WHOA spice. Loved this novel and the premise of forced proximity due to a snowstorm. Perfect combination of angst and turmoil, with opposites attracting (one with kid, one without; one who loves family, one who doesn’t want family, etc). A cute story; it’s the second in the series, and honestly, I think it’s just as good as the first! Would totally recommend. Thanks for the opportunity to read!

A cute romantic comedy with great main and supporting characters. It was nice to see how the characters grew. Overall, enjoyable. *I received an ARC of this book and this is my voluntary and honest review.

Wow what a book thank you ever so much for the opportunity to review. I could not put it down. Would definitely recommend to others!

oh geesh, i really wanted to enjoy this book. but alas, i did not. that doesn't mean it's not for you! i still hope you try it and that YOU love it! because that's what matters when you read! :)

What an incredible addition to the Kasper Ridge Series! I thoroughly enjoyed this book so much, possibly one of my favorites by Delancey Stewart and look forward to reading more books by her, especially in this series.

I was really hoping to enjoy this as much as the first book, but unfortunately it fell flat for me.

It felt as though we just jumped straight into the steam without much character or plot development behind it. Although the steamy scenes were written well, it’s like we were given 3 key facts about each MC to ‘give them depth’, then shoved them in a cosy little cabin together. It’s hard to believe there’s any romance or deeper connection between the MCs, just sexual chemistry, which is fine but it makes the second half of the book and the ending completely unbelievable.

To be honest, I think Mateo would have been better off deciding to go to therapy before even contemplating dating someone new, as so much of the book is him thinking about his ex wife and feeling full of guilt. Not to mention how he is constantly comparing Annalee to his dead ex wife which didn’t sit right with me (especially in the steamy scenes and at the end when he refers to the house as ‘Poppy’s house’). They never even properly dated or got to know each other, Annalee simply slotted into the empty wife role and all of a sudden they’re playing happy families within a matter of weeks.

I did really like Annalee’s character however, a strong badass female with a deeper side to her. I think she deserved better than Mateo to be honest, as he couldn’t give her what she deserved and honestly messed her around a little in parts.

I also enjoyed the continuation of the treasure hunt, a great way to involve the side characters and see more of them, whilst also continuing with the intrigue of the hunt.

However there were a couple minor things that to be honest I felt should have been picked up on in the edits stages. Firstly, 67% of the way into the book we are introduced to Mateo’s ‘best friend’ for the very first time, who’s only purpose is to come look after Lily for a night, then disappears again. This screams adding random characters for the sake of the plot, with no real dimension.

The other issues were to do with some of the lines. For example, Annalee says that her real name is Spanish for cherry at one point, which it isn’t at all? Then later when Mateo is thinking about sharing a cabin bed with Annalee and getting aroused, the author decides to use the phrase “fatherly intentions” to internally justify why he’s feeling protective, which just feels so wrong in that context. Another little thing was the use of “globes” to describe their ass TWICE, just why honestly.

So overall, the premise was intriguing and could’ve been a really heartfelt, moving piece on grief and letting go on Mateo’s part and confronting who you really are on Annalee’s part, but unfortunately it was more of a steam-filled insta-family quick read.

It was a really cute read. I really enjoyed the book. I had to go read the first book first because because when I requested it I didn’t see that it was book 2 but I did really like the series. I would definitely read it again.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a sequel so I did go and read the first book first, just to make sure I was on track. I thought the characters were great.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

I absolutely love this series of books. The couples are brilliant but Lily totally stole this one.

A cute read that I really enjoyed. I’m loving this series and look forward to reading more. They are quick and fun so you will have no problem reading them in an afternoon. Which is perfect for a snowy Saturday this time of year.

Although this is the 2nd book in the series, I did not read the first book. This can be read as a stand-alone book.

Read if you like:
- A badass main heroine
- A single father trope
- A whip-smart child
- Forced proximity

Mateo and Annalee (call sign Monroe) work together with friends making over a ski resort. They get snowed in in remote cabins and can no longer ignore their attraction and chemistry.

Both main characters have a past they either want to run from or not think about. Mateo is a single father whose wife died and eft them with his daughter Lily. Monroe grew up in a pageant-centered family and broke off to become a pilot. Her pilot call sign Monroe comes from her similarity to Marilyn Monroe. Both main characters are not looking for a relationship, especially with each other but they overcome their past and insecurities and grief together. Having a cute little girl like Lily in the mix also helps to bring them together.

This was a very quick, sweet, forced-proximity romance worth reading!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mateo is a single father who is all about his daughter Lilly since his passed away, he also thinks that he has found his one love and she passed away so he can no longer look for a woman at least until Liily is grown, plus he feels he is responsible for his wife’s passing. Slowly this changes when he goes out on a hike with Annalee a former female fighter pilot also. Now once they were looking for the cabins that were supposed to be out there once the two of they find them they are then stuck together by a freak snowstorm. This of course gives them time to talk and to do other things, both of them become closer and maybe Mateo can have something more than what he has. This is a good story with good characters and one where you see growth in both of the characters even after the time when Mateo gets freaked out and angry when he is just really just scared. A very good story.

The second book in the Kasper Ridge series - I was delighted to see this on netgalley as I really enjoyed the first book. A brilliant read with a perfect winter storyline - cannot wait to read more in this series

I enjoyed this story. But I always enjoy a Delancy Stewart novel.

Written in the lead characters POVs - Annalee and Mateo. This single dad romance was fun and easy to read. I love it when authors incorporate the little kids as well and little Lily was one of the stars of this book.

Annalee also known as Monroe from her days as a fighter pilot has a little crush on Mateo a former marine turned construction worker and single dad, who has noticed her but has kept that little information to himself. Fate, however, has a few tricks up its sleeve and so begins the events leading to their eventual romance and HEA. It starts with a hike and a snow storm no one saw coming, then reality of getting back to normal.

Delancy Stewart is a master at keeping us laughing and swooning throughout the book. Her heroines are fierce and strong and her heroes are just perfect even with their faults.

I would gladly pick up her books to lighten the mood and make me feel good.

Only a Crush is the second book in the Kasper Ridge series. This story follows Monroe (Annalee) and Mateo, both of whom we met in the previous book. This is a forced proximity, only one bed story that develops into more.

Mateo is a hot, single dad to seven year old Lily. He feels tremendous guilt and blames himself for his wife's death five years ago. Annalee is an ex-fighter pilot, who is up on Kasper Ridge to help her friend, Ghost, reopen a resort that was left to him and his sister by his uncle. She is used to doing things her own way, defying expectations. Annalee and Mateo head up to some rustic cabins on the resort to check them out for the resort's opening event. When a freak summer snowstorm strands them their together. They have always been attracted to each other, and these two days there lets them act on it. When they get back down the mountain, they struggle to figure out if they work in the real world.

This book had some funny, laugh out loud moment. I also loved the addition of Lily, Mateo's daughter. It also did have serious issues surrounding gender norms, grief and loss. The story flowed pretty good, and the setting of Kasper Ridge was absolutely gorgeous. There was the continuation of the mystery/treasure hunt from the first book, and we learned a little bit more about what was going on.

I did struggle that Mateo was suddenly ready to move on. He struggled with some serious guilt issues regarding his wife. Having good sex and "getting over it" would not happen that quickly. He needed some counselling and help to learn how to cope with all the feelings he had and learn he did not cause his wife's death.

Overall, this was a pretty solid book that made me a little teary eyed in some parts. Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing Co-op for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

After reading so many amazing reviews for this book I was really excited to read it! I’ve had this book for a few months now, and I’ve tried and tried but I can’t get into it. The characters feel flat, the banter is just ok, nothing sexy or witty enough to build chemistry and the story felt rushed. I’m not sure what I’m missing, but I think maybe the author just isn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my unbiased review.

This was my first book by this author and it was pretty cute! I really liked having a strong and independent female fighter pilot as a FMC. She was capable and smart and a good friend. The MMC was likable too with his tragic backstory and fierce single dad protectiveness. I didn’t love the third act breakup and the grand gesture to win her back, that all was a bit over the top for me. The treasure hunt aspect of this book was also weird for me because it just seemed like filler content and I wasn’t invested in it. Maybe that’s because this was the second book in the series but my first book? I’m not sure but overall this was a good read. 3.5 rounding up to 4 stars.

A single dad who is devoted to his daughter Lily is starting to fall for a bad-ass woman with an aversion to commitment. Mateo and Annalee are likeable characters who are both wary of getting too serious in a relationship. There is a slow-burn element between the two and a bit of spice sprinkled throughout the story. I love the sweet banter between father and daughter. Trigger warning: loss of a spouse.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Second book in the series. Heartfelt and lovely.

This is book 2 in the delightfully fun and cute Kasper Ridge series. Ms. Stewart is a relatively new author for me, but everything I have read so far I have enjoyed and this latest addition to this series also did not disappoint! The series is best read in order, so if you haven't read book 1, then I would advise you go back and read that before starting this one.
Mateo is a single dad with a five-year old daughter, who works in construction and is currently employed at Kasper Ridge. Annalee is the event planner for the resort and is also a retired Navy pilot. She's perfectly content diving in and helping out with the opening of the resort but when it comes to romance and matters of the heart, she can't run away fast enough. Mateo and Annalee are instantly attracted to each other, but with Matteo' s guilt about losing his wife and being the sole caretaker of his daughter and Annalee's aversion to romance, they fight their feelings and stay away from each other. That is until fate intervenes and throws them together in a cabin, unable to leave due to a freak snowstorm.
A wonderfully sweet and emotional read with a little mystery thrown in to add a little intrigue. Really enjoying this series - can't wait to read the next one!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.