Book Review: "Feeding the Grump" by Jax Calder

“I’m fairly sure that when I’m on my deathbed, I’ll still be cursing Benji Gange’s name.”

This rom-com was all kinds of adorable, fun, and steamy. I’m a huge fan of Jax Calder; she’s become an auto-buy author for me, so I was already sold on this—and then she threw in a little mischievous lamb.

David is a farmer in New Zealand. He’s very by-the-books, a stickler for traditional farming practices. Which is why Benji, who inherited the neighboring farm is such a nuisance to him. Benji isn’t interested in blithely following the way things always are done; he does research and tries new methods.

If there’s one place where David colors outside the lines, it’s his garden. He’s constantly experimenting with new varieties of fruits and vegetables, and given that he always has an overabundance of his crops, he usually shares them with Benji. It’s amazing how Benji can get under his skin so easily but David still wants to share his crops with him. And Benji usually uses the food to cook for David.

One day, the smallest of David’s lambs gets loose. He starts frantically searching for it, and Benji pitches in to help. When Benji gets tangled up in a bush, David has to help free him. And at that moment, he realizes that his feelings for Benji are far stronger than simply neighborly ones. Is it possible that Benji feels the same way? (Spoiler alert: he does.)

I couldn’t stop smiling when I was reading this. The chemistry between the characters was terrific, there was some hot steam, and their banter was so sweet. I know I can’t go wrong with a Jax Calder romance!

Book Review: "What If I Never Get Over You" by Paige Toon

Thanks so much to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy of Paige Toon’s newest! I’ve become an enormous fan of hers the last year or two.

Ellie has been interrailing through Europe, something she had been looking forward to for years. But traveling by herself was starting to get her down, so she made the decision to cut her trip short. So of course, just before she was ready to leave Lisbon, she meets Ash.

Ash is from Wales, has a fantastic accent and a carefree spirit that appeals to Ellie, who’s always done the right things. (It doesn’t hurt that he’s sexy as hell, too.) They so enjoy each other’s company and feel such an intense connection that they spend Ellie’s last few days in Europe together. And while she is expected to fly home with her parents, Ellie and Ash decide to meet in Spain one week later.

When Ellie’s arrival in Madrid is delayed a bit, she worries Ash might think she changed her mind. When she finally arrives at their designated meeting place, he’s nowhere to be found. She can’t figure out why he didn’t show—maybe the intense feelings she had weren’t reciprocated? Crushed, she decides to move on with her life.

Six years later, Ellie gets a job as a gardener at a 500-year-old estate in Wales. Working with gardens had always been her dream, and doing so on such a vast property is amazing. When Ash re-enters her life, she is completely thrown, and she realizes how little she actually knew about him. But their feelings for one another are just as intense.

This book really captured my heart. I loved the beginning section, where Ellie and Ash meet, and while the story slows a bit in the middle, I really rooted for them to find happiness. Toon definitely knows how to create an emotional story!

The book will publish 4/15.