A very real romance

After working hard as a bartender, Remi is finally getting the promotion she deserves, with which she hopes to be approved for a home loan. Maya needs work to pay her tuition and complete her Nursing Masters. That's why she starts bartending back in Seattle. But what she doesn't expect is to be thrown into a competition for a promotion against Remi for a one-time cash bonus. That's how Remi and Maya become rivals. But working hard with and against each other can create some heat and tension that might turn into something more.

I loved every second of this book, of course. A rivals to lovers sapphic romance with banter, competition and heat? Count me in. This story was a delight from start to finish. I loved how real and relatable both characters were, and how determined they were to make their dreams come true. It was sweet and very entertaining to watch them go from rivals to friends to something more and deeply beautiful and sweet. Their relationship was far from easy, but they both had to choose what to do about it, and it's something that's very real and true and makes everything worthwhile. The writing was addictive and immersive, the plot gripping and full of trials for out protagonists that had me aching in the best way. The romance was truly beautiful, heartfelt, emotional and hot, all that I love in a good romcom. I'm eager to read more by this author!

I highly recommend this sweet and intense sapphic romcom!

"Solitude equaled comfort. Excpectation equaled heartbreak."

TW: sexually explicit scenes

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an ARC of Dana Hawkins’ 2nd sapphic contemporary romance “In Walked Trouble”. Our FMC Remi is the lead bartender at Nueve- and she’s getting a co-bartender for the summer- Maya, a family friend of Gabrielle- Nueve’s owner and someone who might get the bonus Gabrielle is offering. The first few interactions between Remi and Maya are intense- they don’t understand or like each other. But from their disgust/ they start to understand and fall for one another.

I loved Hawkins last novel- “Not in the Plan”. Charlie and Mack were everything to be. I believed their love so much. I didn’t get that with Remi and Maya. Their enemies to lovers time wasn’t long enough for me to really get that they hated one another. And then they fell quickly.

Hawkins writes such dynamic characters and has disability rep in both novels. Overall I give this a 3/5 star. All characters have heart and I can feel their issues and see their growth throughout the novels, but the romance fell flat for me. Im hoping for a third in the PNW Queer romance series that Hawkins has created for us.

3.5 Stars. I had a bit trouble getting in the story because the stakes weren’t high enough for me and let’s be honest, in Remi’s shoes, if my boss was even considering given a bonus to a new bartender when I worked my ass off for 4 years, I would quit ! But after learning to know the characters, I was invested. The enemies to lovers added some spice without being dragged for to long. They are both endearing with hard backgrounds and both chase something to feel complete. Remi was my favorite character. I really understand her need for stability and the way she fights to have a home until she realizes home can be someone and not just a roof. It was touching and her character growth satisfying. Maya’s character was really likable too and I was glad I could see diabete 1 representation with Maya’s sister.
The third act break up was legit, and very understandable given Remi’s backstory. Poor girl would need some therapy. But the sequence of fights before the break up was a bit to much for me and frustrating for me to read.
But overall this was a well paced and sweet story to read.

In Walked Trouble is a super cute sapphic romance, that also deals with some heavier subjects with the characters backstories...in other words, my exact taste in books!

Remi grew up in foster care, and is a bartender awaiting a promotion to be able to get a house loan for her dream home. Maya is about to do her Nursing Masters, but is back home in Seattle living with her family and gets a job at the local bar. Now they are working together and are rivals, both competing for the same promotion.

I love a romance that has characters with developed backstories, and In Walked Trouble definitely had that. Remi has had a tricky upbringing being moved around in the foster care system. As much as I hate the way that the third act breakup was heading (I'm not a fan of miscommunication, and it was headed that direction), I think it all made sense for the way we grew to know Remi's character.

I really enjoyed the forced proximity with the bar setting! There were also some great discussions around being a bartender, in one scene a customer says “Come on now, I’m serious. I’ve tipped you like a hundred bucks. What do I have to do to get your number?” and we get some great commentary on sexism: "And there it is. This deep-rooted, misogynistic idea that she now owed him something because he’d dropped some cash."

We also had a side character with Type 1 Diabetes. As I can't speak to how well the representation was done, I will be looking for any own voices reviews from any diabetic readers.

Overall, I really loved this one! Characters who feel like real people, developed backstory, diverse side characters, cute romance...it ticks a lot of my boxes! I would definitely recommend for my sapphic book lovers, and I will be keeping an eye out for future books from this author. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy.

A Sapphic Cocktail of Delight

Remi has been senior bartender at Nueve's for a while, having worked there four years and learned all the tricks of the trade. But the one thing she longs for is her own home, though she loves living with her cousin Ben. She just needs to get promoted to head bartender.
We met Ben - Charlie's BFF - in the first book in the series, Not in The Plan.
There's a proverbial spanner in the works with new co-bartender Maya.
The blonde ice princess is her competition for the coveted bonus that manager Gabriella is handing out if sales increase by twenty five percent.
Whilst Remi needs it to help her buy a new home, Maya needs the fees to get her MA in Nursing. Her passion for healing comes from having a little sister - Harper - with type 1 diabetes and seeing her battle each day.
Both women have until the summer to prove they deserve the bonus, so the competition is on, and it's hot and fierce.
Probably one of the best scenes in the early part of the budding romance, is the fall 'drink menu' part.
Remi and Maya are forced to spend a Sunday together creating and mixing drinks. In their quest to perfect the right combinations, the connection between them starts to build into something more.
I particularly love the scene with Remi minding Harper, whilst Maya is in the shower after the cocktail menu designing session. Remi thinks with Harper, she's discovered a "twelve-year-old Yoda". And she's not wrong, the tween is wise beyond her years, probably having had to deal with type 1 diabetes over half her life has inured her to disappointment and pain, making her a little jaded, but also very smart and sparky. She's definitely a highlight of the book.
Sophie is another great character, never mind Gabriella, Laney and the amazing Darius. I want more of these people.
As with all romances, there are ups and downs, and the structure of the novel is pitch perfect, using something like cinematic 'beats' to create story arcs and increase tension near the end of the book.
The spicy bits are comfortable and well written as well as chilli level spicy, and I loved this book.
It deals with grief, dreams, abandonment trauma, fear and health scares.
Plus a fabulous found family.
But don't worry, there's a very satisfying HEA.

After a little reading slump, I figured a lovely romance would be the way back into reading. I loved Not In the Plan (book 1 of the series) and I loved this as well.

Remi is desperate to buy a house but she needs a little more money to secure her loan. When she's called into work earlier, she meets Maya - her new co-bartender and her competition to win a bonus of a lot of money.

Remi doesn't like Maya, until one drunken menu planning shift where everything changes. A cocktail competition, a camping trip, and an emergency in the hospital - there's a lot of deal with. Remi has spent her life avoiding connections. Is Maya the one to break down the walls? Why does Maya need the money anyway?

I really enjoyed this, I was hooked and desperate to find out what happens. I was very annoyed at the distractions stopped me finding out!

I'll definitely read more from Dana and hopefully more from this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. Apologies that the review came after publication!
Content Warnings

I received an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute quick read. Enemies to lovers style with all the quirks and angst of unwanted attraction. The characters were fun and the story unique in comparison to other books I’ve read. I usually use these kinds of books to pick me up after a rough fantasy novel and this one did not disappoint.

The only con I can recall was some over the top emotional outbursts that I didn’t quite resonate with so it seemed a bit off to me. Other than that this was a good read and would recommend this to anyone looking for a cute little love story.

Different from the normal genres that I usually read. But I really enjoyed it. A great read with enjoyable characters

I thought the i love yous came a little early but i overall thought it was a really sweet book with likeable and relatable characters!

This was a cute and sweet book. I liked it and read it in one day! I would recommend this book to all my family and friends.

I couldn't wait to read In Walked Trouble after reading the first Single in Seattle book, and it didn't disappoint! The banter was great and the tension between the characters was palpable. I really enjoyed this!

I absolutely loved this enemies to lovers romance! It was packed with all the banter, competition, delicious drinks, found family, humor and most of all - love!

💗 Romance
🤺 Enemies to Lovers
🍻 Bartending
🥇 Competition
❤️‍🩹 Healing
🫶 Found Family

Thank you so much Storm Publishing for the gifted copy!

This book is just a good queer fun time! If you've read Dana Hawkins before, you know you're going to love this enemies to lovers queer romance. I again found the setting to be endearing and realistic and loved how honest and flawed the characters were!

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC!

I recently read In Walked Trouble by Dana Hawkins, and I have to say, it was a refreshing and engaging romance novel. The story follows Remi James, a bartender who is finally getting the promotion she deserves. However, her dreams are crushed when she discovers that the promotion has become a one-time cash bonus, and she now has competition in the form of Maya Marek, a beautiful and ambitious woman who is also working at the bar.

Remi and Maya are rivals, constantly trying to one-up each other in their job. However, as they spend more time together, they begin to develop a deeper connection. Despite their differences, they share a passion for their dreams and a desire to succeed. But when their dreams begin to clash, they must decide whether to sacrifice everything they've worked for to be together.

The plot is engaging, with plenty of romantic tension and moments of humor to keep the reader engaged. The characters are well-developed, and their chemistry is electric. The writing style is witty and engaging, and I found myself rooting for Remi and Maya throughout the book.

Overall, In Walked Trouble is an excellent romance novel that explores themes of ambition, sacrifice, and love. Dana Hawkins has created a charming and relatable story that will leave you feeling inspired and satisfied. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good romantic read.

A sapphic romance between 2 bartenders, competing for the same bonus at the end of the summer. Overall I liked this book 3.5/5, there was some miscommunication trope (not my fave) but I feel like this book was well done. I loved the title names with the drinks to tie into the story.

What to except
- rivals to lovers
-sapphic romance
-T1D Rep
-awesome side characters
-a bartending competition

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

This is the first book I've read from this author. I specifically chose it because I am trying to increase the number of books I read each month with LGBTQ+ representation. I walked into the book with no information other than the blurb. I'm usually a reader who reads a few reviews or looks through book group discussions before trying new authors, but one I saw the book description as spicy enemies-to-lovers, I knew I'd love it because that's my favorite trope. Yes, please. I loved both characters and felt they were developed well. The plot was believable and relatable. The author does a fantastic job of drawing in the reader's attention from the beginning and keeping it the entire time. I will definitely read more from this author in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was immediately excited to read this book when seeing it was set in Seattle, a beautiful city close to my heart. There were some descriptions throughout this book that made me feel so homesick for the city, and I absolutely loved that!

This story alternates between following Remi and Maja, although still told in 3rd person. In chapter one, I was Team Remi all the way, but after a few chapters of getting to know the characters, I liked both og them.

Another thing I appreciated was the formatting - specifically, that each chapter is numbered AND has a funny title that's bartender/drinks themed!

This story gave definite romcom vibes, with rivalry between the two women that turned to attraction that turned to love—but not without bumps in the road! All in all, I found this to be a cute sapphic romance novel and I'd definitely be open to reading more books in this series! ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5.

A nice, gentle, easy read which I read very quickly. A refreshing change fro.m my usual genre and I enjoyed it immensely. The characters were all great and I felt quite sorry when I finished this one. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I was instantly hooked with this story! It was an excellent sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance with the perfect balance of tension and swoon. Remi and Maya were such well developed characters both individually and together as the romance started creeping in. They both had real struggles in their pasts that made me empathize with them and root for them the whole way.
They had great chemistry as rivals and then more as their romance grew. There could've been more spice but what was there was very good. I really enjoyed the bartending aspect of this story and the cocktail themed chapter titles were so fun! The side characters added a lot to this story as well and made me want to go back and read the first book in this series. The double POV of this was done extremely well- sometimes with double POV I tend to feel like the writing gets repetitive but this didn't feel that way at all. This was a very low conflict fun sapphic read and definitely worth the time!

In Walked Trouble by Dana Hawkins is a rollercoaster ride of wit, charm, and unexpected twists. This sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance will have you laughing, crying, and feeling all the feels. With a protagonist who's equal parts sassy and savvy, and dialogue that absolutely drives the captivating tale, it's a must-read for anyone craving a delightful dose of a romance.