By the Bay #7, by Stina Lindenblatt, published June 2021
* An e-ARC was provided by Booksprout and the author for an honest review.
Decidedly with Wishes by Stina Lindenblatt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
DECIDEDLY WITH WISHES, by Stina Lindenblatt, is the 7th book in the steamy BY THE BAY SERIES. The story follows the fake relationship of Elias Lawson, blond, blue-eyed hockey player for the San Francisco Rock team, and Nala Johnson, beautiful, golden-skin, brown-eyed dress designer and future heiress of her grandmother's high-end fashion house. They meet when she bumps into him before a wheelchair hockey game at the local children's hospital. Nala's godchild, six-year-old Sarina, is getting ready to play in the game, and Eli is there with three teammates to join in. Eli and Nala get together when a date with Eli is auctioned off at a charity event and Nala's three best friends go together and make the winning bid in Nala's name. He needs a week-long date to his cousin's wedding in Montana, and she needs to check off items from the bucket list she made in college--which just happens to include a date with a hot hockey player. So they agree to help each other.
REALLY ENJOYED:
1. Both of the main characters have interesting and unique backstories. Eli has trouble reading and was bullied because of undiagnosed dyslexia when he was younger and only agrees to be in the auction because it benefits a literacy program for foster kids. He also has a niece with Downs Syndrome who brightens his world. Nala has designed clothes since she was young and wants to make clothes for disabled children to get on and off easily, so every child can feel special. They are both workaholics without much social lives.
2. The story highlights several disabilities in a positive way and shows how Eli and Nala are compassionate and committed to helping others.
3. Nala's pet is a hedgehog named Thistle. I love this! Very unusual and, according to Nala, perfect for her lifestyle.
4. The storyline is fun with trying to fool Eli's family into thinking Nala is his girlfriend and named Edith (Eddie for short) and with Nala getting Eli's help in setting up ways to tackle her bucket list.
5. Nala is extremely proud of how her grandmother, Bibi, overcame prejudices against a woman, especially a Black woman, to achieve her dreams in the highly competitive fashion industry.
6. Supporting characters are quite cute and have backstories a little different from usual romance stories.
SUMMARY:
I enjoyed DECIDEDLY WITH WISHES for its interesting characters, unique storyline, and fun situations. (The cover's not so bad either.) Its lightheartedness makes it perfect for a vacation read, and the whole book is a good addition to the author's BY THE BAY SERIES. It's a must-read for those who like character-driven stories, and I totally recommend it.
IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MIGHT LIKE:
Other books in the BY THE BAY SERIES by Stina Lindenblatt, the CHICAGO REBELS SERIES and REBELS ROOKIES SERIES by Kate Meader, the SLAYERS HOCKEY SERIES by Mira Lyn Kelly, the SCORING SERIES by Jami Davenport, the NASHVILLE ASSASSINS and NASHVILLE ASSASSINS: NEXT GENERATION SERIES by Toni Aleo, the ARIZONA VENGEANCE SERIES by Sawyer Bennett
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