Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
A fun and emotional friends-to-lovers book. This is the third book in the series and can be read as a stand-alone, though the experience is richer if you've read the others.
Honor and Owen have been friends for a long time. When they encounter each other in Vegas, where both are on business trips, they get together for a drink. One drink turns into shots; the next thing they know, they wake up in bed together wearing wedding rings. Neither has any recollection of how it happened. Complicating matters, Owen is her sister Erin's ex-fiance;. Their initial reaction is to apply for an annulment immediately, but they hold off until they find out if there are consequences from the wedding night they don't remember. They also plan to keep what happened a secret from everyone at home.
I enjoyed watching the relationship between Owen and Honor develop. I understood the initial impulse to keep what happened a secret. Owen walked out on his engagement to Erin right before the wedding with no explanation, creating heartache and hard feelings. It wasn't until the end of the first book that they discovered he had panicked over his cancer diagnosis. His relationship with the family has recovered, though Owen still feels a lot of guilt over his actions. Neither Honor nor Owen wants to cause Erin any distress, even though she has moved on and is happily married.
Keeping the secret proves to be very complicated. Owen is friends with the family and with the sisters' menfolk. Honor and her sisters run the family's wedding business together, are very close, and don't generally keep secrets from each other. Honor and Owen find themselves wanting to spend more time together, and when they do, the sparks fly. I loved seeing them together. They have so much in common; their interactions are fun, easy, and realistic. Owen is a sweet guy who enjoys taking care of Honor, from cooking for her to adopting the rescue dog she loves so much. Honor is a strong woman who has no problem standing up for what she wants but doesn't want her actions to hurt someone else. I especially liked when she went with Owen to his doctor's appointment.
The longer Honor and Owen go without confessing, the harder it gets. When the truth comes out, the fallout is immediate and intense. Battle lines are drawn, and the tension is off the charts. Owen, Honor, and Erin all need to face their feelings before moving on to the future. The ending was fantastic, emotion-filled, and heartfelt. The epilogue was a terrific wrap-up.
I loved the setting of the book. The Bellini Winery/wedding business provided many laugh-out-loud moments that relieved some of the building tension. There are also more family dynamics, from Honor dealing with her sisters' inconvenient nosiness and matchmaking to Mama Bellini's cure for sisterly tension. I also enjoyed getting to know Owen better and seeing his joy in his work. He won my heart when he adopted the dog, Bettie, and she became such a big part of his life.
#netgalley
Honor and Owen have been friends for a long time. When they encounter each other in Vegas, where both are on business trips, they get together for a drink. One drink turns into shots; the next thing they know, they wake up in bed together wearing wedding rings. Neither has any recollection of how it happened. Complicating matters, Owen is her sister Erin's ex-fiance;. Their initial reaction is to apply for an annulment immediately, but they hold off until they find out if there are consequences from the wedding night they don't remember. They also plan to keep what happened a secret from everyone at home.
I enjoyed watching the relationship between Owen and Honor develop. I understood the initial impulse to keep what happened a secret. Owen walked out on his engagement to Erin right before the wedding with no explanation, creating heartache and hard feelings. It wasn't until the end of the first book that they discovered he had panicked over his cancer diagnosis. His relationship with the family has recovered, though Owen still feels a lot of guilt over his actions. Neither Honor nor Owen wants to cause Erin any distress, even though she has moved on and is happily married.
Keeping the secret proves to be very complicated. Owen is friends with the family and with the sisters' menfolk. Honor and her sisters run the family's wedding business together, are very close, and don't generally keep secrets from each other. Honor and Owen find themselves wanting to spend more time together, and when they do, the sparks fly. I loved seeing them together. They have so much in common; their interactions are fun, easy, and realistic. Owen is a sweet guy who enjoys taking care of Honor, from cooking for her to adopting the rescue dog she loves so much. Honor is a strong woman who has no problem standing up for what she wants but doesn't want her actions to hurt someone else. I especially liked when she went with Owen to his doctor's appointment.
The longer Honor and Owen go without confessing, the harder it gets. When the truth comes out, the fallout is immediate and intense. Battle lines are drawn, and the tension is off the charts. Owen, Honor, and Erin all need to face their feelings before moving on to the future. The ending was fantastic, emotion-filled, and heartfelt. The epilogue was a terrific wrap-up.
I loved the setting of the book. The Bellini Winery/wedding business provided many laugh-out-loud moments that relieved some of the building tension. There are also more family dynamics, from Honor dealing with her sisters' inconvenient nosiness and matchmaking to Mama Bellini's cure for sisterly tension. I also enjoyed getting to know Owen better and seeing his joy in his work. He won my heart when he adopted the dog, Bettie, and she became such a big part of his life.
#netgalley
