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A review by bookishlychar
The One I Stood Beside by Piper Rayne
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Jude and Sadie secretly pined for each other forever. Both are worried that acting on their feelings could ruin their amazing friendship. Jude and Sadie are forced into a fake marriage to help save her family’s farm. Only then does the real love for each other come out. Can both fight their worries and be together happily ever after?
Jude had his inner demons, worried that he wasn’t enough for all that Sadie was. I loved how he would do anything and everything for her, though he struggled to show his love. I loved Sadie. She was so strong and fierce. She is so patient and gentle with Jude while he learns to express his feelings. These two together were awesome! They had amazing chemistry and an unbreakable bond. I loved the moment they realized the other had feelings for them; it was so beautiful. I did struggle with Jude and Sadie’s lack of communication. They could have talked years ago, to prevent so much pain for both of them.
With Jude and Sadie, there was also a cast of awesome characters. We had Jude’s family, which is large and involved. They all love Jude and Sadie and work to get them together. There were many scenes between Jude’s brothers and dad that had me laughing out loud.
This book was a joy to read. I loved Sadie and Jude together and can’t wait to read the third book in the series!
Read if you like: fake marriage, grumpy/sunshine, best friends to lovers, it’s always been you, forced proximity