Jake: Just say the words “Frenemy Fix-Up” to me and I’ll instantly think: SHAY. Almost as soon as I started reading, I pretty much wanted her to get everything she desired.
Sir Mallard: Everything, you say? A duck-shaped castle with solar panels and two mallard-ready ballrooms? No, wait. That’s everything that I MYSELF desire! Carry on, dear boy ….
Jake: For Shay, everything she desires is a blossoming and profitable yoga and wellness business. A mother who can find ways to keep her mental health strong and stay independent. A man who loves Shay for SHAY, for her mindfulness and ability to “dance to the beat of her own drum,” regardless if she’s wearing “skimpy workout attire” or not.
Sir Mallard: That ALL works for me, dear boy! Just add some PEAS and PIMMS!
Jake: But of course our boy Colin has other ideas.
Sir Mallard: (No Pimms, alas?)
Jake: No, Colin wants a woman who he believes will help him advance his career at the Myers Group where he’s an accountant and in line for a promotion after putting in tons of long hours to successfully launch the company’s IPO.
Sir Mallard: I see. The mere mention of accountancy has, as usual, caused me to need a small lie-down on a patch of grass. Back in a winkie…
Jake: Anyway, Colin knows that Shay, with her “hippie,” new-agey vibe, isn’t the one for him. But still he can’t stop thinking about her after their abrupt interaction at the local smoothie shop.
Sir Mallard: I take it the smoothies were EXCEPTIONAL?
Jake: But when Colin finds himself facing a health battle that puts him on paid medical leave, he’s forced to face what’s real: Sacrificing his wellbeing for his 9 to 5 has led him farther away from achieving all his deceased father had wished for him. If he wants that promotion, then he needs help getting his brain and body in better shape.
Enter Shay, who eventually agrees to work with Colin to improve his health in exchange for a dollar sum that could help her expand her business. Did I mention that Shay had a crush on Colin when they were in high school?
Sir Mallard: Aha! The pond water thickens!
Jake: And did I also mention that Shay considers Colin just as arrogant now as he was back then? Deciding to be Colin’s personal trainer wasn’t an easy decision, but it’s the best one EVER because—ooh, Lordy!—that’s when the sparks start flying.
Sir Mallard: SPARKS? ALAS! EVERYONE DUCK! By which I mean, get thee down behind a safe object, for the sparks are a-flying towards our delicate feathers!
Jake: St. John’s Frenemy Fix-Up is everything romance readers like me want in a modern romance story. There’s high drama (“frenemies to lovers”), found family (the Six Gems aka Shay’s loyal group of friends from high school), big-time realizations that change the life trajectories of both protagonists, and sex so hot (and frequent!) that it’s hard to put down.
Sir Mallard: Gracious! Now I DEFINITELY need those peas ….
Jake: While Sir Mallard’s out of the room rummaging for peas, please buy Frenemy Fix-Up from your favorite local bookstore or any of these online retailers! Links below!
Hey Mallard! You know those are WASABE peas, right? They’re very ….
Sir Mallard: YIKES! One’s beak’s all a-sizzle! Fetch me pond-water and a copy of Frenemy Fix-Up YESTERDAY, my boy!
Jake: Well, here’s where you can buy the book:
Sir Mallard: STILL A-SIZZLE! Where’s a copy of that thirst-quenching, smoothie-guzzling novel? Oh wait! I just found some Pimms, so first things first ….
Jake: Until next time, friends!
Cover image courtesy of Afterglow Books. Graphics designed by Star Tavares.
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