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yesididbringabook's review
4.0
Okay so I liked this book, especially when it started to get a lil spicy about half way through.
However, the audio book? Horrible. IMO the voice for the hero is v not sexy and there were multiple slip ups with doing the wrong voices for dialogue. So definitely just read it and don’t listen.
However, the audio book? Horrible. IMO the voice for the hero is v not sexy and there were multiple slip ups with doing the wrong voices for dialogue. So definitely just read it and don’t listen.
lanidacey's review
4.0
Wavering between a 3.5 and a 4, so I'll round up and see how I feel as the book settles.
I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed this one! This is the second Tracey Livesay title I've read, and both times I couldn't put the book down. Some of the first romances I ever read were small-town contemporaries, so this gave me nostalgic feels to my early romance-reading days. As a bonus, though, this time I got to read about characters who looked and grew up like me.
Caila and Wyatt had great chemistry. It was a bit insta-lovey, but the attraction we so well described that I was willing to go along with it.
The plot is a tad cliche: Caila is the big city executive sent to a small town to shut down the factory that appears to support half the town while Wyatt is the handsome and charming small-town boy who makes it his mission to convince her otherwise. They connect and both are conflicted about how to move forward with their original intentions.
What saved the plot from feeling tired were the additional side plots and drama affecting the characters: Wyatt and his conflict with his grandfather's overbearing expectations and Caila and her grief surrounding the death of her grandfather. I also really liked the relationships they formed with the side characters. The town is populated with a mix of townies and transplants who all have their own reasons for staying and supporting the community.
I have to admit that I wasn't that in love with the chapters centering on the girls' trip ... which makes me a downer, as that's the whole lynchpin for the series. I just found it too confusing to be thrown into this group of women I just met who all talked the same and had similar stories (high-achieving professionals who all went to UVA).
A really enjoyable, warm read that I'd recommend to people who love the small-town and enemies-to-lovers tropes.
I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed this one! This is the second Tracey Livesay title I've read, and both times I couldn't put the book down. Some of the first romances I ever read were small-town contemporaries, so this gave me nostalgic feels to my early romance-reading days. As a bonus, though, this time I got to read about characters who looked and grew up like me.
Caila and Wyatt had great chemistry. It was a bit insta-lovey, but the attraction we so well described that I was willing to go along with it.
The plot is a tad cliche: Caila is the big city executive sent to a small town to shut down the factory that appears to support half the town while Wyatt is the handsome and charming small-town boy who makes it his mission to convince her otherwise. They connect and both are conflicted about how to move forward with their original intentions.
What saved the plot from feeling tired were the additional side plots and drama affecting the characters: Wyatt and his conflict with his grandfather's overbearing expectations and Caila and her grief surrounding the death of her grandfather. I also really liked the relationships they formed with the side characters. The town is populated with a mix of townies and transplants who all have their own reasons for staying and supporting the community.
I have to admit that I wasn't that in love with the chapters centering on the girls' trip ... which makes me a downer, as that's the whole lynchpin for the series. I just found it too confusing to be thrown into this group of women I just met who all talked the same and had similar stories (high-achieving professionals who all went to UVA).
A really enjoyable, warm read that I'd recommend to people who love the small-town and enemies-to-lovers tropes.
emmaparker's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
mindfullibrarian's review
4.0
Loved this series starter and can’t wait to dig into book 2!
My only minor issues are that the major plot point almost seemed like a parody of a small town romance (oh no! the factory is closing and only the super hot rich young white mayor who everyone loves can save it!!!) , and also that Wyatt’s family’s racism didn’t seem to really get addressed.
My only minor issues are that the major plot point almost seemed like a parody of a small town romance (oh no! the factory is closing and only the super hot rich young white mayor who everyone loves can save it!!!) , and also that Wyatt’s family’s racism didn’t seem to really get addressed.
bwadae's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
pn_hinton's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this one and, honestly, it makes me want to re-visit the second one (since I read that first in eARC form). I think I identified with Caila a lot; on feeling like my dreams got deferred, workplace concerns, feeling like an outsider everyplace but outside my group of friends...it's very deep in that regard.
The small town here is actually one where I would want to live in since it wasn't presented as close-minded and bigoted that others are. Yes there were a few bad apples, like Wyatt's grandfather and mother, but I feel had Caila been there for any other reason then why she was, they would have welcomed her with opened arm.
The steam factor here is fairly high (kudos for positive representation of self-pleasure as well as how to introduce that to your partner) but there is also a good build up of Wyatt and Caila's relationship, starting with them being vulnerable with each other and revealing things that others in their lives may not know.
This was a winner all around for me and I would highly recommend.
The small town here is actually one where I would want to live in since it wasn't presented as close-minded and bigoted that others are. Yes there were a few bad apples, like Wyatt's grandfather and mother, but I feel had Caila been there for any other reason then why she was, they would have welcomed her with opened arm.
The steam factor here is fairly high (kudos for positive representation of self-pleasure as well as how to introduce that to your partner) but there is also a good build up of Wyatt and Caila's relationship, starting with them being vulnerable with each other and revealing things that others in their lives may not know.
This was a winner all around for me and I would highly recommend.
cassire's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 STARS
I listened to Sweet Talkin’ Lover. There is only one narrator. I liked her. This book was very enjoyable. The only thing I have that wasn’t perfect was I wish the friendship part was woven in a little more. It was heavy at the beginning and the end. I just wanted a little more evenly spread out. Other than that, I oh so enjoyed this book. This book screams fall. I’m really ready for it to be fall. I liked that my favorite season was so woven in. Characters were fabulous. I liked how the town was basically another character. I can’t wait to read the next book.
I listened to Sweet Talkin’ Lover. There is only one narrator. I liked her. This book was very enjoyable. The only thing I have that wasn’t perfect was I wish the friendship part was woven in a little more. It was heavy at the beginning and the end. I just wanted a little more evenly spread out. Other than that, I oh so enjoyed this book. This book screams fall. I’m really ready for it to be fall. I liked that my favorite season was so woven in. Characters were fabulous. I liked how the town was basically another character. I can’t wait to read the next book.
readingwithhippos's review
4.0
A small town romance with a diverse cast of characters, where’s my confetti cannon? Caila has worked her tail off to move up the ranks at a cosmetics company, and her latest assignment should be quick and easy—visit a newly acquired factory that isn’t meeting productivity standards and write up a report that justifies ending their contract. But Caila wasn’t counting on Wyatt, the town mayor, gluing himself to her side, escorting her to events around town, and trying to convince her that the factory so many of the townspeople depend on for jobs should stay open. She definitely didn’t count on falling for so-called Mayor McHottie. For me, what makes a really good contemporary romance is genuine conflict that doesn’t boil down to poor communication, and the obstacles in front of Caila and Wyatt are so real I wasn’t sure how Livesay was going to get the two of them together. I loved the audio version, narrated by Nicky Walker.
katekate_reads_'s review
5.0
I really loved this - the first book following 4 friends who met in college and have kept in touch ever since including going on a girls’ trip every year.
Caila is focused on her career and determined to get a promotion. When she’s told she has to travel to a small town in VA to help provide evidence on why a factory there should be closed, she knows her promotion hangs on how she handles the job. She isn’t prepared to meet “Mayor McHottie” when she gets there. Wyatt has a lot to live up to in the town with pressure from his family - and also wants to make sure the factory stays open since it’s a major source of income for the families in town.
Big city corporate type comes crashing into a small town world is certainly a trope we’ve all seen done before but this was handled so well. The friendships, the chemistry, the steamy scenes, the conflict resolution - loved it all and I can’t wait to read the next in this series!!
Caila is focused on her career and determined to get a promotion. When she’s told she has to travel to a small town in VA to help provide evidence on why a factory there should be closed, she knows her promotion hangs on how she handles the job. She isn’t prepared to meet “Mayor McHottie” when she gets there. Wyatt has a lot to live up to in the town with pressure from his family - and also wants to make sure the factory stays open since it’s a major source of income for the families in town.
Big city corporate type comes crashing into a small town world is certainly a trope we’ve all seen done before but this was handled so well. The friendships, the chemistry, the steamy scenes, the conflict resolution - loved it all and I can’t wait to read the next in this series!!
sailormar's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Death of parent