He's my son's best friend. But it's not what you think...At eighteen, I became my nephew’s guardian, and my once carefree life ceased to exist. The next fourteen years passed in a blur of unconventional parenting and more wine than I’m sure most good moms consume.My dating life? Yeah, that basically became non-existent. So when my boy's best friend, Weston, tells me has romantic feelings for me, I’m too stunned to process the “right way” to react. There are so many reasons I shouldn’t do this…and yet my heart seems to be saying full steam ahead.With a ten-year age gap, I know a relationship with Weston has the potential to be disastrous. And I’m not wrong. Because things just got hella complicated.*This is an older woman age gap romance, that breaks the 'cougar' mold. If you're into books that have you flipping the pages in rapid succession with hot, bossy hero's, heroine's with a mind of their own, and chemistry that burns up your kindle, you need to start reading What If It's Right? today.
JB Heller is an average Aussie housewife and Mumma in her early 30's. She lives on a mini farm with her family and a few cows, sheep, a parrot, cats, fish, dogs, and a butt load of chickens. It's JB's dream to one day add a llama to the mix and an alpaca or two.
She writes across several genre's including RomCom, Romantic Suspense and Contemporary. You can always expect a healthy dose of heat, intrigue and wit in her stories.
Monday to Friday you can find JB glued to her laptop weaving words or trolling Pinterest for her next potential muse. Come the weekend, it's family time. (And of course lots of reading and Netflix binges.)
JB Heller is talented. When an author can turn a forbidden trope into something you want to believe and wholeheartedly support…..you have a winner.
What If It’s Right? is the story of an older woman who falls in love with her son’s best friend. Now before you all gasp in horror or envy; this book was damn good.
At 18 years old, Victoria (Tory) becomes an instant mum to her nephew when her sister dies unexpectedly. Needing a fresh start, they move to a new town. Finn becomes instant friends with the boy next door, Weston. Tory has spent the last 14 years raising Finn. She has unselfishly put her life on hold to ensure that her sister’s legacy is honored. But before she knows it, Finn and Weston are no longer boys. And the man that is now Weston no longer has neighbourly feelings towards his best friend’s mum.
The characters in this book were standout, the storyline unique, engaging and the writing so very quirky. This was no smutty read. It had depth, humour and a whole lot of heart. It took a lot of convincing for Tory and Weston to finally get together, but when they did, it was extremely rewarding.
I had high hopes before starting this book but unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations.
First of all, I’d thought it was a full-length novel but it isn’t. I was disappointed to see it was only 130 pages. Normally, I am against reading novellas as they never give the satisfaction that a novel does but because I had already got the book, I read it.
*********************************************
Here’s what I thought:
It is short so there is not enough depth for me to believe in their feelings for each other. Mostly it is because too much time is wasted from the time the hero was 10 years old until he becomes 22.
There are journal-like entries (10 years ago/8 years ago/5 years ago etc.) and it takes lots of chapters until it comes to present day. It is on page 96 when it is present day! The book is already 130 pages!
*********************************************
The hero is 10 years younger than the heroine. When their relationship starts, he is 22, she is 32. That was what attracted me to this book initially as I love this trope but it wasn’t done well. The heroine constantly pushes him back and after a certain point, it is annoying. She confesses that she has feelings for him but she is just not brave enough to let it happen for a long while.
*********************************************
Firstly, she is afraid of people’s reactions. She is scared that her best friend, who happens to be the mother of the hero, will be furious about it and she also thinks that her nephew will be repulsed by it as the hero is his best friend and they are both at the same age.
The heroine raised her nephew as if he were her son after the death of her sister.
Being worried about losing her best friend and her nephew (who she calls “her son”) makes her push the hero away for a long long while. It annoyed me so much!
*********************************************
Also, she was 18 years old when her nephew was 8 years old and her sister died. She cannot be his mother age-wise so her constantly calling him “her son” was stupid. Him asking her to pretend to be his mum was also asking too much from her. She devoted all her young years to him and everyone thought she was a single mother. They could have stayed as aunt & nephew. Pretending to be mother & son was unnecessary and stupid. There were too many things that annoyed me about this situation. Well, at least the hero and his mum knew about the reality, and that was a relief.
*********************************************
As I said, the heroine pushes him away for a long while. Their relationship does not start before she gets the permission from his mother and her nephew!
She didn’t even talk about it with his mother or her nephew, she just thought it was gross and she was sure that they would think it was gross, as well, so she just pushed him away.
IT WASN’T GROSS when he was 22 years old and I hated that she thought so.
It was always the hero who tried to make it happen. And also, his mother started THE TALK and gave her approval, seeing how much her son is in love with her. Ugh, I wanted to strangle the heroine!
*********************************************
There is a bit of slut-shaming in the book, as well. I hate it when a writer chooses a forbidden and daring topic to write about and then doesn’t do it in style by being open-minded about relationships and so on. The heroine’s thoughts about her being with a guy younger than her as being “gross” or the heroine’s calling the girls the hero slept with skanks or sluts was not cool. And it was more than enough when the hero called the girls he slept with “a piece of ass”. No, not cool at all!
*********************************************
There was an unnecessary death towards the end of the book. I don’t know what it served or what the hell the writer was thinking by writing it like this but it sucked, it really sucked.
*********************************************
The writing is weird. The first half of the book is from the heroine’s point of view. In the second half, it changes into dual point of view.
The book is not hot. It lacks steam and passion as well as deep feelings.
As far as safety goes, it didn't feel safe to me. She sleeps with a random guy once but we don't know if there were more guys during those 13 years. She didn't have a regular boyfriend.
The hero sleeps with 4 girls (casual hook-ups) when he is a teenager but he never has a regular girlfriend.
If you need celibacy after meeting, there is none but the hero is 10 years old when they first meet so there is that :)
*********************************************
Also, the book is full of editing/grammar mistakes and it is annoying. It makes me think that the writer isn’t professional and sensitive enough to have her book edited before she presents it to the readers.
Here are some but there is more.
*********************************************
P.S. If you really are into younger guy/older women romance, then the best one I have read so far is “MILF: Wrong Kind of Love” by Erin Noelle.
In it, the hero is the best friend of the heroine's (real) son and she recently divorced her husband who cheated on her with her son’s best friend’s mother.
It is a good example of this trope, a very-well written book and I highly recommend it.
Ohhh, and it is hot! And emotional! And fun!
Oh now that I remembered it, I want to read it again but I have already read it twice. Well, no worries, I can read it a third time :)))
I have to start off by saying that I really liked ALL of the characters of this book. Everyone was extremely likable and I loved that. The storyline was heartbreaking, heartwarming and fun. Even the "situation" between Victoria and Weston was handled in such a way that it had no taboo or negative vibe. Overall, a really easygoing read.
Victoria's older sister died in a car accident and left her as guardian to her son, Finn. Tory was an admirable character. How many 18 year olds do you know that would be able to step up to take full responsibility of an 8 year old? But she did and she did it beautifully. They were both so lost without her sister but found their way and their bond was even stronger than ever. Yeah, there were bumps and scrapes along the way, and their new "mother-son" relationship took some adjustment, but the author wrote their story honestly. So along comes Weston, Finn's best friend. Over the years, his infatuation with his BFF's mom turned into lust for the MILF and grew into love of Victoria. What happens when the feelings are mutual?
'He was my son's best friend. He was my best friend's son. He was forbidden.'
It has been said that you can't help who you fall in love with, the heart wants what the heart wants. Now, you can have lusty thoughts about someone and want to be intimate with them but when there is more than physical attraction - like deep feelings - it can be hard to deny yourself of what you want.
Tory has been the guardian/step mum to her nephew Finn since she was 24 years old. She was quickly thrust into motherhood after the death of her sister. It has been a big learning curve for her but one she has embraced. One of the first things she did for Finn was to action his request to move to another town. This is where he meets his soon to be best friend, Weston.
Weston is the sort of young person that you occasionally meet and think 'they have an old soul.' He is still a typical teenage boy but one you can have great conversations with. As he gets older and develops into a young man, he begins to subtlety flirt with Tory. It is often done in a joking kind of way and most of the time he does it to get a rise out of Finn. However, from about the age of 18, Weston knows he is in love with Tory.
'You want me, Tory. I know you do, the only person you're fooling here is yourself.'
There is no way Tory is ever going to fall for Weston's charms, laughing it off each time but as the years go by and he still persistently expresses his desire for her, the harder it is to ignore. Life does move on however and when Finn leaves home, Tory finds herself with an empty nest. The bond and friendship she has with Weston is still there and when tragedy happens in his family, Tory is there to pick up the pieces.
How long can two people who clearly care deeply for each other ignore the pull between them and actually, why should they? Life is too short to live with regret and seriously Tory, the guy is gorgeous and wants you - badly. Consequences be damned I say!
'Weston, this is so wrong.' Smoothing my thumb over her lip again, making her eyes flash open, I grinned at her, 'but what if it's right?'
This was a really sweet, sometimes sad story. A little touch of forbidden in there but not really considering the time span and the age of the main characters at the end of the story. I thought that Weston was an absolute sweetheart and loved the slow burn between him and Tory.
This book was not at all what I was expecting. First I had no idea it was a novella, don’t ask me how I missed that but I was expecting a longer book for the amount of drama I was expecting.
But then I wasn’t expecting the heartbreak either. And for such a short book it sure did pack in a massive amount of emotion and an awesome story with some great characters who had a lot of depth.
I absolutely adored Weston. I loved that the story was told from before they were anything other than friends so we got a good feel for who they were apart and a chance to see how they fit and also got a lot of the secondary characters to see how this was going to work in real life.
“Your heart beats for those around you.” He paused licking his lips, “And my heart, it beats for you.”
I had a bit of uncertainty how I wanted this to go and for a page or two I thought it might not work for me but the author did an amazing job of making it sweet and dragging me right into the romance.
She had a few moments where I questioned Tory’s responses but then in the same breath I could completely understand why she fought it and what she was thinking.
I really enjoyed this sweet story and I can’t wait to hunt out more of this author’s work and hopefully meet some more beautiful characters.
Check out my other reviews and enter some awesome giveaways here
I love a good forbidden romance, and What if it’s Right was exactly the type that I love. Who’s more forbidden than your best friends mum?
At the tender age of nineteen, after a horrible accident, Tory becomes guardian to her 9-year-old nephew, Finn. Together she and Finn spend the next fourteen years trying to muddle their way through life, and living as mother and son. I think she does an amazing job. They have one of the best parental relationships that I’ve ever read.
The story starts when Finn is only nine years old and every chapter skips forward a few years in time, until the present day. I enjoyed going back in time and seeing how Tory and Finn mature, as well as seeing Weston as a child. From quite early on it is apparent that he has feelings for Tory that go past just that of his best friend’s mom.
Weston bides his time, and is waiting for the right moment with Tory. Problem is, despite the mutual attraction Tory feels, there might never be a right time. But, sometimes you just have to ignore what everyone else thinks or says and go for what you want.
“Weston, this is so wrong.” Soothing my thumb over her lip again, making her eyes flash open, I grinned at her, but “what if it’s right?”
What if it’s Right was an engaging story about love in all forms – the love between a parent and child, and the love between a man and a woman. It was a story of first loves, and of last loves. It was a story about following your dreams and never giving up. I loved every word, and can’t wait to read more by J.B. Heller. ~ Tamara, 5 Stars
~~~
This book was a quick, forbidden romance that was low on drama. I enjoyed the relationship that Weston and Victoria built.
Victoria ended up being her nephew’s guardian at nineteen years old. She meets Weston and his mom after moving to a new place and once Weston gets older, feelings develop and things go from there.
Even though the relationship is slightly forbidden because she’s ten years older and a mother figure to his friend, they don’t cause a lot of drama at all. I really liked how it played out, even though I thought Victoria was a bit too hesitant when I just wanted her to jump in, I still understood her hesitation.
I loved the banter they shared over the years and how they had such a comfortable, easy way with each other. Weston was a very likable character and was so good for Victoria. This was my first book by J.B. Heller, but I look forward to reading more books by this author. ~ Leah, 4 Stars
I liked the way it was written in installments as time passed. I pretty much believed the relationship. Both characters' actions and feelings were based in their history and seemed realistic.
Weston had brought a girl called Candy, and she was as dumb as her named sounded. She'd looked like a stunned mullet when Finn had swept Nixie up in his arms and planted a kiss on her lips.
I'm going to need your full name, phone number, criminal record and employment status before I allow you to date my mum.
... the difference is I actually have a sex life, you don't. If it's battery operated, it doesn't count.
Why was she smiling like that? It was a smile I'd never seen her wear before, and I hoped I never would. It was a cross between the crazed smile of The Joker and the creepy one of the Cheshire Cat.
My Review:
It first glance, the storyline sounds taboo - but it really isn't, the situation is indeed a bit complicated and not as it seems. It is, in fact, a rather sweet, slow burn, and angsty love story, with a few bits of naughty along the way to keep us on edge until the heat is finally cranked up to atomic radiation levels. JB Heller has mastered the skill of forcing the reader to take a second look at our misperceptions, giving us just cause to open our minds or rethink an anti-hero or stereotype. I just adore that. I also adore her clever humor, feisty characters, observant insights, sizzling sensual scenes, and witty banter. She has mad skills.
A little dirty. A little taboo. A little forbidden. A whole lot of sweet.
JB Heller is a brand spanking new to me but that will definitely be changing soon. What If It's Right? was a fantastic read full of steam, passion, angst, and happy endings... in more than one way. This book took me on a journey that I won't soon forget, that's for sure.
Cougar anyone? Welcome to Tory's (aka Victoria) world. Lusting after her adopted son's bestie... who also happens to be her bestie's son... Weston... yeah she really shouldn't be going that... but god why does it feel so right when she does? That is what Tory keeps asking herself... as she finds love in all the wrong yet right place.
Lines will begin to blur and boundaries are totally gonna be crossed by these two. Once she opens that door... there may be no going back. Can she find a way to make her heart and body stay away from him? Or will she finally take charge of her life and take what she wants? Get ready for a bumpy yet totally worth it ride with Weston and Tory as they defy the odds and prove that age is just a number.
Weston.... gah be still my heart. That man made me swoon and weak at the knees. He knew what he wanted and I love a man who takes charge and gets his woman. He was so.... sweet, tender yet alpha when he needed to be. And Tory... loved loved her! Admirable, kind, and funny... she stole me from the beginning. But together? These two were unstoppable when it came to falling in the most perfect and delicious way.
This book will definitely be a top read of 2016 for me.
J.B. Heller is a new author for me, and I'm so glad I found her.What If It's Right? is an interesting story that could have been handled badly but J.B. pulled it off very nicely.
You watch Tory and Weston's relationship progress from a normal child/adult relationship to "something more" once they are both adults. In order to show the progression of the relationship, the book is told in a series of scenes from the past with "time jumps" in between. This generally isn't my favorite book format, but I think it is definitely the best way to tell Tory and Weston's story. It allows you to truly see the way their relationship grows and changes in a natural way.
This was a unique story that I really enjoyed. I'll be keeping my eyes on J.B. Heller for future books.
I received an advance readers copy of this book that I have chosen to review.
How I enjoy the unexpected and the authors who take stories that are more risqué and bring them to life - amazing! What If It's Right? By J.B. Heller was just the kind of read that had me curling my toes and I couldn't be more pleased. Another amazing story about an older woman trying to deny her feelings for a man (?) {alright, much younger man} who happens to be her nephew's best friend. But when you've spent more time trying to ignore his feelings, what's a woman to do when she realizes that she has her own feelings that could match his own?
4.5 sexy dreams
Victoria is the woman that we all see (or should see) in all of us - beauty, poise and once her protests and worries overcome, sensual. Weston is the man that knows what he wants and stops at nothing to get it. His perseverance is enough to melt the staunchest of hearts and take the leap with him. The couple had some amazing chemistry and I couldn't wait to go through their story to find out more. As my first taste from J.B. Heller, I'm so happy i dove right in since it was more than worth it! I can't wait to read more from this author.
*ARC provided by Author in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed by Kathleen*
So this is maybe a taboo type of story and it didn’t bother me I just couldn’t get past some of the “incidents.” I was too busy laughing as the story and dialogue was funny between Tory and her nephew Finn. Typical teenage boy for sure and an aunt who was single one day and a mom the next due to the passing of her sister.
Moving to a new town, Tory soon meets Finn’s best friend Weston. He was more grown up but again I was just bent on thinking how in the world can you be attracted to someone the same age as the boy you are raisin. I just cant. HA!
There is also some sort of weird jealous thing going on as the boys grow up. Weston seems to flirt or make moves on Tory to get under Finn’s skin. That was even more weird for me. But Weston does vow that he loves Tory. He expresses his feelings more than once for his best friends now mom but she resists and laughs it off. Eventually you know what happens. Finn leaves and boom … there is also tragedy that brings them together.
Its not a bad read by any means but this is just too much like teachers getting busted for messing with their students. I cant do it .. cant see it and certainly don’t know why you would want a boy over a man. Click it up and let me know what you think!
Review to post to Ramblings From Beneath The Sheets. Thank you for the ARC!
This book could've been so good. I love age-gap romance and haven’t read many where the heroine is the older one, so I immediately jumped into this one. It’s a fairly short read and for this reason I felt like the story wasn’t developed as well as it could’ve been, spending way too much time in the past and not seeing how the relationship between Tory and Weston actually develops. They finally get together very late on in the book and i just didn’t believe their connection. Also, this book is littered with spelling and grammar mistakes which I found to be extremely off-putting. Such a shame because I went into it fully expecting to love it.
This book was so good! My only complaint is actually a big one because in this instance this book could have easily been a 5 star read and a nice edition to my favorites shelf.
So what held it back? It wasn't fleshed out enough. There was so much more I wanted to see from Weston and Victoria. I loved the dynamic, the storyline and general feel but many parts felt extremely rushed, especially after they get together. The steamy scene (no, I'm not missing an s at the end of that word) was short but hot. I needed more after the tension which also could have been heightened. Ugh, this all sounds so bad but I promise it's not. It's me ranting about a book I seriously enjoyed but the potential it was right on the verge of leaves me salivating for the full, deep, amazing story it could have been. Weston...swoon.
I didn't know this was a shorter novel going into it so that's on me, but with such a strong series of events, the depth didn't hold up. If there is ever any addition to this story, which I'm not expecting (wishful thinking) I'll snatch it up so fast it's not even funny.
This book is a 4 star must-read for me, which is weird, yeah? Lol. Yes, I definitely recommend and I wish I could find more books like this.
I have been waiting for this book to be released as soon as I read the blurb for it and it had me intrigued from the moment that I read the blurb for this story. There is so much about the book that I really enjoyed. At first I thought that this book was another Taboo romance story, but I was mistaken because there was nothing taboo about this story. The story was about a woman changing her life to raise her nephew and falling for her nephews best friend. What if it’s right is a unique book that has a story that I have not previously read before and I really enjoyed this because I didn’t know what to expect throughout it. I must congratulate J.B. Heller for writing a book that is unlike any other and is a completely enjoyable read. The story had me intrigued from the first page and had me up in the early hours of the morning reading.
Tory had experienced a lot of loss from a young age and saw her taking on the responsible of raising her eight-year-old nephew when she was eighteen years old. I really adore the bond the two of them have with each other and the way that Tory stepped up to be her nephew Finn’s parent when he needed one. It is evident from the first chapter of the love that Tory has for her nephew and would do anything for him. There were many times throughout the story that she made me laugh, especially with the banter that she gets into with Finn. It s evident how much Tory loves her nephew/son when she denies a relationship with Weston who is Finn’s best friend despite her feelings for him. However there is many times when I wanted to yell at Tory to be with Weston instead of making the both of them suffer. But I understand why she didn’t immediately get with him when she discovered her feelings and shows how much Finn means to her.
Weston was such an enjoyable and funny character that I immediately liked. Readers were first introduced to Weston as a child and I had a smile on my face at the immediate friendship that he made with Finn. There friendship was a sweet one and it was clear that Weston became an important part of Finn’s life. I found that despite Weston’s playboy ways during the book, he had genuine feelings for Tory and it was obvious of the way that he waited for Tory to realise her feelings for him. I enjoyed the banter that he got into with Finn and Tory. I enjoyed the Point of views of Weston because it helped to show that what Weston was feeling for Tory was real and not just his hormones. I enjoyed his relationship that he had with his mum.
What if it’s right is about Tory loosing her sister and becoming the guardian of her eight-year-old nephew when she was only eighteen. The story follows their lives and the way that they become a family and the relationship between Tory and her nephew Finn turn into more of a mother and son relationship. Tory falls for Finn’s best friend Weston and story sees Tory struggle with these feelings because of the fact that she doesn’t want feel its right to start a relationship with Weston.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the way that this was more a slow burn book. The story was more then just a romance and was about the forming of a family with the way that Tory and Finn became a family. I would of enjoyed seeing more of Tory and Weston together. I enjoyed all the characters throughout the story and enjoyed Tory and Weston together. I feel that they made a cute couple. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a sweet romance read that is different then other books.
When life goes to shit and you are faced with the responsibility of raising your nephew only 10yrs your junior, you grow up quick and make the best of a bad situation.
At the age of 18, Victoria became the sole Guardian of her adorable 8yr old nephew Finn when tradgedy hit. Giving them the fresh start they both needed, they moved towns and became fast friends with the family next door. Finn and Weston are inseparable from the moment they meet, as they grown older Weston starts to notice Victoria and more than just Finns mum and hormones are out to play.
Tori has a level head on her shoulder, this book is not taboo and no underage sex takes place. Being the adult and not wanting to destroy relationships Tori fights her attraction to Weston for years.
When they finally hook up, they are sure to make up for lost time.
I really enjoyed this book, I am glad it didn't go into the 'taboo' category and loved the interaction between all the characters, all of them played a vital role in the story line.
The relationships between Tori and Weston, Tori and Finn and Weston and Finn were enjoyable to read and very light hearted.
JB Heller delivered an enjoyable read that I sat and read in a day.
What If It's Right? will definitely be added to my list of top books in 2016! Holy hotness! You do not want to miss out on this quick, scorching read about taboo/forbidden love!
The book started out a little bit choppy and slow, but before long I was hooked! I just couldn't put the book down because it was absolutely riveting. I seriously thought I was going to explode with all the build up and tension!
Victoria suddenly and unexpectedly finds herself the guardian of her nephew, who is only 10 years her junior. But that's just the beginning of her troubles. Enter Weston, his new best friend, who is totally unfiltered and extremely persistent. The characters were well developed, and scenes were written in such a way to have you cheering them on, despite the forbidden love aspect. And did I mention smoldering?
"And then I would wake up. Wanting. Craving. Needing. He is my son's best friend. He was my best friend's son. He was forbidden."
This was my first book by J.B. Heller, and I was totally blown away! I have already looked her up on Amazon and downloaded another of her books. Yep, her writing was that good.
I really enjoyed this story..so many good things!!! First of all, I loved the characters..Victoria and Finn and Weston, Finn's girlfriend Nix and Weston's mom. I was thrown for a loop in the first chapter..really freaking sad..then it steadily got better and so much fun! Victoria is Finn's aunt and she raised him. They moved and became Weston's neighbours. Finn and West are best friends.. and West has a thing for Victoria.. But how can she have feelings for him? He is Finn's best friend and she is friend with his mom..then there is the age difference and what would people think?! I have to say it was an awesome read..I felt the love between Victoria and Finn, the attraction between Victoria and Weston, how tight the group of Finn's friends are. Plus Victoria made me laugh a lot, Weston too. It didn’t feel like a taboo story.. and I mean that in the best way possible.. It seemed so natural and right! This is the first story I've read by this author and I loved her style. Check this out and you won’t regret it! I have read it super fast and I couldn't put it down!
"Wanting. Craving. Needing. But I could never have him. He was my son's best friend. He was my best friend's son He was forbidden."
What if it's right is one of those stories for me where I just couldn't put it down. I loved everything about it. Was it taboo? Yes, but it was done in a way that made it all the more right to me. It doesn't start off right to them being lovers and dealing with the aftermath. It starts off with how it came to be. I really enjoyed how she did that. Made it more believable with their story. Plus being his aunt and it technically not his mom, have it a different spin for me.
"God. I loved her. I loved everything about her. She took my breath away every single day. I wondered if the day would come when her effect on me wasn't as potent, but I doubted it."
I loved this, I read it in just one sitting. First of all, I loved Tory and Finn's weird, as they called it, relationship. But it's what allow them to move on and it changed everything for them. And that's also what led them to live next to Weston and his mom's house. Finn and Weston become the best of friends and he was able to move on from his grief.
For years, Weston was just waiting on the sideline for Tory to notice him. But she never did, whenever he tease her she would just think he was being his usual self. She fought him all the way until she couldn't help but feel differently towards her son's best friend. I loved their story. I wished it was longer. It didn't feel taboo or forbidden at all, I was rooting for them all and I also loved Weston's mom for helping him too.
All the time jumps made the story feel disjointed and this made it harder to feel connected to the characters or even invest in the romance. I really am curious as to how the two are attracted to each other beyond the physical aspect. Story had potential but could have been better executed with characters/emotions better fleshed out and delved deeper with proper editing.
Note: An ARC was provided by Wildfire Marketing Solutions.
When I started reading this book, something about it felt familiar. It wasn't until I'd finished that I did a quick search on my blog and realized that I'd already read it back in November of 2016! Talk about a total smack-my-head moment. I usually do searches prior to reading a book, but alas, I didn't this time around. The blurb called to me, especially because I'm a sucker for a reverse age gap romance. Now, it's been over five years since I read What If It's Right? and based on my perusal of my previous review, it looks like my feelings over the book have shifted a tad. Think of it as my experiencing a book with a fresh and more refined perspective.
What If It's Right is penned by JB Heller, and it was my first and remains my only read from this author, and this is mainly due to there being so many books and me having so little time to read everything I wish could. This is the story of Victoria Dixon, who at eighteen becomes the legal guardian of her eight-year-old nephew, Finn, after they survive the same car crash that kills her sister/Finn's mom. Tory forges a friendship with Vera Banks while Finn does the same with Vera's son, Weston, who is the same age as Finn. Over the years, that bond is fortified, but what happens when Wes comes of age and decides that his feelings for Tory are far from platonic? The ten-year age difference, Tory being Finn's mom, and Tory's friendship with Wes's mom are just a few of the issues that Tory is faced with. Are her own feelings for Wes worth taking that risk?
Tory and Wes's story plays out more in moments than in one continuous flow. This does take away a bit from a greater enjoyment of the book, as well as me having more of an emotional investment in what happens between the main characters. We get both of their perspectives, although Tory's more than Wes's, which is something that I appreciate because you see the conflict that Tory has and have a better understanding of what Wes is thinking of. Because of how it's written, it's almost as if it has a start-and-stop feel to it. To be fair, I did like What If It's Right when I originally read, based on what's in my review from five and a half years ago. It's still a pretty good read now, but I think a bit of spit and polish would've made it even better. 3.5 stars.
* I received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review *
This age gap romance was different from most in the trope category. Usually when you read about an age gap romance it tends to be very dirty and forbidden. This was not the case in this story. Although Weston was best friends with Tory’s “son” she was only ten years older than him so when they finally gave in to their feelings it did not feel so wrong. I was glad that their connection grew naturally and not in a scandalous way over the years.
This was a first read by J.B. Heller for me and I was impressed. It was an easy read with no crazy breakup drama. I will definitely keep my eye out for more books by this author.
3.5 stars enjoyed it on my first read and read it fast. one those modern romance feeling with the modern language, topics and all that (vintage harlequin romance reader here lol) Will review on 2nd reading
Es una historia corta que he disfrutado para pasar el rato. Al ser tan corto no se adentra ni profundiza a gran cantidad en los personajes pero sabía lo que me encontraría de antemano y me ha gustado bastante
I love age gap romances but this was a little more spicy being that the male was younger this time with added in complications, so this was a must read from that blurb.
Victoria was thrust into becoming ‘Mum’ to her nephew at a young age when her sister tragically dies. She goes through all the difficulties of coping with her own bereavement as well of that of nine year old Finn. When Finn is finding it hard being the boy who lost his Mum in their small town, he requests to move away and make a new start. Doing everything she can to support Finn, Victoria instantly agrees, little realising what a drastic change in both their futures this move would make.
Finn becomes best friends with Weston from the start and the pair are in and out of each other’s houses constantly. Victoria likes the influence Weston has on Finn and takes to the young boy. The story revolves around the boys growing into teenagers and then beyond into men with Victoria slowly realising that Weston has the hots for her from age sixteen onwards. Being a decade older than Weston, she plays it off as a teenage crush but when Weston comes to her with a problem a few years down the line their relationship of ‘best friend's Mum and best friend’ take a change for something more tangible. Although Victoria fights the feelings she has for Weston, he makes it all the more difficult for her when he is around. Being a typical guy with his prior playboy ways, he has the easy cool guy vibe enticing Victoria at every turn. As she is also best friends with his mother this is an added complication to keep her away. However when Weston’s Mum makes her aware of Weston’s feelings and kind of gives her blessing, then what is holding Victoria back?
Oh I so floved this book! At first I thought it might be a bit ‘icky’ but the way the characters were written made it easy for the reader to be acceptable of the situation and for it to be believable. There was plenty of humour in the storyline but also lots of poignant and heart pounding moments.
Victoria was easy to like with her strength and her cool Mum vibe she had going on perfectly, what was not to like? As for Weston, ooh cool me down Mama as he was scorching hot and adorable at the same time. The ease at which his character evolved from cheeky teen to hunky alpha man was smoothly and cleverly done in that I didn’t realise the switch in his persona. Fabulous.
This was one of those books where nothing else was going to get done as once I started I was there to the end, one perfect sitting of heartfelt and flawless romance. A definite winner for me. Five stars!
ARC kindly provided to Foxylutely Books by the author in exchange for an honest review