New York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan brings you Every Sweet Regret, a sexy standalone romance about a single dad and the reformed party girl who’s loved him all her life. For as long as I can remember, Kace Matthews has been my brother’s best friend and my not-so-secret crush. But I knew nothing would ever happen between us. The successful single dad doesn’t fall for the hot mess party … fall for the hot mess party girl. Kace + Stella exists in the doodles in my high school notebooks and in my dreams. Never in real life.
Until he finds me on a hookup app and starts flirting shamelessly.
It turns out high school Stella was not prepared for Kace Matthews. Adult Stella isn’t much better, but I manage to break down the walls to show Kace the real me—not just the life-of-the-party exterior, but the vulnerable pieces I hide from the world. Combine that with the combustible chemistry we have in real life, and I’m a goner.
Too bad it takes me so long to realize Kace doesn’t know I’m the girl he’s been falling for online. Telling him the truth now that he knows my secrets could mean losing everything, and that’s one regret that could break me.
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Stella Jacob was the best friend to Kace Matthews’s little sister. And she has also had a crush on him since she was a teenager, but they are just the complete opposite of each other.
Stella is the wild child and the ‘party girl’ and just can’t seem to make a good decision and always needs help with everything. But she is trying hard to get her life sorted out. Kace is a divorced single dad, the epitome of responsibility. He is sweet, charming, dependable and protective. He is also attracted to Stella but has always just r=stayed away as she was his sister’s best friend. But his attraction to her is becoming more and more harder to resist.
When he is added onto a dating app and starts chatting with someone (who is Stella) and tells her he is sort of interested in someone he decides to pursue her, but things doesn’t necessarily work out the way he wanted it to.
This was a cute story, I sometimes love to read books where there is so much drama and I enjoyed the drama in this book. But I understood that Kace was attracted to Stella but he was sort of hung up on his wife too for most of the book. I just don’t know if the chemistry between these two was believe able. A good read but some parts didn’t work for me.
As we return to the world of Orchard Valley we visit with Kace and Stella. Our first visit was with Brinley and Marston.
Stella is the receptionist at The Orchard. She really is the cog that keeps things running. But she is also know as the party girl. She has a reputation in town of being flirty and fun but does not need to be taken seriously. Coming off a bad break up she has decided to leave her job at The Orchard and return to school to be a nurse. Stella thinks this is the next step in turning her life around. Since her break up she is living with her mother and just trying to make it through the day. One bad possible hook up after another had her thinking about deleting the dating app Random off her phone and just giving up on finding someone. Honestly Stella knows who her true love is. It is her brother’s best friend and business partner Kace. She has been in love with him since she was 15.
Recently divorced and single Dad Kace is still trying to figure out “how to get back out there” while still carrying a bit of a torch for his ex-wife. Kace is kind of dense. He doesn’t see what when wrong with his ex-wife. Honestly if she asked, he would take her back with out thinking twice.
This story is full of flirting and deep conversations. A mistaken identity on the Random app starts a journey for these characters that has them realizing you can’t allow other’s perceptions of people dictate how you feel. Also the road to love is never easy but in the end it worth it to be with the one you want to be with.
I really love this world that Ryan has created. It was nice to see a glimpse of some of my favorite characters I can not wait for Abbi’s story. This book can be read as a standalone, but honestly I encourage you to read it from book one. Ryan’s characters become you friends and leave an impact on you. You will want to have Stella over for wine and you never know what Smithy might say.
This was a 5/5 star read for me. Every reaction and feeling was genuine and had me heartbroken and laughing along all at the same time.
5 Stars
Lexi Ryan has done it again!!! She has made me fall in love with her words and her fictional worlds. Every Sweet Regret is a stunning novel that will have you smiling one moment and then having tears run down your face the next. This is book two of the Orchid Valley series and it can be read as a stand-alone.
I honestly don’t even know where to start without spoiling anything. I seriously want to shout from the rooftops every single thing I loved about this book-but I won’t. Stella has been in love with her brother’s best friend Kace ever since she could remember. He doesn’t see her as anything other than a party girl. Throw in a dating app and a get together, and BAM- you have two people with explosive chemistry. But they have no idea how to handle it without messing everything up…
I loved this story so much. Ms. Ryan is an extremely talented writer that makes you feel a part of the story. Her characters feel real and their journey is authentic. I am so excited to see where she takes the series next! Highly recommend reading this book!
Love, love, love! Kace Matthews is swoony AF!!
“Her laughter rings across the bar – bold, loud, sexy, and shameless. Just like everything else about her.”
Stella Jacob is beautiful, sexy and has always been off-limits to Kace Matthews. She flirts endlessly with him but he never takes her seriously as she’s pretty flighty and enjoys a good time. However, one little taste of her has him hungry for more and, really, as long as they keep things light and temporary, where’s the harm in a fling?
“When those lips finally brush mine, a hot shiver rolls down my spine.”
Kace has been the object of Stella’s unrequited affection since she was a teenager but he never seems to see her as more than her brother’s little sister. When the chance to be with him presents itself, she’ll take all she can get. However, throw an anonymous hook-up app into the mix, and things start to get a little bit complicated!
“I’ve fantasized about that mouth countless times in the past few months…f*ck, years.”
Gaaahhh!! It’s gotta be very telling when all my highlighted quotes are nearly all from Kace’s POV because he was such a spicy hot mix of sweet and hella sexy! He made me SWOON! His big speech at the conclusion of the story made my knees WEAK! I adored his desire for Stella, and his vulnerability and awkwardness as he dipped his toes in the dating pool, again. And, what a fab dad he is, too!
“The more time I spend with her, the more I think I’d like her out of it too – in my arms, in my home, in my life.”
Stella put on a good show. She was super thirsty for that long, tall drink of water that she’s lusted over for years, but my heart hurt for her soft spots under her bright, bubbly façade. This author delivered another fab, heartfelt, sexy story, and can’t wait for the next book in this great series.
I received a free ARC copy of this book from the author prior to release and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I read the first book in the series and absolutely adored it. This is book 2 in the series and easily stands alone. It is about Stella and her brother’s best friend Kace. Kace is newly divorced from the love of his life and they share a daughter.
Stella has loved Kace forever but she at one time worked with his ex and she knows some things that the ex is afraid she will tell Kace. So she smears her rep and tries to get Kace to stay away from Stella.
Let me start by saying I HATE the ex. She is shall we say a piece of work. And I loved that Kace was divorced from her and finally ready to move on. I loved that he gravitates towards Stella and though he tries to talk him out of a romance with Stella, he can’t stay away.
On the other hand they start off as a fling and a secret one as that which I didn’t love. But I loved how he starts to open his eyes to who Stella is and how manipulative and what a jerk his ex wife was and by the end of the book I was cheering on him as he has Stella’s back.
I found this story to be funny, at times a bit sad but at the end of it all?? It was simply amazing!
I really liked Kace and Stella. She was misunderstood a lot and I felt her pain at that. Its always hard when people you love the lost don’t see the real you.
Kace to had a few issues he needed to resolve and I was rooting for them to find a way to be happy together. I’ll be honest and say that I did roll my eyes a few times but like said before that didn’t take away how much I loved these two.
It has been a while since I read my last Lexi Ryan book and this just reminded me how much I enjoy her writing.
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***
Kace and Stella are the main characters of this story. They knew each other since forever, Stella being the bff of Kace’s sister, and Kace being the bff of Stella’s brother.
They have a physical attraction and everytime they want to act on it, something happens.
They start to talk on a dating app, but here is a full story of misunderstandings, it was quite funny and weird.
Stella is a single open minded woman, funny, and hardworking and in love with Kace. Kace is a divorced father, full of insecurities and somehow still anchored in the past, afraid to accept the fact that Stella is for him, maybe because he has a wrong perception of our sweet Stella.
Their story is full of chemistry and drama, a journey of discovery and starting to accept your thoughts, of moving on and happily-ever-after.
Yeah, I have read this in one sitting, curious about how the whole story will look in the end.
This was such a fun and steamy romance. You can’t help but feel bad for Kace but also want to beat him over the head when it comes to his ex-wife. And Stella is so bold and amazing but yet so vulnerable. I love their messages when they talk on the app, and it so clearly shows that they are meant to be. Both Kace and Stella are such likable characters that you really truly want them to have a HEA. This was such an entertaining and enjoyable story. I haven’t read Orchid Valley 1 so will be looking for it, but can’t read about Dean and Abbi in the 3rd book.
I received this book as an advanced review copy and am voluntarily leaving my fair and honest opinion.
This is the 2nd book in this awesome series and is Kace and Stella’s story. Stella has had a crush on her brother’s best friend Kace for years, and he is newly divorced and a single dad who is trying to navigate his way through life. Stella has a reputation of being a party girl with a habit of needing to get rescued from some of the situations she gets herself into. When Kace signs up for a hook-up app, he has no clue that it is Stella he is getting flirty with. What will happen when Kace realizes it is Stella he is talking to? This is a well written story which is filled with angst, miscommunication, secrets, undeniable chemistry, and love which all leads to a steamy and captivating page turner. I recommend for all.
Stella has always been known as the party girl, up for having a good time, but not someone who takes things seriously. Kace is her brother’s best friend and Stella has harbored a crush on him since high school. But the party girl could never be right for the serious single dad, so she never figured she’d get her way. When he starts flirting with her on a dating app, she flirts back and finds herself opening up to him as she’s never done to anyone else. She thinks things might finally fall in place for her and Kace, until she realizes he doesn’t know the girl on the dating app is her.
Oh these two. Neither is really in a place to start a relationship, but they both want one regardless. Kace hasn’t dated since his wife left him and he is hesitant to try anything, even with the prodding of his friends. Stella wants a shot with Kace, but also knows that she has never wanted more than hookups with anyone.
As their stories twist in the dating app and in real life I couldn’t help feel for Stella. She thinks she found someone who understands her, but in real life she can’t get him to see past her history. There is plenty of miscommunication and a huge case of mistaken identity, but they also both have things to come clean about before they can get their stories straight.
I enjoyed returning to the world of Orchid Valley, with Stella and Kace’s families nearby. I was rooting for these two from the beginning and I enjoyed their journey navigating dating apps, jumping into dating after divorce, and working through a history filled with secrets. I can’t wait to see what else is in store for this group of friends!
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I am a huge fan of Lexi Ryan and Every Sweet Regret was amazing! Friends to lovers and single dad stories are two of my faves and Lexi Ryan knocked it out of the park! I am so in love with this new series! Kace and Stella’s story was perfect! I cannot wait for more!!
This is an amazing story by Lexi Ryan about Stella Jacobs and Kace Matthews. Stella’s brother is best friends with Kace, and she is good friends with Kace’s sister. So they’ve known each other a long time. Stella has been crushing on Kace since she was in her teens, but she’s never thought she had a chance with him. Kace is a recently single father to an adorable 4-yr old and seems to be hung up on his ex. Will Stella find a way to get Kace to see her as anything other than the irresponsible party girl that he thinks she still is? Will Kace ever allow himself to admit his true feelings for Stella? And what would happen if these two ever give in and come together? All these answers are inside this book and trust me when I say, you’re going to want to find out!!!
I read this book in one day because once I started, I could not put it down! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great friends to lovers story!
This is the second book in the Orchid Valley series and a great addition. This brother’s best friend/friends to lovers story hooked me from the first page until the last. I loved Kace and Stella, they had such great chemistry and I loved the banter between them. It’s a wonderfully written story, filled with twists, angst, a bit of drama, secrets, and sizzling chemistry. This was a fun and romantic read and one I enjoyed.
Stella is a former wild child and Kace is a newly divorced father. She is his best friend’s little sister and also friends with his sister. There are so many connections between them and their group of friends, yet they have some insane amounts of chemistry.
I loved the chemistry between Stella and Kace. From the very beginning they had a connection and there was a ton of flirty banter between them. Stella was using an app called, Random, to find dates but really wasn’t having any luck with it. Kace’s ex signed him up for Random and he instantly connected with a mysterious Jessica Rabbit account. There is a connection formed there and secrets are shared between Kace and the mysterious account, which leads both Stella and Kace on a journey they both needed.
I loved Stella and Kace’s journey, though at times it wasn’t easy, was emotional and was super frustrating because I just wanted to knock some sense into Kace. Secrets were revealed that could ruin them and there was some drama when it came to Kace’s ex-wife that could have also ruined his relationship with Stella.
I loved returning to Orchid Valley and getting another glimpse of Brinley and Matteson, plus Dean, Savvy, Smithy and Abbi. They all added to the story and I can’t wait to see what is in store next!!
If you’re looking for a brother’s best friend romance this one is a MUST READ!
4.5 Stars!
Who can resist a story about a sexy single Dad, with an adorable little girl, a fun brother’s best friend/friends-to-lovers romance storyline and some secrets that could break your heart?! It’s a beautiful story of self discovery, second chances, forgiveness, redemption and love. Stella has been in love with her brother’s best friend since high school. Kace Matthews has always seen Stella as his friends little sister who never takes life seriously and who only wants to have fun. Now he is a divorced, single Dad, and he sees her as a sexy grown woman, but still a party girl. He is finally getting over his ex wife and wants help getting back in the game. He asks Stella for help and they start a secret, no strings, friends with benefits arrangement. But Stella has grown more responsible over the years, even going back to school for nursing. How can she make him see she is more responsible and a good role model for his daughter? But she also has a secret from her past that she fears will never allow her to have the happiness she craves. There is a clever dating app storyline also that is both frustrating, and sweet at the same time, as they learn to open up and discover more about themselves, and their wants, and needs. I loved Stella so much! She is smart, caring, and unapologetic about who she is, and she fights so hard to be a better person, and find someone to love her unconditionally. Kace is so swoony, the way he cares for his daughter, and wants a strong stable, and loving family. He was a quandary to me at times, which was frustrating as he cared so much for Stella, but wouldn’t let go of the old Stella, and see who she is now. But he was so sweet, kind, and had a deliciously dirty mouth I couldn’t help but fall for him! I love the way Ryan weaves her stories so beautifully, allowing us to believe in and care about her characters, see their growth, and cheer for their HEA. I love how she includes all their friends who were so fun, loyal, and supportive, making us care for them more and more and also making the perfect springboard to more exciting and steaming romance stories. I loved this heartwarming, emotional, and sizzling romance, and I can’t wait to read more from Orchid Valley!
Every Sweet Regret recounts Kace and Stella’s story. Stella has had a crush on her brother’s best friend forever, but she thinks he just sees her as his best friend’s wild little sister who is a bit of a screw-up. Kace is attracted to Stella, but he’s still hung up on his ex-wife and not ready for a relationship. The two decide to try a friends with benefits relationship and also unbeknownst to Kace, they are also matched on a dating app where they tell each other their most intimate secrets.
Stella was a sweet girl who had trusted the wrong men in the past. She was trying to get her life back together and go back to school, but it was hard for people to see past the party girl she had been. She had been hurt and that had made her insecure which made her doubt that Kace could have real feelings for her.
Kace was a great guy, but he was too wishy-washy at times about his feelings and I just wanted to shake him. He was a great guy and I did like how protective he was of Stella. He stood up for her when it mattered.
I liked both characters although they both frustrated me at different points in the story. I felt like the issues with the ex-wife was kinda glossed over and I would have liked a little more fallout from that situation.
This book is full of red-hot chemistry, secrets, betrayal, and lies. I was rooting for Kace and Stella to find their HEA and it was an entertaining read.
There’s a tissue in my future and hope in my heart. Orchid Valley cuts it’s teeth on heartache, but despite the drama and pain, Ryan always finds a way to make us smile. Every Sweet Regret is a dance of battered emotions and bruised egos that ricochets off of the senses and bulleyes it’s way into the soul. Broken promises, yearning hearts and past mistakes leave quite an impression. Yet somewhere behind all the sassy dialogue and misunderstandings lies a message of power that resonates. Kace and Stella take the term heartbreakers to heart.
I liked the overall story but it took a lot of time to take off. It’s not really like a regular brother’s best friend’s book but it was different. It was a new concept for me and I can’t say that I would like to read such a book again. I have mixed feelings.
I wrote this voluntary review in exchange for an ARC copy.
Every Sweet Regret is Stella and Kace’s story. From the previous book we know he’s a recently divorced father still hung up on his ex. Stella is his best friends little sister who has had a crush on Kace for years. In this book Stella is trying to get her life together. She’s really not into partying anymore, but no one else has seemed to pick up on that fact. Kace is very attracted to Stella, but isn’t sure she’s his end game. I really enjoyed reading their story. My heart broke for Stella. She was a really sweet, thoughtful person in love with a man who didn’t take her seriously. Kace is so messed up by his marriage, he isn’t sure about starting anything serious with anyone. I really loved watching these two lean on each other and discover their real feelings. There was a little bit of suspense in the story too. Lies had been told and I (the reader) wasn’t sure what the truth was. I loved trying to figure it all out before the lies were exposed. Wonderfully written friends to lovers/brothers best friend story. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
I was do excited for Stella and Kace’s story in Orchid Valley. Stella is known as the party girl who always loved her brother’s best friend, Kace. Kace is a recently divorced single father and still hung up on his ex wife. Let me tell you, that ex wife… whew. I digress.
Kace has always thought Stella was amazing but never acted on it, Stella always wore her emotions on her sleeves when it came to her attraction to Kace but was always shot down. Until recently, he started noticing Stella more and more and decided it was time to make his move, which was friends with benefits, no strings. At the same time he meets a girl on a dating app, and he is having deep conversations with her, keeping Stella at arms length. Unbeknownst to him, they are the same person. Stella thought he knew the whole time and when she found out he didn’t know he was talking to her, my heart actually died a little bit for her.
Kace was supposed to be this amazing guy, and in her eyes he was, but I found that he was ignorant in so many ways that it was hard to read parts. The things he said and did seemed so out of sorts with who he was described as. He seemed unfeeling at times and it was hard to remember this was the guy who was explained as such an amazing person the chapter before. I loved Stella though, I just wish she was a little stronger with Kace, maybe because I didn’t see him with her rose colored glasses it was harder to understand why she just forgave him over and over. My heart broke for her so many times I wanted to hug her.
While I think this book had a lot of potential, there was so much going on here that it made it hard to process. There were things that happened in this book that really had no need to be there. It was added drama that felt forced and weird when there was basically no reaction to it. This is a solid 3.5 stars, I did round up because the writing was good.