The Charming Checklist: A Friends to Lovers Romance

Four and a half stars The Charming Checklist by Heatherly Bell is the second in her Charming, Texas, series. Max Del Toro is ready for that next step in life, a wife to share the life he’s worked hard to build. So he goes about it practically, by researching and signing up for dating sites, making sure his requirements are clearly spelled out and his photo updated. Ava Long is a good friend, and just about the opposite of most of the things on his list. A list she looks over and recognizes is not her. But as a good friend, she offers to draw on her connections to help find the partner of Max’s dreams. Heatherly Bell does a lovely job with Max and Ava, and I found myself utterly charmed by their friendship and their growing trust and willingness to be vulnerable and honest with each other. It is a delight to see them get to know each other and recognize that sometimes a checklist isn’t a roadmap, and there’s room in one’s life for love and friends. A terrific read and addition to the series.

The quirky and intriguing Ava puts Max, the disciplined and structured man on edge. There's something magnetic about her that he can't get her out of his head. Their attraction builds as their plan to help Max find a wife becomes a difficult task. His list of preferred characteristics are everything Ava is not, which becomes a problem for them both. Her whimsy pinned against his stoic persona is a fun and entertaining journey. The other characters add a bit more dimension with their own unique and unsolicited opinions that make this book a special peak into their lives. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

An opposites attract story with a military hero; be still my beating heart. These two characters could not be more different from one another. She's colour and light, he's regimented discipline. However, at their hearts, both want the same thing: they really just want to be loved for who they are. Ava’s zest for life was a thing of beauty and inspiring to watch. It broke my heart a little to learn what was driving Max, but I think it's something that a lot of people can relate to. Once this pair finally stopped getting in their own way, they were absolute perfection together. Now, I'm curious to find out who the next leading couple of Charming, Texas will be. I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through Booksprout.