Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE: Landing Levi

SERIES: Shore Thing Book 2

AUTHOR: Jaclyn Quinn

PUBLISHER: Self-published

LENGTH: 228 pages

RELEASE DATE:  July 26, 2021

BLURB: 

Sage Rafferty

I’ve wanted Levi ever since my friend Cole introduced us. When Levi moved to my hometown of Coral Pointe Inlet, I thought I finally had a chance to land the sexy, misunderstood man. After months of trying, though, it’s clear he doesn’t want me the way I want him. Putting some space between us is the only way to reclaim some of my dignity. I’ll suffer through as many bad dates as it takes to get over the oblivious man. It’s time to face the facts: He’s never going to notice me when he’s too busy looking at someone else.

Levi Hansen

The life I have in Coral Pointe Inlet is one I never dreamed possible, but watching one of my best friends fall in love has me questioning everything I thought I wanted. When my friends try to convince me that Sage—the sexy owner of Bluefin—has feelings for me, they have to be out of their minds, right? So, how the hell do I end up volunteering to help the man—and manage to make a complete fool of myself in the process? The answer is staring me right in the face, but is it too late to admit I’ve been completely Saged?

***This book picks up after the last chapter of Convincing Cole, before the epilogue. It may be read as a standalone, but it’s suggested the books be read in order as shenanigans between these five best friends begins from the start of the series.

REVIEW: 

Jaclyn Quinn continues her Shore Thing series with Levi and Sage’s romance in Landing Levi.   Like Book 1, Convincing Cole, Landing Levi provides a ready escape for the reader through a feel-good, heartwarming rom-com with some mild angst, lots of sexiness, endearing male leads, and a terrific focus on found family.   

While you don’t need to read Convincing Cole in order to follow and enjoy Landing Levi, it does help if you have. That book provides backstory on the Landing Levi leads, Levi and Sage.  It also lays the groundwork for their story, which picks up before the Convincing Cole epilogue. Cole and Sage’s cousin, Aiden Rafferty, fell in love in Convincing Cole.  Sage has now become close friends with the five featured thirty-something best friends – Cole, Levi, Ford, Burke, and Noah – through Aiden, and also Cole, who grew up with Sage on Coral Pointe.

Landing Levi tells a story of love delayed by miscommunications.  Sage fell in love with Levi practically at first sight.  Everyone knows it too, except Levi.  But after trying and failing for over a year to get Levi’s attention, Sage finally gives up.  He then embarks on a series of hysterically terrible blind dates in an effort to get over Levi.  Sage wants to settle down – the house, kids, and a committed relationship for the long haul.  Hookup apps won’t get him the type of relationship he’s looking for, but he tries in vain anyway.

Levi is completely oblivious to Sage’s attraction and feelings.  Ironically, Levi doesn’t lack interest in Sage.  He lacks the belief that Sage could ever be interested in him.  His incredulity causes him to miss all the signs or dismiss them as delusional thinking on his part.  Ms. Quinn provides both Sage and Levi with complexity and dimension.  However, she crafts for Levi a heartbreaking history and relationship with his mother that bleeds into his ability to hold onto romantic relationships.  Levi doesn’t believe in his own worth.  He firmly believes he is never the one people choose.  He is certain someone bright and exuberant like Sage would never want someone “boring” like him.  Even if Sage did, Levi knows he would never be able to keep him for long.

So like ships passing in the night, when Sage is interested, Levi is oblivious.  Once Levi realizes Sage was interested, he allows his own feelings to come to the fore.  However, by then it’s too late, because now Sage has moved on.  Even when these two finally get on the same wavelength, Levi still believes their relationship has an expiration date.  So he pushes himself to do anything he can to remain relevant in Sage’s life so Sage won’t get bored of him.

Landing Levi shows us Levi’s slow, poignant realization of his own self-worth and his ability to trust.  The found family aspect between the five best friends, and by extension Aiden and Sage, forms the backbone for Levi’s healing and openness to love.  Personally, I think this found family provides the best part of the series, and Ms. Quinn delivers on it even more impactfully in Landing Levi than she did in Convincing Cole.

Overall, Landing Levi is a thoroughly enjoyable romance featuring an amazing couple that supports and brings out the best in each other.  There’s plenty of sexy and swoony content as well as well-crafted banter and dialogue.  It sets up the next book well.  After reading Landing Levi, I’m definitely invested in what comes next for this group of friends.

RATING:

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