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Sucre Coeur #3
Absolutely, Almost, Perfect
Craig Oliver and Alex Scheff lead a charmed life. Craig is part owner of Sucre Coeur, the bakery he’s loved and managed for years. Alex is an up-and-coming Seattle photographer. Their relationship has been going strong for a year, and everything is absolutely perfect—right up until Craig receives a wedding invitation from his long-estranged brother.
As Craig grows tense over seeing his brother for the first time in years, Alex can’t control his anxiety over meeting Craig’s family. At the wedding in an English hamlet, boisterous Scottish mothers, smirking teenage sisters, and awkward ex-boyfriends complicate the sweet life they lead.
As Craig grows tense over seeing his brother for the first time in years, Alex can’t control his anxiety over meeting Craig’s family. At the wedding in an English hamlet, boisterous Scottish mothers, smirking teenage sisters, and awkward ex-boyfriends complicate the sweet life they lead.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 3, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 19, 2017
3 Stars!
I enjoyed the first one but to be honest I was disappointed with this one. I was looking forward to Craig and Alex being together and doing couple things. I wanted a better picture of who they are and how they have grown together. Instead Craig and his colorful family was the main focus. His estranged relationship with his brother took up the majority of the book. Craig and Alex have hardly any alone intimate moments and when they do they are cut short or are being interrupted by someone. The sexy times between the couple was greatly lacking, but their scene in the tub absolutely made up for all of that.
Craig spends the majority of his time with his ex-boyfriend. I really liked his ex David, but was it really necessary for both men to be having any kind of attraction or "crushes" on this ex when Craig was talking marriage? I think the story could have done without all that. Sure, find him attractive, but don't get butterflies or dips in the stomach while in his presence. That was a total turn off for me.
Chloe was the bride to be to Craig's older brother, Duncan. She is one of Craig's best friends and I couldn't bring myself to like her one bit. She's loud, pushy, and chaotic in trying to get her way. I didn't enjoy her character at all. I did love Craig's parents and his sister's. I am still unsure on how I feel about Duncan.
Although my issues with it, I still enjoyed the book. It was great meeting Craig's family and seeing Craig act a bit crazy. There was definitely some funny moments. The ending was really good too. So not all was at a loss for me.
Happy reading dolls! xx
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed the first one but to be honest I was disappointed with this one. I was looking forward to Craig and Alex being together and doing couple things. I wanted a better picture of who they are and how they have grown together. Instead Craig and his colorful family was the main focus. His estranged relationship with his brother took up the majority of the book. Craig and Alex have hardly any alone intimate moments and when they do they are cut short or are being interrupted by someone. The sexy times between the couple was greatly lacking, but their scene in the tub absolutely made up for all of that.
Craig spends the majority of his time with his ex-boyfriend. I really liked his ex David, but was it really necessary for both men to be having any kind of attraction or "crushes" on this ex when Craig was talking marriage? I think the story could have done without all that. Sure, find him attractive, but don't get butterflies or dips in the stomach while in his presence. That was a total turn off for me.
Chloe was the bride to be to Craig's older brother, Duncan. She is one of Craig's best friends and I couldn't bring myself to like her one bit. She's loud, pushy, and chaotic in trying to get her way. I didn't enjoy her character at all. I did love Craig's parents and his sister's. I am still unsure on how I feel about Duncan.
Although my issues with it, I still enjoyed the book. It was great meeting Craig's family and seeing Craig act a bit crazy. There was definitely some funny moments. The ending was really good too. So not all was at a loss for me.
Happy reading dolls! xx
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 25, 2017
This is sweet and funny. The entire family dynamic is heartwarming.
Craig and Alex are invited back to England because Craig's brother is marrying one of Craig's best friends. In spite of the strained relationship between Craig and his brother, it isn't an invitation that he can turn down. His family and friend would never forgive him.
Alex is nervous. His anxiety kicks in. But he's determined to support Craig. So off they go to Craig's family home in a little English village.
That's the beginning of our story, but the focus is on the characters. Not only are the MCs well developed, but the entire cast of family and friends are brought to life. Each one designed as an individual and integral part of the story.
Well done. Extremely well done.
Craig Oliver's family is perfectly imperfect. I love them. I wonder if they'd consider adopting me?
The few niggles that I had with the story were mainly in a few of the the actions and reactions of the characters. In particular, I didn't see the brother's growth and change as clearly as it was intended to come through. Only a few other minor things. Certainly nothing I couldn't overlook to enjoy the story.
At the end of the book we see many previous characters join in. Since I haven't read the earlier books, I didn't know a lot about them. I'm sure everyone following the series will enjoy the flash ins.
I enjoyed the English dialogue almost as much as the English family.
This was a high 3.5 stars for me.
Review ARC graciously provided by the publisher via NetGalley
Craig and Alex are invited back to England because Craig's brother is marrying one of Craig's best friends. In spite of the strained relationship between Craig and his brother, it isn't an invitation that he can turn down. His family and friend would never forgive him.
Alex is nervous. His anxiety kicks in. But he's determined to support Craig. So off they go to Craig's family home in a little English village.
That's the beginning of our story, but the focus is on the characters. Not only are the MCs well developed, but the entire cast of family and friends are brought to life. Each one designed as an individual and integral part of the story.
Well done. Extremely well done.
Craig Oliver's family is perfectly imperfect. I love them. I wonder if they'd consider adopting me?
The few niggles that I had with the story were mainly in a few of the the actions and reactions of the characters. In particular, I didn't see the brother's growth and change as clearly as it was intended to come through. Only a few other minor things. Certainly nothing I couldn't overlook to enjoy the story.
At the end of the book we see many previous characters join in. Since I haven't read the earlier books, I didn't know a lot about them. I'm sure everyone following the series will enjoy the flash ins.
I enjoyed the English dialogue almost as much as the English family.
This was a high 3.5 stars for me.
Review ARC graciously provided by the publisher via NetGalley
August 2, 2017
I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review.
I really don't know where to start. I honestly read book 1 yesterday just to get a feel of these guys again, and I still enjoyed it. I really enjoy the realistic feeling of Reed's writing. It seems so easily written, but that might not be how to describe it. 2 souls who couldn't be more good for each other than these two. You can see the love between Craig & Alex.
Absolutely, Almost, Perfect is a great follow up to Craig & Alex. I really adored Craig in book one. He was the essential gentleman. Everything about him was amazing, and still is. Its the first time he's flustered to this extend. I was weary about Alex. Weary enough that I didn't think he was good enough for Craig. That's me wanting Craig to be with someone easier to deal with. Alex has a lot of hangups, and they don't get fixed over night, but this book shows what a year can do for a person. He's grown tremendously, and he's learned to love and trust Craig.
"The Most fundamental truth of his life is that Craig is home, Craig is refuge, Craig is a place for Alex to catch his breath."
This was by far my favorite line in the book. Going back home to Craig is a double edged sword. He wants to see him family and support a close friend, but Craig has all the reservations in the world. His older brother whom he's never gotten along with is marrying said close friend. As much as he tries to run away from this problem once home, he can't get far. Alex for all intentions and purposes is right there holding Craig up. He's there adulting, and being the support system that he never thought he could be. It was a breath of fresh air reading about these two. I loved Craig's family a lot. I loved the ending, the compromises, the laughter and tears. Goodness, that scene at 90% had me looking towards the ceiling because I didn't want my tears to fall.
This series is so eloquently written. I feel like I can close my eyes, and picture Lissa's words in my head. I don't do audios very much, but this is a series I'm looking forward to listening to. If you haven't read book 1 then you don't know what you are missing. This is a true love story. It doesn't have the physical steam that I like, but I love reading about the coupling of them together more then the act itself. Its a definite recommend from me, and I look forward to more from this author.
April 26, 2018
4.5 stars!
With Absolutely, Almost, Perfect , Reed returns to the couple she introduced in Definitely, Maybe, Yours, Craig and Alex. This time they go to England because Craig's brother is getting married. Craig has been having cold relationship with his brother because Duncan has been pretty much a bully to Craig, but because the fiancée is also Craig's good friend, he reluctantly agrees. Of course, Craig just have to make sure to keep Alex away from Duncan and to survive the week.
I FUC*ING LOVE THIS BOOK!!! I can't help it... IT IS SO ROMANTIC AND MAKES ME UNBELIEVABLY HAPPY, CONTENT, AND I WANT TO BLANKET MYSELF IN EVERYTHING AT THE END... This is so my KIND of book! . I got all happy teary eyes during the last couple of chapters, especially the wedding vows. Because OMG the wedding vows!!
When it comes to established couple, I love it when they are still a strong unit when facing outside obstacles. In here the issue is of course, Craig's relationship with his oldest brother. And I totally LOVE how it seems that we finally see Craig being rattled while Alex being a rock.
In the first book I found it a bit of a struggle not to feel frustrated with Alex. But MY GOD, he surpassed my expectation here. I LOVED the progress of his character -- how he acknowledged his anxiety but still he was determined to be the strong one for Craig. One of my favorite scenes is when Alex talked to his therapist!
And I adored the family dynamic. One of Reed's best things, IMHO, is how she creates her secondary characters as lively as her main ones. So Craig's family is absolutely awesome and entertaining. Even in regards to Duncan.
There are three things that stop this from being my perfect read though...
1) Because I read this back-to-back with the second book, I found the problem with the oldest sibling to be kind of repetitive. Because Sarita faced the similar issue with her oldest sister, Anjali, who seemed to dislike Sarita very much.
2) With ALL of the wedding preparation between Duncan and Chloe, I was SUPER disappointed that we didn't see THEIR wedding. Even if Reed gave another wedding (between Craig and Alex) but still, I wanted to see that one as well.
3) DAVID... alias Craig's ex. I didn't hate him at all. But both Craig and Alex's flirty attraction with David made me a bit uncomfortable.
All in all, THIS is one of my favorite books of the year. I love it so much I deliberately don't read anything afterwards just to let all the feeling soak in.
“I’m glad, that my last first kiss is you.”
With Absolutely, Almost, Perfect , Reed returns to the couple she introduced in Definitely, Maybe, Yours, Craig and Alex. This time they go to England because Craig's brother is getting married. Craig has been having cold relationship with his brother because Duncan has been pretty much a bully to Craig, but because the fiancée is also Craig's good friend, he reluctantly agrees. Of course, Craig just have to make sure to keep Alex away from Duncan and to survive the week.
I FUC*ING LOVE THIS BOOK!!! I can't help it... IT IS SO ROMANTIC AND MAKES ME UNBELIEVABLY HAPPY, CONTENT, AND I WANT TO BLANKET MYSELF IN EVERYTHING AT THE END... This is so my KIND of book! . I got all happy teary eyes during the last couple of chapters, especially the wedding vows. Because OMG the wedding vows!!
When it comes to established couple, I love it when they are still a strong unit when facing outside obstacles. In here the issue is of course, Craig's relationship with his oldest brother. And I totally LOVE how it seems that we finally see Craig being rattled while Alex being a rock.
In the first book I found it a bit of a struggle not to feel frustrated with Alex. But MY GOD, he surpassed my expectation here. I LOVED the progress of his character -- how he acknowledged his anxiety but still he was determined to be the strong one for Craig. One of my favorite scenes is when Alex talked to his therapist!
And I adored the family dynamic. One of Reed's best things, IMHO, is how she creates her secondary characters as lively as her main ones. So Craig's family is absolutely awesome and entertaining. Even in regards to Duncan.
There are three things that stop this from being my perfect read though...
1) Because I read this back-to-back with the second book, I found the problem with the oldest sibling to be kind of repetitive. Because Sarita faced the similar issue with her oldest sister, Anjali, who seemed to dislike Sarita very much.
2) With ALL of the wedding preparation between Duncan and Chloe, I was SUPER disappointed that we didn't see THEIR wedding. Even if Reed gave another wedding (between Craig and Alex) but still, I wanted to see that one as well.
3) DAVID... alias Craig's ex. I didn't hate him at all. But both Craig and Alex's flirty attraction with David made me a bit uncomfortable.
All in all, THIS is one of my favorite books of the year. I love it so much I deliberately don't read anything afterwards just to let all the feeling soak in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2017
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.25 stars
This book is the third in the Sucre Coeur series and is more of a direct follow up to the first book, Definitely, Maybe, Yours, and I would suggest having read that book before moving on here. I liked meeting Craig and Alex in the first book and watching them navigate a relationship and fall in love. I was looking forward to visiting with them again, but this book didn’t go in the direction I was hoping or expecting as Craig’s family became the focus here.
As the book opens, we don’t even get a chance to catch up with the guys as Alex is already in a full blown panic attack at the arrival of the wedding invitation and they are then quickly on their journey to England. While Alex is doing better at managing his anxiety, he’s not all the way there yet. Craig hasn’t seen his family in some time and the biggest reason is his brother, Duncan.
Now Craig’s brother was cruel and abusive to Craig, yet everyone insists that he has changed and wants Craig to repair their relationship. Duncan has never apologized to Craig for anything and everyone wants everything to be fine, even when Duncan continues to treat Craig and then Alex badly, and I couldn’t agree with what all the characters were expecting of Craig.
Most of the time I felt that Alex became a secondary character and there was little time for Craig and Alec to connect. The brief moments where they did connect had a soft water color appeal to it, but it was too brief for me. The end shows them connecting more, but it was done in a quick overview style that left me wanting more of Craig and Alex. The writing itself was good overall, but this wasn’t the follow up I was hoping for.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
3.25 stars
This book is the third in the Sucre Coeur series and is more of a direct follow up to the first book, Definitely, Maybe, Yours, and I would suggest having read that book before moving on here. I liked meeting Craig and Alex in the first book and watching them navigate a relationship and fall in love. I was looking forward to visiting with them again, but this book didn’t go in the direction I was hoping or expecting as Craig’s family became the focus here.
As the book opens, we don’t even get a chance to catch up with the guys as Alex is already in a full blown panic attack at the arrival of the wedding invitation and they are then quickly on their journey to England. While Alex is doing better at managing his anxiety, he’s not all the way there yet. Craig hasn’t seen his family in some time and the biggest reason is his brother, Duncan.
Now Craig’s brother was cruel and abusive to Craig, yet everyone insists that he has changed and wants Craig to repair their relationship. Duncan has never apologized to Craig for anything and everyone wants everything to be fine, even when Duncan continues to treat Craig and then Alex badly, and I couldn’t agree with what all the characters were expecting of Craig.
Most of the time I felt that Alex became a secondary character and there was little time for Craig and Alec to connect. The brief moments where they did connect had a soft water color appeal to it, but it was too brief for me. The end shows them connecting more, but it was done in a quick overview style that left me wanting more of Craig and Alex. The writing itself was good overall, but this wasn’t the follow up I was hoping for.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
July 28, 2017
I was lucky enough that Lissa Reed asked me to be an Advanced Reader for the third and final installment of the Sucre Coeur series.
My love for the two first stories is well documented (just checked my reviews of them, you'll see), but Reed managed to surprise me with this end to her trilogy.
Never did I expect to be in such a rollercoaster of emotions in her talented hands, and yet, there were pages where I went from laughing outloud (in public. No regrets, and no shame either) to clutching my e-reader to my chest to try to send some love to my--er, her babies.
(Her characters. My babies. Moving on)
The humor is spot on, just enough sarcasm to give it depth and realness all along, and a happy ending that warmed my heart.
What struck me in particular, and I want to spend some time on that aspect on my review, is how Lissa Reed doesn't shy away from the mental illness one of her characters is afflicted with.
Anxiety is not overlooked in her story, neither is the need for treatment, neither are the consequences of said treatment when it's medication. It is a part of who Alex is, and while it doesn't define him, it's not shoved under a carpet either, and I adored it.
ALL OF THIS TO SAY that if you like British romantic comedies à la Four Weddings and a Funeral, if you like to see people resolving their tensions with buttercream, if you like(d) Robbie Williams, this book is made for you, and you should pre-order it to get it warm out of the oven (see what I did there ;)) when it comes out next week!
My love for the two first stories is well documented (just checked my reviews of them, you'll see), but Reed managed to surprise me with this end to her trilogy.
Never did I expect to be in such a rollercoaster of emotions in her talented hands, and yet, there were pages where I went from laughing outloud (in public. No regrets, and no shame either) to clutching my e-reader to my chest to try to send some love to my--er, her babies.
(Her characters. My babies. Moving on)
The humor is spot on, just enough sarcasm to give it depth and realness all along, and a happy ending that warmed my heart.
What struck me in particular, and I want to spend some time on that aspect on my review, is how Lissa Reed doesn't shy away from the mental illness one of her characters is afflicted with.
Anxiety is not overlooked in her story, neither is the need for treatment, neither are the consequences of said treatment when it's medication. It is a part of who Alex is, and while it doesn't define him, it's not shoved under a carpet either, and I adored it.
ALL OF THIS TO SAY that if you like British romantic comedies à la Four Weddings and a Funeral, if you like to see people resolving their tensions with buttercream, if you like(d) Robbie Williams, this book is made for you, and you should pre-order it to get it warm out of the oven (see what I did there ;)) when it comes out next week!
August 16, 2017
*rounded up to 3.5 stars*
I am a huge fan of multiple books about the same couple in a series. I like seeing their progression, how things change as time goes by. So, it's no wonder I was really excited when I saw that the third book in Lissa Reed's Soucre Couer series was once again about Craig and Alex, the couple from book one. I couldn't wait to find out more about these two guys who I loved so much in Definitely, Maybe, Yours. Unfortunately, I didn't get as much as I'd hoped for.
So first let me tell you what I did like about Absolutely, Almost Perfect.
1) Craig's mom and Dad. Craig and Alex are off to England for Craig's best friend's wedding. Only problem is, she's marrying Craig's estranged brother so going into this, we know there are more than likely going to be some fireworks and some awkward moments. Craig's mom and dad though are just wonderful and added some common sense to the crazy.
2) The setting. I love small towns, and I really love tiny villages in England. I've never been to one, but from seeing them in movies and in other books, there's just something so very charming and nostalgic about them.
3) The writing. As always, the writing is just beautiful. It flows easily; there's no choppiness or difficulty in understanding what's going on. It is effortless and engaging.
4) Craig and Alex. These two are just fantastic. I had some issues though which I'll go into in a minute.
Okay, now for the not so good.
1) The story was way more focused on Craig's wacky family than on Craig and Alex. In fact there wasn't a whole lot of just Alex and Craig time in the book, and what was there often felt rushed or lacking in ... something.
2) Craig's ex, David. Don't get me wrong, there's no evil ex here doing anything he can to get back the one that got away. No, it's worse. What we get is this weird, doesn't make any sense, thing with Craig thinking about how attractive David is one minute and then in the next moment thinking about how much he loves Alex. What? And then we have Alex thinking how hot David is and hey, maybe they can have a threesome sometime. I was at a total loss as to what Reed was trying to accomplish with David. I get that he and Craig and Chloe (the BFF bride-to-be) have been friends forever, but the whole both guys being attracted to David was just strange and really took me out of the story.
3) Chloe. Ugh. Talk about a Bridezilla. She was insane and I didn't like her at. All. She was bitchy and manipulative and whiny and just really all around unlikable.
4) Duncan, the estranged brother. We get the reasons WHY Duncan was such a jerk--an abusive one at that--to Craig, finally toward the end of the book but it made no sense to me and I can't fathom why anyone in Craig's family thought putting Craig and Duncan in the same place at the same time was a good idea. I get wanting a family together rather than apart, and I know people forgive and move on, but Duncan's reasons for treating Craig the way he did made NO sense and the whole let's make up thing was way too fast after the years of emotional and physical abuse Craig suffered because of Duncan.
There are some really sweet and sexy moments in the book. There are funny ones, too. I loved the ending, but it wasn't enough to quite overcome my disappointment about the rest of the book. I will definitely read more from this author though and I hope there are more books in this series.
*this review will also be posted on www.diversereader.blogspot.com
I am a huge fan of multiple books about the same couple in a series. I like seeing their progression, how things change as time goes by. So, it's no wonder I was really excited when I saw that the third book in Lissa Reed's Soucre Couer series was once again about Craig and Alex, the couple from book one. I couldn't wait to find out more about these two guys who I loved so much in Definitely, Maybe, Yours. Unfortunately, I didn't get as much as I'd hoped for.
So first let me tell you what I did like about Absolutely, Almost Perfect.
1) Craig's mom and Dad. Craig and Alex are off to England for Craig's best friend's wedding. Only problem is, she's marrying Craig's estranged brother so going into this, we know there are more than likely going to be some fireworks and some awkward moments. Craig's mom and dad though are just wonderful and added some common sense to the crazy.
2) The setting. I love small towns, and I really love tiny villages in England. I've never been to one, but from seeing them in movies and in other books, there's just something so very charming and nostalgic about them.
3) The writing. As always, the writing is just beautiful. It flows easily; there's no choppiness or difficulty in understanding what's going on. It is effortless and engaging.
4) Craig and Alex. These two are just fantastic. I had some issues though which I'll go into in a minute.
Okay, now for the not so good.
1) The story was way more focused on Craig's wacky family than on Craig and Alex. In fact there wasn't a whole lot of just Alex and Craig time in the book, and what was there often felt rushed or lacking in ... something.
2) Craig's ex, David. Don't get me wrong, there's no evil ex here doing anything he can to get back the one that got away. No, it's worse. What we get is this weird, doesn't make any sense, thing with Craig thinking about how attractive David is one minute and then in the next moment thinking about how much he loves Alex. What? And then we have Alex thinking how hot David is and hey, maybe they can have a threesome sometime. I was at a total loss as to what Reed was trying to accomplish with David. I get that he and Craig and Chloe (the BFF bride-to-be) have been friends forever, but the whole both guys being attracted to David was just strange and really took me out of the story.
3) Chloe. Ugh. Talk about a Bridezilla. She was insane and I didn't like her at. All. She was bitchy and manipulative and whiny and just really all around unlikable.
4) Duncan, the estranged brother. We get the reasons WHY Duncan was such a jerk--an abusive one at that--to Craig, finally toward the end of the book but it made no sense to me and I can't fathom why anyone in Craig's family thought putting Craig and Duncan in the same place at the same time was a good idea. I get wanting a family together rather than apart, and I know people forgive and move on, but Duncan's reasons for treating Craig the way he did made NO sense and the whole let's make up thing was way too fast after the years of emotional and physical abuse Craig suffered because of Duncan.
There are some really sweet and sexy moments in the book. There are funny ones, too. I loved the ending, but it wasn't enough to quite overcome my disappointment about the rest of the book. I will definitely read more from this author though and I hope there are more books in this series.
*this review will also be posted on www.diversereader.blogspot.com
August 25, 2017
The third book of Reed’s charming Sucre Couer series, Absolutely Almost Perfect returns to the love story of Alex Scheff, a nervous and acerbic American photographer, and Craig Oliver, a level-headed British ex-pat baker, though this installment leaves behind all the previous settings (the Sucre Couer bakery, Seattle) for the Oliver household in England when Craig brings Alex home to meet his family and celebrate the wedding of his brother.
But things, as they often will do when family is involved, do not go perfectly. (You know this; the title hints at this.) To start with, Alex must deal with meeting the family of his love. Anyone who has done this knows how terrifying it can be—probably more so when visiting that family also means having to navigate a foreign culture. Plus, Craig’s very attractive ex is floating around, still in the family’s good graces, and Alex is going to have to contend with meeting him, too. But wait, there’s more! Craig gets along with all his family (his feisty mother, his steadfast father, even the younger twin girls who, like most teenagers, are, well teenagers) with the glaring exception of his oblivious-to-mean-spirited prankster older brother. They’ve had a contentious, bitter relationship since Craig was born, one that has only gotten worse with time.
To top it all off, there’s a wedding in the mix, with all the stress and family weirdness that tends to bring on.
As I began by saying, the books in this series are charming. The characters—especially, but not only, Alex and Craig—are completely realized and so well-drawn I feel as though I know what they’ll say and do next (I usually don’t, but the feeling itself is significant to me). Craig himself is charming (Alex more closely harmonizes with my taste for the acerbic and sweetly bitter—being a native of the US East Coast will make a person distrustful of the effusiveness or polite restraint preferred in other regions… put that way, I now see that our taste in coffee (strong to the point of bitterness) reflects our social tastes as well).
Great characters aside, what really grabs one about this book is the plot—once I started, I was heroin-level hooked by the drama and urgency of the goings-on. At the heart of this book is love, with dose of reconciliation. Though Alex and Craig are certainly the center of gravity here, it is how a family comes to fit together that matters: anger, jealousy, forgiveness, joy, care and protectiveness all wrap around them and sometimes, as it often is, it’s an ill fit, but it still manages to hold.
But things, as they often will do when family is involved, do not go perfectly. (You know this; the title hints at this.) To start with, Alex must deal with meeting the family of his love. Anyone who has done this knows how terrifying it can be—probably more so when visiting that family also means having to navigate a foreign culture. Plus, Craig’s very attractive ex is floating around, still in the family’s good graces, and Alex is going to have to contend with meeting him, too. But wait, there’s more! Craig gets along with all his family (his feisty mother, his steadfast father, even the younger twin girls who, like most teenagers, are, well teenagers) with the glaring exception of his oblivious-to-mean-spirited prankster older brother. They’ve had a contentious, bitter relationship since Craig was born, one that has only gotten worse with time.
To top it all off, there’s a wedding in the mix, with all the stress and family weirdness that tends to bring on.
As I began by saying, the books in this series are charming. The characters—especially, but not only, Alex and Craig—are completely realized and so well-drawn I feel as though I know what they’ll say and do next (I usually don’t, but the feeling itself is significant to me). Craig himself is charming (Alex more closely harmonizes with my taste for the acerbic and sweetly bitter—being a native of the US East Coast will make a person distrustful of the effusiveness or polite restraint preferred in other regions… put that way, I now see that our taste in coffee (strong to the point of bitterness) reflects our social tastes as well).
Great characters aside, what really grabs one about this book is the plot—once I started, I was heroin-level hooked by the drama and urgency of the goings-on. At the heart of this book is love, with dose of reconciliation. Though Alex and Craig are certainly the center of gravity here, it is how a family comes to fit together that matters: anger, jealousy, forgiveness, joy, care and protectiveness all wrap around them and sometimes, as it often is, it’s an ill fit, but it still manages to hold.
August 3, 2017
3.25 stars
This book is the third in the Sucre Coeur series and is more of a direct follow up to the first book, Definitely, Maybe, Yours, and I would suggest having read that book before moving on here. I liked meeting Craig and Alex in the first book and watching them navigate a relationship and fall in love. I was looking forward to visiting with them again, but this book didn’t go in the direction I was hoping or expecting as Craig’s family became the focus here.
As the book opens, we don’t even get a chance to catch up with the guys as Alex is already in a full blown panic attack at the arrival of the wedding invitation and they are then quickly on their journey to England. While Alex is doing better at managing his anxiety, he’s not all the way there yet. Craig hasn’t seen his family in some time and the biggest reason is his brother, Duncan.
Now Craig’s brother was cruel and abusive to Craig, yet everyone insists that he has changed and wants Craig to repair their relationship. Duncan has never apologized to Craig for anything and everyone wants everything to be fine, even when Duncan continues to treat Craig and then Alex badly, and I couldn’t agree with what all the characters were expecting of Craig.
Most of the book is Craig figuring out his family issues. There is also a side story of Craig’s ex, David, who Craig sees again after many years. The guys were good friends and pick up their friendship again. It was never clear to me what the author was hoping to accomplish with David’s character. In one scene Craig is contemplating how to propose to Alex and in the next he’s internally commenting on how hot he thinks David is. Alex was doing the same thing as well regarding David and while this book didn’t seem like a candidate for a threesome, I kept wondering if the author was setting that up. That was ultimately not the direction it went and so the reason behind the continued comments from both characters on the attraction to David was puzzling as it was presented.
Most of the time I felt that Alex became a secondary character and there was little time for Craig and Alec to connect. The brief moments where they did connect had a soft water color appeal to it, but it was too brief for me. The end shows them connecting more, but it was done in a quick overview style that left me wanting more of Craig and Alex. The writing itself was good overall, but this wasn’t the follow up I was hoping for.
This book is the third in the Sucre Coeur series and is more of a direct follow up to the first book, Definitely, Maybe, Yours, and I would suggest having read that book before moving on here. I liked meeting Craig and Alex in the first book and watching them navigate a relationship and fall in love. I was looking forward to visiting with them again, but this book didn’t go in the direction I was hoping or expecting as Craig’s family became the focus here.
As the book opens, we don’t even get a chance to catch up with the guys as Alex is already in a full blown panic attack at the arrival of the wedding invitation and they are then quickly on their journey to England. While Alex is doing better at managing his anxiety, he’s not all the way there yet. Craig hasn’t seen his family in some time and the biggest reason is his brother, Duncan.
Now Craig’s brother was cruel and abusive to Craig, yet everyone insists that he has changed and wants Craig to repair their relationship. Duncan has never apologized to Craig for anything and everyone wants everything to be fine, even when Duncan continues to treat Craig and then Alex badly, and I couldn’t agree with what all the characters were expecting of Craig.
Most of the book is Craig figuring out his family issues. There is also a side story of Craig’s ex, David, who Craig sees again after many years. The guys were good friends and pick up their friendship again. It was never clear to me what the author was hoping to accomplish with David’s character. In one scene Craig is contemplating how to propose to Alex and in the next he’s internally commenting on how hot he thinks David is. Alex was doing the same thing as well regarding David and while this book didn’t seem like a candidate for a threesome, I kept wondering if the author was setting that up. That was ultimately not the direction it went and so the reason behind the continued comments from both characters on the attraction to David was puzzling as it was presented.
Most of the time I felt that Alex became a secondary character and there was little time for Craig and Alec to connect. The brief moments where they did connect had a soft water color appeal to it, but it was too brief for me. The end shows them connecting more, but it was done in a quick overview style that left me wanting more of Craig and Alex. The writing itself was good overall, but this wasn’t the follow up I was hoping for.
August 9, 2017
This is the third book in a series, and enjoyable on its own.
Craig and Alex have been together for nearly two years and they are very much in love. Alex is a bit of an emotional mess, thanks to an abusive ex, but he and Craig are solid. Stable. And...freaking out about returning to England for Craig's brother's wedding to his dearest childhood friend, Chloe. Craig and his brother, Duncan, are estranged because Duncan was a horse's ass of a sibling, who mercilessly bullied young Craig and never apologized for years of emotional and physical torment.
Alex doesn't want to go at all, but he's not going to let Craig go alone. They head off to Merry Olde for the festivities and it's...uh, I believe the correct British term is: tit's up. O.o. Chloe is a bridezilla, hell-bent on getting Craig and Duncan to make up in time for the wedding. She's adamant that Duncan has changed his personality completely from when they were all kids, and Craig should give him the chance to make amends. Still, it's easy to see that she's a decent person, despite her many tantrums. Craig and Alex are reliant upon Craig's childhood boyfriend, David, a sweet man attractive to both of them, to navigate the parent-infested waters. And Duncan, well, if this would have been playing out in front of me, that man would have gotten a swift boot to his manparts.
I haven't read any of the earlier book in this series, but I had no trouble dropping into this rom-com. Alex's medications for anxiety make him loopy and he gets a hysterical fit in response to Duncan's shenanigans. Craig doesn't let the slights go, and Duncan--if Chloe doesn't ditch him--might turn up to his own wedding with a (well-deserved) shiner. Throughout, stalwart Craig is the hot mess and shaky Alex the voice of reason, which is quite the juxtaposition. I loved the folks, and the fun. Duncan and Craig's family is large and boisterous, and they love with abandon. There's just a little bit of steam to go along with all the zaniness.
Fans of the series will love the twists, and the sweet resolution, which brings along a super-sized HEA. I had a lot of fun with the Brit English bits, and watching Alex grow as a partner to Craig.
Craig and Alex have been together for nearly two years and they are very much in love. Alex is a bit of an emotional mess, thanks to an abusive ex, but he and Craig are solid. Stable. And...freaking out about returning to England for Craig's brother's wedding to his dearest childhood friend, Chloe. Craig and his brother, Duncan, are estranged because Duncan was a horse's ass of a sibling, who mercilessly bullied young Craig and never apologized for years of emotional and physical torment.
Alex doesn't want to go at all, but he's not going to let Craig go alone. They head off to Merry Olde for the festivities and it's...uh, I believe the correct British term is: tit's up. O.o. Chloe is a bridezilla, hell-bent on getting Craig and Duncan to make up in time for the wedding. She's adamant that Duncan has changed his personality completely from when they were all kids, and Craig should give him the chance to make amends. Still, it's easy to see that she's a decent person, despite her many tantrums. Craig and Alex are reliant upon Craig's childhood boyfriend, David, a sweet man attractive to both of them, to navigate the parent-infested waters. And Duncan, well, if this would have been playing out in front of me, that man would have gotten a swift boot to his manparts.
I haven't read any of the earlier book in this series, but I had no trouble dropping into this rom-com. Alex's medications for anxiety make him loopy and he gets a hysterical fit in response to Duncan's shenanigans. Craig doesn't let the slights go, and Duncan--if Chloe doesn't ditch him--might turn up to his own wedding with a (well-deserved) shiner. Throughout, stalwart Craig is the hot mess and shaky Alex the voice of reason, which is quite the juxtaposition. I loved the folks, and the fun. Duncan and Craig's family is large and boisterous, and they love with abandon. There's just a little bit of steam to go along with all the zaniness.
Fans of the series will love the twists, and the sweet resolution, which brings along a super-sized HEA. I had a lot of fun with the Brit English bits, and watching Alex grow as a partner to Craig.
August 10, 2017
I loved the previous two books in this series, but this one topped them both. What an emotional rollercoaster!
We met Alex and Craig in Definitely, Maybe Yours, and one of the things I loved about Craig was him being the epitome of calm. He exuded serenity to the point where even someone as skittish as Alex started to feel at home with Craig.
Not so here. Craig is summoned overseas to attend a family wedding, and that has him more jittery than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. High-strung Alex is the one who needs to keep a level head this time around. Will he succeed?
Meeting Craig's family is delightful. The characters all jump off the page and worm their way into your heart, even the ex-boyfriend. I particularly liked Chloe and Stephen and Jazz, and I fully understand Alex when he finds himself wishing he'd been born in such a crazy but close-knit family. (Though I have no idea why he always weasels his way out of eating the English breakfast Craig's mom makes for him. The description alone makes my mouth water, yum!)
Craig and Alex only spend a week in the UK, but so much happens in that time that it seems much longer. This story will have you laugh until you have tears in your eyes, cringe in second-hand embarrassment, bite your nails in suspense, tremble with rage and coo and smile happily in the end. Try it, you'll love it!
We met Alex and Craig in Definitely, Maybe Yours, and one of the things I loved about Craig was him being the epitome of calm. He exuded serenity to the point where even someone as skittish as Alex started to feel at home with Craig.
Not so here. Craig is summoned overseas to attend a family wedding, and that has him more jittery than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. High-strung Alex is the one who needs to keep a level head this time around. Will he succeed?
Meeting Craig's family is delightful. The characters all jump off the page and worm their way into your heart, even the ex-boyfriend. I particularly liked Chloe and Stephen and Jazz, and I fully understand Alex when he finds himself wishing he'd been born in such a crazy but close-knit family. (Though I have no idea why he always weasels his way out of eating the English breakfast Craig's mom makes for him. The description alone makes my mouth water, yum!)
Craig and Alex only spend a week in the UK, but so much happens in that time that it seems much longer. This story will have you laugh until you have tears in your eyes, cringe in second-hand embarrassment, bite your nails in suspense, tremble with rage and coo and smile happily in the end. Try it, you'll love it!
August 23, 2017
****Check out the full review post over at G. Jacks Writes (About Everything).******
I had so much fun reading this book and I think other readers and fans of the series will enjoy having the series come to a close where it all started with Alex and Craig. Their final chapter was funny, light-hearted, emotional, touching and filled with so much character development! I loved it all. When reviewing the final book in a series, I am always worried that I might give too much away, so I’m gonna try to stick to the characters highlights as much as possible.
In Absolutely, Almost, Perfect, Alex faces his anxiety and Craig is forced to face his past and family during their trip to England for his brother’s wedding. It was funny the way that both Craig and Alex seemed to need to have similar fears they needed to face in this book to find and reinforce the strength of their relationship. I really enjoyed Alex’s interactions with Craig’s family and the bride to be, Chloe.
They bring this warm, funny and at times awkward tone to this book that had me smiling and just wishing I could interact with them myself. I could see aspects of Craig in each of them and really got a sense of how growing up surrounded by them all might have been like. The strain between Craig and his brother and his action toward Alex was hard to read about, but it only made those who actually called him out on it even better.
The complicated relationship Craig had with EX also made me think about the first book and how it contrasted to his certainty and connection to Alex when they first started dating. I guess what I am trying to say that it was nice to see his character show just the slightest bit of unease because it felt so out of character. Likewise, it made more interesting to see how David’s character unintentionally came in between them because it eventually brought out a different side to Alex’s character as well.
This book reels you in pretty quickly and summarizes enough that I don’t even think you will have to be a fan of the series to follow along. And there were quite a few swoon-worthy moments in this book that I know readers will enjoy as well.
I had so much fun reading this book and I think other readers and fans of the series will enjoy having the series come to a close where it all started with Alex and Craig. Their final chapter was funny, light-hearted, emotional, touching and filled with so much character development! I loved it all. When reviewing the final book in a series, I am always worried that I might give too much away, so I’m gonna try to stick to the characters highlights as much as possible.
In Absolutely, Almost, Perfect, Alex faces his anxiety and Craig is forced to face his past and family during their trip to England for his brother’s wedding. It was funny the way that both Craig and Alex seemed to need to have similar fears they needed to face in this book to find and reinforce the strength of their relationship. I really enjoyed Alex’s interactions with Craig’s family and the bride to be, Chloe.
They bring this warm, funny and at times awkward tone to this book that had me smiling and just wishing I could interact with them myself. I could see aspects of Craig in each of them and really got a sense of how growing up surrounded by them all might have been like. The strain between Craig and his brother and his action toward Alex was hard to read about, but it only made those who actually called him out on it even better.
The complicated relationship Craig had with EX also made me think about the first book and how it contrasted to his certainty and connection to Alex when they first started dating. I guess what I am trying to say that it was nice to see his character show just the slightest bit of unease because it felt so out of character. Likewise, it made more interesting to see how David’s character unintentionally came in between them because it eventually brought out a different side to Alex’s character as well.
This book reels you in pretty quickly and summarizes enough that I don’t even think you will have to be a fan of the series to follow along. And there were quite a few swoon-worthy moments in this book that I know readers will enjoy as well.
August 30, 2017
Reading this book feels like watching a fun rom-com in your pajamas with a hot cup of tea. It’s sweet, it’s romantic, and the writing style is charming and funny. The whole book is a joy to read. I can’t recommend it enough.
Quick summary: Craig and his boyfriend, Alex, are invited to Craig’s childhood home in England for his estranged brother’s wedding. What follows is family drama, a too-cute ex-boyfriend, lots of laughs, and enough wedding stress for everyone.
The characters are likable and believable, especially the main characters, Alex and Craig. The two men’s personalities contrast each other on almost every front, but they also complement each other beautifully. You’ll be rooting for their relationship all the way through.
If you like drama, sappy rom-coms, and fluffy romance, you’ll love Absolutely, Almost, Perfect.
Quick summary: Craig and his boyfriend, Alex, are invited to Craig’s childhood home in England for his estranged brother’s wedding. What follows is family drama, a too-cute ex-boyfriend, lots of laughs, and enough wedding stress for everyone.
The characters are likable and believable, especially the main characters, Alex and Craig. The two men’s personalities contrast each other on almost every front, but they also complement each other beautifully. You’ll be rooting for their relationship all the way through.
If you like drama, sappy rom-coms, and fluffy romance, you’ll love Absolutely, Almost, Perfect.
August 2, 2017
I was thrilled to be asked to read and review this book in advance because I loved the first two in the series so much.
Lissa Reed has a way of making characters come to life. I fell in love with Alex and Craig from the moment they first appeared on the page. They're allowed to be real people, with flaws and struggles like all of us have. When I read their stories, I want nothing more than for the two of them to be absolutely, perfectly happy.
And this book definitely delivers! Craig's family of boisterous, eccentric characters provides tons of entertainment along the way. With as much family comedy as romance, the story pulled me right along with a smile on my face the whole time.
Lissa Reed has a way of making characters come to life. I fell in love with Alex and Craig from the moment they first appeared on the page. They're allowed to be real people, with flaws and struggles like all of us have. When I read their stories, I want nothing more than for the two of them to be absolutely, perfectly happy.
And this book definitely delivers! Craig's family of boisterous, eccentric characters provides tons of entertainment along the way. With as much family comedy as romance, the story pulled me right along with a smile on my face the whole time.
August 4, 2017
I really this book,it is a part off a serie,you can read it stand-alone.
for me it was the first I have read.and I will be reading the others.
It is fun,sweet not overly sweat sexy times.but a real love story.
I enjoyed it.the family was great,the guys where there for each other.
the love was there.a good read
Arc was Provided By Netgalley
for me it was the first I have read.and I will be reading the others.
It is fun,sweet not overly sweat sexy times.but a real love story.
I enjoyed it.the family was great,the guys where there for each other.
the love was there.a good read
Arc was Provided By Netgalley
August 15, 2017
this was I feel the best one of the three books in the series. Maybe because you know the characters, it worked so good. Sure, it is a fun, relatively simple read but a great one in that category.
December 12, 2017
um I loved this series so much. it was a joy to read.
June 11, 2018
SO Good.
August 7, 2017
I really enjoyed this story. The main characters Craig and Alex were easy to connect to throughout the entire book. Both characters have many anxieties over having to go to England for Craig's brother's wedding. It was not only believable but also relatable. The other characters were also great. Craig's family especially his future sister-in-law were one of the best parts of this book. I did not want it to end and I am glad that I got the opportunity to read it.
*I received this book for an honest review. Thank you again to the publisher.
*I received this book for an honest review. Thank you again to the publisher.
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