OMG, this book! I adored this book! I loved every single word of this hilarious, heartbreaking story – a best-friends-to-lovers romance that is real and raw with all the feels. It’s an instant favourite.
I started this book last night and read straight through until I finished it at 2am, knowing I would only get four hours of sleep before having to get up for work, and I regret nothing. My mind is a sappy mess, so this review is going to be gushy, but I assure you, this book deserves it.
This book is very loosely linked to the first co-write between these authors, When the Walls Come Down. Alexis works with Maggie and Shane, and they do appear a couple of times, which is fun, but it’s done without spoiling their story, and this book can absolutely standalone.
Hudson and Alexis met as teenagers. He was the best friend of her older brother, Cal, and when she joined them at high school, she became a part of their group. They grew to become best friends, and for over 15 years they have been by each other’s sides through all of life’s ups and down. Most notably, when Alexis lost the love of her life, and Hudson carried her through her grief, bringing them even closer over the six years since his death. They are as close as two people can be, and they share everything, with a fun, teasing relationship that is absolutely hilarious.
I love these characters! Hudson is a single father of a 7-year-old son, and is sweet, fun and dependable with a fantastic sense of humour – he’s exactly the kind of guy you want in your life. By contrast, Alexis is snarky and sarcastic, a bit chaotic, but she embraces who she is and doesn’t care what people think. They are real and relatable, and the book is written in dual POV so we get up close and personal with them both, and getting to know them both is so much fun.
But with all that is between them, the one thing they have never experienced is attraction. They are platonic best friends, and that is all, with never a hint of anything else. But then they make a bet to see who can set the other up with the best blind date (more hilarity), and then one drunken night and a soul-shattering kiss changes everything.
I love friends-to-lovers romance, and the thing I loved the most about this book is the way it all played out. Usually in these kinds of stories you have one character who is already feeling an attraction, but Hudson and Alexis are both equally stunned by the emergence of their feelings for each other. It’s an absolute surprise, and their reactions are so realistic - both of them freaked out at the sudden realisation, but at the same time completely accepting of it. And watching them come to terms with it all is so much fun! True to the nature of their relationship though, they address it honestly and openly, embracing the massive shift and following their hearts, and oh, how I loved it!
They move forward with a mix of wonder, passion and excitement, but with very real expectations about what they are embarking on. It’s functional and honest, and it’s clear that they care for each other deeply, with so much emotion between them, but they still maintain that teasing playfulness that is such a fundamental part of their relationship, and it’s all just glorious.
But discovering their feelings and coming together is only the beginning of their journey, and there is so much more to this book. There is drama, and even more feels, but again, it’s realistic, it suits the story without overwhelming it, and it’s handled absolutely beautifully! I was glued to my kindle as I read, desperate to watch it all unfold – not wishing it away as you often do when there is drama and you just want to get to the HEA, but embracing it all as part of the story and loving every moment of it, even when it hurts.
This book is so, so beautiful. I love the mix of fun and heartfelt, and every single word is sheer perfection, whether it made me laugh, cry, or fall in love (and everything in between). It’s one of those books where you reread scenes over and over again to fully take it in, and then you get to the end of the book and wish that you could experience it new all over again. I freaking loved everything about it, and finished this book hugging my kindle with tears in my eyes.
The co-writing team of Mabie and Martinez seems to be pure gold, and I’m so freaking excited for whatever they have coming next!
Absolutely sensational – 6 stars!
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awesome friends to lovers
When the Time is Right had me HOOKED only a few chapters in, I freaking LOVE then that happens! This book is the perfect combination of a single dad and friends to loves trope. This story was so amazing, a true love story......well the kind of love story where it takes you YEARS to realize LOVE was staring you right in the face! Alexis and Hudson have been best friends for 15 years yet someone these authors masterful make this moment feel right for their romance to come to live. Hudson ...Hudson is everything you want in a hero in a romance book. His care, his support and in the end the way he embraces his love of Lex was epic. The friendship these two already share makes for a fun and engaging read with fabulous dialogue and epic banter. The epilogue to this was OUTSTANDING... and it does have me hoping Jack will get a forever happy!
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- Marian ChawnerReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 7, 2020
Sometimes your hearts desire is under your nose
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