What Lovers Do by Jewel E. Ann Published by Jewel E. Ann on March 24, 2022
Pages: 343
Format: ARC
Genres: Romance, Romantic Comedy, Women's Fiction
Amazon
From bestselling author, Jewel E. Ann, comes a hilarious secret lovers story that redefines the meaning of friendship.
Shep’s found the female version of himself … and he thinks she’s perfect—perfectly unavailable.
Everyone loves Shep, the charismatic employee at Scottsdale’s newest pet store. He has shared custody of his two dogs with his annoying ex-wife and a smile that can disarm most women.
Except … Dr. Sophie Ryan.What starts out as a disastrous first meeting, involving a coffee catastrophe and mistaken flirting, turns into an unconventional friendship.
Fake phone sex.
Dog park dates.
And eighteen holes of golf.The problem? Sophie’s taken herself out of the dating pool for a mysterious reason, imprisoning Shep in the friend zone for eternity.
As their competitive personalities hit a boiling point, the gloves come off and so do their clothes. When Sophie’s “real” life threatens their relationship, can Shep let go of his past to chase the one that might get away?
I had no idea what to expect from What Lovers Do, but I’m a ride or die Jewel E. Ann fan so there was never a doubt that I’d dive right in. What I found was a singularly unique romantic comedy featuring two characters that charmed my pants off.
When Sophie meets Shep at a local pet store, it’s a classic case of the right guy at the wrong time. Sophie’s life is a dumpster fire, and even though it’s a terrible idea to enter a romantic relationship with someone, she convinces herself that a friendship with Shep is a harmless way to escape her reality—as long as they don’t divulge too much information about their real lives and as long as they stay just friends. Shep really is the best of guys: charismatic, funny, accommodating, and always ready for a fun time.
Shep and Sophie have such a great connection, and it continues to grow the closer they come to crossing the friendship line. I ate up all their inside jokes and banter. The competitive golf outings, cute doggie play dates, and scenic trips are entertaining backdrops to their developing love story.
My problem is I couldn’t fully enjoy all the fun times Sophie and Shep share because I was too anxious waiting for their relationship to crash and burn when her partial truths and omissions are revealed. I just wanted Sophie to face her problems head-on and deal with the consequences already! Maybe it says more about me as a person who is unable to simply live in the moment than it does about the story, but I shouldn’t feel stressed out while reading a rom com.
Even though Sophie is a hot mess, I loved her. I loved her devotion, her laugh-out-loud sense of humor, her endless supply of colorful eyeglasses, but most of all her big heart that always gets her in trouble.
The well-developed characters, fluid writing style, and original plot make this one entertaining read.
Recommended for fans of:
Rom coms
Dogs
Golf
Eyeglasses
** I received an early copy to voluntarily read and offer my honest opinion. **
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About Jewel E. Ann
Jewel is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today best selling author with a quirky sense of humor. When she’s not saving the planet one tree at a time, you can find her role modeling questionable behavior to her three boys, binge-watching Netflix with her husband, and writing mind-bending romance.
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It kills me when I’m just waiting for a romance to crash and burn. I know it’s going to get an HEA, but it’s so stressful! Sounds like this one did that to you.
I’m a fan of Rom coms, Dogs, Golf and Eyeglasses, although I don’t play golf anymore. Nice review!!