Title: Not Quite Over You by Susan Mallery
Happily Inc Series Book Four
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Susan Mallery, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fool’s Gold romances, proves there’s nowhere better than Happily Inc to rekindle first love.
Silver Tesdal has a head for business and a mouth made for kissing, and banker Drew Lovato has his eye on both. But ever since he was dumb enough to let her go, she’s kept him at a distance. When the bank turns her down for a loan, Drew sees a double opportunity—he can finance her brilliant, unique idea to rock Happily Inc’s wedding industry and win back her trust.
Despite her reputation, Silver’s not as tough as she seems. Losing Drew nearly destroyed her. Still, his kisses are as tempting as his offer to invest in her business. If she can’t quite get over him, maybe she should get under him and knock him out of her system once and for all.
But her best laid plans begin to unravel as Silver finds herself falling even harder than when they were high school sweethearts. Which means that she’ll have to come clean about the secret she’s been hiding from him for years—and risk losing him forever.
Review:
Not Quite Over You by Susan Mallery is a charming second at love romance. Although this latest release is the fourth installment in the Happily Inc series, it can be read as a standalone.
Silver Tesdal is hoping to expand her business but none of the local banks are willing to give her a loan. So it is quite surprising when her ex-boyfriend from high school, Drew Lovato, offers to provide the funding she needs in exchange for a share of her business. Uneasy about letting him back into her life, Silver reluctantly agrees after she negotiates better terms than his previous offer. Their working relationship hits a few snags but personally? She and Drew are quickly heating up the sheets. However, Silver has been keeping a secret from Drew for the past twelve years and due to circumstances beyond her control, she is going to have to come clean with him. How will Drew react to this stunning disclosure?
Drew is from a wealthy background and in fact, he works in the family owned bank. He is quite content with his life but his mother refuses to give up trying to micromanage his future. Despite the logical next step in his career, Drew has dreams of doing more to help local businesses in the community. Although he knows he and Silver made the right decision to end their relationship years earlier, there is still a simmering attraction between them. He genuinely wants to help her grow her business, but Drew is also hoping to reconnect with her on a personal level. However, Drew is blindsided by her shocking revelation but is his reaction fair to Silver?
Drew and Silver are a lovely couple and they easily slip into a casual relationship. However, despite her business successes, Silver’s childhood has left its scars which leads to self-doubt when manipulated by Drew’s interfering family members. In spite of Drew’s continued refusals to join the family business, his mother will not take him seriously. Drew and Silver both lack emotional self-awareness and it takes both of them an incredibly long time to sort out their feelings for one another. There is a bit of drama since Silver’s knee-jerk reaction is to run away when trouble arises but the conflict between them is fairly short-lived.
Not Quite Over You is an engaging love story that old and news of the Happily Inc series will enjoy. Silver and Drew are appealing characters whose strengths and shortcomings are easy to relate to. Silver and Drew’s romance is believable and it is quite enjoyable watching them fall in love again. Drew’s mother is very irritating but Grandpa Frank and Silver’s friends are wonderful. Susan Mallery provides very intriguing glimpses of Wynn and Jasper which will leave readers eager to see what will the future holds for them.
