When a hurricane destroys Peyton’s sleepy South Carolina beach town, the last person she expects at her door is her son-of-an-earl best friend, Will Maxwell. He insists on helping her save the family home. She accepts, eager for some time with her friend from London.
But when his toxic ex-girlfriend crashes the scene to win Will back, he tells Peyton there’s only one solution—fake a relationship with each other to convince his ex he’s taken for good.
Will is relieved when Peyton agrees, however reluctantly. But a new problem emerges when their fake romance leads to real feelings and a few shockingly hot kisses. He’ll have to leave his privileged life in London behind in order to have her, an idea Peyton dismisses outright. Can Will convince her that he’s ready to make the sacrifice ? And can Peyton allow herself to accept it?
When the three youngest sons of British earls seek a way to make their own names in the world, a sleepy Southern beach town may hold the keys to love, laughter, and happily ever after...
2.5 ☆ Quite predictable and this again reminded me why I can't let my boyfriend have female friends and why I won't be super close with any other guy (unless it's a childhood friend) when I have a boyfriend / husband. Those friendships just do not end well and I hated that this book started off with the female main character getting MAD at her boyfriend for being jealous over her male friend who CLEARLY OVERSTEPPED the solely friendship boundaries........... LIKE OFC HE GOT MAD that your pseudo "he's only a guy friend" was hitting on you so hard. It all began with half-cheating, basically the female protagonist was still with her boyfriend while she was thinking and flirting with her "male friend" *eye roll*, my gosh, please, no.
I was excited to get to read book #1 in this new contemporary series by Brenna Jacobs. How fun to travel to Charleston, SC and hang out with Peyton and her brothers, and Will and his gentlemen friends from England. This is a perfect long-time/long-distance friends to lovers story.
Peyton and Will met back in college on a semester in Rome, and have been friends ever since. When Will learns that hurricane Bianca was now headed to Charleston, and he can't get in touch with Peyton, he drops everything and boards a plane to see if she's alright. (Yeah, that's what "just friends do") 😏
I loved how Will and his friends were willing to help Peyton and Mr. Cecil fix their properties from the damage Bianca left. Will is also dealing with another Bianca, his ex-girlfriend that's trying to worm herself back into his life. I loved the restaurant scene of Peyton dealing with the snobbish Brit. Peyton showed Will a side of herself that he didn't know existed and it was great!
I fell in love with Peyton and Will right away and didn't want to stop reading of their journey to good friends to more. Will is just adorable, and I laughed at the witty dialogue so many times while reading. This was such a fun escape, I can't wait to read the other books in the Gentlemen of Magnolia Bay.
I received a complimentary copy but loved it so much I bought a copy for my personal collection.
I'm excited about this new series by author Brenna Jacobs! This book is set right on the coast of South Carolina which is definitely where I wish I could be right now, minus the hurricane.
Will and Peyton are the best of friends. They have a lot of history behind them and a firm foundation underneath them. I could feel the level of comfort that existed between them. I really enjoyed their gradual awareness of each other in new ways- Peyton can glam up and hobnob with the elite and Will can swing a hammer and use a saw. Those new discoveries, along with some zingy kissing lead to that shift in thinking that brings Will and Peyton to deeper feelings of attraction and love. It's a fun ride. My favorite moments were Peyton standing up to Will's ex girlfriend and Will's grand surprise.
This series is going to continue with Will's friends! I'm excited about this because we get a glimpse of them in this book and I can tell it's going to be fun. Hopefully we'll see Will and Peyton around in the next books too.
This book is on kindle unlimited.
Content: kissing
- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
I’m always up for a contemporary romance by Brenna Jacobs. I love the way she writes her books. It’s almost as good as taking a trip to Charleston. Sigh.
This one features Will and Peyton. I LOVED the chemistry between these two. They are best friends, but nothing more. But you’d never know that by how quickly Will jumps on a plane to help Peyton after hurricane Bianca.
And speaking of Bianca, I loved the parts of this book showing Will’s friends, the gents and his ex-girlfriend Bianca. The showdown between her and Peyton might be my very favorite scene in this book.
Peyton and Will are kind of clueless about each other through most of the book. That makes the plot so much more fun. I laughed out loud at how the two of them interacted sometimes. And the ending was perfect!
I can’t wait to read more books about the Gentleman of Magnolia Bay!
It was a very enjoyable read - Melanie Jacobson never disappoints, after all. The MCs were well written and their relationship believable. There was also a lovely secondary character; an elderly gentleman who made the story even more vivid and a bit poignant at times.
But. This book is a part of a collaborative project - a few authors writing book series (this one and also ABCs of Love) under the name Brenna Jacobs. And I don't know if it is typical of this project, but once again, I don't get to read the epilogue unless I sign up for the project newsletter (I have already complained exactly the same situation in one of my other BJ reviews). Well, much as I would like to know what happens there (I got invested in the story after all), I am not doing this, and I am also deducting one star from my rating. Not sure I want to continue with the series either. So yeah, that particular marketing trick is counterproductive as far as I am concerned.
I loved this book! Reading about Peyton and Will makes me want to head to South Carolina and have a beach romance with a hot Brit! 😂 (Don’t tell my SO I said that! 🤫) I ended up reading this in two days. It was just so fun! Peyton and Will are best friends, and when a hurricane hits South Carolina, Will impulsively books a flight from London to check on Peyton when he can’t get a hold of her. I think he won me over right then! I kind of want to start rereading this right now, and I just finished it. Brenna’s books are quickly becoming some of my go-to’s when I want something fun, cute, and happy to read!
Content note: mild language
I received an advanced copy from the author to read and honestly review.
fui encantada pela premissa do livro, best friends to lovers, fake relationship e o fato dele ser da realeza. até descobrir q ele de certa forma não é. o livro é super curto, bem rápido de ler, mas faltou aquele clima de cidade pequena q é gostoso de ler. até mesmo a amg da protagonista, que é A PROTAGONISTA do SEGUNDO LIVRO aparece UMA VEZ na história só, então acabou q o livro deixou mt a desejar
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Another fun story from "Brenna Jacobs"...This is book one in a series that l am looking forward to reading. I enjoyed the story and rooted for Peyton and Will to finally realize they were supposed to be together. Nothing too heavy or distressing, so another great "Hallmark" type book to read when you need a break and a little reading enjoyment for yourself. Hopefully book 2 is out soon!
I adore Brenna's contemporary romances. They're clean, sweet, and fun with some dang good kissing scenes! The setting of this one has me searching for beach vacation availabilities ASAP. I love how Will and Peyton's friendship blooms into more as they help and rely more on each other. Put this one on your list of quick summer reads!
This is a brand-new, very fun series. I really liked getting to know Peyton and Will. Both had surprising depths that made each discovery more enjoyable than the last. Great resolution and a much appreciated epilogue. The other 'gents' were intriguing as well and I look forward to their books.
I did receive a complimentary ARC; all opinions are my own and freely given.
4.5 stars another hit from Brenna Jacobs! This book was so fun to read and I absolutely loved the mix up of British aristocracy and Southern charm. Peyton and Will had this super cute friendship that hooked me right off the bat. I love how Will impulsively comes to Magnolia Bay after a hurricane to make sure Peyton is okay. The humor in this book was fantastic. Everything from the beautiful setting to the wit surrounding hurricane "Bianca" to the personalities of the Gents all kept me interested and laughing. I stayed up late reading this in one night, I couldn't put it down until I knew how it was going to end and then I didn't want it to end so I really hope the next book isn't too far out. The romance is clean with some great kissing but nothing beyond that. I enjoyed how the author captured the British gentleman vibe and southern-isms which made me want to visit both South Carolina and London. There were a lot of references to beer and drinking, but nothing major on the page. I enjoyed this book, Brenna Jacobs has yet to disappoint when it comes to the satisfying rom-com. Can’t wait for the other two “Gents” stories. I received an advance reader copy of this novel. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Theme: friends to lovers, fake dating, beach town, British-American
If you are looking for a light summer romance, look no further. Peyton has feelings for her best friend, Will but she prefers friendship over an unknown future. I really enjoyed the British - American banters while Will and Peyton fix the neighborhood and turn the tide to another direction.
I loved this story and even got to finish reading the second half while on the beach! Even though it was predictable from the very beginning, the scenes and character development were wonderful so that you could create it in your mind's eye as you read. I'm a very visual reader and that's really important to my enjoyment of any story. Will and Peyton were made for each other, and I just loved Henry and Theo. Their dry, side-kick styles fit so well with their British backgrounds. Bianca was developed as the nasty, self-indulgent former girlfriend that you wanted to dislike right from the start. Mr. Cecil was everyone's favorite grandfather that you just wanted to hug!
I'm a stickler for technical content and have to question the author using a category 4 hurricane as the premise for the damage in the story, but it didn't produce any storm surge or flooding??? The island isn't described as being raised in elevation, and a Cat 4 will produce catastrophic damage that's far beyond what is described in this story, with surge of 15'-20' deep. You just need to ignore this and get beyond it. There are only 5 typographical errors that interrupt the read and need to be corrected, but I enjoyed the story so much I didn't mind having to get around these.
I have several other books by Jacobs that I'm looking forward to reading.
Frankly, while I don't dislike friends-to-lovers stories, they're not generally my favorite, either. They tend to follow the same predictable pattern. This is definitely one of the happy exceptions!
I had some reservations about Peyton at first as she came off a little too choleric-sanguine in temperament (kinda type A & not real deep), but once the story settles into place, I was relieved to find that she's confidently capable and fun.
Once Will enters the picture, their amusing dialogue pulled me in right away & kept me happily immersed to the end.
Will, ironically, is a little weak-"will"ed - at least where his ex is concerned. But wait till you meet the manipulative Bianca, & you'll better understand!
The fake relationship prompt is believable, & the relationship development in which the friendship transitions into romance feels real. It's obvious where things are going to some extent, but the pleasure is very much in the journey as well as the destination - which makes this essentially a perfect read!
When a hurricane destroys Peyton’s sleepy South Carolina beach town, the last person she expects at her door is her son-of-an-earl best friend, Will Maxwell. He insists on helping her save the family home. She accepts, eager for some time with her friend from London.
But when his toxic ex-girlfriend crashes the scene to win Will back, he tells Peyton there’s only one solution—fake a relationship with each other to convince his ex he’s taken for good.
Will is relieved when Peyton agrees, however reluctantly. But a new problem emerges when their fake romance leads to real feelings and a few shockingly hot kisses. He’ll have to leave his privileged life in London behind in order to have her, an idea Peyton dismisses outright. Can Will convince her that he’s ready to make the sacrifice ? And can Peyton allow herself to accept it?
When the three youngest sons of British earls seek a way to make their own names in the world, a sleepy Southern beach town may hold the keys to love, laughter, and happily ever after...
I enjoyed getting to know Will, Peyton and their friends and family in this new book from Brenna Jacobs. The friendship between Will and Peyton was great, and I was happy to see them realize they could be good together-and the way they came to that was entertaining. The supporting characters were fun, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book about them.
I don’t pretend to understand how royalty works, but I did assume from the title that some of the characters would be people in direct line for the throne. I think the title comes from the mistaken assumption/teasing Peyton gives Will that aristocracy is the same as royalty.
As far as content there are a few mild swearwords and mention of unfaithfulness.
Ms. Jacobs certainly knows how to do contemporary romance, and she does it well indeed! I was so excited to start this new series. Her writing has a way bringing the story to life and of totally immersing you in the characters lives. Peyton and Will were a wonderful couple and I was rooting for them the whole time. The journey they take to the realization that they belong together was a fun one to follow. They had such great chemistry and really fit well together. The mix of British aristocracy and Southern charm certainly made for some awkward and laugh out loud moments. Such a sweet and fun story - I'm hoping Book 2 will be out soon!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving my review.
Oh y’all—this is a really good one! It’s the story of Peyton and Will, two best friends who met during a study abroad trip to Rome five years ago. Now they live across the Atlantic Ocean from one another in London and South Carolina. The trope is sort of a cross between a friendship to love theme and a fake romance theme. All of the characters were so appealing and realistic. The story had some unpredictable twists and turns that surprised me. I laughed out loud at times. My heart squeezed at a few poignant moments. And I sighed at the romantic parts. Highly recommend! I was entrusted with a copy of this book by the author and this is my voluntary and honest review.
Great series start! There were some subtle nuances in this ‘best friends falling in love with each other’ story. I really enjoyed the main characters, as well as the secondary ones. I know this is the first in a series, and I hope Will’s friends AND Peyton’s brothers all get their own stories. I want to get to know them better and they all seem like decent guys who should also get their own HEA! Plus, this makes me want to live in Magnolia Bay... but maybe without the hurricanes. 🙂 I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This was a well done series opener! I feel like the author nailed the multiple different types of relationships and how they interacted together. I loved that this book is written from both their perspectives and I think that the author did a decent job staying British during Will’s view points. I’m not British and can’t verify any of the accuracy, but it sounded different enough to be believable to me. :) That could just make me an American. There were a couple of editing mistakes but there were even more laugh-out-loud moments of dialogue that were great. Looking forward to the next one.
I was in it... then I wasn’t so much (the story seemed thin and forced)... then halfway through, I was again intrigued. Definitely not one of my favorite contemporary romances, but it held my attention well enough.
Didn’t appreciate several not-so-subtle nods to different agendas. It should be plausible to write a romance involving strong women and consenting adults who hear one another without drawing attention to its controversy in our culture... write the world you want to see instead of pulling me from your story with social commentary.
Decent writing corrupted by a feminist mindset that must obliterate men, making them walk on eggshells, in order to promote a "strong" heroine. Could have been a cute story.
Disappointing.
What I've learned: 1. Any time a man speaks, it's mansplaining 2. Women can do no wrong and therefore don't have to experience growth. (Static characters are really what we all want anyway, right?) 3. Girls can do everything boys can do, but better. 4. Men must ask permission for everything or it's harassment. 5. The same advances from women are never inappropriate.
I felt like the story was really taking a long time to develop. I was more than half way into the book before I felt like it picked up any momentum. I probably would have given it 3 stars but the last half was a lot better and I really enjoyed it. I think part of it is the story was being set up for future books so maybe that’s why there was so much going on before the connection between Peyton and Will came into focus. Clean: G
This story was a fun read with the transition from being best friends to romantic interests through a pretend relationship. I love that everyone else could see the passion and sparks before the characters themselves. With characters that sacrifice for each other and have their own personal development throughout the story, it checked a lot of boxes for a good story. The inside jokes and history that comes of the best of friends really make this story come to life.
I loved this book so much!! I loved how Peyton and Will had such a solid friendship and then getting to see how it “accidentally” became more during their charade to get rid of Bianca!! Will was a dreamboat with his British accent, his nice muscles, and his big heart! Peyton was perfect with her strong, independent, sassy, yet sweet side! I both laughed and swooned several times throughout this book! Yep, Brenna Jacobs has written another winner for this fan!!
Overall, a cute friends to lovers romance. The setting of Magnolia Bay is a delightful place.
I did think the British characters could have sounded more British. Also, more could have been done to develop the characters of Theo and Henry, especially since the next two books of the trilogy are about them. I kept conflating them because nothing about them stuck out to me to tell them apart. (I don't even remember if there was a physical description of them.)
Such a fun summer read! Will is such a great friend to Payton and it is from the very beginning you can see how much he cares for her as a friend. The plan they carry out to get rid of Will’s ex for good just proves how well they work together and understand one another. This was the push they needed to give each other a chance at being more than a friend. I loved reading Peyton’s and Will’s story and can’t wait for the next book in this series.