Brown-Eyed Girl

This book has been a long time in the making. I've known since I read Sugar Daddy that the Travis family was something special. Especially since I got to watch the Travis men and women fall in love with extraordinary women and men, all except Joe. I knew Joe needed to have his story told too. He was the one Travis male who didn't fit the mold. He was an alpha man with a softer side, and that created friction between him and his father who had certain expectations of his sons.

What can I say about Avery? She's spunky, determined, and a hard worker. She might not believe in happily ever after for herself but she will go above and beyond to make someone else's special day be everything they dreamed off, no questions asked. There is no problem is too big for her to handle. She's organized and meticulous. She's confident when it comes to her work but she's insecure about herself and her looks. That's something we can all relate to. All I saw was a very capable young woman who underestimated what she had to share with someone else.

I hated how Avery's family was unsupportive and belittling. The only one in her corner was was her half-sister Sophia. I loved her friends/employees. I loved their camaraderie. They really made Avery smile and laugh, and me as well. I loved the tension between Sophia and Steven. Their back and forth verbal sparring was truly exciting to behold and great foreplay as well. I was so hoping they'd get together. I also loved how they pushed Avery to leave her safe holding pattern. They provided both friendship and the boost she needed to relax sometimes and take risks she wouldn't have. Joe couldn't have had better allies to woo her if he'd tried.

Joe was exactly what Avery needed. He was supportive and challenged her to step out of the confines she'd put herself in to keep her heart safe. You could tell Joe was really into Avery, even when she was trying her best to push him away. It was easy to see how much Joe had changed in the years and the lessons he'd learned from what life had brought him. I loved Joe's overall attitude towards life. Life wasn't always kind to him, even being a charmed Travis, but it was admirable how he took it all in stride. It's amazing how Lisa Kleypas managed to make me fall in love with him through only Avery's eyes. We're never privy to his innermost thoughts, only his actions, yet they were enough to win me over completely.

I loved seeing Avery and Joe interact with each other. They had amazing chemistry. I can't tell you how turned on I was while reading this book. In terms of heat, it's all mostly suggestive, but the way it's written you can not only see it, but feel it. That takes true talent. Lisa Kleypas is also the queen at the slow burn. She builds anticipation with precision and great technique.

I was so happy to see the Travis-Cates clan together. It wasn't just Gage, Liberty, Haven, Hardy, Jack, Emma, and Luke, but it was seeing their strong bonds with each other and how their families had grown with time. My heart hurt to find out Churchill had passed. I would've loved for him to meet Avery. I think he would've adored her. I also loved meeting Ryan, a cousin to the Travis'. I fell in love with him a little in this book, and I would love to read a full length story featuring him one day. That man needs some honest love.

Lisa Kleypas might have made us wait for this story, but the wait was so worth it. The story flowed beautifully and her writing bordered on poetic. I was able to "see" what she was describing in my mind. I devoured the story in handful of hours, but it felt like no time at all. I wouldn't have minded reading another hundred pages or two. I sincerely hope the wait between this book and her next contemporary won't be so long. I can never get enough of her writing and stories!

Entertaining but then an abrupt end.

If you've read the previous Travis books, then lower your expectations. This book is bland. It feels as though Lisa forced the story out. It lacks her ability to make the characters come alive.
You never really find out who Joe is. And Avery's character feels incomplete. There's so much we still don't know about both of them. I don't understand why they fell in love.
I also missed the other Travises in this book. Their family connection was so clear and tangible in all three of the previous books. This one really missed the mark for me. If I could un-read this book, I would.