Something to Talk About

by Ronica Black

Corey Durand doesn’t trust easily and the rumors surrounding the devastating end of her last relationship have only just died down. All she wants is peace and quiet to run her ranch. But in moves her feisty next-door neighbor, Brin, and everything gets thrown into chaos. Brin’s younger, vibrant, and full of sass. Her five-year-old autistic niece loves Corey and the ranch, and Corey hasn’t figured out how to befriend the little girl while avoiding her aunt.

One stormy night, everything changes. Brin’s fixer-upper house is damaged by lightning, and she doesn’t have the money to fix it. The town heartthrob has his gaze fixed on her and insists on helping. Trouble is, he pays more attention to Brin than the repairs. Corey has no choice but to step in and do the job right which sets off the town’s gossip mill—the very last thing she wants.

Corey and Brin will need to overcome wounds from the past, the heartthrob who can’t take a hint, and more than their share of salacious gossip to take a chance on love.

Genres: LGBT, Romance, Queer

230 pages, Paperback

First published May 10, 2022

About the author

Ronica Black is an award-winning author and a three-time Lambda Literary Award finalist. Her books range from romance and erotica to mystery and intrigue, and she enjoys trying her hand at all. Ronica also enjoys drawing, painting, and sculpting. She lives in Glendale, Arizona, with her partner, where she relishes a rich family life and raising a menagerie of pets.

Reviews

[khi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where do I even begin with this... this is a long review so bear with me.

TW: Ableism: I get into this a bit later but I just wanna say that this book and a lot of the reviews mention an autistic character but there is none. Laken is revealed to not be autistic, in fact there was no certainty that she had autism in the first place… so I have no idea what it’s being advertised as that in the synopsis.


Summary

Corey Durand is in the midst of dealing with the emotional woes from her last relationship but the arrival of Brin and her 5-year-old "autistic" niece is just the distraction she needs from it. Reeling from the loss of her sister, Brin finds herself taking care of her 5-year-old niece, Laken. Laken is proving to be a handful and doesn't seem to like anyone. So imagine Brin's surprise when Laken immediately warms up to Corey. Imagine her surprise when she too finds herself warming up to the older women.

It's safe to say that this book wasn't for me...

Plot

The plot itself wasn't anything original or shocking. I'd never heard of this author before so my interest was peaked in what she could possibly bring to an array of cliches. My assessment was.. not much. The story wasn't exciting and was one wlw book cliche after the other. Messy ex, rumour mill town, helpless mom, 'problem' child, untamable jealousy, town heartthrob making his move, self inserting main character and much more discreet replicable storylines.

Writing

In terms of grammar, this book is fine, however in terms of plot execution not. It's one thing to say the sky is blue but it's another thing to describe it and that's what this author failed at for most of the book. When using such a simple plot there's a certain amount of depth and passion that should go into the story and I just could not grasp that from this writing, at times characters felt like names to actions. This book lacked compulsion, delivery and passion.

In chapter 3, Brin is sort of having a flirtatious moment with Corey which is then interrupted by Laken making a mess by pushing a baby's stroller into a table. This leads to the owner of the stroller yelling at Brin and Laken. Obviously, this sets the stage for what is supposed to be a tense and stressful situation for Brin, so it's no surprise that she has a short fuse after the initial conflict. What happens is Corey tries to calm things down and help Brin only for Brin to burst out at her proclaiming "Just stop! You Can't help me! No one can!". Now as I said before this isn't a stretch for something like this to happen in real life. It's a stressful situation and with the further context of Brin being forced to be a new mother, it makes sense for her to have a freakout. However, all of this takes place in the book in a matter of 1 iPhone page, not even half the page of a regular book. Would it shock you to find out that this whole paragraph I've written here has a higher word count that the whole situation that took place?

This escalation holds no weight to its delivery. It makes Brin seem like some unhinged mood swing monger. It doesn't force the audience to consider how stressful her life is at that moment, there's no pressure or proper setting to the scene. Its only purpose is to make us feel bad for Corey and make Brin seem helpless.

Again this happens in one of the later chapters of the book. Laken finds herself in a dangerous position, Corey saves her, and Brin is grateful. What should have been an intense moment just fell short as it takes place in less than one page. My review again holds more words than this moment.

Characters

This is one of the first books that I've read that I do not like a single character. They're all overbearing individuals with saviour complexes.

It's one thing to judge someone's parenting but it's another to be going around making decisions for them and that is what Corey and a few other characters do in this book. Talking like they have any right to any input on Laken when they've barely even known her or Brin for more than a week. The book also seemingly does not reprimand them as even though Brin is upset at this, it still goes their way.

There's a moment where Laken runs away to Corey's house and she's there for a good bit and instead of telling Brin immediately, Corey is depicted unbothered by the simple fact that Brin apparently didn't give her her phone number. What right did she have to do that? Throughout the book, Corey just gives unasked advice and care to Laken.

I normally don't fuss over these things but it's 2022, when are authors gonna stop pushing this whole damsel in distress thing.

In chapter 13, despite only knowing each other for a few days Corey is mad that Brin didn't call her immediately when her house is damaged during a storm. Instead of expressing her worry, she's jealous that Brin seemingly called Jimmy. This cemented my dislike for Corey. What obligation did Brin, a virtual stranger, have to her?

In that same chapter, Brin takes Laken to Tara, Corey's friend and a psychologist. Immediately meeting Tara, Brin decided she doesn't like her just by her smiling when Brin brings up Corey. This is immature and so random. We the readers know through fleeting mention that Tara made a move on Corey, but Brin has no idea about this and has literally no reason to be jealous whatsoever.

Again, in that same chapter, when Tara says Laken doesn't have autism Brin is seen shouting "Oh! Thank god!". I get it, raising a child with autism is stressful and subjects them to a life of ableism but was this necessary? Did the author fail to consider how an autistic reader might feel reading this? This feeds a stigma that I don't even wanna get into right now because this review is already long enough. This also confused me because the synopsis of the book advertises Laken being autistic... why put that there if it's not the case??

Instead, Tara elaborated that Laken just has sensory processing issues. Tara insists that other doctors that Brin has seen probably didn't spend enough time or attention on Laken which I found interesting since Tara herself only spent under an hour with the nonverbal girl making her do some tests. Now, these tests, while I believe are in fact used in this type of testing are inappropriate in the way this book introduces them. It's highly unlikely that Laken would be asked to do this in thirty minutes and it's highly unrealistic for Tara to come to that conclusion. Autistic people do have sensory issues and for tara to rule that out so quickly and for Brin to be so grateful... it's weird that's all I can say.

In my personal opinion. This was dealt with in an extremely rushed, slight offensive and unrealistic manner.

In regards to the offence, I'm sure that wasn't the author's intention, it really never is with these kinds of books. I'm not sure how educated she is on this topic, she could be very educated but that's not gonna change the fact that in my opinion, this was a horrible execution.

I didn't like this book, I didn't like the characters and I didn't like the writing.

Do I recommend it? I recommend that you read other reviews. Maybe mine is too harsh. Maybe your perception would differ from mine and that's absolutely fine.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publishers in return for an honest review.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read a couple of books by Ronica Black and I think I have a similar feeling with all of them, this one is no exception. It's ok, might not click for everyone, like this one didn't for me, and the way the story evolves is a bit of hit and miss.

This story revolves around Corey and Brin, but mostly Brin's niece Laken. Laken is said to be on the autism spectrum, that is until Brin takes her to a sensory therapist who says her issues are sensory. I don't know what to think about all this, I just know it doesn't really sit right with me. I have no experience to draw from whatsoever, but it all just seems a bit too odd to me. Corey is super caring and attentive, seemingly still in love with her junky ex who may just appear out of nowhere. Corey is also taken with Brin, from the moment she laid eyes on her. Same goes for the other woman. I feel like they don't communicate at all, Brin is just being slightly mean to Corey, no actual conversation happens aside from discussion Laken. They don't get together until 75% mark or so, and we have some drama after. To say a lot happens on the final pages of the books is a bit of an understatement, especially compared to the first 3/4 of the books where nothing really seems to be happening.

This one just didn't work for me. It's a super quick read but something about it just wasn't for me.

*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*

[Cherie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first book by Ronica Black and I found it to be an ok story. I liked both main characters, Corey is a rancher in Arizona and Brin and her niece are new comers to the small nearby town. Brin’s niece, Laken is having emotional issues and takes to Corey right away. It’s a cute story but I would have liked to see more character development and dialogue between the two MCs. Laken is a big part of this book, which is fine but it takes away from time from the two mains. Black did a good job in developing the side character Miley, the town gossip, who was a real pain.

“ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review “

[Jo reece · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ronica Blacks ‘Something to talk about.’

I enjoyed this story, it's simple, not too much angst, not too fastpaced. The main characters work well together, there is a small spark between the pair and are both very likable. Like Most romance stories we always have at least one character that we instantly dislike, in this story we have three.. Yes, three! The ex, she was bad enough, the wanna be ‘boyfriend’ and if that's not bad enough, we have the wanna be’s boyfriend meddling sister. But, it's a cute story, as I've said it's very simple, we also have the adorable Laken, who as her own struggles in the storyline, but it is lacking something, maybe description of the village, area etc, more depth needed. (My mother says I'm nosey, but I just need description, about a character or place, just so I can get a better understanding or feeling of a place and surroundings.)

All in all, good book, good storyline, but something missing, and is a a bit on the short side. It's an easy read, and perfect for a Saturday afternoon.

[MaxDisaster · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 stars
Well.
I liked Corey, she may have had sidesteps, but was an overall sympathetic MC. On the other hand Brin is often acting like an immature arse, and even though I kinda get where she's coming from, it's still annoying when she projects her issues on everyone around her.
And I'm not exactly sure what the hell is going on with the situation around Laken and the book characters reactions to her. Mostly because the blurb is misleading in regards to her diagnosis, which really doesn't help this book seem like it's not ignorant.
But all in all this book is slightly below average, so I'm going to rate it as such.

[Alicia Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

◦ Something to Talk About
◦ Author Ronica Black
◦ MC Corey Durand & Brin
◦ Laken Niece 5 years old


Brin is at a cross roads in her life. Her sister passed away and she is left to care for her niece, who is non verbal. She wants to give her a better life.

Laken takes right to Corey. There is a unspoken love Corey has for the lil one.

The story touched me in a special way. One of my
Godsons has autism. He was not able to speak, so we had to learn sign language to communicate. The story touched my heart in many ways.

It’s a beautiful story about love and family.
Brin was a brave woman. With Corey and
Laken they will have a family of their own.


I highly recommend this book. I would like to thank Bold strokes books and NetGalley !! 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a read about friends, family, love and loss. Corey Durand rancher with a big heart. Brin and her niece, Laken dealing with the loss of Brin's sister and Laken's mother. The interaction between Corey and Laken was so very sweet. Brin was a character that was a challenge to understand. As a matter of fact, it would have been good to have more background information about all three of the main characters especially Brin. I liked the story premise but other than Laken, I was having a tough time leaning into Corey and Brin.

ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. via NetGalley

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put it down once I started. Made my heart happy.

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brin moves with her five year old non-verbal niece Laken to a small town in northern Arizona. The house is a fixer-upper. Her next door neighbor Corey Durand runs a ranch with some goats and chickens. When Laken wanders into Corey’s pumpkin patch the trio meet. For some inexplicable reason Laken likes and interacts with Corey. Corey is older and hasn’t been looking for love for a while. Brin is content to focus her time and energy on Brin. But paths cross and Brin needs help with her property after a storm.

This is one of those books that when it ended I wasn’t convinced the two needed to be together. It is a nice gentle story that for drama throws in a town gossiping busybody and an ex looking for her next drug score. Corey motivations in particular are hard to understand. She wants to do things to be neighborly but gets upset and jealous when someone else is being neighborly. Brin literally has just moved in and Corey is upset because she lets the man fix something that he claims to know how to fix. How would Brin know? So in spite Corey leaves a tree standing that she knows will be a problem. Later after their first time together Laken calls for her Auntie. Instead of celebrating a monumental moment for Brin, she decides she can’t be a secret and leaves. Brin does nothing to bring on the emotional whiplash. I don’t think the book shows the relationship developing very well so you’re not invested in it. There are very few meaningful conversations anywhere.

I like the idea of having an autistic child be part of the storyline. I have friends with autistic children and I’m not sure how they’d feel about how the autism is portrayed. Her behavior fits and is realistic as is Brin’s frustration and stress. Laken has sensory issues but I don’t it is clear how her therapy makes the leaps and bounds that it does. I was very curious about what they could do for sensory issues or how that differs from autism.

Overall this is an average story. It is a small town romance with two people who don’t seem to communicate well with each other. Brin has reasons for wanting her privacy but that is held until late in the story. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Silvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Corey’s pumpkin patch gets an unusual visitor, a little girl who she follows back on the neighbouring home. She is greeted by Brin, the girl’s aunt, but Brin is rude and unwelcoming right off the bat. We then witness Corey’s struggle to get along with the hot new neighbour while fighting the gossip of a small town and its self proclaimed heart throb. While Brin struggled with accepting help, trust, raising her autistic niece and everything else in between, Laken bonded with Corey. In the end, love does conquer it all. 3.5 start

ARC received via NetGalley

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Corey Durand has sworn off romantic relationships because her ex got caught up in an addiction of painkillers and heroin and Corey had to make the hard decision to leave the relationship. When a woman moves into the fixer-upper house on the property nearest her own, Corey is indifferent. However, once she meets the clueless woman, she becomes interested.

To say that this book is not one of Ronica Black’s best efforts is putting it mildly. There is so much wrong here and not very much that was done right. From the main characters being lackluster to the autistic child being, rather suddenly, off the spectrum, Black has missed the mark. Putting it nicely, the tropes Black uses in this book, i.e., age difference, farmer and city dweller, a challenged child, unwanted attention from the local Lothario, girl next door, helpless, clueless city dweller buying acreage, have all been done better elsewhere. The author failed to give her readers much of anything to make them care about the characters, for instance, the reasons that Brin keeps pushing Corey away don’t seem large enough to justify Brin’s refusal to accept Corey’s help.

If you’re looking for a well-written nuanced LesFic romance, this is not the book for you. If you want a book to while away a few hours, this book might work for you.

My thanks to Bold Strokes Books for an eARC.

[Bee Sherrard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brin along with her young daughter Laken has moved her small family to a rundown ranch. Brin isn't a fountain of information when it comes to her own background. She’s happy (or as happy) with the progress she’s made in providing a home for Laken, who is non-verbal. What brought her to the ranch we don’t know. ( We’ll know later on).
Next door to the rundown house stood another ranch house owned by Corey Durand, who raises pygmy goats, boards some horses and has taken to gardening as a way to offset the cost that comes from running her operations. She was raised on the ranch and doesn’t see any use in moving away. Working alongside her is Grey and Ryan even when she was the talk of the town because of a relationship with another woman that didn’t end well.
When a storm comes their way Corey’s house stood but Brin’s was badly damaged. With no other choices Brin and Laken move in with Corey while work is being done at their home. Of course there is always some guy who thinks he’s all that and more, who wants to lend a helping hand to Brin.
Ms Black writes about ranches quite a lot lately. Strong characters with a fast paced story.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books

[Becca Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

This did not live up to expectations and I’m not sure my expectations were really that high to begin with. The blurb showed potential but almost everything mentioned in the blurb was underdeveloped in the novel. This ended up being on the shorter side for the genre so there definitely was room to develop things more.

After her sister dies, Brin moves to the small town of Utopia with her niece Laken. Laken, who is suspected of being autistic, is immediately drawn to Corey and the ranch she owns next door. The two immediately clash as Brin thinks she has to do everything on her own and Corey just wants to help. When a tree comes down on her house, Brin is forced to admit she needs help and Corey steps in.

It was hard to be invested in this one when even the characters weren’t invested in the conflict. The conflict felt artificial and resolved too easily. Some of this might stem from the characters and their backstory being underdeveloped. Other reviews describe this as a slow burn but it wasn’t really. Corey and Brin get together pretty easily to begin with and when they have a fight it resolves too quickly to be believable. Jimmy is persistent in his pursuit of Brin from the moment they first meet which makes it weird that he just seems to disappear from the novel. It says a lot that my favorite character was Laken and she only says about ten words in the entire novel.

While I was disappointed in this one overall, the writing itself wasn’t bad and there was a solid premise behind it. I think ultimately I expected more from the editor as much as the author.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Rosi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story has been average in that it has had a correct approach but its development has been too hasty. The issues it touches on have been solved too quickly, some of them being quite complex. A pity.

The two protagonists have also not had time to be developed properly, so the owner of the ranch, Corey, has been a woman a little used by her previous relationships and the woman who arrives with her niece to occupy the house next to Corey's ranch, Brin is not shown completely either, only in her role as a protective aunt and little else, because the rest is a bit confusing.

The rural environment in which the two live has also been very cliché, without showing homophobia itself but with a lot of prejudice and gossip and perhaps little social evolution, no offense.

Everything has been resolved too quickly and without further ado, without much explanation or reasons for both the root of the problems that have been dealt with and their resolution. It ends well and that's it.

Publisher Bold Strokes Books was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reading copy via Netgalley for my honest review

[Zach Strassburger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun lesbian romance that is ultimately predicatable, per the genre, but has some creativity getting there. Farmer meets new next door neighbor, a writer with a non-verbal niece. Nosy neighborhood gossip pages her single male relative on writer but she isn’t interested. I would have appreciated the background characters being a little more nuanced—surely they have good sides and aren’t entirely manipulative—but the story moves along nicely and it’s all very sweet. I was frustrated with the portrayal of autism in the text as something that was so awful and also that there was medication that would fix it. It felt more like an easy trope than something the author knew deeply. Many families welcome an autism diagnosis because it makes for easier access to insurance coverage for therapies and also school accommodations , whereas unnamed sensory disorders don’t get those. Here insurance was just an afterthought and an “of course”—-but that’s not how it works. That was irritating but I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others.

[Lesbereading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like there was something missing from this one which is why I’m giving it 3.5 stars. I was left not feeling super satisfied after finishing it and I wasn’t a huge fan of how Brin was treating Corey, especially in the beginning when there was no need for her to be so rude. I didn’t feel a strong sense of chemistry between them throughout the book and the small bit of steam was missing that connection for me. I did really enjoy Laken's character and how her character was woven into the storyline.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Sloan Stryker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brin and her young niece Laken have moved into a small town to a house that needs some work. Brin is now raising her young niece after her sisters death.
On top of that Laken is autistic which adds to Brin's stress, but she loves Laken fiercely.
Laken has wondered off to the neighbors pumpkin patch and has been spotted by the owner Corey Durand. Corey and Laken are going to form a special friendship that Brin is going to have accept even though they are at odds over everything.
Their road to friendship is full of misunderstandings but that isn't going to stop Corey from doing what needs to be done to keep them safe.
Brin's past has caused her to have a lot of trust issues that Corey must work through because these two are smoldering under the surface and somethings got to give.
This is a such a great story with depth and love.
Thank you #NetGalley #BoldStrokesbooks #SomethingToTalkAbout for this ARC

[Brenda Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy romances that include the building of a family. Brin is in a panic when she realizes her niece, Laken, is not in the house. She finds her in Corey’s pumpkin patch with two small pumpkins in her hands. Let the romance begin.

[Dee G · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rancher Corey is cautious in love after being badly burned by her ex partner. When Brin moves in next door with niece Laken, sparks begin to fly. Brin has sole care of Laken after her sister passed away. Laken is non-verbal, with sensory and behavioural challenges.

Whilst the romance blossoms between Corey & Brin, an old friend of Corey’s assesses Laken. Unfortunately, that’s the point in the story where the author lost me. The child is deemed not autistic, which Brin reacts to with relief. Instead of the medications others have offered Brin to treat Laken (though what those medications might be remains a mystery!), the therapist prescribed intense sessions of therapy – therapy which in its minimal descriptions sounds a lot like ABA (applied behavioural analysis), which many adults who have experienced it describe as traumatic.

For me, the discussion of and apparent rapid improvement in Laken overshadowed the rest of the story. For context, I’m both autistic and a mother of autistic children. This novel appeared to support the Autism as a tragedy narrative, rather than using a new start to celebrate the uniqueness of Laken.

Overall the writing and main romance storyline has all the hallmarks of a beautiful story. Without the Laken storyline, I’d rate this novel more highly. I am, after all, generally a big fan of the authors works! This story arc, however, made the story a difficult read for me.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, who gave me access to this DRC in exchange for a genuine and unbiased opinion.

[Bookista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love small town romances and the premise of this one really caught my attention.

Corey just wants some peace and quite and time to enjoy running her ranch. But that peace is shattered with the addition of her neighbor Brin who is as complicated as they come. But more than that, she has also has a sweet child has acquired a new neighbor Brin who has a lovely child Laken who is neurologically diverse but strangely attached and responsive to Corey.

The first two thirds of this book was fantastic. I loved how the relationship between Laken and Corey developed and how Brin slowly started trusting Corey. Miley as the town gossip and busybody offered the perfect slice of villainy threatening the blossoming relationship between Brin and Corey. I really liked the slow burn build up of their romance and Corey’s motto of killing them with kindness despite all the snarkiness she faced made her more like able as the story progressed.

The tempo and pace of the story was perfect till about the 70% mark and then after that things sort of sped up super fast. The angst and unspooling of multiple threads (not sure why Brin’s occupation was kept such a mystery till the end) seemed to open and get resolved way too quickly for me.
I really did enjoyed this book immensely, and if only the last third was a little slower, this would have been perfect.

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the digital galley of this book.

Corey Durand is just getting over the fallout of her last relationship that ended in disaster. She loves her ranch and has her colleagues/friends, and she’s satisfied with no desire to date anyone. When Brin and her five-year old autistic niece move into a neighboring fixer upper, though, Corey can’t seem to stay away from them as Laken, Brin’s niece, loves Corey and is always escaping to hang out in her pumpkin patch. When a local man volunteers to do repairs for Brin after a storm and botches the job, Corey steps in to help, and as she and Brin grow closer, they’ll have to decide if they can overcome their individual baggage and try to make something work.

Look. I’ll read anything by Ronica Black, so I chose this book on the author alone, but it didn’t disappoint. I really enjoyed the story and the characters, and I loved the representation of sensory issues. As someone who has sensory processing issues, it’s always nice to see that represented in fiction. And I loved Laken and how much she loves Corey. The pacing was good, there were ample opportunities for annoyance that turns into romance, and it’s not quite enemies to lovers, but annoyed neighbors to lovers is a close enough troupe to get me interested. Definitely recommend.

[LE · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm such a big fan of Ronica Black and was very excited about this book because I'm a sucker for age gap romances and love when kids are involved. I really enjoyed this book but would give it 4 stars though because it simply wasn't my favorite book overall. The writing, as expected, was really wonderful but the storyline had me wishing for more. I loved the way Laken brought the two of them together and Corey ticked off all the boxes for a crush-worthy character but the conflict with Jimmy and Miley just seemed a little over the top and childish. It takes great skill to write characters which the reader wholeheartedly dislikes and the author delivered on that front! ;)
My favorite part was how Laken plays a big role in the story and how Brin and Corey handle her behaviors, Tara's therapy and having the topic of autism included in books. Brin's and Corey's love story is sweet, a little rocky at times due to realistic insecurities but gives a satisfactory happy ending. Also worth mentioning: we all love a farmer woman who is handy with tools...

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gentle read about a young woman who is raising her niece after her sister's death and the older butch lesbian who she moves next door too. They live in a very small town which not only means lots of gossip but interfering troublemakers too, no ideal rural life here. The story is engaging enough and the characters are introduced well, the relationship between the two main characters is mostly good with a couple of odd spats where they both go from really calm to really angry. The relationship between the niece Laken and her aunt and the various animals she likes is cute.

All in all a light read perfect for summer days.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Breeana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ronica never disappoints, I was so happy to see a story tackle sensory disorders and have references about autism and the struggles that parents go through raising a child when you do not know exactly how to get through to them!
Ronica did a great job of showing Brin doing her best, although prideful at first I was glad to see Brin take Corey up on her offer to help with the house and Laken. Listen call me crazy but I did not see Brin's job coming, I had a great cackle when it was revealed. One character I really adored was Ryan he was the sweetest and I wished he got more bonding time with Brin because I feel like they really would have hit off.

[fsi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Every character was a one dimensional stereotype. The "reveal" that the niece was not "actually" autistic only revealed that the author did no research at all here. Sensory processing differences are actually highly correlated with autism, and are not a rule out for an autism diagnosis! Language acquisition for a completely nonverbal four year old doesn't work the way this posited AT ALL! And any OT worth their salt would 100% have referred this family to a speech therapist.

[Marquie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t wait to purchase this book from the Bold Strokes site today. Such a good read, couldn’t put it down, great way to spend a Sunday. Hoping a audio version is in the works and partnered with Keira Grace. Another good book by Ronica Black, would easily recommend it.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read

This book is a fun read. The characters are likable and interesting. Sweet romance and a special little girl Laken. Very enjoyable. Thanks

[Robin]

Alas, a DNF for me. Corey’s attitude was too much for me. Stop interfering and for the love of God, if a 5 year old shows up without a parental unit, find a way to contact them!

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good

The book was good and I enjoyed the characters but the plot was predictable and the ending too rushed. The writing was done well and characters were developed well.

[Evie Gooch]

Almost

A nice read.

Had potential, but some things felt a little rushed. Some of the exchanges and actions felt a little out of character.

But overall a nice story with a happy ending.