Betsy

GIVEAWAY

MONZON, SARAH

BETSY

Rule #1. Never fall for a musician

Rule #2. There are no exceptions to rule #1

As a professional sound engineer, I'm around musicians every day, so I know what I'm talking about when I say they aren't boyfriend material. They're only looking out for number one, and that ain't you, honey. Give them a map with destination Not on Your Live, Mister highlighted, underlined, and circle for good measure.

That being said, what am I supposed to do with Asher North, lead singer of the band True North and my new boss? My glares don't intimidate him, and my sarcasm only seems to draw him closer instead of pushing him away. The longer we're on tour together, the less my rules make sense. And the more he looks at me the way he does, as if he can see right through the wall I've so diligently constructed, the more I want to throw those rules right out the window.

My Review:

This 'Sewing in SoCal' series has been fabulous, but I'll admit to being a wee bit wary of embracing Betsy's story because of the sarcastic sass and grumpy demeanour that have carried her through the first four books. Sure she's provided some wonderful comedic background but a whole book featuring Betsy's sharp wit, and more importantly, the gigantic chip on her shoulder? I wasn't so sure. 

Of course, we're talking SoCal sisters and Sara Monzon here so, of course, I ordered the audible book as soon as it was available and started listening right away. And laughing. And groaning. And my eyeballs got a real workout from all the eye rolling. Snort. I couldn't help myself. Betsy. Betsy. Betsy!

Somehow Monzon makes her prickly persona charming and her rapid fire come backs, not to mention the sarcasm renting space in her brain, made this a laugh-out-loud, can't-stop-listening reading experience for me. D-e-l-i-g-h-t-f-u-l. Betsy's back story brings depth to her character and helped me understand...and be frustrated by...that smart mouth of hers. 

And I absolutely love that Asher is intrigued from the first time they meet. But he's also accepting of who Betsy is and, while he doesn't understand why she reacts the way she does, he totally respects where she's at. Does he want her to open up and let her guard down? Yes, he does, but not on his timeline, he's willing to wait it out. 

My heart still does a skippedy-jump when I think about Asher's patience and forbearance and the way he appreciates Betsy's special brand of snark and even revels in it. And super important: he doesn't want to change her (well, there is one thing he'd like to change but you'll have to read the book to find out what that is.) He just wants her to let him in. As a friend, and so much more. Be still my heart.

Of course, Betsy being Betsy, makes things much more complicated than they need to be but we have a SoCal Sister Intervention to thank for putting things to right. Phew! Loved catching up with Molly, Jocelyn, Nicole and Amanda (and their heroes!) again and feeding off their collective energy. I'm so sad that this series has come to an end. It's definitely one I will revisit many times in the future. 

And there's so much more to this story -- Betsy's close ties to her family, the richness of her Argentinian heritage, Asher's difficult relationship with his mother, the band dynamics and the powerful faith elements that tie it all together.

I really enjoyed Stevi Incremona's performance. She sets the perfect tone for Betsy's cutting wit while exposing her vulnerable side as well. Plus, she even does a bit of singing. Exceptional performance that made me love these characters and their story all the more.

Goal Update: #1 Read more indie authors, #5 Diversify my reading, #6 Stay current with a series

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of the  Betsy, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 29 2022 . Offer open to International Readers.