When we were younger, Temperance Price was the quiet girl with dreamy eyes who hung on my every word. She was always beautiful, but I had plans to get out of Red Oak and make a life of my own. Ten years later, a crushing tragedy has brought me home again—right back to her. The innocent girl I left is gone, and in her place is a sassy single mom I can’t get out of my head. She’s hired me to fix … hired me to fix her house, but I have other things in mind.
She thinks I’m just a handyman.
She thinks we’re only friends.
She thinks I’ve never noticed her.
I think what really needs to be fixed is her whole perspective.
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Fixing Her is cute and funny. Miranda does such an amazing job at writing a funny and romantic story about Temperance and Asher. The characters have great chemistry. You will fall in love with both characters as well as Tempie’s daughter Ellie who is hilarious as well. I found the characters well written. I’m looking forward to new books to be released from Miranda Elaine in the future.
Fixing Her is Miranda Elaine’s solo debut novel, and I am in love with this author’s sweet, sultry storytelling style! I always give a new indie author a lot of leeway with their debut novels, but I didn’t need to do that here. Miranda’s writing is crisp and engaging, brimming with endearing characters and a slow burn romance that was so addictive, I had a hard time putting my Kindle down.
Fixing Her was a well-paced, deliciously slow burning romance. The plot packed a serious one-two punch of emotion and humor, and there was one heck of a twist looming in the background that had the potential to change everything. I love the friends-to-lovers trope, and this author’s take on it was refreshing and unique with a bit of a second-chance feel to the story. She did a great job building the romance between a hero and heroine who clicked immediately as adults, recalled each other fondly as teens, and who weren’t going let this chance slip through their fingers.
Temperance, a single mother whose daughter’s father isn’t in the picture, crushed on Asher in high school, so getting this chance with him is the manifestation of all her teenage self’s fantasies. I loved the way the author captured those warring feelings between both the teenage and adult heroine. Asher was a smart man who found something he didn’t realize that he needed—or even wanted—in Temperance, and he wasn’t about to let her get away.
I’m thoroughly impressed with Miranda Elaine’s writing, and I absolutely loved her debut novel, Fixing Her. There is a whole of humor, heart and heat to be found on the pages of Fixing Her, and I absolutely devoured every single word of it. If this is what we can expect from Miranda Elaine right out of the gate, not only can she count me as a fan, but I’m very eager for more from this talented new author. Five smooches from me for Fixing Her by Miranda Elaine!
~ Danielle Palumbo, Red Cheeks Reads
What a brilliant debut novel by Miranda Elaine not sure where she goes from here but I would say the only way is up for this very talented author.
Asher Kade was the guy in high school that everyone wanted to be friends with he was the guy every girl swooned over especially Temperance Price but even though he knew she had a crush on him the timing wasn’t right and he went off to college and fulfill the big dreams he had for his life.
Temperance Price never left her home town of Red Oak and even though life hadn’t turned out the way she dreamed it would she wouldn’t change a thing her daughter Ellie is her world. Temperance only has two people in her life her best friend Leigh and Ellie she does 3 jobs to keep a roof over her and Ellie’s head and she is struggling to keep it all together.
A chance meeting for Asher and Temperance brings back all the feelings they both had as teenagers but will the timing be right this time or will the secret Temperance is hiding tear them apart…..
I loved the characters in this book and I really hope that Miranda Elaine gives us another story featuring Leigh she deserves her own book. A single mum second chance romance and once you add in how beautifully written this book is you get a perfect love story. Great job and looking forward to more from this very talented author.
I can’t believe this is the debut novel by Miranda! This was such a well written, lovely story.
This is the story of Temperance and Asher. And it started for them in high school.
I could really relate to Temperance when she was in high school. The shy, quiet type, loving the popular boy from afar. I was impressed by the fact that Asher, when in high school, chose what he did. It showed maturity.
Forward ten years later and the two of them are back in each other’s worlds again. But with the years that have passed, some big changes have come about too!
I loved the humor and relatability of Temperance. As a mom I could sympathize with the filterless innocence of young children and the hopelessness of keeping a shirt clean!
The chemistry between Temperance and Asher is off the charts! And the romance of Asher… “I will never regret kissing you…” Holy swoon!
The twist in the story is such a surprise! It gave the story just the right amount of angst. A little sour with the sweetness of the story.
The secondary characters are fantastic and I hope that Miranda gifts us with stories of their own! Keep writing Miranda, you are going places!
Congratulations on a fantastic debut novel!
~~3.75 WONDERFULLY WARM AND FUZZY STARS ~~
FIXING HER, a Friends to Lovers romance about a sweet-natured single mom who finally gets a chance at true love with the man of her dreams, was absolutely delightful!
THE STORY:
After 10 years away, Asher Kade returns to his hometown of Red Oak to take over the family construction business after tragedy strikes. Although giving up his dreams of working for a top architectural firm are a bitter pill to swallow, things are looking up when he gets hired to fix up the home of his former classmate turned struggling single mom Temperance Price. Sparks fly between them, and although Temperance thought her secret crush on the hunky, wildly popular high school quarterback had gone unnoticed, she couldn’t be MORE wrong. Asher just could never act on his feelings because he had big plans for his future that took him far away from Red Oak.
But that was then. This is now.
He’s here to stay. And now that Tempie has blossomed from a painfully shy wallflower into a beautiful and desirable woman with the cutest little girl on the planet, he’s not only on a mission to fix her home, but make her his! But even if the handsome hottie can convince the skittish single mom that she can trust him with her heart, and entrust him with her precious little girl’s future, will secrets and lies tear them apart forever?
MY MUSINGS:
Wowwwww! Miranda Elaine, who is part of the Liberty Laine duo, marks her solo debut with this captivating tale…and COLOR ME IMPRESSED! This girl can really pen a beautiful, funny and oh so endearing romance that tugs mightily on the heartstrings.
Ms. Elaine has a vibrant, breezy style that totally sucks you in, and this richly nuanced novel has a seamless fusion of wit, warmth, charm and deep-seated emotion that gave me #AllTheWarmandMushyFeels! .
The romantic interactions were SWEET and SIGHWORTHY, with a hefty dose of SIZZLE, that had my heart skipping a beat and the butterfly’s erupting in my belly! This is very much a slow-burn romance and the author did a stellar job of building the relationship between the MCs, playing out many tender-hearted, emotional beats along the way. I especially love how we have two characters whose lives didn’t quite pan out as they planned, but they make the best of the hand they’ve been dealt and along the way find an unexpected love BEYOND THEIR WILDEST IMAGININGS!
The characterizations were top notch! If you are hankering for a sexy, swoon-worthy BBF who is yummy eye-candy with a charming, chivalrous personality to match, then you are going to go NUTS for Asher. I just floved him! He’s just the perfect hero. He is a talented architect , is generous and kind, and is not only determined to reconnect with his family and friends whom he left behind all those years ago, but to pursue the girl of his dreams too!
Gah! I just love a strong, driven man who goes after what he wants with gusto…and he did it with the utmost sweetness and patience! And. eeep…OVARY EXPLOSION ALERT! Asher not only managed to sweep the emotionally guarded heroine off her feet, but he totally won over Temperance’s devilish little girl over too! His interactions with Ellie were too precious for words! And can I say how crazy I was about that feisty three year old? That little stinker was a TOTAL SCENE STEALER!!!
As for our heroine…Temperance is a sweet and adorable HOT MESS! She’s a devoted, hard working, FIERCELY LOVING mom and such a caring, loyal friend! And sure she leads a crazy, chaotic life, but that’s part of her infectious charm. I found this harried single mom to be extremely relatable and it was SO CUTE how flustered she got around Asher! I really cheered for her to finally land her fantasy man!
That said, Temperance’s constant self doubts and back and forth attitude toward Asher frustrated me. A lot. Don’t get me wrong…I did empathize with her romantic hang ups and got where she was coming from, but I just wish she had not been so emotionally distant and had not kept him in the dreaded “friend-zone” for practically the entire book.
And by the time she FINALLY comes around and surrenders to her feelings, it’s kinda anti-climactic because a HUGE secret immediately comes to light which causes some major upheaval! I would have preferred that she and Asher had been solidly established as an actual couple prior to the black moment to give their union a bit more traction.
But…yay…on a POSITIVE note, once they finally get past all the juicy drama—which I felt played out wonderfully and struck a real chord—their long awaited HEA had me blinking back tears and left me GIDDY with delight!
BOTTOM LINE:
Despite some hiccups, I truly enjoyed FIXING HER, which was enhanced by a vibrant cast of secondary characters. (I especially got a kick out of Temperance’s hysterical bff, Leigh, and fingers crossed we get her story next!) And after this incredibly promising debut, I have every confidence that Ms. Elaine will continue to grow and evolve as a writer, and will be looking forward to more awesome books from her!
Temperance has the world on her shoulders, working 3 jobs she manages to find away to provide for her young daughter. With her best friend lucie, it’s them against the world.
Until she finds out that her longtime high school crush is back in town, not just temporarily but long term…now she just needs to be able to speak to him without dying of shyness.
Having taken over his father’s business Asher didn’t think he would ever return to his sleepy childhood town. Didn’t think he would be happy anywhere but in the city doing his dream job… the reality of which was realising that city living and his fancy job was not what he wanted was surprising….
finding out that the shy young girl who ( he always knew ) watched him from afar, grew up and had a daughter…surprising…. even moreso when he finds his thoughts constantly on them and that he wants more. With Temperance holding him at arms length it’s gonna take more than just a little convincing on his part to get her to give him a chance and open up to him..
Despite trying to keep Asher at arms length, Temperance knows that her heart or her daughters heart cannot be allowed to grow attached to Asher… she knows she’s setting herself up Slowly but surely he’s gently putting all her broken pieces back together and … fixing her.
Debut book by this author.
I am mindblow by how great this book was. I literally thought I’d read a couple of chapters…and yet here I am a whole book done…. husband and children and pugs wasted away to nothing from neglect… #SorryNotSorry I literally devoured this book.
From the start Tempie’s story sucked me in and did not let go. She was a wonderful hot mess ( I appreciate hot messes…being one myself a large majority of the time ) so wonderfully written and real..she wasn’t perfect, felt the pressures of day to day life, putting her daughter first, had the same self criticism and doubts and concerns that most women pushing 30 develop… she was real.
Asher was a dream… and absolute book boyfriend dream in black and white, even when he took to wearing his ass as a hat ( and knew it.. but was torn to pieces ) he was fantastic. Charming and protective with a touch of cocky arrogance that all good and worthy book boyfriends MUST have.
Filled with emotion and angst and more than a few tears this book was an absolute pleasure to read from start to finish. I did not see the twist coming and boy was artistically done AND made for such an explosive debut book.
Bravo new author you have done an cracking job!
I really enjoyed this book! I was intrigued by the blurb and couldn’t wait to dive in. It was fun, it was sexy, and at times, it squeezed my heart. I am so glad I took a chance on this new-to-me author!
Temperance (Tempie) is a hot mess most days and I could totally relate! She is a single mom and I immediately felt a connection to her. One of the things I loved most about this book – it’s real, and makes you say, yes, that has happened to me!
Asher Kade was the high school crush, who’s back in town and determined to get what he wants – Tempie. He is a romantic and quite the gentleman, with the patience of a saint – I couldn’t help but fall for him. I loved his dedication and adoration he had for Tempie and her daughter, Ellie.
Little Miss Ellie…so adorable! She sorta stole the show sometimes. She was a perfect character for this story, making the story that much more heartfelt and believable.
Leigh is Tempie’s BF, the perfect best friend – the one every girl (me) wants and needs in their life. This book had many laugh out loud moments, and it was usually when Leigh was involved. She is an awesome secondary character. I think she should have her own book. *hint to the author*
This story was sweet & sexy with lovable characters, and I found myself thinking about it when I wasn’t reading, eager to get back to it. It was the perfect combination of heart, sass, and delicious sexy times. I cannot wait to read more from this author!
4 Star Review of Fixing Her by Miranda Elaine
I believe that this is Miranda Elaine’s debut novel and she is off to a strong start.
Temperance Price is a single mum, trying to give her daughter Ellie whatever she needs. Kade Asher is a childhood friend who left town as soon as he possibly could.
When tragedy strikes he returns home, only to find the quiet friend he left behind has grown into a beautiful, feisty woman with a daughter who is equally as smart and sassy as her mother.
Now Kade has Tempie in his sights, he wants to get to know her and is not going to take no for an answer.
The writing was solid and the characters of Tempie and Kade were easy to relate too. I loved the interaction between Tempie and her daughter Ellie.
There is a little intrigue woven into the story which I found added an extra layer to the story.
Another new author for me and I loved this book. The characters were real and loveable. The story very believable with strong friendships, sadness, laughter, sex, family, hard work, secrets, and a lotta love. Can’t wait for the next chapter of family intrigue.
h: Temperance
H: Asher
(Dual POVs)
Temperance had a crush on Asher in high school but he was two years ahead of her and she was the extremely shy, unpopular girl. When Asher graduated, he moved away to the city to go to school and be an architect. While Asher was away, Temperance had a one night stand and ended up getting pregnant. Asher comes back after being gone for ten years because his brother, who was supposed to take over the family business, passed away. Temperance’s friend, Leigh, literally drives a high heel into the wall to give Temperance an excuse to call Asher and need his handyman services.
There are a few hints at what the ‘big secret’ is early on. Guessing what the big secret was, I didn’t mind the secret itself but as I read on, I wasn’t a fan of how it was executed. I thought Temperance was over dramatic and wishy washy. I thought it would make more sense to have an attitude of “I can’t date you” versus “let’s take it slow”. Asher was amazing…… Until his reaction to the big secret. Then I thought he was a bit of an ass.
Favorite Quotes:
I return into the kitchen to find Ellie at the table with a plate covered in crumbs in front of her and Asher on his knees spreading putty over a now nonexistent hole.
“Wow, that was fast,” I sputter out as he turns and sees me.
“Careful,” he says, looking over a shoulder. “A phrase like that can hurt a man’s self confidence.” – Temperance and Asher, pg 62
“We deserve better than this. We deserve a real chance.” -Asher, pg 128
Fixing Her is the first book in the Fixing Series by Miranda Elaine. Fixing Her released in June of 2018 with Fixing Him in December of 2018 and the final book Fixing Us comes out in the Spring of 2019. WAIT…stop the press or stop scrolling whatever is appropriate now-a-days. Today is March 1st and that means that spring officially begins on March 20th so it is coming very soon! I’ve even seen teasers on her website. Can you tell that I am a little excited? Well, you know that I LOVED Fixing Him so let me tell you about Fixing her.
I would like to tell you that this book is about Temperance and Asher but I would be lying to you. This book is about a precocious toddler named Eleanor Grace “Ellie” Price. Her mother, Temperance, describes her 3 year-old daughter as the following: menacing, angelic, mischievous, beautiful, special, an asshole, and entertaining. (Don’t get all judgy…you’ve thought those things about your kids too!) So you see, Ellie has stolen the book! It is all about her. Just wait and see. Ellie’s surprise appearance 3 years ago to single 22 year-old, who didn’t even have a boyfriend, had the entire town of Red Oak talking. (Pause the review for an aside comment. I am looking through the book for a specific quote about Ellie and find myself once again absorbed in reading. Sorry, I am good now.) Temperance’s mom passed away leaving her in bad place, making poor decisions like a one-night-stand which left Temperance pregnant but it was having Ellie that finally brought Temperance out of her depression. It’s just been Ellie and Temperance, the dynamic due for the past 3 years.
Then one day, Asher Kade moves back to Red Oak to run the family construction business after the death of his big brother and the retirement of his father. Asher was the IT guy in high school and one high school boy who had Temperance’s full attention. Little did Temperance know but she also had Asher’s attention But none of that matters because he is about to become wrapped about Ellie’s tiny, little finger. He connected with Ellie’s spunk immediately and enjoys texting with her on Temperance’s phone especially when Ellie sends him pictures of Temperance in nothing but a towel. Ellie and Asher’s relationship quickly grows to the nickname phase. Ellie is “Peanut” because she is so tiny and Asher is “Muffin” because Temperance calls him Stud Muffin. Ellie feels familiar to Asher and he finds her incredibly entertaining. And Ellie, well Ellie wants to keep Asher around for Lego emergencies.
You might want to know that Ellie’s mom and Muffin have some really great chemistry and some hot sexy time. But keep in mind, this book is about Ellie. Temperance and Asher are secondary characters – important characters – yet secondary. I stayed up entirely too late reading then woke up the next morning and read in bed until I finished this book. BTW…you will need to keep a box of tissues fairly close. I was obsessed and, as you can tell from the aside in paragraph two,I still am.Miranda Elaine hit it out of the park with her debut book. I can’t wait to watch her career develop because I have a feeling that it is going to be a long one! Miranda Elaine’s Fixing Her (AKA Ellie’s story) gets 5 out of 5 propellers!!!
Oh my goodness. So I read Fixing Him first and fell absolutely in love with the authors writing and characters. The secondary characters were amazing and I knew I needed to go back and read their book.
I wasn’t disappointed.
Temperance & Asher (yes I adore the names, how can you not just love unique character names?) their story is full of feeling, struggles, independence, feelings of not being good enough and one huge secret that I just didn’t see coming.
Their story is well written, will grab you in the first chapter and have you hanging on every word praying for a happy ending.
I found a new author to love and am antsy as hell for Leigh and Gabe’s book.
If you’re looking for all the feels with a little struggle this is the book for you!
A fantastic debut novel for the author. She delivered a sexy second chance love story with characters you are going to love.
Temperance’s life has not gone down the path she expected. She never expected to be a single mom raising a three year old, Ellie. She’s doing the best she can for her little girl. With no man in the picture or any prospects of one on the horizon, she’s dedicated to giving her daughter the best she can.
Asher Kade was the high school quarterback with a bright future. Graduating high school and pursuing his dreams outside of his small town was all he cared about. He left at eighteen with no plans of ever coming back. However, when his dad decides to sell the family construction business and retire, Asher’s life plan changes.
Asher’s back in his hometown. The place he never expected to be. And the girl that crushed on him in high school has never looked better. Maybe being home again won’t be so bad. If only Evelyn is willing to let Asher into her life and her secrets.
A well-written love story with sexual tension and a dirty talking, over-protective hottie! I adored Asher, Temperance and Ellie. Their story wasn’t easy but it was worth. I look forward to following this author as she releases more stories.
The romance stories with a strong hero but even stronger heroine are my favorite ones. We often forget that the stories are about the women too. Miranda Elaine always makes the female independent and real. I admire that so much about her stories. Fixing Her, the story of Asher and Temperance was no exception!
Temperance is a perfect example of modern day woman who can do anything they want. Single mother, struggling with three jobs and other issues. But she is determined to do the best for her little daughter, no matter what it takes. Her life is turned upside down when her high school crush Asher Kade returns to town to take over his family construction business after untimely death of his older brother. They have this insane and intoxicating attraction. But Temperance is scared to give in to the temptation because her life is such a mess. When she finally gives their relationship a chance, a secret from past threatens to destroy everything. Will Asher and Temperance be able to go forward from there?
Miranda Elaine’s writing is refreshing and smooth. She uses humor so brilliantly balanced with deep emotions. And the secondary characters are so amazing. Can I get a Leigh as my best friend please? She holds the sexual and emotional tension between aAsher and Temperance throughout the story. The twists in right place don’t let the story go boring even for a second. The passion was so damn hot!
Fixing Her is a truly captivating and inspiring second-chance love story. It evoked all kind of sweet and deep emotions in me. I loved every moment of it. If you are looking for a sexy and romantic story to feel good, Fixing Her is definitely for you!
(A review copy generously provided by author)
Miranda writing takes us there. You feel like these are your friends, you visit their homes, you’re along for the ride in everything they do. I thought I was getting Leigh’s story, so at first I was sad but then OMG I couldn’t get enough of Montana and Sam! You can help but love these two apart and especially together. She’s a young, free spirit that he pegs wrong in the beginning. He an “old man” who’s dealing with a lot and has no more room in his life or heart for more. Once things heat up a bit, they make an agreement for the summer. Can they stick to the agreement or will one of them get hurt? There is so much more in this book than the main characters. I loved their families, their friends, the friendships, the love, and her pet!!!
*3,5 – 4 stars*
It was my first read from this author and although the beginning for me was a bit hard to get into, I enjoyed reading the story of Asher and Temperance. And I always love a good single mom book.
Temperance has been raising her little girl alone for the last few years and it’s not always easy but she does whatever she can to make sure she has everything she needs. Even if she has to work a lot of jobs, she does it all for her daughter. But when the one man she always had a crush on when she was a teenager comes back into town, sparks fly between them. Although she still has insecurities, she and Asher become closer. But there’s a secret from her past that will crash into their lives and Asher will have to decide if he’ll stay and fight for the woman that claimed his heart…
***4 ‘I’ll Never Regret Kissing You’ Stars***
I do love a good single parent romance and toss in the whole high school crush thing into the mix and I’m pretty much sold and Fixing Her was all kinds of sweet, sassy, funny and smexy with a nice little twist added in to give the story that punch of drama to keep you on your toes.
Temperance, I loved. She is a single mom doing all she can to give her daughter a good life and she handles the ups and downs that come with it as best as she can. She’s sweet, sassy, but still has a bit of the wallflower in her that comes out in certain circumstances. Asher is all kinds of charming, persistent alpha male and a really good man in general. He’s got a really good heart and while confident, isn’t a jerk.
Temperance and Asher’s journey is all kinds of sweet and smexy, but it also has quite a bit of push/pull going on, and I’ll admit that I got a tad bit frustrated with it because here were two people so obviously interested into each other it was crazy, but I let it ride because it was kind of fun watching the chase and with Ellie added into the mix, there were some great laugh out loud moments. And then came the big old roadblock, that little twist that put a halt to things for a bit and all I can say is that I was totally #TeamTempie on this one. Thankfully, things do get cleared up and I really liked all that happened for them in the end.
Fixing Her was a lot of fun to read and I’m happy I took a chance on this debut. The writing was engaging, the pacing good as was the dual 1st person POV’s. All of the characters were very well written, especially Ellie who came through with many of the much needed humor throughout the story. Leigh is probably my fav, though Sam isn’t far behind and I’m crossing my toes that they both get books of their own down the road because I’d love to spend more time with all of these characters.
~ Copy provided by Social Butterfly PR & voluntarily reviewed ~
A single night was enough for Temperance’s life to turn from averse. With so many things going on, all she wanted was to forget her problems, and going out for a drink seemed like a good idea. Talk to the cute guy next to her, too. And between conversations, laughter and drinks, the two spend the night together. And nine months later that night bore fruit.
Four years pass, and Temperance is a young woman, single mother of a lovely but full of energy little girl, works in three jobs and is barely holding it together, lives in a house that needs repairs and is still the reason for gossip and speculation of the small town in which she lives. And what she does not even suspect is that her life will undergo another turnaround.
Asher was the popular boy in school days, who always dreamed of leaving the small town and going in search of his dreams in the big city. With a good job and a consolidated career, a family tragedy forces him to return home and rethink his dreams. And with that, after years away, he goes back to the place he swore to leave, but maybe something good comes up in that change.
Temperance has always been the shy girl who blushes easily and who has always dreamed of a certain boy, but never had the courage to approach. Asher was Mr. Popularity, but he was always nice to the quiet girl who stared at him. She liked him. He liked her. Neither of them ever said anything. She out of shame. He for not being able to offer a future, since he planned to leave. A girl and a boy. Now a man and a woman. And the same feelings of the past still present.
Asher and Temperance are too cute. She was a little insecure about everything she went through and he was super patient and persistent in showing her that he was serious, that he wanted to get to know her better. Ellie, her daughter is cute as much as a little terrorist. Asher and Ellie together are able to melt hearts. Asher and Temperance as a couple present the complete package: they are friends, funny, have incredible chemistry, support and care for each other. I loved both.
But since not everything is all that good, Temperance holds a secret capable of destroying this new but welcome relationship. The book captures the reader, who will love the involvement of the protagonists, as well as be curious to know the great mystery. The secondary characters are hilarious and add relevance to the narrative. When it all comes out, both Temperance and Asher are important parts, and the secrets are deeper than they seem.
A book about second chance, with well-developed characters, a delightful romance and a good turnaround.
This was a wonderful debut book and I really enjoyed it! This book had me laughing,swooning and yelling at my kindle! I did not want to put this book down once I started it. It is one of those books that you feel you can relate to certain parts and it leaves you smiling! I fell in love with Asher, Temperance and sweet Ellie! The chemistry between Asher and Temperance was amazing and you could really feel their connection. Asher had me swooning like a love sick high school girl!! I loved the friendship between Temperance and her best friend Leigh, everyone wishes they had a friend like her!! Temperance did drive me crazy a little bit but she was still wonderful and everything made sense in the end! I can not wait to read more by this author!!
Look, I’m not unsympathetic to authors. I’m really not. I know what a hard job it is to birth a book, and I have nothing but the utmost respect for authors. So, even when I’m tearing a book down, please know that I still give all you authors out there mad props for having the pluck to sit down and write an entire book from beginning to end, and then go through the huge hassle of publishing it and delivering it to a world full of people like me who might say bad things about your precious book baby. I applaud you all.
And now that THAT’S out of the way…
I’m sorry to say that this book had lots of stuff in it that irked the crap out of me. And I hate to do this, especially since it’s a debut novel, but I value honest reviews, and I’d be a total hypocrite if I soft-peddled this one, so, here it goes:
1. Honestly, even the title irks me. It implies that the heroine needs a big strong man to swoop in and fix her hot mess of a life. (And in this case, the heroine really IS a hot mess and really does need a big strong man to fix her, which is just insulting to feminists everywhere)
2. At some point in the beginning of the book, Temperance (the heroine) is called to the house of her friend, Leigh, because Kade, the guy Temperance had a huge crush on in high school, is there. And because Temperance is a busy single mom and she rushes there, she isn’t looking her best. Leigh takes it upon herself to give Temperance an impromptu 90s makeover. For some reason. The whole thing made no sense to me. It seems like maybe it was thrown in to add a little comedy, but it was so out of place and forced that I would’ve been much happier if the whole scene had been left out entirely.
3. Temperance is a hot mess. She’s pretty much insecure about everything. She seemed to need constant reassurance from Kade that he found her attractive, and she was almost willfully stupid about the fact that he was flirting with her for almost the first half of the book. It got old REAL fast.
4. Kade called her “Tempie,” which is a totally lame nickname (in my opinion). It sounds like something you’d name a rescue dog from Arizona.
5. Temperance had AMPLE opportunity to tell Kade her secret, and it was really an asshole move to keep it from him as long as she did. And there were other people in Kade’s family who REALLY had a right to know that secret, too. Temperance was a selfish biotch for keeping that info from them, and if I was them, I wouldn’t be terribly inclined to forgive her. Like, ever.
6. I saw the big “twist” coming a mile away. (But in the author’s defense, I’m super hard to surprise.)
7. Kade toed the line between alpha male and alphahole. Sure, Temperance was wishy-washy AF, but after she backed away and asked for more space SEVERAL times, he really should have gotten a clue and left her alone. He was pretty pushy with her. (In my opinion, he should have dumped her and run for the hills, but if he really wanted her, he could’ve at least given her the space she asked for without pushing her for a bigger commitment)
But, gripes notwithstanding, the writing itself wasn’t bad at all. In fact, if Leigh ever gets her own story, I’d 1-click the crap out of it. (She was awesome) And fans of angsty contemporary romance and secret baby drama would probably like this one more than I did.
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