My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I’m going to walk into the woods and let the raccoons claim me.

The hardware store was first. I needed screws and brackets for the fence, but Tilly treated the place like a gallery. She inspected paint swatches with great seriousness— declaring yellow “too shouty” and blue “sad but polite”— and asked the clerk if dogs were allowed inside because Lois liked meeting new people. The clerk laughed and said yes while pointing to a canister of dog treats he kept on the checkout counter…I grabbed dog food and listened to a detailed explanation about why Lois preferred the blue bag over the red one, even though, as Tilly pointed out, “she cannot read, but she can feel vibes.”

Tilly stared at the cartons like I’d just revealed a magic trick. “You make it?” “From scratch,” I confirmed. Her mouth fell open. She looked up at Nate, awed. “She’s fancy.”

“I like you,” she said decisively. “You smell happy, like flowers and coffee.

I’d sworn her to secrecy with the kind of dramatic gravitas normally reserved for mafia confessions. “You breathe a word of this to anyone, and I’ll start putting decaf in your morning espresso,” I’d warned. Her gasp had been appropriately horrified. “You wouldn’t dare.”

A customer in a puffer vest murmured, “She’s better than Netflix,” to her friend as she took her drink and backed away, eyes still on the drama like she didn’t want to miss the season finale.

“Men. So dramatic the lot of you,” She shot Graham a sharp look, then let her gaze flick down just enough. “Funny how those big egos usually cover… other deficiencies.”

I want to egg his car. Or slash his tires. Or write fake reviews about how his risotto tastes like vinegar and smells like feet.

My Review:

 

This slow-burning romance was a delightfully fun, easy-to-follow, snort-worthy, and deliciously entertaining read. I fell right into the story without reading the previous installments and didn’t struggle a bit, despite the occasional horror of the interference of annoying angst. However, I now want to backtrack and read them all, since I enjoyed this one so much.

The main characters were known in their community as the Coffee Elf and Hot Diner Dad. I adored this endearing couple, enjoyed their storylines, and reveled in the clever snark and sharp wit generously sprinkled throughout. It was rather painful to reduce the three pages of well-honed insights, riotously amusing observations, and glitter-filled highlights that I had collected on my precious Kindle and decide which of the bright and shiny jewels to include with my review. Nora Everly has mad skills!