28 Dates (Crazy Love) – ARC Review

28 Dates
By Stacey Lynn
Release Date: June 11, 2019
Publisher:  Loveswept
Book #3 in the Crazy Love series
Number of pages: 200
Kindle Edition
Source: ARC from Net Galley
Contemporary Romance M/F
Rating: NC-17
Read 5/22/19 to 5/23/19

 

Caitlin Pappas is a lifelong commitment-phobe. The closest thing she’s had to a relationship in the last few years was a friends-with-benefits thing that fizzled out because the guy wanted more. So when she and her best friend design a new app that promises to find “the one” in 28 Dates, Caitlin is the perfect guinea pig. Little does she know that she may have already met her match. . . .

Jonas Reeves has tried his best to move on after Caitlin didn’t want take things to the next level. Now they really are just friends . . . without benefits. Caitlin’s even a regular at his bar, The Dirty Martini. But when he learns that Caitlin plans to beta-test a new dating app on his home turf, Jonas senses a golden opportunity to win her heart. Even if he has to slide into her DMs to do it.

Another solid offering from Stacey Lynn.  I stated in my review of the last book in this series, Knocked Up, that there isn’t really crossover.  Well, there is some crossover from the first book, Fake Wife, into this one.  I really enjoyed Fake Wife so think you should read it, but it is in no way necessary to this story.  Just some character crossover, not any storyline crossover.

Jonas found a firm place in my heart from the beginning of this book.  To some extent, I could understand Caitlyn’s trepidation with relationships.  Yet at times it seemed a bit like she was trying to convince herself more than her friends or the reader.  Especially once it was so very obvious that she wasn’t getting over Jonas any time soon.  Caitlyn has a revelation, of sorts, a ways into this story about why she isn’t interested in relationships.  It’s a very honest and touching moment and helped to make her a more sympathetic character to me.

As much as I love Jonas, I felt his duplicity went on a bit too long.  I was starting to get annoyed with his games and was very happy once things finally started falling into place.  Without giving spoilers, let’s just say he’s lucky he’s so lovable and Caitlyn did a lot of soul searching in the month or so the bulk of this story took place.

I am definitely a fan of the chemistry this author writes and her couples always give me warm-fuzzies.  I couldn’t wait for the lines between Caitlyn and Jonas to uncross so they could start being more than friends.

3.5 stars

**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher.  All opinions expressed are my own and given freely. **