A cute love story with genuinely funny moments and heart. Although it's part of a two part series, it can easily be read alone.

*Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review*
I loved this book! There was romance, cute banter between the two main characters, lies, drama, and steamy sex scenes..There wasn't a single thing I didn't like about this book! Emma is a good old fashion country girl with a heart of gold and love for chocolate. Oliver is a sexy bad boy cop who has feelings for Emma, but has never acted on those feelings. I would recommend this book to friends and family and I plan on reading the first book in the series. Loved Emma and Oliver!

This is one of those super-tough books to rate, because while it had some great, heart-warming & toe-tingling moments, it also had some moments that confused me, or just irked the crap out of me.

We’ll start with what was GREAT about this book:
1. The author clearly has a great sense of humor. The drunken lawnmower scene and the following morning cracked me up and made me want to be friends with Emma and her crew. (I would totally help wreck that douchebag’s house)

2. I love a good “fake boyfriend” story. Hell, we even put together a list of our all-time favorite “fake boyfriends” not too long ago. And I particularly loved that in this case, it wasn’t Emma who felt like she needed a fake boyfriend. This “fake’ relationship was the result of Oliver stepping in and trying to help Emma save face in front of a douchebag ex. What woman wouldn’t want a super-hot dude to step up and have her back when faced with an ex who just happens to be with his beautiful new fiancee?

3. I was all prepared to hate Oliver in the beginning. The “manwhore” trope in romance is my absolute LEAST favorite. In my opinion, there’s nothing sexy about a womanising manwhore. But after a while, it became clear that Oliver was a decent guy, and that his manwhore ways were—at least in some part—exaggerated.

4. Emma was a decent heroine. A little snippy and bitchy in the beginning, but like Oliver, she grew on me. I especially liked that her claws didn’t come out when faced with her ex’s fiancee. (And I’m SUPER glad that the ex’s fiancee wasn’t a horrible bitch. So often in romance, the other woman is portrayed as a completely unredeemable skank. Not so in this case.)

Now, for the not-so-great stuff:

1. When one purchases a bachelor at a charity auction...for just how long does she “own” him? What are the boundaries? That was never discussed in the book. It seemed like Oliver was expected to do quite a bit of work for Emma. (And it seemed like maybe Mike the fireman was expected to whore himself a little for his “owner.”) It’s an interesting concept, but I just felt like the details were glossed over a bit too much.

2. The fact that Oliver entertained the thought—even for a moment—that he was incapable of monogamy by way of genetics (his father was a manwhoring douchebag) was (I think) supposed to make me feel sorry for him. It actually just irritated me. The whole idea is just ridiculous. If anything, I think it was just a convenient excuse for Oliver to dodge relationships for most of his life.

3. Here we have yet another small town with a group of over-sexed, social-media-obsessed old people who pop up here and there for no other reason than to a) dispense comedy or b) offer conveniently timed relationship advice. Is that law in small-town romances? It must be, because I’ve read about these folks A LOT.

4. The action-y scenes while Oliver is at work...these are all well-written and entertaining, but seemed woefully out-of-place in a light-hearted, romantic comedy. It’s almost like the book had a bit of an identity crisis. Is this romantic comedy, or romantic suspense?

5. Oliver’s reason for breaking off his friendship (in their teen years) with Emma was lame. It was at that moment that she most needed her friend, and he abandoned her in a fit of well-intentioned-but-stupid protectiveness. I hate that crap. All you heroes out there: try letting the heroines think for themselves, shall we?

Sweet quick read with likeable characters & lots of sugary goodness. I haven't read the first book in the series but I didn't feel I missed out on anything in the story so I would definitely say this can be read as a standalone.

Would definitely read more from this author

‘It Had To Be You’ by Melissa Kate is the second in the Crystal Valley series but can be read as a standalone. This was a first read for by this author and would give it 3.5 stars.


Emma Wyatt is a single bakery owner and is doing quite well having gotten over catching her boyfriend cheating on her. She is at the stage now that she is ready to move on but finds herself in a situation where she is paired with her ex-best friend from her childhood at a bachelor auction.


Oliver has stayed away from Emma for years and has become quite the casanova in that time. Thinking he was doing the best for her and him at the time he has tried to live his life without her in it but when her ex comes back into to the picture he finds himself playing the part of her boyfriend.


This story was a bit predictable but it was well written at bits and was quite humorous at bits. I think that there was at times a bit much that the author put into the story that either didn't need to be there or wasn't fully explained. Overall I would recommend for a quick easy read that you would enjoy reading to relax on a lazy afternoon. I would quite happily read more from this author.


I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I tried, I really did. I even went back to it to give it another shot, but it's not for me. A lot of the wording is awkward. There is mostly telling, instead of showing. And my biggest complaint is Emma. The premise of her friend raising her hand at the auction, and she didn't notice until it was too late? Lame. And she is way too naive. If she's almost thirty she needs to grow up. She's worried her crush will think she's not ladylike because she bid,at a bachelor auction? What? Silly and immature.

While this is the second novel in a series, it can be read as a standalone without feeling like you are missing something. I found this was a light and easy read that at times was a bit cheesy, but it was all in good fun. I finished it in about a day, as I was super excited to see what was going to happen next with Emma and Oliver.

I did find the dialogue a little bit difficult at times, and also found the time jumps a bit of a struggle, but for the most part. There are also a lot of different storylines going on, which are a bit difficult to follow, and unfortunately they are not all wrapped up by the time the novel is finished. Overall though, it was a great read.

I'm being generous by giving this book 3 stars. It isn't a horrible book, but it is not a good book either. Please keep in mind that I am kind of a jerk.

Let's imagine you created a game for writers where you print cards with every cliche storyline imaginable then you force an author to blindly pick out 13 cards each printed with a cliche:

Card #1: Childhood Best Friends Turned Enemies
Card #2: Trite Small Town Situations That Are Supposed To Be Not Funny But Aren't
Card #3: Spunky Old People Who Are Supposed To Be Funny But Aren't
Card #2: Bachelor Auction Where Heroine Purchases Bachelor By Mistake Or By Friend Intervention
Card #3: Heroine With Cake Job That Pays So Well She Doesn't Mind Losing $5,000 To Purchase Man She Hates (literally, in this case)
Card #4: Hero Convinced He Is Genetically Predisposed To Be A Whore Due to Whore Father
Card #5: Heroine Who Is Such a Sweet Mary Sue She Calls Herself The "Town Sweetheart"
Card #6: A-hole Ex With Perfect New Girlfriend The Heroine Keeps Running Into
Card #7: Fake Girlfriend Boyfriend Relationship That Becomes Real
Card #8: Overly Manufactured/Illogical Dangerous Situation For the Hero to Protect The Heroine From

O.k. I only came up with 8 but I assure you I could come up with more if I wanted to. (Honestly, the only surprise in this book is that there was not a secret baby being hidden away somewhere.)

So anyway, take your game cards and arranging them in a semi-logical order and write a book as fast as you can making sure you do not spend any time fleshing out characters enough to make them seem developed or believable. Pick a novel title that has already been used a few dozen times because it is also the name of a classic love song. Add a cute cover that fools like the reviewer will be sucked in by. Ta-Da you got yourself a book!

Also, I hated the use of "horny." This book used horny 4 times and the correct number of uses in a book is 0 times.

Holy smokes! I kept going back to the sexy bits, while trying not to spontaneously combust! The only odd thing was how often the author mentioned Emma having small hands.

I really loved this story. I felt the emotion of it and they Emma and Oliver definitely had chemistry. My one big criticism is the continually dropping of f-bombs through the book. That was a big turn-off for me.

Emma and Oliver had been friends through childhood and then during their teenage years, Oliver just stopped being Emma's friend. He pulled away and she was very hurt. Circumstances at a bachelor auction put them together again and the more time they spent together, the more Emma could see that the facade that Oliver painted of a player wasn't the real picture. He was wounded and she wanted to find out why. But, would that secret destroy their newly blooming relationship?

I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Emma & police chief Oliver are best friends with Audrey and Adam.
They’ve grown up together in the same neighborhood. They were besties until Oliver was 15 and found out his dad was a serial cheater. That’s when he decided that he would never have a chance for a HEA – it’s not in his DNA – so he became a manwhore. No cheating, no married people, but still a manwhore.

And now Oliver is 32 and Emma is 30. Time to grow up and fall for each other – thinks the whole town. Only those two are constantly fighting.

I really enjoyed the story. It was soo funny and sexy and adorable and a bit exciting.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed these characters and their story. Even the secondary characters were interesting. In this story, we meet Oliver and Emma. They were best friends growing up, but in their teens, Oliver walked away from their friendship and became the town Casanova. Emma never understood why Oliver walked away and was left to deal with major life changes alone, and so begins their love-hate relationship. After years of bickering, Oliver and Emma are thrown back together with the help of Emma’s friend Audrey. As sparks begin to fly, will they be able to move on and put the past behind them, or will a secret tear them apart forever?

This was a sweet love story that had me rooting for Oliver and Emma from the start. I mean, who doesn’t want the gorgeous town hero and adorable local sweetheart to end up together? Their past friendship is the icing on the cake. I was so frustrated with their backstory and really wanted them to face the past so they could move on together. Oliver completely broke my heart. I wanted to smack his dad for the damage he caused. I was so sad this caused Oliver and Emma to lose so much time together. I was also irritated with Emma’s parents. It was so sad to think about her childhood and how alone she really was. However, this sadness didn’t take over the book. There were so many funny parts that kept the overall story lighthearted. The “geriatric squad” cracked me up. I also loved Adam and Audrey and the grief they gave their best friends. Let’s not forget Oliver’s family. His cousins definitely knew how to have a good time and bring out the fun side in both Oliver and Emma. Overall, I was very happy with the story.

There were a few editing errors, but they were mainly typos that didn’t distract from the story. My biggest complaint was that characters were not well introduced in this book. Characters would pop up, and I felt like I was playing catch up trying to figure out who they were and how they fit in the overall story. I didn’t realize Adam and Audrey already had a book. I was actually thinking they needed one as I read this because I liked them so much and wanted to see how they ended up together. Reading their story first may solve this problem, but as a stand alone novel, a bit more introduction to characters as they appear would be helpful.

I also wish there was an epilogue. While we did get a lot of time with Oliver and Emma in their non-relationship, I would like a glimpse of them in the future. Did Emma get the family she had always wished for? Was Oliver able to fully move on from the past to wedding bells and baby carriages? Perhaps as the series continues we will get to see more.

There were a few sex scenes, but they were very tasteful and did not overpower the sweetness of this book.

I would recommend this book to others looking for a quick read that is sweet and has you rooting for the characters the whole way through. I do think it might be helpful to read Kate’s book, Waiting for You first. I definitely plan to check it out. I’m looking forward to seeing what Kate has next. Perhaps a story for Carla? She might work well with Greg or Mike...just saying.

Really cute book! I loved the best friends, turned love-hate, turned partners in crime, turned lovers.

Emma owner of the town bakery and Oliver, now Chief of Police once upon a time were best friends, until he suddenly pulled away without any explanation, that is. Years later and all they have is resentment between them. Things take an awkward turn when they're thrown together by her best friend during the town bachelor auction.

Emma has been hurt before. She caught her ex cheating on her. And to make things worse he left town making it seem like she was the one who broke the mayor's son's heart. Now, two years later, she might just be ready to move on. But her plans doesn't quite work out as she expected when her best friend set her up on a date with her childhood best friend-turned enemy.

Oliver has been keeping his distance from Emma for years now, but he's decided that enough time has passed, and maybe he doesn't have to anymore. He's been keeping a secret from her for years now, and he knows it affects her, the 'why', why did he stop talking to her? He believes whatever conclusion she came up with is better than the truth.

The characters are fun and nice to read, I enjoyed it. The romance was amazing, not rushed at all, just with the right pacing. I loved the interactions with Oliver's family as well as with Emma's friends. I did, however, wish it showed more of Audrey and Emma's friendship.

Overall, this book is a great quick read. It's fun, sweet, and entertaining. It's great for when you feel like just reading something cute to cheer you up.

I loved this book. I was very happy to discover this author As I love her writing style. I thought the main characters were so adorable and I loved their interactions. My only misgiving was the ending. I felt it was too abrupt and would have liked an epilogue.

Emma and Oliver grew up as best friends till one day Oliver started to push Emma away. For a decade Emma thought it was her but Oliver never would tell her what happened when the past haunts you and all you want to do is protect the one you love sometimes things are over reacted lost time needs to be amended.

Lack of communication between two teenage best friends brings us to where this book begins and is the basis of the backstory.
Oliver, now Chief of Police and Emma owner of the town bakery and sweet shop are thrown together by her best friend during the town bachelor auction. There's no love lost between Oliver and Emma after he suddenly stopped being friends with her in high school and began his man whore ways.
Both of their parents had divorced for their own reasons which come to light in the story.
These two antagonize each other for 80% of the book, and after Ollie decides to "save" Emma from an ex telling him that they're together, the whole town including his family buys into the lie. Emma isn't happy about it, she's having a tough time with it, especially where his Mom is concerned.
They do grow closer during the story. And there are a few hiccups along the way. The main thrust behind the book is that Oliver is keeping something from Emma, the real reason he walked away from her those many years ago. The little gem comes to light around 90%.
My take on this book, I liked Emma, she had half a wit. Oliver for all his nonsense was ok. The two supporting characters Adam and Audrey (who are a couple) were just ok. I liked Adam more than Audrey.
The plot line is weak. The story needs some serious editing. And while this trope has been done before, it's certainly been done much better. The end was too tidy. I wish I could have rated this higher but it just barely kept my attention, difficult to read the constant story jumping and the editing errors.
2.5 Stars

**arc from NetGalley and Publisher in exchange for a fair review***

Secrets can affect your heart, mind, body, and soul. But worst of all the affect the ones you love the most.

Emma and Oliver were the best of friends thru thick and thin during their childhood. Then one day during their teens Oliver pulled away. Always feeling the pain of loosing her best friend Emma took that pain and tried to lock it away. What better way than to dislike Oliver. Even though deep down she loved him but didn't know. But when she finds the reason he pulled away will it make her forgive him or run away.

Oliver has always cared for Emma. Even when life dealt him a deck of cards that he couldn't understand he wanted to protect and care for Emma.

Brought back together by a conniving friend, Emma and Oliver build their friendship and then into something more. But will his secret tear the relationship that took so long to gain or will they be granted happiness?

This is a quick read about second chances. Throw in a few exes, a lie that becomes reality and a side to each other they didn't know and you have a beautiful book that is thoughtful, passionate, and heart-warming. I laughed, cried, and cheered for more.

This book is about two characters that who were best friends as children until the hero stopped being friends with the heroine out of the blue. After that they didn't get along. The book picks up with them as adults when their feelings for each other begin changing. This wasn't a terrible book but the characters made no sense. Come to find out their friendship ended because the hero learned his father was a manwhore so the hero decided he couldn't ever be in a relationship because he would follow in his father's footsteps. For him to end their childhood friendship with that being the reason just didn't make sense to me. For that reason I just couldn't get into the story.

This is a very sweet romance book.
I hadn't read the first one and you don't need to have to read it to enjoy this one.

The story is pretty basic. Bachelor auction, she gets the one she doesn't want.
Turns out there is huge history between the two of them.
My only real gripe about this is the stupid "secret". I don't understand why it was an issue. It was turned into a much bigger thing than it needed to be.

Overall I liked this because it was a nice easy read, with a lovely story and characters.

I love a nice simple romance and a happy ending :-)