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Kingston Ale House #3
Three Simple Words
I know where to find my happily ever after—between the pages of a romance novel. It’s why I sell books, why I blog about them, and why I’ll never get disappointed by love.
So what if my brother’s best friend from high school is now a bestselling author? Or that he just blew back into town on a Harley, filling out a pair of jeans like he never did before? Or that he’s agreed to do a signing at my bookstore on such short notice? Because despite all his adoring female fans, I kind of hated his book.
Each book in the Kingston Ale House series is a standalone, full-length story that can be enjoyed out of order.
261 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 17, 2016
46 people are currently reading
535 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Pine
29 books885 followersA teen librarian by day and a romance writer by night, A.J. Pine can’t seem to escape the world of fiction, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s the author of the If Only series (Entangled Embrace), the Only You series (Berkley/Intermix), the Kingston Ale House series (Entangled Select), and the Crossroads Ranch series (Forever Romance). When she finds that 25th hour in the day, she might indulge in a tiny bit of TV where she nourishes her undying love of vampires, superheroes, and a certain high-functioning sociopath detective. She hails from the far off galaxy of the Chicago suburbs.
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October 30, 2016
*****FOUR STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}
This wasn’t a game anymore—no secret arrangement between two people who claimed they only wanted fun. This was her heart, and she had given it to him without the guarantee of the happy ending.
I love the ”romance with the brother’s best-friend” trope and THREE SIMPLE WORDS had it with just a little twist. The heroine ends up getting involved with her younger brother’s best-friend. There’s only a three-year difference between them which isn’t a big deal when you’re in your twenties but when the two first met, she was sixteen and he was thirteen and three years makes a world of difference. The hero was just her kid brother’s dorky friend way back then. It was kind of an odd twist but ultimately it did work. Also the fact that the hero was a New York Time’s best-selling author and the heroine was a book shop owner and a book blogger, ended up being the delicious icing on a perfect three tier cake!!
Wes Hartley finds himself returning back home to Chicago, after having gone off to New York City for several years to pursue his writing career. His debut novel, which is a romance, turned out to be a New York Time’s best seller. But he’s been having writer’s block and Wes is worried that maybe he could be a one-hit wonder. With his agent and publicist breathing down his neck for pages from his new novel, Wes decides to go back home in hopes that a spark of creativity will develop for him. He had hoped to crash at his father’s place but their relationship has been strained for the past five years and so he ends up getting the extra bedroom in his best friend's apartment and a part-time job as a bartender at the Kingston Ale House, since he had spent most of his royalties from his first book on paying his dad’s mortgage. His friend asks if Wes could help out his big sister by doing a book signing at her store. Business hasn’t been booming and the popularity of Wes and his book could be the jump start that the store needs. Wes is more than happy to help out the woman who he had a school boy crush on so many years ago.
Annie Denning is an avid book reader and romance is her favorite genre. She clings to her belief that there is an HEA in her future someday. She keeps her heart protected, subconsciously, by dating men who always turn out to be unattainable. No man has ever truly captured her love. But one look at the man Wes Hartley has grown up to be, has her heart going all swoony. Wes ends up being Annie’s date to her friends’ wedding the following week after the book signing event and things heat up pretty quickly between them. What they thought would just be one night of passion turns out to be a secret affair that goes on for several weeks. Annie has become Wes’ muse and the words won’t stop flowing out of his mind. While they’re having fun together, both are trying to convince themselves that there’s no future for them and that they’ll be able to walk away from it all when Wes has finished writing his book and goes back to New York.
Both Annie and Wes have major issues to deal with before they can even begin to endeavor into a serious relationship. Will the two be able to work through their hang-ups with regards to love or will they end up losing their one shot at a true HEA??!!
THREE SIMPLE WORDS is available now. The KINGSTON ALE HOUSE series is one you will surely want to check out!
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2e7j1j9
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2dF92xZ
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2e7fW2t
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2eaI1Do
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2dWPc71
B&N: http://bit.ly/2ehNmYX
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2esJgSy
iBooks: http://apple.co/2e4a4WG
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}
This wasn’t a game anymore—no secret arrangement between two people who claimed they only wanted fun. This was her heart, and she had given it to him without the guarantee of the happy ending.
I love the ”romance with the brother’s best-friend” trope and THREE SIMPLE WORDS had it with just a little twist. The heroine ends up getting involved with her younger brother’s best-friend. There’s only a three-year difference between them which isn’t a big deal when you’re in your twenties but when the two first met, she was sixteen and he was thirteen and three years makes a world of difference. The hero was just her kid brother’s dorky friend way back then. It was kind of an odd twist but ultimately it did work. Also the fact that the hero was a New York Time’s best-selling author and the heroine was a book shop owner and a book blogger, ended up being the delicious icing on a perfect three tier cake!!
Wes Hartley finds himself returning back home to Chicago, after having gone off to New York City for several years to pursue his writing career. His debut novel, which is a romance, turned out to be a New York Time’s best seller. But he’s been having writer’s block and Wes is worried that maybe he could be a one-hit wonder. With his agent and publicist breathing down his neck for pages from his new novel, Wes decides to go back home in hopes that a spark of creativity will develop for him. He had hoped to crash at his father’s place but their relationship has been strained for the past five years and so he ends up getting the extra bedroom in his best friend's apartment and a part-time job as a bartender at the Kingston Ale House, since he had spent most of his royalties from his first book on paying his dad’s mortgage. His friend asks if Wes could help out his big sister by doing a book signing at her store. Business hasn’t been booming and the popularity of Wes and his book could be the jump start that the store needs. Wes is more than happy to help out the woman who he had a school boy crush on so many years ago.
Annie Denning is an avid book reader and romance is her favorite genre. She clings to her belief that there is an HEA in her future someday. She keeps her heart protected, subconsciously, by dating men who always turn out to be unattainable. No man has ever truly captured her love. But one look at the man Wes Hartley has grown up to be, has her heart going all swoony. Wes ends up being Annie’s date to her friends’ wedding the following week after the book signing event and things heat up pretty quickly between them. What they thought would just be one night of passion turns out to be a secret affair that goes on for several weeks. Annie has become Wes’ muse and the words won’t stop flowing out of his mind. While they’re having fun together, both are trying to convince themselves that there’s no future for them and that they’ll be able to walk away from it all when Wes has finished writing his book and goes back to New York.
Both Annie and Wes have major issues to deal with before they can even begin to endeavor into a serious relationship. Will the two be able to work through their hang-ups with regards to love or will they end up losing their one shot at a true HEA??!!
THREE SIMPLE WORDS is available now. The KINGSTON ALE HOUSE series is one you will surely want to check out!
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2e7j1j9
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2dF92xZ
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2e7fW2t
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2eaI1Do
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2dWPc71
B&N: http://bit.ly/2ehNmYX
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2esJgSy
iBooks: http://apple.co/2e4a4WG
October 18, 2016
4.5 Who's The Romantic/Who's The Cynic Stars
* * * * 1/2 Spoiler Free- It's Live
My three little words for this book are really quite easy to say...
Adored This Book!
A.J. Pine has a charming way of putting an idea on the page and then backing it up with a layered, touching story... with just enough snap, crackle and pop to entertain throughout the journey. It was like an "insider's nod" to the Romance community... touching on the readers themselves, bloggers, publishers and authors.
We have Annie Denning; she owns her own bookstore and runs a blog titled HappyEverAfter. There she discusses the books which have all the perfect Book Boyfriends and asks her readers to leave comments about what she talked about... Sound Familiar??? One of her most recent posts was about Playboys You Love to Hate... and Why You Love Them..
What Annie received in the comments from her dedicated readers was everything she hated...All of them fell for this character written by her brother's high school best friend, Wes Hartley...Oh, the unfairness of it all...He's a best selling Romance Author and he doesn't even to stick to the unwritten law of all romance books...Having an ending of Happily Ever After... DUH....
No, his "Hero" Ha! comes in and sweeps the women off their feet... giving them Amazing sexual experiences...ah hm of ALL KINDS... and then, once these women think they will be the one to help him see the light.... to see how happy he can be with them in a relationship...He leaves them!
That is not how it is supposed to go...Annie has lived, I mean, Read enough romance books to understand how things should work... In fact, since she was recently dumped due to asking her boyfriend if he would come to a wedding of dear friends, Annie has dug her heels and heart in to decide no man needed to escort her to the wedding. What was, though, a testament to Annie's soul was her continued belief in Happy Ever Afters in the Real world. All around her, there were those who were in love and they continued to prove this life's goal still can be attained.
Wes Hartley is having that new famous author problem...He is drawing a blank for his much needed second book. His first was something which had started long ago when in college... developing over time and becoming this wonder of a best seller. The essence of it had much of Wes' core... his past girlfriends had names changed with special touches or circumstances which rang true...All of his relationship life was never long lived...and most ended with everyone sort of friends...with the women wanting more than Wes was willing to give...but still happy with the memories....
Well, Wes was taped out...he enjoyed the signings, did the good son thing and used his advance to pay off his dad's mortgage...but that left him sort of on the edge...He was told he must get 50 pages to his agent/publisher in a week or else...His location for the past years of Manhattan wasn't working, so calling his best friend from years ago was what got him back in Chicago. Jeremy gave Wes a bit of hell for being so distant for so long... and then offered to let him stay in his second bedroom. He also worked it so Wes could earn some cash to tide him over at the Kingston Ale House.
This is a godsend as he just needs to have a place to focus and write...now if he could just figure out something to put down on paper...then he could breathe.
Annie's store is not exactly doing landslide business and her friend/employee Brynn has suggested an Author signing or event to stimulate traffic and sales. Even her brother is concerned for her...and when Wes arrives and starts to settle in with the room and job, Jeremy asks Wes to do a book signing for her. Wes understands what Jeremy is asking and agrees...Besides, Wes had a huge crush on the older sister when he was a freshman and she was a senior.
So almost against Annie's will, her book store is having the Famous Author come and do a reading/signing...and the blog erupts when the date and event is posted... Annie HATED his book...and now, it will probably generate more business than she has ever had...
Isn't that ironic!
It is at this successful event, Wes and Annie reconnect...She is stunned as to what this gangling freshman grew into ... and he is caught by surprise by how much he is still drawn to her. After the meet and greet, they both get into a conversation about his book and Annie firmly explains her belief in Love and HEA as a reality and he thinks it is a fantasy. He doesn't understand why it bothers him so much that Annie doesn't like his book... and when an opportunity to spend more time with her over the weekend at that wedding comes up... he suggests he go with her as her date.
This is how the ball gets rolling for their non relationship/relationship. Events happen at the wedding, feelings turn into actions and we are there to experience the roller coaster ride.
There is so much to enjoy with this story... our personal love of romance novels, the industry and blogs are used to draw us in...and then the man himself.
Wes is a confused person... his family life was such that he never really bonded with his dad... and his one big supporter, his mom... died before his success... leaving him adrift emotionally. He has had assumptions for years which have colored how he has seen relationships... He discovers through Annie... he is not dead inside... and has to understand it is ok to feel.
Annie goes through her own arc...she is this blatant romantic... yet she too has issues with commitment...she just doesn't know it...She holds up all these perfectly imperfect book boyfriends... as a way to fend off disappointment from the real men out there...making it easy to accept when things don't work out. The plus about Annie is her deep belief in love. She may get stomped on emotionally, but will shake if off and leave her heart open to try again.
Our times with these two are fun, smexy and have a few moments of angst to balance. We have all the players from the past books in the series and they played a perfect roll in moving it along. This was a positive read and series... and I have for you my last Three Simple Words....
Read The Book!
The One That Got Away (The Kingston Ale House Series, #1) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Six Month Rule (Kingston Ale House, #2)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~
Oh, you clever author, you....
Drawing us in with the premise of a Bookshop Owner/Blogger...
A Brother's Best Friend who now just happens to be a Best Selling Author..
Then you couple it with their desire for each other too...
A.J. Pine...I cannot wait to see what you have in store for us now...
Three Simple Words (Kingston Ale House, #3) - October 17, 2016
A gifted copy was provided by Entangled Publishing, LLC via NetGalley for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
* * * * 1/2 Spoiler Free- It's Live
My three little words for this book are really quite easy to say...
Adored This Book!
A.J. Pine has a charming way of putting an idea on the page and then backing it up with a layered, touching story... with just enough snap, crackle and pop to entertain throughout the journey. It was like an "insider's nod" to the Romance community... touching on the readers themselves, bloggers, publishers and authors.
We have Annie Denning; she owns her own bookstore and runs a blog titled HappyEverAfter. There she discusses the books which have all the perfect Book Boyfriends and asks her readers to leave comments about what she talked about... Sound Familiar??? One of her most recent posts was about Playboys You Love to Hate... and Why You Love Them..
What Annie received in the comments from her dedicated readers was everything she hated...All of them fell for this character written by her brother's high school best friend, Wes Hartley...Oh, the unfairness of it all...He's a best selling Romance Author and he doesn't even to stick to the unwritten law of all romance books...Having an ending of Happily Ever After... DUH....
No, his "Hero" Ha! comes in and sweeps the women off their feet... giving them Amazing sexual experiences...ah hm of ALL KINDS... and then, once these women think they will be the one to help him see the light.... to see how happy he can be with them in a relationship...He leaves them!
That is not how it is supposed to go...Annie has lived, I mean, Read enough romance books to understand how things should work... In fact, since she was recently dumped due to asking her boyfriend if he would come to a wedding of dear friends, Annie has dug her heels and heart in to decide no man needed to escort her to the wedding. What was, though, a testament to Annie's soul was her continued belief in Happy Ever Afters in the Real world. All around her, there were those who were in love and they continued to prove this life's goal still can be attained.
Wes Hartley is having that new famous author problem...He is drawing a blank for his much needed second book. His first was something which had started long ago when in college... developing over time and becoming this wonder of a best seller. The essence of it had much of Wes' core... his past girlfriends had names changed with special touches or circumstances which rang true...All of his relationship life was never long lived...and most ended with everyone sort of friends...with the women wanting more than Wes was willing to give...but still happy with the memories....
Well, Wes was taped out...he enjoyed the signings, did the good son thing and used his advance to pay off his dad's mortgage...but that left him sort of on the edge...He was told he must get 50 pages to his agent/publisher in a week or else...His location for the past years of Manhattan wasn't working, so calling his best friend from years ago was what got him back in Chicago. Jeremy gave Wes a bit of hell for being so distant for so long... and then offered to let him stay in his second bedroom. He also worked it so Wes could earn some cash to tide him over at the Kingston Ale House.
This is a godsend as he just needs to have a place to focus and write...now if he could just figure out something to put down on paper...then he could breathe.
Annie's store is not exactly doing landslide business and her friend/employee Brynn has suggested an Author signing or event to stimulate traffic and sales. Even her brother is concerned for her...and when Wes arrives and starts to settle in with the room and job, Jeremy asks Wes to do a book signing for her. Wes understands what Jeremy is asking and agrees...Besides, Wes had a huge crush on the older sister when he was a freshman and she was a senior.
So almost against Annie's will, her book store is having the Famous Author come and do a reading/signing...and the blog erupts when the date and event is posted... Annie HATED his book...and now, it will probably generate more business than she has ever had...
Isn't that ironic!
It is at this successful event, Wes and Annie reconnect...She is stunned as to what this gangling freshman grew into ... and he is caught by surprise by how much he is still drawn to her. After the meet and greet, they both get into a conversation about his book and Annie firmly explains her belief in Love and HEA as a reality and he thinks it is a fantasy. He doesn't understand why it bothers him so much that Annie doesn't like his book... and when an opportunity to spend more time with her over the weekend at that wedding comes up... he suggests he go with her as her date.
This is how the ball gets rolling for their non relationship/relationship. Events happen at the wedding, feelings turn into actions and we are there to experience the roller coaster ride.
There is so much to enjoy with this story... our personal love of romance novels, the industry and blogs are used to draw us in...and then the man himself.
Wes is a confused person... his family life was such that he never really bonded with his dad... and his one big supporter, his mom... died before his success... leaving him adrift emotionally. He has had assumptions for years which have colored how he has seen relationships... He discovers through Annie... he is not dead inside... and has to understand it is ok to feel.
Annie goes through her own arc...she is this blatant romantic... yet she too has issues with commitment...she just doesn't know it...She holds up all these perfectly imperfect book boyfriends... as a way to fend off disappointment from the real men out there...making it easy to accept when things don't work out. The plus about Annie is her deep belief in love. She may get stomped on emotionally, but will shake if off and leave her heart open to try again.
Our times with these two are fun, smexy and have a few moments of angst to balance. We have all the players from the past books in the series and they played a perfect roll in moving it along. This was a positive read and series... and I have for you my last Three Simple Words....
Read The Book!
The One That Got Away (The Kingston Ale House Series, #1) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... Six Month Rule (Kingston Ale House, #2)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~
Oh, you clever author, you....
Drawing us in with the premise of a Bookshop Owner/Blogger...
A Brother's Best Friend who now just happens to be a Best Selling Author..
Then you couple it with their desire for each other too...
A.J. Pine...I cannot wait to see what you have in store for us now...
Three Simple Words (Kingston Ale House, #3) - October 17, 2016
A gifted copy was provided by Entangled Publishing, LLC via NetGalley for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
October 26, 2016
4 Stars
“We keep doing what we started last night —in secret. No one has to know, and no one has to get hurt. You get inspired to write, and I get—well, I get to keep sharing my cider with you.”
Three Simple Words is a humorous and hot little ditty that utilizes one of my favorite romance tropes, the secret relationship with brother's bestie. Unlike the usual formulaic books that overrun my Amazon feed, this one contains a little twist in that her bro's bff is younger. And he's all grown up now.
Wes has had a crush on Abby since he was a scrawny high school freshman and she was a beautiful and sexy senior. After graduation, Wes took it upon himself to become a best-selling author and, as luck would have it, finally come into his manwhore super powers. When he gets the chance to help out Abby and also spend a little time with her, he jumps at the chance. If she also happens to notice he's a pheromone-producing hottie, well than all the better.
Abby loves a good romance, the happily ever after the ending the better. As the owner of a bookstore and creator of a successful romance book blog, Abby's immersed in all things romance on a daily basis. While the rest of the country's gone nuts over Wes' cross country love 'em and leave 'em tale, Abby HATES the fact the book omits the all important HEA.
So what happens when Abby and Wes decide to give into their mutual chemistry and put their philosophical relationship baggage aside in favor of some clandestine sexy times?
"And I get how important books are to you— to a lot of readers. But you were so caught up in seeing him as the guy in the book— instead of just, well, a guy.”
This book could've easily fallen into the cliche category, but A.J. Pine manages to keep it fresh by challenging what I was expecting from both Abby and Wes. Either are cookie cutter characters and I loved how their relationship managed to push them both out of their comfort zone. And thank gawd for realistic dialogue!
Three Simple Words can be read as a stand alone but I enjoyed this one enough to download the rest of the series.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
“We keep doing what we started last night —in secret. No one has to know, and no one has to get hurt. You get inspired to write, and I get—well, I get to keep sharing my cider with you.”
Three Simple Words is a humorous and hot little ditty that utilizes one of my favorite romance tropes, the secret relationship with brother's bestie. Unlike the usual formulaic books that overrun my Amazon feed, this one contains a little twist in that her bro's bff is younger. And he's all grown up now.
Wes has had a crush on Abby since he was a scrawny high school freshman and she was a beautiful and sexy senior. After graduation, Wes took it upon himself to become a best-selling author and, as luck would have it, finally come into his manwhore super powers. When he gets the chance to help out Abby and also spend a little time with her, he jumps at the chance. If she also happens to notice he's a pheromone-producing hottie, well than all the better.
Abby loves a good romance, the happily ever after the ending the better. As the owner of a bookstore and creator of a successful romance book blog, Abby's immersed in all things romance on a daily basis. While the rest of the country's gone nuts over Wes' cross country love 'em and leave 'em tale, Abby HATES the fact the book omits the all important HEA.
So what happens when Abby and Wes decide to give into their mutual chemistry and put their philosophical relationship baggage aside in favor of some clandestine sexy times?
"And I get how important books are to you— to a lot of readers. But you were so caught up in seeing him as the guy in the book— instead of just, well, a guy.”
This book could've easily fallen into the cliche category, but A.J. Pine manages to keep it fresh by challenging what I was expecting from both Abby and Wes. Either are cookie cutter characters and I loved how their relationship managed to push them both out of their comfort zone. And thank gawd for realistic dialogue!
Three Simple Words can be read as a stand alone but I enjoyed this one enough to download the rest of the series.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
October 19, 2016
Looking for a great, light, feel-good story? How about one that many of us can relate to? Then this is the book for you!!
I can't tell you how many times my mind and heart have been stuck in a book. Sometimes it takes a real long while for me to let the story go. And I have to admit that the female main character in this book reminded me of me. *shrugs* I love a tortured hero. Or one who truly believes that love just ain't in his cards. And I absolutely love watching him get knocked on his ass by the one woman he can't seem to resist!
Introducing Wes and Annie. Annie owns a bookstore and runs a blog titled "Happy Ever After". Her hopes, dreams and ideals about love come from romance novels and she can't find her HEA in real life. Wes is a newly successful author of a romance novel that isn't really romantic. He also happens to be Annie's younger brother's best friend. He believes that true love and HEAs ONLY belong in fiction. And yet, when these two start a mutually beneficial "arrangement", their stances on love and happy endings lose traction.
It felt surreal to read about a character that thought so much like me. I could easily put myself in Annie's shoes but it wasn't difficult to do the same with Wes. I adored both characters. They made me smile, cheer, laugh, giggle, grin, slap my forehead in frustration, but ultimately, they made me love them.
To quote the author: "Thank you, Annie and Wes, for showing us that love can conquer all and that happy endings are just the beginning."
Although part of a series, this book can definitely be read as a standalone. Fair warning: once you read it, I'm sure you'll be just as interested in the other books as I am.
I can't tell you how many times my mind and heart have been stuck in a book. Sometimes it takes a real long while for me to let the story go. And I have to admit that the female main character in this book reminded me of me. *shrugs* I love a tortured hero. Or one who truly believes that love just ain't in his cards. And I absolutely love watching him get knocked on his ass by the one woman he can't seem to resist!
Introducing Wes and Annie. Annie owns a bookstore and runs a blog titled "Happy Ever After". Her hopes, dreams and ideals about love come from romance novels and she can't find her HEA in real life. Wes is a newly successful author of a romance novel that isn't really romantic. He also happens to be Annie's younger brother's best friend. He believes that true love and HEAs ONLY belong in fiction. And yet, when these two start a mutually beneficial "arrangement", their stances on love and happy endings lose traction.
It felt surreal to read about a character that thought so much like me. I could easily put myself in Annie's shoes but it wasn't difficult to do the same with Wes. I adored both characters. They made me smile, cheer, laugh, giggle, grin, slap my forehead in frustration, but ultimately, they made me love them.
To quote the author: "Thank you, Annie and Wes, for showing us that love can conquer all and that happy endings are just the beginning."
Although part of a series, this book can definitely be read as a standalone. Fair warning: once you read it, I'm sure you'll be just as interested in the other books as I am.
October 15, 2016
I have a whole heap of gushing to unload here, so where would you like me to start? The adorable, laugh-out-loud banter, perhaps? The unexpectedly heartwarming Wizard of Oz references, maybe? The love letter to romance books craftily blanketed in a…romance book? Or maybe the sparky, heated chemistry between Wes & Annie that lights up every page? You guys – all of those things are in this book and I freaking loved it so much.
It’s clever, and witty, and fun. I laughed so much more than I was expecting, and my eyes welled up with happy emotional tears at the fantastic ending. There were a couple spots (well, okay, maybe just one) that didn’t quite sit right for me, but that did not take away from my reader experience for more than the thirty seconds it took for me to move on and wrap myself back up in Wes & Annie’s swoony story.
And – Wes & Annie? Are amazing. I loved them both so crazy much. She’s plucky and sassy and strong. He’s all kindness and sweetness tucked within a thin tough outer shell. The book is short, so the pacing is fast, and some may take issue with how quickly things get resolved but it didn’t bother me. I completely bought the chemistry between Wes & Annie and I was 100% invested in their story. I loved each of them so much, and the two of them together was just…near perfection.
I also love that the whole gang is brought together here – and those of us who have been with the series from the beginning got a very satisfying update on Brynn & Jamie and Holly & Will. Also – some teasers about what’s coming in Jeremy’s story and – AHHHHH! I cannot wait for Jeremy’s story!
With Three Simple Words, I think that the Kingston Ale House series has officially hit its stride. I mean, I’ve enjoyed the other two books in the series so far, but this one? This one was like next level shit for me. I was completely captivated by it, smiling dopily in all the places where I wasn’t fighting tears or aching for these beautiful, wonderfully imperfect characters. This was definitely my favorite of the series so far, and definitely one that is not to be missed! ~ Shelly, 4.5 stars
It’s clever, and witty, and fun. I laughed so much more than I was expecting, and my eyes welled up with happy emotional tears at the fantastic ending. There were a couple spots (well, okay, maybe just one) that didn’t quite sit right for me, but that did not take away from my reader experience for more than the thirty seconds it took for me to move on and wrap myself back up in Wes & Annie’s swoony story.
And – Wes & Annie? Are amazing. I loved them both so crazy much. She’s plucky and sassy and strong. He’s all kindness and sweetness tucked within a thin tough outer shell. The book is short, so the pacing is fast, and some may take issue with how quickly things get resolved but it didn’t bother me. I completely bought the chemistry between Wes & Annie and I was 100% invested in their story. I loved each of them so much, and the two of them together was just…near perfection.
I also love that the whole gang is brought together here – and those of us who have been with the series from the beginning got a very satisfying update on Brynn & Jamie and Holly & Will. Also – some teasers about what’s coming in Jeremy’s story and – AHHHHH! I cannot wait for Jeremy’s story!
With Three Simple Words, I think that the Kingston Ale House series has officially hit its stride. I mean, I’ve enjoyed the other two books in the series so far, but this one? This one was like next level shit for me. I was completely captivated by it, smiling dopily in all the places where I wasn’t fighting tears or aching for these beautiful, wonderfully imperfect characters. This was definitely my favorite of the series so far, and definitely one that is not to be missed! ~ Shelly, 4.5 stars
October 17, 2016
ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
Once upon a time. Immediately, once you hear the beginning of this phrase, you automatically think of that ending, “And they live happily ever after.” Right? No one wants to read a romance story that ends open ended or tragically. So what happens when you have a romance writer who doesn’t believe in happily ever afters?
“He loved her now with every pulse of his blood through his veins. But was love supposed to wreck you this hard so soon after figuring out you were capable of the emotion in the first place? If that was the case, fuck it. Maybe he was better off before.”
Well, you get a sweet enchanting love story where a book blogger and book shop owner shows that you don’t automatically get that happily ever afters but instead you have to believe and write your own ending. And between the pages, you get to fill it with all the romance and happiness that love brings.
Wes is a bestselling romance author. He writes books that has steam and would make any women blush while reading his book but there is always something missing in his stories. You guessed it…The Happily Ever After. When Wes’s publishing house demands Wes to send in more pages of his work in progress, Wes is in a slump. The words are not coming out and all he sees are blank pages. And so when Wes decides to go back home, he runs into Annie, his best friend’s sister.
Annie is a book blogger and book shop owner. She is well aware of Wes’s success as an author but she is not a big fan of his book. His stories don’t have that happily ever after ending that she craves. All his stories ends with happily for now. And so of course when you get an author and a book shop owner discussing about romance tropes and HEAs vs. HFN, you get an inevitable unexpected love story in the making.
Annie and Wes are the perfect match in every sense of the word. The chemistry is there. They just need help putting pen to paper in order to fill in the pages. So can a romance author write his own happily ever after? Or will he have to settle with a happily for now?
“Every time with you is like starting over,” he said. “Because each touch reminds me how lucky I am that I didn’t scare you away— how grateful I am that you fought for us.” He kissed her again, this time more insistent. “I love you.” Another kiss.”
Three Simple Words is a clever, witty, smart, fun and a fresh spin to a love story. I love the premise of this book as A.J. Pines wrote a story that deals with a romance author and a book blogger. So yes, you can definitely expect lots of banter and discussion on tropes, readers and the never ending question of HEA vs. HFN. This book can most definitely be read as a standalone although AJ Pine does sprinkle in past characters into the mix. As far as the writing, characters and story line, AJ Pine delivered a sweet and enjoyable love story. So if you are looking for a romance that blends sass, humor, and of course that best friend’s sister trope into a lighthearted and entertaining read then Three Simple Words is the book for you. I guess I can leave you with three simple words as well: Just Read It.
A.J. Pine
Once upon a time. Immediately, once you hear the beginning of this phrase, you automatically think of that ending, “And they live happily ever after.” Right? No one wants to read a romance story that ends open ended or tragically. So what happens when you have a romance writer who doesn’t believe in happily ever afters?
“He loved her now with every pulse of his blood through his veins. But was love supposed to wreck you this hard so soon after figuring out you were capable of the emotion in the first place? If that was the case, fuck it. Maybe he was better off before.”Well, you get a sweet enchanting love story where a book blogger and book shop owner shows that you don’t automatically get that happily ever afters but instead you have to believe and write your own ending. And between the pages, you get to fill it with all the romance and happiness that love brings.
Wes is a bestselling romance author. He writes books that has steam and would make any women blush while reading his book but there is always something missing in his stories. You guessed it…The Happily Ever After. When Wes’s publishing house demands Wes to send in more pages of his work in progress, Wes is in a slump. The words are not coming out and all he sees are blank pages. And so when Wes decides to go back home, he runs into Annie, his best friend’s sister.
Annie is a book blogger and book shop owner. She is well aware of Wes’s success as an author but she is not a big fan of his book. His stories don’t have that happily ever after ending that she craves. All his stories ends with happily for now. And so of course when you get an author and a book shop owner discussing about romance tropes and HEAs vs. HFN, you get an inevitable unexpected love story in the making.
Annie and Wes are the perfect match in every sense of the word. The chemistry is there. They just need help putting pen to paper in order to fill in the pages. So can a romance author write his own happily ever after? Or will he have to settle with a happily for now?
“Every time with you is like starting over,” he said. “Because each touch reminds me how lucky I am that I didn’t scare you away— how grateful I am that you fought for us.” He kissed her again, this time more insistent. “I love you.” Another kiss.”Three Simple Words is a clever, witty, smart, fun and a fresh spin to a love story. I love the premise of this book as A.J. Pines wrote a story that deals with a romance author and a book blogger. So yes, you can definitely expect lots of banter and discussion on tropes, readers and the never ending question of HEA vs. HFN. This book can most definitely be read as a standalone although AJ Pine does sprinkle in past characters into the mix. As far as the writing, characters and story line, AJ Pine delivered a sweet and enjoyable love story. So if you are looking for a romance that blends sass, humor, and of course that best friend’s sister trope into a lighthearted and entertaining read then Three Simple Words is the book for you. I guess I can leave you with three simple words as well: Just Read It.
A.J. Pine
November 19, 2021
***2.75 Stars***
This book is cliched up the wazoo! Heroine who's an avid romance reader and wants her own fairytale, and a jaded hero who doesn't believe in happily ever afters. Any cliche you can think of based on that premise is most likely in this book.
THANKFULLY, there's not much of a cat and mouse game when it comes to these two. Wes realizes fairly quickly that his high school crush on Annie has stayed just as strong all these years later and that there's something special between them. And Annie isn't as stubborn as she could have been with pushing for her romantic movie.
I really could have done without the romance readers who ogle the hot, male author and assume that he shares all the sexual characteristics and skills as his heroes and proceed to ask him inapporpriate questions about it. NOT COOL. Not cool for men to do it to female authors, and not cool the other way around.
I probably would have liked this more if it wasn't so cliched and cheesy, especially given how much I enjoyed the first two books in this series. Oh well, can't win them all.
**************************************
I read this as part of my "Get Your Shit Together and Read What's on Your Bookshelves!" project.
October 18, 2016
Annie is a bookshop owner and romance blogger. She believes in happily ever after and knows she will get hers someday. Wes is a romance author who doesn't believe in happily ever after. He's the confirmed bachelor who writes about confirmed bachelors. He's also Annie's brothers best friend who just so happened to have a huge crush on Annie when they were kids.
This book felt like I was reading a romance novel inside a romance novel. You got the player trope and the brothers best friend trope. Add in the heroine who believes she can change the player and show him he can love after all while hiding their relationship from the brother. It was pretty comical to read a romance novel while the hero and heroine are arguing whether life is like romance novels. It was well written and yes, we do get a HEA. There is a bit of other women drama with all the real life woman the hero based his book on but there is no cheating. ARC provided by NetGalley.
This book felt like I was reading a romance novel inside a romance novel. You got the player trope and the brothers best friend trope. Add in the heroine who believes she can change the player and show him he can love after all while hiding their relationship from the brother. It was pretty comical to read a romance novel while the hero and heroine are arguing whether life is like romance novels. It was well written and yes, we do get a HEA. There is a bit of other women drama with all the real life woman the hero based his book on but there is no cheating. ARC provided by NetGalley.
December 27, 2016
Slick's review
4.5 stars
I somehow missed the release of Three Simple Words by A.J. Pine, but as soon as I realized it I jumped up and bought it because I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in The Kingston Ale House Series and this one did not disappoint. A bestselling author whose book is being touted as a romance and whose hero is somewhat autobiographical returns to Chicago hoping to get rid of his writer's block and pen his next bestseller. What he doesn't expect is that his high school best friend's sister who by the way HATED his book turns out to be his muse unlike any other he's had before. Three Simple Words was intelligent, fun and sexy, but it was also about letting go and realizing that sometimes your idea of a perfect life can change when you find the right person.
Wes Hartley is riding high on his success as a best-selling author and enjoying the resurgence as his book hits the shelf in paperback, but Wes is struggling with writer's block and his next deadline has come and gone. He knows he's on borrowed time so after a successful tour, he heads "home" to Chicago, to reconnect with his best friend from high school and hopefully find some inspiration.
Annie is a firm believer in Happily Ever After and spends her days happily in her bookstore, Two Stories, and her evenings reading the romance she believes in and blogging about it. When her little brother's best friend comes back to town and agrees to do a book singing in her shop at the request of her brother, who is she to say no even where she despises the book, because her store needs the business, she just never expected the 14 year old boy that use to play video games in her family home to be the hot man standing in her store.
I enjoyed watching Annie try not to like Wes and Wes trying to convince Annie that his book was more realistic than the romances she loves. They were never really antagonistic; in fact the attraction between them was strong from the start. I admired that Wes tried to abide by his friend's wishes and not make Annie "research" for his next book, but she was determined to enjoy herself and knew going in there could never be more than a friends with benefits type arrangement. Wes realizing that Annie sparked his creativity, that she believe in his writing even if she didn't like the way his book ended was a crucial moment in their relationship as was Annie realizing that Wes' problems with relationships were much deeper than she ever expected. I liked these two together, I think they balanced each other nicely and I think they brought out very different sides of each other, something they both were surprised to see.
Wes had some really great lines, something Annie thought were "just lines," but it became evident that she brought out his sweet and sensitive side just as much as he brought out her sexy, seductive side.
Each book in this series has been really different, each couple taking a different kind of journey to get to their happily ever after; but I've loved them all and Three Simple Words was an extraordinary addition to this series.
4.5 stars
I somehow missed the release of Three Simple Words by A.J. Pine, but as soon as I realized it I jumped up and bought it because I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in The Kingston Ale House Series and this one did not disappoint. A bestselling author whose book is being touted as a romance and whose hero is somewhat autobiographical returns to Chicago hoping to get rid of his writer's block and pen his next bestseller. What he doesn't expect is that his high school best friend's sister who by the way HATED his book turns out to be his muse unlike any other he's had before. Three Simple Words was intelligent, fun and sexy, but it was also about letting go and realizing that sometimes your idea of a perfect life can change when you find the right person.
Wes Hartley is riding high on his success as a best-selling author and enjoying the resurgence as his book hits the shelf in paperback, but Wes is struggling with writer's block and his next deadline has come and gone. He knows he's on borrowed time so after a successful tour, he heads "home" to Chicago, to reconnect with his best friend from high school and hopefully find some inspiration.
Annie is a firm believer in Happily Ever After and spends her days happily in her bookstore, Two Stories, and her evenings reading the romance she believes in and blogging about it. When her little brother's best friend comes back to town and agrees to do a book singing in her shop at the request of her brother, who is she to say no even where she despises the book, because her store needs the business, she just never expected the 14 year old boy that use to play video games in her family home to be the hot man standing in her store.
I enjoyed watching Annie try not to like Wes and Wes trying to convince Annie that his book was more realistic than the romances she loves. They were never really antagonistic; in fact the attraction between them was strong from the start. I admired that Wes tried to abide by his friend's wishes and not make Annie "research" for his next book, but she was determined to enjoy herself and knew going in there could never be more than a friends with benefits type arrangement. Wes realizing that Annie sparked his creativity, that she believe in his writing even if she didn't like the way his book ended was a crucial moment in their relationship as was Annie realizing that Wes' problems with relationships were much deeper than she ever expected. I liked these two together, I think they balanced each other nicely and I think they brought out very different sides of each other, something they both were surprised to see.
Wes had some really great lines, something Annie thought were "just lines," but it became evident that she brought out his sweet and sensitive side just as much as he brought out her sexy, seductive side.
Each book in this series has been really different, each couple taking a different kind of journey to get to their happily ever after; but I've loved them all and Three Simple Words was an extraordinary addition to this series.
December 30, 2016
This review appears at All About Romance: http://allaboutromance.com/book-revie...
Three Simple Words is the third story in the Kingston Ale House series, and is a fun look at the world of romance authors and bloggers, plus a sibling’s best friend trope romance (one of my favourites). The first in the series, The One That Got Away, is an okay read, but didn’t knock my socks off. The second, Six Month Rule, on the other hand, is one of my favorite reads of 2016. So I had high hopes for this one as well, and am pleased to say that it’s another winner.
Annie runs a small bookshop and has a romance book blog. Her younger brother Jeremy’s best friend Wes has landed himself in the spotlight with his story of Ethan, the man who loves ‘em and leaves ‘em in a story without a happy ending. ‘Not a romance!’ cries Annie on her blog, hating the story for getting all the publicity in the field where the happy ending should be sacred. Financially though, her store could use some help and having a book signing by the now famous Wes would definitely put it in the public eye. Wes is happy to help out his friend’s sister, a woman he had a crush on when he was younger. As adults, they meet as equals and to Annie’s chagrin, she finds herself attracted to Wes even as she despises his book. One favour leads to another, then leads to the bedroom where a heated affair begins. But is Wes just like the character in his book, ready to walk away without commitment? Or will he man up and admit that his feelings for Annie are deeper than he’s let on?
This is a fun and timely story that combines the current controversy facing the romance world over the ‘non-traditional romance’ with a sexy and lighthearted story that nonetheless contains some emotional scenes. We get the viewpoint of a successful author who has had a hit with his first novel but is struggling to come up with a second one. I particularly like that it’s a male author featured here, and the stress Wes is under to produce a second manuscript (with constant reminders from his agent to send in those first few chapters) I’m sure will resonate with most authors out there. Plus, Wes’s first book has been so well received that there is the possibility of a movie deal, but again it’s contingent on his second book doing as well as the first. Writer’s block is real and Wes’s struggles are both financial (having already spent the advance for his second book) and emotional. This is what leads him to stay with his friend Jeremy while he sorts things out, and brings him back into Annie’s life.
Annie’s blog is a delight, with the questions she poses to her readers resulting in multiple comments that will feel familiar to anyone who follows blogs on a regular basis. Wes’s fans clearly love Ethan’s character and the fact that Wes himself is an attractive man certainly doesn’t hurt. The signing Wes has in Annie’s bookshop brings in the sales she needs and opens the door to more ideas for future author signings, with Wes offering to use his contacts to secure some deals for her. But she’s torn about using his fame for her benefit when it’s come about because of a book she feels is a betrayal of the romance genre.
Wes’s reluctance to commit to women stems from his grief over his mother’s death, and he finds it easier to have one night stands than to contemplate a long term relationship that could end as his parents relationship ended. He turned those experiences into his bestselling story, blending fact with fiction. Annie quickly figures out that there is some truth to this fiction when they keep bumping into women who ended up as ‘chapters’ in Wes’s book in some humorous scenes. Their agreement to a friends-with-benefits arrangement definitely comes with some decent benefits, as the sexual encounters in Wes’s book turn out not to be exaggerations, to Annie’s ultimate delight. But it’s not long before she’s falling for him despite believing it’s not going to end up the way she wants, even as she doesn’t realize that Wes is also struggling with his deeper feelings for her. Annie becomes Wes’s muse, his writer’s block giving way to a flood of words, though his second story definitely takes a different shape than the first. The question is whether the book will be a commercial success if Ethan is no longer the playboy he once was. There is some small discussion at first about their age difference since Annie is a few years older than Wes but it isn’t dwelled upon. There’s also some of the requisite ‘don’t fool around with my sister’ conversations between Wes and Jeremy and as expected in most best friend sibling romance books this results in some conflict between them in the second half of the story. Annie’s desire to keep their affair hidden is bound to have consequences and they are fairly predictable bumps in the road to their happy ending.
Because this is the third book in the series, we get some cameo scenes featuring the other established couples, plus enough single characters (like Annie’s brother Jeremy) to give a hint as to what’s to come. The brewery’s purpose in this story is to serve as a meeting place for the gang so the beer making industry takes a back seat. The timely look at what happens behind the scenes in the romance industry is the real draw of Three Simple Words and the sexy romance between Wes and Annie is the icing on the cake.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review
Three Simple Words is the third story in the Kingston Ale House series, and is a fun look at the world of romance authors and bloggers, plus a sibling’s best friend trope romance (one of my favourites). The first in the series, The One That Got Away, is an okay read, but didn’t knock my socks off. The second, Six Month Rule, on the other hand, is one of my favorite reads of 2016. So I had high hopes for this one as well, and am pleased to say that it’s another winner.
Annie runs a small bookshop and has a romance book blog. Her younger brother Jeremy’s best friend Wes has landed himself in the spotlight with his story of Ethan, the man who loves ‘em and leaves ‘em in a story without a happy ending. ‘Not a romance!’ cries Annie on her blog, hating the story for getting all the publicity in the field where the happy ending should be sacred. Financially though, her store could use some help and having a book signing by the now famous Wes would definitely put it in the public eye. Wes is happy to help out his friend’s sister, a woman he had a crush on when he was younger. As adults, they meet as equals and to Annie’s chagrin, she finds herself attracted to Wes even as she despises his book. One favour leads to another, then leads to the bedroom where a heated affair begins. But is Wes just like the character in his book, ready to walk away without commitment? Or will he man up and admit that his feelings for Annie are deeper than he’s let on?
This is a fun and timely story that combines the current controversy facing the romance world over the ‘non-traditional romance’ with a sexy and lighthearted story that nonetheless contains some emotional scenes. We get the viewpoint of a successful author who has had a hit with his first novel but is struggling to come up with a second one. I particularly like that it’s a male author featured here, and the stress Wes is under to produce a second manuscript (with constant reminders from his agent to send in those first few chapters) I’m sure will resonate with most authors out there. Plus, Wes’s first book has been so well received that there is the possibility of a movie deal, but again it’s contingent on his second book doing as well as the first. Writer’s block is real and Wes’s struggles are both financial (having already spent the advance for his second book) and emotional. This is what leads him to stay with his friend Jeremy while he sorts things out, and brings him back into Annie’s life.
Annie’s blog is a delight, with the questions she poses to her readers resulting in multiple comments that will feel familiar to anyone who follows blogs on a regular basis. Wes’s fans clearly love Ethan’s character and the fact that Wes himself is an attractive man certainly doesn’t hurt. The signing Wes has in Annie’s bookshop brings in the sales she needs and opens the door to more ideas for future author signings, with Wes offering to use his contacts to secure some deals for her. But she’s torn about using his fame for her benefit when it’s come about because of a book she feels is a betrayal of the romance genre.
Wes’s reluctance to commit to women stems from his grief over his mother’s death, and he finds it easier to have one night stands than to contemplate a long term relationship that could end as his parents relationship ended. He turned those experiences into his bestselling story, blending fact with fiction. Annie quickly figures out that there is some truth to this fiction when they keep bumping into women who ended up as ‘chapters’ in Wes’s book in some humorous scenes. Their agreement to a friends-with-benefits arrangement definitely comes with some decent benefits, as the sexual encounters in Wes’s book turn out not to be exaggerations, to Annie’s ultimate delight. But it’s not long before she’s falling for him despite believing it’s not going to end up the way she wants, even as she doesn’t realize that Wes is also struggling with his deeper feelings for her. Annie becomes Wes’s muse, his writer’s block giving way to a flood of words, though his second story definitely takes a different shape than the first. The question is whether the book will be a commercial success if Ethan is no longer the playboy he once was. There is some small discussion at first about their age difference since Annie is a few years older than Wes but it isn’t dwelled upon. There’s also some of the requisite ‘don’t fool around with my sister’ conversations between Wes and Jeremy and as expected in most best friend sibling romance books this results in some conflict between them in the second half of the story. Annie’s desire to keep their affair hidden is bound to have consequences and they are fairly predictable bumps in the road to their happy ending.
Because this is the third book in the series, we get some cameo scenes featuring the other established couples, plus enough single characters (like Annie’s brother Jeremy) to give a hint as to what’s to come. The brewery’s purpose in this story is to serve as a meeting place for the gang so the beer making industry takes a back seat. The timely look at what happens behind the scenes in the romance industry is the real draw of Three Simple Words and the sexy romance between Wes and Annie is the icing on the cake.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review
October 18, 2016
awesome... really love Annie and Wes...
Now that's what I call a couple made in heaven! A writer and a book addict. What could go wrong, wright? That's what we all could think about Annie and Wes, but the truth is very different.
I was, once again, one of the lucky bloggers who could read this story before it came out to the major public. This book is the third one of Kingston Alle House serie and like the previous two it was a privilege to read it.
Wes and Annie have known each other since they were very young, from the time that Wes was Jeremy's best friend, her younger brother. The fact was that Wes was three years younger than she and for that, she never paid him to much attention. He was only the brat that was her brother's friend, that spent his afternoons in their home playing videogames. What no one ever knew was the adolescent passion that Wes had for her. He dreamed of her all the time and could not, or dared to declare it to her, because, come on, he was younger than her. She was out of his league.
Complete Review
http://sinfoniadoslivros.blogspot.pt/...
Now that's what I call a couple made in heaven! A writer and a book addict. What could go wrong, wright? That's what we all could think about Annie and Wes, but the truth is very different.
I was, once again, one of the lucky bloggers who could read this story before it came out to the major public. This book is the third one of Kingston Alle House serie and like the previous two it was a privilege to read it.
Wes and Annie have known each other since they were very young, from the time that Wes was Jeremy's best friend, her younger brother. The fact was that Wes was three years younger than she and for that, she never paid him to much attention. He was only the brat that was her brother's friend, that spent his afternoons in their home playing videogames. What no one ever knew was the adolescent passion that Wes had for her. He dreamed of her all the time and could not, or dared to declare it to her, because, come on, he was younger than her. She was out of his league.
Complete Review
http://sinfoniadoslivros.blogspot.pt/...
September 28, 2016
ARC received for review
I haven't read the first two books, but this was a stand-alone and I wasn't lost at all. For those of you have read the first two, you'll be happy to know that the previous couples make multiple appearances.
Now,I love that Wes is a romance author and afraid of a HEA. Annie is a bookstore owner and sister to Wes' high school BFF and loves all kinds of HEAs. I enjoyed their romance and the heat they created when they were together. His nickname for her was great, she is his Emerald City.
What dropped it a star...their parents. He's been estranged from his father for years, actually pretty much his whole life, and it's all resolved in an afternoon. I don't think so. Then there's her really messed up parents who you think are okay, but boy was that a secret.
I haven't read the first two books, but this was a stand-alone and I wasn't lost at all. For those of you have read the first two, you'll be happy to know that the previous couples make multiple appearances.
Now,I love that Wes is a romance author and afraid of a HEA. Annie is a bookstore owner and sister to Wes' high school BFF and loves all kinds of HEAs. I enjoyed their romance and the heat they created when they were together. His nickname for her was great, she is his Emerald City.
What dropped it a star...their parents. He's been estranged from his father for years, actually pretty much his whole life, and it's all resolved in an afternoon. I don't think so. Then there's her really messed up parents who you think are okay, but boy was that a secret.
October 19, 2016
4 stars
Three Simple Words was a fun, sexy & sweet read.
I really enjoyed watching Annie and Wes together, they made me laugh, they frustrated me and they made my heart swoon.
A.J. Pine has once again given her readers a well written, enjoyable read with relatable and likable characters that will entertain you and leave you with a heart full of love.
Three Simple Words is a wonderful addition to the Kingston Ale House series, each book can be read as a standalone and I highly recommend them all.
Purchase Links ~
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2e7j1j9
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2dF92xZ
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2e7fW2t
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2eaI1Do
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2dWPc71
B&N: http://bit.ly/2ehNmYX
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2esJgSy
iBooks: http://apple.co/2e4a4WG
*Thank you to Entangled, Select via Netgalley for the advance copy.
Three Simple Words was a fun, sexy & sweet read.
I really enjoyed watching Annie and Wes together, they made me laugh, they frustrated me and they made my heart swoon.
A.J. Pine has once again given her readers a well written, enjoyable read with relatable and likable characters that will entertain you and leave you with a heart full of love.
Three Simple Words is a wonderful addition to the Kingston Ale House series, each book can be read as a standalone and I highly recommend them all.
Purchase Links ~
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2e7j1j9
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2dF92xZ
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2e7fW2t
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2eaI1Do
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2dWPc71
B&N: http://bit.ly/2ehNmYX
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2esJgSy
iBooks: http://apple.co/2e4a4WG
*Thank you to Entangled, Select via Netgalley for the advance copy.
October 12, 2016
4 sometimes fiction and reality are on in the same, sometimes fiction is just fiction stars. The story kicks off with the reader introduced to Annie and how much she doesn't like Wes's book. When Wes is finally introduced, he learns that Annie hates his book and that he can help her by hosting a signing at her book store if he can convince her. From the beginning the two characters are carved out and easy to like.
Annie loves books and reading, it's partially why she's a very happy book shop owner. She's a romance reader, has a blog where she discusses romance reads and is an extremely witty woman. She's hilarious but also has extremely high expectations when it comes to selecting a partner which is why she's single, it's hard matching up to fictional characters! She's older than Wes and when he's back in town she can't help but notice he grew up.
Wes can't seem to write and so decides to return home for some time to just get out of New York City. He's charming, slightly emotionally closed off and very much a fabulous writer. Wes always had a thing for Annie, she was his best friend's older sister, and she's literally his teenage dream. When he has the opportunity to spend more time with her, he makes it happen.
I think why I enjoyed the story so much was because within fiction, it blended fiction and the "real world." It was a clear take on the sister's best friend and mixed an age difference with a bit of a friends to lovers type of story. There was some serious heat, some conflict, some miscommunication and a evening out to yield the ultimate happy ending a romance novel needs. Overall, the read flowed well and the characters are easy to like.
Annie loves books and reading, it's partially why she's a very happy book shop owner. She's a romance reader, has a blog where she discusses romance reads and is an extremely witty woman. She's hilarious but also has extremely high expectations when it comes to selecting a partner which is why she's single, it's hard matching up to fictional characters! She's older than Wes and when he's back in town she can't help but notice he grew up.
Wes can't seem to write and so decides to return home for some time to just get out of New York City. He's charming, slightly emotionally closed off and very much a fabulous writer. Wes always had a thing for Annie, she was his best friend's older sister, and she's literally his teenage dream. When he has the opportunity to spend more time with her, he makes it happen.
I think why I enjoyed the story so much was because within fiction, it blended fiction and the "real world." It was a clear take on the sister's best friend and mixed an age difference with a bit of a friends to lovers type of story. There was some serious heat, some conflict, some miscommunication and a evening out to yield the ultimate happy ending a romance novel needs. Overall, the read flowed well and the characters are easy to like.
November 6, 2016
This is a delightful romance where Annie is a bookseller and blogger who believes in the possibility of meeting the love of her life and achieving her own happily ever after. Wes is three years younger, was the teen best friend of her brother, Jeremy, and has written a best selling novel which concerns the romantic liaisons of a fictitious character who does not believe in any HEA being possible. When these two meet, they're seriously attracted to each other but he doesn't want to upset his best friend or break the bro code by having a soon to be ended relationship with Annie. However, fate may have other plans!
This is a great novel to escape into, with a well developed plot and characters who are brilliantly portrayed, easy to relate to and to empathise with. I really appreciate how this author describes settings and interactions so it seems like you are actually witnessing them, bringing them to vivid life in the imagination of the reader. I totally agree with what the author says in her acknowledgements where she describes this as "a love letter to romance. . . . Showing us that love can conquer all and happy endings are just the beginning."
I have no hesitation in highly recommending this to anyone who enjoys escaping into a well crafted contemporary romance written by a skilled wordsmith.
I was gifted an ARC of this novel via NetGalley with no obligation or requirement. This is my honest review after choosing to read the ARC.
This is a great novel to escape into, with a well developed plot and characters who are brilliantly portrayed, easy to relate to and to empathise with. I really appreciate how this author describes settings and interactions so it seems like you are actually witnessing them, bringing them to vivid life in the imagination of the reader. I totally agree with what the author says in her acknowledgements where she describes this as "a love letter to romance. . . . Showing us that love can conquer all and happy endings are just the beginning."
I have no hesitation in highly recommending this to anyone who enjoys escaping into a well crafted contemporary romance written by a skilled wordsmith.
I was gifted an ARC of this novel via NetGalley with no obligation or requirement. This is my honest review after choosing to read the ARC.
November 9, 2016
i had really hoped I would enjoy this one, but sadly i was so annoyed with the heroine that i just couldnt enjoy it. sadly this is not one i plan to read again nor recommend.
October 18, 2016
Gosh, what a fan-freaking-tastic read! 5 stars all the way. This story had so many tropes that I love, switched up in ways that made it unique and totally captivating. This story put my head and heart in such a good space. As I finished it late last night, I felt a blanket of warm-fuzzies surround me and left with perma-grin.
What makes all this work are 2 magnetic characters, Wes Hartley and Annie "HappyEverAfter" Denning. Each come to the table with relationship or non-relationship baggage which, as expected, create a bit of conflict. But these two also have amazing chemistry - an off the charts connection that's communicated through flirty and playful banter. Wes pours on his charm and wit while Annie's confidence and ability to roll with it opens up the possibility of a them.
Pine's writing is stellar and this story is so well plotted and executed. Wes Hartly returns home to Chicago as a writer experiencing block after great success with his debut novel. Annie, his best friends' older sister, owns a bookstore which leads Wes to agree to do a signing there. Never mind that Annie hates Wes' book. But once they are in each others orbits, there is simply nothing holding them back...well, until there is. But the angst isn't the type that will frustrate the reader and that I attribute to Pine's wonderful writing.
There are so many great nuances in the story line. Starting with Wes; his semi autographic anti-love story, his high school crush on Annie, his promise to Jeremy (Annie's brother), the strained relationship he has with his father, and his bout of "writers block". As for Annie, well she has this wonderful book blog that she uses to validate her feelings about love and happy ever afters. She doesn't really need to defend her position on HEA's to Wes, but goads her on and makes it sort of a challenge. Yes she does work to show Wes what it is & what it can look like. She's such a genuine character with a quirks and a passion for life. What I love is how Wes treats her. It's unique to her (which is sad) but it does a lot to bolster how she feels and her willingness to take a chance. I just found her to be a bit of fresh air. As hinted, they are surrounded by a great cast of secondary characters that incite a fair amount of the story line and how Wes and Annie interact.
This is the 3rd book in the series but the first by AJ Pine that I've read. I realized early into the book that she could easily join the ranks of go-to authors for a sweet, sexy, smart and fun romance story. By the mid point, it was confirmed. I highly recommend this book and rate it as a sure thing 5 #EmeraldCity Star read.
*I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
What makes all this work are 2 magnetic characters, Wes Hartley and Annie "HappyEverAfter" Denning. Each come to the table with relationship or non-relationship baggage which, as expected, create a bit of conflict. But these two also have amazing chemistry - an off the charts connection that's communicated through flirty and playful banter. Wes pours on his charm and wit while Annie's confidence and ability to roll with it opens up the possibility of a them.
Pine's writing is stellar and this story is so well plotted and executed. Wes Hartly returns home to Chicago as a writer experiencing block after great success with his debut novel. Annie, his best friends' older sister, owns a bookstore which leads Wes to agree to do a signing there. Never mind that Annie hates Wes' book. But once they are in each others orbits, there is simply nothing holding them back...well, until there is. But the angst isn't the type that will frustrate the reader and that I attribute to Pine's wonderful writing.
There are so many great nuances in the story line. Starting with Wes; his semi autographic anti-love story, his high school crush on Annie, his promise to Jeremy (Annie's brother), the strained relationship he has with his father, and his bout of "writers block". As for Annie, well she has this wonderful book blog that she uses to validate her feelings about love and happy ever afters. She doesn't really need to defend her position on HEA's to Wes, but goads her on and makes it sort of a challenge. Yes she does work to show Wes what it is & what it can look like. She's such a genuine character with a quirks and a passion for life. What I love is how Wes treats her. It's unique to her (which is sad) but it does a lot to bolster how she feels and her willingness to take a chance. I just found her to be a bit of fresh air. As hinted, they are surrounded by a great cast of secondary characters that incite a fair amount of the story line and how Wes and Annie interact.
This is the 3rd book in the series but the first by AJ Pine that I've read. I realized early into the book that she could easily join the ranks of go-to authors for a sweet, sexy, smart and fun romance story. By the mid point, it was confirmed. I highly recommend this book and rate it as a sure thing 5 #EmeraldCity Star read.
*I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
October 17, 2016
4 stars
AJ Pine has created a book basically about a book, and it was awesome.
This book was different and I liked it. AJ Pine's writing style is fresh and unique. This book grabbed my attention from the first page.
Wes and Annie were adorable. I loved how loyal Annie was to books having a Happy Ending. I also loved the discussions she had on her blog. I must say that she put ideas in my head about doing something simular.
I enjoyed this book and definitely recommend anyone reading this review to give this book a read. Can not wait to give other books by AJ Pine a read.
AJ Pine has created a book basically about a book, and it was awesome.
This book was different and I liked it. AJ Pine's writing style is fresh and unique. This book grabbed my attention from the first page.
Wes and Annie were adorable. I loved how loyal Annie was to books having a Happy Ending. I also loved the discussions she had on her blog. I must say that she put ideas in my head about doing something simular.
I enjoyed this book and definitely recommend anyone reading this review to give this book a read. Can not wait to give other books by AJ Pine a read.
October 5, 2016
*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review.*
Third book in the Kingston Ale series but can be read as a standalone.
To sum it up I love this book, not so much in the beginning but in the end WOW!!!
In the beginning I thought it could have had more feelings written in to it, for example when Wes kisses Annie for the first time I felt like it could have been anyone he kissed not his crush from the past........... No offence for the authors writing style because I loved how fun and easygoing it is. It was the lack of colourful described feelings I missed. But then again halfway through the book I got to read about a kiss that gave me goosebumps and my heart racing.
{Because magic is real!}
The storyline is great and I loved the blog posts and comments which was small interludes that in a way kept the story together.
This was a story about misunderstood feelings and loss that can tear people apart from each other. The feelings I had been missing came halfway in the book as I mentioned before and then they really came.
Also.......a book about a girl that's a book addict and has all this t-shirts with funny words about books on, and a guy who writes books......what's not to like❤️
Third book in the Kingston Ale series but can be read as a standalone.
To sum it up I love this book, not so much in the beginning but in the end WOW!!!
In the beginning I thought it could have had more feelings written in to it, for example when Wes kisses Annie for the first time I felt like it could have been anyone he kissed not his crush from the past........... No offence for the authors writing style because I loved how fun and easygoing it is. It was the lack of colourful described feelings I missed. But then again halfway through the book I got to read about a kiss that gave me goosebumps and my heart racing.
{Because magic is real!}
The storyline is great and I loved the blog posts and comments which was small interludes that in a way kept the story together.
This was a story about misunderstood feelings and loss that can tear people apart from each other. The feelings I had been missing came halfway in the book as I mentioned before and then they really came.
Also.......a book about a girl that's a book addict and has all this t-shirts with funny words about books on, and a guy who writes books......what's not to like❤️
October 16, 2016
During a book signing, author Wes Harley notices a lovely woman, Annie Denning, who asks him questions. Wes is a best selling romance novel author, and his book is making women swooning with the hero’s sexual techniques; they all wonder if it’s autobiographical, even Annie. At 25, Wes has a best seller under his belt, “Down this Road”, but words haven’t been coming for months, and he has three days to send his editor 50 pages of his still unwritten second novel. Wes had moved to New York eight years ago, and while he is definitely not suffering from writer’s block, of course not!, still he decides to go back home to Chicago for a bit and see if inspiration will strike. Wes runs into Jeremy, his high school friend and Annie’s younger brother, who tells Wes that Annie’s small bookstore, Two Stories, is in a precarious financial situation, and if Wes could do a book signing, it would help a lot. Wes has nothing better to do, so he agrees, and he used to have a crush on Annie. And she is even better looking than he remembers! Annie remembered the teenager who used to hang with her brother, but Wes looks much better than she ever thought. The book signing is a huge success, and then two of Annie’s friends are getting married, she’s supposed to bring a plus-one, and said friends beg Wes to accompany her; reluctantly, she agrees, but Wes is thrilled: he’ll be able to make a move. Finally!
A.J. Pine was a new author to me, and what a wonderful discovery this book was! I just love Ms. Pine’s writing style: her prose is understated, precise, and utterly delightful. The dialogues are brilliantly simple, the characters sound natural and young; everything invites you in their circle. The story is unpretentious, the pace is brisk, and everything flows so well, it’s a joy to read. It’s all the little details that make THREE SIMPLE WORDS magical instead of the predictable story it could have been. Annie has a blog, HappyEverAfter, and the blog entries are a very nice touch, there are humorous little things here and there, glimpses of a struggling author’s daily life, clever twists on familiar tropes, and what misunderstandings happen are very skilfully handled. The banter between Annie and her friend and account manager Brynn, as well as between Jeremy and Wes is terrific. THREE SIMPLE WORDS is a book I thoroughly enjoyed, it was one of the best surprises of the year, and I will be looking forward to A.J. Pine’s future offerings: THREE SIMPLE WORDS is worth every second of your time!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
A.J. Pine was a new author to me, and what a wonderful discovery this book was! I just love Ms. Pine’s writing style: her prose is understated, precise, and utterly delightful. The dialogues are brilliantly simple, the characters sound natural and young; everything invites you in their circle. The story is unpretentious, the pace is brisk, and everything flows so well, it’s a joy to read. It’s all the little details that make THREE SIMPLE WORDS magical instead of the predictable story it could have been. Annie has a blog, HappyEverAfter, and the blog entries are a very nice touch, there are humorous little things here and there, glimpses of a struggling author’s daily life, clever twists on familiar tropes, and what misunderstandings happen are very skilfully handled. The banter between Annie and her friend and account manager Brynn, as well as between Jeremy and Wes is terrific. THREE SIMPLE WORDS is a book I thoroughly enjoyed, it was one of the best surprises of the year, and I will be looking forward to A.J. Pine’s future offerings: THREE SIMPLE WORDS is worth every second of your time!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
October 25, 2016
AJ Pine has outdone herself with her latest release, Three Simple Words. This book was everything I wanted it to be and so much more. The trope of a young woman falling in love with her brother’s best friend is one that many people love, but Pine takes it one step further. Annie is a reader, blogger, and book store owner. Wes is a world renown bestselling author on the rise. Add in a wicked sense of humor and incredible fun; how can you not fall in love with this book?!
I love Pine’s writing so much and this book might be one of my absolute favorites from her. I adore that it falls beautifully in the contemporary romance genre but gives the reader someone new and fresh to devour. First off, Annie and Wes have known each other for years. Wes is Annie’s younger brother’s friend. That was a fun twist on the classic. It made for some fun moments, giving some fresh fun to the storyline. Annie and Wes are two fun characters who bring this story to life. Their banter is so fun and their chemistry is off the charts. Everything about these two works. They challenge one another and create a story worth reading.
Pine’s writing and the themes we see are enough to make this book worth the read. But what makes it even better are the details in the story. The small things connect Annie and Wes, giving the reader some fun facts to muse over. I enjoyed seeing this book in both POVs. We learn more about who Annie and Wes are, their hopes, desires, and insecurities. They toe the line between what is reality and what is fiction so well, adding drama and angst to the book. There are moments of sweetness that make you swoon, while other moments make you ache from the deep emotion. Wes and Annie are two people who are made for each other. They inspire and encourage one another to make the hard choices and pursue their dreams, no matter the cost. I loved their dichotomy and the way they fit like two puzzle pieces.
Another bonus of this book is seeing the couples from the first two books in the Kingston Ale House series. These friends are so connected with each other and getting to see glimpses into the other happily-ever-afters gives this book a new level to look forward to. These friends are the deepest kind of family and I loved seeing their dynamic come to life. I cannot wait to see what is next in this series and hope to see much more of Annie and Wes!
I love Pine’s writing so much and this book might be one of my absolute favorites from her. I adore that it falls beautifully in the contemporary romance genre but gives the reader someone new and fresh to devour. First off, Annie and Wes have known each other for years. Wes is Annie’s younger brother’s friend. That was a fun twist on the classic. It made for some fun moments, giving some fresh fun to the storyline. Annie and Wes are two fun characters who bring this story to life. Their banter is so fun and their chemistry is off the charts. Everything about these two works. They challenge one another and create a story worth reading.
Pine’s writing and the themes we see are enough to make this book worth the read. But what makes it even better are the details in the story. The small things connect Annie and Wes, giving the reader some fun facts to muse over. I enjoyed seeing this book in both POVs. We learn more about who Annie and Wes are, their hopes, desires, and insecurities. They toe the line between what is reality and what is fiction so well, adding drama and angst to the book. There are moments of sweetness that make you swoon, while other moments make you ache from the deep emotion. Wes and Annie are two people who are made for each other. They inspire and encourage one another to make the hard choices and pursue their dreams, no matter the cost. I loved their dichotomy and the way they fit like two puzzle pieces.
Another bonus of this book is seeing the couples from the first two books in the Kingston Ale House series. These friends are so connected with each other and getting to see glimpses into the other happily-ever-afters gives this book a new level to look forward to. These friends are the deepest kind of family and I loved seeing their dynamic come to life. I cannot wait to see what is next in this series and hope to see much more of Annie and Wes!
Read
October 21, 2016In her acknowledgements for Three Simple Words AJ Pine writes “I finally found the characters who let me use their story to write a love letter to romance.” It definitely shows. Word to sentence to paragraph, Three Simple Words shows us how much Romance, and books in general, can mean to a person, how easy it is to get swept away in a story.
Three Simple Words combines a few different tropes to create a charming story of two people who view love very differently. Annie is not just an older woman, (she’s 28, not old[er], just older than Wes!) and the sister of Wes’s best friend Jeremy. By day she’s an independent bookseller but by night she’s a romance blogger/reviewer. No matter how horrible her previous relationships have ended she’s never given up hope that live will come to her, and that that love will conquer all.
Wes grew up viewing his parent’s relationship as something volatile and not very loving. It helped him to believe that love will not be in the cards for him. He does do relationships, but only those that he knows will not go anywhere; the quintessential playboy if you will. After his debut novel, a not!Romance, makes the New York Times bestsellers list he finds himself blocked and has no plans to unblock that creativity. He heads home to Chicago where he meets up with Annie who surprisingly becomes his muse and so much more.
Both Annie and Wes are easy to relate to and I think a lot of readers will agree. They read like everyday people who struggle with their love lives and if they truly think love is in the cards for them. They are wickedly funny individuals as well; I found myself laughing so much at her t-shirts and his uncanny knack of running into exes. I seriously adored this Annie and Wes’s story. They bring out what is good about the romance genre- the hope it brings to millions of readers.
Three Simple Words combines a few different tropes to create a charming story of two people who view love very differently. Annie is not just an older woman, (she’s 28, not old[er], just older than Wes!) and the sister of Wes’s best friend Jeremy. By day she’s an independent bookseller but by night she’s a romance blogger/reviewer. No matter how horrible her previous relationships have ended she’s never given up hope that live will come to her, and that that love will conquer all.
Wes grew up viewing his parent’s relationship as something volatile and not very loving. It helped him to believe that love will not be in the cards for him. He does do relationships, but only those that he knows will not go anywhere; the quintessential playboy if you will. After his debut novel, a not!Romance, makes the New York Times bestsellers list he finds himself blocked and has no plans to unblock that creativity. He heads home to Chicago where he meets up with Annie who surprisingly becomes his muse and so much more.
Both Annie and Wes are easy to relate to and I think a lot of readers will agree. They read like everyday people who struggle with their love lives and if they truly think love is in the cards for them. They are wickedly funny individuals as well; I found myself laughing so much at her t-shirts and his uncanny knack of running into exes. I seriously adored this Annie and Wes’s story. They bring out what is good about the romance genre- the hope it brings to millions of readers.
July 31, 2023
Four smoking hot little brother's best friend stars.
This is the third book in the series, I haven't read the previous books and found it perfectly easy to read as a stand-alone.
Annie Denning owns her own book store, Two Stories, she also writes a book blog about romance. She believes in true love and happily ever after. He younger brother Jeremy's best friend is Wes, he is the best-selling author of a novel about a man who roams from woman to woman satisfying them sexually and emotionally whilst giving nothing of himself. The book may or may not be semi-autobiographical. Unfortunately, Wes is finding it difficult to write a second novel. He returns home to Chicago in an attempt to break his writer's block.
Annie hates Wes' book but the readers of her blog disagree. After Wes holds a book signing in Annie's store her friends suggest he accompany her to their wedding as her Plus One - and so begins a no-strings relationship between a true romantic, just getting over betrayal by her boyfriend, and a cynic trying to find his muse.
I really enjoyed this. Both Annie and Wes were engaging characters and I'm a sucker for the local boy returns home to his secret crush trope. This is the first book I have read by A.J. Pine but I am keen to read the previous books in the series.
I'll be honest, the cover doesn't really feature as a scene from the novel - but who cares?
I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release
This is the third book in the series, I haven't read the previous books and found it perfectly easy to read as a stand-alone.
Annie Denning owns her own book store, Two Stories, she also writes a book blog about romance. She believes in true love and happily ever after. He younger brother Jeremy's best friend is Wes, he is the best-selling author of a novel about a man who roams from woman to woman satisfying them sexually and emotionally whilst giving nothing of himself. The book may or may not be semi-autobiographical. Unfortunately, Wes is finding it difficult to write a second novel. He returns home to Chicago in an attempt to break his writer's block.
Annie hates Wes' book but the readers of her blog disagree. After Wes holds a book signing in Annie's store her friends suggest he accompany her to their wedding as her Plus One - and so begins a no-strings relationship between a true romantic, just getting over betrayal by her boyfriend, and a cynic trying to find his muse.
I really enjoyed this. Both Annie and Wes were engaging characters and I'm a sucker for the local boy returns home to his secret crush trope. This is the first book I have read by A.J. Pine but I am keen to read the previous books in the series.
I'll be honest, the cover doesn't really feature as a scene from the novel - but who cares?
I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release
October 3, 2016
Another great book by AJ Pine. I am loving this Kingston Ale House series!!! If you are a book lover, then you will love this book!
Wes is an author who doesn't believe in HEA's !! Let me stop you right there, I NEED HEA endings in my books, if not I hate them. So Wes, who is a male author who writes romance, doesn't believe in love or happily ever afters. He believes in sex and one night stands. He wrote a best seller on his life, which is loosely based on his life.
Now Wes is needing with a follow up book, but have a severe case of writer's block. So, he heads home to Chicago. There he runs into Annie, his high school crush. Now, Annie owns a bookstore and is a blogger who LOVES HEA's!! Complete opposite of Wes.
Annie needs some help at her bookstore. Sales are down and her brother suggests having Wes sign there. This starts up something between Wes and Annie. Annie knows what she is getting into reading (and hating) Wes' book. She is a big girl who knows for a fact Wes is a love them and leave them type of guy, but this doesn't stop her from being attracted to him.
I loved the story of Wes and Annie. It was real and cute, but at the same time, kept you wondering what was going to happen. Especially with Wes and his dad. Their relationship was a mess, and the cause of Wes and his feelings towards relationships.
I must say, AJ Pine writes some good stories. When I see a new one coming out, I get all happy! This series is one of my favs!
Wes is an author who doesn't believe in HEA's !! Let me stop you right there, I NEED HEA endings in my books, if not I hate them. So Wes, who is a male author who writes romance, doesn't believe in love or happily ever afters. He believes in sex and one night stands. He wrote a best seller on his life, which is loosely based on his life.
Now Wes is needing with a follow up book, but have a severe case of writer's block. So, he heads home to Chicago. There he runs into Annie, his high school crush. Now, Annie owns a bookstore and is a blogger who LOVES HEA's!! Complete opposite of Wes.
Annie needs some help at her bookstore. Sales are down and her brother suggests having Wes sign there. This starts up something between Wes and Annie. Annie knows what she is getting into reading (and hating) Wes' book. She is a big girl who knows for a fact Wes is a love them and leave them type of guy, but this doesn't stop her from being attracted to him.
I loved the story of Wes and Annie. It was real and cute, but at the same time, kept you wondering what was going to happen. Especially with Wes and his dad. Their relationship was a mess, and the cause of Wes and his feelings towards relationships.
I must say, AJ Pine writes some good stories. When I see a new one coming out, I get all happy! This series is one of my favs!
January 30, 2017
Read this away from prying eyes and ears. You will laugh, loud. You will laugh, hard. You will laugh, with joy. You may even laugh to the point of tears. I had a great time reading thing one. The banter. The witty comebacks.
The hot sexy younger man. The sweet, endearingly sexy older sister of his best friend. Chemistry. Steamy. Engaging. The man that writes the book goes to the girl that sales the books and get clarity. There is a story behind that you have to read to find out.
Annie and Wes know each other from back in the day. Wes has made something of a name for himself. He has to come up with a second book and writer's block had come a knocking. He decides to head back home and maybe things can clear up. He never would have guessed that his crush from years ago would be the one to open the gates on his block.
Annie, the die hard reader, loves books, blogging, selling. She sees and opportunity and takes it. She just was not fully prepared for all that came with it.
Looking for a laughs with more. Pick up Three Simple Words. It certainly had more.
The hot sexy younger man. The sweet, endearingly sexy older sister of his best friend. Chemistry. Steamy. Engaging. The man that writes the book goes to the girl that sales the books and get clarity. There is a story behind that you have to read to find out.
Annie and Wes know each other from back in the day. Wes has made something of a name for himself. He has to come up with a second book and writer's block had come a knocking. He decides to head back home and maybe things can clear up. He never would have guessed that his crush from years ago would be the one to open the gates on his block.
Annie, the die hard reader, loves books, blogging, selling. She sees and opportunity and takes it. She just was not fully prepared for all that came with it.
Looking for a laughs with more. Pick up Three Simple Words. It certainly had more.
March 9, 2019
If you're an avid romance reader and reviewer, this ridiculously sweet and sexy story should be just the thing for you. How could it not?! We have a romance writer and a bookstore owner/blogger as our MCs!! :) I devoured every single word in this book in mere hours. IT WAS FUN and it put a HUGE smile on my face :)
I was really afraid this book would turn out to be way too cliche but A.J. Pine turned all those typical tropes into something unique and fun with relatable characters that you just can't help but like and root for. This is one series you are going to want to dive into from beginning to end because every book has been outstanding!
Copy provided for blog tour
I was really afraid this book would turn out to be way too cliche but A.J. Pine turned all those typical tropes into something unique and fun with relatable characters that you just can't help but like and root for. This is one series you are going to want to dive into from beginning to end because every book has been outstanding!
Copy provided for blog tour
October 22, 2016
Link to full review below!Cute, short, and overall enjoyable. Nothing that made me feel it was super amazing, but I liked it. See full review on The Book Disciple
October 17, 2016
My Review:
I loved so many different things about this book. This is a book that is custom-made for romance book-lovers. Annie is a bookstore owner and a huge romance genre proponent.
Wes is a best-selling author whose "romance" best-seller defies the rule about happily ever afters and how they have to be present in the book for it to be a true romance. Annie hates that about the book although every other reader out there loves it. To make matters worse than hating her childhood friend's book, now he's back in town and is even more attractive than she remembers.
Wes' book is based on his life. Flat out, he doesn't believe in love. Obviously, there is a great character arc for him, but there's also a surprising one for Annie. This book is all about love and romance and the fantasy of happily-ever-after and how that translates into real life and real strife. It's a GREAT book.
In the midst of all the back and forth of the relationship, Wes is dealing with having to followup on his first book being a bestseller. There is a ton of pressure and he's not dealing well and has a huge case of writer's block. Annie changes that for him, too. As a writer, I found the book inspiring...just because watching Wes find his muse again was inspiring. It made me want to put down the book I was reading and focus on writing.
And I loved the book as a romance reader. The whole HEA thing is such a pivotal ideal in the genre, it was fun to look at how that influenced both of these book-centric people in their "real life" expectations. It was simply a fun book that I truly loved. I think most romance readers would enjoy it, too.
Now, I need to go back and read the first two books in this series, because I haven't read any of these before and I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I loved so many different things about this book. This is a book that is custom-made for romance book-lovers. Annie is a bookstore owner and a huge romance genre proponent.
Wes is a best-selling author whose "romance" best-seller defies the rule about happily ever afters and how they have to be present in the book for it to be a true romance. Annie hates that about the book although every other reader out there loves it. To make matters worse than hating her childhood friend's book, now he's back in town and is even more attractive than she remembers.
Wes' book is based on his life. Flat out, he doesn't believe in love. Obviously, there is a great character arc for him, but there's also a surprising one for Annie. This book is all about love and romance and the fantasy of happily-ever-after and how that translates into real life and real strife. It's a GREAT book.
In the midst of all the back and forth of the relationship, Wes is dealing with having to followup on his first book being a bestseller. There is a ton of pressure and he's not dealing well and has a huge case of writer's block. Annie changes that for him, too. As a writer, I found the book inspiring...just because watching Wes find his muse again was inspiring. It made me want to put down the book I was reading and focus on writing.
And I loved the book as a romance reader. The whole HEA thing is such a pivotal ideal in the genre, it was fun to look at how that influenced both of these book-centric people in their "real life" expectations. It was simply a fun book that I truly loved. I think most romance readers would enjoy it, too.
Now, I need to go back and read the first two books in this series, because I haven't read any of these before and I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
June 5, 2017
What happens when your life is all about romance books and you think that every relationship should be like what you read in those books? You set yourself up for failure is what happens.
And that's exactly what Annie has been experiencing all her adult life. Her relationships have been just okay, nothing spectacular because she has set the bar so incredibly high that no one can ever reach it.
Wes has the exact opposite problem; he doesn't believe in happy ever after and doesn't see himself ever settling down. Wes and Annie couldn't want more different things, yet a date at a mutual friends wedding could change everything.
LOVED the characters in this story! The author did an amazing job of making the characters come to life and giving them all the depth they needed. While this is the first book in this series that I have read it's obvious that characters from previous books in the series are brought back. However I didn't feel lost at all with those characters.
** ARC received from Netgalley **
And that's exactly what Annie has been experiencing all her adult life. Her relationships have been just okay, nothing spectacular because she has set the bar so incredibly high that no one can ever reach it.
Wes has the exact opposite problem; he doesn't believe in happy ever after and doesn't see himself ever settling down. Wes and Annie couldn't want more different things, yet a date at a mutual friends wedding could change everything.
LOVED the characters in this story! The author did an amazing job of making the characters come to life and giving them all the depth they needed. While this is the first book in this series that I have read it's obvious that characters from previous books in the series are brought back. However I didn't feel lost at all with those characters.
** ARC received from Netgalley **
October 26, 2016
There are plenty of romance subgenres but I do believe I've found a new favorite: book nerd romance. After reading the description for Three Simple Words, I knew I'd be in book nerd heaven and I was right. Three Simple Words was such a fun read. It had the perfect amount of humor and angst.
Annie owns a bookstore, writes a blog called Happy Ever After, and loves romance novels. Her bookstore is facing a little financial trouble when in swoops her brother's best friend Wes whose first book was an explosive hit.
She didn't like his book because the hero never evolves but she needs the business and the event is a smashing success. I was surprised she'd never hosted an event before because this seems like a common bookstore practice but better late than never.
Everything changes when Wes ends up becoming Annie's date to a wedding. As they get to know each other, as Annie faces a few uncomfortable truths about her love life, sparks fly and the fun begins. Their night together also breaks down Wes's writer's block and his second novel, which is already overdue, starts to flow. At this point, I couldn't put the book down.
There are so many delicious nods to romance novels and tropes and happily ever afters, as well as general book nerdery. I loved seeing how Annie functioned as a bookstore owner and found her blog posts to be really fun and engaging. I loved watching the story pour out of Wes once Annie became his unwitting muse, as well as the behind-the-scenes info on the publishing industry.
I found Annie and Wes's ongoing conversation about the difference between real life and fiction to be especially interesting. Wes's hero is informed by Wes's life but they are not the same people, despite the thin line between them. Wes has a lot of unresolved grief and a strained relationship with his father that directly impacts his writing. It's no wonder Annie is confused about whether Wes and Ethan are the same person and takes the pages from his work-in-progress a little too close to heart.
The thin disguise between Wes and Ethan is one of the main drivers of the plot. Annie wants Wes to become more emotionally engaged. Once she falls for him, she wants to love him into loving her back. Wes and Annie both have unexpressed high expectations for each other and this leads to major miscommunication and misunderstanding. This was frustrating at points as a reader- gah, why would you act that way when you actually feel this way?!- but people really do behave this way, especially when they're taking vulnerable risks in a relationship.
One of the most satisfying scenes in the book is when Annie realized for all her concerns about Ethan, she was actually closed off to relationships.
I do think this is a common misunderstanding about romance readers- that we confuse fictional HEAs and idealized heroes from what is standing before us. It's not true for me, at least. But it made perfect sense for Annie and how she held herself back in big and small ways.
When Wes and Annie finally made up, I couldn't help but giggle and then swoon. I'm a big fan of both characters needing to make an effort because true to life, they were both at fault.
I haven't read the first two books in this series- which I plan on remedying- so I was unfamiliar with the friendships and relationships in the Kingston Ale House world. Authors who make sure their heroes and heroines have outside friendships deserve all thanks and praise. Annie's friendship with Brynn was fantastic, even though Brynn couldn't keep Annie's secrets when it comes to her fiancé. (WHY DO PEOPLE DO THIS? This is a personal pet peeve.) I liked how they worked together and maintained their friendship and how their conversations included things other than their love lives.
I also liked how the characters were there for each other, whether it was giving someone a spare room or keeping an eye out for their well-being. It was a solid crew and I'm looking forward to getting caught up on the series.
Also worth mentioning: the characters were White Sox fans, which made my day. So often novels set in Chicago go the way of the Cubs (boo), which made me appreciate this fandom choice all the more. It says a lot about the characters and the author. Pine has me as a fan for life!
This was such an enjoyable read. I loved how Wes and Annie's romance developed and how they both grew as individuals and as a couple. I loved all the book nerdery. (Please give me more romances set in bookstores or focused on book lovers!) This book made me smile and it made me feel a lot of feels.
Disclosure: I was provided an ARC of Three Simple Words from IndieSage in exchange for an honest review.
Annie owns a bookstore, writes a blog called Happy Ever After, and loves romance novels. Her bookstore is facing a little financial trouble when in swoops her brother's best friend Wes whose first book was an explosive hit.
She didn't like his book because the hero never evolves but she needs the business and the event is a smashing success. I was surprised she'd never hosted an event before because this seems like a common bookstore practice but better late than never.
Everything changes when Wes ends up becoming Annie's date to a wedding. As they get to know each other, as Annie faces a few uncomfortable truths about her love life, sparks fly and the fun begins. Their night together also breaks down Wes's writer's block and his second novel, which is already overdue, starts to flow. At this point, I couldn't put the book down.
There are so many delicious nods to romance novels and tropes and happily ever afters, as well as general book nerdery. I loved seeing how Annie functioned as a bookstore owner and found her blog posts to be really fun and engaging. I loved watching the story pour out of Wes once Annie became his unwitting muse, as well as the behind-the-scenes info on the publishing industry.
"'It's fiction. Just like all those books you read where love conquers all. Did you ever stop to think about what comes after that happily ever after? Or even at the end of a book you found so hopeless you assumed the writer was a lost cause, too? The book ends, but in real life the story doesn't.'" p. 245
I found Annie and Wes's ongoing conversation about the difference between real life and fiction to be especially interesting. Wes's hero is informed by Wes's life but they are not the same people, despite the thin line between them. Wes has a lot of unresolved grief and a strained relationship with his father that directly impacts his writing. It's no wonder Annie is confused about whether Wes and Ethan are the same person and takes the pages from his work-in-progress a little too close to heart.
The thin disguise between Wes and Ethan is one of the main drivers of the plot. Annie wants Wes to become more emotionally engaged. Once she falls for him, she wants to love him into loving her back. Wes and Annie both have unexpressed high expectations for each other and this leads to major miscommunication and misunderstanding. This was frustrating at points as a reader- gah, why would you act that way when you actually feel this way?!- but people really do behave this way, especially when they're taking vulnerable risks in a relationship.
One of the most satisfying scenes in the book is when Annie realized for all her concerns about Ethan, she was actually closed off to relationships.
"And that's all it took, one tiny gesture to make her see that as much as she'd thought him the one with the walls to break down, she'd constructed barriers of her own. Annie loved the books she read- the happily ever afters and the hope that love could conquer all. But in the back of her mind, no man could live up to her expectations. She saw that one- the reason why she seemed to play it safe, always ending up with men she wasn't sad to see leave...She'd never let anyone in who was real. What a hypocrite she was for giving Wes shit about a book that didn't end in a happily ever after when Annie preferred the fictional heroes to reality. What did it natter that she'd dated men, that she'd lost them, when she didn't care for them like she should have in the first place?" p. 204
I do think this is a common misunderstanding about romance readers- that we confuse fictional HEAs and idealized heroes from what is standing before us. It's not true for me, at least. But it made perfect sense for Annie and how she held herself back in big and small ways.
When Wes and Annie finally made up, I couldn't help but giggle and then swoon. I'm a big fan of both characters needing to make an effort because true to life, they were both at fault.
I haven't read the first two books in this series- which I plan on remedying- so I was unfamiliar with the friendships and relationships in the Kingston Ale House world. Authors who make sure their heroes and heroines have outside friendships deserve all thanks and praise. Annie's friendship with Brynn was fantastic, even though Brynn couldn't keep Annie's secrets when it comes to her fiancé. (WHY DO PEOPLE DO THIS? This is a personal pet peeve.) I liked how they worked together and maintained their friendship and how their conversations included things other than their love lives.
I also liked how the characters were there for each other, whether it was giving someone a spare room or keeping an eye out for their well-being. It was a solid crew and I'm looking forward to getting caught up on the series.
Also worth mentioning: the characters were White Sox fans, which made my day. So often novels set in Chicago go the way of the Cubs (boo), which made me appreciate this fandom choice all the more. It says a lot about the characters and the author. Pine has me as a fan for life!
This was such an enjoyable read. I loved how Wes and Annie's romance developed and how they both grew as individuals and as a couple. I loved all the book nerdery. (Please give me more romances set in bookstores or focused on book lovers!) This book made me smile and it made me feel a lot of feels.
Disclosure: I was provided an ARC of Three Simple Words from IndieSage in exchange for an honest review.
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