this book was fantastic! When Charlee was 17, her life was pretty good. It quickly fell apart, though, when her parents divorced and she chose to leave Loveland, Colorado with her mother. We learned about her attraction to her much older neighbor, Ryan, who got married shortly before she left. She was gone for eight years before she came back to Loveland to work as an accountant with her father in his firm. Oh, yeah, and now Ryan is divorced and her father's business partner so they will be working together.
I loved Charlee! She was fun and flirty and knew what she wanted--Ryan. Once she caught his attention, she didn't just give in to him all the time. She stood up for herself and when he treated her poorly, she let him know. I enjoyed her sense of humor throughout the book. Charlee was also working on mending her relationship with her father. She was angry at him when she left with her mother and had pretty much ignored him during the eight years she was gone. She was now able to see some things from his perspective which helped her understand him better.
Ryan had known Charlee when she was way too young for him and it took him a while to come to terms with the fact that both of them getting older didn't make their age difference such a big deal. He was attracted to her and tried hard to fight it. His relationship with her caused some issues with his ex-wife because he also had a young son in the mix. Josh was three and was absolutely adorable! It was impossible not to fall in love with him. I actually liked Ryan from the beginning. He did some stupid things that he had to make up for and that was part of what made reading this so enjoyable for me. I was hoping he would come to his senses in the end.
I enjoyed reading the ups and downs of Charlee and Ryan. Just when things were looking up, something else would happen that would threaten to destroy what they had. They hung in there and there were others cheering them on and helping them see things they couldn't. I loved this book from beginning to end and couldn't put it down. It's another winner from Jennifer and I'm looking forward to what she'll come up with next!
I received a copy of this book to review. My opinion is 100% my own.
Mel's Shelves
I loved Charlee! She was fun and flirty and knew what she wanted--Ryan. Once she caught his attention, she didn't just give in to him all the time. She stood up for herself and when he treated her poorly, she let him know. I enjoyed her sense of humor throughout the book. Charlee was also working on mending her relationship with her father. She was angry at him when she left with her mother and had pretty much ignored him during the eight years she was gone. She was now able to see some things from his perspective which helped her understand him better.
Ryan had known Charlee when she was way too young for him and it took him a while to come to terms with the fact that both of them getting older didn't make their age difference such a big deal. He was attracted to her and tried hard to fight it. His relationship with her caused some issues with his ex-wife because he also had a young son in the mix. Josh was three and was absolutely adorable! It was impossible not to fall in love with him. I actually liked Ryan from the beginning. He did some stupid things that he had to make up for and that was part of what made reading this so enjoyable for me. I was hoping he would come to his senses in the end.
I enjoyed reading the ups and downs of Charlee and Ryan. Just when things were looking up, something else would happen that would threaten to destroy what they had. They hung in there and there were others cheering them on and helping them see things they couldn't. I loved this book from beginning to end and couldn't put it down. It's another winner from Jennifer and I'm looking forward to what she'll come up with next!
I received a copy of this book to review. My opinion is 100% my own.
Mel's Shelves
November 5, 2015
Although I absolutely love the writing style and it, as always, kept me reading well into the night because I just couldn't quit until I had that happy ending, this one had some distinct problems that I just couldn't overcome. SO.... here's the good and the bad!
GOOD
1. The sweet, quirky, first person voice that Ms. Peele incorporates for Charlie's character is completely delightful and fun to read. She immediately grabs the reader and makes one love Charlie.
2. The compassion and depth that is so prevalent as to make the reader not only read but live the story right along with Charlie is superb writing at it's very best.
BAD
1. Charlie's absolute doormat behavior. GAH! That drives me nuts! To be so gah-gah over a man that no matter what he does or how badly he treats you that you run right back is infuriating at best, throw-the-book-at-the- wall maddening at its worst!
2. The absolutely inexcusable behavior of Ryan that is repeated throughout the story. This is compounded (and makes those star ratings drop dramatically) because we live through every humiliating thing he puts Charlie through but never get to see him actually stand up for Charlie, NOT. ONE. TIME. in the entire book! We are only told about it in passing quickly at the end. Cheating the reader out of seeing what type of man he could truly be leaves us having to jump a huge chasm to even like his character, let alone feel that happy ending.
3. Because of the first two reasons, it is understandable that Charlie comes off as a weak character and Ryan is never seen as anything but spineless and we have loved Charlie enough throughout the story to want better for her.
4. Ryan's constant hang-up over him being 33 and her being 25 seemed silly. One can understand when she was a teenager but as adults, really???
*sigh* Now don't let the fact that there are more complaints than praise fool you. The praise parts are SO awesome that it is still a tear-jerker of a read and one that I would recommend...
GOOD
1. The sweet, quirky, first person voice that Ms. Peele incorporates for Charlie's character is completely delightful and fun to read. She immediately grabs the reader and makes one love Charlie.
2. The compassion and depth that is so prevalent as to make the reader not only read but live the story right along with Charlie is superb writing at it's very best.
BAD
1. Charlie's absolute doormat behavior. GAH! That drives me nuts! To be so gah-gah over a man that no matter what he does or how badly he treats you that you run right back is infuriating at best, throw-the-book-at-the- wall maddening at its worst!
2. The absolutely inexcusable behavior of Ryan that is repeated throughout the story. This is compounded (and makes those star ratings drop dramatically) because we live through every humiliating thing he puts Charlie through but never get to see him actually stand up for Charlie, NOT. ONE. TIME. in the entire book! We are only told about it in passing quickly at the end. Cheating the reader out of seeing what type of man he could truly be leaves us having to jump a huge chasm to even like his character, let alone feel that happy ending.
3. Because of the first two reasons, it is understandable that Charlie comes off as a weak character and Ryan is never seen as anything but spineless and we have loved Charlie enough throughout the story to want better for her.
4. Ryan's constant hang-up over him being 33 and her being 25 seemed silly. One can understand when she was a teenager but as adults, really???
*sigh* Now don't let the fact that there are more complaints than praise fool you. The praise parts are SO awesome that it is still a tear-jerker of a read and one that I would recommend...
Want to read
December 5, 2017💝 FREE on Amazon today (12/05/2017)! 💝
September 14, 2022
2 it shouldn’t take 90%+ for the hero to get his head out of his @$$ stars
January 13, 2016
This was an emotional read. I'm not afraid to admit I shed a few tears, sniffed a little, but how could I not? Ms. Peel tugs at your heart with characters you love and real life conflict. I thought Charlee was such a witty and joyful woman. She made me cheer for her and cry for her. And Ryan--a good guy who has a hard time coming to terms with things in his life--makes you want to swoon with gentleman charm and smack him in the head for bouts of idiocy. If you want to read an engaging story and go through the gamut of emotions of a great read, then this book is for you! Enjoy!
June 4, 2020
Well, I can’t remember when I’ve read a story with a more spineless cad of a “hero” and I can’t figure out WHY the heroine kept taking him back - especially since at the end he apologized but didn’t seem to really understand why what he did was so wrong. Oh well, the heart wants what the heart wants... 🤷🏻♀️
This book is cause for another mark in my column for why I prefer Ms. Peel’s books about older characters. Lots of drama and angst here - yet I couldn’t stop listening!
This book is cause for another mark in my column for why I prefer Ms. Peel’s books about older characters. Lots of drama and angst here - yet I couldn’t stop listening!
June 22, 2020
I have other books I need to review but I had to get my thoughts out about this book while they were fresh in my mind. I read More Trouble in Loveland almost 3 years ago as a review book, but I just got around to reading this one which tells us how Charlee and Ryan got together. Let me tell you, it was anything but smooth sailing.
Charlee had a huge crush on Ryan Carter as soon as his family moved in next door, but she was 15 and he was 23 so needless to say nothing happened. Skip ahead a couple of years and the same day Ryan gets married to "perfect" Victoria, Charlee's parents' marriage comes to a sudden and devastating end after her father confesses to her mother about a recent alcohol aided one-night stand. Charlee's mom takes Charlee and moves to Kansas to be near her own parents.
Fast forward 8 years. Charlee's mother has remarried, Charlee has Bachelor and Master degrees in accounting (which she doesn't really like), but she can't find a job because she has no experience. So she moves back to Loveland, Colorado to live with her dad, that she hasn't really spoken to in 8 years, to work at his firm to gain the experience she needs while she studies to take the CPA exam. Once she's back in the old neighborhood she discovers that hottie Ryan Carter is now a divorced, single father of an adorable 3 year old, and has bought his parents old house! Maybe now she can get him to see her as an adult woman and not the 17 year old girl she was when he got married and she moved to Kansas. Oh, I forgot to mention Ryan is now a partner at her dad's accounting firm!!
I loved Charlee--she's smart, and isn't afraid to speak her mind. She doesn't care what others think--like getting in a firetruck bounce house with some 4 year olds at a birthday party, or going down a kiddie slide at the park. That's not to say she doesn't have some insecurities or doubts every now and then (who doesn't?). She's a great friend and daughter. After her parents divorce she basically became a parent to her mother who seemed to have an early mid-life crisis. I loved how she mended her relationship with her father. He wasn't a bad guy and she shouldn't have listened to her mother's post-divorce rantings about him. I loved her with Ryan's little boy Josh. She was great with him from the beginning.
Ryan, Ryan, Ryan. How could a smart man be so stupid over and over again? It amazed me. If I could've reached through my Kindle I would've smacked him hard several times to try and knock some sense into him. Seriously!! He and Victoria (the ex-wife) really needed some post-divorce counseling or at least he could have used some to learn how to stand up to his demanding and overbearing ex. She's your ex for a reason, she doesn't get a say in your life anymore. I felt so bad for Charlee the first time Ryan took her to the sports bar to watch a game with his friends. I know I wouldn't have been brave enough to try it a second time, but Charlee did and again it didn't go well. But the straw that broke the camel's back was the way Ryan reacted after the car accident. There was no way I'd take him back after that. I couldn't believe it and completely understood why Charlee felt and acted the way she did. On the other hand, Ryan's little boy Josh is adorable! If this book was a movie, he'd steal every scene.
I cringed for Charlee the day Ryan crashed her psychology class, but that was the catalyst that made her consider taking him back. My favorite part was Charlee getting to say her piece and make Ryan listen to all the times he'd put Victoria ahead of her, when she was supposed to be the women he cared for. I'm still upset it took a month without Charlee for Ryan to finally find his backbone when it came to his snooty ex-wife. She didn't want you so why are you letting her call the shots in your life? Can you tell I have strong feelings about this? Don't get me started on Charlee's mother!!
This is one reason I love Jennifer Peel's books. She makes the characters come alive and you feel all types of emotions when reading her books. After you read this one, you'll want to read More Trouble in Loveland.
Charlee had a huge crush on Ryan Carter as soon as his family moved in next door, but she was 15 and he was 23 so needless to say nothing happened. Skip ahead a couple of years and the same day Ryan gets married to "perfect" Victoria, Charlee's parents' marriage comes to a sudden and devastating end after her father confesses to her mother about a recent alcohol aided one-night stand. Charlee's mom takes Charlee and moves to Kansas to be near her own parents.
Fast forward 8 years. Charlee's mother has remarried, Charlee has Bachelor and Master degrees in accounting (which she doesn't really like), but she can't find a job because she has no experience. So she moves back to Loveland, Colorado to live with her dad, that she hasn't really spoken to in 8 years, to work at his firm to gain the experience she needs while she studies to take the CPA exam. Once she's back in the old neighborhood she discovers that hottie Ryan Carter is now a divorced, single father of an adorable 3 year old, and has bought his parents old house! Maybe now she can get him to see her as an adult woman and not the 17 year old girl she was when he got married and she moved to Kansas. Oh, I forgot to mention Ryan is now a partner at her dad's accounting firm!!
I loved Charlee--she's smart, and isn't afraid to speak her mind. She doesn't care what others think--like getting in a firetruck bounce house with some 4 year olds at a birthday party, or going down a kiddie slide at the park. That's not to say she doesn't have some insecurities or doubts every now and then (who doesn't?). She's a great friend and daughter. After her parents divorce she basically became a parent to her mother who seemed to have an early mid-life crisis. I loved how she mended her relationship with her father. He wasn't a bad guy and she shouldn't have listened to her mother's post-divorce rantings about him. I loved her with Ryan's little boy Josh. She was great with him from the beginning.
Ryan, Ryan, Ryan. How could a smart man be so stupid over and over again? It amazed me. If I could've reached through my Kindle I would've smacked him hard several times to try and knock some sense into him. Seriously!! He and Victoria (the ex-wife) really needed some post-divorce counseling or at least he could have used some to learn how to stand up to his demanding and overbearing ex. She's your ex for a reason, she doesn't get a say in your life anymore. I felt so bad for Charlee the first time Ryan took her to the sports bar to watch a game with his friends. I know I wouldn't have been brave enough to try it a second time, but Charlee did and again it didn't go well. But the straw that broke the camel's back was the way Ryan reacted after the car accident. There was no way I'd take him back after that. I couldn't believe it and completely understood why Charlee felt and acted the way she did. On the other hand, Ryan's little boy Josh is adorable! If this book was a movie, he'd steal every scene.
I cringed for Charlee the day Ryan crashed her psychology class, but that was the catalyst that made her consider taking him back. My favorite part was Charlee getting to say her piece and make Ryan listen to all the times he'd put Victoria ahead of her, when she was supposed to be the women he cared for. I'm still upset it took a month without Charlee for Ryan to finally find his backbone when it came to his snooty ex-wife. She didn't want you so why are you letting her call the shots in your life? Can you tell I have strong feelings about this? Don't get me started on Charlee's mother!!
This is one reason I love Jennifer Peel's books. She makes the characters come alive and you feel all types of emotions when reading her books. After you read this one, you'll want to read More Trouble in Loveland.
December 10, 2024
I'm honestly not even sure why this is considered a romance at all.
We have the FMC, Charlee who hero worships her dad until at 17 she finds out he cheated on her mom in a drunken ONS and leaves her entire life behind in Loveland to move away when her mom leaves her father (she goes with her).
We also spend the ENTIRE first part of the book being told that the FMC has a crush on the oldest brother, Ryan, next door starting at age 14. When he's MOTHERFLUFFING 22. She knows it's silly but she SIIIGHH just can't help loving him. She even comments on how he only likes ONE type of girl, short stacked redheads who are mean girls. She even dyes her hair once hoping he notices. She attends his wedding and the story comments on how his wife doesn't even seem to like the freaking guy at their own wedding but hey, he seems happy so yay!
The story picks back up when Charlee is 25 (making Ryan 33 years old). Charlee has had a few really bad years. Her mother battled depression so hard she couldn't feed herself or pay for the bills so Charlee had to grow up REAL fast. Then her mother went on a sexual whore spree (all stemming from the father cheating) and would bring home dangerous or unsavory men. Charlee escaped to college where in a spur of hate towards her father, got a degree, then another, then her MBA and CPA license. She decides to move back to Loveland to try and reconcile with her father and work at his accounting firm even though she does not want to be an accountant.
She of course immediately runs into the MMC, Ryan who now lives next door in his parents house with his extra cute son Josh, who is 3 or 4 years old. Ryan is divorced from Victoria but they share custody. We learn Victoria and Ryan HAD to get married because she was pregnant, then lost the baby, then they tried to make it work, had Josh only to get divorced because Victoria never really loved Ryan despite him seeming VERY in love with her.
Then we go through some VERY juvenile chapters of longing looks and flirting only to back away type bullshit between Charlee and Ryan. She's still head over heels in love with him (why?!) even when she's had other relationships and guys wanting to marry her (because she's SO hot!) she just can't let Ryan go. (THEY WERE NEVER TOGETHER! PSYCHO!)
To his credit, Ryan starts to notice Charlee is VERY grown up now and gets jealous at times but for most of the freaking book he honestly acts like he barely even likes her. It's very PG and closed door which is HIGHLY disappointing. He even asks Charlee to babysit Josh while he goes on a date with another woman. Treating her like she's 15 not 25.
When Ryan and Charlee finally start dating, Ryan is a colossal jackass. He constantly puts his ex, Victoria and her feelings above Charlee. He hides that he's dating Charlee, he takes her 40 minutes out of town so his ex won't see, he talks to his ex while he's on dates with Charlee (not the son, the EX), he lets his entire friend group (well mostly one couple) insult her and put her down when they meet, he brings her up all the time and when they have a fight or two, he THROWS words his ex has said about Charlee in her face while insulting her age, her life accomplishments and who she is as a person. He's honestly a dick.
And as a reader, I want to say, girl he's just NOT that into you. Charlee runs home crying at least three times and hides in the basement like a teenager then immediately jumps up when Ryan apologizes. She even says at one point, you have a third chance and after that we're through!
Riiiiiiiight. Charlee and the kid, Josh get into a car accident that's NOT Charlee's fault and when the ex shows up crying and screaming and threatening Charlee that she'll "never be around her kid again", Ryan shows up and guess what? Runs to the ex and hugs her and lets her sob all over him while Charlee is standing there crying and hurt from the car accident!!!
They break up. Again.
Ryan decides he actually does want Charlee and they have a future together and gives her a half ass bullshit apology saying he's always just "trying to keep the peace" and Charlee forgives him AGAIN and goes back to school to become a psychologist because of her crappy childhood and end of book.
Happy ending? Fuck no! There's supposed to be a second book about them and their relationship and more drama but is "funnier" than the first.
You know that saying, don't meet or date your crushes? Yeahhhhhhhh. This is a creepy version of that where the girl next door is obsessed with a man that never gave her the time day, BECAUSE SHE WAS A FUCKING CHILD, until they were much older and even then, he barely seems to freaking like her much less want to be with her. He seems still in love with his ex (which he's accused of pretty much the entire book) and you do not BUY a happy ending for these two.
Oh and super closed door PG scenes. BORING.
We have the FMC, Charlee who hero worships her dad until at 17 she finds out he cheated on her mom in a drunken ONS and leaves her entire life behind in Loveland to move away when her mom leaves her father (she goes with her).
We also spend the ENTIRE first part of the book being told that the FMC has a crush on the oldest brother, Ryan, next door starting at age 14. When he's MOTHERFLUFFING 22. She knows it's silly but she SIIIGHH just can't help loving him. She even comments on how he only likes ONE type of girl, short stacked redheads who are mean girls. She even dyes her hair once hoping he notices. She attends his wedding and the story comments on how his wife doesn't even seem to like the freaking guy at their own wedding but hey, he seems happy so yay!
The story picks back up when Charlee is 25 (making Ryan 33 years old). Charlee has had a few really bad years. Her mother battled depression so hard she couldn't feed herself or pay for the bills so Charlee had to grow up REAL fast. Then her mother went on a sexual whore spree (all stemming from the father cheating) and would bring home dangerous or unsavory men. Charlee escaped to college where in a spur of hate towards her father, got a degree, then another, then her MBA and CPA license. She decides to move back to Loveland to try and reconcile with her father and work at his accounting firm even though she does not want to be an accountant.
She of course immediately runs into the MMC, Ryan who now lives next door in his parents house with his extra cute son Josh, who is 3 or 4 years old. Ryan is divorced from Victoria but they share custody. We learn Victoria and Ryan HAD to get married because she was pregnant, then lost the baby, then they tried to make it work, had Josh only to get divorced because Victoria never really loved Ryan despite him seeming VERY in love with her.
Then we go through some VERY juvenile chapters of longing looks and flirting only to back away type bullshit between Charlee and Ryan. She's still head over heels in love with him (why?!) even when she's had other relationships and guys wanting to marry her (because she's SO hot!) she just can't let Ryan go. (THEY WERE NEVER TOGETHER! PSYCHO!)
To his credit, Ryan starts to notice Charlee is VERY grown up now and gets jealous at times but for most of the freaking book he honestly acts like he barely even likes her. It's very PG and closed door which is HIGHLY disappointing. He even asks Charlee to babysit Josh while he goes on a date with another woman. Treating her like she's 15 not 25.
When Ryan and Charlee finally start dating, Ryan is a colossal jackass. He constantly puts his ex, Victoria and her feelings above Charlee. He hides that he's dating Charlee, he takes her 40 minutes out of town so his ex won't see, he talks to his ex while he's on dates with Charlee (not the son, the EX), he lets his entire friend group (well mostly one couple) insult her and put her down when they meet, he brings her up all the time and when they have a fight or two, he THROWS words his ex has said about Charlee in her face while insulting her age, her life accomplishments and who she is as a person. He's honestly a dick.
And as a reader, I want to say, girl he's just NOT that into you. Charlee runs home crying at least three times and hides in the basement like a teenager then immediately jumps up when Ryan apologizes. She even says at one point, you have a third chance and after that we're through!
Riiiiiiiight. Charlee and the kid, Josh get into a car accident that's NOT Charlee's fault and when the ex shows up crying and screaming and threatening Charlee that she'll "never be around her kid again", Ryan shows up and guess what? Runs to the ex and hugs her and lets her sob all over him while Charlee is standing there crying and hurt from the car accident!!!
They break up. Again.
Ryan decides he actually does want Charlee and they have a future together and gives her a half ass bullshit apology saying he's always just "trying to keep the peace" and Charlee forgives him AGAIN and goes back to school to become a psychologist because of her crappy childhood and end of book.
Happy ending? Fuck no! There's supposed to be a second book about them and their relationship and more drama but is "funnier" than the first.
You know that saying, don't meet or date your crushes? Yeahhhhhhhh. This is a creepy version of that where the girl next door is obsessed with a man that never gave her the time day, BECAUSE SHE WAS A FUCKING CHILD, until they were much older and even then, he barely seems to freaking like her much less want to be with her. He seems still in love with his ex (which he's accused of pretty much the entire book) and you do not BUY a happy ending for these two.
Oh and super closed door PG scenes. BORING.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2015
Well, no surprise here...Jennifer Peel has done it again!! I adored this one!!! I have to say, I love that I can feel like I've read so much already and notice the percentage of my kindle book is only at like 38%...and then I get so excited because I have so much book left! Her books are SO full and never drag or disappoint!
I loved this one from the very beginning...I mean, who doesn't remember their first crush on some unobtainable older guy? I have to laugh, though, because I ended up falling in love with and marrying a guy twelve years older than me...so eight years didn't seem quite so bad. ;)
Anyway, back to our story. I felt for Charlee from the get-go. Not only when it came to her teenage unrequited (rightfully so) crush, but with everything she had to deal with when it came to her parents--especially her mom in the long run. So I was so glad when she moved back to Colorado. You could tell her dad really never forgave himself for what he did to their family, and I loved watching them sweetly repair their father/daughter relationship. And when it came to Ryan, Charlee was so strong. For being eight years younger, she wasn't going to let anyone push her around or not speak her mind. At times I thought she was too strong/harsh, but then I thought, "Nope, she's got to protect her heart." She really was the perfect fit for Ryan.
And Ryan. Ryan, Ryan, Ryan. I LOVED him. (I could see Josh Duhamel as Ryan) While he made me a tad upset a couple times (like at the Broncos game when he didn't stand up for her with Trixie), I could tell every blip or misstep was somehow linked to his fear of altogether losing, or at the very least losing time with Josh. But honestly, how do you resist a hot dad who loves his son more than anything? And Josh...adorable!!! He was the sweetest little guy!!
While there were bumps in the road along the way (as there are with every relationship, which is what I love about Ms. Peel's books--they are so real), their love story was so enjoyable to read! And I loved the ending at her class!
I also loved how the card at the end explained all of what you thought were his hesitations at the beginning. And that he remembered the Ed Sheeran song (side note: loved that that was the song they danced to at the wedding!). I also loved the rest of the epilogue. I just wish it had been further down the road so we could have gotten a glimpse of their future life together/family.
The only bummer now is that I'm out of Jennifer Peel books to read!!!! :(
If you are a fan of contemporary romance, do yourself a favor and read this one!! Loved it. Sweet and clean, with some great kisses. :)
I loved this one from the very beginning...I mean, who doesn't remember their first crush on some unobtainable older guy? I have to laugh, though, because I ended up falling in love with and marrying a guy twelve years older than me...so eight years didn't seem quite so bad. ;)
Anyway, back to our story. I felt for Charlee from the get-go. Not only when it came to her teenage unrequited (rightfully so) crush, but with everything she had to deal with when it came to her parents--especially her mom in the long run. So I was so glad when she moved back to Colorado. You could tell her dad really never forgave himself for what he did to their family, and I loved watching them sweetly repair their father/daughter relationship. And when it came to Ryan, Charlee was so strong. For being eight years younger, she wasn't going to let anyone push her around or not speak her mind. At times I thought she was too strong/harsh, but then I thought, "Nope, she's got to protect her heart." She really was the perfect fit for Ryan.
And Ryan. Ryan, Ryan, Ryan. I LOVED him. (I could see Josh Duhamel as Ryan) While he made me a tad upset a couple times (like at the Broncos game when he didn't stand up for her with Trixie), I could tell every blip or misstep was somehow linked to his fear of altogether losing, or at the very least losing time with Josh. But honestly, how do you resist a hot dad who loves his son more than anything? And Josh...adorable!!! He was the sweetest little guy!!
While there were bumps in the road along the way (as there are with every relationship, which is what I love about Ms. Peel's books--they are so real), their love story was so enjoyable to read! And I loved the ending at her class!
I also loved how the card at the end explained all of what you thought were his hesitations at the beginning. And that he remembered the Ed Sheeran song (side note: loved that that was the song they danced to at the wedding!). I also loved the rest of the epilogue. I just wish it had been further down the road so we could have gotten a glimpse of their future life together/family.
The only bummer now is that I'm out of Jennifer Peel books to read!!!! :(
If you are a fan of contemporary romance, do yourself a favor and read this one!! Loved it. Sweet and clean, with some great kisses. :)
June 19, 2015
4.5 Stars
Not what I was expecting. The story went in depth with the challenges that people face when dating a divorced single parent. Sometimes I was frustrated with the way the characters were interacting with each other. Then I realized, that that is how relationships are. We often make mistakes, break up, get back together, feel lost and confused.
It was a reminder to me that falling in love is not the happily ever after. The happily ever after comes from working on the relationship and finding that joy together.
Not what I was expecting. The story went in depth with the challenges that people face when dating a divorced single parent. Sometimes I was frustrated with the way the characters were interacting with each other. Then I realized, that that is how relationships are. We often make mistakes, break up, get back together, feel lost and confused.
It was a reminder to me that falling in love is not the happily ever after. The happily ever after comes from working on the relationship and finding that joy together.
January 18, 2018
Lots of Butterflies
Yet another great read by Jennifer Peel. I feel like each one of her books takes me on a journey, where not only is there a great romance, but growth and change as two people learn to truly love each other. The characters aren't perfect, and yes they make mistakes, but they hit so close to home because of those things. They truly come to life. I really enjoyed this one and am definitely going to read the sequel!
Yet another great read by Jennifer Peel. I feel like each one of her books takes me on a journey, where not only is there a great romance, but growth and change as two people learn to truly love each other. The characters aren't perfect, and yes they make mistakes, but they hit so close to home because of those things. They truly come to life. I really enjoyed this one and am definitely going to read the sequel!
July 7, 2022
I did not like the H. He had no balls. Beta man. I did not feel his attraction to h at all. All i felt how he wanted OW. POV from H would have helped i guess.
And i think h will die as asexual virgin. Like not even in the epilogue there was hope for them (h wanted to wait until marriage and H was more then happy to not smex her)
Obvi it was clean book, they never did it. Even not off page
And i think h will die as asexual virgin. Like not even in the epilogue there was hope for them (h wanted to wait until marriage and H was more then happy to not smex her)
Obvi it was clean book, they never did it. Even not off page
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