Nora Everly

Favorite Quotes:

I’m going to walk into the woods and let the raccoons claim me.

The hardware store was first. I needed screws and brackets for the fence, but Tilly treated the place like a gallery. She inspected paint swatches with great seriousness— declaring yellow “too shouty” and blue “sad but polite”— and asked the clerk if dogs were allowed inside because Lois liked meeting new people. The clerk laughed and said yes while pointing to a canister of dog treats he kept on the show more checkout counter...I grabbed dog food and listened to a detailed explanation about why Lois preferred the blue bag over the red one, even though, as Tilly pointed out, “she cannot read, but she can feel vibes.”

Tilly stared at the cartons like I’d just revealed a magic trick. “You make it?” “From scratch,” I confirmed. Her mouth fell open. She looked up at Nate, awed. “She’s fancy.”

“I like you,” she said decisively. “You smell happy, like flowers and coffee.

I’d sworn her to secrecy with the kind of dramatic gravitas normally reserved for mafia confessions. “You breathe a word of this to anyone, and I’ll start putting decaf in your morning espresso,” I’d warned. Her gasp had been appropriately horrified. “You wouldn’t dare.”

A customer in a puffer vest murmured, “She’s better than Netflix,” to her friend as she took her drink and backed away, eyes still on the drama like she didn’t want to miss the season finale.

“Men. So dramatic the lot of you,” She shot Graham a sharp look, then let her gaze flick down just enough. “Funny how those big egos usually cover… other deficiencies.”

I want to egg his car. Or slash his tires. Or write fake reviews about how his risotto tastes like vinegar and smells like feet.

My Review:

This slow-burning romance was a delightfully fun, easy-to-follow, snort-worthy, and deliciously entertaining read. I fell right into the story without reading the previous installments and didn’t struggle a bit, despite the occasional horror of the interference of annoying angst. However, I now want to backtrack and read them all since I enjoyed this one so much.

The main characters were known in their community as the Coffee Elf and Hot Diner Dad. I adored this endearing couple, enjoyed their storylines, and reveled in the clever snark and sharp wit generously sprinkled throughout. It was rather painful to reduce the three pages of well-honed insights, riotously amusing observations, and glitter-filled highlights that I had collected on my precious Kindle and decide which of the bright and shiny jewels to include with my review. Nora Everly has mad skills! show less

The times i cracked up while reading this small town romance was just too many. It was perfectly written. I fell in love right away with Cole. The way he let his walls down around Madi when she was just being her witty self was so adorable. Single father who's a firefighter? Always a yes. I have really enjoyed this standalone cozy collection. Bonus: The book is gorgeous!!

Favorite Quotes:

There was something unmistakable about the way he moved. Long stride, impatient pace, like standing still was never really an option for him unless he was forced into it. Even the sound of him crossing uneven ground had a kind of urgency to it, like he was always already late for something he hadn’t been told about yet.

He’s always been a good boy… Strong. Reliable. Looks like he could carry a refrigerator and still open doors politely.

… logic didn’t stop fear. It show more only gave it room to hover around and freak you out.

“Come on, bug. If we don’t leave now, we’ll be late for dinner, and you’ll get cranky.” “I’m already cranky,” Bella said cheerfully. “I’ll get hangry if we don’t hurry.”

I’m not hovering. I’m strategically positioned.

“Hug. Right now. Come here. I’m doing the hug. Don’t laugh. Don’t speak. Just— hug.” I stared. “You’re serious.” “Dead serious. I’m terrible at this. My arms don’t know what to do. They’re panicking already.” She wiggled her fingers impatiently. “But you get a hug because I’m proud of you, and words are failing me, and if I don’t do this, I’m going to explode into a thousand flying breakfast burritos or something equally tragic. Move.”

“There,” she muttered against my shoulder, voice muffled and slightly strangled. “Hug protocol engaged. Emotional support delivered. We’re both still breathing. But barely.”

You look like the rest of my life...

My Review:

This was my first visit to Sweetbriar Mountain, as since this is book six, I’m kicking myself for being late to the party. For shame! Nora Everly never fails to conjure an entertaining tale. This one was well-paced and populated with knowable people, so well-fleshed out that I feel I would recognize them on the street. I adored Levi!

The storylines were amusing, relatable, and engaging, filled with endearing, realistically flawed characters who are doing their best and deserve the good life I wish for them. Now I just need to shake loose some coins to amass the previous five books in the series so I can find out what I’ve missed. show less

This was one of my favorites in the Smartypants Romance series so far with Sabrina, a shy heroine with extreme social anxiety who is raising her sister’s children after her death (with the help of her father), Wyatt, a police officer hero raising two little girls on his own, lots of great Green Valley cameos and just so many good family moments. I’m a sucker for daddies with their daughters and some of those scenes were my favorites!

There’s also some drama with exes, some custody show more issues, and I liked the way the lives of everyone in this small town are so tightly interwoven. There were some great chicken restaurant scenes, football game scenes, Piggly Wiggly scenes (because of course) and all the good stuff that makes it Green Valley. Falling in love is messy at times, and that makes it all the better when our two lovebirds get their sweet HEA.

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. show less