As I was prepping to review The Pocket Pair by Emma St. Clair, I went back over my blog posts from the past year and realized to my horror (okay, maybe not horror, that may be a bit extreme) that despite having read TEN Emma novels/novellas, I’ve not reviewed a single one. Even though I adore her books!
So I’m excited to share what I thought of The Pocket Pair, the third installment of the Love Stories in Sheet Cake series. To say I LOVE this series would be an understatement. The spin-off of the Love Clichés series, the Sheet Cake romcom books are set in a darling, southern style, Schitt’s Creek-type of town featuring imperfect but swoon-worthy heroes, zany townspeople, and plenty of sweet (rom) and funny (com) moments. The Pocket Pair is one of my must-read summer books I mentioned a few weeks back. Did it live up to my expectations?
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Do I have feelings for my sister’s best friend? Of course not.
That would be stupid, considering my sister once threatened to castrate me if I ever hurt Val.
Hurting her is the last thing I want to do, which is all the MORE reason I can’t have feelings for her. Val deserves the world, and I’m NOT the man who can give it to her.
But when Val announces she’s leaving town (and the country), I’m suddenly confronted with some very capital-F Feelings–ones that refuse to stay stuffed down deep where I’ve hidden them for more years than I care to admit.
Having her crash in my guest bedroom until she leaves only makes things worse.
Little by little, Val chips away at my defenses, and despite all the solid reasons I have, my resolve starts to crumble.
The thing is–none of the circumstances have changed.
Val is still planning to leave the country. And I … well, I might have gotten more in touch with my feelings, but I’m still the same man.
NOT a man who can promise things like life-long commitment. NOT a man Val can count on. NOT the good guy everyone seems to think I am.
If only I could get Val and the rest of this nosy, meddling matchmaking town to believe me–and if my own stubborn heart wasn’t trying to convince me otherwise.
The Pocket Pair is a best friend’s brother, friends to more rom-com set in the fictional small town of Sheet Cake Texas. You’ll find plenty of laughs and sizzling chemistry in this closed door romantic comedy. It’s the third in a series, but can be read as a standalone.
BONUS ABOUT THE SERIES FROM THE AUTHOR’S INSTA PAGE:
Pocket Pair – When a player is dealt two cards of the same ranking in their hand.
My titles for the Sheet Cake books all have poker names that loosely tie to the theme. Why? Poker night with the Graham men kicks off in Falling for Your Best Friend, and there is a game in every main book. Poker is their guys’ night. It’s their time of teasing and fun and banter and being able to be competitive now that they’re not competitive on the field.
The Buy-In is the perfect start to the series as Tank literally buys into this idea of owning a small town. Pat, the MC, is doing his own buying in, betting that his marriage of convenience with Lindy can be more.
The Bluff suits James to a T. The man has a lot of secrets he’s carrying, and the gruff exterior is a big old bluff for the softie he can be—for Winnie. Also, he’s been a total caretaker for his siblings and even his dad.
The Pocket Pair is a perfect name for Val and Chevy’s book because in this one, the feelings have been there all along, kept hidden by both Chevy and (less of a secret) Val. This book is all about the final reveal of what’s been in their hands the whole time.
You’ll get:
💛Best friend’s brother
💛 Friends to lovers
💛 Forced proximity by way of roommates
💛Sizzling slow burn
And, as always, some small town quirkiness, great friendships, found family, and closed door romcom.
MY THOUGHTS:
I waited for this book, eager with anticipation because I really liked both Val and Chevy in the previous two Sheet Cake books. It’s funny that this book’s female main character is an artist, just like Meadow Jane in One Last Play, which I reviewed last week. I try to not read books back-to-back with similar characters, tropes, or plots, but it just sort of happened this time. But I actually enjoyed reading both stories featuring artists because I admire creatives that can coax something beautiful to life on canvas as a way to pour out and sift through their feelings. I enjoyed being in both Val’s and MJ’s heads and learning how painting helped them process all the feels.
In The Pocket Pair, Val is a sweet, tender, patient soul, fiercely loyal to her friends and (very small) family. Her years-long crush on Chevy has mushroomed, and she’s ready to leave the country in an effort to put the kibosh on her feelings to ensure nothing jeopardizes her friendship with Chevy’s sister Winnie. But when Chevy seems to start reciprocating her feelings, things become muddled.
I love a good protective hero and Chevy was primo. Not a typical, totally ripped law enforcement hero, Chevy was a little more on the protective teddy bear side, and he was absolutely perfect for Val. His nickname for her was endearing: Tiny, a nod to her petite stature but also a play on her full name, Valentina. His blossoming bromances with all the Graham men were so fun, but his growing friendship with James in this book was particularly delightful.
The tension between the pair is sooooo good, especially with their forced proximity as Val becomes Chevy’s roommate before she’s due to leave for Costa Rica. They each grapple with their deepening attraction and their own reasons a relationship between them could never work. Chevy’s biggest fear is that he could never be the faithful man Val deserved, thanks to sharing DNA with his no-good, cheating father. Val’s biggest fear is being unwanted or that she was not worth staying with. Plus, neither wants to ruin their friendship or risk Winnie’s ire. All of this makes for a lovely slow burn story filled with mutual pining.
A total fan of both Schitt’s Creek and Gilmore Girls, I love the way the quirky townsfolk add to the story and bring the small town of Sheet Cake to life. Nutty old lady with a cat-possum (opossum?) as a pet? Check. Entire town invested in one couple’s relationship? Check. Secret, backwoods bar run by the zany black sheep of the town’s founding family? Check. And the Neighborly app threads? Cue all the LOL giggles!
The Pocket Pair can be read as a stand-alone, but I recommend starting at the beginning of the series to learn all the characters and backstory before diving into Val and Chevy’s story. Emma St. Clair is so good at romcom. Her stories are really enjoyable, light-hearted, and funny, but her characters are complex and face relatable problems. Do yourself a favor and pick up one (or more) of her novels!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from her website):
Hey! I’m Emma, the USA Today bestselling author of The Love Clichés Series and over fifteen romcom and sweet romance novels.
Confession: Though I’ve written stories since I could hold a pencil, I didn’t start out as a romantic. In fact, I might have rolled my eyes at happy endings.
Somewhere between watching Hallmark Christmas movies and finally reading Pride and Prejudice, something shifted. I’m writing romance, but on my own terms. Readers will always get their happy ending, but also sassy heroines and snappy dialogue. No cheese.
I choose to write books without cursing and with the bedroom door closed, I don’t skimp on the humor or characters who will feel like your new BFF–or new favorite book boyfriend. I love sizzling kisses and real chemistry, along with supportive friendships and family.
When I’m not writing, I am helping my husband wrangle our five children and Great Dane. (If only we could teach the dog to watch the kids…) We live in Katy, Texas and yes, the stars at night are big and bright.
Learn more about Emma, her books, and how to connect with her on social media on her website.