Folk Around And Find Out

de Penny Reid (2022)

Résumé : He needs to get her out of his system. Just once...

Hank Weller doesn’t help people. He leaves that do-gooder nonsense to his best friend, Beau Winston. Hank does what he wants, when he wants, with whomever he wants—and Hank does not want to hire Charlotte Mitchell to be an exotic dancer at his club, The Pink Pony. Sure, he can’t help noticing the dips and curves of her, how shrewd, smart, and funny she is, the fire in her hazel eyes. He's always noticed. She’d probably draw a crowd and entice the regulars. But after Charlotte's messy, public divorce made Hank’s club out to be the culprit—and made her the single mother of four kids—he doesn’t need or want any additional bad press courtesy of Charlotte Mitchell. Or the distraction. Unfortunately for him, the town’s prettiest charity case doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of the words nope, no, and never.

Charlotte Mitchell doesn’t much like Hank Weller. Once upon a time, she used to. Years ago, she liked him a whole heckofalot despite other folks in town labeling him as “eccentric” and “nonconformist,” which were polite southern alternatives to "filthy rich" and "self-centered douchebag." Her opinion of him changed dramatically after he volunteered to be her date to junior prom and then promptly stood her up. They haven't so much as acknowledged each other in over a decade. But a sudden family emergency means Charlotte needs access to Hank’s club ASAP. Unfortunately for her, the narcissistic fancy-pants doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of the words help, generosity, and compassion.

But he’s about to find himself schooled. Charlotte is going to teach Hank a lesson once and for all about basic human decency, whether he likes it or not.

Spoiler alert. . . he likes it. ;-)


Après avoir croisé Hank dans ses livres précédents, Penny Reid nous offre enfin son histoire, et quelle joie de voir enfin ce personnage à coeur ouvert. Hank et Charlotte ne peuvent pas être plus différent l'un de l'autre, et pourtant lorsqu'ils se trouvent c'est une évidence, mais tout n'est pas gagné d'avance.

C'est une urgence familiale qui pousse Charlotte à essayer de se faire embaucher au Pink Pony, sa cousine a disparu et elle aurait été danseuse là-bas. Ne voulant pas ébruité cette histoire, Charlotte ment donc Hank sur les vraies raisons pour lesquelles elle veut travailler chez lui. De son côté, Hank ne veut rien à voir avec Charlotte, toute la ville lui en veut comme s'il était personnellement responsable du divorce de Charlotte, de la fuite du mari et du fait qu'elle élève seule ses 4 enfants.

Malgrè qu'il soit un grognon, Hank ne peut pas la laisser sur le carreau et l'embauche comme comptable au Pink Pony (au grand soulagement de Charlotte qui ne voyait pas danser ^^) et c'est le début de de la fin, Hank essaie de résister à Charlotte, mais ça ne marche pas vraiment, ni pour Charlotte non plus.

Ensuite Hank rencontre les enfants de Charlotte et là il est complétement fichu. Lui qui préfère que son cercle social se limite à Beau (et quelques autres Winston de temps en temps), va se lier très fort avec 2 des enfants. Les discussions qu'il a avec eux et la façon dont il va tout de suite les accepter comme ils sont est vraiment choupi *_*

Enfin, je crois que ce qui m'a aussi pas mal touchée, c'est le lien d'amitié entre Beau et Hank, ils ont aussi tous les deux des scènes fortes en émotions ♥

****************************

After meeting Hank in her previous books, Penny Reid finally offers us his story, and what a joy to finally see this character and his open heart. Hank and Charlotte couldn't be more different from each other, and yet when they find each other it's obvious, but their story isn't a done deal.

It is a family emergency that pushes Charlotte to try to get hired at the Pink Pony, her cousin has disappeared and she might have been a dancer there. Not wanting to spread words about this story, Charlotte lies to Hank about the real reasons why she wants to work for him. For his part, Hank wants nothing to do with Charlotte, the whole town is angry with him as if he were personally responsible for Charlotte's divorce, the escape of the husband and the fact that she raises her 4 children alone.

Despite being grumpy, Hank can't leave her stranded and hires her as an accountant for the Pink Pony (to the great relief of Charlotte who couldn't see dancing ^^) and it's the beginning of the end, Hank tries to resist Charlotte, but it doesn't really work, nor for Charlotte either.

Then Hank meets Charlotte's chilren and he is completely ruined. He who prefers his social circle to be limited to Beau (and a few other Winstons from time to time), will bond very strongly with 2 of the children. The discussions he has with them and the way he will immediately accept them as they are is really cool *_*

Finally, I think what also touched me a lot was the bond of friendship between Beau and Hank, they also both have strong emotional scenes ♥


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