Hi y’all!

We had a few days of rain and cooler weather. It felt like fall and I absolutely loved it! Then the heat returned and I’m definitely over it. I am definitely a fall girl — can’t wait for fall!

I am so excited to share my series review of The Hawthorne Brothers books by Jenny Proctor. I absolutely loved every book in this series. The characters are fantastic, the romance is absolutely beautiful and I love the ways this family shows up for each other. I laugh, I cry, I sigh, I want to reread them all right now.

Book Summaries: Best Friend: “Kate Fletcher is my kryptonite. She’s also my best friend. Former best friend? I’m not sure what you call it when we grew up attached at the hip and then she left Silver Creek (and me) to travel the world.

The important thing is: Kate is back. (Temporarily.) And I’m still in love with her. (Permanently.)

But something is different now. The attraction doesn’t seem one-sided. I don’t think I’m imagining the heat in Kate’s eyes or the chemistry crackling between us. But will that be enough to keep Kate here, when, for as long as I can remember, all she’s wanted to do is leave? I’m determined to give her a reason to stay. Family. Connection. Roots. And me. I’ll have to start with sparks and fire, but if I take this step, there’s no turning back to simple friendship. And if she doesn’t feel the same way, I might lose her again—this time for good.”

Grumpy Boss: “When one of THE Hawthorne brothers—known by their chiseled jawlines and their family-run farm and event center—hires me to be his virtual assistant, I do everything I can to keep him firmly in the work zone. His grumpy demeanor helps. His smoking hot profile picture does not.

But even if I do have a crush (a very tiny one), I can’t catch real feelings for a million different reasons. Besides the whole business part of our relationship, I’m a single mom. I have to think about what’s best for my son, Jack. And my grumpy, divorced, humorless boss isn’t exactly giving me “ready to be a stepdad” vibes.

When Perry upgrades me from virtual to in-person assistant, I wonder if I’ve gotten him all wrong. He’s actually pretty great with Jack. And with me? Let’s just say the chemistry crackling between us might vaporize all my reasons for keeping my distance.

Trouble is, after his messy divorce, I’m not sure Perry’s ready to bet on a new relationship. But it isn’t just my heart that’s on the line. It’s Jack’s, too. And after everything we went through before my husband died, I’m not sure that’s a gamble I’m ready to take, no matter how desperate Jack is for a daddy.”

Enemy: “When THE Tatum Elliott shows up to run the catering kitchen at my family’s farm and event center, I don’t trust her anymore than I did back in culinary school. But like it or not, she’s here. On my territory. My turf. In the kitchen that shares a building with my farm-to-table restaurant. And she can’t seem to keep her hands off my parmesan.

Our old rivalry flares to life faster than a flambé, but there’s something else flaming between us too. And it’s heating up quicker than anything we’re making in the kitchen.

But I can’t forget that Tatum is the daughter of Gordon Elliott—America’s most famous chef. She belongs in a big city, in a restaurant with her name on it. Not running the catering arm of Stonebrook Farm. Whatever her reasons for being here now, I can’t see her permanently walking away from the fame and fortune her father can offer her, no matter how well she fits in on the farm—how well she fits with me. She’ll leave eventually—I’m sure of it. I just have to make sure that when she does, she doesn’t take my heart with her.”

Movie Star: “I’m a wildlife biologist in a tiny mountain town, not some kind of law-breaking celebrity stalker. At least not on purpose. It was an accident when I wandered onto the property of one of Hollywood’s hottest movie stars. Five minutes ago, I’d never even heard of Flint Hawthorne. I definitely didn’t know he lives in Silver Creek.

When I’m detained for trespassing, the last thing I expect is to trade my handcuffs for a designer gown. All I wanted was permission to conduct my research on a remote corner of his estate. Now I’m walking the red carpet of a Hollywood movie premiere as Flint’s (very fake) girlfriend. At least, the relationship is supposed to be fake. But the way he slips his arm around me, his breath tickling my ear, the chemistry feels like something real.

The trouble is, I’m not really built to handle his fast-paced celebrity life. Most days, I prefer the company of squirrels to people. I should be glad we’re only pretending. I’m just not sure my heart got the memo.”

The characters in this series are fantastic — all with compelling depth, dedication, and passion. I love the dual perspectives so we get inside both protagonists’ heads in each book. I loved Kate’s journey — she has things to work through but those never overpower the story. I appreciate that she makes mistakes but also tries to make them right. Also love when she realizes what she really wants. Brody’s support and friendship to her as she works through all this are also beautiful. I Love the ways Perry and Lila build each other up and give each other strength. They don’t judge each other for their difficult pasts and complex feelings. I loved seeing Lennox in his restaurant and seeing his dedication to his craft. And I appreciated Tatum’s journey to finding joy and passion in her work again. The contrasts were well done. I loved getting to know Flint in this book. He’s been on the edges of the other stories but getting inside his head and understanding the complexities of his life was so fulfilling. I loved seeing how much he loves acting and how he treats people well. But also how he longs for normalcy and love in his life. I love Audrey so much! She is such a fun contrast to Flint. She is an incredible scientist and is willing to do just about anything for her white squirrels. I loved her dedication and her quirky social skills. Loved that she allows Flint in and sees how much more her life can become.

Each love story is unique and so much fun to experience. All the couples have such fantastic chemistry. The kisses are fantastically swoony. The love declarations are beautiful. And the endings are so incredibly satisfying. I love seeing where their relationships take them. The different tropes are so fun and well written. Brody and Kate, best friends turn to more with just the right amount of tension. I loved their chemistry and swoony kisses –that first one by the river is especially fantastic! Perry the grumpy boss and delightful Lila. I loved the way he looks at her and their first kiss after he hears her sing. Also him running to meet her at the end! The enemies to lovers trope is so much fun with Lennox and Tatum. I enjoyed seeing how their feelings surprise them. And their kisses on the farm. Flint and Audrey may be my favorite (but I really love Lila and Perry and everyone else!). Their fake relationship turned real is just so fun! It’s basically real from the start. I loved the moments on the red carpet together. Their first kiss is so sweet! And their epilogue is my favorite! I always appreciate that Jenny gives us disagreements but not big ones between her two protagonists. They don’t break up  for dumb reasons, but they do have to work through their feelings and realize what is most important to them. I enjoy her romcom style so much!

There are so many beautiful messages and relationships in this series. These are the kind of relationships I hope my kids will have one day with their spouses.I love that Jenny tackles tough issues with grace and poasitivity. A lot of the female protagonists come from difficult backgrounds. I love how the Hawthorne brothers protect, love, and support their wives. And they grow and become better themselves because of the women they love. Kate has troubled relationships with her parents but is able to discover the real meaning of home with Brody. I loved the positive body image portrayed in Perry and Lila’s story. Lila is a single mom and describes herself as “curvy” but I love how confident she is in her own skin and how beautiful Perry sees her and builds her up. Such a great message! Also, I loved seeing Perry build a relationship with Jack (love his stairdad dreams!). Tatum is trying to discover what she is passionate about and how to stand up to her celebrity chef father. I loved the ways she is able to be strong and independent while also having a relationship with her father. And seeing Flint and Audrey balance their very different lives while remembering what is most important was truly a delight. They don’t pretend like there aren’t bad people in the world. But they do everything they can to protect each other and stay grounded. Such beautiful love stories!

I loved this series so much and I am already ready for a reread. Such fun characters, sizzling romance, and beautiful messages. This is a favorite sweet romcom series!

What are your favorite sweet romcoms? 
Any Jenny Proctor fans reading? Which are your favorite novels?