Rocky Road was a delight from start to finish. I fell for Jude and Gemma in the best way and pulled for them from heir very first encounter. I don’t know about you, but I love a good opposites attract story, and these two are very different people. Luke’s past has made him cautious and methodical while Gemma is flamboyant and spontaneous.

Luke Camden is an FBI agent on the hunt for a man trying to commit a major fraud. He needs Gemma’s help to bring him down and asks her to pose as his girlfriend in order to make this happen. Given that the man in question caused her father to be jailed, she’s happy to comply, and proceeds to Drive. Luke. Nuts.

As you’d expect with Becky Wade (one of my auto buy authors), the characters grab your attention and embed in your heart quickly. That’s where the late night reading and sneaking away for chinks of time to read start. I read this in three days, and was irritated life got in the way.

If you love a great contemporary romance with wonderful characters, including those in a supporting role, then this is a must read. Simple as that. I received a copy from the author via NetGalley, but also bought my own for my bookshelf. The opinions are all mine.


Grab a copy or read an excerpt here (US) or here (UK)

Visit Becky Wade’s website

Check out the first in the Sons of Scandal series

I love EVERY SINGLE THING Becky Wade writes.
Looking for natural FMCs?
Honest MMCs?
Beautiful Settings?
A series that follows a set of brothers from a broken family?
No 3rd Act Breakup?
Opposites attract banter?
Clean romance?

The Sons of Scandal series has all of this and so much more.

ROCKY ROAD is the second in series by Becky Wade, but is written so well you can read it as a stand-alone (although I HIGHLY recommend you read the first, loved that one too!). Thank you SO MUCH @beckywade for my early copy of this novel!

It follows Jude, younger, quieter, hidden son of famous football star Felix Camden. Jude has chosen to use his life for good, serving in the FBI (swoon). When he decides to pursue a famous perfumer trying to sell the secret recipe for Rhapsodie perfume.

Enter Gemma Clare, who in her own right is an amazing perfumer, and a whirlwind in Jude’s structured, defined existence. I just adored how she’d swoop in and muss up his world just a little and then leave a trail of Hope and Spice.

I could not stop reading and it was perfect for a long weekend, I may or may not have told my family to feed themselves. ;)

I really just cannot wait to head back into this family for the 3rd brother’s story!

Delightful addition to the Sons of Scandal series! Don't be scared off by the title of the series. This is a clean romance, but with plenty of chemistry that sizzles off the page. While this book can be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading the books in order. I have wanted to read Jude's story since I was introduced to him when I read Memory Lane.

This is probably one of the best 'fake dating' stories I have read. Gemma is asked to pose as Jude's girlfriend in one of his undercover operations. And of course, it quickly becomes more complicated. With plenty of witty banter, I found myself laughing out loud. This is definitely a case of 'opposites attract'. I absolutely fell in love with Gemma, her feisty spirit is a the perfect foil to Jude's serious demeanor. Jude is my favorite Camden son.

Ms. Wade skillfully weaves together several storylines into one delightful story. Loved the circle of love between the four generations of women in Gemma's family. This is definitely a sweet story of family, with all of its drama and secrets, but mostly of love and belonging. Looking forward to the last book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5 stars!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc of this book!

FBI Agent Jude Camden has to go undercover as the girlfriend of creative perfumer Gemma Clare. Gemma is smart, feisty, creative and just what Jude needs in his life. Jude loves his job and is professional in every way but he can’t stop thinking about Gemma. The FBI is strict on romances within jobs so Jude has to tread carefully as he finds Gemma more and more irresistible whenever he sees her.

Oh I loved this story so much!! I did not want to put this down, there was a bit of thriller added to the storyline as well which I really enjoyed as it kept me on my toes! The only criticism I have is there are so many different characters in both their families I got a bit confused, but only because I’m not good with names; even though some of them were also in the first book of the series Memory Lane 🙈

Absolutely loved Jude and Gemma’s characters, I love the fake dating trope and I also loved the side stories about Gemma’s grandparents and their love story.

Definitely recommend this book for an easy romance book you won’t want to put down!

So sweet. And of course, a bit rocky.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one! I found it to be the perfect Valentines Day read.
FBI agent undercover, fake dating, and so much more.
This story had it all. A bit of mystery, romance, a dash of action, great characters.


Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

This book is absolutely delightful! It drew me in from the opening pages and made it difficult to put down making me excited to be able to pick it back up again. It has everything you want with wonderful characters, family drama, suspense, danger and heart pounding romance. I found myself feeling all the emotions right along with the characters.

Serious FBI agent Jude Camden finds his hands full when his new undercover job connects him with feisty, beautiful perfumer Gemma Clare. Gemma is determined to loosen up strait laced Jude during their “fake romance”. Throw in both of their families meddling and the FBI’s strict policy against falling for witnesses and you have the perfect recipe for a Rocky Road.

While I throughly enjoyed book 1, Memory Lane, Jude and Gemma’s story is my favorite! I absolutely couldn’t get enough of this book and hated to see it end. I cannot wait to see what waits in book 3!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Such an adorable book! I really liked but one best of the series but this is a close second. I’m super excited to see where book 3 goes and to maybe get more glimpses into the lives of the brothers. The perfume story was kinda odd and hard to follow. There were quite a few side stories going on that keep the book moving.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved this story! Jude is dreamy and their chemistry is red hot. Now, I want to read the other novels in this series and I’ve found an author to follow in Becky Wade. I couldn’t put this down once I got into it.

Another fantastic read from Becky Wade.
This story follows Jude and Gemma in their journey to happily ever after. They both have a past that has shaped who they are in the present which lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations.
They are initially working together in a fake dating setting on a case to capture Gemmas cousin Cederic who is involved with selling the recipe for a perfume, this recipe being one that has been passed down through generations.
As real feelings however between Jude and Gemma start to develop things get more complicated. The chemistry between the two characters along with the struggles was lovely to read about. It draws you in with the Jude and Gemma but there are other side stories that also keep you reading well into the night.
The ending was faster paced than the beginning of the story but was exactly what it needed to be.
Thank you to Becky Wade and Net Galley for an advanced copy of Rocky Road. All thoughts and feelings expressed in the review are my own.
I would highly recommend this book and series to anyone who loves romance with mystery and faith.

I was really looking forward to Rocky Road, second book in the Sons of Scandal series and it was everything I hoped for and more! This book is sheer perfection and pure reading pleasure!

I loved the characters of Gemma and Jude, total opposites in every way! She's a free-spirited perfumer who speaks her mind and collects all kinds of antiques to cram in her little lakeside house. Jude's a strait-laced FBI agent who does everything by the book and likes his home streamlined and pristine. So many opportunities for humor and wit and Becky wade doesn't miss a one. Their first meetup is hilarious.

There's a line in the book that says, "banter was her love language". Its mine too so Rocky Road had me swooning with all the witty banter, poetry and humorous one-liners. I couldn't stop laughing at Jude's word aversions and Gemma's threats to use them against him. Their chemistry was off the charts. Gemma says it well, "He had her running a temperature of one hundred and fifty." Both their families added another layer of interesting dynamics to the already captivating story.

Becky Wade has exceeded her already high bar for fantastic writing with Rocky Road. I may have to reread it again just for the fun of it. I absolutely cannot wait to read Max and Sloane's story. I appreciate the author, via NetGalley making a copy available for review. All thoughts and opinions are my very own.

FBI agent Jude Camden handles everything by the book. There's no reason why his latest assignment, posing as the boyfriend of perfumer Gemma Clare, should be any different, and yet it is.

Gemma got on his nerves from the very first meeting, pushing his boundaries just to get a rise out of him because he was so committed to keeping everything professional. Romances between those working together on operations were forbidden so Jude definitely had a hard time fighting his attraction in order to stay as straight-laced as ever before.

I loved the action that was woven into the book for the mission they were undertaking. I also got a glimpse into the world of perfuming and what inspired Gemma's signature scents.

Another thing I loved about this story was that the side characters also had conflicts of their own to figure out. It kept the story interesting for me. Faith was also included, and I loved the growth the characters experienced in their belief in God and His will for their lives.

I've always wanted to try Becky Wade's books. I loved this one and will definitely read more! Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Having met the main character in book one, I was looking forward to this book, and did find it more to my liking. The banter between the two main characters was nice and the female main characters was fun and witty. It still didn’t have that pull into the story as her other books, but this book held my attention and I found myself reaching for it often in order to find out what would happen next.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Fastidious FBI agent Jude Camden is unflappable when it comes to his assignments, but this one will test him like no other. His chaotic meet-cute with perfumer Gemma Clare should have been the first warning sign. In a case of mistaken identity, Gemma invades Jude’s personal space like a force of nature in that first meeting at her boutique. Jude tells Gemma he needs help taking down her criminal cousin, Cedric Bettencourt, a wealthy French perfumer. Gemma’s father had been Cedric’s accountant and now serves time for embezzlement, tax evasion, and money laundering. Cedric lives in the South of France completely unscathed. Gemma has remained on good terms with Cedric, but she also wants justice served.

Dubbed Operation Scent-sible, Jude will pose as Gemma’s fake boyfriend who is interested in buying a proprietary formula and manufacturing secrets for pricey perfume, Rhapsodie. Cedric knows that Gemma’s real boyfriend is in the perfume industry. Gemma has kept Chaz’s name and photo off the Internet though to hide her relationships from her family. That way her family is none the wiser if she breaks up with the guy, especially her rascally brothers, Hugo, Nicholas, and Ronan who love to tease their big sister. Jude will become her fictional beau, Jude McConnell.

If everything goes as planned, the FBI will finally have enough to charge Cedric for his crimes, including violating the Economic Espionage Act. With Jude’s new identity backstopped by the FBI, he meets with Gemma’s after dark to prepare. As they spend time together, Gemma works to take down the walls put up by private, buttoned-up Jude. They share meals often and talk on the phone each night for weeks. Soon, both look forward to those talks. But Jude knows the FBI has a strict “no-dating” policy when it comes to cooperating informants. Plus, Gemma has a real boyfriend. Both know their relationship skirts the line. They don’t realize though that their hearts have already crossed that boundary.

I love that the publication date coincided with the fictional timeline of Jude and Gemma’s story. The story released on Valentine’s Day and the tale begins two days later. Wade uses omniscient narrator in her tale, which gives her control of the internal thoughts of her various characters. I understood why she made that choice. I noticed her pick up and drop several threads in this novel apart from the main plot. The main plot with cousin Cedric and Operation Scent-sible threads through all the others. I’m not used to reading a novel with many threads, but it made sense in that Wade would need to plan for the next books in her series. I did find myself wanting to jump ahead in my reading to the main story’s next mention in the novel.

But overall, I did become invested in the lives of both families. Gemma’s family reminded me of fictional and real family get-togethers. Gemma’s grandpa Stevie either has a hearing aid or he doesn’t. All the ladies in Gemma’s family will discuss things back and forth, with Stevie chiming in with “What?” That had me laughing.

I also enjoyed escaping to picturesque Maine with Wade. The more I read, the more I wanted to visit IRL. Gemma and her family go out to eat at this renovated 1856-Gothic-Revival church that’s been turned into a restaurant. “Grace” is a real place in Portland, Maine. It closed as a restaurant (in 2018) but is open as a venue for weddings and other events. In the book, Grace has a church-family atmosphere with deacons as servers and bulletins for menus, a place of fellowship where they feed the flock good food.

And I can’t forget this bonus: I learned “secret knowledge” about the perfume industry. Gemma explained to Jude how a perfumer, a “nose,” works to marry different notes in a scent to mix based on the inspiration provided by the client. That first note fades while the middle and base notes last longer. I now know why I sometimes regret buying a perfume that I spray on myself in store. I might like the top note on me, but not the middle and base. I found the process of creating new scents as interesting as the blooming romance between Jude and Gemma.

Superb:
This was an outstanding Christian romance with a touch of intrigue. I thought that the plot was interesting and unique and I loved that there were two separate lines of mystery.
Jude and Gemma made a wonderful couple, although they had quite a few obstacles to overcome in order to be together. I enjoyed seeing their personal growth and that they were quirky and not perfect. The faith elements were handled extremely well and came across as authentic and meaningful.
This book is part of a series but can be enjoyed as a standalone. However I personally loved reuniting with some of the past characters and I eagerly look forward to seeing what comes next.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I went into this book blind because I'll read anything Becky Wade writes and was completely surprised by the fake dating trope especially with him being undercover FBI! But this book had a fun meet cute, a great cast of side characters, and a fun mystery on the side.

Truthfully my favorite part of this book was the family learning their matriarch's history as they helped her uncover lost memories due to Alzheimer's. It was so intriguing. Also intriguing was Genna's job as a perfume creator. It was fun to read about her process and how affected people were by her scents.

With so much of this book revolving around an undercover relationship I didn't get the romance feel at first, but when the romance did enter it was great. I loved Jude and Gemma and their wild and crazy families. I'm looking forward to Max's book.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review

My bestie Katie told me about this series and author, so I immediately looked into both and I was so glad I did.

I love books with humor, heart, and suspenseful moments. This book had it all. I adored Gemma and Jude. And their meet cute was so funny! I appreciate “series” books that can be read as standalones, especially when I am discovering new-to-me authors.

Gemma is the perfect character. I love spunky FMCs and Jude and Gemma’s chemistry was fun to read. I loved the sense of family and relationships. There is so much about this book I adored. I will absolutely searching out more of Becky Wade’s books.

I received a Netgalley approval for this book. All views and opinions are my own.

I received a complimentary copy and all opinions expressed are mine.

Rocky Road is perfect for fans of slow-burn romance and fake dating. It follows Jude an FBI agent and Gemma who runs a perfume business and has to pretend to be a couple. They pretend to be a couple to bring down a criminal but the lines between fake and real get blurred. I enjoyed the plot, the characters and the pacing of the book. Recommend there be read in sequence tho although there can be stand-alone.

Becky Wade does it again! Who did not fall in love with the Camden brothers right away? This was a much needed addition after we first met Jude in book 1 (Memory) Lane) I loved getting to know more about the brother who lived in the shadows of his high profile family. The subdued, quiet Jude met his match when he meets Gemma aka little miss sunshine. I immediately fell in love Gemma as she is much me as a character if I was written into a book. Watching the two of them overcome the obstacles placed in their way by the FBI was a blast. I read many hours into the night with this one as it was a page turner for sure! The audiobook is a must read as the duet really brings the book to life. I am really hoping we get a third book to find out about brother number 3!

Full disclosure, I lost myself in the experience of Jude and Gemma! Take a free spirit and a tight-laced agent with instant chemistry and you can’t help but lose yourself in the story. Both personalities are so well written that I could easily empathize to both points of view. While I love Gemma, I have to say Jude stole my heart. He fell hard and fast before he even knew what hit him. I love how he remains stoic and professional, and she still manages to get under his skin. Watching him fall and watching her trust in him and the audacious plan they have developed was nothing short of perfection. There is wonderful dialogue, instant chemistry, great storyline, and storytelling perfection. The opening scene alone will testify to how great Wade handles this couple. This a clean, laugh out loud rom com with plenty of sweet romance to move even the most unshakable reader.
I received a complimentary copy from the author via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with this arc for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this fake dating, slow burn romance.

The main characters are Gemma, a perfume business owner and Jude, an FBI agent. Jude poses as Gemma’s boyfriend in his undercover operation to bring down her criminal cousin.
Jude tries to resist Gemma as it’s forbidden to date her!
Alongside their romance, we also get a lot of insight into Gemma’s family and her great-grandmothers past relationship.

Overall it’s a fun, clean romance which is a lovely read.