Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I loved the author’s first book so this was an instant read for me and it was also fantastic! This book has the enemies to lovers trope. The two main characters are rivals bartending and trying to both win the sizeable bonus and they might or might not be falling for each other in the process.

There was a lot yearning and tough topics were explored. The characters have so much depth and heart, it makes me want to hang out with them. I love all the details added in, including that Maya can juggle while bartending. I highly recommend this book!

4/5⭐️

I love Dana and her books! They're always so sweet and fun and a lil spicy!

The plot is well constructed and understandable, the main characters are relatable and amazing, the side characters always add to the storyline!

Remi and Maya start their story as work enemies. They're fighting for the bartending bonus while also fighting the demons in their heads and ghosts from their pasts.

Both strong and independent women who had to grow up early, with walls 10ft up around their hearts. Slowly, each of them start to make cracks in the other's heart and what started as a desperate competition for money turns into something more.

The trust and loyalty building between them was so lovely to witness! Throughout the months, Maya and Remi start to find themselves, get a sense of belonging and peace that was missing in their lives!

If you love some feel good, low conflict books, I 100% recommend Dana Hawkins books!

Thank you so much Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!💜

In Walked Trouble is a workplace rivals to lovers sapphic romcom. It has one of my fave tropes, but I feel like we could have had more of that tension before they got along. I feel like while I saw character growth in both Maya and Remi, we could have used a lot more with Remi. She definitely needs therapy and Maya was always the one who had to compromise. The ending was a bit rushed, but overall it was a fast cute read!

I liked Dana Hawkins previous book. I thought it was a cute romance but it had a few things plot wise that I didn't like. This one I did like more. I liked the rivalry, I liked the romance and I liked a lot of little things in this book. I was just not blown away.

I do think people should give this one a chance and form their own opinions. Please try it, I do think this is cute and I recommend it.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Brilliant book which I thoroughly enjoyed centering on the going relationship of Maya and Remi. The relationship was well described and made an absorbing read. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Remi has worked hard as a bartender and is hopefully up for a promotion, which will allow her dream of buying a property that she can call home. This is thrown into disarray when Maya joins, putting the promotion at risk. Maya has her own problems, saving so that she can take her Nursing Masters and pursue her own dream career.
This is an enemy to (hopefully) lovers story. I normally read "straight" Romances, rather than this F/F one, however when it comes down to it you just have two people looking for a relationship? Remi comes across as very tough, and Maya soft, however both have hidden sides. I would probably have more in common with Maya, rather than Remi, but it was interesting see how their relationship developed. Things are brought to a head when something happens to make them reevaluate their relationship.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

5 ⭐️ Ugh my heart!! In Walked Trouble is a sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance that will have you laughing and feeling all the feels. The characters and dialogue absolutely drive this story; the main two characters (Remi and Maya) are well-developed, and their alternating perspectives strike the perfect balance between current events and providing necessary backstory to better understand and relate them.

Another huge win in this book for me is the accurate type 1 diabetes representation. As a T1D myself, I get so excited when diabetes is correctly portrayed in media (as it so rarely is). It’s clear that this author has a connection to type 1 diabetes or otherwise did their research and for that I’m so grateful!! Though it’s certainly not a focal point of the book, it made this T1D smile.

My heart feels so full and warm after finishing this treasure of a story. Do yourself a favor and add this to your TBR, as it’s set to release on March 26, 2024!

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Dana Hawkins, and Storm Publishing for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 4.5/5 reviews.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed this enemies to lovers sapphic romance. As someone who's worked in the restaurant industry before, it was cute to read about a love story happening in that environment. The characters were funny and relatable, and had flaws that they worked on throughout the book. I will say, the ending did feel a tad rushed and I wish it had gone a little slower and really wrapped things up. But overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

A sweet LGBTQIA+ enemies-to-lovers romance, bartender style. Remi and Maya engage in a little healthy competition at work and pretty soon they realize they have a spark of chemistry. I immediately engaged with all the characters and the plotline had me coming back for more. A mark of a great book for me is thinking about it even after I've put it down. I will definitely be reading more of Dana Hawkins in the future.

**Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.**

My second book by this author! Thank you to Netgalley and publishers and the writer of course :)

Remi and Maya are bartenders competing for a cash bonus at their workplace. This book has a great rivals to lovers trope which managed to keep the banter and tension without actual malice between them. While attraction was almost immediate, the build of their relationship was satisfying along side a well developed plot. Remi and Maya have fun chemistry together but separate are both complex characters with genuine attributes and depth. I enjoyed it.

In Walked Trouble by Dana Hawkins is a cute queer romcom. The story centers around Remi - a foster child turned bartender who deseparetely wants to find her family and own a house; and Maya - a bartender who wants to attend nursing school because of her sister's type 1 diabetes diagnosis. They are rivals, poised against each other for the bonus at Neuves at the end of the month. Who will get the money? And will sparks fly?

I thoroughly loved this enemies to lover romcom. I was a light read and easy to digest. The main characters are a bit immature at times...but they are 25 and 23 years old. So, what 20-some year old isn't a bit immature sometimes? This book was a feel good book with some minor twists and turns. 4/5 stars on Goodreads.

I really enjoyed this queer romance about two women who become co-bartenders competing for a bonus that they both really need. I wouldn't go so far as to say enemies to lovers but certainly antagonists with immediate chemistry they both deny to lovers. I liked that the character who connected the first book with this book was the best friend to one lead in each story and we got to see more of him, even if we only saw the couple from book one super briefly and were other use just referenced. The FMCs in this story both have some trauma in their pasts, but they find confidants in each other and it grows from there to deep love. I liked them both and their story, and I especially like that the author intentionally sets her stories where queer acceptance is the norm and queer joy and love are celebrated, so the characters don't have to deal with hate, aka the world we want to be a part of. I haven't been giving star ratings to books this year but since NetGalley requires it and I gave book one 3 stars, I'm giving this four stars, but closer to 4.5 realistically. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC--the book is out March 26th.

SYNOPSIS: Maya starts working at the bar Remi works at, and they are both told by the boss that one of them will get a cash bonus. Both of them need it for different reasons, and no amount of snarky comments, pouty lips, and to-die-for curves will get in their way. Remi and Maya are rivals. That’s why they’re so aware of each other in the tight space behind the bar, and in the walk-in refrigerator… right? But, somewhere between fighting over recipe developments and sharing embarrassing karaoke songs, something shifts.

I read this book in one sitting because I was so captivated! The plotline and context is by no means a new or unique narrative, but in this book, the characters and the development of what felt like the CUTEST romantic F/F relationship blows all the other romance enemies-to-lovers-work-competition stories out of the water.

Honestly I have no flaws about this book. The writing was gorgeous, the pacing was expertly done - at no point did anything seem unrealistic or rushed or out of the blue. Each character was well described and fleshed out. I absolutely loved it and I'm excited to read more queer stories by Dana Hawkins.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. I read about 30% and found myself just not wanting to continue: While I loved the PNW setting and vibes, I couldn’t connect with the characters. I loved the LGBTQ representation, but I just felt like I needed more from the story. I usually love enemies to lovers, but I didn’t find myself rooting for the either of the characters.

I had high hopes and I think others will find that they enjoy it more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for access to this novel. I really enjoyed both FMCs and their perspectives. This competitors to lovers story pitted Remi (who has been bartending for years at Gabriella's bar) against Maya (a new hire and the daughter of Gabriella's friend Laney) in a battle to win a bartending competition put on by their boss. I loved how Remi's idea of family grew in the novel from her roommate and foster sibling Ben, her boss Gabriella, and parental safe space figure Darius to include Maya and her family. Although there was quite a bit of trauma bonding and this contributed to the conflict in the novel, I wasn't frustrated by the conflict and enjoyed the ending a lot!

It was a good romance and if I had not read the first book so recently I would have given it a higher rating, it was a nice love story, it seemed to evolve very quickly but that was not an issue, both characters were likeable and the sex scene was very hot and tastefully written but it just felt very very similar to the first book in terms of character background and issues. I did enjoy it though

I will say these two started off very childish and to me it made it hard to get into. However once the plot start developing and they matured a little I was ready for them to kiss. The tension between rivals to lovers is always amazing.

Personally i wanted to wrap Remi and Maya up in separate hugs because of their family issues. Remi’s trauma runs deep and I think her being in Mayas life was an excellent window into what she needed. On the other hand i think Maya needed to accept the family she had and Maya did a good job with that.

When they started discussing their trauma and opening up on their lives my heart melted. To be able to be that honest and open with someone is just so sweet.

I very much enjoyed the side characters and Harper. Harper’s whole story and connection to Remi and Maya was precious and probably my favorite part of this book.

My only problem with this was the immaturity in the beginning. I know they are rivals and 25/23 but it made it hard for me to get into. Especially someone with so much trauma I think that tends to make someone grow up faster, especially in Remi’s case.

I liked the tropes and the writing.

Dana Hawkins is my go-to for sapphic romance, and has made me a fan of the genre with her beautiful stories. In Walked Trouble was so hard to put down that I had to sneak every snippet of time reading it that I could. Enemies to Lovers, Workplace Romance, with chapters named creatively after adult beverages-sorta. I looooved it!

WHAT I LOVED MOST:
We see Ben again! Ben was a beloved character in Not In The Plan, and I’m glad we got to see how his life has been and that he’s still playing the role of amazing friend!

Gabriella. I love that she’s feared when she speaks English. Plus she smelled like roses and wore gold bangles. I want to hug her.

So much back and neck popping and cracking that I could practically feel it in my own body and was so jealous. I’ve never felt more seen.

Mama Butter Nips! Can’t go wrong when drag enters the scene.

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“She looked like she had absolutely no nerves for her first day, and now Remi wanted to squirt her sparkly green eye with the soda gun. But just one eye because she wasn’t a total monster.”

“Puke. When Remi got home tonight, she was shooting a bleach-filled syringe directly in her ear canal to get rid of the sap.”

“Maya’s lips pressed into Remi’s neck, so softly that Remi swore Maya was telling her skin a secret.”

“... remember Harper like her foster sister from home number four, and think of Laney like her foster mom from home number three. Warm, sad memories that only surfaced during certain smells, or random songs.” (Ouch you hurt my heart, Dana Hawkins!)


This was a beautiful balance of sweetness, humor, and true wounds that healed slowly through love, friendship, and family. You might cry, there might be some angst, but it’s worth it in the end for these beautiful lovebirds.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dana Hawkins for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book, unfortunately, did not hit for me. It felt like I was reading a first draft. The POV’s were confusing and frankly inconsistent, and the characters had nothing in common besides trauma bonding. But I am glad I read it! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the advance reader copy.

This was an ok book for me; I enjoyed the main characters back stories and how they influenced their decisions.

The enemies to lovers was well done, but I did find that the ‘conflict’ or ‘miscommunication’ element did make the ending feel like it was rushed and a resolution was easily found.

This was a quick read.