Title: Smart Mouth
Author: Emma Lee Jayne, SmartyPants Romance
Series: Work For It #4
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2022

Growing up, I always wanted to have a twin – there is something that seems so fun about twin shenanigans. And now I get to read an incredibly fun story about a twin mistaken identity. Alright, that mistaken identity lasted for only a very small handful of chapters, because Tom eventually does correct Gwen’s assumption. But, still, it is a great way to start a story. Especially since this moment of mistaken identity is what finally lets Tom spend time with the girl he is somewhat unhealthily obsessed with… it gets healthier when they actually converse and communicate, but still.

I really loved Gwen in Heart Smart, she was a nice counterpoint to some of Max’s grumpiness. And I love how she ends up actually being quite a good friend to Holly. The fact that she got to go on to get her own novel was just beautiful. And glorious. And gave me all of the happy feelings. Having said that, she was honestly kind of a scaredy cat. Kind of painfully at moments if I’m being honest. But, after getting a well-deserved kick up the backside, she actually finds her bravery. The final scene where she takes charge and show her brave was painful even through the pages of a novel, but so damn good.

I love how Max and Holly are able to make another appearance in this novel. They were such a wonderful couple, and seeing how they’re going later on in life was incredibly fun and brilliant. I also love how Max absolutely demolishes Gwen at one point and makes her actually stop and look at herself and reflect. Both Max and Holly are just a wonderful couple, and their brief cameo made me so incredibly happy. As did the mention of the 50’s list from Book Smart.

Tom might be a lovely and kind of puppy-adorable character, but his constant feelings of guilt do get to be a bit much throughout this story. I kind of get where they stem from, but honestly, if it wasn’t for his damn twin being such a knob, he’d realise that things that happen when you’re a kid aren’t really your fault. His infatuation is kind of sweet, and I do love how he starts to actually make moves towards fixing his relationships, rather than just feeling guilty for moments of the past that aren’t exactly his fault.

This was just a too damn cute story. Not only was it a fantastic getting to know you, removing misconceptions story, it was just all round cute. I love every dive I take into the SmartyPants Romance world, but there is something a little bit extra lovely about Emma Lee Jayne – probably because she features those who are neurotypical (ADHD).

Image source: Goodreads

Title: Heart Smart
Author: Emma Lee Jayne
Series: Work For It #2, SmartyPants Romance
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2021

Max and Holly are an incredibly well fit and beautiful couple. And you can tell that they’re going to be so from the very beginning. Primarily because he is the typical grouchy male lead who doesn’t let anyone close. And although Holly isn’t all sunshine and roses, she certainly comes across as that in moments. The more you get to know each of them as Heart Smart unfolds, the more you realise that these initial views aren’t quite correct. But, they’re still a good indication of how well-fit and beautiful the couple of this romance are.

Both Holly and Max are neurodivergent, and although there are some liberties taken (Jayne herself states this at the end of the story), it still has a total sense of authenticity to it. I particularly loved the lack of understanding shown by others – in particular Holly’s ex-husband. And the ways in which other peoples’ inability to understand people who are different manages to scar the two leads. Even if we state that other peoples’ opinions don’t matter, they often do. And when you can’t conform to them, there are some very varied and not always healthy shields that people construct to prevent themselves from getting hurt again. Both Max and Holly might do this is slightly different ways throughout, but they do do them.

It took a long time for me to want to dive right back into tales of academia – I got pretty bitten by that realm when I was a part of it. But, there were also aspects of it that I absolutely adored. And Heart Smart manages to highlight many of them. The total dedication to one area of study, the fascination, the peace and quiet of the lab out of hours… all of those things that Max obviously relishes are things that I, myself, often miss. But, then there’s many of the hurdles that Holly faces – the expectations to conform to a certain type of “smarts”, the requirements of a very specific study pathway, even if it doesn’t work for you… I love how Jayne is able to talk about both these negative and positive aspects throughout her writing.

I absolutely loved reading this book and I am completely disappointed that it is over. Even though you know how this story is going to end (as you always do with a good romance), the journey and the bumps along the way are just stunning. It was a story that was beautiful and heartfelt, and made me think about all of the wonderful ways in which people can create their own families.

Image source: Goodreads