Digging up love was a nice and heartwarming romance story with a different twist overall. I all about more diverse and diversity in my reads and the characters are interesting and intriguing at the same time. The toxic masculinity and patriarchy ideas are still part of this world we live in and while we want nothing of that in our books, we can’t just ignore them . I enjoyed that it was part of this story as well and it made it for a deeper sense and purpose of the romance story.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

Thank you so much Amazon Publishing and Mont Lake for sending me an eARC!
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Right off the bat, I would recommend this to anyone who loves Romance and whoever wants Black love representation! It was really cute and fun and I’m looking forward to the sequel!
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Although there were toxic masculinity aspects that are clouding my judgement with this book that I can’t look past.
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But it was overall a solid read.

The sparks fly when a paleontologist and a baker square off and have to figure out how to navigate family expectations, past hurts, and chasing their own dreams along with that pesky bone of contention called love. I was eager for a light and fun, contemporary romance by a new to me author and it didn’t hurt that a dinosaur bones discovery in the backyard is what gets it all started.

Alisha Blake has been working at her granddad’s barbecue restaurant and helping care for her grandmother feeling she owes them for raising her and her sister after her parents were gone, but lately she has felt the urge to see her own dream of opening a cookie bakery come into being. She’s on the point of presenting her plan to her grandparents when her granddad reinforces her place at the restaurant and she keeps silent about her baking dreams once again and chooses to keep the status quo. Meanwhile, her sister Simone is working her career in the city and nagging her about her lack of dating life which Alisha needs no reminders about. If she’s honest, she feels safer focusing on family and job because a commitment to love scares her.

Dr. Quentin Harris gets the assignment from his boss in the department to head out to western Illinois and check out the big bone the locals claim is a dinosaur. He’s spent fifteen years working hard at his career and is an assistant professor in a field he loves, but his family thinks he’s wasting his time since his career doesn’t pull in the big bucks and it still hurts that his fiancée left him for her career abroad. Quentin is eager to investigate the bones, but one glimpse of Alisha standing in his dig pit and his attention is decidedly split between the discovery and the attraction between them.

Digging for Love is a blend of light and flirty with some angsty romance and deeper conflicts with family that gave some depth to the story. I loved that his research got some front and center time at the dig, as did her delicious baking skills. It was a fun combo as a backdrop for the romance. I thought the small town setting was painted well down to the gossipy neighbor and Alisha’s friendships and the one-signal main street, but it was also neat to catch some scenes in the city and along the shore as well. The situation with their respective families pushing them and not taking into account their wants and dreams out of misplaced sense of love had me sympathizing and cheering them on from the get-go.

Reading easy and swiftly for the most part, there were a few dragging moments to the pacing. Partly, this is because one of the big recurring conflicts is the fact that lack of communication was constantly happening between the romance pair and between them and their family members, which would cause unnecessary ansty moments as I saw it. Without it, this story would have been over in short order. They needed to have honest conversations with their families and with each other, but I could appreciate that the reason they didn’t was because that involved being honest with themselves first. I liked both Alisha and Quentin and, for all their lack of communication, I thought they were a fun pair. They had some good flirty dialogue moments, particularly in texts and encounters. The romance is more spicy than full-on steam. They do tend to take two steps forward and three frustrating steps backward often enough, so the reader has to show great patience to see them through to the end when they finally get on the right track.

In summary, this debut book offered some bright moments and a few that weren’t. It met my expectation level and hit the right tone with the banter and fun career backgrounds. I think some might enjoy this one more than others because of the conflict type, but I’m pretty sure that most would adore having the hero be a paleontologist and the heroine a baker in this slightly spicy light contemporary romance.

The romance Digging Up Love by Chandra Blumberg is refreshingly new and different! Sweet, joyful, and well-written, I had fun falling for all the characters—main and side ones. Impressive and smart, it’s a debut from an author to watch!

When I read the premise for this one—a baker who falls for the paleontologist who comes to unearth the dinosaur bones discovered in her grandparents’ backyard—I could not resist. I feel like I read a lot of romance, and this is a plot I’ve never come across. Plus, I might have had a thing for Ross on Friends once upon a time.

But while this one is unique, it’s probably not for every romance fan. If you’re not a fan of the miscommunication trope, you might want to steer clear of this one. Every problem Alisha and Quentin face could have simply been solved with a five minute conversation. BUT I think that’s what’s at the heart of this story: two people who aren’t being honest with themselves so they can’t be honest with each other. But rest assured no one’s lying in this story! They just don’t want to face the truth so they’re not digging very deep. See what I did there??

I didn’t mind the miscommunication in this one though, because it leads our characters to learn about themselves and each other, pushing them to the happiness they deserve.

This dual point of view romance is also very PG, which some of you will love while others will be left wishing for more. I usually fall somewhere in between, and I would have liked a little more romance because the bits we got were swoon-y!

Blumberg has also created several side characters with potential for further stories, and I was happy to see that a book about Alisha’s sister Simone is coming this summer!

There’s a mix of many worlds in this one, Alisha’s small-town setting and Quentin’s more academic life in the city, plus even some adventures in a cornfield and on a beach! And so so many references to delicious food. I fully expected some recipes at the end of this one. Maybe they’ll include some in the final copies. One can hope!

DIGGING UP LOVE is not only the first book in the TASTE OF LOVE series, it is Ms. Blumberg’s debut novel. As I read there was a feel good feeling throughout even when not so good things were happening. I loved the brightness and the colors of the cover plus how it tied the story together. Depictions of the two sides of the story—a baker and a paleontologist—show them to be very different. Are either of them looking for love?

Alisha and Quentin tell the story in different chapters, putting their wants, needs, and goals at the forefront. Quentin’s been burned in love before and devotes himself to his university job in Chicago, where he has a PhD in paleontology and hopes for tenure. His family gives him grief for his life choices, more often than not, but you can still feel the love and affection between them even if you sometimes have to dig for it. The addition of his young nieces is a nice touch.

Alisha dreams of leaving the small town in Illinois where she grew up with her sister and grandparents to open a cookie bakery in Chicago. She and her sister were the only black people in their small town but were raised with love once their father left (after their mother died.) She gives up her dreams so her sister can live hers, and so she can be there for her grandparents, especially helping them run their barbecue restaurant.

When bones are found on Alisha’s grandparents’ property, their plans for a pool go up in smoke. But paleontologist Quentin and his team appear after getting permission to dig on the property to investigate the bones. This could be a feather in his cap.

Quentin and Alisha spend time together getting to know each other, and slowly, they begin falling for each other. The story is emotional, fast-paced, and satisfying. (Though sometimes the choppy segues had me looking back to make sure I didn’t miss a page on my Kindle.) The ending is terrific, and I look forward to reading more books in this series.

Nobody digging up their backyard in rural Illinois in preparation for a new swimming pool would expect to uncover dinosaur bones but that's exactly what happens to Alisha's grandparents. Enter smart and sexy paleontologist, Quentin to lead a team from his big-city university in excavating the bones. Quentin doesn't know what to expect when he arrives in the small town but it sure isn't a sexy, power-lifting, dinosaur-loving, social media savvy cookie maker who he's rapidly finding just as fascinating as his project. Alisha's finding him pretty irresistible too but there are more obstacles than distance standing between these two and a happy ending.

Okay, first of all, I can honestly say I have never read a romance between a baker and a paleontologist. What a fresh, original concept that totally works under Blumberg's guidance. I enjoyed these two immensely. They are fully-developed characters with interesting layers, emotional baggage, family conflict, and unfulfilled dreams. The chemistry between them is so charming, with wonderful banter and humor, and their texts as they get to know one another are a delight. I enjoyed the fact that the author explores both the professional and personal facets of both Quentin and Alisha. The details about Quentin's career as well as the facts about dinosaurs were fascinating, and the trip to Chicago's museums had me wanting to book a return visit. Then there's Alisha's drool-worthy cookies. I pretty much salivated through every kitchen scene in the book!

I appreciated the fact that the author added emotional depth to the novel by touching on serious topics along with the humor that threads throughout. There are issues of abandonment, family loyalty, and feeling out of place. And, for Alisha, as a Black woman (with white grandparents) living in a small, almost completely white town, there are micro-aggressions and other racism (some subtle, some not) that she's had to deal with. Alisha's best friend is white, and she has good relationships with many people in the town, but I was glad the author kept things real. I also loved the body positivity in regards to Alisha's character and how Quentin reacts to her muscular body.

Blumberg's next novel features Alisha's sister, a character who surprised me in this book. Simone's book, Stirring Up Love, is scheduled to be published July 26, 2022. I've already added it to my reading calendar.

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

Alisha and Quentin...
...a match made in Jurassic heaven...
...if only they could get over the bones of their past!

Alisha was such a STRONG female character. She knew what she wanted and how to get there...but she was also so scared of losing the family she has, or disappointing them in any way, that she disappoints herself time and again. She may be able to bench press you into tomorrow (she's a weightlifter...cool, right?!), but that doesn't mean she takes the lead in her own life. The people pleasing side of her, the side that feels it necessary to take care of everyone around her, more often wins out. Even she needs a little boost from time to time....and that boost now has a name.

Quentin is the epitome of her dino loving dreams. He's not hard on the eyes, is a man of science, and seems to have a good heart. Problem? Well, let's just say that that same said good heart may have been stomped on before making him a bit gun shy of pretty much anything resembling a relationship, not to mention he's got family issues. Their miss steps and mishaps bring a smile to your face, and a light to their lives, but if they're ever going to get anywhere, complete honesty in all areas of their lives will be absolutely necessary...but are they up for it? What can you do when the thing you want the most is the thing that scares you the most?

For me, I initially had a hard time connecting with the characters...they just seemed to be on opposite ends of life and so ready to fight at the drop of a hat...but once I cut through to the heart of the matter and saw just how much their inner selves shined, I was sold! The premise of the story was unique...can't say I've read one where dinosaurs featured in a love story before...and the draw to the scientific man with heart and looks was a no brainer fantasy come true for most of the female population. (Just admit it!) All in all, their journey towards love was riddled with holes the size of the Le Brea Tar Pits...but the end was well worth any amount of digging required.

If you're looking for a lighthearted, fun romance, Digging Up Love is a pretty good choice, especially if you like quirky characters and a small-town feel. This is Chandra Blumberg's debut, and I really like the storyline here with a dinosaur bone and a paleontologist love interest for baker Alisha. I've seen the town baker more times than I care to count in romance but meeting a love interest as a result of finding a dinosaur bone was new to me. To be honest, I could've done without so much miscommunication/misunderstanding as the cause of angst - those two things always make me want to shake the characters and tell them to get on with it. Nevertheless, I liked the characters, and I wanted this couple to work out. I will add that you need to have your sweets well-stocked when you dive into this book because it will definitely have your sweet tooth working overtime. This is the start of a series, and I look forward to seeing what this author does next.

If you are into cookies and dinosaurs, then you need to read this book! You will find many delicious treats including a hunky paleontologist and a pumped-up baker within the pages.

Sometimes I never know what I'm going to find when I read a book and tend to go in blind without reading the description or reviews. What I found in this book was a delightful, funny, and courageous story of two people destined to find each other but have some bumps in the road to work through before they can be happy together. Of course, that is many romance books, there has to be some friction to keep us intrigued and wondering how they will navigate the sea of love.

I am in awe of Alisha. Not only is she a fantastic baker with a social media presence, but she is a powerlifter and not afraid to do what she loves. However, she is also dedicated to her family, especially her grandparents that raised her and her sister when their mother died and their father took off. But that dedication has her frozen in her own life and she is afraid to do what she really wants to do thinking that they need her around. Enter Quentin, a paleontologist from a university in Chicago that is there to help uncover some dinosaur bones that were discovered on the property. Sparks fly between these two whether they want to admit it or not, but it is not a smooth journey to be together. They each have hangups that they have to work through to realize what they truly want and need (besides each other!)

I loved all of the characters and I felt like I was there in Hawksburg watching the story unfold. Alisha geeks out on dinosaurs ever since she saw Jurassic Park as a child, so meeting Quentin is like a match made in heaven. They are both a bit awkward around each other but it helps bring in other characters to help bring these two to their senses. The ride is not always smooth for these two but thankfully, they have friends and family to help them through various issues.

There is also Alisha's sister, Simone, that we don't really get to know very well in this book and I wonder if she will be featured in a follow-up story.  I wasn't sure if I liked Simone, she could be rather abrasive, but when we learn a bit more near the end of the book it explains a lot and I saw her in a whole new light.

This is a great debut book and I look forward to reading more from this author. We give it 4 paws up.

Fun, sweet, and entertaining. If that is what you are looking for Digging Up Love is the perfect book for you. I was looking for an easy and fun book to read and when Digging Up Love came to my attention, I was sure this is the book for me. It was, I enjoyed every word. It was easy to read, had fun characters, and unique yet familiar storyline. A sexy scientist shows up to dig up the bones found in the backyard of a young woman, neither are looking for a relationship, sparks fly, and the rest is history.

The story of a dinosaur bone found in a backyard in Illinois, where I live, was fun. I liked that this was not the same old romance story yet there was romance. Man meets woman, sparks fly, relationship starts…love happens. The woman, Alisha, is a strong woman who only wants to follow her dreams, but she feels stuck helping her grandparents run their family restaurant. The man, Quentin, has been teaching at a college doing a job that he loves while only wishing for his father’s approval. The dinosaur dig has the potential to give them both what they really want.

I am excited that this is the first book in the Taste of Love series, and I cannot wait to read more.

Alisha Blake creates amazing desserts for her grandfather's shop in rural Illinois, dreaming of opening her own in Chicago. A dinosaur bone in her grandparents' backyard brings paleontologist Quentin Harris, recovering from a painful breakup. The attraction is real, but Alisha is scared to fall in love and Quentin wants to make a name for himself in a competitive field.

I liked Alisha and Quentin immediately. Both are pushing themselves to rise above their pasts, but it hamstrings them at the same time. Alisha is afraid to leave her family the way her father had, and Quentin is afraid of loving someone who would abruptly leave him behind. Their mutual attraction is tempered by waiting through the spring to do the dig in summertime; their texts are adorable and it's clear to the reader as well as their friends the two are a fantastic match.

Their fears do get the best of them, much as it commonly happens in a romance novel without a clear external "bad guy," and it's only with internal work can they truly move beyond the past and create a future together.

Digging Up Love is a fun novel, with cute pokes at Midwest city vs. country culture. Overall, this novel is a great read by a new author.

Unfortunately this book didn't work for me. There wasn't much time actually spent together between the two love interests that would show them connecting. There was a lot of talk about how hot they thought the other one was when they saw them in person. And then when they weren't together there was a lot of thought about how they couldn't be together all the reasons, over and over. So unfortunately I just didn't feel much like they were getting together. It reminded me a bit of how people who read and loved the Twilight books could love the Twilight movies because they knew all the background stuff that was left out of the movie. But people who hadn't read the books had a harder time seeing the relationship based on just the shallow evidence in the movie. I ended up not finishing the book because I just never could get that connection.

While the premise and its development into the story comes out nicely, I found myself unable to make it further than seven chapters into the book given the perfunctory writing and the ways in which the author chose to make each character's proximity to whiteness an establishing factor to their identities. I hoped this would be a Black love story and this arrangement deterred any remaining interest in the story.

A huge thank you to Amazon Publishing for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4⭐️ 1🌶

What I LOVED: what first intrigued me about this book is the premise of a small town baker meets a paleontologist and a relationship blooms between them when he’s tasked to examine the dinosaur bone dugged up from the girl’s backyard. I loved how I got the best of both sides! I’m a fan of anything baking so that part of Alisha’s story (especially knowing that she’s also big on social media!) was really entertaining! I was craving for cookies so much! As for Quentin being a paleontologist, it intrigued me so much since it’s line of work and field in academia that I haven’t read about, let alone a romance book. I was really engrossed in the way he talked about his work and his passion for it!

Their romance was so adorable from the start especially at they went on date and got to know each other (spoiler: they’re both dinosaur lovers!)

What I LIKED: alongsids the cute romance, I liked that this dealt with a lot of heavier topics especially involving family like the pressure of making them proud, abandonment, sacrifice and more

What I DIDN’T ENJOY: The small town that Alisha lived in was white dominated so there’s slight digs that could be interpreted as racism and I really didn’t enjoy those teasing

THIS BOOK IS PERFECT FOR: fans of baking, dinosaurs and romcoms all in one! I highly recommend checking out this stunning debut when it comes out!

3.5 Stars.

Alisha Blake is a small-town baker, but she has some big dreams. She is baking in her rural town for her grandfather’s restaurant. She dreams of moving to Chicago and opening her own bakery there. Alisha was very tied up in demands of her family almost to her detriment. This is so relatable to so many people.
The discovery of Dinosaur Bones in Alisha’s Grandfather’s backyard brings Quentin to town..
Quentin is still reeling from a recent break up that has him feeling a little at loose ends.
The characters of Quentin and Alisha are both great. They both have this nerdy quality that I really liked. They have some great banter between them which is always a win for me in a romance. Their romance was unexpected for both to them, which I do like. Neither felt it was the right time to fall in love.
I really liked the idea of this story. I love an instant connection romance but adding in the miscommunication trope had me at time want to shake someone. There also was this emotional immaturity both characters had, I felt like if one of them had been more confident the story would have played out better.
This was a very eccentric and unusual romance. The premise felt fresh and really thought out. I loved the mix of dinosaurs and baking. There is an air of witticism to this romance that I haven’t seen in a long time.

Digging Up Love by C. Blumberg, published by Montlake, is a full length, stand-lone romance novel.
Alisha is a 30 year old woman, living in a small town and dreaming of her own bakery in a big city. But you know, family and all.
Quentin is a professor for paleontology and when he gets an email about an artifact he hurries to the site.
And at first he stumbles over Alisha - and he's a goner.
A slow burn, entertaining, witty and fun read with a few twists and turns brings the mincharacters that don't have much in common - at first sight - together. Witty and fun, romance at its best. 5 stars.

3.5 stars
What could be a truly smart way to come up with a new take on romance. Well, the popular baking trend would be cool with a woman who has that talent and works as a baker. What else is popular...I know Dinosaurs! Because I am enjoying my grand kids, I hear about dinosaurs all of the time. So when I saw this book had both of my favorite elements as ways to move the story forward, I was all in.

A fun romance and worth the read.

We absolutely loved this title and can't wait to work with the author at Scribbler. Charming, fun, lovable, with surprisingly delightful depth.