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Exclusive
Her new job as an on-air reporter in sunny San Diego is a big break for Skyler Ruiz. No more covering small-town softball games or vegetable growing competitions. She’ll be working at the same station as her TV mega-crush and longtime idol, anchorwoman Carolyn McNamara, and that doesn’t hurt either.
Unfortunately, people don’t always live up to expectations.
Skyler’s hopes of impressing Carolyn are dashed when she discovers Carolyn has little time for newbie reporters and is downright unwelcoming. But when Carolyn drops her guard, Skyler is left with her head happily spinning, her heart wide open, and oh-so ready to explore a romance she never saw coming.
So, of course, the network pits them against each other.
It’s only when Skyler is ready to sacrifice everything she’s ever dreamed of for Carolyn does she begin to suspect love is nothing but fake news.
Unfortunately, people don’t always live up to expectations.
Skyler’s hopes of impressing Carolyn are dashed when she discovers Carolyn has little time for newbie reporters and is downright unwelcoming. But when Carolyn drops her guard, Skyler is left with her head happily spinning, her heart wide open, and oh-so ready to explore a romance she never saw coming.
So, of course, the network pits them against each other.
It’s only when Skyler is ready to sacrifice everything she’s ever dreamed of for Carolyn does she begin to suspect love is nothing but fake news.
242 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2022
49 people are currently reading
763 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Brayden
32 books2,759 followersMelissa Brayden is the multi-award winning author of more than twenty-five sapphic romance novels and is hard at work on more. She is a wine enthusiast, a fan of all donuts, and is probably staring off into space as you're reading this. You can find her at www.melissabrayden.com and on most social media sites.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
February 19, 2022
'ARC provided by both NetGalley and The Publisher (Bold Strokes Books) in exchange for a honest review'
**'Most good writers are sensitive to cliches and should endeavor to avoid them..Now repeat this mantra: Writing is when I make the words and editing is when I make them not shitty..'
Average read!
This is my very short perspective because I do not and would not sway any other interested readers from reading this book --- I've enjoyed a few of Ms.Brayden's other books but sometimes I feel that good writers do challenge themselves a lot and so this push do cause a slide in their storytelling with certain books and maybe 'EXCLUSIVE' has that.
As to the storyline at about 77% until the ending, that's when i started liking it and that's also when I felt they had little chemistry. The epilogue was a nice conclusion also.
Recommended!
**'Most good writers are sensitive to cliches and should endeavor to avoid them..Now repeat this mantra: Writing is when I make the words and editing is when I make them not shitty..'
Average read!
This is my very short perspective because I do not and would not sway any other interested readers from reading this book --- I've enjoyed a few of Ms.Brayden's other books but sometimes I feel that good writers do challenge themselves a lot and so this push do cause a slide in their storytelling with certain books and maybe 'EXCLUSIVE' has that.
As to the storyline at about 77% until the ending, that's when i started liking it and that's also when I felt they had little chemistry. The epilogue was a nice conclusion also.
Recommended!
February 14, 2022
Newsroom romance.
One of my favourite authors writing one of my favourite tropes. Brayden writes chemistry so well and this one is no exception. Carolyn or Carrie for short, is Skyler's celebrity crush and when Skyler joins the news station, I love how their relationship develops from just that to colleagues to something more. I love them together, their chemistry is so good and the scenes are really hot. There were also surprises at several turns that I didn't see coming too.
But the book is written in a single, first person POV and although I usually have no issues with this, I felt a gap in the story. I feel like I know very little about Carrie, she never spoke of her family nor her past relationships. There were times when I couldn't tell how interested she was in Skyler until she articulated those feelings and when she did so, I sometimes found myself surprised by the depth of her affections. And while I was prepared for the black moment that always happens in Brayden's books, I'm not sure I liked the resolution and thought Carrie took on more blame than she should have.
I love this book and the characters for sure, even though I feel slightly unfulfilled by the one-sidedness. I also thought it's a bonus that we got to meet the characters from Brayden's other book, Heart Block, here again.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
One of my favourite authors writing one of my favourite tropes. Brayden writes chemistry so well and this one is no exception. Carolyn or Carrie for short, is Skyler's celebrity crush and when Skyler joins the news station, I love how their relationship develops from just that to colleagues to something more. I love them together, their chemistry is so good and the scenes are really hot. There were also surprises at several turns that I didn't see coming too.
But the book is written in a single, first person POV and although I usually have no issues with this, I felt a gap in the story. I feel like I know very little about Carrie, she never spoke of her family nor her past relationships. There were times when I couldn't tell how interested she was in Skyler until she articulated those feelings and when she did so, I sometimes found myself surprised by the depth of her affections. And while I was prepared for the black moment that always happens in Brayden's books, I'm not sure I liked the resolution and thought Carrie took on more blame than she should have.
I love this book and the characters for sure, even though I feel slightly unfulfilled by the one-sidedness. I also thought it's a bonus that we got to meet the characters from Brayden's other book, Heart Block, here again.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 28, 2022
I loved 80% of this book and yelled in my head for about 15%. I’m a huge Melissa Brayden fan. I’ve said it often, I was lucky enough to translate two of her books and I loved it, loved every word. I know I’ve overrated some of her books in my reviews because I want to love them so much, but in recent years, they haven’t worked for me as well as older ones. That’s why I found a lot to love in Marry Me, despite the second part ruining the first one for me. Because there was something new, something exciting. With Exclusive, I found that feeling I love when reading Brayden’s books. For about 80% of the book, I was in Brayden heaven, then the requisite breakup occurred and from then on, it felt off. I’m still a Brayden fan however, I’m still cheering for her and rooting for her, and if that means yelling at characters for part of the book, so be it.
When Skyler Ruiz leaves her small local TV station for a much more exciting job as a reporter in San Diego, she’s intent on proving herself and making the most of the opportunity. That the desk next to hers belongs to her all-time idol Caroline McNamara only adds to her motivation. Even if, at first, the older woman isn’t as welcoming as Skyler could have hoped. But when Caroline finally lets her guard down, Skyler’s entire world seems to suddenly shine more brightly.
I knew it was going too well. Skyler stole my heart immediately, Caroline – Carrie – intrigued me, and getting to know her through Skyler’s eyes, I had no trouble imagining how sexy she is. I need to mention that all through my reading, my Twitter TL was full – even more than usual – of photos and videos of Cate Blanchett, because of the César Awards, and now Caroline and Cate look very much alike in my mind. There’s also a Morning Show feel to this story and she could have looked like Jennifer Aniston, with Skyler as Reese Witherspoon, but my brain rejected the possibility, which means I have no idea what Skyler looks like. That’s not on the author at all, I almost never “see” characters. I feel their personality, their actions, their energy, their emotions, but as I wrote in a recent review, physical descriptions are lost on me.
So anyway, I was very happily basking in the getting-to-know-each-other giddiness and of course, it couldn’t last, because that’s not the kind of romance stories Melissa Brayden writes. And when it happened, Skyler lost my heart. To be honest, for a big part of the book, I could completely understand why Skyler was head over heels over Carrie but I wasn’t sure why Carrie felt the same way about her. This might be because the story is told in the first person from Skyler’s point of view, which gives readers a lot more insight into what she loves about Carrie than we get about Carrie herself and what she feels.
By then, however, Carrie had completely won me over, I trusted her and if she could forgive Skyler, maybe I could too. And that’s what I love about reading, I can get really angry at someone and no one gets hurt. Yes, I have real feelings, strong feelings, about fictional characters. And in this case, I feel Carrie is treated very unfairly. Skyler isn’t completely in the wrong, I understand where she comes from, and she did try to meet her halfway, but in an impossible situation, there are no right choices. You do your best. Then you do your best to make that best work. And in a relationship, both parties have to try.
That said, Brayden writes beautiful chemistry. Every time these two look at each other is hot, and they do a lot more than look. That’s probably my favourite part of Exclusive, this chemistry, this palpable connection. As usual, the banter is excellent, but this Brayden trademark is also one of her flaws, as it makes her characters sound similar. Skyler’s personality is very different from Carrie’s yet what they say and the way they say it is at times interchangeable.
I was happily surprised to see Sarah and Emory from Heart Block as secondary characters, even if they gave me a scare. And can you believe Grace is sixteen? I feel old… There are also a couple of Easter eggs from the Tangle Valley series and Strawberry Summer (I’m only adding the link to prove all the points I made in the first paragraph of this review).
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
When Skyler Ruiz leaves her small local TV station for a much more exciting job as a reporter in San Diego, she’s intent on proving herself and making the most of the opportunity. That the desk next to hers belongs to her all-time idol Caroline McNamara only adds to her motivation. Even if, at first, the older woman isn’t as welcoming as Skyler could have hoped. But when Caroline finally lets her guard down, Skyler’s entire world seems to suddenly shine more brightly.
I knew it was going too well. Skyler stole my heart immediately, Caroline – Carrie – intrigued me, and getting to know her through Skyler’s eyes, I had no trouble imagining how sexy she is. I need to mention that all through my reading, my Twitter TL was full – even more than usual – of photos and videos of Cate Blanchett, because of the César Awards, and now Caroline and Cate look very much alike in my mind. There’s also a Morning Show feel to this story and she could have looked like Jennifer Aniston, with Skyler as Reese Witherspoon, but my brain rejected the possibility, which means I have no idea what Skyler looks like. That’s not on the author at all, I almost never “see” characters. I feel their personality, their actions, their energy, their emotions, but as I wrote in a recent review, physical descriptions are lost on me.
So anyway, I was very happily basking in the getting-to-know-each-other giddiness and of course, it couldn’t last, because that’s not the kind of romance stories Melissa Brayden writes. And when it happened, Skyler lost my heart. To be honest, for a big part of the book, I could completely understand why Skyler was head over heels over Carrie but I wasn’t sure why Carrie felt the same way about her. This might be because the story is told in the first person from Skyler’s point of view, which gives readers a lot more insight into what she loves about Carrie than we get about Carrie herself and what she feels.
By then, however, Carrie had completely won me over, I trusted her and if she could forgive Skyler, maybe I could too. And that’s what I love about reading, I can get really angry at someone and no one gets hurt. Yes, I have real feelings, strong feelings, about fictional characters. And in this case, I feel Carrie is treated very unfairly. Skyler isn’t completely in the wrong, I understand where she comes from, and she did try to meet her halfway, but in an impossible situation, there are no right choices. You do your best. Then you do your best to make that best work. And in a relationship, both parties have to try.
That said, Brayden writes beautiful chemistry. Every time these two look at each other is hot, and they do a lot more than look. That’s probably my favourite part of Exclusive, this chemistry, this palpable connection. As usual, the banter is excellent, but this Brayden trademark is also one of her flaws, as it makes her characters sound similar. Skyler’s personality is very different from Carrie’s yet what they say and the way they say it is at times interchangeable.
I was happily surprised to see Sarah and Emory from Heart Block as secondary characters, even if they gave me a scare. And can you believe Grace is sixteen? I feel old… There are also a couple of Easter eggs from the Tangle Valley series and Strawberry Summer (I’m only adding the link to prove all the points I made in the first paragraph of this review).
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 1, 2022
3.75 stars. This book had a couple of nice surprises, but it wasn’t completely without bumps either. This is not my favorite book by Brayden, but still a good read that I think many people will enjoy.
When Skyler starts her new job as a reporter at a big network she couldn’t be happier and on top of that she’ll work in the vicinity of her idol Carolyn (Carrie) McNamara. Until she discovers that Carrie is not so welcoming.
Skyler has a warm and easygoing personality, but it was Carrie that was most intriguing to me even though I didn’t really get the feeling to know her all that well. This is caused by the fact that the book is written in first person from Skyler’s POV. Carrie has some sharp edges at the start of the book, which makes you wonder what goes on in her head and exactly that is what I like about a first person 1 POV book, the mystery part. Carrie quickly won me over though and Carrie and Skyler together had good chemistry going on.
As can be expected there were several references to previous books with the biggest one being the secondary roles for Sarah, Emory and Grace from Heart Block. They were a highlight in this book for me as they even had their own storyline which was not merely a backup for the main storyline. I enjoyed their storyline so well that I wouldn’t have minded more.
Brayden’s writing is always good, it has a good combination between humor, lightheartedness and angst, and it flows nicely. The humor comes from the banter and quips of the main characters and this style is so typically Brayden and so easily recognizable. Unfortunately, that is also becoming my problem lately. Most characters in the last couple of books seem to have the same type of humor and speech and they all start to blend together for me.
As I said this story surprised me a couple of times, the main surprise for me was that I saw some things coming from a mile away and I was already anticipating what would happen only to find out that my expectations were incorrect. I liked the turn the story made and eventually it leads to a dark moment. What I didn’t like so much was the resolution. To be fair, I sort of understood both sides of the problem and it was a situation that had no ideal outcome, but the resolution seemed very one-sided and it just didn’t feel right. The epilogue does largely make up for it though and left me with a happy feeling and isn’t that what it is all about? All in all, this was a good entertaining read as can be expected from Brayden.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When Skyler starts her new job as a reporter at a big network she couldn’t be happier and on top of that she’ll work in the vicinity of her idol Carolyn (Carrie) McNamara. Until she discovers that Carrie is not so welcoming.
Skyler has a warm and easygoing personality, but it was Carrie that was most intriguing to me even though I didn’t really get the feeling to know her all that well. This is caused by the fact that the book is written in first person from Skyler’s POV. Carrie has some sharp edges at the start of the book, which makes you wonder what goes on in her head and exactly that is what I like about a first person 1 POV book, the mystery part. Carrie quickly won me over though and Carrie and Skyler together had good chemistry going on.
As can be expected there were several references to previous books with the biggest one being the secondary roles for Sarah, Emory and Grace from Heart Block. They were a highlight in this book for me as they even had their own storyline which was not merely a backup for the main storyline. I enjoyed their storyline so well that I wouldn’t have minded more.
Brayden’s writing is always good, it has a good combination between humor, lightheartedness and angst, and it flows nicely. The humor comes from the banter and quips of the main characters and this style is so typically Brayden and so easily recognizable. Unfortunately, that is also becoming my problem lately. Most characters in the last couple of books seem to have the same type of humor and speech and they all start to blend together for me.
As I said this story surprised me a couple of times, the main surprise for me was that I saw some things coming from a mile away and I was already anticipating what would happen only to find out that my expectations were incorrect. I liked the turn the story made and eventually it leads to a dark moment. What I didn’t like so much was the resolution. To be fair, I sort of understood both sides of the problem and it was a situation that had no ideal outcome, but the resolution seemed very one-sided and it just didn’t feel right. The epilogue does largely make up for it though and left me with a happy feeling and isn’t that what it is all about? All in all, this was a good entertaining read as can be expected from Brayden.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 5, 2022
Melissa Brayden has created another truly amazing romance novel with her newest creation, Exclusive. This story has all of the elements I look for when I’m searching for a great romance, including some of my favorite tropes.
This book takes place in gorgeous, sun-filled setting of San Diego, California. Skyler Ruiz has a huge break in her journalistic career when she is hired to be a roving reporter by the local station in San Diego for the 5:00 and 10:00 PM news programs. Not only is this a big jump in her career, the news anchor she will be working with is Caroline (Carrie) McNamara, a woman she has been looking up to and secretly crushing on for years. Unfortunately, what you see on television may not always be what or who you see in real life.
This is a great age gap, enemies-to-lovers romance. This author is very good at creating memorable and loveable characters in all of her books. Skyler is one of those people you just want to have as a best friend. She is beautiful, intelligent, upbeat, and driven to be the best she can be at her job. Caroline is older than Skyler, and therefore further along in her career, but just as memorable. A lot of the conflict comes from the higher ups in the network pitting the two against each other, but even with all that, the chemistry between the two characters is off the charts. The book is written in first person point of view so we only see things through Skyler’s eyes. This means we have to use what Skyler sees in Carrie’s actions, facial expressions, and speech to understand what she is thinking and feeling. The author did a good job with this.
One of the things I love about Ms. Brayden’s novels, she often puts little Easter Eggs from her other books into the tale, creating her own little universe for her different stories. For this tale, she has set the story in the same world as her former book, Heart Block. For those of you who have read this tale, Emory, Sarah, and her daughter Grace are all fairly important secondary characters here. In fact Sarah and Skyler are cousins. I totally enjoyed seeing these folks again.
This book takes you on a romantic journey with lots of ups and downs in the overall story. The author even made me cry, but don’t worry, there is always a happy ending, and I loved this one. I recommend it to all contemporary romance lovers.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
This book takes place in gorgeous, sun-filled setting of San Diego, California. Skyler Ruiz has a huge break in her journalistic career when she is hired to be a roving reporter by the local station in San Diego for the 5:00 and 10:00 PM news programs. Not only is this a big jump in her career, the news anchor she will be working with is Caroline (Carrie) McNamara, a woman she has been looking up to and secretly crushing on for years. Unfortunately, what you see on television may not always be what or who you see in real life.
This is a great age gap, enemies-to-lovers romance. This author is very good at creating memorable and loveable characters in all of her books. Skyler is one of those people you just want to have as a best friend. She is beautiful, intelligent, upbeat, and driven to be the best she can be at her job. Caroline is older than Skyler, and therefore further along in her career, but just as memorable. A lot of the conflict comes from the higher ups in the network pitting the two against each other, but even with all that, the chemistry between the two characters is off the charts. The book is written in first person point of view so we only see things through Skyler’s eyes. This means we have to use what Skyler sees in Carrie’s actions, facial expressions, and speech to understand what she is thinking and feeling. The author did a good job with this.
One of the things I love about Ms. Brayden’s novels, she often puts little Easter Eggs from her other books into the tale, creating her own little universe for her different stories. For this tale, she has set the story in the same world as her former book, Heart Block. For those of you who have read this tale, Emory, Sarah, and her daughter Grace are all fairly important secondary characters here. In fact Sarah and Skyler are cousins. I totally enjoyed seeing these folks again.
This book takes you on a romantic journey with lots of ups and downs in the overall story. The author even made me cry, but don’t worry, there is always a happy ending, and I loved this one. I recommend it to all contemporary romance lovers.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
March 30, 2022
Perhaps it was because I went into Exclusive thinking it would be light-hearted that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I probably would otherwise.
Skyler Ruiz got a new job in San Diego and it is the first step of her becoming the TV reporter she wants to be. Working alongside her idol, Carolyn “Carrie” McNamara, isn’t helpful though. Carolyn seems to be initially dismissive of Skyler, but as the days go on, they start to fall for each other. When an unexpected change occurred in the news station, can Skyler and Carolyn work through their professional conflict?
I always appreciate a good romance with a good career development storyline. In Exclusive, the career elements were great other than the conflict, which I saw coming but thought that couldn’t be it. Maybe that is just how the real world works. I love the chemistry between Skyler and Carrie though and truly enjoyed the book in the beginning. It was also nice to see characters from Brayden’s other books (I have not read those yet) dealing with major life events after finding their happily-ever-afters.
There are a few things that didn’t work well for me, and the most important one was the “compromise” made between the characters, which is pretty much a one-sided sacrifice. Another thing is that, for a book of this length, it touches upon a lot of side plots that made me feel like the story was a little all over the place. There is one major death in the story that came out of nowhere, did not add much to the plot, and was not mentioned again after the incident, which overall left a bad taste in my mouth. Other nitpicks include Carrie’s manipulation, dub con (“Wait, it’s happening too fast.” “No, it’s not.”), Skyler’s motivations, and moose???
Unfortunately, as the story went on, I became less and less invested in the characters. Exclusive might be a book for you, but it is not for me. 2.5 stars rounded down.
content warnings: graphic sex, alcohol (recreational), dui (alcohol), cancer (side character), blood, death of side character, manipulation, dub con, use of ableist language
Buddy read with Gabriella! Check out her review here!
I received a digital review copy from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Skyler Ruiz got a new job in San Diego and it is the first step of her becoming the TV reporter she wants to be. Working alongside her idol, Carolyn “Carrie” McNamara, isn’t helpful though. Carolyn seems to be initially dismissive of Skyler, but as the days go on, they start to fall for each other. When an unexpected change occurred in the news station, can Skyler and Carolyn work through their professional conflict?
I always appreciate a good romance with a good career development storyline. In Exclusive, the career elements were great other than the conflict, which I saw coming but thought that couldn’t be it. Maybe that is just how the real world works. I love the chemistry between Skyler and Carrie though and truly enjoyed the book in the beginning. It was also nice to see characters from Brayden’s other books (I have not read those yet) dealing with major life events after finding their happily-ever-afters.
There are a few things that didn’t work well for me, and the most important one was the “compromise” made between the characters, which is pretty much a one-sided sacrifice. Another thing is that, for a book of this length, it touches upon a lot of side plots that made me feel like the story was a little all over the place. There is one major death in the story that came out of nowhere, did not add much to the plot, and was not mentioned again after the incident, which overall left a bad taste in my mouth. Other nitpicks include Carrie’s manipulation, dub con (“Wait, it’s happening too fast.” “No, it’s not.”), Skyler’s motivations, and moose???
Unfortunately, as the story went on, I became less and less invested in the characters. Exclusive might be a book for you, but it is not for me. 2.5 stars rounded down.
content warnings: graphic sex, alcohol (recreational), dui (alcohol), cancer (side character), blood, death of side character, manipulation, dub con, use of ableist language
Buddy read with Gabriella! Check out her review here!
I received a digital review copy from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 16, 2022
Skyler Ruiz gets a new job which she finally sees as her big break… little does she know just how much is about to break. She ends up working with the lovable and iconic, Caroline McNamara, her tv crush who she finds out isn’t so unattainable as she thought.
Honestly I struggled to finish this book, but I’m glad I did.
The book starts out on a cute note, Skyler is an immediately likable character and so is literally everyone else in this book. There’s a bit of everything in this book, angst, humor, romance, drama, overall a good read.
I feel like Caroline definitely could’ve used a bit more character especially at the beginning. She seemed really superficial and just didn’t seem engaging.
As I said, I struggled to finish this book. My ARC’s were piling up and I had time so I decided to finish it in one sitting since it’s short and I didn’t regret it.
If it’s one thing Melissa Brayden never fails at, it’s those make it or break it moments. The way she piles up the drama and creates a setting where it’s not too overwhelming yet convincing and realistic is something that I’ll always admire. Especially the make it moments. The dialogue and everything that ties it together is enough for me to have enjoyed this book. She truly depicts what it means to have that epic love that the characters always denote their feelings as. A lot of authors struggle with creating a setting to back up their characters emotions but in my opinion, Brayden never does. In this book, specifically at that make it or break it moment I previously mentioned, you truly feel just how stuck and suffocated Skyler feels without depending on her just having to outright say it to feel it.
So yeah, I felt a bit stuck for a large part of the book. But for me, I enjoyed the ending. I would say it’s my favorite part of this book.
I do recommend, as I do every book by this author lol
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publishers in exchanged for a honest review.
Also something I remembered after writing this that I had a problem with was how there’s no resolution between Skyler and her mother. She spends the whole book praising her mother yet complaining about how they’re not close and even sometimes bordering on calling her mom self centered yet there’s no resolution- no her airing this out- not even her making peace with it- just complaining.
Honestly I struggled to finish this book, but I’m glad I did.
The book starts out on a cute note, Skyler is an immediately likable character and so is literally everyone else in this book. There’s a bit of everything in this book, angst, humor, romance, drama, overall a good read.
I feel like Caroline definitely could’ve used a bit more character especially at the beginning. She seemed really superficial and just didn’t seem engaging.
As I said, I struggled to finish this book. My ARC’s were piling up and I had time so I decided to finish it in one sitting since it’s short and I didn’t regret it.
If it’s one thing Melissa Brayden never fails at, it’s those make it or break it moments. The way she piles up the drama and creates a setting where it’s not too overwhelming yet convincing and realistic is something that I’ll always admire. Especially the make it moments. The dialogue and everything that ties it together is enough for me to have enjoyed this book. She truly depicts what it means to have that epic love that the characters always denote their feelings as. A lot of authors struggle with creating a setting to back up their characters emotions but in my opinion, Brayden never does. In this book, specifically at that make it or break it moment I previously mentioned, you truly feel just how stuck and suffocated Skyler feels without depending on her just having to outright say it to feel it.
So yeah, I felt a bit stuck for a large part of the book. But for me, I enjoyed the ending. I would say it’s my favorite part of this book.
I do recommend, as I do every book by this author lol
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publishers in exchanged for a honest review.
Also something I remembered after writing this that I had a problem with was how there’s no resolution between Skyler and her mother. She spends the whole book praising her mother yet complaining about how they’re not close and even sometimes bordering on calling her mom self centered yet there’s no resolution- no her airing this out- not even her making peace with it- just complaining.
June 8, 2022
3.5 Stars
Melissa Brayden has been on my auto-buy list for a while now. I don’t even read the blurb; I just get it and I’m usually happy with that choice. With “Exclusive” I was happy with it for about the first 80% but then the dark moment came about and Brayden lost me and never got me back.
Skylar Ruiz is the newest reporter for a news channel in San Diego when she meets Carolyn (Carrie) McNamara. Carrie has been Skylar’s longtime crush and idol and she’s thrilled to get to work with her. Carrie, on the other hand, is more guarded. She’s been a long-time anchor and she knows she’s getting to be too old for the executives. She doesn’t automatically warm up to this newbie reporter who could potentially steal her job.
Once again, Brayden was able to surprise me with her choices. Every time I thought I knew what she would do she would go a different direction. Such as, I thought Carrie was going to be an “ice queen” character but nope, she was just cautious. She turned into a sweetheart as soon as we really got to know her. For some reason I also went into this thinking it’d be a slow burn but it’s not that either. Their relationship takes off pretty quickly. It happened a few other times and I thought it was neat how she’s able to flip things around to make it stand out a little more.
This still has all of Brayden’s hallmark writing. There’s witty banter, funny and lovely friends and family. Their chemistry is pretty instantaneous as well. I think most of my issues with my feelings on this is two things. First, this is told in Skylar’s POV only and Carrie remains not unknown exactly, but I just didn’t have a good handle on her and her feelings. When the dark moment happens, I would’ve really liked more from Carrie because I didn’t understand a few of her choices.
Speaking of the dark moment, that is my second issue. It wasn’t so much the moment itself. I actually thought it made sense and seemed realistic. My issue was how it was resolved. I absolutely hated it and thought one of the characters had to give up way too much while the other got everything her way. It just frustrated me and unfortunately, that’s how I was left feeling with this book.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Melissa Brayden has been on my auto-buy list for a while now. I don’t even read the blurb; I just get it and I’m usually happy with that choice. With “Exclusive” I was happy with it for about the first 80% but then the dark moment came about and Brayden lost me and never got me back.
Skylar Ruiz is the newest reporter for a news channel in San Diego when she meets Carolyn (Carrie) McNamara. Carrie has been Skylar’s longtime crush and idol and she’s thrilled to get to work with her. Carrie, on the other hand, is more guarded. She’s been a long-time anchor and she knows she’s getting to be too old for the executives. She doesn’t automatically warm up to this newbie reporter who could potentially steal her job.
Once again, Brayden was able to surprise me with her choices. Every time I thought I knew what she would do she would go a different direction. Such as, I thought Carrie was going to be an “ice queen” character but nope, she was just cautious. She turned into a sweetheart as soon as we really got to know her. For some reason I also went into this thinking it’d be a slow burn but it’s not that either. Their relationship takes off pretty quickly. It happened a few other times and I thought it was neat how she’s able to flip things around to make it stand out a little more.
This still has all of Brayden’s hallmark writing. There’s witty banter, funny and lovely friends and family. Their chemistry is pretty instantaneous as well. I think most of my issues with my feelings on this is two things. First, this is told in Skylar’s POV only and Carrie remains not unknown exactly, but I just didn’t have a good handle on her and her feelings. When the dark moment happens, I would’ve really liked more from Carrie because I didn’t understand a few of her choices.
Speaking of the dark moment, that is my second issue. It wasn’t so much the moment itself. I actually thought it made sense and seemed realistic. My issue was how it was resolved. I absolutely hated it and thought one of the characters had to give up way too much while the other got everything her way. It just frustrated me and unfortunately, that’s how I was left feeling with this book.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 21, 2022
I've read most of Melissa Brayden's books and they're very consistently funny and enjoyable books. And while Exclusive fits right into that, I don't think despite the fact it has a very original premise in having news workers as its protagonists, it's one of the strongest of her books either. That's not to say its bad- it's a lovely book. But an author as great as Brayden comes with some high expectations and this just isn't my favorite by her.
Exclusive follows Skylar Ruiz who is cutting her teeth as a television reporter but in markets where she knows she can do a better job. So when she lands the job as a reporter in the San Diego market where she grew up, and working with anchor Carolyn McNamara, her teenage crush it seems like a dream come true. And when Carolyn (Carrie) and Skylar meet, there's some clashes but once they work it through they become a powerful news force together and it leads to more. But the station notices and it might inspire some changes.
One thing interesting about these characters is that why the book is told entirely from Skylar's perspective, I was really more interested in Carrie and her life and choices. It's not at all that Skylar wasn't lovable but I was suuuuper into Carrie and found her more interesting overall. I wanted to know more about her life and interests and what led her back.
I'd be remiss to not mention the side characters in this book. Brayden is one of the best at giving winks to her other books, I can barely think of a book in the last couple years that doesn't have at least a short reference to another work. But having the mains from Heart Block feature so heavily in this was really great. I loved seeing Emory, Sarah, and Grace again, as well as seeing Emory's character progression from that book to this one, and then even more in this one. That was honestly one of my favorite parts of Exclusive.
I'm also a lush for a touching resolution and this book has it in SPADES. God the last 10% of this book had my heart beating fast.
Unfortunately I do have to bury some complaints under a spoiler tag as they're plot related. I've had to do this several times recently and I apologize for that.
This was an enjoyable book, with classic Brayden humor and characters. While it's not my favorite of hers it's in no way bad either, a lot of people will enjoy it! 3.5/5
Thank you to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
Exclusive follows Skylar Ruiz who is cutting her teeth as a television reporter but in markets where she knows she can do a better job. So when she lands the job as a reporter in the San Diego market where she grew up, and working with anchor Carolyn McNamara, her teenage crush it seems like a dream come true. And when Carolyn (Carrie) and Skylar meet, there's some clashes but once they work it through they become a powerful news force together and it leads to more. But the station notices and it might inspire some changes.
One thing interesting about these characters is that why the book is told entirely from Skylar's perspective, I was really more interested in Carrie and her life and choices. It's not at all that Skylar wasn't lovable but I was suuuuper into Carrie and found her more interesting overall. I wanted to know more about her life and interests and what led her back.
I'd be remiss to not mention the side characters in this book. Brayden is one of the best at giving winks to her other books, I can barely think of a book in the last couple years that doesn't have at least a short reference to another work. But having the mains from Heart Block feature so heavily in this was really great. I loved seeing Emory, Sarah, and Grace again, as well as seeing Emory's character progression from that book to this one, and then even more in this one. That was honestly one of my favorite parts of Exclusive.
I'm also a lush for a touching resolution and this book has it in SPADES. God the last 10% of this book had my heart beating fast.
Unfortunately I do have to bury some complaints under a spoiler tag as they're plot related. I've had to do this several times recently and I apologize for that.
This was an enjoyable book, with classic Brayden humor and characters. While it's not my favorite of hers it's in no way bad either, a lot of people will enjoy it! 3.5/5
Thank you to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
March 10, 2022
3 stars. Any Melissa Brayden book is going to be cute and heartwarming, and this book is no exception. However, I ran into a few bumps with this one that dampened my reading experience.
Exclusive is told from the first-person POV of Skyler Ruiz (30, Guatemalan American), who’s just landed a job as a reporter in San Diego. There, she gets the chance to work alongside her news anchor crush, Caroline “Carrie” McNamara (~40). Skyler is an adorable, weird ray of sunshine with a penchant for moose and a precious dog named Micky. I was instantly taken with Skyler’s narration, and I initially thought this might be a five-star book (but alas, that didn’t happen). Carrie seems like an ice queen at first, but we quickly realize that she isn’t. She’s a lovable woman with a passion for her job, though she’s feeling the unfortunate pressure of being a nearly-40-year-old woman in a high-visibility field.
As expected, Skyler and Carrie have great chemistry and I loved their dialogue and banter. I did, however, wish that their relationship had more buildup. I was excited by the idea of Carrie being an ice queen and there being some delicious *tension,* but the relationship turned domestic and steamy so quickly that I was a bit disappointed.
This book sort of a companion novel to Heart Block: Skyler is Sarah’s cousin, and we get plenty of scenes with Sarah, Emory, and Grace. Exclusive takes place eight years after Heart Block, and I loved getting to see what those characters are up to now. It isn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Sarah and Emory: in this book they’re facing an unexpected challenge together, which just shows how strong their relationship is (but rest assured, they both end up okay!).
(I can’t remember if Skyler was mentioned in Heart Block, though: I feel like since she and Sarah are so close, it would have been weird if she wasn’t, and then was poofed into existence for this book.)
Unfortunately, during the conflict, I thought that one character sacrificed too much while the other got off scot-free. I think more communication between Skyler and Carrie was necessary to avoid this. And while it likely wasn’t intentional on Brayden’s part, there was some manipulation going on that left a bad taste in my mouth. I think they’re a cute couple and everything, but I don’t see them working out long-term. Sigh, I’m just not vibing with Brayden’s conflicts these days.
Also, something happens during the conflict section that ruined the tone of the book for me. I feel like this book had enough drama already without adding that sudden sad event, and I don’t think the event left as much of an impact on the rest of the book as it should have.
Though this book fell a bit flat for me, I’d recommend it if you’re in the mood for a workplace romance with great dialogue, lovely side characters, and lots of *drama.*
Buddy read with Hsinju! Check out her review here.
content warnings: graphic sex, cancer, car accident, death of a side character, violence, hospitalization, blood, manipulation, dubious consent, alcohol (recreational), past parental death
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Exclusive is told from the first-person POV of Skyler Ruiz (30, Guatemalan American), who’s just landed a job as a reporter in San Diego. There, she gets the chance to work alongside her news anchor crush, Caroline “Carrie” McNamara (~40). Skyler is an adorable, weird ray of sunshine with a penchant for moose and a precious dog named Micky. I was instantly taken with Skyler’s narration, and I initially thought this might be a five-star book (but alas, that didn’t happen). Carrie seems like an ice queen at first, but we quickly realize that she isn’t. She’s a lovable woman with a passion for her job, though she’s feeling the unfortunate pressure of being a nearly-40-year-old woman in a high-visibility field.
As expected, Skyler and Carrie have great chemistry and I loved their dialogue and banter. I did, however, wish that their relationship had more buildup. I was excited by the idea of Carrie being an ice queen and there being some delicious *tension,* but the relationship turned domestic and steamy so quickly that I was a bit disappointed.
This book sort of a companion novel to Heart Block: Skyler is Sarah’s cousin, and we get plenty of scenes with Sarah, Emory, and Grace. Exclusive takes place eight years after Heart Block, and I loved getting to see what those characters are up to now. It isn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Sarah and Emory: in this book they’re facing an unexpected challenge together, which just shows how strong their relationship is (but rest assured, they both end up okay!).
(I can’t remember if Skyler was mentioned in Heart Block, though: I feel like since she and Sarah are so close, it would have been weird if she wasn’t, and then was poofed into existence for this book.)
Unfortunately, during the conflict, I thought that one character sacrificed too much while the other got off scot-free. I think more communication between Skyler and Carrie was necessary to avoid this. And while it likely wasn’t intentional on Brayden’s part, there was some manipulation going on that left a bad taste in my mouth. I think they’re a cute couple and everything, but I don’t see them working out long-term. Sigh, I’m just not vibing with Brayden’s conflicts these days.
Also, something happens during the conflict section that ruined the tone of the book for me. I feel like this book had enough drama already without adding that sudden sad event, and I don’t think the event left as much of an impact on the rest of the book as it should have.
Though this book fell a bit flat for me, I’d recommend it if you’re in the mood for a workplace romance with great dialogue, lovely side characters, and lots of *drama.*
Buddy read with Hsinju! Check out her review here.
content warnings: graphic sex, cancer, car accident, death of a side character, violence, hospitalization, blood, manipulation, dubious consent, alcohol (recreational), past parental death
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 11, 2022
Exclusive by Melissa Brayden is a wonderful read. An age gap workplace romance with a side of secrecy and abandonment issues and a healthy amount of steamy scenes.
The chemistry between the MCs was off the charts for me. I cannot pin point exactly which component made this work exactly but it felt like the chemistry was making the pages vibrate! The easy comic banter, the sexy glances, the quick stollen moments and their overall understanding of one an other just sealed the deal.
However, this doesn’t mean I did not want to shake Skyler violently on a few occasions. This is likely due to the fact that the book is told from her perspective and therefore her flaws and insecurities are at the forefront. I could definitely relate to her abandonment issues but wanted to scream when she started to detach herself from her love instead of fighting for her. Uncharacteristically for me, I even shed a few tears, because the pain and feelings of not being worth hit were so well portrayed. However, I feel like, perhaps, Carrie was not as much to blame as she was and I would have loved for Skyler to make a grand gesture as well, just to show some growth and acknowledgement of her own shortcomings. It feels like one of the driving factor in their divide was that Skyler felt she was not a priority or as important to Carrie as Carrie was to her, but Carrie’s words and actions, in my eyes showed that she was! Sky just seemed to be blinded by her trauma and unable to see it. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed how it all came together in the end. This is a true romance, just like I like them. Love, feelings, fears, tears and chemistry.
Lastly, I love how Brayden ties her whole universe together. In this case, it was nice to revisit Sarah and Emory (and witty Grace!) from heart block, although I had a slight panic attack there for a moment. This makes the HEA so much more tangible!
** ARC generously provided by the publisher through NetGalley
The chemistry between the MCs was off the charts for me. I cannot pin point exactly which component made this work exactly but it felt like the chemistry was making the pages vibrate! The easy comic banter, the sexy glances, the quick stollen moments and their overall understanding of one an other just sealed the deal.
However, this doesn’t mean I did not want to shake Skyler violently on a few occasions. This is likely due to the fact that the book is told from her perspective and therefore her flaws and insecurities are at the forefront. I could definitely relate to her abandonment issues but wanted to scream when she started to detach herself from her love instead of fighting for her. Uncharacteristically for me, I even shed a few tears, because the pain and feelings of not being worth hit were so well portrayed. However, I feel like, perhaps, Carrie was not as much to blame as she was and I would have loved for Skyler to make a grand gesture as well, just to show some growth and acknowledgement of her own shortcomings. It feels like one of the driving factor in their divide was that Skyler felt she was not a priority or as important to Carrie as Carrie was to her, but Carrie’s words and actions, in my eyes showed that she was! Sky just seemed to be blinded by her trauma and unable to see it. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed how it all came together in the end. This is a true romance, just like I like them. Love, feelings, fears, tears and chemistry.
Lastly, I love how Brayden ties her whole universe together. In this case, it was nice to revisit Sarah and Emory (and witty Grace!) from heart block, although I had a slight panic attack there for a moment. This makes the HEA so much more tangible!
** ARC generously provided by the publisher through NetGalley
August 29, 2022
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sigh, I’m back and forth with Brayden’s stories, and this felt more back than forth.
The MCs here are Skyler, a reporter trying to make the next move up in her career, and Carrie, a news anchor. Skyler scores a reporting job at Carrie’s station and the two meet, but don’t instantly hit it off. Well… Sky has always had a thing for Carrie, but Carrie isn’t so impressed to start. Sky also happens to be Sarah’s cousin from Heart Block. Sarah, Grace and Emory feature a lot, as do Kristin and Lucy from Firework.
For the first 25% or so Carrie is stand-offish and Sky is trying to find her feet in her new job. Then they eventually admit their attraction and start a relationship, and I enjoyed that section of the book, and found their banter and chemistry entertaining. But unfortunately, as is generally the case in Brayden’s books, unnecessary drama is inserted around the 75% mark and both characters, though Sky more than Carrie, made idiotic decisions that could be solved by simply TALKING LIKE GROWN UPS. So annoying. This is eventually smoothed over by a completely unnecessary sad event and a big gesture made by the wrong person.
I loved revisiting with Sarah, Emory and Grace and their side story had some real emotional beats. Ty was also an awesome character . I liked both MCs, but as usual, found that first person was a limitation here because Carrie was the more interesting character for me, and I would have like to have explored her feelings about what happened with her career, while I didn’t care at all about Skyler’s, and found her meteoric rise unbelievable.
Overall, I found this a bit uneven and found the drama at the end hard to overcome. 3.5 stars, rounded down, because I can’t give it 4.
Sigh, I’m back and forth with Brayden’s stories, and this felt more back than forth.
The MCs here are Skyler, a reporter trying to make the next move up in her career, and Carrie, a news anchor. Skyler scores a reporting job at Carrie’s station and the two meet, but don’t instantly hit it off. Well… Sky has always had a thing for Carrie, but Carrie isn’t so impressed to start. Sky also happens to be Sarah’s cousin from Heart Block. Sarah, Grace and Emory feature a lot, as do Kristin and Lucy from Firework.
For the first 25% or so Carrie is stand-offish and Sky is trying to find her feet in her new job. Then they eventually admit their attraction and start a relationship, and I enjoyed that section of the book, and found their banter and chemistry entertaining. But unfortunately, as is generally the case in Brayden’s books, unnecessary drama is inserted around the 75% mark and both characters, though Sky more than Carrie, made idiotic decisions that could be solved by simply TALKING LIKE GROWN UPS. So annoying. This is eventually smoothed over by a completely unnecessary sad event and a big gesture made by the wrong person.
I loved revisiting with Sarah, Emory and Grace and their side story had some real emotional beats. Ty was also an awesome character . I liked both MCs, but as usual, found that first person was a limitation here because Carrie was the more interesting character for me, and I would have like to have explored her feelings about what happened with her career, while I didn’t care at all about Skyler’s, and found her meteoric rise unbelievable.
Overall, I found this a bit uneven and found the drama at the end hard to overcome. 3.5 stars, rounded down, because I can’t give it 4.
April 18, 2022
Do you ever read something and just completely relate to it? That is how I felt during the conflict of this book. It isn't reasonable or mature. But it is REAL. There isn't anything I love more than gritty, vulnerable emotion.
Speaking of relating. My name is Carrie and my wife's name is Shyla. The main characters in this book are Carrie and Skyler. Also, Skyler has a doggy that is described exactly like one of our fur babies. Very relatable!
A young reporter on a small network gets a prime-time opportunity. It is too bad the veteran news anchor is a total you-know-what. Never meet your heroes and all of that. Impossible situations arise.
It is my opinion that Melissa Brayden could never write a bad book. She always delivers and is the only must-read author for me.
I recommend it to those who love to read about romance, celebrities, age gap, news, and unsuspecting cabinets.
I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.
Speaking of relating. My name is Carrie and my wife's name is Shyla. The main characters in this book are Carrie and Skyler. Also, Skyler has a doggy that is described exactly like one of our fur babies. Very relatable!
A young reporter on a small network gets a prime-time opportunity. It is too bad the veteran news anchor is a total you-know-what. Never meet your heroes and all of that. Impossible situations arise.
It is my opinion that Melissa Brayden could never write a bad book. She always delivers and is the only must-read author for me.
I recommend it to those who love to read about romance, celebrities, age gap, news, and unsuspecting cabinets.
I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.
October 15, 2022
Exclusive by Melissa Brayden, narrated by Melissa Sternenberg
An entertaining workplace romance
I’ve been reading this author since she released her Soho series (2014) and Kiss the Girl became one of my all favourite books in Sapphic romance. I went straight to listening to the audiobook as Melissa Sternenberg does an excellent job narrating Ms. Brayden’s books. This one didn’t disappoint.
Exclusive is a workplace romance between a well-known TV anchor and a reporter at almost the beginning of her career. One of the things I like about this author is that she writes chemistry very well. Their meet-cute isn’t exactly friendly but slowly Brayden builds their chemistry and sexual tension until it’s ready to snap. Both main characters are likable so it’s very easy to root for them and hope that they get the happily ever after they both deserve.
I remember when the book was released that there were some reviews complaining about the ubiquitous conflict on the 80% mark and I was a bit weary about it. However, I found that the conflict and resolution felt realistic considering the background and personalities of the main characters, especially Skyler.
The audiobook version was narrated by Melissa Sternenberg who did an excellent job at expressing all the emotions in the story and gave a dreamy voice to Carolyn. Her performance definitely enriched my enjoyment of the novel though, unfortunately, there were a few technical issues with the audio (background noises and clicks). But overall, it’s been an entertaining audiobook. 4 stars.
Length: 9 hours, 15 minutes
An entertaining workplace romance
I’ve been reading this author since she released her Soho series (2014) and Kiss the Girl became one of my all favourite books in Sapphic romance. I went straight to listening to the audiobook as Melissa Sternenberg does an excellent job narrating Ms. Brayden’s books. This one didn’t disappoint.
Exclusive is a workplace romance between a well-known TV anchor and a reporter at almost the beginning of her career. One of the things I like about this author is that she writes chemistry very well. Their meet-cute isn’t exactly friendly but slowly Brayden builds their chemistry and sexual tension until it’s ready to snap. Both main characters are likable so it’s very easy to root for them and hope that they get the happily ever after they both deserve.
I remember when the book was released that there were some reviews complaining about the ubiquitous conflict on the 80% mark and I was a bit weary about it. However, I found that the conflict and resolution felt realistic considering the background and personalities of the main characters, especially Skyler.
The audiobook version was narrated by Melissa Sternenberg who did an excellent job at expressing all the emotions in the story and gave a dreamy voice to Carolyn. Her performance definitely enriched my enjoyment of the novel though, unfortunately, there were a few technical issues with the audio (background noises and clicks). But overall, it’s been an entertaining audiobook. 4 stars.
Length: 9 hours, 15 minutes
February 23, 2022
Skyler Ruiz has had enough of covering small town news After years of flailing, her big break finally comes in the form of a reporter position in San Diego. She gets to be close to family and friends and she will be working with her idol and crush, Caroline McNamara. Carrie isn’t exactly welcoming to the new reporter but when she realizes that Sky is more than just a pretty face, their relationship takes an unexpected turn.
My love affair with lesbian fiction started with Melissa Brayden. I devoured all of her books and haven’t looked back. Whether it’s the love I felt for Brooklyn and Jessica in Kiss the Girls or the empathy I felt for Isabelle Chase in Eyes Like Those, her characters always find a way into my heart. And I can now add Skyler and Carrie that list. I adore Skyler. She has such an intense drive to succeed but isn’t willing to compromise her ideals to make that happen. She is goodness personified and can’t understand Carrie’s aloofness when she first arrives at the station, considering how kind Carrie is to everyone else.
When Carrie starts opening up, Sky, couldn’t stop herself from falling if she tried. Carrie isn’t just her crush, she’s someone Sky admires professionally. This story is told from Skyler’s point of view, so we know a lot more of what she is feeling as the story progresses. I would have liked to have gotten more about Carrie’s backstory but through her interactions with Skyler, we are witness to her insecurities and vulnerability but also to how kind and compassionate she is. Carrie and Skyler are wonderful for each other and I really enjoyed their story.
I enjoyed Ty and Grace and Skyler’s aunt, who provides her the love her mother has always been too busy to give her. And what a treat it was to Emory and Sarah from Melissa’s book, Heart Block. Melissa Brayden’s books have always been a source of comfort, like seeing a friend you’ve lost touch with but can pick right up where you left off. They have always made my heart happy and this one does the same.
An ARC was received from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for an honest review.
My love affair with lesbian fiction started with Melissa Brayden. I devoured all of her books and haven’t looked back. Whether it’s the love I felt for Brooklyn and Jessica in Kiss the Girls or the empathy I felt for Isabelle Chase in Eyes Like Those, her characters always find a way into my heart. And I can now add Skyler and Carrie that list. I adore Skyler. She has such an intense drive to succeed but isn’t willing to compromise her ideals to make that happen. She is goodness personified and can’t understand Carrie’s aloofness when she first arrives at the station, considering how kind Carrie is to everyone else.
When Carrie starts opening up, Sky, couldn’t stop herself from falling if she tried. Carrie isn’t just her crush, she’s someone Sky admires professionally. This story is told from Skyler’s point of view, so we know a lot more of what she is feeling as the story progresses. I would have liked to have gotten more about Carrie’s backstory but through her interactions with Skyler, we are witness to her insecurities and vulnerability but also to how kind and compassionate she is. Carrie and Skyler are wonderful for each other and I really enjoyed their story.
I enjoyed Ty and Grace and Skyler’s aunt, who provides her the love her mother has always been too busy to give her. And what a treat it was to Emory and Sarah from Melissa’s book, Heart Block. Melissa Brayden’s books have always been a source of comfort, like seeing a friend you’ve lost touch with but can pick right up where you left off. They have always made my heart happy and this one does the same.
An ARC was received from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for an honest review.
September 28, 2022
Oh how I love a romance with excellent chemistry between the leads. This novel is full of delicious interactions between Skyler and Carrie and those scenes really carried this book for me. The storyline seemed a bit rushed near the end but it didn’t really affect my enjoyment of this book. Highly recommend.
March 5, 2022
I discovered Melissa Brayden back in 2013 when I read Heart Block and I was surprised to see a romance author who did not fall into clichés and I’m happy to report that 19 books later she still hasn’t fallen into the cheap cliché trap that so many authors seem to fall into.
In this novel she gives us the love story between Skyler Ruiz and Carolyn McNamara, two reporters from San Diego. While I didn’t feel their chemistry right away as has been the case with other of her books, when I eventually saw the connection between them it felt very real. It wouldn’t be a Melissa Brayden novel without witty banter between the characters and very interesting secondary characters which were perfect in my opinion. We get to spend some time with Sarah, Emory and Grace from Heart Block which gave the story a touch of familiarity.
At this point I’m not sure if my reviews are biased because Melissa Brayden is one of my favorite authors, but after reading other positive reviews, I think it’s safe to say it’s a very good book :)
In this novel she gives us the love story between Skyler Ruiz and Carolyn McNamara, two reporters from San Diego. While I didn’t feel their chemistry right away as has been the case with other of her books, when I eventually saw the connection between them it felt very real. It wouldn’t be a Melissa Brayden novel without witty banter between the characters and very interesting secondary characters which were perfect in my opinion. We get to spend some time with Sarah, Emory and Grace from Heart Block which gave the story a touch of familiarity.
At this point I’m not sure if my reviews are biased because Melissa Brayden is one of my favorite authors, but after reading other positive reviews, I think it’s safe to say it’s a very good book :)
May 19, 2022
There seem to be many mixed reviews on Exclusive. Since I bought the book on pre-order, I can’t not read it right? Had a day off and decided to not defer it any further. Besides, no one was around and that means, no one can interrupt me.
Did I waste my off day or money for that matter? Absolutely not… It was a day (and money) well-spent cos I really really enjoy Exclusive. It’s an age gap, almost a decade gap, somewhat rival romance. Somewhat rival cos there wasn’t any rivalry or animosity between Carolyn McNamara (aka Carrie) and Skyler Ruiz. Just coolness or aloof, more so for Carrie than Skyler. In fact, there wasn’t much interaction written in the initial chapters between our 2 MCs. But once Carrie’s guard went down, all the banters start to roll in and the chemistry between the 2 is just sizzling.
Both Carrie and Skyler are TV journalists with Carrie having been in the industry far longer than Skyler, and an anchor for the TV newsroom while Skyler is a field journalist. To call a 40 y/o lady anchor (or even someone in their mid-forties), who still draws attention, a has-been is uncalled for just cos ratings have dipped and that was just what happened in Exclusive. What follows thereafter were some tension, frustration (yes… Skyler’s stubbornness can be frustrating at times), and teary moments. And of course, when the grand gesture arrived, what can one expect other than a HEA.
A thoroughly enjoyable read for yours truly 😊
Did I waste my off day or money for that matter? Absolutely not… It was a day (and money) well-spent cos I really really enjoy Exclusive. It’s an age gap, almost a decade gap, somewhat rival romance. Somewhat rival cos there wasn’t any rivalry or animosity between Carolyn McNamara (aka Carrie) and Skyler Ruiz. Just coolness or aloof, more so for Carrie than Skyler. In fact, there wasn’t much interaction written in the initial chapters between our 2 MCs. But once Carrie’s guard went down, all the banters start to roll in and the chemistry between the 2 is just sizzling.
Both Carrie and Skyler are TV journalists with Carrie having been in the industry far longer than Skyler, and an anchor for the TV newsroom while Skyler is a field journalist. To call a 40 y/o lady anchor (or even someone in their mid-forties), who still draws attention, a has-been is uncalled for just cos ratings have dipped and that was just what happened in Exclusive. What follows thereafter were some tension, frustration (yes… Skyler’s stubbornness can be frustrating at times), and teary moments. And of course, when the grand gesture arrived, what can one expect other than a HEA.
A thoroughly enjoyable read for yours truly 😊
March 24, 2022
I loved this book. The story of Skylar Ruiz and Caroline "Carrie" McNamara was absolutely cute and heartwarming. But I already "knew" this since everything written by Melissa Brayden is a wonderful read. So, no surprise here.
March 14, 2022
Featured presentation: Exclusive by Melissa Brayden
Tune in to KTMW at 5 and 10 for exclusive coverage of the day’s news!
Cast: Skyler Ruiz is a young reporter, ready for the big time. Caroline McNamara has been a stalwart of San Diego news for the past decade.
The Plot: Skyler moves to San Diego when she gets a job as an on-air reporter. She has the news desk in her sights, but she is willing to slowly work her way up. Caroline (Carrie for short) is the current anchorwoman for KTMW in San Diego and she is starting to feel the pressures of aging with regards to her on-air presence. Despite the potential conflict due to their jobs (older vs younger woman in broadcasting) Skyler and Carrie strike up a friendship which quickly turns to more.
The blazing: I loved the portrayal of Skylar’s career! She arrives in San Diego with quite a bit of on-air experience, but that doesn’t help her a lot since she previously worked for a small news station in an equally small town. She is willing to do what it takes, which means taking on any story that comes her way. The camaraderie between her and her cameraman Ty is absolutely incredible – this is the type of working relationship we all desire. This is all crafted out against the backdrop of the cutthroat media world bringing a sense of effortless realism to the setting.
The bright: Carrie is the colleague/friend/girlfriend we all want! She is under no illusions about her future with KTMW in San Diego, but refuses to allow it to mandate her relationships with others, especially her relationship with Skyler. Her maturity is refreshing in a world where people will stoop to revolting lows to maintain their image…
The bleak: I didn’t really feel a connection between Skyler and Carrie. There was more chemistry between Skyler and Ty, her cameraman… Skyler’s reaction to Carrie’s future plans also totally baffled me. Maybe in the light of Skyler’s relationship with her mother it shouldn’t, but it felt out of place.
And then there’s the death of one of the characters… I’m not sure what the purpose of this was, but maybe that’s just me…
The burned-to-ashes: Nothing.
And then The Plot Thickens into a pleasant read, despite some shortcomings in the romance department. Ms Brayden’s background in media shines through and Skyler’s career is the star of the show!
[Personal note: I do not understand the need for an attractive (read: young) anchorperson…. None of our on-air reporters/anchors can be considered attractive, but people still tune in every night since they know what they are doing (most of the time). Is this an American thing???]
Studio: Bold Strokes Books
Closing credits: I willingly leave this review based on an eARC copy graciously granted to me by Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley.
Tune in to KTMW at 5 and 10 for exclusive coverage of the day’s news!
Cast: Skyler Ruiz is a young reporter, ready for the big time. Caroline McNamara has been a stalwart of San Diego news for the past decade.
The Plot: Skyler moves to San Diego when she gets a job as an on-air reporter. She has the news desk in her sights, but she is willing to slowly work her way up. Caroline (Carrie for short) is the current anchorwoman for KTMW in San Diego and she is starting to feel the pressures of aging with regards to her on-air presence. Despite the potential conflict due to their jobs (older vs younger woman in broadcasting) Skyler and Carrie strike up a friendship which quickly turns to more.
The blazing: I loved the portrayal of Skylar’s career! She arrives in San Diego with quite a bit of on-air experience, but that doesn’t help her a lot since she previously worked for a small news station in an equally small town. She is willing to do what it takes, which means taking on any story that comes her way. The camaraderie between her and her cameraman Ty is absolutely incredible – this is the type of working relationship we all desire. This is all crafted out against the backdrop of the cutthroat media world bringing a sense of effortless realism to the setting.
The bright: Carrie is the colleague/friend/girlfriend we all want! She is under no illusions about her future with KTMW in San Diego, but refuses to allow it to mandate her relationships with others, especially her relationship with Skyler. Her maturity is refreshing in a world where people will stoop to revolting lows to maintain their image…
The bleak: I didn’t really feel a connection between Skyler and Carrie. There was more chemistry between Skyler and Ty, her cameraman… Skyler’s reaction to Carrie’s future plans also totally baffled me. Maybe in the light of Skyler’s relationship with her mother it shouldn’t, but it felt out of place.
And then there’s the death of one of the characters… I’m not sure what the purpose of this was, but maybe that’s just me…
The burned-to-ashes: Nothing.
And then The Plot Thickens into a pleasant read, despite some shortcomings in the romance department. Ms Brayden’s background in media shines through and Skyler’s career is the star of the show!
[Personal note: I do not understand the need for an attractive (read: young) anchorperson…. None of our on-air reporters/anchors can be considered attractive, but people still tune in every night since they know what they are doing (most of the time). Is this an American thing???]
Studio: Bold Strokes Books
Closing credits: I willingly leave this review based on an eARC copy graciously granted to me by Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley.
September 9, 2022
Caroline Caroline....just who are you? What makes you tick? What did you see in Skylar that made you burn so bright? What were you thinking through the ups and downs of the story? I guess I will never know.
While I did like this book, even though it was too similar to The Morning Show for my liking, I really wish it was told from both MCs POV. I see other reviewers felt similar. While I did connect with Skyler for much of the book, and felt her uncertainty and fear and passion, she lost me towards the end when the inevitable drama ensued. I really wanted to know more about Caroline. I felt she accepted too much of the blame for how things turned out, and Skyler reaaalllly needed to work through some major issues on her own. Some growing up and facing things head on, kinda thing. That being said, I still give this 4 stars, and think it was one of Ms. Brayden's better ones lately.
While I did like this book, even though it was too similar to The Morning Show for my liking, I really wish it was told from both MCs POV. I see other reviewers felt similar. While I did connect with Skyler for much of the book, and felt her uncertainty and fear and passion, she lost me towards the end when the inevitable drama ensued. I really wanted to know more about Caroline. I felt she accepted too much of the blame for how things turned out, and Skyler reaaalllly needed to work through some major issues on her own. Some growing up and facing things head on, kinda thing. That being said, I still give this 4 stars, and think it was one of Ms. Brayden's better ones lately.
March 11, 2022
Melissa Brayden is one of those authors who puts out great books consistently. I loved the characters in Exclusive and felt like they had great chemistry together from that first meeting. Skyler’s dialogue is witty and I laughed more than a few times reading through her responses. Carrie provides a great counter balance to Skyler’s high energy levels and they compliment each other and seem like a well matched duo. It was great to get glimpses of the characters from Heart Block too! I loved Sarah, Emory and Grace in that and they made this book all the more engaging. If you are in the mood for a low angst romance this certainly fits the bill!
March 15, 2022
Brayden has a habit of writing quirky characters. For me, sometimes it works but sometimes it doesn’t. Thankfully, Skyler's quirkiness won me over - I loved her weirdness and the really honest vibe to her that shone through.
There's been a few Melissa Brayden novels that have completely wowed me, and others where I've been frustrated with a few stylistic choices (i.e. the inevitable breakup at the 80% mark that feels like its following a script of some sort). Although this book had quite a bit of drama, it felt really organic and natural in the way it came about, as well as the implications for the relationship between the main characters.
Both Skyler and Carrie have some insecurities and for me, this made them feel both vulnerable and realistic. I felt for Skyler and the way she felt during a particular part in the novel (no spoilers), because it made a lot of sense from the way she was brought up. When it came to Carrie though, at times I really wished we were able to switch the point of view so I could know her better, as she was so intriguing but guarded too.
All in all, a great novel with interesting, loveable characters with a relationship that was well-developed and realistic.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
There's been a few Melissa Brayden novels that have completely wowed me, and others where I've been frustrated with a few stylistic choices (i.e. the inevitable breakup at the 80% mark that feels like its following a script of some sort). Although this book had quite a bit of drama, it felt really organic and natural in the way it came about, as well as the implications for the relationship between the main characters.
Both Skyler and Carrie have some insecurities and for me, this made them feel both vulnerable and realistic. I felt for Skyler and the way she felt during a particular part in the novel (no spoilers), because it made a lot of sense from the way she was brought up. When it came to Carrie though, at times I really wished we were able to switch the point of view so I could know her better, as she was so intriguing but guarded too.
All in all, a great novel with interesting, loveable characters with a relationship that was well-developed and realistic.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
March 3, 2022
4/5 stars
This was everything I hoped it would be. A workplace romance with off-the-charts chemistry, fantastic tension and a pinch of our favourite trope, enemies to lovers. Melissa Brayden has to be one of the most consistent authors I have read. While she writes a wide range of romances, they are always very enjoyable, with loveable characters and great chemistry.
I particularly loved our setting in this book, it felt so new and exciting to me. Skylar is an up-and-coming news reporter who is full of ambition and hard-work. Carolyn, on the other hand, is one of the most recognisable figures on the San Francisco on-air news scene. When Skylar comes to work at the station that Carolyn is at, there is an immediate tension between the two (in more ways than one) when the network positions them in competition with each other. I absolutely adored exploring the behind-the-scenes workings and politics of a news station. It was so intriguing to me as someone so far removed from this world. The ambition and competition between reporters, the way networks treat women (especially as they age) as replaceable and the difficult hours had me hooked. I especially enjoyed exploring how Carolyn and Skylar tried to navigate the misogyny of their workplace, and remaining ambitious in their careers while falling in love. I think there was a perfect amount of angst, intrigue and light-heartedness in the storytelling.
While I enjoyed the setting, it is obvious that the romance was my favourite part of this book. Skylar and Carolyn had so much chemistry from day one. The tension, the heat and the witty banter had my heart fluttering. It was so enjoyable to read and it felt like it progressed in such a natural way. I loved the getting-to-know-each other stage just as much as I loved the deeper romance and emotional stage. It was such a great romance, and I cannot stress that enough. Skylar and Carolyn might be one of my new favourite of Brayden's couples, and I have read a lot of her books.
This was everything I hoped it would be. A workplace romance with off-the-charts chemistry, fantastic tension and a pinch of our favourite trope, enemies to lovers. Melissa Brayden has to be one of the most consistent authors I have read. While she writes a wide range of romances, they are always very enjoyable, with loveable characters and great chemistry.
I particularly loved our setting in this book, it felt so new and exciting to me. Skylar is an up-and-coming news reporter who is full of ambition and hard-work. Carolyn, on the other hand, is one of the most recognisable figures on the San Francisco on-air news scene. When Skylar comes to work at the station that Carolyn is at, there is an immediate tension between the two (in more ways than one) when the network positions them in competition with each other. I absolutely adored exploring the behind-the-scenes workings and politics of a news station. It was so intriguing to me as someone so far removed from this world. The ambition and competition between reporters, the way networks treat women (especially as they age) as replaceable and the difficult hours had me hooked. I especially enjoyed exploring how Carolyn and Skylar tried to navigate the misogyny of their workplace, and remaining ambitious in their careers while falling in love. I think there was a perfect amount of angst, intrigue and light-heartedness in the storytelling.
While I enjoyed the setting, it is obvious that the romance was my favourite part of this book. Skylar and Carolyn had so much chemistry from day one. The tension, the heat and the witty banter had my heart fluttering. It was so enjoyable to read and it felt like it progressed in such a natural way. I loved the getting-to-know-each other stage just as much as I loved the deeper romance and emotional stage. It was such a great romance, and I cannot stress that enough. Skylar and Carolyn might be one of my new favourite of Brayden's couples, and I have read a lot of her books.
March 3, 2022
Melissa Brayden is a must-read, whenever a new book is released I can't wait to read it. But I try and wait a bit, savour it if you like.
I always enjoy Brayden's writing and this book is no exception. The first 80% just Brayden at her finest. We get to revisit some old favourites and get to know two fun new characters. Any story about news anchors has me thinking about The Morning Show, I can never help but wonder if the author found some inspiration in the show. Even though it doesn't resemble the show in the slightest. Anyway, I liked reading about Emory, Sarah and Grace from Heart Block. Always nice to check back in with beloved characters.
Skyler and Carolyn (Carrie) make for a fun couple, it seems like they would challenge each other. I did have some issues with some of the writing choices for these women. The book is written in first-person POV from Skyler's perspective. I feel like we are missing out on Carrie a bit here, especially in the beginning when she is a bit prickly.
Where Brayden always shines is in the humour, the banter was on point again and I think the characters have great chemistry. I just have some issues with the last 20% of the book. I do understand the choices there but I didn't like them much. The story had been surprising me at several points up until that point so I was hoping the formulaic lesfic drama moment wouldn't be there, or not in this way. As said I do understand the story choices, but I was hoping for another surprise there. For me the epilogue does redeem it to some extent.
This is another enjoyable Brayden read, not my favourite, but still good.
*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*
I always enjoy Brayden's writing and this book is no exception. The first 80% just Brayden at her finest. We get to revisit some old favourites and get to know two fun new characters. Any story about news anchors has me thinking about The Morning Show, I can never help but wonder if the author found some inspiration in the show. Even though it doesn't resemble the show in the slightest. Anyway, I liked reading about Emory, Sarah and Grace from Heart Block. Always nice to check back in with beloved characters.
Skyler and Carolyn (Carrie) make for a fun couple, it seems like they would challenge each other. I did have some issues with some of the writing choices for these women. The book is written in first-person POV from Skyler's perspective. I feel like we are missing out on Carrie a bit here, especially in the beginning when she is a bit prickly.
Where Brayden always shines is in the humour, the banter was on point again and I think the characters have great chemistry. I just have some issues with the last 20% of the book. I do understand the choices there but I didn't like them much. The story had been surprising me at several points up until that point so I was hoping the formulaic lesfic drama moment wouldn't be there, or not in this way. As said I do understand the story choices, but I was hoping for another surprise there. For me the epilogue does redeem it to some extent.
This is another enjoyable Brayden read, not my favourite, but still good.
*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*
February 10, 2022
I absolutely needed and loved this book, This was a Melissa Brayden winner for me and so glad to have the opportunity to review it. Sometimes you want a plot that continues to put a smile on your face and this was it. So happy to have read it and as always I look forward to Melissa’s next book.
March 11, 2022
I was rather excited when I read the synopsis because I thought something major was gonna happen. I always get these "pre" emotions about a book, for example, how I feel or wish the book is going to make me feel in the end.
I have read Melissa's work so I feel like I know what "usually" happens. Though something about this book, just left me undecided about my own emotions. I wasn't sad but I wasn't happy either. I was just.
Caroline and Skyler: This will probably sound weird but the connection between them wasn't so deeply painted, the chemistry between them is good, but their connection, not really. The whole job/replacement/moving - made it less interesting. Esp when Caroline made her decision and Skyler was, I dunno, felt kinda hypocritical. I am a sucker for angst, but the angst here come at wrong time. Given the importance of Skyler's character, it would have made more ANGST-worthy if it was built more on Sky's choice than Caroline's departure. And don't get me started on Sky's mother. You know, I never really understood what Caroline did wrong. So that's why the angst felt wrong.
𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘉old Strokes 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.
I have read Melissa's work so I feel like I know what "usually" happens. Though something about this book, just left me undecided about my own emotions. I wasn't sad but I wasn't happy either. I was just.
Caroline and Skyler: This will probably sound weird but the connection between them wasn't so deeply painted, the chemistry between them is good, but their connection, not really. The whole job/replacement/moving - made it less interesting. Esp when Caroline made her decision and Skyler was, I dunno, felt kinda hypocritical. I am a sucker for angst, but the angst here come at wrong time. Given the importance of Skyler's character, it would have made more ANGST-worthy if it was built more on Sky's choice than Caroline's departure. And don't get me started on Sky's mother. You know, I never really understood what Caroline did wrong. So that's why the angst felt wrong.
𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘉old Strokes 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2022
I have to admit, I was actually kind of bored through a large chunk of this book. It just felt like it dragged and was a bit repetitive in terms of just showing how "lovey-dovey" the two main characters were. I think this could have been avoided if the book were third person, and possibly from both characters' perspectives.
I also didn't actually like the main character very much. She made some choices that I just didn't like and I don't think she made good progression through the story. Because we don't get to know her love interest as well, she felt flat and I didn't get a good sense of her motivations.
I also didn't actually like the main character very much. She made some choices that I just didn't like and I don't think she made good progression through the story. Because we don't get to know her love interest as well, she felt flat and I didn't get a good sense of her motivations.
July 31, 2022
This book is so wholesome please 🥰 I love Carrie and Skyler’s relationship so much!! It is just so beautiful and I have to say that I cried my eyes out during the “drama” part. They were both very dumb, but I’m happy they got their shiii together and got their happy ending 😍
but damn… Ty’s part was so sad 😭 I liked him very very much. If I could change anything about the book, it would be what happened to him. Can’t believe a secondary character made me bawl my eyes out.
Anyways, this book is fantastic!! I really love Melissa Brayden’s book. She’s an amazing writer. Can’t wait to read her next book 😃
but damn… Ty’s part was so sad 😭 I liked him very very much. If I could change anything about the book, it would be what happened to him. Can’t believe a secondary character made me bawl my eyes out.
Anyways, this book is fantastic!! I really love Melissa Brayden’s book. She’s an amazing writer. Can’t wait to read her next book 😃
March 21, 2022
4.5 rounded up
Skyler Ruiz is a reporter for a small regional television station. She has been crushing on Carolyn McNamara, an anchor for a tier three station in San Diego, since she’d been a teenager. She wants to be Carolyn. Skyler gets her chance when Carolyn’s station asks her to interview for the position of reporter. At first, Carolyn is distant and apparently not interested in the new reporter. However, Carolyn begins to thaw, and Skyler is ecstatic. When Carolyn begins dropping hints that she might be interested in something more than being colleagues, Skyler is all in.
Brayden’s storyline is interesting, well-researched, and told in a way to keep her readers reading well into the night. Her characters, always a strong component in her books, are well-drawn and likeable. However, Skyler, at 30, seems immature especially when things get tough with Carolyn, and she allows her baggage with her mother to form her reaction. For the most part, there’s not a lot of angst that doesn’t belong in the story.
Brayden is one of those authors whose fans will read anything she writes. This book is like the others and her fans will love this book. If you are new to Brayden’s books, you’ll undoubtedly enjoy this one, and join the cadres of Brayden’s fans, but know that there are better books from this author than this one.
My thanks to Bold Strokes Books for an eARC.
Skyler Ruiz is a reporter for a small regional television station. She has been crushing on Carolyn McNamara, an anchor for a tier three station in San Diego, since she’d been a teenager. She wants to be Carolyn. Skyler gets her chance when Carolyn’s station asks her to interview for the position of reporter. At first, Carolyn is distant and apparently not interested in the new reporter. However, Carolyn begins to thaw, and Skyler is ecstatic. When Carolyn begins dropping hints that she might be interested in something more than being colleagues, Skyler is all in.
Brayden’s storyline is interesting, well-researched, and told in a way to keep her readers reading well into the night. Her characters, always a strong component in her books, are well-drawn and likeable. However, Skyler, at 30, seems immature especially when things get tough with Carolyn, and she allows her baggage with her mother to form her reaction. For the most part, there’s not a lot of angst that doesn’t belong in the story.
Brayden is one of those authors whose fans will read anything she writes. This book is like the others and her fans will love this book. If you are new to Brayden’s books, you’ll undoubtedly enjoy this one, and join the cadres of Brayden’s fans, but know that there are better books from this author than this one.
My thanks to Bold Strokes Books for an eARC.
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