What happens when two unlikeable people collide in the middle of their own messes? That’s the heart of Such a Bad Influence, a story about grief, bad decisions, and the strange ways we find family when we least expect it. Felicity, who inherited her mom’s blueberry farm, definitely has a chip on her shoulder. She’s cynical, self-sabotaging, and honestly… kind of terrible at reading people. Her grief over her mom’s death is raw and real, but it’s also unhealthy. She’s been stuck in the same space for years, unable to move forward, and it’s painful to watch — especially because no one in her life pushes her toward help.

Alex, on the other hand, was the character I enjoyed reading more - so much so I wish we had more from her! Since the story is told from Felicity's POV, we don't get to know Alex quite as well. Alex is a teen who aged out of foster care, rough around the edges but willing to defend Felicity and even help her protect her farm. Watching the two of them strike up this odd partnership...from scaring off vandals to getting tangled in a whole revenge-for-hire scheme...was messy but strangely compelling. They’re not likable in the traditional sense, but that almost seems like the point.

Then there is Wade, the dreamboat neighbor with a dog and some complicated history with Felicity. Their dynamic was… a lot. Felicity uses him in ways that made me roll my eyes, but it did add layers to the small-town drama. The way he kept showing up for Felicity was romance catnip!

I’ll admit, the book sometimes felt like it couldn’t decide what it wanted to be — is this about a homeless teen? A revenge business? Saving the farm? Winning a town competition? All of the above, apparently. And yet, despite the shifting focus, I was moved to tears more than once. The found family threads and the moments of healing really landed for me.

It’s not a perfect book, and Felicity isn’t always easy to root for, but there’s something here that kept me turning pages. Rough edges, messy choices, and all, I’d still say I enjoyed it about 70% — which, for a book that made me cry two or three times, says a lot.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the advance copy. All thoughts and opinons are my own.

This, in short, is about a grieving woman named Felicity and a homeless teenager named Alex that she takes in, and they start a revenge business from the blueberry farm Felicity inherited from her mother, There is a doggy side kick and a little hate to love action in the mix!

If you enjoy, found family, small town, hate to love, revenge, grief, and loss type of stories look no further, this was amazing.

Honestly, I went in with lower expectations, for me personally because contemporary novels aren't typically my go-to, man I was i blown away, if I wasnt laughing, I was crying, if I wasnt crying I was wanting to fight someone. This story made me wish I was right there struggling with those girls because the story was so beautiful and wonderfully written.

I also felt a connection with the FMC. She reminds me a lot of myself in ways, which is eye-opening. I loved all of the main characters so much and loved to hate some of the villain like side characters.

Girl! Don't change a thing. This was amazing, and I would read anything you put out 🩵

Felicity has been grieving her mom for some time, leaving her voicemails on her old phone. She definitely didn't expect for someone to actually ring her back. Alex is a troubled orphan with a good heart. Felicity takes her in and together they find ways to save Felicity's blueberry farm. If only Felicity could keep her eyes off her handsome neighbor Wade.

This book has a lot of heart. You gotta love the found family trope and this one devoured that trope! Also, the romance was sizzling even behind "closed doors".

I had a great time reading it. Will definitely be purchasing.

Felicity Lavigne has been devasted by the loss of her mom who was her best friend. All she has left of her mom is the blueberry farm she inherited from her and her mom's old phone number, which she called every day. Until one day when she gets a call back. And it turns out the phone number's new owner, Alex, is a homeless teenager who has aged out of the foster care system and is calling the only person she has to come bail her out. Despite their tenuous connection, the pair hit it off. This unlikely friendship leads to a 'revenge business' where people pay them to get back at various people in their small town. But quickly, this business goes south.

This was such a unique premise! I loved the setting on a blueberry farm and seeing Felicity desperately trying to hold onto the farm and house that she loves. I also loved the foster care representation. So many kids fall through the cracks once they age out of foster care and I love that Felicity steps up to fiercely defend Alex and advocate for her. I also loved the boy next door plotline.

Felicity's high school experience reminded me a lot of the movie Never Been Kissed in that she is publicly humiliated by the popular kids. Years later, she is still not over it - or the high school crush who was the source of the humiliation. This is a real redemption story for her, and I loved it. I did love Wade and his dog Jude. I would describe the romance as a subplot of the book, which was actually really fun that this wasn't strictly a romance! This has substance and heart.

There were some gaps in the characters for me. For instance, much is made about Felicity's devotion to Alex. But they seem to never really speak much. Beyond the connection to her mom, what makes her so devoted to Alex? It seemed like a flimsy connection at best. I wish the relationship between the pair had been more fleshed out. Likewise, there were some holes in Felicity's life story. What did she do between high school and college? When did she move back home? Did she date at all? Why does she seem to have no friends and no job beyond a blueberry farm that won't pay the bills? I also did not like the whole revenge business. What was she thinking?! Why would Felicity risk criminal charges? I know she needed money to keep her farm, but surely, she could just get a job and not resort to under the table suspicious/criminal activity. It just seemed out of character and poor role modeling for Alex.

3.5 stars rounded up

I was personally contacted by the author and given access to this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is more of a coming-of-age novel, one of whose main tropes is also "enemies-to-lovers".

The main character of the story is Felicity, who takes over her family's blueberry farm after her mother passes away. However, she has an extremely hard time coming to terms with her mother's passing and keeping the blueberry farm business afloat. She knows that her mother's old phone number now belongs to someone else, but that doesn't stop her from calling and leaving emotional voice messages when things get rough. Until one day, the number calls her back, and a teenager named Alex asks for her help to get out of jail. From this point on, the two of them start living together, building a "revenge business", playing pranks on people on behalf of others in exchange for money. As the story moves along, Felicity and Alex become found family, while an enemies-to-lovers plot develops between Felicity and her next-door neighbor, Wade, who is her high school nemesis, but also the only person who stands by her and helps her whenever he can.

Personally, I enjoyed the story in the general sense. I loved Alex and Wade both. Even though Felicity is our FMC, Alex totally steals the show in my opinion. I found Felicity to be a bit too obsessive, but I didn't hate her. Wade totally balances out Felicity's antics, and Alex brings in the brave and independent soul this story needs. I totally adored the small town setting, and some of the townspeople that shone out were remarkable characters.

However, some parts of the story seemed a bit underdeveloped. To give an example, "Revenge Incorporated" became a thing almost too randomly, without any solid reasoning on Felicity's part. I know that it is the whole point, but it is too against her personality, so for her to take part in pranks of that extent does not sound realistic. Another underdeveloped point was the way Felicity went from the most-hated person in town to a likable guardian of a teenager. We do not see any interactions between Felicity and other people to show the progress of improving relationships, and this creates a hole in the plot.

That being said, the points I mentioned above do not take too much away from the general charm of the story. It is a cozy, feel-good, and enjoyable read for anyone who favors the tropes of enemies-to-lovers, found-family, small-town shenanigans, bad girl gone good, and community relationships

Funny, smart, with a Little Edge

Grace Demyan crafts a story that’s full of heart. At the center of Demyan’s story is family. Felicity and Alex may make an unconventional family, with Felicity still grieving her mother and Alex running from her past, but they’re dedicated, loyal and resourceful.

The setting is quirky. Picking a blueberry farm for the setting sounds like it would be quaint and peaceful. And that’s mostly true for the farm, except for the blueberry thieves. But the townspeople are rather insufferable. It puts a bitter spin on the small town trope. But it left me rooting for Felicity even more!
As for the second chance romance, I’ll admit I was team Wade from the moment we meant him. He was sweet and charming with just a hint of the old bad boy he used to be. And he comes with a dog! More seriously though, Demyan writes a man who’s matured past his former high school football star status, is caring, kind and patient.

In terms of the plot, the revenge-for-hire subplot was funny and entertaining, but where Demyan’s writing shines though is Felicity and Alex’s story. At the start of the story, the two seem so lost and alone. However, over the course of the novel, we see them heal and grow, and become stronger together.

Final Thoughts

If you like blueberries, dogs, and revenge, this book’s for you!

I was so grateful for the chance to read Such A Bad Influence early! This is a heartwarming small-town story with a cozy feel, yet it also tackles big topics in a thoughtful, realistic way. I loved the author’s writing style and really enjoyed experiencing it through the audiobook.

Felicity, the main character and owner of a blueberry farm, is navigating grief, town drama, and hurt from her past, all while working to preserve her mother’s legacy. When she takes a chance on helping Alex, an 18-year-old who has aged out of the foster system, their unlikely partnership helps them both in meaningful ways. Watching these two characters grow and find family through the challenges, life lessons, and brave choices definitely tugged at my heartstrings!

I'd happily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thoughtful, heartfelt stories!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Such A Bad Influence is a perfect “book club” pick. It’s fun, witty, emotional, heartbreaking and hopeful. I was hooked in the first 2 chapters. You can’t help but want to root for these characters and give them the biggest hug. I loved it. I cried a few times 😭
I kept updating my husband on their shenanigans 🤣
I’m definitely recommending this book to my local book clubs.

Thank you, @netgalley for the copy.

GOODREADS: Brenda (jadore_2Read)

What happens when the good girl goes just a little bit bad? That’s the premise of this heartfelt and funny novel. Felicity Lavigne, perpetual good girl, is living in the shadow of her mother’s death, frequently calling her mother’s old phone number and leaving voicemails in which she pours her heart out about her grief and the troubles she’s having maintaining her family’s blueberry farm in small-town Ohio. When Alex, the homeless 18-year-old owner of the number, calls Felicity and asks to be bailed out of jail, Felicity sees it as a sign from her mother and takes Alex in. After scaring off some kids who have been stealing blueberries from Felicity’s farm, the two women set up a not-so-secret revenge-for-hire business. Soon, townspeople are knocking at their door day and night to have petty wrongs avenged, and before they know it, Felicity and Alex are in over their heads. Add in Felicity’s high school crush living next door, a dog with a big heart, and the need to face past hurts to move forward, and you’ve got all the ingredients for a delightful read!

This book was outside of my normal genres, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters were believable and lovable, and I appreciated that the female main character was written with a less-than-perfect body. The very real struggle of keeping a farm financially viable was a strong plot point. I especially enjoyed the small-town setting with its long relationship histories (for better and worse as it turned out!). The dialogue was well-written, the author used humor deftly throughout the book, and the pacing was spot-on. Taken as a whole, Felicity’s journey forward from crippling grief was lovely as she allowed others into her heart and home and life.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a quick but meaningful read with a cute love story and female friendship at the center. If you love a good Hallmark movie, chances are you’ll love this story as well!

This book was just so wholesome and heartwarming. - it gave me all the feels! I especially adored the relationship between Felicity and Alex. Alex was so clever and smart, even if she didn’t always make the best decisions. All she really needed was someone to believe in her and look out for her, and Felicity stepped right up. The chaos and comfort those two created together had me both laughing and crying in equal measure.

Felicity’s story hit me hard too. After losing her mum and facing the possible loss of her family’s blueberry farm, she was just so lost in her grief and responsibilities. Seeing her finally let others in (instead of carrying everything herself) was so beautiful. And then there’s her and Wade - at first I was like why is she treating him this way?! but when the reasons became clear and they actually worked through it all… ugh, my heart!

And don’t even get me started on the little justice gig. -it had me glued to the pages. Add in the small-town setting and the blueberry farm vibes, and honestly? It was the perfect read for me right now. I’m officially obsessed with small-town romances and want more of this little town.

That said, I will always hold a grudge against the Callaways… and Juno is forever the goodest girl. 🐾💙

Huge thank you to Lake Union Publishing, Grace Demyan, and NetGalley for letting me read this eARC—I feel so lucky to have had it in my hands!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the eARC!

A blueberry farm owner rescues a teenager she has never met, what could go wrong?

This was absolutely delightful and heartwarming. Felicity has been a recluse since her mother's passing and calls her mom's old phone number to leave her messages she will never hear.

Alex is in trouble and calls the only number that will answer her plea for help. What unfolds is an unlikely, mutually beneficial friendship that pulls Felicity out of her turmoil and gets her to finally live her life.

I went into this blind and was pleasantly surprised by the turn of events and characters growing into themselves. Felicity and Wade were the perfect bickering neighbors who not so secretly are into each other. This had all the charm and coziness of your favorite blueberry pie, an absolute delight.

Posted to Goodreads on 9/24/25- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7933806131

A blueberry farm, a mourning daughter and a homeless teenager. This story did not go where I thought it would!

Felicity Lavigne is still mourning the death of her mom, three years later. The family blueberry farm and house are priceless because it's where her mom lived. In despair, Felicity frequently calls her mom's old phone number. No one answers but she leaves voicemails as though she is talking to her mom. Until one day, she gets a call back. Enter Alex... a homeless teenage girl who is snarky, cynical and "such a bad influence."

Felicity and Alex are an unlikely duo but are exactly what the other needs. There's themes of friendship, grief, chosen family, small town drama and forgiveness.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Definitely put this on your list - available 10.21.25.

I really enjoyed this book! While the book touched on some serious elements such as grief, depression, and foster care, it was overall a very heartwarming, fun book filled with quirky characters. It has those perfect small-town vibes and if you are a fan of Hart of Dixie or Gilmore Girls, you are sure to love this one!



Thank you to Net Galley, Grace Demyan and Lake Union Publishing for being able to read this ARC.

Thank you netgalley and Lake Inion Publishing for this arc!!

Ugh my heart!! Such A Bad Influence was an emotional ride.
Felicity,27yo, lost her mom and was on the verge of losing her blueberry farm and everything her mom had. She didn’t have anyone in her life and left voicemails to her mom’s number. Alex, 18yo, was freshly out of the foster system, with felicity’s mom’s number, and struggling. She got in trouble and called Felicity when and hoped she would pick up.

The way Felicity took in Alex and loved her like a sister she never had and was willing to give up everything for this young stranger. As their relationship grows, there is butting heads but there is love and laughter and finally trust. When Felicity decides to run aim the towns Man Of The Year contest, Alex is all in. She really shows her trust and her love to Felicity. And it made my heart BURST with happiness.

While there is a relationship between Felicity and her Neighbor, Wade, it off page but beautiful. Wade also sees himself in Alex and their relationship is like big brother little sister and it’s also beautiful.

If you are a fan of women’s fiction, you’ll love it.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When teenage troublemaker Alex lands herself in jail, the only person she can think of to call is Felicity, the woman who has been leaving messages for her dead mom on Alex's phone. Felicity, who inherited a struggling blueberry farm after her mother's death, takes Alex in with one stipulation: Alex must help her scare away the kids that keep stealing blueberries from her field. From there, they start a local revenge business, putting themselves in the middle of small-town feuds to save up enough cash to save the farm. With the help of Wade, Felicity's neighbor and former high-school crush,

What really drew me into this book was the characters. Alex, Felicity, and Wade had complex backgrounds, full of mistakes and flaws that they must overcome to fight against the status quo in Elswood, Ohio. Throughout the events in the book, Felicity learns to stand up for herself and fight for what she believes in, transforming from the "Elswood doormat" into a force to be reckoned with. Alex finds a home and a family to fight for, shedding her rebellious persona to support Felicity and the farm. Wade atones for his past mistakes, and, with the help of Felicity, reconciles with his judgmental family, banding together former enemies for the greater good of the town.

The plot is fast-paced, and full of moments that throw the main characters far out of their comfort zones, providing ample opportunity for character growth. Set in a quaint midwestern town with a unique social landscape, local politics provide additional tension and conflicts that Felicity must overcome to answer the question, just how far will you go to save the place you love?

With wacky revenge pranks, moments of wholesome family bonding, an adorable dog, and lots of small-town drama, Such a Bad Influence explores grief, social isolation, and the power of found family with humor and heart.

Thanks to Netgalley & Lake Union Publishing for the E-ARC! Really enjoyed! Cute characters & fun banter. Also liked the setting. Will read more from this author.

This debut novel was such a joy to read. The idea of a blueberry farmer teaming up with a teenager to start a revenge business felt fresh and fun, and it completely pulled me in.

The story has the perfect mix of humor and heart. Felicity and Alex are both so real and layered, and I loved seeing their bond grow into the kind of family they had both been missing. The setting in rural Ohio and the blueberry farm added so much charm, while the plot had plenty of unexpected turns to keep me hooked.

At its core, this is a story about grief, healing, and finding connection in surprising places. It made me laugh, it made me care, and it left me smiling. A delightful debut that makes me excited to see what this author writes next.

Overall, this was such a fun and heartfelt story. I loved the mix of humor, heart, and small-town charm, and the friendship between Felicity and Alex was so touching. A wonderful debut that left me smiling and excited for more from this author.

This book stole my heart. Packed full of sentimental and emotional moments, this story about chosen family does not fall short on delightful wit and laughter to balance out the mood!

Felicity is living in Ohio, running the blueberry farm she inherited from her late mother. With bills mounting and the fear of losing the farm, the one thing of her mother’s that she has left, Felicity finds comfort in calling her mom’s old cell phone each day, leaving messages recounting her day. The messages go unanswered, until one day, the phone number calls her back.

Alex, the eighteen-year-old foster kid with no family who has aged out of the system is the new owner of the phone number. She is in need of help and one day reaches out to the stranger on the other end of the phone. Felicity agrees to take Alex in and give her a place to stay on the condition that she helps Felicity scare off some of the local kids who have been terrorizing her and vandalizing the farm. The two hatch a devious plan which is the beginning of a very special friendship and partnership.

Filled with delicious revenge and pranks galore, this beautiful and touching story takes a raw and honest look at grief and the healing process. The bond between Felicity and Alex is truly special and the author masters the perfect balance of serious emotion and reflection with lighthearted humor.

Such a Bad Influence was such a fun, laugh out loud, touching, heartwarming and emotional read. It filled my heart in such a special way.

Thank you to Grace Demyan for the ARC of this book. I fell in love with the characters and story! I cannot wait to see what comes next!

This book was a major change in what I have been reading lately its more soft and easy read, but I absolutely smashed through this read and I enjoyed the change from what I have been reading.

Felicity looses her mum but she still rings her phone and leaves messages, but one day that all changes when one day Alex returns the phone call When Alex is in trouble and placed in jail she hasn't got anyone else to call but Felicity, from their Felicity takes her in and helps her out with somewhere to live etc.

The blueberry farm setting and descriptions sound so beautiful and makes me wish that I was able to visit this place, then Wade is introduced into the whole story and he was the perfect love interest. This book was beautiful but it also broke me at the end.

3.75 stars

Okay y’all if you’re a fan of Hart of Dixie and Gilmore Girls then I think you could enjoy this book! The author most definitely watched both of these shows and you cannot convince me otherwise. I mean the MMC’s name is Wade and he’s apparently slept with all of the ladies in the town and there is a Man of the Year award called the EMOTY like the MOTY award in Hart of Dixie. Anywaysss back on topic, there are definitely a lot of things that are not plausible in this story, but aside from that it was a sweet story of a woman dealing with the grief of losing her mother and a teenage girl who aged out of foster care finding someone who actually cares about her. This was a great mixture of lighthearted pranks and small town shenanigans mixed in with deep felt emotions and character relationships that made you want to cry. Such a Bad Influence was the perfect in-between of a romance and contemporary women’s fiction novel.