So we are back to talk about the final installment in the Brown sisters trilogy. Just like the others, I got this on Audible and by now I was ready for a good story. I was intrigued at where the last sister’s journey was going. So I am all in…

Not sure I knew this qualified as a sunshine/grump novel probably because I had no idea what that was at the time. But I think the title is fitting. Eve is the youngest sister of Chloe and Dani… and her excerpts in the other sister’s books were always funny to me. It seems that Eve has not yet figured out how to Adult… and sis I get it. Adulting can be hard. Her parents are more than annoyed with her dragging her feet and all of her job hopping. She is given a pretty harsh ultimatum by her parents. They want her to show some independence and old down her own job. They will be cutting her off financially in an attempt to try to get to find a career and stick to it. (Well… Eve, you do have to figure something out But I am here for the journey.) Eve was wedding planning but that had disastrous results.

As one would, Eve took it kind of hard. She goes for a drive… to nowhere in particular but out to clear her head. I have been there sis. Things in Eve’s life take a turn for the worst when she happens on a B & B. She finds herself in Skybriar, a charming village far from home. Desperate for a job, she stumbles in on interviews for a chef at a bed and breakfast. The interview process is painful. It is clear that one of them really doesn’t like her. It is reminiscent of Red and Chloe’s relationship in the first book. The owner, Jacob Wayne, has poured his heart and soul into this bed and breakfast, and he won’t have Eve’s brand of chaos anywhere near his work. At one point, he talks about her having purple hair… which has nothing to do with whether or not she will be able to do a job so that was super annoying. (That really hit home for me… but the kicker here is that Jacob has autism.) But also what I noticed was he was trying to hide his attraction for her.

When Jacob dismisses her and refuses to give her the job… She decides to leave… like any normal person. She heads to her car and backs out.. And almost runs Jacob clean over. That was not in my cards at all. He, of course, thinks she hit him on purpose… (In my mind… One wouldn’t think that if one wasn’t a jerk.) Eve is a another sunshine character to Jacob’s Grump. Maybe I read these more than I thought. However, Eve gets to stay since Jacob is out of commission and understaffed.

I don’t usually enjoy sunshine characters. But I have a soft spot for Eve… Particularly based on her interactions with her sisters in the previous books. Eve wears slogan tees, reads Captain America fanfiction, throws caution to the wind, is loud, boisterous and pure chaos. And she’s plus size which we LOVE to see.

Eve is a character who is struggling and doesn’t really understand why. And as young people do… It is made worse as she compares herself to others (especially to others.) She has quite a journey to understand herself outside who she is in the Brown family. In this story, she was able to find value in her talents and find peace in her choices. To actually be happy with where is she and realize where she excels at. Also that whatever she excels at, she doesn’t need approval for from anyone. One scene that stuck out to me that I think describes Eve to a T was when she described journaling as carefree and wild. You get later on why she feels that way.

Jacob, on the other hand, was an interesting character. He admits in the interview with Eve that he is autistic. Jacob is cool and controlled, and regimented in his routine. He is used to weighing the pros and cons of each situation. So it makes sense that Eve threatens everything he knows. However, Jacob is forced to roll with the punches. And much to his chagrin… Eve is actually great at helping to run the B & B.

Their irritation of each other is amusing of course because readers will quickly identify it as a veil for attraction. But still present enough that its persistence builds up as much tension for us as it does for the couple. Despite a few bumps in the road, the two grow to respect each other and care for one another, realizing that they have a lot more in common than they initially judged. Jacob is a calm, reasonable influence on Eve, and Eve brings joy and sweetness where Jacob is more reserved.

In the end, Talia gets another 5 out of 5 stars from me. I enjoyed listening to this book on audible. I think it was a real treat to hear this experience. But it is a great story no matter how you take it in. So if you have read the series. Please let me know your thoughts.