Your Next Rom-Com Reads: Man Hands and Man Card by Sarina Bowen & Tanya Eby

January 26, 2018 / 1 Comment / Recently in Romance, Review

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Friends, as many of you know, I am Sarina Bowen-obsessed. So when I heard she and Tanya Eby were writing two rom-coms called Man Hands and Man Card, I leapt at the chance to review them.

Sarina is a great at partnering with other authors to write the best new adult romance out there (see: the Him series; Temporary, etc, etc). Her romances are packed with loveable, relatable characters, found families and friendships, and swoony moments.

Please note: These are R-rated, and you may snort laugh while reading these. I sure did. And they got me out of my first month post-partum reading slump because they are just. so. fun. Read on for my reviews, then go grab these for yourself. You won’t be sorry.

For a funny romance that’ll get you out of a book slump, try Man Hands:

Your Next Rom-Com Reads: Man Hands and Man Card by Sarina Bowen & Tanya EbyMan Hands (Man Hands, #1)

Goodreads
Author: Sarina Bowen, Tanya Eby
Also by this author: , The Fifteenth Minute, The Year We Fell Down, The Year We Hid Away, Blonde Date, The Understatement of the Year, The Shameless Hour, The Fifteenth Minute, Rookie Move, Hard Hitter, Bittersweet, Steadfast, Keepsake (True North, #3), Him, Us, Untitled, Hard Hitter, Good Boy, Keepsake (True North, #3), Goodbye Paradise, Pipe Dreams, Stay (WAGs, #2), Pipe Dreams, Temporary, Brooklynaire (Brooklyn Bruisers #4), Speakeasy, The Accidentals, Overnight Sensation, Top Secret, Superfan (Brooklyn, #3)
Series: Man Hands #1
Publisher: Rennie Road Books
Publication date: December 11th 2017
Source: Author's publicist (thank you!)
Format: eARC
My rating:
Buy It: Amazon.com | Audible

He puts the "screw" in screwball comedy...

BRYNN

At thirty-four, I’m reeling from a divorce. I don’t want to party or try to move on. I just want to stay home and post a new recipe on my blog: Brynn’s Dips and Balls.

But my friends aren’t having it. Get out there again, they say. It will be fun, they say. I’m still taking a hard pass.

Free designer cocktails, they say. And that’s a game-changer.

Too bad my ex shows up with his new arm candy. That’s when I lose my mind. But when my besties dare me to leap on the first single man I see, they don't expect me to actually go through with it.

TOM

All I need right now is some peace and quiet while my home renovation TV show is on hiatus. But when a curvy woman in a red wrap dress charges me like she’s a gymnast about to mount my high bar, all I can do is brace myself and catch her. What follows is the hottest experience of my adult life.

I want a repeat, but my flying Cinderella disappears immediately afterward. She doesn’t leave a glass slipper, either—just a pair of panties with chocolate bunnies printed on them.

But I will find her.

If you’re looking for a hilarious romance that’s heavy on the silly, look no further. Man Hands is the perfect romantic comedy with enough spice and quirk to keep this new mom laughing through late night feedings.

Man Hands features Brynn, a university professor who runs a food blog called Brynn’s Dips and Balls. Yup, just let that innuendo sink in. She’s recently divorced from her boring hipster husband. She’s feeling pretty down on herself. Her best friends Ash and Sadie convince her to go to a party and throw herself at the first guy who is NOT her type. And so, she kisses Tom.

Tom is a contractor/carpenter/gardener/handyman who hosts a TV show called Mr Fixit. He renovates places all around the world and he’s recently been burned as well. When Brynn jumps into his arms, he goes along with it.

The two have sizzling chemistry, but both are wary of a relationship that starts with a one-night stand. It doesn’t help that the paparazzi is all over them and Tom’s publicist convinces them to play it up for the cameras.

What I loved most about this book was the zany humour and the fact that the characters seemed to complement each other so perfectly. They’re both unique in their interests, but also infinitely relatable and likeable. It’s hard not to swoon with Brynn when she talks about Tom’s body and hands. And Brynn’s food had me both salivating and laughing.

Man Hands is one of those light fluffy romances that’s not going to rock your world, but it’ll have you in stitches while it lasts. Highly enjoyable and entertaining, pick this one up if you need to get out of a book slump.

For a goofy hate-to-love romance that has depth, try Man Card:

Your Next Rom-Com Reads: Man Hands and Man Card by Sarina Bowen & Tanya EbyMan Card

Goodreads
Author: Sarina Bowen, Tanya Eby
Also by this author: , The Fifteenth Minute, The Year We Fell Down, The Year We Hid Away, Blonde Date, The Understatement of the Year, The Shameless Hour, The Fifteenth Minute, Rookie Move, Hard Hitter, Bittersweet, Steadfast, Keepsake (True North, #3), Him, Us, Untitled, Hard Hitter, Good Boy, Keepsake (True North, #3), Goodbye Paradise, Pipe Dreams, Stay (WAGs, #2), Pipe Dreams, Temporary, Brooklynaire (Brooklyn Bruisers #4), Speakeasy, The Accidentals, Overnight Sensation, Top Secret, Superfan (Brooklyn, #3)
Series: Man Hands #2
Publisher: Rennie Road Books
Publication date: January 2nd 2018
Source: Author's publicist (thank you!)
Format: eARC
My rating:
Buy It: Amazon.com | Audible

Nothing ventured, nothing banged...

AshI still don't know how it happened. One minute I was arguing with my arrogant competitor--our usual trash-talk over who deserves the larger commission. But somehow I went from throwing down to kneeling down... It can never happen again. I don't even like Braht. He's too slick. He's a manipulating mansplaining party boy in preppy clothes.So why can't I get him out of my head?

BrahtThere are two things I know without question. One: Ash and I are destined for each other. Two: never trust a man with a unibrow.Ash is my missing my piece. She's the sweet cream to my gourmet espresso. And nothing gets me going faster than her contempt for me. They don't call her the Ashkicker for nothing. Eventually I'll win her over...if my past doesn't ruin everything first.

Just as compelling as Man Hands, but a little more serious, Man Card features Ashley Power, the ball-busting real estate agent. She’s also the best friend of Man Hands’ Brynn. Her love interest is Braht, the flamboyant, well-coiffed real estate agent aka Man Hands’ Tom’s best friend. Got that?

The two have always had a love-hate relationship, with more love on Braht’s side and more hate on Ash’s. But when they must unite to sell Tom’s former home – and when Braht moves to Ash’s office, the sparks really begin flying.

The humour in this instalment really stems from Braht’s seeming philosophy of life – and his silly, dirty jokes. And yet, underneath it all, Braht and Ash are both people who have had some really dark things in their past and spend a lot of time putting up a front. It’s wonderful to see how Braht strips down Ash’s layers. I love a guy who isn’t afraid to humiliate himself for a girl. I also love that he prides himself on loving traditionally female thugs like chick flicks and manicures.

Ash is a bit of a trope – she’s strong, organized, powerful and known as “Ash-kicker” at the office for a reason. But I loved the reveal of her past and the surprising care she had for her parents and their home. It’s a juxtaposition that had me cheering her on.

The love scenes were exactly as steamy – and funny – as I wanted. I loved how helpless the two characters were in the face of each other’s wiles.

Finally, as always with a Bowen novel, the secondary characters and friendships were top-notch. There’s no one else who develops those relationships quite as well as she does. Here we see Brynn and Tom, as well as other best friend Sadie’s lives progress.

Overall, I super enjoyed this one, and I can’t actually decide which is better between this and Man Hands! Here’s hoping Bowen and Tanya Eby do at least one more (called Man Toy?) because Sadie needs some love!

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Are you interested in reading Man Hands or Man Card? Are you into romantic, screwball comedies? Have you read any other romantic comedies I should check out? Hit the comments and let me know!


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