I really liked this romance by Denise Williams. The only reason why I didn’t give it 5 stars was honestly I think that there were some tiny plot holes left open with some of the friend group, and also with Willow’s brother, but I imagine this may get followed up on in a subsequent book since this is the second book starring some of these characters. The first book in what I guess isn’t being called a series is called Just Our Luck so if you want to get even more backstory on Sybil and Kiran you can read that first before reading The Re-Do List next.
This book follows Willow Lewis who is back at her brother’s home dog-sitting after being dumped and losing her job. It doesn’t help that Willow being dumped was recorded and she’s gone viral. Willow’s brother Cruz though, asks his best friend Deacon to take care of Willow while she’s there and also don’t even think about putting his hands on her since Deacon is let’s say, very enthusiastic about women. Cruz is deployed with the Air Force and part of a group called the PJ’s. Deacon is a former PJ that has been discharged.
I really liked both Willow and Deacon. Willow who wrapped herself up in a relationship she had since high school finally starts exploring things that she felt like she could never have or she felt like or knew in some cases her ex would not have approved of. Her coming up with a re-do list so he wasn’t her only experience I thought was cute and a fun idea. I also really liked Deacon. I expected to see a guy who was constantly running around horny, but Deacon actually has layers. We find out that he is still traumatized over being hurt while deployed and is focused on getting healthy enough to rejoin the military. He is not trying to be anything by friends with Willow, and then it slowly turns into more, not just for him, but for her. But we get to see them as really good friends for a good portion of the book. And we get to see how well they fit into each other’s lives and their friends lives too. I also wanted to say that I thought Williams did a great job of developing the secondary characters like Deacon’s roommates and their partners and Willow’s best friend, and new friends she meets when she moves in to her brother’s place.
I thought the overall plot was great. Friends to lovers is a popular trope for many reasons, but honestly I think it’s great to see two characters get together and not be a lot of angst about it. The flow was great and the book flips between Willow and Deacon’s perspective.
The ending was great and we get a HEA which is always welcomed.
