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More Than One Night
From bed to baby to...bliss?
A chance encounter. A steamy night together. That's all Rhys Walker signs on for when Charlotte "Charlie" Long sashays across his path. Sure, maybe he catches a glimpse of forever in her eyes. But the brush-off note the gorgeous brunette leaves the next morning says it all, doesn't it? Time to move on.
Rhys never expects that moving on actually means reconnecting with Charlie. Or that her big news changes everything. Becoming a father now, under these circumstances, never factored into his plans. Yet he's not as upset as he thought. Because now he has the opportunity to explore that glimpse of forever...and turn it into reality.
A chance encounter. A steamy night together. That's all Rhys Walker signs on for when Charlotte "Charlie" Long sashays across his path. Sure, maybe he catches a glimpse of forever in her eyes. But the brush-off note the gorgeous brunette leaves the next morning says it all, doesn't it? Time to move on.
Rhys never expects that moving on actually means reconnecting with Charlie. Or that her big news changes everything. Becoming a father now, under these circumstances, never factored into his plans. Yet he's not as upset as he thought. Because now he has the opportunity to explore that glimpse of forever...and turn it into reality.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
7 people are currently reading
998 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Mayberry
158 books1,149 followersSarah Mayberry was born in Melbourne, Australia, and is the middle of three children. From the time that she first “stole” paper from kindergarten and stapled it together to make “books,” Sarah has always wanted to be a writer. In line with this ambition, on graduation from high school she completed a bachelor of arts degree majoring in professional writing, then sat down to write a book. When inspiration didn’t strike, she began to wonder if, perhaps, she needed to live some life first before writing about it.
This still left the burning question of how to pay the rent. She found her way into trade journalism, working off the principle that it was better to write anything for a living than nothing at all. Her time there lead to the opportunity to launch a new decorator magazine for one of Australia’s major retailers, an invaluable and grueling experience that she found very rewarding.
But the opportunity to write fiction for a living soon lured Sarah away. She took up a post as storyliner on Australia’s longest running soap, Neighbours. Over two years she helped plot more than 240 hours of television, as well as writing freelance scripts. She remembers her time with the show very fondly — especially the dirty jokes and laughter around the story table — and still writes scripts on a freelance basis.
In 2003 she relocated to New Zealand for her partner’s work. There Sarah served as storyliner and story editor on the country’s top-rating drama, Shortland Street, before quitting to pursue writing full time.
Sarah picked up a love of romance novels from both her grandmothers, and has submitted manuscripts to Harlequin many times over the years. She credits the invaluable story structuring experience she learned on Neighbours as the key to her eventual success — along with the patience of her fantastic editor, Wanda.
Sarah is revoltingly happy with her partner of twelve years, Chris, who is a talented scriptwriter. Not only does he offer fantastic advice and solutions to writing problems, but he’s also handsome, funny and sexy. When she’s not gushing over him, she loves to read romance and fantasy novels, go to the movies, sew and cook for her friends. She has also become a recent convert to Pilates, which she knows she should do more often.
This still left the burning question of how to pay the rent. She found her way into trade journalism, working off the principle that it was better to write anything for a living than nothing at all. Her time there lead to the opportunity to launch a new decorator magazine for one of Australia’s major retailers, an invaluable and grueling experience that she found very rewarding.
But the opportunity to write fiction for a living soon lured Sarah away. She took up a post as storyliner on Australia’s longest running soap, Neighbours. Over two years she helped plot more than 240 hours of television, as well as writing freelance scripts. She remembers her time with the show very fondly — especially the dirty jokes and laughter around the story table — and still writes scripts on a freelance basis.
In 2003 she relocated to New Zealand for her partner’s work. There Sarah served as storyliner and story editor on the country’s top-rating drama, Shortland Street, before quitting to pursue writing full time.
Sarah picked up a love of romance novels from both her grandmothers, and has submitted manuscripts to Harlequin many times over the years. She credits the invaluable story structuring experience she learned on Neighbours as the key to her eventual success — along with the patience of her fantastic editor, Wanda.
Sarah is revoltingly happy with her partner of twelve years, Chris, who is a talented scriptwriter. Not only does he offer fantastic advice and solutions to writing problems, but he’s also handsome, funny and sexy. When she’s not gushing over him, she loves to read romance and fantasy novels, go to the movies, sew and cook for her friends. She has also become a recent convert to Pilates, which she knows she should do more often.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
February 5, 2012
Another winner by Sarah Mayberry.
Trust Sarah Mayberry to take a plot that has practically been done to death in the world of romance and still give readers a story that is worth remembering. In my eyes, Sarah Mayberry is one of the few authors in the contemporary romance genre who can do no wrong. Each and every single story that I have read from her has always been memorable, and her latest release is no exception to the rule.
32 year old Charlotte (Charlie) Long leaves the army after 14 long years of service and is trying to find her place in civilian life. Her best friend Gina sees a cause for celebration her first night back and that is how she crosses paths with the handsome, charming and sexy Rhys Andrew Walker, who himself is celebrating the successful sealing of a business deal that means the world to him. Driven, determined and ambitious is what Rhys is all about, and when he sees Charlie and the spark and connection between them is an immediate and instantaneous one, Rhys convinces Charlie to indulge with him in one night of decadent passion.
However for Charlie, the light of the morning brings forth with a vengeance the insecurities that had been kept at bay in the darkness of the night and Charlie slips away, believing deep in her heart that someone as sinfully good looking as Rhys would never give her the time of the day. Eight weeks later the story continues, Charlie slowly and surely finding her footing in the uncertain waters that is civilian life. And then comes the scariest revelation of her life; that she is pregnant with Rhys’s baby.
More than One Night is a story that stands true to the remarkable talent that Sarah Mayberry shows whenever she puts pen to paper to create her vivid cast of characters and emotions that practically seeps through the pages. And in More than One Night I found a story that nearly had me in tears, a relationship that when it unfolded had me holding my breathe in just to see how Rhys and Charlie make their way through a situation fraught with the unknown and emotions that neither of them had never felt before.
Charlie is one of the most complex heroines I have encountered in the fact that she has so much pain and feelings of insecurity buried so deep inside of her. As a child, Charlie had learnt early on to keep her emotions in check, to show a calm and controlled front to the rest of the world. Having never received love or affection from her father, Charlie had set out to join the military as the last attempt at winning over his affections. But even that had not turned out as she had thought it would though the military had given her a sense of belonging she hadn’t ever felt before.
The pivotal moment in the story during which Charlie came out with all the fears and insecurities that had been bottled up deep inside of her for a lifetime, I seriously found myself with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat the size of a roadblock that refused to go away no matter how hard I tried. And I am not one to cry easily either at movies or over a book, and the fact that Charlie’s character invoked so much emotion from me surprised me all in a good way. Needless to say, I loved Charlie, her straightforward and pragmatic manner, her loyalty, the way she wants to do the right thing above everything else and the way she faces whatever challenge that she comes across with a strength and determination that astounded me at times.
It is a rare circumstance for me to gush about a heroine in a book and totally forget about the hero. Rhys’s character was what made everything deep inside of Charlie better and stronger in the end. Rhys is the type of man who focuses on what he wants, goes after it and succeeds in his attempts to win over the goals he sets in his life. But all those things that had seemed so important to him before suddenly takes a backseat when he discovers he is going to be a father, a news that has him reeling at first. But slowly and surely, Rhys finds that becoming a father with Charlie in the picture is exactly what he wants and needs, if only he could convince Charlie to let go, to trust in him and their newfound love for one another.
It was a thing of beauty to witness the phases that Charlie goes through in order to come out the triumphant one in the end. Rhys works his brand of magic on her, like a soothing salve on those wounds that had festered away for far too long. As I said before, the emotional impact of the story is one that completely sucker punched me, from the sexually charged scenes to the beautiful proposal at the end that had me smiling through all the emotions that had bombarded me from all corners for the better half of the story.
If you want a story that would completely draw you in, characters that feel real, and go through honest emotions to come out winners with a love that is that much more beautiful because of the journey they take towards the ultimate happily ever after, this one’s for you.
Rating=5/5
Original review posted on MBR's Realm of Romance
Trust Sarah Mayberry to take a plot that has practically been done to death in the world of romance and still give readers a story that is worth remembering. In my eyes, Sarah Mayberry is one of the few authors in the contemporary romance genre who can do no wrong. Each and every single story that I have read from her has always been memorable, and her latest release is no exception to the rule.
32 year old Charlotte (Charlie) Long leaves the army after 14 long years of service and is trying to find her place in civilian life. Her best friend Gina sees a cause for celebration her first night back and that is how she crosses paths with the handsome, charming and sexy Rhys Andrew Walker, who himself is celebrating the successful sealing of a business deal that means the world to him. Driven, determined and ambitious is what Rhys is all about, and when he sees Charlie and the spark and connection between them is an immediate and instantaneous one, Rhys convinces Charlie to indulge with him in one night of decadent passion.
However for Charlie, the light of the morning brings forth with a vengeance the insecurities that had been kept at bay in the darkness of the night and Charlie slips away, believing deep in her heart that someone as sinfully good looking as Rhys would never give her the time of the day. Eight weeks later the story continues, Charlie slowly and surely finding her footing in the uncertain waters that is civilian life. And then comes the scariest revelation of her life; that she is pregnant with Rhys’s baby.
More than One Night is a story that stands true to the remarkable talent that Sarah Mayberry shows whenever she puts pen to paper to create her vivid cast of characters and emotions that practically seeps through the pages. And in More than One Night I found a story that nearly had me in tears, a relationship that when it unfolded had me holding my breathe in just to see how Rhys and Charlie make their way through a situation fraught with the unknown and emotions that neither of them had never felt before.
Charlie is one of the most complex heroines I have encountered in the fact that she has so much pain and feelings of insecurity buried so deep inside of her. As a child, Charlie had learnt early on to keep her emotions in check, to show a calm and controlled front to the rest of the world. Having never received love or affection from her father, Charlie had set out to join the military as the last attempt at winning over his affections. But even that had not turned out as she had thought it would though the military had given her a sense of belonging she hadn’t ever felt before.
The pivotal moment in the story during which Charlie came out with all the fears and insecurities that had been bottled up deep inside of her for a lifetime, I seriously found myself with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat the size of a roadblock that refused to go away no matter how hard I tried. And I am not one to cry easily either at movies or over a book, and the fact that Charlie’s character invoked so much emotion from me surprised me all in a good way. Needless to say, I loved Charlie, her straightforward and pragmatic manner, her loyalty, the way she wants to do the right thing above everything else and the way she faces whatever challenge that she comes across with a strength and determination that astounded me at times.
It is a rare circumstance for me to gush about a heroine in a book and totally forget about the hero. Rhys’s character was what made everything deep inside of Charlie better and stronger in the end. Rhys is the type of man who focuses on what he wants, goes after it and succeeds in his attempts to win over the goals he sets in his life. But all those things that had seemed so important to him before suddenly takes a backseat when he discovers he is going to be a father, a news that has him reeling at first. But slowly and surely, Rhys finds that becoming a father with Charlie in the picture is exactly what he wants and needs, if only he could convince Charlie to let go, to trust in him and their newfound love for one another.
It was a thing of beauty to witness the phases that Charlie goes through in order to come out the triumphant one in the end. Rhys works his brand of magic on her, like a soothing salve on those wounds that had festered away for far too long. As I said before, the emotional impact of the story is one that completely sucker punched me, from the sexually charged scenes to the beautiful proposal at the end that had me smiling through all the emotions that had bombarded me from all corners for the better half of the story.
If you want a story that would completely draw you in, characters that feel real, and go through honest emotions to come out winners with a love that is that much more beautiful because of the journey they take towards the ultimate happily ever after, this one’s for you.
Rating=5/5
Original review posted on MBR's Realm of Romance
February 8, 2012
Rating 3.25
This was not my favorite Mayberry mainly because her others have been so good that I had huge expectations and living upto them became impossible, whatever the reason even though I enjoyed this there was a but attached to it.
For a long time I felt nothing happened on the romantic front, though of course it was natural, these two were strangers who now had a baby on the way and getting to know each other and becoming comfortable around each other takes time but I don't know I wanted things to progress at a much faster pace especially I wanted the heroine to see how special she was.
When the book opens the hero has just won a huge account and goes to celebrate. The hero comes from a big family but he has always had a lot of ambition so he struck out on his own and left his secure job. The heroine has just left the army after fourteen years of service and somehow these two strike sparks of each other and spend the night together, but the next morning the heroine runs, you see she has issues over how she looks and thinks it was the make-up which led to a spectacular night.
Almost two months later she is settling in her new life when she finds out she is pregnant. I found the reactions of the hero and heroine to the pregnancy real, their life and plans had been disrupted and after some intial anger both of them kind of warmed up to the idea.
The hero started envisioning a new life while the heroine had a lot of baggage that made her wary. She grew up without a mother(she died giving birth) and a father who was cold, so she learned to cope the best way she could by not expecting much.
I enjoyed the book but wished things had gone faster.
This was not my favorite Mayberry mainly because her others have been so good that I had huge expectations and living upto them became impossible, whatever the reason even though I enjoyed this there was a but attached to it.
For a long time I felt nothing happened on the romantic front, though of course it was natural, these two were strangers who now had a baby on the way and getting to know each other and becoming comfortable around each other takes time but I don't know I wanted things to progress at a much faster pace especially I wanted the heroine to see how special she was.
When the book opens the hero has just won a huge account and goes to celebrate. The hero comes from a big family but he has always had a lot of ambition so he struck out on his own and left his secure job. The heroine has just left the army after fourteen years of service and somehow these two strike sparks of each other and spend the night together, but the next morning the heroine runs, you see she has issues over how she looks and thinks it was the make-up which led to a spectacular night.
Almost two months later she is settling in her new life when she finds out she is pregnant. I found the reactions of the hero and heroine to the pregnancy real, their life and plans had been disrupted and after some intial anger both of them kind of warmed up to the idea.
The hero started envisioning a new life while the heroine had a lot of baggage that made her wary. She grew up without a mother(she died giving birth) and a father who was cold, so she learned to cope the best way she could by not expecting much.
I enjoyed the book but wished things had gone faster.
May 5, 2014
I've been binging on Mayberry's "Super Romance" novels, lately, because they're just so very good—or at least what I'm in the mood for right now. This one is an excellent example of the type. The protagonists generally have some handicap—some large, emotionally devastating event or circumstance that gets in the way of forming a lasting connection with, well, anyone, generally (let alone the other protagonist). You'd think that, in this one, that would be the unexpected pregnancy. Fortunately, not so. Indeed, that serves as a unifying factor for the two as they come together for the sake of the eventual child.
What Mayberry does so excruciatingly well is show how the "broken" of the characters serves to bring them closer together—not through anything hokey, either, but through natural growth and choice and, well, love. This book is a great example as Charlie learns to accept herself as loveable not just because Rhys shows his love for her but because she moves beyond the callus upbringing that has convinced her of her lack of worth. That journey was fantastic and made better by the inclusion of the very delectable Rhys.
A note about Steamy: About average for Mayberry. Which is on the high side of my own tolerance with very long sex scenes, though generally only a few of them present.
What Mayberry does so excruciatingly well is show how the "broken" of the characters serves to bring them closer together—not through anything hokey, either, but through natural growth and choice and, well, love. This book is a great example as Charlie learns to accept herself as loveable not just because Rhys shows his love for her but because she moves beyond the callus upbringing that has convinced her of her lack of worth. That journey was fantastic and made better by the inclusion of the very delectable Rhys.
A note about Steamy: About average for Mayberry. Which is on the high side of my own tolerance with very long sex scenes, though generally only a few of them present.
December 5, 2021
3.5 stars
This was really nice and I love books that feature two genuinely nice people. I related so much to Charlie in that feeling that boys never really paid attention to her during her teenage years and men didn't come up to her as an adult and how that can severely influence the way you see yourself and your own self-confidence.
Also loved the entire Walker family, but this story suffers from what most of Sarah Mayberry's books suffer from, which is that it was too short for everything she wanted to accomplish. I could've used at least 5 extra chapters.
This was really nice and I love books that feature two genuinely nice people. I related so much to Charlie in that feeling that boys never really paid attention to her during her teenage years and men didn't come up to her as an adult and how that can severely influence the way you see yourself and your own self-confidence.
Also loved the entire Walker family, but this story suffers from what most of Sarah Mayberry's books suffer from, which is that it was too short for everything she wanted to accomplish. I could've used at least 5 extra chapters.
August 17, 2012
Just some quick thoughts while I mull my review:
- Loved the characters. The plot may be a Harlequin staple, but the two leads reacted to the events with pitch-perfect realism and honesty. They had weak moments to go with their heroic ones.
- Cleverly written as any Mayberry book. I enjoyed the bit of Chekhov's Gun with that box from her father. Well done.
- I don't know if I enjoyed the romantic conflict, but it suited the heroine's character. I wanted her to be more confident and fucking snap out of it, but not everyone can be perfect like me.
- This was in 5-star territory, but parts of the ending bothered me. Making a grand gesture at a large party to an insecure, anxiety-prone, private woman like Charlie seemed to suit genre conventions more than this particular book and its characters. Also, I would have liked it if there was some mention of Charlie getting help for her problems besides hugs and good sex. She did that with the epilogue to One Good Reason and I thought that made the book, honestly.
- Loved the characters. The plot may be a Harlequin staple, but the two leads reacted to the events with pitch-perfect realism and honesty. They had weak moments to go with their heroic ones.
- Cleverly written as any Mayberry book. I enjoyed the bit of Chekhov's Gun with that box from her father. Well done.
- I don't know if I enjoyed the romantic conflict, but it suited the heroine's character. I wanted her to be more confident and fucking snap out of it, but not everyone can be perfect like me.
- This was in 5-star territory, but parts of the ending bothered me. Making a grand gesture at a large party to an insecure, anxiety-prone, private woman like Charlie seemed to suit genre conventions more than this particular book and its characters. Also, I would have liked it if there was some mention of Charlie getting help for her problems besides hugs and good sex. She did that with the epilogue to One Good Reason and I thought that made the book, honestly.
March 23, 2021
More Than One Night
3 Stars
After sharing one night of passion, Rhys Walker and Charlie Long never plan on crossing paths again. However, it soon turns out that their one night stand has some more serious consequences, and Rhys and Charlie will have to get to know one another better and more quickly than they originally thought…
A common enough story about unplanned pregnancy between strangers who then get to know one another and fall in love.
The problem is that Rhys and Charlie’s chemistry is rather lackluster and neither is particularly appealing. Rhys’s reaction to Charlie’s bombshell leaves much to be desired and places him firmly in the anti-hottie harem category. Charlie’s low self-esteem and lack of self-worth is irritating. Why should the reader think well of a character if she cannot think well of herself?
All in all, an OK story but their romance is not believable.
3 Stars
After sharing one night of passion, Rhys Walker and Charlie Long never plan on crossing paths again. However, it soon turns out that their one night stand has some more serious consequences, and Rhys and Charlie will have to get to know one another better and more quickly than they originally thought…
A common enough story about unplanned pregnancy between strangers who then get to know one another and fall in love.
The problem is that Rhys and Charlie’s chemistry is rather lackluster and neither is particularly appealing. Rhys’s reaction to Charlie’s bombshell leaves much to be desired and places him firmly in the anti-hottie harem category. Charlie’s low self-esteem and lack of self-worth is irritating. Why should the reader think well of a character if she cannot think well of herself?
All in all, an OK story but their romance is not believable.
April 3, 2012
This was such an excellent read. I loved how real the actions and reactions of the characters were. The awkward first meeting between heroine and his family, the uncertain feelings about impending parenthood on both sides, etc. I especially loved the friendship between the heroine and her best friend. It was spot on for a real life friendship. Sadly, we don't see strong female friendships often enough in romance.
THe heroine's lack of self-esteem was sad and started to grate on my nerves toward the end. But watching her accept herself was heartwarming.
Overall a stellar read. Mayberry delivers again.
THe heroine's lack of self-esteem was sad and started to grate on my nerves toward the end. But watching her accept herself was heartwarming.
Overall a stellar read. Mayberry delivers again.
March 29, 2013
So a little bit ago, I started thinking I'd like to see what Sarah Mayberry did with an accidental pregnancy romance. Soon I discovered that not only had she written one, it was one I'd picked up for a $1 at Half-Price Books!
Sadly, though, I didn't think it worked very well at all. The pacing was kind of off. I didn't really feel like the romance was earned. And the thing is, I really related to Charlie, that feeling of not being lovable, that men especially aren't interested in you. And there were some parts I liked. Her realization that there wasn't anything Rhys could do to make her fear go away, that she had to work on just accepting his love, was really good.
But yeah. Ultimately, it was one of those books that has me flipping backwards though the book because I feel like I'm missing something.
Sadly, though, I didn't think it worked very well at all. The pacing was kind of off. I didn't really feel like the romance was earned. And the thing is, I really related to Charlie, that feeling of not being lovable, that men especially aren't interested in you. And there were some parts I liked. Her realization that there wasn't anything Rhys could do to make her fear go away, that she had to work on just accepting his love, was really good.
But yeah. Ultimately, it was one of those books that has me flipping backwards though the book because I feel like I'm missing something.
February 20, 2015
Sarah Mayberry writing is marvelous and the depth of characterization is surprisingly multi-layered for HP books. The author can make a worn out and tired plot seems exciting and new. This is true for this story as well. Two people who had one-night stand that resulted in unwanted pregnancy have been done numerous times. But the strength and goodness of characters, the sizzling chemistry, the delightful dialog, the realism of the story set it above many. I especially enjoyed a portrayal of the heroine who is strong and direct but also shy and vulnerable. Well done!
August 20, 2012
Super quickie review...
I LOVED this one! It's a terrific Harly about an unplanned pregnancy (of course!) but it's not your average, generic Harly. The story was surprisingly sweet and emotional and genuine. I may have teared up at the end, but since there's no photographic evidence, I'll never admit it!
Grade: A
I LOVED this one! It's a terrific Harly about an unplanned pregnancy (of course!) but it's not your average, generic Harly. The story was surprisingly sweet and emotional and genuine. I may have teared up at the end, but since there's no photographic evidence, I'll never admit it!
Grade: A
September 4, 2022
I laughed, I cried - fantastic, as usual!
Reread 09/22 - loved it even more this time around :-)
Reread 09/22 - loved it even more this time around :-)
February 6, 2017
I love this author and this was an (almost) easy read.
March 22, 2012
Charlie Long has just entered civilian life after serving in the military for fifteen years. She is a little nervous as the military units she served with she had thought of as family. Her biological family consisted only of an emotionally distant father who is now dead. Her mother died birthing Charlie.
This background has a profound effect on Charlie as we learn in the course of the story. She has never been the recipient of unconditional love and therefore a) doesn't quite know how to receive it or b) doesn't believe she is somehow worthy of it.
During a celebration with her best friend, Charlie meets the handsome charming Rhys Walker. He is her opposite in almost every way. He is very comfortable in his skin, he is drop dead gorgeous, and he comes from a big, rambunctiously loving family.
Through a haze of good feeling, fueled by the effects of alcohol she and Rhys have a great one night stand full of awesome sexy times. But the morning brings back her crushing insecurities and Charlie sneaks out, determined to write that chapter of her life off.
But 8 weeks later she is confronted with the realities with the (small) condom failure rate. She must now contact Rhys to let him know he is going to be a father.
There is a scene early in the book when Charlie is about to take the pregnancy test in the presence of her best friend Gina. The whole scene, including the dialogue between the two women and the thought processes of Charlie were stellar. There are many occasions when one reads books where dialogue feels very theatrical. Not necessarily something someone would say in real life but something that sounds right in the course of a book or movie narrative. This scene struck me because the conversation between Gina and Charlie felt like just that...a conversation. I must say everyone should have a best friend like Gina who will come over in the middle of the night -- no questions asked -- still in her jammies because she has predicted you will freak out.
I also love the fact that the author allowed Charlie to consider her various options without judgment or condemnation. Charlie does make a point to think about her options because she is an ex-soldier with no family who is still adjusting to civilian life. She is also in some a ways a somewhat emotionally underdeveloped person because of the way she was brought up. Of course this is a harlequin romance so the outcome is never in doubt, but I loved the acknowledgment that realistically some women will do the weighing.
The book also allows Rhys' POV which allows the reader to sympathize with his immediate reaction. Charlies does leave him and her leaving could be construed as insensitive. Of course Rhys is not privy to Charlie's insecurities so his reactions to her can also be construed as being insensitive. I also thought the author struck the right tone with Rhys. He was unprepared and wasn't able to filter and his initial reaction was not the greatest...but it wasn't overly cruel or bad either. It felt human.
As the book goes on, Rhys and Charlie begin to try to build a relationship of sorts in order to parent their child. In that time Rhys begins to understand what make Charlie tick and starts to react to her accordingly. I thought the play-out of the relationship was paced well and also made logical sense. Rhys slowly falls in love with Charlie and he has the easier path because he is very confident in feeling emotions. He has a strong foundation for it. He understands that Charlie hasn't so he does the best thing he can to gain her trust and that is to simply 'be'.
There is another great scene at the end of the book where previously isolated Charlie, looks around a room full of people and realizes that she has made friends, connections, created a family and that everyone actually did love her. It was a powerful moment and it signalled that Charlie had finally conquered some of her insecurities.
Another great book by Sarah Mayberry.
This background has a profound effect on Charlie as we learn in the course of the story. She has never been the recipient of unconditional love and therefore a) doesn't quite know how to receive it or b) doesn't believe she is somehow worthy of it.
During a celebration with her best friend, Charlie meets the handsome charming Rhys Walker. He is her opposite in almost every way. He is very comfortable in his skin, he is drop dead gorgeous, and he comes from a big, rambunctiously loving family.
Through a haze of good feeling, fueled by the effects of alcohol she and Rhys have a great one night stand full of awesome sexy times. But the morning brings back her crushing insecurities and Charlie sneaks out, determined to write that chapter of her life off.
But 8 weeks later she is confronted with the realities with the (small) condom failure rate. She must now contact Rhys to let him know he is going to be a father.
There is a scene early in the book when Charlie is about to take the pregnancy test in the presence of her best friend Gina. The whole scene, including the dialogue between the two women and the thought processes of Charlie were stellar. There are many occasions when one reads books where dialogue feels very theatrical. Not necessarily something someone would say in real life but something that sounds right in the course of a book or movie narrative. This scene struck me because the conversation between Gina and Charlie felt like just that...a conversation. I must say everyone should have a best friend like Gina who will come over in the middle of the night -- no questions asked -- still in her jammies because she has predicted you will freak out.
I also love the fact that the author allowed Charlie to consider her various options without judgment or condemnation. Charlie does make a point to think about her options because she is an ex-soldier with no family who is still adjusting to civilian life. She is also in some a ways a somewhat emotionally underdeveloped person because of the way she was brought up. Of course this is a harlequin romance so the outcome is never in doubt, but I loved the acknowledgment that realistically some women will do the weighing.
The book also allows Rhys' POV which allows the reader to sympathize with his immediate reaction. Charlies does leave him and her leaving could be construed as insensitive. Of course Rhys is not privy to Charlie's insecurities so his reactions to her can also be construed as being insensitive. I also thought the author struck the right tone with Rhys. He was unprepared and wasn't able to filter and his initial reaction was not the greatest...but it wasn't overly cruel or bad either. It felt human.
As the book goes on, Rhys and Charlie begin to try to build a relationship of sorts in order to parent their child. In that time Rhys begins to understand what make Charlie tick and starts to react to her accordingly. I thought the play-out of the relationship was paced well and also made logical sense. Rhys slowly falls in love with Charlie and he has the easier path because he is very confident in feeling emotions. He has a strong foundation for it. He understands that Charlie hasn't so he does the best thing he can to gain her trust and that is to simply 'be'.
There is another great scene at the end of the book where previously isolated Charlie, looks around a room full of people and realizes that she has made friends, connections, created a family and that everyone actually did love her. It was a powerful moment and it signalled that Charlie had finally conquered some of her insecurities.
Another great book by Sarah Mayberry.
May 27, 2012
Charlotte "Charlie" Long has been a military woman for the past 14 years. On the night of celebration of starting her life as civilian, a chance encounter puts her on the path of Rhys Walker, a gorgeous I.T businessman. It leads to a beautiful one night. But Charlie knows that she is not exactly the type of woman that Rhys associated to, so she walks out on him. Two months later, Charlie finds out that she's pregnant and she feels Rhys has the right to know. Becoming a father is not exactly what Rhys has planned out under the circumstances. So could two people who get reconnected because of their responsibility of a child can move into something more?
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I think, nowadays, I can count on Sarah Mayberry when I'm in the mood for contemporary (male/female) romance. She hasn't let me down and all of her books that I have read so far always strike gold.
What I love the most from Sarah Mayberry's stories is the depth of her characters. The one-night-stand-result-in-pregnancy plot is one of the most commonly written (as well as one of my favorites, actually. I love anything related to babies and children)and yet she still able to make it enjoyable.
Charlie suffers from lack of confidence in terms of her look. She believes that she is too plain, too ordinary, and a girl like her, in reality should never able to catch a guy like Rhys. That one night stand is a result of change in make-up and how she dress, thanks to her friend, Gina. But in the morning, she is 'slapped' by the reality and that's why she decides to walk away.
Charlie's points of views of herself roots on the abandonment on her father. Charlie's mother died on birth and her father was an army guy who didn't know how to deal with a daughter. Charlie learned that she should think of what bad things could happen, since wishing for good things can lead to rejection.
And her characterization stays throughout the story. She doesn't suddenly change into a woman with eyes only on Rhys. Her strength and insecurities draw me to her completely.
Rhys, on the other hand, comes from a big, loud family. He never suffers from lack of love. His strength is his determination to achieve what he wants. He will find a way to make it comes true. Of course, with Charlie, it's all different. Charlie is not like any other girl that Rhys had relationship before.
So the two people learn their way into love. And while this book uses the template of sex on around 20% mark and then later around on 80% mark (I read that somewhere, that is sort of the template of Harlequin stories. Don't know if it's true *grin*) -- but the middle part is convincingly lead to the happily ever after. I LOVE their path to that. Let's just say when it comes to the big P (), I can only sigh in deep satisfaction.
Secondary characters, in form of Charlie's best friend, Gina, and Rhys's family members are also wonderful.
So, another winner ... and Ms. Mayberry continues to satisfy me.
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I think, nowadays, I can count on Sarah Mayberry when I'm in the mood for contemporary (male/female) romance. She hasn't let me down and all of her books that I have read so far always strike gold.
What I love the most from Sarah Mayberry's stories is the depth of her characters. The one-night-stand-result-in-pregnancy plot is one of the most commonly written (as well as one of my favorites, actually. I love anything related to babies and children)and yet she still able to make it enjoyable.
Charlie suffers from lack of confidence in terms of her look. She believes that she is too plain, too ordinary, and a girl like her, in reality should never able to catch a guy like Rhys. That one night stand is a result of change in make-up and how she dress, thanks to her friend, Gina. But in the morning, she is 'slapped' by the reality and that's why she decides to walk away.
Charlie's points of views of herself roots on the abandonment on her father. Charlie's mother died on birth and her father was an army guy who didn't know how to deal with a daughter. Charlie learned that she should think of what bad things could happen, since wishing for good things can lead to rejection.
And her characterization stays throughout the story. She doesn't suddenly change into a woman with eyes only on Rhys. Her strength and insecurities draw me to her completely.
Rhys, on the other hand, comes from a big, loud family. He never suffers from lack of love. His strength is his determination to achieve what he wants. He will find a way to make it comes true. Of course, with Charlie, it's all different. Charlie is not like any other girl that Rhys had relationship before.
So the two people learn their way into love. And while this book uses the template of sex on around 20% mark and then later around on 80% mark (I read that somewhere, that is sort of the template of Harlequin stories. Don't know if it's true *grin*) -- but the middle part is convincingly lead to the happily ever after. I LOVE their path to that. Let's just say when it comes to the big P (), I can only sigh in deep satisfaction.
Secondary characters, in form of Charlie's best friend, Gina, and Rhys's family members are also wonderful.
So, another winner ... and Ms. Mayberry continues to satisfy me.
January 18, 2013
Sarah Mayberry is such a breath of fresh air. She's a long, deep sigh for a girl like me. A girl who loves her contemporary romances even if there are no car crashes, bad guys or epic plot twists. The times when I just want engaging characters going through lovely, painful, everyday things in a way that feels like a favorite song. Sarah Mayberry books have done that for me now every single time.
I have shelves and shelves of these kinds of books, and sometimes I like them, and sometimes I love them, and sometimes I get distracted by the forced trying. The Revel in Her Quirkiness. The Here Comes the Crazy Family schtick. I see it coming, and I smile and sigh, and I hope for something memorable. Something to make this seemingly simple story More.
Sarah Mayberry does that. She does it with her characters in a way that does away with shticks, and instead it's just Charlie, the woman who just got out of the army and is so self-contained and earnest and I was dying for her. I wanted so much for Charlie Long. I wanted the moon, and I wanted Rhys to just give it to her. Hot, tall, charming and forever aiming for that plush apartment Rhys to figure it all out so he could make Charlie happy. It was this immediate coming together for them and then shit got complicated, and you'd think the one night stand into a baby plot would be BAH, but damn it, they ran with it. I was in love with the way they got through it, and the chemistry, the charm and the worry and his family? All of it. All of it was such a great, hushed and human story.
This would have been a bucket of understated but so damn good stars if IT HADN'T ENDED WHERE IT HAD. I just KNEW there had to be an epilogue. I mean, COME ON. But, alas no. I didn't get to see them become parents and I'm a little desperately sad over this. Still.
I have shelves and shelves of these kinds of books, and sometimes I like them, and sometimes I love them, and sometimes I get distracted by the forced trying. The Revel in Her Quirkiness. The Here Comes the Crazy Family schtick. I see it coming, and I smile and sigh, and I hope for something memorable. Something to make this seemingly simple story More.
Sarah Mayberry does that. She does it with her characters in a way that does away with shticks, and instead it's just Charlie, the woman who just got out of the army and is so self-contained and earnest and I was dying for her. I wanted so much for Charlie Long. I wanted the moon, and I wanted Rhys to just give it to her. Hot, tall, charming and forever aiming for that plush apartment Rhys to figure it all out so he could make Charlie happy. It was this immediate coming together for them and then shit got complicated, and you'd think the one night stand into a baby plot would be BAH, but damn it, they ran with it. I was in love with the way they got through it, and the chemistry, the charm and the worry and his family? All of it. All of it was such a great, hushed and human story.
This would have been a bucket of understated but so damn good stars if IT HADN'T ENDED WHERE IT HAD. I just KNEW there had to be an epilogue. I mean, COME ON. But, alas no. I didn't get to see them become parents and I'm a little desperately sad over this. Still.
August 8, 2014
Just re-read this book after TWO YEARS!!
Loved it :D
The plot of this book is soooo good, after I read it back in '12; it kept playing in my head but I couldn't remember the name of the book [I suck with names] and at last someone from GR helped me out by giving me the name so I could re-read it and my mind could be at peace!! :D
Loved it :D
The plot of this book is soooo good, after I read it back in '12; it kept playing in my head but I couldn't remember the name of the book [I suck with names] and at last someone from GR helped me out by giving me the name so I could re-read it and my mind could be at peace!! :D
October 30, 2021
https://celebrityreaders.com/2021/10/...
4 stars — This one surprised me a bit with the way things played out, and in particular Charlie’s character. She could be a bit hard to love and understand sometimes, but all the same I mostly did get what made her up. She was damaged in a different way than I was anticipating, and while it was hard to watch her be so down on herself, at least it stemmed from something more than the usual insecurities. She was also so strong in so many ways. She was hardworking, determined, practical…and while things made her uncomfortable or nervous, she would move forward anyways.
Honestly, Rhys could be a bit hard to love at times too, though I really did. He was just so weird, because he had these ambitions and goals for material things that could be a little offputting, but I guess given his crowded home, I mostly got where that came from. And he made some HUGE blunders in this one, and I was honestly worried…but he saved himself each time. And it felt more realistic that he didn’t always have the right reactions immediately.
Normally I’m a little wary of one night stand stories, because it can be hard to connect with the couple when they haven’t known each other long…but honestly? Their chemistry was pretty solid right from the start. And it was like I could feel that there was more than lust and attraction in their connection, right from the start.
And then watching them develop a friendship and then more was so satisfying. All the moves felt right for our characters, the speed reasonable. I was actually kind of surprised by the ending, and yet it fit these two. I might have wanted a bit more afterwards, but it was enough.
Definitely enjoyable, and I breezed through the read…though I can’t say it’s going to top my Mayberry list. I don’t know why exactly, but sometimes some books speak to you more than others.
4 stars — This one surprised me a bit with the way things played out, and in particular Charlie’s character. She could be a bit hard to love and understand sometimes, but all the same I mostly did get what made her up. She was damaged in a different way than I was anticipating, and while it was hard to watch her be so down on herself, at least it stemmed from something more than the usual insecurities. She was also so strong in so many ways. She was hardworking, determined, practical…and while things made her uncomfortable or nervous, she would move forward anyways.
Honestly, Rhys could be a bit hard to love at times too, though I really did. He was just so weird, because he had these ambitions and goals for material things that could be a little offputting, but I guess given his crowded home, I mostly got where that came from. And he made some HUGE blunders in this one, and I was honestly worried…but he saved himself each time. And it felt more realistic that he didn’t always have the right reactions immediately.
Normally I’m a little wary of one night stand stories, because it can be hard to connect with the couple when they haven’t known each other long…but honestly? Their chemistry was pretty solid right from the start. And it was like I could feel that there was more than lust and attraction in their connection, right from the start.
And then watching them develop a friendship and then more was so satisfying. All the moves felt right for our characters, the speed reasonable. I was actually kind of surprised by the ending, and yet it fit these two. I might have wanted a bit more afterwards, but it was enough.
Definitely enjoyable, and I breezed through the read…though I can’t say it’s going to top my Mayberry list. I don’t know why exactly, but sometimes some books speak to you more than others.
July 4, 2017
3.5 stars - I actually read this in one night but I'm recording it as the next day because when I finished it was 2.30 a.m. and I was sitting in the dark waiting for my phone to charge enough that it wouldn't die when I needed the alarm in the morning and also I was tearing up badly for no reason. it's cool! i'm fine. i'm cool.
liked this a whole lot. I wish it'd been better developed - the last chapter being 2-3 times the length of the average chapter in the book is a little bit of a warning sign that the relationship itself wouldn't be given as much screentime as I'd wanted it to have, and ultimately it felt a little too fast for me to give it the solid 4 I would've given it the moment I'd finished it. but there were little things about the 'ship that I loved, especially because I could see how those little things could develop into things that would make them really, really happy in the future, and that made me really pleased: the knowledge that even when we're not getting as much time with the 'ship as I would've wanted, Mayberry's paving out and laying a foundation for a 'ship that will definitely, definitely last.
Finally - the name Rhys, the description of having darker skin, and the fact that I'd seen a bunch of Riz Ahmed photos made me picture Riz Ahmed as the dude lead pretty much the whole time, and it was very beautiful. I highly recommend it.
ETA: Reread this in 2017, as I've done every year since I first read it, and I've revised this rating up from 3 stars - this is a fucking solid 4.5 to me at this point. I have to say, I really fucking love Charlie. Like, I keep saying I don't know how much I like 'look at this sad, closed off character' books, but I think Charlie's my favourite version of that trope - this despite Mayberry not particularly changing anything up about it? I just adore the way it's framed - not as a problem to be Solved By Love, but something she has to reason with, if that makes sense. And the adoration that comes her way from multiple characters throughout the book feels incredibly right to me - she's wonderful and so lovable but also so reasonably hard to get through to. Realistic and incredibly affecting, as always.
I also decided she was East Asian in my reread last year so I just created an Asian-Australian romance in my head like a loser.
liked this a whole lot. I wish it'd been better developed - the last chapter being 2-3 times the length of the average chapter in the book is a little bit of a warning sign that the relationship itself wouldn't be given as much screentime as I'd wanted it to have, and ultimately it felt a little too fast for me to give it the solid 4 I would've given it the moment I'd finished it. but there were little things about the 'ship that I loved, especially because I could see how those little things could develop into things that would make them really, really happy in the future, and that made me really pleased: the knowledge that even when we're not getting as much time with the 'ship as I would've wanted, Mayberry's paving out and laying a foundation for a 'ship that will definitely, definitely last.
Finally - the name Rhys, the description of having darker skin, and the fact that I'd seen a bunch of Riz Ahmed photos made me picture Riz Ahmed as the dude lead pretty much the whole time, and it was very beautiful. I highly recommend it.
ETA: Reread this in 2017, as I've done every year since I first read it, and I've revised this rating up from 3 stars - this is a fucking solid 4.5 to me at this point. I have to say, I really fucking love Charlie. Like, I keep saying I don't know how much I like 'look at this sad, closed off character' books, but I think Charlie's my favourite version of that trope - this despite Mayberry not particularly changing anything up about it? I just adore the way it's framed - not as a problem to be Solved By Love, but something she has to reason with, if that makes sense. And the adoration that comes her way from multiple characters throughout the book feels incredibly right to me - she's wonderful and so lovable but also so reasonably hard to get through to. Realistic and incredibly affecting, as always.
I also decided she was East Asian in my reread last year so I just created an Asian-Australian romance in my head like a loser.
February 29, 2012
Good book. I really liked both Rhys and Charlie. I felt so bad for Charlie through most of the book. Her self-esteem was so low when it came to her personal life that she just couldn't see that someone like Rhys could truly be interested in her. When she found that she was pregnant, she knew she had to tell him. Once Rhys got over his initial shock and anger, he knew that he and Charlie had to learn to deal together for the sake of the baby. As they spent time together, getting to know each other, they found they had a lot in common. Rhys realized pretty quickly that Charlie had become an important part of his life. His biggest problem was that she kept pushing him away. It took awhile for him to realize why, and that he would have to have great patience to win her over. Meanwhile, Charlie couldn't believe that someone like Rhys really wanted to be with her. She kept waiting for everything to come to an end. It took a long time and some heart to heart talking from her friend Gina for her to understand that she deserved to be loved too.
April 15, 2012
Wow. This was a great book. Normally when I read category romances, I can predict what the characters will do or say next as the plot moves along. Not so with this book. It was as if author threw away the Category Romance Decision Maker 2.0 Flow Chart and had the characters act like honest to goodness real people: flawed but doing the best they can and acting NORMAL. For example, when Charlie discovers she's pregnant, I was jumping ahead to how she was going to keep it secret from Rhys and what unexpected (and unlikely) way he'd discover the truth months or years later. But does my prediction come true?? No! Shocking. And I continued to be happily amazed through the rest of the book as every silly trope and stereotype I've grown so weary of in category romances was nimbly avoided.
Even though Charlie wasn't my favorite character (she was just a bit to hard on herself throughout most of the book), I found myself rooting for her HEA. And Rhys was FABULOUS. Loved him and his family.
Such a well-done book. Highly recommend.
Even though Charlie wasn't my favorite character (she was just a bit to hard on herself throughout most of the book), I found myself rooting for her HEA. And Rhys was FABULOUS. Loved him and his family.
Such a well-done book. Highly recommend.
August 5, 2013
I appreciate Sarah Mayberry's ability to craft relatable, sympathetic characters without a lot of manufactured drama. She writes about regular people dealing with every day situations, and that is refreshing. In this book, Charlie is a heartbreakingly earnest woman at a crossroads: she never knew her mother, her emotionally distant father has just died, and she has just left military service after more than a decade and is embarking on life as a civilian in a new city. My frustration with Charlie is her total lack of self esteem which, while understandable given her history, was really maddening and, frankly, dull.
December 10, 2012
Eh. This was mostly fine, but it just wasn't anywhere near as good as the other books I've read by Sarah Mayberry. I was ready to give it 3.5 stars until the public proposal though. I realize that's my projecting my own preferences, but . . . public proposals are a no for me. I don't like to read about them, unless I'm given very, very strong reasoning to assume that the main characters would want them. And even then probably not.
January 12, 2014
This was a really good contemporary romance. There were a few times that Charlie annoyed me in how she treated Rhys, but in the end I could understand why her character would act that way. Overall, I enjoyed the story. The surprise pregnancy plot was done well and I liked the evolution of their relationship.
March 9, 2012
I don't generally like one-night-stand stories, but I loved this one. Sarah Mayberry has become an autobuy author for me, and I'm persuaded that she could take any of my taboo tropes and plots and make me enjoy every moment.
March 13, 2012
4 1/2 stars
Well done!
Well done!
January 26, 2013
Predictable plot, but enjoyable as all Sarah Mayberry's are. Nice twist that it's the heroine who's just out of the army, and I always love the Australian settings of her books.
September 3, 2024
Another carefully written, nuanced romance! I appreciate that Sarah Mayberry creates characters that feel like people. Even better, the characters in all of the books I've read by this author feel like very different people. There are authors where their main characters in each book they write are minor variations on the exact same person. That's not a bad thing if it works but it gets a little bit hard to remember which specific "introverted and arrogant guy" or "cheerful hot mess girl" any of their books are about. I never have that problem with Sarah Mayberry's books. In this one I also really liked that they did really talk through issues and problems, but also weren't robots and got upset and sometimes said the wrong things. I believed in their chemistry and their lovestory.
May 17, 2021
3,5 stars
Contemporary books are really not my thing but this book was bought long before I found paranormal romance and I wanted to reread it. I like the H and the h a lot and they work well together. Had this been my kind of book I would have liked it a lot more, now I appreciated that it was satisfyingly long and well written.
It is now taken out of my library, but it was nice to say goodbye before letting it go.
Contemporary books are really not my thing but this book was bought long before I found paranormal romance and I wanted to reread it. I like the H and the h a lot and they work well together. Had this been my kind of book I would have liked it a lot more, now I appreciated that it was satisfyingly long and well written.
It is now taken out of my library, but it was nice to say goodbye before letting it go.
January 4, 2022
4.5 stars. Another winner for me from this author. I cried because I felt so sad for the heroine, Charlie. She thought that she was unlovable but actually a lot of people love her. Her dad also loved her, but he just didn’t know how to express his love. And another awesome hero from this author. Very patient, very understanding. Rhys was really made for Charlie.
February 24, 2017
Rhys and Charlie meet for a one night stand. But Charlie end up getting pregnant. Rhys and Charlie agreed to be friend and to get to know each other. But in the end Rhys and Charlie feel into love and were married.
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