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Lovebird Café #2

Mud Pies & Family Ties

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Falling in love has never been so dirty!

Harmony Rogers moves from the big city to Swallow Springs, Missouri with one goal in mind: build a better life for her thirteen-year-old son. It’s not long before she finds herself rehabilitating local wildlife and bumbling her way through her new waitress job at the Lovebird Café.

Motorcycle stuntman Dustin Jarrett hadn’t planned on coming back to Swallow Springs. But a botched late-night television performance forces him to retreat to his tiny hometown until the media storm blows over. Now he’s got to face his past if he wants a shot at reclaiming his future.

When Harmony meets Dustin at the café, the coffee grounds fly. Literally. And a series of events forces them to do the one thing they’ve tried to avoid: rely on someone else. If they can survive the prying eyes of the residents of Swallow Springs, they might just find what they didn’t even realize they were looking for.

Grab your copy of Mud Pies & Family Ties and deep dive into the world of Swallow Springs, where life is slower, love is stronger, and happiness awaits at The Lovebird Café.

1 pages, Audio CD

First published May 15, 2019

61 people are currently reading
162 people want to read

About the author

Dylann Crush

58 books1,512 followers
Dylann Crush writes contemporary romance with sizzle and sass. A romantic at heart, she loves her heroines spunky and her heroes super sexy. When she’s not dreaming up steamy storylines, she can be found sipping a margarita and searching for the best Tex-Mex food in Minnesota.

Although she grew up in Texas, she currently lives in a suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul with her unflappable husband, three energetic kids, a clumsy Great Dane, a rescue mutt and a very chill cat. She loves to connect with readers, other authors and fans of tequila. You can find her at www.dylanncrush.com.

Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Crush...
Newsletter: https://www.dylanncrush.com/signup
Instagram: @DylannCrush
Twitter: @DylannCrush

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5 stars
58 (43%)
4 stars
48 (35%)
3 stars
21 (15%)
2 stars
6 (4%)
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1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
Profile Image for Syndi.
3,722 reviews1,044 followers
December 10, 2020
Since I read the novella, I am looking forward to read some books on this series. Good thing this is stand alone book. Mud Pies & Family Ties is really cute. The small town romance mix with some delicious pie make this book sweet.

The meet cute between Harmony and Dustin is fun and cute. I love both of them. Their chemistry is also sizzling hot. This is a perfect example of small town romance done right.

4 stars
Profile Image for Saly.
3,437 reviews580 followers
May 26, 2019
Phew! After rating the first book in this series so badly, I am glad that one was a fluke because I liked this one. Both the h/H were very likeable. The hero is a Hollywood stunt-man who still holds guilt over his teenage best friend's death and never visits his hometown. However, when a stunt goes wrong on national television he decides to spend a few days with his mother. He soon has a run-in with the heroine, who is waiting tables till she opens her dream business. The heroine also moved from California with her teenage son to give them a better and trouble free life.

These two keep having run-ins and when his nephew and her son get into trouble, the hero devises a way to keep the kids occupied and help her start her business. I liked how adult these two were about their chemistry and exploring it. The heroine was also very honest about wanting to not let it affect her son who idolised him. I liked how adult these two were in terms of their feelings and emotions and I quite liked this.
Profile Image for Aly.
2,930 reviews86 followers
June 4, 2019
When motorcycle Hollywood stuntman latest trick end with injuries for him and America's favorite late night talk show host, Dustin's agent ask him to make himself scarce and to get out of L.A. for a while. With no intention to stay long, despite the doctor's orders, he go back to Swallow Springs, the hometown he left 15 years ago. Here's his chance to make peace with a loss from his past, renew with family and old friends, make new ones and why not finding a reason to maybe stay there.

Single mother of a thirteen year old boy, Harmony left L.A. for a small town in Missouri, to move him away from bad company. But he still have trouble ajusting to their new life. The same could be said about her job as a waitress who's so far from her dream of opening a wellness center and use her massage therapist license. When she meet the sexy man that everyone in town knows as a troublemaker, sparks fly and without knowing how, Harmony end up taking care of wild creatures and discovering the joy and sorrows of a summer fling.

"I can't not start something. I'm drawn to you, Harmony, craziness and all."


Mud Pies & Family Ties is book 2 in the Lovebird Café series and can be read as a standalone. It's my fourth book by this author and she haven't disapointed me. I like the feeling of realism, like I could totally meet these characters on the street. The town is also a place that makes me want to be there. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I appreciate the simplicity and the natural chemistry between the MC that dazzle me, whether if they're bickering, exchanging banters or developing a strong friendship and/or a beautiful love story.
Profile Image for Paula White.
606 reviews35 followers
May 18, 2019
Thank you to the author an ARC for an honest review.

Harmony and Dustin were great together. They started off being nothing serious but of course this evolved. There was some great humour - Harmony was not a great waitress and she kept getting left to look after weird and wonderful wildlife!
There was heart in this book, you could feel it. The supporting characters were great too, look forward to Scarlett's book - assume we are getting that by the last chapter,
Profile Image for Tiffany Copple.
1,491 reviews67 followers
May 27, 2019
4 stars for Mud Pies & Family Ties by Dylann Crush. This is book two in The Love Bird Café series. While this book is part of a series it can be read as a standalone. This is also my first book from this author, and I enjoyed their writing style. This is a wonderful small-town romance. The reader gets all the great small-town charm and feelings that come from reading this type of book. I found the story line to be intriguing and it captured my attention right from the start.
In this story we have two main characters that have both recently escaped from LA for different reasons. Harmony left because her son was having issues at school with bullies. She wanted a better life for him, so she packed up and moved. Dustin is leaving LA after a stunt gone wrong on a late-night television show. He has become the laughingstock of LA. So, to let this all settle and to recover from an injury he goes back home. He hasn’t been back home in like 15 years. Both of these characters have never known anyone they could rely on or trust. They soon develop a chemistry and attraction to each other that they can not deny. Dustin has issues at home that he hasn’t faced. The loss of his best friends, who he grew up with is something that has followed him around. What happens when he comes face to face with his past . What happens when it is time for him to return to LA.
This is a cute story that will leave you with a smile on your face. This is not a drama filled story, it is just a simple romance with a few wild animals thrown in. I thought it was a great read and I am looking forward to reading more from this author. I will say I think the cover of this book matches the sweetness in this story. It shows just how cute Dustin and Harmony are as a couple. It made me want to read the book . If you are looking for a good read , then you will enjoy this book.
Profile Image for Jeeves Reads Romance.
1,683 reviews802 followers
May 22, 2019
A sweet small town romance, Mud Pies & Family Ties follows single mom Harmony and stuntman Dustin, who meet at the Lovebird Cafe. Harmony has left the city to live a more laidback life, hoping the small town will be a good influence for her troublemaking son. When one of Dustin’s stunts goes wrong - and goes viral - he heads back home to heal both his body and his career. A series of unexpected events lead Harmony and Dustin to keep connecting, until they decide to give in to the chemistry between them and have a summer fling while Dustin is in town. But what starts out as a physical relationship quickly becomes more, and the couple are unsure of where that leaves them when it’s time for Dustin to go back to his life in the city.

I enjoyed the first half of the book a lot more than I did the second half. There was a lot of humor as Harmony and Dustin kept running into each other, and there was a real connection between the two. While I understand that a single mom couldn’t go all in on a relationship with someone who might not be staying in town for long, I found Harmony to be extremely guarded and that made her a little less enjoyable as a character. I also didn’t love that they decided to pursue a purely physical relationship, when so much of the beginning of the book was focused on the time that they spent together outside of the bedroom. It sort of cheapened what they had been building from the beginning, and even Dustin felt a little dirty about it. The book is well written and has a lot of charm, plenty of sweet moments and an extremely likeable hero, but the second half of the book really wasn’t how I wanted the story to go.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for patrick Lorelli.
3,768 reviews37 followers
May 30, 2019
This is the second book in the Lovebird Café. Here you have Harmony coming from Los Angeles with her son. She is working as a waitress at the café. Dustin is leaving Hollywood after a motorcycle stunt goes wrong on national TV. He has not been back for over 10 years and goes along with the accident from the first book. Stopping in the café his first met with Harmony has her spilling coffee all over him. The coffee would be just one little small part of the story that she would have problems with. After breakfast, they have another meeting at her truck and this begins Harmony’s makeshift animal habitat when he finds three baby raccoons in the truck. After this Dustin and Harmony just happen to run into each other and though neither one wants to be in any type of relationship they fall into one without really expecting to. Dustin begins to help with his nephew and when he and Harmony boy gets in trouble he puts them both to work. Everything moves along and she is looking at opening her own massage studio when disaster strikes and Dustin thinking it is his fault runs once more. Now though will he come back for Harmony and a future? Read this nice story and find out. The characters a good and her problems with the coffee machine are just of the little thing that keeps this story moving along. I received this arc from the author. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
Profile Image for Linda Dunn.
1,287 reviews30 followers
May 31, 2019
Small Town Magic..

Dustin Jarrett, hotshot motorcycle stuntman from L.A. finds himself returning to his hometown after being absent for years, with his tail between his legs. He bungled up a performance on national TV, so he needs to lay low for awhile until the heat dies down. Swallow Springs holds dear memories, his mom, sister and nephew, but also painful ones. They have weighted him down with guilt and heartache.

Harmony Rogers is a single mom looking for a better life for her teenage son. She hopes to give him a more stable life in a small town. Nothing goes according to plan as she experiences more drama than she bargained for. Number 1 drama, she meets Dustin who is gorgeous and hot and he stirs up emotions in her that she never wanted to experience again. She did that already, and does not want a repeat performance. Number 2 drama, she tries to get a head start on her life, but it always seems to end in disaster.

Dylann Crush once again writes a sexy humorous love story. I am hoping to see more adventures in this small town.
722 reviews34 followers
May 28, 2024
It was okay. I'm not sure this author is for me. The heroine was kinda annoying.
Profile Image for Reading Addict.
1,085 reviews21 followers
February 20, 2020
What a fun small town, meet cute romance! I read the first book in the series and really enjoyed it so I was definitely excited to see that the series was continuing. Mud Pies & Family Ties stands alone however I do recommend reading Sweet Tea and Second Chances to meet the other supporting characters in the book. Dustin finally returned home after a decade plus years of living in California and performing stunts on his motorcycle to become quite famous. His last stunt went awry so he headed home to Swallow Springs to recuperate and regroup. The first day back he literally runs into Harmony at the local Lovebird Cafe where she is waiting tables. Harmony has had a rough patch in life and she has moved away from California to this small Missouri town to give herself and her son a new path in their lives. This story is fun, light and easy. With the addition of some angsty pre-teen boys and a collection of animals, these two just can't seem to stop running into each other! It is the kind of book that you can enjoy in a comfortable chair and come away with a smile on your face and lightness in your heart. It is told from dual POV and is sweet with a bit of heat. I can't wait to read more about small town love in Swallow Springs!
Profile Image for Jacki.
1,044 reviews4 followers
May 24, 2019
Cute and fun

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Dual POVs
Part of a series: Lovebird Cafe
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC from Booksprout.
Profile Image for Glenda Kinard.
223 reviews5 followers
June 21, 2019
Once again Dylann Crush makes Readers laugh and wish for their own fun happily ever after. Dylann Crush has brought two of the most quirky fun loving characters to life in Mud Pies and Family Ties. Harmony left California because she had to save her rebellious teen son and Dustin couldn’t leave California fast enough due to a on air stunt gone wrong. What are the chances these two totally opposites happen upon each other in the small town of Swallow Springs ? Read this Wonderful face hurting from smiling and laughing Book to find out. Dylann can create characters that burrow deep in a reader’s heart so realistically a reader will sworn they just read a real life memoir with a dose of side splitting humor. Countdown now begins to Lovebird Cafe Book 3
Profile Image for Patty.
5,139 reviews56 followers
October 24, 2020
Mud Pies & Family Ties
Lovebird Café, Book 2
By: Dylann Crush
Narrated by: Carly Robins, Aiden Snow

I love coming home to Swallow Springs and book 2 in this story does not disappoint! Dustin Jarrett is home now after years of racing. His last race resulted in a shoulder injury and a viral video. Taking some time to recover and be with his family may just be the right remedy. Harmony has moved to Swallow Springs from LA with her son Liam. Trying to protect Liam from all things, she is hoping this move will keep him on the straight and narrow. But when he gets himself in trouble with town teen, Rodney, she second guesses her decision. Dustin and Harmony meet at the Lovebird Cafe and as we know, whoever meets there, falls in love. But not these two. Or do they? Now we gt the fun, the romance, and so much humor that I am in love and laughing. From crazy animal antics(an emu!) to the tragedy striking, to a mom trying to keep her son home, we fall for this family, the kids, the couple and town. It's a winning combination from the mud pies to the family ties!

Narrated by Aiden Snow and Carly Robins, we are treated to a fabulous listen. These two have it down. The comedic timing, the emotional scenes, the love and even the punishing tones used for teenagers, the story comes through as true to life. I loved the performance!
Profile Image for Elena de la Concepcion.
114 reviews5 followers
June 12, 2019
Mud pies & Family Ties, this is my 2nd book by Dylann Crush and I loved it. This story is about Dustin & Harmony. Dustin the hottie motorcycle stuntman having to return home from LA after he gets himself in a heap of trouble on national TV. Swallow Springs his hometown and where is agent suggests that he goes to so that some of the drama fall away. His family is beyond excited that he is back in town, but a painful past is what made him run in the first place. Harmony who is new to Swallow Springs is helping her cousin Robbie’s & Cassie’s Lovebird café as a waitress. Harmony is a single mom with a teenage boy, as they both try to find their place in the new town as it has been quite an adjustment from the lifestyle that they had in California. Harmony is really trying to build a future of her and her son, that is until in walks Dustin. I love the experiences that happens to Dustin & Harmony and I love that they both have a passion for animals. I look forward to the rest of the series that could happen in this small hometown.
Profile Image for Gwen Shafer.
2,214 reviews42 followers
June 17, 2019
This is the second one in the lovebird café series and just as good as the first one. You don't have to read the first one to be able to read this one. Dustin use to live in this town. He moved to Hollywood and made it big. But then one incident brings him back home. But is home where he should be? Harmony moved to this little town with her son to get away from the big city and give her son a better life. All she wants to do is open her own business and live her life. But Dustin walks into her life and things start to change. I love the chemistry between these two. You can see it instantly the first time they see each other. There is something there. There is an incident with Harmony's son and Dustin's nephew. I absolutely love how Dustin volunteers to work with the boys to clean up her building that her new business is going in. But are things going to be that easy for these two? Or will fate have something different in store for them? I enjoyed reading this one. Gripping from beginning to end. Interesting storyline with interesting characters.
Profile Image for EducatedBookFreak.
642 reviews
June 28, 2019
What a sweet, small town romance that will leave you lighter and happier. The saying things happen for a reason applies to this book. The small town is your typical meddling, know everyone and everything small town. The author has created a town that is family and has everyone’s back. I loved the characters, situations and all the town represented. The chemistry and relationship is sweet and steamy. I was captivated from the beginning by the authors words.

Harmony and Dustin have both moved to small town USA for different reasons. They meet in a Avery interesting situations, but their friendship takes off. They’re very sweet together and their relationship takes off quickly. As always, things change and the past comes back to haunt them. It takes u expected turns - but rights itself and they get everything they want and didn’t know they wanted. I thought this was a great read and was well written and captivating.
3,645 reviews17 followers
May 25, 2019
Dustin and Harmony both ran away from LA, he to escape an embarrassing appearance on a late night show and to heal from his injuries, and she to get her son Liam away from bullies and to try to provide a better environment for him to grow up in. Dustin grew up in Swallow Springs, Missouri. His mom, sister, and nephew are still there. He escaped to pursue a career with motorcycles after his friend Robbie’s brother dies. Harmony is here because her cousin Robbie offered her a job and free place to stay. She is a klutz around Dustin, spilling coffee, cupcakes, and falling. But they can’t deny their attraction to each other. Since he doesn’t know how long they’ll be in town they decide to have a no strings attached fling, but their hearts get involved.
Profile Image for Fleur.
3,730 reviews29 followers
June 3, 2019
I love how both Harmony and Dustin have self doubts about each other and themselves, at times you get frustrated with them and lordy do you want to shack them silly on certain decisions or non decisions they make. Dustin is so self involved he doesn't really see whats happening around him including what his mum is doing while Harmony is becoming the caregiver to the small, large, cute and unusual creatures that has you giggling at times. Even though this is a stand alone it is great that characters from book one make an appearance as this also gives you the small town feel and connect with everyone even more!
7 reviews
May 18, 2019
Dylann did it again! Mud Pies and Family Ties, the second book in the Lovebird Cafe series, will leave you smiling and waiting for the next one! Harmony, a sweet single mom who is working as a terrible waitress while making plans for her own business meets Dustin, a daredevil heartthrob who is laying low from work for a while meet and have an instant connection. Their story is cute, fun, and has plenty of sizzle! Combine that with the random emu, baby raccoons, and one lovely skunk you'll be laughing and cheering them on the whole story! A great read from a great author!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Rebecca Azizov.
496 reviews11 followers
October 2, 2020
It's review time 🎧
Warning ⚠️ : the second book in a series, not a standalone.

Narrator score🎧 ; the Narrator's were wonderful in here as well.


Level of anxiety and sadness0😱😢: i don't even know what to say, maybe you had some sad moments in here....

The book itself📖: ok, i do like to start reviewing with things I liked and loved. And I will say, I loved the kid in the book more than anything else. It's a better book than the first one for sure! But.... i think this series wasn't for me. It was cute and kinda quirky which kept me going but It just wasn't for me.
Profile Image for Gladys.
14k reviews162 followers
May 22, 2019
This wonderful romance offers lots of small town charm, deep emotions, humor and sweetness. This is Harmony and Dustin story. I liked both these characters so much. Their attraction was strong and their chemistry generated lots of sparks. The storyline was engaging and fun but offers a solid amount of drama and emotional turmoil as this couple's relationship evolves into more than they ever imagined. All thoughts and opinions in this review are entirely my own.
Profile Image for Tonya Lucas.
1,266 reviews19 followers
May 31, 2019
Dylann Crush has done it again. She keeps delivering fun, sexy-sweet characters who weave themselves into her readers hearts.
Dustin, Harmony, & Liam we’re so fun getting to know.
From tragedy comes forgiveness, friendships that last a lifetime, and of course true love!
Mud Pies and Family Ties I LOVED! Strong family values, slow paced setting in Swallow Springs, with a familiarity of home.
Now I want to try Dustin’s Moms mud pies!
Profile Image for Reggie.
2,888 reviews
October 13, 2020
Great romcom! Struggling single mom moves from LA to small town Missouri to get her son from bad company. Enter hometown bad boy, also Hollywood stuntman, who has been forced to return to recover from a stunt gone wrong. Great chemistry between these two from the beginning. Lots of humor...how can you not laugh when there’s a pet skunk named Petunia, baby raccoons named Snap, Crackle and Pop..,oh, and a blind emu! Highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Gretchen.
757 reviews25 followers
June 14, 2021
Book 2 of the Lovebird Cafe series features Harmony & Dustin. Dustin is a wonderfully flawed but sweet leading man. We see growth in both the main characters - which I love to see. The supporting cast is getting bigger and all were fun and multifaceted. I'm looking forward to exploring more of this wonderful world that Dylann Crush has created.

** side note: still hoping for recipes in future books**
Profile Image for R yatsko.
800 reviews7 followers
June 20, 2019
A small town romance, that is sweet, cute and fun.
...makes you smile, laugh, and swoon

Dustin (a motorcycle stuntman) meeting Harmony (a single mom)
....instant chemistry between the characters, with plenty of steam.

This book is part of series, but can be read a stand alone,
...a must read, a great feel good book.
Profile Image for Elizabeth McDaniel.
2,383 reviews
May 28, 2019
I absolutely loved Dustin and Harmony in this story. All of the characters were so much fun and wholesome. The town was a wonderful small hometown. The story was full of surprises and interesting Great story

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
7,813 reviews65 followers
May 30, 2019
This was a fun read with well developed characters that are engaging and well developed with a storyline that flowed smoothly from start.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
1,035 reviews1 follower
January 23, 2021
Enjoyable

Beautiful story of Hollywood and small town girl can have a life without the lights and drama. Dustin finds that after staying away from home for fifteen years that home is what he needs and wants.
Profile Image for Mindy.
1,117 reviews
April 1, 2021
Fun read

Funny cute story with heat and feels too. Harmony and Destin both have relationship hang ups but attraction is strong between them. Fun happenings and a growing menagerie of animals!

Volunteer KU based review
Profile Image for Michele Del Rey.
3,008 reviews30 followers
June 5, 2019
I really liked this book. It was the first one I have read from this author and I loved it. The amazing chemistry and characters. They were both so good together.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews

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