Rough Around the Edges Meets Refined (Meet Your Match #2) by Rachael Anderson

For Noah Mackie, life is finally back on track. He has a great support system, a promised promotion is on its way, and he’s finally getting the hang of this single father thing. But when the job falls through and his neighbor’s matchmaking efforts become more aggressive, Noah is in for yet another unwanted detour. With his career and two spirited daughters to worry about, he doesn’t have time for dating—especially not someone like Cassie Ellis, his girls’ beautiful and sophisticated dance instructor, who is about as open and approachable as a brick wall.

Rough around the Edges Meets Refined is about two people who think they know exactly what they want but who have no idea what they really need. It’s about learning that people aren’t always what they seem and that sometimes life’s detours take you exactly where you need to go.

Excerpt

Carpet samples were way too small. How was Cassie supposed to know what an entire room would look like from a small little swatch? There were too many choices. Nylon or polyester? Plush, frieze, textured, or cut? Not to mention all the color options. And then there was the tile for the bathroom and the complicated dance flooring, with its sub-floor and all of its choices.

She felt a headache coming on.

“How will I ever make up my mind?” Cassie whispered to Noah.

“It’s called trusting your instincts.”

“Instincts? I’m supposed to have an instinct about carpet samples?”

“Doesn’t everyone?” Noah grinned. “Isn’t one calling out to you? Telling you that it’s the one you’ll be able to coexist with for the next ten to fifteen years?”

Ten to fifteen years? Noah wasn’t helping at all. Cassie frowned at the samples, willing one to shake or glow or whatever carpet samples did to call out to a person.

“Which one would you choose?” she finally said.

“Uh-uh. This is your house, your carpet, your choice. I’m just here as a friend, remember?”

A friend who was sitting way too close for comfort, Cassie thought as the touch of his shoulder sent a bunch of tingles down her arm. “Friends are allowed to give opinions.”

“No. Only dates are allowed to do that,” said Noah. “If you really want my opinion, you know what you have to do.”

Despite her distress about all the decisions facing her, Cassie couldn’t help but smile. “Okay, fine. It’s a date. Now if you were me, what would you choose?”

Noah blinked as he shook his head. “Wow, that was easy. I should have gone for more. Like a kiss or boyfriend status or—”

She nudged him. “Stop it. I need you to help me, not tease me.”

“I wasn’t teasing,” he murmured, pulling the samples toward him.

Review

I simply adore all of Rachael Anderson’s books and this was no exception.  This clean romance reminds us that a good book doesn’t have to be filled with curse words or sex.

Cassie has had a rough few years, married to a man that many would consider abusive (emotionally and verbally) who died after a few years together.  Noah is a widow with 2 precocious daughters that end up in Cassie’s dance class.  With the help of some well meaning friends, they are pushed together and find that perhaps love a second time around can be a beautiful thing.

I like the rawness of Cassie’s emotions and how Noah and his daughters bring out who she is as a person.  I thought the ice cream test was pretty ingenious to determine what kind of person you are by the flavor you most enjoy.  Cassie is able to connect with both of Noah’s daughters on different interest levels and they both bond with her.

Great book and a fun read.  It helps to read the first book to get an intro to a few characters but really isn’t necessary.

We give this 5 paws up

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About the Author

USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

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