Review: "Anything But Love" by Abigail Strom (Contemporary Romance)

	Anything But Love by Abigail Strom Publisher: Montlake Romance Series: Almost Like Love (affil.) Nothing Like Love (affil.) Genre: Contemporary Romance Publication Date: July 12, 2016 (Affiliate links)
Description from Publisher: Socialite Jessica Bullock can’t catch a break. After a lifetime of chasing perfection, hoping to please her parents, all her hard work is set to pay off. But on her wedding day, her fiancé leaves her high and dry. Humiliated, she finds her calm, cool facade beginning to crumble…until an unexpected wedding guest, her childhood best friend and crush, offers to help her pick up the pieces. Never in his wildest dreams would Ben Taggart have imagined he’d be escorting Jessica on her honeymoon to Bermuda. Although they haven’t seen each other in years, he can’t leave her to fall apart. Agreeing to keep things platonic, they vow to make the most of their spontaneous vacation—until an unplanned kiss sparks a powerful passion. They tell themselves that what happens in Bermuda will stay in Bermuda. But when old secrets are revealed and new feelings ignite, will Ben and Jessica be able to leave their romance behind?
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
I received a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.com for an honest, unbiased review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is my 100% own. This was a fast-paced read, taking me only about 3.5 hours, but what a fantastic one it was! It was the perfect mix of romance, humor, heart, and sexy. Jess's arc of going from someone who did whatever was expected of her to someone who did what she wanted was nice to see, as was Ben's slight change to being a little more selfish. The catalyst for her change before high school was also well-done, and not overly graphic or dramatic (in fact, it may have been down-played a bit too much). Their shared history made their quickly-formed romance deeper, and it added a lot of character to the book. The way the two just fell back into what were seemingly old habits from 15 years before was sweet, and their new-found "What happens in Bermuda, stays in Bermuda" honesty added a more "grown-up" twist to it. I appreciated that their crisis also felt very natural, and wasn't a huge blow-up. It was just two people being afraid and cautious and just caring too much, which is definitely not unusual in adult relationships. The sex scenes deserve a mention, as they were written well and had a good balance of adorably sweet and borderline erotic. It's nice to read a book with a couple who laughs in the heat of the moment! Seems I need to read Kate and Simone's stories too!