[Review] Champagne Toast by Melissa Brown

Goodreads Description

Kate Armour and Evan Maxwell fell hard and fast for each other while attending college. Their once passionate and loving relationship ended when old scars eventually tore them apart. Two years after their breakup, they're each struggling to piece together what went wrong in an attempt to move forward.

Kate, a no-nonsense bartender, must face her past while attempting to focus on her future.

Evan is stifled by his bitter heart, which threatens each and every relationship he attempts after walking away from Kate.

Will life offer them a second chance at love or are old patterns simply too hard to break?

First can I just say I dislike this cover? He looks like he’s trying to make out with that napkin, and if that’s his real kissy face, I’m not interested. That’s how my 4 year old kisses. Sure he’s probably just wiping his mouth, but no need to look like a bloated fish while doing it. Okay, cover rant over. Tee hee.

I did however, really love this book. I was a little Meh about Bouquet Toss. Daphne annoyed me with her constant pining over a Dbag, I just didn’t understand her. It was a character connection problem I think. Champagne Toast posed no problems there for me. I connected with both Evan and Kate on high levels.

Oh, Evan, let us start with him. *sigh* I don’t think Evan is my type. He’s too out going and into all the stuff I’m really not into. But he’s the guy that you wish you could meld into his world, just because he’s that wonderful a person. He has such heart. He’s not perfect, he’s got his flaws, but where it matters most, he is. This made it so easy for me to connect with Kate. Because I get it.

Evan has this great family, and normal life, where as Kate’s family and her social standing just doesn’t quite measure up, ya know. I felt for her, the non-existent support from her parents. It’s heart breaking, but real. When I was in high school I told my parents I wanted to go to college. They laughed and told me that I would work a crap job in a factory or something like normal people. Everything I did in my HS career that I was proud of, was sneered upon by them. So Kate and I, we have a lot in common. I shed a few tears for her and that’s rare.

You wouldn’t think that kind of treatment would mold your adult life, but it does. You push people away because you don’t want the disappointment. You push people away because you don’t feel you’re good enough. I still struggle with that sometimes. A laugh out loud moment for me was when Evan and Kate pull up to his parent’s house. This perfect little cape-cod style house. It was like going back in time meeting my husband’s parents, same style house and all.

There is more to their relationship than just her insecurities though. You know how you wonder in Bouquet toss what this bitch Kate did to Evan to make him so bitter about love? Well you get all of your answers here. You get the full story. From when they first met, which I loved because you really got a feel for how much they love each other.

Going into this I was nervous, but Brown pulled it out and made me a fan this time around. I’ll be anxiously waiting to see what she comes out with next! If you enjoyed Bouquet Toss, you will most likely love Champagne Toast. If you didn’t, you might still like this one so I urge you to give it a whirl! Plus, it’s free to borrow on Amazon for prime members. You bet I took advantage of that!