What It Takes by Kathryn Ascher | Rating: ★★★★☆

I’m mixed between giving it a 3-4 star rating because it was enjoyable, I really did quite like the romance of it all, but it wasn’t anything I hadn’t read before. I thought it was handled well in terms of writing and the characters were all interesting to read. Romance was flying and we had all the glamor of Hollywood and all the complications of that world as well as regular life. It certainly kept me interested from the very start.

I felt quite bad for Kelsey and her sister in particular. They both have to deal with so much in their lives and I can only imagine how scarring and frustrating such could be. In particular, Richard (Kelsey’s brother in law) was an insufferable pig and every time he came out to play in the pages, I wanted to throw something at him. And to be completely honest, it took a lot of effort not to throw something at him.

I had to keep reminding myself he was a fictional character — but he is a very believable villain. There are so many men who are out in our world and just as gross as he is. Men like him are the reason some women are too scared to stand up to men and well, you’ll know his type once you read the story.

Their mother isn’t much better. She is a very complex and old fashioned woman in terms of her mind and while it was interesting and frustrating to read, I just couldn’t feel much sympathy towards her; in spite of her reasoning when it came down to how she acted. I worry what will happen with the family after the firecracker of a finale.


Overall, I thought that Kelsey’s family dynamic was interesting to read and I wanted to see more of her interactions with her sister and father. Her dad was the best of the two parents in terms of, well, parenting. He knows when to play it cool and keep things even, but he also deeply cares for his daughters and wants what is best for them therefore he worries. It seems to me that he is the sort of father many hope for. And his scenes and interactions with Kelsey were certainly a delight.

Onto the romance: phew, boy! Is it hot in here or is it just me? (I promise I’ll never say that again, God. Embarrassing.)

Patrick is a total catch and he and Kelsey have great chemistry. Again, it isn’t something we haven’t seen before, but that doesn’t make them any less of an OTP. They are precious and I really, really enjoyed reading their story and will probably read this again in the future.

I wouldn’t call their feelings for each other an instalove sort of deal, but it may be seen that way by future readers. At times, it did seem rushed and like ‘well where did that come from?’ but I hope that you readers grow to love them as I did.

It’s also important to note that the minor characters in the story are also equally fun and interesting; I hope if we see more from these characters in the future that the side characters will have some spotlight of their own!

It’s the perfect light, girly, beachy read and if you’re a fan of romance novels this won’t disappoint you! I suggest you pick up a copy when you can and be warned: if you love romance, you’ll devour it quickly. I’m definitely going to be looking out for more novels by Kathryn in the future and she has managed to make me dig the romance genre a bit more than I have in the past.

Thanks, Kathryn! You’re fabulous.