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Donner Bakery #3
Tough Cookie
Noah Malone is back in his hometown for a short break from his stunt work, but his mother’s set on convincing him to settle down in Green Valley so he can give her grandbabies like the good Lord intended. Not only is she pushing him to help out at the Donner Bakery decorating cookies, but her matchmaking is relentless.
To end his mother’s awkward set-ups, Noah needs a no-strings-attached pretend girlfriend. And who better than Carla, a mysterious recluse who seems to have taken an instant dislike to him? When she reveals she’s been isolated by illness, he proposes a fake relationship that’ll stop his momma’s shenanigans and help Carla ease back into the world.
Tech-geek Carla creates a spreadsheet of fake-date challenges. She’s serious and focused on her goal of slowly becoming more social… until daredevil Noah starts messing with her spreadsheet. He’s ridiculously charming, and his sexy additions may be even more appealing than the cookies he brings her, but Carla won’t let her resistance crumble.
Opposites may attract, but can such different people find a recipe for love?
‘Tough Cookie’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #3 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.
To end his mother’s awkward set-ups, Noah needs a no-strings-attached pretend girlfriend. And who better than Carla, a mysterious recluse who seems to have taken an instant dislike to him? When she reveals she’s been isolated by illness, he proposes a fake relationship that’ll stop his momma’s shenanigans and help Carla ease back into the world.
Tech-geek Carla creates a spreadsheet of fake-date challenges. She’s serious and focused on her goal of slowly becoming more social… until daredevil Noah starts messing with her spreadsheet. He’s ridiculously charming, and his sexy additions may be even more appealing than the cookies he brings her, but Carla won’t let her resistance crumble.
Opposites may attract, but can such different people find a recipe for love?
‘Tough Cookie’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #3 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 27, 2023
187 people are currently reading
509 people want to read
About the author
Talia Hunter
30 books151 followersBestselling romance author Talia Hunter likes to include her three favorite things in her novels: toe-curling romance, snort-laughs, and heart-warming friendships.
She recently moved to Australia, where she's constantly amazed and not at all freaked out by the weird and wonderful critters. When she's not writing, you can usually find her with a glass of wine, a good book, and a jumbo-sized can of bug spray.
If you want to chat, you can often find her on Facebook. Usually when she’s supposed to be writing. www.facebook.com/taliahunter
Want a free book from Talia? Grab your limited-time freebie from her website now: www.taliahunter.com
She recently moved to Australia, where she's constantly amazed and not at all freaked out by the weird and wonderful critters. When she's not writing, you can usually find her with a glass of wine, a good book, and a jumbo-sized can of bug spray.
If you want to chat, you can often find her on Facebook. Usually when she’s supposed to be writing. www.facebook.com/taliahunter
Want a free book from Talia? Grab your limited-time freebie from her website now: www.taliahunter.com
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April 27, 2023
More Green Valley excitement, friends! And this time from the delightful Talia Hunter! Tough Cookie is LIVE in Kindle Unlimited for your readerly enjoyment. AND the audiobook is over in Audible. Be sure to check out Talia's heartfelt, fake-dating romance. It'll give you ALL the feels ❤
★★Grab your copy TODAY!★★
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3Ks706P
Amazon UK: https://bit.ly/3kpRSMp
Amazon CA: https://bit.ly/3Y6u8Ln
Amazon AU: https://bit.ly/3ZbVoc5
Audible: http://bit.ly/3JHWd6j
★ ★ BLURB ★ ★
Noah Malone is back in his hometown for a short break from his stunt work, but his mother’s set on convincing him to settle down in Green Valley so he can give her grandbabies like the good Lord intended. Not only is she pushing him to help out at the Donner Bakery decorating cookies, but her matchmaking is relentless.
To end his mother’s awkward set-ups, Noah needs a no-strings-attached pretend girlfriend. And who better than Carla, a mysterious recluse who seems to have taken an instant dislike to him? When she reveals she’s been isolated by illness, he proposes a fake relationship that’ll stop his momma’s shenanigans and help Carla ease back into the world.
Tech-geek Carla creates a spreadsheet of fake-date challenges. She’s serious and focused on her goal of slowly becoming more social… until daredevil Noah starts messing with her spreadsheet. He’s ridiculously charming, and his sexy additions may be even more appealing than the cookies he brings her, but Carla won’t let her resistance crumble.
Opposites may attract, but can such different people find a recipe for love?
‘Tough Cookie’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #3 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.
Want to read
April 27, 2023
★★Live in KU★★
Huge congratulations to Talia Hunter! We are so excited for her Spring Launch 2023 contribution, 'Tough Cookie'. This small-town romance follows the fake-dating journey of Carla and Noah AND it's live on Audible for your listening pleasure. Happy Release Day!
★★Grab your copy TODAY!★★
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3Ks706P
Amazon UK: https://bit.ly/3kpRSMp
Amazon CA: https://bit.ly/3Y6u8Ln
Amazon AU: https://bit.ly/3ZbVoc5
Audible: http://bit.ly/3JHWd6j
★ ★ BLURB ★ ★
Noah Malone is back in his hometown for a short break from his stunt work, but his mother’s set on convincing him to settle down in Green Valley so he can give her grandbabies like the good Lord intended. Not only is she pushing him to help out at the Donner Bakery decorating cookies, but her matchmaking is relentless.
To end his mother’s awkward set-ups, Noah needs a no-strings-attached pretend girlfriend. And who better than Carla, a mysterious recluse who seems to have taken an instant dislike to him? When she reveals she’s been isolated by illness, he proposes a fake relationship that’ll stop his momma’s shenanigans and help Carla ease back into the world.
Tech-geek Carla creates a spreadsheet of fake-date challenges. She’s serious and focused on her goal of slowly becoming more social… until daredevil Noah starts messing with her spreadsheet. He’s ridiculously charming, and his sexy additions may be even more appealing than the cookies he brings her, but Carla won’t let her resistance crumble.
Opposites may attract, but can such different people find a recipe for love?
‘Tough Cookie’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #3 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.'
May 10, 2023
Oh MAN. Noah and Carla are as opposite as opposite can be and they worked SO WELL together. Seriously. I'm smitten with these two. Noah's numbness and cavalier attitude toward how he risks life and limb doing stunt work and the way Carla has to schedule everything to manage the symptoms of this awful illness that practically rules her life.
Opposites. And yet oh so right for one another.
So. Noah. The guy has some serious walls. He's not interested in starting anything with anyone (or so he tells himself) and he REALLY likes how Carla isn't nice to him when they first meet. She's growly and a little mean and it amuses him. Did I mention the walls? Because Noah definitely has those. A scarring experience from his past and women falling for him a little too easily has him doing everything he can to keep his distance. To be fair, while he did initially try to keep his distance from Carla, her fierceness and independence soon had him feeling all the feels. *le sigh*
On Carla's end, that independence Noah admires is came at a price. She's learned the hard way that sometimes the people who you expect to stick around can't handle the bad illness days and she figured it's better to be alone and not expect anything from anybody but herself than to be left in the lurch. She absolutely, 100% does NOT want to burden Noah (or anyone) with what she's dealing with. BUT...Noah is determined and kind and maybe a little relentless and soon they're fake dating and all that jazz.
As you might imagine, soon the fake becomes a little real and THINGS HAPPEN.
Hardcore anxiety, a devil-may-care attitude, cookie decorating, steamy kisses, solid hugs, and a whole lot of banter. *thumbs up*
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
Opposites. And yet oh so right for one another.
So. Noah. The guy has some serious walls. He's not interested in starting anything with anyone (or so he tells himself) and he REALLY likes how Carla isn't nice to him when they first meet. She's growly and a little mean and it amuses him. Did I mention the walls? Because Noah definitely has those. A scarring experience from his past and women falling for him a little too easily has him doing everything he can to keep his distance. To be fair, while he did initially try to keep his distance from Carla, her fierceness and independence soon had him feeling all the feels. *le sigh*
On Carla's end, that independence Noah admires is came at a price. She's learned the hard way that sometimes the people who you expect to stick around can't handle the bad illness days and she figured it's better to be alone and not expect anything from anybody but herself than to be left in the lurch. She absolutely, 100% does NOT want to burden Noah (or anyone) with what she's dealing with. BUT...Noah is determined and kind and maybe a little relentless and soon they're fake dating and all that jazz.
As you might imagine, soon the fake becomes a little real and THINGS HAPPEN.
Hardcore anxiety, a devil-may-care attitude, cookie decorating, steamy kisses, solid hugs, and a whole lot of banter. *thumbs up*
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
April 21, 2023
I was provided both a print and audio ARC of this book via the author and Smartypants Romance, all opinions expressed are my own. I bounced between the audio and the print version while reading and either choice is a good one. Kay and Dunlap are great narrators and brought the story to life. They had me laughing out loud at the funny bits, and feeling all of the other emotions where appropriate.
I really enjoyed this book. I don't think I've ever read about a protagonist with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. As someone who suffered from chronic fatigue after contracting mono in high school, I can relate to some of Carla's symptoms. I was constantly sick and always tired, the stress of completing high school and entering college didn't help. My experience was temporary and eventually went away for the most part. It is certainly hell on your immune system and life, I can only imagine what severe and permanent cases are like.
This follows software developer Carla and stuntman Noah who are both taking a breaks from the fast-paced lifestyle that their chosen careers are known for. Carla has been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, so she has relocated to Green Valley to work on her own software project in the hopes that the slower paced life will help her symptoms and the anxiety she has developed along with her diagnosis. Noah is recovering from an injury on set, so he has come home to spend time with his mom and help out around the house. Noah's mom is renting her farm house to Carla, and when the roof unexpectedly caves in, Noah is the perfect man for the job. It also helps that his mother has an ulterior motive to set Noah up with a woman, any woman, as soon as possible. Noah and Carla get off to a rough start, mainly because she has a bit of social anxiety, but soon they are settling into laugh out loud banter. Noah is extremely charming, and while his is her opposite he is the perfect fit for Carla. In a brilliant attempt to get his mother off his back about dating and Carla back into interacting with people, they begin to "fake date", but they quickly realize that they have actual feelings for each other.
I didn't love that Carla didn't feel she was worthy of love or anyone's time. I did love that Noah was kind and patient and willing to show her differently. I'm not a fan of the trope where one half of the relationship decides what is better for the other half and takes that choice away from the other partner. I can understand why Carla with her diagnosis doesn't want to be a burden, and through her past experience has made be been feel unwanted and unlovable because of if. I'm glad that Noah stayed strong and fought for both of them. It was worth waiting for Carla to come around and figure out her own feelings.
Overall this was a really fun and cute romance. It has some sad and heavy moments that are well balanced by great banter and antics between our two main characters. I really appreciate that the author put such a personal topic in to the book and learned alot about chronic fatigue. This is a great addition to the Donner Bakery series and the Smartypants Universe.
I really enjoyed this book. I don't think I've ever read about a protagonist with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. As someone who suffered from chronic fatigue after contracting mono in high school, I can relate to some of Carla's symptoms. I was constantly sick and always tired, the stress of completing high school and entering college didn't help. My experience was temporary and eventually went away for the most part. It is certainly hell on your immune system and life, I can only imagine what severe and permanent cases are like.
This follows software developer Carla and stuntman Noah who are both taking a breaks from the fast-paced lifestyle that their chosen careers are known for. Carla has been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, so she has relocated to Green Valley to work on her own software project in the hopes that the slower paced life will help her symptoms and the anxiety she has developed along with her diagnosis. Noah is recovering from an injury on set, so he has come home to spend time with his mom and help out around the house. Noah's mom is renting her farm house to Carla, and when the roof unexpectedly caves in, Noah is the perfect man for the job. It also helps that his mother has an ulterior motive to set Noah up with a woman, any woman, as soon as possible. Noah and Carla get off to a rough start, mainly because she has a bit of social anxiety, but soon they are settling into laugh out loud banter. Noah is extremely charming, and while his is her opposite he is the perfect fit for Carla. In a brilliant attempt to get his mother off his back about dating and Carla back into interacting with people, they begin to "fake date", but they quickly realize that they have actual feelings for each other.
I didn't love that Carla didn't feel she was worthy of love or anyone's time. I did love that Noah was kind and patient and willing to show her differently. I'm not a fan of the trope where one half of the relationship decides what is better for the other half and takes that choice away from the other partner. I can understand why Carla with her diagnosis doesn't want to be a burden, and through her past experience has made be been feel unwanted and unlovable because of if. I'm glad that Noah stayed strong and fought for both of them. It was worth waiting for Carla to come around and figure out her own feelings.
Overall this was a really fun and cute romance. It has some sad and heavy moments that are well balanced by great banter and antics between our two main characters. I really appreciate that the author put such a personal topic in to the book and learned alot about chronic fatigue. This is a great addition to the Donner Bakery series and the Smartypants Universe.
May 8, 2023
Gros coup de coeur pour cette romance grumpy/sunshine sur le modèle héroïne grumpy et héros sunshine. Je suis tout de suite rentrée dans l'histoire, les personnages sont attachants et l'auteur est bien arrivée à faire que leur personnalité et leur profondeur prennent tout de suite corps dans ma tête.
C'est impossible de ne pas fondre pour Noah. Il est gentil, serviable, c'est le genre à mettre tout le monde a l'aise, avec son humour et sa facilité à être en contact avec les autres. Sa maman essaie de le caser avec toutes les jeunes femmes célibataires de Green Valley, quand elle lui demande d'aller faire une réparation pour la locataire de leur maison de campagne, il soupçonne un coup monté, mais il y a va quand même. Est-ce qu'il s'attendait à ce que Carla, la locataire, le prenne en grippe dès les 5 premières minutes ? Pas du tout, il n'a pas l'habitude et ça m'intrigue !
Comme il y a vraiment un trou dans un mur à cause de la chute d'une branche d'arbre, Noah va devoir passer quelques jours à faire les travaux, ça lui donnera l'occasion d'essayer de craquer la mystérieuse carapace de Carla.
De son côté, Carla espère que Noah repartira aussi vite qu'il est arrivé, elle n'a littéralement zéro énergie à lui consacrer. Diagnostiquée récemment d'un syndrome de fatigue chronique, avec des effets secondaires pas terribles (crise d'angoisse), son corps ne lui permet plus d'avoir une vie "normale". D'un jour sur l'autre, elle peut arriver à travailler sur son programme informatique, ou ne pas avoir la force de sortir de son lit. Sa maladie l'a rendu peu à peu recluse, et éloignée de toute vie sociale, rien qu'aller faire ses courses est une épreuve.
La venue de Noah pour réparer son mur l'a fait interagir avec quelqu'un depuis bien longtemps, et au fil de leurs échanges Noah et Carla vont tous les deux avoir une idée pour se sortir de leur impasse : Noah propose à Carla un fake dating pour que sa mère le lâche un peu. Même réticente au début, Carla y voit la possibilité de se réacclimater avec des activités sociales, Noah va pouvoir l'aider à surmonter ses angoisses. Très organisée Carla va mettre en place une liste de choses à faire, liste que Noah va éclater évidemment... Parce qu'où est la spontanéité dans tout ça ?
Pour moi, Carla et Noah sont un couple chouchou, ils vont tellement bien ensemble qu'on se demande où ils étaient depuis tout ce temps ? Même si Noah est un rayon de soleil, il y a une part d'ombre à son personnage qui vient contrebalancer la joie de vivre qu'il dégage, et pareil pour Carla, malgré la douleur et la rigueur de vie qu'elle doit suivre, on sent qu'il y a un petit grain de folie en elle qui ne demande qu'à sortir.
Une romance qui se lit toute seule et que je recommande vivement !
***************
Big book crush for this grumpy/sunshine romance where the grumpy one is the heroine and sunshine one is the hero. I immediately got into the story, the characters are endearing and the author managed to make their personality and their depth immediately take shape in my head.
It's impossible not to swoon for Noah. He is nice, helpful, he is the easy going type of guy, with his humor and his ease in talking with others. His mom tries to hook him up with all the single young women in Green Valley, when she asks him to go do some repairs for the tenant of their farm house, he suspects a set-up, but he goes anyway. Did he expect Carla, the tenant, to take a dislike to him from the first 5 minutes ? Not at all, he's not used to it and that intrigues him !
As there really is a hole in the wall, due to a fallen tree branch, Noah will have to spend a few days doing the repairs, it will give him the opportunity to try to crack Carla's mysterious shell.
Carla hopes that Noah will leave as quickly as he arrived, she has literally zero energy to give him. Recently diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, with some bad side effects (anxiety attack), her body no longer allows her to have a "normal" life. From one day to the next, she may manage to work on her computer program, or may not have the strength to get out of bed. Her illness has made her a little bit reclusive, far from any social life, just going shopping is a challenge.
The arrival of Noah to repair her wall is her first interaction with someone since some time, and over the course of their exchanges Noah and Carla will both have an idea to get out of their problems : Noah asks Carla to fake dating so that his mother would let go of him for a bit. Even reluctant at first, Carla sees the possibility of reacclimating herself with social activities, Noah will be able to help her overcome her anxieties. Very organized, Carla is going to put together a list of things to do, a list that Noah is obviously going to break out... Because where is the spontaneity in all this ?
For me, Carla and Noah are a favorite couple, they go so well together that you wonder where they have been all this time ? Even if Noah is a ray of sunshine, there is a dark side to his character which counterbalances the joie de vivre he exudes, and the same for Carla, despite the pain and the rigors of life that she must follow, we feel that there is a little bit of whim in her that is just waiting to come out.
A can't-stop-reading-it romance that I highly recommend !
-Read as an ARC-
C'est impossible de ne pas fondre pour Noah. Il est gentil, serviable, c'est le genre à mettre tout le monde a l'aise, avec son humour et sa facilité à être en contact avec les autres. Sa maman essaie de le caser avec toutes les jeunes femmes célibataires de Green Valley, quand elle lui demande d'aller faire une réparation pour la locataire de leur maison de campagne, il soupçonne un coup monté, mais il y a va quand même. Est-ce qu'il s'attendait à ce que Carla, la locataire, le prenne en grippe dès les 5 premières minutes ? Pas du tout, il n'a pas l'habitude et ça m'intrigue !
Comme il y a vraiment un trou dans un mur à cause de la chute d'une branche d'arbre, Noah va devoir passer quelques jours à faire les travaux, ça lui donnera l'occasion d'essayer de craquer la mystérieuse carapace de Carla.
De son côté, Carla espère que Noah repartira aussi vite qu'il est arrivé, elle n'a littéralement zéro énergie à lui consacrer. Diagnostiquée récemment d'un syndrome de fatigue chronique, avec des effets secondaires pas terribles (crise d'angoisse), son corps ne lui permet plus d'avoir une vie "normale". D'un jour sur l'autre, elle peut arriver à travailler sur son programme informatique, ou ne pas avoir la force de sortir de son lit. Sa maladie l'a rendu peu à peu recluse, et éloignée de toute vie sociale, rien qu'aller faire ses courses est une épreuve.
La venue de Noah pour réparer son mur l'a fait interagir avec quelqu'un depuis bien longtemps, et au fil de leurs échanges Noah et Carla vont tous les deux avoir une idée pour se sortir de leur impasse : Noah propose à Carla un fake dating pour que sa mère le lâche un peu. Même réticente au début, Carla y voit la possibilité de se réacclimater avec des activités sociales, Noah va pouvoir l'aider à surmonter ses angoisses. Très organisée Carla va mettre en place une liste de choses à faire, liste que Noah va éclater évidemment... Parce qu'où est la spontanéité dans tout ça ?
Pour moi, Carla et Noah sont un couple chouchou, ils vont tellement bien ensemble qu'on se demande où ils étaient depuis tout ce temps ? Même si Noah est un rayon de soleil, il y a une part d'ombre à son personnage qui vient contrebalancer la joie de vivre qu'il dégage, et pareil pour Carla, malgré la douleur et la rigueur de vie qu'elle doit suivre, on sent qu'il y a un petit grain de folie en elle qui ne demande qu'à sortir.
Une romance qui se lit toute seule et que je recommande vivement !
***************
Big book crush for this grumpy/sunshine romance where the grumpy one is the heroine and sunshine one is the hero. I immediately got into the story, the characters are endearing and the author managed to make their personality and their depth immediately take shape in my head.
It's impossible not to swoon for Noah. He is nice, helpful, he is the easy going type of guy, with his humor and his ease in talking with others. His mom tries to hook him up with all the single young women in Green Valley, when she asks him to go do some repairs for the tenant of their farm house, he suspects a set-up, but he goes anyway. Did he expect Carla, the tenant, to take a dislike to him from the first 5 minutes ? Not at all, he's not used to it and that intrigues him !
As there really is a hole in the wall, due to a fallen tree branch, Noah will have to spend a few days doing the repairs, it will give him the opportunity to try to crack Carla's mysterious shell.
Carla hopes that Noah will leave as quickly as he arrived, she has literally zero energy to give him. Recently diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, with some bad side effects (anxiety attack), her body no longer allows her to have a "normal" life. From one day to the next, she may manage to work on her computer program, or may not have the strength to get out of bed. Her illness has made her a little bit reclusive, far from any social life, just going shopping is a challenge.
The arrival of Noah to repair her wall is her first interaction with someone since some time, and over the course of their exchanges Noah and Carla will both have an idea to get out of their problems : Noah asks Carla to fake dating so that his mother would let go of him for a bit. Even reluctant at first, Carla sees the possibility of reacclimating herself with social activities, Noah will be able to help her overcome her anxieties. Very organized, Carla is going to put together a list of things to do, a list that Noah is obviously going to break out... Because where is the spontaneity in all this ?
For me, Carla and Noah are a favorite couple, they go so well together that you wonder where they have been all this time ? Even if Noah is a ray of sunshine, there is a dark side to his character which counterbalances the joie de vivre he exudes, and the same for Carla, despite the pain and the rigors of life that she must follow, we feel that there is a little bit of whim in her that is just waiting to come out.
A can't-stop-reading-it romance that I highly recommend !
-Read as an ARC-
April 24, 2023
Noah Malone is home in Green Valley for a short break as he recovers from yet another stuntman injury, but his mama is ready for him to stay home for good. And what is a meddling small town momma going to do to keep him there? Well, she's on a matchmaking mission, of course.
Carla is renting the Malone's farmhouse. She's withdrawn from the world, abiding by regimented schedules and meal plans and working on an application to help others with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/chronic fatigue syndrome). Her own onset of the disease led to an avalanche of changes in her life.
When Noah's matchmaking momma sends him to repair the farmhouse's damaged roof, he and Carla end up spending time together, and they hatch a plan to fake date. It will keep those other eligible young ladies away from Noah while he's still in Tennessee and help introduce Carla into the world outside of her home. It's not like they'll develop feelings for each other, right?
I appreciate the Own Voices invisible illness representation in the book. If you stick around for the author's note, Hunter shares some about her husband's experience with ME. I cannot imagine being in the same position as Carla, and I value these stories being added to the romance world. We can get that glimpse into what others experience and strengthen our empathy muscles as we read about two characters falling in love.
I do typically adore a fake dating plotline (especially when there is kissing involved), and I'm always happy to take a trip back to Green Valley and to visit Donner Bakery. (Noah decorates cookies there while he's home.) This trip, unfortunately, wasn't one of my favorites.
I listened to an advance version of the audiobook. Stefanie Kay's narration brought Carla's exhaustion and stress to life. I enjoyed Ryan Lee Dunlap's Southern accent for Noah but didn't love all of his vocal choices for the women in the book. I recommend listening to this one at a speed of 1.5x or higher.
I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Smartypants Romance. All review opinions are my own.
Carla is renting the Malone's farmhouse. She's withdrawn from the world, abiding by regimented schedules and meal plans and working on an application to help others with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/chronic fatigue syndrome). Her own onset of the disease led to an avalanche of changes in her life.
When Noah's matchmaking momma sends him to repair the farmhouse's damaged roof, he and Carla end up spending time together, and they hatch a plan to fake date. It will keep those other eligible young ladies away from Noah while he's still in Tennessee and help introduce Carla into the world outside of her home. It's not like they'll develop feelings for each other, right?
I appreciate the Own Voices invisible illness representation in the book. If you stick around for the author's note, Hunter shares some about her husband's experience with ME. I cannot imagine being in the same position as Carla, and I value these stories being added to the romance world. We can get that glimpse into what others experience and strengthen our empathy muscles as we read about two characters falling in love.
I do typically adore a fake dating plotline (especially when there is kissing involved), and I'm always happy to take a trip back to Green Valley and to visit Donner Bakery. (Noah decorates cookies there while he's home.) This trip, unfortunately, wasn't one of my favorites.
I listened to an advance version of the audiobook. Stefanie Kay's narration brought Carla's exhaustion and stress to life. I enjoyed Ryan Lee Dunlap's Southern accent for Noah but didn't love all of his vocal choices for the women in the book. I recommend listening to this one at a speed of 1.5x or higher.
I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Smartypants Romance. All review opinions are my own.
April 7, 2023
Talia has written the 3rd installment in the Donner Bakery series and I am here for it. This book was a breath of fresh air for me. As someone who has read just about every book taken place in Greene Valley, it was so good to be back here.
Noah is home to visit his mama and most importantly, he is healing from his most recent accident at work. See Noah is a stunt double in Hollywood. His mama is just dying for him to settle down and have her some grand babies. And Noah just isn’t interested. That doesn’t stop her from meddling. Because what is a southern mama if not a meddler.
Noah meets Carla when he shows up to fix something in her rental. Carla is the complete opposite of him be he is so drawn to her. She has been alone for many years and enjoys her like as much as she can. Their attraction is instant. And their banter is my favorite. They know there is no way things could work between them, so they make a plan to “fake date.”
Honestly, I am just enamored by Carla. I love her personality. Her determination to put herself first. And I love how Noah cares for her. He is seriously the best Cinnamon Roll Hero I have read this year.
Rating: 4.5/5
Narrators: Stefanie Kay and Ryan Lee Dunlap
Release Audio Date: April 23, 2023
Release Kindle Date: April 27, 2023
Kindle Unlimited: 👍🏻
Audio Available: 👍🏻
Noah is home to visit his mama and most importantly, he is healing from his most recent accident at work. See Noah is a stunt double in Hollywood. His mama is just dying for him to settle down and have her some grand babies. And Noah just isn’t interested. That doesn’t stop her from meddling. Because what is a southern mama if not a meddler.
Noah meets Carla when he shows up to fix something in her rental. Carla is the complete opposite of him be he is so drawn to her. She has been alone for many years and enjoys her like as much as she can. Their attraction is instant. And their banter is my favorite. They know there is no way things could work between them, so they make a plan to “fake date.”
Honestly, I am just enamored by Carla. I love her personality. Her determination to put herself first. And I love how Noah cares for her. He is seriously the best Cinnamon Roll Hero I have read this year.
Rating: 4.5/5
Narrators: Stefanie Kay and Ryan Lee Dunlap
Release Audio Date: April 23, 2023
Release Kindle Date: April 27, 2023
Kindle Unlimited: 👍🏻
Audio Available: 👍🏻
May 8, 2023
Book two of the SPR Spring Launch takes us back to Green Valley …my most favorite fictional place. Talia Hunter is a new to me author and I really enjoyed her writing style and this beautiful, heartfelt story.
Noah…bless his heart…his mother will be the death of him. He is so sweet, caring and so patient. He’s back in town for a short time and doesn’t expect to meet anyone.
Carla, I love her personality. She is so quirky, fun and also very closed off…for several reasons. She’s tough to get close to but once she lets down her walls there is an amazing, thoughtful and courages woman there.
An unexpected romance between two people not looking for love but finding their perfect person. My most favorite characters from other books make an appearance and are just as lovely as always.
Ryan Lee Dunlap and Stefanie Kay do a phenomenal job with the narration. They bring these characters to life and give them the perfect emotion, personality and dialect. I really enjoy their sweet, charming and strong voices that make this story extra special.
Noah…bless his heart…his mother will be the death of him. He is so sweet, caring and so patient. He’s back in town for a short time and doesn’t expect to meet anyone.
Carla, I love her personality. She is so quirky, fun and also very closed off…for several reasons. She’s tough to get close to but once she lets down her walls there is an amazing, thoughtful and courages woman there.
An unexpected romance between two people not looking for love but finding their perfect person. My most favorite characters from other books make an appearance and are just as lovely as always.
Ryan Lee Dunlap and Stefanie Kay do a phenomenal job with the narration. They bring these characters to life and give them the perfect emotion, personality and dialect. I really enjoy their sweet, charming and strong voices that make this story extra special.
August 26, 2023
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this. While I don't personally know anyone with M.E, I do know someone with what appears to be a similar illness and it was solid rep as far as I can make out. Noah was such a cinnamon roll. I truly adore this Green Valley world.
I really enjoyed this. While I don't personally know anyone with M.E, I do know someone with what appears to be a similar illness and it was solid rep as far as I can make out. Noah was such a cinnamon roll. I truly adore this Green Valley world.
April 13, 2023
Tough Cookie is book #3 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe. This is a sweet fake-romance told from dual POV and can be read as a standalone.
Carla is a tech geek who is staying in Green Valley, Tennessee, while she tries to manage the debilitating symptoms of EME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). She grows her own food and raises chickens, practices yoga for 10 minutes every hour, and basically lives a simple life controlled by spreadsheets. Carla is second cousins with the famous movie star Sienna Diaz Winston, but she doesn’t contact her due to her discomfort over her health issues. When the ceiling of Carla’s rental house collapses, she contacts her landlord, Mrs. Malone, who sends her son over to make repairs.
Noah Malone is back in Green Valley while he recovers from injuries sustained from his Hollywood stunt work. His mother wants him to settle down in Green Valley so he can give her grandbabies like the good Lord intended. She gets him a temporary job at the Donner Bakery decorating cookies and tries to set him up with every single female.
When Noah arrives at Carla’s house, she takes an instant dislike to his handsome charming self. He convinces her to act as his no-strings-attached pretend girlfriend to get his mom off his back. Noah and Carla’s interactions are hilarious, and he eventually wears her down into real relationship. Unfortunately the clock is ticking on Noah’s time in Green Valley, and Carla doesn’t want a permanent relationship due to her health issues. She is adamant about not being an anchor to Noah.
Carla spends a lot of time talking about her health issues because there is no cure for her condition and she is writing software to help others with it. While some readers may get tired of her illness-talk, her condition is very real and there are many people who suffer from similar health challenges. Noah is an ideal hero and readers/listeners will fall in love with him. There are cameo appearances from Jenn Winston, Sienna Winston and their families. I really enjoyed Tough Cookie and hope that the next story in the series will feature the baker Joy, who is looking for love.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Stefanie Kay and Ryan Lee Dunlap. The narrators did an excellent job of bringing the story to life and engaging listeners.
I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from SmartyPants Romance for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Carla is a tech geek who is staying in Green Valley, Tennessee, while she tries to manage the debilitating symptoms of EME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). She grows her own food and raises chickens, practices yoga for 10 minutes every hour, and basically lives a simple life controlled by spreadsheets. Carla is second cousins with the famous movie star Sienna Diaz Winston, but she doesn’t contact her due to her discomfort over her health issues. When the ceiling of Carla’s rental house collapses, she contacts her landlord, Mrs. Malone, who sends her son over to make repairs.
Noah Malone is back in Green Valley while he recovers from injuries sustained from his Hollywood stunt work. His mother wants him to settle down in Green Valley so he can give her grandbabies like the good Lord intended. She gets him a temporary job at the Donner Bakery decorating cookies and tries to set him up with every single female.
When Noah arrives at Carla’s house, she takes an instant dislike to his handsome charming self. He convinces her to act as his no-strings-attached pretend girlfriend to get his mom off his back. Noah and Carla’s interactions are hilarious, and he eventually wears her down into real relationship. Unfortunately the clock is ticking on Noah’s time in Green Valley, and Carla doesn’t want a permanent relationship due to her health issues. She is adamant about not being an anchor to Noah.
Carla spends a lot of time talking about her health issues because there is no cure for her condition and she is writing software to help others with it. While some readers may get tired of her illness-talk, her condition is very real and there are many people who suffer from similar health challenges. Noah is an ideal hero and readers/listeners will fall in love with him. There are cameo appearances from Jenn Winston, Sienna Winston and their families. I really enjoyed Tough Cookie and hope that the next story in the series will feature the baker Joy, who is looking for love.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Stefanie Kay and Ryan Lee Dunlap. The narrators did an excellent job of bringing the story to life and engaging listeners.
I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from SmartyPants Romance for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 25, 2023
4.5*
Tough Cookie is a wonderful addition to the Smartypants universe! There's a fake dating set up (my favorite!), a bit of sunshine/grump vibe, fantastic banter and wit, chronic illness rep, and an ooey gooey cinnamon roll of a hero - all set in Green Valley, so of course that means cameos from some of our favorite Winstons as well.
(side note there - I really liked how easily the cameos fit into the story. While I love seeing our old friends, sometimes it can feel a bit forced or the brief portrayals don't really fit the characters we know, but all of that flowed very naturally in this one.)
I've never read this author before, but I really enjoyed her style of storytelling. Carla's illness could have made for a more emotionally heavy book than what we got, but Noah's upbeat personality and all of their sarcasm and banter kept their story very fun and lighthearted. Noah is a stuntman and Carla is a software developer who has to adhere to rigid schedules and dietary restrictions to even somewhat manage her chronic fatigue and anxiety. On the surface, it seems an odd pairing, but they absolutely work together. I love how supportive Noah is, right from the start. He doesn't let Carla's illness define her while simultaneously finding ways to support her and let her enjoy things (like baked goods) in a way that works with her condition. The timeline of their relationship was a lot shorter than I typically prefer, but if dates weren't mentioned, it wouldn't have FELT short because things developed in a way that made sense and didn't feel overly surface level or insta-lovey.
I went with the audio on this one, and it sucked me in from the start. Mentions of Carla's sisters are giving me hope that we're going to be hearing more from this author!
Tough Cookie is a wonderful addition to the Smartypants universe! There's a fake dating set up (my favorite!), a bit of sunshine/grump vibe, fantastic banter and wit, chronic illness rep, and an ooey gooey cinnamon roll of a hero - all set in Green Valley, so of course that means cameos from some of our favorite Winstons as well.
(side note there - I really liked how easily the cameos fit into the story. While I love seeing our old friends, sometimes it can feel a bit forced or the brief portrayals don't really fit the characters we know, but all of that flowed very naturally in this one.)
I've never read this author before, but I really enjoyed her style of storytelling. Carla's illness could have made for a more emotionally heavy book than what we got, but Noah's upbeat personality and all of their sarcasm and banter kept their story very fun and lighthearted. Noah is a stuntman and Carla is a software developer who has to adhere to rigid schedules and dietary restrictions to even somewhat manage her chronic fatigue and anxiety. On the surface, it seems an odd pairing, but they absolutely work together. I love how supportive Noah is, right from the start. He doesn't let Carla's illness define her while simultaneously finding ways to support her and let her enjoy things (like baked goods) in a way that works with her condition. The timeline of their relationship was a lot shorter than I typically prefer, but if dates weren't mentioned, it wouldn't have FELT short because things developed in a way that made sense and didn't feel overly surface level or insta-lovey.
I went with the audio on this one, and it sucked me in from the start. Mentions of Carla's sisters are giving me hope that we're going to be hearing more from this author!
May 8, 2023
I loved the way this story fit into the Donner Bakery world! It was perfect! The characters were both ones that I fell in love with, and I adored how their romance came together, fake dating trope for the win!
First there was Noah’s mom and how she was pushing him at every woman in Green Valley, trying to get him to fall in love and move back home to give her grandbabies. Noah had memories that kept him away, and his own demons driving him to keep up the dangerous job of being a stuntman, even as it wasn’t really a passion or something he loved doing.
Carla was such a real person, and her issues were of a physical sort, a type of disease that people often look at and assume people just need to buck up and try harder. It was really interesting to get to read more about it and learn just what kind of symptoms/effects types of things people might deal with for this. I loved how she was taking her own illness and using it along with her tech expertise to try to create an app or something to help others with her disease, or in a way, even just help other people who were sick.
For the most part the story worked perfectly for me, other than a few kind of awkward moments towards the beginning, and possibly some that felt a little forced. But once the actual fake dating and romance began building, it all fit together and developed into a wonderful story and addition to the SmartyPants Romance Universe.
Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.
First there was Noah’s mom and how she was pushing him at every woman in Green Valley, trying to get him to fall in love and move back home to give her grandbabies. Noah had memories that kept him away, and his own demons driving him to keep up the dangerous job of being a stuntman, even as it wasn’t really a passion or something he loved doing.
Carla was such a real person, and her issues were of a physical sort, a type of disease that people often look at and assume people just need to buck up and try harder. It was really interesting to get to read more about it and learn just what kind of symptoms/effects types of things people might deal with for this. I loved how she was taking her own illness and using it along with her tech expertise to try to create an app or something to help others with her disease, or in a way, even just help other people who were sick.
For the most part the story worked perfectly for me, other than a few kind of awkward moments towards the beginning, and possibly some that felt a little forced. But once the actual fake dating and romance began building, it all fit together and developed into a wonderful story and addition to the SmartyPants Romance Universe.
Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.
May 23, 2023
This is a quick and easy read which I found quite difficult to put down. I love everything Green Valley related so it's a great place for new to me authors as they can bring in a few familiar characters and I will immediately embrace their writing.
This fake relationship story matches up stuntman Noah, who has the unbelievable second job of cookie and cupcake decorator at the Donner Bakery, with Carla, an ME sufferer who lives a solitary life since becoming ill.
Noah is Mr Sunshine to her Ms Grump but he has his own regrets too.
As Noah tries to help Carla through her anxiety attacks, they come to depend on each other more and more.
This fake relationship story matches up stuntman Noah, who has the unbelievable second job of cookie and cupcake decorator at the Donner Bakery, with Carla, an ME sufferer who lives a solitary life since becoming ill.
Noah is Mr Sunshine to her Ms Grump but he has his own regrets too.
As Noah tries to help Carla through her anxiety attacks, they come to depend on each other more and more.
March 15, 2023
This was adorable. I didn't totally love the male narrator, but this was an excellent addition to the Green Valley Universe. I enjoyed seeing more of Sienna's family and Noah was such a swoony/ understanding hero.
April 15, 2023
I received an ARC from @smartypantsromance.
What an eye-opening look at something so many people experience. It was a sweet and inspiring love story. It made me appreciate so many things I take for granted every day.
What an eye-opening look at something so many people experience. It was a sweet and inspiring love story. It made me appreciate so many things I take for granted every day.
June 19, 2023
This was an enjoyable story! I liked being back in the Donner Bakery again.
Noah was a great hero, and Carla was a very unique heroine.
Carla has a chronic illness. It has a fancy name, but the basic name is chronic fatigue syndrome. I've actually met someone with this illness before, so I'm moderately familiar with it. I've never seen it portrayed in a book (or any other media) before. Based on what I knew from interaction with my friend, the way it was represented was very accurate. And reading the author's note, hearing Ms. Hunter's husband was diagnosed with this illness as well, it was nice to see her use it to help bring representation for all those people.
Carla is what one would call a prickly heroine. Based on her history with her social anxiety as well as her ex-fiance leaving her because of her illness, she gets my permission to be prickly! Despite her standoff-ish behavior in the beginning, she still cares about other's feelings. I appreciated her self-awareness and her willingness to apologize when she was rude.
Noah is super nice and naturally friendly, on top of being handsome. This causes a lot of women to fall for him. While part of me wanted to roll my eyes at him, I know that this is actually pretty common for super attractive kind people. Other's mistake their kindness for romantic feelings where there are none. Because of this and his history with women throwing themselves at him, he's kind of standoff-ish himself. But something about Carla has him opening up. I believe it's her prickly behavior 😉
He eventually convinces her to fake date him to get his mom off his back in exchange for him helping her reintegrate back into a normal life. She's been living alone for a year or more, trying to alleviate her symptoms, but she isolated herself because of the pain of rejection from her ex. It caused her social anxiety to get worse, so she needs someone to help her ease her fear. Noah is more than happy to help!
While promising not to fall for one another, they, of course, still do! While Noah seemed more opposed to dating than Carla in the beginning, as soon as he realizes he has real feelings for her and wants to have a real relationship, he's in it. He's committed. And he tells her. Then she's the one that rejects him. Though he tries really hard to convince her otherwise!
There's two sex scenes. One in the middle and another towards the end. They're pretty well written, moderately detailed. They fit nicely into the story.
I liked the end and how Carla came to realize on her own that she didn't just want to be with him but could be with him if she chose to be. And that Noah was not like her ex.
There were a few times things felt a little out of place (like the first time Noah says I love you). The story wasn't a streamlined like I like, but it was still good, and I enjoyed it.
Noah was a great hero, and Carla was a very unique heroine.
Carla has a chronic illness. It has a fancy name, but the basic name is chronic fatigue syndrome. I've actually met someone with this illness before, so I'm moderately familiar with it. I've never seen it portrayed in a book (or any other media) before. Based on what I knew from interaction with my friend, the way it was represented was very accurate. And reading the author's note, hearing Ms. Hunter's husband was diagnosed with this illness as well, it was nice to see her use it to help bring representation for all those people.
Carla is what one would call a prickly heroine. Based on her history with her social anxiety as well as her ex-fiance leaving her because of her illness, she gets my permission to be prickly! Despite her standoff-ish behavior in the beginning, she still cares about other's feelings. I appreciated her self-awareness and her willingness to apologize when she was rude.
Noah is super nice and naturally friendly, on top of being handsome. This causes a lot of women to fall for him. While part of me wanted to roll my eyes at him, I know that this is actually pretty common for super attractive kind people. Other's mistake their kindness for romantic feelings where there are none. Because of this and his history with women throwing themselves at him, he's kind of standoff-ish himself. But something about Carla has him opening up. I believe it's her prickly behavior 😉
He eventually convinces her to fake date him to get his mom off his back in exchange for him helping her reintegrate back into a normal life. She's been living alone for a year or more, trying to alleviate her symptoms, but she isolated herself because of the pain of rejection from her ex. It caused her social anxiety to get worse, so she needs someone to help her ease her fear. Noah is more than happy to help!
While promising not to fall for one another, they, of course, still do! While Noah seemed more opposed to dating than Carla in the beginning, as soon as he realizes he has real feelings for her and wants to have a real relationship, he's in it. He's committed. And he tells her. Then she's the one that rejects him. Though he tries really hard to convince her otherwise!
There's two sex scenes. One in the middle and another towards the end. They're pretty well written, moderately detailed. They fit nicely into the story.
I liked the end and how Carla came to realize on her own that she didn't just want to be with him but could be with him if she chose to be. And that Noah was not like her ex.
There were a few times things felt a little out of place (like the first time Noah says I love you). The story wasn't a streamlined like I like, but it was still good, and I enjoyed it.
April 27, 2023
I’m a huge Penny Reid and Smartypants Romance fan, and I’m so excited that the Spring ‘24 launch is here! What better way to kick this off than with an author that I have been wanting to read for ages - Talia Hunter. I’m a new fan and will be going to stalk her backlist after this incredible book.
She did a beautiful job with writing a very special Green Valley, Donner Bakery novel including a lot of our favorite characters like Joy, Tempest, and of course the ever-popular Jenn and Cletus Winston!
You can absolutely read this as a standalone (not at all necessary to read the other two books in the Donner Bakery series), but you will have a better experience and understand the side characters more if you read Karla Sorensen’s Baking Me Crazy (originally the first in the bakery series, before the reorganization), and most definitely Penny Reid’s Beard Science.
This story is exceptional - it covers a lot of great issues and tough subjects including invisible illness and injury, overbearing parents and overcoming a lot of obstacles and trauma. The couple, Noah and Carla, are so great, even though they start off on the wrong foot. Noah helps Carla out with her extreme exhaustion illness and things that come along with it, and she in turn helps him out by pretending to be dating, so his mom will stop trying to set him up with every woman in town. Noah brings her special (not “special”… just gluten sugar, dairy - fun - free) cookies he had Jenn create and he decorated while working at the bakery, since her diet to combat her illness doesn’t allow for any of these. She creates spreadsheets to make their dating plan work. Win-win for everyone! Until he has to go back to work…
Carla is second cousins with another beloved Green Valley resident who makes a return visit - Sienna Diaz. With Noah working in the film industry, they are also acquainted and worked together in the past.
Carla and Noah have fantastic chemistry, their banter is top notch, the whole flow of the story is perfect pacing, the issues that pop up (as we know, every great romance novel has to have something occurring near the end) are brilliant and perfectly written, and the whole thing is just stellar.
The narrators on the audio were great - I thought Ryan Lee Dunlap suited Noah just right (when I saw it wasn’t Chris Brinkley doing the books I was a bit concerned… but Ryan was fantastic), and Stephanie Kay is always brilliant.
I received an advance audio copy from Smartypants Romance, and this is my honest opinion.
She did a beautiful job with writing a very special Green Valley, Donner Bakery novel including a lot of our favorite characters like Joy, Tempest, and of course the ever-popular Jenn and Cletus Winston!
You can absolutely read this as a standalone (not at all necessary to read the other two books in the Donner Bakery series), but you will have a better experience and understand the side characters more if you read Karla Sorensen’s Baking Me Crazy (originally the first in the bakery series, before the reorganization), and most definitely Penny Reid’s Beard Science.
This story is exceptional - it covers a lot of great issues and tough subjects including invisible illness and injury, overbearing parents and overcoming a lot of obstacles and trauma. The couple, Noah and Carla, are so great, even though they start off on the wrong foot. Noah helps Carla out with her extreme exhaustion illness and things that come along with it, and she in turn helps him out by pretending to be dating, so his mom will stop trying to set him up with every woman in town. Noah brings her special (not “special”… just gluten sugar, dairy - fun - free) cookies he had Jenn create and he decorated while working at the bakery, since her diet to combat her illness doesn’t allow for any of these. She creates spreadsheets to make their dating plan work. Win-win for everyone! Until he has to go back to work…
Carla is second cousins with another beloved Green Valley resident who makes a return visit - Sienna Diaz. With Noah working in the film industry, they are also acquainted and worked together in the past.
Carla and Noah have fantastic chemistry, their banter is top notch, the whole flow of the story is perfect pacing, the issues that pop up (as we know, every great romance novel has to have something occurring near the end) are brilliant and perfectly written, and the whole thing is just stellar.
The narrators on the audio were great - I thought Ryan Lee Dunlap suited Noah just right (when I saw it wasn’t Chris Brinkley doing the books I was a bit concerned… but Ryan was fantastic), and Stephanie Kay is always brilliant.
I received an advance audio copy from Smartypants Romance, and this is my honest opinion.
January 21, 2025
Carla and Noah work wonderfully as an opposites-attract story. Noah is a stunt driver, with no hesitation in diving into a number of life-risking endeavours. Carla on the other hand, is a software developer who has a chronic health condition and isn’t able to just follow the impulses and dangers of Noah’s life. I love how different they are, and how they are able to make their relationship work. It’s a great reminder that different people with different needs and desires can still work wonderfully together. And, as is very much in evidence within Tough Cookie, support each other through the good and the bad.
I had a brief brush against Chronic Fatigue Syndrome when I was in high school, luckily for me, it was a short term experience. Honestly, reading about a woman with this condition was a big reminder of just how intense and terrifying this experience is. I’m always keen to read romances, or indeed, any story which features someone with a chronic condition, it reminds us that most people have some battle or other that they must face. Hunter is brilliant at highlighting that Carla is just a normal human with a whole lot less Teaspoons. And, honestly, a lot more will power and willingness to fight for what she wants than some other people if I’m being honest.
At the beginning when Noah is happy that Carla doesn’t really like him, because women just fall for him, I thought he was a bit of a fool. I mean, that’s a pretty big ego one has there and it felt kind of unrealistic. But then, you find out just why he fears someone developing feelings for him just for his natural charisma. It took a while, but that assumption became far less negatively judged after finding out more about Noah’s past. Then, there’s the fact that he completely respects Carla’s boundaries and needs. He might help push her outside of her comfort zone, but he does it with her permission and is constantly checking in to see how she’s coping with all of the changes in her life.
Hunter brings a lot of experience and knowledge to the character of Carla. A lot of illnesses, disabilities, chronic conditions, etc. are invisible. Which, in my experience, means that people don’t quite think that they exist. Carla’s family and her ex both act like this to varying degrees. Whilst her family is just trying to help, but not actually succeeding in so many ways. Her ex-fiancé on the other hand, could not deal with her illness. Whilst it’s understandable that some people can’t deal with having a sick partner, it’s also not painting him in the greatest light. The fact that the person he swore to love is exchangeable because they can’t act the way they once did. Loving someone means loving them through all of the twists and turns of life, not just the convenient and easy moments.
Noah as a male cookie maker and cake decorator is too adorable. I love that his passion started as a child helping out his mother. And then choosing to pursue it again as an adult. I love that it is a man in a female-dominated sphere (a rarity even in the books I read), and that he just embraces it. Plus, there’s the whole making cookies which suit all of Carla’s dietary restrictions. But making cookies which are still nice and don’t taste (and feel) like cardboard. I wish this recipes were here for me to try…
I had a brief brush against Chronic Fatigue Syndrome when I was in high school, luckily for me, it was a short term experience. Honestly, reading about a woman with this condition was a big reminder of just how intense and terrifying this experience is. I’m always keen to read romances, or indeed, any story which features someone with a chronic condition, it reminds us that most people have some battle or other that they must face. Hunter is brilliant at highlighting that Carla is just a normal human with a whole lot less Teaspoons. And, honestly, a lot more will power and willingness to fight for what she wants than some other people if I’m being honest.
At the beginning when Noah is happy that Carla doesn’t really like him, because women just fall for him, I thought he was a bit of a fool. I mean, that’s a pretty big ego one has there and it felt kind of unrealistic. But then, you find out just why he fears someone developing feelings for him just for his natural charisma. It took a while, but that assumption became far less negatively judged after finding out more about Noah’s past. Then, there’s the fact that he completely respects Carla’s boundaries and needs. He might help push her outside of her comfort zone, but he does it with her permission and is constantly checking in to see how she’s coping with all of the changes in her life.
Hunter brings a lot of experience and knowledge to the character of Carla. A lot of illnesses, disabilities, chronic conditions, etc. are invisible. Which, in my experience, means that people don’t quite think that they exist. Carla’s family and her ex both act like this to varying degrees. Whilst her family is just trying to help, but not actually succeeding in so many ways. Her ex-fiancé on the other hand, could not deal with her illness. Whilst it’s understandable that some people can’t deal with having a sick partner, it’s also not painting him in the greatest light. The fact that the person he swore to love is exchangeable because they can’t act the way they once did. Loving someone means loving them through all of the twists and turns of life, not just the convenient and easy moments.
Noah as a male cookie maker and cake decorator is too adorable. I love that his passion started as a child helping out his mother. And then choosing to pursue it again as an adult. I love that it is a man in a female-dominated sphere (a rarity even in the books I read), and that he just embraces it. Plus, there’s the whole making cookies which suit all of Carla’s dietary restrictions. But making cookies which are still nice and don’t taste (and feel) like cardboard. I wish this recipes were here for me to try…
December 5, 2023
I like this new entry in the Green Valley world, not least because the FMC is both Latinx and disabled. Carla has ME, formerly known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and is spending all her good days working on a software to help people like her crowdsource lifestyle changes that help manage the disease. Noah is the son of her landlord, who is in town recuperating and ends up fixing her room. They agree to fake date, to get his mom off his back about being in a relationship, and so that she can start overcoming her anxiety about leaving the house. I love someone with a list and goals, and this was particularly charming. I would have loved for Noah's character arc to have been as strong as Carla's, and for his mother to have been less overbearing about her demand for grandchildren. I think there was a missed opportunity her to talk about how problematic parents can be in their demand for partners and children from their children. And there were a few moments where Noah didn't respect Carla's boundaries, which would be much worse in real life, but worked okay under the umbrella of "romance reasons". But, overall, I enjoyed the book and I like getting some insight into a complex disability.
April 25, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed Noah and Carla’s small town romance which unites a professional stuntman turned emergency handyman and the beautiful reclusive woman who lives in his mother’s farmhouse rental. This is the first romance I’ve read about a chronically ill heroine like myself (I live with the realities of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and IBS) and I applaud the author for her sensitive and realistic portrayal of the day to day existence of those of us who suffer the way we do. Noah’s loving acceptance of the realities of Carla’s existence and the long term caretaking she needs are realistically explored and I fell in love with both characters from the start. I was thoroughly entertained by the interfering matchmaking shenanigan’s of Noah’s grand baby obsessed mother and the delightful characters from Green Valley that I have come to know and love. They surround Carla with their care and empathy in a way that is most rewarding. It’s a compelling, informative, and entertaining romance filled with witty banter, heartfelt emotion, and sexy southern charm that I highly recommend.
May 15, 2024
I’m torn. I want to rate this book 4.5 but a handful of moments are bringing it to 3.5/5.
A handful of cringe, some massive gaslighting, a wee bit of manipulation and maybe mental extortion? Noah and Carla’s friendship is one to be desired. Strictly platonic, he’s protective of her and her illness and just wants to be there to help her. Platonically. Not romantically. Platonically. Because he can’t have anyone fall in love with him. Which works for Carla, because she can’t have anyone fall in love with her. So she allows this ‘platonic’ friendship in.
Slowly they realize they like each other, maybe even love each other but they stay determined to be platonic. Just platonic.
Noah decides she’s her forever and Carla panics kicking him from her life. And then he has his accident almost killing him and of course Carla is by his bedside declaring her love for him.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and the slow burn.
A handful of cringe, some massive gaslighting, a wee bit of manipulation and maybe mental extortion? Noah and Carla’s friendship is one to be desired. Strictly platonic, he’s protective of her and her illness and just wants to be there to help her. Platonically. Not romantically. Platonically. Because he can’t have anyone fall in love with him. Which works for Carla, because she can’t have anyone fall in love with her. So she allows this ‘platonic’ friendship in.
Slowly they realize they like each other, maybe even love each other but they stay determined to be platonic. Just platonic.
Noah decides she’s her forever and Carla panics kicking him from her life. And then he has his accident almost killing him and of course Carla is by his bedside declaring her love for him.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and the slow burn.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2024
DNF @ 65%
First off - overall love the SmartyPants Romance Universe and love taking visits back to Green Valley but this was just ehhh and honestly got some ick from it pretty quickly.
💭 ICK Factor Noah's mom going around and telling women her son is 'good with his hands'?!? That does not come off as some cute antidote or however it's supposed to be it really just comes off as gross.
💭Both main characters mothers are the type to end up on Reddit for not respecting their children's boundaries - maybe I spend too much time on reddit, but I don't think that's it.
💭 Overall the book just couldn't hold my attention given the above and more.
First off - overall love the SmartyPants Romance Universe and love taking visits back to Green Valley but this was just ehhh and honestly got some ick from it pretty quickly.
💭 ICK Factor Noah's mom going around and telling women her son is 'good with his hands'?!? That does not come off as some cute antidote or however it's supposed to be it really just comes off as gross.
💭Both main characters mothers are the type to end up on Reddit for not respecting their children's boundaries - maybe I spend too much time on reddit, but I don't think that's it.
💭 Overall the book just couldn't hold my attention given the above and more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2024
Slow going at times but fun!
I loved Noah and Carla's chemistry from their first snarky exchange. It was such a fun dynamic and their banter was one of my favorite parts of the book. The story moved a little slow at times and sometimes the conflict felt a little forced, but I did love the build and how well they complimented one another plus Noah's meddlesome mother acted plenty of laughs.
I loved Noah and Carla's chemistry from their first snarky exchange. It was such a fun dynamic and their banter was one of my favorite parts of the book. The story moved a little slow at times and sometimes the conflict felt a little forced, but I did love the build and how well they complimented one another plus Noah's meddlesome mother acted plenty of laughs.
August 5, 2023
I love visiting Tennessee in the SmartyPants universe. I like that we are getting to know more families in the valley and seeing more of that world. This book is about Noah, who grew up here and Cara who has moved to town to work on her health and her app. Talia Hunter delivers fully developed characters with flaws and growth in a rich environment.
January 26, 2024
Sweet romance while teasing out the concerns of living with debilitating fatigue and anxiety. While Carla was pushing Noah away in order to "live his life free from the shackles of her disease," I appreciate the sentiment that Noah's mom expressed telling Carla that Noah had the right to make that decision for himself. A very sweet sentiment, indeed.
March 18, 2025
Sensitive
I like that this book was sensitive to an individual with a chronic condition. I can relate as I have Stage IV breast cancer that has metastasized into my bones, brain, and lungs.
The only criticism that I have for several of these books is their abrupt end.
I like that this book was sensitive to an individual with a chronic condition. I can relate as I have Stage IV breast cancer that has metastasized into my bones, brain, and lungs.
The only criticism that I have for several of these books is their abrupt end.
July 23, 2023
A really lovely story. The characters both have really compelling back stories that provided an interesting relationship journey.
April 11, 2024
Het was oke. Bij 80 procent was er een beetje drama. Snapte haar wel hoor.. je wilt niemand met je zwakte belasten. Maar het hart wilt wat het hart wilt. Er zaten wat grappige stukjes bij
May 6, 2024
Cute story, a little hard to believe
August 19, 2024
A good story.
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