(Review) Waiting on You by Kristan Higgins

Title: Waiting on You
Author: Kristan Higgins
Series: Blue Heron, #3
Published: March 2014 (Harlequin HQN)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Paperback borrowed from the library

Summary: Colleen O'Rourke is in love with love... just not when it comes to herself. Most nights, she can be found behind the bar at the Manningsport, New York, tavern she owns with her twin brother, doling out romantic advice to the lovelorn, mixing martinis and staying more or less happily single. See, ten years ago, Lucas Campbell, her first love, broke her heart... an experience Colleen doesn't want to have again, thanks. Since then, she's been happy with a fling here and there, some elite-level flirting and playing matchmaker to her friends.

But a family emergency has brought Lucas back to town, handsome as ever and still the only man who's ever been able to crack her defenses. Seems like maybe they've got some unfinished business waiting for them—but to find out, Colleen has to let her guard down, or risk losing a second chance with the only man she's ever loved.

There is just something about a Kristan Higgins book. Her writing impacts me in a way that few other authors manage. It's something about her sense of humor and way of conveying emotions. I always laugh like a hyena multiple times and bawl like there's no tomorrow at the end - and sometimes at sporadic times throughout.

There's something else you should know about me: I don't do ex stories. Especially if the h/hr were high school sweethearts. There are very few faster ways to turn me away from a book before I've even started reading it. I don't know why; that particular plot device simply doesn't interest me.

So I had a little pang of disappointment when I saw this was going to be a story about exes. But it was Kristan Higgins. I knew if anyone could do it, she could.

I wasn't wrong.

She pulled it off with aplomb! The chemistry between Colleen and Lucas was mind-boggling. I'm all about the slow burn, but even I was practically shouting, "JUST KISS ALREADY!" Yet it wasn't all about the chemistry. It also wasn't entirely focused on their previous relationship (something that often bugs me about the few ex books I have read). Those were both definitely factors, but Colleen and Lucas also had a relationship in the present that could not be denied. They were a compatible and compelling couple; they won me over quickly.

I really liked both Colleen and Lucas as individual characters. Lucas was a "Southie" who was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago (try not to start singing "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" when you read that, I dare you) until he went to go live with his wealthy uncle's family as a teen. Colleen was born and raised in Manningsport? where she co-owned a bar with her brother and also worked part time at the nursing home where her grandfather lived. Colleen knew everyone. Lucas felt like he never belonged, in the town or with his family.

As usual, Higgins provided a wide and entertaining cast of secondary characters. I kept track of them easily, though that may be due to the fact that I knew some of them from previous Blue Heron books. Fun fact: Colleen was also a matchmaker of the first degree. Her current project involved Paulie and Bryce (Lucas's cousin), a pairing that seemed at the onset to be as strange as it was impossible. But fear not, Colleen to the rescue! There was also a subplot with Colleen's brother and his mystery girlfriend that intrigued me. I really hope he gets a book in the future!

At over 450 pages, Waiting on You could have easily dragged, but it never did. It moved at a steady pace (with a few flashbacks that told the story of Lucas and Colleen's previous relationship). Every page was entertaining, compelling, heartrending, or any combination of the three. In short, Waiting on You was another winner by Higgins. Now excuse me while I run off to Goodreads to stalk the release date of the next one.

First:“Drinks are on the house!”

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Favorite:“Bryce doesn’t need more complications in his life right now.”
“And by complications, you mean what, exactly?”
“The Chicken King’s virgin daughter.”
“Oh, cool! That sounds like a Harlequin romance. I would definitely read that.”

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Teaser:“As of right now, you’re my boyfriend, Jack, and I will castrate you if you deny it.”
“And we wonder why you can’t find a man.”

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(Review) The Perfect Match by Kristan Higgins

Title: The Perfect Match
Author: Kristan Higgins
Series: Blue Heron, #2
Published: October 29, 2013 (HQN)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Digital ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary: What if the perfect match is a perfect surprise? Honor Holland has just been unceremoniously rejected by her lifelong crush. And now—a mere three weeks later—Mr. Perfect is engaged to her best friend. But resilient, reliable Honor is going to pick herself up, dust herself off and get back out there…or she would if dating in Manningsport, New York, population 715, wasn't easier said than done.

Charming, handsome British professor Tom Barlow just wants to do right by his unofficial stepson, Charlie, but his visa is about to expire. Now Tom must either get a green card or leave the States—and leave Charlie behind.

In a moment of impulsiveness, Honor agrees to help Tom with a marriage of convenience. But juggling a fiancé, hiding out from her former best friend and managing her job at the family vineyard isn't easy. And as sparks start to fly between Honor and Tom, they might discover that their pretend relationship is far too perfect to be anything but true love….

I have a theory as to how the idea for The Perfect Match came about. Kristan Higgins magically stumbled onto The Book Barbies, clearly pulled in by the number of times I've referred to her as one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. She went, "Huh, this Sharon seems pretty awesome. Let's have a look at her favorite things! Hm. British heroes? Marriages of convenience? I can do that!" And BOOM, this book was born.

Admittedly, it's not a likely theory. But given the contents of this book, it's certainly possible.

From the opening scene of the book, it was clear that Honor was not your typical heroine. She was in the middle of her annual birthday tradition - getting a pap smear. Honor was practical, logical, and a workaholic at the family wine business. While she was happy with some things in her life, her romantic life was at an unhappy stand-still, as she had been hung up on the same man for years. This was quickly and humiliatingly resolved when Honor mustered up the courage to go after what she wanted, only to be rejected. Thankfully, this allowed her to attempt to move on.

And then came Tom. Tom was a complicated character. At first, I honestly was not sure whether or not I was going to like him. Tom was a bit heavy on the drinking at the beginning of the book, something he blamed on being British. He also wasn't always the nicest guy. But this made him more real to me. I like that he had flaws and wasn't some perfect British specimen of a man. That would be too obvious, too boring. The fact that you had to get past some walls to really see him made him even better.

One of the reasons I fell so hard for this book was Tom's relationship with Charlie, his unofficial stepson. Charlie was even more hostile and defensive and apathetic than your average fourteen-year-old boy, and it would have been so easy for Tom to give up on him. After all, Tom had no official legal or blood ties to the boy - only a relationship forged during Tom's relationship with Charlie's now deceased mother several years before. Aside from Tom, Charlie had no one in his life besides uncaring grandparents, and he completely broke my heart. To see him finally begin to respond to Tom - and Honor as well - was just amazing. And the fact that Tom cared enough to do this was huge. So often, fake finacé or marriage of convenience plots are based off something absurdly far-fetched, not that this diminishes my love for them. But it was so refreshing to have a realistic reason behind the need for this relationship, and more than that, one that I whole-heartedly believed.

Also, once Tom and Honor were living in the same house, I love how Higgins portrayed it. They were so awkward with each other! And for good reason. That would be bloody uncomfortable, I have to say. Sharing a house and an impending marriage with a near-stranger? Definitely not a situation to put you at ease. They had to learn so many things in such a short time.

The Perfect Match was such a charming read! There were many things I enjoyed about it, from the interactions of Honor's family to Tom's hilariously creepy boss at the university. I also have to point out that Higgins had the chance to rely on a very common - and one of my least favorites - trope, toward the end of the story, but she didn't. And that made me love her just a little bit more. Therefore, I am happy to say that Higgins remains one of my favorite contemporary authors, and I await more from her Blue Heron series.

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(Review) The Best Man by Kristan Higgins

Title: The Best Man
Author: Kristan Higgins
Series: Blue Heron, #1
Published: February 26, 2013 (HQN)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Digital ARC from publisher via Edelweiss

Summary: Faith Holland left her hometown after being jilted at the altar. Now a little older and wiser, she's ready to return to the Blue Heron Winery, her family's vineyard, to confront the ghosts of her past, and maybe enjoy a glass of red. After all, there's some great scenery there....

Like Levi Cooper, the local police chief-and best friend of her former fiancé. The only catch is she's having a hard time forgetting that he helped ruin her wedding all those years ago. If she can find a minute amidst all her family drama to stop and smell the rosé, she just might find a reason to stay at Blue Heron, and finish that walk...

There's a reason why Kristan Higgins is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors, folks. I loved The Best Man! We first meet Faith as she is sitting in a car and chugging Red Bull...while she uses binoculars to spy on a guy she is dating. But in her defense, she has probably the worst dating record in history, starting with the wedding we learn about in the prologue...which concludes with the groom announcing he is gay.

This book takes place mostly in the present day, but there are also a lot of flashbacks, which I enjoyed a lot. I really liked seeing the development of both the characters and the relationships. As the book goes along, we learn more about Faith and her history with Jeremy (the gay almost-husband) and his best friend Levi. Honestly, the friendship between Jeremy and Levi was one of the best things about this book. It was so refreshing! I absolutely love reading about close male friendships, especially when done well. Jeremy and Levi were an unlikely pair, but their friendship rang true.

And as long as we're on the subject: Levi. Oh, Levi. I have officially found a new book boyfriend. A man of few words, Levi was an Army veteran, police chief, great friend, and big brother doing his best to help his little sister through her first year of college. Be still, my heart.

I also liked Faith. I was a little worried I wouldn't in the beginning, but I really should not have bothered. She was fun and kind-hearted and snarky when necessary. She also had epilepsy, which I thought was interesting. It was definitely a unique aspect of the story. I adored the interactions between Faith and Levi. Their scenes together ranged from so-hilarious-my-roommate-was-giving-me-strange-looks to heartwrenching to sweet to sudden hotflash-inducing.

In typical Higgins fashion, there was a pretty large cast of characters, and Faith had a big, crazy family. Her relationship with them was complicated, partially due to circumstances surrounding her mother's death when she was a child. I liked her family, though. There were some good scenes with them. I was also really intrigued by the possibility of romance between some of the side characters. I'm not discussing who, but I will keep my eye on her future releases for them!

All-in-all, The Best Man was a good one! I enjoyed the characters, the friendships, and the romance. The New England town with a background of winery vines and grapes was a thoroughly charming setting, and I am very happy to see that this is the first in a series to take place in Blue Heron. Maybe I can move there after a few years in Lucky Harbor...?

That’s how it went, right? Love came when you weren’t looking except in the case of the millions who’d found mates on Match.com, but, hey. It sounded good.

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One does not meet one’s gay ex-fiancé without looking fantastic.

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Yes, Levi Cooper was a sparkly unicorn of wonder.

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