Seven Year Itch has so many elements to be excited about: hot cat dad, older FMC, family drama; miscommunication galore, and rivals to lovers!

And yet.

This book was a series of circumstances rather than an exploration of these two as characters. I never found myself caring enough to root for their relationship. Also, for a book where the characters run into each other at a sex club, it is oddly negative about sex clubs and those that patron them. The humor for me fell flat, although there are some great protective moments from each that had me cheering.

You don’t need to read the first novel in the series, but I would recommend it as it adds a lot of context.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the arc in exchange for a honest review!

This was such a FUN read! Amy knows how to incorporate comedy into her romance books with such ease. I was giggling and kicking my feet like a school girl the whole time.

- Enemies-to-lovers
- Mountain Man
- Cat Daddy (MMC wears his cat in a legit cat carrier)
- Recently divorced FMC
- Sex Club Exploration
- Enemies W/Benefits
- MMC Falls First

Calder is THAT MAN and by THAT MAN I mean, he is tatted, bearded, and full of muscle. He knows how to love a woman and has taken on the task of getting Dakota out of her post-divorce slump and help her get her confidence back while also being her number one enemy.. why? He ruined her wedding dress 7 years ago.

But, when they both attend Calder’s brother’s wedding in Mexico, they decide to have one night to let go of the past and have a passion filled night.. which turns into an enemies w/benefits arrangement.

*thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for me eARC*

Dakota and Calder has the perfect banter. Can you imagine longing for someone for so long but acting like you dislike them?! Almost the definition of enemies to lovers…

Seven Year Itch
by Amy Daws

Pub Date Jun 17 2025
This is the 2nd book in the Mountain Men Matchmaker series but can be read as a standalone. Just keep in mind that you will get spoilers from the first book. I read it as a standalone and throughly enjoyed it.

Calder and Dakota’s no-strings fling had me laughing, swooning, and yelling at the FMC to open her eyes 👀😂.

Their chemistry was also HOT, the banter was ON POINT, and I loved how real their struggles felt. Also the sex/kink exploration was so refreshing and didn’t feel taboo at all.

Synopsis
When grumpy mountain man Calder needs a no-strings date to his brother’s tropical destination wedding, the last person he expects to end up sharing a room with is Dakota—his sister-in-law’s fiery best friend and sworn nemesis. But when a heated moment in paradise blurs the line between enemies and something much steamier, what was supposed to stay on vacation refuses to be left behind. Now back in his small mountain town, Calder is stunned when newly divorced Dakota shows up asking for his help to get her confidence back. Their hilarious, fiery dynamic starts to shift into something deeper—but with meddling family, unexpected feelings, and plenty of unresolved tension, Calder and Dakota must decide if their vacation fling has what it takes to turn into forever.


Spice: 2.5🌶️

Tropes:
-enemies to lovers
-small town romance
-cat daddy
-post divorce sex lessons
-sex clubs

I really liked the premise of this story and there were some really promising parts, but the story just didn't flow smoothly enough for me. Still a fun escape read, but it didn't make me FEEL much.

As expected Amy throws down yet another amazing story in her second book to her mountain man matchmaker series! I didn't expect anything less! The story was excellent, the characters were hilarious, the banter and the sprinkled in spice was perfect! I was worried due to how much I loved nine month contract but Amy did it! Thank you harlequin publishing, Amy and NetGalley for this early advanced read!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the free digital copy for my honest review.

Once again I really enjoy Amy Daws sense of humor in her stories and this one didn’t fall flat with delivering it with Calder and Dakota. However I feel like this story did lack in it to a degree. This is my own personal thoughts but I find sex being in a story after two times can get pretty boring, especially when it’s a heavy point in the story and in this case it was. I found myself finding it hard to continue on at times because of just how much kinky sex was littered in the story. This at isn’t a bad thing but I would’ve loved more silly fun moments between the two and I feel those moments were overshadowed by the big elephant in the room. Despite this I did enjoy the story just less than the first couple. I loved seeing Trista and Wyatt again and the whole Fletcher family.

Once again thank you for allowing me a opportunity to read Seven Year Itch.

The beginning definitely hooked me but as I went on I struggled with connecting with the characters. I wanted to like it more but I couldn’t connect with all spice. Overall it was a great story of working through being told you are nothing and aren’t good at what you do in an intimate way with someone after being treated like you didn’t mean anything for 7 years.

What to expect : Taylor swift references , a hot cat daddy, a blonde FMC that owns a tshirt shop , power point sex-capades and lots of steamy and swoony moments in between! Theres a whole sex club thing with salacious players vibe too! It was an interesting choice but I liked it . Was also laugh out loud hilarious at times. I will say Dakota was a little savage at one point and wish she would have apologized more .

Funny, heartwarming, spicy…this book was everything it promised to be.
I knew right from the start that I’d love Calder, and his dynamic and relationship with Dakota had me OBSESSED.
Amy Daws is truly nailing this series!

Amy Daws delivers another emotionally charged romance in Seven Year Itch, the second installment in the Mountain Men Matchmaker series. This book takes readers on a journey filled with fiery chemistry, sharp banter, and a slow-burn romance that unfolds against the backdrop of a tropical wedding and a small-town mountain retreat.

The story follows Dakota and the loudmouthed mountain man who has been her nemesis for years. Their forced proximity at a destination wedding sets the stage for tension, but what starts as irritation soon morphs into something deeper. Dakota’s post-divorce journey of self-discovery intertwines with their evolving relationship, making for a compelling emotional arc.

Daws excels at crafting characters with layers—Dakota is strong-willed yet vulnerable, while her counterpart is rugged but surprisingly tender beneath his gruff exterior. Their dynamic is electric, with moments of humor, frustration, and undeniable attraction. The meddling family adds an extra layer of charm, ensuring that the romance isn’t just about the couple but also about the community around them.

While the novel delivers on its promise of steam and humor, some readers may find the pacing uneven, particularly in the transition from animosity to romance. However, the emotional payoff is worth the journey, making Seven Year Itch a satisfying read for fans of enemies-to-lovers and small-town romance.

If you love romances that blend humor, heat, and heartfelt moments, this book is a must-read. Daws’ signature wit and emotional depth shine through, making this a delightful addition to her growing collection of love stories. I loved the bonus pages where we get glimpses of Max’s story.

This was another fun book from Fletcher Mountain! I loved 9 month contract so I couldn't wait to read this one. Normally I don't care for enemies to lovers, and honestly, because of that, I had a harder time getting into this one than I normally do from this author, but I know it was because of the trope. Once it got going, I loved it. It was fun and funny, and super hot. I loved seeing the sensitive side of Caulder. I loved how it all unfolded, the past to the present. I loved that they weren't afraid to joke and poke fun and everything in between. Now I anxiously await the next book!

I adore Amy and her stories and the ability to get lost in them and laugh. I'm so glad she is getting more widely seen because she deceivers it and with such relatable characters in her stories.

Calder Fletcher loves his life and he loves his family. He really doesn't like change...enter one Karen-y pain in the butt, named Dakota. She ends up being his plus one at his brother's destination wedding. It certainly wasn't his plan, nor was it hers, but it does begin their journey together that actually began almost seven years ago.

Dakota was actually a woman that almost ruined the joy of home improvement seven years ago, but she also happens to be the best friend of his soon to be sister-in-law. Enter Calder's oldest niece who is a meddling meddler, but she also loves love. She believes that Dakota and Calder belong together and finagles these two into sharing a room while at this wedding and somehow her magic seems to work. 😉 At least for the wedding. 🥴 When they get back home, Dakota asks Calder for help to get her mojo back and be her wing-person, the trouble is...Calder wants all her mojo for himself.

It took a bit for me to warm up to this couple, definitely more Dakota than Calder, but once I truly thought about how hurt this woman was, the shame and rage she felt over her broken marriage, I then understood why she was so darn bitter. Her lashing out came from a painful place and luckily Calder enjoyed the taste of the salt she sprinkled. 😉 When these two sparked, they really lit an inferno that was super hot.🔥

I also loved the Fletcher family, who were intensely funny and made me want to read the first book and highly look forward to the next book as well.🤩

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press, and NetGalley for the advance review copy and all opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of Seven Year Itch by Amy Daws

3.5 Stars!

Seven Year Itch turned out to be more fun, more spicy, and more heartfelt than book one—and honestly? I did like it better than Nine Month Contract. Calder, a one-night-stand man and tatted cat dad, and Dakota, freshly divorced and DONE with men’s nonsense, have been enemies for years. But, when a sex club not-so-meet-cute and a one bed mishap at a tropical wedding force them into close quarters, things start heating up in more ways than one.

Similar to the first book the banter is sharp and the chemistry is on fire. Dakota’s journey to reclaim her confidence is genuinely empowering, and I loved seeing her stand her ground and slowly open herself up again. Calder’s transformation into a one woman man made me like him way more than I expected. It is definitely a little over-the-top at times. Some of the slang at the beginning makes no sense (especially because it doesn't continue throughout the book) and the whole sex-club setup felt a tad cringe here and there, but even with that, I had a fun time reading this.

A perfect addition to the Mountain Men Matchmaker series! There’s something about Amy’s comedic approach to a romance that gets me every time. Please read the blurb for this book because it is both hilarious and encapsulates the essence of the book very well. Calder and Dakota are the perfect amount of ‘enemies’ to be considered a romance enemies to lovers in my eyes, but I know that some people will stand ten toes down on the fact that enemies to lovers is not possible in a rom com.

This was truly the first ‘sex club’ themed book that I thoroughly enjoyed. That may be because the majority of the book did not take place at the club, but it was still integral to the plot of the book. I nearly DIED when they were at the resort and he told her she was in control. I LOST IT. She was so shocked and that, I feel like, was the turning point in her starting to trust him. I adore when there is the microtrope of the MMC helping the FMC regain her confidence after a fuckwad of a husband/boyfriend. *chefs kiss*

I absolutely adored the first book in this series, but this one has definitely taken top slot now!

I cannot wait for the next book (and for Everly to eventually get her story!!)

Also, as always, the narrators were PHENOMENAL. Teddy Hamilton never misses. If you disagree, name a time and place. 👊

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC.
This was my first Amy Daws book and i absolutely adored it. I didn’t realize it was a second book in a series but I had no issues following the plot.
The banter was so fun to read and it hooked me right from the start. I was laughing from the beginning something i needed very much!
Will definitely be reading more of her books!

Love the banter between the main characters and their transition from enemies to lovers. Lots of great microtropes - sex bucket list, forced proximity, grumpy v. sunshine, meddling family, one bed, small town, and vacation hook up-let's get it out of our systems.
A great addition to the series, and I can't wait for the next installment.

I jumped into Seven Year Itch without realizing it was the second book in a series—and while I was able to follow along just fine, I do think I missed out on some emotional depth that likely came from reading the first book. That said, I still really enjoyed this one!

Amy Daws has a knack for witty, laugh-out-loud dialogue, and the humor hit right from the start. The banter was sharp, the characters were vibrant, and the chemistry kept things fun and engaging throughout. Even without the full backstory, I found myself rooting for the characters and invested in where their relationship was headed.

It’s the kind of rom-com that’s equal parts heart and humor, and it left me curious to go back and read book one.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

This is the second book in The Mountain Men series, and this time it’s all about Calder—the middle brother—his iconic cat, Milkshake, and his longtime enemy, Dakota. Amy really knows how to write a solid enemies-to-lovers story. The banter? On point. The spice? Absolutely there and so well done.

I really liked how both Calder and Dakota were fleshed out and had actual character growth—it wasn’t just surface-level drama. And seriously, Amy writes a great spicy scene.

If you're into enemies-to-lovers, strong and confident main characters (on both sides), and that cozy small-town vibe, you’ll definitely want to pick this one up.

Thank you Amy Daws and NetGalley for this ARC!