5 stars. Madison Hewitt's last relationship broke her heart, the woman just lied to her the entire time and ruined a lot of chances in her career. She meets Jen Winslow at a wedding and they instantly click and have a connection. They hook up at the wedding but Madison is afraid of more after her last relationship. When Jen is volunteering to help with a fundraiser for the school Madison works out, they continue to evolve their relationship with each other, but they start out as friends.

I really enjoyed this novel. I enjoyed the dynamic between Jen and Madison. I enjoyed how their relationship progressed as the novel went on. I enjoyed their chemistry and the way they interacted with each other. I enjoyed their backstory and understood and liked the pace of the relationship in the novel. I really enjoyed the dialogue. It was well written and I found it easy to read quickly. I highly recommend this novel. I have not read novels by this author, but now I will look more up as I really liked this novel.

Wow.. Wow. This is a age gap romance about two women Madison and Jen finding each other and discovering themselves. I love the characters because they were very realistic and came across as friends we can all relate to. It was complex, heartfelt and very funny. I would recommend this book. Four stars.

Thank You NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books Inc. Leigh Hays : Too Good to be true

Madison Hewitt was on her way to achieving her goal of getting her PHD but somewhere along the way she was forced to make a detour having to be satisfied with just a Masters Degree. Actually it was from the efforts put forth by her former lover who decided to play dirty after Madison walked away from their relationship. I mean how long was she to wait for her lover to leave her wife. When it became apparent Madison decided to move home and take a job as a social worker helping kids wherever she could.
She was lucky when her parents were able to step in and love her like their own after being taken from her drug addicts birth parents. Now she was in a much better place, working a job she liked and hopefully starting a relationship with Jen, a woman who had a few years on her, along with her young son but the main stumbling block was the soon to be ex wife.
Jen Winslow worked hard to make m0ney for various causes. She’s good at her job but she can feel her co-worker climbing the ladder making moves to pass Jen in the world of big donors. Her young son is doing fine but her ex-wife or I should say her soon to be ex-wife is dragging her heels to make their divorce final. At her nieces wedding she’d met a very attractive younger woman. When the weekend ended she left her phone number hoping the young woman, Madison would call her. Imagine her surprise when she finds Madion working at her son’s school.
With various twists and turns Ms Hays has given us a pretty good read.
ARC via NetGalley/Bold Stroke Books

When Jen and Madison meet at a wedding, their connection is instantaneous and the night they spend together is unforgettable. But when Madison finds out Jen has an ex-wife and child, she calls off any chance of a relationship before one can even begin. She's been involved with a married woman before, and it nearly destroyed her both personally and professionally. Jen walks back into her life as the the two work together on a fundraising project for Jen's son Carter's school, where Madison works as a social worker. They try to fight their attraction, but as the two women grow closer, they begin to wonder if there is a future for them or is there too much baggage in the way?

The chemistry in this book was really off the charts, I loved the tension and the pull between Jen and Madison at every point in their relationship. I wasn't as keen on the Rachel side of the story, but it all worked out in the end. The circle of family and friends that flesh out Jen and Madison's world were really wonderful characters, and made for a really cozy read. This is my first book by Leigh Hays and I adored it. I definitely will have to go back and read their debut. I'm also hopeful we'll see Nat's story in the future!

Also as a die hard Aurora Rey fan I nearly died when Carriage House Gin showed up in this book as a fun little crossover.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Once again Leigh Hays puts me places I know and I love it. It is not just the fact that I have been to the places where Madison and Jen walk and talk, but how Hays makes them new again. I want to go back and taste the dishes and think Jen made fun of Madison here. Or Madison touched Jen here. Hehehehe...I know what happened when Jen and Madison left here, damn I need to get home to that bookmarked section. Hays makes it fresh and welcome.

Too Good To Be True is a funny and at times complexingly deep romance. We all have our inner demons that we don’t see, but our friends can call us on in a minute. Hays highlights this ability deftly in this story. Once we hear these truths do we want to acknowledge them? Deal with them? Or make a joke and pass them off?

I’m not telling (laugh).

I will say this: I loved Providence the first book I read by Hays and I love this one too. This is one book that is not Too Good To Be True. Happily Ever After guaranteed.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

When Jen rescues Madison from her ex at a wedding, they wind up spending the night together. Although Madison does not expect to see Jen again, she is surprised to run into her again when she starts her new job,. Even though Jen knows it's not a great idea to pursue a relationship with a work colleague, Jen decides to continue spending time with Madison. Since Jen shares a home with her ex wife, would Madison be suspicious of Jen's intentions? Madison most certainly has insecurities due to a past unhealthy relationship with an ex and even though Jen is very different from her past experiences, Madison does not trust Jen's commitment. Will Madison be able to fully trust Jen?
This is a well written story. It was interesting to see how both Madison and Jen figured out a few things about themselves which helped them move forward.

I’ll be honest, after reading the first book in this series - this wasn’t what I was expecting from the second book - but nonetheless I really enjoyed it.

Jen is a fundraiser for Brown, still married to her ex and sharing both a house and custody of her son. At the wedding of her niece she meets Madison and they take the opportunity to share a night together.

Madison is a social worker, recovering from a bad relationship she returns to Providence and finds herself working at the school Jen is on the board of.

Whilst it’s the second in the series, the characters are tied together by the town they live in, rather than a friendship group. You don’t need to have read the first book - Providence - to read this one. Lindsey is friends with Jen and appears briefly, whilst Rebekiah is only mentioned - so you won’t miss anything in this storyline.

Their friends and families integrate well into the storyline. I found the relationship Jen had with her friends to be effective as part of the narrative in understanding who Jen is and how she fits with Madison. Madison’s family are included just enough for background infill and some familial grilling of Jen.

I loved Madison’s relationship with Carter, Jen’s son. The natural bond they have over geeky things is written really well and it helped to build a picture of any long term future Jen and Madison might have together.

The inevitable angst happens with enough time for things to be resolved with a satisfying end, and I felt the ending was appropriate for the pair. I’m hoping that they’ll be another in the series and we’ll get to see some brief glimpses of them again.

I can’t say this is the worlds most exciting book - but it is a good portrayal of how life looks when it’s complicated and you’re trying to do your best as a couple in building and maintaining a respectful relationship. I was surprised that the sex scenes weren’t steamier after reading Providence - but they do seem fitting for this pairing.

Any wlw age gap romance fans should find something to enjoy in this one, as will most other romance fans.

I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I hadn’t read this author before, I didn’t realise this was book two in the series, but I don’t think I missed anything by reading this without Book 1.

I thought this was ok, but there were too many things that annoyed me for me to really enjoy it. The MCs are Jen, who works as a Development Officer at a local university and Madison, a social worker at the school that Jen’s son attends. The two meet at a wedding and hook up but once Madison finds out Jen has a son, she decides nothing will come of it. They then meet up again through the school but Madison’s past with a married woman and Jen’s (annoyingly complicated) living situation with her ex gives her cold feet. There’s also an age difference to contend with.

They keep meeting up socially though and eventually that leads to them getting together but there’s a lot of revisiting Madison’s worries about her last relationship and the age gap and on Jen’s side, the very frustrating situation with the ex. It takes way too long for her to grow a backbone and actually put up boundaries there.

To be honest, I couldn’t warm to either character, Madison started off ok, and I was intrigued by her family situation, but then she just settles into a pattern of revisiting her issues, and that got old fairly quickly. Jen was even more of an issue, because I couldn’t even fathom putting up with the situation with her ex. They were ok together, but it wasn’t enough to make up for the other issues. I also found the end a bit rushed, seemed like they went in circles for ages, and then everything just falls into place.

People who like age/gap, push/pull type romances will likely enjoy this more than I did. 3 stars.

So I really love age gap romances so this was a real plus! I absolutely hate meddling and controlling family members so that was a drawback for me in the story. But I have to say that I still enjoyed it and would recmmend it if you want to read a nice and quick love story about two women finding each other and kind of themselves.
4 1/2 stars

As a self professed age gap fan, I sort of expected more. If there's something I'm not a big fan of in age gap romances, it's that power and maturity imbalance being extremely visible.
I had a feeling of Madison's insecurity appearing in the key moments, and I did not like it.
That being said, the rest of the book is quite likable and an easy read.

This book was realistic, but the thing is I did not think they belong together. Jen was super great. not all the time but her character was consistent in terms of maturity and growth. Madison was ok at first but then ( whether it was her constant reminder of her old relationship or the age gap, I'm not sure) she really was annoying. Moreover, reading the reviews I realized this is the second series i'm not sure if I read the first or not. my point is you dont need to read the first to understand or like this one. Finally, its well written and I dont regret reading it. thanks for the author and her team.

This series is really going in the right direction. The first book was really good and this one was even better. I just liked the characters more. Jen and Madison were real people and that made me relate to them. Jen was fighting to let go of her ex-wife but at the same time scared to let her go. Who wouldn’t be scared to start over, mid forties, without the person that you have loved and lived with for well over 10 years. And Madison was scared to get hurt again after she lost everything to her manipulative “ex”. I loved the story, the dialogue, and the characters. Can’t wait for the next book.

I realised a bit late in the game that this actually the second book in this series. I feel like I didn't miss anything, but maybe someone who read the other book can tell me if I did miss something.

After an affair that has left Madison not only heartbroken but without a career perspective she moves to Providence. She starts a new job as a social worker at a private school. Jen is raising co-parenting a 10-year-old while struggling to actually divorce her wife. When Jen and Madison meet at a wedding sparks fly. Jen rescued Madison from an uncomfortable situation, Jen likes "rescuing" people but she tends to forget to look after her own needs. With an age-gap, some conflict of interest, and personal issues the sparks might never ignite to a flame.

The book has some depth you don't often see with families that are breaking up and characters evolving from there and other circumstances in their lives. I think that is pretty well done. But mostly I'm a bit wishy-washy when it comes to this book, I'm not sure if I liked the story or the characters but I did enjoy reading it. I've held off on writing a review because I can't wrap my head around it. So I don't know, would I recommend reading this book? Sure, why not? Would I read it again? Maybe in a couple of years (as is the case with most books).

Lovely romance about 2 women who have been burnt in the past and this made them the persons they are today. Flawed and all. Jenn is divorced with a 10 year old and an not-quite-ex-wife, trying to get her life back. She meets Madison, has a great night with her, but that's it. Until they meet again at her son's school.
This is also an age gap romance in a way, it is mentioned several times, but both characters are painted as equals so if it wouldn't have been stated the age gap probably would not have been immediately noticed by the reader.
I liked both characters and their interactions, their was a believable pace to their romance and also a realistic approach to working through problems and gaining self awareness. It's not a plot with a lot of action, a few dates, a few bumps, some very hot scenes and overall a definite feelgood romance that makes you want to curl up on your couch, get a blanket and enjoy the read.

***An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review ***

This age-gap pull and push romance provided two interesting and reflective main characters. Madison Hewitt, social worker, always seems to end up on the short side of a relationship. She is looking but not looking for a long term relationship. Jen Winslow, has a demanding career, an adorable son named Carter, and an "ex-wife", Rachel.

This is a read about letting go and moving on. The read is also about family, self-care, self-confidence, and facing life challenges. Both Madison and Jen have emotional baggage. As they spend time together they slowly realize what the other has to offer. The question is, will they act on it. What was most appealing about this read was the depth of character and the self-reflection/self-talk. I really connected with there internal struggle because in my opinion, that is often what happens in real life, when dealing with people and relationships.

A mother in the process of divorce struggles to put herself first, and a woman with underlying abandonment issues collide in this sweet love story. The chemistry is a little awkward at first, but evens out into a steady slow build. There were smatterings of live action gaming, which is definitely new to me, and unexpected, but to each their own. All in all, it was entertaining and sweet.

This book is H-O-T hot. It starts with a bang when our two main characters, Madison and Jen, meet at a wedding and have a fiery one night stand. Of course it doesn't end there, and neither do the fireworks between these two.

If you're looking for a romance with heart and plenty of sexy this is definitely the book for you.

If your looking for an age gap romance with just the right amount of angst with a family aspic thrown in then your gonna love this book as much as I did.

When Madison and Jen fall into bed when they meet for the first time at a wedding. However it’s not till months later that the two connect again as much as Madison tries to fight her attraction to Jen she is slowly losing that fight.
I like how the author took her time and developed the relationship between the two MC because when you throw children into a storyline you need to make it real for the reader.

This book pulled me in with ease and I enjoyed everything about this story. It was my first book by Hays and I’m intrigued to see where she goes next

I received an advance readers copy from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review

With only two books under her belt, Leigh Hays has become a must-read for me. I was blown away by Providence earlier in the year, and Too Good To Be True is most certainly a worthy sophomore effort.

Jen and Madison, with a 14-year age gap and both bringing lots of baggage from previous relationships, meet at a wedding and sparks fly. Boy, do they. Neither pursue a relationship, but each daydreams about the other until a chance meeting between them occurs and sets up a series of trying to get into each others' orbit. There's a lot of juicy angst in this book, as you would expect from career-ruining exes, wives that just won't go away, family backgrounds, and lead characters in different stages of life. And it all works perfectly. I REALLY wanted these two to work out.

I love the way Leigh Hays writes. It's dense and rich and lush and super-detailed but there's not one wasted word. This isn't a light and breezy story, but it's fulfilling and really something to sink your teeth into.

This relationship is sweet. both characters learn a lot about themselves as they grow throughout the story. it has a little steam, but is really a sweet romance that has a lot of heart to it and just hits you right in the feels.