Romancing the romance skeptic
Oh what fun! A romance which doesn‘t wait for the third act to have the break-up but is off to a running start, ahem stop. And a romance writer who (for good reasons) is skeptical of happy-ever-afters, namely her own. And a butch with toolbelt: yes, yes, yes. Please count me!
I really liked the unfolding of this unlikely love story, the whole small town community vibe and all those interventions of good natured friends. The characters were well done with good backstories and motivations.
The story has a good old-fashioned slowburn going with pinches of ice queen, grump and agonizing about age and age gap. The resolution could have dug a bit deeper, but over all an engaging read.

I received an ARC via netgalley. The review is left voluntarily.

Rounding up to 4 stars but 3.5 is more accurate. This book was sweet and definitely spicy! I enjoyed the addition of HGTV like themes with the home reno! I thought it was a fun story line. I enjoyed the tropes-ice queen, age gap, etc and think they were well done! It was a compelling story to read their journey to falling in love. I thought the spicy scenes were very good and well written! Spoiler- didn’t really like the rushed third act break up, predictable, but happy they had their happily ever after! It was a fun fluffy book. I enjoyed reading it and will see what else this author has to offer and read more of her work! Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley!

I found the book interesting enough but I did struggle to get through it. The plot itself was good though some aspects could have been introduced way earlier, like Kathleen’s family issues and history. The book was in third person but sometimes was written as a direct inner monologue which at times made it confusing which made me think it might have been an interesting take to see it written in first person but changing perspectives each chapter. I found some aspects unrealistic in that, the representation was great but to have three siblings all a part of the LGBTQIAP+ community all with friends in that same community representing a different aspect of it, in a small town near Vermont seemed far fetched. The tropes were spot on, but they were directly pointed out within the dialogue of the book and it felt a little on the nose. I felt the dialogue between characters was a little inconsistent, one second Logan doesn’t say much more than “cool” or “I love that.” and the next minute is saying things like “curmudgeon”, it seemed out of character without context of it being an inside joke. The romance as a whole felt very highschool and it was very hard to picture Kathleen as a woman in her mid 40’s and it seemed at times Logan was written as a 19 year old rather than a 29 year old. I can appreciate the representation within a book and can understand how to people who haven’t seen ‘themselves’ in typical literature appreciate feeling seen and represented in a romance novel, but a lot of it felt a bit pushed to tick all the boxes. I did have to stop about 70% through as I was struggling to get through it when I feel I had already read enough to base a review off the actual writing. - for context I am 27F also a part of the LGBTQIAP+ community

Age gap romance with an MC who writes romance but doesn’t believe in happy ever after!!
The story takes us through the developing romance and how the age gap is navigated as well as the hurdles thrown up by the stoic novelist with her would be ‘ever after’ builder trying to take down the walls between them brick by brick.
Another sweet romance with some hot love scenes, doubts, friendly advice, Easter eggs and self awareness that brings about potential for a future.

This was my first ARC through NetGalley and I am so excited I had a chance to read it.

My overall impression of this book was just WOW, this book was the most opposite of toxic I have ever read, in all the best ways. The motivations, thought processes, and dialogue between the characters was so beautifully thoughtful, both the characters to themselves and to us the reader. There was so much grace granted to the issues between the characters and nuance for days. The whole thing just made me feel good to read.

Oh, and we should talk about Spice. This one took Consent is Sexy to a whole new level and I was so here for it. Plenty of spice throughout the book and it is given the same delicate and detailed touch that this whole book had.

This was my first Aurora Rey book, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but after reading this one, I will DEFINITELY be coming back for more.

I enjoyed this opposites attract, age gap story.
Kathleen is a successful 40 something author that has decided to leave her tenure behind and move to rural Vermont to write and start her new life. She has been single and anti-relationships for awhile as she doesn’t believe the happy endings she writes in her books really exist. She buys an old farm house and hires Barrow Brothers Construction for a complete remodel. Twenty nine year old Logan Barrow is the youngest of the siblings and takes the lead on the remodel. She is an old soul and excited to prove herself in her family company.
As the story unfolds and their attraction builds, the tension escalates as the reader wonders if Logan can chip away the ice that Kathleen wields as protection around her heart.
The story flows well and is engaging

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the are in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this, but I just don't think it worked for me. First of all, the blurb doesn't mention that this an age gap romance and normally I wouldn't mind that, but the book leaned too much into it and made it all about that, to the point where Kathleen was uncomfortable. It definitely didn't work for this. Also, Kathleen is supposed to be older but came off super immature. I think the pace of the book was off as well, and I didn't feel the connection between the characters that I would have liked. I think the story does have good bones, but it just missed the mark.

Thank you to NetGalley, Aurora Rey, and Bold Strokes Books for the eARC of this book.

Another excellent addition to Rey's collection. I have a been a long time fan of Rey and I really enjoyed the first book, Sweat Equity, and this one did not disappoint. This book follows Kathleen, a romance writer that decides to buy a house that needs some extra work, and she employs Barrow Brothers with Logan, the youngest sibling is only too excited to take lead on the project. As Logan and Kathleen work together, their chemistry proves not only good for the house but also each other.

I enjoyed following Logan and checking in with Maddie and the Barrow Brothers company. Logan, the youngest, has been trying to be taken seriously and taking lead for the first time is just what she needed, if only she wouldn't put her foot in her mouth around Kathleen. I liked Logans confidence and that she learned from seeing Maddie did with her relationship. Kathleen was an interesting character, but I like her best friend, Trudy, more. Trudy kept using kathleens job as a romance writer to make fun of the different tropes that Kathleen and Logan represented. I loved that. The self awareness was a welcoming experience and I wished it made it all the way through the book. Dropping the tird act breakup would have been awesome.

All in all, this was a cute and self aware romance. I hope there is more with these characters, I want to know how the family business plays out. This can be read solo but always better when series are read together, in my opinion. I would recommend this for fances of age gap romances and of the first book.

Something here didn’t work for me. I’m not sure if it was Logan and Kathleen or just the setting. Kathleen was supposed to be middle aged but acted like a teenager while leaving Logan to play the adult. Even the house design bits didn’t work for me in this one.

A designer meets the woman of her dreams when her family company is hired to help renovate a writer's house. The meet cute is perfect, and the chemistry is top notch. When Logan & Kathleen are in the moment it is fantastic. But getting Kathleen out of her own head is a chore and since I’m a chronic overthinker as well, it took me out of the story. I loved the parts where they discussed design and the renovations that were being done on Kathleen’s house. Overall rooted for Logan & Kathleen.

Now I really need Jack to get his own book. And I’d love more of Clover’s backstory.

3 ⭐️

on the job romance
Fixer upper house
Age gap

Kathleen bought a fixer upper. Hours after she got the keys she fell thru the stairs on the way into the house. Luckily the youngest sibling of Barrow Brother Construction was doing a drive by and was there to help Kathleen. Logan and Kathleen have an immediate spark.


Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

This is the second book of the Barrow Brothers series and it did not disappoint. Rey has a knack for creating an inviting setting with engaging characters and wonderful writing.

Logan Barrow is the youngest and is out to prove herself. She gets lead on her first project and it doesn't start out as well as she hoped when she is attracted to her client, but she's determined to do good work and show that she can handle everything even her crush on Kathleen.

Kathleen Keaney gave up her teaching gig to become a full time writer and move to a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. She's jaded by love and even though she's a romance writer, she doesn't believe in happy endings. That all changes when she meets Logan. Not only is there an age difference, but their outlook on love and fairytales differs, but it doesn't stop them from acting on their attraction.

This was well written even in depth backstories for both and how they navigate their fling that turns into more. This was low angst and very enjoyable. I highly recommend and look forward to Jack's story, which will hopefully be next.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF'd at 20%.

I wish the description had mentioned this is an age gap romance. I don't mind age gap if it's a sort of background aspect of the story, but this leaned into it more than I care for. Kathleen was sooo uncomfortable with Logan shooting her shot that any kind of romance development after that seems weird.

A lovely sapphic romance. Second book in a series that can be read as a stand alone (but really… just go ahead and read the first one first 😉). Sweet romcom but also quite steamy.

A former professor who is finding success as an author, Kathleen buys a fixer-upper and hires Logan’s company to help. The attraction is instant, but even though Kathleen writes romance books, she isn’t so sure about happily-ever-afters, especially when there is an age gap.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Good Bones to come out April 9, 2024.

HGTV meet cute? Age gap romance? Home renovation porn?

Check, check and check. This sweet, feel good romance delivers it all in spades including indulging my fantasy of moving somewhere rural and renovating an old farm house surrounded by books and swoon-worthy contractors...

Kathleen is looking for a fresh start in her newly purchased Vermont home when she hires Logan’s family construction company to complete the renovations.

Immediate attraction builds slowly into romance as Logan tries to show Kathleen that something more is possible between them, despite their differences in age. It's a slow burn, with Kathleen initially hesitant - but not even she can resist Logan's charm.

After reading the first installment in this series, I have to say Aurora Rey did not disappoint with this one. Also, we all need a knight in carpenter pants and plaid!

Thanks to Bold Strokes Books, and Netgalley for the ARC!

Good Bones follows 40-something Kathleen as she buys and hires a contracting company to refurbish the house. To her surprise, the contractor is 29 year old Logan. Logan asks Kathleen out, only to be denied due to the age gap. Kathleen struggles with the 10+ year gap, but finally forms a relationship with Kathleen.
It all falls apart when Kathleen finds out that Logan wants a family, but Kathleen thinks she's too old to start a family. Will they get back together and work things out?
Fast moving, cute love story.

This was an absolutely lovely read. It had such beautiful focus on family, both blood and chosen. Logan and Kathleen had an organic relationship develop over the course of the book - and I loved all the detail and descriptions of the house! This was a great read and I would love to read a spin off about any of the other characters. Great book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books and to Aurora Rey for providing me with a copy of this book. This one was an easy read for me: I love lesbian romance novels! Now, let's get into the review:

The plot: Not a lot happens in the book. But to me, that didn't matter so much this time around, because what was really focused on and fleshed out were the relationships between the characters. The book thrives on the central romance plot between Kathleen and Logan, therefore it wasn't that important to me that it felt more like a slice-of-life kinda book.

The characters: Very likable. I love when you understand a character's action and when it doesn't come out of left field. Especially with Kathleen and her inner monologue you could relate to her reasoning why she was pushing Logan away. Even though I wish that the revelation of Kathleen's mom not approving of Logan was a major catalyst for her breaking things off with her had been handled in a more in-depth manner, it was still nice to see that not only the age-difference played a role and that there was another reason behind Kathleen's apprehension of getting into a serious relationship with Logan.

Logan: Do people like her exist? If so, I'd like to have one Logan, please.

The setting: Ahhh, I love a renovation romance. It felt all very domestic, what with the scenes in the house but also Logan's house and her family and just...yes. I'm a sucker for a feel-good story.

The ending: Was a bit anti-climatic. The book was very predictable in a sense that you knew that Logan and Kathleen would end up together; but then again, that's what happens in almost every romance novel with the two main characters, so no surprise there. As a reader, when you can already guess the ending at the beginning of the book, it is so much more important then that the story line, aka what happens in between, delivers. And I would say that's what the author did quite well.

Final thoughts: All things considered, this was a very nice romance read for me. The one thing that bothered me a bit was the predictability of the story; I love a bit of drama and enemies to lovers. The book would have been so much more juicy for me if Kathleen and Logan had an enemies to lovers beginning, but ultimately, it was also nice to read something that is much more realistic and transferable to real life, especially with the struggles that Kathleen faced in her relationship to Logan (and also vice-versa).

Overall a very satisfying read, 4/5 stars, can recommend.

Perhaps somewhat ironically, this story did have good bones. The premise was solid and I'm SUCH a sucker for the soft butch handywoman love interest but that just didn't have enough pull to win me over with this one. The chemistry was decent and the sex scenes were good but it just felt way too long, like it took ages for anything to happen and then more happened in the last 20% then the rest of the book. The story was also somewhat predictable with the way the older and younger woman plotline was handled. By no means a bad read but just didn't quite do it for me.

Thank you to Netgally and Bold Strokes Books, Inc for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this second book in the series and what a book

we meet up yet again with the barrow brothers construction team and logan barrow the youngest member of the family has been given the chance to prove herself by taking on the lead for the kenney job... she has fought for years to be given the chance and now its here for her

katherine kenney has bought a fixer upper an old farmhouse that needs quite a bit of work doing to it but she has big dreams about this house...her home

when logan and katherine meet though katherine has fallen through her porch and needs a hand up... and just so happens logan is willing to help...the spark of attraction is there for logan but katherine aware of the age gap is more reticent ....

but as the days roll on can logan break down katherines barriers to see how good they could be together....

an interesting read i love a good building and fixer upper storyline and these barrow brothers construction team certainly know a good thing when they see it

looking forward to reading more of this authors works