4.5 STARS for this funny, sweet, Seattle romance!!
I really, really liked this one. That didn't surprise me - I am a Kylie Scott fan. She has become a go-to when I need a comfort read, and this one was no different. I think my favorite thing about her is that her female characters are usually curvy, loud, and a bit obnoxious. I read her stories when I want a dose of realism with my happy endings, I think.
Susie inherits her Aunt Susan's house when she dies. She calls a reputable company to come do some work on the outdated house, but despite trying to avoid this exact scenario, Lars shows up... the best friend of the asshole she broke up with six months ago. There is some surface-level awkwardness that only amplifies after Lars finds a divorce certificate in the wall, dated ten years from now, that has Lars and Susie's names on it. Yes, this is a "supernatural" detail, but the story itself isn't even a little magical or anything like that. Really, the certificate works as a plot device that really makes them look at each other romantically, to see each other on a deeper level, as opposed to "best friend's ex" or "ex's best friend".
I liked Susie right away. Yes, she is a lot. So am I. We aren't for everyone, and that's okay; it helps us filter out the people who aren't worthy of our copious amounts of energy. Conversely, Lars snuck up on me. One of his supposed "flaws" is set up to be his choice in best friend, but that didn't really work for me, because wouldn't we have to hold that against Susie as well? She dated the asshole for a year, after all. That being said, Lars is gruff, structured, brutally honest, and not altogether exciting... right up until he is. My affection for him grew a little like Susie's: a little bit at a time, and then all at once. He very clearly adored Susie. A good male lead can make or break a story, and Lars made this one. Most everything else about the book worked, but it worked because of Lars. At first, I was leery of him. He may have even annoyed me at times. Then, I accepted him at face value. Then I started to like him... and then, all of a sudden, he was perfect. He simply kept choosing Susie, in all things small and large, and I loved that about him. It wasn't one big moment, just a lot of small ones. Susie is a nurturer, someone who cares for the people she loves, so it made me happy to see Lars caring for her.
I deducted a half star for three fairly trivial reasons: 1. Susie uses the world "bestie" far too many times and 2. Susie's constant judging of Lars for being friends with the ex, even though Susie herself chose to date him for a year, and 3. the inevitable climax, while still satisfying, is very predictable and on a related note, Lars and/or Susie should've seen it coming as well.
Turns out sharing a secret, trying to unravel a mystery, is great for bringing people together.