This is book two in the Mountain Men Matchmaker series from Amy Daws and it did not disappoint. It is full of humor and spice in true Daws' fashion. Calder and Dakota dislike each other but are thrown together at Calder's brother's wedding as Dakota is the maid of honor. When they are forced to share a room, their mutual attraction takes over. Dakota is in the middle of a messy divorce so their hook up is only supposed to last for the duration of the wedding but Calder is interested in so much more. Lucky for him, Dakota shows up after the wedding looking for help getting her groove back. Now, he has to show her that he is all she needs.

Only one bed trope? Say less. Loved this book and anytime I had to put it down to be an adult with responsibilities I was eager to pick it back up again!

I’m loving these Fletcher brothers!

Calder and Dakota are fire! These two love to hate each other. This story is full of wit and banter that had me laughing throughout. But it’s also filled with vulnerabilities and insecurities, and watching Calder and Dakota navigate their feelings and fall into each other is heartfelt and beautiful to watch.

I love the family dynamic of this series and I can’t wait for Luke’s story. I sure hope these uncles also get to help in a story for Everly. She’s so fun!

We are headed off the mountain for a tropical destination wedding in this enemies to lovers romance. Seven Year Itch by Amy Daws is the second novel in the yummy Mountain Men Matchmaker series. Cat daddy, Calder Fletcher’s brother, is getting married and the tale that unfolds was sweet, sexy and filled with banter.

I adored, Nine Month Contract, and was excited for the next Fletcher brother’s romance. While each book offers a standalone romance, spoilers for book one are present in Seven Year Itch and there is an overall arc with our little matchmaker that has me recommending you read this series in order.

You cannot help but fall for Fletcher. Sure, he is a little rough around the edges, but the man is a cat daddy and their interactions are adorable. This is a rival/enemies to lovers romance with banter, humor and sizzling chemistry.

Calder Fletcher has kept his walls up after a romance gone wrong. He also loves working with his brothers, but lately feels more like a gofer. With his brother’s upcoming destination wedding he is looking for a no-strings date and is shocked when he sees someone has hacked his tinder account. I laughed out loud and settled in.

Dakota is the best friend of the bride. Recently divorced, she and Calder have a bit of a past concerning a remodel of her beloved Victorian home. She is traveling solo to the wedding and looking forward to the rest and relaxation, while avoiding Calder.

When the two find themselves sharing the same palapa. Cue hilarious moments and sizzling denied attraction in this forced proximity romance surrounded by family and friends. I loved Dakota’s inner dialogue. The story had tender moments, as Dakota opens up about her marriage, and the full story about the animosity she has for Calder and his confessions as well.

If you read the first novel, you’ll love the updates on the previous couple, the nuptials and, of course, our matchmaker. What happens on the island was magical, but what happens on the mountain was perfection as Dakota propositions Calder.

Seven Year Itch delivered a feel-good, swoon-worthy romance with sizzling moments, low angst, character growth, adorable & quirky animals and all the feels.

“𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒃𝒆 𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒆.”

I absolutely love the first book in this series, Nine Month Contract. When I found out it was going to be a series where the rest of the Fletchers find love I was so excited because I also wanted Calder, Luke and their niece Everly’s stories.
I was very surprised by the Calder in the first half of Seven Year Itch, he was unlikable and a big jerk. I mean he was supposed to be the tattooed cat daddy of my dreams! How could he act that way? But Amy knew what she was doing and redeemed him. His character journey made sense and in the end I loved him again. I also loved Dakota’s post divorce journey. It was great to read about this curvy independent woman who was struggling but she worked through it and was stronger for it.

I loved the banter between Calder and Dakota and the spice was very hot!

I also enjoyed the family and friendship dynamics, especially Everly’s meddling

I recommend reading this fun and spicy mountain man story and even though it is a standalone, I wouldn’t skip the first book, because it’s too good to miss!

“Seven Year Itch” by Amy Daws was exactly the kind of messy, fun, emotional rollercoaster I didn’t know I needed. From the first few pages, I was already laughing—and honestly, that pretty much set the tone for the rest of the book.

This story is pure chaos in the best way: small-town wedding, forced proximity, major enemies-to-lovers tension, and two people who are way too stubborn for their own good. Dakota is newly divorced and absolutely done with Calder—the man she hasn’t seen in seven years but still can’t stand. So, of course, fate throws them together in the most ridiculous and random way possible. The result? Banter, grudges, sparks flying, and more than a few spicy moments (some that had me fanning myself, others that had me cringing... but in a fun way? 😂).

What I really loved, though, was how layered Dakota’s journey was. Yes, this is a romcom, but it’s also about healing after heartbreak and learning to see your own worth again. She’s figuring herself out, standing her ground, and not backing down from the man who broke her heart—and I respected the hell out of her for that. Her sass is unmatched.

And Calder? He’s infuriating, emotionally unavailable, and somehow still soft and loveable underneath all that grump. (Also, the fact that he’s a cat dad?? I’m weak.)

The energy between them is electric—equal parts “I hate you” and “I can’t stop thinking about you.” Their reunion was messy and completely unpredictable, and even though some parts leaned a little over-the-top, I honestly didn’t mind. I was along for the ride and having a great time.

If you're into:
✧ spicy enemies to lovers
✧ grumpy/sunshine with real emotional depth
✧ small-town drama + meddling family
✧ unfiltered banter and a lot of yelling (in a fun way)
✧ second chances and self-growth

...this one’s probably for you.

It’s chaotic, it’s hot, it’s emotional—and most importantly, it’s fun. Definitely one of my favorite Amy Daws reads so far, and I’ll be impatiently waiting for more of the Fletcher brothers.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Amy Daws, and Canary Street Press for the ARC. All thoughts are my own—and yes, I’m still thinking about that reunion scene 😳

I was hoping to get a good Enemies to lovers’ romance. While these two were fre-nemies due to Calder’s brother marrying Dakota’s friend, I wouldn’t fully call them enemies. These two don’t like each other because their personalities clash. The to ‘lovers’ part is apt, if you think of people who are only together due to lusting after each other because they think each other is a good screw.
Calder gives me the icks. He thinks with nothing but his crotch most of the time. He doesn’t think highly of Dakota unless it’s in a sexual way. Sure, the two of them had some fun banter here and there, and I was down for that. I actaully really liked their bickering at the beginning of the book. Calder would even do some borderline gentleman-like things…and then you get in his point of view and the ick was back. He is a hypocrite. He can do things that he believes others are assholes for doing. No one can treat Dakota like shit or like an item, but him. Bleh.
Dakota wasn’t so bad. She’s a woman getting out of an abusive relationship and trying to regain her confidence after having it verbally annihilated by her ex. The fact the author alludes to Dakota being a plus sized women at a size 12, but at her height it is a bit laughable. But I digress. I didn’t have too may issues with Dakota, aside from her terrible taste in men. While the actions she takes to try and get back on the confidence horse is very unorthodox to me, you do you boo. But Calder as the happily ever after? No thank you.
The book pretty much makes it sound like love=sex. There is very little page time devoted to them actually taking time to get to know each other. Sure, they knew OF each other before they start…whatever you want to call it, but they don’t know each other. She didn’t even know he had a bloody cat at first. It’s all just sex and sex clubs and ickiness with an occasional sprinkling of good banter. The use of the miscommunication trope was a bit cringey.
I would also like to know why the 19-year-old niece is allowed to mess with the adults in her life the way she does.

Things I did like:
The banter between Dakota and Calder when it wasn’t sexualized.
The somewhat dysfunctional family dynamics.
Dakota, for the most part.
When Calder was a decent person without expecting a reward (the bird cage anyone?)

Conclusion
This was not the book for me. I could not get over Calder as a person. Dakota was fine, until we neared the climax of the story. If you are into people exploring their sexuality in a sex club setting, don’t mind a sleazy MMC and such, you’ll probably like this one. I, again, could NOT convince myself to like Calder. Every sex scene with him in it made me cringe because I did not like him. So that would be the majority of them.

I swear Amy cannot write a bad book! I was super excited to read this book and it did not disappoint! I couldn’t put the book down once I start!

While I didn’t love this one as much as the first, I still really enjoyed this!! Amy Daws is quickly becoming a new favorite for me.

(4.5 stars rounded to 5 where needed) THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH is the second in a series of connected stand-alone novels in the MOUNTAIN MEN MATCHMAKER series by Amy Daws. This novel is about Calder and Dakota, who had always bickered when in each others’ presence. However, there was a strong and irresistible attraction between them. Calder’s niece, Everly, was determined to bring them together, beginning with having arranged for them to be forced to share a room while at a destination wedding for Calder’s brother. What happened in Mexico stayed in Mexico until Dakota knocked on Calder’s door and asked him to be her wingman to gain her pre-divorce confidence back. Suddenly, no commitment Calder wanted to find a way to keep Dakota forever. Would she be willing to try a relationship again? I am absolutely in love with these mountain men! The enemies to lovers tension in this book was delicious, and both Calder and Dakota were so flawed that it was impossible not to root for their HEA. There is a great deal of miscommunication in this story, but it was the normal assumptions made based on past behavior, and completely believable for that very reason. This couple was doomed from the moment that Calder’s niece targeted them. She is quite a force to be reckoned with! If you love enemies to lovers, vacation fling, only one bed, small town, contemporary romantic comedy, then you will love Seven Year Itch. The book is available in all formats and included in the kindleunlimited program.

I received a free ARC of this book via Netgalley and Canary Street Press. I am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

I absolutely adore the light hearted humor in Miss Amy Daws writing style. For someone who has went through an abusive relationship. I truly appreciate the light hearted approach to the heavy topics. The way that Dakota finds healing is very real and very easy to relate to. We all obviously like escape as readers and a little bit of the fantasy in a story that would probably never happen in the real world. But this story doesn't make you feel that way at all. The humor, the found family, the meddling niece. Everything added up to a hilarious journey of healing.

Loved it from start to finish and the chemistry between Dakota and Calder loved it. The single brooding cat daddy was great. The slow burn the heat and hate between was perfection.

Very cute and very spicy!!

Finished this one in an afternoon and found myself enjoying the heck out of it! The banter between Calder and Dakota was top tier. My only holdback was that sometimes the enemies to lovers felt like too much enemy for my taste. Some things were said that I felt were downright hurtful at times. Overall, it didn’t take away too much from my experience of the book though. Will definitely be back for more from this author!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eArc!

Just like the first in this series about "Mountain Men" Daws has a way of making you a part of their world. This one had me laughing from the beginning. The characters are full of life which includes hard stuff and fun stuff. I really enjoyed the story of cat daddy and Dakota. I look forward to the next in this series. I highly recommend it.

Although this book is labeled as a connected standalone, I wish I had read the first one beforehand—it might have added even more depth. That said, I did an immersive read, which really elevated the experience for me.

The FMC and MMC share a rocky past but have an undeniable, instant attraction. Their banter is top-notch, and I loved the slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers dynamic. The minor characters, especially the family members, added charm and warmth, really enhancing the small-town feel and contributing to the story in meaningful ways.

And let’s talk about the spice—definitely spicy! 🔥

This was my first time reading this author, and it won’t be the last. I’m already looking forward to exploring more of their work.

Rating: 5⭐️/5

I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this romance. An enemies-to-lovers with some majorly spicyyyy scenes. Our FMC is a witty, take no BS, baddie and our MMC is a tatted and a little broody mountain man.

The Fletcher brothers are unique book boyfriends in each of their own ways and I loved to see Calder’s character arc. Also I’m obsessed with his cat 🐈

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a spicy romance full of family, enemies to lovers, and more.

I loved getting to know Calder and Dakota, and watch them unravel their hatred of one another into love and understanding.

Huge thanks for the advanced copy—so appreciated! I always enjoy Amy's voice, and the clever little Easter eggs throughout this book were such a treat. This fun, enemies-to-lovers, small-town romance featuring a delightfully grumpy bachelor is pure joy.

Seven Year Itch is book two in the Mountain Men Matchmaker Series.

Dakota is rebuilding her confidence after a disastrous seven-year marriage, while Calder—messy, charming, and totally infuriating in his playboy ways—absolutely stole my heart with his unexpected emotional depth. Their chemistry? Off the charts. I also loved getting to revisit this close-knit, chaotic, lovable family.

Read this if you love:
Enemies to lovers
Sex clubs
Sex lessons
Cat daddies 🐈
Fierce, independent women
Big, meddling families

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️ (solid 2 out of 5)

I went into The Seven Year Itch with high hopes. The premise instantly caught my attention—there’s something undeniably intriguing about the idea of rediscovering love and passion after a long-term relationship hits that infamous "seven-year" wall. I was excited to see how Amy Daws would explore such a relatable and emotionally charged topic.

Unfortunately, the excitement faded quickly once I got into the story. I found myself struggling to connect with both main characters. Their personalities felt flat, and their chemistry didn’t pull me in the way I was hoping. Instead of being swept up in the emotional rollercoaster, I felt like a distant observer, waiting for something—anything—to spark.

The pacing was another issue for me. The story dragged in parts, especially in the middle, and I found myself losing interest more often than not. I kept hoping for a turning point or a deeper emotional payoff, but it never quite arrived.

That said, I do think Amy Daws has a strong writing voice, and fans of her previous work may still find something to love here. But for me, The Seven Year Itch missed the mark, and I walked away feeling disappointed more than anything.

I'm packing my bags and moving to Calder Mountain. This book had me laughing from page one. This is the ultimate enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine story and had me grinning from ear to ear at each turn of the page. Dakota is trying to get her life back after a nasty divorce and enlists her mortal enemy Calder to help find her way after a "misunderstanding" forces them to share a room at Calders brothers Mexican wedding.