Review: Sassy and Swoony
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 31, 2013
I purchased my copy of Plus One on release day yet never even loaded it onto my Nook. I wasn't reading at the time and definitely wasn't in the mood for any kind of romance as I was deep in the I-Have-An-Infant-And-Never-Get-To-Sleep mode. Months later, I was looking for something quick to read while on vacation and finally loaded up my copy of Brighton's novel.I didn't put it down until I had hit the final page.The book opens with the main female character, Olivia, in the middle of a ridiculously bad date, which appears to be a repetitive issue for her. At the ripe old age of thirty-two, she's beginning to wonder if Mr. Right (or even Mr. Right-Now) is out there, while also trying to figure out how to not end up dateless for the nine upcoming weddings she has invitations for. Having passed that magical moment of "OMG How did I become a spinster already and why are all my friends getting married right now?" I totally understood the pressure and anxiety she felt in this situation. Even if I hadn't passed (and survived, I might add) that milestone, Olivia's voice comes through loud and clear on the page. Brighton writes a main character with spunk and sass, one who knows who she is and isn't afraid to say what's on her mind. She's relatable, adorable and had me laughing out loud more than once.Now let's talk about Ian, shall we? Olivia's best friend's younger brother, Ian has been one of her closest friends for most of her life. He's funny, handsome, charming and completely, madly in love with a clueless Olivia. He also happens to be sexy and flirtatious, but we get to that a bit later. Ian left town to move beyond his childhood crush, but agreeing to be Olivia's "plus one" for all of the weddings she needs dates for brings back all those old feelings. The longing, the confusion, the want...Ian's unrequited love is a true gut-knotter. You can feel how much he loves Olivia through his thoughts and words, and you just want to crawl into the pages and play matchmaker for the couple. Unfortunately, he has no idea how to move their relationship from great-friends to great-in-bed...but after a few weeks of cocktails and other people's wedding vows, he's willing to try.The sexual tension between these two simply skyrockets as the book progresses. Every touch, every dress, every dance...it all builds up, setting and keeping a fast pace through words so pretty, you'll be cheering out loud for these two to get together. Every sentence, every bit of witty banter between these two, leads up to Olivia and Ian pushing their relationship so far out of the friend zone, they may never find their way back.At least we all hope they don't.I gave this a five star rating on Goodreads. It's an adorable story with a strong female lead and a swoony male counterpart. Plus One is sweet and charming and will leave you wishing this was just the beginning of a series so you could see more of Olivia and Ian as they navigate the not-just-friends-zone together. This is definitely a go, run, buy - NOW! kind of book.