Book Review: Head Over Heels by Serena Bell

Head Over Heels

Author: Serena Bell
Publisher: Loveswept (June 5, 2018)
ebook, 221 pages
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Summary
They thought they were wrong for each other. That was before she moved in. . . .

Chase: Take it from me, never hire your best friend to be your live-in nanny. Because it’s a lot easier to be friends with a woman who isn’t prancing around your house in yoga pants. As a newly full-time dad, I needed help fast. I knew she was good with kids. And I thought things between us were strictly platonic. Now, with Olivia Stratten crashing in my guest room and steaming up the bathroom with the scent of her shampoo, it’s getting harder and harder—no pun intended—to remember all the reasons we’re supposed to be incompatible.

Liv: When Chase Crayton asked me to watch his five-year-old daughter until he could find someone full-time, I was afraid we’d drive each other nuts. But with Chase’s job on the line, I couldn’t say no. What I didn’t anticipate was how combustible our chemistry would be in close quarters. Neither of us did. After all, we first met on a blind date, and by the end of it, we were laughing about how terrible we’d be as a couple. In the two years since, nothing ever happened between us, not even a kiss—not until last night. . . .

Head Over Heels is a standalone novel with no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a satisfying happily ever after.

Rating: 4 stars

Review
First of all - UGH, first person present tense. WHY? Thankfully, Serena Bell makes it work for her for the most part. This book is very reminiscent of When Harry Met Sally with the whole premise of "Can men and women just be friends?" Head Over Heels is fun and lighthearted, but at the same time it absolutely made me cry towards the end because Bell really made me care about the characters.

Chase and Liv are total opposites - Liv is high maintenance and into interior decor, and Chase is happiest going for an extended camping trip during which he doesn't bother to shower. They meet on a blind date and instantly know that a romantic relationship would never work out for them, but somehow they end up becoming best friends, and that's all they'll ever be... or is it?

Chase and Liv both have dark things in their past that effect the adults they've become, and that hold them back and trap them. This is a really fun friends to lovers, opposites attract romance, but it also is a book about how Chase and Liv deal with their childhood trauma. They both have struggles they need to overcome and I love that there is so much character development for both of them throughout the book. Also, Chase's daughter Katie is the most adorable thing in the world and I want to hug her and squeeze her and play Princesses and Fairies with her and squeeze her little cheeks. While there are plenty of serious issues being dealt with, there is also a LOT of fun to be had, and the back and forth between Liv and Chase is so great.

I'm not usually a big fan of stories with single moms/single dads/kids, but I'm glad I gave Head Over Heels a read. I definitely recommend it for anyone who loves a good friends to lovers romance. 

Book Review: The Undateable (Librarians in Love #1) by Sarah Title

The Undateable

Author: Sarah Title
Series: Librarians in Love, Book 1
Publisher: Zebra Shout
Published: February 28, 2017
Paperback, 352 pages

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Summary: One San Francisco librarian would rather check out a good romance than dare to experience it herself. Luckily, her own next chapter is full of surprises…

Melissa “Bernie” Bernard isn’t familiar with fame. After all, she works at a college library with hardly any visitors. But when a video of a marriage proposal in her stacks goes viral, it’s not the bride and groom who capture the Internet’s attention. It’s Bernie—caught rolling her eyes. Now, just as she’s ready to go into hiding and permanently bury her nose in a book, a handsome reporter appears with a proposal of his own…

If Colin Rodriguez doesn’t do something big to attract new readers, his boss will hire someone else to dole out dating advice. Determined to prove he’s an expert at romance—despite his own pitiful track record—he pitches a story: He will find dates for the undateable. Specifically, for the now-infamous, love‑hating librarian at Richmond College.

Even though Bernie doesn’t believe in happily-ever-afters, she’s not one to resist a good challenge. Yet with one disastrous date after another, she’s ready to give up. Until Colin proves he’ll do anything to find her the perfect match—even if it means putting himself up for the role...

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: It's never a good sign when you're checking how many pages are left until the book is over... Part of the plot is Colin trying to make Melissa "Bernie" Bernard relatable to the audience of Glaze, the women's magazine he writes for, which is ironic because I didn't find her relatable in the least. Actually, all of the characters were very flat, like cardboard cutouts of people. This also read as really dry and just was NOT for me.

I DID like that it was about a librarian, even though Bernie was not likable at all. Colin's sister and Pia were by far the most interesting characters in this book, though. Now THAT love story I would totally read... I will give the next book in the series a try to see if I'll keep reading the rest of them.