Courtney (Sorority Sisters Duet #1)

Every week Courtney has lunch with her brother, Eric. When their dad died, he took over the company and though that part of life is going well, their mother isn’t. Mom is still hovering over Courtney and forcing her out on dates and Courtney wishes her brother would do more to run interference. Eric’s best friend works for him, and when Jacob bumps into Courtney, he realizes what he wanted out of life might just come in the form of his best friend’s sister, but the baggage he brings is immense.

This story is proof that enormous mistakes cannot stop two people committed to finding a future with each other. Courtney and Jacob are determined to be together and are a magnificent example of talking things through and thinking before making decisions. Non-Southern readers may have some trouble with Eric and Courtney’s mother, but she is the ultimate epitome of an aging Southern Belle, who wants the same for her daughter. Where this tale falls apart is in the family relations: Eric is best friends with Jacob; Courtney sees Eric at work weekly, yet Jacob and Courtney are complete strangers, having never seen each other when they first meet. Both sets of parents are also just as clueless about who is who. Courtney says that Jacob has anger problems, but the description of his words and actions not only fail to back that up, but actually shows the opposite. The story’s strength is Jacob and Courtney. They trust each other implicitly—the way a couple should— and let no one between them, no matter what. Couples should learn about relationships from these two.

Julie York