Definitely Not Dating by Christi Barth – a Review

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Description:
It’s a chance to start over for both of them…

Everleigh Girard always dates the wrong men at the worst times. The last debacle cost her a job and an apartment. But thanks to a crazy lottery win, she and her friends have a fresh start restoring a historic inn. Determined to make it a success, Everleigh swears off the dangers of dating entirely. Except…the town’s police chief is distractingly hot. So how much trouble could friends with benefits really cause?

Police chief Matt Halliday always puts protecting his town first. He’s blindsided when his house mysteriously burns down, and grateful his friends rent him a room at their inn while they finish renovations. It’s a great deal. Mostly. It’s hard to resist the very beautiful Everleigh. Love is permanently off the table for him—but lust is definitely on.

After their first red-hot kiss, keeping it casual is impossible. Can Everleigh teach Matt to trust again—especially when he’s keeping a secret that may put him and his new friends at risk?

Review:

Definitely Not Dating by Christi Barth is the second book in her Love Lottery series.  Everleigh (Ever) and Matt are the wonderful heroes in this book.  Ever has always been very susceptible to the men in her life, with disastrous results.  When she lost her job, she was thrilled to be part of a winning lottery ticket to an old historic inn; she and her best friends, Alex, Amelia and Teague move to Maryland shore to renovate the inn.  Ever’s job at the inn during the renovation is public relations, as well as helping with the decorating and clean up.  Because of her bad luck with men, Ever has sworn of dating and only concentrate on the inn and the town.  But best laid plans do not always work out, especially when she finds herself being distracted by the town Police Chief, Matt.

Matt Halliday, finds himself homeless when a fire burns down his house; which he feels was not an accident.  Teague offers Matt a place to stay at the inn temporarily, even though the inn is still closed.  Early the following morning, Ever goes to check out sounds coming from one of the rooms, and to her shock she comes across Matt (shirtless and a hunk). He explains why he is there, and though she was not happy that Teague didn’t tell her, she finds herself fighting off her attraction to him.  In a short time, a friendship will begin between them, that will lead to a steamy relationship.  Both have their own disastrous relationships in the past, that holds them back from anything permanent.  

Both Ever and Matt were wonderful characters that I couldn’t help loving them together.  Matt had been burned in a previous marriage, and he finds Ever’s bubbly personality very addictive, making it hard not to resist her charm.  Ever was a wonderful heroine, a lot of fun, quite a flirt, and over time builds her confidence in helping the Inn succeed. I loved the parts with renovating the Inn, as we get to see the team and Nora (chef) work hard to finish and open the Inn.  There was another element of the background story, with Matt investigating who was behind the fire at his house, and was anyone else in danger.  This was very well done.

Definitely Not Dating was a sweet, heartwarming, romance that was very well written by Christi Barth.  Ever and Matt were a super couple the made this a heartwarming and enjoy story.  I wholly suggest you read this fun romantic story, which had a great couple, wonderful characters, and sexy.  If you have not started this series, then you should read the first book, even if this reads well as a standalone.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for review