A beautifully messy and sweet dual POV second chance romance between two divorced parents of twin boys who find a way to make their way back to one another with a little 'Parent trap' magic. I loved getting more of the Wells' siblings and Liam and Marigold's story. I really enjoyed this unique take on a second chance/marriage in trouble love story.

The two MCs both still loved one another but had to find a way to heal past hurts and take a leap on trying again - no easy feat with children involved. Highly recommended for fans of authors like Madison Wright or Melissa Grace. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: kissing only

I LOVED this book!! I’m not usually the biggest fan of second chance romance, but this was wonderful. Liam and Marigold were so sweet, and I loved seeing their relationship grow while also reflecting on their past. I seriously happy cried my eyes out at the end. Love love love and can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Juliana Smith for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book - it had me hooked from the start!

I was a little skeptical about a divorced couple book and how it would be written but Juliana did an amazing job of making it feel real and raw. This book has it all; divorce, meddling twins pulling a parent trap trick, meddling family, a family dynamic that is so genuine and real it makes you hopeful for them all.

I love the dual POV and this was a romantic second chance romance read. Solid 4.5 for me.

I haven't read the other Wells Family books but quickly added them to my TBR.

Definitely purchasing this one when it comes out as a my "trophy"

I thoroughly enjoyed this one! I will admit that second chance romance is not always my preferred trope BUT I love this author so I gave it a shot & it was so worth it. At times I felt like there was a little bit toooo much of building the tension but isn't that what a romance author is supposed to do?! Overall loving watching these two rediscover their feelings for each other and the meddling twins were such an added bonus. As someone from Philly, I loved that they were talking about Hershey park which was a fun additional plus for me!!

Thank you so much for allowing me to read & review this story, my review will be posted to my instagram (@manymerrybooks) on pub day!

My goodness! There are not enough great things to say about this book! I didn't realize it was part of a series but was still able to happily follow along. The characters were wonderful. Watching the relationship between Marigold and Liam transform throughout the story was truly beautiful! I loved how this book touches on the difficulties of marriage and parenthood in such a real and authentic way.

The Wells' family is the large family that I have always dreamed of. Loving and there for each other no matter what! I can't wait to go back and read the other books in the series!

The perfect example of second chance romance!

3.5 stars
This is a super sweet, second chance romance with a parent trap twist. Two divorcees are forced to work together again to help out at their child’s school. As they work together it brings back old feelings and regrets. The spice is low, but the emotions are high.
This book does involve divorce and children, if that’s not your thing, this isn’t the book for you!

Juliana Smith perfectly combines, sweet, sad, heartwarming, and hopeful in Rock and a Hard Place. A non-traditional love story with a Parent Trap twist, Rock and a Hard Place captures you from the start and doesn't let go. Smith creates a whole world of loveable characters that have your heart invested immediately. As much as readers enjoy a fairytale romance, real life is rarely that easy - and this book is a perfect representation of that. Adult relationships are hard and messy and real, and Liam and Marigold are the perfect couple to root for. Rock and a hard place is innocent, emotional, and so, so sweet.

If you know anything about me, you would know that I am a SUCKER for a second chance romance, specifically the marriage in peril subtrope. While these two are divorced, I felt like this was marriage in peril adjacent and I ate it up.

The love that Liam had for Marigold was so amazing and he was so sweet. I generally think that this trope really highlights how marriage doesn't fix everyone's problems and that there is still so much work to be done after the happily ever after. This book explored that in such a cool way. It showcased how a husband's need to provide for his family can blind him to what is happening right in front of him.

Loved the twin boys and their scheming throughout the entire book. They were cracking me up the entire time. Overall I really enjoyed this story and am so glad I picked it up!

this was so cute ☹️ the maturity of both Marigold and Liam was highly refreshing to read about, and the kids were perfect. For one, they acted their age (which is nice to see in novels with children involved), and they were so set on getting their parents back together (hello parent trap) it was adorable. This was such a cute read, family ties always get me <3

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Juliana Smith does it once again! Her writing only gets better and her stories only get sweeter. This book was so endearing and sweet and such a great reminder that even though marriage can be hard, working towards happiness is possible. Liam and Marigold's close bond was so evident throughout the story and their absolute devotion for their sons is so adorable. I found myself just swooning at their chemistry and I could not get enough of their adorable parenting moments. The little things mattered so much in this book and the way these two characters knew each other like the back of their hand was so sweet.
These two were so clearly meant for each other and following their journey back to each other was just so sweet and I found myself really enjoying this book and loving these characters so quickly. I loved the first two books in this series but this can definitely be enjoyed as a stand-alone! I could go on and on about this book but I won't spoil it. Just know that if you love second chance romance and The Parent Trap then you will LOVE this book.

Second chance romance at its finest.

Marigold and Liam have been divorced for seven years when they someone how end up forced together to create a stall for their ten year old twins’ school. Liam isn’t quite sure why they divorced, only that she’s still the most beautiful woman he’s ever met. Marigold however, is determined to keep her distance…something that gets harder and harder as they work together, and he begins to realise maybe they shouldn’t be apart.

This was a lovely, sweet and humorous continuation of the Wells Family series, and there was a lot to love. The chemistry between the two was on point, and the way the relationship with their twins was portrayed was adorable.

A great read!

Now that's how you do a second chance romance!

I didn't have many expectations going into this book, I was just hoping for a good, lighthearted read. But oh boy, it was so much better! I even got teary eyed a bunch of times.

Reading previous two books from the series, I have to say it's the best one by far. Juliana's writing is definitely improving.

Looking forward to the rest of the series!

Just the sweetest romance. I’ve loved this whole series on the Wells family but this is definitely my favorite. I’ve been cheering for Marigold and Liam’s second chance since book 1. Divorce stories scare me usually because they often go to cheating or people just being really mean, so I’m not rooting for them. I could understand how things had gone wrong the first time and still respected both of them.
One of my favorite things about Juliana’s stories is how the romance has tension and feels real but the spice isn’t in your face. I feel like many books just throw in sex scenes now to show the couple is compatible. To show the level of chemistry between Liam and Marigold without having to explicitly demonstrate takes another level of skill.
I will be eagerly awaiting book 4. Juliana Smith is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me.
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.25 🌟

Characters: 3
Connection to the book/Enjoyment: 2
Setting: 3
Plot/Overall Story: 2
Writing: 3

Every point= 0.25 stars, max per category 4 points

I have loved all the books I’ve read by this author but for some reason I struggled to connect and enjoy this story. I wanted to so bad but I just never felt it- I think had the reasons for the divorce been put towards the beginning of the story instead of 75% in, I might have felt differently. Also, my personal opinions on acceptable reasons for divorce definitely influenced my opinion on this book. This just wasn’t the book for me, but I will pick up more from this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title!

honestly, I don’t even know how to put how great this book was into words. I loved the relationship between marigold and Liam and just seeing them reminisce on their past and utilize that to rekindle their love and just remember why they originally got married in the first place. Juliana just did an incredible job with this story and I think every single trope was done to perfection! I am so ready for the next one

One word to describe how this book made me feel: OBSESSED! The Parent Trap trope, the second chance romance (that is handled in SUCH a unique way that it doesn't feel like it drags on like some second chance romances do BUT still has the suspense element of "what happened?"), and the SIZZLING chemistry! How could this NOT become my favorite Wells Family book!
While the Wells Family books are set in PA, Juliana Smith still gives these stories a southern small town charm which is EXACTLY what you want! It's so homey and comfy and makes you want to go visit the locations so badly!
These two characters, Liam and Marigold, just seem to BELONG with each other and there are SO many cute little things that happen. I cannot really expand on them because the reveal of them in the story make you want to CRY!
I cannot wait to see the next Wells Family book and after reading the excerpt at the end of this book, I am SO excited! Thank you so much for an e-ARC of this AMAZING book! 🥹💖

This book was way out of my comfort zone and ended up being so so sweet!

Liam was the sweetest and spent every minute he could dedicating his life to her. That wasn't without his own faults. This book does a great job expressing what ultimately led to their divorce and how Liam really just does whatever Marigold wants. That being said, this was so hard for me because the story was cute but i really didn’t like Marigold. I hurt for her and her feelings but it felt so one sided. Her feelings were more important than his and that just rubbed me the wrong way. They both were responsible for everything that had happened between the two of them but it felt like everything leaned towards it being Liams fault, instead of also being Marigolds. She didn't have to do anything to get back together with him while it seemed like he fought harder for it.

I still REALLLLY Loved the story and the author. it was so cute and written so well. she never fails me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Juliana Smith, and Victory Editing for sending me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, I would like to note that I pulled out my laptop to give this review because this is just how passionately I feel about this book. I would give this book 100 stars if I could. I only have a list of things that I love Rock and a Hard Place. Truly, from the bottom of my heart, I LOOKED for things not to like and could not find them. PLEASE READ THIS BOOK. Now onto the reasons why this book has half of my heart <3

These are the self explanatory reasons that I loved this book:
-Slow Burn
-This kids weren't aggy
-Found family
-MADE ME LAUGH
-MMC is obsessed with the FMC

Here are some more in depth reasons that this book ruined my life in the best way:
-The MMC and FMC ACTED THEIR AGE!!! I am floored by how often the characters in a romance novel will be 25-35 years old and acting like they're fresh out of highschool. These characters did not give me that problem at all. They felt like real parents making mature decisions for their children and themselves.
-This felt like a real marriage/relationship. (I don't count this as a spoiler because it's literally in the blurb, ok? Sue me.) THANK GOD there was no cheating, abuse, blah blah blah (also not a spoiler and included in the preface of the book :)))) The reason for their divorce was very practical, and felt like a real reason two very mature people may divorce. It also left room for redemption.
-Unlike this review, Juliana Smith is SUCH a great writer. I will be purchasing all of her other books after reading this one. She does a fantastic job of showing and not telling. One of my pet peeves is when an author leaves no room for reader interpretation. Juliana Smith does a great job of avoiding this. Also would like to mention that her writing style reminds me so much of Lynn Painter who is one of my favorite authors of all time.
-HALLELUJAH FOR A CLOSED DOOR ROMANCE THAT IS ACTUALLY PHENOMENAL!! I get SO bored of every romance book being all smut with no plot. I am a mature adult and can handle spice, however I feel that some books lose focus of the plot because it is so smut focus. The romance in this book is SO good and WILL have you kicking your feet, so please do not put off reading this book just because it is closed door. I just appreciate a closed door romance about grown adults, okay? We need more of those in the reading world, that is all.
-This book felt raw and heartbreaking in a good way. I truly felt for both main characters and that's all I can say without ruining the book.

Just take my advice and pick this one up.

Although Rock in a Hard Place can be read as a stand-alone I'd highly suggest reading this series in order! Wells Series Book #3 was a perfect continuation and has be cheering for Liam & Marigold's sexon-chance romance. Their twins add a "parent-trap" to the mix and the MCs' angst is spot-on. Thank you for the advanced copy!

I loved this book so much! Definitely my favorite of this series so far! Liam and Marigold's story was so emotional and real, this book had me going through all the emotions. I love seeing them rekindle their relationship and the kids had me cracking up with the things they did to get their parents back together. These two never stopped loving each other but it took them some time to find their way back to each other. Liam was all in and his grand gesture was so sweet! I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait for Adam's book!