Publisher: Berkley Books
Published: February 5, 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Print ARC
Rating: 3 Stars
Blurb:
A romance bookstore owner finds her own happily ever after with a single dad in a new romance series from the New York Timesbestselling author of Every Dog Has His Day.
Ryder Copeland is an accomplished architect and one heck of a father...not to mention tall and sexy. He's everything a hero should be, and Lord knows, Maisy Kelly has read enough of her great-aunt Eloise's romance novels to recognize one when she sees one. But like all fairy tales, Maisy can't help but wonder if this Prince Charming is too good to be true...
Ryder is drawn to the shy, curly haired professor who hires him to convert the Victorian house she's inherited from her aunt into a romance bookstore. Attracted to a woman for the first time since his divorce, Ryder finds himself wishing for a future with Maisy that he knows is impossible. Ryder has never wavered from his plan to leave the small town of Fairdale, North Carolina, so he can give his daughter the life she deserves. But suddenly he's not so sure. And the closer he gets to Maisy, the harder it's going to be to walk away...
Ryder Copeland is an accomplished architect and one heck of a father...not to mention tall and sexy. He's everything a hero should be, and Lord knows, Maisy Kelly has read enough of her great-aunt Eloise's romance novels to recognize one when she sees one. But like all fairy tales, Maisy can't help but wonder if this Prince Charming is too good to be true...
Ryder is drawn to the shy, curly haired professor who hires him to convert the Victorian house she's inherited from her aunt into a romance bookstore. Attracted to a woman for the first time since his divorce, Ryder finds himself wishing for a future with Maisy that he knows is impossible. Ryder has never wavered from his plan to leave the small town of Fairdale, North Carolina, so he can give his daughter the life she deserves. But suddenly he's not so sure. And the closer he gets to Maisy, the harder it's going to be to walk away...
Review:
“A zip zap of electricity and the intense feeling that this man could alter her life course with a snap of his fingers. It shook her to the core.”
Do you know what I love best about classic tales of romance? The ability to make me beyond happy—in a world that likes to bleed darkness, sometimes we need a little pick me up. And The Good Ones delivered beautifully. Although it did have its faults; it still managed to be a sweet love story that I enjoyed.
“The good ones are always either fictional or taken or gay.”
Maisy Kelly is on her way to making a bookstore full of none other than romance novels left by her late great-aunt. She needs to transform the house into the bookstore full of happily ever afters. That’s where Ryder comes in—architect, single father, emotionally unavailable, and man most likely to be on a cover of your latest romantic read. The two together have an instant connection. Ryder doesn’t do relationships but there’s something about Maisy that makes him think twice about it.
I didn’t feel like Ryder was emotionally not there when it came to his feelings. He was a good guy and it was clear from the start that he couldn’t take his eyes (or lips!) off Maisy. The two take part in a couple of sexy stolen kisses. I never thought the two wouldn’t make it though. Ryder seemed way too invested in Maisy than he would like to admit. It was only a matter of time...
The story moved at very slow pace at times and it took me awhile to finish the book—which is unusual for me. It was those instances that I would lose the connection I felt to the two main
characters. Especially the connection between the both of them being together. Then something would happen between the two and I’d be reminded why I like them so much. I still wish the story moved along a little faster.
I think readers will love this book because the heroine is a booklover and romance fanatic—much like
most of us. She was relatable and didn’t give in to any of Ryder’s BS. I liked that a lot! The secondary characters were awesome! So I look forward to reading more stories in the Happily Ever After Series.
*Thank you to the publisher for sending a free copy for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Excerpt:
When Jake took off his cowboy hat and pulled her close, Claire wrapped her arms around him and the two became one. When they kissed she knew they were making each other a promise for today, tomorrow, and forever. Clare sighed. For the first time in her life, she knew that no matter what happened this man, who was her partner and her best friend, would be by her side. For all time.
Maisy Kelly closed the book and pressed it to her chest and sighed. Jake Sinclair, the perfect man, why did he reside only in the pages of a book? It wasn’t fair. She was twenty-nine and none of the men she’d ever dated had been even remotely as caring or charming as Jake Sinclair.
Knock knock knock.
Maisy blinked. Someone was at the door. No, no, no. She had a book hangover and she didn’t want to deal with the world right now.
Knock knock knock.
They weren’t going away. Maisy rose from where she’d been seated on the bottom step of the stairs. In theory, she was supposed to be cleaning out her Great Aunt Eloise’s house, in reality she was binge reading Auntie El’s hoarder’s trove of romance novels. It wasn’t making the task, which was heartbreaking to begin with, any easier.
Knock knock knock.
“All right, all right,” Maisy grumbled. “I’m coming.”
She strode to the door and yanked it open. Probably, if she had bothered to glance
through the peep hole she would have been prepared, but she hadn’t and she wasn’t.
through the peep hole she would have been prepared, but she hadn’t and she wasn’t.
L Standing on her front step, looking impossibly handsome and imposing, was a cowboy.
Maisy glanced down at her book. On the cover was the artist’s rendering of Jake Sinclair, in jeans and a white shirt, leaning against a split rail fence, with a brown cowboy hat tipped carelessly over his brow. Maisy could practically hear the cows mooing in the background.
Maisy glanced down at her book. On the cover was the artist’s rendering of Jake Sinclair, in jeans and a white shirt, leaning against a split rail fence, with a brown cowboy hat tipped carelessly over his brow. Maisy could practically hear the cows mooing in the background.
She glanced back up. Jeans, white shirt, and a cowboy hat. This guy had it all going on, except where the artist had left Jake’s face in shadow and not clearly defined, this guy was a full on 3D HD of hotness, with full lips, faint stubble on his chin, and quite possibly the bluest eyes Maisy had ever seen this side of the sky. She had a sudden urge to poke him with her pointer finger to see if he was real.
“Mornin’, Miss,” the man drawled, drawled!
Miss? Huh, she hadn’t been called “Miss” since she’d started teaching at Fairdale University. Why would he…she glanced down.
She was wearing her favorite floral Converse All-stars, ripped up denim shorts, and her old Fairdale University sweatshirt, the one with the sleeves that hung down past her hands, oh, and she had on no makeup and her hair was held back by an enormous pink headband. She probably looked like one of her college students, possibly a freshman.
In that brief shining moment, she was certain if it was possible to die of embarrassment, she would expire in three…two…one. She gave it a second. Nope, still standing. Damn it.
“Listen, I’m sorry, sir, but whatever you’re selling, I’m not interested—,” she began but he cut her off.
“Oh, I’m not selling anything,” he said. He looked confused. “This is three-twenty-three Willow Lane, right?”
“Yes, it is. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back--,” she let her voice trail off, hoping he’d get the hint. He didn’t.
“I have an appointment with a Ms. Kelly,” he said. “Or Mrs. Kelly, I’m not sure.”
“I have an appointment with a Ms. Kelly,” he said. “Or Mrs. Kelly, I’m not sure.”
Maisy knew she didn’t have any appointments today. That was why she’d indulged herself in a good long reading sesh. This guy was probably a hustler, trying to con her to buy some property insurance or new windows. Ever since she’d inherited this monster of
a house from Auntie El she’d had all sorts of scammers climbing out of the cracks in the sidewalk, trying to get her to refinance or buy a security system. It was exhausting.
a house from Auntie El she’d had all sorts of scammers climbing out of the cracks in the sidewalk, trying to get her to refinance or buy a security system. It was exhausting.
The man met her squinty stare with one of his own. He shrinkled up one eye and mimicked her look of disbelief right down to the small lip curl. The nerve! Then she saw
the twinkle in his one open eye, and Maisy couldn’t hold it. She burst out laughing.
the twinkle in his one open eye, and Maisy couldn’t hold it. She burst out laughing.
He grinned at her and her ire diminished as she noted the cowboy had a sense of humor. Okay, she decided to give him a break and at least take his name and number.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “What was your appointment with Ms. Kelly about?”
“It’s about the house, actually,” he said. “My name’s Ryder Copeland. I’m a restoration architect, and you are?”
“Ryder Copeland?” Maisy’s eyes went wide. “But our appointment isn’t until tomorrow, you know, Tuesday.”
“Today is Tuesday,” he said.
“No, it isn’t,” she said. “It’s Monday.”
“Sorry, it really is Tuesday. Wait,” he said. “Our appointment? You’re Maisy Kelly?”
About the Author:
About the Author:
Jenn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of several mystery series and will be debuting a new women's fiction series in June 2017, starting with the title About a Dog. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with kids, pets and her husband's guitars.
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