Book Review
Title: Sex in the Sticks
Series: Love Hurts #1
Author: Sawyer Bennett
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: May 2, 2016
Cliff Hanger: No

4 Stars

*This story is for mature audiences only. Contains explicit scenes and language intended for adults 18+

Synopsis:
Wake up and feel the wood! In the first of a series of irresistible standalone romances from New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett, a city girl rediscovers love and lust in the Alaskan wilderness.

Valentine French may be the sassiest dating columnist in New York City, but the abundance of metrosexuals in her adopted metropolis is seriously cramping her style. Where are the beefy all-American boys? Hoping to find some inspiration, Val heads to Alaska, where the men outnumber the women fifteen to one and wrestle grizzly bears for sport. Or so she can only imagine. Suddenly the most eligible bachelorette in a town full of horny lumberjacks, Val is writing her best columns ever. But if she doesn’t get her nose out of her laptop, she just might miss out on Mr. Right.

Logan Burke is the sheriff of the little podunk town that Val finds so charmingly backward. He’s not that different from the guys she’s using for her little experiment; it’s just that one date would never be enough for Logan. As he listens to Val complain about love over beers in the local tavern, he realizes that she can’t see the forest for the trees. Because if she would ever give up her Prada bags and fourteen-dollar martinis, Logan would give her the only luxury that matters: his heart.

My Thoughts:
This was so fun! What a great concept, an NYC dating columnist tired of dating and writing about NYC metrosexuals and at the advice of her best friend/male cousin, heads to Alaska where men outnumber women to find a real man!

I laughed out loud a lot while reading this book. I really loved Valentine and Logan as individuals and as a couple. There was good character development for the main characters as well as all the crazy secondary characters! I flew through this book and couldn’t put it down.

I don’t want to give away anything as you really need to experience this fun, sexy and fast paced read!

ARC kindly provided by InkSlinger PR and NetGalley for an honest review.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Rachael – ☆☆☆☆☆
I absolutely loved watching Valentine turn from a city girl into a country girl or well, an Alaskan girl. It was amusing to watch her make all the mistakes someone who has never lived out of a sprawling concrete area as she steps into a bear-infested, man-dominated town.

Her blog writing was pretty humorous, but I love how even that changes as she does as she grows. The conflicts she has to deal with inside herself are really interesting to follow along with.

It's hard to say too much since there are a lot of surprises and turns in the story, but just trust me when I say that you don't want to miss this story! A strong heroine with a super sexy and just as dominating hero leading the way, you won't be able to put it down. I know I couldn't.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
Loved the story and the characters. Valentine is a city girl from NYC who is tired of the same old dating scene. She wonders what it would be like to date men from other parts of the country. Thanks to her cousin, Jeremy, she's off to the wilds of Alaska to see if location really does make a difference.

Watching Valentine out of her element is both funny and scary and very relatable. Everyone has their own comfort zone and rarely do we strike out in such a way that we leave everything we know, and Valentine did just that. Logan is the first person Valentine meets in Alaska – aside from the ferry boat captain – and she immediately is charmed by him.

Logan, on the other hand, is slightly wary of the city girl who invades his town. Not in a "she's out to run amok" kind of way, but in a "why is she here" way. He knows she's way out of her element and the more he runs into her, the more he realizes that she's getting under his skin.

Valentine's trials during her stay in Alaska bring them closer together until her past and her job catch up with her. Turns out that what Valentine likes to blog about can cause deep and hurtful feelings that are hard to overcome.


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆☆
Sex in the Sticks tells the story of Valentine, a New Yorker living off her trust fund, who runs a blog where she shares dating tips and her dating life. Sick of New York men, and at the urging of her cousin, she heads to the rural town of East Merritt, Alaska, to try a new dating pool.

The story switches between Valentine's point of view and the point of view of Logan Burke, East Merritt's police chief, who rescues Valentine when she first arrives in Alaska. Logan helps Valentine adjust to life in Alaska, has meals with her, and they become friends. While this is going on, she is checking out the local dating pool with interesting results.

The situations Valentine finds herself in make for some great laughs. Despite that fact that she is a city girl, she gets on well with most of the town's folk and there is a good supporting cast of characters. There is never a dull moment with Valentine around. But the story isn't all about the fun, it is very hot too. I loved the way the romance plays, it is perfect.

This is the first book I've read by Sawyer Bennett and she has the rom com thing down pat. Sex in the Sticks is thoroughly entertaining and is a great romance. I have to say I think this would make a great movie too.


Lee’Anne – ☆☆☆
I just really couldn’t get into this book, it was kind of disappointing and definitely predictable.

You’ve got a rich diva from New York, Valentine, who is a man-eater that blogs about it. She’s gone through pretty much all the men in her area and is ready to step way out of the “metrosexual zone.” So, she packs up and heads to a town of practically all men, in Alaska. Immediately upon arriving, Val meets the sexy sheriff, Logan, who is an absolute sweetheart. Though the attraction is immediate for Val, she didn’t move across the country for one man – she needs fodder for her blog and sets out to serial date the entire town. Of course, Logan wiggles his way into her heart and the two begin exclusively (or so Logan thinks) seeing one another… then he hears about her on a date with another man and things quickly turn ugly.

I will say that though I didn’t much care for the storyline, I’m giving three stars because I really liked Logan’s character and the book not only held my attention enough to finish it, but had me laughing out loud on more than once occasion. Val’s character wasn’t my favorite, I found her a bit shallow, but did love that she helps one of the local girls get a man she’s had her eye on by giving her a makeover and boosting her confidence. I especially love when Val gets caught table dancing and winds up being arrested by Logan – definitely my favorite part of the book. This isn’t my first Sawyer Bennett book and I was just really expecting more with this one, with as much as I’ve loved her previous ones. All in all, a 3-star rating and sadly, I probably won’t be reading book #2.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is a really fun story which introduces small town Alaska to Valentine French, and to us. She is one of the upper echelon of New York society, but is getting rather jaded of NY metrosexual men. Her blog on the subject and is in need of more material – so rather on a dare from a friend, she ends up in Alaska.

We get to see all the ways in which she manages to miscalculate life in a cold climate – and her handbag dog, Sassy, has some big adventures. It only helps to make her like her regular hero and saviour, Police Chief Logan even more. To the extent that maybe her plan to date lots of locals may be under threat. Indeed, Logan seems to tick every box she didn't even know she had.

Watching these two seemingly mismatched people get it together in a snow-meltingly hot way is both fun and fan-worthy. But knowing there is a potential expiration date ups the stakes, as does a badly timed revelation which puts it all in jeopardy.

Highly enjoyable read, with a cast of fun side characters. I am very curious to see where this series goes next, and can't wait to find out!

Ahh...Logan. He's perfect in every way imaginable. Valentine is sweet, funny, and sexy. She is a New York socialite who is a blog writer about her single life. She becomes bored with her life and decides to try a different place to date and write her blog. She ends up in Alaska because her cousin tells her how there are way more men than women there. She is immediately shocked the first day she arrives when she finds out there is no cab service. But thankfully for her, Logan the chief of police, gives her a ride. And from there her journey begins and Logan seems to always be there to help Valentine out. This is such a perfect romance with just the right amount of heat. You can never go wrong with a Sawyer Bennett book. I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy.

4.5 Stars!

The whole time I'm reading this book, I kept thinking this would make a cute movie. I really enjoyed this low angst book and it would have earned a full 5 stars from me if I didn't want to slap Logan upside the head. I don't know why these men in these books don't do what I want them too.

In all seriousness, if you looking for something that won't get your emotions up too high and for lack of a better word, just want to relax into a book, this is a good choice.

I was pretty envious of Valentine. She's a trust fund baby and lives off her family trust, spending days blogging about her dating life. She was slightly spoiled, but not annoyingly so. She was still relatable and fun. Honestly, sounds like a great life to me.

Valentine is sick and tired of dating metro-sexual males in New York. She wants a change and her cousin suggest going to Alaska to meet a different type of male. As part of her dating and sex advice blog, she decides this is a great idea and goes blindly to a small town in Alaska.

This was where I was afraid the spoiled Valentine would get too annoying, but I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, she's used to finer things in life but she adapted pretty quickly. Got into a lot of little mishaps that just made the book fun and introduced so many characters living in this little town that you felt like you were right there with her.

Valentine starts this trip out by wanting to serial date these rugged, manly men but learns real quick that Logan, the chief and mayor of Merritt, Alaska is the only man she wants to get to know.

I loved Logan, but there was two times in the book I wanted to slap him upside the head. Nothing too serious, just the typical stubborn male and too much pride. I really loved how Valentine treated these instances. I didn't really think the conflict towards the end was worth the reaction he gave her but she couldn't have handled it any better.

Overall, a fun read and I'm so curious who the next book will be about. I really hope we will be staying in Merritt for the next couple. I truly enjoyed the background setting of this story. ARC provided by Netgalley.

4.5 Hot Alaskan Stars!

I know I say it every time after I read a Sawyer Bennett book, but this author knows how to suck me into a book with her characters and their story lines. I am never disappointed when I finish a book by Ms. Sawyer and Sex in the Sticks is another fantastic read from her.

Sex in the Sticks made me laugh and swoon throughout this book. Valentine French is dating columnist from NYC, she blogs about her dating life and it's currently going no where! She's beautiful and extremely wealthy, and has no luck with the men in the city. They are all the same to her--all pretentious and only care about themselves. So to find better writing material and men, she takes off all the way to the great state of Alaska. Cause we all know the ratio to men and women...

She comes face to face to the rugged and very handsome, Logan Burke. Logan is the town sheriff and mayor and the attraction between the two is hot and very humorous! But Valentine doesn't act on it, she's there to date many lumberjacks for her blog! And for some reason, Logan there at every turn to save her.

Sex in the Sticks is a fun, hot and low-drama read that will have you laughing at the city girl living in the wild.

So Sex in the Sticks is based in Alaska and that is home to me. I was excited to see how Sawyer Bennett would write this new series and my hometown. Honestly as first I was not impressed with the start of the book. I even put it down and read something else before picking it back up. I had a hard time relating to the books character Valentine. I really did not like her at all in the beginning. I felt she was kinda stuck up & better than others but yet she was getting bored with the guys she was seeing. So because she has money why not go to Alaska and see if the men there are any different.... Really umm ok whatever... Well I kept reading because why not. Lol by the end of the book I had totally fell in love with it. Valentine had grown on me. Logan I loved from the start. Logan is so strong and sweet, yet still a mystery too him. The chemistry between Valentine & Logan is hot! This book gives you all the feelers and it reminded me why I fell in love with Sawyer Bennett and her writing and amazing characters! I'm so happy that I didn't give up on it and continued to finish the book! Blown away and amazed by this great & must read!

#Review @BennettBooks ‏



QueenZany 4 Star Review
Sex in the Sticks
Sawyer Bennett


Bring on the sexy!!
If you're looking for that climatic heat then Sex in the Sticks is for you!
I can’t even say enough about this read! The character and their dynamic personality just stole me over. Along with the effortless storyline. That was pretty smooth. Just did it for me!!

Sex in the Sticks is a hot sexy read that will leave you wanting the Chief of the Police!

What an entertaining book! And I needed that after a grueling few months of work. I would consider it a summer read because I consider those types of books to usually have a lighter plot line and this one is no exception. Sometimes you have to know a little about the setting of the story to really appreciate it but in this one, the author has done such a good job describing the surroundings and the people, that you are right there with the charactes.

An heiress is what Valentine is but it isn’t who she is. Even though she doesn’t have to work, she does because the life of a socialite is not at all interesting to her. So she blogs about men, sometimes embarrassing to her family, and analyzes her dates. But even that gets boring so on the suggestion of her best friend, she goes to Alaska to find a rough and ready kind of man. Having never been out of the city into the rural areas of the world, she is unprepared for just about everything. Upon arriving in East Merritt, she meets Logan who helps her with her bags since there is no taxi or car service to be found.

Logan is always willing to help someone in need and Val certainly fits that description. He’d like to be more than friends but it seems that she isn’t really interested. In fact, in her first week there, she agrees to several dates with different guys, but not him. What Logan eventually finds out is that she is blogging about all the dates and their less than stellar qualities. Angry and not willing to be her next target, he backs away just as she wants to get closer.

The HEA happens, eventually, and you will enjoy the ride all the way! I promise!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was expected ore received for the review.

Another fun series to read!

Sawyer Bennett does good series!! This one is set in Alaska, so it was fun to read about a more unique setting and have more wildlife action thrown in than usual. Love the wilderness.

Logan is swoony then he is a foolish a**h*** then back to swoony then somewhere in between. Valentine for her part stays true to herself all along even as she grows in this new environment. Logan feels understandably betrayed which leads him to the somewhere in between part and you want to scream at him to get his head out of his ***.

The blog comments are a special treat!! Most of my favorite quotes would be spoilers, but here's one to wet your appetite - "I've got all the confidence in the world you can take me..."

This book has a little bit of everything - romance of course, humor, sophistication and backwoods brilliance, drama with some heart-tugging angst, and love. Sure to be an enjoyable series.

I'm in love and I was from the very first chapter. Sex in the Sticks has left me needing to visit Alaska.
City rich girl Valentine French visits Alaska to find out what it's like to be out numbered by men, it's all in aid of her dating column, well that is until she meets the local Chief of police Logan Burke who happens to be drop dead gorgeous. The problem is what can a local police chief who also happens to be the mayor offer a socialite from NYC. Valentine may come from money but she has always rolled to beat of her own drum, she keeps telling herself this trip is all about her blog but deep down she really wants true love, she wants an alpha male who puts her above everything else could Logan be that man ......
This book was perfect, it's funny, sexy, romantic and it will leave you grinning like a Cheshire Cat. Is there no end to Sawyer Bennett's talent once again she has given us another 5 star read this time as a funny standalone. This was just what I love in a book, to be smiling throughout and to get a HEA. Great job Sawyer

4+ “I seriously need to move to Alaska” Stars

Hot Damn!!! Sex in the Sticks is one seriously, and I do mean seriously hot read.

Valentine is a dating/romancing/sexing blogger with a sassy style and a family fortune that lets her pretty much do whatever the hell she wants in life. Unfortunately, the dating scene and the available male in NYC just aren’t doing it for her anymore. She’s gone out with guy after guy with better hair products than her and who can’t seem to take a breath without checking their smartphones. So, yeah, a change of scenery is required.

That’s how Ms. French ends up in Nowheresville, Alaska where the men are real men and she has plenty to choose from. Never
having been in love, she wasn’t counting on one super-hot Sheriff sweeping her off her stiletto heeled boots.

Logan loves his job, loves his town and well… yeah, he’s loving the sexy red head strutting all around town in ridiculously inadequate but hot as sin clothes. Though the fact that she seems to be going on dates with the whole male population is not really working for him.

With outlandishly hot chemistry, Logan and Valentine won’t be able to keep their hands off each other for long. I kept wondering if, when Valentine’s true plans came out, their budding relationship would withstand the truth.

I loved how honest and out there Valentine was. She knew who she was and she was not afraid to show it, didn’t play games and wasn’t scared of trying new things. She was truly adventurous and
had a great sense of humor. I totally adored her.

Logan, though, takes the cake. We’re talking about a sheriff who’s sweet, sexy, kind and considerate, but also a dominant, dirty talker in bed. I mean, ladies: we want Logan in the favorite hotties lists. Of course, he does have some jerk moments, but I felt
he made up for them. Did I mention he had a very big dick? And he really knows what to do with it.

I had tons of fun with Sex in the Sticks. It’s light, fun crazy hot and extra sexy. The sextivities are off the charts scorching, the banter is hilarious and I freaking loved every citizen of East Merritt (except for Darla, that bitch) and I can’t wait to get more of their stories. This was a total hit for me from Ms. Bennet.

Just finished Sex in the Sticks and my first thought was to read it again! I absolutely loved it and can guarantee this will be put in my "most definitely need to read multiple times" group.

Logan, oh my...Logan, swoon! I desperately want a man like that. He is not the typical romance novel tall, dark, and handsome alpha - he feels genuine and real. Someone who would give 100% of himself at all times. I fell in love with him from the start and never once wavered. Val started out as a typical shallow socialite, with every cliche maxed, but watching her blossom and truly find herself and her heart was such a wonderful journey.

I think Sawyer Bennett did an outstanding job with this book and I highly recommend it.

**I requested and received an advanced copy from NetGalley and the publisher.**

I love Sawyer Bennett’s books and was excited to read SiTS. I don’t think there’s a book out there today like this one and it was a much needed breath of fresh air. Valentine is tired of dating the metrosexuals in NYC and after some prodding decides to take her chances with the lumberjacks of Alaska. It was rather funny watching Valley, the young, wealthy, blogger trying to fit in amongst the natives. While some of the “scenes” are not as rowdy as some of SB’s other works, they still hold their own!! SiTS is a mixture of humor, romance, angst and of course tall, dark and handsome police chiefs  While this is not one of my favorite by SB it is still worth a read.

I adored this book. The story was very interesting and held my interest right away. I love books that make me have all the feels! It was funny, sexy and hot as heck sometimes. We first meet Val out on a shopping trip. I kinda didn't like her at first. I thought she was pretty uppity and looked down her nose at others. But she definitely grows on you! You take a city girl and you put her in the wild and of course crazy will ensue. I loved Logan! One thing for sure is Ms Bennett knows how to write a bed room scene. Logan is a gentleman on the streets but a dirty talking lover in the sheets. Loved the chemistry between Valentine and Logan. Ms Bennett did such a good job that I could not put this book down. I highly recommend it. I hope this is a start of a series and we get more stories from other characters that live in East Merritt.

Valentine French - comes from money so she doesn't work, writes a dating blog just to annoy her family, sounds like she's never ventured to any locale with less than a million people in it, would be lost without her designer trappings and finally, yes, has a small dog, small enough to put into a shoulder purse and...wait for it...who's name is Sassy. This should have been a red flag for me. All of this!

The blurb about this title drew me in - thinking it could be a clever storyline.

Nope, not at all what I thought.

Logan Burke is the only reason I'm giving this 3 stars and the only reason I finished the book. He's a gem and such an authentic guy. Valentine is...not.


Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

5 It's Getting Hot In The Alaskan Wilderness Stars!!!

I love when one of my favorite authors starts a new series and it's as good as this first book in the Love Hurts series by Ms. Bennett is. From the very first page I was laughing out loud at Valentine and all her sassiness. I mean this girl is used to Louboutin and Gucci not flannel and corduroy and that's what she's getting when she heads up to East Merritt, Alaska.

Logan is unlike anyone Valentine has met before and it's just like the old saying that opposites attract because in their case they're at complete opposite ends of the spectrum!! I fell in love with both of them and East Merritt. The way these two bantered with each other was outstanding. I could picture Val in all her NYC chicness trying to date all these men that are so different from the metrosexuals she's been dating which is why she ended up in our 49th State!

There's a sizzling chemistry between Val and Logan and once they move on it, it's scorching hot!!! And watching how being with this hot, hunky cop changes her was such a joy to read. She realizes that sometimes the simpler things in life really are the best things in life.

Ms. Bennett has the ability when writing her books to draw the reader right into the story and with this book in particular I loved being able to picture in my mind Alaska and it's incredibly beautiful wilderness. Val and Logan and the life they want to build together after a few bumps in the road of course. There's so much on the horizon for this series and I can't wait to read the next book in this series Jilted!

Immensely enjoyed this book. Valentine has been dating lots of men who don't seem to capture her interest so she picks up and temporarily relocates somewhere that the men far outnumber the women and are not as "metrosexual" as the men she's used to dating.

Valentine starts off her trip on the wrong foot with the gentleman giving her a ride to her hotel...and continues to on that wrong foot frequently in her new town. She begins to realize what type of man she is looking for while she has her dating experiment and how important those qualities in a man are.

Great read and looking forward to this new series.

I'll go 3.5 stars on this. I had heard about this author and was happy to receive this review copy from the publisher via Netgalley. I admit, the prologue and first couple of chapters had me eye rolling and wondering what I was getting myself into. Not a huge fan of alternating first POV and Val and Jeremy didn't start off on the right foot with me...BUT...then Val gets to Alaska and the book picked up.

I loved Logan and the whole small town of East Merritt, Alaska. The chemistry and romance was fun and flirty and for a while Logan and Val were burning the pages up. Then, we had the inevitable breakup and makeup for the HEA and I didn't enjoy it as much.

So, overall I loved the middle, but the beginning and end lacked a little for me which is why I'm going 3.5 stars.

It's an entertaining and sexy journey to HEA for a pampered city girl when she heads to Alaska in search of that endangered species...a rugged and sexy man's man. It's an eclectic group of men she soon meets but it's the commanding and caring sheriff who has her ready to swap her silk for flannel. From sexy encounters to humorous exchanges theirs is a fun and flirty relationship. Once the truth about what brought her into the wilderness is discovered hurt feelings and forgiveness abound as readers watch them work their way to an immensely satisfying conclusion.

Valentine French comes from wealth but hates the pressure put on her by her parents because of it. She hates their mockery of marriage which has dimmed her own feelings when it comes to relationships. In an act of rebellion she starts a blog where she critiques dating the men of New York along with the trappings of the wealthy. The handsome but bland men she's been dating frustrate her and finally have her fleeing the city in search of men who are the true definition of maleness. Arriving in Alaska is both a bust and a success once she meets Sheriff Logan Burke. Theirs is a crackling connection from the moment they meet with her citified air and his rugged demeanor. The more he challenges her the more self-assured she becomes though, the more down-to-earth as she learns to do things on her own. She may start off as a fish out of water but she quickly finds a place for herself amongst the colorful town denizens. She's a breath of fresh air upon her glamorous arrival but soon becomes reliant on herself as she takes up permanent residence which had me cheering her on. Val may start off a bit superficial but there's surprising substance behind her glittery facade that slowly endeared her to me. She was sweet and likable and I enjoyed her awkward start that belied her strong will. Once the truth comes out about her blog she yearns to make amends in a way that showed just how strong she's become and which made me like her all the more.

Logan Burke once thought he had his whole life planned out with a career a woman by his side until all that fell apart and he escaped to the wilderness to start over. He loves his job and the people of his town and it's clear he thinks of them as family. The moment he sees Val his entire life gets turned upside down as her city ways charm him along with her curvy body and confident nature. As they quickly evolve from friends to lovers their encounters melted the pages while forging a more definitive connection. He's caring yet dominant in the bedroom while being a true gentleman as he helps whenever he can and encourages Val in living life her own way. He values truth above all else though and it's what pulls them apart in a choice that's frustrating but made their reunion all that much richer.

This was a fun and flirty read with an erotically-charged romance that showed Logan and Val as friends and lovers. They're immensely likable as individuals and as a couple they're formidable. Val may have bumbled her way into town but she quickly became another colorful member of their family which ultimately helped bring her and Logan back to one another. The denizens of this small town were equally likable with their own romantic issues and it was endearing seeing them be won over by Val's breath of fresh air. Add it all up and it's a story that put a smile on my face while charming me every step of the way. On a whole readers will find a scorching romance full of heart and soul that puts another feather in Ms. Bennett's writing cap!