Pity Parade

If you've read book #3, you've already met the heroine: Trina, the Midwestern Matchmaker who, however, has not met her own match yet. Or has she? Her story turns out to be a second-chance-at-love kind of deal, but it's not quite going according to her plans. Against all odds - and some major idiocy on his part - she reconnects with big-shot Chicago real-estate mogul Heath. On their way to their HEA, they both need to deal with some baggage, and although a large part of the story is dealing with Heath's grieving the loss of his family, it is also a story of hope, of new beginnings, and - being a Whitney Dineen rom-com - hilarity.

More Dusty Rooms Than Usual. This is one of those romcoms where guys are going to encounter more dusty rooms than usual, and women may outright cry more than usual. Because Dineen does one character in particular so unbelievably well, we truly *feel* this character's motivations - and hesitations.

Which, perhaps, makes up for what for at least some readers will be a cancellable offense for Dineen, who has this character make a joke that... well, there are many out there today who won't find the joke funny and yes, will probably/ likely call for her cancellation over it. Me, apparently I'm going to Hell right there with Dineen, because I thought it was one of the more hilarious moments of the book, and there was enough contrition later (indeed, bordering on preachiness, which is perhaps a step *too* far) that it *should* mollify most critics of it.

Overall though, another solid entry in this series that technically *can* be read as a standalone, though significant events play out in the book immediately before this one in this series that directly impact the story here, and are referenced frequently in this story. But for those who don't mind mild spoilers of other books, eh, this one could truly work standalone.

Truly a fun, shortish (at under 300 pages) romcom, perfect for a breezy summer afternoon relaxing... just watch out for the dust. Very much recommended.