Her Billionaires
I come to this book through the author’s other works. That means I have seen the future of these characters, so I know where they’re going. It hurts my soul to see the self-confidence issues Laura has about her appearance. And the grief Dylan and Mike are still dealing with over the passing of their late partner is somewhat overwhelming. I found it interesting to see that Laura and Josie had taken words that are usually thrown at women in a derogatory way and embraced them as badges of honor, but I was uncomfortable with the usage of those words. Though, the thing that really didn’t work for me was that these supposedly reasonably mature thirty-somethings, all kind of behave like a bad middle school production of Romeo and Juliet; with over-the-top overreactions and terrible refusal to talk anything out. Especially Laura. She’s constantly jumping to the incorrect conclusions, she won’t stand still long enough to have an adult conversation, and every time things look like they might be about to get the tiniest bit difficult she runs for cover. To be honest, I’m a little bit baffled why Mike and Dylan want her for a romantic partner. I understood their attraction to the sweet, sassy, funny woman I first met; however, I wasn’t feeling the connection that would keep drawing them back over all the hurdles she asked them to jump. I love that they find what they’re looking for, I’m just confused as to how it happened.
It's Complicated
Oof! This was some kind of emotional roller-coaster. But with Josie as the heroine, were we expecting anything else? It’s easy to see the spark between Alex and Josie, but both of them have some growing to do before they’re ready to tackle forever together. I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first one. The characters are complex, and I could understand their motivations. They still frustrated the heck out of me with their determination to sabotage their relationship, but at least I could understand why they kept tripping themselves up.
Completely Complicated
Once a new baby is added into the mix, nothing will be quite the same ever again. From sleep patterns to free time to how a parent thinks about themselves and their relationships, everything gets spun topsy-turvy. This book is filled with the author’s classic humor, but it also digs deep into the emotional “guts” of the relationships shown. Can they find support among people in similar situations as them? Or are their individual relationships too unique to find common ground? I particularly enjoyed seeing all the cameo time from my favorite Random characters. And, in a book filled with silliness and angst, the closing scene brings it all full circle, giving us a look at forever for both Laura, Mike, and Dylan and Josie and Alex. I’m simultaneously curious and afraid of what’s going to happen next.
It's Always Complicated
Where this book is funny, it’s side-splittingly hilarious. Where it’s angsty, it’s pure anguish. And where it’s sweet, it was so utterly precious it made my teeth ache. There are lots of unexpected happenings getting these couples down the aisle. But in the process, they all learn a little bit more about themselves, each other, and the strength of their loves.
Before Her Billionaires
Whether you come at this story knowing everything that’s in store for Laura, Mike and Dylan or if you’re like me and had never indulged in this particular series from the author, there are lots of things to love about it. It’s told with the author’s signature heart and poignancy, as well as her sass and snark. Because several of her worlds intersect, I already knew some of what their future holds.
This Never Happened
This was fun and funny and exceptionally quick. There are the bones to a much deeper story in here, but the very short format mean that it didn’t get explored to the extent it could have. I liked Shelly and Jamie. There’s a bunch of chemistry and history between them before we even get to meet them. I just wanted to know more.