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Paradise Romance #1

Three Reasons to Say Yes

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When a little rest and relaxation turns into something more…
Julia Maguire can’t wait to spend two weeks in Hawaii with her best friends. She’s been dreaming about this trip for years and all she wants is to lay on a sandy beach with an icy cocktail in her hand. But those vacation goals change the moment she meets Reed Baxter.
Reed is a busy doctor with family demands. She’s in Hawaii to let go, not find love, and she’s not interested in any commitment. Adding a little heat to the vacation seems like a good idea as long as there aren’t expectations for anything more.

314 pages, ebook

First published September 13, 2018

50 people are currently reading
897 people want to read

About the author

Jaime Clevenger

38 books325 followers
Jaime Clevenger lives with family in Colorado. Most days are spent working as a veterinarian. Writing is a side gig but also a true love. Hobbies include swimming, karate, dreaming about beach vacations, and convincing random strangers to share their life story. Bonus points are given if they include a good romance—whether or not there’s a happy ending.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
Profile Image for Lex Kent.
1,683 reviews9,853 followers
September 19, 2018
4.75 Stars. This book really surprised me. I thought it was great. I don’t know what it was exactly but the blurb didn’t really grab me. I thought this book was going to be similar to many books I have read before. Boy was I wrong. This book felt different and I was completely sucked into the story. I wanted to read a few chapters tonight, but ended up staying awake to 3am just to finish instead. I love good book that you can’t put down. This was an impressive romance by Clevenger and my new favorite book by her.

This is different than a traditional lesfic romance. It almost was a romantic family drama. I guess it’s more on the border between the two. The main premise is about two women wanting to have no strings sex. But what happens when feeling get involved? We have all read this premise before, but this take on it felt different. There was more involved and it just absolutely worked for me.

I do want to mention there are kids involved. I know some people are not big on kids in lesfic. I’m in the middle where I can swing both ways. This book has twin four year old girls who are extremely important to the whole story. They are not an afterthought just thrown in. Not only were the kids important, but I think they were written in a real honest way. Anyway, the combo worked for me and the story would not be as good without them.

When it came to the romance I really enjoyed it. Remember it is not your typical romance because the two mains are trying not to fall in love. It’s a butch/femme relationship with a ton of chemistry. I was also quite impressed with the sex scenes. I don’t want to say too much here as it would give away a small storyline. I’ll just say that due to the storyline, the sex scenes were realistic, and plenty hot.

Lastly, I have to give a nod to really well done secondary characters. The secondary characters had such strong and real personalities that I almost cared about them as much as the two mains. This was better writing of secondary’s than we normally get to read. There are actually a few unanswered questions about the secondary characters. I don’t know if this is intentional because a sequel staring them might be planned. I sure hope so as I would absolutely read that book.

I definitely recommend this to people looking for something different than the traditional romance books. This was way better than I thought and I have high hopes others will enjoy this as much as I did.

An ARC was given to me by Bella for a honest review.
Profile Image for Pin.
457 reviews380 followers
December 15, 2018
My first Clevenger, and bingo! Quite the opposite of the other Bella romance for this September (Queen of Hearts), this one was totally my cup of tea with its charming relationship and family dynamics, great chemistry between two likable protagonists, a very convincing romance, some angst, drama and tension to the right extent and in all the right moments, and some very nice secondary characters. On top of that, the writing is technically very good, with all elements done properly. Sincerely recommended.

4.75 stars
September 23, 2018
*A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.*
Profile Image for Gaby LezReviewBooks.
735 reviews543 followers
January 10, 2020
Audiobook update

I’ve read this book when it was released and made my list of best lesfic books of 2018. The audiobook is performed by Abby Craden, one of my favourite narrators, as it’s included for free with my Scribd subscription so listening to it was a no-brainer decision. As usual, Ms. Craden delivered the performance outstandingly. This novel has a good number of very important secondary characters which makes it really hard for a narrator, but Ms. Craden created them all with distinctive voices according to their ages and personalities. As always, her performance of the range of emotions is spot-on. As this novel finishes with a bit of a cliffhanger in the relationship between the secondary characters, it is a bonus that the audiobook of its sequel ‘All the reasons I need‘ is already available and also free with Scribd.

Overall, a well-performed lesbian slow-burn romance audiobook with some family and inner conflict on the side. Highly recommended. 5 stars.

This book is in my recommended books of the month

https://lezreviewbooks.com/recommende...

When Julia Maguire meets Reed Baxter in a holiday in Hawaii, she knows that their relationship has no future. Reed is the mother of 4 year-old twin girls and a busy doctor with no time to have a full-time girlfriend. But their attraction is undeniable and Julia decides against her own convictions to engage in a holiday fling. Soon she realises that she has feelings for Reed but a relationship with her is impossible. Or is it?

This author has caught my attention since the release of her erotica novel 'Party favors'. 'Three reasons to say yes' is a slow-burn romance with some family and inner conflict on the side, set in the idyllic island of Hawaii. The main characters are well rounded and beliavable, and kudos to Ms. Clevenger for introducing an interracial couple. Writing this novel in third person exclusively from Julia's point of view is a great choice as Reed is a mystery to the reader that slowly reveals to Julia and to us. The butch-femme relationship works here perfectly as Reed fits ideally as the dark and broody type of butch. But her character is far from being a stereotype and so is Julia. The secondary characters are multi-layered and well written, specially the twins and Julia's best friends, Kate and Mo. The only flaw I found is that the 4 year-old twins seem too mature and eloquent for their age but it doesn't affect the story at all.

The plot is tightly woven with attention to detail. It has a perfect balance between angst and joy, conflict and harmony. All the intimate scenes are convincing and sizzling with a little twist that is not usually dealt with in lesfic. Ms. Clevenger handles it skilfully (if you don't want to read spoilers about this I recommend you to avoid reading the 'extras' section in the Bella Books website). Additionally, there is an exciting secondary plot that is left unresolved but I think that the author is going to pick up from the end of this novel in a new book as Ms. Clevenger states that 'Three reasons to say yes' begins a series of romances all set in island locations. Can't wait for a second book and hopefully it'll be as original and well written as this one. This is a promising start of the series.

Overall, a well written slow-burn romance with some family and inner conflict on the side. Highly recommended. 5 stars.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.com
Profile Image for Farah.
767 reviews86 followers
August 19, 2019
A Few Reasons Why Three Reasons To Say Yes Makes Me Think Of A Train Wreck.

- The Secondary Characters who take so much page time in the story. Maybe the author wants to give the readers a sneak preview into her next book - create the curiosity vibe. The 'oh no, the so and so should be together, are they going to? Is the author going to write a story about them? Oh the agony, how will I ever survive until their book comes out? '

- No means No does not only apply to sex-related situation. It applies to everything. Julia said plenty of Nos but they were usually ignored by Mo. Maybe Mo thought that Julia was actually calling her name hence the ignorance of the Nos.

- Mo, just No. I can accept/swallow every single characterization bitter pill except for God's Gift For Women. Her lack of respect for personal space + Ms.Know It All attitude ignites the inner Hulk and no amount of cat videos can placate it.

- The leads communicate so damn well in bed and on any other surface they were using to do the hot and heavy but when the clothes are on, Julia prefers or sometimes forced to talk about what she wants in the relationship with the readers or.... her name rhymes with No instead of with each other.


- I want more of Julia and Reed


A Few Reasons Why Three Reasons To Say Yes Makes Me Think Of Say Yes To The Dress: Atlanta

- I love Kate, she reminds me of my younger days when I realized that I like guys as much as ladies. I still admire both and lucky to have a partner who participates in my fanwoman/fanman discussions.

- I love that the kids appeared regularly and played active roles in the story, rather than break glass in case of readers forgetting that Reed is a mom.

- I love that it takes the lead some time to connect with the kids + the feeling that she has for them sounds genuine and nothing to do with getting into their mom's pirate chest. Can't imagine what will Bryn do if she stumbled upon it + with a new set of Crayola.

- I love the traveling with kids element, the author does not sugarcoat. Meditating before trips always help + always have contingency plans + in case of emergency care packages.

- I love that one of the leads cooks, the kids deserve more than Cheerios.

- I love that Carly and Bryn's grandfather takes them to the Train Museum, brings back memories of reading sessions with my Abah at the train station.

Will I be reading the next book as much as I love Kate? Hell Mo!
Profile Image for Corporate Slave.
358 reviews5 followers
May 1, 2019
Good thing I was actually on the beach reading this book! I really enjoyed this one.. very sweet, Romantic and cute..
Profile Image for Kexx.
2,328 reviews100 followers
June 1, 2025
Well, I loved this - read it one day - made me cry, made me laugh & loved the characters. Quite superb - scrumptious - should be compulsory reading for all. 3rd time read it! - Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Carrie.
404 reviews
February 21, 2019
This was another one I didn't leave a review for the first time I read it. Huh.

Look. This book was fire. If you haven't read it, then get to it.

It was sweet, flirty, romantic, tense, deep, emotional, and amazing.

When Julia said that Reed lost her chance at "this conversation", my heart hopped out of my chest.

I was choked up with a hurt throat for the last 1/4 of the book.

Ugh. So good.
Profile Image for Alexis.
510 reviews650 followers
February 21, 2019
Another book I have a love hate relationship with. It's always to hard to review these but I'll give it my best shot.

This is my first book by Clevenger and after reading some very positive reviews about it, I decided to give it a try since the last book I read with Hawaii as a backdrop was a disappointment. This book was definitely better as it showcased several fun things to do on and around the Island that either involved Reed & Julia with the twins or Julia's best friends Mo & Kate.

Speaking of those characters. The book gets points for having a diverse cast like Julia who is half Chinese and not a size 0 and Mo who I'm guessing might be African American (the book doesn't specify). The other thing that I liked was that we got a bit of a role reversal when it came to the kids. I'm used to reading about femmes having children (biological or not) but I don't recall reading a lot of butch characters having them. (aside from a few books by Radclyffe)

I liked reading about Mo & Kate and their at times odd friendship but I wish the author had spent less time on them because things with Julia & Reed sometimes felt rushed. They started off feeling very much like a slow burn but managed to eventually feel like insta-love.

That also brings me to the fact that Reed's character was very hot & cold and at times the change felt very jarring. I'm also left with questions regarding a certain aspect of Julia's life that has always troubled her. Was the problem her exes? Or is it something physical or psychological? It seems the author has plans for this to become a series set in various island locations. Maybe those questions will be answered in those books.

This story definitely has drama and angst in it, which sometimes felt a little too much but it also has a lot of lighthearted moments and some pretty steamy scenes. Though I'm curious about Mo & Kate, I don't know whether or not I'll be reading the rest of this series. I guess time will tell.
Profile Image for Les Rêveur.
461 reviews149 followers
September 22, 2018
This is without a doubt my new favourite Jaime Clevenger novel. From the moment the book began I was hooked… I couldn’t put it down.

Julia is a work-a-holic that doesn’t think she is good at relationships. She and her two friends embark on a holiday to Hawaii and while sitting on the plane she meets the most handsome passenger, Reed. Only problem is that Reed is travelling with her twin daughter’s and Julia is not into kids... at all! As the holiday unfolds they both get tangled up together and Julia begins to bond with not only Reed but also the kids. They know that it’s no longer just a holiday romance and decide that a no-strings relationship would work best for them when they return home. But the more time spent together with the kids, the more invested everyone gets, especially Julia… Hearts may be broken!

Well this book was amazing. Honestly I couldn’t put it down from the first chapter. Three Reasons to Say Yes is written solely from Julia’s point of view and what a view on her life she has. Many of my blog readers know I am not a massive fan of one protagonist point of views but in this instance it worked perfectly.

Firstly (and this might be the mum in me talking) I want to say that the two little girls in this book stole my heart from the first chapter. Both kids are very different but very lovable in their own ways. I had some serious laugh out loud moments when they had page time. I also understood the pull Julia felt toward both children... no one stood a chance against them.

Secondly...Reed! Reed was major swoon material and definitely sits on my top ten all time favourite butch characters. She was hot, butch and such a good mum to both her kids… It was hard not to fall for her so I got Julia’s feelings and all the reasons (more than three) she wanted to be with Reed.

The chemistry between Julia and Reed is off the chart and the sex scenes left nothing to be desired. I keep thinking it couldn’t get any hotter then bang... it totally did.

Lastly the secondary characters of Mo and Kate (Julia’s best friends) left me wanting more. I mean these two had clear underlying feelings but Jaime Clevenger leaves every moment with them open and I just craved more from them. The hurrah part of the book was when I heard there is to be a sequel and these characters will get their day... not sure if it will be happy ever after but I’m already dying to get my hands on it.

It ain’t over for these protagonists just yet... major win for this reader!

All in all this book has the potential to be my book of the year. Truely, books like this don’t come around often that suit my reading tastes to a tee.

Unequivocally 5 stars.
Profile Image for Joc.
770 reviews198 followers
February 26, 2019
This is a really great read with some unexpected depth to it. Julia and her two friends, Mo and Kate, from college days are off for a two week vacation in Hawaii. On the flight there Julia has the back of her seat kicked repeatedly by an over-excited child and just as she's about to reprimand her she sees the gorgeous mother. As luck would have it, Reed and her daughters are staying in the same resort and it seems the attraction is mutual. However, they only have an overlapping week and between their jobs, Reed's children and the distance any kind of a relationship doesn't seem on the cards.

The story is told from Julia's point of view and she's a three dimensional, easy-to-like character. She's a bit of a workaholic, hasn't had very successful relationships, has a couple of issues around her appearance and questions her desirability. Her friends are not the usual sidekicks. They don't necessarily give the best advice and aren't particularly self-aware. They don't have any special insight into Julia and in fact, are mired in their own issues. This is one aspect I enjoyed because the BFFs are often portrayed as these wonderful sounding-boards with sage advice whereas these two can barely sort themselves out.

The twin four-year-olds where pretty realistic in terms of their behaviour and constant disruptions. They came across as a little older than four but better that than baby talk. They were also a constant in Reed's life in that they weren't shipped off to kiddies' clubs, baby-sitters or taking miraculously long naps. And in spite of their constant presence, this still managed to be a pretty sexy and steamy story.
Profile Image for Luce.
521 reviews
January 13, 2020
4 Stars for a romance with a few bumps in the road.

Julia Maguire and her two best friends, Mo and Kate go on the 2 week vacation to Hawaii that they had promised themselves in college to take before anyone got married. Julia hadn't taken a vacation in 5 years from her high stress job and with Kate engaged, it was now or never.

On the plane, Julia meets Reed Baxter, MD and her twin 4yo daughters, Bryn and Carly. As luck will have it they are all staying at the same resort. As bad luck will have it, Julia badly sprains her ankle and Reed applies first aid. Julia is sidelined from joining Mo and Kate on their planned outings such as surfing. Julia ends up spending more time with Reed and the girls than with her friends. Neither Julia nor Reed are looking for a relationship but agree on friends with benefits while in Hawaii. They didn't count on their growing friendship and Julia becoming attached to the twins and vice versa.

Clevenger did a great job with all the side characters, Mo, Kate, Bryn and Carly. Each had their own stories and distinct personalities. Bryn & Carly fight and play together with the same intensity. As I was reading it, I thought it was a bit much. But then I remembered my cousin's two boys. Not twins but ruff and tumble brothers (4 & 8yrs). They were visiting and the youngest runs in tears, Mom! Aiden hit me in the stomach! Mom: "Well, let me see, lift up your shirt. Are your guts falling out?" "No." "Then you are fine, so go play with your brother and cousins." "OK" And off he went. All better. I finally was able to let out a laugh when he ran off. So anyway.... Mo and Kate are also really well drawn with their own storylines but it doesn't detract from the main story.

We see a new friendship being formed that gets complicated when the vacation ends. There is enough drama, angst, sex and friends who mean well to make it a really good romance. I hope there will be a sequel.

One more thing - what bugs me are continuity errors. Julia shows up with an ankle brace. After she insisted on a wrap only. Where did she get the brace?
Profile Image for pipsqueakreviews.
588 reviews505 followers
October 18, 2021
Kids.

I think it's a personal bias that I couldn't fully appreciate what this book has to offer. I don't look forward to romance novels with kids in them because the romance time is always cut in half. Well, yeah kids demand a lot of attention and all that, which I suppose would appeal to some readers. But honestly, I don't think it was worth wasting a two-week vacation in Hawaii hanging out with screeching twin four year olds who kick the back of airplane seats, just to get into the pants of a hot butch mum. Even more so because Julia doesn't like kids to begin with, so I just couldn't connect with this part of the story.

Reed feels like a mystery the entire time. She seems to have a lot of backstories to share, which she does share with Julia at her own time but still holds back some thoughts and feelings and blows hot/cold. Julia is intrigued by her but doesn't push because she doesn't think it's her place to be inquisitive. Things got interesting for me only when they decide to try their casual arrangement long term and feelings develop. I ended up not rating this book too low because I thought it didn't turn out to be so bad after all. Abby Craden helped by keeping me entertained and by making the kids sound a lot cuter than they probably are. I didn't dislike their arrangement after a while, I think they make a good couple and family and I kinda like how Julia's feelings for the kids start to grow independently of her relationship with Reed. And yeah, okay - at least one of the twins grew on me by the time the story ended.
Profile Image for Mekeia.
102 reviews17 followers
September 18, 2019
Updated review:

Ok, so, honestly, it took me so long to read this book, to get into it, and because the last few chapters were actually pretty decent, that I cant actually remember accurately my feelings till that point.

I will say this though- the characters, other than the kids (which is ironic since I'm usually on the fence about kids in books) just didnt do it for me.

Julia was way too insecure and just whiny in the beginning for me to relate or even feel empathy and any connection with

Mo was annoying and pushy.

Kate was so indecisive, it bordered on boring.

Reed... honestly, I know I just read a book where shes one of the two main characters. And I can safely say, I dont think I've been in this dilemma before, but I have nothing to say about reed because I dont think I got to know her, at all. I know the basics, sure - what she does, where she lives, etc... but in terms of how she is as a person, nada... I have a better grasp on the ideologies and thought processes of the secondary characters than reed. I draw a total blank when it comes to her though...

I couldn't get into this till more than 3/4s of the way in. But, I really did enjoy the kids and how much they were a part of the story, especially around that mark. Yeah, the kids were definitely my favourite part, and I really thought it was well done on that account.

3.5 stars
Profile Image for Jo.
208 reviews21 followers
October 16, 2018
Omg, I just loved it. Nicely written. Made me laugh, made me sad, made me angry and made me happy. Another great one by Ms Clevenger.
Profile Image for Netgyrl (Laura).
625 reviews213 followers
August 11, 2021
5 Stars - Audible - LOVED IT!

This is my first Jaimie Clevenger book and I gotta say I was impressed. Also, I was not expecting the amount of heat in this book. Wooo boy! I will definitely be digging into her catalog some more.

Anyone want to recommend my next Clevenger read?
Profile Image for C.
737 reviews77 followers
October 17, 2018
I really liked this book. 4.90*

I have read a couple of Clevenger's book in the past and this by far is my favorite. Butch femme books are my favorite couplings and this is definitely one with a couple of absolutely adorable kids thrown in. The two main characters, Reed (doctor) and Julia (customer service rep kinda), are well written. They are flawed yet perfect for each other. Julia has a fear of sex and honestly I thought she might he Ace but that was not the case. And Reed has her own walls that involve the kids. Its a vacation fling turned trying to be long distant f-buddies to wanting something more. There is drama, angst, and very cute moments. Also, Kate and Mo are very interesting secondary characters that I kinda hope have a story of their own together.
There is one scene that i gotta mention at the beginning of the boom where one of the kids are messing on the plane. And as I read it all I coild see was Ellen DeGeneres skit on how one reacts to getting their seat kicked. It made me laugh. I will say this though, the sex scenes didnt really click with me. I actually skimmed them to get back to the story. Its weird I know and some people may find them great but for some reason I just wasnt fond of them.
Regardless, if you have the funds and the time give this a read I recommend it. I really enjoyed it and felt it worth the buy.
Profile Image for Tara.
783 reviews372 followers
December 9, 2018
I feel like I’m saying this on a lot of reviews these days, but it’s still true, so I’ll say it again. The world sucks right now and we’re all tired. If you want to take a break for some self-care time, this book would be a perfect choice. It’s sweet and lovely, and while it has some angst, it’s not going to hurt you. Instead, it’s going to take you away from it all so you can come back with a smile on your face.

Full review: https://www.thelesbianreview.com/thre...
Profile Image for Corrie.
1,688 reviews4 followers
January 11, 2020
I don’t know what it is, but listening to a book can actually make a difference in how I rate a book when I’m done. In this case, with Three Reasons to say Yes I know for sure it would have been at least one star lower had I read it. Maybe it is the ever lovely Abby Craden making the difference. Her voice acting smoothes out the wrinkles of annoyance that were made along the way.

Jamie Clevenger is a very competent author. This was my first tango with her and I will certainly put her name on my dance card for the next round. When you can make me fall in love with two 4-year old twins when I normally don’t really like kids littering my romance novel, you are doing a heck of a job.

When the two mains, Julia and butch single mom Reed are in bed together, everything works (despite Julia having a bit of a complex about being bad at sex). There is lots of sexual chemistry. Clevenger is very good with the erotic scenes and gives the reader plenty to savor. I still get the giggles when narrator Abby Craden uses her sex voice. Her moans and breathy ‘fuck me’s’ makes me swoon. Great googly moogly!!

The bff’s Kate and Mo were very much in view throughout the story and it’s clear they need their own book to have it out. Reed’s affections are blowing hot and cold and almost give poor Julia a whiplash. Plenty of angsty moments as Reed tries to right her wrongs. Yeah, you better crawl that mile through broken glass to bleed in her shadow, dude.

Like I said, the way Craden does all the voices (even the kids) is just a marvel and brings that little extra to make the book come alive. This Goddess has a firm spot in my pantheon now.

The audiobook is available on Scribd.

f/f explicit and very hot scenes

Themes: Hawaiian holiday with your two best friends, single mom with twin girls, hooking up, no strings sex is never enough, Reed makes a right twat of herself, some serious groveling is needed to make things right, twins Carly and Bryn steal the show, hungry hippo.

4.7 Stars
Profile Image for Jude Silberfeld-Grimaud.
Author 2 books757 followers
August 7, 2019
I’ve read a few Clevenger books and while not mind-blowing, they were all pretty good. For some reason I had missed this one but I saw the sequel was coming out so added it to the top of my list.

On her way to Hawaii with her two best friends, Julia meets Reed, a very sexy butch who also happens to be a mom to four-year-old twins. Neither Reed nor Julia is the fling type but the attraction is too strong to fight and they agree on casual sex during their vacation, then keep going afterwards. The no commitment thing quickly fails with neither woman ready to admit to it. Julia falls for Reed’s kids as much as for her, which only complicates things. Add to that the fact that Julia is convinced she’s the worst lover ever until Reed proves her wrong…

I’ve said it before, I’m always wary of kids in romance novels. More often than not, they’re written as mini adults, more annoying than cute. That is not the case here at all. They play a real part in the story, and it’s also a welcome change for their mother to be so unapologetically butch. Both little girls have very different, very endearing and very believable personalities. They’re silly and sweet and noisy. They’re also a good example of Jaime Clevenger’s talent with secondary characters. Julia’s best friends are another. Kate thinks she’s straight and is engaged to a man her friends dislike. Mo likes to believe she’s better off being single yet she’s engaged to her current girlfriend, whom her friends dislike just as much. There’s something going on between Kate and Mo that they don’t want to acknowledge. Luckily for us, the sequel, All the Reasons I Need, is about them and I can’t wait to get to it.
Profile Image for Marie.
106 reviews15 followers
June 26, 2021
4.5 stars. I really really loved this from beginning to end. The kids were soooooooooo cute.

Reed was so perfect. I loved how perceptive she was and this didn't make me realize her own issues because I found it believable that a single mom with twins wouldn't want to date and would prefer something more casual. I'm not usually into butch women but I really fell for her when she told Julia "I've had you". She says she has had communication issues but actually I loved how she always voices her thoughts and feelings. True, she does give mixed signals (and it's well explained at the end).

However, I could also understand Julia's side. She was deep in from the beginning.

If I have one complaint (and it's not really a complaint) it's that the sex part takes up a major part of the book. True, it's really hot and I loved how it played out, but I could have lived with it being a slightly smaller part in the book. I would have loved to see more of Julia with the kids for example.

The ending could have been a bit more straight forward from Julia's side, but I loved how Reed finally opened up fully and Julia finally listened and let Reed say what she wanted to say.

PS) Bonus points for diversity: One MC is half Asian and Mo, one of Julia's best friends, is black 😊
Profile Image for Alealea.
648 reviews10 followers
September 26, 2018
I know a lot of persons had a lot of good to say about this book. I don't. Much. Especially the beginning. I think I finally started to like it around 80%.

Before that mark, I found the besties constant badgering annoying, the insta-attraction confusing, and the whole Hawai-scenario pretty weird. Those last two, probably because I need to know, really know someone, before opening up in an intimate way and their behavior is one-hundred percent out of my comfort zone. (But yeah, ok, some scene are pretty hot)

Still. There had to be a reason why everybody 5-starred it all around, so I kept looking. And boy I'm glad I was.
When things get tough, the characters break, hurt, fail and it suddenly switch the story from the sunny-beach-view to something much more gritty and interesting and true.

So yeah, the last page may be over the top for me, way to hollywoodished, but the in-between is completely worth it.
Profile Image for F..
311 reviews15 followers
August 18, 2019
This was just a sheer delight. I picked it because I'd seen great reviews for it, and I didn't check the blurb again before buying. My heart sank faster than if it had collided with an iceberg when I realised that this story would prominently feature cute 4-year old twins (nothing wrong with kids etc but not in my romance stories, thanks). And then heart hit rock bottom when one of the MCs was all butch. Nothing wrong with being butch etc, but just not for me, especially in those stories where the characters swerve into what I would consider all the worst aspects of toxic masculinity.
But to my utter astonishment, I loved every minute of this book. The kids were so cute that I want to send them birthday cards and Christmas gifts. They were probably written a bit older than their 4 years, but not so bad that they sounded like a Wise Man on a Mountain but with a slight lisp for effect. The butch MC was just butch. Not toxic. Although a bit messed up, she was caring, kind, tender and all. Still, clearly a bit messed up but going for redemption like a pro!
The other MC had clear issues with self-esteem and self-love. But she grew throughout the book and it made perfect sense that meeting someone butch and in control could be the best thing for her development. It made her stronger and not weaker. In all the angst though, I was rooting firmly for her. And the confidence she finds was truly uplifting. And... hot.

There were bumps in the writing, sure. But for the sheer enjoyment, the subtly diverse range of characters, the side characters who actually had character, the fun story line, the surprise (for me) of writing about things I know I hate reading and making me love them, well, I cannot give this anything but 5 stars. And pick up the next book in the series, too.
Profile Image for Tere.
261 reviews57 followers
December 29, 2019
Listened to this one too. Narrated by Abby Craden. This was a great vacation story with even cute girl twins. Very likable mains. Will be listening to the second one.
Profile Image for Guerunche.
652 reviews35 followers
February 12, 2020
This was my first Jaime Clevenger book and I found the premise to be good and the story well written. I also thought it was unique in that I don't find a lot of books that include lesbian parents - or very many that focus on butch/femme pairings. And one of the characters had an "issue" that I don't often see written about in lesfic. The characters were also racially diverse. All good there. That being said, I found myself frustrated by the two main characters' lack of communication, fear of communication, and trying to convince themselves that they were just in it for the sex. That was mentioned a lot. Yes, we get it. But it was also obvious that there was more to it. I was disappointed in Reed's behavior at one point - even though I generally liked her very much as a character. It just seemed like both MCs were so together and successful in their professional lives, yet had some significant personal issues. People dealing with emotional stuff is certainly not unusual, but I just wished they could have worked through some of it more maturely without it getting too hurtful. I also got frustrated with one of the secondary characters (Mo) in that she was quick to offer advice - but it wasn't necessarily good or helpful. There were things I loved about all of the characters and some things that drove me crazy. I thought the parenting aspect was done well - it wasn't sugar-coated. Abby Craden narrates the audiobook and - as usual - I give her performance five stars. She even had slightly different voices for the four year old twins in this story and it was quite sweet. I liked the book. I would even say there were things I really liked about it. But there were some nagging things that kept me from completely investing. I'm interested enough to continue to the second book of the series though. Listening to that next.
Profile Image for Loek Krancher.
1,042 reviews66 followers
October 20, 2018
Wow, just WOW!

This is the best romance I have read this year. It has heart, soul and a lot of feels. I loved the characters. They have amazing chemistry and their passion is off the charts. And oh boy, the girls have a way to steal your heart. You want to be with them all the time. This is a book I will definitely reread. Two thumbs up for the author.
Profile Image for Judy - JC.
224 reviews9 followers
January 25, 2023
This series, Paradise Romance, never made my top when I was trying to decide what to read next but I had a long drive so an audiobook seemed to be the best choice and this series was the chosen.

Abby Craden is phenomenal.

I honestly have mixed feelings. Overall, I like it, but I guess that for the length it is I didn’t enjoy that most of the angsty stuff and its “resolution” happened at the end, all together. Better distribution was possible.

Also, you would think that communication was key to the success of their relationship at the beginning, well there’s a lack of it at the end.

Reed is cool, she’s a doctor who has twins (by the way Bryn is a lot, Carly in the other hand a sweetheart). Julia has low self-esteem and honestly, I’m not sure what she does but she works a lot.

If you don’t like kids, this is not your book. Definitely. They interrupt a lot, most of the time they are described as loud.
549 reviews12 followers
January 6, 2020
This was very well-written with likable main characters, great kid characters, steamy love scenes and not too much angst. This could turn into a comfort read for me.
Profile Image for currentlyreadingbynat.
871 reviews103 followers
August 27, 2022
Gah, I loved this audiobook! Jaime Clevenger has to be one of my favourite lesfic authors, and paired with the incredible narration by Abby Craden this book completely won me over. Reed was a complex character, and even though at times I wanted to scream at her, she was such a big old softie. I adored her and thought she was paired well with Julia.

The main draw card for me was the two little 4-year-old twinadoes. Seeing as though I have twin four years olds myself, I couldn't help but love the dynamic they bought to the story. I completely got where Reed was coming from, and I loved the way the relationship between both Reed and Julia, as well as Julia and the twins, was developed. I also giggled at all of their tiny little outbursts, as it reminded me a lot of my own kiddos.

I've just started book two in the series, also narrated by Abby Craden, and I can't wait to read Mo and Kate's story.
Profile Image for TheAvidReader.
98 reviews
April 4, 2020
I love stories with adorable kids so I was bound to fall in love in a story with twins. I liked our MC she is a POC and I was very pleased with that. Our Doc Reed (other MC), you could just sense all the sexy butch-ness oozing from her. Yes, I liked it, I would recommend. I still can't say I loved it. Just liked it.
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