The story itself is sweet, but the prose style just failed to work for me. I’m not sure if it’s the writing or the editing…it all just felt super choppy!

Will it be a second chance romance for Lunden and Quade now he is back in town? It is many years since they last saw each other, but the spark is still there. Quad has been left the Inn by his late Aunt and wants to sell and get out of town. Lunden doesn't want the town to lose it's Inn, but will she let that affect her feelings for Quade?

Looking forward to the net book in this series.

Something So Sweet, is just that, a sweet second chance love story that was a joy to read.

Lunden and Quade were young lovers, however Quade left town and broke Lunden's heart. It was a heartbreak she never quite got over and so when he resurfaces in town, the anger and resentment bubbles right back up to the top. Not to mention the whole reason Quade has returned is to purchase the Inn that means so much to Lunden.

Lunden has a young son who ends up befriending Quade. While he really doesn't want a relationship with this past love, the involvement he has with Zachary makes it impossible not to. Feelings begin to grow once more between the former flames and the question is, will Quade want to stay to be with Lunden and Zachary as well?

This was a very sweet story. You get sucked in from the very beginning and you just want to know how it's all going to play out. I look forward to more from this series and author.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Definitely Hallmark vibes with its small-town mayor confronting an old flame over the fate of a historic inn. 25 years have passed since Lunden and Quade have even seen each other. Lunden will do anything to protect herself, her so , and her town. I wish she could have more faith in herself and listen to her hearts and needs more. Quade has been through a lot and has trouble letting people in. The two of them might have a past and I wish their meeting and time together was faster than it was. Definitely needs more moments of just the two of them and maybe more talked needed to happen.

This is a fast paced easy read, page turner, funny situations, family drama, secrets, high emotions, small town gossipers all the makings of a great read.

Something So Sweet is the 1st book in the “Honey Hill Series”. After reading about Lunden, Quade and Zachary, I’m hoping that Lunden’s best friend Rylee Harris and Canten Barnes are getting a book. Honey Hill is a small town where everyone knows everyone business and the interworking of Honey Hill. Lunden is a divorced single mom of 6 year old Zachary. She moved back to her hometown after her divorce and is now the mayor of the small town and she has great ideas and is doing an excellent job. Quade moves back to Honey Hill after inheriting his aunt’s inn. Quade and Lunden were childhood sweets over 20 years ago; leaving town and left Lunden broken heart with no answers for his quick departure. Quade wants to rid himself of the inn and get back to his life. Lunden wants Quade to keep the inn. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with Honey Hill which holds bad memories for him. Quade’s and his mom moved away and she kept him from his beloved aunt keeping secrets. Zachary is such a cutie pie and he Quade have quickly become close friends. He wants his mom happy and does a little match making between his mom and Quade.

Can Lunden convince Quade to not sell the inn and make Honey Hill his home, will Lunden and Quade take the bait that Zachary is putting out there for them to be together, how will Quade react when he finds out the secrets between his mom and aunt?

You will not want miss this 1st book in the Honey Hill series, as always Joy Avery has done an excellent job.

I received an ARC via Netgalley, read now. Thanking you for this read now ARC.

Honeybees, history, and small-town charm are what Honey Hill, North Carolina, is all about. Its mayor, Lunden Pierce, will stop at nothing to protect the town’s historical landmarks and distinctive character. She’s Honey Hill’s greatest champion.

But everything changes when Lunden’s childhood sweetheart, Quade Cannon, returns to town. Though Quade has fond memories of his summers in Honey Hill, he has no use for the historic inn he’s inherited—or the honeybees living in its yard. His plan is to sell the inn and reap the rewards.

This such an enjoyable love story. I love everything about it. The storyline draws you in from page 1. It’s very descriptive and easy to read. You are introduced to a cast of characters that I’m hoping we will see there path to happiness as well. This story is perfect for an afternoon read. It definitely has all the required elements in a story. You will laugh, cry, and fan during the story. The reader will not be disappointed, and looking forward to reading the next stories from this town.

I enjoyed this romance and it had me laughing in places and raising my eyebrows in others. I was hoping that the sex scenes weren't quite so gratuitous, but hey ho, I skipped over them.
A cute story set in a small town American town where everyone knows everyone's business.

I took a chance on this book based on the description and my experience with the other books I’ve read from this publisher.

I love the fact that it is set in North Carolina because that’s where I live. The cover was not released when I requested a copy of this book so I was not aware that the main characters are black. It really made me stop and think about how few books there are with diverse characters. I was very pleased with the results.

I enjoyed reading Lunden and Quade’s story and how the author incorporates honey bees and Honey Hill NC into the story

Something So Sweet was a great introduction to Joy Avery’s stories and her writing, because this story was fun, but it was also emotional and it had all of the things that I like about small town romances.

Lunden Pierce and Quade Cannon spent summers as kids together, falling in love and crossing a lot of lines together. As each other’s first everything, the love was strong between the two of them. But then after the first time they sleep together, Quade vanishes without a trace and nobody knows what happened to him. His aunt, Ms. Shugga, might be Lunden’s favourite person, but even Ms. Shugga doesn’t have the answers Lunden wants. Fast forward 23 years later, Ms. Shugga has passed and left her beautiful Inn to Quade bringing him back to town. The same town where Lunden is now the mayor and being watched by everyone. For Lunden and Quade, this reunion isn’t exactly how they saw things in their lives turning out, but it is what they have to deal with.

I really enjoyed Lunden and Quade’s relationship, I loved how quickly and easily Zachary (Lunden’s son) takes to Quade and how the two boys connect on so many levels. This book was a lot slower than I expected it to be—with all the town politics and events getting in the way of the romance—but I also liked seeing how this small town functioned. It’s not often that the heroine is the mayor of the small town in contemporary romances, so to see how Lunden handles the pressures of an important job while also keeping her heart intact and being mother of the year was definitely a treat.

Both the characters are really interesting too, much older than characters we often meet in contemporary romances. They’ve got a whole lot of their lives experienced without each other, so after all this time to have the chance to connect and make something of their romance was a really nice change of pace. I loved the nosy townsfolk—which is always a fun part of small town romances—and I liked that the older women were shameless in their perusal of Quade and bossing him around too.

I’m a big fan of sexual tension and pining, but I really feel like we spent too much time with town shenanigans before enjoying the romance, by which time I was starting to fade a little. However, I am going to keep reading because I am very curious about what comes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the opportunity to read and review Something So Sweet. This was a charming small town read. The characters were well developed. This book is incredibly detailed and at times I found the detail to be unnecessary and I lost focus. The extensive detail did prove to set a strong setting, though.

Sweet second chance romance with a heavy emphasis on sex. I enjoyed the story of the inn and Ms. Shugga. Zachery added a delightful bit of humor and adorability. Not a fan of intimate details, so I surprised myself by continuing the tale. The relationship and outcome of the inn held my interest enough to overlook the parts I didn't enjoy. I am past the bloom of youth, so my mind doesn't go where theirs frequently did.

“We fall in love by chance. We stay in love by choice. I choose you to love, Lunden. I choose you.” – Quade Cannon

★★★.75/5
🌶🌶/5

Blurb:
This story starts off with Quade coming back to his hometown of Honey Hill where he was gifted an Inn from his late Aunt. While Quade is entering the two for the first time in 20 years, he almost runs over the Mayor, Lunden Pierce. Lunden is a single parent of a 6-year-old boy named Zachery. Quade and Lunden were very close growing up. They did everything together and they were each other’s firsts and high school sweethearts. So, what happens when these two collide after 20 years of no communication?

Review:
This book is a solid 3.75 stars. I really enjoyed how to couple started out as enemies and loathe each other’s soul, but by the end of the book they found the love they had for each as kids again. I personally feel like Lunden’s son, Zachery, stole the show!!! He was such a sweetheart and all he wanted was for his mother to find love again and be happy. I love the dynamic between Quade and Zachery. Quade never tried to be Zachary’s parent/father. He really cared about the little boy and wanted to truly just be his friend and have the little boy look up to him no matter if he ended up with his mother or not.
All in all, the book was good. I wish the book didn’t drag out the sextual tension between the main characters. I feel like the book could easily be 4+ stars if they characters could explore their adult relationship more and grow to be a family.

Tropes:
- Second Chance
- Small Town Romance
- Single Parent
- Childhood Lovers/Friends – Enemies – Friends – Lovers

***Received ARC for honest review***

Something So Sweet is a sweet story. Quade and Lunden are meant to be, although 5th begin at odds over a bee infested inn. They have a history together, but Quade just wants to cut out and move onto to the next venture. Can this charming NC town change his mind? The chemistry between the two main characters is good and Zachary adds an amusing element.

I feel terrible admitting this, but I just could not get through this book. There’s absolutely nothing wrong it with, but it just wasn’t for me and I had to give up. Maybe small town romances aren’t my thing, or I just couldn’t find any emotional connection to the main characters. For whatever reason, I’d rather admit it wasn’t my cup of tea than force myself through and really end up disliking it so much I give it a negative review. There are so many other books on my TBR that I’m looking forward to reading, so maybe I’ll circle back to this in the future or give another one of Joy Avery’s books a chance. But if you like slow-burn, small-town second chance romance that has steam, this may be for you.

It's an enjoyable and sweet story but it didn't work for me as I didn't felt involved by the story.
Not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was a sweet romance of ex lovers reuniting. Lunden is a single mother and Quade inherited an Inn in the same city as Lunden. Quade is wanting to sell the inn and it is not going well with the town or Lunden. It was more of a slow burn romance for me. I wish it picked up a lot more, but it was a good book overall.

I received this ARC through #netgalley and I am voluntarily reviewing this book

When I think of romance, think of books just like this one, that gives all the feels and satisfies every romance junkies' heart. This is a perfect books to snuggle up with on any day. This one took by surprise!

A sweet second chance love set in a small town. The concept is nice, and overall not a bad read. I did struggle a bit though, as it seemed to drag a bit at times. May just be me. Would still recommend for a light summer read.

The story
Lunden is a single mom to 6 year old Zachary and the mayor of the small Southern town of Honey Hill. As a young teen, her first love was Quade who visited his aunt in the Inn next door. But one year he never returned and broke Lunden’s heart. Years later, Ms Shugga, Quade’s aunt has passed away and left the inn to Quade. When he returns and tells the town he plans to sell the inn, it ruffles a few feathers, mostly Lunden’s. The question is whether she will be able to convince him to keep the inn and stay in Honey Hill?

My thoughts
This cute story of the two former lovers and the various characters in town had me thinking I had stumbled into an episode of Sweet Magnolias 😉 This is a sweet read, but shew it took time for Lunden and Quade to get to grips with their feelings (and lust and more lust) for each other. Lots of angst, lack of communication drew out this story longer than was necessary for me personally.