Book Review and Giveaway: Put a Ring on It

By Melissa Amster

I have been enjoying Beth Kendrick's "Black Dog Bay" novels. They are romantic, sexy, and indulgent. The female friendships are fun to read about as well. So I was thrilled that her latest novel, Put a Ring on It, is also part of this series.

Brighton Smith doesn’t do outrageous. As an insurance actuary, it’s her job to assess risk and avoid bad investments. But when her fiancé calls to confess he’s married someone else on a whim (“I looked at her and I just knew!”), she snaps…

That night, at a local bar, Jake Sorensen—hot, rich, and way out of her league—buys Brighton a cocktail. At midnight, she kisses him. And by dawn, they’re exchanging vows at a drive-through chapel.

Brighton knows Jake is a bad bet, but she doesn’t care. After a lifetime of playing it safe, she’s finally having fun. Until the whirlwind romance gives way to painful reality...and Brighton finds out the truth about why a guy like Jake married a girl like her. With her heart on the line and the odds stacked against them, Brighton must decide whether to cut her losses or take a leap of faith that this love affair is one in a million. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

This story had a fun premise and went in directions I wasn't even expecting. I really liked the chemistry between Jake and Brighton. They played off each other well. And, of course, it was nice to take a trip back to Black Dog Bay and reunite with some old "friends," such as Lila and Summer. There are some spoilers for New Uses for Old Boyfriends (reviewed here), but this book could also be read as a stand-alone, even though you should read all the books in the series because they're THAT much fun! (Start with Cure for the Common Breakup, but first meet Summer in The Week Before the Wedding, which is separate from this series.) I'm hoping there will be even more "Black Dog Bay" novels in the future, so we can learn more about Kira, Jenna, Clea, and possibly some new characters.

I don't really have anything to complain about. The book moved at an easygoing pace and the romantic scenes were HOT. Brighton was an interesting character with many layers to her personality. I would have been okay without some conversations being rehashed a few times, but it wasn't a huge issue in the grand scheme of things. So join me at the Whinery for some chocolate and Cosmopolitans and then kick back with this delicious read!

My movie cast for this novel:
Brighton: Cristin Milioti
Kira: Melissa Rauch
Jake: Chris Hemsworth (I believe Beth was just hinting at this anyway...)

Thanks to Penguin for the book in exchange for an honest review. And thanks to BookSparks for sharing a copy with one lucky US reader!  This is part of their "Girl's Best Friend" blog tour and will be appearing in their 2015 Fall Reading Challenge soon, as well.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here.

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US only. Giveaway ends November 15th at midnight EST.