3.5 ⭐

After being separated for seven years, Molly and Robin both end up back at the inn that they renovated and ran together as newlyweds. Seeing it as an opportunity for closure, they decide to work together to re-renovate the inn and sell it. Although they are determined to see this through and break up for good, old memories and feelings arise and they find themselves drawn towards each other again.

I loved that Molly is a stained glass artist and that both her and Robin's passion for their respective arts felt detailed and genuine. I just wish I felt the same about their chemistry and passion for each other! It felt a little forced and more like I was being told that they have this tension rather than seeing it for myself. The pranking also felt childish and mean.

The secondary characters were fun and interesting and I wish they had all had a little more development and story.

Bonus points for the cat named Marmalade. :)

Thank you to Random House and Dial Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own!

This book was super cute! Perfect read for Pride month. Second chances, sapphic yearning, forced proximity, lovers to enemies to lovers, all my favorite things. I wish I could give it 4.5 stars, my only issue was the mention of Covid/Pandemic. It’s just a personal thing of mine that I’d prefer it to be omitted from my reading, but I 100% understand why it was used and it did help explain the time line and why certain things happened the way they did. It wasn’t dragged out, just mentioned here and there for the sake of the plot which I can appreciate. I loved the artist/chef aspect and how much time was taken to really get to know each character and who they were separately and what goals and aspirations they had before they came back together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for giving me this novel!

I have to say I was so bored I did not finish this one.. I hate giving reviews like this but I did not feel any chemistry at all.. the run in after 7 years was to much of a coincidence first of all.. the story was all over the place a lot and I just didn’t vibe with if at all.

Married couple Molly and Robin built the Hummingbird Bed and Breakfast into a destination, especially with the LGBTQIA+ crowd, in Eureka, Arkansas. They split up when Robin sought stardom in cooking shows and left town. Molly hired a management firm to oversee the Hummingbird, who undid their renovations, while she hit the road doing art installations. Years later, the estranged exes return to Eureka unbeknownst to each other, each planning to stay at the inn. This is a slow, second chance at romance as Robin and Molly decide to renovate the Hummingbird to its former glory and sell to a friend and move forward with their divorce. I just felt the whole story sold the reader on why Robin and Molly split up in the first place and found it hard to root for them to get back together. I was cheering for them individually as well as the interesting side characters. This is a good one to find at the library.

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback, for providing this book for review consideration through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Having visited Eureka Springs so many times, this book makes me want to take another roadtrip back to experience the amazing city. I loved the characters relationship and the vulnerability they showed towards each other throughout the whole process.

- I loved everything about BED AND BREAKUP. Second chances! Returning home! Queer found family! Renovations! Why did we break up anyway, you’re so hot!
- Really though, it’s hard to write a second chance romance where both the reason for the breakup and the path back together feel genuine, and Dumond did it here.
- I also love that Dumond continues to write books set in queer enclaves in the South. Queer people are and deserve to be everywhere.

This is a super cute book, and it's a sweet and steamy second chance romance filled with a warm and charming small town and queer community, and great secondary characters.

A renovation of a bed and breakfast in a wonderfully described small town is the plot of the novel. Big hearted, charming and a big hearted novel. I was sad to see it end.

Bed and Breakup is the first book I’ve read by author Susie Dumond, and I enjoyed getting to know the characters, Robin and Molly. They are exes who reunite after seven years apart and are forced to work together to renovate and sell the bed and breakfast that destroyed their marriage. I appreciated how Susie Dumond gave me both characters’ POVs so I could read how both characters were feeling for one another and get both sides story and not just one side. I will admit, though, that I liked Molly over Robin, but that’s due to what Robin did seven years ago to Molly. She ended up leaving Molly, and not only that, she ended up with another woman. I’m not sure if it’s considered cheating since their marriage was rocky before Robin left, but it hurt Molly, which means I sided with Molly when I started reading this book.

This is a second-chance romance story, and I trusted Susie Dumond’s approach to reuniting Molly and Robin. Initially, Molly and Robin decide to prank each other, making each other’s lives difficult while staying at the bed and breakfast. However, they eventually come to realize that the sooner they complete the renovations, the closer they will be to returning to their lives, even though one of them is dealing with what they plan on doing next after their failed restaurant.

I enjoyed reading Molly and Robin’s story, especially when it came to them renovating the bed and breakfast. I loved getting to know them individually, but I didn’t feel these two should be back together. They treated each other horribly, and they needed to work through things. I also was still bothered that Robin had been with another woman in the time Molly and her were separated, but maybe the time apart and coming back together is what they needed. They were more mature and had been through some things, but I wasn’t fully convinced.

I may have had some issues with believing the chemistry between the characters, but other than that, I did enjoy the story and its setting and would still recommend the book, especially to readers who love reading Second Chance Sapphic Romance stories. I give this book 3.5-stars and look forward to reading more from Susie Dumond.

I will say this: this book made me hungry while reading it with all the food that was mentioned whenever Robin cooked or was helping to cook. I need all the recipes for the dishes that were mentioned and not just the cake recipe.

What to Expect:
✔️Sapphic Romance
✔️Small Town Romance
✔️Enemies to Lovers
✔️Second Chance
✔️Forced Proximity

This was a great forced proximity second chance romance. I had a lot of fun reading it. It was light, which was good- however I do wish we got more of a deeper resolution between Molly and Robin- it felt like their past was just glossed over and never really talked about

This was a very cute and heartfelt second chance romance with two woman who definitely needed the breakup but who relearned how to love each other in the end. This was a quick read and I really thought there was going to be a 3rd act breakup but was pleasantly surprised when there wasn't so that's a plus. Read this one in one sitting, quick paced and tge characters really feel fleshed out. You can really feel their history with each other and the Inn that they are having to fix and sell together. Cozy read that felt like a warm hug. Highly recommend.

I loved this second chance romance. Robin and Molly split up 7 years ago but reunite by chance as they both wind up at their shared B&B in Eureka Springs. While they work on fixing it up to finally sell, they start to revisit old memories and reconnect as their present selves. The town was adorable and I loved the connections between the main characters and their surrounding families and friends. I truly devoured it!

I received a copy of the book from NetGalley, Random House, and Dial Press Trade in exchange for my honest review.

I’m in my second chance romance era and this was good. Some of the things I really liked about this book was our main characters, Robin and Molly. We start the book with them separated and barely standing each other, but I loved watching the journey of them slowly becoming reacquainted with each other.

I really liked the town and the cast of characters there. It was nice that they were all kinda rooting for our girls to get back together. Marmalade the cat was great!

I’m not really a huge fan of pranking in books, especially when the characters are adults, so I didn’t really love that aspect of it. I also would have liked a little bit more backstory on their breakup.

Molly and Robin were once newlyweds who turned the Hummingbird Inn into a cozy hotspot for queer travelers in the artsy town of Eureka Springs—until their careers pulled them in different directions and their marriage fell apart. Seven years later, both women return to the inn with very different goals: Molly is now a rising artist, and Robin’s trying to regroup after her restaurant empire crumbled. Stuck under the same roof and both claiming ownership, they resort to hilarious pranks and tension-filled renovations, determined to outlast the other. But as they restore the inn, old feelings bubble back up, making it harder and harder to let go. This was such a cute read! I loved the second chance romance and the playful dynamic between Molly and Robin—it had just the right mix of heart and humor. It was exactly what I needed during Pride Month.

NetGalley ARC Review ✨


Bed and Breakup
By: Susie Dumond
Pub Date: 06/24/25


If you love small town, second chance, enemies to lovers romance stories then you'll enjoy Bed and Breakup!

When Molly and Robin both need to regroup they both end up back at their abandoned bed and breakfast. Even though they have been separated for years, the hurt and hate are still very present. How will they be able to stay under the same roof?

This story is about discovering new dreams while also exploring old ones, growing and learning about yourself, and not giving up on the people we love. Overall, a really cute read.

This was a sweet second chance sapphic romance and I enjoyed it very much! The fact that it’s a queer romance that takes place in Arkansas?! Yes!! 🙌🏼

Robin and Molly had parted ways but both their life paths have brought them back to the Hummingbird Inn (which they own) and mayhem ensues. I found it so funny when they were playing pranks on each other but I enjoyed seeing them come to an understanding of why they had felt like they had to separate. I think a little more depth could have made this book a 5 star read for me but overall, it really made me cheer for them both. Things get mildly spicy so I give it 2 🌶️ out of 5.

The small town vibes were great, especially seeing how supportive the town is. The author took a lot of her personal experiences and it really shows. It makes me want to visit this place one day.

Thank you NetGalley, Dial Press and Susie Dumond for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

4.25 stars

Dumond's writing continues to get better with each book. I love the queer small-town setting in a conservative state and the kindness of the townspeople. I also really enjoyed the character arc of Robin from being a "failed" celebrity chef to the progress she makes. I love the artistry of Molly's work. I wish I loved Molly and Robin together, but it just didn't quite land for me. I did appreciate how the book showed the stress of being a couple while doing reno projects or even just trying to live together. It was certainly not all sunshine and daisies for them.

Absolutely will read another of Dumond's books in the future. I recommend this if you like messy Sapphic artistic types and second chance romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Thank you to Random House, Dial Press, and NetGalley for the gifted arc of this book.

Bed and Breakup was a cute and quick sapphic summer read. I enjoyed the characters and their development over the course of the book, but I did find this situation to be totally unbelievable and more than a bit privileged feeling at times. Their privilege made the characters feel less relatable to me. I really adored a most of the side characters, as well, and I appreciated the level of found family this book presented.

The ending of this book was lovely and a HEA, however, it felt a bit rushed and sudden to me. Like I had to check to see that I wasn’t missing a section or something. Maybe an epilogue would have helped this?

Overall, this was a 3.75⭐️ book for me, and I feel it would make a great beach read!

Thanks for the review copy. I love second-chance romances and cozy small towns. I know people will love this one.

Funny, fresh, and full of romantic tension. Dumond delivers a delightful breakup-to-love-again arc that balances heartache with humor. A few moments felt predictable, but the charm and chemistry more than made up for it. A great comfort read.