I voluntarily reviewed an ARC from Netgalley.

I have yet to read anything by Jennifer Probst that's terrible. Absolutely, nothing. Ms Probst will keep her perfect record with "The Start of Something Good!" I have to tell you, I really thought I was gonna hate Mia, but she fooled me and I LOVE that!! Ms Probst gave her an exceptional hero in Ethan.

Seriously, people... You really need to read this. The ONLY drawback.....waiting for the next in the series.

THE START OF SOMETHING GOOD, the first book in the STAY series, reeled me in from the first page and never let go. The complex cast of characters all had their face they showed the world. Because of that no one seemed to get the real them and see below the surface or do they? The family's B&B and horse farm filled with rescues are run by sisters, Ophelia and Harper, respectively. Their brother Ethan returns home after being away too long. He was injured overseas when he was in the Special Forces, went through surgeries, rehab and physical therapy but is still not whole. He brings some of his issues with him and doesn't really want to socialize but that changes due to his sisters, the townspeople and some of the guests.

Mia, a public relations executive and business owner, ends up at the B&B and the farm due to her charge's (Chloe) community service imposed by a judge for her misbehavior while a freshman in college. It's the last place she wants to be and she and Ethan have a run in when they first meet. Chloe takes to the horses immediately and doesn't find the service as bad as she thought it would be. She seems to be hiding something but Mia and Ethan, who's her boss for the community service requirement, don't know what it is.

There are wonderful descriptions of the farm, the B&B, the animals, the lands, the town and the food that makes me feel like I was there. There are family and friends, politics, businesses, a small town feel, crimes committed, sadness, anger, tears, hurt, lots of talks, smiles, heat up the sheet moments, romance and love. The story flowed smoothly even with so many stories being told. There was some closure and a happily-ever-after in the offing, especially with the epilogue, but there were still some loose ends that I hope will be resolved in the next book in the series, A BRAND NEW ENDING, which won't be out until the fall. I can't wait to read it.

Ms. Probst is an author who has always been on my radar and her books in my TBR pile. Somehow though I've never read any of her books. I will be rectifying that since I loved her style of writing reminiscent to me of Jill Shalvis, Robyn Carr and Susan Mallery.

I rated it 4.5 but rounded to 5 on Goodreads. and NetGalley

Two broken hearts coming together in one fateful summer. One was damaged by the fate of the world and being unable to save someone he promised he wouldn’t let die. The other focused on being the best she could be since her private life was slowly falling apart. Consumed with being there for her clients and promising them success she gets lost in how to simply live her life. Can they possibly heal one another and make them both realize they cannot control everything life will toss their way. An absolutely great story on the process of healing and experiencing all life has to offer.

I discovered Jennifer Probst years and years ago somehow and have never been sorry to read her books. I love her stories so so much and every time I read one, I think this one is my favorite. The Start of Something Good might be my favorite.

Ethan Bishop comes home to help his sister's out with their bed and breakfast, animal sanctuary, all around vacation dream in NY. Mia Thrush, a public relations guru from NYC ends up at the bed and breakfast to keep an eye on her major client's daughter for the summer. She hates the country, hates Ethan and really kind of hates the assignment. But of course, all of that changes once she gets to know who Ethan is underneath all that gruff exterior.

With fun and down to earth characters, a chicken named Hei Hei and the farm of my dreams, Probst weaves a dynamic story of love and finding a place for one's self despite the circumstances. Each book in this series will be a standalone, focused on each Bishop sibling. I cannot wait for Ophelia's book, partly because I need to know what Hei Hei is up to next.

The smut factor isn't too high, the romance is sweet and the banter is perfect. Definitely a favorite.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Truth be told I really struggled to connect with this story. I must have stopped and re-started reading this one a half dozen times before I was finally able to push through. I loved the premise and I feel like the secondary characters were easier to love than the main characters. It's not that Ethan and Mia are unlikable but she initially comes across as pretty shallow and although we know from the beginning that Ethan has emotional and physical wounds that need to heal, his story is slow to unfold and he comes off as a bit rude not just to Mia but also his sisters. Every time Mia was fretting over eating carbs or fitting into that Gucci dress I felt like giving up. Eventually I connected with the story and there is a nice romance here but any time that reading the first third of a book feels like a chore, it just isn't a good sign.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A great book about love, family, and coming home by Jennifer Probst!

Mia and Ethan would never have been in the same social groups, much less fall in love. Fate is funny that way as Mia and Ethan will find out. They are complete opposites, and both of them make assumptions about the other without knowing who the other one really is. Mia is much more than the designer clothes and shoes she wears. Ethan is more than the “arrogant, egotistical, ill-mannered boar” that she labels him. I enjoyed watching these two discover each other and fall in love.

I really liked the romance, but I also liked seeing Mia and Ethan discover important things about themselves. Each thought they knew what they wanted out of life, but they soon find out what they really want with each other.

Probst created a great cast of secondary characters that really added a deeper level to the book. Her writing is fantastic. Her attention to detail and her descriptive writing made me fall in love with the town…add in a Lab and a crazy chicken, and I was completely enthralled with every aspect of the book.

I enjoyed how Probst set her readers up for the next story in the series about Ethan’s sister, Ophelia and their childhood best friend, Kyle. She gave us just enough to know that there is quite a story there, and I can’t wait to find out what it is.

I have never read a book by this author that I did not thoroughly enjoy. Her characters are crafted with realistic and well defined compelling uniqueness. Ethan and Mia’s story was especially poignant because of they journey they took, with the aid of the other, in ridding themselves of the recriminations they placed on themselves. Chloe’s story was touching, your heart is sure to ache for her struggles and angst, then cheer her transformation by the end of the book.

Then there was the entertainment value that Hei Hei brought to the story, after having watched Moana, I could clearly visualize the hilarity of his mannerisms...his quirkiness was perfectly patterned true to his predecessor.

With Ethan and Mia’s story being the first in the Bishop sibling series, the bar has been set high for the stories to come!

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Truth be told, I started reading Probst back when she wrote the Marriage to a Billionaire series. After reading a couple of the books and getting heavily into blogging, my schedule booked up quick and it was just hard to keep up.

This is my first book by the author to read in a couple of years and while her writing is still on point, I didn't completely love the story. Though it did end up winning me over in the end.

This is an enemies to lovers type story with our PR city girl with a no-eating-food obsession and our ex-military guy-suffering-from-PTSD country boy. I loved their love/hate relationship from the get-go though when it eventually got to the love aspect, I didn't completely buy it. Somehow it felt a bit forced to me though I loved their bantering back and forth and how Mia kept Ethan on his toes.

Speaking of Mia, it was hard for me to love her from the beginning because she was soooo stuck up though I loved watching her soften up and getting used to country life and eating... YES experiencing her eat and get past her food issues was wonderful.

I loved Ethan... I felt bad for the guilt he felt and just wanted to hug him. I loved his horse whisperer type strength and his ability to bring Mia down to the real world... meaning to experience life, to eat, to enjoy a true family experience.

I love Probst's writing and may continue to read this series to see where it will go only because I want to see the sisters find their happily ever afters too. This just wasnt my favorite by this author though the writing was excellent.

I first read Jennifer Probst in 2012 when I bought The Marriage Bargin. There I was... Newbie Kindle owner picking up books by several new-to-me authors and pretty much loving all of the books I read. The Marriage Bargin was one of the first books I bought and I loved it. Fast forward to 2018... In that time, I maybe picked up one or two other books in the Marriage to a Billionaire series, but I haven't read them. Yet! I do plan on correcting that mistake very soon.

In my mind, I'm starting anew with Jennifer Probst and what better way to do that than with a brand new series. So I pretty much leapfrogged at the chance to read The Start of Something Good. I'm am so glad I did because this book was nothing short of amazing. From the first page to the very last word in the epilogue, I was hooked. There was no putting this book down. In fact, I was up until 3 am one morning because I had to finish it. I could not go another minute without seeing Mia and Ethan's happily ever after. I just loved it. The characters, both human and animals alike, we so damn lovable. From Mia and Ethan all the way down to Hei Hei, who I pictured as a 5 foot chicken for some weird reason. Think Foghorn Leghorn from Looney Tunes. That made Mia's reactions towards Hei Hei so much funnier.

I can gush about The Start of Something Good for hours. I loved this book! It was such a fun book. Gah! And if you're a fan of Jennifer Crusie's Bet Me, then I know you'll love The Start of Something Good as much as I did.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Start of Something Good is an excellent name for this book, because it represents not only the events of the book but the start of a new series by Jennifer Probst.

This is a wonderful book, I enjoyed reading it so much, the setting and the characters were so lovable and you could tell that each character was perfectly created by Jennifer and complemented with the others.

Our main characters Ethan and Mia were adorable together, Mia is a woman from NY with a PR company that is just starting to get a big name, she is currently working with someone in politics and this clients asks her to look out for his daughter who is going to be working at a B&B in a little town, she of course doesn’t want to go but she is set on having her company succeed and know that doing this will help her.

Obviously there she meets Ethan, oh and what a meeting that was, every step of the way this two seemed to fight each other until that was not possible anymore and it was so much fun reading those chapter where they surrender to the possibilities of more.

As I said we are introduced to many characters that I think/hope will get their own books.

Once again Jennifer Probst gives us another contemporary romance. Developed characters, hilarious animals, and love 💘. This is a great summer read, fun, flirty, and fabulous.

Soooo good! This one was more emotional than I thought it would be, but in the best way! I just loved it!

Author Jennifer Probst writes romance books well that are attention grabbing and keep the pages turning.
Review copy received via Netgalley

With The Start of Something Good, successfully launches a new series full of quick wit, small town charm and a mature and delicious romance that’s guaranteed to make you smile.

Ethan Bishop had spent his youth trying to make something of himself away from his small town. But when a rescue mission goes wrong and he can no longer serve as a Special Forces paratrooper, his dreams crumble and is forced to go back to his family’s B&B and horse farm. At least he can hide his pain and keep away from everyone there, until a strong-willed woman bursts into his life.

PR agent Mia Thrush has one objective, to help her client win his mayoral campaign. He’s a good family man, so managing his social media within the confines of the lovely city of Manhattan should be easy. Until she needs to babysit her client’s teenage daughter while trading in her stilettos for riding boots. She doesn’t even like horses and she hates the rude, broody horse keeper that makes her blood boil in more ways than one.

But having to spend the entire summer in a relaxing small town isn’t as terrible as Mia thought. The townsfolk love her marketing ideas, her hosts are lovely and as she and Ethan push their buttons while forced to spend time together, they also find common ground besides their shared attraction.

Enemies to lovers, opposites attract, name it what you will, but these are one of my favorite romance tropes. Not only because the antagonistic banter stokes the fire between the mains or because the wit is usually sharp and quick, but also because the hero and heroine will find wholeness in the other’s differences from their own making them all the better.

Probst skillfully writes an appealing and gripping read full of warmth. I fell in love with both Mia and Ethan, enjoying how their romance slowly and maturely evolved. I devoured it actually! I can't wait to read the next book in the series. This is the kind of book that leaves a big smile on your face and makes you want to ask authors to write faster.

The Start of Something Good is book #1 of the Stay series by Jennifer Probst. It is a standalone contemporary romance told from both points of view with a happy ending.

This book was a delight from beginning to end and has everything I look for in a truly spectacular read. Small town charm, family dynamics, sibling rivalry, B&B guests that are a real hoot and two main characters who mix like oil and water and drive each other crazy in a really good way. Ethan Bishop wants nothing to do with interacting with his sister’s B&B guests. He’s happy living in a run down bungalow on the property while he figures out what direction his life is going to take now that he’s no longer in the military. Mia Thrush is a highly successful city girl through and through. She’s a petite dynamo in high heels who is about to spend the entire summer living her worst nightmare. From their first encounter Ethan and Mia absolutely despise each other but where there’s smoke there’s fire and the sexual chemistry between is like white lightning in a bottle. You definitely want a front row seat so you can laugh and cry and appreciate the excellent storytelling that’s waiting for you when you open this book. I read a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.

Start of Something Good is the first book in her new series called Stay, and it is definitely a Start of Something (really) Good. Probst managed to pull at my heartstrings once again with this small-town-meet-city-slicker story.

Mia’s PR is at a brink of making it big with the company’s new client, mayor of NYC. Unfortunately, there’s a potential disaster in a form of the mayor’s daughter. Long story short, Mia, this city girl, finds herself teen-sitting in a small town while working off site. Well, this little sacrifice will bring her the big break she’s been dreaming of, along with a few things she didn’t expect.

After serving a deadly assignment in the special forces, Ethan is ready to help his sisters take care of their Inn’s stable. LIttle did he know it will come with working with a uptight city slicker he’d rather not interact with. But then again, some things he has no control over including his attraction with Mia.

Love everything about this novel. From the humor, to the quirky characters, small town drama, to the sweet and sexy romance I know Probst novels typically are known for. She even managed to add farm animals with personalities. It’s a light and quick read perfect for the weekend.

Hei Hei steals the show and your heart

What happens when a city girl gets thrown into the country and a rooster falls in love with her? Well, you’ll find out when you read The Start of Something Good!

Ethan is an ex special forces military man, who finds himself back on his family's farm after a mission gone wrong. Mia is a city girl, stuck babysitting a clients daughter for the summer after finding herself in trouble and assigned to a horse farm for community service. These two are the polar opposites of each other... or are they. They two form a bond, that turns electric - but will the big city girl ever be able to leave for the tranquil life of the farm. Or can the ex-military guy even see himself back in the life he swore to leave behind?

Ethan and Mia were magnetic and I can’t wait for the rest of the series! Another Must Read Series from Jennifer!

***ARC Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley***

I enjoyed this title. Ethan and Mia are, well, not exactly destined to be together...from their first meeting it is obvious how different they are, and that there is just not going to be anything that draws them together.

Until there is, until they realize that their is a life that they can build together, and that this life is one that both are willing to bend, to give, in order to pursue it. And, this was what really drew me to this one. It was about 2 people who fall in love, who shouldn't really when you look at it from the outside, and it was about how life works in ways that make you not only surprised by where you end up, but makes you reassess where you started in the first place.

Sometimes, life is what happens when you are dealing with other things. In this case, a small town babysitting job that Mia doesn't want to take on, for one of her biggest clients, and his daughter, who managed to get herself into a little legal trouble. Does Mia want to be in a small town? Nope. Not even a little, something that she makes more than clear to Ethan...and, well, he'd be just fine if she was no longer in his town.

It's a match not even a little made in heaven...until it becomes exactly what they both want. And, this book is about that journey. It's obvious that one of them is going to have to sacrifice something for them to stay together, and by the time it gets to that point in the book, you are invested in the characters and you believe in their attraction, and it makes the book work well.

I enjoyed this title, and I recommend it.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
Ethan is back home after a harrowing mission that left him injured, both physically and mentally. Coming home to the family farm and bed and breakfast is not exactly what he wanted to do, but he knows that he needs the peace and quiet.

Mia is spending the summer in the hinterlands, as she calls it, as a favor to one of the clients of her PR firm. His daughter was in some legal trouble and has to spend the summer doing community service and needs a baby sitter. It’s not her ideal way to spend her time but knowing that her client would make a fabulous mayor, she's willing to do whatever she can to make sure that nothing gets in the way.

What Mia doesn't expect is that she likes being at the farm, and that she likes spending time with Ethan and his sisters. As the summer winds down, Mia realizes that she doesn't want to leave the farm but knows she has to go back to the city. Ethan doesn't want her to leave either and vows to make their relationship work no matter what it takes. Even if the city makes his PTSD worse.

The story gives the reader a strong sense of what it takes to deal with tragedy and come through the other side. I can't wait to read the second book in the series.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: PTSD

Ethan is coming home feeling a little broken. He was once a very good horse whisperer. Now, being back home, he has lost some of his confidence. But he loves being back at his family's ranch, even if it now is his job to oversee a delinquent there to serve out her community service.

Mia is an amazing PR person. However, her candidate's daughter has been getting into trouble lately and it is now Mia's job to watch over her. Mia is tasked with being the "aunt," and making sure that she stays on the straight and narrow isn't Mia's idea of a job well done. However, she believes in her client and will do this to ensure he is elected.

Ethan and Mia both have preconceived notions of each other. When they both realize they might have jumped the gun a little, sparks fly. Ethan realizes that Mia has been hurt in the past and Mia recognizes Ethan's own troubles. They both help each other heal and it was a sweet story to watch unfold.

I also really got to like the secondary characters. I hope that we get to see more of them in future books!

This is the first book that I've read by Jennifer Probst & I really liked it. I will definitely continue to read her books. I loved the banter between Ethan and Mia as they progressed from enemies to lovers. Even the animals in the story were great. I especially loved the chicken named Hei Hei. I hope Ethan's sisters, Ophelia and Harper get their own stories.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy from NetGalley.