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Blue Cedar Falls #1
The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane
From a "must-read voice in romance" (Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author) comes a charming opposites-attract romance about two lonely hearts discovering that love doesn't always go according to plan.
June Wu always has it all together—only now, she’s in over her head. Her family’s inn desperately needs guests, her mother’s medical debts are piling up, and the surly, if sexy, stranger next door is driving away the customers she has left! When he asks for June’s help, though, she can’t say no. After all, his new bar could be just what the upcoming Pumpkin Festival needs to bring in more tourists. But with the fierce attraction between them, will working together be playing with fire?
Ex-soldier Clay Hawthorne prefers being on his own. He’s moved to Blue Cedar Falls for one reason—to carry out his best friend’s dream of opening a bar in the hometown he’ll now never return to. But the town’s business association is trying to stop Clay’s progress. June soon becomes his biggest supporter, and while their partnership is supposed to be only temporary, for the first time Clay wants something permanent—with June. Can two total opposites really learn to meet each other in the middle?
Includes the bonus novella Kiss Me in Sweetwater Springs by Annie Rains!
June Wu always has it all together—only now, she’s in over her head. Her family’s inn desperately needs guests, her mother’s medical debts are piling up, and the surly, if sexy, stranger next door is driving away the customers she has left! When he asks for June’s help, though, she can’t say no. After all, his new bar could be just what the upcoming Pumpkin Festival needs to bring in more tourists. But with the fierce attraction between them, will working together be playing with fire?
Ex-soldier Clay Hawthorne prefers being on his own. He’s moved to Blue Cedar Falls for one reason—to carry out his best friend’s dream of opening a bar in the hometown he’ll now never return to. But the town’s business association is trying to stop Clay’s progress. June soon becomes his biggest supporter, and while their partnership is supposed to be only temporary, for the first time Clay wants something permanent—with June. Can two total opposites really learn to meet each other in the middle?
Includes the bonus novella Kiss Me in Sweetwater Springs by Annie Rains!
459 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 28, 2021
34 people are currently reading
3937 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 200 reviews
January 5, 2022
The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane by Jeannie Chin is the first book in the new contemporary romance Blue Cedar Falls series. It appears so far that this will be a contemporary romance series that will change the main characters with the setting being the common theme. This first book of the serie is an enemies to lovers romance changing the point of view between the characters.
June Wu loves her family and her small town of Blue Cedar Falls where she helps run her family’s inn. Things have been tight lately for June’s family with her mother’s health problems which have added to their bills. Just is hoping the upcoming Pumpkin Festival will help bring in more guests and the income they need but that isn’t going to happen with all the noise coming from their new neighbor.
Clay Hawthorne had a good buddy in the military with him that didn’t make it home so he has a dream now of honoring his friend by opening a bar in his hometown, Blue Cedar Falls. Clay knew that the town may not be overly welcoming with his dream of a bar on mainstreet but he’s ready to take on the town’s business association to make his friend’s and now his dream come true. What Clay didn’t expect was June Wu who showed up on his doorstep.
The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane by Jeannie Chin had all the ingredients to be a lovely contemporary romance but this one fell a little short in my opinion. I loved the small town and could just picture the ruffled feathers in some of the residents and should have fallen in love with the romance too however the author went a little too far with making an “enemy” in Clay to fit the trope in my opinion. The guy just started off a jerk and after that I just couldn’t fall into rooting for him despite the heartbreaking story that should have warmed him to me making this one turn into a just so-so story by the end.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
June Wu loves her family and her small town of Blue Cedar Falls where she helps run her family’s inn. Things have been tight lately for June’s family with her mother’s health problems which have added to their bills. Just is hoping the upcoming Pumpkin Festival will help bring in more guests and the income they need but that isn’t going to happen with all the noise coming from their new neighbor.
Clay Hawthorne had a good buddy in the military with him that didn’t make it home so he has a dream now of honoring his friend by opening a bar in his hometown, Blue Cedar Falls. Clay knew that the town may not be overly welcoming with his dream of a bar on mainstreet but he’s ready to take on the town’s business association to make his friend’s and now his dream come true. What Clay didn’t expect was June Wu who showed up on his doorstep.
The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane by Jeannie Chin had all the ingredients to be a lovely contemporary romance but this one fell a little short in my opinion. I loved the small town and could just picture the ruffled feathers in some of the residents and should have fallen in love with the romance too however the author went a little too far with making an “enemy” in Clay to fit the trope in my opinion. The guy just started off a jerk and after that I just couldn’t fall into rooting for him despite the heartbreaking story that should have warmed him to me making this one turn into a just so-so story by the end.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
December 23, 2022
The Sweetbriar Inn used to be a successful operation until the freeway got built. June Wu knew that much. With dwindling customers, the Inn is struggling. And with her mom’s recent stroke along with the mounting medical bills, the Inn is on the precipice of bankruptcy.
Ex soldier Clay Hawthorne just moved to Blue Cedar Falls to fulfill his late best friend’s dream of opening a bar. Armed with a chip on his shoulder, Clay vows to get the bar opened and running no matter the cost or consequences. But the townsfolk and neighbor June don’t quite agree with Clay’s plans. Until June realizes that perhaps a warm and cozy bar would be just the ticket to draw customers to her Inn and increase the Inn’s revenue. A win-win as far as she was concerned. So June devises a plan and sets in motion a series of tactical manuevers to influence Clay on the bar’s design and theme. But along the way, June is finding that Clay isn’t the ruff and gruff man he projects himself to be. June also discovers that she’s feeling that familiar flutter of excitement whenever Clay is near.
The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane is a contemporary romance with a little bit of steam. It is the first novel in the Blue Cedar Falls series. And it was an enjoyable read.
There are just a handful of characters so I didn’t get lost in the who’s who. For the most part, I enjoyed the minor players the best. I liked Han and Elizabeth. Han for his dead pan humor and Elizabeth for her quirky style. I really didn’t care too much for the main characters primarily because of their attitudes — Clay was a bit rough around the edges and June just had the elitist attitude — my way or the highway demeanor.
I enjoyed the opposites attract theme, but for some reason I didn’t think that Clay or June would ever see eye to eye on anything. But in the grand scheme of things, a happy ending with two happy people is the best one could hope for. Four solid stars.
I received a finished copy of the book from Forever (GCP.) The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
Ex soldier Clay Hawthorne just moved to Blue Cedar Falls to fulfill his late best friend’s dream of opening a bar. Armed with a chip on his shoulder, Clay vows to get the bar opened and running no matter the cost or consequences. But the townsfolk and neighbor June don’t quite agree with Clay’s plans. Until June realizes that perhaps a warm and cozy bar would be just the ticket to draw customers to her Inn and increase the Inn’s revenue. A win-win as far as she was concerned. So June devises a plan and sets in motion a series of tactical manuevers to influence Clay on the bar’s design and theme. But along the way, June is finding that Clay isn’t the ruff and gruff man he projects himself to be. June also discovers that she’s feeling that familiar flutter of excitement whenever Clay is near.
The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane is a contemporary romance with a little bit of steam. It is the first novel in the Blue Cedar Falls series. And it was an enjoyable read.
There are just a handful of characters so I didn’t get lost in the who’s who. For the most part, I enjoyed the minor players the best. I liked Han and Elizabeth. Han for his dead pan humor and Elizabeth for her quirky style. I really didn’t care too much for the main characters primarily because of their attitudes — Clay was a bit rough around the edges and June just had the elitist attitude — my way or the highway demeanor.
I enjoyed the opposites attract theme, but for some reason I didn’t think that Clay or June would ever see eye to eye on anything. But in the grand scheme of things, a happy ending with two happy people is the best one could hope for. Four solid stars.
I received a finished copy of the book from Forever (GCP.) The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
November 16, 2021
This is a really heartwarming small town romance that's perfect for the cozy season – it takes place during the fall and there's a whole pumpkin festival! The heroine owns a bed and breakfast and the hero moves next door in order to open up a bar. They don’t get along at first mainly because the hero is a prickly grump. But they're forced to work together in order to bring in business and make the town’s pumpkin festival as successful as it can be. The romance is great, I loved June’s family, and I loved seeing diversity in a small town romance!
September 23, 2021
Thank you to the publisher for my print and audio review copy. All opinions are my own.
Hey there new fun cozy romance....how you doin?
Sigh, a new series for me in my beloved North Carolina....yes, please.
I adored this book. It had it all for me.
Great flawed characters.
Sweet little small town.
Great chemistry.
Not too steamy that I won't recommend it to everyone...despite their steam restrictions.
A series....a brand spanking new series. I love series. (I'm secretly hoping for all the sister's stories.)
A Marine...nuff said. I love Marines. I adore mine in particular...but....mmmmm. Love them.
A pumpkin festival. Small town festivals of any kind for that matter.
This is a fantastic Fall read. Specifically if you go through Fall in the South. Grab it. I'll wait. Let me know your thoughts when you do :-).
Hey there new fun cozy romance....how you doin?
Sigh, a new series for me in my beloved North Carolina....yes, please.
I adored this book. It had it all for me.
Great flawed characters.
Sweet little small town.
Great chemistry.
Not too steamy that I won't recommend it to everyone...despite their steam restrictions.
A series....a brand spanking new series. I love series. (I'm secretly hoping for all the sister's stories.)
A Marine...nuff said. I love Marines. I adore mine in particular...but....mmmmm. Love them.
A pumpkin festival. Small town festivals of any kind for that matter.
This is a fantastic Fall read. Specifically if you go through Fall in the South. Grab it. I'll wait. Let me know your thoughts when you do :-).
August 7, 2022
This was such a sweet and charming story. The characters are fantastic! I couldn't get enough of June and Clay.
I love a small town romance that has depth. This storyline definitely wasn't lacking in that department. This was a wholesome read that tackled some very real topics and in the end left me feeling like I had just received a nice warm hug. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Huge thank you to Forever Pub for this gifted copy!
I love a small town romance that has depth. This storyline definitely wasn't lacking in that department. This was a wholesome read that tackled some very real topics and in the end left me feeling like I had just received a nice warm hug. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Huge thank you to Forever Pub for this gifted copy!
September 29, 2021
This was a such a strong start to a new series, seriously the potential is great! Don’t let the cute little cover fool you either, yes it’s a cutesy little romance set in a small town but there’s so much more than that. While the town was described beautifully it isn’t portrayed in a way that makes it seem like the totally perfect place to live. Not everyone is welcoming and many residents are resistant to change, especially when the change comes in the form of a new bar coming to town. It doesn’t help that the new bar owner is an outsider either. There was a great balance between light and heavy here as well, Clay is a veteran dealing with issues from serving the country and June’s mom is dealing with some health issues so you have characters that are flawed and struggling and the author did such a good job of exploring their issues. Also an Asian American lead character and LBGTQ+ made the representation here awesome! This was also really sexy too, see what I mean, don’t let the pretty cover fool you this one has depth! Katy Tang and Zachary Webber we’re both A plus narrators and their voices exactly matched what I had in my head, amazing!
November 4, 2024
This was a cute and light read but also one that has an in-depth emotional side in the storylines. This story was a nice and much needed palette cleanser in the midst of some dark and complicated novels that I was reading.
This book really gave you all the feelings and atmosphere of a small, cozy town romance. This town kind of reminded me of Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls and I could not help but compare these two main characters to Luke and Lorelei with the grumpy sunshine similarity. As well, the Inn and the coziness described in its setting really reminded me of Kim's Antiques. Needless to say, maybe give this book a try if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls.
Overall this was a sweet, cozy, and enjoyable read.
***I received a gifted copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***
This book really gave you all the feelings and atmosphere of a small, cozy town romance. This town kind of reminded me of Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls and I could not help but compare these two main characters to Luke and Lorelei with the grumpy sunshine similarity. As well, the Inn and the coziness described in its setting really reminded me of Kim's Antiques. Needless to say, maybe give this book a try if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls.
Overall this was a sweet, cozy, and enjoyable read.
***I received a gifted copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***
October 6, 2021
Heartfelt, playful, and sweet!
The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane is a heartwarming, compassionate tale that transports you to Blue Cedar Falls and into the lives of June Wu, a hardworking, young woman who, after her mother’s recent illness, is doing everything she can to balance the books, keep the family hotel running, and pay as much of the outstanding hospital bills as she can, and Clay Hawthorne, a new resident and retired soldier who’s determined to do whatever it takes to fulfil his late best friend’s wishes and open the bar he always dreamed of opening.
The writing is fresh and smooth. The characters are considerate, kind, and endearing. And the plot is a push-pull tale full of familial responsibility, witty banter, community drama, tender moments, expectations, goals, friendship, diversity, loss, grief, compromise, PTSD, financial strain, chemistry, and romance.
Overall, The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane is an uplifting, passionate, satisfying novel by Chin that’s more than just a typical enemies-to-more rom-com with its Asian American and LBGTQ+ representation, nice blend of emotion and lightheartedness, and a wonderful cast of characters you can’t help but love.
Thank you to Forever & Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane is a heartwarming, compassionate tale that transports you to Blue Cedar Falls and into the lives of June Wu, a hardworking, young woman who, after her mother’s recent illness, is doing everything she can to balance the books, keep the family hotel running, and pay as much of the outstanding hospital bills as she can, and Clay Hawthorne, a new resident and retired soldier who’s determined to do whatever it takes to fulfil his late best friend’s wishes and open the bar he always dreamed of opening.
The writing is fresh and smooth. The characters are considerate, kind, and endearing. And the plot is a push-pull tale full of familial responsibility, witty banter, community drama, tender moments, expectations, goals, friendship, diversity, loss, grief, compromise, PTSD, financial strain, chemistry, and romance.
Overall, The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane is an uplifting, passionate, satisfying novel by Chin that’s more than just a typical enemies-to-more rom-com with its Asian American and LBGTQ+ representation, nice blend of emotion and lightheartedness, and a wonderful cast of characters you can’t help but love.
Thank you to Forever & Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 23, 2021
A heartwarming story, The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane follows rivals June Wu and Clay Hawthorne as they butt heads and eventually fall in love. Clay is new to the area. A retired soldier, he is haunted by the past and deeply grieves the loss of his best friend. Clay is a solitary man intent on fulfilling his friend’s wish to open a bar in his hometown. He’s had a difficult life and is tough with a lot of rough edges, which I understood, but he has such a terrible attitude at the start of the story. He angers a lot of people, and he just doesn’t care. In fact, he seems to enjoy it, which didn’t endear me to his character. Of course, the more you get to know Clay, the more you understand him, and he changes quite a bit over the course of the story. I think the more he learns about the town, the community, and himself, the more he changes. Clay is faced with many obstacles when trying to make his best friend’s dream a reality, one of which is June.
June is a hardworking and caring perfectionist who is doing everything she can to keep her family afloat. She has a lot of responsibility between running the family inn, figuring out how to pay her mother’s mounting hospital bills, and trying to figure out how to reinvigorate the town to help her business. She’s so dedicated to her family (and her family and friends are fantastic!), and even when she makes mistakes, it’s clear that she loves them and wants to protect them. June is like the glue that holds her family together, and she puts a lot of pressure on herself. This is why, initially, she sees Clay as an annoyance and a threat to her livelihood. However, she soon realizes how his business could benefit the entire town.
June and Clay have great chemistry and a steamy opposites-attract, enemies-to-lovers romance. Clay is a grumpy and solitary man, and June is outgoing and optimistic. I think both characters grow and change over the course of the story, and as they became closer, they end up complementing each other well. Both characters are well layered and interesting, as is their growing relationship.
The story takes place in Blue Cedar Falls, a quaint small-town that is economically struggling since a new highway that bypasses the town was built. In an effort to encourage tourism and a potential economic boost, the town holds a pumpkin festival. I love small-town settings with fun community events. It adds a lot of charm to the story. However, the book also highlights some of the detriments to living in this small town, including financial issues, prejudice, and homophobia. The story also touches on topics like PTSD, death, grief, racism, and other prejudices, so I would definitely check the content warnings, as these topics might be triggering for some readers. I like that the author doesn’t shy away from the problems that many towns face. It definitely creates a layered and realistic town and community.
Overall, I thought this was an engaging and heartwarming story and an interesting start to a new series. I think readers who like contemporary romance with compelling protagonists and secondary characters, as well as a steamy romance, will like this book. Thanks so much to Forever Publishing for sending me a copy of the book!
June is a hardworking and caring perfectionist who is doing everything she can to keep her family afloat. She has a lot of responsibility between running the family inn, figuring out how to pay her mother’s mounting hospital bills, and trying to figure out how to reinvigorate the town to help her business. She’s so dedicated to her family (and her family and friends are fantastic!), and even when she makes mistakes, it’s clear that she loves them and wants to protect them. June is like the glue that holds her family together, and she puts a lot of pressure on herself. This is why, initially, she sees Clay as an annoyance and a threat to her livelihood. However, she soon realizes how his business could benefit the entire town.
June and Clay have great chemistry and a steamy opposites-attract, enemies-to-lovers romance. Clay is a grumpy and solitary man, and June is outgoing and optimistic. I think both characters grow and change over the course of the story, and as they became closer, they end up complementing each other well. Both characters are well layered and interesting, as is their growing relationship.
The story takes place in Blue Cedar Falls, a quaint small-town that is economically struggling since a new highway that bypasses the town was built. In an effort to encourage tourism and a potential economic boost, the town holds a pumpkin festival. I love small-town settings with fun community events. It adds a lot of charm to the story. However, the book also highlights some of the detriments to living in this small town, including financial issues, prejudice, and homophobia. The story also touches on topics like PTSD, death, grief, racism, and other prejudices, so I would definitely check the content warnings, as these topics might be triggering for some readers. I like that the author doesn’t shy away from the problems that many towns face. It definitely creates a layered and realistic town and community.
Overall, I thought this was an engaging and heartwarming story and an interesting start to a new series. I think readers who like contemporary romance with compelling protagonists and secondary characters, as well as a steamy romance, will like this book. Thanks so much to Forever Publishing for sending me a copy of the book!
August 15, 2023
I liked this! It's one of the more nuanced small town romances that I respond to, where the small town is not idyllic. I WAS a bit frustrated that this was the kind of romance where the whole conflict centers on an inability to have a conversation, but it was well set up as to why those characters could not do that, so there's that. Will definitely read the rest of the books in this series if I can get my library to acquire them/they go on sale.
January 15, 2023
A great small town romance that actually recognizes that small towns can be diverse. Also you wouldn’t expect it from the flowery cover, but it’s a little spicy! Really looking forward to getting into the second book.
January 11, 2023
I can't remember who, but someone on twitter was going on about this book and how it was such a great small town romance. I love those kinds of books, so I quickly requested this one from my library, I had to wait a few weeks, so it seemed popular. Sadly this one didn't work out for me. Both Clay and June turned me off, more Clay than June. Clay for being such an ass in his new venture, turning everyone around him off of what he was trying to do. Why bother trying to do this for his friend with that attitude. I thought June did a good job of trying to deal with Clay, despite Clay's attitude. In the end, I couldn't deal with this couple, found it hard to root for them, it just wasn't for me.
November 1, 2021
The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane is a sweet enemies-to-lovers tale with a slight amount of steam.
Clay Hawthorne is a veteran who fought over in Afghanistan. He is in town to build Bug's Bar, the dream of his friend, Bug, who died overseas but dreamed of building a bar in his hometown. Clay doesn't know anything about Blue Cedar Falls outside of what Bug told him and he isn't inclined to learn more. June Wu owns the local inn across the street from the building Clay is refinishing. When Clay's loud construction interrupts visits at the inn causing June to refund patrons, she takes it into her own hands to help Clay. Clay is reluctant to trust let alone accept help from June, but when it becomes apparent he'll need help to get the bar up and running he accepts. Their attraction is almost instantaneous but they'll need to get through their rough first encounter before they can act on it.
I'm hoping this will be the first of a series with these characters. Jeannie Chin sets up what couples could be a part of the future of this series. The characters were very loveable even when they appeared gruff. I do think this novel was a little longer than it needed to be but I forgave it because it's *fingers crossed* the start of a series. As we are in the middle of the Fall, this novel is perfect for seasonal reading or readers who love small town romances. I can't wait until I get the chance to visit Blue Cedar Falls again.
Trigger warnings: Grief, death of a friend, Cancer
Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for a copy of The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane in exchange for my honest review.
Clay Hawthorne is a veteran who fought over in Afghanistan. He is in town to build Bug's Bar, the dream of his friend, Bug, who died overseas but dreamed of building a bar in his hometown. Clay doesn't know anything about Blue Cedar Falls outside of what Bug told him and he isn't inclined to learn more. June Wu owns the local inn across the street from the building Clay is refinishing. When Clay's loud construction interrupts visits at the inn causing June to refund patrons, she takes it into her own hands to help Clay. Clay is reluctant to trust let alone accept help from June, but when it becomes apparent he'll need help to get the bar up and running he accepts. Their attraction is almost instantaneous but they'll need to get through their rough first encounter before they can act on it.
I'm hoping this will be the first of a series with these characters. Jeannie Chin sets up what couples could be a part of the future of this series. The characters were very loveable even when they appeared gruff. I do think this novel was a little longer than it needed to be but I forgave it because it's *fingers crossed* the start of a series. As we are in the middle of the Fall, this novel is perfect for seasonal reading or readers who love small town romances. I can't wait until I get the chance to visit Blue Cedar Falls again.
Trigger warnings: Grief, death of a friend, Cancer
Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for a copy of The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane in exchange for my honest review.
December 7, 2022
This was the absolute coziest, I loved June and Clay together, and it was super refreshing reading a (trad pub) small town romance chock full of diversity. Looking forward to returning to Blue Cedar Falls & following the rest of the Wu sisters in the rest of the series.
December 30, 2021
LOVED this one and it’s diversity representation! This isn’t your usual small town, white washed romance. Yes, it’s a small town but it’s full of diverse characters with real life issues. It’s authentic, adorable, and steamy. This is a strong start to a new series and I’m excited to see where this goes! 4⭐️
October 4, 2021
June Wu has always been one to strive for perfection. She’s the fixer, the glue that holds her family together, and she needs to stay on top of things. But now, she has entirely too much to deal with thanks to her mother’s mounting medical debts and the bypass highway that has made her family’s small-town inn lose business. Now the all too handsome new neighbor is driving away the guests she still has with his loud music and construction noise. Still, he needs help and June is nothing if not helpful. Besides, his new bar could be just the draw to help bring tourists to their town, if she can just ignore the volatile attraction spiking between them.
Haunted by his time as a soldier and still grieving the loss of his best friend, Sal, Clay Hawthorne prefers his own company. He’s only in Blue Cedar Falls to carry out Sal’s dream of creating a bar in the hometown he never made it home to. Unfortunately, the business association is holding up progress and Clay needs an ally. June is soon his unlikely partner, but their temporary relationship doesn’t sit well with Clay. For one, he wants something lasting, but June is his total opposite and it’s going to take a lot for these two to meet each other halfway.
I read this book and listened to it on audio as well and I must say, having dual narration from a male and a female actor definitely helped draw me into the story. I found myself actually wanting to clean or go for runs so I could listen. Both June and Clay were going through a lot and had much to learn about themselves and each other. I appreciated that they were able to have that growth here and yet maintain a fairly low level of angst. Of course, there was a blow up between the MCs, but the rift was short-lived, and the make-up and communication were fantastic. The chemistry between June and Clay leapt off the page from the get-go and I absolutely loved June’s mom and her matchmaking. The two were definitely opposites, yet they were clearly meant to be together, and they were so easy to root for. Clay helped June see that she could ask for and accept help and didn’t have to always present a façade of perfection and she helped him cope with his survivor’s guilt and believe in his own worthiness. I’m a sucker for a hero who believes himself unlovable so that got me right in the feels. This was such an enjoyable book with a couple who really went together well, and I can’t wait to see what’s next from this new author.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
Haunted by his time as a soldier and still grieving the loss of his best friend, Sal, Clay Hawthorne prefers his own company. He’s only in Blue Cedar Falls to carry out Sal’s dream of creating a bar in the hometown he never made it home to. Unfortunately, the business association is holding up progress and Clay needs an ally. June is soon his unlikely partner, but their temporary relationship doesn’t sit well with Clay. For one, he wants something lasting, but June is his total opposite and it’s going to take a lot for these two to meet each other halfway.
I read this book and listened to it on audio as well and I must say, having dual narration from a male and a female actor definitely helped draw me into the story. I found myself actually wanting to clean or go for runs so I could listen. Both June and Clay were going through a lot and had much to learn about themselves and each other. I appreciated that they were able to have that growth here and yet maintain a fairly low level of angst. Of course, there was a blow up between the MCs, but the rift was short-lived, and the make-up and communication were fantastic. The chemistry between June and Clay leapt off the page from the get-go and I absolutely loved June’s mom and her matchmaking. The two were definitely opposites, yet they were clearly meant to be together, and they were so easy to root for. Clay helped June see that she could ask for and accept help and didn’t have to always present a façade of perfection and she helped him cope with his survivor’s guilt and believe in his own worthiness. I’m a sucker for a hero who believes himself unlovable so that got me right in the feels. This was such an enjoyable book with a couple who really went together well, and I can’t wait to see what’s next from this new author.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
January 17, 2022
I gave this a 3.5 but rounded up to 4. I have mixed feelings about this one. He is a military veteran who’s been discharged from the military due to an injury he receives while in the Middle East He is an angry bitter man; a MAJOR grump and isn’t nice to June at all in the beginning. She is trying to help keep her family’s Inn from going bankrupt but is in over head with her mom’s medical bills and the lack of business in her small town.
My mixed feelings are liking the fact that he’s a veteran and loving how he cares and thinks June is the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. I love how he is emotionally healing and becoming a different man as the story unfolds. He makes friends in the small town he cared nothing about. I really liked Clay and June’s story. They weren’t perfect, in fact, they were pretty toxic for each other lol. But they fell for each other and somehow made it work. Now I know this is a contemporary romance and I guess I’m still a bit conservative. I get that they were highly physically attracted to each other. The author did a good job at conveying that, but I was not expecting such detail on their sexual experiences. It was just too detailed and too steamy for my liking. I know couples have sex haha, but I don’t need to know every detail of it. I had to skip through these couple of scenes. So, as I said, it’s a contemporary romance and I guess that’s expected in these books, idk lol but it’s not for me. Aside from that, I enjoyed the book. So that’s why I gave it 3.5 and rounded to 4.
My mixed feelings are liking the fact that he’s a veteran and loving how he cares and thinks June is the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. I love how he is emotionally healing and becoming a different man as the story unfolds. He makes friends in the small town he cared nothing about. I really liked Clay and June’s story. They weren’t perfect, in fact, they were pretty toxic for each other lol. But they fell for each other and somehow made it work. Now I know this is a contemporary romance and I guess I’m still a bit conservative. I get that they were highly physically attracted to each other. The author did a good job at conveying that, but I was not expecting such detail on their sexual experiences. It was just too detailed and too steamy for my liking. I know couples have sex haha, but I don’t need to know every detail of it. I had to skip through these couple of scenes. So, as I said, it’s a contemporary romance and I guess that’s expected in these books, idk lol but it’s not for me. Aside from that, I enjoyed the book. So that’s why I gave it 3.5 and rounded to 4.
October 18, 2021
This was mostly fine until the end. The set up for the opening-a-bar plot didn't really work and Clay was a bit too angry and then changed a bit too suddenly, but I liked June a lot and the story was fine, even if the plot didn't always knit together in a way that made a ton of sense.
But ooof, the fight Clay and June had at the end was brutal and I just don't think there was enough time or work done to come back from it. The family/sisters stuff here was also not great for me, and there was some other stuff about June having to handle everything on her own that left me feeling pretty bad. I would've liked to have seen a little more work done on that front to get to the magical resolution of, actually, everyone would've helped her all along.
But ooof, the fight Clay and June had at the end was brutal and I just don't think there was enough time or work done to come back from it. The family/sisters stuff here was also not great for me, and there was some other stuff about June having to handle everything on her own that left me feeling pretty bad. I would've liked to have seen a little more work done on that front to get to the magical resolution of, actually, everyone would've helped her all along.
September 21, 2022
Ai, eu peguei esse livro pra ler porque Jen recomendou, né, e ela tinha falado que era um romance de cidade pequena com uma dona de hotel perfeccionista e um vet mal humorado. Eu me interessei de imediato!!!!!! Mal sabia eu que o vet que ela tinha falado era do veterano e não veterinário. A DECEPÇÃO. Mas assim, apesar de vários diálogos falando do exército e guerra e bla bla bla, o livro é muito fofo, e fez muito bem o término de terceiro ato, meu coração ficou apertado e tal, bem do jeito que eu gosto. Mas eu definitivamente não sou o público alvo desse romance. Os protagonistas tinham uma química ENOOORME, mas as cenas de pegacao são super de “bom gosto” kkkkkk e eles nunca xingam???? Eles ficam falando literalmente “F this” tipo?????? Nem um “hell” eles falam, é sempre “heck”, pelo amor de Deus. Tô querendo ler a história sobre as irmãs… mas será que terei paciência? Veremos.
November 18, 2023
Easy to read romance but I do not like Clay and I can’t get over how rude he is. I like the friendship June have with Bobbie and Han and I look forward to Han’s story with May next.
April 9, 2023
Cute and cozy romance, with a little bit of heat and a lot of bit of sweet.
October 10, 2023
This might have the most interesting third act break up but the white love interest is awful skdkfk I don't know how he was forgiven for his behavior and words
January 19, 2022
Many thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy.
I really enjoyed The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane. It reminded me of other small town contemporary romance novels that I am fond of, Annie Rains' and Belle Calhoune's books come to mind. Yet, Jeannie Chin has her own voice and gift; using her experience as a biracial Asian and Caucasian American, Chin introduces the Wu-Miller family. June Wu works for the family inn taking on the lion's share of work since her mother's fell ill. With her mother mostly recovered and at home, June has been insisting that she rests and continues to recover while June ignores how stressed out she is: a major stressor in her life being the burden of medical debt from her mother's close call. June Wu is a woman with a plan, or many plans to be more precise, and she's convinced herself that if she keeps the inn running to perfection, relaunches the town Pumpkin Festival, and business picks up both her family and the small town she loves will all be alright.
Enter Clay Hawthorne, an injured veteran with PTSD, who is angry at the world for losing his best friend after already having lived a difficult life. Upon arriving to the small town in the western mountains of North Carolina, Clay is hurting and delusional enough to think he can open his best friend's dream of a dive bar on the traditional main street of Blue Cedar Falls without people standing in his way. Clay goes out of his way to be rude and affrontive to every inquiring soul who looks in on his new business including June. But when the town's business association threatens him opening his dead best friend's dream business, Clay is forced to team up with June (who is desperate to make the bar work with the town and her family's inn and not against it). Once June and Clay spend time together their intense attraction sparks into something more.
There is a lot that I liked about this story. I really enjoyed June working through the overwhelming feelings of responsibility that she has for her family. I also loved seeing Clay open up to love and happiness as well. I love a small town story and this one definitely did not disappoint. With LGBTQIA+ representation, Asian American main and secondary characters, and characters from other ethnic backgrounds, Chin delivered a diverse set of personas. I will note that I was surprised by the open door nature of this romance (in a good way). I enjoy both closed and open door romance and had expected this one to be closed -- it is not, it does include a few well-written sex scenes. I did find the conflict to be quickly fixed, but I did overall really like the book. I definitely cannot wait to re-enter Blue Cedar Falls when we get the second book in the series!
TW: PTSD, death/loss of a loved one, grief, medical debt, parental abandonment
I really enjoyed The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane. It reminded me of other small town contemporary romance novels that I am fond of, Annie Rains' and Belle Calhoune's books come to mind. Yet, Jeannie Chin has her own voice and gift; using her experience as a biracial Asian and Caucasian American, Chin introduces the Wu-Miller family. June Wu works for the family inn taking on the lion's share of work since her mother's fell ill. With her mother mostly recovered and at home, June has been insisting that she rests and continues to recover while June ignores how stressed out she is: a major stressor in her life being the burden of medical debt from her mother's close call. June Wu is a woman with a plan, or many plans to be more precise, and she's convinced herself that if she keeps the inn running to perfection, relaunches the town Pumpkin Festival, and business picks up both her family and the small town she loves will all be alright.
Enter Clay Hawthorne, an injured veteran with PTSD, who is angry at the world for losing his best friend after already having lived a difficult life. Upon arriving to the small town in the western mountains of North Carolina, Clay is hurting and delusional enough to think he can open his best friend's dream of a dive bar on the traditional main street of Blue Cedar Falls without people standing in his way. Clay goes out of his way to be rude and affrontive to every inquiring soul who looks in on his new business including June. But when the town's business association threatens him opening his dead best friend's dream business, Clay is forced to team up with June (who is desperate to make the bar work with the town and her family's inn and not against it). Once June and Clay spend time together their intense attraction sparks into something more.
There is a lot that I liked about this story. I really enjoyed June working through the overwhelming feelings of responsibility that she has for her family. I also loved seeing Clay open up to love and happiness as well. I love a small town story and this one definitely did not disappoint. With LGBTQIA+ representation, Asian American main and secondary characters, and characters from other ethnic backgrounds, Chin delivered a diverse set of personas. I will note that I was surprised by the open door nature of this romance (in a good way). I enjoy both closed and open door romance and had expected this one to be closed -- it is not, it does include a few well-written sex scenes. I did find the conflict to be quickly fixed, but I did overall really like the book. I definitely cannot wait to re-enter Blue Cedar Falls when we get the second book in the series!
TW: PTSD, death/loss of a loved one, grief, medical debt, parental abandonment
April 30, 2025
I am not usually a small town romance person– I tend to find them too cozy for my taste– but it turns out I love them when the hero is a gigantic jerk for half the book.
Clay Hawthorne moved to Blue Cedar Falls, NC for one reason: to open a dive bar on Main Street that would honor his best friend and piss off the biddies of the business association. His best friend, Bug, served alongside Clay in Afghanistan but died after an attack that left Clay so injured he was discharged from the military. Clay quickly butts heads with his neighbor across the street and the owner of the Sweetbriar Inn, June Wu. June is the oldest daughter of her family and has taken on more and more responsibility for both the inn and the family's finances since her mother's stroke left them near bankruptcy. June needs business to pick up so after an acrimonious beginning, she and Clay work together to make his bar into something that could help Main Street thrive. As they spend time together they realize they're both very attracted to each other but they're total opposites in every way. But they can start something casual, right? Something that's a little fun while Clay works on Bug's dream and June quietly fights to save her family business. Right?
I really loved this book and I think it was because of how skillful Jeannie Chin is at creating these characters. Small town romance doesn't usually have the stakes or the vibes I want– I am a city girl in my soul. But these characters are both up against the wall. They become the most extreme versions of themselves when stressed and that worked for me. Clay has sunk everything into this bar. Both his financial and mental health are on the line to make this a success. And June is barely keeping it all together. She hasn't told her family about their financial woes because she's trying to protect her mother from stress that could send her back to the hospital. They are both at a breaking point for most of the book.
My favorite part of this book was the act three breakup. I often find debut novel act three breakups to be a little rushed or built on a shaky foundation. That was not the case here at all. These characters, like I mentioned above, are against a wall for most of the book. And when June hits her breaking point, all of her insecurities pour out but because she hasn't been honest with Clay about her financial issues, he takes her outburst as a personal attack. And he falls right back into his pattern of pushing others away with a scathing set of comebacks at June that really go right for the jugular. It was a masterful piece of writing.
This was a fantastic small town romance. I'm not sure I'll love the rest of the series quite as much if the stakes aren't as high as they are in this book, but I am willing to give it a try because Jeannie Chin nailed it here. 5 stars.
Clay Hawthorne moved to Blue Cedar Falls, NC for one reason: to open a dive bar on Main Street that would honor his best friend and piss off the biddies of the business association. His best friend, Bug, served alongside Clay in Afghanistan but died after an attack that left Clay so injured he was discharged from the military. Clay quickly butts heads with his neighbor across the street and the owner of the Sweetbriar Inn, June Wu. June is the oldest daughter of her family and has taken on more and more responsibility for both the inn and the family's finances since her mother's stroke left them near bankruptcy. June needs business to pick up so after an acrimonious beginning, she and Clay work together to make his bar into something that could help Main Street thrive. As they spend time together they realize they're both very attracted to each other but they're total opposites in every way. But they can start something casual, right? Something that's a little fun while Clay works on Bug's dream and June quietly fights to save her family business. Right?
I really loved this book and I think it was because of how skillful Jeannie Chin is at creating these characters. Small town romance doesn't usually have the stakes or the vibes I want– I am a city girl in my soul. But these characters are both up against the wall. They become the most extreme versions of themselves when stressed and that worked for me. Clay has sunk everything into this bar. Both his financial and mental health are on the line to make this a success. And June is barely keeping it all together. She hasn't told her family about their financial woes because she's trying to protect her mother from stress that could send her back to the hospital. They are both at a breaking point for most of the book.
My favorite part of this book was the act three breakup. I often find debut novel act three breakups to be a little rushed or built on a shaky foundation. That was not the case here at all. These characters, like I mentioned above, are against a wall for most of the book. And when June hits her breaking point, all of her insecurities pour out but because she hasn't been honest with Clay about her financial issues, he takes her outburst as a personal attack. And he falls right back into his pattern of pushing others away with a scathing set of comebacks at June that really go right for the jugular. It was a masterful piece of writing.
This was a fantastic small town romance. I'm not sure I'll love the rest of the series quite as much if the stakes aren't as high as they are in this book, but I am willing to give it a try because Jeannie Chin nailed it here. 5 stars.
September 21, 2021
There will be women melting over the main guy, Clay, but I'm not one of them.
June has been juggling many responsibilities: her family B&B, her mother's hospital bills that come from a stroke, and trying to keep her dying small town alive. Then Clay, an ex-soldier, buys the vacant store next door from the B&B and plans on turning it into a bar designed to upset people in town. This is more problems for June. But no matter how many times he yells at her, she can't help but want to get in his pants.
I hated Clay. Hated. He's the type of snob who thinks that since his interests cost less means that he's not a snob. He has issues from being a soldier and having his best friend die in his arms. Problems that I really, really wish that he saw professional help over. He mentions seeing a psychiatrist (who he of course refers to as 'shrink') once and then ran away. He's not nice. He makes decisions about his bar to see how upset people can get. When he finally does things to appease people, he worries that he's being changed against his will. Apparently, he has sweet moments with June but I couldn't find them.
June, though, I liked. I loved her family dynamic and I wish that more of the book was about them instead of Clay's hatred of diplomacy. Her family saved this book for me. They were very cute and supportive.
Do I have to mention that I didn't care for the romance? Well, once and June and Clay have sex after lusting after each they decide that instead of having open communication about their lives and stresses, they'll just continue having sex and pretend that's what makes a relationship. Of course, this stupidity explodes in their faces and then a grand gesture makes it better.
Side note: when Clay says that his bar is for real people and country music will be on the jukebox, I got "Pandering" by Bo Burnham stuck in my head. It's a song about how country music is very formulaic. If you haven't, you should listen to it.
June has been juggling many responsibilities: her family B&B, her mother's hospital bills that come from a stroke, and trying to keep her dying small town alive. Then Clay, an ex-soldier, buys the vacant store next door from the B&B and plans on turning it into a bar designed to upset people in town. This is more problems for June. But no matter how many times he yells at her, she can't help but want to get in his pants.
I hated Clay. Hated. He's the type of snob who thinks that since his interests cost less means that he's not a snob. He has issues from being a soldier and having his best friend die in his arms. Problems that I really, really wish that he saw professional help over. He mentions seeing a psychiatrist (who he of course refers to as 'shrink') once and then ran away. He's not nice. He makes decisions about his bar to see how upset people can get. When he finally does things to appease people, he worries that he's being changed against his will. Apparently, he has sweet moments with June but I couldn't find them.
June, though, I liked. I loved her family dynamic and I wish that more of the book was about them instead of Clay's hatred of diplomacy. Her family saved this book for me. They were very cute and supportive.
Do I have to mention that I didn't care for the romance? Well, once and June and Clay have sex after lusting after each they decide that instead of having open communication about their lives and stresses, they'll just continue having sex and pretend that's what makes a relationship. Of course, this stupidity explodes in their faces and then a grand gesture makes it better.
Side note: when Clay says that his bar is for real people and country music will be on the jukebox, I got "Pandering" by Bo Burnham stuck in my head. It's a song about how country music is very formulaic. If you haven't, you should listen to it.
October 5, 2021
3.5 / 4 stars, rounded up to four.
I've been going back and forth on how to rate this one, and I think I'm going to split the difference between the ratings. The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane was a lovely read and the start to a new series. This story is perfect for those that are fans of small-town romances, opposites-attract, and enemies-to-lovers.
The reader is introduced to June Wu as life takes a turn for the more complicated. Medical bills from her mother's treatments are piling up, the family inn could use a few more visitors, and a grumpy stranger is opening a bar across the street in the middle of the quaint main street of Blue Cedar Falls. The stranger is Clay Hawthorne, an ex-soldier who moved to Blue Cedar Falls to fulfill his best friend's dream of opening the bar. Almost immediately June and Clay clash, but they quickly discover that they may make a better team than opponents if they can iron out their differences.
Overall, I enjoyed this read. I didn't get into it as much as I wanted, but I enjoyed the setting. I especially enjoyed the relationships that each of the main characters had with their close friends throughout the story. With the inclusion of the Pumpkin Festival that June is planning, this is a great romance read for the autumn season.
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Warning: This book discusses some sensitive topics that may be triggering for some readers including death, grieving, parent recovery from stroke, depression, PTSD, trauma, and childhood loss of parents.
I've been going back and forth on how to rate this one, and I think I'm going to split the difference between the ratings. The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane was a lovely read and the start to a new series. This story is perfect for those that are fans of small-town romances, opposites-attract, and enemies-to-lovers.
The reader is introduced to June Wu as life takes a turn for the more complicated. Medical bills from her mother's treatments are piling up, the family inn could use a few more visitors, and a grumpy stranger is opening a bar across the street in the middle of the quaint main street of Blue Cedar Falls. The stranger is Clay Hawthorne, an ex-soldier who moved to Blue Cedar Falls to fulfill his best friend's dream of opening the bar. Almost immediately June and Clay clash, but they quickly discover that they may make a better team than opponents if they can iron out their differences.
Overall, I enjoyed this read. I didn't get into it as much as I wanted, but I enjoyed the setting. I especially enjoyed the relationships that each of the main characters had with their close friends throughout the story. With the inclusion of the Pumpkin Festival that June is planning, this is a great romance read for the autumn season.
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Warning: This book discusses some sensitive topics that may be triggering for some readers including death, grieving, parent recovery from stroke, depression, PTSD, trauma, and childhood loss of parents.
dnf
October 8, 2021The book I wanted to finish but ended up dnf-ing 🤦♀️
.........................................
📖 The Inn On Sweetbriar Lane by Jeannie Chin
June Wu always has it all together—only now, she’s in over her head. Her family’s inn desperately needs guests, her mother’s medical debts are piling up, and the surly, if sexy, stranger next door is driving away the customers she has left!
Ex-soldier Clay Hawthorne prefers being on his own. He’s moved to Blue Cedar Falls for one reason—to carry out his best friend’s dream of opening a bar in the hometown he’ll now never return to. But the town’s business association is trying to stop Clay’s progress. June soon becomes his biggest supporter, and while their partnership is supposed to be only temporary, for the first time Clay wants something permanent—with June.
💭 First things first, I didn’t get "Bug's dream for Bar". I mean, I really couldn’t understand his dream. Clay's friend, Bug wanted to open a bar and he died. Then Clay wanted to follow that dream after one year of his return. But he thinks, he really thinks he can open up a bar by upsetting the locals whom he basically needs to run his business 🤨 Then comes June - this woman thinks she has to do everything. She even hides her mother's hospital bills from her sister. Then come to the sudden relationship of June and Clay - they first met with Clay's total rude behavior, but there was always attraction (in their mind obviously). Then when they became enemies to friends - one day they suddenly give in to their attraction... And then after two chapters, I couldn’t continue anymore. I actually couldn’t find any chemistry. And I badly wanted to finish this book. I never post a book that I DNF - but here it is. I am too distracted to finish this book. Maybe I will read the short novella later because I loved Annie Rains' book.
If you do like Grumpy hero, small-town romance, you can give it a try.
Thanks to @readforeverpub for the gifted copy.
.........................................
📖 The Inn On Sweetbriar Lane by Jeannie Chin
June Wu always has it all together—only now, she’s in over her head. Her family’s inn desperately needs guests, her mother’s medical debts are piling up, and the surly, if sexy, stranger next door is driving away the customers she has left!
Ex-soldier Clay Hawthorne prefers being on his own. He’s moved to Blue Cedar Falls for one reason—to carry out his best friend’s dream of opening a bar in the hometown he’ll now never return to. But the town’s business association is trying to stop Clay’s progress. June soon becomes his biggest supporter, and while their partnership is supposed to be only temporary, for the first time Clay wants something permanent—with June.
💭 First things first, I didn’t get "Bug's dream for Bar". I mean, I really couldn’t understand his dream. Clay's friend, Bug wanted to open a bar and he died. Then Clay wanted to follow that dream after one year of his return. But he thinks, he really thinks he can open up a bar by upsetting the locals whom he basically needs to run his business 🤨 Then comes June - this woman thinks she has to do everything. She even hides her mother's hospital bills from her sister. Then come to the sudden relationship of June and Clay - they first met with Clay's total rude behavior, but there was always attraction (in their mind obviously). Then when they became enemies to friends - one day they suddenly give in to their attraction... And then after two chapters, I couldn’t continue anymore. I actually couldn’t find any chemistry. And I badly wanted to finish this book. I never post a book that I DNF - but here it is. I am too distracted to finish this book. Maybe I will read the short novella later because I loved Annie Rains' book.
If you do like Grumpy hero, small-town romance, you can give it a try.
Thanks to @readforeverpub for the gifted copy.
November 4, 2021
I enjoyed The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane. Set in the small town of Blue Cedar Falls North Carolina, the book highlights the benefits and liabilities of living in a smaller community. On the plus side, each of the town’s residents knows one another. On the negative side, these residents can make life difficult for anyone new to town, or who deviates from the fixed rules of the town.
June is a young woman who has taken on the financial responsibilities for her parents’ Inn. A new highway nearby has impacted their business, as well as many of the other businesses in town. On top of that, her mother has recently suffered a stroke and the medical bills seem insurmountable. When Clay begins construction night and day on his bar across the street, it impacts the tranquillity and finances of the inn.
Clay is a brusque ex-soldier who has spent much of the last year on the road trying to recover from the trauma he experienced as a soldier. He has no idea what he’s gotten into when he decides to open a bar in Blue Cedar Falls. June begins helping him create a bar that would have minimal impact on the Inn and its guests and would also fit in with the community.
June and Clay’s relationship slowly builds throughout the book. Having said that, I was surprised to see the relationship become steamy halfway through the book. This seemed to be out of character for June and felt a little too rushed for this relationship.
The character development is good and the characters are likeable. We are introduced to many of the town’s residents who likely will play a role in the remaining books in the series. The storyline was interesting, but not as engaging as I wanted.
The next book in the series involves June’s sister May (yes like the months) and Clay’s friend Han. I look forward to reading their story.
3.5 stars
June is a young woman who has taken on the financial responsibilities for her parents’ Inn. A new highway nearby has impacted their business, as well as many of the other businesses in town. On top of that, her mother has recently suffered a stroke and the medical bills seem insurmountable. When Clay begins construction night and day on his bar across the street, it impacts the tranquillity and finances of the inn.
Clay is a brusque ex-soldier who has spent much of the last year on the road trying to recover from the trauma he experienced as a soldier. He has no idea what he’s gotten into when he decides to open a bar in Blue Cedar Falls. June begins helping him create a bar that would have minimal impact on the Inn and its guests and would also fit in with the community.
June and Clay’s relationship slowly builds throughout the book. Having said that, I was surprised to see the relationship become steamy halfway through the book. This seemed to be out of character for June and felt a little too rushed for this relationship.
The character development is good and the characters are likeable. We are introduced to many of the town’s residents who likely will play a role in the remaining books in the series. The storyline was interesting, but not as engaging as I wanted.
The next book in the series involves June’s sister May (yes like the months) and Clay’s friend Han. I look forward to reading their story.
3.5 stars
September 20, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the chance to read an early copy of this book! Extra special thanks to Dana from Forever who reached out and knew exactly what would draw me in -- normally I would have passed over this book thinking it was a sweet romance or women's fiction, but her email sold me in three sentences: "Don’t let the cover fool you, this one does have steamy scenes. This romance also has Asian, interracial relationships, and LGBTQ+ representation. Jeannie Chin is biracial Asian-Caucasian and is passionate about the diversity she was able to portray in this small town."
So, yes. This is not a sweet romance, there are a few steamy scenes and some great chemistry between the two protagonists even before those scenes. The book talks about diversity in a small town, what it can feel like to stand out, and does have some discussion of racism and homophobia (there is a coming-out subplot that goes sideways at first, be ye warned). And even though this small town is filled with adorable shops, there's some discussion of the economic realities that addressed my usual annoyances with small town tropes (like a magical idyll with a street full of cupcake shops that are somehow supported 100% by quirky locals).
I also really enjoyed the opposites-attract, grumpy/sunshine aspect between our hero and heroine. Clay is so grumpy and prickly that even his chapters are hard to read in the beginning, but you get to see how he got where he is, with discussion of foster kids, military service, and PTSD. I maybe overidentified with our heroine June, who is a bit of a control freak and is trying to fix everything for everyone but with such good intentions! I loved the emotional growth we see in both of them, and we have a great cast of secondary characters forming a community (with maybe some hints at future books!).
This book upended my expectations for what a small town romance can be, and I'm so delighted I gave it a try. Jeannie Chin is an author to watch!
So, yes. This is not a sweet romance, there are a few steamy scenes and some great chemistry between the two protagonists even before those scenes. The book talks about diversity in a small town, what it can feel like to stand out, and does have some discussion of racism and homophobia (there is a coming-out subplot that goes sideways at first, be ye warned). And even though this small town is filled with adorable shops, there's some discussion of the economic realities that addressed my usual annoyances with small town tropes (like a magical idyll with a street full of cupcake shops that are somehow supported 100% by quirky locals).
I also really enjoyed the opposites-attract, grumpy/sunshine aspect between our hero and heroine. Clay is so grumpy and prickly that even his chapters are hard to read in the beginning, but you get to see how he got where he is, with discussion of foster kids, military service, and PTSD. I maybe overidentified with our heroine June, who is a bit of a control freak and is trying to fix everything for everyone but with such good intentions! I loved the emotional growth we see in both of them, and we have a great cast of secondary characters forming a community (with maybe some hints at future books!).
This book upended my expectations for what a small town romance can be, and I'm so delighted I gave it a try. Jeannie Chin is an author to watch!
October 8, 2021
The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane by Jeannie Chin was such a WONDERFUL small-town romance!
OMG I can't even put this special feeling - while I read this book - into good words.
The Story of June and Clay left me with a warm heart and a smile on my face.
Please don't let this cute book cover fool you!
It get's really really HOT between the main characters!
Soooo...Clay moves to Blue Cedar Falls to open a bar... vis-a-vis to the Inn of June's family. A bar? In a small-town like Blue Cedar Falls? The people in town are NOT really excited about... and June is one of them.
What starts as hate and suspicion between June and Clay... turns into something different. 😉
Well I absolutely didn't expect to FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK SO MUCH!
It's definitely so much moooore than you would think because of the cover!
So it's really true: don't judge a book by its cover. ❤
I love a good enemies-to-lovers story! And the chemistry between Clay and June was PERFECT! OMG I got goose bumps EVERYWHERE when they first kissed!
Awwwwwww!!!
Okay I really can't swooning here!!!
And I hope there'll be more to come! I need MOOOORE! Everyone in Blue Cedar Falls was so cute - well not everyone. LOL
But most of them are great! You'll know what I mean when you read the book!
So get it now!
Thanks to Dana from Forever Grand Central Publishing and Jeannie Chin for this ARC via Netgalley. And sorry for my belated review!
♡ This is my honest review with my own words. ♡
OMG I can't even put this special feeling - while I read this book - into good words.
The Story of June and Clay left me with a warm heart and a smile on my face.
Please don't let this cute book cover fool you!
It get's really really HOT between the main characters!
Soooo...Clay moves to Blue Cedar Falls to open a bar... vis-a-vis to the Inn of June's family. A bar? In a small-town like Blue Cedar Falls? The people in town are NOT really excited about... and June is one of them.
What starts as hate and suspicion between June and Clay... turns into something different. 😉
Well I absolutely didn't expect to FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK SO MUCH!
It's definitely so much moooore than you would think because of the cover!
So it's really true: don't judge a book by its cover. ❤
I love a good enemies-to-lovers story! And the chemistry between Clay and June was PERFECT! OMG I got goose bumps EVERYWHERE when they first kissed!
Awwwwwww!!!
Okay I really can't swooning here!!!
And I hope there'll be more to come! I need MOOOORE! Everyone in Blue Cedar Falls was so cute - well not everyone. LOL
But most of them are great! You'll know what I mean when you read the book!
So get it now!
Thanks to Dana from Forever Grand Central Publishing and Jeannie Chin for this ARC via Netgalley. And sorry for my belated review!
♡ This is my honest review with my own words. ♡
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