Definitely Not Dating

This is an entertaining book that I just loved. I fell in love with the characters - especially Ever, who I'm sure most women can relate to, as she tries to overcome her history of picking out losers to date. We've all done it, but Ever has done it in a way that effectively blew up her life. When they win a hotel lottery, she, along with her friends, sees it as a way to get a fresh start.

Matt is the local police chief, and a friend of Ever and her friends. When his house burns down, he takes a room in the inn. While Ever and Matt have been attracted to each other, being under the same room proves to be too much temptation. They are committed to not dating and their non-dating relationship begins.

I loved the way Matt and Ever were together, but mostly, I loved how Ever found a way to overcome her past and recreate a better version of herself. Along the way, Matt helped her, while also overcoming his own past. Their relationship was sexy and sweet. and made me fall in love with them.

If you enjoy the genre, you will love this book. The author is on my must read authors' list.

I received an advanced reader's copy of Definitely Not Dating by Christi Barth from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first book by Christi Barth that I had read and I was pleasantly surprised to find an enjoyable new author to follow.

Overall, I felt this was a solid romance novel and I found it to be extremely well written. The plot was engaging and the characters were nicely written (layers, folks!). And while our main characters, lottery winner slash loser in love Everleigh Girard and police chief Matt Halliday, had flaws, they were likable and had chemistry. The plot wasn’t terribly original, but it was evenly paced and flowed.

This was a quick, fun read.

Everleigh and her besties are like siblings won a lottery,instead of money it was a inn. They all worked together and got it ready for open when Matt the chief of police had a sudden problem when his house burned down and knowing it was arson he kept everything from everyone. Matt and Everleigh grows closer and helps each other.

Good Story!

'Definitely Not Dating' is about Matt and Everleigh; when Everleigh and her friends win the lottery they gain an inn, to avoid any trouble the group make a celibacy pact. So they move, to renovate it and eventually get it running. Matt's house has recently burned down and since he is friends with one of the group members - Teagan, he can seek shelter at the inn before its opening. When Everleigh hears a noise that night, she goes down to check what's going on, that's when she finds Matt! Teagan didn't let her know what happened and that Matt was staying there. They start to get close and vow to remain friends but we all know how that goes... But Matt has a secret that he has kept from her and her friends, a secret that will put them all at risk!

I enjoyed reading this book, however, it took me a while to get into the story, it might just be me. I like that Matt supported Everleigh and that he didn't judge her for her past mistakes, and that she did the same for him!

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I'm seriously loving this series! Matt & Everleigh made a great non-couple even though they both had issues with trust, love, and relationships. The suspense element was intriguing and their chemistry was evident! Love the team's friendships & partnerships.

I have read several books by Christi Barth and have enjoyed them all! The same is true of Definitely Not Dating. Her characters are well written showcasing both their strengths and weaknesses. I like that! I don't want characters that seem too perfect. This book focuses on Matt and Everleigh. You can look forward to some chuckles.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley for my voluntary, honest review.

Winning the Inn couldn’t have come at a better time for Everleigh as it allowed her to put some time and distance between her and her most recent romantic debacle. She is focused on ensuring that they make the business viable however having a sexy Sheriff as their first guest was the one thing she hadn’t prepared for.

Matt is determined to keep his relationships with woman casual as he has learnt the hard way what happens if you don’t. When a house emergency finds himself staying at the Inn he never expected that the biggest challenge would be denying the chemistry between him and Everleigh.

This is a heartwarming story about two people who help each other heal from the past so that they can have a future together.

This is the second book in this standalone series by Christie Barth. I had read and enjoyed the first book, but believe each is its own story with not a lot of referencing back. Matt is the sheriff of a small town in Maryland where 4 friends won an Inn which was in terrible shape. They have all worked hard to bring the Inn back, and Everleigh who thinks she is the one who will always screw things up is very worried about doing her part. The others trust her completely and make her their PR person. The story starts with Matt’s house burning down, and even though the Inn is not quite ready to open, one of the crew, Teague, offers him a room. This starts the beginnings of a romance, between Matt and Everleigh, but because they have both been burned by romance before, they try to deny their attraction. This made for a totally fun, heartwarming read. The setting, the four friends and their relationships, as well as Matt and Everleigh made for an enjoyable read. Can’t wait for the next book!

This book is the second book in the Love Lottery series. I was lucky enough to read both books before they were published. Everleigh and her friends are restoring an inn with their lottery winnings. The police chief's house burns down and there's the mystery of who done it. This book was fun and enjoyable. I thought the author did a great job with character development, conflict and fun dialogue. The book was well written, fun and kept me entertained from the first page until the last. I loved the sizzling chemistry and a little bit of mystery. A recipe for a great book. I want to thank the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Everleigh Girard has always dated the wrong men, and the last one costed her, her job and apartment. After winning a Historic Inn in the lottery with her 3 friends, she decides to stay away from dating and just concentrate on working to make the inn a success.
Except that their new guest, Police chief Matt Halliday is making sticking to her resolve difficult.
Matt Halliday has a problem, his house just went up in a fire and he needs a place to stay. Luckily his friend offers him a room at his inn. Matt and Ever have always been attracted towards each other and staying under one roof makes fighting the attraction difficult.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved Matt and Ever together and how they helped each other get over their pasts. They had a very cute and sweet romance and a very Hot one at that. There was a touch of mystery that added to the read. Can’t wait for the next in the series !

Definitely Not Dating by Christi Barth
Publisher: Tule Publishing, American Heart
Genre: Romance
Publication Date: May 4, 2021

Definitely Not Dating by Christi Barth is the second book in the Love Lottery series. I had not read the previous book, but found that the author provided enough backstory so I could read this as standalone romance novel.

This was a wonderful story of forgiveness, self-discovery, second chance, friendship, and most of all, learning to love oneself. I loved seeing Everleigh's growth throughout the book. Her growth throughout the book was evident and allowed other character to work on their issues too. I really enjoyed the depth of this story. I also thought it was neat how crime solving was also included since I am a cozy mystery junkie! The romance was well done and steamy! I loved their chemistry and I was rooting for Everleigh and Matt the whole time!

This was a great read and I couldn't put it down! I really enjoyed reading this and look forward to reading the other books in the series!

I'm so grateful to Christi Barth, Tule Publishing, American Heart, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Definitely not dating tells the story of Everleigh and Matt. They've both been burnt badly in the past and as a result, are avoiding relationships. As far as Matt is concerned, this is a permanent thing. After his wife cheated on him, he never wants to put himself into a position where he is as vulnerable and able to be hurt again. For Everleigh, it's a temporary state. She wants to prove to herself and her friends that she doesn't need to be in a relationship and that she can put time and attention into her work. Unfortunately, for them at least, they can't seem to resist one another.
I enjoyed this story, it has a bit of a friends to lovers element to it, as Everleigh and Matt are clearly as much friends are they are lovers. They haven't known each other very long, but Matt sees things in her that other people seem to miss.
Matt is very sweet, as much as he tries to avoid his feelings for Everleigh, he's really hopeless to resist. Aside from something that he gets completely wrong he does everything he can to help her see her value. Everleigh is quite a fun character, she's a real flirt, which I love, especially as it's not shown as being a bad thing (which it's not). The two of them work really well as a couple and I enjoyed reading their story.
This is the second book in the series. I usually prefer to start at the beginning, but it doesn't really matter that I haven't read the first book. I am quite tempted to go back and read it though.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.