Love to Hate You, by Camilla Isley, begins with Samantha, a New York movie producer. Sam must leave her comforts in New York to go to a small town to get a movie she is producing back on track. When she gets there, she finds out that the reason the movie is behind schedule is because the town mayor, Travis, has been dragging his feet signing the permits needed for filming. This begins our love story, and it is a good one. I really enjoyed getting to know Sam and Travis and seeing how they work through their love story living 800 miles apart. The writing is really well done and this is a strong 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. Thank you NetGalley and Camilla Isley for this advanced copy!

This is an enemy to lovers story, when movie producer Sam has to move temporarily to Indiana to get a derailing movie set back on track. She butts heads with Travis, mayor and former NYC lawyer. It was actually really fun to watch their love evolve, and it wasn’t overly spicy (I tend to skim through graphic sex scenes because it doesn’t bring any plot forth for me). I also loved the lack of a “falling out” and coming back together - it was refreshing there wasn’t that type of drama and it was partnering together to solve the long distance. The only reason I’m docking .5 points is because the epilogue didn’t do it for me and the story feels unfinished of what happens in the future.

SO SO GOOD!!!!

this follows samantha, a movie producer who has to temporarily move to a rural indiana town to oversee her latest film. the movie has been delayed due to the mayor stalling permit approvals, so she takes it upon herself to confront him… only for the major to be the cowboy who saved her from a cow just days before.

this was such a joy to read and i loved every minute. it has similar vibes to the hannah montana movie sans the whole pop star double life thing (lol).

it is opposites attract excellence and i can definitely see myself rereading it in the future!

I thought this was such a good rom com! This was such a fun play on the career driven main character and the small town love interest! I really enjoyed the way the story flowed and how their relationship developed! I especially loved that there wasn’t a third act breakup!!!

This is going to be my fav romcom of the summer and possible the whole year. This is something I could see being adapted to screen and I would pay to go see it. I absolutely loved the female main character Sam and her quick whit and banter. The hi jinx associated with the town was hilarious, enemies to lovers is the best trope and the Hollywood plot line are all things that just make this book *chefs kiss*. I would love to get a physical of this one for my shelf!

So fun and good for summer read :))

If this was first person, dual pov & open door it would be a ten stars book. But it isn’t so I’m going to give it only three.

It’s good enemies-to-lovers, small town story.

“You look breathtaking in the moonlight.” 🥹

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the free advance copy of Love to Hate You.

Samantha Baker lives in N.Y.C. and works for a big movie production company. When she is sent to rural Indiana for three months it is her version of a nightmare: she hates the country and can't imagine living anywhere but N.Y.C.
When she is on location she keeps meeting Travis Hunt who is the good-looking mayor of the town. At first he annoys her completely but of course those feelings change over time. But can there be a future for them when she has to go back to N.Y.C.?

This is a lovely and entertaining enemies to lovers story set in a small town. I enjoyed reading it very much: the characters were relatable, the story believable and I just loved the animals that are almost supporting characters.
If you think the blurb sounds interesting go on and read the book - you will not be disappointed.

I received an ARC via Netgalley.com and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Love to Hate You by Camilla Isley was the perfect way to forget the blistering Missouri summer heat - at least for an afternoon while reading this lovely book.

Samantha Baker is a movie producer who loves everything about living in New York City and thrives on her friendship, work, and the big city. She is horrified when she is ordered to spend 3 months in Indiana getting one of her movies that is woefully behind schedule back on track. She reluctantly goes, and on her way to her lodging is stopped in her tracks by a cow blocking the road. This city slicker in stilettos has no idea what to do and is eventually helped by a gorgeous man on horseback who is as annoying as he is helpful.

She finds out that the helpful cowboy is the son of the proprietress of the B&B she is staying at and that's aggravating as heck to her, and even more-so the next day when she discovers that this man, Travis, is actually Theodore Abraham Hunt, the mayor who has been holding her production hostage for months because he won't approve the permits needed for permission. After serious blackmail-type negotiations, Sam and Travis come to a reluctant agreement. Sam's production company will make permanent improvements to the area and volunteer to clean up the lake they plan on using for production.

After several encounters that are mutual lust/infuriation things start to change when Travis shows Samantha the waterfall in the town. They soon give in to their feelings and she starts to discover that small-town life isn't as bad as she thought - especially if you're with the right person. No more spoilers, but they have to decide if a possible long -term relationship is worth the pain in the butt it will be.

If you're looking for descriptive sex scenes, this isn't the book for you - it's incredibly tame by today's standards, but it is a great read, with or without the spice.

As a Midwesterner myself, I was really surprised that a guy from Indiana is a considered a cowboy - a farmer who rides a horse, absolutely, but a cowboy? Who knew. Ms. Isley has a way with words that immediately drew me in and made me care about the main characters and she writes great secondary characters. Are Duncan and Amber getting their own book? I sure hope so!

This book was given to me as an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own

This is the 4th book that I’ve read in Camilla Isley’s First Comes Love series that is being re-released, and I’m finding that I really enjoy this author. Love to Hate You was previously published as Sweet Love and Country Roads. Though a few characters from previous books appear in this one, it could easily be read as a standalone.

Unlike the previous books I read in the series, Love to Hate You is written from only one perspective, that of movie producer Samantha Baker. I’ll be honest, at first I wasn’t sure how much I would like Sam, since her character begins the book with an abrasive personality and a focus on fashion that just isn’t something I relate to. As I kept reading, though, I found that more likable parts of her personality become more apparent, and I ending up liking her character a lot. She’s a strong female character that gets things done, but underneath it all she has insecurities just like everyone. I also enjoyed the main male character, Travis. I’m not into cowboys, but it didn’t take long to see that his character was far more complex than he first appeared.

At first the locations and people in the story felt a little bit stereotyped, but I think it was mostly to set up the “city girl stuck in the country” scenario. Also, it makes sense since we are seeing everything from Sam’s perspective, and that’s how she felt. I was glad to see that over the course of the story, Sam was able to see the country as more than cows and pastures, just like Travis turned out to be more than just a simple cowboy.

Despite my reservations at the beginning, I ended up really enjoying this book. I got sucked into the story and devoured most of the book over the course of a day. I was satisfied with how things ended, and of course it was fun to get a few glimpses of some favorite characters from previous books. I’m definitely hoping to read more by Camilla Isley in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the free advance copy of Love to Hate You. All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

This is my second book by Camilla, and I'm well and truly a fan! This was such a lovely, fun opposites attract, enemies to lovers, small town story - I was captivated from the start.

'His lids are closed, and he's the most handsome man I've ever laid eyes on. And the most horrible'.

Synopsis
Samantha is a city girl, she loves the hustle and bustle of New York, the nightlife, takeaways on command. So when she's asked to go to rural Indiana to try and get a movie back on track, she's in hell.

Arriving in Indiana, she meets Travis, a cowboy who helps move a cow from the middle of the road. But when she arrives at the B&B, she finds out that Travis is the owners son. It doesn't stop there, the Mayor is stopping the movie permits, and who ends up being the Mayor of this town? Travis.

As she works with Travis, cutting a deal to get the movie permits, she sees him everywhere. Will this initial hatred of him turn into something more?

Thoughts
A lovely, light hearted rom-com, featuring favourite tropes of a small town setting, enemies to lovers and opposites attract. I loved seeing Samantha and Travis inevitably fall for each other, working through their initial dislikes, to not wanting to be apart.

A joy to read, I read it all in one sitting and was smiling seeing their romance flourish. Also, special shout out to the goat. I can't wait to read more from Camilla!

'And if I had to capture happiness in a moment in time, it'd be this one'.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this copy. This review is voluntary.

Samantha Baker can’t think of anything worse than being forced to move to the middle of nowhere, Indiana to oversee a movie production. This latte loving city girl gets a shock when she meets the horse riding Mayor, Travis Hunt. As tensions ride between them, they may realize that they’re more alike than they thought.

Initially I didn’t like Sam’s character and how shallow she was portrayed. However, I liked her personality and how strong willed she was later in the book. The tension was 10/10 with the enemies to lovers trope. Overall I really enjoyed the book and the aspects of the midwest.

Rating 5/5

“You look breath-taking in the moonlight.”

Samantha Baker lives and breathes the city. Working in New York as a film director, she gets sent to the small town, Emerald Creek, when her film production is not doing so well. Her initial interaction with local cowboy Travis Hunt does not start off the smoothest, and neither do the ones that follow. Over time, Sam learns to love Emerald Creek and Travis’ company. That is until, her movie production wraps up and she has some tough decisions to make.

The cover is what initially drew me into this book. The colour and the animation is strikingly eye-catching.

Travis is an absolute sweetheart from start to finish (and even before that with the choices he made regarding his career to help his mum out. Although Sam starts of as un-relatable and slightly stuck-up, I really grew to enjoy reading from her POV towards the middle of the book (especially when she started to love Hildi & Fluffy!)

Even though this book is single POV and fade-to-black, you can feel the sexual tension between Sam & Travis from the start through the Travis’ actions, even if Sam doesn’t see it at the start.

Although I felt the book ended quite quickly, I loved how they didn’t compromise on the job situation and both got what they wanted.

This is my first Camilla Isley book and I will definitely be picking up another.

This book includes:
- Small Town
- City Girl/Country Boy
- ‘Enemies’-to-lovers
- Adorable farm animals

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc of this book.

⤷‧₊˚3⭑
“if i had to capture happiness in a moment in time, it’d be like this one. me laughing my head off in the grass with my man, my goat, and my cat.”

i’m ALWAYS down for a good written small town romance (especially if it’s a cowboy romance) so when i saw this on netgalley, i clicked on it immediately.

it was a cute and quick sommer read also if you looking for a book that’s not spicy and has fade to black scenes this is for you!

thank you so much netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

(internal screaming) this book was so adorable and lovely and wholesome 😭

💫 Enemies (ishhh) to lovers
💫 The banter 😭 it's like a "poke poke poke" to love trope
💫 A goat bestie and a cat bestie <3 the love had me tearing up
💫 No third act breakup, I'm so infinitely grateful that this book solved the third act drama so well
💫 An overall light and cheery read

TWs - death of parent (past, mentioned a couple of times)

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I am always up for a good small town romance book and this was just that! It was cute and a good read for the summertime while you are relaxing. Having the tropes enemies to lovers and opposites attract was just an added bonus! Usually I’m not one to read a lot of fade to black romances but this was a good book! The cover is absolutely adorable! The characters were ever so charming and the banter was wonderful! This is a part of a series but you can read it as a standalone.

A big thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books, the author and Books & Tonic for the the ARC!

Thank you netgalley for the e-Arc!
This book gave me the warm and fuzzies but I sure did feel Samantha’s frustration with Travis in the beginning 😅
Definitely enjoyed this one, I didn’t want to put it down but unfortunately real life got in the way too many times when I was reading that it took me longer than I wanted it to. I could have easily read this in one sitting and highly recommend it to anyone that is after a rom-com type book.
Samantha and Travis’ story is predictable in places but this is a proper comfort read and I wouldn’t mind reading it again. I also want a sequel please as I would love a follow on!
Hilde and Fluffy are a great addition to the story and I now want a goat 😂

Thanks to NetGalley for another great Camilla Isley book!

Love to Hate You is part of the First Comes Love Series. Filming for a movie is way behind so Sam has to leave NY to go to a ranch in the middle of nowhere to get it back on track. The reason for the delay? The Mayor is holding up permit approvals. This makes Travis Sam’s enemy but yet they must work together and find a way to make the project helpful to both parties.

Travis is my favorite character. He’s sly but not in a way that makes him unlike able. The choices he makes are not selfish but for the good of his community. Sam is not a bad character either. She’s not afraid to take control and get things done.

Just like the other books in the series this a great quick light read with just the right amount of conflict to keep the story interesting and flowing.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.
I have to say that I really enjoyed reading this book. It might be my favourite by Camilla Isely so far....
I loved the setting of the book. And Travis and Sam were just pure perfection. I couldn't get enough of these two. I was giggling all the time while reading.

i was unprepared for this to be fade to black 😪
not that spice is the only component to making a good novel, but to pull off a well done enemies to lovers a certain amount of chemistry has to be there to make it feel authentic and unfortunately i feel like this was lacking in this specific novel and that was a real disappointment

*ARC Review*

4.5 stars

This was an awesome book! Small town romances are my favorite genre and this lived up to the theme.

Samantha Baker, an NYC film producer is forced to go to small town Indiana to save a floundering movie produced by her company. She meets country boy Travis Hunt who is also the mayor and lawyer. The relationship starts off rocky but eventually we get to see a very sweet romance between the two.

The book has the small town hits - a goat, line dancing - and a summer fair.

Highly recommend this sweet, closed door romance