I’m always thrilled to find a book with characters over 35 finding love so that was a huge plus for The Standby Guy and had I liked the heroine more, I would have been over the moon about this book. ~ Slick, Guilty Pleasures
Blurb:
For the last fifteen years, Katie Dixon has been focused on her responsibility as a single mother, raising her son and making ends meet. Now her son’s off to college, her photography business is stable, and she’s more than ready to embrace her “me time,” including a romantic fling or two. The only problem is that she hasn’t dated in years and needs a little help finding her confidence again.
Carter Colburn has been her next door neighbor and closest friend for years. So when he needs a date for a business dinner that could boost his law firm and help keep the family business on solid footing, she offers to pretend to be his girlfriend. He’s funny, sexy, and a confirmed bachelor—the perfect guy to help her find her mojo and nothing more.
But when local residents catch them sharing a tipsy kiss, the rumor mill goes wild. It’s fun to pretend to be dating for a while. But when Carter starts to take the idea of settling down with his best friend seriously, Katie is terrified by the prospect of losing her precious “me time” all over again.
Each book in the Men of Lakeside series is STANDALONE:
* The July Guy
* The Standby Guy
The Standby Guy is the second book in Natasha Moore’s The Men of Lakeside series and while it was a good book, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first in this series. Best friends and neighbors explore more than friendship when one becomes an empty nester and the other decides he wants to be known as more than a rebound guy in this contemporary romance featuring a couple over the age of 40.
Katie Dixon is a widowed single mom bound and determined to having “my time” and enjoying life when her son heads off to college. Having started a list of things she wanted to do when her son was older, Katie soon realizes that she hasn’t dated in years and needs to learn how to navigate the dating waters once again. When her best friend Carter Colburn needs a date to impress a client and clean up his image, he agrees to help Katie get her dating mojo back in exchange for her help landing the client. Soon all their friends and family are excited about their “relationship” when there really isn’t one, but as lines become more blurred both Katie and Carter are having a hard time remembering where they stand with one another.
I went in to this book not sure about Carter and his “playboy” ways but I actually really loved his character. He was so dedicated to his family’s business and the law practice he ran, I honestly think he was just stretched so thin with work that he kept things easy with women because he didn’t have time to devote to a girlfriend. Kate on the other hand came across as selfish and loved making Carter feel bad for his choices, yet was determined to just enjoy flings with no relationship. It took me a good, long while to warm up to her which kept me from thoroughly loving this book. I loved their friendship and the fact they both where very involved in Kate’s son’s life, but for me there was something missing in their relationship.
I’m always thrilled to find a book with characters over 35 finding love so that was a huge plus for The Standby Guy and had I liked the heroine more, I would have been over the moon about this book. It was a good book, but my lack of enthusiasm for the heroine kept me from thoroughly enjoying it.
3.5 stars
Leave a Reply