Operation Mae Day

Chinook Island #1

by Lola Kate Bolen

Mae Simmons has it all - a bustling bakery, a tight-knit family, and her beloved hometown. How can there be time for romance when your plate is already so full? Now, just when she thought her life was complete, an unexpected stranger arrives in town, turning her world upside down.

Tennessee Alder is doing just fine. Moving from the big city of Seattle to the serene shores of the small island town of Chinook is exactly the change he needed. Here, he can focus on his work and daily runs, meticulously iron his clothes, and embrace the tranquility that keeps his shadows at bay. However, his carefully cultivated routine is upended when a talented baker hops into his world, bringing with her a sparkle that he never knew he was missing.

With support from family and friends, Mae and Tenn navigate bumps in the road and realize that sometimes the sweetest things need a little push.

Genres: Romance

Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2024

About the author

Lola Kate lives in the southeast with her husband and son. When she is not daydreaming about what her characters are up to, you can find her watching Bravo, listening to true crime podcasts, or drawing.

In an alternate universe, Lola might teach small children or be an amateur cult expert. In this one, she is happy to share her love of modern romance novels.

Reviews

[Catarina Águas · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review (super late)

This book was so good, I really liked it.
They both fought for their relationship and they both made efforts.
Mae was a ball of sunshine and an amazing person. She was a fantastic aunt and a terrific friend. That girl deserved the love she got, a pure and all consuming one.
Tenn had head over heels from the moment he saw Mae. He could try to resist as much as he wanted but there was no use. She helped him overcame some things in his past and he was good to her.
They made a really perfect couple, I loved them

[Shana · Rating 3 out of 5]

operation mae day | arc review 🧁

3.5⭐️ | 1🌶

cute story with good emotional depth. the kids were adorable. I liked that mae & tenn could heal together. at times, tenn's nickname for mae slightly cringy but it wasn't a turnoff entirely for me. Please check your triggers. Thank you to good girls pr for the arc.

[Laura Gerez · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review of Operation Mae Day by Lola Kate Bolen 🧁🔥🚒🧑‍🚒🎆👩🏼‍🍳🍪🩵🚢💐🌸📚

This was such a great read! I absolutely adored it, I loved how the town was really involved throughout the whole book, how they supported each other and they were all a big family. This book gave me some legit Hallmark and Gilmore Girls/Stars Hollow vibes for me.
It's set in a small island called Chinook, off the coast of Seattle where the grumpy new fire chief, Tenn, a loner cat dad, lives in the decommissioned light house, and then we have Mae, who is a sparkling ray of glittery sunshine or as Tenn describes her, a “hurricane of unicorn vomit”, in the best way of course.

This was such a cozy book, it was an easy read, I couldn’t stop reading until the end, it gave me all the fall vibes I needed, reading it was like being at the fall festival in Chinook Island

Absolutely grateful for Lola and Good Girls PR for the ARC. I really enjoyed every minute I spent reading this book!💘🥹

🍪Tropes🍪

✨Opposites Attract
✨Small Town
✨Dual POV
✨He Falls First
✨Meddling Matchmakers
✨Bakery Owner x Firefighter
✨Enemies to lovers
✨Grumpy/Sunshine
✨Found Family

🩵My favorite Quote🩵

“Mae looks like a hurricane of unicorn vomit (in the best possible way).”



‼️Book coming out October 1st and I'm already so excited for everyone to read it and love it as much as I did‼️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️/5

@ReadingLaurasLibrary
#Happyreading

[Isabella Maraschi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

This was very a cute & cozy fall read. I love small town romance & grumpy x sunshine is one of my absolute favorite tropes. 🍁

The story follows Mae & Tenn. Mae is the town’s baker & everyone loves her. She’s bubbly & full of personality. Tenn is the new fire chief & he’s closed off, grumpy & not the best with words. After their first time meeting each other doesn’t go well, friends & family team up to get these two together in a parent-trap style romance 🖤

The main thing for me was that the pacing of the book felt a bit off. The chapters were almost too short & the story just felt rushed. I also felt that initially, there was great tension between the characters but then as soon as they got together, that tension was gone & it just felt flat & a bit boring.

I did love the group chats & seeing everyone team up to get them together. The side characters were also great and the widow wagon was super entertaining 🤭

Thank you to Good Girls PR & Lola for the ARC!

Tropes:
- Small town romance
- Grumpy x sunshine
- Opposites attract
- Dislike to lovers
- Unlikely allies

[autwenreads · Rating 1 out of 5]

I appreciate the opportunity to read this book, but unfortunately, I decided to DNF (did not finish) at 21%.

While reading, I found that the dialogue felt somewhat immature, which seemed a bit out of place given Mae and Tenn's ages. Additionally, the pacing felt quite rushed, making the development of their relationship seem like it jumped from 0 to 100 too quickly for my taste.

Overall, this book wasn't quite what I was looking for, but I understand that others might enjoy it more. Thank you again for the chance to read and review it!

Thank you Good Girls PR and Lola Kate Bolen for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Simply Chique Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much Lola Kate Bolen and Good Girls PR for sending me the eARC of Operation Mae Day!!! 🤩🫶💜

Tropes:
👩‍❤️‍👨Opposites Attract
😍He Falls First
🕵️‍♀️Meddling Matchmakers
🏡Small Town
🧔🏻‍♂️👩‍🦳Dual POV
🧁Bakery Owner
🚒Firefighter
🥰Enemies to lovers
😤😊Grumpy/Sunshine

Coming to kindle unlimited and paperback on 10/1/24!!

This is the perfect cute and cozy book to cuddle up with this fall!! It’s gives all the small town feels of Stars Hollow with how close everyone is and how much they care for each other! From having book club to town meetings to plan the Fall Festival at the library 📚 I loved all the fall feels around the festival 🎃🍁🧦🎃

Mae Simmons the town sweetheart/bakery owner and the new Fire Chief Tennessee Adler are forced to work together and things definitely don’t go as planned at first. Maybe because Tennessee says things like “Mae looks like a hurricane of unicorn vomit” and “If it was up to you, I’m guessing the festival would look like Lisa Frank gave birth all over Main Street.”, but don’t worry that’s where the meddling matchmakers come in for Operation Mae Day 😏🕵️‍♀️👩‍❤️‍👨

Eventually little miss sunshine is able to work her magic on mister grumpy and you get to see a whole other side of him like “Then lose it, bunny. You do whatever you need to do, and I’ll be here to help pick up the pieces when you’re done.” 🥹🫶🥹🫶

You also get to experience Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas is this book, so definitely recommend adding to your TBR!!! 📖

[Natalie (Novels__&__Needles) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received as an ARC.

🍪 Opposites attract
🔥 He falls first
🍪 Meddling matchmakers
🔥 Small town
🍪 Firefighter MMC x Bakery owner FMC
🔥 Found family
🍪 Cat Dad
🔥 No third act breakup 🙌🏻

So this was my first book by Lola and overall it was a solid happy read for me. The town it was set in was my favourite bit, it gave true Hallmark movie vibes, with everyone wanting to get involved and provide their 2 cents on what should happen between Tenn and Mae.

If you’re after a safe, comfort read to see you through the colder months, then this will definitely tick those boxes.

[Sabrina Dierickx-Gamboa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Thank you so much Lola for sending this ARC to me! It was a cute romance story and an easy read. I am a huge sucker for small town romance and I love how the town was really involved throughout the book!

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Copy Review [EN-ES]

I was really looking forward to reading a romance book, one of those you can read in one night. Full of emotion and tenderness, and Operation Mae Day gave me exactly that and more than I could have hoped for in a small-town romance.

And here we have a hero and heroine who have been through a few things and are in the process of healing them. While it is a romance that appears to be light, both characters deal with grief in their own time and ways, but grief nonetheless. And that is portrayed in the book, so if you need that trigger warning, here it goes.

In this story, we have as our protagonist Mae, the perfect next-door neighbor, and star baker of the town. In contrast, we have Tenn, the newcomer and new chief of the fire department. They are complete opposites, and as we know: opposites attract, but they did not start their relationship on the right foot.

The thing is that the town's widows' club decides that Mae and Tenn are the perfect candidates to lead the organization of the festival that takes place every year, so they are going to have to spend a lot of time together and they will begin to notice a few qualities in each other that start to be attractive.

Tender, simple, full of emotion. A very nice and emotional read, a romance that is nourished as both open up to each other, a little rushed in some aspects but super entertaining and a read to binge. Mature -not only because it has spice- but because of the sensitive topics it touches, but tender and beautiful.

__
Tenía muchas ganas de leer un libro de romance, de esos que podés leerte en una noche. Recargado de emoción y ternura, y Operation Mae Day me dió exactamente eso y más de lo que podía esperar en un romance de small town.

Y acá tenemos a un héroe y una heroína que han pasado por unas cuantas cosas y están en su proceso de ir sanándolas. Si bien es un romance que aparenta ser ligero, ambos personajes están lidiando con duelos a sus tiempos y formas, pero duelos en fin. Y eso está retratado en el libro, así que si necesitan ese trigger warning, ahí va.

En esta historia tenemos como protagonista a Mae, la perfecta vecina de al lado, y pastelera estrella del pueblo. En contraposición tenemos a Tenn, el recién llegado y nuevo jefe del departamento de bomberos. Son completamente opuestos, y como sabemos: los opuestos se atraen, pero no comenzaron su relación con el pie derecho.

El tema es que el club de las viudas del pueblo, deciden que Mae y Tenn son los candidatos perfectos para llevar adelante la organización del festival que se hace todos los años, así que van a tener que pasar un montón de tiempo juntos y comenzarán a notar unas cuantas cualidades en el otro que empiezan a ser atractivas.

Tierno, simple, repleto de emoción. Una lectura muy linda y emotiva, un romance que se va nutriendo a medida que ambos se van abriendo al otro, un poquito apresurado en algunos aspectos pero super entretenido y una lectura para bingear. Maduro -no solo porque tenga spice- sino por los temas sensibles que toca, pero tierno y lindísimo.

[Sunny D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please hold while I try to stop crying and get myself together. While you wait… GO READ THIS BOOK, BUY A COPY, DO WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO TO GET IT.

I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this book so much that I just did not want to put it down. I love the idea of a small town trying to help with match making. The grumpy firefighter who can’t speak or make words meets the ball of sunshine bakery owner who embodies a unicorn. I loveeeeeeedddd it. ATE IT UP SO MUCH I WANT TO READ IT AGAIN.

To start, let’s just talk about the characters. Mae is everything. I love her so much. I think her character was super relatable and I found myself really drawn to her. She really felt like someone I would be friends with in real life. She is a giver, a caretaker, a fighter and she is just herself. She is truly the person she was meant to be. Her personality is contagious. I felt like her character was so well thought out, so strong and so well created. I loved the relationship that she has with her family and the town. It just felt loving and warm like her.

TENN!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHH I LOVED HIM. I am definitely into the firefighter trope but he was just AMAZING! He was vulnerable, mean at first (which I loved) but then he opened up. And the way he fell for Mae just made me love him so much more. He’s the most adorable man, uncle and CAT DAD! I loved everything about him. Even when he messed up a few times, I just couldn’t stop loving him. And I was just so happy he found love. I was happy that he was able to have a fresh start, and it gave him Mae.

The towns involvement in their love is such a sweet addition to the story. There’s no villains, just a funky group chat of people who want to see other people happy. This concept was fun to read and made me laugh so much. I loved that the town really was close and did everything they could to help with this love story. I felt like the author really wanted to showcase the story of true love and how it can heal wounds. Thats what this story is about and I for one was bawling by the end of it.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you read this book. It’s a lighthearted romance that I think would pull you out of a reading slump or give you hope that love truly does conquer all. Thank you Lola for this awesome read. I can’t wait to read more and hear more from the this little town.

[Jessica Marksbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is my first book by Lola Kate Bolen and it was a cute story, I've fallen for the small town romance trope and this story paired it nicely with the grumpy/sunshine dynamic with the lovers.

I appreciated Mae's background, the supporting cast and the dual POV. I enjoyed the roll that Mae and Tenn played in each other's lives to help heal together from their grief that has lingered in their lives. Mae is the town baker, running Smell of Flour which seems to be a bakery/flower shop duo and is the bubbly hometown sweetheart. Tenn is the new fire chief in a town that doesn't really have any emergencies. He's closed off and grumpy, moving to town to be close to his sister and his niece and nephew. After they have a rough meeting, Mae's family and friends team up to help them find love and move past the rough edges to the true chemistry underneath.

While this was a cute story, I really struggled with the pacing in the story, it felt like all the chemistry, interactions and relationship developed off the page and you were expected to just accept the sudden changes. Because of this the story felt almost insta-lust/lovey for me but in an awkward way. I feel like the chapters were really short and background information was thrown in at random times as if you were supposed to have already known these things about the characters. At one point divorce was brought up in a characters head but never addressed which was very confusing. I REALLY struggled with the maturity level at times, I never vibe when the FMC is a foot stomper, and Mae has a tendency to do this or want to do it more than once. I also didn't vibe with the nickname Bunny, this tied with her foot stomping probably jaded myself toward this story.

I did love some of the plot points, that Mae's niece, nephews and friends got together to help them find love and we saw their text thread, the baseline of the story was intriguing. I just wish there was MORE to give me time to connect with the characters and to fill in the pacing better so that more of the love story developed on the page where we could fall with the characters.

I appreciated the opportunity to arc read this book, Thank you Good Girls PR for sending me an E-ARC.

[J. Chen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grumpy x Sunshine
Small Town Romance
He Falls First

Dual POV

This is a cozy fall romance. It's cute, sweet and has those lovable yet annoying side characters up to no good and fixing up the MCs. It gives pumpkin spice latte, curled up next to a crackly fire place, and big cozy afghans. If you go into this book expecting just that, you'll have a blast. In all honesty, small towns being filled with such open minded characters always feel like a fantasy more than contemporary and Chinook is a fantasy town filled with these characters.

Tennessee is our grump from Seattle and Mae is our lovely vibrant small town baker. My issues with this story was mainly in the believability and the pacing of the story. Tenn seems more like an awkward guy who keeps putting his foot in his mouth rather than a true grump despite being described as grumpy more times than I can count, he doesn't actually speak or act like a grump. He keeps saying the wrong things and instead of asking for clarification, Mae tends to just jump down his throat. Mae, on the other hand, acts more like a disgruntled teenager a lot of the times, rather than a 35 year old woman. Doesn't really add to her successful business woman that doesn't want to be underestimated image. She stomps her foot like a toddler throwing a tantrum earning her nickname "bunny" within the first hour of them meeting. I'm guessing they were aged up quite a bit to fit Mae adopting her niece and nephews but it didn't really work in her favor. Additionally, they really went from strangers to her hating him to BAM lovers WAY too quick. It really felt rushed and forced more than anything.

However, the romance is very sweet. They are supportive of one another and genuinely care and support each other. The cast of side characters really add to this story and the found family they create is truly heartwarming.

Thank you so much to Lola Kate Bolen and Good Girls PR for the ARC.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book in the a new series from Lola Kate Bolen and it’s a low spice, grumpy/sunshine, smalltown romance as Tennessee Adler moves to Chinook, an island off the coast of Seattle to start a new slower pace of life as their fire chief where the biggest emergency of the day will probably rescuing a cat from a tree. He’s more at risk from attack from the town’s geese than the risk of fire, something that suits him just fine after leaving the city behind. All would be perfect if it weren’t for his verbal diarrhoea whenever he was in the vicinity of local baker and town sweetheart, Mae Simmons, a woman whose style was so quirky with her pastel-coloured Princess Leia hair do and sleeves of floral tattoos, he described her as looking like a hurricane of unicorn vomit (in the best possible way)and it was downhill all the way from then on.

This was a sweet and slowburn romance with Tenn unwittingly helped along in his efforts to woo Mae by the collusion of the entire town who had decided he needed help if he was ever to get his foot out of his mouth and keep it out. Mae had been happy with her life. She had family, her bakery and a festival to organise, romance wasn’t even on her radar especially not with the grumpy new fire chief who couldn’t open his mouth without insulting her but when a comedy of errors sees her moving in with Tenn and his cat Oscar, it isn’t long before she’s falling for the man. I loved the quirky characters here and the setting of Chinook was perfect for them. Even Tenn who appeared normal for lack of a better word, had his eccentricities and was probably on the OCD spectrum which was why he fit right in with everyone. I would’ve liked more of his back story which was only hinted at through the book and revealed in the final chapters so it felt like his life only really began on the island. But I’m still looking forward to a return to Chinook Island and seeing who’s next to receive the help of the match making services of the islanders.

[Col · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

First of all, I want to thank Lola Bolen for giving me this ARC and the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

—————————————————————
💕💕💕💕

Okay, so this book was very cute. Operation Mae Day is a small town, spicy romance book about Mae Simmons, a baker from a small town who loves all things colourful; and the fire chief Tennessee Alder, who could not be more different to Mae. These two are forced together by the town to plan the annual Autumn Festival, and (with a little help from her meddling family and the whole town) start to fall for each other.

So, I enjoyed this book. It’s very cute and mostly light-hearted, although it does touch on some heavy subjects like the loss of family members. Mae’s background and her having to step up and be a parent to her niece and nephews at such a young age was heartbreaking to think about, but you could see how strong their bond is and how strong they all are as people to come through the other side.

Grumpy/sunshine is one of my favourite tropes, so I was excited to see it in this book. For the most part, I felt that it was executed well but the characterisation of Mae and Tenn felt a bit all over the place sometimes. (I also hated the nickname so so so much).

The town and setting was adorable and I loved how involved everyone was with each other and it wasn’t overbearing or suffocating. Just a nice community feel.

I think the ending was quite rushed however. Tenn’s issues were basically glossed over and he was magically fine just because some members of the community chatted to him and Mae said she loved him. Honestly, he read to me as having major OCD and I think the author could’ve 100% touched on that and even had Mae help him face it.

Overall though, I did enjoy the book and I would probably read it again!! Mae and Tenn were adorable together and I loved their families.

[lyss · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐️
Mae Simmons is Chinook’s resident baker and town sweetheart. She is colorful, lively, and kind. Tennessee Adler is the new fire chief in town and he is grumpy, wounded, and not good with words - at all. Their friends and family conspire with one another to push Mae and Tenn together in this cutie small-town romance. 🤎

My main issue with this book was the pacing. It was so quick that many scenes felt rushed and incomplete. I have nothing against short chapters, but most chapters in Operation Mae Day left me wanting more.

I do, however, love me a good grumpy x sunshine romance!! But again, it left me wanting more. I wanted more of Tenn’s job as a firefighter, Mae’s journey toward publishing a cookbook, etc.

I typically dislike pet names and I’ve gone back and forth about how I feel with the one in this book😅I think Tenn uses it too much and I didn’t like when he’d call her “bunny babe” or “bunny girl”.

The dialogue felt a bit immature at times considering Mae and Tenn’s ages, and again the pacing of the whole book was so rushed that their relationship kind of went from 0 to 100 real quick. Their relationship is not quite insta-love, but everything felt so rushed that even though it was technically weeks/months before anything happened between them, with the pacing of this book it only took a few (very short) chapters for their relationship to progress.

I loved the atmosphere and feel of the lil island of Chinook🫶Really cute story overall with fun side characters, and it sets things up nicely for future interconnected stories. Hopefully, Heath, Bram, and Lav get books in the future??👀

Thank you to Good Girls PR and the author, Lola Kate Bolen for the opportunity to review this eARC!

[riya :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25!

Firstly, thank you so much to the author, Lola Kate Bolen and Good Girls PR for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book gave me complete cozy vibes, because of its fast paced, light and fluffy feel. The town reminded me so much of Stars Hollow because of how much they care for each other and I loved the small town romance aspect of this book. The story takes off when Mae Simmons and Tennessee Adler are forced (tricked by meddlers of the town) to work together for a Fall Festival.

I really liked Mae and Tenn together and how they were opposites but complemented each other. Personally, I think their relationship went from 0 to 100 to quickly and it just felt really rushed to me. I did love the grumpy x sunshine and both Mae and Tenn but it felt like too much was going on too quickly. And I really think there was something missing with their chemistry as well because I really felt that I couldn't connect to their relationship or the third act and sometimes wished the book expanded beyond surface level scenes. I really wanted to like this book but I just wished there was more to the story.

With that being said, Operation Mae Day was a good opening book, which set the scene perfectly for the rest of this interconnected standalone series. If you're looking for a light, palette cleanser, this book is for you.

Tropes:
- Opposites Attract
- Small Town
- Dual POV
- He falls first
- Meddling Matchmakers
- Bakery Owner x Firefighter
- Enemies to Lovers
- Grumpy/Sunshine
- Found Family

[Masina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sweet, small-town romance in Chinook, Washington was a well-paced, easy read dealing with topics of grief and trauma that had pulled me into these two opposites during their relationship as it progressed.

"Nobody expects you to be perfect all the time." - Tenn Adler

It jumped right off the bat with Mae and Tenn, and his utter lack of consciousness with the way he speaks, especially to Mae, because really, he doesn't know how to control himself around her. They get lumped together after the town members organize a way for them to co-lead the August Festival. And while Mae hates his guts, he can't stand not being around her. As the town pushes them together, and they reveal their past, they start to really get to know each other as Mae hates him a little less, and he loves her a lot more.

One thing that did not come through as much in the book was that Tenn was a very neat and organized individual compared to Mae. I think Mae is very organized with the business she runs and her set schedule, after all, she has planned the August Festival in the past all by herself and raised her sister's kids since she was 19 after her sister died. I think that Mae's environment made her so responsible and organized, just did everything in a very colorful way. I think Tenn was just judgmental of her capability of doing everything since she looked so different compared to him.

I really enjoyed the community involvement with the special group chats. And I found Lavender to be relatable in a social, anti-social way. As the niece and nephews of Mae Simmons just want her to be happy.

In the beginning, I thought the desire for each other, Mae and Tenn, was merely a physical, almost sexual pull, which did put me off at first. But as it progressed, I saw their relationship quickly change to more than just a physical item and put some emotional tug into it.

Thank you Lola Kate Bolen and Good Girls PR for an e-arc of this book. I was very excited to read this and have provided my honest review

[Zayneb · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: 2.5 ⭐


When Tenn moves to the small town island for a fresh start and takes a role as Chief Of fire department, he didn't expect to be struck by The town's sweetheart Mae . They are two opposite attracts, completely different but the pull between them is undeniable.

This book offers a light, opposites-attract, grumpy X sunshine, small town romance, but it didn’t fully work for me.
I appreciated Mae and Tenn’s contrasting personalities—Mae’s sunshine balancing Tenn’s grumpiness—and loved the involvement of Mae’s friends and family, whose text thread added a fun element to the story.
Despite Mae and Tenn being enjoyable characters individually, their relationship felt rushed, jumping from 0 to 100 too quickly, with much of their chemistry developing off-page. I wanted more time to connect with them and see their relationship unfold naturally. I wanted to know them more in-depth.
The pacing was uneven, with background information randomly inserted, leaving important moments unexplored. Some of the dialogue and behavior felt overly immature for characters in their 30s, some moments felt a little cringy and the nickname was kind of a turn off. While the plot had potential, it missed the deeper emotional connection I was looking for. Still, it could work as a fun, quick read for those seeking a lighthearted romance.

Thank you Good Girls PR and The author Lola Kate Bolen for the ARC .

[Jamie aka TacoGoddess Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Operation Mae Day is such a sweat heartwarming book!


Here are some of my favorite Quotes:
“Who are you, Tennesse Adler?” “Just the man of your dreams.”
“You absolutely are.”

We’ve already experienced too much loss. I want to be his shelter from the storm.

“I want to be where you are. Always,”

This story is so cute!
I loved Mae our FMC she owns a bakery, she’s such a sweet and caring person but absolutely spunky! I love her spirit and personality! That even after tragedy she does her best to be so positive and Happy. And Tenn aka Tennessee (MMC) this gruff grumpy firefighter stole my heart! He’s also experienced his own tragedy.
I love the family bond they have with each of their respective families especially that they want the best for both Tenn & Mae!

And once you work your way under Tennessee’s gruff grumpy exterior he reallly shines bright, you can tell he really cares about Mae. Even if sometimes he accidentally seems like a jerk, because of his trauma and trying to keep his walls up he’s genuinely a sweet caring guy. I found it hilarious that he had so much trouble talking to Mae at first, plus Mae’s Fiery temper.

They are honestly so cute together, this was such a sweet and Cute book I adored it!
The Characters, The Plot,The Spice worked so well together, and the pace of the story was good as well.

Thank you so much to the author and GGPR for this ARC! I can’t wait to see what comes next!

[B (ReadLikeB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC but all thoughts are my own.

This was my first time reading this author and I adored this book! It was just the right amount of grumpy/sunshine and I loved how Tennessee, the MMC, was always putting his foot in his mouth. My man was saying the dumbest things because he was so taken with our little baker Mae. I loved that he called her Bunny! It's such an adorable nickname and worked perfectly for Mae who was like a little ray of sunshine.

The small town setting was great with all the meddling family and neighbors. It never felt over the top though. This couple would've found their way to each other even without the secret town agenda to push them together.

The spice was fantastic but never over powered the plot. I liked that the story took place over a few months and the author did a great job of making it known by simple things like talking about holidays or the weather. The MMC has a severe case of anxiety (almost bordering on OCD I think) and while he did finally talk about it with the FMC, I would've liked to have seen him reach out for professional help. It wasn't a huge issue, but something I think would've just added to his HEA a little bit on a personal level.

All in all, I loved this book and can't wait to see where the rest of the series goes!

[Alissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Operation Mae Day

🪿🧑🏼‍🚒🦄🍁💐🍪🐈🫂📱⛴️

"Then lose it, bunny. You do whatever you need to do, and I'll be here to help pick up the pieces when you're done."🥹

I knew from the beginning I would love this book! this book was heartwarming and wonderful. I loved the found family. the characters were amazing. I loved how the small town always showed up for their people and helped each other! I liked the whole operation to get mae and tennessee together, It’s was cute seeing the people mae loved support her! ✨

Chief Tennessee my stubborn boy! My heart was happy to see him work out his trauma. I loved how the author described mae outfits and her personality through out the book. The found family in this book was everything I needed!! I liked how fast paced the book was definitely kept my attention. I also enjoyed the side characters a lot!🫂


This book is perfect if you’re looking for a cute cozy fall read! 🍂 🧦🔥🎃



Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tropes:
- He falls first
- Small town🏡
- Dual Pov
- Chief firefighter x Bakery Owner🧑🏼‍🚒👩🏼‍🍳
- Grumpy x sunshine ☀️
- Meddling Matchmakers
- Found Family🫂



Thank you to Good Girls Pr and Lola Kate Bolen for providing me with an arc in exchange for a honest review.

[Marian. · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐ 4.5

A veces todo lo que necesitamos es un libro como este para salir de la rutina, lleno de un pueblo que se mete en tus asuntos de la mejor manera posible, unas familias que solo quieren ver felices a sus seres queridos. La historia de Mae y Tenn fue rápida pero linda, ella es la panadera del pueblo y él es el nuevo jefe de bomberos, la verdad es que hicieron una linda pareja, no hay mucho drama y lo mejor es que se lograron entender de la mejor manera. Una lectura ligera, llena de un poco de vibra otoñal muy buena para estas épocas.

📌 I received an e-copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion/review of it.

---

Sometimes all we need is a book like this to get us out of the routine, full of a town that gets into your business in the best way possible, families that just want to see their loved ones happy. Mae and Tenn's story was quick but cute, she's the town baker and he's the new fire chief, the truth is that they made a nice couple, there's not much drama and the best thing is that they managed to understand each other in the best way. A light read, full of a bit of fall vibe, very good for these times.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cute and cozy fall themed book had me smiling from start to finish! When Tennessee (Tenn) moves to a small island town, the last thing he’s looking for is love. As the fire Chief, he spends time helping in the community while on shift, but keeps to himself outside of work. All that changes when he gets roped into helping with the annual Fall Festival and meets Mae. Mae is a 35 year old business owner that had to grow up way too fast when she became responsible for her two nephews and niece following the death of their parents at the age of 19. What Tenn and Mae never expected was to have so much of their grief in common. Can they work through it together and find a way to move forward in love?

I adored the townspeople in this story, especially the Operation Mae Day crew that rallied to push Mae and Tenn together! I also loved Tenn’s protective nature and how his relationship with Mae brought down his grumpy exterior.

Read this one if you like grumpy/sunshine, he falls first, she’s mine, forced proximity, and one bed.

Thank you to Good Girls PR and the author, Lola Kate Bolen, for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

[readswithleo · Rating 3 out of 5]

arc review 📖

operation mae day by lola kate bolen
overall 3⭐️

a small town romance filled with cozy charm. perfect if you’re looking for something easy and binge-able to read! note that their are themes of grief running throughout the book so be mindful.

our fmc mae is the epitome of beloved, small town girl while tenessee is the grumpy mmc you love to read. i’ll admit it took me a good minute to get on board with his character, but he becomes the ultimate golden retriever boyfriend which we love to see.

it’s dual pov which is my favorite thing. there’s forced proximity which is *chef’s kiss* and an equal amount of swoon worthy and spicy moments.

there’s an endearingly meddlesome cast of side characters which makes this book reminiscent of gilmore girls. not to mention the town festivals and holiday celebrations.

overall it’ll be a cute and fast read! pick it up if you like:
✵ small town romance
✵ grumpy x sunshine
✵ forced proximity
✵ single parent(ish)
✵ cat dads

thank you so much to @good.girls.pr and @lola.bolen.author for the arc 💌

[Mes Curls Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4 stars
Operation Mae Day is such a heartwarming small-town romance. Tenn, the grumpy new fire chief, and Mae, the quirky local baker, are total opposites but their chemistry is undeniable. I loved the way the whole town got involved in Tenn’s awkward attempts to woo Mae—it was hilarious and so charming.

Mae’s quirky personality, with her pastel-colored hair and floral tattoos, paired with Tenn’s more serious, by-the-book nature, made for some really fun interactions. Tenn describing Mae as “a hurricane of unicorn vomit” (in the best possible way) had me laughing, but it’s clear that he’s completely smitten. Plus, you can’t help but root for him, especially with his adorable cat, Oscar, by his side.

The slow-burn romance between them felt natural, and while I would've loved more insight into Tenn’s backstory earlier on, the buildup to the reveal added a nice touch. The island of Chinook is such a vibrant setting, with its quirky characters and small-town charm—definitely looking forward to returning for the next book!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ Cute, low angst, small town romance.

What I liked:
🧁Meddling (but in a good way) small town cast of characters
🧁Grumpy x Sunshine
🧁FMC wardrobe (bright, pastel goodness)
🧁Praise

This was a fast-paced and sweet read. The town was charming and I loved all the side characters. However, I do wish scenes from the story could have been expanded a bit so we could have gotten to know the characters a little deeper. We touched on the MCs trauma but it felt just surface level and resolved too quickly for my taste.

The chemistry between the characters was ok, but I wasn’t kicking my feet and giddy when they did get together. I think I just needed a little bit more.

That being said, not everything has to be so deep! If you need a sweet palette cleanser that’s more than a novella but still a fast read, this would be a good one to pick up.

Thank you to Good Girls PR and the author for providing an advanced copy for the purposes of review. All opinions are my own.

[Jade LaRae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd say this is a 2.5⭐️ rounded up. It's a very cute story, and the characters are fun and easy to connect to. But the storytelling is a bit messy, and there are quite a few moments where characters are switched, sentences have mixed up words, or the setups of scenes don't stay consistent.

The author did a great job creating the characters.Their personalities were vastly different, but all connected with shared histories and goals. The connections were believable (even if a bit rushed and insta-love based), and the fact that the fmc had connections to the mmc's family before meeting him made the dynamics and quick connections come across nicely.

This is a story you go into knowing it's a quick and cutesy read that you'll probably find on KU. It's not the type of book you have a book club discussion about. I know plenty of people I'd recommend this book to as a fun and playful read.

Thank you to Good Girls PR and the author for a copy of the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

🧑‍🚒🧁 Operation Mae Day by Lola Kate Bolen 🧁🧑‍🚒

⭐ 3.75 stars
🌶️ 1.5 spice rating

E-ARC review.

Operation Mae Day is by an author I have never read before, but I thought the cover looked cute, and I liked the blurb. The premise of the book is that Mae Simmons, a small town bakery owner, has spent the best part of her youth bringing up her twin nephews and niece after losing her sister and brother in law. The cute small town of Chinook sees Mae as their sweetheart, always willing to help and assist in festivals, etc. The town and her nephews and niece decide she needs to think of herself now, namely in the shape of the newly appointed Fire Chief and also new to town, Tennessee Adler.
Tennessee or Tenn for short is hiding the grief and his fears deep down. After a bad incident, he moves to Chinook to move on and start anew. As a small town, fire chief life is slow paced, rescuing cats and shooing away geese and living alone in a lighthouse. Until he is volunteered for an Autumn Fair committee and gets on the wrong side of Mae immediately. The attraction between the two is magnetic, but both are wrapped in their grief to move forward.
I thought the book was delightful and cute,fairly short, but I don't think it necessarily needs to be more to it. The slow burn romance was nice, and the supporting characters added humour. The spice scenes were well written but not jammed into the story unnecessarily.
If you want a cute, short, grumpy x Sunshine read, give this one a go.

Women don’t ever unnerve me, and Mae Simmons is definitely not my type. Granted, her body is insane, but everything about her screams candy-coated flight risk. In my world, anyone who considers glitter a viable daytime look is automatically questionable.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You’re like glitter caught in a sunbeam - lighting up a room and impossible to ignore.
I knew I was going to love this book once I saw the Chinook town map! I immediately fell in love with the small island town and the adorable names for all the shops!

Mae is a Chinook townie. She grew up there and raised her niece nephews there. She owns a bakery with her best friends and truly embodies small town charm. Tennessee is the town’s new Fire Chief. He does not have the small town charm but all of the big city grump. One look at Mae and he has no idea how to act! “I have a feeling they will annoy each other into falling in love.”

I’m a sucker for small town romances and this was simply adorable! Mae and Tennessee were exactly what the other needed.
“You’re my last bit of magical thinking, and I don’t want the spell to break.”
Thank you @lola.bolen.author and @good.girls.pr for the ARC!
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥: “You taste better than your baking, which is saying something, bunny girl.”

[Amber Tentnowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨ARC REVIEW✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

🦄bakery owner x firefighter
🦄opposites attract
🦄grumpy x sunshine
🦄small town
🦄found family
🦄no third act breakup

I enjoyed this. Mae and Tennessee are absolutely the complete opposites of each other but it made their relationship that much more enjoyable to see unfold. Mae hasn’t taken anytime for herself after adopting her nephews and niece at the age of 19 following the passing of her sister. Tennessee is running away from his old life and trying to start anew. But he comes with baggage and trauma. They start off rocky but end up healing each other in all the most beautiful, perfect ways.

This had all the potentials of a 4 star read for me and normally I wouldn’t dox a star for it but the amount of grammar/spelling mistakes really took away from the story for me. Sometimes I had to reread a sentence or two just to make sure I was understanding because a word would be missing or randomly repeated.