Loved this one! Very sweet romance, great writing and wonderful characters!

This is the third book in the series and I started it at bedtime thinking only a few pages and it turned out too be Hello morning ! I could not put it down ! I have now put it in my Wish List to be bought. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

This book had it all. I fell in love from the first word. This is a must read of 2017.

I really liked this book. Took my getting into but i kept at it and really enjoyed it.
I didn't much like kyras attitude at first though.

This book had a lot of the things I love in a romance – a grumpy guy with a heart of gold, a single mom and a precocious little girl. Yes, please! Based on the description, I was expecting a marriage of convenience trope but that’s not what’s really going on here. It’s a little more nuanced than that. I really loved watching the relationships in this book grow. Dax and Kyra are such an interesting couple. And Dax with Ruby just slays me! They are some of the best parts of the book. I really enjoyed this one and definitely recommend it.

I was hooked from the beginning but had a hard time finishing it. It dragged on and was a bit of a downer.


The beginning of the book held such promise. The characters were funny and I found myself laughing quite a bit. The book however was slow moving and I found it a struggle to finish. With a title of Suddenly Engaged, I would have anticipated that this couple would have been engaged within the first few chapters. This couple waited until the last few chapters to become suddenly engaged.

Kyra is a single mother raising an adorable but very feisty 6 year old named Ruby. I thought the author did a great job capturing a six old's spirit and youthfulness.

Kyra and Dax both had sad stories which brought them to Lake Haven. They bonded over their past and found comfort in their misery. I liked that they were building a strong relationship and making lemons out of lemonade. They had an easy friendship.

My struggle with the book is that I found Dax was a pushover. He was a fixer and was always there to help but I was hoping he would man up. He let his ex-wife , her lover , Kyra, Wallace, Janet etc. walk all over him. It was getting a bit tiresome to read

Ruby was probably my favorite person in this book. She was just irresistible! I felt so bad for Kyra in the beginning, but she sure did end up with the best. Dad was such an ass in the start, but thanks to a pair of pink cowgirl boots he became a complete swoon worthy neighbor.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Okay, I will admit that it’s been awhile since I’ve read a contemporary from Ms. London. I used to devour her earlier stuff and loved them. This book is no different but in it a way it is. Her writing has changed. For the good. Her writing is more emotional and not as much in the cookie cutter variety that every other author seems to be following.
Let me explain. Ms. London cares about her characters. She explores them, let’s them talk to her and doesn’t dumb anyone down in their thoughts, actions and dialogue. Her characters come to life on the page and you feel like you are there, in the scene, observing, not just reading about it.
Another thing, Ruby is NOT a plot device. She is her own character. I adored her and I loved how she could chip away at Dax’s shell and make him more human. Dax is just, OMG, just wow. I loved him from the very first time I met him. I knew that he had been punched in the gut and his back story is heartbreaking but in the end, it made him who is now and what he will become to Kyra and especially Ruby.
Kyra took a little longer for me to warm up to. I didn’t feel sympathy to her at all. Especially in the beginning. For me, she came off more shrewish than anything but I did like how even she was able to knock on Dax’s shell and even let him in. Theirs’s is a slow burn romance but it’s there.
I will have to say that about ¾ of the way into the book, I had my doubts about them. I felt like their decisions weren’t talked about it at all, even when Dax proposed to her to help Ruby. In the end, I felt like that should have been more in the front or even half way through the book, that way the conflict in the book didn’t feel as rushed.
Overall, I enjoyed Kyra and Dax’s romance. I didn’t read the first two books and don’t worry about it. The other two couples aren’t in this one at all.

Suddenly Engaged was a quick, fun read. Kyra, Ruby, and Dax sucked me in with their personalities and made me fall in love with their surroundings and their story.

Kyra is struggling to do everything for her daughter, left as as single mother after, she's done the best she could for so long. When she finds herself on East Beach, she thinks she's finally got things together enough to keep her and Ruby in a good place, but nothing seems to be going right - the least of which is her grumpy gus of a neighbor.

Dax is working through his own problems, getting over a divorce and the other unexpected twists that brought to his life. He's focused on his work, building masterpieces of furniture. He doesn't want to be bothered. He comes off as a real grump - but the truth is he's hurting and unsure how to proceed.

I loved the interactions between Dax and Kyra from teh start. They'd make me laugh, but also it was clear to see there was an attraction there, a chemistry they might want to deny but that was plain to see. Ruby was the best - she really brought the story together. When Dax steps in to help Kyra by offering up a sham marriage to cover Ruby under insurance things take a different spin. Suddenly their engagement might not be such a sham, and those feelings might be more than a slight attraction. When things start piling up around them - what will happen? Will they find something more with each other or will their chemistry fizzle out?

Suddenly Engaged is the third in Julia London's Lake Haven series. I couldn't wait to read about the gruff neighbor having to deal with a precocious six-year old. I adored Ruby the said six-year old! She provides the many laughs and smiles throughout. It did take a little for me to warm to Kyra and Dax. I can't pinpoint one thing about either that put me off at the beginning but by the end I couldn't help but cheer them to their HEA.

As with the previous titles in this series, London delivers a romance in the midst of what could be anyone's given real life happenings. The touch of realism that is felt while reading these books have me appreciating JL's gift of storytelling. I'll continue to pick up that next JL book as she releases them.

Suddenly Engaged is a modern romance by Julia London, and the third book in the Lake Haven series.

After a painful divorce, Dax Bishop moved to East Beach to build intricate furniture and avoid most of the people in his past. However, he wasn't ready for an adorable little six-year-old girl and her very attractive mother to move in next door. Even though he isn't ready to interact with anyone, Dax is somewhat charmed by little Ruby and Kyra Kokinos.

Kyra is a single mother working (and studying) to support her family, and she's hopeful that East Beach will be a step up from their rough life. Despite the hardships in their lives, Kyra and Dax drift together, due to their romance attraction. However, there's a dark turn in this book that I wasn't expecting!

Overall, it's an entertaining story with intriguing characters and delightful interactions, especially between Dax and adorable little Ruby. I love his nickname for Ruby. :)

Even though this book may be read as a standalone, it's ideal to start with the first book in series. Suddenly Engaged is my favorite book from the three books (so far) in this series.

Suddenly Engaged is an entertaining and heart-wrenching story that's worth reading over and over. It's recommended and geared towards contemporary romance fans.


Note: I received this book from NetGalley, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

As a big fan of Julia London’s historical romances, I have really enjoyed the Lake Haven Series of contemporary romances and look forward to reading more!

Kyra Kokinos enjoyed living life to the fullest as a single woman on her way to becoming a senior editor for a fitness magazine in the big city. Splurging to attend a friend’s destination wedding, she thought she found love at first sight…except that the guy was having a last fling before getting married. When she ends up alone and pregnant, Kyra has to make some difficult lifestyle choices.

Seven years later, Kyra and her daughter Ruby end up next door to ill-tempered Dax Bishop, who is a former paramedic turned furniture maker. We later find out that Dax is nursing a broken heart from his failed marriage. There is more to his story than a failed marriage, however. The result is that he is so distrustful, cranky, and anti-social that it takes even the new, rambunctious 6-year old neighbor a while to crack the thick wall he has built around him. Quite frankly, Dax doesn’t want to like the little girl who keeps showing up unannounced at his house or her crazy mother.

Kyra’s life has changed as well. With the big city and all her dreams behind her, she moves in search of a better life for her and Ruby. Anyone who has ever been or known a single parent knows the struggle is real and it’s no different for Kyra. If trouble can happen, it will when you least expect it. Kyra faces challenges from finding a job that pays enough to cover the bills, not to mention child care, to finding energy to be a good single parent to daughter Ruby. Quite honestly, some of the choices she made did not endear her to me. She grew on me though as the story unfolded.

So, this is a contemporary romance. It has humor and it can be found in little Ruby. Ruby’s character is so central to the story. She makes you smile because you can just imagine this kid. Everyone has known a Ruby or someone very similar to Ruby. She is persistent, quirky, adorable and funny. Although Kyra and Dax have mutual attraction, they also have a lot of unresolved baggage from past relationships. Ruby is the catalyst for bringing them together when it is discovered that she is ill. Dax offers to marry Kyra so that she can use his insurance to cover Ruby’s medical care. Is this really a good idea? Will it work?

Throw in the strange neighbors (everyone has those!), a very bad babysitter, the return of the baby-daddy to the story, and some tough choices for Kyra, and you get a contemporary romance with a lot of reality based single-parenting moments thrown in. This story does have a lot of “chuckle” moments but there are a number of serious events that occur that give it some grit.

It has a HEA but it comes after a long developed story that builds slowly. This story is not quite what the title implies but it was an enjoyable read.

*I received an ARC in return for an honest review.*

My first book by Julia London.

What I liked:
The writing style
Ruby and Dax
Part of a series: A Lake Haven Novel
Standalone
HEA

What I didn't like:
Kyra
Not practicing safe sex and shocked by the consequences

I look forward to reading more from this author.

I found this book to be a fast paced summer read. This story is about a single mom who just needs a helping hand and the grumpy neighbor who ends up being the unexpected help she needed. Summer romances can become true love.... just not all of them.

Sweet story, but the heroine seriously gave me whiplash. There was a lot going on at once so readers might be overwhelmed at some point.. ruby was adorable

When I read the synopsis of Suddenly Engaged I was immediately intrigued to find out more so when I got the chance to read this book I was so excited to see what it had in store and I must say that I throughly enjoyed this book . We follow Kyra and Dax and it is safe to say that in the beginning, they are not really the closes of friends but as time going by things changed between them and to think this all began because ruby just loved going over toDax house to play with his dog lol . This story took some twist and turns that I didnt see coming and I just loved that in my stories. The romance was perfect for these two characters , Kyra and Dax have been through so much in there life so to see them get there happy ending just made me so happy.I loved Suddenly engaged and if you are looking for a sweet , sexy , heartwarming romance and `with a ending that will make you feel all those happily ever after feels then you should definately pick up a copy of this book as soon you can !

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well written and little Ruby is just adorable. Dax and Kyra were great as a couple. The storyline was really believable because lets face it the underemployed sometimes don't have enough health care. But that still didn't bog down the story. I love this series of books. Love that Dax decided to call Ruby Coconuts. All in all it was a fantastic story. I wouldn't hesitate to read more in the series. I really enjoy all that Julia London writes.

I was expecting an arranged engagement for convenience romance. That part is only a tiny bit of the story. Only the last 20% is actually about it. All other parts are totally different. I feel that the blurb was a bit misleading. If I hadn't like the book as much as I did, I would have rated 3.5 stars for this reason alone. But I loved the book. So I would be rating 4.5 instead. Yeah I know but the protagonists are worth it!

The characters are many to keep in mind and they all sync well with the setting and the story. I especially love Dax who is a grump. He is gruff with a heart of gold. Without any intention he falls for the mother-daughter duo. Krya is hard working and trying to hard to make life better for her daughter. Her motives are pure and she is selfless in her actions. And the highlight of their romance is being chaperoned by Ruby. Oh my goodness, I adore her! Her silly nickname and her penchant for mischief had me smiling against my wishes. She is such a cutie. She plays a prominent role in this romance. Without her, this book wouldn't be!

The romance plays second fiddle to the emotions of Ruby's health. But it is well done with the perfect sweet and hot connotation to it. I didn't feel that the protagonists were hurrying into their relationship inspite of the short timeline. I enjoyed their initial hesitation followed by their capitulation. I can totally understand each of their positions. The other thing which irked me was the ending. I felt it was a bit dragged out! I was as impatient as Dax!! Now I am hankering to try out the other books in the series. I don't know if they will be as good as this one.

So I can say that I honestly enjoyed this family romance inspite of the misleading part.

My one line review : A cute heart tugging romance.

My rating : 4.5/5

My reread factor : 4/5

Kyra and Dax are two people whose lives haven't quite worked out the way they planned. Dax moved to Lake Haven to start over, turning his hobby into his career. All he really wants is to be left alone. Then he gets new neighbors to distract him. Especially the little girl who keeps showing up at his house to play with his dog, despite Dax's grumpy insistence that she stay on her side of the fence. KL
Kyra is doing her best to raise Ruby on her own, while trying to find a way to better their future. She finally has a good plan and the move to Lake Haven gives her a good bridge job and a house. Too bad the cute neighbor is so unfriendly.
Dax can't resist Ruby, and when Kyra has to fire the babysitter, he offers to fill in. Soon, he can't resist Ruby's mom and the two start to forge a relationship. When Ruby's health becomes a concern, and insurance is an issue, Dax is set to rescue Kyra, again, even if it ends up being temporary. Can they all be happy this way?
I really enjoyed this story, Kyra's character shows tremendous growth, especially after she meets Dax. Thanks to Ruby and Kyra barging into his life, Dax is able to come to terms with his past and find a future he can be happy with. The story has good humor, a twist that makes you tear up and hold your breath, and a dose of romance. The characters are fun, and Ruby steals the show.
This is part of a series, but can easily be read as a standalone.

This book is about a grumpy loner (Dax) and a struggling single mom (Kyra) who start out as neighbors. Then there is Ruby, Kyra's 6 year old daughter. When Ruby keeps showing up at Dax's house so she can play with his dog Otto, it leads to Dax and Kyra coming into contact with each other. There is an instant attraction there. Something Dax hasn't felt since his ex wife left him for another woman. Kyra hasnt had anything to do with men since Ruby's father got her pregnant and then informed her he was engaged to be married. With a lot of baggage from their past and the ups and downs of their life now, you see the relationship develop between Kyra and Dax. She brings him out of his grumpiness and he gives her someone to lean on in tough times. I loved seeing the character development. And Ruby's antics made you want to smile. I've read many of Julia London's historical romance books. This is the first contemporary book of hers I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.