Tara Chen is floundering, having been through a string of relationships that never quite work out for her, most recently in a failed engagement. When she’s gently kicked out of her sister’s apartment so her fiancé can move in, Tara takes over her soon-to-be brother-in-law’s lease with his playboy firefighter coworker, Trevor. Tara soon launches a project to reconnect with her exes in an effort to understand what went wrong in their relationships, accompanied by a begrudgingly supportive Trevor. The more time Tara and Trevor spend together, though, the more it seems that Trevor is the only one who really gets loving and dramatic Tara - can she convert his non-committal self?

This was such a great read! I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but felt it was a little oddly paced in places, and the conflict a bit underbaked. I think Lea is really in the swing of things here - Trevor and Tara are both fully formed characters, and I especially love that Tara’s a bookstagrammer who loves romance, but Lea doesn’t keep dropping real-life authors and titles in the book, which almost always feels like pandering to me. Trevor’s relationship with his niece is so sweet, and I loved moments where we got to see him through his best friend Scott’s perception. 

I do think again that people may be frustrated with the communication style between the two, but it feels much better reasoned and handled than the first book did. Tara’s desperation for love is a little painful to watch at times, too, but it’s all part of her journey and I can’t imagine her another way. So fun, and I would love to see more from this friend group!

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC!