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Windy Harbor #2
What It Takes
A Sexy, Small town, Enemies to Lovers, Brother’s Best Friend romance from USA Today Bestselling Author Willow Aster
Camden Whitman has always been in my life. I met him when I was five and he was seven, but when he and my brother became best friends, I became nothing more than the pesky little sister he didn’t want around.
There was a period of time when I thought I felt a connection between us, but he shut that down faster than I could blink. Fast forward to adulthood years later, and here I am, still the annoying little sister he can’t stand.
Now there’s one difference: I want nothing to do with him.
I’m happy running The Kitty-Corner Cafe in my small town of Windy Harbor, Minnesota, and love living in my little slice of paradise on Lake Superior…until Camden decides to move here and open up a new restaurant.
Who cares if he’s a well-known chef who can prepare the most delectable food? He will never hear that from me. He’s wrecked my small-town, stress-free bubble and filled it with his abrasive comments and intrusive looks.
But then the unexpected happens. One night, when both of our walls are down, I see a glimpse of something other than distaste in his eyes. And it has me wondering if I’ve misjudged the man that has always gotten under my skin.
When those boundaries are crossed, there’s no turning back. Camden is on a mission and will do whatever it takes to make me his…
What It Takes is book two in the interconnected, standalone Windy Harbor series.
Camden Whitman has always been in my life. I met him when I was five and he was seven, but when he and my brother became best friends, I became nothing more than the pesky little sister he didn’t want around.
There was a period of time when I thought I felt a connection between us, but he shut that down faster than I could blink. Fast forward to adulthood years later, and here I am, still the annoying little sister he can’t stand.
Now there’s one difference: I want nothing to do with him.
I’m happy running The Kitty-Corner Cafe in my small town of Windy Harbor, Minnesota, and love living in my little slice of paradise on Lake Superior…until Camden decides to move here and open up a new restaurant.
Who cares if he’s a well-known chef who can prepare the most delectable food? He will never hear that from me. He’s wrecked my small-town, stress-free bubble and filled it with his abrasive comments and intrusive looks.
But then the unexpected happens. One night, when both of our walls are down, I see a glimpse of something other than distaste in his eyes. And it has me wondering if I’ve misjudged the man that has always gotten under my skin.
When those boundaries are crossed, there’s no turning back. Camden is on a mission and will do whatever it takes to make me his…
What It Takes is book two in the interconnected, standalone Windy Harbor series.
357 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 15, 2026
378 people are currently reading
7265 people want to read
About the author
Willow Aster
47 books4,609 followersWillow Aster is a USA Today Bestselling Author of emotional, angsty love stories with a side of quirk. She is co-writer of The End of Men series with Tarryn Fisher and co-writer of the G.D. Taylors series with Laura Pavlov.
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January 15, 2026Available now!
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Narrated by: Rose Dioro & Sebastian York
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Narrated by: Rose Dioro & Sebastian York
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/48COhl0
January 15, 2026
3.75 rounded up!!
i adored juliana and camden so much it’s not even funny. i am a huge fan of all of the tropes this book had in it and if theres one thing about willow aster its that she is going to take those tropes and absolutely knock them outta the park!! there was something so special about this childhood friends to enemies to lovers, the tension between these two all of those years was HEAVY and i loved every second of it.
another thing that i actually really enjoyed about this book was the dual timeline — that is something that is super hit and miss for me (a miss more often than not) but it was done so well in this book. every past glimpse we got of camden and juju as kids was SO sweet (until it was very sad LOL).
the only reason i bumped this down a bit in my rating was because as much as i did love the characters and content of the story i also felt like something was missing, i just needed a bit more from it and to be honest i don’t even know what i needed, maybe a bit more stakes? maybe a little bit better of a reason for why they became enemies? i’m not sure, but i am still very excited to see where the rest of the windy harbor books take us!!
i adored juliana and camden so much it’s not even funny. i am a huge fan of all of the tropes this book had in it and if theres one thing about willow aster its that she is going to take those tropes and absolutely knock them outta the park!! there was something so special about this childhood friends to enemies to lovers, the tension between these two all of those years was HEAVY and i loved every second of it.
another thing that i actually really enjoyed about this book was the dual timeline — that is something that is super hit and miss for me (a miss more often than not) but it was done so well in this book. every past glimpse we got of camden and juju as kids was SO sweet (until it was very sad LOL).
the only reason i bumped this down a bit in my rating was because as much as i did love the characters and content of the story i also felt like something was missing, i just needed a bit more from it and to be honest i don’t even know what i needed, maybe a bit more stakes? maybe a little bit better of a reason for why they became enemies? i’m not sure, but i am still very excited to see where the rest of the windy harbor books take us!!
December 30, 2025
What it Takes by Willow Aster eARC Review
Book 2 in the Windy Harbor Series 💛
4.5 ⭐️
This book was truly like a warm hug. Such a beautiful story about childhood friends to sort of enemies to lovers. I adored both Juju and Camden.
Juju is truly a ray of sunshine and her characters is so lovable from the get go. Camden is definitely a cinnamon roll but he hides behind his feelings for Juju and I just wanted to shake him and get him to tell her how he felt for the longest time!!
When they both realize they have been pining for one another and the tension and banter changes to something else entirely, the beauty of their relationship unfolds and it is so fun to read. A little bit of sneaking around to hide it from her brother makes it a little bit forbidden.🤭
The flashbacks to their childhood added so much to their story and coming from someone who doesn’t usually love that, it really worked in this book!
What to expect:
Small town
Boy obsessed
Brothers best friend
Cinnamon roll hero
Thank you so much Willow and VPR for the arc!
Book 2 in the Windy Harbor Series 💛
4.5 ⭐️
This book was truly like a warm hug. Such a beautiful story about childhood friends to sort of enemies to lovers. I adored both Juju and Camden.
Juju is truly a ray of sunshine and her characters is so lovable from the get go. Camden is definitely a cinnamon roll but he hides behind his feelings for Juju and I just wanted to shake him and get him to tell her how he felt for the longest time!!
When they both realize they have been pining for one another and the tension and banter changes to something else entirely, the beauty of their relationship unfolds and it is so fun to read. A little bit of sneaking around to hide it from her brother makes it a little bit forbidden.🤭
The flashbacks to their childhood added so much to their story and coming from someone who doesn’t usually love that, it really worked in this book!
What to expect:
Small town
Boy obsessed
Brothers best friend
Cinnamon roll hero
Thank you so much Willow and VPR for the arc!
January 12, 2026
What It Takes by Willow Aster is the kind of small town romance that sneaks up on you and then fully has you in its feelings. Juju and Camden have a lifelong, tangled history—best friends with each other’s siblings, years of missed timing, unspoken feelings, and that one night that shifts everything. The childhood flashbacks add so much emotional depth, showing how their bond grew (or stalled) over time, and the present day tension is packed with pining, forced proximity, and sparks that finally ignite. This series is cozy and comforting but also undeniably sexy and spicy, with just the right balance of heart and heat. Second in the series and I am officially obsessed, consider me fully hooked.
Tropes:
👶 Childhood Friends to Lovers
🏡 Small Town Romance
😤 Enemies to Lovers
🏠 Forced Proximity
👯 Brother’s Best Friend
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC REVIEW
4.5 ⭐️
3🌶
*Releases 01/15/26
🌳Enemies to Lovers
Brothers Best Friend
🌳Small Town
Close Families
Words I would use to describe this book would be: Sweet, captivating, classic.
The connection between the main character was instant from such a young age! The enemies to lovers trope is a very loved quote for a reason, it build the tension and heat between the MCs. I feel like there was no reason for a E to L trope tho! I felt it was missing the big "um yeah, that was a douche move, you go girl" moment. That's why it doesn't get 5 stars. Other than that it was an awesome book! Sexy, funny, family of a life time! Would very much recommend reading this series, starting with the first book!
4.5 ⭐️
3🌶
*Releases 01/15/26
🌳Enemies to Lovers
Brothers Best Friend
🌳Small Town
Close Families
Words I would use to describe this book would be: Sweet, captivating, classic.
The connection between the main character was instant from such a young age! The enemies to lovers trope is a very loved quote for a reason, it build the tension and heat between the MCs. I feel like there was no reason for a E to L trope tho! I felt it was missing the big "um yeah, that was a douche move, you go girl" moment. That's why it doesn't get 5 stars. Other than that it was an awesome book! Sexy, funny, family of a life time! Would very much recommend reading this series, starting with the first book!
January 2, 2026
Easiest 5 stars! Camden and Juju — and their childhood friends to enemies to lovers story is just wonderful in every way. It is funny, it has amazing banter and at the same time, it’s incredibly emotional and heartbreaking at times.
A bit of a slow burn, and rightly so, once things heat up, hold on because these two pop off like a rocket ship. Years and years of angst comes to fruition and what we get is a gorgeously written story that I DEVOURED in a single day.
Willow never misses for me and that fact is truer than ever with What It Takes!
Thanks to Willow for having me on her team and to she & VPR for this arc!
A bit of a slow burn, and rightly so, once things heat up, hold on because these two pop off like a rocket ship. Years and years of angst comes to fruition and what we get is a gorgeously written story that I DEVOURED in a single day.
Willow never misses for me and that fact is truer than ever with What It Takes!
Thanks to Willow for having me on her team and to she & VPR for this arc!
January 15, 2026
What it Takes is book 2 in the Windy Harbor Series. Camden and JuJu were always meant to be to everyone around them except JuJu’s brother Jackson and each other. They needed to admit their true feelings but they instead had a love-hate relationship while secretly feeling things. Childhood soulmates driven apart by a young boy’s promise.
Camden made a promise to his best friend Jackson to never date his sister. No relationship ever felt right. He accepted this until they were both back in Windy Harbor. Camden had a successful restaurant. Juju ran a successful coffee shop and bakery. Their families are always together. Being thrown together is inevitable and their feelings resurface.
Stolen glances led to a boy finally going after what he wants. JuJu can’t help but see the change and starts softening. Everyone around them can see how they feel, but how will Jackson take it when he finds out?
What It Takes is a small town, boy obsessed, brother’s best friend romance.
I just love the settings/towns that Willow Aster creates. I fall in love with her towns, characters and stories. It warms my heart and gives me an escape to a sweet romantic story.
Camden made a promise to his best friend Jackson to never date his sister. No relationship ever felt right. He accepted this until they were both back in Windy Harbor. Camden had a successful restaurant. Juju ran a successful coffee shop and bakery. Their families are always together. Being thrown together is inevitable and their feelings resurface.
Stolen glances led to a boy finally going after what he wants. JuJu can’t help but see the change and starts softening. Everyone around them can see how they feel, but how will Jackson take it when he finds out?
What It Takes is a small town, boy obsessed, brother’s best friend romance.
I just love the settings/towns that Willow Aster creates. I fall in love with her towns, characters and stories. It warms my heart and gives me an escape to a sweet romantic story.
January 15, 2026
Willow’s writing feels like coming home - comforting, warm, and genuinely heartwarming.
This was a wonderful continuation of this charming Minnesota-based series, and I especially loved hearing the MN accents in the audiobook - it added such a fun, authentic touch.
The found family element is impeccable and remains one of the strongest parts of the story. I did wish there had been a bit more banter, and some of the flashbacks pulled me out of the present-day story more than I would’ve liked, but overall it was still a very enjoyable read.
I’m already counting down to the next installment in this series!
This was a wonderful continuation of this charming Minnesota-based series, and I especially loved hearing the MN accents in the audiobook - it added such a fun, authentic touch.
The found family element is impeccable and remains one of the strongest parts of the story. I did wish there had been a bit more banter, and some of the flashbacks pulled me out of the present-day story more than I would’ve liked, but overall it was still a very enjoyable read.
I’m already counting down to the next installment in this series!
January 17, 2026
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SPICE: 🌶️🌶️
SPICE: 🌶️🌶️
December 31, 2025
4.5 stars
What It Takes is the second book in the Windy Harbor series and can be read as a standalone.
What It Takes is a light, fun and delightful story that is easy to read with wonderful characters, great family dynamics and a feel good and flirty feel.
I fell hard and fast for Camden and I adored Juliana but what took this book to another level was the love and camaraderie this family (and town!) share. The Whitman group chat was so entertaining to read and Everett, Camden’s dad, really stole the show for me. But honestly all the characters were fantastic and had a distinctive presence to them.
Camden and Juju are both such kind (to everyone except each other), sweet, and talented people. Their tension and chemistry was heady, intense and undeniable - and Camden’s dirty talk just upped it to another level. Also, I have to mention their first date, it was absolutely perfect for them 🤭.
The flashbacks were structured really well, adding depth and history to their relationship and I felt a tender ache through the years of miscommunication and multiple scenarios of “right person, wrong time”. I felt emotional thinking of Stella’s (Camden’s mum) reaction to them finally getting together.
Food was also a really important feature in Camden and Juju’s story, from their first meeting as children to their successful careers - it really felt like their own secret love language.
I’m really looking forward to the next book! This one was a wonderful addition to the series that had me smiling, giggling and cheering this couple on.
This book contains sensitive content such as cancer diagnosis and treatment, and loss of parent in the past.
🏘️ Small town romance
🤫 Brother’s best friend (and best friend’s brother!)
🍪 Childhood friends to enemies to lovers
👨🍳 Chef MMC x Cafe owner FMC
😍 Boy obsessed
🥵 Cinnamon roll hero
💋 Forced proximity
❤️🔥 Slow burn
🏞️ Lakeside vibes
👀 Family series
Plot: 📚📚📚📚
Character rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sexiness: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Feels: 🖤🖤🖤🖤
Writing style: 🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊
What It Takes is the second book in the Windy Harbor series and can be read as a standalone.
What It Takes is a light, fun and delightful story that is easy to read with wonderful characters, great family dynamics and a feel good and flirty feel.
I fell hard and fast for Camden and I adored Juliana but what took this book to another level was the love and camaraderie this family (and town!) share. The Whitman group chat was so entertaining to read and Everett, Camden’s dad, really stole the show for me. But honestly all the characters were fantastic and had a distinctive presence to them.
Camden and Juju are both such kind (to everyone except each other), sweet, and talented people. Their tension and chemistry was heady, intense and undeniable - and Camden’s dirty talk just upped it to another level. Also, I have to mention their first date, it was absolutely perfect for them 🤭.
The flashbacks were structured really well, adding depth and history to their relationship and I felt a tender ache through the years of miscommunication and multiple scenarios of “right person, wrong time”. I felt emotional thinking of Stella’s (Camden’s mum) reaction to them finally getting together.
Food was also a really important feature in Camden and Juju’s story, from their first meeting as children to their successful careers - it really felt like their own secret love language.
I’m really looking forward to the next book! This one was a wonderful addition to the series that had me smiling, giggling and cheering this couple on.
This book contains sensitive content such as cancer diagnosis and treatment, and loss of parent in the past.
🏘️ Small town romance
🤫 Brother’s best friend (and best friend’s brother!)
🍪 Childhood friends to enemies to lovers
👨🍳 Chef MMC x Cafe owner FMC
😍 Boy obsessed
🥵 Cinnamon roll hero
💋 Forced proximity
❤️🔥 Slow burn
🏞️ Lakeside vibes
👀 Family series
Plot: 📚📚📚📚
Character rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sexiness: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Feels: 🖤🖤🖤🖤
Writing style: 🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊
Review of advance copy
#Review: *What It Takes* - Willow Aster - ARC [18+]
4.9/5✨
3/5🌶️
Juliana and Camden's story started with a cute friendship, which transformed into something else over the years. They were just kids when that started, but something has shifted in that period of time and one specific moment made everything fell apart for them. That's how the loathing started and how they became known for their constant bickering, which also continued over the years. But what if there was still a small chance for them in the end?
This one was one of the best books I read by Willow so far, from my point of view. I just adoored Juliana and Camden and their pretty complicated story, which was deeply affected by those external things. I really liked that constant banter between them and how you could just feel that it was just something more hidden behind all that. They didn't know how to handle what they felt in the past, but maybe now they could do it a little better than before. I loved that explosion between them because of all those pent-up feelings and how they just fit together so, so well. And I loved their common passion for cooking, which was pretty cute and it made me crave for those delicious foods.
I simply adored this book, having the best time reading it. I liked all those fun interactions and the complicated story of our main characters. Their common passion was a nice part for me and which played a huge role into this story. One of my favorite books by Willow, for sure!
✨Tropes
▫️Frenemies To Lovers
▫️Brother's Best Friend
▫️Banter
▫️Cinnamon Roll Hero
▫️Boy Obsessed
▫️Small Town
▫️Cooking Passion
▫️Forced Proximity
4.9/5✨
3/5🌶️
Juliana and Camden's story started with a cute friendship, which transformed into something else over the years. They were just kids when that started, but something has shifted in that period of time and one specific moment made everything fell apart for them. That's how the loathing started and how they became known for their constant bickering, which also continued over the years. But what if there was still a small chance for them in the end?
This one was one of the best books I read by Willow so far, from my point of view. I just adoored Juliana and Camden and their pretty complicated story, which was deeply affected by those external things. I really liked that constant banter between them and how you could just feel that it was just something more hidden behind all that. They didn't know how to handle what they felt in the past, but maybe now they could do it a little better than before. I loved that explosion between them because of all those pent-up feelings and how they just fit together so, so well. And I loved their common passion for cooking, which was pretty cute and it made me crave for those delicious foods.
I simply adored this book, having the best time reading it. I liked all those fun interactions and the complicated story of our main characters. Their common passion was a nice part for me and which played a huge role into this story. One of my favorite books by Willow, for sure!
✨Tropes
▫️Frenemies To Lovers
▫️Brother's Best Friend
▫️Banter
▫️Cinnamon Roll Hero
▫️Boy Obsessed
▫️Small Town
▫️Cooking Passion
▫️Forced Proximity
January 7, 2026
ALC Review : What It Takes by Willow Aster // Book 2 in the Windy Harbor series
Narrated by: Rose Dioro and Sebastian York
What to expect:
🧁Brothers Best Friend
💜Boy Obsessed
🧁Cinnamon Roll MMC
💜Small Town Romance
🧁Baker FMC x Chef MMC
💜Enemies to Lovers
Another hit in The Windy Harbor series. With every new release, Willow solidifies her spot in my auto-buy Author list.
Camden Whitman and Juliana Fair have known each other since they were small kids. Their relationship started out friendly; cooking and baking at each other’s houses. However, Juju’s brother steals Camden as his best friend and they slowly start to drift apart. As the years go on, their friendship sours due to miscommunication, promises made, and stubbornness. In adulthood, when Camden moves back to town, they are forced to face each other and old feelings resurface.
When Camden and Juju finally let their feelings known, it is perfect and beautiful. Their love was meant to last a lifetime.
I adored both Camden and Juju as MC’s. Camden was so damn swoony and Juju was such a breath of fresh air.
I loved being able to see the progression of their relationship through the flashbacks. They provided a lot of context as to how their relationship became so broken.
Sebastian York and Rose Dioro narrated Camden and Juju PERFECTLY. Their chemistry as the MC’s was palpable and brought so much life to the story.
Thank you Willow and VPR for the early listen of What It Takes.
Narrated by: Rose Dioro and Sebastian York
What to expect:
🧁Brothers Best Friend
💜Boy Obsessed
🧁Cinnamon Roll MMC
💜Small Town Romance
🧁Baker FMC x Chef MMC
💜Enemies to Lovers
Another hit in The Windy Harbor series. With every new release, Willow solidifies her spot in my auto-buy Author list.
Camden Whitman and Juliana Fair have known each other since they were small kids. Their relationship started out friendly; cooking and baking at each other’s houses. However, Juju’s brother steals Camden as his best friend and they slowly start to drift apart. As the years go on, their friendship sours due to miscommunication, promises made, and stubbornness. In adulthood, when Camden moves back to town, they are forced to face each other and old feelings resurface.
When Camden and Juju finally let their feelings known, it is perfect and beautiful. Their love was meant to last a lifetime.
I adored both Camden and Juju as MC’s. Camden was so damn swoony and Juju was such a breath of fresh air.
I loved being able to see the progression of their relationship through the flashbacks. They provided a lot of context as to how their relationship became so broken.
Sebastian York and Rose Dioro narrated Camden and Juju PERFECTLY. Their chemistry as the MC’s was palpable and brought so much life to the story.
Thank you Willow and VPR for the early listen of What It Takes.
January 2, 2026
Small town
Brothers best friends
Enemies to lovers
Cinnamon roll hero
Dual POV - 1st person
Duet narration - Sebastian York & Rose Dioro
*hmmm these two were great together. They preformed the characters and their story beautifully. Chefs kiss 💋
Juju and Camden meet when they are just kids. Becoming fast friends until Jackson Jujus brother and Camdens best friend makes comments about their friendship being weird and Camden agrees, everything changes. Years later Camden is back in town opening a new restaurant and they end up seeing a lot of each other.
These two are so cute. It starts off with banter and dislike and over the course of the story you get emotional moments, true feelings come out, you get tension and sweetness. This book was absolutely wonderful. I felt the characters were well developed and the story was captivating.
Overall, a great contemporary romance set in a small town. Looking forward to more in this series! Loving Willie Aster’s writing style. If it can make me smile and swoon it’s a win for me!
Brothers best friends
Enemies to lovers
Cinnamon roll hero
Dual POV - 1st person
Duet narration - Sebastian York & Rose Dioro
*hmmm these two were great together. They preformed the characters and their story beautifully. Chefs kiss 💋
Juju and Camden meet when they are just kids. Becoming fast friends until Jackson Jujus brother and Camdens best friend makes comments about their friendship being weird and Camden agrees, everything changes. Years later Camden is back in town opening a new restaurant and they end up seeing a lot of each other.
These two are so cute. It starts off with banter and dislike and over the course of the story you get emotional moments, true feelings come out, you get tension and sweetness. This book was absolutely wonderful. I felt the characters were well developed and the story was captivating.
Overall, a great contemporary romance set in a small town. Looking forward to more in this series! Loving Willie Aster’s writing style. If it can make me smile and swoon it’s a win for me!
January 4, 2026
Narration by Sebastian York & Rose Diorio. These two really made this audio and story so come to life!
I just loved Camden & JuJu’s story. So warm and feel good, but & at times heartbreaking. This was just absolutely beautiful!! Childhood friends, to enemies, to lovers and years of yearning in the making. This one had tension, banter, and all the emotions. This was definitely a slow burn, but so worth it when the tension finally breaks! These two were just perfection!
I loved the depth and history the flashbacks added to their story & was here for the moments we got to see of their past!
Willow Aster never lets me down & this book just proves again why I love her work!! Highly recommend!!!
Thank you Willow Aster & Valentine PR for this alc!
I just loved Camden & JuJu’s story. So warm and feel good, but & at times heartbreaking. This was just absolutely beautiful!! Childhood friends, to enemies, to lovers and years of yearning in the making. This one had tension, banter, and all the emotions. This was definitely a slow burn, but so worth it when the tension finally breaks! These two were just perfection!
I loved the depth and history the flashbacks added to their story & was here for the moments we got to see of their past!
Willow Aster never lets me down & this book just proves again why I love her work!! Highly recommend!!!
Thank you Willow Aster & Valentine PR for this alc!
Review of advance copy
This had two of my favorite tropes, enemies to lovers and best friend's sibling. Made even better because Camden is Juliana's brother's best friend while she is his sister's best friend. Growing up they were close but when her brother and Cam swear to not fate each other's sisters, he starts to stay away. Eventually ignoring her to ignore his feelings. Now as adults they are back in Windy Harbor at the same time and their snippy banter starts becoming more flirty. They give into their attraction but Juju thinks it's just for fun, especially since Cam wants to keep it a secret. Can they navigate their feelings for each other and how will their families react?
January 17, 2026
2.5 if you like small town Mayberry where everybody knows everybody, they’re all connected, and everything is just perfect…..then add in some open door vanilla’ish spice, you’ll love this. (Possible spoilers ahead)
So… I have a few negatives about this book.
❌One- it’s way too long. (My kindle said an almost 7 hour read)
❌Two- there are way too many characters. 4 sets of grandparents, tons of siblings, a rooster and some chickens, etc…too much.
❌Three- way too much filler. There’s almost a whole chapter on h and her family getting a photograph. 🥴
❌Fourth- way too many group texts about stuff I didn’t care about.
❌Finally, the flashbacks. Ugh. I GET that they’re to show the connection/conflict between the MCs, but it could have been wrapped up in one or two chapters. The MCs didn’t have some grand LOVE story.
So the H and h were childhood friends. They both liked to cook. When they started to reach puberty, H started to treat her “different” because his BFF (h’s brother) told him “it’s weird that you want to hang out with my little sister” (they are 2 years apart in age) so H started to push away from her. All their flashbacks just show how H acts hot and cold with h.
H goes on to be some Gordon Ramsay except he’s nice. He’s traveled and has been with OW.
h owns a bakery and she’s been with OM.
Now they are adults and “hate” each other. 🙃( EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. Knows the MCs have smexual tension except the MCs.)
In one of these flashbacks, H’s mom is killed in a car crash. H starts to be really nasty to h after that.
They’ve never actually even kissed. But supposedly both have hidden love for each other *hard eye roll* 🙄
You’ll get flashbacks of h’s disgusting brother and how he acts when he thinks H and h are friends (anybody with sense knows the brother is just jealous) And eek…h’s brother was disgusting with his sister’s smex life. Once he told her “ it’s a good thing you don’t have boobs. Dad would never let you leave the house if you did” 🤢 This brother needed a swift kick to the head. Anyway, H and h got into a spat and he insulted her boobs. Said he wouldn’t touch them with a 10 foot pole.
There’s absolutely ZIP that explains these two MCs having some type of real connection.
Anyway, these two finally do “the deed” and it’s aMaZiNg 🤩 but H wants to keep their relationship secret. (Yeah that’s not a red flag at all) They don’t hookup until over 60% and frankly, it’s dull. They both work long hours, so most is them sneaking around. h doesn’t actually keep anything secret because she tells pretty much all her friends and H’s dad. 🙃
Thankfully, there is NO 3rd act breakup. These two MCs take their secret relationship to a hockey game and get blasted kissing on the big Jumbotron 🤦♀️🤦♀️
The UNHINGED brother punches H in the face at h’s place of employment and all their personal business gets blasted to everybody.
Then…suddenly, all is good between them all. Ffs
A few months later, H proposed and h accepted. There’s a bunch of stuff about the resort, so it definitely sets up the other books.
Meh! Not my vibe
So… I have a few negatives about this book.
❌One- it’s way too long. (My kindle said an almost 7 hour read)
❌Two- there are way too many characters. 4 sets of grandparents, tons of siblings, a rooster and some chickens, etc…too much.
❌Three- way too much filler. There’s almost a whole chapter on h and her family getting a photograph. 🥴
❌Fourth- way too many group texts about stuff I didn’t care about.
❌Finally, the flashbacks. Ugh. I GET that they’re to show the connection/conflict between the MCs, but it could have been wrapped up in one or two chapters. The MCs didn’t have some grand LOVE story.
So the H and h were childhood friends. They both liked to cook. When they started to reach puberty, H started to treat her “different” because his BFF (h’s brother) told him “it’s weird that you want to hang out with my little sister” (they are 2 years apart in age) so H started to push away from her. All their flashbacks just show how H acts hot and cold with h.
H goes on to be some Gordon Ramsay except he’s nice. He’s traveled and has been with OW.
h owns a bakery and she’s been with OM.
Now they are adults and “hate” each other. 🙃( EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. Knows the MCs have smexual tension except the MCs.)
In one of these flashbacks, H’s mom is killed in a car crash. H starts to be really nasty to h after that.
They’ve never actually even kissed. But supposedly both have hidden love for each other *hard eye roll* 🙄
You’ll get flashbacks of h’s disgusting brother and how he acts when he thinks H and h are friends (anybody with sense knows the brother is just jealous) And eek…h’s brother was disgusting with his sister’s smex life. Once he told her “ it’s a good thing you don’t have boobs. Dad would never let you leave the house if you did” 🤢 This brother needed a swift kick to the head. Anyway, H and h got into a spat and he insulted her boobs. Said he wouldn’t touch them with a 10 foot pole.
There’s absolutely ZIP that explains these two MCs having some type of real connection.
Anyway, these two finally do “the deed” and it’s aMaZiNg 🤩 but H wants to keep their relationship secret. (Yeah that’s not a red flag at all) They don’t hookup until over 60% and frankly, it’s dull. They both work long hours, so most is them sneaking around. h doesn’t actually keep anything secret because she tells pretty much all her friends and H’s dad. 🙃
Thankfully, there is NO 3rd act breakup. These two MCs take their secret relationship to a hockey game and get blasted kissing on the big Jumbotron 🤦♀️🤦♀️
The UNHINGED brother punches H in the face at h’s place of employment and all their personal business gets blasted to everybody.
Then…suddenly, all is good between them all. Ffs
A few months later, H proposed and h accepted. There’s a bunch of stuff about the resort, so it definitely sets up the other books.
Meh! Not my vibe
January 2, 2026
4.5 Stars ⭐️ What It Takes is about Camden and Juju. They've known each other since childhood, and bonded over their love for good food by the time he was 13. However, his best friend and Juju's brother, didn't like their friendship. Their relationship turned from childhood friends to hate each other to love when. Willow Aster told this story with dual POV and chapters that explained certain events in the past, which helped with context to why they didn't like each other in present day when both are back in their small town with their families. There was really good tension in the beginning. Camden longed for Juju, and knew he did wrong. Juju was very sunshine except when she snarled at Camden. Once they were back together away from prying eyes (aka her brother), they were able to finally communicate what truly mattered to them. There were a lot of cute moments, but emotional moments as well. The small town vibes were great, and I loved their found family! The writing was well done, and I was came away satisfied with the romance, the plot, and the character growth. Sebastian York and Rose Dioro were phenomenal with the duet narration. Also, some of the baked goods that Juju and Camden talked about made me want to go and do some baking!
🍪Brothers Best Friend
🍪Mutual Hatred / Pining
🍪Forced Proximity
🍪Boy Obsessed
🍪Small Town Romance
🍪Childhood Friends to I Hate You to Lovers
🍪Sneaking Around
Thank you to Valentine PR and Willow Aster for an ALC copy of What It Takes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
🍪Brothers Best Friend
🍪Mutual Hatred / Pining
🍪Forced Proximity
🍪Boy Obsessed
🍪Small Town Romance
🍪Childhood Friends to I Hate You to Lovers
🍪Sneaking Around
Thank you to Valentine PR and Willow Aster for an ALC copy of What It Takes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Tropes:
Small Town
Brother's Best Friend
Chef/Bakery Owner
Childhood Friends to Enemies to Lovers
We are back in Windy Harbor and coastal Minnesota never felt so warm and cozy! This time around, it's Juju (Julianna) and Camden's turn to have their love story. Once childhood friends since their families were neighbors, their friendship turns sour and their bickering becomes the mask to hid their feelings towards each other. But now Camden is back home from Colorado and their feelings are that much harder to hide.
I loved the flashbacks so we could see glimpses of Juju and Camden's relationship evolve over time. From their first meeting to the present, they had a simmering burn that once they ignited became all consuming. Their dates and stolen moments were sweet and swoony and I loved seeing them grow once they checked the pride at the door.
I will be honest, I struggled with the reason why they became enemies, and felt that Jackson (Juju's brother) definitely made some selfish decisions that impacted Juju and Camden. That being said, as the story played out, I could understand why they acted the way they did and that they needed to go through their separate journeys to become the best versions of themselves.
Side note, I could not get enough of the side characters in Windy Harbor. The grandpas and the grandmas had me cackling in every scene they showed up in and I cannot wait to see what shenanigans they get into next!
Thank you so much to Willow and Valentine PR for the early copy of What It Takes!
Small Town
Brother's Best Friend
Chef/Bakery Owner
Childhood Friends to Enemies to Lovers
We are back in Windy Harbor and coastal Minnesota never felt so warm and cozy! This time around, it's Juju (Julianna) and Camden's turn to have their love story. Once childhood friends since their families were neighbors, their friendship turns sour and their bickering becomes the mask to hid their feelings towards each other. But now Camden is back home from Colorado and their feelings are that much harder to hide.
I loved the flashbacks so we could see glimpses of Juju and Camden's relationship evolve over time. From their first meeting to the present, they had a simmering burn that once they ignited became all consuming. Their dates and stolen moments were sweet and swoony and I loved seeing them grow once they checked the pride at the door.
I will be honest, I struggled with the reason why they became enemies, and felt that Jackson (Juju's brother) definitely made some selfish decisions that impacted Juju and Camden. That being said, as the story played out, I could understand why they acted the way they did and that they needed to go through their separate journeys to become the best versions of themselves.
Side note, I could not get enough of the side characters in Windy Harbor. The grandpas and the grandmas had me cackling in every scene they showed up in and I cannot wait to see what shenanigans they get into next!
Thank you so much to Willow and Valentine PR for the early copy of What It Takes!
January 9, 2026
This was the perfect, friends to enemies to lovers! Juju and Camden are the definition of meant to be, the way they just clicked right from when they very first meant as children, and even when they ‘hated’ each other their pull to one another was undeniable!
I love the Grandma’s in this series! Grandma Donna and Grandma Nancy are such scene stealers! But who’d have thought they’d be meeting their match with Papa and Uncle Hal, these meddlers had me laughing a lot and I thought Papa and Grandma Donna were so sweet, whereas Uncle Hal and Grandma Nancy had me laughing away their banter was so so funny!! Of course Everett the resident meddler gets a mention, he is the absolute backbone of this family and I loved how he made sure Juju knew he had her back no matter what happened!
I loved the snippets at different ages and different stages of Juju and Camden’s relationship, it was good to have some understand of where things went wrong and how long they’ve both secretly been pining for one another!
Juju was so fun, I loved that she’s a successful business owner and even though it definitely ruled her life, it didn’t stop her living! I love her relationship with Goldie and all of the Whitmans, you could tell that they truly were basically family!
I love a bit of a grump and Camden was just that (well with Juju anyway!!) you knew under all that grumpiness we were going to have a man who was utterly obsessed and truly was! He definitely had his stupid moments, but all her really wanted was to make sure that he didn’t lose his best friend, but in the end his love for Juju prevailed!
I’m loving the Windy Harbor Series!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
I love the Grandma’s in this series! Grandma Donna and Grandma Nancy are such scene stealers! But who’d have thought they’d be meeting their match with Papa and Uncle Hal, these meddlers had me laughing a lot and I thought Papa and Grandma Donna were so sweet, whereas Uncle Hal and Grandma Nancy had me laughing away their banter was so so funny!! Of course Everett the resident meddler gets a mention, he is the absolute backbone of this family and I loved how he made sure Juju knew he had her back no matter what happened!
I loved the snippets at different ages and different stages of Juju and Camden’s relationship, it was good to have some understand of where things went wrong and how long they’ve both secretly been pining for one another!
Juju was so fun, I loved that she’s a successful business owner and even though it definitely ruled her life, it didn’t stop her living! I love her relationship with Goldie and all of the Whitmans, you could tell that they truly were basically family!
I love a bit of a grump and Camden was just that (well with Juju anyway!!) you knew under all that grumpiness we were going to have a man who was utterly obsessed and truly was! He definitely had his stupid moments, but all her really wanted was to make sure that he didn’t lose his best friend, but in the end his love for Juju prevailed!
I’m loving the Windy Harbor Series!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
January 15, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
🌶️🌶️.5
What It Takes is the 2nd book in the Windy Harbor series, and it captured me from the start. I loved this childhood friends, to slight enemies, to lover's romance.
Juliana (aka Juju) and Camden immediately hit it off as children, especially over their love for food. Unfortunately, their relationship turned contentious when he made a deal with her older brother to never get involved with Juju. They had some miscommunications and hurtful moments that caused them to mostly be at odds. Their history was told expertly through flashbacks that showcased their connection and fallout perfectly. I usually don't prefer flashbacks but made their story more impactful.
Camden has returned home after his father's sickness to open a restaurant. He continues to clash with Juliana, but things change when they finally deal with their feelings and acknowledge the fact they have both been pining after each other since they were teens.
I loved their banter and chemistry. There were some swoony moments once Camden decides to woo her properly. They are sneaking around though because Camden doesn't want to tell her brother the truth.
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
🎤Duet narration by Sebastian York & Rose Dioro
I really loved the duet narration by Sebastian York & Rose Dioro. They did a great job with the banter, longing, and angst from their past.
Thank you to Valentine PR for providing the ALC.
🌶️🌶️.5
What It Takes is the 2nd book in the Windy Harbor series, and it captured me from the start. I loved this childhood friends, to slight enemies, to lover's romance.
Juliana (aka Juju) and Camden immediately hit it off as children, especially over their love for food. Unfortunately, their relationship turned contentious when he made a deal with her older brother to never get involved with Juju. They had some miscommunications and hurtful moments that caused them to mostly be at odds. Their history was told expertly through flashbacks that showcased their connection and fallout perfectly. I usually don't prefer flashbacks but made their story more impactful.
Camden has returned home after his father's sickness to open a restaurant. He continues to clash with Juliana, but things change when they finally deal with their feelings and acknowledge the fact they have both been pining after each other since they were teens.
I loved their banter and chemistry. There were some swoony moments once Camden decides to woo her properly. They are sneaking around though because Camden doesn't want to tell her brother the truth.
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
🎤Duet narration by Sebastian York & Rose Dioro
I really loved the duet narration by Sebastian York & Rose Dioro. They did a great job with the banter, longing, and angst from their past.
Thank you to Valentine PR for providing the ALC.
January 11, 2026
Thank you so much to Willow Aster and Valentine PR for the e-ARC of this book!!!
I am so grateful to have read Juju and Camden’s story! It is a brothers best friend/best friends brother story full with miscommunication, missed opportunities, and so much ‘will they, won’t they?!’
Camden meets Juju at the ripe age of 5, he’s 7, and she just spilled cookies all over the lawn, but he helps her pick them up, and he really likes the cookies- he sampled one of course. Flash forward to the present and they barely speak without tension and tempers flaring. What happened to them?!
The entire story is so beautifully woven with small details from their past where you get to see them second guessing, and always revolving around each other.
This was a great read. Definitely one of my favorites this year. I loved the entire cast of characters you meet, the small town vibes, the Kitty Corner cafe, I felt like I was tucked away in the corner watching this play out. And when we were at Elm & Echo, it was such a classy vibe. I could definitely see this being a television series, something along the lines of Chesapeake Shores? Like that kind of family and vibe.
Tropes:
Chef x Cafe Owner (and chef)
Small town Resort living in Minnesota on Lake Superior
Attacking Rooster & cute chickens
Found Family
Family Secrets & texts!
Unhinged grandparents
Workaholics
TW: parent with cancer, death of a parent (car accident- different person)
I am so grateful to have read Juju and Camden’s story! It is a brothers best friend/best friends brother story full with miscommunication, missed opportunities, and so much ‘will they, won’t they?!’
Camden meets Juju at the ripe age of 5, he’s 7, and she just spilled cookies all over the lawn, but he helps her pick them up, and he really likes the cookies- he sampled one of course. Flash forward to the present and they barely speak without tension and tempers flaring. What happened to them?!
The entire story is so beautifully woven with small details from their past where you get to see them second guessing, and always revolving around each other.
This was a great read. Definitely one of my favorites this year. I loved the entire cast of characters you meet, the small town vibes, the Kitty Corner cafe, I felt like I was tucked away in the corner watching this play out. And when we were at Elm & Echo, it was such a classy vibe. I could definitely see this being a television series, something along the lines of Chesapeake Shores? Like that kind of family and vibe.
Tropes:
Chef x Cafe Owner (and chef)
Small town Resort living in Minnesota on Lake Superior
Attacking Rooster & cute chickens
Found Family
Family Secrets & texts!
Unhinged grandparents
Workaholics
TW: parent with cancer, death of a parent (car accident- different person)
January 16, 2026
ARC Review: 5⭐️
What it Takes is book 2 in the Windy Harbor series featuring Camden Whitman & Juliana ‘Juju’ Fair.
Camden & Juliana have known each other since they were children, but she has always been just his best friends little sister/ his sisters best friend. Over the years, Camden has said and done things that have caused Juliana to not want to be around him.
Now they’re both back in Windy Harbor and in close proximity to one another a lot more. Camden has always wanted a shot with her but he made a pack with her brother Jackson that they wouldn’t date each others sisters.
The constant pickering leads to undeniable attraction and they begin to sneak around. Just when things really start to heat up, Jackson finds out about them snd his reaction isn’t good. Will Jacksons reaction to their relationship put a major wrench in their happily ever after?
If youre a fan of small town, enemies to lovers, best friends brother romances then this is the one for you! Camden & Juliana were meant for one another and watching then figure it out was well worth the payout! This series is quickly becoming one of my favourites and I can’t wait for more!
Thank you Willow & Valentine PR for the ARC!
What it Takes is book 2 in the Windy Harbor series featuring Camden Whitman & Juliana ‘Juju’ Fair.
Camden & Juliana have known each other since they were children, but she has always been just his best friends little sister/ his sisters best friend. Over the years, Camden has said and done things that have caused Juliana to not want to be around him.
Now they’re both back in Windy Harbor and in close proximity to one another a lot more. Camden has always wanted a shot with her but he made a pack with her brother Jackson that they wouldn’t date each others sisters.
The constant pickering leads to undeniable attraction and they begin to sneak around. Just when things really start to heat up, Jackson finds out about them snd his reaction isn’t good. Will Jacksons reaction to their relationship put a major wrench in their happily ever after?
If youre a fan of small town, enemies to lovers, best friends brother romances then this is the one for you! Camden & Juliana were meant for one another and watching then figure it out was well worth the payout! This series is quickly becoming one of my favourites and I can’t wait for more!
Thank you Willow & Valentine PR for the ARC!
January 15, 2026
Juju & Camden go way back, having met when they were 5 & 7. I absolutely LOVED the occasional flashback chapters & being able to see how their friendship went from a friendship to “enemies” of sorts, to the present day where they mostly tolerate each other & bicker non-stop. 😆Going from that to them realizing what they mean to each other was such a treat!
Their mutual love of food is a big part of what kindled their initial friendship & I loved their dynamic — her being a baker who owns a cafe & him being a chef who owns a restaurant. They’re both incredibly driven & passionate about what they do, & it shows!
There were so many little moments I loved in this story. From Juju & Camden’s endless banter & their “first date” to the ways all the side characters kept things funny & interesting — especially the older folks in the story (iykyk 🤣).
I will absolutely be continuing the series, I’m eager for all the Whitman siblings to get their HEAs!
Thank you Willow Aster & Valentine PR for an eARC of What It Takes!
•• what to expect ••
🍰small town
🍝brother’s best friend
🍰cinnamon roll MMC
🍝she’s a baker, he’s a chef
🍰so much good banter!
🍝dual POV, dual timelines
🌶️4+ chapters with explicit content
Their mutual love of food is a big part of what kindled their initial friendship & I loved their dynamic — her being a baker who owns a cafe & him being a chef who owns a restaurant. They’re both incredibly driven & passionate about what they do, & it shows!
There were so many little moments I loved in this story. From Juju & Camden’s endless banter & their “first date” to the ways all the side characters kept things funny & interesting — especially the older folks in the story (iykyk 🤣).
I will absolutely be continuing the series, I’m eager for all the Whitman siblings to get their HEAs!
Thank you Willow Aster & Valentine PR for an eARC of What It Takes!
•• what to expect ••
🍰small town
🍝brother’s best friend
🍰cinnamon roll MMC
🍝she’s a baker, he’s a chef
🍰so much good banter!
🍝dual POV, dual timelines
🌶️4+ chapters with explicit content
January 15, 2026
5/5 ⭐
2.5/5 🌶️
I was so excited for Camden and Juju’s story and it did not disappoint! I am in love with them, this whole found family, and the town of Windy Harbor! Willow paints us the most beautifully vivid picture of this town, so every time I visit I never want to leave. And the journey between the past and present shows us the history and depth of the relationship between these two.
Camden and Juju's banter was hilarious and frustrating, because as much as they claimed to hate each other, we knew deep down they truly love and yearn for one another. So, watching them slowly lower those walls and give in to the years long feelings they have been harboring was unbelievably satisfying! We also learned about past events that I know will be important to the coming books in the series and it has me even more excited to see what is in store for the rest of the Whitman clan.
This book takes you on an entire rollercoaster ride of emotions. Joy, pain, anger, longing, sorrow, grief, love, laughter, and heartbreak! But I would expect nothing less from a Willow Aster book. She writes the most beautifully flawed characters and the most heartwarming found families. Every time I read one of her books it’s like visiting an old friend, and this book was no different.
2.5/5 🌶️
I was so excited for Camden and Juju’s story and it did not disappoint! I am in love with them, this whole found family, and the town of Windy Harbor! Willow paints us the most beautifully vivid picture of this town, so every time I visit I never want to leave. And the journey between the past and present shows us the history and depth of the relationship between these two.
Camden and Juju's banter was hilarious and frustrating, because as much as they claimed to hate each other, we knew deep down they truly love and yearn for one another. So, watching them slowly lower those walls and give in to the years long feelings they have been harboring was unbelievably satisfying! We also learned about past events that I know will be important to the coming books in the series and it has me even more excited to see what is in store for the rest of the Whitman clan.
This book takes you on an entire rollercoaster ride of emotions. Joy, pain, anger, longing, sorrow, grief, love, laughter, and heartbreak! But I would expect nothing less from a Willow Aster book. She writes the most beautifully flawed characters and the most heartwarming found families. Every time I read one of her books it’s like visiting an old friend, and this book was no different.
January 16, 2026
What It Takes is one of those small-town romances that wraps itself around you slowly… and just refuses to let go. Juju and Camden share a history that’s layered, messy, and filled with all the feelings that never quite found their way to the surface. A childhood bond. Years of distance. One very inconvenient promise. A whole lot of unresolved tension.
The alternating timelines were such a standout for me. Watching their connection form when they were young made every look, every sharp comment, and every moment of restraint in the present hit so much harder. The banter is playful with an edge, the longing is obvious, and the burn? Slow, delicious, and absolutely worth the wait 🔥
Juju is pure sunshine ☀️ warm, capable, and impossible not to root for. Camden, on the other hand, is the kind of hero who feels deeply but holds himself back for far too long… which made me want to both hug him and yell at him in equal measure.
Add in a cozy seaside town, close-knit families, a little sneaking around that feels just barely forbidden 🤭, and that signature Willow Aster charm 💕 and you’ve got a romance that’s comforting and swoony.
Sweet. Emotional. Classic.
Windy Harbor officially is all that I’d hoped it would be and I’m fully invested in this series 💙
The alternating timelines were such a standout for me. Watching their connection form when they were young made every look, every sharp comment, and every moment of restraint in the present hit so much harder. The banter is playful with an edge, the longing is obvious, and the burn? Slow, delicious, and absolutely worth the wait 🔥
Juju is pure sunshine ☀️ warm, capable, and impossible not to root for. Camden, on the other hand, is the kind of hero who feels deeply but holds himself back for far too long… which made me want to both hug him and yell at him in equal measure.
Add in a cozy seaside town, close-knit families, a little sneaking around that feels just barely forbidden 🤭, and that signature Willow Aster charm 💕 and you’ve got a romance that’s comforting and swoony.
Sweet. Emotional. Classic.
Windy Harbor officially is all that I’d hoped it would be and I’m fully invested in this series 💙
January 10, 2026
Camden and Juju were the stars of the show literally. ate up this book and their story.
They had TENSION for days and their bickering banter was so exciting. A slow burn with that tension? It was hot hot hot. Juju and Camden were childhood friends turned enemies turned lovers. The flashbacks of their childhood was done really well and gave me a good sense of who they were to each other and what went wrong. There was a lot of character growth between Juju and Camden which I really enjoyed.
Seeing snippets of Stella, Camdens mom made me incredibly emotional. That woman was the best there ever was and knowing how much she loved each of her children and the people closest to her was so bittersweet. This was probably my favorite Willow book to date. It had real, raw emotions but also so much happiness and I felt so close to the characters while reading.
Thank you Valentine PR & Willow Aster for this arc! I am extremely grateful 🫶🏼
brothers best friend (also best friends brother)
small town
chef x cafe owner
frienemies to lovers
forced proximity
They had TENSION for days and their bickering banter was so exciting. A slow burn with that tension? It was hot hot hot. Juju and Camden were childhood friends turned enemies turned lovers. The flashbacks of their childhood was done really well and gave me a good sense of who they were to each other and what went wrong. There was a lot of character growth between Juju and Camden which I really enjoyed.
Seeing snippets of Stella, Camdens mom made me incredibly emotional. That woman was the best there ever was and knowing how much she loved each of her children and the people closest to her was so bittersweet. This was probably my favorite Willow book to date. It had real, raw emotions but also so much happiness and I felt so close to the characters while reading.
Thank you Valentine PR & Willow Aster for this arc! I am extremely grateful 🫶🏼
brothers best friend (also best friends brother)
small town
chef x cafe owner
frienemies to lovers
forced proximity
January 14, 2026
Thank you Willow Aster + Valentine PR for my copy of What It Takes. 🤍 I received this book for review, all opinions are my own and given freely.
What It Takes is book 2 in Willow’s Windy Harbor series. I’m loving this new world Willow is creating. I’m a long time fan of Willow’s books and I’m so honored to be a part of her team.
What It Takes is Camden and Juju’s book. I was immediately intrigued by their chemistry and the untold story between them in book 1! With this book we finally get the tea. Camden and Juju go from childhood friends to enemies to lovers and Willow wrote these tropes perfectly. Juju is one of my favorite characters and there were times I wanted to shake Camden (and Juju) to stop beating around the bush and come clean with their mutual attraction and pining. I really enjoyed the flashbacks throughout this book so we could really get a feel for their full history. I continue to love the entire family and their dynamics. I’m looking forward to the next book (and the rest of this series).
Willow continues to remain one of my absolute favorite authors! Her books truly feel like putting on a favorite sweater; so cozy, so warm, so loved.
What It Takes releases 01/15.
What It Takes is book 2 in Willow’s Windy Harbor series. I’m loving this new world Willow is creating. I’m a long time fan of Willow’s books and I’m so honored to be a part of her team.
What It Takes is Camden and Juju’s book. I was immediately intrigued by their chemistry and the untold story between them in book 1! With this book we finally get the tea. Camden and Juju go from childhood friends to enemies to lovers and Willow wrote these tropes perfectly. Juju is one of my favorite characters and there were times I wanted to shake Camden (and Juju) to stop beating around the bush and come clean with their mutual attraction and pining. I really enjoyed the flashbacks throughout this book so we could really get a feel for their full history. I continue to love the entire family and their dynamics. I’m looking forward to the next book (and the rest of this series).
Willow continues to remain one of my absolute favorite authors! Her books truly feel like putting on a favorite sweater; so cozy, so warm, so loved.
What It Takes releases 01/15.
January 4, 2026
What it Takes is the 2nd book in the Windy Harbor series. Let me tell you this book had me hooked I mean it had me hooked, I could not stop reading it and stayed up until 2AM to finish.
Juju is a ray of sunshine with a whole lot of sass especially for Camden. Camden who never has a problem talking always seems to put his foot in his mouth around Juju, he is the cinnamon roll of all cinnamon rolls and everything you would want in a MMC.
This book goes between present day Juju and Camden and their childhood years. When things finally come to a head between Camden and Juju after years and years of miscommunication, angst, mixed signals and things left unsaid and when these two get it together hold on because fireworks fly.
This story had everything the slow burn, the anticipation, the banter, the crazy tension and the sweet tender wholesome moments. What made this story even better was all the returning characters and even some new ones.
This was the easiest 5 star review ever! A huge thank you goes out to Willow Aster & VPR team for this ARC
What it takes comes out on January 15th
* enemies to lovers
* Brothers best friend
* Small town
* Cinnamon roll MMC
Juju is a ray of sunshine with a whole lot of sass especially for Camden. Camden who never has a problem talking always seems to put his foot in his mouth around Juju, he is the cinnamon roll of all cinnamon rolls and everything you would want in a MMC.
This book goes between present day Juju and Camden and their childhood years. When things finally come to a head between Camden and Juju after years and years of miscommunication, angst, mixed signals and things left unsaid and when these two get it together hold on because fireworks fly.
This story had everything the slow burn, the anticipation, the banter, the crazy tension and the sweet tender wholesome moments. What made this story even better was all the returning characters and even some new ones.
This was the easiest 5 star review ever! A huge thank you goes out to Willow Aster & VPR team for this ARC
What it takes comes out on January 15th
* enemies to lovers
* Brothers best friend
* Small town
* Cinnamon roll MMC
January 5, 2026
4.5
🎧 Sebastian York & Rose Diorio
Another Willow book reminding me WHY I love Willows writing so damn much.
First off I have to start by talking about seeing the guys we know and love from the Singe Dad Playbook series, I similed so hard.
Now I’ll move on to them, because OH MY GOODNESS.
Juju and Camden have always kind of been at the edge of each others frustrations from a young age. This book Camden had YERNED for it for years and seeing it all unfold was perfect. I loved how they came together in a way while remaining true and authentic to what seems to be how they were from the start.
I loved the little blips of their past while they worked to unravel their present and work together to literally make them work.
There has been so much heart ache and both Cam and Jujus life and I literally got teary eyed multiple times during their story.
The found family, the laugh out loud metaling ladies and guys for that matter. Willow writes small town so well and I can’t wait see what’s next in this series.
🎧 Sebastian York & Rose Diorio
Another Willow book reminding me WHY I love Willows writing so damn much.
First off I have to start by talking about seeing the guys we know and love from the Singe Dad Playbook series, I similed so hard.
Now I’ll move on to them, because OH MY GOODNESS.
Juju and Camden have always kind of been at the edge of each others frustrations from a young age. This book Camden had YERNED for it for years and seeing it all unfold was perfect. I loved how they came together in a way while remaining true and authentic to what seems to be how they were from the start.
I loved the little blips of their past while they worked to unravel their present and work together to literally make them work.
There has been so much heart ache and both Cam and Jujus life and I literally got teary eyed multiple times during their story.
The found family, the laugh out loud metaling ladies and guys for that matter. Willow writes small town so well and I can’t wait see what’s next in this series.
December 31, 2025
Camden & Juliana
Since the first book I’ve been wondering what had these two fighting and bickering but with enough tension to set the place on fire and I love how much history these two have!
Camden & Juju were childhood best friends who were turned enemies and we finally find out what happens. This book weaves between the present and past, giving us such a depth into their love / hate relationship.
I loved the back and forth between these two, I was emotional, and my heart swooned when they finally re connected
This is such a heart warming beautiful small town story!
🩵Brothers Best Friend
🩵Mutual hatred / Pining
🩵Forced Proximity
🩵Boy obsessed
🩵Small Town Romance
4.5⭐️ 2🌶️
Bonus points for the side characters in this, the Uncles and the Grandmas had me cackling with their antics and were such a fun addition to the story!
Bring on Dylan’s story next!
Thankyou to Willow and Valentine PR for the arc opportunity 🫶🏻
Since the first book I’ve been wondering what had these two fighting and bickering but with enough tension to set the place on fire and I love how much history these two have!
Camden & Juju were childhood best friends who were turned enemies and we finally find out what happens. This book weaves between the present and past, giving us such a depth into their love / hate relationship.
I loved the back and forth between these two, I was emotional, and my heart swooned when they finally re connected
This is such a heart warming beautiful small town story!
🩵Brothers Best Friend
🩵Mutual hatred / Pining
🩵Forced Proximity
🩵Boy obsessed
🩵Small Town Romance
4.5⭐️ 2🌶️
Bonus points for the side characters in this, the Uncles and the Grandmas had me cackling with their antics and were such a fun addition to the story!
Bring on Dylan’s story next!
Thankyou to Willow and Valentine PR for the arc opportunity 🫶🏻
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