TEST
If you’re ever in the mood for a contemporary novel with large helpings of wit, humor, and awkwardness, I would advise you to seek out Penny Reid. I’ve been a big fan of her Winston Borthers series in recent years, and jumped at the chance to read the first entry in her new trilogy with Homecoming King. Although not my favorite of her books, it’s still a fun time.
Abigail McNerny and Rex McMurtry are both slightly odd ducks, which is maybe why Abby had such a big crush on Rex growing up. While Rex was always popular – a star football player who eventually went pro – Abby largely flew under the radar at school. But both of them have some loner tendencies, a point which becomes obvious when their lives collide in adulthood and Rex walks into Abby’s bar.
As the book opens, Abby is affirming to her friend Kaylee that she has sworn off dating. Abby fell for, married, and was swindled by a con man running a Ponzi scheme shortly after graduating high school (around the time her mother died, which sadly put her in a vulnerable state) and has had no real interest in the dating game since. Satisfied with tending bar and slowly repaying the debts she was saddled with in her divorce, Abby is wary of giving another person such power over her again. Kaylee, as a good friend, doesn’t want to see Abby miss out on something important in life, and encourages her to talk to the next hot guy who walks into the bar. As it turns out, that next person is none other than Rex McMurtry, Abby’s longtime crush.
Tongue-tied in front of the strong and silent Rex, it takes Abby until about closing time to realize that Rex is drunk – far more than the two beers she poured him would suggest. Feeling guilty that her feelings blinded her to the realization she was serving a drunk – and knowing he’s a good guy after eighteen years of growing up together – Abby takex Rex back to her place to sleep off the drinks after he tells her he has nowhere else to go. Reid’s signature style of blending comedy and awkward moments is all over this book as Rex drunkenly proposes marriage to Abby, throws up on her and her car, and then wakes up with memory loss and suspicious of the stranger who undressed him. Meanwhile Abby assures him she used oven mitts to undress him and “didn’t see anything”. It’s a riot watching these two stumble around each other.
However, just as the good times get started, the story takes a twist I didn’t particularly like. As they talk, Rex comes to understand Abby’s opposition to dating and, realizing he won’t have a chance with her through a normal courtship, proposes a marriage of convenience. He offers to pay her for marrying him, justifying it by saying he’s tired of the way the media calls him “Training Wheels” because every woman he dates ends up meeting her future husband immediately after or while going out with him. Having a wife of his own will get them off his back and allow him to refocus on football, and this deal will allow Abby to repay her debts much sooner. Convinced by his earnestness, and frankly interested in any excuse which will let her see more of him, Abby agrees.
Rex and Abby are hot together, and funny together, and the story is packed with enough chemistry and laughs to make for a good time. However the piece I kept stumbling over – which Abby does too – is the ‘paid to be married to Rex’ part. He’s upfront that he’s not paying for or expecting sex, but as the two grow closer it’s increasingly confusing where the line of the fake marriage ends and real interest begins. Added to that, Abby is terrible at reading guys and trusting her instincts after all she went through with her ex. So there are more than a few minor misunderstandings and hiccups along the way, which are both funny and frustrating. I really do wish there was another plot device that could have been used to bring Abby and Rex closer. For all that they’re great together, the uncomfortable exchange of money kept taking me out of the story.
All of that said, I would equate books by Penny Reid with ice-cream – even when it’s not your favorite flavor, it’s still delicious! Homecoming King is an enjoyable start to a new series, and I look forward to the books to come.
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Grade: B-
Book Type: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 01/01/22
Publication Date: 12/2021
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
College student by day. Book enthusiast around the clock. With any luck I'll eventually be able to afford food AND books. But I've got my priorities straight.
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Agreed, the fake marriage thing was a bit too much for me as well. It’s still a cute story though.
This was a DNF for me. I just couldn’t believe in either character. And the whole fake marriage thing seemed super odd. But I’m not a fan of quirky which is something I think is a part of Reid’s work.