Series: Hope (Book 4)
High school math teacher Chelsea Gardner has the perfect
plan. She’s tired of dating all the wrong men, and after years of frustration,
she’s developed a foolproof list of requirements for finding “The One.”
Bar owner Sebastian “Bash” Palmer finds Chelsea
beautiful, smart and fun, but he thinks her list is ridiculous and unnecessary.
Intent on proving Chelsea is looking for love in all the wrong ways, he offers
to help her find the “perfect” man.
Chelsea knows Bash isn’t the right guy for her -- he
barely meets one of her criteria -- but there’s something about the charismatic
man that has her yearning for things that are most definitely not list
approved.
Because sometimes, a relationship that looks totally
wrong on paper can turn out incredibly right…
Good combination of friends to lovers and opposites
attract. Chelsea is a high school math teacher and one of a group of friends.
She's seen several of them fall in love and wants that for herself. But after
years of dating guys that just don't work out, she has developed a list with
her requirements for the "perfect man". If she sticks to that, surely
she'll find the man that can give her the future she wants.
Bash is a member of the same group of friends. He owns
the bar No Hope at All. Having been married and divorced once when he was
younger, Bash has no desire to make the same mistake. He keeps his
relationships strictly casual. He finds out about Chelsea's list and thinks
it's ridiculous, but Chelsea is a friend so he offers to help.
Bash and Chelsea have been friends for a long time. Like
her other friends, he teases her about her list, but he does introduce her to a
couple guys that meet her criteria. Unfortunately for her, there's absolutely
no chemistry with these "perfect" men. But there is amazing chemistry
between Chelsea and Bash. They are thrown together during events for Logan and
Des's wedding (Hope Ignites) and their sparks burn hotter. Bash knows that
Chelsea is looking for something permanent, which isn't him, but he really
wants her. Chelsea knows that Bash doesn't do commitments and he doesn't match
any of her requirements, but he sure gets her motor running. She thinks that
her fascination with him is interfering with her ability to connect with other
men, so she proposes a quick fling to get each other out of their systems.
I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. Bash is a
really nice guy and more complex than Chelsea gives him credit for at first. She
begins to see him differently when an ex-girlfriend dumps a dog on him. The
closer she gets to him, the more she tries to remind herself that he doesn't
match her list. But though the head agrees, the heart and body are ready to
toss out the list. I really enjoyed seeing Bash basically court her, though he
didn't realize that's what he was doing at first. There are some really sweet
and romantic scenes between theme, as well as some really steamy ones. Each of
them finally realizes their feelings, but when Chelsea speaks of hers, Bash
panics and pushes her away. He knows immediately that he screwed up, but fixing
the problem proves to be harder than he expected. I loved the support that Chelsea
got from their friends, and ached for her pain at the split. I really enjoyed
seeing how Bash had to work to get his chance to make things right. His big
moment at the end was sweet and romantic.
I liked seeing more of the gang of friends. The lead up
to Logan and Des's wedding was great. There were plenty of chances to see what
everyone is up to. I also liked the scene with Luke and Logan's brother Reid, as
they all consult about renovating an old building in the town. I'm looking
forward to his story. I also loved the little dog, Lou, and how quickly she and Bash took to each other. It was pretty sweet to picture the big tough guy with the little bitty dog.
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