Sweet as Sin

Breakridge River #1

by Ash Rose

She's his sister's best friend. He's the boy she barely noticed—until he came back all grown-up and sinfully hot.

Small Town Romance
Forbidden best friends brother
He falls first; and harder
Fall in love with the little town of Breakridge River and the deliciously sinful Larson brothers; Sean, Xander and Oli.

Book 1 - Sweet As SinDiscover this bubbling hot best-friend's brother, small town romance that will have you swooning, kicking your feet and laughing out loud.

Lucy Davenport has enough on her plate running the family bakery, managing her best friend's wedding, and pretending she's totally fine being perpetually single in the sleepy town of Breakridge River. The last thing she needs is a blast from the past with abs, attitude, and a smirk that could melt buttercream.

Enter Sean Larson—tattooed, broad-shouldered, and back in town for the first time in nine years. He left as a scrawny teenager with a broken heart and returned as every dirty daydream Lucy's ever had in the kitchen. He's made millions, dodged emotional entanglements, and swore he'd never fall for the one girl who never even saw him… until now.

One steamy almost-kiss, one forbidden attraction, and one seriously unfortunate bathtub disaster later, they're thrust together in a storm of desire, denial, and deliciously bad decisions.

He's her best friend's little brother. She's off-limits.

But what if the wrong kind of temptation… feels just right?

She's got sugar in her smile and heat in her oven. He's ready to get burned.

Sweet As Sin is a scorching, laugh-out-loud small-town romance packed with fiery banter, second chances, and a chemistry so hot it could set the bakery on fire. Perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey, Meghan Quinn and Melanie Harlow

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Small Town Romance, He Falls First

381 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 21, 2025

About the author

Ash Rose writes contemporary spicy romance. Is a sucker for a feral MMC who will do anything for his woman.
Currently writing small town romance but who knows what genres and tropes she might try in the future.

A full time nurse who fits writing these spicy scenes between wrangling two kids, two dogs and her very own patient loving MMC.

Reviews

[whatroseread · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved everything about this book!!!
A great small town romance, forbidden lovers, forced proximity, spicy, he falls first.. it just has everything I enjoy in a small town romance book! I genuinely can’t wait to see what else happens in Breakridge River 🥰

[elliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an early copy of this book as an ARC reader. It did not affect my rating.

Lucy Davenport has a lot on her plate. Running the family bakery, her best friend’s wedding and acting like she doesn’t hate being single.

Sean Larson, Lucy’s best friend’s little brother, is only in town for his sister’s wedding. Then he’s back off to doing what he does.

But when old feelings for Sean resurface and new feelings show up for Lucy, will things go as planned?

A quick and steamy read that you won’t be able to put down.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Ash Rose for the ARC 🫶🏻

Sweet as Sin is the first by Ash Rose in a new small town romance series, Breakridge River.
We follow our FMC Lucy in the run up to best friend Kate’s wedding, as she tries to be the perfect maid of honor, run her family bakery and take care of her Mam who has been diagnosed with MS. Then we through our MMC Sean into the mix, Kate’s younger brother who is back for the first time in 9 years, who has been holding a flame for Lucy since he left.

Small town romance is always a win for me and with the best friend’s brother trope too it was even better!!

I really loved the tight knit community vibe, I really loved the scenes with Kate’s family.

I adored Sean and Lucy together, Sean is a fantastic love interest. Their tension was electric from the very first scene, I kid you not I was legit grinning, kicking my feet the ENTIRE time they were interacting.

I found it really refreshing to read about an FMC in their 30s and loved the portrayal of still feeling at this age like you’re not sure which direction you need to take in life.

I couldn’t put it down!! It was so bingeable I got through it in two sittings, the whole thing played out like a movie in my head

This is definitely one to look out for when it’s released 14th July!!

[Niamh · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️3.25

👤⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📜⭐️⭐️⭐️
🪓⭐️⭐️⭐️
✌🏼⭐️⭐️⭐️


👤Really liked Sean - seems like a sweet guy who just needs to work on his communication a wee but (and stop going on about being rich 🌝 I’m jel)

Lucy comes across as really hard working, passionate and super supportive to the people she loves- amazing bestie, maid of honour and daughter. But she can actually be a bit of a mean girl to those not in her inner circle (Brendan, Lisa, Mel) admittedly Lisa Loose Legs made me laugh. I found her a bit frustrating- she wouldn’t listen to Sean, had a lot of self doubt and I didn’t care for the constant internal fat shaming. Judging by the cover arts she’s not exactly big and even if she was, it’s not nice to read.

I liked Sean’s big bro Xander, can’t wait to read his book!

📜Nothing complex so was a nice easy read 👌🏼 solid small town romance that was definitely more character driven so nothing totally new plot wise (I did LOL at Sean in the bathroom) Spice was good but maybe wanted a little more 👀🥵

🪓Could have done another round of editing - fair few grammatical errors and some plot inconsistencies - just needs an overall tightening up. But the the writing did reflect Sean’s yearning and the tension was built pretty well

✌🏼Enjoyed reading it and absolutely want to read more from Ash Rose

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy is dreaming of that fireworks-and-butterflies kinda love... 🎆🦋 but when she finally gets it… plot twist 🤌🏻

Sean… oh Sean. The sweetest guy ever 🥰 and hot 🔥

I’m loving the little age gap 👏 plus this book reminds us that you don’t need your whole life planned out by your 30s 🙌 (thank you for that, Ash!)

Small town charm 🏡 amazing side characters (I want to hang out with them all!) 🫶 funny, flirty banter 😏 and the vibes are just chef’s kiss 👌

I’m already counting the days for book 2!! ⏳💫

[Crystal Counelis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute small town romance

* Bestfriends brother
* He falls first
* Forced proximity
* A little possessive

Sean has been infatuated with Lucy since middle school, she's his older sisters bestfriend. He leaves town and returns nine years later. I really enjoyed the characters in the story, there was good banter and good tension between characters. Some scenes a little spicy. And I do love a good he falls first. I like that the story had more depth to it more than just about their relationship. I am grateful for this Arc and am looking forward to the next book!

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

• Small town romance
• Forced proximity
• Forbidden romance
• Best friends brother
• Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
• DPOV


Contemporary Romance is a hit and miss genre for me, more miss than hit if I’m truthful but ‘Sweet As Sin’ is a bullseye 🎯!!

Once I started reading I could not put it down, the story, the characters and I mean ALL the characters completely captivated me. ❤️

I absolutely loved the banter and the inner monologue of the two main characters ( Lucy & Sean) had me smiling and chuckling 🥰

If you want a cozy, spicy summer read then pick this up!

[Jess H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy from Ash Rose.

Sweet as Sun is the perfect summer time romance novel.
•best friend’s brother 👀
•She’s older than him 😏
•yearning for YEARS 😭🩷


My one complaint is for Lucy’s age she should have been much better at communicating…

So much fun! I definitely recommend you check it out

[Kirsty Whalen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is everything you want from a small town romance! The tension between the two main characters is on pointttt and the spice is 🔥

Best Friends brother ✅
Forced proximity ✅
Possessive ( and HOT ) MMC ✅
He falls first ✅

Absolutely fell in love with the characters in this book and I cannot wait to see what the other characters get up to in the future 👀 😍

[Sarah Cartwright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking for a small town romance that's fantastically spicy, fun and sexy? 100% this! A best friend's brother trope giving you exactly what you'd want from this type of read. Plus, he falls first! Best part was I was smiling, laughing, and welled up during parts! Highly recommend!

[Louise Gould · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHEN YOUR GIRL GETS HER BOOK ONTO GOODREADS 👏🏼

I read this a few months ago as a very early copy & I loved the story, the characters, the setting etc.

I can't wait to read this again once it's fully released!!!😍🧡

So proud of you Ash! 🧡🙌🏼

[Chellebean · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25🌟

I have to say I enjoyed this one. I felt for Luke in the end and wanted to slap her 🤣
It would have got a bit higher rating, as I binged it in 18hrs 🤣 but it needs to be re-edited, as they were too many mistakes.

[Katie Huyton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this was such a fun, quirky and sexy small town read! I loved the dynamic between the characters. Lucy and Sean are the cutest! I smiled, giggled and even a lump in my throat.
Definitely a great read and I look forward to the next book and seeing what xanders story is.

[Madison Hillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Ash at a literacy festival and picked up this book after speaking to her! I started and finished sweet as sin in one day because I could not put the book down! Absolutely loved it and cannot wait to read more of her work! 🩷

[Erica Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! And a huge thank you to Ash Rose for the ARC!! This was a super cute small town romance. He falls first, best friends brother, forced proximity.

I really loved Sean’s dedication to Lucy. To still be pining after someone since you were 17?! So romantic!

I would have loved to have dived into Lucy’s bakery life a little bit more and to have seen Sean and Lucy have some more one on one time to see and feel their connection. I would give 3.5 stars if I could!!

[Jaye Winkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off thank you so much Ash for the ARC🫶🏻

Sweet as Sin is Ash Rose’s debut and the first in the Breakridge River series and I ate it up👏🏼👏🏼

If you love small town romances, you will love Sean & Lucy’s story!! Keep your eyes peeled for the release 21/07/25😍

We follow our FMC Lucy through the build up to her best friends wedding, she is portrayed as an extremely supportive woman who would go over and above for everyone else… she’s caring for her mum, running the family bakery & has just had no luck in her love life recently… enter Sean her best friends younger brother who has been in love with Lucy for years to the point he moved away to get rid of his feelings… and I think we can guess where this is going to go.

I LOVED Sean & Lucy together, this book was so so bingeable and had me kicking my feet & giggling… I cannot wait for book 2 of the series!! You should be so proud of yourself Ash you SMASHED this 🤩🤩

Ps. "Eyes on me Red." “Good girl.”🫠🥵

[Bailey Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute feel good book.
Small town romance story where he falls first
This is a 🌶️🌶️ book
Loved the fact it was a reverse age gap where the MMC is younger.
The connection and chemistry between the two main Lucy and Sean was amazing and I loved the found family vibes this book has.
Lucy just needed her best friend’s little brother to show her small acts of kindness and how love is meant to be and Sean is definitely a man smitten.
Definitely recommend reading if you are looking for a happy feel good book

[Jodie Mcintosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of meeting Ash Rose at the literary book festival in Dundee. She was absolutely delightful, and her book truly encapsulated everything one could desire in a small-town romance. The story revolves around Sean, who has harbored feelings for his sister's best friend since childhood, and she, in turn, only ever perceived him as a child until his return nine years later. While I would have appreciated a bit more focus on the bakery and the time Sean and Lucy spent together, I thoroughly enjoyed the book overall. It was a very accessible read, and I was able to complete it within a day and a half.

[Andreea B · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW 4⭐️ 2🌶

This sweet book got me out of a reading slump! I loved Sean and Lucy so much, the black cat × golden retriever trope gets me everytime.

Their chemistry is amazing, the setting is cozy and this book feels like home. So proud of my girl Ash Rose for her debut novel and I cannot wait for the rest of the series!

[Devon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I found this book really fun to read, I was hooked from “Hellloo tall, blonde and buff” 😆

I enjoyed the story between Lucy and Sean. It was very much golden retriever x black cat vibes in a small town set up. I loved that Lucy was very independent running her own bakery but did find her to be a little bit annoying at times 🙈

I would have rated the book 3.75 but there are some editing errors and minor inconsistencies that have been missed.

All in all would recommend reading this book for a nice, easy, fun read ☺️

[Pippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Sweet as Sin, a could not put down adorable Love Story with the most beautiful ending. I was really engaged with the characters and story line so much so I wanted to scream at Lucy "just believe in love!" I absolutely cannot wait until Book 2!! Obsessed

[Marlee Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ Honestly, a really solid read! I was in the mood for a singular book and this was just what I needed. Lucy and Sean were so sweet and perfect for each other! Some of the miscommunication was annoying, but I enjoyed their story!

[Claire Dunbar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the story of Lucy and Sean! It had me in tears at the end. Loved it!

[For The Love of books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aww I wished I could find a man to love me like Sean. A good old fashioned love story, with a few bumps along the way. The story was adorable and cute, without being too sweet. Not my usual genre with lots of spicy sex scenes, that managed to make me blush. Everyone was wanting the ending of blissful happiness for Sean and Lucy, kept guessing until the last minute. I enjoyed the characters, the build up of the story and the tension. Definitely more to come from this author to be excited about.

[Nichola Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book—especially all the little Scottish references, which added so much charm and authenticity. It was such an easy, addictive read: fast-paced, spicy, and full of engaging moments that kept me hooked from start to finish.

The relationships between the characters were a real highlight for me, and I found both the characters and the storyline thoroughly enjoyable. I’m already looking forward to picking up the next one!

[Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just this moment finished Sweet As Sin and i absolutely LOVED it.
It was just what I needed, a giant hug in a book. I fell for Sean and Lucy. I loved their story, hit a little close to home with some areas and I was kicking my feet, swooning and feeling all the feels with this book.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved every minute of this book. I didn't want to put it down. I can't wait to read more from this author 💜

[Shannon Kearney · Rating 4 out of 5]

What was not to love about this book? Forbidden best friend’s brother, forced proximity, he falls first, billionaire romance. It really ticks all the boxes.

Lucy is such a lovable character, a flawless best friend and classic people-pleaser. Her cheery disposition was infectious, even as a reader. Sean is a swoon-worthy MMC, and you’re really endeared by his unending love for Lucy.

With just enough spice to complement the plot rather than derail it, this was such a delightful read. I was genuinely giggling and kicking my feet at the bridal dress shop scene, iykyk.

All in all, a lovely book, and I’m really looking forward to reading more of this family’s stories. You don’t just fall for the main characters, but the whole family and even the town itself. Everything about it felt warm and charming.

[EnJay Mc · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5🌟 2.5🌶️

Firstly, I read this book back in July and have only just written a review for it, so I apologise Ash!

I absolutely loved this book, it kept me up into the wee hours, wanting to see what would happen between the characters.

It's a cutesy, small town romance with a reverse age gap (not too big), best friends brother and a bit of forced proximity.

I loved it (have I already said that?) Lucy Davenport has WAY too much on her plate, keeping her family bakery running, helping her best friend plan her wedding, caring for her ill mother, she is a yes person through and through! Then there's Sean, her best friend's (annoying) younger brother who's always been hopelessly in love with Lucy and moved away. He's back in town for the wedding and he brings the fireworks, while helping Lucy tick off her never ending list of things to do!!

This was such an easy read, I can't wait for the rest of the books in this series.

[Kimberley Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute small town romance 3.8/5