I did enjoy this book but I found I had a hard time getting into at first. Once I got about halfway through though I felt like I started to enjoy it more! Thank you for the opportunity :)

This is a touching, heartfelt novel about the people who can come into your life when you need them the most and become your chosen family. It was wonderful to watch both Felicity and Alex evolve with their growth and how even through their devious actions eventually bring out the better in each other. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Lake Union Publishing for the eARC.

Such a Bad Influence was a very pleasant surprise. Both, Alex and Felicity were such lovable characters, it was hard not to root for them. I loved how the book explored relationships between people, showing not only the good, but also the ugly. The growth journey that the main characters went on, was inspiring but also very real and frustraiting at times. In a good way. The plot was engaging and fun, making it hard to stop reading. It was a fresh idea, making it a fun experience. It was really nice to finally have the FMC be older than 17. overall, a fantastic read for anyone who loves women focused stories where romance is an add on, not the main point.

This was a sweet and quirky read with a fun premise—I liked the idea of a “revenge business” run out of a blueberry farm. Felicity and Alex’s bond was heartfelt, and I enjoyed seeing their friendship grow into something that felt like family.

That said, some parts felt a little over the top and the pacing dragged for me in places. The humor didn’t always land, but I appreciated the mix of lightheartedness with more emotional moments. Overall, a nice read, just not one that fully clicked with me.

Thank you so much to Grace Demyan for reaching
out to me and allowing me the chance to read this book through NetGalley. I am giving this ARC a solid 5 stars
(if I could give it more I definitely would) because I truly enjoyed every part of it. The story was so well-written, and I found the characters to be both relatable and memorable. The story follows Alex, who has aged out of foster care and has a reputation for being a bit of a troublemaker, and Felicity, who is struggling to keep her late mother’s blueberry farm afloat while navigating her grief. Their paths intertwine in such a natural way, and I loved seeing how their relationship grew over the course of the story. While reading, I could easily imagine this as a TV show—one I would absolutely binge-watch—because I love these kinds of heartfelt, character-driven stories. I also have to mention Juno, the sweetest dog! She was written so vividly that I could picture her perfectly, and she added such warmth to the story.I enjoyed the neighbor-next-door dynamic (with that second-chance romance element), and the ending tied everything together beautifully. Overall, this was a fantastic read, and I cannot wait to see what Grace Demyan writes next.

The characters were all so relatable which I loved, and I enjoyed seeing the development of our three main characters Felicity, Alex and Wade. The development of their relationships was also nicely explored and I enjoyed the slow burn between Felicity and Wade which surprised me as sometimes slow burn can be hit or miss for me.

I liked the writing style, the pacing was good and easy to follow. The book did start a little slow but within a couple of chapters I was invested. The small town vibes added a lot to the plot, I found that this book made me both laugh and cry, themes around grief were well explored.

Ultimately I really enjoyed this book, it was a pleasurable read with great characters, a fun plot but also with explorations around tricky subjects. I would definitely recommend and would love to read more from the author.

A huge thank you to the author for contacting me and gifting me a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

🧡🧡🧡🧡

It was cheesy, heartfelt, and just all around a lovely story about Felicity trying to survive life after a tragic loss. Alex finding a place to call home. May or may not shed a few tears here and there. I think my only “complaint” was it was a bit of a slow start and it kind of took a few chapters for me to really get into it, but after that it was such a good read and loved every chapter.

What I loved:
Alex was so fun and kept everyone on their toes and really brought Felicity out of her shell.
Juno!! I would die for Juno!
Wade and Felicity’s obvious hots for each other.
Revenge incorporated! While a bit childish and petty, I’d 100% use their services
The charity party was just the best and it showed a great glimpse into what the future could be like for Alex, felicity, and Wade.

Overall, I was really happy with this read and really liked the emotional journey it took me on.

Thank you so much Grace for the ARC!

My first ARC! Thank you to Grace Demyan, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for the chance to read this great debut novel and review it.

Omg this was so cute! Really engaging, thoughtful, and heartfelt. I really enjoyed these characters and the many! shenanigans they are up to. It definitely kept me wanting to read more and more. Felicity, Wade, and Alex are really fleshed out and I loved their dynamic together, as well as with their very realistic and annoying small town neighbors. The romance was a pleasant surprise and was one of the highlights of the book for me.

If you're a fan of Gilmore Girls, you should definitely check this out!

Such a great story about found family, overcoming emotional trauma, & sweet sweet revenge!

The character development was beautiful and the found family aspect was so important to growth of these characters.
Any story that has a dog or cat as a main part of the story is always endearing to me!

Wade & Felicity are iconic in the sense that he loves her and she hates him
Alex is a true light in the dark that is Felicity’s life
Juno, Wade’s dog, is such a great part of their story!

There’s mischief, a little mayhem, some light revenge, and a very slowly budding romance all happening in Felicity’s blueberry filled home.

This book starts off with Alex an 18 year old attempting to commit a crime. She calls Felicity for help. The twist is they don’t even know each other. Felicity’s mom owned a blueberry farm in Elswood, Ohio. When the unexpected happens Felicity and Alex find themselves working together to sell blueberries and commit crime? Wait that can’t be right… what kind of crime can an almost 30 year old and an 18 commit on a small town? ….From there “Revenge Incorporated” is born. There’s also the hot neighbor Wade (who Felicity’s been feuding with since high school) and his dog Juno. What happens when they all have to stick together to save the farm, the house, and win an “Elswood Man of the Year” contest? Wait what?! 🤣🤣

This is a very cute story and I really enjoyed getting to know the characters.

While Felicity started out pretty sad and somewhat pathetic... she grew into a strong and confident woman.

It's Hallmark cheesy, but in the best way.

Get to know this found family and enjoy seeing how people grow out of their preconceived notions in small-town America.

Blueberries, grief, found family, and chasing off thieves in a small town? Such a Bad Influence was such a good influence on my heart 💙🍇

I absolutely loved this story! It had all the cozy small-town vibes I adore, complete with a main character rooted in family and fighting to save her family’s blueberry farm. The setting felt warm and inviting, the kind of place you just want to curl up with on a quiet weekend.

What really tugged at my heart was the grief woven into the story. The main character is still processing the loss of her mother, and the way she keeps calling her mom’s old number just to feel close to her—it was both heartbreaking and beautiful. When someone finally answers, it’s not who she expects, but a young woman who has just aged out of foster care. Their unlikely connection felt so natural and real, and I loved how quickly compassion turned into a chosen-family bond.

The two teaming up helping chase off blueberry thieves and later starting a revenge for hire business—was such a sweet mix of heartfelt and fun. The book balanced tender emotion with moments of lightheartedness in the best way.

If you’re looking for a cozy, emotional read about loss, community, found family, and fresh starts, this one is such a gem. 💙

✨Thank you to the author @gracedemyan for my Kindle ARC. These opinions are my own. Book releasing in October!

From the very first line, I was hooked. I could not put this book down and was genuinely sad when it ended. Grace Demyan delivers a story that balances grief, mental illness, healing, and self-discovery in such a thoughtful way.

I was deeply invested in Felicity’s journey as she navigated grief and learned to grow comfortable and confident in who she is. It would have been easy for her character to slip into frustrating territory, but she felt authentic and relatable the whole way through.

Alex was such a light in this story, bringing liveliness and warmth into Felicity’s life. Watching the two of them heal while also falling into a family of sorts was so heartwarming. I also appreciated that Felicity’s romantic relationship with Wade was more of a secondary focus and it allowed her personal growth and friendships to shine, while still giving us a character you couldn’t help but root for.

And of course, the small-town drama was spot-on. If you’ve ever lived in a small town, you know how accurate and consuming it can be and Grace captured that perfectly.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book. Each character brought something valuable to the story and helped each other heal in their own way. It was beautifully written, heartfelt, and authentic. I can’t wait to read more from Grace Demyan in the future.

✨ Thank you so much to Grace Demyan for personally reaching out and sharing this book with me. I’m so grateful to have read it early.

✨3 stars✨

I thought this was a solid debut and I really enjoyed the small-town vibes, especially as the FMC inherits a blueberry farm which was a unique aspect that I hadn’t seen in a small-town romance.

I think my main issue with the book was that the FMC, who was supposed to be in her late 20s, acted so much older. As a result, it resulted in a lot of her dialogue sounding cringe especially when talking to Alex and Wade.

I would be interested in reading more from this author in the future.

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This was a great debut novel! I loved the small town vibes and unconventional plot and relationships in this book.

My two main critiques are around the characters and their relationships. The main character seemed way older than 28 to me from the way she thought, talked, and acted. She seemed more like she was in her 50s. My second critique is that I was a little uncomfortable with her referring to Alex (18yo) as her best friend.

That being said, if there were a sequel, I would totally read more about these characters and this town!

Plot: 0.5⭐️
Setting: ⭐️
Characters: 0.5 ⭐️
Writing: 0.75 ⭐️
Enjoyment: 0.75 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the book!

This book really stole my heart. From Felicity grieving over the loss of her mother, struggling to keep her blueberry farm, taking in an unhoused teenager, and living next door to a guy that broke her heart in high school. The story takes place in a small town in Ohio, where Felicity has taken over a blueberry farm after her mother has passed away. However, her home and blueberry farm is next to her high-school crush/enemy with a super adorable dog. Their relationship grows from frenemies to lovers as she is also helping Alex ( the unhoused teenage) realize how amazing she is and regardless what people say, Felicity would do anything in her power to protect her becaue she believe her mother put Alex into her life. Alex learned to accept herself, lover herself and grow with Felicity and Wade as a family with all their crazy ideas, their revenge incorporated business and other shenanigans.

I was completely charmed by this novel about a lonesome blueberry farmer who takes in a homeless teenager and starts a revenge business. The premise is wonderfully creative, but it's the rich character development that truly makes this book shine. Author skillfully navigates the humor of their new enterprise with the raw emotional honesty of two people dealing with loss and loneliness. As Felicity and Alex team up, their dynamic evolves from an unusual arrangement into a genuine, found-family bond. This is a story about grief, friendship, and the hilarious mishaps that can happen when two people decide to take justice into their own hands. A truly memorable and affecting read.

Two loners brought together learn to work together to get what they both want—in unorthodox ways. I enjoyed how Felicity and Alex have such opposite personalities, yet were drawn together and both learn how important it is to let others into their lives. The growth of both women throughout the book was both humorous and enjoyable. I’ll be recommending this book to others.

Felicity is grieving her mother and struggling to keep the family blueberry farm afloat. Felicity asks Alex, a troubled teen that aged out of foster care, to help her stop the kids stealing her blueberries. (TW: cancer, foster care, injured animal, grief)

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved the idea of this plot but I think it fell flat. I had a really hard time connecting to Felicity because of the dumb decisions she made. The pacing was also very slow.

The beginning of the plot was weird and didn’t seem plausible at all. A 27-year-old woman with a struggling blueberry farm decides to spend all her remaining savings to free a teen she’s never met from jail only because that teen currently has the phone number that used to belong to her mom before she died? If she makes all her personal and business decisions like this, it’s no wonder the farm is failing and the town doesn’t like her. I just couldn’t get past that lack of logic and common sense to care about that character. If the plot has started with another device to get Felicity and Alex together, maybe I could have related more to the characters.

I liked the element of found family. I liked the quirky weird town that’s like Gilmore Girls but not friendly. I liked the mental health rep but I would consider it “muddy.” It should have been made more clear early in the story. The romance is more of a subplot and this reads like women’s fiction.

“Thank you for raising the best person I know.”

*Thank you to the team for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Let me get this out of the way-sometimes it was hard to like Felicity, because she seems so utterly pathetic… and yet, I still <i>loved</i> this book.

It was completely unexpected, the sort of duo you don’t see coming, and it worked perfectly. A pathetic (sorry!!) twenty something woman and a rebellious teenager. Sprinkle in some small town shenanigans and a cute boy next door? You got yourself a hit.

This book navigates through grief, found family, revenge and self discovery. I had tears in my eyes a few times, and cringed a few others… and laughed a lot more.

10/10 recommend.