This story has two interesting protagonists although their description in some situations is a bit confusing. Perhaps the author has tried to get away from stereotypes by presenting a woman who works as a contractor, Maddie, who outside of work is feminine, which is not strange in itself, although at times it has seemed a bit forced to excessively feminize her. . And the other protagonist, Sy, is a chef who is on the butch side of the lesbian spectrum, in her professional life and in her personal life as well.

Sy has just accepted a job making cheese on a farm in a small town in Vermont, she is from the west coast, used to the heat, Vermont is on the opposite end of warm California.

The need to completely and thoroughly renovate his new house will make Sy hire Maddie's company for the work, although the enormous financial cost that he will need and which he does not have, forces Sy to have to collaborate in the less expensive jobs. and simpler so that the cost of the reform is lowered. Hence the title of the book. Work Sy does to build up value without a salary.

And between sanding and painting Sy and Maddie begin a relationship that is initially superficial and without expectations for either of them, but as the months go by and once the renovation is completed, it ends up being more than they thought and at the time After taking one more step, doubts arise. In any case, nothing that cannot be solved.

The story seems to be the first of several, as Maddie's two siblings and Maddie's best friend and Sy's employer are also queer.

This was such a delightful story to read. I am a big fan of Aurora Rey’s style of story telling and she manages to bring something fresh to her romances each time. From the very beginning I enjoyed the banter between Sy, the cheese making butch and Maddie the contractor who is going make her house liveable so she can keep making cheese.

Communication is a key to any successful relationship and it’s how they communicate that makes this refreshing. With a strong cast of secondary characters, I feel this like we could cross paths with these two again. What a delight that will be. I look forward to it as I feel they have more to give.

I really enjoyed watching this romance blossom and I felt a connection to them. Also a craving for cheese and biscuits I might add, in which I indulged whilst reading haha. Highly recommend this far from cheesy romance. Loved it.

Aurora Rey strikes again! I've been a fan of Rey for while now. Some of my favorite comfort reads, are Rey books, and I feel confident this will land in that pile as well. This book follows Sy, a chef and cheese maker, that moved to a small town to make cheese. In the process she purchased a house unseen, which may have been a mistake, given the condition of the house. The contractor Sy's boss recommends, is Maddie, a local contractor who is suspicious of anyone who buys a dying house unseen. Despite Maddies suspicions, Sy's charm and can do attitude slowly breaks Maddies walls down and their chemistry peaks through.

I really like Sy. She was very open and loosey goosey. It is clear her love of food and how that and her witty banter with maddie, breaks through some of the judgement Maddie held. Like many of Rey's books I've read, both characters had their strengths and weaknesses, but at the end of the day, the characters talk to each other. it is an unfortunate trope in contemporary romances, with having the characters uncharacteristically quiet with each other, but not here. Which I love!

I would recommend this for fans of Rey's other books and contemporary romance. There is a good blend of DIY and food appreciation.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bold Strokes for providing an ARC for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book so much that I had recommended it to people when I was hardly halfway through!
Sweat Equity is exactly what I love in a romance. There's fun, there's jokes, there's nice side characters as well as main characters that I would like as friends IRL.
There are issues in the lives of the main characters that are too big to solve within the skope of the book, which I enjoy, because not everthing can be easily solved! It adds a nice realistic touch :) Also, communication! they make an effort!!

All in all, a romance I definitely recommend to all who enjoy sapphic romances! Now i'm off to see what else Aurora Rey has to offer :D


I would like to thank Netgalley and Bold Stroke Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Sy is a cheese maker who moves to a small town in Vermont and purchases a house sight unseen. When she arrives she is shocked by the amount of work that must be done to make the house inhabitable. She enlists recommendations from Clover, her boss, about construction work. Clover points her in the direction of her friend Maddie and Maddie’s family business. Maddie provides her an estimate and Sy is shocked by the price. Maddie offers Sy sweat equity if she assists with certain aspects of the work.

Over the course of the various projects, Sy and Maddie grow close and begin spending time together outside of the house renovations. Their extracurricular activities sizzled and were varied in nature. The relationship was pretty drama free for the most part and was a nice romantic comedy. 4 stars

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

When I saw the description for this book, I knew I would love it and was lucky enough to get an ARC! Sweat Equity by Aurora Rey is a sapphic rom com with flavors of renovation romance and cheese making. What could be a better combo?

If you’re looking for a sweet, fun and pretty quick read, definitely try this one. Pub day is October 10th!

After burning out as a chef, Sy moves to Vermont to start a new job making cheese. She buys a house sight-unseen and quickly finds out that it’s in a dire state and the reno will cost an arm and a leg. Enter Maddie, BFF to the cheese business and contractor. A mate’s rates quote and some sweat equity later we have liftoff for a spicy rom-com. A light, fun and of course, cheesy read.

Free ARC via NetGalley

3.5 stars, rounded up because some of what took it down for me is personal preference.

Sweat Equity is a great low-to-no-angst romance; it feels perfectly slice-of-life as it follows Sy and Maddie's romance, from Sy buying a house sight unseen in Vermont (spoilers, it's bad) and Maddie heading the project to restore it, to the two of them settling down together. There's a blip of tension towards the end, but between it occurring at 85% in and it mostly being assumptions in Maddie's mind that everyone tries to talk her around and how far gone both Maddie and Sy are for each other at that point, it's less worry about a breakup and more waiting for them to talk. All of this allows you to really sink into the romance between them and its development and its spice. I enjoyed getting to see how much Maddie really loves her small town and how her family has become part of its fabric and watching Sy settle down into that. We get allusions to things in both Sy's and Maddie's past in the sense that they've lead to both of their choices and insecurities, but they never really get explained or explored, which feels both real and frustrating as a reader. But at the end of the day, they're good together.

There is a lot at the beginning of every single line being taken both ways as innuendo, which got tired after a while (don't get me wrong, I love a good "oh shit, do I explain what I meant or leave the flirtation and see how they respond", but when it's all but literally every single line for 20%, I long for something more), and Maddie's reluctance to even bring up the question of Sy going somewhere else (girl, she just bought a house and put months of work into it and bought her dream kitchen for it, she's not taking off three months later) even when everyone around her kept telling her that she was projecting and making assumptions and needed to actually talk (and then when they did, Sy ended up apologize for not being clearer that she 100% intended to stay?) grated, but that's on me. The last is very personal preference, in that I'm not the sort of sapphic very into strap-ons, and while the sex scenes don't all include straps, most either do or involve references to them, so if that's your vibe, you've got a lot to love here.

Fun, sapphic romcom that centers around the world of cheese-making. Next to book store romcoms, I’d say cheese romcoms are now my fav haha

Sy moves to small town Vermont to start a new job making cheese. She buys a house sight-unseen and regrets it because of all the work that will need to go into it. Unable to afford the quote, the general contractor, Maddie, offers for Sy to help on the projects to lower the cost. And… commence romance!

Please note, this one is pretty spicy, if you are looking for that in a read.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Sweat Equity to come out October 10, 2023.

Rey's books never fail to captivate my attention from the get-go. She writes witty, engaging characters that have their flaws, but it would be weird if they didn't.

Sy Travino moves to rural Vermont to become a cheesemaker. It wasn't what she thought she'd end up doing, but loves it.. And she buys a house sight unseen that needs a lot more work then she bargained for. Sy isn't looking for a relationship or anything like it, but sparks fly when she meets Maddie.

Enter Maddie Barrow who thinks the current owner isn't that bright to buy a house like this, but a job is a job right, especially when they new owner works for her best friend. Maddie doesn't want to become attached to someone who she believes won't be content staying in a small town, but Maddie can't resist Sy.

They fall into bed and start dating. I enjoyed the development of their relationship and the well-written sex scenes. Rey never disappoints with those.

As always, Rey writes intriguing characters and usually always has a butch MC. She manages to make them different though and not repetitive which is refreshing. I very much enjoyed this book and was excited to see that this is book 1. I look forward to the next one either about Clover or Logan or even Jack. I highly recommend this heartwarming, engaging, low angst book.

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

"Sweat Equity" is a delightful read! This book effortlessly combines a heartwarming, low-angst storyline with romance, making it the perfect literary escape.

From the moment I delved into the pages of this charming story, I was swept away by the unexpected journey of Sy, a talented chef turned cheese maker, who finds herself on a picturesque goat farm in rural Vermont. Her dream of crafting exquisite chèvre cheese becomes a reality, despite the less-than-ideal condition of the house she purchased.

Enter Maddie, the renovator extraordinaire, who can't fathom buying a house sight unseen. Their paths cross when Maddie takes on the formidable task of restoring Sy's barely livable home. What follows is a delightful dance of chemistry and connection that leaves you rooting for their blossoming romance.

While "Sweat Equity" is an absolute joy to read, I must confess my only minor gripe – the ending left me yearning for more resolution, particularly concerning Maddie's family business. It felt a tad abrupt and left a few unanswered questions, which was a slight disappointment. However, this is a small blemish in an otherwise enchanting story.

What truly shines in this book is the author's writing style. The narrative flows seamlessly, allowing readers to effortlessly immerse themselves in the world of cheese-making, renovation, and, of course, the captivating chemistry between Sy and Maddie.

"Sweat Equity" is a book I wholeheartedly recommend. It's the ideal read to curl up with and escape into a heartwarming story that radiates warmth and charm. While the ending may leave you wanting more, the journey is so enjoyable that it's well worth it. So, grab a cozy blanket, brew your favorite beverage, and let "Sweat Equity" transport you to the enchanting world of Sy and Maddie's unexpected love story.