Publisher's Synopsis
One night, Jesse saves Lexie from having to spend time with her sister's boring friends. After less than an hour of hanging out and catching up, he realizes he doesn't want her to go and finds a way to spend time with her the next day. When Lexie's ex shows up at her apartment, and Lexie needs a place to stay, Jesse offers his guestroom for a week until he knows her apartment is safe. By the end of the week, Jesse may not want Lexie to leave, but he's not sure she would want to stay.
Can a guy who's never committed to anything more than a fun weekend or two weekends, at most, become boyfriend material? He's never wanted to try, but for Lexie, he's willing to and hopes that she considers him more than just a distraction from the drama in her life. Content Notes: book contains discussions and references to - divorce and parent abandonment; fatal car accident (not a main character, discussion of a past event); military deployment; and past controlling/manipulative/abusive relationships Trope List: friends to lovers, blue-collar/mechanic, forced proximity; small town Series InformationWelcome to Woods Lake, a small town outside a big city, where lifelong friendships are formed and happily ever after still exists. The Woods Lake series is a series of connected standalone novels with recurring characters that can be read in any order. Each book tells the story of one couple, including their happily ever after. Some scenes and stories occur in multiple books. When this happens, the story is told from a different character's perspective in each book. Excerpt 1:
"I was always the weird art girl that never fit in because I'm super shy, would rather being reading or painting, and there were exactly zero art classes offered all through school." "Since when are you shy?" "Since forever." "But you're talking to me and telling me everything." "I've literally known you my entire life. It's different." Excerpt 2:
"I'm a total nerd, Jesse. Backyard barbecues, pool hangouts, poker, or video games. That's more my speed." "If you tell me you know how to cook, you might just change my mind about my opinions on relationships. I love barbecues, pool hangouts, poker, and I'm a video game nerd." Excerpt 3:
"I'm a firm believer in what you see is what you get, and with me, you get someone to hang out and do things with and have the freedom to walk away anytime because I'm not looking for a commitment." I reached across the table and touched her hand. "I don't know what he did, Lexie, but if he let you walk away or pushed you away, it's his loss." Excerpt 4:
"Where have you been all my life? You play video games. You can kick my ass swimming. You like poker. You like pizza and beer, and you eat brownies from the pan." "All of that describes a friend. That's where I've been, in the friend zone.: Excerpt 5:
"He kept saying that you were his, and I told him that he lost the right to call you his girl when you were no longer his only. He asked how long you'd been sleeping with me. I didn't correct him that you weren't because it's none of his business. I told him you could choose what you do with your body, and it's none of his business. I also made it clear that women don't belong to men in the way he thinks they do. The last thing I told him is you're mine. In the sense that you're the person I take care of and protect. You are mine."
