I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity.

Perfection 😍

This is a good book. The two main characters are Willow and Reid. Willow and her best friend swap houses for two months. Willow is going to Connecticut for two months. The first person she meets is Reid. Reid is the owner of the cottage that Willow rents. There is an instant attraction. Willow goes into town and gets a job at the bakery. Willow is a singer and is taking a break. They both have issues but together they work them out and fall in love.

I loved Stop and Smell the Roses by Karen Book! It was such a fun lighthearted read for me and had so many of my favorite troupes:
A small town setting, forced proximity and grumpy/sunshine. I loved the dual POV and I think this book is perfect for fans of the movie “The Holiday” with Cameron Diaz and Jack Black.

Stop and Smell the Roses is available for your reading pleasure May 28th, 2024, and you must read this book!

(The second book in the series is slated to come out Spring 2025 and I’ve already added it to my TBR I’m THAT excited for it.)

A cute rom com that's a fish out of water story, that had more depth than I was expecting which was a good thing.

I enjoyed the chemistry between the two characters, and I loved the ending and the decisions made. I’m looking forward to Bailey’s story, especially because I think the brother is going to play a part…..

grumpy neighbor always eat and I feat this ate and left no crumbs because this is just what everyone wants to read right now

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. If you like small town romances then you will enjoy this one as well!

Wow, I truly enjoyed Swap and Smell the Roses by Karen Booth. When singer/songwriter Willow bombs at her latest show she decides she’s done with music, so when her friend asks to swap homes getting Willow out of NYC and to a small town in Connecticut she takes it despite having doubts. Her first encounter with her landlord, Reid, isn’t a good one and honestly the new few aren’t much better yet the chemistry between them is sizzling. I loved watching both these characters grow and change while becoming closer in ways neither one imagined.

Despite being a bid downtrodden that her dreams of becoming a star not working out, I found Willow to be one of those people who makes the best of her situation. Second day in town, she secures a job, begins to make friends, and has another run in with her landlord who she is convinced hates her.

Reid just wants to work his garden and try to move on with his life. Once a well-known chef, after a rough time Reid returned home only to find out his Dad was sick and he loses him soon after. He’s sad, wants to be alone, and for some reason his new tenant who he doesn’t want to admit makes him smile, just won’t leave him alone.

A flooding washing machine has Willow moving into Reid’s guest room in the main house and with each day they discover more about one another. Despite Reid trying to maintain distance between them Willow breaks down his barriers and soon their attraction become a full fledge fling.

I loved the slow burn of this story and enjoyed watching them work out their individual issues while becoming closer in all ways. While there was a good deal of sadness in this book, there was a lot of humor, friendship, and healing going on as well.

Karen Booth never disappoints and Swap and Smell the Roses is exactly what I look for when I read a book by her. Well developed and interesting characters, a story with depth, steamy intimate moments, and a very satisfying ending.

This book was a fun small town romance. Main character, Willow, agrees to swap her NY city apartment with her best friend’s cottage rental in Connecticut. Bailey, the best friend, forgets to give Willow the keys and she has to as the grumpy landlord for a spare key. Reid is the grumpy landlord, doesn’t talk much, but is hot. I feel like their chemistry sparked right away, but Reid stubbornly held out because he is not up for meeting people or any entanglements whatsoever. The cottage that Willow is staying is a bit dated and she accidentally floods her space while doing laundry. This forces her to move into the big house with Reid. Both Reid and Willow are working to get over some grief and hardships. Willow is ready to give up on her music career, even though she is really talented. She gets a temporary job in a local bakery and quickly works her way into town life. Reid is the opposite. He returned home after suffering from burnout as a famous chef. He never wants to cook again and has been avoiding everyone from town.
I loved both the characters. Willow is hard working and funny. Reid is hard working and grumpy on the surface. He seems to initially be annoyed by Willow’s spunk, but in reality she was really working through the emotional wall he built up. I like their interactions at the farmer’s market. I loved how Reid supported Willow. Readers will not be disappointed once their attraction finally explodes into something more. I was waiting for the spice and the author delivered! You’ll find yourself rooting for them and a happily ever after. It’s a fun quick read that will pull you in. Perfect for a relaxing weekend or a beach read. I thought the cover was really pretty. It reflected Willow’s city life and Reid’s passion for gardening. Super cute!

Swap and Smell the Roses is the first book that I have read by Karen Booth. I enjoyed getting know Willow and Reid’s characters and was rooting for them from the very beginning. Swap and Smell the Roses was a moving story. I loved that they learned to embrace their new dreams.

If you are in the mood for a sunshine/grumpy troupe, you will enjoy reading Swap and Smell the Roses.
There is quite a bit of spice going on!
Definitely a fun, cute read!
Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Karen Booth and Harlequin have teamed up once again to bring you Swap and Smell the Roses, the first book in Karen’s The Swap series under the Afterglow Books imprint line.

Swap and Smell the Roses is classic Karen but better. I know that’s hard to believe. The story is longer than her Harlequin Desire books. There is just a little more heat and possibly intensity, and a lot of funny moments. Whereas the Desire line tended to be serious or drama-filled. And the character development seems to be deeper.

I love me a Karen Booth hero. Reid Harrell is unlike any Karen Booth hero I can remember. He’s grumpy and has himself in self-imposed isolation. I love him so much. Reid’s trying to punish himself for working too hard to be the best chef around. He feels bad that while he was chasing his dream of being the best and burning himself out, he didn’t know his father was sick and only had a few weeks left to live. Reid has left his chef career behind and is now back in his hometown of Old Ashby, Connecticut, living a slower, simpler life growing produce. He does however, work overtime to not be friendly or converse with the residents in town. His solitude comes to an end when Bailey Briggs, who rents the cottage on his family’s property decides to swap cities and living arrangements with her best friend Willow Moore for two months to attend a coveted screenwriting class in New York.

Willow is Reid’s opposite in every way. She’s friendly, outgoing, and loves to talk. She has this deep need to have people like her. Her whole life, she’s dreamed of being a singer and songwriter. Unfortunately, things aren’t working out for her and she’s about ready to let her dreams go. While Bailey takes her tiny apartment in Brooklyn, Willow moves into her small cottage in what seems to be the middle of nowhere, Connecticut. Willow knew Bailey’s new landlord was grumpy, she just didn’t realize how grumpy he was and she never imagined that he would be so hot.

Willow and Reid’s first meeting isn’t all that great and things really don’t get any better. When Willow accidentally floods the cottage, they’re forced to live together and things really heat up and start to change.

I loved Reid and Willow. Okay, honestly, Willow’s pushiness got on my nerves a little bit. But she meant well. I loved that these two were able to let their walls down and get to truly know each other, care about each other, and become friends/lovers. Swap and Smell the Roses was so much more than just about the romance. It’s about friendship, discovering yourself, giving yourself grace, being open to love, and more importantly, finding where you belong.

The story strongly hints and implies, who the next book will be about. I’m looking forward to seeing how Karen brings these two together and exactly what the circumstances and fallout are going to be.

~ Favorite Quotes ~

“It only takes a minute to be nice and ask someone their name.”

“We all need help sometime.”

“Sometimes you just have to jump in headfirst and figure out the rest later.”

“The people we love don’t ever really leave us.”

“We all need a break sometimes.”

Grumpy meets sunshine in this opposites attract contemporary romance. Willow needs some time away after a career disappointment so she heads to the country. But things don't work out quite the way she planned it there either when she has to share accommodations with her grumpy landlord.

Reid is working through a few things himself. He's a bit grumpity and it takes some time for him to get his head straight, but he and Willow are just great together! I loved the banter and the way they (eventually) related to each other. I just loved Willow's way about her and how she influenced Reid.

This is a solid contemporary romance with a great pace that kept the pages turning for this reader.

Firstly, this cover is so beautiful!

Oh my goodness, this grumpy / sunshine romance is so amazing! Willow and Reid both have been through so much. The more time they spend together, and the more they get to know one another, the deeper their relationship becomes, and they begin to heal as well. This book truly has so much in it: heart, romance, hope, heartbreaking moments, heartwarming moments, and so, so much more.

I so look forward to reading the next book in the series!

If you enjoy Romance, I highly recommend this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin-Romance for the ARC of this book! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I enjoyed reading Swap and Smell the Roses by Karen Booth. . You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

3.5 stars.

"Swap and Smell the Roses" by Karen Booth starts out strong as a grumpy x sunshine, opposites attract, forced proximity, small town vs. big city romantic comedy with two protagonists that have a lot of baggage. I love a good small-town romance, and Old Ashby can be quite charming in that aspect. The entire set-up for this book is familiar, but it's one I enjoy: two people swapping lives/houses. Willow's best friend rents a cottage from Reid in Old Ashby, and Willow lives in New York City. They decide to switch houses so Willow can focus on song writing and so her bestie can get some join some class (honestly... the details escape me, it had something to do with movie making or screenplay writing). I believe the popular phrase is "cottagecore," and this book has that in spades. The secondary characters from Old Ashby are excellent, and I really liked reading about them! I admit, I was a bit put off by Willow at first. She's in her 30s and has wanted to be a musician since she was a little kid, but can't accept failure as part of making it big? C'mon, *everyone* knows failure is part of it. I understand not having supportive family members, but it was a little silly and juvenile to me. Part of the "will they, won't they" chase between Willow and Reid also felt immature, too, something about it rubbed me the wrong way, like the pursuit of Reid felt really aggressive coming from Willow's end. I did, however, feel endlessly sympathetic for Reid. That poor guy has been through the wringer and still manages to have a heart of gold underneath all of his anger and hurt. He's such a deliciously grouchy grump! I did enjoy the spice once it got started. Unfortunately, towards the 70% mark, the story sort of stalls out, and I found myself wanting it to be over. It gets a bit repetitive towards the end. Still, I think a lot of readers will eat this book up, and I recognize that the issues I had with the story are mine alone. I will definitely read another book by Karen Booth in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley, Karen Booth, and Harlequin - Romance, and Afterglow Books by Harlequin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

In "Swap and Smell the Roses" by Karen Booth, Willow Moore, after her dream of music stardom falters, moves from Brooklyn to the Connecticut countryside for two months. Embracing the slower pace of rural life, she finds herself at odds with her grumpy landlord, Reid Harrell, a former chef who now values solitude. Despite their differences, sparks fly between them. Willow’s persistent attempts to engage Reid lead to a surprising connection. As her creativity resurges, Willow decides to pursue what she truly wants, including a potential romance with Reid. This contemporary romance blends humor, heart, and emotional depth, making it a captivating and delightful read.

4.25/5 ⭐️s

LOVES:
- Even though Reid is usually a grumpy jerk, he doesn’t get mad at her for an honest mistake. No matter how much of a headache it causes.
- He likes her snoring and hates that he likes it haha 👌🏻
- Willow telling everyone to stop at Reid’s booth at the farmer’s market and her pep talk to him beforehand 🥰
- 🧁+😠=👏🏻
- When they finally open up to each other, they do a really great job at communicating and being honest
- Seeing him start to accept things and lighten up, be more friendly is really nice

CRITIQUES:
- Men wearing flip flops is a turn off for me, personally 🥴
- Sometimes he’s a little too straight up mean. Grumpy and mean are two different things.
- Never put a drink on top of a piano!! 😨🤦🏼‍♀️
- The ending felt the tiniest bit rushed/abrupt

Overall, this was short and sweet with some good spice thrown in.

Thanks to @netgalley for the eARC.

Heartfelt and inspiring! I didn't get a huge romantic comedy vibe out of this storyline, but I got a whole lot of healing and rediscovery and I loved every single minute of it! Willow and Reid were super cute. He was grumpy and she was sort of supposed to be perceived as sunshine but since she was dealing with her own upheaval of life it was more like she brought heart and just genuine kindness to the picture. Very easy to like them both, really quaint take on falling for a summer fling and I loved the town as a whole. I'm looking forward to Bailey's story ... but she has some redeeming to do because I sort of don't like her already.

Highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read that pulls at your heartstrings and brings a satisfying happily ever after in the end.