Isn't this cover darling? I love it! And I love how the title ties into the story!

I've been wanting Jude and Gemma's story since there were teasers dropped in the first book, Memory Lane. Which, if you haven't read Memory Lane yet, go do so! You really should read them in order to have a better understanding of everything happening. Do you have to read them in order? No, I think the author wrote enough back info into this one to make it possible to be read as a standalone.

Gemma's family history and story was fun to finally learn more about them. And I loved that subplot that Becky Wade added into the story. It was so sweet to be there as Gemma and her mom and aunt went on a little family history treasure hunt. And the outcome wasn't at all what I was expecting. But I loved it! Then we have her cousin jumping into the plot and causing some upheaval to Gemma's life. Namely in the form of Jude Camden, FBI agent. He's there to strike a deal with Gemma the perfumer and help her out if she'll help the FBI out.

Oh my! These two together were just pure magic. Poor Jude is trying so hard to ignore the magic between them but he's not going to have much luck with that because Gemma is just spunky and fun and straightforward. The only problem is, he shouldn't get involved with her because they're working together.

The chemistry, between Gemma and Jude, and the chemistry of perfume was very captivating. I loved it all and was hooked! I couldn't help but cheer for these two and for their family members, who have some subplots of their own. Lots of emotions, family drama, struggles, healing, faith, trust, taking a leap, and following your heart! I'm here for it all! And I'm going to be anxiously awaiting the next book in this Sons of Scandal series! I. Can't. Wait!!!! Hahahaha! Okay, I can wait. I'll be patient but just know I am looking forward to it...very much so!

Content: Clean. This book has some kisses, a couple more passionate kisses but nothing further than kisses. Some mild moments of peril. This is a Christian fiction novel so there are some moments that Faith and God are mentioned. I thought it flowed very nicely and I don't think it would be off putting to readers who don't normally read that genre.

I received a copy from the author, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

I was so excited to get this arc - I loved the first in this series and the second did not disappoint. It was great to see how the previous couple continued to grow. I appreciated the fake dating troupe (one of my favorites) and I could see how they should end up together so quickly, and I loved how it grew slowly over the course of the investigation.

I enjoyed reading this. It's not heavy on the Christian part of the romance, but the subtle hints were great and the romance was interesting. I also liked the bit of thriller in it. A good read that made me get the prequel on Kindle Unlimited. I look forward to the remaining books in the series.

⭐️4.5. Memory Lane was a favorite read of mine last year, so I was very excited to have a chance to read the sequel. Jude was also mentioned in the first book, and he had me highly anticipating his story. So let me just start by saying this book was really enjoyable. I enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the relationship between the main characters.

Jude is an FBI agent working on a case against Gemma’s cousin. Gemma is a perfumer and business owner who aids Jude in bringing her cousin to justice. Jude was honorable, kind, and maybe a little bit uptight, but I found that endearing. He was a professional doing his job. Gemma came into his life like a perfumy tornado and made him loosen up a bit, which I found really fun. He ate two pieces of chocolate instead of one! *gasp* iykyk. With that said, Gemma was spunky, outgoing, sassy, and creative. Their meet cute was adorable and had me smiling like a dummy.

The FBI investigation plot is always intriguing to me and this was no exception. Especially the undercover part of an investigation. Add a sprinkle of fake dating and you have a close to perfect story.

The only complaints I have is that the story progression for the romance and the investigation was a little slow. I wanted more! I also wish that we had more of Jude and Gemma interacting. I think there were too many side character stories, and that kind of took away from the main romance. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this and will be highly anticipating Max’s story.

I highly recommend reading this if you enjoy:
- Fake dating
- Opposites attract
- Grumpy/Sunshine
- Clean/Christian romance

- Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, Memory Lane. It was a 5 star read fpr me so I was SO excited to get the ARC for book #2 in the Sons of Scandal series. However, I dnf.....I feel so bad but I just could not get into it. I didn't understand what was going on....too much FBI jargon and the family history of the FMC was hard to follow. Slow start that the book could not recover from. I am looking forward to Beck's next book....hopefully it will be more like Memory Lane.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Sweet romance, full of good feels and vibes of a clean romance. Christian vibes throughout but didn't detract from the story. Thank you to Netgalley and Becky Wade for the opportunity to review.

My first 5🌟 read of the year, Becky Wade did it again!!!!!
I just loved this fun rom-com with a lot of mystery too between a fbi agent and a perfumer 🩷
I loved Gemma and Jude conection but now I’m waiting for Max book 🫣 I think I fell in love with him!

If you love cute romances with some fake dating and grumpy x sunshine, you should definitely read this one!!!!


*Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

Rocky Road is book two in the Sons of Scandal series. Jude is the son in focus here. It isn't necessary to read the first book to enjoy this one, but it will give a foundation on who Jude is.

This is another fun read from this author. The characters are likeable, and much of the story revolves around dealing with family drama. This is Christian fiction so expect discussions about God and faith, with some prayer and church going as well.

I enjoyed it, and I think you will too.

Family friendly.

I liked this second book in the Sons of Scandal series even better than the first, Memory Lane. Jude and Gemma are both interesting characters and I liked getting to see the events from both sides. It was a little scary when they had to go undercover, but it worked out fine. Becky Wade never disappoints--her stories are always hard to put down. Can't wait for the third one, which I'm guessing will focus on the other (half) brother.

3.5 stars
Jude and Gemma are forced to fake date to solve a mystery going on around town and catch a crook. As they "date" they grow closer and the banter and chemistry pick up. What was once just an assignment for Jude starts to become more real, but he's not allowed to date clientes.
I am a sucker for a fake dating trope, but the insta-love in this book was not my favorite. I need a slow burn angsty book and this one moved the romance a little too quickly for me.

Was I thrown in what felt like halfway through the sorry here? I believe so? About 50 pages in and having no clue what was happening? Sadly hay to dnf! I really like the premise and tropes for this so I was pretty excited, but sadly it fell flat for me

I LOVED this! I absolutely loved it and read it again as soon as I finished it the first time. The romance, the characters, the plot and dialogue were absolutely perfect. I unfortunately can only five 5 stars, yet it deserved so much more. A perfect Valentine's day treat!!!

FBI agent Jude Camden needs to catch the man a world-famous criminal, and the only way he can do that is by going undercover. His assignment? Posing as Gemma Clare's boyfriend. To Jude, Gemma is part of his assignment, if a distracting, annoying, and ridiculously attractive one. She is wild spontaneity in a redheaded girl. To Gemma, Jude is a straight-laced, by the book professional who needs some loosening up. While Jude is trying to catch the bad guy and Gemma is trying to annoy Jude at every turn, the two realize that their fake relationship has turned real. However, the FBI forbids undercover relationships from getting involved with case subjects.

This fake-dating Christian romance has a fast start as rule-follow Jude and feisty Gemma are thrown together to pose as a couple for a sting. As in any fake relationship, what was once fake becomes real quickly as they fall into insta-love over their mutual attraction. They enjoy some excellent repartee as Gemma teases Jude and stretches his carefully erected walls.

I enjoy Becky Wade's writing, but this was not my favorite of her books. For one, I don't like the fake dating trope. I also felt that the romance moved far too quickly and I didn't enjoy until 50% into the story. The insta-love seemed wrapped in attraction rather than actual feelings, and they said they loved each other far too quickly. Did they even know each other? Hard to tell. Gemma's motivation felt unclear to me, and while I related to Jude a lot, I was confused about what Gemma wanted and why she made her choices. She just seemed to act on impulse and I didn't sympathize with her. Additionally, the Great-Grandma Gracie storyline felt extraneous and didn't add to the overarching story. On the other hand, I loved Jude and appreciated his wholehearted love for her despite his caution. The dialogue was pretty great and the two had an interesting rapport. Wade does a great job at balancing religion and romance without preaching. Overall, it was good but not my favorite of hers. I'm interested to see how Max's story develops!

3.75/5

I had a hard time getting started on this book. For me personally, if I don’t get hooked in the first few chapters to the characters’ story lines, then I have a hard time getting through it. For me personally, it was just a slow read. Not that it was bad writing, just not my cup of tea.

Rocky Road was such a good book. In this story we meet Gemma Claire who has her own shop Perfumed by Gemma Claire. And Jude Camden who is an FBI agent as well as the brother of Jeremiah Camden an retired Formula 1 driver. We met Jeremiah I'm the first book Memory Lane and got to see glimpses of Jude here and there. Jude visits Gemma's store in order to discuss her helping him out with a case that involves her cousin and the long held family secret for the making of Rhapsodie, a scent that has been treasured for centuries. Jude and Gemma embark on a fake relationship to connect Jude with Gemma' cousin Cedric. During this time Gracie, Gemma's great grandmother, asks Gemma to help her remember her love story with Paul. Due to Alzheimer's Gracie has forgotten parts of the story for her and her husband Paul. Gemma goes on a hunt for the story and begins to learn things about Gracie she never expected. Jude in the meantime is trying hard to follow the rules and not fall for Gemma. In this story we get themes of forgiveness and second chances. Gemma and Jude both have to learn that trusting your heart to someone else is the hardest thing, however sometimes those hard things turn out to be the best things.

** Thank you to Netgalley and Becky Wade for the advanced copy of this book. These opinions are mine.

Rocky Road by Becky Wade is a great read to add to your TBR this Valentine’s season! Gemma and Jude’s relationship is super sweet, and their professions are so interesting and kept me engaged the whole book. I liked that Becky gave us snippets of other characters’ perspectives, which just made me more excited for book three. Definitely add Becky’s books to your TBR! 4/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rocky Road is book 2 in the Sons of Scandal Series by Becky Wade.
A well-paced romance with captivating characters. I had the absolute best time reading this story.
The mystery and everything this book had to offer really tied it all so nicely.
An engaging and well written book and I’m looking forward to seeing what Wade creates next!
Now I’m about to buy book one Memory Lane.

Thank You NetGalley and Victory Editing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Rocky Road by Becky Wade was so much fun. It was the first book I’ve read by her and I plan on reading many more. The voice on page one had my hooked. The characters well developed and multifaceted. I loved all the vivid and thorough description. My favorite part was the banter between Gemma and Jude. I was never sure if she pushed his buttons on purpose, but it was delightful seeing how he squirmed.
I can’t wait for the next book.

Aaaah, Jude! I've been waiting for your book. Your story. But I could not have imagined Gemma. A true opposites attract! And it works!
Jude and Emma are complete opposites of each other. Jude the straight laced, follow the rules, protect those you care for FBI Agent. And Gemma the perfumer that loves antiques and has a habit of just leaving throw blankets wherever they fall. She stands strong for what she believes in even if its a bit out of the “norm”.
A case brings them together. And that same case keeps them apart. FBI rules do not allow Agents and cooperating witnesses date.
Besides Jude and Gemma's story Becky Wade weaved a little mystery regarding Gemma's family into the story. I loved that part! And she also snuck in enough mystery about Max, the third son of scandal to have me already excited about book 3!

What a great fake dating romance! This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. I adored the first book, and this sequel did not disappoint. It features wonderful characters, strong family dynamics, lots of laughs, some serious moments, suspense, mystery, and so much more! I enjoyed it so much!

I loved Jude. He’s a serious, no-nonsense, rule-following kind of guy who has a heart of gold. He’s the grumpy to Gemma’s sunshine. Their first meeting was a hilarious misunderstanding that had me literally laughing out loud. I liked Gemma instantly. She had a joyfulness about her that was contagious. Even when things were tough, she kept a level head, which I admired. I really enjoyed getting to know her family. I especially loved, and was completely invested in, the mystery surrounding her great-grandmother.

I had such a great time reading this book and am very much looking forward to the next in the series. This could technically be read as a stand-alone, but I’d still recommend starting with book one.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.