3.5 Handmade Bookshelf Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5

This had the makings of being really, really, really great. And then it introduced a couple of areas where we had contradicting plot elements. So, instead of being great, it ended up being only good.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Isla gets a job as an administrative assistant at Rent-A-Husband, a service where people can rent a "handyman" to come and do odd jobs around the house that typically a "husband" would do. However, things get a little awkward when it turns out that one of her new bosses happens to be a guy she went on a date with—one that she won in a bachelor auction. She ended up running out the door, leaving him with a stiffy.... To say Travis is a little unhappy to see her is an understatement. But soon, Travis realises that maybe there was a bit more to his connection with Isla. Unfortunately, he realises this too late, as now she has a boyfriend, and there's nothing he can do about it...

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
The beginning of this was squee-inducing, it started off so well as it set the awkward tension foundation between Travis and Isla and you could feel that instant attraction between them bleed off the pages. Neither of them wanted to participate in the Auction (her buying him selling...himself) but their nosey grandmothers thrust them together and they needed to make the most of it. Then the story fell apart a little...

Isla is pretty shy initially but through the book, you see how that isn't who she is once she breaks down her walls and opens up. She is determined to do a good job and doesn't want to let anybody down. I like the fact that she was quick to speak her mind and communicated how she felt and what thoughts were going on in her head. Travis is very grumpy. He is kind of an arsehole all the time and doesn't want to be around anyone. He's disengaged, a lone wolf who likes the quiet of nature where he can fish in peace and just likes being alone in his own company.

The relationship between Travis and Isla was there, but it wasn’t quite there. I felt like most of the time the two of them were just constantly fighting or at each other's throats over some misunderstanding, miscommunication, or some aspect they didn’t talk about. I struggled to see the chemistry between them. There were hints of it, sparks and a few moments of sweetness. But there were also moments where they didn’t seem compatible. A lot of their attraction is meant to be believed because you are "told" they are attracted to each other because they seem to have conversations and connections spoken about in "metaphorical time passing" so I didn't always see where the whole connection between them came from.

I do have to say that there were genuinely sweet, cute, corny, rom-com moments of gold and overall the writing flowed well making this easy to read and enjoy, while still keeping a relatively low-angst vibe. It made the slow burn between them kind of nice. I liked the little-found family dynamic, especially with the brothers' antics and how the girls finagle themselves into their lives. It was nice seeing cameos of Camilla and Lucas and how their story had progressed. It was just sweet to be back in this world.

I did wish we got a bit more of the grandparents, as we did in Lucas and Camilla’s book. They were mentioned a couple of times, but besides the early scene with the grandmothers, they weren't as prominent as they were in the previous book. I wanted to see more of that family dynamic, especially because family is so important to Travis. And I wanted to see the Grandmothers meddle a little more in Isla and Travis's relationship for the drama of it.

One of the main things that put me off was three plot contradictions that made me question whether I was being gaslit or not. I had to go back and verify that I wasn't mistaken in what I was reading. [The first was Lucas forgot Travis mentioned he met Ilsa before he found out she was working for them. He tells the brothers why it would be weird having her at the company. Later in the story, Travis comments on him knowing Ilsa was smart yet Lucas is surprised by his meeting her before the work thing was revealed.

The second one that bugged me is when Travis asks about her being close to her family, she mentions not as close as he is because no one in her family (not even her cousins) lives in the same state ... YET HER GRANDMOTHER is a member of the senior centre where she has her book club... She is close to her grandmother as she went with her to the auction...but then forgets about her being close when Travis asks...

The Third... the waitress's name changes... the one who is obsessed with Travis... She was Mel... then she was Amy, and now it could be a different waitress but it seems "fishy" (hide spoiler)] None of these things are major to the overall plot or story but they just threw me a little and disrupted my reading experience.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨 and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨::
▶ Dual POV
▶ Hidden Identity
▶ Grumpy X Sunshine
▶ Workplace Romance (He is one of her Bosses)
▶ Mine
▶ "Fuck It"
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Almost One Night Stand

Overall I did enjoy this and the the overarching plot was enjoyable... With a little more polish I think it could have been great!

Thank you to Everly Ashton and Valentine PR for my gifted copy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.