Audrey and Liam

Rating: 3.5 Stars
 
Trigger Warnings: Please check the content notes and or trigger warnings.

Knot Really Engaged is my first Kendall Hale book, and I’m hooked! As book two in The Happily Ever Mishaps series, I’m now eager to read book one and can’t wait for book three. This quick read had captivating characters and a charming fake engagement trope that didn’t disappoint. Audrey’s journey from heartbreak to love was heartwarming, and Liam’s swoon-worthy growth was a highlight. The character development was top-notch. Audrey learns to open up and be vulnerable with Liam, and Liam faces his fears of love and self-doubt. Audrey knows her worth, and Liam’s steadfast defense of her against her brother and best friend was a highlight. The blend of tropes, with the brother in on the truth to keep the fake engagement believable, was a fun twist. Amid the playful fake engagement, Audrey and Liam’s romance slowly blossoms. They’re also carefully navigating their guarded hearts and letting their love story unfold.
 
What to Expect:
••» Age Gap
••» Brothers’ Best Friend
••» Forced Proximity
••» Fake Engagement
••» Childhood Crush
••» Billionaire
••» Friends to Lovers
••» Girl Next Door
 
Thank you to the author, Kendall Hale, and The Author Agency team for the ARC opportunity!

Charming and swooning brother’s best friend romance! Liam and Audrey reconnect and agree to a fake engagement. Love these wonderful characters and the chemistry between them! Excellent read! Enjoyed reading! A must read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 starts 3 spice

Liam and Aubrey meet-cute at the airport right after her BFs wife shows up to tell her he is married with kids. They are both on their way to her parent's anniversary party for the weekend. He takes care of her on the flight because she is so embarrassed and upset.

He comes up with a plan to get both of their parents off their back. They will be fake engaged for the weekend and break up after they are back in Cali.

Yes, this is a fast paced get together but I enjoyed it. I enjoyed how he becomes possessive of her and falls hard and fast for her.

Audrey McCallister makes me feel like... Like I'm breaking into a million pieces and each one of them is more alive when she's around.

Read this book if you love

Fun, quick and light-hearted rom com. Kendall Hale writes such sweet stories and book 2 in the Happily Ever Mishaps series sticks to that format.

This book gives proposal vibes - Liam & Audrey, childhood friends & neighbors, stumble into a fake engagement to alleviate pressure from both of their families. There is great banter, meddling family members and feelings that arise over the course of a week together leading up to Audrey's parents' anniversary party.

I listened to this one on audio and no surprise, the narration by Jason Clarke & Stephanie Nemeth-Parker is fantastic. While this is dual narration, there is some text banter that has a duet style. I think the narration elevates this story.

This is a bit of a slow burn but when that spice hits, it's wonderful - and especially with the narration of Jason Clarke, you can't beat the tension & chemistry that is portrayed.

If you are looking for a quick & easy rom com, this series is one that hits all the right spots. I'm looking forward to book 3!

please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
HEA: HEA
POV: dual 1st person POV
spice: several open-door spicy scenes
TWs: bullying, cancer, cheating, divorce, toxic family dynamics
Kinky Content: anal play, dirty talk, exhibitionism (implied), fingering, masturbation, oral, orgasm denial, praise, public sex
standalone: book 2 of The Happily Ever Mishaps series
final thoughts: I love when a man turns into a poet when he’s in love and this book delivered. the sappiest sap to ever sap is my favorite when you get to the MMC’s POV chapters.
The MCs had great character growth, the side characters were dynamic, and there’s great set up for the next story. I liked seeing the characters from [b:The Ex-cavenger Hunt|210709286|The Ex-cavenger Hunt (Happily Ever Mishaps, #1)|Kendall Hale|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1713352775l/210709286._SY75_.jpg|216930257], though they weren’t prominent characters. This book followed similar pacing and spice level as the first book and I look forward to the rest of this series.

read this book if you love

⭐⭐⭐.5

ARC Review

Tropes:
Brother's Best Friend
Girl Next Door
Meddling Family
Childhood Crush
Fake Engagement
Protective Knight
Hopeless Romantic

This was a very sweet story to read. The perfect amount of sweet & spicy! But I did feel the story was a bit too fast paced and sorta insta-love. The story is over 1 weekend, then the epilogue jumps 6 months forward.

Audrey hasn't been back home for 3 years and is now headed back for her parents 40th anniversary. While at the airport she finds out her boyfriend was married. Now she's even more nervous to go home to her extremely judging family. Coming across her childhood crush & brother's best friend, isn't the greatest start to a trip, but Liam is so nice and supportive.

Liam sees Audrey at the airport and is completely in awe, she's not the little girl he grew up with anymore

✨ I received this book as an ARC for my honest review✨

Rate: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

I'm usually a sucker for fake dating or fake engagement tropes, so when I read the blurb for this book, I was immediately hooked! There were definitely aspects of the book that I found enjoyable, particularly the spicy scenes which were well-executed, and the banter between Liam and Audrey. However, I couldn't help but feel that certain elements needed more fine-tuning. The story had more internal monologue than I was expecting and I believe that took away from some of their story. The jump to Liam and Audrey realizing they loved each other could have been longer and left kind of rushed. However, when they finally came together it was super sweet! Liam is so swoony!

While the romance and chemistry between Liam and Audrey were engaging, I found myself wishing for more depth in their relationship and other areas of the story. For instance, Audrey's family dynamics and Liam's grandmother's health seemed to be brushed over rather than fully explored. I think the book could have benefited from a longer length to properly delve into these aspects and ensure that all the plot points were clear and well-developed. I wish we also got more of a back story between Liam and Audrey as to how they spend time together.

Additionally, the pacing felt a bit off to me. I would have liked more tension and build-up, especially regarding the fake dating aspect of the storyline. It felt like there were missed opportunities to heighten the stakes and emotional conflict, which could have added more depth to the overall storyline.

Nevertheless, I found the book to be a quick and easy read. The spicy scenes were definitely a highlight and kept me engaged throughout.

✨ARC REVIEW✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So cute

Okay so this was such a cute book!! I absolutely love Liam!! The way he rescued Audrey at the airport and then from her family?! Well even if the family part was also for his benefit….no one said men were smart LOL! It was more than obvious these two belonged together but honestly my favorite parts was him having to deal with the fact Audrey is his best friends little sister. Max definitely did not make it easy and I loved it! Oh and can we please get an explanation in his book asap why he doesn’t like to stay at Liam’s house?! Can it be something ridiculous like he doesn’t like the mattress or thinks it’s haunted haha.

“Of course I can do this. This is so easy. Super easy, right? One little lie. It’s not like we’re seriously tying the knot.”

Knot Really Engages | Kendall Hale | Happily Ever Mishaps Book 2

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5,