3.5 ⭐️

Plot: We have a fun, enemies to lovers, chaotic romance. Stuck on a tropical vacation and forced to share a room with his sister-in-law’s best friend Dakota, it seems like things couldn’t get any worse. Paradise feels like hell when you’re trapped with someone who hates you. Dakota is a recent divorcee and trying to heal, the last thing she wants is to be around Calder. Being on vacation however turns these to from enemies to friends with benefits.

Positives: This was so much fun to read, and I found myself laughing out loud and kicking my feet. Seven year itch is a great fit for romance lovers, and fans of small town romance. The writing flows well and the imagery is well done. The tension is and banter is top tier, organic, and not forced.

Feedback: Sometimes I found it a bit difficult to connect to either of the main characters. I found both to be a little too strong willed and mean to be believable in a romcom.

3.75 - 4 ⭐️ Thank You #NetGalley #AmyDaws #HarlequinTradePublishing for the advance readers copy of #SevenYearItch

I definitely enjoyed this one more than I did the first one! Calder and Dakota were so ruthless to each other but in a very funny way (that kind humor is what draws me to Amy Daws writing). The way they moved back and forth from flirting and fighting made the enemies to lovers trope believable. I must admit though, certain parts (3rd act conflict, I’m looking at you) did make me wince for both of them…they said some heavy stuff to each other. And while I know this is an enemies with benefits situation, I personally would have Iiked to see more of them as an actual couple. Because although Calder didn’t think he was good at relationships he actually was, and I would have liked to see him in that element a little more. I really liked him as an MMC, he had more depth than everyone gave him credit for, and you were able to see that when he allowed himself to be vulnerable. Dakota was also great as an FMC, she was feisty and fiery, but also soft in her moments of insecurity. Loved how Calder made her feel beautiful and sexy even when she didn’t believe it herself…but loved it even more when she decided that it didn’t matter if he thought she was beautiful or not because she knew she was.

“I don’t have to tell you I’m beautiful. I don’t care what you think. Whether I’m beautiful or not is irrelevant. My body and my beauty will change over time. But my worth will never change”

I enjoyed the story, I enjoyed the banter (it was sharp and it was witty) I enjoyed the spice. I enjoyed seeing more of the other characters as well, and I’m excited for Luke’s book, but especially excited for Everly’s! Now that I’ve read both books in this series, and I’ve gotten more of Max and Cozy, it’s time for me to go back and read their book (single dad is one of my favorite tropes after all).

I would recommend this book, I like it well enough, I just didn’t love it, which is why my rating is what it is.

This was cute! Definitely gave me Tessa Bailey vibes and did have me laughing out loud.

I liked Dakota and Calder more than I expected to, to be honest they are very fleshed out for a romance book, and even though I felt like I was missing some context with the Calder/Robyn situation, Dakota’s ex husband was a real piece of work and every time something new was revealed about him I got more and more angry for her! So it was really sweet to see them both work through their issues and find love.

I read this without reading the first book and honestly it was fine. I don’t usually do that, but the premise of book 1 was not drawing me in, even though I did enjoy Trista and Wyatt in this book!

I didn’t love the conflict at the end, it’s not really miscommunication but kind of is both characters having come out of their shells and then going back in to what’s comfortable - hating each other.

I really enjoyed the nine month contract, but this one was kind of a mess for me. The heroine was so shrill. I generally like an "unlikable" heroine but this one was constantly shrieking and being genuinely mean. She said so many terrible things to the MMC, I can't see how he could overlook it.

4.5 Stars
This is the second book in the series and the next Fletcher brother is up. Now Calder had me at cat daddy. For this cat lover nothing is as swoony as a guy who carries his cat Milkshake in a baby carrier strapped to his chest. I knew from there this book was going to be my jam. Plus we have Everly up to her matchmaking ways. This book also delivers on all the humor. I can't tell you how many times this book had me laughing. The banter and enemies to lovers vibes between Calder and Dakota was another highlight of this book. Also is this book is spicy! If you like your books with all the spicy steam then this is for you! Calder lived up to all the hype after learning the cat daddy tid bit. Right from the first page this book had me hooked. Definitely a must read!!

Whew this was steamy to the max but so cute. I loved the setting, the romance and overall really enjoyed it!

Dakota’s divorce has left her with insecurities even if she hides them beneath her sarcastic demeanor. Years early she and Calder found themselves at odds with each other and the intervening years have changed nothing. Now she finds herself having to share accommodations with him for her friend’s destination wedding and once they stop arguing they give in to the chemistry between them, but it doesn’t end when they return home.

Due to his past Wyatt has no interest in anything longer than one night with a woman. The relationship he has with his cat Milkshake is delightful and even though he and his brothers might not always agree they are always there for each other when it matters. The last thing he wants to do is spend time with Dakota or at least that was what he thought…

The interactions between Wyatt and Dakota were humorous and hot however there is still an emotional element to their story due to their pasts. The chemistry between them was great and the secondary characters added depth to the story. Erin Mallon brings out of the sass of Dakota’s personality while Teddy Hamilton portrays the swoony and surly sides of Wyatt.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely LOVED this book and am obsessed with Calder and Dakota. It feels like it’s been ages since I’ve read a true “enemies to lovers” trope and Amy knocked it out of the park with this one. If you’ve read Nine Month Contract, you know you can expect witty banter, hilarious scenarios, and an overall fantastic time. I loved the sex positivity of this book and how these mountain men are absolute SIMPS for their women. I love the cameos from some familiar faces and all the Milkshake content. Truly, I cannot wait to read this again in preparation for book 3!

Another five star read! I read the first book in the series and was obsessed so I was so excited when I got approved for this arc!! it’s such a fun and cute read. The banter and back-and-forth between the main characters was so fun! I can’t wait for the third book!

4.25 ⭐️ 2.5🌶️

Amy has done it yet again!! A laugh out loud hell of a fun time with some memorable scenes (that slow mo nipple flying water volleyball scene is going to live rent free in my head forever) a swoon worth couple, and the spiciest naughtiest scenes!

Calder and Dakota HATE each other with a fiery passion and will use all the weapons at their disposal to jab, poke, and piss off each other.

Dakota was a badass — owns her successful business and doesn’t back down from her stance — who’s been battling some insecurities after her divorce and being married to the biggest prick of them all. (Yes, an upgrade trope!)

Calder is your typical middle child people pleaser with a heart of gold and the cutest cat daddy but he’s also a rugged tattooed mountain man who’s good with his hands.. hehe

Some of my favorite microtropes were in there like HE crawls to her and he washes her hair, but also included a little sex club exploration.

I haven't read any other books that in this series, and the nice thing is that it did not feel necessary to do so in order to enjoy this book. The main characters were witty, entertaining, and fascinating to read. The realizing their feelings took a little longer than I wanted it to be, but it was still enjoyable to go on the journey. They were quite the characters.

Calder is in his thirties, a bachelor living in his own cabin on Fletcher mountain with his brothers, determined to never settle down. Then he's forced into sharing a room with his sister-in-law's best friend Dakota at their destination wedding. He and Dakota have been like oil and water since they met seven years ago, but that doesn't mean he's not attracted to her. And soon the spice is something he's not willing to give up.
When we met Calder, he was such a wild tomcat I thought he'd never settle down, but then he becomes a devoted cat daddy and gave us hope lol. If he can commit to a cat relationship, why not a real one? Omg, the banter and tension been these two! Loved it!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3⭐️ for Calder and Dakota 👏👏

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book early.

Calder lives on a mountain with his brothers and loves to make furniture and carry his cat around in a baby carrier. Dakota owns The Tee Shirt Shop and loves to make Calder’s life miserable. After a chance encounter at a sex club, being forced to be roommates at Calder’s brothers wedding, and finally succumbing to some deep seated attraction, the two of them agree on a “friends with benefits” relationship.

Okay.. listen.. I love a grumpy man, and I also love a grumpy woman.. but these two?? They weren’t grumpy with each other, they were just down right mean and hostile and I don’t quite know how I felt about that. From the moment Calder straight up calls Dakota a bitch (didn’t like that) to the end when Dakota is yelling at him about HER ex husband.
The only time they were able to properly communicate with one another was when dealing with sex, otherwise Dakota (it seemed purposely) misunderstood everything Calder said to her.

Overall, the story was fine, I’ll probably continue on with book three, but only to finish out the series.

Just as good as book one, it is completely unpredictable and the characters are unhinged, especially the male main character. This book is all about second chances and love. It is also about self worth and confidence. Also just as good as book one it was a nice easy read. This one is about a recently divorcee woman named Dakota. The male main character named Calder and Dakota are put together by both attending a small town wedding. She still holds a strong grudge against him 7 years later and he didn’t seem to care for her either, after something had happened between the two of them. This fun vacation brings these two close and then they start becoming friends with benefits. This causes intense tension between them, this builds hard tasks between the two of them and how they are able to build a future together. It may not be one I re read but it was fun and worth my time.

Seven years ago, Dakota nearly extinguished Calder’s love for home renovations—and they've been enemies since. But as fate would have it, she’s also the best friend of his soon-to-be sister-in-law, making her impossible to avoid. Cue Calder’s niece: a shameless romantic and enthusiastic meddler. She’s convinced that Calder and Dakota are meant for each other, and in a move worthy of rom-com legend, she orchestrates a shared room situation for the upcoming wedding that somehow works out. At least for the duration of the wedding weekend. Until they go back home and Dakota asks for Calder's help to get her groove back after her painful divorce...and, well, things get complicated and real. And also at times hilarious.

It took me a bit to fully connect with this pairing and fall for this book like the first. I think a lot of this was around Dakota- which feels unfair, because she's really had a lot of pain in her past. But she's all edges and growl at first. And at times their enemies vibes reads immature and over the top...other times the absurdity is lots of fun. Dakota at times feels rude and catty, but as we dig deeper into the story, I felt more for Dakota as we understand her bitterness and how her divorce really crumbled her. Anger is all bravado, a shield from her pain, her shame, and her sadness. Her edge is mostly just fear, and I really appreciated how Calder starts to help her soften again, how he sees her for more than her edges.

The chemistry is definitely there- and certainly we get plenty of spice as these two explore. The tension, the edge, the banter, the intensity all evolve into something fiery and fun as these two evolve into unexpected friends that then blossoms into more. Calder is really delicious and quite endearing as our hero- plus I live for a fierce cat daddy. And I loved our extended cast and getting to revisit my darlings from book one (which still is my favorite so far).

What to expect
🌺 grumpy x grumpy vibes
🌺 banter
🌺 enemies to lovers
🌺 destination wedding/vacatoin
🌺 cat daddy
🌺 forced proximity
🌺 getting over divorce/break-up
🌺 sex club exploration
🌺 meddling families

Looking for an enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance full of sparkle and sizzle? Then look no further than Amy Daws’ Seven Year Itch!

Calder is looking for a date for his brother’s destination wedding. Tall and tattooed Calder might look like your typical Alpha male, but there is far more to him than meets the eye. A devoted cat dad with a killer sense of humor, Calder would love to find a woman who sees the real him and although he’s not had much luck finding his perfect match, the one thing he is certain of is that his sister-in-law’s best friend, Dakota, is definitely not the one for him!

To say that Calder and Dakota hate each other is the understatement of the century. The two of them have hated one another for the past seven years and they cannot bear to be in the same room together for more than two seconds before they start butting heads. Calder is determined to steer clear of Dakota, however, when his dating profile is hacked, his worst nightmare comes true when he finds himself stuck in paradise with the woman who despises him!

However, things take an unexpected turn in their shared palapa when they realize that they might have more in common than they initially thought…

Hot, hilarious and heart-warming, Seven Year Itch is an enjoyable contemporary romance perfect for Tessa Bailey and Christina Lauren fans. Amy Daws infuses her novel with plenty of heat, intensity and wit and will keep readers on the edge of their seats and completely entranced by Calder and Dakota’s love story.

Side-splittingly funny, full of charm and scorchingly sexy, Seven Year Itch by Amy Daws is a must for contemporary romance fans everywhere!

Spicy, male female, 1st person dual point of view, contemporary romance. Cat daddy! Sex club! Humor! Chemistry! I love mountain men and this has been a really fun series so far. I can't wait to read the next book!

Amy Daws’ Seven Year Itch is the kind of slow-burn romcom that surprises you—not just with its delayed steam, but with its emotional sincerity and playful charm. From laugh-out-loud moments to heart-squeezing introspection, the story centers on a custom t-shirt shop owner, Dakota, rediscovering herself after years of emotional autopilot in a marriage that wasn’t right for her. Dakota’s arc is one of reclaiming joy, passion, and honesty—especially with herself.

Her enemy-turned-romantic counterpart is construction worker Calder, and he undergoes a more subtle but equally meaningful transformation. He shifts from emotionally guarded to someone more open, more grounded, and ready to show up in the ways that count. His evolution isn’t about sweeping gestures—it’s about learning to be present, vulnerable, and real.

But what makes their dynamic so compelling is what’s left unsaid. These two talk—a lot. They banter, they tease, they even share some tender truths. But when it comes to the emotional heavy lifting—the heartache, the fears, the deep-seated truths—they circle the edges without fully diving in. That tension and avoidance, adds an extra layer of realism to their arc: love doesn’t just require communication, it requires courageous communication.

There is a bit of drag in the middle—a stretch where the emotional wheels spin without quite gaining traction—but it mirrors the characters’ own struggles with inertia and emotional bottlenecks. Once the story hits its stride, though, the payoff is rich, satisfying, and well worth the wait.

I purchased the audiobook on Audible, and narrators Teddy Hamilton and Erin Mallon do a fantastic job of weaving in and out of each character’s point of view. They blend seamlessly like the characters are just having a regular conversation.

Amy Daws delivers a cast of quirky, lovable characters and dialogue that dances between snarky and sincere. The first half leans heavily into the emotional build-up, with all the awkward dates, inner turmoil, and witty banter you’d expect from a romance done right. But once the tension snaps? Let’s just say things heat up in a way that’s well worth the wait. I highly recommend this book and will look for more from this author.

Seven Year Itch is a really fun, super spicy enemies to lovers romcom.
Everly is back to her stealthy matchmaking ways, this time trying to get Uncle Calder to see what’s right in front of his eyes.
There is a destination wedding, a bit of only one bed trope, visits to a sex club, and plenty of those hunky Fletcher mountain men! But watch out… This story sneaks up on you and hits you with all the emotion before all is said and done.
I listened to most of this book on audio and the narration is wonderful! Definitely the way to go.
Seven Year Itch is a standalone story but part of a very addictive series and I cannot wait for more!
-4 Stars-

Calder & Dakota hate each other, they have for seven years. But a little scheming from Calder’s niece Everly on a trip to Mexico for his older brother Wyatt’s wedding puts them in the same room for the week. As the banter flies the tension and sparks ramp up until they explode in one night of desire. When the whole family heads home to Boulder, CO these two can’t stop thinking about their night together and decide on a “benefits” situation (since surely feelings won’t get involved, spoiler they sure as heck do). These two had great growth in their arcs individually and as a couple, the mirroring to Calder’s mom & dad was really sweet too. I didn’t read the previous books on Max & Wyatt and now will definitely be going back to check them out. Really enjoying these Fletcher Brothers & their fiery ladies!