Note: I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and Forever Publishing. These are my honest opinions.

Publication Date: Tuesday, May 17th, 2022

Blurb

After one wild night together, two complete opposites plan to stay firmly in the friend zone, but life has other plans in this delightful romantic comedy, perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez.

As a successful book publicist, Imani Lewis works night and day to promote her authors.  It’s her dream job, but she’s become a total workaholic. So when her grandmother invites her to stay for the summer as she recovers from surgery, Imani happily agrees. But being back in the same small town as her one-night stand may not be quite the relaxing break she envisioned… 

Zander Matthews wakes up every day determined to enjoy the present because he knows from his time in the Marines that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. But he’s never gotten over the beautiful woman who blew through town a year ago, then disappeared. And he doesn’t want to be hurt again. So they agree to a deal: he’ll help Imani fix up her grandmother’s house as long as they stay firmly in the friend zone.

Whether it’s repairing tiles in his ceramics studio, dodging nosy neighbors, or soothing the most obnoxious parrot ever, Zander never fails to make Imani laugh. And soon their friendly banter is turning ever flirtier. But since Imani’s stay is temporary and Zander can’t be tied to anything beyond the most tenuous plans, will she be able to handle it when things get all fired up?

Review

I was immediately interested in this book. Literally from the moment Imani’s plane landed and she spent time with Zander, Drake, and Kate, I was hooked. Imani and Zander had chemistry and awareness of one another from the get-go, which I suppose is true for more second-chance-ish romance, but it just really worked for them. PLUS, *he-fell-first* and PURSUED HER, which she needed and I loved.

So, awhile back, like almost a year ago, Imani and Zander had a 2-night stand after Kate and Drake’s wedding, and things were shall we say, fiery (you know, All Fired Up, get it?). He never moved on, and neither did she but she ghosted him instead. Imani got sucked back into her real life in New York, chasing a promotion and keeping up with her clients, which makes her a workaholic. She has to return to her small hometown where Zander lives for two reasons: help her SWEET Gigi (Grandma) after surgery and be there for her BFF Kate when she has a baby.

When Zander joins Kate and Drake to pick Imani up at the airport, it’s clear the jokester hasn’t changed, and Imani is convinced that they just need to tell Drake and Kate about their two-night stand so they can move on. But Zander has other plans: Date Imani. He wants a real chance to take her out, she wants to focus on her work, her Gigi, and her best friend, and neither really get what they want, until they do! 🙂

This book is sweet with a little spice, yet you feel their chemistry and the tension build throughout the story. You also see how well this opposites-attract pair works – he’s fun and outgoing, and she’s serious and reserved. They need each other to balance out. Zander anticipates what Imani needs and literally shows up for her in the best ways, while Imani’s focus and drive helps Zander to see where his go-with-the-flow attitude might be leaving something on the table.

I especially liked that Zander is a big, buff guy with his own body insecurities. He’s challenged with his own negative thoughts, just like Imani is. And yet, Zander would have been voted, yes, Class Clown, but also Most Likely to Make Friends. He meets someone, he really listens to them share their hearts, and then when they need something, he finds a way to help out. This is evident not only with helping Imani fix up Gigi’s house, but also Tuck on the hot air balloon ride, among the other examples of favors he has done for his neighbors and the town that he cashes in on, especially to help Imani.

This is story with these characters (we meet Kate and Drake in How Sweet Is It), but it could be read as a standalone! I thought this was a quick read and felt like it was just the right amount of story, background, build-up, conflict, and the epilogue was sweet BUT I WANTED JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE, OKAY? Plus, more spice. Their chemistry was GOOD and I wanted more!

Thanks for the ARC of this one – 4 really solid stars.

Rating: 4 Stars