This was a cute and easy romance. The characters are pretty good at talking about their feelings and I appreciated that there was no drama just because. The food descriptions made me hungry and I would definitely try one of Willa's experiments!

The plot was a bit too simple for me, with no real obstacles to overcome. Still a nice, relaxing read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for the copy.

Do Me A Favor is a sweet romance between middle age characters that each have established lives, and baggage. The formatting and feeling reminded me very much of Cathy Yardley’s previous book, Role Playing, which I loved. One major issue for me was the handling of the type 1 diabetes aspect of the story. I may have missed something, but it seems implied that T1D is a ticking timebomb and dying at fifty was a foregone conclusion for the T1 diabetic character, which is just not true. Aside from that, I really enjoyed it.

4.5

This was my first time reading this author and now I wanna read more of her books. This book hooked me from the start and honestly I haven’t read many later in life romances that are primarily focused on the romance but this one was so good and made me want more.

I loved all the characters, I loved the double pov, and I really liked how it also tackled themes like loss and the relationship with adult kids too. It was a great read. The plot was good, willa is a 46 year old widow who is struggling financially and emotionally yet trying to restore her life. Hudson is a 41 year old and divorced. He has two adult kids, and all three lived at the family farm with his parents, Also he’s a *hot* handyman that loves his family and has always put them first. Both of them learn a lot in terms of romantic relationships and about themselves which I love.

This was a cute read that even made me think a lot and I loved that. I totally recommend it!

Cathy Yardley knows how to write a story. She can capture the sweetest parts of "getting to know you" parts of relationships. We watched Hudson fall hard, meanwhile, Willa was fighting for her life with the goats just trying to survive. It was a great take on the single dad troupe.

This one was a little bit too long for me. I wanted to see them together as a couple longer.

I enjoyed this one. Cathy is an auto-read for me.

I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Fun, flirty, quick read. Yardley does it again with lovable characters and believable chemistry. This book felt really tightly plotted - sometimes a little too much, and I wanted a bit more time with the characters. But overall very good.

I love my little hags. They were so cute and I love how genuine their relationship felt. They really wanted to get to know each other and I loved it. I'm also a huge fan of the end of the book. He took time to pursue his passions and it was fun.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I liked this story and that the characters are older, very well written, although it lacks an epilogue.

We live in a society where we often get told to follow our dreams but one thing I don't think we always hear is that if life gets in the way the chance isn't gone. I recently found this myself when I got the opportunity to move to New York City 10 years after I thought that was a dream I needed to let die. Do Me a Favor very much gives this message while also being an adorable romance with great characters.

Hudson and Willa are two people who gave up their dreams to support the people they loved and had wonderful experiences. However, now they are both in a place where they can make some changes. I loved that they encouraged each other to be the best version of themselves and find what makes them happy.

If you are a fan of romances with main characters in their forties, something I think we need more of, neighbor romances, reading about food, or small town romances this one is for you! Do Me a Favor is my first Cathy Yardley book but it won't be my last!

This was sweet and I enjoyed that it was more mature MCs. Emotionally, they both felt a little young at times, but given their pasts, it's understandable. I loved how everything resolved, and really enjoyed the side characters.

Do Me a Favor

A sweet and cozy read about a small town romance with the man next door. A later in life romance between a widowed cookbook writer and a small-town handyman living next door. Loved the supporting characters, the antics of the animals and the sweet story line.

I don't have much to say about this one; it was kind of... forgetful. I had an okay time reading it but afterwards, I just never think about it.

As a woman in her early 40s, I get really annoyed when I pick up a "later in life" romance, but the characters could easily be mistaken for characters in their mid 20s except for having older children or a few gray hairs. Thankfully, this book was not that!

This book was a joy to read. I loved the portrayal of characters in their 40s who are at a point of reexamining what they want from their lives. I'm a foodie who loves to cook, so I especially loved how much of Willa's story centered around those elements.

There were some loose ends and elements that didn't make sense (felt like maybe the story was initially going to go one way, then decided to go another, but forgot to go back and make updates...), and those did take me out of the story a little as I kept waiting for a big reveal that didn't happen. Despite that, this was definitely an enjoyable read and I'll be looking up more from this author.

I just loved this book. Partly because it resonated with me in so many ways: being older and considering dating, having adult children that are just finding their way, the adorable dog Noodle, being something of a DIY-er (with mixed success), and much more. And mostly because I just love how Ms. Yardley's characters feel SO REAL. I could picture them living next door, being my friends, and seeing the events of the novel in real life. Willa and Hudson just stole my heart; it certainly wasn't easy for them to reach their HEA, yet they persevered. It was all so hopeful. Noodle the dog and Hudson's kids (twins Jeremy and Kimber) bring their own energy and additional life issues that need sorting to the story, making things even more lively. I think Willa might even be my alter ego in the universe of cook books and food science. I came away from the story wanting to visit the island and meet everyone, if only it were all real. This novel is on my read again (or maybe listen) list!

I was given an ARC and requested to write a review, which I was happy to do!

By Cathy Yardley
Do Me A Favor by Cathy Yardley is a sweet romance centering on two more mature characters, Willa and Hudson.
Willa has just moved into the house her aunt has left her. She’s lead a life full of ups and downs with a larger than life restaurateur and foodie husband who has passed away from complications from type 1 diabetes. Willa has to figure whether or not she can make a living as a cookbook ghostwriter and if she can financially manage to keep the house.
Hudson has spent his entire life in one place, raising his twins after his wife left and becoming a handyman while taking care of the everyone around him. Hudson meets Willa when his dog Noodle escapes and he’s immediately interested in his new neighbor. Cathy Yardley writes about characters figuring themselves out so there’s lots about their thoughts and backgrounds which makes for wonderfully fully developed characters. This is true for her side characters as well, including Hudson’s parents and adult children. Getting to know these characters and how they learn about each other and consequently support each other makes for a sweet and warm read. I loved how Willa recognized that Hudson gave so much to everyone and encouraged him to find a new path. Hudson’s support and love for Willa came across warmly and honestly making this a really wonderful low angst more mature romance.

Fantastic read!

I had so much fun with this one. I loved role playing so i was nervous about where this would go overall and if the love would continue for me, but Cathy did it again.

I loved Willa so much and the journey of not always knowing where you want to be as an adult. I think it's a welcome reminder personally.

Cathy Yardley became an auto buy author for me after I read her last book and I couldn’t wait to read this one by her! I absolutely loved this book as much as her last one. I loved everything about this story and can’t wait to buy my physical copy

I can count on Cathy Yardley to take me on a journey of self-discovery, especially with characters with lived experience. Separately Willa and Hudson are in their 40s not quite where they want to be and coming to terms with that. A meet-cute staged by Noodle they meet and things move very slowly from there. Hudson is an interesting character because initially, he seems like a run-of-the-mill man who thinks with his member but you have to wait until well into the book he wants to avoid disappointing his kids with a relationship that might not work out. It was reasonable but as the reader, I was not rooting for him to be with Willa at all. I thought he was going to be a jerk. Willa on the other hand felt fragile and I just wanted her to focus on herself and get back on her feet sans any relationship heartache. She had been through enough. Good for her she got a little sexy time. So the first 54% of the book was set up you have to keep going to get the payoff in the back half. Things resolve in a very mature way with no fanfare.

an amazing read, I was salvated at all the food mentioned. don't read if you are hungry is my only negative. enjoyed the relationship between Willa and Hudson, when the first "baby" dropped I was a goner.

I thought this was very cute, but I didn’t really connect much with the characters, which I think is why it took me a bit to get through it. I did love the rep for MC’s in their 40’s!

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book.
After a few weeks trying to read it and only advancing a few pages at a time, I had to let it go. I see promise in the plot and characters, but just couldn't connect with them. Maybe it's not the time for me to read it, I'll probably try again in the future cause I enjoy Cathy's writing.