Review Tuesday: You Can’t Hurry Love by A.N. Verebes – #EnemiesToLovers #EroticRomance #ReviewTuesday

You Can’t Hurry Love by A.N. Verebes

Neat Celebrations, 2022

Charlie Rhodes is definitely not the diplomatic type. Rough and ready, quick-witted and a bit snarky, the construction contractor has a talent for making comments that rub people the wrong way. When he unintentionally insults his movie star brother’s girlfriend Gemma, he earns the lasting ire of Gemma’s best friend Sara Carlisle.

Sara and Gemma have been closer than sisters for decades. After Sara’s mother died, Gemma’s family took her in and helped soothe some of the hurt. Thus Sara can hardly escape some contact with the annoying if attractive Brit who’s the uncle of Gemma’s accidental baby. He and his mum visit Brisbane to see little Zoe almost every holiday, so Sara has to endure his disturbingly sexy presence as well as his clever wise-cracks.

Everything changes at one family dinner, when the usually casual Charlie walks in to the restaurant looking devastating in a suit and tie, and Sara impulsively lures him into a torrid quickie in the bathroom. The two begin a secret long-distance relationship, flirting remotely and engaging in naughty video calls. But with their beloved careers half a world away from one another, as well as Charlie’s adamant opposition to having kids, can they really have a future?

I’m not a romance fan. I know, that’s a weird thing to say for someone who sometimes writes romance. Don’t get me wrong, I love the high of a happy ending as much as anyone. Unfortunately, romance is so hemmed in by conventions, stereotypes and tropes that I often find it predictable and boring.

For me to enjoy a romance novel, it needs at least one of the following: a really original premise; engaging and complex characters; or fabulous eroticism.

A.N. Verebes’ You Can’t Hurry Love hits two of the three. The outlines of the story are familiar: enemies to lovers, long distance relationship, doubts about love when approaching middle age. However, both Charlie and Sara are lively, likable and quite believable. Their banter sparkles and their anxieties feel real. Distance, family concerns, career concerns – these might seem mundane but they do affect the course of relationships.

Meanwhile, although there aren’t that many sex scenes in this book (especially compared to my erotic romance!), Sara’s and Charlie’s physical relationship is off-the-charts hot. Ms. Verebes does a wonderful job conveying the intensity of their mutual attraction. I know that sexual compatibility doesn’t necessarily translate to emotional compatibility in the real world, but in the world of romance, I really want it to. Great sex isn’t enough to hold a relationship together – but it definitely helps!

Hence, I really enjoyed You Can’t Hurry Love. As a plus, it’s a beautiful book, in terms of its layout and production. That’s not something one expects of an e-book; you’re lucky if the fonts are consistent and the spelling is correct. The front matter for this novel notes that the book was professionally typeset, and it shows.

I should say that it’s also worth reading the dedication. I smile every time I do.

If you like intelligent, well-written contemporary romance, I think you’ll enjoy You Can’t Hurry Love.

(I received a free copy of this book from the author, with no commitment to review.)