A former ugly duckling has a chance encounter with her unrequited high school crush, now a pro golfer. Will their past thwart a second chance at love?
Charlotte Windham went through a typical ugly duckling phase in high school while harboring a crush on Garrett Stephens, the school’s athletic heartthrob. Today she’s a bestselling novelist and no longer “Glasses,” the humiliating nickname … humiliating nickname Garrett gave her.
Garrett transformed from teen heartbreaker to adult lothario and is now a successful professional golfer suffering from a possible career-ending injury.
Fifteen years after high school, Charlotte and Garrett have a chance encounter at a Los Angeles restaurant, and he can’t remember who she is. But as both hearts flutter with unfulfilled desires, awkward teenage memories might not be the only thing standing in the way of forever.
Can Charlotte forgive Garrett for his past ways, and more recent Don Juan lifestyle? Can Garrett change his ways for a second chance with Charlotte, who may just be perfect for him?
If you love second chance romances, swoon worthy pro athletes, smart and witty female leads and happily ever afters, scroll up now to buy or read for free with Kindle Unlimited.
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Favorite Quotes:
Well, you spend hours every day hanging out with a bunch of guys talking about washing your balls… Really, if you think about it, lots of golf vernacular is so sexual — all that talk of threesomes, strokes and holes, and shafts and grips.
I don’t give the recipe out. It’s my secret… but come to my funeral. This will be on the back of the program… I figured if I gave the recipe out, people would show up.
“Dear, you’ve been wearing the wrong size bra,” she says. “Before we look for dresses, we’ll need to start there. I’ll be right back,” and with that, she’s out the door. I pick up the phone and text Fi. “Florentina just felt me up and it’s the most action I’ve had for the better part of a year.”
What about the grip and rip? … You know. Bikini wax.
I have two ex-boyfriends and one why — as in why did I ever date you.
Victor always says sweat is just your fat crying.
“That’s E = mc Hammer,” says Charlotte. “We pretty much hate them.” One of the guys, wearing a t-shirt reading, ‘Nerd? I prefer the term Intellectual Badass’ and a pair of low-slung jeans he keeps having to pull up from behind, approaches the table.
My Review:
I adored this book start to finish and giggle-snorted my way through this delightfully amusing and smartly written tale. I believe I may well be hard-wired and innately predisposed to love characters who bond over lines from the Princess Bride, use ironic and extremely clever pub trivia team names such as “Trivia Newton John,” and play an uproarious and hilarious bout of the drinking game “I Never.” But really, who wouldn’t? The writing was stellar with witty banter, clever humor, and smirk-a-minute teasing exchanges. Lisa Becker is a comedic genius and my new favorite author.
**4.5 Stars
Links is the second book by Lisa Becker that I have read. Clutch was the first book and I thought it was funny but this one was even better. It’s a standalone book with amazing characters that can banter with the best of them.
Fifteen years. It’s been fifteen years since Charlotte has laid eyes on her teenage dream turned adult fantasy in person. She has followed his professional golf career along with the line of supermodel and actress girlfriends. Obviously he hasn’t followed hers since he has no idea who she is. She has changed drastically since she last saw him. She might be nerdy at heart but her looks say otherwise. Apparently, he hasn’t changed though. He is still the arrogant charmer that he always was and damn her for still feeling shivers running down her body when she is near him. But that’s ok. It’s not like she is ever going to see him again, right?
Wrong. So very wrong. Garrett wants her. He feels guilty about the day he saw her and now he is going to make it up to her. After all, he always gets what he wants and he wants her in his bed. He loves the chase and from the moment he saw her again, he knew she would be a challenge. What he didn’t expect was to want her friendship. She is smart, sarcastic, sexy, and stubborn. But he knows she will be worth the wait. But can he convince her to give him a chance? A real one.
I loved this story. It’s light, fun, sexy, and smart. Garrett has to prove he could be a true friend. Charlotte has to fight her feelings for the only man that could truly break her heart. Together, their banter is hilarious. Their friendship is sweet and protective. But can it turn into love?
Overall…it’s a fast, funny, sweet, sexy, smart and entertaining read. I love Garrett and Charlotte but I also loved the supporting characters as well. His family is close and it makes for some pretty amazingly fun scenes.
P.S. Charlotte seriously has the best shirts. Ever.
Quotes:
“Yeah. You know me. Love the chase; hate the commitment.”
“Promise not to judge me?”
“As you wish.”
“Bras, panties and tickle fights, you say?” His eyebrows toggle up and down. “Just give me a sec to get a mental picture.” He closes his eyes, grinning broadly.
Links is a sweet, second chance story. Any man who is willing to prove how much he has changed is worth a second chance. Garrett was an arrogant athlete in high school, who only saw Charlotte as a nerd. But as an adult, he stood up and noticed her for sure. Charlotte remembers Garrett from high school and tries to avoid him.
This is a fun, easy read. It is a feel good romance that warms your heart.
Links was such a fun, enjoyable read with just the right about of humor. This slow burn had me rooting for this couple from the start!
Charlotte was a famous author who spent most of her days writing and helping students at the local school.
Garrett is a famous golfer who had recently been injured. Currently, his career is in the air and he is restless.
These two know each other from high school. Charlotte has to tutor Garrett and his twin brother. When these two run into each other years later, Garrett doesn’t recognize Charlotte and the fun begins.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were perfect for each other and the secondary characters made it the perfect balance!
The connection between these two was gradual which made the book that much better. I loved how Charlotte handled Garrett during this time.
This would have been a 5 star read for me, but I didn’t really believe the conflict at the end. The reasoning behind the argument didn’t seem believable. It seemed like it was thrown in as an afterthought, and was resolved instantly.
Overall, I really enjoyed Lisa’s writing and how she portrayed the characters. I cannot wait to read more of her books in the future.
– An Arc was generously provided in exchange for an honest review.-
I am finding that I really do like books that we get both of the main characters’ viewpoints, chapter by chapter, and this fits into that perfectly. We get both Charlotte and Garrett’s thoughts in basically alternating chapters. Because of this, it makes you a little irritated with Charlotte at being so hesitant. Although I understand her trepidation, having been in the same types of situations as a nerdy high school girl with crushes on the cute, popular guys. But you’re definitely rooting for Garrett, as he has become a pretty good guy, even to the point of realizing what he did when he was younger was stupid, or at least he knew it was part of being a stupid teenage male. The grown up Garrett is all about doing what he can to convince Charlotte he is a good guy and truly interested in her, by getting to be friends with her first. But even when he can tell that the two of them are definitely starting to feel as if they are more than friends, he has to fight to get her to see him that way. While you can see how she might get the right idea with the last little hang-up at the end, I felt that she definitely overreacted, especially after getting to know Garrett as well as she did, and after how he’d told her how he felt about her and wanted more than friendship.
Overall it was a very sweet and easy summer read. It had a little bit of sex, but not a ton. It really got into a lot of situations, and I feel like Charlotte was pretty realistic in how she handled it all. I loved when she got to get back at a college frenemy, as well as Chapter 48, and the very last chapter. If you’re looking for a perfect summer read, this is one you should pick up.