Reviews

That Secret Crush, by Meghan Quinn

rosielovesreading's review

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5.0

That Secret Crush is a brother’s best friends, friends-to-more romance between Reid Knightly and Eve Roberts, who have both had secret crushes on one another for years.

Reid is lost, a failed chef whose dream of running his own restaurant were destroyed two years before, and he hasn’t cooked since. He has a chip on his shoulder, bitter at having to return to his hometown of Port Snow with his tail between his legs, becoming a fisherman and working at the family business. Adding on to the family love curse him and his brothers picked up on at trip to New Orleans around the same time, and he is very unhappy with his life.

Reid has always had a flirty friendship with Eve, his ex-best friend, and ex-business partner, Eric’s twin sister. She is his dream girl, not that he’s ever admitted it to her, and Eve has harboured her own secret crush on the third Knightly brother since she was a teenager. Eve is on her own, her parents having both passed and her brother avoiding her calls. She is determined to make her own path in life, but one night on a particular difficult day, one thing leads to another, and her relationship with Reid is changed forever. Their chemistry is through the roof, and they agree to start dating, in secret to avoid the rumours from the locals. All is going well for them, and they're slowly getting used to their new feelings, when an opportunity for Reid arises which throws everything he thought about his life into disarray. He becomes even more closed off than normal, keeping important things from Eve. When Eric arrives back in town, will they be able to continue their relationship? Or will Reid’s secrets and doubts over his past cause him to self-destruct and push Eve away for good?

First things first, Reid’s character was so different to what I expected. He was crude, temperamental and unpredictable, but loyal to a fault. He was lost, going through the motions of life but not enjoying it at all, so unhappy and bitter about what went wrong, punishing himself for his past mistakes. But Eve helps him realise what he’s been missing out on for all these years. She helps him see that failure is a part of life and just because it went wrong once, doesn’t mean you give up, you try again and learn from your mistakes. He was so blunt and surly, he kept things bottled up, but the one thing he was always open about was how much he cared for Eve. She balanced him out perfectly, although he did have a lot of making up to do in the end.

Eve was so strong, driven and independent. She had learnt not to rely on anyone else, to put herself first and if she wanted something doing, she should do it herself. But Reid had always silently been there for her to lean on if she needed to, and when she did she realised there could be more between them. She knew what she wanted to do with her life and made sure that she was secured her future because she knew she was good at her job. Her trust in Reid was broken a number of times, there’s only so many secrets being withheld a girl before she has enough, and wow did she make Reid grovel before any kind of forgiveness. But the ending was swoon worthy and so sweet, in my eyes, he had fully redeemed himself.

One person who didn’t though was Eric, I disliked him all the way through and even in the end, I didn’t think he deserved any sort of forgiveness. He treated them both so poorly, and because you never really see Eric and Reid as friends, I didn’t understand how they needed each other to succeed. The same for any kind of relationship with Eve, we never see them as anything more than acquaintances. I think for me, that was the only flaw in the story, and it was very minor. But the other secondary characters, the rest of Knightly family and the towns folk are perfect and really help make the story more three-dimensional. But the other secondary characters, the rest of Knightly family and the towns folk, are perfect and really help make the story more three-dimensional. The meddling, the embarrassment, the rumours, just made it so great. But the brothers are hilarious. They are all so different, they balance each other out perfectly and their banter is just brilliant. Meghan is known for writing fabulous comedy in her books and these Knightly brothers were not an exception. Griffin is the protector, Rogan is the tortured broody one, Reid is lost, and Brig is the hopeless romantic.

All the way through, Brig has had me laughing out loud with his hilarious quirky personality and one-liners. I loved his involvement in the town's gossip mill and the introduction of the Hen Line app only added to it. As the hopeless romantic he's probably been the one who has believed in the curse most vocally, and I am intrigued as to how it affects his life. I have been ready for his book since Griffin’s, and I cannot wait to get inside his crazy mind. The hints at who his love interest may be only makes me more excited and August can’t come soon enough.

That Secret Crush is a great, brother’s best friends, friends-to-more, small-town romance, with heart aching moments, a love curse, steamy scenes (Reid is just on fire), learning to accept your past mistakes and finding love where you least expected it. I would definitely recommend this book!

linzreadz13's review

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5.0

*Sigh* these Knightly brothers are everything!

I just wanted to reach into the pages and give Reid a giant hug. He struggles with self esteem ever since he and his best friend, Eric, had to close their very popular restaurant when their business partner, stole all of their money. Now, estranged from his best friend, he is back home in Port snow trying to figure out who he is now, and what to do with his life. Eve, Eric's twin sister, has been off limits even though Reid's feelings are real and strong. Even though Eric and Reid aren't the best of friends anymore, it doesn't make things any less complicated.

The road is not easy for Reid and Eve but it is absolutely worth it. They are the perfect match for each other. While it took them a while to realize that they couldn't live with out the other, it is so enjoyable watching them come to terms with it and watch their journey to their happily ever after.

I am so in love with the town of Port Snow and the entire Knightly family! August can not come soon enough so I can get my hands on That Swoony Feeling, Brig's story! While I can not wait to read Brig's story, I have to admit it will be bitter sweet having to say goodbye to this series after the final book.

Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.

caitimaree's review

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4.0

I really enjoyed this book! It was my first of Meghan Quinn's to read so I will definitely be checking out the rest of the series as well as her other stuff. The Knightly family was hilarious, and besides the steamy scenes, the siblings' text conversations were my favorite part of the book. They were hilarious and I loved their interactions and the funny situations throughout the book. Quinn definitely has a gift for writing dialogue, wit, and excellent intimate scenes. I will definitely keep her at the top of my list to recommend for anyone looking for funny and sexy romances!

rosielovesreading's review against another edition

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5.0

That Secret Crush is a brother’s best friends, friends-to-more romance between Reid Knightly and Eve Roberts, who have both had secret crushes on one another for years.

Reid is lost, a failed chef whose dream of running his own restaurant were destroyed two years before, and he hasn’t cooked since. He has a chip on his shoulder, bitter at having to return to his hometown of Port Snow with his tail between his legs, becoming a fisherman and working at the family business. Adding on to the family love curse him and his brothers picked up on at trip to New Orleans around the same time, and he is very unhappy with his life.

Reid has always had a flirty friendship with Eve, his ex-best friend, and ex-business partner, Eric’s twin sister. She is his dream girl, not that he’s ever admitted it to her, and Eve has harboured her own secret crush on the third Knightly brother since she was a teenager. Eve is on her own, her parents having both passed and her brother avoiding her calls. She is determined to make her own path in life, but one night on a particular difficult day, one thing leads to another, and her relationship with Reid is changed forever. Their chemistry is through the roof, and they agree to start dating, in secret to avoid the rumours from the locals. All is going well for them, and they're slowly getting used to their new feelings, when an opportunity for Reid arises which throws everything he thought about his life into disarray. He becomes even more closed off than normal, keeping important things from Eve. When Eric arrives back in town, will they be able to continue their relationship? Or will Reid’s secrets and doubts over his past cause him to self-destruct and push Eve away for good?

First things first, Reid’s character was so different to what I expected. He was crude, temperamental and unpredictable, but loyal to a fault. He was lost, going through the motions of life but not enjoying it at all, so unhappy and bitter about what went wrong, punishing himself for his past mistakes. But Eve helps him realise what he’s been missing out on for all these years. She helps him see that failure is a part of life and just because it went wrong once, doesn’t mean you give up, you try again and learn from your mistakes. He was so blunt and surly, he kept things bottled up, but the one thing he was always open about was how much he cared for Eve. She balanced him out perfectly, although he did have a lot of making up to do in the end.

Eve was so strong, driven and independent. She had learnt not to rely on anyone else, to put herself first and if she wanted something doing, she should do it herself. But Reid had always silently been there for her to lean on if she needed to, and when she did she realised there could be more between them. She knew what she wanted to do with her life and made sure that she was secured her future because she knew she was good at her job. Her trust in Reid was broken a number of times, there’s only so many secrets being withheld a girl before she has enough, and wow did she make Reid grovel before any kind of forgiveness. But the ending was swoon worthy and so sweet, in my eyes, he had fully redeemed himself.

One person who didn’t though was Eric, I disliked him all the way through and even in the end, I didn’t think he deserved any sort of forgiveness. He treated them both so poorly, and because you never really see Eric and Reid as friends, I didn’t understand how they needed each other to succeed. The same for any kind of relationship with Eve, we never see them as anything more than acquaintances. I think for me, that was the only flaw in the story, and it was very minor. But the other secondary characters, the rest of Knightly family and the towns folk are perfect and really help make the story more three-dimensional. But the other secondary characters, the rest of Knightly family and the towns folk, are perfect and really help make the story more three-dimensional. The meddling, the embarrassment, the rumours, just made it so great. But the brothers are hilarious. They are all so different, they balance each other out perfectly and their banter is just brilliant. Meghan is known for writing fabulous comedy in her books and these Knightly brothers were not an exception. Griffin is the protector, Rogan is the tortured broody one, Reid is lost, and Brig is the hopeless romantic.

All the way through, Brig has had me laughing out loud with his hilarious quirky personality and one-liners. I loved his involvement in the town's gossip mill and the introduction of the Hen Line app only added to it. As the hopeless romantic he's probably been the one who has believed in the curse most vocally, and I am intrigued as to how it affects his life. I have been ready for his book since Griffin’s, and I cannot wait to get inside his crazy mind. The hints at who his love interest may be only makes me more excited and August can’t come soon enough.

That Secret Crush is a great, brother’s best friends, friends-to-more, small-town romance, with heart aching moments, a love curse, steamy scenes (Reid is just on fire), learning to accept your past mistakes and finding love where you least expected it. I would definitely recommend this book!

823sisi's review

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4.0

Meghan Quinn!! You just know how to make my heart smile!!

That Secret Crush is book 3 of the Port Snow series that follows the Knightly brothers. I hate snow but would love to visit this cute little town.

Eve and Reid are life-long friends who of course are going to fall for each other. They have to figure out how to get out of their own way. Their "meet-cute" in the bar is phenomenal. Once they let the heat come to surface it can't be dulled. I love their family's involvement.

This is a series that has made me feel all the emotions and I could see this made into a television series. I can't wait for book 4!!

rosereadsalot's review

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3.0

This is a friends to lovers, brother’s best friend, small town romance. I enjoyed this one, the language was a big cringey at times but other than that it had a good storyline!

ktpat10's review

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emotional funny relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

joburns_reads's review

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4.0

⭐️ 4.5

alisonsoverbooked's review against another edition

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5.0


In That Secret Crush, after being cursed with broken love and losing his restaurant on the same night, Reid Knightly finds himself back in his hometown trying to figure things out. Eve Roberts is also there, the girl he’s had feelings for forever, but she’s his best friend Eric’s sister, so nothing can happen there, right? Turns out Eve has also been crushing on Reid and things heat up quickly after a few shots and a dance at the local bar…⁣

I loved this couple! Reid and Eve couldn’t get enough of each other and their chemistry and heat was off the charts! Eve is a strong female lead who has gone through more than most people to get where she is and has come out stronger on the other side. Reid is a sweetheart and is there for her, even when her brother wasn’t, and it just made my heart melt!⁣

Reid had to learn to trust himself again after his failure. With the help of a new opportunity to get back into the kitchen to continue his dream, we get to watch his confidence rebuild. I did get more than a little frustrated when he decides to listen to Eric instead of his own feelings...but in true Knightly style, he definitely redeems himself.⁣

For those wondering, the sibling text group was again, on point!

dinipandareads's review

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5.0

4.5 stars
I've been counting down to the release of this book since I finished Rogan's story and it didn't disappoint! I didn't think much about Reid's character when we meet him in the first two books. He's known for not being able to take much of anything seriously, so I was surprised by how much I connected with his story. Fair warning: out of all the books in this series this has the most sex scenes and it gets pretty steamy up in this read. Reid's character has zero filter and he does lay it on real thick with the sexual innuendos etc., so if neither of those are your jam, then this book might not be for you! Safe to say, this best-friend's-sister/friends-to-lovers story would be a 6/5 on the steamy scale (for reals).

description

I was so invested in Reid and Eve's romance and individual characters. Eve was such a likeable female lead! I loved and admired her strength, patience and kindness. She has such a big heart and works so hard to find her own success. I felt so proud of her for stepping up for herself and making her dreams come to life. There were times I wanted to give Reid a good shakebig ass slap for not treating her better but I did recognise how well they fit together. This was a definite yin-yang balancing personalities type of relationship and I was rooting for them 1000%!

description

I can understand that Reid's character might not be likeable to all. His type can very easily fall on the side of way too much, but lucky for me, I didn't feel that way about him. He's obnoxious and his sex-crazed comments are so eye-roll inducing, but at the same time I also couldn't help fighting a constant grin/laugh every time he'd say something completely ridiculous. Underneath that aloof exterior there's a guy with a heart of gold and good intentions, who's plagued by past mistakes, and whose insecurities have stopped him from moving forward. The loss of his up-and-coming restaurant caused him to lose so much and he stopped doing what he loved most: cooking. My heart went out to him and his feelings of self-loathing and inadequacy. He does make a lot of mistakes and it frustrated me quite a bit at times, and while it does take a while for him to get his head out of his ass, I thought Quinn did a great job with his character growth. You can really see the change that happens in him and his way of thinking, and it was really satisfying to watch unfold. I love how learns to acknowledge that he has a lot to learn (especially about love!) but he doesn't put himself down for it the way he did at the start.

I will say that I was not a fan of Eric and what he said and did. I have never felt the need to sucker punch someone so bad--he was (as my friend Joanna likes to say) a total dill weed! I feel like his character really got off easy with both Eve and Reid because they both have kind hearts--I'm so petty! Haha

description

Before I wrap this up I also need to mention how that epilogue literally gave me life. I was cracking up so hard that I'm surprised my neighbours didn't tell me to shut up. All I know now is that I need Brig's story yesterday, even if it means that this series will come to an end! I just closed this book and I already want to be back in Port Snow and the Knightly family and friends again. I can't wait for more!