Sometimes you just need a book about two neighbors who are constantly annoying each other, but end up spending a lot of time together. I loved it, I really liked that from the first page they give us a glimpse of the type of relationship that Holden and Wren have, their interactions are so fun from the first moment and everything else flows super easy.

It's a heart swooning type book, it's cute, there's not a lot of chaotic drama around and the supporting characters are very charming too (I'll keep my hopes up for a book about Grey and Finley).

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars!!

I absolutely ADORED this small town romance between a grumpy single dad of the cutest 6 year old and his sunshiney next door neighbor who loves to mess with him! Wren and Holden live in a small Appalachian town in North Carolina, where Wren has just bought an extra cabin to make some money renting to tourists who come through- and when her contractor's mother falls ill, Holden is the only person able to step in and help her complete her renovations on time. The two begin to spend more time together and the chemistry just jumps off the page!!!

I loved so many things about this book: little June Bug and her wild curls that Wren is able to help tame, "my girls," scheming biddies in town trying to matchmake, a subplot with a certain sister and a certain best friend that I could see being another book, the continued use of the word "vexing," friendship bracelets, and of course the way the Wren and Holden just seem to get each other!!

Thank you so much to Madison Wright and Netgalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review. Off the Beaten Path comes out on January 26!!

Caught up in the SWOONS, I had the biggest smile on my face when I turned the final page of this tender romance. I've been meaning to try this new-to-me author for a while now, and this was the perfect place to begin. It kicks off the start of something new, developing a great small town feel and community vibe. I kinda loved that these two have been neighbors for a few years, but they never really knew each other until an anonymous online interaction breaks down their walls in an unexpected way. There was no deception, no secrets, no messiness revolving around their online communication, which I loved. And I also loved the gruff, secretly sweet single dad at the heart of it, who has spent the last few years slowly mending the emotional damage done by his ex-wife. He's had zero interest in women since she left, so this romance takes awhile to start building. It's the kind of book that gets better with every page, pulling me in a little deeper with every intimate moment. I loved it!

The story follows Wren, a woman who lives next door to a grumpy single dad. While Wren knows Holden has his reasons for being so closed off, that doesn't mean he's not infuriating sometimes. Wren does everything she can to rile him up, but the man still never cracks a smile. So when Wren discovers that the man she's developed an online friendship with is actually her neighbor, well... it changes everything between them. Those messages may have been platonic, but they also broke down some walls around Holden's heart. Connected in a way that neither anticipated, Holden slowly comes to realize that if any woman is going to get past his defenses completely, it'll be Wren. And that's a shock to the system.

I've been waiting for the perfect tropes to try out this author, and I'm so glad I started here. Vulnerable, secretly sweet heroes get me every time, and I loved the neighbors element. Holden is also SUCH a great dad, and that kicked up the swoon factor to a whole other level. Sexy, tattooed, sweet with his daughter, and celibate? Yeah, that's a compelling combination. It's a quiet, feel good romance that dances around some heavier subjects without ever getting weighed down by them. The focus on the emotional connection was greatly appreciated. It's a sexy book without any spice, and that worked for these characters. They had plenty of chemistry and connection even without the heat, and I actually liked the slower pace. Sometimes I just want to read a tender love story that will make me smile, and this absolutely accomplished that. It ended up being a very solid read, and I'm excited to read more love stories set in this small town.

This book was such a sweet, heartwarming read. Combine a single dad who is a little grumpy, his cute kid, and his sweet neighbor who likes to lightly antagonize the man next door and it was a recipe for success for me.

Wren is an active member of her small town community and is in the process of renovating a cabin she purchased on a whim to turn into a rental property. Holden is the grumpy contractor single dad next door she finds little moments of joy in poking at to get a reaction. When the original contractor Wren hired to help with the cabin has to back out on the job, Holden comes to the rescue to help out and the two find themselves getting to know who their neighbor really is. Little do they know they have actually been communicating as strangers for months

I loved that Wren and Holden had gotten to know each other and built a rapport without know who they were talking to. I also appreciated that it was dragged out too long before they connected the dots. It helped establish a deeper relationship in a natural way that carried over to their in-person time together when that developed. I thought their interactions were so sweet, and their banter was great as well. Holden’s daughter, June, was an adorable addition to the dynamic. I felt like she really added to the story rather than just being a prop as kids can sometimes be if the single-parent trope isn’t written well. It must also be noted that I loved friendship bracelets being so important to the book.

Truly, this was just a sweet, light read that had emotional depth without any high stakes heavy angst. It was such a refreshing, feel-good read. Thank you to NetGalley and Madison Wright for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

This book was adorable! Zero spice and it was perfectly done! There was one small plot hole I would’ve liked to have seen filled but other than that this was such a cute, heartwarming, cozy small town romance.

Wren is a small town girl who may have bit off more than she can chew. She decided to buy a cabin and renovate it for a rental house. There’s just one small problem she doesn’t know what she’s doing and her contracted just quit. Will her single dad neighbor come to the rescue to save her?

4/5 stars for me and I would recommend!