Super cute read!! I’m a sucker for enemies to lovers and Carina does soooo good with the banter!!! I loved all the side characters too!!


I received a copy to read from NetGalley and these are my honest thoughts.

This may be considered a sweet romance but the tension and angst between our two MC’s was so intense! Loved the general plot line (I’m a sucker for a renovation story!) and gotta love a capable FMC who knows how to handle herself!

This was a cute and clean romance. I loved Charlie’s character and how she fights against every female stereotype in existence. The banter was perfect and the chemistry was swoon worthy, the writing style is simple and at times that made it feel a little dragged out and boring; but overall a fun read

“The fact is, Charlie. I want you. I want you too much. And it’s the reason I should stay away. And it’s the reason I can’t stay away."

When Charlie is hired to repair a lodge in Pine Ridge, she’s stuck sharing a bunkhouse with the grumpy ranch manager. And he is not happy she’s here. But as sparks fly and the holiday deadline looms, Max starts to realize Charlie might be exactly what he’s been looking for all along.

This had all the small town charm with meddling townsfolk who even became quite the force when Charlie needed it. I loved even the tiny back stories we got about some of them.

Max and Charlie had quite the rough start. I loved how once they gave in to their chemistry we got treated to heated kisses and amazing communication.

Although it missed some of the amazing banter I've come to expect with Carina Taylor books, I enjoyed this all the same. Quite the amazing winter read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5⭐
Steam level: 1🌶️ Kissing only

Charlie Takes a Chance is a delightful enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy that brings together the spirited Charlie and the grumpy ranch manager, Max, in the picturesque setting of Pine Ridge, Oregon. Charlie, eager for a fresh start, takes on a job to repair a lodge, only to find herself sharing close quarters with Max, who is less than thrilled about her arrival. Their initial misunderstandings and ensuing banter set the stage for a heartwarming and humorous journey as they navigate their differences and discover unexpected feelings. Taylor masterfully crafts a story filled with witty dialogue, charming characters, and a slow-burn romance that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. The dynamic between Charlie and Max is both entertaining and endearing, making this novel a must-read for fans of contemporary romance. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 🛠️ Home Renovation | 🐎 Ranch Life | ❤️ Enemies to Lovers

ARC REVIEW:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Charlie, a contractor, has agreed to fix up a lodge in the small town of Pine Ridge, Oregon. The idea of working in a remote location sounded like the perfect way to heal from heartbreak. But when she discovers she will not be alone, things start to look less and less appealing. Will sharing space with the grumpy ranch manager reinforce her disdain for men, or will it remind her that there are still some good ones out there?

Carina Taylor’s Charlie Takes A Chance proves how feisty banter mixed with sizzling chemistry makes for the ideal enemies-to-lovers story!

The book starts with a bang, literally! Romantic comedies are know for their meet-cutes. Taylor switching the meet-cute out for a physical run-in was genius. It set the stage for Charlie and Max’s contentious relationship.

While they definitely pushed each other’s buttons at the beginning of the story, they eventually learned to channel their differences into building each other up. Max was instrumental to Charlie overcoming negative self-talk. She had bought into the lies her ex believed about her; such as being too much, weird, and directionless. We need more MMC pumping up the FMC!!

If you are looking to read a love story filled with green flags, I highly recommend giving Carina Taylor’s Charlie Takes A Chance a read.

Special thanks to Netgalley, Lit and Write LLC, and Carina Taylor for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much Carina Taylor and Lit and Write LLC for the eARC of this book. I thought this was such a quick cute read. It was a great little breather book between the series Ive been reading.

Such a cute and refreshing book! The fact that Max is confused by Bryce's toxic behavior really showcased how great he is; I much prefer this approach to calling out gender stereotypes. Bryce telling Charlie there is an all female crew she could go work for instead of running her own business, juxtaposed with Max saying that he already had a list of projects he wanted to hire her for made my heart sing. Carina Taylor did such a great job with the banter and the buildup but my only hangup is I wish we had a little time to enjoy them being together.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

DNF. The “hero’s” violence toward the heroine is unacceptable. He’s not a safe person.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Charlie Takes a Chance” by Carina Taylor, rom-com

General Contractor Charlie Baxter is looking forward to spending six weeks or so renovating her friend’s ranch house in rural Pine Ridge, Oregon. What she doesn’t expect is Max St. James, the grumpy ranch manager, who, mistaking her for a squatter, fireman carries her out of the house during their first meeting. What follows is a sweet grumpy sunshine romance as the two fight against their differences and their growing attraction.

Tropes:
- grumpy (him)/sunshine (her)
- forced proximity
- small town
- cowboy/ranch romance
- closed door

Thank you NetGalley and Lit and Write LLC for providing me with an arc copy of this book in return for an honest review. I absolutely loved this cute romcom. The story follows Charlie, our sassy sunshine fmc, as she travels to a small town in eastern Oregon to fix up her best friend’s fiancés ranch and get away from her cheating ex. While there she encounters a grumpy ranch manager named max. Who is determined to make her live there for the next month unbearable. What you can expect:

🤍Forced proximity
🤍Small town
🤍Grumpy x sunshine
🤍Closed door romance

Set near a small town in Eastern Oregon, Charlie is spending 6 weeks fixing up the lodge at her friend's fiancé's ranch. With a fantastic meet-cute, she is immediately at odds with ranch manager Max. I loved seeing a romcom set in Oregon! I can't wait to read more by this author and hope to see these characters again!

Featuring:
✨ Grumpy/Sunshine
✨ Forced proximity
✨ Cheating ex
✨ Christmas time
✨ Small town characters
✨ Jim and Larry, the most adorable Australian shepherds

5/5 stars

Closed door / kissing with some heat

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this eARC!

Charlie Takes. A Chance by Carina Taylor is pure romantic fun!

I love Taylor's writing and her small town romance was no exception. When she is hired to help restore a lodge put upon getting there she's mistaken for an intruder and she thinks he's a bear which ensues the animosity from the start. Max is the grumpy ranch manager and their dynamic was absolute fun. It was full of banter, bickering, so much chemistry. I loved how the book was fast paced, had me laughing and swooning. It's such a cozy small town romance that will have you wanting to pack your bags and finding yourself a cowboy. It's a must read that will give you laughs, swoon and lots of wit.

Noooooo stop, this was so adorable. Carina was a new to me author now I can't wait to read her whole blacklist.

This was such a fun, cosy winter book. Reading it felt like a warm hug. It flowed beautifully, and I devoured the whole book in one sitting.

Charlie and Maxs chemistry was palpable right from the start. Their banter was literally laugh out loud funny. That meet cute was the cutest, funniest one of read in quite a while.

I loved everything about this.

The vibes:

👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻 The meet cute
🐄 The baby calf cuddles
🤠 The ranch setting
😣 He gets jealous
🤒 She looks after him when he's sick
🎄 Decorating a giant Christmas tree
🐕 Lots of pups

𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐓𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐫
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟑𝟎𝐭𝐡
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- - -

Read this book if you love:
○ small town
○ winter/Christmas vibes
○ grumpy x sunshine
○ forced proximity
○ Romcom

If you are having a bad day and need a good laugh, this book is for you!

Charlie, the FMC, is hilarious and has a bubbly personality. She's a general contractor (how cool is that?)

Max, the MMC, is a grump who values his space. But underneath that hard, muscular exterior, there is a softie on the inside. He's a ranch manager.

I love that this book includes animals! Cows, calves, and, of course, two adorable dogs! Jim and Larry are the fluffy snugglers with an obsession to chase skunks (oof). They steal the show!

I love the interactions between Charlie and Max. The discussions, the jokes, and the flirting. These two are so adorable!

This book was a cute, quick read!

Thank you for this arc, @carinataylorauthor !

That was a light and fun romance to read. Amazing caracters and story!

Definitely Perfection to add to your TBR