This story was well written, sweet, romantic and laugh out loud funny. The characters are so enjoyable and really pull you into the story and I loved the chemistry between Dax and Violet. A well written, adorable book that showed how life’s twists and turns sometimes lead you home to a fresh start. I can't remember when I've enjoyed a cute love story so much. It was a very entertaining, wholesome romance with a great ending.

The Sheriff Next Door is a sweet, fun, fake dating love story. Sheriff meets vet in a funny weird way and together they trick their families into thinking they are dating. Second chances in romance, this story had a wonderful happily ever after.

The Sheriff Next Door by Julia Ruth, book three in the Four Sisters Ranch series, is an enjoyable, amusing, interfering family, fake dating story for two people not interested in dating or a relationship; with a hilarious meet cute.

Widowed Dax Adams, the new sheriff in town, and Violet Spencer, the local veterinarian, meet when her car accidently runs into his patrol car; leading them to agree that avoiding each other might be for the best. When Violet brings some baked goods to her new neighbor, she discovers the sheriff is her neighbor. His visiting family mistakes her for his girlfriend and he begs her to play along, to convince them he’s open to new beginnings. Overworked with little free time, she agrees: mainly to get her well-meaning sisters to stop matchmaking. After all, it’s just two weeks of fake dating; or so they believe.

The more time they spend together, the more the line between real and fake blurs, leaving them both confused. As their relationship grows, they pull away from each other, afraid of losing their friendship; afraid of their growing feelings and the possibility of a future together. With sizzling chemistry sparking between them, the pressure of their families meeting and coming together, Dax and Violet learn that everything happens for a reason.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #Harlequin #TheSheriffNextDoor

I wish I had found this author sooner. This book could be read as a standalone. However it is part of an interconnected series with characters that overlap.
He's the new sheriff in town. In an effort to start over after the loss of his wife he moved to a new town and job. He's ready to move forward in every way except love. She's a vet and over the animal shelter. After getting burned by her last boyfriend she doesn't want to try again. Unfortunately their families feel the only way they can be happy is if they find someone to love.. Will a misunderstanding help them get their families to back off or explode in their faces when it gets out of control?

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine

This is a beautiful summer read perfect for a beach day. It follows Dax a widow who is a new sheriff in town who seems to have clashed with the towns vet. That comes tumbling down when they have to pretend to date. It's a great story with great characters and perfect for fans of fake dating.

The Sheriff Next Door by Julia Ruth
An Uplifting Inspirational Romance (Four Sisters Ranch Book 3)
Can a temporary game of pretend…
Turn into lasting love?
Looking for a fresh start, widowed sheriff Dax Adams arrives in town—only to be confounded by his new neighbor, veterinarian Violet Spencer. When his family mistakes her for his girlfriend, he begs her to play along to convince them he’s open to new beginnings. And though he and Violet don’t initially see eye to eye, she agrees—if only to get her well-meaning sisters to stop matchmaking. But as they grow closer, it’s clear that even these two reluctant hearts can’t stop a fake relationship from turning into something real…
This is Violet Spencer's story.
This is sheriff Dax Adams's story.
Her time was quite full without adding a man to the mix, thank you very much.
Running an animal clinic and working on the next adoption event for her rescues was rather taxing and time-consuming. Not to mention she hosted a small group ministry in her home once a week. She had what felt like a million things to do, so she’d have to figure out how to get out of this date. Not having a social life didn’t mean she wasn’t occupied with other things that filled her with joy.
Jenn Bennett, was just one of Violet’s three siblings always trying to plan blind dates for her.
This was the new sheriff.
He removed his sunglasses and held her in place with vibrant blue eyes. A definite surprise.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, taking a step forward.
“Were you texting and driving?” he asked, furrowing his brows.
“Texting? What? No, of course not,” she insisted. “I’ve never done that. My foot slipped on the brake when I turned up my music.”
The sheriff propped his hands on his hips and blew out a sigh, then muttered something she couldn’t understand.
I recommend this book.
The Sheriff Next Door by Julia Ruth is a 4 star book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions shared here in this review are my own.
I am looking forward to reading more books Julia Ruth.

A sweet, but conflicted romance. Both of the main characters have kind hearts. People one would enjoy knowing. Family fun. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

THE SHERIFF NEXT DOOR was a lovely read from start to finish! This was my first by this other and by way of introduction to her books, it was a good one. Violet and Dax were interesting characters. I found myself drawn to both. Neither is looking for a relationship but are accidentally thrust into a pretend one that proves to be more real than either are prepared for. Their journey to happily ever after was filled with touching moments of faith, family and ultimately love. I’m giving this book the judy.ann.loves.books stamp of approval, TBR and Enjoy!

Violet, the only veterinarian in the county and head of an animal rescue, is constantly busy and swatting away unwanted dates arranged by her well-meaning sisters. When she rear-ends the new sheriff, Dax, their awkward encounter takes a surprising turn. Soon after, a series of coincidences—namely, Dax’s surprise family visit and mistaken assumptions—leads the pair to fake a relationship for two weeks.

The “fake dating to keep family interference at bay” trope is front and center here, and while it sets the stage for undeniable chemistry and some truly cute moments, it’s also what holds the story back for some readers—especially those expecting a more overtly values-driven plot. The central lie, though lighthearted and ultimately harmless in the story’s arc, can feel at odds with the Christian tone, leaving a moral gray area that may clash with reader expectations.

That said, the book is well-written, with strong pacing, natural dialogue, and endearing characters. Violet and Dax are both likable, hard-working, and relatable, and their professional dedication and mutual respect give their budding romance a solid foundation. The side characters, including meddling family members, add humor and warmth, rounding out the community vibe.

Overall, this is a clean, charming romance that fits the “faith-flavored fluff” category well—perfect for readers who enjoy small-town charm, a gentle romance, and don’t mind the fake dating trope, even when it involves a little white lie.

Widowed sheriff Dax Adams has moved to town for a fresh start. He feels he needs to get away from the memories of his deceased wife. His new neighbor veterinarian Violet Spencer has not made a good 1st impression. When they meet the second time it's even worse. When Violet goes next door to welcome her new neighbor her surprise is it's the sheriff. While she is there is family show up and think this is a girlfriend. He asks her to pretend for the two weeks his family is town. After spending time together, they realize there is something between the two of them.

I enjoyed reading this book. I love romance, and this was a sweet, light read. I would absolutely recommend reading this one!

I’m surprised a Love Inspired book is flaunting the fact that these two characters started their relationship as a giant lie to keep their families from involving themselves in their love life and/or life in general. I didn’t really appreciate that. It left a little bit of a sour taste in my mouth, a Christian romance book promoting lying that just so happened to work out, you know what I mean? They didn’t intend to actually land themselves in a relationship.

Violet is the only vet in the county and also runs an animal rescue and adoption center. Super busy, she doesn’t have time for romance, yet her sisters keep setting her up on dates. When on of these busy mornings she accidentally runs into the back of the new sheriff’s, Dax, patrol cruiser. Rule follower to the T, Dax insists on getting everything straightened out before he’ll release her from the scene, leaving Violet vowing to try and avoid him.

So imagine her surprise when she takes fresh baking to meet her new neighbor and it turns out to be him. To make matters worse, the second time she rolls around his family has decided to come down unannounced and spend two weeks with him and they assume that she and Dax are dating. Dax does nothing but encourage this, leaving Violet to either play along or get the man in trouble with his family. Violet doesn’t like lying to people but decides to go along with it because it will also help her get her sisters off her back. Enter sour taste in my mouth. I didn’t like that part one bit.

I’m not a hardcore religious person by any means, but I can tell you right now lying is frowned upon, whether you are religious or not. Yet these two do it anyways despite not knowing a single thing about each other. They promise to only have it going for two weeks, until his family leaves. Fortunately, for the plot these two learn that they rather like each other, but they pull away from each other because they are worried about losing the friendship they have made under these false pretenses.

So What Did I Think?

If we completely ignore the lie that got them into their relationship for a second, it’s not bad. They seemed to match each other quite well with both being really driven by their professions…and trying to avoid overbearing family interference. They seemed to have good chemistry. The story itself is mostly lighthearted and cute. It falls squarely into what I like to refer to as my Christian romance fluff read category…minus the lying to family.

I don’t know why I am so hung up on the fact that the whole thing started as a lie, but I am. Fake dating isn't one of my favorite trop by any means, but if done right, I'm okay with it. Probably, again, because this is a faith-based book that basically condones lying because it might work out and I don’t like it. I was taught from a young age that lying to family was a terrible thing to do and against god’s teachings, so maybe that’s why, even though I wouldn’t call myself highly religious.. But if you’re okay with the fake dating trope to get family to leave off in a Christian romance book, then you’ll probably love this one.

The writing is solid. The dialogue felt natural. It's pretty well written. I don't have any complaints about the writing or editing really and I even liked the story. Except the lie it was all built upon.

Fake dating at its best! I absolutely loved this, especially the hilarious moment when Dax and Violet first met.

Dax is the new sheriff in town, and Violet's the local vet. Their accidental encounter, with Violet running into Dax's patrol car, leads them to agree that avoiding each other might be the best option. But then, Violet visits her new neighbor, only to discover the sheriff is her neighbor. Her timing couldn’t have been worse. With Dax’s family in town and her impromptu visit sparking rumors that they're dating, the two decide to play along. It's just two weeks of fake dating... or so they think.

The more time they spend together, the blurrier the line becomes between real and fake, leaving them both confused. As their relationship deepens, they start to pull away, fearing the loss of their friendship. But is that really what they want? Are they running from their feelings and a possible future together?


I'd give this one 4.5 stars , rounded to 5!

This story was fantastic, and the chemistry between them was incredible. The pressure of their families meeting and coming together added a fun layer to the plot, and those stolen kisses, so sweet! They tried to deny what was happening, but everything happened for a reason! I need to backtrack and read more books from this series. And I'm curious if Erins' story will be next!

Normally in romance when it's a fake dating thing it's generally the heroine who comes up with the scheme so it's nice to see that in this case it's the hero who has the plan.