NOW THAT IT’S YOU by Tawna Fenske-a review

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About the book: Release Date September 6, 2016

Talented chef Meg Delaney hasn’t spoken to her cheating ex-fiancé, Matt Midland, for two years. Ditching him at the altar after blurting out “I can’t” instead of “I do” would sour any relationship. But now, just as Meg is finally ready to bury the hatchet, she learns closure is permanently off the menu. And the kicker? Matt’s brother, Kyle, is back in her life, stirring up feelings that are equal parts guilt and lust.

Meg was the best thing that never happened to Kyle. He couldn’t make a move on his brother’s girlfriend—even if Matt didn’t value her nearly enough. The situation is even more complicated now that Meg’s bestselling aphrodisiac cookbook has spawned a legal battle with the Midlands. Maybe he should stay away. But love, like family, plays by its own rules. And the one woman he shouldn’t want might be the only one who’s perfect for him.

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REVIEW: NOW THAT IT’S YOU by Tawna Fenske is a stand alone, contemporary, adult romance story line that looks at grief, betrayal, friendship and family. This is chef Meg Delaney, and metal artist Kyle Midland’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives NOW THAT IT’S YOU follows Meg Delaney, who two years earlier, left her cheating fiancé Matt Midland, a man she had dated and loved for close to ten years, at the altar, and in the ensuing time has had no communication with him or his family. When Meg receives word that Matt was hospitalized and had undergone some minor surgery, she makes a decision to face her fears only to learn that her ex-fiance had died. Enter Kyle Midland, Matt’s younger brother, and a man who has loved his brother’s ex-girlfriend for as long as he can remember. What ensues is the rekindling of a friendship and a relationship between Kyle and Meg, and the fall out when Meg’s star, as a chef and cookbook author, begins to rise inciting a struggle between Meg and the Midland family.

The association between Kyle and Meg is a friends to lovers relationship that Kyle pursues with his late brother’s ex-fiance. Kyle’s family has not been able to forgive Meg for ‘abandoning’ their son at the altar yet knowing that Matt was the one who had the affair. In this, there are some questionable emotional responses to what happened and why. In my opinion, our heroine is the hurt and injured party throughout the story, yet she is built up and made out to be a b*tch and my comfort level with the backlash and Meg’s resulting reactions was disconcerting at best. I struggled with the Midland family’s back and forth attitude towards our story line heroine; there was no consistency with their reception and feelings-one moment she was the enemy, and the next she was the best thing in their lives. And to add insult to injury Kyle Midland supported his family’s reaction, leaving our heroine to struggle with the accusations and insults alone. I was not feeling the love from the story line hero. I will add that everyone struggles with grief differently and at a different pace so perhaps the attitudes and emotions were as a result of the intense sorrow and pain but the presentation in a romantic story line tempered many of the happy feels that would have otherwise developed.

NOW THAT IT’S YOU was a difficult read for me in that the reactions and resulting drama was unsettling and uncomfortable. Kyle’s actions (as it pertained to his brother’s affair) and attitude towards the woman he claimed to love was abhorrent and confusing; and our heroine essentially gave up without a fight. My enjoyment level was low although in the beginning there were a number of humorous moments when Kyle and Meg find themselves part of a Live Action Role Play group just days after Matt Midland had died. I was hoping for the fun and humor to continue but sadly, it was limited to a few pages. For me, the premise was awkward and somewhat tragic; the characters were passionate in what they believed; the romance is unrealistic considering Kyle’s behavior towards the woman that he loved. NOW THAT IT’S YOU is a well written story that got an intense reaction from this very prolific reader.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy