A FINE MESSby Kelly Siskind
Series: Over The Top #2
Genres: Contemporary
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: August 2nd 2016
Source: ARC received for review
Rating: ★★★★1/2
Amazon - Barnes & Noble
Some guys should come with a warning label . . .
Sawyer West is Mr. One-Night Stand.
He doesn't do relationships or promises or feelings. He's never cared enough to get involved. Until Lily Roberts.
She's sweet and shy and sexy as sin, and resisting her is testing his self-control.
She believes Sawyer can be a better man, and for the first time in his life, he wants to be.
But change isn't easy, and Sawyer would do anything to protect Lily from his past self.
Even break his own heart . . .
I have been eagerly awaiting Kelly Siskind's A Fine Mess, having absolutely devoured the first book in this fun companion series. As much as I adored My Perfect Mistake, I knew that this one would topple every expectation that I had for it. And boy did it slay all my expectations and give me one of the swooniest romance novels I have ever read.
Sawyer and Lily met in the first book in Aspen. Despite the crackling chemistry between the two, they never acted on their lust because of Lily being in a long-term relationship. But they remain very good friends and even work together. One of my concerns going into A Fine Mess was that Lily would take forever to break up with her boyfriend, but I was pleasantly surprised that they broke up very early on in the book, realizing that she wasn't in love with him and that they both deserved better.
I loved loved loved Lily's character so much. She was quirky, sweet and so gentle. She's the kind of main character who seems quiet when she's surrounded by her loud and vibrant friends, but who is internally one of the brightest and strongest people out there. Lily is also a compulsive shopper and hoarder, not in a cute way, but in a serious and unhealthy way. It's something she started doing after her nana passed. Every time she is stressed, she goes on a thrift-shopping spree and makes up back-stories about the things she buys. She is also dealing with this all by herself. I really appreciated Kelly Siskind shedding light into this form of OCD and doing so with care. It's always nice when you can learn something from a book.
Sawyer was easily able to woo me too as did Lily. He had that playboy status going around him that I wasn't entirely sure about, but it was so very obvious that he was head over heels in love with Lily. He does everything he can to make her smile and he's just always there for her. His family life hasn't been the easiest and he's afraid that he'll turn out to be a cheater just as the rest of his family members, so he is very reluctant to start an intimate relationship with Lily. Sawyer could be very bull-headed at times, but I fell hard for this guy. His thinking might have been flawed, but I thought it was incredibly sweet that he wanted to protect Lily. I loved it even more when he went after her and chased her and made her feel special. Sawyer was everything that I love in a romantic hero.
The romance was everything that I wanted it to be. I loved that it started off with friendship. And when Sawyer chases after Lily to Belize? Oh my heart! The chemistry between them was intense and so very achy. I couldn't help but cheer on for these to kiss and find their way to their happily ever after together. What's also terrific about the romance between Sawyer and Lily was how openly they communicated with each other. They were a couple that gave equal attention to the talking and physical aspects of their relationship. And the fact that they are supportive of each other and just how much they encourage each other to be better versions of themselves made me believe in their romance fiercely. And oh my goodness! The ending scenes of them reuniting were so so romantic. There's no doubt about it, Sawyer and Lily are one of my all-time favorite OTPs!
The female friendship in the Over the Top series is also great. I love the bond between Lily, Raven and Shay. They are the kind of girl friends who would spread rumors about your ex having an STD or burn their car, if you asked them too. They were that solid and they always brought a smile on my face when they interacted together. It was nice getting to see Shay and Kolton going strong as ever and being horny as ever! ;) I'm also ridiculously excited for Raven and Nico's story. I NEED to know what happened between them in Aspen.
A Fine Mess is the perfect book to read if you want a romance book to leave you with all the feels. It's funny, sweet and oh so romantic. Kelly Siskind is a literary forced to be reckoned with in the contemporary romance genre and I can't wait to see what else she has to offer.
Are you interested in reading A Fine Mess?
Let me know in the comments below!
