Breakaway

TEST

There used to be a feature on Goodreads (which I use to track all my reading) where you could see a list of your most read authors. While they sadly discontinued that option a few years ago, I know from having looked at it that Noelle Adams is at the top of my list. She’s a prolific romance author, putting out several novellas every year. Her first novella for 2022 is Breakaway, the start of another new series.

Lily Carmichael has loved Elias Magnusson forever. Their families have been friends for many years and she’s grown up with him and his twin brother Leo.  In contrast to her feelings for Elias, Leo has been a constant thorn in Lily’s side.  When Leo comes to Lily with a proposition to pose as his girlfriend on a family vacation, it’s supposed to be a win-win situation; he’ll get out of awkward questions about his break-up with his last girlfriend and she’ll get to spend time with Elias in hopes that he’ll finally fall for her. The plan is to go on the trip and have an amicable break-up when it’s over and they’ve accomplished their goals. But things go awry when Lily finds that in close proximity, Leo isn’t quite so annoying. In fact, she’s starting to feel a lot more for him than she’d ever imagined. Could she have been pining for the wrong brother all along?

Ah, the ‘I’m-in-love-with-your-twin-brother, can-you-help-me-attract-him’ trope.  And the fake relationship/fake girlfriend trope. Tried and true romance themes where you know exactly how things are going to end but still enjoy the ride along the way.  The author has a writing style that I really enjoy (as evidenced by how many of her books I’ve read) and she paints a believable picture of Leo having had a crush on Lily for years while she’s been interested in his brother and the situation coming to a head.  The Magnussens are very wealthy, and this book is an escape of sorts for the average reader as they visit three very different but luxurious vacation spots (Prague, a Saint Lucia beach resort and a North Carolina ski resort) as part of their family holiday, giving Lily and Leo plenty of time to discover their attraction to each other and explore it in some sexy love scenes. But they also talk to each other, communicating their fears and dreams and childhood experiences, stirring the beginnings of a real romantic relationship that isn’t just about sex.

There are no surprises here. You get exactly what is promised – an easy, low angst, sexy romance with likable characters and a lovely happy ending. It’s a pleasant way to spend a few hours and I’ll be on the lookout for Elias’s book next.

Buy it at: Amazon

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Reviewed by Maria Rose

Grade: B

Sensuality: Warm

Review Date: 20/02/22

Publication Date: 02/2022

Recent Comments …

  1. excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.

I'm a biochemist and a married mother of two. Reading has been my hobby since grade school, and I've been a fan of the romance genre since I was a teenager. Sharing my love of good books by writing reviews is a recent passion of mine, but one which is richly rewarding.

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DiscoDollyDeb
DiscoDollyDeb
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02/20/2022 9:29 am

If you like “the wrong twin” trope and you’re interested in a book from the opposite perspective, Karla Sorensen’s FAKED (one of my favorite reads of 2021) is very good: the heroine has been pining for her (identical) twin sister’s best (male/platonic) friend for years. Her twin persuades her to switch places and attend a function with the guy. But comes the night of the event, instead of the heroine’s crush showing up, it’s his older half-brother, a bad-boy snowboarder. He immediately sees that she is not the twin she claims to be. A wonderful book about seeing and truly being “seen.”

Manjari
Manjari
Reply to  DiscoDollyDeb
02/20/2022 4:45 pm

We like the same types of books! I liked Faked very much and also enjoyed the next in the series (Floored) about the other twin sister. I am behind so I haven’t read the one after that (Forbidden) but I’ll get there eventually :)

DiscoDollyDeb
DiscoDollyDeb
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Reply to  Manjari
02/20/2022 5:28 pm

FORBIDDEN also made my favorites of 2021. Although all of the Ward Sisters books are good, Sorensen does amazing things with the slow burn and incredible levels of unresolved sexual tension in FORBIDDEN. The hero is a widower and the book is quite melancholy in parts, which I also loved. Sorensen can really bring all the feels.

I don’t know if you’ve read Sorensen’s latest, THE PLAN, but I just finished it earlier this week and it’s very good. Grumpy-former-football-player-bodyguard, ftw.

Manjari
Manjari
02/20/2022 2:40 am

It’s nice to see Noelle Adams reviewed on AAR. I enjoy her work – it’s not necessarily unique or groundbreaking but the quality is dependable. Her books tend to be on the shorter side and have a nice flow. I think she does have a distinctive style to her writing. I can typically read one in 3 hours or less and sometimes that fits what I need just right, as I tend to like to read a book straight through. I have loved several of her books and liked the rest that I have read (haven’t read them all as you are right about how prolific she is!). I enjoyed Breakaway and agree with your review – she didn’t do anything new with the tropes but they are tropes I enjoy and it was fun to read about the luxury vacation spots. I will certainly read the next book in the duet. Thanks for the review!

Jenreads
Jenreads
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Reply to  Manjari
02/20/2022 7:20 am

As the kids say, she is low key popular. I can always count on her to get me out of a slump.

DiscoDollyDeb
DiscoDollyDeb
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Reply to  Manjari
02/20/2022 12:49 pm

Noelle Adams also publishes as Claire Kent, who wrote LAST LIGHT and ESCORTED, among others.

Manjari
Manjari
Reply to  DiscoDollyDeb
02/20/2022 4:44 pm

I knew, thanks! I have Last Light but haven’t read it yet. My TBR pile is so large!

Jenreads
Jenreads
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Reply to  Maria Rose
02/20/2022 5:31 pm

I love Escorted! Have you read Second Best? That is my absolute favorite and has the same vibe as Escorted. She packs a lot into less than 200 pages which is something I wish more non-category authors could do.

Manjari
Manjari
Reply to  Jenreads
02/21/2022 12:12 am

I loved Second Best. I will have to check out Escorted if that’s the comparison – thanks!