Three Simple Words by A.J. Pine -a Review

Three Simple Words by A.J. Pine -a Review

 

Three Simple WordsAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
he’s holding out for a happy ever after.

I know where to find my happily ever after–between the pages of a romance novel. It’s why I sell books, why I blog about them, and why I’ll never get disappointed by love.

So what if my brother’s best friend from high school is now a bestselling author? Or that he just blew back into town on a Harley, filling out a pair of jeans like he never did before? Or that he’s agreed to do a signing at my bookstore on such short notice?

Because despite all his adoring female fans, I kind of hated his book.


Review:

Three Simple Words is book three of the Kingston Ale House Series by A.J. Pine.   Annie Denning wanted her happily every after.   As owner of the local book store Two Stories – she won’t settle for anything less.  And after reading hundreds of romance books, she completely believes in true love and happy endings – but getting one hasn’t proved that simple.   She is quiet and beautiful and loves to spend her time reading romance novels and blogging about what else – romance.   When she finds out her brothers high school best friend, Wes Hartley is in town she is less than thrilled.

Wes is a New York Times best selling author who’s books don’t end in a happily ever after.  In fact, they are no where close to it.  Wes doesn’t believe in happy endings.  Annie’s brother Jeremy gives Wes a place to stay for a bit and some shifts at Kingston’s to make some extra cash. But Jeremy asks one favor in return.  He asks Wes to do a book signing at Annie’s book store.  Wes is quick to oblige, that is until he finds out just how much Annie hated his book…

But, when Wes arrives at the book signing – Annie is stopped dead in her tracks. She knows she hates Wes Hartley the author, but she was not prepared for how attractive Wes had become.  He has certainly grown up since they were kids.  And after a quite successful book signing, Wes finds himself as Annie’s last minute date for a weekend wedding.  What started out as the two of them just having a fun time, turned into something so much more!  But Annie has read Wes’ book and she knows his book hero rings true with him also – they just don’t believe in true love and all that entails.  So what’s a girl to do – when she is falling head over heels for someone she knows will never reciprocate the feelings.  Wes has a grocery list of women from his past – all conveniently laid out in his best selling novel.   For the entire world and Annie to see.  Every one of them showing her just how afraid of commitment he is.  How can she convince him otherwise, and will she even need to?  But surprisingly Wes is feeling things that he has never felt before.  He finds himself wanting to spend time with Annie.  Wes has never felt this before for any woman.  And he isn’t quite sure how to process everything that he is feeling right now.

Annie was wonderful to read.  She was funny (loved all the t-shirts) and smart.  And from the moment you met her you wanted to convince her that HEA’s do really happen and that they are not just things of fiction.  But Wes is stubborn and seemed pretty convinced that he wasn’t meant for any type of relationship. They are adorable together and the story unfolds perfectly.  Leaving you wanting to know what is going to happen next and will the two of them get their acts together and finally be on the same page.

If you love a romance novel inside of a romance novel this is the book for you.  You can read this book as a stand alone – but I highly recommend the entire series! The characters have all been heartwarming and loveable and you become invested and want to see the best for them.

Reviewed by Erin

Copy provided by Publisher

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The One That Got Away by A.J. Pine – a Review

The One That Got Away by A.J. Pine – a Review

 

The One That Got AwayAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo/ BAM

Description:
How far will one man go for the woman he’s loved since high school?

Jamie Kingston has been Brynn Chandler’s best friend since middle school. Only once was their friendship tested—when Brynn gave Jamie a single kiss. Since then, they’ve had an unspoken agreement never to cross that line again, and she’s ready to let go of the past and move on.

But Jamie has loved Brynn for as long as he can remember, and now that he’s ready to tell her, she has her sights set on someone else. Knowing this is his last chance, he asks Brynn to go on a two-week road trip. But their time alone brings old hurts to the surface, and Brynn has to decide if the one that got away lies at the end of the journey or if he’s been by her side all along.

Review:

The One That Got Away is book one in the Kingston Ale House series by A. J. Pine.  As high schoolers Brynn Chandler and Jamie Kingston were best friends.  Brynn has her sights set on kissing senior star athlete Spencer Matthews.  Her chance is going to come at a graduation party the following night.  But things didn’t work out as she had planned.  Brynn came down with a case of mono and all her high school dreams are crushed.  But coming to her rescue is her best friend, Jamie Kingston.  He stays with her that night while her parents are out of town and nurses her back to health.   In her time of recovery— she realizes that Jamie has always been there for her, and she risks it all to kiss him.  But Jamie who has long loved her completely and totally isn’t in a good place.  His parents are divorcing and he is sure that any relationship he pursues with Brynn will end in disaster and ruin their friendship.

Flash forward ten years and Brynn and Jamie are still best friends.  Jamie still secretly loves her, and Brynn feels the same about him.  But Brynn is currently single and Jamie is in a stable relationship even though it isn’t with the one he wants.  Their high school reunion is coming around and Brynn is bound and determined to not let this reunion go by without trying to kiss her high school crush Spencer.  It’s the night of the reunion and Brynn is seeking out Spencer.  Jamie realizes that Brynn is the one he wants and goes and breaks up with his girlfriend.  Brynn sees  Spencer and even gets some alone time with him—even almost kisses him.  But Jamie rushed in—all prepared to tell her he is in love with her and catches them together.  No kiss yet again!  Spencer is now an author and invites Brynn to California for his book launch.  Jamie knows that in order to have her he must let her try with Spencer.  Jamie now owns Kingston’s Ale House and has an opportunity to drive to California for a beer thing so he invites Brynn along with the hopes of convincing her that its he she loves and not Spencer.  Even going so far as delivering Brynn into the arms of Spencer.

What ensues is a cross country road trip that is filled with ups and downs and loads of adventures.  Jamie has ended his relationship in the hopes of winning Brynn over—but he hasn’t quite told her that part yet.  And even though they were never allowed to discuss it Brynn has been crazy in love with Jamie since the night they kissed.  But his rejection of her still hits her in the feels.  She wants to tell him how she feels about him but is in no way ready for another rejection.

This is one of the best road trip books I have ever read.  I loved the relationship of Brynn and Jamie and wanted nothing more than for the two of them to find each other and figure out how the other feels.

Hilarious adventures happen and wonderful memories are made.  But will they be enough to convince Brynn to follow her heart and tell Jamie how she feels.  Will it be enough for her to see Spencer, even kiss him maybe and make the right choice.

Brynn was a wonderful character with a stubborn mind of her own.  She is tripping over her own self.  She loves Jamie but is so afraid of rejection—because Jamie is in a relationship now.  Rejection isn’t anything she is prepared to deal with.  She is funny and good natured—most of the time.  Her relationship with her sister is funny from the moment you open the book.

Jamie is an amazing best friend who everyone in the world can see loves Brynn but her.   The friendship is amazing and their rhetoric with each other is wonderful and hilarious.  The story unwinds as the road trip continues, and from memories of high school slowly evolves into an amazing love story.  If you ever had a best friend that you had a crush on—this is the book for you.

Wonderfully romantic and hilariously funny.

Reviewed by Erin

Copy provided by Publisher

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