Melissa Brayden is fast becoming my favourite author. I have not yet read a book of hers I didn’t like. This was no exception. I LOVED both characters and could see elements of myself in both. I loved how Marigold finally put herself first and how Alexis gave her the opportunities. I loved the Lavender family dynamic and all of the individuals and I can’t wait to read more in this series.
There was literally nothing I disliked about this book and I devoured it almost in one sitting!
More please!

When we were first introduced to Alexis, I didn't like her. The author did a great job of changing my mind though. I feel that some of serious bits in this story were almost too much in comparison to the lightheartedness of the rest of it.
I was also not sold on some of the language. The cutesy way about Marigold and the Midwestern phrases and such took me out of the story a little here and there. I think it is not something I would normally pick up. However, I am willing to overlook it because I always love a good enemies to lovers and the spice in this was pretty great.
It's a solid 3.5 stars for me storywise, but the spice would probably convince me to read more by this author.

(Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for this ARC!)

This is an enemies to lovers romance. Alexis Wakefield, a well established food reviewer, wrote an honest but unfavourable review about a small town restaurant. She got into trouble when the sister of the restaurant owner, Marigold Lavender, expressed her thoughts about the review publicly. With her career in jeopardy, Alexis now finds herself in the small town that sets all this spiralling downhill. Sparks fly when she comes face to face with Marigold again, who still seems angry at her.

This was a really good read. There was definitely chemistry between the 2 main characters. You could see Alexis trying to reflect on who she was and how she may appear to others. She is truly a nice person despite how her reviews may come across. Marigold is a dreamer and tend to live in her make believe world. And she always there for everyone else around her.

I love the Lavender family. This is the second book of the series and I can’t wait to now read the first. Would definitely recommend this one.

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

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️
📝🤳🍩🐶🌉

Marigold by Melissa Brayden is book two in the world of the Lavender sisters but can be read as a standalone. I read this one first, and everything makes sense. Of course, if you've read The Last Lavender Sister, Aster, and Brynn are in this book too.

Marigold is the middle Lavender sister, born after Violet, and older sister to her brother Sage and Aster. Marigold is like the mother hen of the family since the passing of their mother, always doing everything for her family, and putting herself last. She is the sunshine of everyone's day and all love her. When the food critic, Alexis comes into the small town of Homer's Bluff, Kanas to review Aster's restaurant, she is smitten at first glance. But things go wrong with a horrible, mean review, considering it was meant to be the best night of Aster's family and working life. Of course, Marigold being the fierce protector of her family that she is, posts a rebuttal video that goes viral.

From there, the two clash, with a mixture of hate and attraction until finally, after "experimenting for science," they give into temptation. From that moment, these two are goals.

Like everything I've read from Melissa so far, this book has you rooting for the main couple, laughing at certain moments, and crying at others. I loved the closeness of the family members, and how everyone comes together at hard times. I love how they all got through to Marigold that she deserves to put herself first. I loved the characters, the plot, the spicy scenes. I loved it all.

I would also like to point out I resonated so much with Marigold! Her coming out journey is me to a T. I even have contact dermatitis on my hands! Book twin!

Thank you to Netgalley, Boldstrokes Books, and Melissa Braydon for the copy of the ebook. This review is left voluntarily.

Marigold, a tale of enemies to lovers set in small town USA with a delightful extended family of Lavenders.
This book is full of emotion, life changing consequences and donuts to die for.
Melissa Brayden is the Queen of Romance and this is no exception, low on angst high on love, it hits the right spot.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars

I've enjoyed a lot of Melissa Brayden books over the years. I consider this one to be somewhere near the middle of the pack. I enjoyed the read and liked the characters, but the pacing was slightly off for me and the romance didn't come together perfectly.

--- The Breakdown ---

Marigold Lavender daydreams about romance. Maybe someday the perfect woman will finally swoop into her life. But there aren't many single queer women in her small town, and let's be real—Marigold is too busy taking care of her entire family to date anyway. She's also extremely protective of her family, so when a well-known food critic publishes a scorching review of her sister's restaurant, Marigold is sure to give the woman a piece of her mind. Food critic Alexis Wakefield suddenly finds herself canceled after Marigold's message to her goes viral. Alexis needs a place to stay while this whole thing blows over. Marigold's little town might be the perfect place to hide, make some amends, and maybe... even fall in love.

cw: past parental death, cancer, abusive sibling relationship

The Characters: I feel like Brayden is great at adding quirks to her characters to give them a little extra sparkle. Well, Marigold is probably the quirkiest of her MCs that I've met so far. She is dreamy, romantic, and optimistic, but at the same time, an anchor for her family and a bit of a worrier. She's also stubborn and feisty and overprotective of those she cares for. I really liked Marigold's character, and I think she stayed true to herself, even when it led to a conflict that kind of annoyed me. Alexis's character is also likable. I almost wish she had been more of an ice queen, but she very quickly shows that she is a kind, warm person, unlike her work persona. I didn't read the first book, so I didn't have all the character backstories, but I like the small town vibe Brayden created in this book. Marigold's family stands out the most. Some of the other side characters seemed a little random and overly quirky. I thought some of the bits with Marigold's friend Tillman were weird, but they get less so as the book progresses.

The Romance: There was really great chemistry between Marigold and Alexis at the start. I felt like they resolved their issues and got together a little too quickly. I wish there had been more build up to their relationship. I also was not a fan of the conflict that later arose, though I know it's a realistic one. I like Marigold and Alexis together, but I also think there was something missing. <spoiler> I felt like Marigold was into Alexis because Alexis was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Okay, fair enough. Alexis was interested in Marigold because of her realness and the close bonds her family has. But why do they work well together? How do they complete each other? </spoiler> I wanted to see their connection deepen more. Maybe it felt particularly unsatisfying because I don't think either MC actually fully dealt with her past issues.

The Plot: The plot mostly follows the romance, though there are side plots happening, like Alexis's career rebounding. <spoiler> On that point, I felt like it was a little too easy for Alexis to get her job back. I know she changed her approach and realized where she went wrong, but I would have liked to see her do more (maybe with Marigold's help) so that plot could have been more built out. </spoiler> The story was pretty engaging, for the most part. I did end up taking a break part way through (right before the conflict hits) because things had slowed down.

All in all: Brayden knows how to write lesfic. This is a solid one that I had fun with. Would recommend if you're in the mood for a (mostly) calm, quirky small town romance with great physical chemistry between the MCs.

** NetGalley provided me with a free ARC. All opinions are my own.

3 stars. Marigold Lavender loves her sister Aster's restaurant. Alexis Wakefield is a highly regarded restaurant food critic, she visits restaurants all over the country and writes reviews for a San Francisco paper. When Alexis gives it a bad review, she turns to the interview to cancel Alexis. Marigold and Alexis are both attracted to each other, but do not know what to do with it, since they are opposite sides.

This book was not my favorite Melissa Brayden. I thought the flow of the book was okay and I did not really like the characters. This series was not my favorite as a whole, and this. book was weaker than the first. I thought the concept of the book was fine, but I felt like the characters spending a lot of time together was forced. I am a little sad since I normally love her books, but this not one I will be re-reading.

If Melissa Brayden writes it will read it, and there is a very good chance I’ll love it. I smiled my way through this one and stayed up way too late to finish.

This is the second book set in this world and follows Marigold and Alexis. The two get off to a very rocky start due to an overly harsh online review and a very protective sister. It is your typical “enemies” to lovers story. The author writes in a very formulaic way, but it’s a solid formula. I always know what to expect going in and I haven’t been disappointed yet. I am a character driven reader and not many authors consistently build characters that I feel connected to, but this book delivers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Marigold by Melissa Brayden is one of the best enemies-to-lovers romances I’ve read in quite a while. This one has all the “feels” you expect in a Melissa Brayden love story with the addition of exceptionally well-developed characters, as always.

Marigold Lavender is the sort of person you want to have as a best friend or a dear sister. She is kind, loving and helpful. She is always ready to jump in and work to make things better for others, especially her family and friends. She thinks of others before herself which may be one reason why she is the only Lavender sibling still single. When a celebrity food critic named Alexis Wakefield trashes the restaurant that belongs to Aster Lavender (Marigold’s sister), Marigold decides Ms. Wakefield must pay for her caustic words.

As you can tell, this is obviously a character-driven story with folks you’ll fall in love with and want to know in real life. Marigold is also a sequel to Ms. Brayden’s highly acclaimed, award-winning novel, The Last Lavender Sister, so most of the secondary characters and the main setting should be familiar to those of you who have read the first book.

I enjoyed catching up with the folks I’d come to know and care about in the first story, and witnessing perhaps the sweetest Lavender sister finally find her happily-ever-after.

You could read Marigold as a standalone, but I would strongly suggest you read both books in order. I highly recommend both novels.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Back to Homer's Bluff to catch up with the lovely Lavender Sisters and follow Marigolds road to her forever love. Ofcourse this being Brayden novel this means at first Marigold and Alexis are at odds with eachother, then they connect with the support of surrounding characters, but something comes up and it doesn't work out. Until it does and they live happily ever after.
It sounds like I'm being a bit negative now which is definitely not the case..Brayden should do what Brayden does best and that's writing romance with fun characters, quirky dialogue and romantic gestures. You always know what you are gonna get when you pick up her books and she'll rarely disappoint. In my opinion she remains at the top of the list when it comes to best sapphic romance and I don't see her losing that spot any time soon!

***Thank you Netgalley and BoldStrokeBooks for the chance to read and review this book ***

Here we have Alexis and Marigold. Alexis starts off as something of an ice queen, a SF based food critic with a snarky style that has made her a great success. Marigold is the usually kind, always supportive middle sister in middle America, who keeps her love life firmly ensconced in an imaginary compartment where the loves of her life are right out of romance novels. But therein lies the issue - she’s always the helpful friend or devoted sister/daughter. Until Marigold engages the perp of one negative critique of her younger sister’s restaurant, and launches a video throwing said food critic right under the cancel-culture bus. When Alexis and Marigold re-encounter each other, we’re off to the enemies-to-lovers races. Alexis has enough early self-awareness about the type of character she’s become and gravitates towards revealing to others her natural warmth and affection. Marigold is the catalyst. Their development as characters moves along at a nice pace, and I was ok with the imbalance in how quickly it took one character to truly get her metaphorical sh1tstuff together (looking at you Marigold). People and situations are different, growth comes when it comes. Big shoutout for the saxxy scenes, now that I know how difficult some authors find in writing them. Marigold, and the previous book, Last Lavender Sister, remind what I love about Brayden and how much I love her series works.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publishers of Marigold for the opportunity to read and review this delightful book, which returns to the Lavender family in Homer's Bluff.

With Marigold we are given a good idea of who is the glue of the Lavender family since their mother died.

And this is a lovely heartfelt story about Marigold, but also demonstrates the connections between the different family members and tells Marigold's own journey to love and fulfilment.

Sophisticated food critic and caustic Alexis appears to be the opposite of all Marigold is and stands for. The story of their confrontation and relationship dynamics is skilfully done with a great storyline and witty dialogue resulting in a satisfactory outcome for all concerned. Loved this. 5*

I was intrigued by the premise, but unfortunately couldn't get into this book. I did like the relationships between the siblings (and Marigold's friendship with her ex!). The small town feel was also really nice.

Marigold Lavender works for the family business, a shop that sells all things lavender (with lavender grown on the family farm). When a critic bashes her younger sister's restaurant, she posts a response online that ends up getting Alexis, the critic, fired from her job.

One of the main things I struggled with in this book is why ONE negative response from somebody with no following would go so viral and end up costing Alexis her job. It's framed as though this is the first time anyone has responded negatively to her work--so why does Marigold's post have so much power?
Another issue I had is that Alexis is known for being mean in her posts (which we see when her narration calls the risotto "slightly runny" and then she absolutely tears it apart in the review)--but then we're meant to believe that she's the victim in this situation (there's a conversation about cancel culture in which she's literally called the victim). She said something really mean, Marigold responded pretty validly... and now Marigold is the rude one/the villain?
Alexis was just completely unsympathetic to me, and once it was established that she played the victim, I found myself reading her as an unreliable narrator--she has some issues with her sister, and any time those issues were brought up I found myself wondering what Alexis had done to provoke her sister, since it's been established that she's the "victim" in a situation in which she was clearly the one at fault.

I also couldn't quite get into the prose, and that on top of the other issues made me DNF.

Really enjoyed this story. Marigold was a gem of a character. Her and Alexis really are made for each other. The friends and family from previous books made this even more enjoyable. I liked that this was an enemies to lovers story and the antics that happened were the most fun to read. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family and I look forward to what's next from this author

Marigold lives in her own head, where her fantasy women never disappoint her. She is perfectly content in her small town, working with her sister in the family's lavender store and taking care of everyone else. When a snarky food critic trashes her sister's restaurant, the claws come out.
Alexis has made a name for herself with her sometimes biting restaurant reviews. She doesn't give that much thought to the impact of her words until Marigold Lavender retaliates on her sister's behalf.
After losing her job, she escapes to the scene of the crime, Homer's Bluff, Kansas, for some much needed self-reflection. Alexis and Marigold really don't want to like each other, but the chemistry between them is undeniable. I really liked these two together, but what I really love about this book is the love the Lavender family have for each other. They have each other's backs, but they also can provide a good kick in the ass when warranted.
It was great catching up with the Lavender family and wonderful for Marigold to get her own story and find a love that exists somewhere other than her own thoughts. This was another winner from Melissa Brayden.

An ARC was received from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for an honest review.

At first, I was a bit surprised Marigold was getting her own story, perhaps it was because after reading "The Last Lavender Sister", in my head at least, Marigold was JUST Aster's older sister.
I made the mistake of making her a side character when she truly is the main one in her story.
Honestly, this one was easy to read and had several fun and surprising situations that put a smile on my face.
At first, it was hard to let go of the notion I had of Marigold, but after a few chapters everything made sense and I just enjoyed the ride.
The whole enemies to lovers was tackled early on, and I enjoyed how everyone was supportive of the relationship.
Alexis is such a nice character and I loved how she stood next to Marigold when she needed it the most, being a supportive partner and understanding the fears she had.
Solid as a standalone, and maybe recommended as the first read of the series for everyone to get a better feel of the characters.

All the stars are for the Lavender Sisters, my favorite will continue to be Aster and her, my favorite book by Melissa Brayden
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I liked Marigold with her dreams and her head in the clouds, speaking to the sky and trying to keep the family on its feet, as well as Alexis's sophisticated and boos bitch vibes, I liked the banter and that it took a dreamy romantic who always sees the positive in everything to unite them, but halfway through the plot I felt that they were losing chemistry and energy, that their relationship was very repetitive
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I loved the twists and turns of the story and how it got to the end but I would have loved Marigold to use some of her strong energy to win back the woman of her life, it would be amazing
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I am a fan of Melissa Brayden and her stories, they fill the world of romance genre with something that is missing and although I am not a fan of Angst, I really enjoyed when she writes it
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Thanks to Melissa Brayden and Boldstrokes books for give me a copy of this Beautiful book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion

Marigold is a great addition to the Last Lavender Sister series. I enjoyed it quite a bit more than the first novel in this series and would not hesitate to recommend. Really, you can’t go wrong with any one of Melissa Brayden’s romances. I love the witty banter and the chemistry her characters share. This one is sexy and sweet.

There is something so warm and supportive about the Lavender sisters. Marigold the one that helps everyone else and lives within her dreams is my favourite, so I was looking forward to reading this book. All the cast are there - from towns folk to family. It’s a bit like wrapping yourself in a blanket and snuggling down. Total feel good story with a bit of feistiness added in. You actively want the Lavender’s to be happy.

Everyone needs a Marigold in their life!

Marigold is annoyed and upset on her sister, Aster’s behalf when Alexis, a food reviewer, produces a report on her experience at Aster’s restaurant. When her actions end up getting Alexis cancelled, Alexis returns with the intention of making sure Marigold pays for the damage but she ends up learning so much about Marigold that she actually ends up developing feelings she never expected to have.

Absolutely delicious story, with drama, intense moments, and so much cuteness and sunshine it just made me smile. Marigold is completely infectious and got right under my skin, just as she ended up doing to Alexis. She was passionate, loyal, but she had a deep routed sense of care for her family. All that made her such an emotionally complex character that I couldn’t help but be drawn to, admire, and want all the happiness in the world for. When Alexis came back, I was sure all hell might break loose, but as it turned out Marigold and her whole family were completely irresistible and it was great how they all got to know Alexis so we could also learn all about her beyond her status as a food reviewer.

I loved Marigold and Alexis together, both when they kept running into one another and Alexis was hesitant and awkward during their communications. When they finally started to realise that there might be room for one another in their lives, it was magical. Alexis got the most unexpected reaction from a town where she was sure her name was dirt and had completely ruined her career, and yet Marigold discovered the one thing she’d been searching for all her life and finally had the opportunities she’d always wanted to take but held back from out of need to worry and take care of everything and everyone else.

I adored every moment of the story and hope there will be more in future with Marigold and Alexis because an exciting future now awaits them. I couldn’t put this down and loved how every page held excitement, wonder, and heaps of positivity from Marigold, even when things seemed hopeless or not possible. Just an uplifting and fun romance.