Was giving 3 star for a while, just because I couldn’t stand Harmony — but that was kinda the point. If you like character development plots, you’ll like this book! Found family is present for both FMC and MMC. Representation is emphasized (in authors note) to have a fat main character, and a character with autism. The negative effects of banning books is touched on as well.

Loved the way this all came together. Small town community vibes that highlights the pros & cons of that. Romance was present throughout, but there was a lot more to this plot as well which I really liked.

Overall enjoyed this cozy read! :)

My Kind of Trouble by L.A. Schwartz offers an intriguing mix of romance and drama, featuring relatable characters and an engaging storyline. Although I adore both characters, I did not see much of their chemistry, despite the fact that the story is enjoyable and entertaining.

Rated 4.25 on The Storygraph.

Harmony “Hale” saunters into town for her next con. An expert conwoman, she targets rich and powerful people to take them (and their egos) down. Her current con is personal, and Harmony knows exactly what ploy to pull off- a fake festival.

But as she starts to fall for the local librarian, she has to chose whether to come clean, or end up hurting the community she’s starting to call home.

Preston is an anxious, Autistic, librarian, who takes care of his younger sister Lacey. When he’s not worrying about his sister, he’s anxious about the mayor’s wife trying to ban books, stop LGBTQ clubs, and get him fired. But then a gorgeous woman needs his help, and his land, to build a festival. Not wanting more on his plate, Preston tries to say no, but Harmony is persistent, clever, beautiful, and makes him want more.

This book was lots of fun. Harmony and Preston’s banter was addicting, the plot moved quickly, the spicy parts were spot on (yes they do it in the library), and the ending was tied up in a nice little bow.

Schwartz’s characters always shine, and this book is no exception. I loved the Autism rep in both Preston and Lacey, the book banning subplot, Harmony’s confidence, and the way Preston adored her and her body. The side characters also were all nice additions, with some side characters giving the reader queer rep (Sapphic).

My only qualm was the anxiety of Harmony’s con and the pacing of the overarching story. I feel like she should have confessed just a bit earlier, or that there should have been a bit more space in the timeline at the end. It almost felt like it all came crashing down in the last couple of chapters, and even though it crashed nicely, I would have enjoyed a more gentle slowing.

Regardless, I highly enjoyed my time with Preston and Harmony, and highly recommend the book!

Super cute, super sexy, super funny. Everything I wanted and more. Loved the story and the characters and how unique the story was as a whole.

My Kind of Trouble is the debut romance novel from author L.A. Schwartz. This is a steamy bookish enemies to lovers rom com which is a gender-swapped homage to The Music Man. Add in some truly brilliant autism rep, healthy relationships and a confident plus-sized FMC and you have My Kind of Trouble, an absolute must-read addition to the romance genre.

This is a truly captivating story, with the perfect amount of humour, sweet moments and steam. The novel is perfectly paced and I was so hooked that I read the entire thing in nearly a single sitting.

Harmony and Preston had brilliant chemistry and a really healthy relationship which we love to see. I’m a sucker for the ‘he falls first and harder’ trope and this was so well written. There is a third act breakup, which is to be expected given the plot point of Harmony’s hidden identity as a conwoman but there is a quick resolution. The spice was well written, well placed within the plot and felt really realistic.

Harmony was a cracker of a FMC. She was a confident and sure of herself force of nature who experiences such character growth over the course of the story. The way she finds both a family and a home in Brookville was beautiful. I loved that she was a confident, plus-sized FMC and that she’s a bit of a brilliant Robin Hood type character in the way she cons people who deserve it but makes sure to pay back anyone who is innocently caught up in her schemes.

As an autistic person who also finds solace in books, I absolutely adored Preston as a MMC and the authentic autism rep we had through both his character and the character of his younger sister Lacey was the highlight of the book for me.

Just how authentic the autism rep would be became clear in only the second chapter. Throughout the book we see stimming, hyper-focusing, sensory needs regarding food, references to autistic burnout, references to meltdowns, noise sensitivity, recovery from overstimulation and difficulties with change. It’s honestly some of the best autistic rep I’ve ever seen in a book of any genre.

There are references to ABA therapy, with it suggested to Preston for his younger autistic sister Lacey but this is firmly rejected immediately. The topic is also featured later in the book with Preston discussing his own experiences of it, but again this is portrayed in a rightfully negative light.

I loved the way Harmony researched autism to know how to best support her prospective partner. This total acceptance was so heartwarming to see as an autistic adult.

Overall, I just absolutely adored this book. It has been one of my standout reads of 2024 and is a truly brilliant debut novel from L.A. Schwartz. I’d highly recommend it to all fans of a good rom-com novel and anyone who likes to see really authentic autism rep in their books.

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice Level: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️/ 5 (Open Door)

I have posted my review on my blog www.yourschloe.co.uk

*Thank you to NetGalley, L. A. Schwartz and Alcove Press.

A sweet and fun romcom

Harmony is a talented con-artist and now is the time to take down the man responsible for ruining her father's life. But for that, she has to sell a non-existent music festival to a stubborn librarian so she can use his land. Unfortunately, Preston is not impressed, and between taking care of his sister and his job, he has no time to deal with Harmony's proposal. In his eyes, she's nothing but trouble. But Harmony is not one to back down from a fight, and she's determined to get the job done, wether he likes it or not...

This book was a very fun read. I loved Harmony's confidence and charm right away. She's mesmerizing and clever, which made the story really intriguing. As for Preston, he's sweet and incredibly passionate, which makes it easy to relate to him. The story was captivating, full of twists and turns, and I liked seeing both of the characters' minds change throughout the book. I loved how they got to know each other, see beyond the pretend exterior to their hearts. It was inspiring and sweet in the best way. I was dreading the moment everything would fall apart, and the author delt with it in a very interesting and good way, which only made me love the book more. On a side note, I'm not autistic, but I found the representation very clear and good in my opinion. All in all, a great read!

I recommend if you like sweet romcoms with some enemies to lovers plot.

"His hand slipped around the nape of her neck, drawing her into a kiss she wanted more than she deserved, and was determined to find a way to be worthy of."

As someone who loves Penelope and Colin, musicals, and curvy women, My Kind of Trouble was written for me and I absolutely ate it up. Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the advanced copy!

this is a fun hate to love rom com style book we have revenge and with our mc it a fun banter between the two.

This was a sweet book! I enjoyed the spin on The Music Man. Bonus points for making the heroine curvy! It makes me emotional every time I find an author who writes for beautiful curvy women. There was sugar and spice and everything nice in this book! I will definitely read more from this author.

This was a fun read! I love a plus-size main character and the spice was a lot of fun. Some parts of the book dragged a bit but overall I had a lot of fun! I already recommended it to a few friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for giving me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own!


As some of you might know, I'm a sucker for quite a few elements. Autistic leads, plus sized leads, a scrappy lead with a noble, if a bit unconventional cause. So when I found a book that's about a plus sized con artist falling for an autistic librarian, it was a no-brainer. I had to get it.


Synopsis according to GJ: After years of honing her skills, Harmony is ready for run the con of her career: A Fyre Island-esque scam with the goal of taking everything from the local mayor, her father's old business partner who scammed him out of a fortune. Don't worry, she'll give the money to the townspeople, she's not in this for the money. Now, if only she can get the local librarian to loan his family property....


Preston Jones has enough on his plate. The caretaker of his little autistic sister, Preston has to deal with teaching piano to make ends meet and the local PTA trying to ban books and drag events. He doesn't have time for gorgeous women with husky voices trying to use his sister's property for some festival! Even if she seems to understand him and he's been struggling with his loneliness. Nope, nope nope.....Or maybe.....


Book review: I really enjoyed this book. I know the writer pitched the book as a gender flipped Music Man but I saw the premise and thought of the TV show Leverage. It's still a common enough story, the charismatic grifter and the target who makes this a little too real and gives us the central conflict. Oftentimes, it's hard to balance out our affection of the Grifter with the fact that their schemes have very real victims, including the person they fall in love with.


Schwartz handles this well by first establishing that Harmony is kinda like Robin Hood. Yes, she does take a cut but every one of her targets are abusive leaders of their communities who deserves what's coming to that. As I read Harmony's interactions with the Mayor and his wife, I audibly said "A tech bro and a book banner? Oh, now I HAVE to root against them!". I love a complex antagonist as much as the next girl but sometimes, you need a hate sink to root against, you know?


Despite the book dealing with heavy topics such of homophobic parents, book banners and ableism, the book still felt light. Schwartz did a great job of reminding us of the stakes while letting us enjoy the ride. Sometimes the book does feel a little too glib for my taste. I would have liked to know more about Harmony and Preston's background as well as some secondary characters but the book is a quick fun read so I won't hold it against it. (One could also argue that it matches Harmony and Preston's desire to stay "casual" but I don't know if I'm reading too much into it).


As a recently diagnosed autistic person, I really enjoyed the portrayal of autism here Sometimes, in an attempt to accurately portray a disability, a writer can go overboard in their characterization or overexplain. Other times, it can feel like the character is more like a vehicle for the disability rep (And the writer's internal biases). Whenever I think of bad rep, I think of the "My job is just Beach" line from Barbie. No nuance, no messy humanity or goals. Their job is just Disability Representation.



Here, Preston is a fully realized person and his entire struggle isn't his autism. It's the book banners, his loneliness and his fears of not being enough. Preston is quippy and caring and really invested in his community. Preston is as at peace with his diagnosis as someone who's juggling 5 things can be. Much like Harmony, he carries his past trauma with him but it's not all that he is.


His job is not Autism. His job is Hot Librarian.


(BTW, there's a scene where he's playing Rachmaninoff on piano and I thought "Hmm, a good composer. Strong emotions, bold music but you need massive hands to play his stuff- MADAM, ARE YOU IMPLYING WHAT I THINK YOU ARE?!")


And Harmony. My sweet Harmony. She's easy to love with her charm and smarts but as we watch her fall in love with Preston and his stability, she just started breaking my heart. She sees the stability and home that she never had as a kid, the security to be herself. At the end of the book, she reveals something about herself that just gutted me. Still, through it all, she's determined to do the right thing and hold her fabulous head up right. She's great.



Overall, I rate this 4 stars. I struggled a bit with the middle but it was a fun way to spend time. I look forward to reading more of Schwartz's work



TW: Mentions of fatal car accident, parental death, parental abandonment and alcoholism. Brief blood, violence and homophobia. Brief mentions of sexual assault (Including church assault on minors). On-page sex, fatphobia (Including brief moralistic discussions of food). Brief discussion of ABA therapy.

As a theater kid at heart, this Music Man retelling was so much fun. It's sexy and sweet with plenty of nods to the original musical. I wish it had more hidden song lyrics from the original.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My Kind of Trouble
Author: L.A. Schwartz
Romance

Thank you so much Netgalley and Alcove Press for this ARC! Love a book about a conwoman! Harmony’s current project is a seemingly nerdy and innocent single dad librarian who is going to be a pawn in her game to take down the mayor of the town. Her con involves a fake music festival, but our librarian Preston Jones sees through all of her advances. It was cute, quirky and a fun read. I wasn’t like… blown away by it by any means but it was still enjoyable. There was a baby splash of spice but not really. I think it would be more fun as an audiobook!

after multiple attempts at reading- I have decided to DNF. I’m hoping to return to it in the future but right now i’m unable to connect with the author’s writing style.

Loved the FMC! Fun and thoughtful, with gorgeous tension between the con and the deepening romance. Lovely and gentle autism rep.

This ended up being a really delightful, funny, unique and sweet story!

This is a really interesting Music Man retelling, with a plus-size con woman who goes after all manner of different predators by conning them out of their money and giving it back to the people they victimized. It also has autism rep, and generally all manner of progressive messaging. I really enjoyed this, and the entire premise was really different from any other romance I’ve read.

There were a few aspects that took me out of the story, though, including it seeming very unclear just how Harmony has been able to build this “network” of hers with such success, and what felt like kind of a lack of chemistry between the main couple in the beginning. However, if you’re able to look past some of the more vague aspects of the cons and to sink into the romance once it gets going, it’s still a blast of a book. It’s actually laugh out loud funny, and really the entire cast of characters is lovable and distinct. I fully adored Harmony and her wit and confidence. I loved how her motivations for going after who she does are explored, and I felt very satisfied and gripped by all the drama come the end. I also especially loved the way the author tackled some more sensitive and controversial topics, including the use of particular therapies that have proven to be harmful for Autistic folks.

Overall, I’m giving this a 3.5/5, rounded up. Most of the rounding up comes from the uniqueness of the story and the plot outside of the romance. Which is really what shined for me. Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for this eArc!

I did not finish this book. I was really excited to start the book but for some reason the story was not vibing with me. I disliked the main character and so I lost interest in the book.

Cute romcom featuring a fearless conartist and a neurodivergent librarian where love and lies are in the airs I liked the sweet banter, the sticky situations, and the quaint setting.

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️.5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

A fun, sexy and healthy relationship in this book.
A really good debut novell.
Preston and Harmony were so sweet! Fun! And both were such good people with their heart at the right place.

CW: car accident (recounted, off-page), death of parents, parental abandonment, alcoholism, bullying, ableism, homophobia, fatphobia, violence (mentioned, off-page), blood (mentioned)

Closed Door Mod: Chapter 16 (some parts), Chapter 19, Chapter 23 (some parts)

I would like to thank NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A gender swap retelling of The Music Man, a conwoman, Harmony, tasks herself with taking down the man who ruined her father’s life, only to be swept up on the charm of the local librarian and his fight against book banning efforts by the wife of the man Harmony wants to destroy.

I absolutely LOVED this book! The character dynamics were great and I liked how Schwartz was able to breathe new life into this retelling while staying true to aspects of the original story. There’s great plus-size and autistic rep in this book, and I appreciated how nuance and multi-dimensional the main characters were. I also felt that the main characters had a really solid character development with exploring their similar pasts as well as how they try to move forward from said past. And you get such a swoon-worthy romance that you can’t help but root for!

If you read one grumpy x sunshine retelling this fall, let My Kind of Trouble be that book.