The Best Kind of Forever (Riverside Reapers) Paperback – May 20, 2023

i thought the book was good!! i hope this doesn’t come off as too much but i didn’t think too much of it. its your basic hockey book. it definitely got me out of my reading slump. the smut was meh too i thought it was gonna be crazy like the summary said but i’ve read filthier stuff. 3/5

I really enjoyed this book. From the first page to the last, I was hooked.Aeris is the kind of FMC that you root for. She has a bad relationship with her parents due to the death of her brother 4 years ago and an ex-boyfriend that destroyed her self-esteem. She's broken and isn't able to see her self-worth. She struggles with disordered eating and body image sadly.Hayes lost his mother to breast cancer when he was very young and his father didn't handle it well. Hayes ended up having to quickly grow up as well as take care of his younger sister since his father pretty much checked out and left.Hayes and Aeris are two very broken and hurt people that buoy each other up after meeting. Aeris is at a bar drinking her sorrows away on the anniversary of her brother's death. Hayes is there drinking his problems away after finding out his hit it and quit it gal at an event happened to be the daughter of the sponsor's CEO. If it gets out what he did, the team could lose the sponsorship and he'll either be traded or let go from the hockey league all together. He needs to improve his image and fake dating seems to be his go to.When he decides on the fake dating scheme, it’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion, knowing who’ll be the casualty. The friendship/relationship between Hayes and Aeris didn't start up with the fake dating rationale. They had already met and hit it off before the idea was suggested to Hayes. When he has to decide what girl would be best for the plan, Aeris is the prime decision for him. Too bad secrets hurt the longer you hold them in.I honestly fell for this book, hard. Hayes is a great guy but makes some bad decisions. The love he has for Aeris, and the way he fights for her to see how beautiful she truly is was one of the best things ever. He was so sweet to her and really respected her. I cannot wait to read the rest of this series and dig into the other guys on the team with Hayes. I'm sure their individual stories are going to be just as great.

This book was so amazing. The plot was so good and the writing was perfect. There are a lot of traumatizing topics that happen in this story so make sure to check the trigger warnings. There were so many hilarious moments throughout this whole book but there were a lot of sad moments too. I loved Aeris’ and Hayes. Aeris is freaking amazing and hilarious. She definitely worries a lot and some of the things she did and said were outrageous but I found myself laughing. She is probably one of my favorite characters. Hayes might have had the wrong intentions in the beginning of the book and every time he didn’t tell Aeris about the fake relationship it definitely wasn’t okay. On the same note all the sweet words and things he did to her and for her had me swooning. I loved how he built her up. He was the perfect combination of sweet and dirty. The spicy scenes between them were so well written and they didn’t go too far to almost be cringeworthy. Overall this was such a good book to read.

The storyline had promise but wasn't put together all that well.And then to add an extra storyline in the 3rd act, along with the quickness of certain key parts (i.e., premise for the relationship to begin with, breakup, neglectful parents, grovel)The characters really didn't have depth, nor was there connection anything special. And honestly, neither were likable. Hayes was arrogant, juvenile, and a bbit douchy and Areis was whiny, boring, and the whole Hayes fixed her mentality was unhealthy.The sex scenes definitely needed work, came across a bit gross and you don't say stick your tongue in his mouth without getting an unflattering imageNot looking forward to reading the others in the series sadly enough

Was a good read. It was heartbreaking but also positive. I think it was great that there was a variety of topics in the book but there were times where it felt rushed or they switched quickly. I do love how Hayes adapted to her right away and noticed her issues with eating, and not just forcing her to eat.

“When you find that person who gives you everything, you stop searching for external fulfillment.”Hayes is a famous hockey player with a not so stellar reputation.Aeris just has had enough of life with enough heartache to last a lifetime.The first time they met there was an instant attraction. Bonding over their similar trauma, they explore what’s between them. One thing about secret’s though, it comes out in the worst times. Now they gotta figure out if the bond between them is strong enough to overcome anything that comes their way.A fast paced hockey romance with a reformed playboy who falls first for his polar opposite. Lots of laughs with this found family with enough sweet, spice and drama to balance it all out.

I thought this book really captured the essence of mid-sized girls having their own version of a traditional “happily ever after”. I have struggled with so many things that Aeris did and it showed me that it’s not easy loving yourself in your own skin. It’s more about finding someone who truly loves you for who you are, including all your flaws and the things you hate most about yourself. That’s what makes it so great. The body positivity in this is astounding. It’s very inclusive and makes us feel seen. Thank you Celeste Briars for giving us a chance at love to.

pretty good book, read it fast. “stacks”… idk what else to say, i cant post this review until it reaches a certain word count