Wren Daniels is drowning. Between organising charity auctions, renovating a cabin with no budget and annoying the life out of her next door neighbour, Holden Blankenship, the only silver lining in Wren’s life is her anonymous friend who she met on an online dating app. So you can imagine her surprise when that same friend turns out to be… you guessed it - Holden! And as he offers to help complete the renovations at the cabin and Wren steps in to care for Holden’s daughter, June, their lines of friendship begin to blur. 🫶🏼

I absolutely loved this book! It had all of my favourite tropes: fake dating, enemies to lovers and small town romance! There’s just something about small town romances - I can’t get enough 🥹

I’ve grown far too attached to the characters and I really hope this book becomes a series because I’m not ready to leave the Fontana Ridge fam yet! 🙈

Holden and Wren are the definition of grumpy x sunshine, right down to their colour palettes! I loved that even though their relationship changed their incredible banter and little pranks remained. Hats off to Madison Wright for creating a literal dream out of Holden - his words of endearment had me swooning! 💞

Holden’s daughter, June was my fave - she was just the sweetest little ball of chaos 🥹 I’ve never read a story with the single dad trope before (shocking I know) but that is changing from now - Holden was utterly devoted to his little girl and I loved their moments throughout the book. Wren seemed to fit so seamlessly into their lives and was just what Holden and June needed at that time. She just knew exactly what to say in every circumstance, full of reassurance and I really liked that about her character. “Across the world” 🌍

Here’s to hoping that we get a story about Grey, Finley or Stevie in the future 🤞🏼

Go give Off the Beaten Path a read, you won’t regret it ✨

I thought this book was so cozy and so sweet and so perfect and one of the only romances I’ve read in a long time where I felt like I couldn’t put it down.

If you’re looking for BK Borison or Melanie Harlow vibes this is definitely up your alley.

I’m overlooking some flaws here (can we please as a society get rid of saying “oh?” “Yeah, oh”) because the vibes were immaculate.

It was filled with delicious tropes and comfort and small town vibes that definitely felt lived in and three dimensional.

It is also a perfectly paced romance story. Nothing drags and nothing is put upon you too quickly.

Top romance of the year so far!!

Oh my goodness, this book has *the* cutest and *the* cosiest and *the* sweetest vibes!! It's such a perfect "read in one sitting" kind of book; it's adorable and I honestly couldn't get enough of it.

I love the small town vibe in this one so much, and honestly everything about it. Every single person there feels like family, they stand up for each other and support each other.

Wren is such fun and easy going FMC. I adore her energy and her personality, and more than that I really wish I knew her in real life and we were friends! She's supportive and kind, attentive and really amazing to be around. I love her!

Holden is a dreamy grumpy singe dad. He really and truly is the perfect grump, but then also is the most loving and softest for his little girl. And of course once you know the real him, you realise that underneath his cold-ish exterior is a protector and a carer who will love you always and forever.

His little girl, June, stole my heart. She's the cutest 6 year-old, so smart and carefree and so loving.
Her relationship with her father is incredible, and the connection she was able to build with Wren is so strong and unique and special.

Madison delivered a truly magical story and I couldn't get enough of these characters and this small town. I cannot wait to read next books in this series, this will definitely become my precious comfort read.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Madison Wright for the ARC of this book! 💖

--------------------------
This one is so damn cute!! 🥹 never leaving my small town era!

Book 1 in the 'The Mountains are Calling' series and I am already super excited to see where the rest of this series goes. First off, the cover is absolutely STUNNING, and I can't wait to have a copy on my bookshelf. Secondly, Wren and Holden own my heart; their story was perfection and I loved every minute of it. Madison Wright has herself a new fan here.

This is a very sweet story, and I'm so glad I got the ARC! I generally hate single parent romances (the kids tend to feel incredibly unrealistic or saccharine-sweet) but this one hit all the right notes. I love stories about men and women who aren't fresh out of college, and watching this story unfold was a treat. I didn't even mind the fade to black, ha ha ha.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @madisonwrightauthor for letting me have an early copy of this book!

✍️Quick Synopsis:
Wren Daniels is determined to keep her happy outlook on life, even with financial struggles knocking at her door. But when her current contractor backs out of renovations for her rental cabin and she is suddenly dependent on her oh-so-grumpy neighbor, things start to get just a little more difficult. Soon, though, the lines between co-workers and friends (and maybe a bit more) start to blend.

💭My Thoughts:
I was so excited when I heard that Madison Wright was starting a new spin-off series after her Nashville is Calling series (all gold, btw)! And Wren was the perfect character to start with! I appreciated the very realistic struggle of trying to keep positive when life is not throwing you easy pitches. I also really grew to love Holden. He is a fierce protector of his daughter, and has such a sweet soul. I loved the dynamic between Wren and Holden, especially when Wren started to understand what got through to Holden and how to give him the space he needed. The family dynamics were also superb but I think my favorite part about the whole book was the setting! I wanted to be there, smell the mountain air, and feel the small-town vibes. Such a delightful, clean, sweet romance!

I'm exposing myself by admitting that I only requested Off The Beaten Path because of the cover, and you can't deny that it looks absolutely 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈!

The story was enjoyable and casual cute with some bits of swoony moments.
I did have some issues with the story, but the main one, which is a big one, is that I just couldn't connect with the characters. But it wasn't so bad that I couldn't continue reading the story. I liked Holden a lot more than Wren because I found her to be a bit childish sometimes, but she also had her moments with Holden's daughter that I adored.

read if you like:
• grumpy x sunshine
• small town
• forced proximity
• cabin reno
• lil fake dating
• tattooed single dad

It reads incredibly fast, so I would recommend if these tropes are up your alley :)

*𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳, 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘌𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯-𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸*

I was expecting to not like this book because I genuinely don't remember requesting this from NetGalley, but it was enjoyable.

This book is the sweetest thing I could read this month and I think I declared it a favorite. Holden is just one of the best grumpy book boyfriends.

The story reads completely on its own because of how good it is. Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down and most importantly I couldn't help but fall in love with the whole dynamic of these characters. I loved Wren, her personality was charming and I felt real, Holden on the other hand I think was my favorite of the whole book, well let's forget about that, my favorite is June, that girl stole my heart, the father and daughter relationship they had was so beautiful because while you were reading you felt all the love that Holden had for his little girl, Now the relationship between Wren and Holden without I certainly loved it, seeing how they went from neighbors fighting among themselves to becoming friends and then a beautiful love was born from there. I liked it, what's more, the whole transition was so well written that I felt as if the protagonists were telling me his story, another thing that I liked and I think I always say is that there is no drama, literally there is NO DRAMA and that for me, as always, is a win!!!

This book was the first one I read by the author and I can say that I will continue to read her books because I liked her way of telling the stories of these characters, I liked that she gave us a beautiful story, drama free and with both main and secondary characters that are lovely.

Thanks to the author, netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!!

blog name: marianbooks.613 (bookstagram)
review date: 29/01/2024.

Off the Beaten Path by Madison Wright is a total winner.

It has some of my favourite things in a book:
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- Small town romance
- Single dad
- Banter / pranks
- Neighbours
- Forced proximity
- No third act breakup!!

It's cute, it's wholesome, and it's funny. The relationship between Wren and Holden before the romantic feelings developed was downright hilarious, the banter and the pranks were so entertaining. Wren has packages delivered to Holden's house because she knows it annoys him, and she keeps her Christmas lights up past December because he doesn't like it. He's a classic grumpy character, but an absolute cinnamon roll at heart. The relationship between Wren and June was adorable as well, and I loved seeing their relationship develop.

Just a quick moment for the cover - I am getting myself a physical copy of this because the cover is GORGEOUS. I'm a sucker for a character art cover, and this one is absolutely perfect!

Can't wait to see what else comes in this new series, The Mountains are Calling!

Rating: 4.5 stars

This was such a cute small town romance! I fell in love with Wren and Holden's neighborly banter turned friendship to lovers. I loved how sweet Holden was even though he was "tough" to people who didn't really know him. It was so nice to see their friendship grow and change. I loved how both Holden and Wren opened up to each other and were always there for the other when they needed it most. I fell in love with Madison Wright's writing when I read Just Go With It a year and a half ago, and while I've only read these two by her, I know that she is always going to be an author that I will be willing to read anything she writes.

Read this if you love:
- Small town romance
- Dating app
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Divorced MMC
- Single dad
- Neighborly rival
- Fake dating
- Closed-door

Oh my I loved it. My new favorite book of Madison’s.

Small town. Grumpy sunshine. Single dad. Enemies to lovers… but also friends to lovers.

This book was so dang tender!! Cozy and gentle and hilarious and emotional and relatable and dreamy. It delivered so much delicious tension & heat without the spice (closed door).

The setting is magical… Fontana Ridge, a small town in the Smoky Mountains… watching winter give way to spring in this story had me dreaming of all the seasons I want to read on this town with future characters and stories!

So yeah, I loved it. Go read it!

small town
single dad
grumpy/sunshine
neighbors
forced proximity
fake dating for a minute
banter
no 3rd act breakup
dual pov/first
kissing only

This was a super sweet contemporary romance. Perfect winter read by the fire. There were no explicit scenes with nothing more than kissing.
They had a super cute meet cute that involved secret identities. Once their identities were discovered their chemistry and banter was off the charts. I really enjoyed them as a couple and their deep conversations. June (the kiddo) was absolutely precious and was a great part of the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Madison Wright for this arc.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.5 ⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: Contemporary romance 📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
Such a sweet and cozy romance that will have leave you smiling.

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Cinnamon roll MMC
Small town romance
Single dad
Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Fake Dating
Closed door
Dating apps
Daul POV
Grumpy/sunshine
Cabin remodeling

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Wren and June’s relationship
No third act break up
Adults that can communicate

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
There were alot of tropes included

Off The Beaten Path (ARC review)

Thank you to Netgalley and Madison Wright for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Oh my, this was the cutest little book ever. Wren and Holden had me on a chokehold. I loved Holden's grumpiness and Wren's sunshine character. They couldn't be more different yet so percect for each other. They had so much good chemistry and passion. You could feel it throughout the whole book! Wren was so incredible, I loved her wit and funny character. She was so loving and caring. She supported the people she loved and was always by their side. Holden was such a wonderful character. He was a bit complex and closed off, but I was on my knees for him. The love he had for his daughter was infinite, and he truly was the perfect dad little June could have. He was a person hard to crack, but he was also someone who loved with all his heart. The moments between Holden and Wren were so beautiful and everything I truly needed. The steamy moments they had were chef's kiss. Any time June and Wren spent time together, I couldn't contain my excitement. They had some adorable moments, and you could see how much they loved each other. The three of them were truly such a perfect little family, and the epilogue was everything they deserved!

Book by: Madison Wright
Tropes:
• Single parent
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Small town romance
• Fake dating
• Forced proximity

My rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Spice level: 1,5/5 🔥

This was a lovely love story. It hits on a few classic tropes: nemesis neighbors to lovers, grumpy lumberjack/sunshiny red-headed girl, devoted single dad meets selfless, loyal single girl… it’s not groundbreaking by any means but it’s a good time with some sweet and swoony moments. Worth the short read.

this was a very cozy, sweet story. everything you want/need in a small town / single dad romance. wren and holden’s chemistry was so palpable— despite this not being a super spicy book, the banter and tension was definitely there. also LOVE a good rom that has no third act breakup and healthy communication. overall a cozy read, it was fast paced and definitely entertaining. there were a few things lacking for me, I feel like it could’ve been a little longer/maybe more depth to the characters? but overall a pretty enjoyable read and I think this is the perfect book to get you out of a slump.

*thank you netgalley for the arc!!

Off the Beaten Path by Madison Wright checks all the boxes for my kind of romance premise: grumpy/sunshine, single dad, small town, forced proximity. Holden and Wren are online pen pals but they don't know they're pen pals. Offline, they butt heads constantly living next door to each other. When Wren's contractor quits, Holden steps up to help her finish her cabin in time to rent it out and make up the money she's lacking after buying the cabin.

This was a super fast easy, adorable read! Holden was giving grumbly grumpy but super softie down under. This is a closed-door romance but it still was brimming with tension and longing. There were so many great moments within the story but I also felt that the emotional depth and development were a bit lacking. Wright isn't reinventing the wheel here, clearly following a very common template of what the story should be, hence why this is a book I am already starting to forget the details of.

TLDR; not a new favorite but by no means a bad book. Super easy fun read. Would've liked more depth overall but entertained me while I was reading.

Completely swoon-worthy. This book was like being wrapped up in a warm hug. It had the ultimate cozy vibes paired with a beautiful romance. A grumpy single dad, the cutest little kid, and a bubbly next-door neighbor set in the mountains.

Wren and Holden are neighbors in this sweet, small mountain-town romance. They consistently antagonize one another without realizing that they are each other’s secret pen-pals essentially. Wren is an active member of the community with a glass-half-full personality, but also searching for more. She decides to purchase a run-down mountain cabin to renovate, but when her contractor falls through, Holden is there to step in. Holden is your tattooed, man-bun-wearing, single dad, cinnamon roll MMC. Frustrated by his mom and sister who keep trying to set him up, he ends up letting it slip that he’s dating Wren (which he’s not). This snowballs into a budding friendship and eventual romance between the two.

What I loved was the character growth and development throughout. It was so seamless and easy between the two of them, even as they worked through their past baggage. I also absolutely adored the relationship between Wren and June. It was so sweet and kept a smile on my face. The emotional connection that was highlighted between Wren and Holden is something I greatly appreciated also. They had banter and chemistry and an undeniable connection. This was such a solid read and definitely something I can see myself reaching for again when I need something cozy. Im excited for more stories in this town.

Read if you enjoy:
- small town
- single dad
- grumpy/sunshine
- forced proximity
- fake dating(ish)
- fun banter
- no 3rd act breakup


**Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own

This is the most sweetest single dad small town romance I have ever read. I loved the pace, the slow burn, I loved Wren's relationship with June and how she had a connection with her despite of her relationship with Holden. the small town vines were immaculate. I cried, laughed and had experienced all the butterflies in the world with the way Holden loved Wren. if you love small town romance, single dad, kinda enemies to lovers romance with nosey town people and wholesome vibes, this book is perfect for you.