More Than Meets the Eye

Aston Falls #3

by Sara Jane Woodley

I’ll never forget the first time I saw JJ Sutton. Beautiful, feisty… and yelling at me for no apparent reason.

Three years later, we’re still locked in a never-ending battle of wills whenever I come to town.

But I have bigger problems to worry about--I need to take break from life as a country music star. So I leave LA and move into a secluded barn in Aston Falls.

The last thing I expect is to find JJ living next door.

I never thought I’d be spending Christmas with my self-proclaimed nemesis. But the more I learn about her, the more I want to know. And the more I want to kiss her.

Because there’s definitely more to JJ than meets the eye.

More Than Meets the Eye is a clean, small-town romance that is full of enemies-to-lovers banter and tons of Christmas cheer. If you like sweet-but-sizzling chemistry, hilarious farm life references, and swoony musician heroes, you will love this third and final book in the Aston Falls series. It can be read as a standalone.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary Romance, Christmas, Celebrity

273 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 25, 2021

About the author

Sara Jane Woodley is a Sweet Romance author who is obsessed with Happily Ever Afters!

Inspired by the mountains, Sara Jane writes love stories set in the beautiful nature she hikes, bikes and skis in. Her clean romance books always feature sassy, strong female heroines and fun-filled, playful relationships.

Reviews

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 3 of a series, however it can be read on it’s own.

This releases November 30th!

Some of you may have seen my last two reviews that said best friends to more is my favorite romance trope. Enemies to more is a very close second for romance tropes! And this is a wonderful enemies to more story. ❤️ I loved JJ and Christian’s banter and their nicknames for one another! I especially liked their banter when they realized their feelings for one another and the banter turns serious and both kinda just stop. 😍

Christian is a country music star who lost his musical muse and is done with being pushed to do things he is not willing to in order to further his career. He needs a break to find his music again, and he thinks of the perfect place. A secluded barn owned by a nice couple in his friend’s small hometown. What he doesn’t realize is that he is encroaching on his enemy’s space…

JJ is leaving a broken engagement and coming back home. She hopes to mend her heart and find herself in her safe place, her barn. But when she arrives home, JJ discovers that her parents rented the barn out. To none other than Christian, her enemy of 3 years. But she’s not willing to let go of her space willingly. No, she’ll fight to get him to leave, by any means necessary.

Get ready to have fun with nosy ladies, a small town feel, musicians, singers, farm life, a lady who will do anything to get the guy she dislikes to leave, and a guy looking to be inspired but finds that inspiration in an unlikely place.

[Larissa Correa · Rating 4 out of 5]

* I've received a free e-ARC copy of this book, by the author, in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book! I was waiting for JJ and Christian's story since finishing the last book in this series and, although this book is a stand alone, i think the experience is much better when you have read More Than Just Friends first, since we first see JJ an Christian interact with each other in this book first.

I really like JJ an Christian's intercations and banter and how they slowly begin to know each other and trust each other, especially JJ, who could be a little frustranting at times, but the author made this in a way that made us understand her and why she was acting like that.

I loved how they talked with each other and were honest when there feelings changed and when they didn't it was because they weren't able to express even for themselves what they wanted to say.

I only wish we got to see more of them as a couple on paper before the conflict, witch I think was handled pretty well and it not felt forced at all.

The ending was endearing and heartwhelming. I'm looking forward for more books by this author.

[Made Me Blush Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an unexpected holiday story that just hit all the right feels! It's truly a Hallmark movie in a book. I always love a small-town romance but especially more during Christmas. A slightly remote mountain town in Montana that you can only get to by train and one that goes all out to celebrate the season definitely fits the bill.

From the moment they met a couple years ago, JJ the hometown girl and Christian the country rockstar have never seen eye to eye. Their interactions while full of wit are laced with just enough disdain to ensure the other person knew exactly where they stood. Which was far far from each other. With no love lost between them, the idea of Christian renting the Barn on her parent's farm to live in while he worked on his next single was absolutely unbearable. Especially since JJ was expecting to live there while she got her life back on track after her broken engagement.

These two are adorable together and when they finally put down their wordy weapons and make the effort to really know each other, they're irresistible. All the banter over the years was hiding a chemistry that burned bright between them and ended up highlighted things they had in common.

JJ and Christian's story is an emotionally satisfying end to this small-town romance series! All the characters from the previous books play a role in this book and it was so fun to see how everyone was doing. The story is well-paced and I absolutely enjoyed each word. Sara Jane has done a wonderful job of creating a world that's full of loveable characters and stories that put a smile on your face.

It's a heartwarming, cozy and a clean read. Aston Falls is the place to be this Christmas. Be sure to add More Than Meets The Eye to your holiday reading list now!

I was kindly provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathy Mayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous, I was really looking forward to JJ's story.

I loved this one. I can't believe that JJ didn't believe in herself. I think a lot of it had to do with Ted. He was definitely verbally abusive to her. Why did JJ think she had to give up on her dreams for love? And be satisfied with a job that anyone could do. She had no ambition to better herself. I think if she was honest with herself she would have realized she was unhappy and had been for sometime. Her parents were the perfect role models for a loving relationship. I definitely understood why she was so angry with Christian when she found out he was a singer. She was jealous because he was living her dream. She never took the time to get to know him. She just jumped to conclusions. She should have told him about her breakup with Ted. And she should have never turned her phone off. It would have saved her three days of crying!

Poor Christian didn't know what he was getting into with JJ. She definitely just speaks before she thinks about what she's going to say. He had so much emotional damage he had to get through with JJ. He did everything right though. Except maybe telling her he was coming back for her. Although with her past relationship I'm not sure he would have believed her. I understand what JJ said set him off but he should have said I will be back & it might take a few days. And reassured her he still wanted to be with her.

Christmas in Aston Falls makes me want to live there! Come on a hot cocoa festival. Yes please! And a Christmas Eve Carol night, what could be better? The ending is perfect! Christian is any girl's dream boyfriend. And the four years later update was wonderful!

[Courtney Tremble · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautifully written conclusion to this series. The journey of finding yourself again and surrounding yourself with people you trust is so important. I was completely captivated by the past characters while reading this series, and JJ and Christian were no different.

JJ is completely and utterly such a relatable character. She protected her heart with sarcasm so she doesn’t get hurt or blindsided again. After her life comes crumbling down, she tries to figure out who she truly is. What JJ went through in the past was so heart wrenching to read. Which made her doubt and questioning all the more understandable.

Christian is an honorable, decent, kindhearted human. Which made him even more admirable.
Losing himself into his work after something tragic happens, he just wants to find “home” again. Through his journey of rediscovering his love of music and finding himself again, he opens up to the one person he lest expected.

JJ had a lot of assumptions about Christian without getting to know him. But once she did, it became clear that they were misguided. All the bickering back and forth though was enjoyable and hilarious, there was something growing they couldn’t hide. Once the walls started coming down and they were vulnerable with each other, a true friendship blossomed.

What a bittersweet journey this was. Reading Grace, Nicholas, Ella, Austin, JJ and Christian’s stories has brought me an immense amount of joy and happiness. I’m so glad I came across Sara’s page and read these beautiful books.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story! This is the third in a series of standalones. They're all equally amazing. I blew through them. This one takes place during Christmas time!🎄There's Farm life.🐄 In a Small town. Enemies to lovers. Forced proximity. It's not categorized as a RomCom but I'd call it one. Its so funny and sweet with clean romance. (The whole series is)
JJ is fiesty. She really dislikes Christian. And she tries to run him out of town. But their forced to work togetherness on a project. Lots of fun and drama ensues 😆

💕 RCRS: 2-3 (brief/heavier kissing)

🗨 Some Quotes:

It occurred to me that, though most of our interactions had been negative, JJ definitely made me feel something. Even if that something was somewhere between baffled amusement, curiosity, and plain annoyance.

All at once, something lit in my chest—a small flame waving and blowing in the breeze. Almost like my heart was defrosting, beating along with the song. Her passionate singing, her dedication inspired me. Took my breath away. By the time I played the final note, I was craving more. More of her singing. More of this.


“I’ve been meaning to ask you a question.”
“What’s that?”
“Well.” Ma shifted in her seat. “You and Christian seem to be spending time together lately. How’re things going with you two? Are you…?”
“Are we…?”
“Ah, what is the term you kids use these days.” Ma tutted, then her eyes lit up. “Doing the Netflix and Chill?”

[Cheysbooknook · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW: More Than Meets The Eye by @authorsarajanewoodley

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

REVIEW: Enemies to lovers romance.

JJ is a firecracker of a woman. Bold, outgoing, opinionated. But what lies beneath the surface is so much more. There's a side of her so much different than her exterior.

Christian, country music superstar. Confident, good looking, amazing singer. What more could you ask for in a guy? And he knows exactly what he wants.

These two collide and at first it's all bickering and picking on eachother. As you make your way through the book it turns into so much more. And the ending was such a sweet, hallmark style ending that warmed my heart.

My only "negative" was that it was lengthy in narration, and less so in conversations between characters. But the narration at the same time was needed to set the scene and tell the story.

Overall I loved the book and give it 4 out of 5 stars. I haven't read the first 2 books in the series but will definitely be going back to read those, and looking forward to future additions to the series as well.

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enemies to lovers stories is one trope that never disappoints. JJ and Christian’s relationship start off with a bit of hate stewing between them, leading to great banter as the sparks inevitably fly and as those feelings begin to turn from hate to love. The saying is that there is a thin line between love and hate, and that couldn’t be more true when it comes to JJ and Christian. This is a clean small-town romance set in a remote town in Montana and we get the bonus of revisiting the characters from the other books in this series. I loved how JJ and Christian easily got under each other’s skin and fate had a hand in continually bringing them together. I loved both of these characters and consider this a must read book for this trope. Perfect for a cozy reading in front of the fireplace.

I've received a free e-ARC copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved being back in Aston Falls for JJ and Christian's story!

This is an enemies-to-lovers story - famous country singer vs. small town farm girl - with a lot of great forced proximity!

I loved that the two of them were forced to work together - it allowed them to talk and really get to know one another! I loved watching these characters grow and become confident in themselves, while also finding love along the way 🥰

While I wouldn't necessarily classify this as a "Christmas book", Christmas festivities do play a role in this story so it would be another great book to add to your TBR this holiday season! 😁

[Turn The Page Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute sweet romance. I loved reading JJ and Christian's story. We've gotten glimpses of these two in other two books in this collection, I was always intrigued and wanted to know if their "hate" and obvious attraction would end up anywhere. Mote Than Meets The Eye takes place around the holidays and would be the perfect book to curl up with and read this winter.

I usually like romances with a little bit more steam than this story had but I still enjoyed this quick read. For anyone like me, this book would be a good Hair of the Book read to bring you back to normal life after a dark romance.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
So, I adore Christian. I always did. JJ is a fascinating character and you get to see so much of her motivation in this book, and honestly, she's so different from what I would expect. Which makes sense, a lot of people hide themselves. It felt very genuine and well written. There's some good banter, great kisses, visiting old friends, a sweet little town. It's like a slightly sassier Hallmark movie. Is that a Lifetime Christmas movie? I don't even know, but it was very sweet.
Thank you to the author for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

[Katja · Rating 4 out of 5]

JJ recently broke up with a long time boyfriend who had been holding her back, making her abandon her dreams. Christian is a friend's friend and a scruffy country music star that she always argues with. But now he's living in her parents' barn and a neighborhood busybody drafts them both to sing in the Christmas concert. Both JJ and Christian find their music and the meaning of love. This is a sweet beautiful story. It's part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. The steam level is kissing.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know an enemies to lovers story line is bound to be a good one and this one definitely meets the mark. When a famous country singer and a small town farmgirl are forced to work together in close proximity, you know romance will be in the air and the sparks will start being ignited. The story is well written, captivating and keeps you wanting more. You enjoy getting to know the characters with every turn of the page and find yourself rooting for them long before you reach the end.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Suzaan Jansen van Rensburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christian was taking a break from whirlwind touring, going back to his roots and writing songs for his new album. Meeting up with JJ again, his nemesis from the moment they met. He cannot resist challenging her every chance he gets. And when they sing together something just comes together. But they are from different worlds and soon enough he will go back to his. This is a story of new beginnings, realizing it is never too late to chase your dreams. A good solid read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Chicken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐

Can I just start by saying this cover is gorgeous? Kudos to whoever made it. Besides the cover, the whole book is wonderful. I loved the character. This author’s writing just keeps getting better and better. I enjoy reading her books. It’s good to escape to the beautiful world she paints. I thought the book had the perfect mix of seriousness and fun. The characters were amazing and I can’t wait to read whatever comes next.

I received a review copy and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jaycee Weaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

best of the series

Cute series. I’m a huge enemies to lovers fan, so this one was my favorite. Their chemistry was great! If I had one complaint, it’s that the events unfolded a bit formulaically across the series, every book predictably going from first kiss around the halfway mark to doubts at 60% to break up by 65, black moment by 70, resolving to fix it and then resolution, bam, bam, bam. I still enjoyed the series, and I’ll be checking out others by this author because I like her storytelling and they’re not too heavy. Nice, fun, quick read.

[Mika Averitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily my fave of the series! I am actually dying! Throwing up, pulling my eyelashes out. I feel like it moved at the perfect pace. This was one where I had pretty much no problems with the dual POV. Usually there’s at least one part where I’m going insane with miscommunication. While there was definitely some miscommunication in this one it was still super good! I honestly loved seeing the friends in this book. They all played a great part. It moved at the perfect pace for the trope.(enemies to lovers) An absolute slay and I’m literally dying over the ending!🥹🥹🥹

[Evy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great series! Each book can be read as standalone but together they make a great read! I love the chemistry between JJ and Christian, how they were supposed to be enemies but actually were in love with each other without realizing it.
Their banter was hilarious and funny.
It was nice to see all the other characters again! I definitely recommend this series!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Heather Fontenot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

Christian and JJ’s story did not disappoint. I loved their chemistry and their banter. Watching them go from enemies to friends to more was just delightful! Very clean and sweet, which I really appreciate. So difficult to find books not smattered with foul language or references to sex. I would definitely recommend this book! The series was great as a whole and this was a perfect way to conclude it.

[Audrey Heeren · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ The final book in the series; JJ and Christian. From enemies to lovers, was the theme of this one. Although this is one of my favorite tropes, I didn't love JJ and Christian as much as I did the other main characters. I also found their story to be less believable (they were never really enemies, were they?). The element of lack of surprise and predictability was there, yet it felt too forced and rushed. Definitely glad I finished this trilogy, though.

[Jennah Sobevski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, this was by far the best book in the series. The tension between JJ and Christian was perfect, and he was just so sweet! JJ deserved her happy ever after, especially after her dirtbag high-school sweetheart. I loved the progression of JJ and Christian’s relationship, it just felt so natural. There were so many swoon-worthy moments in this book, I just can’t pick my favourite!

[Royanne D Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

review

Home run again! Sarah, I appreciate the way you incorporate real life into these stories and they are not raunchy! I have thoroughly enjoyed reading each love story without having to wonder whether I would have to gloss over the string of profanity or absolutely explicit sex scenes. I LOVE THEM!!

[Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve loved this Aston Falls series but I think this is my favorite one of all. I love a good enemies to lovers and all the bickering and tricks played along the way. I loved how this was also about JJ learning to love and believe in herself before she could really open up to loving someone else. It was great seeing more of Ella and Grace and Nicholas and Austin from the first 2 books.

[Lynn Hyman]

So Much Fun

I loved JJ and Christian's bantering and dialogs. She was so funny thinking of all the ways she could get him to leave. He was so funny by going along with all of it and not leaving. They both came to acknowledge their priorities. Friends, family, and small town life all play important roles here. Beautiful story, beautiful ending.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. The third book in the Aston Falls series. Christian West and JJ Sutton's story of enemies-to-lovers. I enjoyed seeing them get their happy ending.

[J.E. Feldman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a decent with a music star finding love in a small town. JJ misjudges him, but she seems bitter with everyone after her breakup. She gradually warms up to the idea of love again and then everyone else moves on with their lives.

[Judith Barillas · Rating 5 out of 5]

yet another winner!

I’m a new Sara follower and I’m thrilled to write a review.
This story has many meaningful and romantic relationships. Sara’s characters are interesting and never boring. A sweet romance with plenty of twists and turns and where love wins!

[Patricia Rutland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb Series

I enjoyed so much this three book series. My favorite though was the story of JJ and Christian. Put together a fiery redhead and an intrigued hero and you get sparks, witty banter and a really nice HEA.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eek!!! You will love Jj and Christian! They are such a fun pair especially once they start seeing past the surface and the fact that they might not hate each other! Such a great ending to this trilogy!

[Katelyn Nagel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute story!

I really liked this book. It was really cute and sweet, the back and forth banter was funny. I thought the story was well written and this was my favorite book out of all three.