kgc8's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I picked up this book without being familiar with the books it spins off from (Sarina Bowen's True North series) and it can be read as a standalone. The characters are thoughtfully depicted, and so is how mental illness and an abusive relationship can affect many members of a family differently. The MMC is a domestic abuse survivor, which is not very common in romance books, and lent an interesting perspective. While I appreciate that therapy is a key part of resolving some of the couple's challenges, the end of the book is rushed. By the epilogue 6 months later suddenly everything is fine and everyone is well-adjusted and forgiven.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
cherryredsreads's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first book I have read from Author Sarah Mayberry and I totally enjoyed it and now a fan.
This book is sweet and totally the perfect start to the Busy Bean Cafe Series.
This can be read as a standalone but believe me, all the books in all these Tre North/Busy Bean Series are must reads! I wish these worlds really existed!
Haley & Beck story was full of emotions.
They have a bunch of back and forth with finding their happily ever after.
Beck & Haley make it work and find what they both been missing with one another.
I enjoyed reading and seeing characters from the other series as well as new ones.
This book has many relatable topics that I feel were handled well when it comes to mental illness.
Love, romance, humor & a happily ever after are what you get when you read this book!
I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
Go One Click it!
4
This book is sweet and totally the perfect start to the Busy Bean Cafe Series.
This can be read as a standalone but believe me, all the books in all these Tre North/Busy Bean Series are must reads! I wish these worlds really existed!
Haley & Beck story was full of emotions.
They have a bunch of back and forth with finding their happily ever after.
Beck & Haley make it work and find what they both been missing with one another.
I enjoyed reading and seeing characters from the other series as well as new ones.
This book has many relatable topics that I feel were handled well when it comes to mental illness.
Love, romance, humor & a happily ever after are what you get when you read this book!
I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
Go One Click it!
4
jjnb95's review against another edition
I listened to this on audiobook and the narrators are so mismatched. Aiden Snow does the MMC and he's good, but I did not enjoy the FMC. Once the characters started sleeping together it just wasn't believable or fun. The sex scenes were juvenile.
bjhaseman16's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
iggyebab's review
4.0
I really loved this story about a younger sister finding herself in front of her major crush, her sisters ex.
Haley has always lived in her sisters shadow. Her sister was high strung and vindictive. The whole family catered to Jess.
Beck felt lucky to have escaped Jess. When Haley wanders into his orbit he knows he needs to keep far away from that whole family. But after one kiss, he cannot stay away.
I appreciated that these two had history that was not their own. They often took a few steps back and misstepped trying to navigate. I liked that Haley stands up for herself with her parents.
It’s not a perfect book but having an older sibling who often needed rescuing and cheerleading, it was nice to see how that shapes a character on the page.
Haley has always lived in her sisters shadow. Her sister was high strung and vindictive. The whole family catered to Jess.
Beck felt lucky to have escaped Jess. When Haley wanders into his orbit he knows he needs to keep far away from that whole family. But after one kiss, he cannot stay away.
I appreciated that these two had history that was not their own. They often took a few steps back and misstepped trying to navigate. I liked that Haley stands up for herself with her parents.
It’s not a perfect book but having an older sibling who often needed rescuing and cheerleading, it was nice to see how that shapes a character on the page.
minxreads's review
Literally so boring that even skim reading wasn’t even cutting it
izziede's review against another edition
3.0
Okay so at first I was going to try this but 'It had been two years since he and my older sister, Jessica, had broken up, and three years since they’d left Vermont to move down to New York together. He probably wouldn’t even recognize me.
And it’s not like he’d ever known I’d had a crush on him. I had been very, very careful not to reveal my interest to anyone.'
I'm not keen on a Hero or heroine seeing an ex of a sibling but this was really good.
The ex is an issue but more because she's a huge drama queen with issues so they are not looking forward to the fallout.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine except a vague scene recalled, details below.
Dual POV.
Pushing away at first from the Hero as he has had huge mysterious issues over the breakup so he's reluctant to get involved with the family again.
The heroine remembers the Hero coming to their parents house for meals a couple times, he doesn't remember her so he is with her sister when they first meet.
Regarding his time with the ex
'The twelve months we’d lived together in New York would forever be branded on my psyche as the worst of my life. She’d pushed me to the breaking point and beyond—and I’d stayed because I’d felt absurdly responsible for her happiness and because she’d gaslit me into believing all our problems were my fault.'
The ex is a piece of work, she has mental illness but it's really hard on those close to her, esp her sister.
Details of intimacy with the ex?
'She’d dazzled me from the moment I’d seen her across a bar in Burlington. She’d easily been the most beautiful girl in the room with her long, wavy blond hair and perfect features. And her body... She’d been every Sports Illustrated cover come to life in a tiny minidress that molded her incredible figure. I’d pinched myself when she’d started paying attention to me, and when she took me outside and insisted I **** her against the wall in the alley, I’d been so turned on I’d done it, even though I’d been waiting for someone to bust us the whole time. I’d soon learned that Jess got off on that kind of excitement, and I’d told myself she was passionate and bold and had gotten sucked all the way in.'
I did feel the end was resolved a bit quickly, the sister getting therapy etc and doing better, it was summarised so maybe that's why.
I'm not sure it would be so permanently resolved, to me it seemed like it would be something they would all have to live with.
I think the issue was the parents attitude changed so they were all behind her getting help.
HEA.
Epilogue 6 months later.
And it’s not like he’d ever known I’d had a crush on him. I had been very, very careful not to reveal my interest to anyone.'
I'm not keen on a Hero or heroine seeing an ex of a sibling but this was really good.
The ex is an issue but more because she's a huge drama queen with issues so they are not looking forward to the fallout.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine except a vague scene recalled, details below.
Dual POV.
Pushing away at first from the Hero as he has had huge mysterious issues over the breakup so he's reluctant to get involved with the family again.
The heroine remembers the Hero coming to their parents house for meals a couple times, he doesn't remember her so he is with her sister when they first meet.
Regarding his time with the ex
'The twelve months we’d lived together in New York would forever be branded on my psyche as the worst of my life. She’d pushed me to the breaking point and beyond—and I’d stayed because I’d felt absurdly responsible for her happiness and because she’d gaslit me into believing all our problems were my fault.'
The ex is a piece of work, she has mental illness but it's really hard on those close to her, esp her sister.
Details of intimacy with the ex?
'She’d dazzled me from the moment I’d seen her across a bar in Burlington. She’d easily been the most beautiful girl in the room with her long, wavy blond hair and perfect features. And her body... She’d been every Sports Illustrated cover come to life in a tiny minidress that molded her incredible figure. I’d pinched myself when she’d started paying attention to me, and when she took me outside and insisted I **** her against the wall in the alley, I’d been so turned on I’d done it, even though I’d been waiting for someone to bust us the whole time. I’d soon learned that Jess got off on that kind of excitement, and I’d told myself she was passionate and bold and had gotten sucked all the way in.'
I did feel the end was resolved a bit quickly, the sister getting therapy etc and doing better, it was summarised so maybe that's why.
I'm not sure it would be so permanently resolved, to me it seemed like it would be something they would all have to live with.
I think the issue was the parents attitude changed so they were all behind her getting help.
HEA.
Epilogue 6 months later.