Adriana Locke brings all the cute, swoony and sweet feelings in this second- chance and small town romance, Like You Love Me. Butterflies in stomach. Smile on my face. This story was the definition of feel good romance.

Holden and Sophie became summer best friends when he used to spend the vacation in Honey Creek, the small town where his grandfather has a running veterinary clinic. They didn't get the chance to become more as Holden became busy with his career. Now he has come back to the town after some professional and personal setbacks. They reconnect and old camaraderie is back. Now a strange situation has arisen. Holden needs to show that he is committed to marriage to bag his lifelong dream job. And Sophie needs financial help desperately to save her family bed&breakfast. Deal is deal. But they didn't consider the emotions.

It's a very simple story narrated beautifully. Holden spent his life trying to live up to his father's expectations. And he is weary of human connection. Sophie, for the first time, made him feel open and relaxed and wholesome happy. She has been betrayed and hurt in past relationships. But Holden pushed away her scepticism and insecurity. And made her feel truly loved and cherished even though it all started with a fake marriage. I love them individually and then together. They both are exceptional people with so much positivity. Their relationship is based on a solid friendship. On trust, respect and care. They did have different futures in their head and it was a great internal battle but they soon realised love is the greatest asset. Swoon and sighs all over! The colourful characters of Honey Creek accompanied me in this journey and I am so excited for their stories.


Adriana Locke captured the simple, relaxing and very intimate qualities of small town romance in Like You Love Me perfectly. This is that kind of adorable story where I can lose myself within the pages and leave behind all my worries and stress. And then come out on the other side with a refreshed mind.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

Adriana Locke is the Queen of small town romance and she hasn't failed with this new series.
Honey creek is a small town full of great characters and this story of child hood friends reconnecting and finding each other is like a warms summers day ,- sweet , sexy and will make you feel all the feels

3.25/5 stars!

When events happened that were out of his control, the hero decided to help his grandfather's veterinarian practice as he assesses his life. The heroine has financial woes after her ex took off with more than his share of the money. A marriage of convenience comes up to solve the couple's individual troubles, as well as forcing forward the feelings they have for each other.

I liked the small-town vibes of the story, and how the couple were friends before they became lovers. I also think that particular events in the story foreshadows more books in the future featuring other characters, especially the heroine's siblings. There were some details that could be added to make the story flow more smoothly; more details were also needed for characters to give a better image of their personalities. However, those are my preferences and did not detract from the whole story.

Overall the book is a nice friends-to-lovers story featuring likable characters and small-town vibes.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy in exchange of an honest review.**

Adriana Locke is the queen of small-town romances and Like You Love Me did not disappoint! I love the charm of the small-town setting. I love that you can walk into any business and they know who you are and they ask about your day or that you have an arrangement where you can pay for services with pie. While reading Like You Love, I could close my eyes and be transported there. That is due to Ms. Locke's writing style. Another thing she does well is she writes characters you can't help, but love and that is not just the main characters, it includes the side characters as well!

Holden and Sophie just clicked. They had such an ease to their friendship. It was a good foundation for making their pretend marriage work. I loved how fun and playful they were! It was fun watching Sophie and Holden grow as individuals and as a couple. Can't wait to see what is coming next in the Honey Creek series!

Small town romances have that sense of community and family that no other trope can do as well and this book had that feeling in spades. I loved the detail in the town and going so far to recreate memories of the town in Sophie and Holden's childhood memories. This made this book even more special than I expected.

Sophie and Holden were adorable and I loved the foundation their relationship was built on because long lasting friendships are the best foundation but rediscovering that friendship makes for a good book and great stories! They both had history and issues they had to work out and I enjoyed reading their story and seeing if they overcame their issues. I loved Holden's dream job story line, I felt it brought so much love and heart to the story as each character gave their advice on what to do when you feel conflicted between love and the rest of life. Each supporting character had such a detailed backstory it felt as if I had been reading their story way longer than this one book!

This book was written beautifully and I hope we get to see Liv and Jobe's stories soon because I need more of Sophie, Jobe, and Liv's sibling interactions!!

As sweet as a Ring Pop!

Holden is all kinds of charming! There's no way Sophie could resist his "let's solve each other's problems" proposal and I adored every bit of it!

This is a delightful romance between Holden and Sophie, who spent every summer together throughout their childhoods but then haven't seen each other for the past decade. I love the way the entire town supported them, and there was no "fake marriage" drama lingering in the background.

The romance is intense and steamy, but the meat of the story is Holden's struggle to find what he really wants to do with his life, not just with his career. I really enjoyed the vibrant small town setting, the cheeky and insightful characters, and the focus on the day to day philosophies that highlight everything that makes life worth living.

The entire book was such a joy to read from start to finish. I highly recommend it for all romance readers. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

I loved this story and the characters, I read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down, it was simply amazing!

I really enjoyed this sweet small town romance! It's soft and gentle, perfect for when you want something low angst, swoony, and warm to lift you up and make you believe in true love.

I loved the friends to lovers relationship, they were so charming together, with the kind of banter and comfort that only comes from a twenty year friendship. It felt mildly insta-love within the confines of the book, but not really if you consider their shared history.

No one writes small town romance like Adriana. It felt like I was transported to this small southern town, full of adorable businesses and quirky townspeople. I can't wait to read more about this world, hopefully about the other Bates siblings!

Quietly adorable, laidback, and a sweet, feel good read, this was just what I needed. It's more understated than a lot of this author's work, leaning into its charming, heartfelt feel, but the story is exactly the kind that I like in a small town romance. These two are childhood friends who lost track of each other until recently, and their very adult selves might just fit perfectly - whether that works for their current plans or not. They're both genuinely good people who openly care for each other, and the angst is kept at a minimum. It's got a touch of sexiness and only a little steam, instead focusing on the emotional connection and the small town lifestyle. I enjoyed it the whole way through, and while this wasn't a standout read for me, it was a sweet dose of low angst goodness.

The story follows Sophie and Holden, two people who flirted with making the shift from friends to lovers during their youth, but never seized the opportunity. When Holden returns to town following the end of his engagement and the loss of his job, he's feeling adrift. And Sophie has her own issues - her bed and breakfast is undergoing renovations, and the debt her ex left her with is coming due. A marriage of convenience seems like the solution to both of their problems, but neither one expects it to come with its own complications. Sophie and Holden's marriage might be temporary, but the feelings they're developing are starting to feel very permanent.

This is definitely a different vibe from the author, and I enjoyed the laidback feel. I've read several of her small town romances in the past, and this is probably the sweetest, easiest one. It's low angst and high feels, bringing the sweetness and the quiet, slow burn. There's actually very little in terms of heat, though there's one SEXY scene and obvious chemistry throughout. I loved how these two transitioned from friends to lovers, and I loved that there was no major angst. It felt natural and authentic, which is a definite plus. We're also introduced to Sophie's siblings, and I'm intrigued by their stories. The small town feel was really working for me, so we'll see where this series goes next. I received an early copy via NetGalley, and am voluntarily leaving a review of this marriage of convenience romance.

Like You love Me is a wonderful heart warming read. You will fall in love with Holden and Sophie over and over again throughout this one. I have a feeling that Honey Creek is going to be a very addicting series. You get the sweet, the sexy and you get the sass too when it comes to Holden and Sophie. I love how Sophie handles Holden and his grandpa. When it comes to Holden you don't know whether you want to smack him to knock sense into him or just to love him as is. Sophie you get why she is the way she is. You will love her for standing her ground. She is sweet and lends a helping hand when needed. You that childhood bond between Holden and Sophie the minute they are reunited. I really couldn't get enough of this one. Like You Love Me is such a breathe of fresh air. You need to one click this one and meet the lovely town of Honey Creek today.

Oh my goodness! I absolutely adored Holden and Sophie! You will not want to put their story down. It's the perfect small town feel good friends to lovers story/marriage of convenience story.

Childhood friends Holden and Sophie haven't seen each for several years until Holden returns to Honey Creek to help his Pap, the town vet out, it's just a passing visit for Holden though as he is waiting on a call that he hopes will map out his future.

After her Grandma passes Sophie took over the running of Honey Creek B&B, Honey Creek is home for Sophie it's where her Sister and Brother live, it's the only place she has ever wanted to live but the B&B is struggling she needs an injection of cash quickly if she is going to save it.

Holden needs to impress his potential new employers, they are all about family which of course leads him to say he's married! So who does he turn to but his childhood bff, I mean they only need to convince his potential new boss and then they can go their separate ways. Sounds like a good plan, right?

Another amazing story from one of my favourite authors! It was perfection!

A sweet fake marriage romance that hit all the right spots. Sparks fly when Sophie and Holden reconnect after years apart. Their friendship picks up right where it left off, well except the fake marriage thing! Holden needs to prove he is a stable man for a job he wants and Sophie needs something to. Can they get what they need from each other without succumbing to the attraction that never really went away? Definitely worth a read!

This was the sweetest childhood friends to lovers book ever! Holden just got fired from his job and broke up with his fiancee, so he comes back to Honey Creek, Tennessee to run his grandpa’s vet clinic for a while while he is out of town. There he runs into Sophie. They were good friends when they were young, and even got married when they were ten. Nothing ever actually happened between them when they were old enough, but there was always an attraction there.

Holden is trying to get his dream job in Florida, and the boss there tells him that Holden getting married is a leg up on the competition since it means he can commit. Holden doesn’t correct him, so now has to figure something out. Sophie runs the bed and breakfast that her grandma left to her, but owes $5,000 in taxes by next month or she will lose it. Holden suggests that they get married. This will help him get the job, and in return he will pay the taxes.

Their attraction for each other has never gone away, and they start to fall for each other. This causes problems when he has to consider moving to Florida. Everything ends up with a happy ending, but this book broke my heart in the process. The romance made up for it though, and definitely pieced my heart back together.

This was my first book by Adriana Locke, but definitely will not be my last. I cannot wait to see where she takes the rest of this series either.

5 stars
I received this book for free in return for an honest review.

Sophie and Holden's story is a sweet romantic story about two people coming together for their own reasons, but it turns into so much more than either of them bargained for.. Childhood friends that spent summers together as the best of friends who meet again as adults with their own different sets of problems. They make an agreement and come together to solve them both, but in the end, love conquers all. Adriana Locke has written a story that will pull at your heart strings and brings two people that were always destined to love to be together.

Holden heads to Tennessee after everything in his life has fallen apart. He’s no longer engaged and he lost his job. So heading to his grandfathers vet clinic to work until he can straighten things out. He used to spend his summers in the small town of Honey Creek.

Upon his return he runs into Sophia right away. She was his childhood friend when he came to visit I the summers.

Sophia has taken over running her grandmothers bed and breakfast. But she’s about to lose it all after her ex husband took her money and ran. So when Holden comes to stay, their friendship takes a turn.

A conversation under the influence of a terrible bottle of wine and the next afternoon they both married to one another to help out both of their futures. But as they grow closer together they are the sooner they are going to be apart.

Can they keep their goals in their sight and move forward?

Y'all Like You Love Me was the book equivalent of a warm fuzzy. It had all of the charm of small town romance, complete with lovable nosy townspeople and well-intentioned meddling family members, with a heap of sparky chemistry and a sweet, heartfelt romance to boot.

Holden and Sophie were adorable! This story was pretty low angst, and I enjoyed my time luxuriating the sweet heat of emotion these two inspired. Their romance bloomed quickly, but with the foundation of childhood friendship it built off of, it didn't feel forced or "too fast" for me. These two were true friends-to-lovers and I loved the evolution, the care they had for each other, and the flirty - yet straightforward - way they communicated with each other.

From the adorable, eye-catching covers, to the warm, sweet story tucked between them - Like You love Me was a delight to read! It's a simple, straightforward, feel good love story that left my heart so happy. I so enjoyed this first trip to Honey Creek and can't wait go come back for more!

This was just super enjoyable and I can't believe I read it so fast, guess that's what happens when a story sucks you in. It's small town, friends to lovers, marriage of convenience. And even though they've known each other for years, the love story moves fast. Like it did not take Holden and Sophie any time at all to fall hard. But I think maybe they were always drawn to one another and it was fate. This was sweet and made me smile, with just the right amount of humor and emotion. I loved these two.

5 Stars for this laugh-out-loud romance!

I just loved Sophie and Holden ... they both knew what they wanted for their life. This story is a sweet romance that had me laughing and rooting for them to stay married. And of course, this book had me swooning, as is typical when I read one of Adriana's books. When I need a pick-me-up, I can count on one of her books to cheer me up ... I usually have a smile on my face the whole time I'm reading. A great start to a new series and I can't wait for Liv and Jobie's stories.

Sophie's dream is to stay in Honey Creek and run her grandmother's bed and breakfast, but the back taxes owed may crush that dream. Holden has always wanted to work for a prestigious veterinarian clinic in Florida, but he has to change his playboy lifestyle. So, the two childhood friends decide to help each other out. Holden will pay off Sophie's back taxes and Sophie will marry Holden ... just till he gets the job. Now all they have to do is keep this marriage of convenience platonic.

I received an early copy courtesy of Montlake through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review,

Many tropes in this one but you know what- it's a nice distraction from the news of the day! Holden and Sophie were friends as kids; now he's a vet and she's trying to keep her bed and breakfast from the tax man. They make a deal- he'll pay her taxes if she will marry him. See, he's applied to a job in Florida where they like married vets. Hmm. Will she do it? Can she save the Inn? What happens if he takes the job in Florida? You can guess what's going to happen but Locke has done some nice world building with the town. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's an easy read,

Like You Love Me is the first book by Adriana Locke set in a wonderful and inviting small town called Honey Creek. The story has all the ear marks of a television Rom Com with young man returning to his home town and reacquainting with his childhood bestie, and their hairbrained plan to secure their futures. A well-written and descriptive storyline and charming, engaging and sometimes funny characters made this an easy to read and thoroughly entertaining journey with Holden and Sophie. I’m looking forward to meeting more of the residents of Honey Creek in the future.