✨ Off The Beaten Path - Madison Wright ✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️|0.5🌶️ (Kissing only)

This was a really cute, fast, enjoyable read - my first from this author (and definitely not my last). I really liked the writing style and the story had perfect pacing. I seriously didn’t want the story to end 💗

I’m definitely in my single dad era - and Holden did not disappoint! He’s the ultimate grumpy, but cinnamon-roll hero, who’s also a great dad - which just adds to his appeal. And Wren brings the sunshine to his grey 💗 I love them so much!

And I love June too! The relationship development between June and Wren was so heartwarming 💗

And we love some HEALTHY COMMUNICATION 💗 even when it is difficult for characters to express their true feelings at times 🥹

I am a big fan of low-angst stories, and this one had just the right amount of drama, without being over the top 💗

I loved the small town vibes this story created! And I can’t wait to return to this world 🥰

Thankyou NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

After Wren’s contractor cancels on her last minute, she has no choice but to let her grumpy neighbour, Holden, help renovate a cabin in time for rental season. Slowly, their opinions on each other start to change and I find it really cute how the things that used to annoy him most about her, become the things he adores. I loved seeing Wren with Holden’s daughter, June, and the way she fit so perfectly in to their little family.

One of my favourite quotes from Holden was:
“Maybe I was wrong when I told Wren she’s mine. Because looking at my daughter now, at the way she’s staring at Wren with wide, trusting eyes, I know Wren is ours.”

This is clean, so no spice, but the romance, the banter and the interactions were so good that I didn't miss it at all.

•Small town
•Single Dad
•Grumpy x Sunshine
•Dual POV
•No 3rd act breakup
•No spice

Madison deserves every single praise for this. Freaking PERFECTION. 10/10. This was just so so good. I couldn’t get enough of it and wanted a thousand more pages of this. I also absolutely LOVE this cover. It’s beautiful.

I received this book as an arc from net galley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, I really enjoyed reading this book and loved all the tropes in it! I'm not usually fan of the single-parent trope but I thought it was perfectly written in here. I liked how the couple's relationship slowly developed and the banter between the two was cute. Their meet cute story... LOVE! This book gave me the cozy vibes and was easy to read.


Spice: 🌶️

Tropes:
- small town
- single-dad
- grumpy/sunshine
- fake dating (a little bit)
- boy next door
- forced proximity

Book Review: Off The Beaten Path

by: Madison Wright

“If you’d asked me what my ideal life would have looked like a year ago, I wouldn’t have said snuggling up with a single dad and his precious daughter in a too small bed, but right now feels as close to perfection as I can imagine.”

“It’s all the little moments that don’t mean so much when they’re happening but that leave a little imprint on your soul, ones you can look back on and know they were forming you into something new.”

If you love….

+single dad
+town sweetheart
+small town vibes
+friendship bracelets
+banter
+grumpy-sunshine
+sunsets and mountains

you will love Off the Beaten Path.

Madison Wright is my top auto-buy author for a reason. Her writing is MAGIC. I can’t put it all into words but the way she writes is so special. It’s the little details and how they connect that make her stories so beautiful. When I start one of her books, I literally cannot put it down and Off the Beaten Path was no different!

When Madison announced her new series in Fontana Ridge I was THRILLED! The first series gave us a glimpse into the small town and our FMC Wren…lets just say those snippets weren’t enough! Wren is our town sweetheart who is loved so dearly by all who know her…except her neighbor. He’s a grumpy single dad who does NOT want to be bothered, so naturally Wren does everything to drive him bonkers. Packages shipped to his door instead of hers. Yup. Christmas lights well past Christmas? Yup! Their banter is HILARIOUS.

As the story progresses you get to know Holden and his daughter June, the sweetest little girl. She finds light in the simplest things like Wren does. She softens her dad in a way no one else could.

The story revolves around Wren’s fixer upper cabin that has one problem after another. Holden steps in as her contractor to help make her dream a reality. They spend countless hours working together and finally break down the walls of our GRUMPY man. Slowly, they become each others most relied on person and love comes knocking.

Will Holden be able to make room for Wren in his complicated life? Will Wren find her forever love? Read the story to see!!!!

It’s small town romances like these that actually make me glad to live in a small town. They remind me how full a small town life can be.

Wren and Holden’s story is so human, it’s slice of life that’s so easy to fall into, and though the book has no real “spicy” scenes, it doesn’t feel lacking.

It’s an independent girl learning she doesn’t have to do it alone, and a single dad learning to open his heart years after his divorce. It sweet and yearning with an adorable six year old and meddling town folk.

A grumpy x sunshine, single dad, found family romance that’s easy to binge read, I read this one in just over a day and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to slow down and smell the roses for a while.

I went into this read COMPLETELY BLIND! Madison Wright is a new to me author and I wanted to take the chance with this new series of hers and boy am I glad I did 😍

This was such a cozy read ☺️ I was grinning from ear to ear & kicking my feet the entire time 🤭

Holden is the definition of a PERFECT grumpy single dad! He simply wants to live life raising his daughter, June Bug! He is so guarded because of his past and I don’t blame him. But that’s all about to change 🤭

Introducing Wren 😏 She is a wonderful mix of Sunshine & Happiness but not in the type of way to throw it in your face and be annoying about it. Which I love even more about her! She has major goals and dreams to renovate a cabin for rentals and I wanted nothing more than to see those come true for her!!

We don’t get any spice with this book but with all the tension & banter, you don’t need it!!! It was so well written!! 🔥

Thank you NetGalley & Madison Wright for the eARC 🤎

Read if you love:
Single Dad
Grumpy/Sunshine
Forced Proximity
*smidge* of Fake Dating
Small Town

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice:
🌶️ (tension & banter)

Huge thank you Victor Editing NetGalley Co-op and Madison for the arc and an early peak of this book
My anticipation for this book started with seeing how adorable the cover is and on top of that has some of my favorite tropes which were done seamlessly. The banter, romance, small-town vibes and single dad trope were done phenomenally.
Holden and Junes father-daughter bond was done beautifully and was so heartwarming to read. Watching Holden and Wren open up to eachother, build trust, form a friendship and then a solid connection was genuinely so comforting and enjoyable.
This was such a cozy and warm read and that epilogue!! now I am itching for Grey and Finelys story asap & I am currently on Airbnb looking for a cabin in Fontana Ridge
ALSO that dedication?!! all I needed to read to know I would love this book.

small town romance
single dad
grumpy x sunshine
forced proximity: neighbor
fake dating

Book Review 📚

Off the Beaten Path by @authormadisonwright 🌲🥞🍓🍷

This is the read book I’ve read by Madison and I absolutely loved it! Her writing style was lovely and this book contained so many of my favorite tropes! Grumpy sunshine, single dad, dual POV, enemies to lovers, and fake dating! This book felt like cozy warm hug, such a good read if you’re looking for something light and heartfelt! Watching Wren and Holden’s relationship was like a roller coaster in the most exciting way. I couldn’t get enough of Holden’s love for his daughter June and then to see Wren and June grow close just made my heart melt. I highly recommend reading this!!

Pub Date 1/26

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

Thank you @authormadisonwright @netgalley @victoryeditingngc for this ARC copy❤️ #offthebeatenpath #netgalley

This contemporary romance has no spice…. And I loved it 😏

I just read the most romantic, vulnerable, tension filled romance. And I can’t get over it.

I won’t lie, I picked this book SOLELY based on the cover. Look at it. It’s gorgeous. I would put a poster of this cover on my wall.

First of all. Part of this book is dedicated to Gilmore Girls so I was sold immediately off that alone.

This book follows Wren, she lives in a small town in Fontana Ridge, in the heart of the Smoky Mountains.

She just purchased a cabin in the woods to become a vacation rental, but it needs heavy renovations first.

Holden is Wren’s grumpy neighbor and she bugs him constantly, getting her packages delivered to his house. Parking in his driveway. Leaving the Christmas lights up too long. Anything she does annoys him. He’s a single dad with a complicated past with his ex-wife Mia.

An anonymous dating app has become popular in the town and unbeknownst to Holden and Wren…. They have actually been talking to each other for months on this app.

The contractor who originally signed on to help renovate Wren’s cabin has a family emergency, so….a few interesting turn of events later… Holden signs up to take over the job.

This book is so enjoyable. It’s grump/sunshine. A touch of fake dating. Sooo much desire. And a slow burn. Now normally, I prefer my romance books with spice. Spice is the… spice of life after all. But what is lacking in spice is made up for with a quiet, slow, steady love that is so grounding and safe. Sometimes the romance really does need to be in the details of building a beautiful relationship. And that’s exactly what this book is.

There’s a scene where they’re playing pool in a bar and trying to convince people they’re actually together and when I tell you my heart almost stopped. They have so much chemistry and tension I was literally about to explode.

This is the most comfortable, cozy, satisfying book. This is a small town mountain romance that will comfort you and bring such peace. This small town community has so much heart. I definitely got some Gilmore Girls vibes from this book, and a little bit of vibes from the movie The Proposal as well.

I didn’t know that I would like a small town quiet kind of love. With a single dad and regular life problems. I’ve never read a book with more heart, compassion, and tenderness. This is a book that forces you to slow down and feel those deep feelings.

Did I want to see these two get it on? Of course. I’m only human. But the lack of spice truly didn’t take anything away from how fun and romantic and truly special this read was.

This is a perfect weekend read. Curl up beside a cup of coffee, and allow yourself the opportunity to explore that tender safe side of love 💕

In my single dad era, and Holden + June Bug are one of my faves!

I went into this one blind - with an attractive couple on the cover and no idea what the story was about. The premise is unique, with neighbors who have secretly been messaging each other on a small dating app in their small town. I appreciated that the characters find out EARLY that they've been messaging for months, which sets our story off with a funny little twist. Wren sends her packages to Holden's address, he's grumpy and she's sunshine, there's a little fake dating thrown in, and June steals everyone's hearts.

Read this if you love:
- Single Dad
- Neighbor/forced proximity
- Grumpy and sunshine
- "I don't have time but you make me want to try" vibes
- Let's remodel a cabin together
- The un-present ex-wife who shows up unannounced from Paris
- A little girl who so desperately needs what the FMC can offer
- friendship bracelets
- Small towns with fun events
- Make-out sessions

I'm giving this one 3.5 stars. It's a really solid, closed door romance with a lot (maybe a few too many?) tropes that are really popular right now. There were lots of moments that made me smile, that were genuinely sweet, particularly between June and Holden AND Wren. I enjoyed myself and found myself rooting for the main characters to finally DTR.

Thank you to the publisher and author for early access of this book. These are my honest thoughts!

A small town, single dad romcom with such a sweet and tender romance, that also had great banter and humour.

Wren and Holden’s relationship evolved in such a lovely way, from two neighbors who could not stand each other, to reluctant friends, to so much more. There was also the sweetest relationship between Wren and Holden’s daughter, June, which was just as beautiful to see.

I loved the delicious tension, and the fact that this is closed door (no spice) made every little touch, kiss, and glance so damn good!

This book just felt so heart-warming and cozy! And I can’t wait to see what the author writes next. 🤍

This was my first read by Madison and will definitely not be my last! I love a cozy, small town romance and this hit all the spots. I also loved the banter between the two main characters and caught myself giggling throughout this book. Definitely recommend!

4⭐️

Tropes
•clean romance
•grumpy x sunshine
•small town
•single dad
•a bit of fake dating

Wren Daniels may have bitten off more than she can chew when she spent her life savings on a beaten-up cabin. With tourist season around the corner, she has a strict deadline to meet in having the cabin up and restored to be able to have the funds to pay her mortgage. However, disaster hits when her carpenter quits due to a family emergency. Drowning in stress, the unlikeliest of heroes comes to Wren's rescue; her grumpy, no-nonsense neighbor.

After being burned when his wife left him and his daughter, Holden Blankenship isn't willing to risk bringing someone new into their life. But the more time he spends with his bubbly neighbor, who seems to get too much entertainment from teasing him, he begins to wonder if maybe love is worth trying one more time...

This was Wright's best work yet! I very much enjoyed Off the Beaten Path. It was heartwarming to see Holden slowly begin to open up and feel hope about having someone in his life that he can trust to love him and his daughter. I loved their grumpy / sunshine banter, it was so much fun! It's one of the best clean romances that I have read in a while and would recommend reading it if you are in the mood for something cozy, sweet, and with little drama.

*Thank you so much to Netgalley and Madison Wright for the ARC *

Off The Beaten Path is such a sweet story that makes me want to go to the mountains and sip on strawberry wine with Holden and Wren. Wren and Holden are neighbors, and she loves to annoy him. Holden is a single dad, and he has an adorable daughter named June. His wife left him years ago, and he has been raising June on his own. Wren is in over her head. She bought a cabin that needs to be renovated, and when her contractor cancels on her last minute, she doesn't know how she is going to pay her bills. Holden steps in to help her with renovations, and she spends more time with him as he works on the cabin.

Ultimately, they realize that they've actually been talking to each other for months on an anonymous dating app. I was happy that they both learned about this pretty early in this story, and it wasn't drawn out. They see that they have more in common than they initially thought.

Now, Wren starts to see her grumpy neighbor as someone she wants to spend more time with, and Holden sees his annoying sunshine neighbor as someone he can't stop thinking about.

I love the connection between Wren and June. When they make friendship bracelets together, it's so adorable! I love their discussion of curly hair and using the right products. I have curly hair, and it is a struggle to figure out how to get it right!

This is such a sweet story. Read it if you're looking for a small town romance with grumpy/sunshine and single dad vibes.

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑻𝑹𝑶𝑷𝑬𝑺:
🌲 small town
🌲 grumpy x sunshine
🌲 single dad
🌲 no third act breakup

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑻𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺:
I freaking loved this book. It has some of my favorite tropes in it and they were all done so well.

Wren is incredibly lovable. She’s the sunshine blueprint for grumpy x sunshine and a true enneagram 2 in my opinion. She had witty banter and really loved Holden the way he needed to be loved. I enjoyed her interactions with June, Holden’s daughter, and the balance she brought to their little family.

Holden was 🥵 we love a hot grumpy man who only smiles for his girl (or girls in this case). There was some good insight to his feelings about Mia leaving and I’m so glad he got his HEA 🥹 but I also need the deleted scene from him being alone with the 20 6 year olds in the gym LOL

Madison did an amazing job of creating a sense of a close, small town community and I’d love to live in there! Overall one of my favorite books of the year and I can’t wait to read more.

thank you, netgalley, for a early copy of this book! 💖
in this book, we follow.. wren & holden. wren is a stressed out ball of sunshine who feels like she’s drowning with the amount of responsibility on her shoulders. holden is a single dad (with gorgeous long hair might i add!!! im weak in the knees!!🥵) whose entire life revolves around his daughter, june.
so what happens when these two neighbours become anonymous friends on a dating app? they find solace in each other. that is until they find out who their anonymous friend is.. 👀

holden, holden, holden!! oh he’s everything!! my heart aches for him SO much. i hated the fact that he would constantly doubt himself when it came to being the best parent he could possibly be to little june bug🥺he would place the moon & stars in his little girls hands if she asked him to.

i finished this book in one sitting and loved every second of it. madison created a world i have fell in love with. small town romances always make me melt & i was not disappointed at all!! i loved all the side characters, the found family trope really shone through. my favourite character is june bug. she has my whole heart🥹

the tropes in this book had me swooning!! we had grumpy x sunshine, single dad, forced proximity, a hint of fake dating, small town romance and found family🤎

“off the beaten path” is available to purchase on amazon & KU🤍

This was SO cute, definitely an instant favorite.

Wren has put all of her finances into renovating a cabin, hoping to rent it to tourists during the upcoming season. She desperately needs this project to work out, however, her contractor has to back out of the project last minute. To complete the project on time, Wren must work with her grumpy neighbor Holden to finish the renovation… only maybe he’s not so grumpy as he seems.

Off the Beaten path has it all- hot single dad, fake dating, grumpy x sunshine. Wren and Holden had immediate chemistry- I have SO MANY HIGHLIGHTS- I could not get enough of these two and their banter! Holden’s daughter, June, was also a spotlight of the book- her commentary was absolutely adorable.

There were some aspects of this book I definitely wished for more on. The cabin renovation is a focal point of the book, or so we are told. I would have loved more scenes of Wren and Holden working on the cabin together. I also felt that the beginning of the book was dumping too much information about the characters and setting, and that these elements could have been more naturally integrated.

This was an absolute delight! Even with minor critiques, I just had so much fun with this book. I can’t wait to read more from Madison Wright and will be recommending this book nonstop. Holden and Wren have my heart.

i am a complete and utter mess. this book was absolutely beautiful from start to finish and was just so heartwarming. it was written with such love and had me swooning and crying happy tears the entire time.

single dad books will never get old for me. there's something about a man stepping up and just undeniably loving his child. it's a bond i wish i had and i think that's why i love these kinds of books.

if small town romance vibes are your thing, this one is definitely for you! it's funny, cry worthy, and heartwarming all in one. i definitely recommend to everyone.

thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review !

4⭐️

- single dad
- forced proximity (they're neighbors)
- small town
- grumpy x sunshine

Summary: Wren Daniels is in over her head. As she's planning a charity auction and a challenging cabin renovation, she finds solace in an anonymous friend she met on a dating app. To her surprise, this friend turns out to be her grumpy neighbor, Holden Blankenship. Holden is not looking to date -- or to be friends. He's just trying his best to stay afloat after his divorce as he's taking care of his young daughter, June. But when Wren's contractor for the cabin renovation backs out, Holden steps in. As their interactions deepen, the lines between friendship and something more begin to blur. But will Holden be able to let Wren in?

Thoughts: This was my first book by the author, and I really enjoyed it! This book caught my attention right away with the cover, which is stunning!

I loved how the small town was set up, the side characters, and Holden's daughter June. I loved Holden's relationship with June, as well as the bond between June and Wren. One of my favorite parts about single parent romances are the bond the other person forms with the child. It's so cute, and I loved how it was done in this book!

I also love a grumpy hero, and seeing Holden open up to Wren was perfect. I loved Wren's outlook and upbeat personality.

I thought the pacing of the story was also really well done. It was low angst and just such an enjoyable read. We see Holden and Wren form a friendship first and then develop a relationship, which set a really good foundation. Their communication was amazing too. I can't wait to read more from this author and for another book in this series!

Thank you to Net Galley and the author for an advanced copy!