This is the second book that I have the pleasure to read by Dana Hawkins, and as I was expecting, it was totally amazing!!!

This is an enemies to lovers, one of my favourite trope in the world. This book tells us the story of Remi, a bartender who is waiting for the promotion she has been waiting for years so she can finally move from her two dorms apartment that she share with her best friends and Maya, a nurse student who is struggling with her student loan and life in general, Everything goes according to the plan for Rmi, until she gets to the bar and sees that Gabriella, the owner, is talking with an another girl in her office, someone who's going to be the death of Remi,

After a couple of missundertanding and others awkards situation with a lot of tension, Remi and Maya ended up having a nice and cordial reationship at the bar.

This is one of those book that one you started reading the, it is almost imposible to put it down. Dana's writing style is so amazing, simple but captivating and makes the books even more amazing.

I totally recommended this book to everyone who want to give it a try to any LGTBQ+ book.

Thank you to Storm Publishing for gifting me an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review!
All thoughts are my own.

DNF @ 36%

[as this is a new release I wasn't going to give it a star rating at all to be respectful, but in order to submit it I have to so I am giving it a 2 star rating! If it wasn't new it would be 1 star...]

While the initial setup held promise, the plot became preposterous rather quickly. The writing was not inherently bad, although it is lacking the polish and refinement I would usually see in a published book. It has a certain "fanfiction" element to me, and only people who read/have read fanfiction will understand when I say that, but IYKYK.

As someone with many years of food service experience, I found the plot confusing and unrealistic. Remi's dreams, while relatable on some level, felt really exaggerated. I liked that she was given a goal in mind, to get a home, but it really doesn't fit into today's narrative. Purchasing a house is nearly impossible these days, especially on a single-income bartender's salary. The portrayal of workplace dynamics and management left much to be desired, with her boss's rude, toxic demeanor and questionable decision-making painting quite an unconvincing picture of the bartender/food service life. Not only does Remi lose out on the promotion (which means NO increase in pay, NO better benefits or hours, NO extra perks), she now has to fight for a bonus that is rightfully hers... yeah, fuck all that! Could NOT be me!

The reason I decided to DNF? Besides what I mentioned above, and besides the fact that we were almost 40% in and I felt there was no chemistry between the characters? Well, honestly... it was Harper. Go ahead and write in kid characters, animal characters, I don't mind! But when you do, please keep in mind that they are CHILDREN/ANIMALS. A kid would never, in a million years, interact with Remi the way Harper did. Cringy, again unrealistic dialogue and it felt painful to continue.

Cute cover, fun idea, but found myself very underwhelmed. Might eventually pick this one up again, who knows?

🌈 In Walked Trouble by Dana Hawkins was a lovely contemporary lesbian fiction book. With an enemies-to-lovers trope filled with twists and turns, this book kept me excited the whole way through.

🍸 Remi is a bartender, waiting on a bonus at work so she can finally buy a house ans get out of her crummy apartment. When a new bartender, Maya, arrives, their boss decides that the bonus will now be awarded to whomever has the best performance at work this summer.

🌈 Remi hates Maya immediately, feeling like her dream of buying a house may no longer happen. Along the way, the girls learn more about eachother and their romance infolds, but not without some drama.

🍸 Overall I enjoyed this book. I love lesbian fiction and romance, and this one had a great plot. My only issue with the book was that it was hard to root for Remi at times because of her actions. Even though I liked her at many points in the book, its hard for me to get over a semi-unlikable character; this did bring my book rating down a bit, despite the story being fun and well written.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you Net Galley and Storm Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was an engaging rivals to lovers sapphic romance that had 2 traumatized FMCs. Maya was the ultimate perfectionist, trying to control everything in her life. Remi was grumpy and guarded, chasing a sense of home she didn’t have when she was growing up.
90% of this book was cozy and low stakes, with one instance of something high stakes happening. Both MCs had a supportive friend that helped them through their own bull.
I wanted to give this 5 stars, but the grovel and reparations were sorely lacking near the end of the book. I wanted to see more of the moments that came after dealing with their fight.

Spice: 3/5

Triggers: hospitalization, grief, foster care, child abandonment

It took a really long time for me to warm up to this story. First, the competition premise didn’t make much sense to me. Remi James has put four years and her all into a bartending job and feels like she is finally going to get the big promotion and salaried spot that she deserves. But instead her boss changes it to a cash payout bonus and puts a new hire, Maya Marek, in as her competition. Maya is planning to go away to get her master degree in a few months so why would you upset a multi year employee with a competition and why invest in someone who will be leaving, this makes zero business sense. Of course both could use the money. Secondly, I don’t drink so all the bar beverage mixing and creating cocktails was not interesting to me. And lastly Remi is difficult to like.

Of course both have their back stories. One lost her dad as a teen, the other grew up in foster care. If I hadn’t read and enjoyed the author’s previous novel, Not In the Plan (Jan 2024) I may have stopped reading. Around the fifty percent point I started connecting more with the characters. Maya is especially sweet and willing to make compromises even when Remi pushes her away. And Remi really needs some good therapy.

This eventually is a nice workplace romance but I wouldn’t call them enemies as within a few days they are working well together. I think this book just didn’t connect as much story wise for me. Others clearly have enjoyed it more.

I absolutely loved this book! The world of cocktails with sapphic romance is a recipe for perfection! It was a very well paced book and the characters were fun to read about. <3

A smoldering enemies-to-lovers story that will have you wanting to order a cocktail from a hot and intriguing bartender lady. This story deals with heavy topics like foster care and the death of a parent. It’s raw and beautiful.

I received an advance copy from Netgalley for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Remi has been the top bartender at Neuve’s for over four years, she can smell the promotion to head bartender coming closer. When she gets it, she can finally buy a house. Remi grew up in foster care, flitting from foster family to foster family. Her past has left her hardened. Remi has never known a loving family. People always leave her. So, she protects herself. The only person she trusts is her best friend and roommate Ben, whom she met in foster care. With her bartender job Remi finally has a goal: buy a house that is hers and hers alone. Something no one can take away from her. So when her boss Gabriella announces that a new colleague will start and instead of a promotion she’ll hand out a cash bonus to whichever of them is the best. Remi is determined. That money is hers. That dream house is hers. But why, oh why, does this new bartender Maya have to be irritatingly beautiful. And she can juggle bottles too? Well…damn…

Maya is home for the summer. She finished her first years of nursing school, but needs to get back to Minnesota to start the final leg of her training. She wants to be a nurse and help kids with diabetes, like her little sister Harper. Since their dad died, Maya has been chasing his memory. Her mom’s attention goes to caring for Harper. And Maya just wants everything to be perfect. If only she didn’t blow through her student loans and now needs a lot of extra money to finish her degrees. She grabs onto the chance to work at her mom’s friend’s bar and get her hands on that cash bonus. Maya just needs to beat the grumpy, rude Remi to get there. Did that woman have to be so hot though?

Dana Hawkins can sure spin a great tale. The energy crackles with irritation and competition when Remi and Maya first meet. As they both discover other sides of the other while working together, a whole other sort of crackling electricity is created. Both Remi and Maya are utterly human, products of their own pasts. Tentatively they build a connection that neither of them can deny.

It’s heartbreaking to see the tactics Remi uses to protect herself. Maya lets her experience another way of living. One where trust and a loving family play a big role. It is so lovely to see that Maya’s mom and sister envelop Remi into their family immediately and it’s painful to watch Remi not trusting something so good. She has to learn that she is wanted and cared for and that not all people leave.

If you’ve read Dana Hawkins’ first book Not In The Plan you’ll recognize some side characters. It’s always fun to check in with characters you’ve loved before. And if you haven’t read that one yet, I strongly recommend it!

I think it’s clear that I loved this story. It shows parts of life that are painful but it also shows that things can be different, if only you can let yourself embrace them.

Dana Hawkins writing is phenomenal! I ate this book up and left no crumbs. The tension between Remi and Maya was exquisite and the blossoming romance was *chef's kiss* A plus book from an A plus writer!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5 Stars

Spice Level - Mild 1/5 🌶️

“In Walked Trouble” by Dana Hawkins is absolutely outstanding. A sapphic romance about two rival bartenders that has all the banter and slow tension that any romance reader would enjoy. I literally couldn’t put this book down, the chemistry between Remi and Maya is addictive.

The dual POV is excellent, and I really loved the clever chapter names. You really fall in love with the characters and the story tugs you along by your heart strings in the best ways. It has the perfect dash of spice with a wonderfully tension filled build up. Slow Burn Enthusiasts will love this book.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone.

Thankyou to NetGalley for the ARC!

In Walked Trouble by Dana Hawkins is a captivating romance novel that delves into the lives of two strong-willed women, Remi James and Maya Marek, whose initial rivalry turns into an unexpected and enthralling connection. Hawkins crafts a narrative that is as heartwarming as it is humorous, set against the backdrop of a bustling Seattle bar, painting a vivid picture of the challenges and surprises that life throws at those chasing their dreams.

The novel doesn’t shy away from the hard choices facing both Remi and Maya, making their eventual connection feel earned and meaningful. Hawkins’ portrayal of their relationship is nuanced, acknowledging the sacrifices they must consider to make room for something new and potentially life-changing.

3.5 In Walked Trouble is a rivals-to-lovers sapphic romance about two women who have been through some tough times, now fighting for a cash bonus in their bartending job. But if course as they get closer, they fall for each other...

I thought this was a good story overall. It's easy to read and never drops into uninteresting.
For me though, the women go from "enemies" or rivals to lovers quite fast. They fall in love veeery fast, which I always struggle with.
I need them to spend more time together, go through more shit together for me to really get behind the "you're family" / "I love you" aspect of the story which is central in feeling the strong emotions the author wanted to make us feel with this story.

On another note, the chapter titles being fun drink names was a really cool idea! We need more fun chapter titles like these ones!!

I'd like to thank Dana Hawkins for sending me an digital copy of this book.

One of my favourite things about reading romance is the *discovering*.

There’s discovering love, yearning, lust and tension.

But there is, often, also discovering a sense of self. Discovering past pain and new hope. Discovering your truth.

And this book was a picture perfect study in discovering. It was sweet, salty and a little bit spicy- like a cocktail Remi dreamt up, just for my mood today.

In Walked Trouble is a truly heartwarming sapphic love story that will keep readers cheering for the enemies to become lovers! Maya and Remi are both so endearing in their own rights, even as they have such different personalities. Through trials and tribulations, these two women come together in a truly beautiful relationship.

Oh how I loved this book!
The characters were so well thought out, the story was well told, it got a bit emotional there but overall this book made me so happy in the end!
The book navigated issues such as trauma, loss of a parent, addiction & type 1 diabetes. As a nurse I loved that the diabetes part was accurate, I hate when authors get by
A lovely, easy read that will leave your heart feeling happy! You should totally be adding this one to your TBR or buying it - out Mar 26th!
Thank you NetGalley, Dana Hawkins & Storm publishing for a free e-ARC in exchange for honest review!

Loved it! Remi was so cross when she thought Maya had taken the position she thought was hers in the bar, but could she stay angry with her and work with her full time? Brilliant character interaction and chemistry, loved the back stories. Couldn't put it down.

I was given an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

In Walked Trouble by Dana Hawkins is a Sapphic rivals-to-lovers romcom set in a bar in Seattle. Remi is a twenty-five year old bartender looking to buy a home for a sense of stability after years in the foster system while Maya is bartending to help pay for her nursing school. When Maya’s mother’s friend offers her a position at the same bar Remi works at and a chance at the bonus both women need to fund their dreams, the two try to one-up each other as their attraction grows.

I read the previous romcom by Hawkins (Not in the Plan) and was delighted to find the same playfulness with the chapter titles and how different the voices were between the two books. Maya and Remi both have difficult pasts involving their parents but how that trauma manifests is very different. Remi has her hopes and dreams of a safe space are all poured into a house she can renovate and make her own while Maya wants to try to find ways to remember her father as his memory slowly fades.

What I really liked was how Remi’s trauma impacts how she handles the idea of people leaving her or her not being part of a family. It felt realistic without leaning into melodrama. I also really liked that Maya was the pursuer when Remi is older by a few years and is a bit more established in the bar and in her place in life. It’s nice to see Sapphic romances where the one with less experience goes after who they want.

I would recommend this to readers of Sapphic romcoms, fans of rivals-to-lovers set-ups, and readers looking for a romance set in Seattle with references to the diversity of the Queer community that has grown and thrived in the city.

thank you to netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review
⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️
After years of hard bartender work and dreams of someday having a home of her own, Remi James is very excited to be receiving the promotion she deserves. She has goals and everything planned out, until she walks into work to find out she has competition and the promotion is not a hefty one time bonus. Maya Marek is supposed to be in Minnesota, but she’s back home working because tuition is not cheap! Maya has skills and intimidates Remi, but Remi won’t back down. Time goes by and lines her blurred, what will they do?

My thoughts: This was a great book. I really adored the characters and their self development throughout, each having traumatic and hard backgrounds but differences aside they overcame it together. I also liked the accurate diabetes representation, Harper was a great addition to the book. I loved the bond she shared with Remi and how Remi became part of their family so fast.
I definitely recommend if you’re looking for a spicy, queer, enemies to lovers romance!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this!

Alright, this is another book I was pretty excited for because the premise sounded super cute, and I'd been seeing it all over my insta. First thing I noticed that it was often pitched as enemies to lovers, but I would definitely agree with other reviews that I've seen who call it rivals to lovers. I did have a relatively quick favourite among the two rivals, which is difficult because you obviously want people to find the decision difficult if you tell a competition storyline. But I actually did go back on my opinion later on in the book. Overall, Remi stayed as my fave out of the two, but that is more because I related a little too much to Maya at times. She really spoke to me on a spiritual level of oldest sister trauma. Speaking of sisters, I would die for Harper, she is actually the most precious child ever and needs to be protected at all cost. I always love it if my romcom reads have well-developed characters, especially if there's a trauma angle and the author definitely either did her research very well or has personal experience. I mainly noticed it in Maya, but Remi (at times) too was immature in the way that kids are when they had to grow up too fast. It was a really great representation of two younger but adult characters with childhood trauma that many will definitely relate to. My only real gripes, taking away that last star, are for one I didn't really feel the development of their romantic relationship very natural at first and didn't love the pacing. And two is more of a personal preference I guess, but I really wish Remi on the cover was more accurate to her curvy, muscular description in the book. It often seems like romance books are afraid of putting more than two body types on the cover, which is not a Problem specific to this book, but still something I wanted to address.

A perfectly crafted queer romance! You can’t get better than this: lovable, yet flawed characters; low stakes but compelling plot; and all the right tropes!

This is seriously well put together and perfectly pulls on your heartstrings. I haven’t enjoyed a romance this much in a while. Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my copy. These opinions are my own.

Unfortunately for me, I just didn't feel this one.
For starters, Remi and Maya were more workplace rivals than enemies to lovers, which in fairness wasn't too much of a deal breaker. However, for me - the romance side just became too unrealistically quick and their rivalry seemed over in about two chapters.
All in all, it was a fairly quick and easy read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.