I don't read a ton of contemporary romance, but in the summer they make for great poolside reads. There's just something about sunshine and happiness that go together. Home Sweet Mess is a saccharine sweet love story that tackles some important issues around relationship trauma and the importance of healing.

Logan is your typical playboy who is looking for more in his fleeting relationships with women but never seems to find anyone worth his full attention. Enter Jeni, his best friend's twin sister, she is new to Kansas City and he's quickly enamored with her. They have a bristly meet-cute where Jeni, who has just been divorced and has given up on love, disdains him immediately. They're thrown together when Jeni's brother is diagnosed with cancer and needs their love and support. Slowly, Logan begins to chip away at the ice around her heart but Jeni is adamant they will never have anything between them but a "friends with benefits" situation. But, can he charm her and convince her that he is nothing like her ex-husband and is worth giving her heart over forever?

I found the characters quite likable, there were times where Logan's enthusiasm bordered on too intense and maybe a bit overbearing but the author did a good job at explaining why and having Logan evolve throughout the story. Logan’s love for Jeni was certainly swoon-worthy, he had a way of saying everything a girl wants to hear with such vulnerability. I appreciated being in both of their heads and seeing the source of their conflicts and their arc of healing through the story. I think I would have liked a little more of Andrew's cancer story, we got glimpses but I felt like there was some meat there that would have made its own great story.

Thanks to Kate Rock Book Tours for a copy of this novel. All opinions above are my own.

This was an enjoyable book. I liked the characters and how they interacted with each other. The storyline was well done and emotional.

I wish to thank NetGalley and Allison Ashley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a new author for me but I will go back and read her other book now. If you want to read a good romance this just might be the one for me. It is escapism at its best as you follow Jeni Bishop from the first time she bumps into Logan Davis to the last page. Truly worthy of a Hallmark movie you will be delighted with the saucy banter and highs and lows of both of their stories while they try to decide if this could be friends with benefits or the real thing. Jeni has been through a very painful divorce and Logan is her twin brother’s best friend. Logan is known as a player. It will never work. Or can it? Read it to see but be sure you have time because you will read it cover to cover. The book is a delightful diversion. It has lots of family dynamics on all sides and you will have read meeting all the characters. It is funny and sad in all the proper places.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an e-ARC of Home Sweet Mess by Allison Ashley in exchange for an honest review.

Neither Logan nor Jeni want a repeat of their pasts. They seek each other out to change that- the only problem is Logan wants to wait on sex to try to form a serious relationship... and Jeni wants a friends with benefits only situation.

I liked that the traditional roles were reversed in this book but their relationship didn’t entirely work for me. It just didn’t feel very realistic in terms of the progression. Even still, I enjoyed their fun banter and chemistry. Their meet cute has the perfect set up for an enemies to friends to lovers story: hangry girl meets guy who stole her food.

This is a super quick read but I almost feel like I read it quickly trying to get to “the good part.” And I don’t mean that the story was bad or that I didn’t enjoy it- I just wasn’t surprised by anything. But sometimes predictable books are just what we need.

CW: Allison Ashley includes heavy themes such as cancer, foster care, loss of parents, but she balances those out with enough lighthearted humor that the book doesn’t feel too heavy.

I loved this book. I ended up reading this one in just one day! It made me laugh, cry, smile, and cry some more.

I loved the enemies to friends to lovers story and I also loved how the characters felt like real people with real flaws. The author 100% made me feel their heartache while I was reading.

I highly recommend this book — however it should be stated there are some trigger warnings: cancer, infertility, & child neglect.

I adored Allison Ashely’s debut novel Perfect Distraction last year (one of my favorites of 2020) and I was very excited to read her next. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it features the twin sister of a character in Perfect Distraction. It is it’s own story and can be read alone, but having read Perfect Distraction first made me love this one even more. I could see little bits and pieces of that story in this one and how they connected. The book is heavy on dialogue and the author pulls you in with her humor and heart. She gives the characters life and you feel like they are your friends by the end of the book. Rom com lovers - put Allison Ashely’s books on your TBR! Out June 21.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

I read The Perfect Distraction and really enjoyed it. This was also very good! Jeni and Logan were a sweet couple although Jeni could be a bit frustrating and too rude. I liked Logan better :) I'm glad she came to her senses.

Home Sweet Mess was such a wonderful read, with so much more under the surface than you realise. The story follows independent social worker Jeni Bishop and charming marketing manager Logan Davis as they go on this journey to falling in love and figuring things out. I had heard a lot about Allison Ashley after the release of her debut and I was curious to see what her second book would be like. It was all heart, it was filled with love and friendships, it’s the kind of book that wraps around you like a warm hug and makes you feel like a million bucks.

Jeni and Logan are a great pairing and I really enjoyed their meet-cute, because it was most unexpected. Their chemistry was a slow burn, but it was also so relatable. As his best friend’s sister, Jeni is sort of off limits, but that doesn’t stop Logan from feeling something for her. Jeni isn’t looking for romance and she’s definitely not looking at it from Logan, because she’s had enough struggles and she doesn’t want to go through falling in love and losing herself all over again.

While a closed door romance, there’s enough build up to make you fan yourself and grin as they take the steps forward in their relationship. One of the things I enjoyed was seeing how the tables were turned in their relationship – even though they’ve slept together once, Logan has decided that till Jeni is willing to give him more than just a friends with benefits situation, he’s not going to have sex with her again. It’s usually the other way around, where the woman is holding back and I enjoyed seeing how frustrated this made Jeni, but how strong Logan was and how much he stood his ground with his decision.

There were certain elements of their relationship that didn’t work for me, but I really enjoyed their banter and the buildup of their romance. Logan might be charming and sexy and popular with the ladies, but he’s so much more than that. I love how much heart he has and how deep his feelings for Jeni run. Jeni was the complete opposite, but even though she’s got a big heart and is deep in her feels, I loved that she didn’t give in to Logan just because he was saying all the right things. Her reasons for holding back were valid, but I also felt like she could have given in a little earlier. I mean, these are purely selfish reasons, because I just wanted them to kiss and touch more and more and have their way with each other!

Home Sweet Home tackles a lot more serious topics as well, but I enjoyed seeing how they were seamlessly woven into the main story of Jeni and Logan. How their histories and choices all reflected into the little things that they did. Those are the kinds of romances that I really do enjoy. We get a little bit of sports and we get a lot of family fun, but there’s also so much heart in this book that kept me hooked. I’m definitely going to be picking up Allison Ashley’s debut soon!

Jeni and Logan’s story!

Social worker Jeni Bishop just wanted to make a difference in kids lives though her job as a social worker never planned to date again after the end of her marriage but meeting her brother’s best friend changed everything. Logan Davis loved his job doing social media for the Chiefs and running his charity finding equipment for foster children. Things changed when her brother Andrew found out he had cancer (Perfect Distraction) and Jeni and Logan changed from being friends to something more!

Home Sweet Mess is what happens when you have a friend with benefits relationship but falling in love was going to complicate everything.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you like the type of story where the main characters are enemies, turn friends, turn lovers, you should definitely pick this one up. The beginning of their relationship has a lot of banter. Not much in the story is a surprise, there are some sad parts ( don't want to spoil it ) and the end is exactly what you wold expect from it.

This is another sweet romance from author Allison Ashley. The story is about Logan and Jeni, characters from her previous book, The Perfect Distraction, and it was fun to see them pop up again. Jeni has a strong desire to stay AWAY from him, but of course, it's just a matter of time. I have a new "book boyfriend" with Logan. Highly recommend. Thank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! Can't wait to see Ashley's next book!

I really really enjoyed this book. I loved The Perfect Distraction and was so excited for this one. It did not disappoint. The writing just flowed so well and I was able to fall in love with Jeni and Logan right away. Let's be real though- brother's best friend is one of my favorite tropes

One romance trope I never really like is when the guy feels he can’t fall for his best friend’s sister. If a guy liked someone as a friend and thought he was a good person, wouldn’t that be someone he’d like for his sister. In this case the siblings are twins so there isn’t even an age question. It’s more that Jeni had a bad experience when she was young and so she’s convinced that she can never have a long-term relationship or marriage ever again. When she meets Logan, her twin’s best friend, she’s nasty to him for some rather dumb reasons. He’s just totally wonderful and so nice to her that her attitude gets rather tiresome after a while. I found that I liked just about every other character in the story better than Jeni even though she was a kind-hearted woman who wanted to devote herself to caring for foster children.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Jeni and Logan do not get along, but when he turns out to be Jeni's twin brother's best friend, she has to learn to like him. When her brother find out he has cancer they bond in a way they never thought they would, But Logan wants all of Jeni, but can Jeni give her all to Logan? Has her past broken marriage and terrible car accident left her too damaged? Will Logan realize he doesn't need to provide a service to get unconditional love?

I ate this book up in 2 sittings. It was a quick and enjoyable read. At first I thought it was going to be a little predictable about enemies to lover/forbidden love plot, but it actually was so much more meat to it. I loved the chemistry between Logan and Jeni, Jeni and her brother, and her brother and Logan. I will definitely be checking out more of her books!

It was good story. Liked the family relationships, the support and they way they rallied around each other. The romance was a bit of a low build but worked in this context.

Home Sweet Mess is a delight to read. Allison Ashley is a wonderful writer and even when discussing difficult subjects like cancer, the foster system, and foster kids; she writes about these topics in a heartfelt way without being overly sappy or contrived. The story is about friendship, learning to let go of self-imposed parameters and most importantly family, in every definition of the word.

Jeni Bishop is a case worker who deals with heartache every day including her own. Jeni believes any type of relationship only leads to inevitable heartbreak. Logan Davis, works in social media for an NFL team is charming and has devastatingly good looks plus a big heart to boot. These two have lots in common, more than they realize and when Jeni’s brother Andrew who is Logan’s best friend becomes ill, they start becoming a team.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story, the characters had depth and were well written, plot lines were developed and not forced, it was enjoyable to see how the story would progress. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories about relatable people, about characters you’d wish you knew and where you look forward to seeing where the story goes.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book tells the story of Charming NFL marketing manager Logan Davi and his best friend’s sister Sassy social worker Jeni Bishop. These two are forced to be in each other’s presence because of Andrew after an awkward first encounter and they eventually get along with each other *wink wink*. Jeni was once married and so doesn’t believe in love *read it and call me out* so watching her find her way to happy ever after one taco at a time was such a blast.. This book will make you laugh, crave tacos, appreciate siblings, and have an appreciation of the foster care system. I totally adored this book and I want everyone to read it and eat tacos of course.

I loved Allison Ashley's debut book, Perfect Distraction, so I couldn't wait to read Home Sweet Mess and I loved this book as well! I liked that the book follows Jeni, Andrew's sister from Perfect Distraction, so we get to see things that happen in that book from her perspective. Once I started reading this story, I could not put it down and was very invested in what was going to happen between Jeni and Logan.

Jeni and Logan had great chemistry from the start. When you first start to get to know Logan, I wanted to dislike him, but he quickly made me a fan with how he was trying to change his womanizing ways and would do anything for Jeni. A few times I wish Jeni would've given in to her emotions with how she felt about Logan, but she had very valid reasons for why she wouldn't cave, so I also applaud Ashley for making her a character who was strong enough to stick to her beliefs. The book deals with some heavy topics including cancer, infertility, and adoption, and Ashley writes about them in a way that is not only realistic, but also extremely compassionate as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kate Rock Book Tours for an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book it’s has a great story line. The love story which had been held a secret for many years was perfect. A really uplifting book. Excellently written.

This is a wonderful story,
Jeni moves to a new town for a job, it has 2 perks. 1. It’s a job she loves, 2. Her twin brother is close by. She falls into an easy routine of drinking her morning coffee on her porch swing, often accompanied by the sounds of her neighbour and a different gentleman caller enjoying themselves in the bedroom, going to work and eating the best vegetarian sandwich for lunch at the deli on the corner, and watching football with her twin brother on Sunday’s. The last thing she expects or wants to find is a man, especially one she has seen leaving her neighbours house !
This is an endearing story about love and what makes a family.
I really enjoyed it.