TLDR: This is a sweet, very low angst, rom-com book that it's a little to fast paced for it's own good - but if you're looking for an easy, sweet, story it's for you! This is like a Hollywood rom-com where you know exactly what's going to happen at each moment, but it doesn't stop you from sitting back with your bowl of popcorn and eating it all up.

I love Melissa Brayden, the first sapphic book I read was actually Strawberry Summer and it was (and still is) my everything. When I was approved for this ARC (THANK YOU SO MUCH) I had the biggest smile on my face. I'm grateful to be able to read this story early and so glad I did. While I did find myself wishing it would almost slow down, that we would get more details about moments and situations, I can't say I wasn't smiling through it. This a book for anyone who ever had a crush on a babysitter or someone a little older than them while they were figuring out who they are.

Truly my only complaint with this book is how fast the last 50% is. The "twist" almost felt like it was just placed because it needed a little drama, but was also very stereotypical. I wanted more closure on the side characters - what about the owners of the restaurant, even Danny and his mom, what happened with them. I would have loved a moment of Charlie telling Danny's mom off. Taryn's roomies/friends? I LOVE fast-paced, a slow burns kills me, but I have to admit this was a little too fast paced for me. The ending felt rushed where I would have loved more detail.

SPICE: 3+ somewhat spicy scenes
ANGST: Minimum
HEART/COMMUNICATION: 4 stars (Taryn should have just told Charlie right away)
TROPES: Toaster over, second chance, first time, "I didn't tell her to protect her but ended up hurting us both",

SIDE THOUGHTS: I would recommend one more round of editing with this story - there were many times I noticed names had changed (Charlotte Ross is what Taryn's mom called her instead of Adler and I believe at one point Taryn's dad changed between Ted and Tad.)

All in all, I will always continue to read Melissa Brayden with a smile on my face and I'm so grateful for this ARC. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books.

The novel started out strong with the chemistry between the MCs but ultimately struggled to find balance at the end.

Taryn Ross had a crush on her babysitter, Charlie Adler, when she was a pre-teen. Now years later she’s transferring to Hillspoint University where Charlie is finishing up her MFA. After a party where Taryn has too much to drink, Charlie walks her home and the two start to reconnect. Charlie has never had feelings for a woman before but she knows something’s missing from her current relationship.

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Taryn and Charlie. Right from the beginning their conversations seemed easy and full of playful humor. This was a nice contrast to the interactions between Charlie and Danny. I appreciated that Taryn’s friends talked her out of putting pressure on Charlie to figure out her identity. This wasn’t the standard story of finding the right label but rather one about finding happiness.

However, I was disappointed that there wasn’t more on-page conflict. Given the size of the MFA program, I would have expected to see more interactions between Danny and Charlie. I also felt like the novel missed out by not discussing how things resolved between Charlie and Monica. Monica had such a larger role in Charlie’s life that I cannot imagine a quiet falling out as Monica is clearly a confrontational character. The third act break up is a pretty standard plot tool but it felt rushed here doing further disservice to the novel.

Overall, this is likely worth a read if you like the secret crush trope and strong banter but don’t expect anything too deep.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

I want to thank NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc for allowing me to read this arc.

This book made it so hard to get things done. I could not put it down! I was so drawn to the sweet love between Taryn and Charlie. This story shows a small peek into discovering your sexuality in your late 20s. I wish the book dove into this more. I would love to dig into both their minds to see how wonderful this new love for them was. Charlie had a ton of new adventures- new love, new family, new graduate, new post grad life.
Taryn also experienced new adventures and challenges- first time away from home, first girlfriend, finding herself in her photography.
These two characters were meant to fall back into each others lives. The three year update at the end was the cherry on top of a cute LGBTQ romance.

Another great book by Melissa Brayden. I loved the interaction and romance between Taryn and Charlie and read the whole book with a big smile. Their love story not all smooth sailing due to the fact that Charlie had a boyfriend when they meet at the university and then later his mother tries to break them up but of course they overcome all issues and we have a happy ending that we all want. The epilogue is a bit short though so I hope for a sequel one day.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reuniting with your childhood crush, the babysitter, seems like a tall order in a romance. Even for those who love the age-gap trope, it takes a delicate hand in dealing with a story that includes a 5 year difference between a MC who was 11 and the MC babysitter, 16 when we first meet them, But Melissa did a great job in reuniting them when they’re they’re 21 and 26. They’re still growing, and it helps us understand that while they’re in different places in their lives, it’s not so outrageous to see them bridge their gap in this next phase of their relationship. It was easy to see how they didn’t skip a beat, perhaps because they’d already had a shared history early on. What I loved most was seeing them continue their personal growth and development through the journey they ended up taking together.

It’s a fun easy slow burn. I expected to be put off by the age gap especially after reading the prologue but Melissa Brayden did an amazing job re-establishing who the characters were past the early introductions and it was easy to see why they needed each other.

The two main characters worked well together in their likability and as always Brayden writes great supporting character but I felt like we didn’t get enough of the supporting characters in this one. It was a missed opportunity to really show who the main characters are outside of each other.

The one plot I didn’t care for was the third act drama and what causes it. It felt too predictable and felt rushed into the story just to create some drama.

Still a great weekend read that I’m sure I’ll read again in the future.

Thanks to the Bold Strokes books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my honest review.

The idea and concept behind this book were really great. I’ve never read a sapphic book where the main character falls for her old babysitter, so that was really refreshing to read since it wasn’t any of the typical tropes like fake dating. 

Another thing I liked about this book, is the fact that 26-year-old Charlie is just coming to terms with her sexuality. This is really important because it shows people that coming out can also happen at an older age. 

Taryn’s character was very well written. I really liked this adorable, sweet woman and how you could see the difference between the 11-year-old Taryn and the now 21-year-old Taryn. Charlie’s character was also great, but I feel like her backstory could have been explored way more. 

I also really liked the side characters, especially Caz. Her and Taryn’s friendship was super cute and funny, and I missed her in the second half of the book. I would have loved to read a bit more about her; it felt like she just disappeared in the end. 

Speaking about the ending; I feel like the ending was extremely rushed, and it left me with a lot of questions and an unsatisfying feeling. Like what happened with Monica? I would have enjoyed another few pages that explained a bit more on that front and overall made the ending a bit more satisfying.   

Another thing I realized, is that there were a few typos across the book. 

Thanks to Melissa Brayden, Bold Stroke Books and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This isn’t a book i would usually read but I’m so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone. This was a beautiful love story with interesting characters I grew to care about. Despite it not being a genre I normally read, I will definitely be checking out other books by the author.

Delicious!! That’s the word that was in my head the whole time I read this beautifully written romance. I couldn’t get enough of Taryn and Charlie and how strong their bond was. I pulled for them the whole time through whatever stumbling blocks they encountered.

It’s already been established in book previews that they met back when 11 year old Taryn was babysat by the 5 years older Charlotte (Charlie.) They encountered each other yeas later when Charlie was in grad school earning her MCA and Taryn was an undergraduate junior at Hillspoint studying photography. Charlie was in a long-term, serious relationship with Danny, a fellow grad student and his proposal was eminently awaited. Taryn was a newly outed lesbian, but had never been with another woman.

Hence, there were a lot of new territories for both ladies. I won’t go into spoilers as to how they found themselves in a relationship or what obstacles they faced other than to marvel at the author and how smoothly Melissa Brayden created the tale, the dialogues and found the words that melded it all together into such a heart warming romance that will stay with me.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

A different one from Brayden, a sweet story about conquering ones fears during growing up and coming out. I enjoyed it, although like I said a different type of story so I had to adjust my expectations. Still a very well written book and an enjoyable read.
Free ARC via NetGalley.

the premise of this story is fun and interesting, but this book just didn't work for me. the main reason for this is the writing style. i don't think it's "bad", but i wasn't into it. there were also aspects of charlie and taryns storyline that kept repeating which i found kinda annoying, especially on taryns side.

This book is a cute story about growing up and coming out. It has its moments of angst and questions about following your heart and facing the fear of rejection from loved ones. The romance felt believable and sweet. The conflicts were real and relatable. I was cheering for them the whole way through and loved the happy ending.

Another excellent Melissa Brayden book. The banter is on point and this is such a sweet love story. A nice twist on a common trope.

Oooh this is my first Melissa Brayden book but will definitely not be my last! So excited to learn about her and discover she has so many other books published! Made my day. This book was good!!! I’m such a sucker for forbidden romances, former babysitter, ok, sign me up!! This story was so much more than I expected. The emotional intensity and connect, woah. I found this story beautiful and compelling and so lovely and read it in just over a day!

Just what the doctor ordered ... a sweet toaster oven low-angst romance. Two young adults in college, who each bring her own baggage, re-meet after knowing each other 10 years ago in a different capacity. I loved the two MCs and the college setting, and of course hated the ones I was supposed to hate.

I always enjoy Melissa Brayden's series, but there's something about a quick-reading standalone that shouldn't be taken for granted.

Taryn had a huge crush on her babysitter, Charlotte “Charlie”, as a young teenager and was so disappointed when Charlie’s family moved away and she had to say good bye. Ten years later Taryn transfers to Hillspoint University to complete her degree and to live her life out and proud. To her surprise she sees Charlotte at a party and they strike up a conversation. As they get reacquainted and form a friendship, Taryn finds herself even more attracted to Charlie. Charlie, however, has a boyfriend of several years and is straight. Or, is she?
As the story unfolds, their chemistry grows. The story is sweet with the right amount of angst. The usual third act breakup is appropriate and moves the story forward. The book has witty banter, steamy scenes, romance and characters that are easy to like and care about.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the arc. I leave this review voluntarily.

This was a great novel. Melissa Brayden always delivers on quality, so this was not a surprise. I found that this didn’t quite live up to her usual standard (in my personal opinion) which disappointed me, but it was still a top tier novel; when your one of the best even your lesser works are as good as others bests. Most of the Brayden novels I have read left me wishing I could give 6-out-of-5 stars, whereas this one was rounded up to get the 5-star rating.

There was a lot to love in this novel. The main thing that I noticed and will remember, is that I found myself visibly smiling and happy throughout most of the novel. I think that’s as solid an endorsement as you can get. Other highlights (minor SPOILERS below):
-The writing was really good. At a few points the plot or character interactions were a little repetitive, but through everything the writing itself was always top tier. The dialogue flowed and felt very real, the descriptions were vivid, and everything just felt well put together.
-The progression of the relationship was incredibly cute and satisfying. The two mains were adorable together and worked very well. There was never any doubt that they would end up together and there was this sense of inevitability right from the start. This wasn’t a complicated relationship dynamic (despite the large number of potential hurdles) but sometimes you want something relatively smooth.
-The side characters! Brayden always writes great side characters, friends, and friendship relationships. The supporting characters were both delightful and worked well to add to the novel.
-I appreciated a lot about the boyfriend (Danny) character. Brayden avoided a lot of pitfalls that authors often fall into with situations like this. Danny wasn’t a 1D caricature or a cartoon villain designed to make the love interest look incredible by comparison (not too much anyways). I always find that heavy handed, so this was appreciated. It was also nice that he didn’t immediately disappear entirely after the breakup as often happens but would have been unrealistic given the characters history together.

Some complaints and nitpicks:
-The back section of the novel felt rushed and there were a lot of points that felt unresolved. For example, what happened with Danny’s mom? There was so much focused on this relationship and then it mostly dropped off unresolved. It seemed like all the awesome side characters disappeared, the focus of the novel got very narrow, and the pace changed considerably.
-Danny’s mom turning into a cartoon villain came out of nowhere and it wasn’t appreciated. That plotline also didn’t feel complete, and the emotional fallout I expected wasn’t delivered. Given what we saw from this character up until this point, this felt like it was forced for plot reasons.
-Danny’s character. Some elements I loved, some I did not, and I honestly never figured out this character. Sometimes he was nice and sweet and other times a terrible person, and he seemed all over the place. Similarly, their relationship was a bit of a head scratcher for me and I couldn’t tell if it was a good one or a bad one. I suppose in the real-world people are complicated and we don’t always know what’s going on inside someone else’s head; in this way it works I suppose, but it was just strange for a major character in a novel. This wasn’t enough to drag down the overall novel, but it was a point that stuck out as strange to me.
-3rd act breakup……REALLY? This simply wasn’t needed and felt misaligned with the tone of the rest of the novel. The cause of the breakup, and the out-of-the-blue nature of it, were particularly unsatisfying and annoying.
-The behavior following the breakup was borderline problematic and somewhat stalker-ish. I didn't love this part and it didn't look good on the MC, who I am supposed to be supporting. I understand its supposed to be sweet and it was fairly standard for rom-com's, but that doesn't mean it acceptable behavior. This toed the line without crossing it, so it didn't ruin the novel, but it wasn't a good look and a strange choice by the author.
-Dumb nitpick: Everything felt shallower or more surface-level compared to Brayden’s other novels (that I have read). That’s not to say its bad (I AM giving 5-stars remember) but it was disappointing for this specific author who usually blows me away. This was a good novel, but now I’m ready to move on and might not remember a lot of it a year from now. Comparatively, many of Brayden’s other novels have settled into some corner of by brain/heart and live rent-free, potentially indefinitely.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever had a crush on your babysitter? Taryn Ross sure did. Sixteen-year-old Charlotte was sophisticated, thoughtful, gorgeous, and fun. Taryn counted the minutes until they’d hang out. But Charlotte and her family moved away.

Now a transfer student at Hillspoint University, Taryn is ready to officially come out when she runs into a familiar face at a party. Charlie, now a grad student, insists on walking a drunk Taryn home. To the detriment of Taryn’s heart (and libido), Charlie has only grown kinder (and hotter) with time.

Charlie Adler has a five-year plan: finish her MFA without any hiccups, figure out a timeline for her engagement, and become an acclaimed fiction writer. Easy, right? That is until Taryn shows up at Hillspoint and shakes up her world like a snow globe. This Taryn is different: soulful, brooding, and all grown up. Charlie’s never been attracted to a woman before, and isn’t dating your one-time charge against the rules? If only their toe-curling, mind-dulling, body-aching chemistry would calm the hell down.

I'm a big fan of Melissa Brayden. I love her writing style, her characters are always relatable and real, and there's substance to the story, which I love. This was another great book from her! I loved the premise of the story, of them meeting up again after all this time. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys sweet sapphic romances!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

As usual, Brayden knocks it out of the park. I adored this one and loved the storyline of former babysitter. Brayden did it perfectly.

Taryn idolized Charlie when she was a kid and Charlie was a teenager until Charlie and her family moved away. Fast forward eleven years and Taryn is a transfer student while Charlie is in grad school and they cross paths again. For Taryn, the feelings she had as a kid have only grown, but she believes Charlie is straight since she has a boyfriend and hasn't given her any signals.

Charlie is focused on becoming the best writer she can be and graduating with her class and her boyfriend. When she meets Taryn again, she's unprepared for the feelings Taryn evokes and she's not sure how to handle it since she's never been attracted to a woman before.

The way Brayden wrote this with the navigation of their friendship to more was done perfectly. From Charlie's acceptance of her feelings, to the way their relationship evolved. From their first kiss to their first time. The villain was written exceptionally well and didn't like em at all and I enjoyed the side characters as they added some very good comedic relief.

I can't put into words how much I loved this book. I highly recommend it. I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this fabulous book

taryn is now a student at Hillspoint University, and living the dream....

charlotte or charlie to her friends is just about to graduate... one final year left of her 3 year course.... her life is mapped out for her... with the love of her life daniel by her side and his family if only her mom were still alive to witness it all....

but life has a way of crashing your dreams and when charlie and taryn meet up who would think that charlie use to babysit taryn all those years ago... but life and its curve balls.....

taryn has always had a thing for charlie, but charlie is not on the same side for a start she has a boyfriend daniel..... thats not gonna change....right....right...

oh my word this story had me hooked right from the beginning and i have to say i was routing for taryn.... but this author certainly knows how to keep you dangling on a string whilst the story is laid bare...

cant wait for the next book by this author..