Great read for all romance fans with wonderful small town, cozy vibes! Funny and lighthearted with great side characters, especially the raccoon!

I didn't get to finish the book before it was published but I do have it on hold from my local library to finish it. I read the first 12/13 chapters and I was immediately engaged with the characters, I felt for Hazel and her disasters when she moved to small town, Pa. I loved the Wawa referece as someone who is from SE PA, a good Wawa reference is always nice to see.

This was such a fun small-town romance with a cast of quirky side characters reminiscent of Jill Shalvis' earlier writing. A great escapist read.

Nobody writes small town romance like Lucy Score 🙌

I adored this story about a big city writer who moves to a small town to get her career back on track. In Story Lake, Hazel meets grumpy, hot contractor Cam. The two are immediately drawn to each other, even though neither of them wants a relationship.

I really loved the quirky supporting characters, including 🦅 and 🦝 (IYKYK)! Goose the Eagle killed me every time 🤣

Lucy’s writing always sucks me in and has my laughing and swooning over the characters 🩵

There’s just something about reading the first book in a new series, knowing that we’ll get more from this cute town and the wonderful people in it 🥰

🩵 fake dating
🩵 grumpy / sunshine
🩵 big city FMC meets small town

If you’re looking for a small-town romcom, I can’t recommend this one enough!

Lucy Score truly is the queen of small town romance. Fans of the Things We Never Got Over/Knockemout series will really enjoy this new one, set in a rural town in Pennsylvania called Story Lake. Best of all, it’s getting released on Tuesday! 🎉

Hazel is a struggling former bestselling author who got divorced a year ago and has been feeling depressed and stuck ever since. On a desperate whim she purchases a house sight unseen in Story Lake after seeing an article about the small town and the infamous Bishop Brothers. She’s hoping that this fresh start will give her inspiration and help her finally write again. After moving there with her best friend & literary agent Zoey, she realizes it’s not quite what she expected, and she’s not the only one who needs saving.

I really enjoyed this book and all of its tropes including grumpy-sunshine, found family, fake dating, and second chances. It had lots of heartwarming and laugh out loud moments (the eagle scene is truly unforgettable 😂), great side characters, and spicy scenes that started halfway through but were worth the wait 🔥. I wasn’t sure about Hazel as a main character at first but she grew on me. My only real complaint was that it was really long, but that’s nothing new for Lucy Score’s books. I will definitely continue reading this series. Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for providing me with an advanced copy!

A little hot... I'm a suspense addict so not usually the romance reader, but I do like the Lucy Score Rom-com's. This takes place in a small town in Pennsylvania...very small... where nothing is kept secret. The town has a text group that keeps up with the gorgeous contractor Cam's activities because he is an eligible bachelor!!
Hazel is a romance author that must move out of her apartment. Her publisher has given her a warning that if she doesn't come up with her next book they will release her. She buys a house in Pennsylvania, a real fixer-upper, so she needs a contractor. You know where this is going...
A funny story that had me laughing aloud...hard to explain when people are in the room with you.
Oh, did I mention there are some really steamy scenes with a high level of tension? Get this book!!
Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lucy score is the queen of romance and smutty happy reads. Honestly I will read everything she writes and tell everyone to read it!

Vintage Lucy Score! This book has everything I love about Lucy’s work – fantastic writing, hilarious small town shenanigans, a swoon-worthy grump and an adorable heroine. I’m in love!

Lucy Score has cured my book hangover that I’m still feeling after finishing her Knockemout series. With Story of My Life, she’s bringing her signature small town romantic comedy chops to start a brand new series and I’m all for it.

Because of my book hangover, this book made my list of most anticipated new romance books of 2025 and it did not disappoint.

Quirky and adorable heroine – check!
Grumpy hero who falls first – check!
Small town shenanigans with hilarious side characters – check!
Animals who like to cause havoc – check!
Hot brothers whose books I’m now dying to have – check!

Laugh out loud moments with hilarious texting and banter – double check!
I’m not sure what more you could ask for, other than having a heroine who is a romance author in need of inspiration and who ends up living out her own romance book-worthy story.

Lucy Score just works her magic when it comes to creating a fantastic small town romance that pulls you in and hooks you with not only the main characters, but the entire cast of characters. Story Lake was adorable with its crazy racoon and bald eagle, young Mayor and a trio of really hot brothers.

The grumpy sunshine trope has become one of my favorites and this one fed everything I love about the trope.

Campbell and Hazel have a fun meet cute that doesn’t set them off on the best of terms even though she hires him to renovate the house she just bought and his family company desperately needs the work. That cues up some great forced proximity where I enjoyed Cam showcasing his abs and handiwork just as much as Hazel.

I loved his grumpiness that had its fair dose of sweetness when it counted. His banter with Hazel was so much fun to eat up, especially when things heated up between them.

Hazel was an adorable heroine to root for, especially since she was a romance author who lost her muse. I loved that she went looking for real life inspiration and didn’t have any problems asking Cam for fake dates and standing up to him when she needed to.

Fans of Lucy Score and those new to her work will undoubtedly enjoy this new book and the entire series to come.

I loved it and highly recommend it for all.

Thank you to Bloom Books for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Another well written, hilarious story from Lucy Score. Story of Mu Life is a story about a woman who has lost herself and attempts to start over in a small town full of perfectly imperfect people for such an endeavor. I laughed out loud so many times and found some scenes hilarious and realistic. But I really liked the small look at how authors may be inspired by real life.

For a minute I thought this was going to be my perfect book, but it turns out my suspension of disbelief wanes around page 300. Increasingly ridiculous and way too long, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't going to pick up any and all subsequent Story Lake books. This will be someone's perfect story I'm sure! And I hope the next one will be mine.

Lighthearted and humorous, this cozy romance checks all the boxes for a lively adventure! Recovering from a troubled relationship and low point in her career, Hazel takes a chance to spread her wings and move to Story Lake after reading an inspiring article about the town and its local residents. The handsome carpenter in the article might have encouraged her decision, too.

Hazel's new journey proves to be quite different than expected, upon her arrival to the small town. Quirky characters, misadventures, rescue animals, and finding love again after hardship makes this novel relatable and endearing.

This book gives you all the warm feels and leaves you wanting to take a trip to Story Lake! Thank you Sourcebooks for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book was fantastic! It was my first Lucy Score novel, and I'm already eager to read more from this series. Hazel, the romance writer protagonist, and Cam, the contractor, are both incredibly well-developed characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this small-town romance with its quirky side characters. The story explores deeper themes, like risks worth taking and the inevitability of life's unexpected turns.

Highly recommend this read to anyone who enjoys heartwarming romances with engaging characters and thought-provoking themes.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy!

***4.5 stars out of 5*** I loved this book! This was a “fresh start,” “fake dating,” “finding yourself” delight with hilarious chapter titles, i.e. “Sleeping Bougie Leaves Town.”

Our romance author FMC Hazel finds herself in a writing slump and being evicted from the NYC apartment her condescending ex stole from her in the divorce after sabotaging her career. We don’t love her at first as she is honestly quite gross with hoarding tendencies and poor hygiene but after her kick-butt agent/best friend since third grade drops off her old inspiration folder she unsurprisingly finds inspiration. It comes in the form of an old newspaper clipping featuring a charming small town, an old house, and the three hot contractor Bishop brothers. In an impulsive move she buys the house sight unseen and drags her now unemployed agent/best friend to the quaint town of Story Lake, PA. She immediately has a meet-cute with one brother, wrecks her rental car and the town sign after a run-in with a bald eagle, and is rescued by another brother. She finds her new home is in serious need of repair and the town against her as they falsely believe she killed the town mascot, a bald eagle named Goose.

Things I loved about the book-
Hazels redemption arc- she started as a troll but fought for her HEA
The Bishop family- so perfectly imperfect! Realistically terrible at dealing with feelings.
Darius- genius high school mayor with hero worship, seriously fun!
Campbell Bishop- alpha male with touch-her-and die possessiveness.
The tropes- fake dating for writing research with the addition of the jealous brother angle= so good! For a minute I thought Lucy Score might have been dipping into the “why choose” trope, but alas it was not meant to be.
Men reading romance novels!
Hazel being “Weekend at Bernied” was such a fun way to get Cam to confront his feelings!
Loved hating Jim- he was the worst.
This book felt like an insider’s view into a romance writer's brain. Posing questions like would the FMC wear shorts for slow-burn or sundress for easy access? I loved feeling like a part of the process and it made me want to hug Lucy Score!

Things that were not my favorite-
Zoey- I love her, but she was all over the place. Sometimes hot mess express, sometimes badass superstar. We didn’t need two walking disasters. But I am eagerly awaiting Zoey’s book!
Poop- I sound like a kindergarten teacher but there was too much poop in this book. From Zoey’s phone being an “electronic turd” to Darius’s poop costume and various poop emoji bandaids, to continually talking about the town being swimming in sh*t if they can’t raise the funds for the sewage treatment upgrades. Ick.
Rump Roast- unfortunately another romance author already created Kevin Bacon, however Peaches was cute.
Wild Cherry Pepsi- not quite as irritating as Naomi’s coffee addiction (iykyk) but close.

Definitely recommend this rom-com. With its giggle-worthy banter and steamy spice it’s a perfect escape for when the real world feels like a dumpster fire.

Thank you to Bloombooks/Sourcebooks via NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book!

If you liked Maggie Moves On, you will like this book. It's fine, not as special as Knockemout, but still a fine read. There was nothing wrong with it persay other than the first part of the book is a little slow and while the chemistry isn't explosive, it's okay. The second half of the book really comes to life and you see much more of the small town absurdities and humor Score is better known for along with a much quicker pacing.

The book definitely feels like it was written for her fans and for fans of the genre. Almost to the point where that was the focus instead of the chemistry between Cam & Hazel. But, I am definitely looking forward to book 2 and seeing where Gage and Zoey go because there is better chemistry between those two. Overall, not my favorite Score book, but even my least favorite Score book is still going to be one I recommend as a read, especially to anyone who has read her other works.

I can not express how much I adore Lucy Score! The humor, the character banter & the spice! *Chef's kiss*
Hazel & Zoey may be my new favorite female characters, I now want to be a part of the Bishop family!

Lucy Score does it again. Writes a beautiful story with likeable characters who are well developed. This book has love, hope, conflict and growth. I highly recommend this book.

Lucy Score has done it again! She describes this as a love letter to her readers and it really, truly is!

Romance writer Hazel Hart has gone through the wringer - a terrible divorce and massive writer's block that has left her unable to write anything. When she finds out she has to leave her apartment, she spontaneously buys a house in a small town in PA and moves there, hoping for a spark of inspiration after reading a story online about its former owner and the brothers who fixed up the house. What follows is classic Lucy Score - small town hi-jinks, a frisky eagle named Goose, swelteringly hot brothers (I can't wait to read Gage and Levi's stories next!!), a rich, competitive town next door (definitely got Pawnee vs. Eagleton vibes!), and lots of love and heart.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

I knew I’d love Story of My Life the moment the heroine fought a bald eagle. Hazel, a struggling romance writer with zero impulse control, panic-buys a crumbling house in Story Lake, PA—complete with raccoons, spiders, and a front-row seat to small-town chaos. Enter Cam, a six-foot-three grump of a contractor who patches her up (literally) and accidentally becomes the leading man of both her novel and her life.

Between fake dates for "research," home renovation disasters, and a town on the brink of bankruptcy, this book is packed with charm, laughs, and just enough tension to make you scream. If you love small-town romance, broody handymen, and questionable real estate decisions, this one's for you. Five stars—and an extra one for the raccoons.

Let’s just get this out of the way: this is a rom com. This book made me laugh out loud several times. I loved the cozy world of Story Lake. I wish Campbell had been a little less of a domineering man but Hazel was an absolute delight. Loved the small town found family vibes of this book.

Another great book from Lucy Score! If you like small town, grumpy/sunshine, lots of witty banter, a little bit of spicy and laughing until your face hurts. Then I highly recommend “Story of my life”. Oh and let’s not forget all the crazy sibling, family, & animal shenanigans!