Nice-guy Brett is accustomed to life in the friend zone, but when he meets the delectable Liv he’s ready for a change in zip code. What will it take to convince her to ditch her usual type and give him a shot?
5 Star
The Way You Are ( Carolina Connections Book5) by Sylvie Stewart is the fifth book in the the Carolina Connections series.i recommend reading the other books in this series as well ,although this can be read as a standalone. This is a hilarious romance that once I started reading I couldn’t put it down. The story flows and her characters are very well developed. I think this is my favorite from this series.Brett and Liv oh my! These two especially liv had me chuckling at times.From the “friends” zone to crush. Can these two get out of the friend zone? Is there a future for these two? Find out what happens next I highly recommend reading this book. I can’t wait to read the next Book by this author.
Author
debrarichardson11
3 years ago
This is a solid fun read – fast pace and consistent. It is an engaging page turner with fantastic dialogue and a well-developed and consistent plot. The writing is fluid and flows smoothly. The humour, intrigue, the LOL moments, and witty banter make this book a compelling enjoyable read. It will keep you on the edge of your seat, flipping the pages of your kindle wanting to find out what happens next. The chemistry between Liv and Brett is so HOT and the author did a great job in keeping the anticipation of them coming together ever present – (will they, wont they, when?); and this made the book even more interesting. This book comes highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author
kcrimm
3 years ago
The saying goes nice guys finish last. In this book the nice guy gets the girl! Brett is used to being friend zoned but with Liv the chemistry is there and they can’t get around it. Liv is fun and loves baseball she is definitely Brett’s perfect girl. This is a great story and the karma at the end is on point.
Author
grayjennijaylene
3 years ago
This book is so amazing!! The entire series is incredible, but there is just something about Brett! Such a realistic and lovable character. He is so easy to relate to, especially to anyone that has ever been friend-zoned or cheated on! I love this whole series, but Brett has a special place in my heart!!
Author
aurenrose
3 years ago
Baseball, heckling and some good old fashioned match made in the bleachers fun made me giggle most of the way through this story. Number five in the series, but fully standalone (this was my first romp through this world and I understood everything going on perfectly) I recommend this if you like genuine nice guys, strong female leads, big dogs and sports related romance in general.
Great cast of characters, some hilarious banter and the feel that these are the people you’d love to hang out with if you could. Brett and Liv are a great match, fun to follow and interesting characters with some really great real-life attributes. Give this one a read!
Author
jerzeebelle
3 years ago
Brett is sitting, not so comfortably, in the friend zone. Liv knows Brett is always there for her. It was easy to see through out the story how much Liv relied on that friendship. Brett wants more than friends, but is respectful of Liv’s choices. This makes Brett totally lovable. I fell hard for Brett and wanted Liv to see him more than just a friend. But sometimes the path to love is not always the straightest. That crooked path is within each word of this story. I could not get enough of these two. I found myself laughing so hard at times, I had to quiet myself from not waking anyone in the house. I cannot wait to read more of this series.
Amanda Stribling and David Black really bring this story to life. They make the characters become like friends and bring the reader into the story. Amanda is a great Liv. She narrates Liv exactly as I imagined her. I love David’s narration of Brett the most. He really brings Brett to life. Through the friend zone regrets, to the desire for dating Liv, David brings out each emotion and makes Brett relatable and loveable. I easily got lost in their narration and could not stop listening until the end.
Author
karengagnon
3 years ago
I am loving this series so much and this 5th book was just as fun, sweet and sizzling! I loved both Olivia and Brett. They start out as friends, having the most hilarious meet cute as they were each cheering for their home baseball team. Olivia is dating one of the players, Troy, but she loves hanging out with Brett because they have so much in common. Of course Troy isn’t happy about their friendship, and then his real nature is revealed. Brett is so easy going, funny, and authentic. He cares and supports Olivia, and is so sweet as he waits for his chance with her. Olivia is smart and sassy, and so unapologetic. She and Brett are so perfect together in this slow burn rom com. It was also fun catching up with Brett’s roommate Gavin and all the rest of their friends and family.
Amanda Stribling, and David Black are back narrating this sweet, and engaging romance. They easily brought out all of the different emotions that Olivia and Brett felt, from sassy to vulnerable, heartbreak to passion, and everything in between. I really enjoyed both their performances and thought they made this hilarious, exciting, and steamy romance even better!
Author
mn4jgoan1
3 years ago
An entertaining funny very well written standalone story in an amazing series. This hilariously funny story had me addicted page after page with little drama, secret longing, a genuine connection, witty banter, support, so many emotions, and true determination I was hooked. The characters are realistic, have great chemistry and appearances from previous cast members all wrapped up in a great storyline line. I voluntarily read and reviewed this incredible ARC.
Author
kbradbury28
3 years ago
Wonderfully fantastic… The book was amazing… It had a lot of details and juicy scenes to it… The characters and their personalities match them perfectly… The plot and the storyline was very descriptive and amazing…
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author
mel
3 years ago
An enjoyable friends to lovers read. Gavin is a really sweet regular guy and Liv is a feisty veterinarian. They start off as friends as she is with someone else. I loved their friendship and ability to fall in love without the physical.
Author
tanyawriter2010
3 years ago
No matter what he does he always end up being friends with girls but he wants so much more. He then meets her and it starts as it always did but this time he wants to prove that a nice guy can be a good boyfriend. She already has a boyfriend and so she only wants to be his friend. Can it ever become more? What will happen? See if things become different for him
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author
patw
3 years ago
The great storyline and the wonderful characters made this book well worth reading! I look forward to reading more from this author!
Author
romancerehab
3 years ago
There’s a lot of great things about this book, but the best by far is the hero, Brett. I would recommend this book to lovers of sweet, sexy rom com and contemporary romance solely because of him. He’s a nice guy hero (which I love) who isn’t a wimp, is comfortable in his own skin even though he’s not a six-foot-two, chiselled underwear model, and has a nice normal job as a marketing rep—not a Navy Seal/wolf shifter/rockstar/billionaire. Brett is the kind of guy you might actually meet in real life, but he’s also all kinds of fabulous. He’s smart, funny, confident, sexy, and just an all-around great guy.
In case you didn’t notice, Brett will definitely be making an appearance on my all-time favorite book boyfriends list. He’s far from the stereotypical romance novel hero, and I DIG THAT ABOUT HIM!
Liv is a pretty decent heroine, too. She pales a little in comparison to the awesomeness that is Brett, but that’s OK, because who wouldn’t, right? She’s smart and funny and doesn’t take shit from anyone, which I admire.
For all of you who share my trope kryptonite, it’s important to mention that this is a:
1. Friends-to-lovers romance
2. Romance that isn’t between 2 white people (Liv is Asian)
3. Slow-burn romance
4. Romance where the hero is younger than the heroine (only by a year, but still)
As for the plot, I will mention that this is NOT a love triangle. (I despise love triangles) It becomes pretty clear early on that Liv’s muscle-for-brains boyfriend is not long for the story, so it didn’t bother me at all that Liv was involved with someone else while she was befriending Brett. It’s also important to mention that there’s no cheating in the story. (I despise cheating) Liv never cheats—not even emotionally—on her scummy boyfriend, and Brett has enough respect for her (and himself) that he doesn’t encourage her to.
Now, are there some stupid misunderstandings that get the way of Brett and Liv’s relationship? Sure. Do I normally hate stupid misunderstandings? Yes. But in this story, the stupid misunderstandings didn’t bother me because the characters were so awesome.
So, long-story-short, this is my 3rd Sylvie Stewart read, and it’s the 3rd one that’s found its way onto my keeper shelf. And y’all know that I don’t award 5 stars that often. You can 1-click this one with confidence. Happy reading!
And feel free to follow us on the Romance Rehab blog for more rants, raves, book lists and fun romance-y stuff: http://www.romancerehab.com/
Author
mauraharper
3 years ago
This is the fifth book in the “Carolina Connections” series and can absolutely be read as a stand-alone.
As with the other stories in this series, THE WAY YOU ARE is a classic rom-com. The story has a great group of friends, romance,new beginnings, and a dog that is almost bigger than the MC.
This is a quick story with a smart woman, a not “classically alpha guy”, a couple of ball players, and a character who (like me) is obsessed with Olivia Newton John.
I absolutely recommend this author, this books and this series.
Author
asunshine568391
3 years ago
5 Stars
The Way You Are is the fifth book in the Carolina Connections series and it is just as good as the first books. I was really looking forward to this book when i found out it was coming out and i wasn’t disappointed at all! I loved it. It was cute and funny and the main characters are very likeable and funny.
Liv has all she needs in life… well mostly. She has a hot boyfriend who plays baseball and the bedroom time between the two is awesome. Buts is it love? When a new friend come into her life, she starts to question it all.
I would absolutely recommend this book to a friends! It worth the read!! Go grab it now!
Happy Reading!
Review by Anastasia D.
Author
madilynndale
3 years ago
The Way You Are By Sylvie Stewart, A Carolina Connections Novel
5-stars
This was a sweet and hilarious romance. I could not put this book down. I loved both Brett and Liv’s characters. This book can also be read as a standalone. From friend zone to crush, mixed in with a little baseball, the two have their own battles to handle a long the way. The storyline was easy to follow and I loved that Liv was a vet. Brett’s personality was awesome. He reminds me a lot of my husband. Excellent novel!
Author
lisette325
3 years ago
The Way You Are (The Carolina Connections #5)
by Sylvie Stewart
4 Stars
The Way You Are by Sylvie Stewart is the fifth installment of The Carolina Connections series. This story is a romantic comedy about Liv and Brett. Liv is not only beautiful, she smart and her boyfriend is a local baseball player. She meets Brett at one of the local baseball games her boyfriend and cousin was playing. Brett is handsome and always placed on the “friend zone,” girls always see him as great friend. As the saying goes, girls can’t be friends with boys, might just backfire on Liv and Brett. Will the opportunity arise for these two to finally hook up? Sylvie Stewart writes a seamless storyline that captures you attention from the beginning, from the chapter titles to the sarcasm. Characters are well developed and easy to hate or love, depending who they are in the story. I have read other books from this series and I enjoyed reading this installment. I recommend reading from the first book to learn more about each of the characters that are represented in each book.
Author
jk1029056
3 years ago
The Way You Are (Carolina Connections Book 5) By Sylvie Stewart. This book immediately had me hooked and I just couldn’t put it down. And was very sad it was over! I’ll be going back to read the others for sure though. I read this as a standalone without any confusion but like I said I’ll be getting the others for sure. I love stories about the “underdog “ friend leaving the friend zone. It reminds me of my own love story. These two characters drew me into their world and I had so much fun watching them interact. Their chemistry jumps off the pages. It’s well written and paced nicely with characters you enjoy. I’m giving this book a five star review and highly recommend it.
Author
heatherbass1983
3 years ago
This is the first book I have read from this author and wow she blew my mind. I absolutely love a good friend to lovers story but this author exceeded all my expectations. This is the fifth book of the Carolina Connection series. You can read this book as a stand alone just like I did but there are other characters in this story as well. I was hooked on this storyline right from the beginning. It only took me a little over a few hours to devour this incredible book.
Olivia loves her life a hot boyfriend, really good friends, and exceeding in school. She goes to a baseball game and she runs into a very handsome guy. Olivia feels a connection to him but she is seeing someone. She wants this guy in her life so she offers him to be friends. Olivia gets to know the real Brett and she realizes that she has crush on this guy. She can’t get Brett out of her mind but she has a boyfriend. Olivia can tell that Brett wants to be more than friends. Will Olivia and Brett stay friends or can they be more?
I absolutely loved this book. The storyline has it all hot romance, humor, and baseball. You will fall in love with these characters right from the beginning. Olivia is a sweetheart that knows what she wants. She can be a little fiery when she needs to be. Brett is a nice guy that always gets put into the friend zone. He is very sweet and handsome. The way he treats Olivia will make your heart melt. These characters have some steamy scenes that will make your temperature rise. This talented author will keep you on your toes until the end. After rewatch this book I now want to know more about these other characters. I will be starting this series from the beginning.
Author
listersda
3 years ago
I have to say I have a slight obsession with Sylvie Stewart’s Carolina Connections series. They are the BEST laugh out loud books that have a whole ton of heart that I have read in a long time. Each one of these books can be read as a standalone but I HIGHLY suggest reading them all!
I loved Brett. He’s up for having a relationship but just can’t find the right woman to fill that spot so he takes up time by living the bachelor life and playing baseball. Liv is a die hard fan and is a loud one at that. Her heckling has made Brett turn his attention on her and the sparks flew BUT she has a boyfriend. Being friends is all he’ll get but the attraction is undeniable.
I loved the characters and the witty banter they have. This was a delicious and hilarious slow burn that everyone needs to read!
5 Star
The Way You Are ( Carolina Connections Book5) by Sylvie Stewart is the fifth book in the the Carolina Connections series.i recommend reading the other books in this series as well ,although this can be read as a standalone. This is a hilarious romance that once I started reading I couldn’t put it down. The story flows and her characters are very well developed. I think this is my favorite from this series.Brett and Liv oh my! These two especially liv had me chuckling at times.From the “friends” zone to crush. Can these two get out of the friend zone? Is there a future for these two? Find out what happens next I highly recommend reading this book. I can’t wait to read the next Book by this author.
This is a solid fun read – fast pace and consistent. It is an engaging page turner with fantastic dialogue and a well-developed and consistent plot. The writing is fluid and flows smoothly. The humour, intrigue, the LOL moments, and witty banter make this book a compelling enjoyable read. It will keep you on the edge of your seat, flipping the pages of your kindle wanting to find out what happens next. The chemistry between Liv and Brett is so HOT and the author did a great job in keeping the anticipation of them coming together ever present – (will they, wont they, when?); and this made the book even more interesting. This book comes highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The saying goes nice guys finish last. In this book the nice guy gets the girl! Brett is used to being friend zoned but with Liv the chemistry is there and they can’t get around it. Liv is fun and loves baseball she is definitely Brett’s perfect girl. This is a great story and the karma at the end is on point.
This book is so amazing!! The entire series is incredible, but there is just something about Brett! Such a realistic and lovable character. He is so easy to relate to, especially to anyone that has ever been friend-zoned or cheated on! I love this whole series, but Brett has a special place in my heart!!
Baseball, heckling and some good old fashioned match made in the bleachers fun made me giggle most of the way through this story. Number five in the series, but fully standalone (this was my first romp through this world and I understood everything going on perfectly) I recommend this if you like genuine nice guys, strong female leads, big dogs and sports related romance in general.
Great cast of characters, some hilarious banter and the feel that these are the people you’d love to hang out with if you could. Brett and Liv are a great match, fun to follow and interesting characters with some really great real-life attributes. Give this one a read!
Brett is sitting, not so comfortably, in the friend zone. Liv knows Brett is always there for her. It was easy to see through out the story how much Liv relied on that friendship. Brett wants more than friends, but is respectful of Liv’s choices. This makes Brett totally lovable. I fell hard for Brett and wanted Liv to see him more than just a friend. But sometimes the path to love is not always the straightest. That crooked path is within each word of this story. I could not get enough of these two. I found myself laughing so hard at times, I had to quiet myself from not waking anyone in the house. I cannot wait to read more of this series.
Amanda Stribling and David Black really bring this story to life. They make the characters become like friends and bring the reader into the story. Amanda is a great Liv. She narrates Liv exactly as I imagined her. I love David’s narration of Brett the most. He really brings Brett to life. Through the friend zone regrets, to the desire for dating Liv, David brings out each emotion and makes Brett relatable and loveable. I easily got lost in their narration and could not stop listening until the end.
I am loving this series so much and this 5th book was just as fun, sweet and sizzling! I loved both Olivia and Brett. They start out as friends, having the most hilarious meet cute as they were each cheering for their home baseball team. Olivia is dating one of the players, Troy, but she loves hanging out with Brett because they have so much in common. Of course Troy isn’t happy about their friendship, and then his real nature is revealed. Brett is so easy going, funny, and authentic. He cares and supports Olivia, and is so sweet as he waits for his chance with her. Olivia is smart and sassy, and so unapologetic. She and Brett are so perfect together in this slow burn rom com. It was also fun catching up with Brett’s roommate Gavin and all the rest of their friends and family.
Amanda Stribling, and David Black are back narrating this sweet, and engaging romance. They easily brought out all of the different emotions that Olivia and Brett felt, from sassy to vulnerable, heartbreak to passion, and everything in between. I really enjoyed both their performances and thought they made this hilarious, exciting, and steamy romance even better!
An entertaining funny very well written standalone story in an amazing series. This hilariously funny story had me addicted page after page with little drama, secret longing, a genuine connection, witty banter, support, so many emotions, and true determination I was hooked. The characters are realistic, have great chemistry and appearances from previous cast members all wrapped up in a great storyline line. I voluntarily read and reviewed this incredible ARC.
Wonderfully fantastic… The book was amazing… It had a lot of details and juicy scenes to it… The characters and their personalities match them perfectly… The plot and the storyline was very descriptive and amazing…
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
An enjoyable friends to lovers read. Gavin is a really sweet regular guy and Liv is a feisty veterinarian. They start off as friends as she is with someone else. I loved their friendship and ability to fall in love without the physical.
No matter what he does he always end up being friends with girls but he wants so much more. He then meets her and it starts as it always did but this time he wants to prove that a nice guy can be a good boyfriend. She already has a boyfriend and so she only wants to be his friend. Can it ever become more? What will happen? See if things become different for him
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The great storyline and the wonderful characters made this book well worth reading! I look forward to reading more from this author!
There’s a lot of great things about this book, but the best by far is the hero, Brett. I would recommend this book to lovers of sweet, sexy rom com and contemporary romance solely because of him. He’s a nice guy hero (which I love) who isn’t a wimp, is comfortable in his own skin even though he’s not a six-foot-two, chiselled underwear model, and has a nice normal job as a marketing rep—not a Navy Seal/wolf shifter/rockstar/billionaire. Brett is the kind of guy you might actually meet in real life, but he’s also all kinds of fabulous. He’s smart, funny, confident, sexy, and just an all-around great guy.
In case you didn’t notice, Brett will definitely be making an appearance on my all-time favorite book boyfriends list. He’s far from the stereotypical romance novel hero, and I DIG THAT ABOUT HIM!
Liv is a pretty decent heroine, too. She pales a little in comparison to the awesomeness that is Brett, but that’s OK, because who wouldn’t, right? She’s smart and funny and doesn’t take shit from anyone, which I admire.
For all of you who share my trope kryptonite, it’s important to mention that this is a:
1. Friends-to-lovers romance
2. Romance that isn’t between 2 white people (Liv is Asian)
3. Slow-burn romance
4. Romance where the hero is younger than the heroine (only by a year, but still)
As for the plot, I will mention that this is NOT a love triangle. (I despise love triangles) It becomes pretty clear early on that Liv’s muscle-for-brains boyfriend is not long for the story, so it didn’t bother me at all that Liv was involved with someone else while she was befriending Brett. It’s also important to mention that there’s no cheating in the story. (I despise cheating) Liv never cheats—not even emotionally—on her scummy boyfriend, and Brett has enough respect for her (and himself) that he doesn’t encourage her to.
Now, are there some stupid misunderstandings that get the way of Brett and Liv’s relationship? Sure. Do I normally hate stupid misunderstandings? Yes. But in this story, the stupid misunderstandings didn’t bother me because the characters were so awesome.
So, long-story-short, this is my 3rd Sylvie Stewart read, and it’s the 3rd one that’s found its way onto my keeper shelf. And y’all know that I don’t award 5 stars that often. You can 1-click this one with confidence. Happy reading!
And feel free to follow us on the Romance Rehab blog for more rants, raves, book lists and fun romance-y stuff: http://www.romancerehab.com/
This is the fifth book in the “Carolina Connections” series and can absolutely be read as a stand-alone.
As with the other stories in this series, THE WAY YOU ARE is a classic rom-com. The story has a great group of friends, romance,new beginnings, and a dog that is almost bigger than the MC.
This is a quick story with a smart woman, a not “classically alpha guy”, a couple of ball players, and a character who (like me) is obsessed with Olivia Newton John.
I absolutely recommend this author, this books and this series.
5 Stars
The Way You Are is the fifth book in the Carolina Connections series and it is just as good as the first books. I was really looking forward to this book when i found out it was coming out and i wasn’t disappointed at all! I loved it. It was cute and funny and the main characters are very likeable and funny.
Liv has all she needs in life… well mostly. She has a hot boyfriend who plays baseball and the bedroom time between the two is awesome. Buts is it love? When a new friend come into her life, she starts to question it all.
I would absolutely recommend this book to a friends! It worth the read!! Go grab it now!
Happy Reading!
Review by Anastasia D.
The Way You Are By Sylvie Stewart, A Carolina Connections Novel
5-stars
This was a sweet and hilarious romance. I could not put this book down. I loved both Brett and Liv’s characters. This book can also be read as a standalone. From friend zone to crush, mixed in with a little baseball, the two have their own battles to handle a long the way. The storyline was easy to follow and I loved that Liv was a vet. Brett’s personality was awesome. He reminds me a lot of my husband. Excellent novel!
The Way You Are (The Carolina Connections #5)
by Sylvie Stewart
4 Stars
The Way You Are by Sylvie Stewart is the fifth installment of The Carolina Connections series. This story is a romantic comedy about Liv and Brett. Liv is not only beautiful, she smart and her boyfriend is a local baseball player. She meets Brett at one of the local baseball games her boyfriend and cousin was playing. Brett is handsome and always placed on the “friend zone,” girls always see him as great friend. As the saying goes, girls can’t be friends with boys, might just backfire on Liv and Brett. Will the opportunity arise for these two to finally hook up? Sylvie Stewart writes a seamless storyline that captures you attention from the beginning, from the chapter titles to the sarcasm. Characters are well developed and easy to hate or love, depending who they are in the story. I have read other books from this series and I enjoyed reading this installment. I recommend reading from the first book to learn more about each of the characters that are represented in each book.
The Way You Are (Carolina Connections Book 5) By Sylvie Stewart. This book immediately had me hooked and I just couldn’t put it down. And was very sad it was over! I’ll be going back to read the others for sure though. I read this as a standalone without any confusion but like I said I’ll be getting the others for sure. I love stories about the “underdog “ friend leaving the friend zone. It reminds me of my own love story. These two characters drew me into their world and I had so much fun watching them interact. Their chemistry jumps off the pages. It’s well written and paced nicely with characters you enjoy. I’m giving this book a five star review and highly recommend it.
This is the first book I have read from this author and wow she blew my mind. I absolutely love a good friend to lovers story but this author exceeded all my expectations. This is the fifth book of the Carolina Connection series. You can read this book as a stand alone just like I did but there are other characters in this story as well. I was hooked on this storyline right from the beginning. It only took me a little over a few hours to devour this incredible book.
Olivia loves her life a hot boyfriend, really good friends, and exceeding in school. She goes to a baseball game and she runs into a very handsome guy. Olivia feels a connection to him but she is seeing someone. She wants this guy in her life so she offers him to be friends. Olivia gets to know the real Brett and she realizes that she has crush on this guy. She can’t get Brett out of her mind but she has a boyfriend. Olivia can tell that Brett wants to be more than friends. Will Olivia and Brett stay friends or can they be more?
I absolutely loved this book. The storyline has it all hot romance, humor, and baseball. You will fall in love with these characters right from the beginning. Olivia is a sweetheart that knows what she wants. She can be a little fiery when she needs to be. Brett is a nice guy that always gets put into the friend zone. He is very sweet and handsome. The way he treats Olivia will make your heart melt. These characters have some steamy scenes that will make your temperature rise. This talented author will keep you on your toes until the end. After rewatch this book I now want to know more about these other characters. I will be starting this series from the beginning.
I have to say I have a slight obsession with Sylvie Stewart’s Carolina Connections series. They are the BEST laugh out loud books that have a whole ton of heart that I have read in a long time. Each one of these books can be read as a standalone but I HIGHLY suggest reading them all!
I loved Brett. He’s up for having a relationship but just can’t find the right woman to fill that spot so he takes up time by living the bachelor life and playing baseball. Liv is a die hard fan and is a loud one at that. Her heckling has made Brett turn his attention on her and the sparks flew BUT she has a boyfriend. Being friends is all he’ll get but the attraction is undeniable.
I loved the characters and the witty banter they have. This was a delicious and hilarious slow burn that everyone needs to read!