A Higher Standard

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Pub Date 16 May 2023 | Archive Date 17 May 2023

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Description

As one of Boston’s most eligible bachelors, real estate developer Gideon West has the golden touch. Both with the ladies – from Beacon Hill to Southie and all points in between – and every project he's helmed for Standard Development. Hungry for his next challenge, he's set his sights on the untapped potential in the rolling hills and tranquil farmland of the sleepy town of Mimosa, North Carolina. To confirm it's the idyllic perfection it appears to be, Gideon heads south where he's enveloped in southern hospitality. By everyone and everything with the exception of two: Monty, a runaway horse, and Everest Kennedy – an emerald-eyed spitfire who can knock everything he's working toward right off its axis.

 Everest's life in her hometown of Mimosa revolves around one thing – the equine rescue she's scrimped, saved and struggled to get off the ground since college. After years of work, Second Chance Farms can finally stand on its own four hooves. What she needs now is the ability to expand her little slice of paradise - by buying the one hundred acres next door. That Gideon has under contract. There's no way she's going to let Gideon West upend everything she's worked for. Regardless of the fact she appears to be the only one immune to the spell of the silver-tongued developer. But with each dimpled grin and blue-eyed glance, Everest can’t deny her immunity to his charm is waning. If she isn’t careful, Gideon might turn her carefully planned world upside down. Even worse is that maybe – just maybe – she wants him to.


About E.F. Dodd

Like her heroines, E.F. Dodd came from a close-knit family in a small town in North Carolina. Although she dallied briefly with city life, she retreated back to the country, where she now lives with her long-time boyfriend and an English bulldog. From a young age, she enjoyed creating stories, including the time at five years old when she’d almost convinced her grandmother that she’d gone horseback riding all alone… until she added a friendly crab to the storyline. With age came wisdom and the understanding of how far to stretch a plotline. Now she pursues writing as a creative outlet and hopes, one day, to have this be her career instead of a pastime.

As one of Boston’s most eligible bachelors, real estate developer Gideon West has the golden touch. Both with the ladies – from Beacon Hill to Southie and all points in between – and every project...


A Note From the Publisher

Author is available for interviews, blog tours, autographed tours, autographed book giveaways, contests, and book club discussions

Author is available for interviews, blog tours, autographed tours, autographed book giveaways, contests, and book club discussions


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9798986288048
PRICE $14.95 (USD)
PAGES 329

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)
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Average rating from 55 members


Featured Reviews

A great rural read. Rich developer Gideon is buying up land Everest wants as her own, to expand her horse rescue. Will be be able to get her onside and convince her to give more than just the development deals a chance? A fab read.

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I loved this book. It was well written and the characters were real. I loved Gideon, the way he adored her, he would literally do anything for her, she just had to ask. I love man like that. I liked Everest but I didn't feel any effort from her part about their relationship. She frustasred me so much, she just had to talk, really talk and he would be butter in her hands. But I still liked them together, they didn't seem to fit at first glance but they did.

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This was a fun romance between a city boy and a country girl. It was a sweet read and I enjoyed the story line and Everest and Gideon's love story. There was a bit of spice that was unexpected and felt a bit out of place in an otherwise sweet story, but overall, this was a good read!

3/5 stars, rounded up!

Thanks to Netgalley and E.F. Dodd for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

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Finished ✔️ A Higher Standard by E.F. Dodd and loved that it talked about Boston Massachusetts. 🤩🤩

4 ⭐️‘s
Publish Day: May 16th, 2023
Kindle Unlimited: No

Love that it talked about Boston 🤩🤩
Love the unique name of the town Mimosa, North Carolina
This book definitely held my attention very well.
The characters were unique in their own ways.
I enjoyed the characters very well.
Yes, I’d recommend this book

#DeesReading #DeesRecs #DeesBookRecommendations #BookNerds #BookNerdProblems #BookNerdsUnited #BookProblems #BookProblems101 #BookNerds101 #Bookworms #BookwormProblems #BookwormProblems101 #BooksOfFacebook #DeeTheBookReviewer #DeesReadOfTheDay #DeesBookOfTheDay #DeesBookReviewsOfTheDay #BookReviewer #NewToMeAuthor #EFDodd #ReadOfTheDay #BookOfTheDay #AHigherStandard #NetGalley

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Rounded up from 3.5
Everest owns and run a horse refuge. Gideon wants to buy the family land next to hers for a development and she is highly against it. Will they be able to come to an arrangement?
Enemies to lovers (which passes a bit too quickly/abruptly IMO), opposites attract romance. I liked it, cute and fast read.
Now, I have said it before and I will say it again: I am really not a fan of 3rd act breakups, but I know they are part of the recipe, so I can make do with them when they are well done. This one was not. Everest is ridiculously stubborn, to a point it doesnt even make sense.
"Of course I don't understand it, because it doesn't make any sense" is what Gideon tells her, and it's what I've felt about her the whole book. Wanting to be independent is one thing. Pushing it this far is self-sabotage. Also, she is frustratingly oblivious, which at times makes her seem dense. I did however love how clumsy she is, made me think of myself. All in all, it was a good read.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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This was a super cute read and my first read from E.F. Dodd. Gideon surprised me. I didn't expect him to be the one to fall head over heels in love with Everest so quickly. It was a bit insta-lust/love and I wish we'd had more push and pull between Everest and Gideon in the beginning. I loved their initial meet cute and wanted more of that for a little while before they decided to have some fun together. The ending was very funny and typical Gideon. I loved it.

The one thing I didn't like was the big blowup reaction Everest has in the end. For her to be a non-profit owner, you'd think she'd have more business sense than she does. Everyone knows non-profits thrive on donations, so for her to turn down a donation that would greatly benefit the business she cares deeply about made her seem not as business savvy as she wanted to portray.

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This reads like a hallmark movie in the best way. It's super cute. Coming from the horse industry, with rescue being near and dear to my heart, this was a great story. The author really nails the stubbornness of a horse girl.

A really enjoyable read. I'll definitely recommend it to others.

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Everest runs a horse rescue on a small bit of land in a small town. Strong, sassy and determined, she is immediately suspicious of the handsome real estate developer with his eyes on changing her hometown. The series of events that continue to push them into each other's orbit are funny and heartwarming. Both are so comfortable with their own paths in life until they start spending time with each other and realize, are they? Great banter and swoony moments. My first E.F. Dodd read and really enjoyed the book!!

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I love a good small town romance, especially if its enemies to lovers. This was a great romcom and I will definitely read more by this author in the future!

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A lovely story about a hot developer from Boston, Gideon, who travels to the small town of Mimosa for a big development deal. When he arrives in town, he struggles not only whether this project is the right fit for the town but also his attraction to the mayor's daughter, Everest - the one whose vote they need to get the deal through. You might have been there; your head telling you one thing but your heart and your emotions going the opposite direction. Gideon needs to choose between the deal and the girl. You know the head and the heart are going to clash, it might be a train wreck waiting to happen but all you can do is sit around and go with the flow and see what happens.
I really liked the writing, it was smart, witty and so much fun to read. And I found E.F. Dodd’s description of the fake, shallow atmosphere in the big city spot on.
Gideon’s business partners Jamie and Davidson are definitely characters for the next installments in this series. I really hope they are the main characters for books two and three, I am sooo looking forward to read stories about them!
The ending is expected but it was still a fun read and I can very much recommend this book. It’s a very easy read with two interesting characters with a lot of chemistry. I am looking forward to other books in this series!
I received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and I am grateful for this opportunity. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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This is my first E. F. Dodd book so I wasn't sure what to expect but the cover and blurb definitely caught my attention. The story was easy to read/follow.

Between the easy to follow story line and the relatable, witty characters, I was able to read this quickly! I didn't want to put it down.

Everest is a badass and knows it. She's very confident in herself, what she wants, and how far she's willing to go to get it. Gideon is after the land next to her farm, which she wanted to buy herself in order to expand her farm. So these two don't start out but open honesty from both ends, witty banter, and growth allows them to get past that.

If you love reading

- small town
- badass FMC
- farm/animal rescue
- banter

then you'll love this book!

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Such a cute and enjoyable romcom. I loved this book and I really do love the cover. The characters are very much relatable. Cute enemies to lovers easy quick read.

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I have to admit I requested for this ARC hoping to like it, but I ended up LOVING IT!

I'm not usually into cowboy girl/ city guy tropes, but this one felt super natural for me!
I liked the complexity of the characters a lot and had me on edge a couple times.

He has bought land on her town. She wants to preserve the beauty of its nature and the animals, but also expand her rescue center.

The horse protection center was my least favorite trope on this book but it was still very entertaining to see him covered in mud.

It was a funny enemies to lovers small town romcom and I enjoyed it a lot.

Thank you to Net Galley for giving me the chance to read this book in advance of the release date! It has been an incredible experience and I will most likely read from this author again!

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I truly enjoyed this "enemies to lovers" story. An unlikely match for sure.

Everest is the owner of a non profit to rehabilitate horses in a small town. Gideon is an owner of a development company from Boston. They meet when Gideon is working to purchase and develope adjoining land to Second Chance Stables. A country girl and a city boy, a local and a visitor, it is fun to watch how they interact. They definitely have some great banter going on.

I highly recommend. Perfect for a vacation!!

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This is the first book I’ve read by E. F. Dodd, and I will definitely read more! 👏🏻

Everest runs a horse rescue in a small town in North Carolina. Gideon works for a development company in Boston. His company wants to purchase the land beside the rescue, but Everest wants to purchase the land to add to the rescue.

I became so invested in the town of Mimosa and all the lovable characters right away! The writing flows so easily in this book, and I kept wanting to know more. I loved the playful arguing between Everest and Gideon. It made me giggle that Everest was so irritable! 🤣

Need a little spice?
This book has that too! 🔥🔥

I truly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read another book by this author. 🤍

Thank you to @NetGalley for the chance to read and review!

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Ok, this book was seriously so sweet! I'll admit that it was the cover that pulled me in initially, but the story itself is just as adorable.

A Higher Standard tells the story of Everest Kennedy, the owner of Second Chance Farms, and Gideon West, a successful real estate developer. When Gideon arrives in town with plans to develop the land next to Everest's farm (that she has been hoping to secure for herself for future expansion!), Kennedy instantly takes a dislike to the charming man. Of course Gideon doesn't do himself any favors on the day they meet - talk about a hilarious and unique meet-cute!

Though Gideon is instantly smitten with Everest, she continues to rebuff him and his charms. I think my favorite part about this book is how open and honest these two are about everything. Gideon lays out his entire development plans for Everest without holding anything back and Everest explains her resistance to the development is about more than just losing the land for the expansion of her farm. As someone who really despises the miscommunication trope, it was refreshing to see!

I wasn't sure I was going to like the charming businessman routine, but Gideon promptly changed my mind. What a charmer that guy is! And I absolutely loved how witty Everest was. The banter between them was great! I really appreciated how strong and secure in herself Everest was. I also really enjoyed the side characters! I didn't think I was going to be a fan of Gideon's business partners, but by the end of the book I was cackling at the friendly teasing between them all.

Read this book if you like:
- small town
- witty banter
- charming, rich MC
- tough, independent FC
- horses & animal rescues

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Thank you to Sugar Beaver Books & Netgalley for a ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was absolutely adorable! I finished it in a day because I couldn't put it down! The characters where all very likable and I felt connected to them. The storyline was simple and not over done.

Both our main characters had nice developed backstories and there was character growth for our FMC. Everest is basically a bad-ass who thinks she can do everything on her own and I loved how Gideon showed her that it's actually okay to let others in and accept help. Gideon is basically boyfriend goals... Swoon.

There is just enough banter and spice, with a few twists to keep your interest peaked.

I will definitely be adding this book to my physical library as soon as I can get my hands on it! It's an easy read for a day at home or at the beach/vacation read!

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After reading a couple of books that were mediocre at best before this one I was glad I got approved for it. I'm not usually a cowboy/western kind of person and even though this wasn't necessarily considered a 'western' I wouldn't normally have given it a chance given the fact that it's based on a ranch centering horses.

I'm not usually someone who loves to read romance books and on the off chance that I do I usually prefer to read novels centered around books (bookstores, editing, or writing) so this absolutely having me engrossed came as a major shock. The characters throughout the book had me loving the book even more. The fiery attitude of Everest had me rooting extremely hard for Gideon (even though I know it's a romance and they wind up getting together) to get in her good graces. Gideon and his flirty comments had me wishing Everest would pull her head out of her butt and just kiss him already. Everest's ranch hand had me laughing out loud at his comments but also tearing up when he was trying to get Everest to understand the importance of delegating responsibilities. The delegating responsibilities bit really hit home for me because I am that person. I can't let someone else handle something if I know that I can just as easily do it and make sure it's done well.

For the most part the book was pretty much the same as any other typical romance book. They start off hating eachother, something happens to bring them together and they wind up working well together and then they start to fall for eachother, sexy times ensue, they fall in love but don't want to admit it, something happens to make them question whether they should be together, they figure out they should and then BOOM happily ever after. Like I said, was it the same formula for almost all of the other romance books I've read? Yes. Did I absolutely love it and devour it in under a day? Indeed. I don't regret requesting this off Netgalley in the slightest.

I just want to say a huge thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to be able to read this early! If you're looking for a fun, light and fluffy romance novel definitely pick it up May 16, 2023 when it releases!

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Everest wants to expand her horse rescue, but a lack of funds to purchase the neighboring property has her waiting. Enter Gideon, an out of town developer who wants to purchase the neighboring property. After a runaway horse causes Gideon and Everest to meet, Everest plans to do everything in her power to get her way and turn off the development. However, neither expected to fall for one another.

This book was an easy read and while generally predictable, Gideon and Everest’s story is fun and light. I’d recommend this book and look forward to reading more by E.F. Dodd.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

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This was a very cute unique story!! Gideon and Everest are almost star crossed in their love for each other, thinking that there’s no way their lives could actually combine and they can be together, but of course this is a romcom and it has the happiest ending!!! I loved both these characters from the start— Everest is a hard working, takes-no-shit kinda woman who is dedicated to saving abused and neglected horses; and Gideon is such a sweet, charming city boy learning more how his work that he’s proud of can be used for so much good (and he’s dedicated to that, not just making money). I love these two together, but I rrealllllyyyy wish Everest would have had a little more trust and faith in Gideon and their relationship, but that was something she clearly needed to work through, it wasn’t going to come easy to her.
Overall, I loved their story and their happy ending, and I especially loved the cuteness of the horses ❤️
Thank you for the ARC!!!!

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I love romances like this. It was so good I so fell for Gideon, Everest and Monty. I wish their story had been 200 pages longer because I did not want it o end!! Thos was so wonderful. I will definitely be buying this in paperback to add to my forever keep because I loved it shelf.
I just reviewed A Higher Standard by E.F. Dodd. #AHigherStandard #NetGalley
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E.F. Dodd is one of my favorite new authors! She writes smart and charming romance novels with strong, relatable female characters and swoon-worthy leading men. A Higher Standard is her newest book and it was no exception!

Everest is an incredibly driven, no-nonsense woman from the small town of Mimosa, North Carolina. (Side note - who doesn’t want to live in a place called Mimosa??) She has built her own successful horse rescue from the ground up, but has trouble letting go enough to create a life for herself outside of work. She meets Gideon when she sees him struggling to gain control of his runaway horse. She rushes over to the neighboring property to help him, but he definitely doesn’t make the best first impression. Come to find out, Gideon is a developer from Boston there to tour and buy the land next to Everest’s rescue and develop it into a new community. This throws a wrench into Everest’s plans to expand her rescue onto that land, especially because the money he’s offering is just too good for her to beat.

I enjoyed reading this book so much! First of all, the writing is so smart and witty. The characters’ senses of humor and banter had me giggling throughout the whole novel! Everest was the perfect heroine for this story - intelligent, secure, an animal-lover. I loved her! And Gideon may have started off on the wrong foot (hoof? 🤣) in those first couple pages, but I grew to love him, too! And I just loved the ending! I won’t go into detail, but I thought it wrapped up in such a sweet and satisfying way!

If you love small town romance, dual POV, enemies to lovers, or laugh-out-loud funny romcoms, this book is for you!

Thank you to @e.f.dodd, @netgalley, and publisher Sugar Beaver Books for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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This is a fun romantic story. I did enjoy to read it from the start to end. I like the concept and the conflict within. It was fun and dragged me into it.

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Don't judge the book by its cover (I'm sorry, i really dont love this cover).

A cute, light-hearted fun read that is a great for a Sunday afternoon. I wish for a leeeetle more drama (I love a good make-up scene or them grand gestures), but I'd read this again for sure.

Enjoy!

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A Higher Standard starts out like your average Hallmark style book with a not exactly meet cute between Everest and Gideon but it quickly surpasses the average. This story is written with a fresh voice and I have highlighted numerous sections to come back to. It was witty, endearing, unique and I quickly fell in love with the characters. I don't know if this will be a series or just a standalone but I will read this one again and again just to go back to Mimosa and the family E.F. Dodd created. It was the perfect book to start off my Spring/Summer reads and I am grateful to E.F. Dodd, Sugar Beaver Books and Netgalley for the ARC!

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I adored this enemies to lovers romance! Gideon is a developer from Boston determined to purchase a large plot of land in Mimosa to develop into a planned community. Everest is the director of a non-profit horse rescue, Second Chance, determined to expand and make it on her own. The characters meet when Everest finds Gideon “riding” through the plot of land next to her property, which turns out to be the very plot of land she wants to expand on to.

I loved the contrast of settings - small town Mimosa and big city Boston - and how it perfectly paralleled the contrast in Everest and Gideon’s personalities. I also loved the time it took for the characters to strike up their romance and eventual love, building the relationship rather than diving headfirst.

If you’re looking for a fun read with likable characters, don’t miss out on A Higher Standard!

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*4.75

This was so cute and a slight twist on the developer comes to a small town. I loved that Gideon really took what Everest said to heart and changed his plans accordingly. They just fit so well together and I loved seeing their development. This is a very cute small town romance.

I received an arc through netgalley.

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Everest is happy running her horse rescue - she just needs the land next door to expand it. Then developer Gideon swoops in and wants the same land, and he has the money to get it. A fab enemies to lovers story.

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I simply liked the story and the characters. I enjoyed Gideon and Everest and their evolving romance and there was no extra drama. For me this was a 4,5 upped to 5. Very lovely book.

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This is one of the best books I have read so far and it made me remember the feeling that comes with an amazing reading. This was just perfect from beginning to end. I connected with the characters since the first page and I fell in love with them a little bit more with every chapter. Their development was incredible and realistic, which I loved. It was a fresh experience reading a story where the guy is the one exploring a new side and giving his all to show the woman he loves that what he needs is her and not the money or the lifestyle he used to have. We also have a strong and brave protagonist that is gonna steal the hearts of everyone who has the opportunity to read this book. She was amazing and her doubts and fears were perfectly explained. This book needs to be on the tbr list of everyone who loves a story full of romance, comedy, development and inspiration.

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