Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar—and maybe snag him as a prom date—even befriend Wes Bennet.
The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in.
But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love—and rethink her own ideas of what Happily Ever After should look like.
Xtreme sports meets Suite Life On Deck with Zach and Cody… oh, and don’t forget open door intimacy and a saboteur… okay, that sounds like a lot going on but really, there is!
After two lost years, I’m forcing the wake-up call on my life with a nine-month work-study cruise. See the world, experience all of it to the fullest, and maybe (if I’m lucky) find the life I’ve lost.
I just wish I’d known what I was signing up for.
My scholarship depends on tutoring a student. But not just any student, oh no. That would be too easy. Instead I get Paxton Wilder, daredevil influencer and X Games champion. And wherever he goes, documentary cameras, groupies, and high-octane stunts will follow.
I want to hate him. I want to kick his arrogant ego right off this boat. But from the second we touch, my stomach does a full-on bungee jump and I know that Wilder is as much stay-away danger as he is addictive adrenaline.
Graphic: Sexual Content Moderate: Death, Car accident, Injury/Injury Detail
My Review
Took me by surprise, Reminded me of The Suite life on Deck if they were doing extreme sports. Outside of the Instant attraction these 2 people seemed to have 21 another, It didn’t really see why they would want to spend time together outside of when they had to. I don’t know how Realistic it felt for people to build a foundation based only on attraction. I did like the trying to find the person sabotaging angle, I enjoyed the extreme sports and the way it tied into the cruise ship around the world and the university experience, And I thought the characters Made sense and their motivations and decisions also seem to lineup with who they were written as In general.
Would I Recommend This Book?
Yes. If you don’t mind open door scenes, the extreme sports angle was very interesting and the doing college on a cruise ship around the world was really fun.
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I did it! The book is released and available as an eBook on Amazon and I can now proudly (somewhat) say that I have written and released a book in just 14 days. Was it the 7 days I was hoping for? No. Is it better now, having given myself another week for structural edits. Yes. Let’s look at what it took to get this book out there into the world.
The Book Itself
So, what the heck is the book about?
Bex isn’t looking for love; she’s just trying to buy a truck. But one misdialed number lands her on the phone with Nick, the owner of a small‑town construction company who drags her into his plan for payback. What starts as a funny mix‑up turns into the realization that Nick is Bex’s new boss… but she doesn’t date co-workers.
When Bex moves to his quiet coastal town with her retired parents to start over, she finds more than fresh air and friendly faces. When she stars working in Nick’s office, she agrees to use her background in banking to try and solve the mysterious issues the company is having. Nick is trying to ignore their chemistry, now that Bex is working for him, but seems determined to keep her close, even when she insists she doesn’t need protecting.
Sweet, cozy, and full of heart, this closed‑door romance blends small‑town charm with a touch of intrigue. And it all begins with one wrong number.
So, the goal of this was to see if this was possible. An exercise, if you will, of my creative genius (just kidding… chaos, is more accurate). Going into writing this, I don’t think I would have done it without a pretty in depth outline. Knowing exactly where the characters were going to end up, how the chapters were going to be written, and having a full week off with not much else to do.. all of that went into it being possible. Having said that, once the initial grammatical edits had been made, it was pretty clear when I got a manuscript analysis that A LOT was missing.
Before I go any further, apparently it’s important for some people to know this: I DID NOT USE AI IN THE WRITING OF THIS BOOK.
Whew. Sorry to yell at you, but I wanted to make that crystal clear. Does this mean I would recommend authors to write a book and release it in 7-14 days? No. I would not. I know that I did, and I posted it, and I’m even working on the next few books in the Hartwell Grove world, however under normal circumstances, yeah, this was not a great plan. It was difficult, stressful, and in general, not an incredibly creative experience. Having more space to write these will definitely make the output a lot better. Eventually, I may look back at this first book (which length wise really sits more comfortably in novella territory) and give it an update, but for now, we’re rolling with it.
Edits
ProWritingAid has a manuscript analysis report that you can run for one credit. When I signed up, I got a free credit, so I though this was the perfect moment to use it. Boy, it spat out a lot of information for me, and lots of it was really great advice. There were massive plot holes, pretty dangerous messaging that I hadn’t picked up, and in general, a few missing beats that needed to be cleaned up.
Once I went through a week of re-writes and 2nd draft style edits, I had the story in a MUCH better place that I was honestly a lot happier with anyway. I know that if I had been able to do a few more full book self-edits, it would have been even better still… having said that, I’m pretty proud of where it was at for just 14 days. There are plenty of Amazon released books that read like they had NO editing, so I’m already working with a leg up on the competition… I think
Cover Deisgn
One of the most important decisions you can make for a book, is the cover design. It’s what draws people initially to checking out your story, so it had to be good. Only problem was, I had no money to pay someone. Good news for me, though, is that I’m a graphic design student who LOVES designing things exactly like this. So, I did.
I’ve read a broad range of fiction, so I’ve seen a ton of different covers, including romance. I thought that, along with being a graphic designer myself (starting out still counts!), I was pretty qualified to create it, and I am so proud of the cover design, actually. Does it look like many of the other covers out there? Yes. Is that a good thing? Also, yes. It makes it clear to the reader what kind of story they can expect (along with them actually looking at the description, of course). Familiarity is a plus for this particular project. Deciding to screen record the process, was also so fun. I can now go back and watch the process any time I want 🙂
Release
Social media is not my fav to have to deal with, but I did post a bunch in the leadup and for the release of this book. A lot more than normal. While I don’t tend to get too much traffic generally, I’m hoping this does at least a little in terms of telling people about the book itself.
Now we get to the release decisions. There are a lot of options these days for releasing a self-published book, one of which is Amazon. I know, I know… Amazon’s business practices are not the best, but let’s talk about why I made the call.
Firstly, I knew that I only wanted to start out releasing this book as an eBook. I know a lot of people don’t actually read eBooks, and that’s okay. I wanted to get a feel for whether people would actually even care about this book before committing to other formats (although, I am a pretty good book narrator…). Amazon also gave me a few great options.
No ISBN
Last time I published a book, my ‘publisher’ handled the ISBN’s for me. I didn’t even know they cost money until I looked into this challenge. Fortunately for me, Amazon doesn’t require an ISBN, they give you their own version of this. However, I did originally plan on getting one anyway. The only problem? I’m broke, and they cost money. $88 for 10 ISBNs is not actually a large amount in the scheme of things, but I didn’t have it. So, by the time I released, I just had to roll with the free number from Amazon. Annoying for the future, but oh well.
Amazon KDP
KDP is a great way to get my book out there to readers who may not have originally considered buying it. They get to read it as part of their kindle subscription, and I get the views.. win-win. Maybe. There are a lot of competing books out there, so I still have to hope that mine gets its way to people, but fingers crossed.
Free Chapter One
Don’t worry… if you don’t support Amazon, I decided to give people a link to chapter one of this book for free. It will give people a chance to test out the story and see if they think reading the full thing would be worth it. The link won’t be up forever, but at least for now people can check it out and have a nosy look… then hopefully want to continue the story with the full book.
You know, after going through this process, I can safely say that writing this quickly is not super ideal. However, I also know that I can create something that I’m still pretty proud of in a quicker turn around time than one book a year… so long as it’s not a fantasy book because that world building is nuts!
Okay, so I finished writing the first draft of my book Hard Hats & Mixed signals yesterday, so I thought I would knock out the editing in a day or so and have the book ready to go by the 7 day deadline (which is Friday by the way, and I’m writing this post on Thursday night). Yeah…. well, we might end up with a delay.
I decided to use ProWritingAid to help me with the grammar, structure and general information of my book because I a) don’t have time to get a real editor, and b) didn’t want to pay for it – especially since this book is being written and published (in theory) in only 7 days, so I’m not taking it too seriously. Having said that, here’s what I discovered, and what happened.
So, I didn’t know anything about ProWritingAid until I looked into using it for this book. What I didn’t realise, was that I could look at the basic grammar information, but it only worked for 500 words at a time. So, I split my manuscript up into 500 word sections and started working at it, only to realise that there was A LOT of other feedback and grammatical information that I was missing out on my not having the premium version.
What I was getting was the general grammar, but also a very limited amount of the ‘premium’ examples that would have more detail if I subscribed. Otherwise I got vague messages like ‘better phrasing’ which helped me to look at the sentence again and try to make it sound a little better – still useful (also a generic example to select). I also ran through the very limited reports I could run without realising it, so I was stuck with extremely limited options, and some pretty substantial edits that were suggested. Which I wanted to do. Even though this book has a quick turn around, I still wanted to put out something that was of a pretty good standard.
So, I made the choice to get the premium subscription based ProWritingAid only to find out… the price had been in USD, not AUD. Too late. The money came out of my account. I still need to purchase the ISBN numbers too, though, so I’m up for more money again. Here’s what they cost:
ProWritingAid: $176
ISBN 10 Pack: $88
This experiment was costing me a bit more money than I had anticipated, and because there are A LOT more edits that I now have to look at (worth it, by the way), I may end up having to push back ‘release date’. I am still hoping that if I stick at it tonight, and work all day tomorrow, that I can have the book ready to be released on day 8 (which would be Saturday)… but I’m not sure. Either way, I’m looking forward to seeing just how much better the book turns out once all the edits are done.
Writing for this book is coming along pretty well at this point. So well in fact, that I thought I might introduce you to our two main characters.
Nick
Nick is the owner of a small construction company in Hartwell Grove. His father started the business, and now he does his best to run the company well. He gives off golden retriever vibes, but there are also plenty of moments that he wishes he could take back and never talk about again. When it comes to Bex, he lets her take the lead if she wants to, but isn’t afraid to step in where required. He has a (sometimes frustrating) desire to save Bex, but she makes it pretty clear that she doesn’t need to be saved. Trusting, loyal and kind hearted, Nick is going to get swept up when Bex comes into town and helps him discover a few things.
Bex
Bex is starting her life over, and is living back at home with her parents in her 30’s while she gets qualified in what she really wants to do with her life. With a bad break up behind her, and a new life that doesn’t include dating her co-workers, Bex just wants to start her life and do what makes her happy. A little fiery, a lot headstrong, and ready to prove that she can rescue herself and make her own choices, Bex is going to discover that sometimes it’s nice when someone cares enough about you to keep trying. Soon to be interior designer, and current administrator working for Nick, the two will delve into a mystery and try to save the day.
I am having so much fun with Nick and Bex, two people who are determined to pretend they aren’t attracted to each other, and don’t want to be together. Will it work out for them?
I had another goal today of hitting 10,000 words written. Did we make it?
I am so excited for the next day or two of writing, where I can hopefully make a really solid dent in this book and get it finished, because next… it’s time to edit!
Well, we’re around halfway through the challenge (practically), and I am INSANELY behind on the writing. Having said that, it’s been a pretty good day overall in the writing process.
As I get closer to the deadline for this book, I thought it might be time to share something fun with you about the book itself. This is a small town romance book, and the name of that town is…. Hartwell Grove.
I’m really hoping that tomorrow gets another amazing word count, but until then, we’ll just have to keep going and hope we hit the deadline.
The ‘friend zone’ is something that is often seen as less than ideal, especially when you might have broken up due to a misunderstanding, like being on a break…
Just Friends is a second chance romance and childhood friends to lovers story, which looks at two young adults who had been together in school, and are reconnecting when the FMC (Female Main Character) returns to the small town full of rich people, including her ill great aunt.
This book has the added challenge of being written by someone quite well known in the online book space, Haley Pham. This meant that she was going to be facing extra support, but also extra scrutiny from the bookish community. Boy, did she ever.
Blair and Declan were inseparable growing up—best friends who knew each other better than anyone else. But when an impulsive kiss took them from friends to something more, everything changed. Just as quickly as their romance started, one moment shattered it all, leaving them with nothing but heartbreak and silence.
Now, four years later, Blair is back in their coastal hometown of Seabrook to support her mom and care for her great-aunt Lottie as her health declines. To make ends meet, Blair applies to work at a coffee shop—only to discover it’s managed by none other than Declan. The boy she loved. The boy she lost. The boy who still makes her heart race.
As Blair’s path keeps crossing with Declan’s, old wounds resurface, secrets are revealed, and sparks reignite. But could their future ever be free of their past?
Told in dual timelines that unravel the magic and pain of first love, Just Friends is a moving, romantic story about second chances, the weight of dreams, and finding your way back to the people who feel like home.
There is a heavy dose of grief and death in this one. Quite a substantial death for one of our characters occurs. There is also discussions of a traumatic car accident discussed.
My Review
Aside from a few words or sentences that felt unusual or out of place, I thought this book was well written and pretty good. There wasn’t anything that felt particularly original, but it was still an enjoyable read overall. The characters were pretty Meh, but I understood their motives and decisions for the most part. I liked the ending as well.
Would I Recommend This Book?
While this book was readable, it was also pretty bland. If you’re looking for something interesting, with a high engagement and depth in plot… this isn’t it.
BUT, if you want something that is easy to read (but pay attention to the content warnings if things like grief trigger you), was perfectly acceptable as a story.. this would be it.
So, would I recommend it? Sure. Depending on your expectations and desires.
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What happens when you’re just friends but you end up in New York, and one of you might be leaving…. what would you do, and how would you spend your time? Would you take a chance at being more and change your life?
Cole Kimball and Laila Olivet have been best friends their entire lives. Cole is the only person (apart from blood relatives) who’s seen Laila in her oversized, pink, plastic, Sophia Loren glasses. Laila is always the first person to taste test any new dish Cole creates in his family’s restaurant . . . even though she has the refined palate of a kindergartener. Most importantly, Cole and Laila are always talking. About everything.
When Cole discovers a betrayal from his recently deceased grandfather that shatters his world, staying in Adelaide Springs, Colorado, is suddenly unfathomable. But Laila loves her life in their small mountain town and can’t imagine ever living anywhere else. She loves serving customers who tip her with a dozen fresh eggs. She loves living within walking distance of all her favorite people. And she’s very much not okay with the idea of not being able to walk to her very favorite person.
Still, when Cole toys with moving across the country to New York City, she decides to support her best friend–even as she secretly hopes she can convince him to stay home. And not just for his killer chocolate chip pancakes. Because she loves him. As a friend. Just as a friend. Right?
Graphic: Death, Grief Moderate: Abandonment, Terminal Illness, Death of a Parent Minor: Sexual Content
My Review
Hilarious as always. Relatable quirky MC, but this time I honestly saw myself in the character of Laila in so many ways 😂 Best friends who are remarkably close, and a potential move separating them was an interesting conflict. Their relationship was super open – especially for a friend relationship between a guy and girl – but it was actually nice to see a somewhat healthy friendship/relationship for a change! I loved the tv and movie references thrown out in the NY setting. It was like being in on the joke. Several moments of laughing so hard I almost fell onto the floor, so you know it was a good one for me.
Would I Recommend This Book?
Yes! Bethany Turner books are always fun to read, and this was witty, heartfelt and a great time.
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If you are thinking what kind of books would have similar feel, themes or content, here is a list that you can consider:
Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other (Bethany Turner)
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