This book started out a little slow for me. I'll admit I didn't care for Valentine at all. Something about her rubbed me the wrong way. However once she stepped foot in Alaska a whole other side of her emerged. I suddenly saw her in a new light and instantly wanted her to be my best friend. She was funny, witty, caring, fun, and very perceptive. She noticed things others didn't a made an effort to help when she could.

Logan was the perfect guy. Charismatic, genuine, caring, and hello a hot Alaskan cop! I loved reading his point of view because we got more insight into how the world saw Valentine. He was a stand up guy who was open and honest above all. The fun they had together was inspiring.

This was a fun, easy read. It had a few harder subject lines but they didn't bring the story down, it will still up beat and funny. It was just the kind of storyline I needed. Another great book from Sawyer Bennett who has yet to steer us wrong.

An excellent book with some great characters, a lot of humor, and a very well written story. This author goes in yet another direction with this one and its fun to go on this journey with her.

Valentine is a big city girl that has had it with the city's dating scene. So to give her blog a fresh perspective she decides to go to the wilds of Alaska and see how dating life goes there. She finds herself in all sorts of trouble right from the start but luckily Logan Burke was there to come to her rescue. He's rugged, sexy, and perfect for her research. These two spend quite a bit of time together and just when it seems that things are progressing some truths come to light and threaten what they have worked to build.

I highly recommend this one.

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Sawyer Bennett's books. When she gets it right, I really do enjoy them, and when she doesn't, well I have a tendency to declare she has one last chance. Yet she always saves herself, every time. So, new series, clean slate.

"...who’s better, the metrosexual or the lumberjack."

Call me judgemental but I am not a fan of the socialite: sadly, in life and literature, they generally do very little to help break the stereotype mould. So to actually warm to a socialite? Score 1 Ms. Bennett because as frustrating as she could be, I did like Valentine.

"I want a man who would battle an army just for the chance to be with me, and once he was with me, he’d battle a million armies just to keep me."

Score 2: Logan Burke. Police Chief, dirty talker and who has a heart of gold from the moment we meet him. He's not perfect, he pulls a couple of dick moves (and some marvellous moves with his-–ahem, yes), but he's nothing but honest.

"We know there’s an expiration date on this thing. So let’s make every day count."

Score 3: Cute puppy dog.
Score 4: Alaska. Which is on mine and the hub's destination list because it just looks beautiful.

However for all the positives, there were a couple of sticking points for me. Firstly Valentine's blog. Yes, it had a purpose to the direction of the story but generally it didn't work for me and felt off. And secondly, in the latter half content seemed to be shoved aside for sex scenes. Granted hot sex scenes, but still.

"I swear I was walking funny the next day."

Sex in the Sticks is Sawyer Bennett doing what she does well though and that's bringing her reader a likeable couple with a fantastic chemistry and who burn the sheets together, creating fun, frustration and some feeling along the way. Not sure if she has plans to revisit Alaska, but I'd be a happy reader if she did.

I really enjoyed Logan and Valentine! This was the perfect blend of romance and comedy with a bit of dram thrown in. I loved reading about the New York City socialite on an Alaskan adventure. Can't wait to see what will happen next.

Note, I did receive an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

What do you get when you put a city girl in an Alaskan location?...a hilariously sexy situation!

Valentine French is sick of Dating the same typical New York men. she craves adventure and her current situation on the guy front is lacking just that. After a talk with her cousin she allows him to book her a vacation where he promises the men are rugged and adventurous.

Valentine finds herself in Alaska and is completely shell shocked.

When Logan first sets eyes on Valentine he can't help but smirk. she's a fish out of water and completely out of her comfort zone. As any good police Chief would do, her offers to help her, not realizing that he just set forth a chain reaction that will no doubt leave him falling head over heels for Valentine.

Sex in the Sticks is intriguing, sexy, and humorous. I was laughing out loud at Valentine and her citified persona.

I love novels that put city girls in country locations just to see if the characters have the means to survive. Although I did find Valentine's character to be a tad bit shallow, I thought the genuine attitude that was Logan's persona evened everything out.

This novel is also somewhat predictable but it was still a fun and enjoyable read.

I just have to take a moment to rave about this author. I've read many books by her including the legal briefs series, the Cold Fury series, the Sugar Bowl series, the Wicked Horse series and several standalones. I have to say that this author is one of the most talented versatile authors out there. There are a lot of authors that can do one thing well or maybe even a couple by Sawyer does everything well. This author can write about starry romance, hard core erotic sex, mystery/suspense, and just good old fashioned contemporary romance and she does it all well. This book is no exception. Sex In The Sticks is absolutely one of my favorite contemporary romances ever.

Valentine is a super rich New York socialite who is absolutely bored with New York men. For years Valentine has written a blog about NY men and her sexcapades with them. But recently, she has grown frustrated with men who spend more time and money on their hair than she does and can't resist any surface which might reflect an image of their face. Valentine wonders if there is something more out there and her best friend/cousin suggest that there might be and in might be in Alaska...of all places. Valentine packs up her little NY dog, a whole load of Louis luggage and her blog and heads to Alaska to find out if there is more to men.

What Valentine discovers in a small town in Alaska is the chief of police- Logan. Right away Valentine pegs Logan as the hottest thing in the entire state of Alaska. He also impresses Valentine as being a really good guy, the likes of which she is not accustomed to. But Valentine sticks to her plan to sow some oats in Alaska by dating a variety of men and blogging her experiences. She can't avoid Logan, however, because she keeps getting her citified self into various crazy situations from which Logan has to rescue her. The two develop an easy friendship and before long it is something much more.

I love the way Logan immediately claims Valentine once he acknowledges his feelings for her. I also loved how honest Logan is. I mean, geez, the guy made a couple of series mistakes (because he's a guy) but he was so straight up about claiming his errors and his plan to change, you just couldn't help but love him. Of course, the whole time you read this book, you keep asking yourself 'I wonder what would happen if Logan found out about Valentine's blog and the things she's saying about her Alaskan adventures?' We don't really want to know the answer to that but it keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The relationship that develops between this characters is a perfect balance of romance, friendship and humor. The sex is just explosive and Logan has a dirty mouth that I love! I actually had fun reading this book. I devoured it in one sitting and I highly recommend it.

So much fun!
Thankfully I picked this book up on a weekend, because once I really got into it, I couldn't put it down!
Valentine's adventures are funny and even when you can see the writing on the wall for things blowing up in her face, you can't help but root for her. Logan is sweet and sexy and oh so good for our lady from New York!
I loved these two together and the towns people of East Merritt made a fantastic secondary cast.
Ms Bennett lived up to the high standards I expect from her work and added in a dash of humor with a heroine who could laugh at herself and the cop who taught her to love.

Sawyer has out did herself once again with this book. Valentine and Logan had me hooked.

Valentine and Logan completely stole my heart. Valentine is a rich girl from NY who has it all, but isn't satisfied with life. Dating is boring and she continually dates men from the upper class who do nothing for her. When her cousin suggests she check out the men in Alaska for something different, she jumps at the chance! Valentine writes a blog and this is just what she needs to spice things up! She plans to date a lot of men for material for her blog. What she didn't count on was falling for the chief/mayor of the small town she was staying in.

Logan knew that Valentine was only there for a visit, however long that would be. But once he claimed her as his, there was no going back. She made him feel things he'd never felt before. When it came time for her to leave, would he be able to let her go?

Logan's rough and tumble way and Valentine's crazy antics made me fall in love with this couple. Logan was sweet and sexy and his whole world quickly became about Valentine. Valentine and her crazy blog made me laugh out loud. She is all city girl heading to the woods. It made for a lot of fun and a great read! I thought it was a fun story with great characters. I hope April and Jorgen get a book! I loved them, too!

Sex in the Sticks (Love Hurts #1) by Sawyer Bennett
4 stars!!!

“I don’t give up on what I want…Never have.”

Sweet, sexy and incredibly swoony is what Sawyer Bennett delivers with Sex in the Sticks. This is the story of the trials and tribulations of a city girl from New York that goes to Alaska to find herself a real man. You know, a logger, a lumberjack, a fisherman, a plaid wearing survival expert or a drop dead gorgeous Chief of Police. The possibilities are endless, the shenanigans hilarious but at the heart of this book is the knowledge that love finds you when you least expect it.

“…my dating life has been absolutely wretched. It’s like I’m going out with the same guy over and over but he’s been cloned into different-looking hot packages. The package is so pretty on the outside that I figure at some point I’ve got to find the insides to match, right?”

Valentine French is a trust fund rich woman that spends her life in New York shopping, lunching and blogging much to her family’s chagrin. Her blog has a huge following and it is about her dating woes with the metrosexuals of New York and she goes into glorious details. Determined to find herself a “real man” and compare the “rough” to the “smooth” Valentine takes herself and her little dog off to a little town in Alaska and the differences in life styles lead to some hilarious situations.

“…I come from a snotty upper-crust family…I just chose to march to the best of a different drum.”

From the moment her feet first hit Alaskan soil Valentine is thrown into the company of the Chief of Police who makes it his personal responsibility to ensure that she gets to her destination safe and sound knowing that she was clearly a fish out of water. Logan keeps his feelings towards Valentine very close to his chest but as time passes and more and more of Valentines exploits reach his ears even Logan realises he needs to make his move before his chance has gone.

The exploits throughout this book are hilarious at times as Valentine concludes that really all men are the same despite their location, they just go about it all differently but that in no way shape or form relates to Logan.

“This isn’t a hook-up to me, Logan. There’s no way you could just be that.”

Sawyer Bennett had me laughing out loud, smiling from ear to ear with this heart warmer. This is an honest romance with a little angst to fire up the pages. The comedic timing was perfect and the sexy times between Logan and Valentine were seriously scorching as Sawyer Bennett does what Sawyer Bennett does best. The chemistry between these two was seriously off the charts and I found myself rooting for these two from the very beginning. Even though they were complete opposites they totally complemented one and other and brought out the best in each other both in and out of the sheets.

“I want to feel really wanted. I want to drive a man crazy. I want him to look at me like I’m an oasis in the desert. I want a man who would battle an army just for the chance to be with me, and once he was with me, he’d battle a million armies just to keep me.”

I loved the small-town vibe of this one and how reality really bit for both characters. A town where everyone knows everyone and they are basically one huge family. Sawyer Bennett really nailed that character connection for me and brought these characters to life with ease. As I said above, low on angst, steamy as hell, cute and romantic this is the perfect book to cuddle up on a sofa with and loses yourself for a few hours.

www.theromancecover.com

Valentine finally had enough of the New York City dating scene. She feels like every guy she's dating is the same kind of vain, metrosexual, cell-phone-addicted idiot. She has enough money in her own bank account - she doesn't need a rich guy to show her a good time - and none of those have guys shown her a good time in a long while!
That's why she's now in Alaska. Following her favorite cousin's advice. Alaska has 15 times more men than women. Manly men!



And she can write her dating column from wherever she wants.
And for now it'll be Alaska.
Enter Logan.



He's the first guy she meets. The chief of police in this little town! And realllly hot too.
Not a bad start!
But can a millionaire city girl and a simple, nature-loving guy, start something real?? Or will it just be a vacation fling?
And will Valentine and her tiny 'dog' Sassy even survive this trip? The cold, the bears et cetera?

WHAT KiND OF ADVENTURES ARE WAiTiNG FOR VALENTiNE IN THE WiLDERNESS??
WiLL THERE BE A HAPPiLY EVER AFTER FOR HER & LOGAN?
READ THE BOOK TO FiND OUT! ☺☺☺


Adorable!
Picture Sex and the City meets Men in Trees!
I watched both of those shows and I loved them. And I can just see Valentine walking around this little town with her designer shoes just like Anne Heche did!
That's why I was a tiny little bit disappointed that we don't have anything new here. I think this Alaska-thing has been romance-novelled a million times before - BUT - I still loved it.
It's a great romance, great location, great cast. Funny, adorable, exciting, sweet and verrry erotic!
I don't really have anything to complain about. Maybe just that we're constantly waiting for the dating-column-bomb to explode. Because Valentine kind of neglects to tell anyone why she came to Alaska in the first place - and everything she's building there might blow up in her face, BUT of course we also know that there'll be Happily Ever After ... so we can hope she'll fix everything in time!

I spent some adorable reading hours with Valentine and Logan and I wouldn't mind watching this book on tv one day!

I had some tiny problems with the writing...as with every Sawyer book. It's Sawyer's and my thing ☺ It's only me who has those problems with her writing. So please don't be worried or just scroll down and don't read the following... it wasn't as bad as the other books - it didn't even start here until I was 9% into the book. I had huge hopes, but then it began with the....ASSES.
I have a HUGE AS problem in every book I read - especially, or rather, only, in American books! Sawyer always uses too many of those AS'es ☺ You know the AS'es I'm talking about? The AS that could be and should be exchanged for a SINCE or a BECAUSE ☺ It's a formal thing and then it's mostly only a British thing (if it's a thing at all!) and it doesn't have anything to do in an American book by an American author - especially when it's said by a manly 37-year-old guy from Alaska!!!!
I really don't want to insult Sawyer. I love all her books, and maybe nobody ever told her she does that.... so, Sawyer....please stop doing it. But pfff who am I to tell her what to do, so just forget I said anything! It doesn't stop her books from being great!

Another tiny little thing. The cover. No idea why, but if you miss that the thing he has in his hands is a wood-piece, you might think this is a baseball romance, at least I thought so...and also, he's not really doing anything with wood in the book - he's the police chief - so I'm not really in love with the cover - and the guy looks nothing like Logan is described either. BUT ....

SEX IN THE STICKS was an adorable lovestory! Rich citygirl meets hot Alaska sheriff! Funny, sweet, exciting and very sexy! Run to your nearest amazon for your own sexy wilderness cop - Logan is MINE! ☺

Advanced Readers Copy Courtesy of Netgalley....:)

I have to be honest this was not one of my favorite ones by Sawyer Bennett. I had a huge problem with the heroine Valentine. She just came across as very shallow, and full of herself.....not much of a humble bone in her body.

I loved the Hero Logan. He was totally alpha and a beast in the bedroom. He more than made up for the lack of a nice heroine!!!

Valentine is a New York socialite who runs her own blog. She does it more to embarrass her parents than anything else and often writes about her sex life etc. Tired of all the metro-sexual men in NY, she decides to go to Alaska and date a different type of man, the lumberjack.

Since the men outnumber the women by quite a bit the odds are in her favor and she has no shortage of men who want to date her. She meets Logan, the town sheriff who come to her rescue a few times as she tries to navigate the wilds of Alaska.

I loved the chemistry between them and as I said Logan more than made up for my dislike of Valentine. I enjoyed the secondary characters as well, and even though the book dragged for a bit, it was still a enjoyable read.

Sex in the Sticks is a strange story. Valentine (aka Val) has had it with the metrosexual male population of New York. Since she is a trust fund baby she can do whatever she wants, and after a suggestion from her cousin, decides to test out the male population in Alaska. Surely they will appreciate her?

Val is probably the most difficult heroine for me to like. First, she is 31 and has no real job. She is living off her family money and while thats great for her, I have no idea what that life is like and I cannot feel an ounce of sympathy for her at any point. Oh, her dates don't pay attention to her and fawn all over her? Yeah, thats not a New York metrosexual man problem. But, that Val thinks she is so extraordinary that men should be more thankful to be on a date with her. I really couldn't find anything redeeming about her other than the fact that she doesn't hide who she is or pretend to be less shallow or egocentric. So, she gets to Alaska and is LOVING all the male attention. Yep, thats the story. Yay, the male population of a town that only has like 3 women is throwing themselves at her. Seriously? How am I suppose to like her? I might have been more forgiving if she were in her early 20's. But she is 31. By then, you should be past this type of narcissism. Having said that, she does improve a bit. By the end I didn't find her as narcissistic and even found she was humble. But, it just sort of happened. Like, I'm not really sure WHY or HOW she changed her behavior. I didn't believe that simply being in love with Logan (who she hardly knew) was going to change her personality. But, whatever the reason, she does grow as a person.

Logan is the town sherif and is a very normal guy. He is an ex-military cop who decided he loved Alaska and when he had the chance to move to East Merritt, he took it and hasn't regretted his decision. He finds Val beautiful for sure and he does go a bit out of his way to help her out a few times. He openly admits its because she is gorgeous. However shallow Logan may be, he isn't unlikeable. I didn't exactly swoon over him though. Perhaps this makes Val and Logan perfect for each other. They are both shallow. And, quite frankly, I totally agree with Logan's actions near the end of the story. How mortifying for him!

So, will Val fall in love? She said that isn't what she wants but will the Alaskan men change her mind? Will Logan give everything up to be with Val in NYC? Will Sassy get eaten by a bear because Val brought the tiny dog to Alaska and didn't pack a leash? The plot centers around how this will end for Val when Alaska was only suppose to be temporary. Honestly, by the end of Sex in the Sticks, I was pleased with how it played out, but still not particularly in love with either of them.
Link live on 5/1/17

*thank you to the author and publisher for providing an arc**

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Looking for an adventure then Sawyer Bennett's new book Sex in the Sticks is the book for you. This rom-com is jammed pack with non stop fun and a small town that you wish you lived there. And the attraction between Logan and Valentine is off the charts!

Valentine French has hit a dating plateau, the men of NYC are all the same and she is no longer finding inspiration for her blog, Valentine's Couch. After talking with her cousin, Jeremy, he convinces her to maybe try somewhere other then NYC for prospective dates and that somewhere is Alaska.

When Logan Burke first sees Valentine he knows that she is out of place in his small town in Alaska. As their paths continue to cross, Logan cannot deny the attraction he has towards Valentine. When Logan saves Valentine again they finally give into their electric attraction for each other.

As they navigate their relationship, they hit some bumps along the way, especially how long Valentine plans on spending in Alaska. Valentine knows her time in Alaska should be coming to an end but she can't leave just yet. Each day her feelings for Logan grow and she knows she will need to make the decision of staying in Alaska or going back to NYC and continuing her column.

As Valentine starts to come to a decision, Logan receives some news that puts their relationship in jeopardy. Will Logan be able to get past what he finds out or will he let the best thing that's happened to him walk out of his life? Will Valentine be able to make a decision or will she let her doubts and fears take over and give up on something worth fighting for?

This book was so cute. It was fun and romantic. It made me swoon and was oh so sexy. I love the small town and can't wait to read more about it. This was a quick read that left me smiling. Sawyer never fails write a story that I love.

Will definitely be waiting to see where she takes us next.

Rugged Alaskan hottie cop meets high society New Yorker blogger. Valentine French has no idea what to do when she decides to go to Alaska in search of a man who isn't a metrosexual New Yorker. What she finds is not what she was expecting. This was a funny and romantic read.

Lana- WHR

With a heroine named Valentine French and a small town setting filled with all the quirk and charm (and horny, women deprived, rugged men) you could possibly ask for - Sex in the Sticks is set up to be a lighthearted sexy romp.

And it delivers. It's both lighthearted - funny, sometimes silly, but never overly angsty - and sexy in a way that's likely to singe your e-reader (no seriously - your panties are on notice). However, in spite of all these things that I loved, something never clicked for me. It was a slow starter, it took me a long time to warm up to the storyline and invest in the characters. I struggled with how Valentine was written in the beginning. She initially came off like a caricature of a spoiled little rich girl and I could sometimes barely tolerate her. It was around the 30% mark when that began to change and I really started to warm to her. There are more dimensions there, and she was actually quite delightful, if a little clueless. I DEFINITELY warmed to the chemistry she shared with Logan. Those two sizzled and sparked around each other and my heart was ready to dive right in.

And so it did, dive in...sometimes. There were moments that really worked for me. I definitely felt the tug in my heart and the butterflies in my belly. But there were also moments that really didn't work for me at all. The conflict in this book is one of my least favorite types and I felt very frustrated (and not very sympathetic) to both of these characters. Honestly, they sometimes felt very immature (for characters in their 30s) and so my patience wore thin. While their chemistry sparked mightily, the execution of their relationship sort of fizzled out for me and instead of losing myself completely in the book like I wanted to, I found myself skimming to find the sweet spots that drew me back into the story.

In the end, while this wasn't my favorite of Ms. Bennett's books, I did still enjoy the time I spent with these colorful characters in their charming little Alaska town. I'm invested enough to want to visit it again, and am excited to see where this series goes from here.

I loved all the characters and interactions between the two main characters. They come from two very different backgrounds and have some major issues to overcome to be together. Will they be able to? You will have to read to find out. This was a great book with hot and steamy, some humor and definitely romance.

Link will go live on 5/6

SEX IN THE STICKS was a fun, light read, one of those books where you grin at times reading. The premise for this book was kind of perfect, rich socialite travels to Alaska to partake in the glut of men out there. I didn't need much encouragement to be invested in the idea of a rugged Alaskan man, it came naturally but I did need time to like heroine, Valentine. This is the second jobless-socialite I've read lately and initially this kind of heroine doesn't draw me in. She does write her own sex and dating blog though, thus her trip to Alaska. I did come to like Valentine more as the story developed.

The hero was a different matter, Logan, chief of police was the epitome of rugged, capable, outdoor-man. I liked his reticence when it came to Valentine, he sat back and watched her antics. Her antics were funny and I smirked and sniggered along the way. These two definitely had chemistry and their coupling made the blog melt-down with comments.

I definitely want to see more of this series and setting. There are more men in East Merritt, Alaska that need a book and I'm here to read that. Sawyer Bennett certainly has skills of creating a great premise and this book is well executed yet on the light side of contemporary.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through netgalley in return for a honest review.

Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.