2,5* stars

This book follows the story of Trixie, who works in an animal shelter. After encountering a wounded chicken in the middle of a busy street and being helped by a mysterious and gorgeous man, Trixie decides to take care of the chicken. The problem is her landlord doesn't allow pets. And here enters Bear, a man with financial problems and with deep love for his family, Grey's Anatomy and pancakes. His sisters put on an ad for a roommate in order for him to share the lot expenses. Little does he know his new roommate is the sexy woman he met rescuing a chicken.

This story started out strong but soon I found myself getting bored. The characters lacked depth, the writing wasn't able to transmit the emotions of the scenes. It was too mechanical. Despite this, there were various funny scenes and the story is well structured.

I want to thank Netgalley, Alcove Press and the author for providing me with a free eArc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Trixie is a bleeding heart animal lover. Bear is a homebody who just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Trixie finds a chicken running through the streets of Chicago, and decides to take her in, but runs into a housing issue because her landlady doesn't allow pets of any kind. Bear's overbearing and meddling sisters secretly take out an ad in the paper saying that he's renting out a room in his house. Trixie answers the ad, which happens to be the home of the hot guy who helped her catch the chicken who's causing her housing crisis.

This book is a delightful, silly, sweet love story. How often does a romance novel center around the health and wellbeing of a chicken, after all? Bear's family is so fun. Seeing Bear and Trixie fall for each other was every bit of the perfect angsty romance that you look for in a fun love story. I really enjoyed this, and could not put it down! I'll be suggesting this one to anyone who asks, for sure! Love it!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. I thank the author and publisher for this opportunity.

While driving down the street in downtown Chicago, Trixie noticed a chicken trying to cross the street. She rushed out to grab it and put it in her car. She had traffic backed up and several unhappy drivers. A young man came out in the street to help her and try to calm down the drivers. Once Trixie got the chicken into the car she drove to the vets. The chicken was in bad shape but after several tests and medicine, Trixie could take her home. She tried to get it into her apartment, but the landlord refused to allow any pets. She agreed Trixie could have one week. Trixie looked for places but could not afford anything that allowed pets.

Barret or Bear, as his sisters called him, is a shy guy and his sisters put an ad in the paper saying he was looking for a roommate. It was so cleverly written it ended up on social media. The ad mentioned he allowed pets. Bear was not aware of the ad and had several takers. The last one was Trixie and as much as he was intrigued at the thought of living with her, he did not want a roommate. Things needed to be platonic, and he was not sure he could do that. As they got to know and understand each other, their bond becomes strong.

I loved this book! Trixie seems to be a happy go lucky gal, but she has a lot of emotions she is afraid to show to anyone. Bear hates his job and with his mother retiring from her flower shop, he would love to take it over but cannot forget how his father shamed him when he had anything to do with the shop as a young boy. Great romance as they try to look honestly at themselves and how they feel about each other. The sisters are so much fun and always giving the reader a laugh. There is never a dull moment!

This was a cute and quirky rom-com. Loved that it was something different than your normal meet cute. This book had me laughing out loud at times. I really enjoyed the main characters, especially Bear. Not a five star, but definitely a cute and fun read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this arc.

This book had the most bizarre meet-cute scenario I’ve maybe ever read but I must say, it works! I never thought I’d say I fell in love with a chicken but you can’t help but do so reading this book. The exploration of strangers to something more hooked me from the start and I was rooting for the characters from the very start. Highly recommend this one if you’re looking for a sweet, easy read

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the advance copy!

Okay I laughed so hard at this book. I love the fact that Trixie is creating creative profiles for the animals to find their forever homes. It's the best.

I love Bear--not just his name-- but also the character is just so great! This friend to lovers romance is a great, quick read for anyone looking for a rom-com that is full of animals and spicy chemistry! There were a few times that Trixie was a bit unlikable but aren't we all? This is a breezy read and good entertainment!

Sweet funny lovely book, with quirky fun characters you'd like to know. Enjoyed this book and will definitely be having for sale in the store!

Trixie Ward LOVES animals – so much so that she works at an animal shelter. She is more concerned about creating profiles to rehome pets, than she is about making a dating profile for herself.

One busy afternoon on the busy streets of Chicago, Trixie sees a chicken cross the road. The animal lover in her cannot just sit back and let this poor chicken be in harms way. As she is busy chasing this chicken to safety she briefly encounters a handsome man who can’t help but stare at this gorgeous girl who is running after poultry.

Trixie knows her landlord will not allow pets – so she is desperate to find a new place to live with her new roommate: Chick-Chick.

She sees an ad for a room for rent that is pet friendly – HECK YEAH! It’s Trixie’s lucky day! She shows up to the house to meet her potential new landlord – and lo and behold it is the handsome bearded man from the other day!

Bear is the true definition of a homebody – he loves to spend his evenings watching Grey’s Anatomy than going out on the town. He loves his space and doesn’t want a roommate despite his sisters’ plea. He could use the extra cash, and he does find Trixie VERY attractive.

Can this roommate situation be strictly platonic or will feathers (other than Chick-Chick’s) be ruffled?

Okay, hear me out: the premise of this book is SO WILD – but this was the cutest, sweetest, slowwwww burn of a rom com!!!!!

Bear is not your typical book boyfriend – he very insecure and doesn’t think he is worthy of much. His relationship with his father has really tainted his perception of what a “man” should be.

Trixie is so quirky – she loves to wear mismatched socks and has such funny reactions to situations – her past also has made her weary of opening up to someone.

This book was about acceptance – and loving someone for who they truly are ❤

Simone Says Read This if you enjoy:

*slooooow burn romances
*strangers to lovers troupes
*pancakes
*ice cream trucks
*mismatched socks
*flowers
*cheese

We all need to help the chickens to get to the other side... This is definitely a feel good book. You know when you read a book and you need a happy ending? Kelly delivers that in a fun, light and at the same time, touching important themes like the scars of our past. She also makes you reflect on: are you the person you want to be or the person the others want you to be?
I had to pace myself to read only a little bit everyday because I could read the book in one sitting.

This was a sweet, fun and tender story about a shy guy and a wounded woman, brought together by a chicken who crossed the road. My heart melted for Chick-Chick and for the two main characters, who had to overcome some serious obstacles to be able to be their true selves and show their feelings. An impressive debut by Kelly Ohlert!

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the advance copy.

Thank you to the publishers for sending me this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

This book is a romance about a woman named Trixie and a man named Bear who attempt to live together as platonic friends. There is undeniable chemistry between the two as they try to live their normal lives under the same roof. I really enjoyed this book! Bear and his family were all splendid characters apart from his biological father. The familial connection was truly apparent and how they accepted Trixie into the family with ease was endearing. The love and care of Bear's family was beautiful, although intrusive at times.

Oh, did I forget to mention that Trixie saved and adopted a pet chicken? The relationships that Bear and Trixie have with the chicken develop and strengthen over time to become unconditional love for the little farm animal which surprisingly did not feel cheesy!

Bear's character was charming. His narration always depicted his adoration for Trixie and made my heart flutter with happiness. Unfortunately, I did not like Trixie's character as much. She set so many reasonably unreasonable barriers throughout the story which frustrated me. It allowed for tension to build, but I felt horrible for Bear who had to endure it. Not to mention, I feel like she acted completely irrationally towards the end. Bottling up emotions for so long caused her to be a ticking time bomb, I get it, but I did not like how she acted. I also did not enjoy how Bear initially responded to her outburst... but that is beside the point. This was a great little love story that made me both laugh and cry, and I recommend it to anyone who loves love, because there was a lot of it!

Trixie and Bear are two wonderful characters that have cute quarks. I could not help myself from laughing out loud many times in this book! This cute Rom-Com will have you up at night not wanting to go to sleep!

This was a quick a funny and quick read. I enjoyed it for what it was. I just wanted a quick and fun read . Definitely LOTS of laugh out loud moments.

If you're looking for a lot of depth in the characters, you will be disappointed in this book. The author touches upon some dark and emotional past of the characters, but never really elaborates on them and kind of just ends the book with "the end, they live happily ever after" and you're wondering.. but.. what happened?

Thank you publisher and NetGalley for this Arc.

I really enjoyed this book from the very beginning ! This has so many emotions from laughing to tear jerking!
Trixie is fun and quirky and relatable! The relationship between her and Bear kept me wanting more throughout the book up until the very end.
The characters were fun, relatable and quirky.
I would highly recommend this book!
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

2.5 / 5 stars.

This book started off well (albeit a little strange). The characters showed promise and I was excited to see how the story developed. I was disappointed as the story progressed. The main characters fell flat for me and I think I actually started to dislike them more with each new turn in the story. Not one of my favorites for the year, but I give the author props for coming up with a very, very unique meet cute.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book!

i loved how this novel started with action right from the first line! i wasn’t expecting chick-chick to play such a prominent role in the storyline but her appearances had me cracking up! all the characters are amazing and i adored each and every one of them. but there are plenty of big personalities surrounding their lives and it was hard to keep track of everyone. trixie is a sweetheart! her quirkiness is too adorable and i admire her giant heart and willingness to care for others. as his name implies, bear is just a big teddy bear! although it takes time for him to warm up to his surroundings, he is clearly protective over trixie and her well-being. all of this background is given pretty fast and that’s all i could really say about them. as fun as they all are, i felt like i couldn’t connect with them at a deeper level.

this novel is filled with so much love and laughs but at times i felt that bear and trixie’s emotional baggage shadowed their budding romance. there was a lot of going around in circles, using the same explanations, before they realized they could trust one another. if only they could head me through the pages to open up to each other! i thought that this made some of the chapters repetitive and that the story would have still been complete without referring back to too much of their pasts. i wish there was less focusing on their lives prior to meeting each other and more on the romance and the time they spent together. this was definitely a fun read but i was looking for more ways to be in team trixie/bear

First of all thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The plot of the story was different. Using a chicken for a pet instead of a dog or a cat was awkward but original and because of this it had funny moments. The characters were cute. I liked that Bear unlike his appearance was very soft, kind and it showed that men could like "girlish" stuff and that is normal. Trixie and Bear's dialog and relationship was cute. But I liked Bear's sisters and family the most. Especially the ad for the rent. All in all it was a cute romcom. I was not wowed but I enjoyed it.

This book is cute but it was just a miss for me. The main point of Trixie's character is that she doesn't show other people her negative emotions which is fine but it felt like the reader didn't see them either. Bear on the other hand, was perfect. I want him for myself.

I received an arc through netgallley.

A quirky, delightful romantic comedy with charming characters, whose journeys "to the other side" will keep you laughing and crying from start to finish. Truly a delightful read! I can't wait to see more from this author!

I enjoyed this book, it was romantic and sweet and had very lovable characters. I really enjoyed the buildup of the relationship between Bear and Trixie. It reminded me a lot of a Hallmark move. There was not really any spice, it was mostly fade to black, but it was still a good book.
The characters were what made the book worthwhile. Bear was so lovable and sweet. I liked how the book addressed real life problems. It showed how toxic masculinity can affect a man’s life and shape who he will become. It also addresses mental illness with Trixie and her struggle since youth with displaying her emotions. I enjoyed the journey that I got to go on with the characters and seeing how their love story played out.

I rated it 3.25 stars because the dialogue was a little unnatural at some points, but Im sure that’s an issue that will be solved in later copies.