Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Pint of Contention

I am a devoted, Susannah Nix fan but this one seemed shoved out the door a bit too quickly.

Which is a shame because I was really looking forward to her trademark wit, insight, and intellect when it came to love, a HEA, and sexy times for a middle-aged badass. While it’s still a sexy read with check-ins on characters I love (Josh/Mia, Wyatt/Andie, and Josie) and a thoroughly welcome call-to-task on some principles of capitalism, Ryan and Maggie seemed more two-dimensional than prior books. Still looking forward to the next installment about the King family, but hoping that there’s some extra time to breathe that third dimension into Nate and Sunshine.

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nikkisbooknook's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative lighthearted mysterious 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

4.0

This is a dual POV, RomCom, small-town setting, grumpy/sunshine, fake-dating

Another great story with the main characters in their 40s. They have settled into their little bubbles and really don#t want to do anything to rock their worlds - well, fate has other plans for them!

Ryan feels that by living with a ticking time bomb inside him, he's destined to be alone. ALS killed his estranged father and he won't put someone he loves through that. Maggie is great at what she does. She's a dynamo, she can make or break companies but it also leaves her leading a pretty nomadic life. And after a marriage disaster, she's not going to be beholden to pleasing a man again.

Crowder doesn't take to Maggie once they realise that she is there to make changes to King's Creamery - meaning their friends and loved ones could be out of a job. When things get heated Ryan steps in to save his new neighbour. I'm struck that finally in a book with older MC's that there is no surprise pregnancy - it did make a nice change.

Almost all of the King Clan make a cameo appearance and I love the family dynamics. The topic of Ryan possibly having the genes for ALS is placed so well throughout the story and dealt with in a sympathetic and knowledgeable way. I heartily enjoyed the book and there were a good few LOL moments.

"Mint to be," is the next story and it looks like Nate is in the crosshairs!

Content Warnings

brianaisgoingplaces's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I love reading about the King Family, and this book shows exactly why! I think this one is tied for a fave with the first book.

On one hand we have Maggie. She’s a kick butt consultant who owns her OWN business, knows what she wants, and doesn’t let people’s opinions stop her from doing what she needs to do. On the other hand, we have Ryan. He’s your boy next door (literally) who helps out his neighbors, saves lives, and works out shirtless. What more could you want?

These two make for the perfect grumpy sunshine pair even though I’m not sure this book is trying to be, but it does it so well! I’m not a huge fan of when the grumpy person is super serious or mean or just a jerk; in this book, we have a woman who’s not afraid to stand her ground. Similarly, when a sunshine is just a ditz or is hitting the toxic positivity too hard, I get taken out of it. Instead, we have a guy who cares about the people around him and tries to make the best life with the cards we’ve been dealt.

I don’t want to say too much about this story, but I appreciate that it has a good mix of story apart from the romance and great supporting characters throughout. Plus, it’s got a healthy dose of spice!

I will say there were a couple of moment where the spice hit a little too much for me, but I’ve noticed a pattern of that recently so maybe it’s the books I’m choosing!

If you haven’t read the other books, go ahead and do yourself a favor so you get to experience the fun that is Maggie and Ryan.

Special thanks to Susannah Nix for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

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