This is the first in a new series, and this is Hope and Ben’s journey.
Hope is standing at the altar to marry her high school sweetheart, when she does an about turn, and runs into the woods. Ben is a struggling musician looking for inspiration, and while hiking in the woods he comes across Hope in her wedding dress. I loved how Hope and Ben’s relationship evolved, and they complement each other perfectly.
This is a well written easy to read, emotional roller coaster, with family, friendships, humor, witty banter, engaging and realistic characters, and love, which leads to an entertaining, and fun, small town romance.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

I really enjoyed this book and its storyline was fresh and out of the norm for the typical romcoms I read (see heavy metal band Midnight Destruction).

You will quickly wish you were a part of the Barlowe family—thankfully we are getting more books with the siblings and Maple Creek!

Dual POV
Runaway bride
Small town
Hidden identity
Wounded hero
Breaking out of her shell heroine

She's rushing, that's for sure...

It feels like its been forever since I've last read a Lauren Landish.
Hope literally runs away from her wedding, in her wedding dress and straight into Ben.
Talk about not marrying the first boy you date, but essentially the second. Ben is everything not on Hope's list. A musician, tatted and well, not on her checklist. I really felt like Hope needed to take some time to be alone, to not be in a relationship, to see who she is as not part of a couple.
Recommend.

This romance was so unique. A main character who is the lead singer of a metalcore band? I’m so in. A run away bride just happens to run into this band member in the woods, except she doesn’t know who he is. No one does.

The romance in this book smolders and builds slowly, but when it ignites its burns hot. Watching Hope grow into her femininity was so cool. Women are often taught to be quiet and demure, to go along with the stereotypical dream of becoming a wife and mother. Hope finds herself reinventing herself along the journey of this book, I loved it. Like I’ve said before, I love bad ass women

I do think they could have had a way cooler cover though.

I liked this story and the self-discovery that Hope goes through after running away from her wedding. I thought Ben was a great support for her and he really helped her to see that she doesn't have to tone herself down for others. I didn't like Roy and I understood why Hope left him, but at the same time I also felt bad for him. This is a small town where everyone knows everyone and Hope takes off and leaves him there with the whole town in attendance and no explanation so I could understand his hurt and anger over it.

I liked the relationship between Ben and Hope, but the timeline was really fast. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and there were some funny moments.

I loved watching these two lost souls find one another! Everything from their meet-cute to their HEA was perfection.

Hope and Ben are such lovable characters. She is so much stronger than she even knew. Leaving her fiance was exactly what she needed. (He really treated her poorly) I loved watching her blossom into the amazing, confident, take no crap woman she was meant to be. Ben helped her to feel like she could be herself around him and I loved watching him open up to her. He is both confident and shy. I really enjoyed the different sides of his personality.

These two complete each other on a soul deep level that you could feel through the pages. I loved how they got to know one another and grew together. The side characters really helped to make this story even better. I hope there will be more books after this one!

ARC review.

I Do With You – a funny and clever contemporary romance from Lauren Landish. This has a super cute premise that occupies the first half of this light-hearted novel.
Hope runs away from her wedding, literally when she’s standing at the altar. It’s dramatic and crazy, and sets the tone for all the following shenanigans. Hope is a people-pleaser and a rule-follower and she’s had a plan for her life with ex-fiance Roy, ever since high school. Trouble is, in spite of her best efforts, her feelings became overwhelming about how wrong that relationship was. She runs away into the woods where she meets gorgeous Ben. Luckily Ben is (somewhat mysteriously) having a few weeks’ break in a holiday cabin.

Considering how close she got to getting married, she and Ben hit it off pretty quickly. He’s happy to help her out, and she is determined to show him around Maple Creek, even if that means a showdown with everyone from Roy himself to the shopkeepers and the Sherrif, who have all taken sides. This is all light and fluffy as Ben supports her new-found confidence while they get to know each other.

The plot also focuses on Ben’s backstory. He has big secrets around his job, and why he’s hiding away. Of course, he takes too long to tell Hope and it all gets a bit messy. There’s a slow burn, then they get together and Ben shows Hope all the steam she has been missing out on. It’s spicy and rather delicious. Their breakup feels inevitable as Hope still has a lot to learn, and Ben has to navigate his work situation and the fall out from his secrets.

There’s a more serious side, especially in Ben‘s backstory but mostly it’s a romp, not really a romcom - just an easy breezy amusing read.
It's a predictable and satisfying romance as we watch these two very nice people navigate their messes and find each other. I particularly liked Ben - he had a difficult upbringing and for all the drama, he’s thoughtful and self-aware. Recommended as an easy weekend read.

Thank you Lauren Landish, NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this novel however it fell flat very quickly. It went from being written well and action filled, to more juvenile YA feeling. I know a lot of people will enjoy this read, and will find it fun for a summer beach read though. I was able to read an ARC thanks to the publisher, and NetGalley.

Hope, a runaway bride and Ben, an undercover rockstar with stage fright, fall in love in this first book in a new dual POV, steamy small town romance series. This was fun, had emotional depth and great chemistry between the leads.

I didn't love the miscommunication trope but I did love how Hope takes control of her life before just agreeing to go along with what everyone was expecting. Good on audio narrated by Stella Hunter and Ryan West and perfect for fans of authors like Lucy Score.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review! Looking forward to what comes next in the Maple Creek series!

After bolting from her wedding mid-vow, Hope finds herself swept away by a stranger named Ben. What begins as an impulsive escape becomes a journey of self-discovery, and along the way, Hope not only unearths a fresh sense of identity but also discovers the potential for an unexpected love. Ben is a supportive and understanding presence, offering her both a new perspective and the space to question a life she had always assumed was set in stone. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and the humorous exchanges add a charming lightness to the initial chapters. Their budding relationship is compelling, with alternating POVs giving insight into both Hope’s internal struggle to find herself and Ben’s unwavering support as she embarks on this uncertain path.

However, despite the promising start, the story lost some of its appeal for me as it went on. While the meet-cute and emotional connection between Hope and Ben were engaging at first, the narrative began to feel repetitive around the midpoint. Hope’s character became frustratingly self-centered, as her search for clarity seemed to spiral into needless drama. The third-act breakup, in particular, felt formulaic, involving an overused trope where a misunderstanding leads Hope to shut down any chance of communication. This lack of maturity in handling conflict dampened my investment in her journey by the end.

Despite these issues, I’m still curious about where the series will go, especially since Hope’s sister, Joy, showed promise as an interesting character. Her presence hints at a storyline with a different energy, and I’ll be interested to see how her story unfolds in the next book.

Hope ran away from her dream wedding and literally ran into the lead singer of a metal band trying to find his pieces together in her sweet small town. But hold on, Ben is far from usual Rockstars. He is very real and very relatable with his own fear, pain and insecurities. It was so easy for Hope to fall in love because this incredible man showed her at every step that she is amazing. At a point of time when she was lost and vulnerable, a complete stranger stood by her side and lifted her spirits and healed her soul.

✔️ small town
✔️ runaway bride
✔️ good girl- bad boy


It's hard to be a metal rock band lead singer and have performance anxiety at the same time. Ben comes from a sh1tty background and music is his escape. But it's getting tiring and hurtful too because of his growing distance with his best friend and band mate Sean. That's why he went to Maple Creek. To get his head at right place. And his path collided with Hope. He became instantly obsessed with her.

Hope was a mess. She spent whole life carefully crafting a perfect future with her high school boyfriend. But as the wedding day came closer, she realised she is trapped. Her fiance doesn't love her like she wanted. It's a status. It's a trophy. But not happiness and contentment. She didn't expect to trust Ben so easily but he made her safe. He held her hands as she faced the furious fiance and the gossiping small town. His little but meaningful gestures made her feel appreciated and adored. It was fast but it was like two Souls clicking together. But Ben's real identity was a secret and it almost destroyed them.

Ben looked at Hope and saw a beautiful and sweet and sassy and absolutely amazing woman. He fell in love with her and that removed his darkness. Hope thought she wanted perfect and sweet but she actually needed raw and intense, someone like Ben.

Ps Sean's story will be amazing.

PPS I hope that's with Hope's sister.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

After running out of her wedding mid-vow, Hope escapes with the help of a stranger and ends up on a journey of self-discovery, finding not only herself, but an unexpected partner and new path in life. 👣

This one started strong for me and fizzled out as it went. Things started great – I loved the meet-cute, our leads had great chemistry, and the humor hit. I also loved how supportive our MMC, Ben, was of our FMC, Hope, and her journey of finding out who she was after having been in the same relationship since high school and outgrowing the expectations she (and everyone else) had for her future. The story was told in alternating POVs between both Ben and Hope which I also liked. Midway through the book is where I started to struggle, as it felt like the forward momentum began to stall and everything started to feel repetitive. Hope started to grate on me too, because it started to feel like all she did was bring drama everywhere she went. The third-act break-up also annoyed me, and it will annoy you too if you’re not a fan of someone finding out a secret and then ghosting any attempts to actually allow for discussion or explanation. 🙄 Even though I was definitely ready to be done as I neared the end of the book, I do plan on continuing the series because I really liked Hope’s sister, Joy, who book two will focus on.

My thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for a complimentary advance copy of this eBook, out 11/12/2024.

I could not put this book down! I love Hopes story so much. Just before Hope marries her high school sweetheart she realizes what a big mistake she’s making. While she may have ran out on her wedding she ran straight into her new life. Ben is such a great guy and perfect for Hope. He has his own issues but once Hope enters the picture he puts everything aside and supports her. He helps her grow into the person she is meant to be. In the process he finds the love and support he’s never had.

Landish always gives us a fun and entertaining read. This book was about going after what you want. This was a great romance that makes you laugh and makes you fall in love.

Highly recommended

Fans of “Runaway Bride” will devour this. I thought this book was so much fun! I loved the woman empowerment, the rock & roll, and the forced proximity. I absolutely loved the character of Ben and how accepting, kind, deep, and funny he was. Hope admittedly had to grow on me, but I was definitely rooting for the couple.

This is a fun, entertaining read. Ben and Hope are interesting, wounded, complex, relatable, intriguing, complicated, strong, likable, entertaining characters. I enjoyed their romance and the path it took to get to their HEA. These two are fun to spend time and I loved their meet cute. The secondary characters – particularly Sean and Hope’s family – added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. The story had quirky moments and relatable ones that added to the overall enjoyment. The story is easy to read and get into.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Landing delivered a great plot, swoony MCs, banter and a copious amount of my favourite tropes. A light and easy read that is a perfect palette cleanser of a book

A romp of a book. Hope and Ben meet cute- in the woods where she's fled from her wedding in her dress. Know that there's an insta-love opposites attract thing going on and that, frankly, you might feel for Roy, who Hope left at the altar with the whole town watching, That said, these are two good characters and the small town atmospherics are well tuned. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Landish's fans will be pleased.

I’ve been a fan of Lauren’s for years. She writes laugh out loud stories. And there were certainly moments in this book that were funny. It just fell a bit short for me. I’m not opposed to insta-love stories, but this one was just a bit too insta.

I would really have loved some more character development for Hope. While I realize romance books are fiction and meant to be an escape, there should be some semblance of believability. The events that lead up to Hope and Ben meeting are believable, but the speed at which everything else happens is not. I can’t get into too much detail without giving away spoilers. I just would have loved a more in depth story about Hope’s journey of finding herself and healing on her own.

Ben I really did like as a character. he’s flawed, but has a good heart.

This wasn’t a bad book, I just felt like it could have been better. If you like super spicy and really fast insta-love, you’ll likely enjoy this fast paced read.

I have some mixed feelings on this book. Overall, it was just ok for me.

I liked Ben and the fact that when it came to Hope and her situation he was, as she tells him, unflappable. He’s a gentleman toward her, encouraging and supportive of her self-discovery and growth. His career and backstory was unique and interesting as well.

I’m not sure how I felt about Hope though. I appreciated her coming into her own and realizing how small she had been making herself, but I didn’t love the way she handled things with her fiancé-turned-ex. I’m all for a runaway bride story when the groom is a horrible man, but in this case it seemed more like he was just immature and became a jerk after being left at the altar, which, fair. It was like trying to make it seem like he’d been a villain in hiding for their whole relationship, when really they were just young and grew apart. Hope was immature in her own right with the way she handled things.

This wasn’t a bad book, I just didn’t love it. Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.