What do you think?
Rate this book
Mystic Falls #5
Searching For Sadie
She went on a reality dating show to find love. What she got was a public disaster.
Now Sadie just wants to disappear, preferably somewhere quiet, with no cameras and no one recognizing her. Inheriting her great-aunt’s old house in the small town of Mystic Falls seems like the perfect escape.
But then she meets her next-door neighbor.
Lucas has everything he thought he a thriving business, close friends, and the same peaceful town he’s always called home. He wasn’t expecting the woman next door to turn his world upside down—or to make him wonder if something’s been missing all along.
Now Sadie just wants to disappear, preferably somewhere quiet, with no cameras and no one recognizing her. Inheriting her great-aunt’s old house in the small town of Mystic Falls seems like the perfect escape.
But then she meets her next-door neighbor.
Lucas has everything he thought he a thriving business, close friends, and the same peaceful town he’s always called home. He wasn’t expecting the woman next door to turn his world upside down—or to make him wonder if something’s been missing all along.
317 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 18, 2025
5 people are currently reading
196 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
September 18, 2025
Sadie's story was an emotional but satisfying end to the Mystic Falls series. I felt so sympathetic for the fatphobia and body-shaming she experiences while on a reality dating show that happens before the events in the book start.
When she moves to Mystic Falls after her great aunt left her house to Sadie in her will, she was feeling lost and had taken a hit to her confidence.
Luckily, the hot guy next door, Lucas is an electrician with the heart of gold and he goes above and beyond to show Sadie in so many ways she's worthy of love just as she is.
Heartfelt, steamy, small town goodness with cameos from tons of past characters. I really enjoyed this one and will miss the Mystic Falls gang!
Many thanks to the author for sharing an early digital copy. I voluntarily read this book and all opinions are my own! I highly recommend checking out the rest of The Mystic Falls series!
When she moves to Mystic Falls after her great aunt left her house to Sadie in her will, she was feeling lost and had taken a hit to her confidence.
Luckily, the hot guy next door, Lucas is an electrician with the heart of gold and he goes above and beyond to show Sadie in so many ways she's worthy of love just as she is.
Heartfelt, steamy, small town goodness with cameos from tons of past characters. I really enjoyed this one and will miss the Mystic Falls gang!
Many thanks to the author for sharing an early digital copy. I voluntarily read this book and all opinions are my own! I highly recommend checking out the rest of The Mystic Falls series!
September 15, 2025
After a horrible experience on a reality dating show, Sadie leaves Nashville and ends up in Mystic Falls in a house left to her by her aunt and a cat named George (also left to her by her aunt). Sadie falls in love with the magical little town AND her burly, handsome neighbor Lucas. Lucas is kind and considerate and seems to really value her, which is so different from the past that Sadie is running from.
This is the first of the Mystic Falls books I’ve read, and I am both devastated and so thankful that I’m finding the series now at the last book. Devastating because I’m so sorry I didn’t get to experience these in order as they came out, but so thankful that I can read the entire series together now. Warren SOLD ME on this town from the very beginning. She was able to weave so much about the town and other characters from her series into the plot that I truly felt a bit like Sadie— a newcomer to town who was getting all the best gossip. I’m so in love with these other characters already, but Sadie and Lucas made my heart so happy.
I appreciated Warren’s balance of simple small town romance with the growth that Sadie goes through throughout the course of the novel. As a fat girl, I am ALWAYS sobbing my eyes out when the big girl can reclaim some of her power. And Lucas! Ugh— Mr. Green Flag himself. It was so nice to see a kind, fluffy, blue-collar guy getting the girl.
Now…I cannot wait to start at Mystic Falls Book 1.
Thank you so much to Mary Warren for allowing me to read this arc and share my opinions.
This is the first of the Mystic Falls books I’ve read, and I am both devastated and so thankful that I’m finding the series now at the last book. Devastating because I’m so sorry I didn’t get to experience these in order as they came out, but so thankful that I can read the entire series together now. Warren SOLD ME on this town from the very beginning. She was able to weave so much about the town and other characters from her series into the plot that I truly felt a bit like Sadie— a newcomer to town who was getting all the best gossip. I’m so in love with these other characters already, but Sadie and Lucas made my heart so happy.
I appreciated Warren’s balance of simple small town romance with the growth that Sadie goes through throughout the course of the novel. As a fat girl, I am ALWAYS sobbing my eyes out when the big girl can reclaim some of her power. And Lucas! Ugh— Mr. Green Flag himself. It was so nice to see a kind, fluffy, blue-collar guy getting the girl.
Now…I cannot wait to start at Mystic Falls Book 1.
Thank you so much to Mary Warren for allowing me to read this arc and share my opinions.
September 18, 2025
WWDD?? What Would Dolly Do?
********************
Tropes: Small Town with a touch of Magic, Neighbors to Lovers, Plus Size Heroine & “Dad Bod” Hero
********************
Content Warnings: Aggressive Fatmisia (& pushed back at by others,) Intoxication, Graphic Language and Sexual Content
********************
Quote: “Be you and take up space, because even big girls get happy endings.”
********************
Blurb: She went on a reality dating show to find love. What she got was a public disaster.
Now Sadie just wants to disappear, preferably somewhere quiet, with no cameras and no one recognizing her. Inheriting her great-aunt’s old house in the small town of Mystic Falls seems like the perfect escape.
But then she meets her next-door neighbor.
Lucas has everything he thought he needed: a thriving business, close friends, and the same peaceful town he’s always called home. He wasn’t expecting the woman next door to turn his world upside down—or to make him wonder if something’s been missing all along.
********************
Review: I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The conclusion for the Mystic Falls series sprinkled in guest stars from the previous four books, which I thought was a nice touch. The ex-reality show contestant plot worked well for getting across Mary Warren’s message about body positivity. George, formerly Aunt Rose’s now Sadie’s, big orange cat was a nice addition to the cast. Mix it all up and throw in a heavy dose of wit and charm, and the end product is chef’s kiss!
The angst in the beginning is almost torturous, and you could almost add slow burn to the list of tropes. It seemed like it took forever for Sadie and Lucas to finally kiss, but boy things heated up once they did. I struggled slightly with the mingling of third-party limited and first-person points of view. All was forgiven though, when there was no third act breakup. Yay.
I disagree with one aspect of Ms. Warren’s plus size representation. Ryan was displaying fatmisia, or the more modern term sizeism, and not fatphobia. He wasn’t afraid of Sadie’s being fat, he straight up judged her harshly and treated her with unwarranted contempt. The handling and pushback he received was a good climax for this narrative. And kudos that Lucas sports a big man’s boys and not the cliche hard body. I’m not yucking the muscle guys, but this girl considers a little soft over those muscles a definite yum.
This is book five of the series, but it can be read as a standalone.
********************
Ratings: Movie Rating R, 5/5 overall, 4/5 romance, 0/5 violence, 3/5 spice, 5/5 cover art
********************
Release Date: September 18th, 2025
********************
Tropes: Small Town with a touch of Magic, Neighbors to Lovers, Plus Size Heroine & “Dad Bod” Hero
********************
Content Warnings: Aggressive Fatmisia (& pushed back at by others,) Intoxication, Graphic Language and Sexual Content
********************
Quote: “Be you and take up space, because even big girls get happy endings.”
********************
Blurb: She went on a reality dating show to find love. What she got was a public disaster.
Now Sadie just wants to disappear, preferably somewhere quiet, with no cameras and no one recognizing her. Inheriting her great-aunt’s old house in the small town of Mystic Falls seems like the perfect escape.
But then she meets her next-door neighbor.
Lucas has everything he thought he needed: a thriving business, close friends, and the same peaceful town he’s always called home. He wasn’t expecting the woman next door to turn his world upside down—or to make him wonder if something’s been missing all along.
********************
Review: I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The conclusion for the Mystic Falls series sprinkled in guest stars from the previous four books, which I thought was a nice touch. The ex-reality show contestant plot worked well for getting across Mary Warren’s message about body positivity. George, formerly Aunt Rose’s now Sadie’s, big orange cat was a nice addition to the cast. Mix it all up and throw in a heavy dose of wit and charm, and the end product is chef’s kiss!
The angst in the beginning is almost torturous, and you could almost add slow burn to the list of tropes. It seemed like it took forever for Sadie and Lucas to finally kiss, but boy things heated up once they did. I struggled slightly with the mingling of third-party limited and first-person points of view. All was forgiven though, when there was no third act breakup. Yay.
I disagree with one aspect of Ms. Warren’s plus size representation. Ryan was displaying fatmisia, or the more modern term sizeism, and not fatphobia. He wasn’t afraid of Sadie’s being fat, he straight up judged her harshly and treated her with unwarranted contempt. The handling and pushback he received was a good climax for this narrative. And kudos that Lucas sports a big man’s boys and not the cliche hard body. I’m not yucking the muscle guys, but this girl considers a little soft over those muscles a definite yum.
This is book five of the series, but it can be read as a standalone.
********************
Ratings: Movie Rating R, 5/5 overall, 4/5 romance, 0/5 violence, 3/5 spice, 5/5 cover art
********************
Release Date: September 18th, 2025
September 22, 2025
As soon as I read the blurb I just wanted to immerse myself into this story immediatly! Its such a cozy, small town vibe-y story set in the town of Mystic Falls.
Sadie flees her old live after a disastrous experience on a dating show. After inheriting a house from her aunt she lands in Mystic Falls where she also meets her new handsome neighbour Lucas.
Lucas is the impersonation of a golden retriever. He immediatly sets his eyes on Sadie but as she‘s dealing with her own problems he gives her space and time as they get to know each other. Sadie struggles to let Lucas in but he‘s just so patient and kind with her all the time.
I adored him soooo much like give me a Lucas in real life pls ✨😤
Sadies journey around the dating show disaster and her family drama felt very heavy in comparison. A few times I felt frustrated when Sadie wouldn‘t share her struggles even when Lucas tried to be there for her but as soon as I asked myself: what would I do? I related to Sadies reaction 🫡.
Especially her dispute with her family/sister I could relate to so much. This superficial behavior around each other and never really talking things out as soon as it would get uncomfortable, I could relate to this so much.
The chemistry was ✨perfect✨ and I couldn‘t have wished for a better pairing. Also just know that if that is your first book from the author she writes wonderful spicy times with wonderful fat representation 🌶️.
This one felt like a low angst but wonderful cozy story with all the sweet and wonderful side characters that made the story even better! Oh and the cute little fluffball George was another perfect addidtion with his shenanigans 🤭.
Really, the only thing that didn‘t let me connect to the story 100% was the third-person writing. I already felt this way when I was reading the third book in this series so I did know going into this I could experience the same thing.
It’s just a personal preference of mine to dislike this writing style so I will not let it affect my rating too much.
4 ⭐️
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Sadie flees her old live after a disastrous experience on a dating show. After inheriting a house from her aunt she lands in Mystic Falls where she also meets her new handsome neighbour Lucas.
Lucas is the impersonation of a golden retriever. He immediatly sets his eyes on Sadie but as she‘s dealing with her own problems he gives her space and time as they get to know each other. Sadie struggles to let Lucas in but he‘s just so patient and kind with her all the time.
I adored him soooo much like give me a Lucas in real life pls ✨😤
Sadies journey around the dating show disaster and her family drama felt very heavy in comparison. A few times I felt frustrated when Sadie wouldn‘t share her struggles even when Lucas tried to be there for her but as soon as I asked myself: what would I do? I related to Sadies reaction 🫡.
Especially her dispute with her family/sister I could relate to so much. This superficial behavior around each other and never really talking things out as soon as it would get uncomfortable, I could relate to this so much.
The chemistry was ✨perfect✨ and I couldn‘t have wished for a better pairing. Also just know that if that is your first book from the author she writes wonderful spicy times with wonderful fat representation 🌶️.
This one felt like a low angst but wonderful cozy story with all the sweet and wonderful side characters that made the story even better! Oh and the cute little fluffball George was another perfect addidtion with his shenanigans 🤭.
Really, the only thing that didn‘t let me connect to the story 100% was the third-person writing. I already felt this way when I was reading the third book in this series so I did know going into this I could experience the same thing.
It’s just a personal preference of mine to dislike this writing style so I will not let it affect my rating too much.
4 ⭐️
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 14, 2025
The final book in the Mystic Falls series is a perfect end to this series.
After a disastrous turn on a reality dating show, Sadie Dade wants a place to lie low until she has to promote the show that humiliated and degraded her. After inheriting a house in Mystic Falls, Sadie retreats to the small town only to find her next door neighbor is Lucas, the handsome and charming handyman next door.
Sadie broke my heart in the best way. I related to this character in a visceral way that had me crying for and empathizing with her. Sadie's experiences in a fat body were so very relatable, and refelcted the ups and downs fat people experience with bodily acceptance. Confidence is always the goal, but can't always be the reality because of the world that we live in and the value it places on thin bodies. Mystic Falls was the perfect found family for Sadie to find her place.
Sadie definitely gave both Kate [Reclaimin Kate] and Alice [Taylor] a run for my favorite Mary Warren heroine. I just related so hard to Sadie and her experiences of humiliation. Reading this felt so cathartic. I also loved the nod to Olivia Dade with Sadie's last name.
Lucas is a golden retriever hero who falls fast and hard for Sadie and isn't afraid of a grand gesture proving he's all in. 🤩
After a disastrous turn on a reality dating show, Sadie Dade wants a place to lie low until she has to promote the show that humiliated and degraded her. After inheriting a house in Mystic Falls, Sadie retreats to the small town only to find her next door neighbor is Lucas, the handsome and charming handyman next door.
Sadie broke my heart in the best way. I related to this character in a visceral way that had me crying for and empathizing with her. Sadie's experiences in a fat body were so very relatable, and refelcted the ups and downs fat people experience with bodily acceptance. Confidence is always the goal, but can't always be the reality because of the world that we live in and the value it places on thin bodies. Mystic Falls was the perfect found family for Sadie to find her place.
Sadie definitely gave both Kate [Reclaimin Kate] and Alice [Taylor] a run for my favorite Mary Warren heroine. I just related so hard to Sadie and her experiences of humiliation. Reading this felt so cathartic. I also loved the nod to Olivia Dade with Sadie's last name.
Lucas is a golden retriever hero who falls fast and hard for Sadie and isn't afraid of a grand gesture proving he's all in. 🤩
September 9, 2025
Having endured a humiliating experience on a “blind” dating reality show, Sadie has spent the intervening months adrift until she learns of her late aunt bequeathing her beloved cottage in her will. Quickly Sadie cultivates a job, a loyal group of girlfriends, and best of all, a very hunky, hockey-playing neighbor who’s head over heels for her exactly as she is. Trouble comes in short order in the form of publicity and social media overexposure when the nightmare dating show airs.
Will Sadie cut Lucas loose to spare him the embarrassment and shame? Or will the pair stand strong against the barrage of unwanted attention and the whims of public opinion?
This was a very sweet and steamy novel about self-acceptance and letting down one’s guard enough to take a chance on love again.
I received an advance reader copy from the author and bookfunnel, and I’m sharing my honest review.
Will Sadie cut Lucas loose to spare him the embarrassment and shame? Or will the pair stand strong against the barrage of unwanted attention and the whims of public opinion?
This was a very sweet and steamy novel about self-acceptance and letting down one’s guard enough to take a chance on love again.
I received an advance reader copy from the author and bookfunnel, and I’m sharing my honest review.
November 8, 2025
I received an ARC of this book, and it really exceeded my expectations to close out this series!
It definitely had an interesting premise. I really admired that Sadie stood up for herself and didn't let Ryan (and the show) push her into showing "support" for one another that really would have just been her swooping in and saving him after he was a dick. So often, fat women have to not only endure horrendous treatment, but then turn around and help their abusers sweep things under the rug. I'm glad that this book recognized how shitty that dynamic is and didn't put up with it.
The MMC, Lucas, was very nice; nice as a neighbor, nice as a caretaker when Sadie needed it, nice to everyone else. I loved how he was so quickly not just attracted to her, but envisioning her smiling, her cheering for him at his rec league hockey games, her picking her maid of honor, or just her showing up again in general. He was so thoughtful in handling her situation and her complicated emotional state. I really wish he had just a bit more substance, though; we don't really touch on how hard it must be to watch someone you're falling in love with as she's dating and falling for someone else, and he plays mostly a support role in this novel instead of having his own character development journey.
The way her family is handled is pretty bad, though. She snipes back instead of telling them to fuck off, her sister is actually the worst, and none of them respect her choices (or her boyfriend) until they find out she's working with a man they do respect.
Writing-wise, this story was more than a little disorganized. I read this as an ARC, so not penalizing for the typos, but some of the plot could've been straightened out a bit, and a lot of the wordsmithing here needed another go.
It definitely had an interesting premise. I really admired that Sadie stood up for herself and didn't let Ryan (and the show) push her into showing "support" for one another that really would have just been her swooping in and saving him after he was a dick. So often, fat women have to not only endure horrendous treatment, but then turn around and help their abusers sweep things under the rug. I'm glad that this book recognized how shitty that dynamic is and didn't put up with it.
The MMC, Lucas, was very nice; nice as a neighbor, nice as a caretaker when Sadie needed it, nice to everyone else. I loved how he was so quickly not just attracted to her, but envisioning her smiling, her cheering for him at his rec league hockey games, her picking her maid of honor, or just her showing up again in general. He was so thoughtful in handling her situation and her complicated emotional state. I really wish he had just a bit more substance, though; we don't really touch on how hard it must be to watch someone you're falling in love with as she's dating and falling for someone else, and he plays mostly a support role in this novel instead of having his own character development journey.
The way her family is handled is pretty bad, though. She snipes back instead of telling them to fuck off, her sister is actually the worst, and none of them respect her choices (or her boyfriend) until they find out she's working with a man they do respect.
Writing-wise, this story was more than a little disorganized. I read this as an ARC, so not penalizing for the typos, but some of the plot could've been straightened out a bit, and a lot of the wordsmithing here needed another go.
November 5, 2025
Thank you so much to Mary Warren for the complimentary copy of the book!
This book is out now!
I say this every time I read Mary’s book but how much I love and adore her writing and her characters. She has a way to make a plus size woman feel seen and to feel desirable. This book is a conclusion to her Mystic Falls series and I am SO sad to say goodbye to this group of people. And like her prior books, we get glimpses of our past FMCs and their relationships with their men.
Sadie has had a rough past year and has run away to her great aunt’s house in Mystic Falls that she has inherited. She is trying to figure out what is next for her and finding love was not something she had any interest in. But fate had other plans. She connected with her great aunt’s neighbor Lucas and things just blossomed from there. Thank you Mary for giving us a bigger body MMC! Lucas is such a golden retriever and is taken by Sadie from the moment he met her. He knew a little about her from what her Aunt Rose would share with him. Sadie needed sweet Lucas’s kind gestures and to make her feel like she is worthy of a person.
One of my favorite moments came towards the later half when he showed up for her in a big way. He just had a feeling she was going to need his support and took that extra step to be there for her. Also I think I’m a sucker for a dinner scene with parents because this is my 2nd one this week that made me swoon.
The one thing I was frustrated with Sadie and it got touched upon for a moment was how Sadie was so focused on what the internet possibly thinks about her but it had not crossed her mind how the internet was treating Ryan. I have had my share of binge watching of reality dating show and the show format was similar to that of “Love is Blind” or “Married at First Sight” (I was an OG watcher, not so much now). I’m aware of how the internet will treat these contestants for both male and female. There was one man on Love is Blind that reminded me of Ryan and I know the internet came for him - hard. Granted I have not been in Sadie’s shoes and I am always nervous about how I am perceived by others so I relate to her on this. I just wish someone other than one person (Becca another contestant) left her know that Ryan was being hated on.
I love seeing Sadie’s growth throughout the book. Her confidence went from rock bottom to feeling good again about herself. When you find the right man, its amazing what it can do for your self esteem.
Overall I really enjoyed this book! If you are into insta love, new beginnings, reality tv, neighbors in love – I recommend this book! But really just read the series.
I’m excited to see what Mary has up her sleeve and what new community we get from her next!
This book is out now!
I say this every time I read Mary’s book but how much I love and adore her writing and her characters. She has a way to make a plus size woman feel seen and to feel desirable. This book is a conclusion to her Mystic Falls series and I am SO sad to say goodbye to this group of people. And like her prior books, we get glimpses of our past FMCs and their relationships with their men.
Sadie has had a rough past year and has run away to her great aunt’s house in Mystic Falls that she has inherited. She is trying to figure out what is next for her and finding love was not something she had any interest in. But fate had other plans. She connected with her great aunt’s neighbor Lucas and things just blossomed from there. Thank you Mary for giving us a bigger body MMC! Lucas is such a golden retriever and is taken by Sadie from the moment he met her. He knew a little about her from what her Aunt Rose would share with him. Sadie needed sweet Lucas’s kind gestures and to make her feel like she is worthy of a person.
One of my favorite moments came towards the later half when he showed up for her in a big way. He just had a feeling she was going to need his support and took that extra step to be there for her. Also I think I’m a sucker for a dinner scene with parents because this is my 2nd one this week that made me swoon.
The one thing I was frustrated with Sadie and it got touched upon for a moment was how Sadie was so focused on what the internet possibly thinks about her but it had not crossed her mind how the internet was treating Ryan. I have had my share of binge watching of reality dating show and the show format was similar to that of “Love is Blind” or “Married at First Sight” (I was an OG watcher, not so much now). I’m aware of how the internet will treat these contestants for both male and female. There was one man on Love is Blind that reminded me of Ryan and I know the internet came for him - hard. Granted I have not been in Sadie’s shoes and I am always nervous about how I am perceived by others so I relate to her on this. I just wish someone other than one person (Becca another contestant) left her know that Ryan was being hated on.
I love seeing Sadie’s growth throughout the book. Her confidence went from rock bottom to feeling good again about herself. When you find the right man, its amazing what it can do for your self esteem.
Overall I really enjoyed this book! If you are into insta love, new beginnings, reality tv, neighbors in love – I recommend this book! But really just read the series.
I’m excited to see what Mary has up her sleeve and what new community we get from her next!
September 22, 2025
Searching For Sadie by Mary Warren is the fifth book in the Mystic Falls series. It can be read as a standalone; there are characters from previous books. I have been in love with this series from the beginning, and subsequently have fallen in love with the way Mary Warren writes romance novels and plus-size characters. And Searching For Sadie, being the end of this series, was heartwarming. I'm sad to see it end, but excited to see what Warren has in store for us.
Sadie needs a soft place to land after a gut-wrenching experience on a reality TV show, and then getting fired from her job. She goes to Mystic Falls, where her aunt had left Sadie her house. Sadie's new house is next door to Lucas's. Lucas loves his quite small town life and has heard a lot about Sadie and how beautiful she is from his late neighbor, his aunt.
Y'all, this book was so good! I loved that there are fat main characters and that both are so patient with one another, and how vulnerable they are. Lucas's care and attention to Sadie in such a vulnerable time, her life was everything. I loved that he asked if he could watch the show, and didn't hide it or tell her he was going to. Mystic Falls was exactly what Sadie needed, with fantastic people all around. She found friends and people who truly seemed to care about her, and for her, it was truly heartwarming. Sadie and Lucas were perfect for each other, and watching their romance bloom was beautiful. Once again, Mary Warren knocked it out of the park, and I highly recommend picking up Searching for Sadie.
Thank you, Mary Warren, for the copy to review.
Sadie needs a soft place to land after a gut-wrenching experience on a reality TV show, and then getting fired from her job. She goes to Mystic Falls, where her aunt had left Sadie her house. Sadie's new house is next door to Lucas's. Lucas loves his quite small town life and has heard a lot about Sadie and how beautiful she is from his late neighbor, his aunt.
Y'all, this book was so good! I loved that there are fat main characters and that both are so patient with one another, and how vulnerable they are. Lucas's care and attention to Sadie in such a vulnerable time, her life was everything. I loved that he asked if he could watch the show, and didn't hide it or tell her he was going to. Mystic Falls was exactly what Sadie needed, with fantastic people all around. She found friends and people who truly seemed to care about her, and for her, it was truly heartwarming. Sadie and Lucas were perfect for each other, and watching their romance bloom was beautiful. Once again, Mary Warren knocked it out of the park, and I highly recommend picking up Searching for Sadie.
Thank you, Mary Warren, for the copy to review.
November 18, 2025
First off thank you Mary for taking a chance on a small reviewer. I never expected to actually receive this ARC. Searching for Sadie hit my inbox this morning and once I started reading, I just couldn’t stop. Sadie was living a life she was pretty happy with in Nashville, took a chance and joined a dating show genuinely looking for love. Unfortunately, what she found instead was heartbreak, fat phobia and misogyny. She tucked tail and ran off to Mystic Falls to lick her wounds and who could blame her after what she went through both during and after filming. Enter Lucas, the sweetest golden retriever man next door who is hooked at first sight. One of the things I loved the most about this story was how patient Lucas was with Sadie every step of their journey, from neighbors to friends to more. I love how he showed up for her, how didn’t shy away in the face of her doubts or invalidate her feelings at any point as she dealt with the aftermath of the show. I love how Sadie came into her own power, stood up for herself and found the courage to start over. I am a sucker for small town vibes and found family, and this book was just * chefs kiss *This was a timely reminder to stop shrinking yourself to be more digestible to other people. The spice was phenomenal. I love a golden retriever man with a filthy mouth and moves to back it up in the bedroom and that’s exactly what we get with Lucas. Actually, maybe less golden retriever and more Saint Bernard. No matter, Lucas has joined my legion of fantastic men written by phenomenal women.
September 24, 2025
I really enjoyed this book even though I had not previously read any of the Mystic Falls series.
Sadie moves to Mystic Falls after a terrible end to her experience on a dating show. Having inherited a house and cat from her recently deceased great-aunt, she decides to escape the disaster that her life in Nashville has become and hide out in this small town. As Sadie explores the town and meets the residents, she slowly starts to open up to the world again. One major factor in that is her new next-door neighbor, Lucas. The more time they spend together, the more they realize that they may have found the missing piece in each other.
I absolutely loved Sadie and how she was such a relatable character. I think most of us have had an experience that made us want to hide from the world. Not only did Sadie have to endure the humiliation of her experience on the show, but then she also had to contend with the fallout once the show aired. I also really resonated with her feelings about her body and how they can fluctuate. Society places such value and emphasis on thin bodies and it can be really difficult to stay positive in a plus sized body. Lucas was an amazing MMC and I enjoyed how he showed his love and care by taking care of Sadie and others. He supported her when she was down and did small tasks for her, but also wasn't afraid to make a grand gesture.
Being new to the Mystic Falls series, I felt like I was getting to know the town and the people with Sadie. I thought that the characters were really interesting and welcoming. The book club was especially endearing and hilarious. I feel like making new friends as an adult can be difficult, but it is much easier when the people are genuine and welcoming. Also, I appreciated how the comments and attitude that Ryan displayed were pushed back against by more characters than just Sadie. While I liked that she stood up for herself and didn't get pulled into the scheme to make Ryan more appealing, I really enjoyed that several of the other people from the show also spoke up.
Overall, I thought this was a really adorable story about starting over, accepting and loving yourself, and having the courage to open up again after being hurt. I am excited to read the rest of the Mystic Falls series to learn more about the other people in the town.
Sadie moves to Mystic Falls after a terrible end to her experience on a dating show. Having inherited a house and cat from her recently deceased great-aunt, she decides to escape the disaster that her life in Nashville has become and hide out in this small town. As Sadie explores the town and meets the residents, she slowly starts to open up to the world again. One major factor in that is her new next-door neighbor, Lucas. The more time they spend together, the more they realize that they may have found the missing piece in each other.
I absolutely loved Sadie and how she was such a relatable character. I think most of us have had an experience that made us want to hide from the world. Not only did Sadie have to endure the humiliation of her experience on the show, but then she also had to contend with the fallout once the show aired. I also really resonated with her feelings about her body and how they can fluctuate. Society places such value and emphasis on thin bodies and it can be really difficult to stay positive in a plus sized body. Lucas was an amazing MMC and I enjoyed how he showed his love and care by taking care of Sadie and others. He supported her when she was down and did small tasks for her, but also wasn't afraid to make a grand gesture.
Being new to the Mystic Falls series, I felt like I was getting to know the town and the people with Sadie. I thought that the characters were really interesting and welcoming. The book club was especially endearing and hilarious. I feel like making new friends as an adult can be difficult, but it is much easier when the people are genuine and welcoming. Also, I appreciated how the comments and attitude that Ryan displayed were pushed back against by more characters than just Sadie. While I liked that she stood up for herself and didn't get pulled into the scheme to make Ryan more appealing, I really enjoyed that several of the other people from the show also spoke up.
Overall, I thought this was a really adorable story about starting over, accepting and loving yourself, and having the courage to open up again after being hurt. I am excited to read the rest of the Mystic Falls series to learn more about the other people in the town.
September 13, 2025
Searching for Sadie by Mary Warren
(ARC Review)
4.5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book, I devoured it in one evening and the connection between the MMC and FMC was amazing. If you want a cosy small town, found- family, neighbours-to-lovers, spicy yet sweet romance then this is for you.
Lucas is a bulking hunk of a man who is steadfast and true, he’s a brilliant mix of earnest, sweet behaviour with a steely core that will sweep you off your feet.
Sadie is a Dolly Parton loving song writer who has had the rug pulled out from under her by life, looking for a fresh start in the home of her favourite late Aunt. She’s a firecracker with a gooey centre and someone you’d want in your corner.
This is the fifth and final book in the Mystic Falls series which is such a warm and comforting collection of books, mirroring the setting itself which is a perpetually celebratory small town with strong Stars Hollow vibes and a sprinkling of Practical Magic nostalgia.
I have really enjoyed this series, it manages to be full of easy reads and light hearted humour whilst also handling larger issues such as fat phobia (both internalised and external), toxic exes, the pressures and hypocrisy of the media and the plethora of difficulties facing those in larger bodies.
Searching for Sadie follows this well honed pattern, its full of humour, eccentric side characters, autumnal goodness and feet kicking romance whilst also managing to deal with the aftermath of fat phobia in the public eye for the FMC.
Sadie’s struggles with her own self image is something most people can relate to, not just those in bigger bodies, but also those in any kind of body that doesn’t fit the cookie cutter mold for the public eye and the handling of it is really well done.
It is so lovely to see Sadie learning to love herself again and Lucas’s consistent affection is so sweet to read. I particularly loved the friendship between the previous FMC’s and Sadie, we all know it’s the female friendships in our lives that can make a massive impact on how we see ourselves and this group of body positive, strong women optimise that 🖤
Thank you for one final visit to Mystic Falls!
Thank you for the ARC copy, all opinions are my own.
(ARC Review)
4.5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book, I devoured it in one evening and the connection between the MMC and FMC was amazing. If you want a cosy small town, found- family, neighbours-to-lovers, spicy yet sweet romance then this is for you.
Lucas is a bulking hunk of a man who is steadfast and true, he’s a brilliant mix of earnest, sweet behaviour with a steely core that will sweep you off your feet.
Sadie is a Dolly Parton loving song writer who has had the rug pulled out from under her by life, looking for a fresh start in the home of her favourite late Aunt. She’s a firecracker with a gooey centre and someone you’d want in your corner.
This is the fifth and final book in the Mystic Falls series which is such a warm and comforting collection of books, mirroring the setting itself which is a perpetually celebratory small town with strong Stars Hollow vibes and a sprinkling of Practical Magic nostalgia.
I have really enjoyed this series, it manages to be full of easy reads and light hearted humour whilst also handling larger issues such as fat phobia (both internalised and external), toxic exes, the pressures and hypocrisy of the media and the plethora of difficulties facing those in larger bodies.
Searching for Sadie follows this well honed pattern, its full of humour, eccentric side characters, autumnal goodness and feet kicking romance whilst also managing to deal with the aftermath of fat phobia in the public eye for the FMC.
Sadie’s struggles with her own self image is something most people can relate to, not just those in bigger bodies, but also those in any kind of body that doesn’t fit the cookie cutter mold for the public eye and the handling of it is really well done.
It is so lovely to see Sadie learning to love herself again and Lucas’s consistent affection is so sweet to read. I particularly loved the friendship between the previous FMC’s and Sadie, we all know it’s the female friendships in our lives that can make a massive impact on how we see ourselves and this group of body positive, strong women optimise that 🖤
Thank you for one final visit to Mystic Falls!
Thank you for the ARC copy, all opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2025
Searching for Sadie is the fifth and final book in the Mystic Falls series. It follows Sadie Dade and Lucas Fipp.
This is the first book I have read in the Mystic Falls series but it looks like I will have to go back and read the others because I absolutely love this town!
Sadie is such a strong FMC but her story did break my heart! She moves into her late great aunt's home in Mystic Falls after going on a reality dating show to find love but it turned out to be a disaster. She ran to Mystic Falls for a fresh start. What she didn’t expect was to fall in love with not only the town but her next-door neighbor Lucas. I love that Lucas shows her what love is supposed to feel like and supports her in every possible way he can. She is guarded, stubborn, funny, sweet, a bit shy, and caring.
Lucas is an electrician and my type of MMC. He is a thick man, plays hockey and is such a green flag all the way. He was smitten with Sadie the first time he laid eyes on her and quickly knew she was the one for him. I love how patient this man is. He was willing to wait however long Sadie needed before taking things further. Giving her all the power. He sees her as nothing but perfection and the mirror scene absolutely broke me. He is sweet, thoughtful, protective, patient, funny, and caring.
I absolutely love that both characters are plus-size. We really don’t see enough men in books who are thicker (or at least I haven’t) and I wish we would because I would be reading every single one. One thing I love about Mary’s writing is that she really knows how to write a perfect story full of sweet, funny, steamy, and serious moments. Her books handle real topics which I love but also hate since they make me cry at times. The topics are always relatable especially as a fat woman. Like when Sadie reclaimed her power back I was fully sobbing my eyes out. I love it though because each of us has that power in us not to let anyone shame you for your size.
I can’t wait to see what Mary has up her sleeve next for us!
You will enjoy this book if you like the following:
- Plus-size FMC
- Blue collar thicc MMC
- Dating show gone wrong
- And they were neighbors
- Small town with a TOUCH of magic
- Mirror worship
- Small town
- Found family
Thank you so much, Mary Warren, for the gifted copy!
This is the first book I have read in the Mystic Falls series but it looks like I will have to go back and read the others because I absolutely love this town!
Sadie is such a strong FMC but her story did break my heart! She moves into her late great aunt's home in Mystic Falls after going on a reality dating show to find love but it turned out to be a disaster. She ran to Mystic Falls for a fresh start. What she didn’t expect was to fall in love with not only the town but her next-door neighbor Lucas. I love that Lucas shows her what love is supposed to feel like and supports her in every possible way he can. She is guarded, stubborn, funny, sweet, a bit shy, and caring.
Lucas is an electrician and my type of MMC. He is a thick man, plays hockey and is such a green flag all the way. He was smitten with Sadie the first time he laid eyes on her and quickly knew she was the one for him. I love how patient this man is. He was willing to wait however long Sadie needed before taking things further. Giving her all the power. He sees her as nothing but perfection and the mirror scene absolutely broke me. He is sweet, thoughtful, protective, patient, funny, and caring.
I absolutely love that both characters are plus-size. We really don’t see enough men in books who are thicker (or at least I haven’t) and I wish we would because I would be reading every single one. One thing I love about Mary’s writing is that she really knows how to write a perfect story full of sweet, funny, steamy, and serious moments. Her books handle real topics which I love but also hate since they make me cry at times. The topics are always relatable especially as a fat woman. Like when Sadie reclaimed her power back I was fully sobbing my eyes out. I love it though because each of us has that power in us not to let anyone shame you for your size.
I can’t wait to see what Mary has up her sleeve next for us!
You will enjoy this book if you like the following:
- Plus-size FMC
- Blue collar thicc MMC
- Dating show gone wrong
- And they were neighbors
- Small town with a TOUCH of magic
- Mirror worship
- Small town
- Found family
Thank you so much, Mary Warren, for the gifted copy!
September 15, 2025
Before I begin, I would like to thank Mary Warren for allowing me to read a copy of her upcoming book, Searching For Sadie, which is the fifth book of her Mystic Falls series and will be available on Amazon on September 18th, 2025.
Sadie went on a reality TV show to find love and it became a nightmare. Sadie’s plan now is to go somewhere quiet where there aren’t any cameras or people that would recognize her. She just inherited her aunt’s house in Mystic Falls so that’s where she’ll start. Her next door neighbor Lucas has a great business, wonderful friends and lives in the pleasant town of Mystic Falls. When Sadie arrives, Lucas begins to feel that she was the one thing that was missing in his life that could change it for the better. Can Sadie heal from the wounds of her past and find the courage to start something new with Lucas or will she stay in town until she finds the next thing?
This book was fantastic. You have Sadie, a kind, independent, clever, talented, and beautiful young woman that loves music and is recovering from an awful experience while on a reality TV show. You have Lucas, a strong, considerate, loyal, hardworking, and handsome young man that loves playing hockey and spending time with his loved ones. The interactions between the main characters were sweet, spicy, and charming. It was lovely seeing familiar faces from the previous books in the series, and the cat was amazing. I wanted to hug Sadie throughout the story and cheered her on as she found the confidence to go after what she wanted and heal from the vitriol the show gave her. I also appreciate how supportive Sadie’s new friends were of her as well as their significant others because strong friendships are essential. Overall, if you like peaceful small towns, great food, music, fabulous plus size representation, and sweet empowering next door neighbor/ friends to lovers romance with spice, then I would highly recommend this book.
Sadie went on a reality TV show to find love and it became a nightmare. Sadie’s plan now is to go somewhere quiet where there aren’t any cameras or people that would recognize her. She just inherited her aunt’s house in Mystic Falls so that’s where she’ll start. Her next door neighbor Lucas has a great business, wonderful friends and lives in the pleasant town of Mystic Falls. When Sadie arrives, Lucas begins to feel that she was the one thing that was missing in his life that could change it for the better. Can Sadie heal from the wounds of her past and find the courage to start something new with Lucas or will she stay in town until she finds the next thing?
This book was fantastic. You have Sadie, a kind, independent, clever, talented, and beautiful young woman that loves music and is recovering from an awful experience while on a reality TV show. You have Lucas, a strong, considerate, loyal, hardworking, and handsome young man that loves playing hockey and spending time with his loved ones. The interactions between the main characters were sweet, spicy, and charming. It was lovely seeing familiar faces from the previous books in the series, and the cat was amazing. I wanted to hug Sadie throughout the story and cheered her on as she found the confidence to go after what she wanted and heal from the vitriol the show gave her. I also appreciate how supportive Sadie’s new friends were of her as well as their significant others because strong friendships are essential. Overall, if you like peaceful small towns, great food, music, fabulous plus size representation, and sweet empowering next door neighbor/ friends to lovers romance with spice, then I would highly recommend this book.
September 18, 2025
It was such a pleasure to get an ARC for Searching for Sadie by Mary Warren. This is the last book in Warren’s Mystic Falls series, and man it’s been amazing to follow an author on their journey from book 1, Highlander for Hannah, to Searching for Sadie. This series has meant a lot to me, highlighting body diversity in romance and reflecting on both the joys and struggles fat women face in life. Each book can be read as a stand-alone, but I think it’s best to read them in order!
Searching for Sadie is about a woman finding herself after the worst moment of her life. Sadie went on a dating show and then had her heart broken. Then, fearing how the show would affect her public image, the record label she worked at in Nashville fired her. Sadie, wanting to get away from it all and start over, goes to Mystic Falls and stays in the house her beloved aunt, who recently passed away, left to her. Unbeknownst to Sadie, her next-door neighbor, Lucas, is a single, handsome electrician who likes his job, loves his family and friends, but is missing some romance in his life. Can Sadie heal her heart and let Lucas in? What will happen once the worst moment of her life is streamed to millions of people?
This book might be my favorite in Warren’s Mystic Falls series. Sadie, I related to on a deep level, and her moments of insecurity and mourning made me emotional. But it was beautiful to see not just Lucas but a community come around her in Mystic Falls to support her and help her get her confidence back! Overall, a great book to tie up the series, and I would 100% recommend reading Warren’s Hockey Romance series, Glendale Magic, as well!
I would recommend this book for fans of love is blind, small-town romance, Dolly Parton, rambunctious cats, and body diversity!
5/5 ⭐️
3/5 🌶️
Searching for Sadie is about a woman finding herself after the worst moment of her life. Sadie went on a dating show and then had her heart broken. Then, fearing how the show would affect her public image, the record label she worked at in Nashville fired her. Sadie, wanting to get away from it all and start over, goes to Mystic Falls and stays in the house her beloved aunt, who recently passed away, left to her. Unbeknownst to Sadie, her next-door neighbor, Lucas, is a single, handsome electrician who likes his job, loves his family and friends, but is missing some romance in his life. Can Sadie heal her heart and let Lucas in? What will happen once the worst moment of her life is streamed to millions of people?
This book might be my favorite in Warren’s Mystic Falls series. Sadie, I related to on a deep level, and her moments of insecurity and mourning made me emotional. But it was beautiful to see not just Lucas but a community come around her in Mystic Falls to support her and help her get her confidence back! Overall, a great book to tie up the series, and I would 100% recommend reading Warren’s Hockey Romance series, Glendale Magic, as well!
I would recommend this book for fans of love is blind, small-town romance, Dolly Parton, rambunctious cats, and body diversity!
5/5 ⭐️
3/5 🌶️
October 9, 2025
Sadie has run away to small town Mystic Falls after a bad experience on a reality TV show. Her neighbour, Lucas might just be there to help her pick up the pieces and learn a little bit about herself.
Sadie and Lucas are so cute! I love that Mary Warren has not just given us a plus sized female lead, but a bigger male lead too. There body shapes do not define them! As we are in Mystic Falls, and this is the 5th in this series, it was great to see some of my fave characters back - Bridget of course, Poppy, Hannah, Lexi and Kate! A brief meet up with Connor from the Glendale Magic series also reminded me of catching up with an old friend!
This one is definitely emotional, with Sadie having to work through the bad experiences she had in her past, but it is also inspiring. Mystic Falls has such a cozy, Gilmore Girls vibe and this translates through Warren’s writing. The style is gentle but forthright in the way it puts plus sized bodies in focus.
The one thing I will remember most from this book is the way Warren has depicted reality dating shows. The way people are treated on those shows can be brutal, especially through social media and the way the ‘stories’ are edited. If anyone is even slightly outside of the rigid beauty standards it can be horrific for them. Sadie is a victim of this and is our champion at the end when she finds her voice.
As this book looks at reality TV and beauty standards, there are some tough moments of fat phobia - check the content warnings and take care of your own mental health before reading!
Searching for Sadie is perfect for those who love reality dating shows, small town romance, found family and people who love you exactly as you are. I love seeing plus sized bodies in all types of stories and Mary Warren always gives us that!
Sadie and Lucas are so cute! I love that Mary Warren has not just given us a plus sized female lead, but a bigger male lead too. There body shapes do not define them! As we are in Mystic Falls, and this is the 5th in this series, it was great to see some of my fave characters back - Bridget of course, Poppy, Hannah, Lexi and Kate! A brief meet up with Connor from the Glendale Magic series also reminded me of catching up with an old friend!
This one is definitely emotional, with Sadie having to work through the bad experiences she had in her past, but it is also inspiring. Mystic Falls has such a cozy, Gilmore Girls vibe and this translates through Warren’s writing. The style is gentle but forthright in the way it puts plus sized bodies in focus.
The one thing I will remember most from this book is the way Warren has depicted reality dating shows. The way people are treated on those shows can be brutal, especially through social media and the way the ‘stories’ are edited. If anyone is even slightly outside of the rigid beauty standards it can be horrific for them. Sadie is a victim of this and is our champion at the end when she finds her voice.
As this book looks at reality TV and beauty standards, there are some tough moments of fat phobia - check the content warnings and take care of your own mental health before reading!
Searching for Sadie is perfect for those who love reality dating shows, small town romance, found family and people who love you exactly as you are. I love seeing plus sized bodies in all types of stories and Mary Warren always gives us that!
September 18, 2025
"Something about Lucas's gentle steady presence in her life was more reassuring than anything had ever been. Somehow, he'd become the calm in the storm her life was currently." - Sadie
"Sadie was a surprise he didn't see coming, but he was so glad she'd come into his life." - Lucas
Sadie was part of a reality show that didn't go so well; she decides to move to a small town named Mystic Falls. Her aunt left her the house. She felt very lost in the beginning; the show that she was on was going to air soon, and she didn't want to relive that experience. Lucas is her lovely neighbor. I love that Lucas wanted to help her with her body image; he protected her but also saw how strong she was, even at times that she didn't believe in herself or didn't see how beautiful she is. He was always there to wrap her in a big hug and to show her how amazingly strong and beautiful she is. She was welcomed with open arms in this small town, as if she was always meant to be there. There is also an adorable orange cat named George that was doing his own thing and invited himself into Lucas's home whenever he wasn't looking.
"I will not make myself smaller for other people. I will just find a place and the people who accept me for who I am."
Both Lucas and Sadie are plus-size, and I really love the mirror scene. Lucas is so sweet and gentle with her, and he really helped her settle down and find herself. She loves music, and I'm glad that she has found something that she loves with her lovely boyfriend by her side, in this heartwarming town. She is so strong and so sweet. I love that this book focused on her finding herself while forming friendships and that he gave her all the time she needed to be ready for a relationship!
I received an ARC copy of this book.
"Sadie was a surprise he didn't see coming, but he was so glad she'd come into his life." - Lucas
Sadie was part of a reality show that didn't go so well; she decides to move to a small town named Mystic Falls. Her aunt left her the house. She felt very lost in the beginning; the show that she was on was going to air soon, and she didn't want to relive that experience. Lucas is her lovely neighbor. I love that Lucas wanted to help her with her body image; he protected her but also saw how strong she was, even at times that she didn't believe in herself or didn't see how beautiful she is. He was always there to wrap her in a big hug and to show her how amazingly strong and beautiful she is. She was welcomed with open arms in this small town, as if she was always meant to be there. There is also an adorable orange cat named George that was doing his own thing and invited himself into Lucas's home whenever he wasn't looking.
"I will not make myself smaller for other people. I will just find a place and the people who accept me for who I am."
Both Lucas and Sadie are plus-size, and I really love the mirror scene. Lucas is so sweet and gentle with her, and he really helped her settle down and find herself. She loves music, and I'm glad that she has found something that she loves with her lovely boyfriend by her side, in this heartwarming town. She is so strong and so sweet. I love that this book focused on her finding herself while forming friendships and that he gave her all the time she needed to be ready for a relationship!
I received an ARC copy of this book.
September 15, 2025
ARC Review of Searching for Sadie by Mary Warren🌸
Not Quite What I Hoped For, But Still Sweet in General
I went into this one pretty excited. A plus-sized FMC and the guy-next-door trope? That combo usually has me hooked right away. But while the setup had a lot of potential, the story didn’t land the way I hoped.
The writing itself is solid, and I liked the overall premise. Lucas and Sadie are both very likable, and their chemistry was easy to see. I really believed in their love and devotion to each other. The side characters were a highlight too—I adored the Bookclub crew, and Sadie’s friendship with Liam (especially their jam sessions) was one of my favorite parts.
That said, the pacing felt a little rushed. Sometimes it seemed like I was missing pieces of their emotions or conversations, almost as if a few paragraphs were skipped over. Even though I’ve read the earlier books in the series, there were moments where I still felt like I didn’t have the full picture.
The biggest miss for me was the “Love is Blind”-style reality show subplot. It just felt too on-the-nose and pulled me out of the story. Personally, I think the book might’ve been stronger with a different direction—like focusing on Sadie moving on from a past relationship without all the show drama.
Still, if you enjoy sweet romances with a fun premise and don’t mind that kind of reality-show twist, there’s plenty here to enjoy. For me, it wasn’t quite the perfect fit, but it also wasn’t a total miss.
TROPES
☀️Reality Show Drama
☀️Small town neighbours
☀️Found family
☀️Plus sized couple
☀️Mirror Scene
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️/5
Not Quite What I Hoped For, But Still Sweet in General
I went into this one pretty excited. A plus-sized FMC and the guy-next-door trope? That combo usually has me hooked right away. But while the setup had a lot of potential, the story didn’t land the way I hoped.
The writing itself is solid, and I liked the overall premise. Lucas and Sadie are both very likable, and their chemistry was easy to see. I really believed in their love and devotion to each other. The side characters were a highlight too—I adored the Bookclub crew, and Sadie’s friendship with Liam (especially their jam sessions) was one of my favorite parts.
That said, the pacing felt a little rushed. Sometimes it seemed like I was missing pieces of their emotions or conversations, almost as if a few paragraphs were skipped over. Even though I’ve read the earlier books in the series, there were moments where I still felt like I didn’t have the full picture.
The biggest miss for me was the “Love is Blind”-style reality show subplot. It just felt too on-the-nose and pulled me out of the story. Personally, I think the book might’ve been stronger with a different direction—like focusing on Sadie moving on from a past relationship without all the show drama.
Still, if you enjoy sweet romances with a fun premise and don’t mind that kind of reality-show twist, there’s plenty here to enjoy. For me, it wasn’t quite the perfect fit, but it also wasn’t a total miss.
TROPES
☀️Reality Show Drama
☀️Small town neighbours
☀️Found family
☀️Plus sized couple
☀️Mirror Scene
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️/5
September 23, 2025
📚 ARC Review
Searching for Sadie
by Mary Warren
🗓️ Released! Pick up your copy today!
Sadie was looking for love in all the wrong places… until Mystic Falls....
First off, I have to say—I adore Mary’s content on Instagram, so I was really excited to dive into her writing!
This was my first Mary Warren book, and while it started off a little slow for me and the writing style took a bit to get used to, the heart of the story shined through. The premise was so sweet, and I really appreciated how positively Mary wrote Sadie’s story and her thoughtful representation of fat characters—both Sadie and Lucas.
The side characters were fun and added warmth, and Mystic Falls honestly feels like a magical small town I’d want to visit myself. George, the adorable cat also added some mischief and laughter - I love funny animal sidekicks!
📖 Here’s the blurb:
Sadie went on a reality dating show to find love. What she got was a public disaster.
Now she just wants to disappear, preferably somewhere quiet, with no cameras and no one recognizing her. Inheriting her great-aunt’s old house in the small town of Mystic Falls seems like the perfect escape.
But then she meets her next-door neighbor.
Lucas has everything he thought he needed: a thriving business, close friends, and the same peaceful town he’s always called home. He wasn’t expecting the woman next door to turn his world upside down—or to make him wonder if something’s been missing all along.
#ARCReview #SearchingForSadie #RomanceReaders #SmallTownRomance #PlusSizeRomance #RomanceBookstagram #BookReview #Bookstagram #ReadersOfInstagram #BookishLove #CozyRomanceVibes #MysticFallsFeels
Searching for Sadie
by Mary Warren
🗓️ Released! Pick up your copy today!
Sadie was looking for love in all the wrong places… until Mystic Falls....
First off, I have to say—I adore Mary’s content on Instagram, so I was really excited to dive into her writing!
This was my first Mary Warren book, and while it started off a little slow for me and the writing style took a bit to get used to, the heart of the story shined through. The premise was so sweet, and I really appreciated how positively Mary wrote Sadie’s story and her thoughtful representation of fat characters—both Sadie and Lucas.
The side characters were fun and added warmth, and Mystic Falls honestly feels like a magical small town I’d want to visit myself. George, the adorable cat also added some mischief and laughter - I love funny animal sidekicks!
📖 Here’s the blurb:
Sadie went on a reality dating show to find love. What she got was a public disaster.
Now she just wants to disappear, preferably somewhere quiet, with no cameras and no one recognizing her. Inheriting her great-aunt’s old house in the small town of Mystic Falls seems like the perfect escape.
But then she meets her next-door neighbor.
Lucas has everything he thought he needed: a thriving business, close friends, and the same peaceful town he’s always called home. He wasn’t expecting the woman next door to turn his world upside down—or to make him wonder if something’s been missing all along.
#ARCReview #SearchingForSadie #RomanceReaders #SmallTownRomance #PlusSizeRomance #RomanceBookstagram #BookReview #Bookstagram #ReadersOfInstagram #BookishLove #CozyRomanceVibes #MysticFallsFeels
September 18, 2025
I loved this book. It was awful what happened to Sadie with the tv show and what her job did to her afterwards. I loved her and Lucas together, they were perfect for each other. I loved the glimpses of characters from the previous books in the series, it was fun getting to see more of them. I liked seeing Bridget again and liked the tarot reading she did for Sadie.
I love that Lucas called her "Songbird", it was sweet.
I hated Ryan and Sadie's sister sucks too.
I loved how sweet and supportive Lucas was with Sadie. He was everything she needed.
I loved that she had an honest conversation with her mom about the past and about her sister.
I loved how she stood up to Ryan on the show, and told him exactly how she felt. I loved how the other contestants had her back too.
A few of my favorite quotes from the book:
"𝗡𝗼𝘄, 𝗜 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁. 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜'𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿."
"𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙄 𝙖𝙢. 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙄'𝙢 𝙛𝙖𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙄 𝙖𝙢. 𝙃𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙄 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙? 𝙔𝙚𝙨. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠."
"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙜𝙪𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙨𝙨. 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙. 𝙎𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙩. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙮, 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙚. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙪𝙡𝙩. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙜𝙪𝙮."
I love that Lucas called her "Songbird", it was sweet.
I hated Ryan and Sadie's sister sucks too.
I loved how sweet and supportive Lucas was with Sadie. He was everything she needed.
I loved that she had an honest conversation with her mom about the past and about her sister.
I loved how she stood up to Ryan on the show, and told him exactly how she felt. I loved how the other contestants had her back too.
A few of my favorite quotes from the book:
"𝗡𝗼𝘄, 𝗜 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁. 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜'𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿."
"𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙄 𝙖𝙢. 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙄'𝙢 𝙛𝙖𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙄 𝙖𝙢. 𝙃𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙄 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙? 𝙔𝙚𝙨. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠."
"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙜𝙪𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙨𝙨. 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙. 𝙎𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙩. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙮, 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙚. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙪𝙡𝙩. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙜𝙪𝙮."
September 18, 2025
A brilliant read! It made me laugh, swoon and cry. It's a cozy small town romance with wonderdul friendships and incredible depth when discussing body size and relationship trauma.
Sadie is a recently unemployed woman who was working in the music industry and has now escaped to a small town.
Lucas is an electrician who owns his own house and is living in his hometown.
They meet when she moves into her late aunt's house which just happens to be next door to his house. She is escaping a mess following the filming of a reality dating show that is set to air soon. He is immediately intrigued & attracted. She is hesitant. They start spending some time together as friends and things grow from there. Slowly.
Sadie is a bright, fun, generous, strong, and hurting woman. She needs time and space to heal and is lucky to find herself in a place that allows her just that while also meeting amazing new people and building a new life.
Lucas is a sweet, kind, gentle, strong, and protective man who sees Sadie & her heart and values her. And he also gives her space when she needs it but is close by just in case.
Sadie & Lucas are a gorgeous couple and I adored watching them fall for each other.
I haven't read the other books in the series yet, but I cannot wait to! I loved that we got to meet/see characters from other books and I am so excited to read their stories.
I received this as an ARC and am so, so grateful. My review is based entirely on my own thoughts of the story and not influenced by anything else.
Sadie is a recently unemployed woman who was working in the music industry and has now escaped to a small town.
Lucas is an electrician who owns his own house and is living in his hometown.
They meet when she moves into her late aunt's house which just happens to be next door to his house. She is escaping a mess following the filming of a reality dating show that is set to air soon. He is immediately intrigued & attracted. She is hesitant. They start spending some time together as friends and things grow from there. Slowly.
Sadie is a bright, fun, generous, strong, and hurting woman. She needs time and space to heal and is lucky to find herself in a place that allows her just that while also meeting amazing new people and building a new life.
Lucas is a sweet, kind, gentle, strong, and protective man who sees Sadie & her heart and values her. And he also gives her space when she needs it but is close by just in case.
Sadie & Lucas are a gorgeous couple and I adored watching them fall for each other.
I haven't read the other books in the series yet, but I cannot wait to! I loved that we got to meet/see characters from other books and I am so excited to read their stories.
I received this as an ARC and am so, so grateful. My review is based entirely on my own thoughts of the story and not influenced by anything else.
October 22, 2025
Every book I've read from this author is also so special. I also love that all of her books are interconnected standalones because I don't feel to lost when characters come in from previous books.
What I love about all of her books is that the fmc is unapologetically fat. You could tell that Sadie had loved her body before going on this show and now she is second guessing certain parts of her body.
I have always loved dating shows and I loved the fact that we did get to see what Sadie went through after the show. A lot of books don't show that and I've only read one book that had a plus size fmc on a dating show and it showed her experience before, during and after the show and it was amazing. This book reminded me of that but it had Mary's flare thrown in and I was hooked.
Sadie had to go through a lot in this book but what I loved was that she let herself feel the emotions. She didn't have to be strong all the time and she actually leaned on people when she needed strength.
Speaking of leaning on people I LOVED LUCAS!!!!! That man....he could hold me all day. I love that his was a big guy but with a little belly and it was so freaking cute!! I don't think I've ever read a book where the mmc was a plus size guy. He was such a cinnamon roll for Sadie until you pissed him off. He was loving, supportive, understanding, caring and all in for Sadie. I swear Mary writes some of the best book boyfriends.
This was such an instant attraction and I wasn't even mad because I knew this book would make me kick my feet giggling. This series was absolutely perfect.
What I love about all of her books is that the fmc is unapologetically fat. You could tell that Sadie had loved her body before going on this show and now she is second guessing certain parts of her body.
I have always loved dating shows and I loved the fact that we did get to see what Sadie went through after the show. A lot of books don't show that and I've only read one book that had a plus size fmc on a dating show and it showed her experience before, during and after the show and it was amazing. This book reminded me of that but it had Mary's flare thrown in and I was hooked.
Sadie had to go through a lot in this book but what I loved was that she let herself feel the emotions. She didn't have to be strong all the time and she actually leaned on people when she needed strength.
Speaking of leaning on people I LOVED LUCAS!!!!! That man....he could hold me all day. I love that his was a big guy but with a little belly and it was so freaking cute!! I don't think I've ever read a book where the mmc was a plus size guy. He was such a cinnamon roll for Sadie until you pissed him off. He was loving, supportive, understanding, caring and all in for Sadie. I swear Mary writes some of the best book boyfriends.
This was such an instant attraction and I wasn't even mad because I knew this book would make me kick my feet giggling. This series was absolutely perfect.
September 16, 2025
***ARC Review***
Yes, please – more of this. More of the plus size baddies with walking green flags falling in their lap. More of the plus size MMC and FMCs. More of the fat people falling in love. This book was so freaking wholesome (as well as deliciously spicy), and I loved the plot line. I can really identify with Sadie as a character, and I was rooting so hard for her and Lucas throughout the entire book. It made me so happy to see her grow as her relationship with Lucas progressed. He brought out the best parts of her and vice versa.
This was my first Mary Warren read. It is book 5 in the Mystic Falls series. Even though it is the final book in the series it definitely can be read as a standalone. This book is written in 3rd person and probably could have used another round of edits and some extra beta readers. There was quite a fair amount of misspellings, grammatical errors, as well as word or phrasing inconsistencies. But when you pull back from that the book, as a whole, was an enjoyable time. It was decently paced, and could easily be read in one day.
Read if you like –
Insta lust
Plus Size MCs
Blue Collar MMC
Songwriter FMC
No Third Act Break Up
Small Town Charm
Yes, please – more of this. More of the plus size baddies with walking green flags falling in their lap. More of the plus size MMC and FMCs. More of the fat people falling in love. This book was so freaking wholesome (as well as deliciously spicy), and I loved the plot line. I can really identify with Sadie as a character, and I was rooting so hard for her and Lucas throughout the entire book. It made me so happy to see her grow as her relationship with Lucas progressed. He brought out the best parts of her and vice versa.
This was my first Mary Warren read. It is book 5 in the Mystic Falls series. Even though it is the final book in the series it definitely can be read as a standalone. This book is written in 3rd person and probably could have used another round of edits and some extra beta readers. There was quite a fair amount of misspellings, grammatical errors, as well as word or phrasing inconsistencies. But when you pull back from that the book, as a whole, was an enjoyable time. It was decently paced, and could easily be read in one day.
Read if you like –
Insta lust
Plus Size MCs
Blue Collar MMC
Songwriter FMC
No Third Act Break Up
Small Town Charm
September 9, 2025
There is just something about a Mary Warren book that gives me the warm and fuzzies!
Sadie is a plus size goddess from Nashville looking to make a name on music. She follows the advice of loved one and goes on a. Reality dating show. You know the ones where they date without ever seeing each other until they commit. And just like we’ve seen in the real world, the one who got Sadie’s heart is shallow and only cared about what she looked like. This storyline creates a ripple that affects her employment and sadly her self confidence. She moves to Mystic Falls into the house where great aunt left her, where she meats the hunkiest, kindest man ever…Lucas. Lucas falls as soon as he sees her. And this man, he is the dream man. He waits, he’s patient, he’s kind and does because he wants to…not because he expects anything from her. Lucas is front and center as Sadie grows her self confidence, rediscovers her love for herself and her body and makes her mark in her career. These two were adorable and so perfect together! Love, love, LOVED it ❤️
Sadie is a plus size goddess from Nashville looking to make a name on music. She follows the advice of loved one and goes on a. Reality dating show. You know the ones where they date without ever seeing each other until they commit. And just like we’ve seen in the real world, the one who got Sadie’s heart is shallow and only cared about what she looked like. This storyline creates a ripple that affects her employment and sadly her self confidence. She moves to Mystic Falls into the house where great aunt left her, where she meats the hunkiest, kindest man ever…Lucas. Lucas falls as soon as he sees her. And this man, he is the dream man. He waits, he’s patient, he’s kind and does because he wants to…not because he expects anything from her. Lucas is front and center as Sadie grows her self confidence, rediscovers her love for herself and her body and makes her mark in her career. These two were adorable and so perfect together! Love, love, LOVED it ❤️
September 22, 2025
Dedication “To those of us who are so tired of trying to be smaller. Take up space. Be loud. Be joyful. You deserve to be whole”
Sadie is new in town, trying to escape from the fall-out of a bad reality tv show, and she meets Lucas, her next door neighbor.
This book really hit me in the feels. I love the way Warren writes strong FMCs, but who also feel their feelings. Her MMC’s are also self-aware mostly and are green flags for me.
Always love a good found family trope, seeing Liam connect with Sadie and what he experienced was sweet. Very thankful Sadie’s mom “saw the light” as the book went on.
Searching for Sadie is book 5 in the Mystic Falls series by Mary Warren. It is an interconnected standalone, and you can read them out of order (I did) It was also the 5th book I’ve read by Warren. (in the 4 days since I finished Sadie, I read 5 more) Every one has been a hit for me!
I know this is the final in the series but I will keep hoping to see more from these characters in the future!
Thank you to the author for the ARC!
Sadie is new in town, trying to escape from the fall-out of a bad reality tv show, and she meets Lucas, her next door neighbor.
This book really hit me in the feels. I love the way Warren writes strong FMCs, but who also feel their feelings. Her MMC’s are also self-aware mostly and are green flags for me.
Always love a good found family trope, seeing Liam connect with Sadie and what he experienced was sweet. Very thankful Sadie’s mom “saw the light” as the book went on.
Searching for Sadie is book 5 in the Mystic Falls series by Mary Warren. It is an interconnected standalone, and you can read them out of order (I did) It was also the 5th book I’ve read by Warren. (in the 4 days since I finished Sadie, I read 5 more) Every one has been a hit for me!
I know this is the final in the series but I will keep hoping to see more from these characters in the future!
Thank you to the author for the ARC!
September 25, 2025
This is the second book that I’ve read from the Mystic Falls series, and I will definitely be going back and reading the other three. I love the little town and everything about it, including Bridget.
Sadie is running from a lot of things including her family, everyone involved in the reality show she was on, and the horrible feelings of betrayal by her sister. She’s living in the house her aunt left to her, she has no career, no friends, and she’s new in town. She’s just waiting for the ball to drop when the reality show would be out for the world to see.
Lucas as every bit the dream boat Sadie needed. The comfort and love he brought into her life was like a breath of fresh air.
This book tackled so many things: body shaming, reality TV and the pressure of being judged by all who watch and participate, family drama, starting over, self-acceptance, new beginnings, and true love.
For anyone looking for a small-town romance with a strong FMC working through a difficult chapter in her life, this book is for you.
Sadie is running from a lot of things including her family, everyone involved in the reality show she was on, and the horrible feelings of betrayal by her sister. She’s living in the house her aunt left to her, she has no career, no friends, and she’s new in town. She’s just waiting for the ball to drop when the reality show would be out for the world to see.
Lucas as every bit the dream boat Sadie needed. The comfort and love he brought into her life was like a breath of fresh air.
This book tackled so many things: body shaming, reality TV and the pressure of being judged by all who watch and participate, family drama, starting over, self-acceptance, new beginnings, and true love.
For anyone looking for a small-town romance with a strong FMC working through a difficult chapter in her life, this book is for you.
Read
October 16, 2025Searching for Sadie is a tender, slow-burn story about grief, healing, and rediscovering joy in the most unlikely place the Alaskan wilderness. After losing her husband, Sadie runs away to a remote island to rebuild her life in solitude. But nature (and life) have other plans.
I loved how atmospheric this book felt. The descriptions of the landscape are vivid and alive, perfectly mirroring Sadie’s emotional isolation and slow thaw. Her grief and vulnerability feel raw and real, and I appreciated that the romance doesn’t magically fix her. It grows alongside her healing.
It’s definitely a slower start, and I wish a few side characters had more depth, but by the end I was fully invested. The ending is hopeful without being too neat just the right kind of imperfect.
If you like emotional, character-driven stories set in wild, breathtaking places, Searching for Sadie will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
I loved how atmospheric this book felt. The descriptions of the landscape are vivid and alive, perfectly mirroring Sadie’s emotional isolation and slow thaw. Her grief and vulnerability feel raw and real, and I appreciated that the romance doesn’t magically fix her. It grows alongside her healing.
It’s definitely a slower start, and I wish a few side characters had more depth, but by the end I was fully invested. The ending is hopeful without being too neat just the right kind of imperfect.
If you like emotional, character-driven stories set in wild, breathtaking places, Searching for Sadie will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
October 3, 2025
This was my first “Mystic Falls” book by Mary Warren and now I am excited to go back and read the rest in the series!
In this story we have Sadie who has just experienced some major heartbreak. She decides to move to the house her aunt left her in the small town of Mystic Falls. Of course, this house also happens to be next door to the adorable and handsome Lucas. Together they navigate building a friendship turned romance, while also dealing with the aftermath of the horrid disaster of a dating show.
What I appreciated about this book is its “realness”. Mary Warren did not shy away from the reality of fatphobia and its impact on how a person views themselves. That being said, she did a great job at making these harsh realities real, while also keeping the book fun and light. I really enjoyed watching their relationship play out and seeing just how patient and gentle Lucas was with Sadie.
Overall I really enjoyed this read! If you are looking for a small town romance, warm and fuzzy feelings, a consent king, and a woman who takes her power back.... this book is for you!
**Fat Representation**
First can I just take a moment to really embrace that I am looking at fat representation in one of Mary Warren’s books?! Mary was the first person I ever saw not only reviewing plus size romance, but actively talking about the representation within it. What an honour it is to do it for one of hers!
I enjoyed the way that Sadie’s body was described. Mary Warren was careful to use key descriptors that allowed the reader to understand she was plus size, but also allowed for a bit of imagination. Even in the cover of the book, we are able to see that both Sadie and Lucas are mid & plus size. That type of representation matters! Far too often we see a straight-sized FMC’s on the cover despite the book claiming to have written her in a plus size body.
It is also worth noting that the entirety of the story wraps around Sadie dealing with the aftermath of being on a reality TV show. This plot focuses heavily on her being plus size and how she navigates through fatphobia. I think Mary Warren gives a realistic balance of the journey one can take to find love within themselves and their body again. While some days were hard, others were better and eventually she was able to re-learn those body neutral ways of thinking. I also appreciated Mary Warren broaching the topic of someone simply not being sexually attracted to a body type versus being actively fat phobic. I feel this was done beautifully.
In this story we have Sadie who has just experienced some major heartbreak. She decides to move to the house her aunt left her in the small town of Mystic Falls. Of course, this house also happens to be next door to the adorable and handsome Lucas. Together they navigate building a friendship turned romance, while also dealing with the aftermath of the horrid disaster of a dating show.
What I appreciated about this book is its “realness”. Mary Warren did not shy away from the reality of fatphobia and its impact on how a person views themselves. That being said, she did a great job at making these harsh realities real, while also keeping the book fun and light. I really enjoyed watching their relationship play out and seeing just how patient and gentle Lucas was with Sadie.
Overall I really enjoyed this read! If you are looking for a small town romance, warm and fuzzy feelings, a consent king, and a woman who takes her power back.... this book is for you!
**Fat Representation**
First can I just take a moment to really embrace that I am looking at fat representation in one of Mary Warren’s books?! Mary was the first person I ever saw not only reviewing plus size romance, but actively talking about the representation within it. What an honour it is to do it for one of hers!
I enjoyed the way that Sadie’s body was described. Mary Warren was careful to use key descriptors that allowed the reader to understand she was plus size, but also allowed for a bit of imagination. Even in the cover of the book, we are able to see that both Sadie and Lucas are mid & plus size. That type of representation matters! Far too often we see a straight-sized FMC’s on the cover despite the book claiming to have written her in a plus size body.
It is also worth noting that the entirety of the story wraps around Sadie dealing with the aftermath of being on a reality TV show. This plot focuses heavily on her being plus size and how she navigates through fatphobia. I think Mary Warren gives a realistic balance of the journey one can take to find love within themselves and their body again. While some days were hard, others were better and eventually she was able to re-learn those body neutral ways of thinking. I also appreciated Mary Warren broaching the topic of someone simply not being sexually attracted to a body type versus being actively fat phobic. I feel this was done beautifully.
September 17, 2025
4.5 Stars
I just adore Mary Warren’s writing—there’s always something about her books that makes them nearly impossible to put down. I fall in love not only with the characters but also with the small-town worlds she creates.
Sadie’s story hit me on such a personal level. The book was deeply emotional, especially as it touched on fat phobia and body shaming she endured after being on a reality dating show (prior to the story beginning). I related to her struggles so much and admired the way she stood up for herself.
And then there’s Lucas 💗 He might be the most thoughtful, supportive MMC I’ve ever read. The way he rooted for Sadie and celebrated her for who she is completely melted my heart.
This book is emotional, empowering, and full of heart.
Thank you to Mary Warren for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
I just adore Mary Warren’s writing—there’s always something about her books that makes them nearly impossible to put down. I fall in love not only with the characters but also with the small-town worlds she creates.
Sadie’s story hit me on such a personal level. The book was deeply emotional, especially as it touched on fat phobia and body shaming she endured after being on a reality dating show (prior to the story beginning). I related to her struggles so much and admired the way she stood up for herself.
And then there’s Lucas 💗 He might be the most thoughtful, supportive MMC I’ve ever read. The way he rooted for Sadie and celebrated her for who she is completely melted my heart.
This book is emotional, empowering, and full of heart.
Thank you to Mary Warren for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
September 18, 2025
Lucas and Sadie's story was such a cute read. Lucas wasn't looking for love when I moved in next door, courtesy of Sadie inheriting her aunt's home. Sadie's step out of her comfort zone ended in disaster, but it ushered in a fresh start she didn't know she needed. I like how their relationship grew over the course of the story. Reading Sadie struggle with trying to be brave and strong in the face of adversity is something we all can relate to. And we all love the support, reassurance, encouragement, and strength we get in people around us like Lucas. He's so amazing throughout the story. I loved the way he and the entire town wrapped their arms around her. I think the end was my favorite part, where she got to comfort the jerk. I was so proud of her, and I hope he gets everything he deserves and more. Overall, this was a good read. I'd highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews