Best friends. That’s all they were…until one of them wanted forever.Almost thirty and single, Emily Sommers trades the big city for Sweetwater Creek, family and friends. An online nutritionist, she loves her historic apartment, but not the repair bills. Best friend Jackson Hart steps in as her handyman. For years Jackson watched Emily bake cookies and send cute cards to the wrong man. Now he … wrong man. Now he has a plan to become that guy. Emily’s had it with billionaires, so Jackson plays down his own success to win her heart.
Falling hard for her handyman, Emily has competition. With Jackson’s help, the daughter of an influential family is opening Victoria’s Pantry right under Emily’s apartment. Seeing them together sends Emily to Lowcountry Singles to find her own happily ever after. With his friend’s best interest at heart, Jackson becomes her advisor.
Frustration and fun build while Emily and Jackson discover that the only way to happiness is by being truthful with the one you trust most–your best friend.
This is a clean, sweet romantic comedy, first in a three-book Best Friends to Forever series, featuring Emily, Josie and Bryn, three young women who get it all wrong trying to find Mr. Right.
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Marry Me, Jackson Book #1 in Best Friends to Forever by Barbara Lohr. This is an awesome start to a new series. I was pulled in from the first page and did not want to put it down, in fact I read it in one sitting. Marry Me, Jackson is a funny sweet clean romance. The story is well written, the characters are realistic and likable. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.
Marry Me, Jackson is a fun “clean romance” that I like to call a Best Friends to Forever Lovers read. I really enjoyed reading this book as it read so much like a part of my own personal life, like the author looked down and wrote bits and bobs into her book. It was one of those books that was so easy to relate to the characters and had me glued to this book from the first page to the very end. Emily moves from the big city life back to her hometown (country town) and has to do it all alone. She is tired of the endless strings of bad boyfriends who let her down. Time to depend on the person she knows she can depend on…herself. Problem is she can’t do a lot of the handy work she needs done. In comes Jackson Hart…the boy she went to school with back in the day. Boy has he filled UP and Out. Yum. This book is one I will read again because it is just…well true to life and a fun read too. I am looking forward to more books in this series.
I enjoyed reading Marry Me, Jackson. The main characters, Emily and Jackson are very likable, and I loved the close friendships that Emily had with Bryn and Josie. Every woman needs friends like that. Sasha, Emily’s cat, was also a great character. Jackson is a faithful friend, but wants to be more. He is protective of Emily and tries to look after her without her knowing in some cases. The plot moves quickly, and the dialogue flows well. The only things that I didn’t care for were not knowing what Emily had written on her sign and the fact that she had lived with her past boyfriends. The ending of the story is perfect and very emotionally satisfying. I hope to read Bryn’s and Josie’s stories next. I received an ARC. I chose to write a review and share my opinion of this fun romance.
Saved by the ending.
While reading a romance, have you ever wished you could just slap both the hero and the heroine? Well that is exactly how I felt for while reading the first 99% of Marry Me, Jackson by Barbara Luhr.
I have read and enjoyed a number of books by this author. Sadly, I was disappointed with this one. Although it’s very clean (no sex or vulgarities), and has a few humorous scenes, still the positive moments did not make up for the silly and awkward parts as well as the angst and redundant musings. On the surface, Jackson seems like a nice enough guy, but his actions are of someone who is just buttoned down and clueless. Emily also seems nice enough, but she also is even more clueless. Sigh.
On a positive note, the last two chapters and the epilogue saved this book. It is joyously sweet and perfect. Which is why I am moving the star rating on my review from a 3 to a 4.
Best Friends
Most relationships try to become friends before anything else. But Jackson and Emily had been friends since they were kids through high school and college and he watched her date all the wrong guys. Now she was back after living in the big city and comes to realize loved was in her face the whole time.
Returning home after a series of devastating failed relationships, Emily really didn’t want to run into her best friend from school, Jackson. However, he had seen her at her worst so meeting up with him looking less than her best, is really not a problem. What is the problem is the beautiful woman who appears to be laying claim to him. Suddenly Emily sees Jackson with new eyes, throwing her into confusion. Jackson has longed for Emily for more years than he can remember but recognises that he has to exercise patience if he wants to win her over. A few misconceptions and misunderstandings get in the way, but with a little help from some friends this lighthearted, clean romance comes to a happy conclusion. The novel is generally well written, with humour, angst, and romance, as Emily finally comes to grips with what is important. I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.
A fantastic debut to the Best Friends to Forever series by gifted author Barbara Lohr with relatable and realistic characters I feel like I know and an engaging story that kept me completely immersed in all that was happening from beginning to end in the charming setting of Carolina Lowcountry.
I felt an instant connection with online nutritionist Emily Sommers who returned to her hometown of Sweetwater Creek and reconnects with her high school friends Josie and Bryn. I especially liked her attraction and undeniable chemistry with another old friend nice and dependable Jackson Hart .
“Marry Me, Jackson” is a must-read for anyone who enjoys well-crafted clean, sweet romantic comedy and it will leave a smile on your face as it warms your heart. I received an advance reader copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my honest review. I enjoyed it so much, I purchased a copy.
Well, this was sweet.
This is the first in a new series, and it’s just a lovely start.
Here, we meet Emily and Jackson. She’s a nutritionist and he’s a handyman… kinda, lol. He does have a thing for Emily, but due to her past history, she’s kinda blind to it. It was fun to watch, because it was obvious to us, the readers, and she didn’t read the signs, lol.
There’s some back and forth between them and I found it frustrating sometimes that they just couldn’t get together already.
Still, it was fun to watch and it was an all in all nice read.
*Thank you to the author for providing a copy for which I’m giving my honest opinion*
I received a complimentary copy of this book and I also purchased a copy because I loved it.
This was a wonderfully sweet read. I adored how Emily and Jackson sparred with each other. Being friends for a long time and even after about 8 years of separation, the interaction between them was so natural. Jackson was adorable in his reactions at certain times was nice to see in the male protagonist. It really made him seem more human.
The only negative for me, but not enough to reduce a star, was I would have liked to see more of Jackson’s perspective.
This is a story that anyone could read. I look forward to more wonderful stories in this series. I highly recommend this.
Emily and Jackson were friends from childhood through college until she moved away from Sweetwater Creek to follow a boy. While Jackson has become successful with his business, Emily is still struggling with her online nutrition business and finding the right guy. She tries online dating and she could have written a blog about all the interesting men she meets. The last candidate was a nice guy and could have been more if he wasn’t allergic to her cat and she wasn’t already in love with Jackson. Her friends Josie and Bryn are a riot and deserve their own stories. I loved that they get together and go walking. The recipes Emily described for her blog sounded so yummy, but I’d really love to try the Sea Turtle Sundae from the local creamery.
I really enjoyed this first book in the Best Friends to Forever series. It was sweet and funny at times and I loved the characters of Emily and Jackson.
Emily Sommers has just moved back to Sweetwater Creek where she grew up. She is done with living in a big city and tired of being hurt by her boyfriends. Her last boyfriend of three years dumped her in an email. She now suffers panic attacks in crowded places so the small town she grew up in is helping her.
One day she bumps into Jackson Hart. They met back in grade school and even went to college together but they never dated. Apparently Jackson had a crush on Emily but she was too busy dating other guys to notice him.
I enjoyed Jackson’s antics as Emily decides to give online dating a try. It is funny they both seem to have feelings for each other but you are not sure as you are reading if they do.
I loved how the story progressed and it was interesting to see Emily and Victoria become friends. Victoria is a beautiful, rich woman who appears to be seeing Jackson. I really enjoyed the ending. I may just read this book again because that is how much I enjoyed the story and the characters. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.
Marry Me, Jackson is the story about a young woman who moves back to her hometown after another failed relationship. A leaky sink leads her to the local hardware store for the parts to fix the pipes where she runs into her high school/college friend who is now the owner of a handyman service. As she hangs out with her two other childhood friends and tries online dating, he keeps coming by to fix little things in her apartment.
This books deals with many subjects very well; online dating, jealousy, anxiety, friendship, to name a few. The characters are likeable and a bit quirky. The online dates are funny, but not as funny as the scene where they go check out Jackson’s house one night. An enjoyable way to spend an evening (or two).
After a leaving to live in the city and a couple of breakups Emily has moved back to her hometown of Sweetwater Creek trying to regroup. She is trying to work on her anxiety issues and her online business as a nutritionist. Emily reconnects with her friends Josie and Bryn . They are great support for her. Jackson is at the hardware store with Victoria who he is helping with her new business. He runs into Emily his childhood friend all through school including college. He has always had feelings for her but she always preferred a different type of guy. After helps her with some things in her apartment he offers to help her with a Dating site she is going to try out. Emily is grateful for his help but a little jealous about him and Victoria. It is fun to watch as these two dance around the obvious. Only they don’t know it but everyone else see’s it.
This book kept me reading until the very end.
I loved the plot with all the twists and turns.
This story has humor and romance.
The characters were so likable and I wanted to be their friend.
Barbara Lohr is one of my favorite authors and this book is why.
I devoured Marry Me, Jackson in one afternoon! I loved so many things about this book. The characters are wonderful. Emily, Bryn and Josie have a really strong friendship. Jackson does not flaunt his wealth; he just tries to take care of Emily by being her repairman and watching out for her as she makes dates with men she finds through an online dating app. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
Marry Me, Jackson opens with (to me) a hilarious scene – one that reminds me very much of…me! Emily Sommers is in a hardware store, looking for parts to fix a leak in her apartment, however she has not a clue what to buy, how to use whatever it is she should buy, nor does she have the money that may be needed TO buy. Ms. Lohr certainly tells the story much better than I can so you’ll have to read it for yourself.
While in the hardware store, she runs into a very old friend of hers that she hasn’t seen in forever, Jackson Hart. Jackson has grown up, and filled out, but this was…Jackson. Her oldest, and dearest friend. One she hadn’t been in touch with for far too many years. And boy, howdy, had he changed…
Jackson HAS “grown up” and “filled out” and he is a successful – and rich – businessman however he keeps that little tidbit hidden from Emily. Can you smell the fallout from that decision? He truly is a wonderful character and he watches out for Emily, albeit surreptitiously and sometimes I just wanted to say, ‘go for it!’ However, the good news is he didn’t listen to me. He did what he thought was best and it made for great reading.
As it is the start to a new series, the author lays the groundwork for stories about Emily and her girlfriends who are all (now) living in their hometown. It is the background to Emily’s and Jackson’s story, too and what I hope will eventually tell us all of the friends’ stories. For Emily, Jackson helps her with online dating. (You can smell the funnies and the feels now…) What could possibly go wrong especially when two people always assume what the other is thinking and feeling. Marry Me, Jackson was funny, sweet, sometimes downright hilarious, and had a cat with attitude. I couldn’t ask for more.
Marry Me, Jackson is romance for the soul. Emily and Jackson are more sweet than sexy, but for me that made the connection a deeper one. Lohr delves into the emotions that we tend to gloss over. Love is more than the physical. It’s emotional. These characters aim for the heart and score a direct hit.