The Particulars: Contemporary romance, Self-published, 2021, Book 1 in Never Too Late series, In Print, Kindle Unlimited for digital (as of when this post went live)
Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: There was a decent amount of chatter in Romancelandia about this book back in 2021, but it mainly ended up in my TBR because at some point in 2022 Booth made it a freebie. Free + her experience in writing category romance (she published quite a few books with Harlequin Desire before that line folded) was enough for me to one-click this bad boy.
The Review: I normally try to focus on my print TBR for the Challenge, but I failed to prepare (typical) and being out of town last week meant a dive into my Kindle to see what I could unearth to fit this month's New Beginnings theme. Folks, this book could not have been more perfect.
Our story opens with our heroine, 47-year-old make-up artist Lela Bennett - fresh off a divorce she's still a bit fragile over, coming across a wedding in a New York City park. Despite the divorce, Lela is a sucker for weddings and stops to watch. Imagine her surprise when another on-looker to the proceedings is Donovan James, her best friend and unrequited crush from college, when they attended NYU together. Oh, and they slept together once - which turned out to be a bit of a disaster. Donovan ended up marrying his on-again-off-again girlfriend shortly thereafter and slipped out of Lela's life "for reasons."
Donovan is also divorced (three times over...) and is in town for his daughter's college graduation. Echo was the product of Marriage #1, that on-again-off-again girlfriend from his college days. Marrying Genevieve meant cutting ties with Lela, plus he's moved around a lot in the intervening years - so these two literally haven't spoken in 20+ years. They decide to spend the day together and whoopsie doodle - have sex for the second time, only to have Lela blurt out her unrequited feelings for Donovan from all those years ago and this guy runs scared the minute Lela is asleep.
My hero AMIRITE?!
Fast forward 3 years, Lela is now 50 and has completely changed her life. Something broke in her when Donovan slunk out of her apartment after the mind-blowing orgasm. She decided to own her age, went completely gray, and started her own make-up line. She gets word that a lifestyle brand wants to bring her make-up line on board - and it's just the thing that could really launch her. So she meets with the owner only to discover that it's Echo, Donovan's daughter. And who is back in New York helping his daughter with the marketing side of her business? Yep, you guessed it.
Donovan may have been married three times, but this guy does not do well when it comes to "feelings" - which is why he's been divorced three times and keeps bungling things so badly with Lela. He's completely in love with her (has been for years) but is too dense to figure it out. 50-year-old Lela is strikingly beautiful, with a newfound confidence, but nothing brings out her vulnerability quite like Donovan does. And now here's the universe throwing him back into her orbit. As Lela looks to the future, she keeps getting confronted with her past - will these two crazy kids figure it out the third time around?
The answer, of course, is yes - and this is a well-done, well-paced contemporary romance featuring grown-ups. Oh, they're still a bit messy, but there's not a lot of silly contrivances or big misunderstandings mucking up the works. The main conflict here is Donovan, who is a hot mess when it comes to emotions - feeling them, owning them, you name it - this guy is clueless. For that reason I felt rather strongly that he didn't remotely deserve Lela for the first 1/3 of this story because Lela is a wonderful heroine. Especially after her disastrous morning after with Donovan when she decides eff all men, I'm growing gray, I'm starting my own make-up line, it's Lela Time!
There's so much Booth does right with this story. Donovan's journey to catching a clue is satisfying. Lela is confident and sexy, but with an underlying streak of vulnerability that makes her extremely appealing. There's Donovan's daughter, Echo, and her fiancé on the cusp of a wedding being planned into submission by Donovan's ex, who is NOT painted as the shrew other woman who back-bites and spares with Lela (thank you sweet baby Jeebus), and Lela's BFF who is getting ready to propose to her girlfriend. All set against a well-done New York City backdrop - I inhaled every word in a greedy gulp.
This was a very well done contemporary romance that kept me entertained on a cross country flight. It's worth a read regardless, but if you're desperate for an "older" romantic couple, you need to drop everything and read this now. Why aren't all romances I pick up for free this good?
Final Grade = B+
Well, damn. It so happens I have this one too (probably snagged during the same promotion you did). I need to remain aware of it and read it soon (this year, at least)
ReplyDeleteAL: I really enjoyed it - and the heroine made the book for me.
DeleteI also really liked this one. The follow-up is on my TBR & this is reminding me that I should finally bump it up to the top of the queue. (I keep trying & failing to get my TBR under control.)
ReplyDeleteLori: I liked this one enough that I do plan on getting the next two books in the series. Honestly, I'm a little surprised it seems to be a series based around setting and theme - because Donovan's brother seemed ripe for future hero materials but nope.
DeleteI think a clueless hero would do me in (I cannot with manbabies who don't own/understand their feelings), but otherwise this one sounds like a winner. Yay!
ReplyDeleteWe made similiar choices this month - an older couple and a second chance romance :) His Runaway Marchioness Returns by Marguerite Kaye features a 34-year-old hero and a 31-year-old heroine, both very independent minded, stubborn, and successful in their chosen professions. An unwanted title and estate and a ridiculous clause in a will bring these two back together after a marriage-in-name-only from 12 years previous threatens to muck up both their lives. I really enjoyed this one, because there is no external drama or extra subplots getting in the way of the romance. These two are adults and act like adults, even during the obligatory third act breakup. It was super refreshing to read about mature people navigating their lives! This one was a hit for me, and really makes up for the miss from my January challenge read. I love this author, and I hope she lands softly when the HH line closes next year. She has at least one more title in the pipeline with them (likely her last) and I haven't seen any news yet about where she goes from there. I really miss her blog, especially now that we aren't on the same social media platforms.
Eurohackie: Yeah, not gonna lie - the hero here does and says some things in the first 1/3 where I was like, "You're an clueless asshole and don't deserve her." Luckily he comes around, but oof - it's rocky in the beginning.
DeleteOh! I have that Kaye book (because of course I do). I'm glad to hear you liked it. I also find Kaye a bit hit or miss, but when she hits she REALLY hits for me.