Disclaimer: Thank you to Blue Box Press and BookFunnel for providing The Reluctant Flirt by Jennifer Probst for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Reluctant Flirt is a second chance, small-town contemporary romance where Sierra and Kane find each other again four years after a one-night stand. This cozy, slice-of-life romantic comedy has flirty banter, excessive shopping and shoe commentary, and a devoted romantic lead who loves the chase.
Although it had charm and sizzling chemistry, The Reluctant Flirt leaned heavily on dated references and genre clichés, which kept it from standing out in a sea of similar reads for me.
Read my full review of The Reluctant Flirt below.
The Reluctant Flirt
Description
Just one night…
After discovering her husband’s affair, Sierra Lourde flees to New York City for a little damage control—and a lot of wine. A tipsy night in a bar with a charming stranger seems like the perfect way to forget her troubles. No names, no promises, just one night to escape reality and regain her confidence. The next morning, mortified by her vulnerability, she flees without looking back. But who needs closure, right?
But one night changes everything…
Sierra has reinvented herself as the proud owner of Flirt, a trendy boutique in the Outer Banks. Life is good—until Kane Masterson, the man she left behind, walks back into town. And of course, he’s now the developer whose big new project threatens to bulldoze her beloved shop. Kane needs this deal to save his career (and his brother), but Sierra’s not about to let him demolish her hard-won success.
With sparks flying, sarcastic jabs turning into lingering looks, and a family wedding forcing them into close quarters, Sierra and Kane find themselves tangled in a battle of wills—and hearts. But now he has to choose: reclaim his career or risk everything for a second chance with the one woman he can’t forget.
Review
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Overall Impressions 😊
I wanted to love this book. As a sucker for romantic comedies, I was genuinely excited to follow Sierra and Kane as they collided again in a small town where everybody knows everything, four years after a one-night stand. The premise promised witty banter and charming small-town shenanigans as the characters tried to keep their reunion under wraps.
But unfortunately, The Reluctant Flirt leaned hard on dated references and early 2000s romance tropes, making it feel like a time capsule with a Wi-Fi signal. The insta love, the relentless shoe talk, the over-the-top side characters, and the protagonists’ resistance to romance without a believable reason all combined into a frustrating experience. The entire plot could have been resolved with one honest conversation, and that made it tough to stay invested.
That said, the small-town charm came through loud and clear. I could practically feel the breeze off the porch as I read. But atmosphere alone wasn’t enough to elevate this above the hundreds of similar romantic comedies already out there.
Perfect For Fans Of… 🌟
My main gripe with this was that most references and the writing style were pretty dated. But if you enjoy Lucy Score, Elsie Silver, or Emily Henry, you’ll probably enjoy this book. This novel has all the workings of a good second chance, small town romance and characters that you do try to root for. If you’re especially invested in insta love and a relentless MMC, and can look past a healthy dose of miscommunication (or lack thereof), you’ll have a great time. The writing style also reminded me of Judith McNaught’s writing, with historical and emotional beats.
Characters 👥
The cast was fine. But that’s kind of the issue, isn’t it? There are so many romance books out there that fine just doesn’t cut it anymore.
I wanted to like Sierra, someone who had to build her life from scratch. But her inner monologue, especially some of her more antiquated views about shopping and shoes, made her feel reduced to a cliché version of a “girl who wants to be girly and unapologetic about it.” Don’t get me wrong, I love that for her, but I didn’t care for the way she was portrayed. She felt one-dimensional.
Same with Kane, the MMC with the mysterious past. He was devoted, somehow great at everything, and he wanted to chase the entire time. I liked reading about his POV and how devoted he was to Sierra, but how he got from point A to B was unclear and rushed. That being said, he had some good one-liners that did make me swoon.
Plot 🗺️
The story had all the cozy and wonderful makings of a small town romance. Funnily enough, it made me think of Emily Henry’s Book Lovers, where city people fall in love in a small town and get into small town shenanigans. It felt like we were watching it from the other side of Naomi and Charlie’s story from that book. I liked the beachy setting, the inevitable conflict between the characters, and Aspen and Brick’s story, which was good comedic relief.
The story has everything you want and expect out of an early 2000s romcom, a neglected wife, a husband, and finally the right man to notice and take care of her. It’s all there, but the story also makes this feel pretty dated.
Writing Style and Narration ✍️
The writing style is one of my biggest issues with this book and why I couldn’t get past the dated impressions of it. There were some very unexpected and jarring phrases like “feminine power,” and then lots of more modern terms kept getting dropped. “Vibes” was used quite a lot, and there were randomly sprinkled Taylor Swift references. It just felt like it was trying to sound young and hip, and instead came off as inauthentic.
I love dual POV, which this book has. Something is really exciting from the MMC’s POV, but I was taken aback that it was in third person. This book also has flashbacks weaved in throughout, and I’m an enjoyer of the past braided into the present, so I liked that.
Closing Thoughts 🧃
The Reluctant Flirt is a small town romantic comedy that gives us the story of Kane and Sierra and their second chance. While the premise is good, the characters, story, and the writing felt pretty dated to me and unfortunately read like a story I’ve read a hundred times, with the lack of modern writing I’ve grown so used to. I can see this book being enjoyable if you’ve enjoyed historical romances of the early 2000s. It almost feels Victorian modern at times. The cozy small town is a good escape into a book, and the story is short and sweet.
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