"Girlfriend doesn't feel like the right word."
I look up at his face to find him looking back at me, a softness in his gaze that feels like warm honey. "What am I, then?"

"You're mine.

-grumpy and sunshine, next door neighbours, fake dating, single dad 🔨🪚🏡🍷
-the mutual pining was top notch!
-I enjoyed how everything came together for Wren and Holden, they really are perfect for each other 🥹❤️
-Holden being a softie for his girls will always make me swoon
-thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC

3.8⭐️

5.0

No stop i adored this book.

There was also no spice but it was PERFECT! I found it was written so well that it just simply didn’t need any? There was tension between our love interests for sure but like it just didn’t need the actual spice scene!

Single dad? Check
Grumpy x sunshine? Check
Enemies to lovers? Check
Fake dating? Check
Small town romance? Check

Honestly I adored everything about this book and oh wow June is the cutest child in the world.

Such a lightweight palette cleanser an easy read no third act drama just pure romance.

I cannot recommend this book enough!

I also adored the setting, I went to Nashville and the Smoky Mountains last year so I could really visualise everything and hello Chris Stapleton Tennessee whiskey smooth as strawberry wine haha I adore it.

Just the most sickeningly sweet romance that had me tearing up due to overwhelming feelings of happiness! Please trust me when I say this was THE CUTEST read that was full of the most warm and cozy feelings! I had the best time reading this and I truly couldn’t put it down for a moment! Literally any time this man said “my girls” I would turn into a full on puddle. The romance moments had me full on swooning!! Children can be so hit or miss in books for me and I think Madison did a wonderful job with Junes character and I thought she was seriously cute as a button!

This book had everything yet…gave nothing? There was nothing original. However, I know that even the most cliche plots could be beautiful if handled well. The whole deal of the book got revealed at very early in then the rest was just fillers. I struggled to feel the chemistry between the characters, they felt more like friends than possible lovers. The characters felt blank as well. For characters with so much potential and interesting backstories, they served absolutely nothing. They could’ve had more depth I think. The plot felt weak, mostly filler chapters.

June slays though.

I came for the red-headed main character and stayed for the sizzle and plot. I loved this and I couldn’t put it down!!

This was really cute. Off the Beaten Path had several tropes that I love: grumpy-sunshine, single dad, next door neighbor, and fake dating. I do wish there had been a bit more conflict in the story. The ex, Mia, was supposed to provide that I think in the last bit of the book, but her when involvement fell short for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

this one was extremely hard for me, i adore this Author and have loved everything i’ve read by her but this particular work didn’t seem fully flushed out and finished.

there was SO MUCH going on trope wise that it felt like none of them were fully done and hit the spot. It felt really repetitive to the point where i kept checking to see if i was accidentally rereading.

I stopped at 45% because i feel like i need to come back to this one and try again later.

As a single mom, single parent romances are some of my absolute favorites and Madison is one of my favorite Indie authors so i plan to revisit and try again later - but right now it felt dull, surface level and too busy causing none of the details to be flushed out.

I had the pleasure of reading a delightful book that captured my heart with its small-town charm and beautifully developed characters. The narrative unfolded in a way that felt like a slow burn, allowing the reader to savor every moment and connection between the characters.

The setting of a small town added a cozy and intimate atmosphere to the story, making it a perfect backdrop for the blossoming romance. The author skillfully brought the town to life, making it a character in itself, with its quirks, traditions, and a close-knit community that played a pivotal role in the unfolding love story.

What truly stood out for me was the impeccable character development. Despite the limited number of characters, each one was intricately crafted with depth and nuance. It was a pleasure to witness their growth and evolution throughout the narrative, as they navigated the complexities of love and relationships. The author's ability to breathe life into these characters made them feel like old friends by the end of the book.

The slow burn romance added a layer of anticipation and tension that kept me eagerly turning the pages. It was a refreshing departure from fast-paced love stories, allowing the emotional connection between the characters to gradually build, making their eventual union all the more satisfying.

In conclusion, this book is a gem for anyone who appreciates a well-crafted small-town romance with rich character development. The author's storytelling prowess and the charming setting make it a captivating read that lingers in the reader's heart long after the last page is turned. Highly recommended for those seeking a heartwarming and immersive love story.

I loved everything about this story. The banter between Holden and Wren, the sweet moments with Holden's daughter June. The friendship bracelets that June made for the family members. So many tender moments, I couldn't have asked for a sweeter story. The way the closed door aspect was handled was perfect too. The main characters had such a great relationship, the tension was built well between them chemistry wise. It felt like watching a romance develop between your friends.

I am not into books that use calling the cops as a funny antic and make ableist jokes. Really an editor should have flagged that and the writer should have known better

“𝑰’𝒅 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑹𝒆𝒅.”

Off The Beaten Path by Madison Wright is a small town romance that follows contractor Holden Blankenship and Wren Daniels.

I found Holden and Wren to be both entertaining and fascinating characters right away, but I was never able to sense spark between them whenever they got together. However, things really improved in the middle, and I adored their situationship.

He also called her Red and that was EVERYTHING!! Taking into account that he was a grumpy man.

However, I will admit that toward the end, things did get tiresome. Even though Holden and Wren's tension was at an all-time high, he would friend zone her whenever something went wrong. And these tense moments between them were really annoying.

I ultimately came to love June, Holden's daughter, and Wren's connection more than I did Wren and Holden's.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing, and to the author, Madison Wright, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*

This one was a bit of a miss for me. I had high hopes, but the tropes just weren't my favorites. The writing was great so I would still recommend it. I might give it another try at at a later date.


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌?


They become anonymous friends through a dating app and realize that they are neighbors who have never gotten along. He is a divorced single father who is turned upside down by her when he learns that her contractor does not want to follow the project of her cabin and finds himself offering to help her.

He will soon realize that it is more than just a friendship.

I can assure you that it is an addictive and easy-to-read book, as well as fun to be able to read for you on a weekend. I liked the characters as well as the connection they had, I thought it was great, and I liked the author's writing.

I enjoyed this book! I am always a sucker for small town romances and this did not disappoint. It was wholesome and adorable.

It didn’t hook me right away but the more I read, I started liking it. Overall, it was a fun, light read.

This is just the sweetest mountain town romance with low drama, grumpy-sunshine characters, and a cozy romance! I’m a sucker for single dad and reno projects so this was a cute mix of the two. The heroine could be annoying at times but the MMC was so tender and kind, so I fell for him easily! The writing was easy-to-read but the premise was a bit flat and nothing extraordinarily memorable. With that said, this is a great light-hearted read (with no third-act breakup and low-stakes conflict) so highly recommend if you’re looking for something quick and sweet!

This book is very low angst with the smallest touch of drama but very high in sweet moments and fun banter.

The chemistry between Holden and Wren is there right from the start and June???? So adorable and I loved how the we get to see the three of them become a family.

There’s some push and pull with tension but it’s not annoying and just adds a fun element to the story. If you’re looking for a sweet romance with cozy vibes this is the one for you!

Thank you to Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for the arc!

I can see how this book would work for other readers, but ultimately, it did not work for me. Here's why:

Off the Beaten Path tries to mesh together too many tropes that it loses sight of the fact it's supposed to be a romance, and the reader should see the connection forming between the two main characters. In the beginning, we are meant to believe that Wren and Holden are "friends" via an anonymous dating app, yet the little conversation we see is not a conversation at all but rather Holden just plainly shooting down Wren. It left me feeling like she didn't understand boundaries and couldn't take no for an answer.

Then, suddenly, we find out they're actually neighbors who don't get along because Wren plays very childish pranks on Holden. I wanted the banter and the tension to work for this, but when the characters feel one-dimensional and keep saying they don't know why they're saying and doing certain things, but they're doing them anyway, it feels like there isn't a strong grasp on who they are as people.

Out of nowhere, we get a fake dating trope, but also not really? This trope had no leg to stand on and really didn't need to exist if the character Charlotte either got scrapped or Holden knew how to be honest enough with her to set a boundary.

The writing was also very repetitive. The character names, especially the nicknames, are said in almost every dialogue tag. No one speaks this way, and in order to make a nickname effective and give it punch, it should be withheld until certain moments (tension, flirty banter, tenderness, etc.)

There are some cute moments that happen, especially between Wren and June, but they're overshadowed by other odd pieces of information--like how often we speak about this little girl's eating habits. That's a big no for me.

I think this book will work for people who don't mind when a book is tropey, who love a small town and all the drama that comes with it, and who want something more on the fluffy side.

Wooooow, I loved this sooo much. The characters, the bickering....a single dad, grumpy/sunshine story. It was everything I love!
5 stars!!!! If you love romance without spice. Read it, please!!!

I loved this book!! I was hooked as soon as I started it! You’ve got mail is one of my favorite movies so when I heard this book was similar I was so excited!

Holden and Wren were great characters! I loved their banter. This was such a nice read because there was the perfect amount of drama but nothing too crazy. I also loved Holdens character as a dad!

After finishing this book I quickly added Madison Wrights other books to my book list! I will definitely recommend/promote this book!!

Thanks to netgalley and victory editing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Off The Beaten Path byMadison Wright
4⭐️
This was the perfect, fast-paced, rom-com.
Tropes:
💐small-town;
💐grumpy-sunshine;
💐single dad;
💐grumpy neighbor;
💐fake dating;
💐closed- door romance;
💐amazing little kid.
This story follows Wren and Holden, who, for the past few weeks, have been talking through an online dating app, under code names, without knowing that they were actually talking to each other.
Reading this book was super fun, I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a soft, fun, rom-com!!
*Thank you Net galley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!