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Synopsis

My mother’s New Year’s resolution for me was simple: make a serious effort at putting myself out there and dating again, and do it for one full year.

Or until I fell in love. Whichever came first.

How hard could one year of swipes and matches and awkward first dates be?

In a word: bad.

In nine words: bad and also hilarious, demoralizing, exhausting, and ridiculously amusing.

But the only thing worse than dating in the era of hookup apps and unsolicited dick pics is the absolute whole-life-flail of falling in love.

 

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Review

4.5 stars!

I love this book! A funny, smart and sweet story with a lot of depth as we follow a fabulous heroine through the perils of dating as she searches for love. It’s funny and witty, with fantastic banter and a whole lot of heart, and I absolutely loved it!

Magnolia (aka Gigi), was introduced as a side character in The Walshes series, and I was so excited for her story! This book can be read as a standalone, however there is a lot of crossover with the Walsh characters and storylines, so though you could read this one on its own, I would say that it would definitely be more enjoyable if you’ve read the Walsh series first. As fantastic as this book is, the cameos make it even better!

Magnolia has had a terrible run of relationships. She’s been hurt badly and carries a lot of baggage, and is therefore wary of all things relationship-rated. But she goes along with her mother’s scheme to sign her up for online dating and put herself out there for a year in the hopes of meeting ‘the one’. Her initial forays are hilarious, inappropriate, and not a little bit scary, but everything changes for her when she meets not one but two fabulous men and finds herself torn between the two of them.

There was more to it than being wanted. But I didn’t know what came after that.
I didn’t know how it felt to be wanted and I didn’t know how I’d handle it if I ever found out.

Yes, it’s a love triangle, but it has a twist which means it’s not an angsty read. The boys know about each other, they know that she’s dating both of them, and the plan is to spend with each of them until Magnolia figures out where her heart truly lies. It may sound a bit weird, but it’s really not. It makes sense in some funny kind of way, and it’s so entertaining watching it all play out with epic text conversations, flirting and banter, and it’s so gorgeous when true feelings become involved.

He gazed down at me, his focus locked on my lips. “I don’t know whether I should resent you for making me feel again or love you for it.” Before I could respond, he continued. “Don’t say anything. I already know.”
Then he kissed me.

The two boys are just fantastic. Investment banker, Rob, and fireman and hopeless renovator, Ben, are both gorgeous guys, both in very different positions in their lives, and both dealing with their own issues. Together the three of them muddle their way forward, and for a while there I was honestly clueless as to which direction Magnolia would go in. But as time goes on it becomes clear, and again, I loved watching her figure it all out.

“I met the game changer … I fell for the game changer.”

This is as much a story about personal growth as it is about romance. Magnolia has a lot to figure out, and she makes the time and effort to do that, and her realisations were things that will be relatable to a lot of readers. And though the story is written entirely in her POV, we also get to see Rob and Ben working through their stuff as well. And the book builds to a beautiful ending which is really satisfying and left me with a big grin on my face.

“I know I love you and I know it has nothing to do with wanting to win.”

“You could choose him and I’d bow out. I’d hate it. I’d fucking hate it. But I’d do it if it meant you were happy. If it was your choice, I’d wish you the best and step aside.”
He watched me, his eyes wide and his lips parted as that same arrow of affection lanced through him.
I was done. Heart eyes and butterfly bellies and a lava cake heart. Done.
And I knew … I knew falling was like this.

As I mentioned before, the Walshes feature heavily in the story, and I loved catching up with them! From conversations with Riley, epic girls’ nights, and even a long-awaited deep and meaningful conversation with Sam, I laughed so hard and I loved every moment spent with them.

When I thought about the steps I took and the mountain I climbed toward being all right with myself, Andy and her friends were the ones clearing the way and holding my hands. I wouldn’t have made it here and I wouldn’t have two men vying for my affection if not for these women. They were hard on me once upon a time and that was the ugly way of it—women were often hard on each other. Unnecessarily so. But when they came around, they came all the way around. Circled up so tight they pulled me back together and squeezed the darkness right out.

There’s something wonderful about Kate Canterbary’s writing – her stories have a fantastic mix of humour and heart with realistic characters who are the kind of people you would want to have in your life. Her books are usually romantic and steamy as hell, but this book is pretty much smut-free, though we still get to feel the chemistry. I would have liked to have seen a little bit more romance and HEA, but this book is more about the journey, and it’s a really beautiful read.

4.5 stars!

An Advanced Reader Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

The Santillian Triplets

 

The Magnolia Chronicles spins off from The Walshes series

 

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About the Author

Kate Canterbary doesn’t have it all figured out, but this is what she knows for sure: spicy-ass salsa and tequila solve most problems, living on the ocean–Pacific or Atlantic–is the closest place to perfection, and writing smart, smutty stories is a better than any amount of chocolate.  She started out reporting for an indie arts and entertainment newspaper back when people still read newspapers, and she has been writing and surreptitiously interviewing people—be careful sitting down next to her on an airplane—ever since.

Kate lives on the water in New England with Mr. Canterbary and the Little Baby Canterbary, and when she isn’t writing sexy architects, she’s scheduling her days around the region’s best food trucks.

 

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