Pamela Morsi
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Date: 1st August 2014
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 400
Genre: Contemporary
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Like a bad-choice-making boomerang, Mazy Gulliver has returned to her mom's tiny house in Brandt Mountain. But this time, she's got her teenage son, Tru, in tow and no intention of messing up ever again. Mazy's so determined to rebuild her life she hardly minds being the new loan collector, or even working for Tad, her ex (and Tru's dad, which—awkward). She's not here to make friends—or fall in love.
Sweet, dependable Eli Latham has loved Mazy since they got pretend married in second grade. But after being ignored and/or burned by Mazy for two decades, Eli's got a new strategy. Mazy likes bad boys, so a bad boy is what he'll be. How hard can it be to act like a jerk? Until now, Eli could've taken SOB lessons from Tad. But suddenly Tad is playing Mr. Nice Guy. What gives?
Not for the first time, men are making Mazy crazy, though she's determined to do what's right for her and Tru. But breaking old habits is hard, and if she really wants things to change she'll have to face her biggest adversary: herself.
Mr Right Goes Wrong was an entertaining read. From the time I sat down to begin it, I was totally engaged by the characters and what was happening to them.
Mazy is returning to her home town, with her 14 year old son. She has just come from a very bad experience - from which she has picked herself up - and is ready now to take up a new life and provide for her son. Up until now she has always seemed to pick guys who treat her badly, and then abandon her. She is now determined to turn that around. There are times when she does that mighty well. I loved the scene where she lays it on the line to Tad, when she applies for a job at the bank. She is not deterred with the menial job she is given, and sets about it in such a way as to show she can't be rattled and she is there to help people.
Eli is the boy who lived next door to her growing up. Now he owns his own business, but still lives next door to Mazy's mother. He has always loved Mazy and she has counted on him as a friend that she can share her soul with. However Eli has assessed that Mazy seems to go for 'no good' guys and he decides he is going to win her by being one. He is far from being a bad boy, he has always been responsible and caring. Yet before too long he is finding that role playing 'the bad guy' is at times rewarding, even if at times he feels a little conflicted.
While Mazy finds Eli's behaviour a little strange, she struggles with it, until finally she reacts and makes her decision about where this relationship is going.
Tad, Mazy's boss and the father of Tru, is a character that makes Eli's efforts to be bad, very mild. I liked how Mazy dealt with him all the way through, and it was this relationship that attested to how much she has grown, developed and changed since being an unmarried teenage mother.
This story has a small town feel to it, Eli's family situation showed how much he cared and perhaps was a little too soft as well. The good thing was, while he was role playing 'the bad boy', he found a genuine stronger voice. This brought about some much needed changes in others. I also liked the relationship that Eli and Tru form as Tru takes on a after school job with Eli, and Eli becomes a mentor for him.
The icing on the cake for this book was the epilogue at the end, very heart warming and emotionally satisfying.
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