Every Sweet Regret

I absolutely loved Every Sweet Regret by Lexi Ryan, the second story in the Orchid Valley series. I received an ARC of Every Sweet Regret for an honest review and I can truly say that it was an incredible story, filled with everything that I love in sizzling romance stories. I loved every page and could not put it down. Each book in the Orchid Valley series keeps getting better and better. Lexi Ryan has once again proven that she is a wonderful storyteller. I love that she writes her stories in the first person from the perspective of the main characters. I love knowing what the main characters are thinking and feeling. I love the lighter moments where I found myself smiling and laughing. My favorite moments are the ones that cause me to sigh, say aww to myself with tears filling my eyes. Every Sweet Regret is the story of of Stella Jacob, receptionist and hopeful future nurse and her brother's best friend and her secret crush, Kace Matthews. Kace has been hung up on his ex-wife, Amy and keeps hoping that she will change her mind about their divorce and come home. Kace has a very low opinion of Stella based upon misleading information from Amy, when Amy and Stella worked at the same company. Kace wants to get over Amy and start dating. Stella and Kace decide that to give an uncomplicated fling. On the same night that they make this decision, Kace logs onto the Random dating app that Amy set up for him for random hook ups and connects with ItsyBitsy1234. Unbeknownst to Kace, ItsyBitsy1234 is really Stella. Stella knows that GoodHands69 is Kace because of his profile picture, but Stella does not realize that Abbi, her friend and Kace's sister changed her profile picture to Jessica Rabbit. Stella bares her soul to Kace by messaging him on the Random app. Kace tells both Stella and ItsyBitsy1234 that he is interested in someone else, not realizing they were the same person. After Stella shares her darkest secrets with Kace on the Random App, he decides to pursue Stella. Stella realizes that Kace is hung up on her secret past. Abbi admits to Stella that she changed her profile picture, so everything now makes sense to Stella and she decides to break up with Kace and move out of his pool house where she was living. Every Sweet Regret felt like a family reunion and catching up with all the other characters from the other books in the series. I love the characters in Every Sweet Regret, they feel like family. I enjoy all the interactions among the characters, it feels like real family love and makes me laugh at their teasing. I loved Stella's relationship with Kace's daughter, Hope. Every Sweet Revenge is filled with all the elements that I have come to love and expect in Lexi Ryan stories. I love the bittersweet and poignant moments, as well as the surprise plot twists. Every Sweet Regret was a wonderful story that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming and a beautifully written tribute to Stella. She is truly a very strong female character and I love her rationale as why she chose Itsy Bitsy 1234 as her screen name on Random. I love how everything gets resolved and that Stella and Kace get their happily ever after. Cannot wait to read Abbi's story next in Every Time I Fall.

4.5 Exciting & Steamy Stars! Who can resist a story about a sexy single Dad, with an adorable little girl, a fun brother's best friend/friends-to-lovers romance storyline and some secrets that could break your heart?! It's a beautiful story of self discovery, second chances, forgiveness, redemption and love. Stella has been in love with her brother's best friend since high school. Kace Matthews has always seen Stella as his friends little sister who never takes life seriously and who only wants to have fun. Now he is a divorced, single Dad, and he sees her as a sexy grown woman, but still a party girl. He is finally getting over his ex wife and wants help getting back in the game. He asks Stella for help and they start a secret, no strings, friends with benefits arrangement. But Stella has grown more responsible over the years, even going back to school for nursing. How can she make him see she is more responsible and a good role model for his daughter? But she also has a secret from her past that she fears will never allow her to have the happiness she craves. There is a clever dating app storyline also that is both frustrating, and sweet at the same time, as they learn to open up and discover more about themselves, and their wants, and needs. I loved Stella so much! She is smart, caring, and unapologetic about who she is, and she fights so hard to be a better person, and find someone to love her unconditionally. Kace is so swoony, the way he cares for his daughter, and wants a strong stable, and loving family. He was a quandary to me at times, which was frustrating as he cared so much for Stella, but wouldn't let go of the old Stella, and see who she is now. But he was so sweet, kind, and had a deliciously dirty mouth I couldn't help but fall for him! I love the way Ryan weaves her stories so beautifully, allowing us to believe in and care about her characters, see their growth, and cheer for their HEA. I love how she includes all their friends who were so fun, loyal, and supportive, making us care for them more and more and also making the perfect springboard to more exciting and steaming romance stories. I loved this heartwarming, emotional, and sizzling romance, and I can't wait to read more from Orchid Valley!

I love single parent romance so this book was always going to be on my radar but it was so much more than I expected, it captivated me from the first page and there was no putting down until I had read the final line. So please take my advice and make sure you have to time to finish this book because there will be no putting down once you start Kace and Stella’s story. Kace is a single dad who believes he still wants his ex wife but the ex is determined to get him to move on with his life and she sets him up on a dating site. Stella has been around Kace all her life, he is her brothers best friend and she is also best friends with his sister so the feelings she has for this man have been well hidden but maybe now it’s time to let Kace know how she really feels. Two people having fun texting without realising who is at the other end of the text help make this a entertaining, fun read but it was the chemistry and the banter Kace and Stella shared that took this book to another level. I loved everything about this book and I highly recommend it.