Scan barcode
A review by bookdust_and_spice
The Best Book Boyfriend by Holly June Smith
5.0
I snagged this story with the plan of reading 'something light' to hold me off until a recently released high-fantasy story was available for reading.. I was not expecting to be swept off my feet by the heartachingly raw story of two characters navigating life after devastating losses. I will say, this book lovingly and compassionately discusses loss, grief, depression, and loneliness but they are major plot points and you'll want to proceed with respect to your mental peace if any of these are triggering for you.
Kara is reeling almost exactly one year after the man she thought was the love of her life, the man she dedicated 12 years of adulthood to, the man who embedded himself into the very fabric of her existence completely blindsided her with "I'm moving out, I've met someone else." What better way to recover (read: disassociate) from the pain than throw herself headfirst into the world of smutty romance novels. Her 2 best friends have been her lifeline and everyone deserves to have a support group like the three of these women give to each other.
Luke is still wading through the grief of having lost his childhood sweetheart to a drawn-out battle with cancer. His way to cope is to gradually establish a coffee shop in a space previously known as a haberdashery. While his wife has been gone for a couple of years, he has found that he's not sure how to re-enter the social scene - or even if he wants to. With the unending support of his grandmother and playboy best friend, he's got folks in his corner that he counts on to take each day as they come.
As fate would have it, they meet in Luke's coffee shop as Kara engrosses herself into her latest spicy book when Luke teases her about the genre. Where Kara is passionate and lively and filled with energy when she's talking about her books or her business, Luke is introspective and deeply feeling, preferring to enjoy the world from a seat removed from the action. The way they each shyly and tentatively find themselves more at ease, more honest, and willing to be vulnerable with the greatest arc of this story.
If you like:
- spicy book clubs at quaint coffee shops where the MMC is more than willing to act out the Best Book Boyfriend's hottest scene to show the FMC how much she deserves happiness
- stories that don't sugarcoat or standardize and judge the way people navigate loss, nor compare one person's loss to someone else's
- breaking through The Book Wall when the author starts shouting out fictional spicy romance books and their characters, which will in turn make you wish someone would write the stories and let us read them, too..
.. please read this beautiful story. Your chest will squeeze and you may get emotional but it is worth every single second to see Kara and Luke have a shot at a second chance.
Kara is reeling almost exactly one year after the man she thought was the love of her life, the man she dedicated 12 years of adulthood to, the man who embedded himself into the very fabric of her existence completely blindsided her with "I'm moving out, I've met someone else." What better way to recover (read: disassociate) from the pain than throw herself headfirst into the world of smutty romance novels. Her 2 best friends have been her lifeline and everyone deserves to have a support group like the three of these women give to each other.
Luke is still wading through the grief of having lost his childhood sweetheart to a drawn-out battle with cancer. His way to cope is to gradually establish a coffee shop in a space previously known as a haberdashery. While his wife has been gone for a couple of years, he has found that he's not sure how to re-enter the social scene - or even if he wants to. With the unending support of his grandmother and playboy best friend, he's got folks in his corner that he counts on to take each day as they come.
As fate would have it, they meet in Luke's coffee shop as Kara engrosses herself into her latest spicy book when Luke teases her about the genre. Where Kara is passionate and lively and filled with energy when she's talking about her books or her business, Luke is introspective and deeply feeling, preferring to enjoy the world from a seat removed from the action. The way they each shyly and tentatively find themselves more at ease, more honest, and willing to be vulnerable with the greatest arc of this story.
If you like:
- spicy book clubs at quaint coffee shops where the MMC is more than willing to act out the Best Book Boyfriend's hottest scene to show the FMC how much she deserves happiness
- stories that don't sugarcoat or standardize and judge the way people navigate loss, nor compare one person's loss to someone else's
- breaking through The Book Wall when the author starts shouting out fictional spicy romance books and their characters, which will in turn make you wish someone would write the stories and let us read them, too..
.. please read this beautiful story. Your chest will squeeze and you may get emotional but it is worth every single second to see Kara and Luke have a shot at a second chance.