Review: The One Who Loves You (Tickled Pink #1) by Pippa Grant

From USA Today bestselling author Pippa Grant comes a fabulously sharp-witted romantic comedy about a socialite’s fall from elitist grace to backcountry purgatory—and her accidental tumble into love.

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/One-Loves-Tickled-Pink-Book-ebook/dp/B09K7JW1G7
AUDIO: https://www.amazon.com/One-Who-Loves-You-Tickled/dp/B09RTLMB5D
PRINT: https://www.amazon.com/One-Who-Loves-Tickled-Pink/dp/1542037654

If the Upper East Side had an evil twin, it would be Tickled Pink, Wisconsin. This run-down, backwoods town isn’t worthy of the footprint of my Louboutins, never mind all of me.

But when my grandmother has a near-death experience and realizes we Lightlys can’t buy our way into heaven, she relocates the family to Tickled Pink to work on improving our souls. And that’s how I trade my heiress existence for gigantic bugs, dishwater coffee, and a cranky single dad named Teague Miller.

Teague spends his days fishing, raising his spunky teenager, and after an unfortunate incident involving cheese curds, living rent-free in my head. The one thing he and I can agree on is that I don’t belong here. He’s willing to help me escape—until the unexpected happens.

I kind of like him. I might even more than like him.

But am I ready to give up the life I adored for a man I love to hate?

MY REVIEW

Phoebe and her family have descended upon Tickled Pink, Wisconsin, dragged by the matriarch of the Lightly family, their Grandma Gigi (Estelle). After a near death experience, Gigi has decided the family needs to redeem themselves, and the way to do that apparently, is to come do some good in this tiny town. Only, there are people here who don't want spoiled, rich city slickers sniffing around and trying to improve themselves. One of those people is Teague, single dad, lumberjack, grumpster, and occasional real estate agent. But Phoebe doesn't want to be in this town anymore than Teague wants her here. So working together to make the family hightail it back to New York is the perfect plan. Until it's not. Until Phoebe realizes she likes this town, likes (more than likes) Teague, his teenage daughter and her mom and her mom's wife, and is finding she's on the path to becoming someone worthy of the love she can sense here.

Teague knows about finding yourself. He came here years ago, running from his past, running from who he was and who his family was. Now there's this spoiled socialite and her influencer sister, scary grandma, useless brother, and not really present parents, and the spoiled socialite is getting under his skin, threatening the walls he built around himself long ago. If he's not careful, he'll find himself in love with Phoebe, and then where will he be? Left with no defenses and a woman who can reveal his skeletons so carefully concealed so long ago.

City vs country, opposites attract, rich vs not, all combined with humor, wacky shenanigans and a couple who won't admit how they really feel for each other. Tickled Pink is a crazy town with crazy but lovable residents. The best of them is Teague's precocious daughter, Bridget. Her parents and stepmom are almost as awesome as she is, but she's definitely the scene stealer. I have to admit, though, that it took me a long way into this story to finally start liking Phoebe. Her spoiled act was not working for me, at all, and I was wondering if this woman was going to redeem herself in my eyes. Thankfully she sorta did, but not until late in the game. Still though, the story and the writing were fun and funny, their chemistry is hot, and I am actually looking forward to more from this family and the other residents of Tickled Pink.