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thedaydreamreader's review
5.0
I've always thought that the only Romance book that would make me cry was this.
It turns out I was truly, completely, sincerely, utterly wrong.
Because A Different Kind of Fine has ripped my heart right out of me, broken into little pieces but was mended, returned right back and is still beating.
The book picks up after what happened in "Come Back to Texas". After several months and years of being apart, Hayley and Nate finally got together. But, will they be able to go back to the way things were? Would they want to?
I honestly love this book than the first. (For my review of the first book, click this sentence). I love both characters. I love how real and raw their feelings are. It also helps that I get to see both Hayley and Nate's side. Both sides give the story a better perspective on both of their lives and their different views on their relationship. What truly made me love them both is how, despite their faults, the hurt they've caused to each other, they still find a way to make things right. Basically, I just love the whole book. Period.
The build up of the story was amazing. The tension, the love, the fear, regrets, everything, was felt gradually throughout the story until the very end where the emotions just topple over one another, resulting to me being a well cried-out mess.
Here are some excerpts that had me clutching my chest and just letting the tears fall. And as I'm typing this, I'm trying my best to not let my tears fall.
"You're not broken, Nate. You're bruised a little, and that can be fixed. You may not be the regular kind of fine yet, but that's okay. Nobody's asking you to be yet. Nobody's expecting that from you."
"Then what am I aiming for now?"
"A different kind of fine," I finally say.
"What kind of fine is that?"
I shrug. "I don't know. A Nate kind of fine. The kind that makes the most sense to you."
Nate's eyelids are drooping. "You're too damn smart for your own good, sunshine."
I smile. "Not really."
Not to mention the overwhelming terror that I'm not good enough for Nate. That someone else would be better suited for him, someone else who would know the right things to say, and know the right things to do to help him. I'm just a mess of concern and self-doubt and love.
God, so much love.
So much.
It just goes to show that relationships need not be perfect; it just takes a different kind of fine to make things work out.
It turns out I was truly, completely, sincerely, utterly wrong.
Because A Different Kind of Fine has ripped my heart right out of me, broken into little pieces but was mended, returned right back and is still beating.
The book picks up after what happened in "Come Back to Texas". After several months and years of being apart, Hayley and Nate finally got together. But, will they be able to go back to the way things were? Would they want to?
I honestly love this book than the first. (For my review of the first book, click this sentence). I love both characters. I love how real and raw their feelings are. It also helps that I get to see both Hayley and Nate's side. Both sides give the story a better perspective on both of their lives and their different views on their relationship. What truly made me love them both is how, despite their faults, the hurt they've caused to each other, they still find a way to make things right. Basically, I just love the whole book. Period.
The build up of the story was amazing. The tension, the love, the fear, regrets, everything, was felt gradually throughout the story until the very end where the emotions just topple over one another, resulting to me being a well cried-out mess.
Here are some excerpts that had me clutching my chest and just letting the tears fall. And as I'm typing this, I'm trying my best to not let my tears fall.
"You're not broken, Nate. You're bruised a little, and that can be fixed. You may not be the regular kind of fine yet, but that's okay. Nobody's asking you to be yet. Nobody's expecting that from you."
"Then what am I aiming for now?"
"A different kind of fine," I finally say.
"What kind of fine is that?"
I shrug. "I don't know. A Nate kind of fine. The kind that makes the most sense to you."
Nate's eyelids are drooping. "You're too damn smart for your own good, sunshine."
I smile. "Not really."
Not to mention the overwhelming terror that I'm not good enough for Nate. That someone else would be better suited for him, someone else who would know the right things to say, and know the right things to do to help him. I'm just a mess of concern and self-doubt and love.
God, so much love.
So much.
It just goes to show that relationships need not be perfect; it just takes a different kind of fine to make things work out.
missriki's review
4.0
This novella was exactly what I wanted after reading COME BACK TO TEXAS. In the first book I fell in love with Haley and Nate and swooned over their beautiful love story, but like many readers, I was left wondering how things would go now that they’ve been reunited. In A DIFFERENT KIND OF FINE I got all my answers. Well, I still want more, but I got some answers. :-)
This novella covers a little less than a week while Nate is back home with Haley and shows how he is both being healed by her love and is also coming apart at the seams as he battles his own demons. It’s a beautiful character sketch of two incredibly compelling characters that love each other so much and I positively swooned over their romantic moments. It was difficult to read some of the chapters in Nate’s POV because he is so damaged and broken by the events of the war and reading about his anguish was incredibly sad, but as only love can do- Haley is there for him and loves him through thick and thin. The moments between them as they travel back to Houston are touching and real. I loved every minute of it.
So- I got more with Nate and Haley, but I’m a greedy reader and need more! I’d happily fall into another novel featuring these two characters. A DIFFERENT KIND OF FINE is a little bit of everything. It's sweet, it's sexy, it's sad, and it's uplifting. It's altogether lovely.
This novella covers a little less than a week while Nate is back home with Haley and shows how he is both being healed by her love and is also coming apart at the seams as he battles his own demons. It’s a beautiful character sketch of two incredibly compelling characters that love each other so much and I positively swooned over their romantic moments. It was difficult to read some of the chapters in Nate’s POV because he is so damaged and broken by the events of the war and reading about his anguish was incredibly sad, but as only love can do- Haley is there for him and loves him through thick and thin. The moments between them as they travel back to Houston are touching and real. I loved every minute of it.
So- I got more with Nate and Haley, but I’m a greedy reader and need more! I’d happily fall into another novel featuring these two characters. A DIFFERENT KIND OF FINE is a little bit of everything. It's sweet, it's sexy, it's sad, and it's uplifting. It's altogether lovely.
kimmylovestoread's review
4.0
ARC given in exchange for an honest review.
Yes! This is what I wanted in the first book! Lots of Hayley and Nate in the present! I am a sucker for a good reunion.
This book basically picks up where "Come Back to Texas" left off. Hayley and Nate have reunited and they are spending time together. Nate only has a week before he has to return to rehab so they are trying to make the most of their time together. Unfortunately, the past is still hanging over them and they need to deal with it.
They both are carrying around A LOT of guilt about how they ended things almost 4 years ago. Hayley feels guilty for the way she left Nate and Nate feels guilty for treating her the way her did. And neither of them are ready to talk about it. They have just reunited and the last thing they want to do is talk about the past.
Also, Nate has Post-traumatic stress disorder. He is having frequent nightmares and flashbacks about the explosion. He was the only one of his squad to survive so he is carrying around a lot of survivor's guilt. Not to mention Nate still has A LOT of rehab to go through, so these two have a long road ahead of them. As much as he tries to push Hayley away, she is in it for the long haul and wants to make it work.
In this book, the two of them go on a road trip to bring Nate back to rehab. While he drove himself home, there is no way he can drive himself back, so Hayley volunteers to do it. I think the road trip was exactly what they needed. While the trip wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, it allowed them to fall back into their comfortable relationship. They have these funny, nonsense conversations about random topics just like they did back in high school. It was nice to see the old Hayley and Nate, even it was just for a little bit.
There are some very tense moments on the trip, but they work through it together. I loved that it's clear the two of them are committed to working things out, as hard as it may be. Hayley and Nate's story is far from over and I hope that we get another book about these two. The author's next book is about Hayley's college friend Olivia, so hopefully we will get a little insight into how they are doing. I just really want them to get their HEA.
Yes! This is what I wanted in the first book! Lots of Hayley and Nate in the present! I am a sucker for a good reunion.
This book basically picks up where "Come Back to Texas" left off. Hayley and Nate have reunited and they are spending time together. Nate only has a week before he has to return to rehab so they are trying to make the most of their time together. Unfortunately, the past is still hanging over them and they need to deal with it.
They both are carrying around A LOT of guilt about how they ended things almost 4 years ago. Hayley feels guilty for the way she left Nate and Nate feels guilty for treating her the way her did. And neither of them are ready to talk about it. They have just reunited and the last thing they want to do is talk about the past.
Also, Nate has Post-traumatic stress disorder. He is having frequent nightmares and flashbacks about the explosion. He was the only one of his squad to survive so he is carrying around a lot of survivor's guilt. Not to mention Nate still has A LOT of rehab to go through, so these two have a long road ahead of them. As much as he tries to push Hayley away, she is in it for the long haul and wants to make it work.
In this book, the two of them go on a road trip to bring Nate back to rehab. While he drove himself home, there is no way he can drive himself back, so Hayley volunteers to do it. I think the road trip was exactly what they needed. While the trip wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, it allowed them to fall back into their comfortable relationship. They have these funny, nonsense conversations about random topics just like they did back in high school. It was nice to see the old Hayley and Nate, even it was just for a little bit.
There are some very tense moments on the trip, but they work through it together. I loved that it's clear the two of them are committed to working things out, as hard as it may be. Hayley and Nate's story is far from over and I hope that we get another book about these two. The author's next book is about Hayley's college friend Olivia, so hopefully we will get a little insight into how they are doing. I just really want them to get their HEA.
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