This was a lovely debut novel! I felt like the small town setting was done so perfectly I felt really immersed in the story. It was both light and deep at the same time! Johanna is an amazing relatable protagonist and I can’t wait to read more from this author! I really felt the connection between her characters. Will be adding to our library and recommending 100%!

3.5 stars!

As debuts go, Ronnie did a wonderful job with this book.

I really felt the emotional history that Patrick and Johanna shared. The way she described the small town setting of Sutton Bay really painted a beautiful picture of what this area looked like. Patrick's daughter, Lottie, was precious and the perfect addition to every scene she was in. The puzzle piece and saved post-it notes....seriously the sweetest full circle moments!

The primary thing I felt was lacking was action. The vast majority of this story takes place between the restaurant and Patrick's house with the occasional field trip to the coffee shop or bar, thus leaving me feeling like not much was happening. This caused the book to feel sluggish (especially the first 35%ish) and drawn out at times. The middle 40-60% and the last 10-15%, though, were really well paced and held my interest.

I would have loved to see a bit more development from Johanna's friendship with Quinn in the second half of the book, as well as more Carrie/Johanna moments, but that's just my personal preferences talking! :-)

Even still, I'm very much interested in continuing the series to get Booth and Graham's stories! And maybe Dex, too?! :-)

Congrats to Ronnie Matthews on an impressive debut!

You can tell this was written by someone who has a love for this genre. It’s a lovely light read and a great debut start for the author. I do have to admit that it slowed down a lot half way through and kind of lost momentum. Although very well written in the prose, I just felt it lacked a iittle something and the fact that you had to wait until the very end to find something out and there wasn’t anything to fill that gap, it just lingered.

★★★★.5

You might know Ronnie from her booksta account @wordstoescape (go check her out if you haven’t already, she’s freaking hilarious!) but soon you’ll know her for her own words, because damn this book was so freaking good!! 😍 Those Two Words is her debut book but it definitely doesn’t read like a debut! It reads like she was made to write and I’m so proud of her for trusting in herself and doing the damn thing!! 👏🏼

Johanna was so relatable! I love how raw and honest her struggles with her mental health were, and how they’re dealt with on the page. I think most people can probably relate to some aspects of anxiety, but to see how much Jo went through was so heartbreaking and it really opens up your eyes to how much some people struggle to cope with what others might see as “ordinary things”. I love how deep Ronnie went with it, she didn’t shy away from the ugly, but she made a painful story beautiful.

I fell for Patrick from the very start. He was guarded and scared, but I loved when he eventually gave in. He tried to fight it, but those old feelings never went away, and he was powerless against them. He was so patient, doing everything he could to help Jo. He was such a good dad to Lottie and I just loved how her humour really lifted the story when it needed it.

I loved the dynamic between the two families and how close they all were 🥹 They have all suffered immense grief, but they continued to rally around one another and supported each other and the restaurant.

This was such a beautiful story about love, overcoming grief, heartbreak, second chances and returning home.

P.S. I really hope we get Graham and Quinn’s story next! 🤭

Those Two Words releases on August 22 and will be available on KU!

Thank you so much Ronnie and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tropes:
- Small Town Romance
- Single Dad Romance
- Childhood Friends to Lovers
- Second Chance
- Workplace Romance
- Forced Proximity
- Mental Health Rep
- Mutual Pining
- No Third Act Breakup
- It Was Always You
- Slow Burn

This novel is a cozy and thoughtful romantic story set in Maine, USA, focusing on childhood best friends Patrick and Jo. Reunited after years apart, Jo returns to manage her family’s business, reigniting Patrick's long-buried feelings. The narrative explores their complex relationship, shaped by shared history and personal losses—the deaths of Patrick's father and Jo's mother. Themes of second chance love, nostalgia, and the challenges of coping with anxiety add depth and realism to the story.

Overall, this book is a delightful, light read with a charming New England backdrop. Fans of friends-to-lovers and second-chance tropes will enjoy the heartwarming romance and engaging storyline. The author’s modern yet old-school charm makes this love story both timeless and contemporary, leaving readers eagerly anticipating Ronnie’s future works.

Thank you NetGalley for this wonderful arc

WOW!!
I was absolutely blown away by this book, and still can’t believe it is the author’s debut! She is definitely one to watch!

A stunningly beautiful, at times heartbreaking story. It takes an awful lot to make me cry, but this did it.

Johanna and Patrick’s story is full of real, raw emotions. Johanna’s character is so relatable for anyone who has ever suffered with any kind of anxiety, and I could just feel everything she went through as it was described, almost as though I’d been there and seen it myself. The writing is beautiful, the story telling is excellent and keeps you engaged throughout.

Johanna and Patrick grew up together, have been best friends since childhood and their parents owned a restaurant together. Johanna left Sutton Bay 6 years ago, and Patrick had no idea why. But now she’s back to help their families save the restaurant and there are a lot of words left unsaid, insecurities and broken hearts to be mended.

Patrick is a single dad and his daughter Lottie is adorable. I loved seeing her relationship with Jo blossom, and it was so great that her mom never caused any drama and was so supportive of Patrick and Jo. It felt like something we rarely see in single parent romances!

One of my favourite parts of the story was the jigsaw puzzle (IYKYK) 😭🧩

You can really tell how much love and care has been poured into this book. We sometimes see new authors rushing out releases whereas this author has clearly taken her time to write this properly and thoroughly. It is well edited, without plot holes and beautifully written.

Huge thank you to the author and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review. Any chance we can have Quinn and Graham next?! Please?!

I was provided the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel by the author and NetGalley. This novel is a debut novel for Ronnie and it was a great first book!

This novel focuses on Patrick and Jo whom were childhood best friends. Jo ended up moving away, but has recently returned to town and is working to manage her family’s business. Patrick finds himself with immediate feelings coming back to him for Jo.

I went in pretty blind and don’t want to spoil it for other readers but it seriously has one of the cutest romances in it! This novel has friends to lovers, second chance, and he falls hard tropes.

Cannot wait to see what is coming next for Ronnie!

What a debut novel this was! It was the perfect second chance romance for me, you could feel that childhood best friends to lovers history that cemented that they were made for each other right from the very beginning, I loved the way that there was glimpses into their past and how deeply rooted they were in one another’s lives.

Also we know I’m a sucker for a single Dad so on top of Patrick obviously being everyone’s ideal man he’s a single girl dad too?? He was swoony with a filthy mouth and I was absolutely here for it! The way he showed all his emotions and was all in pretty much as soon as he stopped attempting to avoid her made me love him even more!

My heart hurt for Johanna so much, the way Ronnie portrayed her Depression and Anxiety was handled with such care and really highlighted just how well someone can hide what they’re going through, even from those closest to them.

I absolutely loved this book and I can’t wait to see what’s next in Sutton Bay! I feel like we got a couple of hints and if it’s who I think it is I’ve got a feeling Patrick’s going to have some competition 👀

Oh my goodness I loved it!! I went in wanting to read a few chapters before bed and I couldn’t put it down! I had to keep reading! I absolutely love Jo, Patrick and the rest of the Our Place family ! This is a beautiful cozy heart tugging love story that is set in Maine! If you love a second chance, always been you romance you gotta check this out! I look forward to reading more of the Sutton Bay series when they are released!
Thank you to Ronnie and NetGalley for letting me read an advance copy of Those Two Words! This is Ronnie’s debut novel and it’s amazing! This book had me in my feels and I was crying by the end! It’s a must read!!

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬:
Overall: ☆☆☆.
Spice: 🌶️
Plot: ☆☆☆
𝔸𝕔𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨𝕝𝕖𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤:
I would like to thank Netgalley for letting me read the ARC for this book.
𝖂𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖒𝖆𝖉𝖊 𝖒𝖊 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉 𝖎𝖙:
I actually saw a review of this book and then I headed over to Netgalley, requested it and here we are!
𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀:
This book is a cozy,romantic, thoughtful love story set in Maine, USA.
Patrick and Jo have known each other their whole lives, and while they’ve always liked each other and been close, heartbreak in the form of death- of Patrick's father and Jo's mother- tears them apart.
This book had second chance love and the nostalgia of childhood friends to lovers.
But not only that, it also talks about how hard it is to cope and live/ deal with anxiety day to day.

Overall, it was a great, light read.

Patrick Saddler and Johanna Thomas were childhood friends, the best of friends. When they finally decided to be more than just friends, tragedy struck them and Johanna disappears. 6 years later, Johanna is back home to help save their family’s co-owned restaurant and Patrick is not to pleased about it.

Of course I hated the way Patrick treated Johanna at first but you can easily see how affected he was by her. How he only ever saw her outside of his daughter.

Johanna had her inner demons. I’m happy she got to work through them and found happiness when she moved back home. Being surrounded by Patrick, Lottie and the rest of the family.

Something was just missing for me. Maybe I hoped they spent more time with each other just because their schedules were so off sometimes and they weren’t able to see each other for days. But that’s just the hopeless romantic in me not wanting to think about adulting. Or maybe it was because Johanna didn’t really reveal why she left until the end. But I also get it cause when you’re going through all that anxiety and what not, sometimes it is hard to talk about it, especially when you’re not ready.

I loved the side characters and I honestly can’t wait to read more about them.

I read this book in one sitting and genuinely enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc for my honest review.

I absolutely loved the beautiful content of this novel. I loved the New England vibe and also could relate to the friends or maybe more aspect of the book. I was so invested in the characters and whether or not they would land up together in the end. A beautifully written modern love storm with old school charm. I loved it

Review to Come

Love the cover ❤️
Description intrigued me…
Author is new to me.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC