I received this book for free from netgalley for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you for the opportunity.

I found this one personally very dry. I wouldn't get into it.

This was a DNF for me. I really wanted to enjoy it, but it wasn't what I thought it would be. I love the title of the book along with the coverart, but I could not stay engaged while reading this one.

I have not read a book by Zuri Day in a while. Genesis and Jaxson had a one-night stand with Jaxson who just so happens to be her brother’s rival. Genesis receives an inheritance that she was not expecting. When Genesis relatives get wind of her unexpected inheritance they are definitely not happy campers they think that inheritance should be theirs. This is an entertaining book with family rivalry, greed, chaos, redemption and romance.

I received an ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

This book was a good mix of romance , humor and fun. The characters were relatable and easy to read about. There were some words the were a bit repetitive but it didn’t took away from the book, overall i enjoy the book and it was a fun read

“Stuck in the Country With You” by Zuri Day was a book I sought out because, if a book is giving cozy, sexy, country vibes, I want to read it. But in reality, I just really didn’t enjoy this book all that much. While some elements & characters interesting (I really liked Jaxson!), I just couldn’t get past the strange pacing, the messy plot, & the inconsistent writing style. All of this combined made it very hard to actually get into the story, get to know the characters, & get invested in the plot & conflict. (But also, I don’t think I’ll ever forget the line, “He pounded her punanny,” so one could say this book was memorable!)

Thank you to Afterglow Books by Harlequin & NetGalley for providing a digital advanced copy of this book for review. All thoughts & opinions expressed are my own.

I found this to be an interesting read overall! There were a few parts of the story that felt like they were moving a bit too quickly and could have used a little more depth. I truly wanted to feel a strong connection to the story, and there were moments where that happened. While the romantic aspect didn't quite resonate with me, I believe the self-discovery elements had a lot of potential. Genesis' journey could have been the heart of the story, with the romance providing a nice backdrop. The characters themselves are quite likable; I just wished I could have connected more with their romance.

This was a cutely bland rom com. I ended up skimming a lot, but it was what it claims to be. I didn't think it was a particularly strong/memorable story, but it was cute and easy to read. It works well if you're in the mood for that.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

In this second-chance romance, which began ten years ago, Genesis Washington unknowingly had an unforgettable rebound with her younger brother’s rival, Jaxson King.

Now, after inheriting a relative’s farm—right next door to Jaxson—Genesis finds herself face-to-face with the past. The chemistry between them is still undeniable… and frustrating. She wants to hold onto her resentment, but Jaxson has grown into a compassionate and supportive man, offering her kindness as she navigates grief and unexpected life changes.

This is a feel-good story about miscommunication, lost love, and forgiveness. The banter between Genesis and Jaxson is light and fun, and their heavier conversations are handled with care and emotional depth. Jaxson is a solid MMC, but I found myself a bit frustrated at times—Genesis seemed overly forgiving and accommodating toward family members who clearly wronged her, yet she was much harder on Jaxson. While I understand character flaws and the need for “save-the-cat” moments, it was difficult to believe she would have so much patience for those working against her at every turn.

Despite this, the story kept my attention, and the romance had plenty of heart. Fans of second-chance love stories with forced proximity and emotional growth will enjoy this one!

Genesis inherits a farm from her great uncle, which she is totally unprepared to run. To make matters worse, her farm is located next to Jaxson’s property. Jaxson and Genesis shared an intense one-night stand, which was a mistake.

Jaxson is now grown up and raising his child. He is still handsome, but there is too much between them. It doesn’t stop them from reconnecting and sharing in that same chemistry. The question is, are they willing to go through the struggles of being together?

The story starts off promising, but halfway through, it loses a lot of its spark. The characters are mostly okay but the chemistry is just lacking. Genesis continually pushes back on Jaxson because of family drama. It is understandable, but the connection with her and the other characters in her family is not fully fleshed out, so I didn’t really understand the real issue of being with Jaxson. I found myself skimming through the book, which is something I really hate.

The author’s writing style is really jumbled and took me out of the story. She transitions between time and scenes very awkwardly. I had a very hard time following or understanding how we got to that point. The author could have closed out a scene first before going to the next to make the transition smoother.

Overall, this may not have been the story for me it can work for those who want an easy and quick romance.

~ Samantha

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was wonderful!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Romance for my ARC of Stuck in the Country with You!

Overall, I give this book 3.5 stars. It was a cute romance that was enjoyable to read, but lacked in places in the plot.

Genesis, the main character, suddenly finds herself jobless and the new owner of a farm, thanks to the loss of her great Uncle Cyrus and the chagrin of his children and grandchildren. To add the cherry on top, her new neighbor in the country is none other than Jaxson King, the football star who broke her heart.

I loved the storyline around the will, being a wills and trust attorney but the ending didn't wrap up in a satisfying way. I felt there was a lot of build up without reward.

The storyline also jumped around a lot, which made it hard to keep up with the timeline. The dialogue was also hard to follow at times. The best thing about the book was Jaxson King. He was an unexpected hero.

If you are looking for a quick read and an entertaining romance, I would recommend this book.

So cute and a quick read. I would recommend this to romance readers or those getting into romance. Also I love a good second chance romance and small town one too.

I really loved the concept and the small towness of it all.

And that it was a sneaky second chance. I appreciate that we got to explore all the family mess that is classic for small town. Especially because it's all under a microscope and everyone is in everyones business.

It was really nice on this journey with Genesis. As a city girl, who was kind of forced to come to country and deal with some real administrative adult stuff, it always intrigues me when people and the way that there estates are handled. Watching her evolve and grow into herself was a good time.

The romance between Genesis and Jaxon was really lovely, and I enjoyed that.

For anyone looking for some small town Black romance, this was a good time.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for an e-copy.

3/5 stars
2/5 spice

Tropes:
Second chance romance
Former NFL player MMC
City girl
Found family
Dual POV

This was an Ok read for me, but only because I felt that there were pockets of the story that felt rushed and underdeveloped. I really wanted to be invested in the story, and I was in some moments. I think for a romance, it fell flat, but as a self-discovery story, it could've been great. Genesis' story could've been the central plot, while the romance was the background/subplot. These aren't dislikable characters, but I just wasn't invested in their romance together. Plus, I disliked the way the spice was written... probably could've been a fade to black or closed door (this coming from someone who LOVES open door spice).

This was my first book from this author. I might check out her work again in the future, but her style might not be for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Romance for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

Moving on from trauma dating 10 years is difficult, but adding grief and a chance to restart to your life? Insane, and Genesis did just that when she came back to Holy Mound and met Jaxson. Beautiful story how letting go of your assumptions can work in your favor and you can have so much more than you’ve ever dreamed of.

2.75/3 ⭐️

Overall, I left this book just feeling like I wanted more, but not necessarily in a good way. It was a fun story line set in small town and i loved the idea. A farm is left to the FMC who is the niece of the late farm owner and his children and immediate family are very mad about it. She ends up visiting the farm and falling in love with small town / rural living and uplifts her life to move back.

I really enjoyed the main characters and their growth/stories but I feel like there wasn’t enough build up and angst… It felt very unfinished and I just wanted more.

It was a character driven story, which is fine, but it left a lot to be desired. I wanted more of the characters and their stories, weather that be their back stories or their future.

Overall, it wasn’t awful but it just felt incomplete to me.

"Stuck in the Country with You" grabbed my attention right from the start with its stunning cover. I LOVED THE COLOR SCHEME!! I was expecting a charming, lighthearted romance with a bit of country flair, but I found that the story didn’t quite deliver on that front. Despite the premise of inheriting a farm, the farm itself didn’t play a major role in the plot.

The biggest issue for me was how passive the protagonist, Genesis, felt throughout the story. It seemed like events unfolded around her, but she didn’t take much control of her own journey. Additionally, the resolution came too quickly, with little emotional payoff. Though it was a quick and easy read, I found parts of the story to be rushed or incomplete, leaving me wanting more in terms of both the plot and Genesis’s personal growth.

This story combines small-town romance and second chances, with a Hallmark movie vibe and a touch of Fixer Upper. While it had its sweet moments I do recommend this book to readers! Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Romance for giving me the opportunity to read Stuck in the Country with You early in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, this story fell flat for me. I can see others enjoying the characters, the story, and the length, but it just did not work for me. The story felt hollow, and I struggled to connect much with the main characters' thoughts and feelings. This is not uncommon for me when it comes to shorter novels or novellas. I think this story could have benefitted from being longer and diving deeper into the main characters and developing their relationship. Even in romance, I like to see the conflicts and resolutions mirror real life more. The conflicts in Stuck in the Country with You seemed to be superficial and resolved too easily. The conflicts themselves were interesting to me and had so much potential to really dig into themes of ego, family dynamics, and repairing relationships. Lastly, some of the language used in the explicit scenes was off-putting to me. The euphemisms for genitals were not words I would think many would find sexy and are more in line with slang that is used to humorous as opposed to arousing (meat, nuts, hot box, etc.). I appreciate the use of terms beyond the same three or four that are often overused in explicit scenes, but these terms took me out of the story because they did not fit in with the tone of the scene.

I’ve only read one of Day’s books previously, but I saw this one come up and the blurb had me hooked! I had to get it in my hands, and was lucky enough to be able to get a copy.

Genesis (Gen) inherited her uncle’s farm, so the big city girl moved to the countryside, and now was fighting legal battles with her cousins who felt that they were due, but Gen spent the time with him and had the relationship, while they were never close with their family.

Gen immediately discovers that her new neighbor Jaxson is the fine man that she had a single, incredible night with a decade ago (and her brother’s rival!) - who has grown up into an extremely finer gentleman and father. He’s there to help figure out farm life, navigate other problems… oh, and happy revisit that thing they once did. Again, and again…

A great and quick read, which is very steamy, not too angsty, but does have a lot of family drama. There’s a fun side-project that I enjoyed reading, too! Definitely a recommendation from me. I can’t wait to read more of her titles!

Thank you to NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin for an early reader copy. This is my honest feedback.

Stuck in the Country with You by Zuri Day is such a fun and heartwarming small-town romance. The story follows Genesis Washington, a city girl who inherits her great-uncle’s farm, only to discover her next-door neighbor is Jaxson King, her old flame from ten years ago. Sparks fly as Genesis learns to navigate rural life, deal with family drama, and confront her lingering feelings for Jaxson. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the mix of humor and heartfelt moments makes their relationship a joy to watch unfold.

Genesis’s struggles on the farm and with her family make her relatable, while Jaxson’s steady and determined presence adds depth to their dynamic. I loved how their banter and tender moments brought out the best in each other. The small-town setting and colorful supporting characters made the story even more charming. If you enjoy second-chance romances with a lot of heart, this book is an easy, feel-good read.