P. Dangelico

The blurb made the book sound very promising and I was very excited to read it, but the so-called hero ruined everything. I was willing to put aside the cockiness and the way he treated Stella in the beginning, but the second half of the book was a string of "Is Stella supposed to fall in love with that douche" events that ruined my mood. I don't know why Stella kept accepting his behavior. She did her best to be there for him and he was acting like a jerk and I wasn't ok with it. I am not show more saying that Stella was the best heroine or something like that, but she was better than him and even if she was uptight she was more easy to relate to.

The story is overstuffed while we could just have Stella and Dane trying to work everything out and caring for their baby. Instead, the story was focused on a few other stuff which weren't necessary if you ask me. To be fair the book had some good parts which are the reason my rating isn't lower, like some humor. show less

Reagan Reynolds...
Water polo god.
Owner of a face that belongs under Wikipedia’s definition of drop dead gorgeous.
Too charming for his own good.
But most importantly––the worst driver on the planet.

No, really, I’m pretty sure his blind nana taught him how to drive.

I had no idea who he was until he almost ran me over. And frankly, I kind of wish I still didn’t because then I wouldn’t have a sprained ankle to show for it. And my leg wouldn’t resemble a boa constrictor that’s show more swallowed a feral pig.

Yeah, it’s that bad.

I’ve spent years saving every penny I’ve ever earned to be able to transfer to Malibu University. And now my entire future––including my scholarship––is in jeopardy.

So I either accept the help he insists on giving me, or lose everything I’ve sacrificed for.

In the meantime, I’m going to ignore the fact that we’re becoming friends.

And I’m definitely going to pretend he’s not turning into the object of my…umm, dirty fantasies.

That’s not happening.

Not even a little.

Because the minute I clapped eyes on him I knew he was nothing but trouble. show less

Maren and Noah.
This is a second chance romance.
I am going to deal with the big taboo, that puts lots of people off a Hero and consequently a book by mentioning the cause of the initial break-up, cheating.
Noah cheats, it doesn't turn out to be a miscommunication or a drunken mistake, he cheats. What makes it worse he cheats with an ex, someone who had stood between Noah and Maren in the past, due to their age difference Noah was into girls way before Maren.
I do not like cheating, generally it show more stops me reading a book, I may read book that deals with reconciliation after cheating if there is enough redemption.
So the cheating.... What I will say is although it's not right, he doesn't just cheat to make her leave to pursue her career, there is a lot more going on than that.
His parents have died and he has lost his own chance of a sporting career due to any injury. He's a mess, he's drinking, taking drugs(Maren doesn't realise all of this).
He regrets it immediately and for years later. As a result of the cheating he is not a manwhore type .
He has grown in to a nice guy who works hard to help her grandfather in the years she is away.
Maren is in what we will call a relationship with a fellow sportsman/coach but there is no emotional connection.
There are no intimate scenes between him and her.
She doesn't cheat on present guy with Noah.
I was drawn in as soon as I started reading.
It was emotional and also very funny in places.
Excellent secondary characters. Esp her sister. And the chief of police.
HEA, epilogue.
It is dual POV though most of the chapters are from Maren with the occasional one from Noah.
I loved it, the cheating is in the past and he is totally devoted to her and has been for years, if he can just communicate that to her.

💋💗💖💞💕

🎾🏆 show less

You Can Have Manhattan by P. Dangelico

Frank Blackstone is a master manipulator and what he wants is to have his Scott, his son, and his general counsel, Sydney Evans, marry one another. His motives are suspect and since Scott and Sydney do not like one another to get them to actually tie the knot takes knowing just which buttons to push. A marriage of convenience that is not very convenient for bride or groom with quite a few issues to overcome is the basis of this story.

I have to say I show more found Sydney remarkable and strong and a woman to be admired. She was honest, gave of herself and never asked for much in return. She thrived in spite of her horrific childhood and truly impressed me. Scott, on the other hand, seemed rather immature for a man of 38. He had always been a bit spoiled and did what he wanted but seemed to be a bit better the past eight years...then again...when things didn’t go his way he really didn’t like it. Scott was almost as manipulative as his father and knew just how to strike where it would hurt the most.

There eventually was a HEA but only after the couple went through a LOT to get there. They did belong together but there were times I wanted to boot Scott to the curb...while other times I really liked him. In addition to the marriage of convenience, the ups and downs and all the rest there were a few characters in the story I would love to see books written about. Ryan and Drake were two that come to mind.

Did I enjoy this story? I did
Would I like to read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC – This is my honest review

5 Stars show less