Series: Happily Inc. (Book 5)
In Happily Inc, love means never having to say “I do”…
Wedding coordinator Renee Grothen isn't meant for
marriage. Those who can, do. Those who can't, plan. But she never could have
planned on gorgeous, talented thriller writer Jasper Dembenski proposing -- a
fling, that is. Fun without a future. And the attraction between them is too
strong for Renee to resist. Now she can have her no-wedding cake…and eat it,
too.
After years in the military, Jasper is convinced he's too
damaged for relationships. So a flirtation -- and more -- with fiery,
determined Renee is way too good to pass up…until his flame becomes his muse.
Renee is an expert at averting every crisis. But is she
finally ready to leap into the one thing that can never be controlled: love?
Terrific book. This story is about Renee, a wedding
planner at Weddings Out of the Box, and Jasper, the local author who writes
mystery novels. Happily is a small town, so they've seen each other around but
don't really know each other. That changes one games night at The Boardroom
when their partnership in a game strikes unexpected sparks. Neither is
interested in anything permanent, but what could go wrong with some commitment-free
fun?
Renee loves her job as a wedding planner. There is
nothing she enjoys more than helping a couple plan that day they will remember
forever. I loved seeing the various weddings and Renee's ability to create calm
out of chaos. But as much happiness as she gets out of her work, she is
convinced that there is no wedding in her future. She's been burned in the past
and believes that love is not for her. She also has a rocky relationship with
her mother, thanks to a very unusual situation that has left her reluctant to
have anything to do with animals.
Jasper is a very successful mystery writer who has made a
home for himself in Happily Inc. He is a former soldier who had very bad PTSD
when he left the service and considered himself broken to the point of being
unable to have any kind of relationship. He is on the way home from his latest
book tour (in an RV because he hates to fly) when he is adopted by an abandoned
dog. Though a reluctant dog owner at first, it doesn't take long for Koda to
wiggle his way into Jasper's life and heart. It quickly becomes apparent that
these two are meant for each other, and I loved their scenes together.
I loved the development of the relationship between
Jasper and Renee. It starts as sex-only, as neither wants anything permanent. But
in a strange turn of events, they spend more time together out of bed than in
it and find themselves becoming friends. Jasper asks for Renee's help with the
book he is currently writing. He's about to end the successful series, and Jasper
and his editor believe that the hero needs to fall in love. Unfortunately for
Jasper, his attempts at writing a woman for Vidar have been spectacularly
unsuccessful. Things get a little tense when Jasper decides that his best
option is to follow Renee in her work. She is not up for that idea at all and
makes her opinion quite clear. Jasper, who has a bit of tunnel vision when
working, goes above Renee's head which forces her to let him tag along. Renee
is rightfully furious, and I liked the way that she told him so, explained why
to the point where he saw the error of his ways and apologized. It wasn't the only
time he pulls a boneheaded move, and Renee is very good at making him face his
mistakes.
Once they get past the anger, they end up spending a lot
of time together. I loved watching their friendship grow and turn into something
more. I loved Jasper's fascination with Renee's ability to help her couples
find the perfect expression of their love. His enthusiasm for getting involved
in the whole process, from setting up to serving drinks, was heartwarming. I
also enjoyed seeing Renee's reaction to and acceptance of Jasper's tendency to
get lost in his creative process. There were several times when they were
together that he would totally lose track of when and where he was, but she
never made a stink about it. Both of them realize that their feelings are
changing, but neither believes that they are in a place to do anything about
it.
In the midst of all of this angst, Renee's mother, Verity,
arrives for an unexpected visit. Renee has worked hard to keep her mother
separate from her life in Happily Inc. because of issues that have arisen in
the past. Verity has a unique talent that created problems for Renee, both when
she was younger and with her most recent relationship. Renee is afraid of what
will happen if her new friends find out about her mom, and she dreads the
reactions. I liked Verity a lot, though I also understood Renee's feelings. I
had to laugh at the reason that brought Verity to Happily Inc., and the event that
came out of it was hilarious. But in the end, it's Verity, Jasper's dog Koda,
and Renee's cats Fred and Lucille who help Jasper and Renee understand that
they aren't nearly as broken as they think they are. I'm looking forward to
seeing more of them in future books.
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