Straitlaced, painfully shy college student Tyler Wilson has finally done his first bold thing—model for a compromising piece of art for the outspoken and impulsive artist Chase Zalinski. He sits through the embarrassing portrait, hoping the bravery he miraculously conjured up to answer the ad will soak into him and he’ll finally find the courage to ask out the beautiful woman on the other side of the canvas.
But his hope of scoring a date with Chase turns to absolute horror when his nude painting is accidentally shipped to the other side of the country, where it awaits exhibition in a national competition.
The pair of broke college students have three days, 2,000 miles, and one road trip to try to prevent the most mortifying moment of Tyler's life. Or he, like his painting, is about to be exposed in a big, big way…
Book one in The Unwedding Vow: Having just attended a wedding with the queen of all bridezillas, the ten unmarried members of wedding reception table nine have taken an oath. They will never, ever get married. Can this collection of oddball personalities keep their promise to be single? Or will love pick off each member of The Unwedding Vow?
A delightful story that was a true feel-good read. Cute characters, funny as well as emotional mishaps, and a wonderful evolution for Chase and Tyler. Looking forward to more in this series. These authors have a terrific way of penning a flawless read.
I received an ARC copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
And I’m glad I did! No spoilers ahead. I found this romance so different from anything I read before, in all the good ways.
Tyler is a refreshing male protagonist, with his almost painful shyness and his longing for a partner that actually cares about him. To prove he can be bold despite his anxiety, he accepts to be a nude model for Chase, who is in desperate need of a good grade. Chase is outspoken and impulsive, which intrigues Tyler. But the chance to ask her out disappears when the portrait is accidentally sent to New York for an exhibition. They both embark on a 2,000 miles road trip to retrieve the painting before it’s displayed.
This is the first book in the Unwedding vow series, and I think it’s a wonderful start. The forced proximity trope works very well in this book: Tyler and Chase have completely different ways of approaching life, so they end up bickering and arguing a lot, but they don’t just fight for drama, like I’ve seen in some other romances. Every fight is there for a reason and it’s realistic, which I appreciated. They learn from each other, they grow as persons and of course they get closer and closer, sweetly. I loved that Chase was the daring one in the couple and I think a lot of people can relate to Tyler’s insecurities.
The relationship is sweet, the two of them fit each other well and the drama is never there just to keep the plot going.
The writing style is flowing and after the prologue the story will capture you. I especially enjoyed the way the writers described Chase’s style and the act of painting.
I think you’ll like this book if you’re into: sweet and caring male protagonists, bold heroines, characters’ insight and forced proximity. As for me, I’m looking forward to read the next one in the series.
As an avid road-tripper myself, I’m a sucker for road-trip stories, no matter the genre. In Broad Strokes is a lighthearted romcom that combines a cross-country road trip from Colorado to New York with two of my other favorite topics—fine art and crippling anxiety!
Chase is an art student in need of a nude model to paint for her final exam, and Tyler is an incredibly shy guy looking to prove to his best friend that he’s not a complete stick in the mud. He volunteers to model for Chase’s painting, but whoops, said butt-exposing painting has been accidentally shipped off to a national art contest in New York by Chase’s professor. Tyler would rather eat crayons than have a huge public audience stare at his derriere, so he convinces Chase to drive across the country to retrieve the painting. Hijinks and cuteness ensue.
This story had a fun and original meetcute, and it was nice to see the couple’s relationship grow organically and realistically. My friends in the romance community have informed me this is called a “soft boi + adventure girl” pairing. Tyler has (relatable) anxiety issues, whereas Chase is a free spirit who inspires Tyler to be a braver person. They’re great foils and complements to each other, and it’s nice to see a male protagonist with a true sensitive side. My favorite scene was at the climax, which had me laughing and “awwwing” in equal measure.
Overall, this was a quick, wholesome read that gives a refreshing take on the romance genre. I can’t wait for my spouse to read this one because I know it’ll be a hit. And I'm excited to read future installments in The Unwedding Vow series!
I’m on the street team for this novel, so I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review, but I only promote books that I genuinely enjoy—and In Broad Strokes is a genuinely enjoyable book.
Tyler Wilson is extremely shy but, desperate to get a date with artist Chase Zalinski, he has taken a very bold step. He has agreed to model nude for her for her final college grade in art class. He endures his embarrassment because she is worth his current suffering through this. But when his painting is accidentally shipped across country for public exhibition in a national competition, he and Chase must race after it and try to fix the problem. They have a 3-day road trip of 2,000 miles to endure to hopefully get to the painting in time. Will being together help him reduce his anxiety? Will he find the courage to “get the girl” in the end?
In Broad Strokes by Jordan Riley Swan, K.C. Norton - 5/5 stars
Thank you to Book Sirens for an advanced copy of this book. I am leaving this honest review independently.
I don't typically go for contemporary or romcoms, but I really did love this book. It was the perfect mix of comedy and drama. I constantly found myself rushing to turn the next page to see what happens next. The romance felt like it developed quickly, but not unnaturally so. I look forward to looking into more books in this series, as well as more work from both of these authors.
Take one painfully shy and inexperienced man (Tyler) and one outgoing female art student (Chase), add in an assignment of painting a nude, and stand back! You will never be able to imagine the results of this assignment! From Tyler’s personality and panicking to the final destination in New York City, this book is fraught with anxiety, disasters, and humor. Wonderful characters and unusual situations meld together for a story that captured my attention as well as my heart. Outstanding book!
Road trip! Tyler Wilson is a shy college student suffering from crippling anxiety. His friend urges him to step outside his comfort zone, so he volunteers to be a nude model for Chase, an outgoing and free-spirited art student. The painting was supposed to be just used for her art project but is accidentally shipped to an art gallery in New York City and the two broke students have 3 days to drive 2000 miles to collect the painting before the gallery opening. This was truly a feel-good story and the unique romance I was looking for.
I am not at all familiar with either of these authors, but I found this story (which should be one of many in a series) to be a lot of fun! The story begins with Tyler Wilson as the sole representative in his family at the wedding of a cousin, the ultimate bridezilla. He is seated at a table with a bunch of "castoffs" and they each end up making an Unwedding Vow, although Tyler's is really more by default than anything else since he is so painfully shy and socially anxious that he doesn't say more than he can help when in public. He is a college kid who is wrapped up in his fears and anxieties, especially anything having to do with social situations and as such, he only has one friend, someone who has known him for most of his life and who can be kind of a jerk. Yet, his friend is able to push him into answering an ad for nude modeling, and that ends up making him and Chase Zalinski cross paths. She is a struggling art student and needs a live model to make up a project so that she can keep her grades up and keep her scholarship. The result is an amazing nude painting of him that is accidentally sent to a national competition and exhibition. Can we say road trip? What ends up happening is a fun adventure with some twists and turns where each of these hot messes ends up discovering things about themselves. I really enjoyed this adventure and had fun seeing how it would all work out. Some of the side characters were pretty cool, too, especially Pastor Deacon, but while there was definitely some character development for the two main characters, this was not a story you would read for character development. There is definitely some romance as Tyler ends up being the first to break the Unwedding Vow, and I believe the rest of the books in this series will be written around each of the folks who were at that table. I'm really hoping the authors will complete this series and look forward to reading each of the stories. If you like clean romance and fun adventures, this may be the book for you.
I received an advance review copy from Booksirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I have to admit, this is the second time I've read this book. The first being a number of months ago...long enough that I'd forgotten about the bike riding purse snatcher and the dive into the Kansas River... Tyler's angst filled life, until Chase came into it, makes for a perfect life study. I may just have to read it all again...
Tyler has a lot of fears - I would honestly say he is one bad experience away from a full fledged agoraphobia diagnosis. His longtime best friend pushes him to get out of his comfort zone and either ask a girl on a date - or pose nude for an artist in answer to an advertisement hung up in the dining hall. I picked this book up - primarily because I (like Tyler) thought Chase was a guy. Turns out we were both wrong - Chase is a female artist who is extremely talented. Her portrait of Tyler turns out incredible. And although Chase agrees not to allow it to be submitted in a national competition - a mix up happens and it gets submitted anyway. Chase and Tyler go on a spectacularly underfunded road trip across the country to New York city to get the picture back.
I did love the growth of the characters along the way. I felt like both Chase and Tyler learn a lot about themselves and how they interact with others along the way. I appreciated how both of them - in the end - put the other person first - beyond their own comfort levels and ambitions.
There isn't any more than a few kisses exchanged in the book - which makes sense for Tyler as a character as well as the situation. The amount of money they had to make the trip was - like really not enough even for a Toyota where you sleep in your car and only eat snacks - so you'll have to suspend your disbelief there a bit given the current price of gas.
I also - truly - would have liked some discussion of Tyler getting some professional therapy. Meeting Chase really did inspire him to move beyond his comfort zone. But his anxiety and fear - is not a small thing and love alone isn't going to magically "fix him."
Overall - I really liked this road trip story and Chase and Tyler and the folks they meet along the way - especially the Pastor - are great and very memorable.
I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own,
In Broad Strokes, Tyler Wilson is an engineering student who lives his days away from things that make him nervous, he doesn't even talk to people he doesn't know but at his cousin's wedding sitting among nine strangers he ends up making an unwedding vow, those nine strangers in the last table have in common their misfortune in love and since he does not dare to talk to anyone, swearing that he will not let anyone convince him to enter a marriage that seems unhappy like his cousin's is not a big problem . But his best friend Xavier challenges him to do something outside of his comfort zone like the nude posing ad for an art student. Confident that it is worthwhile for this Chase to portray him, he agrees to do so without expecting that Chase is a girl and that each subsequent situation pushes him more to the limit than he can bear . In a serie of curious situation, Chase and Tyler find themselves on a trip across several states to recover the portrait, but not before encountering several complicated situations and new challenges . A beautiful college romance, with a shy and anxious engineering student and a spontaneous and outgoing artist about fear and trust, how to let other people into your life and find the right balance . In Broad Strokes is the first book in the series that tells the story of one of nine strangers who swear not to fall for the tricks of love and end up married to a partner like one of the zilla-partners at that wedding. I look forward to reading the next book in the serie . . . Thanks to Jordan Riley Swan & K.C. Norton and Xpresso Book Tours for give me this beautiful book in exchange for my honest opinion I really enjoyed reading it
Thanks to NetGalley and Story Garden Publishing for a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This book starts off with a group of people taking a vow never to get married. Tyler thinks this will be easy – he can barely talk to girls, after all. He’s incredibly shy and nervous. But when he realizes he might lose his best friend because of how boring he is, he decides to do something completely out of his comfort zone.
Enter Chase – an aspiring art student who needs someone to model for a nude portrait. If Tyler models for her, it’s a win-win – she gets to finish her project, and he challenges himself. But when a mistake sends the nude painting of Tyler across to country to be displayed, the two must go on a road trip to recover it.
This was a super fun read, and I loved that both Tyler and Chase were such unique characters that complemented each other. One of my favourite tropes is where everything that can go wrong does go wrong, and this book certainly falls into that category.
I also loved the people they met along the way, and the acts of kindness sprinkled throughout the book. It was heartwarming and entertaining, and definitely unlike any other romance I’ve ever read.
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a review but these opinions are all my own.
This story follows Tyler, whose best friend dares him to either ask a cute girl out or model nude for a guy named Chase's art project. Tyler, being awkward and afraid of girls, chooses the latter. Much to Tyler's (and my) surprise, Chase is actually a girl! When the nudie artwork accidentally gets sent to New York to be displayed in an art competition, the two race to try and save Tyler's ass, literally.
This book was light and pretty fast paced. I would have enjoyed a bit more tension between the characters but that wouldn't have made sense with Tyler being as shy as he is. This was a very sweet story and the mini adventures and growth these two went through was fun to witness.
Language: R (41 swears, 0 "f"); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: G I was constantly laughing out loud. The two main characters are totally adorable, and I had a fun time reading their sweet story. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, mentions of drugs and condoms, and innuendo. There is also a lot of nudity but in a non-explicit, art-focused way. The nudity is about nude artwork as a subject matter, which leads to a brief discussion of pornography as the nude art is contrasted to porn.
A great story about facing your fears, living your life to the fullest, friendship and love. Tyler is always hiding from the world and new things. He is shy and lacks confidence. When his friend Xavier dares him to be brave little does he knows that he will meet the woman that will help him break all his walls and show him how to be brave and face life with her by her side. A journey to true love.
In Broad Strokes is a cute story about Chase and Tyler. Two people that could not be more different are thrown together on a road trip- what could possible go wrong? This story is a little different from other books I've read and I enjoyed that. It is a good book overall and I would recommend it. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It is a delightfully fun and easy read with cute characters and a true feel-good story. This story is a little different from other books I've read recently and I throughly enjoyed it. It is a good book overall and I would recommend it.
Cute fun read. The characters are likeable and there is good development. Most of the things they face are believable and the road trip setting added to the adventure. I look forward to reading future installments.
I really enjoyed this book! I wasn't sure I would but I was pleasantly surprised! I was lucky enough to win it on Goodreads! Thank you Goodreads, Amazon, and the author!
I won a ebook copy of this in a Goodreads giveaway. This book was cuter than I expected! An interesting premise of 'oh no my nude portrait of you is accidentally being shown in New York' with a zany road trip and a side of romance. I'll definitely check out the next book in the series!
I was looking forward to the book. Then, shocked, I thought both major characters were guys. I started to read, knowing I could just stop. However, I read and read. Laughed out loud frequently and enjoyed every twist in the story.
In Broad Strokes is the first book in The Unwedding Vow series. The story begins as Tyler is attending the wedding reception of a cousin. There, he meets a group of misfits just like him who all happen to share the same table as him. As they all get to know each other, they venture onto the topic of love and marriage. Each of them has different reasons for why they don’t see themselves getting settled with someone. Hence, everyone at the table takes an oath to never get married. However, fate has other plans, as each of them finds love in the most unlikely circumstances, starting with Tyler first.
The first book focuses on Tyler, a young college student who, as a dare, signs up to pose as a model for Chase’s painting, unaware that it’s for a nude portrait. Tyler is a shy and reserved guy who has a tendency to overthink. On the other hand, Chase is a fun-loving girl who likes adventures. Despite being polar opposites, they become really fond of each other’s company. But when Chase’s painting is accidentally shipped to New York, Tyler’s worst fear comes true. Soon they both embark on a life-changing journey filled with hilarious moments, incredible adventures, and romance.
Both Tyler and Chase are compelling characters, and I especially found Tyler’s character quite relatable to me. The transformation that they went through in this book was nicely executed. I loved their chemistry, and Tyler and Chase certainly complement each other. What sets this book apart is that the story is not just about a budding romance between two college students but also about the main characters overcoming their fears and finding themselves. All in all, it was an enjoyable read, and if you prefer to read clean romance books with an opposites attract romance troupe, you can check out this book.
Thank you, NetGalley and Story Garden Publishing, for sending me the ARC of this book.
This is part of the Unwedding Vow series. Super cute concept. Each book is a story about one of the strangers that sat together at the “uncool” crappy table at a wedding. They all made an Unwedding Vow pact.
This book follows Tyler and he is like your adult version of Chuckie Finister (Rugrats). Super paranoid and worried about everything. He takes a risk and models nude for a someone at his school for her Art final. Little did he know how far this Art final would go or the places it sees.
It’s funny! A little cringy, but has the cute and awkward budding of a romance. It’s a great adventure story! Definitely a rom-com I can imagine on the big screen!
A great story about facing your fears, living your life to the fullest, friendship and love. Tyler is always hiding from the world and new things. He is shy and lacks confidence. When his friend Xavier dares him to be brave little does he knows that he will meet the woman that will help him break all his walls and show him how to be brave and face life with her by her side. A journey to true love.