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My Review:Title: The Love Connection
Author: Denise Williams
Series: Airport Novellas #1
Published by: Berkley
Release Date: April 5, 2022
Format: Kobo Book
Pages: 143
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2023 COYER Chapter 2, Lenoreo's 2023 Diversity Reading Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks
My rating:
Blurb:An airport pet groomer meets her frequent flier crush in this captivating romance novella from the acclaimed author of How to Fail at Flirting
Ollie Wright loves the thrill of taking chances, like opening a pet grooming salon in an airport where every day is a little unpredictable. The one thing she won't risk is her heart, so catching glimpses of a cute stranger from afar is enough romantic entanglement for her.
Bennett Baker is a professional risk assessor by day while writing popular romance novels at night, except he finds himself facing writer's block. His life of carefully planned stability comes crashing down when he rescues a slippery pup in the airport and returns it to the enchanting pet groomer whose laugh inspires him to start writing again.
Their chance encounter and instant chemistry thrusts them into a whirlwind of airport dates at pretzel kiosks, stolen glances at empty gates, and late-night texts that leave them swooning. If the risk-adverse Bennett can take a chance on uncertainty and adventurous Ollie will break her own rule, their relationship might stop taxiing and actually take off.
4.5 stars — I actually read these novellas totally out of order and finished this one last, but that didn’t impact my enjoyment at all! I wasn’t sure what I was going to get with these two characters, but what I got was freaking adorable. I loved the crushes, and the tentativeness, and the blushes, and the flirting. I loved how they sort of waded into the shallow end of dating, but couldn’t resist one another.
Ollie had been so badly burned, that while she was pretty forthright and commanding in other areas of her life, she was not in relationships. But I loved seeing how she couldn’t help herself from forming first a friendship, and quickly more with Bennett.
Bennett was delightfully awkward and shy at times, but I loved seeing how Ollie lit him up. He had different reasons for being so risk averse with letting people in, but it was equally rewarding to see her bring out the best in him.
The thing I love about these being novellas is that you get a little conflict, but it doesn’t drag out and frustrate. It was just enough to feel realistic, but then we get our happy resolution.
My Review:Title: The Missed Connection
Author: Denise Williams
Series: Airport Novellas #2
Published by: Berkley
Release Date: May 3, 2022
Format: ebook
Pages: 148
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Source: Overdrive
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2023 COYER Chapter 2, Lenoreo's 2023 Diversity Reading Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks
My rating:
Blurb:Two strangers share a romantic night together only to discover months later they're professional rivals in this grumpy meets sunshine romance novella from the acclaimed author of How To Fail at Flirting.
Gia loves her job as a professor, even when it means dealing with an elusive rival academic who’s made it his mission to criticize her work. When she meets him for the first time, she’s shocked to learn they’ve met before. Months earlier, they shared a perfect New Year’s Eve together in an airport during a weather delay.
After months of working together, Felix still can’t believe the person whose research he's been challenging is the same captivating woman he kissed that night. The two couldn’t be more different. Gia is bubbly, friendly, and extroverted and drives ordered, serious Felix nuts.
Now the two have been assigned to embark on a five-school tour for work. Gia and Felix can’t imagine a travel partner they’d enjoy less until they feel the sparks fly over their shared armrests, security mishaps, and a shared hotel room. They'll need to decide if they can manage their professional tension, or risk missing the connection of a lifetime.
4.5 stars — OK, this was surprisingly addicting and adorable. It was the perfect story for a novella, b/c I genuinely felt like the pacing was perfect, and I got exactly what I needed from it. I started with this one b/c the first novella isn’t at my library, but other than the hero of the first one being Gia’s best friend, it was basically standalone.
I was hooked right from that NYE encounter, and the connection was so solid and happiness inducing, that it was somehow easier to watch them falter when they met again and learned they were nemeses. And honestly, their teasing and bickering was just delightful, and I loved seeing them accept the other as they are, even as they are complete opposites. They balanced each other out perfectly.
I don’t know, this novella just made me happy, and I almost finished it in one sitting and would have if I hadn’t stupidly started it at midnight.
My Review:Title: The Sweetest Connection
Author: Denise Williams
Series: Airport Novellas #3
Published by: Berkley
Release Date: July 19, 2022
Format: ebook
Pages: 162
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Source: Overdrive
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2023 COYER Chapter 2, Lenoreo's 2023 Diversity Reading Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks
My rating:
Blurb:Two best friends have one week to return a lost love letter found in a candy store—and to work up the courage to confess to the deep feelings between them—in this romance novella from the acclaimed author of How To Fail at Flirting.
Teagan’s job in an airport candy store pays the bills but she dreams of traveling the world. With one week until she boards a plane for an international adventure, she finds an abandoned love letter in the store and talks her BFF into helping her figure out who it belongs to.
Silas solves problems for a living as an airline customer service representative. One problem he can’t solve is how to reveal a big secret to his best friend that would risk changing their entire relationship. When she proposes they work together to get the love letter back to its owner, he jumps at the chance.
Teagan and Silas stumble on romantic clues, old stories, and more than a few dead ends along the way while trying to play Cupid, all of which bring them closer together. With only a few days before Teagan’s transatlantic move, the two of them must decide if the sweet temptation of falling for their best friend is worth the potential heartbreak or if either can stand to keep their feelings wrapped up.
3 stars — Huh. This one was just missing that extra spark. The friendship between Silas and Teagan was cute and fun, but I didn’t feel a whole lot of extra chemistry pulling them together (and thus me in to their story).
I wasn’t a huge fan of the secret Silas was keeping from Teagan, and only sort of understood it once we got through all the flashbacks. It just didn’t make Silas exactly book boyfriend numero uno, you know? And Teagan was pretty oblivious in her own right.
I definitely enjoyed their friendship, but I was surprised at how meh I was when things finally got steamier.
As for the mystery? It wasn’t bad, had some cute moments.
Unfortunately this one was just okay.
Sounds like I need to try these ones! I have only read one by this author.