*thank you to the author and publisher for providing an arc**

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Looking for an adventure then Sawyer Bennett's new book Sex in the Sticks is the book for you. This rom-com is jammed pack with non stop fun and a small town that you wish you lived there. And the attraction between Logan and Valentine is off the charts!

Valentine French has hit a dating plateau, the men of NYC are all the same and she is no longer finding inspiration for her blog, Valentine's Couch. After talking with her cousin, Jeremy, he convinces her to maybe try somewhere other then NYC for prospective dates and that somewhere is Alaska.

When Logan Burke first sees Valentine he knows that she is out of place in his small town in Alaska. As their paths continue to cross, Logan cannot deny the attraction he has towards Valentine. When Logan saves Valentine again they finally give into their electric attraction for each other.

As they navigate their relationship, they hit some bumps along the way, especially how long Valentine plans on spending in Alaska. Valentine knows her time in Alaska should be coming to an end but she can't leave just yet. Each day her feelings for Logan grow and she knows she will need to make the decision of staying in Alaska or going back to NYC and continuing her column.

As Valentine starts to come to a decision, Logan receives some news that puts their relationship in jeopardy. Will Logan be able to get past what he finds out or will he let the best thing that's happened to him walk out of his life? Will Valentine be able to make a decision or will she let her doubts and fears take over and give up on something worth fighting for?

This book was so cute. It was fun and romantic. It made me swoon and was oh so sexy. I love the small town and can't wait to read more about it. This was a quick read that left me smiling. Sawyer never fails write a story that I love.

Will definitely be waiting to see where she takes us next.

Rugged Alaskan hottie cop meets high society New Yorker blogger. Valentine French has no idea what to do when she decides to go to Alaska in search of a man who isn't a metrosexual New Yorker. What she finds is not what she was expecting. This was a funny and romantic read.

Lana- WHR

With a heroine named Valentine French and a small town setting filled with all the quirk and charm (and horny, women deprived, rugged men) you could possibly ask for - Sex in the Sticks is set up to be a lighthearted sexy romp.

And it delivers. It's both lighthearted - funny, sometimes silly, but never overly angsty - and sexy in a way that's likely to singe your e-reader (no seriously - your panties are on notice). However, in spite of all these things that I loved, something never clicked for me. It was a slow starter, it took me a long time to warm up to the storyline and invest in the characters. I struggled with how Valentine was written in the beginning. She initially came off like a caricature of a spoiled little rich girl and I could sometimes barely tolerate her. It was around the 30% mark when that began to change and I really started to warm to her. There are more dimensions there, and she was actually quite delightful, if a little clueless. I DEFINITELY warmed to the chemistry she shared with Logan. Those two sizzled and sparked around each other and my heart was ready to dive right in.

And so it did, dive in...sometimes. There were moments that really worked for me. I definitely felt the tug in my heart and the butterflies in my belly. But there were also moments that really didn't work for me at all. The conflict in this book is one of my least favorite types and I felt very frustrated (and not very sympathetic) to both of these characters. Honestly, they sometimes felt very immature (for characters in their 30s) and so my patience wore thin. While their chemistry sparked mightily, the execution of their relationship sort of fizzled out for me and instead of losing myself completely in the book like I wanted to, I found myself skimming to find the sweet spots that drew me back into the story.

In the end, while this wasn't my favorite of Ms. Bennett's books, I did still enjoy the time I spent with these colorful characters in their charming little Alaska town. I'm invested enough to want to visit it again, and am excited to see where this series goes from here.

I loved all the characters and interactions between the two main characters. They come from two very different backgrounds and have some major issues to overcome to be together. Will they be able to? You will have to read to find out. This was a great book with hot and steamy, some humor and definitely romance.

Link will go live on 5/6

SEX IN THE STICKS was a fun, light read, one of those books where you grin at times reading. The premise for this book was kind of perfect, rich socialite travels to Alaska to partake in the glut of men out there. I didn't need much encouragement to be invested in the idea of a rugged Alaskan man, it came naturally but I did need time to like heroine, Valentine. This is the second jobless-socialite I've read lately and initially this kind of heroine doesn't draw me in. She does write her own sex and dating blog though, thus her trip to Alaska. I did come to like Valentine more as the story developed.

The hero was a different matter, Logan, chief of police was the epitome of rugged, capable, outdoor-man. I liked his reticence when it came to Valentine, he sat back and watched her antics. Her antics were funny and I smirked and sniggered along the way. These two definitely had chemistry and their coupling made the blog melt-down with comments.

I definitely want to see more of this series and setting. There are more men in East Merritt, Alaska that need a book and I'm here to read that. Sawyer Bennett certainly has skills of creating a great premise and this book is well executed yet on the light side of contemporary.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through netgalley in return for a honest review.

Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.

Sex in the Sticks is the first in Sawyer's new series of standalone books. I always know I am going to be hooked when I open one of her books and in this one, we are headed to Alaska for a dating adventure.

Valentine is tired of the New York metrosexual men she attracts. She wants more. She was a real man that will look at her instead of his smartphone while sipping of expensive wine. Wine that doesn't even taste good but has an expensive name on it. She might be a millionaire but she isn't like the rest of her family...snotty upper crust. She beats to her own drum. She writes a sex and dating blog instead of being a socialite 24/7. And that is why she is hitting the Alaskan Wilderness. To date lumberjacks and write about her adventures in the backwards town of East Merritt. It might not have a Ritz-Carlton or fancy boutiques like she is used to but it has men. With a fifteen to one ratio she might just be a hot commodity. A New York City girl could get used to this. Or will run for the hills the first chance she gets. Especially, if the rest of the men are like the hot chief of police with dimples for sinning that saved her when she pulled into port.

Logan has seen tourists but he has never seen anyone like Valentine French. She is a drop-dead gorgeous redhead with a fiery mouth. At first he didn't know what to make of her but he soon realizes that she is more than just a pretty face. She is smart, flirty, and is on a mission to cause some trouble in his town. And that is causing some trouble in his pants. They just keep getting tighter and tighter when she is around. And in a small town, she is around a lot. This woman intrigued him from the moment he saw her and more so as time goes on. He isn't into hook-ups but he is dying to know if she is a true redhead.

Logan and Valentine develop a friendship. One that she is very grateful for. He is sweet, helpful, and not bad to look at it. Or ogle at. He is a gentlemen. He looks at her. Really looks at her and not just her body. He genuinely wants to know more about her. And that is where things get complicated. She is there to date the men of Alaska. To share her experiences with her fans. Can she give her fans what she wants while seeing Logan? Just Logan. He seems to be the full package and more but it all too good to be true? Plus, this thing has an expiration date. What will happen when that date hits?

I loved this book. The characters. The scenery. It has the perfect blend of heat, heart, fun, and emotion. Valentine is tougher than she looks. When she sets her mind to something, she doesn't back down. She might be rich and grew up in boarding school but she isn't snobby. Yes. She loves to shop but who doesn't? Anyway...I thought she is smart, feisty, beautiful, and sexy. Logan is not only a gentlemen but he is also a dirty-talking one with a few sides to him. Hot damn. Together...it's intense, sweet, and all around delicious.

Overall...It's an amazing start to a new series. It's actually is one of my favorite books written by Sawyer. I laughed out loud, cried, and could picture the scenes coming to life. Yeah...that was both beautiful and hot.

Quotes:

“You know I don’t do love. But, Jeremy... I think the metrosexual did kill my orgasm.”

“Well, when in Alaska, you do Alaskan things,” she quips.
“Serial dating isn’t an Alaskan thing,” I say lightly, to which she gives a hearty laugh.
“You know I was talking about fishing, Logan,” she teases me. “But honestly... so many men in this town, I’m not quite sure why serial dating isn’t an Alaskan thing.”

“You won’t arrest me, but I am not averse to you using those handcuffs on me anytime you want.”

Sex in the Sticks by Sawyer Bennett
3.5-4*

This is the first book in a brand new series (of standalones) from Bennett. It's about the filthy rich blogger, Valentine and the chief of police, Logan.

Valentine is tired of the men in New York and wants to know if there's another type of man around. At her cousins suggestion, she leaves New York and heads to Alaska where the men outnumber the women significantly and she can sample the offerings to her hearts content. When she disembarks the ferry she is greeted by the delectable Chief who not only drives her to the only B & B in town, but proceeds semi-arrest then rescue both Valentine and her dog (and more than once). Valentine is there for the flings and isn't interested in a relationship whereas Logan has no interest in casual hookups.

I liked this story although I didn't always like or understand Valentine. I couldn't understand why she wrote disparagingly of the town residents when they'd all -bar one- been nothing but kind to her. Also, she was 31 years old - isn't that old enough to stop giving your family the proverbial finger? She showed some growth and maturity towards the end of the book and that was great to see. I liked Logan's character a lot. He took his duties as the Chief of Police and town Mayor seriously but he also had a sense of humor. I think he was the ideal character to complement Valentine's. I'm looking forward to the next book!

*arc received in exchange for honest review.

**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.

This book should come with a warning - Will not be able to put down until finished and will definitely result a great time! Valentine has had enough of the men in New York City and her cousin has recommended Alaska for a change in scenery. Since she is a blogger about her dating, she decides to keep this up and rate the men of Alaska. She is out of her element when she lands and starts accepting dates but the sparks the really ignite are with the chief of police, Logan, who keeps rescuing her. This was a fast paced and totally engaging story with wonderfully colorful characters.

I definitely recommend this one!!!!!!!

**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

I loved this RomCom book by Sawyer Bennett- a new series for her. It had some laugh out loud moments, it had a bit of angst and it had a lot of swoon and hot sex! A bit of something for everyone.

Logan is the brooding male who happens to be the chief of police in his little town in Alaska. He is not besotted by the newcomer, that's what he tells himself, but he is definitely intrigued by her. Valentine is escaping the Big Apple to get a better perspective on dating and experiencing other men besides the metrosexual guys in Manhattan. She wasn't expecting to meet someone like Logan who could sweep her off her feet, literally. He wasn't ready for a life changing relationship either. So can they make it work?

Logan was adorable even when he was too stubborn for is own good. Valentine was a spoilt princess that needed to experience life to know for sure she could handle all terrains. I'm glad she matured but kept her sassiness and humor. This couple were really fun to read. I recommend this one to the hilt.

*I received a copy for an honest review.

5 Holy Hotness Stars!!!

OMG!!! I am super excited! I am in love/lust with Sawyer Bennett’s new LOVE HURTS series. I am not surprised though … I can never get enough of Sawyer Bennett. She is everywhere lately with Ain’t He Precious, Finding Kyle, The Hard Truth About Sunshine and now this!!! This author can WRITE ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. Sex in the sticks is yet another gorgeous, sexy, romantic, small town boy meets sexy city girl. HOLY crap! This book was hot and uber erotic – put on your seat belt y’all because it’s gonna be a really bumpy ride.

Valentine is a dating advice blogger. Lately, she is tired of the metrosexual men and the dating fools in New York. Valentine’s dating life is stalled at best and she is desperate for something new, different, and possibly a lasting romance. With the help from her best friend Jeremy, Valentine packs her bag for a vacation in small town Alaska where men are five times the population of women. Her master plan is to date as many men as she can and compare them against the men of New York. Well, Valentine’s plan back fires when she meets the chief of police/ mayor of East Merritt.
I really adore Valentine – she is beautiful, wealthy, smart and successful but she is so down to earth, honest, sweet and nice. Such a lovable character. Logan is not much of a dater – he is busy working for the town and mostly keeps to himself. The last thing he expects is a sexy redhead visitor barging into town causing chaos and mayhem. Logan quickly becomes the hero who sweeps in and rescues the damsel in distress … several times. I can’t help but smile at some of these scenes. Poor Valentine is so out of her element but she is determined to fit in. I love Logan – all man, sexy, brooding and truly a nice guy. Logan might win the new title of book boyfriend for me!!! He has a huge heart and well … just huge everywhere if you know what I mean . The chemistry between Valentine and Logan basically burned up the sheets. Sawyer writes the most sexy, erotic sex scenes. I did not expect this at all but damn it was so good.

This book is awesome! Hilarious banters, lighthearted, romantic, really sexy (warning – super erotic sexy scenes) and a small dose of angst at the end. What will happen when Logan finds out Valentine’s intentions when she came to Alaska. He feels betrayed, hurt, and acts out of emotion. It will take a grand gesture for Valentine to win his trust and his heart back. Will Logan finally pull his head out of his ass and realize that despite all of Valentine’s flaws she is the only one that can make him happy?

Sex in the sticks is utterly addictive PERIOD! I could not put it down – as always flawless writing and a gorgeous love story. I highly recommended this light-hearted, fun, sweet romance. LOVED IT and can’t wait for more.

***4 “We Fit” Stars***

I always make grabby hands when I see a new Sawyer Bennett book show up. It’s a bit crazy/obsessive, but hey, the woman’s got skills when it comes to sucking me into the story from the start and needing to see how things work out with the MC’s and Sex in the Sticks was no exception. It hooked me from the prologue, was a great balance of sweet, smexy and heart with a good dose of drama tossed into the mix and a slew of interesting characters that inhabited the small town in Alaska.

Ahhh Valentine. I honestly liked Valentine. Despite her upbringing she is quite down to earth, in her own way and I liked how she adapted to being in small town USA with grace. She is sweet, sassy and is quite witty, but she also has tunnel vision when it comes to certain things and it made her appear almost bratty in a sense. I got where she was coming from and could give her credit for sticking to her guns, but...Thankfully she grows throughout the book and finds that her agenda may not be as fulfilling as she once thought.

Chief Logan Burke. I swear this man is too good to be true and if I could convince myself to go to the BFE to find me one of him, I would, but for now he will just have to remain on book boyfriend list. But he is simply a good man with just the right amount of bad boy when the situation calls for it, just the right amount. He takes his position of chief seriously and yet isn’t a stick in the mud about things and just has that laid back vibe that makes you want to hang out with the man, and that he’s smexy as all get out doesn’t hurt.

Considering the reason Valentine is even in BFE Alaska, it wasn’t much of a stretch to figure out the problems that would cause once it came to light. So while I waited for that bomb to drop, I really enjoyed watching how Valentine and Logan’s relationship evolved. While there was mutual attraction, it wasn’t insta-love at all, it was two people drawn to each other time and time again by circumstance and finding that they liked being in each others orbit. They both dipped a toe into the TSTL realm once, but admitted it after the fact. The chemistry between them was there from the start and I swear once the smexy started between them I swear I thought my Kindle was going to melt. When the bomb dropped I was #TeamLogan, but was rooting for them to work through the muck and get back together and enjoyed how that all came about.

If you’re looking for a fun, quick read that is more sweet and insanely smexy with a low dose of angst, but just enough to keep things interesting and have a soft spot for small towns with charismatic characters then you should definitely give Sex in the Sticks a go!

In a new series by one of my go-to authors, we get Valentine and Logan’s love story, told in alternating points of view. This was a sweet and funny story with lots of sexy thrown into the mix. I really enjoyed it.

Valentine, a rich, popular blogger, wrote about her adventures in dating in New York, was sick of all of the metrosexual men she was encountering. On the recommendation of her cousin, Jeremy, Valentine set off for the wilderness in Alaska without truly understanding what she was heading into.

“Then call a car service for me,” she says dramatically. “I can’t believe this town doesn’t have a damn cab in it. This truly is the wilderness.”
I lower my face to hide the smirk that overtakes my mouth, and when I have it under control”


Logan came to her rescue, almost from the moment she arrived. What I loved most about this story was Logan’s reactions to everything Valentine did. From her ineptness at living in the wilderness to her out-of-place sexy, high class ways, I found myself constantly laughing out loud. While Valentine stumbled through dating men in Alaska, Logan was always there for her, getting her out of all kinds of messes and generally being swoon-worthy.

“I can be ready in, say... an hour and a half.”
Logan laughs.
At me.
Shaking his head but still grinning with amusement, he says, “You got fifteen minutes to have your butt in my truck.”


Logan was frustrating but I couldn’t help but love him. He was kind and sexy but also had a flare for overreaction when it came to Valentine. I could have done with a bit more grovelling on his part for some of the conflict that happened with him and Logan but overall I was won over by him.

“You wouldn’t dare take me to jail,” she says defiantly.
I answer by locking handcuffs onto her wrists.
Valentine gasps and then screeches in outrage. “You didn’t just do that. I demand to speak to the mayor.”
“You’re speaking to him,” I tell her with a smirk.”


The one aspect of the book that I didn’t care for was Valentine’s blog. I get that it was the reason for her going to Alaska and inevitably was a source of conflict for Valentine and Logan, but it didn’t sit right with me. Valentine’s blog entries didn’t seem to fit with her personality or her actions in real life. I didn’t like the things she wrote or the the way she talked about people. It made me like her character less.

Great read!

3.5 feel good stars

This is a sweet, fun, feel-good story. It’s very low on angst or drama, and starts out a little slow, but it’s filled with heart.

Valentine is a dating columnist and is bored with the men in NYC. She’s very wealthy and decides to up and take a trip to Alaska to test out something new. Queue Logan, chief of police in East Merritt, who saves the damsel in distress multiple times.

I enjoyed Valentine and Logan. Valentine had a fun spunk about her and watching her relationship with Logan evolve was heartwarming. They come from two extremely different worlds and it’s fun to see their interactions and Valentine try to evolve from being the city girl to the small town deep woods Alaska girl.

But it’s not all fun and games. When Logan’s heart gets hurt, let’s just say Valentine has some work cut out for her to win back her man. This is a light, sexy, heartwarming story that will leave a smile on your face.

Valentine is a rich woman living in New York City. She hates all the fakenss of the rich people here and does everything she can to humiliate her parents. The only real friend she has is her cousin Jeremy. Valentine has a blog called Valentine's Couch where she talks about sex and her dates in New York City. She tells her cousin Jeremy that she is bored with her life. He tells her about Alaska where he went one time and how there are few women but lots of men. He sets her up for a trip to Alaska. That is where her eyes are opened to how other people live. She is going there to write about dates with Alaskan men to see how different they are from the rich, city men. You need to read the book to see what happens.

The first person Valentine meets is Logan Burke who is the chief of police in East Merritt where Valentine is staying. She is quite impressed with how big and handsome he is. He is also kind and helps her get to his small town. It is funny to hear how the men in the town are in awe of Valentine and how they all want a date with her. Some of the dates are funny. I loved the chemistry between Logan and Valentine. It was great to see how Valentine took to the people and the town she was staying in. Of course there was one woman that didn't like her, and there were some funny things they did to each other. It was a good book and I encourage you to read it. I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.

I guess I am in the minority with this one. It was just OK for me. Oh, it was well written (if a little predictable) and very funny. I enjoyed the small town feel of it. There wasn't any OW/OM drama. Not much angst until near the end. It also had a great cast of secondary characters and some hot sex scenes.

My issue was mainly with the main characters. I liked Valentine's personality. She treated people kindly to their faces, but the whole "BLOG" angle didn't sit right with me. Everyone treated her with kindness, and the way she paints them on her blog wasn't very nice. Not to mention sharing private details about her and Logan. Which I thought was particularly disgusting. AND I found it HIGHLY improbable that a supposed big name blogger like her would put down the name of the town, and specifically Logan's occupation (especially since he was the ONLY chief) for everyone on the internet to read.

And while I understood Logan's initial reaction to finding out she was sharing details and writing about the town his continued asshole behavior after she apologized soured me on him. To be honest, by the end I felt HE needed to be the one groveling to get HER back.

Like I said though I seem to be in the minority with this one. Maybe I am just in a bad mood or something..who knows. *lol* I'll be keeping my eye out for the next book because like I said except for the main characters I found the writing very good.

There is no nice way to say it - I hated this book. I have read at least a dozen books by Sawyer Bennett and I have enjoyed them all. Some more than others but I have never wanted to stop reading any of her books out of overwhelming annoyance before.

I hated the heroine Valentine. I found her both annoyingly stupid and immature for her age. I spent the first half of the book wanting to throat punch her. I get that she grew up fabulously wealthy in New York but for the love of Pete she seemed to live in a bubble of ignorance about anything that did not exist for her in New York. Crazy Alaska things like fly fishing and manual transmissions had to be explained to her. I had a very hard time believing Valentine actually graduated from Columbia.

I also did not like the hero Logan. He lacked maturity and basic communication skills. He treated Valentine poorly at times and I don't think there is ever an adequate excuse to try and hurt someone on purpose (even Valentine, who I wanted to throat punch).

I also saw no real connection between the two characters and I'm not sure why either one of them thought they should be together. Honestly, the only thing that made the two characters seem compatible at all was that Logan had a huge tallywacker and Valentine had no gag reflex. (Wow, it's like true everlasting love for sure!)

There were several hilarious moments in Sex in the Sticks, and there were even more extremely hot moments... I found the overall story to be cute, albeit a little bit cliché with the woman from the big city going to the Alaska wilderness to find a man who wasn't metrosexual with a better manucure than her.

Valentine and her blog made me laugh out loud more than once, especially because she had partly started her sex-blog to shock her family. Sex in the Sticks started out a bit tentative, as Val left her big city behind, only to be surprised at how quaint her new playground really was. Logan was the perfect rugged hero. The local sheriff, sweet, hunky, tall, protective - he had all the best parts of a romance hero going for him.

My feels were invested fully in Sex in the Sticks, even as I saw catastrophe arriving, I was hoping it wouldn't happen and things would continue to be smooth sailing. This is definitely a series I want to continue reading, as the writing was spot-on and the dual points of view worked very well.

4 1/2 stars for the first book in Sawyer Bennett's new series! I was luck to get my hands on an ARC of this one. This is a sweet and sexy story with some pretty interesting characters. As always with Sawyer's books the writing is fabulous and you feel like you are right there in the story with her characters. I will admit it took me a bit to warm up to the heroine of this one, Valentine, I think because of her blogging and her decision to do a social experiment and go to Alaska to see if the men there were different from the metrosexual men she was always meeting in NYC. It felt a bit pretentious to me. I didn't like that she planned on blogging about her dates without her dates knowing. Thankfully little by little throughout the book she redeems herself and I end up really liking her. I think the Valentine she is with Logan is what makes me end up really liking her.
She first meets Logan in the small town in Alaska where her cousin, who made her travel arrangements, sets her up. He is the Chief of Police in the next town over. Logan is the type of man she was hoping to find in Alaska. He is gorgeous, strong and above that appears to be a gentleman, a manly man, an alpha man. There is attraction but there is also an easy friendship that develops quickly between them. From the start Logan really sees Valentine and seems to feel the need to protect her. She certainly stands out in their small little town. Logan and Valentine have some seriously hot and steamy scenes that would warm anyone on a cold Alaskan night and chemistry like crazy.
There are some shenanigans of course and then some serious issues once Logan finds out about her blog. Can Valentine learn to live in the moment without giving a a play by play to the the masses? Can Logan forgive her for airing out some pretty personal things about their relationship?
You will have to read to find out. I promise it is worth your time. After all, it is Sawyer Bennett.

I have mad love for this book and for this lady, she weaves a world you can instantly get lost into and I have to say that I am so glad I discovered her words.