When Life Happened by Jewel E. Ann
This book was provided to me for free by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Thoughts at a glance: **** (I really liked it)
Synopsis (provided by publisher): Parker Cruse despises cheaters. It might have something to do with her boyfriend sleeping with her twin sister.
After a wedding day prank involving a strong laxative, that ends the already severed relationship between the twins, Parker decides to grow up and act twenty-six.
Step One: Move out of her parents’ house.
Step Two: Find a job.
Opportunity strikes when she meets her new neighbor, Gus Westman. He’s an electrician with Iowa farm-boy values and a gift for saying her name like it’s a dirty word.
He also has a wife.
Sabrina Westman, head of a successful engineering firm, hires Parker as her personal assistant. Driven to be the best assistant ever, Parker vows to stay focused, walk the dog, go to the dry cleaners, and not kiss Gus—again.
Step Three: Don’t judge.
Step Four: Remember— when life happens, it does it in a heartbeat.
Thoughts: It is no surprise to you, probably, that I loved this book. I have pretty much loved everything this author has ever written, and she's one of my favorite romance authors. I've also stated previously that something Jewel E. Ann does SO well is to write characters who live in the gray area. They're not perfect. They're not meant to be your heroes. They are extremely human beings who don't always make the right decision and who aren't always selfless.
That said, you can't get any more "gray area" than a character who has been cheated on and who is faced with the prospect of becoming that which she hates. This book poses the question of whether cheating is ever justified, but it doesn't give you a straight answer, because it also looks at potentially far-reaching ramifications, good and bad.
This book was a difficult read, emotionally. I definitely had feelings that I didn't want to feel, and there were definitely moments that I didn't see coming that really got me emotional. But there are also plenty of adorable moments, goofy moments, and heartfelt moments (as well as sexy moments), and if you've ever been betrayed by love (romantic or familial), you'll find something to relate to here.