Amazon Best Romance of the Month Publishers Marketplace BuzzBooks: ROMANCE 2020-2021 pickFresh Fiction Fresh Pick “Fun, flirty, and fresh!” —Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author A witty, sexy, and charming story from the New York Times bestselling author of the St. Helena Vineyard series that fans of Emily Henry, Jen DeLuca, and Kate Clayborn will adore. Growing up the lone Asian in … Henry, Jen DeLuca, and Kate Clayborn will adore.
Growing up the lone Asian in a community of WASPs, Annie has always felt out of place. Her solution? Start a family of her own. Not easy when every man she’s dated, including her ex-fiancé, finds “his person” right after breaking up with Annie. Even worse than canceling the wedding eight weeks beforehand? Learning the “other woman” plans to walk down the aisle wearing her wedding gown. New plan—find a fresh, man-free start. Too bad her exit strategy unexpectedly lands her working at a hospital in Rome, Rhode Island, rather than Rome, Italy, and sharing a cabin with a big, brooding, and annoyingly hot male roommate.
Home on medical leave after covering a literally explosive story in China, investigative photojournalist Emmitt embarks on his most important assignment—cementing his place in his daughter’s life. Three men and a baby might work in the movies, but with a stepdad and devoted uncle competing for Paisley’s attention, Emmitt has lost his place at the family table. Then there’s the adorably sexy squatter in his cabin, who poses another problem, one he’d very much like to solve up close and personal. But he can’t win—Annie has sworn off men, Paisley’s gone boy crazy, and Emmitt’s estranged father reappears with a secret that changes everything.
Annie and Emmitt are about to discover love comes in many forms, and sometimes the best families are the ones we make.
“Phenomenal…I highly recommend picking up a copy if this novel, it will have you crying, laughing and yelling but most of all you will end with a warm happy feeling that comes from reading a first class novel.”
—Harlequin Junkie, Recommended Read
“I cannot fully express how in awe I am with Marina Adair’s ability to create such complex and multi-faceted characters. “
—The Lit Buzz
“Marina Adair is a breath of fresh air…Don’t miss a word from this magnificent author!”—Darynda Jones, New York Times bestselling author
“Fans of Jill Shalvis and Susan Mallery will enjoy the modern family dynamic and small-town atmosphere.”
—Booklist
“An adorable, fun new contemporary romance series. Delightful.”
—Library Journal
“A hilarious romantic comedy”
—Bookpage
“A delight…entertaining, endearing, and realistic.”
—Frolic
“A true gem.”
—Fresh Fiction
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I absolutely loved RomeAntically Challenged the first book in the When in Rome series by Marina Adair. I received a free copy in a Facebook Release Day giveaway and it has taken me a while to read it, but it is one of the best romantic comedies that I have read recently. I have only read one other book by Marina Adair, so entered the giveaway and was both surprised and happy to win a copy of the book. I love the characters and the setting of Rome, Rhode Island in RomeAntically Challenged. I absolutely loved every page and could not put it down. I love that RomeAntically Challenged is narrated from the viewpoint of the main characters. I really enjoy getting the perspective from those characters. I love getting inside their minds and knowing their thoughts and how they really feel. RomeAntically Challenged is a story about first at first love and is filled with heartbreaking and heartwarming moments. I love the lighter moments where I find myself smiling and laughing out loud. It is also filled with bittersweet moments that cause me to sigh, say aww to myself with tears filling my eyes . RomeAntically Challenged is filled with such moments, and with so much emotion. It is filled with all those things that we have come to love and expect in romantic comedy, especially the poignant and bittersweet moments that filled this page turner, and the surprise plot-twists. RomeAntically Challenged is the story of Anh Nhi “Annie” Walsh, a Physician’s Assistant and Emmitt Bradley, photojournalist. Annie has recently relocated to Rome, Rhode Island after a broken engagement in Connecticut. Annie accepted the position as a traveling P.A. initially thinking the position was in Rome, Italy. Annie is renting a house that the doctor, Gray Tanner who she is working for set up for her. Annie soon discovers that the homeowner, Emmitt is sleeping in his bed in his home. Emmitt was injured in a concrete factory explosion in China, is on forced medical leave because of his injuries. I love the initial interactions between Annie and Emmitt, they truly made me smile and laugh out loud. As Annie and Emmitt spend their down time together, they begin to share secrets and tell each other things that they have never told anyone else. Annie shares everything with Emmitt about being Vietnamese and being adopted at birth by white Americans and Emmitt tells her about his relationship with his teenage daughter, Paisley and his estranged relationship with this daughter. I love how the advice that Annie gave to Emmitt about how to deal with Paisley and how Emmitt made the changes to have a better relationship with her. I enjoyed how Annie and Emmitt took things slow and how Emmitt helped Annie heal. I love how the plot twist gets resolved and how Annie and Emmitt get the happily ever after that they deserve. I love how the title of the book in incorporated into the story. My favorite part of the story was when Emmitt read her post it note diary, it was truly a poignant moment when both of the walls that they built around their hearts tumbled down. It was an incredible love story with amazing characters. Looking forward to reading Hopeless RomeAntic, the second book in the When in Rome series.
I, absolutely loved this book!
Anh Nhi Walsh (Annie) is reeling from a recent breakup, an almost- walked- down- the- aisle- saying- I- do fiasco is more like it! Annie is a PA, and left Connecticut to work in Rome, Rhode Island to take a man-break and get away from her mother, who wants nothing better than to set her up again. Annie is also hoping this move will help her find herself. She was adopted at a young age, and views herself as in-betweener, growing up with white parents and having an Asian ethnicity.
Annie is in her rental trying on what should’ve been her wedding dress that doesn’t fit, on the phone informing, Clark, her ex, that she needs him to refund what he owes her. As she is standing there in her undergarments contemplating, she finds she’s not alone.
Emmitt Bradley, an investigative photojournalist, injured while covering a story in China comes home to find a fiery petite woman barely dressed and trying to injure him again slinging her stiletto heels at his head. Unknown to Emmitt, his best friend Levi, forgot to mention that his cabin was rented out.
Annie knows exactly Emmitt’s character type, because since she’s been living in the cabin, she’s had to take messages, and the phone has been ringing off the hook. She’s come to see herself as the type to find a great guy, only to be dumped because they finally found their “person”. Emmitt is this perfect package without a forever after, and Annie wants nothing to do with him!
Emmitt sees himself as a straight shooter, he makes no promises to any woman, although many think they can be ‘the one’ to get a ring from him. The only female, that Emmitt is committed to, is his fifteen year old daughter, Paisley. Since his job takes him all over, Emmitt is part of a third, because he shares Paisley with Dr. Gray Tanner, who is Paisley’s step-dad, and his best friend, Levi Rhodes, who is Paisley’s uncle.
When Michelle Tanner, passed away suddenly, the three males banned together to take care of Paisley. Emmitt is finding out that he’s a little out of his league trying to deal with a teenager, who has discovered boys and is also grieving. In trying to reconnect with his daughter, he seems to push her further away.
Despite Annie’s attempts to push Emmitt away, he’s intrigued by her. And decides it’s best if he stays in his cabin to ruffle Annie’s feathers.
Hilarity follows by the push and push back between Annie and Emmitt. One thing is for certain, sparks fly too. As Annie helps Emmitt work on his relationship with his daughter, their agreement leads to them being friends and trust. One secret can tear it all apart and crush both their hearts.
This is the first book I’ve read by Marina Adair, and won’t be the last! I can’t wait for the second book!
Thank you to Kensington-books for providing me with a free copy. I have voluntarily reviewed this book.
#BetweenTheChapters #RomeanticallyChallenged
This was a very entertaining read with characters dealing with emotional issues. Annie is a Vietnamese adoptee who was raised in an all white community and has never felt accepted for herself. When her fiance dumps her and a few weeks later announces that he has found his true love and that they are getting married on Annie and his wedding date and using their cancelled venue for their reception, it is too much and Annie escapes to Rome, Rhode Island, to regroup. However, her temporary rental home is invaded by its owner Emmit who is home on medical leave after injuries in an explosion at a Chinese factory where he was covering a story. While he is home, he is trying to reconnect with his biological daughter who is being raised by her stepfather following the recent death of her mother. With emotions all over the place and so many issues to be resolved that is a story full of intense relationships and some bits of humor.
This was adorable and moving. Love, love, loved it! Annie was so relatable and Emmett…oh! :hearteyes: More please!
Great book! Set in a small town and filled with wonderful characters, RomeAntically Challenged was entertaining and heartfelt. I enjoyed Annie’s story and loved the friendship between Emmitt, Gray and Levi. I look forward to the next book in this series!
I was hooked from the first line. “The moment Ahn Nhi Walsh stepped into her wedding dress and shimmied the eighty-year-old silk over her hips, she knew there had been a mistake.” What follows has to be one of the most horrifying conversations with an ex-fiance ever. I was literally holding my breath that this book was *not* about the two of them getting back together. Her parents also continued a cordial relationship with her ex which astonished and infuriated me.
Ahn Nhi (usually called Annie) was adopted at birth from Vietnam by her white American family and raised as an American. However, other people make assumptions about her based on her appearance, and she has never felt like she fit in anywhere. She decided to move after the break-up, but accidentally accepted a job in the wrong Rome. It wasn’t Italy but she liked her job, and found a cabin to rent while the owner was overseas.
Emmitt, the owner, had been injured while overseas on assignment as a photojournalist, and had come back to his hometown to convalesce and to spend time with his daughter. He didn’t know that his brother-in-law had found a renter for his cabin. Emmitt and Annie’s meeting was hysterically funny. Let’s just say that both of them were surprised.
Emmitt’s daughter Paisley had been raised by her mother and stepfather, and had recently lost her mother. It was fun to see these three men – Emmitt, her stepdad, and her uncle – trying to parent 16 year old Paisley who is running rings around them. They are such good guys and so clueless about 16 year old girls. I loved their poker games where they played for stakes like ‘cook dinner’ and ’empty dishwasher’.
Emmitt and Annie seem to be opposites, but turn out to be looking for much the same things in life. I enjoyed reading this book very much and recommend it to any romance lover who likes a complex emotional story with vivid characters, conflict, character growth and laugh out loud humor. This was my first book by this author but it won’t be my last. I am hoping that this is first of a series, as I would like to see some of the other characters get their books.
Thank you, Kensington and Netgalley, for allowing me to read and review an advance reading copy of this book. These are my honest opinions.
I got this a little late thanks to all the Covid-craziness with the mail, but when it came and I was able to pick it up, I was just as hooked as I’d been with the first look from the Bookish First website. The story had a lot of different aspects. You had the romance and the two main characters dealing with their own histories that influenced how they reacted to any new relationships. It wasn’t just their past love interests though, it also had to do with their parents and other family dynamics.
Annie was having to overcome being adopted and Vietnamese. Now, there was no issue with her own family, she’d been adopted by wonderful loving parents. But they were white, American, Jewish. So she often felt outside other close knit Vietnamese communities, including one that she lucked into getting the chance to be a part of in Rome. But of course the main thing up front she was dealing with was her ex-fiancee and him actually expecting her to show up at his new wedding. A wedding that was basically the wedding she’d planned. The new bride even having gone as far as to want the same dress, and the bridal shop messing up Annie’s grandmother’s dress by fitting it to the ex’s new fiancee. Of course Annie’s parents had taken her ex in as part of the family when they were dating. I mean that is the type of relationship I’d want as well if it was me.
And then there was Emmitt. Emmitt had a father that had been MIA for a lot of his life. Or he’d shown up only until it wasn’t convenient anymore then disappeared. Emmitt had also had a little bit of a fling with a woman, nothing major. He was a world renowned photojournalist and his job took him all over the world. It wasn’t until about 5 years after the night that he found out he was a father. A father to a baby that already had a dad she had been growing up with. A wonderful loving stepfather. And then an uncle that was also there like a dad. Well it hasn’t been that long since his daughter’s mother died, and he hasn’t been back because of his jobs. And his ninth grade daughter is in the world of a teenager who has lost her mother and is definitely acting out about her dad and her mother’s passing as well as the usual teen issues.
Emmitt has come home after a major explosion means he is sent back to recover before his company will let him resume his story. And he comes home to a strange but attractive woman, Annie, living in his home. Now his home has been leased out since he is gone all the time. But he doesn’t always know when it is or to who because of being gone and not always keeping in touch like he should. Something that his daughter Paisley and her other two “dads” make sure to let him know.
There’s a connection right away between Annie and Emmitt, but it’s a slow burn for them, and it is all perfect. When they do finally get together, it is perfect and exactly the type of bedroom scene I like. Or maybe not in the bedroom, maybe on a recliner, but still. A great book, and I’ll have to look into more by this author when I get time!
Extremely Delightful!
Let the fun begin! Marina Adair has you laughing out loud and smiling so hard in her newest. RomeAntically Challenged is full of fun and flirty greatness.
These pages are filled with humor, romance, and feelings!!! All the feelings! I completely devoured these pages. I could not get enough.
RomeAntically Challenged was so enjoyable! I can’t wait for the next in series! It’s guaranteed to be a pleasurable one!
Really loved this sexy, fun and action packed adventure filled with engaging and heartwarming charters, witty dialog, exciting twists and emotionally thrilling turns. Was a fun and highly entertaining read from beginning to end and so had to put down.
When Annie’s fiance does a bunk and then shortly after ends up engaged to another woman, that is devastating enough. But then, the thoughtless lunkhead commandeers their venue and the date for his new bride, tries to hijack her grandmother’s dress and refuses to pay his part of the expenses. All the while, he has invited her and her parents to the new wedding and actually thinks they will come!
Annie decides to get out of town and ends up in Rome- not the internationally romantic one, the one in Rhode Island. She rents a a place and starts a new job as a physician’s assistant When the hunky renowned photojournalist who owns her place shows up unexpectedly sparks fly! The good and the bad kind. Emmitt is home after getting injured on his last assignment and is trying to get Annie’s boss to sign a note letting him go back to work. Annie’s boss, Gray is the step father to Emmitt’s teenage daughter Paisley. Adding to the convoluted family is Uncle Levi, Paisley’s deceased mother’s brother. The three men have a bit of a power struggle going on about who is the best Dad.
I enjoyed so many parts of this book. Annie’s search for her self and her identity as a Asian woman after living in an all white town ties into her feelings of not belonging which were exacerbated by the wedding debacle. Opening herself up to a new relationship requires a giant leap of faith. Emmitt has issues of his own primarily around his insecurities as a father to a daughter he’s only known for a part of her life. His job as a world traveler doesn’t add to his Dad credibility as he’s not around for important times. It also makes Annie feel less likely to believe he won’t leave her as well. I liked the whole teenage angst issue and how Paisley was able to befuddle three grown men. The HEA for these two is going to require a lot of work and fast thinking.
This is the first book in a new series and there was plenty going on that leads to excitement for future books.
Romeantically Challenged is the first book in the When in Rome series from Marina Adair. I adored this rom-con and can’t wait to visit Rome, Rhode Island again.
Anh Nhi (Annie) Walsh was born in Vietnam, adopted by white parents and grew up in a predominately white community. She has always felt a bit like she was straddling 2 different worlds and not really fitting into either. When her ex-fiancé finds the love of his life not long after they break up, and keeps the venue they were going to use, she decides to head to Rome…Rhode Island, not Italy. She has rented a cabin for her stay and is unpleasantly surprised when the owner, Emmitt Bradley shows back up following an accident in China that puts him on indefinite medical leave, and suggests they become roommates.
I absolutely adored both Annie and Emmitt. Their banter from the moment they met kept me laughing out loud for much of the book. It was so apparent they were insanely attracted to one another from the first, and I loved their journey. They each had to not only learn to trust again, but learn to accept who they each were along the way. I felt like Annie and Emmitt each learned more about themselves as they spent more and more time together. While their romance was a pretty big focus of the book, family was every bit as important as the romance. Emmitt had pretty much created his own unconventional family with his daughter Paisley, her uncle Levi and her step-dad Gray, since Emmitt is estranged from his father. I loved that Annie was able to help Emmitt work on his relationship with his daughter.
Romeantically Challenged was a wonderful rom-con. Ms. Adair gives her readers a roller coaster of a ride where you could be laughing at one moment and crying either happy or sad tears in the next moment. I love stories that pull me in and pull out all the emotional stops, and Romeantically Challenged was just that type of book.
Rating: 4 Stars (B+)
Review copy provided by publisher
4 1/2 stars Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the complimentary copy of this book . All opinions expressed are my own.
Romeantically Challenged by Marina Adair is wonderful book that I highly recommend to anyone who loves thoughtful romances.
Marina Adair centers the books around two characters who are both at a crossroads in their lives and dealing with distinct, but equally weighty, personal issues.
Annie (Anh Nhi) is a Vietnamese woman who was adopted by two Caucasian Americans and brought back to the US to live in a predominantly white neighborhood. The book thoughtfully addresses Annie’s struggle with where she belongs in a world where she feels stuck in the “in between”.
Emmit, is a confirmed bachelor, struggling with a unique situation of parenting a 15 year girl with two other men. To call the situation complicated is an understatement.
What I loved about the book is that Adair does a masterful job of portraying the emotions and thought processes that these two characters are going through. They each help the other person to process and handle their situations for the better.
If the book has a weakness I think it might be that it straddles a line between serious romance and rom com. I view it as a romance addressing serious issues but think it’s being marketed as a rom com. There are certainly rom com elements but overall I really think the book is more thoughtful and serious in nature.
I highly recommend this one to anyone who loves romance. This is not a traditional own voices account but I’d still say it is as close as you can get to one without the author being Vietnamese herself (please read the author’s afterward to better understand the author’s personal connection to the book and the insights it portrays). There is some steam in the book but it is fairly easy to skip if that isn’t your thing.
5 Stars Straight Up Fun
I’ve been a fan of Marina Adair for years. She writes cute, fun, sexy romances, but this newest book, RomeAntically Challenged was something more. Something better.
While it was in no doubt a romance, it was also about family, friends, loss, and discovery.
I loved the friendship between the “3 dads” (bio, step and uncle). The razzing, the not putting up with each other’s excuses and the total love and support they had for “their” daughter. They were fiercely protective. Totally at a loss of dealing with a teen. But most importantly, they loved her unconditionally.
Annie’s journey was a bit heart-breaking at times to read. All you have to do is read the author’s letter to understand how close to home this was for her. I would think her being stuck between two worlds, not quite feeling like she fit in with either, might resonate with many people out there, especially those adopted or even raised in blended families. I loved watching her discover more of her culture. I also loved that while she’s had some rotten luck in romantic love and she’s feeling caught in-between, she’s still a strong woman. She’s smart, funny, kind and just the kind of woman to rock Emmitt’s world.
Emmitt has his own issues to deal with (his two co-parents, his daughter, his dad, his job, and his own insecurities). It’s a lot to tackle in a novel, but I thought the author did a great job of balancing all that baggage the characters were lugging around with the romance, which was fun and sexy. The banter and texting between Ahn (Annie) and Emmitt was spot-on funny to smoking hot.
This was definitely a feel good, funny, warm, breath of fresh air and I’m really looking forward to Gray and Levi’s stories.
I received a complimentary print copy of this book from Bookish First Impressions in exchange for an unbiased review.
I enjoyed the light, playful cover which aptly displays the story you’re about to read. I fell in love with the characters right away. The confusion placing Ahn Nhi Walsh in the unexpected path of Emmitt Bradley is a perfect storm! This is the perfect escape from life for awhile book.
Anh Nhi Walsh is a physician’s assistant was adopted from Vietnam by two renowned therapists living in Hartford, CT. Most people call her “Annie” since saying her name often proves challenging. She thought her life was falling into place as she anxiously prepared for her wedding. She had just picked up her grandmother Hannah’s silk Grecian 1941 wedding gown which was bought in Ireland. She had it meticulously restored at Bliss boutique so she could feel comforted by her belated grandmother’s presence at her wedding.
Her life is turned sideways when she wakes up 3 months before her wedding, which also happens to be her grandparents wedding anniversary, to find her fiancé Dr Clark Atwood gone. He breaks their engagement via a text with a “it’s not you, it’s me” line. She doesn’t even have time to recover from the shock when she sees an Instagram post of her ex-fiancé and his “true love” newly engaged. While Annie is attempting to cancel venues and request refunds she is appalled to find that Clark has replaced her with Molly-Leigh.
It’s only when she tries on her wedding dress does she realizes that Clark has hijacked “her” wedding. He shared her wedding journal with Molly-Leigh who fell in love with all of Annie’s wedding plans including her grandmother’s heirloom gown! There was a mix up and her dress was restored to fit Molly-Leigh who is physically Annie’s opposite. If that weren’t enough, Clark tells her that her mother neglected to cancel the venue at the Hartford Club hoping they would reunite. After two years of waiting for a date she placed a $10k deposit which he states he will refund after his wedding there.
Annie finally thought she found her soul mate after five failed relationships. “Her life had been a nonstop revolving door of serial monogamists, each with a fatal flaw that kept him from finding the one.” Ultimately, when those relationships ended the men found their soul mate and married. Not wanting to face all the humiliation of the aftermath of this disaster, she gets a temporary travel position in Rome, RI.
Annie rents a cabin on the banks of Buzzard’s Bay where the owner is apparently oversees on assignment as a photojournalist. Emmitt Bradley is sent home from China after a concrete building explosion which resulted in a concussion, fractured ribs, and several shrapnel pieces that needed removal. Home on medical leave, he returns to his cottage unaware that his friend Levi rented it out to Annie for 6 months. As Annie is struggling to remove the too tight wedding gown after a heated phone call with Clark she is surprised by the presence of a big broad figure looming behind her. A hilarious interaction occurs between Emmitt and Annie which only escalates as they sort out the confusion.
Needless to say, there’s more to the playboy Emmitt than his banter and record of numerous women. He discovered he had a daughter when she was 5 years old and the mother was marrying Dr Grayson Tanner. He had known Michelle since childhood and her brother Levi is still his best friend. After Michelle’s untimely death the three men step up to care for 15 year old Paisley Rhodes-Bradley.
This is a delightful story about how 2 people discover a new perspective on love, family and friendship. How do you balance a work life and a social life? Is being a workaholic really an effective coping mechanism? Happiness often comes after self reflection.
A sweet and humorous story. I loved the characters. The connection, the banter and the sizzling sparks. It’s entertaining and enjoyable read with a great storyline that heartwarming.
Romeantically Challenged by Marina Adair
A Contemporary romance with so much heart.
Finding “their person” is such a romantic concept. This novel filled me with joy. Ok, some tears and frustration as the story progressed but I tend to read slower the more I like a story. I really wanted to just stop at 80% and revel in the gooey feelings. But, of course, conflicts still needed to be resolved and men have to freak about something.
It was so worth reading to the end. Absolutely loved this book and couple.
Implied sentimentality. It melted my heart.
“Right now he needed someone to listen, so she took his hand, which was like holding melting ice, and without hesitation, his fingers laced with hers.”
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to share.
Where to start…Marina Adair is a MASTER with combing words and emotions! You’re laughing one minute with Annie and Emmitt’s banter, then totally crushed because Emmitt is sooo lost. The despair is palatable. Like Annie, he doesn’t feel as though he belongs in his own family. He is loved, but feels as though he’s on the outside looking in. Annie, having been adopted at birth, also KNEW she was loved—although not always supported by her parents. She just didn’t know how and where she fit in. She was Vietnamese raised by white parents. When she was around other Vietnamese, she was treated as though she didn’t belong. She spoke, knew very little of her native language or dishes and was considered too Americanized. But she didn’t quite fit in with other American girls either. Annie was also unlucky in love. She always ended up choosing the guys who found their “soulmates” immediately after or while she was dating them. She longed for a feeling of belonging and only wanted someone to love the real her—without her changing who she was. So, Annie accepts a position to work in a hospital in Rome—thinking it’s Rome, Italy. Its’ not! But what she finds there may be all she ever dreamed of and more…
Emmitt, an investigative photojournalist, was the “fun, cool dad”. He was always leaving for the next “big” story, until he was almost killed while on assignment. Forced to take time off, Emmitt returns to his hometown of Rome, Rhode Island. There he finds, who he believes is a squatter, a woman living in his home. Come to find out, his family rented out his home without his knowledge. Emmitt doesn’t have the heart to evict Annie, so he decides to make her life miserable in hopes that she’ll willingly leave. The more Emmitt gets to know Annie, the more fascinated he is with her. Sure, he’d like to sleep with her, but he finds he truly enjoys her company.
Loved, loved, loved this story! Very realistic and relatable. Emotions were all over the place. I’m a nurse and loved how the charge nurse stood up for Annie, then accepted her into her little group while still giving her a hard time. Emmitt and Chloe’s banter, Emmitt placing the recliner in front of her bedroom door…hilarious! I loved and hated Paisley’s surly attitude—very much in line with a true teenager who’s suffered great loss. The Three Men and a Baby (teenager) parallel was seen throughout the story. The “daily” dads were pretty tough on Emmitt, but they were also scared of losing Paisley. I also enjoyed reading Annie’s perspective on adoption as my nephews were adopted from birth. Highly enjoyable story! I read a gifted copy and all opinions stated are my own.
I like how the author jumps right in the first few chapters. Annie and her ex fiancé are broken up, he moved on quickly and gets engaged. Not even time to sort out the vendors and payments yet. Good riddance! And o choose the same venue? I mean who does that?! Annie needs a fresh start so she accepts a new job in Rome, Rhode Island and sharing a cabin with a hot roommate, Emmitt. Emmitt is an investigative photojournalist who is home on medical leave. He hopes to bond with his daughter Paisley, but her attention is with her stepdad and uncle. This is a cute and entertaining story, though annoying at times. I would have liked a stronger character in Annie, to fight for her wants and needs, to voice her opinion! Thanks to Kensington Publishing for an ebook ARC. This is my honest review.
5 HAPPY STARS!! This book made me happy with all the banter. Sometimes you need a fun book to scrape everyday stress and this is that book. Annie and Emmitt will give you all the feels with their story, so sit back and enjoy.
Marina Adair has certainly delivered a great story full of heart in Romeantically Challenged! Both Annie and Emmitt have unfortunate situations in their lives to deal with throughout the story. Some parts are laugh out loud and some parts pull at your heart strings. Annie is dealing with way too much lately: the wedding of her ex-fiance (his new love is wearing Annie’s wedding dress and they are getting married on her wedding day at her chosen venue), a new job as a traveling Physician Assistant in what was supposed to be Rome Italy but turned out to be Rome Rhode Island (oops), her landlord Emmitt unexpectedly needing to move back into his home which happens to be the AirBnb she rented (can you say instant roommate), and finding her way in life balancing in between being Vietnamese but raised in the USA by white adoptive parents (whew)! Now throw in the struggles of sexy roommate Emmitt and his teenage daughter Paisley, who is being co-parented by her step dad and uncle (yep kinda like three men and a baby). There is a lot going on in this book leading up to the HEA, but author Marina Adair has no problem delivering a heart-felt entertaining page turner! Stay tuned for the two other “dads” to get stories of their own in the future.