Perfect for fans of Jill Shalvis and Susan Mallery, this California-set witty and modern twist on How Stella Got Her Groove Back, from the New York Times bestselling author of ROMeANTICALLY CHALLENGED, blends the fun of falling in love all over again a second chance romance with a thoughtful and heartfelt exploration of the modern family—and where a situationship can lead.
“Adair’s characters jump off the page, inviting readers to care deeply about their happy endings.” —Publishers Weekly
Teagan Bianchi has survived a road trip with rambunctious toddler twins and a large mutt named Garbage Disposal. She clings to a tattered scrap of hope that moving into her late grandmother’s house is the best way to repair her failing business—and the sad shreds of her life—after the man who promised her forever lost everything they had. But she’s barely arrived when she finds herself face to face with her teenage crush, now an irresistible man—who still happens to live next door . . .
Veterinarian Colin West is closer to being an empty nester than a soccer dad. His marriage lasted only long enough to give him his beloved daughter, and he has no regrets. But as she readies for college, Colin contemplates his own future—which is, of course, exactly when his past shows up, as gorgeous as ever, and twice as fascinating. But Teagan torpedoed his plans once before. Is he crazy to consider letting her into his life again? Is Teagan ready to admit what she’s really afraid of? Could this unexpected “situationship” be forever?
Praise for Marina Adair
“Marina Adair delivers addictive, sweet and sexy romances with humor and heart that readers will love.” —Jennifer Ryan, New York Times bestselling author
“Poignant, sweet, and funny. No one does a combination of romcom and women’s fiction like Marina Adair.” —Stacy Finz, New York Times bestselling author
Marina Adair is a New York Times author whose fun, flirty contemporary romances have sold over a million copies. She has hit #1 overall in Amazon Kindle Paid and her St. Helena Vineyard series was optioned and made into the original Hallmark Channel Vineyard movies: Autumn in the Vineyard, Summer in the Vineyard, and Valentines in the Vineyard. Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds a MFA from San Jose University and currently lives in Northern California with her husband, daughter, and two neurotic cats. Please visit her online at MarinaAdair.com and sign up for her newsletter at www.MarinaAdair.com/newsletter.
Situationship by Marina Adair Contemporary romance. Second chance troupe. Family centric. Teagan moves into her inherited family home with her four-year old twins. She hopes to reopen a bread bakery business after her ex husband gambled everything away. Teagan finds her sister already living in the house and her first love still living next door. Being a single mother to twins toddlers takes organizational effort. Teagan is grateful to the helping hand her squatter sister lends as well as the comfort she gets from spending time with Colin. Maybe the family move will be better than expected.
Adorable little girls, a hunky considerate man with a bratty confused teenage plus a well meaning sister makes this a family affair to the nth degree. Conflicts, arguments, misunderstandings and differences in being raised have all of them slowly learning about another perspective. I especially loved Harley’s determination to help her sister even though she gets beaten down verbally by Teagan over and over. All of them, the entire cast, have to grow emotionally and they do as the story progresses. It’s family. Emotional, heartbreaking and loving with happy tears more than once for me near the end. Perfectly syrupy.
This is a Women's Fiction/Romance. I loved this book so much. I really loved the characters in this book, and the dog, Garbage Disposal just made the book. I love when an animal takes over the book. This book has some really funny times, and I laughed so hard at times while reading this book. There were also steamy moments in this book. I loved the characters trying to figure out what they wanted and how to get there. This was a really great read with everything I want in it. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Kensington Books) or author (Marina Adair) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
Marina Adair you are such a great author. I couldn't put this book down. My favorite things about the overall story was the love interest and the rekindling of the sisters bond. They had fights and struggles but they learned to love and understand each other. This was such a wonderful story about second chances not only in love but also in life. Teagan a recently divorced mom of twin girls moved back home to get a second chance. Tegan learned how to put her happiness first and stand up for what she wanted. Teagan and Collins relationship was so sweet and I really enjoyed watching them reconnect and fall in love all over again. It is never to late to find love when you least expect it. I highly recommend this book.
First of all, I think I should start off by saying that maybe “women’s fiction” is not for me. It’s different to romance or rom-coms, etc. It just feels like there isn’t enough romance in the story until about 65% in. It feels like Teagan and Colin barely interacted with each other. Not to mention how much second hand embarrassment I felt during their steamy scenes. The fact that the author referred to orgasms as “cocktails”, had me cringing. The metaphors were just not it. The steamy scenes were actually good if you look past that fact and the fact that it mentions, and I quote, “his thumb teased her pleasure button” 😖🤢
Also, was Harvey’s POV necessary? I don’t think so. I feel like it takes away from the romance between Teagan and Colin by adding in Harvey’s POV. I understand that she has her own issues with her childhood that impacts her adult relationships, and that she has things to resolve with her sister, but that could be addressed in a follow up book. I feel like a sequel about Harvey, 1) allows more intimacy for Teagan and Colin in Situationship, 2) allows the relationship between Bryan and Harvey to have more depth, and the same for the sisters resolving their issues, and 3) to form deeper connections with all the characters.
Now to address the pacing and flow of the story. It all just felt wrong. The writing and pacing felt disjointed, and like there were gaps in the storytelling. Some chapters picked up immediately where the previous left off, and others I could even tell how much time had passed. At times, it just didn’t feel like the chapters flowed into each other well.
One another note, I firmly believe that if a book has multiple POVs that each chapter should be headed with whose POV it is. This book did not deliver on that.
The only things that made this book worth a 2.5 stars, which I think is generous, is that it was a single parent romance (these have my heart ❤️), and that some of the scenes were cute.
My first time reading Marina Adair and I’m hooked. Situationship is a complex Women’s Fiction/Romance. Teagan Bianchi is coming to the house her grandmother left her. She needs to rebuild her life. Recently divorced, and still reeling from losing her family business she needs a safe place. At first I thought it was going to be too cutesy, with an out of control dog and twin four year olds for comedy factor. But this story has richness and depth. Arriving at the house she finds that her semi-nomadic sister encamped there. They had a huge blow up almost a year before and there hasn’t been much contact. The sisters were split up and raised by different parents growing up so they are fundamentally very different.
There is added complexity with the next door neighbor Colin West being her first love when she was 17. He’s been divorced for years but is struggling with his almost adult daughter and an overtaxing veterinary practice. There is a lot going on between building a new business, trying to trust the sister who let you down, parent child relations and dealing with an ex spouse.
This is smart, funny, messy and realistic. No one is perfect all the time. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. There were some small time jumps to show this isn’t all instant and to allow relationships to grow. This is close to five stars for me. The twins are almost forgotten in the second half of the story. And I wanted to see Colin having a positive moment with his daughter after the blow ups. There is a quick epilogue but I think because I cared about the people I wanted to see more closure than I got for many of the characters. How are the new businesses? How are the relationships (sisters, love, parent/child) working? Where was the ex a year later? But overall a strong recommendation if you enjoy women’s fiction with romance.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. (4.5 stars)
Situationship is a cute rom com about a newly single mom finding her way and herself after divorce and back in her hometown. Few books marketed as rom coms actually fit the bill, but between cute kids, a firey sister and a swoony ex, there was much fun to be had along with the romance and conflict.
I loved seeing characters in similar but different life stages. I loved how Teagan found her footing and stood up for herself. I really liked how things wrapped up in a way that was satisfying all around.
This book reminded me a lot of Christina Hovland's recent series about moms. I enjoy it so much.
Thank you Kensington books for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Marina Adair needs to write more books! Loved this second chance romance - the twin toddlers and crazy dog made this story extra fun. Some parts of this story made me want to shake Teagan but loved how this story wrapped up.
⭐️⭐️.75 stars. Almost 3 stars. I like a second chance at the one who got away and boy/girl next door tropes. I am a fan of working things through with a sister and dealing with your past but the ex was extra over the top for me and I found I was more frustrated with some of the characters than I was invested in them.
This is an angsty book with all the feels. There is also some very funny times. I loved Teagan and Colin. They’re both super sweet people. I really loved Harley. I felt so sorry for her. The twins were just the cutest. The writing is so good. I felt like I was in the middle of their hectic lives.
Situationship by Marina Adair is the story of two adult sisters who were separated as children in a misguided divorce decree. The sisters, Teagan and Harley, barely know each other now. They wouldn’t, in fact, even be together except that Harley is squatting in Teagan’s beach house when Teagan and her daughters arrive unexpectedly. The sisters are antagonistic but to move the story along, they continue to live together in the beach house. Oh, and maybe they’ll find love in the process. I mean, it’s a romance novel so of course they’re looking for love.
Teagan supposedly has everything working, all the time, and is highly critical of her less predictable sister. Harley, on the other hand, supposedly never does anything right; but despite what we’re told, the character arcs are completely reversed. Harley teaches early yoga classes, works with local businesses, helps Teagan with her kids and her business while Teagan can’t seem to brush her hair or manage her children. I’m just not getting how their character arcs are such a mismatch with their behaviors.
Overall, I have come to the conclusion that this book was not for me. The repartee between the older sister, Teagan, and her love interest, Colin, is mostly frustrating, frequently cringy. However, I suspect that some people might find their conversations believable. I just don’t know that many people – actually any – who talk in metaphors as much as these characters do.
In addition, there are things I would characterize as story development problems. For example, Harley, the younger sister, does a bunch of very secretive work to help her sister. Why is it a secret? It’s legal. It’s useful. Why doesn’t she share her plans? We don’t really get any explanation. This leads me to believe that the author needed Harley to be secretive in order to move the story forward.
Another example of anomalous story development is the author’s use of Colin’s daughter, Maddie. For a troubled, lying teen, she’s given really important responsibilities, like watching very young children. There’s also an awkward scene when Maddie catches her father and Teagan … er, in the act. Maybe the author doesn’t have any children. I can promise you, if any one of my three kids caught me having sex, they would not react by staying in the room, while the adults dressed under the covers. That’s just absurd.
Teagan and Colin were high school sweethearts who separated before college (to move the story forward). Supposedly, Teagan was being a bigger person by ending their relationship without even saying goodbye but why? It isn’t clearly explained. It also doesn’t make any sense. It does allow, though, for 20 years to pass so they can meet up again and rekindle their relationship. But how can they be in love? They don’t even know each other now, right?
I received a digital ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Teagan survived her trip back "home" to Pacific Cove with her 4 year old twin daughters. She is recovering from her divorce and betrayal by her husband. She didn't expect that her teenager crush, first love and first ex, Colin would be living next door. Colin has been divorced for years, but does not regret the marriage because he has his beloved 17 year old daughter. Teagan disrupted his plans in the past, is he about to let her disrupt them again?
This book has a lot of emotion. This book was a definitely roller coaster ride. You went through so many highs and lows with twists that gripped at your heart. It was a cute second chance romance, but also a second chance at life. Teagan's life has been upended and she is trying to rebuild. She is also learning that everything does not need to be perfect to be good for your family and loved ones. I loved both Teagan and Colin and how wary they were of allowing love in. I also loved all the side characters including the children, and Teagan's sister Harley.
I have discovered a new to me author that I really enjoy and I look forward to checking out more of her books in the future! Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.
Right from the start the world building done by the author Marina Adair had grabbed my attention and I wanted to keep going to find out more. Our main female lead Teagan is a Mom of twins who doesn’t have it all together but she is going to try to start over. Her toxic ex husband needs rehab for his gambling addiction. She got out of their relationship with a divorce and paying back his debts to start herself of anew in her Nonna’s house with her twins. She just hadn’t counted on her first love that she left broken hearted living right next door. Or her sister living in the house without her knowing for quite some time.
I liked the male lead Colin’s character from the start because he is just trying to raise his teen daughter without her getting over on him with the usual teen shenanigans. He was also a very caring individual. He cares about this woman who just came back into his life even though she broke his heart. He cares about the animals at the vet practice where he works and is so frustrated that the owner just sees the dollar signs. Colin gives his opinion and pays attention.
Teagan frustrated me at times but she was supposed to do that. She has to deal with getting over the toxic relationship her ex husband put her through and how it is effecting her twin daughters, protect them and let them heal from losing their two parent home. She wants to rebuild herself not only as a woman but as a business woman with her Nonna’s bread business, which her husband ruined.
Thank you Kensington Books and Marina Adair for the opportunity to read this very enjoyable galley prior to publication.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Teagan Bianchi is starting life over with her twin four year old daughters and their rescue dog, Garbage Disposal. She heads to her late grandmother’s house in the hopes of resurrecting her bread shop. Teagan is determined to make it a success since her ex-husband lost everything they had.
Going home is never easy as Teagan quickly learns. Her teenage sweetheart still lives next door, and her flighty sister has taken up residence in her home. Teagan has her hands full.
Colin West is having problems of his own. His teenage daughter is giving him all kinds of trouble while his boss at the veterinary clinic is, also, a huge problem. Colin wonders about his future. Then, Teagan moves back next door, and his life is totally thrown upside down.
This may have been my first Marina Adair book, but it won’t be my last. I enjoyed Teagan and Colin’s journey and their second chance at romance. There are some fun moments as well as some poignant ones. I especially enjoyed the character growth of Teagan and her sister. It was beautifully done and felt realistic to me. It wasn't a sudden growth. It was gradual and worked well.
The characters are well-developed. They could easily be your next-door neighbor. The situation the characters find themselves in is quite realistic.
I like to call this type of book a large slice of life. Real people in real situations trying to keep their heads above water. I can’t say this is necessarily a sweet romance because there are a couple of steamy scenes between Colin and Teagan. Their sparks are definitely flying.
This is a heartwarming book with many emotions running through it. It definitely touched my heart strings.
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
This was my first read by Marina and it did not disappoint!
This was such a cute story about second chances not only in love but also in life. Teagan a recently divorced mom of twin girls moved back home to get a second chance - and i loved every minute of it. I fell in love with the characters so fast and absolutely loved the strength they each showed. The twins were adorable and made me laugh so much. One of my favorite things about the overall story wasn’t the love interest (although I LOVED that) I loved the rekindling of the sisters bond, I really enjoyed the struggles and the fights between them but seeing them learn to love and understand each other again was so amazing. Colin and Teagan were such a great part of the story - but again the message behind watching Tegan learn how to put her happiness first and how to stand up for what she wanted was so great. She was able to lean that from watching those around her truly show her what support meant and allowing herself to be just a little selfish; she found her true happiness in life and in love. Teagan and Collins relationship was so adorable and I really enjoyed watching them reconnect and fall in love all over again - which was just the cherry on top!
Second chances are my favorite trope and recently divorced, mother of twins, Teagan Bianchi, not only gets a second chance with her estranged sister, Harley, but also her first love, Colin West. Teagan inherited her grandmother's house, so after her husband destroyed the family business and lost everything else they had, she moves her four year olds and their dog, Garbage Disposal, back to Pacific Cove. She finds her sister squatting in the house and Colin living next door. As a teenager, she had left Colin to pursue her own dream of opening her own branch of the family business, but also, to make sure he did not give up his dream of becoming a veterinarian and opening is own clinic. Both married undependable people, and Colin is in a later stage of life, getting ready for his daughter to leave for college. He doesn't want to get sucked into Teagan's life, but she has always been irresistible to him. It is a lovely story, with endearing characters and lots of lively banter.
I read anARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review
Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.
Situationship is a book that I believe could be defined as romance but it’s more focused on the development of the characters. Teagan is a single mom who is trying to fix the mess created in her life by her ex-husband by moving to the town she grew up in with her twin daughters. Harley, Teagan’s sister, left her life because she is scared of loving and moves to the same town, the same house. Colin is another single parent of a teen daughter and he’s scared of being left alone when his daughter leaves for college.
They all try to fix their life and they find a connection that is a new and better version of the past they remembered with grief.
This was a very interesting book, not entirely focused on the romance side and well written. I liked the characters and their outcome and I think it couldn’t have ended differently. It’s an honest 4⭐️ for me.
I really enjoyed this book about family, lost and found love and adorable twins. My only disappointment is that sometimes the situation was slowed down with what I thought was kind of needless long commentary. The basic story is wonderful the interaction with Teagan and Colin is hot. The best was the the renewal of the relationship with Harley, and despite hints of the contrary, their love for each other.
Marina Adair does it again. This book had depth. Each character well developed and amazing with flaws and all. Not once did I roll my eyes at a scene and hanging out with these people in a sleepy beach town has been a treat and a delight over the past few days.
Bonus ... 3 different POVs. Him, her and her sister. That is probably why I adored the whole crew following their journey through heartache and fear to healing and love.
I've read a bunch of books by this author and have liked most of them. Enjoyed the sister bonding with both Harley/Teagan and between the twins, and of course the romance with a hot veterinarian boy next door.
One comment to Marina: please remove the phrase "crazy cutie" from your books! That is an incredibly offensive term to women and people in general.
I fell in love with the cover and the name Garbage Disposal. And then I fell in love with this second chance, uplifting, and life affirming story about second chances and starting again. It made me smile, root for the characters, and throroughly enjoy this story. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
A wonderful second chance love story about how even though people grow up, they sometimes never grow apart. This book played in my head like a Hallmark movie. The characters are relatable and lovable. Fair warning that some of the scenes are quite steamy!
Thank you to Kensington Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Folks, I had a fun time here and that’s all that counts. In this novel, two teenage sweethearts, Teagan and Colin, reunite twenty years later and grapple with their renewed feelings for one another in addition to the other challenges that have arisen since they were seventeen, like divorce and child-rearing. This novel might resonate a little more with a slightly older audience who has had similar life experiences, but it’s a pleasant time, even for a younger reader such as myself.
Again, I had fun here, buuuut there were certainly some moments that were eye roll-inducing. That being said, each eye roll was accompanied by a smile, so it’s okay! I thought the epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter were a little silly, especially since a majority of them were attributed to an unknown source (which was probably just Marina Adair), except for one which was specifically attributed to Adair. Not sure why she wanted credit for that one in particular, but I digress. Maybe these quips are catered towards the wine mom crowd of which I am not yet a part.
Additionally, I felt that the characters, Colin especially, were totally different people in the bedroom, haha. Don’t get me wrong, a handsome, athletic veterinarian who’s also a great dad? What a catch! It’s pretty hard to go wrong from there, but I did think it was funny how he instantly started spouting sexy one-liners anytime Teagan was within ten feet. That being said, maybe it is the case that single folks with kids have to balance two different aspects of their personality--being a parent doesn’t eradicate their sex drive--and that’s just not something I can relate to as someone who hasn’t been in that position. Maybe it seems more understandable to those folks. (So many disclaimers in this review.)
I also don’t know that Harley’s perspective was fully necessary. While I appreciated her role in the overall story and loved watching her overcome her personal struggles and strained relationship with her sister, I think the main romance might have been better served by excluding Harley’s individual chapters. (Also, while I appreciated Harley’s growth when it came to letting people into her life, I thought her ex Bryan was a little obsessive and wasn’t super rooting for them to get back together. Maybe that’s just the cynic in me though!)
Finally, this may be changed in the finished copy, but there were text message chains scattered throughout the book and the positions of the sent and received messages were reversed which could be a little confusing until you realized what was going on.
Look, I know it seems like I have a lot of criticisms, but that’s just how I am with rom-coms. I don’t know how to shut off that cynical part of my brain. That being said, I did still have a lot of fun. It was a breezy read, and I was happy to expose myself to a romance with more mature, experienced adults.
Thank you to Goodreads and Marina Adair for providing a free copy for review!
Situationship is a cute book without a bunch of angst. I like angst but it's refreshing to read a book that doesn't tie you up in knots for a change. I'm not saying there weren't issues to deal with between Teagan and Harley (estranged sisters) and Teagan and Colin (neighbors with a past) and Teagan and her Ex, then there were the darling twins and Maddie, but it wasn't gut wrenching, although I wanted to kick Teagan in the behind several times, but that's the thing about books and real life - everyone has to learn from their mistakes and figure out how to fix them. I laughed (Garbage Disposal) and I cried a little reading this book. Also, a side story - I wondered if Harley and Bryan would get their own book, but you have to read it to find out how everything works out. Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
Marina Adair has done it again and has given her readers another incredible second chance at love story! I absolutely LOVED Situationship. It was an amazing romantic comedy love story and I loved reading every moment on every page and could not put it down. Marina Adair continues to provide her readers with the amazing characters, that I love! Marina Adair continues to show with Situationship that she is an incredible storyteller. One of my favorite parts in Situationship is how Marina Adair starts each chapter with a quote that relates to the story. Who does not love hot sexy men, strong females, loving families, and friends, who always support one another, they are all such wonderful characters? I love how Marina Adair somehow manages to find the "perfect" heroine, who is a strong woman on her own, to balance out the sexy man. Her characters in Situationship are so believable and charming, they share great chemistry, lots of laughs, and steamy romance. Situationship delivers all those things that I love most about Marina Adair’s stories. I love that Marina Adair writes from the perspective of the two main characters. I enjoy getting to see things from the viewpoints of both main characters. Situationship is filled with heartbreaking and heartwarming moments. I love the lighter moments where I find myself smiling and laughing out loud. My favorite moments are the ones that pull at my heartstrings that cause me to sigh, as I read the heartbreaking moments. Situationship is filled with all those things that I have come to love in a love story, especially the poignant and bittersweet moments that filled this page turner. Situationship the story between Colin West, veterinarian and single father of Maddison and Teagan Bianchi, single mother of Lily and Poppy. Colin and Teagan met as teenagers when Colin would spend summers in Pacific Cove as a neighbor of Teagan’s Nonna Rose, and Teagan would spend the summers with her Nonna Rose. Colin and Teagan had plans for their future, but Teagan left because she did not want to deter Colin from realizing his dreams. Teagan returns to Pacific Cove via a cross country trip with her twin daughters and dog after the actions of her ex-husband cause her life to implode. Teagan’s late grandmother left her house to Teagan. Colin has always dreamed of owning his own veterinary practice, but with his daughter, Maddison heading to college in the fall, now is not the time. Teagan and Colin meet again when she arrives at the house. I love Lily and Poppy’s reaction when they arrived in Pacific Cove. As Colin and Teagan spend more time together with Teagan trying to recreate her grandmother’s bakery, Bread N Butter, things begin to change between them. Teagan and Colin decide to try dating. I love everything that Colin is willing to do for Teagan, to help her achieve her goals. I love that Teagan and Colin shares secrets with each other that they have not told anyone before. I love that Teagan tells him why he did not reach out to her all those years ago. I love Colin and Teagan’s love story, and how Teagan shows her vulnerable side to Colin. Then an unexpected plot twist changes things between them and truly shows Teagan’s and Colin’s vulnerable sides. I love everything that Teagan does to remedy the plot twist which causes her to admit her true feelings for Colin. I love all the changes that both Teagan and Colin are willing to make in their lives because of their love for one another. I love the amazing chemistry between Teagan and Colin, and how the sparks fly when they are near one another. It was more than chemistry, it was love. My favorite part of the story was Colin’s proposal to Teagan. I love the epilogue and how it went above and beyond a happily ever after. I love the characters and the family dynamic in Situationship, the characters feel like family and friends. I love that the relationship between Teagan and her sister, Harley changes throughout the story it feels like real family love and makes me laugh at their teasing. My favorite characters are Lily and Poppy, and I love Garbage Disposal (G.D.). I love the heart-to-heart conversation that Teagan has with Colin’s daughter, Maddison. Who does not love family and friends that always have each other’s backs? Situationship is filled with all those things that I have come to love and expect in a Marina Adair romantic comedy love story, incredible characters, amazing story, light, poignant and bittersweet moments, and surprise plot twists. Marina Adair did not disappoint in her delivery of those things. I love how she resolved the surprise plot twist; it was truly a heartwarming moment. I love the ending of Teagan and Colin's love story. Situationship was an amazing story and I highly recommend it. I am hoping that Harley gets her own love story!
Teagan Bianchi spent summers in California's Pacific Cove at her grandmother's beach house through most of her life. Which is how she met her teenage crush, Colin West. After several summers together, she left him with only a note and he never knew what he did wrong. He married only long enough to have his precious daughter, became a veterinarian, and moved back to Pacific Cove with dreams of opening his own practice. Now his daughter is almost ready to go off to college and he's still stuck working for a boss only in it for the money. With big decisions to make, this is not the time for his first love to come back into his life. Teagan just travelled across country with her twin toddlers and a large dog named Garbage Disposal to move into her late grandmother's house. She never expected to have a squatter in the form of her estranged sister, who she's dubbed Hurricane Harley, already living there and even more surprised that Colin is still living next door...and hotter than ever! Not exactly in the same places in life with him about to be an empty nester and her with her crazy household, she doesn't expect much to come of it. But he begins to look forward to her early morning visits to borrow his oven or emergency vet care for her dog that eats everything. Maybe he needs a little more crazy in his life. Soon their renewed friendship turns to something more, but when her ex shows back up in her life, is it more craziness than he can handle? Not every relationship is perfect and this one is crazier than most. I like how Teagan was able to bounce back from her husband losing everything and even expand her business with the unexpected help of her sister. I really liked how they became sisters again and repaired their relationship by looking at the twins behaviors. And wowee, Colin is definitely the hot single dad in the story. So calm under pressure, there to support Teagan, although a little stressed (like any Dad would be) with his crazy teenage daughter pushing boundaries. This book is so real about parenting in toddler stage and teenagers. I was laughing at all the twin sass and trouble and how Colin dealt with the teenage drama. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Situationship by Marina Adair is a wonderful story about starting over and unexpectedly getting a second chance with the one who got away. Teagan Bianchi was on her last nerve. She divorced her husband after he gambled away everything, almost everything that mattered to Teagan; especially her family business. With her 4 year old twin daughters and out of control dog, Garbage Disposal or GD, Teagan left Seattle and headed south to Pacific Cove, California; where she grew up. To the home left to her by her grandmother. Upon arrival, two things happen: first, she is welcomed by her next door neighbor and secondly, her house isn’t empty; her semi-nomadic sister, Harley, was encamped inside. After an awful divorce, the sisters were separated, being raised by different parents and are quite different. About a year ago, they had a huge fight and haven’t been in much contact. Another complication is her next door neighbor Colin West who was her first love when she was 17. Colin has been divorced for years, but does not regret the marriage because he has his beloved 17 year old daughter and is struggling with an understaffed and demanding veterinary practice. Teagan disrupted Colin’s plans in the past, and he is wary about letting her in and once again disrupting his life. Sometimes, life makes sure things work out the way they are supposed to; it was fate they would end up together. As Teagan works on rebuilding her life, she is learning that everything does not need to be perfect for you to be more than enough for your family and loved ones. Teagan is not the only one who grows through this story, as Harley also does some soul-searching, learning to give love and accept love.
Ms. Adair wrote a wonderful, sweet and heartwarming story that should not be missed. She provided a tale written from the viewpoint of Teagan and Harley. Each chapter begins with a quote that relates not only to the story, but also to the chapter that follows. The roller coaster ride that Teagan and Colin are on, allows fate to bring them together, picking up the pieces of their lives, and being the support each other needs to live their best life possible. I highly recommend Situationship to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
After the happy life she knew imploded Teagan Bianchi had no other choice but to start over... so she packed her meager belongings, children, and their family dog and headed to a place she hasn't been for a long time. What she finds waiting for her in Pacific Cove is something she never expected, but soon becomes all she has ever needed.
Following this heroine on her journey was like being on a roller coaster at times, emotional highs and lows that would lift your spirit one moment, only to dip it the next... and then those unexpected twists that constantly threw her life into a tailspin... it was quite the ride!
Her ex-husband cost them everything, accept the home her grandmother left her, it's the only thing she had left that she could call her own. But finding her sister has been squatting in the home was a development she hadn't planned on. Their relationship is strained to say the least, but she can't very well put her on the street so they attempt to make do. Which ultimately becomes the best thing to happen to them, it forces them to face what pushed them apart, and helps them reconnect in way they never thought possible. It's a second chance they never saw coming.... but not the only second chance in the story.
When Teagan meets her new neighbor she is thrown for another loop, seeing the man that she left with a broken heart again wasn't part of the plan, but something that had crossed her mind. It's a reunion neither were expecting or really wanting to embrace, as neither are in the right mind for love... but it's in the right mind for them!
I loved what I found between the pages here, it's words took me on an emotional journey that was tough on the ticker at times, but eventually brought reprieve in the form of a heartfelt and uplifting happily ever after. I have come to love this author's unique stories and charming one-of-kind characters, every time I pick up one of her books I know I am in for a perfect little escape! Highly recommend this one, it's words are bound to touch your heart!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, via NetGalley request, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.
This story has strong women’s fiction vibes. I’d still say the romance between Teagan and Colin is a main part of the story, the other part of Teagan’s journey is just as important. I’ll be frank, there was a point in this story where I was begging the author to let Teagan and Colin find their way to each other. Not because it was a slow burn or was even taking too long. It truly wasn’t. But both of them were being put through the wringer and I wanted them to have a safe space to land with each other.
There are a lot of relationships going on here. Teagan and Colin, of course. But there are also children and siblings and exes thrown into the mix. Colin was Teagan’s first love and vice versa. Things didn’t end great and there is some resentment. It was wonderful to watch these two get over their anger and feelings of abandonment and talk. That also happens, eventually, with Teagan and her sister Harley. They used to be close but were separated by their parents and never quite understood each other after that. There is so much resentment there, but once they open up about their real feelings it’s so beautiful to see these sisters start to reconnect.
While for the most part the characters, once this story got moving, did take a step back instead of giving into their temper when things got intense, there were words said in anger that just hurt me to the core. There is also a time or two Teagan makes some poor choices, in my opinion, but she does so out of love for her children. Yet truly, some of her actions broke my heart.
This story is a bit of a roller coaster but in a good way. When Teagan and Colin are on the page as a couple, there is so much warmth and love coming off the page. This is an engaging and lovely book.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**