Title: Mr. Right Goes Wrong by Pamela Morsi
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Mira
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
No More Mr. Nice Guy
Like a bad-choice-making boomerang, Mazy Gulliver has returned to her mom’s tiny house in Brandt Mountain. But this time, she’s got her teenage son, Tru, in tow and no intention of messing up ever again.Mazy’s so determined to rebuild her life she hardly minds beingthe new loan collector, or even working for Tad, her ex. She’s not here to make friends—or fall in love.
Sweet, dependable Eli Latham has loved Mazy since they got pretend married in second grade. But after being burned by Mazy for two decades, Eli’s got a new strategy. Mazy likes bad boys, so a bad boy is what he’ll be. How hard can it be to act like a jerk?
Not for the first time, men are making Mazy crazy, though she’s determined to do what’s right for her and Tru. But breaking old habits is hard, and if she really wants things to change she’ll have to face her biggest adversary: herself.
The Review:
Mr. Right Goes Wrong by Pamela Morsi is a wonderful novel about starting over and finding love when least expected. Next door neighbors and childhood friends Mazy Gulliver and Eli Latham have had a couple of ill-fated romances in the past, but with Mazy’s sudden return, is it finally their chance for lasting happiness? Or will Mazy’s past and Eli’s doubts destroy their future together?
Moving back to her small hometown with her fourteen year old son, Tru, Mazy is determined to get her life back on track. Unfortunately, the only person whom she can irrefutably count on to give her the job she desperately needs is her ex, Tad Driscoll. Her relief at her new beginning is tempered by the mistrust her new job as a loan collector engenders in the small town but luckily, she can count on her friendship with Eli to bolster her sometimes flagging self-confidence.
Mazy is painfully honest and refreshingly upfront about her past mistakes. There are a multitude of reasons behind her unfortunate selections when it comes to men, but she finally has a better idea of what precipitated her poor choices and she is not going to slip back into her old habits. The first step in her new, improved life is renewing her friendship with Eli, and she is stunned at the changes in her perception of Eli. For the first time, she sees him as the sexy, attractive man he has become instead of the boy next door.
Eli has been in love with Mazy most of his life and despite how badly things ended between them years earlier, he harbors no ill will towards her. The two eagerly pick up where they left off, but this time around, Eli is not going to let Mazy slip through his fingers. After watching her fall for bad boy after bad boy, he devises what he thinks is a foolproof plan that will keep her from leaving him. Instead of being the nice, loving, thoughtful man he really is, Eli puts his harebrained scheme into motion and morphs into the insensitive, selfish, offensive boyfriend she is trying to avoid.
It is very difficult to watch the relationship between Mazy and Eli unfold. She is so hopeful that she is entering into a new phase in her life and the fact that Eli is willing to let her back in his life is an unexpected bonus. Her confusion over his conflicting behaviors is heartbreaking and I hated seeing her self-doubts return. Mazy put up with his bad behavior for far too long, but in end? It was completely worth it because it showed her how much she had truly changed from the person she used to be.
Eli is such a nice guy that he lets people take advantage of him and in the beginning, it is easy to overlook his horrendous decision. He takes some really bad advice to heart and his past experiences with Mazy also play a role in the conclusions he reaches. Some of his reasoning is well-intentioned, and he finds it very difficult to be deliberately hurtful. But things go a little too far when he begins to relish some of his hurtful actions and when his plan falls apart, I was thrilled by how Mazy handled the entire situation.
With Mr. Right Goes Wrong, Pamela Morsi delivers yet another thought-provoking and dynamic novel that is sweet, hopeful and just a little poignant. The characters are flawed and imperfect and although watching them deal with life’s harsher moments is sometimes painful, it is incredibly gratifying watching them triumph over their problems. The romance between Eli and Mazy is touching and although they endure a few rough spots, their happily ever after is definitely worth the heartache.
Mr. Right Goes Wrong is another delightful novel by one of my favorite authors that I highly recommend.
