The Guy on the Right (The Underdogs Book 1)

Theo Houseman has always fought the uphill battle. The youngest of four and the only boy, a band geek, a HS girlfriend who made him wait until college to come up empty handed, he’s always been getting the short stick and reinventing himself is a need. His roommates are football royalty who keep a steady traffic of girls coming and going through their shared house and though Theo will not partake, he’ll always have breakfast and a kind word to the girls who are not likely to be invited back.
Then he’ll meet hurricane Laney and his life will forever be changed. Freshly broken up and swearing off men, or at least pretty boys, Laney will engage Theo with her crazy antics and over the top persona and they will become fast friends.
As soon as I read the blurb I knew I wanted to read this book, I think the cover is far more than perfect and the story couldn’t have been any better. I loved this book so much that I feel that anything I say couldn’t make justice to it.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that made me feel so happy and connected with the story. I really liked Theo and Laney as well as their supporting characters. I loved their chemistry and the way their relationship developed. They are two odd pods that are perfect together in a sea of regular people and will grow into their relationship while they conquer their respective fears.
The Guy on the Right was an amazing read and I dare everyone out there not to fall in love with Theo and Laney.

FINALLY!!! A story of the good guy finishing first. You never underestimate the “guy on the right”. Oh. My. Stars!! I fell so hard for Theo and this book is definitely now one of my absolute favorites!! It is full of laughs, Swoony moments, chemistry and heat. You will not be able to out it down until you have turned the last page. It was just what I needed to get me out of a book slump and I am already looking forward to reading it again!!!

Kate Stewart’s climb to the top is unstoppable. If you had asked me if this author could top DRIVE, my favorite book by her and one of my top favorites of all times, I would have said no. Good thing I didn’t put any money on that because with THE GUY ON THE RIGHT Kate Stewart has done exactly that. May I present: My new top favorite by this author (by a tiny fraction but still).

Laney is my kind of gal, my spirit animal, the yin to my yang. Quirky, funny, open, fiercely independent, brutally honest and so incredibly sweet, I wanted to be her best friend. She had sass and a hilariously smart mouth. Theo thought the same, obviously. He makes nice look sexy. He is dependable as they come, hilarious and not as cocky and self confident as we are used to and for some reason that makes him even more swoon-worthy. He was cursed blessed with three busybody sisters who couldn’t keep their noses out of his life.

When the meet, they both aren’t ready for relationships but they damn sure become each other’s best friend fast. Their friendship was so solid, so exemplary, so tight, the best wingmen covering your six, the sidekicks everybody should have. I fell hard for both of them.

We’re polar opposites in some ways. I’m too country, and he’s a whole lot of everything else. We shouldn’t fit, but we do, and our fit is nothing short of spectacular.

The build up of their attraction and sexual tension was almost subtle but oh so delicious – while I was still basking in their beautiful friendship, they were like “nope, game over” and, whoa, all of a sudden I was witness of one of the hottest kiss scenes. From then on I was lost. Lost to both characters, irrevocably in love. We know that Kate Stewart is also a masterful storyteller, so a little angst on the side is a must – but fear not, it’s the perfect amount to keep things interesting.

“She’s my favorite person in the world, and I can’t imagine not knowing her.

If you follow Ms Stewart on social media you know what a quirky, funny bird she is. We know that she can write angst like a fiend but I was waiting for her to finally write a RomCom and I wish she’d never write anything else. OK, that’s a lie, but I’d so be up for more of her brand of hilarity. I had such a blast with THE GUY ON THE RIGHT and I can’t recommend it enough if you need a pick-me-up.

“What?”
“Your accent. You keep forgettin’ the G.”
“I’m well aware my accent is thick. Some people think it’s charmin’.”
“Like the toilet paper?”

Oh, my, Lort! I loved everything about this book. Everything!
Laney and Theo just simply clicked from the beginning. For two people who just met, you would have thought they were friends since childhood. I loved that their sense of humor matched each other. I was a little nervous, like Laney, about messing up the friendship by making it more than just that. But in the end, it worked out perfectly.

I am a big fan of Kate Stewart, but this was the first rom-com I’ve read from her (I was a little skeptical), I should have known better. I know the woman can write deep, but at this point, I think she can write anything and I would love it.

5 stars all the way!

Maybe it’s that I read an awful lot, or maybe it’s just that I’m waaaaay past that stage in life, but I find that New Adult/College romance typically resonates less with me. That being said, this book right here proves that not all things of a type are equal. And maybe it’s due in part to the fact that an underdog story will win my heart most every time, but, whatever the reason, THE GUY ON THE RIGHT by author Kate Stewart is a win for me.

There is nothing in this world that would say that Theo and Laney should be a good fit. I mean, truly, it’s just the old, old story of the great guy being ‘friend zoned’ because he’s the absolute best, the funniest, the most fun to be around, a great partner in crime, you name it, but he’s just not quite the leading lady’s “type.” So, while these two get on like the proverbial house on fire, well, Laney’s got him firmly in the position of male bestie, much to Theo’s long-suffering dismay.

But, we know how things go, when, after looking at a person in one way, one day you wake up and, BOOM, everything’s different. Sometimes all it takes is time together, getting to know someone really, really well, and letting them get to know you, warts and all. And, in the case of Laney, who has a long and storied history of falling for the pretty boy, this is the case.

Kate Stewart has written a book that is funny and sweet, and with a great message: do not, whatever you do, underestimate the “other” guy. You know, that guy, the one that’s always around, always makes you laugh, the one that you can count on no matter what…the guy on the right. This one will make you smile, laugh, and remember what a good rom-com is all about. Make sure it’s on your TBR and enjoy.

This was a very sweet, cute, light, romantic, feel good read. It’s a slow burn, friends to lovers trope set in a college town. I may be a little biased as I went to college in College Station, Texas.

The band geek, Theo, is smart, sweet, and musically gift. But the band geek is also a really great guy who just thinks that he falls short. He’s friends with the football players who are everything. He’s been burned by a girl that he loved and is very hesitant to let himself fall again.

The girl, Laney, is a Spitfire. She’s beautiful, sassy, confident, and is tired of dating the wrong kind of guys. She juggles jobs and classes and lives at home with her mom. She just lost her Gram and her best friend is getting married.

The first part of the story was solidifying Theo and Laney‘s newfound friendship. I will say that it was a little slow start for me but around 45% the story really picked up. I found that going from friends to lovers is when the story really opened up for me. I loved that the story was filled with sweet humor as it was wrapped around new love beginning to bloom. And what shined through in this book was that people’s personalities are what matters in the end. Getting to know a person and seeing past beauty or imperfections is what brings people together. Theo and Laney had undeniable chemistry that started from honesty and deciding to open up to one another. But while all was too good to be true, an unavoidable hiccup happened and the angst, the anger, the hurt and the pain felt so very real and relatable. I will say the cast of secondary characters were absolutely wonderful. I enjoyed them all and they definitely added sparkles to the story.

This cute and light story made me smile, giggle, feel good, and reminded me of my fun college days. This author captured the essence of friends to lovers in the most sweetest of ways. She wrote great banter between the characters, had them connecting through being themselves and added the quirky and zany moments that had Theo and Laney rethinking being just friends. A delightful romantic read that will make your summer all the more brighter.

I adored this book- I alternating between dying laughing and swooning and I could not put it down. It was so unique and I loved that from the get-go we knew from the blurb that “In this story, the underdog is going to win.” Theo was perfect- a rare find for sure and I loved him from the instant we met him. Laney was bad-ass and BFF material and they were #friendshipgoals for sure. It was so fun to watch their antics and see them become so much a part of each others life. And when the slow burn took a turn, SWOON!

This has to happen. We owe it to each other to test this chemistry.
“Take me, right now, to wherever you’re planning on sleeping tonight.”

I plan on a re-read soon- it was just that good, it needs another pass ASAP.

Friends-to-lovers is absolutely one of my favorite romance tropes; there’s just something about a relationship built on a foundation of friendship that creates a more stable connection – one that can grow as deeper and bigger feelings are felt by both individuals. And what I so appreciate about Kate Stewart’s latest release, The Guy on the Right, is that, even though the story line is more of a romantic comedy than the high angst readers are used to, Stewart’s flawlessly entertaining writing and multifaceted characters remain, captivating her readers yet again but also leaving them with a smile on their faces and and quite a few laughs along the way.

I will admit that it did take me a bit to get into Theo and Laney’s story, but I think that had more to do with me wanting them to hurry up and admit their feelings for each other and prove to one another that they fit perfectly together. Stewart’s stories don’t work that way, and it’s definitely something that I appreciate about her writing, even if, this time around, I wanted things to speed up;)

As the story progresses, nothing is rushed between Theo and Laney, not only because of what they both experienced before forming this unlikely bond, but also because there’s a significant amount of nervousness and fear that comes along with taking friendship to another level, and even more so with Theo and Laney, because there are other factors determining where this relationship goes and the progress made between these two, one being the fact that Theo and Laney are complete opposites, so figuring out how to mesh their two personalities is extremely important, and Stewart does an amazing job of bringing these two together in ways that fit their personalities and their connection.

Like always, Stewart creates amazing secondary characters whose roles contribute to Theo and Laney’s individual growth as well as together as friends and as more. Theo and Laney’s families and friends, especially Theo’s 3 older sisters and Laney’s mother and best friend add so much to the story line and offer insights and humorous moments throughout the story.

I’m a staunch supporter of the underdog – for those hidden gems who just haven’t quite reached their full potential, but then find out who they are, maybe with a little help of others, but mostly due to them figuring out their path and pushing themselves out of their comfort zones to the point that it becomes second nature to go after what they want, never feeling inferior or unworthy. And that’s the hero Kate Stewart creates for readers…that’s who Theo becomes…who he’s always been, but just needed a bit of a push to find his new normal.

The old adage that nice guys finish last does not ring true in The Guy on the Right; in fact, not only does Theo win Laney’s heart, but he also comes into his own the further into the story readers get and that growth is illustrated through his emerging self-confidence, his ability to go after what he wants, but also in his drive to not turn into a jerk that a lot of alpha males seem to become, which makes it so easy to cheer for this guy and want him to have everything he wants and deserves!

4.5 Poison Apples

5 Grand Band Man Stars!!!!

This is by far the best “underdog gets the girl” books I’ve ever read! Theo and Laney had me rolling and snort laughing more times than I could count. There were also some very heartfelt moments that tugged at my heart. Ms. Stewart knows how to deliver on her rom-coms!!

The minute I read the synopsis for this book, I KNEW I had to read it. I mean how many times does the band geek get the girl? Hardly ever!! Well, Theo Houseman has changed the perception of band geeks for all time!! He meets our girl Laney after a somewhat life altering moment at a frat party and so begins the friendship of two most unlikely people!

I absolutely loved this girl. She’s fun, sassy, quirky and can totally deliver one-liners like a pro. What I loved the most about her is that she saw Theo for more than what’s on the outside. These two have some raucous adventures too. I’m not going to spoil any for you but seriously, when you get to this point in the book, have your tissues handy cuz you’re going to laugh like you haven’t before….

“Listen to me, Houseman. We ate too much. We are Snoop Dogg at the Chronic Olympics high. We have an Uber coming in five minutes. I need you to find your feet…. I dunno that’s plausibble”

This book is full of little gems like this. I adored how opposite these two were but are perfect for each other at the same time. Watching their friendship blossom into so much more was one of the best reading experiences I’ve had!

Ms. Stewart has outdone herself with this book. I know there’s so much more that we’re going to get from some of the secondary characters because they’re just that good! In the meantime, I’m going to be over here wondering what to read next because I’ve got a bit of a book hangover going on!!

3.5 stars

”If I’m completely honest, I’ve been falling for him, in pieces, since the night we met.”

It’s not easy for me to write a review for a book that I had such high expectations for and got a little disappointed. But that’s just the thing with expectations, isn’t it? It’s not the first time this happens to me and probably won’t be the last. My guess is that to me the blurb is a little bit misleading on what to expect. Maybe I read it wrong… So my bad.

This book is such a slow burn romance starting of with a head start but suddenly falling back without reason. If it wasn’t for the fact, that this book was written by one of my favourite authors and knowing how she’s capable to pull off her stories, I would have quit by 30%. The first third of this book didn’t grab me at all. I had trouble to connect with the characters and trouble seeing/feeling the connection between them. But once the magical barrier was broken, I couldn’t get enough from Theo and Laney.

Theo and Laney are special and I really love that about them. They are authentic to me as a reader and they are authentic towards each other and their friends. Not perfect, showing their flaws, almost carrying them with pride. They really live their realest life.

I also love the messages this story caries. Yes, there is more than one and I recommend you to dive into this book and see for yourself.

”We shouldn’t fit, but we do, and our fit is nothing short of spectacular.”

Sadly I had some trouble with some minor parts of the book which came to me as gap filler. I didn’t see the connection to the read thread through the story. Even though some caught up later in the book, to me it was not important on how the story unfold. It doesn’t sit well with me if I question why this part was told and I don’t see it really fit. I never had this with Kate Steward’s books before.

Nevertheless this book is such a cute story that had to told and has to be read. I know it deserves every single fantastic 5 star review it already got and probably will get in the future. It’s just me that some things didn’t sit so right with than I expected they would be.

”While I laid myself bare, he’s been spoon-feeding me pieces of himself. Layer by layer, everything he’s unveiled has only made me fall harder.”

The Guy on The Right is a special and unique friends to lovers romance that will warm your heart and you definitely don’t want to miss out on!