Romance Book Review: Brenda Rothert's Now and Then

Author: Brenda Rothert

Series Connection: Now Series

ISBN: 978-1494838164

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: by Brenda Rothert

Purchase Link: Amazon

Rushing to grab coffee and head to the office, Emma literally runs into her old high school crush. Cole is as gorgeous as ever and still as unattainable as he was when he dated her older sister, Layla, or so Emma thinks. 

When Cole starts paying attention to Emma, she doesn't know what to think, but she knows she can't let Layla find out because her older sister has designs on becoming the next Mr. Cole Marlowe.

Cole has just started out as a new lawyer. He doesn't have getting a new girlfriend on his mind. His plans are to date a little and work a lot, but one look at Emma and all his plans go out the window. She's not the his young neighbor any more but a hot woman he wants to get to know a whole lot better.

Will Layla's interest in Cole and a secret Cole harbors get between his and Emma's budding relationship?

Caution: This story contains hot love signs and a little cat fight. 

While I liked the story and the story line it was a little predictable. I did like the three main characters, Emma, Cole and Layla. While the story centered around the relationship forming between Emma and Cole's relationship, Layla's role in their relationship was too much to make her a minor character in the story. 

Next in the series, Now and Again, features Layla's story and the third book in the series, Now and Forever, features the story of both sister's continuing relationship as both couples slip into their everyday lives and the future.  

Description:

Now Emmaline Carson has settled into her career as a graphic designer, though she’d rather be painting or shopping with her sister Layla. But then – in the years before she went to art school in Paris – she was a shy, awkward teenager with frizzy hair, a flat chest and a massive crush on the boy across the street, Cole Marlowe. Too bad her incredibly hot neighbor only had eyes for Layla.

Cole is now a confident, laid-back attorney who’s even hotter than he used to be. He’s planning to stay single while working his way up the corporate ladder – until he’s knocked off course by a chance run-in with Emma. 

Everything is different between Cole and Emma now. He finally sees her in a way she only dreamed of, and their hot chemistry is fueled by a growing friendship. But Emma’s deception of her sister – who wants Cole for herself – and the secret Cole’s been keeping for more than a decade threaten to tear apart what’s only just begun. Because sometimes the only thing standing in the way of now is then.