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What a sweet novella with plenty of festive holiday charm and found family vibes, not to mention a little bit of undeniable sparks and love at first sight! I love that the proceeds went to a good cause!

𝐀 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 by Melanie Moreland is a must-read grumpy/sunshine, single mom romance for Farmer John and the new diner owner Quinn! Their meet-cute started off with a great connection, but went off the rails when John’s chronic foot-in-mouth habit kicked in!😅 That feisty banter with a hint of enemies to friends to lovers was so much fun to read! Both MCs have been jaded by past relationships, but they can’t seem to ignore the pull between them, or the fact that Quinn’s adorable daughter Abby has John totally wrapped around her little finger! Let’s be honest, I was under her spell, too! That child’s antics ranged from sweet and witty to downright hilarious and a bit diabolical!🤣 I love watching a true grump fall in love, and John definitely checked all my boxes as he succumbed to his desire to love and protect his girls! He had me swooning over the romance and the heat!😍🔥 In the age-old debate over fast-paced city life versus blue collar country living, a simple life definitely takes the crown for me!! With an extra perfect epilogue, I wanted to stay with these characters forever! I couldn’t help but think what a special man it would take to handle Abby, when that little firecracker grows up! That would be one story I would 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 to see!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5

This book is everything!! It has reminded me why I love LJ Evans’ books so much! The attention to detail, the beautiful prose, the use of the song lyrics… all of it transports the reader to another place. I thought I knew who Dax and Jada were from previous books, but the undiscovered layers were plentiful and intriguing! The suspense component is perfectly executed. I was suspecting everyone at one point or another!😂 And don’t get me started on the romance! Every aspect of it was deeper, more real, perhaps because it had been forbidden for so long. But because everything about the book felt more intense, it made the plot twists more nerve wracking and impressive! Can I just say, Jada is a lucky woman? Dax might just be my new favorite guy! Without giving any spoilers, I loved the way the book ended and the bonus epilogue, but I hope we see more from them in the future!😉 I received an advanced review copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.