The Setup - Jennifer Bernard

The Setup

By Jennifer Bernard

  • Release Date: 2022-12-27
  • Genre: Contemporary Romance
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 31 Ratings
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Description

He left without warning in the middle of a Lake Bittersweet winter. Now he’s back... just in time for the holidays. For Gina Moretti, the holidays are bittersweet thanks to a history of romantic disasters. This holiday season, her friends are taking the reins and are setting her up. Little did she know the whole town would get into the act, but that’s Lake Bittersweet for you. When a date goes sideways, she’s shocked to be rescued by the one-and-only Kirk Williams–her brother’s best friend, who left town long ago and is now a celebrity hero. Kirk is back in Lake Bittersweet for some peace and quiet, but once he sees Gina, that’s out of the question. His best friend’s tomboy little sister is now a gorgeous woman with secrets of her own. When she asks him for help tracking down someone from her past, he jumps at the chance to win her trust. As for resisting their intense attraction…he might be famous for his heroic rescues, but he’s not that strong. Can Kirk and Gina banish the ghosts of holidays past and claim the future of their dreams …while dealing with family revelations, obsessed fans, and the endless parade of holiday setups?

Reviews

  • A complete delight

    5
    By Wyrdfan
    Four and a half stars The Setup is the third in Jennifer Bernard’s Lake Bittersweet series, and is magnificent. Gina Moretti is the only daughter in a big Italian family with lots of brothers. She’s always known how to keep up, how to fend for herself while managing not to be smothered under their loving care. And Kirk Williams is almost like another one of those siblings. Always a part of the landscape until he returns to Lake Bittersweet years later and it’s quite clear to them both that they’re not in the least related, nor do they want to be…. Except in the most important of ways… Jennifer Bernard’s writing is warm and buoyant, and Lake Bittersweet and its residents are brought vividly to life. She also writes Gina and Kirk and their challenges gently and kindly, giving them space to sort themselves out, and their friends and families room to both lovingly interfere as well as acknowledge them as capable of making the best choices for themselves. This series is a delight.

  • Wonderful series

    5
    By hnobbs
    Another wonderful trip to Lake Bittersweet. I loved both Gina and Kirk, they were great as friends and even better as a couple. Watching them fall for each other after knowing one another back when they were younger was so fun. Also watching both of them try to work through traumas they both suffered (separately) as children and teenagers and become the great people they are, individually and as a couple. What I loved is that they both worked through their traumas together but they did it on their own. And it made them appreciative of one another. And I can not wait for Bliss and Grainger’s story next!

  • A Beautiful Romance

    5
    By PattiA810
    This is a book that you can get absorbed into within the first few pages. It is a great story of family, respect and unconditional love. You will fall in love with these characters. Gina, is the fiery, independent woman on the outside but, has wounds on the inside that seem to dictate her life. Kirk is very much the same with the hidden scars of his childhood, but outwardly, he a person always willing to help and be the unintentional "hero." Gina and Kirk have a past. Kirk is friends with her brother and Gina was the little sister tag along. I love how we witness their reconnection and simmering attraction. The supporting characters contribute to this incredible story with their own quirkiness and support. The dialogue throughout the book and between all the characters is excellent. It is quick, sharp and smart. This story is about more than Gina and Kirk and they way Jennifer Bernard weaves everyone together makes for a very entertaining read. It is a must read because it will touch your heart in so many ways.

  • The Setup

    5
    By Jen G F
    A*R*C for honest review with no compensation The Setup is book 3 in the Lake Bittersweet series by Jennifer Bernard. Loving this series!! Gina Moretti dislikes the holidays thanks to her romance disasters. Her friends and towns people have decided it’s time for Gina – stakes…finding her perfect person. When yet another date goes bad someone from the restaurant bar sends her a drink…who turns out to be her brother‘s best friend, Kirk Williams and her teenage crush. Holiday setups, moving forward, humorous, laying low, chemistry and more…read on to see if they disspell the so called curse of setups or find that they are the perfect setup!!

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