Love wedding related romances and this one was a ton of fun!
*****
Only You
Series: The Bachelor Brotherhood, #1
by Denise Grover Swank
On Sale: June 14, 2016
Publisher: Forever
Format: eBook
Price: $3.99 USD
Blurb:
The first book in a spin-off from Denise Grover Swank’s New York Times bestselling Wedding Pact series (The Wedding Pact, The Player, The Gambler, The Valentine)
“Warm and funny, the first book in the Bachelor Brotherhood series reads like a great Hollywood rom-com.” –iBooks Best Books of June
Never say never…
Romance isn’t an option for Holly Greenwood. With her wedding planner career on the line she needs to stay focused, and that means pleasing her demanding boss, not getting distracted by her mind-alteringly hot neighbor…
Ex-Marine Kevin Vandemeer craves normalcy. Instead, he has a broken-down old house in need of a match and some gasoline, a meddling family, and the uncanny ability to attract the world’s craziest women. At least that last one he can fix: he and his buddies have made a pact to swear off women, and this includes his sweetly sexy new neighbor.
After one hot night that looks a whole lot like a disaster in the light of day, Kevin and Holly are about to learn that true love doesn’t play by the rules…
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*****
Excerpt:
Kevin wasn’t sure why he was surprised Holly was here. She was a wedding planner, and from what he’d seen so far, she was a damn good one.
He’d been on his way out of the room, needing a breather from the noise and the chaos of the reception when he’d seen her at the table. He hadn’t planned on asking her to dance—hell, he hated to dance—but he’d been desperate for a reason to talk to her.
When he sat back down at the table, Tyler wore a smirk. “Crashed and burned, huh? I thought you were going to the bathroom to take a piss.”
“I was. I just happened to run into a friend.”
“Run into a friend, my ass. I thought we’d sworn off women. I’ve held up my end of the bachelor brotherhood. And let me add that I had no idea my balls could turn this blue.”
“She’s a friend,” Kevin said, trying not to sound irritated and feed any more fuel to the fire.
“She’s his neighbor,” Matt said, taking a sip of his beer, and giving Kevin a pointed look. “They’re friends.”
Tyler burst out laughing. “You got friend-zoned?”
“No,” Kevin said slowly, picking up his drink, surprised Matt hadn’t told Tyler about the situation he’d stumbled upon. “I was the one who said I wanted to be friends.”
“Why?” Tyler asked, watching Holly with a little more interest than Kevin liked. “She’s hot. Do you know if she’s seeing anyone?”
“No.” Kevin’s irritation grew.
Tyler stood and adjusted his tie, a smirk lighting up his eyes. “Screw the brotherhood. I think I’ll go over and introduce myself.”
Kevin was up in a flash. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not?” he looked surprised. “She looks like she’d be worth a short break from my hiatus from women.”
Kevin stepped in front of his path, his jaw set. “Because you’re a prick who will use her and toss her aside and she deserves a helluva lot better than that.”
Matt was up in an instant, grabbing Kevin’s arm. “Why don’t we get some air?”
“You like her,” Tyler said, slack jawed.
“Of course he likes her,” Matt said. “For someone so smart, sometimes you’re an idiot.”
“In my defense,” Tyler said. “He said they were friends.”
“Okay,” Matt said slowly. “When was the last time you convinced a woman to be just a friend?”
“Never.”
“I rest my case, counselor.”
Tyler sat back down, and Matt tugged on Kevin’s sleeve to get him to join them.
“I can’t believe you didn’t last even a single week,” Tyler said.
“He didn’t last a single day,” Matt told him. “He slept with her the night after our agreement to remain single.”
Tyler burst out laughing. “For a tough-ass former Marine, I expected you to be the last holdout, man. At least a week or two.”
*****
Review:
**Minor spoilers, maybe, kinda, so just a warning**
FYI, I didn’t read the Wedding Pact series (for those that know me, *shocker!*), and while there are references to it – especially with Kevin’s sister – it didn’t impact this story much. I think it can easily stand on its own.
I’m going to start by saying that the ending seems a little rushed to me, not the relationship so much as just the timing. I think the whole story covers about 3 weeks, and while it reads like a movie rom-com (funny, wacky and sweet), what works for me on the screen needs a little more time on the page for some reason here 🙂 I want to emphasize it is definitely a very minor complaint, because if you take the timing out of it, I am highly satisfied with how things go for these two.
As I say that, I have to admit that I do kinda wish I’d read at least Megan’s story so I have a better feel for Kevin because I think that he was probably a handful in the previous book. The stories about the crazies that he attracts, and thus the very funny misunderstanding with Holly, are a hoot. And he’s got such a wonderful relationship with his sister, supportive but still snarky, that I would love to see that from her side.
Once their misunderstandings get straightened out, the interactions between Kevin & Holly are sweet, spicy and humorous. The main drama then comes from his mother and the fact that Holly works for her. It’s not the best of situations for either but they eventually make it work. (There’s those rom-com moments again 🙂 )
I’m looking forward to Kevin’s friends getting their own romances because I definitely believe those two need to be shaken up!
*****
Author Info:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese, which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period. Her hobbies include witty (in her own mind) Facebook comments and dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her offspring.) Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks. She has six children and hasn’t lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.
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*****
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