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mvbookreviewer's review
4.0
Blue Sullivan and Eduardo Oliveira (Eddie) have been colleagues and best of friends for more than 10 years. Blue has also been in love with Eddie for all those years, a love that she has kept to herself, her yearning for him something she had tamped down by turning to other places for comfort when necessary. However, nothing prepares Blue for the event that changes her life, a serious accident moments before which Blue is hit with remorse over the fact that she had never come out to Eddie with how she feels.
For Eddie, the moment the colorfully vivacious Blue, who is larger than life in every single aspect nearly loses her life serves as a serious bludgeon to his heart and emotions. The protective feelings that Blue arouses in him is one that Eddie has a hard time controlling, but as Blue’s friend, Eddie wants, no craves to be the one who helps her pick up the pieces.
Blue’s feelings towards Eddie intensifies to a point of no return which results in the hottest, most mind blowing nights of their lives. However Blue has kept her feelings under tight control for all those years for a reason. She doesn’t want to risk the friendship that she values above everything else with Eddie just for a tumble between the sheets. And given Eddie’s track record with relationships, if even one can call it that, Blue decides that she is right to deny them both a chance to see where this facet of their relationship could lead them.
It has been a while since I indulged in a friends-to-lovers romance and I welcomed this book with emotions akin to that of someone reuniting with a close friend who has been away for a long, long time. Sarah Mayberry does a mean friends-to-lovers romance from time to time, well lets be honest, she writes mean romances in whichever trope she singles out her books to be based on and I loved this little number, the second book in the Brothers Ink series.
Eddie, simply put, is the best thing about the story. His patience, endurance, kindness and the love he has in that big beautiful heart of his for Blue is what makes him that much more endearing. It takes a special kind of man or rather person to break down the emotional walls that a would be partner hides behind. Eddie has the added advantage of having being best friends with Blue for the past ten years. With that sort of arsenal in place, Eddie launches the type of mission that would win Blue over, but not without Blue giving him the fight of his lifetime.
Blue is a feisty character whom some of us can relate to, while others would sit back in awe and envy her over the kind of strength she has and the control that she exerts on herself. Life hadn’t been kind to her when she was a child and though a lot of good things had come her way since then, understandably, Blue has a hard time accepting all of it with good grace. Especially when it comes to the thought of losing her very best friend, the man she has loved from afar for so very long.
Blue’s hesitancy to place her trust in Eddie & his love is understandable given the track record Eddie holds for his love life. So opting to dislike Blue over the way she gives a bit of herself and then retreats is definitely not a choice when it comes to her. Blue’s indecision is what lends the story the proper amount of emotional angst that makes a romance worth delving into and while I was frustrated at times, I loved every single bit of it. Eddie’s character not only smoothed Blue’s ruffled feathers but did mine as well.
I would be remiss in my review if I don’t mention the bits of Maggie and Raf included in the story. Though I didn’t overly love their story as much as I did this one, I still enjoyed seeing them settle into the life that they’d found for themselves. Maggie’s story proved to be an interesting one in terms of what she went through. And if you haven’t already read her story, you should! Raf is just as sexy as Eddie! Them Oliveira genes!
I loved and loved the sensuality of the story. There were times when I went “woohoo, go for it girl’ and then there were moments that I nearly swallowed my own tongue from the panting variety of good, hot sex included in the story! What makes a Sarah Mayberry superb is the fact that she knows how to balance out the sex and the emotion and rarely shortchanges the reader on either aspect. And this one has got plenty of Eddie to tide us over!
The fact that both Blue & Eddie took their time to come together as a couple was the one aspect of the story that endeared it to me in a good way. A character like Blue’s is not easy to convince when she has a stubborn streak a mile wide. But in Eddie lies a determined streak perhaps that far outreaches Blue’s stubbornness and I felt like high-fiving with Mayberry over the the fact that she spent enough time on the story and each of their characters, giving it that realistic edge that made their connection & coming together that much more wholesome.
Recommended for fans of Sarah Mayberry, fans of contemporary romances & of course those that like myself love the friends to lovers trope! Can’t wait to read Lena’s story, interesting glimpses of which were included in this story.
Rating = 4/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
For Eddie, the moment the colorfully vivacious Blue, who is larger than life in every single aspect nearly loses her life serves as a serious bludgeon to his heart and emotions. The protective feelings that Blue arouses in him is one that Eddie has a hard time controlling, but as Blue’s friend, Eddie wants, no craves to be the one who helps her pick up the pieces.
Blue’s feelings towards Eddie intensifies to a point of no return which results in the hottest, most mind blowing nights of their lives. However Blue has kept her feelings under tight control for all those years for a reason. She doesn’t want to risk the friendship that she values above everything else with Eddie just for a tumble between the sheets. And given Eddie’s track record with relationships, if even one can call it that, Blue decides that she is right to deny them both a chance to see where this facet of their relationship could lead them.
It has been a while since I indulged in a friends-to-lovers romance and I welcomed this book with emotions akin to that of someone reuniting with a close friend who has been away for a long, long time. Sarah Mayberry does a mean friends-to-lovers romance from time to time, well lets be honest, she writes mean romances in whichever trope she singles out her books to be based on and I loved this little number, the second book in the Brothers Ink series.
Eddie, simply put, is the best thing about the story. His patience, endurance, kindness and the love he has in that big beautiful heart of his for Blue is what makes him that much more endearing. It takes a special kind of man or rather person to break down the emotional walls that a would be partner hides behind. Eddie has the added advantage of having being best friends with Blue for the past ten years. With that sort of arsenal in place, Eddie launches the type of mission that would win Blue over, but not without Blue giving him the fight of his lifetime.
Blue is a feisty character whom some of us can relate to, while others would sit back in awe and envy her over the kind of strength she has and the control that she exerts on herself. Life hadn’t been kind to her when she was a child and though a lot of good things had come her way since then, understandably, Blue has a hard time accepting all of it with good grace. Especially when it comes to the thought of losing her very best friend, the man she has loved from afar for so very long.
Blue’s hesitancy to place her trust in Eddie & his love is understandable given the track record Eddie holds for his love life. So opting to dislike Blue over the way she gives a bit of herself and then retreats is definitely not a choice when it comes to her. Blue’s indecision is what lends the story the proper amount of emotional angst that makes a romance worth delving into and while I was frustrated at times, I loved every single bit of it. Eddie’s character not only smoothed Blue’s ruffled feathers but did mine as well.
I would be remiss in my review if I don’t mention the bits of Maggie and Raf included in the story. Though I didn’t overly love their story as much as I did this one, I still enjoyed seeing them settle into the life that they’d found for themselves. Maggie’s story proved to be an interesting one in terms of what she went through. And if you haven’t already read her story, you should! Raf is just as sexy as Eddie! Them Oliveira genes!
I loved and loved the sensuality of the story. There were times when I went “woohoo, go for it girl’ and then there were moments that I nearly swallowed my own tongue from the panting variety of good, hot sex included in the story! What makes a Sarah Mayberry superb is the fact that she knows how to balance out the sex and the emotion and rarely shortchanges the reader on either aspect. And this one has got plenty of Eddie to tide us over!
The fact that both Blue & Eddie took their time to come together as a couple was the one aspect of the story that endeared it to me in a good way. A character like Blue’s is not easy to convince when she has a stubborn streak a mile wide. But in Eddie lies a determined streak perhaps that far outreaches Blue’s stubbornness and I felt like high-fiving with Mayberry over the the fact that she spent enough time on the story and each of their characters, giving it that realistic edge that made their connection & coming together that much more wholesome.
Recommended for fans of Sarah Mayberry, fans of contemporary romances & of course those that like myself love the friends to lovers trope! Can’t wait to read Lena’s story, interesting glimpses of which were included in this story.
Rating = 4/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
falulatonks's review
3.0
3.5 stars - honestly this was great, and I can say, pulling back from this, that it covers all it should, emotionally and plot-wise, with great detail given to the leads and really smart movement forward - like, you know why they've been stuck the way they are, as friends, and you know exactly why the things that move them beyond that space have the effect that they do. It makes sense, it absolutely suits them.
At the same time - the pacing on this was off, for me. Mayberry's usually spot-on when it comes to this, but this felt too slow in the beginning, and much, much too fast at the end. Thoroughly worth the read, though.
At the same time - the pacing on this was off, for me. Mayberry's usually spot-on when it comes to this, but this felt too slow in the beginning, and much, much too fast at the end. Thoroughly worth the read, though.
shms's review
2.0
2.25*. Silly when I start doling out fractions but I needed to differentiate this to the first book in the series. I preferred it but not by much. The writing is flawless as always, the H's are gorgeous nice guys, the h in this edgy and interesting. I warmed to her as her background was revealed but I lost interest as she had the same old inner dialogue playing out in various ways and I got bored. I think SM is trying the edgy vibe with the ink and the characters but its not quite making it. Not for me at least.
shmsy's review
2.0
2.25*. Silly when I start doling out fractions but I needed to differentiate this to the first book in the series. I preferred it but not by much. The writing is flawless as always, the H's are gorgeous nice guys, the h in this edgy and interesting. I warmed to her as her background was revealed but I lost interest as she had the same old inner dialogue playing out in various ways and I got bored. I think SM is trying the edgy vibe with the ink and the characters but its not quite making it. Not for me at least.
melbell's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sonni89's review
4.0
4.5 stars.
BEST FRIENDS TO LOVERS TROPE!!!!! If you know me, you know that that's my faaaavorite trope in the whole wide world, and this was soooooo good. I was super into Blue and Eddie from start to finish and I really did love their emotional journey.
Although, here comes my one little complaint: I wish there was more of the ending, if that makes sense. I wanted to actually get to see them navigate life as a couple. I also could have done with a slightly longer resolution to their issues, I felt like it was all a bit abrupt.
And last but not least, this was the first Mayberry I read that had some editing deficiencies (spelling, grammar, punctuation).
But other than that, this really was SUCH a joy to read.
BEST FRIENDS TO LOVERS TROPE!!!!! If you know me, you know that that's my faaaavorite trope in the whole wide world, and this was soooooo good. I was super into Blue and Eddie from start to finish and I really did love their emotional journey.
Although, here comes my one little complaint: I wish there was more of the ending, if that makes sense. I wanted to actually get to see them navigate life as a couple. I also could have done with a slightly longer resolution to their issues, I felt like it was all a bit abrupt.
And last but not least, this was the first Mayberry I read that had some editing deficiencies (spelling, grammar, punctuation).
But other than that, this really was SUCH a joy to read.
gertyp's review
4.0
This book was hot, steamy, romantic and sultry. Blue and Eddie danced around what their hearts knew but their minds couldn't grasp. I want to go back and read #1 and look forward to #3!
ccgwalt's review
3.0
Anticipation is a steamy friends-to-lovers romance that is well-written, but fails to break any new ground. There is a lot of repetition while the reader gets to hear Blue repeat, to herself, her friend Maggie, and to Eddie, all the reasons she won't give him a chance at something permanent. Mayberry does set up a good backstory for why Blue is so mistrustful of love. Even so, I found myself skimming a lot.
gemmalaszlo's review
5.0
I loved this. I laughed out loud, I cried, I yelled at Blue to stop being so stubborn even as I understood why she was doing it.
Best friends to lovers is one of my favourite tropes, especially when one of them is oblivious that the other is head over heels for them.
Blue stole me heart. She was so feisty and tough and sarcastic and funny. Maybe because I identified with her a lot—the wanting desperately to be loved and utterly terrified of it at the same time.
Best friends to lovers is one of my favourite tropes, especially when one of them is oblivious that the other is head over heels for them.
Blue stole me heart. She was so feisty and tough and sarcastic and funny. Maybe because I identified with her a lot—the wanting desperately to be loved and utterly terrified of it at the same time.
lenoreo's review
4.0
Really strong start -- fell in love with the sassy characters and loved being back reading Ms Mayberry's voice since it's one of my favourites. But near the end after they cross that line, it became a bit hard to take Blue's hesitancy. I mean, Ms. Mayberry did give background into Blue and how she came to be the way she was, but I guess I just didn't feel invested in Blue's past, and so it just got annoying b/c my heart was with Eddie.
The usual awesomeness with this author: amazing chemistry in the characters, smart, sassy dialogue, and a to die for hero. So still a winner, just not as winning as I was expecting. Course, I'm also in a weird mode right now, so that didn't help.
The usual awesomeness with this author: amazing chemistry in the characters, smart, sassy dialogue, and a to die for hero. So still a winner, just not as winning as I was expecting. Course, I'm also in a weird mode right now, so that didn't help.