Terms Of Un-Endearment by Brittany Larsen: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

Two ex-step-siblings. One beach house. Zero chill.

Archie Forsythe has two weeks left in the South Bay beach house his father gifted him but now wants back as part of a messy divorce. Archie’s plan is simple: stall, stay quiet, and finally launch his surf wear brand without his father’s money or control.

Piper Quinn has nowhere else to go.

With an internship at a high-end fashion label and rent in LA out of reach, she moves into the beach house her mom swears is rightfully hers. There’s just one problem: Archie’s still there—and he’s not leaving.

They haven’t spoken in years. But now, stuck under the same roof, they’re picking up right where they left off…with bickering, boundary-pushing, and a prank war that escalates fast.

She hides his towels, dyes his hair, and slips self-tanner into his face wash. He hides her coffee, hijacks her alarm clock, and swaps her perfume with garlic oil. But somewhere between the sabotage and the stolen glances, the tension starts to shift.

Maybe the only thing worse than sharing a house with your ex-step-sibling… is realizing you don’t want them to leave.

A warm, slow-burn romantic comedy full of beach vibes, sharp banter, and sweet enemies-to-lovers tension. Perfect for fans of Beach Read, The Hating Game, and People We Meet on Vacation.

The Author

Brittany Larsen is the author of fourteen full-length and three novella-length sweet romantic comedies, plus a couple more historical romance novellas set in the Old West. Brittany’s stories range across time and place, but they’re always about one thing: connection. They’re guaranteed to make you laugh and maybe even tear up a little.

Born and raised in Idaho, Brittany has spent the past twenty years (maybe more) living the California dream… If that dream includes wearing sweatpants all day and gorging herself on red Australian licorice–Australia’s second-best export (Chris Hemsworth being the obvious first). When not writing, she teaches hot yoga, walks her dog, and takes naps. Her sweater-sporting, mini Aussi-doodle, Bo, is her favorite writing companion. But her favorite people are her husband and three daughters.

Book Review

Terms of Un-Endearment is the second full length book in the Love in LA series. While those who have read the previous book will appreciate catching up with familiar characters and may have a better understanding of some of the friendship dynamics, I do believe this could be enjoyed as a standalone as well. 

Simply put, I absolutely adored this book! I'll be honest though, when I first saw that one of the tropes in this one was 'stepsiblings', I wasn't quite sure what to expect as that's not a trope I've read much and wasn't sure how it would be pulled off. If you had similar hesitations, let me reassure you that Brittany Larsen pulls it off brilliantly without any ick (for me, at least). While Piper and Archie may have been stepsiblings legally, it was more in name only--- they were not raised together, never lived together, etc. It did, however, add a great layer of 'off limits' that took the pining to the next level... and I was here for it. The chemistry between these two was absolutely fantastic... and the banter? Just as enjoyable. Their prank war had me absolutely laughing out loud... it was just so, so good! While there were plenty of laughs throughout, there was also a lot of depth... I loved seeing the growth for both of these characters, but especially for Archie with his manipulative father. Theirs was definitely a slow burn... but oh what a payoff it was to finally get to that first kiss! (Seriously, did I mention the pining!?) Definitely a must read. 

Terms of Un-Endearment is a closed-door romance with sizzling kisses only. It does have some innuendo and minor language as well. 


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/4kT2xbz