Open House

Author: Ruby Lang
Series: Uptown, book 2
Publisher: Carina Press (November 11, 2019)
Kindle edition, 165 pages
Romance, Adult Contemporary Romance
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Summary
Love can take root where you least expect it.

Tyson Yang never imagined that one day he’d be the de facto spokesperson for an illegal community garden. But when the once-rat-infested-but-now-thriving Harlem lot goes up for sale, Ty can’t just let all their hard work get plowed under.

Even if he is irresistibly drawn to the lovely but infuriatingly stubborn real estate associate.

Magda Ferrer’s family is already convinced this new job will be yet another flop in her small but growing list of career path failures. But her student debt isn’t going anywhere, and selling her uncle’s historic town house and the lot nearby means a chance to get some breathing room.

Ty is her charming rival, her incorrigible nemesis, the handsome roadblock to her success.

Until one hot Harlem night blurs the hard line drawn between them, and the seeds of possibility in this rocky garden blossom into love…

Review
I’m not even sure where to start with reviewing this book. It’s about so much more than just the (really wonderful) romance between Madga and Ty. It’s about found families, and finding your footing. It’s about facing your fears, about establishing boundaries and tearing down walls. The amount of growth Ty, Magda, and even several side characters go through is just… Wow. Open House manages to be at once a light, charming enemies-to-lovers romance and also a deeply profound exploration of the self.

Ty and Magda start out on what seems like opposite sides of a battle, but they’re both drawn to each other and try to resist that pull. Even when they’re enemies, Ty still stops to make sure a walking-home-alone-at-night Magda is okay and safe. Even when they’re on the outs, Magda works to do what she can to help the community Ty loves so much. I have two black thumbs, but this book make me want to go dig in the dirt with these people and be a part of their beautiful sense of community.

This is the second book in the Uptown series, but can be read as a stand alone. I haven’t read the first book, Playing House, but I definitely am picking it up after how much I enjoyed this book!

An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review. All opinions are unbiased and my own.