Review: Ready or Not by Melissa Brayden (Soho Loft #3)
Note: This ARC was provided by Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
In college, Mallory Spencer had a dream to create a boutique advertising and public relations agency with her three best friends and make it a success. Nine years later, Savvy Soho continues to make a name for itself, giving clients more than the usual and creating a solid reputation for itself. With Mallory at the helm, she's used to managing everyone else in order to get every project done well. While you won't hear her complain about the state of her professional life is, it's her personal life that appears to have been stuck in the doldrums far longer than she realized. Her best friends have significant others in their lives and appear to be more than ready to settle down, leaving Mallory the odd woman out. She knows what she wants in a woman, and while she's insanely attracted to one in particular, she's nowhere close to the ideal.
Not only is she a kickass bartender, Hope Sanders is a business owner who wants a bar that's more than a place to get the usual cocktails and fare you can find anywhere else. She has plans, but the sudden appearance of her twin sister doesn't bode well for those plans, especially since money is involved. Proving to be an effective distraction is her attraction to buttoned-down, all-business Mallory Spencer. The woman is gorgeous and appeals to Hope in ways no other woman has. Yes, she appears to be high maintenance and somewhat pretentious, but Hope finds herself wanting to get to know the woman behind the no-nonsense shell. They may not make much sense together, but they click. Now, ready or not, their feelings are about to lead them to parts unknown--and it could either be happily-ever-after or heartbreak.
Melissa Brayden is one of my go-to authors, meaning that I don't even have to read the blurb, the second I see her name, I'll go ahead and read the book. Ready or Not was a book I've been waiting to get my hands on for months, it being the Soho Loft series ender. This was a series that I loved from the beginning and the first two books set the bar quite high (but then, that's what happens with every Melissa Brayden book), so I was anxious and excited to finally see Mallory Spencer find her way to her happily-ever-after. Paired with bar owner Hope Sanders, Mallory is out of her comfort zone with the beautiful woman who seems to push her buttons and does it for kicks. While Hope may seem like a totally kickback type of woman, she's dealing with issues concerning her twin sister and then there are pressing matters concerning Showplace.
Both Mallory and Hope come off as opposites but they actually share a number of similarities, which is why the two work as a couple. Yes, Mallory comes from a far more privileged life but she knows what's it's like to work hard for what you want and she thrives on competition. Hope's desire to take Showplace up another notch shows that she doesn't want to just be a simple bar owner. Both women refuse to rest on their laurels and they're surrounded by friends that they can count on and trust. They also have their share of family-oriented issues, so they aren't as different as they may have come off in the beginning. I liked seeing how Mallory evolved as a main character here, especially since she's been known to have a strong personality. To be able to see her in a more romantic and far softer light made this worth the wait.
I'm sad that the Soho Loft series has come to a close with this third and final book, but I do take from it four very memorable best friends--Mallory Spencer, Brooklyn Campbell, Samantha Ennis, and Hunter Blair--and three beautifully told love stories that showed that these women could overcome whatever challenges came their way, whether professionally or personally, as long as they had each other and the women they loved--Jessica Lennox and Hope Sanders. This series has become one of my all-time favorites and while my heart is breaking a bit that it's ending, I'm looking forward to seeing what Melissa Brayden has in store for all of us in 2016. Series ender Ready or Not gets a much deserved five out of five stars, which ends up giving the series an average overall rating of five stars. I highly recommend this fab series. ♥
Read my reviews for the Soho Loft series:
Not only is she a kickass bartender, Hope Sanders is a business owner who wants a bar that's more than a place to get the usual cocktails and fare you can find anywhere else. She has plans, but the sudden appearance of her twin sister doesn't bode well for those plans, especially since money is involved. Proving to be an effective distraction is her attraction to buttoned-down, all-business Mallory Spencer. The woman is gorgeous and appeals to Hope in ways no other woman has. Yes, she appears to be high maintenance and somewhat pretentious, but Hope finds herself wanting to get to know the woman behind the no-nonsense shell. They may not make much sense together, but they click. Now, ready or not, their feelings are about to lead them to parts unknown--and it could either be happily-ever-after or heartbreak.
Melissa Brayden is one of my go-to authors, meaning that I don't even have to read the blurb, the second I see her name, I'll go ahead and read the book. Ready or Not was a book I've been waiting to get my hands on for months, it being the Soho Loft series ender. This was a series that I loved from the beginning and the first two books set the bar quite high (but then, that's what happens with every Melissa Brayden book), so I was anxious and excited to finally see Mallory Spencer find her way to her happily-ever-after. Paired with bar owner Hope Sanders, Mallory is out of her comfort zone with the beautiful woman who seems to push her buttons and does it for kicks. While Hope may seem like a totally kickback type of woman, she's dealing with issues concerning her twin sister and then there are pressing matters concerning Showplace.
Both Mallory and Hope come off as opposites but they actually share a number of similarities, which is why the two work as a couple. Yes, Mallory comes from a far more privileged life but she knows what's it's like to work hard for what you want and she thrives on competition. Hope's desire to take Showplace up another notch shows that she doesn't want to just be a simple bar owner. Both women refuse to rest on their laurels and they're surrounded by friends that they can count on and trust. They also have their share of family-oriented issues, so they aren't as different as they may have come off in the beginning. I liked seeing how Mallory evolved as a main character here, especially since she's been known to have a strong personality. To be able to see her in a more romantic and far softer light made this worth the wait.
I'm sad that the Soho Loft series has come to a close with this third and final book, but I do take from it four very memorable best friends--Mallory Spencer, Brooklyn Campbell, Samantha Ennis, and Hunter Blair--and three beautifully told love stories that showed that these women could overcome whatever challenges came their way, whether professionally or personally, as long as they had each other and the women they loved--Jessica Lennox and Hope Sanders. This series has become one of my all-time favorites and while my heart is breaking a bit that it's ending, I'm looking forward to seeing what Melissa Brayden has in store for all of us in 2016. Series ender Ready or Not gets a much deserved five out of five stars, which ends up giving the series an average overall rating of five stars. I highly recommend this fab series. ♥
Read my reviews for the Soho Loft series:
Kiss the Girl (book one - Brooklyn & Jessica) - 4.5 stars - My Review
Just Three Words (book two - Samantha & Hunter) - five-plus stars - My Review
Ready or Not (book three - Mallory & Hope) - five stars - My Review (posted above)
Date Read: 21 November 2015
Learn more about Melissa Brayden.
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