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Friendship, Rhode Island #1
In a Jam
When Shay Zucconi’s step-grandmother died, she left Shay a tulip farm—under two conditions.
First, Shay has to move home to the small town of Friendship, Rhode Island. Second—and most problematic since her fiancé just called off the wedding—Shay must be married within one year.
Marriage is the last thing in the world Shay wants but she’ll do anything to save the only real home she’s ever known.
Noah Barden loved Shay Zucconi back in high school. Not that he ever told her. He was too shy, too awkward, too painfully uncool to ask out the beautiful, popular girl.
A lifetime later, Noah is a single dad to his niece and has his hands full running the family business. That old crush is the farthest thing from his mind.
Until Shay returns to their hometown.
CW/TW: absentee parent(s), brief mention of parent death, brief mention of parent chronic illness, mention of incarceration, mention of temporary foster care placement, reference to teenage teasing/bullying (not detailed, not explicit), brief incidence of fat-shaming, living with a neurodivergent child
First, Shay has to move home to the small town of Friendship, Rhode Island. Second—and most problematic since her fiancé just called off the wedding—Shay must be married within one year.
Marriage is the last thing in the world Shay wants but she’ll do anything to save the only real home she’s ever known.
Noah Barden loved Shay Zucconi back in high school. Not that he ever told her. He was too shy, too awkward, too painfully uncool to ask out the beautiful, popular girl.
A lifetime later, Noah is a single dad to his niece and has his hands full running the family business. That old crush is the farthest thing from his mind.
Until Shay returns to their hometown.
CW/TW: absentee parent(s), brief mention of parent death, brief mention of parent chronic illness, mention of incarceration, mention of temporary foster care placement, reference to teenage teasing/bullying (not detailed, not explicit), brief incidence of fat-shaming, living with a neurodivergent child
16 pages, Audible Audio
First published September 20, 2022
4682 people are currently reading
84686 people want to read
About the author
Kate Canterbary
48 books5,574 followersUSA Today Bestseller Kate Canterbary writes smart, steamy contemporary romances loaded with heat, heart, and happy ever afters. Kate lives on the New England coast with her husband and daughter.
To get in touch with Kate, please email kate@katecanterbary.com
To get in touch with Kate, please email kate@katecanterbary.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,675 reviews
January 28, 2023
want me a big dirty freak man who’s been pining for me since high school. no seriously if i have one desire it is that. bonus points if he has a sanctuary for old dogs, fistfuls of cash, and a jam making habit.
(edit: my husband just said “i make jam” lmao)
(edit: my husband just said “i make jam” lmao)
December 1, 2023
This was a solid 3 star read.
It’s a cute enough story that tried for lots of feels, unfortunately one of the feels was boredom. I had so much trouble getting through this one. It was an entirely conventional, even well done, small town romance, including its nosey, overbearing and kooky townspeople. When I read these types of books I am endlessly thankful that I live in a city. This read like a Lucy Score only not annoying. If this book had been about 200 pages shorter I think it could have been a five star read, but it just spent so much time dancing around these two. I don’t have a lot to say about this really. It was just too long and took forever to get to the big reveal. It’s not really a spoiler because he reveals to us early on that he loved her in high school, but my god, could this woman have been more oblivious to his feelings for her? If a man brings you fresh baked bread, he’s into you. I get that she was scarred and her ex and her mother did a number on her but honestly it went on way too long. Also, could this guy grow up and freaking tell her how he felt? He wasn’t in high school anymore, he could have just told her he had feelings, what a big man baby. It does have a very cute ending but it needed to get there way more quickly and have much less time spent talking about jam flavours. Points for the cover not being a naked torso.
Kinda cute, sorta boring read.
That’s all.
It’s a cute enough story that tried for lots of feels, unfortunately one of the feels was boredom. I had so much trouble getting through this one. It was an entirely conventional, even well done, small town romance, including its nosey, overbearing and kooky townspeople. When I read these types of books I am endlessly thankful that I live in a city. This read like a Lucy Score only not annoying. If this book had been about 200 pages shorter I think it could have been a five star read, but it just spent so much time dancing around these two. I don’t have a lot to say about this really. It was just too long and took forever to get to the big reveal. It’s not really a spoiler because he reveals to us early on that he loved her in high school, but my god, could this woman have been more oblivious to his feelings for her? If a man brings you fresh baked bread, he’s into you. I get that she was scarred and her ex and her mother did a number on her but honestly it went on way too long. Also, could this guy grow up and freaking tell her how he felt? He wasn’t in high school anymore, he could have just told her he had feelings, what a big man baby. It does have a very cute ending but it needed to get there way more quickly and have much less time spent talking about jam flavours. Points for the cover not being a naked torso.
Kinda cute, sorta boring read.
That’s all.
December 30, 2023
get me a man who’s the most adorable grumpy teddy bear and has been in love with me since forever and a sweet little girl who pretends she’s a pirate and gives me dating advice. every time noah called shay “wife”? i swear i spontaneously combusted right then and there. it was the perfect mix of sweetness and possessiveness i didn’t know i needed, and i ate that shit right up. i swear i was just giggling and kicking my legs right up, this was that cute. absolutely adorable.
May 10, 2023
For fucks sake. This was a 5 star read and beyond. 🥹
I need to stop reading romances for a while now, because these standards of mine are getting ridiculous. 🥲
But I would also rather live in this fictional state of mind. Happily too. Separating fiction from reality is useless, unnecessary and not a skill I’m interested in having at this point.
The review? I’m not in the right frame of mind to give you one. This one consumed me.
Just do yourself a favour and read this book and you’re welcome too.
Plus, you have a swearing 6-year old to look forward to.
I don’t wanna hear no slander.
“If I could exhaust myself enough, distract myself enough, I wouldn’t have to think about all the bruises and broken things.”
I need to stop reading romances for a while now, because these standards of mine are getting ridiculous. 🥲
But I would also rather live in this fictional state of mind. Happily too. Separating fiction from reality is useless, unnecessary and not a skill I’m interested in having at this point.
The review? I’m not in the right frame of mind to give you one. This one consumed me.
Just do yourself a favour and read this book and you’re welcome too.
Plus, you have a swearing 6-year old to look forward to.
“If I could exhaust myself enough, distract myself enough, I wouldn’t have to think about all the bruises and broken things.”
February 27, 2025
“She was beautiful in a way that overwhelmed me, though it wasn’t just her face, her body. She was a sunbeam through a storm cloud.” 𓍯𓂃𓏧♡ ١٥٧٤♡
4.5 Stars!
First of all, lemme just swirl my iced sparkling water real quick. *Clears throat* Besties - do not let this innocent little berry cover fool you lol these two are faaah-reaks!
I need to lead with this because I honestly really thought I was going into to a sweet little small town romance with some humor in it. And while it is also all of those things, these two are breaking out the beads, the toys - I mean... this man is one aggressive, possessive, dominant man in the bedroom.
Just imagine this. Me sitting at my desk working, listening to this book and all the sudden Noah is like 'Get on your knees - WIFE. Now. Mine. Grrr' *he proceeds to assault her 🙀*
Me - *cocks head at iPad in interest* "Sir?" 🧎♀️
In fact, there is very little to do with berries lol. In a jam haha wink wink yeah, not the kind you put on your toast or biscuits.
Not only that, but he is the perfect cinnamon roll MMC. Literally, can I 3D print this man out?
I adored this book and had such a fun time with it! It really gives you a little bit of everything -
°˖➴ 🍓 Small Town
°˖➴ 🍓 Found Family
°˖➴ 🍓 Cute Hysterical Child
°˖➴ 🍓 Quality Spice
°˖➴ 🍓 Swoon Worthy Romance
°˖➴ 🍓 Childhood Friends to Lovers
°˖➴ 🍓Marriage of Convenience
I've never read anything from Kate Canterbary before so I wasn't sure what I was getting into, only that Meagan, April and Cara loved it and highly recommended it and I can see why.
╰┈➤ The characters are fantastic - I would literally hang out with any one of them any day of the week. The humor is great- I can't say how many times I snorted and cracked up probably very loudly because I had my beats on listening to this - so plus, the audio is great too.
╰┈➤ Don't let all the spice talk fool you, I was just... surprised? LOL. This is a very balanced novel with life struggles, heartfelt moments, humor and just an all around good time.
╰┈➤ This is the PERFECT read for Spring/Summer. 🌷☀️🍃💖
Highly recommend if you're looking for a feel good story with lots of laughs and a sexy golden retriever MMC. Bonus! The FMC is pretty damn great too. Oop, don't forget the kid- she's awesome and hilarious as well.
╰┈➤ 𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼 ⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅
₊˚ෆ “I didn’t care that she’d leave again and I’d never recover. I didn’t care because I knew what it felt like to hold her and kiss her and nothing else in the world mattered. Nothing fucking mattered.” ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི
₊˚ෆ “Don’t mourn the loss of people who don’t deserve you.” ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི
₊˚ෆ “Carrying bags full of books is my cardio.” ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི
₊˚ෆ “Bodies are extremely temporary and they’re the least interesting things about us. They carry us around while we’re on this earth and there’s nothing more I can ask from my body than that. I certainly wouldn’t spend any time worrying about the size or shape of anyone else’s body. Not when I could care about their heart and their mind instead.” ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི
₊˚ෆ “Why hasn’t anyone thrown me over their shoulder?” she asked. “I’m down for that. Pick me up, toss me around, treat me like a rag doll. Yes, sir. Give me some of that.” ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི
₊˚ෆ “High school sweethearts” was Noah’s explanation to all their questions. It rolled right off his tongue, just the way it had with Christiane. I didn’t know how he did it. “Always known she was the one.” When that wasn’t enough, he was quick to add, “Didn’t waste a minute when she came back to town. I’d already wasted too many waiting for her to come home.” ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
4.5 Stars!
First of all, lemme just swirl my iced sparkling water real quick. *Clears throat* Besties - do not let this innocent little berry cover fool you lol these two are faaah-reaks!
I need to lead with this because I honestly really thought I was going into to a sweet little small town romance with some humor in it. And while it is also all of those things, these two are breaking out the beads, the toys - I mean... this man is one aggressive, possessive, dominant man in the bedroom.
Just imagine this. Me sitting at my desk working, listening to this book and all the sudden Noah is like 'Get on your knees - WIFE. Now. Mine. Grrr' *he proceeds to assault her 🙀*
Me - *cocks head at iPad in interest* "Sir?" 🧎♀️
In fact, there is very little to do with berries lol. In a jam haha wink wink yeah, not the kind you put on your toast or biscuits.
Not only that, but he is the perfect cinnamon roll MMC. Literally, can I 3D print this man out?
I adored this book and had such a fun time with it! It really gives you a little bit of everything -
°˖➴ 🍓 Small Town
°˖➴ 🍓 Found Family
°˖➴ 🍓 Cute Hysterical Child
°˖➴ 🍓 Quality Spice
°˖➴ 🍓 Swoon Worthy Romance
°˖➴ 🍓 Childhood Friends to Lovers
°˖➴ 🍓Marriage of Convenience
I've never read anything from Kate Canterbary before so I wasn't sure what I was getting into, only that Meagan, April and Cara loved it and highly recommended it and I can see why.
╰┈➤ The characters are fantastic - I would literally hang out with any one of them any day of the week. The humor is great- I can't say how many times I snorted and cracked up probably very loudly because I had my beats on listening to this - so plus, the audio is great too.
╰┈➤ Don't let all the spice talk fool you, I was just... surprised? LOL. This is a very balanced novel with life struggles, heartfelt moments, humor and just an all around good time.
╰┈➤ This is the PERFECT read for Spring/Summer. 🌷☀️🍃💖
Highly recommend if you're looking for a feel good story with lots of laughs and a sexy golden retriever MMC. Bonus! The FMC is pretty damn great too. Oop, don't forget the kid- she's awesome and hilarious as well.
╰┈➤ 𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼 ⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅
₊˚ෆ “I didn’t care that she’d leave again and I’d never recover. I didn’t care because I knew what it felt like to hold her and kiss her and nothing else in the world mattered. Nothing fucking mattered.” ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི
₊˚ෆ “Don’t mourn the loss of people who don’t deserve you.” ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི
₊˚ෆ “Carrying bags full of books is my cardio.” ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི
₊˚ෆ “Bodies are extremely temporary and they’re the least interesting things about us. They carry us around while we’re on this earth and there’s nothing more I can ask from my body than that. I certainly wouldn’t spend any time worrying about the size or shape of anyone else’s body. Not when I could care about their heart and their mind instead.” ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི
₊˚ෆ “Why hasn’t anyone thrown me over their shoulder?” she asked. “I’m down for that. Pick me up, toss me around, treat me like a rag doll. Yes, sir. Give me some of that.” ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི
₊˚ෆ “High school sweethearts” was Noah’s explanation to all their questions. It rolled right off his tongue, just the way it had with Christiane. I didn’t know how he did it. “Always known she was the one.” When that wasn’t enough, he was quick to add, “Didn’t waste a minute when she came back to town. I’d already wasted too many waiting for her to come home.” ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
March 25, 2024
4.5 Stars ☆
"If only she knew how much I’d always liked her. That there was no one else for me. My world started and ended with her sitting beside me on those dark morning rides to school, and it started up all over again when I found her on my farm."
I didn't know what to expect from this. What I got was a book as sweet as jam with cuteness overload.
In a Jam is a small town, friends to lovers, single parent, marriage of convenience romance that I found my self adoring. I swear this has the best slow burn that is topped off with angst, banter, and humor that was exactly what I needed.
Shay has had a run of bad luck. First, she was to be married, and her now ex left her at the altar. Now, two weeks later, while trying to figure out what to do with her life, she finds out her late step grandmother has left her an inheritance. Deeming her the owner of her farm Twin Tulip in Friendship, Rhode Island. There are requirements for her to keep the farm, and one is to marry within a year. Returning back to the town she spent her high school years, she runs into her best friend from school Noah and explains her situation. He offers her a business deal to marry him to keep her farm, and once the year is up, she can divorce him. In return, he only wants a small piece of land for himself. Shay is lost and doesn't know what she wants but takes him up on his offer to save the only place she's ever called home.
Noah Barden gah, this man is such a shy, grumpy teddy bear that I fell in love with. Don't let all of that fool you though because he has a possessive side with a dirty mouth and takes control in the bedroom that had me weak in the knees. He makes jam and bakes bread, earning him the nickname "Daddy Bread Baker"(iykyk) from Jamie, Shays best friend. I don't know why, but that nickname made me giggle, and I honestly wasn't hating it. He calls Shay wife, and it just made me feel things. To top it all off, he has the cutest six year old niece, Gennie, that he adopted with a foul mouth that thinks she's a pirate. I loved her so much, and she honestly stole the show on many occasions.
“I know it’s insane to ask this but if you can go along with me for five minutes, I will personally plow and plant your fields whenever you want it. Okay?”
Shay Zuconni is a sweet, caring teacher, but she is also a bit broken. She has really never had many people in her life who didn't leave her. Leavig her with insecurities and trust issues that eventually everyone will leave her. This very reason is why she wouldn't believe that Noah wasn't going anywhere. Though he proved to her time and time again that he had no intention of leaving or letting her go. I loved her so much but at the same time wanted to slap some sense into her for the back and forth and seeing he was one of the good ones in her life.
"I felt like I’d been waiting a very long time for someone who knew how to shatter me and also wanted to pick up all the pieces. And I felt an unpleasant sense of relief in discovering that person was my husband."
Noah and Shay had so much chemistry even when they were just playing the part. It just took Shay a long time to realize it. I mean, even Gennie had it figured out. He literally been pining for her since high school. I loved it when he showed her that he had loved her for all of those years. It was the sweetest moment.
“You’re not alone, wife. I’m right here with you and I’m not going anywhere.”
There were a few other things that I loved in this, and that includes the side characters and the found family, of course. Shay had the best girlfriends that she could ask for that were always there and supportive of each other. I especially enjoyed the relationship between her and Jamie. They were each others rock in the group. Another thing is that this shows a good representation of body positivity, and we don't see much of that these days.
The epilouge was so sweet. There was even an extended epilogue that I thought was sweet as well. In the end, I enjoyed this so much. The only thing I'm regretting is not reading this earlier.
Quotes and favorite moments
“Bodies are extremely temporary and they’re the least interesting things about us. They carry us around while we’re on this earth and there’s nothing more I can ask from my body than that. I certainly wouldn’t spend any time worrying about the size or shape of anyone else’s body. Not when I could care about their heart and their mind instead.”
“Allow me to make myself clear. I don’t give a pickled fuck how or why we came to be married. You are my wife. If you need some fun, you’ll call me. I’ll be the one taking care of you. I’ll give you anything you want, including a properly prepared gin and tonic. If you can’t accept that, you’re welcome to divorce me now.”
“I need a lot more than a minute and all I did was watch. Stay here, sweetheart. Close your eyes. You deserve it.”
“Just because I can plow through by myself doesn’t mean I want to,” I said. “Fuck, Shay. Let me need you, okay?”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, wife. I do. I want you so much it would scare you to know the half of it.”
~~~~~~
Pre-review: A single dad, small town romance...yes please 😩🩵
"If only she knew how much I’d always liked her. That there was no one else for me. My world started and ended with her sitting beside me on those dark morning rides to school, and it started up all over again when I found her on my farm."
I didn't know what to expect from this. What I got was a book as sweet as jam with cuteness overload.
In a Jam is a small town, friends to lovers, single parent, marriage of convenience romance that I found my self adoring. I swear this has the best slow burn that is topped off with angst, banter, and humor that was exactly what I needed.
Shay has had a run of bad luck. First, she was to be married, and her now ex left her at the altar. Now, two weeks later, while trying to figure out what to do with her life, she finds out her late step grandmother has left her an inheritance. Deeming her the owner of her farm Twin Tulip in Friendship, Rhode Island. There are requirements for her to keep the farm, and one is to marry within a year. Returning back to the town she spent her high school years, she runs into her best friend from school Noah and explains her situation. He offers her a business deal to marry him to keep her farm, and once the year is up, she can divorce him. In return, he only wants a small piece of land for himself. Shay is lost and doesn't know what she wants but takes him up on his offer to save the only place she's ever called home.
Noah Barden gah, this man is such a shy, grumpy teddy bear that I fell in love with. Don't let all of that fool you though because he has a possessive side with a dirty mouth and takes control in the bedroom that had me weak in the knees. He makes jam and bakes bread, earning him the nickname "Daddy Bread Baker"(iykyk) from Jamie, Shays best friend. I don't know why, but that nickname made me giggle, and I honestly wasn't hating it. He calls Shay wife, and it just made me feel things. To top it all off, he has the cutest six year old niece, Gennie, that he adopted with a foul mouth that thinks she's a pirate. I loved her so much, and she honestly stole the show on many occasions.
“I know it’s insane to ask this but if you can go along with me for five minutes, I will personally plow and plant your fields whenever you want it. Okay?”
Shay Zuconni is a sweet, caring teacher, but she is also a bit broken. She has really never had many people in her life who didn't leave her. Leavig her with insecurities and trust issues that eventually everyone will leave her. This very reason is why she wouldn't believe that Noah wasn't going anywhere. Though he proved to her time and time again that he had no intention of leaving or letting her go. I loved her so much but at the same time wanted to slap some sense into her for the back and forth and seeing he was one of the good ones in her life.
"I felt like I’d been waiting a very long time for someone who knew how to shatter me and also wanted to pick up all the pieces. And I felt an unpleasant sense of relief in discovering that person was my husband."
Noah and Shay had so much chemistry even when they were just playing the part. It just took Shay a long time to realize it. I mean, even Gennie had it figured out. He literally been pining for her since high school. I loved it when he showed her that he had loved her for all of those years. It was the sweetest moment.
“You’re not alone, wife. I’m right here with you and I’m not going anywhere.”
There were a few other things that I loved in this, and that includes the side characters and the found family, of course. Shay had the best girlfriends that she could ask for that were always there and supportive of each other. I especially enjoyed the relationship between her and Jamie. They were each others rock in the group. Another thing is that this shows a good representation of body positivity, and we don't see much of that these days.
The epilouge was so sweet. There was even an extended epilogue that I thought was sweet as well. In the end, I enjoyed this so much. The only thing I'm regretting is not reading this earlier.
Quotes and favorite moments
“Bodies are extremely temporary and they’re the least interesting things about us. They carry us around while we’re on this earth and there’s nothing more I can ask from my body than that. I certainly wouldn’t spend any time worrying about the size or shape of anyone else’s body. Not when I could care about their heart and their mind instead.”
“Allow me to make myself clear. I don’t give a pickled fuck how or why we came to be married. You are my wife. If you need some fun, you’ll call me. I’ll be the one taking care of you. I’ll give you anything you want, including a properly prepared gin and tonic. If you can’t accept that, you’re welcome to divorce me now.”
“I need a lot more than a minute and all I did was watch. Stay here, sweetheart. Close your eyes. You deserve it.”
“Just because I can plow through by myself doesn’t mean I want to,” I said. “Fuck, Shay. Let me need you, okay?”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, wife. I do. I want you so much it would scare you to know the half of it.”
~~~~~~
Pre-review: A single dad, small town romance...yes please 😩🩵
December 1, 2023
I finally found my comfort book 🥹
The ANGST in this book had me on edge!
“There was no one else for me. My world started and ended with her sitting beside me on those dark morning rides to school, and it started up all over again when I found her on my farm.”
My Thoughts- I know this book is not for everyone as there’s a lot of mixed review. But it’s exactly what I needed. I want to gush about this story. I absolutely loved this book. I laughed, cried, swooned. I had butterflies in my stomach. THE BANTER WAS TOP TIER. I was pining over Noah throughout the book 🥰 It had just enough spice. It was such a simple story line but it gave me everything I wanted.
The Plot- Shay’s life unexpectedly fell apart when she was left at the alter. OMG. The way I would never recover. Just throw me in a ditch and forget about me 🥲
While Shay is reeling from this heartbreak she finds out her Step- Grandma left her a farm in Rhode Island in the town she grew-up in.. Grandma’s only conditions for Shay to keep the farm is she needs to be married within the year of the legal paperwork etc. So Shay returns to her old stomping grounds with a broken heart and no direction for what the future will hold.
Thats when she bumps into Noah her best friend growing up. They catch up and she tells him what her grandmother left and the conditions to actually owning the farm. Noah, already being in love with Shay all his life , purposed the idea to marry Shay under the condition he can own a small part of the farm and Shay will be able to inherit the rest. He mentioned they can dissolved the marriage after the year mark. Shay agrees to this plan and well a beautiful story unfolds.
“I felt like I'd been waiting a very long time for someone who knew how to shatter me and also wanted to pick up all the pieces. And I felt an unpleasant sense of relief in discovering that person was my husband.”
The Characters
Noah- The love of my life. I just love a man who loves a woman & expects nothing in return. He’s a grumpy, shy, filthy-mouthed lawyer/farmer He is a big teddy bear. He was possessively hot (in a good way) TAKE ME ME HOME TONIGHT. I can write a whole 5 paragraph essay on his mannerisms. He kept calling Shay “wife” at the end of everything he said to her. Idk I thought it was hot.
“if only they knew that sweetheart was a feral animal in bed”
Shay- my sweet sweet Shay. I love her so much. she’s a cute, lost, clueless teacher who can’t see a keeper when he’s right in front of her face. Ugh I wanted to hug her and slap her throughout the book.
Gennie- MY GIRL! Gennie is a foul mouthed 6 year old pirate. She is Noah’s niece that lives with him due to some unfortunate events. She keep this story going. She was cute. So spunky. I couldn’t get enough of her
My Thoughts Continued - 🗣️I would like to take a moment and mention that I loved this books “body positivity” You don’t see that a lot in stories. But Shay was painted to be a curvy lady with some rolls which is completely normal. AND I love how the book painted the normalcy.Noah loved all Shay’s “curves and rolls” let this be a reminder we should love our bodies and be confident in the skin we are in👏. I know we have enough bullshit with the media and the Kim Kardashians of the world telling us to look a certain way. 🗣️ BUT BE YOU. LOVE YOU. SOMEONE OUT THERE LOVES YOU FOR YOU!! 💕
“Bodies are extremely temporary and they’re the least interesting things about us. They carry us around while we’re on this earth and there’s nothing more I can ask from my body than that. I certainly wouldn’t spend any time worrying about the size or shape of anyone else’s body. Not when I could care about their heart and their mind instead.”
All in all I really really loved this book. It was such a fun read. 🍓
"I Intend to keep you for all of your tomorrows" I'm def using this line on my wedding day BAHHAHA
Quotes
"If only she knew how much I'd always liked her. That there was no one else for me. My world started and ended with her sitting beside me on those dark morning rides to school, and it started up all over again when I found her on my farm."
"That's what I have been trying to tell you, wife. I do. I want you so much it would scare you to know the half of it."
"Just because I can plow thorough by myself doesn't' mean I want to. Fuck Shay. Let me need you, okay?"
"Allow me to make myself clear. I don't give a pickled fuck how or why we came to be married. You are my wife. If you need some fun, you'll call me. I'll be the one taking care of you. I'll give you anything you want, including a properly prepared gin and tonic. If you can't accept that feel free to divorce me now."
“I’ll break their hearts for you. Destroy their dreams”
Playlist
🎶Hold On- Wilson Phillips
🎶For Real This Time- Gracie Abrams
🎶 Everything But You- Kip Moore
🎶Crazy One More Time- Kip Moore
🎶Dress- Taylor Swift
🎶Pov- Ariana grande
🎶Love The Hell Out Of You- Lewis Capaldi
🎶Video Games- Lana Del Rey
🎶This Years Love - David Gray
🎶Love Me Like You Do- Ellie Goulding
🎶Honey Bee- Blake Shelton
🎶King Of My Heart- Taylor Swift
🎶 Don’t Want To Miss A Thing- Aerosmith
🎶 The One I Love - David Gray
🎶Baby I’m Yours- Arctic Monkeys
The ANGST in this book had me on edge!
“There was no one else for me. My world started and ended with her sitting beside me on those dark morning rides to school, and it started up all over again when I found her on my farm.”
My Thoughts- I know this book is not for everyone as there’s a lot of mixed review. But it’s exactly what I needed. I want to gush about this story. I absolutely loved this book. I laughed, cried, swooned. I had butterflies in my stomach. THE BANTER WAS TOP TIER. I was pining over Noah throughout the book 🥰 It had just enough spice. It was such a simple story line but it gave me everything I wanted.
The Plot- Shay’s life unexpectedly fell apart when she was left at the alter. OMG. The way I would never recover. Just throw me in a ditch and forget about me 🥲
While Shay is reeling from this heartbreak she finds out her Step- Grandma left her a farm in Rhode Island in the town she grew-up in.. Grandma’s only conditions for Shay to keep the farm is she needs to be married within the year of the legal paperwork etc. So Shay returns to her old stomping grounds with a broken heart and no direction for what the future will hold.
Thats when she bumps into Noah her best friend growing up. They catch up and she tells him what her grandmother left and the conditions to actually owning the farm. Noah, already being in love with Shay all his life , purposed the idea to marry Shay under the condition he can own a small part of the farm and Shay will be able to inherit the rest. He mentioned they can dissolved the marriage after the year mark. Shay agrees to this plan and well a beautiful story unfolds.
“I felt like I'd been waiting a very long time for someone who knew how to shatter me and also wanted to pick up all the pieces. And I felt an unpleasant sense of relief in discovering that person was my husband.”
The Characters
Noah- The love of my life. I just love a man who loves a woman & expects nothing in return. He’s a grumpy, shy, filthy-mouthed lawyer/farmer He is a big teddy bear. He was possessively hot (in a good way) TAKE ME ME HOME TONIGHT. I can write a whole 5 paragraph essay on his mannerisms. He kept calling Shay “wife” at the end of everything he said to her. Idk I thought it was hot.
“if only they knew that sweetheart was a feral animal in bed”
Shay- my sweet sweet Shay. I love her so much. she’s a cute, lost, clueless teacher who can’t see a keeper when he’s right in front of her face. Ugh I wanted to hug her and slap her throughout the book.
Gennie- MY GIRL! Gennie is a foul mouthed 6 year old pirate. She is Noah’s niece that lives with him due to some unfortunate events. She keep this story going. She was cute. So spunky. I couldn’t get enough of her
My Thoughts Continued - 🗣️I would like to take a moment and mention that I loved this books “body positivity” You don’t see that a lot in stories. But Shay was painted to be a curvy lady with some rolls which is completely normal. AND I love how the book painted the normalcy.Noah loved all Shay’s “curves and rolls” let this be a reminder we should love our bodies and be confident in the skin we are in👏. I know we have enough bullshit with the media and the Kim Kardashians of the world telling us to look a certain way. 🗣️ BUT BE YOU. LOVE YOU. SOMEONE OUT THERE LOVES YOU FOR YOU!! 💕
“Bodies are extremely temporary and they’re the least interesting things about us. They carry us around while we’re on this earth and there’s nothing more I can ask from my body than that. I certainly wouldn’t spend any time worrying about the size or shape of anyone else’s body. Not when I could care about their heart and their mind instead.”
All in all I really really loved this book. It was such a fun read. 🍓
"I Intend to keep you for all of your tomorrows" I'm def using this line on my wedding day BAHHAHA
Quotes
"If only she knew how much I'd always liked her. That there was no one else for me. My world started and ended with her sitting beside me on those dark morning rides to school, and it started up all over again when I found her on my farm."
"That's what I have been trying to tell you, wife. I do. I want you so much it would scare you to know the half of it."
"Just because I can plow thorough by myself doesn't' mean I want to. Fuck Shay. Let me need you, okay?"
"Allow me to make myself clear. I don't give a pickled fuck how or why we came to be married. You are my wife. If you need some fun, you'll call me. I'll be the one taking care of you. I'll give you anything you want, including a properly prepared gin and tonic. If you can't accept that feel free to divorce me now."
“I’ll break their hearts for you. Destroy their dreams”
Playlist
🎶Hold On- Wilson Phillips
🎶For Real This Time- Gracie Abrams
🎶 Everything But You- Kip Moore
🎶Crazy One More Time- Kip Moore
🎶Dress- Taylor Swift
🎶Pov- Ariana grande
🎶Love The Hell Out Of You- Lewis Capaldi
🎶Video Games- Lana Del Rey
🎶This Years Love - David Gray
🎶Love Me Like You Do- Ellie Goulding
🎶Honey Bee- Blake Shelton
🎶King Of My Heart- Taylor Swift
🎶 Don’t Want To Miss A Thing- Aerosmith
🎶 The One I Love - David Gray
🎶Baby I’m Yours- Arctic Monkeys
March 21, 2023
”if only she knew how much i’d always liked her. that there was no one else for me. my world started and ended with her sitting beside me on those dark morning rides to school, and it started up all over again when i found her on my farm.”
i adored this book, the small town setting and all the characters especially gennie—the foul mouthed, unhinged, pirate loving 6 year old was the perfect addition and the STAR to this book.
— the chemistry between the MCs was well written and the theme of found family was so beautiful. i loved the female friendships, it gave me sex and the city vibes <33
“it’s always been you” trope just always hits so hard, especially in this book. i just love noah so much, that’s my man fr. just the way he has been secretly pining over shay since high school, falls for her first and HARDER, is shy, grumpy, protective and is a filthy cinnamon roll hero, literally top tier!! i can’t complain 🤭
— the only dislikes i had with this book was that it did not need to be as long as it was, and noah calling shay “wife” literally every. single. page. was way too over the top it got annoying.
June 18, 2023
dnf
the kid was beyond annoying and the characters are b o r i n g.
the kid was beyond annoying and the characters are b o r i n g.
July 28, 2025
3.5⭐️
June 26, 2023
4 Sweet Jammy STARS!!!🍓🍓🍓🍓
"Five more minutes. That's all I needed. If I could have five more minutes, I'd ask for nothing else in this life. Five more minutes of Shay's body tucked close to mine, her hand flat on the small of my back. five more minutes of knowing the feel of her skin against my lips. Five more minutes pretending she was mine."
SHUT UP! How was this book so sweet and white hot at the same time?!!! This is a friends to lovers/second chance hybrid with a marriage of convenience thrown in the mix. Add to that the cutest and most foul mouthed 1st grader ever and a one of the best "OBSESSED with her" book boyfriends I have read in a while and this is just hard to put down. (I finished in less than 24 hours!)
Shay is returning to her high school stomping grounds with a broken heart after being left at the alter. Nothing in her life is going as she expected, not inheriting her step-grandmothers farm and definitely not running into her high school best friend, Noah, who she hasn't seen since she left town and now runs the neighboring farm. Noah is blindsided by Shay's arrival and he's immediately assaulted by the angst and memories of the unrequited love he's held for her his whole life but his life is complicated now and he has his niece and a agro empire to run, and above all he won't survive Shay abandoning him again. But he also can't seem to stay away.
"Allow me to make myself clear. I don't give a pickled fuck how or why we came to be married. You are my wife. If you need some fun, you'll call me. I'll be the one taking care of you. I'll give you anything you want, including a properly prepared gin and tonic. If you can't accept that feel free to divorce me now."
NOAH-This man is all the good things!! He's growly and protective. Totally and completely needy and obsessed for his woman and the sexy uncle vibes who totally loves his niece is GIVING! I loved his relationship with his niece, Gennie was so funny and adorable. And THOSE scenes were just 🫠! No one has made the word wife sound so hot!
"I felt like I'd been waiting a very long time for someone who knew how to shatter me and also wanted to pick up all the pieces. And I felt an unpleasant sense of relief in discovering that person was my husband."
SHAY- I liked Shay and how body positive she was and at the same time being realistic about sometimes feeling insecure. The banter with her best friend Jaimie was some of my favorite parts of the book. Although I understand that the theme of abandonment and being insecure about someone loving you was central to her development it took WAY TOO LONG for her to get there. She is a smart woman and there is no way she could be that dense. It got really annoying after a while. But luckily the rest of the characters kept it moving.
Leaving these quotes here....
"I have to pick my class up in a couple minutes."
"Then I'm stealing this minute from you. If you want it back, you'll have to come and get it"
"This doesn't have to be temporary. Your hands on my shoulders, your things in my house. The business we are building, The family we are building. Our marriage. Everything."
"If only she knew how much I'd always liked her. That there was no one else for me. My world started and ended with her sitting beside me on those dark morning rides to school, and it started up all over again when I found her on my farm."
"That's what I have been trying to tell you, wife. I do. I want you so much it would scare you to know the half of it."
"Just because I can plow thorough by myself doesn't' mean I want to. Fuck Shay. Let me need you, okay?"
"Five more minutes. That's all I needed. If I could have five more minutes, I'd ask for nothing else in this life. Five more minutes of Shay's body tucked close to mine, her hand flat on the small of my back. five more minutes of knowing the feel of her skin against my lips. Five more minutes pretending she was mine."
SHUT UP! How was this book so sweet and white hot at the same time?!!! This is a friends to lovers/second chance hybrid with a marriage of convenience thrown in the mix. Add to that the cutest and most foul mouthed 1st grader ever and a one of the best "OBSESSED with her" book boyfriends I have read in a while and this is just hard to put down. (I finished in less than 24 hours!)
Shay is returning to her high school stomping grounds with a broken heart after being left at the alter. Nothing in her life is going as she expected, not inheriting her step-grandmothers farm and definitely not running into her high school best friend, Noah, who she hasn't seen since she left town and now runs the neighboring farm. Noah is blindsided by Shay's arrival and he's immediately assaulted by the angst and memories of the unrequited love he's held for her his whole life but his life is complicated now and he has his niece and a agro empire to run, and above all he won't survive Shay abandoning him again. But he also can't seem to stay away.
"Allow me to make myself clear. I don't give a pickled fuck how or why we came to be married. You are my wife. If you need some fun, you'll call me. I'll be the one taking care of you. I'll give you anything you want, including a properly prepared gin and tonic. If you can't accept that feel free to divorce me now."
NOAH-This man is all the good things!! He's growly and protective. Totally and completely needy and obsessed for his woman and the sexy uncle vibes who totally loves his niece is GIVING! I loved his relationship with his niece, Gennie was so funny and adorable. And THOSE scenes were just 🫠! No one has made the word wife sound so hot!
"I felt like I'd been waiting a very long time for someone who knew how to shatter me and also wanted to pick up all the pieces. And I felt an unpleasant sense of relief in discovering that person was my husband."
SHAY- I liked Shay and how body positive she was and at the same time being realistic about sometimes feeling insecure. The banter with her best friend Jaimie was some of my favorite parts of the book. Although I understand that the theme of abandonment and being insecure about someone loving you was central to her development it took WAY TOO LONG for her to get there. She is a smart woman and there is no way she could be that dense. It got really annoying after a while. But luckily the rest of the characters kept it moving.
Leaving these quotes here....
"I have to pick my class up in a couple minutes."
"Then I'm stealing this minute from you. If you want it back, you'll have to come and get it"
"This doesn't have to be temporary. Your hands on my shoulders, your things in my house. The business we are building, The family we are building. Our marriage. Everything."
"If only she knew how much I'd always liked her. That there was no one else for me. My world started and ended with her sitting beside me on those dark morning rides to school, and it started up all over again when I found her on my farm."
"That's what I have been trying to tell you, wife. I do. I want you so much it would scare you to know the half of it."
"Just because I can plow thorough by myself doesn't' mean I want to. Fuck Shay. Let me need you, okay?"
Want to read
April 8, 2025dnf 4/8/25, there was just too much talk about animals 😭
September 17, 2024
this was exactly what i needed.
small town, it’s always been u, single dad. it had everything. it was one of those books where nothing really happened but i just felt comforted and cozy??
they own farms and make jams and the small town is so supportive. idk i’m a big fan.
small town, it’s always been u, single dad. it had everything. it was one of those books where nothing really happened but i just felt comforted and cozy??
they own farms and make jams and the small town is so supportive. idk i’m a big fan.
February 14, 2023
4.5 Mr. Just Dropping By With a Freshly Baked Loaf of Carby Goodness Stars ⭐
This is the perfect romance for slow burn lovers. It had it all. Friendship gone awry, small town goodness, snort out loud moments, a fake marriage and a cute kid who stole the limelight. It was sweet and delicious just like a good tart jam!
“It won’t be a Hallmark movie when you bang him. Those things never get past first base. One chaste kiss, end of story. Daddy Bread Baker won’t stop until that dough rises.”
Can one man be this phenomenal because Noah Barden is? I mean he left Wall Street to return to a place he was desperate to leave to takeover the family business only to create an empire. And with all that sacrifice he also adopted his niece in a fragile state. Even with his hands full he does it without complaint. Everything is in order (kind of) until Shay Zucconi stumbles back into his life.
I could resist all I wanted. Fight like a motherfucker. Push her and push her and push her away. And still, there was nothing I wanted more than this.
She may have been busily licking her wounds, but something shifted when Shay unexpectedly inherited Twin Tulips Farm. Is she seriously going to uproot her life and return to Rhode Island even if it's the only place she truly belonged? Yep. Fuck knows what's she's going to do when she gets there.
This was a fresh, new form of wrecked. A version I didn’t mind much at all. A version that felt very much alive and not dried-up or at all hollowed out.
Truthfully In A Jam was initially slow going. Two people who had been teenage friends except now they're both unrecognisable. Strangely it's the condition of a will, and a little girl Gennie with pirate tendencies and no filter that is the link and the perfect ice breaker. Because while Noah and Shay are pussyfooting about, sometimes you need a good push
She adjusted her eye patch to dangle from her neck. “You said you’d have to bring her a big fucking fruit basket. You said fucking. I didn’t say fucking. It was you. But I think a big fucking fruit basket is dumb. No one wants a basket of fruit.”
This was a solid, feeling around romance that set itself up perfectly for serious heat and passion. Vulnerable characters that needed motivation to believe they were deserving. There is no denying that these two have it bad but can they get through all the hurdles they've erected along the way? AND did I mention a certain 6 year old that scarily reminded me of my own? Gah I couldn't contain myself!! 💙💙
ARC provided by author in exchange for my honest opinion.
This is the perfect romance for slow burn lovers. It had it all. Friendship gone awry, small town goodness, snort out loud moments, a fake marriage and a cute kid who stole the limelight. It was sweet and delicious just like a good tart jam!
“It won’t be a Hallmark movie when you bang him. Those things never get past first base. One chaste kiss, end of story. Daddy Bread Baker won’t stop until that dough rises.”
Can one man be this phenomenal because Noah Barden is? I mean he left Wall Street to return to a place he was desperate to leave to takeover the family business only to create an empire. And with all that sacrifice he also adopted his niece in a fragile state. Even with his hands full he does it without complaint. Everything is in order (kind of) until Shay Zucconi stumbles back into his life.
I could resist all I wanted. Fight like a motherfucker. Push her and push her and push her away. And still, there was nothing I wanted more than this.
She may have been busily licking her wounds, but something shifted when Shay unexpectedly inherited Twin Tulips Farm. Is she seriously going to uproot her life and return to Rhode Island even if it's the only place she truly belonged? Yep. Fuck knows what's she's going to do when she gets there.
This was a fresh, new form of wrecked. A version I didn’t mind much at all. A version that felt very much alive and not dried-up or at all hollowed out.
Truthfully In A Jam was initially slow going. Two people who had been teenage friends except now they're both unrecognisable. Strangely it's the condition of a will, and a little girl Gennie with pirate tendencies and no filter that is the link and the perfect ice breaker. Because while Noah and Shay are pussyfooting about, sometimes you need a good push
She adjusted her eye patch to dangle from her neck. “You said you’d have to bring her a big fucking fruit basket. You said fucking. I didn’t say fucking. It was you. But I think a big fucking fruit basket is dumb. No one wants a basket of fruit.”
This was a solid, feeling around romance that set itself up perfectly for serious heat and passion. Vulnerable characters that needed motivation to believe they were deserving. There is no denying that these two have it bad but can they get through all the hurdles they've erected along the way? AND did I mention a certain 6 year old that scarily reminded me of my own? Gah I couldn't contain myself!! 💙💙
ARC provided by author in exchange for my honest opinion.
July 25, 2023
dnf @ 64%
wife. wife. wife. wife. i never want to see that word so excessively used till the day i die.
long story short, shay has to move to a hillbilly town to get her inheritance, which is a tulip farm and her step-grandmothers house. you may be wondering why a step-granddaughter gets the house instead of her actual grandkids lol, but i honestly dont even know. its so silly and unreal. she moves there, and meets the hillbilly farmer that is noah, who's also adopted gennie, his neice. for shay to get her inheritance, she needs to live in the town for 1 year and also be married (granny's playing cupid from the grave i reckon). noah litch asks her to marry him like 4 chapters in, very very long chapters btw, so there's no slowburn or anything if thats what you were expecting.
the marriage of convenience aspect is also very mid 🤷♀️
moving onto all the things i hate:
- apparently, noah has some beef with shay leaving town when they were highschoolers, 60% in and its still not discussed what it is she did.
- her ex is literally referred to as the "the ex", mans is mentioned every other page and still doesnt have a name.
- he quite literally "my wife's" her AND ME to death. she has a name, use it.
things i do like:
- 6 year old gennie, the light of my life in this book.
would i recommend it? obviously not, but many people seem to like it so 🫡
⋯⋯
mmc better live up to the hype or else 🔪🔪
br w @tasnia 💗💓💗💖💞(i dont know how 2 mf tag ppl)
wife. wife. wife. wife. i never want to see that word so excessively used till the day i die.
long story short, shay has to move to a hillbilly town to get her inheritance, which is a tulip farm and her step-grandmothers house. you may be wondering why a step-granddaughter gets the house instead of her actual grandkids lol, but i honestly dont even know. its so silly and unreal. she moves there, and meets the hillbilly farmer that is noah, who's also adopted gennie, his neice. for shay to get her inheritance, she needs to live in the town for 1 year and also be married (granny's playing cupid from the grave i reckon). noah litch asks her to marry him like 4 chapters in, very very long chapters btw, so there's no slowburn or anything if thats what you were expecting.
the marriage of convenience aspect is also very mid 🤷♀️
moving onto all the things i hate:
- apparently, noah has some beef with shay leaving town when they were highschoolers, 60% in and its still not discussed what it is she did.
- her ex is literally referred to as the "the ex", mans is mentioned every other page and still doesnt have a name.
- he quite literally "my wife's" her AND ME to death. she has a name, use it.
things i do like:
- 6 year old gennie, the light of my life in this book.
would i recommend it? obviously not, but many people seem to like it so 🫡
⋯⋯
mmc better live up to the hype or else 🔪🔪
br w @tasnia 💗💓💗💖💞
January 1, 2025
5✨
“𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞. 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰.”
I haven’t stayed up to binge a book in 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴 and there I was reading a silly little rom com that had me in a chokehold from chapter 3. Except this is so much more than a silly little rom com. It’s an emotional and has so much depth and I loved every second of it.
After being left at the alter, Shay is in pieces on her best friend’s couch. Shortly after, her step-grandmother’s estate lawyer tells her she has inherited a tulip farm in the small town of Friendship, RI, where she spent some of high school. The catch is that she can only keep the farm if she’s married within a year. And this town? That’s where Noah Bowden, THE MAN WHO HAS BEEN PINING FOR HER SINCE HIGH SCHOOL (!!!!!) lives. On the farm up the hill from her. With his niece.
This book was everything I wanted and needed. Shay’s insecurities and abandonment issues shot me through the chest (yes, I cried, more than once). Noah’s growly grumpy persona and silent pining absolutely killed me. And GENNIE!!! The sweet 1st grade pirate with ADHD. I loved all of them so much and fell in love with the town right along with Shay.
I could continue on about how much I like this book, but anyway, read if you like
🍓 marriage of convenience
🍓 forced proximity/neighbors
🍓 small town
🍓 single guardian
🍓 grumpy mmc
🍓 emotional rom coms
🍓 medium burn
🍓 hysterical and heartwarming side characters
“𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞. 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰.”
I haven’t stayed up to binge a book in 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴 and there I was reading a silly little rom com that had me in a chokehold from chapter 3. Except this is so much more than a silly little rom com. It’s an emotional and has so much depth and I loved every second of it.
After being left at the alter, Shay is in pieces on her best friend’s couch. Shortly after, her step-grandmother’s estate lawyer tells her she has inherited a tulip farm in the small town of Friendship, RI, where she spent some of high school. The catch is that she can only keep the farm if she’s married within a year. And this town? That’s where Noah Bowden, THE MAN WHO HAS BEEN PINING FOR HER SINCE HIGH SCHOOL (!!!!!) lives. On the farm up the hill from her. With his niece.
This book was everything I wanted and needed. Shay’s insecurities and abandonment issues shot me through the chest (yes, I cried, more than once). Noah’s growly grumpy persona and silent pining absolutely killed me. And GENNIE!!! The sweet 1st grade pirate with ADHD. I loved all of them so much and fell in love with the town right along with Shay.
I could continue on about how much I like this book, but anyway, read if you like
🍓 marriage of convenience
🍓 forced proximity/neighbors
🍓 small town
🍓 single guardian
🍓 grumpy mmc
🍓 emotional rom coms
🍓 medium burn
🍓 hysterical and heartwarming side characters
February 16, 2024
3.5 stars
This is my third time trying to read this book. The first two times I stopped at maybe chapter 5, I just wasn’t in the mood I guess and the beginning wasn’t easy to get into. The third time I tried the audiobook and it was amazing! It still took a lot of time for sth to happen, but once things started happening, it was all so adorable.
This was such a cute small town romance with a grumpy soft hero who constantly call her wife, and have been loving her since forever, a cute fun kid who swears like a pirate, pinning, and a lot of sweetness and adorable cute moments. However, this was unnecessary long and kinda hard to get into or keep me interested. I still enjoyed a lot of it and considered it a cute adorable read.
This is my third time trying to read this book. The first two times I stopped at maybe chapter 5, I just wasn’t in the mood I guess and the beginning wasn’t easy to get into. The third time I tried the audiobook and it was amazing! It still took a lot of time for sth to happen, but once things started happening, it was all so adorable.
This was such a cute small town romance with a grumpy soft hero who constantly call her wife, and have been loving her since forever, a cute fun kid who swears like a pirate, pinning, and a lot of sweetness and adorable cute moments. However, this was unnecessary long and kinda hard to get into or keep me interested. I still enjoyed a lot of it and considered it a cute adorable read.
January 8, 2023
This was such a cute story but I feel like there was alot of filler.. It didn’t have to be over 400+ pages in my opinion
May 27, 2023
the PINING/SIMPING in this book is GOD TIER. 😘 🤌 and the fact that all of it is coming from the H... YESS PLEASE KEEP IT COMING!!!
not only is this my first FAVORITE BOOK OF 2023 i found this year (even though its a 2022 release), its also STEPH BOHRER (the hottest bookish girl on the internet) APPROVED. forget about me, but that alone should get you to read this book or at the very least add it to your TBR! (watch her video: HERE) ♥
i didnt think i could love another so soon after Cade Eaton (Heartless) lol, but NOAH BARDEN... I ADORE THIS MAN 😭 its like, if the shy, bossy Joshua Templeman (The Hating Game), broody Brendan Taggart (It Happened One Summer), and grumpy daddy Cade were all mixed together, Noah would be the farmer, small town, SUPERIOR version that came out of these three.
theZuccini Zucconi h might come off annoying and frustratingly clueless to some, but i was too deep in my lavender haze with the H & his firecracker of a niece to be annoyed by her abandonment/mommy & trust issues. i honestly felt mostly empathetic towards her.
theres barely a plot since most of the book is just the minutiae of farmer live, and the drama is kept to a minimum. so it might be boring for some. but i really had fun reading the domestic-ness of it all and the shenanigans that the H, the h, and the niece got into.
to put it simply, I JUST LOVED THE WAY THE H LOVED THE h.if theres one thing i disliked about the h is that shes living MY dream. 🤪😭
Books that remind me of In a Jam:
- Heartless (for the single dad vs. nanny/teacher dynamic & country vibes)
- Arrogant Devil (for the runaway/left at the altar h & small town/ranch vibes)
- Grayson's Vow (for the fake marriage to get inheritance/save a farm/vineyard scenario)
not only is this my first FAVORITE BOOK OF 2023 i found this year (even though its a 2022 release), its also STEPH BOHRER (the hottest bookish girl on the internet) APPROVED. forget about me, but that alone should get you to read this book or at the very least add it to your TBR! (watch her video: HERE) ♥
i didnt think i could love another so soon after Cade Eaton (Heartless) lol, but NOAH BARDEN... I ADORE THIS MAN 😭 its like, if the shy, bossy Joshua Templeman (The Hating Game), broody Brendan Taggart (It Happened One Summer), and grumpy daddy Cade were all mixed together, Noah would be the farmer, small town, SUPERIOR version that came out of these three.
the
theres barely a plot since most of the book is just the minutiae of farmer live, and the drama is kept to a minimum. so it might be boring for some. but i really had fun reading the domestic-ness of it all and the shenanigans that the H, the h, and the niece got into.
to put it simply, I JUST LOVED THE WAY THE H LOVED THE h.
Books that remind me of In a Jam:
- Heartless (for the single dad vs. nanny/teacher dynamic & country vibes)
- Arrogant Devil (for the runaway/left at the altar h & small town/ranch vibes)
- Grayson's Vow (for the fake marriage to get inheritance/save a farm/vineyard scenario)
July 25, 2024
★4.75 jam-good stars, rounded up 🍓
✎𓂃 “I felt like I’d been waiting a very long time for someone who knew how to shatter me and also wanted to pick up all the pieces. And I felt an unpleasant sense of relief in discovering that person was my husband.”
☆What to Expect:
✨ Marriage of convenience
✨ Single parent/guardian of a neurodivergent child
✨ Small town vibes – set in Friendship, Rhode Island
✨ Found family
✨ The grumpy MMC falls first
✨ Body image rep
✎𓂃"This is where you belong, Shay. This is the home and we are the family you’ve always wanted … You belong here and you belong to me."
☆My Thoughts:
This book melted me into a full-on puddle so many times, only to be reformed and melted all over again it’s UNREAL 🫠 Everything about it was so cute and heartwarming, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the story (in return, it had me feeling beyond hopelessly single lol). It did feel a tad long at times, but this one really hit me with the feels. At the end of the day, though we may show it in differing ways, we all want to love and be loved in return ❣️
☆The Characters:
⋆₊⊹⁀➴ Shay. After being dumped on the day of her wedding, this poor girl is abruptly handed a whole tulip farm and expected to get married within the year, per her step-grandmother’s will. I felt for her so many times–her fear of abandonment, her need for stability, her desire to be loved when she has piss-poor taste. Ngl though, I felt she probably should have taken a teeeeeeny bit more time for herself after being dumped, along with some much-needed therapy, before jumping in with Noah.
⋆₊⊹⁀➴ Noah. ♾️ stars for this man!!!! 🔥🔥🔥 He's a cuddly softie at times, a growly caveman at others, and an added bonus: he's a freaky freak in the sheets! 😮💨 OUUUUU his thoughts were unhinged in the best possible way. I LOVED his POV, they way he’d have to filter the things he wanted to say to Shay when he was dying to show his love. He shows up for his wife in every single aspect of her life like no one ever has. Listens to her, appreciates her. Then tells her exactly how we wants her and okay!!! I immediately consent!!!! 🧎🏻♀️
⋆₊⊹⁀➴ Gennie, our lil Jill Sparrow 🏴☠️ She's Noah's niece, and he's her legal guardian. The humor in this book shines in Gennie and the next character’s dialogue. This little cutie would have even the raunchiest pirate clutching their pearls with her swearing! LOL okay not really, but I would never be able to keep a straight face around her with all the “fucks” she slings. But wow, did she steal my heart!!
⋆₊⊹⁀➴ And the best character of all??? Jaime, Shay's best friend. OH MY GOD I need Jaime to have her own book ASAP. She is the best friend we all need!! She tells it exactly how it is and doesn’t hold back, but will literally send the mafia on any mf who does her girl wrong!!! 🙌🏼 I could not stop laughing every time she spoke. “Daddy Bread Baker”??? Genius 🤣 Case in point:
☆A Quick Side Note:
Part-way through this book it dawned on me that I had read about the main characters in another one of Canterbary’s books without even realizing it at the time. Noah and Shay make brief appearances in Shucked, another very cute story!
☆Quotes:
✎𓂃“Bodies are extremely temporary and they’re the least interesting things about us … I certainly wouldn’t spend any time worrying about the size or shape of anyone else’s body. Not when I could care about their heart and their mind instead.”
✎𓂃“I know it’s insane to ask this but if you can go along with me for five minutes, I will personally plow and plant your fields whenever you want it.”
✎𓂃Shay: “I’m scary-good at acting like everything is fine and I’m not dead inside.”
Noah: “I’ve been inside you. I promise, you’re not dead.”
✎𓂃“Fuck. Your ass looks like it belongs in my lap when you wear these jeans.”
✎𓂃“It won’t be a Hallmark movie when you bang him. Those things never get past first base. One chaste kiss, end of story. Daddy Bread Baker won’t stop until that dough rises.”
✎𓂃“I wanted to forget everything about this town. And I did, I forgot most of it. Except you. You are entirely unforgettable.”
✎𓂃Shay: “I’m home.”
Noah: “Yes. It seems like you are.”
* ゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜*
Pre-review:
Putting a pause on the spooky group buddy read as I cannot be trusted to pace myself 😅 In the meantime!! My wifey Meagan put this on my radar with her 5 star review months ago, and I’ve put it off for too long! Ready to feel all the feels 🍓❤️
✎𓂃 “I felt like I’d been waiting a very long time for someone who knew how to shatter me and also wanted to pick up all the pieces. And I felt an unpleasant sense of relief in discovering that person was my husband.”
⤷ 𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑺. 𝑰𝑺 𝑾𝑯𝑨𝑻 𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑺 𝑩𝑶𝑶𝑲 𝑫𝑰𝑫 𝑻𝑶 𝑴𝑬. 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 (𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰’𝒎 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑵𝒐𝒂𝒉 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒔 𝒂𝒚𝒚𝒚 🤭).
☆What to Expect:
✨ Marriage of convenience
✨ Single parent/guardian of a neurodivergent child
✨ Small town vibes – set in Friendship, Rhode Island
✨ Found family
✨ The grumpy MMC falls first
✨ Body image rep
✎𓂃"This is where you belong, Shay. This is the home and we are the family you’ve always wanted … You belong here and you belong to me."
☆My Thoughts:
This book melted me into a full-on puddle so many times, only to be reformed and melted all over again it’s UNREAL 🫠 Everything about it was so cute and heartwarming, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the story (in return, it had me feeling beyond hopelessly single lol). It did feel a tad long at times, but this one really hit me with the feels. At the end of the day, though we may show it in differing ways, we all want to love and be loved in return ❣️
☆The Characters:
⋆₊⊹⁀➴ Shay. After being dumped on the day of her wedding, this poor girl is abruptly handed a whole tulip farm and expected to get married within the year, per her step-grandmother’s will. I felt for her so many times–her fear of abandonment, her need for stability, her desire to be loved when she has piss-poor taste. Ngl though, I felt she probably should have taken a teeeeeeny bit more time for herself after being dumped, along with some much-needed therapy, before jumping in with Noah.
⋆₊⊹⁀➴ Noah. ♾️ stars for this man!!!! 🔥🔥🔥 He's a cuddly softie at times, a growly caveman at others, and an added bonus: he's a freaky freak in the sheets! 😮💨 OUUUUU his thoughts were unhinged in the best possible way. I LOVED his POV, they way he’d have to filter the things he wanted to say to Shay when he was dying to show his love. He shows up for his wife in every single aspect of her life like no one ever has. Listens to her, appreciates her. Then tells her exactly how we wants her and okay!!! I immediately consent!!!! 🧎🏻♀️
✎𓂃“I don’t give a pickled fuck how or why we came to be married. You are my wife. If you need some fun, you’ll call me. I’ll be the one taking care of you. I’ll give you anything you want, including a properly made gin and tonic. If you can’t accept that, you’re welcome to divorce me now.”
⋆₊⊹⁀➴ Gennie, our lil Jill Sparrow 🏴☠️ She's Noah's niece, and he's her legal guardian. The humor in this book shines in Gennie and the next character’s dialogue. This little cutie would have even the raunchiest pirate clutching their pearls with her swearing! LOL okay not really, but I would never be able to keep a straight face around her with all the “fucks” she slings. But wow, did she steal my heart!!
⋆₊⊹⁀➴ And the best character of all??? Jaime, Shay's best friend. OH MY GOD I need Jaime to have her own book ASAP. She is the best friend we all need!! She tells it exactly how it is and doesn’t hold back, but will literally send the mafia on any mf who does her girl wrong!!! 🙌🏼 I could not stop laughing every time she spoke. “Daddy Bread Baker”??? Genius 🤣 Case in point:
✎𓂃“Just wait until Daddy Bread Baker gives you his baguette.”
☆A Quick Side Note:
Part-way through this book it dawned on me that I had read about the main characters in another one of Canterbary’s books without even realizing it at the time. Noah and Shay make brief appearances in Shucked, another very cute story!
☆Quotes:
✎𓂃“Bodies are extremely temporary and they’re the least interesting things about us … I certainly wouldn’t spend any time worrying about the size or shape of anyone else’s body. Not when I could care about their heart and their mind instead.”
✎𓂃“I know it’s insane to ask this but if you can go along with me for five minutes, I will personally plow and plant your fields whenever you want it.”
✎𓂃Shay: “I’m scary-good at acting like everything is fine and I’m not dead inside.”
Noah: “I’ve been inside you. I promise, you’re not dead.”
✎𓂃“Fuck. Your ass looks like it belongs in my lap when you wear these jeans.”
✎𓂃“It won’t be a Hallmark movie when you bang him. Those things never get past first base. One chaste kiss, end of story. Daddy Bread Baker won’t stop until that dough rises.”
✎𓂃“I wanted to forget everything about this town. And I did, I forgot most of it. Except you. You are entirely unforgettable.”
✎𓂃Shay: “I’m home.”
Noah: “Yes. It seems like you are.”
* ゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜*
Pre-review:
Putting a pause on the spooky group buddy read as I cannot be trusted to pace myself 😅 In the meantime!! My wifey Meagan put this on my radar with her 5 star review months ago, and I’ve put it off for too long! Ready to feel all the feels 🍓❤️
July 28, 2023
“If only she knew how much I’d always liked her. That there was no else in the world for me. My world started and ended with her sitting beside me on those dark morning rides to school, and it started up all over again when I found her on my farm.”
This book was so good! This was such a sweet and heartwarming romance about love, second chances, and discovering your happiness. In a Jam follows Shay, a kindergarten teacher who was left at the alter and discovers that she inherited a tulip farm. The only catch is, she has to move to Friendship, Rhode Island and she must be married in a year. Shay and her friend from high school, Noah decide to fake marry so she can inherit the farm. What will happen next?
"I felt like I've been waiting a very long time for someone who knew how to shatter me and also wanted to pick up the pieces. And I felt an unpleasant sense of relief in discovering that person was my husband."
I became immersed in this book from the very beginning. The plot was interesting and the pacing was almost perfect. This book had several great tropes including friends-to-lovers, marriage of convenience, and found family. I loved the small town vibes, it so heartwarming and made me smile. The characters were great and very relatable. I really liked Shay, she is kind, friendly, resilient, smart, and hard working, but at times she was naive. Shay's character development was great, she learned so much about her self and was able to get through her feelings of abandonment. I love Noah so much, he is sweet, funny, smart, strong, romantic, very handsome and protective of Shay. Noah is such a great guy, I loved how he treated Shay and made sure to have her consent before moving forward in their relationship. I loved when Noah called Shay wife, it was so sweet and it made me swoon. I also loved Gennie, she is funny, outgoing, smart, and resilient. I really liked Shay's friends especially Jaime, Grace, Emme and Audrey, they are all so loyal and sweet to Shay. The chemistry and tension between Shay and Noah was amazing! I loved Shay and Noah's relationship, they respected each other and let each other grow together. There were several romantic scenes that made me blush and smile. I appreciated that the author discussed mental health in this book, it was realistic and the characters were coping with their challenges in a positive way. I really liked the writing, it's easy to follow and it's descriptive. The ending was great, I'm glad that it ended on a happy note!
"This is where you belong Shay. This the home and we are the family you've always wanted. You belong here and you belong to me."
I recommend this book to anyone who loves romantic comedies, friends-to-lovers romance, great chemistry between the characters and small town vibes.
This book was so good! This was such a sweet and heartwarming romance about love, second chances, and discovering your happiness. In a Jam follows Shay, a kindergarten teacher who was left at the alter and discovers that she inherited a tulip farm. The only catch is, she has to move to Friendship, Rhode Island and she must be married in a year. Shay and her friend from high school, Noah decide to fake marry so she can inherit the farm. What will happen next?
"I felt like I've been waiting a very long time for someone who knew how to shatter me and also wanted to pick up the pieces. And I felt an unpleasant sense of relief in discovering that person was my husband."
I became immersed in this book from the very beginning. The plot was interesting and the pacing was almost perfect. This book had several great tropes including friends-to-lovers, marriage of convenience, and found family. I loved the small town vibes, it so heartwarming and made me smile. The characters were great and very relatable. I really liked Shay, she is kind, friendly, resilient, smart, and hard working, but at times she was naive. Shay's character development was great, she learned so much about her self and was able to get through her feelings of abandonment. I love Noah so much, he is sweet, funny, smart, strong, romantic, very handsome and protective of Shay. Noah is such a great guy, I loved how he treated Shay and made sure to have her consent before moving forward in their relationship. I loved when Noah called Shay wife, it was so sweet and it made me swoon. I also loved Gennie, she is funny, outgoing, smart, and resilient. I really liked Shay's friends especially Jaime, Grace, Emme and Audrey, they are all so loyal and sweet to Shay. The chemistry and tension between Shay and Noah was amazing! I loved Shay and Noah's relationship, they respected each other and let each other grow together. There were several romantic scenes that made me blush and smile. I appreciated that the author discussed mental health in this book, it was realistic and the characters were coping with their challenges in a positive way. I really liked the writing, it's easy to follow and it's descriptive. The ending was great, I'm glad that it ended on a happy note!
"This is where you belong Shay. This the home and we are the family you've always wanted. You belong here and you belong to me."
I recommend this book to anyone who loves romantic comedies, friends-to-lovers romance, great chemistry between the characters and small town vibes.
February 12, 2024
4.5 stars! 🥹🌟
This one felt like a warm hug 🥹🫠
Tropes:
💎 small town romance
💎 found family
💎 friends to lovers
💎 slow burn
💎 marriage of convenience!
💎 single parent
I didn't know what to expect when i started reading it, but it was such a fun read!!! The humour, the storyline, it was all i needed.
I wasn't expecting any kind ofsmut from this one!! I mean, look at the cover like it explains anything, but I didn't see that coming!!🥵😭
Also, the MC , noah, is to DIE for istg!!! They call him. " Daddy bread, Baker."
And he does actually bake!!! Like he couldn't get any better !😭😭
He's shy, and he's not!! ( if you know you know)👀
He literally worshipped the FMC that there were a handful of times i was jealous to my bones!
There's also a niece called gennie . This kid was hands down the most hilarious kid I've read in these books so far!!
i started reading this one while i was on a plane and this kid was putting me into so much trouble cuz i was trying so damn hard not to burst into laughter (coming from someone with EXTREME social anxiety that avoid getting any attention)!
If you're looking for a slow burn romance that can make you laugh from time to time, this one is calling you!
Thank you,Meagan , for bringing this to my attention! 😭🫂🩵
This one felt like a warm hug 🥹🫠
Tropes:
💎 small town romance
💎 found family
💎 friends to lovers
💎 slow burn
💎 marriage of convenience!
💎 single parent
I didn't know what to expect when i started reading it, but it was such a fun read!!! The humour, the storyline, it was all i needed.
I wasn't expecting any kind of
Also, the MC , noah, is to DIE for istg!!! They call him. " Daddy bread, Baker."
And he does actually bake!!! Like he couldn't get any better !😭😭
He's shy, and he's not!! ( if you know you know)👀
He literally worshipped the FMC that there were a handful of times i was jealous to my bones!
There's also a niece called gennie . This kid was hands down the most hilarious kid I've read in these books so far!!
i started reading this one while i was on a plane and this kid was putting me into so much trouble cuz i was trying so damn hard not to burst into laughter (coming from someone with EXTREME social anxiety that avoid getting any attention)!
If you're looking for a slow burn romance that can make you laugh from time to time, this one is calling you!
Thank you,Meagan , for bringing this to my attention! 😭🫂🩵
April 2, 2023
4.25 stars
This was such a fun slow burn/small town romance. Noah and Shay were good friends in high school and now they’re both back in town. I love a good marriage of convince, especially when the hero is pining. And when Noah calls her ‘wife’ sigh. Both Shay and Noah were great, and Noah’s niece was hilarious. Overall, this one was great. If you’re looking for a delightful read that will make you smile and swoon pick this one up.
This was such a fun slow burn/small town romance. Noah and Shay were good friends in high school and now they’re both back in town. I love a good marriage of convince, especially when the hero is pining. And when Noah calls her ‘wife’ sigh. Both Shay and Noah were great, and Noah’s niece was hilarious. Overall, this one was great. If you’re looking for a delightful read that will make you smile and swoon pick this one up.
Audio book source: Audible
Story Rating: 4.25 stars
Narrators: Jason Clarke & Kit Swann
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 15h 54m
September 6, 2024
You were never my last resort, Jamie would have been my last resort!
The book was 3 stars for me guys, It had so much potential but it didn't live up to my expectation.
"IN A JAM" starts like a dream: think lush countryside, a girl who trades city chaos for serene farm life, and a romance that promises to be as refreshing as a cool breeze on a summer day. The initial chapters are a delightful escape, featuring a city gal who discovers that the countryside might just be her true calling.
Enter Noah, our grumpy MMC, whose brooding presence contrasts sharply with the sunny disposition of Shay, the FMC. But as the story progresses, the shine starts to wear off. While Noah’s grumpiness adds a layer of depth, Shay’s constant whining and inability to move past being left at the altar become grating. Her self-esteem and self-worth issues are understandable, but her perpetual lamenting feels excessive and overshadowing. It’s as if her personal struggles dominate the narrative, eclipsing what could have been a more balanced exploration of their romance.
The little niece of Noah brings a burst of life and charm to the story, offering a welcome distraction from the main characters’ tumult. Interestingly, the farm itself, with its picturesque charm, becomes more captivating than the characters, aside from Genny, who also stands out. The details of the farm and its atmosphere were often more engaging than the character dynamics, which felt secondary.
Initially, I hoped for a deeper exploration of Noah’s character, as his love for Shay seemed to have more potential. Unfortunately, Shay's portrayal often felt limited to her beauty, overshadowing any substantive development. Her character’s complexity seemed to revolve more around her emotional baggage than her relationship with Noah.
But hold onto your horses, because after chapter 20, the book veers into an all-you-can-eat smut buffet. Imagine the serene pastoral setting suddenly morphing into a never-ending explicit marathon. The shift from charming romance to a steamy extravaganza turned what was a breezy read into a week-long endurance test. For those who relish their romance with a heavy dose of smut, this book might hit the spot. If, however, you prefer your farm life to remain picturesque and less explicit, you might want to brace yourself for a bumpy ride through the latter chapters.
Who should read this book?
If you’re looking for a romance that comes with a hefty dose of explicit content, this book delivers. But if your heart yearns for a sweet, atmospheric love story that keeps the smut to a minimum and focuses on character depth and development, you might find yourself wishing for a return to the idyllic first chapters.
Buddy Read with My favourite canadian ever @Maeghan other than ryan reynolds and ryan gosling, obv.
The book was 3 stars for me guys, It had so much potential but it didn't live up to my expectation.
"IN A JAM" starts like a dream: think lush countryside, a girl who trades city chaos for serene farm life, and a romance that promises to be as refreshing as a cool breeze on a summer day. The initial chapters are a delightful escape, featuring a city gal who discovers that the countryside might just be her true calling.
Enter Noah, our grumpy MMC, whose brooding presence contrasts sharply with the sunny disposition of Shay, the FMC. But as the story progresses, the shine starts to wear off. While Noah’s grumpiness adds a layer of depth, Shay’s constant whining and inability to move past being left at the altar become grating. Her self-esteem and self-worth issues are understandable, but her perpetual lamenting feels excessive and overshadowing. It’s as if her personal struggles dominate the narrative, eclipsing what could have been a more balanced exploration of their romance.
The little niece of Noah brings a burst of life and charm to the story, offering a welcome distraction from the main characters’ tumult. Interestingly, the farm itself, with its picturesque charm, becomes more captivating than the characters, aside from Genny, who also stands out. The details of the farm and its atmosphere were often more engaging than the character dynamics, which felt secondary.
Initially, I hoped for a deeper exploration of Noah’s character, as his love for Shay seemed to have more potential. Unfortunately, Shay's portrayal often felt limited to her beauty, overshadowing any substantive development. Her character’s complexity seemed to revolve more around her emotional baggage than her relationship with Noah.
But hold onto your horses, because after chapter 20, the book veers into an all-you-can-eat smut buffet. Imagine the serene pastoral setting suddenly morphing into a never-ending explicit marathon. The shift from charming romance to a steamy extravaganza turned what was a breezy read into a week-long endurance test. For those who relish their romance with a heavy dose of smut, this book might hit the spot. If, however, you prefer your farm life to remain picturesque and less explicit, you might want to brace yourself for a bumpy ride through the latter chapters.
Who should read this book?
If you’re looking for a romance that comes with a hefty dose of explicit content, this book delivers. But if your heart yearns for a sweet, atmospheric love story that keeps the smut to a minimum and focuses on character depth and development, you might find yourself wishing for a return to the idyllic first chapters.
Buddy Read with My favourite canadian ever @Maeghan other than ryan reynolds and ryan gosling, obv.
July 31, 2023
2.5⭐️ I'm deeply conflicted 😓 Noah was soooo hot 🤌🏻🥵 Shay was too boring. The book went on foreverrrrr and the writing was a bit awkward but I liked some parts.
October 7, 2025
Solid single dad trope 💪🏼 BUT TOO DAMN LONG!!!!
✅ I still recommend
~•~•~•~
pre-read: 🍓🫐
Single dad trope. Say less. 🔥
✅ I still recommend
~•~•~•~
pre-read: 🍓🫐
Single dad trope. Say less. 🔥
April 22, 2023
Goodness me I freaking adored this
April 9, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up because Noah Barden is the best
In a Jam was one of those stories where the hero definitely outshone the heroine, but I was happy with their romance because it was still sweet and swoony. The story starts with Shay (h) getting left at the altar and then jumps to her living on her BFF's couch, until she receives news that she's inherited her step-grandmother's farm in Rhode Island, where she'd spent some of her later high school time. To keep the farm, Shay has to meet certain demands according to the will, like living there half the year and getting married...which isn't on her radar at all given what she just experienced. But she goes back to the farm and runs into Noah (H). They'd been friends in high school and Noah has changed drastically. He's now a single father to his niece (who's an adorable, cursing pirate wannabe), he's grumpy and cooler to Shay, and he's built a massive farm empire in a town that he'd been determined to leave. That's the set-up friends and then this slow paced, slow burn/build romance takes us on a character-driven ride as Shay gets her feet back under her in unexpected ways, we get to delve into all the glorious ways Noah wins at being a H, and they find their HEA that was clearly always meant to be. Written in first person, dual POV. Slight ow drama from a woman who's pursuing H (who he has zero interest in) and some might find this to have slight om drama (from h's ex making a brief appearance, though neither wants the other back). Neither are virgins (not clear on how long it'd been for h but H had been celibate for months since he became guardian for his niece).
This story definitely has some funny parts, some emotional scenes (for both Shay and Noah), and once the steam gets going, whew, it is h-o-t. Noah is a beast and Shay liked his bossiness, plus he's packing a baguette (credit for this reference goes to Shay's BFF btw who also had the best nickname for Noah). Shay had a lot to process with her life having changed unexpectedly and while I understood times that she was hesitant or looking for circumstances to follow a negative path like in the past, I also really wished for her to show growth and listen to her BFF so she could move beyond her past. Noah had been in love with Shay since they were kids and he tries to maintain boundaries, but quickly succumbs to the need to care for her and the need to bask in her presence, even as he braces for her destroying him when she leaves (no third act breakup folks). I did appreciate that he recognizes that the adult Shay is not the same as teenage Shay. I also liked that some of the toxic or complicated familial relationships each had were not automatically healed or suddenly incorporated into the new family they were building, it felt more realistic.
There are some excellent side characters too from Shay's friend group back in Boston to Noah's employees. My favorite side character of course was his niece, Gennie, who was a pint sized terror that came to Noah with trauma and who finds her footing as well. This is a small town romance so plenty of scenes of small town life including festivals, football games, farmers markets, etc. Farming is also really important to the story so details about jam making, animal husbandry, etc. are featured. All the animals were wonderful and it just reinforced my jealousy that Shay got the amazing dude and the awesome farm. Sometimes the story dragged slightly or I got frustrated with Shay (seriously, everyone could see how devoted Noah was to her and Shay was still telling herself that what he was doing for her was just to help or to get access to her farm for far too long). But there's this amazing moment where Noah proves his long-time devotion (although I still think SHE needed to prove more to HIM).
The book ends with an epilogue that's a bit of a time jump ahead and full of more cuteness. This romance was jam-packed (yes, I felt I needed to make this pun) with sweetness. I was really happy with where the story ended and their HEA. This goes on the list of books I wished I'd tried earlier too. Noah forever!
In a Jam was one of those stories where the hero definitely outshone the heroine, but I was happy with their romance because it was still sweet and swoony. The story starts with Shay (h) getting left at the altar and then jumps to her living on her BFF's couch, until she receives news that she's inherited her step-grandmother's farm in Rhode Island, where she'd spent some of her later high school time. To keep the farm, Shay has to meet certain demands according to the will, like living there half the year and getting married...which isn't on her radar at all given what she just experienced. But she goes back to the farm and runs into Noah (H). They'd been friends in high school and Noah has changed drastically. He's now a single father to his niece (who's an adorable, cursing pirate wannabe), he's grumpy and cooler to Shay, and he's built a massive farm empire in a town that he'd been determined to leave. That's the set-up friends and then this slow paced, slow burn/build romance takes us on a character-driven ride as Shay gets her feet back under her in unexpected ways, we get to delve into all the glorious ways Noah wins at being a H, and they find their HEA that was clearly always meant to be. Written in first person, dual POV. Slight ow drama from a woman who's pursuing H (who he has zero interest in) and some might find this to have slight om drama (from h's ex making a brief appearance, though neither wants the other back). Neither are virgins (not clear on how long it'd been for h but H had been celibate for months since he became guardian for his niece).
This story definitely has some funny parts, some emotional scenes (for both Shay and Noah), and once the steam gets going, whew, it is h-o-t. Noah is a beast and Shay liked his bossiness, plus he's packing a baguette (credit for this reference goes to Shay's BFF btw who also had the best nickname for Noah). Shay had a lot to process with her life having changed unexpectedly and while I understood times that she was hesitant or looking for circumstances to follow a negative path like in the past, I also really wished for her to show growth and listen to her BFF so she could move beyond her past. Noah had been in love with Shay since they were kids and he tries to maintain boundaries, but quickly succumbs to the need to care for her and the need to bask in her presence, even as he braces for her destroying him when she leaves (no third act breakup folks). I did appreciate that he recognizes that the adult Shay is not the same as teenage Shay. I also liked that some of the toxic or complicated familial relationships each had were not automatically healed or suddenly incorporated into the new family they were building, it felt more realistic.
There are some excellent side characters too from Shay's friend group back in Boston to Noah's employees. My favorite side character of course was his niece, Gennie, who was a pint sized terror that came to Noah with trauma and who finds her footing as well. This is a small town romance so plenty of scenes of small town life including festivals, football games, farmers markets, etc. Farming is also really important to the story so details about jam making, animal husbandry, etc. are featured. All the animals were wonderful and it just reinforced my jealousy that Shay got the amazing dude and the awesome farm. Sometimes the story dragged slightly or I got frustrated with Shay (seriously, everyone could see how devoted Noah was to her and Shay was still telling herself that what he was doing for her was just to help or to get access to her farm for far too long). But there's this amazing moment where Noah proves his long-time devotion (although I still think SHE needed to prove more to HIM).
The book ends with an epilogue that's a bit of a time jump ahead and full of more cuteness. This romance was jam-packed (yes, I felt I needed to make this pun) with sweetness. I was really happy with where the story ended and their HEA. This goes on the list of books I wished I'd tried earlier too. Noah forever!
August 24, 2024
꒰𓍼𓍢ִ໋🌷꒱ - 2 ★
I'M FINALLY FREE
I'd rather watch paint dry, than read this ever again.
⤷ The characters? Beyond boring
⤷ The writing? Terrible
⤷ Wife. Wife. Wife. Why was Noah calling Shay that every 5 seconds? He could've given her a good nickname, but instead he settled on calling her constantly "wife". That made me frustrated. I can't even count how many times this word was used in this book.
⤷ It didn't need to be 500 pages long.
⤷ It was annoying when Shay kept referring to Xavier as "ex" the whole book, I mean, girl, he has a name, so why won't you call him by that?
⤷ I wasn't fond of Noah. He was acting like an obsessed creep sometimes.
⤷ Shay & Noah had no chemistry. What's more, things got way more boring the moment they got together.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
꒰𓍼𓍢ִ໋🌷꒱ — 𝙥𝙧𝙚-𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙
Actually, I don't know much about the plot BUT my edition has sprayed edges and it looks so pretty that I had to buy it. Well, I'm a sucker for beautiful book editions. Let's hope it delivers, though!
I'M FINALLY FREE
I'd rather watch paint dry, than read this ever again.
⤷ The characters? Beyond boring
⤷ The writing? Terrible
⤷ Wife. Wife. Wife. Why was Noah calling Shay that every 5 seconds? He could've given her a good nickname, but instead he settled on calling her constantly "wife". That made me frustrated. I can't even count how many times this word was used in this book.
⤷ It didn't need to be 500 pages long.
⤷ It was annoying when Shay kept referring to Xavier as "ex" the whole book, I mean, girl, he has a name, so why won't you call him by that?
⤷ I wasn't fond of Noah. He was acting like an obsessed creep sometimes.
⤷ Shay & Noah had no chemistry. What's more, things got way more boring the moment they got together.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
꒰𓍼𓍢ִ໋🌷꒱ — 𝙥𝙧𝙚-𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙
Actually, I don't know much about the plot BUT my edition has sprayed edges and it looks so pretty that I had to buy it. Well, I'm a sucker for beautiful book editions. Let's hope it delivers, though!
September 1, 2024
DNF at 78% (I’ve never DNF’d a book so close to the end). I wasn’t prepared for the smut fest this book was.
Please keep in mind that reading is subjective and I’m very happy if you liked this. It just wasn’t for me.
—-• pre read
Soo excited to be doing this BR with my kindred spirit Utkarsh 💗🧚🏼♀️ let this deliver for us!!
Please keep in mind that reading is subjective and I’m very happy if you liked this. It just wasn’t for me.
—-• pre read
Soo excited to be doing this BR with my kindred spirit Utkarsh 💗🧚🏼♀️ let this deliver for us!!
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