 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Genres: |
Blurb:
Bane Fox knows exactly what he wants in life: financial stability.
He does not want to be homeless.
He does not want to be the president of an HOA.
It’s rather unfortunate he is both of those things.
Oh, and did I forget to mention he has a fake wife?
Yeah, that’s me.
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He was my safe zone. Him opening up to me the day before hadn’t helped. I was getting more and more attached. He was mine—but he wasn’t.
AND HOW COULD NOLA NOT GET ATTACHED TO BANE WHEN HE WAS SO FLIPPIN' AMAZING?!
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| #tearsofjoy |
So, y'all should know I haven't read a story by Carina Taylor that I didn't enjoy. And that statement still stands. Yep. She wrote another book for me to fangirllllll over!!
Mr. H.O.A. was funny, romantic, witty, and so much more. Also, I loved the dynamics between Nola and Bane!! I feel like they really balanced each other out when it came to the different circumstances they found themselves in. And no spoilers here, but the plot twist about who owned the house that "Mr. and Mrs. Fox" were staying in was PERFECT! I truly didn't see it coming, and it was a pleasant surprise. 👏👏
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| i've been dyinggggg to use this gif, lol |
I think I'm ready to share my fav highlights. Are y'all ready? There are a LOT of them, so buckleeeee up!! 👀😍
Bane ran to the window and pulled down the wrought iron curtain rod. The navy curtain fell to the ground. He rested the curtain rod against his shoulder. "Go lock yourself in the bathroom then. Don't come out until I tell you it's safe."
"Why do I feel like you had a plan in mind for if you heard an intruder?"
He looked away from me and stared at the sliding glass door.
"You have! Do you have a contingency plan for everything? 'Hey, someone's breaking into the house, time to grab the curtain rod.'"
"First of all, you’re horrible at voice imitation. Second, would you rather I wasn’t prepared?"
Oh my goshhhhh, this part just cracked me up so much lol. 🤣🤣
📖
"Oh, by the way, all your laundry is in the laundry room still," Bane's voice called through the wood. "You should probably think about folding it sometime."
"Go eat lemon."
"Nah, thanks, I got my fill of that tonight already."
I groaned in frustration. How could someone that attractive be so frustrating one moment and so kissable the next?
One moment, I was telling myself that I should ruin things by kissing his nice lips, then the next, I was hoping I could smother him with a pillow.
I know it drove him crazy, but I loved seeing Bane's reactions to Nola's bad laundry habits.
📖
Her warm breath fanned over my wet skin. With a swallow, I laced a hand through her hair, tugging her close so I could kiss the top of her head.
Harold coughed loudly. "No public indecency allowed— even for the president of the HOA."
Nola's hand lingered on my chest as she turned to answer him, "Don't worry, Harold. Mr. HOA is the perfect rule follower. You can count on him."
She accentuated the last of her words with extra pats to my chest. She was trying to kill me. I was sure of it.
📖
What young woman in her right mind would get behind the wheel of a minivan? But then again, Nola wasn't exactly in her right mind. She was the kind of woman who broke into houses and hung her underwear to dry in the bathroom.
Unforgivable things.
Things like feed me Hawaiian food and curry. Comforting me after accidentally getting elected as president of the HOA. She was terrible.
📖
The door yanked open, and Bane’s strong arms wrapped around me, jerking me inside and shutting the door after me. "Are you all right? What’s going on? Are you hurt?"
I gasped, grasping my side that was burning. "That car out there followed me all the way from Tori’s into the driveway. I couldn’t see the license plate."
Bane's protective side was just TOO PRECIOUS.
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"You can do this," I whispered to myself as I knelt down next to the lawn mower and read the instructions on the side.
Poor Bane. I felt this, lol.
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A heavy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. My life was spiraling out of control. But there was one thing I could get control of: the underwear explosion in my bathroom.
"Nola!" I yelled.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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He continued muttering as he took another big bite of ice cream. I walked over and sat down on the arm of the recliner next to him. He stiffened slightly but continued eating the ice cream. I wrapped my arm around his shoulders in what I hoped was a comforting gesture, like I would with one of my kids. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be the best HOA president this neighborhood has ever had. You're going to kill it. I mean, I can't even blame them for electing you. You'd be my top pick as well."
I wanted to be there eating ice cream with him every time, y'all. 😩🍨
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With a sigh, I sat up, stretched, then headed out of my room to go shower. When I stepped into the hall, I tripped over a vacuum cord and slammed into the wall.
I grunted as I caught my balance.Bane shut off the vacuum and turned around. "I'm sorry, did I wake you up?"
He didn't look sorry— he looked like he was fighting a smile.
I felt the "slammed into the wall" part...ughhhh. 😴
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| i love sharing highlights. especially when there's so much to shareeeeee!! |
As far as content goes: So, I personally wouldn't consider the book to be a complete "clean" read, and that's because of the accidental naked scene (which almost made this a 3 star review, but I reallyyyy enjoyed the rest of the book). The description/details of Nola being naked (due to her dropping the towel she had around herself) were vague, but it was very clear that Bane could definitely tell she wasn't wearing any clothes. I honestly just felt like the whole thing was awkward all the way around...and out of place? However, this is just my opinion. Based off most of the reviews I've read, it doesn't seem like this scenario bothered other readers, so it really just depends on what your preferences are. Other than that, there was some butt smacking/pinching, heated kissing, and the expected tension from living together when you like each other but "don't like each other."
Overall, Mr. H.O.A. was a superrrrr cute read, and I'm sure you'll find yourself swooning over Bane...without a doubt. 💕😍
Oh! And I loved seeing Ian, Tori, and Mumfordddd!!! I can't believe I almost forgot to mention that, lol!! 🙈🙈
~I received an e-copy of this story from the author, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
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About the Author:
Carina Taylor writes sweet and sassy romance that makes you ugly laugh. When she's not writing, you can find Carina chasing her three boys and way too many animals around the ranch. Other talents she has: ignoring her laundry pile, pretending to work out, drinking large amounts of coffee, and dreaming up the next story.
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