He's her best friend's brother and they've been flirting for five years.
As much as Emma wants to climb Trevor Hayes like a tree, he's the last thing she needs in her life. She's building a life in Willow Creek so she can stay under the radar. She's in hiding, and she doesn't need the town's hottest law enforcement officer snooping around. When her past catches up with her, he won't let her say no to his protection.
She's determined to resist him until they get stranded together in the season's first freak blizzard.
I write steamy small town romance (Willow Creek series), paranormal romantasy (Sons & Daughters of Lir) and Victorian era historical romance (Wainwright Sisters) with heat and heart. I'm a 2X HOLT Award Winning Author (2023, No Regrets- Best First Book; 2025, No Excuses - Best Short Contemporary) who's had characters begging me to tell their love story since I was thirteen years old. I'm finally letting them have a voice. I wrote my first story, about a giant who befriended a lady bug when I was in the second grade. I live on a peaceful farm with my spouse and love nothing more than sitting on my porch with a glass of wine and plotting. You can subscribe to my newsletter via my author website, ANDREAJENELLEROMANCE at https://andreajenelleromance.com/ or see what I'm up to on Instagram and TikTok via my handle @authorandreajenelle
Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (This was probably more of a 4 star read for me but I LOVED Griffin Puatu’s narration so much I had to round to 5!) Readability: 📖📖📖📖 Feels: 🦋🦋🦋 Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔 Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡ Romance: 💞💞💞💞 Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋 Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Humor: A bit Perspective: first person from both hero and heroine More character focused or plot focused? character How did the speed of the story feel? medium When mains are first on page together: immediately Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after Epilogue: No Format: listened to an audiobook Why I chose this book: I won this audiobook in an author giveaway and I’ve been meaning to get to it Mains: Trevor Hayes and Emma – This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine (Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order? I read book 1 and not book 2 – I think this reads really well alone – there is some character cross over but the focus is really on the mains and I didn’t feel like I missed anything.
Basic plot: Emma is working on rebuilding a life in Willow Creek when her past comes back to haunt her. Trevor is willing to protect her though – going as far as moving in!
Give this a try if you want: - contemporary romance - small town – Willow Creek - some second chance feels – they share some intimacy but then he leaves and doesn’t return for 10 months - bodyguard vibes – he protects her and moves in with her to keep her safe - best friend’s brother - cop hero - baker heroine - celibate mains (meaning before their relationship, not during the book ;) ) - snowed in - pets – a dog named Buster - higher steam – 5ish full scenes
Ages: - I didn’t catch them – maybe late 20s?
First line: Someone spiked the punch.
My thoughts: I am OBSESSED with Griffin Puatu’s narration in this book. It was so good – so emotional and heartfelt and I adored every second of it. Jynelle Brown also did so, so good but Griffin’s had me swooning and melting multiple times! The two of them together in this audio was perfection.
This book has so many sweet things in it – I loved the small town feel of Willow Creek. I really was into the bodyguard trope here – I loved how it wasn’t super suspenseful and I got to enjoy all the close proximity and character depth for most of the page count.
My only complaint was how Trevor seemed to run hot and cold in the beginning, then came on hard – and the animosity from the heroine was understandable but her refusal to commit was also sad for me!
But this also lead to some great angst between them and such an emotional pull between the mains (made even better by the narration!)
I also appreciate the multiple nods to romance throughout the novel – nice reading about humans that live and breath romance in daily life like me (Bridgerton, nods to historical romance, Kresley Cole’s IAD) 😂
Few random reading stats for this author # of books read: 2 Average rating from me: 4.5 stars Favorite book: This one
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
Full break down on what my ratings above mean here: Overall: How I felt about it everything considered! Readability: How ‘readable’ was the book? Did I fly through it? Did I have to tell myself to pick it back up repeatedly? Were any passages confusing? (I will probably score like (1) is literally unreadable due to formatting/typing errors, etc (2) There were lots of errors that made it difficult to read OR It was extremely confusing and I had to reread passages to make sense of it OR I disliked it so much I had to bribe myself to keep reading (3) I didn’t really want to keep reading and would have preferred to abandon the read and start something else OR some minor continuity issues/confusion (4) I liked it fine, maybe a minor error or 2. I was happy to pick it up when I had time. (5) I never wanted to put this down. I thought about it when I wasn’t reading it. I hid in the bathroom from my kids to read. I threw inappropriate food at my children for dinner so I could read instead.) Feels: Totally subjective to each person but did the book give me any tingles? Any butterflies? Did it rip my heart out (in a good way?) Emotional depth: How well do I feel I know the characters at the end? How much did I feel their emotions throughout the story? Sexual tension: Again, subjective, but how strong was the wanting and longing to me between the characters? A book might have strong sexual tension without a single touch. Romance: Was there romance? Did romantic things happen? This can be actions/words/thoughts of the characters and again is subjective. Sensuality: This is how the intimate scenes are written. Kisses and sexual scenes – how sensual were they? Were they on the mechanical side? Was there emotional pull tied in? Were the details explicit or flowery? These are subjective but generally (1) too short to get a good judgment (2) not all what I'm looking for - very vague or flowery prose (3) either not explicit enough or not enough emotional pull (too mechanical/physically descriptive without the emotions) (4) what I love in a scene (5) absolute perfection - perfect balance of emotional longing and explicit descriptions Sex Scene Length: How long the bedroom scenes are (generally (1) is 1-3 sentences (2) is a few paragraphs to a page-ish (3) is about average, a few pages (4) more well developed scenes, quite a few pages with descriptions (5) the majority of the book takes place in the bedroom. This is always hard to tell for me on audio! Steam Scale: Generally, each flame is a scene. If scenes are super close together I sometimes combine them. If a scene is super short or so vague I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t count it. There’s some levels of grey but generally the number of flames is how many sex scenes there are (I max out at 5 so I’ll put a + after if there’s more than that)
"It's cinnamon and cardamom and the slightest hint of paprika. I wonder if that's why I don't want to stay away, because he smells like my kitchen and I want to distill his essence and bottle him up so I can put him into a recipe. Not like Hansel and Gretel witch-in-the- woods-with-a-candy-cabin I want to cook you in my oven and scrape your bones clean creepy. More like you’re scrumptious and I want to lick every inch of your skin and bury my nose behind your ear and smell your pheromones forever creepy"
"She always smells and tastes like saltwater taffy and sharp nip of burnt sugar"
This book made me Hungry (the ingredients metaphor and all) and Hungry for more! I dont really resonate with the, "Always been you" trope cos i believe if you want something, just go and get it! But this one, the MUTUAL PINING convinced me otherwise.
In previous books in the series, among the 3 girls, Sarah has always been my favourite, but Emma really takes the cake, she's mysterious but loud, boisterous but careful, she's sassy but reserve and i wish i can go to her shop, Cupcake just to have brunch with her. She's always whipping or creating something but you know from the previous book, she's a flight risk. She's there but not really there and this book you will find out WHY (not gonna spoil anything cos it was a suprised to me)
Who knew Trevor is one hell of a man, i couldn't care less about him in book 1. The way Emma described him is exactly what i feel about him, I wish i can eat him out🫠 ! (the reference to The Princess bride). You understand the fascination of the towns' people with Trevor who is the big brother of the town turned HOT COP (yes, Emma i get it). His so protective of his love ones, dependable, handy but so much baggage on his shoulder. Poor Trevy! I appreciate his a DIRTY TALKER, HARDWORKER and sleeps naked even in other people's house and if he wants you, he doesnt care where you are, he just do it there and then!
So far, this is the naughtiest book of the series and i got what i want which i didn't get in Sarah & Blake's book. The anticipation is MARVELLOUS (the car scene rent free on my mind) 🔥
I only wish Emma was not that stubborn, this man reads and listen to romance, attends romance Book Club (okay, basically Andrea Jenelle made these men attend the book club) do grand gestures (Blake's scene is still my favourite tho), your inspo for self appreciation with the closest to his size, shove you into the wall (twice at a party) and taste like Cinnamon, come on Emma, just do him!
As i said, this is my favourite book of the series!
I loved *No Promises* even more than the first two books in the series! This installment was not only cute but also had just the right amount of spice to keep things interesting. I found myself laughing often, which made the reading experience all the more enjoyable.
One of the highlights for me was getting to learn more about Emma's past. She was quite secretive in the earlier books, and uncovering her backstory added depth to her character. Trevor, on the other hand, was a delightful surprise. We get to see a new side of him that I wasn't expecting. Despite being Emma's best friend's brother, the chemistry between them is undeniable, and no amount of Emma's secrets can keep them apart.
The storyline is well-crafted, with great characters that felt real and relatable. It starts off as a slow burn, but once the tension builds, the story really ignites!
If you're looking for a romance filled with tension, humor, and a touch of mystery, *No Promises* is definitely worth picking up. I can't recommend it enough!
My Thoughts ~ This is the Third book in the Willow Creek series and let me tell you, it’s like it just keeps getting better and better as the books go on! I feel No Promises was her spiciest book so far and I was eating it up. Trever Has a way with his words he’s mysterious and by the book but when it comes to her, she tests everything he believes in everything he thinks and feels. boy he’s got a way to just make you want to melt, I can almost hear his voice and the way he speaks to her. The way he so bluntly stated how he feels and the dirty talk that you never saw coming. I love how much Emma was so determined to stay this independent strong woman and continued to put out that energy even once she let down her barrier a bit for him. I loved the romance, the relationship building, the character building and of course don’t get me started on the overall town building continuance. As always with the Willow creek series Andrea knows what she’s doing and I love love love getting to continue to be involved in the town and reading new couples and about the characters growth and love story’s.
Quotes
“ I want to distill his essence and bottle him up so I can put him into a recipe.”
“It means I want to put you under one of those domes like a rose from Beauty and the Beast so I can study you at leisure.”
“You’re dangerous, Emilia. Basically combustible hazardous material where my D*ck is concerned.”
“Oh, sweet Emilia. I have so many ways to make sure you’re a good girl.” . . . . . #willowcreek #willowcreekwanton #willowcreekreadalong #cupcakes #cupcakeonmain #noregrets #nosurrender #nopromises #andreajenelleauthor #andreajenelleromance
An easy read, both sweet and spicy. It´s the first book I read in the series, so I came into it knowing nothing about anyone. And that was fine. No problems understanding at all.
The characters had interesting stories and I liked how their relationship developed. Although… Trevor rubbed me the wrong way in chapter 1 with his ‟I´m leaving town, time to give in to my urges” attitude.
Emma´s constant pushing back against all suggestions and offers of help started to get old by the 35% mark… and by chapter 15, I´d had enough. ‟I know I sound like I´m throwing a mini temper tantrum. But I´m really not,” she said. Yes, you are. There´s someone who wants to help and has the training and the will to see things through… Stop griping. ^^;
And that was okay because she was in character. I just found it frustrating because it seemed to come back too often. Yeah, Trevor was a lot more patient than me lol.
I liked the cultural references and the sensory descriptions. They made things feel real and pulled me in. Some of the dialogues didn´t do as much for me.
I liked the suspense part of it. It added a nice amount of action, and made it more interesting. It got the adrenaline pumping at times. My favorite part was the time they spent at the cabin.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This story dug deep into my heart, like a slow crescendo building to a pinnacle of emotion. Trevor and ‘Emma’ both hide themselves from the world, carefully guarding their hearts and shielding their emotions. Despite their insta-attraction life gets in the way and they get put on the back-burner. Once Emma lets slip her present past Trevor is helpless to prevent opening his heart. He is a born protector so he falls into that role seamlessly, but they weren’t prepared for how easily they fit. I loved watching them both trying to resist, we all know resistance is futile. So many nuances, innuendos and analogies struck a chord for me, creating a sense of companionship with the characters. The instantly pictureable analogies sinking home the emotion, Trevor’s Otterbox exterior, better than the first pumpkin spice latte of season… images that I felt to the bone. I listened to the audiobook of this one and where it really stood out was Griffin Puatu’s rendition of Trevor’s song. 🥰 It was only a few lines, but I ate it up! Fabulous performance. You couldnt help but root for these to to find a way. If you say you didn't like this book, in the words of Trevor Hayes “I call bullshit!” Andrea Jenelle has created a world around the characters of Willow Creek that feels like coming home every time you open the book.
Book 3 was the perfect addition to Willow Creek. A seamless blend of spicy small-town romance, holiday vibes, and a little suspense. Emma and Trevor were also perfect. The way they both wanted what they thought they couldn't have/didn't deserve.. Emma was hiding from a secret past that was catching up to her, and Trevor (her best friend's brother) took it upon himself to invade her space and protect her. The tension is high between the two, knowing the other was harboring feelings for themselves that they were trying to avoid. They agree to make no promises, so there aren't any expectations, but that's pretty unavoidable - especially after what they go through together. Emma is funny and sassy and loves to get under Trevor's skin, but she's also guarded and convinced the only way to keep the people she cares about safe is to keep them at arms length. Trevor is determined to show her that they deserve to be happy together and she can let him all the way in. By the end, as usual with Andrea's books, all of the emotions are so worth it.
This book had me feeling a variety of feels! At the beginning I was pissed at Trevor and was mentally screaming "Fuck you." But not even half way through I was routing for Emma and Trevor. I love the development of their relationship, how Trevor just cannot resist being in her proximity and makes himself basically a permanent fixture in her life. I love how Emma is strong and takes care of herself but learns to lean on Trevor, strengthening their relationship that they both keep trying to deny but it's so clearly there. Trevor knows he messed up that December, but he definitely does everything possible to make up for it. His devotion to her is swoon worthy. And hello cabin in the woods! Not in a creepy way though haha. In a holy mother of soaked panties 💦🩲🥵 way. My gosh Andrea knows how to write a spicy scene. I enjoyed this story, especially since I had been anticipating it since book one. This whole series has been right up my alley with all its tropes 🥰
This book was so cute! I love hearing each of the characters individual stories in this series and seeing them fall in love🥺 I really liked that this book was not only romance but also had a thriller type of feel when referring to Emma’s ex finding her. It broke my heart when Trevor got shot, but it was so touching that he took a bullet for her and said he would do it over and over again. I love them together and I’m happy they were able to get through their own demons and past traumas together. I was shocked when hearing about Trevor thinking it was his fault that his parents died because he lied about changing the fire alarm. That must have been so hard for him to navigate through as just a kid, parentless, and raising his younger sister. There were so many great lessons learned and much character development. I’m so excited to read the next book in the series!💕
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is book 3 in the Willow Creek Series. This is a series of stand alones that all interconnect.
I love this series. I love Andrea. Her writing is easy to understand, quick, full of emotions, laugh loud funny, with moments you need to fan yourself.
Trevor was born and raised in a small town of Willow Creek. He was feeling stuck and finally was able to break free to pursue his career as a police officer but he ended up back in Willow Creek.
Emma is a mystery. Just a beautiful woman showing up in Willow Creek 5 years ago buying a building with cash and creating her own bakery. She's made best friends and grew to love Willow Creek.
Emma is attracted to her best friends brother, Trevor. Trevor fell for her as soon as he heard her laugh, 5 years ago. Will they finally end up together??
There is an extreme amount of longing, tension, pining, and banter in this book with a good suspenseful twist!
You get to see a new side of Trevor in this book. He's very much by the rules, calm, and collected but when matched with Emma's energy, it can be pretty explosive. I would say the spice is around 2.5 🌶️.
If you love Small town romances, best friend's brother, opposite attract, spice, forced proximity, body guard, with a sprinkle of thriller/suspense. You will love this!
Tropes: small town romance best friend’s brother stern brunch daddy hero romantic suspense
Book 3 in the willow creek series and it doesn't disappoint this story follows the couple Trevor and Emma. Trevor a police officer and Emma a woman of mystery. Emma is off limits she is the best friend of his little sister but no matter how many times he says it he cant help the pull. Emma tries to stay away from Trevor because she has a secret past. this is by far one of the spicier books and im here for it. i loved finding out more about Emma and the love that was blooming between the two. great book
OK this is the third book I’ve read by this author and every time she describes someone agreeing with something she says they are shaking their head. In my mind that means “no” and nodding your head means “yes”. Anyways. It was annoying.
The story towards the end felt like there were chapters missing. Jumping from the main characters bonding to a villain (who hasn’t appeared yet and it’s at the end of the story) just start talking to the FMC mid chapter. It was like whiplash. Then the very end the book jumps forward weeks with no explanation. Definitely some gaps that needed some exposition.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is Emma and Trevor's story in book 3 of the Willow Creek series. I really enjoyed this one. It definitely had a lot more spice than the others and had a bit of a mystery thriller aspect to it that made it that more interesting. Emma has secrets so she tries to keep her distance from Trevor even though the attraction is there and they've wanted it for a while. I loved watching them fall for each other and enjoyed their story. I think this one was definitely my favorite so far. This series has a hold on me.
This is Emma and Trevor’s story! Emma is the best friend of Trevor’s little sister! Though they tried to stay away from each other, nothing could stop the pull between them! Not even the secrets Emma’s hiding from Trevor! This was a well written story with great characters and storyline. It started off as a slow burn but eventually the fire picked up! Looking forward to reading more from this author!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed this book. It was cute with some spice as well. It made me laugh often. I enjoyed getting to learn more about Emma’s past and the other people in Willow Creek we’ve already met. The ending felt as if it came about a bit abruptly, and things were handled very quickly without much explanation but I otherwise enjoyed this story.
My most favourite book in this series. Once again it was so lovely to be meeting the characters from previous books. My heart just wanted these two character to be together from the very beginning but the author added some trials and tribulations for them to find their happily ever after. This series will go on my to be read again list.
Definitely the spiciest I’ve ever written , but I think it’s also the one with my most vulnerable characters. I hope you love reading Emma & Trevor’s story as much as I loved writing it.
Great small town romance books. I liked the dances that each couple danced around each other. The characters and supporting characters were all very likeable. I look forward to easing more adventures of the other characters.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.