Isla Olsen

Lucky #13 of books I've read by Isla Olsen, an Australian author who, I don't think, has set any books in Australia?

Perhaps it's a while since I've read a strong romcom, but I'm giving this 4.5 because I kept being surprised by how quirky and fun it was, and the banter between her MCs is top notch.

Businessman Tanner and kindergarten teacher Deacon are adorable as norm breaking romantic leads in this unexpected story.

I came away from this novel with a renewed appreciation for just how much we show more all like to be, and all need to be, cared for in simple ways, to cope with the stresses of life. A dollop of any one of the love languages - acts of service, time, praise - anything. show less

Light, but not frivolous. That's my favourite kind of romcom. Isla Olsen is skilled at this genre.

This is a fun read, with adorable MCs Drew and Sully (Sullivan), a fake boyfriend trope, with billionaire thrown in.

Nothing particularly original would be my only complaint. That's partly my fault because I've read a small mountain of romance at this point. It's my background music.

And how perfect is that cover! That guy embodies the sweetness and truth of Sully. I also wanna say, it's a show more testament to how sexy a guy can look in a suit - actually a nice change from the bare torso!

I like the reference to rugby in the title - reminds me of Jay Hogan's novels - is Olsen a New Zealander?

I'm not too far off. From perplexity:
Isla Olsen is an Australian author known for her engaging works in the romantic comedy genre, particularly focusing on queer themes. She is celebrated for her series titled Love & Luck, which has gained popularity among readers for its low-angst and high-heat narratives. Some of her notable books include Fake It 'til You Make Out and P.S. I Loathe You 13.
Background
Olsen describes herself as a cocktail-loving and history-obsessed writer, which reflects in her storytelling style that often incorporates humor and romance. Her works typically explore various tropes such as friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, and secret flings, appealing to a diverse audience 35.

OK, so why is it that there are NO Isla Olsen e-novels in any of the 6 Australian libraries I have accumulated??! By sheer good fortune, one of those libraries has a decent subscription to Hoopla, which has 32 of her ebooks and audiobooks. Thank you! show less

George and Lawson are friends that has the entire town betting on if and when they will finally get together. Lawson has had a crush on George for a while and George who always thought of himself as straight, realizes Lawson may be a lot more than just one of his closest friends. I liked the two guys. I liked their times together, going to the fair, meeting at the bar, all the things that people, no matter what sex they each are, just do when they're dating. What I didn't care for and could show more have absolutely done without was the Facebook like narrations, before each chapter, where the entire town commented on about the two guys. Hey people...it's 100%, NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! Once maybe would have been tolerable...but before every single chapter??? I love the sound of Kale Williams' voice, and he managed to do well with the voices of each of these busybodies...it was the fact that the entire town felt it was their "God given right" to make any comments in the first place! It was nothing short of annoying. Maybe if I had read the actual book, it wouldn't have bothered me so much. Anyway...George and Lawson were sweet and very much in love and more than worth rooting for. Overall, the story can be described as a steamy short but sweet low angst read.... (except for those annoying nosy town folks). The 3-star rating was me using the gift of generosity. Kale Willimans gets 5. show less

After vehemently hating each other for years, Devon gets dumped and his ex's brother Wes rejoices. Soon after, they unknowingly become pen pals who sext and are in pretty deep by the time they figure it out. Then it's just definitely-not-being-together exclusively for months until they end up with feels.

This was so fun. I know sister's ex isn't usually my favorite but these two idiots cracked me up. I liked that they got to know each other and found out that most of what they knew about the show more other wasn't correct. There wasn't ever a big event that made them dislike each other so it wasn't hard to overcome it. show less