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Worth the Challenge: A Steamy Small Town Sapphic Romance with Political Stakes
She’s the Mayor. I’m the Mistake She Keeps Making.
Sylvia Beaumont is everything I’m not.
Powerful. Polished. Uptight in heels and lipstick.
I mix drinks, flirt for tips, and sleep in until noon if I want to. I wasn’t supposed to fall for the Ice Queen in a black dress and trauma eyes.
But then she kissed me.
And now? I can’t stop thinking about her.
She says she’s straight. Says I’m a one-time mistake. But her mouth tells a different story when it’s on mine.
We were supposed to be a fling. A forgotten night.
Then she walks into my bar with her campaign team, and suddenly my world is front-page news.
Small towns remember everything. Secrets don’t stay buried long.
And Sylvia’s the one woman I can’t seem to quit—even if loving her ruins us both.
Sylvia Beaumont is everything I’m not.
Powerful. Polished. Uptight in heels and lipstick.
I mix drinks, flirt for tips, and sleep in until noon if I want to. I wasn’t supposed to fall for the Ice Queen in a black dress and trauma eyes.
But then she kissed me.
And now? I can’t stop thinking about her.
She says she’s straight. Says I’m a one-time mistake. But her mouth tells a different story when it’s on mine.
We were supposed to be a fling. A forgotten night.
Then she walks into my bar with her campaign team, and suddenly my world is front-page news.
Small towns remember everything. Secrets don’t stay buried long.
And Sylvia’s the one woman I can’t seem to quit—even if loving her ruins us both.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 24, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 13, 2025
Definitely worth the read
The book was good, spicy, sweet. However I'd change just one thing: More variety in the spice doesn't have to be much (from behind, sitting on face etc.) The rest was good though!
The book was good, spicy, sweet. However I'd change just one thing: More variety in the spice doesn't have to be much (from behind, sitting on face etc.) The rest was good though!
June 28, 2025
The Mistake I Keep Making!
Haughty-Captivating-On Edge
When no-nonsense Mayor Sylvia Beaumont kisses the town’s charming bartender on a night she swore would stay secret, sparks fly—and the fallout ignites. Sylvia has a reputation to protect and an election to win. In a town where rumors spread faster than wildfire and secrets rarely stay hidden, they are playing with fire.
I will reread this one!
Haughty-Captivating-On Edge
When no-nonsense Mayor Sylvia Beaumont kisses the town’s charming bartender on a night she swore would stay secret, sparks fly—and the fallout ignites. Sylvia has a reputation to protect and an election to win. In a town where rumors spread faster than wildfire and secrets rarely stay hidden, they are playing with fire.
I will reread this one!
June 7, 2026
Instant 5 ⭐️ - The emotions and tension had me hooked from the get-go. Don't get me started on the spice. I honestly thought it broke my spice scale! It clocked in at 7 🌶️ for me, I swear I lost count of how many spice scenes there were.
I know I'm late on posting my arc review. Life got away from me, and I just got back into reading more avidly this year. I will say, there was one thing to note, towards the last few chapters, Sylvia was wearing a wig, and I'm like, "Where did that come from? Did I miss that memo?"
Character Notes:
Sylvia
I felt there were moments when she could've had more backbone, but I get being fearful in a town like Oakley Haven. I also felt that in the early chapters with her, she felt a bit too stubborn for her own good. But she's still learning and unlearning everything she has been taught by her adopted parents, and finding out where she fits in, and you see that struggle in her towards the last couple of chapters.
Aurora
I really liked Aurora, while there were times when Aurora suffered in silence around homophobia around her mom and the new church pianist, when she could've stood up regardless of the public setting, I feel that would have been a big character growth for her. However, she let her friends jump to conclusions after the fair and didn't even try to mediate the tension between her friends and Sylvia. She just let it happen and left Sylvia there, which I felt was wrong, but that's just my opinion.
Overall, this was a great read, and I've thoroughly enjoyed Lara's books so far!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I know I'm late on posting my arc review. Life got away from me, and I just got back into reading more avidly this year. I will say, there was one thing to note, towards the last few chapters, Sylvia was wearing a wig, and I'm like, "Where did that come from? Did I miss that memo?"
Character Notes:
Sylvia
I felt there were moments when she could've had more backbone, but I get being fearful in a town like Oakley Haven. I also felt that in the early chapters with her, she felt a bit too stubborn for her own good. But she's still learning and unlearning everything she has been taught by her adopted parents, and finding out where she fits in, and you see that struggle in her towards the last couple of chapters.
Aurora
I really liked Aurora, while there were times when Aurora suffered in silence around homophobia around her mom and the new church pianist, when she could've stood up regardless of the public setting, I feel that would have been a big character growth for her. However, she let her friends jump to conclusions after the fair and didn't even try to mediate the tension between her friends and Sylvia. She just let it happen and left Sylvia there, which I felt was wrong, but that's just my opinion.
Overall, this was a great read, and I've thoroughly enjoyed Lara's books so far!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews