Title: Designs on YouAuthor: Jaci Burton
Pages: 352
Publication Date: Dec. 3, 2024
Publisher: Berkley
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Synopsis:
Sparks fly when an interior designer and a game designer cross paths, but they must learn if they can design a happily ever after in this heartfelt romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Jaci Burton.
Natalie Parker is in her mid-thirties, divorced, and firmly focused on her newly resurrected career and her two children. When her sister asks her to help design the backyard in the new home she shares with her boyfriend, Linc, Natalie’s more than happy to take on the project. What she isn’t prepared for is Linc’s younger brother, video game designer Eugene Kennedy. He’s smart, incredibly good-looking, and constantly flirts with Natalie. He’s also too young for her, which makes him totally off-limits.
Eugene is intrigued by Natalie’s beauty, smarts, and especially her sarcastic wit. When he teases her, she throws it right back at him. Besides that, they have an instant chemistry, but she keeps trying to get rid of him despite the sparks that fly between them. And Eugene never backs down from a challenge.
Natalie is running out of reasons to think being with Eugene is a bad thing. Her kids adore him, her sister loves him, and even her always negative mother does, too. The only person holding her back is…her. Maybe it’s time she take that leap and design herself a love for the ages. After all, if she can create the perfect home, she sure as hell can design a happily ever after.
This blog uses affiliate links for some book recommendations, and if you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission. Thanks for supporting this little bookish corner of the internet!
Designs on You is a fun and quick contemporary romance that I read in one sitting. I liked both main characters and their romance. Natalie is a single mom just getting into the groove of her new life without a demanding husband, and Eugene is the younger brother of Natalie’s sister’s partner. A few years older than Eugene and with two young children, Natalie’s hesitant to get involved with the carefree game designer. Eugene, on the other hand, has no reservations, and I love that about him. lol He was interested in her from the start, even before he hired her to design his house.
Natalie and Eugene have a wonderful romance, and Eugene sounds like a total dreamboat boyfriend. Handsome and charming, he gets along really well with her kids and family. They complement each other and fit together so well. However, I totally understood Natalie’s hesitancy. Newly divorced and finally forging her own path and following her dreams instead of her partner’s, Natalie likes her independence and worries about committing to another man. Undaunted and patient, Eugene works hard to prove to Natalie that she should take a chance on them.
This is a pretty low-stakes story and was a nice palate cleanser for me after a much heavier read. The characters are endearing, the romance is lovely, and the themes of family, friendship, and taking a chance on love are woven well throughout the plot. Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
- single mom
- he falls first
- insta-attraction
Jaci Burton is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of over 85 books. She lives in Oklahoma and when she isn’t on deadline (which is often), she can usually be found wrestling with her uncooperative garden, wrangling her dogs, watching an unhealthy amount of television, or completely losing track of time reading a great book. She’s a total romantic and longs for the happily ever after in every story, which you’ll find in all her books.
