I had so much fun with this book! Calder and Dakota’s enemies-to-lovers tension was perfectly done—funny, fiery, and surprisingly heartfelt. Calder is the gruff mountain man with unexpected depth, and Dakota is sharp, strong, and easy to root for. Their banter had me laughing out loud, and the chemistry? Off the charts.

Amy Daws balances steam, heart, and humor so well, and the meddling family and small-town chaos made it even better. If you love forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine vibes, and a good slow burn, definitely pick this one up.

"Seven Year Itch" was over the top and silly, but I am here for it. I expected nothing less after reading "Nine Month Contract!"

Looking for a steamy, enemies-to-lovers escape? Paradise Problems delivers!

Our narrator just wanted a no-strings plus-one to his brother’s wedding, but after a sabotaged dating profile and a forced room-share with Dakota—his sister-in-law’s best friend and long-time nemesis—sparks fly. Between insults and unexpected moments of connection, the tropical setting heats up, turning animosity into a passionate, slow-burn romance. When Dakota later asks him to be her wingman post-divorce, lines blur between fake-help and real feelings.

A spicy, witty, and heartwarming read that proves sometimes the person who drives you crazy is the one you can’t live without!

Loved the enemies to lovers trope however I felt this book was a little too cringy. However I loved how Calder was so patient with Dakota with her regaining her self-confidence.

Seven Year Itch is the second book in Amy Daws Mountain Men Matchmaker series and I laughed out loud several times while reading this enemies to lovers tale!

Calder wanted to find a no-strings date to take to his brother Wyatt's destination wedding in Mexico, but when that doesn't materialize, he ends up being forced to share a room with Dakota, his sister-in-law's best friend and someone who he doesn't have the best relationship with. Dakota and Calder have known one another since he did construction work on her house years ago, but that didn't end in the most positive way. When the two of them are put in a position where things get a little steamy, will the statement "what happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico" really hold true?

Once the duo returns home, they find themselves back in one another's orbit after Dakota asks for Calder's help in gaining more confidence. Will it end up being an experiment or will these two realize that maybe there is something longer lasting between them?

There was so much to love about this book. These two characters are hilarious together given their banter and dynamic. Add in Calder's meddling family and you have the makings of an amazing story. This was such a great addition to this series and I'm already looking forward to the third book!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

This book was a light, fun read. It had some great messages on confidence boosting and first impressions.

Thank you so much to Canary Street Press for the earc, all opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved and devoured Nine Month Contract so I was fully on board for Seven Year Itch once I saw it announced. Middle brother Calder is always the punching bag of the brothers, saddled with extra work due to his playboy personality. He decides to hit up a sex club to let off some steam and runs into his sister-in-law's best friend Dakota, the bane of his existence. They had butted heads 7 years previously while doing renovations on Dakota's house, and ended in ruining her wedding dress. Freshly divorced, Dakota is trying to find her spark and self-confidence again. With some meddling, Dakota ends up on the family trip to Mexico for Trista and Wyatt's wedding, and sharing a room with Calder. More arguing later, then end up being enemies with benefits.

I love enemies to lovers and forced proximity anyways, but also another book in this series that feels so much more personal. Mid 30s Dakota is working on finding her self-confidence again after her terrible ex, and Calder is learning how to stand up to his family and have a true identity besides tatted up playboy. This book is so funny and spicy, with lots of exploration for the couple as they check off boxes on their PowerPoint presentation.

The Seven Year Itch is equal parts hilarious and heartfelt. This story is fresh, fast-paced, and full of electric chemistry, with characters that feel real, relatable, and impossible not to root for. The banter is top-tier and the romance strikes a perfect balance between slow burn and sizzling enemies to lovers.

Thank you to the author and publisher for this ARC! I absolutely LOVED the first book of this series and have really enjoyed this author over the years.
I loved the experience of this book just as I have before with this author’s books, Amy Daws is witty and is incredible at writing a steamy story.
This book would have been 5 ⭐️ for me until the last 15% or so, the unconventionality of the couple felt a bit forced with the author weaving too much into the conclusion. Otherwise, it was a solid and entertaining read. 4 ⭐️

Seven Year Itch is the second book in the Mountain Men Matchmaker series. It follows Calder and Dakota.

I really enjoyed this book! It was funny, entertaining, heartfelt with a whole lot of banter. I love that each Fletcher brother has their own distinct personality and love styles. Calder is a grumpy, tattooed, cat dad while Dakota is a black cat, sassy divorcee looking to explore her sexual side and find her confidence. Their banter was on point and I found myself laughing because of it at times. I really loved their journey from enemies to friends and eventually more. Also, Calder is definitely the definition of cat daddy.

You will enjoy this book if you like the following:
- Small town
- Cat daddy mmc x black cat fmc
- Enemies to lovers
- Meddling family
- Quirky animals
- Coaching
- Only one bed

This book can be read as a standalone but I recommend checking out the rest of the series as well!

Thank you so much, Amy Daws, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press, and The Hive for the gifted copy!

This book was amazing! It was so funny and heartwarming! I laughed, I cried, I blushed 🤭 the things I learned from Dakota & Calder. This series makes me happy- I love the family dynamics & friend group!

First off I want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC and honest review in exchange. I really liked this book. It was such a cute read. I haven't read the first book but... I will definitely be reading the first book before the 3 book comes out. Anyways this book has everything I was looking for. It hit all my favorite tropes. Enemies to lover, small town romance, hot cat daddy, the spice was there, what else can I say lol. The book didn't miss a thing everything was perfect. I really needed this cozy read. It is worth checking out but definetly start with first book. Thanks again NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this amazing opportunity.

Omg I’m so excited I got to read this book I’ve been waiting for it and it is well worth it! Amy daws is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and this is only the second book I’ve read by her! Dakota and Calder can't stand each other for a length of time so when it comes to them being forced to stay in the same room at a destination wedding everything heats up. This is the best enemies to lovers I’ve read in 2025 so far and I’ve read a lot. I’ve read They go from insults trading insults to sparks flying!!

Seven Year Itch by Amy Daws

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 2/5 🌶️🌶️

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Seven Year Itch is an enemies to lovers romance full of angst, humor, and romance. Dakota and Calder are both well rounded characters that make for an even more entertaining read. It was also super interesting to see how deeper emotions and feelings are addressed, particularly with Calder.

Calder goes to his brother's destination wedding and is forced to share a room with his sister-in-law’s best friend, who is most definitely the bane of his existence. They end up having a moment in their shared palapa though and decide that what happens in paradise stays in paradise. However, Dakota shows up in his small town with a proposition for Calder to be her wingman to help her regain her pre-divorce confidence. Suddenly, Dakota is not just the woman Calder loves to argue with, but the woman he wants everything with.

Dakota and Calder are a fantastic couple with a certain level of magnetism throughout the story. They truly embody the enemies to lovers trope perfectly. Their disagreements were intense at times, but they also get along wonderfully when they are trying to. The way in which they supported each other and pushed one another out of their comfort zones was delightful. Also, the banter was amazing! Overall, a super fun romance read!

Tropes:
- Forced proximity
- Only one bed
- Enemies to lovers
- Small town romance

Amy Daws delivers another spicy, funny, and unexpectedly heartfelt rom-com with Seven Year Itch, the second installment in her Mountain Men Matchmaker series. With a sexy cat-loving mountain man, a sharp-tongued divorcee, and the world’s most aggressively meddling family members, this book turns the enemies-to-lovers trope into a full-blown, foul-mouthed art form. It’s a chaotic ride—equal parts steamy and sweet—with a strong emotional core that sneaks up on you in between all the sex-club detours and sarcastic one-liners.

This one belongs to Calder Fletcher. He’s the middle brother in a rowdy small-town family full of big personalities. Tattooed, tall, bearded, and constantly underestimated, Calder has settled into a life where he plays the charming screw-up. But underneath the jokes and the reputation, he’s exhausted from being boxed into a version of himself that doesn’t match who he really is. Enter Dakota Schaefer. She’s the best friend of his sister-in-law, freshly divorced, and so antagonistic toward Calder that their banter borders on bloodsport. When a series of unfortunate events—and an extremely intentional matchmaking scheme—lands them in a shared room at a destination wedding, the hostility turns physical in more ways than one.

Dakota is a woman trying to reclaim herself. After seven years in a dead marriage, she’s not just wounded—she’s pissed off, insecure, and full of fire. Daws handles her arc with empathy and sharpness. Dakota isn’t here to be cute. She’s angry, prickly, sarcastic, and struggling to figure out what she actually wants now that she’s free. Her internal journey—especially around sex, self-worth, and body image—is one of the strongest elements in the book. She doesn’t just want a hookup. She wants to feel like herself again. And Calder, somehow, becomes the one person who sees her clearly enough to help her do that.

The chemistry is combustible. Calder and Dakota have that particular brand of enemies-to-lovers energy where the hatred is so intense it’s clearly just foreplay. Their dynamic is rooted in years of unresolved tension and mutual misjudgments, but what makes it work is the way they slowly start rewriting the narrative they’ve each had about the other. And when they finally give in to the pull? The scenes are hot, emotionally charged, and laced with the kind of vulnerability that makes the heat matter. The sex is not just spicy—it’s plot-relevant, character-revealing, and, in more than one case, funny in the best possible way.

Amy Daws knows how to bring the laughs, and she absolutely does that here. From awkward sex-club encounters to “emotionally distant genital massage therapists” to PowerPoint kink lists, the humor is unfiltered, a little unhinged, and often laugh-out-loud ridiculous. But she also knows how to slow down and dig deep. Calder’s emotional arc—his frustration at always being seen as the unserious one, his longing to build something meaningful, and his growing awareness of what Dakota really means to him—is handled with care. He’s one of the most well-rounded male leads Daws has written: broody, hilarious, quietly insecure, and completely devoted once he falls.

One of the highlights of this story is its sex positivity—especially around Dakota. Her journey post-divorce isn’t about finding a new man; it’s about finding herself. Calder doesn’t just help her rebuild her confidence, he creates space for her to explore her desires without shame. Whether it’s casual experimentation or kink-friendly club visits, the narrative never judges her for any of it. It celebrates her agency and centers her pleasure. It’s sexy, yes, but it’s also refreshingly empowering.

The Fletcher family chaos is in full force again. If you’ve read Nine Month Contract, you’ll enjoy seeing Wyatt, Trista, and the precocious chaos goblin that is Everly make their return. But even if this is your first time visiting Fletcher Mountain, the family dynamic is easy to sink into. They’re meddling, nosy, emotionally invasive, and also full of genuine love and support. Daws excels at building warm, interconnected relationships that make the town feel like its own character.

The only thing holding the story back from five stars is the third-act conflict, which hinges on a familiar miscommunication trope. After so much emotional growth and surprisingly healthy conversations, the moment Calder’s past decision is revealed feels like a step backward. It’s not entirely unearned, but it’s frustrating to watch two characters who have worked so hard to build trust fall into such a tired narrative trap. The good news is that Daws doesn’t let it drag on. The resolution comes quickly and with enough sincerity that it doesn’t derail the final chapters.

The pacing also drags a bit in the opening third. The setup is a little bloated with internal monologues, exposition, and rehashing of backstory. But once Calder and Dakota are locked into that room together, the momentum builds fast and never slows down. It’s a slow-burn book that rewards patience—and by the halfway point, it fully earns its place in your reading queue.

Now, let’s talk audio. If you’re an audiobook listener, Seven Year Itch is a mostly solid experience—though your enjoyment may depend on your narrator preferences. Teddy Hamilton, who voices Calder, is outstanding. He’s got the gravel, the comedic timing, the emotional depth, and just enough mischief in his delivery to perfectly capture the character’s energy. He makes Calder’s arc come alive. Erin Mallon, voicing Dakota, brings the right balance of sass, strength, and exasperation, but her narration may be hit-or-miss for some listeners. A few scenes blend character voices too closely, and her cadence can feel a little stretched at times. That said, when it comes to Dakota’s rawer moments—those emotionally honest beats—she nails the vulnerability. Overall, the audio works, especially because the chemistry between the narrators mirrors the characters’ dynamic, but if you’re picky, the print or Kindle version might offer a smoother read.

In the end, Seven Year Itch is a wild, steamy, emotionally satisfying romp with just enough heart to make you care deeply about these ridiculous, lovable people. Calder and Dakota fight hard, love harder, and surprise each other in all the right ways. This isn’t just a story about enemies falling in love—it’s about two people learning how to be honest, open, and brave, even when it terrifies them. It’s about second chances, unexpected softness, and the beauty of being truly seen by someone who once couldn’t stand you. If you like hot mess romances that balance steam with substance, and if you’re a sucker for mountain men who fall like bricks for strong, complicated women, then this book should be on your list.

Daws keeps delivering. Now bring on Luke.

Seven Year Itch by Amy Daws is an enemies-to-lovers, small town romance and the second book in the Mountain Men Matchmaker series. Calder and Dakota have despised each other for the past 7 years, but things change when they are forced to share a room in Mexico during his brother's destination wedding. This book was so much fun to read, full of humor, emotion, love and feelings!! I can't wait for the next book in the series!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dawes has a knack for adding plenty of spice, but still managing to keep her characters at the forefront. Plenty of common tropes here, but I appreciated this wasn't just a 1 bed vacation story and actually considered the real life implications of continuing a relationship like this with your nosey family. I also love that we got to see development of those family characters - his mom and Everly especially!

Seven Year Itch was such a fun, breezy read that totally captured the chaos and chemistry of an unexpected romance. From the get-go, I loved the snarky, relatable voice of the narrator—someone who just wants a no-strings weekend but ends up tangled in family drama and complicated feelings instead.

The forced proximity trope is done well here, with plenty of witty banter and sizzling tension between the narrator and Dakota. Their history of loathing-turned-attraction felt genuine, with just the right mix of frustration and vulnerability to keep things interesting. That moment in the shared palapa was a highlight—intense, surprising, and perfectly timed.

I also appreciated how the story explored Dakota’s journey of reclaiming her confidence post-divorce, making her more than just a romantic interest but a fully realized character with her own growth.

My only minor gripe is that a few plot points felt a little predictable, but honestly, the charm of the characters and the tropical setting more than made up for it. The balance of humor, heat, and heart made this a really enjoyable escape.

If you want a romance with snappy dialogue, genuine feels, and a touch of family chaos, Seven Year Itch is definitely worth your time.

This was a light, fluffy, and undeniably sexy read.
I really enjoyed the characters—the story was funny, entertaining, and full of charm. The chemistry between the leads was electric; their transition from enemies to lovers was intense and so much fun to watch unfold.

The way I love these Fletcher boys and their ladies (sighs dreamily) I have been waiting for this book and it was most definitely worth the wait! The way Amy is able to write a book that feels just like time with a best friend, full of laughter, joy, lots of heart and all the feels. The struggles her characters go through are so relatable you just want to reach through the pages and give them a big ol hug. I am so excited to read more about this amazing group from the mountain!