The Beach Reads Box Set (Vol Two) was offered via the Penny Reid newsletter again this year, I think I picked it up either for free or for $1? It’s no longer available on Amazon (but resides happily on my kindle). Of note: I have still not finished Beach Reads Vol One, since I’ve spent the interval following the back catalogues of the authors around.
Mr Mayfair was the first story, and properly sucked me in. Our protagonists are Stella, who was dumped by her CLEARLY cheating boyfriend (engaged to her bestie two months later? Cheating!), and Beck, who needs an invite to their upper crust wedding so he can close a deal (a personal deal, he’s not a That Guy).
Hijinks ensue! Stella is eventually convinced to attend the wedding with Beck, in exchange for a new job designing on his prospective development once the deal is done, plus a face-saving boyfriend for the wedding to come.
Clearly I am a sucker for a Found Family, and Beck’s mates are most awesome – I’m very keen to continue this charming series.
Dear Sexy Ex Boyfriend is a pretend engagement story, featuring Oliver, a lawyer, and Summer, I wanna say a journalist? It didn’t make a massive impact, tbh. Summer writes a letter calling out her “dear ex,” which actually starts to lose Oliver business (wow, talk about ill-judged, right?). So in order for him to regain status and keep business, they have to pretend to be engaged.
Cute and hot enough that I’d follow the author to another book, but nothing new under the sun here.
The Year We Fell Down is about Corey, who had a hockey accident, and lost most of the use of her legs. She insists on going to college alone, over the objections of her parents, and meets Hartley, a hockey player with a broken leg. This is a thoughtful, charming book, smartly drawing attention to the little things that take a lot of effort for people with disabilities, that can be taken for granted. I’ll 100% be looking up Sarina Bowen’s next book.