Fixing to Flirt

Button Blossom #3

by Rachael Eliker

Button Blossom is the epitome of a quaint small town, and if anyone should be a pillar of the tight-knit community, it should be Deputy Clint Grange. He's upstanding. It's his crumbling house on Main Street that makes him look bad.

That's where I come in.

Swallowing his pride, and admitting he's useless with power tools, Clint hired River Renovations to flip his house, restoring it to its former glory. What he didn't expect was for me to show up--red hair, petite, and the woman he'd given a traffic citation to the day before.

Can anyone say awkward?

Whatever. I'm the consummate professional, and am too busy making his house look amazing to notice how often he's out the door to go on dates. Besides, if my llama, Lloyd, doesn't like him, that should be a sign, right?

To be fair, Lloyd spits on pretty much everyone.

I try to ignore my mounting feelings by pretending I'm nothing more than Clint's pal, but it reaches a boiling point that neither of us can contain. Fixing his house is one thing, but flirting with Clint might be what ruins the friendship we've built, and any future we could have. Clint and Hudson share some slow burn romance (gasp!), but there's no funny business. This romantic comedy is sweet, and the chemistry is explosive, but reader blushing is kept to a minimum.

Genres: Contemporary, Clean Romance, Romance

301 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 10, 2023

About the author

Rachael Eliker was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studying Animal Science with an option in Biology. She currently lives on an acreage in Indiana, with her husband and children where she enjoys challenging home improvement projects, keeping up with a handful of livestock, running on lonely stretches of country road, and writing.

Read more about her upcoming work and sign up for her newsletter at https://rachaeleliker.com.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fixing to Flirt by Rachael Eliker is a very cute small town romance featuring Hudson, the home remodeler, and Clint, a the sheriff’s deputy with a home that’s falling down around him. He just isn’t very good around tools. Using them has wound him up in the ER several times. He’s finally decided to hire it done and who should show up but this petite woman with a head full of red hair. At first he wasn’t sure about this, but it didn’t take her long to convince him. It had been a tradition with her father to have the homeowner take the first swing during demo, so she had Clint do that and he proved the tradition accurate by knocking loose a heating vent, which fell on his head and gave him a goose egg. What a great start they were off to. One night as they were out on a double date, not with each other, they agreed to a bet: whoever fell in love with the other first, lost. Boy, did that turn out to be a mistake.

Clint seems like the perfect man, except for the tool thing. Eliker has written him so that he is kind and gentle, and strong and never gruff. Hudson sees that immediately, although based on her experience with men, is not sure she believes it. Hudson is every bit the home remodeler she said she’d be. She has been hurt and is really skeptical. She tries not to fall in love with Clint, but it happened before she noticed and then was worried her stubbornness had ruined it all. It was a fairly simple plot, but adorable, as small town romances tend to be. Clean, no sex, just kissing, and not a lot of that. It was fun to read, between the two of them and the other people in town. I suggest you give it a try.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Fixing to Flirt by the author, through Booksprout. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Booksprout #RachaelEliker #FixingToFlirt

[Tricia Anson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Banter, bets, flirting, slow burn, small-town meddling, and plenty of fun fill up this sweet read!
Clint is a deputy for the small town of Button Blossom and Hudson is the handy-woman fixing his dilapidated house. Their chemistry is so much fun.

Things I Loved:
-Awkward traffic stop
-Hudson’s Kung Fu action
-The first swing
-The fortune
-Double date
-The bet
-The second bet
-“Spice was my kryptonite. Sometimes, even too much cinnamon made my tongue burn.” Me too, Clint. Me too. 😅😂
-Lloyd. Oh, Lloyd.
-Not Nora
-Clint’s poor analogies
-Gage’s souvenir
-“I have never been so happy in my life to lose a challenge, because by that, I’ve truly won.”
-THAT HEA 👌🏻😂😍

I loved that both MC’s identified their perspectives on relationships, the reasons why, and grew from there. Clint is such a cinnamon roll, sweet, and swoony book boyfriend and Hudson is a firecracker of a woman. They are so much fun and so perfect together. And that last chapter has me so very ready for Trixie’s story next! ♥️

[Manee Contreras · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance level: kissing🔥

The first (re?)meeting was super funny 😂. Clint was just such a cinnamon roll. I loved how gentlemanly he was. He wanted nothing more than to respect her & give her space. I loved how intuitive & logical he was. He read her so well.

Clint was just so cute & protective 🥺💙 His analogies were so fun & cringe 😅.

I loved, loved Clint's protectiveness. He was just so attractive. He praised her strengths, skills, abilities & intellect. He was so right, Hudson was such a strong female character.

First of all, how she paid off what she "owed" him. The slow burn was 🔥. Then, Slo Jo😂 at the aisle was the best.

It broke my heart how damaged & hurt Hudson was with what her mom did to her.

“You can’t blame yourself for making mistakes. A lot of the hard lessons of life aren’t learned when things are easy.”

Yes, the small miscommunication was a little bit like🤦🏻‍♀️.... But, it was a turning point for Hudson's healing process.

Clint is the sweetest, most thoughtful guy ever, also assertive & protective. The “Get your hands off her or so help me, I will end you” kind of guy😍.

I loved the epilogue🥺 it was so perfect, so them! They're the cutest.

Did I do a happy dance seeing Trixie story's sneak peek? Yes, yes I did. I love this series & I'm so excited

My favorite scenes:
💨That air duct scene
📄The fortune cookie paper
🌶️ The peppers😂
🦙Lloyd the llama
🥠THE FORTUNE COOKIE 😭😍

⚠️TW: loss of a loved one to cancer; conflictive relationship with a parent.

🥠
* I was kindly gifted an ARC from the author. This doesn't influence in any form my review/opinion of the book*

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fixing to Flirt

Reader’s Notes:

– this is part of a series, but can be read as a stand-alone

– this is told from Clint & Hudson’s points of view

– a parent recently (but previous to the beginning of the story) passed away due to cancer

– Hudson’s mother left her and her father while Hudson was young

Review:

I love this romance! I loved that Clint couldn’t really do any handyman things without something going wrong. I loved that Hudson was willing and able to stand up for herself in her field of work and otherwise. I loved their banter together. I loved that they manage to make a bet with one another that they can make the other person fall for them first and then both completely fail to not fall for the other’s charms. Some of my other favorite scenes/moments included: breaking down the door, finding out they were both convinced to take part in a double date, working on Clint’s house, the townsfolk trying to matchmake, seeing more of Remi & Wil, and meeting Lloyd.

Summary:

Clint can’t use a power tool to save his life without something going wrong. So he hires River Renovations to get his decrepit house whipped back into shape. He didn’t expect the company to be run by the same woman he met in the local shop and again while on patrol the day before, but Clint is very happy to have the chance to try again at making a good first impression. Though his flirting skills end up backfiring when he suggests a bet of who will fall first instead of telling Hudson how he feels…

Hudson is determined to be nothing like her mother. After that betrayal of her trust, she doesn’t want to risk falling for the wrong person like her father did. Hudson saw how it broke him and she never wants to go through that. She’ll guard her heart against it. But when her newest client proposes a bet of who can make the other fall for them first, Hudson’s competitive spirit gets the best of her. When she finds herself falling for Clint, Hudson has to determine if it’s worth the risk to open up her heart to him…

[W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Making a bet on love

I love home renovations. The dreams and visions of possibilities, the planning, the wonderful finished product, and knowing that the work was done right. I knew immediately that I was going to love Hudson. She was going to pour all her considerable skill and love into Clint's old house and make it a home.

Clint was an excellent foil for Hudson. His strengths complimented her admirably. But he was never condescending about it. He acknowledged her mastery of a skillset he did not have, at the same time he agreed that she could learn to competently perform auto maintenance if she wanted. He understood her sense of humor and empathized with her grief and pain.

Many authors write pets into their books, usually dogs or cats. Hudson has a llama with a definite personality. Somehow, Lloyd is a perfect pet for Hudson and Clint to bond over. It was also fun to see characters from the earlier books in the series and how their lives are progressing.

I received an ARC copy of this story from the author via BookFunnel and voluntarily chose to share my review.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many things to love about Fixing to Flirt by @rachaeleliker. Her characters are fantastic. The plot kept me interested. Button Blossom, you really need to read about the characters there if you haven't yet. And all of the funny situations. I loved this one!

I loved that we get to read Clint's story in this one. Clint is the local deputy. His house is falling down around him. And instead of being annoyed that he can't fix it, and gets hurt when he tries, he hires someone to fix it for him.

And that's how we meet Hudson. I loved that Clint was expecting a guy to come fix his house, but instead he gets Hudson. A woman. Who he had pulled over just the day before. And who he was attracted to in the first place. And I loved her. I also loved Lloyd. You'll have to read the book to find out just who he is and how he fits in to Hudson's life.

This book has so many of the characters from Button Blossom that I've grown to love. It was fun to see them all again. I can't wait for the next book by this author!

I was sent an e-copy of Fixing to Flirt as a gift from the author. All opinions are my own.

[Jerrye Tellmeagreatstorylove · Rating 5 out of 5]

A. DOR. A. BLE. That’s exactly what this book is!!! I cannot tell you just how much fun I had reading this story and getting to know these characters. I loved the snappy banter and them trying to dance around their attraction. That bet also might be one of my favorite things ever, too. And I was definitely here for all the 💥💥💥💥 kisses too. But more than all these things, I really loved the honest conversations that happened. Clint and Hudson had some hurts to work through and Rachael let us come along as they figured things out. This was definitely one of those stories that I wanted to read all over again the second I finished it. Put this book on your TBR now and get it near the top because you need it in your life.

I received this complimentary ARC from the author via BookFunnel. I am not required by anyone to write a positive review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

[Kate (bookishkenyannerd) · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're back in Button Blossom again 💃🏾 this time with a couple that had chemistry from the onset and both parties weren't afraid to admit that.

Clint unknowingly hires Hudson, the redhead he met at a hardware store sometime back, to fix his house. When they both admit they're attracted to each other after finding a fortune cookie with an interesting message, they make a bet that the first one to fall in love loses. Cue a flirt war to end all wars 😂

I loved this story. Hudson was a connoisseur on all things house renovation while Clint could injure himself if he so much as breathed near a hammer 😂 He didn't let that intimidate him though. He rooted for Hudson, always letting her have free reign. He tended to be overprotective, Deputy Sheriff that he was, but Hudson gave him a run for his money.

I loved seeing all the quirky characters of Button Blossom once again, and meeting Lloyd the Llama 🦙😂 I can't wait to read Trixie's story 🥰

[Korkoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Igniting The Sparks Of Two Lonely Hearts -
This was a really wonderful story about two head strong characters who had so much sexual tension between them, but always found a way to turn an ordinary interaction into a hostile encounter. However, their back and forth encounters made the story a lot more interesting, as I kept turning the pages just to find out what was going to be the next issue and who was going to win the bet.

Fortunately, they finally acknowledged their attraction to each other and worked towards a happily ever after together. This was a well written storyline, with wonderful characters, that made it an entertaining read, which you definitely won't want to miss. Grab a copy and indulge yourself in this awesome book.

I received an advanced copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marilee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute small-town romance!

When sherriff's deputy Clint hires a company to renovate his house, he is surprised when a beautiful woman shows up on his doorstep with her tools. And not just any woman, but the same one he pulled over on a traffic violation the day before.

After several run-ins, Hudson and Clint end up challenging each other to see who can make the other fall in love with them first and soon it gets hard to tell what is real and what's not.

Things I loved!
slow-burn romance
The second meet-cute
The front door
Pepper challenge
The bet
Lloyd the Llama
All the flirting and chemistry and swoony moments!

This book was truly delightful! It was my first book by this author but will most definitely not be my last. 4.5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of the book but a positive review was not required.

[Wren Woodland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fortune cookies, Lloyd and a bet

Button Blossoms is quite the little town with all the characters and in this one a spitting llama named Lloyd. Big tough Clint, a sheriff’s deputy and could fix anything mechanical could not swing a hammer or use a power tool to fix up his old house. Hudson a daddy’s girl cuz her mom left followed him around his job sites and now had her own renovation company. Clint wanted what all his friends were getting- someone to love him but after numerous bad relationships he was taking a break. Hudson shied away from commitments after several had left more than a sour taste. But a bet NOT to fall in love- that’s only a little crazy.
Clean. Great series.

[Nicky W. (Bookstacks_and_Coffeecups) · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was so much to adore about this book. Mild Grumpy (her)/sunshine (him).
A hunky deputy who’s not afraid to let a woman teach him a thing or two
A sassy bet over who would fall for the other first.
A crazy pet llama. Watch out they spit!
The whole supporting cast of Button Blossom including my personal favourite family next door (Remi & Wil are still 😍😍)
Maren & Parkers Wedding Day

My only negative is it’s a bit insta love which is just my own personal non preference and I still loved this book despite that.

Thank you so much to Rachael Elicker for the advance read copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Lisa H]

It’s him…the problem is Clint.

Clint is a deputy who has the worst dating history. His picker is not just broken, it’s awful. But that’s all on him. He has terrible taste in women. And there’s been a lot. He pulls over Hudson, who he’s happy to see. She’s the sassy redhead he met in the hardware store who has no memory of him. Clint’s house, also in terrible shape, is a metaphor for his dating life. So of course, it’s Hudson, his new contractor who’s going to renovate his house and his dating.

Hudson is great. She’s funny and sassy and good with tools. But felt like she was kind of settling with Clint.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this romantic comedy about Clint and Hudson. I laughed out loud several times and the characters are all special. Like most small towns, everyone knows what is going on with their neighbors before it comes out in the news. When Clint hired Hudson, a contractor, to remodel his home it was comical when he found out it was a woman. It was also the woman he had given a ticket to for not having a working tail light on her truck. I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy a clean romantic comedy. It is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. I received an ARC and this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Lucia Valenzuela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun story. I really enjoyed this one. Clint can’t do a lick of home repair and improvement. Hudson is a specialist in this area and is hired by Clint to fix his house. These characters seem completely opposite. Their witty conversations keep your interest. I absolutely love the proposal in the epilogue. Can’t wait for Trixie’s story.
I received a free copy of this book and this is my voluntary, honest review.

[Lynn Hyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remodel

Clint needs his house remodeled. Hudson is who he unknowingly hired. The house isn't the only thing that needs to be fixed. They are both in a dating standstill. Leave it to the small-town citizens of Button Blossum to try to help them out. It's a sweet story, which includes a spitting llama and plenty of banter and interesting situations. Honest communication saves the day and leads to the happy ending.

[Barbara Tobey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful romance. An engaging couple with several interesting friends. There is even a llama to add to the fun. Those that have read the previous ones in this series will enjoy the inclusion of those friends. Still enjoyable whether you are familiar with them or not. Thanks to the author for providing a copy. My review is voluntary.

[Anna B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fixing to Flirt is a wonderfully witty and wholly entertaining RomCom that ticked off every box for me. Rachael knows how to write romantic fun like no other author I’ve read. She had me smiling through the entire book.
Clint is the guy every girl dreams of — except he can’t swing a hammer to save his life.
Hudson is the girl every guy wants — if she would just wear an accessory other than her tool belt.
Together they make the most endearing couple I’ve read in a long time. Of course first they have to get past their competitiveness which leads to a most disconcerting bet. Who will win? Or is there a chance it will be both of the?
I absolutely loved everything about this book.

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fixing to Flirt is a clean, fun and funny romantic comedy. I love both Hudson and Clint and the banter between them. I also like that she was the renovator and he was inept with tools! This well written book grabbed my interest on page one and kept me reading far too late the next morning. This book is part of a series but also works as a stand alone.

[D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked Button and Clint. I enjoy reading stories where women are in a job that is unexpected because it brings out a lot of fun and sass. I loved both Button and Clint and the story of renovating Clint's house. A lot of fun in this RomCom. I received a book from the author and I am providing my honest opinion.

[Karen Brasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fixing to Flirt

Clint and Hudson have a wonderful story. The fun banter and flirting make this story a fun read. They both have trust issues due to past relationships. When Clint hired Hudson to renovate his house, he had no idea he had hired a female contractor. Will they be able to be around each other so much without falling for each other?

[Beverly Dibble · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Clint and Hudson's story so very much. I fell for Clint right away and knew he needed someone special. Who better than a sweet, but tough lady who was so much fun for him to flirt with? And flirt they did! Add in a home renovation, a bet/contest, and a llama with attitude, and you have a terrific, fun book.

[Donna Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED Hudson and Clint. I love a strong woman in a story, but she has a soft side too. I really enjoyed their relationship and the strong chemistry they had. This is a sweet, clean, super fun romance.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a super cute, clean romance. Characters are fun. I love that the female character is the handy one that knows how to build and fix things and the male character is good with that. He is also very capable in his own way.

[Connie Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

A great story and I have highly enjoyed each of these stories in this series! Wonderful characters and storyline and I love the way Rachael writes the romance! Anxious for the next book in this series!

[Rebecca White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and Romantic

I enjoyed this story of infatuation to love that built each of the characters up as they grew in their love. I enjoyed them challenging each other and their funny bets. Most of all I enjoyed how they supported each other when it really mattered.

[Iamerica142 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was sooo fun to read! I love both Clint and Hudson's characters and sense of humor. And I love a good, fun ending, too! Fun, flirty and clean.

[Laramee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What could go wrong when a bet is placed?! I really enjoyed this sweet romcom!

*Note- Can be read as a stand alone

I received an ARC from the author and all opinions are my own.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that Rachael Eliker turns traditional roles on their heads. This story is clean, fun and entertaining. Clint and Hudson aren’t exactly a match made in heaven but they are perfect for each other. Look forward to the next book in this series.

[Melanie Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

delightful

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, from the crazy metaphors, to the sweet romance, to the intense chemistry! It was an adventure from beginning to end.