I really enjoyed The Fix Up. It has the heart and soul of a small town romance, with all the tension of enemies to lovers. I laughed out loud multiple times, and loved the neurospicy, scatterbrained representation, especially when it was paired with Ellie's devotion and dedication to caring for her son.

I had never read a book by Sharon M Peterson before, but you can bet I'm going to be on the look out for this whole series now!

I already knew this author could make me laugh, that’s a given. But this book? It completely surprised me with how much heart it had.

It’s funny, yes. But also unexpectedly heartbreaking in the best, most soul-squeezing way. I never know how to explain that exact feeling… the kind that makes you laugh and ache on the same page.

If you're in the mood for a story that sneaks up on your feelings, this one’s a must-read.

The Fix-Up is everything I want in a grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity romance — and then some. Sharon M. Peterson has a way of writing characters that are both wildly entertaining and emotionally real, and Ellie Sterns is the kind of heroine you root for with your whole heart. She's messy, sharp, warm, and stubborn in the best way. And Gil? A scowling, emotionally guarded, brooding man with a power tool? Please. You know the chemistry is going to crackle.
Their banter is razor-sharp, their grudging partnership deliciously tense, and the slow-burn buildup? Chef’s kiss. It’s not just romance, though — the novel also weaves in genuine emotion and a tender exploration of grief, legacy, and second chances. The dual inheritance setup adds the perfect amount of chaos, and the setting — a charming house + café — reads like a Hallmark fantasy with edge.
What sets this story apart is how earned the love feels. It’s not just sparks; it’s growth, vulnerability, and laughter — the kind that sneaks up on you and makes you realize you’ve fallen in love right along with them.
No notes. Just clear your weekend, grab a coffee, and settle in — this book delivers.

Absolutely delightful from start to finish! The Fix-Up is a laugh-out-loud, slow-burn gem that hits all the right notes for fans of enemies-to-lovers and forced-proximity romance. Sharon M. Peterson delivers a pitch-perfect blend of humor, heart, and sizzling tension, wrapped in a story about inheritance, unexpected connection, and healing old wounds.

Ellie is a lovable, resilient single mom with a sharp wit and a soft heart. When she inherits half a charming old house and café, she’s finally glimpsing the stability she’s always craved—until she learns the other half belongs to Gil, the grumpy (and annoyingly handsome) grandson of the late owner. Their banter is hilarious, their disagreements oddly endearing, and their chemistry? Off the charts.

As Ellie and Gil are forced to cohabitate for six months, their snarky notes, kitchen squabbles, and emotional breakthroughs slowly evolve into something real and surprisingly tender. Peterson layers in just enough emotional depth, especially through a poignant subplot involving the home's past, to balance the rom-com energy with real stakes and feels.

This is a romantic comedy with sharp wit and emotional depth. It has plenty of tension, banter, and slow-burn charm. The characters are awesome, and I love seeing their dynamic change and chemistry sparking. This book has dual point of view.

Y’all, I love Sharon M. Peterson’s sense of humor!
The Fix Up made me laugh out loud and even tear up a time or two. I LOVED Oliver, Liliana, the bad dates, the town, and allll the sticky notes!! There’s beautiful character depth and growth, plenty of heart melting moments, healing from grief/past trauma, and sizzling heat without the spice.

The Fix Up is Book 3 in her Two Harts series. Two Harts is a small fictional town in TX that is its own main character and I wish it actually existed! You can read this as a standalone but it will be even more enjoyable if you read them in order.

Read this if you enjoy enemies to lovers, forced proximity, single mom, adhd representation (so good!), passive aggressive sticky notes, and sizzling chemistry.

Sharon’s books have a way of warming your heart and The Fix-Up is no exception.
Gil and Ellie’s story is absolutely charming. This small town romance will put a smile on your face, make you laugh out loud, but it will also make you cry (just a little 🤏🏻)
I fell in love with every single character, all of them so human and relatable. I particularly identified with Ellie and her ADHD, which I also have, so her daily struggles were all too familiar. And if I had a son, I’d want him to be just like Oliver 🥹
If you’re looking for a light summer read, look no further!

The Fix Up by Sharon M. Peterson
This book was so stinking sweet. I was in tears twice, and I devoured this story. I loved these characters, and the depth of each was done so beautifully.

If done correctly, this would be a brilliant movie—and I think it would rival The Notebook. Everything about this was perfect. I loved the characters, the sass, and the humor. The way emotion is presented felt authentic, and each character had moments of connection.

Ellie was such a brilliant character. I loved her drive. She was smart, funny, and a devoted mama bear to her boy. Gil was kind, hilarious, and a perfect balance.

If you love romcoms that will melt your heart and make you swoon, that are beyond sweet and not at all spicy, this book is for you. I was so sad when I finished it, because I could have read another 57 chapters.

While this has been my summer of thrillers, I am so happy I took a break to read this book. This story is everything readers want when it comes to romance. My heart was a puddle.

Publication day: June 17, 2025
Publisher: Bookouture

As always I adore anything by Sharon. This was funny, sweet, endearing and emotional all rolled into one fantastic book. I adored the characters and loved Ellie's interactions with her son. Then add in the adorable Gilbert (or Gil, or any of the names Ellie called him) and you've got a story to adore.
I loved the forced proximity, sorta enemies to lovers, single mom.
It had me smiling and laughing and rooting for them to admit their developing feelings.
Read this if you love cozy, sweet, feel good, closed door romances with heart.
I really hope there's more in this delightful series, I love this small town.

I was pleasantly surprised with this book! It has forced proximity, one bed trope, slow burn. I loved the ADHD representation in the main character Ellie and found her so relatable. It was very well done. The quotes about what love is also added a nice touch to the beginning of every chapter. This was a well written story about a single mom who finds love in the most unexpected way. I'd give it 3.5 stars!

I believe it was at the 40% mark I was able to sit and breeze through this book. Our main girl felt a little selfish at times, however she was also immensely caring and charismatic and those clash in character behavior made the first few parts go by a hit slowly. Now by no means is that a critique to be regarded as negative i grew an appreciation for every character. No human has it all figured out and this book showcased that. The romance wasnt rushed or forced in my opinion the banter was light and cute. Overall this book is about ordinary people living their life the best they know how

‘The Fix-Up' is a delightful, feel-good read that will leave you smiling. The characters are lovable and relatable, with a palpable chemistry that makes their romance believable and sweet. The story is engaging, with a good balance of humor, heart, and drama. The author's writing style is witty and charming, making it easy to become invested in the characters' lives. While the plot follows familiar rom-com tropes, the execution is fresh and enjoyable. Overall, 'The Fix-Up' is a fun, romantic read that will appeal to fans of lighthearted, contemporary romance.

Ellie is a single mum who is raising her son Ollie in Two Harts. When she thinks things couldn't be worse after the death of Oliver, it actually gets a lot worse when the arrangements of Oliver's death force Ellie to live in the house when Oliver's grandson Gil.
The two instantly dislike each other, yet both characters are loveable in their own way. Ellie is a down to each, great mother and Gil is a grumpy yet charming man. He wants to sell the house and move on, she wants to stay and live there with Ollie, Ollie loves Gil but he;'s clueless as to what Gil really wants.
Overall a cute story but I feel there could have been lots of improvements, the end felt rushed and maybe it just wasn't for me.

This book was absolutely hilarious. I could not get enough of it. The character are so relatable. Sharon has definitely been added to my must read authors. The writing is well written. Story line hooks you. I didn't even realize I read for 3 hours straight.

This was such a heartwarming story about two people finding happiness and joy in each other. I loved the relationship that the main characters had. As the story progresses I was rooting for the characters so much. Ollie made me laugh so much with all his shenanigans. I am not normally into books with little kids in them but this one really added to the book. I loved the gradual pace of the book. The book made me smile, laugh, and cry! I couldn’t put it down. I really hope one day there will be more to the story!

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc!

If you’re a fan of genuinely funny romantic comedies, The Fix-Up is a gem. Sharon M. Peterson delivers a delightful enemies-to-lovers story packed with charm, chaos, and chemistry.

The story follows Ellie Sterns, a 28-year-old single mum who inherits half a house and café—along with a grumpy, absurdly handsome co-inheritor, Gil Dalton. The catch? They have to live together for six months to claim their inheritance. What follows is a whirlwind of witty banter, emotional revelations, and a slow-burn romance that feels both hilarious and heartfelt.

As a fellow mama with ADHD, I found Ellie to be a relatable and refreshing protagonist. Her chaotic, impulsive, and messy nature resonated with me on a personal level. She’s not your typical FMC—she’s real, raw, and trying her best to juggle motherhood, ambition, and a heart that’s been bruised more than once. Watching her navigate this forced proximity situation with humor and vulnerability was nice to follow, even if she dip a little deep into the woe-is-me pot a little too frequently! The snarky notes between Ellie and Gil in particular were a lovely touch.

Overall this is a book where Ellie shined as the star, which – if I’m honest – did come at a cost of the MMC at times who felt like he was there as storyline prop on occasion rather fully developed characters in his own right. Do you know what though …. I really didn’t care. I was so invested in Ellie and her story, I didn’t care that Gil didn’t truly turn up on the scene until a little later despite a brilliant start.

The Fix-Up feels like a warm, chaotic hug. It’s a story about second chances, unexpected love, and finding your place—even if it’s a little messy along the way. A brilliant easy and enjoyable ready perfect for summer.

This book was so good! If you love forced proximity romance books then you need to read this book! Highly recommend

I felt like this book was exactly what was promised — cozy, thoughtful, romantic and sweet. Predictable in a good way.

The Fix-Up is a heartwarming and funny romance set in Two Hearts where already Peterson’s previous two books took place.

I’m a huge fan of Peterson’s writing. She makes me laugh and her characters all feel authentic in their own often quirky and unique ways.
While Ellie and Gil were really sweet together and I absolutely enjoyed their slow burn romance, the side characters Ollie and Oliver had my whole heart. It actually broke a little when we finally got the backstory about Ollie’s connection to Gil and why he wasn’t a part of his life… And the bond he shared with Oliver… *sigh* - Is it allowed to swoon over grumpy-sunshine relationships when they are between a grandparent-figure and an adorable little boy?
And the relationship between Gil and his brother Mikey!?! Seriously, this book has so many amazing side characters and relationships aside from the romantic one. I always say how much I love well written sibling relationships, but this one really made me tear up. It was really bittersweet.

Definitely recommend this romantic comedy - and all of Peterson’s previous books - if you want characters with depth, something that makes you laugh and smile. Even if this book maybe made me shed a tear or two, it’s a feel-good romance in the best sense of the term!

Side note: I think the title, cover and subtitle are a little misleading. This is not really an enemies to lovers romance. While they definitely bantered and bickered, they just didn’t hate each other. And even though they have to work on this house they both inherited, it really isn’t the main plot. At least it didn’t feel like it to me. I didn’t mind at all, but I expected something a little different.

* Thank you to the author for letting me read an advanced copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily and the expressed opinions are my own. (I received an eARC via NetGalley.)

Ellie is a single mom with a history of poor relationship choices—and a recently inherited house that turns out to come with an unexpected catch: she only owns half. The other half belongs to Gilbert, the grandson of the previous owner. To make matters worse, the will requires them to live together in the house for six months. Right from their first meeting, it’s clear they don’t see eye to eye, and their visions for the future of the house couldn’t be more different.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a closed-door romance, and this book reminded me how satisfying it can be when the focus is on emotional connection and character development rather than explicit content. I really appreciated the slow-burn dynamic between Ellie and Gilbert. Their growing friendship felt authentic, and I especially loved the subtle ways Gilbert showed his affection—it added a quiet depth to their evolving relationship.

Yes, some plot points were predictable, but that didn’t take away from the enjoyment. This is my first time reading a book in this series, and while I hadn’t read the earlier installments, I never felt lost. There were no confusing references to previous storylines, which made this book work well as a standalone—though now I’m definitely curious to explore the earlier titles!

Children in fiction can be tricky, often feeling either overly precocious or unrealistically portrayed. But Oliver, Ellie’s son, was a standout. He was written with care and believability, and I thoroughly enjoyed his bond with Ellie, as well as his budding relationships with both Gil and Mikey.

One aspect I appreciated was the inclusion of adults with additional needs. The story briefly touches on Mikey’s challenges, such as managing his temper, but I would’ve loved to see more of this explored on the page rather than just mentioned. Portraying these realities more fully could have added even greater depth to the narrative.

The writing was engaging and heartfelt—I finished the book in a single sitting. I’ll definitely be seeking out more from this author in the future.

Tropes you’ll find:

Enemies to lovers

Forced proximity

Single mom