LOVE REDESIGNED
Series: Lakefront Billionaires #1
Author: Lauren Asher
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: November 7, 2023
Julian
If I ever caught on fire, Dahlia Muñoz would fan the flames with a smile.
So, when she returns to Lake Wisteria, I fully intend to avoid the interior designer.
At least until my meddling mother exploits my savior complex.
The faster I help Dahlia find her creative spark, the sooner she will leave town.
But while I was busy getting rid of Dahlia, I overlooked one potential issue.
What happens if I want her to stay?
Dahlia
People say the devil has many faces, but I know only one.
Julian Lopez—my childhood rival and family frenemy.
I vow to steer clear of him while recovering from my broken engagement, but then the billionaire makes an irresistible offer.
Renovate a historic house together and triple our profits.
Our temporary truce becomes compromised as we face years’ worth of denied attraction and mixed emotions.
Giving into our desire is inevitable…but falling in love?
That isn’t part of the plan.
Love Redesigned is a steamy, small town romance about two family friends-turned-childhood rivals. It is the first book in the standalone Lakefront Billionaires series and has a happy ending.
Once upon a time, we were friends with a healthy competitive drive. Then puberty hit during middle school, and a new rivalry was formed, driven by hormones and immaturity. But now, we’re nothing but strangers.
I’m a sucker for a second chance romance with some rivals and enemies to lovers vibes. The blurb for this book immediately hooked me and I knew this would be my first Lauren Asher book.
“I never hated you, Dahlia. Not for a single second of a single day.”
It was also a refreshing twist to have the FMC be the one who’s down on love after having her heart broken.
Love Redesigned was a cute read full of swoony moments and a delicious slow burn. I loved the history between Julian and Dahlia almost as much as I loved their meddling moms. Dahlia and Julian grew up together. But then one fateful kiss in college changed everything. Dahlia left town and make a career for herself as a famous designer. While Julian stayed back and became successful in his own right on the developer side. Now Dahlia is back after a painful breakup with her fiancé, and all the long repressed feelings for Julian come roaring back when they decide to work together.
This was a sweet romance, that was almost a touch too sweet for my particular tastes. But my main quibble was it was entirely too long. There simply wasn’t enough meat to the story or tension to justify it being over 500 pages. It could have easily shaved off about 200 pages and not lost anything in the process. I couldn’t help but feel it was too stretched out and struggled to keep my attention. I found myself skimming heavily from 20%-80% of the book. All that said, it was still a cute and satisfying ending with no third act breakup. However, with the lack of tension throughout the book, I wouldn’t have minded the breakup.
It was an enjoyable albeit a bit of a forgettable read for me. I liked the characters and I loved the setting. It hooked me enough to continue with the series. It just didn’t grab me the way I had hoped it would.
