In a Jam

A jilted bride running away from her mess of a life. A shy and grumpy (reluctant) farmer and full time care giver to a pirate-esque niece. Runaway goats, nosey town folk, and a marriage of convenience. This is In A Jam in a nut shell.I loved loved loved Noah and his niece. Their dynamic was so sweet and poignant. I loved how hard he worked to provide everything Gennie needed, especially because she had some trauma to work through. I loved how kind and thoughtful he was under the layers of growl and grump. His awkward and shy interior was hidden under all those layers, and watching the process of Shay peel, those back was just so very lovely. I think they fit well together and had such a sweet dynamic that made my heart so happy. This book was a good mix of sweet, salty, and funny, with good pacing and a nice setting. I think that of the two main characters, Noah was my favorite because he was down to earth and showed the most growth and relatablility. I liked Shay, but I wanted to see her grow a bit more...though her character was done well enough that some of the minor annoyances are easier to overlook.This was a fun and sweet small town romance that I would absolutely read again. There were a few things I didn't like, but the pros far outweigh the cons. 9/10 for sure!Tropes Include:FM Love InterestsShy, grumpy, awkward MMCSingle ParentSmall-town RomanceMarriage of ConvenienceForced ProximityChildhood Unrequited CrushHe Falls FirstHe Falls HarderLow AngstMedium SpiceNo Second Act Break-Up

I always enjoy a good small town set book. Everyone knows everybody and everything. They celebrate everything. These two were friends in high school with her being the more interesting and popular and him at the other end of the spectrum. Friends though. The note writing took me back to middle school. Oh the days before texting. After being left at the altar, Shay ends up finding her way back to the only place that was ever home. Her step grandmother has passed away and left the tulip farm to her with absurd conditions. Noah inherited his family farm next door and has worked wonders on it since. Every family has drama so here he is running a farm and raising his mouthy niece. That will turns into a fake marriage and a good tutor for his niece. They windy road of a HEA is a good one!

This book was absolutely adorable. I loved the grumpy/sunshine aspect of it. Shay and Noah had some great banter. Gennie was definitely the star of the show, though. Her clear disdain for the chickens was hilarious. There were a few key details I felt were left out, but it was written so well you could piece them together no problem. Overall, it was a very good book. The ANGST in this book had me on edge! The way they flirted but never went far til more then halfway through the book had me all over the place. The dirty talk was perfect and it made it so much better when the fireworks started. 4/5⭐️ and 2.5/5🌶

It was interesting story with nice characters. Fmc’s quite quirky but so kind, gentle and sensitive. Mmc’s loyal, shy but possessive, even though there were few moments about this that confused. I was also quite confused at the beginning by his aggressive but at the same time obsessive/caring thoughts about fmc. I loved mmc’s niece, Gennie. I think her story was so well incorporated, it showed so much about mmc and his nature. Fmc’s uncertainty could feel to much, but that was ok for me, I feel like it just helped to understand her gentle nature. The farm and small town setting was really cute. Long story short- I loved it, definitely would recommend.

Noah Barden is everything you could ever ask for in a man. He’s loved Shay since high school and hasn’t stopped in the years they didn’t see or speak to each other. He’s an amazing uncle to Gennie (who’s a hoot) and takes care of everyone and everything. He also had an insane need to refer to Shay as his wife more times than necessary which is just adorable.Shay’s been through the wringer and was dealing with a lot on her own, from her lack of a stable family life as a child to her fiancé being a jerk and leaving her at the literal last possible minute. But once she arrives in Friendship with the clause of marriage over her head to inherit a tulip farm, Noah is there to lend her an all too helping hand.Not only was the plot amazing, the spice was spicing in the best way. The mouth on Noah is what a girl dreams about.Anyway…this book has definitely found it’s way into my top reads of the year shelf!

I never knew how much I needed this book until I finally started reading it! I loved the whole thing. So much fun to read. I laughed and I cried. Shay and Noah’s story was so good. I loved that Noah took in his niece to raise for his sister. She made me laugh and smile so much. This book has been in my TBR for way too long. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a wonderful and fun book full of love and laughter. Loved it all!!

Small town friends to strangers to lovers with a marriage of convenience and a hilarious kid niece. This was a solid read with humor and spice. My only complaints was the insecurity trope ("he doesn't love me, how could anyone love me, this isn't real") and the length! Wow this book was long.

This is such a cute quick read! The banter, the cussing from a 5 year old, the shyness, the convincing yourself not to be loved. Shay and Noah deserve all the love in the world. I couldn’t stop smiling from this book!

This was cute and light and funny and I breezed through it in no time.The audiobook narrators were quite charming and it added to my enjoyment of this sweet friends to lovers romance.The 6 year old pyrate girl swearing like a sailor and obsessed with goats and cows and dogs and kittens was a great addition. As well as the heroine's group of four friends.I like a romance where the dialogue is light and fun and there's lot of it, where the hero is growchy but he is so gone for the heroine that he will stop at nothing to make her happy and loves her just as she is, with all her quirks and insecurities.The heroine annoyed me a bit cause she was so oblivious most of the time and maybe this book could have been at least 50 pages shorter.But overall, very solid charming read!

When Shay’s life unexpectedly fell apart she went back to the small town she had lived in for a while as a teenager. Her step-grandmother left her a farm, but to keep it she needs to get married. Her old school friend is also back in town, at his farm next door and with a 6 year old precocious niece in tow. When he learns about her predicament he offers her a fake marriage in return for use of her land. Gennie was a bundle of fun and mischief all rolled in to one. Shay was a loving, sweet amazing woman who couldn’t see what she had to offer anyone. Noah was the high school geek, who is now successful, handsome, loyal, but still a little insecure. Their spark lingered from the start, but it took a while before Shay believe Noah really wanted her. I loved the inclusion of her friends, especially the adventurous Jamie. It takes a while for Shay to realise what she really has, but Noah is patient and determined and they eventually get their HEA. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Listen, maybe I'm just biased because I have a *huge* thing for Canterbary's growly and gruff but absolute simp heroes who worship the ground their heroines walk on, but, HELLO, DADDY BREAD BAKER! This book was one heckuva good time—the banter, the friendships, the romance, and holy granola, the STEAM! 🥵 This also has a plus-sized FMC and I loved the fat rep and body positivity! This small town romance serves marriage of convenience, friends(ish)-to-lovers, the single parent trope and delivers on that great 'meddling (alright, they're nosy) community' vibe that I *love* about small towns. This book has what I've started to think of as the 'chaotic charm' that embodies Canterbary's romances and I 1000% loved it!I admit that the chemistry took a little time to sink in for me and I think that's mostly because the story relied on their close friendship as teenagers as proof of their connection as adults but didn't really show it; at least, not to the point where the intensity of Noah's feelings made sense. So in a way, the connection came across as very instalove at the beginning. While (IMO) the relationship was never as fully developed as it could've been to lay the groundwork for their connection, the combination of their rekindled friendship, their natural (explosive!) chemistry, the forced proximity and Noah's straight-up simp behaviour towards Shay, had me hoisting the sails and jumping on board this ship pretty quickly! I loved their dynamic and the little wild family they formed together with Gennie.I honestly can't remember the last time a romance had me cackling as wildly and as often as I did while reading In a Jam, and it's all thanks to the great characters and the ✨exquisite✨ banter. Where do I even get started with Shay and Noah? Shay is a KG teacher who recently got left at the altar and inherited her step-grandmother's farm in Friendship, Rhode Island where she spent the last two years of HS before leaving and never looking back. She's quirky, smart, and has a kind heart. Though she's not without flaws, I thought she was relatable especially when it came to matters of the heart. I really felt for her but she goes through some great growth with the help of her crew and Noah and we loved to see it! In contrast to her sunshine personality, Noah was the gruff growling grump who is essentially the popular all-arounder in the community despite hating it. He's a whip-smart lawyer turned farmer-entrepreneur after moving back to Friendship several years ago and recently became a "single-parent" when he adopted his niece, Gennie. Although he outgrew being the fat kid once he left teenhood behind and is now the physical embodiment of many a person's wet dreams, on the inside he's still the same shy and awkward introvert who's not great socially. He wants to hate Shay for shattering his heart and unrequited dreams but the minute he sees her again, he's a total goner.WHAT A SIMP AND I LOVED IT! He was so endearing and definitely gave me grumpy Stremmel vibes from The Worst Guy and Linden lumberbear vibes from The Belle and the Beard and honestly, it's my favourite combination. And don't even get me started on the sexy scenes because the steaminess practically melted my Kindle. When it comes to bedroom fantasies, Noah is the filthiest giving minor alpha/dom vibes and the way Shay complements his play was absolute FIRE. He can't keep his hands off her and the simp spoils the hell out of her and listen, Daddy Bread Baker is fine! 🥵Other than these two with their incendiary Kindle-melting chemistry, I adored the secondary characters in the story. Gennie is probably the wildest and most hilarious child in a single-parent romance that I've ever read. No joke, the stuff that came out of this kid's mouth was shocking and I LOVED IT. 😂 That said, her outlandish behaviour is in large part due to the emotional traumas she suffered in the past year and my heart broke for her situation. No child should have to go through that but Noah and Shay helped bring her out of her shell with their unwavering love and support. On Shay's side, we have the crew of teacher besties who have the best friendship chemistry and the most fun-loving banter. I especially loved her connection with Jaime—this is the kind of ride-or-die friendship I live for—and I truthfully could've read a story just about these two being their unapologetic selves and living their best lives! Friend banter is as high up there for me as romantic banter is and it was a solid win here.

So, did I love this or did i LOVE this?Omg! What a ride!I totally enjoyed this book and the journey it took me on. I loved every aspect of this💓. It's so hard to find a good slow burn but this book does it just right!Shay is a Queen and Noah is the perfect King for her!I loved Shay as a teacher, she was so awesome. I liked how dimensional her character was, she was fearless and a little scared at the same time and how that represents most of us.🌼Noah. God Noah. He is setting a bar thats high even for book boyfriends guys! He simply stole my heart💘. Jamie appropriately calls him "Daddy Bread Baker", i loved his obsession with breads and jams. I simply adored him with Genie, i loved how hard he tries to give her the best.I think I resonated with him a lot because of his shyness, I get choked up and nervous a lot around people and how people just assume that you are arrogant or have an attitude cause you don't speak a lot, like i try but it doesn't come out right.And don't get me started on his occasional alpha streak, thoughtfulness and devotion. Like I said he is the man.🤌🏻But I think we can all agree that Genie stole the show. She and her foul mouth made this book so so special. I fell in love the minute I met her!☠️Go read this gem of a book guys!!💟 Don't miss out!Happy Release Day!💞

I began reading this book too fast, had to slow down to savor it. Kate's writing is so lovely and this book just made me feel warm and in love with love. The book gave me, as a curvy girl, a noticeable confident streak. It's a book about acceptance, support. It made me laugh out loud, it nearly had me crying and it had me blushing! The spice is unexpected at times and can catch you off guard. I currently have two more of Kate's books in my basket but I know In A Jam is one I will reach for again.