Book Review — Dear Bridget, I Want You by Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland

“I thought about what my life would be without you in it, and I finally realized that I was more afraid of losing you than I was of finding you. I love you, Bridget… I need you more than I’m afraid of everything that comes with loving you.”

HOLY FREAKING SWOOOOOON!!

Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland continue to rock my world!! This was an addictive, sexy, heart-warming romance! I absolutely loved it! The story starts off with a hilarious meeting between the hero and heroine and turns into a delightful friends-to-lovers romance that is guaranteed to keep you smiling and swooning non-stop! The heroine is a single mom and one of the most heart-warming things ever was seeing the way this hero so openly and completely welcomes her son into his heart. It was just gorgeous!! Not to mention that the romance was HOT HOT HOT and the story was surprising, well-written, and full of deep feels! And it’s worth mentioning again that there is some serious swooooooooooon going on so if you’re looking for a new book to read, this is a top recommendation!

Dear Bridget,

I’m writing this letter because it’s highly doubtful I’ll ever garner the courage to say this to your face.

So, here goes.

We’re totally wrong for each other. You’re the proper single mum with a good head on your shoulders. I’m just the carefree British doctor passing through town and temporarily living in your converted garage until I head back to England.

But here’s the thing… for some bloody reason, I can’t stop thinking about you in very inappropriate ways.

I want you.

The only reason I’m even admitting all of this to you right now is because I don’t believe it’s one-sided. I notice your eyes when you look at me, too. And as crass as I appear when we’re joking around about sex, my attraction to you is not a joke.

So, what’s the purpose of this note? I guess it’s a reminder that we’re adults, that sex is healthy and natural, and that you can find me just through the door past the kitchen. More specifically, it’s to let you know that I’m leaving said door cracked open from now on in case you’d like to visit me in the middle of the night sometime.

No questions asked.
Think about it.
Or don’t.
Whatever you choose.
It’s doubtful I’ll even end up sliding this letter under your door anyway.
―Simon

LOL!!! So this book begins with the mortified heroine sitting, or rather standing, in the doctor’s office thanks to a fishhook lodged firmly in her buttcheek thanks to an unlucky fishing incident with her son. To compound her embarrassment, the sexy British Dr. Dreamy makes her heart pound in a way that doesn’t help her compromised state. But a few pun-laden minutes later and the whole thing was, what she thought would be, a distant memory.

Wrong.

She thought she’d never see him again, but three months later their paths crossed again in the most unexpected of ways. After the death of her husband, she was struggling to pay the bills and decided to rent out her renovated inlaws suite to help out, her friend had recommended someone to help with the bills, and a few days later her very own Dr. Dreamy was moving into her home much to both of their complete shock (but not disappointment)…

“This is just as much a shock to me as it is to you.”
“Then how did you recognize me so fast? I wasn’t even facing you.”
“You were down on the ground with your buttocks in the air. I would recognize that are anywhere.”
Utter embarrassment consumed me. “Oh, really…”
“Your derriere precedes you, luv.”

Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland have individually and collaboratively written some of my favorite books over the last couple years. They do a fantastic job of blending their writing styles and you absolutely can’t tell that more than one person wrote this book. I’ve read several of their books by now and for the life of me, I can never tell who wrote what part of these joint books lol.

On the surface, Simon seemed like a commitment-phobic playboy with a wild streak who not only didn’t want kids but was also planning to leave the country to go back to England at the end of his residency. But underneath all of that, there were so many moments that showed the real man he was — a good, kind-hearted savior who was just guarding his heart. He was afraid of hurting someone or being hurt and was, in his own way, trying to do the right thing.

“What made you decide to become a doctor?”
He kept steeping his tea and staring into his cup until he looked up at me and said, “I have an unhealthy and incessant need to save people, I guess.”
That was sort of an odd answer.
“You wanted to be like a real-life superhero?”

Bridget was understandably wary of Simon’s flirtatious advances. Not only was she uncertain if she was ready to begin a new relationship after losing her husband, but she was also wary about bringing a new man into her son’s life. But she couldn’t deny the pull she felt towards him.

“I’m just messing with you, luv, relax. I like watching your cheeks change color when you’re embarrassed.” I winked. “Both cheeks.”
She shook her head. “I think we need to set some ground rules.”
I sipped my tea. “Alright. I like rules. Without them, breaking them isn’t nearly as much fun.”

Eventually they couldn’t deny their attraction. They tried to stay away from each other but the sexual tension between kept building and building until neither one of them could resist any longer and let me tell you… things got HOT HOT HOTTTTTT!!! Smoking hot!! But I really loved that the story took the time to really build up that tension because it made their physical relationship not only sexy but also quite meaningful because you understood what a big deal it was for both of them respectively.

“Talk to me, Bridget. What’s going on in that head of yours?”
“I’m scared.” I finally manage to croak out.
“That makes two of us. I’m fucking terrified.”
“What if it doesn’t work out, Simon?”
“What if it does?”
“What if you’re miserable here in the States and go back home in a few months?”
“What if I stay forever and we’re happy?”

But outside the bedroom, there we had Simon afraid of falling for her, Bridget unsure if she could allow herself to fall for him, and in the midst of everything was an exuberant little nine-year-old boy who was growing more and more attached to his mom’s new tenant each day.

It was sweet and utterly heart-melting watching Simon and little Brendan grow closer each day. Even though the romance was hot, sexy, and addictive and as much as I loved seeing Simon and Bridget’s relationship develop, some of the deepest feels in this story came seeing her son bonding with the first father figure he could fully remember.

“He’s going to fall in love with you, Simon. Are you going to be able to return it? Can you really love someone else’s son?”
I told her the absolute truth. “I already do.”

I really love that all of Penelope and Vi’s books have these little unexpected twists in them. I don’t know why I never expect them — looking back, they’re actually always very well constructed and I probably should anticipate them but yet each time they surprise me and I love that! It just give the book that extra oooooomph of awesome and makes your heart race even more. In this book’s case, I loved the way Simon and Bridget handled this revelation and the way, when their new relationship was truly put to the test for the first time, they handled it with such maturity.

And OH MY GOD. Simon’s speech at the end is seriously worth reading the entire book just to get to that one moment. I mean, I loved the whole book but that speech was WOW!! Few things are as sexy as a man who not only unconditionally loves his woman but is also proud to stand up for her no matter what. Pure. Fucking. SWOON.

This book is written in first person from dual POVs in alternating chapters. It’s a complete (full length) standalone and is not connected to any other book written by either author.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again — Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland are two of the very best romance authors I’ve ever read. Their stories are addictive, sexy, and full of heart. They’re well-written and each one has a unique twist that makes its story stand out. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for an amazing book to fall in love with. It’s a new top recommendation and one of my favorite books of the year!!

Rating: 4.5+ stars!! Contemporary Adult Romance, standalone.