BOOK REVIEW: (The Improbable Meet-Cute #1) by Christina Lauren & Worst Wingman Ever (The Improbable Meet-Cute #2) by Abby Jimenez

The Exception to the Rule (The Improbable Meet-Cute #1)
by Christina Lauren
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

On February 14, an accidental email to a stranger opens the door to an unexpected relationship in a captivating short story by the New York Times bestselling authors of The Unhoneymooners.

One typo, and a boy and girl connect by chance. Wishing each other a happy Valentine’s Day isn’t the end. In fact, it becomes a friendly annual tradition—with rules: no pics, no real names, nothing too personal. As years pass, the rules for their email “dates” are breaking, and they’re sharing more than they imagined—including the urge to ask…what if we actually met?

Christina Lauren’s The Exception to the Rule is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute, irresistibly romantic stories about finding love when and where you least expect it. They can be read or listened to in one sitting. Let’s make a date of it.

Review:

The Exception to the Rule was a friends to lovers, epistolary romance that was beyond adorable!  By accident, they started emailing each other in 2014.  And continued to send an email wishing the other a Happy Valentines Day every year.  And each year that followed, I loved their little happy messages to each other.  And the rules of secrecy they played by.  Yet as the years went by, real life started to slip in.  They would tell each other things they struggled with or what had shattered their hearts.  If they were dating someone.  To just sharing things that made the other person smile.  I loved watching a true friendship form!

“Too soon?” he asks, breath minty, his lips only an inch from mine.
“I don’t normally kiss before the first date,” I tell him. “But you’re the exception to the rule.”

Yet I am so beyond glad I listened to this in audio format.  Since we spent over half of this book in email format, I was so glad I didn’t have to pay close attention to who was emailing who.  I could just listen if it was a male or female voice.  And when they finally met in person, I was dying!  Kindness, thoughtfulness, heart and what-ifs filled the pages!  I loved how that unfolded.  Plus we were given an epilogue that made my heart soar.  This novella was so much fun and I’m so glad I listened to this story!

 

Worst Wingman Ever (The Improbable Meet-Cute #2)
by Abby Jimenez
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

They’re falling in love, yet they’ve never met. Maybe fate can intervene in a heartwarming “what-if” short story about new beginnings by the New York Times bestselling author of Yours Truly.

Holly is dealing with the impending death of her grandmother and still reeling from a bad breakup. One bright spot: a Valentine’s Day card on Holly’s windshield—even if it wasn’t meant for her. An amusing mistake soon turns into a lovely exchange of anonymous notes, little acts of kindness, and a growing affection between two strangers. What happens when one of them has to say goodbye?

Abby Jimenez’s Worst Wingman Ever is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute, irresistibly romantic stories about finding love when and where you least expect it. They can be read or listened to in one sitting. Let’s make a date of it.

Review:

Worst Wingman Ever was an adult, epistolary romance that will tug at your heart.  For a novella, this story was so full of life.  It’ll make you smile, laugh and I even shed a few tears.   I found myself smiling long after that last page, and now I’m excited to binge all of Abby Jimenez’s previous books!

Time is such a precious thing. How you spend it, how you waste it. And it becomes even more valuable as the hourglass runs out, because you will never get more of it. I see it every day. The panic as the last grains of sand fall.

Holly was a hospice nurse whose current job was taking care of her grandma, as she slowly passed.  In the midst of her heart shattering each day, she found a funny Valentine’s card on her vehicle.  Even though it wasn’t meant for her, it led to her exchanging notes with a stranger.  And acts of kindness too that will make your heart soar.  

That’s the thing about kindness. You never know how big the ripple is. How one little selfless gesture can make all the difference for the person who receives it.

I loved Holly’s family so much!  Her sister Jillian was so kind, positive and made me laugh!  And she tied into the first book, The Exception to the Rule.  I loved that little easter egg!  Plus I adored her mom and aunt too.  So thank goodness for these women, because we desperately needed laughter when we were with Holly.  Watching her grandma slowly fade away hurt my heart.  I felt like I was there with my Grandma and Grandpa all over again, holding their hands during their final moments.  So I cried my eyes out.  Holly and her families’ pain felt so real to me.

She took my spot in the elevator, and I was still facing her, trying to get my puppy to move in the direction we were going, when her eyes dropped to my tool belt. “Red,” she said, almost to herself. Then the doors closed and she was gone.

This story alternated between Holly and John, and it was so easy to fall in love with John’s huge heart.  He was kind, thoughtful, generous and I loved how he helped Jillian out, even though he didn’t know who she was.  His rescue also solidified what an amazing man he was!  So when we learned about his jaded past, I just wanted to hug him.  He desperately needed some happiness in his life too, just like Holly!

“Take responsibility for your own unhappiness.
If you don’t love your life, change it.”

There were so many fun moments within these pages.  The red power tools had me screaming.  The reason behind a name was so freaking adorable.  And when they met in person I gobbled up every single moment they had together.  This story was the perfect mix of emotional and heartwarming, and is my favorite so far in this group of novellas!

 

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