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
more
Adair created a well-written story and beautifully developed characters. This is an engaging book about finding yourself. I was hooked from the first chapter. Annie struggles to find herself and determine where she belongs – all while in a new place. Emmitt returns “home” to figure out where he belongs in his work and family. Both are strong characters who you are rooting for. The dynamics of the supporting characters provide the perfect balance to Annie and Emmitt. I smiled, laughed, wanted to cry, and mostly didn’t want the book to end. Knowing that Adair drew inspiration from her own daughter appealed to me even more!
This book was great! It had been awhile since I had read anything from Marina Adair and so I was really looking forward to this one. It did not disappoint. Anh, recently left by her ex-fiance, decides to relocate and start fresh in the town of Rome, RI. She rents an Airbnb for six months only to soon discover that its owner has returned early. Emmitt is a photojournalist who has come home to recover from an injury to find Anh living in his house. The banter between these two was fun and well-written. I laughed out loud several times. I really liked that, despite an instant attraction, these two do not have an insta-love or fall into bed right away. Their relationship build was fantastic. I loved Emmitt’s daughter as well as her two other “dads” and am hoping that Adair will write their stories as well. I felt the emotions of the characters and had a hard time putting the book down. I really enjoyed Romeantically Challenged and think that fans of Jill Shalvis would enjoy this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for an ARC of this book. The opinions here are my own.
An engagement gone awry. An ex-fiancé who is using your venue, your caterer, your just about everything to marry another woman…who he found only weeks after your break-up! You find the most perfect, romantic place to heal…Rome. But…in your haste to get out of town, you realize you’re in Rome, Rhode Island…and broke, since your ex hasn’t returned your half of the deposit from the wedding venue! Thus, begins the saga of Anh Nhi (Annie) Walsh, ER Physician’s Assistant, and the woman who is every man she’s ever dated, ‘almost’ fiancée.
Settling into Rome, Annie has rented the perfect place. Close to work, nice size, all in all, if she must be in Rhode Island, it was OK. Still dealing with her ex and her parents, who still like her ex, she doesn’t need a midnight visitor disturbing her sanity, her luck, and making her throw shoes!
Emmitt Bradley, journalist extraordinaire, is just back from China where he was seriously injured. He’s the owner of the house but didn’t let his buddy know he was coming back, thus Annie is the tenant.
Annie doesn’t feel complete. She’s Vietnamese but doesn’t feel like she ‘fits’ with either her Anglo adoptive parents, or the Vietnamese community. She’s trying her best, but she always feels like the outsider.
Emmitt doesn’t feel complete. He has a child and doesn’t feel like a parent. He’s gone all the time and didn’t know about his daughter, Paisley, until she was five. He’s trying his best, but he always feels like he’s the outsider.
Annie and Emmitt both have problems they need to work out. As they begin to take on each other’s burdens, will they realize that they can become complete together?
I’m a fan of Ms. Adair. She’s speaking from her heart about this issue and it shows. Great book.
I enjoyed this book! It was so sweet and a little quirky. Annie is an interesting character. I liked that she was smart and had a good career. She was only in Rome, Rhode Island for a short time. Life had thrown her for a loop and she was a little lost. I liked that she was also doing a little soul searching. She didn’t need a guy, in fact, she was wanting to be man-free! I found myself laughing out loud at times …. the way in which Annie and Emmitt met especially! Emmitt’s world was unique and his friendship/closeness with the men in his life with was an added bonus or complexity at times! But they were his family. And they all embraced Annie. There were things Emmitt wasn’t able to hide from Annie and their chemistry was palpable. I enjoyed their budding relationship. I liked how they fit in each others lives! This book was complex, fun and gave me the feels. Don’t let this book pass you by!
The perfect romcom that will have you laughing out loud through the story. A takeoff of two of my favorite movies, Three Men and Baby and 27 Dresses. Annie is a Physician Assistant, who is new to Rome and nursing a broken heart, she is ready for a man free zone when Emmitt, her landlord shows up with physical wounds he is healing and is ready to move back into her house. Soon they can no longer deny the chemistry that they share. On the side story, Emmitt has a teenage daughter that he is raising along with two other men.
This was the perfect read during these tiring times, I laughed out loud so many time and even shed a few tears. Love this quirky little town with a cast a characters that are so much fun. Looking forward to revisiting this town. I highly recommend this book.
This book was great from the beginning. I did like getting to know Anh (Annie) and her initial meeting, if you will, with Emmitt was so funny. A favorite part of mine was the sticky notes and the text messages. However, Annie and Emmitt were both working through some things, Annie with the ‘Clark situation’ and Emmitt with his recovery. I also liked all of our friends we met during this story – Paisley, Gray, Levi, Lynn, Beckett and of course Nurse Tran, just to name a few. I did appreciate that Annie who always makes sure she is there for others and at times a ‘people pleaser’ had not only Nurse Tran stand up for her but her mother also got involved to help get the ‘Clark situation’ taken care of. I felt like Annie and Emmitt both overcame some personal hurdles and the ending with the note was perfect. Really looking forward to the next book.
Marina Adair has done it! RomeAntically Challenged is an entertaining, witty take on a dumped fiancée & the trials she has to face. I loved this story & read it in one sitting. From the beginning, you feel bad for Annie. Her ex & his new fiancée are trying to take over her life & Annie can’t seem to stiffen her spine & stand up for herself. This is all a comedy of everything that could happen dumped into one story but it works! I giggled. I laughed. I about cried. This was one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in a long time.
I really enjoyed RomeAntically Challenged and I am going to tell you why! First this story is truly women’s fiction. It is a story with many inner stories taking place and yes there is a romance brewing but there is also so much more going on. Anh Nhi “Annie” Walsh is a recent transplant to Rome, R.I. She is a physician’s assistant and after a major breakup with her fiance she has decided to make a drastic move and reassess her life. What Annie does not expect is for the owner of the house that she rented to show up and proceed to move into her rented space! Emmitt Bradley needs to come home. He’s a photo-journalist and has been severely injured on his last assignment. The last thing that he expected to find in his house is a tiny Asian spitfire that is one of the few women on this planet that refuses to fall for his charm and do what he wants! So this is the first layer of Annie and Emmitt’s story but there is a lot more. Emmitt has a 15 year old daughter that he shares custody of with his two best friends, her stepfather and her uncle. These two men are the daily figures in Paisley’s life and Emmitt is coming to realize that he is odd man out and wants to change things but he doesn’t know how. He also has a strained relationship with his father that he keeps pushing aside rather then work on. Annie also has things to tackle in her life, a fiance that owes her money from their canceled wedding, a string of relationships that ended friendly yet ended and a longing to get involved with the local Asian community and how can she do all this when she has a roommate that is constantly underfoot! Get ready to enjoy this journey between two very different people who beneath it all have always been searching for the same thing. RomeAntically Challenged is told from dual POV and is sweet, complicated, funny, frustrating and all the other emotions that are a part of life. If it were a movie it would be rated PG.
This wonderful book is a fantastic start to a fun new series by one of my favorite authors. This story is fun, flirty and sexy! Annie and Emmitt won my heart from the very beginning and they kept me entertained all the way through the book. Their chemistry is intense and as they try to resist each other you just know there is no way they can do it. This story hit all my emotional buttons and had me laughing at some points while crying at others. Definitely a book for the must read list. I highly recommend it.
3.5*
I like the way the title was worked into the story, it was more natural instead of being forced in there. Sometimes titles are just an overall feel to the story and other times they actually work in it, and in this case it was the latter and that made me happy. Just a small thing, but sometimes it’s the small things that make me happy! And in the case of this book, it was more of the small things that worked for me.
Romeantically Challenged is cute and light read, with a couple of somewhat heavier and emotional issues that the main characters had to deal with. Anh/Annie and Emmitt were entertaining characters and I liked them individually. I enjoyed both their journeys, as they each kind of came into their own and made some realizations about themselves.
But I don’t feel like I ever really connected to them as a couple- they weren’t on page together enough for me. By the end I was kind of invested in them, but I wanted more.
The ending was a little too abrupt for me, I feel like we were left hanging, especially in regards to some aspects of the story. I see there is a second book coming, but it features a different couple so I don’t think it’ll give me the feeling of closure I needed from this book.
Overall, Romeantically Challenged was an easy read. The characters were likeable and both Annie and Emmitt’s stories were compelling. But unfortunately it just didn’t have that wow factor for me.
I am on a roll. Well, the books I’ve been reading are a on a roll anyway. I love when this happens. As much as I hate when I’m in a reading slump, it’s just so amazing when I have a reading high. So many good books lately! And this is another 5 star read. And another reminder of how much I love this author.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…Marina Adair is an ace at the meet cute. Seriously, pretty much every book of hers has me giggling when the hero and heroine meet. In this case, I was mortified for Anh Nhi (known by most in her life as Annie) while being intrigued by Emmitt. If you’re a regular romance reader, it’s quite obvious she’s the woman to tame Emmitt’s playboy ways. But I think that even if this wasn’t a romance, where I already had my preconceived ideas of what would happen, I would have felt that instant recognition of souls who are meant to be together. I don’t know how to explain it exactly, but it’s like the inner-selves of Annie and Emmitt were calmed when they met, even if they were quarreling.
Now, I’m not saying there is insta-love here. In fact, Annie tries to fight their obvious chemistry with all that she has. She’s had a pretty crappy go of things lately and has realized she makes it way to easy for guys to use her as a stepping stone to the next (better?) thing. Annie’s a fixer. She seems to help men suss out their weaknesses so they can learn to be and do better, only for them to realize she’s not their one and only, which means some other woman gets to enjoy the fruits of her labor. To be clear, Annie doesn’t do this in any overbearing or obvious way. She’s got such a kind and open heart, she’s a good listener, and she’s wonderful at nudging people in the right direction without them even noticing it’s happening.
Emmitt does not deny his playboy ways, but it’s upsetting to him that nobody seems to think that he’s grown up at all over the last 10 or so years. Not only when it comes to women, but in all aspects of his life. Emmitt is in a unique situation of co-parenting his daughter with two other men. Which is actually one of the things I adore about this story. The tale of how these three men came to be Paisley’s dads is sad and lovely and beautiful. While Emmitt is her biological dad, he hasn’t always been around. Some of that he can control (not taking some of the overseas jobs he’s offered for his photojournalism career would be a start), some he cannot (he didn’t know about Paisley until she was 5). But he’s learned a lot about love and family and what kind of father and friend he wants to be. The problem is, nobody seems to be noticing his attempts to fix things. And some of the things that happen with Emmitt and his friends/co-dads just tear my heart out for him. Levi and Gray are going through their own issues, to be sure. It’s been a tough year on them all. Yet, they are so dismissive of Emmitt that I cannot help but be angry with them both.
Of course, with her flair for helping others, Annie can’t help but be there for Emmitt and Paisley and try to guide their father/daughter journey. There are so many layers to Annie, and to this story. While Annie knows her parents love her more than anything, she has always felt like she doesn’t belong anywhere. She was born in Vietnam and grew up in a white affluent neighborhood. Not only is she trying to find her way and discover herself when it comes to love and men, she’s also trying to find her place in the world as a whole. Her situation is drastically different from Paisley’s, but there is still something there that helps her to understand the teenager. Along the way, Annie starts to learn what it means to speak up for herself and to realize it’s okay to lean on others once in a while.
Annie and Emmitt, as I said earlier, are souls who were meant to find each other. Watching their relationship unfold took my breath away. On top of the honesty of their raw feelings that unfold over time, there are things about their relationship, things they say and think, that reference many of may favorite movies and television shows. Not in an obvious way that would make you not enjoy things if you didn’t know they references. Almost like an inside nudge/wink from the author to other fans of these shows that makes the story a lot of fun.
I cannot stress enough the beauty of this story. I wanted to be Annie’s best friend, Emmitt’s confidant, and Paisley’s cool aunt. I wanted to punch Gray and Levi while also giving them hugs. I’m so happy the author is making this a series. I need to see Gray and Levi, as well as Paisley, find deeper happiness in their lives.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
Adair continues to be one of my favorite authors. Her talent lies in allowing reading to bask in the humorous side of life without losing sight of the heart of it all. Romeantically Challenged puts it’s best foot forward with beautifully flawed storytelling. Amid the what ifs, why mes and who am I is a sweetness that proves to be uniquely, endearing with irresistible, unpredictability. Annie and Emmitt force our emotions to think outside of the box and in these trying times that’s something we all need.
This book was deservedly full of the 4 stars I’ve given it. It was witty, insightful, playful, and full of lovable characters. The back and forth banter was spot on. It was endearing and sexy at the same time. Annie was such a fun character to read about. Her initial thoughts were comical. Emmitt was such a layered character and I loved him. I found myself laughing out loud at certain exchanges. Marina did it again!
#avidreaderbookblog #readingislife #bookblogger #arc #bookishfirst #bookreview
This was such a fun book that also had some heavy hitting on some subjects. The fun was everywhere, with a guy (Emmitt) who returns home from a photo journalist assignment in China to discover that his little girl has turned into the hot mess that is a teenager. Raising her with her stepdad and her uncle both in the mix makes for some challenging and hilarious moments. He is also dealing with issues with a neglectful father and secrets with could destroy him.
Anh (Annie) has rented Emmitt’s house while he’s gone–but now he’s back early and has made himself her roommate. Dealing with him, a recent ex and trying to discover her Korean roots in a Caucasian upbringing makes her an emotional mess who can’t decide whether to storm at everyone or just sit and cry.
Could they be just what the other needs? Add some heat and you’ve got a story that pretty much gives you everything you could possibly want.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
This first book in this new series is one with a multitude of stories and I have to confess that it wasn’t until I was 1/3 of the book that I started to get into it.
First we had Annie, a physician assistant, who has moved to Rome, RI, for a new beginning after being dumped by her fiancee. On top of that, she’s also dealing with her identity as an adopted Vietnamese who feels she’s an “in-between” meaning , while being raised by supportive and loving Caucasian parents, she is not white, and she has little or no connection to the culture of her country of birth.
Then we have internationally acclaimed photojournalist, and known “player” Emmitt. He’s back in Rome to not only visit his daughter, one that he knew nothing for the first 5 years of her life, but also to recover from injuries that almost cost him his life. In addition to the recovery and desire to reconnect with his teenage daughter whom he sees every few months, he has issues with trust, and still mourns his mother. Add to that the family dynamics or lack thereof with his father, as well as his daughter’s 2 other “Dads” and you have a lot going on in the story.
I wish the author would have had less sub-plots, and focused on the story of Annie’s “in-between” feelings and her journey of self-discovery, as well as Emmitt’s issues with trust and love. These were touching and thought provoking issues.
My first inclination is to give the story a 3 stars rating, but not only have a great deal of respect for this author, but knowing that she put her heart and her feelings into giving the reader Annie’s story, I will give it 4 stars.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley and Kensington Books. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
RomeAntically Challenged: Accepted and Surpassed All My Expectations.
Annie is recovering from a recent heartbreak that is making old feelings of inadequacy creep up. Emmitt is recovering from a work related injury and coming to terms with his changing family. Neither of them considers themselves ready for a relationship but that doesn’t really matter when you’re person shows up.
Serving as a love letter to her daughter, Marina Adair creates a story about a Vietnamese woman who struggles to fit into her two worlds, that of her white parents and that of her culture, but never stops being true to herself and her beliefs. I loved the exploration of Annie’s adoption and search for her place as well as Emmitt’s search for his place in a trio of dads.
RomeAntically Challenged is a fun update of the classic rom-com Three Men and a Baby with lots of heart and emotion that left me craving more, especially a little romance for Dad Two and Bonus Dad!
I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.
Can two people still looking to find themselves and their place in the world, find happiness with each other? This is a very delightful RomCom about an adopted Vietnamese woman and a world globing investigative journalist. Appealing characters, amusing banter, funny scenes and a provocative story make it a wonderful read.
Anh Nhi Walsh, third daughter of a married Vietnamese couple was given up for adoption at birth to an Irish American couple, both renowned therapists. I think her adopted paternal grandmother was Jewish. Being the only Vietnamese in a small Connecticut town, she has always felt out of place, but is a very kind person and is a desired PA. She is very good at whipping boyfriends into shape, but then they break up and immediately find their “one”. But her last ex, Clark was the last straw. Shortly after breaking off their engagement, he is engaged to another and is using all of Ahn’s plans and vendors for his “new” wedding, refusing to return her share of the deposits and even her grandmother’s wedding dress was altered for the new bride. She accepts a temporary position in Rome, to find herself, but it turns out not to be in Rome, Italy, but Rome, Rhode Island. And the cabin that she is renting, is unexpectedly occupied by its owner, who was suppose to be in China, but had been injured and sent home.
Investigative journalist Emmett’s mother died when he was young and he was raised by an indifferent father. He never planned on any kind of relationship with a woman, but when he found out that he had a daughter, Paisley, there was already a step Dad in the picture and an Uncle. Paisley’s mother was recently killed in an auto accident, and as a teen she is really having problems coping, despite having three dads. Emmett was injured during his last assignment and is having problem finding his place in his daughter’s life. Ahn is a wonderful distracting. But is that all she is? Can he be the man she needs or will he screw it up?
This is a very sweet romance and I hope there will be a second about Ahn finding her biological sisters. I won a copy of this book from Kensington Books. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
4.5 stars
A great love story with a slow burn romance that had me laughing, swooning and feeling sad at times as well. Just like in real life, nothing is perfect and this book was so well written and with reliable characters that I highly recommend it.
Hooray for this wonderful start to this new series by Marina Adair! This book evoked so many emotions in me and I really enjoyed it. I laughed, I cried, I swooned, and felt all of the feelings I love to catch in a good romance book. It’s a sweet, emotional, honest, funny, frustrating and very thoughtful story that is about so much more than two people falling in love. In fact that takes quite some time and is probably one of the slowest burns I’ve ever read, but it honestly fit so well with the situation. Anh Ni or Annie as she goes by and Emmitt butt heads almost from the instant they meet but you know what they say about that fine line.
Anh struggles with fitting in as a Vietnamese woman who was raised by a white family in the US and being estranged from her culture. She has also just been dumped by her fiancé. Emmitt struggles for a place in his daughter Paisley’s world/heart because he hardly ever sees her due traveling for his job and feels like he is competing with the two other father figures in her life after the death of her mom.
With seemingly nothing in common on the surface, watching these two extremely complex people navigate through the day to day and all the challenges thrown at them was an absolute joy to read! I look forward to more in this new series set in a fictional town in RI.
Romeantically Challenged was a thoroughly enjoyable book. When Anh Nhi finds herself in Rome, Rhode Island, after being jilted, Annie knows it’s time to be daring, make some changes in her life, the first one no men in her life. What happens is a funny, lighthearted story of mixups, an unwanted roommate (Emmitt), and maybe even finding real love. As I began reading the book, I found myself becoming attached to the characters, cheering for them and wanting to help Annie along when she was being too stubborn to admit she may like (love) Emmitt. This is a laugh out loud story and a reminder that there is someone out there for all of us.