Such a beautiful lesbian enemies to lovers romance. The buildup was perfect. The romance was incredible and felt so real. The ending was great and I wanted more Maya and Remi.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️/5

In Walked Trouble is the story of Remi and Maya, two bartenders for Nueve’s, who over the summer are in competition to win a cash bonus for being the top bar employee.

Remi has been working at Nueve’s for four years. A favorite of the regulars and incredibly skilled behind the bar, Remi thinks she’s a shoe-in to become it’s next Head Bartender. She’s known to have a big heart, but is also described a guarded with a big temper.

Maya knows the owner of Nueve’s, who helped set her up with a summer job before she heads back to pursue her Master’s in nursing. Though less experienced in bartending, Maya demonstrates how quickly she can pick up the skills required and charm everyone around her… everyone except Remi.

When the owner of Nueve’s announces there will be a cash bonus for the top bar employee over the summer, Remi and Maya are both in it to win it. For Remi, this would be an opportunity to add to her savings in order to buy her own house - a sanctuary for both her and her friend Ben. For Maya, this is an opportunity to afford the last of her schooling before her degree, fulfilling her dream of spending time at the same university her dad attended while starting down the road to help others like her sister. To say the relationship between Remi and Maya is contentious to start is a bit of an understatement, and when Maya’s mother has a work emergency, Remi and Maya are forced together for a night to watch Maya’s little sister. It’s during this time that their animosity towards each other begins to cool, in fact, their attraction for each other begins to heat up. Will these two talented co-workers be able to overcome perceived differences and work towards trust and partnership?

I am so glad that I was able to provide an ARC review of this book, because I LOVED it! So many tummy flutters, such a wonderful development of character and plot. Generally I like my romance books with a bit more spice (this was primarily closed door romance), but the genuine love between the characters (including platonic love!) jumped off the page and made reading this a real joy. I thoroughly recommend; this was an easy 5 stars! 💚

Tropes in this story:
✨ Workplace Rivals to Lovers
✨ Secret Romance
✨ Close Proximity
✨ LGBTQ+ love

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book via NetGalley, but my review is all my own.

This was the second book by this author. Set in Seattle, it's about a woman wanting to make her family proud and believes the only way to do that is to own her own place and get the lead bartender position. Love is the last thing on her mind. In walks the women that shakes all her plans up. What starts as a enemies at works starts a beautiful friendship. This relationship develops faster in this book than the first book, so the story seemed rushed. There was a third act breakup but in the end they get the HEA.

The second book in the "Singles in Seattle Series" is about drinks, cocktails, long drinks and sexy bartenders! Competing bartenders to be exact.
Remi is aloof, cold and fiesty. Especially to Maya, because Maya is the competitor that Remi didn't expect.
She thought she'd waltz into the bar Nueve's, which she sees as her turf, and get a promotion.
Instead, she gets competition that she doesn't need at all and why does this competitor have to look so hot?
Maya needs money!
Gabriela's offer comes at just the right time and she's definitely not going to let an ice-cold, albeit extremely hot Remi, tell her what she can or can't do!
It's an intreresting mix of characters and a slow-burn romance with lots of little fires that simmer slowly at first.
Remi and Maya have wonderful chemistry, but they made me wait a long time and the whole time I wanted to scream, "Just kiss her!" Phew, when it finally happens!
But it is also filled with pain from the past, insecurity, loss and longing for love and family!
Beautiful second book!
Thanks to Dana Hawkins and Storm Publishing for the ARC!

Thank you so much to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

In Walked Trouble follows Remi, a bartender who hopes she's been promoted, and Maya, a nursing student working a bar in her hometown Seattle for the summer. It describes both the life at the bar and Maya and Remi's growing attraction despite their competition for a bonus at the end of the summer.

I really enjoyed the characters of the story, especially Gabriella, the owner of the bar, and Maya's little sister Harper. It was also cool to read a book about bartenders after having been one for a couple months (definitely well written)! I enjoyed the bar scenes as well as the scenes at Maya's house so much.

This book is marketed as an enemies to lovers romance and while there is some rivalry at the start, both characters are into each other from page one. They also said "I love you" very very quickly, which made it too insta-love for my taste. The conflict at the end also felt a bit manufactured and would have made more sense if Remi's internal struggles around family were made a bit clearer to the reader and not just in Remi's head once or twice.

But overall this was a very cute romance that was easy to read and enjoyable. 3.5 stars.

it was hard to get into for me. but i liked it. it was fine. i really liked that each chapter had some drink.

Remi James expected, when she got called into work early, to hear she had finally gotten a promotion.

Nope.

Instead her boss has brought in a co-bartender she will now have to work with. AND compete with for a bonus she desperately needs.

Maya has come back to Seattle to finish her Nursing degree, but she's short on cash for tuition. So, like Remi, she needs that bonus.

(Minor gripe: I sort of wish we got the boss' pov, because Gabriella LOOKS like a asshole, but it's hard to say since we just have two staff povs. And the later bit... yeah, she REALLY ends up looking like a flaming asshole. No spoilers, but WOW. I know it's not a main plot bit, but yeah that bugged me. I dunno if i would rewrite, but it landed pretty badly.)

Decent slow burn.... frankly not as good as her first book. It's PRETTY GOOD, but definately not great.

I am seriously in love with Dana Hawkins and her books! She creates a world where love is accepted with all its forms. Her characters struggle with all of the usual romance story issues of course, but it’s nice to see stories where the usual hate is missing. Hopefully one day this fictional world can become reality!
Thanks to NetGalley, storm publishing and the author for this advanced reading copy. All opinions are my own and left voluntarily.