Molly and Robin used to run the now-closed Hummingbird Inn, a charming bed and breakfast they started as newlyweds thirteen years ago. Once a bustling spot in the picturesque town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, the inn has turned into a place of conflict as they unexpectedly find themselves needing a temporary place to stay. Over the years, a lot has happened: they restored the old Victorian house; Molly became a talented stained-glass artist; Robin developed her culinary skills and gained some fame as a C-list chef; and, most notably, they went through a bitter separation without ever getting divorced.

The story dives into their unresolved emotions—anger, pain, sorrow, and love—as they navigate their complicated relationship. It follows a classic arc of lovers turning into enemies and then back to lovers, leading to a predictable yet satisfying conclusion. The way Molly and Robin showcase their artistic and culinary talents adds depth to their characters beyond their tumultuous history.

Don’t miss the author’s note at the end of the book, where she shares her inspiration for the story and its setting. Eureka Springs is a real LGBTQ-friendly community that the author knows well.

I was torn on how to review this one. It was alright, but I had JUST read a similar kind of book by Lauren Blakely. And honestly, I think Lauren did it better. I probably would have loved this more, if I hadn't read that other book, first.
Molly was treated pretty poorly by a character called Key. I hated that they treated her like she was a child. She's an adult woman! I also felt like a few things in this book were pretty immature on both of the main characters' parts.
The second-chance romance was lacking, as well. I felt no chemistry between Molly and Robin. It just felt like they hated each other. And in the end when they come together, it still felt like they hated each other. I just wasn't into it.
2.5 stars, rounded down

Robin and Molly were so fun to get to know! I loved the small town reunited lovers vibes of this book. I love how colorful and eclectic their community is, with so many vibrant characters that I'd love to hear more about! (Maybe a future love story for Key?)

I am not normally a big fan of second chance romances, but I found Molly and Robin’s relationship sweet and believable. Both characters are flawed human beings, and their growth and (eventual) vulnerability with each other made me root for their relationship. This is one of the best second-chance romances I’ve read!

Molly is an artist who works with stained glass and Robin is a chef. I’m glad the book explored both of their passions and what their respective crafts mean to them.

What really made the book stand out for me was the focus on queer community in a small town in the U.S. South. The setting really came to life for me, and I loved all the side characters. This book made me want to stay at a bed and breakfast in a small town.

I also adore books that feature cute pet cats, and Marmalade was no exception!

Bed and Breakup by Susie Dumond
- second chance romance
- queer community
- set in Eureka Springs, Arkansas
- adorable cat
- forced proximity

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book!

I likes this book but it was a little too slow for me. I wish they would have either shortened it or gave more details and story lines with the supporting characters. I loved the main character story and kept hoping for more supporting details.

Cute second chance sapphic romance. Very enjoyable.

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 this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a fun second chance romance in lovely setting! I really appreciated how queer this book was, as it seems Eureka Springs was this queer haven nestled in middle of nowhere Arkansas. I appreciated that these two characters both had big aspirations and that we got to hangout with them (both present time, and through reminiscing years ago) as they fixed up the Hummingbird Inn. I liked how Dumond showed a messy and complicated relationship that tiptoed the line between loathing and love. There was a lot of hurt, passion, and care that fizzed between our two MCs. I think perhaps the pacing could have been stronger as the chapters at times felt a bit too short. I also think that an epilogue would have tied the story together a bit more satisfyingly as it felt like quite an abrupt ending. Though, I think that the characters grew a lot in order to earn the ending they got. I would have loved to see them hash out more of the details that led to their initial breakup years ago (SPOILER: specifically Georgina, I feel like we really rushed over that?! SPOILER END) as that would have given the characters and their relationship a bit more depth. In all though, an easy read with a lot of heart!

Mood/season-wise, this would be a great book to read during Pride as it is chalk-full of queer characters, and at one point June is specifically mentioned. They are enduring the southern heat and as a Canadian reading this in winter, it was fun to read something so summery. This book will also make you hungry for fresh veggies so it could be a great paring for the farmers market or afternoon in the garden.

This is my first read by Dumond, and I am interested in checking out her other work!

I was given an eARC for this book. Honestly, the title and cover got me extremely fast. I was like, lesbians… and a remo?! I was so ready.
The overall premise is still pretty catching and interesting but.. maybe I just have very tight boundaries or something because I found the characters to be a bit immature and not easily likeable.

I Can work around some plot holes or the speed at which things happen but having the main characters rub off the wrong way.. makes it harder to get into.

Bed & Breakup is a sapphic second chance romance that follows exes Molly and Robin as they return to their once thriving bed and breakfast, the Hummingbird Inn. What starts as a simple arrangement to stay at the now closed inn quickly turns into a battleground of pranks, unresolved emotions, and lingering chemistry. While the setup is fun, I found some of their antics more mean spirited than playful, which made it hard to root for them as a couple. That said, the book does a great job of showcasing their individual talents, Molly’s stained glass art and Robin’s culinary skills, which added depth to their characters.

One of my favorite aspects of this book was the setting. As someone who grew up in the Ozarks not far from Eureka Springs and has spent a lot of time in Eureka Springs at Pride events and for general weekend getaways, I loved seeing this charming town brought to life on the page. It’s a perfect backdrop for a queer romance, and the small town atmosphere added to the story’s charm and knowing the area well really helped my imagination with visualizing these characters in the town.

While I’m not sure Molly and Robin were meant to be together, I still enjoyed the journey. If you love second chance romances and small town settings, this one might be worth picking up.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback for sending this eARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

When Molly returns to Eureka Springs, Arkansas to create some stained glass windows for her old friends' businesses, the last thing she expects is to see her ex-wife, Robin, in the old B&B that they still co-own. Robin's restaurants did not survive covid lockdown, so she has returned to the Hummingbird Inn to lick her wounds and decide what is next in her celebrity chef career. After each trying to push the other off their shared property and neither budging, they begrudgingly decide to renovate the inn together so they can sell it and end their marriage and partnership in one fell swoop. In the process, they see that the inn is not the only thing they're repairing.

Bed and Breakup is filled with so much heart - Molly and Robin have both been so hurt by the world around them, by circumstances outside their control, by each other, and by themselves, and yet they each find ways to love themselves and the world around them. I loved watching Molly and Robin figure out their second chance and discover what it was they truly wanted. Among all the heart, there was also a lot of humor - I found myself laughing out loud about haunted dolls and a perfectly placed Ali Krieger/Ashlyn Harris reference.

Susie Dumond has written another stunner, thank you NetGalley and Dial Press for the eARC!

This was a cute second chance romance that was also a quick read. I had mixed feelings about the characters and their fighting, especially early on but I was rooting for them by the end of the book.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

Bed and Breakup follows Molly and Robin, a former couple who accidentally find themselves back at the inn they owned when they were married.

I love second chance romances so I was very excited to read this and I really liked all of the characters in this book. Keyana and Jesse stood out the most to me and I loved Molly and Robin’s individual interactions with their friends. The premise was also fun and I enjoyed all of the renovation parts of the book as well as learning more about the town of Eureka Springs.

I found it very difficult to root for Molly and Robin stay together as I didn’t see very much chemistry between them and wasn’t sure how they even got together in the first place. The pranks they played on each other were also very mean spirited which made it hard to root for them to end up together. But I enjoyed the characters (especially Keyana!) and the end was very sweet and worth the wait.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley again for the chance to read this early.

I really enjoyed Susie Dumond’s new book, Bed and Breakup. Romcom fans will love this one. It was a fun read.

Before I get into my review of “Bed and Breakup,” I would like to thank NetGalley and The Dial Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
 
Alright, I’m going to be extremely honest and say that this book was not for me. I was trying to keep an open mind while reading this book, especially since it’s a second-chance romance, however it just fell flat in my opinion.
 
I did not appreciate how Molly is treated like a child on behalf of Robin and Key. More so Key, but Robin does as well towards the middle to end of the book. Like she can’t handle adult problems she signed up for. 
 
Another thing I didn’t like was how forced the chemistry felt, and in my opinion, it just felt… awkward? For the first quarter of this book they *hated* each other, then the next page they would be kissing or sharing a bed. They’d talk about their past and then make out or have sex. They’d have a very necessary conversation about their relationship, then out of nowhere have sex. (Which was *very* unwarranted in my opinion.) 
 
I also feel like both characters were equally in the wrong when it came to how this relationship formed again. I felt the ending of this book was really rushed. I wish we as readers could have seen the relationship *truly* start to bloom a few chapters earlier than when it did.
 
Overall, I would give this book a 2.5/5 stars. Thank you again to NetGalley and The Dial Press for the early E-Copy.

Two exes decide to reunite to fix up and sell the bed and breakfast that destroyed their marriage. As they work together, so many memories come up and the chemistry between them makes it harder to say goodbye.

A very charming and heartwarming story. If you love:

Small towns
Enemies to lovers romance
Second changes

Then this book is for you! It was a nice quick read!!

Thank you NetGalley, Susie and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for the E-ARC!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: June 24 2025
#NetGalley #BedandBreakup

Sinopsis en español:

Como recién casados, Molly y Robin hicieron del Hummingbird Inn un destino de moda para viajeros queer en la peculiar ciudad de montaña de Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Pero cuando sus ambiciones profesionales los separaron, la joven pareja se separó, entregó el mantenimiento de la propiedad a una empresa de gestión y nunca miró hacia atrás.

Siete años después, Molly y Robin regresan al Hummingbird Inn por razones muy diferentes. Molly es una artista en ascenso que ha sido encargada de crear piezas en Eureka Springs; Robin es una chef famosa cuyos restaurantes se han vuelto los del vientre. Ambos se sienten con derecho a su propiedad compartida, furiosos porque el otro se niega a irse, y cada uno recurre a una serie de bromas crecientes con la esperanza de asustar al otro. Cuando ninguna de las mujeres se mueve, deciden renovar el bed and breakfast juntos, venderlo y, por último, ir por caminos separados. Pero su trabajo para restaurar el encanto vintage de la posada reaviva los recuerdos, y la química, que hacen que sea difícil decir adiós.

Tierno, encantador y conmovedor, Bed and Breakup es un romance de amantes de pueblos pequeños, enemigos y amantes que explora cómo algunos sueños, sin importar cuán polvorientos o rotos sean, merecen una segunda oportunidad.



Reseña:

Fue lo suficientemente entretenido para acabarlo, pero no me encantó. Sobretodo porque queda al aire si Robyn fue infiel o su relación con su colega se dio después de que Molly la dejara.


Gracias NetGalley por el ARC

Dumond’s writing is a breath of fresh air—funny, fast-paced, and effortlessly engaging. She has a knack for crafting dialogue that feels natural and laugh-out-loud funny while still delivering deeply emotional moments. Beneath all the humor and sizzling chemistry, the novel explores themes of vulnerability, self-sabotage, and learning to embrace the messy, unpredictable parts of love and life.

Our heroine is a firecracker—sharp, independent, and hilariously stubborn. Watching her navigate her fears and open herself up to love is as rewarding as it is entertaining. And the love interest? Absolute perfection. Dumond gives us a romantic lead who is equal parts patient, charming, and swoon-worthy, making the slow-burn tension deliciously painful. The supporting cast is just as delightful, bringing warmth, chaos, and so much personality to the story.

Strengths? The humor, the tension, and the emotional depth. Dumond doesn’t just deliver a rom-com—she gives us a story about real people with real fears and hang-ups. The balance between lighthearted fun and emotional sincerity is spot-on.

Weaknesses? If you’re not a fan of stubborn protagonists who take their sweet time figuring things out (cough self-sabotage cough), you might find yourself yelling at the pages. But honestly? That just makes the payoff even better.

If you love The Roommate by Rosie Danan, The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary, or anything that delivers slow-burn torture with a side of hilarity, Bed and Breakup is your next must-read. A huge thank you to NetGalley for the early copy—now excuse me while I go aggressively recommend this to everyone.

helloooo queer romcom surge 2025!!!! 🥳 i absolutely devoured this, was there ever any question?! look at this cover y’all. these two cuties stole my heart and now i would like to read susie dumond’s grocery list. this was steamy, sweet, and at times too painfully relatable shush. i implore EVERYONE pick this one up in june!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I love second chance romances, I find it so beautiful when a couple can rekindle what they once had. However, this book let me down.

As expected, the two main characters don’t have a good relationship in the beginning of the book. But instead of there being silly fights and pranking, I found that what the characters were arguing about had me not wanting them to get together. Especially the pranks, they seemed mean and I think if the characters knew each other they would know that it crosses a line. Obviously they were able to recover by the end of the book, but it made me not rooting for them. However, I did love that there was a side character, Key, who was voicing opinions that matched my own.

Eureka springs sounds like a lovely place to visit and I think the setting of this story was good. Over, I think the story progressed really fast and it left me lagging behind to actually route for the couple.

I have mixed feelings about this novel. The writing is clear and engaging, the characters are interesting (with emphasis on the supporting cast), and the storyline is refreshingly different. My ambivalence stems from the petty, mean-spirited, immature behaviors of the protagonists in the opening chapters.

Molly and Robin are co-owners of the now-defunct Hummingbird Inn, a bed and breakfast they created as newlyweds thirteen years ago. Once a thriving business in the destination town of Eureka Springs Arkansas, it has now become a battleground as they unexpectedly find themselves seeking temporary shelter in the inn. Much ensued in that thirteen-year period: they restored the aging Victorian home; Molly became a successful stained-glass artist; Robin honed her cooking skills and became a c-list celebrity chef; and, most importantly, they had an acrimonious separation but never divorced.

The storyline unfolds as the two wrestle with unresolved feelings of anger, hurt, grief and love, but as mentioned above, they behave in deeply flawed ways. The overall theme could be described as lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers with a predictable but satisfying ending. The descriptions of Molly’s and Robin’s respective talents in art and cooking add dimension their characters beyond their challenging relationship.

It is worth reading the author’s note at the conclusion of the book where she describes her inspiration for the story and its setting. Eureka Springs is an actual LBGTQ-friendly community with which the author is familiar.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.