Crazy Little Thing

Diamond Cove

by Ellie Thornton

USA Today Bestselling Author Ellie Thornton welcomes you to the sunshine state! Looking for fun in the sun? Come to Diamond Cove, a beach community full of hilarious situations, meddling grandparents, and romance. Lose your heart to this sweet romantic comedy about a rockstar hiding his identity and the cute librarian who'll help him find his voice again.

Kate has sworn off men--for good this time! No more being stood up, no more coming second, and definitely no more falling in love.

She has bigger things to worry about like getting the Diamond Cove library ready for a contest, that if it wins, will land it smack dab on the front of a national magazine. Kate's beyond stoked, but first, she has to clean . . . everything. Removing 50,000 books from all the bookshelves in a three-story library? Shouldn't be too hard. Right?

Wrong. Especially when Samantha, the activities director at the Palms' Retirement Community, gets one of the retiree's gorgeous and extremely kind grandsons to help her. Doesn't matter. Kate won't be tempted, she can control herself. She can!

When world-famous rock star, Axel Clayton, runs away from California, his manager, and writing songs he has no interest in, he heads straight to Diamond Cove and his grandparent's open arms.

His grandpa, Don, never liked his career, but during this visit, gramps seems more interested in other things, like this new group of friends he's always sneaking around with. Fine by Axel as long as he doesn't have to defend a career he's not sure he can do anymore.

Now, all Axel needs is to stay hidden until he gets lyrics on paper and something to inspire him. Like the cute librarian at his grandparent's retirement community, and her crazy "clean everything in the library" assignment. He wants the job all right. Even more when he realizes that Kate doesn't know he's famous.

Can she help bring back his creative spark? He doesn't know, but he's willing to lug around thousands of books to find out.

Finally, I'm getting my oldest grandson married. Watch out, Axel, The Secret Seven are coming for you!

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Small Town Romance, Clean Romance, Rom Com, Chick Lit, Fiction

518 pages, Paperback

First published February 21, 2021

About the author

Ellie Thornton is an award-winning author who has been writing since she could lift a pencil and making up stories even longer than that.

For years she worked part-time jobs so she would always have time to write, read, and travel. Some of her favorite filler jobs include working as an editor, at a nursery (flowers not children,) as a driving instructor (not as harrowing as one might think,) writing a blog called Confessions of a Property Manager, and being a ghost tour guide.

She loves mysteries (reading and writing them) and especially enjoys the ones with sweet romance involved. Her "Reboot Mystery Series," (Previously known as "The Contemporary Reboot Series,") is a mystery series that takes classics like "Pride and Prejudice," "The Count of Monte Cristo," "Jane Eyre," and "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" puts them in a modern setting and adds a murder mystery and a love story that builds from one book to the next. (Not an easy feat!)

She's currently super into honey and beeswax and everything bee related as she is writing a book for Gelato Publishing's Halloween Sweet Romance Series, "Pumpkins and Proposals." Her main character is a beekeeper and owns a business that's all about honey, and beeswax related products. And again, because she loves a good mystery, you'll also find some intrigue there too.

She also writes a writing, editing, and marketing blog for authors under the name Emily Clark called Write of Passages.

If she's not at her computer, you can typically find her reading, listening to podcasts, at the local library, in her garden, in her kitchen, or with her sister and her sister's kids.

Reviews

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Hit!

This story was adorable!

1. Despite being a rock star, Axel had cheesy pick-up lines! They cracked me up.
2. Kate was a sassy, yet vulnerable heroine. I loved watching her dish it back with Axel.
3. The seniors are still hilarious. My favorite things are their text conversations and their makeover plots.
4. Axel and Kate’s first meeting was funny and sweet. Their second was hilarious. Poor Axel was having a bad day with animal interactions!
5. I can’t wait to learn more about Axel’s brothers, Sean and Johnny.
6. Don and Amelia’s story was sweet. And I loved all of the heckling about how in shape Don still is.
7. A cameo appearance from Joseph and Bree (Joseph: Black Ops Tag Military Romance series).

This book was amazing, so sweet, tender, and funny!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome place to be, Diamond Cove. Grandparents who interfere, and plenty of humour. Absolutely enjoyable.

[Kims.reading.nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Axel's music career is just taking off when a chance encounter with a gorgeous woman at midnight blows him away. She's vivacious and focused on making her train, so one golf cart ride later, she rushes out of his life.

12 years pass, and Axel has never forgotten the woman who inspired his hit album. He's now a renowned rock star and on a whim, decides to head home to see his Grandparents at their beach side retirement community for some inspiration.

Imagine his surprise when the first person he bumps into is his mystery woman, local librarian Kate. She still hasn't realised that he is 'the Axel' and he's happy to keep it that way. With the help of Grandpa Don and his friends at the retirement community, will he win Kate over? Or will the more nefarious aspects of his life and career see her walk away forever?

This was a great small town romance, and I loved the key element that Axel's family and 'The Secret Seven' matchmakers of the retirement community played in he and Kate's story. The inclusion of characters with diverse needs (both human and animal) made my heart really happy too 💕

Thank you to Author Ellie Thornton and BookSirens for providing me with this ARC. I've written this review voluntarily, and all opinions are my own. The book published on February 21st 2023 so head out and get your own copy now!

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you get when a rock star works with a small town librarian? A crazy little thing called love.

Axel is a big superstar, but I love how genuine and humble he is, largely due to the fact that he has an amazing grandpa behind him. His flirtations, song quotes, and corny sense of humor won me over. In fact, I was wishing he was real and I could listen to his original songs and covers.

I could see a hint of myself in Kate. It was refreshing how innocent and clueless she was and her slightly uptight energy was endearing. From the first meet to the years later remeet, I was a fan of this friendship and as hopeful for a development of the romantic nature as the Diamond Cove Secret Seven were.

Since I no longer have any living grandparents, this group of retiree friends has the most special place in my heart. I adore their antics, laugh hilariously at their text exchanges, and cherish the bond and friendship they have with each other, but especially the deep affection they have with their grandchildren.

Loved the banter, loved the slight mystery, and especially loved the romance!

Content: mild peril/danger (stalking); mild romance; mild mentions of rock star party life

*I received a complimentary copy. All thought and opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*

[Tabitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super fun book, fast paced, lots of familiar faces if you've read other adventures of the secret seven in Diamond Cove. This one has a rock star, song lyrics, a ghost, a missing alligator, costumes, family drama, but over all a clean cute romance with great chemistry and amazing storytelling. Enjoy! Great as a standalone but even better with the rest. Excited to read more.

[Ellen Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Secret Seven of the Palms Retirement Community are at it again. This time they are charged with finding a love for Don’s grandson Axel. Axel and Kate met twelve years ago after one of his concerts, but Kate takes him for a security guard. Really thought it was cute that Axel was attacked by a chicken, a dog named Bear, flamingos called the Beatles and shrimp. Loved the Elvis outfit Winnie fixed for Axel and the costumes for Bear and Sweetie. A sweet, clean romance with a hint of mystery, a real page turner. Love this series!!

I was given this advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man! I loved this book! I fell in love with the hero! He was awesome and they made such a cute couple! I need to read the rest in this series! So dang cute!

I received an advanced review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily!

[Maven_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crazy Little Thing by Ellie Thornton Review

Crazy Little Thing by Ellie Thornton is a heartwarming and hilariously sweet contemporary romance set in the sunny seaside town of Diamond Cove, where often everyone knows your business and meddles just enough to make life fun. The story follows Kate, a dedicated librarian who has sworn off men after too many heartbreaks and is throwing herself into preparing the local library for a huge national contest. Her world gets delightfully chaotic when Axel Clayton, a famous rock star on hiatus from his career and hiding from the pressures of fame, reappears, unknowingly offering to help Kate move tens of thousands of books while concealing his identity as a celebrity. The slow-burn romance between Kate’s grounded sweetness and Axel’s hidden vulnerability is charming and laugh-inducing, especially as quirky community members, mischievous pets, and matchmaking grandparents add layers of warmth and comedy to their days together.

What charmed me most about this story was how real and caring Kate and Axel feel, even in the midst of lighthearted antics. Kate’s resilience after disappointment and her heartfelt dedication to her community made me cheer for her every step of the way, while watching Axel shed his rock star bravado and rediscover passion not just for music but for genuine connection made their chemistry feel deeply satisfying and tender. I laughed out loud at the antics of the residents of Diamond Cove, especially the lovable elderly matchmakers whose schemes somehow always made sense in that small-town context, and I smiled at the effortless way the author wove humor and heart together. This is the kind of romance that feels like a warm blanket and a favorite playlist rolled into one: joyful, comforting, and authentically sweet.

Rating: 4 out of 5
Because the lovable characters, clever humor, and genuine emotional warmth made this a delightful romance to curl up with.

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy Little Thing Ellie Thornton is a clean, delightful, heartwarming, romantic comedy. I love everything about this book - Axel and Kate's meet cute more than a decade prior, Don's loving care of his wife Amelia, the love and friendship among the residents at the Palms, Sweetie, Bear, Winnie's costumes, the tie-in to the BOTS books and so much more. There is so much love on every page, some hilarious hijinks, and this huge group of people who function as a family. I just kept on reading until I reached the end. I can hardly wait for the next book!

[Kimberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I enjoyed this sweet fun read, Crazy Little Thing. I loved the family dynamics, the Secret Seven from the Palms Retirement Community and banter between the friendship group. Axel and Kate are perfect as is Axel’s grandpa Don who in part stole the role as the perfect guy. Don’s love for his wife is perfection and one we all hope for. This was such a cute enjoyable read that definitely brought a smile to my face. This was my first read by Ellie Thornton and I cannot wait to read more.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate is a librarian who chose to live in a retiree affluent community to manage their library and to stay as far away from her family as possible. Axel is a rock star with a creative block who has not visited his family for two years leaving after a fight with his dad and grandad. Kate and Axel will be reunited and an intriguing and funny romance will develop at the same time as family relations will change. It's an easy-to-read story, with relatable characters and situations.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[MaryEllen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series!
This is my voluntary review of a copy I received from the author.

The meddling grandparents are so much fun!

The story played out well. The actions and reactions seem reasonable and in-character. I love the inclusion of lyrics to well known songs from a couple of eras as well as bits of the rock star's compositions. It's story is full of emotions and excitement... and precious examples to love.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute addition to the diamond cove series. The match making grandparents are lots of fun. There were a few typos, which I found a little disappointing. This was a nice sweet romance, but it also was a good story about the male MC finding his voice and his family reconciling.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely super cute rock star/romantic comedy! I loved it!! It is sweet and fun-to-read, with laughs and big smiles.. Love, loved, loved it!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Alison Ramsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable story with lots of elements – a rock star with writer's block, a reunion with a girl from a moment in time past, stalkers, and of course the Secret Seven elderly, lovable interventionists. There were moments of love, fun, family, and friends. I love Don for his tender care and love of his wife. Look forward to reading about his other grandsons.
I also liked the reference/crossover to the Harvest Ranch BOTS series, which was fun.

[Rebecca White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun

I enjoyed the story of the rock star and the librarian as well as callous to other beloved characters. Another fun diamond cove ro.ance.

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this fun rom-com. I especially liked the appearance of Joe, a character from the previous books. The continuity was very good with previous characters.

[Kary Bobbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loooooooooved it.

I simply adored this book, it's fast pased, but without missing details. It's funny, wholesome and full of emotions (I laughed and cried). I love stories with the The one that got away and this one is awesome.

It features a down to earth rockstar, a middle child librarian, crazy but lovely animals, a ghost and an eldery gang of matchmakers that you definitely want in your side.
Reading about Don & Amelia broke and healed my heart 🥲 (I want a Don!)

This is the first book I had read of the author, but I definitely will look for more of her. And I definitely need to read this whole series.

[Helen Causer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Axel, a small time musician, finally gets a big break when he’s asked to open for Midnight Panther, a very successful Rock Band.

After the show, and after Axel has turned down a huge opportunity, he is hanging out with two security guards, who have a Golf Cart to ferry personnel from their cars to the stadium.

Kate, a student who is running late for the last train home, tries to take a short cut across the area closed for the concert.
She is told by the security guards to “go around” but knows she won’t catch the train if she does that.
She sees Axel standing apart from the two guards, and assumes he’s in charge, and offers to take her to the train in the Golf Cart.

Ten years later, Axel visits his grandparents at their retirement village, and crosses paths with Kate, who is now the librarian on the site.

He recognises her straight away, but she has no idea who he is, despite him having become a famous musician.

This is a story of love lost and found, of family love, and following your heart.
The main characters are surrounded by family and friends, who all live in the retirement village, and bring mischief and laughter to the tale.
There are heart rending moments too, which made me cry, but I found it to be a wonderful story, well plotted, and with more to come.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book, and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

[Stanislava Stoeva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you like to read books that will surprise you, make you cry and die of laughter? Well, if so, then you're going to love Crazy Little Thing a lot. It's a story that begins one late night where a slightly confused rock star in need of inspiration helps a girl get home and unexpectedly gets his muse.
This is a story that gave me so much as I read. Every single page was filled with many emotions. Loud and rocking. While reading the book, I went through an extraordinary and heart-pounding laugh from the attempts of a gang of old men who, in their attempts to woo a slightly confused man, ended up in downright hot situations (this, ladies and gentlemen, is the irresistible and unrepeatable "Secret Seven"). 🫣There was, of course, an extremely strong romance that I saw in the face of a man who had lost his purpose and found it in the heart of his first muse. And no, make no mistake, this is not his first love, but a girl who inspired him so many years ago. But to be honest, I liked the third main character in the story the most, and that was Don. This is a man who, even after so many years of marriage, had kept his love for his slightly "confused" girl. The care and attention he gave to Amelia melted my heart. And their story became my favorite. Crazy Little Thing is just the breath of fresh air I needed and has become one of my favorite stories.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book definitely made me want to go visit Diamond Cove for myself. Fun and lovable characters, including meddlesome grandparents, and plenty of romance make this the perfect summertime destination. Kate has had it with men and has no interest in dating anymore. She is throwing herself into getting the town library ready for a big contest, giving it a chance for national recognition. She's excited to get started, but there is a lot of work to be done. Her friend Samantha who has been helping her and knows how overwhelmed Kate is, enlists Axel's help. Axel comes to town to hide out from his famous life and try to get his creative juices flowing again. Kate only knows Axel from back in college as the kind security guard, and has no idea he is famous. Kate is the one who actually inspired his first album, and he has never forgotten about her. He is captivated by her and plans to win her over while he is in town.

This story was absolutely adorable and gave me all the feels. The characters were sweet and I immediately fell in love with them. I was pulled into the story from the start and remained engaged till the end. Such a fun-filled romance that left me with a smile on my face! If you're looking for a clean, funny, cute romance, then I would definitely recommend you give this a try!

I received a complimentary copy from BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 Stars

Crazy Little Thing is the romantic comedy novel focused on Axel (rock God) and Kate (librarian). Set in Diamond Cove, at the retirement complex where the aptly dubbed Secret Seven plot and scheme to marry off all their grandchildren.

Thanks to a chance meeting with Kate one night, a long time ago, Axel released several hit songs and albums, won some Grammys and launched his career into the Stratosphere. Kate, meanwhile, followed her dream of becoming a librarian and part of a welcoming, loving community. When these two are reunited, in hilarious circumstances, sparks fly.

I loved Axel - he’s just such a gorgeous character and I loved his cheesy chat up lines and overt flirting techniques. It was also great to see the interactions between him and Kate, as well as between him and his grandpa Don, dad and brothers. The family and community aspect of the story added another layer of warmth and comfort to the entire story.

I laughed and cried, and came away from reading this glowing. I genuinely loved this book and look forward to reading many more by this author (and not just this series!). If you like mistaken identity, happy ever after, small-town community stories then this is the book for you!

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 - 5 stars.

Oh my goodness, the text group chat made me laugh so much I snorted at times and at one point I had to slap my hand over my mouth I was laughing so much, I just found it so funny. The Secret Seven are amazing characters, they are funny, caring and with them in your corner you're either going to be very scared or very glad! I loved how balanced the story felt, there was light and dark to it, it was funny yet at times sad, the character Amelia and what was happening to her and those around her touched me on a personal level.

I thought that the chemistry and connection between Axel and Kate was very good, I liked that they had a past, that they respected each other, supported one another and that they weren't able to deny their feelings, I really enjoyed seeing them get to their HEA and I want very much to read about Axel's brothers and spend time with everyone that made me laugh, smile and wonder what will happen next for them. I am voluntarily leaving this review after receiving an ARC from Hidden Gems.

[Simone · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know the feeling you get when you’re reading a digital book and you come to a part and think, “I bet that’s the end”, but then the book keeps going and you think ‘Yes!” And do a fist pump? Well this book did that to me twice! It was such a good read and felt like the book that kept on giving. The characters were great and I loved the meddling secret seven, but I especially loved Axel and his honest, everlasting love - who wouldn’t want a partner like that?! This is the first book I’ve read in this series and was easy to read as a standalone, but I’m looking forward to going back now and reading the first six books. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Genoveva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book i've read of this author and im so happy I picked this one up! One of the biggest draws to this book was the fact the the MC were in their 30s. The build up of their relationship had me drawn in. The supporting characters had me laughing so much. I appreciate the fact that they added to the story and did not take over the story themselves. I will definitely be picking up more books by this author.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Alison N · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first time reading the diamond cove series. The secret seven are fab, wish I had a grandpa like Don! Axel and Kate are great, and I was rooting for them from the start. So many laugh out loud moments, a few sad moments and some totally unexpected moments. Chickens, flamingos, a blind baby alligator and a rescue seeing eye dog. Looking forward to more stories from the diamond cove secret seven. Will definitely be reading the previous books. Thoroughly enjoyed this story and would definitely recommend.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Devons book corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Axel is a bigtime superstar, but he hasn't let it go to his head. He's very humble and genuine, thanks to his grandpa. I loved how sweet and corny he was, especially his song lyrics. Kate is super sweet and I loved her so much. Put a rockstar and a librarian together and what do you get?? A crazy little thing called love. This heartwarming romcom was so cute and sweet. And the meddling grandparents were the best. I loved them. Such a cute book you won't want to miss.

[Kami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! I love clean romances and I’ve missed reading them so much! Axel and Kate were so incredible, and honestly chat should continue to rot in JAAIIIIL! axel is such a good man, I need to read the whole series honestly, I wish Don had his own book🥹 also, shoutout to the author for the Alzheimer’s rep!

Thank you HiddenGems books for the free copy

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet but wordy romcom from a very readable author! Having read multiple books from this author, I was excited for this one, and wasn't disappointed, but was confused about the change in writing style. As compared with other stories, this was a bit repetitive and felt longer than it needed to be. Great story though, and great series premise!

[Britt Rave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely ADORED this book. It has such a cute, wholesome plot. And I love the Secret 7 and their scheming. This would make such a cute movie too.

Can't wait for the next to come out!! 🖤

The plot and characters were so endearing.

Highly recommend reading for a light, heart-warming story.