Weekend Fling
Author: Stacey Lynn
Reviewer: Jen
Rating: C+
What I’m Talking About:
The last six months have been awful for Willow. Her dad walked out on her mom about a year ago, and her mom has fallen apart. Then Willow’s long-term (5 years) boyfriend declared their relationship was over and kicked her out. When she moved back home she discovered her mom and lost her job because she stopped showing up. Willow is working two jobs to try and keep the bills paid, and they are struggling.
Trey (millionaire app creator from previous book) flirts with Willow and has been asking her out weekly for the past two months. He wants to get to know Willow and offers her a weekend away while he attends the wedding of his best friend. Hesitant at first, Willow decides to go for it, giving herself a long-overdue vacation.
Weekend Fling is fun, but missed the mark for me. At first Trey kind of creeped me out. He is very aggressive about getting Willow to go out with him. Additionally, he objectifies Willow, making it all about how hot her body is, to an amount that made me uncomfortable with him as a hero. However, once they get away, we witness his tender side, seeing how he takes care of those in his inner circle.
Willow is run down and in need of time away, but she worries about her mom, who clearly has coping issues. Whether Willow didn’t want to see her mom’s mental issues, or if she was too busy trying to take care of their lives, it is evident to the reader that her mom needs help, which makes it predictable that as soon as Willow gets away, her mom has a breakdown.
The pair experience intense attraction and instalove, although Willow denies her feelings because of guilt over her mom. Luckily Trey pushes her with gentle reminders that he’s not going away, helping her realize she can depend on him. They share smexy times, but the actual connecting on a deeper level doesn’t fully develop on page.
Weekend Fling is very easy and light, even in dealing with serious mental issues. In the Author’s Notes, Ms. Lynn discusses how her friend took her own life and how that impacted the story. How she needed to address that emotional component for herself while keeping the book light. I would say she’s done that, but at the same time I feel like the mom was just a prop to add conflict to the couple who otherwise had it easy.
My Rating: C+ Liked It, but I had issues
Jen
About the Book:
Fresh out of a long-term relationship, Willow Parks is working two jobs and caring for her mother, whose husband left her with nothing but a pile of bills. That’s why Willow made a vow: no men until she figures out her own life.
But while she may not need a man, she could use a break. And a weekend away at a California beach to clear her head? That’s appealing. Even if the offer comes from Trey Collins, the irresistible tech-mogul millionaire who visits her coffee shop every morning like clockwork—and needs a date for his best friend’s wedding. With an adorable, occasional stutter, he refuses to take no for an answer.
Once the weekend begins, Trey is intent on proving how good they can be together. Willow’s even feeling tempted to break her vow—until reality rudely interrupts her well-deserved getaway. There’s no way she and Trey have a future, not with the colossal amount of baggage Willow has to offer.
But Trey is used to getting what he wants. He just has his work cut out for him convincing her that they want the same thing.
Release Date: November 26, 2019
Publisher: Loveswept
Series: Crazy Love #4; Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: NetGalley
Purchase Info:
Amazon (affiliate link)
Reviews in the Series:
Fake Wife by Stacey Lynn (Crazy Love #1; Standalone)
Knocked Up by Stacey Lynn (Crazy Love #2; Standalone)
28 Dates by Stacey Lynn (Crazy Love #3; Standalone)