“Dad, you can’t just Schitt’s Creek a town.”

But the Graham family did in fact buy a town Sheet Cake, Texas and now they are showing up to fix it and their broken hearts along the way.

Pat Graham lost the love of his life and career in the short span of a few years and now he is hopelessly wandering his way through life with no real direction until his father, Think Tank Graham, bought a town he is set on fixing up Joanna Gaines style. The only thing Pat didn’t foresee in the gigantic project was the girl he left behind broken-hearted, Lindy, lives full time in the town raising her niece.

Lindy Darcy had not had it easy having to raise her niece after her sister abandoned them and her mother is falling into her dementia diagnosis, leaving the two of them to fend for themselves in the deteriorating house she grew up in. The last she needs is for her sister to barge back into their lives and try to take back the daughter she left at a few months old. What Lindy needs is a solid plan of action to fight the legal case her sister is throwing at her and as her lawyer pointed out a solid relationship would go a long way in helping matters.

When Pat enters the diner and sees Lindy for the first time in years he is smitten. It’s as if he resurfaced after the ride had pulled him under and kept him in the deep waters. She is the answer to his happiness and he knows he’ll have to fight hard to get her to forgive him. Lindy on the other hand see his attempt to renter her life as a way to secure her nieces future and potentially bring her some happiness as well. The two hatch a plan and attempt to live together to make both of their goals and dreams come true.

The dialogue in this story was brilliant. From the movie and television show references to the banter between the characters, it moved at a pace that was easy to follow. The best scenes (in my opinion) are the ones between Jo (the niece) and Tank. Instant chemistry between them as a grandfather and granddaughter relationship. They way she cashed him with a snake and he ran from her had me laughing so hard. It’s my favourite scene in the book.

The amount of brothers Pat has and the support of his family and the found family he makes in the town is so warm and welcoming. Obviously there will be a sequel by the little snippet at the end and James and Winnie will be at the centre of it and I am so excited to continue on the journey of revamping Sheet Cake, Texas. Will his story be able to live up to the epic romance of Pat and Lindy? I guess we will find out…

The narrative as I had mentioned is great. The plot of the book dives deeper into the give and takes within a relationship especially when it seems like one party is giving a lot more than taking. The story also touches on the characters lives with ADHD. It is handled in an approachable way that doesn’t ostracize the reader. It informs them of the traits and gives them a background on why the characters are the way they are. It was refreshing to read a story with that perspective.

Spice: 🌶 1 pepper for spicy scenes. Even though there is no big explicit scene there is enough kissing and foreplay for the reader to get a good idea of the private relations between Lindy and Pat.

Tropes: pining, ex-lover, small town, raising a niece, forced proximity, small town gossip, ADHD, Supportive family

How does she do it? Every book Emma St. Clair writes is better than the last! And I love them ALL!

Okay, I absolutely loved Pat! He was so funny. Every time he giggled, I was legit LOL. I've come to the conclusion that Emma St. Clair can do no wrong with her books.

I loved seeing the Graham men more. Having Harper, Chase, Thayden, and Delilah show up was bittersweet! I hope they continue to have cameos in the coming books. I loved that all of Harper's friends came out to support her brothers. Such an amazing group of friends.

Oh, and Jojo was the sweetest and reminded me of my 7-year-old who is obsessed with animal facts. We can't go for one hour without hearing a random animal fact in our house, so I could totally relate to Lindy and Jojo.

Also, the grill and squirrel scene?? Ha!

Can you tell I loved the book?

This is the first in a new series, but I would highly recommend reading the Love Cliche series first because it will make the cameo appearances so much more amazing.

I cannot wait for The Bluff to release! I have a feeling that I'm going to love James and Winnie's story even more!

**Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the copy to review!

Reader's Notes:
- this is book one of a series, but you do not need to read the others for this story to be complete
- this book has characters from the Love Clichés series, but you do not need to read it to understand this book (though it is definitely more enjoyable if you do!)
- this is told from both Pat and Lindy's points of view
- Lindy's sister was/is an addict (we don't really see her except in some memories that Lindy thinks of)
- there is some innuendo
- there is some talk of doing more than sleeping in the same bed (not much talk/thoughts; and the characters thinking it are married)

Review:
I think this is one of my favorites of what Emma St. Clair has written! There is so many laugh out loud moments (like verbing a noun, flaming squirrels, and the glitter), sassy moments, and of course moments when the child knows a lot more than she probably should (and will gladly share the information). I loved the small town of Sheet Cake and how the inhabitants knew pretty much everything that went on in town because of the Neighborly app (think the nosy grandma who gets into/tells everyone everyone else's business plus Facebook where you share videos/photos you enjoy, but the town inhabitants are generally both the grandma and the Facebook poster in the scenario). It was so funny to read this book and I can't wait to read book two when it comes out!

When your father tells you that he bought a town, would you think he was nuts?
That's how Pat feels when his former pro-football player father tells him that's what he did. But then he discovers exactly which town his father bought, the same town that the one that got away (Lindy) grew up in. A little town called Sheet Cake. So he goes along with his father to try and see his vision for the place (and to hopefully catch sight of Lindy). When both happen, Pat is pretty much on board with the hope that he'll be able to win Lindy back after all these years.
Lindy has spent the last five years trying not to think of Pat and caring for her niece that her sister abandoned. While she is successful in loving and caring for her niece, she hasn't been in forgetting Pat. Now her sister is fighting her for custody of Jo (her niece), who looks to be the better option for a family setting right now (Lindy's sister that is). If somehow Lindy could get married, that would up her chances of keeping Jo. But she isn't willing to ask for help and nobody really seems like an option (or at least a good option for her and Jo). Then in walks Pat, the guy who would do anything for her and Jo, but could also hurt her heart if she allows him in and he leaves once again.
Will they both be able to have their happily ever after and not have it shatter?

The Buy-In is the first book in the new spin-off series, Graham Brothers, from the Love Clichés series.

After reading Falling for Your Best Friend I was wishing that Harper's brothers (and dad) would get their own story. Imagine my delight when I found out that Emma St. Clair was writing this series (spoiler: I jumped for joy)

Second chance romances are hard for me because it all depends on the reason for the breaking in the first place. The Buy-In felt hopeful and I could understand what happened between Pat and Lindy the first time around. They made some mistakes and each felt as though they were the ones that got away.

Pay and Lindy were characters that I loved together, they brought out the best and made each other stronger. I loved Jo, she definitely stole every scene she was in for me. I also loved Sheet Cake, the small town where this story takes place. From the Neighborly app, to the three Bobs, to the Ladies Literary and Libations Society. This book was a rom-com that had me laughing and crying.

I recommend reading Harper's story first, to meet the Graham brothers. I also can't wait for The Bluff, especially after that ending. I just know I'm going to love it!

Thank you to the author for the ARC, all opinions are my own

Thanks netgalley for letting me read this, I loved it everything about it was great! It was sweet, the banter was great, I loved the verbing of the nouns it was just so well written like all the other books she has written

She did it again . She wrote an amazing stor with lot of laugh and tear droping moments .
His father just bought a town ( Is it legal ? ) and try to persuade his son to help him announce it to his siblings . The town is the home town of his only love and that makes him want to go there . From the moment she came face to face with him she is doing her best to avoid him . He is not going anywhere before he wins her back . Because she might lose the guardianship of her niece she accepts his marriage proposal so she might look better at the court . He is a man with purpose and every day he get to crack the vest she has built around her heart . Will he stay and fight with her or will he vanish like he did five years ago ?
I received this book from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What can I say? I love to read anything by Emma St. Clair. Her stories are guaranteed to suck you in and take you on a wild ride with lots of humor, sass, witty banter and of course romance!

The “Buy In” is a great story of love heartbreak and forgiveness. It’s a second chance romance with all the feels!

The characters are endearing and mostly lovable. (Always a few spoilsports to keep things interesting.) Pat and Lindy are deeply in love with each other, but have a few barriers to overcome to realize their happily ever after. I especially loved the epilogue with Lindy’s grand gesture. I may or may not have had to stifle a tear or two. If you are looking for a heartwarming RomCom you won’t be disappointed.

Thanks to #Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Lindy Darcy had her heart broken her last semester of college. You see she met Patrick Graham, a college football player destined for the NFL draft. While they agreed to a very clear list of rules meant to prevent strong feelings from developing and their hearts getting broken that is exactly what happened. On what would have been their last night together Lindy realized Pat wasn’t going to show. This is when she knows, despite her best efforts at keeping their relationship casual she broke the #1 rule – do not fall in love.

Her world is turned upside down when one day Pat’s father announces he has bought a town. Like an actual town, Schitt’s Creek style. Pat’s pretty sure this is a crazy idea but agrees to go with his father Tank to visit the town. However, when he asks the name of the town the last thing he expected was for his father to say Sheet Cake … the exact town where his college girlfriend, the one he wasn’t supposed to fall for (but absolutely did), the one he left without saying goodbye, lives. He wants to win her back, she wants nothing to do with him … what could possibly go wrong.

"Though I've never passed out before, I'm immediately aware that's what's happening. I wrote an article recently on old-timey words making a comeback, which is the only explanation I can give for what I say just before Ii start to collapse: "I'm swooning."" - Lindy Darcy

This books plays out much like a Hallmark movie (of which I am a big fan). I loved Lindy and Pat’s college story, that part was very relatable. The college years is such a fundamental time in a persons life, it is a time when people experiment and start to figure out who they are and which direction they want to take their lives. I actually think it was very mature of them to recognize their lives were headed in different directions and go into the relationship knowing it wasn’t going to be longterm. I wish they would get a chance to re-do that last night and split on good terms. It is obvious they both had a really hard time coming to terms with the end of their relationship and mending their broken hearts.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙪𝙮-𝙄𝙣 is filled with small town charm and all of the quirky characters that come with it. My favourite is Chevy, he is your regular small town deputy who upholds the law but is that guy who will do anything for his friends – old and new. Another favourite is Tank, Pat’s father. You would think as a previous pro-NFL player he would be a tough guy but as it turns out he is a big softie. I loved the relationship that developed between Lindy and Pat but it is followed very closely by that between Tank and Jo. Pat clearly takes after his father and took to Jo right away.

"When I die, the mortician will still find glitter in some of my nooks and crannies. Probably even in my unmentionables" - Patrick Graham

This was my first book by Emma St. Clair but after reading 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙪𝙮-𝙄𝙣 I am ready to order her whole Love Cliches series. This book has it all. Small town charm and quirky characters, kisses that will sweep the feet from underneath you and let me know even get started on the “hearing” scene. It just about broke me. Second chance romances are quickly becoming one of my favourite tropes and Emma St. Clair does it so well. This book was a roller coater of emotions, one page you a laughing out loud and the next you a wiping away tears. I am very excited to read more by this author. I would recommend this for fans of closed-door romcoms and works by authors such as Sarah Adams.

Thank you to Emma St. Clair and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

4.5* This story has a nice balance of witty banter and touching moments!  The character development is well done and I enjoyed the roller coaster of a ride as they navigate their individual hangups and challenges.  There are lots of pop culture references and metaphors to keep you connecting to outside sources of entertainment.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

This book was so cute, funny, quirky, heartwarming. It has the emma st Claire charm with lots of fun side characters and the sunshine hero and it had neurodivergent rep with Patrick having ADHD and he is a soft boyfriend that will do anything to get Lindy back. It had small town charm, Lindy being a single parent to her niece and a nod to Schitts creek. This was so cute and emotional and sweet. I love the father and daughter relationship that Patrick and Jo developed very fast that made my heart squeeze. Although I definitely think Lindy held a grudge a little too long and the pop culture references could’ve been less I still love Patrick and Lindy, it had a second chance, former athlete, marriage of convenience which I adore to read and was a great time and the ending was so cute and perfect. I can’t wait to read the next book and see them as a family in the later books

5 stars.

Basics:
- dual POV
- second chance romance
- grumpy sunshine (with a male sunshine!!!!!! As a female grump who is married to a male sunshine.... swoon.)
- marriage for convenience


The way Emma St. Claire writes is so cute and endearing. It’s so funny and it hits the perfect spot for me on her lingo and the way she describes thing. (Example: “The wounds: open. As open as a 7-11, which neither opens at seven nor closes at eleven.”).

Another favorite line: “Does it make me some kind of backwards, 15th century woman that his possessiveness makes me tremble? Sorry, modern women. Sorry, feminism. No, actually, I’m not at all sorry. Feminists should support my right to choose what I like, and I apparently like growly, overly possessive displays.”

Anotherrrrr favorite: “Everyone with a kid knows glitter is the butthole of crafts.”

Overall:
I laughed out loud so much with this book. I loved Pat’s family. I cannot wait for more books on them. 👀 I was skeptical of this story line at first, because marriage of convenience is typically a big turn off for me in the trope department. I was nervous, guys. I was thinking I wouldn’t enjoy it once I realized it was a marriage trope. HOWEVER- it was the sweetest story. It was such a joy to read for me that I can’t help but rate this one really high.


“In a relationship, sometimes one person needs more help and support than the other. At another time, it may flip. And still other times, it might be totally equal give-and-take. For now, you need support and I’m freely giving it.”

Thank you so much NetGalley, Emma, and the publishers for this ARC. What a pleasure.

Pat thought his father was crazy for buying a town but when he finds out his first love lives in the town he’s all for moving there. Lindy is in a custody battle for her niece and needs to portray a stable home, so when Pat offers to marry her she jumps at the chance.

The book has the second chance, forced proximity and fake dating tropes that I love. The writing was easy to read and I loved the sense of family throughout the book. That’s the one thing I love about small towns, they’re one big family.

The start of the book was really good but I did find things got murky in the middle, this is in regards to the plot and relationship development. Starting with the relationship, as Pat and Lacy met in college we don’t get to see that side of the development and so for me the connection wasn’t really there. I think the book would have benefitted having a couple throwback chapters or paragraphs scattered throughout. Pat was trying his hardest to win Lacy back but she was just shut off until the end, which stopped any natural development. The whole custody plot isn’t really mentioned except the start and finish and had such a lacklustre conclusion because the court case was built up at the start - very make or break vibes.

The side characters really won this book for me and I loved the banter between them all. I loved Pat and Jo’s relationship and loved how the book highlighted ADHD in adult men.

Overall, the book was an okay read. If you’re looking for something sweet and neatly wrapped up this book is definitely for you. I’d say it’s one of those summer reads for the beach.

Rated ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love everything Emma St. Clair writes and The Buy-In is no exception. I've wanted to read this ever since the author said she was writing it. It did NOT disappoint. Pat was a fantastic hero who had me chuckling at his antics and sighing over his feelings. I could completely understand Lindy's resistance which made for some fun and sweet moments. Throw in the adorable Jo and a cast of characters I'm hoping will get their own story and I consider this book a touchdown. :)

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley. My review was not required nor influenced.

The spin off series to Emma St. Clair's Love Cliche Series!

The Buy-In is a sweet RomCom (meaning squeaky clean). This doesn't mean there's a lack of sizzle! Lindy and Pat were funny, witty, ADORBlE. I couldn't help myself but fall in love with the little town of Shortcake and the family who owns it.

Pat's father has just bought a town, and as luck would have it, it is the town where his ex Lindy lives. He hopes this will give him a second chance with her. She is not so sure, as he left her once before, and now she has other priorities in her life.

Pat has a great family who are supporting him.

Loved this book and looking forward to the rest of the series.

The Buy-In, Was such a delightful story.
This was a joy to read from start to finish, it had so much depth and not too much steam which is the perfect combo for my kind of romance.
I absolutely loved the characters and the dialogue.
This book was so incredibly original and creative, with a solid, sweet romance plot line carrying the story, and fun subplots building on top of it.

Emma St. Clair,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review closer to pub date.

Love this book. The characters are all amazing. The entire Graham family is both hilarious and lovable. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series, hoping to see more of Chevy in the next one. The only thing I didn’t understand was the poker chips/title when poker is only mentioned once in passing.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm really sad to give this book a 3-star rating because when I first read the premise of this book, I knew I would be into it. I love the marriage of convenience trope, and with this book almost being exactly like Schitt's Creek in terms of buying and owning a small town, I thought I found what will be one of my favorite books this 2022.

To be honest, I'm easily amused so I did find the humor in this book entertaining -- especially with all that verbing of a noun. It's silly and cheesy, but I'm easy to please that way.

Here are some of the scenes I enjoyed:

1. When Jo first met Pat. I LOVE THIS SCENE! It was too cute.
2. The scene with Pat, Lindy, and Lindy's mom. It was so sweet and wholesome, it mostly made up for everything I didn't like in this book.
3. The court scene in the Epilogue. I found it to be so funny and I was just giddy until the end.

I've read two books by this author last year, and I found one of them to be okay, while the other I loved to bits. And then I saw teasers for The Buy-In being shared by the author on Instagram and I was hooked. However, I ended up disliking a lot of things about this book.

The pacing is okay, it's not boring but I've caught myself taken out of the story multiple times because it felt dense. It info-dumps about the Sheeters and their lifestyle instead of allowing the readers to see it through as the story unfolds.

I tend to gravitate towards straight-up rom-com or a cozy romance with as little drama as possible because I don't like subjecting myself to heavy emotions most of the time. But if you're at least going to insert drama and conflict, might as well go all in. In this book, you have almost two villains, the Waters and Rachel, and I do find the potential of how they could stir up good drama, yet it was not maximized. All of their efforts to create conflict and become a challenge for Lindy did not materialize. I understand that Rachel being a no-show was to back up what Lindy has been thinking and fighting for -- that she's unfit to be a responsible parent. But custody battle was what spurred this entire marriage of convenience in the first place, and yet it didn't have enough impact apart from the "stress" it puts on Lindy. With the Waters and all their political control within the town, you'd think they would be significant but apart from annoying every person in town with their <i> power trip </i>, they don't play that big of a role. I don't know if this was strategically done as an introduction, which will come into play in the next book/s in the series but for me, it was unnecessary to include most of the run-ins the characters had with them in this book.

Patrick Graham is made to be too sweet, almost like the perfect man and I am not fully on board with this. I like my characters closer to realistic ones where they are flawed, so I can appreciate their growth throughout the book. Apart from his flighty tendencies and impulsiveness, I didn't see a lot of weaknesses and flaws, which made him almost one-dimensional.

The internal monologues of the characters are okay, sometimes they can be entertaining too, but for the most part, they were over the top and repetitive. I don't mind reading their thoughts, but almost with everything they do, you get an actual internal monologue and it can be a bit much.

Lastly, I am not a fan of Lindy. I understand that the stress of taking on the responsibility for your niece and your parent while you're at the peak of your career can be A LOT. I would understand the mess and the doubts, but to fail at maintaining your own home and keeping up with your hygiene, I think that's exaggerated. I'm not dismissing the fact that this can be true in real life for a lot of people, especially for a single parent/guardian, but it just didn't work for me in this book. It's all over the place and it felt like a set-up in the story so that Pat can sweep in and be this responsible, loving, and perfect knight in shining armor that Lindy needs. Women and single parents/guardians can be strong and responsible even in times of stress, and going in that direction instead, would have been something better to read about in my opinion.

I am all for women empowerment and feminism, but as I've said, I already found the heroine weak with the exception of raising her niece and being responsible for her mother (because that takes a lot). I understand Lindy's doubts and inhibitions towards accepting Pat back into her life after learning of their past, but I found it unfair how she treated him as well. Don't get me wrong, I love a little groveling (regardless of which gender is doing it), so I am all for the idea that Pat needed to win her back. So throughout the book, it was fine, but that custody hearing scene was the last straw for me. Even if a person is overwhelmed with feelings, I'm sure he/she can muster up the effort to give assurance, especially if you know they needed it. Instead, she thought the worst of him and then ended up making him feel guilty for taking time for himself to sort out his emotions and take a breather from it all. Anyway, Lindy was meant to learn a thing or two about relationships and about expressing oneself, but it didn't stop me from feeling annoyed with the direction it went.

Overall, I think this book was not fleshed out to be the best it could be. The story flows smoothly but somehow it feels flat and detached. There were times when it felt like the story couldn't fully decide on which direction it wants to go, almost like it wants to be multiple things all at once, which really ruined it for me. Don't get me wrong, this book definitely has an HEA. Even though I rated this 3-stars, it's a disappointment for me since I did have high expectations going into it.

I love this author, and I would continue reading her books (I still have to get through her backlist), but sadly this will not be a part of my favorites this year like I hoped it would. Nonetheless, if you ever end up reading this book, I hope that you enjoy it more than I did.

I'll be posting a review of this on my blog later in the week.

This book is so freaking cute!!! I expected the marriage of convenience to happen earlier in the book but it happened at just the right moment. Pat was just so perfect. He did everything to show Lindy that he still loved her. I also really loved seeing Pat develop a relationship with Jo. I love the single parent trope so much.

I received an arc through netgalley

The Buy-In is a slow-burn, second-chance romance. It follows Lindy and Pat as they navigate a marriage of convenience to keep Lindy’s niece, Jo, in her custody.

This romance started with elements that would normally turn me off. I’m not a big fan of dual-POVs, and nothing turns me off faster than a group of hyper-masculine men.

That being said, I ended up really enjoying this one, and I absolutely adored Pat along with his and Lindy’s relationship. St. Clair did a great job of fleshing out his character, incorporating aspects of ADHD that felt so real. His relationship with Jo was so sweet, and I loved seeing their little family come together.

The themes of family were those that came through strongest in this book. Every moment Lindy had with her mom or Pat had with his siblings brought up a lot of emotion. I loved the relationship Pat had with his siblings, especially James and Harper. St. Clair also brings great autistic representation with Harper, showing the widely varied spectrum autistic people can be on!

I still wish this book was only in Lindy’s perspective. I think a lot of what we see from Pat’s side could have come through with just Lindy’s POV, and I think this would have fixed a pacing issue I noticed within the story. The main interactions between the two love interests don’t happen until about halfway through the book. Cutting Pat’s perspective out and focusing on Lindy’s might have helped these interactions occur quicker.

Despite this small qualm, St. Clair’s writing really put us in the story and I loved all the side characters. This romance has a very homey feel to it which is hard for an author to bring out. I was left with just a warm feeling after finishing, and I would definitely recommend to all avid romance readers.