3.55/5 Stars

Joy Avery's *Sweeter Than Honey* is a charming small-town romance that blends friendship, fake dating, and heartwarming relationships, but doesn’t quite reach its full potential for me.

The story centers around Rylee, a sweet-natured baker, and Canten, the town sheriff, whose lives intertwine through a fake dating arrangement that feels all too real from the start. I was drawn in by the delightful mix of tropes—brother’s best friend, friends-to-lovers, and the vibrant small-town dynamics complete with nosy neighbors and meddling family members. Avery really brings the town to life, making it feel like a cosy backdrop filled with quirky characters who add warmth and humour to the story.

Rylee and Canten were likeable and down-to-earth, and their easygoing friendship felt genuine. I appreciated how the other relationships in their lives, particularly Rylee’s bond with her best friend Lunden and her son Zachary, weren’t overshadowed by the romance. Zach, in particular, was a scene-stealer—his witty, childlike innocence brought a light-hearted charm to the narrative that made me laugh out loud.

However, despite the undeniable cuteness of the couple, I struggled with feeling fully invested in their romantic connection. The chemistry between Rylee and Canten was more "told" than "shown," leaving me searching for that spark that never quite ignited. The fake dating setup, though fun, felt a bit weak, as the characters acted more like a real couple from the start, making the "fake" aspect feel unnecessary.

The story also suffered from slow pacing, particularly in the latter half. The back-and-forth hesitation about their feelings began to feel repetitive, especially when there wasn’t enough tension or emotional depth to truly explore their hang-ups from previous marriages.

Despite these setbacks, ''Sweeter Than Honey'' was still an enjoyable read. It’s heartwarming, occasionally cheesy, and ends with a satisfying HEA that will leave readers smiling. While it didn’t fully click for me, I’m glad I discovered Joy Avery’s writing and will definitely check out her future works. If you love small-town romance with a side of fake dating and a sprinkle of family charm, this one’s worth a read!

**I was kindly provided with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

#SweeterThanHoney #JoyAvery #NetGalley

Sadly, I went on too many requesting sprees when first starting out on NetGalley and it has tanked my ratio. Now that I’m taking my role as a reviewer more seriously, I’m being more intentional with the books I request and clearing out my shelves of books that I’m no longer interested in.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. When I finally read it, I will come back and write a review. (especially since I didn’t know this one was a sequel when I picked it up, so I want to read the first book before diving into this one!)

Talented, successful Baker Rylee Harris and town sheriff, Canten Barnes pretend to be in a relationship and unexpectedly fall for each other, complicating their friendship In Joy Avery’s friends-to-lovers romance Sweeter Than Honey (Honey Hill #2). I don’t know why I’m always surprised when books I’m about to start are friends-to-lovers and fake dating. I choose them for that very reason because, as we all know by now, I love each trope alone, but combined, I am totally weak! I love it when you have two characters pining for each other, and then you introduce fake dating into this shaky ground where they’re already fighting their emotions to keep the status quo. It makes for the perfect book! Avery’s vivid and descriptive writing, natural sounding and authentic dialogue and language, and complex, relatable, and likable characters drew me into the novel from the first scene.

Baker Rylee has been unlucky in love. A widow for five years, she hasn’t dared take another chance on romance. On impulse, however, she invents a fake relationship with her friend Sheriff Canten—the only man who’s caught her eye—to ease her mother’s worries about her non-existent love life. Canten agrees to uphold the ruse to help Rylee out when her parents come to town and also keep his overzealous suitors at bay. However, their secret gets out and is spread along the town’s gossip grapevine, and before they know it, the whole town believes Rylee and Canten are an item. To no one’s surprise but Rylee and Canten, real feelings surface and deepen, changing their relationship. Will Canteen and Rylee surrender to their feelings and take a real chance on love?

Avery develops Rylee and Canten’s relationship through sweet, steamy, emotional, humorous, intimate, angsty, and sexy banter, interactions, and love scenes, which help develop and evolve their characters, relationship, and Avery’s entertaining love story. Rylee and Canten have much more in common than they know. Neither can move on from their prior marriages and spouses’ untimely deaths. They’re traumatized by how their first marriages ended and are burdened with guilt, unwilling to forgive themselves and move on with living. They have a close friendship and deep connection with a simmering attraction that both ignore and deny until Rylee’s fake dating plan throws them into each other’s company more often in intimate situations. I love their friendship and how smoothly they transition from friends to lovers. However, it is surprisingly fast when it does happen. Their friendship is sweet, supportive, one of a kind, and neither knows what they would do without it.

Rylee’s kind-hearted, selfless, sexy, beautiful, and impulsive. She harbors secret feelings for Canten, but she’s not ready to risk love again after how things turned out with her marriage. She blames herself for her husband’s death. And she also thinks she’s not enough for Canten as is. Caring, stubborn, and generous with his time, Canten’s carrying a ton of baggage from his marriage and his wife’s murder. He punishes himself for her death, the choices he made, and the secrets he kept. He has a crush on Rylee, but he’s kept his feelings under wraps because he cherishes his friendship with Rylee and refuses to do anything that would change or ruin it. Her presence soothes him. Plus, she’s his best friend’s little sister.

Avery wonderfully captures small-town life and the closeness and interconnectedness of the citizens’ lives. I love their small town and fascinating residents. She skillfully brings the characters to life, giving them distinct personalities. Rylee and Canten’s interactions with friends, family, and townsfolk are hilarious. I love her nephew. He’s a bright, sweet little boy, and his scenes with Rylee and Canten are among my favorites, along with the scenes in the town diner.

I look forward to reading the other books in the series. The novel’s quick pacing and mostly lighthearted, humorous tone, with a bit of angst, combined with her description, characters, and natural-sounding dialogue, make it a page-turner. Sweeter Than Honey is charming, steamy, emotional, funny, sexy, romantic, and slightly angsty. Perfect for friends-to-lovers, fake dating, and small-town romance fans, it explores themes of grief, guilt, letting go of the past, secrets, following your dreams, wedding planning, small-town life, friendship, and family.

Advanced review copy provided by Montlake via Netgalley for review.

I received this book for free from netgalley for an honest review.

Really well thought-out book with amazing characters and excellent setting.

Sweeter than Honey is a book you just need to read. I fell in love with Rylee Harris, a baker in Honey Hill, North Carolina and sheriff, Canten Barnes. Both have lost a spouse and though not ready to move on romantically they "secretly" have been attracted to each other. Rylee's mother tries to set her up with other people, so she tells her she is dating, Canten. Canten agrees to it for his own reason, the ladies in town just won't leave him alone. The sexual tension is there when they are together. Will this "fake" relationship last much longer before it becomes "real." The book is filled with humor. I loved seeing the camaraderie between Rylee and her best girlfriends. Talking about laughter, oh the things these ladies talk about and get into. The book is so charming, I just loved the characters. You've got to love Canten, as the sheriff he arranges his schedule so he's able to drive past the bakery when Rylee is working at 4:30 a.m. just to be sure he safe. Canten and Rylee each have a dynamic relationship with their parents and each other's parents. This couple is sweet, sassy and everything in between and I will now need to read more by this author.

Pub Date 28 Jun 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I'm officially in love with Honey Hill!

In order to assure her mother that her ok love life is a-okay, Honey Hill's resident baker Rylee suddenly blurts out that she is dating Sheriff Canten Barnes, aka the same sheriff she's had the hots for since forever. As an act of friendship, Canten accepts and rides along with her claim. Thus, a fake dating arrangement begins. This proves to be pretty easy at first because of an already established friendship (and hidden mutual attraction). But then things take a more difficult route when attraction blossoms into affection, and affection morphs into something more.
Tested by past scars and seemingly sensible decisions, what is supposedly a ruse may actually be for real after all.

I really loved this! Even though the previous book wasn't as satisfying as I expected it to be, this succeeding one definitely gave the cozy small town romance that I craved. This book also gave me a new perspective on Lunden and Quade that I learned to love them like I should have in their own book. And their little boy Zachary! That kid and his stories about his interesting friend Jonathan gave a layer of humor that made me enjoy reading even more.

The main star of this book has got to be the angst between our main couple. The gradual buildup of them coming to terms with their feelings for each other and their internal battle with such feelings brought so much toe-curling tension that pushed me to continue on.

However, that same angst came with its downsides. As much as I loved watching all the push and pull, it got to the point where it began being exhausting. I swear I wanted to scream "Just spit it out already!!!!" when they still remained reluctant in admitting what they felt right at the end. I also think that their friends-with-benefits agreement wasn't all that believable since they kept 'making love' (and casually dropping the exact term) while acting like inseparable magnets, even in private. Forget 'friends'; they were more like a married couple if you ask me.

All in all, the small town romance lover in me gives this a big two thumbs up. If you're looking for an angsty, well-written yet easy read set in a wonderful small town and delivers on the swoon and steam, this may be the book to pick up.

tw: death of a loved one (past)

Second Chances Are The Best!! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Honey Hill is the place to be! You never know what’s going to happen, such as good ole Elmo taking a joyride in his granddaughter’s Power Wheels Jeep causing havoc and “coming in hot” towards poor Sheriff Canten!! I laughed so much throughout the book, even at the beginning with Rylee and her waxing experience!!

I felt like I was right there in Honey Hill watching how Canten and Rylee navigated through their “relationship” while trying to stay one step ahead of her matchmaking mother!! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, just as much as the first one!! It kept me enthralled from the beginning throughout the end!! This is a great book and series!! If you haven’t read either, now’s the time to grab your copy, sit back and enjoy this weekend with some excellent reading!! You’ll be glad you did! And…if you enjoy Audiobooks, this book is available there, as well, and it’s awesome!! I can hardly wait to see what’s next in Honey Hill!! Joy, as Always…Kudos!! 💜💜

Canten and Rylee are sooo great together. He was just helping a friend in need, but it turned into their perfect HEA.

Funny at times and heartwarming, I loved engaging more with their parents and Lunden and Quade. Zachary stole the show for me by being adorably naive, asking inappropriate questions and so sweet. Mr. Herbert, the Jamisons, Happi, Sebastian. The list goes on and on.

Honey Hill is my new favorite town. Next, please.

This was my first visit to Honey Hill and introduction to Joy Avery: I will certainly visit again. This seems to be the second book in this series, but a standalone novel that allows the reader to fall in love with Rylee, Canten, and the residents of Honey Hill; even the shady ones. Having said that, this story revolves around a widow and widower in their 30s who have been circling around each other for some time. They enter an arrangement to the delight of their families and most of the town. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it for a quiet evening read.

Rylee good daughter, sister, friend and skilled baker lives a good life in Honey Hills. If only her well-intentioned mother would stop her match making endeavours. In a moment of desperation, she embroils her friend and neighbour Canten in a fake relationship to deter her mother's latest attempt. Canten surprisingly agrees, setting the stage for this sexy, sweet feelgood story. The duo both have some issues that need resolution before they find their way to HEA. The story is enriched with a cast of characters that round out the story. Zachary provided moments of sweetness and humour that had me smiling and chuckling. I am now going to read book one of this series.

I really wanted to love this book but had a hard time staying connected. the plot and synopsis really drew me in but I lost attention about 20% in

I love returning to Honey Hill. I really enjoyed this story between the town Sherrif Canteen and Rylee , who are friends, but secretly in love with each other but won't admit it. Rylee decides to ask Canteen if he would pretend to be her significant other while her mother is in town to stop her from fixing her up with some of the other men in town. Canteen agrees to do it, but their fake relationship just might turn into something more.

I laughed during the first book, but Even more with this one between the antics of some of the seniors of the town (really, a big wheel) and Zachary (his mother is the town mayor and her story is the first book in the series). This was such an engaging story, and I loved the characters in the book. It combied some of my favorite troupe which include fake dating, friends to loves, black love and a small town romance. I am hoping we'll get a book three and I hope it features Sebastain and Hopi. I could see this as a tv series.

I received a copy of the book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions.

There has been an enjoyable adventure coming back to Honey Hill. Canten and Raylee's journey is indeed sweeter than honey with a bit of spice, as it has been a slow burn that starts in book one. On our first visit to the small town, we left captivated by the mystery of the town's sheriff and his connection to Raylee, baker extraordinaire.

Canten is known for being firm on upholding the law but fair, willing to lend a helping hand with a good understanding of the town's people. So, of course, he does not hesitate to oblige when a friend gets in a bind and asks him to play a role that will put his heart in the crosshairs. Knowing this could open a box, he thought better left closed, he agrees.

Raylee is good at what she does, and no one else for miles can compare. She is secure in her career but in love not so much, which is why her mother feels it her duty to play cupid. In good faith, she is getting older and wants to see her daughter happy...grandkids. Raylee's parents announce their surprise visit, and she knows she needs to get boo'd up fast or be grilled and mated with a prospect of her mother's choosing.

Coming back to Honey Hill was so much more than I expected. The storyline of #whenfakebecomesreal fills us with an array of emotions, from seriousness-happiness-all out funny. This romantic comedy will have you booking the trip back before you even leave. The secondary characters, including the town itself, are always a bonus and keep the story moving along. It will have you reaching out to ask for their individual stories.

Joy Avery has given us another shelf-worthy read.

Sweeter Than Honey is the second book in Joy Avery's Honey Hill series and it was a lovely addition.

Honey Hill Sheriff Canten Barnes and baker Rylee Harris have known one another for years and value the friendship they have developed. Both Canten and Rylee have suffered losses in previous relationships, so neither is looking to enter into another one.

Rylee gets put into a position where she ends up telling her Mom that she and Canten are in a relationship to get her Mom off her case. She thinks it will be easy to make it work because her parents don't live in town and they can "end" the relationship before her brother's wedding and no one will be any wiser. When her parents end up coming to town to stay for months prior to the wedding, things spin out of control pretty quickly. Now that Rylee and Canten are pretending for a longer period of time, will real feelings develop or will they be outed as a fake couple before they're ready?

I enjoyed Canten and Rylee's story and I also enjoyed getting to see other members of the Honey Hill community. They are an eccentric bunch, but always entertaining! I look forward to the next book in this series!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

A sweet small-town romance with a hilarious opening scene. It has been five years since Rylee lost her husband and her mother decides to set her up with a blind date. Unfortunately, she knows the man and has no intention of dating him. She needs a name; someone her mom would believe that she is dating, so she tells her that she is “seeing” Canten. Sheriff Canten Barnes has been friends with Rylee for years, is attracted to her, but has never told her how he feels. When she confesses what she has done, Canten decides why not. This will keep women from assuming that he is available and give him a chance to spend time with her. Will their time together blossom into love? I enjoyed the story, but at times it seemed more like high school romance instead of two adults trying to move on from the past. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

After enjoying Something So Sweet, I did not hesitate to pick up the second Honey Hill book. This charming town pulls you in like one of their own.

Be prepared to challenge all your emotions as Canten and Rylee think they have a solution to her mother’s worries, only to be outed by the local gossip. Their journey is a rocky one but worth the read. I will be looking for more from Honey Hill.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Joy Avery for this arc.

This was a perfect read-in-one-day book that gives you a whirlwind romance you can really get stuck into.
I'm struggling to put into words how much I loved this story. It's friends to lovers, fake dating, second chance, and I swooned so hard. Canten is definitely swoonworthy and Rylee is just an absolute delight. I devoured this book within a day, I couldn't get enough.

A little synopsis. Both struggling with a death of their loved one, and of course, inevitably moving on,, Rylee and Canten struggle not only with their grief but with the guilt that comes with it. Both blame themselves for their deaths and battle with their emotions as well as their culpability and faithfulness. In their battles, they find each other. Canten is Rylee’s brother’s best friend and also happens to be her neighbour. They dance around each other, offering friendship and comfort, until it blossoms into more, and then begs the question: could they find it within themselves to forgive their mistakes and move on together, or will they continue to shoulder their blame and destroy their second chance at happy-ever-after?

It’s a beautifully romantic story that brought laughter and joy, as well as pain, into my reading day. I devoured this, and honestly, it surprised me how into it I got. The main characters are sweet and you root for them wholeheartedly, the side characters like Rylee’s best friend, the Mayor, and her wise husband, you can’t help but love (and their son kills me with his questions and stories), and it’s family-oriented, which i loved. These are strong and well-developed characters, in a quaint and dramatic small town, with a good storyline and ending. It’s righty paced, not too fast, not too slow, not too dense or light, it’s combination of storytelling and plot building is just right.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, and will be rereading it eventually. It’s a big yes from me!

(Currently sticking with a rating of 4.5/5★)

When two people are so bound and determined not to fall in love, what is a romance novel to do but force them together at every opportunity? I loved the angst, the sexual tension, the hilarious cast of secondary characters...it had me wishing the story would move along faster so that I could find out who it all turns out. There was a lot of push-pull in the relationship, so a lot of the book you are literally feeling the conflicting emotions of the characters. At first I felt like this book might be too long, but then I realized it's actually paced in such a way as to make me feel the tension they feel. This is not a light read, but it's not really meant to be. It's about love, loss, second chances and forgiveness...of yourself and others. Both main characters are widowed, one due to war and the other due to murder, and the story tackles the accompanying survivor's guilt they experience. The beauty in the story comes from the healing journey, so if you can bear with the pain they must experience first, you will be rewarded.

The small North Carolina town of Honey Hill is home to a community of people who are truly there for each other - sometimes to console, sometimes to meddle, and sometimes to be as annoying as possible. You know, the typical environment of small town living. Sheriff Canten Barnes is no stranger to all three of these personality types, and things have been getting increasingly difficult to ignore lately as his feelings for resident baker, Rylee Harris, keep pushing to the surface. But Rylee is off limits as his best friend's little sister, and he is still grieving with guilt over his late wife's death. Love is not in the cards for him a second time. However, life has other plans for him, when he goes to visit Rylee, who happens to be his neighbor, and he find himself wrangled into a fake relationship with her. It's supposed to only be for a few days...until it spirals into a much bigger mess, and now they not only have to fool her parents but the entire town. No worries, they can handle this...but when they have to get more intimate to seem realistic, the line between fake and real blurs. Their time is limited, they know this, but maybe they can give love a second chance after all.

Canten and Rylee were so conflicted, and it make the tension in this fake relationship so palpable. I was getting anxious just reading the story, wondering how they were going to heal so they could find happiness with each other. Canten had his inner demons from his wife's death, and he denied his attraction to Rylee as much as he could. Rylee too had concerns after blaming herself for her husband's death overseas, but she was a bit more open to having a relationship with Canten...if only he would let her in. Their relationship did get physical fairly quickly, so while the title may be "sweeter," the story is "spicier." Their physical chemistry was through the roof, and it was apparent quickly that they could satisfy each other well. What I found sad though was that they were so resistant to seeing how compatible they were emotionally. It was there, but they refused to acknowledge it. They certainly did act like a real couple, but then Canten was planning for a future without Rylee, making things seem like they may never resolve. Safe sex flew out the window early on as well, which I found interesting since neither of them had any interest beyond this "friends with benefits" arrangement. It was clear to me that their attraction to each other drove out common sense...and maybe that's why it took them so long to admit to themselves and to each other that it had gone beyond a fake relationship. You'll want to shake them. I did.

I really enjoyed this author's writing style, and I look forward to reading more romance in this cute town! You'll want to move there immediately.

I fell in love with Joy Avery's books when I read Something So Sweet.
So reading Sweeter Than Honey and seeing that it picked up at the end of the first book made it so easy to read. Riley and Canten are such a cute couple. I loved reading about the town of Honey Hill, makes me want to plan a trip to visit there and see if I can see some good looking men like she describes.

The story of Riley and Canten both having lost their spouses is one that a lot of people could relate to. I enjoyed how their relationship as friends was able to blossom into something more. Even if neither of them wanted to admit their feelings to each other. Them being their for each other long before they decided to "date" made it easy to see them become more than friends.

The author does a wonderful job of describing the scenery, and developing the characters. I was able to see the characters fully in my mind as read the book. At one point she describes a sunset and I was able to see that sunset.

I can't wait to read more by Joy Avery. Everyone should definitely read this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 2nd book in the “Honey Hill Series” and I’m so looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Canten and Rylee’s relationship was forbidden with Rylee being Canten’s best friend Sebastian Rylee’s brother. Canteen is the town sheriff and Rylee is the town baker but she is also a great cook. Finally we get Rylee and Canten’s book. I so love a good fake to real relationship. This was such a world wind of emotions between Canten and Rylee with their constant dancing around each other. Rylee has a failed marriage and Canten lose his wife to gun violence. The thing with being in a small town is that everyone knows everyone business. I was glad that Canten finally set things straight with Katrina. Rylee’s parents are in town early for Quade and Lunden’s wedding and for some reason Rylee knows that something is wrong she just has to figure it out. Rylee is so caught up in her mom’s match making that she tells her mom that she and Canteen are dating to get her mom off her back. Canten agrees to be Rylee’s fake boyfriend. The two get so caught up that they agree to a fake relationship with benefits but they get more than they bargained for with their feelings thrown into the mix. This is an awesome read and I am so looking forward to the next book in the series. I have read many Joy Avery’s book I so love how she manages to throw drama in the mix thus making things more interesting.

I received an ARC via Joy Avery, NetGalley and Montlake, I am leaving my review voluntarily. Thank you.