Reviewer: Tracy What If You & Me by Roni Loren
Series: Say Everything #2
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: July 6, 2021
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Point-of-View: Third Person
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 320
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Series Rating:
The world can be a scary place. At least, that's what Andi Lockley's anxiety wants her to believe. It doesn't help that she narrowly escaped a dangerous man years ago, or that every relationship since has been colored with that lingering fear. But things are better now―she's channeling everything into her career as a horror novelist and true crime podcaster, and her next book may be the breakthrough she needs.
If only her grumpy new neighbor would stop stomping around at all hours of the night.
Former firefighter Hill Dawson can't sleep. After losing part of his leg in a rescue gone wrong, he's now stuck in limbo. He needs to figure out what he's supposed to do with his life, and he can't let himself get distracted by the pretty redhead next door. But when someone breaks into Andi's place, Hill can't stop himself from rushing in to play the hero. Soon, a tentative bond forms between the unlikely pair. But what starts out as a neighborly exchange quickly turns into the chance for so much more...if Andi can learn to put aside her fear and trust in herself―and love―again.
New York Times and USA Today bestseller Roni Loren blends heat and heart in this emotionally charged story.
Andi is a woman on a mission to help all women be as safe as they can. She went through some serious trauma when she was a teen and wants to help women avoid putting themselves at risk. While she writes horror novels, she runs a podcast called, What Can We Learn From This?” She tells stories about crimes and how women can be more careful, and what they can learn from past incidences.
She’s just moved into a duplex when she hears stomping on the other side of the wall. When she starts watching a horror movie, which includes screaming of course, her neighbor bangs on her door. Meeting Hill Dawson, retired firefighter, scares her as she doesn’t know him, but she’s definitely attracted to him.
Hill didn’t ever want to retire from the fire department, but after losing part of a leg in a fire, he didn’t have a choice. He’s dealing with his life, depression and a whole host of other things when he meets Andi. She seems to have her life together, but she’s also a scared rabbit and something in him wants to calm her.
The pair eventually decide to act on their attraction to each other but only as friends-with-benefits. The question is, can they hold back the deeper feelings they have for each other?
This was a cute story. We slowly, throughout the story, find out what happened to Andi when she was younger – which was pretty scary. I can see how she would be more than a bit paranoid of life in general. I loved how that trauma didn’t stop her from putting herself out there and making a name for herself with her books and podcasts.
Hill was a super nice guy, and I really loved him and Andi together. That said, he pulls a stunt near the end of the book that had me rolling my eyes and getting incredibly frustrated with him. It really stopped a lot of the enjoyment I was getting from the story. If this hadn’t had happened I would have scored this book much higher.
Overall it was cute contemporary romance. I didn’t read the first book in this series, but didn’t feel like I needed to in order to enjoy this book.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Say Everything
