Poinsettia Lane

Stone Ridge #1

by Corina Bair

What do accidental stalking, panic attacks, and landscaping have in common?

Everly’s life is exactly as it should be, until her estranged sister comes back to town the same day Asim Jabbar knocks on her door, nearly knocking Everly off her slipper-clad feet and her anxious heart right out of her chest.

After the flirtiest plant delivery of her life, Everly tries to find her Hot Delivery Guy without becoming a stalker, then digs herself into a hole when she enlists his help re-landscaping her yard. An already immaculate yard that does not need any new plants.

Asim agrees, on one that Everly get her perfectly manicured hands dirty and join him. Despite Asim turning her life upside down, Everly can't stop thinking about the muscular, tattooed plant dad.

But when Asim’s world collapses and past scars threaten their future, Everly doesn’t realize all that Asim has sacrificed for her until it’s too late.

You can expect the following tropes in Poinsettia Lane
~ Slow burn with open door spice
~ Small town
~ Opposites attract
~ Found family
~ Sweet, cinnamon roll MMC (he's also a tattooed biker)
~ No third act breakup
~ No miscommunication

You'll also find mental health and LGBTQ+ representation, as well as an inter-racial couple in this book.

Genres: Romance, Small Town Romance, Slow Burn

281 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2024

About the author

Corina writes feel-good love stories with tension-building spice, funny and relatable characters, and Happily Ever After's that feel like a hug in book form.

After working at multiple greenhouses through high school and college, and now being a mental health therapist, Corina combines these passions to bring her debut novel to life.

When she's not reading or writing, you can find Corina forcing snuggles on her dog, rollerblading with her husband, playing the piano, or embroidering everything she can get her hands on, including book covers.

Reviews

[Alexandria ˙⋆✮]

I've read the reviews and I think it's me, I'm the problem. This could have been really good, but it was not. I felt sorry for dnf a new author's book...
I want to say something, and I'll try to be as kind as I can: sometimes proofreaders can save a book. This could have been one of those times. The writing is not atrocious, but if a professional editor had read this book, corrections would have been made, and this could have been better.
Maybe I'll give it a try again in the future.

[Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poinsettia Lane was such a delightful read. This quick, fun holiday read captured the warm charm of small-town life, with festive cheer in its pages. The story is filled with lovable characters and cozy scenes. It was a good mix of lighthearted moments and connections.

Thank you, Corina, for sharing this with me!

[ghostlypeach_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly a huge huge thank you to the author for providing this eARC!

This was just so so SO cute. I found myself devouring this book in two days and enjoyed every second of it.

The story is character driven and it works so well. Each of the characters are written with such depth and are hilarious and individual in their own rights.

The romance between Everly and Asim is just sweet and wholesome and just hits the spot. There were so many toe-curling, tension filled scenes that had me squealing into the early hours of the morning. These scenes were written so well and made me realise why I love contemporary romance.

A standout for me was the anxiety and mental health in this book. Everly suffers with anxiety and the way it’s explained is just so good? It’s not just an occasional plot point, it’s embedded into the story. I learnt so much and it was so awesome to see that, whilst Asim does help Everly, there’s a lot of focus on Everly herself conquering certain situations and growing on her own.

Overall it was a quick and easy read that made me feel so light and fluffy and the embodiment of 😍🥰 If you want a cute romance to escape into with characters with depth & great anxiety representation and LOL moments, then I highly recommend this.

Poinsettia Lane releases on Kindle Unlimited on 5th November!

[Lindsay Seigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute, sometimes spicy, romance with easily loveable characters. It’s nice to read a stories where the main characters aren’t perfect and can suffer from mental health problems, like anxiety, like your average person can. It was reassuring to see Everly’s friends, family and love interest understand her anxiety and help her with her anxious moments versus shutting her down for suffering from anxiety.

I enjoyed watching Everly step out of her comfort zone in almost everything that was related to Asim. From trying to find him after the holiday party to seeking him out after he went radio silent after their date. Poinsettia Lane was an easy read and very cute.

[s.elle.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute Romance!

I loved the inclusivity normalization of this romance.
The characters were lovely and I appreciated the relationships and their development!
I am looking forward to book 2!
Definitely recommend!

[Amber aka Crystal Coast Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Poinsettia Lane is an absolute gem of a romance that effortlessly intertwines warmth and intensity. The story follows Everly, an anxious hotel heiress from a small town, and Asim, a hunky Middle Eastern hero who owns a flower shop. Their meet-cute is nothing short of magical, setting the stage for a delightful journey filled with both charm and chemistry.

Corina Bair masterfully captures Everly's crippling anxiety, portraying her panic attacks with such authenticity that even those unfamiliar with anxiety can feel the weight of her struggles. It’s a testament to Bair's skill that these scenes left me tense and gasping for air, completely immersed in Everly's emotional landscape.

Asim, with his drool-worthy "monster arms," is the perfect counterpart to Everly. His straightforwardness and unwavering support create a safe space for her, alleviating her fears while fueling the slow burn of their relationship. The tension between them is palpable, making their eventual connection all the more rewarding.

The witty banter between Everly and her BFF, Frankie, adds a delightful layer of humor to the narrative. Their exchanges reminded me of my own friendships, bringing a smile to my face with every interaction. It’s this blend of heartfelt moments and laugh-out-loud dialogue that makes Poinsettia Lane truly special.

The romance itself is a delicious slow burn, complete with enough spice to keep things exciting—definitely earning its four chili peppers! Bair wraps up the story beautifully, providing a satisfying conclusion without leaving any cliffhangers, yet still hints at potential for future stories involving other characters.

Overall, Poinsettia Lane is a five-star read for me. It’s darling, heartfelt, and perfectly blends Hallmark vibes with steamy romance. Corina Bair has crafted a story that will linger in your heart long after you turn the last page. Don’t miss out on this charming tale!

[Jennifer Hines · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received this book free from the author.*

Everly has some mental health issues that she's a therapist for. Most result from her parents dying and her sister moving away, leaving her alone to run the family business. She felt like she had to step up and be someone she wasn't in order to make everyone happy, but she's learning to be herself. And the path started with a poinsettia delivery.

Asim owns a nursery, which is his passion. From the moment he showed up at Everly's to deliver and set up poinsettias and a tree for her annual holiday party, the sparks between them started to ignite. However, he left without her phone number.

"He made her feel seen. He made her feel beautiful. And he listened." ~ Everly

Their second encounter was way worse, she basically has a panic attack and runs away, but by the third she has a plan. The more time they spend together the closer they get, eventually making things official.

Poinsettia Lane is a cute small-town romance, but it wasn't for me. Everly's issues were a bit excessive and made her seem winey at times. I personally like my leading female characters strong. Also, her best friend, Frankie, is a they/them and honestly from a reader's standpoint it was soooo confusing; I kept thinking there were two people. Now for those of you who don't mind leading ladies who are not very strong on their own and a they/them best friend who is a large part of the book, the storyline is good.

[nerdy.bibliomaniac · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so freaking ADORABLE. 🥰

Thank you to the author, Corina Bair, for allowing me to read an ARC copy of your debut novel, which releases November 5, 2024.

Now to gush:

FMC, Everly has severe anxiety that she’s been working through for years and as a result lost who she was or could have been in the process. <- I relate to this aspect of her so much, I’ve had chronic anxiety since my teens…eventually becoming so numb I didn’t even notice until I finally allowed myself to ask my doctor for a prescription to help…literally life changing for me.

Anyways…Everly is very sweet and slowly comes into her own…which is an aspect I love to read about in books. Growth of character. L

And, next we introduce the cinnamon roll off an MMC, Asim. 🥹 Patient, kind, hot af…he owns a garden centre and enjoys landscaping. My friends know I would hook that man in and keep him without hesitation for the love of horticulture alone…let alone his actual personality. 😂

Really enjoyed this ARC, and look forward to the next book featuring side-characters from this one…Frankie and Addison! Frankie is the best.

[Phia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the e-ARC, and for the opportunity to read and review Poinsettia lane.

This is a cute romance which focuses on our anxious FMC and cutie pie, cinnamon roll MMC.

This novel had me giggling, breathless and experiencing second hand anxiety all within the first 100 pages. The author does such an amazing job describing anxiety and panic attacks, as someone who has first hand knowledge, I could empathise with Everly, especially in the situations she found herself in.

I loved seeing how supportive Asim was, but I loved it more that he allowed her to grow and conquer certain things on her own.

Things I loved about this novel:
* LGBTQ+ friendly world
* An anxious FMC - it is so nice to read about a relatable character
* The banter…!
* The development of their relationship… no instalove here…
* Slow burn and then Spice🌶️🌶️ with plenty of plot!
* No third act break up- the worst.

Tropes I love:
* small town
* Mental health awareness
* Slow burn
* Spicy
* Meet cute

This book has just been released and you can get it on KU!!!

[Shreya · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Okay, I am IN LOVE with Everly and Asim's story. Bair did an excellent job of not only portraying Everly's anxiety but also her relationship with Asim, who takes it slow for her despite their intense immediate attraction. I loved how relatable Everly was - she was sweet, hardworking, and doing her best to become a better person. Asim, aside from being SMOKING, was patient and kind with her. He was a total sweetheart and a new book boyfriend of mine! I loved the addition of Everly going to therapy - it felt real. It felt like I and many other people who suffer from severe anxiety were being seen, and I loved that about this book!

Thank you to Corina Bair for an eARC of this book! I enjoyed it so much!

[Abi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is cute but it's a pretty slow starter. Everly is an anxious hotel owner, that inherited said hotel and an annual holiday party from her parents after they passed in a car accident. Asim is the owner of a plant nursery that delivered the flowers for Evers party. After an awkward encounter they meet again by chance and begin their relationship. Between landscaping and their budding relationship, Asim and Ever fall in love. I am torn. This book was well written and cute but it was so slow and tedious until the end of the book, and by end I mean literally the last three chapters. I wish this was more evenly dispersed and more engaging in the beginning.

[Apoorva Maheshwari · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best thing about this book is the anxiety representation! It is so accurate for a lot of people and I love how it also mentions some grounding techniques that people around the person having an attack can use. I loved the queer rep. There’s also the fact that everly is the more rich person in this and not the other way around. Although I was thinking this is not too realistic and relatable and blah blah I realized that if it were the other way around I would’ve eaten this up. If she were the nursery owner and he was the hotel owner. Then I gave myself a mental check and realized this is an awesome book.

[MJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the absolute honor of reading this book as an ARC reader, and Oh. My. Goodness!! This book is all things sweet (and a lil spicy hehe 🌶). Truly, I loved all the characters and their development throughout the story, and the storyline was superb! 🫶🫶 Also, all the tropes in this book have my heart! Corina's writing is so beautiful, very easy to get sucked into the story! SOOOO good!! 🫶

Who I recommend this book to:
Any book besties who love small town, wholesome, cutesy romances with a wonderful slow burn and a lil spice 🫶

[Annie Bushman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m sorry to DNF a book from a new author, as I know how hard authors work to get their books out. I’m 36% of the way through and can’t bring myself to read another word. This book is super slow and dragging. The meet cute was rather awkward, the reconnecting with an estranged sister seemed to resolve too soon, and the timeline was also unclear.
I am grateful to the author for the ARC, but as the book is dragging I will not be finishing. I think perhaps the story needed more editing and revising to make it come together better.

[RedReviews4You Susan-Dara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very unique and sweet emotional journey of a romance although the romance scenes are 🔥 using their slow burn romance to truly catch fire and showcase the passion and connection that fuels this story of love and acceptance.

I loved both the main characters were so relatable and real. Everly is a character that makes you care about her and Blair's writing shows such power and empathy that showcases the full depth of Asim's love for her.

A good quick and joyous read.

🌟🌟🌟💫 Rounded Up to 4

[T. Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so beautiful! The romance, perfection. Asim is serious #boyfriendgoals. Nah, he's #husbandgoals. The way he accepts her and all her quirks, the way he helps her through her anxiety attacks, the fact that he cares so much about consent and her comfort levels... If there were more guys like him out there, the world would be a better place! Their romance was so cute and her own mental health journey was beautiful to see. Overall, just a really fun book with a splash of spice at the very end.

[Luvleepati · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌺 Small Town
🌺 Found Family
🌺Slow Burn
🌺 Mental Health
Cute book. Everly suffers from severe anxiety and has trouble being herself. She tries to be more open about what she wants, and I love how she grows in this book. Asim is very patient and understanding with Everly and I love that for him. These two have instant attraction but take it very slow since he understands her anxiety and doesn’t want to cause

[Arlene M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is 4 1/2 stars

Everly runs a hotel.
Frankie is EVERLY’s best friend.
Asia is the flower delivery boy.

Everly and Asim is a slow burn to steamy explosive.
Asim is patient, kind with Everly.
Everly is trying to be more herself and less socially awkward.

Love the slow burn, small town family and mental health.

This book has warmth,intensity , anxiety and humor, and a chance at love.

Good Job. Corina Bair !!!!

[Dominique · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute, feel-good story!
This was a slow burn romance.
Asim and Everly were adorable. Asim was such a gem and easy to tell how much he cared for Ever and would do anything for her!
I loved how both of them were there for each other when they needed it most.

♥️ Slow burn
♥️ Cinnamon roll MMC
♥️ Strangers to friends to lovers
♥️ Found family
♥️Anxiety rep

Rating ⭐️: 3.5/5
Spice 🌶️: 1.5/5


"My beautiful Ever. My Ever-after”

Thank you to the author for the arc!

[Amanda LaBorde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asim and Everly are relationship goals! Such a light, sweet and endearing love story of two people truly being there for one another when they need it the most.

A teasing slow burn romance 🔥, cinnamon roll MMC (perfect boyfriend material 😘), mental health representation, the perfect amount of spicy satisfaction.

[Ceci McClurg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holiday slow burn in a queer-normative world had me kicking my feet and squealing. Obviously Everly and Asim have my heart, but Moose is the PERFECT name for a big ol lab mix. 🥰 The best way to get into the holiday spirit, and the message of being true to yourself is always something I need to hear. Thank you SO MUCH Corina for letting me take a peek before the release date. 💖💖

[Liz Snell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book feels like a warm hug on a cold day! The story is so pure, and you can’t help but fall in love with the characters. Everly feels like a friend I would want in my life, and Asim makes me swoon. He is loving, attentive and so so sweet. If you’re looking for a story that will pull on your heartstrings in all the best ways, you will not be disappointed!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I want say I loved the mental health aspect of this book. From someone who suffers from anxiety I really loved how Everly’s friends helped her thru her anxiety. I also loved all the characters in this book. It was easy to start rooting for them to get together. And who doesn’t love a dog named Moose.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet feel good romance about an anxious people pleaser
FMC - Everly and the sweetest most caring and supportive
MMC - Asim. Everly is dreading her upcoming annual Christmas party in honor of her parents. She's used to putting on a fake smile and pushing through because she believes it's expected of her. On the morning of the party, she receives an unexpected delivery that changes her life-literally. Over the course of a year, she transforms into a new version of herself. This story highlights themes of overcoming anxiety, reconnecting with an estranged sister, finding love, and having an amazing best friend to help you through it all.
Reading this felt like watching a classic Hallmark movie-with spice added to it!

[Catalina Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read! I love the small town feel and how natural everything felt. It's such a sweet read but has a little bit of that spice. I love the characters and how they build throughout the story. This story sucks you in and won't let you go. Love all the tropes. Corina definitely knows how to catch a reader! Beautifully done.

[John Irby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poinsettia Lane was the first novel published by author Corina Bair. It's a delightful, off-beat romance with appealing and nicely-developed main characters. The author did a great job of moving the story through the bends and curves the MC couple had to navigate to find true love. It's a book that is perfect for a beach, or poolside read. I highly recommend reading Poinsettia Lane.

[mercedes langdon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a freaking holiday hug in a book! Very cutesy, very demure. In all seriousness though, this book is a very easy, fun holiday read. You’ve got LGBTQ+ rep with some side characters, a cute dog, a hunky man on a motorcycle. What’s not to love?

[Harriet · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Review:

3 🌟

Lovely, easy read with some of my favourite tropes!

*cinnamon roll mmc
*small town romance
*slow burn 🔥

Thank you Corina for sharing this book with me! Can’t wait for everyone to get a chance to read it too.

[Jenny O · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the very first chapter, this adorable read had me hooked! The slow-burn romance makes you squeal and kick your feet (and wish for fuzzy socks). Everly is so relatable, and Asim is the swooniest plant daddy ever, guaranteed to water your crops and leave you feeling the love. A must-read for anyone looking for a sweet holiday season!

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book on one of the Stuff Your Kindle days and while the premise of the book sounded good, it ultimately fell flat for me.

The writing needed some more editing/rewriting and it was quite jarring in how it was written.

The mental health representation was good though.