Shelby Williams has never had a boyfriend worthy of her parents’ approval. The ones she dated were either not rich enough, not well bred enough, or just not good enough. Her luck changes when she meets Tommy Edwards. With an IQ of about a billion, a sexy smile, and a personality as sweet as the treats he bakes, he’s a guy even her parents will have to accept.
Between the pressure of graduate school and a needy ex-girlfriend, Tommy Edwards has had enough stress to last a lifetime. But when he meets Shelby, his plans to stay unattached go up in smoke. Shelby makes him laugh, and the passion she stirs in him is hotter than an oven. She’s the only girl he’s ever met who likes him for who he is rather than just for his intelligence.
When Shelby’s parents take a shine to Tommy, she blurts out that they are engaged, even though they’ve only been dating for three weeks. Tommy is furious, but before she can set everyone straight, both families go into full-blown nuptial mode, including hiring a wedding planner and shopping for a dress. Tommy and Shelby need to figure out how to tell their families the engagement was fake without ruining what’s real. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)
Right for Me is the follow-up to Dorminy’s Left Hanging, a story that delves into the lives of some of the lesser known characters- we first saw Shelby as the coworker and best friend to Left Hanging’s Darla, and Tommy is the brother to Darla’s love interest, Theo. The nice thing is, both books can be read as stand-alones, but given that I’d read Left Hanging (reviewed here), it was really great to see an expansion on what happens with Shelby and Tommy, and to also reacquaint myself with everyone else, too.
Both characters are near mirror images of each other in terms of their trust level and feelings where serious relationships are concerned. Shelby has had a shaky past, while Tommy is trying to untangle himself from a complicated situation at graduate school. Given that, there are a lot of stop and go moments between the two of them, causing frustrated friction and tension. There is a serious lack of communication, given fears and insecurities, but it added a level of sincerity to this rickety relationship that isn’t quite grown yet, and it gets even harder when Shelby announces their “engagement”.
While we’re learning more about Shelby and Tommy as a couple, we’re also learning more about the two characters individually. Shelby is the all-encompassing people-pleaser, particularly where her mother is involved. And Tommy is also a people-pleaser, in the sense that he doesn’t want to let anyone down, even at his own detriment. It’s no wonder these two find one another in the trenches of trying to figure it all out and grow outside of themselves. Sprinkled in is Tommy’s penchant for baking, and I found it sweet and comical that when he needs to blow off some steam, he heads for the kitchen and bakes it out. It was a unique character trait.
While trying to get out of the engagement, they fall deeper in- but are they doing this to the benefit of everyone else, or is it becoming a real thing? That becomes the question that keeps them both up at night, while still trying to deal with outside influences that threaten to destroy the potential they might have. I really enjoyed the delicate balance. There were a few moments in the beginning of the book where I felt a little more backstory would have helped to develop the characters a little more, but I still appreciated learning more about Shelby and Tommy, and I’m glad I was reintroduced to all of the characters that make both Right for Me and Left Hanging unforgettable!
Thanks to Red Adept Publishing for the book in exchange for an honest review.
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