12 Steps to Mr. Right is what I would consider to be a romance on the sweeter side, but it was also kind of a sneaky romance in that for the majority of the book, the hero and heroine weren't officially a couple. I liked this book quite a bit, but there were parts of it that could have been left out or shortened that would have made it a stronger romance. I'd almost say this book borders on women's fiction rather than romance mainly due to the fact that the heroine actually spends more time with other people, mostly her clients, than she does with the hero. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I really could have used more time with the hero and heroine as an actual couple. Despite that, 12 Steps to Mr. Right was an adorable look at a man trying to win the heart of the woman he left years ago and the woman who believes he's all wrong for her.
Savannah Gamble is a successful dating coach with a 12 step program and an advice blog. After a college encounter left her heart broken, Savannah changed her major to sociology and began developing the program she teaches regularly. A fairly recent break-up left her a bit raw, but she's ready to get out there again when that old college hook-up and her best friend's cousin, Lincoln returns to town and turn her life upside down.
First off I want to say that I really enjoyed Savannah and Linc together as friends; their easy banter and comfortable ease made them both easy to like. There was no doubt that Linc didn't handle their "morning after" in college well, but the fact that Savannah was still hung up on it YEARS later was a big "red flag" for me especially given the fact that she'd had boyfriends and relationships since then including a very serious one.
I found Lincoln to be an easy character to like; he didn't make excuses about his life and past and he was upfront and honest about where he was right now in his life and that he was working on doing something more with his life. He was sweet, charming, and funny and yes, a tad full of himself but not obnoxiously so.
I admired Savannah for the self made woman she is and appreciated the ways she helps women find the man of their dreams, but I also found her very judgmental and unforgiving. She is a good friend, and very attentive to her clients but a lot of her attitude toward men and especially toward Linc really got on my nerves.
The moments Lincoln and Savannah spent together were my favorite no matter if they were having coffee, doing crossword puzzles (really loved this), or checking out places that Savannah could use on her list of great places to meet men. In my opinion Linc really went above and beyond to prove to Savannah that he was different from the guy in college (which hello he should be years and years have passed) and the fact that she couldn't seem to see him for the man he is now bothered me a great deal.
I very much enjoyed the sweet and fun moments between the hero and heroine in 12 Steps to Mr. Right; I just wish there had been more time with them together as a couple.