This was not my favorite in terms of storyline? I appreciated that Violet was trying to face some of her insecurities and vulnerabilities, but I found her character unrelatable, and therefore, hard to empathize with at times. It was also hard that she is supposed to be an advice columnist but is having total mishaps in her personal life. Maybe that is more realistic, but it made me feel like she was less credible. When everything goes viral, and she has to deal with it, I just felt like she secretly did want that to happen but then didn't want to deal with her own consequences?
I did like Dez and everything his character offered for Violet. It was hard for me at first but I eventually got on board, despite him being a little too good to be true.
All in all, not my favorite plot or characters.

Violet is an advice columnist who does not know how to follow her own advice. Finding her husband in the midst of cheating on her leaves her wounded and a mess. Lucky for her fireman Dez comes to her rescue just in time. A fun read.

This book was equal parts heartfelt, intense and emotional. This is easy to read, enjoyable, thought provoking book. Especially “Dear Sweetie” column parts were well written. Absolutely recommended to feelgood women’s fiction readers!

Despite the super-cute cover, this is not a light and breezy rom-com. Nothing wrong with that, just that it's good to be prepared going in I think. There are some hard topics covered, including infidelity, divorce, infertility, miscarriage, anxiety, alcohol abuse, inappropriate touching, and more.

Violet Covington is an advice columnist in North Carolina. She gets some exciting news and heads home early to tell her husband, only to find him in bed with someone else. She doesn't know what to do, and makes a series of poor decisions (usually involving alcohol).

On the lighter side, there's a super sweet and oh-so-hot fireman who is always there when he's needed, and often arrives with croissants. Plus, he will break your bed in a bid to 'sexual sage' your house to get rid of all your cheating ex's energy. What more could a girl want?

It's closed door, or maybe cracked door but there's lots of steamy tension so it gets two eggplants (out of five) from me.

I enjoyed this one. It was hard to watch some of Violet's self-destructive behavior at times, but there was some good growth, and Dez was such cinnamon-roll deliciousness that I binged this story in one go.

A realistic book about personal growth. And May I just say that it is so nice to read a book that isn’t heavy in the smut department for once. I could always use a little more closed door romances on my shelves!!

The ever-popular advice columnist Miss Sweetie is none other than Violet Covington. For as long as possible, Violet kept her identity a secret. However, soon to go viral due to what was most definitely heartbreaking for her proves a definite avenue to a happy future.

Now, this book touches on some very serious issues and this would be a good time to mention those - adultery, infertility, miscarriage, anxiety and more. However, Libby Hubscher weaves a gentle story where she manages to handle these sensitive subjects with grace.

Violet's life all but comes to a screeching halt when she discovers her husband in bed with their neighbor. They did not have the perfect marriage, but Violet never thought she would end up the innocent victim as a result of adultery. In short, Violet loses it. She kicks him out, burns his belongings and does even more. In fact, due to her suddenly reckless actions she comes into contact with Dez, a fireman who is called to action more than once.

Meanwhile, Violet's frustrations about her life end up flavoring the advice she gives in the column, sometimes ending up with disastrous results. Will the fact that the sexy fireman Dez can change her life for the good, all while she finds a way to process the end of her marriage and to find solid footing in her life once again?

If You Ask Me has just beome my favorite book so far this year. I loved the sensitive nature of this story, and enjoyed the changes that Violet experienced, although many of what she went through were more than painful. Kudos to Libby Hubscher for writing such a relatable character, one who knew she needed growth and change, and allowing such to happen in the pages of this book.

Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

If You Ask Me is entertaining and relatable contemporary romance that revolved around advice columnist, Violet, who learns to love and trust again and follow her own advice after her picture perfect life is imploded by her cheating husband. The story is about love, friendship, family, trust, betrayal, heartbreak, self-discovery, learn to take chance and find happiness, along with layers of infertility, infidelity, miscarraige, and anxiety.

Writing is gripping, entertaining, and fast-paced. The story is written in first person narrative from Violet’s perspective. Her voice is relatable and fresh and as Violet is an advice columnist we see her columns in this as well which was fun to read. I finished this book in less than 24 hrs, it’s that gripping and fun.

Plot is fantastic. It started with Violet having her picture perfect life, getting big news at job that she wanted to share with her husband, Sam, and so went home early only to find him in her bed with another woman. She is usually calm and composed person but the betrayal rattled her so much that on drunken night she burned Sam’s priced suits in middle of street making neighbor to call fire department. And that’s how she meets handsome and lovely firefighter, Dez. Many chance encounters bring them closer but Violet is mess, unpredictable and ambivalent about this new relationship and she is no long sweet columnist but blaze and blunt who is lately rage writing her columns, and she reaches to the point where she herself needs advice.

It was great to see what Violet will do about her cheating husband, will her new persona affect her job and advice column, how she will get out of the heartbreak, is Dez just distraction or much more, where things are going between her and Dez, and if she will give this new relationship a chance or not.

All characters are interesting, realistic and relatable. I enjoyed secondary characters. Kyra– Violet’s best friend and boss is amazing. She is wise, honest and with no-nonsense personality and at the same time is fun to be around. I enjoyed reading her and Violet’s friendship. They knew each other so well. I also liked Wyne, Violet’s mother. She is amazing lady, a wedding planner who taught Violet many things and was a supportive and loving mother. There is a jealous colleague, a nosy and bitchy neighbor, a jogger who slept with Sam, Bunco ladies, other firefighters working with Dez, and mother monster-in-law. They all made diverse and fun cast. Sam doesn’t deserve to talk about so let’s just leave him. He was so selfish and mama’s boy (I don’t like mama’s boys in books. We have them enough in real life!) who thought he could get away with anything.

Violet is most relatable. I rooted for her from the beginning. She has gone through a lot and it was easy to sympathize with her. I even loved her more with her blazing and raging attitude. I laughed so much when she burnt Sam’s clothes, damaged her mother monster-in-law’s new car, and did everything that her cheating husband didn’t like or approve of. I was cheering her for everything but yes, there comes a time when you go too far and so did Violet but thank god there are friends like Kyra in her life.

Violet is kind, caring and lovely person and it didn’t take her long to see what she did was wrong, felt guilty, and found a way to rectify her mistakes. Her intentions weren’t wrong and I understand her actions and reactions as I could see myself doing the same in her situation (As I’m far from composed and blatant and blazing is my infamous middle name). I loved how she learned to let out her emotions, show vulnerability, it’s okay to fall apart in front of someone, how to stand up again, and give life, happiness, and moreover herself another chance.

Dez is so so lovely. I don’t blame Violet for getting into another relationship so soon..! He is caring, loving, empathetic, supportive, and filled with sunshine. (I never read a male character who had sunshine personality and attitude. So Immediate Plus Point!) Sounds so good to be true, right? But it wasn’t like he never had problems or never faced loss and grief in life which made me like him even more. It was great to see his unwavering support to Violet, being realistic, and understanding when she needed space or when he felt she wasn’t ready for more. I so wish he was real (we all need person like him more in this world).

Best part of the book is Violet’s advice column and the topics author covered through it, infertility, infidelity, body shaming, parental support, and relationships. Miscarriage and relatives hammering for wanting kids is close to home and I have faced it bitterly. So yes, I loved those columns and cheered Violet for giving amazing answers to all letters she received.

Romance is fast here. Things go fast between Violet and Dez like it was a fling and their feelings also develop really fast which was a little unbelievable as I wouldn’t want any man in my life if I was in Violet’s situation but that’s just me and at the same time I feel if the person is like Dez, I will throw caution out of window. Anyway, I enjoyed their chance meetings and their time together. It was lovely to see them together, getting to know each other, and Dez bringing out best in Violet.

Climax is interesting with that douche (let’s be decent) Sam trying to get back in Violet’s life, things getting sideway, Violet getting cold feet, and making stupid decisions… Lots of things happened here. I’m glad nothing was rushed. Violet’s interview was best to read in this part. I loved how she realized her mistake, finally realized she lives in advance world and there are lots of ways to make family and there is thing like found family out there, give life and love a chance, and see where it’s going. End is lovely, uplifting and feel good.

Why 4.5 Stars-

Just a small thing- like I said romance between Violet and Dez went too fast to be believable. One can easily overlook it. It’s safe to say this book is very close to perfect.

Overall, If You Ask Me is entertaining, relatable, heartfelt, and uplifting contemporary romance with many light moments and also serious topics.

I highly recommend this if you like,
Sexy firefighter hero
Advice columns
relatable heroine
diverse cast
fast pace
entertaining plot
So many light moments but also serious topics
Layer of infertility and infidelity

As always thank you to the folks at Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This title does have a few triggers including pregnancy struggles and infidelity.

North Carolina advice columnist Violet Covington’s life is anything but perfect — after numerous miscarriages, she and her husband of 12 years have stopped trying for kids, her mother-in-law is a nightmare and the neighbors on her cul-de-sac are way too invested in each other’s lives. But she is over the moon when she learns her weekly musings could become nationally syndicated…until she comes home from work early to celebrate and discovers Sam in their bed with his girlfriend.

In an alcohol-fueled bout of rage, Violet decides to burn everything important to him, including his stuffy suits and Michael Jordan-signed memorabilia. What she doesn’t prepare for? Dez, a HAWT firefighter, who gets her off the hook and seems to really like her, despite how disheveled her life is. But Violet must decide if she can take her own advice and open her heart.

I’m not going to lie this one took me a while to get through and the writing had absolutely nothing to do with it. Libby Hubscher transported me to North Carolina each time I turned the page and I loved every minute of it. I felt like I was in Violet’s head and everything was described perfectly.

However, I really struggled with the pacing of the novel. Large conflicts seemed to be introduced only to fizzle out (like when a writing exercise taking a jab at her husband’s mistress is posted to the newspaper’s website by a conniving coworker only for there to be no real professional repercussions) while I would have liked more scenes between Violet and Dez.

Also, this isn’t necessarily a deal breaker for me but, it is a closed door romance!

Violet is the anonymous writer of a popular newspaper advice column called Dear Sweetie. When she walks in on her husband Sam in bed with their fit neighbour Shelby, she dumps his cherished belongings on the front lawn and starts a bonfire. This brings firefighter Dez on to the scene, and from there on, he always seems to turn up when she needs help.
But still bitter from Sam’s betrayal, Violet responds by penning some brutally honest responses in her advice column, which gets everyone talking. Is she about to torch her career too?
This was an interesting read about a woman who goes off the rails and I enjoyed the work-related side of the story. The quick rebound romance not so much, I mean Dez was everywhere – although perhaps that is how small towns work - and seemed a bit too good to be true.

Starting this novel with Violet discovering her husband’s affair, and a subsequent “bonfire” in the middle of the cul de sac totally hooked me! Violet’s character was well written, her pain and insecurities coming through incredibly well. I loved all the chance meetings with Dez, and knew he would have a huge role in Violet’s healing process.

From the explosive (literally) opening, I was drawn into Violet's world, as she navigates life after finding her husband cheating on her. I loved Dez, not only because my husband is a firefighter, but because he is such a wonderful counterpart to Violet! Their story was so sweet and I loved reading about them together. What a sweet story but with surprises to keep you on your toes. This is one I'll definitely be re-reading again and again.

3.5 ⭐️

Violet comes home early to celebrate her promotion only to find her husband in bed with another woman. As her marriage implodes, Violet goes through some cathartic, if at times self-destructive, behavior to cope. One of these is starting a bonfire of her husband’s things, which brings in knight in shining firefighter’s uniform, Dez to her doorstep. She also channels the heartbreak into her advice column, Dear Sweetie. On a journey of self-discovery and removing all the expectations of who everyone else wants her to be, she may also find a new love.

While I empathize with Violet, it was hard for me to connect with her at times. I do appreciate her growth over the course of the book. And can all agree that Sam is the absolute worst and Dez is the stuff of Book Boyfriend fantasies?!

I also really liked the excepts from the Dear Sweetie column. I feel like it’s additional window into Violet’s state of mind AND the added bonus that those scathing responses are exactly what many of us may want to say in a situation but don’t.

At first glance, I thought this would be a light romance but it deals with many heavy topics throughout the book (infidelity, miscarriage, etc.) so just be aware of the TWs. The author does a good job of listing them upfront. There’s a lot of emotional ups and downs but it leads to a satisfying resolution.

Overall, it took me a couple tries to get into it and I’m glad I read it but it wasn’t a favorite of mine.

This book is difficult to review and rate. It is undoubtedly well-written, with fully fleshed out, three-dimensional characters, and interesting portrayals of family and friendships. But to give this book a complete five stars would be a disservice to the gut, slightly icky feeling I had reading much of it. The premise sounds fun--a scorned woman burns her cheating husband's belongings and bonds with the cute firefighter who comes to put out the fire. But the reality of the situation is a woman showing how not to handle divorce and a new relationship that comes too fast and furious to really enjoy it. This book is about embracing emotion and being a hot mess, and not putting on lipstick and a smile and covering up everything, so maybe the imperfectness is the point. But I still couldn't shake the feeling that this was not going to work out, the rebound was too fast, and the whole thing just wasn't healthy. Despite the phenomenal prose, it made it tough to swallow.

This book has several trigger warnings, which the author includes in a letter at the front of the book and I encourage folks to read--the main ones are infidelity and infertility.

Thanks to Berkley for my eARC and my finished copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 8/10

I really tried to pull my thoughts together for IF YOU ASK ME by Libby Hubscher - but my brain came up empty.

I think that’s pretty indicative of how I felt about reading this. This was just an OKAY romance - there was nothing that really made it stick out to me. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t connect with Violet, our MC. I just really couldn’t be bothered to care about her after she went into self-destructive mode.

Also, the audiobook was not it - that southern accent was just something else and did no one any favors.

I will give props though - the author did a great job with the depiction of infertility and infidelity.

After reading Meet Me In Paradise last year, it became one of my favorite books of the year for me in 2021, so I was beyond excited to get read a copy of IF YOU ASK ME.

I knew early on that this would be heavier than the light romance I assumed it to be after the author disclosed trigger warnings ahead of the first chapter to let her readers know what to expect.

Violet lives in North Carolina, and writes for an advice column named DEAR SWEETIE. After she catches her husband in the throes of infidelity one day, Violet ends up lighting his belongings on fire, and goes rogue from the nice girl image she’s always been.

I loved the way Violet comes into her own, after trying to figure out just who that is, and meets swoony firefighter Dez, who is charming and sweet, and just what Violet needs.

*many thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

This book had me feeling all of the emotions. it was a romcom but also hit a lot of serious points and i thought it was well executed. this book was really interesting and i enjoyed the characters a lot,

This was a cute read with sprinkles of humour, but ultimately I didn't connect very well with Violet, the main character, which slowed down the pace for me. Still a fun story that I'm sure many will enjoy!

Super cute read. This was not at all what I expected and I ended up loving it. The characters were great and the story was engaging. So much so, that I finished it in a day. Will definitely recommend.

Violet writes for Dear Sweetie, an advice column that is popular in North Carolina. Other people's problems don't faze her, and she happily tries to solve them for her readers. When Violet realizes she has a problem at home in cheating husband Sam, she pours her heart into a brutal change of tone for Dear Sweetie, one decidedly more acidic. Her rage is fanned into flames, a literal bonfire outside with husband Sam's things the fated fuel. Firefighter Dez arrives, pouring water on her rage-fueled bonfire, and then providing her with a follow-up night of passion that feels like the right way forward. Her husband begs forgiveness, her boss a return to sweetness, and Dez is the only one who finds newly vicious Violet to be his cup of tea. All that Violet has to do now, is consider what advice she might give herself, and remember that being sweet isn't the only way to find happiness.

Finding a path forward after betrayal can really be tough, and not everybody handles it well. Even if we'd personally offer others sound, sane advice for such a situation, when it happens to us, it can be much harder to keep a level head. The same is true for Violet, betrayed by her husband, which cracks her perfect life wide open and exposes a side of her she hasn't seen or heard from in years. Falling off the rails into an alcohol-fueled rage, Violet burns clothing, bridges, turns her sweet column into a rage fest that somehow boosts its popularity, and takes sexy firefighter Dez along with her.

The only problem is that as Violet cranks up the heat and escalates her actions in response to anger, is she really getting where she wants to be, or is she just sabotaging her chance to change her life for the better? If You Ask Me is the story of betrayal, advice, and fury of a woman scorned. Recommended for readers who enjoy the friends to lovers trope, appreciate stories about new beginnings, or who recognize that heartbreak is an ugly, messy affair that can change your life completely.

3 Stars
We all love reading those long-held advice columns, Dear Abby being one I grew up on. Dear Sweetie done by Violet Covington has that Southern Flair. She is a woman who gives her advice in a way that seems so nice but interesting, It all goes to hell when Violet walks in on her "perfect husband is doing her lovely neighbor in their bed.
Once she is rid of her husband, she writes differently causing one of her columns to go viral, she then takes all of his items and sets them on fire in her yard. This was a cleansing action for Violet but it also causes the fire department to come and put the flames out.

The good news is this brings firefighter Dez to cross paths with Violet. It becomes just as life-changing as anything else that has happened to her.