ROMeANTICALLY CHALLENGED by Marina Adair

What's there not to love about this story.
Marina Adair has a way of humanizing the characters I'm such a way that you feel like you know them and definitely can relate to them. I love this book from beginning to end, especially the end. It had me hooked with all the little twist along the way. Definitely recommended for romance lovers.

5/5 Stars

Thank you #NetGalley and #kensingtonbooks for this copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a nice lighthearted book. It is the story of a woman who moved to a small town after she was dumped by her fiance. She finds out that she was better off without him. She has the chance to see how she had been treated for years. I did feel like it was repetitive but a nice read. This book would make a good tv show.

I loved this story, accidental Roommates turn lovers. Anh Nhi (or Annie) is looking for a fresh "man free" start in Rome, Rhode Island. It just so happens she is leasing the cabin and the owner, Emmitt returns home on a medical leave not knowing about her lease. They find themselves sharing a cabin with one bed and close quarters. It is funny and sweet. I love their texting and sticky notes. Annie's ex plans to marry using all their plans, won't pay her the money he owes her AND invites her to the wedding! Throw in the Family dynamic of Emmitt, Gray and Levi raising Paisley and that creates more craziness and laughter. I loved this story and would recommend it. I received a copy from Netgalley for my honest review.

An engagement gone awry. An ex-fiancé who is using your venue, your caterer, your just about everything to marry another woman…who he found only weeks after your break-up! You find the most perfect, romantic place to heal…Rome. But…in your haste to get out of town, you realize you’re in Rome, Rhode Island…and broke, since your ex hasn’t returned your half of the deposit from the wedding venue! Thus, begins the saga of Anh Nhi (Annie) Walsh, ER Physician’s Assistant, and the woman who is every man she’s ever dated, ‘almost’ fiancée.

Settling into Rome, Annie has rented the perfect place. Close to work, nice size, all in all, if she must be in Rhode Island, it was OK. Still dealing with her ex and her parents, who still like her ex, she doesn’t need a midnight visitor disturbing her sanity, her luck, and making her throw shoes!

Emmitt Bradley, journalist extraordinaire, is just back from China where he was seriously injured. He’s the owner of the house but didn’t let his buddy know he was coming back, thus Annie is the tenant.

Annie doesn’t feel complete. She’s Vietnamese but doesn’t feel like she ‘fits’ with either her Anglo adoptive parents, or the Vietnamese community. She’s trying her best, but she always feels like the outsider.

Emmitt doesn’t feel complete. He has a child and doesn’t feel like a parent. He’s gone all the time and didn’t know about Paisley until she was five. He’s trying his best, but he always feels like he’s the outsider.

Annie and Emmitt both have problems they need to work out. As they begin to take on each other’s burdens, will they realize that they can be complete together?

The blurb did not match the contents of the book at all, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.

After being recently left only months before her wedding, Annie takes a temporary PA position at a hospital in Rome, Rhode Island and rents a cabin from a photojournalist who is away on assignment. Imagine Emmitt's surprise when he is forced to come home early and finds a woman living in his house.

The blurb makes this book sound like it will be a sex-crazed story about two strangers who become lovers when forced to share a space, but this is much more of a story about family and belonging. Emmitt has to learn what it means to be a dad to his 15 year old daughter after she loses her mom only 4 months prior and he wasn't there to help her through it. Annie navigates what it means to be an adopted Vietnamese woman, when she feels like she doesn't belong to the Vietnamese community or the white community in which she grew up. Ultimately they learn how to love each other, but also what it means to be completely loved by someone else.

Thanks to Kensington Publishing Corp., NetGalley, and Marina Adair for an advance copy of the book. It was a surprisingly lovely spring read.

I always enjoy Marina Adair books and this one is no different. I laughed, cried and enjoyed this story.
I loved the chemistry between Annie and Emmitt. Annie a PA has taken a temporary assignment to get away from her ex Clarke and the wedding that she planned but marrying someone else Emmitt is a photojournalist who is injured covering an assignment in China. He comes home to recuperate. Other characters in the book are Emmitt’s daughter Paisley. Gray - Annie’s boss and Paisley’s step dad. Levi- Emmitt’s best friend but like Another dad to Paisley. I loved the sassy dialogue between everyone. Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC. This is my own opinion.

Another fun, heartwarming read from Marina. Two people finding where they fit in the world.. Adopted Ahn aka Annie is trying to find herself and Emmitt the globe-trotting photographer recovering from a horrific accident. She rented his house He unexpectedly came home. A great new story. I really enjoyed the laughs, and tears.
I loved this story.

I love reading Marina Adair’s books. They are full of humor and serious feelings and just fun and easy to read. This story sort of reminded me of that movie Three Men And A Baby but better. Marina is one of my favorite authors and she never let me down with this awesome book! Thanks for another great book Marina!

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I took a couple of days to think about this book before writing my review. I really miss the characters and can remember the plot (7+ books later) - that means it really made a lasting impression. I enjoyed the story of Annie (Anh) and Emmitt.

It’s got a lot to do with an adopted girl finding where she belongs and finding true love.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a beautiful and romantic story of two people who are looking to find their place in the world.

I highly recommend if you're looking for

-roommates to lovers
-only one bed
-close proximity
-single dad
-text flirting & sticky note flirting
-slow burn
-sex in a recliner

Both main characters come from nontraditional families and their stories are sensitively addressed and honest. Annie is adopted and dealing with moving on from her ex-fiance who is still planning their wedding with his new fiancé. Emmitt is a single father trying to co-parent after the death of his child's mother, with her step father and uncle after being away. The drama in the book is grounded in reality and propels the plot forward as our main characters begin to fall for each other. Beautifully written I truly enjoyed this one!

Triggers: grief, racial profiling,

Anh Nhi (also known as Annie, just because it's easier to say) has a bad history with previous relationships. Everyone she has been with finds their one true love almost immediately after breaking up with her. She thinks she has found her happily-ever-after, but then her fiancé does the same thing...they break up shortly before the wedding, he then finds his person, and decides to get married on the same exact day he had previously planned. So, Anh does what many might do in the situation - decides to take a traveling PA job in Rome, a dream destination. Problem being, she doesn't fully read the job listing and she ends up in Rome, Rhode Island, where she rents a house from a surly (yet very attractive) man who is unexpectedly back from a photojournalism job in China.

I loved the dynamic between Anh and Emmitt, and their journey from enemies, to frenemies, to friends with benefits (and eventually more). Emmitt's daughter Paisley added a fun, spunky energy to the plot, and her multiple "Dads" in the picture had a great playful dynamic as well. This was a very quick, enjoyable read, perfect for summer/beach reading!

This was a quick, but enjoyable romcom that I devoured in one sitting. With an idealistic setting and loveable characters, it was hard not to fall over heels for this one.

What I loved about this book:

1. This book has emotional depth I wasn't expecting and it handled difficult family dynamics with sensitivity. Annie learns to stand up for herself and put her felling before others and this part of her character was especially relatable.

2. The friends to lovers trope is one of my favorites and this one was done well. The sexual tension and chemistry is evident from the beginning and I couldn't stop reading as I waited for them to give in. The banter between them is very well written and is sure to leave readers smiling (and laughing).

3. The situation between the three guys and Paisley (accurately described as being similar to Three Men and a Baby) was so well written. With blended families everywhere is was nice to see her three "Dads" communicating and working together to do what was in her best interest. Even though they have their fair share of bumps along the way, I found all three guys absolutely loveable. I really hope the author decides to write book for both Gray and Levi.

This book had me feeling a variety of emotions, I laughed, I cried, and I swooned. I definitely recommend picking up a copy of your own!

Yay! Finally an Asian heroine that I can totally relate with. RomeAntically Challenged was a wonderful story about self discovery on both the hero and heroine's part, and how that self discovery lead to romance and finding the person and family you're meant to be with. An emotionally charged story that I can totally relate to because I am Vietnamese-American and just like Anh Nhi (Annie) I too often felt like she did throughout the story. Aside from the adoption part everything she was feeling, I have felt too. And Emmitt. Wow. His family issues and him trying to find a place in his daughter's life. Heart totally melted. I loved every minute of this story and the journey that Anh and Emmitt took to reach their HEA, which they both deserved so much.

*I voluntarily read an advance copy of this book*

This was a cute, fun, romantic comedy. The story was well written and full of laughter. Annie’s fiancé calls it off saying he’s not husband material but two weeks later is posting on social media that he’s finally found the love of his life. If that wasn’t bad enough Annie finds he’s kept all of her wedding plans with his new bride to be. So Annie accepts a job at a hospital in Rome, not realizing its in Rome Rhode Island. Everything is going ok until a man breaks into the home she’s rented saying it’s his place. Annie tried to adjust to having a roommate with an allergy to commitment. This book was a fun distraction and I highly recommend it.

This book was great! It had been awhile since I had read anything from Marina Adair and so I was really looking forward to this one. It did not disappoint. Anh, recently left by her ex-fiance, decides to relocate and start fresh in the town of Rome, RI. She rents an Airbnb for six months only to soon discover that its owner has returned early. Emmitt is a photojournalist who has come home to recover from an injury to find Anh living in his house. The banter between these two was fun and well-written. I laughed out loud several times. I really liked that, despite an instant attraction, these two do not have an insta-love or fall into bed right away. Their relationship build was fantastic. I loved Emmitt's daughter as well as her two other "dads" and am hoping that Adair will write their stories as well. I felt the emotions of the characters and had a hard time putting the book down. I really enjoyed Romeantically Challenged and think that fans of Jill Shalvis would enjoy this one.

It’s hard to find words to do this book justice. I laughed, I cried, I seethed with injustice (at the way Anh’s ex treated her) - It’s been a long time since I felt such a visceral connection to a character. I chose to read it thinking it would be a fun, lighthearted romantic comedy. Well, it is all that but it’s also so much more. There is an incredible emotional depth to this book that you don’t often find. It amazes me that in each of Marina’s books the characters are so three dimensional, with their own unique little quirks and Idiosyncracies that make you want to cheer them on. This story is so well crafted and beautifully written, I found myself wanting to go back and reread particular phrases or passages because they resonated so much with me. While I’ve read and loved all of Marina’s previous books, there is something extra special about this one - you can tell it really comes from the heart.

All the stars!!!!!!!

I adored the sass in this book between Annie and Emmitt.

An amazing story of overcoming a lot of personal relationship issues to find a lasting and forgiving love.

Swoon! This book was just what I needed right now!

If you are looking for a swoon worthy, sassy banter, epic love story - then look no further!

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington books for an arc copy to give my sassy thoughts.

This is the first book be Adair that I've read and I really enjoyed it.

Annie needs a fresh start on life. After her fiance Clark breaks up with her and steals their wedding to marry someone else, she moves away. Thinking there was a job in Rome, Italy, she then sticks it out when its apparent that Rome, Rhode Island isn't quite the historic city of architecture and history as well as thousands of miles away from Clark. While still dealing with the aftermath of the next disaster resulting from Clark, she finds a stranger standing in her rented AirBnB.

Emmitt comes home to find a strange yet attractive woman in his bedroom. He's too jet-lagged as well as sore from his injury but he's not one to be unfriendly to the opposite sex. In fact he's quite for personal relations. Even Annie throwing her stilettos at him isn't enough to dissuade him.

This enemies to lovers, having to share a house included plenty of funny moments. I was shocked and happily surprised at the depth of the characters from their many hurts and how they helped each other to overcome them. This book brought up issues like race and rude assumptions, single parenting, what it means to trust, others actions aren't a reflection on you and love. When in Rome-even Rome, RI.

I received this book from the publisher and Net Galley and these opinions are my own. I am now looking up more books by this author.

What a wonderful story! Anh Nhi (usually called Annie) is trying to move forward after a broken engagement and an ex-fiancé who can’t let go. Emmitt is recovering from serious injuries and trying to navigate his relationship with his teenage daughter and all the drama that age tends to bring. Together they have chemistry and fireworks, and neither is sure what to do with that! This is an entertaining story of friendships, family, moving forward, and developing love. There is plenty of emotion, laughter, and tears. I loved this visit to Rome, Rhode Island, and recommend this delightful book!

2 stars
This one wasn't for me. I struggled from the start with this one. It was a little uncomfortable for me. I never could get into the main characters.