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Curious Liaisons #2

Cheater's Regret

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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken returns with a smoking-hot story about the satisfaction of plotting revenge on your ex—until he turns your world upside down again.

Austin Rogers’s dreams of domestic bliss involved watching Netflix and eating hot dogs with the love of her life. But then he cheated on her. And dumped her—as if the whole thing was her fault. To maintain her pride and restore her sanity, she decides to get revenge. It feels immensely satisfying to plot her ex’s downfall—but so does kissing him.

Thatch Holloway, a plastic surgeon straight out of residency, knows he ruined the best thing that ever happened to him. But not all cheaters are created equal. He got himself into this messed-up situation—true—but he has his reasons for what happened, and he’d do it all again to protect Austin.

He’s not over her. And she’s not over him.

Austin wants closure, but since Thatch refuses to give it to her, she takes matters into her own hands. She needs to write a human-interest piece for her MBA, so she demands the full plastic-surgery experience. Sparks fly as they’re forced to work together. But Thatch isn’t afraid to play dirty in return. And he’s still hiding something—something that has the power to destroy not only Austin but their second chance at finding forever…

302 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 23, 2017

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About the author

Rachel Van Dyken

168 books18.3k followers
Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances.

Hey guys I'm rarely on Goodreads, if you need to reach me feel free to email!
EMAIL ME: [email protected]

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-...

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Profile Image for Maria✦❋Steamy Reads Blog❋✦.
662 reviews2,726 followers
June 8, 2017
Double signed paperback giveaway! Go to www.steamyreads.net to enter! :)



➦What do you do if your boyfriend kisses another woman in front of you?


➦You dump his sorry ass, that's what.


➦A little revenge is in order. Uploading an embarrassing video of him in an inebriated state should do nicely. Right?


➦Except, of course, if he can dish it out too. After all, he knows your fear of spiders. Oh well, too late.


➦Probably wasn't the greatest of ideas since you have the same group of friends... And since he's the only one who can help you pass your college class... So may be call truce instead and ask him to touch your boobs instead.


➦But you know it's gonna kill him, since he has to do it in a totally professional way. Because that's what plastic surgeons are. They are professionals.


➦You're probably really intrigued by now. Or rather, confused. lol You can read the blurb for more clarification :)

➦I love what Rachel Van Dyken is doing with this series. She takes these male characters, puts them in a tricky situations, and by the end of the book they end up completely redeemed. Perhaps one thing worth mentioning is that there's no hardcore cheating in the book, the break up happens over a kiss. Now why would he do that in front of his girlfriend? That's the question. Will it get answered though?


➦And as usual, hilarious situations that left me chuckling. Terrific sexual tension between the mcs. All the things I love in Rachel Van Dyken's books. Can't wait for the next one!
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Profile Image for KAS.
317 reviews3,124 followers
June 21, 2017
Having really enjoyed RDV's "Cheater," I was really looking forward to reading this one. As expected, I totally enjoyed. RVD does rom-com like no other. But her characters are so lovable and funny. I just want to hang out with them. I also connected with them immediately and felt their pain, their struggles, their triumphs and their happiness.

While I had to laugh out loud at many of the conversations, I loved how Thatch and Austin worked through the difficulties of their relationship, even the messy side of disappointment. Their story to me was one of hope and second chances.

It's been a month, a month of hell because of 'him.' 'Him' being Thatch. She thought they were in a committed relationship, that is until she caught him kissing another woman. It devastated her, but just like a fool in love, the very next day she was willing to forgive and forget, try again and all that jazz, but he said "no" and broke up with her for good. As if!! Madder than a hornet, Austin sets out to get revenge!

Thatch could not stop thinking about 'her.' 'Her' being Austin. The one he dreamed about. The one he loved. The one he purposely let go, because he had no other choice. She is furious he cheated on her and wants to know why? He did it on purpose, and he would do it again, because he did it to save her. He should have never let her into his life in the first place. There were truths in his life he never wanted her to find out.

The ramifications of a revenge plot, force Thatch and Austin to spend a lot of time together after their breakup. The road to their HEA was one filled with distrust, secrets, regrets, and shame, but also intense chemistry, intense desire, and intense need for one another.

We also get to visit with Lucas and Avery from the first book of this series called "Cheater," which I also adored. Lucas is Thatch's best friend and Avery is Austin's best friend. Their presence added even more fun to this already humorous, engaging read.

"Hmm." Lucas grabbed his sunglasses and twirled them around in his hand. "So, let me get this straight. You're going crazy because you want her, but you don't want her, yet you don't want anyone else to have her? Do I have that right?"

For anyone who enjoys a romance with a lot of ups and downs, some angst thrown in and humor to boot, give this one a try.
Profile Image for Patty ~ Wrapped Up In Reading Book Blog.
1,260 reviews10.2k followers
May 15, 2017
*****4.5 STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}


My biggest mistake in our relationship wasn’t falling for Thatch; it was thinking that he needed me as much as I needed him.

Because when I touched him—my world felt full.
So how could it not feel that way for him?
How could he not feel the same?

So, like an idiot, I kissed him again—and sealed my fate against his mouth, knowing that his track record proved he was a cheater and that I didn’t have any part of him—even though he still held every part of me.



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Thatch and Austin are the best friends of the hero and heroine from book one and I knew that their story was going to be just as good, if not better than their predecessors’. I was not disappointed one bit with this book! I enjoy a good ”love/hate” romance and CHEATER’S REGRET is definitely going to be categorized as one of my favorites in that genre! Get ready to fall head over heels in love with Thatch Holloway!



In book one Austin catches Thatch kissing Avery’s older sister, Brooke, which results in their breakup. Austin is still reeling from Thatch’s betrayal but she’s also deep in the throes of a major pity party until her bestie comes to save her from herself. Austin decides revenge is what she needs to get over her breakup with Thatch. Avery and Lucas are both her willing accomplices and the story is filled with laugh out loud moments when Austin creates a blog focusing on getting even with her despicable ex-boyfriend. The blog serves two purposes—one, it provides much-needed therapy for Austin—two, she uses it as her final project in her social media class at UW. When her pranks get a little over the top and her professor shoots down the premise for her blog, Austin is forced to change tactics. She decides that blogging about Thatch’s skills as one of the city’s top plastic surgeons might earn her the grade she needs to get her MBA.


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Thatch agrees to help Austin, even though he knows that being around her on a daily basis will prove to be a danger to his heart. Kissing another woman was the last thing that he ever wanted to do but he did it with the best of intentions. Everything he did was to protect Austin. Being near her every day makes it nearly impossible to keep up the façade he created. Throughout the story, their chemistry was scorching hot and you can’t help but root for these two to find their way back to each other.



CHEATER’S REGRET releases on May 23rd! Make sure you one-click. You’ll want to meet Dr. Thatch Holloway!



Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2qwKT2y
Amazon UK: https://goo.gl/31MHqf




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Profile Image for Kelly (and the Book Boar).
2,668 reviews9,116 followers
May 18, 2017
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

If you were around yesterday you are aware that I was suffering quite the ol’ book hangover after wrapping up Boy’s Life. When downloading all the free pornies from Amazon during my lunch break failed to get me refocused on my library book options I remembered my bestest bookpusher had given me the head’s up about this one and I had multitasked with the clicking of the GIMMEGIMME button so fast I managed to immediately forget all about having it. Thanks to baseball practice I knew I would have the house to myself and wouldn’t be running the risk of having one of these types of interactions with my children due to my lack of ability to get back in the real world. . . . .



So as soon as I got home from work I put on my Thanksgiving Pants and settled in for a cheating good time. Even though the first book in this series didn’t work out so great for me . . . . .



It could be blamed on the bizarro convoluted his/her backstory so my hopes remained high for #2 and also because Rachel Van Dyken?????



(And to those who may be thinking I’m a shill – YOU’RE WRONG. I’m not friends or acquaintances or anything else with this author . . . . I just quietly stalk her on the interwebs like a normal person.)

I do have to admit that looking back at my rating for Cheater I was shocked to see I gave it 3. I could have sworn I gave it only 2, but obviously my gut reaction was a little higher – or I was still under the voodoo spell Rachel Van Dyken’s sexytimes scenes had over my punany. Whatever the reason, I’m glad I stuck around with this series because A MUCH better time was had with this one.

If you read #1, you’ll know that Thatch and Austin were ancillary characters who started as a one-off that ended up getting a little more serious . . . . and then ended up with Thatch getting caught with his tongue down Austin’s skank beloved sister’s throat. I know I know I know – she should never forgive him and that’s so stupid and yada yada yada. It’s fiction and it’s got CHEATER in the fucking title. Don’t get your panties in a twist. His reasons get explained and it gets confirmed that . . . .



My only gripe about this was that it started out as a revenge story (which is what hooked me to begin with) featuring an embarrassingly drunken serenade going viral . . . .



But quickly morphed into Austin blogging about Thatch’s plastic surgery practice for one of her classes instead. Either storyline would have probably been a winner for me, but the abrupt bait and switch seemed a little off.

All was quickly forgiven, however, when plotline #2 took root and the romance (with a side of humor and just a smidge of drama for yo momma) took hold. I’m telling you this thing was sweeter than a Moon Pie washed down with a 20 ouncer of Mountain Dew. It most definitely served its purpose of providing me a quality filler of fluffy goodness and, despite the good doctor sporting a manbun, I still wanted to make all the sexuals with him. No disrespect to the manbun – it is one of the reasons I tune into the Housewhores of New York weekly in hopes of sneaking a peak of . . . .



I just didn’t like a doctor having one. (But I totally went and requested one of Alice Clayton’s farmhand books because yep, that’d work out just fine there.) And yes I realize he was probably supposed to look like Thor and not like a hipster, but Liam is the only Hemsworth brother for me so it still was a no-go. Lucky for me I have a bigly working brain and was able to simply ignore the hair references and focused on the DOCTOR part instead, which meant . . . . .



Yep . . . .



This one gets 4 Stars and I’m pretty positive I won’t have a change of heart down the road. It was just what the doctor ordered. I mean, a tummytuck would have been nice, but this was good too.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

Profile Image for Dísir.
1,682 reviews179 followers
July 16, 2017
Thatch has smooched someone else, on purpose (and for a reason that we won’t know until the end) in order to end a relationship that wrecks him both in a good and bad way.

Make no mistake - it's a cowardly act that has him trying every which way to remedy but fails, until things do come to a head. That in a nutshell, is the start of the drama and admittedly, it’s not that often an author would go so boldly into the murky waters of writing about the aftermath.

The brazen title drew me to this story, I’ll say from the start. It’s self-explanatory, bold and quite the blatant announcement that it crosses no-go territory for many readers. But I genuinely wanted to know how Rachel Van Dyken was going to go through this premise when the story takes place after Thatch Holloway treats Austin Rogers like garbage in trying to do everything to drive her away.

But curiosity did get the better of me and despite years of having known that Van Dyken isn’t quite the author for me personally, I wanted to see how the story would unfold before I started calling it ‘Reader’s Regret’ in my mind. In some ways, I’ve been testing my own limits in wanting to know what would be good enough a reason that would justify such an asinine decision to cheat instead of orchestrating a straight-out breakup?

The direction of the story took a turn I couldn’t entirely be enthusiastic about. As friends of their respective best friends, Austin and Thatch can’t avoid each other and what starts off as a (rather juvenile) revenge ploy turns into Austin ‘shadowing’ Thatch for her final assignment in graduate school, as both of them start the push-pull/hot-cold attraction thing once again. And as much as I thought Austin had a right to be furious, I simply wanted her to hold her head up high and date others in the wake of the heartbreak, but instead got someone who was as needy and desperate for the man who cheated on her, hung up so much on him that she became the very kind of woman she already proclaimed she hated. The pages of her own self-recrimination just couldn’t cancel out her glutton-for-punishment desperation that had me rolling my eyes and wishing she hadn’t shed her dignity along with her clothes in the needy bid to get back with a man who is trying to push her away when he couldn’t even give her the courtesy of coming clean.

The long, drawn-out deception was what made me give up on the story in the end though; that Thatch could not be honest or brave enough to put himself out there was the sort of character growth I think I needed to see when all he seemed to be doing thus far was to perpetuate the same cheating cycle he caught his parents in. Distracting Austin from the truth with sex didn’t improve my impression of him at all, particularly when he had so many opportunities to begin everything on a clean slate but didn’t. That it all eventually caught up with him was unsurprising, though it was by this time my sympathies had officially run as dry as a well for every character in the book.

I wish that ‘Cheater’s Regret’ had been a better read, given the really bold and eye-catching premise it begins with. But having been disappointed in too many stories that went awry like this, I think I’m going to stay far away once more from these sort of books while I desperate grab for my favourites right now to wash my own regret away.
Profile Image for Shannon.
473 reviews152 followers
May 29, 2017
Okay guys, big surprise here but I'll once again tell you how much I love RVD. SERIOUSLY. She's one of my favourite authors. So once again, shocker, but I stayed up until 2am one night (morning?) just so I could finish this book. I didn't care about sleep. I didn't care that I had to be up in a few short hours, I cared about the fact that Thatch and Austin were in a bit of a tizzy and I needed all of the answers! I needed all of the smirks and the swoons and the laughs! And boy of boy did Rachel deliver in these elements.

It's not a secret that I struggled during the first book in this series, Cheater. I found it to be way too dramatic, childish, over the top and ridiculous for my liking. I was absolutely flabergasted because I have loved every other one of Rachel's books that I've read so far. So then Cheater's Regret came along and I fretted for a while. I couldn't figure out whether I would give this series another chance or not but I'm glad I did. Thatch and Austin were similar enough to e first couple that I could see why they were friends, but completely different in that they seemed more grounded. I found this book more enjoyable to read and the process was a lot smoother for me. I thought it was funny and cute, which were two big elements I missed in the first novel.

Something that I definitely wasn't expecting but was thrilled to get too was a tiny amount of angst! Now don't worry if you're not a big angst fan, it's quite minimal, but definitely enough to deepen the emotions and feel more for the characters. I follow these little bits like a breadcrumb trail.

That could also be surprising tender at times and I LOOOOOVVEEEDDDDD IT! okay, I'm calm. But really. He's arrogant and cocky and has that damn smirk and you don't know what to do so this kind of guy. But when needed, he was the sweetest and so caring towards our heroine, he won me over and he did so quickly.

I get that originally Austin wants answers but at some point you just have to let it go. It felt like at times she was becoming a bit of a crazy person. And yes, I'm aware girls can struggle moving on from relationships but really? Do you need to stoop to following him, interviewing him, demanding answers, making a revenge plan and slandering his professional image? That's all fairly unreasonable and immature to me. Yes, she's 22, but growing up in the spotlight with her father being the mayor of a major city and she should know much better.

There were two things (more than but I'm just going to focus on two) that I really liked about Austin. One was her feelings and emotions in regards to how Thatch treated her at different points in the book. I felt she was justified and right to feel like she was portrayed to. Her insecurities also really help the reader to connect with her more. Not only did this give the hero a chance to shine with his sweet and tenderness, but she felt more real. What girl doesn't look at her body in a bad light at times? And even more so when you dated a plastic surgeon. I loved the small, confidence building moments between these two throughout.

When things are heating up and we're getting closer and closer to the answers we've been looking for, there's a bit of a jump to conclusion from one character creating a small twist and inLOVED it! The emotions, the reactions, the dialogue and inner monologues were all so spot on to me, I couldn't flip my pages fast enough.

I found the big moment (suppose to be romantic) at the end was rather odd. I couldn't understand the reasoning or the timing for how it happened, or more importantly, the location. It didn't feel special to me, more so like proving a point, I guess?

Without spoiling anything, I just don't understand the point of cliched endings. I personally didn't find it sappy in a cute way, I was more so just underwhelmed based in the rest of the caliber of the story. It felt meh and overdone, nothing spectacular like I know this author usually puts out. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed most of this book, but when the ending is that last little bit that you get, I was a bit disappointed. <---- MY opinion! Many readers are loving and swooning over this ending. Remember that I'm just grumpy, LOL.

Throughout the whole story, I had marked this as a four star read. It was enjoyable and fun, tender and caring; signed, sealed, delivered. But then the ending just sort of let me down. The entire story lead up to the plot and ending but then it was so easily just brushed to the side and forgotten. I had questions that I wanted answers to but received none. What I did get however was cliche and cheesy. Now I know l, sometimes that's a given in romance novels but the rest of the story didn't feel like this at all! I didn't even see things going in this direction, the ending (while skipping the plot) just felt forced and fake to give the characters a characteristic and overdone HEA.

All in all, I think I will always love Rachel Van Dyken's work, it's hard not to, really. As a whole this series wasn't my favourite but I did enjoy this book a lot more so than the first. I can't wait to see what this author comes up with for us next!

3.5 Stars

*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

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Profile Image for aNneMarLi - Chatterbooks Book Blog.
416 reviews293 followers
May 18, 2017


*Slams fist so hard in the table then shouted, RVD.YOU.ROCK! From being #THORNED now I'm #THATCHED!

I've been a fan of this author for what seems like forever. I just love her writing style that whenever I started reading it, I'm sure I'll be hooked and get to enjoy every moment. When she started this series, I was so curious that I cannot wait to read the first one, much more when it created a buzz. It was so different from RVD's books, but rocked all the same. And so much more like Cheater, this second installment, Cheater's Regret is "not what you think it is."

When you read the first book, you'll get an inkling who Thatch and Austin are. Meeting them in Cheater actually piqued my interest because there's just magical about these characters to think I only got glimpses of them. And I wasn't wrong, but what I wasn't right is to expect this book so much more like the first one. Because it's not. It's more than that, and my love for this series just escalated because of Thatch and Austin. Gosh! These two is bad for my sanity yet good all the same. The Prologue alone had me wanting to kill Thatch! I was so damn pissed off I wanted to cut his head then throw it somewhere where Piranhas could feast on it. Yeah, I'm little bit morbid here but you cannot blame me. As a warm blooded woman with penchant over hot doctors, the very last thing I wanted is those hot AF assholes, but because there's hot included I can make it a go. See? Bad for my sanity! *SMH .... And then there's Austin. Oh, how I adore this woman. Her character is so relatable I love how she was portrayed. Her gaga tendencies and her immature ways are just something so adorable instead of annoying. I've been wondering if she's for real because I wanted her to be one. She can be your best friend or a sister, dang she could even be you. All the ways she did which made her flawed is just so perfect for her. Hell, even her penchant of stashing sweets made her even more real. The stress eating? She could be me too but then really she's got this persona only she owned and no one else. Honestly, I was cheering for her. Girl power and more! Them together is just like bomb exploding. They are just the BOMB! I love everything about them even that maddening feeling. Their chemistry is strong and they just feel so real I could not help myself but to fall in love with them even more.

Suffice to say, I enjoyed this book so much. I was angry one moment then laughing the next to angry some more then hot and bothered , to laughing again then swooning. Admittedly, I love this more than I did the first one. The emotions this book evoked were just plenty I lost count but in the end all I can say is, I love this book and I enjoyed reading it. It was spot on and hilarity at it's finest coated and spiced up with sexy scenes, swoony one's and I was left with all the heart warming feels. As I said, this book is not what you think it is. When you get to read it, you'll understand completely where Thatch is coming from. When secrets revealed and all hell break lose, you will even more the understand the reason why at some point you wanted to kill him yet love him too. Because really, he is this character you wanted to root for amidst that maddening feeling. And Austin? She is the balance of what is Thatch. They are just the perfect combination.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. Cheater's Regret is a light hearted, fast paced read, hilarious yet intriguing and downright sexy.. Ooohhh the sexual tension and the steamy scenes. Hot! And man, it is crazily good too! In her true RVD fashion, she will toy your emotions and fuck with your sanity with all the feels yet in the end you will love why she did it, you will even beg for more because of it.
"From Cheaters aren't born, they're made"

to...
We were cheated.
But we weren't cheaters.

As always, RVD you rock!

Buddy reading this with KceeReads •°°•.UnboundBookReviews•°°•!



















Profile Image for Constantine.
986 reviews281 followers
February 10, 2020
Rating: 3.5/5.0

Genre:
Romance + Contemporary + New Adult

This is the second book in the Curious Liaisons series. This is the story of the secondary characters from the first book, Thatch and Austin. In the first book, we get a glimpse of their relationship and the cheating that happens but here it is more in detail. Austin wants to know why Thatch cheated on her and she will not let go until she finds some answers. Of course, there will be a lot of mice and cat games between the two adding lots of humor to the story.

I feel this book unlike the first one is more about second chances. As the main characters' relationship falls apart but then things will work out eventually. Thatch is a cocky guy who works as a plastic surgeon, it was fun to read his point of view. I did not like Austin's part as much as the male character, but she was OK. Sometimes I just wanted her to go ahead with her life instead!

Overall I enjoyed Cheater's Regret but not as much as the first book because the characters in the first book were both hilarious and the circumstances were a lot funnier. I feel this book can be read as a standalone too without missing much but you sure don't want to miss the better and more funnier story which is the first book. I'm going with 3.5 out of 5.0

Available on Kindle Unlimited
Profile Image for Yna from Books and Boybands.
841 reviews399 followers
February 16, 2022
"Make changes for you. Never for someone else. If it’s for someone else, you’ll never be happy. When you change for a person, you start a vicious cycle of discontent.” I sighed. “What do you see when you look in the mirror? A woman worth cheating on? Or a woman worth fighting for?""
📚 Series:  Yes, but can be read as a standalone.
📚 Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy
📚 POV:  Dual POV.
📚 Cliffhanger: No.

⚠ Content Warnings:  Cheating. Revenge via social media/Silly antics.
⚠ Read if: you are looking for a quick and easy romcom.

Read as an audiobook via Scribd.

Sometimes, the sequel can be better the initial installment. This is the case for Cheater's Regret. I enjoyed this one infinitely more compared to the first book of the series.

The main leads of this book are the best friends of the leads in the last one. We have Austin getting dumped by Thatch (after seeing him kiss another girl) without any valuable reason. This brings her to despair, seeking closure from the doctor.

This brings Austin to a revenge plot to help herself move on and recover from this unexpected ending of their relationship. With the former leads Lucas and Avery on her side, Austin sets a series of ridiculous pranks that are surely reminiscent of some well-loved romcoms.

On the other end of it all, Austin and Thatch work through rekindling their relationship as nothing can stop the sizzling chemistry these two have.

If you are looking for a fun time with a pinch of angst in between, this book is definitely one to pick up!

☁ THE CRITERIA ☁

🌼 Blurb:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Main Character:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Significant Other: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Support Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Writing Style:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Character Development:⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Romance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Ending: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Unputdownability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Book Cover:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Audiobook Production: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

☁FINAL VERDICT: 4/5 ☁

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Profile Image for Ellie.
545 reviews149 followers
October 1, 2017
DNF @ 28%

I have other reviews I need to get to that are more important, but sometimes a girl needs to rant. I'm going to offend fans of this writer and I don't want anyone complaining they weren't warned, so please - read at your own risk.

I have tried. And I have failed. I am baffled.
I've tried multiple times to read this writer for just a glimmer of understanding as to why her stories are so highly rated. But it's not. gonna. happen. Like, ever. By my count, I've begun a half-dozen RVD books and discarded them before the halfway point. I have never given another writer so many chances to win me over, only to give up every single time. I must be missing something.

Despite this, I was sucked in by the blurb for Cheater's Regret. I'm into stories where the hero starts cold or goes cold at some point, but I should have expected this story wasn't going to play out the way I hoped. Welp... it didn't take long to see my mistake. I hated the heroine, Austin, within the first sentences. Okay, wait... Austin? I'm open minded when it comes to names, but nope.
Anywho... it's probably not going to be a five star read (or four, three, two) when you're still in the prologue and you pump your fist and whisper-shout, "Yyyyesss!" when the hero slams the door in the heroine's face. I dug that.
Now, I get that this was a rom-com. But seriously, how does anyone find any of this shite funny? How is any of the petty - and sometimes dangerous- crap Austin pulls even remotely okay, and how could anyone find her likable or want to root for her? She started out pathetic and it was all downhill from there.
News flash - it isn't admirable for a woman to
So, in the spirit of that purpose... WTF? Where is her self-worth? Why would she humiliate herself over a guy who 'cheated' on her? More than that, why would the writer expect a woman with a backbone to identify and sympathise with such a spineless creature?

Now, this is all obviously intended to be cute and funny.
It isn't.
The heroine's depression over a guy who made it clear he didn't want her was distasteful to me. I felt no compassion for her. I didn't even pity her. She was a vindictive, whingeing little brat who needed a few years of therapy with a shrink before subjecting a man to her Special Brand o' Crazy. It is beyond me that the hero didn't slap her with a restraining order and a suit for destruction of private property and another for defamation of character. That is not okay, it isn't justified and I'm fairly certain some of what she did wasn't even legal.
But where I truly parted ways with this writer and this car crash of a story was when
Not.
I gave up not long afterwards when I saw Austin would suffer no consequences for such an awful thing. I wasn't even halfway through and I couldn't take it. I was going to get a migraine from cringing so hard. I didn't need to finish the book to know the ending. Austin would get her way and come out the winner. Testosterone-addled Thorne would have an earth-shaking epiphany that the vicious little monster-spawn was his destiny, declare his undying love for her and they would live HEA.
Until she brings home Chinese take-out one night and forgets the little condiment pouches they always leave with the fortune cookie.
But I digress. The moral of this story is that anything goes. There are no rules, there are no boundaries, and the end justifies the means no matter the cost if it's all in the name of love.
I think I threw up in my mouth just a wee bit.
None of these characters were people I'd want to hang with. Austin and Avery were manipulative cows, and with a friend like Lucas (and a girlfriend like Austin) Thorne didn't need enemies. That guy should have joined witness protection and got the hell away. I felt like Thorne had potential at first and I was totally on his side. Then I learned his age. And then I wondered what the hell he was thinking getting caught up with her in the first place. Soon enough, he was standing on my last nerve and I knew he would ultimately show himself to be a weak, weak man ruled by his penis.
He dumped that girl, and I don't f-ing care if he 'secretly' cared about her. He believed he was done and he should have gone with that! HOWEVER, then there wouldn't have been a story...which in my humble opinion wouldn't have been a bad thing.
I am not a fan of age differences. Anything over 8 years makes me wary. A 32-year-old man has only one thing in common with a 22-year-old girl and it isn't her mind. Particularly when that girl is as childish and lacking in sense as Austin. Oh, I know. She had daddy-abandonment-poor-little-rich-girl issues, right? Hey, Austin, you know what? Get over it. Fix yourself and stop basing your self-worth on a man. So, Daddy didn't love you enough. If you believe you're unlovable, you are. What others think of you is none of your concern.

Anyway, that's that. I don't understand the appeal of this writer or her style. Clearly many people are into it, but I know it will never work for me. I won't apologise for my review or opinion, nor do I expect everyone to agree with me. I know I'm in the minority, but damn! this was some good, start of the week therapy!
Profile Image for Michelle.
2,102 reviews1,361 followers
May 23, 2017
ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

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Cheater’s Regret by Rachel Van Dyken is a sexy, fast-paced romance that weaves humor, second chances, and friendship. If you have read the first book, then you are all aware that Thatch and Austin share a history. A history that is mixed with love and hurt. Hurt especially when Austin catches Thatch kissing her best friend’s older sister. So what happens when Thatch and Austin are reunited? Will these two be able to forgive and love again?

 photo d05af7e43efc9307b2324f2367b868_zps1qyejj9j.gif My biggest mistake in our relationship wasn’t falling for Thatch; it was thinking that he needed me as much as I needed him.Because when I touched him—my world felt full.So how could it not feel that way for him?How could he not feel the same?So, like an idiot, I kissed him again—and sealed my fate against his mouth, knowing that his track record proved he was a cheater and that I didn’t have any part of him—even though he still held every part of me. ”

This is one of those RVD books that beautifully explores the concept of friendship and second chances. I adored the story of Thatch and Austin because RVD didn’t forget to integrate and sprinkle elements of humor and hijinks. Readers were also able to discover the reasoning for why Thatch did what he did. As much as I enjoyed Austin, I did find some of her doing was a little over the top for my taste. But overall, I loved the feel of this book. It was sweet,sexy, funny, and adorable. So if you are looking for a fast paced romance that will have you rooting for Thatch and Austin then this book is for you.

 photo MICHELLE1_zps3515xymk.jpg Rachel Van Dyken

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Profile Image for Audrey Carlan.
Author 198 books6,585 followers
May 22, 2017
For the first half, this could have been called Cheater's Revenge. The antics that Austin came up with to torture Thatch with were hilarious! I loved this addition to the Curious Liaisons series by Rachel Van Dyken and hope she has another couple waiting in the wings for their story to be told.

"Cheater's Regret was a sexy, romantic, tug of war! Funny, spirited, and the perfect weekend read!" ~Audrey Carlan, #1 NYT Bestselling Author
2,043 reviews24 followers
September 15, 2020
What a great delivery from Rachel Van Dyken.

Apart from being a really good story, there were a lot of laugh out loud moments despite the title.

Yes, there is cheating in this book BUT not the way you expect it.

This was good, very good and a recommended read.
Profile Image for Lu Bielefeld .
4,273 reviews556 followers
May 27, 2017
Nada pior do que a vingança de uma mulher rejeitada.
Ela até rasga os pneus do carro dele e rouba as roupas dele no vestiário do trabalho dele. Ela é bem infantil nos proporcionando cenas bem engraçadas.
Mesmo traída ela ainda quer ele de volta, afinal ela ama ele demais.
Nosso herói continua rejeitando ela mas logo nós descobrimos que existem motivos ocultos para este comportamento.
A história me fisgou completamente e só terminei a leitura de madrugada.
Recomendo a leitura!
------------
Nothing worse than the revenge of a woman scorned.
She even tear the tires of his car and steals his clothes in the locker room of his work. She is very childish in providing very funny scenes.
Even cheated she still wants him back after all she loves him too much.
Our hero keeps rejecting her but soon we found out that there are ulterior motives for this behavior.
The story got me completely and just finished reading at dawn.
I recommend reading!
“I want to try, Thatch. I . . .” My voice was barely a whisper. “I love you.”

“We’re done, Austin.” “But—” The door clicked shut in my face with the finality of a gunshot."

"Everything was perfect. And then it just. Wasn’t."

"He’d broken me. And he hadn’t even looked sorry."

"if I was willing to overlook cheating this early on in a relationship, then I had already lost a part of myself"
Profile Image for SzarlottaSzott.
323 reviews46 followers
March 22, 2021
3,5⭐️I don’t know how to rate this book. I didn’t mind reading it because it was rather entertaining and funny. But... the plot was actually pretty weird. It supposed to be a second chance romance where the h plans a revenge on her cheating ex-bf...

AND it would be completely fine IF it didn’t turn out to be about something else... also the conflict didn’t make any sense.

Some pluses: I think it was a nice idea to throw there a handsome, rich, plastic surgeon (with some details about his occupation) and a little age gap.
Profile Image for Courtney.
1,793 reviews201 followers
May 22, 2017
So I hate to admit this but I did not read the first book in this series, which is so unlike me because I am HUGE RVD fan. But I saw more than enough "meh" reviews on it that I was not enticed enough to read it - the blurb didn't even really snag me either. But I wanted to read this book because the blurb did catch my eye and now even with the "meh" reviews of the first one, I am still going to go back and read that one.

Anway - Cheater's Regret is the perfect title for this book. And I will stop you right there for those who hate cheating in books. Get your knickers out of your ass and read this one. It's going to nothing like you expect and really - he cheats one time and it's a kiss. Yes, cheating is cheating but quick being judgmental and read this book - otherwise you are missing out on quick the hilarious book.

I must confess, in the beginning of the book, Austin slightly annoyed me with her antics and whininess. Her actions and the way she talked some times, seemed somewhat juvenile until I got more into the book and realized, that's only a small part of her. And really - she just had her heart crushed and never dealt with the feelings she was having - so it all started to make sense to me.

Thatch - can I have him?? LOL I am not into the man bun thing in anyway but the way Rachel wrote this character, yea - the man bun is totally hot on Thatch. No complaints here. I didn't agree with how he handled things but as I learned more about him and all the baggage that he was trying to keep locked away, it made sense. Still don't agree with it, but understood him more.

I have to say that Rachel did a nice job on the transition from a revenge story of getting even to a revenge story of I'm going to show what you lost. However, sparks fly on both ends when they are working together daily and both can't deny what drew them together in the first place and kept them together. But the one secret that Thatch is keeping from not just Austin, but everyone else is bound to come out and the repercussions are what keeps him from sharing it with anyone.

Rachel wrote a great romance story with the perfect amount of humor and drama added in to keep things lively. I loved the interactions between everyone - it was a well rounded book. And the ending was the perfect cherry on top!


Profile Image for ~Mandi~.
282 reviews30 followers
July 29, 2017
Awesome Read!!!

Loved this book! Couldn't put it down. Started off with a great intro all the way till the ending. Can't wait for more from this author.
Profile Image for Red Cheeks Reads.
2,228 reviews374 followers
May 24, 2017
Cheater's Regret is the second standalone in the Curious Liaisons series by Rachel Van Dyken. The first book in the series, Cheater, was one of my favorite romantic comedies this year and I have to say I LOVE Cheater's Regret even more! I loved these character, their struggle and their path to love. Rachel knows just how to take a fun simple rom com and hook m e fast and make my heart become instantly attached.

'Even if it was a horrible idea. The last thing I needed was her tears. I'd rather have her anger. Anger you got over. Sadness? Lingered. I would know. I'd been sad a very long time.'

Thatch and Austin's give and take in their break up gave us some amazin revenge comedy fodder. But, their attempts to find ways to be together is what really made me fall in love with them and this book. Thatch was damaged and funny and sexy to boot. And Austin, oh how I loved her. She didn't take being dumped by a guy she really like laying down, no when she felt humiliated she retaliated. The whole book was genius and I seriously hope there is more to come in this series.

~miranda
Profile Image for KceeReads.
159 reviews2 followers
May 31, 2017
Austin Rogers-- daughter of Seattle's mayor, rich, and gorgeous. She may have everything she wants in life, but she's still craving for one thing her money can't buy: attention. Until one night, a hot, blue-eyed, surfer looking guy showed her how it feels to be the center of one's attention. She was hopeful that Thatch was "it" for her, but he broke her heart... right in front of her.

Thatch Halloway is at the peak of his career. Being the youngest and most sought after plastic surgeon in the Emerald City, he's so close to achieving his goals and paying his student loans. The last thing he wants in life at the moment is to have a committed relationship, but Austin Rogers "almost" changed his mind. Almost.

"Not all cheaters are made equal."


Austin and Thatch could've been perfect for each other until one realizes love ain't for him and the other wants revenge for ending up with a broken heart.

Rachel Van Dyken has again successfully wrote about a guy women will love to hate, and eventually... love so much. Since I have finished reading CHEATER, I've been so excited to read Thatch and Austin's story because they were really adorable in the previous book. Rachel Van Dyken didn't disappoint me, because CHEATER'S REGRET was a cute and very hilarious read with lots of relatable heartaches on the side. Readers who enjoy a good enemies to lovers stories will surely enjoy this book because it has a nice banters in it that will make you laugh out loud.

"Sometimes, it's okayto cheat. I would do it again if it meant saving her."


I enjoyed CHEATER'S REGRET though not as much as I enjoyed CHEATER. I find the first book's plot more unique than this one. I loved Thatch Halloway so much, and whenever he has these moments when what he shows in front of his heroine's actually different from what he feels inside, I just wanted to hug him and tell him there's HEA eventually.

Austin Rogers though, I have this love and hate relationship with her. I find her cute at times, but "some" of her scenes were too immature for me that I couldn't relate to anymore. Let me just clarify that RVD's aim is to write a love story that features a young heroine and of course, when you're young you do some silly stuff. So this problem is more like "it's me not you" thingy. I'm old that's why I don't find some stuff she does funny anymore.

All in all, CHEATER'S REGRET was an extremely fun and super hot read that romcom fans will totally devour!
Profile Image for Laura.
2,460 reviews113 followers
May 22, 2017
***ARC Provided by the Authors and Social Butterfly PR***

I enjoyed Austin and Thatch. I like books that explore things that aren't perfect, or relationships with people who are not perfect, and this one did this well.

Thatch cheated on Austin. She saw it, he admits it. And, as a reader you know really fast that it happened. The book is about dealing with it, and from both sides. From the side of the person who was wronged and the side of the person who did the cheating. It's tough to go into this without spoilers, but I feel safe saying it was a "minor" cheat (if there really is such a thing) and that Thatch has his reasons. And, they are good ones...or so he thinks. But what they also are, they are good enough reasons for the reader to be ok with Austin going back to him.

The scenes in his office, while a little predictable that it was going to go that way, were fun. And, sometimes predictable is the author taking the easy way out. But in this case, the scenes were predictable as they were set up well in the beginning of the story, so the decision to involve him in her project made sense.

I enjoyed the writing in this story and I liked the pacing. The author definitely created a challenge, as making someone who has a bit of a checkered past with the heroine into the hero of the story isn't the easiest of things to do, especially while remaining true to the idea that they are meant to be. It mostly worked.

I did feel that the resolution was a little fast and that there was a little bit of an imbalance in the time spent with Austin hating Thatch and the time spent with her forgiving him, but not enough to really ruin the story for me.

I recommend this title.
Profile Image for Nicky .
395 reviews
Read
May 23, 2017
This was DNF for me. I'm sad to say the h pissed me off. Came off immature. IMO the revenge was over the top. He kissed a girl. Kissed. The shit she did in just the couple of chapters I read, were a bit much. One was enough. But to then keep going. Fuck. It was a kiss. Not like she walked in on him with his dick in OW.

Thank you kindle unlimited. No money loss for this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Laura.
785 reviews30 followers
May 25, 2017
Worse than the first book in the series. Not very romantic, slightly infantile and an immature hero who is supposedly in his 30's yet acts more like a teenager.
Profile Image for Heather Pollock.
1,068 reviews74 followers
May 25, 2017
#review @RachVD ‏


QueenZany 4.5 Star Review
Cheater's Regret
Rachel Van Dyken


Cheater's Regret is a charming sinful story, that you will want to devour!
Yes! Jump right into the banter, the humor and that chase! Making you feel all kinda’s of push pull! Which I adore in every book!! Plus Cheater's Regret is such a fast paced book. You will consume in no time!!
Profile Image for tinyteaplots.
703 reviews2 followers
August 13, 2018
Ugh.
Dnf.
I can't stand Austin.
And seriously, who needs enemies when you have friends like that?
Thatch may have been the cheater, but he's the only character I managed to like at all.
I just don't care what happens next.
June 3, 2017
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Audiobook Review: 4,5 Stars

Austin & Thatch = Thatchtin!

If you could sum up Cheater's Regret in three words, what would they be?

Sweet, sexy revenge!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Cheater's Regret?

Cheater's Regret features the story of Austin and Thatch, they met in the previous book of the series, and what started as a one night stand, quickly turned into a serious relationship until Thatch cheated on Austin and despite she wanted to forgive him for his actions, he broke it off. Austin wanted to get revenge for her broken heart and make Thatch feel her pain, or at least a little bit of it by making him face his biggest fears (including bicycles, icecream hahahaha) But then Austin saw an opportunity of using Thatch for her own benefits and fast the story turned from a silly ways of revenge to a wonderful story, full of romance, sexy innuendos, sexual tension and Austin's dream life.

I loved the funny moments, the romantic moments and the sexy moments. But my favorite part was the ending. It was AMAZING.

Have you listened to any of Lucy Rivers and Alexander Cendese ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first audiobook narrated by Lucy and Alexander,

Lucy had a young voice, perfect for Austin, transmitting her personality completely. Austin was funny and crazy and smart and eager to have her dream life, with the love of his life, her netflix, hotdogs and lots of sexy moments. All in all, Lucy's performance was awesome.

Alexander has a sexy voice, it even sounds a little like Sebastian York, very manly and sexy, perfect for Thatch. I loved how he much vulnerable and conflicted he sounded, matching Thatch's current state of mind, but sadly his female inflexions weren't good enough for me.

Any additional comments?

I loved Cheater's Regret, loved the story, the writing, the characters, especially Thatch, I couldn't have hated him even if I wanted to. He's my kind of book boyfriend. He's not a complete bastard, he's more like a sheep dressed as a wolf, he wanted to show he was a tough asshole who didn't have any feelings for Austin, but he really wasn't that. He was amazing and I love him so much.

And I loved how much Lucas and Avery were involved in this story, and I loved seeing them happy in their own HEA.

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Profile Image for Huseina.
78 reviews44 followers
May 29, 2017
Words would never do justice to this... but I am still going to try...!! RVD has always been my favorite author so far and I have never been disappointed reading her books... this is proven again by Cheater's Regret... Don't believe me? Read For Yourself.. I swear you will love every min of it... you are going love, laugh, and feel sad and happy..

RVD has this unique way of always adding up spice, drama and loads of humorous situations in her books that you are bound to laugh, and cry at the same time... so yeah, this goes without saying that you are going to smile the whole time reading this...

We have met Thatch and Austin in book one as they are best friends of Lucas and Avery from book one.. Here, the story starts out with Austin trying to get revenge on Thatch for cheating on her but quickly turns to her following him for her blog.. I loved how they complimented each other.. Austin was beautifully portrayed.. she is jus lovely with her immature ways and stupid tendencies... she is flawed but she makes you feel it's someone you relate to or hell, maybe just you... and Thatch, damn hot... at first you seriously might want him to just burn in hell for cheating on Austin and then you are sure to fall harder in love with him.. I did too... see, this is the reason RVD is so loved... she does this.. makes you feel the hero or heroine are no good and then you end up loving them more than any other..

Suffice to say, I enjoyed this book a lot.. it was a great read where one moment, I was happy, and then sad, laughing and then swooning and all of a sudden falling in love and being hot and bothered... and it was all worth it.. all in all, I would highly recommend this book... it's not what you think it is.. and it's also not like the first one too... You are going to love it...
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