3.5⭐️ Thank you Harper Collins for the eARC!

Full disclosure, I did not read the Nine Month Contract, which is the first book in this series. Honestly, this could be read as a standalone with the understanding that you’ll get some details about the couple in the previous book.

Overall, I liked this. This had some of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and a MMC who is an absolute cinnamon roll inside of his tough guy exterior. My biggest qualms with the story were 1. I felt like this could’ve been a shorter book. Not by much, but it did hit some parts where it was dragging a bit and 2. The FMC was infuriating sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, I love a tough, sassy FMC, but there were some moments where she came across simply childish and took no accountability which was a bit annoying.

It wasn’t my all time favorite read, but I’d recommend it to a friend for sure!

Loved this book. Spicy, hilarious, and so much fun! Not a single complaint.

Read this book if you like:
- enemies to lovers
- Small town romance
- Vacation romance
- sister-in-law’s best friend
- burly, muscular mountain man
- cat daddy
- Post-divorce sex lessons

This book was okay In my opinion, fun read but found myself sitting it down often and not really excited to hurry and pick it back up. In the beginning, i found myself cracking up because of the description of the Tinder profile but once the book continued and we started getting into sex clubs and the intro to the main characters “relationship”, I just wasn’t invested. Not only was I unable to be emotionally invested to the characters but I found the plot pretty boring especially because it felt like the main characters insecurities and the sex club was the main focus of the book instead of actually building a genuine relationship between the 2 characters for the first 50% of the book. I think if I was to take give the characters any advice it would be; if you’re newly divorced, dealing with insecurities, still trying to figure out life GO TO THERAPY NOT A SEX CLUB.

I adored the last daws book I read and this one was even better. From the characters to the tropes I couldn’t put this book down at all. And I can’t wait to read more

Calder Fletcher, portrayed as the "black sheep" of the family, feels he is seen as the underachiever despite his hidden talents. He is a skilled furniture maker, but his emotional baggage and reluctance to step into the spotlight keep him from pursuing success in this passion. Having gone through a tough breakup, he has built walls around himself, leading to a brooding demeanor. He finds himself unexpectedly sharing a tropical wedding vacation with Dakota. (this may have been a set up by the matchmaker) Neither one wanted to be there alone, but they did it for their friends and family. Dakota is a recently divorced woman who has struggled with self-esteem issues stemming from her previous relationship. Her ex-husband never appreciated her, leading to a crisis of confidence that she is determined to overcome. Sharp-tongued and bold, Dakota has a fiery personality that masks her insecurities. Her history with Calder is marked by seven years of animosity, primarily stemming from their initial interactions during her home remodel, where they clashed frequently. As the story unfolds, Dakota’s journey of self-discovery takes center stage, allowing her to reclaim her identity and find strength in vulnerability. As they agree to a "enemies with benefits" arrangement to help Dakota regain her confidence post-divorce, they navigate the complexities of their relationship, revealing layers of vulnerability and attraction. The tension between them escalates, transforming their dynamic into something deeper than they ever anticipated, leading to a realization that love can emerge from the most unexpected places.

I love the forced proximity in this story as it heightens the tension, while the meddling family dynamics add layers of comedic chaos. There are some kinks and a sex club, so you know they story will be spicy. We revisit characters from the previous book, so I enjoyed peeking in on their lives. I think because there is some "sex coaching" going on, the reader can see how the intimacy develops throughout their conversations. The setting is great. Nothing like Fletcher Mountain, with sexy Fletcher men living on it. This book will be out in SIX days! (June 17, 2025) Put it in your TBR pile.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Enemies to lovers? Say less. I was all in from page one.

Calder is everything I want in a broody MMC—tattoos, sarcasm, emotional baggage, and… a cat. I repeat, a cat dad. win. The banter between him and Dakota had me grinning nonstop, and the tension? Whew. Definitely off the charts.

Amy Daws really says hold my purse on the steam she writes in her books.

🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

But what I really loved was how this wasn’t just a spicy vacation fling story (though yes, the steam delivered).

Growth of the characters was a definite plus.

It’s also about two people healing, growing, and learning to choose themselves and each other. There’s depth, heart, and a whole lot of sass along the way.

Perfect if you love messy family dynamics, beachy chaos, and watching two stubborn people finally figure it out. Amy Daws nailed it again!

-I want to thank the hive and NetGalley for letting me read the arc

***Warning: I did receive this ARC in exchange for an honest review.***

Seven Year Itch is the second book of The Mountain Men Matchmaker series and I absolutely loved it! Technically you can read this as standalone but, I wouldn’t recommend it. Book one, Nine Month Contract, which is amazing on its own, sets up a lot of the family dynamics in this series and I feel like you would definitely be missing out, since Family is such a HUGE theme in these books.

I have to start off by saying this book was absolutely, freaking hilarious. The back and forth banter between Calder, our MMC and Dakota, our FMC had me cracking up almost the entirety of the book. You could definitely tell there was a lot of pent up tension between these two through the quick witted barbs they threw at each other and honestly, it just kept getting better and better. I really loved their humor!

Dakota and Calder have known each other for over seven years now and have a long, well known history of hating each other. Not only to each other but, to their family and friends as well. When Dakota hired him seven years ago to help with the remodel on her home they instantly butted heads. Calder, was going through a tough time in his personal life after a bad relationship and Dakota was planning her wedding amidst a home remodel and the stress of it all… well let’s just say they took it out on each other and have never really recovered.

But, Dakota’s best friend Cozy is married to Max, Calder’s oldest brother and they’re forced back into each other lives for their brother, Wyatt’s wedding in Mexico. Where they “coincidentally” are thrown together and have to share a room… can you say forced proximity anyone? And things heat up! And boy do they heat up quick. That itch? Only Calder can scratch it. The tension between these two… oh, it’s good.

What happens when a one night stand in Mexico leaves you reeling from how explosive it was? How good it made you feel? How it’s made you realize that even though you’re post divorce you never really knew how good someone else could make you feel, until Calder? Until it was the right person? Well, you make a list. A sex list to be exact. They agree to enter a temporary frenemies with benefits situation and little did they know it.. their lives would never be the same.

You guys, this book has it ALL. Small town romance? Check. Enemies to lovers? Check. Forced proximity? Check. Meddling family with the best intentions? Check. The spice? CHECK. A happily ever after? Check check check. If you want to laugh, to cry and to fall in love, then I would highly recommend you read this book. It has it all!

I absolutely love when you’re reading a book and you know the main characters are made for each other but they haven’t seen it yet and you’re just waiting for them to realize it.. and then they do! You get THAT moment… ugh, there’s nothing like it. Amy Daws can write that moment like no other. Happy reading all!

Enemies to Lovers in the best way!
Calder is the ultimate middle child. While he’s secretly very talented in his passion project of making furniture & could be very successful, on the surface, he’s still the family screw up & the one that all of the grunt work gets dumped on in the family business. He’s to the point in his life where he doesn’t even take himself seriously
Dakota is fresh off of a divorce from a man who truly never deserved her. She’s fed up with finding love & just wants to find herself for who she is at her core.
With a history many don’t know about, these enemies are thrown together at the destination wedding of our favorite surrogate & her baby daddy, Trista & Wyatt. But we all know there’s a fine line between love & hate. And these two walk that line meticulously.
I loved watching Calder & Dakota navigate their enemies with benefits relationship. I loved even more seeing them slowly begin to find things in the other to form a friendship that makes for the best of love stories. And watching them both help the other in finding their true self worth was absolutely priceless.
I loved seeing many of our favorite players from previous Amy Daws books & getting a little check up on the other Fletcher men & their meddling women.

Audiobook Review:
Erin Mallon & Teddy Hamilton bring a duet narration that completely nails these two characters. The banter, bangxiety & overall feel of this book was perfectly captured in the narration.

No. Just no.
All smut, no plot, and I’m being so literal here. All they ever talk about is sex, all they do is have sex.
I tolerated the first book of the series, but this one was so irresistible to me, alright, I don’t know if I’m being harsh, but I can’t remember a single decent thing about it.
In all honesty, who does think of their cat sexually? WHAT
The MMC was frustrating, and I feel bad for Dakota.
The book would be good if it was written with less spice and more attention to the MCs falling in love, because frankly, sex isn’t love and vice versa.
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher for the ARC in exchange of a honest review

Seven Year Itch by Amy Daws is the second installment of her Mountain Men series. It can be read as a standalone but I do recommend reading the previous books as it does spoil the entertainment for the previous books.

I really enjoyed this book! Amy Daws manages to always make me giggle when reading her books especially this series as some of the scenarious these characters get into are just very funny. It definitely has the classic enemies to lovers vibes but the chemistry between these two characters is just unmatched!

4.5 Stars

I immersive read this in tandem with the audio which is absolutely the way to go! I love that I got so much time with the narrators retelling their love story in my ears!

Calder and Dakota are the definition of enemies-to-lovers who are also terrified to fall in love (with anyone and especially each other). So obviously, they make a sex pact after being set up by a chronically meddlesome college freshman.

They start the story as being setup together and then they sneak around for their "temporary situationship" that is fooling no one. I love how their impromptu relationship helped them unlock and overcome insecurities. It was a joy to watch the mountain man fall for his curvy beauty and I can't wait for more from this series!

3.5 stars rounded up
Calder and Dakota have been enemies for seven years, and this book explains the reasons why. He runs into her at a club and decides it's not the right environment for her. Then comes a trip to Mexico for a wedding, and they have to share a room. They're physically attracted to each other, and they decide once they get home that Calder will help Dakota explore what she likes, since her marriage left her lacking confidence and she wants to get back out there now that her divorce is final. Then they both catch feelings but keep picking fights.
This book was spicier than others, and multiple visits to the club plus very frequent comments about it I found to be too much. I probably would rate the story higher if that has just been a one time thing, or a different location could probably have accomplished a similar result.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Enemies to lovers
One bed
Animal sidekick
Spice

This was a great pallette cleanser after reading some heavy reads. It had banter, spice, and development. I loved how the FMC developed through the book. The MMC did as well, but not nearly as much. Some of this felt very slow, so it did begin to become difficult to stay immersed in the story. Once it picked up, though, of course, I was hooked again. I am soooo ready for Luke next!!!!

I received this free ARC via Netgalley. This is my honest opinion.

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve read an Amy Dawes book and I’m sitting here kicking myself as to why that is. Because this story was all the things you could want in a romance and more. This story surrounds Calder Fletcher, he’s been sitting back watching as his brothers are all falling in love around him and he’s not in the least bit happy. Calder loves his life and his life on the mountain and doesn’t want any sort of relationship to interfere with that. He’s just fine being single.

In walks Dakota Schaefer, these two have hated each other forever. They are constantly at each other’s throats, fighting and arguing. But they always say it’s a thin line between love and hate and that line is crossed one night at a sex club. And the journey that we take after that night is one for the books “pun intended”.

From the moment I opened its pages until the last word was written, I was hooked. Honestly, what's not to love? You get a dose of; enemies with benefits, turned enemies to lovers, turned forever love. This book is packed with witty banter, lots of laughs, and steamy sexy times. But it’s not only the things I’ve already stated, at its core it’s a story of two people who need to work through past trauma to learn that they are enough.

Highly recommend picking this one up if you like.
- Enemies to lovers
- Small town romance
- Sister-in-law’s best friend
- Mountain man
- Cat daddy
- Post divorce sex lessons
- Enemies with Benefits
- MMC falls first

- Enemies to enemies with benefits
- Powerpoint for the win
- Cat daddy
- Taking back your life
- So much delicious banter

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! While it did start out slowish, it ramped up to 100 and never slowed back down. I adore the Fletcher family. What a hilarious, close knit and temperamental group! The premise of this series is that Everly (the daughter of oldest brother Max) decides that her uncles need to find someone to lover. Thus begins her matchmaking adventures....

This is the second book in the series, and I related so much to the middle child drama that Calder felt. He tried to please everyone while setting aside what he actually wanted to do. No wonder he was a bit grumpy!

Dakota is on a journey to reawaken her passion after being in an unhappy marriage for 7 years. She and Calder see each other at an adult club - not a first meet as they have known and hated each other for years. Calder is surprised how protective he feels toward Dakota, so he offers to explore her adult interests with her.... No feelings, no relationship, just a Powerpoint proposal.

What follows is yummy banter, yummy cayenne, yummy Calder....

Seven Year Itch by Amy Daws
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4🌶🌶🌶🌶

A tattoo clad, mountain man, cat daddy and a independent, stubborn, beautifully curvy woman... what could go wrong right?

Dakota and Calder do NOT like each other, so when they end up having to share a room and Calders' brother's destination wedding, neither of them are thrilled. Dakota is fresh out of a disastrous marriage, and Calder is a one and done kind of guy who doesn't do relationships. But what happens in Mexico stays in Mexico right? So when they decide to have a one night fling before going home, neither of them anticipate what they are setting themselves up for. This enemies to lovers book was so so good and I can't wait to read the next book in this series!

#sevenyearitch #amydaws #netgalley #ARCreader #readallthebooks #romance #readeverything #reader #ihavelivedathousandlives #bookstagram #influencer #bookinfluencer

A great continuation in this world and dare I say better than book one?!?!? Love the plus size rep and the banter was so good! Definitely pick up book one first but technically could be a stand alone!

📖 Book Title: Seven Year Itch
Author: Amy Daws
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Only One Bed, Forced Proximity, Sex Coaching, Friends to Lovers
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Open door with a focus on confidence and exploration)

⸻

🤩 The Vibe:
A hilarious, spicy, and heartfelt story about rediscovering confidence, navigating messy emotions, and falling for the last person you'd expect. Seven Year Itch brings signature Amy Daws banter, big vacation energy, and a sizzling romance between a prickly divorcee and the brother of her best friend’s fiancé. Think emotional growth, comedic chaos, and just enough angst to keep you hooked.

⸻

👩‍❤️‍👨 Main Characters:
Dakota: A recently divorced woman determined to reclaim her confidence—and her body—on her own terms. Bold, sharp-tongued, and deeply insecure underneath it all.
Calder Fletcher: The overlooked Fletcher brother with something to prove. Charming, exasperating, and unexpectedly swoony with killer comedic timing (and PowerPoints!).

⸻

💕 What I Loved:
• The banter. Amy Daws always delivers, and Dakota + Calder’s dynamic was on fire.
• The enemies to lovers progression felt earned and satisfying—you really see them build something.
• Carlos during the Mexico vacation scenes—truly a standout side character.
• The sex coaching angle was fun and added a fresh twist to their dynamic.
• The found family vibes and returning characters made the world feel alive and interconnected.

⸻

🚫 What Didn’t Work For Me:
• The repetition in Dakota’s insecurities and ex-related drama dragged a bit near the end.
• Calder’s ex being mentioned repeatedly felt unnecessary.
• The sex club subplot, while part of Dakota’s arc, felt overused and occasionally pulled focus from the romance.

⸻

💭 Final Thoughts:
Seven Year Itch is a spicy, funny, and emotionally resonant ride with standout banter, a compelling couple, and just the right touch of chaos. While it occasionally leans too hard on repetition, the chemistry and emotional payoff make it a worthy read. Calder and Dakota are messy, lovable, and real—just the way I like my romance leads. Perfect for fans of second acts, steamy tension, and Fletcher brother charm.

Seven Year Itch
by Amy Daws


Seven Year Itch was such a fun, spicy, and heartwarming read!
I loved the enemies to lovers dynamic between Calder and Dakota, their banter was hilarious, and their chemistry was off the charts. It was great to see them slowly open up and grow both as individuals and as a couple. The forced proximity at the tropical wedding was a perfect setup, and I enjoyed every awkward, flirty, and fiery moment between them.
Calder’s transformation was especially touching. He’s more than just a grumpy, bearded mountain man, and watching him discover what he truly wants in life was really satisfying. Dakota was a strong, relatable heroine, and I was rooting for her from the start.
The Fletcher family added so much warmth and fun to the story, and I loved seeing the family bonds play such a big role. This book was sweet, sexy, and full of heart, definitely a feel good romance.
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

This was boom 2 of the series and having not read the first I can say that it can definitely be read as a standalone. It is NSFW though as the steam factor is off the charts! If you’re a fan of tattooed lumberjack’s you’re gonna want to read this!
It’s got enemies to lovers, small town romance, muscular mountain man, cat daddy and post divorce reinventing yourself.
Calder needs a date for his brother’s destination wedding and he can’t find one in his usual places-like the local sex club for instance, so he goes alone and ends up sharing a room with his nemesis. Dakota, who is recently divorced and who happens to be his future sister in laws best friend. Once Calder finds out that Dakota wants help getting her groove back post divorce, the game is on and they make rules for their new enemies with benefits relationship.
Their fiery dynamic soon shifts to real feelings that neither can admit to and they are forced to decide if their vacation flig has the legs to go the distance.
Thanks to Canary Street Press and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.