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Retired fencing Olympian Hugo De la Vega lives a quiet life in Olive Township. He has his friends, his olive orchard, and a recurring daydream about what he would say to his father's murderer if given the chance to look him in the eyes.
True crime podcaster Mallory Hawkins arrives in the eclectic small desert town with one to investigate Hugo's father's unsolved murder from twenty years ago.
A chance meeting at a sandwich shop has Hugo harmlessly flirting with Mallory, until he realizes she's the stubborn woman who has been hounding him for months. Hugo's swift and emphatic refusal to support her investigation forces Mallory to reveal her personal connection to the case.
Now Hugo is spending time with the woman whose emails he once deleted. She's witty, eternally curious, and pregnant. Finding this out should make it easier for Hugo to deny the magnetic pull he feels toward her, but it has the opposite effect.
When a situation threatens Mallory and her baby's safety, Hugo finds himself moving her into his house at the orchard. Now they're splitting time between a search for justice and fighting their mutual attraction... until a middle of the night encounter in the kitchen has them taking their relationship from professional to personal.
With each passing day, Hugo gets closer to laying it all out on the line for Mallory.
As long as the killer doesn't get to her first.
*Hugo is the second in a four-book contemporary romance series inspired by the film The Princess Bride. Expect swoon, sass, spice, and happily ever afters.
True crime podcaster Mallory Hawkins arrives in the eclectic small desert town with one to investigate Hugo's father's unsolved murder from twenty years ago.
A chance meeting at a sandwich shop has Hugo harmlessly flirting with Mallory, until he realizes she's the stubborn woman who has been hounding him for months. Hugo's swift and emphatic refusal to support her investigation forces Mallory to reveal her personal connection to the case.
Now Hugo is spending time with the woman whose emails he once deleted. She's witty, eternally curious, and pregnant. Finding this out should make it easier for Hugo to deny the magnetic pull he feels toward her, but it has the opposite effect.
When a situation threatens Mallory and her baby's safety, Hugo finds himself moving her into his house at the orchard. Now they're splitting time between a search for justice and fighting their mutual attraction... until a middle of the night encounter in the kitchen has them taking their relationship from professional to personal.
With each passing day, Hugo gets closer to laying it all out on the line for Mallory.
As long as the killer doesn't get to her first.
*Hugo is the second in a four-book contemporary romance series inspired by the film The Princess Bride. Expect swoon, sass, spice, and happily ever afters.
414 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2025
49 people are currently reading
464 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Millikin
26 books2,089 followersJennifer Millikin is a two-time recipient of the Readers Favorite award. She writes contemporary fiction with elements of romance, emotion, and hard-learned lessons. Her characters are flawed and authentic, and some parts of her stories are more fact than fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
June 13, 2025
ARC REVIEW
Jennifer makes me want to move to an olive orchard and I don’t even like olives
I really really enjoyed this book! I recommended it to my mom, husband, and sister multiple times as I was reading it. I have to admit that I liked, but did not love Penn, however, I really really enjoyed Hugo’s story. I had a feeling since I read the first one that I was going to love his story, and that absolutely came true. I loved how hard-working and dedicated and clever Mallory was. I loved the deep emotional connection that they shared. And though I felt like the resolution of the issues at the end was a bit rushed, it absolutely had me stressed out as it happened, which I think was appropriate. I loved that there was a true crime aspect to this book since I am a big fan of those.
Thank you Jennifer and Valentine PR for an early copy of this book. All these are my own.
Jennifer makes me want to move to an olive orchard and I don’t even like olives
I really really enjoyed this book! I recommended it to my mom, husband, and sister multiple times as I was reading it. I have to admit that I liked, but did not love Penn, however, I really really enjoyed Hugo’s story. I had a feeling since I read the first one that I was going to love his story, and that absolutely came true. I loved how hard-working and dedicated and clever Mallory was. I loved the deep emotional connection that they shared. And though I felt like the resolution of the issues at the end was a bit rushed, it absolutely had me stressed out as it happened, which I think was appropriate. I loved that there was a true crime aspect to this book since I am a big fan of those.
Thank you Jennifer and Valentine PR for an early copy of this book. All these are my own.
May 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.25 stars)
I was so excited to head back to Olive Township, especially to finally get Hugo’s story. After getting a glimpse of him in the first book, I had a feeling his book would be something special. It absolutely delivered.
The plot moved fast in the best way possible. I devoured it in one sitting. This suspenseful romance had just the right amount of tension and heart to keep me hooked. Mallory’s arrival in town completely turns Hugo’s world upside down, and watching their story unfold was such a joy. I especially loved the small-town vibe that mirrors my own experience. Everyone knows everything, for better or worse.
Hugo was a standout. He was caring, patient, and genuinely supportive when Mallory needed it most. He’s the definition of “he would if he wanted to,” and honestly, he set the bar high.
I’m already looking forward to the next couple’s story. Ambrose, I’ve got my eye on you!
I was so excited to head back to Olive Township, especially to finally get Hugo’s story. After getting a glimpse of him in the first book, I had a feeling his book would be something special. It absolutely delivered.
The plot moved fast in the best way possible. I devoured it in one sitting. This suspenseful romance had just the right amount of tension and heart to keep me hooked. Mallory’s arrival in town completely turns Hugo’s world upside down, and watching their story unfold was such a joy. I especially loved the small-town vibe that mirrors my own experience. Everyone knows everything, for better or worse.
Hugo was a standout. He was caring, patient, and genuinely supportive when Mallory needed it most. He’s the definition of “he would if he wanted to,” and honestly, he set the bar high.
I’m already looking forward to the next couple’s story. Ambrose, I’ve got my eye on you!
May 23, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 [Rounded to 4]
🌶️🌶️/5
🗓️ Release Date: 05.29.2025
📚 Book # 2 in the "Olive Township" interconnected series; Can be read as a Standalone, but its better to read in order [imo]
My first introduction to Jennifer's work was through book one of the Olive Township series Penn. I loved Penn & Daisy, so I was really stoked to get into Hugo's story since Hugo is Penn's Bff. I liked the story, but it was not as good as Penn for me. It wont keep me from reading Ambrose & Vivi's story though, cause I am committed to making sure each of these small town characters gets their HEA cause I like these characters. Truthfully I do like Hugo & Mallory, they just didnt fully connect with me like Penn & Daisy.
Hugo is pretty much goals as he's got everything women are looking for. He's a gold medal winning Fencer, He's got a successful Olive Mill business, He's caring and good natured with a protective streak...My only issue is that he's all that but its literally all the MMC can talk about. She says it soooo many times in her internal monologue that I no longer care about his great traits. I like Hugo as a character more than I do Mallory.
Mallory is a Podcaster who's younger sister was murdered, and she believes that her murder is connected to Hugo's fathers murder. The ending to this book was honestly kinda far fetched, and I feel like there were not enough clues throughout the book to have come to the conclusion of whodunit. The book while it sprinkled in some researching and sleuthing, it was more focused on the healing that Hugo & Mallory did because of their relationship. So if you are looking for a true murder mystery, I dont feel like this specifically fits the bill, but was still a good book.
Was this book everything that I had hoped for Hugo's story? No, but thats not to say that it doesnt deserve a chance. The writing was good, the characters were enjoyable enough, and we get to see some favs from Penn's book again in this one.
Overall, im looking forward to the next story and seeing where Olive Township takes us!
Tropes:
🫒 Angsty
🫒 Murder Mystery
🫒 Fairytale Retelling
🫒 Golden Retriever Hero
🫒 He Falls First
🫒 Small Town
🫒 Forced Proximity
🫒 She's Pregnant x Not His
🫒 Baby
🌶️🌶️/5
🗓️ Release Date: 05.29.2025
📚 Book # 2 in the "Olive Township" interconnected series; Can be read as a Standalone, but its better to read in order [imo]
My first introduction to Jennifer's work was through book one of the Olive Township series Penn. I loved Penn & Daisy, so I was really stoked to get into Hugo's story since Hugo is Penn's Bff. I liked the story, but it was not as good as Penn for me. It wont keep me from reading Ambrose & Vivi's story though, cause I am committed to making sure each of these small town characters gets their HEA cause I like these characters. Truthfully I do like Hugo & Mallory, they just didnt fully connect with me like Penn & Daisy.
Hugo is pretty much goals as he's got everything women are looking for. He's a gold medal winning Fencer, He's got a successful Olive Mill business, He's caring and good natured with a protective streak...My only issue is that he's all that but its literally all the MMC can talk about. She says it soooo many times in her internal monologue that I no longer care about his great traits. I like Hugo as a character more than I do Mallory.
Mallory is a Podcaster who's younger sister was murdered, and she believes that her murder is connected to Hugo's fathers murder. The ending to this book was honestly kinda far fetched, and I feel like there were not enough clues throughout the book to have come to the conclusion of whodunit. The book while it sprinkled in some researching and sleuthing, it was more focused on the healing that Hugo & Mallory did because of their relationship. So if you are looking for a true murder mystery, I dont feel like this specifically fits the bill, but was still a good book.
Was this book everything that I had hoped for Hugo's story? No, but thats not to say that it doesnt deserve a chance. The writing was good, the characters were enjoyable enough, and we get to see some favs from Penn's book again in this one.
Overall, im looking forward to the next story and seeing where Olive Township takes us!
Tropes:
🫒 Angsty
🫒 Murder Mystery
🫒 Fairytale Retelling
🫒 Golden Retriever Hero
🫒 He Falls First
🫒 Small Town
🫒 Forced Proximity
🫒 She's Pregnant x Not His
🫒 Baby
May 28, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐-> ♾️🌟
🌶️🌶️.75
🤰 She's Pregnant (its not His)
✨️ Fairytale Retelling
💖 Golden Retriever Hero
✨️ He Falls First
💖 Forced Proximity
✨️ Small Town
💖 Angsty
✨️ALC REVIEW✨️
At this point the intro to a large amount of my reviews should be that I haven't read the author before. Because here we are again 🤣. This couldn't haven't been a better first read from Jennifer!
I want to preface this by saying that this book is loosely based on The Princess Bride ✨️.
I DEVOURED this whole ALC like it was the last drop of water in a desert 🏜! This was the most perfect slow burn I have ever read. Hugo and Mallory never intended for their to be chemistry, or to find what they had been unintentionally been looking for. But they found it and so much more throughout this story.
I am still LIVING for their chemistry that wasn't as some would call outlandish. It was subtle at first and continued to snowball into something amazing by the end. I loved their conversations and the inner monolog we were privy to as a reader. Mallory reiterated how Hugo was tender towards her. And that is how you know that the last A-Hole she was with treated her like garbage. We never got his name, because he wasn't worth the breath wasted on saying it.
I couldn't get enough of Mallory and Hugo all throughout this book. They fostered each others feelings without intentionally in the beginning. But they couldn't help but put more into each other because its what they both needed and wanted. Hugo saying that Mallory and Peanut were his girls LITERALLY melted 🫠 me and my heart. Seeing his constant care for her and how much he truly loved her was so beautiful 😍. They had an undeniable connection and chemistry that couldn't be matched. With that Mallory and Hugo continued to heal the parts of their hearts that needed it the most.
Hugo was a protective person to begun with when it came to his family and the things they had to deal with regarding his Dad. He refused to let anything else bad touch his family. It was definitely for good cause.
His family is one of the most precious families I have seen in a book. They are a beautiful family unit that anyone would want to be apart of. They cared so much for each other and made sure that they were always taken care of. I loved seeing every person of his family throughout the book and their personality shine through. This is a family worth protecting and treating like a precious jewel. Its something you never let falter or grow weak. You nourish it all the days because there is never going to be another like it.
Mallory didn't have the family that Hugo did but she loved how much they folded her into their lives. She needed his family as much as she needed him, and I couldn't have loved it more.
This book was just so much more than I could have ever expected. I fell so hard for these characters but also with Jennifer and the hard work she put into this book. She has a way with her words that brings you in and wraps you up like a huge bear hug 🫂. I never want to leave this feeling behind, because its precious and not always readily available.
🔥 Let's Talk About Sex Baby 🥵:
🌶️🌶️.75 /5
Work Place fun 😁
Mallory and Hugo were some of the most sexually compatible couples I have seen. I loved that he said he doesn't have a bump kink, but without Mallory that would have been true. She was it for him and he loved her bump.
I didn't know if their sexy times together would be good, but they GREAT! They gave me all the things I wanted from a book even if they weren't always meant to coincide with each other.
Thank you so much to Jennifer Millikin and Valentine PR for the free ALC copy 🫶🏻. All opinions are my own, honest and voluntary.
🌶️🌶️.75
🤰 She's Pregnant (its not His)
✨️ Fairytale Retelling
💖 Golden Retriever Hero
✨️ He Falls First
💖 Forced Proximity
✨️ Small Town
💖 Angsty
✨️ALC REVIEW✨️
At this point the intro to a large amount of my reviews should be that I haven't read the author before. Because here we are again 🤣. This couldn't haven't been a better first read from Jennifer!
I want to preface this by saying that this book is loosely based on The Princess Bride ✨️.
I DEVOURED this whole ALC like it was the last drop of water in a desert 🏜! This was the most perfect slow burn I have ever read. Hugo and Mallory never intended for their to be chemistry, or to find what they had been unintentionally been looking for. But they found it and so much more throughout this story.
I am still LIVING for their chemistry that wasn't as some would call outlandish. It was subtle at first and continued to snowball into something amazing by the end. I loved their conversations and the inner monolog we were privy to as a reader. Mallory reiterated how Hugo was tender towards her. And that is how you know that the last A-Hole she was with treated her like garbage. We never got his name, because he wasn't worth the breath wasted on saying it.
I couldn't get enough of Mallory and Hugo all throughout this book. They fostered each others feelings without intentionally in the beginning. But they couldn't help but put more into each other because its what they both needed and wanted. Hugo saying that Mallory and Peanut were his girls LITERALLY melted 🫠 me and my heart. Seeing his constant care for her and how much he truly loved her was so beautiful 😍. They had an undeniable connection and chemistry that couldn't be matched. With that Mallory and Hugo continued to heal the parts of their hearts that needed it the most.
Hugo was a protective person to begun with when it came to his family and the things they had to deal with regarding his Dad. He refused to let anything else bad touch his family. It was definitely for good cause.
His family is one of the most precious families I have seen in a book. They are a beautiful family unit that anyone would want to be apart of. They cared so much for each other and made sure that they were always taken care of. I loved seeing every person of his family throughout the book and their personality shine through. This is a family worth protecting and treating like a precious jewel. Its something you never let falter or grow weak. You nourish it all the days because there is never going to be another like it.
Mallory didn't have the family that Hugo did but she loved how much they folded her into their lives. She needed his family as much as she needed him, and I couldn't have loved it more.
This book was just so much more than I could have ever expected. I fell so hard for these characters but also with Jennifer and the hard work she put into this book. She has a way with her words that brings you in and wraps you up like a huge bear hug 🫂. I never want to leave this feeling behind, because its precious and not always readily available.
🔥 Let's Talk About Sex Baby 🥵:
🌶️🌶️.75 /5
Work Place fun 😁
Mallory and Hugo were some of the most sexually compatible couples I have seen. I loved that he said he doesn't have a bump kink, but without Mallory that would have been true. She was it for him and he loved her bump.
I didn't know if their sexy times together would be good, but they GREAT! They gave me all the things I wanted from a book even if they weren't always meant to coincide with each other.
Thank you so much to Jennifer Millikin and Valentine PR for the free ALC copy 🫶🏻. All opinions are my own, honest and voluntary.
May 31, 2025
4.5 STARS
This is 𝙾𝙻𝙸𝚅𝙴 𝚃𝙾𝚆𝙽𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙿 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 #𝟸 and it is inspired by 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙿𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙲𝙴𝚂𝚂 𝙱𝚁𝙸𝙳𝙴, the nods to the original are so fun and the story is very loosely based so, this book/series is very much uniquely it’s own.
The story flows very well and the writing is beautiful. The stunning Arizona desert is like a secondary character, I love the imagery and atmosphere the author creates so vividly.
Mallory is a true crime podcaster who goes to Olive Township to investigate a cold case murd3r that has bigger implications for many people, herself included.
She’s 4 months pregnant and doing it on her own, this is central to the story in many ways.
Hugo is the son of the victim of the cold case she’s there to investigate. He is super dreamy once he gets over his negative feelings about Mallory digging up his family’s tragedy.
I love that Hugo is a former Olympic Fencer and that he now runs the family Olive Farm and its various businesses. He’s kind, passionate, tender, protective and smart. He has held back from any serious romantic relationships. He has his work, friends and family and he thinks that’s all he needs.
Mallory awakens something in him and vice versa. They share a connection that not many people would have or understand.
They also share great humor and funny quips. I love their conversations and candor with each other. It lightens the story which could be dark because of Mallory’s work and goal, but it’s not.
It’s a very slow burn romance, I think the pace was perfect for their situation. The longing and flirting is fabulous. Once they give in to their attraction and feelings it’s steamy and sweet. A perfect mix of raw lust and big, beautiful emotions.
The mystery and suspense aspects are spread out well. I did not see the twists coming at all. It was a satisfying experience to be shocked with the characters. It’s a clever plot point and I love it!
This is such a beautiful story with amazing characters that I adore.
It’s uniquely written and it is gentle with the emotions in a fantastic way.
I highly recommend this book and the previous book 𝙿𝙴𝙽𝙽. I can’t wait for the next book in this one of a kind series!
⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎
Tropes:
🫒 she’s pregnant (it’s not his)
🫒 he falls first
🫒 mystery
🫒 fairytale retelling
🫒 golden retriever hero
🫒 no third-act break up
🫒 small town
🫒 mutual pining
🫒 “who did this?”
#olivetownshipseries #jennifermillikin #romancebookrecs #bookboyfriends #goldenretrieverhero #smalltownromancebooks
This is 𝙾𝙻𝙸𝚅𝙴 𝚃𝙾𝚆𝙽𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙿 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 #𝟸 and it is inspired by 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙿𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙲𝙴𝚂𝚂 𝙱𝚁𝙸𝙳𝙴, the nods to the original are so fun and the story is very loosely based so, this book/series is very much uniquely it’s own.
The story flows very well and the writing is beautiful. The stunning Arizona desert is like a secondary character, I love the imagery and atmosphere the author creates so vividly.
Mallory is a true crime podcaster who goes to Olive Township to investigate a cold case murd3r that has bigger implications for many people, herself included.
She’s 4 months pregnant and doing it on her own, this is central to the story in many ways.
Hugo is the son of the victim of the cold case she’s there to investigate. He is super dreamy once he gets over his negative feelings about Mallory digging up his family’s tragedy.
I love that Hugo is a former Olympic Fencer and that he now runs the family Olive Farm and its various businesses. He’s kind, passionate, tender, protective and smart. He has held back from any serious romantic relationships. He has his work, friends and family and he thinks that’s all he needs.
Mallory awakens something in him and vice versa. They share a connection that not many people would have or understand.
They also share great humor and funny quips. I love their conversations and candor with each other. It lightens the story which could be dark because of Mallory’s work and goal, but it’s not.
It’s a very slow burn romance, I think the pace was perfect for their situation. The longing and flirting is fabulous. Once they give in to their attraction and feelings it’s steamy and sweet. A perfect mix of raw lust and big, beautiful emotions.
The mystery and suspense aspects are spread out well. I did not see the twists coming at all. It was a satisfying experience to be shocked with the characters. It’s a clever plot point and I love it!
This is such a beautiful story with amazing characters that I adore.
It’s uniquely written and it is gentle with the emotions in a fantastic way.
I highly recommend this book and the previous book 𝙿𝙴𝙽𝙽. I can’t wait for the next book in this one of a kind series!
⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎⁎︎
Tropes:
🫒 she’s pregnant (it’s not his)
🫒 he falls first
🫒 mystery
🫒 fairytale retelling
🫒 golden retriever hero
🫒 no third-act break up
🫒 small town
🫒 mutual pining
🫒 “who did this?”
#olivetownshipseries #jennifermillikin #romancebookrecs #bookboyfriends #goldenretrieverhero #smalltownromancebooks
May 26, 2025
Hugo is book 2 in the Olive Township series and can read entirely fine as a standalone. In true Jennifer style her writing is impeccable, it's beautiful, special and her delivery always hits just right. It did take me a little longer to fully get immersed into this one, due to the trope and the unfolding. Once I did though I was all in. It's definitely worth sticking with it. I thought there was a good balance with the murder mystery/true crime plot and the romance aspect. It made for such an original and fun storyline.
Hugo is just such a sweetheart, how he accepts, loves Mallory and Peanut, wants them both for himself. How he is just present for her and makes her feel truly valued. I enjoyed their relationship and how it grew, it was missing just a little spark for me in regards to their chemistry. I still thought they were absolutely adorable together, had great chemistry and truly fit together perfectly. Another enjoyable aspect for me is that the plot wasn't overshadowed by the spice. The twist in the end I was not expecting !!
Overall, I really liked this second installment. A slow burn romance with a true crime that is definitely worth picking up.
✨️Thank you to @valentinepr & @jennifermillikin for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Hugo is just such a sweetheart, how he accepts, loves Mallory and Peanut, wants them both for himself. How he is just present for her and makes her feel truly valued. I enjoyed their relationship and how it grew, it was missing just a little spark for me in regards to their chemistry. I still thought they were absolutely adorable together, had great chemistry and truly fit together perfectly. Another enjoyable aspect for me is that the plot wasn't overshadowed by the spice. The twist in the end I was not expecting !!
Overall, I really liked this second installment. A slow burn romance with a true crime that is definitely worth picking up.
✨️Thank you to @valentinepr & @jennifermillikin for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 11, 2025
First thing first, I was glad to revisit Olive Township. This series was a special one as the township got its own voice among the chapters and that could not be any more unique. Secondly, our male main character, Hugo, had shown an abundance of awesomeness in book 1, Penn, so I was more than excited to read his own story. However, even though I already knew that the female main character, Daisy, was pregnant with another man's child before jumping into this book, I kept telling myself the trope wouldn't affect my overall feeling about the book but it turned out that I was wrong. I did like the characters' background setting in general and the writing was lovely as usual, but pregnant protagonists just weren't for me. I found it hard to fully enjoy a romantic story when the main character was pregnant, surprising or not, so yeah, I wish I could like this one more. That being said, I'd still recommend this book to anyone new to Jennifer and I'd undoubtedly continue to read the rest of this series.
***Thanks to the author for kindly providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.***
***Thanks to the author for kindly providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.***
June 3, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
🎧: Hugo by Jennifer Millikin
Why you’ll love this audiobook!
Pregnancy (Not His)
He Falls First
Mystery
Fairytale Retelling
Golden Retriever Hero
No Third-Act Break Up
Small Town Romance
I loved how the narrators Mariss Clay, Aaron Donahue, and Hannah Chiclana brought these characters to life they did an amazing job of it !!
I love how Hugo fell for Mallory he totally didn’t see her coming nor did he think he’d fall so hard for her and man his protection nature for her had me melting!! I loved how when Mallory realized she had fall for him was great but she doesn’t fall for Hugo as he does for her.. The suspense in this book and the build up of the relationship was a freaking chefs kiss.
🎧: Hugo by Jennifer Millikin
Why you’ll love this audiobook!
Pregnancy (Not His)
He Falls First
Mystery
Fairytale Retelling
Golden Retriever Hero
No Third-Act Break Up
Small Town Romance
I loved how the narrators Mariss Clay, Aaron Donahue, and Hannah Chiclana brought these characters to life they did an amazing job of it !!
I love how Hugo fell for Mallory he totally didn’t see her coming nor did he think he’d fall so hard for her and man his protection nature for her had me melting!! I loved how when Mallory realized she had fall for him was great but she doesn’t fall for Hugo as he does for her.. The suspense in this book and the build up of the relationship was a freaking chefs kiss.
May 29, 2025
Hugo, baby, you have my heart💚
I was ready for Hugo’s book the moment I met him in Penn’s book! Can I move to Olive Township & live alongside these characters?? Because I really really want too😍
Not only did Hugo give us all the swoon-worthy moments but it also gave us jaw dropping twists! I did not see that ending coming🤯
I am so happy that Hugo & Mallory got the closure they so desperately deserved! I cannot wait for Book 3!
I was ready for Hugo’s book the moment I met him in Penn’s book! Can I move to Olive Township & live alongside these characters?? Because I really really want too😍
Not only did Hugo give us all the swoon-worthy moments but it also gave us jaw dropping twists! I did not see that ending coming🤯
I am so happy that Hugo & Mallory got the closure they so desperately deserved! I cannot wait for Book 3!
June 11, 2025
I think we need to incorporate people carrying swords back into everyday society
July 20, 2025
Small town romance
Forced proximity
Mutual pining
He falls first
She’s pregnant but it’s not his
No third act break up
Duet narration - Aaron Donahue & Marissa Clay with Hannah Chiclana
Fantastic narration.
Book #2 in the Olive Township series
Really enjoyed this book. I was invested because I listened to the first book Penn. I will continue this series. Jennifer Millikins writing is great, her plotting and characters are superb.
Hugo is a keep to himself golden retriever. He’s an Olympic medalist for fencing but is back home running the family olive farm. He’s got some past trauma from his childhood when his father was murdered. Hugo and his family have chosen to not delve into the murder and not do any interviews. Opting to live life and remember their loved one for the life he lived not how he died.
Mallory is a true crime podcaster who is trying to solve old cases. Two that she thinks might be linked. She is also pregnant and single. Mallory thinks Hugo’s dad’s murder may be connected to another case. She emails him multiple times to try and interview him but he does not respond. Her producer convinces her to go to the spa in Olive township. Chance meeting at the local lunch spot and she meets Hugo face to face.
This story was captivating and interesting. I enjoyed the mystery side of it mixed with the romance of it all. Can’t wait for book 3.
Forced proximity
Mutual pining
He falls first
She’s pregnant but it’s not his
No third act break up
Duet narration - Aaron Donahue & Marissa Clay with Hannah Chiclana
Fantastic narration.
Book #2 in the Olive Township series
Really enjoyed this book. I was invested because I listened to the first book Penn. I will continue this series. Jennifer Millikins writing is great, her plotting and characters are superb.
Hugo is a keep to himself golden retriever. He’s an Olympic medalist for fencing but is back home running the family olive farm. He’s got some past trauma from his childhood when his father was murdered. Hugo and his family have chosen to not delve into the murder and not do any interviews. Opting to live life and remember their loved one for the life he lived not how he died.
Mallory is a true crime podcaster who is trying to solve old cases. Two that she thinks might be linked. She is also pregnant and single. Mallory thinks Hugo’s dad’s murder may be connected to another case. She emails him multiple times to try and interview him but he does not respond. Her producer convinces her to go to the spa in Olive township. Chance meeting at the local lunch spot and she meets Hugo face to face.
This story was captivating and interesting. I enjoyed the mystery side of it mixed with the romance of it all. Can’t wait for book 3.
May 27, 2025
****ALC****
Thanks to Valentines PR for selecting me for this ALC. And a HUGE!!! thank you to the wonderful author for writing this amazing book. THANK YOU!!! ❤❤❤
Hugo and Mallory.
Perfection is the word that describes Hugo and Mallory. They were *chefs kiss*
There wasn't one second of this audiobook that wasn't freaking amazing. I loved them so much. The way they were connected and how they started. I loved the slow burn, yes there was an obvious attraction but she had a job to do and he didn't want anything serious. But Hugo had already fallen for her and peanut and there was no going back. He didn't hesitate when she needed help, he didn't think twice to run to her, he didn't think twice to welcome her into his home. He did think twice to kiss her finally but when it happened there was no going back. They just had an undeniable connection. I loved how they figured things out. Because this wasn't only a love and romance book, there was a suspense and thriller to it because they had to figure out her killed him dad and her little sister. Was it a shock who did it? Kind of but nearing to the point of resolve, I thought this person was acting so weird. The way they came over and just started talking weird and it was just off to me and then what we got from the chapter before that, it all added up and started making sense. This was an incredibly written book.
Overall I give this book a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. I was here for EVERYTHING. Olive Township POV is always something I look forward to and that town is always happy to bring it's people together and see them heal and be happy. It was great seeing Penn and Daisy going strong. And the found family is top tier. I loved Hugo and how he loved on Mallory. They were both such strong MCs after going through such tragic losses in their lives. They healed each other more than ever and their chemistry was off the chart. They were who they were waiting on, just two hours apart and yearning for each other without knowing it. And let's talk about that. They yearned for each other so much. They yearned for the love and the touch and to just be around each other. I freaking loved every second of it. Also, can we talk about the more personal found family that just warmed my heart? One precious word. Simone. "My two girls". This man had me swooning. Don't tell Penn and Daisy but Hugo and Mallory are my favorites right now.
P.S. I shipped a certain sister with a certain guy but then changed my mind when it came to the guy at the last moment and now we're getting that book next so I'm definitely looking forward to the next read. Also let's focus on what Hugo said and don't fully quote me but he said something like "bestfriends don't date each others little sisters" and that had me laughing hard because I just knew it was either one or the other and I think next book is gonna be quite interesting and amazing at the same time.
Thanks to Valentines PR for selecting me for this ALC. And a HUGE!!! thank you to the wonderful author for writing this amazing book. THANK YOU!!! ❤❤❤
Hugo and Mallory.
Perfection is the word that describes Hugo and Mallory. They were *chefs kiss*
There wasn't one second of this audiobook that wasn't freaking amazing. I loved them so much. The way they were connected and how they started. I loved the slow burn, yes there was an obvious attraction but she had a job to do and he didn't want anything serious. But Hugo had already fallen for her and peanut and there was no going back. He didn't hesitate when she needed help, he didn't think twice to run to her, he didn't think twice to welcome her into his home. He did think twice to kiss her finally but when it happened there was no going back. They just had an undeniable connection. I loved how they figured things out. Because this wasn't only a love and romance book, there was a suspense and thriller to it because they had to figure out her killed him dad and her little sister. Was it a shock who did it? Kind of but nearing to the point of resolve, I thought this person was acting so weird. The way they came over and just started talking weird and it was just off to me and then what we got from the chapter before that, it all added up and started making sense. This was an incredibly written book.
Overall I give this book a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. I was here for EVERYTHING. Olive Township POV is always something I look forward to and that town is always happy to bring it's people together and see them heal and be happy. It was great seeing Penn and Daisy going strong. And the found family is top tier. I loved Hugo and how he loved on Mallory. They were both such strong MCs after going through such tragic losses in their lives. They healed each other more than ever and their chemistry was off the chart. They were who they were waiting on, just two hours apart and yearning for each other without knowing it. And let's talk about that. They yearned for each other so much. They yearned for the love and the touch and to just be around each other. I freaking loved every second of it. Also, can we talk about the more personal found family that just warmed my heart? One precious word. Simone. "My two girls". This man had me swooning. Don't tell Penn and Daisy but Hugo and Mallory are my favorites right now.
P.S. I shipped a certain sister with a certain guy but then changed my mind when it came to the guy at the last moment and now we're getting that book next so I'm definitely looking forward to the next read. Also let's focus on what Hugo said and don't fully quote me but he said something like "bestfriends don't date each others little sisters" and that had me laughing hard because I just knew it was either one or the other and I think next book is gonna be quite interesting and amazing at the same time.
June 6, 2025
I am just loving this Princess Bride inspired series in Olive Township. I adored Penn, so i was excited to dive into Hugo’s story after meeting in our first book. And like her stories, Jennifer’s Millikin’s Hugo delivers on charm and charisma. Lovable characters, and unique story premise, and plenty of swoon.
Hugo is really the best part of his story- he’s just so delectable as a leading man. Stoic, steady, the heart of a golden retriever. Once a fencing star, he’s now home to run his family’s olive farm - while also still dealing with some unresolved grief from his father’s murder. Particularly since his family’s coping mechanisms is just to bury everything about his father’s death.. Oh yes, he’s our Inigo Montoya in this modern day, Olive Township Princess Bride inspo. And he’s every bit as memorable as Inigo. He’s kind and loving and honorable and so loyal and devoted. He is SO easy to fall for.
Love interest Mallory is a true crime podcaster, and she loves nothing more than digging into cold cases and finding out the truth behind them. SO naturally, she takes interest in the unsolved murder of Hugo’s father and thinks it might be connected to something else she’s been looking into- so she’s been trying to track down Hugo. Which brings her to Olive Township, where she hopes to gather more intel and will help her finally get to talk to Hugo. And she’s also pregnant and trying to figure out how to balance her imminent single motherhood with everything else in her life.
This one took me a bit longer to get into, and the chemistry didn’t quite ensnare me like Penn’s book- but I just adored Hugo. He’s so wonderful with Mallory- attentive, devoted, thoughtful and caring. He’s a dreamboat. And I did enjoy him figuring out their relationship while also exploring this mystery element with his father’s death. They are really sweet together.
This is a slower burn romantically, but the true crime element (and a great twist) kept the momentum going. Really enjoying this series (and think I’d really like it on audio too).
What to expect:
🫒Small town
🫒Forced proximity
🫒She’s pregnant (it’s not his)
🫒Murder Mystery
🫒He Falls First
🫒Princess Bride Inspired Series
🫒Golden Retriever Hero
🫒Mutual pining
🫒No third act break up
Hugo is really the best part of his story- he’s just so delectable as a leading man. Stoic, steady, the heart of a golden retriever. Once a fencing star, he’s now home to run his family’s olive farm - while also still dealing with some unresolved grief from his father’s murder. Particularly since his family’s coping mechanisms is just to bury everything about his father’s death.. Oh yes, he’s our Inigo Montoya in this modern day, Olive Township Princess Bride inspo. And he’s every bit as memorable as Inigo. He’s kind and loving and honorable and so loyal and devoted. He is SO easy to fall for.
Love interest Mallory is a true crime podcaster, and she loves nothing more than digging into cold cases and finding out the truth behind them. SO naturally, she takes interest in the unsolved murder of Hugo’s father and thinks it might be connected to something else she’s been looking into- so she’s been trying to track down Hugo. Which brings her to Olive Township, where she hopes to gather more intel and will help her finally get to talk to Hugo. And she’s also pregnant and trying to figure out how to balance her imminent single motherhood with everything else in her life.
This one took me a bit longer to get into, and the chemistry didn’t quite ensnare me like Penn’s book- but I just adored Hugo. He’s so wonderful with Mallory- attentive, devoted, thoughtful and caring. He’s a dreamboat. And I did enjoy him figuring out their relationship while also exploring this mystery element with his father’s death. They are really sweet together.
This is a slower burn romantically, but the true crime element (and a great twist) kept the momentum going. Really enjoying this series (and think I’d really like it on audio too).
What to expect:
🫒Small town
🫒Forced proximity
🫒She’s pregnant (it’s not his)
🫒Murder Mystery
🫒He Falls First
🫒Princess Bride Inspired Series
🫒Golden Retriever Hero
🫒Mutual pining
🫒No third act break up
May 29, 2025
Wowza.
I absolutely devoured Hugo. Inspired by the Princess Bride and book 2 in the Olive Township series but can be read as a standalone.
Hugo is a romantic suspense novel bringing together two people in different stages of grief. Mallory is a true crime podcaster visiting Olive Township with the hopes of getting closure on her sisters open murder case while also trying to solve the murder of Hugos father. At first, Hugo can’t stand the thought of working with her until he begins to realize they have more in common than he thought. Things begin to get more complicated as Hugo and Mallory work together and develop feelings for each other. Even though Mallory is pregnant with another mans baby and has now moved into Hugos guest room.
I loved the evolution of Hugo and Mallorys relationship as they began to learn how to be vulnerable with each other. Hugo truly is the ultimate white knight and demonstrated a lot of personal growth as he learned how to love Mallory the way she deserved. Between the meddling family members, small town gossip, and a crazy plot twist, Hugo has it all! I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
#ContemporaryRomance
#RomanticSuspense
#FairytaleRetelling
#SmallTown
#GoldenRetrieverHero
#Hugo
I absolutely devoured Hugo. Inspired by the Princess Bride and book 2 in the Olive Township series but can be read as a standalone.
Hugo is a romantic suspense novel bringing together two people in different stages of grief. Mallory is a true crime podcaster visiting Olive Township with the hopes of getting closure on her sisters open murder case while also trying to solve the murder of Hugos father. At first, Hugo can’t stand the thought of working with her until he begins to realize they have more in common than he thought. Things begin to get more complicated as Hugo and Mallory work together and develop feelings for each other. Even though Mallory is pregnant with another mans baby and has now moved into Hugos guest room.
I loved the evolution of Hugo and Mallorys relationship as they began to learn how to be vulnerable with each other. Hugo truly is the ultimate white knight and demonstrated a lot of personal growth as he learned how to love Mallory the way she deserved. Between the meddling family members, small town gossip, and a crazy plot twist, Hugo has it all! I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
#ContemporaryRomance
#RomanticSuspense
#FairytaleRetelling
#SmallTown
#GoldenRetrieverHero
#Hugo
June 13, 2025
✨ she’s pregnant it’s not his
✨ small town Arizona
✨ romantic suspense
✨ he takes care of her
✨ no third act
✨ true crime podcaster x his father was murdered
It’s finally time for me to SCREAM about these two. Which I have been sitting on way too long. Because these two easily stole my heart. The next installment in Jennifer’s Olive Township series. A princess bride inspired small town. Filled with a dash of suspense, some meddling mothers and a town that seems to have a mind of its own.
I love how strong both Mallory and Hugo were. Suffering unthinkable things in their young to lead them to the journey they are on today. Mallory with her Case files podcast trying to help other families find answer and Hugo working at his families Olive Oil vineyard trying to keep his legacy alive. I love how Hugo immediately wants to take care of Mallory. How he makes time for her despite his busy schedule giving her a soft place to land that she never saw coming. He takes protecting his girls seriously and I love how with Mallory’s pregnancy she reminds herself with a strong woman she is.
The dash of suspense and of course the moments of spiced were layered beautifully for such a well rounded book I simply couldn’t put down if I tried.
✨ small town Arizona
✨ romantic suspense
✨ he takes care of her
✨ no third act
✨ true crime podcaster x his father was murdered
It’s finally time for me to SCREAM about these two. Which I have been sitting on way too long. Because these two easily stole my heart. The next installment in Jennifer’s Olive Township series. A princess bride inspired small town. Filled with a dash of suspense, some meddling mothers and a town that seems to have a mind of its own.
I love how strong both Mallory and Hugo were. Suffering unthinkable things in their young to lead them to the journey they are on today. Mallory with her Case files podcast trying to help other families find answer and Hugo working at his families Olive Oil vineyard trying to keep his legacy alive. I love how Hugo immediately wants to take care of Mallory. How he makes time for her despite his busy schedule giving her a soft place to land that she never saw coming. He takes protecting his girls seriously and I love how with Mallory’s pregnancy she reminds herself with a strong woman she is.
The dash of suspense and of course the moments of spiced were layered beautifully for such a well rounded book I simply couldn’t put down if I tried.
June 10, 2025
“ɪ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜱᴀᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ. ʜᴀᴅ ɴᴏ ɪᴅᴇᴀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇxɪꜱᴛᴇᴅ…ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏᴡ ɪ ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ᴇxɪꜱᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ.”
Princess Bride inspired romance with murder mystery suspense and a pregnant true crime podcaster ??? SIGN ME RIGHT UP!!! I’ll be honest…I didn’t think I would get into this book. I hadn’t read the first (and you don’t have to…it’s an interconnected stand alone). Murder mystery isn’t always up my alley…BUT…this was done so well that I couldn’t help fall in love with Mallory and Hugo…and of course little peanut 🥰🥰
Mallory is a true crime podcaster…she’s currently 4 months pregnant and trying to navigate becoming a single mother while balancing her very emotionally taxing job. Her current obsession is figuring out a murder that happened in Olive Township…she has a strong connection to this case because she feels it ties into the murder of her own sister. So she heads to Arizona…hoping to get more information and being able to connect the dots.
Hugo is perfection. The ultimate golden retriever. A former Olympic fencer…he’s now back home running his families olive farm. The minute he sees Mallory in his sleepily little town, he’s instantly attracted. But, when he finds out why she’s there and she starts digging up the past of his father’s painful murder, he’s instantly got his guard up and tries to keep his distance.
The burn is slow, but I think it’s appropriate given the circumstances. They both are still dealing with grief..and Mallory being there to investigate brings up feelings about the murders of their loved ones to the surface. Feelings they thought had long been tucked away.
They dance around the burning attraction between them but ultimately they give in. And when they do it’s perfection. The way Hugo loves Mallory is immaculate. This man loves everything about her…including that sweet little peanut she’s growing. He doesn’t care that it’s not his…that baby girl is HIS GIRL now…Mallory too! My heart !🥹🥹
Hugo’s family is everything. I want to be adopted by a family like that. Mallory has pretty much no family or family support. And the way Hugo’s family welcomed her and little peanut with open arms had me tearing up. They love so fiercely and unconditionally. It’s beautiful.
The way the mysteries behind the murders were weaved in perfectly. It didn’t take away from the romance of the story and added an exciting element to the story. I absolutely can’t wait for the next instalment of this story! 💚
Thank you so much to Jennifer Millikin and VPR for the chance to ARC read this amazing book! 💚
🫒Princess Bride Inspired
🎙️Murder Mystery
🫒Former Olympic Fencer MMC
🎙️True Crime Podcaster FMC
🫒Angst
🎙️Grief
🫒Small Town
🎙️Pregnant FMC (not his)
🫒Golden Retriever MMC
🎙️Found Family
🫒Forced Proximity
🎙️He Falls First
🫒Mutual Pining
🎙️Slow Burn
🫒No 3rd Act Breakup
🎙️Dual POV
🫒HEA
Princess Bride inspired romance with murder mystery suspense and a pregnant true crime podcaster ??? SIGN ME RIGHT UP!!! I’ll be honest…I didn’t think I would get into this book. I hadn’t read the first (and you don’t have to…it’s an interconnected stand alone). Murder mystery isn’t always up my alley…BUT…this was done so well that I couldn’t help fall in love with Mallory and Hugo…and of course little peanut 🥰🥰
Mallory is a true crime podcaster…she’s currently 4 months pregnant and trying to navigate becoming a single mother while balancing her very emotionally taxing job. Her current obsession is figuring out a murder that happened in Olive Township…she has a strong connection to this case because she feels it ties into the murder of her own sister. So she heads to Arizona…hoping to get more information and being able to connect the dots.
Hugo is perfection. The ultimate golden retriever. A former Olympic fencer…he’s now back home running his families olive farm. The minute he sees Mallory in his sleepily little town, he’s instantly attracted. But, when he finds out why she’s there and she starts digging up the past of his father’s painful murder, he’s instantly got his guard up and tries to keep his distance.
The burn is slow, but I think it’s appropriate given the circumstances. They both are still dealing with grief..and Mallory being there to investigate brings up feelings about the murders of their loved ones to the surface. Feelings they thought had long been tucked away.
They dance around the burning attraction between them but ultimately they give in. And when they do it’s perfection. The way Hugo loves Mallory is immaculate. This man loves everything about her…including that sweet little peanut she’s growing. He doesn’t care that it’s not his…that baby girl is HIS GIRL now…Mallory too! My heart !🥹🥹
Hugo’s family is everything. I want to be adopted by a family like that. Mallory has pretty much no family or family support. And the way Hugo’s family welcomed her and little peanut with open arms had me tearing up. They love so fiercely and unconditionally. It’s beautiful.
The way the mysteries behind the murders were weaved in perfectly. It didn’t take away from the romance of the story and added an exciting element to the story. I absolutely can’t wait for the next instalment of this story! 💚
Thank you so much to Jennifer Millikin and VPR for the chance to ARC read this amazing book! 💚
🫒Princess Bride Inspired
🎙️Murder Mystery
🫒Former Olympic Fencer MMC
🎙️True Crime Podcaster FMC
🫒Angst
🎙️Grief
🫒Small Town
🎙️Pregnant FMC (not his)
🫒Golden Retriever MMC
🎙️Found Family
🫒Forced Proximity
🎙️He Falls First
🫒Mutual Pining
🎙️Slow Burn
🫒No 3rd Act Breakup
🎙️Dual POV
🫒HEA
June 6, 2025
✨ 𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 ✨
𝗛𝘂𝗴𝗼 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗻
𝚁𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟿𝚝𝚑, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻 — 𝙾𝚞𝚝 𝙽𝚘𝚠!
Thank you so much to @jenmillwrites & @valentine_pr_ for the eARC copy of this book! 🫶🏼
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
🫒 small town romance
💛 fairy tale retelling
🫒 she’s pregnant (it’s not his)
💛 he falls first
🫒 true crime podcaster FMC
💛 olive farm owner MMC
🫒 mutual pining
💛 open door romance
🫒 dual POV
𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦: This is the second book in the Olive Township series that is inspired by the The Princess Bride & I loved it! Hugo is a golden retriever MMC who will go out of his way for anyone that he cares about. Especially for Mallory & her little peanut! Mallory shows up in town in lieu of trying to solve the case involving her sister. At first, Hugo is attracted right away. When he finds out who Mallory really is, he tries to keep his distance, but it is inevitable. The more time they spend together the harder they both start to fall for each other. The slow burn is incredible. There’s mutual pining, but once the moment happened where they finally gave in, I found myself smiling from ear to ear! I loved the mystery element that was included!
𝗛𝘂𝗴𝗼 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗻
𝚁𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟿𝚝𝚑, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻 — 𝙾𝚞𝚝 𝙽𝚘𝚠!
Thank you so much to @jenmillwrites & @valentine_pr_ for the eARC copy of this book! 🫶🏼
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
🫒 small town romance
💛 fairy tale retelling
🫒 she’s pregnant (it’s not his)
💛 he falls first
🫒 true crime podcaster FMC
💛 olive farm owner MMC
🫒 mutual pining
💛 open door romance
🫒 dual POV
𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦: This is the second book in the Olive Township series that is inspired by the The Princess Bride & I loved it! Hugo is a golden retriever MMC who will go out of his way for anyone that he cares about. Especially for Mallory & her little peanut! Mallory shows up in town in lieu of trying to solve the case involving her sister. At first, Hugo is attracted right away. When he finds out who Mallory really is, he tries to keep his distance, but it is inevitable. The more time they spend together the harder they both start to fall for each other. The slow burn is incredible. There’s mutual pining, but once the moment happened where they finally gave in, I found myself smiling from ear to ear! I loved the mystery element that was included!
May 29, 2025
Hugo and Mallory’s story is so sweet and filled with an unsolved mystery that is dying to be solved!
🫒Small town romance
🫒She’s pregnant (it’s not his!)
🫒Forced proximity
🫒Undeniably connection
🫒Golden retriever MMC
When Mallory comes into the town with the goal to meet Hugo, she doesn’t expect to fall in love with him. Mallory is a true crime podcaster and she wants to solve her sister’s m$rder. She suspects that Hugo’s father was dealt the same fault by the same person, so she starts her mission to solve it.
Hugo is the golden retriever of golden retrievers. He is sweet and caring and just an all around good guy. I loved how instantly he took to Mallory and took care of her and peanut, aka her unborn child. These two were so cute from start to finish.
Marissa Clay, Aaron Donahue, and Hannah Chiclana do a great job with this narration. Their voices really drew me in and kept me on the edge of my seat with this story!
🫒Small town romance
🫒She’s pregnant (it’s not his!)
🫒Forced proximity
🫒Undeniably connection
🫒Golden retriever MMC
When Mallory comes into the town with the goal to meet Hugo, she doesn’t expect to fall in love with him. Mallory is a true crime podcaster and she wants to solve her sister’s m$rder. She suspects that Hugo’s father was dealt the same fault by the same person, so she starts her mission to solve it.
Hugo is the golden retriever of golden retrievers. He is sweet and caring and just an all around good guy. I loved how instantly he took to Mallory and took care of her and peanut, aka her unborn child. These two were so cute from start to finish.
Marissa Clay, Aaron Donahue, and Hannah Chiclana do a great job with this narration. Their voices really drew me in and kept me on the edge of my seat with this story!
May 29, 2025
⭐️ 4.5 | 🌶 3
read if you like:
⭐︎ small town
⭐︎ forced proximity
⭐︎ suspense
⭐︎ he falls first
i am nothing if not notorious for reading books because i like the author & not reading the descriptions - so i went into this book completely blind & i loved every minute.
mallory is a true crime podcaster visiting olive township to look into the unsolved murder of the olive orchard owner - hugo’s father. the book is full of delicious twists & turns that i truly did not see coming. what started off as dislike between characters transformed into understanding & then into something even more special & i was here for every minute of it. the book had so much happening that i was always itching to know what was going to happen next & it never disappointed.
if you are a fan of the princess bride or want to dive into a book that will keep you guessing right until the final chapters, this is absolutely a book i’d recommend checking out!
read if you like:
⭐︎ small town
⭐︎ forced proximity
⭐︎ suspense
⭐︎ he falls first
i am nothing if not notorious for reading books because i like the author & not reading the descriptions - so i went into this book completely blind & i loved every minute.
mallory is a true crime podcaster visiting olive township to look into the unsolved murder of the olive orchard owner - hugo’s father. the book is full of delicious twists & turns that i truly did not see coming. what started off as dislike between characters transformed into understanding & then into something even more special & i was here for every minute of it. the book had so much happening that i was always itching to know what was going to happen next & it never disappointed.
if you are a fan of the princess bride or want to dive into a book that will keep you guessing right until the final chapters, this is absolutely a book i’d recommend checking out!
May 30, 2025
I absolutely LOVED this book! From the very beginning I was grinning, giggling and completely obsessed. The banter is 👌🏻. Every moment between Hugo and Mallory had me screaming and kicking my feet!
Jennifer Millikin writes the perfect man! She did it before with Klein (Here for the Cake) and she has done it again with Hugo. This man. THIS. MAN. He is supportive and honest and he doesn’t play games. I even loved Mallory just as much as Hugo. They brought each other back to life and it was so heartwarming.
The murder mystery suspense aspect of the story had me hooked! It was so entertaining and had me invested from the get go. This was an easy 5 star read for me and I highly recommend it! I cannot wait for the rest of this series!
Jennifer Millikin writes the perfect man! She did it before with Klein (Here for the Cake) and she has done it again with Hugo. This man. THIS. MAN. He is supportive and honest and he doesn’t play games. I even loved Mallory just as much as Hugo. They brought each other back to life and it was so heartwarming.
The murder mystery suspense aspect of the story had me hooked! It was so entertaining and had me invested from the get go. This was an easy 5 star read for me and I highly recommend it! I cannot wait for the rest of this series!
June 13, 2025
Jen constantly surprises me with her writing! I adored Hugo and Mallory's love story! If you are a fan of Princess Bride you will enjoy reading this one! I loved the sense of mystery as Hugo is still wanting answers from his father's death. Mallory is a true crime podcaster who is intrigued by this case and what's to help find answers for Hugo. Her being pregnant (not Hugo's) also added an interesting twist to their story. They were so good together! I loved the caring side to Hugo! Overall, I really loved it and cannot wait for the next book!
May 24, 2025
Excuse me Jennifer! But how can you ever top Hugo?! I am obsessed with him and Mallory. I love the whole story line of her trying to solve her sister's murder and helping Hugo with his dad's. The conclusion is absolutely insane!! I truly didn't see it coming.
I most of all loved how sweet and tender Hugo is. The way he loved Mallory and her little peanut was absolutely special.
✨Read if you love✨
🫒Smalltown Arizona
🫒Romantic suspense
🫒Not his baby
🫒Fairytale retelling
🫒Golden retriever men
I most of all loved how sweet and tender Hugo is. The way he loved Mallory and her little peanut was absolutely special.
✨Read if you love✨
🫒Smalltown Arizona
🫒Romantic suspense
🫒Not his baby
🫒Fairytale retelling
🫒Golden retriever men
May 30, 2025
4.5 stars
I have fallen in love with Olive Township! I have loved both books and I am excited for more. Hugo has hooked me in more than Penn. Mallory has my respect as hard as she works, and I love how she and Hugo just connect. As their journey unfolds, I am glad to be part of it. A one sitting read, that ended much to quickly.
I am ready for Ambrose.
Thank you to the Author for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.
I have fallen in love with Olive Township! I have loved both books and I am excited for more. Hugo has hooked me in more than Penn. Mallory has my respect as hard as she works, and I love how she and Hugo just connect. As their journey unfolds, I am glad to be part of it. A one sitting read, that ended much to quickly.
I am ready for Ambrose.
Thank you to the Author for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.
June 2, 2025
includes:
✿ small town romance
✿ he falls first
✿ golden retriever hero
✿ no third act breakup
✿ fairytale retelling
this book I finished in one sitting. the moment I picked it up, I was hooked and didn’t put it down until it was done. what a story that was told through such detailed and beautiful writing.
mallory hosts a true crime podcast and has been trying to reach out to hugo to speak with him about his father’s murder as it holds similar comparisons to the one of her sister. she heads to the town where he lives to go to the spa but ends up accidentally running into him. from there, their story begins. as they get closer to one another, they also get closer to finding out more clues on who could have been responsible for the murders.
the progression of the relationship moved fast but it worked for the situation mallory and hugo were in. why wait when it’s so evident to everyone around them that they’re helping each other heal?
easiest 5/5 stars and I can’t wait to go back to read the first book and continue the series. thank you @valentine pr for the ARC <3
✿ small town romance
✿ he falls first
✿ golden retriever hero
✿ no third act breakup
✿ fairytale retelling
this book I finished in one sitting. the moment I picked it up, I was hooked and didn’t put it down until it was done. what a story that was told through such detailed and beautiful writing.
mallory hosts a true crime podcast and has been trying to reach out to hugo to speak with him about his father’s murder as it holds similar comparisons to the one of her sister. she heads to the town where he lives to go to the spa but ends up accidentally running into him. from there, their story begins. as they get closer to one another, they also get closer to finding out more clues on who could have been responsible for the murders.
the progression of the relationship moved fast but it worked for the situation mallory and hugo were in. why wait when it’s so evident to everyone around them that they’re helping each other heal?
easiest 5/5 stars and I can’t wait to go back to read the first book and continue the series. thank you @valentine pr for the ARC <3
May 29, 2025
This was a great book. And I don't normally like books with pregnancy.
I love this little small town of Olive Township the more I get to know the town and the people in it.
I really liked book one of this series, but I really think I liked the plot of this one a lot more. There was some true crime mystery, a little banter, and a whole lot of feeling like coming home.
The narration was fantastic (I don't think I have met a bad audiobook yet)
I love this little small town of Olive Township the more I get to know the town and the people in it.
I really liked book one of this series, but I really think I liked the plot of this one a lot more. There was some true crime mystery, a little banter, and a whole lot of feeling like coming home.
The narration was fantastic (I don't think I have met a bad audiobook yet)
June 3, 2025
I enjoyed this book much more than I did the first one in the series. But I thought the “mystery” storyline needed more substance. Hopefully this series will continue to get better.
June 5, 2025
I loved, loved this book! Mallory comes to town determined to get Hugo to talk to her. As a true crime podcaster, she is desperate to learn more about the murder of Hugo's father and the very personal connection it might have to her. Hugo and his family have never wanted to speak about it but with his mom's prompting Hugo agrees. Mallory is pregnant and someone is not happy that she is in town trying to uncover long buried truths. Hugo is the book boyfriend that we all root for. Five Stars!
The audiobook was narrated by Marissa Clay, Aaron Donahue, & Hannah Chiclana. They did a fantastic job with bringing the emotions, chemistry, and suspense to the story. I was hooked from the moment I pressed play.
The audiobook was narrated by Marissa Clay, Aaron Donahue, & Hannah Chiclana. They did a fantastic job with bringing the emotions, chemistry, and suspense to the story. I was hooked from the moment I pressed play.
June 20, 2025
This was a really engaging story, and was well narrated in the audiobook. I liked the characters, their romance, and the whole story. The end felt a little too perfectly resolved, but as a whole, it was a great read, and I'd happily read the rest of the series.
May 30, 2025
"You are my choice."~Hugo
Here comes the Gumshoe and the Swordsman. We're going back to the quirky, almost too good to be true, cozy place that is Olive Township. This time it's Hugo de la Vega and the mysterious circumstances surrounding what happened to his Dad 20yrs ago. I was eager to read this book, I really enjoyed the first book Penn, so my expectations were running pretty high for this one. It has Princess's Bride vibes. A little bit.😜 But unfortunately, this was not what I was expecting. That was a real bummer. The writing was fine, although slow and long, and then it rushed at the very end to wrap everything up in a nice clean box. The crime investigation itself, this story seemed to have forgotten about it. It was thrown out with sprinkles among all the character interactions, visiting shops, the olive orchards, and our couples romance. Hugo took care of everything for Mallory, for months. It lost focus. And I wanted more suspense, mystery, looking into the past, not just about them and her pregnancy. Which for me, felt out of place here.
Hugo's not the Dad, but for some reason, it felt like a hindrance with Mallory reminding readers how alone she was with her Peanut. Mallory's ex wasn't in the picture anymore. He bolted. So it's Hugo stepping up. Which he does. Not many men would take that responsibility. I liked Hugo but I didn't think this particular trope was necessary to prove he was a good man. It was like Mallory was saying without saying, save me Hugo, you're my only hope. Does that makes sense?
Ohh Hugo. Great guy. He was attentive, giving, supportive, eager to open himself up to a woman who wants to dig into the painful homicide of his Dad. But Hugo, for me, seemed too quick to do that. In Book 1, Hugo's character was not so trusting, blunt, dealing with anger and being over protective of himself and his family. As he should be. And this nosy podcaster, an unknown, waltzes into this small town, under false pretenses with the spa excuse, and hoping to run into him to convince him to let her program, Case Files, look into his Dad's case won him over. Just like that.🙄 And of course, they meet by accident at the local sandwich shop. Yeah. Not buying it. He was upset once he learned who she was and what she wanted. And of course there's the attraction. Which to me felt flat and forced. There weren't any sparks, no building up to gain trust for something that's supposed to mean so much. I couldn't connect with it. But his mother convinced Hugo that it was time now to talk to the media, the press. Whaaat. That makes zero sense. And this interloper was in. Here's the kicker. Mallory shared her own past about her 12yr old sister Maggie, who had been murdered, 2 hours away, at a water park, 14yrs ago. Mallory believes that these cases are connected by the fact that the victims were chocked from behind. Uhhh. No necessarily. If the guilty party had a significant signature, a pose, a mark, a ritual, something that screams same MO besides chocking, you're looking at something that holds no water. No evidence structure. Might as well look at other cases around the area dealing with this particular method and conclude you have a pattern and a methodical serial killer. They're all connected, right? And why did Hugo just believe that without hesitation.🙊🙊 Not that she was lying but he had been through it and it seemed a little too easy to say yeah, she's good. I can trust her. Mallory didn't want trauma bonding but this was exactly that. Don't get me started on how Hugo's Mom made it a point to tell Mallory about Hugo not having relationships with other women b/c of what happened with his Dad. She threw him under the bus.😲😳 That's embarrassing.
This didn't work for me. I'm sorry. I liked the idea but it wasn't a smooth cohesive read. The build up wasn't there. And when it did, it was... blah. The baddie was too obvious. The spice was mild. Like I wrote, I liked Hugo, Penn and Daisy, Vivi and Ambrose {{we all know what's happening there}} but I didn't like Mallory. She was annoying. She wanted to be a professional but she was anything but. Her morbid humor was ick. She wanted to keep her secrets but not Hugo. No boundaries. I didn't see her character well developed. Who was taking her pictures while she was sleeping?🤔 I seem to have forgot. The front desk creep? I thought Hugo deserved better. Maybe this will work for other readers. I hope it does. You should give it a go. There's a HEA. I think the next one will be better. I like Hugo's sassy sister Vivi. Happy reading.*•>§<•*💕💕💕
🤰🥇🤺Thank you to Ms Millikin and Valentine PR for an early book. The opinions shared here are my own.🤺🥇🤰
Here comes the Gumshoe and the Swordsman. We're going back to the quirky, almost too good to be true, cozy place that is Olive Township. This time it's Hugo de la Vega and the mysterious circumstances surrounding what happened to his Dad 20yrs ago. I was eager to read this book, I really enjoyed the first book Penn, so my expectations were running pretty high for this one. It has Princess's Bride vibes. A little bit.😜 But unfortunately, this was not what I was expecting. That was a real bummer. The writing was fine, although slow and long, and then it rushed at the very end to wrap everything up in a nice clean box. The crime investigation itself, this story seemed to have forgotten about it. It was thrown out with sprinkles among all the character interactions, visiting shops, the olive orchards, and our couples romance. Hugo took care of everything for Mallory, for months. It lost focus. And I wanted more suspense, mystery, looking into the past, not just about them and her pregnancy. Which for me, felt out of place here.
Hugo's not the Dad, but for some reason, it felt like a hindrance with Mallory reminding readers how alone she was with her Peanut. Mallory's ex wasn't in the picture anymore. He bolted. So it's Hugo stepping up. Which he does. Not many men would take that responsibility. I liked Hugo but I didn't think this particular trope was necessary to prove he was a good man. It was like Mallory was saying without saying, save me Hugo, you're my only hope. Does that makes sense?
Ohh Hugo. Great guy. He was attentive, giving, supportive, eager to open himself up to a woman who wants to dig into the painful homicide of his Dad. But Hugo, for me, seemed too quick to do that. In Book 1, Hugo's character was not so trusting, blunt, dealing with anger and being over protective of himself and his family. As he should be. And this nosy podcaster, an unknown, waltzes into this small town, under false pretenses with the spa excuse, and hoping to run into him to convince him to let her program, Case Files, look into his Dad's case won him over. Just like that.🙄 And of course, they meet by accident at the local sandwich shop. Yeah. Not buying it. He was upset once he learned who she was and what she wanted. And of course there's the attraction. Which to me felt flat and forced. There weren't any sparks, no building up to gain trust for something that's supposed to mean so much. I couldn't connect with it. But his mother convinced Hugo that it was time now to talk to the media, the press. Whaaat. That makes zero sense. And this interloper was in. Here's the kicker. Mallory shared her own past about her 12yr old sister Maggie, who had been murdered, 2 hours away, at a water park, 14yrs ago. Mallory believes that these cases are connected by the fact that the victims were chocked from behind. Uhhh. No necessarily. If the guilty party had a significant signature, a pose, a mark, a ritual, something that screams same MO besides chocking, you're looking at something that holds no water. No evidence structure. Might as well look at other cases around the area dealing with this particular method and conclude you have a pattern and a methodical serial killer. They're all connected, right? And why did Hugo just believe that without hesitation.🙊🙊 Not that she was lying but he had been through it and it seemed a little too easy to say yeah, she's good. I can trust her. Mallory didn't want trauma bonding but this was exactly that. Don't get me started on how Hugo's Mom made it a point to tell Mallory about Hugo not having relationships with other women b/c of what happened with his Dad. She threw him under the bus.😲😳 That's embarrassing.
This didn't work for me. I'm sorry. I liked the idea but it wasn't a smooth cohesive read. The build up wasn't there. And when it did, it was... blah. The baddie was too obvious. The spice was mild. Like I wrote, I liked Hugo, Penn and Daisy, Vivi and Ambrose {{we all know what's happening there}} but I didn't like Mallory. She was annoying. She wanted to be a professional but she was anything but. Her morbid humor was ick. She wanted to keep her secrets but not Hugo. No boundaries. I didn't see her character well developed. Who was taking her pictures while she was sleeping?🤔 I seem to have forgot. The front desk creep? I thought Hugo deserved better. Maybe this will work for other readers. I hope it does. You should give it a go. There's a HEA. I think the next one will be better. I like Hugo's sassy sister Vivi. Happy reading.*•>§<•*💕💕💕
🤰🥇🤺Thank you to Ms Millikin and Valentine PR for an early book. The opinions shared here are my own.🤺🥇🤰
May 31, 2025
Hugo by Jennifer Milliken is a heartfelt, emotionally layered romantic suspense that explores grief, healing, and the unexpected ways love can find you even in the shadows of old wounds and unsolved crimes. Hugo De la Vega has spent years running his family’s olive mill in Olive Township, trying to honor the legacy of the father he lost to a brutal, still-unsolved murder. The pain of that day has defined much of his life, and the idea of digging up the past is something he’s long avoided. When a persistent true crime podcaster reaches out wanting to revisit the cold case, Hugo shuts her down at every turn, until fate brings her directly to his doorstep. Mallory Hawkins is no stranger to grief. As a true crime podcaster who focuses on cold cases, she’s built a career on uncovering the truths hidden in silence. But her latest case, Simon De la Vega’s murder, is more than just another story. It mirrors the unsolved murder of her own sister, Maggie, from fifteen years ago. Compelled by similarities she can’t ignore, Mallory travels to Olive Township under the pretense of visiting a spa, but she’s really there for Hugo. At first, Hugo is resistant. But after encouragement from his mother, he reluctantly agrees to speak with Mallory and it changes everything. As they begin piecing together the evidence and chasing new leads, they discover a shared pain that forms the basis for an undeniable emotional connection. Mallory isn’t just another reporter chasing headlines. She’s someone who understands what Hugo has carried in silence for years. Complicating matters further, Mallory is pregnant. The baby’s father wants nothing to do with her or the child, having signed away his rights. Mallory is prepared to raise her child alone but Hugo, once again, proves he is nothing like the man who walked away. He steps up with strength and quiet determination, offering Mallory and her baby something she never expected: a home, a family, and unconditional love. As the danger surrounding their investigation escalates and secrets from the past threaten to resurface, Hugo and Mallory must not only solve the murder that’s haunted them both but also decide if they’re ready to build a future together.
Hugo is a deeply relatable and compelling hero. His steady, grounded presence contrasts beautifully with his fierce loyalty and protectiveness. His love for Mallory and for her unborn child, is tender, genuine, and incredibly moving. He doesn’t let biology determine the depth of his heart. Instead, he chooses to love fully and without hesitation. Mallory is equally powerful as a heroine. Strong and independent, she’s spent years guarding her heart and carrying her grief alone. Watching her slowly lower her defenses and allow Hugo in, both emotionally and physically, is a beautiful journey of trust and vulnerability. She’s brave not only in her pursuit of justice, but in her willingness to open herself up to love again.
In conclusion, I gave this book 5 stars as Hugo is a touching blend of romance and mystery, expertly balancing emotional growth with suspenseful stakes. Jennifer Milliken crafts a compelling story that doesn’t shy away from pain, but instead leans into the idea that healing is possible when the right person walks into your life especially someone who sees all of you and chooses to stay. A beautiful tribute to love after loss, chosen family, and the power of second chances, Hugo will resonate with anyone who’s ever struggled to let go of the past in order to embrace a brighter future.
Hugo is a deeply relatable and compelling hero. His steady, grounded presence contrasts beautifully with his fierce loyalty and protectiveness. His love for Mallory and for her unborn child, is tender, genuine, and incredibly moving. He doesn’t let biology determine the depth of his heart. Instead, he chooses to love fully and without hesitation. Mallory is equally powerful as a heroine. Strong and independent, she’s spent years guarding her heart and carrying her grief alone. Watching her slowly lower her defenses and allow Hugo in, both emotionally and physically, is a beautiful journey of trust and vulnerability. She’s brave not only in her pursuit of justice, but in her willingness to open herself up to love again.
In conclusion, I gave this book 5 stars as Hugo is a touching blend of romance and mystery, expertly balancing emotional growth with suspenseful stakes. Jennifer Milliken crafts a compelling story that doesn’t shy away from pain, but instead leans into the idea that healing is possible when the right person walks into your life especially someone who sees all of you and chooses to stay. A beautiful tribute to love after loss, chosen family, and the power of second chances, Hugo will resonate with anyone who’s ever struggled to let go of the past in order to embrace a brighter future.
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