Dear Letter Girl, I need to see you. When can we meet?Her response never came. My secret pen pal with a dirty mind has ghosted me. I’ve roped Jules, my sweet as pie next door neighbor, to help me track her down.There’s only one problem–I’m falling for her. The tortoise shell glasses, out of this world curves and delicious treats are making the search for The Letter Girl even harder. My notes … The Letter Girl even harder.
My notes were supposed to be a one time thing. A little too much wine and naughty thoughts on a winter’s night. I never thought Berk would write back. I wanted to tell him it was me, but the fear of rejection kept my lips sealed.
Now he’s enlisted my help to track down The Letter Girl and our search has him hot on my, ahem, her trail.
She’s the girl next door.
He’s my secret pen pal.
Truth is on a collision course with their hearts and it’s only a matter of time before one of them gets wrecked…
more
“All those nights I read and reread his words. The way my fingers tingled when I slipped another note into his mailbox and grabbed one of his.”
I’m currently in a state of shock, reeling from this book. It was just that good that I can’t even begin to fathom how to express how good it is.
I love Jules. She is just the sweetest, most kind hearted person and by far my favorite heroine I read in a while.
Everytime I think Maya can’t possibly top her previous book or make me love her writing more, she surprises me.
The Third Best Thing is even better then the previous FU books, and a total must read.
5 gazillion stars and a salted caramel chocolate chunk cookie!
This is the third book in the series and for right now, its my favorite!! I feel in love with Berk in the first book The Perfect First. The guys have this brotherly chemistry that is totally remarkable. Jules is phenomenal character that you’re easily drawn to. I truly love this series!!!
“The Letter Girl had careened into my life like a damn smash and grab pro and wormed her way into my heart before I knew what happened.”
Where do I ever begin?
Just WoW!
Jules and Berk were absolutely mind-blowing .
Just perfect
The sweetness and the passion coming out of this story is just terrific .
A rollercoaster of sweetness and cookies (so much cookies )
Jules’s story deserved to be told . Her struggle and insecurities , and how she let her family hurt her feelings , but also her kindness , and strange passions such as pole dancing and writing sexy letters . Her life surely hasn’t been easy , she spent her life hiding behind her cupcakes , cookies and cakes , finding comfort and happiness in food , but she couldn’t hide any longer …
”Don’t ever let anyone else make you feel like you’re not awesome.”
Berk , the soul of the party , the funny one , the football player , with a sweet tooth … He had a pretty solid mask on , always hiding behind jokes and meaningless things , his whole life he has been alone , his roommates were his only real family , until something changed : She happened .
“She was the most beautiful thing in the world to me and it scared me more than losing the next game or not making the draft. Because I’d never had anything as beautiful as her in my live.”
With her sweet treats , Jules made her way through Berk heart and soul with cookies and cupcakes , bringing to his life all he has been waiting for : someone to really care for and be taken care of without limits .
They just made sense together , Jules took longer to see it but eventually all the walls went down and there was nothing stopping the fireworks .
“She was made for me, and I’d spend the rest of my life giving her every beautiful thing she deserved—starting with my love.”
I gave it 4.5 stars
I hope you’ll enjoy it like I did
3.85 Short review. After reading the first book I couldn’t wait to read Berk’s book. Berk’s book was not disappointing, it was frustrating at times like when Berk and Jules broke up twice, I wanted to lock them into a room until they work out their issues. I like that Berk fell for Jules twice, once as the girl who was secretly writing him anonymous love and steamy letters and second as the girl who he has been friends with for a year. Berk’s past was so heartbreaking and moving, there were a number of times I teared up reading his part of the book and hoping he gets a happy ending and a happy life. Jules part of story was also moving and made me want to shake some sense and feelings out of her mother, I do like that her sister did eventually come around I wouldn’t mind reading a book about her finding love and herself. You’ll laugh and cry but walk away feeling good about the story.
This is the third book in the amazing Fulton U Series, a New Adult and College Romance. I love this Series with intertwined characters. Berk and Jules’s friends to lovers romance is beautiful, sweet, fun, emotional, and heartwarming. They are perfect together. Berk is handsome, charming, caring and supportive. He had a heartbreaking past. Jules is such a lovely young woman, insecure, but strong, and independent. Her family is dysfunctional, and her mother is awful. The supporting characters are amazing. Jason Clarke and Emma Wilder did an outstanding job with the narration. They both have a beautiful voice. They are perfect as Berk and Jules. I enjoyed it, and I HIGHLY recommend it.
Jules is strong not because of her past but in spite of it. Not only was she not supported by those who should have loved her but the way they treated her is enough to break your heart. She doesn’t believe her neighbor would ever be attracted to her but that doesn’t stop the feelings she has for him. What was supposed to be one anonymous letter has snowballed as she certainly didn’t expect him to write her back and even more when she stopped writing he didn’t think he would come to her door looking for help to find the woman who wrote the letters.
Berk is the sexy football player who exudes confidence but due to a painful past that is far different from the man he truly is. When he starts receiving the letters, he is drawn to the woman who wrote them so when they stop, he feels lost. He knows that she is special and now all he needs his neighbor to help him find her, but the truth is much closer than he thinks.
The more time they spend together, the closer they become and the way that they are there for each other is magical to watch. This is sweet and sexy story with all the feels about two people who with the help of each other realize they deserve more than the hand they have been dealt and that family is about love not blood. I thought that the narrators were the perfect choice for the characters and the story.
This book gave me so many feels! Jules is so easily relatable to me. The insecurities and the way you see yourself not being how others see you, but that negative look at yourself is so hard to overcome. Berk’s story broke my heart again and again with how he grew up and how he lost everyone in his life and always waited for them to leave. Jules and Berk were perfectly matched from the beginning. The letters started something, but TLG became irrelevant when Berk really got to know Jules. He fell in love with her and nothing else mattered. These two were so easy to love. I want more of them!
Ahhh!! Oh my goodness, can this author write an adorably sweet love story or what?! The heroes in her Fulton U series are soooo perfect and romantic and Berk is another great addition. Also, this book is hilarious just like the first two (view spoiler). If you are looking for a swoon-worthy romance with comedy and heart, you will find it here.
Jules is The Letter Girl (TLG). Although, Berk doesn’t know that. To him, TLG and Jules are two separate people and he seems to find himself tempted by both. What he doesn’t know is that TLG is a side of Jules he’s never seen and Jules is the part of TLG he’s been looking for…
Their love story was so wonderful and sweet. I cannot wait to see more of them in the future Fulton U books. My issues were mainly that I just hate when toxic people are constantly given the benefit of the doubt and trusted and forgiven — especially when it interferes with the relationship of the MCs… I also struggled with a lot of Jules’ insecurity. It’s very real, but as the observer (reader), you just want to be like “say it!” or “he loves you girl!” and “tell your mom to STFU”. Anyway, this was another great book and I am SO excited for LJ and Marisa’s book!!!
4*
Bert is desperate to find letter girl, the two have been exchanging secret letters.
Needing help he’s convinced Jules to help but will he discover her secret.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book I liked the fact that Burt built her up despite her mother’s constant put downs.
Jules was the friend you need for life, her loyalty and that shes an expert baker seal the deal
I loved Jules when she was introduced in The Second We Met, and I am so happy her story with Berkley was written!
Jules’ self-esteem is lacking. It stems from her overly judgemental mother who never has anything nice to say about her. She likes the boy across the street, but feels like he would never give her the time of day and doesn’t want to be rejected. After a drunken, lonely night on winter break, she decided to write him an anonymous letter, and not just any letter, but a dirty letter. What she didn’t expect was for him to write back…
When Berk finds the note from his dirty-minded anonymous pen pal, he thinks his friends are playing a joke on him. After a few letter exchanges, he writes to her asking when they can meet. When she sends a final letter saying that they can’t, he is determined to find out who this Letter Girl is.
After Berk ropes Jules into helping him find her (haha) they begin forming a friendship and then it blossoms into so much more.
Berk and Jules are just so perfect for each other! They are both broken, but they’re able to fix those pieces for the other. Berk absolutely adores Jules even though she has a difficult time understanding why because of her self esteem issues.
I am excited for the fourth book to come out, but sad it won’t be until next year!! Can’t wait!!
This book left me with the biggest smile ever! All the feels!!! Jules and Berk’s story is absolutely adorable. The crush, the anonymous letters, their friendship all make for the most amazing story. Jules doesn’t think someone like Berk would ever go for her, but as their friendship and chemistry grow I just could not get enough. These characters steal your heart as well as each other’s. I love this series so much and Jules and Berk’s story was the icing on the cake!!!
I just finished this book and I literally couldn’t wait to review it – it was that good. This book was everything I was hoping for and more. Protective and humble hotshot football player? Check. A guy unafraid to share his emotions and bare his heart? Sign me up! Two people, who have been chewed up and spit out by life, overcoming their fears? Yes, please.
The third book in the Fulton U series gives readers a look into the lives of Berk, an attractive and goofy but surprisingly vulnerable football player, and Jules, a sweet-as-can-be baker who has been crushing on Berk for what feels like forever. Through a series of sexy letters and delicious baked goods, what starts as an anonymous pen pal romance turns into a beautiful relationship between the girl who doesn’t feel like she fits in and the boy who would give her the world.
Berk and Jules’ relationship is incredibly sweet and, as the book progresses, you get to see just how deep their relationship goes. Jules and Berk as characters are wonderfully developed and you can’t help but feel connected to their struggles. Their relationship never feels artificial or fake and though they avoid discussing some of the harder issues they each deal with initially (i.e., Berk’s life as a former foster kid, Jules’ secret identity as The Letter Girl, her mother’s cruel criticism), it still feels like they connected on a deep enough level that those details are just window dressing.
I think what I enjoyed most about this book (aside from the perfection of Jules and Berk’s relationship) is seeing how Jules’ struggle with her image and body confidence changed her. It was refreshing not only to see a female main character who wasn’t ‘model perfect’ but also one who acknowledged that loving yourself is a process. In the end, Jules emerges from it stronger and more confident than ever. I loved in the end that Jules could laugh at her insecurities and mean it. Berk has never made her feel anything less than beautiful and sexy and it feels so good when Jules finally sees it too.
I literally can’t say enough good things about this book. If you’re looking for a sweet and sexy romance between two perfectly imperfect characters, then this is it for you. This the first book in the Fulton U series that I have read but I plan to rectify that immediately.
*Thank you so much to Goodreads, Maya Hughes, and Some Kind of Wonderful Publishing for the giveaway copy that allowed me to read The Third Best Thing and give an honest review!
Loved Berk and Jules. They were so good together. She was his friend and he was her secret crush. Berk started getting notes from a secret admirer and when he couldn’t figure out who was sending them, he enlisted his friend, Jules, to help him figure it out. Little did he know that he was closer to the truth. Loved their chemistry. So good.
I read an early review copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
The Third Best Thing is the third book in the Fulton U series. We’ve previously met Berk and Jules in the other books and their story does not disappoint.
Jules is a great character. She is the sweetest thing with a spine of steel. She has insecurities about her body yet she owns her body as well. I mean, hello, strip pole in her room. I loved how Berk was able to bring her out of her shell and help her with her body image. Berk also gave her the strength to stand up for herself with her family. I was so happy about that because they needed to be put in their place.
Oh, how I loved Berk. I just wanted to hug him when I learned his heartbreaking back story and then the way he was still being manipulated. He had trouble accepting that people were going to stay and Jules proved to him that he was worth fighting for.
These two had their flaws and struggles and watching them support each other through them was inspiring. They were truly friends first and then realized that they were so much more. It was perfect!!
I’ve loved all of the books in this series, but Berk and Jules’ story holds a special place in my heart. Now bring on LJ and Marisa’s story. I can’t wait to read it!!
I have to say, I like college romances, not love them. But this one is great exception.
Loved everything about this story.
Jules, who love to bake.
Berk who love football.
Their great friends.
Crazy family.
Couldn’t put this book down. Highly recommend it.
Berk and Jules are so sweet. I love their connection and their natural attraction.
I want to start by saying YESS!! FINALLY! Jules isn’t the typical runway model main character that we normally get who can eat a gallon of ice cream and not gain a pound. I loved to see her so realistic and like some of us who struggle with our weight and body image and have to work on loving ourselves daily, and accepting the fact that others see us as beautiful and want us just the way we are. (That’s a hell of a run on sentence but you get my drift.) I loved watching her grow to love herself the way everybody should and I loved that she had an adventurous side even though she kept it hidden.
Berk was Mr. Perfect, on the outside, on the inside he had his own demons like we all do. You never realize the struggles people are going through, even when they seem to have it all. I enjoyed seeing his internal struggle and the fact that he saw Jules as somebody he needed to work to be worthy of when it seemed she was thinking the same thing about him.
The dynamic between the two was so sweet and loving even when they were just friends, the struggles they both went through were heart wrenching and made me hurt for them but it made them both stronger as individuals and I call that a win every time.
The writing in this book is just what I wanted, not too slow where you get bored but not so fast it seems like they jump off the deep end in the first sentence. It was emotional and real and everything I wanted. I loved it! I love that we got to see the characters from the first two books also it was nice to see where they are in life.
This is the third book in the Fulton U series by Maya Hughes.
In “The Second We Met” it was already hinted that Jules and Berk would get their own book and it’s finally here
They live next to each other – Berk in the Brothel and Jules still in the apartment she previously shared with Elle and their absent roommate Zoe.
Jules is this phenomenal baker – my mouth watered by just reading and imagining the baked goods. Pole dancing is also one of her hobbies – I must admit I totally forgot about this one but was really thrilled how this would turn out with Berk finding out etc..
Jules has also a real complicated past. She has a lot of self esteem issues and is in the process of finding herself again and learning to love herself. She’s curvy and beautiful but always got the impression from others that she just wasn’t enough. Besides needing to love herself, she definitely needed someone that sets her world on fire
Here comes Berk. The football player, nice guy and has a weakness for Jules baked goods
In the last book we got to know that Berk received letters from a mysterious woman that got him all hot and bothered. He asked Jules to help him find this girl – clueless to know that this girl was Jules from the beginning.
I bet you’ll love the story how that played out for both of them
What I loved most about this story was that Maya Hughes made it clear that you can be strong on your own but it’s also great when you can share your love with your soul mate – also you should never ever let someone let you treat badly!
Love also comes in all forms and society is just exhausting sometimes.
We should all start and be more supportive of each other
If you love Maya Hughes and her books, a great college romance you will also love “the third best thing”
The Third Best Thing is cute. With a distinct premise and promise of unique qualities, this read made it seem as if it’ll be different and memorable within a sub-genre already filled with innumerous stories. But the execution was lacklustre and though the overall narrative ceased to excite me, there’s an important message in this romance that’ll resonate with readers (more on this later).
“I saw a home with her in our future. The complete picture. There wasn’t anyone more perfect for me than her. And I’d spend as long as I needed to make her believe it was true.”
Since The Second Best Thing, I wanted to read more of Berkley Vaughn and Julia Kelland because a college, secret admirer romance begged to be devoured! Chapters passed and the narrative unfurled, but the desire to discover the secret admirer was forgotten. The Letter Girl transformed into an afterthought and without a second glance the narrative continued on. I thought the romance would blossom through the letters, or the search would continue across numerous chapters, but neither happened, leaving me feeling confused and unsatisfied. It was the equivalent of receiving a decadent chocolate cake, but being denied the pleasure of devouring it.
“I’m working hard on loving myself. I know I can get there. But I can’t do it under the searing spotlight at your side.”
I have to appreciate that The Third Best Thing touches on heavier topics that deserve to be noticed and discussed, even though sometimes the discourse wasn’t thorough. We’re surrounded by hate-filled comments across the Internet, or bombarded with unanswerable questions of self-worth and though these subjects will trigger some readers, it is important to push discussions on such topics.
Even though this isn’t my favourite romance by Maya Hughes, The Third Best Thing is adorable, filled with quick-witted banter, stomach-aching humour and crucially notable subject matter that will make this a memorable read for some readers. Berk and Jules are sweet and wholesome, but they lacked certain qualities to make them standout in my mind.
I might have jumped into this book without doing some research or I would have known that this was part of a series. Lol! BUT! If there was or is anyone wondering if you can read the book as a standalone, I got you covered! The Third Best Thing can stand alone and let me tell you, it is one enjoyable ride!
Having this being only the second book I’ve read of Maya Hughes, I have a clean slate and I can just talk about all the parts that I loved and enjoyed.
“Every day with her was an adventure in what it felt like to be so loved it was like living in a dream.”
Jules… Um… YES!! I was not expecting a pole dancing, baking connoisseur and the sweetest queen! SQUEEE!! She is one of those characters that you would love to be friends with and not just because she is a kick-ass baker.
Jules is all kinds of genuine and true and loving. She has her hangups, her body issues being at the top of the list (thank you, mom and sister!) but rather than wallow in self-pity and hatred, you see here accepting her flaws and own them as a beautiful part of her. You see her try new things, push her boundaries and fall in love with every new adventure she goes on.
The one thing that I loved was how adding Jules’ mom and sister in the mix just went on to show how opposites they are and rather than be a deterrent, the mom and sister added a certain charm to Jules character. You, honest to god, root for this girl from start to finish.
Berk… Ladies, please say hello to one of the best male characters in the New Adult Romance genre! He is loyal, fun, trustworthy and just all-around stand-up guy.
Berk was always there. If a friend, who was part of his inner circle of people he keeps close, needed help he would drop everything to be there for you. His parents raised him right!
“She was an indescribable kind of perfect for me. The kind that made my heart ache that I’d only just found her and was ready to get down on my knees so I didn’t have to wait another day without knowing her beauty.”
I loved how Ms Hughes focused on just Jules and Berk and their problem and even when outside forces were affecting their relationship, it was never Jules, Berk and whatever third character or scenario. It was always Jules and Berk. It was just these two.
Jules and Berk as a couple were perfection. Their relationship as friends was easy and the transition from best friends to lovers was seamless. There never was an awkward moment between the two of them. They are adorable, there are adorkable, they are downright charming!
Julia Kelland and Berkely Vaughn officially own my heart as individuals and as a couple.
4 Stars!
I enjoyed every moment of this emotional story.
A beautiful set of characters, a lot of humor, sweetness, romance, and a touch of drama. With this perfect recipe, Maya Hughes delivers a well-written story, full of emotions that will definitely touch your heart.
And it will keep you hungry for more!
*I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book.*