Saturday, June 16, 2018

ARC Review: The Varlet and the Voyeur by LH Cosway and Penny Reid

Series:Rugby #4
Pub. Date:June 14, 2018
Publisher:Self-Pub
Length:344 pgs
Source:Author

The Varlet and the Voyeur is the fourth book in Cosway and Reid's Rugby series, that follows an Irish rugby team as they give up the bachelor life and find their lifemates. Like most of Reid's books, this is a quirky romantic comedy that will have you in stitches at times. I have not read the earlier Rugby books (yet), and there is some character crossover in this story, but I didn't feel overly lost or confused as I read. So if you are just jumping in now, like me, you will probably be fine.

The featured rugby player in this installment is William Moore, an American from Oklahoma with Irish roots. He is a stand-up guy and a stickler for rules, so the world is shocked when his voyeuristic tendencies hit the scandal rags due to an obsessed woman. Without that little secret, Will was seen as the good guy, the most-respected, and the least likely to engage in impropriety. This was no alpha male beating his chest on the rugby field, but an intelligent and structured beta trying to balance his minor bit of fame with his morality and what he felt was "right" for relationships. He was an interesting character, and I quite liked him. (Shocker, as I am usually the one walking right fast toward [never chasing] those alpha males.)

Josey Kavanagh is a straight up mess, albeit an endearing one. At 26 years old, she was still living with her parents and only now seeming to realize what she wanted to be when she grows up. She is socially awkward to the extreme, always saying the wrong thing and talking too much when shes nervous. She's also a bit of a klutz, to which I could definitely relate. I found Josey to be funny most of the time, but I could see how she would be too much for some people (as in, some of the other rugby players). She was also a bit oversexed, which didn't seem to "fit" with her character at first, but harmonized nicely by the end.

The relationship between Josey and Will was cute. Will was uptight and afraid of letting people down, and Josey just let it all hang out. She distracted him from his desire to "watch," and he accepted her and all her quirky traits. They start out as a business (roommate) arrangement, but you knew that wasn't gonna last from their first meeting. Watching the two stumble along was fun, but the total lack of communication as it pertained to their relationship started to irk me. So. Much. Misunderstanding. I wanted to bonk their heads together.

Overall this was a cute read that inspired me to go back and read the earlier books, once I can make time on my calendar. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the author, Penny Reid.

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