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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Reading for the first time in 2025. This has a soap-opera-esque back story that's a little odd but entirely possible. It seems long for a Harlequin. I like the two MC's together and how their quirks work for and against them. Victoria Dahl writes great contemporary romances!
The premise is a little out there but with today's obsession with scandal and gossip it works. Chloe and Max are great together and I loved the secondary story with Jenn and Elliott.
Great character development. This book was not a formula romance novel. Very quick read.
Great character development. This book was not a formula romance novel. Very quick read.
Another solid read by Victoria Dahl. And it amused me that the main female character has my last name and is from Virginia.
Chloe Turner has been deemed a Bridezilla by the press because her fiancé decided to crash his plan in order to fake his death so he could get out of marrying Chloe. Because God forbid a grown-ass man learns to use his words. So Chloe gets the brunt of the blame and goes to an island in what I assume is in the Chesapeake with her BFF, Jenn, as an escape. There she meets Max Sullivan, a dive supervisor/treasure hunter with anxiety and control issues.
Max and Chloe initially get involved because Max has a thing where he feels he has to be the knight in shining armor at all times. He goes over to where Chloe and Jenn have a fire going because he's fretting about the fire becoming too big. He walks with Chloe at night because he wants to prevent her from doing any night swimming. Thankfully, Dahl doesn't allow Max's savior tendencies to stay secret and let that be a basis for their relationship and have that be the drama. That part is resolved early on. Chloe doesn't reveal the whole Bridezilla thing, however, so that becomes a nasty shock once another vacationer recognizes Chloe and alerts the paparazzi. Max no longer wants a life of complications and worry, so this presents an issue between the two.
The beta relationship is between Max's brother Elliott and Jenn and it's sweet enough, but not a lot of time is spent on them. The true reasons behind Thomas (Chloe's fiancé) faking his death are predictable. And Max and Chloe end up saying "I love you" when they've only spent a few days with each other and have known each other for a couple of months. I know whirlwind romances are the thing in the genre, but seriously. Actually spend a few months in each other's presence before going that far.
This isn't as strong as Dahl's Colorado series, but I still liked it.
Chloe Turner has been deemed a Bridezilla by the press because her fiancé decided to crash his plan in order to fake his death so he could get out of marrying Chloe. Because God forbid a grown-ass man learns to use his words. So Chloe gets the brunt of the blame and goes to an island in what I assume is in the Chesapeake with her BFF, Jenn, as an escape. There she meets Max Sullivan, a dive supervisor/treasure hunter with anxiety and control issues.
Max and Chloe initially get involved because Max has a thing where he feels he has to be the knight in shining armor at all times. He goes over to where Chloe and Jenn have a fire going because he's fretting about the fire becoming too big. He walks with Chloe at night because he wants to prevent her from doing any night swimming. Thankfully, Dahl doesn't allow Max's savior tendencies to stay secret and let that be a basis for their relationship and have that be the drama. That part is resolved early on. Chloe doesn't reveal the whole Bridezilla thing, however, so that becomes a nasty shock once another vacationer recognizes Chloe and alerts the paparazzi. Max no longer wants a life of complications and worry, so this presents an issue between the two.
The beta relationship is between Max's brother Elliott and Jenn and it's sweet enough, but not a lot of time is spent on them. The true reasons behind Thomas (Chloe's fiancé) faking his death are predictable. And Max and Chloe end up saying "I love you" when they've only spent a few days with each other and have known each other for a couple of months. I know whirlwind romances are the thing in the genre, but seriously. Actually spend a few months in each other's presence before going that far.
This isn't as strong as Dahl's Colorado series, but I still liked it.
Sometimes a book is exactly what it is, no more, no less.
This was one of those books. It was what I wanted, maybe even needed-- a wonderful piece of fluff.
The main characters were quirky, with creative scenarios for each of them. The plot was entertaining, the sex scenes were hot.
This was one of those books. It was what I wanted, maybe even needed-- a wonderful piece of fluff.
The main characters were quirky, with creative scenarios for each of them. The plot was entertaining, the sex scenes were hot.
Chloe's life has turned upside down in the last month. She has become the infamous Bridezilla and the paparazzi won't stop following her in hopes of getting new juicy gossip to add to the already incredible amount of gossip surrounding the scandal that began when her fianceé faked his death so he could be rid of her. Her life has turned into a circus and because of it her best friend Jenn decides to take her to a one week vacation. They're isolated, no one knows them and they have 2 hot neighbors.
Max is living a lie. He is not the laid back carefree guy everyone believes him to be. He has a secret no one has ever guessed, until Chloe. He has a need of protect every one he meets, including Chloe. He believes she's normal and starts a hot fling with her, but then the truth comes out and Max decides he can't save everyone so he may as well start with her. Meanwhile Jenn gets sort of involved with Max's divorced, workaholic brother Elliot. But Jenn is hiding a shameful secret that may lose her the friend she loves like a sister and the one man she's liked above all others.
Funny and charming. A lovely story I honestly didn't expect to enjoy so much. The injustices towards Chloe pissed me off and Max was so cute and charming you could not help but toot for them.
Max is living a lie. He is not the laid back carefree guy everyone believes him to be. He has a secret no one has ever guessed, until Chloe. He has a need of protect every one he meets, including Chloe. He believes she's normal and starts a hot fling with her, but then the truth comes out and Max decides he can't save everyone so he may as well start with her. Meanwhile Jenn gets sort of involved with Max's divorced, workaholic brother Elliot. But Jenn is hiding a shameful secret that may lose her the friend she loves like a sister and the one man she's liked above all others.
Funny and charming. A lovely story I honestly didn't expect to enjoy so much. The injustices towards Chloe pissed me off and Max was so cute and charming you could not help but toot for them.
Eh. I really like this author, but I just didn't enjoy this book much. The characters weren't super likable, and the premise was pretty ridiculous. Just not my thing, I guess.
A strong, funny heroine, whose life gets complicated (through almost no fault of her own) meets a hero who has a need to fix complications (but is closed for new business): I really enjoyed the whole thing. Probably in no small part because I recognized myself in Max, the constant fixer who smiles and nods while his internal dialogue is saying things like "Get away from that edge... why don't we just move over here...Of course I'd love to do this extremely dangerous thing with you (because otherwise you will obviously die and it will be my fault)!"