Reading this as an ARC copy, thank you for letting me read this book in advance, Zoe Forward!

This book starts Seth, a sheriff freashly divorced who has a fragile heart, and Joley, someone who has a T-R-A-G-I-C past. So please, check the warnings.

As we read the book we navigate through their feelings. Both of them need to fight some battles. I liked the angst and the plot.

Finding out about Joley’s past was super interesting, that was the highlight of the book. But the story between the two main characters? I liked them but it was giving me more of a lust vibe than romantic love. I felt their chemistry but it wasn’t “WOWWW”, you know? But enjoy the fact that it wasn’t insta-love, I hate those.

I love age gap couples, I don’t even mind big age gaps, but this one… it’s not even that much years apart them, but the whole “she’s wise beyond her years” made it weird…

Overall I wouldn’t say this was a bad read, but it wasn’t great either, but I enjoyed the ride itself.

This is book 2 in the fosters series and I really enjoyed book 1 which featuerd Joley’s sister Amanda. Unfortunately this one fell flat for me. I loved Joley and finding out about her past. She was funny and a lovable wounded character. I also adored her siblings. They were such a cute family.

The supposed romance is where it went downhill for me. I couldn’t feel any of the chemistry. It definitely felt more like a lust thing than a real connection. Seth just seemed to be obsessed with Joley’s boobs and she was constantly reduced to just her looks, including by herself.

The plot was all over the place and I couldn’t cope with the amount of times they ran away from each other and then we had a time jump. I did like that it wasn’t an insta love thing but it took the suspense building a bit far. This one is darker than book one with added tension from a gang leader villain threatening everyone which is probably the only thing that kept my attention.

I received a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion

i try to stay completely honest with all my reviews so here we go!

let’s start with the good stuff! i thought the characters were funny and they had some charm to them. this was definitely unique & i had originally requested it because of how interesting the premise was.

i think my biggest turnoff for this book was the chemistry between the two main love interests. i felt as if it was based off of lust rather than actual interest and while they had their moments, i didn’t like them. 🥲

the plot was sort of all over the place? i was definitely interested in the fmc’s past and there was an air of suspense and mystery to it that kept me reading, which was a bonus. however i feel like it dragged out, especially towards the end.

overall the execution wasn’t as strong, but this was definitely just a quick, funny and intriguing romcom. i would still recommend it for people who like the tropes & who just want a fast-paced read!

DNF at 20%

I really wanted to like this but I just can't. Maybe it's just me but I found the dialogue a bit off putting and forced and I have no problem with an age gape but why bring attention to it and make it weird? "She's wise beyond her years" it's unnecessary and makes it seem like the age gap is wrong and they're trying to rationalize. Overall I wouldn't say it's good or bad just not for me so I will give a 3 star rating to be fair

4 stars!

Hesi-dating is the first Zoe Forward book I've read. And I loved it! For me, this book was unputdownable. (or at least almost - I started it in the evening, read until I had to sleep, and then continued to the end in the morning.)

FMC is Joley, who has a difficult past as a foster child. Her way is to go on dates, have sex, and then move on. But when she meets sheriff Seth, she realizes that her old way of doing things doesn't work anymore, because she likes Seth too much.

Their relationship develops into friendship and helping each other in various problems (wedding date, savior from a naked-in-handcuffs situation, etc.).

What I liked about the book was that everything didn't happen in an instant, but Joley and Seth's relationship developed over time. The events of the book take place over a period of about a year.

I was surprised by the amount of suspension in the book! And I liked it very much. The book was diverse - there was love, friendship, dealing with difficult issues, tension and a little steam. Overall, an excellent book!

What to expect:

- Difficult past
- Dual POV
- Friends to lovers
- HEA
- Steam
- Hot sheriff who loves animals

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I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked that the timeline was about the same as in book #1. FMC was very encouraging towards MMC confidence in terms of his recent divorcee status. There was a little too much boob staring, maybe from the MMC. Was not expecting it to be a little darker than the previous book but it was good.

The way I screamed when I saw it was Seth‘s story! I loved doc showmance so when I saw this I raaaaaaan to request! The romance was cut, spicy in the right way for this story, and I loved the premise. Forward is an author to keep your eyes out for! She’s coming for the crown of chick lit romance and I will be fan number 1

3.5, rounded up.

I was super pumped to read this as I absolutely loved Doc Showmance! I was excited to read another book by the author that included those characters as I fell in love with them in the last book. It did not disappoint!

I loved the characters, I really enjoyed getting the backstory behind Seth and Joley, I absolutely LOVED Seth in Doc Showmance so I was excited to see him again, and for him to be a main character. I loved the humor in this, I was laughing out loud the majority of the book!

The only reason it was a 3.5 for me was because I wasn't a huge fan of the romance. Which is ironic since I enjoyed the book and it was a romance book haha. I just didn't like that their connection and it was mainly physical, which there is nothing wrong with, however the emotional aspect was lacking. Especially when they were saying they had feelings for one another when the relationship was basically only physical.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyed this one a lot! It's a romcom but with some depth and drama. Nice spice too!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of Hesi-Dating. This was probably the most action packed romance I’ve ever read. It kept me on my toes, eager to find out what happens next. There are some pretty heavy topics covered in here, but I enjoyed that there were equal amounts of action and sweet romance. My one complaint is some of the sentences are phrased rather awkwardly. But overall, I enjoyed reading this and I look forward to reading more books in this series.

Okay, i ARCed Doc Showmance forever ago. But my brain didn't even connect them until it was made completely obvious.

On that note... this one was definitely my favorite of the two. Seth and Joley had me kicking my feet and giggling at so many parts of the story. And the favors? Lets face it, they just wanted to spend time together. But i also loved the angst of the plot itself. It was thrilling without being *too much*.

The trauma discussions could definitely be triggering. Part of me was sad over what had to happen. Even knowing that it was the only solution. I really wanted *everyone* to get a happy ending. And Bruno? Ugh. Overprotective much. I can't say more or i'll spoil it.

Thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for the ARC!

The story of Seth and Joley. Some twists to keep you guessing. Looking forward to the next books in this series.

First, thank you Netgalley and Publisher for providing the ARC of Desi-Hating.

I don't usually read rom-coms, but I decided to give them a try this month since everyone is in the holiday spirit. I wanted to treat myself to some light reading at the end of the year.
"I'm not really sure if I liked Seth and Joley's relationship or not. I'm not a fan of relationships where there is a significant age gap of more than 5 years, so that was the first thing that didn't sit quite right with me. Although their relationship seemed to be going well and they were supportive and understanding of each other, I just couldn't shake the feeling of dissatisfaction."
The best part of the show was the humor, and the scenes were exceptionally well-written. The characters' backstories were also very convincing to me. I must confess, I was secretly rooting for Joley and Nosh to get together (please don't judge me). Furthermore, the bond between Joley and her siblings was adorable.
Overall, I did like it because I couldn't put it down, i finished it 2 days ago but just got time to give feedback so if you love books that have
-age gap
-spice
-a little bit of mafia
it is perfect for you.

This book is a WILD RIDE, definitely check trigger warnings before you dive in. We get so much more than a simple romance between two characters. Both of our main characters have trauma from their past that they are learning to cope with and heal from (again, TRIGGER! WARNINGS!) and I found it really sweet that they both cared more about helping the other person move past them and have the life they deserve than necessarily BEING with the other person. It really felt like they cared a lot about the other person's happiness. The love and protectiveness between Joley and her siblings was palpable, and I loved their family dynamic. The author did a really good job of making the "bad guy" morally grey. Was he crazy in the end and doing things that were wrong? Yes. But I could also see from his perspective and understand his level of crazy after the trauma he went through, and his story honestly broke my heart. Overall, this book was spicy and sweet and had me sitting on the edge of my seat in some parts. Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Hesi-Dating has ALOT going on through out the plot, there are many subplots besides the romance but every one was interesting and engaging.

We follow Joley Krieger who is an absolute wildcard, non-committal, baggage carrying young lady AND Seth Briscoe who is a traditional, freshly divorced sheriff almost 10 years her senior.

I really enjoyed this book and getting to watch Joley, Seth and Joley’s siblings characters develop!

Well worth the read when it is released!!

⏱️Read Time: 3.5 Hours

Unfortunatleby this one isn't for me. Beth is way too perfect for me. He seems to repel flaws in an unrealistic way. The wounded law man who is exceptionally hot, loves animals and is so modern that he is a walking poster for feminism (which I appreciate but it isn't organic. It's like he has been on a course and is regurgitating bits IRL).
He is just too perfect.

Joley is described only in terms of her tits. Literally. Every person who meets her stares or out right talks about them including Joley herself who refers to them as brats repeatedly. It grated on me no end. It was said over and over that people underestimated her and said she was nothing but an airhead with tits, and then she did the same. Likewise with Seth's ass. It was like neither of them had anything else worth describing except tits and ass.

The back and forth was fine for a while but after half of the book passed and it only just started showing some progression i was already lost.

I'm not sure how final an edit this is but there were spelling errors the whole way through. There were sections or sentences repeated almost word for word. At one point I actually thought I'd accidentally gone back to an earlier section somehow and had to check because the same sentence had been used.

Personally, this just wasn't for me in terms of characters, plot or writing style.

More than the usual romance - complex characters and serious issues that follow them create a strong story with multiple subplots that definitely hold your interest. You will be rooting for them along the way in more ways than one. Definitely some potential triggers, be wary if you have any.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy of this book!
If you are a fan of light-hearted romances, this is a good book to read. It's a fun addition to the genre. Jolie and Seth bring their own issues and complications to the relationship and it was fun to go on the ebb and flow ride with them as their relationship developed. A fun read!

LOVED this book! I laughed and I cried while reading this. ..it has all the feels. I fell in loved with the characters, from Jolie, with her tragic past, to Seth and his fragile heart. I literally couldn't put this book down. I couldn't wait to see how it ended, but was sad when it was done.

This one is a must read for fans of the genre. Put this one at the top of your TBR list. I can't wait to read more books in this series.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

For some odd reason, I liked everything else about this book EXCEPT the romance, and considering that this is largely a romance book, that's not exactly great. I felt like the connection between Seth and Joley was largely physical (aka they just lusted after each other). I didn't feel the emotional connection between the two, especially since all Seth thought about was Joley's boobs. Joley was an interesting and dynamic character, but Seth was lowkey kind of boring even though he also had some trauma to deal with.

Aside from the romance, I liked the dramatic aspect of the plot. A little cliché, but I didn't mind it. I didn't read the first book in this series, but I enjoyed learning about the foster siblings and their personalities/flaws/etc. It's nice to shine light on the issues of the foster care system.

Overall, I would give this a 3.5 stars out of 5 stars. I wish there was more build up between the hero and heroine, but it is what it is.