Overall Grade: B-
Tropes: runaway bride; single dad; small town romance; hate to love; enemies to lovers; grumpy/sunshine; “I’ll kill anyone who hurts this woman”
Let me begin with this: I adore Max Monroe. From my head to my toes, I have loved their stories. I have felt, however, that some of their humor had become a bit staid. It didn’t have the same punch as their earlier billionaires’ books, and I was excited by how they talked about What I Should’ve Said, their newest book. This is a single dad, runaway bride, small-town romance at its most basic level, but they (they being Max Monroe) are right: it is something they haven’t written in a while. I’m an unusual Max Monroe reader because my favorite Max Monroe book is The Girl in the Painting. It’s unlike much of their book list, and something about it grabbed me. It’s hung onto my soul even though it’s been a couple of years since its release. For me, What I Should’ve Said feels shaded in the same feelings as The Girl in the Painting, which made me think I would love this story beyond measure. While I was caught in the thrall of Norah and Bennett and felt the tense emotion of this story, I struggled with this story. Not because I needed it to have the humor of the billionaires or the Winslow brothers or the funny stories series. One part of this book was developed in a way that caused one of the most important parts of the book, the chemistry and relational development of the couple, to be underdeveloped. The plotting and development of the story were uneven, ticking me off. Why? Because Max Monroe have found another place to inhabit in romancelandia, and I love it when authors try something new.
I can’t divulge details even though I’m sure the emotional gravitas of this story has been revealed elsewhere. However, I can speak to Norah and Bennett’s story. You see, their initial hate-to-love was developed well and intentionally. It made sense that Bennett would be annoyed with Norah; she represents aspects of his past. And his present is taken up with his daughter. The more Max Monroe had them cross paths and fight their attraction, the more I was enticed into the story. When Norah meets and falls in love with Bennett’s daughter, Summer, the story becomes more complicated, and I was curious how they’d bring Bennett and Norah together because it seemed so complicated. Except in dealing with Summer’s emotional storyline, they gave up the tension between Bennett and Norah. They attempt to resurrect it later in the story, but by then, the ship has sailed, and it reads as more manipulative of the readers’ emotions than congruent with the story. And it saddened me.
There is a depth of emotion in What I Should’ve Said that is striking and looks good on Max Monroe. I want more of these stories. I think the stories can be balanced, and this one got away from them given the plot line regarding Summer. The ending of this book is absolutely beautiful, and you will end it feeling bittersweet, a great emotion to feel at the end of a book. There is much more to cull from this small-town world, and I am ready to see where Max Monroe takes us.
In love and romance,
Professor A
Professor Romance 