Another super cute read from Sharla Lovelace set in Charmed, Texas!

I loved the best friends to more premise and the undeniable friendship, love, and chemistry between these two. Bash and Allie have been friends since childhood and he’s been the one constant in her and her daughter’s life since she got pregnant as a teen. It was impossible not to root for them from the start.

Add in another visit to the super charming town of Charmed with all of the recurring characters from the previous two books in the Charmed in Texas series and you’ve got the perfect setting for a sweet yet passionate story.

Once a Charmer has all of the elements that made me love Sharla Lovelace’s writing. The quirky small town setting, great secondary characters, a very realistic and vulnerable heroine, a sexy honorable hero and an incredibly realistic romance sprinkled with just a touch of magic honey.

I can’t wait to read the 4th book in this series.

Arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

5 stars
I really love this series, I think this is my favorite so far...
I was a bit frustrated of all the misunderstandings between Bash and Allie, but I think we needed to see them first like that and not immediately jump into insta-love, which I was grateful for.
I can't wait to read the next book!
Super recommended.

Well written and an enjoyable story. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more by this author.

All the spoons. Give me all the spoons and all the measurement cups for this book. Or you know what, no, I’ll have this to go with a nice cup of coffee, I’ll have it as cream on top of my double chocolate brownie. Or, I might have it as my security blanket to sleep with at night. I haven’t decided yet. Such a wonderful, charming-yeah, yeah, I know- sweet and heartwarming story.

As one of my favorite tropes, this is a friends-to-lovers story. Allie and Bash have been friends since they were seventeen, they’ve been through all the good, bad and ugly in their lives. They’ve seen each other at their best and inevitably at their worst. It was clear in the story that they both have been a little in love with each other from the start, it just had to take some teenage drama, money in trees and mysterious townsfolk with special powers to realize that.

Sharla Lovelace’s CHARMED, TEXAS series is just as the name suggests. Quite charming, with a dash of mystique that, what can I say, I liked very much. Characters are what you’d expect from a small town romance. Everyone knows everyone else and they naturally meddle in each other’s business. But they do it in such a way that not only can you not get irritated, you actually find yourself envying the kind of camaraderie. Probably being only the reader helps but still. It’s nice.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who loves small town romance, who likes friends-to-lovers stories, or when one part of the couple comes with a teenage daughter. Or, you know, if you like romance in general. Such a sweet, sweet romance. I honestly don’t want to run out of residents of Charmed, Texas. Send more people in, keep an eye out for those who could use a happily ever after, please.

I’m adding five big spoonfuls of this story into my hodgepodge.

I honestly didn't think this series could get any better but Once a Charmer is my favorite book in the Charmed in Texas series. And that is saying a lot because I have adored each story.

OMG- to have a relationship like Allie & Bash has in the end is every girl's dream. And I love watching them get to their HEA

If you are a fan of small towns, quirky characters, a little sexy time, & happily ever afters read Once a Charmer (& the other 2 books in the series :))

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

<strong>Perfect!</strong>

It should be noted that I simply adore friends to lovers stories, even still, this is truly one of the best I've ever read. The writing is witty and smart. The characters are genuine and authentic. The parenting moments are so real, it's like the author pulledy them from my life. The small town feel is so spot-on, Ms. Lovelace must be a small town girl (like myself or the best researcher around.

If you are looking for that perfect romance, because you've had a few fails recently, or just need what a good book can only do, you've just picked a winner.

This book was very engaging. Bash became Allie's friend way back in high-school, long before Allie started running her diner, before Bash started running his honey business, before Allie had her daughter when she was just 17. They were friends for years, until one unfortunate kiss made their relationship....weird.

Allie's diner (actually owned by her father who is not always lucid) falls 51% to a creep who is interested in collecting businesses after her father loses a gamble. At the same time, Allie's daughter starts to show interest in a young man who is known to many as a player, and Bash and Allie are volun-told they were nominated as the first Charmed Honey King and Queen. It is through all these situations where they discover their true attraction and figure out how to become best friends again with a little extra spice.

Sharla Lovelace is a new author for me. Although this book is the third in the Charmed series, but it stands alone. I found this book to be a fun read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I loved this story so much. Allie and Bash are obviously a perfect couple from the beginning of the story and Lovelace does an outstanding job of developing their characters and creating a story that makes this more than just a friends to lovers story. This story is emotional and funny and heartbreaking but worth every minute and since it is the first book in the series I read, I instantly went back and purchased the others as well.

Allie Greene and Bash Anderson have been best friends for years, but lately Allie has been thinking of Bash as more than just her friend. With things getting weird between her and Bash and Allie's livelihood threatened because of something foolish her dad did, Allie doesn't know what she'll do. Yet, when she finds herself partnered with Bash for the town's Honey King and Queen contest, they become closer than ever to the point where Bash will put their friendship on the line for them to become more. Will Allie break his heart or will she realize that her best friend is her Mr. Right?

Ms. Lovelace writes small town romances that are charming, filled with plenty of emotion that a reader can feel along with the characters, and this third book of her Charmed in Texas series was a wonderful and riveting read that made me laugh and made me want to cry because of not only what Allie goes through with Bash and their friendship being strained then moving to uncharted territory, but because of what is happening with Allie's livelihood and what happens to someone the hero and heroine love. The way this story started had me sympathizing with the heroine, because of something her dad did in the past that could cause her to lose something important to her. Will she find a way to get back what belongs to her?

As for the dialogue, it was well-written and very entertaining from start to finish, as the hero and heroine get their friendship back on track and then become so much more; the heroine deals with a complicated situation when it comes to her livelihood; and Allie deals with her daughter when it comes to life and love. Will the heroine's daughter listen to her advice? Will Allie's daughter finally realize that the heroine sees her as the best part of her life? However, there were also some really good light-hearted moments throughout this story, especially as Allie and Bash work together for the town's Honey King and Queen contest; and when Allie meets someone that can help her situation for the better.

Both the main characters were captivating and I loved how their relationship had it's up and downs, as they decide whether a relationship can work between them, and if they try and it doesn't, whether they can still be friends. Moreover, the heroine is strong, brave and I liked how protective she was of her daughter, as she wants better for her and doesn't want her daughter to end up in the same situation she did at her age. I also liked how feisty she was when it came to fighting for something that was important to her, even though it seemed hopeless in the way that things might not work out as Allie hopes. While the hero, he's hard-working, confident, doesn't back down from a challenge and I liked how protective he was of Allie and her daughter. They're family to him and he would do anything for them, which is proven by his determination to help her daughter when she gets herself into a spot of trouble.

Overall, Ms. Lovelace has delivered another fantastic read for this series where the chemistry between this couple was intense and undeniable; the romance took a while to move from platonic to physical intimacy, but was well worth the wait, as Bash shows Allie how precious she is to him; and the ending had me completely hooked, as Allie realizes that Bash is her Mr. Right and taking a chance on being with him is worth the risk of losing their friendship if things don't work out. I would recommend Once a Charmer by Sharla Lovelace, if you enjoy the friends to lovers trope or books by authors Crystal B. Bright, Stacy Finz, Kelly Moran and Cindy Kirk.

I don't know how it's possible, but I'm convinced that each installment of the Charmed, Texas series just gets better and better.

Sharla Lovelace has created in Once a Charmer just about my perfect romance. It's funny. It's magical. It's sexy. It's sweet. And, sometimes it's irreverent.

Allie is a single mother coping with a teenager, determined that her daughter doesn't make the same mistakes that she made. In just one day it seems like her world comes undone and to top it off, Allie doesn't have the same close friendship with Bash that she used to have because of a kiss months ago. So the best friend who used to be her sounding board through previous crises isn't there.

There are so many things I like about Once a Charmer. Both Allie and Bash seem real as does their relationship and their interactions with Allie's daughter, Angel. It's the realness in this relationship that makes everything seem more magical, even the magical seems more magical.

There are not one but two grand gestures. Bash is probably my favorite Charmed hero now even though I suspect the reader sees just a little less of him than previous heroes. He allows himself to be vulnerable to make these romantic gestures and speak from his heart. This former Marine has shown Allie that he is loyal to her over the years, being a friend when she needed one. And there's a scene where he seems momentarily like James Bond in his suit and the imagined visual...well...sigh.

And, like the previous installments, there is magic. So much magic.

All I can say is: more please!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful mix of angst, sexiness and romance.

Sharla Lovelace has a delightful way of producing a story with just the right amount of feels, steam and romance that easily engage me from the start. I have enjoyed reading her books which provide a lovely escape every time. With this third book in the Charmed in Texas series, she has once again recaptured the good and not so good quirks of living in a small town.

In Once a Charmer, we catch up with Bash Anderson and Allie Greene, whose lives have been intertwined since childhood, have been the best of friends for an entire lifetime and are all the family each other have along with Allie’s teenage daughter, Angel. Theirs is an angsty yet sizzling tale about courage, learning to leave the past behind and open themselves to the possibility of wonderful happiness beyond friendship.

As a single mother, Allie had spent the past fifteen years taking care of her daughter while running the family dinner and generally being a loner. Sure she could count on her best friend Bash for anything, including being a father figure to her daughter. Until she thought his life was in danger and hurried to help him. The rush of seeing him unharmed propelled her to kiss him and to her surprise he kissed her back. Ever since then, he’s been staring in her nightly dreams but during the daylight hours he seem to be avoiding her.

Fate strikes hard when and out of towner brings unwelcome news to Allie and stirs trouble for Bash’s apiary, and to make matters more interesting someone nominated them to be the town’s Honey King and Queen. Will they have the courage to build a romantic relationship over their lifelong friendship?

Neither of them could survive without the other, they had been each other’s support through just about everything. Even though they’re attracted to each other, they fight tooth and nail against it because the negative consequences of crossing intimate lines were just too dire to face. Until the desire is impossible to ignore and then the only thing that’s keeping them apart is Allie’s big chip on her shoulder and her fear of saying yes to the only man she’s ever loved.

I loved Allie and Bash’s story. It had the exact amount of all the right things. I was on their team and rooted for them from start to finish, even though Allie’s inability to see the awesomeness of her love for Bash did start to frustrate a bit. I also loved the town and the recurring characters. There’s a lot more to build on, and I couldn’t be more excited about what’s to come. Lovelace adds a wonderful story to her series.

Once a Charmer is book #3 in the Charmed in Texas series by author Sharla Lovelace. It is a standalone contemporary romance with a great balance between wit, steaminess, and heartfelt emotions.

Allie and Bash have been best friends since they were teenagers, always there for each other through thick and thin, a makeshift family without intimate benefits. Never wanting to jeopardize their friendship they ignored the mutual attraction until recently. A passionate kiss, three months ago, left them both discombobulated. Avoiding the issue, they’ve grown apart just when they need each other most. Allie finds out she could lose her diner, and her fifteen-year-old daughter, Angel is discovering the opposite sex! Bash is having his own business struggles, as well.

Once a Charmer ended up being a touching best-friends-to-lovers romance! I had my doubts because up until about the 37% mark I was getting a little frustrated that Bash and Allie weren’t communicating. I guess this was somewhat necessary because before this book I didn’t really know their history, only that there was some underlying sexual tension between them. Their romance really took off for me after that, with lusty, can’t-keep-our-hands-off-each-other exchanges, but I loved the close, tender moments between them just as much. I melted over how protective Bash could be with Allie and her daughter Angel. He made such soul-baring declarations, in public no less, that completely stole my heart! Bash and Allie truly completed each other, and with Angel they were a perfect, sweet, ready-made family!

This is a charming small town book with a friends to lovers theme. the town comes together for everything including the Honey Queen and King contest.
Allie and Bash are two of the contestants being thrown together for this contest. Two people who have been there for each other their whole lives. Even with her daughter he treats as his own. As they both have issues with their businesses right now, her Father gives her something she never thought he had, and she ha to go face the man that people don't visit to see where it came from.
The story takes you through the life of a small town girl who made a decision as a teenager and lives with that decision everyday. It controls the way she lives her life and she needs to loosen up.
This is the third book in the series but it can be read as a stand alone and it is worth the read.

** I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

This is the third book in this series by this author. This is a small town romance story that will keep you reading long into the night. I loved the characters in this book especially the story around the female lead. The story had me laughing and smiling all the way through. This author has a fab way of writing such powerful scenes that just reach out and grab you. I can't wait to read more from this author in the future.
Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book

One of my favorites from Charmed Texas- friends to lovers. Bash and Allie have been friends forever and never wanted to jeopardize that until "that kiss". Allie has always been busy with raising her daughter, running the local diner and helping her father that has dementia. Bash owns a beehive company and his life revolves around Allie and her daughter.

Love these characters and the quirky town of Charmed Texas, genuine and fun loving. Many laugh out moments. I highly recommend this story, along with the rest of the other stories set in Charmed

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars

While I enjoyed this book, I felt that in the end, the book was rushed. Ninety percent led up to Allie figuring out that life is worth living and being with Bash wouldn't bring the world crashing down on her.

I live in Small Town America and I relate to the feelings that Allie has and not wanting to give people reason to talk about her or Angel. What I find hard to believe is that she doesn't date at all since she had her daughter.

Small towns forgive, people forget and, just like in the book, we take care of our own.

I've been eagerly awaiting Bash and Allie's story after the last book. Best friends since forever but things changed, they had moments were it went past that. They danced around each other in the start, the tension was thick. But when they were on they were on like donkey kong, that special relationship all three of them. Uncle Bash has been there through it all. It got weird for a while but the whole pageant idea ultimately did push them closer in a different way.

Sigh. I like this side of Bash, definitely a charmer. The take charge and sweep Allie away kind. It was there lying dormant all along and Allie may have initiated the moments before but he knows what he wants now. Allie and her daughter Angel maybe be a package deal but not something new, it's one more transition they'll need to though. What with Allie's defensive leave before it gets messy too.

I get it really both of those two had issues with relationships. They mean too much to one another of risk it. But gah Allie, Bash layed things out already how bout throwing him a line. Bash was all sorts of solid guy and swoony, the fact that she was unsure made me want to push her. She took her time to get there that made it more real. Their relationship is like that it blossomed over a small little seedling that grew into a something bountiful.

All in all though the magic of Charm works its ways and those grand gestures! A sweet and fun story as always, with new characters and old faces. A enjoyable page turner of a read that makes you want of this series.

Allie Greene grew up in Charmed, TX and runs the family diner-The Blue Banana-while raising her daughter, Angel, and helping to take care of her father who has dementia. Having lived in the same trailer park as Carman Frost (Lucky Charmed) she too was a victim of her classmates’ teasing and the town’s disapproval. Intelligent, forthright, and always in control, Allie is shocked when she learns her father used the diner as collateral on a loan and now the loan shark has come to collect. Only, he doesn’t want money…he wants the diner.

I own fifty-one percent…

Oh my God

What did you do, Dad?

While Allie is trying to deal with the fact her livelihood may be taken away from her, she soon discovers through the grapevine aka the town pharmacist that her daughter may have a boyfriend and may be thinking about sex while the one person she wants to discuss all this with is avoiding her because of a spontaneous kiss.

Bash Anderson.

Bash is the town lothario and Allie’s best friend. He’s been at her side through thick and thin since high school. A father figure to Allie’s daughter and the local apiarist, Bash has his own problems, the main one being his attraction to Allie. He has always loved Allie but that love becomes sexually fueled after a shared kiss. However, she and Angel are the only family he has and they mean the world to him. He couldn’t survive losing them so he is trying his best to ignore his feelings and keep their friendship purely platonic.

“You and Angel are my family. I’ll always be there for you.”

Once again, Lovelace takes us back to the small fictional town of Charmed, TX and brings us a funny, sweet, and satisfying friends to lovers romance between a single mother and her best friend in the whole wide world. Written in the first person, Lovelace tells her story through the eyes of Allie Greene-mother, father, daughter, caretaker, and business owner. Though touted as a romance, this story’s focus is more on all the different kinds of love in Allie’s life-her family, her friends, the town, her business-and how she deals with them. She has so many fingers in so many pies yet she handles it like a pro because she’s never had a choice not to. I especially enjoyed her relationship with her daughter. Firm but fair, Allie tries to be the perfect parent only to discover nothing about life or teenagers is perfect.

“In a month we can have this conversation.”

“He may not still be intersted in a month.”

“If he’s not interested in you in a month from now, then he’s not worth having.” Oh sweet God, even as the words were flyng out of my mouth, I heard every old person I’d ever known.

There is a strong sense of isolation surrounding Allie even though she has a strong support system around her. She is reluctant to accept help from anyone because she learned early in life that no one ever stays. Her mother died and left her alone with a father who gambled away their savings and home. Her ex-boyfriend left her when he found out she was pregnant. The town turned their back on her when she needed them most. Even now she feels abandoned by her father because of his dementia. When push comes to shove, however, she lowers her guard and accepts the helping hands that have always been there.

“You’re Charmed family. We’ve got you.”

Strong narrative, witty banter, and dynamic characters kept me thoroughly entertained as we watch Lovelace bring together this prickly couple. Lovelace has an engaging and humorous voice for writing about everyday people. Her dry wit infiltrates the storyline as does her understanding of human nature. Sizzling chemistry and emotionally ripe scenes help to put the romance in motion and convince the reader this couple has a chance.

“”What do you want to do?”

“I want to hear your breath catch when I get close, I want to see your eyes go all dark and sexy when you touch me, I want to feel the growly sigh you make in your cheat when we kiss.”

I only wish it had more one on one heart to heart. The subplots take up quite a bit of the storyline, causing a rush to wrap everything up at the end. There was that faint touch of paranormal that has been interwoven into the series that, in my opinion, was just a lazy out for Lovelace to take.

Once again Lovelace delivers readers a well rounded small town romance that will keep you laughing and swooning with pleasure.

RATING: B

This is the third book in the Charmed in Texas series and the second book that I have read and certianly feel that this could be read on a stand alone basis. For me, this book falls under single mother/friends to lovers/small town romance tropes.

I have to say I really enjoyed this book. It's told in the sole POV of Allie and as a general rule, I much prefer dual POV but it this case and I didn't mind it all. I found myslef invested in this story from the get go and it really held my attention throughout. Of course, I somewhat knew where the story was going but it didn 't feel cheesy or predictible. I feel that Sharla Lovelace has really set the scene for the small town of Charmed and delivers a real range of supporting characters that help pad out out the story. This was a really well paced read. It had chuckles and comedic moments but it also packed a nice emotional punch. The characters are well rounded and though out and this is one I would definitely recommend.

I was provided with a copy of this book from the Publisher via NetGalley; there was no inducement or obligation.

I think I may have said this after every book in this series so far, but these Charmed in Texas books are everything that I love about small town romance. They consistently get the tone just right, capturing the quirky and fun secondary characters, the sweetness and bitterness of small towns, and that cozy way these stories can warm your heart when done juuuust right.

Once a Charmer is no exception. I fell so easily into this story, reacquainting myself with all the charm that Charmed has to offer, and basically immediately losing my heart to Allie and Bash. It was impossible not to find them both completely endearing, though I will say that I sort of wished I had felt more romance between them. I would have liked some more time spent exploring their recognition of feelings – some flirty banter, some swoony dialogue. Though, what I did love is that we are given a relationship that has already been long established and a dynamic that is a sweet slow burn on top of a years old, steadfast friendship. It felt so authentic to me and I had no problem buying into their feelings for each other. It’s not that I doubted that there were strong feelings there, I think Ms. Lovelace did a phenomenal job of painting that picture for us in past and present tense – but I missed a bit of that “falling-in-love” feeling sometimes.

That said? The story here felt way bigger than a romance. There’s an air of magic laced through each of these stories and that is something I’ve come to completely adore. I also adored the relationship between Allie, Bash, and Allie’s daughter Angel, who - speaking of authentic writing - could not have been a more true-to-life character. The dynamic between this unconventional little family completely stole my heart with its sweetness, while also ringing completely true in that it wasn’t always pretty. The moments they spent functioning as a family were some of the sweetest for me in this book, and went a long way toward making up for some of that “falling-in-love” that I felt like I was missing.

In all – I could not be more happy that I took a chance on a new-to-me author at the start of this series. These books are a complete delight to read, a balm for my world weary heart, and completely satisfying.