This book was adorable! Not your standard rom-com, and I loved that it made fun of the usual rom-com tropes. The characters had great chemistry, and watching their love build over the course of the book was great.

I definitely am looking forward to seeing what E.F. Dodd comes up with next!

**I received this ARC through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

The book takes place in a small town in North Carolina. Gideon is a developer from Boston who goes to Mimosa (the town) to propose a plan to the mayor about developing some land. Everest, the mayors daughter, owns the land right next to the land Gideon is looking into buying. She owns Second Chance which is a horse rescue, safe to say that Everest is 1000% against any kind of developing happening in her beloved town. She automatically thinks Gideon is the worst and number 1 enemy. But Gideon shows her otherwise.

I enjoyed this book and I think if Everest was more likable I would've liked it even more. I don't know why but her character bugged me. I didn't like her and how judgmental she was. AND STUBBORN omg sometimes I wanted to reach into my kindle and grab her by the shoulders to shake her!

I wouldn't count this as an enemies to lovers since I don't think that Gideon ever really hated her. He showed interest in her from the beginning even if it was for personal gain. Everest on the other hand couldn't come up with more reasons why he was the devil himself. Honestly I just can't get past her character, I think it was only about the last 20% of the book that she was likable and even then she still had some moments that were eye rolling.

But maybe I'm being too harsh and picky. I don't usually find the FMC unlikable theres only been a handful of books where that has occurred. If you happen to like Everest then I'm sure you will absolutely love this book! Gideon definitely makes up for everything that she lacks, he was patient, funny, charming, and honestly made an Everest such a better person not just for herself but for everyone around her.

A Higher Standard starts out like your average Hallmark style book with a not exactly meet cute between Everest and Gideon but it quickly surpasses the average. This story is written with a fresh voice and I have highlighted numerous sections to come back to. It was witty, endearing, unique and I quickly fell in love with the characters. I don't know if this will be a series or just a standalone but I will read this one again and again just to go back to Mimosa and the family E.F. Dodd created. It was the perfect book to start off my Spring/Summer reads and I am grateful to E.F. Dodd, Sugar Beaver Books and Netgalley for the ARC!

Pretty good, I loved that horses were incorporated into the story. Everest’s inability to recognise her behaviour was slightly frustrating as I feel if she had recognised it earlier it would have assisted in her character development. Otherwise a decent book. 3.5 stars

I adored this enemies to lovers romance! Gideon is a developer from Boston determined to purchase a large plot of land in Mimosa to develop into a planned community. Everest is the director of a non-profit horse rescue, Second Chance, determined to expand and make it on her own. The characters meet when Everest finds Gideon “riding” through the plot of land next to her property, which turns out to be the very plot of land she wants to expand on to.

I loved the contrast of settings - small town Mimosa and big city Boston - and how it perfectly paralleled the contrast in Everest and Gideon’s personalities. I also loved the time it took for the characters to strike up their romance and eventual love, building the relationship rather than diving headfirst.

If you’re looking for a fun read with likable characters, don’t miss out on A Higher Standard!

*4.75

This was so cute and a slight twist on the developer comes to a small town. I loved that Gideon really took what Everest said to heart and changed his plans accordingly. They just fit so well together and I loved seeing their development. This is a very cute small town romance.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Everest is happy running her horse rescue - she just needs the land next door to expand it. Then developer Gideon swoops in and wants the same land, and he has the money to get it. A fab enemies to lovers story.

I simply liked the story and the characters. I enjoyed Gideon and Everest and their evolving romance and there was no extra drama. For me this was a 4,5 upped to 5. Very lovely book.

This is one of the best books I have read so far and it made me remember the feeling that comes with an amazing reading. This was just perfect from beginning to end. I connected with the characters since the first page and I fell in love with them a little bit more with every chapter. Their development was incredible and realistic, which I loved. It was a fresh experience reading a story where the guy is the one exploring a new side and giving his all to show the woman he loves that what he needs is her and not the money or the lifestyle he used to have. We also have a strong and brave protagonist that is gonna steal the hearts of everyone who has the opportunity to read this book. She was amazing and her doubts and fears were perfectly explained. This book needs to be on the tbr list of everyone who loves a story full of romance, comedy, development and inspiration.

This was cute. I love a cute little book to read on a day off on the couch where I’m not getting too dark or twisty. This one had substance and you could get into it knowing it’s going to be a HEA and you’ll finish it thinking how cute it was.

A great rural read. Rich developer Gideon is buying up land Everest wants as her own, to expand her horse rescue. Will be be able to get her onside and convince her to give more than just the development deals a chance? A fab read.

I just couldn’t get into the book, no matter how many times I tried. The tropes were overused and nothing made me want to like the main characters enough to find out how their stories end.

I loved this book. It was well written and the characters were real. I loved Gideon, the way he adored her, he would literally do anything for her, she just had to ask. I love man like that. I liked Everest but I didn't feel any effort from her part about their relationship. She frustasred me so much, she just had to talk, really talk and he would be butter in her hands. But I still liked them together, they didn't seem to fit at first glance but they did.

This was a fun romance between a city boy and a country girl. It was a sweet read and I enjoyed the story line and Everest and Gideon's love story. There was a bit of spice that was unexpected and felt a bit out of place in an otherwise sweet story, but overall, this was a good read!

3/5 stars, rounded up!

Thanks to Netgalley and E.F. Dodd for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Finished ✔️ A Higher Standard by E.F. Dodd and loved that it talked about Boston Massachusetts. 🤩🤩

4 ⭐️‘s
Publish Day: May 16th, 2023
Kindle Unlimited: No

Love that it talked about Boston 🤩🤩
Love the unique name of the town Mimosa, North Carolina
This book definitely held my attention very well.
The characters were unique in their own ways.
I enjoyed the characters very well.
Yes, I’d recommend this book

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Rounded up from 3.5
Everest owns and run a horse refuge. Gideon wants to buy the family land next to hers for a development and she is highly against it. Will they be able to come to an arrangement?
Enemies to lovers (which passes a bit too quickly/abruptly IMO), opposites attract romance. I liked it, cute and fast read.
Now, I have said it before and I will say it again: I am really not a fan of 3rd act breakups, but I know they are part of the recipe, so I can make do with them when they are well done. This one was not. Everest is ridiculously stubborn, to a point it doesnt even make sense.
"Of course I don't understand it, because it doesn't make any sense" is what Gideon tells her, and it's what I've felt about her the whole book. Wanting to be independent is one thing. Pushing it this far is self-sabotage. Also, she is frustratingly oblivious, which at times makes her seem dense. I did however love how clumsy she is, made me think of myself. All in all, it was a good read.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a super cute read and my first read from E.F. Dodd. Gideon surprised me. I didn't expect him to be the one to fall head over heels in love with Everest so quickly. It was a bit insta-lust/love and I wish we'd had more push and pull between Everest and Gideon in the beginning. I loved their initial meet cute and wanted more of that for a little while before they decided to have some fun together. The ending was very funny and typical Gideon. I loved it.

The one thing I didn't like was the big blowup reaction Everest has in the end. For her to be a non-profit owner, you'd think she'd have more business sense than she does. Everyone knows non-profits thrive on donations, so for her to turn down a donation that would greatly benefit the business she cares deeply about made her seem not as business savvy as she wanted to portray.

This reads like a hallmark movie in the best way. It's super cute. Coming from the horse industry, with rescue being near and dear to my heart, this was a great story. The author really nails the stubbornness of a horse girl.

A really enjoyable read. I'll definitely recommend it to others.

This is my first E. F. Dodd book so I wasn't sure what to expect but the cover and blurb definitely caught my attention. The story was easy to read/follow.

Between the easy to follow story line and the relatable, witty characters, I was able to read this quickly! I didn't want to put it down.

Everest is a badass and knows it. She's very confident in herself, what she wants, and how far she's willing to go to get it. Gideon is after the land next to her farm, which she wanted to buy herself in order to expand her farm. So these two don't start out but open honesty from both ends, witty banter, and growth allows them to get past that.

If you love reading

- small town
- badass FMC
- farm/animal rescue
- banter

then you'll love this book!

Everest runs a horse rescue on a small bit of land in a small town. Strong, sassy and determined, she is immediately suspicious of the handsome real estate developer with his eyes on changing her hometown. The series of events that continue to push them into each other's orbit are funny and heartwarming. Both are so comfortable with their own paths in life until they start spending time with each other and realize, are they? Great banter and swoony moments. My first E.F. Dodd read and really enjoyed the book!!