I just reviewed Calamity Rayne: Gets A Life by Lydia Michaels. #CalamityRayneGetsALife #NetGalley

was a good read and liked the story line. i will read more from Lydia Michaels.

There was one part of the story that irked me and that may be triggering for people, so I'll talk about that first: the male love interest pays a woman to continue a pregnancy she does not want, and this is presented as a heroic "deed" on his part. The author seems like a pretty progressive person otherwise, so who knows if she meant for it to come off as anti-choice, but that is how I read it. My rating is only so high when ignoring this part of the story.
Mentally ret-conning the above, I really enjoyed the humor in this story. The characters are fairly recognizable for a romance novel - slightly spastic FMC and mysterious/blank canvas MC. It's a good comfort read - you know what you're gonna get.
While romance novels are meant to fulfill a fantasy, I would have preferred it without the insta-love. The boat trip could have been extended so that Hale wasn't declaring his love and wanting to reproduce with Rayne after a WEEK. That is insane and if my friend was with a guy like that I would call the cops!
For the most part I had a good time, even though I don't think I'll read the sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

OK this was cute. The updated cover is actually ridiculous though and I like the original cover much better.

Rayne was adorable and hilarious and I found myself smiling and laughing while reading this book. Normally I enjoy my books on the dark and dirty side, but this was a nice breath of fresh air and it reminded me why I love romance so much. Not everything has to be passion and heartbreak and grit. It can be light and funny and silly and it reminded me not to take everything in life so seriously and to enjoy the adventure.

This was my first time reading this author but I'll definitely be checking out her backlist because I was thoroughly entertained!

I enjoyed Calamity Rayne Gets a Life. I remember turning 28/29 and feeling like I was lost. I felt like I was a mess. Soon after I felt like I was starting to get “adulting” right. Rayne has a pretty similar story but way more extreme. The ending was not my favorite but does work to move into the next book.

This was a fun romcom for me to read. Still smiling as I think about this now and I finished this book weeks ago. Definitely recommend

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Some parts were hilarious and some were a bit of a stretch for me but a good read overall.

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book had a really strong start. Rayne, the female protagonist is hilarious and her inner dialogue was very relatable. I felt a connection to her throughout the book because she was very down to earth and struggled a lot with her place in the world. Her relationship with Hale was definitely fast and I didn't expect them to get together as quickly as they did, but it felt natural. It wasn't until about a little over halfway through the book that I started to have some difficulty finishing the book.

The second half of the book was filled with what seemed like one problem after the other, which was thrust upon you seemingly out of nowhere. There were brief hints of something that was going on with Hale but the truth was shocking. In addition, I just felt like everyone was putting too much pressure on Rayne, considering she and Hale had only been together for a few weeks when everything went down. Rayne also has her own issues, which are understandable given her history, but it caused a lot of unnecessary miscommunications between the couple.

There were also some character traits that were presented in Hale and his father that we were just expected to accept, even though they were, in my opinion, toxic, and that threw me off at the end.

In terms of the ending, I felt that the book seemed a little long and it was hard to get through the ending, but at the same time, everything felt rushed. There were a lot of details thrown at you towards the end with no resolution because this book is part of a series. I was not led to believe this was part of a series so it was unexpected when the book ended on a cliffhanger that was seemingly out of nowhere. If I was aware the book was a series, I would have been in a different mindset to expect unresolved issues.

Overall, I could tell that the author put a lot of thought into what they wanted to include in the story and where they wanted to go with it. Personally, this book was not really my cup of tea, but I can see why others enjoy it.

Rayne Meyers needs a change in her life. She decides to take a job as a personal assistant to an extremely wealthy businessman, Remington Davenport, and tries her best not to mess everything up while working for this powerful man. But in walks his oldest son, Hale Davenport, who is the opposite of Rayne, calm demeanor, mature and structured. They become swept up in each other leading to deep feelings neither think they are ready for.

This is a fun, humorous and enjoyable read, and while it seemed to be a little longer than necessary, I was entertained the entire time. Some of Rayne’s internal monologuing was hilarious, and I loved that it either took place on a yacht or in Key West, and mostly had that forced proximity feel to it.

Rayne is a very immature 30yr old, and honestly it became a little too much sometimes, almost cringey with her little outbursts. Some of the things she said were just silly and sounded like a 14yr old boy was talking. That being said, it made it that much better when you really see her grow and mature while she explains what she needs to Hale in their relationship if they intend on staying together.

The best part of the story is the growth we see in the 3 main characters throughout the book. Hale, Remington and Rayne all experience an emotional maturing whether its growing up, learning to trust and not always controlling situations or realizing their mistakes and understanding family is still important.

This book does include a trope I do not enjoy. And while I won’t give it away since it’s a twist later in the book, I will give it credit in that we get to see a side of Hale that we otherwise may not have seen. It also forces Rayne to mature even more and realize what she truly wants.

Thank you NetGalley and Valentine PR & Literary Management for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t realize this book was part of a series, I had no indication when I requested to read it based on the information provided. The face that the book ends on a cliff hanger didn’t help but again, if I had know it was part of a series, I think mentally I would have been better prepared.

There is tons of banter bouncing back and forth between the characters. It was well written structurally, just not my cup of tea. I found the banter a bit distasteful at times or over the top. Some of the language and play on words was hard for me to get past.

Overall I feel that Lydia Michaels did a wonderful job writing this book. There was obviously a lot of time and effort dedicated to this labor of love.

Why is it this way? A book must conclude on a cliche just when you're beginning to enjoy it. Anyway, this book wasn't horrible, but some of the content was a touch overwhelming. The writing was good but not outstanding. Even though the characters were essentially the same in all the rom-com novels I've read, although, I did appreciate the first few chapters. Would I suggest it? This could be the correct choice for you if you enjoy series and repeated cliffhangers. I might read the second book of the series.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up

The first 2/3 of this book was 5 stars for me! I laughed out loud several times and really enjoyed the writing and the characters. I loved Rayne and Hale together, and even enjoyed Remington as a grumpy old man. Then came the last 1/3 of the book… it was almost like reading a different book. It was FULL of drama, and I started disliking Hale as a character. Remington ended up just being awful, and it was almost unbelievable that Hale would be in the position he was in. By the end of the book, it felt like Rayne and Hale were in an almost toxic relationship. It got uncomfortable at times, especially with his possessiveness.

I didn’t love that the book ended on a cliffhanger, especially since it was so long and drawn out at the end, but after the last 1/3 of the book I’m not 100% sure I would want to continue reading the second one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me a copy in exchange for my honest review!!

To caveat this review off the top - I did not know that this was not a standalone. While I love readings series of books, I seriously dislike reading books that are not complete stories within themselves. Had I known that this ended on a cliffhanger, I would not have picked it up. That said, I also don't feel a need to pick up the second half of Rayne's story, annoyed as I was to realize I didn't have an ending at the end of this book. I did not find any of the characters all that likable, even Rayne herself. Rayne is not a calamity so much as completely lacking a sense of self or guidance. She is drifting through life and I did not get the sense that that was changing all that much for her. The other characters are also not great. Remington, Rayne's boss, is an old-school misogynist whose occasional sweet moment cannot outweigh his general grossness. Hale, Rayne's love interest, is also problematic, having dated multiple of his father's employees and hiding huge parts of his life from his new "girlfriend."

The relationship between Rayne and Hale is one of instalust and apparently, instalove. It is hard to buy into it as a "relationship" given the huge power dynamics at play. Everything about Hale's family is messy messy messy. It is hard to see how the week or so Rayne knew Hale before the total mess of his life became clear would make staying with him worth it. Her commitment issues also make her a bad play for him.

2 stars because the writing was decent. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

This book had such great witty banter! The push and pull from the main characters kept me wanting more from them. There were a couple of hiccups in the book where I felt it to be a bit awkward but overall I enjoyed reading it!

I was drawn to this title by the promise of a billionaire and a yacht story but CALAMITY RAYNE: GETS A LIFE is so much more! What a fun, silly, poignant, hopeful, hope-dashing, romantic story!

The characters are so memorable starting with Rayne. She just bursts with everything - light, fear, uncertainty, and honesty. Hale we don’t know what to make of until we learn his secrets. His father, Remington is who we are supposed to find manipulative and distasteful, but we can’t.

I’m completely charmed and thoroughly devastated at the same time for teaching the last page and needing more. Excellent!

I received a copy of this book to read from NETGALLEY and this is my voluntary review.

Oh my goodness, I couldn’t put this down. Rayne was so indecisive that I wanted to scream do something. Good thing her friends did that for me. She steps out of her comfort zone, finally willing to try something new, she sets off on a crazy adventure..
Remington, the dad/boss in this story, is a grumpy old coot. I love how he saw a need to help Rayne. Boy does he help. By giving Rayne a job, he changes her life and encourages her to try new things in his own grumpy way.
Through the job, Rayne meets Hale. Hale is stuffy and HOT. Rayne can barely keep her naughty thoughts to herself, causing all sorts of calamities. He show her a whole other side of himself than the business side she found in her research.
Together, Hale and Remington teach Rayne that she can do hard things. Rayne s learns, grows, and begins to overcome roadblocks she has set for her self. She may even find love along the way.
This was a great story, but I still found Rayne to be super indecisive and I still wanted to slap her. I’m looking forward the the continuation of her story to see if she ever make some big decisions like what does she want to be when she grows up.

3.25/5 stars! A simple and enjoyable contemporary romance. This book was a fun romcom with an insta-love angle. The premise was fun and played out well in the story. Rayne was that flustered, disorganized mess with a pinch of silly that I connected with. I enjoyed Hale as a character as well. Overall, this was a good read but lacked the depth of some in the genre.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Rayne Meyers is a hot mess. She has a job that barely makes ends meet and she has never been successful in the love department. When she hears that Remington Davenport has broken his leg and will need a PA, she has a connection who makes a call for her to get an interview for the job. She is definitely not the most qualified person for the job, but the Davenports take a chance on her. The only issue is her boss's sexy son, Hale. Will he distract her from doing her job or will she fall in love with the Davenport family?

This book was spicyyyy. Rayne and Hale have a very obvious connection no matter how hard she tries to run away at every little thing. The family dynamic is a little screwed up between the Davenports...or more so Hale and Remington. It does lead to the fact that people with money have power and can make anything happen. Overall, a good story but I didn't like the dysfunction between Hale and Remington.

File this one in the 'Not for Me' category. There was a lot of stuff going on in this book and it all felt too rushed and unbelievable. It did start out fairly strong with some great laugh out loud moments, but fell apart around the 30% mark and didn't improve for me.

Rayne is looking to make some changes in her stagnant life so she finagles a way to interview as a personal assistant to a wealthy guy who is recovering from a heart attack. She gets the job and soon falls into the most insta-love relationship with her boss's son. Lots of complications arise and Rayne must work through them all for her HEA.

First, Rayne. This girl is a mess. I love a quirky, scattered character but Rayne was so one note. She had almost no character development. I would have loved to see Rayne find out who she is and what she's passionate about. This book is not that. Second, the relationship with Hale. What a missed opportunity for tension building. This was the most inappropriate relationship I've read about in a long time. Once the sex starts, this book basically turned into erotica with a side of insta-love. Their relationship doesn't seem like it's going to pass the test of time. Finally, there is a story line that will absolutely blow your mind and not in a good way. I definitely would have preferred more character development over the final big issue in their relationship.

I was looking for a grow-mance. This book was more like a daytime soap opera. Also, FYI for those of you looking for an ending, this book ends on a slight cliffhanger. I don't feel the need to continue on with the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Valentine PR for the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

The first third of the book doesn't seem to go anywhere. I haven't read the other two books in the series. I am reading this book because I was gifted the ARC by the publisher and Net Galley for my unbiased opinion. I don't generally read westerns but I went in with an open mind. However, when the dogs started having conversations with the characters, it really didn't fit into my comfort zone, the twists where obvious where they were going the plot got more and more outrageous. I powered through but it wasn't an enjoyable read.

Hilarious!! Definitely had me laughing out loud at these two’s shenanigans! Fun and flirty, awesome book!