*I received a free copy of Faithful from Selfpublished via Netgalley. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *
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Imogene Walsh has always been unapologetically confident and ruthlessly opinionated with people, particularly men. No one is spared from her unfiltered mouth, but it hasn’t seemed to deter Cooper MacKenzie. Although he is not the clean-cut, businessman type she’s always thought she should pursue, Imogene is drawn to the sexy outsider who is the hottest topic in town gossip, the fantasy heartthrob women love to speculate about.
She has spent most of her life in the little town of Hera, NY, putting her numerous forgettable relationships behind her and floundering in both her professional and personal life. Work and men—neither have gone well for her. Now it’s reached the point where she wants to stop playing it safe.
It may be time to live up to her tough reputation and take a chance on Cooper, the only man who isn’t intimidated by Imogene’s brash personality. However, it could be a thrilling ride that doesn't end well.
Funny, hot, romantic and a little melodramatic at times, Faithful was a nice visit back in Hera and all the characters I’ve come to know and love!
My Faithful review:
In Faithful, Imogene sure showed that her stubborn, sarcastic personality is still going strong! When Cooper starts showing up at the diner, she continues to treat him like he’s the lowest of the low, and he always takes it with a smile and a wink. He’s just as stubborn as she is, even if it seems they want completely opposite things! He wants her, and she wants to be left alone with her shifts at the diner and her new online jewelry business. The characters I had learned to know and love in the prior Fearsome stories are very much present in Faithful as well, and I loved their humorous interactions that show how much they care about each other!
Imogene is so nervous about the business taking off, but at the same time, she doesn’t really want any of their friends helping out – especially not Cooper. He manages to take her to an estate sale, though, and soon enough, she has enough pearls to make many new bracelets and necklaces with Lauren’s expert help. Little by little she does open up to him and soften a bit, though, and the tenderness between them is so sweet it made my heart ache! Cooper has been a loveable guy since he first showed up, and he continued to show me how great he was, making me think if Imogene doesn’t want him, I’ll give him a try *grin*.
Of course, there are some complications, after they have gotten closer, and Imogene is ready to close off once more, until she learns why Cooper hasn’t been acting like himself lately. The friendships and the interwoven relationship between everybody in the small village is part of why I enjoyed Faithful and the other Fearsome books so much, add to that two great main characters and a beautiful romance, and you have a great story to sit back and enjoy for a while.
The writing is good, third person past tense mostly from Imogene’s perspective, but with enough of an omniscient narrator to let me know what was going on with the characters who weren’t necessarily with Imogene all the time. If you’re looking for a light romance with business, tight friendships and a great community, you should pick up Faithful at your convenience.
Some of my favorite Faithful quotes:
I’m not always so negative or cynical; I absolutely love designing and creating our jewelry. It’s the business end that has me in a constant state of distress, worrying if we can succeed or if I’ll have to learn how to love Spam and powdered milk.
As Cooper laughs, I take a breath and laugh along with him. Perhaps this is a first – us being together alone where I can’t use the presence of others as a safe buffer. I’ll admit, this moment with him is surprisingly nice.
Said Little Red Riding Hood about the wolf.
He stares at me for an extra beat then turns and makes his way back to his bike. Instead of immediately going back inside, I stand there and watch him again because it’s just so damn easy to watch a hunky guy stride to his Harley like he has all the time in the world. He knows I’m watching him, too.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.
Ohh, don’t you just love snarky heroines? Really intrigued by this book. Love-hate relationships are just the best romances to read. Great review, Lexxie! ;D
Yes, I am totally in love with snarky heroines, Blessie! And I agree, when feelings start out very negative, the romance is very interesting 🙂
I love snarky heroines – and small town romances, with the people-next-door feel, thanks for sharing 🙂
I love those kinds of stories, too, Iza, and this whole series has been god 🙂
Thank you for your great review. I love the quotes. I don’t usually pick up a self-pub without a decent recommendation. I will give this author a try.
Thanks, Suzi! I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did 🙂
Twitter: talksupeblog
I think your husband will give you a hall pass for cooper, lol.
Can’t wait to see your RT recap post!
LOL as long as he is the one reaping the fruits of my reading, he’s quite happy, Braine 😉
I did not guess contemporary from the cover, the little I know
Some covers are good at actually covering their tracks, though 😉
I’m glad we’ve stuck with this series, Lexxie. (even if I haven’t gotten to this one yet – I *do* own it 😉 I really like everyone in Hera as well. And I’m looking forward to spending more time with Imogen. And yeah, Cooper too. 😉 **BIG HUGS**
I agree, Brandee, this series has gotten better with each book, and Hera is definitely a nice little village for these romances. I look forward to seeing what you think of Imogen and Cooper.
*BIG HUGS*