Kiln Me Softly

by B.B. Woods

*FROM THE #2 BESTSELLING ROMANCE AUTHOR*

Love is a delicate craft.

When Juniper arrives at the prestigious Royal Academy of Ceramics, she’s shocked to find Aiden in her class. She and Aiden have hated each other since high school. Now, he’s the most talented potter in their cohort, annoyingly arrogant – and hotter than ever.

Juniper gave up trying to mould Aiden into a decent guy a long time ago. But as a casual fling, he’s already perfectly formed. When they are forced to team up on a project together, the kiln isn’t the only thing that heats up fast.

But as Juniper starts to see past Aiden’s sculpted jawline to his softer side, secrets from their past emerge which threaten to reshape everything Juniper thought she wanted. Time is running out and Juniper must can she carve out space for Aiden in her future? And if not, will they both walk away in one piece?

18+ content



• Enemies to lovers

• Forced proximity

• Campus romance

• HEA

Genres: Romance

384 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 22, 2025

Reviews

[GraceyBookster · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
🎧 Audiobook 🎧
‼️CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS‼️

This was a really lovely story. I’m a big fan of this author who also wrote Kindling (under another pen name) - Kindling being one of my favourite romance books to date, so I was super eager to get stuck into this one! It did not disappoint!

I love the writing style of this author and how relatable her characters are. Not only does she include characters with LGBTQ+ rep, but also mental health/disability rep. As someone who suffers with hidden disabilities, anxiety and undiagnosed ADHD myself, I really took comfort in reading about others who experience the same struggles that I do. It really helped me feel less alone and validated so much of what I go through on a day-to-day basis.

As for the love interests: Aiden and Juniper were a great pairing though I did find Juniper to be really mean towards Aiden at times, sometimes going a bit too far IMO. I understood that she had her reasons/past animosity towards him and that this was a personal learning/healing journey for her to overcome, but she was so cruel to him at times, it did make me wonder how he could bypass the hurtful things she would say to him - especially as he would always be so respectful and kind towards her. I actually felt really sorry for him. BUT BUT BUT! Aiden’s finger/hand flex did not go unnoticed with me! Ummm what?! 😮 Was that a subtle nod to Mr Darcy?! *faints* - it was at this point that things fell into place much more with me and I couldn’t help but compare them both to Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice! Omg, with their different financial upbringings and how Juniper was so judgemental of Aiden, assuming the worst of him and being prejudice against his privilege, when in fact there was so much more to his side of things. It was all a big misunderstanding and he also suffered a lot more than she realised. BAM! Wether this was intentional or a complete fluke, I was here for it!! 🙌

Another thing that I HAVE to mention which just gets me hook, line and sinker is the big emphasis on consent when it comes to intimacy. Aiden, would always check in with Juniper and ask if she was ok before taking anything further. This is something that is SO important and often goes amiss, so that always gives me extra swoon points. Just like Fraser from Kindling, Aiden is a good guy who you can feel 100% SAFE with.

I seriously loved the growth of these characters and the found family element within it. It also reminded me just how much I love Art - taking me back to a part of myself I’ve neglected over the years. It’s actually ignited a little spark within me to get back into my art again and I’m now itching to take myself to some museums hopefully sometime soon 😭💜

So for me, this book has a lot to offer.
💜 Enemies to Lovers vibe
💜 Plus size FMC
💜 Anxiety/ADHD rep
💜 LGBTQ+ rep
💜 Personal growth
💜 Found Family/ great side characters
💜 Meaningful intimacy
💜 Spicy pottery wheel/ghost moment in the dark 🔥 🥴
💜 Cute emotional support hamster 🐹 (had to mention Cerberus lol)

Definitely one of my top authors and I look forward to reading more.

[Josie Jaffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just the most wonderful, escapist, pottery-based romance. I adored the FMC. I’ve never read such a relatable, spiky, “difficult” woman in a romance novel. Her outlook resonated so hard with me and she was beautifully written. More please!

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 🌟 FMC was pretty unlikeable.

[EM Harding · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Woods (and her many other names). She has never lead me wrong and this was no exception.

Aiden and Juniper had a ton of chemistry, and I have a whole lot of love for them both. It was lovely to see a larger woman with adhd repped in the genre, as well as a man working on his own mental health.

If you've read other works by this writer under other pen names, this contains more spicy scenes than what I've previously seen in her work (just a flag for those who aren't a fan). That said they were all pretty dam hot and well done... and the one that was on the same page as a reference to Aiden's bad habits had me cackling. Quite the juxtaposition, quite the choice 😂 but something so real and lovely and endearing about it all the same.

While I get the impression some of the pottery set-dressing was a fair bit invented, I did love the connections made between pottery, love and just being human. I was reminded of how my mother once told me an art lecturer had her throw something for firing one session, only to make them all break their work the next. How it teaches you to let go. And it was lovely to see that concept echoed here.

Overall a fantastic read! If you want good fun, lots of snark and that something that makes your heart all fluffy, give it a go 😊

[Eleanor Turnbull · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75🌟 - Thank you to NetGalley and B.B Woods for this ARC. I will be giving my honest review. Firstly, after reading and enjoying Kindling, I was very intrigued and interested in reading this new release. The author did a really good job at exploring themes of mental health and neurodiversity and both were portrayed very well within the book. I often felt really sorry for both Aiden and Juniper especially with their parental issues. I do think that Juniper's hatred (enemies to lovers) towards Aiden was a bit unwarranted, like I know she was mad he had money and stuff, but he wasn't the one throwing money about, if they had a conversation about it then the miscommunication wouldn't have happened.

That being said, Aiden and Juniper's relationship was really sweet throughout and that pottery wheel scene, swoon (the scene in Ghost is so romantic and it is a cute nod to that film). I loved the friendships between Aiden and Luc and Juniper and Tilly and I'm really glad that they had the support from each other. l LOVED the representation within this book, it's nice to see non binary and LGBTQ+ characters (this was one part of Kindling that I loved). Overall, I was thoroughly entertained and will be continuing to read more books from this author.

[Jess Silva]

“girl don’t pmo” was a common theme for me during this read…

[Emma Iliasoff · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5🌟

[Maggie Eckersley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books hit you right in the gut, awaken your heart and flood you with overwhelming emotions. This is what this utterly gorgeous dual POV NA spicy romance, Kiln Me Softly by B. B. Woods did to me.

It was a masterpiece in romantic storytelling. The raw, complex emotions and characters of two young adults were so relatable. Juniper and Aiden's struggles in discovering who they were, what they wanted and finding their feet in the adulthood brought home the memories of my first degree. Alone in a foreign country, struggling to make ends meet, so guarded and convinced I wasn't worth being loved but with big dreams I refused to give up.

I cheered for them both, I smiled, I laughed and I shed some tears at the end. It's a beautiful story of forgiving not just another person but yourself, permission to letting yourself have flaws and accepting that we forge our own paths in this world.

Juniper was an amazing FMC, so easy to root for and hope she'd succeed. I adored her so much and wished I could give her a big hug.

Aiden, oh my sweet Aiden... He's going up on the list of my all time favourite MMCs. He was just such a gorgeous soul who helped Juniper grow into the amazing woman she was. I think everyone deserves an Aiden in their life. I actually married a guy just like him so I'm great on that front. But characters like that are what love stories are all about 🩷

The secondary characters - Tilly, Luc and even the awkward Chris - loved them all 🥹 and let's not forget Cerberus, the cute hamster! 🐹

The spice was SO SPICY and beautiful all in one. The emotional depth and meaning it had to both characters was skilfully woven into the narrative, tying it all in a heartfelt ribbon on an absolute joy of a read.

[Fordie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one...another Uni type setting romance, and without trying to compare to my last uni read, the characters felt a little more mature which instantly took away the 'coming of age' feel. I really liked the art school setting, with it being set in the Royal Academics of London, and I appreciated the creativity and art vibes throughout.

It was actually quite funny, and I did laugh at a fair few moments. There were definitely a wide mix of authentic characters within, with Chris the lecturer being a bit of a well balanced gem.

Messy and flawed characters with strength and depth, authentic ADHD and mental health rep, friendships and finding your true self too. There were some sharp tongued interactions, and if you like your FMC feisty with a touch of vulnerability, this is definitely for you.

I really liked the whole one path isn't for everyone too. This had me invested from the start.

forced proximity
enemies to lovers
found family/friendships
diverse rep

[Annette Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiln Me Softly by B.B. Woods is a spicy enemies to lovers romance that just made me smile so much while reading that I cannot wait to recommend it to readers who enjoy a romance where the characters have depth but also enough chemistry to start a fire.
Juniper arrives at the Royal Academy of Ceramics already feeling intimidated and out of place so the last thing she needs is to see a familiar and very unwelcome face from the past, Aiden, her high school nemesis who is now not only the most talented potter in the class, but also hotter than ever. When they are forced to work together on a project, of course sparks fly and before long they are hot and heavy ,engaged in a no strings, casual affair. Before long it becomes clear that both are feeling more, but neither wants to be the first to admit it, can they get out of their own way and find happiness?
I love it when I find a story with such human, relatable characters and I love it even more when they find each other and find a way to make it work despite, or perhaps because of their flaws and foibles. This is a book that absolutely hits the tropes it sets out to, like the enemies to lovers and campus romance but it does so much more than that. The exploration of mental health and neurodiversity is sensitively handled and very well done, and I always appreciate seeing good representation like this in any genre. I will say that if miscommunication tropes bother you, there is quite a bit of that in this book, so just be warned, personally it did not bother me enough to impinge on my enjoyment of the characters or the book as a whole. I also have to highlight the wonderful friend group that surrounds the central characters, again they feel very believable and added a lot of fun to the story and I loved the Non Binary and LGBTQ+ representation. I also loved that this book feels like a love letter to artists, to those who create the beauty for the rest of us to enjoy, something that this little passage really highlighted for me: ' I like to be lost in stories, especially ones that were created by people who came from a completely different society. They're a reminder that all the loneliness and pain and everything that makes us human has always existed , and that it can be turned into something magical, something that has a purpose.'
As for the sizzle, well if the banter was good the sizzle was even better, this author knows how to write a steamy scene, and readers will definitely not feel short changed in that department.
To put it simply, this was an absolute delight and I loved every word.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I love my tropes, I'm thankful this story wasn't chock full of them, and instead worked hard to make the Rivals to lovers and found family tropes feel natural and deserved.
There was also good mental health and neurodiversity representation, though I would've liked Aiden to use more explcit terms, and to have descriptions of how Juniper's neurodivergence made her feel, instead of just how she acted.
The characters are young, understandably emotional, and slightly dramatic, which can be fun but to me it could also be quite annoying at times. But that's usually why I tend to avoid brand new adult romances.

My next few gripes are more about the marketing, than the book itself. I personally do not like reading about barely legal adults, more do when it is open door,  and did not realise they were 19. The cover and blurb had led me to believe they were mature students, they look older than what I picture teens to look like, and and I clearly made poor assumptions thinking they were in their mid 20s since Juniper was getting a late start at uni, and that it had been years since she'd seen Aiden in HS.

However, the characters were written well. Aiden has great character development, and gains a better understanding of just how privileged he is, how that encompasses all aspects of his life, and learns to stand up for himself more.
I enjoyed having Juniper explore the different paths to her future, instead of focusing on higher education as the only way forward for her chosen path.

Both of them bonded over having unsupported parents, and finding support in each other. Aiden also was able to have a confrontation that helped him move on. Unfortunately, to me, it felt like Juniper had no resolution to her family problems, and it left me feeling unsatisfied.

The writing was enjoyable and painted a clear picture. Though it did feel stilted at the start, and I thought the descriptions of Juniper's ADHD was slightly heavy handed, oversimplified, and cliched at times, especially around her clumsiness.

The word Zoomers was used and I cringed every time. I saw no benefit in using the term. The story would have been a lot more timeless without it.

Ok, sorry I got carried away. This was a cute first love romance, and I loved the found family they made at uni. If you want to spend a short time enjoying a story about young love, in a place that reminds you of of The Great Pottery Throwdown. This will hit the spot!

Thank-you NetGalley and HarperNorth, for allowing me to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Magnolia]

I adored this book. The banter, the buildup of the characters' relationship, the individual character development, it was all beautiful.
Juniper shines in all her chaos and vulnerabilities barely covered up by fiery attitude. Her overwhelm, self-doubt, and fear of not fitting in were all too familiar to me as a reader who shares her ADHD. I couldn't help but root for her in her quest to find a place where she can truly feel valued as herself.
Aiden at the beginning appears like the prince charming Juniper absolutely DOESN'T want: wealthy, kind, and... expressing his interest through sarcasm-laced-kindness. But Aiden hides his own layers of trauma and feelings of inadequacy, and much like Juniper, still needs to find a path to being authentically himself.
I also need to mention the cast of side characters, because Juniper and Aiden are surrounded by the crew every single one of us dreams to navigate our twenties with. Their community is diverse, accepting, hilarious, and essential to their development as characters.
Overall, a beautiful romance that tells us that all of us deserve to find love, community, and work that help us flourish into the most fulfilled version of ourselves. Even if we're insecure Anxious Wrecks with parents issues or Disaster ADHDers with a sharp tongue and a puntuality problem.

[Ania · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am slightly conflicted here, as I loved some aspects of this book, whilst others really didn't work for me.

Essentially, I enjoyed everything but the romance.

I liked the dual POV, having both perspectives really enhanced the story.

There was funny banter, and I loved the dry humour. But I feel like the banter went too far into nastiness on Juniper's side too many times.

The first sexual encounter was very early, too early to be honest. The tension had barely built by this point, and I personally didn't think it worked very well.

The reason behind Juniper's reluctance to open up to Aiden was revealed quite late, AFTER they had sex multiple times. This made little sense to me, and the dynamic simply didn't work. Juniper being rude to guard her feelings towards someone who did something unknown in the past, that he isn't even aware of. She was so full of resentment, ultimately for a very weak reason.

I did absolutely love the art aspects here, and the struggles both characters experienced, along with how they overcame them eventually - through personal growth, as well as support from each other and their other friends.

*thank you to the publisher for an ARC of this book via NetGalley *

[Alicia Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperNorth for providing me with this E-Arc in return for providing an honest review.

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. The author did a good job of representing LGBTQ+, neurodivergence and mental health but the actual story fell flat for me.

After reading, I'm not sure what point I'm supposed to like the FMC because it just never happened. The romance was not believable and seemed forced, they also ended up getting together 20% into the book even though she despises him. Also, i never want to read a book where her 🐱 is described as FOLDS.

Halfway into the book I did get into it, I enjoyed the side characters and the found family. The premise was good, I really enjoyed the pottery talks, little art details and the museum trip.

I just think the FMC wasn't written well as someone to like. She was hung up on hating someone over his class for no reason (because the reason just wasn't good enough to be honest) and blamed him for essentially everything wrong in her life but didn't accept any responsibility for the fact she's late to every single thing?

[Eliza Gardner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I did like the writing style of this author, I wasn't too fond of the actual story and the storyline. Juniper was quite hard to like the whole way through the book as it seemed like she constantly wanted to make herself the victim of everything she possibly could. As a northern, working class woman with ADHD myself I wasn't expecting everything to be perfect in representation, but the way that it seemed like she was happy to accept that everything was against her and that she couldn't do anything right without changing anything about the way she lived was really frustrating. It may just be me and the way that I think but if the upper class potential loml tried to get his dad to keep my place in a prestigious art school, I'd be more than fine with it lol but again, that is just who Juniper is. I think the development of Chris as a character was great and I'm glad there was a mention of him thinking of ways to be nicer in the future. The relationships outside of Aiden and Juniper were lovely as well, I just couldn't get behind how backwards Juniper's thinking was - would read other books by this author though!

[Nessa’s Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so much fun! Think enemies to lovers with a pottery wheel.
(And yes, there are definite “that scene from Ghost” vibes, but steamier.)

Juniper gets into the prestigious Royal Academy of Ceramics only to find her old high school nemesis Aiden in the same class.

He’s still arrogant, still ridiculously talented, and unfortunately… hotter than ever.

The banter between them? Absolutely top-tier.
The forced proximity of having to work together? Delicious.
The way their old grudges start crumbling the more they actually see each other? Chef’s kiss.

It’s got all the best romance tropes!
enemies to lovers,
campus romance,
forced proximity,
Spice that doesn’t hold back!

But there’s also a sweet undercurrent as secrets from their past bubble up, adding emotional depth to the heat.

Aiden and Juniper are proof that sometimes the person who drives you crazy might also be the person who makes you whole. Loved it!

[Perrin Hooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in a day and it did not disappoint! After being surprised with how much I liked Kindling, as soon as I saw this one on the shelf of Asda I had to give it a try!

I love pottery, have done pottery courses, and hope to have my own kiln someday. I am also queer and have ADHD and Autism. This book was unexpectedly made for me.

It was so sweet, and very genuine. I loved Juniper, I feel that the ADHD was really well portrayed and I loved Aiden. It was nice to have a book where mens mental health issues were addressed.

My boyfriend loves Sleep Token as well, and I have recently begun to love the band too, so I had sleep token playing as I read this and it was joyous.

I shall definitely be picking up another book!!

[Chloe Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read in a good few years and also my first “spicy” romance, all I can say is WOW it gets heated on many occasions, the way the graphics of the scenes are written were fantastic!

I love that it includes not only mental health concerns but it also goes into the stigma of men and the struggles they have speaking about their mental health. It also has one of the main characters who has ADHD which is including disabilities not to mention LGBT characters too!

I have loved how this book has drawn me into not only the love for book but ones with some spice to it! Cannot wait to get started on another book soon!

It’s worth mentioning too that I bought it through a blind date with a book so had no idea what I was getting apart from the genre🥰

[Rachel Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Juniper meets Aiden again when they are both in the same ceramics course at university in London. She is really not pleased to see him, but as they are made to work together on a project, will the forced proximity change everything for them. I liked how it was told from both points of view.

[Alice 🕸 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the writing in this. The characters were great and really cared about each other. It was funny and sweet and the spice was good (could maybe have used more in the second half). It made me laugh and think about my relationship with creativity. Would read more by this author

[Krystina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whilst I really enjoyed the writing style and this was such as easy read,sometimes I disliked how cruel Juni was to Aiden. The representation was brilliant and I loved seeing that and the vibrant way the characters came across but I still can't give it a higher star rating.

[Rachel Bowdler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so proud of this one. I hope you will all love Aiden & Juniper as much as I do. 🩷

[Meenal]

3% extremely odd

[Zoe Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75*

[Leanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

storyline felt very chaotic, to and fro between the characters in 3rd person.
stopped enjoying it from about Chapter 23, but too stubborn to dnf it.

[Frankie]

DNF

[Yuri · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.75 ⭐️

Such a lovely story with plenty of moments spent laughing and screaming into the pillow.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

We meet Juniper and Aiden. They have known each other since school but don't get on. They are both on the same course at the Royal Academy of Ceramics. Juniper remembers Aiden differently to the kind of person he is now and as she begins to realise this they begin to forge a friendship of sorts.

The title of the book gives a clue as to what the theme of the book is. With both Juniper and Aiden on a Ceramics course, there is pottery, glazing and other types of ceramic techniques to be found. I found this quite interesting to be honest, and probably liked this part of the storyline more than the relationship between the two main characters! From the picture on the cover, I also expected it to be hot and steamy, a little like a certain pottery wheel scene from a certain film. Whilst there were some sex scenes, they weren't as spicy as I though they would be (or perhaps wanted them to be!).

The two main characters were okay. I liked Aiden, although he was a little bit annoying initially, and I liked Juniper but felt she bore too much of a grudge with him throughout the book. The storyline was cute, and I liked how the characters grew throughout their own personal stories. It was an okay read and I did enjoy parts of it.

[Paris Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 🌟
Enemies to lovers, forced proximity and academia setting, this romance had me hooked from the beginning. The tension manifesting as hate and the bickering between them showed the connection that they had.

I really enjoyed the approach taken to include mental health issues for both genders plus the support they gave to each other to help them overcome their own issues.

I’ve never read a book quite like it with the academia being centred around two art students that have taken a sabbatical from learning. Over all would totally recommend this sweet romance!