Buckle Up, Buttercup

Pine Gulch Ever After #2

by Hazel Mack

Bluebell
I’m famous for my to-do list and at the very top of it is trying not to lust after Hadrian Alkazar—hometown heartthrob, star skyball player, and my older brother Jasper’s best friend. Jasper made it clear many years ago that the hunky gargoyle is completely off limits, and that was fine and dandy when Hadrian didn’t live in Pine Gulch.But now he does, and it’s nearly impossible not to notice that he ticks all the boxes on my perfect boyfriend Kind. Nerdy. Seven feet of stacked muscles with a killer wit and a filthy mouth. So I do what any sensible girl would do - buy a business who hates me and throw myself desperately into figuring out how to make that work. If I keep myself on the edge of burnout, I won’t have time to notice Hadrian pushing his way deeper into my life.

The big gargoyle seems determined to make things difficult by buying me gifts when he’s away, feeding me when I’m too busy to feed myself, and helping on days the store is testing my willpower. I’d be a fool not to fall hard and fast for a male like that.

My shop might collapse around me. My brother might lose his mind. But the closer Hadrian and I get, the more I start to wonder if risking all of that might be worth it. Because the one thing I know for sure is that on my daily to-do list, I want Hadrian to be at the very top.

Buckle Up, Buttercup is book two in the small town cowboy monster romcom series Pine Gulch Ever After. It's a brother's best friend, friends to lovers romance between a type A, list-making heroine and the filthy-talking pierced gargoyle she's known her whole life. Get ready for bucketloads of longing looks and always a happily ever after.

Genres: Monster Romance, Friends To Lovers, Romance, Monsters, Audiobook, Fantasy, Westerns

330 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 19, 2026

About the author

Hazel Mack writes small town cozy but scorching monster romance. High heat but lots of sweet is the name of the game. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with Mr. Mack, Baby Mack and a dog named Andy. Hazel Mack is the sticky sweet alter ego of dark(ish) romance author Anna Fury.

Reviews

[Amanda Marie]

Every time I read a new Hazel Mack book, I feel like it’s just a cozy, funny time!

These are always yummy monster small-town romances with a little bit of a romcom element and I love that everything feels so found family and cohesive.
I think my favorite part are the sentient buildings! That will never get old🤣🥹

Bluebell was an amazing fmc. I related to her a lot with the never-ending to-do list and having to stay occupied or else you felt like you were not doing enough. Picking up the pieces of your family and constantly taking on more challenges was something that a lot of people can easily relate to and I love that about Hazel‘s characters.

And Hadrian. I mean, what’s not to like about him?! he has wings. He has a tail. He’s dominant and possessive. AND he’s also sweet, kind, and caring without fault. OH any as a ripped body because he play sports. Say less. We love to see it 🥵

There were a couple fun surprises in this story and it made it all the better! I definitely enjoyed it and finished it and almost one sitting (totally fell asleep at 2am devouring this)!

Overall
4.5 ⭐️
3 🌶️

Thank you so much to Hazel and team for this advanced copy! I can’t wait for the third book 🩷

[Hailey Goshert]

3.5⭐️ 3🌶️ i for sure liked this better than book 1! sometimes you just need some gargoyle smut, ya know?

i really enjoyed the friends to lovers, will-they-won't-they, mildly forbidden love tropes in here. but i did NOT love how childish the other Tucker siblings were. I understand that monsters & witches have longer lifespans but come ONNNNN those brothers were still in their 30's and consistently acted like middle to high school aged dipshits... i just could not handle their antics for the majority of the book. I was also irked by Blue's inability to tell them no. I get she's a workaholic and wants to throw her hat in every ring to help get stuff done, but there just comes a point where you gotta put your foot down babe! *i* would've had shoe meet floor a lottttt sooner than she did.

some other random things i wanted to mention were: (A) how weird i found it that Blue not only went skinny dipping with her siblings but also that they tackled her in the water while they were all naked??? idk it was weird to me. and (B) how i really wasn't a fan of the whole "big boy" nickname... idk i just cringed so hard every time it was said lol. i can get behind "mate" because it's literally a monster romance and they have a real tangible mating bond or whatever... but big boy was just ick bahahahahaha

anyways, i was fully aware going into this that it would be a silly goofy monster smut filled time so i'm not judging too harshly. and more importantly, i will in fact be reading the last book when it comes out later this year because i just know i'm going to love Oz's love story!

[Meredith]

ARC review

Ok, I chaos read this book. It’s part of a well-established monster romance world but my first book by them and I probably missed a lot of nuance because of my chaotic tendencies… and I LOVED it! Will I now go on to read Hazel Mack’s entire backlist? 100% yes.

* human witch x gargoyle
* monster romance
* small town
* brother’s best friend
* fated mates
* he has a tail and he knows how to use it. Multiple times. Delicious
* also, he’s pierced

I don’t believe in recapping a blurb, so here’s my thoughts. This story had it all - complex lore, history and politics but still so cozy, absolutely perfect spice featuring so many personal favorites it’s like the author opened my brain box for ideas, family drama on BOTH sides of the relationship and deep emotional and community foundations that have me coming back for more. It’s fast paced and delightful. You need to read it now.

Thanks so much to the author for the review copy!

[Poppy || Monster Lover]

Bluebell and Hadrian had all that pining going on, after decades of friendship and trust. Bluebell’s brothers pissed me off because they took advantage of her eldest daughter syndrome (though she was the baby) and kept giving her more to do for her endless to do list. I loved that Hadrian was supportive and kept trying to help her scale back without shaming her. She has alllll the sass and he had some dom energy hiding behind his cinnamon roll personality, and a filthy mouth.

Spice: 4/5

Triggers: parental neglect/abandonment, child traveling alone, unplanned child guardianship, eldest daughter vibes, physical altercation, sports injury, fall from height with no injury

[KateBush]

The heat: yes
The cute: it's pretty cute
The fact that a man baby who can't stop talking about his sister's tits as a thirty four year old man is what slows down their romance? Fuck no. Who the hell goes skinny dipping in their thirties with their adult brothers ..??

[Terri McCarrell]

This was my first Hazel Mack read, and it won't be my last!

What a fun cozy spicy monster romance! Pine Gulch is the location for this second book in the interconnected standalone series with:
💙 A sassy Magical Town with sentient buildings
💙Wild West cowboy monsters
💙Brothers best friend forbidden vibes
💙All the yearning
💙A tattooed which with a to-do list a mile long
💙A pierced gargoyle with a dirty mouth

We have a gargoyle x witch and all the fun found family that is the Pine Gulch cowboy monster series.
I'll admit to grating my teeth a little with the word "mate" being used way too many times in reference to each other during conversation and sexy talk...but overall this was a fun enjoyable romp!
Thank you to Hazel Mack for the Advanced Reader Copy!

[MagicalBookShelbs]

Any Hazel Mack monster book is a must read for me and I absolutely loved Bluebell’s story! Gargoyles are my personal favorite monster from the series and I loved how reminiscent this book felt to the first Ever book with having a human/gargoyle pair (also all the cameos!!!)

Like the Ever series, each book has me falling deeper in love with PG and the characters there and I’m officially SOLD on cowboy monster romances 😍

Thank you so much to the author for the ARC!!

[Mia Mia]

4.5⭐️

[☾✴︎Andrea Reads Romance✴︎☽]

rtc!

[A. Page]

This was cute, and I liked it significantly more than book 1. Her brother though was the definition of awful, and I still don't entirely feel happy with how that storyline wrapped up. I am excited for oz's story next though! 

[Lyrik]

I didn't care for the brother drama when all these characters are full grown adults in their 30's.

[Vanessa V]

ARC REVIEW

I absolutely loved Hazel Mack’s Haven Ever After series, but honestly? In my opinion, Pine Gulch Ever After is even better and getting a visit from the Hector sisters was such a bonus.

I’m completely obsessed with the setting of Pine Gulch. PG just feels magical and cozy, and Bluebell and Hadriel were so wholesomely cute together. They were absolutely meant to be. Their chemistry was perfect from the start and I couldn’t stop smiling whenever they were together.

Hazel Mack really has a gift because this managed to be a sweet, cozy paranormal romance while also being spicy AF 😂 Hadriel had me BLUSHING. The mouth on that man??? And the wings, tongue, tail… trust me, EVERYTHING gets put to use 👀🔥

I loved this book so much and I already can’t wait for the continuation of the series. I’m really hoping Oz gets his story next!

Now… Bluebell’s brothers, especially the twins, were absolutely insufferable. Any woman meeting them should probably run the other way 😭 I really hope they redeem themselves more in future books because right now they were testing my patience.

Overall, this was funny, cozy, spicy, and ridiculously addictive. Hazel Mack absolutely delivered.

♥️♥️♥️

[Ashley]

2.5⭐️ Ehhh this was fine but I had a couple issues. First, why was the FMC’s name Bluebell when all her brothers had J names (Jasper, Jack, and Jace)? It’s petty but it bothered me. Second, when she went skinny dipping with a big group of adults in their 30s, including her brothers…major ick

[Caitlin]

Bluebell has her life carefully organized around lists, responsibilities, and trying very hard not to think about Hadrian Alkazar, her brother’s best friend and the town’s beloved gargoyle athlete. That becomes significantly more difficult when Hadrian moves back to Pine Gulch and starts inserting himself into her ever-chaotic life. Between helping with her trying business, sending gifts, and generally being impossible to ignore, Hadrian steadily works his way past Bluebell’s carefully maintained defenses. As their friendship begins shifting into something more, Bluebell is forced to decide whether it’s worth letting someone help her for once.

This was the perfect cozy monster romance palate cleanser. The tone is warm, funny, and heartfelt, but it still gives the characters meaningful problems and emotional stakes to work through. Bluebell was very easy to root for, and I liked watching her slowly learn how to assert her own needs. Hadrian is exactly the kind of love interest this story needs: sweet, dependable, filthy-mouthed in private, and completely gone for her from the start. The chemistry between them is excellent, and yes, the spice level is very high. The dirty talk in particular? Good lord.

I also really enjoyed the family dynamics and the way the brother’s-best-friend setup was handled here. There’s a development around the middle of the story that I initially wasn’t sure about, but the author won me over surprisingly quickly. I also continue to love how interconnected this author’s books feel. References to previous couples and events make the world feel lived-in without alienating new readers, and this still works perfectly well as a standalone. This was exactly the kind of cute, comforting chaos I needed. Many thanks to the author for this ARC. This is my honest review.

5/5 Had me blushing like I was eighteen again.

[Eva]

3.5 rounded up!

I wanted these two to end up together since they were mentioned in the first book, and their journey was so sweet.

I fear only the MCs were good, almost every side character was annoying me BAD. Her parents, her brothers, his parents, even the kid. They were never endearing, always making things harder for both Bluebell and Hadrian.

And while I knew this was a brother’s best friend story, it had too much brother in it. I truly couldn’t stand Jasper acting like he owned Bluebell and mentioning her tits all the time. Jack was just there. And Jace is the only one who gets a pass, plus they are thirty five…THIRTY FIVE and need to have their little sister run their business for them sans pay…having skinny dipping parties and Bluebell fix his truck.
Oh and this man saying “I know how you are, I don’t want you to break her heart” to Hadrian?! Hadrian-Saint-I-only-think-about-Bluebell-Alkazar?! The fuckboy is you Jasper, stop projecting.

I fear the side characters ruined this story. I truly loved the main characters arc and pace and everything else, but I couldn’t get over my annoyance with the Jays and the others to have a good time.

Thank you Hazel for this early copy, I smell Oz’s story being next and I truly CANNOT wait for him and his he’ll pup to find a heartbeat.

[Claudia]

4.5⭐️
🎧Audio Review!

Samantha Brentmoor and Oliver Highpoint knocked it out of The Gulch once again!

If you haven't started the Pine Gulch series, then this is your sign! This is the 2nd book about Bluebell who is human and a black witch, who seems to take on every job and little task that is thrown her way. She is now the owner of the Buxom Bodice who has her own sassy personality. By the way, the buildings and homes in PG are sentient- which I absolutely love.

Hadrian is a gargoyle and Skyball player for the Punishers. He has also been Bluebells best friend since they were kids- not to mention Bluebells brothers bestfriend 👀. Hadrian is the biggest green flag and I love him. He's not a partier, he just wants to hang out with his friends, watch movies, and have a chill night in. You're speaking my love language, sir!

This is a very low stakes high spice book, with heart and swoony moments. It's such a fun and easy read/listen. You get sucked into PG so quickly and fall in love with the residents. Samantha and Oliver doing an amazing job bringing this witch and gargoyle to life.

Also we have a 6 year age gap, a pierced MMC, and some "it might not fit" moments.
Saddle up friends and add this series to your tbr! It's so fun and 🔥🔥🔥

[Rika Matsuura]

Not sure how I made it through this book. The MMC using the pet name “little one” for his 8yo sister and the FMC is such a huge ick. How did that even get through editing? 🤢
Poorly written, with the author mixing up names of characters eg “Bluebell” astonished at something Bluebell said.
None of the conversation was realistic - the words were awkward and stilted, and it made all the dialogue sound the same. (No wonder the author mixed up characters more than once).
Are we also seriously supposed to believe that these people are in their 30s? It reads like a bad college romance.
I was ridiculously surprised by how many 5 star reviews this novel had.
I don’t normally leave low reviews but this was horrendous.
This is my first and last H. Mack read.

[saralouisereads]

3.5⭐️ 4🌶️ there were parts of this that i absolutely loved but there were also things that i definitely could’ve gone without. i love this world that hazel has created and the cozy little monster town. the romance was so sweet and they for sure were fated to be together. i did not like the random little sister plot that showed up half way through this 😒 there were also a couple scenes that gave me the ick 😅 i am for sure gonna continue the series though! the spice in this was great and we love a pierced mmc 🙂‍↕️

[Airaseem]

Cute Romance with a GARGOYLE as the love interest! Cute small town romance! I love the relationship development and how it progressed. First time reading Hazel Mack and I enjoyed her writing. The romance was sweet and spicy enough for a good time!

[Lissa J]

Sweet monster romance. The fact that an immature man child was the reason they kept delaying their romance irritated me the whole book.

[✨ Just Another Bookwyrm ✨]

This was pleasantly spicier than I thought it would be, and I loved how darned sweet and protective Hadrian was ❤️‍🔥

[pogu]

friends to lovers ew
ale Hadrian yeehaw

mocne 4/5, bo był absolutny, ale absolutny brak fabuły, nie to co w pierwszym tomie:(

[Vanessa]

No. Nope. I’m officially done with this author. I wanted to one and done her after the first book in this series, but I was tricked into reading book two because I cannot say no to mutual pining.

The relationship? Actually quite sweet. But again, like book one, the sex was zero to 100 in an instant. And for the fatal blow for me, this author did a spontaneous anal without any prep or lube after being VERY intense about the fact that this dude’s peen is 10 inches long and as big around as a soda can. She made sure that the first P in V experience happened after two consecutive orgasms and was super slow, but then suddenly it’s booty time and Bluebell just spreads her cheeks and sinks down? NOPE. Bye. I’m out. That’s insane and I cannot get past it.

[Beth’s Book Collection]

"We are not complicated. Things around us are complicated, but what's between you and me is as natural as breathing."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶

What you'll find in this book:
• Brother's Best Friend
• Gargoyle x Witch
• All The Pining
• Banter Galore
• Sassy Sentient Buildings
• Wild West Small Town
• He Takes Care of Her
• Found Family

It will come as absolutely zero shock to everyone that this is another Hazel Mack book that has me obsessed! The Haven Ever After series is one of my absolute favourites and the Pine Gulch Ever After series is shaping up to be on par. I adore the blend of cowboy and monster romance that Hazel has created, how this gives the same nostalgic feel of the Haven Ever After series but is still refreshing and unique. Packed full of yearning, banter and a best friends brother dynamic that makes everything so very complicated alongside heart warming found family, this monster romance packs a punch and is definitely perfect if you like your books with a balance of spice and cosy.

We get to explore more of Pine Gulch and the surrounding havens within this book as Hadrian travels as a star sky all player. I loved meeting more of the Gulch's residents and sassy sentient buildings. It is such a joy to read as Hazel continues to expand upon the world created within the Haven Ever After series. Each place we explore feels so carefully created to paint the perfect picture in your mind, the detail is ever present without overwhelming the story. This book flowed in the most beautiful way, one moment moving purposefully to the next, with emotionally powerful moments interspersed with a beauitful love story.

The brothers best friend dynamic in this story is *chefs kiss*, how this interplays with the attraction between Hadrian and Bluebell is amazing! I was just praying the entire book that they would get out of their own way and declare their feelings for one another. We get to explore both Hadrian's fun and jovial side with his possessive gargoyle nature, providing his character with dimension. He is a softie at heart and has so much love to give and it is such a joy to read as he gives this over to Bluebell. Bluebell is trying to support the weight of the world on her shoulders, always willing to help those around her but not looking after herself. These two over the course of the book we see as these two become what eachother desperately needs, taking a risk on their long strong constructed friendship to chase their connection.

I already cannot wait for more books in this series, I'm excited to meet more characters and visit more locations!

Thank you so much to Hazel for sending me an e-ARC to read and review early.

Author: Hazel Mack
Series: Pine Gulch Ever After
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: May 19th, 2026
Pages: 299

[FabledWhimsy]

Thank you, Hazel Mack for sending me an ARC of Buckle Up, Buttercup! This was a particularly exciting ARC for me as I previously read All my Hexes and Live Love Lasso and absolutely adored them. I didn’t actually think the Pine Gulch Ever After series could get any better, but here we are!

❀。• *₊°。 ❀° ♡ ❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。♡

♡ If you have seen my previous reviews for this series you will know how much I love the setting of Pine Gulch. There is so much magic and wonder piled into this small town that I just love. Hazel has created the cosiest town, the buildings are alive and will sass you if they think you deserve it, all the residents are like family and the sights and landscape are jaw-droppingly beautiful. I will forever be sad that this place doesn’t exist because I would be packing my bag so fast and heading to PG, and no one would be able to stop me. The Pine Gulch Ever After series are all standalone, interconnected books. I don’t think you have to read the previous books to love Buckle Up, Buttercup, but it really enhanced the story for me. In a way we are so familiar with PG at this point, we feel like we are residents ourselves. This point of view gives you all the warm and fuzzy feelings that extend into this book. I would recommend this series wholeheartedly!

♡ Bluebell is a character we have met before, and I am ecstatic that this book centred around her and her childhood best friend Hadrian. We caught the tiniest glimpse of them in Live Love Lasso, and just from those minor interactions, I was completely hooked. Bluebell is someone who has her life planned out from the minute she wakes up, to the moment she goes to bed (if she even has the chance to sleep at all). She is the youngest sibling, with 3 older brothers to contend with. Despite being the youngest, she embodies the traits of the eldest daughter that so many of us are familiar with. Her brothers constantly rely on her to do their jobs, on top of all the work she already has to do. One thing I will say is that the first thing that comes to mind when we talk about Bluebell’s older brothers is: weaponised incompetence. Do I think they are doing it maliciously? No. However, it still sucked. As the eldest daughter of two brothers, I was right there with her. I think a lot of us can recognise ourselves in Bluebell and that is testament to Hazel’s ability to make relatable characters. There was heaviness in my heart when I saw her stretch herself too thin for others. It was empowering and satisfying to see her learn to rely on others and stand up for herself!

♡ Hadrian gives every other book boyfriend I have ever known, a run for their money. He was the classic childhood sweetheart that you cannot help but fall head-over-heels for. He is charming and, to top it all off, a very successful Skyball player, as if he couldn’t get any better. His and Bluebell’s relationship felt believable from the offset, and despite the fact these two were clearly pining for each other for years, it had slow burn elements. They circled each other for a while in this book, with stolen glances and accidental touches that had me dizzy. I could feel their yearning for each other weaved throughout the pages and decades of their friendship. Whilst we didn’t have any flashbacks of their childhoods, there were references and callbacks that painted a great picture. I go crazy for a protective boyfriend, which is exactly who Hadrian is. He sees Bluebell wearing herself out, trying to do everything for everyone, and makes it his priority to help her. He never wants to change her, because he loves her for who she is, but he wants to alleviate her stress and teach her that it’s ok to say no and put yourself first.

♡ There are recurring characters in this book, which made me so excited. I will always have the best time when I step into the world of PG and spend time with all its amazing inhabitants. I am so desperate to see Oz find love and I really hope that we will get to see him fall in love soon! If you like paranormal romances, cowboy/ western settings and cosy small towns (steeped in magic), you will enjoy your stay in Pine Gulch as much as I have! This series will become a part of you, and you will be forever wishing you could jump into a portal and escape to PG and never look back.

[Briana Bailon]

4⭐️/ 4🌶️

Being in the Gulch is a good ol time with characters like Hadrian and Bluebell and the rest of the gang. I really enjoyed reading the first book in this series that followed, Lemon and Furyon so, to now read about Bluebell and Hadrian, it was another fun read for me. This series combines two of my favorite kinds of stories which are, small town romances and monster romances. This followed, Hadrian and Bluebell as their longtime friendship became them admitting their feelings for each other, and creating a deeper bond. If you like, brother’s best friend, “it’s always been you”, small town, lovable characters, and equal parts spice and sweet, this is definitely a book I’d recommend.

Throughout this whole book, I not only got a chance to see more of Hadrian and Bluebell, but also how the their friendship was the perfect way for them to transition into having a relationship together. By avoiding all the first meets, and whatnot, Bluebell and Hadrian had already know each other for years, and seeing right away in the beginning how close they were really made me see how much care and love was already present from the start. I also loved getting to see a bit more of what each Bluebell and Hadrian did in their own time when they weren’t together. Although, I will say as much as Bluebell liked to keep busy, at times it felt like she was running herself ragged which I felt bad for her. Hadrian did his part in helping Bluebell in any way he could, but it ultimately came down to Bluebell to realize that it was ok to delegate the responsibilities to others especially when it wasn’t hers to begin with. Hadrian had his own things to work on such as, a certain surprise that even I was taken aback from, but it ended up being a really sweet one *wink.

From the Tucker family, to familiar characters, and new characters, this story felt cozy and lighthearted. There was a really tight knit group in this book, and it was great to see how everyone got along so well and had that camaraderie. There was also the sweet moments in which I got to see Hadrian being so down bad for Bluebell that I was more than happy about. Finding out things when it came to Hadrian and Bluebell’s feelings for each other was great, and (sigh) all kinds of exciting things to read about. As much as this story had its sweet moments, don’t forget this is a monster romance too that had its spicy hot moments too, and GIRL! Hadrian didn’t play around when it came time to claim Bluebell. Bluebell herself had a few tricks up her sleeve that more than made Hadrian whimper and beg for her. Yeah, the spice was gooooood.

Overall, another great book in this series, and it gave me the perfect balance of a monster romance with its lighthearted small town vibes, and other tidbits from Hazel’s other stories making cameos. Hadrian and Blubell’s story was fun to read, and I was happy to see how their story ended on a happy note.

[Jessica]

“’Need a nickname,’ he demands. ‘And I need it now, baby. Try something, anything, to see if it fits.’”

What to Expect
🖤 Gargoyle Athlete MMC
😈 Brother’s Best Friend
💘 Friends to Lovers
🥵 YEARNING
🏠 A sentient building with ATTITUDE

Welcome back to Pine Gulch, better known as PG if you want to sound like a local. It’s time for Lemon’s type-A new bestie, Bluebell, to get her happily ever after, and while I’m not normally a friends-to-lovers fan, this one completely won me over.

Bluebell is peak type-A energy, with endless to-do lists because she’s a people pleaser and basically acts like the eldest sibling in her family for how much she takes on. I really related to her need to do everything herself so it gets done right. Watching her hide her very obvious feelings for Hadrian killed me, and the yearning was so good. Her relationship with Hal felt inevitable, but seeing her finally stand up to her brother was easily one of the best parts of her growth.

Hadrian takes yearning to another level, and I loved him. We met him before, so I was already hoping for more of him, and I got it. He’s sweet, caring, and perfect book boyfriend material. He’s also well-endowed and pierced to high heaven. Like the other gargoyle men we’ve met, he just wants to make Blue’s life easier, and if that means helping her tackle her lists, he’s on board. We love a supportive man.

Why do half of our loving monsters have questionable parents?!?!

The spice was spicing, and I appreciated it so much. Hadrian wants to please his mate in every way, and the table scene followed by the truck scene nearly took me out. Also, the way he tells her to come to him and she actually does? Obsessed. We really need their mode of transportation because just a drive to the station and boom—new city.

It wouldn’t be a Pine Gulch book without the house playing a role, and Bodice seems to be getting our two lovebirds together, even if she goes about it the wrong way at one point. Poor thing was abandoned (ish), and then her new owner didn’t really know how to communicate with her the way she was used to.

As always, I eagerly await the next installment.

[jess]

They’re supposed to be childhood friends and it STILL managed to feel insta-lovey. There is also no way you can convince me that Hadrian and Jasper are best friends. There is no chemistry there at all.

This book was filled with 30 year-olds acting 18 years old, and 9 year-olds acting 15 years old. The dialogue was maddening at times.

Also, there was no need for the building to be mad. They would’ve got together anyway.
No need to introduce a surprise family member.
They would’ve got together anyway.
No need for Jasper to be that invested in his sister’s love life.
They would’ve got together anyway.
No need for skinny dipping with your 30 year-old brothers.
THEY WOULD’VE GOT TOGETHER ANYWAY.

There was absolutely nothing running the plot whatsoever, not even vibes, and that was so incredibly disappointing.

I was excited for this book initially as well, considering many leftover plot points from the first book: Varek, the buildings, a new Keeper. We just decided not to address any of it here.

Jasper absolutely did not redeem himself whatsoever with his excuses at the end either. It started feeling incredibly weird when he was adamant about Bluebell and Hadrian basically being brother and sister. Didn’t take long for the country themed Haven to devolve into some Sweet Home Alabama.

Tangent: what is with the Varek hate? Everyone in PG acts as though he’s so evil for wanting to build a cozy neighborhood but wouldn’t that be great for young, new prospective families and stimulate the surrounding economy? What is this xenophobic exclusivity of only wanting “misfits” in PG? (Don’t even get me started on how disingenuous our MCs felt when a small child is thrust upon them. It’s a total inconvenience, everyone knows it, but suddenly they love her so much, she’s family etc etc. Bffr you’re annoyed you can’t fuck in private anymore.) With the Varek hate, most of PG is so narrow-minded and Bluebell is such a hypocrite: her family literally owns a real estate business with them as the predatory landlords but when Varek wants to come in and build more affordable housing? That’s a big no-no.

[Hailey]

Okay, my gargoyle monster romance lovers… beware?! 🥵

Back in Pine Gulch feels like slipping into the coziest chaos… the sentient buildings? Still one of my favorite quirks that never gets old.

Vibes? Pure small-time monster with western flair, found family goodness, and small-town shenanigans. A spicy-sweet storytelling… it’s fun, it’s flirty, it’s a little spicy!

💙 “You touched me. You unleashed me… I’m not stopping all night, little healer.”

And Hadrian? Listen. Seven feet of gargoyle, filthy mouth, softest actions, and just the right amount of possessive swoon. Bluebell is out here trying to stick to her to-do list and absolutely failing in the best way possible.

💙 “Just because something is challenging doesn’t mean it’s not worth pursuing, Bluebell… Don’t run from me, little witch, and I will honor that bravery by doing the same.”

The only drawback for me was the way the family and friends handled the relationship. While I know the brother’s best friend trope often comes with tension, the constant interference from the brother and family became frustrating at times and made it difficult to fully enjoy their romance. I would have loved to see a bit more support for the relationship rather than repeated attempts to keep them apart. I also felt that the repeated focus on her physical appearance, particularly comments about her body, became a little excessive for my personal taste.

Buckle up, Buttercup… because this one is all longing looks, bad decisions, slow burn tension, and brother’s best friend chaos!

💫 Buckle Up, Buttercup (Pine Gulch Ever After, 2) by Hazel Mack (@hazelmackauthor)
Monster Small-Town RomCom | Brother’s Best Friend | Gargolye x Witch | 300 pp | ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5/5)

💫 Favorite Quote:
“I will always love you until the gods take me from this earth. And even then, among the stars, I’ll still love you.”

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🌟 Thank you, Hazel Mack, for the eARC! This review is honest, and my own thoughts are left voluntarily.

[bookbaefae]

"I blame the sweatpants. It’s stupid for him to wear them. I’m just a simple woman, and I can only be expected to behave so much."

We all get it.

But what we don't get is a sentient, cozy wild west-ish town of our own filled with hot pierced monsters wearing those sweatpants. And that's a damn shame.

Lucky for FMC witch Bluebell, she does get that. Her lifelong bestie Hadrian, a gargoyle who plays skyball, is the male in question in that quote. And in my dreams 🫣😅

Bluebell was so relatable. She takes care of everything for everyone because she would rather be nonstop busy than have to fix the inevitable issues that result from people messing things up. But she is burning out fast.

Hadrian, who's parents basically dropped him off to live with her family for the most part, knows her better than anyone. And while I don't normally enjoy friends to lovers, he's also her brother's bestie, so there's some excellent tension a la forbidden romance, and plenty of twists to add much more to this story than initially meets the eye.

I also love that we get to see more of book 1s MCs Furyon and Lemon, and Oz (one of my fave characters for life).

Buckle up for a cozy, spicy 3.5 🌶️) monster romance with a few surprises up its sleeve and:
- all of his toys are shaped like human 🐱 because he's been down bad for her forever
- he's VERY pierced, very big, and a dirty talker
- she's the only black witch (healing) and only girl in the family
- she takes on too much to help her family, friends and town
- they're secretly pining after each other and have to hide it firm everyone

Thanks to Hazel Mack and team for my copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.