Pretty good, I loved that horses were incorporated into the story. Everest’s inability to recognise her behaviour was slightly frustrating as I feel if she had recognised it earlier it would have assisted in her character development. Otherwise a decent book. 3.5 stars

I adored this enemies to lovers romance! Gideon is a developer from Boston determined to purchase a large plot of land in Mimosa to develop into a planned community. Everest is the director of a non-profit horse rescue, Second Chance, determined to expand and make it on her own. The characters meet when Everest finds Gideon “riding” through the plot of land next to her property, which turns out to be the very plot of land she wants to expand on to.

I loved the contrast of settings - small town Mimosa and big city Boston - and how it perfectly paralleled the contrast in Everest and Gideon’s personalities. I also loved the time it took for the characters to strike up their romance and eventual love, building the relationship rather than diving headfirst.

If you’re looking for a fun read with likable characters, don’t miss out on A Higher Standard!

*4.75

This was so cute and a slight twist on the developer comes to a small town. I loved that Gideon really took what Everest said to heart and changed his plans accordingly. They just fit so well together and I loved seeing their development. This is a very cute small town romance.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Everest is happy running her horse rescue - she just needs the land next door to expand it. Then developer Gideon swoops in and wants the same land, and he has the money to get it. A fab enemies to lovers story.

I simply liked the story and the characters. I enjoyed Gideon and Everest and their evolving romance and there was no extra drama. For me this was a 4,5 upped to 5. Very lovely book.

This is one of the best books I have read so far and it made me remember the feeling that comes with an amazing reading. This was just perfect from beginning to end. I connected with the characters since the first page and I fell in love with them a little bit more with every chapter. Their development was incredible and realistic, which I loved. It was a fresh experience reading a story where the guy is the one exploring a new side and giving his all to show the woman he loves that what he needs is her and not the money or the lifestyle he used to have. We also have a strong and brave protagonist that is gonna steal the hearts of everyone who has the opportunity to read this book. She was amazing and her doubts and fears were perfectly explained. This book needs to be on the tbr list of everyone who loves a story full of romance, comedy, development and inspiration.

This was cute. I love a cute little book to read on a day off on the couch where I’m not getting too dark or twisty. This one had substance and you could get into it knowing it’s going to be a HEA and you’ll finish it thinking how cute it was.

A great rural read. Rich developer Gideon is buying up land Everest wants as her own, to expand her horse rescue. Will be be able to get her onside and convince her to give more than just the development deals a chance? A fab read.

I just couldn’t get into the book, no matter how many times I tried. The tropes were overused and nothing made me want to like the main characters enough to find out how their stories end.

I loved this book. It was well written and the characters were real. I loved Gideon, the way he adored her, he would literally do anything for her, she just had to ask. I love man like that. I liked Everest but I didn't feel any effort from her part about their relationship. She frustasred me so much, she just had to talk, really talk and he would be butter in her hands. But I still liked them together, they didn't seem to fit at first glance but they did.

This was a fun romance between a city boy and a country girl. It was a sweet read and I enjoyed the story line and Everest and Gideon's love story. There was a bit of spice that was unexpected and felt a bit out of place in an otherwise sweet story, but overall, this was a good read!

3/5 stars, rounded up!

Thanks to Netgalley and E.F. Dodd for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Finished ✔️ A Higher Standard by E.F. Dodd and loved that it talked about Boston Massachusetts. 🤩🤩

4 ⭐️‘s
Publish Day: May 16th, 2023
Kindle Unlimited: No

Love that it talked about Boston 🤩🤩
Love the unique name of the town Mimosa, North Carolina
This book definitely held my attention very well.
The characters were unique in their own ways.
I enjoyed the characters very well.
Yes, I’d recommend this book

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Rounded up from 3.5
Everest owns and run a horse refuge. Gideon wants to buy the family land next to hers for a development and she is highly against it. Will they be able to come to an arrangement?
Enemies to lovers (which passes a bit too quickly/abruptly IMO), opposites attract romance. I liked it, cute and fast read.
Now, I have said it before and I will say it again: I am really not a fan of 3rd act breakups, but I know they are part of the recipe, so I can make do with them when they are well done. This one was not. Everest is ridiculously stubborn, to a point it doesnt even make sense.
"Of course I don't understand it, because it doesn't make any sense" is what Gideon tells her, and it's what I've felt about her the whole book. Wanting to be independent is one thing. Pushing it this far is self-sabotage. Also, she is frustratingly oblivious, which at times makes her seem dense. I did however love how clumsy she is, made me think of myself. All in all, it was a good read.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a super cute read and my first read from E.F. Dodd. Gideon surprised me. I didn't expect him to be the one to fall head over heels in love with Everest so quickly. It was a bit insta-lust/love and I wish we'd had more push and pull between Everest and Gideon in the beginning. I loved their initial meet cute and wanted more of that for a little while before they decided to have some fun together. The ending was very funny and typical Gideon. I loved it.

The one thing I didn't like was the big blowup reaction Everest has in the end. For her to be a non-profit owner, you'd think she'd have more business sense than she does. Everyone knows non-profits thrive on donations, so for her to turn down a donation that would greatly benefit the business she cares deeply about made her seem not as business savvy as she wanted to portray.

This reads like a hallmark movie in the best way. It's super cute. Coming from the horse industry, with rescue being near and dear to my heart, this was a great story. The author really nails the stubbornness of a horse girl.

A really enjoyable read. I'll definitely recommend it to others.

This is my first E. F. Dodd book so I wasn't sure what to expect but the cover and blurb definitely caught my attention. The story was easy to read/follow.

Between the easy to follow story line and the relatable, witty characters, I was able to read this quickly! I didn't want to put it down.

Everest is a badass and knows it. She's very confident in herself, what she wants, and how far she's willing to go to get it. Gideon is after the land next to her farm, which she wanted to buy herself in order to expand her farm. So these two don't start out but open honesty from both ends, witty banter, and growth allows them to get past that.

If you love reading

- small town
- badass FMC
- farm/animal rescue
- banter

then you'll love this book!

Everest runs a horse rescue on a small bit of land in a small town. Strong, sassy and determined, she is immediately suspicious of the handsome real estate developer with his eyes on changing her hometown. The series of events that continue to push them into each other's orbit are funny and heartwarming. Both are so comfortable with their own paths in life until they start spending time with each other and realize, are they? Great banter and swoony moments. My first E.F. Dodd read and really enjoyed the book!!

A lovely story about a hot developer from Boston, Gideon, who travels to the small town of Mimosa for a big development deal. When he arrives in town, he struggles not only whether this project is the right fit for the town but also his attraction to the mayor's daughter, Everest - the one whose vote they need to get the deal through. You might have been there; your head telling you one thing but your heart and your emotions going the opposite direction. Gideon needs to choose between the deal and the girl. You know the head and the heart are going to clash, it might be a train wreck waiting to happen but all you can do is sit around and go with the flow and see what happens.
I really liked the writing, it was smart, witty and so much fun to read. And I found E.F. Dodd’s description of the fake, shallow atmosphere in the big city spot on.
Gideon’s business partners Jamie and Davidson are definitely characters for the next installments in this series. I really hope they are the main characters for books two and three, I am sooo looking forward to read stories about them!
The ending is expected but it was still a fun read and I can very much recommend this book. It’s a very easy read with two interesting characters with a lot of chemistry. I am looking forward to other books in this series!
I received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and I am grateful for this opportunity. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love a good small town romance, especially if its enemies to lovers. This was a great romcom and I will definitely read more by this author in the future!

Such a cute and enjoyable romcom. I loved this book and I really do love the cover. The characters are very much relatable. Cute enemies to lovers easy quick read.