This is the fourth book in Briar Prescott’s wonderful Better With You series, and just like the previous books, it was such a cute and heartwarming story! It had so many things I love, like forbidden love, brother’s best friend, friends to lovers, found families and snarky banter. I read it in one sitting, with a huge smile on my face!

The Better With You series follows a group of friends, starting with Gray meeting Kai in the first book, then Gray’s brother Connor meeting James, followed by James’s friend Anders meeting Wells, and now in this fourth book focus is on Anders’s younger brother Isac as well as Anders’s best friend Max. Each book can be read as a standalone, but I really love seeing my favorite persons from the other books and to get the chance to be pulled back into their sweet romances again, as well as to see all of the friends together with their wonderful group dynamics and humor.

Isac has been in love with his older brother Anders’s friend Max as long as he can remember. Max on the other hand, sees Isac almost like his own brother and cares for him deeply, but without any romantic intent. Until nineteen-year-old Isac kisses Max and tells him how he feels. Surprised and taken aback, Max rejects him and to avoid the humiliation, Isac more or less flees to college to the other side of the country. Now, six years later, he’s back. All grown-up, and that kiss is suddenly haunting Max in a way that makes it hard to act normal around Isac…

I love Briar Prescott’s writing style, the forbidden romance trope and the wonderful chemistry between Max and Isac. I also loved how their relationship was developed with just the perfect pacing and the right amount of angst and heartbreak. And the banter! Just as in the previous books, the dialogues and comments were so witty, snarky and funny that I almost laughed out loud at times.

I rooted so much for both Isac and Max from the start. Their love was so obvious and strong, and I so wanted them to get the happiness they deserved that at times I almost wanted to scream at them both to just be brave and take a chance on each other, and not let the respect for Anders, the age difference nor the geographical distance stop them.

Some parts of the book were perhaps a little too explicit for my personal taste, and compared to the other books in this series, this one was a little lighter without the same kind of gripping depths. And there’s always a fine balance with the ‘friend’s younger sibling’-trope and ‘almost-brothers’-aspect, especially when there’s quite a substantial age gap, but Briar Prescott made an absolutely wonderful job keeping this balance. I’m very happy that Isac was nineteen when he first revealed his feelings to Max, so that there were never any uncomfortable underage issues.

All in all, this was such an enjoyable, charming and heartwarming story with a wonderful and important message about finding out what you really need and want in your life and being brave enough to chase it. It was one of those binge-worthy, happily-ever-after stories that we all need once in a while to brighten up the day! Highly recommended!

Thank you to the author Briar Prescott for the opportunity to read an ARC of this cute little gem! All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rating:
4 stars

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​Author info:
Briar Prescott

This is the third book in Briar Prescott’s wonderful Better With You series, and just like the previous books, it was a sweet and heartwarming story! I rooted so for the two main characters who were both struggling with shattered dreams and finding a way to deal with the bad things that had happened to them.

When Anders was nineteen and ready to go to college, his mother abandoned the family and he had to give up his own dreams to take care of his younger siblings. Now, he’s turning 30 and has never really done anything for himself. Like dating. Or taking part in a triathlon race (which due to a white lie, his siblings believe to be his biggest dream).

Wells was a successful NHL player at the beginning of his career when he lost his leg, and his future, in a car accident. Now, he’s bitter, lost and broken, and can’t find anything that seems to make life worth living. Not until his old PT asks him to help a friend of his to get ready for a triathlon race.

Starting off on a bad note, with Wells acting as a real dick to get Andes to fire him, the two of them soon find friendship, joy, fun, trust and hope for the future together. But maybe there’s even more than that sparkling between them?

It was such a sweet slow-burn romance (not really an enemies-to-lovers one though, more like “grumpy-to-friends-to-lovers”), and the bantering was hilarious as always in Briar Prescott’s books. I really love her humor and witty writing style!

Compared to Briar Prescott’s other books, this one was perhaps a little less gripping than what I’ve come to expect. Even though both Anders and Wells had been through so much, most of their struggles were just told as a background story and as readers we didn’t fully get to experience their heartbreaking losses. But I nevertheless rooted so much for them and wanted them to get their happy ever after that they so deserved! It was also so wonderful to get to see my favorite persons from the other books and get a chance to be pulled back into their sweet romances again.

So even though it perhaps didn’t quite reach the amazingness of the first two books in the series, The Underdog was nevertheless a sweet, fast-paced, low-angst and highly enjoyable read, that warmed my heart and put a smile on my face!

Rating:
4 stars

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​Author info:
Briar Prescott

I’ve read quite a few of Briar Prescott’s books now and loved them all, but Rare is my absolute favorite! It had such depths and sadness in addition to the sweet and heartwarming second chance romance that I read it feverishly in one sitting, hoping for the HEA the main characters so deserved.

This adorable, gripping and heart-warming m/m romance had such wonderful characters with flaws and secrets, and tough attitudes trying to cover their insecurity and vulnerability. Alex Ellison is the spoiled rich brat, who never takes anything seriously and who keeps getting himself into trouble. When his father finally has had enough and sends him off to community service in a wildlife center in the middle-of-nowhere in Oregon, Alex never expected it to be the best summer of his life. He never expected to meet someone like Noah Price, who could see right through his attitude, who would make him feel valued and special, and who would make him open up and start to trust other people. He especially never expected to fall in love. Nor did he expect, when he finally was brave enough to reveal his most vulnerable self for a chance of true love and happiness, to have it all taken away from him.

I rooted so much for both Alex and Noah from the very first moment and my heart ached for them in their struggles. They were both such wonderful characters, with depth and flaws, and their chemistry was just amazing! I loved the way Briar Prescott captured the suppressed feelings and longings, and how she made us readers come along on Alex’s and Noah’s journey to finding themselves and coming to a decision what’s really worth living for.

All in all, Rare was such an addictive, emotional, poignant and sweet second chance romance about first loves and finding your forever that was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I can’t recommend this book enough!

​Thank you to the author Briar Prescott for providing me with an ebook copy! All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rating:
5 stars

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​Author info:
Briar Prescott

This was such a heartwarming, sweet and romantic story about finding yourself and finding love in the process. The characters were so fleshed out, adorable and easy to root for. The geek/jock romance and nerd makeover tropes were so well done and so sweet it melted my heart.

Andy Carter is the supersmart physics geek, who struggles with anxiety and stage fright, and who thinks he needs to change a thing or two about himself to make his best friend and longtime crush Falcon really see him and reciprocate his feelings. Hence, ‘Project Hero’ is born, where Andy will no longer be the sidekick in his own life, but the actual hero going after what he wants.

Enter Law Anderson, the assistant hockey team coach, who needs someone to tutor his team in physics and persuades Andy to take on the job. Along the way, Law also ends up helping Andy with his Project Hero, and becomes his friend. Or maybe even more, since the idea of Andy succeeding with his mission suddenly doesn’t feel like anything near success at all…

The story is told from both Andy’s and Law’s POVs, which really helped in getting to know the characters and feel for them. There was so much more to both characters than first might be expected. Andy was so adorable and so funny! I loved the way he analyzed everything, and his sarcasm and humor, and the way he dealt with his problems. And Law was such a sweetheart! Not at all the stereotype jock, but kind, caring and sweet. I loved the way their feelings evolved; how Law still wanted to help Andy get the other guy, because he thought that what was Andy wanted, and how clueless Andy was to the idea of Law actually having feelings for him.

Another thing I really appreciated about this story was that both Andy and Law, and Falcon for that matter, were so clear about their gay identities and had already come out years ago and been accepted for who they were by their families and friends. So this was not a story about coming out as gay and dealing with people’s reaction or trying to get accepted, but just as in any other romance novel, it was all about the feelings, the butterflies in your stomach, the wonder of falling in love and having someone love you back. This approach was really refreshing and hopeful, and excellently conveyed. I especially loved Andy’s big, loving, chaotic family and how they immediately took Law to their hearts.

All in all, this was a wonderful and sweet romance, with adorable characters and the great message that the right person will love you for who you are without the need for any makeovers. And that epilogue made me so happy!

​Thank you to the author Briar Prescott for providing me with an ebook copy! All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rating:
4.5 stars rounding up to 5

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​Author info:
Briar Prescott

I’ve been eagerly awaiting this second book in the wonderful Better With You series ever since I read The Happy List. And I’m so so happy to say that this The Dating Experiment met all my high expectations! It was such a cute, heartwarming and hilarious story with my favorite trope enemies-to-lovers and some amazingly snarky banter that almost made me laugh out loud at times.

In the first book in this series, we got to know the two friends Gray and Kai and see them fall in love, and see Gray take an amazing journey from repressed to a person who is willing to take risks and put his heart on the line. This time, focus is on Gray’s older brother, Connor, who is even more self-restrained and controlled, and his PA Jamie. Jamie is quite the opposite to Connor and, needless to say, they don’t get along very well. Jamie spends his time daydreaming about the perfect way to kill his grumpy boss without getting caught, and Connor can’t stand Jamie’s sloppy appearance, his spelling mistakes and his charming ways. But, thanks to help from beyond the grave and a game of Words With Friends, they both get to discover the real person behind the mask, and slowly their connection and suppressed attraction grows into something unexpected.

I loved Briar Prescott’s writing style and the wonderful love/hate dynamic between Jamie and Connor. Their chemistry was amazing already from the start, and the enemies-to-lovers relationship developed with just the perfect pacing. And the banter! The dialogues and comments were so witty, snarky and funny that I almost laughed out loud at times.

I also really loved seeing Gray and Kai from the first book and be pulled into their adorable romance again, as well as Jamie’s friends and their wonderful group dynamics and humor.

Some parts of the book were perhaps a little too explicit for my personal taste, but all in all this was a wonderful and heartwarming story full of snarky banter and sizzling chemistry that I recommend with all my heart!

Thank you to the author Briar Prescott for providing me with an ebook copy! All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rating:
4.5 stars rounding up to 5

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​Author info:
Briar Prescott

The Happy List is such a cute and heart-warming m/m romance story about falling in love with your best friend and about awakenings; to realize that things you’d taken for granted in your life might not be what you actually need or want, and about being brave enough to risk losing it all for love and happiness.

Gray is the responsible, somewhat repressed, lawyer who’s always done what’s expected of him, even though he’s not very happy neither with his career nor his girlfriend. He’s never really done anything crazy or unplanned. Not until he turns his girlfriend’s proposal down and starts realizing that his best friend Kai might be more to him than just a friend. Why else would seeing him with another guy feel like being stabbed in the heart?
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Kai on the other hand has been in love with Gray since they were teenagers, but has finally gotten over it and won’t do anything to jeopardize their friendship. But that’s getting harder and harder to pull off when Gray’s looking at him in a new way…

I loved Briar Prescott’s writing style and the wonderful dynamic between Gray and Kai (even as friends). I loved their banter and the humor, and not to mention the chemistry… It was absolutely sizzling! There were also some really great character developments. I loved the way Gray realized he was not happy at his work, and how he’d never had any real feelings for anyone but Kai. His character development from repressed and stuck in a job he doesn’t like just because it’s what his brother expects of him, to a person who is willing to take risks and put his heart on the line was amazing, and his mix of demisexual and bisexual awakening was so well and realistically executed.

I read this book in one sitting, it was so addictive and I rooted so much for the characters that I just couldn’t bear to put it down until the very end! There isn’t much angst in this book though. No unnecessary drama just for the sake of it, which I really appreciated. Falling in love with your best friend and trying to navigate the way through a new relationship is overwhelming enough.
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All in all, The Happy List is a fast-paced, light, funny and sweet friends-to-lovers tale that will make you smile and warm your heart! I truly recommend it and can’t wait for the second book in the series!

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating:
4.5 stars rounding up to 5

Get your own copy:
Amazon

​Author info:
Briar Prescott