I really enjoyed Dumond's "Looking for a Sign", so when I saw a queer B&B novel that took place in the South, I RAN to scoop up an ARC. Dumond is fabulous with creating well-rounded and emotionally complex characters living through realistic situations (something that I've found to be more of a stickler of as my reading interests mature). Bed and Breakup felt emotionally akin to McQuinston's "The Pairing" in that you have a previously together couple that rekindle their spark from enemies to lovers. Both Molly and Robin felt entitled to enjoy something that they were previously signed up for together, and Eureka Springs felt like a Southern queer safe haven that even I wanted to visit. Dumond's snarky humor both shines through and pairs well with Bed and Breakups theme of personal growth.

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

I will definitely be looking for more books by Susie Dumond. This was terrific. It had all the elements required for an emotional, colorful, tasty meaningful romance.
It starts with anger, slides into a truce then warms to a strong romance and bond.
The descriptions of the food, the preparation, the work on the inn...all very entertaining and moving. And the growing love between the two MCs was so emotional. It left me breathless at times.
I even gasped at an almost tragedy near the end.
Terrific writing I highly recommend it.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was a really fun concept for a romance book and I loved it! Molly and Robin were so cute and so much fun. Their chemistry is off the charts.

Seven years after an acrimonious breakup, Molly and Robin both find themselves back at the Hummingbird Inn, the now-vacant bed and breakfast that they had previously turned into a nationally renowned destination for queer vacationers. Billed as a small-town second-chance lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance, I selected this book more for the enemies-to-lovers aspect than the second-chance-romance, and it definitely delivered what I wanted in the ETL trope!

Keep in mind that it's not just a straightforward enemies-to-lovers romance. I'm fond of those, but in this case we have two people with a long history together, who left things unresolved, and both of whom feel hurt and angry about it, and when they unexpectedly find themselves staying in the same house, they're immediately at each others throats and taking that hurt out on each other. But that's only part of the story, as they eventually do the adult thing...and realize that they are adults.

In the Afterword, author Susie Dumond writes, "With Bed and Breakup, I wanted to tell a story about what it means to love someone over years, how it feels to grow into adulthood alongside a partner and grapple with the choices you make together and apart. I wanted to dig into the messiness of building a life with someone and the beauty that blooms from those challenges."

I think this book does a great job of showing just exactly that, and doing it in an entertaining and moving way.

The premise of this book was a fun one - a second-chance romance in a small, queer friendly community, while renovating a b&b. However, this did fall a little flat to me. Both characters were written with similar sounding internal monologues and it was difficult to remember who was Robin and who was Molly. They both were just too similar on the page. I also felt like the romance was banking on what had happened in their past and not enough on how they had grown. It took a while for them to have genuine conversations, in my opinion. Overall, 3 stars.

Second chance romance is a tough trope to tackle, and I was really hoping this sapphic version would hit the mark! Unfortunately there were a few issues: firstly, I found the dynamic between the two MCs early in the book to be quite juvenile. These women are in their 30s and acting like immature teenagers. Secondly, I felt like the voices were not dissimilar enough for me - this isn't because they're both women, but because they have so many similar internal thoughts and quirks. But most importantly, I just didn't buy that they were into each other enough to rekindle their relationship.

I think there will be big fans of this one! It just really wasn't for me! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This one was a lot of fun! I love a second chance romance, especially when the characters start off hating each other, and a good home renovation story. I wasn't a big fan of Molly or Robin initially, especially after a prank Molly pulls in the beginning, but the side characters and the town kept me reading, and eventually I started rooting for them as they started to communicate. Like their relationship, we had a rocky start but it was worth it in the end.

This book was clearly such a labor of love, and that comes out in every chapter. The idyllic small town is based on a real place, and by just halfway through the book, I was already looking up flights. The author even included real recommendations in her afterword. If you love a queer-friendly cute little town, this is definitely the book for you.

Unfortunately, the romance itself fell a little flat to me. I was having trouble connecting with the characters, and never fully invested in their relationship. I also felt like the book was a little slower-paced than I would have liked.

This book was adorable. Robin and Molly were great for each other. I really enjoy watching their relationship develop. It was incredible to watch them develop their friendship with others and grow together. Them coming back to eureka was great for them to both find a loving and accepting. They both went through a lot of Self-Discovery, which ultimately, improved their relationship as a whole. The ending felt slightly rushed but it was spectacular nonetheless. I loved every second of this book!

This was an advance copy I read provided by netgalley.

I picked this up originally for the cover, but the insides were just as captivating as the cover once I dove in. Molly and Robin are so real, as well as the other characters living in Eureka Springs. Seeing a queer story set in the south was really refreshing as well. Their history and what ultimately brings them back together is wonderfully well done. It's not something I feel like I read a lot, but it makes me want to find more second chance romance books.

Susie Dumond is very good at writing easy, playful romances. The narrative is compelling from the start, in that it's a complicated situation that anyone would sort of dread finding themselves in for real. One issue I had, however, was that the two different POVs sounded very similar. I always have a hard time when a narrative is told in first person, as it's just not my personal favorite, and I find it really takes someone gifted to write a dual narrative that leans on first person, especially two women, because it's almost inevitable that the author's voice will come through stronger than anything else, which results in the voices of the characters sounding really similar. Took me a long time to get used to who was who; I kept finding myself in the midst of a chapter struggling to remember who's head I was in.

Second chance romance, forced proximity and enemies to lovers can all be found in this pretty great book. This book is a little cheesy for me but still a great story.

Well, I wrote this book, so I'm a fan! This is a story about second chances, blooming where you're planted, and of course, delicious food. I hope readers connect with the found family and cozy small town setting. Enjoy!

While it was very well-written and a wonderful exploration of how relationships change and grow, this novel was a bit too real for me. Robin, one of the main characters, never really became likable and the ultimate effect was kind of depressing. I love Dumond’s writing style, but this was not my favorite of her works.

Molly and Robin are both hoping to stay in the Bed and Breakfast they ran together before they split up, but they certainly weren't hoping to stay there with each other. Now they have a chance to find some closure, actually get divorced, and sell the last thing tying them together: their bed and breakfast.

Parts of the romance felt a little rushed, but I enjoyed the bed and breakfast setting, and I thought the book really brought Eureka Springs to life on the page.

I should have known better than to pick his up knwoing that Susie Dumond's last book did not really work for me. I just don't think she's an author for me and I was not a fan of this one either, sadly. I hope others can enjoy the book though

I LOVE LESBIANS

No but seriously I thoroughly enjoyed this. Give me a book about two women falling back into love while renovating a bed and breakfast and I'm SAT. Especially if there's cooking and gardening involved?! Give it to me!! I do wish we'd gotten a bit more of an explanation about what fell apart the first time, but that wasn't a deal breaker for me. I was so invested in these two, it was ridiculous. I almost wish we'd have gotten an epilogue to give me a little more fluff, but again, minor complaints. I'll definitely be reading whatever Dumond releases next!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was super cute and heartfelt. Bed and Breakup is a perfect summer read.

This is a second chance, forced proximity, enemies to lovers romance. Molly and Robin used to be in love but have been estranged for six years, but happen to return to the Inn they co-own. I thought the relationship between Molly and Robin was realistic and entertaining. The pranks they pulled on each other were hilarious. I feel like we don't get enough pranks in enemies to lovers romcoms/contemporaries. There's a lot of bickering in the beginning too which is really just masking the tension between them. I thought the romance developed at a great pace and was believable. These two ended up being really sweet.

I fell in love with the setting too. The Hummingbird Inn and the town of Eureka Springs sounded wonderful. A safe haven for everyone, especially queer people. It was lovely to see/read.

The book felt like a warm hug. Highly recommend if you like second chance romances, enemies to lovers and summer vibes.

I am a sucker for second-chance romances, but this one took me a little time to get through. Although the writing was a little dense and repetitive, the characters and settings shone throughout. I couldn't necessarily buy the romance between the two main characters, at least not as much as I wanted to as a second-chance sapphic romance reader; I just felt like they weren't fleshed out enough. Granted, each character was distinct and well developed, but the romance itself was not.

This is so sweet my teeth hurt! I was totally engaged in the romance and I liked it very much!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.