Thank you to NetGalley, Jenn McKinlay, and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to receive an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review. The book was published in August of 2021 (so obviously I'm a bit late to the party), but I appreciate the opportunity nonetheless.

Annabelle is a 28 year old, twice divorced, graphic designer from New England who is desperate need of a change of pace. Nick is 35 and suffered a stroke and the corresponding blow to his ego. She's impulsive, rash, and creative. He's reclusive and demands order. What could possibly go wrong?

The cover and the first half of this book were doing a good job to set this book up for success, but I had a hard time finding sympathy for Nick. I get that he was joking with Jackson with a lot of his misogynistic comments, but he still made them. I was also expecting a longer process of getting these two to be friends - maybe an in person enemies to lovers vibe or something? I don't know.

The workplace drama with Carson and it's effect on Miguel and Sophie's relationship felt a little forced and too contrived for me personally, and I like to think that a good manager would have figured out what Carson was doing and that Annabelle would have been able to confide in her boss about the hostility she was experiencing in the workplace.

Don't get me started on the ending. I'm here for a HEAs, but if ever there were a character who could have benefitted from a Happily For Now, it's Annabelle, 100%.

I enjoyed the writing for the most part, and if the tone from the beginning of the book has continued through the rest of the book then maybe this could have been closer to 4 stars for me. And wow this cover was adorable. But it felt a little too much like a Me Before You setting, just with a HEA twist at the end. I don't know. This one wasn't for me but I know there are people out there who will love it.

This was a cute romcom about a woman that moves to Arizona and falls for her landlord. After two failed marriages, Annabelle lands her dream job and jumps at the chance to move and start over. Her landlord is a recluse that struggles to let people in while recovering from a stroke.

This was an enjoyable book with likeable characters. They each have flaws and personal issues to work through but I liked seeing how they got through it together. While not my favorite romcom ever, it was still super sweet!

Wait For It follows Annabelle Martin had been offered a job as creative director at a graphic design studio in Phoenix, she jumps at the opportunity to start over and move there. There she rents a guest house on a gorgeous property with a mysterious owner--a man called Nick Daire. Nick suffered from a stroke a year ago and is in a wheelchair and is struggling to overcome the paralyzing fear that has kept him a prisoner in his own home. Both Annabelle and Nick need to heal over the past and begin to catch feelings for each other, maybe they can also face their fears.

This book was overall a heartwarming romance about inner growth, learning to change and facing your inner demons.

Annabelle was a great MC. She was confident, charming, witty, and didn’t take crap. She had one flaw that drove me nuts, which was her tendency to be late, ugh! You have a new job, make an effort! And Nick, was a worthy love interest. I liked him!⁣
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This is my kind of romcom where the drama isn’t just miscommunication or lack of communication based, these are two people with some trauma and real issues they’re trying to work out and it has a ripple effect into their relationships. (Childhood trauma, medical problems, anxiety attacks…)⁣
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My biggest complaint was the last two pages. I don’t think endings need to be quite so tidy. But that’s just me. ⁣
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All in all, it was a worth reading romcom!

One of the best romances I read last summer! WAIT FOR IT is the perfect poolside read -- Annabelle and Nick's romance was such a delight to experience! It simply leaped off the page.

Wait for It by Jenn McKinlay is another charming contemporary romance perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Emily Henry. Although, not as perfect as McKinlay's latest contemporary romance, Paris is Always a Good Idea, it was enjoyable and hard to put down.

So what made it less than perfect? The male protagonist was angry and depressed and dealing with a lot of issues. And that is fine and suitable for the plot but sometimes it was hard to like him and hard to believe that how he was portrayed was only an "act" and that he had changed or grown so very much. I still enjoyed the female protagonist and her career and the dynamics there but something about Nick didn't completely satisfy me.

Jenn McKinlay is a fantastic cozy mystery writer as well and the contemporary romance writer and one of my recommended authors to patrons. I will just recommend Paris is Always a Good Idea a little more.

I was very excited for Wait For It, but sadly I was disappointed. It just wasn't for me. I was bored and I felt that it was very predicable. I thought the cover was very cute though. I wasn't a fan of the characters or the writing.

When Annabelle’s first ex-husband (yes, she isn’t even 30 and she’d had two divorces) proposes unexpectedly, she decides to take a job in Phoenix working Creative Director for her best friend’s graphic design studio. Her new landlord is a grumpy, rich, and anonymous. Annabelle and Mr. Dare trade notes back and forth until she throws a pool party in the pool she is forbidden to use. When Annabelle finally meets Nick, she is shocked that he’s young, handsome, and recovering from a stroke.

Annabelle and Nick fall hard and fast, and I loved it. Wait for It is told in dual POV, so we hear from Annabelle and Nick. (The audiobook was great!) The secondary storylines and characters really felt realistic and relatable. Nick and Annabelle don’t meet until halfwayish, but their meeting is worth the wait. I love anything Jenn McKinlay writes, and I have my fingers crossed for a Vasquez Squared story next!

Thanks to @NetGalley and Berkley for my ARC!

I read this book on a day where I had no power in the middle of the summer. This book was the perfect escape. Love the recluse Male Main Character, the Female Main Character pushing his button. This book was just what I needed to read.

This is the perfect summer read. I enjoyed the story line and the characters. This author is new to me, and I know I will read whatever they come out with next!

It took me until I was close to the fifty percent mark to feel invested in this story, partly because they don’t interact outside of brief notes for the beginning part of the book. Which was the correct decision for this story since it’s a Beauty and the Beast retelling, having the recluse hidden away in his mansion as a kind, artistic woman lives in his guest house. It even has the fun side characters who live in the house! But it also means that the romance takes a bit to get started and I want instant gratification, sue me.
Wait For It follows Annabelle, who moves to Arizona to work at her best friends design firm, and takes the guest house at a reclusive millionaires home. Nick was on top of the world with his successful home development company when a stroke caused him to retire early and fear ever leaving his house and being seen a weak. It’s an interesting set up! I’m just slightly disappointed by the execution I suppose?
Okay, I guess I’ll start with what really worked for me before I tear into it. I liked the setting, the whole hot Arizona desert was perfect and a nice change of pace from the Big City and Small Town we get a lot of in romance- I desperately want a marg as I float around a pool. I liked that Annabelle is a graphic designer, once against a nice change from characters who are usually writers or CEOs. I thought that once they finally met they had great chemistry! Jenn McKinlay obviously knows how to create characters that click well.
Okay, now I’m going to talk about the things that just did not jive with me. Mostly that it falls into the “I’m disabled so is my life worth anything anymore?” I don’t know why, but it sits weird with me. I think I’m tired of seeing disabled rep by non disabled folks about how terrible it is to be disabled. If I want to read that I’d rather it be from an own voices writer. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, and dark and brooding just isn’t calling to me the way it used to, but I found myself rolling my eyes a lot at Nick and his self loathing😬
Overall, I really did enjoy Wait For It and I look forward to more work from the author!
Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

Loved the grump/sunshine trope, just enough romance and complex work drama to make this a wonderful and entertaining read! And the audio is great!

I really enjoyed Wait For It. It is a perfect distraction from the real world without being too unbelievable. Annabelle and Nick are the kid of characters that seem realistic and relatable. Their story left me feeling happier then when I started it and what more can a reader really ask from a romance novel? Take it on your next vacation!
ARC provided by NetGalley.

I loved Paris is always a good idea so I was so excited for this next book! It was really cute and entertaining and the characters were a lot of fun! I felt like the end was a little rushed but all in all it was a great read! Thank you netgalley for my copy.

I'm a bitch with a busy schedule, so it's really helpful when a book reveals itself as something I should not continue with right out of the gate. But also I received an ARC of this from NetGalley (thank u btw!) so it's time for a mini review:

Annabelle is a 28 y/o artist who decides she needs a major change (ie. moving to Arizona on a whim) when her first ex-husband re-proposes to her on their most recent un-anniversary. She moves into the guest house of Nick, a friend of a friend, who has become a recluse since experiencing a stroke a year ago. Grumpy landlord + sunshine artist = what's not to love?

Unfortunately, it all came crashing down for me in about two seconds, the moment we get a peek into Nick's POV. I read to escape, not to see more mediocre men make thinly veiled misogynistic comments about women to avoid their feelings. Grow up. The two MCs literally hadn't even met yet, and I was already cringing at the questionable remarks I'm sure were going to fly right out of Nick's mouth the moment he spoke to Annabelle. Maybe he grows as a character, but I don't care enough to find out. Dnf @ 12%

I really enjoyed this book up until the end.
The character development was lovely and felt natural. Both MCs learned about their flaws and took steps to fixing them. But there were certain things that felt kind of unnecessary. It was weird that Annabelle's ex-husbands kept showing up. It was also weird that there was no negative emotions or animosity, or repercussions of her actions - at all.

Another light romance from this author, which I enjoyed. Annabelle leaves NYC after two disastrous marriages, moving to Arizona as a Creative Director at her best friend’s firm. When Annabelle gets to Arizona, she is going to live in a rental home on the property of a reclusive bachelor. You can guess what will happen, but I liked the sparks between Annabelle and Nick, as well as Mick’s unique friendship with his trainer, Jackson. A quick light read, thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

TYSM to NetGalley for the copy of this.

This was a cute read that definitely touched on some bigger, heavier topics. While at times I felt the relationships in the story were a bit rushed or confusing, I enjoyed the characters and the dynamic between everyone.

I absolutely love anything Jenn McKinlay writes. This book was fantastic and charming. Who doesn't love second chances and finding true love in the most unexpected ways? I cheered as Annabella and Nick navigated their lives and loves. I simply can't wait to read more from Ms. McKinlay.

I really enjoyed this one! I absolutely loved Annabelle’s characters, she was spunky and relatable, and I loved how she dealt with the all drama with Carson at work. I wasn’t a big fan of Nick throughout the book, I know he had a lot going on in his life with his past and the present, but he was a jerk. I did enjoy seeing his character evolve by the end.

Overall, this was a sweet book filled with romance. It was fun reading about Annabelle and Nick’s relationship blossom, and “Sir” the cat was my favorite!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkely for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.