Literary Friday: 20 Books of Summer Wrap-Up

 

Happy Literary Friday, My Lovelies!  Today I'm wrapping-up my 20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge, and I'm also reviewing a contemporary romance my daughter sent to me.

I pledged fifteen books, and below is a list of the books I read.  If you'd like to read my reviews of any of the books, use the search widget at the top of the page.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

An American in Scotland by Lucy Connelly

Death at a Scottish Wedding by Lucy Connelly

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim

One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson

Memories of the Lost by Barbara O'Neal

Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese

I read sixteen books, so I exceeded my pledge.  :D

Shanley Belle sent me the first book in a contemporary romance series (Bergman Brothers Series) that she loves entitled Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese (Chloe is a friend of hers).  Both characters are grumpy, so at first I didn't see any hope of a "happily ever after."  I tend to like the enemies to lovers trope because usually there's lots of really fun dialogue.

According to Goodreads:

Meet the Bergmans in this enemies-to-lovers new adult romance that tackles the vulnerability of love with humor and heart.

From the moment Willa sat next to Ryder in class, she’s made it clear she hates his guts. Her reason is a mystery, but its outcome suits him fine. Willa Sutter is the feisty, tempting chaos he doesn’t need in his quiet, tidy life. She’s the next generation of women’s soccer. Wild hair. Bee-stung lips. And a temper that makes the devil seem friendly. He’ll leverage her hate as long as possible to keep his distance.

When Willa asked Ryder to borrow his lecture notes, the silent, surly, mountain man ignored her. Ryder Bergman is an arrogant, infuriating flannel-wearing enigma. Mangy beard. Frayed ball cap that hides his eyes. And a stubborn refusal to acknowledge her existence. But Willa’s never backed down from a challenge.

Forced to work together on their final project, Willa and Ryder begin a game of pranks and practical jokes, each determined to come out the champion. But once they catch unexpected feelings, victory begins to mean something else—winning each other’s hearts.

My Review:

Both characters are juniors/seniors at UCLA, so this book is sort of a "New Adult" book.  Although it's definitely a romance...a spicy one at that...it's also an homage to two very different families:  Ryder's family is large, boisterous, and loving.  He's the exact middle child of seven, and he has one sister.  Willa (named after Willa Cather) is a top tier athlete, but she's also smart and works at a bookstore during the summer.  Her family is so different than Ryder's as it's only Willa and her mom, Joy.  They moved around a lot because Joy served in the military, so the only constants Willa has known is Joy and soccer.  Although tiny, Willa's family is no less loving than Ryder's.

Without giving any spoilers, Ryder and Willa are each experiencing life changing upheavals.  I think their circumstances forced them to mature exponentially.  They're both antagonistic in how they approach and interact with each other, and each are withholding information (definitely lying by omission) even as they call a truce and realize that they are falling in love.  There is quite a bit of synchronicity in their lives that forces them together (in the same location).  Everyone in their lives...friends and family...can see how much Willa and Ryder connect with each other, yet both continually deny it.

The third act break-up is a real doozy.

But hang in there: after all it's a romance.  An emotional yet sweet HEA soon follows.  

If you enjoy romance novels, plots centering around large, happy families, and stories about sports (there are many details and descriptions of soccer), then you should enjoy Only When It's Us.

Until next time...

Happy Reading!
Ricki Jill