Neanderthal

This is book two of the Last Man Standing series that centers around three cousins, Dixon, Griff and Nash Beckett. The cousin’s beloved grandmother recently died leaving one unopened gift with no tag. The cousins devise a bet to see who will get to claim the gift. All of them will join Bramble, a dating website where you commit to six dates with the first woman to answer the ad, and the last single man standing wins the gift. Of course, the other cousins get to plan the dates, so all’s fair in love and war. Dixon lost the bet in book one of the series. Griff is up next, and is the “Neanderthal” of the books title. Initially, I was wary because I don’t typically love the Insta-love trope. So many times with this trope, the protagonists see each other and instantly fall in love and the frequent and graphic physical activities begin. You don’t get to find out why, other than physical attraction, they love each other. That is not the case with this book. Griff works in the family cosmetics business in the R&D department. He gets by through life with grunts and one word answers. When Kinsey walks into his gym, he hears her and realizes that she is the one. Eventually Kinsey agrees to help him out with the bet and answers his ad. Griff uses these dates to try to woo Kinsey. Griff was my favorite part of this book. Normally when you call a man a Neanderthal, he is rude, crude and treats women poorly. Griff is none of those things. He is just painfully shy, and a great guy. I cannot wait for Nash’s book, and I hope the author has another series in mind for Griff’s sister Morgan and Nash’s siblings. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and the author for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed Griff and Kinsey’s story. They are both extremely smart scientists that work for competing companies, and Kinsey just so happens to be best friends (and roommates) with Griff’s sister. Both struggle with their own insecurities and being judged by others based on outward presentations. They complement each other so well, their chemistry is dynamite, and their families are (mostly) lovely and fun, too. This was my first Avery Flynn novel, and I want to go and read her entire backlist now. 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars for this fun, engaging read! • I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing.

Who doesn't love a big, burly, growly man? I know I do!  This story of Griff and Kinsey was everything I love in a romantic comedy. Griff checked all my boxes when it comes to my favorite type of hero! He is the definition of "Still Waters Run Deep". Years of cruelty from his dad has made this beautiful and brilliant man the way he is. But boy when he finds the woman of his dreams in Kinsey, he wants to stop with the grunts and growls and really speak his truth. Kinsey is a "Don't Judge a Book by its Cover". She may look like an Elle Woods, but she is RBG and Marie Curie on the inside where it counts. The chemistry between Griff and Kinsey was like a house on fire! I melted when both Griff and Kinsey "showed" their love instead of saying it and wanted to shake them both for taking so long to realize it. The angst was the perfect blend to not make this story not too sweet, and oh my me, the smexy times were hotter than a habanero pepper sprout! If you are looking for a new, funny, and smokin hot story and series to read, look no further than this story!