Book Review – Déjà Date by Susan Hatler

Déjà Date by Susan Hatler is a very good read. Despite the short number of pages, this story gave me a valuable lesson to seize whatever opportunity that come your way so as not to regret it for the rest of your life. Aside from that, you’ll fall in love with the hero in his cool leather jacket and motorcyle. Highly recommended!

Déjà Date by Susan Hatler
Series: Better Date Than Never, #9
Published by Hatco Publishing on February 22, 2015
Genre: Chick Lit, Romance, Contemporary
115 pages
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Buy: Book Depository, Amazon
Find on Goodreads

Melinda Morgan commits to running her favorite neighborhood bakery when the owner, who’s like a second dad to her, falls ill. Then she finds out his adventurous son, Nate Carter, is back in town. Nate was Melinda’s first kiss and greatest heartbreak all rolled into one, yet he’s still as charming as ever.

When Melinda learns Nate’s dad is selling his bakery, she realizes her dream to own the bakery herself. But in order to access her inheritance funds, she must first complete her father’s Carpe Diem list, which challenges her to take risks she normally wouldn’t—like only dating someone who leaves her breathless.

Nate wants a second chance with her and she finds him nearly impossible to resist. Could he be the key to completing her dad’s list and saving the bakery? And can he help her do both without breaking her heart all over again?

Review

After my not-s0-pleasant previous read I was not in the mood for something dramatic or traumatic so I browsed my TBR on what to read next. I really wanted to try thriller or even fantasy but my mood won’t cooperate. Guess what always perks me up? Yep, romance. Then I came to this story, Déjà Date, and I kinda like the title so I tried the first chapter and I ended up loving it.

This story is about Melinda who had a tough childhood as she was alienated at school because she’s kind of fat and doesn’t belong to their so-called standards. She had a dog that she really really love but died when she was just fourteen then a few days after that, her best friend and first kiss took off without saying goodbye then her dad died while on his adventure ride on a hot air balloon. Then a couple of years after that, she got laid off from her job as a customer service representative (a job she doesn’t like but pays well) and been scouting for some new work when she found out about Bernie’s health condition. Bernie is the owner of Bernie’s Bakeshop which is like her second home. She offered help on running the business he’s resting for two weeks. Then, the guy who gave her her first kiss came back.

I’m always a sucker for a bad boy especially if he’s wearing black leather jacket and who rides a motorcycle, and Nate (Melinda’s first kiss) fits the bill. The moment he was introduced, he already got my attention. I don’t usually fall for sugary description of the character unless it’s perfectly written but dang! This Nate guy is just hot ok, it doesn’t even helped that he has the same name with my book fling Nate Peters who’s from Kirsty Moseley’s Enjoying The Chase haha.

Déjà Date is just a short read but it didn’t felt that way because the main leads were properly introduced and their character buildup were perfect. It started so good and ended so good too, but I was expecting for an engagement too haha. But oh well, they both have all the time in the world anyway.

For Melinda, I can absolutely relate to her character and I understand all of her concerns and why she’s so scared to take chances. She lost Nate, then her previous dog and her dad at such a young age which left her feeling alone. Plus, it didn’t helped that she was always the odd girl out in school so she didn’t have friends but only Nate. She was determined to change all that and now she’s far from that pudgy girl in high school, but because of her perfect looks now, people find her intimidating which really didn’t helped her find some good friends. It’s just so great that Mary Ann did a lot of effort to really get close to her, then came Avery and then finally having some other good friends. She was also able to overcome her fears about taking chances on Nate, all thanks to her dad’s Carpe Diem list that she needs to accomplish in order to get her inheritance. Aside from that, I also like it that she adores dogs *wink.

Nate on the other hand may look like a sexy bad boy in his leather jacket and motorcycle but deep inside, he’s actually a nice person. He’s also one of those who loves adventure (a trait he got from his mother) but totally adores his family even if his dad and his mother have broken up a long time ago. I hate it when a guy left the girl without even saying goodbye and then suddenly comes back and expects for a second chance just because he says sorry. And yep, Nate just did that. But I can’t hate the guy even if I want to, well, what can I say? The guy is just too hot to handle haha. But seriously, after hearing his reasons, I kind of understand why he did it. But even so, he should have atleast written a letter explaining everything, or even just a simple goodbye. Oh well, atleast he’s back *wink. Besides that, I also love his positivity about his and Melinda’s future. You see, I’m used to heroines daydreaming about their happy ending with the hero so when Nate told her that their love story is going to be like her parents, I was touched. This guy definitely know how to make a girl breathless.

So far, I don’t have any issues about this story unless you include the knowledge that it’s short. The conflict was very realistic and I love that Nate, despite being dumped wasn’t bitter about it and continue to love her despite all her issues and helped her overcome them. But I would also like to give Mary Ann a shout out for being a very good friend to Melinda and for also helping her to be brave on facing her weaknesses and to realize what’s really important.

It was my first time from Susan Hatler and I have to say that I’m impressed. Her writing style was so good and so smooth. That said, I can’t wait to read the other books in the series especially the next one which is Mary Ann’s story. Also, isn’t the cover looks cute? Wait till you see the other books in the series, their covers we’re quite catchy too *wink.

Despite the short number of pages, I have to say that this book didn’t fail to give a really good story of love and overcoming your fears. It’s the 9th book of the Better Date than Never series but as I’ve only read this particular book in the series, I guess it’s safe to say that it’s standalone. Oh, scratch that. I’ve just read a note in this story from the author and it seems like Melinda was mentioned in the previous books. But even if that’s the case, I didn’t find anything from this story that made me confused, so I guess it’s still standalone haha.

Overall, this is a good romantic story from Susan Hatler that despite it being short, it still managed to get my full attention. For now, I am giving this one a 4.5 star rating. If it would have been longer or if Melinda and Nate have gotten engaged, maybe (just maybe hehe) I would have given it a perfect 5 stars. But hey! The ending wasn’t that bad. It’s HEA so I guess I should be contented eh? Hehe.

Challenges

Other Books In The Series

Preview & About The Author

Book Review – Déjà Date by Susan Hatler SUSAN HATLER is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, who writes humorous and emotional contemporary romance and young adult novels. Many of Susan’s books have been translated into German, Spanish, French, and Italian. A natural optimist, she believes life is amazing, people are fascinating, and imagination is endless. She loves spending time with her characters and hopes you do, too.