Almost a Bride by South African author, Jo Watson, is released today! It is the second book in the Destination Love series and I found it to be a fun, quirky read!
Title: Almost a Bride
Author: Jo Watson
Series: Destination Love #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
That awkward moment you catch your boyfriend in bed with another woman and then mistakenly get arrested #chargesdropped
Annie knows life isn't always fair. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes you get mistaken for a crazed intruder when you come home early and find your boyfriend wearing nipple clamps with a coworker on the night you thought he was going to propose to you.
The important thing is to move on, and for Annie that means treating herself to a tropical vacation. But when she runs into her ex and his new woman staying at the same resort, reason is washed out to sea. Caught off guard, Annie pretends she's with Chris, a cute screenwriter she meets on the beach. With his own writing blocked, Chris is happy to help Annie craft a story to save face. Soon Annie isn't just getting over her ex, she's getting under Chris. As her fictional feelings grow increasingly real, Annie has to decide if she's ready to risk her heart on a new relationship.
Annie knows life isn't always fair. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes you get mistaken for a crazed intruder when you come home early and find your boyfriend wearing nipple clamps with a coworker on the night you thought he was going to propose to you.
The important thing is to move on, and for Annie that means treating herself to a tropical vacation. But when she runs into her ex and his new woman staying at the same resort, reason is washed out to sea. Caught off guard, Annie pretends she's with Chris, a cute screenwriter she meets on the beach. With his own writing blocked, Chris is happy to help Annie craft a story to save face. Soon Annie isn't just getting over her ex, she's getting under Chris. As her fictional feelings grow increasingly real, Annie has to decide if she's ready to risk her heart on a new relationship.
This was the first book I've read by Jo Watson, and I was surprised as to how much I enjoyed it. Set in South Africa (in the beginning), it was heartbreaking to watch Annie struggle to begin with, but some of the situations she managed to get herself into were amusing! I also enjoy stories that have a fake relationship in them, so it was no surprise that I would like this one!
Annie's life turned upside down from the opening chapters. She walked in on her cheating boyfriend, lost her job and was homeless in a matter of hours. With the help of her close friend Jane, she was able to find some sort of stability. When her friend Lilly suggested an all expenses paid trip to Mauritius, she was hesitant at first, but decided it was time to change her life. Her first meeting with Chris was a little rocky, but after a while they realised how much they liked being with each other. When Annie's ex turned up, Annie somehow found herself in a fake relationship that soon escalated out of control.
I enjoyed this book right from the beginning, I actually devoured it within a day. I laughed at some of the situations that Annie found herself in, swooned as I watched the connection between Chris and Annie grow, and felt her loss as her heart broke. She had a strong group of friends that supported her through her loss and her crazy plan of revenge. What I loved most was how Chris and Annie's feelings grew throughout the story, considering that Chris didn't believe in love and that neither of them were looking for a relationship. Despite the short amount of time they've known one another, they were cute together and found it easy to open up to one another.
Even though this was the second book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone. The first book was Lilly's and the next book will be Jane's, who was Annie's best friend. For my first Jo Watson book, I enjoyed the way she pulled me into the story and developed characters that I loved, and a couple that I despised. It touched on a serious topic that was handled well, but overall it was a fun, cute read, and I'm looking forward to more from this world.
Complimentary copy provided by the Publisher, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Hehehe... this first kiss was building up to be epic!!
“You should know, I haven’t done this in a while.”
“That’s okay.” Chris smiled as if I was amusing him terribly.
“Okay. Let’s do it then.” I started leaning in again but then pulled away. “So I could be rusty.”
“Okay.” Chris nodded again and this time he started leaning in. I closed my eyes and felt his breath again and then—
“So please don’t judge me on this kiss or anything, because it probably won’t be that good, or maybe it will be okay, but—”
“Annie!” He said my name so loudly that I did a double take. “Shut up, I want to kiss you.”
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Jo Watson is an award-winning writer of romantic comedies. Burning Moon won a Watty Award in 2014. Jo is an Adidas addict and a Depeche Mode devotee.