Review: Thanksgiving drama with humor and romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 24, 2013
Picture this: It's Thanksgiving, you're about to be introduced to your boyfriend's parents and siblings for the first time, they're well off, you're barely making ends meet, having trouble finding a job AND you're the new girlfriend since your boyfriend broke off his engagement not very long ago. Oh, and the would-have-been in-laws are close friends of the family, so they'll be there too. Fun times.Thanksgiving seems to be synonymous with good food and bad behavior. There was no shortage of that. Gayle didn't exactly receive a welcome with open arms, but she wasn't dirt on the shoe either. Luckily for her, there were other Cripps siblings in attendance who had their own personal dilemmas. Jenny Cripps is engaged to an overbearing creep and Jason Cripps is home from college with his girlfriend in tow and his BFF, Tully. Tully is a girl and she hates his girlfriend. When Gayle announces that her own brother will be joining her for the holidays, Jenny suddenly perks up. Hmmm.This novella was crazy, funny and romantic. This novella takes place between the last chapter and the epilogue of the first book (which I haven't read), but I still managed to follow the characters. As for the chemistry between Jon and Gayle, I wonder if my impression was clouded because I hadn't read their story. They had great chemistry in bed, but outside of it, I couldn't shake the feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak. A few times, Jon acted strangely, and it made me wonder just how stable their relationship was. When the time came for the main characters to address their relationship seriously, that is when they finally came alive for me. That part felt real and portrayed one likely obstacle a modern couple might face - career or love? Compromise or let go? Gayle wanted to hold on to her (financial) independence so badly, that she refused to accept a little help from Jon that would get her across the country to be with him. I loved how the author made each of them get what they thought they wanted because it made both of them realize a few important truths. The ending was so touching and romantic that it made all the previous tension just melt away.I think it would be best to read the first book,The P.U.R.E., to get their full story. Overall a short, fun read with great dialogue and good pacing.Rating 3.5 rounded up to 4Disclaimer: I received a review copy from the author for the purpose of an honest review