✨ "She's way more comfortable outside of her comfort zone than I think she realizes. A fighter." ✨
Thank you to the Emilys (@bookedwiththeemilys on Instagram) for my first ARC! Had so much fun reading the latest story from a tried-and-true author!
SOME SPOILER-FREE THOUGHTS: This was so extremely cute and had me blushing all the way home! The romance and the tension is obviously there, but the fact that the story really revolved around Holly's desire to discover if there's more to life than the husband, family, and 9 to 5 alongside Jax's journey of learning what his heart is capable of made it all the more special to me! You know I love a character development moment and this book was brimming with them!
Finished: april 23, 2024
Reading Method: e-book
Star Rating: 4/5 ⭐
Spice Rating: 1/5 🌶️ (clean romance)
What To Expect:
✨ Dual POV
✨ Opposites Attract
✨ Kissing Only
✨ Friends to Lovers
✨ Dating Coach
✨ Fighting their Feelings
✨ One Tent (Clean)
✨ Age Gap (2 years)
✨ No Third Act Breakup
✨ Happily Ever After
SPOILERS IN
3...
2...
1...
✨ "I take a deep breath, waiting for the impending dread to hit when I realize what I've done. How irresponsible I've been. It doesn't come. Because I made the right decision for me." ✨
There is so much I can say about this novel that I don't even know where to start. I loved our main characters' meet cute happening so quickly at the beginning, really setting up the initial chemistry between Holly and Jax that would bloom into an ideal friendship with ALL the romantic tension behind it. It wasn't hard to see the two of them together and I found myself rooting for them the entire time!
Holly's willingness to forget everything she's tried to be for so long and open herself up to new opportunities in order to discover if what she thinks she wants is actually what she wants (spoiler: of course it's not!) was so empowering for me to experience. I felt myself gaining confidence alongside her, which gave me an even deeper connection to the character and her development. I felt like we were growing together, which made me smile so loudly when she finally stood up to Dylan and learned how to use Jax's favorite sentence, "no."
And Jax, my gosh! How do I even describe Jax who is so self assured in himself that he starts losing his mind the second he meets this woman who makes him doubt every wall he's ever put up. I don't know if he falls first (they kind of fall in tandem) but boy he falls hard and it was brilliant to watch! His own journey of self-discovery wasn't even much about him, but rather learning he isn't his father and needs to stop living his life as if he'll become his father.
As invested as I was in the story from start to finish, I think I devoured this book the second they started their hike in the wilderness together. As soon as two people find themselves alone in a forest, I go savage, apparently. And the fact that during their literal journey together they both had space to discover themselves alongside each other was perfect. Jax felt his heart opening to Holly, vowing to protect her at all costs while Holly wanted to be adventurous for herself knowing Jax would catch her if she fell (figuratively, because literally she ended up in the hospital lol).
Overall, I highly recommend this to all the book besties who daydream about finding the perfect man knowing full well that only means someone perfect for you. I would have loved a little spicy moment in the tent (you know me...), but love the author's writing style no matter what level of spice is included. Katie Bailey is a great storyteller and I'm excited for what's more to come from her!
Check out The Quit List by Katie Bailey, available on Kindle Unlimited now!
All My Love,
Jane-Anne
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