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Just One of the Guys

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Being one of the guys isn't all it's cracked up to be...So when journalist Chastity O'Neill returns to her hometown, she decides it's time to start working on some of those feminine wiles. Two tiny problems: #1--she's five feet eleven inches of rock-solid girl power, and #2--she's cursed with four alpha male older brothers.

While doing a story on local heroes, she meets a hunky doctor and things start to look up. Now there's only one problem: Trevor Meade, her first love and the one man she's never quite gotten over--although he seems to have gotten over her just fine.

Yet the more time she spends with Dr. Perfect, the better Trevor looks. But even with the in-your-face competition, the irresistible Trevor just can't seem to see Chastity as anything more than just one of the guys....

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 2008

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About the author

Kristan Higgins

51 books12.4k followers
Kristan Higgins is the New York Times, USA TODAY and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than twenty novels, which have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. If you want to receive a free short story and be notified when Kristan releases a new book, sign up at kristanhiggins.com.

Kristan enjoys gardening, mixology, the National Parks and complimenting strangers on their children. The mother of two entertaining and wonderful humans, and the grandmother of one perfect child, Kristan lives in Connecticut with her heroic firefighter husband, cuddly dog and indifferent cat.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,463 reviews
Profile Image for Alp.
763 reviews454 followers
April 9, 2017
Nope. Not my cuppa.

- Cheating.
- Annoying heroine.
- Weak hero.


**Spoiler alert!!


Chastity and Trevor knew each other since they were kids. He was like one of her brothers and her parents loved him like their own child. They had sex once but decided to be just friends. Since this book was written from Chastity's POV, I don't know Trevor’s thoughts exactly at that time. But what I know for sure is that she thought that they couldn't be together because he didn't want to lose her family. Then he moved on with his new GF and later, they engaged, almost married, but finally called it off.

After all this time, Both Trevor and Chastity were still into each other but kept their feelings secretly. They moved on with their lives again. Trevor dated her colleague while Chastity started seeing a hot doctor. However, it didn't work out between Trevor and his date, but later, his ex-fiancée came back into his life so they got back together again.

And here's where my frustration began... Both of them had sex with their GF/BF throughout the story! (Actually, I'm not sure about Trevor but I assumed he had sex with his GF because Chastity saw a woman in his house.) I don't know if it's necessary to mention the sex between the heroine and her BF throughout the book. Thankfully, there were no descriptive sex scenes so we got to know only they had hot sex, and blah, blah, blah... As if I care!

Then one day, Chastity slept with Trevor again, and this time, the same issues still haunted them. They thought it was a mistake and got back to their GF/BF like they didn’t just have sex with someone else. WTH?! Her boyfriend proposed to her and she said yes. When Trevor knew she was going to marry her BF, he congratulated her. Seriously? And she was pathetic enough to willingly drown in this unreciprocated love?!

Anyway, please don’t worry, there was certainly a HEA in the end. But honestly, who cares!!


Gosh, this book pissed me off! Such a disappointment!


Profile Image for Tammy.
126 reviews
January 27, 2009
Being one of the guys isn't what it's cracked up to be.

Chastity O'Neill is the only girl in a rowdy family of four alpha male brothers, all who are firefighters. Dad is the fire department's captain. Mom is the no-nonesense, take-no-prisoners type.

And then there is Trevor Meade, also a firefighter. An old-fashioned good boy with brown curly hair and soft brown eyes. The honorary O'Neill. Best friend to Chastity's brothers. A real live, walking, talking Vagina Magnet. Trevor is also Chastity's first love. The man she never got over after the 72 glorious hours they spent together in college. But she discovers that Travis has gotten over her just fine. In fact, he wants to be her buddy and treats her like a little sister. Or so it seems.

After Chastity returns to her hometown to be close to her family and accepts a job as a journalist at the local rag, she decides it's time to settle down, get married and have babies. Lots of babies. Just like her brothers. But nobody in town dares to date "the O'Neill girl" and who can blame them? Chastity spends her spare time putting into motion her super-skills at rowing, running marathons, and babysitting her dozens of nieces and nephews while she is husband hunting. We even get glimpses of Chastity at work where a slight mystery takes place.

Eventually Chastity meets Ryan Darling, M.D., (a/k/a "Dr. Perfect") while attending a self-defense class that he teaches for women (he is also a karate black belt). Dr. Perfect, impressed with Chastity's sparring abilities, attempts to demonstrate a chokehold on Chastity. Too bad Chastity's body reacts faster than her brain - she knees Dr. Darling. HARD. Possibly affecting his ability to father their future children.

Chastity's brothers cannot help whistling "The Nutcracker" the next time they see her. Her father brags of his daughter's ability to take down a black belt. Needless to say, this does not help in her quest for a husband. But in spite of her family, Dr. Ryan Darling dares to ask Chastity out to dinner. At the same time Travis begins to hook up with the tiny and irritating Perfect Hayden. The in-your-face competitions and immature love triangles that ensue are hilarious. But the sweetness and the love story are there too. I thought it was adorable every time Travis found silly excuses to spend time with clueless Chastity.

So honestly ...

I've been putting off reading this one for quite awhile. Sure, it won the 2008 RITA award. And the AAR website gave it a great review, comparing Kristan Higgins to the likes of Susan Elizabeth Phillips (who "writes like a slowpoke") and Jennifer Crusie (who needs to stop doing those stupid collaborations and write a single title already).

I expected the same old, tired crap.

But I found that Kristan Higgins has a snarky sense of humor and her dialogue is incredibly realistic. Her writing style and story-telling abilities evoked all sorts of emotions in me. I laughed until my side hurt, got mad, got sad and later I found myself crying. (While this book has a wonderful and realistic family dynamic, not everyone has an HEA ending.)

And do you know who Chastity reminded me of?

Stephanie Plum.

Let me clarify that. Early Stephanie Plum before all of the over-the-top characters.

Chastity was a real, down-to-earth person. Flaws and all. Not your typical romance heroine. She is described as being five foot, eleven and three-quarter inches. Amazonian build. She doesn't worry about girly-girl things like shopping, her weight or collecting shoes. She prefers her red high tops, has a mammoth crush on Derek Jeeter, worships old St. Lou, and shares a few tender moments with her ugly dog, Buttercup (who takes on a personality of her own I might add).

I loved having the ability to jump into Chastity's head. Her thoughts are funny and unique. For example ...

(on meeting her mom for single's night at the grocery story)

"Attention single shoppers. Ass check. Aisle nine."

(on Dr. Ryan Darling)

"His bone structure alone could send the Greeks to war ... and his eyes! A pure, clear, Derek Jeter Green. Man, oh man. Nice work, God!"

It only gets better. I highly recommend this romantic comedy if you don't mind the chick-littish feel or the first person voice.





















Profile Image for Didi.
865 reviews285 followers
February 6, 2015
LOVED THIS!! I'm still a blubbering mess right now, give me a minute.


Kristan Higgins is AMAZING. I haven't felt so connected to an authors work since Lisa Kleypas, and she is a GENIUS. I laughed, I cried, I felt everything reading this book! It was so emotional, so poignant, so well written, so sweet, so freakin good! The cover? It gives a false impression. This isn't a cheesy, sweet and light romance.
It's a powerful and moving story about not settling for the love we truly want and deserve. It was angsty but not in a 'woe is me' sort of way. It was more mature and realistic, excruciatingly heartfelt...GAH!! I can't say enough!
Chastity was wonderful. She had feelings for Trevor for so long. Their little tryst in college changed her, made her want things she never thought she could have. But after it ended I felt gutted. The scene where she realizes it's over KILLED ME. I was crying like a desperate fool! There were so many emotional scenes, so many instances I had to stop and breathe. Maybe it's just me, but I connected with this book so much, truly loved it.

Trevor was amazing. An amazing and wonderful man. Chastity never quite felt he wanted her, he was so sweet and beautiful. He was hurting as well, refusing to endanger things he couldn't live without. But are you truly living anyway? Denying yourself isn't living is it? Loved Trevor and Chastity together, even during the platonic scenes.
Chastity's family was a great backdrop. I loved seeing the dynamics and getting the stories about all her brothers. The thread about her mom was heartbreaking but I understood. She made a decision that while initially rocked her family, ultimately brought them together. I love reading a fully fleshed out book. There are so many characters that add the richness and personality that make a story shine. The romance is at the forefront but adding these secondary stories gives depth and honesty.

And although I've said it before, I'll say it again: fade to black sex. It's not something I'm a fan of, but KH writes such fantastic stuff that it doesn't bother me, I don't even notice the lack of sex. There is foreplay, the build up, but with such great storytelling it's not necessary. She's writes beautiful, evocative romance...LOVE IT.

And the epilogue? Perfect. JUST PERFECT.

Beautiful story, going on my faves list, I loved it times infinity!!!!!! Highly, highly recommended!!!!
Profile Image for Jennifer.
1,826 reviews6,705 followers
October 23, 2018
A fun Kristan Higgins standalone that follows a tall, physically strong woman with some "on again, off again" romance going on while she tries to claim her feminine power in a family of men. Being "just one of the guys" myself, I fully appreciated her character. So much more to this story than the title suggests though. A side story involving the heroine's mother was quite complex with a surprising ending that I did not expect. Another great novel from one of my favorite authors.

My favorite quote:
“So much for rowing being the ultimate sport. Motherhood has it beat.”
Profile Image for Jena .
2,314 reviews2 followers
March 3, 2012
Plot device used in this book:

* Heroine (desperately/pathetically) pining for the hero.
* Cheating on Heroine/Hero - (to be correct, they're not committed to each other since they have BF/GF, but they do go from each other's bed to their BF/GF again).
* Heroine and Hero cheating with each other.
* Plain Jane heroine
* Tom boy heroine - She looks just like a man - with boobs.
* Secret love
* Unrequited love
* Chick - lit
* Characters with low substance
* Beta hero
* First person POV
* Clean romance (no sex scenes)
* Hero bestfriend of heroine's brother
* Childhood friends

I wish I read this knowing its more chick-lit than a romance novel. I might have enjoyed it more. (edit: just realized my comment could be misconstrued. Let me assure you that there is a HEA like in all romance novels, but it comes very late, literally 2 pages from the end.



Profile Image for Jacob Proffitt.
3,212 reviews1,973 followers
February 6, 2018
I'm done. At over halfway in, Chastity just slept with Dr. Smug and I can't stand it any more. Dr. I'm-so-perfect is an emotional black hole with zero compatibility to Chastity and obvious friction points that nobody seems to care about. Trevor is a blank slate denying us any chance of getting a read on his feelings. Chastity is hung up on him, and we can kind of see why, but there's no feedback that indicates any kind of reciprocity and that makes it extremely hard to engage in that relationship. I want some indication that Chas isn't simply delusional. But no.

I don't like when the main couple in a romance ends up in bed with someone not the other half of the main couple. I particularly don't like when we're over halfway in and there is no positive motion towards an eventual relationship. Add a gross dog and slapstick hijinks and I'm just going to call this one done.
Profile Image for Julie .
4,184 reviews38.2k followers
November 16, 2021
Just one of the Guys by Kristan Higgins is a 2008 HQN publication.

Chastity O’Neill grew up the only girl in her large family- then Trevor came along, and was for all intents and purposes, adopted into the O'Neill clan.

Trevor’s own family was torn apart by tragedy, but the O’Neill family embraced him as one of their own. But, for Chastity- her feelings towards Trevor aren’t brotherly- she’s in love with him, and try though she might, she can’t help but compare other men to him … and so far, no guy has been able to measure up.

The problem is, Trevor’s feelings towards Chas, are firmly planted in the ‘sisterly’, ‘best friend’, ‘just one of the guys’ categories…

This is one of Higgins’ older titles- published back in 2008. This book was buried deep in my TBR list, and I was surprised to find it there. I was positive I’d already read this book, but with no rating or review and listed as ‘want to read’, apparently, I hadn’t.

According to my new rules, if a book has been on the list longer than five years, it gets deleted, or read immediately. Well, there’s no way I’m scratching a KH book off my list, no matter how long it’s been there. But- If I’m ever going to make headway with this monster list, I needed to read it right away…

So here we are…

This novel is over a decade old, and it shows, with some dated phrases and attitudes- with Chas’s willingness to poke fun of her body image being one of them. Okay, she is funny- laugh out loud funny- but sometimes, I thought she was too hard on herself.

The premise of the story is emotional, and I loved the various challenges the characters faced, and am a firm believer in the moral of this story.

The tension between Chas and Trevor is palpable, for a while- but things went on a bit too long, and I found myself more interested in another thread.

When the big moment finally came it was literally at the last moment, and though the gesture is huge, it seemed to come out of nowhere, and was super rushed.

I admit, I never really warmed up to Trevor, for some reason, but I wanted Chas to be with the great love of her life, so I was happy, if she was.

The epilogue was perfect, though, and I closed the book feeling good about how it all turned out.

Admittedly, this was not my favorite KH novel, but I still enjoyed it, overall, and I’m glad I finally took the time to read it!

3 stars
Profile Image for BookLover.
387 reviews80 followers
September 13, 2017
Another great story by one of my favourite go-to authors. Loved reading Chastity’s story. She was a real firecracker, full of humour and attitude. The youngest sibling to all brothers, in a family full of firefighters, Chastity is, as the title suggests, one of the guys. She also happens to be hopelessly in love with Trevor, a close friend to the family.

Like other Kristan Higgins stories, I’ve read criticism that the hero of the story was too much of a mystery and we didn't get to see what was going on in his head. I see it differently, though. To me, these stories, told in the first person, are more about the storyteller… their journey… their experiences… their feelings. Yes, there is romance in them, but this is almost beside the point. I am totally okay that I didn’t know what Trevor was feeling the whole way through the story. It was fitting, since Chas didn’t either. I was getting to experience life through her eyes for a while.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, Kristan’s stories are so much more than romances. Instead, they give us a glimpse into the lives of these heroines, all the while immersing us into these wonderful communities full of interesting and compelling characters. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that many of these stories

Loved this one!!
Profile Image for Abril Camino.
Author 30 books1,779 followers
October 14, 2019
Novela autoconclusiva de Kristan Higgins, que pasa a convertirse en una de mis favoritas de la autora. Porque se aleja (un poco, no lancemos las campanas al vuelo) de esos clichés algo anticuados de otras historias suyas. Y sobre todo por la historia secundaria de los padres de la protagonista, cuyo final me ha sorprendido y da un punto de originalidad y de mostrar otras posibilidades dentro de una historia de amor. Me ha gustado mucho, en general, una historia ligera y entretenida, muy adictiva y con la voz propia de la autora, que sigue siendo de mis favoritas del género.
Profile Image for Pilar.
Author 4 books76 followers
September 14, 2016
Kristan Higgins es una apuesta segura para novelas frescas, divertidas y con un romance de esos bonitos sin grandes pretensiones. Lo leí hace algún tiempo y es muy recomendable.
Profile Image for Celia {Hiatus until August}.
750 reviews137 followers
November 23, 2020
4,3 ⭐
Teve um inicio fraquinho, aquele pensamento (estou a perder tempo...), piorou nos capítulos seguintes, mas por volta da página 100 começou a valer a pena e mal o consegui largar até o terminar.
Tinha uma ideia diferente do que acabou por ser o livro, mas não pode dizer-se que surpreendeu.
Detestei o Ryan (detestar talvez seja uma palavra muito forte), não houve conexão entre as personagens.
Fiquei "triste" pela resolução dos pais da Chastity...
Mas é uma leitura agradável, sem grandes surpresas, entretimento com alguns sorrisos.
Profile Image for ♥Sharon♥.
984 reviews140 followers
June 19, 2016

This is my third Kristan Higgins book and it was another winner! It was such a great love story. It was beautifully written, filled with a great cast of characters and an abundance of moments that will have your heart tied in a knot.

I loved Chasity and I loved Trevor. Their relationship was unique. They had shared so much. Mostly in a platonic way but there had been a short time when they had given in to their feelings and things turned sexual. For Chasity it meant everything. To her Trevor was her one and only. But for both of them there was a lot at risk. If things didn’t work out between them they both stood to lose so much and with that they decided it was better to keep things simple which would allow them to be part of each other’s lives forever.

But as they say, the heart wants what the heart wants! I loved how these two attempted to test the waters with other people and resist the feelings they felt for each other. I may have loved it but it sure did cause me anxiety.

And Chastity’s family was pretty amazing. There was a side story involving her mom that as a little heartbreaking yet it showed the strength of whom she was and it brought her whole family together in a way you would never expect.

I just loved this story and I think you will too!

Before I leave, there was one other character that on more than one occasion stole the show. It was Chastity’s dog Buttercup. It was hard to find that perfect picture of her seeing as she was part bloodhound, part Great Dane and part bullmastiff but in my mind this is what she looks like! :)


Profile Image for Sheyla ✎.
1,936 reviews590 followers
September 25, 2012
Chastity O'Neill has loved Trevor Meade as long as she can remember. She has recently moved back home and is working as a journalist. As always in Mrs Higgins books she owns a dog, Buttercup.
Chastity has four brothers, all firefighters. Her father is also a firefighter, but he is separated from her mom. He loves his job more than his wife. Chastity has decided to find a man and settle down, get married, and have kids. She is looking for Mr. Perfect, When she meets a doctor, she decides that he may just be the guy. She has to leave behind the wonderful time she spent with Trevor for a few days in College. As hard as she tries she always comes back to Trevor. He has been there in her life for ever and is considered another son to her parents. How can she forget him or how can she get him back?

I love these books and look forward to the story. This one was not as great some of the other ones. I just thought it took too long for Trevor and Chastity to be together and the end could have been longer.
4/5 Fangs
cross posted at my blog http://mrsleifs.blogspot.com
Profile Image for Ⓐlleskelle - That ranting lady ッ.
1,021 reviews925 followers
December 12, 2014
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5 STARS⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed that one. The family banter, the heroine strong character, the humor. But I think I was really tired at both "main characters" for not getting their "shit" together more quickly. Then at the end I think it was all wrapped up too fast. Overall a good read, it fit my mood that day. :))
Profile Image for Jennifer.
83 reviews
April 9, 2012
Dear Authors: Please give us more heroines like Chas, because she is freaking amazing.

I freaking loved Chastity. Honestly? One of the best female protagonists ever written IMO. How many times do we get to read about a heroine who is assertive without being douchey, generous and big-hearted without being a doormat, and competent and confident without being arrogant? Not often enough, let me tell you. All of these great qualities, but her character is so well-drawn that she is still human and relatable -- importantly, she never comes close to falling into the Mary Sue category.

And my favorite part about her -- she had the guts to make some really hard decisions in order to stay true to herself. She makes some mistakes along the way, but when push comes to shove she knows what she needs to do, and she does it. I found her an incredibly empowering and inspiring character to read. Props, Ms. Higgins, props.

Once again, Higgins treats us to a wonderful cast of secondary characters and variety of side-stories. There are also some delightful comedic moments that had me chuckling out loud.

Not to be forgotten is the fact that I adored the leading man, Trevor. I'd read 2 other books by Higgins before picking up this one, and I was seriously beginning to question her taste in men, because I strongly disliked the leading men in those books.

SPOILER: Trevor was a wonderful romantic interest. I see other reviewers are disgruntled because we did not get to see them together in a romantic relationship very much. But you know? It was pretty obvious to me from a few chapters in that he adored Chas, and that he treated her with respect, admiration, tenderness, support, and humor. And those qualities go a very, very long way for me. Even though they were technically not in a romantic relationship, I saw that these two loved each other and treated each other well. They displayed their love for each other beautifully. That is the forecast for the quality of their future relationship. Even though they did not get a lot of "screen-time" so to speak, they didn't need it. You can already see how they are going to be together from the way they interact in the few short scenes they are in. Quality over quantity.

The epilogue was perfect. It was a happy ending without being sappy or overly-sentimental or fairy-tailish.

And I am so, so, thrilled that Chas got such a satisfying and happy ending. I loved her very much and would have been very disappointed if she had gotten anything less.
Profile Image for Mela.
1,817 reviews245 followers
November 9, 2022
“Love gets used up, Chastity,” Mom says gently, reaching up to smooth my hair. “If it’s not returned, it gets used up.”

I adore Kristan Higgins.

I have read somewhere that she is the master of small-town romance. I agree completely.

This piece deserves (in my opinion of course) three stars for the main romance, four stars for an atmosphere (mostly family atmosphere), four stars for the whole Higgins' world and five stars for a story of Chastity's parents.
Profile Image for Leila.
411 reviews78 followers
Read
January 20, 2021
DNF @ 53%

Well, three DNF's in the first month of 2021...I hope this isn't an indication of how the rest of the year will go. After my last read and pushing through when wishing I had DNF'd I just couldn't force myself to possibly make the same mistake again so I'm throwing in the towel.

I really don't like Chastity. In reading the synopsis I thought that I would love her...tall, athlete, considered "just one of the guys", etc etc. That was me growing up! Sadly, Chastity is almost TSTL. She's awkward...but not in a cute way. She overthinks things to the extreme.

Our supposed "hero" seems like a spineless wuss.

I hated reading about them being with other people. Not interested in reading more.

I'm sure that this is the type of story I would have enjoyed 15-20 years ago...I guess I've grown? ;)
Profile Image for Nisha.
788 reviews248 followers
June 28, 2009
I wanted to read this book ever since I heard about it on amazon. It had my favorite theme. Childhood friends who bordered lovers but not quite, because they've been more like family even longer. Its a cute novel. The humor is always fun (as well as her LOTR obsession) and the characters were all quite likable (I loved her brothers and their asking her for advice and her stiff trauma surgeon bf, oddly). Her family is very amusing though slightly dysfunctional (her parents are divorced, but are still together-ish)

Now, where was the problem? Let's start with the main character, Chastity and her true love, Trevor. Trevor is a hottie who is stupid enough to accept their 'sibling' relationship, even if it was killing them both and he knew that she loved him. Chastity is an easy to like and understand heroine. Her confidence is not shot, despite her lack of a love life, and she seems to live somewhat better than competently. The problem is, they never actually try a relationship until the last chapter, and by then it was just a little tedious. We never get to see the dynamics of their relationship, since they are generally trying to avoid each other.

The other problem, was the mom and her new husband. That just made me sad. I know, things like that happen, but it was supposed to be a happy ending for everyone, but it had a bittersweet quality to it. You'll know when you read it.

Overall, I loved the book. It would be even better if Chas and Trev were actually together for bits of it, instead of being engaged to other people.
Profile Image for willaful.
1,155 reviews367 followers
November 12, 2009
I thought this was a well-written book with appealing characters and a good number of laughs. I would have rated it higher, but the romance plot seemed really depressing to me. Perhaps if it hadn't been written in the first person and we could've seen the hero suffering a little, as well as the heroine, I would've liked it more. As it was, reading about someone constantly yearning for a man who is always trying to foist her off on someone else for her own good was a bummer.
Profile Image for Juli.
1,508 reviews132 followers
December 21, 2018
AMO LOS LIBROS DE KRISTAN
Su pluma me enamora, los leo super rápido!! Y además me encantan las historias!

Trevor es un amor, necesito un Trevor en mi vida
Profile Image for Hannah.
167 reviews52 followers
January 11, 2024
Chastity, a jock with a family of brothers, has been in love with Trevor since she was a kid. But Trevor is almost a part of the family, and since he broke her heart ten years ago, she has never recovered. However, now that she's back in town, she's destined to run into him again. This novel is an unrequited love/second chance romance with a funny heroine. Chastity is used to fitting in with her brothers and her father's firefighter gang, including Trevor, but she's convinced this is part of the reason Trevor doesn't see her as anything more than "one of the guys" and why he wasn't willing to risk his standing as an honorary brother for a relationship with her. However, the more time they spend with each other, the more Chastity realizes those feelings never went away and that she needs to move on. They both find new partners, but the feelings only grow.

There was a lot to like about this book. I personally love an unrequited love trope, especially when the unrequited love is finally returned and the other person strongly shows it. I also love Higgins' writing style--her characters are funny and realistic, and the dialogue is snappy.

However, about 70% of the way through the book, something happened that turned me off of the book. Because of this, I didn't enjoy the rest of the book as much as I would have otherwise.

3/5
Profile Image for Limonessa.
300 reviews517 followers
August 9, 2011
Chastity is a tall, big, healthy girl - a journalist, who comes back to her native town of Eaton Falls after a decade of studying and working in New York. She is also part of a big family of firefighters, the youngest sisters of four equally tall, big and healthy brothers. Chastity is ready to settle down, find a husband and start popping out some kids, but her rather domineering looks do not help in her quest. When she starts dating Ryan - a doctor, perfect husband material - she thinks she's found her perfect candidate, if not for the constant nagging thought in her mind of Trevor Meade, her childood friend and sweetheart, whom she's loved forever but doesn't seem to be interested in her romantically.

FOREWARNING: Unfortunately I am not going to do this book any justice. Fate has wanted me to pick this up mere days after having finished Bachelor Boys and they're too bloody similar in so many ways to be objective about it. I'll be honest and say I preferred Bachelor Boys because, aside from being simply chick lit, goes also a bit deeper into the dynamics of family, love and friendship.

Don't get me wrong, this is great chick lit. Of the laugh out loud kind. I really had a good time reading this book and never once I put it down groaning because of some dumb scene - well, except at the very end for the sappiness, but I do that with all books that feature said scenes. It was completely hilarious at times, I even kind of started picturing Katherine Heigl as Chastity, in one of those exhilarating chick flicks she does, like 27 dresses. The characters are really well developed and the dialogues are witty and fun.
The only thing that bothered me - as in Bachelor Boys, by the way - were the premises. The whole plot rotates around the fact that Chastity is desperately looking for a husband in order to reproduce because she is 31 and she feels it's about time.
This is a load of old, backward bullshit, sorry to say. I can't believe an emancipated woman with a master's degree in Journalism who's lived in the big city would actually think like that. And this coming from a stay at home mom with a degree in translation English/Russian. That would be me.
For this reason I had a few issues empathizing with Chastity at the beginning but, eventually, she came through, because she is extremely funny.

If you need to relax and have a good laugh, this is the book for you. I'll be certainly reading more of Kristan Higgins's books for therapeutic purposes.

Follow me at NightReader
Profile Image for Crista.
810 reviews
November 3, 2014
This is my first book by the highly recommended Kristan Higgins, and I must say that I am very confused with how to rate this book! Some parts were so brilliant that 5 stars aren't enough, and other parts of this book really grated on my nerves. I ended up giving it 3 stars because of my confusion.

I loved the humor in this book. Humor is very difficult to write well, and Kristan Higgins writes it very well . There are few authors that can make me laugh out loud and this book made me do just that. Although this book has a definite "chic-lit" vibe, I enjoyed getting to know Chas's brothers and their families and the host of other secondary characters that this book introduced. As I turned the last page of this book, I felt like I had been to a family reunion instead of just finishing a romance novel. The complexity of interactions between friends and family was a definite "plus" to this book.

The parts that frustrated me about this book were mostly due to the fact that Trevor and Chas's romance was very much in the background (and past) instead of the present. There was a lot of denial going on, and until the very end, I still wasn't 100 percent sure that Trevor had any romantic feelings for Chastity at all. For the vast majority of this book, Trevor and Chas were involved intimately with other people! ! I have to be honest, that was something that I really struggled with!!!

Chastity is a unique character in that she is very tall, extremely athletic, and very "tom-boyish". I failed to connect with her character even though she provided me with many laughs.

I guess I am just to much of a romance addict and purest to feel truly satisfied with this book. There wasn't enough steam and not enough romantic time for Chas and Trevor for me to buy in to this romance. It may have helped to get a little of Trevor's point of view throughout the book, but this was really Chas's book from beginning to end.

The last couple of chapters were sweet and the epilogue was really sweet. If not for the ending, I would be a very frustrated reader right now, but thankfully the ending was just what I was looking for...although it was a bit too late.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
498 reviews35 followers
January 18, 2012
Though some of the antics are positively slapsticky, this was actually really depressing. I normally don't have a problem with first person, but this seemed almost designed to torture readers...and the h. And, let's be honest, there really wasn't a romance at all, 'til the HEA. I would not have been nearly as forgiving with the lack of communication, and the constant gentle rejection.

Also, the plot point with the parents was actually wrenching too. Three stars seems high, but two is too low.
Profile Image for Shilpi.
62 reviews1 follower
December 8, 2018
Don't know what to make of it. The ending was abrupt and convenient. It was different though. 🙂
Profile Image for Tracy.
86 reviews19 followers
August 7, 2011
I loved this book. Stick with me here. I'm not very good with reviews and the more I like a book, the more I tend to babble, lol. I had been wondering about this author. After getting some opinions on Amazon, I decided to check her out. I started with this one because I've read other books with a similar theme and liked them a lot (Her Best Friend's Lover, Seducing Simon).

It's true that Higgins leans toward the "chick lit" side of romance. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about such a G rated book, but I could see right away that Higgins has a way with emotions. I went back and forth between laughing and crying the whole time I was reading.

Some people mentioned that they don't like how the author uses depreciating humor at the h's expense. I can totally see how that would put some people off, but I don't really mind. I think it makes for a more emotional read if you're turning red in the face right along with the h. Sometimes it makes it more sad, or even more funny. I've read books that use this strategy before, and I think Higgins does it well.



I love books that involve a big family. This one delivered on that front. All of the characters seemed so well developed, even the ones who didn't get much page time. The side characters and their issues flowed into the main plot so nicely. Probably because Chastity was such an integral part of everyone's life. It just supported the familial feeling I had all the way through the book.

I can't rave enough about this book, and I can't wait to read the rest of this author's work.
Profile Image for Yodamom.
2,107 reviews210 followers
December 26, 2014
This is the second book I've read from her and I did not like it as much as the other. I felt no connection with the characters I didn't understand their weird relationship or care for how they played the relationship game. It took forever, to finally get together. There was so much unsaid game playing it drove me crazy. It took 97% of the book to finally get.....
Just not the book for the reader
Profile Image for Sonia Cristina.
2,103 reviews66 followers
July 8, 2020
Que livro maravilhoso! Ri-me tanto com Chastity (carinhosamente chamada de Costeletinha pelo pai LOL) e o clã O'Neill. Não é o tipo de romance que geralmente aprecio, longe disso, mas este surpreendeu-me pelo carinho, emoção, humor, diferentes maneiras de amar e viver com o amor. Vou, definitivamente, ler o outro livro de Kristan Higgins cá publicado
Profile Image for Ramonna.
400 reviews32 followers
October 5, 2020
Es un libro muy divertido. Morí de risa en más de una ocasión y todos sabíamos lo que estaba detrás de Trevor, menos Chastity :v

Lo único malo que encontré con el es que tiene algunos errores; mayúsculas en el lugar equivocado, espacios a media frase... Ese tipo de cosas.

Siento que el final fue un poco precipitado y me hubiera gustado que lo manejara lentamente aunque involucrara más páginas.

Es un libro que definitivamente vale la pena para salir de un bloqueo y pasar una tarde amena riendo, sufriendo y amando a un lado del clan O'Neill 💖
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