A Fine Line

Wells Family #5

by Juliana Smith

Enemies turn to lovers in this food truck-rivalry, fake-dating romcom that is irresistible and delicious.It was one thing to work next door to your arch nemesis, it was a whole different ball game when you had to suddenly work with them. Winnifred Meadows knew two things for 1. Chemistry and baking were meant to go together like icing on cupcakes. 2. Crew Wells was the absolute worst man in all of Philadelphia. Okay, maybe second worst. But when Winnie finds herself suddenly in a bind, relying on winning a food truck competition with a massive reward- more than enough to fly her back home to her family, she realizes she and her excellent baking alone can’t make an entree worthy of $5,000. Unfortunately for her, Crew Wells certainly can.

Crew knew cooking like the back of his hand. He’d grown a successful business out of it and made himself a proud owner of one of the top savory food trucks in a three-hour radius. You would think that would be enough to impress his family into realizing he was no longer some clueless eighteen year old kid, but it wasn’t. However, winning a city wide food truck competition and claiming the number one title would have to be enough to cause them to finally see him for what he was. Except, this title was only possible by serving the best entree and dessert. His only option? Relying on the one girl he would run miles away from.

When their ruse of partnership comes across as ingenuine, their only choice left is to pretend as if they were dating. After hours of working together, and a trip to Winifreds home town, these two begin to wonder if there really is a fine line between love and hate?

Genres: Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Fake Dating, Audiobook, Clean Romance, Forced Proximity, Contemporary

235 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 11, 2024

About the author

Juliana Smith grew up in an Alabama small town and still calls it home―along with her husband, daughter, two dogs, and an ever-growing collection of unfinished stories to come. She writes sweet, feel-good romance full of charm, laughter, and just the right amount of yearning. When she’s not falling in love with her fictional characters, she’s probably in the Chick-fil-A drive-thru or deep-diving into Star Wars theory podcasts.

Juliana believes in happily ever afters, second chances, and that life is better when you’re laughing (preferably with a Diet Dr Pepper in hand).

Reviews

[Lilyya ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

”whenever I’m with you, I am a hundred percent there. wherever we are.”

this was so freaking cute 🥺🥺!!!

[Juliana Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

see you guys on ku soon🤭

[TTP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hero is so vulnerable and sweet. He has ADHD and panic attacks and doesn’t tell anyone in his family this because he’s ashamed, afraid they will treat him differently.

They meet and exchange numbers but due to a misunderstanding he thinks she’s engaged and cheating bc she gave him her number, but he was the first guy she gave her number to after finding her ex fiance cheating on her over a year ago.
They meet next day because their food trucks is parked besides each others, and their rivalry starts.

But there is a food truck contest and they agree to work together to win.

Safety:
- no owd
- No info about former, just that he never had a girlfriend serious that he brought her home with him, and he one time says he doesn’t need help getting laid, but he also talks about how he doesn’t make any more room in his life beside work and his family
- Her ex appears one time, H helps the h out in this situation


Confusing part:
- the author goes from that they have known each other for 5 years, to 2 years. Once he says he’s 24, they suddenly he says he’s 26?


Spoiler of the ending:

Loved how they naturally was on the same page about city life vs country life, and that she wanted to move back home, and due to his ADHD it was something he also wanted. So no third act breakup, just a little confusion before they talk about about what to do since she’s moving back home.

[Lexi Garr · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This book had so much potential and could’ve been my favorite plot but it was just so rushed. And I’ve never read a book with so many typos.

[hazel (taylor’s version)🎀💗 · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED OMG

[Maddie Rosen Duncil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Julianna, I love you and the Wells family, but this was such a disappointment. I mean, the storyline was fine, characters were lovable. miscommunication trope is not a fave. BUT, my biggest problem was the writing!! oh my word was this proofread at all? you’re telling me readers had ARCs and didn’t catch all these horrendous typos? Half of the book was run on sentences, then we had sentences that would just end. no finishing the thought, just mid clause jump to the next paragraph. also, “grab me bag” or “lose change”? for real?! I expect typos here and there in an ebook, but this was killer.

[vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m really happy Crew found his person. Winnie became his peace in chaos. They had great chemistry when they first met and there was a huge misunderstanding on crew’s part when they first met but I can’t really blame him when I was able to see how and why he came to that conclusion. I loved reading how Winnie stood up for crew infront of his family to stop making him feel like an outsider. I also, loved seeing Crew stand up and put her ex in his place when he tried to belittle her. I was able to over look a couple things because I honestly believe Crew and Winnie deserved the best!

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This was a really sweet, dual POV, kissing only, rivals to lovers food truck romance featuring Crew, the baby of the Wells family who has always felt like the odd one out, the one who can't do things right, largely owing to his ADHD. Along comes Winnie, who is like a ray of sunshine and helps Crew realize he is enough just as he is. Their opposite natures complement one another so well. I enjoyed this one a whole lot, however, you could really tell the author rushed to publish as there were SOOO many little typos and spelling mistakes sprinkled throughout. If you can overlook that though, it is a fun, heartfelt and swoony little love story that will make you smile and crave a sugar fix when you finish.

[KKono_The_Booknerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS. WAS. SO. FREAKING. INCREDIBLE. I’m so sad it’s the last one, but I’ve been hoping for Crew’s love story, and it was such a good end to the series! I loved everything in this book from the bantering, to the tropes, to the amazing Wells Family (who will ALWAYS be in my heart), to the incredible writing that makes me want to go back to this series, to the mental health rep (which was so relieving to read about, as someone with bad mental health) to the fun characters and growth of the Wells Family, I LOVED IT ALL. Juliana smith, your romance writing is so inspiring, and as one of my favorite authors, I will be dedicating you in my future romance book hehe! Anyways, thank you so much for this masterpiece, overall I recommend this whole series to anyone!

To the Wells Family who I relate to, and hope to find someday ❤️

[marlee hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

crew is so bae

[Amelie · Rating 2 out of 5]

someone did not proofread their novel before publishing it. I have a feeling that the author voice dictated this novel and didn't bother to even read it afterwards. how does one confuse "passed" with "past" (multiple times)?! that was among many other reaaaally annoying typos

anyways crew and Winnie both were super annoying. the fact that they couldn't get over their issues or talk to each other or their families was so annoying. especially crew!!! his family is so amazing and supportive but he doesn't share his ADHD with them or even try to help himself and then complains about it. and everytime he called Winnie "Winnie girl" I cringed so hard

this book was boring. don't read it. nothing happens until the last 5 percent and I took a break for like a month because I was not even slightly invested in what was happening

update: apparently she wrote the Aspen peaks series?! I'm even more disappointed because I loved those books

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s fine, I’m fine , I’m totally fine 😭😭😭😭😁😭😁
What an AMAZING end to the series . I FREAKING LOVE THE WELLS FAMILY .

[Brooke Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh how i love the wells family. i would probably give this book a 4 because it did feel a little rushed, but for the sake of wells family series. they’re all 5s.

she did say she finished this an hour before it had to go live. so im assuming it’ll get edited and updated over the next little stretch of time, but there were a lot of mistakes in it at release which made it harder to focus on the story and the scenes i was setting.

despite this, i have been looking forward to crew and getting to know more about what he was like after hearing from all our other mcs. he was very sweet and even in his chapters he read as someone with adhd if that makes sense. i was worried winnie was going to be the solution to his adhd issues, but she was not! she was just someone who offered a safe space and throughout the book especially at the end it’s handled very well.

in terms of winnie and crew they were cute, there was quite a bit of build up it took a minute to get to them having a conversation about what made them rivals besides the truck, but i liked hearing all these little ways they’re connected. and some scenes were just so silly like wtf you mean you ran into each other at costco. some parts were i a little awkward. like i cant help but imagine what things look like from an outside perspective but as long as they’re happy

double epilogue since it’s the last in the series and it was very sweet very full circle.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ This was such a cute book! I do really like the found family in this series. I loved Winnie and Crew, they were PERFECT for each other! I loved reading about Crew’s ADHD experience, it was very real and i love when real life struggles are incorporated into cute romcoms because it’s not all sunshine’s and rainbow’s. It did have some super cute quotes, i thought the story was fun and i really enjoyed reading about these characters but unfortunately something was missing for me and i don’t know what it was because i really enjoyed everything that was there but i just know that something i need wasn’t there! I really did enjoy this though and im glad ive finally read it and now all caught up with the wells family series! I highly recommend these books if you are in a slump or need a short fast paced read or all three!

[jenelle ｡･:*˚:✧｡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being done with this family feels so sad and surreal! BUT to have a peek into Willow Creek?! Are you kidding?! I’m soooo so excited for Spur of the Moment!

Alright, Crew and Winnie were perfectly sweet and amazing for each other! Loving each other with real life problems and daily struggles! I love their little food truck love and the small details of each of their characters! Gah! LOVED this series!

[Rachyl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will forever be a huge fan of the Wells Family and of Juliana Smith! The fact that the series is over is so sad!! I loved the plot and Winnie and Crew are chefs kiss. Loved the opportunity to read someone’s brain who is different than mine. I was just bummed a little because it felt rushed and had a lot of editing errors that were distracting for me.

[Kara Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ the beginning was really giving early 2000s cook off vibes. The dual POV (especially in audiobook) was adorable and easy to follow!

Loved the MMC, the ADHD representation & the modern tv and social media references.

The middle was just a tad boring for me, but other than that, a great read and always like supporting Indie Authors! ✨

[The Cajun Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m gonna miss the Wells family’s this was such a sweet conclusion to the series.

Crew was amazing and I love how accepted he was by Winnie.

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

[Kahlen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to Crew’s story and I was pleased with a lot of it but there was something small that was missing and I can’t put my finger on it. I really respected that Crew became less of a caricature and that she didn’t lean into his wild hooligan rep. But I do feel like his feelings of being the odd man out in his family weren’t resolved in a satisfying way. Winnie went in for him with guns a-blazing and really accusing them harshly, and then of course they apologized and told them they loved him and came to support him. But I don’t think that’s really what he needed… I felt like he needed to tell them how the off-handed remarks they said about him were what were at fault for making him feel distant; he knew they loved him, and in his shoes, I don’t think a barrage of reassuring texts and knowing that they’re all together worrying about me would help me feel more at one with them. That’s my personal take.

[bookhugger · Rating 4 out of 5]

oops I think I finished the series

I WANT IT BACK UGH 😔🤭

[Larissa Huckaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, the food truck rivalry trope was really cute and I loved it ☺️

[Mindy Selu · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was such a huge disappointment after the rest of the series! Honestly, you could read the first two chapters and then skip to 50% and be just fine. And there's no chance this book was even proofread, let alone copyedited. It was painful to read because there were so many typos and grammatical errors and—I kid you not—not a single em-dash in the entire book, even when it called for one. 🤦‍♀️ So disappointing that it was clearly rushed, when it could've been so much better!

[Shara Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the book overall.. it would have been a 4 or even a 5, however the grammar and typo’s were so bad. It was frustrating. Felt rushed and that’s why it’s marked down. Still a great story.

[Raina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this but it was honestly filled with so many grammar and spelling errors that it took me out of it. I wish it would have been longer like the others in this series so it didn’t feel so rushed too.

[Claire Klekamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved this series but this book was so clearly rushed. The typos every other sentence kept taking me out of the story. Wish this series would have wrapped up better, honestly.

[Leann · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️ This was the final book in the Wells Family sibling series and it focused on Crew, the youngest sibling. This story had a great ADHD rep (seriously, some of Crew’s internal monologue, I could really identify with). I loved how the rivals-to-lovers trope was executed, which really just had to do with some miscommunication. I will say that this book needed more editing. I never noticed it in the four previous books of the series, but this one had a lot of editing errors—misused words, lots of missing apostrophes, sometimes sentences didn’t have punctuation. There is an author’s note at the end that she finished the book an hour before it was set to go live, so that was probably part of it but it took me out of the story quite a bit. I had to reread several parts to fully understand what was going on. Some continuity errors also… the beginning of one chapter talked about Winnie’s boots she was wearing and then in that very same scene, she was wearing pink converse. But the story itself was great and I enjoyed it and I needed something funny and happy to read this week.

[Jaci · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cant believe the Wells Family books are over :(
For the Record is my favorite in the series but this close 2nd!!

Grumpy enemies turned friends to lovers; fake dating!! Ate it up!
Crew and Win were exactly who I imagined for this last book. My heart felt for Crew being the baby of the family and having his ADHD condition/ anxiety panic attacks. He never felt that he could talk to his family about it and that's really hard for anyone.
Win is such an admirable character, she first walked away from her family for the best to prove to them she was more than she bargained for. It bit her in the butt and she didn't want to go back just automatically, she strived for something more.
Both were able to work together to achieve something they both wanted and needed but what came out was something more. True friendship and the ability to be seen for more than just their family name/ looks. Their banter was so fun and sweet! I really could have finished this in 2 days time but i wanted to savor both Win and Crew!

[Holly Schwartz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the end of an era!! I’ve loved getting to know the Wells and Crew and Winnie were such a good ending! I love rivals to lovers and their banter and the tension was so good!! I also really loved how soft they were with each other. It took a second for them to really be comfortable with each other. But once they did everything really fell into place!! I thought Crew’s ADHD was written well, and the way Winnie was really able to help him feel comfortable with that part of himself was so sweet.

The epilogue and the extended epilogue were so so sweet, it was nice to see everyone one last time!

There was a lot that felt rushed, and I had such a hard time keeping with the timing of things. I also know that the author worked so hard to get this out and kelt pushing it back…and had to publish when they did because of other things and I just kind of wish it had a little more time to bake.

[thebookishstephanie]

Food truck rivals Winnifred Meadows and Crew Wells have been feeding for the past few years. It all started when Winnie gave Crew her number, but after some light social media stalking, he learned that Winnie was actually engaged, and Winnie has never learned the truth as to why he never called her.

The Wells family books are some of my favourite romcoms.

Winnie is such a fun, strong minded girl who misses her family terribly after moving for a man, and it not working out. Crew wants to prove himself to his family and show that he can be successful in his food truck business. Once these two discover what's been keeping them apart all these years, they are so sweet together.

I know that Juliana rushed to get this one out by its pub date, and you can kind of feel it in the story. Whilst I still enjoyed it, it is probably my least favourite of this series - For the Record being my favourite!