A cute slow burn office romance with A LOT of random facts. The characters were well written and well liked.

This book sees "Emma" and Bebe brought together aa friends / colleagues then Bebe finds out Emma is really Pony Dakota and is escaping an abusive relationship. This book has a lot of powerful emotions in it and also quite a few laughs. Thank you for advanced copy.

“Pony Dakota” by Nat Burns is a slow burn, workplace romance which is totally different from my experience of these tropes. I liked the way the author eased into the story, the main characters’ personalities and traits, and then started building a unique story. Fire-haired Emma is paired with seemingly stodgy editor Bebe. But of course there’s more to Emma than meets the eye. Bebe turns out to be a very well read introvert with a propensity to dole out nuggets of trivia during conversations. Overall, this is a very intelligent romance. You can feel the pull between the two. You know they’re going to get together but the question is when. They do have adventures and Burns does a wonderful job of describing the natural environment they visit. It’s a cool book. You’ll learn a thing or two. Oh, and there are some unexpected twists to keep it spicy. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book.

An unusual title for an unusual novel.
There is quite a bit of tech stuff at the start and I just let it wash over me. I loved however all the facts I was told, well as I eavesdropped dropped on the mains conversations.
I didn’t quite get why the other main went on the trip, and the work baddy was a bit over bad. By about 80% I was enjoying the random facts less. They weren’t part of conversation, possibly to show the way one mains mind worked, but it didn’t work for me. I just never gelled with this book. It’s not that it’s a bad book, it’s just not a good fit for me. I didn’t get the mains, well I did initially but then, apart from time passing on paper, it seemed a bit insta. Then the ex was out the picture till the eleventh hour, then she was dispatched in seconds. 3 because, as I said, it didn’t fit me but may fit others.

A story that should come with an explicit trigger warning that isn't just a dedication.

I tried to enjoy this, I really did, but it just didn't gel with me and that's really unfortunate.
It was a bit slow, too wordy in some places, and I couldn't connect with Bebe like I expected.
Quite sad as I was looking forward to it, and it's definitely the type of book I would've devoured.

I'd recommend giving it a go, but don't expect too much from it.

This was a quirky mix. The story starts off with Emma (Pony) Dakota beginning as a new computer troubleshooter under an alias name. She has more than the right skills and credentials but wants to hide from her abusive ex who wants her back. At work she meets Barbara (Bebe) who is an editor and walking encyclopedia of knowledge. They share an office space and lunches together forming a friendship bond. Just when I think I’m getting a workplace romance. Things happen and Bebe offers to take a vacation and drive Dakota cross country to visit her Irish family in the hills of Virginia.

For me it was like stepping into an episode of Schmigadoon (an Apple TV series). The family is folksy with a capital “F”. Everyone has nicknames and there is food, dancing and heartwarming heaven. But it felt like a big shift going from Albuquerque where there is abuse and a misogynistic office manager. The writing style was flowery and not a great fit for me. I was perplexed that the MCs are in their 30s but often use words that make me think they are twice as old. It distracted me from the story. I was baffled that Adam’s nickname would be used in a professional office setting.

The basic story is low angst, and fine. And I liked the ending reveal. But I really didn’t connect to the romance and many things in the writing distracted me from just enjoying the flow of the story.

At first I thought it might actually be a pony. Well, I was wrong!
The story shows Barbara "Bebe" Simmons in her well-oiled everyday life, in which she feels very comfortable and prefers to keep social contact to an absolute minimum.
Everything works perfectly and sometimes it just can't be avoided, but everything is familiar and routine.
In this safe and apparently somewhat grey world, the absolute splash of colour appears!
Her name is Emma Vernon and she has wonderful, thick red hair. The freckles are a complete distraction, not to mention the figure of this beautiful woman.
Who is now Bebe's colleague and therefore best kept off limits. And anyway, who knows whether she is Sappho's child, but that doesn't stop Bebe from being fascinated by the nice, sweet and so beautiful Emma.
But everything changes and the trust that had just been gained begins to falter.
I don't want to say more.
The story is not full of action. It's more of a warm and gentle way of dealing with things, even the more drastic decisions.
Many of the characters are just wonderful and warm. You just want to go straight to Virginia to the Dakota clan!
The Irish pronunciation is amusing and sometimes a little difficult for me to read, but still understandable because a lot of things are explained!
I thought that was a great read!
If you like a slow-burn romance with a gentle approach in novels, you'll love this one.

I found elements of this book very strange. The characters were in their 30s and 40s but the way they spoke and acted seemed almost like they were in their 60s or 70s. As well, though the book takes place in Albuquerque and Virginia, it feels almost like it's more set in the English countryside. Also, I couldn't comprehend why everyone was so excited about barcodes acting like they'd never heard of such a radical new thing. Aside from some of these things, I actually quite liked the book. I loved seeing Pony and Bebe interact and getting to know one another. I wasn't a huge fan of the instant love factor they seemed to have, but the book let their relationship progress enough before getting them together for me to be okay with it. I also really liked Pony's big Irish family, they were a lot of fun. Overall, I'd give this one a solid 3.7/4 rounded up.

Scholarly editor Barbara 'Bebe' Simmons finds herself having to share a offi e with the new programmer trouble shooter, Emma Vernon.

They soon become fast friends, but Emma is keeping a secret that may end things between them before they begin.

First off, I felt the bit explaining the Emma and Donna situation felt awkward and infodumpy. I'm surprised the editor didn't step in there.

Overall decently written, though for a romance it was very low on sex scenes. I also felt the resolution both to the Donna situation and other things was a bit abrupt.

3 stars out of 5. It's decent, but I wouldn't strongly recommend it.

Running away from an abusive relationship is hard but what if you had a soft place to land? Trigger warning: escaping from a mentally and physically abusive relationship is a big part of this story.

I received an advance copy from Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Bebe likes her solitary life and her job as a medical journal editor. She loves the solitude of her office. Imagine how she feels when she is forced to share her space with a new hire. This supposedly new computer whizz must be some gen z hipster, the horror. Bebe couldn’t be more surprised when the desk across from hers is occupied by a beautiful redheaded woman. A woman that is intriguing and charming and that is obviously very, very good at her job.

Emma Vernon is nervous about her new job. Taking on a false identity she works hard to escape a horrific abusive relationship. She desperately wants to stay out of Donna’s clutches once and for all. Emma hates that she has to do so by hiding her true self. Luckily her new office mate is wonderful. The more she hangs out with wickedly intelligent Bebe, the more Emma is drawn to her. Everything goes to hell when Donna finds her and Emma’s true identity is revealed. As Pony Dakota she knows she can’t stay and endanger her new colleagues. But then there’s Bebe, the woman Pony, as Emmy, has fallen steadily and deeply in love with. Surely she can’t have the best of both worlds?

This story just didn’t grab me like I thought it would. While the premise is intriguing, I didn’t fully connect with the characters. Bebe is clearly a walking encyclopedia and keeps spouting information about everything. It got tiresome for me. I did like her fierceness in protecting Emma/Pony and the way she didn’t let her growing feelings for this woman scare her back into a solitary life.

Emma/Pony is trying to escape to freedom by leaving a very abusive partner and changing her identity to do so. I thought it was odd that she chose to stay in the same city when her situation is so dire though. I did like Pony’s large and boisterous Irish family. The love they have for each other jumps off the page.

Pony and Bebe finally confess their true feelings for each other, but I never really got their chemistry besides their intelligent banter. Even the intimacy they share is mostly just partially mentioned.

As I’ve said, the premise of this story is good, it just wasn’t for me.

This author was a delightful new surprise for me, and diving into their writing with this story was an absolute pleasure. What struck me most was the refreshing absence of angst, yet there was still a dash of drama that kept me hooked. Bebe, one of the central characters, stole the show for me. Being privy to her inner thoughts and quirky personality had me in stitches; I could practically see her expressions vividly painted in my mind. The author's descriptive prowess didn't stop there; they painted scenes, people, and even dialects with such vividness that it felt like I was right there in the story. This is a romance with heart, sprinkled with moments of depth and plenty of laughter. My only gripe? The story ended too soon for my liking. I'm already yearning for more adventures with the Dakota gang and Bebe in the future; it's a craving that won't easily fade.