Jess

This was an absolute delight. If you are looking for a cute smalltown romance with a adorable animals, canoe riding, and a grumpy chef, this is the one for you. Friendship, romance, parenting, and small town gossip.

Tropes: summer vibes, smalltown, opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, single parent (guardian), chef x teacher, fake dating, friends with benefits, self discovery, slow burn.

4.5 stars

- Surprise Pregnancy
- Journey to Motherhood
- Found Family
- Slow Burn
- Friends to Lovers
- Best Friend's Brother
- Funny Banter
- New York Setting
- Sweet Moments

• Magical Realism
  - Los Angeles Setting
  - Lovers to Friends
  - Second Chances
  - Magical Notes
  - Chronic Illness

• Persephone's POV
  - Continuous Series
  - Dark Fantasy Romance
  - Mythology Retelling
  - God of the Dead
  - Goddess of Spring
  - Ex-Lovers
  - Lies & Secrets
  - A lot of miscommunications
  - Affirmations
  - Jealousy
  - Bargains
  - Friendships
  - Returning side characters

• Hades' POV
  - Continuous Series
  - Dark Fantasy Romance
  - Mythology Retelling
  - God of the Dead
  - Goddess of Spring
  - Ex-Lovers
  - Lies & Secrets
  - Affirmations
  - Jealousy
  - Bargains
  - Returning side characters

• Hades' POV
  - Dark Fantasy Romance
  - Mythology Retelling
  - God of the Dead
  - Goddess of Spring
  - Modern/Urban Fantasy
  - Magic
  - Overprotective Mother
  - Contracts/Bargains
  - Enemies to Lovers
  - Fated Mates
  - Found Family

• Childhood friends to lovers
  - Single Mom
  - Forced Proximity
  - Roommates
  - Slow Burn
  - SmallTown
  - Cinnamon Roll Hero
  - Large Family Dynamic
  

3.5 stars

- Dark/Crime
- Workplace
- HR x Special Agent
- Opposites Attract
- Forced Proximity
- Morally Grey MMC
- Touch Her & Die
- Found Family
- Dual POV
- Spicy & Suspenseful
- Secret Organization of Assassins

TW: Violence, Murder, Kidnapping, Torture

3.5 stars.

- Historical Romance
- Unrequited Love
- Best Friend's Brother
- Friends to Lovers
- Sweet Hero
- Plus sized Heroine
- Hidden/Secret Identities

• Fake Relationship
  - Marriage of Convenience
  - Opposites Attract
  - Grumpy x Sunshine
  - Pink-Haired Heroine
  - Witty Banter
  - Private Island
  - Family Wedding
  - Daddy Issues
  - Family Drama
  - Slow Burn
  - One Bed

4.5 stars.

- Short Blonde Cheerleader
- Rich Hockey Player
- Frenemies to Lovers
- Neighbors
- Fake Dating
- Ballroom Dancing
- Friends with Benefits
- Asshole Exes
- Possessive MMC
- Dom/Sub
- Dual POV
- Steamy

• College Romance
  - Sports: Hockey
  - Both Hockey Players
  - Briar U Cameos (Daddy Garrett ::swoon::)
  - Grumpy x Sunshine
  - Secret Relationship
  - Witty Banter
  - Found Family
  - No 3rd Act Breakup
  - Steamy
  - Dual POV

• Dark
  - Dual POV
  - Neighbors
  - Childhood friends to lovers
  - Emotional
  - Captivity (22 years)
  - Slow Burn
  
  TW: Kidnapping/Child Abduction, Molestation

• Billionaire Romance
  - Marriage of Convenience
  - Trust Fund
  - Forced Proximity
  - Cream Puffs & Chocolate Covered Raisins
  - Ex Boyfriend Drama
  - Reformed Playboy
  - Spicy
  - End of Series

• Billionaire Romance
  - Boss x Assistant
  - British Asshole Alpha
  - Office Romance
  - Secret Identities
  - Family Drama
  - Daddy Issues
  - Spicy

I absolutely adored this story from beginning to end! My favorite Carley Fortune by far.

- Dual Timeline
- Best Friend's Brother
- Right Person / Wrong Time
- Forbidden Romance
- Forced Proximity
- Friends to Lovers
- Summer Flings
- Prince Edward Island
- Oysters
- Friendships

• SmallTown
  - Childhood Friends to Enemies to Lovers
  - Grumpy x Sunshine
  - Second Chances
  - Dual Timeline
  - Sexual Tension
  - Dirty Talker
  - Slow Burn
  - Secrets
  - Mutual Pining
  - Grief
  - Suspense Romance
  - Abusive parent (past)

• SmallTown
  - Chief of Police
  - Brother's Friend
  - Forced Proximity
  - One Bed
  - Slow Burn
  - Broken Hero
  - Secrets & Lies
  - Friendships
  - Adorable Dog
  - Mental Health
  - He Falls First
  - Suspense Romance

- family secrets
- neighbors
- age gap (5yrs)
- arranged marriage
- touch her and die
- money and power
- heartbreak
- star crossed
- tragic hero
- angsty
- dark romance
- romance suspense
- physical/verbal abuse
- violence

• complicated past
  - family secrets
  - neighbors
  - age gap (5yrs)
  - arranged marriage
  - touch her and die
  - money and power
  - heartbreak
  - slow burn
  - star crossed
  - tragic hero
  - angsty
  - dark romance
  - romance suspense
  - physical/verbal abuse
  - violence
  - cliffhanger

3.5 stars.

- Sports: Hockey
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- Workplace Romance
- Boss x Assistant
- Mutual Pining
- High School Crush
- Forced Proximity
- Slow Burn
- Mental Health Rep.
- No 3rd Act Breakup
- Spicy

• SmallTown
  - Single Dad
  - Billionaire
  - Brother's Best Friend
  - Frenemies to Lovers
  - Forced Proximity
  - Secret Pining
  - Boss x Employee
  - Witty Banter
  - He Falls First
  - Cinnamon Roll Hero
  - Spicy

• Taylor Swift Inspiration
  - Musician FMC
  - On Tour
  - Second Chances
  - College Exes
  - First Loves
  - Forced Proximity
  - Workplace Romance
  - Slow Burn

• Author x Screenwriter
  - Enemies to Lovers
  - Workplace Romance
  - Complicated Past
  - Writing TV screenplay together
  - Forced Proximity
  - He Falls First
  - Emotional
  - Grief
  - Social Anxiety

• Roommates
  - Forced Proximity
  - Fake Dating
  - Both Exes left for each other
  - Librarian FMC
  - Opposites Attract
  - Found family
  - Book references
  - Swoony romance
  - Slow Burn
  - Friends to Lovers