If you haven't been introduced to Pippa Grant's work, you're missing out and I highly suggest you start rectifying that situation - here's the proper story timeline reading order (you'll thank me, I promise).
I really thought my go-to genre was paranormal romance, but after I had some down time during my recovery from surgery in March, I discovered the wonderful world of romantic comedies, thanks to Pippa and a delightfully funny love story about a tweet gone awry.
After devouring America's Geekheart (yes, Beck Ryder IS my ultimate Book Boyfriend, even though he doesn't know it), I quickly had to backtrack and find the correct reading order and start immediately immersing myself in the Pippaverse. Luckily, this meant I got to read Beck and Sarah's story all over again since the suggested series reading order placed it at book number three, as well as having 13 new books to read. It also meant I came in on the tail end of the series, just as two more books were being added, and seriously curbed the despair I felt as my mind frantically raced with the thought of, "What do I read now while I'm waiting for the next book?"
Signing up for every Pippa Grant social media fan group I could also brought me the opportunity to take part in reviewing this latest installment, The Hot Mess and the Heartthrob, as part of the new release campaign from Give Me Books. As an aspiring author who will most likely self-publish, reviewing books published independently is something I happily support (plus, hello! I get to read the book before it's released!), especially authors that continue giving fans like myself tiny glimpses into the lives of our favorite characters after they've gotten their Happily Ever After.
Now that I've gotten my hands on Levi Wilson's story, which I received at 3 a.m. on Sunday and immediately read through all the way to the end in less than 2 hours, I am struggling with writing this review because there are so many opportunities for spoilers, and I refuse to spoil this book for you! I will share with you the excerpt, however:
"You don’t know me, but you do know me. I’m your neighborhood hot mess single mom, doing my best to keep my head above water while running my little slice of heaven and keeping my youngest from shoving marbles up his nose, which is exactly what he’s doing the first time Levi Wilson, pop star god, world’s sexiest man, and my all-time number one celebrity obsession, walks into my bookstore.
Related: I’m writing this from beyond the grave, because I’ve died of mortification and am now residing in an alternate universe.
I have to be.
Because Levi Wilson came back.
And we had a moment.
Like, a moment moment. The kind that makes me remember that adult pleasure isn’t all about hoping the lock holds in the bathroom so your kids don’t interrupt on the rare occasion you feel like taking an extra-long mommy-time shower.
So when he proposes a no-strings fling?
Count. Me. In.
Thrill of a lifetime, right?
Surely, nothing will go wrong…"
For those who are new to the Pippaverse, I will say that I never much paid attention to what Levi was doing in the other books. It's not that Levi wasn't an interesting character, it's just that my focus was more on the main characters of that particular book (and whatever appearance Beck made in the other books, obviously). Levi was always there in the periphery, but not as demanding of my attention as say Cooper Rock (still waiting on this story, Pippa!) or even the mysterious Davis Remington, whose teeny tiny appearances made me wonder what his story actually is.
Levi's story was a complete and wonderful surprise to me. He caught me off guard with his antics and his reactions to all that happens to and around him, and I felt for him through the introspective transformation he experiences regarding his upbringing and the state of his relationships. The character development for both of the main characters, and even the further developments of characters we already know and love within the Pippaverse, felt like a natural progression to me as the reader. We get the honor of watching this heartwarming love story unfold, laughing and crying and cringing right along with the characters.
Those familiar with Pippa's writing style and humor will be aware that they will most likely laugh so hard they could seriously harm themselves if they are eating or drinking anything whilst reading. I warn all of you newbies to never attempt this, even if you sign up for the Pipster Report, because you can totally have a near death experience while reading the weekly newsletter and eating/drinking at the same time (thanks a lot, Zeus).
The Hot Mess and the Heartthrob is no exception to the eating/drinking rule, especially given that our heroine is a single mom of three children who give hefty weight to the old adage "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong", and Levi is no stranger to finding himself in the oddest of situations right along with the kids and their horrifyingly embarrassed mother. This love story is more than just a love story though; it's also a heart-twisting tale of 3 adorable, smart and vibrantly written kiddos that have a second chance at having the father they deserve.
I can't say too much more about the book, because there are so many little humorous nuggets of Pippa gold sprinkled throughout and I refuse to spoil any of these discoveries for you.
As familiar as I am with what Pippa Grant does with her stories, and what her stories in turn do for my heart and soul, The Hot Mess and the Heartthrob still genuinely surprised and delighted me; it had me laughing and tearing up; and most of all, it brought me back to a positive space during all this awfully depressing reality we've experienced over the last year - in this book, good people actually have good things happen to them - and even the hottest of messes can find true love in the most unexpected circumstances. Levi and Ingrid give hope to some of the hopeless romantic readers out there who are searching for their own forever.
Let's face it - after the year we've had, we deserved a story that left us with all the feels and a bonus epilogue that made us ugly cry all the happy tears.
An advanced reader's copy of "The Hot Mess and the Heartthrob" was provided by Give Me Books as part of the promotional campaign for the book's release, however all opinions are 100% mine and accurately reflect how the story made me feel.
