Paperback, 368 pages
Published Nov. 22, 2022 by Berkley.
An interior designer who is never without the perfect plan learns to renovate her love life without one in this new romantic comedy by Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care.
For Astrid Parker, failure is unacceptable. Ever since she broke up with her fiancé a year ago, she’s been focused on her career—her friends might say she’s obsessed, but she knows she’s just driven. When Pru Everwood asks her to be the designer for the Everwood Inn’s renovation, which will be featured on a popular HGTV show, Innside America, Astrid is thrilled. Not only will the project distract her from her failed engagement and help her struggling business, but her perpetually displeased mother might finally give her a nod of approval.
However, Astrid never planned on Jordan Everwood, Pru’s granddaughter and the lead carpenter for the renovation, who despises every modern design decision Astrid makes. Jordan is …
An interior designer who is never without the perfect plan learns to renovate her love life without one in this new romantic comedy by Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care.
For Astrid Parker, failure is unacceptable. Ever since she broke up with her fiancé a year ago, she’s been focused on her career—her friends might say she’s obsessed, but she knows she’s just driven. When Pru Everwood asks her to be the designer for the Everwood Inn’s renovation, which will be featured on a popular HGTV show, Innside America, Astrid is thrilled. Not only will the project distract her from her failed engagement and help her struggling business, but her perpetually displeased mother might finally give her a nod of approval.
However, Astrid never planned on Jordan Everwood, Pru’s granddaughter and the lead carpenter for the renovation, who despises every modern design decision Astrid makes. Jordan is determined to preserve the history of her family’s inn, particularly as the rest of her life is in shambles. When that determination turns into some light sabotage to ruffle Astrid’s perfect little feathers, the showrunners ask them to play up the tension. But somewhere along the way, their dislike for each other evolves into something quite different, and Astrid must decide what success truly means. Is she going to pursue the life that she’s expected to lead or the one that she wants?
3.5 rounded up
someone tell ahb to stop using “women and nonbinary people” please for the love of god
That could all wait. The whole world could wait and give her one night off, one night where her whole goal was to smile and laugh and not care so damn much.
Not a bad read, but less fun for me than the first book in the series. I think I didn’t connect with either of the leads enough, especially Jordan. With Astrid, I was at least already somewhat invested since she was such a prominent character in the previous installment, and I did find the aftermath of the arc she had there and the continuing development of her relationship with her mother pretty interesting. Though at the same time I feel like more could be done with the last one.
The overall plot with the inn renovation was pretty cute, and I found the initial animosity between Astrid and Jordan kind of entertaining. But the way they progressed from …
That could all wait. The whole world could wait and give her one night off, one night where her whole goal was to smile and laugh and not care so damn much.
It's a really nice book, a total rollercoaster, with a plot that seems to be predictable but then throws you for a loop.
Rough slow start, but ended well.
This book touched me in a way I didn't expect. I really enjoyed Bright Falls #1 but #2 hit me in the gut. Yes, I think I'm experiencing a high-emotion point in my life but I think even if I wasn't, it still would have gotten to me. Just maybe not made me cry. More than once.
Both Astrid and Jordan - I loved them together! - have some deep-seated insecurities for good reasons. They work so well together. We'll see if Iris's story, which was set up nicely, tops even this one. I do love Iris.
Also, I immediately went to Etsy to look for a clitoris pendant.
