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Lemonade Love
All Astrid wanted was to plan weddings and stay out of trouble—not to fall for the sourest a six-foot-two complication named Aeron Ashbourne.
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Astrid was dragged to Orange Falls by her best friend to plan a wedding. It turned out to be exactly what she needed. A fresh start to heal after losing her dad.
The first time she met Aeron on a deserted road with a broken-down car, she called him an asshole. He gave her a ride anyway. The second time, she upgraded him to ‘pain in the ass.’ He saved her from falling off a moving train. Encounters three and four? Disasters she'd rather forget.
She wants to avoid him, but now she's stuck working with him on the town's biggest summer festival. His silence was easy to ignore. His touch was impossible to resist.
Aeron rarely smiles. Barely talks. But when Astrid cries, he's there with a shoulder to lean on. When she breaks, he's there putting her back together. Turns out the grumpy, brooding man has a softer side.
But Aeron carries a secret. When it comes out, it could pull them apart.
…….
Sunshine, chaotic, messy.
Grumpy, broody, allergic to sunshine.
They weren’t the perfect ingredients of lemonade. But somehow, they still tasted like lemonade
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Packed with laugh-out-loud moments, sizzling banter, dreamy weddings in rolling vineyards, lively summer festivals, and a twist you'll never see coming.
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Enemies to lovers. Grumpy× Sunshine. Small town romance. Forced proximity. Spicy-sweet romance.
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Astrid was dragged to Orange Falls by her best friend to plan a wedding. It turned out to be exactly what she needed. A fresh start to heal after losing her dad.
The first time she met Aeron on a deserted road with a broken-down car, she called him an asshole. He gave her a ride anyway. The second time, she upgraded him to ‘pain in the ass.’ He saved her from falling off a moving train. Encounters three and four? Disasters she'd rather forget.
She wants to avoid him, but now she's stuck working with him on the town's biggest summer festival. His silence was easy to ignore. His touch was impossible to resist.
Aeron rarely smiles. Barely talks. But when Astrid cries, he's there with a shoulder to lean on. When she breaks, he's there putting her back together. Turns out the grumpy, brooding man has a softer side.
But Aeron carries a secret. When it comes out, it could pull them apart.
…….
Sunshine, chaotic, messy.
Grumpy, broody, allergic to sunshine.
They weren’t the perfect ingredients of lemonade. But somehow, they still tasted like lemonade
-------
Packed with laugh-out-loud moments, sizzling banter, dreamy weddings in rolling vineyards, lively summer festivals, and a twist you'll never see coming.
-----
Enemies to lovers. Grumpy× Sunshine. Small town romance. Forced proximity. Spicy-sweet romance.
349 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 12, 2025
11 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews
July 29, 2025
hmm this wasn't exactly what i wanted from this book but overall it was cute ig
rtc
₊⊹⁀➴ 𝐩𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝
cannot wait to read this!!! the cover is so cute and i love the synopsis
edit: after reading the low reviews i'm kinda scared 🥲
⤿ 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 june 25
thank you sunny babe pr for the arc
rtc
₊⊹⁀➴ 𝐩𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝
cannot wait to read this!!! the cover is so cute and i love the synopsis
edit: after reading the low reviews i'm kinda scared 🥲
⤿ 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 june 25
thank you sunny babe pr for the arc
September 16, 2025
Lemonade Love by Rees Aurin is a sweet small-town rom-com with just the right mix of humor, heart, and emotional depth. Astrid, a sunshiney wedding planner, and Aeron, a broody local, start off clashing but slowly shift into an irresistible grumpy/sunshine romance.
I loved the banter, the summer festival setting, and especially Astrid’s adorable dynamic with her best friend (honestly, I’d read a whole book of their antics!). While a few scenes felt repetitive and Aeron’s jealousy didn’t always feel “good guy-ish,” the chemistry, small-town charm, and heartfelt growth more than made up for it.
Overall, a quick, charming read perfect for anyone who loves enemies-to-lovers and grumpy x sunshine with a dash of spice and heart.
thank you so much Kalestial Media and Author Rees Aurin for the copy!
I loved the banter, the summer festival setting, and especially Astrid’s adorable dynamic with her best friend (honestly, I’d read a whole book of their antics!). While a few scenes felt repetitive and Aeron’s jealousy didn’t always feel “good guy-ish,” the chemistry, small-town charm, and heartfelt growth more than made up for it.
Overall, a quick, charming read perfect for anyone who loves enemies-to-lovers and grumpy x sunshine with a dash of spice and heart.
thank you so much Kalestial Media and Author Rees Aurin for the copy!
July 29, 2025
Lemonade Love is a cute and quick little rom-com with some deeper subjects like jealousy that pop up.
When Astrid immediately dislikea Aeron in their first encounter, she assumes she will be able to put it behind her and never see him again..
But Aeron just keeps popping up and her dislike slowly fades into something else.
The grumpy/sunshine vibes this book gives is my favorite part, but I will say Aeron's borderline jealously did not always feel "good guy-ish" and in real life- this behavior would be a turn off.
I think the real adorable relationship here was Astrid and her bestie, I could read an entire book of their silly hijinks and exchanges.
Thank you to Sunny Babe PR and the author for a copy to read, these opinions are my own!
When Astrid immediately dislikea Aeron in their first encounter, she assumes she will be able to put it behind her and never see him again..
But Aeron just keeps popping up and her dislike slowly fades into something else.
The grumpy/sunshine vibes this book gives is my favorite part, but I will say Aeron's borderline jealously did not always feel "good guy-ish" and in real life- this behavior would be a turn off.
I think the real adorable relationship here was Astrid and her bestie, I could read an entire book of their silly hijinks and exchanges.
Thank you to Sunny Babe PR and the author for a copy to read, these opinions are my own!
June 19, 2025
2⭐️
Unfortunately, I was bored from the 10% mark onwards. I love a good enemies to lovers but I struggled to stay interested. Thank you to grey's promotions for the arc.
Unfortunately, I was bored from the 10% mark onwards. I love a good enemies to lovers but I struggled to stay interested. Thank you to grey's promotions for the arc.
June 13, 2025
First off, thank you to Greys Promotions and Rees Aurin for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Small town romance, grumpy Sunshine, wedding planner, enemies to lovers, it’s always been you…this book had all the potential to be one of my top for the year.
Lemonade Love follows Astrid, who after the sudden death of her father decides to move to Orange Falls where her friend Kelly lives. It’s here that she’s able to get back to wedding planning and reminisce about the good times, especially those 5 days on the Orange Express. Her happiness is jeopardized though, by some guy who keeps showing up and bugging her, not to mention almost dropping her out of a moving train. Turns out this guy is Aeron, the mysterious and silent son of one of the most prominent women in Orange Falls. When the two are put together by his mom to work on the town festival, tensions rise and hidden moments grow into something more. But both of them have secrets they’re not telling each other, and it’s only a matter of time before the truth is revealed.
A few things bugged me about this book pretty much right from the beginning. I was expecting a dual POV but ended up only getting a couple chapters from Aeron which I didn’t feel even helped the story along. Second, all the A names kept throwing me for a loop, if it was just Astrid and Aeron I’d probably have been okay, but with Aeron’s best friends being named Allen and Ayden…I was lost. Then, I get that this is an ARC and that it’s not the final copy…but there was so many times where the tensing was completely off, similar sentences in a single paragraph that had me thinking I was having a stroke trying to read it, not to mention the one chapter having the exact same 6 lines repeated twice. I’m not really sure how that was missed but talk about Deja vu.
By the time this was all through I was past the halfway mark and figured it was too late to DNF, even though I was really struggling. That’s when I got to the most rushed ending I’ve ever read, which was just a real disappointment.
Overall, I think the book still has potential, but it needs a really good edit, and a lot more tension or even some sort of conflict to keep readers intrigued.
Small town romance, grumpy Sunshine, wedding planner, enemies to lovers, it’s always been you…this book had all the potential to be one of my top for the year.
Lemonade Love follows Astrid, who after the sudden death of her father decides to move to Orange Falls where her friend Kelly lives. It’s here that she’s able to get back to wedding planning and reminisce about the good times, especially those 5 days on the Orange Express. Her happiness is jeopardized though, by some guy who keeps showing up and bugging her, not to mention almost dropping her out of a moving train. Turns out this guy is Aeron, the mysterious and silent son of one of the most prominent women in Orange Falls. When the two are put together by his mom to work on the town festival, tensions rise and hidden moments grow into something more. But both of them have secrets they’re not telling each other, and it’s only a matter of time before the truth is revealed.
A few things bugged me about this book pretty much right from the beginning. I was expecting a dual POV but ended up only getting a couple chapters from Aeron which I didn’t feel even helped the story along. Second, all the A names kept throwing me for a loop, if it was just Astrid and Aeron I’d probably have been okay, but with Aeron’s best friends being named Allen and Ayden…I was lost. Then, I get that this is an ARC and that it’s not the final copy…but there was so many times where the tensing was completely off, similar sentences in a single paragraph that had me thinking I was having a stroke trying to read it, not to mention the one chapter having the exact same 6 lines repeated twice. I’m not really sure how that was missed but talk about Deja vu.
By the time this was all through I was past the halfway mark and figured it was too late to DNF, even though I was really struggling. That’s when I got to the most rushed ending I’ve ever read, which was just a real disappointment.
Overall, I think the book still has potential, but it needs a really good edit, and a lot more tension or even some sort of conflict to keep readers intrigued.
July 3, 2025
First of all — thank you Sunny Babe PR and Rees Aurin for this ARC copy.
When I saw the book’s cover, I was immediately excited to read this one. The first 15-20% of the book even had me hooked. Astrid and Kelly’s best friend banter was super funny and had me laughing out loud. However, once Aeron entered the plot — the author lost me.
From the get go — Aeron was a series of red flags. The random “jealous” moments that read more like controlling and possibly abusive tendencies. What kind of healthy partner says he is jealous of you giving your attention to someone else? And then goes on to specify that he ESPECIALLY hates it when you give your best friend more attention than him… like, sir, what???
Then you have the confusing story lines with Allen and Ayden and I am pretty sure that at one point the author confuses their story lines herself. The story also begins to explore a few different story lines and then they go nowhere and abruptly are forgotten about.
The timeline is never really defined until the end when you realize that Aeron and Astrid have “fallen in love” with each other based on secret admirer letters exchanged over the course of 5 days 5 years ago and then have been together for a WHOLE 10 days by the end of the book.
By the 65% mark I was ready to DNF the book. Personal issues clearly make it impossible for me to do that so I powered on through. There were a lot of grammatical errors and editing mistakes that also created a road block for me.
All in all the 2 star rating is for the potential the book maybe had and the cute banter between Kelly and Astrid. But honestly I wouldn’t recommend it and am angry at myself for DNF’ing it.
When I saw the book’s cover, I was immediately excited to read this one. The first 15-20% of the book even had me hooked. Astrid and Kelly’s best friend banter was super funny and had me laughing out loud. However, once Aeron entered the plot — the author lost me.
From the get go — Aeron was a series of red flags. The random “jealous” moments that read more like controlling and possibly abusive tendencies. What kind of healthy partner says he is jealous of you giving your attention to someone else? And then goes on to specify that he ESPECIALLY hates it when you give your best friend more attention than him… like, sir, what???
Then you have the confusing story lines with Allen and Ayden and I am pretty sure that at one point the author confuses their story lines herself. The story also begins to explore a few different story lines and then they go nowhere and abruptly are forgotten about.
The timeline is never really defined until the end when you realize that Aeron and Astrid have “fallen in love” with each other based on secret admirer letters exchanged over the course of 5 days 5 years ago and then have been together for a WHOLE 10 days by the end of the book.
By the 65% mark I was ready to DNF the book. Personal issues clearly make it impossible for me to do that so I powered on through. There were a lot of grammatical errors and editing mistakes that also created a road block for me.
All in all the 2 star rating is for the potential the book maybe had and the cute banter between Kelly and Astrid. But honestly I wouldn’t recommend it and am angry at myself for DNF’ing it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2025
ARC review
While this book had its charming moments—like the playful banter and an undeniably attractive male lead—I felt it tried too hard to be an epic love story and ultimately fell short.
The concept of the characters forming a connection through letters before meeting in person was sweet and had a lot of potential, but the execution didn’t quite land for me. The emotional tension between Astrid and Aeron felt underdeveloped, and their chemistry didn’t really pull me in.
On a more positive note, I really enjoyed the dynamic between Astrid and Kelly. Their friendship brought a fun and heartwarming energy to the story, and I found myself looking forward to their scenes together.
Overall, I struggled to stay fully engaged with the plot, but the small-town setting and a few standout relationships added some enjoyable touches.
Thank you Greys Promotion for leading me read the ARC for this book.
While this book had its charming moments—like the playful banter and an undeniably attractive male lead—I felt it tried too hard to be an epic love story and ultimately fell short.
The concept of the characters forming a connection through letters before meeting in person was sweet and had a lot of potential, but the execution didn’t quite land for me. The emotional tension between Astrid and Aeron felt underdeveloped, and their chemistry didn’t really pull me in.
On a more positive note, I really enjoyed the dynamic between Astrid and Kelly. Their friendship brought a fun and heartwarming energy to the story, and I found myself looking forward to their scenes together.
Overall, I struggled to stay fully engaged with the plot, but the small-town setting and a few standout relationships added some enjoyable touches.
Thank you Greys Promotion for leading me read the ARC for this book.
July 3, 2025
Astrid decides a change of scenery is necessary after a big loss and finds a new life.
I’m gonna be a little critical for a second.
Astrid’s immediate hate for Aeron seems like an over reaction and unnecessarily mean. And violent for some reason.
His jealousy isn’t cute or fun or protective. He makes a kid cry. And hates her best friend.
Also her snooping was gross.
Sometimes the back and forth between Aeron and Astrid can be cute and a little humorous. But for the most part a lot of the dialogue felt weird and awkward.
That all being said. I’m sure there are plenty of ppl out there who will enjoy this little small town romance.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to read this novel
I’m gonna be a little critical for a second.
Astrid’s immediate hate for Aeron seems like an over reaction and unnecessarily mean. And violent for some reason.
His jealousy isn’t cute or fun or protective. He makes a kid cry. And hates her best friend.
Also her snooping was gross.
Sometimes the back and forth between Aeron and Astrid can be cute and a little humorous. But for the most part a lot of the dialogue felt weird and awkward.
That all being said. I’m sure there are plenty of ppl out there who will enjoy this little small town romance.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to read this novel
July 31, 2025
2.5 - The premise was good, but unfortunately the execution fell flat.
June 18, 2025
This book just didn’t do it for me. It is definitely a cute, small town romance filled with sarcastic, silly banter. But most of the nicknames, quips and comebacks felt contrived and cringey. Something just felt off to me with the general flow of the book and there were some character inconsistencies that seemed to disrupt the storyline as well.
I liked Astrid about 50% of the time.. the other half of the time, she bugged me and seemed super immature/mean when it came to her interactions with Aeron. I’m ALL FOR playful & sarcastic banter. However, what grown woman with a career calls a stranger (who is doing her a favor, mind you) names within earshot and kicks them in shin?? It’s a little ridiculous and didn’t make her quirky or cute, if that was the goal.
I grew to like the grumpy and broody Aeron for the first half of the book. But things took a turn for me when he decided to take out his anger on Astrid when she was just trying to help. Then he made a little girl cry for literally no reason. His actions made no sense, even after finding out his secret. This book DEFINITELY would have benefited from having chapters from his POV earlier on, at least letting the audience in on his secret and mindset. By the end of the book, he was making little demands, being controlling, trying to stop her from talking to her friend and giving me the ick big time. He does not even rank lowest on a list of book boyfriends. I think I like Tampon more than him lol.
The ending was so crazy rushed and things just fell a bit flat. There are so many errors and discrepancies with details that I’m wondering if editing was done at all. I do think with a lot (more?) editing, this has the potential to be a really cute 4-5 star read.
If you are able to look past errors, I would say give it a read if the story sounds interesting. The idea is really cute. I don’t regret reading it, but wouldn’t recommend it to many people unless it was overhauled and edited to fix all the errors.
Thank you to Sunny Babe PR and the author for sending me this ARC. All opinions are my own and freely given.
I liked Astrid about 50% of the time.. the other half of the time, she bugged me and seemed super immature/mean when it came to her interactions with Aeron. I’m ALL FOR playful & sarcastic banter. However, what grown woman with a career calls a stranger (who is doing her a favor, mind you) names within earshot and kicks them in shin?? It’s a little ridiculous and didn’t make her quirky or cute, if that was the goal.
I grew to like the grumpy and broody Aeron for the first half of the book. But things took a turn for me when he decided to take out his anger on Astrid when she was just trying to help. Then he made a little girl cry for literally no reason. His actions made no sense, even after finding out his secret. This book DEFINITELY would have benefited from having chapters from his POV earlier on, at least letting the audience in on his secret and mindset. By the end of the book, he was making little demands, being controlling, trying to stop her from talking to her friend and giving me the ick big time. He does not even rank lowest on a list of book boyfriends. I think I like Tampon more than him lol.
The ending was so crazy rushed and things just fell a bit flat. There are so many errors and discrepancies with details that I’m wondering if editing was done at all. I do think with a lot (more?) editing, this has the potential to be a really cute 4-5 star read.
If you are able to look past errors, I would say give it a read if the story sounds interesting. The idea is really cute. I don’t regret reading it, but wouldn’t recommend it to many people unless it was overhauled and edited to fix all the errors.
Thank you to Sunny Babe PR and the author for sending me this ARC. All opinions are my own and freely given.
June 11, 2025
I really liked this book; it was such a cute, quick, fun summer read!
The story follows Asrid, who moves or is kinda dragged (lol) by her best friend to help plan a wedding. As it turns out, this is exactly what Astrid needed, and being able to stay busy helping to plan out someone’s big day helps to distract her from losing her father. While on the way home with her best friend, they end up getting into a car wreck (no one is hurt) and try to get people to stop for them so they can get back to civilization. While waiting for a car to drive by, one does, and at first it doesn’t slow down, which leads Astrid to use some colorful language to describe the driver, the driver turns around, and ends up bringing her back home. The drive, Aeron, ends up living in the town, and now Astrid must do everything that she can to stay away from him, but how can she do that when he keeps popping up everywhere?!
I loved Astrid and Aeron’s banter throughout the book; it was sharp, funny, and full of chemistry. Their back and forth felt natural and not like it was forced. Whenever they were fighting with each other, I found myself grinning! Besides the banter, there was real heat between them! I loved the tension, and especially the scene on the Ferris wheel had me swooning!
I liked the ending, but felt like it buttoned up a little too fast. I felt like everything fell together in the end, which was nice. I didn't feel like there were answers that I still wanted. I did wish that there were more chapters from Aeron's point of view, but I did like the chapters we got from him. I love being able to hear from the guys' POV so that we also get inside their heads, so we know how they are feeling, too.
Overall, I really liked this book and would recommend it! 4/5 stars!!
The story follows Asrid, who moves or is kinda dragged (lol) by her best friend to help plan a wedding. As it turns out, this is exactly what Astrid needed, and being able to stay busy helping to plan out someone’s big day helps to distract her from losing her father. While on the way home with her best friend, they end up getting into a car wreck (no one is hurt) and try to get people to stop for them so they can get back to civilization. While waiting for a car to drive by, one does, and at first it doesn’t slow down, which leads Astrid to use some colorful language to describe the driver, the driver turns around, and ends up bringing her back home. The drive, Aeron, ends up living in the town, and now Astrid must do everything that she can to stay away from him, but how can she do that when he keeps popping up everywhere?!
I loved Astrid and Aeron’s banter throughout the book; it was sharp, funny, and full of chemistry. Their back and forth felt natural and not like it was forced. Whenever they were fighting with each other, I found myself grinning! Besides the banter, there was real heat between them! I loved the tension, and especially the scene on the Ferris wheel had me swooning!
I liked the ending, but felt like it buttoned up a little too fast. I felt like everything fell together in the end, which was nice. I didn't feel like there were answers that I still wanted. I did wish that there were more chapters from Aeron's point of view, but I did like the chapters we got from him. I love being able to hear from the guys' POV so that we also get inside their heads, so we know how they are feeling, too.
Overall, I really liked this book and would recommend it! 4/5 stars!!
September 4, 2025
Lemonade Love by Rees Aurin is a charming small-town romance that blends humor, heartache, and healing. Set in the picturesque town of Orange Falls, the story follows Astrid, a wedding planner seeking a fresh start, and Aeron, a brooding local with a mysterious past. Their unlikely partnership during a summer festival sets the stage for a delightful enemies-to-lovers tale filled with witty banter, emotional depth, and a twist that keeps you hooked till the end.
I expected Lemonade Love to be a light-hearted rom-com, and while it did deliver on the laughs, it surprised me with its emotional layers. Astrid’s journey of grief and growth felt authentic, and her chaotic sunshine energy was the perfect foil to Aeron’s grumpy silence. Their chemistry was electric - especially in scenes where forced proximity turned into reluctant tenderness.
The setting of Orange Falls was beautifully rendered. Rolling vineyards, dreamy weddings, and a lively summer festival gave the book a warm, cinematic feel. The author's writing shines in the banter and slow-burn tension between the leads. I found myself smiling through their snarky exchanges and swooning at the softer moments.
That said, a few scenes felt repetitive, and Aeron’s secret - while impactful - could’ve been foreshadowed more subtly. Also, a few side characters deserved more development, especially Astrid’s best friend who played a pivotal role in her move. And I was mad when I saw that there was no Epilogue.
Overall, Lemonade Love is a sweet and spicy romance that balances humor with heart. If you enjoy grumpy-sunshine dynamics, small-town charm, and emotional healing arcs, this book is worth a read.
I expected Lemonade Love to be a light-hearted rom-com, and while it did deliver on the laughs, it surprised me with its emotional layers. Astrid’s journey of grief and growth felt authentic, and her chaotic sunshine energy was the perfect foil to Aeron’s grumpy silence. Their chemistry was electric - especially in scenes where forced proximity turned into reluctant tenderness.
The setting of Orange Falls was beautifully rendered. Rolling vineyards, dreamy weddings, and a lively summer festival gave the book a warm, cinematic feel. The author's writing shines in the banter and slow-burn tension between the leads. I found myself smiling through their snarky exchanges and swooning at the softer moments.
That said, a few scenes felt repetitive, and Aeron’s secret - while impactful - could’ve been foreshadowed more subtly. Also, a few side characters deserved more development, especially Astrid’s best friend who played a pivotal role in her move. And I was mad when I saw that there was no Epilogue.
Overall, Lemonade Love is a sweet and spicy romance that balances humor with heart. If you enjoy grumpy-sunshine dynamics, small-town charm, and emotional healing arcs, this book is worth a read.
July 10, 2025
Ahh I’m still kicking my feet and giggling hysterically, but tears are also streaming down my cheeks. This book is utter perfection, it’s a little of a slow burn which has me being impatient for the first half, but it was hella cute. They didn’t exactly have a meet cute, with her cussing at him after he passes by her stuck in the road with a broken down car, however when he hears her, he drives back and picks her and her friend Kelly up. This is the perfect enemies to lovers and for me that contains three main parts: one tension, banter and that fuxk it moment. From that moment on the tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Their banter is exquisite, really it’s her swearing at him and him calming retaliating, so that throws her off and she either rages or starts profusely blushing. They’re so cute! The “fuxk it” moment is perfect, at that point it’s not like they still hate each other, they definitely are aware of their feelings but they keep pushing each other away. That moment is when they can’t hold back anymore and it just explodes. A lot of the later plot is them being scared and not telling each other things (aka miscommunication), but honestly it broke my heart because their history is a lot more complex than Astrid thinks. One hint: secret love notes, my absolute weakness! So of course that had me bawling. I love Aeron so much even though I still can’t figure out the correct way to say his name. He’s grumpy, all sharp edges and doesn’t talk a lot, he’s always been like this but it got worse after his dad passed away and he blamed himself . So my heart was melting into an ooey gooey puddle as he saw Astrid and suddenly felt something so loving, free and genuine. And his pining and determined love is adorable. He treasures her and is so cute when he’s jealous. He gives Aaron Warner but less morally grey. This is a small town romance and it’s not actually my favourite trope but this was so good I didn’t even stop to think that it was a small town. I had the time of my life reading this, my standards for men are reaching towards the moon, and I’m crying but I feel so warm inside. I give this a 5/5
June 14, 2025
A relatively short, fun read that is perfect for the summer! Lemonade Love has it all: witty banter; a swoon-worthy MMC, and a slow-burn romance. I truly loved this introduction to Orange Falls. The setting and all of the characters were so great! What a wonderful debut!
When we first found out about the Ferris Wheel legend, I totally had a feeling of where things were going! But the actual Ferris Wheel scene was so sweet! The whole festival was such a lovely event and I loved that Astrid and Aeron were able to work on it all together!
The ending also had me tearing up. Astrid and Aeron’s love story was just so perfect! The fact that they both suffered the trauma of losing their fathers but were able to find the light in their lives in each other made this such an emotional story.
I definitely can’t wait to read the rest of the series and return to the Orange Falls world!
If you love enemies to lovers; grumpy x sunshine; and small town romance, then be sure to check out Lemonade Love!
Thank you to Sunny Babe PR for an advanced copy!
When we first found out about the Ferris Wheel legend, I totally had a feeling of where things were going! But the actual Ferris Wheel scene was so sweet! The whole festival was such a lovely event and I loved that Astrid and Aeron were able to work on it all together!
The ending also had me tearing up. Astrid and Aeron’s love story was just so perfect! The fact that they both suffered the trauma of losing their fathers but were able to find the light in their lives in each other made this such an emotional story.
I definitely can’t wait to read the rest of the series and return to the Orange Falls world!
If you love enemies to lovers; grumpy x sunshine; and small town romance, then be sure to check out Lemonade Love!
Thank you to Sunny Babe PR for an advanced copy!
July 13, 2025
Lemonade Love was cute. Like…cozy, small town, grumpy x sunshine kind of cute with a little dash of mystery and just enough emotional weight to keep me hooked. Was it my absence fave ever? Not quite. But I genuinely enjoyed it and I’m glad I read it.
Astrid was easy to root for — she’s grieving, trying to start fresh, and walking into pure chaos in Orange Falls. The festival planning, the found family energy, the friendship with Kelly (LOVED her) — it all gave such sweet vibes. And Aeron? That man was a walking broody brick wall at first, but then he’d say something lowkey adorable and I’d be like, okay fine, I see you sir. Especially during that Ferris wheel scene — I officially became a believer in them after that.
I do wish we had gotten a little more of Aeron’s POV though…and honestly, the ending felt like someone hit the fast forward button. I would’ve loved a few more scenes of them after everything settled. Just give me the fluff, please.
That said, the setup for future books is solid — I’m dying to know what’s up with Kelly and Ayden. If they’re next, I’m 100% showing up for the drama and the chaos.
All in all, this one felt like a glass of lemonade on a hot summer day — refreshing, sweet, maybe a little tart in places, but just right when you’re in the mood for something light and feel-good.
Astrid was easy to root for — she’s grieving, trying to start fresh, and walking into pure chaos in Orange Falls. The festival planning, the found family energy, the friendship with Kelly (LOVED her) — it all gave such sweet vibes. And Aeron? That man was a walking broody brick wall at first, but then he’d say something lowkey adorable and I’d be like, okay fine, I see you sir. Especially during that Ferris wheel scene — I officially became a believer in them after that.
I do wish we had gotten a little more of Aeron’s POV though…and honestly, the ending felt like someone hit the fast forward button. I would’ve loved a few more scenes of them after everything settled. Just give me the fluff, please.
That said, the setup for future books is solid — I’m dying to know what’s up with Kelly and Ayden. If they’re next, I’m 100% showing up for the drama and the chaos.
All in all, this one felt like a glass of lemonade on a hot summer day — refreshing, sweet, maybe a little tart in places, but just right when you’re in the mood for something light and feel-good.
Read
July 15, 2025DNF 34%
Thank you torchlit ink for the ARC in exchange for an honest review and for the tour stop.
I was so excited as the tropes for this book are my go too. However I have had to DNF (possibly a soft DNF and potentially go back
to it at some point)
Astrid and Aaron started off as strong enemies over the smallest thing, it almost seemed like their enemies to lovers was to aggressive, there so mean to each other and Aeron felt so angry rather than grumpy x sunshine.
It's supposed to be a duel pov but I read 2 chapters from Aerons point of view and I would of liked 50/50. I just didn't understand where the sorry was going and DNF at 34%. The book had great potential and just because it wasn't for me, don't let it put you off as you may enjoy it 😃
Thank you torchlit ink for the ARC in exchange for an honest review and for the tour stop.
I was so excited as the tropes for this book are my go too. However I have had to DNF (possibly a soft DNF and potentially go back
to it at some point)
Astrid and Aaron started off as strong enemies over the smallest thing, it almost seemed like their enemies to lovers was to aggressive, there so mean to each other and Aeron felt so angry rather than grumpy x sunshine.
It's supposed to be a duel pov but I read 2 chapters from Aerons point of view and I would of liked 50/50. I just didn't understand where the sorry was going and DNF at 34%. The book had great potential and just because it wasn't for me, don't let it put you off as you may enjoy it 😃
June 28, 2025
Thanks Grey’s promotion for this early arc of this book!
The cover is adorable, and the premise really piqued my interest. Unfortunately, it felt like this book was just not for me. It was hard for me to get into, and it felt as though it wasn’t planned out very well. Time jumps sporadically and it felt like there was no planning out where the book was going next. With a little extra editing and shifting some things around I feel the book would be a bit more polished.
The cover is adorable, and the premise really piqued my interest. Unfortunately, it felt like this book was just not for me. It was hard for me to get into, and it felt as though it wasn’t planned out very well. Time jumps sporadically and it felt like there was no planning out where the book was going next. With a little extra editing and shifting some things around I feel the book would be a bit more polished.
June 27, 2025
Thank you to Grey’s Promotions and Rees Aurin for the opportunity to read this ARC!
I really enjoyed this story—it pulled me in from the beginning and wrapped up beautifully at the end. I loved how the author brought the town and its characters to life. It truly felt like I was right there, part of the community and the journey. I hope we get to see more stories set in this charming town!
I really enjoyed this story—it pulled me in from the beginning and wrapped up beautifully at the end. I loved how the author brought the town and its characters to life. It truly felt like I was right there, part of the community and the journey. I hope we get to see more stories set in this charming town!
July 8, 2025
Cute story
I enjoyed this Rom Com and thought it was really cute! I thought the characters were sweet and it was definitely a slow burn. I thought the plot twists were well written and enjoyed how it all played out!
Waiting for Kelly and Ayden's story next!!!
I would recommend this book!!
I enjoyed this Rom Com and thought it was really cute! I thought the characters were sweet and it was definitely a slow burn. I thought the plot twists were well written and enjoyed how it all played out!
Waiting for Kelly and Ayden's story next!!!
I would recommend this book!!
July 18, 2025
Lemonade Love was such a fun, flirty read packed with witty banter, swoony moments, and a cozy small-town vibe. Astrid and Aeron’s chemistry was instant, and their back-and-forth had me smiling the whole way through.
I loved the emotional depth woven into the story, and the setting made it feel like a perfect summer escape. While the ending felt a bit rushed and unresolved for my taste, I still really enjoyed it and I’m excited to read more from Rees Aurin!
I loved the emotional depth woven into the story, and the setting made it feel like a perfect summer escape. While the ending felt a bit rushed and unresolved for my taste, I still really enjoyed it and I’m excited to read more from Rees Aurin!
June 11, 2025
Thanks to Sunny Babe PR for the arc! Really enjoyed! Cute characters & loved the setting. Will continue the series.
July 29, 2025
I enjoyed this one. Super cute cozy small town rom com. Astrid’s in town for a wedding and healing from her dad’s death, and she keeps awkwardly running into Aeron, the quiet, broody guy with a big secret. They clash at first, but sparks start flying. I enjoyed the vibes. The banter was fun.
I got all the small-town feels with the slow-building romance. Great little summer read
I got all the small-town feels with the slow-building romance. Great little summer read
June 17, 2025
I absolutely devoured this book. I had so many expectations and it definitely delivered! I love Astrid as a main character. I love how strong she is and how she was able to pack up and move to a town to somewhat start over. I love that Kelly never gave up on her and pushed her because she know that Astrid could. Their friendship dynamic was one of the best parts of this book. They love each other and aren't afraid to tell each other truths that might be hard to hear. Their banter and protectiveness of each other were one of the reasons I fell in love with them. i LOVE Astrid’s and Aeron’s meet cute. I thought the banter was top tier and I love how Aeron was in love with her from the get go but still decided to be a grumpy man.
Slight Spoilers ahead -- you have been warned!
The whole he knew who she was but she didn’t know who he was, was hilarious to me. Especially since they were jealous of each other throughout the book thinking that they each had a past partner they couldn't let go off (lol). I’m super happy that this wasn’t super insta-lusty/love. It took a minute for Astrid to have feelings for this man and it all spanned from working together and randomly meeting each other out in the town. Ilove how sweet he is to her and how he’s already picturing a future with her (he never wants to let her go *swoon*). I love how it isn’t until 50% into the book that they get together and I am so happy there is not third act break (just a mini argument). I love how she found out he was the mystery man all along and had him meet her in the train where they met.I wish that this scene was longer since it was pivotal in their relationship, since it was what pretty much started their love for each other. I was so upset when the book ended, like i needed, no, craved more!! I think that is because the ending felt a bit rushed. I wish we had an extra chapter or even an epilogue just to see where these characters were.
i wish we got more of Aeron’s point of views. There was maybe 5 chapters that were in his point of view and they really only showed us how he felt and had no plot progress. I would have loved to see his POV in more of the book. And i wish there was a bit more focus as to how they were able to move past their grief and see that side of it because it felt like it got put in the back burner for a second. I also wish we got to see more scenes of them together and just getting to know each other. Like they had a couple of weeks to put together the summer festival and they needed to work together but we really only got a couple of scenes of them actually together. Most of the scenes were of them doing separate things and Astrid wanting to be near Aeron.
Thank you so much to Rees and Grey’s Promotions for sharing this beautiful story with me. I literally cannot wait for Ayden and Kelly’s and for Allen and the mystery doctor (Kaia’s mom???) books. like they were hinted so much that i want their books as of yesterday!!
Slight Spoilers ahead -- you have been warned!
The whole he knew who she was but she didn’t know who he was, was hilarious to me. Especially since they were jealous of each other throughout the book thinking that they each had a past partner they couldn't let go off (lol). I’m super happy that this wasn’t super insta-lusty/love. It took a minute for Astrid to have feelings for this man and it all spanned from working together and randomly meeting each other out in the town. Ilove how sweet he is to her and how he’s already picturing a future with her (he never wants to let her go *swoon*). I love how it isn’t until 50% into the book that they get together and I am so happy there is not third act break (just a mini argument). I love how she found out he was the mystery man all along and had him meet her in the train where they met.I wish that this scene was longer since it was pivotal in their relationship, since it was what pretty much started their love for each other. I was so upset when the book ended, like i needed, no, craved more!! I think that is because the ending felt a bit rushed. I wish we had an extra chapter or even an epilogue just to see where these characters were.
i wish we got more of Aeron’s point of views. There was maybe 5 chapters that were in his point of view and they really only showed us how he felt and had no plot progress. I would have loved to see his POV in more of the book. And i wish there was a bit more focus as to how they were able to move past their grief and see that side of it because it felt like it got put in the back burner for a second. I also wish we got to see more scenes of them together and just getting to know each other. Like they had a couple of weeks to put together the summer festival and they needed to work together but we really only got a couple of scenes of them actually together. Most of the scenes were of them doing separate things and Astrid wanting to be near Aeron.
Thank you so much to Rees and Grey’s Promotions for sharing this beautiful story with me. I literally cannot wait for Ayden and Kelly’s and for Allen and the mystery doctor (Kaia’s mom???) books. like they were hinted so much that i want their books as of yesterday!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2025
Astrid was dragged to Orange Falls to plan a wedding, but she needed a change after losing her dad. On the way there with her friend Kelly, there is an issue with the car and they are rescued by Aeron – a real grump. Every time she encounters him, he’s anything other than nice and uses some choice words to describe him. Now, she’s stuck planning the town’s summer festival with him! But then there’s an incident with a watch that makes Astrid break down, and he’s her shoulder to cry own… and that breaks down her walls. Nothing is perfect, however; Aeron has a secret that could hurt Astrid.
I wasn’t so sure about this book when I first started reading it. I couldn’t see these two getting together and making it work. Even when he was her shoulder to cry on – I thought it was a sweet gesture, but I still wasn’t buying it. Then the Ferris Wheel scene happened and I was sold. I was sold on them as a couple, and I was sold on him as one of the sweetest MMCs that I have read. Seriously, he said the sweetest things and he really did just want to take care of Astrid.
I don’t know if this is this author’s first book or not, but there definitely could have been some editing to this book to make it a stronger romance novel. There were a LOT of A names… Astrid, Aeron, and then Aeron’s friends, Allen and Ayden. I could follow them all, but maybe different names would be better. I also may have thrown Astrid and Aeron together a bit more earlier on in the book – it just felt like it took a little too long to get there. There were also some chapters that was from Aeron’s POV, I wish there were a little more of them. Astrid’s behavior sometimes was a little childish – stomping on feet, kicking in the shin – I’m not sure that was necessary. And lastly, the last chapter seemed to have ended abruptly. I thought I was missing pages! I went back to see if I was just confused because I was tired.
I will say, that those things did NOT take away from falling in love with these two after the Ferris Wheel scene. Once that scene occurred, I did feel the chemistry between the characters. I also really loved the friendship between Astrid and Kelly – they were so supportive of each other and I just love seeing really awesome female friendships.
There is also a small theme of loss in this book, which could have been explored a little more and had the characters connect on it a little more, but I also think that this topic is handled well.
All in all, a nice quick read. It’s out now, so check it out!
I wasn’t so sure about this book when I first started reading it. I couldn’t see these two getting together and making it work. Even when he was her shoulder to cry on – I thought it was a sweet gesture, but I still wasn’t buying it. Then the Ferris Wheel scene happened and I was sold. I was sold on them as a couple, and I was sold on him as one of the sweetest MMCs that I have read. Seriously, he said the sweetest things and he really did just want to take care of Astrid.
I don’t know if this is this author’s first book or not, but there definitely could have been some editing to this book to make it a stronger romance novel. There were a LOT of A names… Astrid, Aeron, and then Aeron’s friends, Allen and Ayden. I could follow them all, but maybe different names would be better. I also may have thrown Astrid and Aeron together a bit more earlier on in the book – it just felt like it took a little too long to get there. There were also some chapters that was from Aeron’s POV, I wish there were a little more of them. Astrid’s behavior sometimes was a little childish – stomping on feet, kicking in the shin – I’m not sure that was necessary. And lastly, the last chapter seemed to have ended abruptly. I thought I was missing pages! I went back to see if I was just confused because I was tired.
I will say, that those things did NOT take away from falling in love with these two after the Ferris Wheel scene. Once that scene occurred, I did feel the chemistry between the characters. I also really loved the friendship between Astrid and Kelly – they were so supportive of each other and I just love seeing really awesome female friendships.
There is also a small theme of loss in this book, which could have been explored a little more and had the characters connect on it a little more, but I also think that this topic is handled well.
All in all, a nice quick read. It’s out now, so check it out!
July 3, 2025
“Change is what you decide, young lady… But destiny’s got a way of putting you exactly where you need to be.”
4.50 / 5.00
Astrid never imagined she could find happiness again after her dad passed away. But five years later, she’s ready to make a new start in her best friend’s hometown of Orange Falls. Life moves fast in her new town, thanks to the upcoming festival she reluctantly agrees to plan, putting her in forcing her to work with the town grump. Will Astrid find love in an unlikely place, or will a ghost of vacation past keep her from being truly happy? Thank you to the author and Torch Lit Ink for my copy. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this story! It’s a cute, low-stakes romance with some of my favorite tropes – “enemies” to lovers, small town romance, forced proximity – but also has a little mystery in there too. If you’re looking for low-spice relationship-building, this book is for you! I read this in two sittings, so I can see it being the perfect vacation beach read (just in time for summer!).
This is the first book in the Orange Falls series, and I’m looking forward to the next installment – can’t wait to see which pair is the next focus! Will it be Ayden and Kelly, or Allen and the mysterious woman in red?
LIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD: The mystery element of this book had me singing “Escape (The Pina Coloda Song)” by Rupert Holmes. It’s not a one-for-one comparison, but they have similar vibes. The song tells the story of a man who has become bored with his relationship when he comes across an ad in the paper that seems to be written by what he imagines is the perfect woman. When he makes up his mind to go meet her, lo and behold, “It was my own lovely lady” and they get to experience the joy of getting to know each other once again. In the book, Astrid has chance encounters with a man she never meets face-to-face, but gets to know through notes exchanged on a scenic train ride. Once the vacation is over, she never expects to find out who he was, but can’t help hanging on to the way he made her feel.
Connect with me on Instagram (@bookmarks_and_backbeats) for more reviews, musical pairings, and all around good times!
4.50 / 5.00
Astrid never imagined she could find happiness again after her dad passed away. But five years later, she’s ready to make a new start in her best friend’s hometown of Orange Falls. Life moves fast in her new town, thanks to the upcoming festival she reluctantly agrees to plan, putting her in forcing her to work with the town grump. Will Astrid find love in an unlikely place, or will a ghost of vacation past keep her from being truly happy? Thank you to the author and Torch Lit Ink for my copy. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this story! It’s a cute, low-stakes romance with some of my favorite tropes – “enemies” to lovers, small town romance, forced proximity – but also has a little mystery in there too. If you’re looking for low-spice relationship-building, this book is for you! I read this in two sittings, so I can see it being the perfect vacation beach read (just in time for summer!).
This is the first book in the Orange Falls series, and I’m looking forward to the next installment – can’t wait to see which pair is the next focus! Will it be Ayden and Kelly, or Allen and the mysterious woman in red?
LIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD: The mystery element of this book had me singing “Escape (The Pina Coloda Song)” by Rupert Holmes. It’s not a one-for-one comparison, but they have similar vibes. The song tells the story of a man who has become bored with his relationship when he comes across an ad in the paper that seems to be written by what he imagines is the perfect woman. When he makes up his mind to go meet her, lo and behold, “It was my own lovely lady” and they get to experience the joy of getting to know each other once again. In the book, Astrid has chance encounters with a man she never meets face-to-face, but gets to know through notes exchanged on a scenic train ride. Once the vacation is over, she never expects to find out who he was, but can’t help hanging on to the way he made her feel.
Connect with me on Instagram (@bookmarks_and_backbeats) for more reviews, musical pairings, and all around good times!
July 10, 2025
🍋Now Pouring: Lemonade Love @authorreesaurin
A sour grump. A sunshine storm. A summer that’s messy, sweet, and wildly swoony.
She was just trying to plan a wedding, not emotionally combust over a man who scowls like it’s a sport.
Astrid is sunshine and sarcasm with a sprinkle of hot mess while grieving her dad, dodging her own heartbreak, and suddenly helping organize the biggest wedding Orange Falls has ever seen.
Enter Aeron Ashbourne: 6’2” of silent brooding energy, zero charm, and a jawline sharp enough to slice through her patience.
🚨 Cue the chaos.
Their meet-cute? Not so cute.
More like:
📍Stranded on a rural road 📍Cussing out a stranger who doesn’t stop 📍That stranger turning back around anyway and giving you a ride 👀
From that first “you’re an asshole” to the slowest, softest unraveling of this grumpy x sunshine dream team, I was HOOKED.
✨Enemies to lovers? Check. ✨Forced proximity? Yup. ✨A Ferris Wheel scene that had me kicking my feet and grinning like a feral raccoon? OH ABSOLUTELY. ✨Secret notes + emotional healing + touch her and I will combust levels of pining? YES BABE.
Aeron?
Silent, broody, emotionally wrecked but built for caretaking. The man said like five words the entire first half of the book and still managed to radiate soulmate energy.
He’s not just “grumpy” he’s “I blame myself for everything and love softly with my whole broken heart” grumpy. I’m ruined.
And Astrid?
I love a woman who storms through life with eyeliner, trauma, and a list of grievances. Her sunshine is messy and raw and exactly what Aeron needed (and vice versa).
This book gave me:
🍋 Flirty chaos & dreamy vineyard vibes 🍋 Summer festivals & secret softness 🍋 A twist that hit me like a lemon to the eye 🍋 Swoony quotes & banter so sharp it could cut citrus
If you love:
💛 Grumpy x Sunshine 💛 Small town festivals 💛 Emotional healing arcs 💛 Unexpected softness from emotionally constipated men 💛 AND THE FERRIS WHEEL SCENE (I will not recover)
Then you need to sip this sweet and sour romance ASAP.
Thank you @torchlitink for sending me this spicy little glass of chaos and heart.
Astrid + Aeron, you own me. 🍋💛
She was just trying to plan a wedding, not emotionally combust over a man who scowls like it’s a sport.
Astrid is sunshine and sarcasm with a sprinkle of hot mess while grieving her dad, dodging her own heartbreak, and suddenly helping organize the biggest wedding Orange Falls has ever seen.
Enter Aeron Ashbourne: 6’2” of silent brooding energy, zero charm, and a jawline sharp enough to slice through her patience.
🚨 Cue the chaos.
Their meet-cute? Not so cute.
More like:
📍Stranded on a rural road 📍Cussing out a stranger who doesn’t stop 📍That stranger turning back around anyway and giving you a ride 👀
From that first “you’re an asshole” to the slowest, softest unraveling of this grumpy x sunshine dream team, I was HOOKED.
✨Enemies to lovers? Check. ✨Forced proximity? Yup. ✨A Ferris Wheel scene that had me kicking my feet and grinning like a feral raccoon? OH ABSOLUTELY. ✨Secret notes + emotional healing + touch her and I will combust levels of pining? YES BABE.
Aeron?
Silent, broody, emotionally wrecked but built for caretaking. The man said like five words the entire first half of the book and still managed to radiate soulmate energy.
He’s not just “grumpy” he’s “I blame myself for everything and love softly with my whole broken heart” grumpy. I’m ruined.
And Astrid?
I love a woman who storms through life with eyeliner, trauma, and a list of grievances. Her sunshine is messy and raw and exactly what Aeron needed (and vice versa).
This book gave me:
🍋 Flirty chaos & dreamy vineyard vibes 🍋 Summer festivals & secret softness 🍋 A twist that hit me like a lemon to the eye 🍋 Swoony quotes & banter so sharp it could cut citrus
If you love:
💛 Grumpy x Sunshine 💛 Small town festivals 💛 Emotional healing arcs 💛 Unexpected softness from emotionally constipated men 💛 AND THE FERRIS WHEEL SCENE (I will not recover)
Then you need to sip this sweet and sour romance ASAP.
Thank you @torchlitink for sending me this spicy little glass of chaos and heart.
Astrid + Aeron, you own me. 🍋💛
June 20, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️️⭐️/ ️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Lemonade Love by Rees Aurin was a fun and easy read that pulled me in from the beginning. This is the author’s debut novel and for her first book it is well written, has an easy to follow storyline, and the characters leave you intrigued. It wasn’t a heavy read, but rather light and fluffy. I really enjoyed Rees and hope to read more of her soon.
Astrid is learning to live life without her father. He’s recently passed and while she is going through the motions, nothing has made her feel purposeful. Until her best friend asks her to help plan a wedding. This proves to bring a spark back to Astrid. While driving one day, she’s in a car accident (everyone is ok), on an empty road. When a driver finally does drive by and doesn’t stop, she lets her feelings be known and heard. This causes the driver to turn around and helps out after that. Here is where the fun, witty banter begins between our two MCs and it never stops.
Aeron wasn’t expecting to get a verbal lashing from a stranger on the side of the road, but once he hears her, he has to stop and help out. As he and Astrid get to know each other, it’s obvious the chemistry that flows between them. And the thing about being in a small town together…you see each other everywhere. As he lets Astrid into his heart, a place he hasn’t let anyone in for a long time, the romance that blooms is so sweet.
While neither of our MCs are perfect and each are dealing with their own flaws, I loved reading about these two falling in love. I wish that there were more chapters from Aeron’s POV, but that just leaves room for lots of bonus material from Rees later on. I fully enjoyed reading this debut novel from Rees and can’t wait to see what she writes next.
As always, review any author notes before reading.
What to Expect:
🍋Grumpy x Sunshine
🧡Small Town Romance
🍋Enemies to Lovers
🧡Close Proximity
🍋He Falls First
Lemonade Love by Rees Aurin was a fun and easy read that pulled me in from the beginning. This is the author’s debut novel and for her first book it is well written, has an easy to follow storyline, and the characters leave you intrigued. It wasn’t a heavy read, but rather light and fluffy. I really enjoyed Rees and hope to read more of her soon.
Astrid is learning to live life without her father. He’s recently passed and while she is going through the motions, nothing has made her feel purposeful. Until her best friend asks her to help plan a wedding. This proves to bring a spark back to Astrid. While driving one day, she’s in a car accident (everyone is ok), on an empty road. When a driver finally does drive by and doesn’t stop, she lets her feelings be known and heard. This causes the driver to turn around and helps out after that. Here is where the fun, witty banter begins between our two MCs and it never stops.
Aeron wasn’t expecting to get a verbal lashing from a stranger on the side of the road, but once he hears her, he has to stop and help out. As he and Astrid get to know each other, it’s obvious the chemistry that flows between them. And the thing about being in a small town together…you see each other everywhere. As he lets Astrid into his heart, a place he hasn’t let anyone in for a long time, the romance that blooms is so sweet.
While neither of our MCs are perfect and each are dealing with their own flaws, I loved reading about these two falling in love. I wish that there were more chapters from Aeron’s POV, but that just leaves room for lots of bonus material from Rees later on. I fully enjoyed reading this debut novel from Rees and can’t wait to see what she writes next.
As always, review any author notes before reading.
What to Expect:
🍋Grumpy x Sunshine
🧡Small Town Romance
🍋Enemies to Lovers
🧡Close Proximity
🍋He Falls First
July 7, 2025
I’m actually pretty frustrated because this book had tons of potential and just didn’t meet it at all. The cover was amazing, but the book didn’t meet that level of entertainment.
During the first chapter I was captured by the reveal about her father’s death. I was so excited for where the book would take me. It took me to Boringville.
Let’s knock this out first: not every name needs to begin with an A.
Why even have the book be dual POV if he is only going to have a few chapters and then not really add much. Why are they so mean to one another? This isn’t third grade. Being mean to the person you like is weird. Dizzytrid? Every time he said it I cringed. She KICKED HIM!
There were way too many jokes about murder for someone who just had her father murdered a few months prior. It felt like the author completely forgot about it. The murder of her father was basically there for shock factor with zero follow through. Lucy literally just disappeared after the first chapter. She mentioned losing her father several times after but nothing about his murder, Lucy, or Lucy’s husband. He could have just as easily had a heart attack and not had that weird part added in.
This book may have been more believable as a young adult novel with high schoolers.
I think a lot of the problems was the pacing was just not there at all.
As this was an ARC I expect some errors but there were a LOT. Some paragraphs would have the same sentence in it twice just written slightly different. It also seemed two of the storylines got confused by the author and she briefly mixed them up. When I write I catch myself struggling with tenses, I’ll go present and past. That happened a lot in this book too.
I do want to say that I really enjoyed parts of Rees’ writing. Like there were lines in the book that made me laugh out loud. I will read more of her work in the future, I think she has a ton of potential.
Thank you to Rees & Sunny Babe PR for the ARC.
During the first chapter I was captured by the reveal about her father’s death. I was so excited for where the book would take me. It took me to Boringville.
Let’s knock this out first: not every name needs to begin with an A.
Why even have the book be dual POV if he is only going to have a few chapters and then not really add much. Why are they so mean to one another? This isn’t third grade. Being mean to the person you like is weird. Dizzytrid? Every time he said it I cringed. She KICKED HIM!
There were way too many jokes about murder for someone who just had her father murdered a few months prior. It felt like the author completely forgot about it. The murder of her father was basically there for shock factor with zero follow through. Lucy literally just disappeared after the first chapter. She mentioned losing her father several times after but nothing about his murder, Lucy, or Lucy’s husband. He could have just as easily had a heart attack and not had that weird part added in.
This book may have been more believable as a young adult novel with high schoolers.
I think a lot of the problems was the pacing was just not there at all.
As this was an ARC I expect some errors but there were a LOT. Some paragraphs would have the same sentence in it twice just written slightly different. It also seemed two of the storylines got confused by the author and she briefly mixed them up. When I write I catch myself struggling with tenses, I’ll go present and past. That happened a lot in this book too.
I do want to say that I really enjoyed parts of Rees’ writing. Like there were lines in the book that made me laugh out loud. I will read more of her work in the future, I think she has a ton of potential.
Thank you to Rees & Sunny Babe PR for the ARC.
July 7, 2025
I really struggled on trying to decide how I should approach this book review. On one hand, I want to support indie authors, on the other hand, I want to be honest and treat indie authors as I would any trad author.
So here it goes. I could not stand this book. It promised me a swoony summer small town romance and all it gave me was frustration. It started out super promising - a big city girl suffering a tragedy and moving to a small town for a job and to be with her best friend. On the way, their car breaks down and a grumpy, brooding man stops to help them. They instantly dislike each other but are forced to work together on a summer festival. recipe for a fun romance book right? Wrong. unless you enjoy painfully unfunny banter, possessive, to the point of being jealous of her best friend, man, super lame insults being thrown around in every chapter. Half of my notes on this book are “he needs therapy” & “he should seek professional help”. I’m not joking when I say that if my friend was dating a man like that, I would be concerned about her emotional state and ability to make life choices. She is definitely the kind of girl who always chooses her boyfriend first, takes his side no matter what, treats him like a baby and pushes her friend away once she gets a bf. His only redeeming quality is that he can cook.
For your enjoyment, this is something he said to her best friend, a few days after getting together and before having sex: “Your friendship ends at her bedroom door. Mine continues into her bed.” Like that’s absolutely vile. He also said “Just a few sips- for me?” EW. Manchild fr. She also described him as a “pissed-off demon” when he got angry. If that’s not a red flag, I don’t know what is.
Needless to say, it was not my cup of tea at all and I wished I dnf’ed.
So here it goes. I could not stand this book. It promised me a swoony summer small town romance and all it gave me was frustration. It started out super promising - a big city girl suffering a tragedy and moving to a small town for a job and to be with her best friend. On the way, their car breaks down and a grumpy, brooding man stops to help them. They instantly dislike each other but are forced to work together on a summer festival. recipe for a fun romance book right? Wrong. unless you enjoy painfully unfunny banter, possessive, to the point of being jealous of her best friend, man, super lame insults being thrown around in every chapter. Half of my notes on this book are “he needs therapy” & “he should seek professional help”. I’m not joking when I say that if my friend was dating a man like that, I would be concerned about her emotional state and ability to make life choices. She is definitely the kind of girl who always chooses her boyfriend first, takes his side no matter what, treats him like a baby and pushes her friend away once she gets a bf. His only redeeming quality is that he can cook.
For your enjoyment, this is something he said to her best friend, a few days after getting together and before having sex: “Your friendship ends at her bedroom door. Mine continues into her bed.” Like that’s absolutely vile. He also said “Just a few sips- for me?” EW. Manchild fr. She also described him as a “pissed-off demon” when he got angry. If that’s not a red flag, I don’t know what is.
Needless to say, it was not my cup of tea at all and I wished I dnf’ed.
July 14, 2025
Lemonade Love is the first book in the Orange Falls series. It is a sweet and spicy, enemies to lovers, small town romance served with a side of mystery. After recently losing her dad, and her mom at a young age, Astrid (FMC) decides to move to Orange Falls to be closer to her best friend Kelly for a new start and the opportunity to get back to work as an event planner.
The adorable cover piqued my interest and made me want to read the synopsis. I had to figure out how a train, ferris wheel, and lemonade were integrated into a story. I thought the train and the Ferris Wheel legend were both unique and fun additions. I also enjoyed the reveal of the mystery at the end. Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I loved Astrid and Kelly’s BFF relationship but I didn’t feel like Astrid and Aeron’s relationship was believable. I felt like they were immature for their age with all the name calling and hitting/kicking. It started out as a dual POV but we only got a few chapters from the Aeron’s POV (MMC). Maybe if I would have had more from his POV I may have liked him more than I did. I also thought there were several holes and inconsistencies in the plot. This book started strong and had a lot of potential but several storylines were started but never finished or addressed again and the pacing/timing felt off to me. I fully understand that I was given a digital review copy and not a finished copy of the book, but there were an unusual amount of grammatical errors and repetitiveness which started taking my attention away from the story and putting it on editing.
Even though this one wasn’t completely for me, I will definitely give the second book a chance. I am hoping it will pick up where this one abruptly ended and will address some of the unfinished storylines. I liked the author’s writing style and look forward to seeing her writing evolve and become even stronger over the series.
The adorable cover piqued my interest and made me want to read the synopsis. I had to figure out how a train, ferris wheel, and lemonade were integrated into a story. I thought the train and the Ferris Wheel legend were both unique and fun additions. I also enjoyed the reveal of the mystery at the end. Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I loved Astrid and Kelly’s BFF relationship but I didn’t feel like Astrid and Aeron’s relationship was believable. I felt like they were immature for their age with all the name calling and hitting/kicking. It started out as a dual POV but we only got a few chapters from the Aeron’s POV (MMC). Maybe if I would have had more from his POV I may have liked him more than I did. I also thought there were several holes and inconsistencies in the plot. This book started strong and had a lot of potential but several storylines were started but never finished or addressed again and the pacing/timing felt off to me. I fully understand that I was given a digital review copy and not a finished copy of the book, but there were an unusual amount of grammatical errors and repetitiveness which started taking my attention away from the story and putting it on editing.
Even though this one wasn’t completely for me, I will definitely give the second book a chance. I am hoping it will pick up where this one abruptly ended and will address some of the unfinished storylines. I liked the author’s writing style and look forward to seeing her writing evolve and become even stronger over the series.
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