If you are looking for a small town fiction romance, this is the book for you. I have read Kathleen Fuller’s Amish books, so I had to adjust my thought process to contemporary fiction. I enjoyed reading about Riley and Hayden’s story, particularly when Riley has to come home to help her grandmother. It reminded me of my relationship that I had with my grandmother. This story is heartwarming and faith inspired.

I was giving a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my review and honest opinion.

Hooked on You by Kathleen Fuller is a sweet contemporary romance, and the first in the Maple Falls series. Riley McAllister is living the dream in New York City, if the dream means being a struggling mixed-media artist, part-time food delivery driver, and having a carefully curated social media to hide all of the above. She refuses to admit defeat and move back to small-town Maple Falls, but when her grandmother breaks her leg sliding into third base during a softball game (she was safe, by the way), Riley reluctantly agrees to go home and help the woman who raised her—while secretly hoping she can convince Mimi to sell her house and yarn shop and move in with a good friend. Then Riley can return to her new life in NYC, on her own and for good. But Mimi has her own plans, which include setting Riley up with local baseball star Hayden Price, who returned to Maple Falls after an injury ended his major league career. Now he works at his father’s hardware store, coaches the church softball team, and worries about the declining town. It’s not the life he dreamed of having.
With a little meddling and a lot of kindness from the town, Hayden and Riley find themselves unexpectedly falling for each other as they discover the true meaning of home.

Hooked on You is all about the feels. Riley has some issues, thanks to a less than happy childhood, and has spent most of her life pushing people away so they do not ask questions or have a chance to hurt her. The only person she let in was her grandmother, so when she called looking for help and not taking no for an answer Riley does as asked. I liked that there is a solid slow brewing relationship growing between Riley and Hayden through the story, they each do some personal growth and soul searching as well. Love does not instantly make everything better, but gives them reasons to try. I like that the issues Riley and Hayden face are real, challenging issues and that therapy, friendship, and communication are what helps everyone move forward and figure things out. I liked the characters and thought even the secondary characters were well fleshed out and interesting. I think there will be many readers eager to continue this series in order to see their favorites find happiness, and to see Riley and Hayden again. There is a christian romance feel here, and super low heat (kissing and thoughts of attraction only ). Fans of the author might expect this, but it was my first time reading their work.

Hooked on You is a romance with low heat, and high emotions.

This is the first book in Kathleen Fuller’s Maple Falls series. I am used to Kathleen Fuller’s Amish books, which I love. This is also her first contemporary romance. Kathleen Fuller knows how to write books with strong characters and she doesn't mention a character once and then forgets about them.
You can’t help but fall in love with the people in this small town. Riley McAlilister returns home to help her sick grandmother. She befriends Hayden Price, a boy who went to high school with her. I liked seeing their relationship unfold.
This is a story about family, friends and taking a chance on love. I look forward to the next books because they will feature Riley’s other friends.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I enjoyed this book! The characters were entertaining from the start. I loved the storyline and how the characters all interacted.

<i>Hooked on You</i> follows the traditional romance genre tropes. In addition, awareness of the effect of childhood trauma on adult psyches is highlighted, which gives the book a very "now" emphasis.

Nothing has come easy for Riley. And even when it appears so, she has a tendency to sabotage her relationships, even with those she loves. On the other hand, most things have come easily to Hayden; although he might not be aware that this causes his frustrations when things don't go as planned. Can these two help heal one another? With a little help from their friends.... (and families.

I found the portrayal of small towns in decline, as buildings become empty or upkeep is ignored, very relatable to those readers that live or work around communities like this one. But the feeling of community also runs through the novel and helps create a positive atmosphere .

A little more truth-telling previously might have helped avoid some angst, but this seems to be the norm for many stories in all forms of media!

A cute Hallmark style movie. I enjoyed reading and Grandma and Riley. Anytime there is a grandma story I always enjoy it. I would have like to read a little more about Riley finding her way out of her past because it seemed to have a grip on her but the truth is that is real life sometimes. Hoping to read more about Riley sometime.
Thanks for the advanced copy from netgalley and the publisher.

I requested Hooked on You by Kathleen Fuller because I thought I would love it...active grandmother breaks her leg sliding into third so her granddaughter comes home from NY to care for her and her yarn shop...and find love with her old high school crush. I was right...for the most part.

Loved Mimi and her friends and their attitude toward being active, helping each other and community and taking care of themselves. Love how Riley updated the yarn shop and Hayden came up with the idea to update the town (shades of Home Town on HGTV?) What I didn't love was how Riley threw up roadblocks every time she started to get close to Hayden, even over her better judgement. I understand that without conflict a novel will be boring, but Riley became such an irritating character because she didn't think anything through, just held onto her obsession with living in NY where she was an unsuccessful, struggling artist who was two steps from poverty, when she had a supportive grandmother and opportunities for work and love in her home town. I wanted to smack her upside the head, which definitely limited my enjoyment in the book.

Thank you to the author, Thomas Nelson--FICTION, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

A beautiful Hallmark style read where Riley is living her dreams in city and returns home to care for her grandmother after a softball injury. This leads the town to setting her up with the local baseball star who returned home with an injury to run his family hardware store. A beautiful story of love and finding what you want in the most unlikely places.

I was ready for a light-hearted romance and Hooked on You seemed to be just that from the synopsis.

Mimi and her friends were so cute! I mean, how do you not love a grandmother who breaks her leg sliding into third base? And, of course, they were slightly conniving, at least towards the people they loved - to make them happy.

While I liked Hayden, I didn't care much for Riley. I did understand her pain and why she kept everyone at arm's length but it seemed like at some point in her life she would have stopped being so judgemental - the way she kept thinking things her mom would have said was just crazy because she didn't ever feel cared for by her.

I also didn't quite get the impression that the attraction between Hayden and Riley was much more than physical. Sure, they had liked each other years ago in school, but even then it was merely a physical attraction. They had never gotten to know one another.

Overall, it was a cute story. It was a bit more angsty than I had anticipated and more Inspirational than Christian fiction. If you enjoy small-town romance, this is a good lighthearted read.

Hooked on you is the first book in a series by one of my favorite authors, Kathleen Fuller.
I am from Arkansas, and loved the fictional town of Maple Falls, Arkansas!
Riley,who has been living in New York where she's trying to succeed as an artist, returns to her hometown to help her injured grandmother run her yarn shop. Riley has a secret wish, to convince her grandmother to sell the yarn shop so she can return to her life in New York.
Someone else has returned to Maple Falls...Riley's high school crush, Hayden. Riley's grandmother has plans of her own that include getting her granddaughter and Riley together.
Riley has self-esteem issues. Although, she did have a rough upbringing by her mother until she went to live with her grandmother at the age of 13, she likes to blame shift too much. At some point, one must grow up and take responsibility for how the rest of their life turns out.
Very sweet story with engaging characters. I love happy endings!
I was given an advanced ecopy of this by the publisher, Thomas Nelson and Netgalley. I was under no obligation to write a positive review.

I love Christian and small town romances. Hooked on You was no different. I loved Mimi and her friends so much and Hayden is an enchanted prince. Rilley pissed me off a lot but in the end I understood her .

When her grandmother breaks her leg playing for the church baseball team, Riley reluctantly returns to Maple Falls to help run her grandmother's yarn shop on main street.

Being an avid knitter and crocheter I was instantly intrigued by the cover and title of this book, and the fact that it was written by Kathleen Fuller and author who I have enjoyed in the past was the icing on top. The first in what is sure to be a wonderful series, Maple Falls comes to life through its welcoming small town charm and larger-than-life characters. Irma and her Bosom Buddies were an absolute riot, and I hope to see them prominently featured throughout the series because they added so much heart and humor to this heartwarming small town romance.

Riley is a more reserved heroine, she is organized and talented, but likes to keep her cards close to her chest so she won't get hurt. I liked the relationship between her and her grandmother, and the BB's, and I loved how Anita and Harper welcomed her into their circle.

Overall, a heartwarming read with a full cast of characters, Hayden is an amazing guy, patient with and respectful of Riley throughout. There are strong themes of faith and forgiveness, with great character development. Irma had to be my favorite character, with all of her schemes, and love for Riley. A great weekend read with plenty of heart and a cozy small town setting.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I hate to say it... but I skipped the majority of this book. A third of the way in, I contemplated DNF-ing but I absolutely hate doing that, so I skipped to the last 20 percent. I gave 2 stars for that ending, just because of how adorable and cute it was. However, I don't usually appreciate fluff reads and this one fell into the Hallmark-style category. Which, if that's your thing, I think will make a wonderful read. It's just not for this reader :)

Thanks to the publisher and author for the complimentary eArc I received for review via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Title: Hooked on You
Author: Kathleen Fuller

Chapters: 17 plus epilogue

Pages: 320

Series: Maple Falls Romance

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Publisher: Thomas Nelson



Hooked on You is my first book by Kathleen Fuller I haven’t read previous books of hers because I’m not a fan of Amish fiction and I’m also not a fan of small town romances. But something told me to pick this one up and I’m glad I did. I was hooked from the first page pun intended.


But it wasn’t the romantic relationship that kept me turning pages. It was the relationship between Riley and her grandma I’m a sucker for books with close grandma granddaughter relationship. And the friendship in the book also make for a good read. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. Though I probably won’t pick up her Amish fiction because I’m not a fan of that genre.



I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Kathleen Fuller’s Hooked on You is the first in her new Maple Falls Romance Series and it doesn’t disappoint. In the book, Riley has to return to the tiny town of Maple Falls when her grandmother injures herself playing in the church softball league. It is her first return in almost ten years, when she left to become a big time artist in New York. However, the big time isn’t happening and she has been struggling. She never wanted to go back home until she could prove herself though. But, alas, she can’t ignore her grandma’s need for help. So she heads back and runs into Hayden. Hayden was the star baseball player when they were in high school. He even went on to the pros before being injured and returning home. Riley is attracted to him, but she has built walls around her heart after a harsh upbringing at the hands of her now absent mother. Can Hayden and her grandma and all of her new friends help her to pull them down? And keep them down? A great read. I really liked it. Can’t wait to read more about the little town of Maple Falls. Thanks to #NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are my own. #hookedonyou #bookstagram #all_the_pages

I have to admit that it was the cover that caught my eye and then to find a wonderful story inside was fantastic!

This was a pretty good book but I felt like the author could have given us more from the characters. I will probably give the second book in the series a read.

There was a lot of potential here with a small-town romance and a cute lovable grandma but I feel like the book plateaued very quickly and the character’s motives were inconsistent and unlikable. I typically don’t give ratings lower than a 3 but I had a really reeeeally tough time getting through this book.

Clearly, this is a work of romantic fiction. I enjoyed it but I will admit to getting very aggravated with the female protagonist. Maybe I'm just getting too old but at times I wanted to shake her. I know-- there would be no story if there were no conflict but still... I keep thinking about how I would have acted at the protagonist's age. Probably much as she did. And the more mature me would like to shake the younger me right along with the protagonist... So, take that all as you will. 😉 In the end, I did enjoy the book and found myself hoping for a sequel-- the sort of sequel that picks up fairly soon after this story, not the type with a different set of characters who were secondary in this book; I am now invested in this couple and want to know what happens next in their lives.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Hooked On You totally drew me in with that gorgeous cover. I read the description and it sounded like a cute romance - Riley returns to her small town after many years in NYC because her grandmother was injured and needs help with her yarn store. While there, she reconnects with Hayden - the guy she had a crush on in high school.

Unfortunately, the story didn’t work out for me as I hoped. It was a quick read but I felt the romance was lacking - never got those butterfly feelings. I also felt like the pacing was off - extremely slow and then suddenly very rushed at the end. This may be a good fit for someone looking for a very PG rated romance.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.