Just Say Yes

Just Say Yes
Phillipa Ashley
Sourcebooks, 2012 (Originally published 2008)

Lucy wasn't looking for a boyfriend. But when the uber-attractive new guy from the bagel shop seemed interested, she found it hard to turn him down - even though he definitely had some less than desirable attributes. She knew he was part of a hot new reality show, but Lucy never thought Nick would win, let alone propose - on live television - mere moments after being crowned victor. In that moment, Lucy found the strength to say "no," and became infamous. All the London papers and gossip mags were talking about her, and every step was hounded by the paparazzi. It got so bad that her boss strongly encouraged her to take a month off and let things die down. So Lucy escaped to the solitude of Cornwall with her best friend Fiona, hoping to avoid drama and attention.

The month she spends in Cornwall, Lucy slowly starts to unwind and relax back into her own skin. Aside from the snarkiness of Sara, the girlfriend of intriguing Josh (who owns all the other cottages on the farm, aside from Fiona's), Lucy finds just what she needs. Except for the minor detail of hiding her identity - Fiona created a pseudo-persona for Lucy as a high-rolling banker from London who cracked under pressure. The deception worries Lucy, but she doesn't see how to fix things. When Josh offers her an alternative at the end of her month's vacation - to stay on and be his seasonal help for the summer - Lucy impulsively decides to take him up on the offer. The next months are even more restorative for Lucy, and there's no denying the chemistry and growing tension between herself and Josh. When things come crashing to a head, and Lucy's world is flipped upside down again, she must dig down deep and find the Lucy she really is. Way down inside. And that's when things get really interesting.

Just Say Yes is a fun, engrossing read. The descriptions of Cornwall made me want to book a flight and spend my own summer there, and it provided a wonderful backdrop for Lucy's season of growth. At the beginning, she's such a "closed" character, but as each new confrontation happened, Lucy had to respond by "opening up," thus growing as a character. While it's a love story (or two), it's also a story of finding yourself and realizing that what makes you a success is doing what you love and are supposed to be doing.

eARC provided by publisher for review.