[Review] THE JAKE RYAN COMPLEX by Bethany Crandell

Source: Received a complimentary copy through work. 

All opinions are my own.
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: January 26, 2021
Number of Pages: 258 (Paperback)

DESCRIPTION

A teenage movie crush set her standards high. Now a real man needs to meet them. Fast.

Chicago obstetrician Mackenzie “Mac” Huntress set her standards for men very high early on. It’s been over twenty years since she fell for a fictional movie heartthrob, and Mac’s content to wait for the real version to come along; it’s her nagging mother who’s not happy with the timeline. So Mac falls back on her lifelong Mom-surviving skill—lying. The latest fabrication: a handsome neurologist named Michael. Pity he’s too busy to meet her friends and family. Problem solved.

But when Mac’s little sister announces her engagement, Mac is expected to introduce her elusive “plus-one” at the wedding, leaving her with only forty days to find a flesh-and-blood stand-in for the imaginary Michael. And the only potential Mr. Right comes with a big hitch.

However, it turns out Mac’s not the only one bringing secrets to the wedding. With expectations high, and shocking truths to be revealed, Mac’s left to find her own happy ending, which isn’t as simple as in the movies…though it’s definitely worth waiting for.

G E T   Y O U R   C O P Y   N O W !
Amazon US | Amazon Canada | Indigo | B&N

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REVIEW

As soon as I heard about THE JAKE RYAN COMPLEX, I was IMMEDIATELY intrigued! While I'm not a John Hughes diehard, I do love his films, and I definitely thought Jake Ryan was one of his more swoony heartthrobs, so I went into this one expecting to love the nods towards SIXTEEN CANDLES and other classic films, and sure enough it was sweet, funny, and definitely gave me John Hughes-vibes just as the title suggested! ;) 

 

While Mac's reluctance to be honest with her mom about her singledom was a bit much at times, it did totally suit the rom-com genre...and was right out of something you'd see in a film where you just kind of shake your head at the heroines antics. It had me cringing, and laughing more than once! I also really loved the chemistry between Mac and her "Mr. Right," and I loved seeing everything in the story all come together.

 

It’s on the fade-to-black spectrum of romance, so don’t go into it expecting sexytimes on the page, but if you’re looking for ridiculous movie-like awkward scenarios because of the heroine’s antics and some epic family drama mixed in with an adorable senior dog, a sexy love interest, and some dates-gone-wrong, then you’ll love this. It’s also perfect for anyone, who like Mac, loves Jake Ryan from SIXTEEN CANDLES.

It reminded me of WAITING FOR TOM HANKS by Kerry Winfrey with the rom-com goodness, and MAN HANDS by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby for the handyman hotness...just not quite as steamy. ;)

Overall, I loved THE JAKE RYAN COMPLEX! I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet, funny rom-com with a super sweet HEA!

Star Rating:

★★★★★

Read If You Like:

Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey, John Hughes movies, and classic rom-coms.

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What do you think?

Does THE JAKE RYAN COMPLEX sound like something you'd like?

Are you a fan of rom-coms?