This was a cute second chance romance. I liked Hollyn (love the name!) but I adored Dax. If I’d read this book when I was younger, my hubby might have needed to up his romantic gestures!

I enjoyed the secondary characters for the most part, although I really didn't care for Hollyn's brother. It was fun to read about characters competing on a reality TV show, and the author did a great job of showing the competition but not allowing it to overwhelm the story.

I found the dual first-person POV's hard to follow at times.

Overall, He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not was a light-hearted and easy read that had me laughing out loud at times. This was my first Aimee Brown read, and I plan to check out more of her books.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

He Love Me, He Loves Me Not is a swoon-worthy Rom Com. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face!
Dax has been in love with the girl next door, who also happens to be his Best Friend's sister. The bro code is in full effect. Hollyn is just coming out of an emotional abusive relationship after being away from her family and friends for years. She is trying to rebuild her life and Dax is just the guy to help.
I couldn't put this one down! Thank you for the advanced copy.

When his dad's old florist’s shop is up for sale, he has to have it. Only problem is, he'd need to sell a kidney to afford it. The reality show Battle of the Blossoms is the perfect opportunity to win the money he needs, but when his childhood crush blows back into his life, distractions risk taking his eyes off the prize. He needs his head and heart to start working together to ensure he doesn't miss the opportunity of a lifetime.

Hollyn Matthews has made some colossal mistakes in life. When she's dumped just as she's expecting an engagement ring, she knows she's put her heart into the wrong man. Hoping for a second chance at being a grown-up, she moves home to stay with her brother and his best friend Dax, a boy whose memory faded as she ran away from her past. Facing the hurt she left behind means facing some home truths about herself, but there’s one boy who has always loved her, if only she’d take the time to notice him.

Although it had potential, this fell flat for me. A few cute and romantic moments, but they were overshadowed by the unrealistic timeline and lack of character growth. As much as I love romance books and all the cliches that come with them, I could not believe that someone who had been in a serious relationship for 8 years, who was then dumped, would suddenly fall in love with someone else within 4 weeks.

I expected more from this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

After a rough breakup Hollyn has no choice but to move home into her brothers apartment, the apartment he shares with his best friend Dax. Dax has been in love with Hollyn for ages, maybe she’ll finally see how he feels for her when they’re forced to live and work together.

This is such a cute book, way cheesy but I like it that way. Dax is a total gentleman, it’s clear that he has so much love and respect for Hollyn even tough he’s been thru it. Losing his dad at a young age, running a new business, losing Hollyn in a way once already. You can’t help but root for him.

There is a bit of insta love vibes from Hollyns side, even though they’ve known each other for years it’s clear she didn’t see him like that before. This is what dragged down my rating slightly.

The floristry and competition is pure gold, love the concept! It’s a fun and original aspect that creates even more of a connection between the main characters. The spice level is pretty low, but there is kissing and a lot of flirting.

I highly recommend this one to all the romcom readers out there!

OMG this book is adorable! 🤩
Let me make it perfectly clear how much I loved He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not by telling you that I am obsessed with its main male character: Dax. He is the ultimate book boyfriend! I am talking about the next level man every single soul on this planet is looking for (I know you know what I'm talking about)! Dax is a super sweet guy who has been in love with Hollyn (the pretty messy and yet pretty adorable main female character of the book) his entire life. Dax is dorky, and nerdy. He is also this gorgeous sweetheart of a man, and the kindest, sweetest, funniest, smartest, best-looking man on the planet. I am telling you: he is the perfect mix of shy and confident, and he will conquer your heart the moment he enters the scene. 😍
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not is all about the brother’s best friend trope. I usually like this trope just fine, even if I wouldn't say it is my favorite. But, you know what? This book was so good that it kinda makes me want to read more Childhood Friends To Lovers books. 🥰
So... I definitely reccomend this book and I'd like to talk about it more...but... I gotta go find my Dax. You know... my "dark hair, short thick beard, I-work-out-but-not-every-day muscles, taller than nearly everyone around him, and a voice that could melt the panties off every woman in the room" future boyfriend. Wish me luck! 😅

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book I've read by Aimée Brown, several years apart, and she continues to have that magnetism in her way of writing the plot and the characters for which I can enjoy reading a lot and get hooked without loving the characters or their attitudes. For me was more a four stars reading in enjoyment but sadly I didn't fall in love with any character
.
The book should be called She loves me, She loves me not. Although it is a story seen from a dual point of view, I felt that it was much more flattering and empathetic with Dax, the hero than with Hollyn, the heroine. Even with him flirting with various secondary characters and even with the mention of sex with other womens
.
After her boyfriend, several years her senior, leaves her for another woman, Hollyn must return home to a family she has barely spoken to for more than eight years
.
But her family isn't ready to welcome her with open arms and it's her brother who makes room for her in the apartment he shares with his best friend Dax
.
Dax has had a lifelong crush on Hollyn, his next-door neighbor and best friend's older sister, but he never had the courage to talk to her or be in a serious relationship with any woman. When his best friend tells him they're hosting Hollyn for a while and disappears to his girlfriend's house, Dax not only has to deal with a heartbroken woman but also with his feelings that seem to have grown over the years and they become torture being the only one around to comfort her
.
On top of that, comes the opportunity to expand his business into a florist reality show that could fulfill his dream of buying his late father's store. if he can keep his mind on the contest and his heart in the right place
.
They were all good characters but I didn't like the attitude towards both main characters, I feel that Hollyn lost her magic and attractiveness in the fourth chapter and I could only empathize with the womanizing Dax and how much he suffered from a broken heart that Hollyn had no idea she had caused but yes... She ends feeling guilty and remorse for his feelings
.
I did not like that the heroine was questioned and blamed by all the characters, she came out of a psychologically abusive and toxic relationship where she suffered from gaslighting continuously, however when she returns home, her family and friends do not stop blaiming her and making her doubt every step that she takes, to the point of persuading her
.
The light side of it all is that she doesn't suffer as much from Dax and his attitude towards other women at first because she has no idea that he was pining for her, and that drop in dial the angst and made me keep reading and enjoying the story
.
I liked the third act of breaking up, but the resolution of the rest of the conflicts with other characters was not very convincing to me, especially the parents. I didn't like it one bit and even less their one hundred and eighty degree turns in attitude toward Hollyn
.
Thanks to Aimée Brown and Boldwood Books for give me this book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion

I pushed myself to read through this book. It was well written, nothing wrong with it due to the author. I just couldn't get into it like I had hoped.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I wish I liked this book more than I did. It was a quick read, I read it in an afternoon. It had some of my favourite tropes: brothers best friend, forced proximity, it’s always been you. I just couldn’t connect with the characters. Something was lacking and I couldn’t put my finger on it. I also found the use of “ya” instead of “you” really irritating. But I liked Dax’s pun shirts, Jake and Mercy cracked me up. All in all it just wasn’t for me.

Boy next door falls in love with girl next door but she doesn't realize it until years later.
This is such a sweet love story. I enjoyed it and fell in love with Dax myself! If only there were more men out there like him. I liked how he was kind, gentle and most of all honest with Hollyn and his friends.
Hollyn has many insecurities to overcome but with help from her friends and family (and Dax!) she discovers that she is a whole lot more than what her long time boyfriend told her she was- and he was not a nice person.
A nice, fun romance that will make you smile and laugh.

Tropes
🌻 Best Friend’s Sister/Brother’s Best Friend
🌷 Second Chance Love
🌹 Forced Proximity

CW/TW
🟥 Manipulative Ex-Partner
🟥 Parental Death (mentions of)
🟥 Car Accident (mentions of)
🟥 Teacher/Student Relationship

Hollyn recently had her life fall out from under her, with a nearly decade-long relationship ending suddenly. She’s forced to move home, but that may be to her benefit. Dax is her younger brother’s best friend. He is trying to buy his father’s old storefront to continue the legacy of being a florist, but he needs cash. Thankfully, a YouTube series for wedding florists seems to provide the answer he’s looking for.

It was refreshing to see such a self-aware protagonist. Hollyn, the daughter of a music star, has always felt like she disappointed her famous mother, which in turn caused her to become a bit self-absorbed. Throughout the story, she realizes the negative impact her previous behavior has had on the people around her and tries to fix that. Most characters are never self-aware enough to associate their actions with the aftermath and/or to make the necessary changes to improve.

Additionally, Dax is the definition of a golden retriever. He will do anything to make Hollyn happy, especially after what she’s experienced. While wanting to have a romantic relationship, he never pushes or forces his feelings on her, which was great.

I found it to be a fun read that gave me everything I typically want in a romance book.

Hollyn Matthews was happy to escape her hometown of Portland, Oregon as he headed off to college in Seattle. Leaving behind her parents who she felt she never lived up to their expectations. At twenty-obe she met a professor at college, which kickstarted an eight-year relationship that was far from perfect but somehow he managed to keep her hooked. Her world falls apart when she thinks he is about to propose to her but instead finds out he is marrying someone else.

Dax Hartley discovered that he has the same passion as his late father had for flowers approx two tears ago. Currently managing his business out of the back of his delivery van he is excited to find that his dad’s old florist store is up for sale but doesn’t quite have enough to buy it. His cousin coming up with a solution – the Battle of the Blooms competition to potentially win $50k. Whilst he is deciding whether to do this or not, his roommate and best friend, call in a favour – collect Hollyn from the airport and let her stay for a week or two whilst she puts her life back together.

Having had his heart broken by Hollyn when she moved away Dax isn’t sure how having back will impact him. He fell in love with her when he was 12 years old and never worked up the courage to do or say anything. Returning home Hollyn suddenly realises how selfish she has been and how she ignored all the red flags for too long. Offering to help Dax with his competition she realised what a great friend he always was to her, making her smile, understanding her anxiety and making her feel valued. But as they grow closer and Dax decides to share his feelings, will she return them? or just see him as her brother’s best friend?

This was a nice uplifting story but I didn’t like the way Hollyn was seen to be selfish when I don’t think she was. I loved Dax and it was a romantic read, I did enjoy it.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very cute and insanely easy to read. There wasn't anything major to set it apart from other books in this category but if this book sounds interesting to you then give it a shot. It's an easy, breezy type of book that hits all the normal tropes.

Some of the things that I did enjoy were the fact that it was the guy who was pining all his life instead of the girl. I also liked how the main character went on her self discovery journey throughout the entire book. A lot of other books that I have read have the main character go through a crisis and then go through their journey in less than 50 pages.

2.75 stars//

Thank you Netgalley and Aimee Brown for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Hollyn who gets dumped by her significantly older boyfriend of 8 years in Seattle. Since her ex-boyfriend sold their apartment, Hollyn was left with no choice but to go back to her hometown and stay with her brother and his best friend. Dax is said-brother's best friend who is also known to be the town's hot florist. Dax joins a floral competition to win money so he could buy a building for his floral shop, so Hollyn joins him as his assistant while trying to figure out her future at the same time.

This book was monotonous and amateur in terms of writing. It felt very flat from the get-go and it didn't really grip me like I had expected it would. The time-stamps were also unnecessary and could've been indicated within the plot's setting since there weren't any huge time jumps. The dialogues were also a bit cringey to be completely honest, and that's coming from someone who loves clichés in romance books. As for the plot itself, I wish the author delved more into the competition and the creative challenges Dax and Hollyn faced. The first 30% of the book were too slow and could've been filled with more content within the competition instead of the events before it.

Hollyn was too self-deprecative and immature for a 29-year-old; her character development was good but not the greatest. Dax is an absolute sweetheart with golden retriever energy, but he also lacked complexity in my eyes. The timeline of their relationship was unrealistic given Hollyn had just gotten out of a borderline grooming relationship. Dax had been in love with Hollyn for years so I understand him, but Hollyn didn't even realize Dax had feelings for her. It didn't make sense for her to already be in love with him 4 weeks later when she had just gotten out of an 8 YEAR RELATIONSHIP.

If this was a movie instead, I think I would've loved it, but surprisingly, I didn't really enjoy it as a book. I think this would appeal to an older female audience specifically and I can't explain why you just have to read it to understand. It was packed with a bunch of tropes like second chance romance, brother's best friend, forced proximity, and friends-to-lovers so if that sounds like your vibe, totally give it a try.

SUPER cute story with a strongly founded premise. I found myself rooting for both Hollyn and Dax in their own forms of growth throughout the novel. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book and I think with some more editing, it could really shine. It would certainly make for an great movie!

Hollyn escapes her mother's fame by running of with her college Professor. Turns out the Professor is emotionally abusive and a cheater. What was hard to reconcile, is that she stayed with him for 8 years and alienated her entire family. Had this been a couple of years, I could have believed it. And this is not to say that it couldn't happen, it was just a harder pill to swallow in terms of becoming fully invested in the book.

That being said, I loved the storyline with Dax and the floral competition was adorable and refreshing to read. I do wish, however, that Hollyn had been given some more admirable traits and substance to really solidify the connection between the two main characters.

In terms of editing, the beginning of the book had something repeated twice, in different words and within just a paragraph of each other. In addition, paragraphs and sections were often delineated with timelines that just weren't necessary, like "later that day". I found these to be a distraction and they certainly didn't add to the story.

All that being said, this is a fun and entertaining read!

Thank you to Net Galley and Boldwood books for an advance copy of Aimee Browns new novel, he loves me, he loves me not.

I loved every single second of this book, and finished it in two sittings because I couldn’t stand to put it down.

We meet Hollyn just as she is heading to dinner, expecting to get engaged, but instead she is dumped. She decides to head back home to Oregon, and crash with her brother and his best friend. Only problem, is her brothers best friend Dax has been hopelessly in love with Hols since he was 12.

Throughout the book we get to watch Hols and Dax work together, as she joins him as a floral assistant as he competes on a YouTube competition show, called Battle of the Blooms.

The characters in this book were so likable, and you can’t help but feel like you’re a part of their group. As we follow Hols and Dax working together, we witness how their friendship blossoms again, and how Hols begins to heal from the trauma of her last relationship.

Everything about this story was like being wrapped in a warm up hug, complete with a happy ending. This was my first book by the author and I was delighted to find out there will be two more books coming to the series. Hols brother River has a story coming, as well as Hols best friend Mercy.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this #ARC that I enjoyed so much.

Dax is the ultimately boy next door that has been in love with Hollyn— his best friend’s sister— since he was 12. Life, with all its twists and turns separates them but after Hollyn goes through massive heartbreak, they find a way to each other.

Through a reality competition, millions of flowers, and forced proximity, Dax realizes that the love he has felt for Hollyn is intact. As for Hollyn, she can’t believe she just didn’t see it before.

This was so cute! I will definitely be on the lookout for more stories about the rest of the characters. I really enjoyed this book and I’m so glad I read it.

So, this book was a bit of a mixed bag.

I liked...
the premise. It was interesting to see a younger brother's best friend storyline. This plot flowed really well I thought and it was believable.
the pining. I always like that in a book, but their relationship was a little rushed.

I didn't like...
the time jumps. Initially, the time jumps didn't bother me but the more they were used, the more I thought it was just lazy writing. It was lazy because it felt like the writer couldn't be bothered to write the setting or how the scene was moving along. For this reason, it made the story a little disjointed because it would pull me out of the story when it would say "moments earlier" or "Friday night - at the rooftop garden". Details of the setting would've brought the story to life.
some of the characters. They felt one-dimensional and I didn't connect with them very well.

If you're looking for a new book boyfriend then you've come to the right place!
Dax and Hollyn are completely adorable and swoonworthy. Hollyn found herself completely starting over after her boyfriend dumps her; she's out of work, has nowhere to live and on a plane back home. Where her brother's best friend, and her lifelong admirer, is waiting for her.

This book had everything I love and was definitely the cosy book I needed. Such a fun, quick read! It was my first Aimee Brown experience and I will definitely be going back for more!