Couldn't Ask For More was my first time reading Kianna Alexander and I'm curious enough to try more from her in the future. I think my library has one or two, which is always a bonus.


I will say, while I liked this one, I didn't love it. At times I was a bit . . . well, bored. I would zone out and have to go back and reread to make sure I wasn't missing anything -- and frankly, I wasn't.


I think the problem was a few too many subplots that should have carried more weight and actually ended somewhere. Like the car salesman brother trying to weasel his way into the fabrics company; it ended up just going away yet it was framed [by the hero] as if it was some terrible thing that would ruin the company as soon as he set foot on their grounds. And getting the heroine's sister out of her abusive relationship? Was also super underdeveloped, both in terms of a subplot that seemed important but then disappeared quickly after but also because that is a very sensitive subject and I felt like the way it was handled here left a lot to be desired. It's really not that easy to just up and leave, even with family help, and you're telling me he's not going to try coming after them or causing problems?! I wish it were that easy IRL!

The heroine's fashion line kinda rubbed me the wrong way. Let me try to explain why. She went through the trouble of saying she previous designed for Torrid, a notorious plus-size fashion brand (IRL and in this book, obviously)., and how she wanted to start her own company that took higher fashion looks and made them accessible to the "average" American woman, who is not a size 0 like the models. Which is great! But then everything she did was for skinny, probably size zero, models and customers anyway?! From the real-life celebrities she sent samples to -- all skinny women, to my knowledge -- to the models she used for fitting and then for the runway show. IDK, it wasn't blatantly fatphobic or anything, but it pissed me off that she started off praising herself for trying to make clothes for the average size 14 woman and instead just continued on with mainstream fashion catering to the much smaller woman.

The romance was fine. Fake dating your brother's best friend? Always a great trope. It was okay here, again not my favorite example of it in romance but not the worst I've read either.

Overall this book was just "fine", but had potential in the writing style, so I haven't counted Kianna out of my future TBR list yet.

I’m so sad. When I was approached to review this book I was SO excited, a romance with a mainly black cast, fake engagement, both ambitious and career oriented hero and heroine, it all sounds right up my alley. And for the most part this book did get the job done, it was a quick read with a cutesy romance but a few things in it unfortunately did not work for me so I ended up not enjoying it as much as I hoped.

My first issue with the book was the writing, it was not the kind I enjoy. To me, it read awkward a lot of the time, it needed it to be more polished and some sentences were redundant, for example, here’s a quote directly from the book, that uses two successive sentences to mean the exact same thing:

“Maxwell, on the other hand, didn’t look very happy. “Bryan, I know you better quit looking at my baby sister like that.” Maxwell appeared less than pleased.

Moreover, when reading smutty scenes…I do not like them to be overly flowery because that usually ends up sounding quite ridiculous, sex doesn’t need to sound poetic, and that unfortunately was the case here and sentences like “Surrendering to the glory of the lovemaking, she cried out as orgasm flung her soul skyward” and “His body stirred, and the temptation to awaken her rose along with that part of his anatomy. She’s given him access to her private paradise, and he was hooked” just made me cringe. The whole book isn’t definitely like this but there was a lot more of this than I would like.

Like I said Couldn’t Ask for More has some tropes I enjoy immensely, especially the fake engagement, I just live for when fake relationships turn real. What made me enjoy it even more in this book’s case is that they never hid their attraction to each other, they were always straightforward with each other sharing whatever they and whatever they feel with each other which means that the conflict was never based on miscommunication, which is something that infuriates me and is often associated with this trope. So I was actually happy and relieved when it wasn’t the case here. They talk to each other, open up to each other and their chemistry was just there. Eventhough I would’ve liked it to be a bit more showing not telling but it didn’t bothered me much.

Our heroine is Alexis, a very driven fashion designer who’s honest, confident and just gives off girl boss vibes. She knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. I loved how eventhough she was a very career driven woman, she was also family oriented, she’s very close with her parents and siblings. Then we have the hero, Bryan, who works at his family textile company and is very passionate about his work as well as helping the troubled teens of his community, which is something I really liked about him, he’s sweet and charming and would do anything to make Alexis happy.

The fact that they communicate with each other and don’t really have any issues with each other must mean that the book is low on angst, right? Well, almost. The romance is very easy going, has all the happy feels for 80 or 85% of the book and then everything goes up in flames, there’s a conflict that starts out of nothing just for the sake of drama and that pretty much ruined the book for me. <Spoiler> A picture of Bryan kissing another woman leaks in the media before he gets a chance to talk to Alexis, she confronts him about it and he explains to her that the woman is the one who kissed him. She believes him but then proceeds to be mad about him having a past as a “womanizer” knowing that when they first met HE TOLD HER HE NEVER HAD A SERIOUS RELATIONSHIP, like? Why be mad about that now? <End of Spoiler>

All in all, Couldn’t Ask for More has a lot of strengths that were ultimately overshadowed by its weaknesses for me.

I will not be reviewng this title. The blurb does not mention one of the conflicts is the hero being the brother's best friend, I dislike that trope

Couldn’t Ask For More is a fun contemporary that follows the fake engagement story trope. Alexis, the main character, is a hard-working woman is determined to get her fashion line seen by the world. She’s incredibly talented and cares deeply for her family. Bryan, on the other hand, is also career driven but his family’s company is suffering and he’s grasping at straws to see how he can bring the family business afloat again.

Cue, a fake engagement that works for the Alexis and Bryan. Their instant attraction to each other is mutual and their business partnership will help Alexis to get the quality material for her fashion designs and for Bryan’s family business to get back in the spotlight again. The novel moves pretty fast and since the two main characters hit it off in the beginning, the romance gets pretty heated fast. I found the characters to be likable and I admired how tight-knit their families are especially when difficult situations arise in the book.

There wasn’t too much that stood out about this book when it comes to the romance genre, but what I appreciated the most was that it was #ownvoices. When I read this book I had that homey feeling that I get reading any romance, the story might have been predictable in some parts, but it was just the kind of book I needed after a tiring day of work.

I wish there book was longer and Alexander could have expanded on the character backstories and the plot itself. I think I’ll check out the rest of the series and Alexander’s others works.

If you’re looking for a steamy, yet fun contemporary romance this is the book for you.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was my first book by Kianna Alexander and I enjoyed it. The hero and heroine are both likable, realistic characters with careers not usually encountered in my romances. I enjoyed the glimpse into the inner workings of a clothing manufacturer and a clothing design house, especially as the story takes place in North Carolina, a state with a rich textile history. It's clear the author knows the state, and its capital city of Raleigh well, creating a well-described sense of place.

Both Alexis and Bryan are surrounded by friends, family, and co-workers who are featured prominently in the book and give readers additional insight into these two characters without stealing the limelight from them. I was intrigued by Alexis's close-knit, supportive family and hope to see more of both Maxwell (her over-protective older brother) and her sister, Kelsey (an abusive relationship survivor) in future books. One of the things I admired about Bryan was his involvement in the community and especially his dedication to mentoring youth. My feelings for his family were not of the warm fuzzy variety but I'm happy to say Bryan turned out to be a great guy, in spite of them.

There were a couple issues that knocked my rating down a bit. While I liked the gradual transition from fake couple to friends to love, I wanted more emotional depth in their relationship. Also, there's a misunderstanding near the end that Alexis responds to in a manner that I found inconsistent with her behavior throughout the rest of the story and a speedy resolution that had my head spinning. But, in spite of those issues, I still enjoyed the story and am invested enough in the remaining characters to return to Raleigh and the other Southern Gentlemen for the rest of the series.

A fashion designer and a textile industry exec suddenly find themselves in need of an engagement while trying to land big deals for their careers and juggling all the complexities of family and that natty little problem called real love. This was a soft hitter and a gently-paced story where engaging characters, detailed settings, family, and slow-burn love were a nice bit of southern delight.
Review

Couldn’t Ask for More turned out to be book two in the Southern Gentlemen series about a group of guys who all matriculated at the same university fraternity and kept up their friendships and community work together. Because of this set up of a series of loosely connected standalones in a series, I was able to jump right in no sweat.

Alexis is finally seeing her dream of her clothing designs go into production and be worn by hard working women who want taste and elegance, but function, too. Only, there was a boo boo said in front of an influential person and now she needs a fiance’ stat. Meanwhile, Bryan’s dad has put him on notice that he needs to land another big account in a few weeks or his smarmy car salesman cousin will have his marketing and sales job. He needs a fashion designer with a clothing design ready to go to mill and she needs a fiance’ what could possibly go wrong? Or maybe a fake engagement is just what this pair needs to make it all go right?

This one was a slow mover up front. I confess that I struggled to stay with it at times as a result. But, that said, there are lovely layers and complexities. I loved that the romance was not told in isolation. There is family, friends, careers, community involvement, and the romance.
Both Lex and Bryan were great characters and had a heart for their work and for others.
A southern city setting and clothing design and manufacturing was a fun choice for background elements.
Family was a big element for both though they came from two different homes. His dad enforced duty, doing one’s best, quality work and success while hers backed up her dreams. Now, family was a bigger part in Lex’s side because there is the side line of her sister in an abusive situation that they all wanted to help with and her overprotective older brother struggling to see her with one of his best friend’s and more so seeing another friend in a relationship and falling in love. I would think Maxwell is getting his story next or soon.

The romance was mixed with all the rest of their life activities, but I enjoyed how it developed from co-conspirators, to friends, and slipped into a true relationship without them noticing right away. It was just a sweet and easy yet sensual thing.
Naturally, there was the token misunderstanding where Alexis got the wrong end of a stick, but it was swept up swiftly. This niggled at me- not because I don’t want a story to be devoid of conflict because then I’m bored- but because I didn’t feel the Alexis of the rest of the book would have refused to let him explain and then it was all blown over within the week with a never mind all that and let’s move on. Since I wanted them back together and being happy, I guess I’ll shrug and let it go.

All in all, I enjoyed my first jaunt with a new to me author and want to go back for the first book with Xavier’s second chance romance story and then hopefully on with Maxwell the no-commitments guy. Those who appreciate a layered slow-build yet heartwarming and sensual contemporary romance should definitely keep this one in mind.

My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

So I loved Bryan James, the hero. He is the best thing about this book. However, I felt like sometimes this book was too slow for me.

Fauxmance turned real romance. Fake fiance turned real life love affair. Playboy turned doting husband. I don't know why yall keep writing these #fakefiance romances and why I keep reading them. As long as there's a happy ending, I guess I am all in. This was a great story line-- budding fashion designer who needs to get her name out on the streets pals up with a clothing manufacturer that needs to land a big account to get his father off his back. The two decide to tell the public they're engaged because (for some reason) it gives her more clout and gets her more attention. Unfortunately, their hearts and bodies don't realize the relationship is fake and some very real feelings come into play.
When Brian's sordid past crashes the party, Alexis has to evaluate her feelings and call off the 'fake turned very real relationship'. If only her heart would listen!
An OK read for me. Great for a relaxing Saturday morning when you just want a good book.

3.5 Stars


A slow-paced romance with rich in setting and story.

This is book two in Alexander’s Southern Gentlemen series and I’m wondering how I missed out on book one.

Let’s start with all the things I loved, besides the super cool, tall, drink of fine named Bryan James. He’s our hero of this story and worth all the drooling over. Outside of a hero to swoon for, Alexander gives readers the fabulous, intelligent and well-dressed Alexis Devers. She’s successful in her own right, but her love life has always taken a backseat to her focus on her fashion designing career.

Outside of fully fleshed characters come rich, thorough descriptions of setting that made sights and sounds come alive. This especially present with the descriptions of Raleigh. I lived there for nine months and miss the area a lot. It’s refreshing to see Raleigh get a little book setting love. Not only do general settings get plenty of airtime, but the fashion pieces, and down to the respect and descriptions given to Alexis and Bryan’s jobs. There was no expense spared, which I enjoyed. I got as involved with the characters passions for their lives as well as the romance blooming between them.

Then came…tasteful, elegant love scenes. These are emotionally charged and descriptive but would be perfect for those who enjoy less graphic language without sacrificing heat.

As for things I wasn’t sure about, pop culture references. There were many of these I wasn’t familiar with and others I had to do some research on. This author is expanding my own pop culture horizons, which as a pop culture junkie I appreciate.

Finally, the villains or the antagonists. There really wasn’t a super front runner in this field, but Alexis’ brother, Maxwell, I wanted to punch in the face from time to time. Maxwell is the oldest sibling and I can relate to his protective nature, but he went a bit overboard and too heavy-handed at times. I kept waiting for someone to put him in his place. Additionally, other antagonists seemed to get away with their actions or were never completely resolved.

As to the conflict, not a lot of things kept Alexis and Bryan apart. This is not a high conflict love story. It’s just a love story. If you like high-stakes/high tension then this book is not for you. If you’re the type of reader who enjoys some fine dining, feel-good, love at first sight with a slow burn you found the right story. This is also not a heavy hooking book, and the beginning played out a little wonky with pacing. But, mid-way through there were some external conflicts/story questions between Bryan and Alexis with secondary characters that kept the pages turning.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I found it not a book I sped through and instead slowed things down for me. Though, I’m hopeful there will be more in the series, as I became invested in the heroine’s sister and brother. I would eagerly devour their HEA’s. Also, Kianna Alexander is going on my list of authors to read more of. I’m interested in diving into her backlist and see what jewels are resting there.

~ Landra

Bryan is best friends friends with Alexis, brother, Maxwell. They are reunited at a STEP show and they both are instantly attracted to each other after their encounter. As you can imagine, Maxwell isn’t thrilled with the thought of his sister, dating his best friend. These tropes are one of my favorite. Especially when the older brother is all sorts of out of pocket and ready to draw blood. But anyway let me get back on track.

Bryan and Alexis strike up an arrangement and real feelings get involved. I really liked this couple. They both are hard working, successful and I loved how Bryan was a mentor. Alexis was no nonsense and worked hard at achieving her goals and I loved her family unit. Bryan was very involved in the community and those are things you don’t see enough of in romances these days. I love how I found myself easily relating to the characters in this story.

This was my first time reading anything by this author and I was pleasantly surprised. The story was well written with engaging and realistic characters. I loved the secondary characters and what they brought to the table. The whole time I was reading I felt like I was apart of the group. The story was cute, romantic and I loved how any drama in the book was dealt with in a believable manner. Nothing was over the top or made my eyes roll. It had a real feel which I loved. The ending did seem to be a little rushed but overall it was a good read.I have looked up Kianna Alexander’s catalog of books and have some major catching up to do!

3.5 stars

Couldn’t Ask for More by Kianna Alexander is a 2017 Sourcebooks Casablanca publication.

Who doesn’t like a nice southern gentleman?

Bryan is in charge of his family’s textile company, but the business has been in a slump. Bryan’s own father begins to doubt him, threatening to bring in Bryan’s charismatic cousin to liven things up.

Alexis has a hit fashion line, but her new slogan is a hard sell. To make the slogan more appealing, her publicist claims the line landed Alexis a fiancé.

With Bryan and Alexis both in need of a little occupational help, they decide to fake an engagement- what could possibly go wrong?

Okay, the fake engagement is hardly a new idea. But, believe it or not, it happens outside of the realm of romance novels. Celebrities in all fields from athletes, to reality stars, to musicians, and actors have all benefited from a cleverly staged romance.

So, I don’t mind when authors use this recurring romance trope. It all has to do with how well the author spins the material to keep it fresh. In this case, I immediately warmed up to Bryan because of his mentor program.

“It was one thing to make a living, but it felt far better to make a difference”
Alexis is a strong female character, confident and proud of her work, but also has a strong family unit in her corner.

“If you do what you love, you never work a day in your life.”

However, I must confess, as cute as this story is, and as much as I liked the characters, there isn’t a great deal of emotional depth here. The conflict comes a little too late and was a bit contradictory to the well -constructed image of the characters, up to that point. As a result, it fell a little flat, which made the redemption parts a little anti-climactic.

That said, I was in the right mood for this type of book. Sure, it’s lightweight stuff, but I found it entertaining enough, and it was a very welcome diversion from life’s stresses, and even gave my mood a much needed lift, which made it worth the time I spent reading it. 3.5 stars

I enjoyed how young and fresh the characters sounded in this story and how interconnected they all are. Long-term relationships are hard whether they’re between friends or families, so it was good to see deep, abiding closeness between the people in this book. While the emphasis is of course on the romance between Alexis and Bryan, and we see both of them through the other person’s eyes and through their own thoughts, all the other relationships in this novel also inform on the protagonists — who they are as people, what is important to them and what they’re willing to sacrifice and for whom. If you’ve not read Alexander before, I recommend starting with this book.

https://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2018/10/02/keira-soleore-contemporary-romance-recs-jackie-lau-kianna-alexander/

While this book had a really good premise, I did find that it tended to drag on a bit. I was at over 20% read before I really saw the connection between the characters. When I read romance, I want that spark right away!! I am not giving up on Kianna and I think she brings a lot to the table! :)

This book was by no means bad but I found it hard to fall in love with any of the characters. Bryan was fine and Alexis was fine but there wasn't anything in particular about either that made me fall in love with them. Yes, Bryan is a hottie and is really kind but his issues with his dad and cousin seemed a little one dimensional. Alexis's character was creative but again lacked that certain sparkle to make her memorable. I think we were supposed to like her more because of the side story involving her sister but that seemed a little random to me and didn't fit in smoothly with the rest of the book. The conflict at the end seemed rushed as did the resolution. So again while I didn't dislike it, it definitely was a slower moving book that never completely drew me in.

This story was ok. I found the writing repetitive for a bit, with bith the hero and the heroine spendibg half of the story lusting after each other, repeating to themselves the same thing over and over, like how they should'nt but wanted each other so much... and then they kind of got together just like that. Fortunately I kind of liked both character. Thompson was a good guy and I liked how straight forward he was, even thougg I found them falling for each other so quickly a bit much. Alicia was pleasant enough, I liked her business side, even though it was much talked abiut but nit enough showed. I would also hzve done without the whole ex from hell subplot, and Alicia buying so quickly into that old trick but the resolution wasn't too bad. There was also a bit too much exposé about tje precious stories in the series for my liking, since I wasn't really interested in them. But, all in all, it's an ok read.

This was my first by this author.
I enjoyed this book, The plot, and the characters. I look forward to more from this author .

I struggled to really get into this story for the first half of the book. The second half was better but still nothing great. The characters and they storyline were ok but I didn't feel any spark and the story just didn't hold me. I haven't read the first book in the series so I don't know if that would have made a difference.

In Couldn't Ask for More, we meet Bryan and Alexis. This two are in the same profession, but in different areas. Alexis is a designer and Bryan is a manufacturer. Bryan is frat brothers with Alexis older brother Max. Alexis is going to debut her collection, but needs a manufacture for her collection. Enter her business partner Sydney. Sydney has come up with this "plan" that she did not include Alexis in until after the fact. What role does Byran have in this plan? He plays a role that may cost him more than he bargain for. In Couldn't Ask for More, was an ok read. Some of the story was believable and other parts were not as believable. Normally I like a good love story, but this story was missing the depth that a true love story has. It was not a bad story, just not the story for me.