Right Girl, Wrong Side started promisingly when Ryan and Evita’s feuding families are forced together in a holiday villa for a week. The plot drew me in. It did however, become drawn out and unconvincing how rude each set of parents were to each other. The majority of the story was set in a short time period but then the ending suddenly felt quite dragged out to the point that Ryan is asking Evita to marry him when they haven’t even said ‘I love you’ yet. From an English reader’s perspective, I found the narrator’s voice robotic and annoying.

I was slow to warm up to this one. The premise was cute and amusing, but I found the writing in the first 20% or so lackluster. Then the characters really started to shine and made up for it. In the end, I loved it.

I really enjoyed how the romance itself almost took a backseat to the family drama. It's clear that the whole impetus for reconciling the Hatfields and Machados is to make it possible for Evita and Ryan to be together. They crushed on each other in highschool, drifted apart because of their families' long-standing feud, and then instantly fell for one another when the two families showed up for the same beach-house getaway due to a charity auction mixup. Even so, there were very few scenes of them being romantic, and the story mainly focused on the two of them as mediators in the family drama and scheming together over how to get everyone together.

All of the characters were so amusing and endearing and just felt real. There was such a contrast between the uptight, secretly unhappy Hatfields and the gregarious and loving extended family of the Machados. This created endless opportunity for humor and conflict.

I listened to the audiobook and thought it was great. I did end up speeding it up quite a bit, but the Spanish accents felt natural and believable and the characters' voices were all easily distinguishable and pleasant. The kids' voices were incredibly unnatural sounding which I found jarring, but it did add some humor. The narrator really brought the story to life and I think I enjoyed it a lot more than I would have otherwise.

Ryan and Evita were so sweet together, falling easily into their familiar highschool lab partners bond and enjoying one another's company from the beginning despite their families' antics. They were incredibly believable as the sort of couple who lasts. They were easily the most mature members of their families, and both had to have serious talks with their parents about respecting their boundaries and choices as adults. They also both were very good with the children.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing an early copy of the audiobook for review.

4 *stars*

Okay, for a change this was really enjoyable.

I really enjoyed the short time period within which the plot happened. Not being overly descriptive made it a lot more easy to actually get into the story. The fact that this wasn't like a second chance romance was something different and intriguing. Main characters were lab partners in school so they have some history together, but both of their parents didn't allow to get them together in any way (stupid reason in my opinion).

I liked the family dynamics and how they actually resolved the long time grudge and the situation they got in. This story would be perfect in summer, somewhere at the beach and enjoying sunshine with some cocktails. Really goood.

Thank You for the experience!

A fun and flirty story of a generational feud between two women and their families. What will happen when their children cannot abide the rules of the fight and they take the opportunity to rekindle their friendship and discover the past feelings of each other?
This is a clean, rom com with many opportunities for things to go wrong…or possibly right. At times the story seemed a little too far fetched, and the reason for the decades long feud could have had stronger reasoning. Being that the story isn’t meant to reflect real life but to entertain, it definitely meets that purpose. It was satisfying to follow the reconnection of the two main characters as they tried to balance the family chaos happening all around them.
The narrator did a good job of keeping the flow of the story by using a good pace and engaging voices and inflection.

The vacation that Evita’s family won is about to take a turn when they find out that they aren’t alone, and the other houseguests include her mother’s long-time nemesis and her family. If that isn’t awkward enough the guests also include the man she had feelings for as a teenagers until their mothers ensured that a relationship with each other wasn’t in the future.

Ryan has never forgotten Evita and the relationship that never really began however close proximity causes the dormant feelings they have for each other to resurface. They are no longer the teenagers they used to be but adults who aren’t so easily swayed by the opinions of others but forging a truce between the families is easier said than done.

The rivalry between the two families certainly added some humor as Ryan and Evita realized that what they shared was worth fighting for.

While I enjoyed this Romeo and Juliet - adjacent retelling (no one dies!), I think I would have enjoyed it more if I read the book instead of listening to the audio. A big plot point was Ryan, the MMC, deciding whether to stay at his small no-name college or switch to working at Wellesley, well-known in the Mass area. The narrator pronounced it “wuh-Leslie” every time (instead of wells-lee), and it really took me out of the story! Had the college been mentioned once or twice I would have chuckled to myself and moved on, but it was near-constant.

The story itself was cute–a forced-proximity forbidden romance, when the two rival moms both are told they’ve won the same vacation house for a week. The antics between the two families were a lot of fun to read.

I didn’t find myself particularly connected to Ryan and Evita’s romance. They didn’t seem to spend much time connecting on their own, which made it hard for the romance to develop.

My other pet peeve was that Ryan apparently proposed before Evita every said “I love you”. I’m not sure if I just mis-heard that on audio, but that was confusing to me!

Right Girl, Wrong Side is the 2023 offering from busy author Ginny Baird. This delightful romcom brings in shades of tales about feuding families from the Montagues and Capulets to the Hatfields and McCoys. Lissette Machado and Daneen Hatfield have been enemies since high school when they both ran for class President and Lissette won. From that point on the rivalry had been bitter at times and spilled over on to their offspring when Evita Machado and Ryan Hatfield were in school together and the feuding mothers did all in their power to keep them apart.

As a result of a fundraising silent auction, Lissette Machado is thrilled to be taking her extended family on a weeklong vacation to Nantucket and a large beachfront home that will accommodate all ten of them. Daneen Hatfield is equally thrilled to be taking her family of four to a large beachfront home on Nantucket also won in the silent auction. The problem is, it is the same house! And here is where the comedy begins.

This is such a well written tale! It is written with so much laugh out loud humor but yet with the heart needed to capture each of the strong willed women and their equally strong offspring. I very much enjoyed this book as I have with every book I have read by Ms. Baird, and I do recommend it!

A modern day Romeo and Juliet. Evita and Ryan met in high school and like Rachel other but their mom’s have been rivals since their high school days, therefore Ryan and Evita cannot date. Flash forward several years and their families end up having to share a rental house because the moms were both told they won the vacation rental in a charity silent auction.

The narrators did a fantastic job bringing the story to life and ratcheting up the drama when it was necessary.

This cute ode to Hatfield and McCoy stories was a fun and easy read. The two families were full of interesting characters, and solid sibling relationships. I liked that the author delved into the reason behind the war and took a lighter look into generational trauma.

However, the set-up took WAY too long and the epilogue was excessive. The story in the middle was very good, but it could have used some trimming to increase the impact.

Over all a decent read that I'm not mad about, but probably won't remember much a year from now.

The audio narrator does a great job, but there needed to be audio indicators when the story swaps back and forth between the current day and the high school flashbacks (of which there are too many).

I listened to the audio version of Right Girl, Wrong Side. Evita Machado's family thinks she will be getting engaged soon. But, this successful small-business owner was actually dumped by her cheating boyfriend months ago. Now all she is looking forward to is their family vacation in Nantucket, won by her mother at a charity event. The family arrives and finds that someone is already at their vacation house. It is her mother's nemesis, Nadine Hatfield and her family. There has been some confusion over who actually won the vacation, and the two quarrelsome families, yes, Hatfields versus Machados, agree to the share the home. Nadine's son is a former crush/friend of Evita's and sparks ignite despite all of the irritating (and I mean irritating) arguments between the mothers and families.

The story has some sweet moments. But, unfortunately, the characters are so unenjoyable, it is hard to focus and enjoy the good.
2.5 stars
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my honest feedback.

This was a fun second chance lovers and modern day take on Romeo & Juliet where we follow two high school friends reunited amongst their feuding families.

The families provide for an entertaining supporting cast and produce several laugh out loud moments to keep you engaged!

This multicultural romance is certainly nothing unique, but serves for a lighthearted, sweet and enjoyable read!

Bonus points for a super cute cover!

3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars

A charming Romeo & Juliet, Forced Proximity romance. A super cute idea and great execution. The families are absolutely charming, even when being complete pains, and it makes the payoff that much better. The easy chemistry between Evita and Ryan makes this an easy read and quite fun. They are barely holding it together with their families (mainly their parents) acting like petulant children, and it is lovely to see their determination and charm. Would definitely be a perfect vacation read.

Guys i absolutely adored this book, especially the characters. They all had a such distinct and lively personality which I loved. The forbidden romance was stunning I always love a good family feud and this one had all of the key elements. I loved Ryan and Evita so much and how they grew as characters. There was so much angst and antics but also swoon-worthy and wholesome moments.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher of this book for allowing me to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed listening to this book. The narrator was amazing, and the author was too. The author kept me interested with the mystery of the rival and what was going to take place next. The sweet romance between both rival families helped.

The couple in this book is cute but everything was a little YA. I didn't really enjoy this one if I'm being honest but that could be just me. I felt like the plotline got old and nothing much really happened. It did, however, get me in the mood to go summer in Nantucket.

Right Girl, Wrong Side by Ginny Baird is a forbidden love romance between Evita and Ryan. The problem is their mothers have animosity from them both running for high school president. Fast forward to the present day, Both mothers believe they won a week's vacation for a charity event. However, there was an error, and both families were told they had won. Now they are sharing the vacation house, splitting it down the middle. Over a week, the families have a mix of many emotions. Some of the family members are very memorable. I wanted more of Evita and Ryan. Their story felt like a side story instead of the main one. I did enjoy the multicultural family element.

Thank you, Dreamscape Media and Sourcebooks Casablanca, for my gifted copies.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity.*

In a modern day Hatfields and McCoys, the Hatfields and Machados hate each other. Well... the matriarchs hate each other. Anger over a high school drama has led to a decades long feud between the two families-- with Ryan and Evita in the center of it all. Friends (and mutual crushes) from high school, the two young adults find themselves playing peace keepers when a mistake by a charity auction means both families are stuck at a vacation home in Nantucket. Between stopping fights and trying to resolve the feud, the spark is reignited between Ryan and Evita.

RIGHT GIRL, WRONG SIDE is a plethora of romance tropes-- second chance romance, forbidden love, forced proximity, and childhood sweetheart. The characters are fun and lively, and Baird did a great job of distinguishing the families but making them both likable. A lot was tackled in this book, especially through the character growth of Mrs. Hatfield, and this book did a great job of showcasing different types of families.

However, I did have a couple of issues with the book. First off, the romance felt flat to me-- I'm not sure if it was just me, but I wasn't able to really discern a spark between Ryan and Evita. They were both nice people, who deserved to be together, but there wasn't much passion there.

There were also a couple of things in the book that threw me off-- the author decided to go on a tangent about the whaling industry in Nantucket, which was oddly placed during the first coffee date, and went into great detail describing Twister and the Macarana as if those were both antiques that no one would understand. This might be me showing my age, but I'm pretty sure both of those are still staples at slumber parties and weddings. The author also seems to be hung up on higher education-- the men's degrees are mentioned and compared so often it becomes weird.

Additionally, the flow felt off (this might be because I listened to the audiobook). But, from what I could tell, there was lots and lots of back and forth dialogue-- which can really bog down a scene if not done sparingly (in my opinion).

And finally, why was there not a male audiobook narrator? Half of the book was from Ryan's point of view, and while Karla Serrato did a good job (even though her voice for the kids was a little... off) this book could have been SO much better with a male's voice too.

All in all, RIGHT GIRL, WRONG SIDE is a good read if you don't mind adults being frustratingly obtuse and enjoy big casts of characters. It would be a solid casual beach read.

I found this to be sweet wholesome read that only included some light kissing.
It’s basically a modern day retelling of Romeo & Juliet.
I found both mothers behaviour a bit ridiculous at times but then I guess people can be like that.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this audiobook.

GENERAL INFO

Year Pub: 3/28/23

Book's cover: beautiful ocean blue with Evita and Ryan being pulled in different directions by their families.

Format: audiobook

Narrator: Karla Serrato, loved the Spanish and children's accents

Run time: 9hrs 42 min.

Source: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions are my own.

Setting: Lexington and Nantucket, MA

Genre: contemporary romance w/ family drama

Tropes: feuding families, multicultural interests

Standalone/Cliffhanger/Part of a Series: standalone

HEA/HFN ending: HEA

Epilogue Included: yes, 5 years later update on everyone.

Character(s)POV Spoken: H/h Ryan and Evita

BOOK DESCRIPTION

M/F-M/M-M/M/F-etc: M/F

Contains Cheating: yes, Evita is cheated on by ex-boyfriend.

Contains Children: yes, love all the babies, I want to kiss them all.

Flashbacks: yes, Evita and Ryan in high school chemistry, skipping class, and being mischievous

Jealy/Possy/OTT H/h : none, but they miss each other everyday having to spending time w/ their families-no intermingling. They have to sneak alone time.

Amount of Sex In The Book: none for H/h but a few funny innuendoes

Overall Smex Rating: 0

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION

Hero: Ryan Hatfield

Hero Description: Evita's former high school crush. He is a history professor at a community college. His family won a beach front rental from a silent charity auction. He dreams of a simple farmhouse life w/ his own family.

Hero Likability Rating: 5

Heroine: Evita Machado

Heroine Description: Owns flower shop "Coming Up Roses." She wants to grow a community garden in her grandparent's disadvantaged neighborhood. She is taking a post break-up family vacation her mother won to a beach house in Nantucket.

Heroine Likability Rating: 5

Secondary characters:
Josie-Evita's BFF and shop manager, getting married soon.

The Machados
Lissette-Evita's mother, a real estate agent
Pablo-Evita's father
Chachi-Evita's older brother, a school counselor & wife Kendra a child psychologist w/ 2 kids Enriquito and Nanny
Robby-Evita's younger brother -a screenwriter, wife Eunice- a film editor and newborn Luisa

The Hatfields
Daneen-Ryan's mother, also a real estate agent and Lissette's nemesis since high school
Kirk-Ryan's father, tax accountant
Maddy-Ryan's teenage sister-plays cello training for Julliard

H /h RELATIONSHIP INFO

OW/OM/Exes: Sebastian and Evita had a long-distance relationship. He met someone on spring break and broke up w/ her via text. Layla Petroski was a girl in high school w/ Ryan and Evita. He went on the prom w/ her and they dated for a while after.

Cheating Before/During/Outside H/h Relationship: no

CONTENT WARNINGS/TRIGGERS: some highly judgmental and controlling parents.

AUTHOR OVERVIEW: Ginny Baird

New or read before & any favorites: new author for me

PERSONAL OVERVIEW

Overall Rating: 4

Do You Recommend This Book: yes

Will You Re-read This Book: yes

Would You Read More Books by this Author: yes

COMMENTS/NOTES: Definitely a feel-good, slow burn romance dealing with the family dynamic. It had some of the best family gatherings w/ food and fun. I wanted to be an honorary Machado. Evita and Ryan liked each other in school, but their mothers' silly grudge kept them away from each other. Some of the family members deal with their own issues, but with love and understanding everything works out fine.

Right Girl, Wrong Side by Ginny Baird

A mistake is made at a charity event which ends up with the Hatfields and Machados staying in the same vacation destination cottage the exact same week. They decide to split the house down the middle and have alternate dinner times to help keep the two families separated. Evita and Ryan are independent adults now and were friends in high school. Now the attraction between them is reignited. Getting the rest of each family to spend time together rather than alongside each other will be a monumental task.

Most of the animosity is between the matriarchs of the families and the rest follow their lead. Which I thought made the book drag on a bit because of this. The drama between the two women was sort of over the top.

I thought some aspects of the book bored me to tears too much on the family drama between the two I know this is a play of the Hatfields and McCoys. It just did not work for me. I wanted more of the romance between Evita and Ryan then the other stuff in the book. I still feel like it is worth the read just not for me. if you like family drama in your romance this book will be for you.

Narrated by Karla Serrato did a good job with the characters and giving them their own voice. It was a three star read for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for a free copy of Right Girl, Wrong Side for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.