Checking You Out by Ann Whynot

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Title: Checking You Out
Author: Ann Whynot
Series: Green Valley Library #10
Published by: Smartypants Romance
Release Date: April 19, 2022
Format: eARC
Pages: 318
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Source: Smartypants Romance
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2022 COYER Spring, Lenoreo's 2022 Diversity Reading Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ IndieBound ✩ Book Depository
My rating:

Blurb:

Lois Washington is at the end of her rope. Struggling as a single mother in an apartment the size of a closet is not the New York City adventure she dreamed of in her starry-eyed youth. When her job goes on the chopping block, she is ready for a major life change. Joining her best friend in Tennessee to become the newest employee at the Green Valley Public Library isn't exactly where she thought life would take her, but she feels up for the challenge. Only this relocation comes with more than she bargained for.

Norman Grant has had a string of online dating disasters back in Florida. Dealing with chronic pain, he's concluded that finding a woman who is understanding about his war wounds just isn't in the cards. That is, until he becomes quite taken with the single mother who's also a new arrival in Green Valley. The catch? Things are not quite what they seem.

When the past and present collide, Norman and Lois must face painful reminders from their youth. Now, at twenty-seven, Norman's about to find out just how deeply the wounds he left behind cut.

'Checking You Out’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #10 in the Green Valley Library series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe

My Review:

I received a free copy through Smartypants Romance in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

3 stars — This one started out a bit stronger and I was pretty excited, because I had been looking forward to Norman’s story.  But so many of the issues I had with the writing in the first book by Ms. Whynot were still very much present in this novel as well, and I think I was unreasonably bummed that an editor or beta reader hadn’t helped her grow her writing.  But maybe it’s not actually a problem, and it’s just me.  Essentially her paragraphs are really long, which isn’t inherently a problem, but it doesn’t feel natural in her dialogue sections.  My husband wanted me to show him an example, so I actually did highlight some sections and I guess we’ll see if he thinks I’m crazy or not.

Besides that, I also found the situations to a bit contrived, and the progression of their relationship to be a bit fast at times.  Or…I’m not sure.  I just didn’t feel as invested as I wanted to be.

I think I’m unreasonably bummed about this because I appreciate the different things that this author brings to her stories — her disability and mental health rep is pretty strong, I adore that her characters are quite clearly not supermodels, but still absolutely beautiful to the ones they love, and on the whole she throws in some plot points that can be unique.  I just need something more, and for the life of me I can’t figure out how to explain what that more is.

Norman was pretty sweet.  I loved that he didn’t have so many of the masculine qualities that feel more toxic, but was just pretty happy with loving whatever he wanted to love (from music to book genres, he had no problem stretching gender stereotypes).  I find that confidence to be exactly who you are very sexy.  And while it was personally frustrating to read his issues with mobility aides, I can wholeheartedly say that it’s realistic, and definitely something that is hard for an able bodied person to understand.

Lois was…a bit harder to love, but I appreciated everything she had gone through in her life and how it might have scarred her on trusting people.  I loved how she was there for the ones that she loves, and how unfazed she was by Norman’s disabilities.

I appreciated that once they got over the hump of talking to one another, they were able to work things out well.

As with Max and Jonathan, the chemistry was…odd.  I loved the friendship chemistry, and the non-steamy chemistry, but I didn’t always feel the steamy scenes as much (and not because they were fade to black, they just felt…stilted?).

So yeah.  I am wholeheartedly glad that I was able to read Norman’s story, but I think at this point I can say I’m not a match with this writer, and so I’ll likely pass on future stories.