Anna Parker’s life disintegrates with one phone call. Her dad’s selling their ritzy New York City condo because her Wall Street banker mom emptied their bank account and ran off with another man. Which means Anna has to drop out of her elite college and move with Dad back to their small Ohio hometown. Anna’s determined to reclaim her life ASAP, so she’ll use the next few months to save money, help Dad get back on his feet, and find and confront her mom.
But Anna doesn’t anticipate things going so wrong. The only job she can get is working as a lunch lady in an elementary school. Their money-pit duplex is falling apart around their feet. And her dad is depressed without her mom, who's proving hard to find.
One bright spot in the chaos is Gavin Metcalf, a kindergarten teacher she dated when they were young. With his easy wit and sexy smiles, he makes her forget her stresses—and the fact that her boyfriend Steven back in New York doesn’t know the truth yet about her dire circumstances. When past and present collide, Anna has to decide where her future lies...
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Review:
Romances usually aren't something I read, but there was something about One Broke Girl's book blurb that made me want to read it. I figured since it was a novella, even if I didn't like it, I wouldn't have wasted too much time. Luckily, this turned out to be a pretty good read.I love straight forward titles for books, and this is one of them. The main character, Anna, is definitely a broke girl!
I'm usually not a fan of just putting a random person on the cover of a book, but I like it for this book. After losing just about everything, Anna doesn't really have many possessions left. I think the cover shows this brilliantly.
I enjoyed the world building. It was easy to believe how Anna could go from a super rich girl without a care in the world to a girl who almost has nothing. Helms does a fantastic job of transitioning Anna.
I thought that Rhonda Helms did a fantastic job with the pacing. Usually romance novels tend to bore me because I find that they drag on and on, but not One Broke Girl. It did quite the opposite. I always wanted to know what was going to happen to Anna next.
I loved the plot. Anna's mother, who is the bread winner in the family, just one day decides to leave Anna and her father without telling them where she's going. Suddenly, Anna's world is turned upside down. Anna and her father can't afford the payment on their condo in New York nor the bills that go with it. A very rich girl suddenly because a very poor girl in less than a day. Anna and her dad are forced to move. They settle in Edgewood Falls which is where Anna's dad grew up. Anna thinks she's going to hate it, and pines to go back to New York. However, Anna meets some people who make her realize what she's been missing especially the super sexy Gavin! The thing I really liked about this book was that it was short and sweet without any cliff hangers.
I found the characters to be well written, and I really liked them all. I loved how Anna is able to humble herself after being spoiled for so long. She is suddenly thrust in the real world, but she decides to just grow up and do what she's got to do. I admired her for that. I loved Gavin! He seemed really sweet, and I love how real he felt. I felt that Anna's mother was extremely selfish, and in this aspect, I felt sorry for Anna and her father. The only thing that sort of bothered me about the characters was that they felt much older. For example, Anna is supposed to be 21, but she came across as being closer to 30 in the way she acted and spoke. Gavin is supposed to be around Anna's age, but he also seems much older. However, this could just be a personal thing. I realize that Anna had to grow up quickly, so to speak, so that could be why she didn't seem 21.
I really liked the dialogue between the characters. My favorite dialogue moments were between Anna and her two girlfriends. I was usually giggling at these points in the book. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, the characters just seemed older than being in their early twenties. They just spoke like they were closer to thirty than twenty I felt. As for anything sexual, there are two semi-graphic sex scenes which I didn't like. I just felt as if the book could have done without these scenes as they just felt a bit awkward when it came to the flow of the book. I just think the sex scenes didn't have to be graphic. There's not any violence, but there are a few swear words although it's not over the top.
Overall, One Broke Girl by Rhonda Helms is a sweet and light romantic story. It has an interesting story line and very likable characters even if they seem a bit older then what they are supposed to be. I'll probably read the next story in the series.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 17+ who want a sweet love story that isn't overly heavy.
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