I’m not to proud to admit that finding Mr. Right involves swiping right. Right? Welcome to dating in avocado toastland.Here I am, on my first blind date, ever, courtesy of a smartphone app and my two annoying best friends.So what is Chris “Fletch” Fletcher doing, walking across the room, looking at his phone like he’s pattern matching a picture to find a real person he’s never met before?Oh.Oh, … met before?
Oh.
Oh, no.
The guy I drop-kicked in seventh grade cannot be my blind date. The guy who earned me this infernal nickname.
That’s right.
Feisty.
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More from New York Times bestselling author Julia Kent as Fiona “Feisty” Gaskill gets her chance at love – drop-kick included.
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Julia Kent blows me away every time. Clear your calendar–you’ll want to read Feisty right to the end!
Some Julia Kent books are “Fluffy” cotton candy and sweet redemption. Some are “Perky” gluten-free goodness with a side of sass and optimism.
This book, though, is *Feisty.* The first chapter of the book is a heart-stopping battle that Fiona “Feisty” Gaskill fights and wins in a burst of catharsis (we all dream of having a perfect, Chuck Norris-style back-roundhouse kick when we really need one), and then the book glides into a slow-burn, rib-tickling, perfectly pitched enemies-to-lovers waltz that you won’t be able to put down.
Wow! This book
This book started off kicking ass (pun totally intended).
This book has a mix of emotional, funny banters & beautiful friendship.
Fiona & Chris’s relationship had a rough start, but fate put them together.
Chris is such a sweetheart & Fiona’s thinking… Was different to say the least!
P.s. I’m so gonna try the other books in the series
I always love a new Julia Kent book! Laugh out loud funny, romantic, and tender at the right moments. You can’t go wrong with Julia’s books!
Fantastic laugh-out-loud, sexy, serious, romantic comedy. Julia Kent writes amazing stuff, taking you deep in the heart (and energy vibrations!) of her characters. FEISTY starts out with a shock–an all-too-real danger–and then launches us into a slow-burn romance of two souls meant to be together but struggling to let go of the past. Highly recommend!
Feisty by Julia Kent
Disclosure: Traumatic events discussed and relived in this book. Things like a potential school shooting/siege/hostage, kidnapping, violence, and reliving it might be triggers for some, and it all happened in the first few chapters of the book. Readers take heed.
Fiona “Feisty” Gaskill is a nursery school teacher. She is a spiritual person – finding her calm through nature and the earth’s energy. That energy helped save her and her students when an out-of-control parent decided to storm their small classroom. Fiona’s quick wit and heroic actions in defending her “space” and the kids were all caught on camera, and she later becomes a viral sensation!
Chris “Fletch” Fletcher is a paramedic and is the uncle of Mattie, who the out-of-control parent who stormed Fiesty’s preschool. He was the first responder on the scene and was the one who comforted Fiona and “grounded” her. It was an overwhelming sight for readers, I am sure.
I have been following The Do-Over series since Book 1 came out. A few of the series’s characters are present, but readers do not need to read the other books from the series to start Feisty.
The story is from a single POV – Fiona’s. The writing is smart, sharp, and witty. There was a lot of humor infused that balanced off the internal struggles of Fiona with her feelings. It talks a lot about redemption for both main characters, not only Fiona.
Note that the book may run slow. It can be considered a slow-burn book. A lot of Fiona’s thoughts heavily depended on the spiritual and energy connections around her. Readers may find this complicated, but I appreciated this since I believe in it. (Some call this gut-instinct or “intuition.”)
Fiona’s a very emotional and spiritual character that will make you feel everything she does as she tries to explain herself to everyone around her, including self-talking to herself in many situations. What she did to save her students, then later to reenact them again, is astounding. The traumatic experience did leave an impression on her, but not how readers will expect.
I enjoyed discovering the “real Fiona,” especially the internal fights between her old self versus her new self. The latter being the social media sensation that brought women empowerment to Anderhill, Massachusetts.
Since readers only see Fiona’s POV, Fletch’s POV was critical for me. After his “encounter” with Fiona, it made a big impression on how he turned out in the book – this is HUGE!
It is not often that teenagers realize the gravity of their actions unless it impacts them. The author talks about how Fletcher reflected on his actions – listening to women’s words and taking heed. This topic is an important one and applies to everyone, not only women. The author talks about empowerment and self-worth while quashing self-entitlement and misinterpretation. It is refreshing to have someone (anyone) in the book community tackle this topic, especially from the male’s perspective. Fletch does talk a lot that made me smile at what happened after he got his “shiner” from Fiona.
The “push-pull moments” between Fletcher and Fiona are stellar. Both grew individually and separately after their “encounter,” but their attraction is “fated.” Their in-book chemistry was explosive and volatile, wherein Fiona goes hot and cold all at the same time since she felt everything.
I felt terrible for Fletcher in a lot of book scenes as he knew that Fiona needed “space,” even if readers all know how it would end. He gave what he can and more. I believe them when they mentioned that “it was easy” – most likely because they connect beyond the physical but emotional/spiritual. Fiona being so emphatic, absorbs all the good, the bad, and in-between everything around her that she needed others to help her make sense of her “new feelings” for Fletcher that the latter gladly and patiently did throughout the book.
I miss Perky and Mallory from Books 1 and 2. They were how I remembered them. They both give readers a good balance of uncensored jokes, reality-checks, and unending laugh out banter that will be ingrained in your heads!
In summary, I enjoyed Feisty. It is not your typical enemies-to-lovers rom-com; instead, the story focuses on the growth, maturity, and personal development of the main characters. The trauma of the past, if left unresolved, will find a way to resurface and make a person face it head-on – old self versus new self. Having Fate conspiring against Fiona’s wishes to avoid Fletcher is the best part of the book and will make readers believe in “meant-to-be” because it is true for both of them! Fletcher seems to have done a lot of “work” on himself in the past after his “lesson” from Fiona made him the best candidate/partner for Fiona to face and later “marry” her two selves into the best version of herself for everyone.
I absolutely CANNOT resist Julia Kent’s rom-coms! No one does crazy setups, hilarious banter and sizzling chemistry like Julia !
This book was EVERYTHING!! I have been in this weird reading funk for so long. This book really got me out of it! I could NOT wait until the next moment I could read, I even stayed up later two nights. I’m not sure I can say enough about it!
I LOVE Fiona! I don’t think we got the full experience of who she was in the last few books, but we got to see a little more of her spiritual side in Perky. I was super curious where that would lead us. I had NO idea this book would start out exactly where we were left at the end of Perky, but boy am I glad we did! Seeing Fiona as “Feisty” in the beginning of this book WAS SO EPIC!!! I cannot explain how excited I was at Fiona going up against Mattie’s dad!!! It was so amazing. Seeing Fiona be one with herself and use her energy the way she did was mesmerizing, I couldn’t put the book down!
Now, of course, we cannot forget about Chris in this moment!!!! I LOVED how he instantly went to help Fiona and Mattie. His instinct with Mattie was so adorable and then the level of care he had for Fiona was equally adorable. This was such a pivotal moment for these two. Fiona HATED Chris so much before this, and this really made her look at him as someone else. There was so much that Chris didn’t know about Fiona and so much that Fiona didn’t know about Chris. AND there was a lot that Fiona needed to learn about herself.
That being said, holy guacamole, did these two have some INTENSE chemistry! I LOVED the sparks between these two every time we saw them. I also loved how intense their feelings were, even if she was ignoring hers. He as so sweet and caring to her. Add in friends who are trying to help defend you but also tell you to change, it made for an interesting time. And we can’t have one of these books with SO much hysterics!! I died laughing throughout this entire book! Between the festival, the wedding meetings and the in betweens,I was constantly laughing. Mallory and Perky are the best friends, add in Will and some other characters and it just made for a party in book form!!!
I CANNOT wait to see what’s next and I’m dying to find out more about what happened in the epilogue!!
Feisty is everything I want and more! It’s the perfect balance of what makes a love story epic. A second chance romance that will leave you crying one minute and laughing the next, Julia Kent has truly outdone herself with Feisty!
Chris “Fletch” Fletcher and Fiona “Feisty” Gaskill have known each other for years but reunite in a truly unlikely fashion. When Chris decides to finally make the move and pursue the woman he just can’t get enough of, Fiona has a battle of wills on hand. But when life throws situations at them, they work through it together and realize that sometimes you need a partner to navigate life with.
I enjoyed this wonderfully hilarious yet unexpected story. I highly recommend it!
This book! You absolutely can not read this book without laughing. And I’m not talking about a chuckle here and there – nope, I’m talking laugh out loud at things funny enough that you’ll think about them later and laugh again. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have it’s more serious moments. In fact, one such very serious topic is touched on, and Julia Kent handled it terrifically while still managing to get in some well-timed wit. The romance between Fiona and Fletch is a combination of fun and swoon-worthy, and these two have terrific chemistry. I always love the rapid-fire wit and hilarious situations in this author’s books, and there’s no shortage of those here, so this is another fantastically fun read to add to the growing collection of fun reads by Julia Kent.
First off, I have gotta say, I would love to live in the mind of Julia Kent…or at the very least take a look at her Google search while she is writing! The knowledge she drops along with the hilarity is absolutely out of this world!
Oh I was so excited to finally read Fiona’s (Fiesty) story! Now you can definitely read each of the stories in this series as a stand-alone, but don’t do that! Get your hands on all of them and read them, you will enjoy them all the more!
I was amazed and moved by Fiona, I admired how she was trying to break free from the Fiesty nickname and embrace a more softer side. But when needed and faced with a horrific situation, her inner Fiesty roared free, kicked butt and took names! I empathized with her inner struggle to merge the two distinct yet vastly different personalities and she did so beautifully!
Fletch was a hero of epic proportions. He not only is a first responder, but he embraces all the personalities of Fiona. He is there when she needs him and gives her space when she doesn’t. I love how he was taught the meaning of the word “consent” and how it molded him to the man he became.
If you are looking for hilarity, heat and most of all heart, get your hands on this story, you won’t be sorry!
When a book hooks you from the start you just know its going to be great and so didn’t disappoint at all! It was very unique and definitely my kind of story!Feisty is so wonderfully feisty and the story was rather entertaining and real fun!Fiona aka Feisty is just that and then some! She is sassy, fierce, smart and just the whole package!As a child care educator, her ability to protect those children under her is nothing of exemplary! She goes above and beyond and yes the start is heart stopping but draws you into the book!Ms Kent has woven her magic fingers and written an oscar worthy book!I just loved the banter and Fiona’s friends and everyone close to her!She has known Chris aka Fletch since forever and all of a sudden, after an experience that shows her life is short, she sees him in a new way!I absolutely love love loved this book so much! I laughed so much, I even shed some tears and thought this was the most amazing book and a brilliant addition to this fantastic series!
Fiesty is a beautifully stunning story of discovering and accepting every part of what makes you who you are. There are no half measures throughout this journey, and at the end you will find something truly breathtaking. Of course, there is even more to this story, but it all interweaves and mingles together to form a perfect union. A union that no one can tear apart because the universe itself has brought these two people together. A pox on the person who dares to interrupt what Fate has deemed worthy and important enough to repeat its message until it is finally understood. What a spellbinding story awaits you!
Fiona has longed to erase her past. She wants to never hear the name given to her by a boy in the seventh grade. Her image and mindset has completely changed sine then in order to help erasing her past. Except we can never truly hide from our past. Fletch has made some mistakes when he was younger, and one that has haunted him for years now. He wants to get to know Fiona, but she will have nothing to do with him. When they find each other in their path over and over again unable to ignore each other and everything between them, Fiona has to decide how she will deal with him. When one act of heroism shows everyone what Fletch always knew about her, can he melt her icy exterior and finally touch her heart?
I have been waiting impatiently for this book, and I savored every second of it!! I loved Fiona and Fletch and their friends Mallory, Perky, Will, and Parker. I enjoyed diving back into their world of humor, love, and heart. This story focused on Fiona and her feelings or anti-feelings for Fletch. I was amazed as I watched her figure out her heart and how to deal with her past. She never gave up, and she never lowered herself or put herself down. She followed her heart with every step she took, and she cherished the beautiful people in her life. Fletch never wanted to do anything but appreciate who she is, love the woman who left a clear mark on his heart, and win her heart for all time. He was a simple man who just wanted a chance to show the woman he loved from afar exactly what she meant to him. Oh, these two were inedible to watch, and and even more to experience. What a trip!
Julia Kent has created another huge winner in my book! This is a beautiful addition to three friends from a small close knit community. Life can be hopelessly unpredictable, and in that mystery comes hope, love, and all manner of humor. Kent knows how to make me laugh and how to make me feel. Her simple words are small miracles wrapped in wonderful creative talent and tied with a bow of heart. I wonder if she will continue with her stories from this fun little world, and if she does, I will be right there to save them all!
5 star review Feisty by Julia Kent
This is Fiona “Feisty” Gaskill and Chris “Fletch” Fletcher story and it was everything that I hoped it would be and so much more.
Julia Kent is one of my go to authors for RomCom books. There is something about her style of writing that draws me in and I cannot put her books down.
Julia Kent never fails to deliver; whenever I see her name I know that I am in for a fabulous read. As with previous books I have read I was in stitches having laughed so much I cried. That’s right, not only laughing but snort laughing, totally unattractive I assure you and the looks I got from my fellow commuters just made me laugh even harder.
Ms. Kent writes stories with characters who are human, engaging and realistic and you cannot help but be drawn in to the story she weaves.
However, there are also some serious moments within the pages, ones that had my heart in my mouth at times.
It leads to Feisty re evaluating her life with the help of her friends Perky and Mallory and looking deep into her heart, implementing some changes.
One of the questions that Feisty needs to ask herself is whether she can forgive Fletch for the past and see the man that he has become.
I love the friendship between the women, it is a true sisterhood which adds an additional layer to this story. I also love how caring and protective Fletch is of Feisty. These two deserve to get their happily ever after and I cheered for them throughout. A second chance at love story about taking a leap of faith; it was a story I didn’t want to end.
Fiona “Feisty” reunites us with Perky, Parker, Will and Mallory..and Chris “Fletch” Fletcher.. along with all of the pre weddiing rituals Mallory has and wants. Fiona is a pre-school teacher and the book opens as an incident happens at the school between Fiona and Rico the father of one of her students. She immediatly goes into protection mode and does what ever it takes to protect the kids in her class. Once again she is face to face with Fletch…she still doesn’t like him after he tried to kiss her back in grade school and she took him out at which time he gave her the name “Feisty”…she doesn’t want to admit that she really does like him!!! Because she saves the children she is thrust into the spotlight and into spending more time with Fletch. Will she finally accept that she is “feisty” along with loving, caring and funny. Will she and Fletch finally get together? This book has some so funny moments, ones that have you saying did that just really happen (incent in the cabin with Will and Mallory). Oh yeah and Mallory’s sister Hastings!!! I so enjoyed their story and can not wait for more books from Julia Kent. I want to thank Julia Kent for giving me the opportunity to read and ARC of this book before it’s release.
Fiona Aka FEISTY IS a kindergarten teacher and one day she has to defend her kids against an enraged dad. The child’s uncle is none other than Chris “Fletch” Fletcher her arch enemy from high school. He is the reason she is called feisty, because of something that happened and she best him up. What started out as a not so friendly encounter ended up being so much more. You have to read this story to join this latest couple on their journey of enlightenment and China’s discovery of herself. A magnificent story, full of laughter and hilarious moments that only Julia.can come up with! I will never forget the bear insident! Funny, witty,sexy and so much more can describe this story and all the shenanigans our crazy group of friends can get themselves into! Another winner for Julia Kent!
Feisty brings us back together with Mallory and Perky and all their shenanigans, while also giving us an in depth look at who Fiona was, is, and the woman she wants become. Through a traumatic event, Fiesty emerges and becomes a modern day heroine, yet Fiona struggles with this merging of personalities. Fletch is there to catch and support her in the event and draws Fiona in. Can she love someone she hates? Why does she feel so conflicted? You’ll have to read this amazing story to find out!! Full of laughs and even some tears!! Another fantastic read by Julia Kent!
I received a free advance review copy and have provided my honest review voluntarily.
It’s Feisty and Fletch’s turn. When a horrifying event takes place at the preschool where Fiona works, it’s Feisty who saves the kids and the day and then Fletch who in turn comes to her aid. This is the catalyst for some deep changes for Fiona. Will she be able to reconcile her Feisty past with her present and will she be able to see Fletch for who he is today or keep seeing him as her teenage nemesis and the bestower of her hated nickname? It’s a tremendous inner journey that she makes and sometimes hysterically funny aided by her besties Mal and Perky. You don’t want to say goodbye to this bunch!
I loved Fiona and Fletch since the first time they appear in the series and couldn’t wait to meet them better and see where they would be going! They are amazingly sweet and I couldn’t be happier after reading it!
Another Julia Kent hit in this funny series. I laughed my way through this.