“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.

This book is part of a series, but I jumped into this one without having read the first with no issue. So it can be read as a standalone (although I will probably go back to the first one eventually).

This book had me chuckling from the very first page. I loved the bickering, ball-busting dynamic between Dakota and Calder. They pushed and challenged each other to be better. I still hate miscommunication tropes, but as long as it works out I guess I'll keep reading them and screaming into the ether while it happens.

<b><u>Some tropes and what to expect:<b></u>
~ enemies to lovers
~ "enemies" with benefits
~ meddling family
~ forced proximity
~ vacation romance
~ small town
~ lots of "sexcapades"


Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for this advanced digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I actually really liked reading this book. I was excited to get more after reading the first one!

It really kicked off in the story - who wouldn't be intrigued by an early meeting as a sex club? I loved the banter Dakota and Calder had. The edge of walking the hate/love relationship was great to add tension throughout the story.

I got a little bit annoyed by the repetitive nature of the will they/won't they, but that is kind of to be expected to some degree in these books. I'm glad Calder finally spoke up about what he needed and with Dakota's help, they both grew in great strides.

The little tidbits of the future things to come was also really exciting. Can't wait to see what Everly has in store for book 3 shenanigans!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Amy Daws once again made me laugh and swoon with her mountain men! Seven Year Itch is filled with humor and heart, the Fletcher family a fun lot to follow. I absolutely loved Calder's vulnerability, and his and Dakota's chemistry is wonderful. This enemies to lovers was so much fun to read, and the banter is off the charts.

This one was not for me. And for the record I usually love this author's work. When the MMC calls the FMC the b word that is a very hard ick for me to overcome and I didn't. They absolutely bickered NOT bantered and it wasn't charming or funny at all. I felt so deeply for the first book so this just felt so immature and fell flat for me.

Thank you to the hive for the eARC. I will definitely read the next book in this series, hoping this is an outlier experience.

3.5⭐️3.5🌶️

Contemporary Romance
Small Town Romance
Destination Romance
30’s MCs
Cat Daddy MMC
Playboy MMC
Curvy/mid-size FMC
Divorced FMC
Strong Side Characters
Bad first impression-to lovers

I was excited to hike back up and check in on Fletcher Mountain. These brothers crack me up.

The innuendos throughout show that the author doesn’t take herself too seriously, and you shouldn’t either. So sit back and get ready for jokes and banter. The book reads like a journal dump, especially when it comes to internal monologues, complete with thought tangents and plenty of slang.

Honestly, it feels like the author cares more about the guys’ musk than anything else. It was mentioned on nearly every other page.

The body image themes were the most relatable part of the book. The FMC struggles with her changing body now that she’s in her 30s, and it’s spot on.

The pacing was good. I enjoyed the flow overall.

The sex club element felt underdeveloped. It came across more as a shock factor than something fully integrated into the plot.

Overall, it was a fun read. The next book was heavily foreshadowed and sounds interesting, so I’ll probably add it to my TBR.