BFF K’s Review
Welcome back to Brightwater! Lia Riley has created a wonderful fictional town full of quirky, delightful people and Quinn and Wilder are the perfect addition to the cast of characters from the first 2 books. (Best Worst Mistake is a standalone, but the characters in the Brightwater series are interconnected and you should definitely read all 3!)
This story has a Beauty and the Beast feel. Wilder is broken both physically and mentally. He returns to Brightwater with no plans, no hope, no vision for his future. He’s a cranky, damaged, isolated, curmudgeon. Then Quinn blows into his life. She stands up to him refusing to let him hide alone in his cabin. She challenges him. Quinn is almost equally as broken as Wilder, though her scars aren’t visible on the surface. Through her cracks shines light and hope, and she draws Wilder out of his solitary world. Wilder and Quinn have a whirlwind romance. There are secrets and truths about their pasts but they find a way to plow forward together.
Best Worst Mistake is a delightfully romantic story full of terrific characters and sweet sentiments. I have enjoyed all of the Brightwater Series so much that it’s impossible for me to choose a favorite. This is currently intended to be the final book in Brightwater, but I’m hoping that there might be more of these great stories from Lia Riley in the future!
An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.
Excerpt
It had been a while since he’d been in the company of any woman who wasn’t a medical professional or intimately involved with his brothers. Also, as much as he didn’t want to admit it, he had a type and this forward, strong-looking woman fit it right down to that thick wavy brown hair pulled back at the nape of her long sexy neck.
Necks were underrated female geography. He loved how they tasted when he kissed them there, how they smelled as he nuzzled.
Equally fascinating was her lush mouth, how the corner remained quirked on one side despite the natural pout, as if in perpetual secret amusement.
This woman was bright, spunky, and happy, despite her father’s miserable situation. His heart sank. He had nothing to offer someone like her, not when his whole world had burned to a cinder.
He shook himself inwardly, not moving a muscle. No point succumbing to the ugly truth, however true. Maybe he could pretend to be a normal guy for the night. Normal except for the scars, the missing leg, and the fact he hadn’t spoken to a living soul since Sawyer dropped off his groceries six days ago, and was tongue-tied around strangers at the best of times.
Shit.
What would Archer do? His younger brother was good with people, especially the ladies. He’d navigate this situation like a pro.
She gave him a tentative smile, probably because he was staring at her like a loon.
Compliments. Women like compliments.
“Your teeth are real white,” Wilder blurted. Goddamn it, the words hung over them like a comic strip balloon. He wished for a string to grab on to, so he could stuff the idiocy back into his mouth, swallow it down.
“Excuse me?” Her shoulders jerked as her lips clamped, clearly not anticipating the awkward flattery.
At least he hadn’t said how much he liked her neck. Yet.
Damn, this was a mistake. He wasn’t good with people. Didn’t like people. Didn’t need people.
Giveaway
About the Author
Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her lipstick red, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not reading good books, she gets her kicks from TV series like Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, Masters of Sex, Deadwood, Mad Men, and Downtown Abbey (although she wishes it were more HBO and less PBS).
Armenian by heritage, born in Iran, lived in Barcelona, and escaped New York until he found his home in Los Angeles, Ara’s first eleven years were both busy and confusing. The fruit salad of languages would slow down his genetically encoded need to tell stories. Until then, an alter ego would be required…
Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives in the Midwest with her husband and son–her two favorite guys.
Kristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she’d rather be. She is a three-time RITA nominee and winner of two RT Reviewer’s Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine’s Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher’s Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading. 