Once Is Never Enough (MB Romance HB) (Harlequin Kiss, #22)

by Mira Lyn Kelly

[Angie]

I did like Once is Never Enough. The story is sweet and steamy, although I did get frustrated at the ending. Nichole has had trouble in love. She's been engaged twice, but never walked down the aisle. It's been awhile she's been on a date, because she just doesn't know how to do casual relationships. Then she meets Blue Eyes, and there's just something about him. She takes him back to her place and things are really heating up. But then she learns his name, and OMG, he's her best friend's brother! Garrett has a reputation for being a player, and he has a strict rule to not date any of sisters' friends. But there's something about Nichole. Instead of denying their connection, Garrett agrees to help Nichole casually date. It goes well until...well, emotions on both of their ends get involved.

I'll start with where my problem with Once is Never Enough laid. The writing. I'm not normally one to comment on the writing style, unless there's something about it that really, really stands out. Well, this one was awkward as heck to read. I'm not sure what it was, but some sentences just made zero sense. I had to reread several parts per chapter to try and decipher what was meant. The phrasing was just weird, and sometimes sentences that should have been one were split into two or three. Or adjectives randomly used as nouns, when there was definitely a better noun to use, or another way to arrange the sentence. It just drove me nuts, and made what should have been a very breezy read into a mess.

With that said, I did like the story and romance of Once is Never Enough. I love fake relationships, and this was a kind of spin on that. It's a temporary relationship that turns into a permanent one. Nichole can't help but to fall fast and hard, but she's hoping she can handle a casual relationship with Garrett. Garrett isn't looking to settle down, ever, but he wants to have something fun and real, since he's spent his whole life taking care of his sisters while stealing a lay here and there. I found their whole relationship realistic, as well as their fight, which is something I usually hate in romances. I could definitely see where both of them were coming from.

Now, onto a slightly ranty note. Why is it that the person who doesn't want matrimony and diapers is the one who always has to change? I know Once is Never Enough is a romance novel and it's suppose to have that kind of happy ending, so I'm not rating down for that (much). But why can't it ever end with just the couple being together? Maybe they get married and have kids off the page, but can't a happily ever after come from just two people finding each other! Can't there be a compromise, or the one with babies on the brain decides that their partner is more important to them? It's just something that annoys me, since I definitely don't want marriage and kids, but do want a solid relationship.

Anyway. I enjoyed Once is Never Enough, except for the horribly awkward writing.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.