Title: More Than This by Shannyn Schroeder
The O’Leary’s Book One
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Word Length: 102,100
Book Rating: B
Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
When a lonely teacher teams up with a handsome bartender for some outrageous acts, they both get more than they bargained for…
Learning her ex-husband is going to be a father, Quinn Adams is determined to have a baby of her own—without the partnership of a man. But her sister and friends believe she needs to focus on herself first, and step out of her comfort zone by completing a list of adventures. Challenge number one is to go on five dates within two weeks. After a few disastrous attempts, Quinn’s ready to give up—until sexy bartender Ryan O’Leary offers his assistance.
Ryan has always been the dependable one in his family, often at his expense. But lately, he’s been longing for a life—and a woman—of his own. The woman he has in mind is Quinn. Though it seems all she wants is friendship, Ryan can’t ignore the explosive chemistry he feels between them. In the hopes of becoming closer, Ryan offers to help out with Quinn’s list. But when she asks him for a serious favor, he’s afraid it will jeopardize his chance to become more than friends.
102,100 Words.
The Review:
Fans of friends to lovers novels will want to add debut author Shannyn Schroeder’s More Than This to their must have list. An absolutely fun yet sexy read, I loved watching this mismatched pair find their way to happily ever after.
Quinn Adams’ one and only impulsive act ended in divorce and she now leads a carefully controlled and mapped out life. Her ex-husband’s announcement that he is going to be a dad shakes up her world and Quinn decides it is time to take control of her destiny. Acting on her sister Indy and best friend Kate’s advice, Quinn is ready to step out of her comfort zone and have a few outrageous escapades before she has the baby she has been longing for.
Ryan O’Leary is rock solid and dependable. Running two bars and dealing with family drama leaves little room for fun in his life. That is until his attraction to Quinn finds him offering to become her wingman as she stumbles from one bad date to the next. But the fun really begins when Ryan begins helping her check items off her list and their friendship crosses over into forbidden territory of lovers.
Ryan and Quinn’s relationship is a slowing growing and goes back and forth from friends to lovers and back again. For every few steps forward they make, they usually wind up taking one step back. Quinn has her sights set on achieving her goals and she has a very difficult time stepping out of her well-ordered life. She greatly values their friendship and her biggest fear is if their romance ends, she will lose Ryan as a friend.
The supporting cast of characters is superb and adds a great deal of depth to the story. Quinn’s sister Indy is her complete opposite and with her help, Quinn begins to find some much needed self-confidence. Ryan’s large family provides some of the conflict in the novel and I am crossing my fingers they will star in future books. Ryan’s friend Griffin is quite intriguing and Ms. Schroeder is pairing him up with Indy in the next book in the series. I am definitely looking forward to seeing what she has in store for this couple.
More Than This is an absolutely delightful novel with laugh out loud humor and charming characters. The story is well-executed and Shannyn Schroeder puts a unique spin on the friends to lovers storyline. It is a heartwarming romance that readers are sure to enjoy.
