ARC REVIEW (thanks NETGALLEY!)


“Could a person hurt themselves from
Holding back huge smiles all night? Like a mouth sprain?”

Yes Mira, they can- I’ve been smiling through this whole damn book. I’m sitting here in the afterglow massaging my cheeks. Goddamnit it was so good. Fuck insta-love or insta-lust, I’m now here for insta-intimacy, thats exactly what this book felt like, intimate. As soon as Cole and Mira meet they just *clicked* and it was so beautiful and joyful to read. I’ve been loving the Bluebird Basin series and FINALLY reading about people my own age with actual real life issues. Jess just gets it cuz she’s one of us.

This beautifully written novel was a long-distance romance done well. The insecurities of both main characters was showcased perfectly without bogging down the story, and not one scene took up undeserved space. Clearly the author knows her Gen Xers and 80s/90s pop culture. Truly an enjoyable read.

A gorgeous, thoughtful, soft, and sexy book - everything I love about Jess Hardy!!!

I didn't think anything could top the sweet magic of Jess Hardy's COME AS YOU ARE, the first book in the Bluebird Basin series, but I love LIPS LIKE SUGAR so very very much. Jess Hardy does an absolutely expert job of giving us mature characters who have some life under their belts but still so much to learn. Watching Cole and Mira develop trust, friendship, and love alongside their sizzling physical chemistry, is just a JOY!

Cole is everything I want in a romance hero--soft, emotional, sexy as hell, and ultimately devoted to making Mira's life easier. And Mira is so special and wonderful: creative, devoted, an active mom and daughter, and a punk at heart.

This book is a fantastic journey I want to travel again and again! Love this series and can't wait for more!

Cole Sanderson has ruined me for all other book boyfriends. An untied bowtie and black rimmed reading glasses?! Undyingly attentive to Mira and teasing the line between corny and achingly sweet?! Openly loving with his man-best friend and wrapped around his granddaughters' baby-fingers?! And, Cole won't hold back in telling Mira what she does to him. Regularly. His adoration completely glimmers off the page. I devoured this in hours while laughing out loud, and I wish I could stay in the Bluebird Basin world for longer! Y'all know I love love for people who aren't usually centered in the romance world, and a hot-flash having, Sandwich generation caregiver like Mira is exactly that. There is so much to be said for writing love and making love without mentioning ripped or youthful bodies, and I so appreciate this approach. The pacing was excellent, and the side characters were engaging and loveable too! Sign me up for the eternal Jess K Hardy hype squad!