Amy Daws

Wow! Wow! Wow!
5 stars

This is the first book I’ve read from Amy Daws despite having a number of her other books on my wishlist. This one sounded especially delicious - I mean, enemies-to-lovers, surprise baby, roommates to lover story? Gimme! - and I thought that I knew exactly what to expect.

I was wrong. This isn’t ‘just’ a romantic comedy - it’s so, so much more. And I think I’ve found a new obsession in Ms Daws and her writing.

Our heroine, Lynsey, is finishing her thesis in the show more only place she feels her creativity flows - the canteen of the local hospital. Enter grumpy ER doctor, Josh. But this isn’t a meet cute, as our hero and heroine are at constant odds with each other, arguing, accusing and glaring at each other. And hoping that they never see each other again.

But of course, luckily for us - that doesn’t happen.

From there, we get a story that just races along - but not necessarily in the direction that I expected. A scene would start and I would assume that things would happen to create drama, tension or for laughs. Ms Daws rarely took that route, allowing the real emotions, drama and feelings to shine through. And because of that, I felt a real connection with both our main characters - loving to read both their points of view throughout the story.

Lynsey was a joy to me from the first page. She’s classed as a ‘quirky’ character but to me she was just honest, hilarious and knew what she wanted - and didn’t want - in life and that was that. She was real and I loved her. I wanted her to get everything she wanted - including charcuterie boards! I think I even wanted to be her - pie butt and all. Her best friends were also a delight and I can't wait to go back and read Kate's book, Wait With Me - although fear not, these books are complete standalones.

Characters like Josh (aka Dr Dick) are my ultimate catnip. Oh he was grumpy and alpha and always wanted to be in control. (Yes, there’s spanking in this story!) We know from early on that the man has some baggage. Baggage that Lynsey manages to slowly unpack, bit by bit. It was a real delight to watch the pair fall in love. Of course, Josh was such a flaming idiot when it came to his feelings for Lynsey and the baby. It was so obvious what he was really feeling but he refused to allow himself to acknowledge it. That makes it all the sweeter when he finally realises and has his ‘come to Jesus’ moment. I have to admit I teared up and was clutching my pearls as things finally resolved. *Sigh!*

Josh and Lynsey had chemistry that near set my kindle on fire. And as I mentioned - there’s spanking! The pair get it on quite a lot in the book - which I’m always happy to read - but it never got too much where I was over it and needed to skip sections.

Amy Daws’ writing is ultimately what made this story for me. Her style was friendly and compelling - drawing me in and making me forget that I was reading as I was enveloped by the story, these wonderful characters and the situations they found themselves in. So while yes, this is a romantic comedy, it’s got character development, emotional depth and a love story that made my heart go pitter pat. And any story that I’m still thinking about well after the fact, has to be something special.

Plain and simple - I loved this story. All the elements of love, laughter, sex and charcuterie boards, come together for a definite 5 stars. Would be more if I could! I hope you read it and love it as much as I did. show less

You know those pictures of big eyed children? They are objectively bad, but people love them, and that is enough. That is this book. It is really not good, and I loved it, and it made me feel swoony and happy and 100% immersed. Win! (I hated the cat daddy thing --that was just unappealing -- but otherwise it was all yes.)

Sexy, funny with baked goods
3 stars

I absolutely adored the previous book in this series - One Moment, Please - about Lynsey and Josh. Dean, our hero in this book, appeared in that book and in the earlier books in the Wait with Me series. Despite that, this book stands alone and you don’t need to have read the other books to understand and enjoy this one.

In fact, I think I might have enjoyed this book so much better had I come in with no knowledge of Dean. You see, I had a preconceived show more notion of Dean based on those books. As a best friend - he’s, hands-down, perfection. He’s loyal, sarcastic, funny and a little bit sassy. As a hero in his own right? Hmmm - jury’s out for me.

I just felt that he was a little, well, limp as a hero. No pun intended. He’s a metrosexual - which is fine - but it’s not something that makes me swoon. I prefer my men a little more rough around the edges - and possibly dirty and smelly, too. And Dean’s humour, especially in the face of Norah’s fairly stoic personality, didn’t hit the mark with me. In fact, sometimes, I felt he was downright condescending towards her. Just because she didn’t have fun they way he had fun, didn’t make her wrong.

Norah was a likeable character, too. I thought she came across as very real, even if, at least at the beginning, she was anti-boyfriend, anti-marriage and anti-family. I know we like to watch people eat their words but it was hard to be 100% team Norah when she was the opposite of me.

As always with Amy Daws, this book is bloomin’ hilarious! I laughed out loud on many occasion with genuine humour. Unique to this book, too, is the drool worthy inclusion of croinuts, Norah’s signature baked good in her bakery. And boy do I want one. Or six. Or more. Absolutely salivating for warm, fresh-from-the-oven pastries. Sigh.

There was enough sexiness to make me happy. I also love it when one of the characters gets drunk and blurts out their real feelings. But what happened next? Oh boy! That was almost as delicious as the baked goods. I felt the pair’s chemistry and wanted them to be together.

It was only once, but I feel I have to mention the flippant use of the term ‘OCD’. This is a serious medical mental health issue and can be devastating and all-consuming for the sufferer. It’s certainly not just someone who likes order and precision in their life. I just don’t think people should bandy about terms like this. I didn’t let this affect my rating of the book, by the way.

Amy Daws always delivers a fun and sexy treat as delicious as Norah’s glazed croinuts. (And yes, you will be as obsessed as I am about baked goods once you read this book!) For me, I just wasn’t sold on Dean as a leading man and as happy as I am for him to have found his own HEA, I can only give this story 3 stars. show less

This is another book pulled from my TBR pile and recommended by a couple of my favorite authors. Get ready for a delightful read that hits all the right notes with an opposites-attract trope featuring a brilliant doctor and a cocky soccer player.

Seriously, I fell head over heels for Camden Harris from the get-go. He’s not just another sporty dude; he’s talented, strong, and most importantly, honest. What really drew me in was his fierce determination. He truly “bleeds passion” in show more everything he does, as Indie aptly puts it. Camden’s goofy charm and that cocky aura hide a vulnerability that becomes so evident as he navigates life beyond just soccer. Trust me, my heart ached for him when he opened up to Indie, only to have her run from him. Ouch!

Now, speaking of Dr. Indie Porter, she’s the intelligent, caring doctor who seems to have her life all figured out. But here’s where it gets a bit quirky–her willingness to risk her job for a fling with Camden left me pondering. I mean, here’s a guy she just met. Her struggles with vulnerability stem from a tough upbringing and experiences with bullying, making her character all the more complex. It adds a unique twist to their romance, especially when she has such a hard time expressing her feelings to Camden.

Despite their differences, Camden and Indie have this undeniable chemistry that had me rooting for them the whole way through, even when Indie made some baffling choices. I truly admired Camden’s determination to fight for her heart. This guy isn’t just playing a game; he genuinely wants a chance with her, and you can feel that.

One of the things I really appreciate about this story is the perfect balance between humor and heartfelt moments. Enter the Harris family! They’re big, intrusive, and oh-so-overbearing, but their love for one another shines through, making all their antics a total treat.

If you’re into romance, friendships, and a sprinkle of drama, this series is definitely worth a look. I’m already hooked and can’t wait to see what the other Harris brothers get up to next!

For more of my reviews, visit The Eclectic Review. show less