This book is so good! Adriana Locke, thank you for giving me a book I didn't know I needed just this minute. It's a bit different than the previous works I've read from her - a more easy-going vibe, but I loved it.

Childhood friends that haven't seen each other in years, Holden & Sophie are a bit surprised that the attraction that arced between them as teenagers still lingers. When Holden proposes a marriage of convenience to solve both of their problems, and Sophie accepts, the two are even more shocked to see how well they work well together. But separating growing feelings from the arrangement they made becomes harder and harder as certain deadlines loom.

I definitely recommend this read. This romance gave me all the feels. It's sweet, reassuring and full of small-town, Southern charm with just a touch of heat. I loved the characters of Honey Creek, and I look forward to more from this series, especially Sophie's siblings.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an ARC of this book.

This was such a really great read.... I didn’t want it to end.

Sophie and Holden have been friends for years though they haven’t seen one another for some time and their lives have taken very different paths but suddenly they both need help and who better than their childhood friend to help them out of a bind!!!

I adored this pair together. Yeah, you knew there was an end game for Holden and that would see him move on again but I couldn’t help but hope that things would work out for the couple.

Sophie was awesome. She knew how she felt about her friend but she also knew what she had to do to make him happy.... even if it broke her heart (and mine!!)

Adriana Locke is a firm favourite of mine and I loved this trip to Honey Creek that she gave us!!!!!

This is one of my favorite books of 2021. It was SO GOOD. I loved all of the characters and was hooked from the beginning. I cannot wait for the rest of this series!

Such a cute marriage of convenience/small town romance! I am a new fan of Adriana Locke’s and I am so in love with her writing! I adored the fact that Holden and Sophie knew each other growing up and were such good friends before anything else. It really solidified their relationship and how much they cared about the other. I can’t wait to hear more from Honey Creek!

Like You Love Me is the first book I’ve read by Adriana Locke. I was instantly hooked. This book checked all the boxes I love in a book- small town, childhood friends, marriage of convenience and as a plus we get a handsome vet!

I really enjoyed this book. Holden and Sophie are great characters, have such wonderful banter and are just fun. Marriage of convenience are my favorite books these days, and this one is right up there with my favorites. It’s a sweet book and I love the writing. It didn’t give us unnecessary drama (aka high levels of angst) and it was perfect and exactly what I needed to fill my heart!

Like You Love Me starts a brand new small town series from Adriana Locke. Here we meet the Bates siblings, focusing on the youngest, Sophie. In this friends to lovers read, we see Sophie reconnect with childhood friend, Holden.

Ms Locke does an excellent job of taking this unusual set of circumstances and using it to show both Sophie and Holden that what is really important in life might be a bit different than what they thought... and letting them figure out what’s right.

I enjoyed getting to spend time with these two. The way they reconnected was refreshing and I loved their interactions with friends and family around their small town. I also liked that Ms Locke kept me guessing a bit. With what was going on with Liv (Sophie’s sister) I have expected the story to resolve itself in one direction, but.....

Speaking of Liv (and Jobe, Sophie’s brother) the hints regarding what might be happening next for her have me very curious as to where this series might go. I am hoping to see more of Honey Creek soon!

4 stars!

I love this book! A gorgeously sweet small town, childhood-friends-to-lovers/marriage of convenience story that completely stole my heart.

Sophie is living her dream, running the small bed-and-breakfast in her home town of Honey Creek, left to her by her beloved Grandmother. But her business has run into trouble and she is in desperate need of a quick cash injection to get out of it.

Holden McKenzie has just been fired from his job and returns to Honey Creek, where he spent his childhood summers, to work as a vet in his Grandfather’s clinic. He has nothing but good memories of the place, and he’s thrilled when he runs into his childhood best friend, Sophie.

Sophie and Holden grew up spending their summers together and they still have a great dynamic. They laugh and banter, and though they both appreciate the new grown-up version of their old best friends, they slip back into an easy friendship. So when Holden discovers that in order to get his dream job out of state he needs to prove that he’s a committed family man, he immediately thinks of Sophie. And when he offers to help her out of her financial crisis, she agrees to a temporary marriage of convenience to solve both of their problems.

It’s a fun set-up that probably could have been resolved in another way, but I totally didn’t care. I was loving the story, and was completely on board for the fun to come.

The attraction between Sophie and Holden is evident from the very beginning, and it simmers along nicely while they make their arrangements. And once they are married, all up in each other’s business and proving their love all over town, the sexual tension is fantastic! Their chemistry sizzles and, true to their friendship and the honesty between them, they don’t hide what they’re feeling, and decide to enjoy the benefits that come from being married.

It’s hot and sexy, and creates a huge shift in their relationship, and I loved watching it happen. I could feel their attraction deepening and their feelings develop, and it felt like a natural extension of the already gorgeous connection between the two of them. But as their fake marriage starts to feel very real, will they be able to let go when the time comes?

I was finally right where I wanted to be – on the precipice of acquiring everything I ever wanted.
So why does it feel like I’m about to lose something in the process? Any why does that hurt so damn much?

This is a really cute story with very little angst. It’s fun and easy, and though you know exactly what’s going to happen, it’s a delightfully enjoyable ride watching it all play out. I loved every moment of this book and finished it with a huge smile on my face.

“I always thought I wanted all these different things in life. But there’s only one thing I’ve ever really wanted … I’ve just wanted someone to look at me like you look at me.”
“How is that?”
I grin. “Like you love me.”
“I most certainly do.”

Along the way we get to spend time with Sophie’s siblings, and future stories are set up nicely for her sister and brother. I’m really excited to continue on with this series.

Loved this one. 4 stars.

I first read Adriana Locke in an anthology but really fell for her Dogwood Lane series, which was also with Montlake. As a result, I was pretty interested in this new release.
This story is a small-town marriage of convenience between childhood friends. Sophie and Holden's chemistry was great fun, their romance was sweet, and I'm still thinking about the supporting characters. All of that said, the premise and start was strong, but the execution didn't hook me. I think it was overall bit too sweet for me, maybe I needed more conflict of some kind. I enjoyed both main characters' jobs and passions, and their relationship baggage. I definitely struggled to buy into the full dilemma, which seemed extremely black-and-white in terms of their options.
I know it was a key part of this trope, but the pressure to marry from Holden's work was not my favorite. This could have been my own mood/mindset but it didn't sit well with me. The only part of this book that could be considered a conflict was not only poor communication but I believe it was based on a false binary. Holden's job would have taken him away from Honey Creek and Sophie was unwilling to move away from her bed and breakfast, but temporary long distance relationships exist and they could have maybe split their time between Florida and Tennessee. There were other ways to solve the issue that wouldn't have required Holden to give up his dream job, though the author did write the resolution in a satisfying way. I also enjoyed the small Dogwood Lane cameo.
I know a lot of readers like minimal conflict and this might be great for them. I am curious about Sophie's siblings, so I might continue the series.

I've only ever read one book from Adriana and I love it.
When I saw this cover I thought it was so cute so I read the blurb and loved what I read.
From the very first page I was hooked and loved everything about the characters and the storyline

The Honey Creek series has started off with a bang. I adored Holden and Sophie story. They are childhood friends with so many memories. I felt their connection from the beginning.



Holden and Sophie needed each other. They've come up with a plan, what could possibly go wrong?


Sophie needs to save her B&B that was her grandma's, it means so much to Sophie to continue the family tradition and business. Holden is trying to land his dream job and their fake marriage will solve all their problems...right?


The chemistry between these two is scorching hot, Sophie always dreamed of being kissed the way Holden did. This is a Small town romance which is one of my favorites.  I loved the relationship between Holden and Sophie - it was downright sweet. I enjoyed the secondary characters and the details of the small-town charm. Adriana Locke has a way of making you feel like your there. I can’t wait to read more of the Honey Creek series

Like you Love Me is a very sweet and entertaining read that I really enjoyed. Holden and Sophie are two childhood friends who meet again after several years of not seeing each other. They both have goals they haven't been able to meet yet, so Holden has an interesting proposal for Sophie that suits both of them, but she's not sure about it. She has a bad experience in the field of love that makes her doubt about the decision she should make. She does not want to repeat the same story, in addition to this, Holden is her friend and does not want to ruin their friendship. For his part, Holden is clear that his agreement is only a matter of business with no feelings involved. But the truth is that it is more than that and both will realize. I am a lover of happy endings and also of the cliché; Although the story is a bit predictable, I couldn't help but get excited with every page I read. Holden is gorgeous and has a charming personality, loves his career and works hard to achieve his goals; but he has also gone through sad moments that have marked him. Sophie is spontaneous, charismatic, very witty and sometimes has no filter. He also has insecurities due to a failed relationship. They both have a history and their connection is intense although feelings always keep a line. I definitely recommend this book, I loved it and also laughed a bit. Oh, and the supporting characters bring a lot to the book too.

With small-town charm and charmingly quirky characters this friends to lovers marriage of convenience romance is like sitting on a blanket out under the stars on a warm summer night as fireflies dance about. The best of feels, the sweetest heart squeezes and the happiest sighs are what you’ll find here.

Throughout his childhood, Holden McKenzie spent every summer with his Paps in small-town Tennessee. Now that he's become a veterinarian he's back in Honey Creek to help with his grandfather's vet clinic for a few weeks. Holden's ultimate goal is to land his dream job at a world-renowned practice in Florida, but to convince them he's a stable, committed candidate he'll need a wife.

When Holden reconnects with Sophie Bates, his best friend from all those long-forgotten summers, they click like no time at all has passed, and a plan begins to take shape in Holden's mind. She needs some help with the B&B her grandma left her, and maybe they can work out an arrangement that will be mutually beneficial. A strictly business arrangement, of course.

Low on angst, heavy on heart, and just enough spıce to keep things interesting, this story is everything a small-town romance should be. With themes of family, community, home and belonging, this heart-warming, toųching story will captivate and sweep you away. This one is a winner in every sense, and your romantic heart will thank you for spending time in Honey Creek with this delightful, moving, phenomenal romance.

What if the boy you've grown up with suddenly returns and needs you to marry him? What would you do? Seems like a simple decision, at first...

Sophie needs money to save her b&b, Holden needs to show his soon to be boss he's a committed guy. The solution to these two friends? A marriage of convenience. Nothing will go wrong with friends entering into a little marriage of convenience, right? Right...Not even when one (both) of them might be catching more than friendly feelings.

Sophie and Holden are signature Adriana - sweet and sexy with that small town charm she's so famous for. I adored these two, even when Holden acted like the boy his Pap said he was and took awhile to catch onto what he was feeling. But the journey for them to get to their happiness was all kinds of fun and I cannot wait for more Honey Creek love now.

Adriana Locke can write the heck out of small town romance and I’m here for it!! She just has a way of combining all the right ingredients for a perfect small town romance. Get ready for all the small town love, quirky neighbors and towns people, and all the feels! ❤️

Like You Love Me is the first book in the Honey Creek Series and I’m ready for more! It’s a friends to lovers, marriage of convenience, romantic comedy perfection.

Sophie and Holden are childhood best friends who haven’t seen each other in like a decade. But time and distance didn’t change anything and they fell back to their old ways, ribbing and bantering back and forth.
With their great camaraderie it only made sense to help each other out in their time of need. Holden needs a wife to show how much of a family man he is. A trait very much valued by the CEO of his dream job. Sophie is arms deep in debt and renovations in the Bed and Breakfast she inherited from her late Grandmother. Holden is willing to help her financially if she agrees to marry him temporarily.
And that’s the thing, as great as their friendship turned marriage is they do have an expiration date.
Sophie and Holden’s friends turned to lovers story is full of laughter, sweetness and some sexy times 😉.

This book kicks off a new series and I can tell you already I'm hooked on it. This book had a nice blend of feels and humor. I loved Holden and Sophie. They were best friends when they were younger and now life has two in the same orbit again. I loved watching them reconnect. Their banter was a favorite part of the book for me. This book is a nice light read that had me gobbling up the pages. Plus a bonus for me is Holden is a veterinarian. I can totally get behind his animals are better than people. The small town setting was another plus for me. It has that charming quirkiness that makes me a fan of small town romance. These two friends create a marriage of convivence that benefits both their futures. Though soon all too real feelings start to develop and the future they thought they wanted doesn't seem the same any more. I would so recommend this one. It's going to make you laugh, but also happy sigh. There is on one character Sophie's sister who I hope gets a story because it sounds like something is brewing for her.

Like You Love Me is the first installment in the new Honey Creek series by Adriana Locke.

I’m currently typing this review with a smile on my face and that was pretty much my facial expression through reading this sweet story.

Holden is a veterinarian as is his grandfather. He’s asked by his grandfather to come help with his clinic. Holden is kind of in a the middle of waiting to get news about his dream job in Nashville.
While back in the small town where he used to spend his summers, he bumps into his childhood friend Sophie.

Now all grown up and after many years, you can still feel the immediate connection these two have. I loved all the teasing and flirting, they just had the best chemistry.

Holden is in a bit of a dilemma. He needs to show his new employer how stable and loyal he is and having a wife would really help his case.
Sophie is also in a bit of pickle. After inheriting her late grandmother’s bed and breakfast, and after her ex drained her accounts, she’s in desperate need of some financial assistants to keep the business afloat.

So one night after one too many drinks, they agree that a marriage of convenience would be...very convenient. Lol
That is until they develop deeper feelings for one another even though they both agreed this was a temporary arrangement. An arrangement made even shorter by Holden’s expected new job in a different city. What will he do? Choose love or his dreams? Or does his perspective change along the way?

I don’t know how I ended up reading this trope twice in one month, but I’m not complaining.
This story was very different but just as entertaining. The couple in this one had so much history and I loved their sweet friendship. And the attraction was definitely there too. It was so very enjoyable and I couldn’t put it down.
I loved the small town feel and the hilarious side characters just as much.

This was a perfect start to the Honey Creek series and I’m very excited to continue to read the future books.

Going back home to Honey Creek was just meant to be a place holder until the job of his dreams would answer. He did not expect that old felling would come up a muddy things up. When Holden sees Sophie for the first time, he feels the warmth of the sun, home. Sophie is not looking for another heart ache but she needs to figure out how to keep her dream alive. Two people needing each other for their dreams to come true, but a dream that will take them in opposite directions. A romance that is filled with witty banter funny characters and passion that will melt your heart. A small town romance competing with the excitement of the big city a forgone conclusion till the very end. Compromises and contracts that are filled with love. A must read!

Like You Love Me is the first title in the Honey Creek series featuring a small town full of intriguing, charming, quirky and fun characters who love a good gossip. Holden McKenzie and Sophie Bates story is a friends to lovers, marriage of convenience.
Holden is a city boy who spent his childhood summers in Honey Creek the town of his mother’s birth and has returned to help out in his grandfather’s veterinary practice. Sophie loves everything about Honey Creek and is doing her best to keep the bed and breakfast she inherited from her Grandmother up and running, but she is desperately in need of a cash infusion. This pair agree to a marriage of convenience to help each other out and along the way their true feelings shine through.
Their bater is fun and flirtatious and sure to keep you enthralled, and the chemistry between this pair is undeniable.
Overall Like You Love Me is a heartwarming story with strong themes of family, friendship, community and belonging.
This story with equal parts heat, heart and humor and side characters I look forward to getting to know more in future additions to the series.

"Because the truth is, Holden McKenzie isn't mine, he was on loan to me. He was sent here to teach me something, maybe just to have hope again. To understand love. To know it in its realest form."

Like You Love me was the perfect book for "the month of love."
Sophie Bates and Holden McKenzie have known each other since they were kids. Even got married once with a ring pop.
But with Holden's life leading him away to Arizona... he's back now in Tennessee helping Pap's with his veterinarian clinic... cleaning ferret poop and taking care of the small town locals. Staying at the local B&B till he hears back from an opportunity for his dream job, he may need the inn hosts help for more than just a room for a few weeks.
Sophie Bates is broke after her ex took everything she had... and her Grandmother's B&B is falling apart.. soon she will lose it all... until a man with gorgeous green eyes offers her a deal she can't refuse.

Read if you love:
-a sweet romance
-no drama, no teasers
-a southern small town with "hart of dixie" vibes

-quirky characters
-a quick and easy read

Rating:
story-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
romance- marriage of convenience
steam- just Goldie Locks' perfect bed.... juuuuuust right

Song:
Yours by Russel Dickerson



Thank you to Social Butterfly PR and Adriana Locke for my EARC. it was the perfect treat for valentines day.