Unrequited love is playing havoc with their friendship…
Ashley Parker’s in an office full of eligible men but there’s no way she’s dating again, not after her worst breakup yet. Except one day, a secret admirer starts leaving gifts on her small, thoughtful tokens that make her take a closer look at everyone around her.
Chase Reynolds knows he’s firmly in the friendzone with his coworker, Ashley. He’s been her listening ear after every breakup, including the last one, a guy security had to be warned not to let in the building. And after walking her out to her car every night for more than a year, it’s time to accept that things will never change. But after hearing their department’s about to be eliminated, Chase comes up with a bold plan to win Ashley over before they’re all fired and he never sees her again.
Rachel John is the author of books filled with awkward humor and sigh-inducing romance. When not burning dinner or chasing kids, Rachel can be found working on family history, writing, reading, or putting off writing by staring at Facebook. She lives in Arizona with her husband, four crazy kids, and her desert tortoise.
This is third in a series where the characters are increasingly intertwined. So the main characters from the previous books are important in this one and I definitely recommend reading those first. And then skipping this one...
The best that can be said for this, and the only reason I finished it, is that it is short. Of course, it could have been a quarter of its current size if either lead had had a lick of courage. It's like either one could have been played by Peter Lorre in his most cringing character roles they were so hopelessly wiffel-waffely. The entire story, all of it, was them talking past each other, despairing over their unrequited status, and then lying so that the misunderstandings could continue another round.
Seriously, skip this sad, sorry excuse for a romance. I swear, there's more romance in alligator wrestling...
A note about missing faith: This one was really weird for the series in that both leads expressed interest in saving sex for marriage but without anything more than "it's something I wanted" and "we need to be careful to wait" like that's something contemporary folks come up with on their own all the time. At least there's talk of attending church in this one. Only that's almost worse because nobody actually has any other trappings of faith or religion. They don't pray, they don't worry about God, they don't speak of forgiveness, mercy, or love (outside of a romantic context) and there's no community of faith evident at all.
A note about Chaste: As with the others in this series, there's no sex. Only this time, it's a bit weirdly handled as per the note above...
I loved that Chase was not your typical hero. He has not dated in years because he's raising his younger siblings and it takes all of his spare time. That's also why he wears outdated and ill-fitting clothes to work every day; they belonged to his father and he doesn't have the money to buy new clothes.
But for years he has worked with Ashley and been her friend and secretly been in love with her. Now he has inside information that their jobs are ending soon and he needs to make his move. He's definitely not smooth, but he's loving and caring and overall a great guy. And I was definitely cheering for him to get his happily-ever-after!
I love all the characters from the previous 2 books, so I couldn't help but love them in this one. Chase is a new character and very sympathetic as well as lovable. The story also has an engaging premise.
However, it has a lot of missed and mixed up communications, so if that's one of your peeves, you have been warned. I found it a little frustrating myself by the end.
The epilogue was super sweet, though - I loved it! And I'm excited to read that Lina's match is next. She's such a savvy firecracker that it's going to take a really special guy to put a ring on her finger.
3.5 stars. Yes, this was totally predictable and full of tropes. It was also sweet, short, and fun. I think keeping the story brief is what made it work. If you’re looking for a quickie full of fluff, this is it.
I loved reading this adorable family romance. Chase lost both his parents at nineteen and became the legal guardian of his two sisters and his brother. Chase is now twenty-five, Gabby ten, Beth sixteen and his brother Tyler eight. Chase is a wonderful brother and substitute parent. He has a great disposition and an amazing personality. At work, his boss relies on him the most as he is an excellent employee. Chase works with Ashley. He has had a crush on Ashley since the first day they met. Years later, he has come to love her. Chase is one of Ashley's closest friend. Ashley works with Chase and admires and respects him. She has no idea that he has been pining for her. A year ago, Ashley left an abusive relationship with Reid. Ashley has not had a serious relationship since then. She has dated from time to time but nothing serious. Recently Chase became privy that the department was being eliminated and everyone was going to lose their jobs. Chase was glad for the advanced notice so he could start looking for a job right away. He was sworn to secrecy so he did not tell Ashley about it. Chase panicked. He thought he would never see Ashley again and she would never know how he felt about her. By accident he started to leave small tokens of his affection on her desk anonymously. Ashley could not figure out who her secret admirer was. Ashley started recognizing that her feelings for Chase were changing to more than friends and she wished her secret admirer was Chase. But she was unsure of what to do. As the deadline for the department closing draws nearer, Chase and Ashley take their friendship outside of the workplace. It is interesting to read about how they were both so confused about each other not knowing if the other cared about them. Also, it is eye-opening the way the get involved in each other's life. Chase has always hoped to find someone who would accept him knowing he had three siblings to care for. He hoped that someone was Ashley. This is a clean read. It is also about an unusual romance. It is a heartfelt story full of meaning and emotion. It is a very good story. I enjoyed reading it. I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Anonymously Yours is a well-written clean romance. Chase and Ashley make a great couple, even if it takes them awhile to get there. Chase's siblings add a lot of fun to the story. The story's pacing is good. There are a few twists and turns in the story that add to the interest. I like Rachel John's writing style. The dialogue seems natural and flows well. I hope to read more of this author's work. I'd recommend this to readers of sweet romance and Christian romance. I received an ARC. I chose to write a review and share my opinion.
I really enjoyed the unique story line of a shy yet devoted secret admirer. The romance was very real, dealing with mistakes, miscommunication and that the right people push each other to be better. A very though filled and inspired novel.
This is the first book I've read by this author but it won't be the last. I thought it was a great story. It was well written and kept my attention. There was even a little bit of a twist thrown in. I loved the characters of Ashley and Chase. I am looking forward to being able to go back and read the first two books in the series. *I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. This is my honest review.*
This was a cute, quick read. I loved Chase. He was doing really well at keeping it all together considering his overwhelming responsibilities. He was good with his siblings. He was a good friend. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 was because it seems to drag on sometimes. I wished they would just have "the conversation" so they could move on. The epilogue was especially cute. I liked that it was clean. I would read it again. I can't wait for the next book in the series.
This is my absolute favorite book by this author. I had all the feels with this one. It was just such a sweet and fun romantic story. I'm not embarrassed to admit I cried tears of sweet, sweet happiness near the end of the book. It was just so believable. I felt like I was a part of Chase and Ashley's journey. I loved how important family was to Chase and that Ashley fit perfectly into it. I am a huge fan and can't wait for book 4!
A sweet clean contemporary romance. I really enjoyed this fun romance story. The dialogue was believable and the characters had some flaws which kept things interesting. I enjoyed all the books in this series and highly recommend it.
I love a great friend zoned romance. These two were so adorable. Loved the side characters and can't wait for the next book. What will Ashley say when she finds out who her secret admirer is? There are a couple of short lived detours but love wins in the end.
A gentle romance that develops out of a work-place friendship, Ashley and Chase are two insecure people trying to find their way through the difficulties that beset them. Chase had to grow up quickly and take responsibility for his siblings after the death of their parents, giving him little to no time for dating or indulging in his own interests. Ashley has had a string of bad relationships, the last of which left her physically hurting, ashamed and devastated. However, when little gifts start appearing on her desk, Ashley finds her curiosity piqued and she longs to find who her secret admirer is. Chase has longed to be more than friends with Ashley almost as long as he has known her, but he's a package deal and any woman who accepts him, has to also accept his responsibilities. With so much on both their plates, it is a wonder that they even get to first base. The story is sweet and generally well written, coming to a happy conclusion. I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.
I won this book in a giveaway and finally had a chance to read it. It was a quick and enjoyable read for an afternoon or evening. I liked the main characters, particularly Chase. He is so kind to his siblings, stepping into the difficult role of guardian at a young age and he is also thoughtful toward Ashley even if he is too chicken to express his real feelings. I'm always a sucker for heroes that are wonderful with kids. I really liked him. Ashley had a hard time with relationships and was therefore not looking for love after her last abusive creeper boyfriend. So she is afraid to take the first step toward moving past being friends too. I also loved the supporting characters that come to Ashley's aid whenever needed. They were all great. I liked seeing Ashley's growth in learning that while she needs to be a strong independent woman, it is also wise to have and use the support group.
Potential trigger topics of abusive relationships, stalking, and not being believed by police.
Sex: some kisses Language: no Violence: references to past physical violence
Good but I looked the second book in the series better
I thought the book was enjoyable but not enough to read it again. I was a bit frustrated with the go around of assumptions and a lack of communication between the H and h. This was part of the reason that I lost a bit of respect for Chase, plus the ‘whole nice guys finish last’ theme of inward laments didn’t help either: although with Ashley’s dating record, was understandable. What I did like was Beth and Lina and visiting with Shaun and Paige. I enjoyed seeing what happened to Reid and watching Ashley’s happily ever after because despite some of my frustration with them, I still felt that they both deserved a happy beginning. A solid four stars. I liked it.
I hated the 1st book in this series, really liked the 2nd and just kinda don't care about this one. It's a fine story but nothing ever really happens. Ashley has been through a lot with past boyfriends. Chase is forced to take care of his younger siblings. There friendship is okay, but I never was able to get fully invested in their romance because neither of them would ever mention their attraction. Chase was really a coward with low self esteem. He was hung up on who she dated in the past which is pretty crappy. Like I said it isn't a bad story but I'll forget it in 2 days.
This was a cute read, but definitely meant for a younger crowd. I'm a bit past my mid-twenties :) and would have solved their issues with communication rather than allowing the angst to continue, but then there wouldn't be a book written, would there? However, I did finish it and found it to be a satisfactory read.
Super cute romance. They both had a complicated history that they needed to regain confidence and believe in themselves. It was sweet how they learned to trust eachother. I liked the way their romance bloomed. I was really rooting for them. I enjoyed having past charachters from previous stories join the story and add to it. I can't wait for the roomates story.
Overall I enjoyed this sweet, clean romance. However, the wishy-washiness of both characters left me feeling annoyed at times and wishing the characters were not so obtuse! So good story, but not my favorite Rachel John book.
Sweet, cute story but I did feel like Chase should have spoken up sooner. It was a quick read with a feel-good vibe and I liked how we got little updates on the characters from previous books in the series. It was totally clean and nice.
This book was fine. I did like it. I think maybe I was hoping for a bit more of… something. More to Chase, more of the previous characters, more honesty and less assumptions. Nothing against the book at all! Just not as favorite as the others in the series.