Monday, October 26, 2015

Review: Best Worst Mistake

BEST WORST MISTAKE
Brightwater #3 (can be read as a stand-alone)
Lia Riley
Contemporary Romance
235 pages
Avon Impulse
Available Now
Source: Bought

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Sometimes the worst mistakes turn out to be the best…

Smoke jumper Wilder Kane once reveled in the rush from putting out dangerous wildfires. But after a tragic accident, he’s cut himself off from the world, refusing to leave his isolated cabin. When a headstrong beauty bursts in, Wilder finds himself craving the fire she ignites in him, but letting anyone near his darkness would be a mistake.

After her Hollywood life went up in smoke, Quinn Higsby decided to leave Tinseltown behind and return to Brightwater to care for her ailing father. She spends her days in a small bookstore, until her peaceful existence is up-ended by a fascinating but damaged man. Quinn is determined not to be scared off by Wilder, not once she’s experienced the heat of his passions.

But when an arsonist targets the community and Wilder is accused, he must confront the ghosts of his past. Will his desire for Quinn burn him up or will he be able to tame the wildness inside and rekindle a hope for their future?


MY THOUGHTS
Best Worst Mistake has the type of romantic setup sure to make us avid romance readers swoon and fall immediately in love: a damaged, lonely hero who finds a second chance at living in the arms of an utterly adorable woman. Ms. Riley leaves us with little choice but to become swept up in the free-flowing honesty, endearing awkwardness and heated moments between Wilder and Quinn, and we find ourselves with a dopey grin on our faces more often than not throughout.

Wilder has complete ownership of our hearts from page one as we bear witness to the tragic accident that robs him of his leg and leaves him with an extremely surly (but also charming) disposition. He understandably feel like less of a man in the aftermath, the physical loss combining with a lifelong emotional loss to turn him into a recluse with little other than sharp words to offer people. His initial interactions with Quinn are as cute as can be though, characterized by both the blurting of possibly the worst compliments ever and a series of weighted silences that Quinn feels a compulsion to fill. Quinn, for her part, is as thoroughly enjoyable as Wilder, taking his grumpiness in stride and returning nervous ramblings the likes of which he's never seen before. The two of them together are light and fun despite the seriousness of their life situations (Wilder's guilt over his role in his parents deaths and the possibility of Quinn developing early onset Alzheimer's like her father), and spending several hours with them is time more than well spent.

The only minor complaint with this contemporary romance is that it starts much stronger than it finishes, the hilarious interactions between a crabby Wilder and determinedly positive Quinn turning a bit sappy as their romance progresses in intensity. It's not enough to detract from the overall success of them as a couple, but their tendency to continuously compliment one another and share their ever-deepening feelings again and again does serve as a reminder that we're reading a romance novel. Overall however, Best Worst Mistake is a quick, feel-good read sure to bring a little warmth in preparation for cold winter months ahead.

Rating: 4/5
 

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39 comments:

  1. I love how you described both of these characters Jenny, so my type of romance read. I am definitely adding this one to the pile. :D

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    1. YAY! I hope you love Wilder and Quinn Ali:)

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  2. I am super excited to read this!!! I love Riley's writing though, so easy to get swept away into the story. Great review.

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    1. I definitely need to read the previous books in the series, I started out of order with this one:)

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  3. Jenny! I'm so happy you enjoyed this one. :) I hope you'll read the other books too if you haven't. Book 2 is still my favorite.
    But wasn't this the cutest? I loved Grumpy Wilder and all his hidden sweetness. And dopey grin is definitely what I would use to describe my face after I finished this one.
    Wonderful review! :)

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    1. I will be reading book 2 for sure Nick! You haven't led me astray yet:) Grumpy Wilder made me so happy.

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  4. I think a lot of romances tend to start strongest because of the drama associated with the ending, but this seems adorable and I'm definitely curious to check out both this and the author's other work. Lovely review--this is ideal for me to curl up to in the upcoming cold months!--thanks Jenny!

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    1. Yes! It's a light read despite some heavy subject matter with their families, and I blew right through it in no time:)

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  5. It's nice sometimes to have a good sweet romance like that. I don't think I know about this author.

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    1. Agreed. This was my first read by her and I'm looking forward to more:)

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  6. I am glad to hear this can be read as a stand-alone but I picked up book 1 anyway myself because I love a good small town book!

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    1. Me too! I'll be going back to books 1 and 2 for sure:)

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  7. Grumpy Wilder sounds so sweet! I love the sound of the romance in this and I need that silly, good-feeling these HEA give us romance readers!
    Lovely review, Jenny :)

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    1. Yes! I love grumpy and growl-y heroes, and Wilder definitely made me swoon:)

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  8. I think I would like Grumpy Wilder, plus I have great admiration for smoke jumpers and firefighters. Too bad though that it kind of fizzled at the end.

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    1. It just got a touch sappy for me Heidi. Just the kind of dialogue that only happens in romance novels you know? Still, I had fun reading this one:)

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  9. This sounds like it'd be a really cute read to enjoy with a blankie and a cup of hot chocolate (maybe without marshmallows since the book seems to be sweet enough!) in this colder weather!
    Thanks for the great review Jenny!

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    1. It would be perfect for that Pili! Grumpy Wilder will keep you warm:)

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  10. This one sounds adorable, Jenny. Too bad that it doesn't finish with a bang. Still something to look forward too as the weather gets colder.

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    1. Yes! I liked the adorable awkwardness in the beginning, and while the end wasn't quite as strong, I still thoroughly enjoyed it:)

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  11. I do like it when it does the opposite, starts out weaker and ends strong. Still you made a good case as to why I need to read it. This does sound like it has some good characters within.

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    1. Me too Melissa, but it's still a fun read. I think you'd like it:)

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  12. It's great that this can be read as a stand alone, because I can only commit to one book right now. hahaha. You make this sound so good, Jenny!

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  13. I absolutely adore guys like Wilder, and I kept smiling through your review when you'd describe him.

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  14. This was a fun one. I liked Quinn and Wilder was a big old teddy bear :)

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  15. I'm not the biggest romance fan so I don't read them real often so I'll probably skip this one but it doesn't sound like a good book to read on a cold day sitting by the fire. :)

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  16. I love this kind of romance, and I have a soft spot for wounded grumpy heroes. I’ll definitely check out this book. Lovely review, Jenny!

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