I have read Jennifer Probst before but had not for a while so I was excited to see how this new series started. It did not disappoint and I would recommend if you are looking for fun romantic comedy; this book had some great humor and interaction between the love interests which I thoroughly enjoyed. Especially the chicken...you'll see what I mean.

This book follows Mia, a publicist that started her own business and is extremely high strung. When her main clients daughter gets into trouble and is sentenced to community service at a horse rehabilitation, he convinces Mia to go monitor her for the summer. A city slicker through and through, this sounds like torture for Mia. However, this is where she meets Ethan, a lightly broken ex-military man who has come home to help run the farm with his sisters after an operation goes wrong. These two butt heads from the get go but eventually find some common ground. The biggest challenge is at the end of the summer when Mia has to go back to the city and they have to figure out how and if a relationship can still work.

There is lots of humor, lots of angst and teachable moments. I would definitely recommend this book; a very fun read.

"In a way, I'm whole again. She makes everything . . . better."

Charming, sensual and utterly addicting - I've found a new must-read author. Full of heart and humor The Start of Something Good, is a beautiful tale about finding friendship and love in unexpected places and from unexpected people (and animals.) I'm looking forward to reconnecting with all the wonderful characters as the Stay series continues.

"She'd found everything she'd always wanted. It had just been packaged differently than what she had expected."

This is the first book in this series by this author. This is the perfect summer read book. This is a funny, emotional, amazing read. Amazing characters you just fall in love with. This book left me wanting and needing more when I'd finished. I can't wait to read more from this author in the future.



Highly recommended

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book

Mia has an incredibly busy job working in PR in New York. She is knee deep into helping her client with his political campaign when she is sent to deal with his troublesome teenage daughter. If her misdemeanour was made public it could affect his campaign so Mia is accompanying her to a working horse farm to work remotely until the campaigning is done, keeping his daughter away from the public eye.

Mia makes a very lasting first impression on Ethan when she mistakes him for the hired help. Ethan is looking at her wondering if she was plucked off the sidewalk of New York and planted at his front door like in one of those movies. She is so completely out of her depth with her designer labels and ridiculously inappropriate footwear.

There is instant chemistry between these two and I was excited about what could potentially happen. Ethan has that whole moody, brooding thing going on and Mia is so tightly wound up. I just knew that Ethan was going to enjoy getting her to unwind and that he does ☺

Ethan may have grown up on the family ranch but he has been gone for a few years, serving in the military. He came home to resume some sort of normality but the nightmares that plague his sleep haunt him. Mia also struggles to sleep at night and because of that these two spend many nights together on the porch opening up to each other

‘The words bled from his soul, but already he felt cleaner. He’d learned bad shit was like a wound – if you didn’t occasionally lance it open and share into the light, it slowly got infected from rotting alone in the dark.’

What began as two very different people putting up with each other slowly turns into something more for both of them. However, they both know that there is a time limit on what they have. He is a country boy and she is very much a city girl. Anything permanent is just not going to work for them or maybe they are both wrong and this is just the start of something good?

this was a first read for me by this author and I have to say the highlights for me were Ethan and the crazy chicken.
I am now going to read more by ms probst.

This is the first book in the series. it introduces us to Ethan and Mia. Mia owns a PR firm and Ethan is back from the military. They both end up at his family's bed and breakfast/ farm and things aren't always as they seem. At first they dig in to each other continuously. As the story goes we learn a lot about them and we will have all our questions answered.

This was a story that flowed well. It was a story that brought me back to the reason I love to read.


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

The Start of Something Good is the start of a wonderful Jennifer Probst series!

Ethan has come back home to a new life. A career in Special Forces and celebrity security has left him a different person. Home is the horse farm and a quaint Inn, both have been run by his sisters. Ethan hopes he still has something to contribute. He also hopes he can rid of his own demons. Then Mia comes to town. She's everything he wanted to avoid.

Mia has been career driven for so many years, she wouldn't know what to do in a slower paced world. But she is about to find out. A very important client, the potential mayor, has asked Mia for a huge favor. One she wishes she could turn down, but knows she can't for the sake of her business.

Mia is forced to spend a summer in the country, which she just knows will be the death of her. Her initial meeting with Ethan leaves her steamed, in more ways than one. As she spends more time with the people in this small town, she sees there is more to life than she had thought. The more time spent with Ethan, the more she realizes he is so much more than she thought.

As Ethan and Mia start to fall for each other, they realize there will need to be sacrifices made. Will either one of them be able to live with those decisions?

This book really delves into the characters. Chloe, the reason Mia has to go to the country, is a wonderful part of this story. I love the messages, the heart and soul, and feel of this entire story.

Jennifer Probst at her best!!!

I really enjoy Ms. Probst story telling style making her one of my go to authors for sparkling contemporary romance. Mia and Ethan are like two opposing sides of a magnet striking sparks off each other from the get go. Supported by a wonderful cast of characters including a crazy chicken and an adorable dog this story will make you laugh, cry, shudder and hold your breath wishing it never ends.
Mia is a city girl. She thrives on the noise and bustle of living in a big city. With her PR firm poised to take off she takes on the job of baby sitting the troubled daughter of her biggest client and rusticates herself in the countryside. Ethan Bishop on the other hand has finally come home after the war to lick his wounds in private while running the horse farm attached to his family's inn. From the moment Mia steps onto his property mistaking it for the inn, sparks fly and that is just the beginning.
As the summer progresses, Mia finds herself eating baked goods and feeling happier for it even as she devotes her time to help the struggling organic foods store and other small businesses in town. Troubled Chloe also finds a friend and confidante in Mia and salvation in working with the horses with Ethan. But the Summer will come to an end and Mia has to go back to the city while Ethan can't tolerate the noise and crowds. Is there a future for them?
This is an absolutely heart warming story that makes me want to pick it up and read again and again.

Ethan Bishop has returned to Hudson Valley to heal from the trauma he suffered in his career as a Special Forces paratrooper. Determined to keep his distance, he never imagined his sisters would force him to work the farm and interact with guests. However, when he finds himself in charge of a young woman needing to complete community service at the farm, he finds himself clashing with the feisty PR woman assigned to keep the girl out of trouble. Will Ethan be able to win Mia over, so they can have a chance at happy ever after?

It's been a while since I've read a book by Ms. Probst, so I'm glad I decided to read this first book of her Stay series that encompasses wonderful main characters who go from enemies to lovers and have incredible chemistry; dialogue that was very entertaining, as Mia is feisty and isn't afraid to tell Ethan what she thinks of him because he can a bit arrogant; and the fast-paced plot had me loving the growing relationship between this couple and the tough obstacles they have to overcome to be together. Will they be able to overcome the fact that she has a wonderful career in the city and he's looking to stay in Hudson Valley?

As for the dialogue, it was intense due to the main characters back stories, especially that of the hero because he holds so much guilt inside over what happened during his last mission. Will he realize that there was nothing more could do? Will he realize that he can't save everyone? Furthermore, the heroine was smart, sassy, hard-working and I liked how well she fit in with the Hudson Valley townspeople. Certainly, she works magic when it comes to helping people in her career as a public relations agent, which is proven by how successful she's been and what she does to help people in need. Yet, what I liked most of all about the heroine is how she gave the farm a chance once she realized that it wasn't all bad. Besides, how could she not love the farm with the growing friendship she shared with a certain animal. It was a friendship that had me laughing and smiling because of the way the heroine talks to said animal.

While Ethan, he's had it rough with everything he's been through, but I liked how he begins to heal himself by getting into the swing of things on the farm and getting back to helping out with the horses and by interacting with people, especially the guests of their family run Bed & Breakfast. Guests who were funny with the tales of their adventures and their love of sexy times and definitely know how to have fun. I also liked how he helped Chloe -- the college girl who landed herself in trouble and was made to do community service -- because she needs someone on her side because it seems her father is more interested in winning the race for mayor then his own daughter. Yet, what I liked most of all about the hero was his confidence, his resilience and his determination to win Mia over, even though he knows that's not going to be easy after what happened when they first met and the fact that he wasn't exactly all that friendly to her.

Overall, Ms. Probst has penned a fantastic read in this book that delivered plenty of emotion in the way I laughed, I smiled and was ready to cry towards the end because Mia is a city girl and Ethan is just settling back into his small country hometown; and where the chemistry between this couple was heady and convincing; the romance was passionate and shows how good Mia is for Ethan and vice versa; and the ending had me cheering for this couple's happy ever after, as there are big decisions for the pair to make. However, in saying that, I liked how everything worked out for the best because these two are so deserving of their happy ever after. I would recommend The Start of Something Good by Jennifer Probst, if you enjoy second chance romances, the opposites attract trope, the enemy to lovers trope or books by authors Marina Adair, Catherine Bybee, Melissa Foster and Kristen Proby.

I really connected with these characters. I love this author anyways and to have her start out a new series with a bang and love it, wasn't really so far of a stretch for me. What did I love about it? I LOVE enemies to lovers sort of books!! They really do get my juices flowing as far as what I look for in a romance novel. IMO the heroine was strong, brilliant and didn't let anyone push her around...How refreshing! I'm kind of sick of my heroines today being wishy-washy and bowing at the first sense of disaster. Mia didn't do that and Praise the Lord, she didn't and I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs....YIPPEE!! Ethan wasn't anything to snivel about either. He's just returned home after a leg injury and he could be whining about it but instead, he's pushing himself through it. He's had his night terrors but he also moves past those. He and Mia both form opinions of each other because you know what they say about opinions....

Anyhow, the chemistry between these two was off the charts and at times I thought my kindle was going to catch fire and I'd have to hose it off - Thank goodness I didn't have too because I like this kindle and it suits me. I am happily anticipating the next installment in this series. A little side note that has nothing to do with this book...well it does but anyhow - I won an ARC Signed copy of this back in April and I petted the pretty for a solid 20 minutes because it's...well, it's pretty and gorgy. If for no other reason than that you pick it up - it's money well spent. That and the great plot, storyline and general writing. Unlike this review because I went all fangirl!!

I love love love Jennifer Probst series! So of course I signed up when I saw she had a new one coming out. Especially with the small towns and big city girls. Mia is totally citified when she comes to the ranch.

Mia was at the ranch for a different reason than I thought. Since Mia works for a big city PR company, I thought she might have been at the ranch for marketing but she wasn't. But I'm not telling you what she's there for.

I love the purpose of the ranch and can't wait to read more about this family and this ranch itself. I have a feeling things are going to be very interesting for Ethan's sisters.

The Start of Something Good was definitely the start of a new love affair with Jennifer Probst. There was definitely something that drew me to both Ethan and Mia that I didn't want to leave. Probst has a way of writing characters and setting up the environment that draws me in and makes me wanna visit, such was very true about the inn and horse farm that Ethan calls home. The conflict between Ethan and Mia, the way they fought their attraction, Ethan's ptsd, the myriad of amazing animals (Hei Hei was a hoot!), as well as the secondary storyline with Chloe all worked to create such a wonderful backdrop to these two falling in love and finding what truly matters. I've come to know that a Jennifer Probst book is a guaranteed winner with me and this one is no exception! I'm excited to see what's next in this series, because the set up for Ophelia and Kyle's story was excellent!!

Yes! A new series to fall in love with! It has been quite some time since I have dove into a Jennifer Probst book especially since her Marriage to a Billionaire series, which I absolutely love. The Start of Something Good is such a sweet read that all romance lovers will simply adore.

I don't mind the whole enemies-to-lovers trope especially when you have the two most stubborn characters ever. But seriously these two were just off to a rough start from when they first met. As entertaining as the banter was, you'll just be waiting for their heated debates to turn into something more.

Mia was a character that I appreciated so much. Having her own PR company and knowing first hand how someone's life can be turned upside down in the public eye. I loved the fact that she didn't take on just any client, they had to have the same ideals as her. And her dedication to her job is something to admire especially when she ends up accompanying her clients daughter to the countryside. Not sure I know many who would do that!

Ethan has demons of his own and after returning home long term after many years. He has no desire to socialize with his town anytime soon and rather stick to renovating his bungalow and being a bit of a recluse. With Mia's and her clients daughter, Chloe, heading there, it looks like avoiding people isn't something in store for Ethan.

I truly adored Ethan and Mia, their banter was so heated and extremely entertaining. It just built everything up until they both finally give in.

I loved seeing Ethans's relationship with the horses he took care of. He didn't gain nickname the "horse whisperer" for no reason. Those scenes were probably some of my favorites since for a guy with so many demons, he found solace with his horses.

I appreciated that even though Mia was a city girl, true and true. It didn't come off like she couldn't deal with change, Probst didn't paint her as this damsel in distress and not able to fend for herself in a new environment.

I thought the characters and plot were great, I just wish we got a bit more of an epilogue. But hopefully that means we'll see more of Ethan and Mia in the books to come.

The one thing that didn't quite fit in my opinion was Chloe's age. She was 19 years old, but her maturity level wasn't there for that age. I think it would have been fitting if she was 16 years old.

Overall, absolutely enjoyed this gem of a story and look forward to reading the rest in this series. And it has motivated me to do a re-read of some of her previous books that I love so much!

4 stars

The Start of Somethiing Good is definitely aptly named. Although it started off slow for me, it really brought on the feels after awhile.

Ethan is a wonderful, if surly, hero with shadows that darken his perfect eyes and sully his soul. He feels things too deeply and takes on the responsibility of too much but it's the only way he knows how to live. After tragic events occur, he reluctantly returns home to a tiny town in upstate New York, to his sisters and the house that made him who he is. He's determined to hide out and lick his wounds in private but fate had other plans.

Mia, a self made New York career woman doesn't allow anyone to put her on a leash. She's finally made a success of her PR business in Manhattan and is living the life she wants. Granted, she starves herself to fit into the perfect persona and is lonely but no one needs to know the lengths she goes to to keep the upper hand. When her biggest client begs her to chaperone his unruly daughter on a horse farm where she's sentenced to community service, she thinks he's lost his mind. But maybe she'll find what she's been missing out there in the (dreaded) countryside.

Beautiful book full of redemption and second chances. I loved the family and all the characters on the farm. Can't wait to check out the next book in the Stay series!

AnnMarie - Alphas Do It Better Book Blog

I've always liked Jennifer's books so I gave this one ago. The blurb was intriguing and I like the setting, small town but modern. It started off slow but I got into it after a while.

Honestly I didn't like Mia right from the start she's all hoity toity ro be slumming in the country. Not sociable despite being in PR too.Yes she's all successful with her business person so dedicated to her clients she gets roped into babysitting a client's daughter out of trouble. Once I got to see more of her and her growth she did change timely. From uptight she slowly let go and learned how good it felt.

Then she mets injured and recovering Ethan they rub each other wrong since the start. She didn't take his crap though and that drew him to her. She's good at her job, sharp and smart and she helps others at first grudgingly then it motivated her. Their relationship grew as well from all hate to civil to steamy. They got along well and bonded to help Chloe see her potential.

As the the title goes start of something good, we all need that chance to grow and change like Ethan Mia and Chloe. A turning point for them something good came out of it their summer. Need a little nudge and patience to find your way, learning and growing. Like the horse rehab, Ethan also grew from detached to caring and Chloe too. It's a feel good story at the end of it all and I liked the pacing a lot. Jennifer Probst threw some feels and message in this romance too which is great.

The Start of Something Good is the first book in a new series (Stay) by one of my favorite authors, Jennifer Probst. I love it when my favorite authors start a new series. I'm a series whore and I just love being engrossed in a family where we meet them all and everyone gets their happily ever after. Jennifer never disappoints in delivering the goodness: love, heat, humor, fun, sexiness, a little angst and more humor and sexiness. The setting: The Robin's Nest B&B and the Inn Horse trail, a rescue farm. Three siblings run the B&B and the Inn. Ophelia runs the B&B, Harper the rescue farm. Their brother Ethan has just returned home from a tragic accident that injured his leg and changed the course of his life. He's broody, cranky, and sexy. He doesn’t want to talk about his feelings, but he needed to be home with his sisters. His past haunts him in more ways than he can count. Being Special Forces was who he is. Now that he can't do that anymore, he doesn’t know what to do with himself. He's home to work with the animals and stay away from people. But when he meets their new guest, Mia, who is such a City girl from her expensive haircut to her manicured toes. She's demanding and snippy and Ethan wants nothing to do with her. Mia is there for business, not pleasure. Her client's daughter, Chloe, is working there for the summer and she's watching over her. Owning her own PR firm has always been her dream, and this is part of the job. And of course the first person she meets is the rude, jerk who works on the farm. He's arrogant and condescending and she has no time for him. After a few hilarious run ins with a chicken who has claimed Mia as his own, Ethan sees a different side of Mia and damn if he doesn’t want to kiss that smug look off her face. She's too skinny and irritable. He realizes she needs food and he's determined to make her eat all the sweet goodness he can. It's a battle of wills and these two have their work cut out for them! Once they realize they have more in common than they thought and the attraction doesn’t seem to be waning, the only thing to do is give in. Steal that touch, seduce that kiss, bribe with baked goods. Ethan and Mia have crazy chemistry, but what happens when the summer is over? Will their pasts get in the way of a possible future. This story had everything! A sexy, broken hero. A beautiful, smart heroine with something to prove. A crazy chicken! Loving family, a moody teenager, and horses. I'm not a horse person, but the scenes with Ethan and the horse were some of my favorite! Did I mention that Ethan is a sexy ginger? OMG! The hair! I wanted to run my fingers through it. Overall, I loved this couple and the family dynamic. I loved learning about their weaknesses and how they are willing to compromise. Ethan had no trouble admitting what he wanted and how he was going to get it. I wanted to eat all the cupcakes and I was wishing this B&B were real! I fell hard and fast for this family and I can't wait for book two, A Brand New Ending!

"Wanna know what makes a woman really hot? If she's real and healthy and happy. Not the size dress she fits into."

"Maybe I'm boring."
He laughed out loud.
"No need to mock me."
"I’m sorry, I laughed because you are the most unboring person I've ever met. Trust me, that's not your problem."

Holy shit. That wasn't a kiss. That was a damn explosion of epic proportions. That was big fucking trouble.

That's when he knew he had to watch her eat a cupcake. It would be an orgasmic experience.

"I have to leave."
"I know."
"Who are you, Han Solo?"

REceived in exchange for a honest review.


I loved Ethan. He was growly at first but sexy and sweet. the man took his oath to help others via Special Forces seriously and when he couldn’t keep a promise even though he was seriously injured he took it to heart. Now he is broken and scared. He doesn’t do well in crowds and wit noises so he goes home to his family farm to regroup and find his way once again. he has a great way with horses and along the way meets the feisty Mia who challenges him and puts him in his place. Their passion and attraction is felt in their snarky banter and intimate moments. Watching him heal and fall in love was beautiful and heartwarming. What did I like most about him.? He was real. Didn’t hide behind others and he cared so much. I also loved how he helped Chloe.

Mia was a PR woman who when she begins this journey is laser focused on her career and a gucci dress. On her way to be a babysitter she takes a wrong turn and ends up in the growly Grisly Adams looking Ethan’s doorstep where she meets Hei Hei the chicken who is a hoot and Wheezy the sweet and adorably loving dog. She also gets schooled by Ethan. She doesn’t take it though and gives back what he gave to her. She challenged him but as we see also helps him heal and forgive himself. He is able to move forward because of her love and understanding.

Their story is one of love, support, family, healing and finding oneself and where you belong. For Mia she finds a man who is genuine and real. Doesn’t say one thing and do another but also one who listens and respects. Ethan is all that and more. He is patient and kind. Loves his family fiercely and is protective and loyal. He is honest and scared. She sees his pain and helps him heal. He does the same for her. She learns to trust again and find where she is happy. He doesn’t try to take away her accomplishments but celebrates them and encourages her.

His family is loving and understanding. Both Ophelia and Harper are strong woman but love their brother. Both have something in their past keeping them where they are as well. Look forward to their stories. They help Ethan feel grounded and safe. Give him a sense of love and comfort but also safety and warmth. All four help give this to Chloe as well as she works through her pain and anger. Ethan helps Chloe grow and accept her mistakes but also find her bliss in working on the farm. Chloe and her dad go on a journey of learning to be a family again and help each other with the sadness of loss.

The story is a wonderful heartwarming tale of family, love and healing. Of finding your way and learning to forgive one self. Of forging a new path and trusting someone with your heart. It is heartwarming, entertaining and sweet. The romance is sexy and intimate in so many ways and the characters have you fall in love with them. I found the elderly couples to be a hoot as was Hei Hei the chicken. A great story and can’t wait for the next in the series.

I LOVED this book. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite genres and this was done to perfection. It was amazing to see how organically their relationship developed. My favorite thing was how honest they were with each other and the conflict they faced was real and not just inserted for dramatic effect. The plot, the setting, the characters,... everything combined for one of my favorite books of the year

Though instantly attracted to each other, the moment they spoke a war of words locked Ethan and Mia into heated battle, folks. This main couple are literary proof wrong first impressions can be hard to overcome. Fortunately for us and them, their nose to nose confrontations turn into passionate kisses and ultimately love. They also prove opposites can attack but still attract one another.

With a writing style that always engages me, it doesn’t surprise me Jennifer Probst has started something good with this new series. I can only assume one of Ethan’s sisters will get their full story told in the next release, likely Ophelia who will reconnect with a long lost love.

Title: The Start of Something Good, Series: Stay (Book 1), Jennifer Probst, Pages: 310, stand-alone but part of a series, sassy/feisty heroine, good guy hero with PTSD, wrong first impressions, slow burn, both been celibate awhile, not a couple for quite awhile, romance safe, no love triangle, no cheating, no OW/OM drama.

Book 1 - The Start of Something Good
Book 2 - A Brand New Ending

(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review, nor is there any affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley.)

The Start of Something Good the first book in a brand new series by Jennifer Probst. Mia finds the peace she never thought she was missing in the unlikeliest of places with the unlikeliest of people and one really weird chicken. Ethan is the typical tall, dark and brooding, well except the dark part; he's a ginger. Ethan was looking for a peace of mind and hoped he could find it in the only place he ever called home; but he had given up on himself after so many years of being a paratrooper the lives that he has lost weighed greatly on him, now he's not even willing to help a horse in need. Ethan carries around a lot of baggage and walking around like he's half alive; it takes more than just the love of a beautiful woman to bring him back to life and ease his load, it takes an unruly teenager too. Chloe been craving attention ever since her mother died and now her father is preoccupied with trying to win the NYC mayoral election, she's made some bad choices and now she dealing with them but between Mia and Ethan she finds her way again. Hei Hei is a chicken and like his namesake he's crazy weird.

It took awhile for me to warm up to Mia, she spend the first part of the book in a permanent state of Hangry and it wasn't until Ethan started feeding her did her attitude change. I hate her last name too, everytime I read Thrush I kept thinking about a yeast infection of the mouth. Mia works for Chloe's Dad in charge of the PR for his campaign but when Chloe gets in trouble the judge gives her community service at a local B&B and horse rescue he asks Mia to watch after her and make sure she stays out of trouble. Mia hates it at first, she's polite but distant, and Ethan pegs her as a princess but he loves to rile her up and spends the first part of the book teasing her. Mia ,despite her propensity for spotting a lie and usually having a good judge of character misjudges Ethan and makes assumptions about him that were completely wrong. It takes a bit of doing, and teasing, but Ethan and Mia finally warm up to each other and the animosity they first felt for each other turns into something else all together.

Overall, this was another great book by Jennifer Probst. It was a great start and introduction to the series and Ethan's sisters and the Robin's Nest B&B. Probst has an easy reading style where you can sit down and get completely lost in the book. Despite my feelings for Mia and her last name I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and Hei Hei that crazy chicken so freakin' adorable.