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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
ARC Review (all opinions are my own):
Mollie is a young professional working at her father's company in Nashville and engaged to a pretty horrible guy. She's unhappy in her job, in the big-city, and in her relationship. She learns that she inherited her grandfather's farm where she spent many happy summers in her childhood. Needing space and time to evaluate her next steps, she breaks off her engagement and heads back to Grandpa Bennie's farm.
Unbeknownst to Mollie, the farm isn't abandoned. Caine has been working on the farm since he was a teen, and has been managing it by himself since Grandpa Bennie passed away. The farm was a place of refuge when he was a teen in foster care - and gave him a sense of direction, purpose and hope during a difficult time. When he felt like everyone judged him and held him at arms length due to being a trouble teen - The farm offered him a home and a second chance. He has no need for "city folk", gossipy small town people, or close friends. He has all he (thinks he) needs with the farm and his nephew Eric who he now has guardianship of.
You'll have to read for yourself how Mollie and Caine navigate being in close quarters on the farm, dealing with small town drama and an ex-fiance who isn't willing to let Mollie out from under his thumb so easy.
Tropes:
Forced Proximity, Grumpy x Sunshine, Small-town romance, slow-burn, healing family relationships.
Trigger Warnings:
Domestic Violence (mostly discussed as past incidents), Emotional Abuse, Child endangerment.
Spice level: There are a few graphic spicy scenes. Which, frankly I don't think needed to be so in-your-face; It didn't seem to line up with the rest of the story or with the characters' personalities.
Thank you, Elle Rivers for writing a book featuring foster children (Eric) and former foster youth (Caine) as regular people who had traumatic experiences, but are dealing with them in a healthy way. Both Caine and Eric's characters are multi-dimensional, realistic, and bring so many positive things to their community of friends and found-family. As a foster parent to 18+ kids (mostly teens), I love seeing them shown in books, movies, etc. as just regular kids/regular people: because that's what they are.
Thank you, Elle and Literary Rising for ARC!
Mollie is a young professional working at her father's company in Nashville and engaged to a pretty horrible guy. She's unhappy in her job, in the big-city, and in her relationship. She learns that she inherited her grandfather's farm where she spent many happy summers in her childhood. Needing space and time to evaluate her next steps, she breaks off her engagement and heads back to Grandpa Bennie's farm.
Unbeknownst to Mollie, the farm isn't abandoned. Caine has been working on the farm since he was a teen, and has been managing it by himself since Grandpa Bennie passed away. The farm was a place of refuge when he was a teen in foster care - and gave him a sense of direction, purpose and hope during a difficult time. When he felt like everyone judged him and held him at arms length due to being a trouble teen - The farm offered him a home and a second chance. He has no need for "city folk", gossipy small town people, or close friends. He has all he (thinks he) needs with the farm and his nephew Eric who he now has guardianship of.
You'll have to read for yourself how Mollie and Caine navigate being in close quarters on the farm, dealing with small town drama and an ex-fiance who isn't willing to let Mollie out from under his thumb so easy.
Tropes:
Forced Proximity, Grumpy x Sunshine, Small-town romance, slow-burn, healing family relationships.
Trigger Warnings:
Domestic Violence (mostly discussed as past incidents), Emotional Abuse, Child endangerment.
Spice level: There are a few graphic spicy scenes. Which, frankly I don't think needed to be so in-your-face; It didn't seem to line up with the rest of the story or with the characters' personalities.
Thank you, Elle Rivers for writing a book featuring foster children (Eric) and former foster youth (Caine) as regular people who had traumatic experiences, but are dealing with them in a healthy way. Both Caine and Eric's characters are multi-dimensional, realistic, and bring so many positive things to their community of friends and found-family. As a foster parent to 18+ kids (mostly teens), I love seeing them shown in books, movies, etc. as just regular kids/regular people: because that's what they are.
Thank you, Elle and Literary Rising for ARC!
emotional
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I adored this wonderful small-town romance. Cain and Mollie make such a great couple. Eric is a precious addition to the storyline. I absolutely despised Trevor. He is a horrible excuse for a human. I loved the underlying message of not taking people at face value and giving them a chance to show you who they really are. Please do yourself a favor and pick this one up!!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
ARC Review - Releasing June 27, 2025
Rating: 4⭐️
Rating: 4⭐️
Spice: 3🌶️
I went into this book expecting a light, sweet small-town romance—but what I got had a surprising amount of emotional depth and (let’s be honest) a fair bit of frustration with certain characters… in the best way.
The story centers around Mollie, who leaves behind her unfulfilling city life and returns to Strawberry Springs, where her late grandfather once ran a strawberry farm. There, she meets Cain, the grumpy yet fiercely loyal farm manager. Sparks don’t exactly fly at first—unless you count the kind that come from butting heads—but over time, that tension melts into something sincere. The romance develops at just the right pace: never rushed, never dragging, and always grounded in real emotion.
While the overall tone is warm and optimistic, the story doesn’t shy away from the less charming realities of small-town living. The gossip, the judgmental whispers—they made me genuinely angry at times, which only speaks to how invested I was.
Told in dual POV and (bless the author) without the dreaded third-act breakup, the narrative flows easily. One quote that really stuck with me was: “Anything worth doing is hard.” It’s simple, sure, but in the context of Mollie and Cain’s journeys, it really lands.
The book’s greatest strength lies in the emotional connection between the main characters. If it has a weakness, it’s that some conflicts are resolved a bit too easily—but in a town that thrives on a little magic, I’m willing to let that slide.
This story checked all my boxes: slow-burn romance, emotional growth, small-town charm, and just the right touch of spice. I’d happily recommend it to anyone craving a feel-good read with a bit of grit and a lot of heart.
Pick this book up if you like:
🍓 small-town romance
🍓 found family
🍓 grumpy x sunshine
🍓 single dad
A huge thank you to Elle and Literary Rising for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship
Minor: Death of parent
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
✨ARC Review✨
As It Was, Elle Rivers
🍓Small town romance
🍓Grumpy x Sunshine
🍓Found Family
🍓Slow Burn
🍓Single Dad
🫐Official release - 06/27/2025
This book gives Hallmark-ISH small town vibes, BUT with the spicy spice! (not too much though, of course!)
Mollie’s life is not all that great at the moment, she is living in Nashville working a job she really doesn’t like, but she works for her father so she feels she has to keep working there. Her fiancé is TRASH y’all!!!! I mean T R A S H! Mollie is such a people pleaser, that I really was talking to her in my head that she needs to STOP.
Anyways, she often thinks about her summers when she was growing up and how she would visit her grandfather on his farm in Strawberry Springs, and how much she loved it! She hadn’t been back since before he passed away, so what are the odds that she discovers that she OWNS the farm when she is feeling so lost and decides to pack up and take a look at this farm that she just knows has to be abandoned.
Cain is a grump, plain and simple. He is raising his nephew in Strawberry Springs, a place where all the townspeople do is gossip, they even have a Facebook group! They have an opinion on him from when he was younger, so he keeps his distance from them all and only speaks when he must, because he knows they will be talking about him. When he and Mollie meet it’s HILARIOUS to say the least.
The Facebook posts are hilarious! This book has a lot of great banter, some good spicy scenes, Mollie and Cain definitely have a lot of character growth in the book. If you’re looking for those small town vibes with a grumpy single dad, and a woman who finds herself in an interesting situation, be sure to check this book out! I absolutely LOVED it!!!!
This is my first time reading a book by #ElleRivers and I am def a FAN!
Thank you #ElleRivers and #literaryrising for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.
As It Was, Elle Rivers
🍓Small town romance
🍓Grumpy x Sunshine
🍓Found Family
🍓Slow Burn
🍓Single Dad
🫐Official release - 06/27/2025
This book gives Hallmark-ISH small town vibes, BUT with the spicy spice! (not too much though, of course!)
Mollie’s life is not all that great at the moment, she is living in Nashville working a job she really doesn’t like, but she works for her father so she feels she has to keep working there. Her fiancé is TRASH y’all!!!! I mean T R A S H! Mollie is such a people pleaser, that I really was talking to her in my head that she needs to STOP.
Anyways, she often thinks about her summers when she was growing up and how she would visit her grandfather on his farm in Strawberry Springs, and how much she loved it! She hadn’t been back since before he passed away, so what are the odds that she discovers that she OWNS the farm when she is feeling so lost and decides to pack up and take a look at this farm that she just knows has to be abandoned.
Cain is a grump, plain and simple. He is raising his nephew in Strawberry Springs, a place where all the townspeople do is gossip, they even have a Facebook group! They have an opinion on him from when he was younger, so he keeps his distance from them all and only speaks when he must, because he knows they will be talking about him. When he and Mollie meet it’s HILARIOUS to say the least.
The Facebook posts are hilarious! This book has a lot of great banter, some good spicy scenes, Mollie and Cain definitely have a lot of character growth in the book. If you’re looking for those small town vibes with a grumpy single dad, and a woman who finds herself in an interesting situation, be sure to check this book out! I absolutely LOVED it!!!!
This is my first time reading a book by #ElleRivers and I am def a FAN!
Thank you #ElleRivers and #literaryrising for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
ARC REVIEW
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ (2 of 3, multiple, detailed sex scenes but mostly focused on conversation and not overly graphic or vulgar.)
While this is definitely a grumpy x sunshine book but Mollie (FMC)as a “sunshine” isn’t annoyingly perky, just honest to goodness sweet, and there’s a depth to her character that I found refreshing. She’s easy to love, relatable, and I was immediately rooting for her. She’s probably the first “sunshine” in a romance that I didn’t immediately find cringy.
The conversational style is realistic and has fun banter, plus I loved the Facebook Group messages/comments at the beginning of each chapter and how they provide information for the town’s side characters and context. About halfway through some began to feel unrelated and I found myself wanting to skip them.
I would definitely say that the first 30% was incredibly exciting and interested then I hit a lull. Their romance was honestly probably my least favorite part of the storyline since the farm, the custody battle, the meddling town, and the toxic ex took the forefront of my attention.
Once they got together and I saw how healing he was for her, I was happy about it, but then I just wanted more of the sub-plots and less of the romance.
With that in mind… As a romance, I would give it a 3.5, but as a small town and healing journey story, it’s a solid 4.
Plus, I have to give bonus points for the realistic conversations and actions (they actually wash up after sex and before cuddling, as one should!!)
So thank you, Elle and Literary Rising for the ARC!
As always, all opinions are honest and my own.
Tropes include:
Small town
Grumpy x Sunshine
Meddling Small Town
Forced Proximity
Single Dad
Great Banter
Toxic Ex
Family Healing
Locations:
Nashville, Small Town Tennessee
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I highly enjoyed this book. I got this as an arc copy and I wasn't in the mood for a romance book at the time but decided to start the first chapter and well I couldn't put it down. I finished it in one go. I loved the characters so much. Seeing how devoted Cain was to parenting Eric and then Mollie comes in and shakes things up. Seeing Mollie make such a big change in her life for her own happiness. I ate it all up. The characters are lovable and I was so invested in Strawberry Springs. I loved that I couldn't guess what would happen, it truly did keep me entertained and interested, and the towns people were realistic and frustrated me at points but that's how you know it's good when you get frustrated for the characters. Also, you even get some crossover characters at one point in the story. I enjoy those details so much. I can't wait to know what lies in store for Wren and also Jade.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Gaslighting
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Alcohol