Genre: Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction
Disclaimer: Reading is all about exploring new worlds, but this Book Review does not shy away from spoiling specific scenes as this is more of a look inside the good and bad of a book.
The Analysis:
This book is exactly why I do long-form, spoiler-filled book reviews. It’s a solid four-star read, but it’s a hard-fought one. You’re going to see my thought process and if you’re along the same lines then you might enjoy it. But if you think some of the lesser killer things are too much then don’t take the adventure. If you’re like me spoilers are not spoilers but previews into the journey and whether it’s worth taking or not. So, let’s book review it. But first, follow me on Goodreads.
Here’s the Blurb:
After a few bad dinners, including one date who doesn’t even show up, Maggie is ready to give up dating for good. But then romantic salvation appears in the form of sullen local fisherman Malone. Malone has always been dark and silent—not exactly Maggie’s ideal future partner. But as Maggie learns more about this mysterious man, she realizes that there’s a heart of gold underneath his salty exterior, and she wonders if Malone could be a good catch after all.[Su_quote] [one_half]
I read an older copy of the book with a different cover. They both hit the notes of the genre. But if I had to choose this one is much better. It certainly reads more modern than the prior cover and I think it catches the feel of the book better.
Now The Story:
Book Info:
Pages: 384
Author: Kristan Higgins
Available: Google Play
This book is told from the primary perspective of the heroine and her voice shines through. And I don't mean the character has an accent. She just comes across as so authentically real. It felt like I was living in this woman's head and getting a peek at her life, Being John Malkovich, style. This feeling is so strong that you'll laugh with her, and frequently get second-hand embarrassment for her. The woman has a tragic love life and it shows through in some quirky ways.
For instance, our intro to the character is her thinking she's met a handsome, intriguing man at the diner that she owns. In her enthusiasm, she ends up telling everyone in their entire town. He did tell her about his vocation, but she didn't hear it. The man did make a vague comment about seeing her at church on Sunday. She ends up showing up with much of her family who are just curious as to what kind of man has drawn her eye. But so is half the town, who also heard the story. The man comes out and he's the new priest of the parish. Everyone knows the mistake she has made. However, the priest learns of it too from her brother, who outs her mistake in front of everyone. This will not be the last time that you want to hide under the covers for her.
This embarrassment ricochets and she ends up being very involved in the church that she doesn't even attend regularly. As an experienced cook at that same diner, she's cooking and attending every extracurricular activity to make up for her mistake. Some of it was her residual feelings for the man, who she still found handsome and good. I found all this to be a tad curious. Not from anything on the heroine's behalf. However, Father Tim was involved in the confusion as well. I just wanted to know what his thought process was on inviting her to do all these different projects. Frequently, calling her to fill in on this or that. Allowing all these women to attend bible study, but knowing they were only there to stare at him dreamy-eyed. The man was a priest, but he couldn't be that blind. Later, in the book, it's established that he was using her services to get things done around the church, somewhat selfishly.
Her siblings get involved shortly after this to help fix her up. So, she goes on a series of blind dates. The first one is bad because...he eats too much. Even from the way it is described, this portion didn't sit right with me. The man enjoys his food. What exactly is the problem? If I'm not eating, but staring down some man's gullet then I'd probably be turned off too? Maybe I got to see it to understand, but a man liking food is not a turn-off. Yet, claiming to be a dog psychic, just might. As well as being a nurse for the benefits and not necessarily for the call on one's life. That last one is more of a character flaw than anything. But either way, this date is a bust and so is the second one.
These dates end up making her feel less than. My heart truly goes out to how lost she feels. I'm thinking the author is trying to make me cry, but I refuse lol. But then I check out when in her desperation she says, I'd marry my dog if he was in human form. Okay chick, slow down.
Their is a moment where the heroine embarrasses herself again this time with the hero involved. Her closest friend and brother joke that she should try dating the loner guy in town. She calls him ugly, and some more stuff. She doesn't realize that he has walked into the bar and has heard the whole thing. Brother again, teasingly, rubs salt in the wound by asking the guy what he thinks about a date. The hero gives her a burn back and that's the end of that. This portion reminds me of why I love novellas because the chapters are really dense and it feels like I've been reading forever. Yet, the hero up until this point has had very little actual interaction with the heroine.
Then we get our first, but not the last glimpse into the heroine's ex. He was a big fish in a little pond from a baseball athletics pov and he ended up going pro. However, the hype didn't live up to the expectations of what really happened and he couldn't make it in the big leagues. He married some coaches (maybe) daughter, someone with a lot of money in the family, and built his happiness that way. Except, he was still in a relationship with the heroine the whole time and left her in the dust by (another embarrassing moment) of just showing up with a fiancee at a homecoming party in front of the entire time. Since a pattern here. Anyway, this guy returns and she gets drunk at a church event. I'm just crossing my fingers and toes that it doesn't lead to another embarrassing moment, because I reached my limit. Then she makes a speech about loving Father Tim in front of the entire congregation. Sis, I need some good to roll in for you.
This embarrassing moment leads Father Tim to step in to try his hand at trying to fix her up with someone. This gives me mixed messages. It almost has a threatening tone to it. Like I need to push you off on someone else because you're becoming too much of a problem for me. I'm going to work with another priest from the parish the town over and we're going to try to get you, somebody. Okay, I guess.
She then goes on a date with a man out bowling. He learns that she is a twin and immediately starts acting weird. Maybe there is no connection, but this seems to happen frequently. He kisses her sloppily and goes from 1 to 100 in heat lol. She distracts well enough. But then he pulls a hernia and asks him to fix it. That means pressing on his groin. Its all kinda weird and cringe. But she finally does and ends up breaking his hymen for real lol.
There is a mixup in communication and one of those dates ends up being with a 70-year-old man. This happens to be the best date she's ever had in a long time. It's just cute. The guy is a gentleman and she's a good sport. He's just happy to be out of the house and with someone so young lol. It leads to one of the sweetest moments of the book.
After all this, she ends up daydreaming about her future husband. These scenes end up reminding me of myself. I used to frequently imagine how my "dream husband" would react to different situations. But even though I'm married now, this left me in my feels and needing a hug lol.
The second blind date with the ex had me wanting to throw the book down. Now, Priests strike again, except this time the guy has promise. She's talked to him on the phone and all systems are a go. I'm thinking okay, this is a cute story. The hero's going to walk in and boom. Nope, she gets stood up. But the ex walks in with his wife and she asks them to join her. I said, what in the glutton for punishment, is going on here? Why torture me and her this way? lol. We are in yet another embarrassing situation and this man is about to make her cry. He's clearly rubbing his happiness in her face, and the wife is oblivious. Like, author, please, we get it, her love life is miserable. Then the hero swoops in for the save and brings it all to an end. But he's the strong silent type and if you think this moment is going to give you what you want, it will strongly disappoint you.
I personally understand the dissatisfied reviews with the hero, Malone. The author built up so much angst around the heroine wanting love, embarrassing moment after embarrassing moment, pining away endlessly, and she doesn't win a cinnamon roll, but a heart of stone. Great story, but it's definitely losing a point here.
They kiss on their first date and he doesn't stop by the diner the next day just to talk and hang out. He doesn't call or stop by to show any genuine interest. It gives our quirky heroine another chance to act out. However, I really need to see Malone give a little. He should have called.
Small rant (side note): What's sad is men like Malone exist. And their wives have no clue as to what they're missing. Lol, ignorance is bliss. Two things come to mind. 1) A comment was made that women have the capacity to convince themselves that they are in love with anyone. It's a concept that I think proves itself out just with the breadth of relationships that on their face offer no true value (to her person or her finances) to the woman, who sticks it out for a myriad of reasons including the most painful one, love. But let's use Malone as the example here. He really is the last man on Earth. The last man available to her without permanently moving out of the state or her hometown. That kind of move is life-changing for a wing and a prayer and would alter the way she wants to live. She even makes a statement about Malone possibly being her last chance at love. She's just settling. And I think a lot of women go for a Malone by hook or by crook, but not out of any genuine love. They just convince themselves that it is. 2) Another comment was made along the lines of, I know romantic comedies aren't real because my man isn't particularly romantic or talkative. He's never gone into long essays on why he loves me. Okay, romantic comedies aren't realistic, but they're not complete fallacies either. Most guys aren't romantic dance in the rain types. No, it doesn't come naturally. However, a great husband/boyfriend knows how to use google and will turn it out for your birthday/anniversary/ or just to impress you. You can have a movie moment, even if every day isn't a show in the courtship process. As for not being talkative, I think women have allowed men to be the strong silent type for far too long. A man may not be able to quote Shakespeare, but he should be able to tell you how he feels when it counts. When it matters the most. And that means not allowing the man to skate by with simple statements like I like you. Gone hit'em with the, why? And if he fails, don't be afraid to say, I'm gone give you some time to work on it. Ask for what you want. Don't simply accept that's all he can do because men are from Mars and Women are from Venus, bs. He doesn't know how to express himself. For the right woman, he'll learn. I remember reading a story of a man who was using song lyrics he found off the internet to write his girlfriend a love poem that she asked for. Many would call that cheating. I'd call that a movie movement in a romantic comedy. I danced with an ex once in the rain. Not because he surprised me, but because I asked for my movie moment. And I remember him telling me that it was one of the best memory he's had, that movie moment. In movies, guys just know, that's not real, but the fallacy is that men are somehow incapable of more. Ask and you shall receive. Tying this back to the book example. She asked Malone during the break-up for more and he ran, rather than rise to the occasion. That's a man you break up with, not fall in love with more because that's just his personality. And she accepted his behavior because he was the only man around willing to offer up any kind of support on his terms, but not hers.
One of the points in the hero's favor is that he loves the one thing about her that she's insecure about and that's her hands. Apparently, she's got cook hands. Therefore, they have callouses and aren't smooth and some more stuff. This is the first time I've ever heard of something like that. I've known some great cooks and I just don't remember this ever being a serious thing. So, I'm curious if this is something actual professional cooks go through?
All throughout the story is the undercurrent that the heroine is still pining for Father Tim. I reach my limit with this as well, when they go out together as friends, and then she asks him if he ever gets lonely. His answer is very honest and introspective. But she only asked to get a peek into whether she had a change or not. It was kinda sad.
But when she's at her lowest, the hero is there for her. They sleep together, again. And he doesn't call, and they don't talk. Sometimes for days after. My thought was...sorry, but I don't read romance for realism.
The supportive characters in this book are great. It's the main reason this book earns out its 4 star rating, despite the myriad of flaws in the actual romance. One of these great characters is her closest friend, Chantal. She's unapologetically feminist in her embrace of her sexuality. She plays fast and loose with her bootie lmao. Anyway, she manages to deliver the best line of the whole book. Chantal calls Father Tim, Father What-a-Waste, I shouldn't appreciate that dig, but I do.
Later, a storm brings over a melancholy laziness over the entire town. This sends the heroine seeking her fun at the local bar with her good friend Chantal. Along with half the town. She's in the confused end zone with the hero. So, seeing him in any situation outside the bedroom is confusing and hella awkward. But this is a moment for some truths. Even if they don't come from our heroine and hero. See, Chantal, Father Tim, our hero and heroine, all end up at the same table. The secret of the main couple's trysts is not out yet. In retrospect, that's pretty surprising. But they're saying things about how the heroine deserves a real relationship and not one based on sex. On and on and all true I might add.
Fast forward, it's an unsuspecting third party that reveals her crush on Father Tim to the hero. Now, he lives in town with everyone else and has heard a great deal of it on his own. But this is the time for her to clear the air. I just didn't like that she had to chase him down to prevent a misunderstanding and hurting his feelings. Whether she still has feelings for Father Tim or not is suddenly the deal breaker. Not you being a hermit, incapable of any kind of meaningful relationship or communication.
Like, sir, she don't know nothing about you. She doesn't owe you anything. You won't even admit out loud with real words that you like or care for her. All y'all doing is sleeping together and she putting the clues together like she's Miss. Marple from an Agatha Christie mystery novel. See rant above, but a lot of women got these mystery romances. They don't know they're in them until they put the clues together. But Malone is a genuine jerk. He almost gets seriously hurt and she tries to give him some TLC, and it crashes and burns hard. I'm starting to be resigned just like the heroine, well maybe this is just how he is. I'm going to just have to accept it. I totally feel like the guy is gaslighting me into trying to believe this is a real relationship and his behavior is okay.
Then her companion dies and he shows up for her in a big way. I'm not completely surprised either as the clues were leading that way. Not an animal lover, I take most of this section in stride. But I have an aww moment when she comes home alone. Like, okay, I get what that means and my heart hurts for her. What follows is the funeral and telling people. She also demands comfort from Father Thomas. It doesn't go as planned. Then the hero steps up to bat. Malone's apology was short. His support was sweet. My confusion whispered three stars, but no I said, let's be fair.
He takes her out on a date to get her mind off things. She asks him about his first name on their date and he's still not telling her. 😳 Yes, Malone, is his last name. He asks why she wants to know and she stutters over her reasoning. Sis, because it's basic first date info that everyone has. Because it's part of your family history and I want to get to know you. Because it will make me feel like I'm not dating a stranger a stranger a little less. But he doesn't have enough to his personality to get away with this. It's just not cute. Just when I'm trying to like him, he pulls the rug out from under me.
Then I said firm three stars when she brings up his past as an effort to get to know him, but he somehow twists it into her ruining the moment. Were they serious subjects, yes? Does she still know nothing about him, also yes? And this just made me sad.
Later, she finds out that her parents are getting divorced and I support it. The relationship just reads toxic in the way that they treat each other throughout. Her yelling and him retreating.
Let's pause the book review to talk about her pining for Father Tim. During the loss of her companion, it opened up some questions for me. This wont be a rant, promise. Does she like Father Tim or just the idea of him? Some examples, 1-She disliked the convo about whether dogs go to Heaven. Father Tim is busy. He in fact doesn't hang around the church just to be at her beck and call, surprise. So to pull his attention back to her, she asks a religious question about dogs in Heaven. He gives the stereotypical answer for a priest. But she is genuinely upset with him and considers it a character flaw. Like, maybe sis, you only like him when he's comforting you. 2-He clearly had a lot on his chest during a couple of their interactions and she doesn't do anything to try to talk to him about it. She grows fearful, instantly. Almost like, any opportunity to get to know him on a deeper level would break this illusion that she has of him. 3-The subject of her mother and her parents divorce like number one has her looking at him differently. Like he's an inconvenience rather than the man that she hangs a significant portion of her life on. She dismisses his opinion and pushes him away in favor of what she finds more to her liking. She doesn't in fact love him at all.
In this story, the heroine is close to her father and has a tumultuous relationship with her mother. It's often degrading. Eventually, the mother's secret heart of gold is revealed. The why behind her actions and harsh words. I'm not surprised by the turn-in story. But it does make me rethink my own authorial process with parents and rocky situations. I make a mental note not to do that in my own writing lol. It really is hard to read stories where through a hashing out the parent rethinks their way and tells the child how much they truly love them. This rarely mimics reality. Most parents either double down, ignore, or you get closure when they die. These heart to hearts while lovely, probably don't need to be written as often as they do. Too late with my novel, The Bolo Dance.
After, she goes to the hero wanting to sort of decompress with him. A lot is going on from losing her companion, to her parent's divorce, to the lack of real support from Father Tim, and she could use an emotional break. But she ends up listening to him play the piano outside his house. It's one of his secret hidden talents. In the process, she overhears a private conversation. Chantal, her friend, is pregnant and she thinks it's the heroes because the friend is quoted as saying I had to tell you right away or something like that. It's classic miscommunication and it only works because she really doesn't know Malone from a can of paint. But can I say, I resent it anyway?
This is what I mean by bloat for my fellow readers who don't see the appeal of novellas. It's chapter 23, she's got some devastating news, okay, fine. She's cleaning, okay, coping mechanism, got it. Why we still talking about yet more ex-boyfriends? 😒imma need to not.
For once, she was supposed to go out with the hero and missed a date, and he comes looking for her. This is her chance to break up with him because of what she overheard. In her mind, he got a secret baby out there. The breakup scene had me laughing. Why, because it was the most honest she's been. Of course, not about the miscommunication portion. But her demand that she be allowed to care. Her refusal to accept someone not willing to answer basic personal questions. She called him out on not speaking in full sentences when there together. She spoke her mind and instead of rising to the occasion, he ran.
The reader gets a more holistic view of the family during this break. The heroine sees her mother's point of view on her father and I happen to agree. Essentially, no one can live with someone who coasts through life without getting a little angry. Her twin sister throws a fit and it's also nice to see. She appears to have had a closer relationship with the mother in the inverse. She doesn't want them to divorce period.
Suddenly, after a series of mishaps with Father Tim. The heroine reveals to her sister that she is not in love with Father Tim. I was on that track before this scene. Fast forward some more, her friend comes clean about being pregnant. She doesn't find out who the baby's father is, but she does learn who it's not, and it's not the hero. I have to admit, I'm playing detective myself and theorizing who I think it belongs to including Father Tim. I laugh at the reveal that Father Tim is not the father of Chantal's baby either. I'm mildly curious as to who is now, tho. She also realizes her miscommunication issues were just that and the hero never slept with her friend. However, she thinks she should apologize for the mean things she said. You mean you need to apologize for the truth.
More embarrassing hijinks ensue and groveling after the hero.
In keeping with complete honesty, I started skimming around 80%. Read the ending, then Chantals baby reveal, and then the reason for Father Tim leaving, and a little bit about the mother's new beginnings. Malone...meh. Chantal...yes, queen. Father Tim...funny, but underwhelming. Mother...I knew you could do it, sis, yes.
But you know what eeks out a 4 after all that back and forth over the hero. He was honestly, killing this book for me. No, it's not him finally telling her his name in the end because I feel next to nothing for Malone, the hero. This book gets a 4-stars because I loved how happy the heroines brother was to learn he might be having a baby with the town loose bootie. Now, that's unexpected and the most adorable thing I've ever read in a long while. And oddly wholesome. It instantly filled me with the feels.
Not only that, I genuinely did stay up past my bedtime to finish it. Even though, I was just skimming. It was like, I have to know. I can't leave this world, not knowing what happens to my small town family. As the DNF queen that rarely happens. So this book gets a...
How can you give it a four if the romance portion is a two-star read at best?
It's hard to explain. It's the world itself. It's the supporting characters. Here is a reviewer from Goodreads who said it better: "And KH does excel at cleverly and engagingly drawing us into all facets of her heroines lives: their colorful, vivid friends and family members; their amusingly unlucky histories; their professions and their hobbies and the people they become friends with along the way...etc. It all makes for a very relatable, funny, and satisfying read,...on those points.
Story At A Glance:
Recommendation: 4 out of 5
Read Series Continuation: No*
The Ratings:
Book Cover Appeal:
🍓🍓🍓🍓 🍓
Story & Narration:
🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓
Romance:
🍓🍓
Character/(s) Personality:
🍓🍓🍓🍓
*All the reasons that I gave it four stars are all the reasons I wont, personally, be continuing on with the series. I don't really need those things to be in play to enjoy a story. I really root for the couple and the believability of their love story. I've loved fanfiction that's had none of those above things. But what really solidified it for me was a review that this was a frequent occurrence amongst the author. You'll get all those beautiful above things, but you'll also get a heroine chasing after a hero that she shouldn't necessarily be with. So although I loved it now, that's going to be a source of frustration for me in the future. So, it's best if I didn't continue with the series or try other books. However, make your own decision on that point.
