A wild Vegas fling isn’t the traditional Thanksgiving celebration, and Lily and Jason have been like oil and water since they met. Blaming their steamy hook-up on too many shots at the bar, they head home. Back in the real world, Jason wonders if he’s ready to give up his crown as the Playboy King of Rivers Bend to be with just one woman. And Lily has enough on her plate right now without adding … adding Jason Braden to the mix, even if their attraction is crazy-strong.But life is good at throwing curveballs, and a lot can happen between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day. Maybe even enough to lead these two polar opposites home to each other in Rivers Bend.
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WHAT WAS I THINKING is a wonderful read. It starts with an impetuous one-night stand, then follows two very different personalities down a road that reveals just how much they have in common. Lily and Jason are fun, unique characters, and I was totally invested in their story. I found Jason’s struggle with dyslexia particularly moving, and I truly enjoyed returning to Rivers Bend and meeting up with “friends” I grew to love in the first two books in the series. I only wish there were a 4th book! (I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
What can I say, I mean rave about this book? I didn’t read the others in the series but I was generally caught up on the other couples and how Lily’s sister, Gloria, figures into their stories as well. But more on that later. I have never read Ms. Simonetta before either but I will definitely read her work in the future. Plus, I really need to read the other two stories in this series, if for nothing else to see where Gloria fits in.
I just “got” Lily and Jason from the beginning. I could see the sparks flying from the get-go and they never let go either. But what really drew me into their story was them, themselves. They were fully formed characters that had personalities of their own with desires, wants and needs that they think don’t mesh with each other. Oh, but they do and they fight against it throughout the book. I won’t give you Jason’s big secret but it does have an impact on their relationship, good and bad. Plus, with Lily being the guardian of Gloria’s tween daughter, life can be challenging. Plus, a romance is thrown in?
So you would think that there would be some miscommunication and hurt feelings but Ms. Simonetta doesn’t write their story that way. Lily and Jason are grown-ups and talk things out. It is refreshing to read a book and see that the characters can talk through their problems throughout the book. No big black moment but enough tension that makes the plot realistic and at times, funny. Hadley, Lily’s niece is a hoot. Not overbearing and a well-developed character in her own right. She is definitely part of the relationship that they are trying to figure out and I appreciate how Ms. Simonetta wrote her. Even the scenes with her own mother (Gloria) are realistic.
Gloria is a trip. I won’t say more about her except that she is somewhat the villain in the book but I feel like her arc hasn’t ended. There is some closure with Lily and Hadley but I want more. I’m greedy that way. The other secondary characters are well-drawn out, too. They add just enough to help Lily and Jason figure out what they really want out of life and their relationship.
If you are looking for a great contemporary romance without all the “drama” and characters that act like grown-ups, this book is for you. It’s realistic, funny, sensual and overall just a damn good book.
What Was I Thinking? is the third installment from Donna Simonetta’s Rivers Bend Trilogy. Even though this is part of a series and I have not read the first two previous books, I believe is can be read as a stand alone. I liked this sweet romance with Lily and Jason. The story is somewhat predictable but still so very enjoyable. It was delightful to read this quick read.
I am giving What Was I Thinking? four stars. I would love to read the first two books of from the Rivers Bend Trilogy.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
What happens in Vegas is supposed to stay in Vegas, right?
Not when you live in a town rife with gossip and where keeping a secret is about as hard as resisting the attraction between the person you spent a wild night with in Sin City!
Special Education teacher Lily thinks Rivers Bend’s local lothario Jason is about as appealing as a sunburn in the tropics. But when they’re picked to be witnesses at the Las Vegas surprise marriage of Jason’s sister and a wild night of Jager shots ensues, that negative appeal suddenly goes the way of the dinosaur and these two embark on a night of fun and passion.
But a one-night fling is what it’s meant to be, after all, since these two are about as opposite as two people can be.
Or are they?
Life back in Rivers Bend throws these Jason and Lily together in ways neither ever imagined and the attraction starts to look like it wasn’t a one time thing at all.
Jason’s rep in town as a get’em then get gone guy is well known. He’s never spent more than date or two with any girl and he’s certainly never introduced one to his close knit family. But Lily is about different from every other girl he’s ever known. First of all, she doesn’t pursue him, something he’s not used to. Second, she’s a special ed teacher and Jason is embarrassed that she’ll find out about his lifelong dyslexia. And third, she cares more about others than herself. Cas in point, she moved from her single life in Baltimore to be guardian to her 12 year old niece so the girl wouldn’t have to uproot her life. All things that start to open Jason’s heart to the possibility of a relationship.
I hate spoilers so I’ll leave the story line there. You’ll need to read this delightful book to find out how –and if – these two find their way to an HEA.
I’ve been a big fan of Donna Simonetta since I read the first book in the RIVER’S BEND trilogy, and with each story she’s told I’m a bigger fan. Her quick and easy writing style and her way with expressive dialogue make her characters jump off the page and into my heart.
Told in revolving points of view between Jason and Lily, Ms. Simonetta gives you a first hand glimpse into both their heads and hearts and allows the reader to experience the depths of emotions for both.
Donna Simonetta is a one-click author for me and she never disappoints. WHAT WAS I THINKING is another wonderful edition to her list of romantic stories and I highly recommend this 5star read! For anyone who loves love, this is a story and a writer for you.