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My Review:Title: Meet Cute Club
Author: Jack Harbon
Series: Sweet Rose #1
Published by: Indie
Release Date: May 5, 2020
Format: Kindle Book
Pages: 186
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, LGBT
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2020 Diversity Reading Challenge, Lenoreo's 2020 New Release Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ IndieBound ✩ Book Depository
My rating:
Blurb:Jordan Collins doesn’t need a man.
What he needs is for his favorite author to release another one of her sexy supernatural novels and more people to sign up for the romance book club that he fears is slowly and steadily losing its steam. He also needs for the new employee at his local bookstore to stop making fun of him for reading things meant for “grandmas.”
The very last thing he needs is for that same employee, Rex Bailey, to waltz into his living room and ask to join Meet Cute Club. Despite his immediate thoughts—like laughing in his face and telling him to kick rocks—Jordan decides that if he wants this club to continue thriving, he can’t turn away any new members. Not even ones like Rex, who somehow manage to be both frustratingly obnoxious and breathtakingly handsome.
As Jordan and Rex team up to bring the club back from the ashes, Jordan soon discovers that Rex might not be the arrogant troll he made himself out to be, and that, like with all things in life, maybe he was wrong to judge a book by its cover.
4 stars — OK, this was just freaking adorable. And I learned a new romance book term — a cinnamon roll!!! I LOVE CINNAMON ROLLS!! Both the actual baking treat and the adorable heroes!!! BRING THEM ON!!
Ahem. Anyways. I thought this was just exactly what I needed for a fun romance. Both Jordan and Rex had their super loveable qualities, and their “makes me want to smack them” qualities. It had moments of a wee teensy bit of cheese, it had moments that made my heart hurt, and it had the predictable moments of one love interest fucking things up and needing the big gesture. Basically it really fit, and had a meta quality. I kind of loved that.
I felt for Jordan’s anxiety, and need for control. I kind of wished we’d learned more about what happened with his parents, I can’t help but wonder how their deaths affected him. Sometimes I felt like his passion for romance books was almost over the top, and then I checked myself, remembering how much I love it when I find someone with the same love. I loved his perspective of not needing to all love the same books, but getting a thrill out of watching someone fangirl/boy over their favourites. I appreciated that he didn’t take shit from Rex, that despite his hurt, he still stood up for himself and demanded more.
Rex was messed up from his family life, and I felt for him with that. He really could be an asshole quite often, but I appreciated that Jordan would call him on it. I loved seeing him blossom as his relationship with Jordan progressed. And while I was bummed at his misstep, I loved his big gesture in the end.
I thought the two of them together were pretty adorable. They each gave as good as they got, and I appreciated seeing them get to know one another on their “dates”. And I loved the connection that I could feel develop between them, beyond the steamy scenes. It really was the intimacy of opening their hearts that they had to embrace.
Lots of fun side characters, from Jordan’s sassy Grandma, to Rex’s sister Amy, to the colourful Book Club members.
All in all, I’m so glad I stumbled upon this one when looking for more black authors. If you love romance, need something both light and with heart, this was a fun easy read.
This does sound super cute and fun…and I love both types of cinnamon rolls, too! 🙂