This book takes the reader on the journey of a midlife romance that deals with several heavy topics such as death and grief, parenting teens and alcoholism. Overall, I liked the characters and the plot and how it was quite real life in many of the issues. The kids grief seemed to end a little quickly IMO, but I could see how if it was added in too much it would bog down the story. Overall, a good story. *I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

4 Star Review of My Best Friends Ex by Shannyn Schroeder (Daring Divorces #2)

Trevor Booth is a recovering alcoholic who struggles to remain sober daily. Thanks to his drinking he lost everything that was important to him, his wife, children and friends.

Finally getting his life back on track, Trevor is rocked by the sudden death of his ex wife and now needs to step up and become a full time father to his teenage son and daughter. He has no idea how he and the children will cope. That’s when Callie, his ex wife’s best friend steps up to help them.

As they all slowly come to terms with their new normal, attraction between Trevor and Callie grows. Of course this causes complications and tension.

Although I liked Trevor, I had a hard time relating to Callie and just couldn’t warm up to her. I felt she didn’t appear to trust Trevor’s ability to abstain from drinking and whether by intention or not at times seemed to undermine his parenting.

I do congratulate Ms. Schroder with how she handled the issue of alcoholism. It was handled with a great deal of integrity and certainly kept it real, particularly as it is an underlying factor throughout the book.

The writing was strong but this was not my favourite book from this author. However I do look forward to reading the next book in the series.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

Love is tough for the over 40 divorced crowd, throw in two teenagers and a successful business and romance takes a hike. I really enjoyed the way Callie was already in their lives. Trevor has normal issues that many can relate to and has a firm grasp on coping. The kids are a very important part of their relationship and it was addressed with respect and a bit of humor. Their story is part of a series with a group of divorcees that meet as a form of therapy, each book is a different couple. Always a pleasure to read a Shannyn Schroeder book, unique and fun. My copy came through Netgalley, review written voluntarily.

ARC provided by Net Galley and the publisher in exchange of an honest review

4 stars!
This book was super entertaining and I loved reading every minute of it.
The plot starts with Trevor’s ex wife’s death and his kids, who are now his responsibility. His wife’s best friend is also there by his side to help him navigate through this difficult time.
Trevor starts noticing Callie and things ensue..
I liked the dynamic between Trevor and his children and really liked how the story ended altogether.
I would definitely read this again!

This is my first book by this author, but I really enjoyed this story.
This a series (I haven’t read the first one) about a group of divorced men and women who seem to be in their late thirties, early forties. This book is about Trevor and his ex’s best friend Callie.

I liked that these two were in their 40’s finding love for the first or second time. Add two teenagers and a complicated living arrangement and you have this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really thought this was going to be a lighter romantic comedy type story but it’s definitely not. It was very good and has a lot of heart but there is nothing light hearted about it. From the first page it’s got broken characters in hard situations.

My Best Friend's Ex is the second book in Shannyn Schroeder's Daring Divorcees series. It can be read as a complete standalone. This is the first book I have read by Shannyn and it definitely won't be my last. I really liked her writing style!

Trevor's ex-wife, Lisa, passes away unexpectedly, leaving him as the sole caretaker of his two teenage children. Callie is the ex-wife's best friend and has been a constant in the kids' lives. After Lisa passes away, both Trevor and Callie have to settle into their new normal, which includes each other. I really enjoyed watching their relationship bloom and found the book surprisingly low-angst. I appreciated that since both main characters are in their 40s - which in my opinion means they should be more mature than the 20 somethings in other contemporary romance books.

I definitely recommend this one when it comes out June 10th! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a heartfelt story! Imagine what happens when you fall for your late bestfriends husband....and also with her kids! This story revolves around trevor and callie. When callie's best friend dies she steps up to help her husband with the kids. As time passes she becomes more to them than just aunt callie and also the chemistry between callie and trevors sparks. They become inseperable and just as they are on the verge of becoming something more..trevor accuses callie on overstepping her bounderies. And an upset callie flees the country with a job offer to lick her wounds. What happens next is yet for you to find out. Did they get their second chance? Their HEA? Well I am not gonna tell! Find out on 10 th june. I honestly adored this story. I can't reccomend it enough!

This was a decent read, well written and original. I just never felt fully invested in the characters. Something kept me at arms reach. All in all, it was just ok.

Callie is best friends with Lisa who is Trevor’s ex wife. Lisa passes leaving behind two children with a father Trevor that was at best a part time dad. Callie lives behind Lisa's house and has been a major fixture of the kids lives. Trevor is a recovering alcoholic. I wasn't crazy about Trevor he seemed immature to me. While the story was a good one and the characters were well written, it still seemed repetitive at time and felt like for me something was missing. While I may have mixed feelings about this book, I would still recommend it and encourage other's to make up there own minds.
*I was given a copy of this book by the author/publisher in exchange for my honest and voluntary review. Every opinion or thought was solely my own

I love experiencing new authors for the first time and Shannyn Schroeder is no different.

The story of Callie and Trevor is different to what I was expecting. As a more mature couple, there was a calmness to this most tender of love stories. Having said that, it was far from boring and certainly had times of focused intensity.

Callie and Trevor have a past relationship albeit as friends, at least on one side!

It is lovely to experience, alongside Callie, her growth from a strong independent woman, blazing her own trail to a partner in all senses of the word.

Trevor too, has a huge adjustment in his life and it has nothing at all to do with suddenly having full-time responsibility of his teenage children!

This is a lovely example of love after death.

My Best Friend’s Ex is all about finding love again!

Contractor Trevor Booth is hanging on to his sobriety but when his ex-wife dies in a car accident, things start to get really tough, he goes from every other weekend to full time father to his kids. Photographer Callie Larson had been best friend with his ex-wife Lisa and lives in the coach house behind hers, helping Lisa when she was home from her photography trips. Trevor moved into Lisa’s house so the kids would not have to move and with Callie helping Trevor and the kids.

Callie’s helping Trevor made him realize that he was slowly falling on love with her but until they were serious, neither wanted the kids to know even though the kids knew before they said something. Trevor and Callie fought their feelings until because they both didn’t want to hurt Evan and Hannah if it didn’t work out.

I totally loved Callie because she helped Trevor and his family figure out what they needed to do after Lisa’s death. Trevor’s divorce support group helped Trevor figure out some parenting and relationship with Callie.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3 stars
I struggled with the one to be honest. A divorced couple, who quickly turns into a single parent of teens when his ex wife passes away. Her best friend helps him with the teens and it turns into a romance.

Trevor and Callie were real and at times raw. It was a real romance.

Wow I'm just stunned with how good this title was. I just had so much fun reading this title and getting to along for the ride with these amazing characters. I'm so excited to see what's next from this author.

Callie and Trevor are thrown together again when Trevor’s ex-wife and Callie’s best friend, Lisa, is killed in a car accident. Both of them want the best for Trevor’s two teenagers who need them both. I loved this story even though the beginning breaks your heart. Keep reading because it will make you believe in love again.

Callie and Trevor have known each other for a long time. She always was attracted to him but he married her best friend and she knew she lost her chance. When the unexpected happens and they are thrown back together after all those years the attraction is there and stronger then ever, but so are the ghosts. This book had some sexy scenes and emotional scenes that left me wanting to finish the book in one setting. Thank you NetGalley.

When Trevor's ex-wife dies in a car crash he is suddenly the single parent to two teenagers. Lucky for him his ex's best friend, Callie, is around to offer support and guidance. When feelings start to emerge they both have to wrestle with feeling disloyal to the woman who once meant so much to the both of them.

I loved the way the relationship between Trevor and Callie develops. They have real issues that they need to communicate about and both of them make mistakes along the way. I loved the way that Trevor's alcoholism was discussed. I expected more in regards to the grieving process of Trevor's kids and their adjustments to living with him. Even Trevor's adjustments to being a full-time father seemed far fewer than I would have expected. I could have used more about new family dynamics and less about the disapproving ex-mother-in-law. There were so many meaty topics to explore that I would have welcomed a higher page count to see that happen.

I still really enjoyed this book and would really like to read more from the author.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It is refreshing in the Romance world to read about two pretty normal people with real problems and real issues. Issues with kids, in-laws, death, and addiction. I truly appreciate an author who can bring out the best in their characters in those situations. This story starts on a very serious note and delves deeply into the aftermath . Trevor's ex-wife dies suddenly in a car accident and he is left to raise his teenage kids alone. The relationships are complex - Trevor is an alcoholic who has been sober for many years - but still struggles. Not only with his addiction - but with the looks and lack of trust he receives from those around him. Callie has been traveling for years for her job and when the going gets tough - she gets going. She's been very involved in Trevor's children's lives helping her best friend Lisa, Trevor's ex, raise them. Trevor was pretty much barred from his children's lives (except for weekend visits) by Lisa (with reason). With Lisa gone - Trevor is struggling with being a full-time parent. He wasn't involved in a lot of things with the kids - so he has no idea what was really going on in their lives. The story focuses on how he and Callie can come to terms with all of these things to find a path forward together.

The book is very well-written and engaging. If I care enough to be mad about how the author treated a situation or character - I know I was pretty invested in the outcome!! I really liked Trevor - but Callie not so much. Here were my main issues - there a three separate (four if you count the end) incidents where Callie steps in and handles situations "for" Trevor involving his kids. One involved talking to his daughter about sex and dating and another about his son and drinking, Any parent would agree that those are HUG conversations and issues. In this case, Lisa had already talked to the kids (without talking to Trevor about either thing). Callie knew what had happened and basically reiterated what Lisa said. When Trevor finds out - he goes ballistic. He is then portrayed to be "controlling" and not wanting to let Callie into their lives. My issue with this - which is never addressed - is that she shouldn't have taken those situations in hand without talking to Trevor first. Lisa is to blame in part for not sharing with her husband (even if he didn't want to hear it - because Trevor is portrayed as being focused on only himself before Lisa died - which I am not sure is fair - even if Shannyn Schroeder did write this and create the character). Callie should have shown empathy for the kids and maybe offered hugs and support but the heavy hitting should have been done by their dad. Trevor is right, for example, that he should have been the one to pick up Evan when he gets drunk. Callie should have called Trevor to go get him. And she should NEVER have said that it wasn't a big deal. Trevor was a jerk about the whole thing - but he wasn't entirely wrong. He's been shut out of the kids lives by their mother - and now Callie is shutting him out again saying she is doing what Lisa wanted and his way wasn't good enough. No one is perfect- and i disliked Callie for the way she was unwilling to exercise patience with Trevor - but asked for it for herself.

I also took issue with the fact that Callie said Trevor was too controlling over family issuess and that he had to work on that if he wanted to be with her. This really wasn't shown to be the case by the narrative. He only seemed controlling when he wanted to be the decision maker related to major issues with his kids. To me - this didn't seem controlling - just trying to be a careful parent. Its clear there wasn't a co-parenting arrangement between him and Lisa - she just handled everything. In most of the scenarios shown, his relationship with Callie is new, and although she loves the kids and has been involved in their lives - it was more of an aunt capacity, also she refused to commit to staying in one place, so why should he let her co-parent with him? He didn't want the kids to experience another loss. Parenting isn't exactly a fly-by-night activity. Its a lifetime gig.

The last two things that bothered me are pretty heavy. First the kids got over Lisa's death like is was death of a great aunt they saw once a year. I know kids are resillient - but seriously? They were described as loving their mother fiercely and not having much of a relationship with their dad. after the first few scenes they basically never mention their mom again. I doubt most teenagers would recover that quickly. Particularly Trevor's daughter.

Second - Trevor is an alcoholic. It sounds like it got bad before he got himself together. Throughout the book everyone constantly doubts his ability to remain sober. Even the folks who didn't know him when he wasn't sober. Even when Callie is in Italy she asks Hannah if Trevor drank while she was gone and then sighs with relief when Hannah says no. Was that even necessary? (1) I am guessing Hannah would have already called if he was drinking and (2) How about a little faith and trust? Callie was there through the bad times but doesn't seem to believe in Trevor at all. If she can't trust him not to drink in this scenario - then clearly she doesn't trust him enough to have a relationship. Alcoholism is a terrible terrible disease. But those in recovery need positive support - not constant disbelief and questioning. Especially those who have been sober for more than 10 years like Trevor.

So obviously I had strong feelings about this book! Oy!

I guess the moral of the story is - parenting is hard and I don't think anyone in the book gave Trevor enough credit for working as hard as he did to make things work. Callie loved the kids - and she couldn't have the kids if she didn't have Trevor so there it was. I'm glad they are going to try and be a team - but I wasn't confident in a lasting HEA with this one.

#MyBestFriendsEx #NetGalley
Trevor is a recovering alcoholic whose ex wife, Lisa, keeps calling and texting to try and him to step in with their teenage son due to disrespectful and rebellious behaviour.
Just after the last text he gets a phone call that changes everything. The mother of his children has been in a car accident and didn’t make it.
Trevor is going from weekend dad to widower making calls and trying to support his kids. His ex in-laws have taken over planning the funeral and his ex’s best friend rushed home when she got the news. He suddenly finds himself with two teenagers, two houses and a live in (of sorts) old friend.
Callie leaves in the middle of a photo shoot to rush home to be there for Lisa’s kids and say goodbye to her best friend. Renting Lisa’s coach house has been a blessing for Callie. She has the luxury to come and go as she pleases and have a family when she comes home. She was friends with Trevor and Lisa before their marriage collapse, when Trevor’s alcoholism was in full force. She had Lisa’ back due to their friendship since childhood and thought she was there to help.
When Callie sees Trevor she is surprised to see him holding up. She waits for him to fall off the wagon and cave in to the turmoil and drink.
As life moves on, the kids state they want to remain with Trevor and not move with their grandparents, and remain in their mothers house, mostly so Callie has somewhere to stay and because they feel most at home there. Trevor works relentlessly to fix up the pipes and walls so he and the kids can move back in. His teenage son plods along, barely showing any emotion until the conversation is about college and his insistence he not go and the night he gets drunk.
Callie is the voice of reason in Trevor’s storm of control. He has never had to be the full time parent so he tries to have everything just so, not accounting for personality differences and the magic that is life. He takes a lot of his frustration out on Callie, relying on her to help parent his kids while admonishing her for helping him parent his kids, without admitting she has been there for them more in the past and does know them slightly better.
Trevor should be off limits for Callie in her mind. She keeps waiting for him to fail and drink and trying to get him to relax. She takes them to a non-alcohol bowling alley, which could be viewed as considerate or like she doesn’t trust him not to drink. This is a recurring thing with Callie, as is her sudden desire to drink even though she isn’t much of a drinker. Callie has spent her life pushing boundaries and doing something when she is told she can’t. Lisa’s death has made Callie think about how she lives her life and what she really wants.
There were a few things that gave me pause, Ethan’s behaviour was so distressing Lisa turned to Trevor, but there is only a mention of it when Trevor is fixing the house. I was expecting him to get worse as he grieved for his mother. I was actually expecting more grieving, or emotional breakdowns at least. Callie’s constant expectation of failure for Trevor was irritating, he was handling his addiction well. Trevor leaving his teenagers in the house while he went to Callie’s to sleep was irresponsible and he should have been called out on it by his divorcee group at least.
Ultimately this was a sweet story about friendship, family and recovery.

What happens when your ex-wife dies suddenly and you start to develop feelings for her best friend? Callie and Trevor are interesting and believable characters as individuals and as a couple, but the real stars of this book are his two children. Schroeder clearly has real affection for and experience with teens, because she writes them with such warmth and humor.

I liked this better than the first book of the series, maybe because the conflict felt more true to life. There are genuine moments of comedy, too.