Member Reviews

This is probably one of my favourite books this year so far. It’s a literary weighted blanket (if you know you know). It’s got characters you can’t help but love and a plot that allows you to just go along for the ride. Not to mention a little bit of spice.

Harmony Hale is a con artist. A modern day Robin Hood, if you swap the bow and arrow for a bold red lip. She only cons the worst of the 1% and always gives back to anyone she may hurt along the way. But when she goes after that one person she’s always had her eye on she gets more than she bargained for…

Enter our per spectacled librarian, Preston, who does everything he can to be the best human he can in a world that doesn’t always play fair. And while Preston may not always know the right thing to say he’s about to show Harmony how putting down roots isn’t all that bad.

Was it a little tropey at times? Sure. But if you’re looking for an easy read where the spexy librarian softens the heart of a curvy grifter this one’s for you.


Link to be added later when posted.

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healthy relationships in books are so underappreciated but this book really did that!! it is all i could ever want in a romance novel (i mean, autistic librarian x fat conwoman?? hello???) it is fun and sweet and sexy and i LOVE it with all my heart!!

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I love the confidence that con artists have to have that they can go into new towns and just take everyone for a ride. I guess that’s where the name comes from… Harmony really had everyone eating out of her hands, though I wasn’t all that impressed by her. Maybe due to the fact that I was in on the con so didn’t fall for her charms. Preston on the other hand, he is precious and needs to be protected at all costs. He was so sweet and I loved his passion for his work and the fight he had about keeping libraries diverse. Really putting his body on the line for the cause.

Thanks to #NetGallery and publisher for a copy of this book.

Genre: Romance MF
Format: Digital
POV: Dual
Tropes: small town, light grumpy sunshine, conwoman, autistic MMC & side character.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ /5
Age suggestion: 18+

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This was SOOOOOOO cute! I had a great time with these characters and highly recommend to anyone looking for a little escapism.

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Thank you NetGalley, L.A. Schwartz, and the publisher for this ARC of My Kind of Trouble in exchange for my honest review.

My Kind of Trouble was just the book I needed this week. It has the perfect ingredients for an upcoming best seller. The author hooks you from the very first page and doesn't let you go. I love how the MFC, Harmony, is curvy and the MMC, Preston, is autistic. These are qualities that are not often seen in romance novels. Let me tell you, the writing was beautiful. The way that I could easily visual every aspect of this book was exceptional.

If you like to smile and have your heart warmed this is the book for you.

Harmony Hale, pretending to be a big city, musical executive, who specializes in festivals rolls into town with one thing on her mind: revenge for the man who ruined her life, the town Mayor. The job is simple, 1. Convince said mayor to agree to hold this festival, which promises cash inflow to the town and many job opportunities and then at the last second pull out and take all his money. 2. Sweet talk the owner of the land that she needs to lease to hold this fake festival. With ease, Harmony finds the owner, a local librarian named Preston. Nerdy and Hot - this should be easy.

Preston, the autistic local librarian meets Harmony, a vigilante con woman.

Preston spends his days taking care of his younger, also autistic sister, and arguing with the local conservative moms about the book she is allowed to put on display. He does not have the time of the patience for this red headed beautiful, curvy woman who is eager to have a conversation with him - probably another conservative mom that wants to yell at him. He is determined to dodge her at every corner.

With persistence, Harmony wears him down and they start spending time together, planning the "festival". Will Harmony be successful in her con against the man behind all her childhood oppressions, or is there something else in store for Harmony?

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I will always support books about plus size and nuerodivergent characters. Kudos to Schwartz for writing a story that was both a respectful and fulfilling read.

Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

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The narrative is both engaging and emotionally resonant, featuring characters that are vividly drawn and genuinely relatable. The protagonist's journey is marked by a well-paced plot that holds surprises and twists, keeping the reader hooked from start to finish. The writing style is fluid and evocative, making the scenic descriptions and character emotions palpable. Overall, this book is a perfect pick for those who enjoy a heartwarming yet thrilling tale

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I had the pleasure of receiving an ARC of this adorable romance. A fun quirky re-telling of The Music Man, with the roles reversed. This book has a plus-sized conwoman FMC who oozes confidence and swag, and a nerdy librarian for the MMC who is musical talented, autistic and adorable.
The plot line of this was lots of fun. Harmony being a conwoman added the needed drama to this otherwise adorable building of a relationship.

The representation in this book was done incredibly well, the handling of autism, LGBTQIA+, body positivity etc. This story was such a positive and powerful representation of a healthy relationship. I loved Preston, his inner voice was so relatable and I loved the way he was choosing to raise his sister with kindness and compassion unlike his father did with him. Truly loved seeing his confidence flourish throughout this story. The representation of Harmony’s body was done so well, it just existed. There was no drawn out narrative about it and I loved that! I loved that she was allowed as a character to exist in that body and be proud, confident and sexy! As she should be👏

They made an adorable couple, and had me giggling at their playful teasing of each other. The spice was great too, I really enjoyed seeing the shy lil Preston come out of his shell!🔥

The side characters in this story were all well fleshed out and added to the overall enjoyment of reading this book.
I read it all within the space of a day as I was just having so much fun with them I couldn’t put it down. This was the first book I’ve read by this author but certainly won’t be the last!

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Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing this book, with my honest review below.

My Kind of Trouble was so much fun, with a charming con woman with a heart of gold in Harmony and a legitimately good guy in librarian and music teacher Preston. I loved the characters in this book and Harmony’s growth as she realizes what is important to her and those wanting the best for her, separate from her plot for revenge. There were some interesting topics at play here, and I thought the depiction of autism was especially well done, extending to not only the experiences of someone with autism but also how those around them, when being supportive and decidedly not, can impact them.

This was overall a light read but with its addition of some more painful topics it balances out well.

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Ella es una estafadora.
El es un bibliotecario .

Harmony quiere vengarse del hombre que le robó a su papá y para eso necesita estafar a todo un pueblo entre ellos se encuentra Preston quien está desesperado por tener más dinero para darle todo lo que necesita durante sobrina. ¿Harmony dejara a un lado su venganza por amor o lo perderá todo?


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for and honest review.

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This was such a lovely grumpy cinnamon roll x sunshine romance that I could NOT put down! The healthy relationships, beautiful representation of autism, and body positivity made my heart smile 😊 I loved how well the pacing was, the way the conflict was solved and that there was no unnecessary third act breakup. This was such a fun romance that I’d recommend to everyone 💕

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Sometimes a book just isn’t for you.

This author hit a trigger of mine really early on. I was far enough along to say that I think the writing is strong. The characters are likable and the pacing is good. But the author has very strong negative opinions about something that is important in my life and I wasn’t going to be able to connect with this book.

3 stars for neither a negative or a positive review.

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After reading and enjoying this author’s debut novel, A Prayer for Vengeance, I was so grateful to have the chance to read an early copy of her first foray into adult romance.

The book had everything that makes my romance-reader AND theatre-geek heart sing. Every little Music Man easter egg made me smile (Trouble with a capital T, for one example of many). Even though Music Man has been a part of my brain for ¾ of my life, this book is still enjoyable for anyone who can’t recite lyrics from memory. The characters were so wonderfully developed and true individuals inspired by, but not copy-and-paste versions of their counterparts from the musical. The tension of the *main conflict* had me stressed right up until the end…not in an unpleasant way, but in a way that kept me invested and worried about my treasured characters up until the end.

Finally, as a fellow ND parent of ND children (though a different diagnosis), I absolutely loved seeing some of our struggles represented on page. Some trauma is discussed related to being an ND person in an NT world, but never in a way that feels overwhelming. Happy endings for all that deserve it and sweet justice for those that don't!

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I loved this book from page one. The charming glibness of Harmony, sweet awkwardness of Preston, and all the fabulous side characters grabbed my heart and pulled me along from start to finish. I loved the slow burn romance, the friendships, the sibling story, and especially the wonderful and accessible Autistic representation. Absolutely fabulous.

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I appreciated the representation of neurodivergence and LGBTQ+ The story was very well written and I look forward to more from this author in the future. Overall this book was a great read and really created a positive outlook on the characters without being overbearing.

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Overall I enjoyed this book. I do feel like there was a lot of detail in the first half of the book that wasn’t necessary and I found myself wanting to skim to get to the point of the story line a bit. Once the story line picked up and things started coming together I did find it enjoyable. I adored Preston’s character and his loyalty to his library and the belief that everyone belongs and how passionate he was about inclusivity. The representation of neurodivergent individuals and LGBTQ+ was a huge positive for me.

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This is just - an absolute triumph of a book. Mrs. Schwartz has given us some excellent stories, but this is truly her crowning achievement (so far!) Highly recommended, and keep an eye on this author. She's going places!

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I really enjoyed this book. Preston is a cinnamon roll of a librarian who people perceive as grumpy due to his autistic traits. He is the guardian for his younger sister who is also autistic. Harmony is a high energy, sunshine con artist who arrives in Preston's town ready and eager to take down the town's mayor who cheated her dad out of millions.

I love that the author took great care to represent Preston and Lacey as whole people whose personalities and traits extend beyond the stereotypical characteristics people expect of autistic folks.

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A delightful romcom with autism rep and a fat heroine that is also a Music Man homage? Count me in! When conwoman Harmony comes to town intent on getting revenge on the corrupt mayor for a decades old betrayal, the only person standing in her way–and disturbingly immune to her charm–is autistic librarian, Preston. Experiencing Harmony and Preston collide over the course of the novel was the most fun I’ve had in a while. My Kind of Trouble is clever, sexy, and wholesome by turns––and as a neurodivergent reader it was so refreshing for me to see excellent autistic rep in a romance. Don’t miss out on the fun!

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After having read the blurb of the book I was intrigued to now how it played out and I was not dissatisfied with the book. It did feel a bit too insta love for me, but overlooking that I enjoyed reading the book and following along Preston and Harmony journey throughout the story.

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