A great addition to this series! I loved the relationship between Ellie and her son Oliver and all the side characters. Gilbert made a wonderful leading man and his relationship with his brother was very special too, as well as his budding relationship with Oliver, including their adorable Man Club. So to see how Ellie and Gilbert’s relationship progressed was really lovely and I was cheering them on the whole way. Great to see Ali, Theo, Mae and Chris again too!

Tropes:
- Enemies to lovers.
- Forced proximity.
- Obligations over needs.
- Slowburn.
- Smalltown romance.

A sweet, feel-good small-town romance about second chances and unexpected love. Ellie, a single mom with way too much on her plate, inherits a house and restaurant—but only if she can share it for six months with Gill, the grumpy (but secretly kind) grandson no one knew existed.

They clash at first, but watching them slowly find common ground is heartwarming. It’s grumpy x sunshine done right, with just enough emotional depth to keep you hooked. Perfect if you love stories about found family, healing, and turning chaos into comfort.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the free advance copy. I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

This felt like a Hallmark movie in book form, and I mean that in the best way!

I just finished The Fix-Up by Sharon M. Peterson and it was a sweet, heartwarming, and fun-to-read story. The plot has all the makings of a Hallmark movie, like small-town romance, a fixer-upper house that might be taken away, MC who didn't like each other at first, and an MMC who needs convincing by the FMC not to sell, added with a few funny and swoonworthy moments.

It gave me all the cozy and slow-burn vibes I wanted, and I loved that ending!

I’m so excited to discover that the author has more books, including one with a brother’s best friend trope (I've already added that to my TBR)!

If you’re looking for a feel-good romance with small-town charm and lovable characters, this one’s a great pick!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an e-ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an e-ARC! I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. A solid 4.5 stars! It had me laughing out loud. Loved the banter between Gil and Ellie and their post it note exchanges. Ellie’s date with a flat earther was so enjoyable to read, but happy she ended up with Gil. Did I have a hard time imagining a hot guy named Gilbert? Yes. But love a man who can fold a fitted sheet and knows how to use some tools. Wish this book had some spice, but the connection between Gil and Ellie was so well developed. I did find the ending a little rushed but enjoyed the meet cute at the bookstore.

Enjoyed hearing about Ollie and Teddy developing a connection with Gil.

Looking forward to reading more books by Sharon M. Peterson soon! Also really want a muffin after hearing so much about Ellie’s baked goods.

Sharon M. Peterson may be a new author to me but after reading The Fix Up, she has quickly become a one-click author to this reader. I absolutely adored this book! Ellie and Gil and little Ollie were well-developed, intriguing and fascinating characters and the story line was written in such a way that I felt like I personally knew these people. I’m honestly going to miss visiting them each day. The secondary characters were just as entertaining and captivating as Ellie and Gil. It just all worked together.

This was a very emotional read for me because there are some really thought-provoking, heartbreaking and heartwarming moments that brought me to my knees, but then she would have me in hysterics and laughing so hard there were tears running down my face. I was looking for a clean, low spice well-written romance that would make my heart race and give me all the “feels” and Ms. Peterson hit it out of the park for me because it has all those traits and so much more. I loved, loved, loved how each chapter began with a quote from various children who were asked what the definition of “love” meant to them – how ingenious! It tied right into what this family was experiencing in this journey that I so enjoyed sharing with them.

I must say this is probably my favorite romance read of the year so obviously I’ll be reading Theo & Ali’s story, as well as Chris and Mae’s story. I highly recommend this 5+ star read to anyone looking for a thoughtful, sweet, clean romance those evokes all the feelings. I’m grateful to have been given the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book through NetGalley.

Single mom, Ellie, inherits half of a large plot of land and café when her beloved father figure Ollie passes away. Unfortunately, his secret grandson Gil inherits the other half. The one condition is that they live on the land together for 6 months. Gil and Ellie do not see eye-to-eye on what to do with the property. Gil wants to sell while Ellie wants to keep it, but she can’t afford to buy Gil out. The two do no get along and Gil is very closed off. Ellie has 6 months to convince him to give the town of Two Harts a chance and save the only home her son has every known.

There were parts of Ellie I really liked. She was kind and generous and trying very hard to become the best version of herself. Unfortunately, I also found her to be a bit selfish. When it came to what she wanted for herself, she sometimes forgot to see things from someone else’s perspective. Gil was so closed off. It wasn’t until very late in the story that I understood the pressure he was under. That meant I spent a lot of the book irritated with him for his behaviour. This is a really slow burn romance. I didn’t feel much chemistry between them until the last 20% of the book, so the book dragged a bit for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Sharon M. Peterson for an advanced reader copy (eARC) in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was an interesting storyline for a book! I like the idea that Ollie was really looking out for the family he had and the people he viewed as family. I really liked the son and Mikey as supporting characters in the book, I felt like they brought a lot to the story line. I will say the middle of the story did drag a bit but I liked the concept overall

This was a super cute love story, but if you’re looking for spice this isn’t your book-just keep that one in mind. Otherwise, I loved it. It was cute, funny, romantic, heartwarming. It was the kinda couple you dream to be with your future partner. So cute.

This has been one of my favorite romance reads to date. And it didn't even have spice! It was not your typical meet cute, instant love, perfect couple book. It was more enemies to roommates to friends to lovers. I fell in love with every character. They were all so well written and all had a part to play. It was hilarious and emotional and beautiful. Everyone needs an Ollie and a Gil. The back story was so tragic but so perfect. I dont have any parts of this book that I did not enjoy.

Love is in the details.
I must say I expected this book to be something like a TV reality about house renovations. Am I dissapointed that was not the case? Not at all.
Not only is the book soft, funny and, in a way, gentle, but it also speaks volumes of how sometimes things are simple and we are complicated. Specially when it comes to choosing, because there's a big "must have" and "must not have" list for Ellie, and turns out in her case, love was in the details she did not want to focus on.
Not only does this book speak of romance, but also of maternal love, of friendship, and healing, of families and stories and of what is and what we wish could have been.
In the end, it's not only the tale of a man and a woman, but of a father who took in a daughter who loves her son.
And the tale of a son, who came into their lives, who's also a brother to a man who loves him so dearly he knows he's home.
It was a great experience to read this book, and I'm thankful I was allowed to read the ARC. I cannot praise it enough.

I knew within a single chapter of this book that it was going to be one of my favourites. The humour that Sharon winds all the way through her books combined with a such a heartwarming story brings me back to her books again and again – and this one is no exception. The characters are real, relatable and, quite frankly, utterly adorable. The ADHD representation was done with consideration and didn’t overwhelm any part of the character or the book and, as someone who has ADHD in their family, I really appreciated that being included – as well as the fact it wasn’t given any negative vibes which can so often be related to ADHD.
I stayed up way too late reading this, desperate to know what happened next which just led me to chapter after chapter until I hit the end and let out a joyous, happy sigh of contentment. Get it. Read it. Then read it again and get all the happy feels for the second time around.

4 stars ⭐️ This was a fun clean romance! I loved Ellie and Gil’s tension filled slow burn!

What to expect:
- forced proximity
- slow burn
- small town romance
- single mom

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC. All opinions are my own 🫶🏼

You guys! This book! Such a joy to read! Single mom with her hands full finds her in a sticky situation when an inheritance leaves her sharing a house with a complete stranger. Closed door spice that is full of slow burn tension. The antics of the 6 year old son sends this couple on a journey neither one of them saw coming the end had my eyes leaking (as my 4 year old son would say) and a HEA! Loved the 'what is love' responses at each chapter so I asked my son and he said 'love is what you feel with friends', Maverick, 4

The banter was HILARIOUS!! I could not stop laughing throughout this book. It did take me a bit longer to read, but was amazing through and through. Highly recommend to people who need a good laugh, and want an overall romantic love story!!

I want to start by saying this was my very first ARC, and I was so excited to dive in! This is also the first book I’ve read by Sharon Peterson, and now that I’ve finished Ellie and Gil’s story, I’m definitely going back to read her earlier books. I can’t wait to learn more about the other couples. I absolutely love interconnected stories, and this one reignited my love for discovering new characters.

At its core, this is a romance novel, clean (no spice), but rich with emotional build-up. The slow burn, forced proximity, and growing tension between the main characters had me grinning, giggling, and even kicking my feet. It gave me that swoonish (yes I know not a real word) feeling.

Without giving too much away, the book delivers beautifully on themes of romance, found family, and small-town charm.

Ellie and Gil completely won me over and I am hoping Iris will be getting her story next.

Ellie and Gilbert inherit half a house each and have to live there together for 6 months in order to get their portion. A tale of forced proximity as old as time and just as delicious. This is the first book I've read by Sharon M. Peterson and it was a very solid closed door romance. The conflict between the characters is believable due to the real life stakes and isn't just played for the sake of drama. The supporting characters are charming enough to consider reading their books, which make up the others in the series. If possible, I'd give this 3.5 stars as once I started, I read it in a couple of sittings.

I read a lot of romance, and I’ve read my fair share of slow burns, but this one? This one got me in a way that not many do.
I don't necessarily read books of characters that feel like I couldn't be the character in the book, and Ellie being a mom made me worry at first. But literally a page in a half in and I was sold, Her personality and character alone was so hilarious and relatable. She felt like a very real person.

The pacing was unhurried in the best way, every moment felt intentional. It let the emotion breathe. And by the time the connection started to build, I was fully in it. Like, feet kicking, heart aching, wiping a tear and smiling at the same time in it.

What really blew me away was how grounded it all felt. There was nothing flashy or overly dramatic, just raw, careful character work and the kind of emotional buildup that makes every glance, every shift, every quiet moment feel earned. The heart-string plucking when Ollie just kept getting more and more revealed about him, the emotional support provided by Gil when Ellie needed it most, the kid basically acting as you but in the book rooting for them and pushing them together just as I wished I could. I love when a book trusts you to feel everything without spelling it out or rushing to the payoff. This did that, beautifully.

Also, the love here? Pure. Not really any spice, but true and honest. It made my heart ache in the best way. It reminded me why I love slow burns when they’re done right. I cared about these characters more than I expected to. I rooted for them so hard. I wished it kept on going! (even tho it does have the perfect ending point)

The Fix Up by Sharon M. Peterson

Let me start off by saying I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down!

It’s such a sweet story and had me laughing, tearing up and kicking my feet!
The way the characters were described made me wish I knew them all personally. I was rooting for Ellie and Gil from the beginning and as the book progressed, I felt allll the emotions. Happy, sad, frustrated, hopeful. ALL OF THEM. And once we got to meet Mickey and see his relationship with Oliver… I was in love! They were just perfect together! And Ollie just sounded like he was the perfect grandpa!

The icing on the cake was definitely how each chapter began with a quote from a child explaining what love meant to them. They had the sweetest answers!

I’ve read Sharon M. Peterson’s other books and after finishing each one, I always swear THAT’S my favorite! Lol

This one definitely gets 5 stars from me!

4.25⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC. This book was cute, funny, and entertaining! I loved all of the characters, the best disability representation, and the plot to made me want to keep reading. The mixed media aspect with letters and notes was adorable. I wish we would've seen more of the home/cafe improvements with it being such a big part of the synopsis, cover, and title. Also, there were moments when the main character repeated things we'd already been told a few times. Overall, though, I enjoyed this book and I hope we get more books set in this world!

Read this in a matter of days and loved this book so much that as soon as I'd finished, I went and bought everything by the author I could lay my hands on!

Loved the setting of Two Harts as well as the hero and heroine - who definitely don't fall into stereotypes!