As a big fan of romances and romantic comedies, Happy New You sounded like the book for me. An author that I have read from before and a group of ten other authors got together and wrote this story. Thanks to the authors for providing me with an ARC, so I can read and review.
Eleven authors is a lot to put in the title of the review, but they definitely all deserve credit for this amazing story. The following authors wrote this book: Brenda St. John Brown, Cassie-Ann L. Miller, Ceri Grenelle, Elizabeth Lynx, Jami Albright, Julia Wolf, Laura Lee, Marika Ray, Mya Martin, Nikky Kaye and Sylvie Stewart.
★10 Resolutions. 2 Friends. 1 Shot At Love. ★
I’ll admit, having nine New Year’s resolutions makes me twitchy. After all, I’m Allison Gottlieb; overthinker, overachiever, hot mess extraordinaire. I’ve spent my entire life trying to be the best but for some reason, I’ve always fallen short. When a near meltdown (and maybe too much champagne) lands me in front of an old friend, things finally start looking up.
If Mateo Ramirez, personal trainer, self-discipline junkie, and the Internet’s favorite smoothie-making underwear model, offers to help you, you say yes. We haven’t seen each other in years but if anyone can help me turn my life around, it’s him. His smokin’ hot body is cold, hard proof of that.
Don’t judge me; I’m a lawyer. I like proof. A lot.
Mateo promises to test my limits and help me face my fears. He’s even feeding my neurosis by giving me that wonderfully even-numbered tenth resolution. But what I don’t know is that, in the midst of helping me check each item off my agenda, he has some resolutions of his own. And they all lead to one thing: becoming more than friends.
Eleven romantic comedy authors have teamed up to bring you HAPPY NEW YOU, a sexy, funny, heartwarming story about friendship, perseverance, and finding love in this crazy thing we call life. Oh, and the magic of onesie pajamas.
Review
I have to start off by saying how amazing it is that eleven authors were able to create one book that read like one author wrote it. To be honest, I couldn’t tell where one author ended and the other would begin. That is definitely a talent!
Happy New You was a fun book to start off the year with. Everyone thinks about resolutions, but most people don’t write ten to complete for the year. Except if you’re Allison. She’s an overachiever and overthinker (exactly how she describes herself) and kind of had a breakdown at a party New Year’s Eve. All her hard work apparently won’t be paying off and she doesn’t know how to deal.
Mateo seemed like a hardworking guy and is only at a party to have the chance to speak to a potential investor. That doesn’t go as planned and the last person he expects to see is Allison, the woman who he’s had a crush on since high school.
Allison and Mateo are so much fun and reading about them at a café writing resolutions was really fun. Allison is determined to change in the new year. Getting in shape, learning how to flirt, cooking a signature dish are all resolutions she’s got planned to accomplish. Mateo being a personal trainer just happens to work out perfectly.
Underneath my sharply cut blazers and my quick-witted legal jargon, I’m sort of a mess, a woman fumbling around for her place in the world.
Every chapter tells us what month of the year it is. I loved reading both POVs and how they were experiencing everything. Mateo is determined to open his own gym where even the less fortunate can come and work out. He’s a hardworker and I love how much he cares for people. I’m sure the shirtless smoothie selfies help the following as well, haha. Mateo is the perfect gentleman even when he doesn’t want to be.
Allison was a frustrating character at times. Her mother won’t leave her alone about settling down and having kids when all she thinks about is her career. Staying up all night or even working all weekend is something she sees as normal. Allison doesn’t seem to know how to let loose until Mateo starts getting her out of her comfort zone. I loved seeing Allison do things she never would and start to feel good about herself.
The romance in this book was a lot of fun. I loved that it was slow burn. It was clear there was an attraction, but they took it slow. It took Allison awhile to realize what was going on. Mateo was so sweet and patient while Allison started figuring things out. Her work definitely caused some issues though. She just couldn’t let go. Allison takes awhile to understand that there is more to life outside of work. And she frustrated me when she would let this amazing man go for a contract that could be fixed on Monday morning!
If you’re looking for a fun romance, with hardworking characters who have amazing chemistry, this book is definitely for you. Add the scenes with onesie pyjamas and you get a fun book. Happy New You is filled with love, friendship and chasing your dreams!
Have you ever read amazings book written by multiple authors? Let me know in the comments what other books I need to check out!
