I love an age gap romance and this hits the spot, and this proves that friends to lovers trope is superior in romance.

I swooned over this.

The pace of this book were done brilliantly as Kelsey x Zachary just quietly fell in love with each other ,it wasn't rushed at all.

This book was a journey of self love and discovery, like a hallmark movie with spice.

A heartwarming and funny romance with road trip, friends to lovers, close proximity and reformed playboy tropes, lots of mishaps, LOL moments, a bit of steam and very likable characters. I really enjoyed their natural rapport as friends, their good-humored banter, Zach's support and Kelsey's slightly over-the-top romantic nature, even if I sometimes despaired at her naivety and short-sightedness about Zach. He and their coworker Jester were definitely my favorite characters. Kelsey unfortunately seemed a bit superficial and selfish herself at times.

Kelsey Whitaker is a talented casting assistant to the fearsome casting director Desdemona. However, the superficial, glamorous life in LA is hard to bear. She longs for true love. Her coworker and best friend is Zachery Carter, a former actor with whom she works perfectly. That's all there can be between them, as he's a well-known playboy. At a party, a fortune teller gives her her fortune: Kelsey has until the end of the summer to find the love of her life, and not here in LA, but on the way to her hometown in Alabama. Inspired by various Hallmark Movies, she plans some meet-cutes to help her find the man of her dreams and her HEA and sets off on a road trip towards Alabama.
Zachery was a celebrated actor a decade ago, but then his career went down the drain and he only stays in the limelight as a companion to actresses and through his work for Desdemona. He has had a crush on Kelsey for some time but believes that he is not the right man for her. That's why he paid the fortune teller to help Kelsey find happiness in love. But Zachery hadn't reckoned with a road trip and her obsession with Hallmark movie happy endings, so he decides to protect her and accompany her on her journey as her wingman...

If you like lighthearted romance novels with a mix of Hollywood glamour and provincial charm, you're sure to enjoy this book!

I received a free ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and left voluntarily.

So cute! A fun, enjoyable summer romance with a very happy ending.

I do wish I'd seen a little more of the chemistry between them. Zach is very good about leaving Kelsey alone after their night together, but I do wish there'd been just a little more longing. Like, he reaches for her but is hesitant and she can see it on his face but brushes it off because, in her mind, there's no way he's actually into her. Or something like that.....

3.5 Stars!

This is the story about Kelsey, who grew up on farm in Alabama but is currently working as a casting assistant in Hollywood, and Zachery, a former actor who works with Kelsey. Zach doesn’t need to work but stays so he can be close to Kelsey. They clearly are attracted to one another, but neither feels they are a good fit for one another so choose to ignore any attraction they have.

After a fortune teller told Kelsey she needs to go on a journey to find love, she takes a road trip home with the intent to force a meet-cute and find her true love. Of course, things don’t always go as planned, so there were several funny and embarrassing moments. After a few days on the journey Zach couldn’t take it any longer and joined her on her trip. The story revolves around Kelsey trying to meet men while Zach has to stand back and watch. Thankfully they eventually figure out their perfect partner has been right in front of them the entire time

Note: One of Kelsey’s ‘gifts’ is looking at someone’s outfit and being able to assess the cost of it. She doesn’t do it in a judgmental way, but I still found it to be an annoying characteristic of hers.

I thought the ending was great. The story really came full circle and ended exactly the way I had hoped.

Super cute friends to lovers romance read! This was an easy and fun read and had hallmark movie vibes to it. I love the relationship between Kelsey and Zach and that we got both of their POVs. Kelsey is on a journey to find love, without realizing it's right in front of her. I adored the moment where they finally realize they have feelings for each other. It was perfection!

If you love meet-cute, romcoms, and hallmark movies, than this is the book for you! Will recommend this to all of my romance genre loving friends!

After a reading with a psychic, Kelsey is desperate to find love, roaming through small towns on a road trip. Zach, her best friend follows her closely to help her, but mostly protect her and in the hopes she finally sees him.
This is a coworkers, best friends, age gap, road trip romance with secret pining. I was excited for this onw, but I feel it fell a little flat. There were some cute moments, but both main characters had no dimension at all. And the premise? Who dumps their entire life on a whim to go find love on a road trip because a fortune-teller (aka an actress trying to get noticed) told them that's what would happen? I would also have liked to see less of Kelsey on the hunt for the perfect meet cute and more of the two MCs together. How am I supposed to believe in the romance between the two if I never see them together and when I do, there is zero chemistry? Anyway. I've read many fantastic reviews, so I feel this just wasn't for me.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Absolutely Loved This Book! I fell in love with this story from the beginning. Kelsey and Zach had a good connection and the fake/quasi-real relationship gives the reader something to root for throughout the blossoming romance. Thanks to the author for this wonderful read! Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this read.

Absolutely loved this book!

Dual POV
Friends to Lovers
Age Gap
He falls first
Co-workers

Kelsey sets out on a road trip to find love. Zachary follows to protect her. Something changes along the way between the two and leads into a lot of self discovery and love for one another.

Thank you NetGalley, Montlake and JJ Knight for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This dual POV story follows Kelsey and Zach through their time at an industry party and then on a quest to find Kelsey love after a misguided session with a fortune teller.

Kelsey is convinced she needs out of Hollywood and will find love with a small town, flannel wearing, hardworking man. She meets a few on her trip but she keeps hitting road blocks.

The book was an easy read and fun. I enjoyed all the movie meet cute talk and Hallmark bases vs Hollywood bases.

Overall a cute story I think many would enjoy, 3.5 rounded up.

Coworkers.
Best friends.
Secret crushes.
Quest for love.
Road trip
Just one night.
Reformed playboy
Hallmark meet-cutes

Funny & sweet with a bit of steam😊

4.5🌟 stars
The two main characters were great. I especially felt sympathy for Zachery, the male lead former actor who fell first, and the way he supported and wanted the best for Kelsey when it might mean losing her to another guy. His emotions were so believable and most of his actions so altruistic. And some of Kelsey's schemes for orchestrating the perfect meet-cute with a flannel-shirted country guy: pricelessly slapstick and funny. Plus her naivety and optimism about finding her perfect country man were endearing.

The best parts of the story were definitely on the road and not set in Hollywood. Whether relearning how to order a coffee outside the sophistication of the city or simply interacting with people whose lives do not revolve around the movie industry.

The steamy stuff is concentrated in one scene towards the middle of the story so, if you are less inclined to that, it would be pretty easy to just skip over in favor of the fun and pursuit of romance.

Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Kelsey, a matchmaker for on-screen romances, tries to create her own real-life Hallmark-style meet-cute after visiting a fortune teller, unaware that her best friend Zach, who deeply cares for her, is her perfect match. Zach supports her in every way, but Kelsey takes him for granted while chasing love elsewhere.

Her efforts lead to funny, embarrassing situations, and she eventually realizes the small-town romances she seeks aren’t for her. The story blends humor and heart, though Kelsey’s dependency on Zach becomes more apparent when she struggles without him. Overall, it’s a lighthearted, entertaining read.

SO. Kelsey and Zach, who work in casting, set out on a road trip so that Kelsey can have a meet cute and meet the man of her dreams. And surprise it's Zach. This is a little cringey in spots thanks to a bit of disdain toward the small town characters. Knight also spends more time on Kelseys failed relationships than on the one with Zach. That said. it's a quick read with some chuckles. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Over to others.

A fun, light Hallmark style romance. Kelsey has moved away from her family dairy farm to work for a casting agent in Hollywood. She works with Zach, who is a former movie actor of low-brow comedies. Zach’s movie career dried up, and he now works with Kelsey for a she-demon boss (think the boss from the Devil Wears Prada), helping to cast Hollywood movies. Kelsey is tied of the phonies in Hollywood, and when a fortune teller suggests she takes a journey to find true love, she decides to hit the road while her boss is out of town. She decides that she needs to have a meet cute, like they do in a Hallmark movie, is a small town somewhere in middle America. Of course, Zach ends up taking the trip with her, and acts as her “wingman.” Zach and Kelsey are very likable characters that have a hard time realizing that their happily ever after is right under their nose. This is a fun, mostly lighthearted friends to lovers romance. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

Not Exactly a Small-town Romance by JJ Knight is the perfect rom-com for those looking for something out of the ordinary when it comes to romance. After receiving some guided advice at a party, Kelsey decides to take a road trip to romance to find her true love. Co-worker and best friend Zach takes this as an opportunity to follow along with the intention of protecting her when really he's secretly in love with her and can't stand the thought of her with another man. He's is supporting and encouraging Kelsey along her path to love but it looks like he's got himself in a pickle because he may loose out on Kelsey forever. I loved the spontaneous moments Kalsey takes us on when looking for her meet-Cute match. Even more, I love the unexpected moments with Zachary when it comes to Kelsey. The chemistry between the two of them is warm, loving, and heated, and you'll be hoping for the two of them to connect.

The celebrity story line doesn’t usually interest me but this took a left turn and became something special. Working in the movie industry is a different kind of beast but Kelsey and Zachary have a certain skill when it comes to casting actors. Zachary was an actor type cast in silly comedies when he decided to work behind the scenes. Kelsey hails from Alabama dairy country but landed in LA with big dreams. These two are attached at the hip, finish each other’s sentences and are best friends. Of course, there’s more feelings involved especially when she decides on an adventure to find true love. Their banter and feelings were quite entertaining and made the story a quick read. I was given an advanced copy from NetGalley and I’ve written this review voluntarily.

A road trip across the country to find "the one" filled with lots of colorful characters.

Kelsey is great at matching Hollywood stars for the silver screen, but her nose for picking out the right man is waaaayyyy off. On her road trip across the US, she stumbles and bumbles herself into multiple dates and over and over again without realizing that her best friend is madly in love with her.

Zachery is a decade older and feels washed up within the Hollywood scene, but he has a mad crush on his best friend, Kelsey, but he feels he isn't fit to move things out of the friend zone since she has her entire life ahead of her.

These two are perfect for one another, but are blind to the fact that they are. It gets to a point that it becomes almost painful to read, but eventually they do figure it out. The ending was well worth the road well traveled between these two.

Thanks to NetGalley, & Montlake for access to this book!

Queue the meet-cute!

If you are a fan of Hallmark movies, happy endings then this is the perfect read. Knight delivers a sweet romance with that will keep you entertained.

Meet Kelsey, a young casting assistant with an eye for paring leads to create magic who is worried that her own love story will never happen. She sets out on a road trip to her hometown in Alabama, recreating meet-cutes from Hallmark movies, looking for her smalltown romance.

Along for the ride, to look out for her is her colleague and best fiends Zachary, an ex-actor who now uses his looks and charm to persuade actresses to take roles the casting agency are trying to fill.

The adventure they embark on across the country will have you laughing, wanting to smack the two of them on the side of the head, with an Ooi, come to your senses already!!

Like any Hallmark movie, you are questioning is reality coming into thinking here, have you thought this through, thankfully, reality does come into play.

Above all, we get our very happy ending.

Looking to experience a real-life Hallmark movie romance, Kelsey goes on a road trip visiting small towns in an effort to create the perfect meet-cute moment. What she’s completely oblivious to is the fact that Zachery, her best friend and the guy tagging along with her on this journey to find love, has actual real feelings for her.

Coming from the small-town Midwest, some of the scenes kind of bothered me in how they portrayed small towns. We’re not all a bunch of hicks, but this is fictional, and I can respect that.

If you’re a fan of romantic comedies, this is definitely a read to consider. With the perfect mix of humor and spice, this friends-to-lovers romance will both warm your heart and keep you laughing throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I liked the cross country road trip the main characters went on, but I struggled to really connect with their love story. He is basically a male escort for a Hollywood big shot, and she is under appreciated by the same employer. They have feelings for each other, but I didn’t really buy in to the impediment to their relationship.

This is a very interesting Hollywood love story. Kelsey and Zachery hide the feelings they have for each other. Kelsey wants very much to find love and a fortune teller takes her on a road trip and an interesting adventure. Zachery decides to accompany her. Their relationship gets very complicated on the road, will they declare their love or not?

I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgalley