LOVED!! Chase and Liv were a combination of funny and off the charts hot.

After being set up on a blind date, halfway through dinner Chase immediately declares that "I can tell already that this isn't going to work." Yes he's attracted to Olivia because she's beautiful, but she's high maintenance and he's the complete opposite. He's dressed in less than half an hour. He's also been hurt by his daughter's mother and refuses to go down that road again. She broke up with him, knowing that she was pregnant and didn't tell him. He was in love with her but she wanted him to change his life for her, knowing that he wouldn't; even after he said he would. Liv reminded him of her way too much, which was the real reason why he ended things with her before they even got started.

Liv grew up in and out of foster homes her whole life after her mom died when she was a little girl. She's never truly had a real home, always living out of one suitcase always ready to move at any given moment. After her disastrous date with Chase, they unexpectedly become close friends several weeks later when she texts him after another bad date. Liv is a live-in nanny. When she gets the job of her dreams in Denver doing what she's always wanted to do, working in marketing, she gives her notice but the family has a family member move in right away; leaving her homeless. So she ends up staying on her best friend's couch until she moves in 2 weeks.

Chase just lost his own nanny and he needs someone to watch his daughter, Katie, while he works. Chase is desperate, he offers her a place to stay and a salary as well. But neither of them expect the crazy chemistry between them to finally come to fruition. They take advantage of it knowing that there is a countdown on their time together. Katie lives having Liv take care of her and Chase is realizing that he is in love with her. Knowing that he has a short window to try to change her mind into staying with them, he plans a camping trip for the 3 of them. Camping is his passion, when Katie's grandmother, Emily, his ex's mom, asks Chase if she can have her for the weekend; he can't day no to her. So it's just him and Liv. She ends up loving camping; which makes him so happy and even more determined to convince her stay.

Can Chase do the impossible, convince the one suitcase traveling woman to finally plant roots? Will he finally admits to her that he lives her out loud? This book is a must read!!

The Good, The Bad, and Everything In Between

The Good
The romantic Firsts worked for me. I liked the small touches that personalized the story, and their friendship felt genuine (story's told in dual POV). I did feel for Chase and the fact that he’s lived his life having to prove himself because of everyone’s lack of faith in him. I think Liv’s unstable childhood lead to very understandable mistrust in relationships, and the story eventually brings them to growing and accepting things about themselves and each other.

The Bad
You know that old saying “You never get a second chance to make a first impression?” Well, to me, the first line, that first chapter in a book is almost as important to me as the romantic Firsts (meet, kiss, love scene). The beginning of any tale has to grab my attention, or it'll spend the rest of the story trying to play catch up, know what I’m saying?

The first chapter is centered around a conversation with Chase’s friends while they’re fishing. I'm not an outdoorsy kind of gal, several of the “jokes” didn’t land, I wasn’t into the fishing details and it’s like the proverbial record scratch sound in your head. It eventually hit its stride, but the first half of the book took awhile for me to get into.

Is there sex? Yes, and plenty of it, so if that’s your jam, you will be happy. My issue was sometimes the sex felt superfluous, like you could take out a couple of them and it wouldn’t make a difference and that’s not my thing. I’d much rather have an emotional scene that propels the story forward.

The Bottom Line
I guess it comes down to this - it was by no means horrible, but it wasn’t earth shattering either. It’s cute and sometimes, that’s just what you’re in the mood for. If you’re a fan of Serena Bell or nanny romances, you may enjoy this more than I did.

Really cute read. I've been in a bit of a reading slump recently, but this book broke the streak! The characters were engaging, the daughter was adorable, the storyline was believable and the resolution was just right.

Good friends to lovers story. Interesting how Chase reacted to Olivia on their blind date and that set the tone for their just friends relationship over the years.

Quick fun read. Liv doesn't do staying in one place. She is fun and girly and the total opposite of Chase. Chase is a manly man and he likes the outdoors. The one thing is they are best friends. Enter Katie, Chase's daughter. She is girly and believes in princes, princess and fairy tales. She is 4 years old. She has all the little things down pat. Daddy wants to do all he can for her but not good enough. Liv is going to help before she leaves. They are all so cute together. Chase and Liv are hot hot hot together. You will love the ending.

I received an ARC of this book to read from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Head over Heels by Serena Bell is a stand-alone novel. This is a fun romp of a friends to lovers trope that will have you laughing out loud, fanning yourself from the steam and a few sobs as your heartstrings get tugged. Olivia Stratten (Liv) doesn’t like to stay in one place too long. She’s about to leave Seattle and move on to Denver and a new job so when her good friend Chase Crayton needs help until he finds a new nanny for his 5 year old daughter Kate she is happy to move in and help out because they are just friends and totally incompatible romantically or perhaps not so incompatible. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and think it perfect for summer reading. Publishing Date June 5, 2018. #NetGalley #HeadOverHeels

Love this book! Great characters that grow through their relationship & circumstances and fall in love.

This is the second book in this series, but can easily be read as a standalone since some of the characters from Do Over are only mentioned infrequently and it doesn't affect the storyline. I loved Do Over and I must say that Head Over Heels did not disappoint. Head Over Heels was writtten in dual POV as was Do Over which I enjoy--love getting into the mind of both characters! And if you like opposites attract, you will love this one! Chase and Liv couldn't be more polar opposites, but it certainly made for one interesting, steamy, sweet and sexy read! Add in a precious 5-year-old by the name of Katie and you've got a very enjoyable rom-com. I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC for NetGalley.

Well this was my first ugly cry in a long time, and that's a GOOD thing. It's been awhile since a book has affected me so much. To be clear, for the most part, this is a light-hearted, fun, funny, entertaining romance with an adorable hero and strong heroine. However, they both have some baggage they have to address before they can get their HEA, and on the road to figuring it out, I may have sobbed a bit. It's really not an angsty story, and my pregnancy could've been a factor, so don't let this deter you.

Chase, our hero, has gotten his life together to raise his daughter after being kind of a wild card with a bad case of ADHD. Liv, our heroine, grew up in foster care and never felt like she could settle in one place in case she had to leave. They've been platonic friends for a long time, although I do always question how you can be such good friends with a hot guy and never want to cross that line until it's too late...

Anyhow, once Liv temporarily moves in with Chase to care for his daughter (who appears in the book a perfect amount, by the way), sparks start to fly.

I like how they are up front about how they're feeling and what they want (as far as they can be) and there's no silly misunderstandings or missed connections.

This was a lovely story that I would recommend to any fan of contemporary romance.

Fingers crossed for Eve & Brooks to have a story next...

Serena has a hot, sexy and complicated set of characters that keep you wanting more. The sizzling chemistry between Liv and Chase is off the charts.

When I started reading, I'll admit I wasn't in love with the story, and I felt as if it started off a bit slow. However, once I started i couldn't stop reading. This story reminded me of simple feelings and just brought on this sensation of familarity, something of first love. I love the characters and I love the spice towards the end. This is a story that ends with the story wrapped up in a bow, and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes lovey-dovey fiction with a little adult spice!

Men and women can't be friends without wanting more, correct? The novel, Head Over Heels, explores this as friends, Chase and Liv, take their friendship to a whole new level when single dad, Chase, needs a nanny to take care of his daughter. The novel, told from both Chase and Liv's alternating points of view, is not one to be missed as both characters overcome their past demons to find love and their home.

So I was kind of skeptical about how the author was going to make this work during the first half of the book, but I'm glad I finished it. It turned out to be a really heartwarming and sensual read. It also comes full circle and makes perfect sense as to why these two best friends never got together sooner. I loved how different these characters were, but how well they fit together. Their tradition after bad dates was so cute and so was Katie. The camping trip was the best part of the book and so hot! The set up for the next book was perfect, and I'm looking forward to it!

Head Over Heels by Serena Bell follows Liv and Chase, just-friends after a blind date. Chase is inbetween Nanny's for his five year old daughter, Katie, so he asked best friend Liv to fill in before she leaves for Denver. Well, of course one thing leads to another and soon they can not keep their hands off each other! With only two weeks until she moves.. does this new "friends-with-benefits" mean that Liv will stay?

What I liked in this novel was that Liv and Chase were complete opposites. They even stated this right from the beginning - that they were "too different" and that nothing would work between them. However, once they cross that line, they can't stop. They don't agree on everything, but when it comes to the important things, they both knew when the other is right.

Depsite that the book was well written, I felt it.. lacking. I didn't feel any sort of connection to the characters. They were just sort of plain. The dual POV of this novel helped to give an insight into what each other was thinking, however it felt repetitive. Both kept thinking about their past issues as reasons for their present issues and neither could seem to move on.

One last thing that bothered me about this one was that they went from friends in one chapter to being all over each other the next. Like, there was hardly any flirting or angst between the two. I actually had to flip back a page to make sure I didn't miss anything in the previous page. At first I thought I was reading a dream sequence as opposed to real life! It felt really forced.

This is my first Serena Bell story and I loved it! The writing is fantastic. I laughed, I smiled, I cried, my heart is full. It’s full of wit and humor and love and hope.

Chase and Liv are just perfect together. What starts out as a blind date turns into an amazing friendship. Both are torn up from their pasts and commitment is a no. Knowing they would never work as a couple, but having so much fun together, they quickly become best friends. But what happens when Liv takes a new job in another state? This story takes you on a beautiful journey of finding yourself, allowing yourself to be loved, and staying. It’s heartfelt, leaves a smile on your face, and a warm heart.

A friends to lovers romance, one of my favorites as that describes me and my husband of 39 years.

Chase and Olivia (Liv) decided on their first date, three years ago, that they would be a disaster together, so they became best friends instead. She reminded him too much of his first love, Thea, mother of his daughter, Katie, who made him feel like a failure and he seemed like her ex, Zeke, the man she loved, who was always going to be there for her, until she walked in on him and his business associate.

Meanwhile, Thea died and Katie now lives with Chase, who is having trouble finding a good nanny for his 5 year old daughter. Olivia can relate to Katie, as she also lost her mother at a young age and was moved from one foster home to another while growing up. Because of that she has a hard time staying in any place too long, so just accepted a job in Denver, far away from Seattle. She agrees to move in with them for 2 weeks to be Katie's nanny and find a replacement. A lot can happen in 2 weeks.

I received a free advanced copy of this book from the publisher, from netgalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review. The book flows, so is hard to put down. The characters are delightful, people with real problems and issues, but people who you would like to be friends with.

4.5 Stars - I'm not going to lie, I started this book and thought... "oh boy...they're fishing..." and was concerned that this book was going to be too "country" (or something?) for me. I was SO WRONG. This book exceeded my expectations in a huge way. I absolutely loved Chase and Liv's chemistry, they are so opposite and their desire to remain friends puts complications into their relationship without it being angsty. I also loved the single dad aspect, the scenes with Katie in them were super cute, funny, and added a really heartwarming element to the story. I loved the nature-y bits of the story as well. I also thought that this story had really good pacing. Though it is not a super slow burn romance novel, I didn't find myself being like... "so what's next...?" I also really loved that the characters aren't idiotic or overly annoying. Their reasons for their hang ups and miscommunications make a lot of sense to me. I didn't find myself rolling my eyes as I fairly often do with romance novels. I highly recommend! Head's up, this book is verrrrry steamy. You've been warned.

Friends to lovers romance with (heads up) a LOT of steamy scenes. Liv, Chase, and Katie are all wonderful characters. Liv and Chase may have thought they would not make a good couple because they're very different but ......Chase's daughter Katie, only 5, has had sadness in her young life but putting Liv into the equation is good for her, as it is for the adults. I think some of the sex could have been edited out to ramp up the emotional connection but to each their own. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fast, entertaining read.

Ah, friends to lovers.

Head Over Heels was predictable in the best way. I mean, right from the get-go you know these two characters are going to wind up together and you're just along for the zig-zag ride they take to get there. It was charming, funny, and slightly dramatic, with quite a lot of *adult time* thrown in.

The book opens with Chase out on a boat with his friends. I wasn't feeling the scene. I kind of dislike/hate when books like this have manly bonding scenes with super lame jokes and unrealistic conversation. It felt forced, and although it showed Chase's ruggedness and love of the outdoors, I think the lead-in to the story could have been better.

Onto the characters...Liv and Chase were both very likable and even more likable together. Their relationship was fun and natural, and I think Serena Bell did a wonderful job in creating that chemistry. However, once their attraction took off, they were running upstairs ALL. THE. TIME. So not only did the sex scenes multiply, but the flow of several was interrupted by them pausing to run up the stairs together. I don't know, it's not even a thing, but it was a little annoying how often it happened. Like the author was SUPER-AWARE that there was a child in the house and wanted to make sure the reader knew that everything was on the up-and-up and happening behind closed doors.

While Liv was staying with Chase to temporarily nanny, it felt like they were in a time warp and two weeks (one week? I can't remember exactly) turned into so much longer. Maybe it was because of all the activities that were crammed into that small amount of time, or maybe it was all the sex (which there really could have been less of in exchange for more snarky banter tbh), but it really started to drag. But I suppose that gave Chase and Liv plenty of time to realize their feelings for one another.

The "drama" and conclusion of the book were, as I said earlier, predictable. But that's not a bad thing. It was just what I was looking for: an easy, satisfying read with likable characters and a happy ending.

Overall, I give Head Over Heels a 3.5/5 rating with detractions for the opening, flow, and its general "ok-ness."

*I was given a free ARC by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

If you are a sucker for the friends to lovers trope like I am, then boy do I have the next book you should read in Head Over Heels.

I accidentally inhaled this book, no joking. I was halfway through it before I realised it. There was just something about this authors writing that sucked me in and had me fully engrossed in the story and characters.

Like I said I’m a sucker for this trope and reading how Chase and Liv cross that line from friends to lovers was the perfect treat for a weekend read. I adored reading Chase and Liv burn up the pages as they give into the passion that flares and will not be denied after an inadvertent touch ignites it.

Add in the most undeniably cute little girl in Chase’s daughter and you have a fantastic combination of characters and storyline that will keep you glued to the pages from start to finish.

Be warned, you will never think of camping in the same way again ;)

This was the first time I read Serena Bell and after this I can guarantee it won’t be the last.