This book had it all for me and that was it. I had to read this to see what it was all about. I was not disappointed and enjoyed the content. Enjoyed this book. I want to find more of her books.

this book felt like we were learning about a couple of main characters but then we also got to see so much more of the others too. it never took over but the side characters and community all held their own within the plot too. and id definitely want more from them if any future books came to light...
this book gives us Sebastian and Jade. they new each other, possibly loved each other once upon a time. but Jade cant believe in love, definitely not at that point in her life. for all life has told her is that trust noone,believe noone when they care and be your own hero. and she also cant stop until she finally finds that safety she has never had. the safety those who should have always given it never really did. so she left. she left Sebastian. she had to. she felt there was no other choice for her. but in doing so she doesn't even give Sebastian the chance to understand.
now years later Sebastian is in the small community working for a small paper that seems to be feeling smaller all the time,especially on the funds front. but hes held out on selling out and he is determined to keep doing so. he doesn't quite know how but he wont give up.
Jade is near what she feels is mere touching distance of making it. and for her this is it, the final hit, the security she has always craved. she works for a big media company now. and there is just a teeny sticking point(she doesn't know yet) its that she has to go and persuade
the owner of a small town paper to sell. yup, you guessed it folks this is Sebastian paper.
she thinks she can do it. easy. she doesnt feel anything. but Sebastian does...and really so does she and she always did. can she be honest. can they be honest. and can the community group together to offer a sliiiight wiggly helping hand for them both.
this book was full of charm and just goodness. i felt i was being taught something along the way from the chracters. just the pure goodness that echoed off the pages. i loved this book.

Sebastian and Jade knew each other once upon a time working at a newspaper- Jade rather than admit her family issues leaves to Atlanta after he confesses his love, years later he has returned to his home town to run the newspaper he grew up working at with a band of employees trying to keep a small town Arkansas paper going- Jade still in Atlanta and working for a big media company is called by her boss to go to Sebastian and use their shared history to sell the newspaper to the media company- she goes and of course intrusions ensue- one thing i enjoyed there was a great group of secondary characters (which I hope means sequels) Sebastian's sister, Kalista (the spoiled Beverly Hills princess) to name a few- will Jade confess to Sebastian what happened years ago- will he past confront her now years later in a small town where she's just trying to get her assignment done- this was a well written book, enjoyed very much

Thank you net galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing the e-ARC for review. All views are my own.

3.5 stars.

Tropes: Second chance; sweet romance; older main characters; older heroine; older hero; reunion; behind-closed-doors.

Blurb:
"Sebastian Percival Hudson might have a lofty name but he's as down to earth as it gets, making his living traveling around the deep South and writing slice-of-life articles for the dying newspaper in his picturesque small town. Over the years he's had run-ins with Jade Smith, a type-A former reporter..."

Premise: The story starts in the 2000's and Seb and Jade both work together in Arkansas. They have been going out for about 4 months and Seb is ready to say 'I love you' to Jade ( and does). Jade is a foster kid and has just received news that she may be able to adopt her foster brother. She feels like it's not fair to Seb and breaks things off with Seb.


The next part is about 10 years later when Seb is 40 and Jade is undetermined age.
The pluses:
- Older MMC and MFC. MMC is around 40 and has greying hair.
- The whole culture around small-town newspapers and community
- Side story line about a teenager finding her place in Arkansas (coming from CA)

The best way to describe this story is that it is sweet. It is a very cute/behind-closed-doors, reunion/second chance. There are a couple of side plots that I wish had been explored more fully ( e.g Logan's story (the foster brother). MFC's mom. MMC's sister etc. Even the secondary characters needed to be more fleshed out. As it was, they were like Hallmark versions of stereotypical with not much depth.

I don't like to post negative reviews so I did not post this one publicly I could not get into this book. I read 30% of it and did not finish it.

There were so many elements to Behind Enemy Bylines that should have made me love it. The newsroom feel, for one, plus the themes of writing and redemption. But everything about the characters felt like whiplash for me. I almost quit reading after the preface, but I wanted to see where it was going. Then I was shocked by the lapse of time and all that had been left behind. Only to meet new characters who seemed completely out of place and over-the-top. A few of the unlikely characters finally grew on me, but then it felt like everything happened way too quickly for the reality of human nature, not to mention our hero's ability to trust.

Thanks to netgallery, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Kathleen Fuller for this arc. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Behind enemy bylines is a second chance romance between 2 ex employees. Jade had a tough upbringing and never opened up to Seb during their short relationship which ended abruptly just after Seb said I love you. I feel like had she been more forthcoming originally, Seb would have understood her choice to leave.
I felt like there were far too many characters to understand at first but once I got further in, I could see where they fit in the story. I felt like none of the characters had much substance to them however this may have came later in the book.

I just feel like the story wasn't for me and had to DNF at 45%. Nothing against the author or the premise, just wasn't for me. I'm sure this small town second chance romance would appeal to a lot of people.

I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced release copy of this book. Love this book! It was wonderful!

This is a cute book. I give it 3.25 stars, could round up to 3.5 stars.
Meet Jade and Seb - a previous relationship years ago.
Jade left town.
Seb IS the town newspaper.
Jade's boss wants to buy Seb's paper, but Seb is not having nothing to do with that idea.
Sub Characters: Kalista & Tyler, and Lydia & Logan. Cute subplots as well.
Clean plot and subplots.
Not the book for you if you are looking for spice.
Goes into modesty of clothing.
Discusses eating habits - so if that triggers you, just an FYI that it is in here. - This is personally my one complaint about the book was the discussion of eating habits.
Jade and Seb spend more time together getting to know one another all over again. Learning more about each other and why they are who they are. Their relationship grows throughout the plot. Old feelings start to develop again.
Cute second chance romance. Again, clean plot.
The structure of the plot and subplots was done well for the most part. My only criticism is that with so many of the secondary characters and their subplots, I did find it hard to focus on which couple we were looking at. I always figured it out, but there is a lot crammed into the book. The characters were fairly developed.
The pace of the book was good, could have been sped up a few places, but it wasn't so slow that it bothered me.
Characters are decently developed - with so many, it makes it a little hard to develop them enough that I am totally invested in them.
Certainly a cute book for the Fall season.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
Happy Reading!

Behind Enemy Bylines is a sweet, clean, small town romance novel. Jade and Seb dated for a few months, but then Jade broke up with Seb very unexpectedly and moved to Atlanta. Fast forward a decade and Jade is back in the small town of Clementine to convince Seb to sell his failing newspaper.
It took me awhile to feel engaged with the storyline, but once Jade came back into Seb's life, I had a hard time putting it down. Cute Summer read!

This was a really cute book. Jade and Seb broke up years ago when Jade left town and now she’s back on a mission. Her boss wants to buy Seb’s town newspaper, and Seb is not willing. Jade had a tough upbringing and never opened up to Seb about it when they were together. I enjoyed their second chance romance as well as the subplot between Kalista and Tyler.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a heartwarming story about second chances and redemption. I loved the characters and their development and growth. The plot was well-paced and captivating. I highly recommend this clean and wholesome read. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

2⭐️
Behind Enemy Bylines is the second time I was unaware I was reading a Christian romance novel until I was like 1/3 in. I have nothing against non-spicy romance novels but beyond that, I don’t go out of my way to choose books with a particularly modest message. There was some judgmental statements about clothing choices and eating habits that really rubbed me the wrong way.

Overall, I found the story to be pretty predictable if not bland. The side characters were interesting but sometimes it felt like there were too many to really get that depth I was craving from any of them. It felt like a weird choice to be following three characters but one of them isn’t really related to the other two’s storyline all that much.

I’m sure there are plenty of people who would enjoy this book, I just thought it was only ok.

Thanks NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy of this book!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

3.5⭐


Jade Smith, una mujer estructurada y reservada que es enviada a Clementine por su jefe para convencer a un antiguo amor, Sebastian Hudson, de vender su querido periódico local.

Años atrás, Jade y Sebastian compartieron una relación breve pero intensa, que terminó abruptamente cuando Jade decidió priorizar la tutela de su hermano adoptivo y su carrera profesional, dejando atrás el amor que comenzaba a florecer. Ahora, el reencuentro entre ambos se convierte en una batalla entre el deber y los sentimientos, entre los errores del pasado y las posibilidades del presente.

Sebastian, ha dedicado su vida al periodismo y al mantenimiento del Clementine Times, un periódico local que representa mucho más que un trabajo: es su legado y su propósito. La llegada de Jade reabre heridas que creía cicatrizadas y despierta emociones que nunca desaparecieron del todo. Ambos deben enfrentar no solo el dilema profesional de una posible venta, sino también el peso emocional de todo lo que no se dijeron años atrás.





la inclusión de capítulos desde el punto de vista de Kalista Clark se siente forzada y poco relevante.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest

This was such a delight to read!
Wonderful characters that had charm and humor and yes even a serious side to them.
Fuller has done a fantastic job in making these characters realistic, unique and relatable.
I hated to say goodbye to Jade and Seb. I really enjoyed in getting to know them. I thought they were made for each other lol.
They tickled me pink lol.
I couldn't put this story down until it was finished. I read up into the wee hours of the morning but this book was so worth it.
5 stars for a job well done! I highly recommend.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an engaging read! I enjoyed the plot and would read it again.

I really enjoyed reading this and it was everything I would want from a romcom. Jade and Seb were well written alongside side characters and backstory that added depth to the book!

Would highly recommend for anyone wanting a quick fast paced read

This heartwarming story is set in the South, beginning in 1995, when Jade Smith resigns from her accounting position at a local newspaper in Little Rock, Arkansas, to accept a better offer at a newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia. Without much explanation, she leaves behind Sebastian Hudson, a reporter she had been dating.
Having grown up in the foster system, Jade took the position in Atlanta for two important reasons: the higher salary would enable her to adopt her young foster brother. Fast forward ten years—Jade’s adoption plans have not materialized, and now her boss wants her to travel back to a small town in Arkansas to convince the owner of the local paper to sell. That owner is none other than Sebastian, her former boyfriend. Their reunion is far from joyous; in fact, both are reluctant to be in the same vicinity as each other.
The small town of Clementine soon realizes that Sebastian and Jade share a tumultuous history, and the townsfolk make every effort to facilitate a reconciliation. Meanwhile, we also meet Kalista, a young high school graduate from Los Angeles. She has been sent to Clementine by her wealthy father to spend the summer with the first of her four stepmothers. Living a privileged and somewhat spoiled life, Kalista finds herself confronted with unexpected challenges—her phone has been turned off, and she has no access to her credit cards. She is expected to live on a farm and get a job. Kalista adds an interesting twist to the story when the only job available is delivery of newspapers in the early morning hours.
This is a charming small-town story that has many twists and turns along with surprises. I found it hard to put down until the last page was turned. When I see a book by Kathleen Fuller, I know I’m in for delightful, fun read!
I received a compliment copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

A compelling and a bit nostalgic journey into a small-town newspaper life in the mid 2000s, “Behind Enemy Bylines”, by Kathleen Fuller, is also a story about second chances in love with two unique characters.
I loved this evocative incursion into a past so recent yet so distant, showing the often rocky transition of newspapers to online publishing.
Sebastian – a great male lead, the complete reporter/director/editor/PR, a true “jack of all trades” – personifies the aversion/reluctance to the new internet and social media era.
He’s also the epitome of devotion, passion for small-town press and its importance for the community, and is often operating in the red.
I loved his selfishness, intelligence, humbleness, and the tendency to clutter.
Jade is a great heroine, one who has had a hard life, and still managed to strive. She’s guarded because of these experiences, but is still so capable of giving and loving.
I also loved that the leads are attractive but that’s not the most important thing about them. And in Sebastian’s case his charm is so understated – it is really written well.
I also enjoyed having Kalista’s perspective, and watch her character change for the better – it was fun. And watching a young love bloom was so cool.
There are a lot of interesting secondary characters, full of inner beauty (kindness, goodness, gentleness) and I liked the way the author also gave them a distinctive voice.
There’s also sadness, hardship, troubled times in this wonderful story about second chances later in life.

Behind Enemy Bylines by Kathleen Fuller is a delightful story about a small town romance.

Jade Smith has been assigned to bring the Clementine Times into the fold of the bigger newspapers. But owner Sebastian Hudson is having none of it. And especially since Jade is an ex-girlfriend doing the asking.

I loved this rom-com. Lots of great dialogue, and interesting history between Jade and Seb. Along with Jade's foster brother. Add in Kalista, the spoiled trust fund kid who is sent to spend the summer with her step mother in nowheresville Clementine. There are a lot of lessons to be learned.

The characters were interesting and well written. A sweet clean romance that unfolds with engaging dialogue and a compelling supporting cast.

I voluntarily reviewed a complementary ebook which was I received through NetGalley. All views expressed are my honest opinion.