Book Review | Perfect Excuse – A.D. Justice

Perfect Excuse
By: A.D. Justice

Series: Mason Creek Series
Book Number In Series: 11 of 30
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Trope(s): Small Town, Pending Divorce, Second Chance
Publisher: Indie
Publication Date: August 26th, 2021

My Rating: 4 ½ Stars

Blurb:

Who knew fighting for custody of an African grey parrot would be the perfect excuse to stay married?

Ryder King was always the one for me. He stole my heart in second grade, and I never imagined after seven blissful years of marriage, I’d give it back.

We made one tiny mistake by spending the night together during our separation period and the judge read all about it in the local gossip column. Okay, maybe it was two or three mistakes… but who’s counting?

Instead of granting our divorce, the judge mandated us to marriage counseling. The only way to get out of our marriage without waiting another six months was if our counselor agreed we’re all wrong for each other.

That’s when the fun really started…

A probing therapist, a gossiper who knows all, and a few of my unmentionables on prominent display revealed all our secrets. Seems Ryder and I were both guilty of hiding vital truths from each other.

And what happened behind closed doors…. well, let’s just say it’s the stuff headlines are made of.

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My Review

A.D. Justice is another new to me author and I would never have discovered this author if it weren’t for the Mason Creek series. Holy hell, A.D. Justice packed a punch with this emotional second chance romance. I finished Ryder and Olivia’s story a few hours ago, and I’m still sitting in here with a full heart and a smile on my face. I’ll definitely be reading more from A.D. Justice in the upcoming future!

Perfect Escape by A.D. Justice is the eleventh standalone in the Mason Creek Series. If you’re a fan of small town romances, I highly recommend you pick of this series. Trust me when I say, It’s an addiction and this novel is the perfect addition to said addiction! Hand to heart, I couldn’t put this one down!! Olivia and Ryder stole my heart!!

Olivia lives her life managing her lingerie store and dodging all the seedy rumors that have been circulating in Mason Creek for years. She’s not unfamiliar with the way her small town works. If there’s news to be shared, it’ll spread like a wildfire. And the rumors regarding her upcoming divorce with Ryder King are only the icing on the cake. I loved Olivia’s independence in regards to her business. Her artistry is where her true strength shines through and A.D. Justice captured that portion of her personality perfectly. I also loved the fact that this woman craved to wear her heart on her sleeve and be open with not only the whole town, but also her husband where her career was concerned.

Ryder King has loved his wife since she moved into town and it’s no surprise he stole her heart right away. Now, many moons later, Ryder is looking at a divorce that can easily be erased if he would just confess his deepest secret. He may not be able to give Olivia what she’s always wanted. This man’s emotional state shattered my soul. He kept a huge secret locked up tight and threw away the key. We all know, locked up secrets have a way of eventually eating at a person’s soul. I wanted to reach into this novel and give Ryder the biggest hug! I craved that moment of reflection for him. I was on pins and needles needing him to lay his heart and his fears on the table in front of Olivia. And then that time finally came, and it felt like I could FINALLY breath again.

But on the day of their divorce, the judge ‘not-so-mysteriously’ finds out about Ryder and Olivia’s night of drunken debauchery and orders them to seek a marriage counselor before he’ll sign off on the divorce.. OMG! This judge deserves a gold medal! I honestly felt so many emotions in this particular moment. I wanted to laugh so freaking hard at the fact that these too stubborn individuals who clearly still loved one another, weren’t about to get out of this so easily.

And then you add in the fact that two people are fighting for custody over Kiwi (An African Grey Parrot) and holy hell, does that further spark the emotional state of this novel. Kiwi is the sweetest bird ever, who wouldn’t fight over her!!?

I’m such a fan of the MC Scope articles!! I love how Tate is in EVERYONE’S business… and how the hell does she know the things she knows as they are happening. My suspicions are telling me she has the whole damn town wired and bugged. I honestly can’t wait to read more and see what kind of drama she further ignites with her nosey column.

Overall, A.D. Justice blew me away with Ryder and Olivia’s story! So much love was put into these characters. Perfect Excuse brings more Heart and more Heat to the Mason Creek Series. If you’re a fan of second chance romances with all the feels, definitely pick up this book and this series!

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Amazon: https://amzn.to/3FE5dp5
Amazon World: http://getbook.at/perfectexcuseadj

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Catch up on my reviews
for The Mason Creek Series:

Perfect Risk – C.A. Harms
Perfect Song – Lauren Runow
Perfect Love – A.M. Hargrove
Perfect Night – Terri E. Laine
Perfect Tragedy – Jennifer Miller
Perfect Escape – Cary Hart
Perfect Summer – Bethany Lopez
Perfect Embrace – Kaylee Ryan
Perfect Kiss – Lacey Black
Perfect Mess – Fabiola Francisco
Perfect Excuse – A.D. Justice

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Peace Love and Happy Reading,

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