Beautiful Small Things

The Men of Sierra Falls

by Steffanie Blais

James Parker has spent years trying to get Marcus Sinclair to notice her as more than his best friend’s little sister. But each seduction attempt has failed in spectacular fashion.

When Marcus finally recognizes her for the beautiful woman she's grown into, James is determined to make him work for her affection. Their relationship is a game of push and pull, with neither one prepared to admit their true feelings.

Until James becomes the one person Marcus needs the most when the product from a short fling lands on his doorstep.

They must either work together to raise this baby or finally walk away from one another for good.

Genres: Romance

313 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 12, 2023

About the author

Steffanie Blais crafts captivating romantic suspense you can’t put down. Heavily influenced by her father, who was a small-town sheriff for three decades, Steffanie comes by her love of mystery and suspense honestly. When she's not weaving stories with surprising turns, she works as a Registered Dietitian. In rare moments of downtime, Steffanie enjoys spending time with her husband and four children, binge-reading romance and thrillers, or baking while listening to '80s music. For all the latest news, releases, and behind-the-scenes action, subscribe to Steffanie Blais’ newsletter today!

Reviews

[Ashley's Novel Idea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first introduction to author Steffanie Blais. So, I didn't know what to expect when I began this story. I was intrigued by the tropes, Brothers Best Friend and Second Chance Romance. While I enjoyed the dual romance aspect of the story between Marcus and Jem and Iris and Orion, the multiple POV during multiple timelines was tedious and excessive. I had to keep referring back to the authors note at the beginning of the book to make sure I was reading at the right time and then I'd have to go back to the beginning of the chapter to make sure I was reading the right person's perspective since the perspectives are written in the first person. Honestly, I would have rather have just read Marcus' and Jems story in dual POV in chronological order than through Iris' interviewing. And likewise, with Iris and Orion's story, I would have preferred to just read their story, because you didn't get much of it to be honest.

So, this story has me feeling a bit cluster brained because I liked the individual story for the FMC Jem and Marcus the MMC, but I did not enjoy the vehicle used to tell the story, I think it slowed the pace down and took away from the overall story, for me personally. I feel like it prevented me from establishing that connection with the characters, because I was too busy trying to keep track of the aforementioned POV's. I know that each author sets out with their own vision, and I respect that. Like I said overall, I enjoyed the plot arch for the characters and the writing over all.

Rating 3.5 rounding up to 4 because you cant always make everyone happy and I am grateful for the opportunity to have read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Yvette Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful Small Things is the first book I’ve read by Steffanie Blais. The story has a dual timeline, with a second chance romance, brothers best friend trope. In between the dual timelines you have Iris interviewing family members and friends nominating her father for an award.

James (Jem) Parker has been in love with Marcus Sinclair for years. She has also spent just as long trying to get him to notice her as more than his best friend’s little sister. When Marcus starts to see the how beautiful she is and starts to feel this pull towards her, she pushes him away.

One day, Marcus gets a surprise left as his front door…his daughter Iris. He instantly falls in love and changes his life in an instant. Marcus is in medical school and realizes he can’t do this on his own and asks for help…Jem steps up. From the moment she laid her eyes on Iris, Jem loved her as if she were her own. Marcus becomes a successful doctor and raised a beautiful intelligent daughter.

I absolutely loved watching their relationship grow from childhood to adulthood. The character development was well done and their love story was done so beautifully!! I also want to compliment the names she chose for her characters they are unique and I love them. I finished this book in a day and I would definitely recommend it.

[Holly Annaleisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

After years of longing in the shadows for Marcus, James aka Jem captures his attention and finally has him seeing her as the gorgeous woman she has become, but things aren’t as smooth as you think. Marcus and James have a push-pull relationship filled with tension and even though they have hooked up, the fact that James is a sister figure to Marcus’s best friend doesn’t help matters. Things were going as well as they could given the circumstance as James continued to make Marcus work for it, but now Marcus needs James' help when a product of an old fling arrives right on his doorstep.

I entered this book expecting a romance, but it was so much more then that. This story also features deep familial love, friendship, and family relationships, as well as flashbacks. It starts out in the future and moves back in time through several POV’s. What began as a back and forth, push and pull friends with benefits arrangement evolved into a beautiful love story about love, lust, family, responsibility, worth, and trust.

Marcus grew so much as a person after becoming the primary caretaker for his baby, and James treated Marcus's daughter as if she were her own, which I loved. This book flips back and forth between the past and the present with different points of view in order to tell the complete tale from all angles. Such a heartfelt read by this author. I did not expect to get as emotional as I did.

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙧𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙣, 𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮, 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙎𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚.

Thank you to the author and Wordsmith Publicity for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/ 5

[Meghan K · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no such thing as a bad book when Steffanie is writing ! But I hope this isn’t the end of Orion and Iris. Would love to know their story. Need to reread about Callan and Colby! This book pulled at my heartstrings.

[Andrea Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was so original! I enjoyed the way Stephanie Blais did the timeline as Iris was writing a recommendation letter for her father, Marcus. Wanting to tell a more personal story, she asks the people around him their thoughts and feelings about her father. We get the story of Marcus, his best friend Cillian, Cillian 's wife Colby Cillian 's sister Gem)James) and Orion Cillian 's son. Who Iris has her relationship with. It was a unique way to tell a story, and it was easy for me to follow. The steam was great and flowed easily through the story. I do wish we had more of the Iris and Orion stories, but it was really well written!this was the first time I had read a book by Steffanie Blais, and I highly recommend this one!

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Small Things is the second book of The Men of Sierra Falls series. This is such a wonderful story that completely captivated me and had me laughing and crying. This is probably the best single dad romance that I have read. It is very refreshing the way the love story between James and Marcus is not only told through their eyes but also by Marcus’ daughter, Iris.

We first met James and Marcus in Ever the Same and I was so excited to be able to get to know them better. Marcus was always the life of the party and it was nice to see a different side of him and how much of a great man he really is. James has always had a massive crush on Marcus but she was always just the younger sister of Colby (from Ever the Same). Their love story was beautifully told and I throughly enjoyed the story and character development. I absolutely loved this book definitely recommend!

[Karla Escutia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t even know where to begin with this story it moved me and touched me this is my first steffanie blais novel and it was amazing every moment of it amazing and the way she wrote the story was the best part with the going between past and present love it 😍 and it was steamy when it needed to be.highly recommend it

[Rin Sher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good story!

Marcus, James, Iris, and Orion - All very different people, and I loved every one of them ❤️
Steffanie wrote this book in a multiple pov way that was not only done well, but it was also unique.
Even with time jumps and different storylines happening, it was so smooth that there was no confusion as to what was going on with any of them.

I love romance books that can take you for a ride and tell a love story in a clever way, and this was one of those.
I recommend you check it out!

[Reading with 2 book lovers Sarah P - · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well written story that gave me so many emotions. Highly recommended

[Kate Schaeffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marcus and James have so much history that you can’t help but root for them! Their back and forth, push/pull will have your eyes reading the pages faster than your brain can keep up! Not to mention you will INSTANTLY fall in love with the POV of his daughter, Iris. I did not expect a to feel all the feels with this book but I’m here for it. Steffanie knows how to latch onto your soul and hold on tight and officially has her own shelf on my book case!!!

[Mistys Bookish Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

These Men of Sierra Falls just melt me. I fell in love with Marcus in Ever The Same. I just couldn’t wait to get his story. I knew with Marcus, I’d definitely get some humorous moments and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The unexpected surprise is his serious side, which I absolutely devoured.

With all of these tropes, there is something for everyone.
- Single dad
- Close Proximity
- Brother’s Best Friend
- Unrequited Love
- Age Gap

I loved that the story is told in multiple POV’s . It gives you such different perspectives on each character and also allows you the chance to also get to know Iris, his daughter. The time hops were wonderfully written and so easy to follow as you enjoy Iris learning her father’s love story with James aka Jem.

Little James and her teenage crush on a boy that only saw her as the little sister to his best friend grows fiercely over the years as she vies for attention from Marcus. Even after he finally sees her as more, life couldn’t be any more complicated.

This little gem releases on September 12, 2023. Dive into the Men of Sierra Falls.

[Gina Klemm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read a book like this before and it was everything I didn’t know I needed!! It pulled on my heartstrings and also made me laugh! Absolutely loved it!

[Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazon



Iris has been tasked with writing a letter to the committee of the prestigious award her father Marcus has earned. This genius 17-year-old decides instead of focusing on his academic and intellectual achievements, she will start her research by getting to know him through the eyes of the people who have known and loved him the longest - his best friend Callan, his best friend's wife Colby, and the sister of his best friend's wife, herself one of Marcus' best friends, James aka Gem. What she finds will show her a man she doesn't quite realize (or maybe even want to know about) is lurking somewhere inside her beloved father.



James has been fascinated by Marcus since she was 5, when this golden haired boy strode into her life and into her heart, and has never left it. Over the years, their relationship has evolved from brotherly (on his part) to something...more. She's never quite sure what or who she is to him, especially since that time when she was his beautiful daughter's nanny. Now in the present when her beautiful violet eyed girl starts asking her questions about Iris' father, uncomfortable truths and memories have her balking at recalling them and relating them to Iris.



This device of using Iris' letter as a means of telling James' and Marcus' story is an effective, and interesting one. Iris gets to tell the beginning of her story, too, through this method, and it only has me even more interested in her and what's to come for her and Orion. James is just a young girl when she meets Marcus, and I hurt for her as her unrequited feelings had her so aflutter at the man so much older than she, and so uninterested in her as more than just like a sister. But slowly, as time went by and Marcus started to realize she was a grownup, I was rooting them on as the tension got more and more intense. By the time their story was over, and I realized just who James was to Marcus, I was grinning in happiness, because I had wanted that happiness for them the whole way through. I haven't read the first story, which is Callan and Colby's, but after having read this one, you can be sure I'm on my way to download it next, and anymore to come.



ARC provided by Wordsmith Publicity for an honest review.

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[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Marcus throughout the first book in the series but I definitely loved him in this one. He's broody and swoony and loves his daughter so much.

[Shelly Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, everyone's opinion is different. My preferred genre is dark romance, and I knew that this was not going in. I did not love this book, but I also did not dislike it. It is rare that I don't finish a book, so every book I finish automatically gets a min of three stars. It kept me intrigued to the point that I did not cast it aside. This book is the second in a series, although it is not required to read the first. I personally have not read the first book, however any references made and characters mentioned from that book were explained so I never felt like any part of the story was missing.

In this story, Iris is the daughter of Marcus. She is given the task of writing a letter on his behalf for an award he is scheduled to receive. In order to best paint her father, she decides that digging into his past, with the help of family and friends, she can show who her father is as a person, outside the medical world that he works. James, Colby and Callan are the main ones that she focuses on. Callan being her dads long time best friend, Colby is Callan's wife (book one is their story). James/Gem is Colby's younger sister, but you don't really know her place in all this immediately.

Working on the paper, the stories are going to go back to the VERY beginning and so there is a lot of "time hop" going on. It was easy to follow and painted mostly the story of Marcus and James. James from a young age has always been in love with Marcus, but she was always looked at to be Colby's little sister. I believe it was like a 7 year-ish age gap. Eventually, we learn as a baby, Iris was left at Marcus's doorstep days after being born. The young, wild frat boy has a choice to make. After determining she is his daughter, he decides that he will be the father she deserves. He gains full custody of her and together they move forward with the help of family and friends. James becomes her nanny for a period while waiting for acceptance to dance school or she figures out what is next for her.

There are some steamy scenes sprinkled in along the way. I would give it 3/5 for spice. This is not a book written for the smut content, it was just a bonus to the story. I think the main focus is the actual story line. I did question the relationship status of James and Gem for part of the book, although I think that could have been the point. Overall the story was pleasant to read. This was a new to me author. I have nothing but positive words for her ability to create a story. It is very well developed and with so many moving pieces it was very easy to follow the story and not feel lost.

Again, this is just my overall opinion. I didn't finish it thinking how much I loved the book, however, I did enjoy it. It will be a good recommendation for my friends that love contemporary romance without the super dark possessive males. While Marcus has his moments, he didn't really scream alpha male to me. More a possessive cinnamon roll.

I would absolutely recommend it.

Happy Reading Ya'll

[Marni Ortiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being that this was my very first time reading one of Steffanie Blais’s romances I was honestly not so sure what to expect. But OMG I’m actually sitting here shaking my head because where the heck have I been ? And why have I not read Steffanie before . Beautiful Small Things really is one of the best books I’ve read this year . So beautifully written and so emotionally changed . A emotional rollercoaster that just played on all my emotions in ways I was not even prepared for . One second I was just utterly speechless, the next I was yelling outta pure frustration, then my heart felt like it was being crushed with tears streaming down my face . But of course there were times I was smiling and rooting so freaking hard . James has been in love with Marcus her brothers best friend for as long as she can remember. She’s tried everything to get him to see her in a different light ( as more than his best friends little sister . But it’s not until year later when fate steps in and circumstances change everything that he finally see’s the person he’s meant to be with has been in front of him the entire time . The angst , the humor , the witty banter , the passion , the love , the unexpected surprises, the obstacles, the push and pull , the secrete , the family and friendships , the phenomenal world building. It has it all in spades . I have without a doubt found myself a new favorite author
5 minutes ago

[Thindbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows the story of Marcus and James who get a second chance at love. I enjoyed the entire premise of the book. When I read the summary, it was completely different from how I thought the book was going to be. Usually, that would be a low star rating for me but this story was uniquely written. It’s written from different perspectives and from other points in the timeline. I enjoyed the setting and the pacing of this book. I do have to say that at some points in the book, I would be confused as some things were not clarified or made you keep thinking. This book is told from Iris, Marcus and James pov.

At first, I was confused about who Iris was until I finally understood. She was a good character with great character development. She just didn’t give me MC energy. Marcus and James are also great characters and I enjoyed the people they became after the years they had. I do wish I felt more of their romantic chemistry because the timeline made it hard to feel it. I did enjoy the side characters especially James’ sister who was such a sweetheart. The romance was okay but again the chemistry was lacking for me. I enjoyed the MCs but I felt their story was missing the buildup for the feelings they had.

The ending was well done and I really liked the epilogue we got (which cleared up the story) and Iris’s letter. It was a great story that was uniquely written as I had never seen a romance book written like this. You should check this book out especially if you are looking for a book with second chance romance.

*this book was sent to me by the author to give an honest review in return*

[VicReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

💜 𝙱𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚂𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 ARC Review 💜

𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤 / 𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝔼𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥
💜 Brothers best friend
💜 Close proximity
💜 Single dad

📚 Available September 12

Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice- 🌶️

This book was completely different than anything I’ve read before. I was expecting just the hero and heroine POV, but you get more than just those two.

It starts in the future with Marcus and his daughter Iris POV. It alternates between past and present to get the full picture of the story.

Marcus and James aka Jem, had to go through a lot to get to their HEA but they truly deserved it. The love that James had for Iris since the beginning was beautiful.

#authorsteffanieblais #comingsoon #smutlovers #booktropes #bookswithspice #instaread #romancebooks #booklife #momswhoread #spicyromance #spicybookstagram #spicybooks #bookreccomendations #bookboyfriends #bookish #bookaddict #booknerd #bibliophile #instabook #booksofinstagram #bookaholic #bookreview #bookcommunity #instabooks #booktok

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in this series, and this is James aka Jem and Marcus’s story. Jem has spent years trying to get Marcus to see her more than his best friend’s little sister, and when he finally notices her, she is determined to make him work for her attention. When the consequences of a short fling arrive on Marcus’s doorstep, he needs Jem more than ever. This story fits between the past and the present and is told in multiple POV’s.
This is a well written story which has a push and pull relationship, family, friendships, emotions, tension, challenges, romance, and love, which leads to an entertaining and compelling page turner.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0⭐️

Beautiful and unique way to tell the story. Initially I thought the flashbacks would be confusing but I loved how everything unfolded in the end.

Iris was my favorite 😍 that girl and how she brought her parents together was beautiful. I enjoyed how this was not just the love story between Marcus and James, but a love between father and daughter, best friends, found family. Sometimes when there are multiple character stories happening simultaneously it gets crowded but this story was told well.

Enjoyed every word.

[Reading In the Red Room · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not expecting the emotions I just had while reading this book..but holy cow! I laughed out loud and ugly cried while reading this amazingly beautiful book. This story is told in several different voices throughout many years…and I was hear for it. Marcus is a successful doctor, but what made him who he is today? Why did he make the decision he made throughout his life? Iris his quirky but brilliant daughter is asking questions about her dads life and this heart wrenching book tells that story. James has been madly in love with Marcus her entire life….at least it always felt like that. What part did she play in Iris’s life as she was growing up? I could not read this book fast enough. I loved every word on every page. The characters had amazing depth and told a heck of a story. I will no doubt be reading more books by this author after this incredible book.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the characters in this book. This story definitely had parts where it definitely had me feeling the emotions and parts that made me laugh. I thought it was a good read and I enjoyed it.

I received an arc and this review is my own.

[Chronicles_of_a_book_princess · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay read for me.. I was confused at times and not really sure where the story was going. It had some good characters but I just wasn’t really feeling the plot and how the chapters were written.

[Sarah Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚, 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒖𝒔 𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒓 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆.

We first met Marcus in 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘦 and I couldn’t wait for his story! Steffanie did a phenomenal job writing this book with multiple POVs that encapsulated jumps between two different timelines. It allows the reader to get a more in-depth understanding of Marcus’ daughter Iris, and you get to join her along the journey of learning her father’s love story. I also loved the mini love story between Iris and Orion that was developing, and I hope one day we get their full story!

When Iris was asked to write a letter for a prestigious award about her father to be presented, she knew she wanted it to focus on more than his intellectual accolades. She wanted those to know about the man behind the award. She sets off on interviewing those closest to him, and we get to see Marcus through the eyes of Callan, Colby, and James. We jump back to the past and learn how Marcus and James came to be and how one single night changed his life forever.

This book focused more on the connections between all characters and the friendships and familial love that developed over so many years. I loved seeing Callan and Colby again because I sure have missed them. If you’re looking for a book full of heart touching moments, tension, and unrequited love, then this is definitely the one for you!

[Alimay · Rating 4 out of 5]

BEAUTIFUL STORY

Steffanie Blais has written such a beautiful and intriguing story. I was little confused at the beginning until I was so engrossed in the book, I couldn't put it down. There is definitely emotion in the story of Marcus and James and the ending had me really gasping at the twist. Wonderful characters to embrace and written with feeling. Unique is a word I would use to describe this story.