never harbor – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 353 pages
Author: Julie Olivia
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 28th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

This isn’t her idea of home, but she’s quickly becoming mine.

I’m Never Harbor’s neighborhood best friend. Along with being the middle child in a loud family of seven, I’m accustomed to being everything to everyone. But after moving into my new townhouse by the sea, my world has suddenly grown too quiet.

But then she moves back to town.

Marina Starkey is my landlord’s daughter with nowhere to go. She needs a place to stay for the summer, and thankfully I’m just the kind of guy to offer.

Hello there, new roommate.

She’s gorgeous and cheeky with a stubbornness that matches my own. (Don’t get me started on the shared bed situation.) Summer days pass in soft touches and afternoon swims, and my heart sinks deeper with every stroke.

I’m not a temporary fling kind of guy, and Marina has no intention of staying past the summer.

She doesn’t want to fall in love with her hometown, and I’m basically Mr. Never Harbor himself.

But my home is quickly becoming wherever I’m with her.

THIS AIN’T IT.

After really enjoying the first book in this series I have no idea why this one fell completely off the rails??? I wanted to love it and there were definitely some good and charming scenes but the extreme lack of character and plot consistency ruined this for me.

Cassidy is an absolute sweetheart and made me smile throughout the book. I liked his optimistic nature and the way that he took little notes on the people he loves to remember their favorite things. It was kind and heartfelt.

Marina on the other hand couldn’t decide what she wanted to be. She hid unnecessary information, ran away instead of having one conversation and seemed clueless at times when her education would have led me to believe otherwise.

And then the whole relationship was very physically focused. It kind of became the only thing about them. Add in a plot that never made sense and this one lost me.

I’m hoping book three is better???

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: strong
Romance: 4+ open door
Violence: low

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 411 pages
Author: Julie Olivia
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: October 26th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

I need a nanny, but I may need her more.

I know about my reputation as Never Harbor’s secluded single dad. But I have everything I need: my imaginative son, my dog, and our remodeled cottage by the sea.

That is, until my nanny quits.

My brother’s ex-fiancee, Wendy Darling, is an elementary school teacher with a free summer. The last thing I need is to get tangled in his mess, but my family thinks she’s a perfect fit for the job. Turns out, she fits in better than I could have imagined.

Wendy is nothing like I expected. She’s kind and adventurous, with a beautiful laugh that washes my worst nightmares away. She pushes past my silence and sees more of my true self than anyone has in years. And my six-year-old son is falling for her just as quickly.

Being with Wendy can never happen. Not when my younger brother is her ex-fiance. Not when she’s so close to our family. Not when our small coastal town gossips the way that it does.

But after so long in the dark, Wendy makes me feel something. Falling for her feels a lot like flying instead.

I know happy endings only belong in fairy tales, but I’m close to stealing one for myself.

I WAS HOOKED.

Julie Olivia is an author I often sleep on but at the behest of a buddy read I jumped right in and adored this book so much.

Jasper is the SOFTEST GRUMP EVER. I loved him so much. There was moment after moment that showed how deeply he cared and his desire to prove himself worthy of being with Wendy. He was the best single dad in a rough situation and I could not get enough of him.

And I liked Wendy too. She was soft and feminine with a strong will that showed up at just the right times. Her loyalty roots ran deep and I thought there was an undeniable chemistry between her and Jasper.

As someone who’s only seen Peter Pan maybe once in my life, even I was able to notice the retelling aspects and how expertly woven those pieces were. I had friends who noticed even more and it was fun seeing all of things come together.

I do wish there was a little bit less ex-relationship talk. But that was the only thing that really bugged me. I can’t wait for book two!

Overall audience notes: